Canadian Buffoon's Exhausted Vacation - Update 09/01 - New TR link!

[orangecats2]

I hate hot, cold, and humid equally. My car got stuck at the end of our driveway this year. Had to call AAA to get me out. Yuck. And I don’t go out much in July and August. I want spring and fall temperatures all year around.

So now that the plague is hopefully over we started to plan a trip to Disney. Going February 6-11. Staying at Riviera in a studio. Renting points through the DVC rental store. Probably going to add a couple days to that somewhere else.
I’m so excited

 

[pkondz]

I hate hot, cold, and humid equally.

Warm and dry, it is!

My car got stuck at the end of our driveway this year. Had to call AAA to get me out. Yuck.

Hate getting stuck.
I've yet to get so stuck
that I can't get out on my own...
But there've been some major
shoveling to get out on occasion.

And I don’t go out much in July and August. I want spring and fall temperatures all year around.

You need to move to a
different climate!

So now that the plague is hopefully over

Not quite, here.
But sure seems to be improving!

we started to plan a trip to Disney. Going February 6-11. Staying at Riviera in a studio. Renting points through the DVC rental store. Probably going to add a couple days to that somewhere else.
I’m so excited

That's great news!!
Good for you guys!

 

[pkondz]

Yer skatin' on thin ice, Buddy...

 

[Tracy161]

Hi Tracy!

But having a running start would help.
It would also help me get really stuck
if the road hadn't been cleared too.

Good point

Actually this past winter was probably
one of the lowest that I can recall for snowfall.

And I was okay with that.

Yay! Ours wasn't too horrible... save for February.

I don't know what it's doing where you are, but it's been 90 degrees in the shade here for nearly a week It always seems impossible to remember the other extreme when you're living in another

 

[pkondz]

Yay! Ours wasn't too horrible... save for February.

Our worst was May.
Day 1: Snow
Day 2: 90 degrees.
Day 3: Snow.
Repeat ad infinium.

I don't know what it's doing where you are, but it's been 90 degrees in the shade here for nearly a week It always seems impossible to remember the other extreme when you're living in another

Actually.... Day before yesterday we had about 100.
And it's been in the 90s for a while here too.


Snow? What the heck is that???

 

[QueenJen]

It's been lovely in the 70's here.

 

[pkondz]

It's been lovely in the 70's here.

It's been really nice here too.
After a few days of too hot,
it's just about perfect right now. (79F)

 

[franandaj]

It's been lovely in the 70's here.

Yeah but it's supposed to be 90° when we go to Disney on Thursday.

 

[pkondz]

Yeah but it's supposed to be 90° when we go to Disney on Thursday.

So... no sweater, then?

 

[franandaj]

So... no sweater, then?

Well I will bring an overshirt in case we make it until after sundown (or a place with good AC), but I'll be wearing my "uniform" (tank and capris).

 

[QueenJen]

Yeah but it's supposed to be 90° when we go to Disney on Thursday.

Good day for an afternoon break at the Grand. Since you said 'if you make it until after sundown', sounds like it might be a day trip for you.

 

[franandaj]

Good day for an afternoon break at the Grand. Since you said 'if you make it until after sundown', sounds like it might be a day trip for you.

We're gonna try for a WS BG at 7AM and even so head out around 9AM. We will try for 12 PM WS if we don't get 7AM.

If it really hits 90° we may be leaving around 3PM, or stopping for drinks!

 

[pkondz]

Well I will bring an overshirt in case we make it until after sundown (or a place with good AC), but I'll be wearing my "uniform" (tank and capris).

One does normally wear a uniform
when one is in a tank.

 

[MeghanEmily]

Or write.

Right?


Right.

Who's on first?

So… why am I writing???

2020 has not been a stellar year.

You've got that right. I've certainly had better years.

Covid was just starting to make itself known
and everyone was beginning to brace for the
two weeks that we might have to wait until it was all gone.
(Hah! I am going to go out on a limb here,
and say that “they” might have been just a teensy
bit off in their forecast.

No kidding, eh!?

This reminded me, though, of how it all began, and made me think back... I remember at that time in March when everyone else was saying a 2-week lockdown...we had students coming back from March Break and their breaks were extended by something like a week before they were expected to return to school. I remember Nathan looking at his event calendar and wondering how many show weekends he might miss before he got back to spray painting again, how long schools would be closed, would I be able to finish my internship, etc. And I remember him being the positive thinker he is, and feeling like we wouldn't actually have a full lockdown, and even if we did it would be short. Especially since we live in a pretty small province. I, on the other hand, am always a negative Nancy, and plan for the worst. But when everyone around me thought this was no big deal, I distinctly remember telling Nathan, "No, I think this is gonna be big. We're gonna be locked down completely. Things are gonna be different for a long time. This thing is gonna be around for...like...I'm thinking, like, MONTHS...YEARS..." and I seemed ridiculous at the time. Now here we are, and for once the negative Nancy was actually right. But I wish I hadn't been!

Santa… face down in the muck.
If that doesn’t describe 2020 in a single visual,
I don’t know what does!

(Yes. That's my photo.
It's not far from my folks' place.)

hehehe

(Yes. That's where they hang out
while I'm trying to cook and not
step on them.)

Oh my actual goodness they are BEAUTIFUL. Much floof. I am in love.

Well, I did go camping with my youngest DD, Kay.

Fun!

This looks nice!

Doesn't that beach look inviting?
More on that later.

Uh oh...it looks lovely, but this doesn't sound good...

A tunnel was blasted underneath the line
to restore drainage.
It makes for an interesting canoe/kayak.

How neat!

The water temperature, still early
in the year, was probably around 45F/7C.
Also... when we waded out...
we each found we'd picked up
an unwanted passenger.
One leach each.

Oh no!

Leeches are yuck. I grew up spending a lot of time at my grandmother's cottage on the lake, and we usually didn't have too much trouble with leeches, but there were just a few spots around the rocks and things we knew to stay away from. I've only ever had a couple of them over the years, but they're super yucky.

And another small project was
replacing the gate.
I think it turned out well enough.

This looks nice! Great work.

Um… I’m in the middle of the woods…
By myself…
With zero protection from bears…

I've heard that calling out "Heeeeyyyyy big boooyyy" in a low monotone is a good defence...

Ooohhh this looks like a s'more supreme! I've never tried a peanut butter cup upgrade, but I've made Caramilk s'mores a good few times.

(Among the other exotic foods
that they have had: alligator, rabbit,
bison, sturgeon and kangaroo.)
Not quite what you'd expect from
a small town food truck!

Wow! That's quite the food truck!

she mentioned that she was a bit
nervous about bears and she
was prepared to climb a tree
if necessary.
I asked her if she'd ever seen
how fast a bear could climb?

Yeah, so true! This is one of the bits of advice we always gave around home (in black bear country.) Never attempt to climb a tree to escape a bear. They can climb, too, and much faster than you. I've been fortunate not to have any close encounters in the woods on my own, but Nathan's had a few. But the black bears we typically see around here don't tend to give people any trouble unless there are cubs involved.

So I did what any good father
(who had been disturbed from his rest)
would do...
I told her a story about a giant
Grizzly bear. I'm sure it helped.

Dad of the Year!

Ladies and gents (and Mark)
I give you... the Nutimik Lake Falls!

Um...which part of that is supposed to be falling, exactly?

Cutie! We had a very similar-looking little guy last summer trapped in my mom's garage! (We were living at my mom's house and looking after it for her last summer.) Maybe he hopped all the way east from your neck of the woods to mine!

I did buy a fire bowl for at home
and we did use it a few times

We bought the same one for my mom's house last year! A decent little fire bowl, and nice for the occasional backyard s'more. Looks like you've got a nice little spot there.

It wasn't all fun and games this year.
We managed to avoid
any covid exposures.
(We did have a couple of close
calls, but no one caught it... yet.
As I write this, we're waiting on
Elle's test to come back.
ETA: Just found out it was negative. Phew!)

So glad to hear everyone was able to stay healthy!

I posted my woes on the DISdads
forum and someone there mentioned
that I should try Amazon.
Amazingly enough, I found the part.
I also found the tool I needed to clean
out the old joints.
I'm hoping to be able to fix it myself.

How lucky! I hope you were able to get it fixed. Maybe if I read on, you'll say. I'm still an update or two behind, I think.

Also this year, I decided to
take up jogging.
I used the C25K app.
(Couch to 5K)
I started out by running for
60 seconds.

60 seconds is a looong time.

After that you walk for 90 seconds...
And then they make you run again!
You alternate for 20 minutes.

I thought I was going to die.

Good for you! 60 seconds is, indeed, a loooong time. Especially when you first start. Or when you've stopped running for a looooong time and then try to start again...I'm speaking from recent experience! C25K is what I also used when I first started jogging/running back before Nathan and I got married, and our incentive at the end of the program was also to run a runDisney race! We did the Marathon Weekend 5K in January 2018, and it was great. I definitely struggled at the beginning of it. I had NEVER been a runner before. I'd never run more than 5-6 minutes straight in my whole life. But I got to the point where I could consistently jog the whole 5k straight through. I was, and continue to be very slow, but that didn't bother me since I was lapping everyone on the couch! Over the last couple of years, I've really let the running slide. Just a week or so ago, I decided it might be time to pick it up again. And the 60 seconds...it's long again! That's wonderful that you and DD stuck with it and did you 5K! Nathan's gone up to 10K before, but I've never done much past 5. That's okay with me for now. I hope the injury didn't bother you for too long.

So neat!

Christmas was quiet as well.
With the city under lock down,
we didn't have my folks over
or go to their place for the first
time in years.
I know I'm not alone in that this year.

Yes, our Christmas was very quiet. We were back to living in Nova Scotia by that point, but typically we'd all go home to my mom's house in New Brunswick to visit with her sisters' families and my grandmother. This year we stayed in Nova Scotia. Nathan and I were lucky enough to at least be able to go see my mom and her household in Halifax, but we missed seeing the rest of the family. Up until just a couple of months ago, we hadn't seen my in-laws in ages!

And by the way…

Did you see it?

Oh darn! I'm so out of practice that I missed it!

 

[MeghanEmily]

(…however, that is me, (about 30 years ago)
and I did used to ski to work.
But that’s for the next update.)

For real?! Because if so, that's so cool! hehe "cool"...I see what I did there...

“If it’s too hot, there’s nothing you can do.”
(Air conditioning notwithstanding.)
“But if it’s too cold, you can always put more clothes on.”


Well… yes.

But until you’ve really been cold,
you have no idea how much it hurts.

So true. I was never a hockey player (to the chagrin of my uncle,) but I did figure skate for a couple of years. That was enough for me! I mostly skated in indoor rinks, but even then if I was going to be out long I did learn to cram the little hot packs that people usually hold in their hands into my skates.

It does not feel like your toes/feet have gone to sleep.
It feels like ten thousand invisible gnomes are stabbing
you with tiny knives.

Repeatedly.

The two instances that usually come to mind for me are playing in concert band for the coldest Remembrance Day we ever had when I was in high school (dress shoes are NOT warm, and you can't wear gloves when you play the clarinet,) and also a couple of the nights my carolling group was out Christmas carolling downtown late into the evening and the temperatures dropped too low. I know the pain you speak of! Every Canadian has a story.

Again, that all depends on the temperature and
one other factor.

Time.

You can go outside in nothing but a pair of shorts
in extremely cold temperatures…
if you’re only going to be outside for a second or two.
But if you’re going to be outside longer, you dress heavier.

So toss the snow as far as you can,
if you can, and try not to cry.
Your tears will just freeze to your face.

Amen!

Okay. Start car.
If it will start.
The colder it is, the less likely the car will start.

Yep. It was also always part of the prep for us to make sure to never let the car get below 1/4 of a tank in the winter.

Don’t forget to test the brakes before you
get to that first set of lights or stop sign.
Depending on road conditions, you may find
yourself sliding right through that intersection,
so find out how slippery it is before it’s too late.
Brake on that residential street, first.
Then brake accordingly.
(i.e. braking several feet earlier than normal.)

Yepp! My mom taught me this one. I have many memories of her testing the brakes on our little street before we got to the first stop sign. Also of note: if it happens to be the first storm of the season, approximately 50% of drivers have also forgotten all of these rules and have to relearn how to winter-drive. At least where I come from!

The car has been buried under snow while you shopped.
Of course, every vehicle in snow climates have snow brushes.
Grab that puppy and start sweeping.

I just kept nodding and chuckling through this update.

Not many people have jumper cables, though.
But I always have some in the trunk.

Nathan and I do, too! I've never had to use mine...yet...but I guess this winter could always be the one! As a young woman, however, I've noticed I don't usually get called on to assist since there's often also a tough manly-man type in his 30s-60s in the vicinity who looks after it first.

But wait! What about the groceries?
Not to worry. I bought ice cream and frozen fries
and frozen pizza and a couple TV dinners.
They’ll be fine in the car for… months.

No. You can’t.
I have to wait for the windows to defrost
on the inside now, from condensation.

The bane of my existence in the winter. I found this was worst when I lived in Sackville, NB, for university, and I suspected it was because Sackville had a lot of marshland and maybe there was more moisture in the air than in other places I lived?

The only thing you didn't cover that I was waiting for was when you get stuck in a rush hour traffic jam on the way home from work when a blizzard is starting, and traffic is at a snail's pace, so you (and everyone around you) need to occasionally get out of the vehicle in traffic to brush off the car. Or maybe that's just a Halifax one?

 

[pkondz]

Who's on first?

What's on second?

You've got that right. I've certainly had better years.

Amen to that...

This reminded me, though, of how it all began, and made me think back... I remember at that time in March when everyone else was saying a 2-week lockdown...we had students coming back from March Break and their breaks were extended by something like a week before they were expected to return to school. I remember Nathan looking at his event calendar and wondering how many show weekends he might miss before he got back to spray painting again, how long schools would be closed, would I be able to finish my internship, etc. And I remember him being the positive thinker he is, and feeling like we wouldn't actually have a full lockdown, and even if we did it would be short. Especially since we live in a pretty small province. I, on the other hand, am always a negative Nancy, and plan for the worst. But when everyone around me thought this was no big deal, I distinctly remember telling Nathan, "No, I think this is gonna be big. We're gonna be locked down completely. Things are gonna be different for a long time. This thing is gonna be around for...like...I'm thinking, like, MONTHS...YEARS..." and I seemed ridiculous at the time. Now here we are, and for once the negative Nancy was actually right. But I wish I hadn't been!

I was optimistic... and trying to keep people from being too down...
but had a feeling it might last at least two years.
It's getting closer to that all the time.

Whether I'm right or wrong... I'm definitely sick of it.

Oh my actual goodness they are BEAUTIFUL. Much floof. I am in love.

This looks nice!

It was a fun ride.

Leeches are yuck. I grew up spending a lot of time at my grandmother's cottage on the lake, and we usually didn't have too much trouble with leeches, but there were just a few spots around the rocks and things we knew to stay away from. I've only ever had a couple of them over the years, but they're super yucky.

Leeches are so gross. Just one big NOPE from me!

This looks nice! Great work.

Thanks!

I've heard that calling out "Heeeeyyyyy big boooyyy" in a low monotone is a good defence...

Until the bear decides to eat you.

Ooohhh this looks like a s'more supreme! I've never tried a peanut butter cup upgrade, but I've made Caramilk s'mores a good few times.

I've thought of trying caramilk! Will next time.

Wow! That's quite the food truck!

Yeah, so true! This is one of the bits of advice we always gave around home (in black bear country.) Never attempt to climb a tree to escape a bear. They can climb, too, and much faster than you. I've been fortunate not to have any close encounters in the woods on my own, but Nathan's had a few. But the black bears we typically see around here don't tend to give people any trouble unless there are cubs involved.

I've not had a too close encounter with any.
And I'm okay with that.

Dad of the Year!

Cutie! We had a very similar-looking little guy last summer trapped in my mom's garage! (We were living at my mom's house and looking after it for her last summer.) Maybe he hopped all the way east from your neck of the woods to mine!

I'm sure it was the same one.

We bought the same one for my mom's house last year! A decent little fire bowl, and nice for the occasional backyard s'more. Looks like you've got a nice little spot there.

Thanks. I like it.

So glad to hear everyone was able to stay healthy!

So far so good.

How lucky! I hope you were able to get it fixed. Maybe if I read on, you'll say. I'm still an update or two behind, I think.

Not sure if I said... but yes, I did fix it. Saved about $2,000.

Good for you! 60 seconds is, indeed, a loooong time. Especially when you first start.

Or when you've stopped running for a looooong time and then try to start again...I'm speaking from recent experience!

Oh dear.

I'd never run more than 5-6 minutes straight in my whole life. But I got to the point where I could consistently jog the whole 5k straight through. I was, and continue to be very slow, but that didn't bother me since I was lapping everyone on the couch!

I always hated long distance running.
Now I do it all the time. (If you consider 5K "long".)

Just a week or so ago, I decided it might be time to pick it up again. And the 60 seconds...it's long again!

Keep at it!

I hope the injury didn't bother you for too long.

It did, unfortunately. Months.
Only just starting to get better (as in no pain)
a few weeks ago.

 

[pkondz]

For real?! Because if so, that's so cool! hehe "cool"...I see what I did there...

And yes. For real. I will get to that second frozen update eventually.

So true. I was never a hockey player (to the chagrin of my uncle,) but I did figure skate for a couple of years. That was enough for me! I mostly skated in indoor rinks, but even then if I was going to be out long I did learn to cram the little hot packs that people usually hold in their hands into my skates.

When I was young, those weren't invented yet.
(We just got the wheel a couple years earlier, ya know.)
So we just... froze.

The two instances that usually come to mind for me are playing in concert band for the coldest Remembrance Day we ever had when I was in high school (dress shoes are NOT warm, and you can't wear gloves when you play the clarinet,) and also a couple of the nights my carolling group was out Christmas carolling downtown late into the evening and the temperatures dropped too low. I know the pain you speak of! Every Canadian has a story.

Everyone does.

Yep. It was also always part of the prep for us to make sure to never let the car get below 1/4 of a tank in the winter.

Right! I've heard it and wondered if it still applies.
Most (at least in Canada) fuels have some ethanol in there,
so don't know if it's still a problem.

Yepp! My mom taught me this one.

And I taught it to my girls.

I have many memories of her testing the brakes on our little street before we got to the first stop sign. Also of note: if it happens to be the first storm of the season, approximately 50% of drivers have also forgotten all of these rules and have to relearn how to winter-drive. At least where I come from!

Here too. And it bugs the heck out of me every year.
"Why are you driving 50 in an 80 zone? It's just a light dusting! Go!!!"

I just kept nodding and chuckling through this update.

I knew some would understand.

Nathan and I do, too! I've never had to use mine...yet...but I guess this winter could always be the one!

I've used mine a few times. Mostly at work.

The bane of my existence in the winter. I found this was worst when I lived in Sackville, NB, for university, and I suspected it was because Sackville had a lot of marshland and maybe there was more moisture in the air than in other places I lived?

Could be? Higher humidity. Makes sense.

The only thing you didn't cover that I was waiting for was when you get stuck in a rush hour traffic jam on the way home from work when a blizzard is starting, and traffic is at a snail's pace, so you (and everyone around you) need to occasionally get out of the vehicle in traffic to brush off the car. Or maybe that's just a Halifax one?

Right! You don't see it too much here, but... you do see it.
Done it myself many times.

 

[orangecats2]

Just doing a fly by.
Don't mind me.

 

[pkondz]

Just doing a fly by.
Don't mind me.

🛩

 

[orangecats2]

We went to Melt today. I got Winner Winner Chicken Dinner and joe got the gyro.
How’s your summer been?