Time flies...

I HAVE to share this good deal I got yesterday at Zellers.  It was Itty Bitty's birthday, and since he was coming for Sunday dinner, I decided to bake him a cake.  However, I had tossed out all of my gross, crusty, blackened bakeware, so it was time to replace it.  I had enough HBC points for a $10 gift certificate, and all of their Wilton bakeware was BOGO, and all Kitchen Aid skillets were $19.99.  The 12" skillet is reg $60, and the 10" is reg. $40.  The cookie sheets are reg. $18, and the round cake pan $12.  I got $160 worth of new stuff for my kitchen, once I used my SPC card (10% off) and the $10 gift card for $61.14!!!

And the cake I baked was delicious.  I sent the leftovers (only two pieces were cut from it) back to university residence with him.  I hear he had chocolate cake for breakfast.

This photo didn't turn out as good as I hoped.  I was back in Fergus last week, and this is the view of the Grand River from the staff kichen at the agency I was visiting.  You can't get a really good idea of how beautiful it is because of the sunny glare through the window panes.  Check out the window sill though - - that is how thick the stone walls are. 

I popped into the library tonight.  I had no idea Jennifer Chiaverini had a new book out.  Too bad I have homework tonight -- no reading for fun tonight!

Homework?  Yes - I'm taking a distance course.  It's called "People and Plagues".   It's an anthropology course, and I'm enjoying it so far.  I'm kinda freaked out about the amount of reading though - - FIVE TEXTBOOKS!!!  ARGH!!!

I went to The Royal City Quilt Guild last week.  Sandy Small Proudfoot was the speaker, and showed many of the quilts that are pictured on her website.  The ladies at guild were very friendly -  I must have had "the look" (I'm new here!  Talk to me!) because both ladies on either side of me struck up conversations with me.

Gibby Kitty is now living with me!  He loves Guelph too.  He's a purring maniac, and a big suck.  He doesn't want me to pay attention to anything but him.  I was texting Hubby on my BlackBerry this morning, and Gibby came and sat on my head so I couldn't see.  When I leave the apartment, he gives me a guilt trip.  Poor kitty has been traumatized.

I'm going to Elora tomorrow.  I hope the weather is better - - it's chilly and rainy today!

Can't think of a clever title Title

It's been a couple of weeks since I have last posted - and I should bring everyone (Happy Birthday MOM!) up to date.

• The Job

I love it.  It's hard, and confusing, and frustrating.  I get to use my intellect, and instinct, and creativity. This equals one fantastic career.  I'm starting to see some clients now that I've had a few weeks to learn a bit about the community and its resources.

• Guelph and Wellington County

I went to Fergus on Thursday.  I can't believe I've lived so close, and never visited before!  It's lovely!  The agency I visited is located in an old stone building, backing right up to the river.  The community outreach workers I was meeting with invited me into their staff kitchen, and I stopped short when I saw the view out the window of the river cutting through a stone gorge and surging over rocks.  It was breathtaking. I blurted out "You get to see this EVERYDAY!"  Stunning.  I'm going to be visiting again on this coming Monday - I'll try to take a photo. I can't imagine how beautiful it will be when the autumn leaves are in full colour.

The other day, an email went out to the office staff to find out who was going to attend the next meeting of some community group or other.  No one seemed too eager to go, and I replied to the email with something like "I'll go if there is butter tarts".  To make a long story short - I was shock and delighted to learn that Wellington County is home to the Butter Tart Trail!  Can you imagine combining the Butter Tart Trail with the Wellington County Brewery Tour?

• Hubby

Poor Hubby.  He's still home in St. T. trying to finish up some things around here.  The house is darn near empty.  If he wants to sit at a table to eat, it has to be outside.  If he wants to eat, he better get it elsewhere, because the BBQ is already in storage, and the only cooking implement he has is a frying pan.

• Gibson the Cat

Poor Gibby.  He's still home in St. T. trying to help Hubby cope with solitude.  Gibby was so happy to see me this weekend.  I gave him such a scratching and a petting this morning, he was drooling, and his paws were all wet.  Then I put him outside on his leash, and he ate as much grass as a small sheep.  He revelled in it.

• Itty Bitty

The baby is in residence at university.  We delivered him on Labour Day Monday, and he let me stay just long enough to make his bed up, and then said "You may go now".  WHAT?!?!?!  I wanted to unpack, and organize, and set things up just so for my little man!  (sigh) 

It's been "O" week for first year students, with a full schedule of events, presentations, and fun activities.  I stopped by last night on my way through SW Ontario, to deliver a mattress top from Ikea to improve the quality of rest (it seems rez mattresses have granite like qualities).  He reluctantly let me up to his room, which he shares with three other boys.  The door was wide open, and there was about ten boys in the room -- I reckon the "party room" of the 4th floor has been determined. I was actually pleasantly surprised to see that the room wasn't in too bad a condition (note: I've been permanently scarred by the not only the appearance but the SMELL of Sailor Boy's college residence: L'eau de squalour et beurre d'archides). For starters, garbage was INSIDE appropriate receptacles - huh, who'd a thunk it?

• Sailor Boy

Haven't heard much.  Last I heard, he sailed into the tail end of Hurricane Irene, and remains at sea until the 23rd, I think.  I happen to prefer to imagine him safe and sound in his old college residence, floating on top of squallid and peanut buttery ocean.

•  Quilting

I'm going to my first meeting of the Royal City Quilt Guild this Tuesday.  I've got to put my mind towards what I might take with me for Show & Share as a way to introduce myself.  I haven't started doing any sewing yet -- I've got my machines and fabric with me in Guelph, but I can't seem to find thread!  Must be in a box somewhere...

What the??? I just GOT here!!

This is the scene I witnessed outside last night.  I only went out to get some milk so I could have breakfast in the morning, I swear!

HA!  My entire block was shut down all day yesterday to film "Total Recall" scenes.  The remake is set to be released in August 2012.  Not my kind of movie, but I will have to see it, just to see if I recognize any of my neighbourhood in "post-apocolyptic England".

I had a great weekend. Hubby came to spend the weekend with me (he brought my sewing machine, and one of my totes of sewing stuff - so I can sew now!) and we were tourists.  On the itinerary:

• Dinner at Wimpy's Diner -- I've been smelling these ribs all week, and just waiting for the opportunity to try them!

Saturday:

• Guelph Farmer's Market
• breakfast at the Apollo 11 which is as "greasy spoon" as you can get, but hey - DH was tickled!
• yard saling - we found some great art for the bathroom, a brand new cutting board and knife block, a dish rack, a key rack, and a grater.  Driving around Guelph helped us get oriented to out new hometown
• off to Ikea!  I love Ikea, and it's only 25 minutes away now
• late lunch/early supper at McCabe's. I had a chicken fajita wrap -- so good!  DH had a roasted chicken pizza.

Sunday

• back to Ikea - I had gotten the wrong lids for my garbage bins, and hey...can you beat the $1 breakfast at Ikea?
• Aberfoyle Antiques Market - we'll be going back again and again - too much to see!
• lunch at The Red Papaya Thai & Grill -  DH had "drunken noodles" and I had pad thai.  This was his first Thai experience, and he liked it a lot!  Never too old to broaden one's horizons, eh?

I spent the afternoon doing laundry -- wow!  I'm not a fan of apartment building laundry rooms - hot & filthy! 

I still don't have phone, internet, or cable - and I'm not hooking any of these things up until hubby is moved here full time.  I can use my cell, I can listen to CBC radio instead of listening to TV (there's nothing on anyway), and I can use the internet down here at Coco Latte steps outside of my door, as I enjoy my morning java!

This morning I'm going to be attending Landlord and Tenant hearings.  In London, there is a entire floor of an office building dedicated full time to this.  But I guess (and I haven't had a chance to figure it all out yet) it's a sort of "circuit court" sort of situation here in Guelph, where the hearings are held at a Best Western hotel!  I'm in the wild frontier here maybe?  I'm sure I'll know more about it by lunch time today.

Heaven! I'm in heaven!

Mom - call Nanna and give her a report! 

My first night was rough, because I couldn't figure out how to turn on the A/C, and I HAD to open the windows.  It was pretty noisy (compared to what I'm used to) but settled down after midnight-ish.

My first day was terrific!  The ladies in the office took me out for lunch.  I had West African curry -- never had curry before, and it was good (but put me in a sweat, and made my nose run all afternoon).  In the afternoon, I attended a community meeting and "worked the room" shaking hands, introducing myself, passing around business cards.

In the evening, I visited the local quilt shop: The Greenwood Quiltery.  I didn't buy anything...just shopped with my eyes.

Today, I got a little better oriented to the office, and spent most of the day researching community resources and booking appts. to tour agencies in the county.  My schedule is quickly filling up, and it looks like I won't be spending too much time in the office over the next three weeks.

Tonight I stopped by the local Bibles For Missions Thrift Store.  It's wonderful!  Again, only shopped with my eyes, but I'll go back another time.  In the same plaza was Lens Mills, where I looked at the fabric (not as much as in London) and bought a quilting magazine.  Oh oh!  this means trouble!

Now, I'm sitting in the coffee shop down stairs from my apartment, enjoying a little 'net and a cup of tea.  I'm going to try doing laundry tonight. 

Know what the best part of today was?  Being close enough to "home" to come home for lunch, unpacking four boxes, having a relatively healthy lunch and listening to the CBC radio.  Now that's what I call a LUNCH BREAK! 

I'd tell you more, but I forgot my laptop power cord in St. T. and my battery is just about dead!

It's gotta be bedtime

I'm absolutely exhausted!  Today was moving day, and by 12 o'clock this afternoon, we had loaded the truck, driven to Guelph, unloaded, and sent Hubby and Itty Bitty back home.  I'm going to unpack slowly -- the essentials are out, and I will be bright eyed and busy tailed for my first day of work tomorrow.

I have discovered that I forgot a bunch of stuff at the house, and will need to "rough it" until the weekend.  The worst part is the cold shower I'm going to have in the morning, because the gas won't be turned on until tomorrow afternoon. ACK!

I've already been to the public library, got my card, and borrowed a couple of novels, so I have something to keep my company. It's only a block from my apartment!

Tomorrow: MOVING DAY!

It is pouring rain out there -- but somehow, we managed to get the rented U-haul loaded in between the drops.

I'm just fiddling around, finishing up some laundry, putting together a box of the "essentials" (so if things don't go optimally tomorrow, at least I can still turn up in a presentable state for my first day of work Tuesday morning) and simmering down into a more relaxed mode so I can actually get some sleep tonight!

The Help

I just finished reading "The Help" by Kathryn Stockett.  WOW!

Now I can't wait to see the movie.