Its been a few good days workwise, I really feel that I might be finding my feet at last. One thing I do know for sure is that I love this Group of Companies. My heart is here and hopefully my career will remain here too.
We have another winter storm watch in place - yawn! I am not interested at all. I want this winter to be over, I even want the flippin bugs back. I am pleased to hear from all surrounding Canucks that this has been cold, this is unusual to be this cold for so long without reprieves. Each reprieve though is welcomed with open arms... each warmer day is like a gift that goes hand in hand with the almost constant blue skies and sunshine. Thank goodness there are very few dreary grey days in the mix.
Insomnia has been kicking my butt again, I really remember the one full night of sleep I have had recently. It was wonderful,amazing, fabulous. Last night I think I managed to get two hours of sleep - thats insane! I remember I used to stress out BIG TIME about how I could possibly last all day at work on such a small amount of sleep, now I just go in and get on with it.
I hope I sleep tonight. Please.....
Currently in this house we are waiting on news, we are hoping its good news but I cant tempt fate. Its so not a done deal, we are still waiting for the outcome. I have it all crossed, even my eyes!
This weekend I am going running, I want to try for the 4km again, we are also skiing on Sunday - I hope we manage to go this time. We have a full on social weekend planned and I am very much looking forward to it.
Its 8pm, is it too early to go to bed?
Thursday, 28 February 2013
Monday, 25 February 2013
to serve and protect....
Not much, in fact nothing to report really thats new in life here. We still see a mix of snow, flurries, sun, blue sky and snow. I am bored of it frankly.
I had a little bit of excitement this weekend that I could have done without.
On the drive back from my friends on Sat afternoon up the Highway 2 through Fall River I came across a RCMP SUV on my side of the road. I was a little taken aback and was doing about 80km/hr, so I slammed all my feet on the brakes and executed a near perfect emergency stop.
The SUV driver noticed he was in fact on the wrong side of the road, swerved to his side and waved in recognition - thanks buddy!
At that point, I noted that we were all in our correct seats, including the dog and drove on. This was soon to be seen as a very bad idea judging by the noise coming from the car - it sounded like the whole underneath of this Dodge Journey had come apart. So I stopped and considered the predicament.
Here I am in Canada with a clearly broken car, no CAA and no idea what to do. As luck would have it I was right next to a brand new kids play area, so off went the girls to play.
I called the garage - no answer - of course - its Saturday - everyone is playing or watching icehockey no doubt. I called my friend Ruby and chewed her ear off. I got the number for the tow company and booked my tow-truck. Then I called the RCMP to complain, my car doesnt work, its their friggin fault.
So I spoke to two ladies and finally the sergeant and the gist of all conversations is this:
From them - there is no Motor vehicle accident and I am not in the ditch (kudos to me frankly)
From one of the ladies - My brakes cant be that good then ( this is after the tow truck driver showed me whats making the racket - my braking had made the brake calipers detach from the brakes, thank goodness I stopped driving the car) - to this I responded that really thats a sweeping statement thats best coming from a mechanic and not her or I. I accepted her apology..
From the sergeant - I struggle to know who that could have been, maybe HRM police.... I pointed out that the colours on the side had orange and a horse on them - he conceded thats RCMP. I did get the licence plate of the RCMP SUV that came back past 5 mins later whilst I was sittting mulling over my options. That SUV came so damn close he nearly took my wing mirror with him.
I informed the sergeant that had that occurred I would have torn his head off. He thought this sentence was amusing, thank God we can all laugh together eh!
Anyway, whilst hes figuring out who that could have been (dont they have GPS??) we are left with a $69 towing fee, no car as its at the garage, no doubt accruing more dollar signs on the final bill for all this. I have absolutely no intention of letting this go.
I want someone to be accountable for all this cost. If I had been on the wrong side of the road and forced that officer to stop as swiftly as I had (again kudos to me! without loss of life or close encounters with a ditch) I would have been lucky to get off with a $400 ticket.
So, I need to call Officer in charge again tonight and see how things are going.....
I had a little bit of excitement this weekend that I could have done without.
On the drive back from my friends on Sat afternoon up the Highway 2 through Fall River I came across a RCMP SUV on my side of the road. I was a little taken aback and was doing about 80km/hr, so I slammed all my feet on the brakes and executed a near perfect emergency stop.
The SUV driver noticed he was in fact on the wrong side of the road, swerved to his side and waved in recognition - thanks buddy!
At that point, I noted that we were all in our correct seats, including the dog and drove on. This was soon to be seen as a very bad idea judging by the noise coming from the car - it sounded like the whole underneath of this Dodge Journey had come apart. So I stopped and considered the predicament.
Here I am in Canada with a clearly broken car, no CAA and no idea what to do. As luck would have it I was right next to a brand new kids play area, so off went the girls to play.
I called the garage - no answer - of course - its Saturday - everyone is playing or watching icehockey no doubt. I called my friend Ruby and chewed her ear off. I got the number for the tow company and booked my tow-truck. Then I called the RCMP to complain, my car doesnt work, its their friggin fault.
So I spoke to two ladies and finally the sergeant and the gist of all conversations is this:
From them - there is no Motor vehicle accident and I am not in the ditch (kudos to me frankly)
From one of the ladies - My brakes cant be that good then ( this is after the tow truck driver showed me whats making the racket - my braking had made the brake calipers detach from the brakes, thank goodness I stopped driving the car) - to this I responded that really thats a sweeping statement thats best coming from a mechanic and not her or I. I accepted her apology..
From the sergeant - I struggle to know who that could have been, maybe HRM police.... I pointed out that the colours on the side had orange and a horse on them - he conceded thats RCMP. I did get the licence plate of the RCMP SUV that came back past 5 mins later whilst I was sittting mulling over my options. That SUV came so damn close he nearly took my wing mirror with him.
I informed the sergeant that had that occurred I would have torn his head off. He thought this sentence was amusing, thank God we can all laugh together eh!
Anyway, whilst hes figuring out who that could have been (dont they have GPS??) we are left with a $69 towing fee, no car as its at the garage, no doubt accruing more dollar signs on the final bill for all this. I have absolutely no intention of letting this go.
I want someone to be accountable for all this cost. If I had been on the wrong side of the road and forced that officer to stop as swiftly as I had (again kudos to me! without loss of life or close encounters with a ditch) I would have been lucky to get off with a $400 ticket.
So, I need to call Officer in charge again tonight and see how things are going.....
Sunday, 17 February 2013
Love Sunday
I am feeling quietly content. Sure its raining and therefore our planned days skiing has had to be postponed to a snowier day, but its Sunday. This means that I have been to the track already, had breakfast with my family and have just perused the Keys Citizen with my morning cup of "Jamaica Me Crazy". Now that I have had my Keys fix, all is good in my world.
And its not just that thats making me so happy, last night we went out to a party and I found myself being talked into running the 10k Bluenose. Apparently, if I can run 3k comfortably (and I can, so kudos to me), I can run 10k. So, I put this theory to the test this morning, even though I have the afterthoughts of too much white wine, red wine, Lemoncello and party mix in my blood system from last night. AND I ran 2.5km with Dukie outside yesterday (actually running outside has probably added to my contentment as running outside rocks!)
So anyway.... I ran 4km this morning, this is me following my "incremental steps" and "continuous improvment" plan in life.... I can run 4km!!!! - big hurrah to me!! ( I am more than pleased! Can you tell?!!)
So, its 10.19am - I have just breakfasted with my family - breakfast of all of us together with loads of options as we all have different breakfast wants, I am full of Keys happiness and my legs ache with the achievement of 4km.
After this I will finalise the T4's that I am running for the rec commitee (gotta love payroll and taxation right), and then look forward to our friends arriving this afternoon for dinner. The house will be full of more people, lots of children and some good food - including roast parsnips!
I can hear Paul upstairs helping Lily tidy up her room (AGAIN, you wont catch me doing that for Miss Lazy), the house is clean enough, more snow will fall so skiing will happen this season and Spring is in the Post.
I love Sundays
Sunday, 10 February 2013
Winter Storm Nemo
Its 7.23am on Sunday morning and the wind is raging out there (at times, in a gusting fashion) and the snow that started on Friday evening is still falling. We are getting battered by Winter Storm Nemo thats already hit NY and Boston, Maine and New England. Its been here since Friday evening and each day I have waited for the power to go out, and it hasnt yet.
Yesterday I cleared the driveway 3 times, with the help of a kindly neighbour with his snowblower, I was so glad for it at 6pm when the snowplow finally went past and deposited a WALL of compacted snow onto the end of the cleared driveway. My attempts with the shovel to clear it almost finished me off, it was so heavy and there was so much. If I am honest, when I first set eyes on that, I could feel tears welling....
The end result of clear driveway take 1
Chloe out on the back deck at 10am yesterday
Driveway clear take 1 - Saturday 9.30am
Hes a kind neighbour, we are extremely lucky here. And our neighbour from the house behind us is coming here at midday on his ATV with his plow attached to clear it again which relinquishes me from the task this morning, I am wondering if I will be able to go running instead - hmmm
I have been on FB looking in shocked horror at images of flooding in Shelbourne and those areas and I cant imagine the misery right now of those living up there, at least we only had snow to contend with - LOTS of it.
There goes the wind again, it sounds like a plow coming...
Theres also pics of Lower Water Street, see below that I have borrowed from NS webcams. I love Halifax, just looking at pics of it makes my heart swell.
I have come to realize more and more how attached I am to this Province, its people, its beaches, its communities, its city - Halifax. Many would consider the label of "city" to somewhere of Halifax's size to be dubious, but what makes a city? Is it a sprawling density of home and suburbs like say Croydon or is it the most densely populated area in one place, as Halifax would be in Nova Scotia?
I mean I have heard Key West called a city and that's 2 miles by 1 mile in size.
For me, living out here in a bedroom community is lovely, its peaceful, its friendly, it feels good but I cant wait to get to downtown Halifax and feel its ambience. Its pretty, its got historic buildings, a water front, a harbour, restaurants, live music, night life.
We really did get lucky when we picked this as our new home.
Yesterday I cleared the driveway 3 times, with the help of a kindly neighbour with his snowblower, I was so glad for it at 6pm when the snowplow finally went past and deposited a WALL of compacted snow onto the end of the cleared driveway. My attempts with the shovel to clear it almost finished me off, it was so heavy and there was so much. If I am honest, when I first set eyes on that, I could feel tears welling....
The end result of clear driveway take 1
Hes a kind neighbour, we are extremely lucky here. And our neighbour from the house behind us is coming here at midday on his ATV with his plow attached to clear it again which relinquishes me from the task this morning, I am wondering if I will be able to go running instead - hmmm
I have been on FB looking in shocked horror at images of flooding in Shelbourne and those areas and I cant imagine the misery right now of those living up there, at least we only had snow to contend with - LOTS of it.
There goes the wind again, it sounds like a plow coming...
Theres also pics of Lower Water Street, see below that I have borrowed from NS webcams. I love Halifax, just looking at pics of it makes my heart swell.
I have come to realize more and more how attached I am to this Province, its people, its beaches, its communities, its city - Halifax. Many would consider the label of "city" to somewhere of Halifax's size to be dubious, but what makes a city? Is it a sprawling density of home and suburbs like say Croydon or is it the most densely populated area in one place, as Halifax would be in Nova Scotia?
I mean I have heard Key West called a city and that's 2 miles by 1 mile in size.
For me, living out here in a bedroom community is lovely, its peaceful, its friendly, it feels good but I cant wait to get to downtown Halifax and feel its ambience. Its pretty, its got historic buildings, a water front, a harbour, restaurants, live music, night life.
We really did get lucky when we picked this as our new home.
Thursday, 7 February 2013
whinge fest
Gah its cold and I have a cold, a stinking horrible, keep you up at night cold.
I realise that I havent had a cold or any kind of sickness for ages, bar insomnia of course (bless it!)
I just went out as I craved a Tims for lunch, the windchill took my breath away and I could almost feel my nose preparing to fall off. Its minus 30 out there with gusting freezing winds. But the sun shines and the sky is blue and the snow on the road is rapidly turning into ice.
And we have another 50cms of snow forecast this Saturday, I feel like my interest in all this snow and "weather" is turning me into an obsessed person. But I am a Brit, arent we Brits meant to be obsessed with weather.
I am surrounded by my work colleagues all complaining about the cold, they hate the cold, they hate winter, its too flaming cold. They are all Canadian incidentally!
If I so much as "suggest" on my FB page that I am SO OVER WINTER because frankly I am, I get jumped on by all the Brits that live here now.
I get advised - "get out and make the most of it, go skiing, skating, EMBRACE it"
Well I would LOVE to go skiing but that requires way more disposable income than we have right now - thanks roof! - and skating - hmmm, I may pass. I dont wish to revisit broken ankles.
And besides if the Canucks can whinge, why cant I?
But the Tims was good, a real good indulge in salt here and fat and refined carbs, exactly what I need!
Thats another reason for summer to come back - summer equals salad and running outside, I cant wait!
I realise that I havent had a cold or any kind of sickness for ages, bar insomnia of course (bless it!)
I just went out as I craved a Tims for lunch, the windchill took my breath away and I could almost feel my nose preparing to fall off. Its minus 30 out there with gusting freezing winds. But the sun shines and the sky is blue and the snow on the road is rapidly turning into ice.
And we have another 50cms of snow forecast this Saturday, I feel like my interest in all this snow and "weather" is turning me into an obsessed person. But I am a Brit, arent we Brits meant to be obsessed with weather.
I am surrounded by my work colleagues all complaining about the cold, they hate the cold, they hate winter, its too flaming cold. They are all Canadian incidentally!
If I so much as "suggest" on my FB page that I am SO OVER WINTER because frankly I am, I get jumped on by all the Brits that live here now.
I get advised - "get out and make the most of it, go skiing, skating, EMBRACE it"
Well I would LOVE to go skiing but that requires way more disposable income than we have right now - thanks roof! - and skating - hmmm, I may pass. I dont wish to revisit broken ankles.
And besides if the Canucks can whinge, why cant I?
But the Tims was good, a real good indulge in salt here and fat and refined carbs, exactly what I need!
Thats another reason for summer to come back - summer equals salad and running outside, I cant wait!
Tuesday, 5 February 2013
Insomnia is my friend
Insomnia seems to want to be my friend more than I want lately. There seems to be at least one night each week if not two when I am lucky if I get 3 hours sleep. There always seems to be the same pattern too, its like everything is working against my nights sleep:
1. I cant fall asleep, I go to bed feeling tired, sometimes totally exhausted and just as I settle down my mind wakes up and its goodbye to dreamland.
2. I toss and turn, go through every issue in the world, sometimes these issues are not even issues until this time of day and then they knock at the door of my mind and they are a BIG DEAL
3. I remember things that I have totally forgotten to do - like put in my expenses and then I feel stress about this.
4. At some point I am falling asleep, I am nearly there and a child will whimper in their sleep or call out (never ever ever on a normal night will this happen and never ever ever earlier when I am wide awake and stressing over something inane, only at this point will this happen) and I am back in the land of wide awake eyes.
And its only at this point do I realise that I was actually nearly asleep then.
5. If I am lucky I will nap abit, during these "naps" I will attempt to work in my sleep, this is a waste of time I know but I cant stop it.
6. I give up and lie there staring at the ceiling marvelling at how awake I am and listening to the dog snoring.
7. At about 5am I will fall asleep and seconds lately am awakened by the alarm. Coffee calls my name.
1. I cant fall asleep, I go to bed feeling tired, sometimes totally exhausted and just as I settle down my mind wakes up and its goodbye to dreamland.
2. I toss and turn, go through every issue in the world, sometimes these issues are not even issues until this time of day and then they knock at the door of my mind and they are a BIG DEAL
3. I remember things that I have totally forgotten to do - like put in my expenses and then I feel stress about this.
4. At some point I am falling asleep, I am nearly there and a child will whimper in their sleep or call out (never ever ever on a normal night will this happen and never ever ever earlier when I am wide awake and stressing over something inane, only at this point will this happen) and I am back in the land of wide awake eyes.
And its only at this point do I realise that I was actually nearly asleep then.
5. If I am lucky I will nap abit, during these "naps" I will attempt to work in my sleep, this is a waste of time I know but I cant stop it.
6. I give up and lie there staring at the ceiling marvelling at how awake I am and listening to the dog snoring.
7. At about 5am I will fall asleep and seconds lately am awakened by the alarm. Coffee calls my name.
Saturday, 2 February 2013
Ground Hog Day
Its 6.36am on a Saturday and I will be off to work in less than an hour. This is unheard of for me, to work on a weekend but we are behind and duty calls. The free lunch and coffee have softened the blow but only very slightly.
Its GroundHog Day too, Shubenacadie Sam will hopefully appear and with wisdom see or maybe not see his shadow and we will all know how much winter we have left. I am not sure how anyone knows if a Groundhog has indeed seen anything, does he sign some kind of form to announce his sighting? Does he nod at specific questions?
Last year apparently he predicted an early Spring and whilst I dont remember it being 6 weeks, it certainly was early and was followed by a fantastic Summer.
So I will wait until 8am to see the outcome because frankly I am so done with Winter now, over the snow, over the horrible windchill, over the ice and cold. And, we have another snowfall warning for tomorrow - yay!!!
Its GroundHog Day too, Shubenacadie Sam will hopefully appear and with wisdom see or maybe not see his shadow and we will all know how much winter we have left. I am not sure how anyone knows if a Groundhog has indeed seen anything, does he sign some kind of form to announce his sighting? Does he nod at specific questions?
Last year apparently he predicted an early Spring and whilst I dont remember it being 6 weeks, it certainly was early and was followed by a fantastic Summer.
So I will wait until 8am to see the outcome because frankly I am so done with Winter now, over the snow, over the horrible windchill, over the ice and cold. And, we have another snowfall warning for tomorrow - yay!!!
Friday, 1 February 2013
a week of lunches - mostly fish it seems
Its been a week of lunches.
On Monday I met up with my lovely friend to dine at the Best
Western Chocolate Lake. I love the Dining Room there, especially in the summer
when the patio is open, as it has a gorgeous view of Chocolate Lake and shade,
so you can sit out there in warm summer breezes and chit chat the time away.
It is still good in the wintertime too, as the menu is
outstanding, we had our favourite Haddock sandwich. It was delicious and the
company was great.
As a side note I was not prepared for all the piles of dirty
snow everywhere and part of the Arm being frozen, that was bizarre but then I am
still getting used to seeing the ocean frozen, not a common scene in England.
On Tuesday I met Paul for lunch at Steele Hyundai, I dropped
off my little car for a service and we drove on to the Split Crowe in downtown
Halifax. More than one person has helpfully told me that there is also a Split
Crowe in Bedford but I love downtown Halifax. You can always find a parking
spot, the cost of that parking spot doesn’t kill me and it was a small walk to
the Crow. We had the two for one January lunch deal, I had the hot chicken with
stuffing and gravy sandwich and it was divine, truly scrumptious!
It was also a big plate – hurrah for a good deal!On Wednesday and Thursday I was audited, which is always a joy as it includes lunch and the chance to hang with my old team. We went out in Bedford – to a little café on Weds where we had rather scrummy haddock and to Bewsters on Thursday – Haddock again. I honestly have not tasted better Haddock outside of Nova Scotia! To me Haddock here is on a par with Snapper in the Florida Keys. You expect it to be good and it delivers! Every restaurant in this province that has served it has served an outstanding fish dish.
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