Moving In

A CHICK NAMED JUDITH

November 25, 2016

Kind of embarrassing, but I can't figure out the exact day you moved in. I know that this is the latest possible date, because that's where the pictures of Pickles at Judith begin! 

I know that being with a chick named Judith was challenging at times and that it ended up being longer than what was anticipated. That said, we had some great times in those 10 or so months. 

I remember that you were nervous when you first started your dream nursing job in the ICU. But you made a lot of progress that first year and have kept getting better at your job!!! 

Moving in to Judith also allowed you the opportunity to find Rise 'n Shine. I am so happy you've made a lot of friends at that barn, found a great coach, gotten a part-time job and have come such a long way with Murphy there. You're really easy to get along with and have so much to offer. You just needed to find the right place with good people and that's exactly what happened.

*P.S. Our cat is snoring SOOOOO loudly right now. Wow!

What a great start to my birthday! We were in the bedroom, pictured above, of the Dunlop Cabin at the Dunlop Lodge.  If you recall, the cabin is "nestled in it’s own private yard, surrounded by lush trees and nature, yet only feet from the main lodge. The Dunlop Cabin is the ideal place for a romantic get away, family stay, or weekend escape." While this description is technically true, it is also perhaps very exaggerated. But I digress. Anyway, you wished me a happy birthday in a really sweet way and then it happened: you gave me the gift that I've arguably used more than any other gift ever purchased for me! For the record, yes, I do realize that I'm a nerd! Keep checking this post for updates of how many hours have been wasted wisely spent playing:

*Update as of August 20th, 2020:  2400 hours played (that's 100 full days...oh my)

**something tells me that my play time may start decreasing in November 2020 :)

What a nice way to spend part of March Break (or just 'days off' if we're looking at it from your perspective)! We went to the cottage for a couple of days, but on the way we detoured to go skating on the 1.3 kilometre ice trail at Arrowhead Provincial Park. It was very cold that day, but that didn't stop us from having a great time! You're a good skater, but I did have to leave you for a bit to skate a few laps at my own pace (I distinctly remembering beating many kids in a race! I'm the best!). In actuality, it wasn't all that busy considering it was March Break, but that was a good thing because we got to enjoy the scenery and it was a lot more serene than it otherwise would have been. 

After staying at the more-run-down-than-expected Crowne Plaza, we drove to the cottage where more skating was on the docket! The ice on Dunlop Lake wasn't quite as smooth as it was at Arrowhead, but we carved our own route and skated out to Blueberry Island! When we did go home, it was straight to the hockey shop to get a sharp :P 

We finally got to see this hilarious play! Looks like my shirt is about 3 sizes too big, but darn-it I like it!

On this particular day, your overconfident fiance thought that it'd be easy to find a restaurant to eat at beforehand. Reservations are a thing? Only idiots make reservations! Except, turned out that I was the idiot. Thankfully you're so easygoing and we managed to find a seats at the bar to eat at (was it a Baton Rouge?).

After the eating crisis was averted, we were thoroughly entertained by this musical comedy that was created by the Trey Parker and Matt Stone!

This is a tough one to type out. You know, I think it tells everything about Uncle Jeff that he had such a positive impact on me even though I only met him a few times. It is clear that I wasn't the only one charmed by him - he had that influence on everyone he came across. So, let's put these great memories to paper (er, this web page):

Uncle Jeff was in the GTA to do some work for a few days. One night, we (the Beau + Kate) met him at the restaurant beside his hotel: Fionn MacCool's at Highways 427/7. 

It took no more than 30 seconds for me to understand what everyone was talking about (or warning me about) when it comes to Uncle Jeff. I'm not sure if I invented the moniker of 'cool uncle,' but I could see why he was considered that! Friendly, fun, funny, kind, and generous all come to mind. From his playfully teasing Richard and recalling the hilarious pranks he played on him, to how the bartender said nice things about him, to him paying for our food and drinks, I was captivated by him! 

Even the picture above was partly taken to 'prank' Richard. I was instructed to send him this picture with the caption, "Your uncle is an asshole!" 

This next thing didn't happen that day, but I also love the story of how he cooked my breakfast using bacon grease and then called Richard to tell him about how I wasn't going to make it very far before needing a toilet. Alas, I made it to Ottawa before spending some well earned time in Ryan and Katie's washroom! 

I cherish the memories we were able to make with Uncle Jeff. Fuck cancer.

Permanent

August 28, 2017

As you can see from the date, it was nearing the end of summer. I hadn't secured a job for September yet. I felt like I had missed out on any available contracts and was now interviewing like crazy for an LTO. Well, thankfully I was wrong about that first part. Moments after getting into my car following a shitty interview at a middle school, I received a career changing phone call. "Welcome to the P-list" is exactly what the principal said. In other words, I was being offered a permanent position!

Thank you for being by my side as my career launched to the next level. Your unwavering support, even after hearing my fears and concerns for hours upon hours, is something that means the world to me. You're the one I want to have by my side for everything in life. I'm so lucky that this is exactly what's going to happen!