Some Of The Things We Missed

During my missing streak, when I didn't post on Always Standing from June to September there was so fairly big things that happened - aside from starting a small businesses (though frequently related.)

Here are some things that happened...
- Got to Long Point a bit, but not nearly enough
- Summer Solstice Event involved a full road closure and wasn't as tiring this year
- I had a big team at the office with three students hired for the summer
- Kristen, Noah, Jason and I went on a road trip, got to do some white water rafting
- Mom and I went to Las Vegas, she did five posts about it on her blog
- We got our driveway re-paved and the roof done at Casa Verde
- Had an awesome day at Wonderland with Jeska, as is tradition

Eeek, Oops

So, forgot Mom's birthday yesterday. It isn't that I forgot that it was her birthday - May 20th is pretty ingrained in my head - it was that I was at The Cottage and didn't know the date. Got back today and oops, it is the 21st. Hope the cute Mother's Day post made her smile and she forgives me.

Away From It All

Escape To The Beach

Long Point, May 2018

Photo by me, taken on my phone

Unbelievable!

My mom saw a water cyclone, or Waterspout at The Cottage. She told me about it on the phone the other day but I was excited to see on on her blog yesterday that the photos she took turned out. Check it out over at Vicarious Travelling.

Stripper Name

Saw this on Facebook this morning....

What is your Stripper Name?

colour of your underwear +

last thing you ate...

So, mine is White Coke, which is the perfect stripper name!! I hadn't heard this one before and it is pretty good. I knew the porn star name was -- Your first pet + The street you grew up on -- which for me is Sally St. Andrew, also awesome. Love that they all work out. What is yours?

A note on the fact that the last thing I ate was Coke Zero, I was able to leave caffeine for just over a week thanks to a big bottle of Caffeine-Free Diet Coke that Noah brought to The Cottage on Labour Day weekend. I used it to ween myself off the need for Chai Lattes, Coke Zero, and even in a pinch I will have a coffee - at least once, sometimes twice, a day. I held strong for over a week but one bad night of sleep drove me right back to it.

So Many Babies

I am always slow to get out congratulations, and this past spring has seen a whole pile of babies. So here are the new humans in my life (not alphabetically, not chronologically, literally in no particular order):

Nic and Drew have expanded their beautiful family one further, bringing Canada a new little wombat. I have only met her once but Rosie is just the sweetest. They are all renting The Cottage next week so can show the new little one their 'Beach House'. (Photo Right)

Christopher keeps bringing us Canadian content and just a few weeks ago became the proud father of Elliott. He lives, with his lovely wife Heather, just a couple of doors down from James and Mike so Elliott will be able to spend lots of time with his cousins Ava and Aiden. And the grandparents are around the corner too - such a cool city family - it is the Toronto dream.

Canada Day celebrations were even more special than usual for Pat and Michelle, who spent the entire day in labour. Fitting date - as they have been known to host an epic pool party on it in the past. Liam arrived in the early hours of July 2. I am so happy for this little family and the many adventures they will have together. (Photo left)

I can't believe how much Henry looks like his dad Marc. Marc and Christine are up in Ottawa. Henry was born in March, quite a bit early I believe. But he is doing wonderfully, even if Marc is going to have him cheer for all the worst sports teams (Boston? Really?)

P and E also named their little boy Henry, who was born a few months ago. At the moment he is keeping a very quiet social media presence. I have had the chance to see him and can report that he is super cute.

Babies are going to keep on coming with Lauren due any minute and JennD expecting her second little one in the Fall.

And Where Have I Been?

Obviously I was in The Azores last month, but where did I go after that? Why haven't I been posting on Always Standing, was I away from Internet? Actually, over the May long weekend, I was. We went to The Cottage and the Internet is terrible there. I also had a weekend trip to Ottawa but besides that I haven't done much.

It doesn't feel like a month has passed since I was posting regularly, but somehow it has been. I will start easing back into it, sorry for the absence.

Christmas Kitty

Spending the weekend at the cottage and having Christmas. I got Rasta a new cat blanket with sailboats on it. Here he is sitting pretty.

Rasta - Photo by me, on my phone

Third Time Today

I don't know how I missed blogging about it last year, but I did the Toronto Island Triathlon for a second time and today I did it again for a third.

In 2013, Mom, Jason, Teri, K, and I went to the island for our first triathlon. The event is in August, but I didn't end up blogging about it until October.

Then in 2014, I had planned to do it. Jason and I actually signed up even though it would mean returning early from our Killbear camping trip. Then Jason hurt his ankle, and I was having such a nice time up north we decided to skip it.

Last year, a bunch of us did it again. We launched what I anticipate to be Meg's illustrious triathlon career, Teri and Jason joined me in doing it a second time, and we convinced Matty to come out at the last minute. It turns out I never posted about this, even though we had done a fun training session at the cottage, and I improved my times in almost all the areas, and there was a great picture of me biking!

Me Biking - 2015 Toronto Island Try-Tri

Multisport Canada Toronto Island Triathalon

August 22, 2015

Photo by ZoomPhoto

Water Ruins Your House

Sunday Mornin' Coming Down - A Sunday post about my Dad, named after a song that he loved.

I think I know why Jason's work replacing the toilet last weekend was so impressive - because growing up my family always had all plumbing related tasks done by a professional. We have a couple of family friends who are plumbers so I think we would usually ask them. I never saw my parents change or repair plumbing-things.

My parents did quite a bit of stuff around the house themselves, even to the point that Dad helped my uncle built the two story garage at The Cottage. Dad also did the pot-lights in the basement in Paris. So, to this day, I think that a lot of stuff can be muddled through by amateurs but all water related items must be super hard.

I think it was from a fear of water damage that Dad didn't tackle plumbing projects (and I'm not talking about anything complex either - he called someone in to change a faucet.) Electrical work can hurt you but badly done plumbing work can hurt your house. Dad considered the house an investment that was very very important to protect.

Dad also didn't do any repairs himself on the cars. I wonder where that came from.

Dad's Bladder

Sunday Mornin' Coming Down - A Sunday post about my Dad, named after a song that he loved.

Two years ago I talked about the annoying development of the need to pee at 4am each morning that my dad had also dealt with. It looks like my bladder is becoming even more like his.

I drove to Ottawa yesterday and had to stop to pee twice! I was only driving from Toronto so it wasn't even as long of a time in the car as a trip between the capital and Paris or Long Point would be. Using the OnRoute stops, I am fast and efficient. I double it up with getting gas or food and make the break quick. Still, I never had to go before and could make the whole trip without even thinking about using the bathroom.

At least I am not taking driving breaks to splash cold water on my face to stay awake, which was Dad's trick. I just drink caffeinated things.

Paper Productivity

On a quick step away from all the house related posts, I went to The Cottage this weekend to work on some wedding preparations. 

In order to keep our budget down, Jason and I are trying a lot of tips and techniques to cut costs. One of those is to do your own flowers. It was hard to find a good cost estimate but I knew that this was is an area that can cost anywhere from $500 to $5,000. It all depends on what specific flowers are chosen, whether they are in season locally or not, size and number of bouquets needed, and if any decorations or centerpieces are getting made.

Both Kristen and Jenn found ways to save on flower costs but still have beautiful fresh flower bouquets. Jenn got her's done by a grocery store florist, I know because I picked them up for her. Kristen's mom put her's together the morning of the wedding from flowers bought at a farmers' market. These would have been smart options for us as well but as soon as fresh flowers are used it means more work and organization on the actual day - bouquets using other materials can be done well ahead of time and don't add to the day-of organization.

So this weekend, using some outdated brochures that were going to get thrown away, Teri, K, Tessa, Kristen, Jeska, and I gathered glue guns and scissors around the dining room table down at Long Point and got to work. And work we did! Jason and I have a large wedding party so that meant EIGHT bouquets to make yesterday. We finished and they look great. See the photo above - paper roses, mainly in blue. One more thing to check off the list of things to do before the wedding.

Not Fair!

This morning Mom and I decided to do another 'view' comparison after chatting for a bit on the phone. After we finished talking we each took a photo of what we have been looking at during the conversation. I like to call her in the morning while commuting to work, usually, when she is at The Cottage, this means that Mom is in bed hanging out with Rasta, or in the bath, or downstairs having coffee. However, she is in Spain for a couple of months so with the time change we are now talking around lunch time for her. 

See the small photo on the right for what my commute was like on the bus today - cold, wet, packed, but at least I had a seat. This is from my mom, she wins hands down:

Beach at El Rompido, Spain

February 10, 2016

Photo by Mom

Cuteness In My Inbox

I love when I open up my email to photos from friends and family - especially if those photos are of cute things!! I am sad to live so far away from the cute things that are happening to people I love, but seeing pictures makes it easier. Here are a couple that I got sent recently:

Uncle Si, Aunt Dan, and Fi's new puppy

Sent In An Email From Mom

I hope to meet this little ball of fluff (black lab) the weekend after Thanksgiving when I head down to the cottage to help with some Fall chores. If he doesn't visit the cottage than I hope to pop in to see him on the drive back to Toronto.

Avery Trying To Climb The Couch

Sent In An Email From Aimee

I don't know when I am going to get a chance to see this adorable face next. They aren't coming home for Christmas and it is hard to find time to get out to Edmonton. He is getting so big!!

2 Deposits Down, 1 To Go

I know I just had a wedding/marriage related post, but I am all excited today from sending off the signed contract for Jason and my wedding reception venue - Watermark Pub.

I want to pause to explain the slightly unconventional choice of location for what is normally a very formal dinner. For the longest time I told people that I would get married in 2021, do the paperwork in Las Vegas and have a big party at The Cottage. Then two most important men in my life spoiled these carefully thought out plans. Firstly, Jason hates Vegas and didn't want to do a 'destination wedding' there. Secondly, my dad died. A big wedding reception at the beach, with lots of planning and party rentals, would be most enjoyed by him and myself. With my dad gone, I no longer thought of The Cottage as a logical place to get married - it would be a lot of work and a lot of pain missing him. I needed a new dream.

I liked lots of wedding ideas, but nothing fully hit home or gave me a clear vision of what I would want to do with Jason - until I read How to be a Woman by Caitlin Moran. The following excerpt hit home:

Six years and a £19.99 engagement ring later, and it’s our wedding day. It was – initially – going to be in a register office in London, followed by a reception in a pub. In boring, empty mid-October. Everyone could have got the bus home. It would have cost less than 200 quid. We could have knocked it all off in five hours flat. Oh, I wish we’d had that wedding. You can read the whole article HERE.

As I mentioned in post title, the contract and subsequent deposit that was sent to the pub today is actually the second bit of confirmed planning. We have also booked our legal ceremony or what I have been calling 'the paperwork,' at City Hall and paid a deposit there as well. The only place left to decide on, book, and pay the deposit for is somewhere on Toronto Islands where we will spend the afternoon and have our actual ceremony.

Cat In A Stroller

I am going to send you over to my mom's blog for Caturday this week - Vicarious Travelling. She has a fun post about Avery visiting The Cottage and meeting most of our extended family. The best though are the shots that show Avery meeting Rasta - Rasta is not impressed with this other tiny cute thing getting all the attention. He did jump into the stroller though, and definitely enjoyed that. Cats and babies, something for everyone.

Some Parts Are The Same

Sunday Mornin' Coming Down - A post about my Dad each Sunday, named after a song that he loved.

This is my parents 

celebrating with their friends in Jamaica 

after announcing their engagement:

This is a photo from last night at The Cottage, 

having a toast with friends 

for Jason and my engagement:

These events are approximately 35 years and 2,800 km apart. My parents are dressed up in a restaurant, whereas the more recent picture features a less formal atmosphere and location. Also no one is using a ketchup bottle to cheers in their picture. I love how fun and casual this whole weekend has been. (Commonalities between the two are love, friends, food, booze, smiles, and beaches.)

Snowfence Weekend

Sunday Mornin' Coming Down - A post about my Dad each Sunday, named after a song that he loved.

I missed out getting some awesome photos this weekend. Jason and I went down to The Cottage to dig snow fence out from under the sand. I had planned to take a bunch of pictures, with my cell phone, of old pictures of Dad to post here on Sundays. I also wanted to bring back my baby album to Toronto. However, it was a quick trip and I didn't get a chance to do either.

Digging out snow fence doesn't remind me of my dad, since it was something that he and mom did without me around - or something he occasionally asked Dave and Justain to help with when they visited. So working on it over the last couple of season changes isn't connected to him.

To a certain extent the garage still is connected to Dad - the garage at The Cottage really reminds me of him. (He helped my uncle build it, and it is filled with stuff that I would consider 'his' like piles of boxes and small pieces of furniture from the Sweeton side of the family.)

Aging In Place

I always say that my parents "designed The Cottage to die in," for example it has these features:

- There is a bedroom on the main floor

- All main floor doors are extra wide

- Main floor bathroom has a walk-in shower

- Laundry is on the main floor

- The main floor toilet is extra tall and in a configuration that it has walls on both sides to that, if needed, could have have safety bars installed

I mentioned this at work and was informed that it is usually called Aging In Place, which sounds much better. In Canada, it is actually called Aging At Home, and means, "the ability to live in one's own home and community safely, independently, and comfortably, regardless of age, income, or ability level."

I Am So Lucky

Valentine's 2015

Clockwise from Top-Right

Brooklyn Bridge (NYC October 2014)

Roses (February 2013)

The Cottage (October 2012) by Marie

Central Park (NYC October 2014)

Avery (February 2015)

Unless otherwise stated, all photos by Me