Today I...July 31st

Today I...

...am a very proud Canadian! We collected three more medals in one day! One in 10 meter synchronized diving, one in weight lifting and one in judo! GO CANADA!!! Any Americans out there might wonder what all the fuss is about since your atheletes have collected 22 medals so far and eight of them are gold, but lets face it: you guys are bigger, your sports programs have more funding and your atheletes therefore have a better chance of becoming elite. But you still can't beat us in diving, not in general anyhow and we are more than fair opponents for you guys when it comes to Winter sports :o)

...am apologizing for being a bit of an absentee blogger. Well, kind of apologizing. My Sweetheart and I have been spending lots of time together, which has meant no time for blogging and I have absolutely not felt any guilt about not posting when we have been together. I only felt it today when I realized that I would more than likely not be blogging for the third day in a row since he's coming over to my place this evening after his guys' night out, so I'm using my break time at work to blog :o)

...was disgruntled when I realized that my neighbor, I do not know which one, has definitely never been told that smacking the snooze button on your alarm clock does not turn it off. I was out like a light from 11:30 last night to about 9:15 this morning (yes, I was very tired), but spent the last little while dreaming that I was in a hospital because the constant beeping, in my sleep muddled head, sounded like the beeping of a heart monitor. Nice...I felt like throwing rocks at the aforementioned neighbor's window, but for that to work, I would have had to know which apartment he or she lives in!

...am hoping to make it to the grocery store and out for a jog after work, but both of these things will depend on the weather. It's pretty hot and humid here today and they're saying we may get some pretty hefty thunderstorms later on and both carrying grocery bags and jogging in a storm are no-nos!

...will do my best to blog again tomorrow. Thanks for sticking with me!

Today I...July 28th

Dalvay-By-The-Sea Hotel, Dalvay, PEI

Today...

...came home after staying at my Sweetheart's last night.

...washed the dishes that had been sitting in my sink since yesterday morning.

...watched the last hour of 'The Patriot'.

...went out for a jog.

...ordered sushi from the sushi bar a few blocks from my place, then walked up to get it.

...watched the part of 'The Patriot' that I missed earlier while eating my dinner.

...am glad I had a rather laid back day, it felt nice :o)

I hope you're all having a nice weekend! 

Skywatch Friday

This week's Skywatch feature is the cloudy sky above the famous red sandstone coastline of Prince Edward Island National Park.

To see more Skywatch photos from around the world, stop by the Skywatch Friday Blog.

I hope you all have a lovely weekend!

Today I...July 24th

Bleeding Hearts in the gardens at Green Gables, PEI

Today I...

...had a rather crazy day at work. I think I spent all of an hour at my desk all day.

...spent two and half hours showing two photographers from Tourism Quebec around the Oratory. It was great, they had some awesome equipment and none of them had ever been to the Oratory before, so I was able to tell them lots of stuff they didn't know about it and they gobbled it all up!

...went for a jog tonight, I'm up to 2.15 km!

...spoke with my Sweetheart for a bit. We'll probably be seeing each other around the end of the week, more likely than not on Friday so we can watch the opening ceremonies of the Olympics together!

...don't have a lot else to report, so off to bed I go to read my book :o)

Today I...July 23rd

Dalvay-By-The-Sea Inn hidden behind a sand dune on Dalvay Beach, Prince Edward Island

Today I...

...am happy to report that my Sweetheart and his family made it home from Virginia Beach safe and sound on Saturday and that my Sweetheart and I were happily reunited yesterday evening :o) We had a lovely dinner, watched an X-Files episode (I have several seasons on the show on DVD), went out for a 2+km jog and then crashed for the night. We were two of the happiest campers around :o)

...headed back to work after a weekend that went by in a blur.

...was in awe of how dark the sky became this evening when a line of strong thunderstorms rolled through, it was creepy. We are getting more storms now, they were at their strongest about an hour ago while I was on Skype with my Sweetheart  and they were interfering with my router and the call kept getting dropped! I resorted to e-mail.

...am thankful for the storms, despite their interfering with my conversation with my Sweetheart because they have done a lovely job of cooling off my way too hot apartment.

...have enjoyed watching my new fishy pals swim around my aquarium. I was down to one Platy, my three surprisingly long-lived micro-raspboras and the ever-lasting Alguie, so I picked up four more Platys yesterday when I went out to get some fish food. Two of them are blue and white, they're gorgeous!!!

...am going to head off to bed and let the storm lull me to sleep while I read.

Today I...July 21st

My rental car on St. Peter's Road, near Cornwall, PEI last month. It was a little Ford Focus, I loved it!

Today I...

...slept a bit later than I wanted. I was actually awake a bit before 8:00 A.M., but there was no way I was getting up at that hour, I was still way too groggy and I mean come on. Me up before 8:00 A.M. any day of the week when I don't have to be? Not happening!!! So I went back to sleep figuring I'd get another hour in and then I woke up a bit before 10:00 A.M. That hadn't happened in a while!

...was surprised to see that the elevator still wasn't working, not that I use it very often since I only live on the second floor. The car has been stuck about a foot below the first floor since Thursday. This has got to be sucking for the folks that live on the fourth floor, especially for the little family that had a one year-old and hence a stroller to get up and down all those stairs!!!

...went for a spa appointment in the West Island and was picked up by my mom so we could go to Costco together I love Costco, you can get such great bargains there! I got a new camera bag where I can fit both of my SLRs (a Nikon and a Canon), two pairs of yoga/jogging pants, two sports tops with built in bras, a container of olive oil that will last me at least a year, two jumbo size boxes of the cereal I have for breakfast, two big boxes of raspberries, a jumbo size pack of Oasis juice boxes, a jumbo pack of Source stirred yogurt and two liters of milk for 149.50$. Talk about a steal!!!

...am eagerly awaiting to hear from my Sweetheart. I must be realistic, he is coming home today but I do not know at what time. If they are driving home from Virginia Beach in one day, it is nearly 10 hours non-stop, but they're driving with two children under the age of four. There will be stops involved. I have therefore disconnected from Skype to stop myself from checking all the time to see if my Sweetheart is online. I will have dinner, talk with my grandparents on the phone, go for a walk and if he has not called my phone by the time I get back, I will check Skype again. If he is not there, I will go to bed and talk with him tomorrow. I will be patient. I will, I swear it!

Today I...July 20th

Today I...

...am sharing this photos of Souris, Prince Edward Island and its harbor seen from its light house with all of you.

...decided to have a uniform free day and went to work in one of my favorite black t-shirts rather than in my Summer uniform polo.

...had a crazy day at work, which was fine by me because it went by way faster that way!

...just about killed myself laughing after my colleague K and I finished explaining to a tourist that if the critter he had seen in the woods behind Brother André's Chapel really was a skunk, then he really, really didn't want to go back there to try and get a closer look and a picture of it. After showing him pictures of a raccoon and a skunk on my smart phone, he was able to tell us that it was a raccoon he had seen. We were relieved for him and broke into fits of giggles as soon as he was out of earshot. 

...went for my jog tonight, but had to resort to walking about three quarters of the way through due to some tendon pain on the inside of my ankle. I was most disgruntled. I'll see how it feels on Sunday, but right now am not planning on jogging again until Monday, just to be safe.

...am so happy it is the weekend, because that means that my Sweetheart is coming home!!! He should be back tomorrow and I simply cannot wait to hear the sound of his voice and to get my arms around him and see how rested he is. Eager is not sufficient to describe how I am feeling :o)

Today I...July 18th and Skywatch Friday

Sunset at Dulles Airport

Today I...

...am doubling this post over as my Skywatch Friday post as I seem to have been posting too late to get many Skywatch viewers since my Summer schedule began at work. To see more Skywatch photos from around the world, you can stop by the Skywatch Friday blog. If ever you are at Dulles and would like to enjoy this view, stop by The Firkin and Fox pub in the C gate area of the main terminal for a drink and/or a meal. I can recommend their crab cake sandwich, it is very tasty!

...was rather unimpressed when I was woken up by a neighbor's alarm clock...TWICE! From what I can tell, they hit the snooze button and then dragged themselves out of bed before the alarm clock went off again and then forgot all about it. The downside of living in a closed courtyard is that you sometimes feel like you live in the same apartment as everyone else, especially when just about everyone is enjoying the luxury of being able to sleep with their windows open again after a week long heatwave has finally broken. 

...got myself an iced coffee from Starbucks on my way to work, a real one, not decaf. Because not only was I woken up at 8:30 A.M., but I had a rough time getting to sleep last night and didn't pull it off until somewhere between 1:30 and 2:00 A.M. I don't know why, it just happened, but I definitely needed a boost to get me through work until 8:00 P.M.

...gave one of our regularly scheduled Summer tours in French because one of our new Summer tour guides wanted to follow one of my tours in French before her evaluation. We only had the one couple with us and they were not on a schedule of any kind, so I let lose and the tour ran for two hours rather than an hour and half. I had lots of fun, the tour guide left feeling more informed and ready for her evaluation and the couple were very pleased as well :o)

...was thrilled to get an e-mail from my Sweetheart this morning and a photo of he and his family on the beach tonight. I'm printing it and its going on my fridge with my other family photos.

...jogged two kilometers non-stop, go me!!! I'm done sweating and am now in need of a shower though, so off I go!

Today I...July 16th

Today I...

...am sharing this video of the highlights from Canada's fireworks display at Montreal's international fireworks competition this past Saturday with you. The view is just a bit too high and there is a tree on the right-had side, but you can really hear the music and therefore get a feel to the impeccable timing of the display, it was truly amazing. Taking in the fireworks in Montreal on a Summer's night is one of the things that makes me feel like I'm living life to the fullest :o)

...was sad but not surprised when I woke up to find on of my two remaining Platys dead this morning. He had become emaciated and was no longer able to eat. This is what seems to happen to all my Platys eventually, so I'm going to keep a close eye on my last one and will look into getting some more fish soon as I only have five left.

...lagged a bit at work, I think I'm still partially in vacation mode :oJ

...am counting down the days until my Sweetheart comes home.

Today I...July 15th

Today I...

...went out for ice cream with my brother. Anyone in my family will tell you that I am an ice cream junkie. I can never get enough of the stuff and as with all other food, I'm a gourmet. I'm constantly searching for new parlors in Montreal with which to satisfy my ever curious taste buds and boy, did this little gem of a parlor not disappoint. I went with my brother who is far less adventurous in his food choices. He took their 72% dark chocolate ice cream and said it was great, but then complained that the parlor did not have many flavors and was kind of out of the way. I don't care about either. The more hidden a place is, in my experience, the better their food is. As for not very many flavors, quality over quantity is my motto and their salted butter ice cream is absolutely to die for. If ever you are in Montreal in Summer (most of our ice cream parlors are seasonal, save one or two and those that are in shopping malls), give Kem CoBa a try. They are at 60 Fairmount Avenue West and are well worth a wait in line and a small trip of the beaten track :o)

...finished reading Bernie McGill's 'The Butterfly Cabinet' and started reading Alice Hoffman's 'The Dovekeepers'. 'The Butterfly Cabinet' was excellent and from the little I've read so far, I think Alice Hoffman's 'Dovekeepers' is going to be wonderful as well.

...downloaded a few of the song that the Canadian pyrotechnical team used during their fireworks display at Montreal's international fireworks competition last night. The display was absolutely amazing as was the soundtrack. I hope they win the competition this year!

...am going to go and cool off in the shower. We're in the middle of a heat wave here and I only have one window AC unit. It's been running all day and has cut back on the humidity in my apartment, but there's only so much it can do to cool the place off. At least my cats had a cool place to lie in all day and I should have a cool bedroom for at least half the night.

Today I...July 13th

Me enjoying my grandparents' pool last week

Today I...

...am on day two of getting back into the swing of things after my lovely vacation with my family. Yesterday I got home a bit before 1:00 A.M., welcomed my cats home around 10:00 A.M. when my friend G dropped them off (they spent the week I was away at her place), went back to work and cleared out my backlog, went grocery shopping and then went for my first jog in over a week.

...am getting my laundry done. My Grandma washed pretty much everything I had brought to her place on Tuesday, but I had to wash everything that piled into my laundry basket before I left and my bedding and towels.

...stopped to buy some milk and cream on my way home from work and came out of the grocery store only to bare witness to an all out brawl across in front of the movie rental outlet across the street. It was so bad that I hung up with my mom in order to call 9-1-1. A bunch of police cadets showed up in no time flat and they dispatched the police as well, but by the time the cadets were getting there, the fight was breaking up. It was the first time I had seen such a thing though and it was quite scary!

...am missing my Sweetheart, who is also on vacation, but with his own family in Virginia Beach and for two weeks rather than one. I don't think he has Internet access, because I have not heard from him since I left his place for the airport on Wednesday of last week and he left for Virginia Beach on Saturday. I'm still hoping that he is so busy unwinding after the crazy seven months he has had that he has simply been reading my e-mails but not answering. Time will tell! I'm just glad that he has finally been able to get away and relax and am very much looking forward to seeing him when he gets home next week. In the mean time, I will do my best to keep busy and am therefore going out with a friend for dinner, ice cream and to see the Canadian participants in Montreal's international fireworks competition. I'll do my best to get some good pictures and share them with you on Sunday :o) I hope you all enjoy your weekend!

On Vacation!

Surprise! I'm on vacation at my grandparents' in beautiful South Carolina. My brother and I got here yesterday as a surprise for my grandmother, which is why I couldn't talk about it here since my Grandma reads my blog religiously every night :o). I'll be away until late Wednesday of next week, so I'll more than likely be quiet until then. See you all soon and I hope you have a great weekend and week!

Today I...July 2nd

Pleasure boats heading in and out of the Old Port of Montreal last weekend

Today I...

...am popping in a day earlier than I thought I would be. Unfortunately, my weekend did not at all go as I had hoped it would. I was very disappointed to say the least. The biggest issue was my Sweetheart coming down with food poisoning. His mother went to his place on Wednesday after the funeral of a priest we all knew and liked and brought some Polish sausages from a European market near my place with her. I was not in the picture by the way, I was at work. Nobody has ever gotten sick from my cooking. Anyhow, that evening my Sweetheart became very sick and he was sick all week. He was quiet, I did not see him on Skype and did not get any e-mails from him, but didn't think anything of it since I knew he was hoping to get the last of his work done so we could spend the weekend together. I found out on Saturday morning how sick he had been. He was so disgruntled, probably more from the fact that he hadn't been able to work than because he had been so sick and was still feeling under the weather. He made it out to his brother's birthday BBQ last night and ate a bit, but is now feeling worse again today because of that. Needless to say we did not see each other over the weekend and will not be going to our friends baby shower BBQ together tonight. I'll be flying solo, but we are planning on spending the evening together on Wednesday as he figures he should be feeling better by then. He'll have to work, but at least we will be together :o)

...am also not going to be able to go boating with my brother and his friend today. They want to take the boat out in the afternoon and BBQ on some islands south of Montreal and I am already busy this evening. They were not open to my suggestion of BBQing lunch instead, so no boating for me *sigh*. I guess all this will teach me to get all hyped up over a weekend before it's here, right?

...am, however, looking forward to my evening with my friends tonight. At least that hasn't changed.

...am glad that the sour mood I was in yesterday has passed. I was definitely wallowing in self-pity. I don't do that very often and hate myself when I do, but I guess it happens to everyone every once in a while.