Keeping it real in the suburbs
Today is Charlottetown, PEI. It is really a cute little town. PEI has not disappointed in scenery, and the weather has cooperated for the most part. So far the trip has been quite nice. It’s a really neat part of the world, and you get a better understanding of how the rest of the country lives. While we may be far from home, you’re never more than a few feet from a Tim Horton’s here.
Tomorrow we’re off to see Confederation Hall, then back in Vancouver on Friday. We’ll see you all then!
… on a jet plane. I do know when I’ll be back again.
Tomorrow Jon and I fly off to Calgary for Jody and Rachel’s wedding. We have a gift, it’s wrapped, and the card is signed. We’re ready to go.
I’m really looking forward to this wedding. So many of our friends, and even some family members, are in Alberta now. It will be really great to see them all. Plus, it looks like the Calgary weather is supposed to turn sunny tomorrow, in anticipation of our arrival.
Since we’ll be gone, I’d like to wish Ted a very happy Father’s Day, and everyone a happy Canada Day. Also, get out and vote. Jon and I did, even though we will concede there are no great options. You just do the best with what you have, you know?
So, wish me a bon voyage, and I’ll see you all on July 2nd!
This evening Tilly is making the big trip out to Abbotsford. She will spend 8 nights with my mom and Wayne, who will spoil her rotten. I tell her about it, but she doesn’t react other than to squeak for a treat. Although, now that I think about it, maybe she associates trips to the grandparents with treats. I can’t imagine why, though. 
I am sad to report that my mother is a soft touch when it comes to my pets. Certainly, she’s much easier on my small furry creatures than she ever was on her own. I am also pained to report that she treats them to far more sympathy than she ever showed for her children. Of course, she doesn’t have to live with my pets, and she doesn’t expect them to grow up and get jobs. Plus, I already had a grandmother, who had a healthy respect for the place of sugar in a child’s diet. So, my needs were met in other ways. 
After our advancement ceremonies last night, some parents and I were talking while the Brownies ran wild. They were all hopped up on sugar and lavish praise, and it was the last meeting, so we let them go. Then we heard a sound that strikes horror into the hearts of adults–breaking glass.
The Brownies knocked a large framed photo of the church off a shelf. The image was scratched in places, and the frame was destroyed. And our Brownie unit is very, very poor. 
Luckily, one of the moms offered to take care it. Her dad, or Brownie Grandpa, is an Anglican priest at another church in the Lower Mainland. So, it seems that she has a connection to St. Timothy’s, and an understanding of church machinations. Which is so great for our unit.
I still feel awful. You know, I was having a good time chatting and not paying attention. It’s all fun and games until someone loses an eye, right?
Tonight is my last Brownie meeting of the year. It’s been a great run this time around, with some really fabulous kids. Tonight we’re having advancement to Guides for the older girls, and giving out awards and badges to everyone. I’ve made up little certificates on my computer, and they’re really cute, if I say so myself.
As much as I love Brownies, I relish the time off over the summer. My evenings and weekends are all mine, to do with what I will. I’m thinking of signing up for a Pilates class, or doing some sewing projects.
Speaking of sewing projects, this weekend I made a new duvet cover, and a matching cushion for the chest at the foot of our bed. I love this new machine, it does everything, and it’s so much faster than the old one. I actually look for excuses to use it. I’m surprised how much of a Suzy Homemaker I can be, given the proper tools (good tools are very important to engineers, you see).
Here are 10 random facts about me. Really, I don’t just have a huge head. Instead, I assume that you care, since you’re reading my blog.
1. I am totally afraid of calling people on the phone. If you leave a message and I don’t get back to you right away, I’m probably still working up the courage.
2. When it comes to Jon, his eyes are my favourite feature, but his feet freak me out (sorry, Honey!).
3. My favourite treat is ice cream with chocolate.
4. If I could live anywhere in the world, I would choose Hawaii.
5. If I won the lottery (this is a big ‘if’, since I don’t play) the first thing I would do is take a long trip to one of those over-water bungalows in Bora Bora.
6. My nickname for my car is the ‘silver bullet’.
7. I would way rather speak to a group of 500 than a single stranger.
8. I make up songs for my pets all the time, by changing the words to familiar tunes.
9. I go to church for the music, and the quiet time.
10. I am a huge advocate of making your own way in the world. When I hear 22-year-olds fighting with their parents about responsibilites around the house, and they’re not in school, I think it’s time to move out. Short of having children, few things will help you grow as a person like cleaning your own toilet and paying your own phone bill.
So, Jon and I are leaving on our vacation soon. James has agreed to hold down the home front, so we’re very happy for that. Dorothy will be in raptures, I’m sure.
Here is our itinerary:
June 18: Calgary, AB
June 20: Halifax, NS
June 23: Pictou, NS
June 25: French River, PEI
June 29: Charlottetown, PEI
July 01: Halifax Airport, NS
July 02: Vancouver, BC
We’re hoping to see Peggy’s Cove and Lunenberg in Nova Scotia, as well as Pictou, where some of Jon’s ancestors first arrived in Canada. In PEI we’ll check out Green Gables, Charlottetown, and hopefully a few beach chairs. We’ll take the ferry from NS to PEI, and the Confederation Bridge back.
I think this will be a leisurely sort of holiday, and a great chance to see a lot of Canadian history.
I spent last weekend, June 4-6, at Brownie Camp. We went to Camp Olave in Sechelt, and it was lovely. It was a bit cold and rainy on Saturday, but otherwise the weather was good. We did a Hawaiian theme, and it went really well. No fights, no crying really, and asleep before midnight both nights.
Here are things I learned at Brownie camp this year:
1. Kids can throw up way more food than they actually ate. Don’t ask how, it’s magic.
2. Swimming in the cold ocean on a rainy, windy day is the most fun ever.
3. Boy Scouts are yucky. Parking near Boy Scouts at the ferry terminal is mortifying.
4. Tired does not equal quiet in the under-10 set. Instead, it equals very, very noisy.
5. The older that you get, the harder it is to sleep in noisy / uncomfortable / unfamiliar situations.
6. No matter how many cool activities there are, the best part of Brownie Camp is the candy.
Hey Everyone,
The picture album will be down for a little while. I’ll get it back up and working as soon as I can
As you’ve all noticed, Amber has been mulling over our voting options out here. This is probably the first time I’m stepping up to the polls without the faintest idea where I should mark the X. In Abbotsford it was easy.
Step #1: Find the Right Wing Guy
Step #2: Mark an X
Now that I’m in Coquitlam, it’s a little more complicated. If anyone has any advice, feel free to leave a comment for me.
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