So it turns out that the landlord did speak to the neighbours awhile ago and agreed for the trees to be cut down. However, he hadn't heard anything from them since nor did he know that they were coming last week. So although it appears that the neighbours did have permission to cut down the trees, I still find them at fault for not informing us or our landlord that they would be climbing into our garden one day to cut down our trees. We still feel like it was an invasion of our privacy, also annoying because we do have personal property in the garden which we would like to think is secure.
Anyway, mystery solved, and to look on the bright side (pun intended!) at least there is a bit more light in the garden...
Sunday, November 1, 2009
Thursday, October 29, 2009
The Curious Case of the Disappearing Trees
I know, I know, I have been a terrible blogger recently. For once, though, it's not because I've had nothing to chat about - instead I've had way too much going on! I promise soon to catch you up on our most recent adventures, including our trip to Greece (fabulous!) and also our trip home for the Singer and Serdic's wedding (also fabulous!!). But today I must instead share with you the most curious case of the disappearing trees.
A little background: our flat has a private garden which can only be accessed through our flat, as it is surrounded on three sides by stone walls and on the fourth by the house. Along the north wall between our garden and the next door neighbour's garden we have several small bushes and plants and two large (maybe 15-20 foot?) trees.
When we arrived home, jet-lagged and bleary, from our trip to Ottawa on Tuesday I noticed as soon as I walked through the door that something was different. Looking out through the back door to the garden I could only see walls and sky, no trees. How odd, I thought. My first thought was that in fact the trees had been in the neighbour's garden and had been cut down. On further inspection, though, we discovered that BOTH trees in our back garden had been cut down, with just small stumps left in the ground. While there was evidence of sawdust among the beds, the actual trees were nowhere to be found.
This left us with a list of interesting questions... why had the seemingly healthy trees been cut down? Had the neighbours requested it because they were encroaching on their garden? How had the tree-cutter-downers gotten into our garden? Had they climbed the wall from the neighbour's or had they actually been into our flat? What particularly annoyed us was that whether they were in the flat or not, they were certainly in the garden and we should have been given notice of that. Major breach of our privacy! As it happens we were away, but nobody knew that.
As an aside I would also like to point out that our clothesline had been tied to one of these trees and is now lying on the ground.
As our detective work continued, Noise remembered that there had been a parking restriction for out front of our neighbour's house during the week we were away for a "crane or something". The parking restriction sign was helpfully still in place so we read it and lo and behold it was for "tree surgery". Aha! Fingers are starting to point at the next door neighbours. However, I could not believe that anyone would be so stupid as to climb a wall onto someone else's property and cut down two trees without permission, so we assumed that they had been given permission by our landlord for some reason.
Please also note that it states very clearly in our lease that we are NOT allowed to remove any plants or cut down any trees in the garden without permission. To this effect we immediately contacted the estate agents who manage our flat to find out what had happened, as we wanted it made very clear that we certainly had not been responsible.
And what response did we get today? No, the estate agents know nothing about it, did not give anyone access to our flat, and are also perturbed to hear that someone has been climbing the walls. They are checking with the landlord to see if he happens to know anything about it, but at this point it is really starting to look like our neighbours hired someone to come in, climb our wall, and cut down our trees without asking permission or telling anyone. What my knowledgable friends at work tell me is that this in fact breaking three laws: trespass, damaging property, and also stealing our wood! Not to mention that planning permission is apparently required around here to cut down trees. Now we may find out tomorrow that the landlord knew all about it, in which case I will go back to being very annoyed that we were not given notice. But it will be very interesting to hear how it all plays out!
In the meantime we now have a tree-less garden, which is sad in itself, and a real waste. And we need to do something about that clothesline... But tonight I have been out taking pictures of the parking restriction sign, in case it's needed for evidence in court!
Very intriguing, and I will keep you posted on the outcome! Also I promise to chat soon about the recent trips and the Singer and Serdic's wonderful wedding!
A little background: our flat has a private garden which can only be accessed through our flat, as it is surrounded on three sides by stone walls and on the fourth by the house. Along the north wall between our garden and the next door neighbour's garden we have several small bushes and plants and two large (maybe 15-20 foot?) trees.
When we arrived home, jet-lagged and bleary, from our trip to Ottawa on Tuesday I noticed as soon as I walked through the door that something was different. Looking out through the back door to the garden I could only see walls and sky, no trees. How odd, I thought. My first thought was that in fact the trees had been in the neighbour's garden and had been cut down. On further inspection, though, we discovered that BOTH trees in our back garden had been cut down, with just small stumps left in the ground. While there was evidence of sawdust among the beds, the actual trees were nowhere to be found.
This left us with a list of interesting questions... why had the seemingly healthy trees been cut down? Had the neighbours requested it because they were encroaching on their garden? How had the tree-cutter-downers gotten into our garden? Had they climbed the wall from the neighbour's or had they actually been into our flat? What particularly annoyed us was that whether they were in the flat or not, they were certainly in the garden and we should have been given notice of that. Major breach of our privacy! As it happens we were away, but nobody knew that.
As an aside I would also like to point out that our clothesline had been tied to one of these trees and is now lying on the ground.
As our detective work continued, Noise remembered that there had been a parking restriction for out front of our neighbour's house during the week we were away for a "crane or something". The parking restriction sign was helpfully still in place so we read it and lo and behold it was for "tree surgery". Aha! Fingers are starting to point at the next door neighbours. However, I could not believe that anyone would be so stupid as to climb a wall onto someone else's property and cut down two trees without permission, so we assumed that they had been given permission by our landlord for some reason.
Please also note that it states very clearly in our lease that we are NOT allowed to remove any plants or cut down any trees in the garden without permission. To this effect we immediately contacted the estate agents who manage our flat to find out what had happened, as we wanted it made very clear that we certainly had not been responsible.
And what response did we get today? No, the estate agents know nothing about it, did not give anyone access to our flat, and are also perturbed to hear that someone has been climbing the walls. They are checking with the landlord to see if he happens to know anything about it, but at this point it is really starting to look like our neighbours hired someone to come in, climb our wall, and cut down our trees without asking permission or telling anyone. What my knowledgable friends at work tell me is that this in fact breaking three laws: trespass, damaging property, and also stealing our wood! Not to mention that planning permission is apparently required around here to cut down trees. Now we may find out tomorrow that the landlord knew all about it, in which case I will go back to being very annoyed that we were not given notice. But it will be very interesting to hear how it all plays out!
In the meantime we now have a tree-less garden, which is sad in itself, and a real waste. And we need to do something about that clothesline... But tonight I have been out taking pictures of the parking restriction sign, in case it's needed for evidence in court!
Very intriguing, and I will keep you posted on the outcome! Also I promise to chat soon about the recent trips and the Singer and Serdic's wonderful wedding!
Sunday, September 13, 2009
London outings
We've had a busy weekend, trying to be all cultural and active at the same time. Friday evening we went with some friends to a comedy club at a pub in Balham. We had dinner, a pint, and watched some quite funny stand up acts. This place has a comedy show every Friday evening, so perhaps we will get a chance to go again. Sad to say that the acts were much better than those we saw at the Fringe Festival.
Yesterday I worked all day but while I was busy Noise popped in to the tkts booth at Leicester Square and picked up tickets to see Sister Act. We didn't know much about the show (except that it's based on the movie which I will admit I'm not a fan of - I think this is mostly because I don't like Whoopi Goldberg, though). So I went in with no real expectations... and LOVED it. It was hugely entertaining. I sat through much of the show with a grin on my face, laughed, cheered, and at the end actually leapt to my feet to dance. Can't ask for better than that! The show has an original score, not the music from the movie, which was composed by Alan Menken (of The Little Mermaid and Beauty & the Beast fame for those who don't know him). The cast were all fantastic, even all the secondary characters. Vastly entertaining night out.
Interestingly, the show is playing at the London Palladium, which is where we saw our first West End show the first week we were in London - The Sound of Music. And when you think about it, it's amazing how many parallels you can draw between SofM and Sister Act. Both are about nuns. Both are about someone who doesn't quite fit in. Both are about someone teaching others to sing. Both feature someone hiding out in a convent. And so on...
Speaking of West End musicals, word on the street is that there are a couple of exciting things coming up. First off, in March they should be opening Love Never Dies, Andrew Lloyd Webber's sequel to Phantom, at the Adelphi. And then, to my unending delight, they will be doing a West End revival of the Wizard of Oz!!! Apparently they're going to do a BBC reality show to cast Dorothy (and also Toto) and then open the show in 2010. I may have to stay in London just for that. Or else come back.
And today we ran the Great Capital 5K Run in Regent's Park. This was quite an interesting experience, as there were nearly 2000 people running. We were split into 4 waves of runners depending on our predicted time, so Noise headed off in the first group while my friend AT and I were in the third wave. I was pleased with our run, we managed it in 33:41, with just two short breaks, one at 15 minutes and again at 24 minutes. I didn't think I was going to make it through the last 1.5K, which was cruelly uphill, but I dug deep and managed it. And just for fun I got to wrap up in a foil blanket afterwards like I'd just run a marathon. ;) Then for a reward afterwards AT and I went to MAC and I got to buy a new shimmery brown eyeshadow for the Singer's wedding.
Once home we took the Bugster for a nice walk and now are chillaxing at home for the rest of the day. Back to work tomorrow, but I only have to work 2 days this week and then I am flying to CANADA!!! I am so excited for my imminent return to the homeland for my friend Andi's wedding. Besides the obvious excitement of being in Canada (you know, Tim Hortons, proper cottage cheese, Mongolian Grill, everything written in French and English, etc), it also promises to be a fabulous girls' weekend with my two best friends. Who I don't get to see nearly often enough.
That's it from me for now. Later.
Yesterday I worked all day but while I was busy Noise popped in to the tkts booth at Leicester Square and picked up tickets to see Sister Act. We didn't know much about the show (except that it's based on the movie which I will admit I'm not a fan of - I think this is mostly because I don't like Whoopi Goldberg, though). So I went in with no real expectations... and LOVED it. It was hugely entertaining. I sat through much of the show with a grin on my face, laughed, cheered, and at the end actually leapt to my feet to dance. Can't ask for better than that! The show has an original score, not the music from the movie, which was composed by Alan Menken (of The Little Mermaid and Beauty & the Beast fame for those who don't know him). The cast were all fantastic, even all the secondary characters. Vastly entertaining night out.
Interestingly, the show is playing at the London Palladium, which is where we saw our first West End show the first week we were in London - The Sound of Music. And when you think about it, it's amazing how many parallels you can draw between SofM and Sister Act. Both are about nuns. Both are about someone who doesn't quite fit in. Both are about someone teaching others to sing. Both feature someone hiding out in a convent. And so on...
Speaking of West End musicals, word on the street is that there are a couple of exciting things coming up. First off, in March they should be opening Love Never Dies, Andrew Lloyd Webber's sequel to Phantom, at the Adelphi. And then, to my unending delight, they will be doing a West End revival of the Wizard of Oz!!! Apparently they're going to do a BBC reality show to cast Dorothy (and also Toto) and then open the show in 2010. I may have to stay in London just for that. Or else come back.
And today we ran the Great Capital 5K Run in Regent's Park. This was quite an interesting experience, as there were nearly 2000 people running. We were split into 4 waves of runners depending on our predicted time, so Noise headed off in the first group while my friend AT and I were in the third wave. I was pleased with our run, we managed it in 33:41, with just two short breaks, one at 15 minutes and again at 24 minutes. I didn't think I was going to make it through the last 1.5K, which was cruelly uphill, but I dug deep and managed it. And just for fun I got to wrap up in a foil blanket afterwards like I'd just run a marathon. ;) Then for a reward afterwards AT and I went to MAC and I got to buy a new shimmery brown eyeshadow for the Singer's wedding.
Once home we took the Bugster for a nice walk and now are chillaxing at home for the rest of the day. Back to work tomorrow, but I only have to work 2 days this week and then I am flying to CANADA!!! I am so excited for my imminent return to the homeland for my friend Andi's wedding. Besides the obvious excitement of being in Canada (you know, Tim Hortons, proper cottage cheese, Mongolian Grill, everything written in French and English, etc), it also promises to be a fabulous girls' weekend with my two best friends. Who I don't get to see nearly often enough.
That's it from me for now. Later.
Friday, September 4, 2009
Scotland (and happy 100th!)
Apparently this is my 100th post - congrats to me! I'm not sure what category that milestone goes in but it's a milestone nonetheless.
I have promised to write a blog post about our recent trip to Scotland, and have unfortunately not had a free moment to do it until now. Work, work, work all the time! I worked the last 8 days out of 9 and the one free day I was busy with other things (like going to Piccadilly Circus to find the lone London branch of Tim Horton's and having a Boston Cream - important stuff!).
But here I am! Ready to regale you with stories of our Scottish jaunt. We flew from Gatwick bright and early Saturday morning and arrived in Edinburgh an hour later. Now that is the way to travel. Especially since in that hour we were served a full hot English breakfast onboard! Score one for BA! At Edinburgh airport we picked up our rental car and headed out for the highlands. We meandered our way up towards Inverness, stopping here and there for a photo op of the hills and heather. In Inverness we stopped for lunch and wandered around the town a bit, up and down both sides of the River Ness. No time to be wasted, though, and we pressed on down the western shore of Loch Ness. We stopped and visited Urquhart Castle on the shores of Loch Ness, dating from the 1200s. We also had ourselves a photoshoot as it seemed appropriate with one of the world's most famous lakes as a backdrop. Noise is insistent that he saw Nessie but I remain sceptical.
Saturday evening we spent in a small place called Invergarry, just south of Loch Ness. We stayed in the Invergarry Hotel, and it was absolutely lovely. If anyone ever wants to stay in Invergarry, I know just the place. We were somehow assigned the biggest room in the hotel, on the corner with a view out over the river. Dinner was included so we enjoyed the full 3 courses down in the restaurant and then retired to the bar with a pint. And that's about when we crashed, having been up at 4:30am to get to the airport.
On Sunday we headed south again, making a stop at the Nevis mountain range. They have a gondola system there which takes you 650m up on Aonach Mor. In winter it is a ski hill. This was the only day that it rained on us in Scotland, for which we are grateful, but it was unfortunately a bit unpleasant on top of this mountain... it was so windy that it felt like we might get blown off the side! Noise's hair was standing straight up and he looked like Kramer. But the views down over the range and of Fort William and the lochs was beautiful. In Fort William we stopped in to a shop selling woven goods and bought a couple of souvenirs (a blanket for our living room, and also a beautiful cashmere scarf for me). Our journey then took us through the beautiful area of Glen Coe. We stopped a few times to take some photos and at one point had a bit of a dilemma when we couldn't get the car doors shut against the wind! We drove on over the Rannoch Moor and finally to our goal - Loch Lomond. We drove all down the western side of Loch Lomond and then around the southern edge, before detouring off our route and down a tiny side road to Rowardennan to get some photos. Of course for the entire drive we had to sing - "ye take the high road and I'll take the low...."
We spent Sunday night in the small village of Killearn, at the Black Bull Hotel. The resident dogs were a Westie and a Scottie - a bit cliche if you ask me, but cute all the same. Monday we set off to return to Edinburgh via St Andrews. Noise had been to St Andrews a few weeks previously with his friend E, but was quite insistent that I should experience the thrill as well. (The truth being that he just really wanted to go back.) It really is a lovely town, and since the sun was shining we took a walk along the edge of the course to revisit Noise's triumph (or lack thereof) on the 17th and 18th holes of the Old Course. I enjoyed seeing where he had hit the roof of the hotel on the 17th tee as I hadn't fully understood before how it was possible.
We returned to Edinburgh and dropped off the car, then caught the bus into the city. After checking in to the Hilton (booked cheap on hotwire, as usual) we set out to explore. What a gorgeous city! As the Fringe Festival was on, there was of course a lot of buzz, and the Royal Mile was jampacked with crowds and street performers. We found the booth selling Fringe tickets half-price and bought tickets to that evening's comedy show at the Caves. Then we found a store selling bagpipes and bought a set of practice pipes to learn on. Oooops. For the record, I am not coordinated enough to manage it, but Noise can at least make sounds on them. Dinner was in fact Italian that night, before we made our way to the comedy show. While the comedy left something to be desired, the setting was very cool! It was in a little bar in a "cave", built down below the archways of a bridge. You walked in through this stooped little hallway, and then all of a sudden were in this big open room with arched ceiling. Very neat.
Tuesday we had some time before returning to the airport, and decided to go check out The Elephant House, the cafe where JK Rowling wrote (or at least started writing) Harry Potter. We got ourselves a drink and a cookie and settled down in the back room where it is said she did her writing. There was a gorgeous view of Edinburgh Castle from the windows there. We also wandered up to see the castle close up but didn't bother to go inside. After a final wander down the Royal Mile and view of the performers we collected our luggage and headed back to the airport.
Although it wasn't a fancy or exotic trip, it was a fantastic time all the same. No work, no pressures, no worries. Just lots of laughter, memories, good food and good wine. Photos are here.
Not much else in the way of news. Noise has been working on a big project at work which has kept him late this week. Work is the same for me. We do have a few things coming up to take our minds off work- less than 2 weeks until I return to the homeland! A long weekend in the Toronto area, then the weekend after I return from that we are heading to Greece for a week. We'll be flying into Athens on Saturday, then Sunday morning taking the ferry to Santorini. We've booked 4 nights at the Reverie in Firostefani and intend to not do much more than eat, sleep, and swim (and rent a scooter to drive around the island). Then we'll return to Athens before flying back to London. And 2 weeks after that we will be flying to OTTAWA!!! And that should get us through until November. Then I need to plan another Christmas markets trip for December. :) The planning never stops!
Tomorrow we are planning to pop up to Cambridge to visit some friends from Ottawa who are in town, and meet their new additions. Then we're going to dress up and go out somewhere posh for dinner to celebrate Noise's 30th. He seems less distressed about it than I expected, so hopefully he won't break down and cry. We'll have to get a few cocktails first. Tonight we're going to build a fort in the living room and camp out with Buggy, he likes it when we do that. A nice treat for him.
I'm out! Till next time!
I have promised to write a blog post about our recent trip to Scotland, and have unfortunately not had a free moment to do it until now. Work, work, work all the time! I worked the last 8 days out of 9 and the one free day I was busy with other things (like going to Piccadilly Circus to find the lone London branch of Tim Horton's and having a Boston Cream - important stuff!).
But here I am! Ready to regale you with stories of our Scottish jaunt. We flew from Gatwick bright and early Saturday morning and arrived in Edinburgh an hour later. Now that is the way to travel. Especially since in that hour we were served a full hot English breakfast onboard! Score one for BA! At Edinburgh airport we picked up our rental car and headed out for the highlands. We meandered our way up towards Inverness, stopping here and there for a photo op of the hills and heather. In Inverness we stopped for lunch and wandered around the town a bit, up and down both sides of the River Ness. No time to be wasted, though, and we pressed on down the western shore of Loch Ness. We stopped and visited Urquhart Castle on the shores of Loch Ness, dating from the 1200s. We also had ourselves a photoshoot as it seemed appropriate with one of the world's most famous lakes as a backdrop. Noise is insistent that he saw Nessie but I remain sceptical.
Saturday evening we spent in a small place called Invergarry, just south of Loch Ness. We stayed in the Invergarry Hotel, and it was absolutely lovely. If anyone ever wants to stay in Invergarry, I know just the place. We were somehow assigned the biggest room in the hotel, on the corner with a view out over the river. Dinner was included so we enjoyed the full 3 courses down in the restaurant and then retired to the bar with a pint. And that's about when we crashed, having been up at 4:30am to get to the airport.
On Sunday we headed south again, making a stop at the Nevis mountain range. They have a gondola system there which takes you 650m up on Aonach Mor. In winter it is a ski hill. This was the only day that it rained on us in Scotland, for which we are grateful, but it was unfortunately a bit unpleasant on top of this mountain... it was so windy that it felt like we might get blown off the side! Noise's hair was standing straight up and he looked like Kramer. But the views down over the range and of Fort William and the lochs was beautiful. In Fort William we stopped in to a shop selling woven goods and bought a couple of souvenirs (a blanket for our living room, and also a beautiful cashmere scarf for me). Our journey then took us through the beautiful area of Glen Coe. We stopped a few times to take some photos and at one point had a bit of a dilemma when we couldn't get the car doors shut against the wind! We drove on over the Rannoch Moor and finally to our goal - Loch Lomond. We drove all down the western side of Loch Lomond and then around the southern edge, before detouring off our route and down a tiny side road to Rowardennan to get some photos. Of course for the entire drive we had to sing - "ye take the high road and I'll take the low...."
We spent Sunday night in the small village of Killearn, at the Black Bull Hotel. The resident dogs were a Westie and a Scottie - a bit cliche if you ask me, but cute all the same. Monday we set off to return to Edinburgh via St Andrews. Noise had been to St Andrews a few weeks previously with his friend E, but was quite insistent that I should experience the thrill as well. (The truth being that he just really wanted to go back.) It really is a lovely town, and since the sun was shining we took a walk along the edge of the course to revisit Noise's triumph (or lack thereof) on the 17th and 18th holes of the Old Course. I enjoyed seeing where he had hit the roof of the hotel on the 17th tee as I hadn't fully understood before how it was possible.
We returned to Edinburgh and dropped off the car, then caught the bus into the city. After checking in to the Hilton (booked cheap on hotwire, as usual) we set out to explore. What a gorgeous city! As the Fringe Festival was on, there was of course a lot of buzz, and the Royal Mile was jampacked with crowds and street performers. We found the booth selling Fringe tickets half-price and bought tickets to that evening's comedy show at the Caves. Then we found a store selling bagpipes and bought a set of practice pipes to learn on. Oooops. For the record, I am not coordinated enough to manage it, but Noise can at least make sounds on them. Dinner was in fact Italian that night, before we made our way to the comedy show. While the comedy left something to be desired, the setting was very cool! It was in a little bar in a "cave", built down below the archways of a bridge. You walked in through this stooped little hallway, and then all of a sudden were in this big open room with arched ceiling. Very neat.
Tuesday we had some time before returning to the airport, and decided to go check out The Elephant House, the cafe where JK Rowling wrote (or at least started writing) Harry Potter. We got ourselves a drink and a cookie and settled down in the back room where it is said she did her writing. There was a gorgeous view of Edinburgh Castle from the windows there. We also wandered up to see the castle close up but didn't bother to go inside. After a final wander down the Royal Mile and view of the performers we collected our luggage and headed back to the airport.
Although it wasn't a fancy or exotic trip, it was a fantastic time all the same. No work, no pressures, no worries. Just lots of laughter, memories, good food and good wine. Photos are here.
Not much else in the way of news. Noise has been working on a big project at work which has kept him late this week. Work is the same for me. We do have a few things coming up to take our minds off work- less than 2 weeks until I return to the homeland! A long weekend in the Toronto area, then the weekend after I return from that we are heading to Greece for a week. We'll be flying into Athens on Saturday, then Sunday morning taking the ferry to Santorini. We've booked 4 nights at the Reverie in Firostefani and intend to not do much more than eat, sleep, and swim (and rent a scooter to drive around the island). Then we'll return to Athens before flying back to London. And 2 weeks after that we will be flying to OTTAWA!!! And that should get us through until November. Then I need to plan another Christmas markets trip for December. :) The planning never stops!
Tomorrow we are planning to pop up to Cambridge to visit some friends from Ottawa who are in town, and meet their new additions. Then we're going to dress up and go out somewhere posh for dinner to celebrate Noise's 30th. He seems less distressed about it than I expected, so hopefully he won't break down and cry. We'll have to get a few cocktails first. Tonight we're going to build a fort in the living room and camp out with Buggy, he likes it when we do that. A nice treat for him.
I'm out! Till next time!
Tuesday, August 11, 2009
Sorry, sorry...
I expect by now all my readers have given up on me. I figured I had better post an update today because I was perilously close to having gone an entire month without a new post.
Therein lies the problem... I have nothing to say. To all intents and purposes it has been a fairly quiet month. No earth-shattering news to share or even any insightful comments. It seems that everyone else has interesting things going on, but for me it's just wake up in the morning, go to work, come home and go to bed.
That said, since my last post I did have a wonderful visit from PetMom, Aunt C, and Dadamom. It was so great to have them here and have some free time to visit with them. On one of my days off while they were here I went with them to visit Leeds Castle in Kent, which was a very nice outing. An excellent day trip from London if anyone is looking for one!
Noise has been a much busier bee. He has been to Scotland twice this month - once to Glasgow to watch the Open Championship at Turnberry, and then to St Andrew's for a few days of golfing heaven with his friend E, over from Canada for the occasion. They had a wonderful time, and another goal has been crossed off Noise's list. :) Today he is flying to Copenhagen for work - how annoying for me! We have a long weekend coming up and had debated going to Copenhagen, but now I'm glad we didn't. Instead we are spending 4 days in the Scottish highlands - around Loch Ness, Loch Lomond, and then to Edinburgh. Here's hoping it doesn't pour rain the entire time! It should be good fun and I am really looking forward to it. We've booked two nights at country inns in the highlands, and one night in Edinburgh at the Hilton - booked on hotwire for cheap. Gotta love hotwire.
Mostly consuming my mind at this time is the debate over what happens next. Now that we are into our second year here in London, it will soon be time to decide where we will go next and start making plans to that effect. Basically, do we stay here another year, go somewhere else, or return home. It was so easy when we decided to come here - not that the decision to leave home was easy, but we only ever really considered London if we decided to go anywhere. But now it's harder. Do we go somewhere in Europe for a year? Stay in London? Home to Ottawa? Or somewhere else in Canada? I'm pushing for the Cayman Islands, would anyone visit me there?
So there you have it - my August update. I'll try to post more often, but for now I want to send a shout out to the Singer and also to Dadamom for their birthdays later this week! Wish I was there!
Watch this space, only 10 days until we head on our Scottish adventure, and it's only 5 weeks and 2 days until I am flying to CANADA!!! Cottage cheese, here I come.
Therein lies the problem... I have nothing to say. To all intents and purposes it has been a fairly quiet month. No earth-shattering news to share or even any insightful comments. It seems that everyone else has interesting things going on, but for me it's just wake up in the morning, go to work, come home and go to bed.
That said, since my last post I did have a wonderful visit from PetMom, Aunt C, and Dadamom. It was so great to have them here and have some free time to visit with them. On one of my days off while they were here I went with them to visit Leeds Castle in Kent, which was a very nice outing. An excellent day trip from London if anyone is looking for one!
Noise has been a much busier bee. He has been to Scotland twice this month - once to Glasgow to watch the Open Championship at Turnberry, and then to St Andrew's for a few days of golfing heaven with his friend E, over from Canada for the occasion. They had a wonderful time, and another goal has been crossed off Noise's list. :) Today he is flying to Copenhagen for work - how annoying for me! We have a long weekend coming up and had debated going to Copenhagen, but now I'm glad we didn't. Instead we are spending 4 days in the Scottish highlands - around Loch Ness, Loch Lomond, and then to Edinburgh. Here's hoping it doesn't pour rain the entire time! It should be good fun and I am really looking forward to it. We've booked two nights at country inns in the highlands, and one night in Edinburgh at the Hilton - booked on hotwire for cheap. Gotta love hotwire.
Mostly consuming my mind at this time is the debate over what happens next. Now that we are into our second year here in London, it will soon be time to decide where we will go next and start making plans to that effect. Basically, do we stay here another year, go somewhere else, or return home. It was so easy when we decided to come here - not that the decision to leave home was easy, but we only ever really considered London if we decided to go anywhere. But now it's harder. Do we go somewhere in Europe for a year? Stay in London? Home to Ottawa? Or somewhere else in Canada? I'm pushing for the Cayman Islands, would anyone visit me there?
So there you have it - my August update. I'll try to post more often, but for now I want to send a shout out to the Singer and also to Dadamom for their birthdays later this week! Wish I was there!
Watch this space, only 10 days until we head on our Scottish adventure, and it's only 5 weeks and 2 days until I am flying to CANADA!!! Cottage cheese, here I come.
Sunday, July 12, 2009
Big achievement!
We did it! After only 4 weeks of training from scratch, today we ran the British 5K London Run! My friend A and I decided to run a month ago and started training. It was tough work; I am not a natural runner. But we did it today, beating our goal of 35 minutes, in 32:25. It was not our intention to run the full 5K without any breaks, but we managed 4K without stopping, then after a short minute walk to catch my breath (I am also hampered by a cough due to cold), we finished it off! We are very proud of ourselves. Now we start looking for the next one! Noise also ran the race, as did A's boyfriend L. Noise managed it in 22 minutes, quite a lot faster than us!
The race route was quite nice, starting out along the Victoria Embankment, then back in the other direction to Westminster Bridge. We ran over the bridge and turned around and ran back again, under Big Ben, past Westminster Abbey, through Parliament Square and finally to the finish line along Whitehall just past Downing Street. Just as we passed underneath Big Ben he chimed 9am for us! How fun!
Now I turn my attentions to our guests arriving tomorrow morning! PetMom is coming for a week along with Aunt C and Dadamom. Can't wait to see them! They are arriving bright and early so I will be up early again tomorrow to meet them. I didn't think I needed to go all the way to Gatwick (my main reasoning being that their flight arrives at 5:30am!), but will meet them at Clapham Junction station and help them home from there. Now it's time for a nap!
The race route was quite nice, starting out along the Victoria Embankment, then back in the other direction to Westminster Bridge. We ran over the bridge and turned around and ran back again, under Big Ben, past Westminster Abbey, through Parliament Square and finally to the finish line along Whitehall just past Downing Street. Just as we passed underneath Big Ben he chimed 9am for us! How fun!
Now I turn my attentions to our guests arriving tomorrow morning! PetMom is coming for a week along with Aunt C and Dadamom. Can't wait to see them! They are arriving bright and early so I will be up early again tomorrow to meet them. I didn't think I needed to go all the way to Gatwick (my main reasoning being that their flight arrives at 5:30am!), but will meet them at Clapham Junction station and help them home from there. Now it's time for a nap!
Wednesday, July 1, 2009
It's Canada Day, Eh!
Okay, look. I hate to be this socialist, left wing, introspective, people loving, I'd-like-to-teach-the-world-to-sing kind of guy, because if there was ever a peace loving hippy, it isn't me (although, in a different time and different place, maybe I would have been). But recently I have really noticed the general decency of people in this world. It almost gives you hope that maybe the world isn't that bad place after all...
First let me set the stage...it's Canada Day today. I have been to Trafalgar Square. They have Sleemans there. Sleemans is not the best beer in the world, but it does go well with 32 degree weather....and it might explain my current reflective mood. So HAPPY CANADA DAY.
My first example is a result of today's festivities (because it's the most recent in my mind). In general, Canada Day does bring the best out of people - their Canadianism (is that a word? the right word?). Nothing can be more peaceful than a bunch of punch-drunk Canadians watching a bit of street hockey in the centre of London's famous Trafalgar Square - seriously. Where else can someone stand up in front of a crowd of "strangers" and do the "I am Canadian" rant? Or start an impromptu sing-along of "O Canada"? The beaver is a truly proud and noble animal. But within 5 minutes of sitting down to watch said hockey we were having a conversation with fellow Canadians K and J. Now, to be fair, we didn't initiate the chat. But we were fully engaged very soon after the intial "So are you really from Canada...oh yeah whereabouts?". And when my aforementioned Sleemans was empty I soon found myself returning from the beer tent with enough cans for us and our new-found friends. I am not saying that this is a highly unusual event...certainly not in the crowds that I hang in. But it just goes to show how nice people attract nice people, and nice people do nice things for other nice people. You don't have to go far to find societies out there where, not only would you not even consider saying "hi" to the next person, you wouldn't buy them a drink at the bar as a token of your new friendship.
The second and third (and thankfully, for you, final) example occurred last weekend when I went golfing. As is the usual plan when PetDoc is working I find some golf course to spend the day at. Being without car, the only way for me to get to these courses is to take the train and then find some way from the station to the course. I am not the best at planning except to plan on calling for a taxi when I get there. Well, this weekend I played at a course that required me to take the train to a station called Ockley, which is just southwest of London. As I said, I don't do the planning and I assumed that the station would have a queue of taxis waiting to whisk me off to the course. (Why not? I am the centre of the world and everyone should be at my beck and call.) So when I rocked up at Ockley and found that there were no taxis and that the old station house had been turned into private residence I figured I was in trouble. That being said, the kind people of Southern Railway have erected a board of key information, including a phone number for a taxi. Good news. I rang them up. Bad news. They said they could be there in 1 hour! Seriously?! 1 hour? But I am here, and I have a tee-time to make. Come now! Fortunately, the young lady who lived in the converted station house was about so I asked her how to walk to the course. (I was told by the golf course that it was only a 15 minute walk from the station...I thought). Much to my surprise, and relief, and with no reason at all she kindly offered me a lift. She was, after all, going into town to the shops...so why not offer a complete stranger who just arrived by train a lift to the golf course?! Putting on my best shocked-yet-appreciative-and-still-incredulous face I accepted. (What was my option?).
Fast forward to the round of golf. I ended playing with a 3-some that are members at the course. None of them were extremely local (ie they had to drive a bit to get into the course) and it became apparent that I was without wheels and had to take the train back to London. One of the guys was heading in that direction, so he offered me a ride to the nearest station to his house. This was going to be great. I would save lots of time getting home. En-route we got along well and my new driver-friend made a suggestion - he would drive me straight home...it wasn't that much further than where he lived. Now, I don't know if you have ever driven in London, but nothing is as close as it actually is. If you needed to go 10 miles and were to hit the 401 you would be there in a few minutes. But in stop-and-go, car crazy traffic, 10 miles is not that easy to do (unless you are on a Vespa and can zip by everyone and everything!!). But there you are, he took me right to my front door.
Now, as I said...I'd hate to come across as some sort of touchy-feely bloke who gets so excited by the kindness of man-kind (too many kinds there). But seriously folks, I have to stop and think that, how in a world of such diversification, where people can hate and kill each other based on the colour of their skin or their beliefs and faith, you can share a Sleemans or a drive to/from a golf course with a complete stranger and not have to either risk your life or expect some sort of compensation.
It may be the Sleemans that is doing the talking here (and let's collectively hope that's all it does) but I am finding myself thinking that's pretty cool. Perhaps it's just me - I mean, perhaps I am the kind of guy that people can trust and so they warm up to me quickly :) but maybe, just maybe, the world is a better place than we think.
And, no, I am not a murderer (as the young lady jokingly asked me at Ockley station)...
HAPPY CANADA DAY!
First let me set the stage...it's Canada Day today. I have been to Trafalgar Square. They have Sleemans there. Sleemans is not the best beer in the world, but it does go well with 32 degree weather....and it might explain my current reflective mood. So HAPPY CANADA DAY.
My first example is a result of today's festivities (because it's the most recent in my mind). In general, Canada Day does bring the best out of people - their Canadianism (is that a word? the right word?). Nothing can be more peaceful than a bunch of punch-drunk Canadians watching a bit of street hockey in the centre of London's famous Trafalgar Square - seriously. Where else can someone stand up in front of a crowd of "strangers" and do the "I am Canadian" rant? Or start an impromptu sing-along of "O Canada"? The beaver is a truly proud and noble animal. But within 5 minutes of sitting down to watch said hockey we were having a conversation with fellow Canadians K and J. Now, to be fair, we didn't initiate the chat. But we were fully engaged very soon after the intial "So are you really from Canada...oh yeah whereabouts?". And when my aforementioned Sleemans was empty I soon found myself returning from the beer tent with enough cans for us and our new-found friends. I am not saying that this is a highly unusual event...certainly not in the crowds that I hang in. But it just goes to show how nice people attract nice people, and nice people do nice things for other nice people. You don't have to go far to find societies out there where, not only would you not even consider saying "hi" to the next person, you wouldn't buy them a drink at the bar as a token of your new friendship.
The second and third (and thankfully, for you, final) example occurred last weekend when I went golfing. As is the usual plan when PetDoc is working I find some golf course to spend the day at. Being without car, the only way for me to get to these courses is to take the train and then find some way from the station to the course. I am not the best at planning except to plan on calling for a taxi when I get there. Well, this weekend I played at a course that required me to take the train to a station called Ockley, which is just southwest of London. As I said, I don't do the planning and I assumed that the station would have a queue of taxis waiting to whisk me off to the course. (Why not? I am the centre of the world and everyone should be at my beck and call.) So when I rocked up at Ockley and found that there were no taxis and that the old station house had been turned into private residence I figured I was in trouble. That being said, the kind people of Southern Railway have erected a board of key information, including a phone number for a taxi. Good news. I rang them up. Bad news. They said they could be there in 1 hour! Seriously?! 1 hour? But I am here, and I have a tee-time to make. Come now! Fortunately, the young lady who lived in the converted station house was about so I asked her how to walk to the course. (I was told by the golf course that it was only a 15 minute walk from the station...I thought). Much to my surprise, and relief, and with no reason at all she kindly offered me a lift. She was, after all, going into town to the shops...so why not offer a complete stranger who just arrived by train a lift to the golf course?! Putting on my best shocked-yet-appreciative-and-still-incredulous face I accepted. (What was my option?).
Fast forward to the round of golf. I ended playing with a 3-some that are members at the course. None of them were extremely local (ie they had to drive a bit to get into the course) and it became apparent that I was without wheels and had to take the train back to London. One of the guys was heading in that direction, so he offered me a ride to the nearest station to his house. This was going to be great. I would save lots of time getting home. En-route we got along well and my new driver-friend made a suggestion - he would drive me straight home...it wasn't that much further than where he lived. Now, I don't know if you have ever driven in London, but nothing is as close as it actually is. If you needed to go 10 miles and were to hit the 401 you would be there in a few minutes. But in stop-and-go, car crazy traffic, 10 miles is not that easy to do (unless you are on a Vespa and can zip by everyone and everything!!). But there you are, he took me right to my front door.
Now, as I said...I'd hate to come across as some sort of touchy-feely bloke who gets so excited by the kindness of man-kind (too many kinds there). But seriously folks, I have to stop and think that, how in a world of such diversification, where people can hate and kill each other based on the colour of their skin or their beliefs and faith, you can share a Sleemans or a drive to/from a golf course with a complete stranger and not have to either risk your life or expect some sort of compensation.
It may be the Sleemans that is doing the talking here (and let's collectively hope that's all it does) but I am finding myself thinking that's pretty cool. Perhaps it's just me - I mean, perhaps I am the kind of guy that people can trust and so they warm up to me quickly :) but maybe, just maybe, the world is a better place than we think.
And, no, I am not a murderer (as the young lady jokingly asked me at Ockley station)...
HAPPY CANADA DAY!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)