Busy Times

On Tuesday our parking lot was getting cleaned...yes, the parking lot is now cleaner than my house! I had to keep my truck out of the lot for several hours so I saved up a bunch of errands to do to keep me busy and away from home.

First I played slo-pitch and managed without my toque and mittens...just barely. That took me to about 11am. Since my birthday is this month I decided to renew Dougie the Dodge's license sticker. But first Dougie needed an emission's test. We have to do that every couple of years. Off we went to Jiffy Lube where I told the attendant that the generous provincial gov't had promised me a "free" test this year. Indeed it ended up being free as Dougie has no emission problem. BUT, you just knew there was a but didn't you?...when I went to the Service Ontario office to get my license plate sticker the cost had gone up from $90 for one year to $120! An increase of $30 - so much for freebies!

Oh well, glad to get that checked off my list.

Kazi had bought a new rain jacket recently on sale at a new store called Atmosphere so I thought I would see if there was a rain jacket there for MOI! And there was, lots of them. I found one in blue that in addition to having lots of bells and whistles also had ARMPIT ventilation!! As Annie can attest I tend to sweat big time when wearing my "monsoon" rain coat. I might as well NOT be wearing rain protection at all. Last year I bought rain pants with zippers down the sides of the legs and with that ventilation I got along just fine. No sweat. So really hoping the added jacket ventilation will keep my upper body dryer.

Perhaps you can see in the photo below, that although I am all smiles my torso is soaked though my sleeves are fairly dry. I guess my arms don't sweat.  But that is why I am in need of ventilation!! That photo is from when Annie and I hiked Hadrian's Wall in 2015. It had rained  for several hours by the time of the photo and we were in need of tea and cake!

All of that explanation to justify spending over $100 on a rain jacket! I really really need it! I'll keep you updated, Annie, on my sweat condition hee hee... I'm taking it to Vancouver Island for a test run!

Since I wasn't too far from Kilally Meadows I went for a jaunt through the forest. There was nobody on the osprey nest!! Either the mister AND missus were fishing in the river or the ballgame in progress upset their routine. As I walked the path near the river I saw them both fly over me several times circling around and around - did I look like a tasty fish? A giant one that's for sure. If they could haul me up to their big nest in centre field they wouldn't have to fish again for weeks!! Ohhhhh...that's why they BOTH were flying - I'm a two osprey carry!

My estimate was for the babies to be born around May 10th, so perhaps they have arrived - but would both osprey parents be hunting at the same time? Enquiring minds need to know...

Before I could head for home to the newly swept parking lot I headed for the grocery store. I took my time, worked from my list and after making it through the checkout went to see if I could safely park dear old Dougie in his spot once again. Yes, it was all done and so was I. It was way way way past my lunch time so you know what I did next!

Dublin

And so the story begins.....on a hot summer's day, August 24th to be exact, I embarked upon another long distance walk (well, maybe not that long - I could definitely go further...)...(but I digress...) in Ireland. 

Robert Q got me safely to Toronto and Air Canada launched me over the big pond into Heathrow. An hour later I was in the air again headed to Dublin and the photo below shows us heading down to the runway. Totally uneventful flight except for the young man next to me who insisted upon flopping his head onto my shoulder while snorting and coughing in his sleep. I used the index finger of my right hand against his temple to push him over onto his girlfriend's shoulder which would work for about 15 minutes, then....flop...back to me like a tennis ball. It wasn't the flopping I minded so much as the obvious head and chest cold he had going on - I didn't want to get sick on my first day in Dublin!

I took a shuttle to the hotel we were staying in and fell in love! The service at Ariel House was incredible - someone was always on hand to offer us a cup of tea or slice of cake, to call a cab or serve us a scrumptious breakfast. Fresh towels, the best beds, antiques (except for the bathroom!) - it was simply divine! And I had 4 nights there! 

It didn't look quite so uncluttered once we unloaded all of our belongings! I came a day early because I don't sleep on planes so desperately needed to catch up on sleep. Which I did.

Before I slept I found a wonderful little pub called Crowes - you can click on my link if you want to see some excellent photos of the pub. 

I tried out some of their more unusual beer but I didn't do this:

  

Do I have a sharp eye for a beer glass or what?

Unfortunately this place, IPA, across the street from the hotel,  doesn't stand for India Pale Ale so I had to go a little further abroad and found Crowes by simply turning left at the corner - brilliant! There is indeed a pub on just about every corner in Dublin!

My first beer adventure was a pint of Franciscan Well's Rebel Red (made in Cork)! It was pretty yummy and paired beautifully with...

....the most excellent chicken pot pie. It had at least half a chicken under that puff pastry and onions, carrots and potatoes of course in addition to a side dish of potatoes (like I needed more) and a pleasant salad. To say I was stuffed is an understatement but I'd be needing lots of energy on the hike so I tucked in!

After a great sleep I had most of the day to explore before Annie arrived Friday night after putting in a full day's work. So I did what I do best - wander. Have included just a few photos from my wandering. 

I think this hotel has a catchy name, don't you?

I can never get over the numbers of palm trees in these countries that are further north than me! So not fair!

If you've been following my previous adventures you know I love chimney pots, especially long lines of them so must include at least one photo - this one turned out nicely.

I enjoyed seeing the Oscar Wilde monument and reading some of his witty quotes.

I don't know who this person is but he must be important to have his own monument but he apparently doesn't have the respect of these birds!! Almost every statue I saw had a bird sitting on its head!

These sculpted fellows though were REAL! I nearly jumped out of my skin when they moved to thank a little kid for his donation placed in the trophy at their feet! Clever!

Dear sweet Molly did NOT come back to life however.

Speaking of brazen The Brazen Head claims to be the oldest pub in Dublin being in established in 1198! That IS old! My attention, however, was diverted to the naked guy on the side of the truck!

Occasionally and absolutely unintended I get the "postcard" shot like this bridge below.

I wonder if these folks notice the imbedded norse ship while they wait for a bus?

and because the first bridge was so pretty I took photos of a couple more but they don't quite measure up I don't think.

I visited this Famine Memorial just north of the River Liffey a couple of times - I found it extremely moving - especially the father figure carrying his dead son. The images are so powerful.  More on the great famine of the 1850's later.

A little further on was a more futuristic bridge and behind there is a building that looks like the mid-section is falling backwards! Very cool.

Of course I too hundreds more photos in various areas of south and north Dublin but one must stop somewhere! So here is a little tunnel I barely fit through as I wandered back to Ariel House to wait for Annie to arrive :) I took a wrong turn or two but eventually found my way back!

New Start Trial #2

As was so kindly pointed out to me by Annie - my header photo is NOT what I meant it to be! (I'm off to a good start am I not?) I meant to put up the same photo as I have on Facebook which is this one.....

...which IS still one of my favourite places in the world...in fact...Annie and I had day dreams about living in Leenane which is at the other end of the harbour to the right, out of range in this photo :)

This is not to detract from the header photo that I did post on this blog yesterday (it is lovely is it not?) it's just not exactly where I said it was, but not too much further on in our hike.  Beside the River Erriff on the way to the tiny village of Drummin and a pub that was closed....but that's another story.

And this is why Kim calls me a goof! I can't even blame it on jet lag anymore! Anyhoo, there will be lots more photos in more or less chronological order and full of memories :)

I Miss You

Yes, I do, I miss you all.  I keep waiting til I get everything done around here...waiting for that "perfect moment" to blog. Well, guess what? It's never going to be the "perfect moment" so I need to accept that and continue on with my imperfect life and writing posts.

Last I wrote my darling Lilypad was sick due to being dehydrated and I was getting ready to go to Ireland. She gradually recovered and by the day I left she was running around again. Big sigh of relief. She's doing so well now that she has made a new friend with the kitty in the mirror.

 It's pretty adorable!

I have an office set up in my big bedroom upstairs (where I am now) but gradually over the past two years a lot of junk important stuff found its way downstairs to my living room and dining room creating a rather cluttered windswept look so I've been spending some time reorganizing my office-y space. Much better now. Lily likes to be wherever I am so she comes up to my office/bedroom and makes eyes at herself in the mirror.

We've been having some lovely weather and Lily continues her dream of becoming a free range cat. She has figured out that if she climbs on top of the BBQ she can look over the fence. She's pretty obedient thankfully and all I have to do is say her name and she climbs back down...temporarily. 

Annie and I had a pretty amazing trip spending time in Dublin, Galway, Inis Mor (one of the Aran Islands), Cork/Blarney and a few other places along the way. I'll start posting some photos soon (you can also check on FB if we're friends, and if we're not...why not? ) Send me a friend request! (Jane Harrison)

I've changed my blog header photo to a pretty amazing photo of Killary Harbour (a fjord!!), now one of my favourite places in the world including the little village at the end of it - Leenane. We took so many pictures as we walked along the harbour it's a wonder we ever made it to Leenane!

So much to tell you! Must catch up with you all too - I'm sure you haven't been doing nothing over the past couple of months!

We were always so happy so see our friend and way marker "The Little Yellow Man"
for then we knew we weren't lost!!

One Piece of Tape

Hot pink tape, that is...

Had a physio assessment today. The verdict is Patellofemoral Pain Symdrome, otherwise known as PFPS. It's sounds serious but it's not. Another common term for this is "runner's knee".  And my pink piece of tape really helps. Usually your kneecap glides smoothly up and down in a groove in the thigh bone, but due to a variety of reasons (injury, overuse, etc) it can slip a bit to one side or the other causing pan. One little piece of tape, placed properly, can make a huge difference.  

I go back for another session next week when I'll get retaped and will get some tape to take with me on our hiking trip coming up SOON! I also have a few exercises I can do to build strength in other muscles around the knee so feel more confident about hiking. Oh, and Annie, these Gowalk shoes are the absolute best!! My feet are in LOVE!

I think I've raved about this store on my blog before but more raving is required! Last year my rain pants were a pain in the patootie! Yes, that's a word. They kept the rain out and the sweat in! When I took them off my pants underneath were soaked. I checked out MEC's online store and they have rain pants with zippered vents. Yippee!! With only a couple weeks left to go I went to their London store to try them on. They were great except the legs were way too long - I hate being 5'3" sometimes! However the store clerk said (and checked on her computer) that through the online store I can get a petite medium with a shorter inseam. Double Yippee!

I ordered them Monday afternoon and they arrived today - and shipping's free! I love you MEC! Oh, and MEC stands for Mountain Equipment Company. A membership costs nothing but provides you with lifetime return if something goes wrong or is defective. 

This week just gets better and better! Monday evening was The Tragically Hip concert. Their front man and lead singer, Gord Downie, has been diagnosed with incurable brain cancer. Being the amazing Canadian that he is he figured this was the perfect time to go on tour across Canada - give his fans one last opportunity to celebrate together. He is a class act. I'm not sure how well known they are in the States, let me know if they are, but here in Canada I don't know anyone who isn't a huge Hip fan. They are the best rock and roll band in Canada since Burton Cummings and The Guess Who!

A bunch of us who were fortunate and determined enough to get tickets met for dinner before the concert. Look at my amazing strawberry salad! It was as good as it looks!

Gord and his band sing about Canada - its traditions and landmarks - with such a quirky style uniquely his own. He also physically interprets his music as he sings which is hilarious and touching at the same time.

I don't know if anyone is familiar with the Red Skelton Show which all Canadians gathered to watch every week back in the 1960's but Red had a character he called Clem Kaddidlehopper. Well, I saw Clem Monday night after the second encore as Gord went cross-eyed and turned his hat sideways. All of these personal little weird and wonderful asides are absolutely treasured moments.

It was an emotional night filled with poignant and teary moments. When Gord gently touched the face of one of his musicians I just lost it. I cannot imagine the pain they must be going through knowing this will be their last tour as The Tragically Hip. Tragic indeed.

It was a sold out night filled with sadness and joy. 

I'll post a song from youtube.

Packing it in...

I have to admit something here...I am a lousy packer. Last year there were tons of clothes I didn't wear...well, not tons, but close! And I'm dreading it this year. I wanted to take a smaller suitcase but how to fit in my hiking boots?

Last year I found I hated my rain pants so instead I wore the same moisture resistant pair of black hiking pants everyday. So the other 3 pair I didn't wear! I just wiped them down each night if they were dusty and put 'em on again the next day. Who's gonna know right? Well, Annie will but she's cutting back on the amount of clothing this year too. We're just both going to stink so be glad you're not coming with us. 

Here's a couple of useful items I found at the thrift shop. The jury is still out on whether I bring them or not. A pair of navy blue cargo shorts. I've been looking for a pair since my first trip in 2014. 

And a grey pair of water resistant pants. But, do I need two pairs? Not sure. Again, found these at the thrift shop.

Last year I took a number of T-shirts with me and never wore any of them.  I had a variety of tank tops, T-shirts and long sleeved shirts. I'll let you know what I've decided to take eventually. Last year I packed according to a you tube video I saw. It involved placing your clothing half in and half out of your suitcase and then folding them back over top of each other. It was like a jigsaw puzzle. I couldn't find the clothing I needed each day and I had to take the whole pile out and go through it everyday. It was a pain. Personally, I like rolling things the best. And I certainly don't travel with anything that requires ironing!!

The problem for me is I want to be prepared for the cold, the heat, the rain and all the different activities that we'll be doing. So I have to find a way to use the same clothes for everything - walking, hiking, cycling (hopefully),  sight seeing, eating out, shopping whatever.

What pointers have you got for me??

Walking on Marshmallows

Yesterday I helped a friend move. Well, partially move. We still have a lot to do today. Because I'm coddling my knee I just did some cleaning - no lifting other than a sponge! She wants to paint her kitchen so I'm wiping down cupboards and walls. I am happy to say my knee isn't as bad as it was. It's not completely healed either but I feel there is progress. Less than 4 weeks to take-off!

My partner in this adventure is Annie at Northern Living Allowance. Some of you know her and the rest of you should check out her blog. On my last post she mentioned some good walking shoes so I thought I would investigate.  And here they are:

Skechers Gowalk 3. They have memory foam or something - they are like walking on air! Oh, they call it "high rebound cushioning" - perhaps they'll help me walk! Thanks for the tip Annie! I found them at the Soft Moc store and they were on sale! I don't want to wear my hiking boots everywhere so these are my go to shoes when we are OFF the trail.

My legs look funny from this angle! They look so far away!

They have good tread on them too!

My other footwear will soon be getting some attention:

Waterproofing. 

Well, that's my feet looked after. I'll be packing my hiking socks and liners, and an assortment of bandaids :) Still need to buy some foot lotion to pamper them with at the end of each day.

Any suggestions?

No Spend!

Yes, that's right...I'm putting a lock on my wallet!! Just until Friday!

This month I received an extra $310 from the gov't, thank you very much! I still have that amount left in my account and ALL of my bills have been paid. The fridge is well-stocked and Kazi is on a road trip so I don't see any reason why I can't have a No Spend week!

That doesn't mean the $310 will not be spent...it just won't be spent in Canada! On Friday, when the school board and the gov't make lovely deposits into my account I'll be headed off to the currency exchange outlet to buy more euros :) and I'll be using the bonus money to help pay for it.

As far as my  trip with Annie goes I don't think I have to buy too many more things...I wouldn't mind a new pair of walking shoes as we'll be doing a lot of "city walking" before and after the hike as well as cycling. However, I do have shoes I could take. Not an absolute necessity....

.....or is it? I'm off to get my knee x-rayed momentarily. Perhaps the technician or my doctor will recommend a supportive pair of walking shoes :) And a bottle of scotch! Okay, maybe that's a bit of a stretch!

What would you spend an extra $310 on?

46 Sleeps until Ireland!

I should be ready to go in about a week! Hah! I like to prepare rather early for things - a friend of mine once said I'd be sitting in my coffin 6 months before I die! It's the teacher in me, I can't help it!

So I've starting getting things out of storage around the house as well as purchasing some new things. So far I've purchased FRESH NEW DEODORANT (your welcome Annie hee hee!), listerine, face wipes, and kleenex. Last year I took a cheap brand of tissues and they just didn't do the job. Annie had to loan give me a few out of her stash last year. I'm not sure why but our noses were really drippy up on the hills of Hadrian's Way. 

Every hike needs some trail mix! And no, not just for the smarties!!

I'll have to try these out with my hiking boots before I pack them. They're "runners" socks so they are very thick and soft. Hoping to avoid getting blisters this year. Yeah, right.

New undie dundies that are advertised as being able to wick moisture away from your skin. We shall see. I will say that they are extremely comfortable - made by Fruit of the Loom.

New sports bras - I prefer wearing T-back bras being the round-shouldered old biddy that I am, and a package of "light day" pads just because.

New T-shirts for $4.00 each - can't beat that price! I like to layer tank tops under T-shirts or long sleeve shirts so that as I warm up during the day I can peel off a layer. Or two.

A whole bunch of new tank tops - everything is fairly neutral so can mix and match.

Have also purchased blister bandaids and am considering buying this silicone-based stuff that rolls on to protect your skin in areas where you tend to get blisters. I have two toes that rub together on my right foot plus I had a doozy of a blister on the sole of one of my feet last year - will have to check photos to see if it was the left or the right! If this goo prevents blisters from forming it will be worth its weight in beer!!

During volleyball season I lost my favourite zip-up sweater with zip-up pockets. Well, not so much "lost" but forgotten. So I did a little thrifting and found a few replacements - I forgot to take photos of them so I'll show those on another day.

Getting forgetful aren't I?
But guess what? I'm not going to forget it's dinner time!!
See ya!