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Day 33- Thursday - You're fired

Well not me… but you get the drift.

I worked… Watched The Apprentice. Worked some more.

Got itchy… for some reason.
Showered… for an obvious reason.
Went to bed… who needs a reason.

Travel Advisory

For the last week this site has been off on a little snit to snitsville.

Now that it has returned, we will resume our normally scheduled inane banter.

Thanks for your patience.

Day 23 - Agoraphobia, not just for Toronto anymore.

So, I guess I don't have to be in Toronto to get stuck never leaving home. I worked. Then around 8pm when Vith was driving to the sportsplex, she dropped me off at the Leob strip mall where I got lip gunk - SoftLips, the only stuff that works; cream cheese for my bagels; cash for the next 4 days and take out dinner at Wan's. Dinner was under $10 without a drink. I'd like to try something other than one of their dinner-for-1 fried-rice-&-chicken-ball-combos (#2 with beef & veg) sometime though. They have both open-ended and close-ended egg rolls. I tried to get one of each, but ended up with 2 open ended ones.

This open-ended egg roll thing seems to be an Ottawa phenomenon... or more accurately, not a Toronto thing. But they are tastey... I'm just not sure how they stuff them since there is always a little ball sticking out both ends... perhaps a sausage shaped stuffing frozen then wrapped in egg roll wrapper... hummmm. It's a dense stuffing so I think that would work.

Okay - it wasn't the smartest thing to be walking around the back short cuts in the dark, when I know there have been swarmings recently... but I needed to get out and I needed a walk.

It was a beautiful night for it. Not to cold, but still crisp. The air was fresh and there was no one else out walking, so plenty of peace and quiet. Vith told me she even saw a deer along here one day. I didn't... but I had a lovely walk home.

Day 22 - Fast Food Nation

Today I had to get out of the house! Try and give Mabo &Vith a little home time without me.

They've been so good to me and I've been loitering all week. So I packed up around 7:30 and headed to Fallowfield station to go downtown. As I was reaching for my wallet to get bus fare, I realize I didn't have my wallet... argh! So back to Mabo &Vith's, into the house as quietly as possible so I didn't disturb them more than I had to... and there it was on the chair.

Bundled back up and headed out again. But this time I didn't make it all the way to Fallowfield Station - I was feeling to crappy and beat again. Just from walking back and forth, how pathetic! So into McD's for a sausage mcmuffin (shhh don't tell anyone, but they are my guilty little secret treat). They had a plug - so I plugged in the laptop and started some editing. Worked for at least 3 hours and got a big chunk of work done.

Since I had only planned to head to Chinatown, grab some dim sum and then spend the day in the library working, I decided I might as well stay in the Fallowfield strip. So I walked next door to the Tim Horton's for a coffee and another 2 hours of work.

At this point, I decided that I would just head back home. I got a LOT done, saw a ground hog and even talked to dad and Ger. Was a bit of a suck head... but hey, what else is new? Caught a little TV and then headed to bed.

Day 21 - Date Night

I worked today and phoned the family. Mom may be coming to visit this week, since it's March break and I was coordinating the use of Dr. E's apartment for her visit. Then arranged to hook up with Dr. C & her man - Mr.B, for coffee & and movie. (I'm bad with nicknames... should I use real names or just stick with the initials... hummmm) Dr.C & Mr.B, picked me up and off we went to a Timothy's for coffee served in big breast shaped coffee mugs... oh come on... just try and tell me that wasn't what they look like... Then we went to the Coliseum for the movie, Hidalgo.

It was okay, though got a little cheesy around the vision-quest-esque portion. But I couldn't stand up to the quizzing by Dr.C & Mr.B. When I was asked what I had seen that was cheesier recently I had to admit I'd seen Spy Kids 2 on the Movie Network during yesterday's sick day. Shock and Awe were the response... followed by horror as I admitted to seeing both Spy Kids and Spy Kids 2 in the theatre. They can't have known me this long and still believe I have any semblance of high-mindedness... well certainly they don't believe it any more.

But hey...Mr.B wanted to see Cody Banks #2, and I've successfully avoided being sucked into that series in anyway. Found out that Mr.B is a buddy of one of my writers. They went to grad school together and are on an adventure racing team. He's going to phone and nag her to finish her writing.

Day 20 - Those allergies have got me in their grasp.

Slept in, worked and rested. Pretty quiet day all in all. Starting to feel a little better. Also starting to feel like a suburban teenager. Heading to my room when the 'rents get home. Sneaking the phone up to my room to make a call.  Begging for lifts to the mall (see next Monday), hanging out at the McDonalds (see tomorrow), and taking the bus everywhere... Funny that last time I felt like a pathetic mild-aged woman, and now I feel like a pathetic teenager... humm... not so fond of the common theme running through those. Oh well... time for bed.

Day 19 - Back in Beautiful Barrhaven

It was spring day today! Sunny, warm and birds on every branch. I caught up on email and then headed over to Barrhaven Centre to grab lunch and pick up some essentials. Got off the bus too late to check Vith's new restaurant recommendation... a Pho place in Barrhaven, a must try while I'm out there... so instead... and I'm not proud of this... I went to the DQ Brazier for a burger. I considered walking back for Pho... but I just wasn't up to it. Picked up a nightlight to read my bedtime book by, which I got at a dollar store for $1.50. That way I'm not keeping the overhead light on all night and I'm also not running through the days events and worries over and over and over again in my head instead of sleeping. Also picked up groceries to cover me for dinners and lunches when I'm not checking out restaurants. Good investment for those days I want to save up my daily budget to do more the next day. I was bang on budget after today with food in the fridge. Can't beat that! Mabo bought us dinner from Go4Greek. Another wonderful chicken souvlaki dinner accompanied by a green salad with those great mixed greens... I'm impressed again. Forced poor Mabo & Vith to watch The Apprentice with me, so I could keep The Apprentice Blog up to date. Then I crashed.

Travel Advisory - Back in Barrhaven

After leaving the island yesterday morning at 9am we arrived in Barrhaven at 11:11pm last night, with quick stops to see the Reversing Falls and the covered bridge in Hartland.

Day 5 - Work Day

Today's postcard is brought to you by the Barrhaven Centre Mall. After much work and frantic emailing to prepare for tomorrow mornings "crack of dawn" departure, it was time to get setup for The Apprentice Which involves making pizza and settling in. In order to make pizza, I needed to shop. In order to shop, I needed to "zip over" to the Loblaws at Barrhaven Centre. In order to "zip over" to the Loblaws at Barrhaven Centre, I needed to walk for about 40 minutes to a sprawling complex of big box stores.

In order to locate the Loblaws, I needed to walk through parking lot after parking lot to the farthest corner of the outreaches of Barrhaven "Centre" to find the Loblaws. In order to get home, I needed to call a cab!!

We have arrived

Just a quick update. We have successfully arrived in NB. I'm settled down at Di's computer, and nicking her pictures already for our funky postcards. Trip = just over 14 hours, including a couple of "East?" - "No, West" - "No, East, East, EAST!" and "look at that shiny building. Oh crap was that our exit?!?" detours. Back tracked daily updates soon... think... dates in rum...