Homesick

I am making chicken marbella tonight to marinate for tomorrows dinner. Tobie gets back from New York and I wanted to have something nice prepared.

That recipe totally reminds me of Revelstoke, the house on 7th St., and post-skiing meals when Saak and Hank were living with us and we'd end up having these random dinner parties.

Preparing the dish tonight made me homesick for Revvy and all the wonderful people, babies, ski slopes, mountain views. I love how food has such a strong memory association. 

I really miss you guys. 

Sending a big hug out to my peeps back home, wish you were all going to be here tomorrow night with me to enjoy.

xo,

ABB

Canada D'eh!

To celebrate Canada Day, my occasional housemates Kara and Stephen suggested we go for a hike in our neck of the woods. I thought that was a dandy idea. My knee has been doing well since I've stopped running/biking for the past 7 weeks so hiking has been an option again. On Tuesday Kara and I did a mini hike up Teapot and my knee was fine so we gassed up the 4X4 and headed off to Mt. Cheam on July 1st.

Super crazy logging road to the trail head, but the nice thing was not having to slog through the miles and miles of dense forest to start getting some views. Still plenty of snow around in the alpine we enjoyed amazing views of the Fraser Valley, the Fraser River, Mt. Baker and even Harrison Lake from the summit. On the way up we came across a couple in their 70's on their way down, the husband had a giant Canadian flag tied to his pack like a cape and they were all smiles and 'HAPPY CANADA DAY!!!' as they passed.

I feel like I have been trying to memorize all of these moments like stills in my mind for those times when I am homesick in Ireland. I am wanting to hold on to these last few days in the lower mainland, cherish them. My dogsitting/housesitting all week in Whistler has been a bittersweet time as I love the people, food, landscape, and recreation that surrounds me here. It is a perfect reminder of all of the things I will be giving up for the next, oh, decade. Wish I knew what propelled this desire to keep moving forward. Sometimes it doesn't seem like I am moving forward, just constantly in a new direction.

Over, Counter Offer...

Jerry put an offer on a place in Squamish yesterday...they counter offered and he counter-counter offered. We find out tomorrow if they accepted.

Fingers crossed he gets it.

We spent the last 2 days house hunting (well...townhouse and condo hunting). Well not 'we' as in 'WE'...I was tagging along for comic relief and a 2nd opinion. Jerry knows I have no inside voice.

Looks like he'll be splitting his time between Ireland, Egypt, and Squamish. This I like.

Great spot to come home to on my summer visits!

:)

Geographically Challenged

Many of you who know me can attest to the fact that there are times when I am geographically challenged. I blame this on my mother, of course. Mostly for not breast feeding me long enough (4 months) but also because she is very spacially/geographically challenged....no, geographically 'retarded' is a better word for it.

Today I added to "Revealing my Intellectual Achilles" list when I arrived at the gym. The woman who works the desk is very pleasant and we usually have a little banter before I head inside. Today she said to me, "Oh! what did you get up to today in this gorgeous sunshine?"

"Oh, my friend and I took her dog out to some lake and just had a nice picnic while the doggy played in the water...it was a beautiful spot!" I replied.

"Which lake did you go to?"

"You know, the one down the road that has the kayak rental place on it...not much of a beach but a few campsites..."

"Umm...that is the ocean, not a lake...this is an island remember??"

"Heh...right...island" as I think to myself--THAT is why the water level changed so much in the time we were there!!

She was very polite and proceeded to listed a bunch of lakes that are, in fact, in the area...

Yup. Another one to add to the list.

Washington DC, not in Washington...check.

Don't have to drive through downtown to get to Whistler from Vancouver...check.

When the water level of a 'lake' goes down dramatically in a few hours and you are on an island--you are probably staring at the ocean not a lake...check.