a relaxing weekend!

22 weeks!

What a relaxing weeekend! I don't feel like I did much to deserve it... but whatever. I left the house but once on Friday - wait, no, twice - and spent most of it lounging, reading, scrapbooking, organizing, and really just being lazy. The order of business for Saturday was to finally tackle the to-do list that has been around for weeks and get my haircut and get an Ottawa cell number. I had success with the first, but not with the second. Because we're so in and out and all over the place, I'm trying to find a provider that I don't have to sign a contract with, and the the best deal I've found so far is with newcomer Wind Mobile. However, my old phone won't work with their new network - on one hand, this is welcome news; my current phone is a total piecer... but, on the other hand, I'm not super enthused about paying $450 for a new, fancy, smartphone. Cell phone schmell phone... I'll figure it out.

Yesterday morning may have been the culmination of the relaxing weekend - we went to Le Spa Nordik, and spent almost three hours bathing, lounging, chatting and relaxing. I am a bit limited in my prego-state and can't go in all of the hot pools and steam and sauna rooms, but managed in the one warm jet-tubby pool and by the fire and in the lounge chairs out in the sun just fine. And then, after a quick round of Ikea, we went to my aunt Zella's (no pics there, wooooops) for a BBQ dinner. She made an amazing couscous salad (recipe below), and we brought some deli sausages and chicken for the grill. It all came together perfectly, and after a slice of strawberry-rhubarb pie from Costco, we waddled out to the car and home.

There isn't much news on the prego-front, but the little guy - is it from the food or the lounging? - has been moving around quite a bit these last few days, and it's sooooo amazing. With the bigger kicks and elbows and moving parts I can sometimes see and not just feel the poke out, and yup, that's pretty amazing too. I had a doctor's appointment last week, and everything is so far so good, so hopefully things will continue that way. We were looking at baby things at Ikea yesterday, and are starting to think about what we need for the room, and about tackling that to-do list. Where the baby will sleep is also the second bedroom and the office, and home to some uggggggly curtains... so some changes need to be made. Okay, and with that I'd better go and get something done - I leave for practice soon and... there's always a list. I leave you with a recipe and some links!

Couscous Salad

2/3 cup dried currants/cranberries (soak in hot water for 15 minutes, drain)
3 tbsp butter
1/8 tsp powdered saffron (not sure if that was included)
1 1/2 cups chicken stock
1 1/2 cups couscous
1 1/2 cups celery, finely diced
1/3 cup scallions, thinly sliced
1/3 cup pine nuts, toasted lightly
1/3 cup fresh parsley, minced
Dressing:
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
1/4 tsp cinnamon
1/2 cup olive oil
salt and pepper

Melt butter with saffron, stirring constantly; add stock, bring to a boil. Add couscous - once cooked and fluffed, transfer to a big bowl and add the rest of the ingredients. Dress, salt and pepper and enjoy!

The images above and below are from a project called Unlimited Urban Woods, a public art project in Holland... the view below can be seen in the box above - check out the article here...


I want to live in a bookshelf! A bookshelf apartment? Okay, it's just an art exhibit... but I like the idea...

Thursday again, already!?

And another week has flown by. Is this a summer thing, the speedy speedy time? Hmmm... maybe, maybe not. We're often so busy in June, July and August, being home and back in Canada, doing volleyball things and coaching things that before we know it, it's time to head back to a faraway land. But then again, it doesn't seem like NINE years ago that Steve and I started dating. Now that seems like a long time ago... nine years? Eeeeek.

Region Six at the RTTC last week

So, life has been good. I've been a little tired lately, but I can't say if it's from the 8 hour (plus) days in the gym or the pregnancy... maybe both? The team that I'm coaching (Region Six vball, bound for the Ontario Summer Games in a few weeks) spent four days at Humber College last week, immersed in gym and volleyland. It may have been a bit tiring for the coaches (I'm hoping it wasn't just me) and the girls, but it was a great learning experience for all. The team is now back in Ottawa and practicing Monday through Thursday, with two sessions almost every day. And it's so far so good - everyone seems to be enjoying themselves and getting better, so we're on the right track (I think). Even though it was a long time ago, I remember being where they are now - U15/U16 and training with a new group in a new place at a new level - and I remember loving it. There are two things that I remember most about that summer, training and playing at the 1992 BC Summer Games. The first is meeting my best friend, Lindsay - Lindsay Boyonnaise. Linds was named the team's alternate, and our coach decided that even though we were allowed just 12 players at the tournament, she'd bring her anyways. At accreditation, it was clear that we had too many; 13? No, 12 per team. On the spot, Nora gave her a new last name (Boyonnaise - !?) and announced that she was our team physiotherapist... and that was that, she was in. The other thing that stands out is what I learned from our assistant coach, John McGowan. Looking back, I don't think he was the most amazing technical coach, but the lessons that I learned from him about attitude were huge. And it's funny, now, being on the coaching side of things, and thinking about lessons like the ones I learned from him. There are lots of girls with talent on this team, but the right attitude is missing in many; the will to work, the look that says I want to get better I will get better... isn't always there. But, it's a great group of girls, and there's a lot of potential; like everything else, attitude is something that can always be worked on, and that's what the coaches are there for - to work and facilitate, and help athletes improve.

At last! Bump pics (or pic). We've been a bit busy, so I haven't been logging the growing bump as much as I would have liked. I'm 21 weeks and four days today, so there's still some time for bump logging and prego-blogging. However, I must be aware - time will be up before we know it!

At 21 weeks

a quick one!

playing washers... in style

Eeeeep, this blog has been through the desert - a week sans blog? That's a dry spell. This has to be short and sweet though... I have 10 minutes! I have to start with this past weekend because it was soooo so so amazing, and I promise to post pics as soon as I get some from Marg and Pam - we neglected to bring a camera to the family weekend get-together at the cottage on the Crowe. Steve and I left Ottawa on Thursday night and joined Bob and Marg, Aunt and Unc, Paul and Steph, and Colleen, Rod, Kai and Nyla at the Brinkman/Tukker place on the meandering and warm watered Crowe River. We swam, relaxed, played games, did puzzles, read, swam, relaxed, ATE, roasted s'mores, and on Saturday, ooooooh, there was a campfire, a coup (Pam Crocker for president!) and a fabulous fireworks show put on by Bob Crocker. It was a weekend of perfection. The water was sooo warm, the weather was great, and the meals, as always, were amazing (egg mcmuffins, waffles, pancakes, fruit, yogurt, cereal for breakfast, baked goods - brownies, cookies, cakes, shortbread - throughout the day, BBQ, perogies and a Greek feast for dinner... and more...). We watched soccer on Sunday, and even though we wore orange and drank Heineken and ate croquettes, the Dutchies couldn't pull it off. The mood was downer for maybe four minutes, and then the whole lot of us decided to pile into the river with jumps, cannonballs (from the men) and twists and twirls (from Nyla). The Tukkers organized a small Happy Retirement party for Bob, complete with sparkly sign, balloons, decorations, a gift basket, and an almost life-sized cutout of Austin Powers... yeah! So it was a great weekend. We were back to Ottawa on Monday, and I started practice (as a coach, with a regional team) later that day. All is well so far, and I'm at Humber College with the team until Saturday. SO! That's it for now - my time is up, the bell is ringing and I must go - forgive any spelling mistakes... and pics are soon to come!

Kai and Nyla, with birthday goodies (tutu and soccer ball)... so cute!

this looks like mid-twirl - nice moves Nyla!

around the campfire, roasting s'mores ... yum!

some serious Dutch soccer fans!

Steph, Pam, Steve and I on the porch

breakfast time and everyone in the kitchen!

news!

There has been so much going on in these past few days, and all of it has been good good good! The list: Steve came home from Australia, we celebrated our first anniversary, (with cake (very, very yummy cake) and beautiful flowers - they arrived before my hubby did, on Sunday afternoon!), Steve's sister and her husband celebrated their second anniversary, Steve's dad had his last day of work on Monday and is now retired (!!), and... we had our fourth ultrasound, the big-news, 20-week deal. It was amazing, so so so amazing, to see everything in such detail: the four chambers of the heart, the hands and feet and fingers and toes, the spine and the facial features... we were completely and totally captivated. Of course, the best part was hearing that everything looked as it should, and that the little one is healthy. The second best part happened at the very end, after the technician had switched off the machine; we both asked, expectantly, "aaaaand, is it a boy or a girl?" She turned the machine back on and showed us... and it's a boy! We're having a boy!! Eeeeee so exciting. I immediately teared up with happiness... SO! That's the biggest news of all, at least for us. We don't have names, and when we do come up with some potentials, we're not going to share; we're not going to do the pre-naming thing but instead, wait and see. So... yup. Big news!

19 weeks... the belly is beginning!

the little guy! so amazing...

It has been ridiculously hot here... too hot. I think today's temp is something like 34, but with the humidity it feels like 44? No more outside workouts for me... ugh. I went for a walk on Monday morning and thought my sunglasses were going to melt - I was actually tempted to call Steve and have him pick me up half way. I didn't, but downed every drop of water that I had and vowed to never exercise-walk again in such heat, especially while pregnant. I'll stick to the pool, the gym and our apartment thank you very much. Ummmm, okay. The recipe for the cake, which is delicious...

2/3 cup butter
2 cups sugar
2 eggs
2 tsp vanilla
4 cups flour
2 tbsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
2 cups milk

I baked it up in two 9-inch round pans - 350 degrees for approx. 40 minutes. My mom makes this recipe as Raspberry Cake: bake half of the recipe with a layer of raspberries on top... when it comes out of the oven, drizzle with a thin layer of runny icing - it will melt into the berries and cake... mmmmm, also super delicious!

happy first anniversary! after a yummy lunch on July 5th.....

yummy cake, at last!

a year ago today...

A year ago today was the best part of the best week of my life... the day I married the love of my life... amazing! Since Tuesday, I've been thinking about what we were doing at this time last year; seeing people, picking up friends, the fabulous meals, the weather, the parties - at Overbury and at my parents' place, and more and more. It was such a perfect week, and I love that it was a week, not just one day or even two - things got going on Tuesday and Wednesday. Meals at the pub, on the deck (fitting 15 people? or more? around my dad's enormous table was a highlight for all who were there), quiet coffee in the morning, loud drinks at night, seeing people from near and far... it was all just so perfect, and I love that I have these memories and that we had that time with the important people in our lives. And then the day, the dress, the ceremony... and the photos, food and fete; was this pure happiness? I think so, I think maybe. It was amazing... and it brings such a huge smile to my face. So, thank you to all who came, to all who shared, to all who made it happen, and of course, to Steve for making that day and the past year truly the best!

o canada...

Canada! What a birthday. I made my way up to Parliament Hill (along with the rest of Ottawa) to see and experience the festivities. I've been there before on July 1st, but never, of course, when the Queen has also been atop the mount, and it was crrrrazy! As the clock neared noon, more and more people packed the streets, and it was a bit of a challenge finding a spot that allowed for two ounces of personal space and an inch of a view; there were a few jumbo screens way up at the stage, but even with those, I'm not sure how people under six feet tall saw anything at all. Kids perched atop shoulders and people stood on benches and flower pots to get a better look at the Mounties and the marching band and the bagpipers that preceded the Queen's carriage. And then there she was, in her red outfit and white hat, being helped down from her seat in front of a tightly-packed, enthusiastic and reverent crowd. She made her way up the red carpet to the stage area and then the entertainment began. I was planning on staying around to hear her speak, but, by band #5, couldn't take it anymore. It was hot, my knees were sore AND the music was getting baaaaad.... in-yo-face french rap? Um, no thanks. It was a bit of a challenge getting out of there, but with time and patience, I managed. The rest of the day was good - I hung out with my aunt and then we had dinner at a neighbor's house - a neighbor of my Grandma and Grandpa's, that is; they've passed on, but Joyce still lives next door. However, the house that once was is no longer (the house that belonged to my grandparents). It's sad, especially because the monstrosity that has replaced their charming home is ugly, enormous and completely out of synch with the feel of the neighborhood. I will take pictures, and post the before and after. It's horrible.

Anyways, onwards. My bump is growing! I don't notice anything day to day really, but the clothes are starting to fit a little differently and maybe soon it will be obvious. Steve gets back on Sunday night (our anniversary!), and then on Monday we go together for the 20-week ultrasound... exciting! Fingers crossed that all is well. I still haven't felt any movement that I can clearly distinguish as baby-movement, but I know that it's coming soon. The self-portraits just aren't working right now, so I'll get Steve to take some pics when he's back... can't wait!

an extended weekend

What an amazing, computer-free, food-full weekend! And by weekend, I mean Thursday through Sunday... it was extended, and it was amazing. Steve took off for Australia last Monday (not amazing), and left me here all alone wondering what to do and where to go. Okay, actually, I wasn't left wondering what to do - there is a list, and then another list and another - just who to do things with; as of yet, my social life is a little, uhmmmm, lacking here in Gatineau. I considered a trip to Denver or Vancouver, but was/am airplaned out; we've been traveling and visiting so much since we've been back, and I just feel like settling down a little bit and staying at home. But, I didn't want to be alone for two weeks in Gatineau, soooo... I took Dan and Milka up on the offer of tagging along to Niagara Falls for the weekend. With the G20 in town, they wanted out of Toronto, and it was the perfect amount of time for me to get out of here and travel a little, but not too much.

Darko, Vic, G-ma, Dan and Milka, after one of the many fabulous meals

I drove into Bowmanville on Wednesday, and then after some debate - drive into Toronto? or Go Train? - decided to drive. Despite the heavy traffic warnings, the 401 was deserted on Thursday afternoon, and I had no problem whatsoever getting into town. I don't recall seeing any cops, or many people... it really was like a ghost town - kinda creepy I must say. It was also smooth sailing to Niagara Falls, and we arrived at Milka's mom's place in almost record time. Milka's mom Gordana (G-ma) is awesome, and spoiled us rotten all weekend long. She showed me pictures, told us stories, gave us advice, told us about pregnancy and what this means when this or that happens, why and how our men will change with a baby in the picture, and much more. In a way I wish that it was all recorded, so I could just press play and hear it all over again... oooh, and do the same with the food, but for real. We were SUPER spoiled with the food - breakfast every morning (rice pudding, crepes, vanilla'd cream of wheat), snacks all day (ruska salata, bread, meats, cheese, fresh figs, strawberries, blueberries, raspberries, apples and bananas) and dinners (barbeque, salads, rice pilaf, salads). "Eat, eat! the baby is hungry, eat for two," she'd say, and away we'd all go. We relaxed on the couch and in the garden, reading, chatting and watching soccer, the news and old cartoons on TV. We walked down to the Falls and through the casino, bought lottery tickets, and visited Milka's brother and his wife in St Catharine's. It was one of those perfectly paced weekends, with the right balance of laziness, activity and food that leaves you feeling perfectly content. On our way back into the city on Sunday, we lunched in Niagara on the Lake, and topped it all off with ice cream and a stroll before making our way into Toronto.


With all of the ridiculous protests - wait, it wasn't the protests, it was the thug-vandal destruction so let me rephrase; with all of the vandalism and destruction, we were curious about what the mood in the city would be like when we rolled in. We didn't see any hooligans or troublemakers in between the Gardiner and Dan and Milka's beautiful little home, but we did see amoebas of police, some small some large, some lunching some lounging, some standing, some sitting. I suppose that police were stationed all across the city, and that they were on high alert for vandal-destructos, terrorists and protester-mobs, but the cops that we saw looked quite bored. Maybe they were in the thick of things on Saturday, and had earned an easy post... hm. I say better safe than sorry, even though the $1 billion security price tag seems a bit ridiculous.

Anyways... so the weekend was wonderful. I was back in Bowmanville on Sunday night, and had some more good relax time chez Bob and Marg, sitting around, reading the paper and playing games. And then today it was back to the Gat, but via Gananoque, where I stopped and had lunch with my most elderly friend, Helen. She's in her 90s, and I'll have to blog about her another time; she is an amazing woman and has done some amazing things in her life. She had no trouble getting in and out of the large Expedition, and we drove down the street for the $6.95 soup and salad lunch combo at Bravo's: beef and veggie soup and BLTs, yum.

To finish: after a weekend of eating eating eating eating, I have a bump. From the food? Maybe, but maybe not. I'm 18 weeks, and the bump has definitely arrived... !!

birthday and cake!

Wow, am I ever spoiled. It was my 32nd birthday on Saturday, and I'm still getting gifts! EEeeee! Opening packages (and mail of any sort, except for bills) is exciting, and I had a small molehill of parcels to open - there were gifts from near and far, and they were all fabulous: books, jewelry, shirts, bag, water bottle.... love it all! So, I'm spoiled. On Saturday morning while Steve got the job done in the gym, I roamed around the market and bought a bunch of delicious goodies from an Italian deli which set us up to have pretty much the best sandwiches ever: fresh Italian buns (big ones), fresh mozz, ham, salami, pepperoni, tomatoes... it was amazing! The picture, I think, speaks for itself.



And then, the cake. I tried a new recipe ("the perfect party cake") from a food blog, Honey & Jam; it looks amazing (if you check out the link, the photography is quite flattering) but hmm... maybe it was our doing, but the cake was a bit of a let down. We came home on Friday night from a dip/wade in Meech Lake and late-night baked, cooled and wrapped the cakes, and then Saturday we iced them (we followed another new recipe: I couldn't bring myself to make the suggested buttercream frosting which called for ooooh only 1 1/2 cups of butter). I was SO excited about cake, about eating cake... but whatever. It was dry, the frosting was sticky and marshmallowy - it is not a repeater. However, Steve, being the nicest best husband ever, brought me home mini two-bite sugar bomb cupcakes from IGA, and they made me forget alllll about the ick trial cake. The cake, the cupcakes AND the Sunday morning pancake all combined to cake-tide me over for two weeks until we can have cake again, on our anniversary. Sadly (but not that sadly), we don't have any actual wedding cake to eat (which isn't much of a surprise, considering that neither of us ate ANY of our wedding cake almost a year ago), but happily, we have a kitchen full of pans, bowls, spatulas and mixers that will assist me in whipping up something delicious, something tried and true. Yes, I already have something in mind, and yes I will post the recipe.

We went out for afternoon patio drinks on Sunday, and then to Sweetgrass Bistro for my birthday dins... it was delicious! I must point out the moustache on the man in this picture though - by FAR one of the most interesting bunches of facial hair I've ever seen!

Dinner...

... and dessert! YUM!

The weather here has been amazing - gorgeous, sunny, warm... so I'm going to get outside before I have to be back inside for a rendez-vous. Here is some food for thought that one of my Tokyo running friends passed on this morning; must we apply the same wisdom to our eating patterns? And, where does cake fit in?

"You should exercise unrelenting discipline over your thought patterns.
Cultivate only productive attitudes...you are the product of everything
you put into your body and mind" -I Ching

poulet and piscines

I'm going to go ahead and say that chicken is not the first thing that I want to smell when I wake up. Oh, and that I don't love smelling the chicken aroma for 14 hours straight. There's no doubt about it that I'll be glad that we threw the roast chicken remains (carcus - ugh) in the slow cooker overnight when I'm eating the stock in some sort of delicious meal, but for now, when I'd rather be smelling bakery smells or summer smells or fresh air, it's a bit much.

The auctioneer in action

We ran errands like crazies this weekend and still have a list. And, on the very top of that list is (for me at least) to get bikes! We gave it a good try on Saturday at the Gatineau police auction, where there were over 200 velos for sale... some decent, some baaaaaad. Apparently we could have gone on Friday to size up the stuff and see if it would fit us tall folk, but we didn't. And so we sat for a few hours (or four?) with a crowd of eager bidders and came home empty handed. There were bikes that went for $160 and bikes that went for $2; there was also a whole lot of junk auctioned off, and it amazed me that people actually bid on and bought backpacks full of random, junky tools, and bags of socks and underwear... hmm. We took a break and had brunch at Cora's (yum), and then after another round or two of bikes, got on with it. The new sport centre had an open house in the afternoon, so from ice-rink-auction to sportsplex we went, and while Steve saw the physio guy, I toured the premises. AND, the best thing about the entire complex (besides the great training facility for the team) is the brand new, beautiful 50-meter pool, and the fact that it opens next Monday! Eeeeeee! It's a 5-minute bike ride from our place, and a 15-minute-ish walk - soooo close! I've been driving to a pool in Aylmer, 20 minutes away, so I'm really excited for this close-to-home piscine to open. And, with my Access Gatineau card, it's free! FREE! Can't wait.

The gymnase...

Underwater hockey?

The pool! And Steve. :)

And it was a month on Sunday that we left Japan - it's only been one month... crazy. We've been all over the place - Vancouver, Bowmanville, Toronto, Gatineau, Toronto, Gatineau - and I'm ready to stay here, at home, for a while. There are things that we still find ourselves talking about and thinking, as far as differences go - bike, walk, transit vs car culture, sensory overload vs. sensory underload, clean streets vs litter here and there and there... those are the big ones. People stare here too, but they also say hello, which is nice. Okay, the slow cooker is beeping and I'm going to put a stop this chicken smell already - can I put it outside on the balcony to cool? Will that dispel the soupy aroma? Leftover chicken for lunch, no merci.... I need a break.

ohhhh food!

With Marg...

... and Bob, in Bowmanville before we left last Sunday

There are some days that I think I may be starting to show with this pregnancy, and others where I realize that I am not. When I go to bed with a bump and wake up without a bump, the only possible conclusion is this: the bump is caused by la bouffe (ie EATING), and compounded by a lack of exercise. Hmmm, woops. I suppose it's better than being huge and having everyone ask how many multiples I'm having... right? That is something that is, in fact, happening to a friend. It - the bump - will come, and when it does I will longingly remember these bump-free times... right? We'll see. Some progress has been made on the doctor front - after asking friends and family for help in the doctor search, I finally decided to hit up the University of Ottawa health clinic and get a referral. And, finit. I have an appointment next week with an obstetrician, and another for my 18 week ultrasound at 19 weeks. So, we're getting somewhere. I have yet to find a GP, but the search continues - I'll ask next week at my appointment.

I finally uncovered the camera cords, so it's picture time. I've got to get back on the camera bandwagon, and document our time here - it's beautiful, and I'm so happy that we're close to lakes and nature, and that there are bike paths and running trails, and libraries and free swims and new places to explore. I'm still working at getting things crossed off the long to-do list, but have found time to make more bread, make cookies and test out the slow-cooker. Hmm... do these priorities explain the tummy protrusion? I think so.

Quiche (spinach, cheese, salmon), homemade bread, tomatoes.... yum...

No bump

The slow-cooker on the go... preparing tonight's supper

Chocolate Toffee Almond Cookies... eeeeeeep!

still...

Well we sure did log some miles this weekend: Ottawa-Toronto-Waterloo-Toronto-Ottawa. And most of those, at least for me, were started early early (too early) in the morning. We made for the big city this weekend because I signed up to take a coaching course on Saturday BUT had to make it back to Ottawa for a volleyball tryout on Sunday - ouf! But I wasn't complaining - this was all done of my own volition. The course was great - not too long, good people, interesting things to talk about... and then the tryout on Sunday was great too. I'm totally new on the vball scene in Ontario and Ottawa, so I'm excited to get involved and meet people and coach a team this summer. This is the first summer in a looong time (maybe eight years?) that I won't be coaching camps, and it will be good to not be flying/driving all over the place all the time. The tryouts were for the Ontario Summer Games team, and I'm excited about being involved as a coach - back in 1994 it was my first big vball tourney as an eager 15 year-old, and I remember it well. Also, my very best friend was on that team - best friend then and best friend now... so hopefully some of these girls can create and share some of the same memories.

So we are (still) settling in - there are unpacked boxes and bare walls and crowded counters here, there and everywhere around the house. (I should get to that.) I did get to the library yesterday and got myself an Access Gatineau card - a library card and recreation services card in one. Get this: for $20 a year, I get unlimited access to a bunch of different recreational activities - swimming, badminton, basketball, tennis, canoe rentals on local lakes, and more. Crazy! Have I got my priorities straight or what... Clear off crowded bathroom counter? Unpack printer and office stuff? Nah. Get library card? Sure. I'm going to go check out the closest pool that has daytime swimming (a 20 minute drive, boo) and then... umm, I'll get to that around-the-house stuff, I swear. I should also unpack our camera, as these bare, no-photo posts are a bit dry, n'est pas? Anyways, even though there are still lists of things to do, and still settle-in stuff that needs to get done, this place is starting to feel a bit more like home... I like it!

start with unpacking, end with food

Ugh, unpacking. We are no longer in Ontario but finally, after (almost) three weeks, in our apartment, our home, in Gatineau, Quebec. We arrived Sunday night and have been unpacking bags, boxes, giant tupperwares and wedding gifts ever since. Now, the M.O. is to organize and settle in: we've been to Costco, Walmart and Ikea with lists for everything from kitchenware (cutting boards, sponge holder, canisters) to bathroom stuff to normal household things (tide pen (spilled red sauce on my new favourite shirt last night), tin foil, saran wrap, food, etc. At Ikea today we looked at bedroom furniture (we need new stuff), and bought a desk and a chair for a total of $150... not bad. I'm feeling better now, but definitely had some jammers throughout the week: I'm sick of packing and unpacking all the time and feel (sometimes) that with all of this stuff that we have to cart around and deal with I'd rather just live in a tent in the woods (sometimes); I haven't found a doctor here, so I was a bit stressed about that (solution: go to UOttawa clinic tomorrow morning) and lastly, I miss my friends and wish that I'd had more time with people in Vancouver.

So, a funny thing: my default language is still set to Japanese. In the grocery store yesterday I sort of bumped into someone and she said something in french and I said "sumimasen" - wrong language there missy. The french thing is so far so good, and I'd say that I understand around 60% of what people say and I know for SURE that I'd understand more if I could either speed up my listening comprehension or have everyone talk half as fast. Hmmm... the solution there, I believe, is to study, which I plan to do. Unpacked wedding gifts: we are using our toaster on a regular basis and yesterday, I baked bread in our fabulous new bread maker! YUM! Thank you Tukker family. After ploughing through a few loaves of Savary Island's delicious soda bread in West Van, we decided that WE will experiment with a few soda bread recipes... and of course with many of the other deliciously named recettes (cinnamon swirl bread and pesto focaccia loaf coming right up). I've also been making my way through a cookbook that Carla, Chris and Layne gave us, The Flavours of Canada: A Celebration of the Finest Regional Foods. There are lots of informative little blurbs about regional and provincial ingredients, chefs, inns and hotels, noted restaurants and restauranteurs, food get-togethers, celebrations, festivals and more. It is a great book - something to get out of the library and peruse, or perfect as a gift to any foodie. Speaking of food, it's time to get supper on the go - we've got to get our new kitchen warmed up! Food... yum.

heading east...

And we are back in our homeland of Ontario! I suppose it's the homeland - I was born here and my parents were born and raised here. However, I have to say that with family and friends and the mountains and the sea and the seawalls and walks (and being okay with rainy days), BC is the homeland too, at least for me. Anyways, homeland schmomeland; after a great visit with friends and family in the west, we are doing the same in the east. It was a bit sad leaving Vancouver - it was so great to spend time with some of our favourite people, and the 10 days went by sooo fast... but of course we will be back. I feel like I'm always saying that. One thing that we haven't missed (yet) is the weather that was chilling the lower mainland - it was cold when we left Vancouver and it has been HOT here... hot hot hot. Yesterday's temps were record breaking, and Toronto lows are higher than Vancouver highs for the next few days. Sure, maybe it's been a bit too hot BUT I'm not one to complain - flying over the prairies we saw snow on the ground, and according to the Toronto Star, there's supposed to be a high of seven in Calgary today - ugh. Did we make our move at the right time? Perhaps.

So, all has been well besides one too many visits to the dentist and the onset of pregnant-brain. Yup, folks, there you have it... I'm pregnant! I wanted to write a lament about not being able to eat real-deal sushi (Japanese) or drink deliciously dry Japanese beer (Asahi), but alas, that blog was never born. So, here you have it... news is news, and pregnancy brain has hit. As an aside, I just googled 'pregnancy brain' to see if this was an acknowledged thing, and some say it is and some say it isn't. Men are Better Than Women and Wise Geek had some, ummmm, interesting things to say (3rd and 1st in search results - actually), and while BBC says it's a myth, there seems to be a lot of support for the reality theory (perhaps by pregnant women and their spouses and friends, as opposed to lab-coated scientists). In any case, after driving into Oshawa on Wednesday to get a new driver's license, I was told NO not possible by an indifferent overweight blond woman with facial piercings - not without a passport or birth certificate; my wallet full of valid ID was not good enough. My second annoyance came at the pool yesterday: after 30 minutes of swimming I was kicked out by a lifeguard and 20 aqua-fitness aerobicizers, and told that I wasn't even allowed to stay in the pool to stretch... OUT! I would have really appreciated it if the front desk lady had told me that I was paying six dollars for half an hour of pool time. I would also like to be able to tell the difference between AM and PM. ANYWAYS! That's that. As far as the dentist goes, I've been three times in the past 8 days: for a cleaning, for a temporary filling, and then, after the temporary filling fell out/disappeared 24 hours later, I had the hole in my tooth permanently filled - this morning. Ugh... I hate going to the dentist!

I didn't hate going to this doctor - my doc in Tokyo was great - Dr Morita!

SO! Besides the bebe news (due at the end of November) and my filling, not too much is new. We've been visiting with family and friends out here, and are getting ourselves ready for another move - the final one! - back to Gatineau. It will be nice to settle in, unpack (finally) and feel at home after a few weeks on the road and seven months overseas. Also on the agenda is planning the summer; usually, by this time my schedule is full of camps, coaching, weddings and plans for visits and trips, but so far I only have a few things planned. I'm going to coach some vball in Ottawa, and we want to spend some time up at the Brinkman/Tukker cottage on the Crowe; I also want to make it to Denver to visit sisters and friends, and of course plans are in the works to make it back out to Vancouver and Thetis. It feels a bit funny, not having a full timetable... but, people keep telling us that with a babe on the way, we should be sleeping in and enjoying our free time. Can I make that a priority for the summer? I think I just did. Steve's schedule looks pretty full with national team stuff - a trip to Australia, a series in Ontario somewhere (I think) against Cuba, and World Championships this fall in Italy. With his busy schedule and mine sure to fill up, I think we can agree on a few priorities for the summer: volleyball, family, friends, fishing and cottage time. Let's just hope the weather is good, that we enjoy our sleep while we can, and that the babe keeps growing - stay healthy and strong little one!

soon, on the move again

The jet-lag is on its way out and (sigh) so are we. I have no pictures to show for our week in Vancouver, but it has been great. Are we sad to leave? Yes and no. There's never really enough time for catching up when you're visiting, especially with just one or two nights to visit with everyone - most of my friends and (half of my) family live here. Of course we'll be back, we just don't know when. There have been dinners and picnic lunches, brunches and walks, beers and pub drinks, seawall runs and rec center swims, coffee shop visits, easy afternoons and cupboard cleanouts and more and more. It has been a busy week, but a relaxing one as well - I don't feel like we've been all over the place trying to fit it all in.

The cupboard cleanouts: I have been all over the house trying to round up my scattered, stored things and evaluate. My mom has been asking me to go through my stuff (and has been doing so for years, eep) - a bag of sweaters, a trunk of clothes, an overflowing shelf of books and papers - and make some decisions: keep it or PITCH it (be ruthless! I hear her say). And so, finally, I did. I tried on old jeans and too-small, too-short sweaters that prompted comments from Claire "was that just the style? short small things?" and Steve "you've had those forever... you wore those when I met you" and some short ones from me "ugh... ew." Getting rid of clothes was a breeze, and surprisingly enough, it wasn't too difficult weeding out the books that I didn't want to keep. It was fun going through papers and photos - I filled a few recycling bags, but also found some gems, never to be thrown out. I didn't read all of the keepers, but there are quite a few letters that I received when I was little that I've saved. My two favourites are these. When I was seven, I wrote a letter to Mr Christie with a suggestion for a new cookie (Turtle Cookies), and even though he didn't write me back (I thought I was writing a real person) I did get a response. I still have the letter; it's dated April 17, 1986, and the two coupons for free cookies that were included are long gone. I remember going down to Stong's and cashing them in for Soft and Chewy Chocolate Chip cookies. So, that's the one. The other is a letter from my Grandpa, dated April 27/82, written on a typewriter:

Dear Heather

Grandma and I enjoyed your letter sent to us last week. We hope that there will be more letters when your writing improves. Paul saw your letter and he made the remarks that it had rain stains on it as it came from Vancouver.

Here the weather is bright and clear. But it is still too cold for comfort. The furnace is still going strong. The snow is now all gone however.. Aunt Ena is here and will be staying with us for a few days. Grandma was at the Granite yesterday and won a beautiful plant at a luncheon. Our Easter Lily has just completed its show in the living room.

It was good to talk with you and your Mother on the phone on Sunday last at Jane's house. You are like your Mother, very good on the phone. Write to us again soon. Give Sarah, your Dad and Mom our very best Wishes.

Grampa Gar.

I was four, and my parents were in their early 30s. Do people write letters anymore? If not, do people keep emails from early times? I have a few folders in my inbox with some oldies... but somehow, it's not the same.

Anyways, so it has been great being here, but I'm looking forward to unpacking my bags. For the last week I've been living out of one bag - the other is bursting at the seams and packed full, and I have no motivation to dig for things that I think lay somewhere under the surface of shoes and miscellany. With the last day on the horizon, though, I shouldn't be thinking about unpacking - I should be getting myself together and out the door. It's not raining, but it is bright and clear... perfect for a last day in Vancouver.

jet-lag blues

Boooo jet lag! Yes we're back and yes we are jet-lagged... up at 4 or 5am after six hours of sleep. Perhaps this is preparing us for something? Or perhaps not. Anyways, it's been - and still is - a struggle to get through the day without hitting a big fat heavy duty wall some time in the afternoon-evening. I would love to be able to say that we've been getting things done and sorted in our extra waking hours, but this is not the case; our brains are also mired in jet-lag sludge. I have gotten myself together enough to go through my stuff - clothes, books, shoes - that still crowd my room at Mom and Dad's house. So, much of that is gone (too short shirts, as wide as they are long university sweatshirts, college textbooks, mile-high-waisted pants) and will hopefully find a new home somewhere.

Otherwise we've been busy seeing friends and catching up with family, which has been amazing! It's probably the best part of our visits back to Vancouver. The worst part so far? I went to the dentist this morning and have a cavity... blech.

SO, I realized that I never posted pics of either of my two little jobs in Tokyo, so finally, here they are. First Run for the Cure...

Our lovely "office" building... a house!

Naoko, Francesca and I - happy we met!

and sad that we are parting ways...

and secondly, Evergreen Language School...

These were my three bratty (but cute) students - they liked to blurt out words like POOP on a regular basis. I bribed them with candy.

The school, just a bike ride away!

Soooo we have five more days in Vancouver, and then we're eastward bound: to Toronto for a week (or so?) and then on to Gatineau and Ottawa. Summer plans are still in the works, but Steve will be with the National Team and I will hopefully be coaching volleyball... and... there will be more, but I'm not sure exactly what that will be yet. For now, our number one job is getting over this jet lag, and sitting here on the bed writing this blog isn't helping much SO! I'm going to drag myself AND Steve down to the gym. Fingers crossed that this will do something to help cure the need for the coma-nap...

we're baaaaaack....

After the longest Thursday ever, we are back in Canada. I have intentions to write a big, long Japan follow-up reflections blog, but haven't really had any non-jet-lagged brain time yet - sooooo hopefully that will happen some time soon (the blog and the non jet-lagged brain time). The trip back was good - fast - and it feels like we time warped in an insta-travel machine that leaves the past far far behind; it's as though our life and time in Tokyo was not something we left two days ago but weeks and weeks ago. Strange. It's strange, the insta-separation, but it's good to be back. We're jet-lagged, but not culture shocked, though there are lots of things that are obvious in a big-difference way: fashion (Japan yes, Canada no), cleanliness (Japan yes, Canada so-so), and big homes, yards, space and nature (Japan no, Canada yes). I've been meaning to make a top ten things I'll miss about Japan list (and a top however-many things I won't miss about Japan list), so here it is... all'improvviso...

Things I will miss about Japan:
1. The people: specifically, our friends - Nao, Marili, Hendrik... and non-specifically, the polite, courteous, friendly and quiet nature of the general populace.
2. The food: the bakeries, the find-anything-anywhere, the convenience store food, the restaurants, the basement of joy, the fruit stand, gyoza, fish cookies, sushi, Salvatore pizza, lunch deals...
3. The convenience of public transportation (trains)... and our bicycles
4. Fashion and style - in Japan, people have these things; there are no sweatpants or oversized hoodies, and women wear heels and skirts and/or creative outfit combos...
5. Nakameguro: I will miss our quiet neighborhood and our apartment. We had so many great memories and meals and get-togethers there...
6. Getting together with my running group: for the first time I ran with a group! It was so fun running with a great group of women, AND I had never ran for so long (an hour)... it was fabulous.

Things I will not miss about Japan:
1. Smoky restaurants
2. Squatter toilets
3. The shrill and sometimes constant "Irashaimaseeeeeeeeeeeei" calls of shopkeepers and store workers, especially when NOT in the mood...

Okay so I didn't make it to ten (that's all I could think of for now), but there you go. I didn't really ask Steve what he will and will not miss, but I'm sure the hour-long commutes and marathon training sessions will go on list #2 - though he may really miss his super fan WHO, by the way, was at the airport to say goodbye to him on Thursday afternoon. Not really that surprising considering her extreme-o superfan status BUT... the airport is a solid hour and a half outside of central Tokyo, and she lives on the other side of the city. This, my friends, is one dedicated fan.

So, Vancouver. It is great to be back and see my family and my friends, and the weather has been amazing. The space and the ocean and mountains with trees - these things are also great, and I know that even though I will miss living in Tokyo, Canada is my home... and as everyone knows, there's no place like it.

Sneaky sneaky Nao had this dessert plate prepared for us at our last dinner at Colosseo, an Italian place in our neighborhood - so sweet. Don't worry missy, we'll be back!!

We'll miss you guys!

lasts

Last day of teaching, last day of work, last train ride, last bike ride, last donut, last basement of joy visit, last run with the running group, last swim, last dinner, last day - this has been a week of lasts. And today will be a day of last things, as we leave this afternoon. Like I said in one of my previous blogs, this year went by so quickly, but was so full and complete at the same time; it was not 100m dash fast but fast-marathon fast. There was so much and there are so many amazing memories, and I know that even though this is the end of our time here, it's just the beginning of some amazing friendships that I hope will last and last and last. I, for one, am happy to be going home, but sad to be leaving. :) :(