Sudbury and back again.....

the big nickel...!!

After a successful fourth place finish at the Ontario Summer Games, coaching is over for the summer - it's a wrap! We got together today to volunteer at a junior national team tournament that's taking place at the new centre sportif in Gatineau; girls mopped and wiped and helped out, and then we had a quick meeting and a cheer and... c'est tous. The games were really fun, and despite a great team effort from beginning to end, we couldn't quite make the medals. We were, however, not only rewarded with a commemorative pin, but with a dis-play from assistant coach John; he showed evvverybody that he'd been wearing his v-neck, too-small Grix TMNT (Green-Six Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles) t-shirt all along, under his conservative green coaching polo. It definitely lightened the mood, and left everyone laughing and happy... it was a good one.

the team at opening ceremonies

the coaching staff: Linden, me, Deb, John and Sandra

after our last game - note John in the front sporting his T!

From there, Sandra and I made it to the big nickel before hitting Highway 17; we managed to maintain most of our sanity for the first part of the drive, but the last bit sure was a struggle. The week left me tired, and I feel like I'm still catching up on sleep; it was busy, but great. Some really good friends of ours from Winnipeg, Pascal and Angela, were in town and we got to meet their new babins, little Elise Clair... and she is adooooorable! It was so neat to see our friends as parents, and of course to meet and hold their wee one. In the afternoon, we girls went for a walk around the market, and then headed towards Parliament hill, arriving just in time to catch Fortissimo, a musical and military spectacular. And it was spectacular; there were dozens of performances, featuring bands and bagpipes, dancers and military displays... it was definitely worth seeing. I love being in Ottawa - it seems like there's always something going on... yay. What else what else.... Sunday we went to an all day prenatal class (maybe not so much FUN, but definitely worthwhile and informative - something I'm glad we did) before driving up yonder to Wakefield where we met my parents, my aunt and a few cousins at a family time-shared fishing camp. It's really more of a rustic cottage, but it was previously used as a fishing outpost (I think). Anyways, it's located on a beautiful lake in a beautiful spot - just the place to relax and appreciate the quiet. Which is just what we did after a delish dinner of spring salmon (brought from BC by les parents) and potato salad. Sadly, Steve had to head back to town for an early Monday morning practice, and happily, I went to bed early. We had a slow and easy Monday - there was eating, swimming, lounging, reading, walking... and then the trip back to town on Monday night. My mom and dad are on a bit of a whirlwind Ontario tour, visiting friends and relatives all over the place over the course of the next five or six days; we'll see them again on Saturday before they jet off on Sunday morning. So, oooouf. That's about it. I do not have any updated bump pics, but I'll be sure to get on that some time soon - he's growing in there, and kicking and moving more and more and more. Okay, pics....

Angela, Elise and me on Parliament Hill

Mom, Pops and Heather! at White Pine

good job girls!

This will have to be a fast and furious update, as I'm fading... well, fast and furiously. I write from beautiful Sudbury, where the 2010 Ontario Summer Games are taking place, and so far, so good! Assistant coach Sandra and I drove up here on Tuesday morning to meet the three other coaches, and then the team, before the whole lot of us headed to the opening ceremonies where, to be honest, we were bored by speeches, speeches and more speeches. For the athletes I think the boredom levels were lower and the excitement levels higher - there were very few complaints from the girls under the sunny, early evening skies. Day one (yesterday) was full, and we finished 2-2, with some good performances, but not our best. Today, however, was amazing... This is the first time in quite a few years that I've coached a team - usually, my summer sees me running week-long camps for individuals that get together to work on skills; there is no culmination-tournamentation that follows the learning process. And so, as a coach, I've had an amazing time with these Region Six girls, and was sooooo proud of how they played today! It has been so rewarding to see the group come together and execute... and do so in such a focused and mature way. We were 3-1, and are set up to play a very win-able quarter-final game tomorrow morning. Busy, busy, busy. PLUS, at dinner tonight the girls gave me my very first BABY GIFT! It was soooooo so so so sweet, and really - ready for cheese? - made me smile all over. They asked me in mid-card-read whether I was going to cry... and I said (in all honesty) that no, I wasn't. However, I did tell the girls that I almost cried when, after a convincing win against a strong team - a win that involved every single member of our team - that I was very, very proud of them. I was! Sure, it could have been the pregnancy emotions talking... but... nope, actually it wasn't. These girls have done me proud!!

baby bumps!

Woooops! And another week has almost gotten away from me. I write after a fabulous few days spent with a great friend - Amer! Anne-Marie was in town for the Quebec Games, and we picked up right where we left off (January 2008) yesterday afternoon and didn't really stop talking until I put her on a bus back to Montreal this afternoon. Amer and I played on the national team for three (or four?) years (she played for a total of ten years, ee!) and on a professional team in Portugal; both experiences have suitcases full of memory to accompany them, and it was great to catch up, laugh and reminisce. PLUS, we have one growing, exciting, new thing in common - we are both baby bumping. She's three weeks ahead of me, and it was sooooo good to talk to such a good friend about the past, present and future of this amazing experience. I did realize that perhaps I should put down the Number 1 Ladies Detective Agency books and pick up one of the many pregnancy livres that are on my list - she is definitely more than three weeks ahead of me in reading and research... woops again. Ach well... So, we talked almost non-stop, ate a few super yummy meals and walked and wandered around Ottawa this morning. It was so good to see her, and I'm excited about making the trip up to Montreal for more (yay), and I'm excited (I swear) to get going on preggers reading. One big step that we are making in that department is our first prenatal class, going down tomorrow in an all-day intensive format. School starts at 9:30 and breaks at 4:30 - let's hope we survive, and don't drown in information.

As far as coaching goes (well, and everything else I suppose), the week was a good one - the last chunk of training is done done done. We have one more practice on Monday afternoon and then leave for Sudbury on Tuesday morning in a coaches only rental van... should be good. I'm not really sure how the teams will fare, as I don't know the who's who of Ontario's other regions. However, I feel like we have the potential to do well, as long as individuals show up ready to have fun AND ready to focus and execute. Steve's team had a red and white match on Friday morning, and are now on a five days sans volleyball holiday. I think he's planning on heading up to the cottage on Monday for a few days to hang out with Poppa Brinks and do some fishing... father and son fishing fun it shall be. For now, we're rounding out the rest of our Saturday afternoon with the newspaper (love the Saturday paper) and a market-vegetable-y dinner... YUM!

update

Man with barbeque! Steve and Bob transported the grill from Freddy's place to ours... yum, BBQ

Activity central! We have been tourists in our own town, and it has been goooooood - the weather, the company, the excursions, the food... all of it, gooood. Hm, can I even remember exactly what we did and when? I returned home from practice on Thursday night and the gang was here, AND dinner was ready. I'd prepared and stuck a halibut florentine in the fridge, and the people were busy making salad and cutting bread and setting la table. We had a nice dinner and hung out around here - Steve and I were both tired from full evenings in the gym. While Steve was at work on Friday morning, Erin, Fred, Marg and Bob and I ambled on down to the Byward Market and cruised around, picking up goods and goodies for a fantastic Italian sandwich lunch (much like the one we had on my birthday, yum yum). The afternoon took some bike riding and others ... hmmm ... where did it take the others? I stayed around here, went for a walk and then Bob, Marg, Steve and I had dinner: corn on the cob, pork tenderloin and potatoes. Steve had the weekend off SO! we planned and did the touristy things - we went on a land and water tour of the city (Lady Dive tours) which was interesting and worthwhile; the highlight for all (I think), was driving in and out of the water in our amphibus... very cool. After we emerged from the back of the bus, we embarked on a tour of Parliament; I think we'd all been before, but it had been years for me. The last time I went was when I came to visit Grandma and Grandpa as an unaccompanied minor - maybe in grade 5 or 6? I remember sitting in the balcony above the House of Commons, and I remember the market and spending time with them and seeing different things, but the balcony in the House is all I can recall from the trip to Parliament. What I'll remember from this tour-trip is the library. If you love libraries and happen to be in Ottawa, you must see this collection, this building. It looks like something out of a movie, with the decor and the shape, the colours and columns and rows of books on display. If I could have a library like this, but have it be full of my favourite books - the ones I've already discovered and the ones yet to come - it would be one of my favourite places in the world. Ooooh, and if I could add a custom chair, and a top of the line espresso maker that churns out delicious americanos and soy lattes... Perhaps if I win the lottery, or find the trap-door to imaginary-land, this could-would come true. But, to be honest, I'm pretty happy with a good library, one full of books that are shared and enjoyed by many; it's just the decor and the history that makes this one so special.

Yesterday we jumped all aboard! the Hull-Chelsea-Wakefield Steam Train and journeyed, well, from Hull, through Chelsea to Wakefield. The trip was scenic and entertaining, and we enjoyed our travels on the train and at our destination, where we ate sandwiches and wandered through the quaint little town. After the trip back to Gatineau, we made for Meech Lake (where we had a very refreshing swim) and then the Chelsea Pub (where we stuffed ourselves silly). Back at home, I parked myself on the couch for the remainder of the evening, and we had a lazy night in, chatting, watching shark shows on Discovery and checking out the weekend's photos.


What else, what else. There's not too much new on the prego front, other than that the front is getting bigger. I still don't really feel like I'm almost six months pregnant (!!) (or feel like I look six months pregnant) but with the third trimester but a week away, I know I'm going to feel a lot more pregnant in the months and weeks ahead. The little guy is moving more and more, and my belly button is changing; I still love cake, but haven't had any strange pregnancy cravings; we have a few name ideas, but nothing that has stuck, or rang the bell at the top of the name-o-meter; I only wear stretchy clothes, and don't fit (legs :( or belly) in any of my jeans, and am starting to feel a bit more tired. There... an update! And with that, I'm going to sign off... before I decide to ramble further. Adieu!

23 weeks... time is moving on!

lists and lessons

And the big things are crossed off of the to-do list, months and months and months later. At practice the other day, I told the girls that they had a 70% greater chance of achieving their goals if they wrote them down; the number, I made up. BUT... I've heard that stat before and though there may not have been a number attached to it, the deal is this: if you write down your goals, you have a much better chance of reaching the finish line. And though I didn't make it a goal to get a new cell phone or a new pair of shoes, I have been writing these to-do things down for the past hmmmm... year? six months? There is no parameter on this write down and you will achieve soupcon of advice. So yes, I finally have an Ottawa cell number, and I have new runners! The ladies I ran with in Tokyo know that I was talking about getting new kicks since I started running with them, and finally, it's a fait accompli! They are nice and new and comfy and cute and I love them. The cell phone isn't bad either; I decided to go with Wind Mobile, and bought a new phone for $70 and didn't have to sign a contract or anything. I also don't have to pay for incoming calls, voicemail, caller ID or any of those other things that the gouger cell phone companies in Canada make you pay for. I'm still a bit sceptical - maybe there are hidden fees and charges for ? who knows what... we'll see.

And we have visitors coming this weekend! Marg and Bob and Erin and Fred are heading here later today for the weekend. Steve trains tomorrow and then has Sat and Sun off, and I have my last practice of the week tonight... SO! We'll have to make some plans and get out and do some fun stuff. Coaching has been good - a bit busy, but good. I came home feeling a bit bleh last night, after a mixed bag practice. The first half was great, and the second half was, well, not so good. The side that I was coaching was slacking, so I made them run; and then I made them run again because people were cutting corners and not touching lines... and still not touching lines. To me, again, this is all about attitude - I just don't get how individuals can slough off accountability, knowing that it will adversely affect their team. Is this a difficult to teach/difficult to learn life lesson? Or just one of the many wonderful challenges of team sport...

A lesson via Bill Neville, a great coach and fabulous mentor, written on the back of one of his coach's manuals:

Nevillizms, Inc.
LEARNING HOW TO ACHIEVE YOUR BEST IN VOLLEYBALL

Lakota Wisdom

An old Lakota-Sioux is teaching his grandson about life.
"A fight is going on inside me, " he said to the boy.

"It is a terrible fight and it is between two wolves. One is evil. He is anger, envy, regret, greed, arrogance, self-pity, guilt, resentment, inferiority, lies, quitting, cheating and ego.

The other is good. He is joy, peace, love, hope, serenity, humility, kindness, benevolence, empathy, generosity, truth, compassion, commitment, and discipline.

The same fight is going on inside you, and inside every other person too."

The grandson thought about it for a minute, and then asked his grandfather,

"Which wolf will win?"

The old man replied simply,

"The one you feed."

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.