Last week, the boys were on vacation with their father on a boating trip up the Rideau Canal from beginning to end: Kingston to Ottawa. I have to admit to moments of melancholy, given that they were somewhere holidaying without me. But since guilt is an entirely useless emotion, I decided to stay busy and enjoy the time to recharge so that when we go away in a few days, I'm all there. While they were making memories, I settled for a week of relaxing and getting my life in order.
The week began with a Monday morning wall 'tear-down' in my office. My ample main floor office is now compact and every inch is being used efficiently in order to free up an 11x12 space for a bedroom. Once I finally decided to stay here, we needed to free up a spacious waiting area and spare room for more practical purposes, like my own bedroom! I'm a few years early for the down-sized house, but it's such a beautiful space, that I just couldn't leave it to go to mediocrity. In the past 6 mos, I have discovered that most of us live in homes that are too big anyhow. Here, there is one TV, one common room, one computer, and we all have to actually talk to each other, god forbid! Plus, we have to come to agreement and compromise where television viewing is concerned AND it's much easier to keep track of what they watch and when they watch it. There's enough room, because we're spread out over 3 floors now, to get away when we need space, but not so much room that you could miss seeing each other for hours, and actually be in the same home, which is what used to happen.
Tuesday and Wednesday, I spent 2 glorious days at a beautiful
casa on the 1000 Islands. I have to find a way to get me one of those! Here's just a taste because the blackberry is only 2 pixels and there's no wide angle
lens, so actually that view extended well beyond the field of this picture. I spent my two days in awe at the extreme beauty and peacefulness of it all. It was truly magical.
Tuesday was spent
sprawled on the deck couches, sun bathing with a bikini on, well kinda on....no one was around, I couldn't help myself. Believe me, I paid for it. The arse was a little red for a few days, and really itchy for a few more!
Even a dreary Wednesday couldn't deter my mood. Since tanning wasn't the order of the day, I wrote in my diary, and worked on a legal document that will be needed in the weeks ahead, and wrote a couple of long letters to friends, well of sorts....I'd hoped to keep in touch with the office via email but wasn't able to get it set up, so the blackberry had to do. But in the end, it was a blessing; instead of wasting time thinking I was doing something important, I read a book called The Wishing Year, and watched two movies: Indecent Proposal, with
Demi Moore and Robert Redford (
Jeezus that man is beautiful; she is too for that matter.) I found the movie a little disturbing in that I thought about it a lot afterwards. It struck a few chords with me; melodies that are too deep for a 'friend' update. Some time we can discuss them if you remember. The second night, I watched Under the Tuscan Sun. I'd seen it before, but the whole dream of saying 'to hell with it' and just fucking off to some dreamy place like Tuscany or the south of France was just too appealing, so I ventured overseas with her again. At 615am on Thursday, I took the water taxi back to the mainland, and after checking both properties and watering plants etc, I went on to
Oakville to meet up with my best friend from high school, Jill, who had come from Atlanta to stay with her parents for a week with her 3 boys, 18mos, 4 and 6.
We hadn't seen each other for 2 years, which is our longest stretch in 10 yrs or more. It was great to catch up and to meet Quinn and be reacquainted with Will and Lucas.
Jody and her family were also there from Calgary, so it was a busy house. I spent a huge amount of time organizing digital pics that were here, there and everywhere. She showed me the most amazing albums that you can have printed off and give as gifts. It's my new Christmas idea because my parents are always
complaining that they don't get pictures any more. It's also a great way for us to deal with the division of our family photos.
We had a walk to the playground and to an ice cream store that had
gelato.
OMG! I nearly had an orgasm right then and there! (It's been a while folks, come on, it doesn't take much!)
Stoney Creek so far has the title. They say it's better in Italy, and if so, I'm in BIG trouble when I get there!
On Saturday morning, I went over to Niagara-on- the -Lake to see a couple of plays at the Shaw Festival. Had lunch on the patio of a very nice restaurant, baking in the hot sun, but I loved every minute of it. It was Saturday of a long weekend, and when I left about 530, the traffic through TO was bearable and on the eastern side, it was unusually quiet on the 401. I had Bruce Springsteen and Neil Diamond cranked and was tapping the steering wheel whilst I danced in my seat. I thoroughly enjoyed not having to negotiate the music played or the volume! I'm, sure people that I passed, or who passed me, thought I was nuts. Oh well, I hope I made them laugh for a moment or two.
Red eyes, wet cheeks, quivering lips, slumped shoulders enter the vehicle. “Aren’t you going to give him heck, he nearly broke my arm!” Silence. “You always take his side you NEVER get him in trouble!” And from the back seat: “You’d better tell that kid to shut his mouth or I’m going to lose it on him!” Oh, testosterone- laden, savage boys; someone please come and help me!!!!! They argue and fight constantly and I’m losing my mind!!! 
We’ve had a good start to our summer holidays...I think..... Although at the moment, I’m really not sure. The key to coping with teenagers is the same as with toddlers: sleep, and lots of it! Don’t let them get over tired. So it’s 10pm on Thursday night, Ben is on the couch and Graham is on the bed, both forbidden to have the televisions on, ordered to get to sleep. I gave them fair warning about 7pm: “It’s going to be an early night, cause you two are completely exhausted!” I am doing my best to keep the key strokes quiet....”but you have to go to bed now too!” “No, I don’t. The room is my birthday present and I’m the parent!”
Shhh......wait a sec......I hear quiet.............Gra has stopped moving......can it be?............oh good lord, there is a god! .............shit, he just rolled over........
Just about everyone in the family has been to Mystic, so I decided that it would be a cool place to hang out for a day or two with them this summer. We went to the aquarium and to the Seaport. The highlights for me were the Beluga whales, and the restoration of a whaling ship, the Charles W. Morgan. After dinner, we checked in, had a swim and watched tv.
Hopefully, tomorrow will be a better day......It’s quiet in here; not a creature is stirring....not even a mouse.....
