Simple moments

I'm starting to feel like I'm on repeat...another week nearly over, with great weather for the weekend. 

The work week was particularly short with Monday as a holiday, I was in the office on Tuesday, then flew out to Calgary for a meeting on Wednesday and Thursday, and had scheduled Friday as a vacation day.  The meeting went well as my presentations were generally well received.  I say, generally, as my first presentation was on time management.  Many of the participants were quite adamant that they were far too busy to use the suggestions I provided.  Hmmm...perhaps there was a lesson to be learned that was missed.  On the other hand I had some of the participants tell me they will definitely use some of the suggestions and a couple asked if they could job shadow me for a month.  (Of course, that won't be happening but it was a lovely compliment).

On the way home, I was upgraded to Plus (that's never happened before) so I was seated right at the front of the plane.  My seat mate got on just before we took off, and when the air was turned before the engines were started, she had a bit of a panic attack.  The attendant checked with her, and she shared that as a teenager, she had been trapped in a car wreck and the confined space and heat was troubling to her.  As we took off, I noted the tears falling.  Not knowing what to do, I did what I know best.  I asked her if she was from Regina.  Through her tears she told me she was.  I waited a minute or two, and asked if she was in Calgary for business or pleasure.  She told me she'd been in Phoenix with her daughter.  I kept this up for several minutes, asking a question that led from the answer she had given.  

After we'd reached altitude, the attendants came by and she ordered a glass of wine and a snack.  We chatted while she ate, and drank, and by the time we were starting our descent into Regina, she was relaxed, and told me I must be a good mother, as I had managed to keep her distracted through most of the flight.  I definitely thought that was a nice compliment!  

Friday morning, I did a little housework before meeting my friend K for lunch.  Who knew there were two Applebees' in Regina?  Apparently, neither of us.  K thought it was odd that I wasn't there at 11:45 (our agreed time) and asked the waiter.  She then hopped in her car and drove across the city to the east end Applebees.  I had thought she was at line dancing so hadn't worried when she didn't arrive on time.  

We ended up having a very leisurely lunch, not leaving the restaurant until 2:30.  We chatted about their most recent cruise, a TransPacific from Japan to Vancouver, their upcoming cruise to the Baltics in September, and our New Orleans cruise in December.  She's looked into renting a car for at least a day so we can visit a plantation.  I want to visit one of the cemeteries; she wasn't certain what her partner J wants to do.  

I had my nail appointment at 3, while K dashed off to bar tend (volunteer) at a nearby senior's complex. My esthetitian L, told me about a tomato/herb container she had purchased at Lowe's.  I hadn't planned to have any vegetables this year, but the price, $26.99, was too good.  I headed up to Lowe's and picked one up.  It contains a cherry tomato, a marigold, basil, oregano, parsley and thyme.  The tomato has several fruit already on it, and the herbs are quite large and definitely healthy.  If I had purchased the items separately, I'm certain the cost would have been much higher.

Dinner was with the regular crew at the regular spot.  The service was so-so, the food about the same, as usual.  It is the company that keeps me coming back.  C and I made arrangements to get together for coffee on Saturday morning when her husband N was off gliding at the base in Moose Jaw.  I've missed her at work, and it was lovely to get together and have a gab.  Their yard is so lovely, too.  C has the green thumb and an artistic flair, while N provides the muscle.  This year they have replaced the base for their new gazebo, enlarging it to 10 X 14 (from 10 X 10).  C has planted most of the containers, of which there are approximately 40, as well as the two flower beds out front.  She is holding off on the beds in the back yard until the gazebo is finished.  The only thing I don't care for in their yard, is the fact they back onto a busy roadway, but she says they don't notice the traffic noise.

Last evening we had a thunder storm roll through the area.  Eli was still awake, so we took him outside.  D and I took the chairs from the front patio and moved them onto the sidewalk.  Eli ran between us until Uncle C came out and sat on the step.  That child loves his uncle!  He wasn't the least bit frightened by the thunder, though I don't believe he noticed the lightening.  However, when the rain started and Eli wandered off the sidewalk onto the patio, we learned he didn't like being rained on. I think it was a shock as it was too dark to see the rain drops.  It started coming down hard then, so we all moved into the house. 

Today, I got more housework done in the early morning before heading out to relax and read on the deck.  I grilled some chicken for lunch, made myself a Caesar salad, and ate my lunch outside as well.  By 2 it was getting quite warm, so I came back indoors.  D and Eli came back from running errands, he had a brief nap while she ate lunch.  We're currently watching the pre-season football between the Saskatchewan Riders and the Edmonton Eskimos.  Sad to say, the game isn't going well for our team.  Later we'll watch the Memorial Cup Junior Hockey final as the local team, the Regina Pats are playing.  D is responsible for dinner tonight; she'll be grilling a rack of ribs and asparagus, while I'll do potatoes in the microwave. 

No garden photos this week, but I do have a couple of shots of the rainbow from a week ago.  

The first shot was taken on my deck looking to the north east.  I've enlarged it because of the double rainbow.  The second shot is from the street out front, looking east.  We didn't get much rain that evening, and I only just happened to walk out the back and spotted the rainbow. 

It's back to work tomorrow. I doubt the week will pass quite as quickly as the last... but I'm sure there will be simple moments to look back on too.  Have a great week everyone!

Spring, glorious spring!

When the weather is as beautiful as it has been the last few days, I think perhaps I should just stay here after retirement.  Of course, I realize that in six months or so I'll be cursing the weather gods and wishing I were elsewhere.  Come to think of it, I will be...at least for a few weeks.

I've been spending a lot of time outside, enjoying the front patio or the back deck, depending on the position of the sun.  The cats are enjoying the sun room too!  I've been leaving the door open between the kitchen and sun room at night; it has gotten quite cool (66F/18C) overnight.  I enjoy it but I know my daughter won't, but as she's away for the weekend I'll keep it up.  I'm writing this about 5:30 and the house has only now warmed up to 72F/22C.  It seems to warm up more in the evening with the sun from the west, although there are no windows on that side of the house.  I do so appreciate not having the a/c running, and it isn't set to kick in until 76F/24C.  Yes, I still have my thermostat set at Fahrenheit rather than Celsius.  I have no idea why, it was this way when we moved in and I left it be.

My son C spent the night at a friend's on Friday.  I heard him leave about 10:30 p.m. and knew I'd have several hours to myself in the morning.  I was up by 6 and had the vacuuming done, a potato salad made, sorted through all the stuff on my kitchen table (more on that later), and the laundry started by 8 a.m.!  I could manage all that when he is home as he can sleep through anything but I probably wouldn't have gotten started as early.

After a quick bite to eat, and a couple of cups of coffee, I headed over to Winners to pick up a couple of items.  One is a mail holder - my daughter D receives a lot of mail, C and I less so, but it tends to get piled up on the kitchen table.  I try to take care of it as it comes in, but the other two not so much.  I was also looking for a new table cloth to replace the one D (and two cats) had ruined.  She likes to paint but didn't take care to clean up spills; Saku and Sheldon like to tear at the backing.  It was a cheap plastic one so it was more a nuisance than anything else.  I didn't find a new one but had another in the closet that I pulled out.  I also found another scented candle, this one citrus, and a little picture book of words for Eli.  I know he'll enjoy it as much as I'll enjoying reading it with him.

Then it was out to the front yard.  I had made a plan for the plants that I had bought - good thing, as I had to pull out the book to remember what I was going to do.  

I started with the pots out front.  I used a container of petunia, calibrocha, and verbena for the two tall ones, cutting it in half - something another gardener had suggested.  I'm a little worried as the plants didn't look good this morning, but I'll give it a day or two.  I also tucked in a curly grass and a lime sweet potato vine, the first for height and the second to cascade down the pot....eventually!

The front pot has a mix of petunias, pink and pink striped with a pink dahlia in the centre.  D received the plant when she went shopping on Mother's Day.  I've never had much luck with dahlias but perhaps this one will be the exception. There is a large evergreen between the front yard and the patio, so this area gets sun in the morning and again in the late afternoon evening.  I know the dahlia prefers sun so I'm taking a chance.

These three pots sit just off the patio between the two houses.  I had thought to divide the geraniums, but had a couple of extra petunias, so those went into the middle pot.  Each container also got a white calibrocha and a lysimachia (creeping jenny).  Both will trail over the edge of the pot.

This spot gets the sun during in late morning and early afternoon, basically the hottest part of the day.  The pot on the right also gets the evening sun.  I've never had geraniums in this spot but the petunias seem to thrive anywhere I put them so I'll see.

Finally I moved onto the front flower bed.  This is the shadiest part of my yard, as it sits on the north side of the house and is shaded by the evergreen in front, the garage to the east and the neighbour's house to the west.  Despite this, I've managed to fill it in with several perennials and a few annuals. 

This photo was taken shortly after I'd got the plants in but before the mulching was put on top. 

Behind the sunflower temperature gauge is a container of impatience.  This spot tucked in beside the bay window has been the bane of my gardening existence.  Nothing grows there, not even weeds!  The impatience do well in the pot and add a pop of color.  

On another note, isn't the bergenia looking good? I'd seen it growing in a nearby yard and thought it was lovely.  I put it in about 7 years ago and it has probably quadrupled in size.  

I probably should divide it, but I like it as is, and since I'm not planning to be here much longer, I'll leave it be.

Besides the perennials already in the bed, I added nicotiana, a dianthus, and bugleweed.  The dianthus is supposed to be hardy to -30C so hopefully will over winter, the bugleweed should but likely won't, and the nicotiana are annuals.  

The patio is one of my favorite spots to read and relax, especially when it is hot as it is shaded and tends to get a nice breeze.  That reminds me, I have cushions for those chairs that I need to find and put out.  Otherwise the chairs aren't particularly comfortable.

My ferns are coming up nicely...though it seems never in the same spot as the year previous.  I love the curl of the frond before it opens, it makes me think of a sea creature.

This one is growing up in the midst of the spirea bush and there is another on the opposite side.  The bush has only started to leaf out so the ferns are well ahead.  By mid-summer though these will be barely visible.  The ferns only do well in the bed in the spring, I don't keep the bed very wet and find the heat gets them by mid-July.  

After finishing the front yard, I took the remaining plants to the back, put my tools away, and settled in on the deck to read and relax before supper.  Supper was simple, just a frozen pizza that I popped in the oven, as I was tired from all the bending and digging.  I watched a bit of television and was in bed by 8 p.m.   All that fresh air made for a good night's sleep.

Today I spent a good of part of the day cleaning up and planting in the back yard.  I've no photos yet, and will save that for another post.  

Tomorrow, being Victoria Day, is a stat holiday. I think I'll spend most of the day outdoors again with a book in hand, and a cold drink at the ready.  Sounds like a great way to enjoy the gorgeous weather.

Have a great rest of the weekend everyone!

The season of change

Spring, glorious spring!  Out my living room window I see that the neighbour's tree is beginning to leaf out, their awn is mostly green, and next door to them, the ducks are back.  I'm not sure why, but there is a pair of mallards who like to hang out in the front yard.  I often see them as I'm pulling out of the driveway on my way to work in the morning.  The other day, the female was perched up on the roof of another house.  

The robins are back, the bunnies are mostly brown (and spend a lot of time chasing one another), and the garden centers are full of lovely green plants.  It is still too cool at night here for any planting, but of course I couldn't resist.  Besides I like to pick plants when they first hit the store...the staff aren't generally gardeners and watering seems to be forgotten within days.

This year, as I have in the past, selected mostly pinks and purples.  I know my house has brick and oranges and yellows would likely match but I go with what I like.

For flowers I'm sticking with petunias and geraniums, and a few impatience, this year.  I've tried dahlias, osteospermum, and begonias in the past with mixed results.  This year, it's the KISS principle.  

To complete the containers I've got several trailers, including ivy and sweet potato vine, plus calibrochoa (million bells).  I haven't found any trailing verbena so might be doing a little more shopping.  

I also picked up a couple of perennials for the front flower bed including a dianthus and some pink aruga bugleweed.  I planted purple aruga last year - it didn't spread much so I'll add this for another variety.  Also for the front bed, are nicotiana.  While they prefer sun, my mom had great luck with them in a north bed so I try every year to replicate her success.  It hasn't happened yet, but I keep trying.  

I also brought home a lovely fuschia.  It was the only one that had white, purple, and pink blooms so I couldn't resist.  (It doesn't look that off against the brick, does it?)

The plant is already huge and makes a real impact in the garden.  At this point, there is very little green in the flower bed, just the remains of the perennials that I cut back a week ago.



I can't recall what this is, as I've lost the tag - it's the first bit of green I've seen in the flower bed (so hopefully it isn't a weed!)  The hostas are yet to make any kind of appearance, but the heart leaf bergenia is beginning to put out new leaves.  I was reading through my garden journal and I note the aruga died over winter from 2016.  Hmmm...wonder if I'll have better luck this year?  Probably not.

The last basket I picked up is this Sun patience.  I had these in my containers last year, but I don't recall they did very well.  I'll try again this year with the hanging basket, though this particular spot doesn't get a whole lot of sun.  

Frankly I do that a lot - I grow plants that are prefer part shade in the sun, and those that want full sun in part shade. Sometimes it works really well and sometimes it's just meh.  But I've never lost an annual because of the where it was placed.  

Our weather has been a bit cool this week, but warmer temperatures are on their way.  Plus 28C by Monday!  Of course, I'll be at work, but still.  I plan to plant everything on the long weekend as it's unlikely we'll have frost after that.  Though it has happened, I'll take my chances.

The patio furniture is out in both the front and back yards.  It's a sunny day, so I plan to take the opportunity this afternoon to sit outside with a cold soft drink and my book.  I'm currently reading a Karin Slaughter novel, about two sisters who witness their mother's murder as young teens.  I've never read any of her books before and I have to force myself to put it down as the story line is very interesting and the story definitely doesn't follow a predictable script.  

Oh, I learned yesterday that I'll likely have new neighbours by the fall.  The young couple next door are moving to the States for work.  The wife works for an American company and has been working from home since they moved here, I think about 6 years or so.  She came out of the house yesterday carrying one of her cats.  We got talking as she put the cat in the truck.  Apparently they will be driving and they've started training the cats for the drive.  She brought the other two out and put them in the truck as well, but didn't actually go for a drive.  I guess sitting in the truck will get them accustomed to the vehicle, though I suspect once it starts moving they won't be very happy.  

The house will be put up for sale at the end of the month.  The listing price should help me determine what I might get for my home next year.  Their house was listed at a lower price than mine when they bought a year or so after I did.  They did re-do the driveway and basement floor but other than that I'm not aware of any renovations.  

Speaking of renovations, my main and en-suite bathrooms will have the cabinets refaced in June.  I've arranged for the tile to be removed, and the drywall skim coated for painting next week.  I've got in touch with the plumber to unhook the current sinks, and ordered sinks and faucets on-line with delivery expected within 3 weeks.  This was the hardest part as finding grey sinks is nearly impossible; they certainly are not available in local stores.   I'll admit I've gone with the cheapest options - I'll only be here for another year or so, and the new owners may decide to totally renovate. I don't see the point in spending a bunch of money only to have someone else tear it out.  Now, if I were staying here another 10 years I might reconsider...but probably not.

AND then there is this:

This was taken at my brother's house on the farm.  Eli took his first steps two weeks ago tomorrow and every day his abilities have improved.  D calls it muscle memory...I call it amazing.  He rarely crawls now, can stand up from a seated position, and the only that stops him are stairs.  His vocabulary is increasing as well, from mom, dad, Sasha, and his favorite uncle's name, he has added juice, done (well, actually un but I accept it), nana for banana,  and Chase (a paw patrol puppy for the uninitiated).  He has yet to settle on a name for Grandma but it is clear he loves me.  He brings me books to read and loves a good cuddle.  

Well, enough babble from me.  Eli is busily destroying my living room and his mother is still sleeping.  

Have a wonderful rest of the weekend everyone!

Lessons learned

Another work week is in the books, the weekend is here and unlike the previous weekend I've pretty much accomplished nothing.  We had a couple of days of meetings this week which took me away from my normal work.  But since that's been pretty slow it just made the time go by faster.

Every day another reason comes up as to why I'm ready to pull the pin.  This week was no different.  However, I've learned my lesson well and won't go into it here in this post.  Suffice to say, either I'm getting too old for this nonsense or the place is going to hell in a handbasket.  Perhaps a little of column A and a little of column B.  

I will share that I have been asked to attend an event in another office to share my experiences as a supervisor with a group of less experienced supervisors.  I felt a little honored that I would be considered as I certainly haven't the depth and breadth of experience as some in our office.  When I agreed to attend, my manager sent me the chain of e-mails which I read through for more details of the event.  Hmmm...turns out I was third on the list of choices.....the other two have even less experience than I do.  There went my feelings of accomplishment.  

At home, things are going sideways.  D and I are arguing more frequently.  Today I learned she lent money to some former friends and is having difficulty getting it back from them.  Deja vu all over again.  I kicked her out of my house three years ago because, instead of saving her money when she was working, she lent it to a boyfriend who refused to repay.  She ended up taking him to court, and was able to recover just 75% of the amount.  (It was a significant amount).  This time the amount is much smaller but since she's currently not working any amount is too large.  When I challenged her on it, she told me it's my fault because she's "co-dependent" and feels the need to help other people because otherwise they won't like her.  She tells me it started when she was a child and I would express my displeasure so she would do her chores to try to please me.  She even said, that was why she cleaned up the house while I was at dinner last night.  I didn't say, but thought "I thought you did it because you live here and that's what adults do". 

Okay, I'm not a psychologist, nor do I play one on television but I think I'm being played.  Whose mother didn't give their child heck when they didn't behave?  My mother certainly did, and was quick to use both her words and the back of her hand.    I did lend a boyfriend  a small bit of money once and wasn't repaid....never again!  I learned my lesson...she, however, has not.  This has been a trend in all of her relationships, and apparently has been extended to former friends of her last b/f.  

I'm tired of being blamed for her shortcomings, and frustrated that she can not, will not take responsibility for her own actions. The time is coming soon when regardless of whether she has an income or not I'm going to have to ask her to move.  I've told her already the only reason she's allowed to be her is because of Eli.  He deserves to be kept safe, and while I have no doubt she loves him, her foolish actions are likely to have a negative impact.  I wonder if, someday, he turns to his mother and tell her it's all her fault?

Speaking of Eli, do you remember the photo of the little guy peeking over the edge of my bed?  Today, he was walking around the bed and I realized he's now a head taller!  He's just growing like a weed.  This week he's really started to stand on his own.  He'll stand holding something, and it is as if whatever he is holding is holding him up because as soon as he drops the item, he too drops to the floor.  Silly boy!

Here's a couple of photos from earlier today.  

Eli took the second one, with a little help.  He was fascinated by the camera strap and I had pulled him up on my lap.  He turned the camera around so I put his finger on the button and helped him push.  We had a few that didn't work but this one was just too cute!  He truly is a happy little guy.  I guess we're doing something right.

Have a great rest of the weekend everyone!  

Spring has sprung!

I'm saying this with some hesitation as the calendar flipped over to spring a few weeks ago, but Mother Nature's cruelty kept winter coming at us until this week.  In fact, we had snow on Tuesday, followed by above freezing temperatures on Wednesday.  Mood swing much?

Today it's a lovely 8-10C afternoon; the sun room is open, the burgers are defrosting in the fridge, and I made a potato salad yesterday.  I firmly believe that potato salad tastes better the next day.  It's probably an old wive's tale but it works for me.  

My daughter took Eli to visit a friend in a small town about 1 1/2 hours from us on Thursday evening, and won't be home until Sunday.  I took advantage of their absence to go hard on the spring cleaning in the kitchen and living room.  All the iiving room furniture was vacuumed thoroughly as were the dining room chairs (oh, the cat hair), I scrubbed floors and baseboards, spot washed the walls, and cleaned out the pantry shelves and the cupboard that holds the cleaning supplies. I washed little finger prints off the living room window (hi neighbours!) and gave the cat tree a good brush and vacuum. The end tables which tend to gather various items were cleared and scrubbed down.  The kitchen table and island in the kitchen became my depository for all the excess items...which turned out to be a lot.  There were toys, mail, various USB's and SD cards, elastics, pens, pencils, and on and on.  Most it was either put away or tossed in the garbage, but there is a still a pile that belongs to my daughter I've left for her to deal with.

Today has been less busy.  I slept in this morning - well, after I got up at 6:15 a.m. to feed the cats - getting out of bed shortly after 8. It felt good to get a full night's sleep.  I putzed around the house this morning and went to pick up a few items at Walmart before lunch.  Then it was down to the furnace room, where the cat litter boxes are kept, to give the room a good cleaning.  I suspect it wouldn't be as dusty if the litter boxes weren't in there but it is the most convenient spot, tucked away and out of sight.

Next up was my bedroom.  I'd done a fairly good clearing out just a month or so ago so it didn't take very long.  I did vacuum the window screen, OMG it was dirty, vacuum the floor and picked up a kitten in cat hair, and sorted through the bathroom items.  I have far too many creams, deoderants, lip balms, etc.  They are now sorted, like with like, so I should be able to find what I'm looking for.  I also changed out the shower curtain, the Christmas kitten for this new one I found at Walmart today.  I think it's perfect!

That is enough cleaning for today.  I can tell because my finger tips have the rough feeling that comes from using cleansers and lots of hot water.  The bedroom carpet still needs to be spot-cleaned (for remains of the cat hairball deposits), the sun room needs to be vacuumed and tidied, and then I can get to the laundry.  Phew, it's been a busy weekend.

There is a window open now in the bedroom for some fresh air.  I love spring!  Time to go fire up the bbq for dinner.

Have a great rest of the weekend everyone!

Spending for the future

Boy, I'm good at spending money.  Or perhaps I find it easy to spend money.  Is there a difference?  I think so....you decide.

I've been having issues with the sink in the main bathroom.  It has developed a leak and needs to be replaced.  Initially I thought I'd just replace the sink in both bathrooms (main and ensuite), but after a nearly fruitless search for replacements, grey sinks 20 1/2 inches by 17 inches, at a reasonable price I decided to bite the bullet and have the vanities refaced to match the kitchen.  The newer sinks are smaller so I would have to replace the countertops anyway. 

The kitchen renovation work was done in 2013 when our employment contract was settled and I had received my pay out. I used a third of the pay out for ther renovations, saved the other two thirds in my RSP (retirement savings plan).  The remaining cost of renovations I financed through Home Depot, with no interest for 18 months.  Home Depot is currently running the same promotion and our latest contract was just recently settled. My theory is, why use my own money when I can use someone else's.

It also makes sense to have the work completed by the same company using the same/similar products.  In fact, the guys are here doing the measurements while I type this. (They arrived just after I started this post.)  They'll also replace a couple of doors in the kitchen I damaged.  The material that covers the doors is laminate, which is basically plastic....which doesn't mix well with the steam from a boiling kettle....as I learned the hard way. 

Unfortunately there is a fair amount of work that needs to be done, pre and post.  I have to remove the tile back splash in both bathrooms, something I've never done and which I know can cause damage to the drywall if done improperly.  To do so, I also need to remove the mirrors which are very large.  I suspect my younger brother is going to get a call for help!  The installer will reface the cabinets, replace the doors and hinges, build the counter top, cut the sink hole (according the template I provide) and finish the countertop laminate.  Once their work is done there will be some painting necessary but that isn't necessarily a bad thing.  We've lived here for 7 years, so the bathrooms could use a refresh.

What have I got myself into?  It all seems a bit overwhelming when I think about it, but taken in increments I know I'll get through it. They told me today, they'll schedule the work in late May, early June so that gives me some time to do some research on tile removal (and get it done), as well as purchase new sinks and paint.  I had purchased the door handles when I did the kitchen so that is one small purchase I won't have to make.  Oh, and I have to find a plumber to unhook the plumbing before the work is started and install the sinks and do the hook up when complete.

While I suppose I could have purchased new vanities and had the old ones replaced for a similar cost, however doing the refacing will match the kitchen. I think that will help when the time comes to sell the house in a year or so.  Yes, I'm definitely still planning a move to Vancouver Island when I retire.  

The timing has been pushed back by about a year, with the arrival of Eli, and the circumstances of my daughter's life....currently not working and would be homeless if not for me.  While my son C still lives here as well, he's been saving for a place of his own but won't purchase until he knows where he'll be working.  He did have an interview (for his current job) yesterday.  I know that sounds odd, but it has to do with applicant pools that expire after a certain period of time.  I'm sure he aced it so will be back in the pool for another extended period of time.  With any luck, the incumbents who are currently working in other areas in term positions will be permanently appointed soon - then he can be pulled from the pool permanently as well.  

Anyway, back to me. :)  That isn't all the spending I've done this week.  Yes, I have a cruise booked in January 2019 but one is never enough.  Just before I went on my cruise in February, I found another Norwegian cruise that looked interesting and so I was keeping an eye on it for a price drop.  Well, this week NCL offered certain cruises with Canada at par and this was one of them.  That's at a 30% reduction in price!  

I called my friend K, as the cruise sails from New Orleans and both she and J have wanted to do one from there for some time.  However, neither had been keen on sailing on NCL because of the "freestyle dining".  On other cruise lines, you have an option of traditional dining, which is a set time - usually 6 or 8 p.m. at the same table with the same guests and wait staff throughout the cruise.  With freestyle dining, you either make a reservation or show up at the various dining rooms and wait for an available table.  The guests can ask to share a table, but that works only if someone else is there who wishes to share a table as well.  This doesn't appeal to the two of them.

My fellow cruiser, Sandra gave me the name of the cruise consultant at NCL she's used several times, so we gave Melanie a call to discuss.  We determined that if I booked a solo cabin, J and K can join me and other solos, but if we booked a mini-suite for the three of us, I wouldn't be able to join the solos.  Done deal, I'm booked in a solo and they have a balcony cabin about 30 feet away on the same deck.  It's a win-win, as we'll be able to meet other folks through the solos, plus we'll have space to ourselves as well.  

We're also staying in New Orleans for a few extra days after the cruise.  We all want to wander the French Quarter by day...I don't think we'll do so at night, I want to visit the Cafe du Monde for the beignets, and K wants to visit a couple of the old plantations.  There is also the old St. Louis cemetery and the French market and shopping and....so much more.  I booked my flights today and a hotel for pre-cruise using Expedia and got a decent price, better than had I booked the airfare through Air Canada and the hotel separately.  

I still need to book our post cruise hotel; K just called and we've decided on the general area we want to be in.  They are leaving it up to me because they're packing for their next cruise - a TransPacific from Tokyo to Vancouver - they fly to Tokyo on Tuesday morning.  They also have a Baltic cruise booked for September.  Oh, and after the cruise with me, they are flying to Fort Lauderdale for two back to back cruises.  J's comment to me when we were talking about the New Orleans cruise and I mentioned how long they will be away (Dec 5-Jan 12), it will be winter here in Saskatchewan and it won't be cold in the Caribbean.  Boy, retirement life sounds good to me.

So, yes I'm spending money.  However, I believe it will be money well-spent, both in the return on investment in my home and in the memories to be made.  Plus, I've run the calculator on my back pay and will have a nice sum to tuck away in my retirement savings plan....for future spending.  It's been a long wait for a new contract, but looking at it from my perspective today, it's been worth it.

I'll close this post with a recent photo of Eli.  Here he is "fishing" for cats in the sun room.  He has as much fun as Sheldon does with this game.

  

O happy Day!

Why so, you ask?  So many reasons, I say.  It's been a very short work week, since Monday was a statuatory holiday for me.  Those three days flew by with various meetings and discussions.  Being as it is Friday, I'm off for my weekend, hooray!

I was up early this morning, as Sasha would not allow me to sleep...he was hungry and was letting me know in no uncertain terms that he could not wait any longer.  Funny, I don't mind getting up early on my day off...work days not so much.  Mind you, I did get an extra hour of sleep.

I woke up for the first time in a long time without any jaw pain.  I've been clenching my jaw in my sleep and grinding my teeth.  I picked up my night guard yesterday from the dentist's office.  That pricey little piece of plastic made all the difference.  I thought it might take a bit of getting used to, and while it did feel a bit odd it certainly didn't disrupt my sleep.  

Speaking of disupted sleep, little Eli had a good night last night.  He went to bed about 7 p.m., was up with his mom at 9 p.m. for a bit watching gymnastics.  I heard nothing until 4 a.m. and that was only a brief few minutes while his mom filled the bottle for him. He got up while I was feeding the cats, in a very happy mood.  At the moment he's been napping since just before 10 (so nearly two hours!) while his mom is at her doctor's appointment.  I expect he'll be awake shortly and wanting his lunch. 

But the best news of all, and what has me practically dancing in glee (at least when D isn't around) is that J has decided to move back to B.C.  Apparently his mom bought him a voucher for a flight for Christmas.  According to D, he's planning on leaving today or tomorrow.  Neither of us is holding our breath as chances are it won't happen that quickly. But soon!

What precipitated this decision isn't entirely known. To be honest, I don't care...all that matters to me is he is leaving town!!!  D has already assured him that she will FaceTime with Eli every day, will talk about Daddy and keep photos out.  Whether out of sight will become out of mind at some point is yet to be seen.  In the meantime, I'm hopeful that there will be less drama and more stability in little Eli's life.

Yes, it's a very happy day!