Full Yet Relaxing

This weekend was a pretty good one. It started off with Dave's sister Jessica coming down on Friday evening. The three of us took some photos around town and played lots of Rock Band and Rock Band Beatles - and by lots I do mean LOTS!
We went out for a few big meals and pretty much eliminated the need for cooking by doing so which was awesome because Dave and I don't really have much food in the house right now and I wasn't in the mode to go grocery shopping.
I also got the chance to do a photo-shoot with our friend Kate, which was really fun. I am hoping to get the photos edited and to her shortly and will be sharing them everyone on Flickr and Stephanie Beach Photography after that.

One Minute Writer #50

Do you have a weekly day of rest? Write a bit about this concept

At first glance, I figured my weekly day of rest is likely Saturday as this is the day where I do the least in terms of work (either engineering work, photographic work or housework). I mope about the house with Dave playing video games and watching movies. Every once in a while I will start a load of laundry, but it normally sits in the washer for a few hours before I realize that it is time to switch it over to the dryer.
It could also be Sunday, where we do something similar but a great deal more housework gets done. Sunday is also normally the day where we end up running any errands that take us out of the house, provided there are any of course. The intention is always to do them on Saturday, but almost every weekend Dave and I decided that we will stay inside and then do them the next day.
I guess I have a day and a half where I attempt to rest from the work week. To be honest though, I fail the majority of the time as lately I find it very hard to stop thinking about work long enough to actually relax.

Super Ex

Sunday Dave and I got a phone call from my brother asking if we wanted to join him and Lynn at the Super Ex. It was rather unexpected, a random phone call and invite from my brother, but it sounded like fun.
We headed to the fair and took a tour of the rides to decide the best way to buy coupons. You could get a wrist band for $36 and go on an infinite number of rides, or you could get 22 coupons for $30. Both couples chose the latter as Dave is really the only person who can go on crazy rides and would therefore be the only one who could benefit from the wrist band.We went on the Scrambler (or Sizzler) first as it is apparently Lynn's favourite ride. I think it is also my favourite now, though I remember when I was younger I like the tilt-a-whirl and its many variations. I have learned in recent years, however, that my stomach is weak and can no longer enjoy the crazy rides, so I must now stick to the tame ones.
We then went on a really pathetic Haunted House ride. The 'scary' elements wouldn't have been able to scare a five year old, let alone some 20-something year olds. Also, the seats were so tiny and cramped that Dave with his long legs, could barely fit in. The seat belt barely went around us since his legs had to be so high up. Luckily, or sadly since we paid three coupons for the ride, it lasted only about two minutes and the pain was short lived.Dave was the most daring of the foursome and went on one of the aforementioned crazy rides. I forget what it was called, but it basically you sat in this seat, with your legs dangling. You were then tossed around, upside down and all over the place. I couldn't even imagine being able to go on a ride like that - even when I was younger I don't think I could have done it.
We also took a walk through the 4H/farm area where we saw many adorable animals, like baby goats and bunnies. We also so some male goats practicing their head rams, it was kind of neat. There were also these dyed chickens - seriously, green, pink, yellow and blue chickens - it was very odd.We watched the predator and prey show and got to see some big cats outsmart their trainers and be super lazy in general. But who can blame them really, it was really hot out and I don't think that was their first show of the day. And there were of course baby lions, that's right, lion cubs. Unfortunately, I was so overcome by cuteness that I didn't get a very good photo of them.
All in all, it was a really great day. I did get a sunburn and a case of sun stroke, which was solved later on by some gravol and gravol-induced sleep, but it was still a really fun day.

Post Cottage 2009 (aka Vacation #3)

The receipts have been counted and tallied, the car has been washed, vacuumed and generally de-sanded and the photographs (for the most part) have been downloaded to the computer. Now comes the process of editing and retouching and displaying the memories.
Cottage 2009 was a very successful trip and was definitely a great vacation #3. It did well as the final summer vacation of 2009 and, like every year, I am very thankful to Chris and her family for allowing us to join them at their cottage.Friday afternoon we headed out of Ottawa with a very full car and drove Erin out to Belleville. We then had the worst Pizza Hut experience ever as it took 2 hours to get, eat and pay for our food, for which they attempted to overcharge us. Driving the rest of the way was pleasant and we got into Paris at about 11 after picking up Justin from Brantford. Saturday morning we drove to Long Point and arrived at the cottage at about lunch time.
I love Chris' Cottage - it is so pleasant and peaceful. The moment you walk through the door you are instantly calmed and all the troubles of the real world are lifted from your shoulders. Sunday morning Dave and Justin headed to his family reunion while Chris, Jerrica and I went sailing with Chris' family. It was an incredibly windy day and despite the fact that I was perfectly fine on the boat last year, I got sea-sick. I did not get physically sick though, which is good because according to Chris' uncle no one has thrown up on the Meridian yet (he would know since he is one of the owners of the boat). When the guys got home we made a fire and had delicious smores. (pictures to come at a later date - stupid SD card).Monday was the Too Late for Canada Day party, an event we usually miss as we have to head back to Ottawa that day but since we were staying extra long this year, we got to participate. Dave made a little buddy very quickly and learned even faster that this particular little buddy was not the type you want to have. We ended up hiding out in our room playing Guitar Hero for a little bit to relax and by the time we came out, the little buddy was gone. I practiced my night photography a bit more this night but am not entirely pleased with how they came out.Tuesday was pretty low-key. We went swimming as we had every day and played a fair bit of Settlers. We went grocery shopping and made Pad Thai for dinner, which I am told was pretty good. A little more settlers later and the night was over.Unfortunately we have come to Wednesday, which was the day we left. We drove back to Ottawa sad and tired. Dave and I had to keep switching as we were both really tired and neither of us could drive for very long. Oh and as a side note, never go to the Brantford bus station unless you really have to - that place is so sketch!

Peaceful Weekends

Dave and I spent this past weekend as we spend most of our weekends, peacefully enjoying what little time off we get. We usually have grand plans of cleaning the house or doing something active but never really get around to either, which doesn't bother me one bit. We do laundry, watch movies, play video games (mostly PS3 for Dave and computer games for me) and make better food then we do on the weekdays. We do get out of the house at least once every weekend, sometimes this means shopping and other times it is a to visit a museum, walk around the neighbourhood or simply hanging out with friends.
We enjoy our quiet life and low-key activities, unlike most people our age who would find the things we do, or do not do, rather boring and uneventful.

Playstation

Sunday was the day I got my scanner/printer, it was also the day that Dave finally got his Playstation 3. He has wanted this thing for years now (pretty much since it came out) and could never rationalize getting it. When we heard he was going to be working in Toronto for a month (turned out to be a month and a half) he decided that the extra money he would make through overtime and his per diem would go towards a Playstation 3 (and games). Then the Sentra got totaled and that dream faded. I really wanted him to get it still, but we had to spend so much money on the car I wasn't sure if he would. Luckily, he didn't stop looking at it, and I talked him into getting it this past weekend - not that it took much convincing. We went to EB Games and got a pretty good deal (3 games with the system) and another game that I got him as his birthday present (his birthday happens to have been yesterday). I am very happy he got his new toy as he really deserved something for all the hard work he has been doing at DST. And we got Little Big Planet as well which is a game I have wanted to play since he showed it to me (quite possibly to get me to want to PS3 as much as him - which was smart of him).

Family Visits

I really enjoyed this past weekend with the families. Dave and I drove to Peterborough on Saturday and then joined his mom's side of the family in Newmarket for Thanksgiving dinner on Sunday. Monday we headed to Prescott to spend the day with my family. Tyler and Lynn were already there as they had drove up the day before and it was really nice to see them again.

This weekend was also my parent's anniversary (11th), my mom's birthday (11th) and Tyler and Lynn's 1 month anniversary (13th) - so there was even more to celebrate than just Thanksgiving itself. It was a very nice relaxing day.

Unfortunately I got sick sometime during the weekend, though I think it was building up throughout last week.

Thanksgiving Preparation

Thanksgiving is the weekend of the 11th and it is currently looking like it is going to be a good one, though quite busy as well. Not only is our guest moving out two days before the weekend, but we have lots of family dinners in the works as well. In previous years Dave and I go in opposite directions for Thanksgiving (each to our respective families), but this year we are going to try and get to both families together – should be interesting to say the least.

Dave’s Aunt Melinda is having the Mantel Family Thanksgiving at her place near Toronto on Sunday. We will probably be spending the night at his parent’s home in Peterborough and then driving to Prescott to have dinner with my parents, brother and new sister in law on Monday. It will mean lots of food and possible some good leftovers to get us through that next week too. We could move my family’s Thanksgiving up to this weekend, but that would mean we lose two weekends to this holiday instead of just one and quite frankly I have been so tired lately I need the weekends to rest up from the previous week of work and early mornings.

The Mantel Family get-togethers are very different from the Beach ones. To start with The Beach Family Thanksgiving consists of about 5 or 6 people while the Mantel consists of ... well a lot more. Mantel Family events are planned way in advance as it needs to be decided which sibling will get to host the event (or have to host it depending on your outlook) while the Beach events are rather unplanned and just semi-‘go with the flow’. Dinner is of course planned, but the day that it happens doesn’t really matter as long as there is even notice to make the meal.They have the same family togetherness feel to them and there is really no drama at either of them, so I guess it is really just the size and pre-planning of the event that makes them different.

I am looking forward to being part of Dave’s family holiday as I have been attending the family reunions for the past three years and enjoy them very much. It will be nice though to have a quiet, peaceful day with my family after it all though.