I haven't had a great week......just dealing with paperwork bullshit that I shouldn't have to be dealing with at all. So rather then bore you with the details I've posted a few jokes that I think are quite funny. Enjoy :)

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John O'Reilly hoisted his beer and said, 'Here's to spending the rest of me life between the legs of me wife!' That won him the top prize at the pub for the best toast of the night! He went home and told his wife, Mary, 'I won the prize for the Best toast of the night' She said, 'Aye, did ye now. And what was your toast?' John said, 'Here's to spending the rest of me life, sitting in church beside me wife.' 'Oh, that is very nice indeed, John!' Mary said. The next day, Mary ran into one of John's drinking buddies on the street corner.


The man chuckled leeringly and said, 'John won the prize the other night at the pub with a toast about you, Mary.' She said, 'Aye, he told me, and I was a bit surprised myself. You know, he's only been there twice in the last four years. Once he fell asleep, and the other time I had to pull him by the ears to make him come.'

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Cardiologist's Funeral

A cardiologist died and was given an elaborate funeral. A huge heart covered in flowers stood behind the casket during the service. Following the eulogy, the heart opened, and the casket rolled inside. The heart then closed, sealing the doctor in the beautiful heart forever. At that point, one of the mourners burst into laughter. When all eyes stared at him he said, "I'm sorry, I was just thinking of my own funeral.........I'm a gynecologist." The proctologist fainted!

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It's a long weekend for us here in Canada so to my fellow Canuks enjoy the long weekend.....to everyone else have fun at work on Monday tee hee!!

So KFC has a new "vegetarian" sandwich on their menu. It's interesting as I receive email message boards from an animal rights group where some members are to one extreme and other members are a little more lax with their choices. There was much discussion on this new sandwich that got me thinking about my choices.

There was a man dead set against supporting such a place even though they've agreed to kill the chickens more humanely and are offering a new option for veggies (vegans if you get it in a wrap sans mayo). He thought it was wrong wrong wrong and I don't have enough room on my next 10 blog posts to condense his thoughts. He was completely against supporting a place that killed animals end of story. There was a woman who believed that offering the choice was a step in the right direction and agreed wholeheartedly with the idea even though it was cooked in the same place as the real chicken. She felt that supporting the option would be beneficial to veggies as more restaurants may take notice and follow suit.

I am rather lax when it comes to my choices, I do try to have people use different utensils on my food when possible (IE at friends BBQ's) and that kind of thing but I'm well aware when I'm out in public and eating at restaurants that may not always be a possibility.

I have been debating about trying this new sandwich because of the whole fryer situation; which is actually silly as I know when I go to say Lick's they are not grilling my nature burger on a separate grill or anything. I will probably try it at some point.....I just hope that I don't like it too much as a deep fried sandwich will only hinder my weight loss goals haha!!

Has anyone tried it yet?? And if you are a meat eater would you consider trying it??

So I'm waiting in line at my favorite health food store for the cashier to deal with the woman in line ahead of me (who appears to have a million loaves of bread on the conveyor belt). She's mumbling something about the bread being moldy and this is unacceptable. The cashier calls a manager, looks at the tag on the bread and tells her it was best before July 14. Ummmm last time I checked my calender it was July 22.........8 days after the best before date.

The cashier explained to the woman that the product could not be guaranteed after that date....as well the woman didn't even have a receipt to boot and when asked of her purchase date she lost it. She started ranting about how this was unacceptable, this was inconvenient for her to have to come all the way out to return a moldy product, she's busy you know and this was the only possible day she could come back......and......she needed this dealt with immediately because her son was in sailing school and she had to go and pick him up pronto.

So there I'm standing in total and utter disbelief....seriously....you bring something back 8 days later and complain that it's moldy.....bread that let's be honest came from a health food store and probably doesn't have a wack of preservatives in it if any. I'm assuming that this elitist woman can pay for another $3 loaf of bread if she can send her son to sailing school. I felt like giving her $20 bucks and telling her to shut the fuck up.

I have no idea what happened as my purchase was dealt with and I left the poor cashier with the unreasonable dragon lady. I did give her a sympathetic smile and raised my eyebrows towards the bitchy lady. I would have piped up but clearly this woman just didn't get it.

It's been a rather uneventful week really except for one incident. I was rear-ended on my way into work which was really sucky. There wasn't very much damage to the car, mostly scratches, paint and a small dent approximately $230 or so. As well as the usual physical pain that goes along with such a thing, neck pain/lower back pain etc. I took the remainder of the week off work to rest as I was quite sore (still am in the neck) and I needed to take care of myself. This has meant a visit to the Dr's for some medication, a massage, laying in bed icing my neck and generally doing nothing. I was already in an accident previous to this about 5 years ago that did a number on my neck/back so needless to say I wasn't too happy about this as these kinds of things have a tendency to set me back quite a bit.

I was also struggling with what to do about the damage. It's minimal I get that.....but every time anyone has ever hit my car (I was parked on a street and someone rammed into me, I was hit while driving another time) I've generally had the "it's ok" attitude, not too much damage, don't worry about it......granted that was with my older car. I realize if I keep doing such things I'll be driving around a beat up shit box in no time and I'm sick of it. I don't really have any experience with such a thing insurance wise but I'm waiting to hear back from them tomorrow. I'm sure they will laugh at me regarding the small amount......but we'll see. Why should I have to pay a cent when someone rammed into me???

Other than that I've decided to stop reading blogs at work. I generally do it when I'm taking a break and have some down time, however it was hinted at our last staff meeting that personal use of the computer was being taken advantage of. No one ever came out and said anything per se, however my boss had written it on the agenda that we pass around just before our meetings (which we all read prior to in case we have anything to add) and then she never brought it up!! I'm assuming it was some type of hint and well......I'm taking it!!

I love love love summer!! I love the sun and the heat, lazing around on a lounger reading a great novel while catching some rays. I love getting together for an afternoon with friends playing beach volleyball and relaxing afterwards at a patio bar laughing over a few pints. What's better then the absolute stillness while you sink to the bottom of a pool without a care in the world. Okay that last one may sound weird but some of you may understand what I mean. When I'm alone in a pool I love to sink to the bottom and just sit there for a minute in silence. It's just so calming and lovely down there, so peaceful!

So to follow is my list of current loves/must haves for a great summer....or well anytime really!!

First and foremost is a Pedegg. It's this strange little contraption that quite resembles a cheese grater only it's for your feet. Apparently it's one of those "as seen on TV" gadgets which normally I'd balk at however this little devil works like a charm. I've never had smoother feet in my life!!



I've been reading Eat Pray Love by Elizabeth Gilbert and I'm really enjoying her story. I'm not going to go into great detail about the book but it's almost a like a travelogue about a woman's journey after her divorce. She had many things (husband, successful career, great home) that many women would want however she was unhappy and unfulfilled. Following her divorce she decided to go on a journey around the world to find herself and happiness: "Pleasure in Italy, devotion in India and on the Indonesian island of Bali, a balance between worldly enjoyment and divine transcendence." (taken from the back cover as I haven't read that far ahead, I'm still in Italy). Thus far it's well written and I'm enjoying her adventure and self discovery. I mean how many people would just up and leave their life for a year to be completely devoted to themselves and their personal growth. Most would consider that selfish however I think it's a phenomenal idea.



What's a great summer without a little TV? Lame I know but I'm a TV junkie and had to get a show or two in there. Right now I'm into the Iron Chef which is a bit bizarre as I've never watched it much before. Lately though I can't get enough of it.......what will the secret ingredient be?? Apples....really....apples......whatever will they make!! I love it!! ( And I was impressed that Susur Lee tied with the Iron Chef) (pictured above)

My next greatest love is this wonderful Snapple Mango Green Tea drink!! It is so incredibly refreshing and unfortunately I've yet to see it in Canada so I stalk up when I head over the river to shop. Seriously, if you dig mangos and you like green tea go out and get a bottle!! You won't be disappointed. I could drink this lovely mixture all day long!

(I've never even seen a BBQ like this but it sure is fancy)

Lastly of course is a great BBQ. It's kind of like a staple in the summer, sort of like a nice raging fire in the winter. Everything tastes better on the BBQ, yummy corn, veggies with seasoning, dogs, burgers, toasted buns (did that make anyone laugh).........you get the idea. As well, often times friends will get together for a BBQ which is another great excuse to socialize and enjoy the weather with loved ones.

What are you into right now??

I have to let out a little steam so bear with me.

My building at work has been taken over by a large corporation thus my office must move in the near future. Spaces were looked at (by the higher ups) and a place was found that would "best suit our needs." Well staff got to tour this new space and to say I was unhappy about the situation would be an understatement.

My agency has less than 10 staff members, some of whom work out in the community so staffing has always been an issue as we need 2 people on site in order to see clients. Whomever picked this new place did one hell of a job let me tell you. Our meagre 10 staff are now spread out over 3 different floors.......yes you read that correctly 3 different floors and this new place is absolutely enormous. Not only is that an issue, but the few offices that are on the same floor are actually spread out sooooooooo far down different corridors and hallways that it would completely impossible if someone was attacking any one of us to run and get help.

We share many of the same clients and in our current setting it's quite easy to walk a foot and speak to a coworker about such and such a case or "hey so and so is here do you have a minute to meet with them." Oh and what about the time I had this 6 foot man standing over me screaming so loudly that my coworkers could hear it through my door. They called to see if I was alright and stood watch outside to make sure nothing else happened. I guess I'm on my own at this new place.

Oh and did I mention all of the outside doors will be locked in this new gargantuan building and we won't really have a reception area so clients will have to buzz their worker to come and get them at one of the many entrances......that's assuming they are literate and that they actually show up on time which is a rarity. Why just today my 2:30pm appointment showed up at 9:30am. And if I happen to be sick that day just who does my client buzz.....what about if a client is going to run in on their own time to pick something up when they get a chance sans appointment.....who the fuck am I going to leave the item with. "oh try so and so's buzzer and if you don't get them then try this person and oh if they're not in you can take the bus back home and come back another day." Currently I just tell them to pop by whenever they can and whomever is at the front will give them their item which I leave in the "outgoing" box.

Safety is first and foremost a huge huge huge issue as well as the lack of a receptionist (she will still be answering the phones). Our counsellor can't just tell someone to "hold on" in the middle of a session while she lets her next client in "oh your dad raped you when you were ten, can you just hold that thought I'll be right back."

This is going to be a nightmare and I can't even imagine staff morale not to mention how autonomous we will all become. I probably won't even see my coworkers for days nor will I even know if anyone else is in the office with me.

I know I know, change can be good and we should all embrace it, look at the positives yada yada. I'm sure the higher ups will look into some type of panic button etc, but that's not going to make me feel any better when I'm on a mile long floor all by myself and someone has decided to stab me. Nor will it be a treat when I'm in court saying that so and so didn't show up for their appointment and so and so tells the judge that yes in fact they were there, they just couldn't get into the fucking building.

Oh and did I mention that it's an old smelly church!! I am absolutely livid right now!

Camping...

Alright so my week off went very well as expected. For whatever reason my 30 something year old male friends think they are 19 and wanted to spend Canada Day having a beer at first call (11am) staying out all day and night until last call (2am). I joined in and spent the day playing a little beach volleyball and drinking beer after beer. The gals and I decided to head back to a friends place to freshen up around 7pm, grab a shower, eat and change clothes. I'm not sure if it was the change in environment or what but I started to get a terrible headache. From that moment forth I drank bottles and bottles of water and downed advil after advil trying to shake the bloody thing. We returned to the bar and T decided he wanted to check out the carnival. I joined in but wasn't much fun. He wanted to hit up some rides but the pounding just wouldn't go away. Finally around 10:30pm I gave up and LD and I tried to get home via cab which took us an hour and a half to catch.....no joke. I thought I was going to die on the side of the road waiting for the fucker to arrive. We even called one to a further location knowing it would be absolute mayhem in the bar area as they had just finished the fireworks and most people were getting ready to hit the town. The cabbie was probably the most friendly I've ever had and I felt like an ass as I just wanted him to shut up and stop being so chatty cause I was in terrible pain. It felt almost like a migraine was creeping in.

The next few days I spent with friends shopping in the States and having lunch after lunch after lunch. All you can eat Japanese....I'm in!!! Veggie Wraps by the beach....yes please!!!

I decided to go up north for a few days to a trailer for the weekend. My friends brothers girlfriends parents (did you get all that) own the park so we got a free place to stay and enjoy the wilderness. It was an enjoyable weekend and the weather couldn't have been better, it was sunny and gorgeous the entire time. We spent the day shopping and hit up Mariposa Market for some yummy treats. It's like this huge bakery with trays and trays of super yummy sweets. I bought these wonderful turtle brownies, delish!! We also hit up DQ for their brownie batter blizzard.....I'm drooling just thinking about it!

We of course stayed up until 5:30am drinking around the fire chatting and eating these awesome toasted coconut marshmallows!! I'm noticing a pattern here.....food food and more food!! Seriously I haven't had toasted marshmallows in years and these things kicked ass! We decided to go to bed when the sun was rising and the birds were chirping. Unfortunately I had a big skylight above my bed and wasn't able to cover it up. I improvised and used my bra as a sleep mask!


My friend has sleep apnea and recently got the scuba contraption to help with her breathing. She wanted me to try it on and I seriously have no idea how people sleep with this thing on their face wrapped so tightly around their noggin. I am EXTREMELY thankful I do not have to endure such a thing.

I hope everyone had a great Canada Day and 4th of July!! It's back to the grind for me tomorrow :(

I've got nothing this morning.....well this afternoon. I am off yet again for the week, I know I know shush!! I get 5 weeks holidays what can I say. It's Canada Day tomorrow so I figured I would add a few vacation days and get the whole week off instead of one measly day.

It's worked out fabulously and I've spent my first day in sheer bliss. I went to the gym this morning, then for a nice relaxing massage and I'm leaving in a few to meet a friend whom I haven't seen in ages for all you can eat sushi!! Add a few brewskis to the mix and it's the perfect start of a week long vacation.

(Obviously not me haha!!)

Depending on the weather I hope to hit up the beach, play some vball and relax with...yes you guessed it a beer or two. Lucky for me I have a friend off this week as well; he also enjoys those activities so I will have some company which is cool. A friend asked me to hit up a trailer this coming weekend so I'll probably add that into the mix as well. Last year there was a fire ban as it had been too dry so hopefully that won't be in effect this go around. Needless to say I plan to take these next 7 days and enjoy each and every one of them.

I'm rambling...but if you want a laugh go check out 2DP's blog and read his story of ripped pants and booze. It's hilarious, you won't be disappointed!! I don't even think it's so much the story that made me laugh so hard, it's how he tells it! You're one hell of a writer sir!

I'm not sure if it was the fresh air in BC or the extra sleep that caused me to lose my mind last week but let me tell you, I said a few things that even I'm embarrassed to admit.

1st someone was telling us about this homeless man who would always tell the same joke. He would ask people to give him a dollar if he could tell them where they got their glasses, "you got them on your face" he would reply hand outstretched. H suggested the man get a new joke like "hey I can tell you where you got your pants." I then told H that this would be a ridiculous joke, how could the homeless man possibly make any money trying to guess the various stores where one buys pants. H said "Oh Ashley.....on your legs, you got your pants on your legs" Doh!

2nd we were making the 6 hour trek back to Vancouver from Portland after the party. We stopped at a rest area and I took my empty Starbucks cup with me to the washroom to discard. Strangely there were no garbage cans in the washroom so I wandered around outside searching with no luck. I approached H and J and placed my cup on the picnic table. Not one to be a litter bug I shrugged my shoulders and explained my dilemma looking to them for answers. H pointed to a group of large bins that resembled recycle bins. I told him that I had seen the same bins across the way and they had a sign attached that said Auto Litter Only. I wandered over to this new group of bins and walked back cup in hand. Nope, these signs say the containers are for Auto Litter Only as well! They both just stared at me until H asked what type of auto litter I thought they were for "like oil?" he asked. I said I wasn't sure, I guess like old mufflers, flat tires etc. I then realized the stupidity of not only my answer but it clicked in that Auto Litter Only meant litter from ones car duh!!

Anyone else have any blonde moments lately??

I am finally back home after catching the red-eye which is absolute torture at the best of times. I walked down the aisle, found my seat and much to my dismay was situated beside a toddler....dear lord!! I popped a gravol hoping to sleep away his screams but funny enough, once the flight actually took off he settled down and fell asleep and I was left in this terrible groggy but can't quite sleep state because of the bloody pill.


As for the rest of my trip it was good. I just walked around a lot, shopped of course and hit up the art gallery. They had this exhibit called Krazy: The Delirious World Of Anime, Comics, Video Games and Art. Not really my thing but it was cool to see some of the drawings from Wallace and Gromit and Toy Story.


The weather was off and on for most of my time in Van, it rained, it was cool, then the sun would come out, it didn't seem to know what it was doing. It was a shame as the weather at home was in the 30's which is hot hot hot. (I flew in today and gee guess what, it's raining at home now too dammit)

I met up with Rawbean on my last night in the city for a few drinks at this cute place called Subeez. It was great to relax and chat over cocktails for a few hours and I'm really glad we had a chance to meet. I think it's so much fun to meet ( I know I know I used "meet" twice now shush) new people that you would not normally be in contact with if not for the blog.

I was in food heaven as well on this vacation as the city seemed to have quite a few veggie options which I loved!! I went to Naam ( a 24/7 vegetarian restaurant) on Rawbeans advice and loved the noodles, as well I've always wanted to try the butter chicken sauce sans chicken at an Indian restaurant. I got the chance to do so at Annapurna a vegetarian Indian restaurant which simmered veggie balls in a butter chickenish sauce which was so freaking good. I also branched out and tried an oyster burger (pictured above). The burger was really quite tasty and messy as hell.


Granville Island had this fantastic sweet shop with rows upon rows of treats to try. I'm extremely thankful that I do not live anywhere near this place haha!

Though I did sample a few items :)

The view from H's apartment is spectacular on a clear sunny day with the mountains and water surrounding him.



Self Timer portrait a la Big Ben!! This is literally a one minute walk from H's place......can you even imagine this as your backyard?? He lives right along the seawall which everyone seemed to be enjoying. There were in line skaters, runners, cyclists, people walking their dogs, kayaks, boaters....you name it! I'm definitely bringing my runners next time I visit!

Ah the mountains, I tried and tried to capture their beauty but to no avail. They are stunning and this photo certainly does not do them any justice....I bought a postcard for that!!

Hope that everyone had a great week!!

Vancouver is quite a beautiful picturesque city. I spent my first day touring around with H, and by touring around I mean walking for oh about 6 hours straight. I think we walked the entire perimeter checking out Granville Island, Stanley Park, Gas Town, the East side....and everywhere inbetween. My feet had the blisters to prove it and his friends had a look of horror when we told them where we ventured. I had no complaints though as the views were absolutely stunning and the air so fresh and clean.

The East side was shocking....absolutely shocking, there are no other words for such a thing. We walked about 10 mins out of Gas Town which was a cute little area into the depths of despair. I work in one of the most impoverished cities in Canada and I was astounded by this area. It seemed as though every homeless person and addict had taken refuge in a 2 block radius. It was the amount of people in such a small area that really got to me. I've seen it on TV in documentaries, I have heard about the problems there but I was not prepared at all for what I saw. It was really quite sad.

In the evening we prepared for an upcoming road trip to Portland where we were to attend a circus/carnival themed party and were set to dress up as chickens. There were feathers all over poor H's apartment as we sewed these ridiculous headdresses well into the evening.



On Friday we ventured the 3 hours to Seattle to visit Wiwille and were lucky enough to catch a ride with H's friend. Wiwille was a gentleman in every sense of the word. He bought me a copy of Casablanca as I've told him about a thousand times "I'll watch it I swear" and I've never gotten around to doing so. Every time we were about to enter his car, he would open our door first and then make his way in. I really enjoyed our lunch on the water and can imagine the place would be great to sit out and have a nice cold drink on a beautiful day.

We wandered around the city where H was hellbent on me seeing the Library and this Olympic Sculpture park ..... which after walking through I despised. It was ridiculous, there were maybe 3 sculptures and the rest were these over sized orange cones, needless to say a fan I was not. The library was rather impressive; they brought their mascot ( a chicken doll) and took photos of her in every possible nook and cranny, it was quite amusing as I'm sure people were wondering what the hell they were doing.

In the evening we had some dinner and then my 3 companions seemed to fade quickly. I was ready for a night on the town and they were all yawning and practically falling asleep at 10pm, lightweights!!!

We headed out to Portland the following day for carnival fun. The party deserves it's own post and photos to accompany which I am not able to do at this time.

So all and all the trip has been good. On the way home from Oregon (6 hour drive) with lots of thinking time I started to feel bad about Seattle.....I had Wiwille take his time to give me this list of things to do....and then we didn't do any of them. Sorry!!! It was later in the day by the time we arrived, my companions didn't really want to spend too much moolah and I was a bit tired.

I think he should come to Van after work today and call in sick tomorrow to get his drink on !!!

I bought these cute bermuda shorts a few weeks ago that I’m really digging however, there’s a bit of a problem. As I was walking down the looonnnnggg barren hallway to my office this morning I noticed a *swish swish* sound. Apparently I’ve turned into George Costanza……..dammit!!

I actually started to laugh out loud while walking down the hall. I thought it was hilarious and reminded me of that Seinfeld episode where George is trying to impress his prospective boss however his discounted suit makes that *swish swish* sound.


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(Clearly not my photo, I found it on the good ole net)


I am leaving this week for my vacation which I’m very much looking forward to. Mountains and fresh air what could be better? I have Wiwille booked as my tour guide for a day and will surely drink him under the table in the evening. Watch out buddy, watch out!! We Canucks have the strong stuff over here! (Clearly this sentence is going to bite me in the ass later, we all know i'll have like three drinks and pass out) I'm also hoping to meet up with Rawbean which shouldn't be a problem at all, I believe she lives right around the corner from my friend. Other than that I have a large outdoor circus themed party to attend in Portland with my friend. Apparently people dress up and there's a dunk tank, kissing booth etc. Last years pictures look like a lot of fun but I will have to find a costume between now and then. Any suggestions?

Music Meme

WIGSF tagged me to complete this music meme. The rules are as follows:

List seven songs you are into right now. No matter what the genre, whether they have words, or even if they’re not any good, but they must be songs you’re really enjoying now.

I am a huge fan of NIN and every few months or so I toss in a CD and let it play for weeks at a time. I can't decide between songs so i'm picking three (which will make my list longer than 7) Trent is looking hot and sweaty in this first video....he makes me tingle ;)

Terrible Lie



Hurt



Right Where It Belongs




The Killers
Uncle Jonny



The Who
Baba O'Riley



Jefferson Airplane
White Rabbit



Janet Jackson
Feedback
I have this one on my MP3 player for the gym.



Evanescence
Good Enough
I totally have a crush on Amy Lee, this song however makes me a little sad sometimes.



Coldplay
A Rush of Blood to the Head





Feel free to complete this meme as well. And no snickering or mocking of my choices....you know who you are (that's right, i'm pointing at you). At least I didn't throw any Nickelback in there haha!!

I've been playing volleyball in a winter league for the past 5 or so years. For some reason we always lose way more than we win. We certainly don't play in a competitive league, it's more of a rec league for fun. I was recruited by one of my teammates to join her in an all day charity tournament this past weekend on the beach sans our regular team.

It's actually a very cool set-up with 3 courts on the beach and games running all day long. There are anywhere from 40-70 people around, playing, lounging, drinking. They have this enormous fire pit (which was totally needed today it was freaking cold out there) and a band that comes out to play while the games are going on.

We played about 10 games in 7 hours and get this.......we won every single game we played!!! Oh the joy!!! Of course it helped that we had 3 young guys on our team ( one was like 6' 5 ) and they were competitive as hell.


Dusk was setting in and the championship game was upon us. We clearly had an advantage. The opposing team only had 5 players and each were creeping well into their 60's. Guess what folks....they killed us. The score was like 20-5 or something horrendously embarrassing. Apparently this team plays every year and every year they win, shockingly 2008 was no different.

(My sad "we came in 2nd place" face)

(Yet another burn even though I wore SPF 45)

I had a great time however I came home with a bit of a burn and I'm pretty sure my entire body hates me. My forearms are swollen and spotted from bumping and and I feel like I could pass out at any moment I'm so tired. Apparently old age is creeping up haha it's 9PM and i'm going to bed!!

I was rather ill last week; fever, achy body, sore throat you get the idea. I can't complain really as I don't often get sick so I was due for a little bout of sicky germs at some point.

I finally felt like a human being again on Friday and made a trek up north to visit a friends home which is actually more of a cottage. How up north you ask....not very, about 3 hours away from my place. It made me laugh though when I received a text from another friend stating that I couldn't be that far up north as A) I still had cell phone coverage and B) it's me haha!! I'm not a fan of bugs nor roughing it but had a great time anyway.

LD came with and we scouted out an old "haunted" cottage. We wanted to go in but thought better of it as the stairs were gone and the window was broken and not so safe to hold on to. We headed back to the cottage, had a few drinks and sat around the fire for the remainder of the evening.

We went for a nice long walk the following day as it was absolutely gorgeous outside and then made a jaunt into town for some yummy food as our friend was working. The patio at the pub was closed for some tournament which had us all excited. What if it were a strong man competition or perhaps the firefighters were in town having one of their competitions. Nope....just our luck....it was a fishing derby so one by one the fisherman sauntered in wearing their plaid shirts and rubber boots. Dammit!!

We drove back to the cottage and relaxed in the sun with some reading material as we'd had a busy day and wanted to veg. Our friend eventually came home and started to cut down branches from trees and do manly things with the lawn...apparently we were not entertaining enough for him, though I did partake in a game of Horse Balls and sadly I lost. There was more drinking around a fire well into the wee hours of the morning. We spent most of our time with our heads cranked up eyes towards the night sky trying to find the first shooting star.


It was great to just get away from the hustle and bustle of the city and relax as I've just been so bloody busy lately. I can't wait to go back up and head out on the boat or float around on a raft when the weather is warmer. Is there anything better than that view....seriously!!