Summer 2010

Well, now that Old Home Week has come and gone, we're all left to face the inevitable truth, and that is the end of summer. I've been a bad blogger -- barely scraping by with keeping this updated , and that's only thanks to a slight BB obsession. I would never normally say that I lead an overly exciting or busy life, but I guess these past few months have been pretty busy. I'm going to try to pinpoint the highlights - this blog serves as my journal, so there are a few moments that I don't want to forget! :)

• a great evening of entertainment & friendship thanks to the hospitality of Jo & Barry, and to Irish Mythen for lending her talent (as well as Andrew & Nikki). We had an opportunity to also meet Irish's parents, so that was super special. Irish is the spit of her momma!
• I was lucky enough to witness a live taping of the Live! with Regis and Kelly show when they took their crew on-site to PEI. It was an extremely successful endeavor by Tourism PEI -- and I don't think that any amount of money or any marketing scheme could have ever been as successful as how they promoted our Island for us.
• a successful baby shower for momma-to-be Tanya**! Julie R graciously offered up her new beautiful home to host a baby shower. She received so many beautiful gifts, and it was so, so nice to see her mom Vivien & her aunt Grace in attendance.
• I was able to waltz down memory lane a bit as Lana and I went thru the entire Degrassi High series in two get togethers. It was so fun :).
• I rode in a HOT AIR BALLOON!!
• Eating -- oh there was so much eating ;)....thanks to the Moshers, and to Matt & Nicole for your generous hospitality and hosting your bbq suppers for Chris and myself. The food was delish, and the company was even better!
• Speaking of eating, we had the opportunity to try out a few PEI restaurants that we'd not yet been to: Globe World Flavours, PEI Preserve Co, The Pearl Cafe, and the Doghouse (no website to link). Oh and ice cream. There's.been.SO.much.ice.cream. Soft serve cones, dilly bars, blizzards, flurries, oh my! I fear even the comfort fit waistbands might be a little tight for the next while...time to start eating like a rabbit *frown*.
• I was able to witness an evening of multiple shooting stars (it was a meteor shower, but, it was all shooting stars to me :)).
• Summer fun and friendship go hand in hand. I'm so glad that I had the chance to visit a few folks "from away", including an excellent supper out with a visiting Kelly and and the girls from work; a really fun evening at Carolyn's momma's house as she was home visiting from the big metropolis of Sturgis, SK *wink*; a quick chat with a visiting Kathleen and her granddaughter Elyse; and, a great chance to catch up with a few old Watts' alumni while a visiting Shawn was here for his annual trip home.
• I participated in the 7th Annual Corey Stevenson Memorial Tournament. By participating, I mean I sat in a fold-up chair for hours watching a far-away hole to witness the chance of giving away $10,000. The money didn't go, unfortunately, but I had a really great time, and I felt a sense of comfort knowing that I've finally participated in Corey's memory. Every year previous, the weather hasn't cooperated with the tourney. This year the sun shone bright and warm the whole time. I figure Corey was mad at me for not going previous years. I brought the sunshine. I'll be there from now on, Corey, and I hope to keep on bringing the sunshine. I miss you, buddy - so much, xo.
• On the forefront for this upcoming weekend, I have an end of summer gathering for work on Friday night; a party hosted by the lovely Bowlans that's sure to be a blast on Saturday night; and, a baby shower for Pam and her new little bundle, Ayden on Sunday afternoon. September looks a little slower...I'll blog more then, I promise :).

It's been a fantastic summer, filled with so many excellent memories. I'm so fortunate to have so many great friends in my life. Raising a glass to Summer '10 ;)


**Exciting update: This post has been in my drafts for a few days as I compose when I have a few free moments. I'm happy to report that Tanya gave birth to a healthy baby boy on August 26th at 9:34 am. Welcome to the world, little Jared "Ryder" Mason! Tanya, I'm SO proud of you! I cannot wait to meet your gorgeous boy! xoxoxo

Don't get yer knickers in a knot - you might find yourself looking for a new pair

We had a very busy weekend pass by last weekend (to be highlighted in another post). As such, I didn't get an opportunity to climb Mt. Laundry. My 'cleaning fairy' took it upon himself to do a load of darks on Sunday night (I could barely keep my eyes open by the time we landed home to our little domain, so it sure as heck wasn't going to be done by me :)).

The next morning, he even folded some of them. And, at one point made a remark along the lines of, "Gee, it's a good thing I did that load of laundry last night or today would have been uncomfortable with my available choice of boxers".

This morning, at the crack of crowpee as I stumble and fumble around looking for a clean pair of my own skivvies I'm left a little puzzled....the folded pile that was "my pile" from cleaning fairy's doing contained only a few shirts and a few pairs of capris. No skivvies. I thought, "Ok, cool, he chose to only fold those things that mattered. No worries. The remainders are likely still in the dryer". I stumble, one eye open, to the dryer...to be met with a lighted, empty dryer.

Luckily, with some rummaging, I did find an okay pair to put on. Not the type I'd wanna be caught in an accident with and having to have some ambulance hottie cut through my skirt to get to...but, I'll get by. And, I have a few loads of laundry to attend to this evening. *ahem*

Moral of the story: always clean your own drawers...or, when you're cleaning fairy opts to throw in a laundry load, ensure to grab a few and throw them in on top*. I'm not ready to fire my cleaning fairy just yet ;).

*though puzzling -- he had to rummage around my dirty skivvies to avoid loading any into his laundry pile?

"It's 5 THOUSAND dollars; that's more money than I've made in the last two years!"

I know I've missed a few nights...it's tough to keep up when the show's on 3 times a week! Probably my favourite quote from Sunday's unblogged episode was Matt declaring his homosexual bromance.

And moving onward to this evening's entertainment....

• Was Brendan really wearing an eye mask to soak up his tears, all the while talking to himself and bemoaning his Rachel-less status in the house? Yeah. He was.
  
• Ladies and gentlemen, the oaf quote of the day: "It's 5 THOUSAND dollars; that's more money than I've made in the last two years!".
• Chum* bath; okay NO amount of money in the world is worth that. Who all thinks he should have had to soak in it a bit longer each session, though?
• I love how Britney and Ragan wear matching t's.
• "Private Toolbag". That made me snicker.
• That's one ugly penguin. I kinda like the feet, though.
• Pandora wasn't very good to poor Britney. Or us. I kinda hoped I'd never have to see that meathead rip off another wife beater ever again. Thankfully it wasn't a long visit.
• Can't wait for tomorrow's double eviction!

*I apparently am a 12 year old boy inside a 30-something woman's fluffy body, as I prove it again after sitting, giggling and reciting to Chris, some of the other 'chum' definitions. I love urban dictionary.

RAGE

I.have.SO.much.rage.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1305458/Facebook-protest-woman-cat-wheelie-bin-gets-police-protection.html

She petted her.

How can anyone even think of doing something to a poor, defenseless animal? Now she's under police protection due to the popularity of a protest group on Facebook? I tell you one thing, I'd sure like to introduce myself to this middle-aged British c*#@!

Wild?

Ok. Being song-bombed with a little "Born to be Wild" is not my idea of starting the day out on the right foot.

Eugh.

"Git yer motor runnin'.....".........bah!

UPDATE:
full moon + PMS + 4 mos til Christmas Day + being song-bombed (still hours later) with "Born to be Wild" = CRANKY Amber

"The only honest thing about you are the pimples on your chin."*

• Ok, so that was the BEST episode of this entire season!
• Watching Kathy, Brendan, Lane and Hayden's faces as they tried to both think and stay erect on a moving platform was laughable at its finest.
• I wanted to punch the Zingbot in the metal face, and would have been willing to place bets that it was Rachel inside it.
• "Why don't you count your friends? Done already?"**
• I think I'd almost pay money to see more banter between Ragan and Ra-tress. That comment she made about him being such a bitch because he was gay was the absolute lowest of the low. Though, I can't say I'm very surprised she'd stoop to that sort of level in trying to make the house sympathize with her "plight" of being barraged (smartly) by Ragan. Oh, and have I mentioned yet how much I LOVE Ragan?
• Nothing says "I love you", like a message in pretzels. *gag*
  
• Brendan really is just a big oaf, isn't he?
• I cannot wait to see the DPOV played tomorrow night -- though, I am very nervous of what it might mean for Britney's time in the house...
  

*Best quote of the night. It was hard to pick just one though. And, all in contention were voiced by Ragan, of course ;).
**Second favourite quote of the night.

A moment of pride...

Chris made it into the paper!

http://www.theguardian.pe.ca/Arts/Entertainment/2010-08-14/article-1672671/Focal-points/1

Holland College has been hosting a one-day photography bootcamp. It's specifically geared to those people who own a digital camera that really don't know what all the buttons mean/do. Chris was chosen to be the guide, and he starts with some classroom instruction, before the group is then bussed out to some of the Island's most picturesque locales. On location, the group then get some hands-on experience, and professional critique, when practicing what they've learned from inside the classroom.

The camp was supposed to be a summer gig, but there's talk of the potential of extending it into the fall. For more info, and if you're interested in signing up, click on the link below:

http://www.hollandcollege.com/bootcamps/photography_bootcamps.php

I might be a bit biased, but I have it on good authority that the bootcamp instructor is pretty awesome :)

Dreams that weren't so sweet...

I woke up in tears this morning - after a fitful night of dreaming the same dream, over and over. It wasn't the exact same dream, but the subject repeated itself over and over... and it got progressively worse. You know how bad you feel when you dream that someone close to you is dying or has died, and the relief you feel when you wake up, and sigh -- knowing that, thank GOD, that was just a dream? Have you ever woken up from such a dream, wanting desperately for that sense of relief, but it's not there, because the person is no longer there? Before today, any dream I've ever had where Dad's been in it, he's just been there - happy, healthy, a part of our lives. Never sick. Last night/this morning's recurring dreams saw him in bed, increasingly sicker in each dream...physically changing each time I went to see him, and in the dreams, I was coming to the realization that he was dying. I've never woken up with such an empty feeling in my life.

The last time I woke up I didn't let myself go back to sleep because I was afraid of what the next dream would be.

I miss him so much.

Tequila-vomit-hundred-dollar-bill?

Sir Neander-tall, Knight of the Big Brother house fell "madly in love" after 38 days, eh? That's gotta be true love. Especially how he compared her to a witch. That was wickedly romantic, wasn't it? I half expected him to get down on one knee before the verdict came out. "Sadly", his expert little ploy didn't work. His chivalry failed, and his "Lady" had to go home after a unanimous vote and their little showmance has to take a hiatus. I'm thrilled that it was Rachel to leave...not that I like Brendan anymore, but I can tolerate his stupidity a lot more than I can tolerate her whining and that g.d. laugh.

I'm sure the entire house were shaking in their boots when he warned them all to get ready for his wrath.

{And what did Julie mean by it might not be the last she shes of the BB house?}

Did you have your blizzard today?

Psst!!! Today is Miracle Treat Day! You know what that means? That means it's a guilt-free day to eat a delicious ice cream treat, because you're doing it for the children.

I hear a cookie dough blizzard calling my name........

"This dress exacerbates the genetic betrayal that is my legacy. " **

My 20 year reunion from high school took place a few weekends ago. I'd love to report back that the all-time school bitch is still a bitch, and the super skinnies are fat and ugly, but I wouldn't know, because I didn't go. I have to admit to creeping on a few pictures that have been posted on a share site, and those who are pictured look great (really, most haven't changed a bit). Do I regret not attending the reunion in person? Not a bit. Truth be told, I was helping set up for Tanya's baby shower at Julie's, & I wouldn't have dreamed missing out on that to go to a stuffy locale to spend 2 hours with people I never liked to begin with.

In high school I had friends, don't get me wrong. I had a great collection of girls, all of whom I still keep close contact with today, and some of my all-time best memories are shared with them. Aside from 'my group', I was also friendly with a lot of other people, and I don't think I was on anyone's 'black list', for lack of a better term (in high school, that is). I wasn't "popular" by any means. I wasn't athletic. My parents didn't make hundreds of thousands of dollars a year, so I wasn't dressed head to toe in brand names and styles. My crushes on the cute, popular boys all went unrequited. I kept to myself, for the most part, and I earned decent grades. The list of 'accepted' people on the invitation list contained 98% of the people from my graduating class that I don't care about, and didn't associate with. I actually would love to set up an afternoon or evening with my old high school friends, or "bench gang", as we called ourselves. Our own little reunion of sorts. But, to pay $40 to eat (or $80 if I wanted to drag Chris with me) and view a room of snobs to see them continue to look down their nose at me? I'd rather watch paint dry. I'd rather endure a lengthy gynecological exam.

Surely there must be a reason why I'm so bitter, you're all saying to yourself. Yeah. Of course there are memories that are etched into the depths of my brain that I will never forget. Stupid, silly, grade school memories of a group of bullies who didn't want to accept the 'new girl' into their pact. Bullies who made me come home and cry every day after school. Bullies who made me write terrible things about them in my diary. The same bully pact that followed me from elementary, to junior high, and on to senior high school. So I carry a grudge. You don't treat me like shit in my 'formative' years and then slap me on the back and be my best friend years down the road. One girl went out of her way to do whatever she could to have the entire 6th grade class hate me. This girl, as you may guess, was one of those attendees to the auspicious 20 year reunion.

A decade ago, I did attend my 10 year reunion. I expected the 20 to be much the same. One of the popular girls (not the same girl in the aforementioned paragraph, but they both travel in the same circle) came over to the little bench gang grouping, and she smiled her fake smile, looking to see what we all did with our lives since leaving high school. She's apparently an accomplished sports psychologist or some such thing (and how she got the degree beside her name is beYOND me, because she wasn't the sharpest pin on the cushion through high school, let me tell ya). When it came to my turn, I proudly announced my then-place of employment. A call centre. She looked me deeply in the eyes, patted me on the shoulder and said, like she was sympathizing with me over a dead pet, "Oh.... it's okay....". I can't make this shit up -- and why would I?

So yeah, I wasn't in the right mindset to face her questions 10 years later, when although I'm not still working at that call centre, my future with my current employer is not really known right now. How do you go to a 20 year high school reunion without a known career path or answer to the question, "What do you wanna be when you grow up?". Besides that, I have probably another 50 or so odd pounds on since I bid adieu to my alma mater, and I just know I wouldn't fill out that dress like I'd like to. You can't blame a girl from being a little self-conscious.

I purposely didn't name any 'names' in this post - and if any of my graduating class happen to read this, I mean no offense. If you can figure out if you're one of 'those girls', you should just know that you really hurt me, and I wanted to let you know. I can only hope that you raise your children to be a little more respectful of their peers so history doesn't repeat itself.

Yeah, I opted out of my 20 year high school reunion. And I have no regrets.

** Alternate title, and both quotes courtesy of Heather from Romy and Michele's High School Reunion: "Why don't you tell everyone I said to go f@#k themselves for making my teen years a living hell?"

Beauty is skin deep. A tattoo goes all the way to the bone. **

Quite often, I've given thought to getting a tattoo. A small one. A respectable one. A few times I've been in the parlor watching my friends get one and almost went through with it, but then I've backed off at the last minute. It's perhaps the whole permanency thing that bothers me. That, oh, and something about pain, as well.

I love the idea of little cat paws somewhere fairly obscure. I mean, how cute is that? And you know how I feel about cats. And no, despite the recent barrage of reality-tv posts from me, I do not toy with the idea of stamping the "Big Brother" logo, or a 'final rose' on my ass. Really.

My ever-fluffing frame has made me question the idea of placement. There's nothing that needs stamping and stretching out on any of my parts. However, perhaps the 'fluff' would help with the pain? I mean, it makes sense that sticking a needle into a wad of fat would hurt much, much less than doing so into a thin layering of skin right over the bone, doesn't it? Perhaps I'm a perfect candidate for this art form after all?

It's quite a mental process. First, you have to settle with the fact that you're going to actually dooooo it. Then, there is the all-important task of what you want inked on your parts forevermore. Originally I had toyed with a tiny daisy or a ladybug and the placement would be on my ankle. Recently, though, I have given considerable thought to one that will be a token or symbol of my father's memory. Thinking of what I want stamped to commemorate him is much more difficult than deciding on the size of ladybug...

My friend Darren has one going down his calf muscle; it consists of Chinese symbols, and says, "like Father, like Son". I love that. It's not obvious. It's not, "Father" with roses and crosses intertwined through it. It's something Darren can share privately... 'spose until he travels China :). So, the idea of mimicking him with a phrase in symbol is a contender. I also thought of a picture that immediately spoke him... He was a lover of the sea, and a member of the Canadian Navy. His father was a lighthouse keeper, and anytime I see a lighthouse I think of him. I have, and will forever describe him as being my Guardian Angel. He died of cancer.

All those words of brainstorm bring up several ideas:
-Chinese symbol for "Father", "Daddy", "My Dad, my Hero", "Daddy's girl"
-an ocean wave
-the Canadian Navy logo consisting of an anchor & crown
-a small anchor alone
-a small lighthouse, or light beam
-a pair of angel wings in-between a heart, with a halo over top of it
-a yellow ribbon

I just can't seem to come to a clear decision. I'm doubtful that I'll be overly popular if I land into the tattoo parlor with my aforementioned list, requesting they come up with something that includes all of them ;). Whatcha think, people?

**Quote by Vince Hemingson

Bachin' it in the Pad

Ok so now we welcome a whole new show onto the airwaves. The Bachelor Pad made its premiere this evening. What is it, you ask? Well it's The Bachelor meets Survivor, meets Big Brother, of course! I know you're all thinking that this is the reality-show that's simply made for me. I know several of you only come here for my Bachelor updates, so I couldn't disappoint you. I thought I'd let you in on my inner most thoughts on this show too (I promise a few new thought-provoking, real life posts are forthcoming in the very near future).

Aaaand go!

-Why do women squeal like pigs when they see each other for the first time after being apart?
-Gwen looks very....plastic? And so very old. Wow.
-"This girl's bangin'" - that's an interesting...erm...compliment. Maybe I'm an 'ol fuddy duddy?
-I.want.to.punch.Tenley.in.the.face and it's only 10 minutes in...
-And the man we love to hate...Wes. Who out there believes he's really single? He might be. He might not be. How'd anyone know for sure?
-Mmmm....Kiptyn. How I've missed seeing his face :).
{the urge to punch Tenley is increasing}
-I'm confused as to why they'd allow people into the Bachelor pad if they are not single? Though I suppose, by definition, "bachelor" specifically only refers to "unmarried". Still, I figure if you're in a committed relationship outside of the house, $250,000 or not, you have NO business being in this game.
-Oh Weatherman, you're such a DWEEB.
-I almost had Christopher's attention as the girls in bikinis started their game of Twister, but he quickly rolled his eyes and went back to his laptop.
-Was Elizabeth really washing her face in the bed? Like she was too self-conscious to wash herself up in the bathroom prior to heading to bed? What's she going to do? Reapply the makeup by flashlight under the covers before the break of dawn? Give me a cotton-pickin' break!
-Oh Jebus, Elizabeth has to go HOME.
-No. Tenley does.
-I think 2 hrs was an hour too long for this show. I hope future Mondays are only slotted for 60 mins.
-Not a bit surprised that Michelle and Juan were the first victims of the Pad.
-Thank God it's bedtime now.

"You're a homo sapien, Brendan. You're not a wizard!"

-Did Kristen REALLY think she had a chance at keeping the PoV in her possession? Really??! That one statement alone proved her deserving to wear the hippie-tard.
-Since watching this episode I've been totally song-bombed with a song by The Who.
-Gotta say I think I'm preferring to see Kristin in the hippie-tard than having to see Hayden in it; and Enzo's description of her, "a bootlegged little orphan Annie" is quite fitting (though Flashdance is also a contender if you ask me).
-I'm stoked about there being a new saboteur. As much as I poked fun at Britney at the beginning, she's growing on me in leaps and bounds. Could it be, though, that's because there is NO ONE else that I care to see go far? Yeah. That might be it. She does have a comical side to her that comes out in the diary room that I find endearing though. I'd be delighted to see her win America's vote to be the new saboteur.
-To borrow my dear friend Mosher's term, the "brigayde" needs to be shut down - if for nothing else than to put a stop to the grunts and animal noises that come out of Enzo's mouth (and no I don't actually mean his talking; the actual animal noises).
-I would have enjoyed tonight's episode so much more if my effing Anonymous spoiler hadn't ruined it for me. The fact that Rachel even entertained Hayden's ploy to 'shake up' the nominations if Britney chose to use the PoV proves, once more, that shes just a ditzy blonde in a painted-red-headed, big-boobed body. Oh wait - she then "redeemed" herself at the very end to say she, "didn't really trust Kristen and Hayden anyways". Right.

Roses, letdowns and rainbows...

Hello my Bachelorette-watching lovelies... I joined Erin, Julie & Tanya last night over at Tanya's house to tune into the finale. I was heartbroken by Ali's decision to let Chris go, but I do think it was a mature way to do it. I mean, really, if her mind was already made up (perhaps a scripted "not the norm" action that was written and directed to try to make the show look unscripted??!), it was the right thing to do, as opposed to spending the whole day with the guy and being "there", and "in it", only to drive his hopes up even further. His reaction was very mature (and might I add that I was indeed surprised that he held it together like he did. I truly thought he was a fragile little egg one crack shy of opening up).

I never hated Roberto, so I'm not in a frenzy about her choice. As the show progressed, I liked her less and less though...that whine.... They will indeed make beautiful, beautiful babies (don't get me started on my opinions surrounding babies made out of a union organized and initiated through a reality-tv show though. My only saving grace is Trista & Ryan).

Perhaps Chris' fish is in the sea. If you play along that the show is not scripted, finding the rainbow in the sky as he was getting ready to depart was bittersweet loveliness. I do hope his momma is shining down on him and lighting the way to his true happiness. I know not if the decision is fully made - but I know speculation abounds - re: him being the role of the next Bachelor (and spoilers don't ruin this for me - I will watch "After the Rose" soon...I just couldn't keep my eyes open last night). I've not made my mind up yet if I think that's the best idea for him...

Next up - the drama in the Pad....... ;)

Up, up and away!!!!!!

So my amazing weekend continued...

Having already been down to witness the hot air balloons on Saturday night and Sunday morning, Chris was like a kid in a candy store, insisting we go Sunday evening for their night flight. I wasn't overly enthused, I'll admit. Thinking if there were dozens of pretty balloons I'd be so much more impressed. He'd already shown me some fabulous photos he'd taken of those that would be taking off. There were 4. Selfishly, I was sorta tired, and wanted to go home. However, he was the driver, so after he took some pics of Tanya and after we had a lovely visit with the Masons, we headed to the Crapaud field.

The trucks were lined up waiting for the next run. The mosquitos were absolutely INSANE there. Queue Cranky Amber. I'm in a hot car waiting for something I have no idea if I'll even enjoy. I'm not prepared for warding off bugs. I'm in my flip flops and don't have a coat. We don't have bug spray. I'm anticipating hours of being inside the car because I'm trying to avoid being eaten alive while he's out shooting photos. And I'm tired.

One of the pilots knocks on Chris' window to let him know that the wind has changed, and the take off is going to be out of Hunter River instead. 1o billion mosquitos pile inside the vehicle in search of unsuspecting flesh (ok possibly not that many; 5 billion?). So we follow - I'm still not overly impressed, but I do have a glimmer of hope as I envision the possibility of having a pee and perchance, the purchase of some bug spray. We went to the Hunter River Irving, shooing mosquitos as we traveled, and found our refuge in a tiny bottle of Muskol.

We got to the field for the lift off. The crews unloaded the gear and unfolded the balloons, and one started to fill. As I watched the balloon take shape and the utter enormity of the balloon in scale of everything else in my surroundings, I then started getting impressed. Yeah. It was pretty cool. The pilot that Chris had followed out (he'd been part of the ground crew earlier in the day - holding onto the restraints as the balloon filled) came over to me, handed me a pair of gloves and said she was going to put me to work. I helped keep the mouth of the balloon steady as the air was forced in. In no time, it was filled, and we all were asked to use our weight to keep the basket down on the ground. She asked Chris if he wanted to go up. Her basket was the smallest there -- room for only herself and one passenger.

When you go up on a balloon, you are moving with the wind. The crew on the land have GPS systems and they 'chase' the balloon to help with the landing and to pick up the pilot and passengers. We had taken Chris' car there. His car is a standard, and because I can't drive a stick, he declined, knowing he'd have to be the chaser,...but then quickly volunteered me to go up in his place (he was SUPER jealous, but was happy that one of us at least had the chance to go).

I'm terrified of heights, so for a brief moment had a thought cross my mind of, "Wow, can I really do this?". With hot air balloons you don't have a lot of time for large discussions -- so without much further thought, and more of a, "Wow how can I NOT do this??", I climbed into the basket and off we went. It was spectacular. Amazing. Incredible!

Here are a few shots I took with Chris' G11 point & shoot. I was one-handed -- having to ensure one hand was always on the balloon. Funny thing with those things ...there's no seatbelt. There's no harness... and this particular basket wasn't overly tall. I would have felt a lot more safe had it been about a foot higher in height (that surely would have made the climb in and out that much more entertaining to observers, too, no doubt).

So yeah. I flew in a hot air balloon over picturesque PEI. And it was amazing. It's as good a task as any to have added to your bucket list. And I get to cross it off mine. :)

a day in the life....

I love weekends.

Yesterday, Lana and I planned a terrific girlie night. We started late afternoon - opting to meet at Cedars at 4pm for shwarma supper. An early supper, to ensure we had ample time to enjoy some chick flicks, annnnnd most importantly, to provide ample time between supper and movie time to enjoy movie snacks. Supper took no time to arrive, and it was delish, as usual. We landed back at her place, after a visit to two video stores, the bulk barn and the good ol' LC, just after 6pm. We were good and fed, and carried with us an armload of candy goodies, Doritios, wine, shooters, and a season 1-4 DVD of Degrassi High (the original).

Supper (with tip): $16.81
Bulk Barn treats: $9.06 & $6something for Lana
LC: $19.98
That's Entertainment: $19something for Lana
7ish hours of nostalgic entertainment with Spike, Wheels, Snake, Joey Jeremiah; a candy buffet; stinky feet Doritos; wine; and, QT with the bestie: PRICELESS :)

****

Chris was at the Crapaud Exhibition shooting everything from tractor pulls to hot air balloon rides. He'd left the house just after 11am. He'd sent a text that he was shooting in Tryon at 10:45pm. I replied, asking what he'd be shooting at that hour. Well, the Milky Way, of course ;). By the time he made it to bed after uploading and a few edits, it was just after 2 am. He'd shot the balloons at dusk, and at 4am his alarm goes off and he's back in his car heading back to Crapaud for the balloon take off at sunrise. He's home just after 9am, uploads a few more photos, showers, and is back on the move for a family portrait at 11am. We're scheduled to be at the Mason's for a maternity shoot at 2pm. He anticipated an early bedtime tonight until he realized it was Big Brother night. Priorities, ya know.