CHIPPIE UPDATE MONday, The Long Holiday Weekend on the wrong date

Queen Victoria for whom our Victoria Day long weekend is named after was born on May 24th in 1819.

This holiday has several variations as to what it is called now, since the majority of new Canadians don't even know who she was nor have they been taught.  (Our education system is a whole other topic).

Some call it the May long weekend, many of us older folk still call it the Victoria Day Weekend, or the newer generation call it the 24 weekend referring to their favourite BEvERage. and not for the specific date in May.

Excuse me, this post has been interrupted.

Lily has just brought a chipmunk into the house and they are both now running around in the unfinished basement.  

Let the games begin.

Chippie sighting!

6:26 pm

running in the basement 

and

hiding behind the electrical box on the wall.

GAH!!

Lily, you'd better get this thing 

dead or alive

or 

you're off the payroll.

Okayyyy it is now 5:50 AM Monday morning, the chipmunk is lost somewhere upstairs in the kitchen area.  The cat is locked in my bedroom and I'm sitting here watching a fantastic sunrise waiting for the chipmunk to reappear.  

Since this is an old renovated (and not that well I might add) there are MANY hiddey holes for this chippie to be in.   Not exactly the way I wanted to spend my long weekend.

Yesterday was spent inside, it was so cold and very windy.  Have I mentioned I hate being cold?  

If I can get this thing out today I'm not too sure what to do other than call someone who removes animals professionally.   This is really where I need a man servant.  I suppose I'm just getting tired of having to manage EVERYTHING on my own.....

Well, one nice thing about all of this, the house is getting cleaned!

Life's fun if you don't weaken, 

Lily (and NOT the cat)

Wordless Wednesday

Time slips on by

Where is the time going? Has it really been six weeks since I was sidelined? Holy moly, unbelievable!

I had promised myself no more whiney posts about my knee, no more whiney posts about being cold and just plain no more whiney posts whatsoever.

This weekend I was rip roaring to to get into the gardens and then get out on my bike. The Rideau Lakes Bike Tour is less than four weeks away and if Dr. No gives me the go ahead I'd better get my ass in gear. It is said that you'd better have 1,000 km's of riding under your belt before you attempt this bike tour.

After last Thursday's great bike ride up through Fitzroy Harbour, and the Provincial Park , I was really excited to get some more mileage in over the weekend.

Well, I checked with the Ottawa Weather gods and they said it was to be slightly over cast, okay....

This is more than overcast!! Add a substantial wind to it and there was no way I was going to get out on the bike. While I did try, it was just too cold for me. (no more whining, remember).

Yesterday was really nice out, but extremely busy at the office so I didn't get home until almost 7pm and was mentally exhausted, again, no biking.

This morning was beautiful at 5:30, the birds were singing and the sun was already up. I thought, okay, get your rear in gear and get out and put a new spin on! As I was getting ready putting on the coffee and having a quick bite to eat, I heard my elderly neighbour outside calling her dog, Phoebe. I stuck my head out the back patio door to see Marion in her nightie looking forlorn and calling her dog. "Is everything okay?" I called out to her, she was obviously distressed, "I can't find Phoebe, how could she be lost?" she replied.

I really like my new neighbour, she moved into the house next to me last year and I can truly be thankful since the previous owners were unbelievable. When they had moved in they had one very young daughter and both parents seemed very nice and both were working. By the time they moved out a few short (but seemed very long) six years later they had had four more kids, one more on the way and ran a day care!!! (Nothing wrong with procreating, but not when they behave like the devil's spawn).

Needless to say when I saw the For Sale sign go up I dropped to my knees and thanked the heavens above, but was nervous as to who would move in next.

Then came Marion, quiet, retired, loves to garden, loves her pet rescue dog, but I've noticed that she is starting to show the signs of forgetfulness. I try everyday to make sure she is okay, I help her with her groceries and help out in the gardens. I really like her an awful lot, so when I heard her so upset this morning, there was no way I could just leave her without helping her find her precious Phoebe. Long story short, Phoebe was in fact not lost and not out of her fenced in backyard at all, she was just out of view. This is none of my business, but I will in fact keep a closer eye on my neighbour over the summer and if more of these happenings become more apparent and prevalent, I might just have to speak with her son and daughter-in-law. To be determined....

Anywhoooooo, another missed bike ride, so tonight after work I HAVE to get out on the bike.

Tomorrow morning I have to have blood work done, so I have to fast for twelve hours, then in the afternoon I have my date with Dr. No.

So catch up with you later.

Life's fun if you don't weaken,

Lily

Just the stuff going on

Yesterday was not what I had anticipated it would be.

After having breakfast and blogging, I waited around for it to warm up a little then dressed in what I thought would be enough layers and got Ruby ready for a ride. I headed out of the bay and was hit with a really strong, very cold headwind! Yikes, it was very cold out and I was really cold in no time flat, have I mentioned I HATE being cold? I ended up turning back towards home and cycled around in some of the cul-de-sacs in Constance Bay, then finally gave up and headed home. Unlike Leslie who is a hard core cyclist, he was out yesterday riding the 300 km Animalthon.

When I got into the house I wanted to warm up my hands so I turned on the bathroom sink taps and "splash" water was flowing everywhere!! Yikes, I turned off the water and grabbed the closest towel. While I was mopping up the mess and trying to figure out what just happened I heard more water running, what? where??, I heard Lily running around down in the basement.

The pipe that was connected to the drain pipe had disconnected and unbeknown to me, the slip sod plumber I had used a few years ago (no, this wasn't his first error), hadn't connected the pipes properly nor had he sealed the floor around the pipes running from the bathroom to the basement, water was pouring down the hole into the basement RIGHT where I have Lily's litter box!! Gah, water was everywhere, clumping cat litter had exploded out of the cat box due to the force of the water and was everywhere, what a freeking mess. Needless to say, by the time I mopped up the mess upstairs and downstairs, I was livid....

I suppose if you pay peanuts you get monkey's, but honestly, don't you think that if you were in a trades profession you would at least do a good job? Good news is briefly mentioned but bad news travels fast in my community.

Now I have to find a plumber, obviously a different one, to fix this mess before my father comes up to visit in a couple of weeks.

Speaking of my father,

Happy 89th Birthday Dad!!!

I love you

and

will see you in a couple of weeks!

(he promised me he'd quit driving when he turns 90!)

Life's fun if you don't weaken,

Lily

Happy Mother's Day everyone!

Not too much going on today, I'm not a mother, although I have been called one on the very odd occasion.  (As a term of endearment, what were you thinking?)

The weather gods have not really been cooperating, well to my liking at least, where is the Hallmark Card Mother's Day weather, with fluffy clouds, sunshine and warm soft winds ?

Come on, turn up the heat would you!!

Yesterday morning was absolutely gorgeous, but as I whiled away the time catching up with friends and family on the telephone, the clouds rolled in along with the rain.   My day was going to be split in two had the weather been nicer. 

Gardening in the morning and hopping on Ruby for the afternoon.  Alas, I ended up curled up with a good book for the remainder of the day.   What a slug.

Since everyone will be engaged with Mom events today, I'm going to have a nice spin on Ruby in a little while and enjoy my day.

Hope you all enjoy yours too!

Happy Mother's Day Mom

even though I haven't seen you in 35 years I know you're with me, save a spot for me in heaven, we will celebrate again when I get there!!

Life's fun if you don't weaken,

Lily

I've come to the conclusion,

*** Let me interrupt this post***

Well let me just tell you it is over now and if you want to read on, do so at your own risk, because, trust me what is written below this section, well,  it was momentary....and really what was I thinking?

When I got home today I made a fantastic stir fry with garlic, ginger, maple syrup, kikommen soy sauce and shrimp on a bed of wild rice with olives, celery and spring onions.  I thought to myself wouldn't a pail of red wine go nicely with this?  Just get into my jammies and curl up on the couch and watch the Young and the Restless.

Then I thought, you lazy self indulgent slug, get your ass out the door, after all it is a glorious spring night and a full moon.  How many of those kind of nights do we get?

So I loaded up Ruby and headed to Fitzroy Provincial Park  it was gorgeous outside as I made my way along the rural roads.  Frogs were singing in their swampy ponds, birds were flitting about collecting twigs and dried grasses for their nests, the trillium's were up and in full bloom. Wow!!  

I headed down towards the Quyon Ferry which is now running for the summer.  It is the ferry that shuttles cars, trucks and small livestock vehicles across the Ottawa River from Fitzroy Harbour, Ontario to Quyon, Quebec.    I stopped and watched the ferry chug across the river while having a great conversation about fishing with a fellow who was waiting for the ferry to return.   Simple pleasures.

I headed back up the Ferry Road towards Smith's Corners and then continued on from there....Fantastic!!!  It was a magical ride and a moment, for sure

Let's just say if you decide to read what I had originally written, well, let's just say 

I'M OVER IT.....

proceed with caution,

that I'm bummed out!

I've been trying to entertain myself with the fact that I've really have been working hard at recuperation with a healthy, positive attitude. Well, truth be known, I have a first class *B.A.

*BAD ATTITUDE

yup, can you imagine? It has only taken me a month to figure this out. Even though I was going through the motions of trying to be excited with the fact that I was finally able to walk 1K, or that I biked 15K, eyyyyeee haaawwww! Even though I sweated my way through the pain, it just wasn't cutting it with a warm fuzzy feeling of elation that you get from a great run.

BAD ATTITUDE = spoiled, coddled brat having an excessive pity party!! Table for one...

The exterior was going through the motions but the brain was in an agitated turmoil. Reality check, I'm no athlete, I'm no spring chicken, hell, I'm not even good at running, but having the competitive spirit I have, not being able to run and bike was really eating away at me. Well, now that it has surfaced from the smarmy recesses of my reptilian brain, I feel much better.

Physio has been going well, I have been diligent with my home exercises, but really do I need to know how to stand on one foot with my eyes closed? Try it, it is freeking hard!! Dr. No and I have a date next week, so I'll know more after I see him as to whether I'll need surgery. But I'm staying positive that if that is the case, it'll just make it better for the future. I've been walking and cycling and starting to feel some semblance of stability and strength again, which is great because I have to walk my way around the Ottawa Race Weekend Sports Expo!!

Last Sunday was the last long run for the group I had been leading. They ran 32K along the trails which link our gorgeous city from one end to the other called the Ottawa River Parkway.  It was truly great to see everyone and truthfully I was quite fine with it until I had to part company with them.  They were headed along the Ottawa River Parkway and I just wasn't going to go any further with them, it was at that moment I discovered I truly missed everyone and our running, our talks and our friendships.  

It will be a challenge for me to be at the race two weeks from now and not be running, but it is not about me, is it?

It is about my friends, and its about the first timers, their strong will and determination that will get them to the finish line, its about all of the hard work, dedication, running in shit weather, slogging it out in the cold winter months that will bring them to the elite status of being a marathoner.  

Yup, that's why I'll be there cheering for each and every one of them who made the commitment to become a marathon runner...

Life's fun if you don't weaken,

Lily

Wordless Wednesday