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!

I left sunny Florida to return to a storm that had dumped at least 20 cm of snow on Ottawa. While I didn't want to see the snow I have to admit it was pretty. The streets were very hazardous for drivers & walking was a challenge. I sometimes hit snow up to my knees!




As if the storm wasn't enough the Ottawa City Transit went on strike! This created a nightmare for commuters. It wasn't unusual to hear reports of people taking over 3 hours to get to work! Fortunately I don't rely on the bus to get to work so snow or sun it's about a 20 minute walk for me.

I have some appointments that I was concerned I'd have to cancel due to the strike. Taxis will not allow pre-booking & the wait is very long, if you can even get through to one on the phone. My friend Kawal came to my rescue & gave me the use of his car. Thank you so much! I was a little worried about taking his car with the weather & the fact that it is a standard shift. It's been a while since I drove one of those but...I had no problems at all & had forgotten how much fun it is to drive a standard! Only one issue, I couldn't find the gas cap to fill it up & he wouldn't tell me where it was. I WILL find it next time, I just won't look in the usual places for it.

Tonight is our units big Christmas party. I won't be attending as I have to work. Well somebody has to. I am told that one of the staff & her husband prepare a feast for those of us who don't get to attend the party. I'm looking forward to that, seems I will have a better meal than the party goers as they only get appetizers!

Hope all is well with you!

Take care & keep smiling!

It's been a while since my last post. My last stretch at work was very busy, the ICU was overflowing. We had to put a couple of our children in the recovery room across the hall because there was no room in the unit. By the end of my four shifts I was exhausted as were all my team members. We were ready for a much needed break.

I just returned from a quick trip to Nova Scotia to visit my parents. It's still nice & green there. You would never know they got a major dump of snow last week.

My parents are doing reasonably well. Mom has her good & bad days. I guess that's to be expected. Dad does a great job taking care of her.

Mom & I got some shopping done, she was very pleased about that & I think Dad was very glad he didn't have to go! We had a very nice Turkey dinner on Friday with my daughter & her boyfriend. It was fun to have everyone together even if it was just a short time.

My sister and her girls met me for lunch at the airport today. I always enjoy the company while waiting for my flight.

The flight back to Ottawa via Montreal was good. Quite bumpy between Halifax & Montreal. Hard to read with the words jumping all over the place. I'm not sure how the flight attendant was able to serve everyone with the amount of turbulance we had.

Back to work tomorrow. Hopefully things have settled down a bit. Then the best part...my return to Florida on Friday for my days off. I can't wait!

Take Care & Keep Smiling!

Today is the middle of my days off & I have managed to keep very busy. I joined a local gym here with plans to stay active over the long winter. I had a training session today with one of the Trainers there. She pushed me a bit so that I could see that I really was capable of more than I thought I was. It was a very good workout, I expect to be sore tomorrow.

I have been walking a lot these days, enjoying getting out & about. Not sure how I'll feel about it once the really cold weather with north winds & snow get here. Just thinking about it makes me shiver! Also brings back memories of the cold Frozen Arctic.

This picture is from Qikiqtarjuak on Baffin Island. I worked up there for 3 weeks last year. Very beautiful place. Mark, you could take some awesome pictures up there!

Another busy day planned for tomorrow, a little shopping. Time to get some ideas for Christmas. Also plan to get out my poles for some Nordic walking. That's a great exercise! Helps maintain a better posture while walking which is good for the abs & breathing.

Hope you are all well & keeping active!

Take Care & Keep Smiling!

Picture sunny Florida...now picture this. I forgot what the sun looks like! It's raining today but temperatures are still very mild. I'll enjoy this while I can because winter is just around the corner.

The flight back to Ottawa was good. We arrived early, & the pilot & his crew received a round of applause from very satisfied customers.

Work was very busy these past couple of days. My co workers were glad to see me back & jealous of my tan. George, one of my "team" members gave me a big hug telling me it was about time I got back. hmmm, I was thinking I wasn't gone long enough.

Today a couple of friends & I are heading off to a Photographic,Video & Digital Imaging Show here in Ottawa. I'm hoping to get some good pointers as I would like to be able to take pictures as good as Mark's. First I have to learn what all the buttons mean, and how to focus.

I'm working nights tonight & tomorrow. Somebody has to do it.

Time to meet my friends. Hope you are all enjoying a great day!

Take care & keep smiling!

Welcome to Caveside

This is it, the first instalment from my cave, on what promises to be a very interesting winter. I thought it would be a good way to keep all of you updated as to what is going on in the frozen north while you & Mark enjoy the warmth of sunny Florida. Sigh.......it is only one winter......it will go quickly.....

There will be lots to keep me busy here, work, the gym, I might even get in some winter sports like snowshoeing, and of course the occasional trip to Florida! I will also be taking some pictures of the winter scenes to share with you.

Mark & I, (Buddy too) are very excited about our trip to Florida next week. So much to do! I have 4 more shifts to work. We start our drive after I get off work on the 30th. Can't wait to see you all again!

Take care & keep smiling!