Not dead yet

I know, I know, I've been a very bad blogger. It's not from a lack of things to talk about ... on the contrary, I don't know where to begin! It's been a very busy few months. Some updates are in order.

Vroom, vroom

First of all, as a follow up to my last post, I have not yet bought a car, although the decision has definitely been made to make the purchase. See above about how busy it's been ... I've been trying to find an evening or Saturday afternoon to go test drive some vehicles, but the days are slipping away from me faster than I can keep track! It's on my "to do" list for June, though.

Wedding plans

Wedding planning continues fast and furious. The dress is here (and it's GORGEOUS) (no, you can't see photos). The invitations are printed, and now need to be assembled and readied to go in the mail. We are starting to come up with a cohesive vision of what the decorations and flowers and colours will look like, although I know I am driving Aunt C crazy with my inability to articulate clearly what I want (i.e. I am being difficult by being TOO agreeable!). But I think we're on the right track now and everything's going to be beautiful.

Perhaps most exciting of all, we booked the main section of our honeymoon last week ... a 7 day Mediterranean cruise. It departs a week following the wedding from Barcelona, so at the moment the plan is to fly out the Monday after the wedding, spend three nights in Paris, then a couple of nights in Barcelona and on to the cruise, returning to Ottawa the following Monday. So we'll be gone two weeks. It's going to be awesome.

Music in the air

I was particularly busy in April and May with concerts and assorted choir stuff. I made a big step towards relieving that stress by getting myself voted off the board of directors of one of my choirs, and refusing to commit to anything for the fall (it's so easy when you have a wedding as an excuse ... all you have to do is say "well, it's going to be a busy fall" and everyone immediately says "oh, of course, you've got the wedding, don't worry about a thing, of course we couldn't expect you to commit to anything" -- give it a try some time!). I do very much enjoy my choirs and the friendships I have made there, but I'm looking forward to the summer break all the same.

Savour the moment

I read a very interesting editoral in the paper recently about the need to stop and savour the moment you are in more often, and I'm really trying to put that into practice in my own life these days. It's so easy to get bogged down in the minutiae of day to day life, and the little stresses and frustrations that crop up every time you turn around. And so often we are in a perfect moment, and we let it pass unnoticed because we're thinking/worrying/stressing about something else. So I am really trying these days to stop, take a breath, and acknowledge the little perfect moments. It's especially true with the wedding planning -- these are supposed to be such happy days, and the anticipation and excitement of planning should be part of the fun. Someday I will look back on these days and remember, for example, the day I put on my dress for the first time, or the way my hand shook a little bit when Serdic put the engagement ring on my finger. And while having those memories is important, I also want to acknowledge those moments as they happen, to fix them in my mind and savour them, and not let them pass too quickly.

And finally ...

Could someone please let Mother Nature know to check her calendar? These little glimpses of spring/summer weather, followed by multiple days of cold and wet and grey are not cutting it. Thanks.

My only hope is that if spring and summer are later getting here this year, the nice weather might hang on a bit longer into the fall? Like, say, maybe until the end of October? Wouldn't that be nice?

There are straws, and there are camels, and there are backs

When I first moved to Ottawa, I made a conscious decision to pay more in rent and live downtown, and not buy a car. I wanted to try the "big city" lifestyle for awhile and since my shiny new apartment was mere steps from several different bus routes, including one that took me to work in less than ten minutes, a car seemed an unnecessary expense. I didn't mind taking the bus and Ottawa's public transit system was pretty reliable and got me anywhere I needed to go, and, sure, it was a pain in the ass sometimes to rely on the buses or the kindness of friends who offered me rides, and I *really* didn't enjoy carrying groceries several blocks, but I coped quite happily for five years like that.

But over those five years a number of things happened. First, I joined a couple of choirs, both of which rehearse and perform all over the city, not just in the downtown core. Then my workplace moved, to a building about 35 minutes from downtown on the bus. And then I met Serdic, and we moved in together, but we moved out of downtown and that extended my commute by another half an hour, meaning I am now spending about an hour each way on the bus to get to and from work, and that's if I make the connection downtown smoothly (which isn't as reliable as it used to be). It also means having to go into downtown to make the connection, which can sometimes be a pain given traffic congestion issues (like the 25,000 Tamil protesters on Wellington Street as we speak, for example), whereas if I was driving I could avoid downtown completely. Now, Serdic does have a car, and I'm able to use it to get to my choir and social activities, but I'm still commuting by bus.

Then we had the 53 day bus strike this winter, which eliminated a lot of good will I felt for OCTranspo, and changed things in some undefinable way. I can't really explain it, but the mood on the buses and at the bus stops is different now. People (bus drivers and passengers alike) are still angry, I guess. Plus, I got used to the 20 minute commute that came with driving (a colleague was kindly giving me rides). The buses have steadily gotten less and less reliable, and the one I take home from downtown after work regularly doesn't come.

And then this week, we encountered that proverbial straw that broke the proverbial camel's back. OCTranspo announced that they are eliminating service on the route I take from our apartment to downtown -- now I will have to get another bus to the closest transitway station and transfer to another bus to get downtown, where I will transfer to yet another bus to get to work. And I decided that I'm done with public transit (and sent a scathing email to OCTranspo to that effect, which was cathartic, I have to admit).

I had been tossing around the idea of buying a car for awhile already. For the last couple of years, to be honest, definitely since we moved to the new apartment. And after I finished paying off my last student loan last month and became (briefly, knowing me) debt free, it's now something that is financially feasible as well. I had pretty much decided to put it off until after the wedding and we buy a house, as parking two cars will be a little bit of an issue at our apartment, but the idea is becoming more and more tempting and I'm really not sure I want to wait another year.

So all that said, the real question is, what kind of car should I get???

There's a first time for everything

So we have returned to Ottawa safe and sound. And sick. I am actually home from work today, as I have come down with a nasty cold, which is honestly not all that suprising ... I always get sick when I travel. A combination of being run down (not enough sleep, too much walking!) and being stuck on an airplane with people who have all kinds of bugs (I swear the guy behind me flying home had tuberculosis). Anyway, what follows is a list of things I did/experienced for the first time on this, my fifth, trip to London:

-- visited the National Portrait Gallery

-- visited the Temple Church, which dates from 1185 and is the church associated with the Knights Templar, the crusading knights

-- had my carry on bag inspected by a drug sniffing dog (you'll be glad to know I was cleared to continue)

-- racked myself spectacularly tripping over air on the sidewalk, stumbling for nearly half a block and finally taking out a garbage can (and narrowly missing several innocent bystanders) before crashing to the ground -- awkward!

-- found my way to the center of the maze at Hampton Court

-- took a photo of Henry VIII in the flesh

-- encountered a chatty customs agent who wanted to discuss the shopping opportunities in London (when we said we were bringing home purses, shoes, and dresses he nodded sagely and said "yes, they tell me London's where the good stuff is")

-- was on a plane where a medical emergency was declared and a doctor paged (I have no further information -- the doctor went into the first class cabin and returned about half an hour later, but that's all I got)

-- had my suitcase removed from the carousel at Heathrow on the other side from where I was standing, by a tour group who were "helping" by pulling off the suitcases of everyone on their flight, whether they were part of the tour group or not ... we stood there for ten minutes fearing my bag had been lost before the tour group leader announced their "helpful" gesture to those still waiting

-- breezed through check in and security at Heathrow in *less* time than it took us to check in and get through security at Ottawa ... I don't know where everyone was that morning, but they weren't at Heathrow!

-- went shopping on Oxford Street

-- had "typical" London weather ... grey and rainy, all except one day

-- touched an actual genuine Louis Vuitton bag (PetDoc's bday gift from Noise)

Photos are here. There aren't all that many, as this wasn't a sightseeing trip as much as it was a visit with PetDoc and Noise, but we did go to Hampton Court on Monday, which is where most of the photos are from. It was a great trip, mostly because I did get to spend so much time with PetDoc and Noise ... they were both off work most of the time we were there and we had a blast bumming around the city. When do I get to go back???

Mind the gap

So we are at about the mid way point of our visit to London. It has been most successful so far. Perhaps the best news is that we accomplished our main goal for this visit, which was to find bridesmaids' dresses for PetDoc and J. Not only did we find the style we wanted (strapless, tea length, simple and classic), in the colour I wanted (chocolate brown), we bought off the rack (no having to figure out how to order one in London and one in Ottawa) *and* we paid 80 pounds (about $150 Canadian) for each dress. So I got both dresses for less than I was dreading having to pay for one! The girls also found the cutest shoes to match and we are all set. The girls' dresses were a big part of the puzzle, design-wise, so now that we know the colour we can start choosing flowers and other decorating elements to complement them.

But wedding planning isn't all we're doing, of course. Not in one of the greatest cities in the world. J and I had a fairly uneventful flight over, although the turbulence was quite bad at times (bad in the "flight attendants please strap in" sense, as that announcement was made more than once). We had sweet seats, though -- first row of economy, lots of leg room, room to stand and stretch without being in the aisle, and fed first! I'm spoiled now. We have the same seats on the way back, too! Our arrival was also easy as pie -- not like when Serdic and I arrived in September and spent three hours in the customs hall. This time we landed exactly on time and within half an hour we were through customs, had collected our luggage, and were heading out into the arrivals area where PetDoc was waiting. A slight hiccup on the way out, as we managed to leave J standing on the tube station platform when she got her luggage caught and didn't make it on the train, but we got off at the next station and waited, and she was on the next train, so crisis averted.

Thursday we did some basic sightseeing, taking the train to Westminster and walking up Whitehall to Trafalgar Square, then down the Strand to St. Paul's. A walk I have taken several times now, but J hadn't seen any of those places so it was a good way to really feel like we were in London. We were quite proud of ourselves, as we were operating on less than an hour's sleep in two days, but the travel adrenaline was flowing, I guess. We crashed pretty early, though!

Friday was our shopping day. We had set the whole day aside because we really had no idea what to expect or how long it would take, or even if we could find what we were looking for at all. But as I said above, we had great (and quick!) success and were able to spend the rest of the afternoon wandering the shops Oxford St (I got a gorgeous new purse!). Friday night's dinner was at one of our favourite spots in PetDoc and Noise's neighbourhood -- bangers and mash at The Old Suffolk Punch. Yum.

Today I had the great fortune to meet up with RJA and his friend K, who happen to be visiting London this weekend as well. RJA is a friend from home, but he has been living and working in Germany since the fall and so it was really good to see him and have a chance to catch up. We lunched in the cafe in the crypt under St. Martin in the Fields, and then retired to a local Starbucks for coffee and to continue our visit. We also decided to raise the cultural level a bit and made a quick visit to the National Portrait Gallery. It was a fascinating trip through British history, but unfortunately I had to bow out after just over an hour (we spent too much time visiting!), to head back to PetDoc and Noise's flat, so we could celebrate PetDoc's birthday. Dinner is pizza and champagne, and then the rumour is we are going to play some Wii. Sounds like a great evening to me!

On the road again

Not much posting these days, for which I apologize. Basically it's been a whirlwind of Serdic being away, Serdic coming home, car trouble, work, wedding planning and preparing for today ... the day my dear friend J and I fly across the Atlantic to visit PetDoc and Noise. All of PetDoc's special requests "from home" are packed (I have to take a bigger suitcase than I normally would for a six day visit!), confirmation emails are printed out, passport has been located, and I think I am ready to go.

This is going to be a fun trip for several reasons. The biggest, of course, is seeing PetDoc and Noise. Add in that we're going to one of my favourite cities, and one of my best friends in the world is going to be there too. What could be better? Oh, and PetDoc and J are my bridesmaids, so we're going to shop 'til we drop finding something that will make both of them look gorgeous on the big day (not that that'll be hard, since they're both of the "gorgeous in a paper bag" variety).

Watch this space, hopefully I'll have lots of pictures and stories in a week's time. Until then!

The time has come, the walrus said, to talk of many things ...

Money Matters

Debt free. Two little, simple words, but loaded with meaning nonetheless. And as of yesterday morning, they are two words that apply to me. Three years ago I was drowning in approximately $15,000 of debt, much of it from my student days, but I have to be honest with myself and admit that a great deal of it was simply my own poor spending choices. I sat down with a financial advisor and got myself on a repayment plan, and have diligently made payments and cut credit card use ever since. I've been helped along by three unforseen (at the time of the plan making) events -- an inheritance from my grandmother, moving in with Serdic and splitting bills/expenses and having money available to make larger than "minimum amount due" payments, and then this month my bargaining group at work signed a new contract with a slight pay increase, and as the increase is retroactive to the end of the last contract, 18 months ago, I got a nice chunk of change in the form of backpay. I only had the one debt left, a student line of credit that I was aggressively paying down and planning to have gone by the wedding, and the amount of the backpay cheque was miraculously almost exactly what I had left on that line of credit. So I went into the bank yesterday morning and wrote a cheque for the entire amount. And just like that, I am debt free. It seemed so hopeless not so long ago, and with patience and diligence and a little bit of sacrifice, here I am. And it feels good.

Road trip (with a slight wedding planning update)!

Serdic and I made a flying trip home yesterday, mostly to meet with a photographer I had a lead on for the wedding. We had just enough time to have lunch with his parents and tea with my grandmother and Aunt C (my parents being on a Caribbean cruise, the lucky buggers, and therefore not available for visiting), and then we met with the photographer. I had really been taken with his work when I had looked at samples of it online and we got a really good feeling about him in general ... he seems like he'd be good to work with and has a similar philosophy to mine about what this day means and what we want to get out of it with the pictures, so I think we'll be quite happy with him. So that is booked and a load off my mind. Things are really falling into place!

Unfortunately, our return trip to Ottawa was not as smooth as one would have hoped, as about half way home the car seemed to be threatening to give up the ghost. We got pulled over in a rest area and Serdic called the wonderful and life saving SerDad, who headed out in the dark and cold to our rescue. He brought some tools and jugs and various things, and the two of them popped the hood and muttered and poured things into various slots and paced and, eventually, got us back on the road. I, obviously, understand only the very basics of how cars work and what happened, but she seems to be running just fine now and I am told the car had gotten low on "coolant." We are up and running again now, though, and the car is behaving normally, so I'm glad it was that easily fixed and all it cost us was a couple of hours sitting on the side of the highway.

The Bachelorette

Serdic left this morning for two more weeks in Texas (you may remember he was there for two weeks before Christmas). So I am bach-ing it for a little while again. Last time he was away I found I got really lazy about meal preparation and eating properly, so I am hoping to not make that mistake again. We'll see how it goes. Other than that I've got a lot planned for the next little while so I'm hoping the two weeks will fly by and he'll be back before I know it. And then he's back for four days before I'm off to London for a week to visit PetDoc and Noise! Woo hoo!

This and that

Not enough on any one thing to make a substantial blog post, so instead a few tidbits in no particular order.

Mother Nature giveth, and Mother Nature taketh away. After a weekend of beautiful, balmy, spring-like weather, we woke up this morning to snow. It was a double whammy, because with the clocks going ahead this weekend it was dark again as I waited for the bus -- I had just been getting used to leaving for work in the light and coming home in the light. So we got a couple of days of spring, and then wham. Back into the dark and cold and snow. Sigh.

Speaking of the weekend, the Wii had a nasty little feature where it will tell you how many hours you've spent playing on any given day. The total time spent playing Tomb Raider in the last two days? Approximately 14 hours. Oops. We had great intentions for this weekend, for things like running errands and going to the gym and getting out and enjoying the sunshine. Instead we took turns running Lara Croft off cliffs. The worst part is that with the Wii you have to actually make Lara do the actions, like throwing a grappling hook or punching a bad guy. My arms are sore today. How pathetic is that?

But oh my goodness, we had fun.

Wedding planning is coming along. My thanks to those who have emailed with suggestions and support. I know I haven't replied to all the emails yet, but that has nothing to do with not welcoming the suggestions and everything to do with there not being enough hours in the days. (Of course, the 14 hours spent playing Tomb Raider might have something to do with that, she said sheepishly.) There are no big developments to report, just turning a lot of ideas around in my head. Serdic did rebel last night when I sat down with pen and paper and wanted to draw up a preliminary seating chart. I think the fact that no one has actually been invited to this wedding yet, so there is no one to "seat," was tripping him up. He's such a boy. :-)

And, finally, happy birthday to SingerMom!