Surprise!

This has been another busy stretch of days with activity related to moving taking priority at home. Trying to continue to purge vintage material at the office and deal with general angst (must be spring fever) amongst staff. The weather has been quite mild and has definitely turned to spring with many spring bulbs blooming.

Daughter # 2 and myself did make it out to National Scrapbook Day on Saturday and had a wonderful time. She completed a small album of her California trip for spring break and I managed to get 11 pages in the cruise album done. A definite success for a girls’ day.

One of the funniest happenings of the session occurred about 2 p.m. when a vehicle pulled up in the sunny parking lot, doors closed and a man appeared in the open doorway with two small children who were all dressed up. The boy looked to be about 4 and his sister perhaps 2 or so. All the women attending assumed that this family belonged to one of the other participants. The little fellow jumped with a flourish in through the door and yelled, “surprise” while his sister silently took in proceedings. We all smiled and waited for someone to claim them and when no one did the father said, “Isn’t this a birthday party?” When we explained there was no birthday party here I can tell you that the Dad was the one who was surprised. He finally asked, “What kind of a party is this anyway?” and was informed it was scrapbooking and no one had any idea where the birthday party was. He left in search of the festivities. After the vehicle drove away I was struck by a fit of giggles and said “That was an obvious case of not listening to instructions but I’m guessing it’s going to be the mother’s fault when he tells it to his buddies” We all got a charge out of that one.

I am continuing to work my way through research for the cruise speaking. Managed to have an email chat today with a friend’s sister-in-law who is a tour guide and she had some good tips as well giving a vote of confidence in my abilities. Will plan to put some work into roughing out presentations perhaps on the weekend. I’m heading out on Thursday p.m to my professional organization’s AGM and Spring Conference being held Friday in the city. Will give me a chance to take anything daughter # 2 has forgotten here.

Tomorrow will be a long day for the shore captain as he sets out at 6 a.m. with the second daughter to move into her apartment in metro. Think Beverly Hillbillies and you won’t be far off as the half-ton is loaded up and everything is tied on. Come to think of it mister is looking more Jed Clampett like all the time and missy could pass for Elly Mae. She’s pretty pumped as she’s lived in residence for the past four years so is finally getting some more permanent roots. As she said, “Miffy finally leaves the rabbit hole” So they’ve both retired for their early start.

After assisting with the moving mister is heading out of the city by noon to retrieve daughter # 3 from Fredericton as she writes her last exam and should be done by 4 p.m. He’s been supplied with a map and driving directions plus her phone number.Loading up of ‘stuff’ accumulated over the past academic year then a rendezvous back in the city with this daughter’s boyfriend as he is heading on to do 2 months of clinical in Bridgewater. The chauffeur will be extremely lucky to make it home by midnight. And of course he will be up by 4 a.m. again to go lobstering the next day. He really can’t manage to take more than one day off with the season and short one employee due to the family illness.

So tomorrow p.m. after I return from the district facility will be getting things sorted around for a new occupant. The cats are confused but welcome all guests.

According to an article in Sunday’s paper it appears that seniors are happier than young adults and 80 year olds are more content than those in their 50s. Well yeah, those octogenarians aren’t working are they? Check it out for yourself:

http://www.thechronicleherald.ca/ArtsLife/1050843.html