Home to Canada!!!!

I have been looking forward to this day for a year! And it's finally here!

I didn't end up sleeping great last night. The room was cozy and clean but the bed felt like I was sleeping on springs. The cheap price I paid also meant a shared bathroom and I could hear people from the other rooms opening and closing their doors through the night going to the bathroom. So I woke up every 2 hours and that was probably ostly due to my excitement to go home.

I got up at 6am, got ready and walked to the train station for 7am. Caught the hour train to Gatwick which seemed to take forever. Finalyl arrived at Gatwick just after 8am and wow this airport is crazier than I thought. I think everyone flies out in the morning because the place was very busy. I eventually found the Air Transat check in after 15 minutes of walking around and finally asking someone. No wonder I couldn't find it - it was hidden down a flight of stairs. I walked right through the check in and security as there were no lines up - how nice!

I spent the next few hours checking out the shops, which there are a lot of. I bought a bottle of Pimms (British liquor) to bring home. It ended up being an eventful visit to Gatwick with a fire alarm. Nothing major, just a nuisance more than anything.

It's time to board!! By midday I was in the air and on my way to Canada! I sat with a lovely lady on the flight. She's British but has lived in the Valley for 30+ years. The flight was uneventful and pretty enjoyable as I had paid a small fee for a better seat which left me ots of leg room and a wider seat. It was great. We arrived in Halifax 40 minutes early! I'm on Canadian soil again! Yay! As we taxied towards the airport I had to fight the happy tears. I was doing fine until I saw the Canadian and Nove Scotia flags. What a feeling to see those again.

I could barely contain myself in the Customs line up. By the time I got through customs (which wasn't a problem at all) and got my luggage it was our original landing time. It was great to arrive early except no one else knew so nobody was there waiting for me! I ended up waiting 20 minutes before Mom and Lexie arrived then Aimee, Lynden and Jamie were right behind. I was disappointed to not have anyone there when I arrived but was so happy to see them all when they finally did. What a feeling to see my Mom after a year and 2 months of being away!

We chatted for a bit then hopped in the car to do the 5 hour drive to Ingonish. We stopped at the causeway for supper than I drove from there for an hour and a half or so. Mom and Lexie drove to Halifax this morning and Mom has to be up at 3am for fihsing tomorrow so she needed a snooze in the car. I was pretty wired so I didn't mind. It was nice to sit on the left hand side to drive! I ended up driving on the wrong side of the road for a minute when I took the turnoff to the ferry! I didn't even realize, it was Lexie that said 'Mandy, you're driving in the wrong side of the road!'. Too funny! I had no idea.

We arrived home at 9pm and I ran into see Dad. Once again what a feeling to hug Dad after so long. After dropping Mom at home I popped out to see Nan and Gampie, ran to Deb's to pick stuff up, dropped into see Nanny Neil then to Karen's for a few minutes. When I got home at 10pm Graham was home and I got another big hug from him. So weird to come home and Matthew not be here. Really disappointed he won't have a chance to come home while I'm here. I crashed hard by 10:30pm and fell asleep so happy to be home.

Off to London!

Said my goodbyes to Keith this morning when he left for work. I'm really going to miss him. The hardest part about going home is leaving him for a month.

Did some last minute running around into town and picking up munchies for my train journey. All set and ready to go with room still left in my luggage! Is that even possible? I actually went around the house making sure there was nothing else I should take with me to fill the space. I wanted some space as I'll be buying some clothes at home, but this was more space then expected. I'm impressed with myself!

Headed out at 11:30am to drive to the train station in Redruth. Keith has a simulator today and it was much more convenient for me to drive myself and him pick the car up later. I caught the train just after 12pm and was on my way. I arrived in London at 5:30pm then made my way to my hotel via the tube.

The hotel room was small which is the norm in London. That never bothers me though because who really spends time in their room when they're in London? After changing and freshing up I went touring. I was meeting Anya and Horacio at 8pm so I didn't have time to go too far. Instead I checked out the St Pancras International train station where I am catching my train to Gatwick in the morning. I hadn't been in that station before and didn't know much about getting to Gatwick. Figured it would be safest to check it out now so when I arrive at 7am I know exactly where I'm going and what I'm doing. The St Pancras station is a new building and is very impressive. It's packed with fancy shops and cafes/restaurants/etc. It is the station where the Eurostar train leaves from England to go to Europe so it's a very busy and massive station.

After I gathered all the info I needed and bought my train ticket I hopped on the tube and went to Livepool Street where I would meet the crew. I walked around a bit as I arrived early. Liverpool is on the edge of the financial district on London and everyone is in a suit. I felt a bit under dressed! Horacio met me at 8pm and toured me around this area of London I hadn't seen before. We met Anya at the Ma'ida restaurant for Indian. We had a delicious dinner and chatted for awhile. We finished around 11pm and I hopped back on the tube to the hotel.

Oh my God, I'm going home tomorrow! Am I going to sleep tonight?

Packing Day

Happy birthday Nanny Neil! Nan is 89 today. Wow!

What a lazy morning. We stayed in bed until almost 11:30am! Not hard to tell we don't have kids. I was taking advantage since I'll be away from Keith for a month.

Today I'll finish packing and doing the last minute things that need to be done before I leave. I head out tomorrow as I stay in London for the night. It worked out to be cheaper to take the train up in the afternoon and stay at a hotel then taking the overnight sleeper. Keith will drive me to the train station tomorrow at lunchtime and I'll arrive in London around 5:30pm. I'm meeting Anya and Horacio that I worked with at Aukett Brockliss Guy. They work in the London office and we thought it would be nice to get together. Horacio knows a really good Indian restaurant so we'll meet there for dinner. Yes, more Indian! I think Indian cuisine is more prominent here than English. The Brits love their curry. After dinner, Anya and I will probably walk around and check out the city. Originally I had been planning to go to a show as I've been wanting to see Chicago or Les Miserables or something along those lines, but then I made plans with Anya so I'm not sure what else I'll be up to.

I'll crash at the hotel for the night than I'll be up early to catch the hour tube to Gatwick. I fly out at 11:40am Tuesday with Air Transat but they require you to check in 3-4 hours earlier for international flights. I'll arrive in Haliafx at 2:40pm where Mom, Lexie, Aimee and Jamie will meet me. Yay! I can't wait!

The day after tomorrow I'll be in Canada!!!!

Falmouth & Penryn

Happy birthday Travis!

It was suppose to be a drab rainy day but it wasn't as bad as expected. It was overcast but atleast it didn't rain much. After dropping all the recycling off we spent the afternoon in Falmouth going to Trago to look for storage containers, walking around and dropping into the Kind's Head pub for a beer and cider. On the way home we went to B&Q and Asda for a few things we needed to get and a few last minute items for me to take home.

I was planning tomorrow as my packing day but I decided to do some of it this evening to get it out of the way. I got quite a bit done but still have more to do.

Keith and I went to Anglo Asia for a late supper and enjoyed the usual good Indian food. We got back home around 10pm then watched a movie 'Michael Clayton'. Good flick - I'm a fan of George Clooney.

3 days until I go home!

Dentist - Fillings

Had my dentist appointment first thing this morning at 8:30am. I was apprehensive about this dentist doing my fillings because one of them is on a tooth that my plate sits on and is such a pain in the ass to shave down to fit my plate over it. And I was worried that if it didn't go well, I only have Monday morning to get it fixed because I'm 2 hours from my old dentist in Sydney once I arrive in Ingonish. Anyway, I was pleasantly surprised as it all went very well.

It took a few hours for the freezing to leave my face so I did some stuff around the house until it was gone then I headed to Penzance. Spent a few hours there picking up some things and searching for some rubbermaid like containers. Once again, there is little selection and it's damn expensive! Came home empty handed with that item. We have only been here a year but we've already accumulated a bit of fancy dress costumes and I was hoping to find something to store them in in the garage. Oh well, they'll just stay in the storage room until I return.

We enjoyed a quiet evening making some appetizers to munch on while watching tv.

Cinderella

Jamie Frees finishes work today as she'll be moving to England on Tuesday! We have such funny timing - her and I have been anxious for months for her to get here and now it works out that she's flying to the UK the same day I fly to Canada! What kinda of timing eh? She doesn't fly out until just before midnight so she's actually going to come to the airport to see me when I arrive. She'll be living about an hour away from us so it'll be nice to have her so close.

Today was a quiet day. I decided to actually sleep in a bit and try not to think about things that need to be done. Eventually I got my butt in gear and decided to play Cinderella for the day. Haha. I cleaned the stove - everyone's favorite job! Then cleaned the fridge which is another wonderful task. And spruced up a few other things in the kitchen. Why am I cleaning before I leave? Well that's a good question! They both really needed to be done so that's the only reason, everything else Keith can look after. Haha.

Went into town for a bit to run a few errands and grab supper food. That was the extent of the day.

Dentist - Cleaning

Had a dentist appointment this morning for a cleaning. So far everything they do here is very similar to home except they don't do fluoride treatments! The hygienist told me she did one once and that was during her training many years ago - just so they would know how to do them! They also don't have fluoride in the water here - no wonder the Brits are known for their bad teeth. The hygienist was a sweet Scottish lady and she was great. I'm always apprehensive to go to a new hygienist because I went to one in Halifax years ago and she was so rough my gums hurt for hours afterwards. Thank God I found another one in Halifax that was great.

I may have mentioned before but there are 2 types of dentists in the UK; NHS and private. The National Health System dentists are paid for by the NHS similar to the doctors visits except there's a small fee to pay for the minimal service the dentists provide you. There's also the private dentists which are exactly what we have at home - we pay for everything we get done at the dentist. I have opted for this as Dale had warned me about his NHS dental experience. The NHS dentists do as little work as possible for the fee you pay as the fee is subsidized by the NHS and is minimal. It's hard to explain so I won't try further. Because of this I have chosen a private dentist as I want the best service and care I can get and also because the Canadian Forces pay most of the bill.

After back from the dentist I packed up all the gifts I'm sending home. I'd hoped to do it earlier in the week but the last item just arrived yesterday. I sent it off and now it may arrive just before I leave home to come back here! So far that's been my day. I have to pop back into town and either do a bit of cleaning or French training - I'll decide when I get back.

I decided to do some of the French as it's much more interesting than cleaning the stove and the fridge!

The Lizard

Spent a few hours trying to figure out my damn taxes. What a pain in the ass! After a lot of reading I'm still no further ahead. Well, it doesn't feel like I am anyway. It's so frustrating to figure out. The Brits don't do tax returns! How sweet is that? Everything is deducted and submitted by the employer to HM (Her Majesty) Customs and Revenue - same as home but they don't so a return here. Not sure how it works when you have charitable donations and such. Even student loan payments are deducted from your pay! Everything seems to be quite interconnected here which is a good thing in this sense. Still, I have to do a tax return because I need a foreign income amount to put on my Canadian tax return. And I have to do a Canadian return because I worked from January to March last year. Oh and the British tax year runs from April 6 of that year to April 5 of the following year - just to make it more confusing. Eventually I will figure out how not to be double taxed - thank God the UK and Canada have a 'double taxation treaty' for these instances.

After I almost pulled my hair out I decided to go for a therapeutic drive to the Lizard. It's only a 10-15 minute drive and it's beautiful. First I stopped in the Lizard village to browse the shops. I had a few last minute things to pick up for my family to take home. After an hour or more I hopped back in the car and drove 5 more minutes to the Lizard Point. It's a beautiful day but windy. It's suppose to be 24C. As the Lizard is the most southerly point and it's cliffs overlook the ocean it's a bit breezy. Busy place as there are already many tourists about. I took some photos as usual and hung around for a bit enjoying the ocean air.

It was late afternoon by the time I got back from the Lizard and Tesco. After supper, Keith and I lazed on the couch watching TV and the movie 'Good Night, and Good Luck'.






To view the rest of the photos:
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Dentist Cancelled

I was suppose to go for my dentist appointment at lunch time for my fillings but the office called to say the dentist is out sick today. I've been rescheduled for Friday morning.

It's another beautiful day with highs expected around 24C. Not sure what I'll be up to today as I had planned nothing with my dentist visit. Doesn't seem right to stay in the house on such a nice day so I may head out and venture somewhere.

I didn't end up doing much. Laid out in the sun for a bit, tidied up a few closets and the storage room and had a nap! What a lazy day. Keith wasn't home until 6:30pm as he and Speedy went to the gym. After supper I went down to the park and walked into the Penrose Estate - about a 45 minute walk. It was a beautiful evening.

Happy Mother's Day

Happy Mother's Day!

It was a day of sleeping in after being up until 2:30am and Keith until 4:30am. Unfortunately we wasted a beautiful morning but the sleep was required. I ended up feeling a bit hungover today even though I only had a drink or two. I guess that shows how important sleep is.

What an incredible day! It was around 26C and sunny. It really felt like summer. We didn't do a whole lot. Got some things done around the house, Keith went for a run, BBQ for supper and relaxed in the evening watching TV.

I gabbed on the phone to Mom and my grandmothers wishing them a Happy Mother's Day.

St Austell & Charlestown

There is a Saturday market starting in Helston today so Keith and I went to check it out. It wasn't very big but I'm guessing that has to do with it being the first one of the year.

Afterwards we picked up Speedy and Rach and headed to St Austell (an hour away). There's a large market there called Cornish Market World. None of us have been there so we wanted to check it out. We learned very quickly it was a market of a lot of junk! Just cheap stuff really and not a market like we'd expected. Rach and I had hoped for Cornish goods and crafts but it was nothing of the sorts. Almost like several stands of Dollar Store goods. I love the Doller Store (the Pound Shop here) but that wasn't what I was looking for.

We still poked around and spend quite awhile here. Afterwards we went to Charlestown which is only 10 minutes away from St Austell. It's a small coastal village and we spent an hour or more walking on the beach, poking around at the sall pools of water finding crabs, shrimp and other species.

Once we had enough of the beach we visited one of the nearby pubs for a drink. On the way home we stopped at our usual watering hole - the Norway Inn. We had supper here then went back to our place. Speedy and Rach came back to ours and Rach and I went out dancing while Keith and Speedy stayed here and played hockey on the Playstation. Rach & I went to the Beehive and had a great time. We had a drink and danced the night away. The boys continued to play hockey until 4am! All in all a great day.

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Day Off For Keith

Keith's squadron has given them today off too which he's quite happy about.

Woke up to a rather dull day. We slept in a bit then got up and putted around trying to figure out what to do on this dreary day. We eventually drove into Penryn and picked up his diving reg that was getting inspected then went to B&Q.

We've been looking at picnic tables for the backyard but most of what we've looked at don't seem very sturdy. Keith did some research online and found the plans to build one. So we went to B&Q to see what kind of fortune it would cost. And a fortune it was! It would cost us almost £100! That's $200! Insanity. So needless to say we left there empty handed. We may just end up buying one of the less sturdy ones which cost about £50.

Dropped into Tesco on the way home and picked up some stuff for supper. Keith is going to do some BBQing.

Speedy and Rach came over and we BBQ'd and sat around and chatted.

Flora Day

Today is Flora Day in Helston. For a description on Flora Day see my blog from a year ago. As we saw the dances last year we decided to have a lazy morning in bed then we headed into town to meet everyone around 1pm. The guys get the day off as do many of the Helston vendors. Keith and the crew also have tomorrow off. Lucky bunch!

The streets were very busy with people, vendors and food stands. They close the 'high street' (main street in a town where all the shops are) off so its only pedestrian access. One thing that is interesting is you buy a drink in one of the pubs then you go out and enjoy it in the street in the sunshine. We hung out for a few hours and had a drink with our friends that were out. Once the rain decided to come and it was time to make our way inside one of the pubs Keith and I decided to bail out. The pubs were insanely packed! We walked around and checked out everything that was on sale than headed back home. We were soaked by the time we got here.

We watched 'The Recruit' then Speedy and Rach came over for the evening and we ordered takeout and chatted.

Fish Pie

The weather continues to make it feel like summer. Today it was around 17C and sunny. I was up at 6:30am to drive Keith to work and I somehow cannot bring myself to go back to bed when it's warm at sunny that early in the morning. So I stayed up.

Went grocery shopping in the morning as it's much more enjoyable than in the afternoon when it gets busy. I decided I'd attempt making avery British dish for supper - fish pie. I've had it a few times but haven't been able to find a recipe that seems to suit those I've had. This morning I finally found one. Fish pie tends to include haddock or cod, a smoked fillet of the same, salmon and prawns (shrimp). The fish is all cooked in a creamy sauce then put in a casserole dish and topped with mashed potatoes like shepherd's pie. It was suppose to be non time consuming but it ended up being the opposite. British recipes are all in weight and it's very tough for someone who's used to cups, teaspoons and milliliters. I bought a scale awhile back but it was really cheap and barely works so I had to search online for possible conversations - which isn't a simple thing either. Anyway, I eventually got it all together and it turned out pretty good. Not as good as the pies I've tried but almost.

During the afternoon I went to Newlyn which is about 35 minutes from here to check out the two fish markets I hear advertised on the radio. I hadn't been to Newlyn so I spent an hour or so walking around and sitting on the rocks overlooking the harbour and beach. After getting the fish I needed I headed back home and got to work.

Tomorrow is Flora Day here which is the annual event that shuts down the town. People will be dancing in the streets and vendors will be selling their wares and people will be drinking a lot of beer. The night before Flora Day is a very busy time in Helston as well. The pubs/clubs become packed. A few of our friends were going out so we decided to go meet them for a few drinks. We met them at the Angel Hotel and there ended up being about 15 or more of us. The place was so busy. We stayed for a few drinks then headed out just before midnight. On the way home we stopped at the grill and grabbed what they call a Chicken Doner. It's pieces of chicken on a pita with onions and whatever sauces you want. Keith and I sat on the steps and stuffed ourselves then headed home.

I was able to add two photos -wow!

Ugh...the Dentist

Drove Keith into work this morning then was off to my 8:30am dentist appointment. Had my new patient check-up which is a look at everything and x-rays. The dentist tells me everything looks good and healthy except I have a small hole developing in one tooth - which I'm not surprised as it's on one of the teeth that my plate clamps onto and I've had problems with the other tooth on that same side that it clamps to. I also have a problem with my very rear molar on the same side. Anyway, fantastic! I booked myself in on the coming Monday to just get it done. Wednesday I'll go back for a cleaning. What an exciting week it'll be. I'm sure there are many people that spend more money than me at the dentist but with my braces, plate, gum graft, some fillings and I can't remember what else my Dad (before I went off to school) and I have spent a small fortune. Thank God I still have dental coverage - I'm covered under the Canadian Forces health and dental plans even out of country so it's all good.

Went to Falmouth this afternoon to browse and just enjoy the sunshine. It was 20-21C here and lovely! After Keith finishes mowing the lawn, we're gonna go down to Loe Pool. He'll probably run and I'll do a walk. I haven't really had an interest in running at all so walking it is.

Summer Day

Today is the first bank holiday of the Spring/Summer and it is absolutely beautiful out. It really feels like a hot summer day. I'm not sure what the temperature is but it has to be atleast 20C.

I'm trying to get myself in a routine of walking so I headed down to the park this morning for a 45 minute walk or so. I ended up going for an hour and a half! It is so incredible out I just couldn't stop. I walked a trail around Loe Pool. It's a gravel road surrounded and covered with blooming trees and flowers. I take my iPod everytime I go but never listen to it. The sound of the birds is just too serene and relaxing to drown out with music. It's wonderful. Every so often I would stop, close my eyes and just take a deep breath. The air is so fresh, clean and on a day like this you just have to love life more than normal. I went down around 10:30am which was a good time as there weren't many people around. By the time I came back there were quite a few more people on the trail. I didn't go all the way to Loe Pool as I started to get hungry so I came back but will make the full journey sometime soon. After the walk I sat on the bench at the park and watched the people and the birds on the lake while I soaked up the sunshine.

Keith gets home around 4:30pm today so I will be picking him up in a few hours from the train station. I'm going to go now and enjoy some more of this wonderful sunshine.

Happy Birthday Karen!

Happy Birthday Karen!! Today is Karen's 31st. I shocked Mom yesterday because she thought Karen was turning 30 (as she thought I'd turned 30 in October). I think she almost fell over when I reminded her I'm 31! I almost fall over each time I remember!

I was going to go to the beach for a walk with Rach and her dog Max this morning but woke up to rain so that idea was cancelled. That gives me time to finally finish this update off. Yay! Finally up-to-date. Now my hands are tired from typing for hours.

Today will probably consist of some cleaning and maybe a CSI marathon as I have a bunch of episodes recorded. Keith will be back home tomorrow. Tomorrow is the first bank holiday of summer so the boys don't have to work.

The sun decided to come out shortly after I finished the blog. Yay! I decided it was time to get in gear and I took the recycling to the depot, cleaned the car, took some items to the garage for storage and cleaned the bathrooms. Whew, lots accomplished. Amazing what the sun can do!

Spent the later part of the evening enjoying my CSI NY marathon.

Afternoon in St Ives

I spent the morning updating the blog - being 2 months behind is tough! My memory and my fingers from typing getting a work out.

Speedy called at lunchtime asking if I wanted some KFC. He and Rach were in Penzance and were just about to pick some up. They dropped by for an hour or so while we ate some really healthy chicken and chatted.

It was too nice to be in the house so I went to St Ives for a few hours. I just love this place. There's just something about it. I'm now on a mission to find a birthday gift for my grandmother's. Nanny Neil turns 89 in the few weeks and Nanny Hardy turns 80 in June. I'm really close to my grandmother's and always get them a little something for their birthday. I didn't have any luck yet but found a few ideas. Maybe next week I'll go back and get something.

I took a different route back home I hadn't done before to see something different. Later in the evening I went for a walk down by the park for 45 minutes. It was an amazing evening. It felt like summer - you know those warm summer evenings when you just want to be outside.

Keith off to London

Keith, Jono and Biggles have been planning for weeks to go to London for the weekend to watch the Army Navy rugby game. I had been invited but I had no interest in going to London with the boys on a party weekend. I decided I'd rather stay home and let them enjoy themselves without me hanging around.

Dropped Keith off at work for 7:30 this morning as he had a simulator. He and Jono arrived back at 11am and were off to catch their train.

Keith really needs a get away to let off some steam as his course as been quite tough since they returned from Easter leave. It's been very busy with early mornings, some late evenings, home preparation for the early mornings and working a night flying duty shift here and there. I don't write much about what he's up to with his course as you all know Keith, he's a man of few words. Not often does he go into detail about his day. If I ask how his day was his response is always 'the usual'. Wow that's descriptive! Haha. Every so often he comes home really frustrated and pissed off (yeah Keith pissed off) and just lets it all out. But it's things I can't really discuss as this is an open forum for anyone to read. This course has brought frustration to him like I've never seen. He rarely had much to say about Shearwater except that he was bored, but the this place frustrates the hell out of him. His course mates feel the same and they usually have a rant our two when they get together outside work. He'll be really glad to finish but still has several months before the course is over.

Since Keith was away and Speedy has man plans, Rach and I decided we needed some girl time. I picked her up late afternoon and we headed to Truro for some shopping. We shopped a bit and relaxed in a cafe for a bit eating decadent cheesecake. On the way home we stopped into the Norway Inn for supper. Last stop was Asda and then to my place. We bought nail polish (called nail varnish here) and we painted our nails, ate junk and chatted for endless hours. Dave was having a BBQ but we decided we didn't really want to go. I drove her home at 2am and I crashed hard. What a great day!

External Hard Drive/Penzance

Oy my God it's May! Where did April go?

This morning I finally bought an external hard drive. I really liked Lauren's drive so I spent a few hours yesterday searching for the right price as there is such a range in prices. I was set to buy the 160GB one until I won the 250GB on eBay. It only cost me £2 more then the 160GB! Good deal! Now I can take all my pictures home with me to show the family.

Went to Penzance this afternoon to pick up Keith's train tickets. He's heading to London tomorrow for the weekend. I spent a few hours poking around the shops and finishing off Matthew's birthday gift. It's such a beautiful warm day. I'd like my next job to be in Penzance. I enjoy the drive here (25 minutes), it's right on the ocean and very pretty and Rach works here! I stopped at Morrison's on the way home and grabbed some ribs for supper. I'm gonna put Keith to work on the BBQ.