This made me smile

These ski hat topped kiosks are all over downtown Montreal. Such a cheery sight on a cold windy day:

Hockey

I'm in Canada, its the Olympics, hockey is Canada's game (thats what Coca Cola, Michael J Fox and any person on the street will tell you), so I'm being sucked into the hockey fanatic machine. I'm learning about icing (not the kind that's on your cupcake), offsides (a little like in football but not really) power plays and boat horns (that's what the goal horn sounds like to me). At the moment I am watching the Canada Russia quarter final game (and with a score of 7-3 that boat horn has been sounding a lot) . And Canada is owning the game (after all its IS their game). and I admit...its pretty darn exciting...this really is a game especially made for those with ADD! so fast...half the time I don't even see the puck go in the goal (sometimes not even on the replay). I don't know what I'm going to do if Canada meets the US in the finals! But for now Go Team Canada!

Christmas Photos

The boys came over from Orlando for Christmas and we managed to get everyone together at the same time as we had a camera (and remembered we had a camera) for photos...even Sweetie and Luigi:

Outside The Fountains, Florida, December 26th 2009

In Montreal

Finally a moment to blog. These past few months have been so incredibly full of moving, finishing the house, moving again, selling our old house, the holidays, and more. I don't think i realized how weary i was until Jerry and I got to Montreal for this week's vacation. It is wonderful not to have to do anything of importance, no decisions to be made, no 7:30 meetings with one contractor or the other, no deliveries to receive. And its snowing, even more reason to read, blog, tweet, nap and eat by the fire.

Jerry is experimenting with crepes and pancakes these days. So today I got nutella/blueberry pancakes...yum...with good VanHoutte coffee. Next up...a bath while the Roomba does my vacuuming (poor thing is a little perplexed over the fringe on the oriental rugs!). Then back to the fire and Malcolm Gladwell's What the Dog Saw.

I've updated my travel blog and am working on getting up pictures on the house blog, so check it out:

www.thetravelingbaesels.blogspot.com and www.annettesspot.blogspot.com

A Fall Day in Manhattan with Friends

Fall is here which is my favorite time of year for visiting Manhattan. Fortunately, Peg and I had wrangled tickets to see A Steady Rain starring our favorite Hugh Jackman and Daniel Craig. So on a cool, breezy, gray day, 15 of us met in Manhattan for the play. Some of us enjoyed a great lunch (with our favorite waiter) at Above (in the Hilton on 42nd), drink at the Marriott Marquis, and a delicious dinner at Cara Mia on 9th St (just south of 45th). Here are some photos of a great day in the Big Apple:

Times Square

Cindy, Peg, Linda, and Terry

Caryl, Jackie, and Mo

Linda and Peg

Caryl and Marda at Cara Mia

Peg (below) on new steps in Times Square for Half Price Tixs

Happy News on Sweetie

Sweetie Wheatie (our 13 year old wheaten terrier) is back home after surgery to remove one of her adrenal gland and an "ovarian remnant" (read: part someone missed when she was spayed). Her adrenal gland had a tumor on it that was causing the gland to overproduce hormones in particular cortisol resulting in a condition called Cushings Disease.

The surgery was a success with no complication and a good prognosis expected. She needs to be on prednisone for the next 6 weeks as we gradually taper it down while her other adrenal gland wakes up to the fact its been a slacker the past couple of years and needs to step up and do the job.

So she has a shaved belly, is a little loopy from the pain meds, and luigi isn't sure he wouldn't have her still at the vets (little attention monger). But we are very happy that everything went so well. She is 13, after all. We're hoping this surgery will give her good quality of life and she enjoys her golden years.

You Might Live in Washington State (in the spirit of Jeff Foxworthy)

Jerry and I lived in Issaquah, Washington for 9 years. We loved it. Okay. I loved it in its entirety. Jerry loved everything but the rain and gray skies. Hence we moved to sunnier climes. But I still miss it. And when I get something like the following from an old Washington STate friends, i laugh and cry at the same time. Enjoy! If someone in a Home Depot store offers you assistance and they don't work there, you live in Washington. If you've worn shorts, sandals and a parka at the same time, you live in Washington If you've had a lengthy telephone conversation with someone who dialed the wrong number, you live in Washington If you measure distance in hours, you live in Washington . If you know several people who have hit a deer more than once, you live in Washington. If you have switched from 'heat' to 'A/C' and back again in the same day, you live in Washington. If you install security lights on your house and garage but leave both doors unlocked, you live in Washington If you can drive 75 mph through 2 feet of snow during a raging blizzard without flinching, you live in Central, Southern or Eastern Washington. If you design your kid's Halloween costume to fit over a 2 layers of clothes or under a raincoat, you live in Washington. If driving is better in the winter because the potholes are filled with snow and ice, you live in Washington. If you know all 4 seasons: almost winter, winter, still winter, and road construction, you live in Washington . If you feel guilty throwing aluminum cans or paper in the trash, you live in Washington. If you know more than 10 ways to order coffee, you live in Washington. If you know more people who own boats than air conditioners, you live in Washington. If you stand on a deserted corner in the rain waiting for the "Walk" signal, you live in Washington. If you consider that if it has no snow or has not recently erupted, it is not a real mountain, you live in Washington. If you can taste the difference between Starbucks, Seattle's Best, and Dutch Bros, you live in Washington. If you know the difference between Chinook, Coho and Sockeye salmon, you live in Washington. If you know how to pronounce Sequim, Puyallup, Abiqua, Issaquah, Oregon, Umpqua, Yakima and Willamette, you live in Washington. If you consider swimming an indoor sport, you live in Washington. If you can tell the difference between Japanese, Chinese and Thai food, you live in Washington. If you never go camping without waterproof matches and a poncho, you live in Washington. If you have actually used your mountain bike on a mountain, you live in Washington. If you think people who use umbrellas are either wimps or tourists, you live in Washington. If you buy new sunglasses every year, because you cannot find the old ones after such a long time of not needing them , you live in Washington. If you actually understand these jokes and forward them to all your Washington friends, you live or have lived in Washington.