Friday, April 12, 2013

And... we're off!

Well, almost off - we leave tomorrow morning very early, Lord willing.  We is my parents, my daughter, Rose, and I.  We're going on a holiday cruise; we fly to Calgary tomorrow where Rose meets up with us.  Then we fly to Tokyo.  We start the cruise on the 15th (we miss the 14th entirely because of the international date line) from Kobe.  The cruise ends in Vancouver on May 1.

So my parents arrived yesterday from Saskatoon.  The weather was horrible (it's been more horrible than not lately), and they ended up taking the bus from Saskatoon to get here, because it was "travel not recommended" for the highway.  It's been "travel not recommended" far too often this winter.  Bram left to write his second final exam this morning, travelling a highway that was "travel not recommended" for the umpteenth time.

Mom and I have been busy getting things done and ready to go.  Last night I took her to pick up a very nice pair of velour pants and matching sweatshirt for her to wear when we do our circuits of the ship in the mornings for our morning exercise.  Dad needs to get himself a fleece jacket because he forgot his at home and his parka is really too heavy to take with him.  This morning I did my taxes.  Mom brought the software, and I had everything ready to go and it only took me an hour.  I get money back, and I'm happy.

I've got my suitcase packed, got supper started for tonight, and the freezer is full of meals for when I'm gone for my household. My to-do list is completed (I think). (I just remembered - I need to buy a sump pump for my rental property and put it in the sump hole.  Then my to-do list will be done.)  Bram's got the whole carpool thing arranged (he's tutoring one of his classmates every night in exchange for a ride to and from school), and he only has one more week of exams until he's done anyway.  Then he'll start work, but he has two weeks off first and he's planning to fly to Yellowknife for his time off.

So, it's time to take a deep breath and relax.  Let the holidays begin!

Monday, April 1, 2013

Monday - get it done today!

I've done myself up a to do list (in my head for today) and am slowly working through the list.  I need to apply for some jobs as the close in the next week or so.  I also need to collect rent (because it's the first of the month), get some travel insurance (have to get that this week; not necessarily today), finish cleaning up after the big get together yesterday, etc.  I've done one on-line application and cover letter - two more to go.  If I update my list for to do this week; I also want to finish sewing the clothing I want to take with me on the cruise and the seat covers for the dining room chairs and get the bills paid (collect rent first).

So it's been three Sundays in a row that I've had a crowd over.  The excuse this week is that was Easter. We had 21 people (mom counted); including my parents.  My parents brought the ham, Aunt Alice made buns, Margaret made bannock (even though she didn't end up coming), I made Easter Bread earlier this week; Ruth and I had made three different salads yesterday, etc.  There was lots of food and it was all good.    I think this is the first time we had three different types of bread - and both Dad and Ruth are doing gluten-free so they couldn't eat any of it (although Dad had brought some of his own anyway).

The other major thing I did over the weekend was do the on-line check-in for the cruise I'm taking in two weeks.  It took about 1.5 hours to finish the whole thing.

Ruth and I tried a new salad this week, it had sweet potatoes and green beans in it (and cherry tomatoes).  It was good but the dressing for it was kind of bland and boring and I think we need to tweak it a little before I'm happy with it.

Bram had both Friday and today off; is sitting doing homework. He's got a take-home math exam that he's probably spent five or six hours on already and he's only half done.  (I don't miss that part of homework at all.)  He's back to school tomorrow.