Well, my mom just left after a lovely long weekend with her coming to see my black belt test, then hanging around for a few more days. We did lots of mother-daughter things...chatting about family, gardening, shopping and puzzles. It was a great visit, and it reminds me of how much I miss living in the same city as her.
After a outdoor breakfast of omelets (or rather somewhat scrambled eggs), where I attempted (without success) to be as good a chef as GB, we sat chatting in the beautiful backyard garden for a while, then phoned a cab and said good-bye. I'm now sitting on the front porch, in what has to be one of Toronto's most perfect sunshine days. I can smell the cedar of our Maskoka chairs, feel the light summer breeze and hear the distant shouts of children playing. Ahhhhhhhh.
I'm also blogging to procrastinate on my homework for Toastmasters. I'm supposed to give my first "Icebreaker" speech this week...
Sunday, July 23, 2006
CB puttin' her thang down
This is a little grainy because it is from video in a poorly lit room, but you get the idea.
Anachronistic Vacation
I'm still trying to get into the groove of blogging. I really really really meant to get to this done when we were in Montreal or shortly thereafter.
Anyhoo,
I happened to be in Montreal for IETF 66. That's a pretty strange group of folks, but I won't get into that here.
CB took care of all of the hotel arrangements. We picked Hotel Gault largely based on a recommendation from Lt. Dan and Nellie. The hotel is very art-deco and minimalist, which I normally don't like, but it was obviously designed very carefully and it struck me as very tranquil. It felt more like we were staying in an upscale condo than in a hotel. The concierge, Andre, was a real highlight. Very friendly. Loves his job. We kept asking him for restaurant recommendations with ridiculously vague requirements, but man did he step up. I suppose I should have just said we aren't particular to any specific type of food, but rather we were just looking for great food. It never seems to come out of my mouth the way it sounds in my head, though. In any case, we went with his recommendations both nights. On the Saturday night, he even bought us champagne to have before our meal.
I swear that the breakfast alone is worth the stay. Most of it was organic and ALL of it was top notch ingredients. There were all the staples plus a half dozen pastries and cakes, fresh berries, chocolate dipped fruit (including those little yellow tomatoes - mmmmm), exotic cheeses (I'm not talking sharp Cheddar here - a few of these we have never seen and trust me, CB knows her cheese); the list just goes in. Freakin' amazing.
Friday night we spent a romantic evening on the harbour front of Vieux (old) Montreal. We had a decent meal at Pier Gabriel. That may sound like it is not an overly positive recommendation, but bear in mind we were in probably the most touristy area of Montreal. It far exceeded my expectations. Afterwards, we wandered over to an amphitheatre and sat on some grass and bootlegged a reggae concert. We lounged; we cuddled (as much as I am capable of); we made fun of the teenage couple who literally stared into each others eyes for about thirty minutes without moving. Pretty sure they were high.
Saturday, we hoofed it up Mont-Royal. I guess I had never thought of it, but this was the first time I clued in as to where Montreal got its name. Talk about an embarrassing revelation. It was hot and humid, but a very nice walk none-the-less. Just as we reached Beaver Lake (I think that's the name), the skies opened and drenched the mountain. Fortunately for us there was shelter. We hunkered down for a bit and then eventually caught a bus.
Lt. Dan and Nellie had recommended Brewtopia, but we ended up at Les Trois Brasseries (both covered here). Unfortunately, CB's schedule did not allow us to wait for the 3pm opening of Brewtopia. Les Trois Brasseries was fun, though. Good food and they brew locally at each pub despite being a chain of sorts.
I'm not normally a fan of modern art (I really didn't like MOMA), but we decided to give it one more shot and we went to Montreal's Musee d'art contemporain de Montreal. There were some very notable exhibits. Oddly, as it seems too simple an idea, I actually found the temporary Projection Series exhibit the most interesting.
Saturday evening was spent at dinner at O Chalet. Unfortunately, by combining English and French when speaking to the cabbie, I told him I would like him "to take us to the cottage". He was very confused. So much so that he took us to the west end rather than the east end first. It didn't dampen our spirit however. We went adventurous and had the prix fixe. We were not disappointed.
Sunday we spent at the BioDome and the Royal Botanical Gardens. Now that is a full day. I would highly recommend the gardens to anyone visiting Montreal:
oh, breakfast! Gotta run.
Anyhoo,
I happened to be in Montreal for IETF 66. That's a pretty strange group of folks, but I won't get into that here.
CB took care of all of the hotel arrangements. We picked Hotel Gault largely based on a recommendation from Lt. Dan and Nellie. The hotel is very art-deco and minimalist, which I normally don't like, but it was obviously designed very carefully and it struck me as very tranquil. It felt more like we were staying in an upscale condo than in a hotel. The concierge, Andre, was a real highlight. Very friendly. Loves his job. We kept asking him for restaurant recommendations with ridiculously vague requirements, but man did he step up. I suppose I should have just said we aren't particular to any specific type of food, but rather we were just looking for great food. It never seems to come out of my mouth the way it sounds in my head, though. In any case, we went with his recommendations both nights. On the Saturday night, he even bought us champagne to have before our meal.
I swear that the breakfast alone is worth the stay. Most of it was organic and ALL of it was top notch ingredients. There were all the staples plus a half dozen pastries and cakes, fresh berries, chocolate dipped fruit (including those little yellow tomatoes - mmmmm), exotic cheeses (I'm not talking sharp Cheddar here - a few of these we have never seen and trust me, CB knows her cheese); the list just goes in. Freakin' amazing.
Friday night we spent a romantic evening on the harbour front of Vieux (old) Montreal. We had a decent meal at Pier Gabriel. That may sound like it is not an overly positive recommendation, but bear in mind we were in probably the most touristy area of Montreal. It far exceeded my expectations. Afterwards, we wandered over to an amphitheatre and sat on some grass and bootlegged a reggae concert. We lounged; we cuddled (as much as I am capable of); we made fun of the teenage couple who literally stared into each others eyes for about thirty minutes without moving. Pretty sure they were high.
Saturday, we hoofed it up Mont-Royal. I guess I had never thought of it, but this was the first time I clued in as to where Montreal got its name. Talk about an embarrassing revelation. It was hot and humid, but a very nice walk none-the-less. Just as we reached Beaver Lake (I think that's the name), the skies opened and drenched the mountain. Fortunately for us there was shelter. We hunkered down for a bit and then eventually caught a bus.
Lt. Dan and Nellie had recommended Brewtopia, but we ended up at Les Trois Brasseries (both covered here). Unfortunately, CB's schedule did not allow us to wait for the 3pm opening of Brewtopia. Les Trois Brasseries was fun, though. Good food and they brew locally at each pub despite being a chain of sorts.
I'm not normally a fan of modern art (I really didn't like MOMA), but we decided to give it one more shot and we went to Montreal's Musee d'art contemporain de Montreal. There were some very notable exhibits. Oddly, as it seems too simple an idea, I actually found the temporary Projection Series exhibit the most interesting.
Saturday evening was spent at dinner at O Chalet. Unfortunately, by combining English and French when speaking to the cabbie, I told him I would like him "to take us to the cottage". He was very confused. So much so that he took us to the west end rather than the east end first. It didn't dampen our spirit however. We went adventurous and had the prix fixe. We were not disappointed.
Sunday we spent at the BioDome and the Royal Botanical Gardens. Now that is a full day. I would highly recommend the gardens to anyone visiting Montreal:
oh, breakfast! Gotta run.
Saturday, July 22, 2006
You've come far, young padawan
After a whirlwind five years of training, CB has achieved her Black Belt. I can no longer use the tag line "it's a black belt thing" when she does not understand my idiosyncrasies. From now on, "it's an intermediate black belt thing" :)
CB has been training particularly hard under the scrutiny of our Sensei for the last few months and did a great job on the night of her test. I'm always amazed at the progress people make in the months leading up to their black belt. CB describes, correctly so, that at some point you just decide that you are ready and almost invariably within a few months of that, Sensei calls you out. This, of course, is followed by your thesis and months of [extra]intensive training.
Congrats CB. You were ready for the Kool-Aid and you embraced it (note to readers: CB HATES that phrase. I'm teasing her - which means I love her).
CB has been training particularly hard under the scrutiny of our Sensei for the last few months and did a great job on the night of her test. I'm always amazed at the progress people make in the months leading up to their black belt. CB describes, correctly so, that at some point you just decide that you are ready and almost invariably within a few months of that, Sensei calls you out. This, of course, is followed by your thesis and months of [extra]intensive training.
Congrats CB. You were ready for the Kool-Aid and you embraced it (note to readers: CB HATES that phrase. I'm teasing her - which means I love her).
Monday, July 3, 2006
Ash
There is some part of 'inevitable' that just doesn't seem to register. Knowledge does nothing for grief when events unfold.
Ash died yesterday. We've known something was in the wings for a while, but, as CB pointed out, 'you just never think it will be today.' I don't think I have before experienced the passing of someone closer to me; pet or person. It was a tremendously intimate experience.
Grief has got to be the most selfish and self-indulgent of all of the emotions. It is also probably the most necessary of all the emotions. It allows us to accept and move on. We don't characterise it this way, but grieving and mourning are really for the survivors. No matter what your theology is, there is no downside to death for the deceased. The near-eastern and western religions believe, almost invariable, that you go to heaven. The only exceptions being those who don't play nice or those who don't complete the paperwork in time. I don't think animals are permitted into heaven in Christianity, but I'm sure there must be a loophole for pets. For atheists, everything is simply over. There is no consciousness remaining to be aware of itself. For cats who live in wealthy, North American households, the only truly problematic theologies are those involving reincarnation. They pretty much haven't got anywhere to go but down.
Ash was twenty one and in better shape than you might expect despite, or because of, the quantity and variety of her meds. We took her to the vet because she seemed to be winding down and it turns out she had a tumor crowding her other organs and was not eating as a consequence. Friends and family alike gave CB and I more than one good natured ribbing over the ends we would go to over Ash. Daily: fibre, Cosequin, and Lactulose on her low protien food, a tablet of Fortekor, a tablet of Amlodopine, a capsule of Calcitriol, oral gel to keep her gums healthy, and a bit of potassium paste to wash it all down. In her day, she has also had a blood transfusion (prior to us meeting) and spent a week at McMaster University receiving radiation therapy for a hyperactive thyroid gland.
I think most folks understand the attachment people have for their pets, but as strange as it sounds, I never really viewed Ash as a pet or a possession. Her life was my responsibility: food; shelter; comfort; friendship. That's pretty much the definition of a pet, but there is far more feeling that CB and I brought to the table than is reflected in that word. In the end, there were possible treatments for Ash, but she would have had a terrible quality of life for a short time, even if she survived. It was the easiest decision I ever made and yet the most full of regret.
It was a very dignified death. We spent some time with her. She was then sedated. We chose to be present when they injected her. Since her failing kidney's were diagnosed, Ash dying alone has been a weight on my mind. I was shocked how sudden she disappeared. Like the air ripping from your lungs when you plunge into icy water. But it was dignified.
P.S. In true Ash fashion, she did stick us with one hell-of-a bill on the way out.
Ash died yesterday. We've known something was in the wings for a while, but, as CB pointed out, 'you just never think it will be today.' I don't think I have before experienced the passing of someone closer to me; pet or person. It was a tremendously intimate experience.
Grief has got to be the most selfish and self-indulgent of all of the emotions. It is also probably the most necessary of all the emotions. It allows us to accept and move on. We don't characterise it this way, but grieving and mourning are really for the survivors. No matter what your theology is, there is no downside to death for the deceased. The near-eastern and western religions believe, almost invariable, that you go to heaven. The only exceptions being those who don't play nice or those who don't complete the paperwork in time. I don't think animals are permitted into heaven in Christianity, but I'm sure there must be a loophole for pets. For atheists, everything is simply over. There is no consciousness remaining to be aware of itself. For cats who live in wealthy, North American households, the only truly problematic theologies are those involving reincarnation. They pretty much haven't got anywhere to go but down.
Ash was twenty one and in better shape than you might expect despite, or because of, the quantity and variety of her meds. We took her to the vet because she seemed to be winding down and it turns out she had a tumor crowding her other organs and was not eating as a consequence. Friends and family alike gave CB and I more than one good natured ribbing over the ends we would go to over Ash. Daily: fibre, Cosequin, and Lactulose on her low protien food, a tablet of Fortekor, a tablet of Amlodopine, a capsule of Calcitriol, oral gel to keep her gums healthy, and a bit of potassium paste to wash it all down. In her day, she has also had a blood transfusion (prior to us meeting) and spent a week at McMaster University receiving radiation therapy for a hyperactive thyroid gland.
I think most folks understand the attachment people have for their pets, but as strange as it sounds, I never really viewed Ash as a pet or a possession. Her life was my responsibility: food; shelter; comfort; friendship. That's pretty much the definition of a pet, but there is far more feeling that CB and I brought to the table than is reflected in that word. In the end, there were possible treatments for Ash, but she would have had a terrible quality of life for a short time, even if she survived. It was the easiest decision I ever made and yet the most full of regret.
It was a very dignified death. We spent some time with her. She was then sedated. We chose to be present when they injected her. Since her failing kidney's were diagnosed, Ash dying alone has been a weight on my mind. I was shocked how sudden she disappeared. Like the air ripping from your lungs when you plunge into icy water. But it was dignified.
P.S. In true Ash fashion, she did stick us with one hell-of-a bill on the way out.
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