Monday, April 29, 2013

Passport-ugh

I lost my passport.
I said to Richard, 'how does this happen? I don't lose things'
Apparently I do.
Initially, I thought, 'oh it'll be in this piece of luggage. Or this one. Or in the car'
No.
Went through everything we brought a few times over, and searched car. I started to feel sick. Called motels we have been at. No luck.
Then called passport Canada. I didn't cancel it, just in case it miraculously appears, as the passport guy said I don't have to until I go to passport office for new one.
We went for breakfast and made a plan to drive back home to pick up birth certificate and Mom. Mom and I drive to Surrey where there is 24 hour passport service on Tuesday. Get passport application in Wed. Maybe visit Mom's friend Noreen. Pick up passport Thurs. Back home to catch flight to New York sat.
Passport guy also said that it shouldn't be an issue to get over border back into Canada. 
Good news is that I discovered it today, rather than later in week, when would not be able to get passport in time.
Last time I saw it was in California in motel room. Would someone from motel have taken it? What would you do with a passport in someone else's name?
Richard has been very good about reassuring me.

ON another note, bought some beautiful, beautiful wool to make socks! Another pair as I am enjoying making these ones a lot. It is Corvid colour, by an Oregon company.

I will have something to do while waiting at passport office since I am almost finished this pair.

NRA

I forgot to put this in my last post.
We stopped for lunch at a little place called Seal Rock, at a diner. We pulled in and saw a fairly old SUV with 2 little dogs in it and an NRA sticker on the window.
We ate our greasy but delicious hamburgers and there was a woman and a girl about 11 or 12, eating lunch too-they looked to be there after going to church, as they were both wearing skirts.
We weren't sure, but yes, that SUV was theirs.

Cannon Beach

We drove here yesterday from Gold Beach. I found a good deal for the Lands End. Richard was hesitant due to finding it on-line as he likes just getting to a place and finding something, but it is really nice! Painted in soothing ocean tones with a hint of colour, like Martha Stewart paints. Plus a jacuzzi tub.
Cannon Beach is definitely different than other places we have been. I think full of artistes. Apparently the town allows people to finish their houses however they'd like, but it is all done tastefully in shingles.
It is a good town to be a tourist in, but as Richard said, 'how do people live here?'. I think there must be a gas station somewhere.
We are staying here 2 nights-we'll poke around today and look in the shops. It is raining, which surprisingly is the 1st time since we started. Though as I write this it is getting lighter out, so might have some more sun.
We might make our last stop at Harrison Hot Springs, haven't decided for sure yet. Richard has to be at work for Friday and I need to prep for next trip.
It seems like I have been on vacation for longer than a week right now-which is a good feeling. I don't think I will quit my job yet, though the idea of being able to vacation and sleep in anytime is appealing!

Saturday, April 27, 2013

Fort Bragg and Gold Beach

We stayed 2 nights in Bandon-nice place. We went to the museum there, and the 80 year old'ish woman who was volunteering there said, 'oh, I was pulling into the museum at the same time as you. I always park facing uphill in case of a tsunami' Richard made idle chitchat with her while I looked impatient. the museum was a good small town museum though.

We then thought, 'hey, why not go to San Francisco?' We got as far as Fort Bragg on the Mendocino coast, and decided to stop. Great place. Our room was the nicest so far, right on ocean, and state park. So many wildflowers that we grow in our gardens! Pampas grass, California poppies, ice plant, some kind of portulaca, iris, speedwell. The coast there is all state park. I kept taking pictures in my enchantment! We stayed 2 nights there, but no wifi.

Fort Bragg is actually a hippie town despite the name. There was an Occupy demonstration while we were there and there was a vegan culinary institute Living Light Culinary Institute. I think all the men had facial hair and women did not dye their hair! Lots of grey hair, beards and long hair. We looked around at the different things in the cute downtown, and then went to botanical gardens for a look. I think you could grow anything there.

I think though that restaurants in Kelowna are a lot better than what we have had here. Maybe if we had eaten at the vegan place?

We are now at Gold Beach, drove here today. we went through the Drive through tree. Richard made me pose and smile even though I felt like a dork. The giftshop seemed right out of 1960's California. Richard says that the postcards in there were also from the 1960's.The Redwoods are truly spectacular. 2000 years old! It was sad to see ones that had been chopped down though.

We also went through Eureka on our way. It made me think of the Oz  book where Dorothy and the Wizard are talking and one of them says that Eureka means I have found it.

Our room tonight is also on the ocean-also a nice place! We will go out for dinner and then go into jacuzzi and pool.


Bike lost, bike bought

We had a break-in last week. Long story, but we suspect it was a former renter who got kicked out and who secretly made a copy of the key set. So we got the locks changed on Sunday night (when I found that the break-in had happened) and I feel reasonably safe. But Todd's and my bikes got stolen. boooooooo. I looked into insurance, but my deductible is $1000, which is more than I'd spend to replace it. The police know, and have the bike serial number, but I don't feel optimistic.

So, rather than wait, I bought a new bike. Olive green! It's really nice-looking, but also decent number of gears for putting to work.  

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Tuesday, April 23, 2013

Bandon, Oregon

This place is beautiful!Windermere
It looks right over a deserted beach. We are in deluxe room because we saw it and did not check out that the regular room was $10 cheaper. But this one has a fireplace. And I bought a microbrew beer on our way, which is chilling right now as I write this.
We stayed in Lincoln City last night, in the D Sands Motel. It was right on the ocean too.
On our way through Depoe Bay, we stopped and walked around a little, Richard said, 'hey, doesn't that like look like Kirk and Sue?' I froze and ducked. Luckily it wasn't. Richard thought that was pretty funny.
we were thinking of staying in Florence today, but went through and thought it would be much better to stay on ocean instead of on highway. Strange yes?
And kept driving as nothing else looked like what we wanted. Richard thought Bandon would have promise and he was right!
We stopped in Newport and walked in the Old Town and had a snack and saw a bunch of sea lions sunning themselves on the dock. I bought a pair of lady bug socks, along with the beer.
Some thoughts on Oregon:
Little drive through coffee wagons everywhere, rather than a Starbucks on every corner.
People here drive slower than in BC. We keep passing everyone. (Richard qualifies this, 'Lisa, keeps passing everyone. Everyone else drives the same speed as me')
Seathrift grows here in the wild!
People here do a lot of blown glass. It is for sale everywhere, along with carved bears.

Monday, April 22, 2013

Brought the laptop

We left Sat after Richard was off work-and stayed in Olympia 1st night. Drive went well-snow on Coquihalla-is good thing we did not get the chance to switch over to summer tires.
Got up and drove to Astoria-went to the Flavel House. We called it the Falafel House. Amazing old place-and very chatty knowledgeable docents. Huge house- Falafel made a lot of money in shipping. Then to the Maritime Museum-we learned about coast guard rescues! They had a section  on fur trade-and an old Hudson Bay blanket.

We are staying in Astoria right now-in the Hotel Elliot. If you are in Astoria-stay here, it is really quite nice and also same price as chains! Has artwork in the bedrooms, super comfy beds and a great rooftop garden with a view of the ocean. Plus breakfast included. The garden has daffodils right now. Ate supper in a good Mexican restaurant.
I noticed that as soon as we crossed the border into Washington, that there were all of the sudden many more Mexican places. Interesting how an artificial line can make such a difference.

Oregon feels like Vancouver Island, I think. People in sandals, moving slower.

I think we will go to  Lincoln City today and stop in Seaside for a look around.

Sunday, April 21, 2013

Happy Birthday Jim


Saturday, April 20, 2013

Vegas - take 2

I'm just home from our Vegas trip - we were there for five days, which was at least two day (possibly four) too many!  I went with Jeff and Ryan - the same guys from last year.  I think that I was tired when we left, as things had not really slowed down since Easter, and I had company the weekend before we left on last Sunday.  I had also been doing some birthday celebrating with friends in Victoria who wouldnt' be in Vegas (I didn't want to leave them out!  I know how they love to celebrate me!).  As it turns out, and I think I should have known this, Vegas isn't a really restful spot.  Fun, yes.  Exotic, usually.  But not restful.  All I wanted to do every day was laze around, but it's sort of hard to do that there.  I did spend quite a bit of time at the pool, but there was always loud music playing, which makes it hard to properly relax.  And Jeff and Ryan are great, but sharing a hotel room for five days was also tough.

There were lots of good highlights though!  We had a better idea what we were doing, so were more efficient in our fun finding.  Ryan works for Fairmont (at the Empress) so we left Victoria on Sunday afternoon, and stayed in a really nice room at the Airport Fairmont in Vancouver before our Monday flight.  Since he's an employee, he (and those he's with) gets 50% discount on the room and food and drink. It was really nice to sit in the lounge there, and know that I could actually afford it.

In Vegas, our room was not as nice as last year, though in a preferential location on the strip (further along).  However, Jeff and Ryan really wanted to go to this bar we were at last year, in which it turned out the bartender remembered us (with a little prompting).  So we were walking back to our old hotel all week anyway.  We stayed in Treasure Island, which is known for their nightly "Sirens of TI" show, which is sort of a really cheesy pirate show on boats and with pyrotechnics.  We watched this one night from our window, which was really cool.

We also found (well off the strip) a really neat bar.  They make all sorts of cocktails, mostly whiskey and gin based.  It was super classy, and used to be mob owned.  In fact, it used to be the Venetian, until the Venetian on the strip bought the name.  It had a secret door that looked like a bookshelf, and the whole feel of the place was very 1920's speakeasy.  Because Jeff and Ryan are super friendly, they made instant friends with the bartenders, with very nice results on the bill.  The drinks were really incredible- quite a few were invented in Harry's Bar in Paris, which I'm pretty sure is where Hemmingway used to hang out.

We also discovered that there is (again, off the strip) dollar bowling in Vegas after midnight.  Ryan used to be a bowling team, and Jeff and I were game, so we actually spent quite a bit of time bowling in Vegas.  Sounds a bit weird written down, but we were so tired of the crowds on the strip that it was a nice change!

I'm very glad to be back.  Flying in to Vancouver means waiting for and taking the ferry, which is really time consuming.  I think Patches is glad to see me back as well.  Oh, and I totally did tell my congregation that I was going on a desert retreat.  Most of them knew where I was going, and got the joke.  I hope.

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First Day Vacation!

I should be packing.
We had a great visit with Henry and Ally-they are staying another night, and then going back to GP with a stop in Kamloops.
Richard only works til about 1 pm today, so we will get an earlier start than we had thought. We decided to drive over the Coquihalla and go over the border in Abbotsford, and drive more along the coast.
I am not sure if I'll bring laptop, but if I do, I will post as we travel.
Had a really nice birthday-we went out for supper, and then had another birthday supper last night with Mom, Henry and Ally. Turkey-so Mom is making us turkey sandwiches for our trip today!
There are all kinds of birds hanging out by Mom and our yard-ducks, quail, and all the songbirds. Spring is nice.
Tulips are blooming and weeds are growing at Jones-spring has sprung.

Wednesday, April 17, 2013

Happy Birthday Lisa


Sunday, April 14, 2013

Baby!

So I get another little grandson. Saw his ultrasound pictures on Friday - when I got ultrasounds for my kids all I could see were blobs. The technician would say "There's the hand" and I would nod, wondering what the heck I was going to be giving birth to. But this little guy looks like a baby. So that's a good sign. As I told Courtney, we know she makes cute boys.

Grace is home for a bit, having finished her nursing requirements. It's pretty boring around here, I'm sure she would have gone back to the city much sooner if she hadn't had to wait for car repairs and her criminal record check. At least Scott is around.

We got a ridiculous amount of snow yesterday. Really, what is going on.

I feel that I must get myself moving. Do not seem to have any get up and go. If I can summon the effort to do something I am always glad I did. But telling myself that does not seem to elicit much response.

Talked to the good pastor the other day. He is leaving on what seems to be his annual trip to Vegas. He said he told his congregation that he was going on a desert retreat. I didn't know if he was serious.

Interesting People

come into the store.  We had a lady who is originally from China, and was a biology prof there.  Her husband has his PHD in some kind of science.  When they got to Canada their education was not recognized, so found it hard to get a jobs in their fields.  She went back to school, and got into IT and now has been working for HP for 20 years.  He got a post doc at U of A, but unable to get a tenure job.  He self taught himself how to create a website, to help support the dept he was with, and that ended up getting him a IT job.  Their daughter went to school here and got her business degree and CA, after two years hated being a CA, and went back to school to be a fashion designer in New York.  She has a day job working for an established company and has started her own  line in her spare time.  I like hearing stories about people's lives.

Nice news about a new cousin in Vancouver.  I am sure that Neil and Marilyn and of course Geoff and Genny are pretty darn happy.

Also happy to hear that Tim and Court are having another boy.

Uncle George went to see the specialist on Wednesday regarding the blockages and risk of strokes.  Dr said blockage only about 50% which was good news, so no surgery needed.  Haley got her doctorate, so now is looking for a post doc somewhere.

New Del story (Kay's Del not Anne's), she has a new boyfriend and decided that he needed some work done, so talked him into getting a facelift, he is in his eighties.  I guess she thought since she looks so young (you know no one has ever taken for for more than 52 years old), an older looking boyfriend would not do.  Though she could have told people that he was her sugar daddy.

Tuesday, April 09, 2013

Crab cakes

I had a board meeting last night that went until 910-it was heated. Good Lord people, can't we just listen instead of react? Ha-as if doing that is easy.
Consequently I was tired this am. Our ECT nurse had an issue, so I had to go cover it. this made me crabby, as it is something that I do when required, but really do not enjoy the role. I feel like a doctor's handmaiden. The psychiatrist is great and I have never had any problems with the anesthetist-they have always been pleasant (which is not always the case), it is just getting things set up for doctors is not my bag. I feel like, "get your own stinking supplies, I have a degree thanks"
Then I found out I will have to do rest of week, which irked me too.
Then listened to some other staff members be irritated by some other situations.
Which just made me crabbier.
Thankfully I am usually happy at work. Someone told me today, 'you are always cheery'
That was good. Although untrue today.
I did apologize to everyone though.
I got home, had a beer, and Richard and I went outside to do a bit of yard work. Which made my mood better.
All the bitterroot I planted last year survived and looks like it will bloom!
And the Peace Rose I planted also survived.
Richard was cleaning our street front, and I pulled out dandelions and did a bit of other weeding. It has rained quite a bit, so it was easy to pull weeds out.
Now I am feeling quite a bit better!

Fun in the Hat

My visit to the MH Robins' was really good.  Fred, Raeann and Leila picked me up at the Calgary Red Arrow Depot, we had some lunch and then on the road to the Hat.  For the first little while at Ramona's I had a bit of trouble telling who was Annalise and who was Evangeline.  But after about a day I could tell the difference.  Annalise is a little bit smaller and her face is not as full as Evangeline.  Both of them are so cute!!

Ramona and I got into a routine, get up in the morning, feed the babies (Ramona is breast feeding and using bottles).  After the morning feeding, usually one of the girls fell asleep and the other one would be awake, so I would usually play with the awake one and Ramona would get a bit more sleep with the other.  Fred would usually come over in  the afternoon after driving Christine to work.  I spent a lot of time holding babies, they are so sweet when they snuggle into you.  Then in between 11 and 12 at night, babies would feed again, and I would go off to bed after helping with that.  Ramona would not wake me up in the night, which was good of her, so we would start all over again in the morning.

Easter Saturday we coloured eggs on Ramona's porch, according to the thermometer it was +23, beautiful.  Easter Sunday supper was at Ramona's and two of John's kids, John, Rhonda, Raeann, Leila, Fred and Christine all cooked.  Fred also took me for a tour of Medicine Hat, it is a nice city.  On Thursday Christine, Rhonda and I went to a dinner theatre at the hotel where Raeann works, Arsenic and Old Lace.  Food was delish, esp the desserts.

There is a shuttle that runs between MH and Calgary, they pick you up at your house in MH and I got off the shuttle at the Calgary airport, and caught the Red arrow there after about an hour wait.  That worked really well.

I feel as though I got lots of good experience with Annalise and Evangeline, so I think I am ready for the appearance of the mini Ferrey. 

 Christine and Annalise
Fred and Evangeline

Monday, April 08, 2013

More before and after

This project went more quickly than the cupboard painting. We did it in a weekend. As before it is from perfect but is a big improvement over the old counter. Geoff is already worrying about what my next big idea will be.







Sunday, April 07, 2013

Done

Filing taxes. We got a bit of return this year.
It was chilly outside and I couldn't force myself to go out and do yardwork in the misty rain, so got taxes done early. Usually it is end of April before I seem to get around to them. Although using a computer program makes it a whole lot quicker than doing by hand.
Cats are sleeping on couch on blankets, I just turned up the heat in here-it's 6 degrees out there, but it feels colder than that.
Spring. Last weekend we had all the windows open and were sitting on the deck.
Am looking forward to our vacation soon! It won't be warm in Oregon, but we will stay in places with hot tubs! At least this is my plan.
I think will need to buy a map-I wonder if we have one around here with the western states?
hmm, what else new?
Met up with Leanne-she moved to the island 7 years ago I think? It was quite a good visit-went for brunch. was a bit weird as we had disconnected when she and Joe split up, but she has not really changed, except I think she is more (to use a cliche) grounded.
Meeting up with some other friends this week too. I feel like when I am taking classes, it is all I can do to work and go to school. and do a few other things. but seeing people is not necessarily high on that list.
You know, thinking about it-I have been in school a lot. Got my degree, then did a certificate in mental health nursing, then started my masters. Why do I keep doing this?


Friday, April 05, 2013

Happy Day!

I'm done my degree! Officially, the last day of this practicum is April 19, so that is the day I am actually done, but I have done all my hours and handed in all my assignments! Nothing to do but sit around and take a trip to Rocky until the pinning ceremony on April 18. This practicum turned out better than I had expected, especially when I was upset about being switched. I was terrified of everything at the beginning, but the past couple weeks I have actually felt like I knew what I was doing. I saw a lot of interesting things. It seemed like every time my preceptor would tell me about a complication or something, that day or the next we would see it, which was weird, but a great learning experience. I also spent some time in the OR, some days just observing when there were no patients in recovery, as our recovery room can be quite slow and quiet, and then four days where I was in the OR all day, helping prep, open, and I even scrubbed a couple times. I guess I must have done well, because they hired me casual in the OR today! My preceptor had been telling me that I should talk to the manager, so I brought in a resume earlier this week. Then I was told to wait until today, since the manager had a big meeting yesterday about all this budget stuff. So I handed in my resume today, and didn't even have a chance to say anything before she said, yes, I can hire you casual. I start May 13, the Monday after we return from New York. It is a big weight off my mind, especially since all anyone in the department has been talking about is hiring freezes, lay-offs, and room closures because of the new budget. So I will keep looking for a job in a ward, as that is what I actually want to do, but this will be a nice filler until I find something. So all in all, a very exciting day!

Happy Birthday Laura

Dad and his Pally!!

Tuesday, April 02, 2013

Happy Birthday Will