Random Saturday

I can hardly believe March is almost at its end.  As my Wednesday post showed, we had more snow, almost 5 inches.  It was expected but certainly not appreciated.

By yesterday, the driveway was clear of snow and the piles were melting rapidly.  

Today the forecast high is 13C (55F) with rain showers.  I expect that much of the snow that remains will be gone by this time tomorrow. 

We're still weeks away from being able to do any planting as we can still get frost at night.  But just being able to go outside in the fresh air is a real treat!

******

I had a short week at work, Thursday was my annual "me day", and Friday was my earned day off.  I love long weekends!  On Thursday I got some shopping done for my cruise (just 3 weeks away), visited my financial advisor, and had a relaxing evening at home.  Yesterday, was the start of spring cleaning and getting my house in order.  If you're like me and tend to put off the chores...watch a couple of episodes of Hoarding, Buried alive before you start.  While my house looks pristine in comparison, the show is a great impetus to get rid of any clutter.

My closet and dresser have been cleared out of old, ratty clothing and items I won't even wear again. I also went through the front hall closet, and rid myself of several coats.  The pieces that are still in decent shape will be donated to Community living, everything else went in the bin.  I got the laundry done, vacuumed the stairs, and scrubbed the kitchen cabinets.  There is still so much to be done....sigh.

*******

By mid-afternoon I was tired of housework and decided to enjoy the sunshine.  I grabbed my camera and went for a walk.

The neighbor's children had built a snowman the day before.  I love the colorful scarf!

I decided to walk to the park I visited last week.  

The stream wasn't as full as it was the week before, and the water was looking very muddy.

There was lots of water though, and the path was covered in several spots.  I was thinking ahead for a change and was wearing my rubber boots, so I kept my feet dry.

Spring must be here!  On the back, I spotted this magpie and a couple of robins.

I spooked the robin but the magpie just stayed where it was.   I love the shot of the robin in mid-air.  I had no idea that their red breast carried into their wings.

There were lots of people out on the path, walkers like myself, runners, and even bicycles.  It will be an even nicer walk when things start turning green.  To think I've lived here for nearly five years and had never visited it before.    

*****

Speaking of procrastination, the floors are apparently not going to vacuum or wash themselves so I'd best get at it.  I'm also planning to make banana bread and a pot of potato and leek soup, and maybe a quinoa salad....before the Men's World curling starts later today. 

Have a great weekend everyone!

Friday Funny

And this is why my house is never completely tidy, my craft projects take forever, and my to-do list is forever long.  Oh well, I'll worry about it tomorrow! ;)

Wordless Wednesday

Spring in Saskatchewan

I woke up to this view yesterday morning.  It continued to snow most of the morning, and by the time I got out to shovel in the late afternoon, there was about 3 inches on the driveway (some of it blew in).

Over night we got a bit more, but looking outside now, it's warmed up enough that the driveway is partially clear.

 Even so, I think it will be a few days before I get to wear these!  Maybe by the end of the week if the forecast is correct.

Have a great week everyone!  I wish you sunshine, warm temperatures, and if you're in Canada....no more snow!!!

Home from the Bridge City

I spent Monday through Thursday in Saskatoon working with my staff there.  I'm glad to report that G was back to work on Thursday, though he's still sore and looked a little pale.  He realizes how fortunate he was not to have done serious damage in his fall.

Monday I went out for dinner with one of my co-workers, D.  We started at the same time 17 1/2 years ago and did our training together.  We've become good friends since I was assigned to this group and try to get together when I'm in Saskatoon, normally on Wednesday evening.  She had to go to Regina, though, as her oldest daughter was scheduled for day surgery mid-week.  In the meantime, her younger daughter is due to give birth to her second child any day now.  As you can imagine, D was a little distracted!

Tuesday evening I went for a walk along the river.  The weather was gorgeous, about 7-8C (44-46F), with no discernible wind.  The sun doesn't set until after 7 p.m. so I had time for a nice long, leisurely walk.

Saskatoon is known as the city of bridges.  The Northern Saskatchewan river flows through it and there are at least a half dozen bridges (that I know of).

This time I walked south (south-west?) from my hotel along the river bank.

 When I stopped to take the picture of the bridge, something caught my eye to the right.  These two were just a short distance from me and totally unconcerned about my presence.

I'm not certain what they were finding to eat as it just looked like mud to me!

 Just south of this bridge I saw this goose swimming in the water.

Brrrr!!  The ice is still on the river, so I can't imagine how cold the water must be.

Maybe that's why this goose was walking along on top of the ice.  At least his bum wasn't getting cold!

He/she was honking like crazy and I could hear other geese honking back.  They were sitting up in the base of the bridge though....I assume where it was warmer.

This is another of the bridges, a little further west of the other.  However, this bridge is now closed to traffic.

I lived in Saskatoon from 1979 to 1981, but I really don't recall ever driving across this bridge.

This is my favorite shot of the day.  I've tried so often to catch the birds in flight, and always the wings are in the wrong position.  This time I kept clicking away and got lucky!





I headed back to my hotel for some dinner, and back to my room to relax.  The one thing I had forgotten when I booked my hotel was: Tuesday was St. Patrick's Day and the hotel has an Irish pub.  Yeah, it got a little noisy - especially the guy who kept hollering, "Everyyyyybodyyyyy" so I didn't as much sleep as I would have liked. When I posted a status update on Facebook, a friend suggested I should join them....but I suspect that would have been a very bad idea, since I had meetings the next day!

Instead of walking on Wednesday I went shopping instead. Nothing exciting, just a couple of pairs of dress slacks for work.  I left the office on Thursday afternoon  to head home, arriving tired and sore from the drive.  I still managed a 4 kilometre walk that evening (without my camera), slept well and felt much better by morning.

Friday morning I went for brunch with two current and two former co-workers.  We try to get together every 3-6 months or so and it's always great fun to catch up.  More shopping was done, I hit Target where I scored 500 thread count sheets for $45, and then picked up groceries as the fridge was looking rather empty.  Dinner was also out with friends at our regular Friday night spot, and then it was home again to watch curling and finish the laundry I'd started earlier in the day.

The rest of the weekend will be spent watching the Grand Slam and World Women's curling, and doing housework between ends.  There will be no spring cleaning - winter has returned with a forecast of 4 inches of snow to come.  Oh well, the cats seem to have missed me more this trip and I've been getting lots of cuddles too so they'll keep me warm!

Have a great weekend everyone!

Friday Funny

Not a Wordless Wednesday

For my walk on Sunday I ventured to a walking path near my home.  I knew it existed but in the almost five years I've lived in this house, I'd never walked down the path to see where it led.

The trees are just starting to bud out.

The small creek is filling up with the snow melt.

Sure signs of spring....

Puddles

a busy squirrel


and....

multiple for sale signs at the condo units.







It was a nice walk, the path isn't very long but I enjoyed seeing my neighbourhood in a different way.

Happy St. Patrick's Day!

Weekend Wrap-up

It really was one of those weeks and I must say I'm grateful to see the end of it.

Monday was definitely the worst day.  I was busy catching up on e-mails and messages, and had talked to four of my staff by 9 a.m. when the phone call came.  On the other end of the line was another supervisor from our Saskatoon office.  She informed me, one of my staff had taken a fall on the stairs, was being treated by the paramedics, and she was looking for his emergency information so she could contact his family.

After giving her the information, I hung up the phone and went to inform my manager.  His response?  "Oh that's too bad, you better get started on the paper work." I walked out of his office shaking my head.  

Around 2 p.m. I called G's home and left a message just in case he was out of the hospital.  Shortly after that, one of his coworkers texted to say G had gone in for CT scan but it was looking like he'd be released later that day.

Later I heard from G, himself, and he let me know he had no broken bones, no concussion or brain bleed, however he had a laceration on the back of his head that had needed stitches and was, of course, very sore.  He let me know he'd be off work for a week but would be okay.

What a relief!  It could have been far worse, thankfully he was lucky that day.

*****

The rest of the week was busy, and my boss managed to annoy me several times.  I won't go into the details but suffice to say one of us needs to retire soon!  Since I know I've still got lots of marbles left it better be him.

I worked a half-day on Friday, then headed up to our Target store.  Talking to some of the staff there it sounds as though it will be one of the last stores in Canada to close, sometime in mid-May.  I've had my eye on a new ottoman

(Saku has pretty much torn up the old one), but unfortunately they are sold out.  They are however, getting in new stuff from other stores.  I found a new fleece jacket for just $11 and a couple of cushions for the couch for $16 a piece.  

One of my cousins calls me a bottom feeder for continuing to go back to the store to check out the deals.  Maybe so, but if they had kept the store as well stocked as it is currently, I suspect they wouldn't have gone out of business.  That, and if they hadn't expanded to so many stores in the first place.

******

The World Women's curling started Saturday, the first game was televised at 4 a.m. my time.  I had set the PVR to record it, but thanks to my menopausal bladder I was awake about 5 p.m and got to watch the final seven ends.  Today I'm watching the recorded version; I was fast asleep when the game started and woke up late.  Canada is playing Sweden in a re-match of the Olympics final.  It's early in the game yet, but Canada is up 3-2.
Once the game is over, and my last load of laundry is in the dryer, I'm heading out to take a walk. We've had temperatures above zero (32F) all week so the streets are almost clear.  I can feel safe now walking on the sidewalks.  It's a bit breezy but that will help dry up the remaining puddles.

This is my deck which faces south,  The first photo was taken on March 9, we'd had some melting before this but it was becoming noticeable.

I took this one this morning  - I suspect all the snow will be gone within a day or so.  It's wonderful to see, though I'd be foolish to think that winter is over just yet.

We had snow into mid-April last year; it's quite likely we'll get another skiff or two.  But in the meantime, I plan to enjoy the warmer than normal temperatures!

Have a great week everyone!

Friday Funny

Not a Wordless Wednesday

Yep, it's been that kind of week so far....sigh.

Weekend Wrap-up

Bear with me, this is a going to be a very random post.  Or you don't need to, as I know there is much more interesting reading elsewhere.

It's been one of those weeks - I came down with a sinus cold last weekend and it got progressively worse as the week went on.  I finally gave in and stayed home from work on Thursday.  That turned out to be a not-so-good idea when my boss had called me four times before noon.  Even though I was tempted not to answer, I figured he'd think I was playing hooky if I hadn't answered the first call, and by the time the 4th call came through I knew wasn't getting any more sleep.

I had to go into work Friday morning to get him some information that he really could have gotten from someone else but according to him that wouldn't do.  On the way into the office a "gentleman" with the vanity plate MRCNRY (Mr. Canary, Mr. Connery - any other guesses) pulled out in front of me...and then he flipped me the bird.  Of course, I didn't hesitate to return the favor (the bird that is).  I totally understand road rage.

I drove almost all the way to work when I realized I'd forgotten my ID badge and my filing cabinet keys at home.  I could have gotten a temporary badge but needed the keys to get into the cabinet to get the information.  So I turned around, went home got my stuff, and drove back to the office.  I thought I'd drop the material on his desk but then realized I'd best stay and explain it to him.  Less than a half hour later I was on my way home again.

*****
I spent a fair amount of time resting on the couch as breathing was a one nostril event for most of the week and I was easily winded by the most basic of chores.  The cats loved it as I make a better bed when I'm not moving around as much.

I was able to finish the last of the projects I started on my trip to B.C. There are a couple of major errors in it - one were I dropped a stitch so the hole is much larger than it ought to be (of course it's not in the picture!), and I'm pretty sure I measured incorrectly, so it's about 2-3 inches longer than it ought to be.  It's amazing how much it stretches!

I'm not really happy with the size of the handles or the width of the top of the bag.  So since I've already purchased more yarn to make another I'll have to find a different pattern.

******
Did I mention that my daughter has moved?  She and two friends moved last weekend and the first time in nearly 12 years I didn't have to help.  They showed up Sunday afternoon to pick up her couch which didn't fit into the hole small apartment she was living in previously, and the display cabinet from my living room.  It was hers but I've been using it for five years or so.

That leaves me with an empty spot I need to fill.  For the moment, I've moved a small folding table, covered it with a tablecloth, and placed it between two dining room chairs. It's holding the photos that were displayed on top of the cabinet, but holds none of the decorative items.  I had to rearrange my china cabinet to find room for those, which meant packing up my mom's silver into a box.  Those pieces include two creamers and sugar bowls, a salt and pepper shaker set, and a small tray.  In addition, I have another older piece with a silver base and a glass top - I have no idea where it came from.  I don't use any of it, so perhaps it is time to consider selling or giving it away.

Her couch was in the basement and it's looking rather empty down there.  It does make a great place for the cats to play with their toys!

******
The Canadian men's curling has been a major focus for me this week.  It has the best field in years and made for some very exciting shots and game. Team Saskatchewan is currently playing Team Newfoundland and Labrador for the bronze medal.  Go Team Laycock! (Saskatchewan).

Being laid up has given me a chance to do some research for our next trip.  Just 41 sleeps until we sail out of Fort Lauderdale for Barcelona, Spain!

Accommodations and transportation have been booked since the beginning of January.  K has arranged for Barcelona Day tours to pick us up at the cruise port, and we'll enjoy a four hour tour of the city before we arrive at the hotel.
In the evening she's booked us into a Flamenco show within walking distance of the hotel.  I spent some time looking for a reasonably priced restaurant nearby for our evening meal.  I think I've found one, but of course we'll probably look around the square before making our final decision.

We're only be there one night and will fly home on May 2nd.  It would have been nice to stay a couple of extra days but I'm saving some of my holidays for later this year.  Yep, I've got another trip in mind!

Last year we stopped in Southampton, England on our TransAtlantic cruise.   K has a  friend J who lives nearby.  J met us at the ship, took us on a tour and treated us to lunch at the Arboretum she works at, then later in the day served us a proper English tea before returning us to the ship.  It was an incredible day!

We're going to get a chance to see her again as J has planned a trip to Canada in mid-September to the Maritimes to see the fall colors.  K and I have started our plans to meet her in Halifax, Nova Scotia.  Last weekend we looked into renting a car using Airmile points (great deal!) and checked out flights, though nothing is booked for us just yet.  We received an e-mail from J this morning confirming she'll be arriving sometime between Sept. 19-21, she's just waiting to confirm the date with us before she books.  Next up is finding places to stay along our route, as we want to visit Prince Edward Island and New Brunswick as well during our two weeks.  Any suggestions would be welcome!

******
That was the week that was....I was going to suggest it was rather boring, and it was for the most part, though it's gotten more interesting.  I'm feeling better, the weather is much improved (above zero temps forecast for the rest of the week!) and travel to look forward to.

Have a great week everyone!

Friday Funny