Still Winter

While those of you in the Sunshine State are enjoying nice hot temperatures, we here in Canada are experiencing a true Canadian winter. Lots of snow, cold temperatures, more snow & shovelling. Got to love it! As I walk down the streets of my neighbourhood, I pass by snowbanks that are almost as tall as me. Just one word....Enough!! We had another 17 cm of snow dropped on us yesterday leaving the sidewalks difficult to walk on & the roads are a mess. On a positive note, we are having much milder temperatures. It is so nice to be able to walk outside without the wind chills.

No sign of green yet. BUT...in one week I will get to enjoy the Florida sunshine again!

Take care and keep smiling!

Sarah's Visit

My daughter Sarah came to visit this week. She was able to get time off work to spend 5 days with me here at the Cave. Well...we didn't spend much time at the Cave. Sarah loves to shop & shop we did! What's that phrase? Shop till you drop? I dropped long before the five days were done. It was fun though & so nice to see her having a good time.

Besides shopping we had some great meals around town. We enjoyed a bowl of Won Ton Noodle soup at Wang's Noodle House in the ByWard Market today.

After soup we just had to have a Beaver Tail, a delicious pastry that of course has no calories...

There was also a movie on the agenda, Sarah wanted to see a 3D Horror flick so off we went to see "My Bloody Valentine". Let's just say it's not worth commenting on further.

The best day was Thursday. We drove to Le Nordic Spa in Chelsea, Quebec. There we enjoyed the hot pool, saunas & a nice lunch in the lodge. Totally worth the trip & certainly something to do again. My favorite was the steam sauna, love the smell of eucalyptus!

That evening we joined my friends Lori and Cathy for pizza & then had fun playing with Lori's Wii fit. I did very poorly, it kept telling me I was "unbalanced". What does it know anyway, it's just a game.

Unfortunately all good things must come to an end. It's back to work for both of us tomorrow. Sarah's off to Nova Scotia until our next visit.

We had a very nice visit & are looking forward to our next one, (when the weather is warmer).

Take care & keep smiling!

My time in Florida was awesome, but as usual it passed too quickly. It was so good to see everyone & play a little pickle ball. My favorite times are the ones that Mark & I spend together. I love our walks through Highlands Hammock State Park. It is such a beautiful spot! (OK, lunch at Five Guys Famous Burgers & Fries ranks a close second)

I took a picture of this small alligator there, (at the park not Five Guys). We were looking for the "big" one but only saw 2 small alligators. This guy has the right idea, lay low, enjoy the sunshine & wait for dinner to be served. Look at the smile on his face! ...hmmm...not unlike the smile on my face as I sat down to enjoy my burger.


Now who in their right mind wouldn't want to experience the delights of a Canadian winter? Ice, snow, windchill to minus 37 Celsius...it builds character. OK, humor me, trying to be positive here.

Snow & cold....vs....
The choice is so obvious! Give me a walk in the park with Mark any day! February is not that far away. I can do this, it is only winter after all.

Take Care & Keep Smiling!

Today was almost spring-like...almost. The biting winds have taken a break & it was nice to be able to walk outside without freezing the eyeballs! I started my walk in heavy snow flurries & ended it in bright sunshine. Very nice.

I got to the gym for my workout only to discover that I had left my membership card & key to my locker back at the Cave. DUH! So, instead of elliptical & weights, I changed my workout to a power walk. It all worked out as it felt good to be outside. Of course there was Starbucks at the end for a non-fat Latte as a reward!

There were a few more people out & about today. I was also fortunate to be able to see some wildlife! They were very cooperative, staying still long enough to allow me to capture this photo of them that you see on the right.

On Saturday I went to dinner with friends @ Moxies. The food was excellent! I enjoyed my salmon with almonds & garlic mashed potatoes very much and even had room for dessert. The name escapes me but it was a delicious banana cheesecake wrapped in pastry served with french vanilla ice cream & caramel sauce. Definitely something I would have again.

After dinner we went to the movie "Marley & Me". There were lots of laughs but at the end I think the whole audience was in tears. It brought back a lot of very fond memories of the dogs I have had. I had read the book a while back, it is definitely worth the read for all you dog lovers out there.

Well it's back to work for me tomorrow, 2 days & 2 nights. Then off to Florida!! I am very anxious to return to where it's nice & warm & I don't have to wear a snow suit every day. Picture toddlers all bundled in their snowsuits so they can hardly move, that's how it feels by the time I'm ready to go outside. It takes about 5 minutes to put all the stuff on! Winter does have some good points....hmmm....but, I'll take warmth and sunshine over it any day.

Take Care & Keep Smiling!

What a great day! Lori called this morning to invite me to go snow shoeing in Gatineau Park with her, Andre & Marcel. I was so cozy in bed & thought about saying no but decided to go for it. I can always catch up on my sleep later. So glad I did. Despite the biting cold, it was a beautiful day, hardly a cloud in the sky.

When we got to Gatineau park they told me we would be doing Wolf Trail. I'd heard a lot about how steep it was & thought perhaps I was in a little over my head but it was too late to back out. I put on my brave face, said to myself " You can do this!" & off I went. There were a few spots where my heart was pounding in my chest & my lungs were coming out my nostrils. I still haven't figured out how people can climb steep hills & still manage to carry on a conversation! A few times I was wishing someone had thought to pack some oxygen & a defibrilator for me. I made it to the top & was pleasantly surprised at how well I did. We had to inch our way along a log lying across a stream without falling in. I gave instruction to Lori that if I did fall to get the picture first then rescue me. (I brought a change of clothes just in case) Marcel & Andre were first to the top, of course, I think Lori stayed back to keep me from feeling lonely, We weren't that far behind anyway.

Afterwards we followed New Year tradition (per Andre & Lori) and stopped at MacDonalds for fries & coke. Some days that stuff just goes down so easily! After the fries & coke, things started to thaw and the cold shivers set in. It was good to get back to the Cave for a nice long hot shower & dry clothes.

2009 is off to a good start! Best wishes to all of you for a very Happy New Year filled with Love, Laughter & good health!

Take Care & Keep Smiling!

Here it is the end of another year. Where does the time go? 2009 is promising to be a very good year, not that 2008 wasn't.

Christmas in Florida was the best! Christmas day was spent with good friends together enjoying a great meal. It was so good to see everyone again! (I do love the warm temperatures & sunshine too) However it was back to the "real" world for me December 28, somebody has to work....The PICU remains busy, unfortunately some of our children weren't able to be discharged for the Holidays so we do our best to help the kids & their families through very tough times.

Back to work tonight for one more night, my colleagues & I have planned our own New Year celebration...food!...always a good thing.

Temperatures were quite mild when I first returned to Ottawa but the past 2 days have seen rather nasty wind chills. There has not been any new snowfall, & the ice has broken up making the sidewalks a lot safer to walk. I'm still using my poles & find them very helpful!

There is still no end to the city's transit strike. Hopefully it won't go much longer. I would really like to be able to get around a bit more. Very restrictive with no buses & no vehicle.

My daughter will be coming to Ottawa to spend a few days with me. I'm looking forward to that. I just heard though that she is in hospital with a possible appendicitis attack. She is being assessed for need for surgery. Tough way to bring in the New Year. Her Dad is keeping me posted but as with most health care facilities it's a long wait in the emergency department.

Another night to go then a few days off. I'm hoping to connect with some friends here to catch up on things. Perhaps a little snowshoeing, dinner, movie. Time to get out a bit.

For all of you celebrating tonight have a great time & stay safe!

Take care & keep smiling!

Hello again. My days off are coming to an end. Back to work tomorrow then back to sunny Florida on Tuesday! I can't wait! It's only December & I've crawled through enough snow banks to last me a long time. But wait! We are getting 2 more storms this weekend!!


I'm not sure how far I've walked in total this week but I do know my workouts at the gym are getting easier. I managed to beat my previous records on the elyptical machine without needing to nap afterwards. I was also able to go up my repetitions for my weight program. Feeling pretty good right now. Can`t wait to start seeing results.

The bus strike continues here in Ottawa & there is no end in sight. It sure has created a lot of problems all around. Oh well, feet don't fail me now! Walking around the city, & I've covered a lot of it since the strike, is not easy. A lot of places don't have any sidewalks forcing one to walk on the roads & jumping into snow banks to avoid oncoming traffic. Picture that! I walked home after getting my hair done last night & had to do just that. I had visions of headlines reading, ``Woman struck down diving into snowbank to avoid cars, she didn't make it but wow her hair sure looked good!!`` Sidewalks that are ploughed are slippery & have high banks to climb over to cross the streets. I feel for seniors who are forced to navigate this way.


I`m so excited! I bought myself a Black & Decker hand held vacuum. After cleaning the cave yesterday I decided I had enough crawling on my hands & knees with duct tape to clean my carpet. I know, the things that keep me happy....


I`ve been trying to work my way through the books on photoshop elements & my new Canon Rebel XSi 450D that I inherited from Mark. Let`s just say I have a long way to go before I will be as good as he is. Trying to figure it all out is harder than I thought. I`ll keep at it though. The picture you see is one I took of a mural in Lake Placid.

I was hoping to get some nice pictures of Christmas lights in the neighbourhood. I tried a couple but my hands are not steady enough to hold the camera still for the required time to take the picture. I also noticed that there aren`t a lot of decorated homes around here. Must be a sign of the times.

Life is good, Florida next week!

Take care & keep smiling!