I want to live in the forest forever too!

That was Ben's comment when we had to leave. That he wanted to live in the forest forever. I don't blame him, the weather was absolutely perfect and he had not only his Mum and Dad there to play with him but also Auntie Nikki and Charlie.
We rented a car that was quickly dubbed "The Boat" because it was so huge, a Chevy Impala. Black, but you could still see the orange and green paint under the scratches from when it was a cab. We left early on Friday and followed Nikki and Charlie there, stopping briefly only once for lunch. Almost as soon as we got to the camp site (after pitching the tents of course,) we went swimming in Cypress lake. It was really wonderful.
There was a light inside the car that none of us could figure out how to turn off which eventually drained the battery. Luckily Nikki had booster cables.
We swam in three different huge bodies of water (except for Ben whom I didn't toss into the Georgian Bay, far too cold for him) There were huge cliffs that people were jumping off of (not us) despite the signage. The cliffs were a bit of a hike along the Bruce trail, but it was nice.
We rented a canoe.
We it was awesome.
We ate very well, and it was very, very relaxing.
The photos are all out of order but I'm too lazy to correct them.

Huh, I always assumed that I looked really pretty while playing soccer......

Even though I've been known to fall down on occasion, I sweat like a pig, and I run as fast as I can so all my wobbly bits well....... wobble.
I just assumed that I looked very graceful and sporty.
Turns I don't.
I had Andrew take some photos of me while I was playing, thinking I would have something to display proudly as in "See how cute and athletic I am?".

Well, now I'm thinking "See how hard I play? I mean business! This isn't about looking all cute and sporty, oh no, this is a serious game. "
Actual I don't take it very seriously (how can I when we've never actually, um, won a game?) but I do play to the best of my ability. I cheer my team on enthusiastically and I don't suck (as much as I used to)
Oh, and apparently I grimace a lot.



Ah well, it's still good fun.
As for our team standings, I do believe that we played our best game ever yesterday, at both half times we were actually in the lead. We scored actual goals We lost both games in the end and we are back in 8th (read: last) place again.
But all hope is not lost as we have one more game left to play, so there's still a (slim) chance we could actually win a game. Here's a wider shot of the field from the first time we played on this field. (Notice how all the girls on my team look graceful sporty and athletic?!)


Also kudos to Dan, who showed up to play last Sunday even though it was his Birthday. P.S. I ended up buying new shoes, I couldn't stand to play in the other foot pinching ones. Hopefully I will play again at some point in the future......

Is it over yet? Is it over yet? Is it over yet?

I'm worse than a small child in the back seat on a long trip.
I can hardly take it!
All this week people every where are saying the strike is over, before it was ratified by the workers, and then local 416 canceled their vote, and then some city councilors declared they were going to vote the deal down.
I'm reading a live blog of the meeting right now.
If the deal gets voted down, then they will go right back out onto the picket line, the garbage won't get cleaned up, (or picked up next week), and my dream of heading to Centerville over the August long weekend will never be realized.
Worse still, I'm afraid that if this deal falls through then they are destined to end the strike with binding arbitration, and as much as I want it over, I don't want it all to have been for naught.
I feel that Grandfathering the sick days bank is an acceptable compromise. (Oh sorry, I meant "Grandparenting" I really did). Either that or, the strike will just go on and on and on.
My father assures me that the councilors will pass it, even though I see the one for our own district is planning to vote no.
The truth is I just really really want the strike to be over.

New shoes for the summer season. (uh, soccer season that is!)

So today my soccer team play the first game of the summer season.
We lost 4-0, but it really should have been a loss of 1-0, as the last three were scored in quick succession during the last five minutes of the game.
I decided that I liked the spring season well enough to spring for proper soccer cleats, the only thing was, so late in the season, I had a little trouble finding them. After a day of searching I found some at Sport Check at the STC, and I had a choice between a pair that was actually half a size smaller than I usually wear, black and white for $19.88 or ones that fit just right, white with pink piping for $79.99.
If you know me well, then you know which ones I bought with out me having to say, and if you know Andrew well, you know that he told me to buy the other ones. Well, in my defense, they fit okay in the store, and the sales person (who just happened to also be the manager) told me the would loosen up in after a few wears.
So I get to the game today and I'm late, which is fine because as you may know we are not v.v. serious (although more serious this season as we have two new players who actually know how to play), but it seems we are a player short! So as quick as I can I get into my shorts, (not easy as there is no changing room) my super fluffy soccer sock, and ram my feet into my new shoes. Well, I toughed it out for as long as I could and then, when thankfully another player arrived, I hobbled off the field and took of me shoes and socks. (At this point wondering why the heck I didn't bring back up running shoes, the ones that I played last season in). Then I put just the shoes back on. Which was a little bit gross feeling, but at least a bit more comfortable. After that I did notice that one player on the other team was not wearing any socks either.
So looks like I'll be going sockless this season (and the money I would have saved on shoes will be spent on waxing ;)
I suppose I should have listened to my husband!

New hair and a Wedding!

Ready for something dramatic?
I chopped off most of my hair and died the underhair
BRIGHT FIRE ENGINE RED!!!!
It's the coolest hair I've ever had. I wasn't too sure about it at first because the stylist insisted on straightening it with a hot iron, but I like it better now that it's been washed. (It's a bit fluffy though.)




I did it so that I could look super stylish for Dan and Maria's wedding, which was yesterday and absolutely fabulous. It was the biggest wedding we've ever been to and we were seated soooooo close to the head table!!! I felt really honored and touched.
It was also like a little reunion, with old friends coming in from all over the place. I've known Dan since highschool (Andrew's known him a bit longer) and he's more family than friend. We all love Maria lots, and it was great to see this awesome couple finally make it all nice and legal. The bride was of course drop dead gorgeous, and the groom was not only hansom but also very well behaved ;)
It proved to be a bit too much for Ben who lasted through the actual service but wouldn't stay for dinner.
(His exact words were "Mummy I've had all together too much of this and I need to go home RIGHT NOW." to which I responded okay lets just eat a little first. Then I took him into the dinning room, where they had a lovely buffet of appetizers, and when he saw the size of the room and all the tables and the chandeliers and all the decoration he had a complete melt down. So, Andrew took him directly to Tim Hortin's and then home!)
The food was so good, starting with a cold appetizer buffets (salads, and cheeses, and other lovely treats). Dinner proper started with a shrimp and scallop skewer with fancy greens (wrapped in a long thin cucumber slice), followed by a pallet cleanser, then a pasta course (penne in tomato sauce and a sort of cheese in a pasta pouch tied up in a green onion, no idea what it's really called but it's was v.v. tasty!) , then steak and potatoes with veggies. Berries with cream for dessert, and twenty a million cakes each one as delicious as the last (with ice cream too of course). At the very end a chocolate fountain!!!
I decided not to take pictures at the wedding because I wanted to enjoy every moment rather than capture it in photographs. Besides I'm sure some pictures will come my way eventually.

I have no sympathy. Dam you CUPE Local 416 and CUPE Local 79!

I am personally pissed off because this strike is preventing me from visiting Centerville on Center island, due to lack of ferry service. Their web site is currently displaying this message:

Centreville News Flash!

Dear Guests, It is with great regret we advise you that Toronto Civic Employees' Union Local 416's choice to strike has caused Centreville to close. Without these workers, the City can not operate the ferries or maintain the park in a safe manner. This strike has put over 400 Centreville seasonal employees out of work. We hope that the city and the union will come to a swift conclusion. Our plan will be to resume operation the first full day the workers are back to work. Please check back here for any updates. We hope to see you on the Island very soon!

And as I may have mentioned, we decided to spring for season passes this year. Not that they are insanely expensive, but they are not cheap and we are on a limited budget.


The idea was to have the option to just go there any day we'd like this summer, and the only expense would be the cost of the ferry ride. I wonder if they will give us a refund? Probably not, not like it was their choice to close the park. From our two visits this year, and our many visits last year I can say that Centerville employs A LOT of students. I wonder how these student feel now that their summer jobs have diappeared.

Also, all Canada Day celebrations will be canceled if the strike continues. (Which it will, there is pretty much no chance of it being resolved today.)

That, and if you know The Boy at all, you know that one of the things he looks forward to all week is watching the garbage truck every Thursday. He was actually crying on Wednesday night. Poor little guy.

Not to mention that some Toronto parks have now been designated temporary dump sites. Garbage in public parks is always a great idea!
Maybe we should change out tourism ads to:

"Come to Toronto! We stink......... Literally!"

I have do not support this strike at all, and I hope that these unions are able to resolve it quickly before they ruin everyone's summer.

Grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr!

Plastic bags and Toilet paper

The other day I went into a popular Canadian retailer who is currently promoting their "green" products. I ending up buying some stuff and when I said "No bag for me today thanks." The sales associate seemed somewhat appalled that I would rather carry my newly purchased "green" products in my canvas bag than a plastic one of theirs (which of course sported a huge logo.) It was the way she said "Oh.......well.....okay." and waved her hands dismissively in the air. It was also the way she looked at me.
I didn't say anything because I really am not one of those crazy die hard environmentalists, and I wasn't about to cause a scene. (Besides the actions of one sales associate do not necessarily reflect the company's policies) but I was a little bit upset by it.
Personally I consider the plastic bag to be one of the worst things there is.
Easy, readily available, and totally unnecessary. A real sign of the decadence of our society and how ignorant we are about how our everyday convenient choices impact the planet on which we live. (Yeah, I know, but re read the warning at the top)
I'm not saying I never ever ever use a plastic bag. I'll admit that in a pinch I've taken them. But I hate the fact that they are available at all. If it were up to me, they wouldn't be.

Well luckily, they now must charge 5 cents a bag in Toronto, so retailers will probably assume that I'm cheap rather than a weirdo.
While I think that this a basically a step in the right direction, that's more because it will create awareness around the issue of plastic bags, than actually act as a deterrent, or reduce plastic bag use.
I also have a big problem with attaching a monetary penalty to plastic bags. Because that's basically the same as saying you can be decadent and wasteful as long as you are willing to pay for it.
Sadly the biggest concern around this issue right now seems to be centered on who will get the five cents.

(But what about the toilet paper? The title is "Plastic bags and Toilet paper"! Yeah, well, seriously, don't get me started!!!)