Hello from the Big Smoke

As you can see from the title we're in the city this weekend and if you've been following the news you may know there is a major forest fire raging on the other side of metro in the Porters Lake area. We're wondering if our friends in Mineville are doing okay. The only word we've had from them is an email to a group of us saying that there is a mandatory evacuation order for homes on the other side of the road. There has been an evacuation center set up and access is denied to the area. The photos are available on the Chronicle Herald website here:

http://www.thechronicleherald.ca/

We headed down Friday afternoon in what could only be described as one of the most disorganized expeditions in history. This is due in large part to the fact that the male travel partner was entrusted with the final arrangements. Bad idea. Not only did he arrive very late but he managed to show up at the carpool parking lot we met at without the pillows or sheets and with the baby daughter's boyfriend's air mattress - this at bedtime proved to have a defunct pump and the single (not double as promised) mattress which I was delegated to sleep on was completely flat within a couple of hours. Wonderful.

Today with a shopping spree to purchase a queen sized air mattress and electric pump we are more prepared to actually get some sleep tonight. The day in the city also resulted in a new pair of Birkenstock sandals - hope these ones are as serviceable as the previous which lasted 7 years. Speaking of all things back to nature, we visited the Farmers Market and couldn't resist the temptations of the plants and a few other treats - good thing we don't live in the city as we'd be even more broke. Made a visit to a good second hand bookshop called Back Pages and picked up some reading material then headed down to The Old Triangle for some lunch and to check out the cruise ship brochures I'd convinced the travel agent at the mall to give me - she didn't need to know I'm trying to travel for free.

We picked up daughter # 2 after work, then her boyfriend and headed out to The Greek Festival which we discovered is not much more than a large eating venue. Mind you, the food was good but the crowds were large and the lines long so we brought our delicious dessert home to eat. The highlight of the event was the tour of the Greek Orthodox church which was gorgeous and the priest gave an overview of the history.

The daughter was most pleased to find a $10 bike at a yard sale on the way to the festival which her father was able to make serviceable for the morning for her morning commute to work to try it out. After picking up a helmet she's good to go. We're all set for bikes now as I picked up the two bikes I'd negotiated on the Buy n Sell bulletin board at work from the Valley when I traveled up Wednesday for a meeting.

The week just past was a full one as we've had a rush of meetings at work getting ready for the accreditation process which will culminate in a surveyors visit in September. Had three days on the road and two hectic ones in the office to try to catch up after the previous week away. I was glad to see the weekend arrive. Too bad it's flown by.

I leave you with a smile which you must read all the way through, it's not as it seems:

Married Life

After 20 years of marriage, a couple was lying in bed one evening, when
the wife felt her husband begin to touch her in ways he hadn't in quite some
time.

It almost tickled as his fingers started at her neck, and then began
moving down past the small of her back.

He then slid his hand across her shoulders and neck, slowly worked down
over one breast, then the other, stopping just over her lower stomach.

He then placed his hand on her left inner arm, caressed past the side of
her breast again, working down her side, passed gently over and then in
between her buttocks and down her leg to her calf.

Then, he proceeded up her inner thigh, stopping just at the uppermost
portion of her leg. He continued in the same manner on her right side,
then suddenly stopped, rolled over and became silent.

As she had become quite aroused by this caressing, she asked in a loving
voice, "That was wonderful. Why did you stop?"

"I found the remote," he said.