WEEK Seven

Hi all, I'm getting requests for updates... it is only a week but apparently because I edited last weeks it appeared that I had updated ... sorry for those who are now used to a weekly Canadian fix... hope I can keep doing interesting things for you!!!

Took this photo yesterday of the place we're living in... nice morning... so captures it really well I think. See the tiny windows up in the top floor... that's where I'm looking out of now.

I've spoken to Luke, Peter's son, who is in Asia (based in Singapore but just been travelling in Nepal and China) on the phone a couple of times and he always asks me what I do 'to fill my days'. I can't really explain it but the days seem busy.... is it doing an occasional help out at the restaurant? Is it going to walk the dogs most days? Is is getting around on public transport... don't think so as it is pretty efficient and I can link up between street car, subway and bus without long delays ... I think I have it worked out. It is sitting on the internet doing just about everything we used to do by foot, car or on the phone. It includes a list something like this...

Finding accommodation at view.ca
Booking tickets for concerts (exciting!)
Do banking in Australia
Skyping (though most of you are not awake when I want to talk!)
Checking email to hear from you
Sorting out things like car selling, insurance, managing my rental for Glenrosa Rd
Keeping up with Facebook ... read some interesting stuff on my Obama page yesterday... did you see this interesting interchange on TV outside of Nth America? I enjoyed this so much... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nYlZiWK2Iy8
Planning the accommodation, flights, car hire for trip to the US in October when my sister Lainey comes over (lucky us!)
Keeping up with Australian news on ABC website
Getting online advice from my barista teacher in Brisbane (thank you Anne Cooper!) and more on that next week
Looking for a digital SLR camera for my camera course that I found and booked of course online... oh and
Writing this blog!
Now this is nothing new to anyone... but despite the fact that I now don't have a job that requires me to use my computer... here I am on it nearly all day.... oh yes I need to use it to...
Find a gym before I develop into a BlogBlob!!

This is in front of Peter's house (with Liz his expartner) where the dogs live... (I get more questions about the dogs than anything in the blog of course)and it is a pretty little garden. No we don't live here! Next is a corney photo of me in my new sun frock... that I got Peter to take because of the colour in the dress and the flower match... and don't I remind me of my mother in this photo (actually wearing her pearls which probably helps that feeling).

Out looking at cameras yesterday we went to an entire shopping centre filled with Chinese shops... it could really have been in China but an occasional Canadian maple leaf flag reminded me where we are... Peter (I told him you'll all think he's a cheapskate) found this restaurant that sold these huge mango juices... and if you spent $5 per person... a full meal for .99c!!! See photo below to prove it. Peter very generous actually but he dearly loves a bargain..

Finally the weather is still crazily hot and humid here... and last night while at a catering function for a local plant nursery's 120th anniversary (I forgot to get a photo of my chef's gear... requested by you Lainey I think!) there was an almighty storm with thunder and lightening, huge rain that filled the kitchen floor with water, water pouring down the walls and in through the ceiling and had the guests hiding inside between rain and wind gusts (interestingly though they stayed for hours to keep eating the food). We managed to shift the kitchen to a drier room. Little did we know that there were tornado like winds nearby and a young boy was killed and many many houses lost roofs etc. See: http://www.thestar.com/News/GTA/article/684478

We are also watching the likely arrival on the East Coast of Tornado Bill. Seems like Nth Qld again...

Little did I know when I was so taken with Peter's beautiful smile the first time I saw him that I'd be dragging around the catering world pretending to know what I was doing a few years later! Anyway promise a photo next time.

Bye for now
love
Lindy