Monday, September 23, 2013

Staycation

This Mama needed a break.  

So I took Friday and Monday off.

And after I slept in until 10am on Friday I was busier than if I had actually gone to work.

But different busy.

I think I whined sufficiently on this blog about my regular full-time job over the summer but now that the new centre is open all the stuff I didn't do needs to be dealt with and some of it is pretty weighty.  

Then there is my part-time conference work which has two conferences on the go.

My practicum supervision which has reports waiting to be submitted.

And this big trip we are taking which is like a job all on its own and to which I devoted today and checked a bazillion things off the TO DO list which feels fantastic!

But I am getting ahead of myself.....

Thursday Night 

We hit the weather jackpot and enjoyed an outdoor concert by the young and upcoming band called the Lumineers.   They are great - the venue was not great for them in my opinion - but we had a grand time with a big group of friends, some suitably dubious food cart food and some dancing while the full moon rose on a perfect late summer night.  And beer.  





Friday

I was a sloth.  I slept in.  I went for a pedicure because all I wanted to do was sit and play bejewelled on my phone and drink coffee...... so I did.

Then Allan and I drove to the bank because my debit card was on a list of cards that had possibly been skimmed..... 3rd time this year one of my cards has been "compromised"......SO annoying.  We had a brief coffee date afterwards - I think I spoke but maybe I just stared..... 

Thankfully Allan and Lindsay had made a meal plan for the week so no thinking needed there but we did decide to watch a movie together and have a family feast night.  Ever since the kids were little we have had family feast nights when we watch a movie (which is not often).....I used to put all the dinner in small bowls on the table and they could take whatever they wanted - they LOVED it....now we usually eat a regular meal and have treats on the table - they still really embrace the feeling and that makes my heart happy.  I actually had to run an errand for work with Allan and they had set up by the time we got home. 





We had a fun family feast night watching a very funny, totally inappropriate movie - thank goodness they are old enough I can rely on them not repeating some of the language!!!!

So ended sloth day aka my summer vacation.

Saturday

I got up and went for a bike ride.  I know.... you just checked whose blog you were reading didn't you!  I needed a workout and after a deluge all night the rain was gone and the air had that fresh scrubbed quality to it - it was a perfectly lovely hour and a great start to a day of running errands (for work and home).


Allan did some chores around the house in the break in the weather - boys and ladders???




In the evening Lindsay was off to another new babysitting gig and David off to hang out with buddies and so the Vera's and ourselves went off to check out the Lantern Festival at Thompson Community Centre (not to worry if you missed it - West Richmond Community Centres Lantern Festival is coming up soon!) and then out for an interesting Asian dining experience.  The food was great - especially the Dan Dan noodles - but pricier than some places and with disdainful service..... are white people who know their Asian food really still so unusual??..... we eat more than sweet and sour pork!!!!! 



As all cosmopolitan, foodie, hipster couples out on the town on a Saturday night do... we ended the evening at PriceSmart doing groceries......we were actually looking for half price moon cakes (as if that doesn't prove something) given the Mid-Autumn Festival was two days prior but they were sold out.

A fun night out with our good friends.

Sunday

Lindsay and I went to church and the boys had soccer photos....in the rain......



Then we moved furniture and other goods from our friends the Branscombes house as they are moving this week ..... we will be so sad not to have them at the end of the street!!!  

I did conference work and Allan made ham and split pea soup with homemade brioche buns = YUMMY!




He and I managed to catch the last of the sunset as  the storm clouds broke briefly and took another 50 photos of Spanner....... I think I could become a pet photographer ...... for well trained chocolate labs in lovely light.....





Monday

Alas the sleep was a fail......but on a dark and rainy morning it was lovely to snuggle under the duvet and listen to the CBC and imagine everyone else at work.

Today was dedicated to all things South Africa....... my TO DO list had grown to "keep-me-awake-in-the-night" proportions so I started with booking the SUV we need with Mastercard points - for which I should receive points for patience.....in the end I got what I needed for less than I thought .... priceless?

I then sent several emails, confirmed bookings, booked tours of Cape Town, Cango Caves, Elephant Riding, Horseback Safaris.......and sent lots of messages to my network of friends and family on the ground in SA about any number of things.

Of course as I was booking something my credit card was declined........which took me an hour to get Mastercard to unblock and read the note on my file clearing SA transactions...... I, of all people, get the need for security but stupidity should earn me extra points....just saying..... the dude tried to suggest I had confused the system by trying to purchase something worth $5200 which is over my daily limit.  I pointed out it was actually ZAR5200 which is $520...... well under my limit..... he suggested I put a note on my file.....Priceless?

I managed to have a lovely lunch in Steveston with Miss Lindsay who had a spare.... I actually had lots of Lindsay-time this weekend and we had some great chats.... lucky Mama!



And so with my mini staycation drawing to an end I still have a couple of things to accomplish and a visit to the hairstylist to enjoy at 7:15pm where they will mock me for my slight hysteria at thinking the appointment was as 7:15am when I booked it....... "Hairstylists don't work at 7:15am Darling".  Got it.

So it wasn't exactly a relaxing spa vacation but I got much accomplished and had some fun along the way.

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