I won't even *mention* the bookstore visit, or we'll be here all night...
Le sigh. So, the vacation's over... the last drop of sun has been soaked, the goodies has been eaten, the couch has a butt-shaped dint... my purse is stuffed with various random purchases I don't quite recall how they got in there...
Spent a day at the zoo with the fam, and contrived to make Oldest Shoephew -- who is thirteen-and-a-half, and having a Phase -- actually crack a smile. Twice.
Spent yesterday with Shoemom, who was determined to make my last day of vacation the best... that is, she actually spent money on it. In Niagara Falls. Without twitching. After I finished discreetly checking the house for replica pods, we discovered the best breakfast place in the GTA (Stacey Lee's Family Restaurant in downtown Brampton, you're welcome). Then we spent the morning utterly lost on one Golden Horseshoe back road after another. It was glorious.
Spent some quality time in the incredible From Japan, a little Niagara-on-the-Lake shop that I usually have to duck into on the fly because I'm apparently the only member of my immediate circle who loves the Japanese design aesthetic... no, not Hello Kitty. Just that amazingly gorgeous simplicity -- there's not an element, not the tiniest line or petal, that doesn't contribute to the harmony of the design, and yet the whole is effortless. Yes, I realise it's probably 99% assumed for the tourist trade these days, and no, I don't care so long as I have a willow-ware plate with dragonflies on it.
Spent three hours or so creating the James Herriot page on the wiki I swore I'd never visit again. Also, in the course of indexing, browsed the Children's Literature subsection. I think I've just discovered a new way to pass the time until the Bob & Ray liner notes are published... er, speaking of which, this pre-order on Amazon. Which meant I had to go back and reread my article, and find all the places I could've improved, and loathe the entire thing.
Spent far more than I should to sample Godiva's ice-cream truffles (lemon just right, mint-chocolate-chip a dream, orange creamsicle too creamy, you're welcome) and started to feel much better about the liner notes again. Started, actually, to feel the creative juices stirring wholesale again. Nice, that.
Spent a long while on foot through a local park, got lost in the noonday summer sun... then found a shady tree to sit under, right at the top of the rise, thistledown blowing gently through my daydreams. I sat quietly for a long while, just... there. Content. Finally having the time to realise exactly where I am and what I want to do, get reacquainted with myself and all the things I want to catch up on...
...but first, I need to get back to work. I really could use the break.
Spent a day at the zoo with the fam, and contrived to make Oldest Shoephew -- who is thirteen-and-a-half, and having a Phase -- actually crack a smile. Twice.
Spent yesterday with Shoemom, who was determined to make my last day of vacation the best... that is, she actually spent money on it. In Niagara Falls. Without twitching. After I finished discreetly checking the house for replica pods, we discovered the best breakfast place in the GTA (Stacey Lee's Family Restaurant in downtown Brampton, you're welcome). Then we spent the morning utterly lost on one Golden Horseshoe back road after another. It was glorious.
Spent some quality time in the incredible From Japan, a little Niagara-on-the-Lake shop that I usually have to duck into on the fly because I'm apparently the only member of my immediate circle who loves the Japanese design aesthetic... no, not Hello Kitty. Just that amazingly gorgeous simplicity -- there's not an element, not the tiniest line or petal, that doesn't contribute to the harmony of the design, and yet the whole is effortless. Yes, I realise it's probably 99% assumed for the tourist trade these days, and no, I don't care so long as I have a willow-ware plate with dragonflies on it.
Spent three hours or so creating the James Herriot page on the wiki I swore I'd never visit again. Also, in the course of indexing, browsed the Children's Literature subsection. I think I've just discovered a new way to pass the time until the Bob & Ray liner notes are published... er, speaking of which, this pre-order on Amazon. Which meant I had to go back and reread my article, and find all the places I could've improved, and loathe the entire thing.
Spent far more than I should to sample Godiva's ice-cream truffles (lemon just right, mint-chocolate-chip a dream, orange creamsicle too creamy, you're welcome) and started to feel much better about the liner notes again. Started, actually, to feel the creative juices stirring wholesale again. Nice, that.
Spent a long while on foot through a local park, got lost in the noonday summer sun... then found a shady tree to sit under, right at the top of the rise, thistledown blowing gently through my daydreams. I sat quietly for a long while, just... there. Content. Finally having the time to realise exactly where I am and what I want to do, get reacquainted with myself and all the things I want to catch up on...
...but first, I need to get back to work. I really could use the break.