What I did on my summer vacation.

or at least the last half of it!

Lets see, Monday i stayed home and cleaned the house. When Billy got home, we went down to finkles park with a box of chicken. The water was barely cold enough to cool off our sweating bodies but the wind was a definite bonus. We sat there for 3 hrs and certainly didn't want to leave. Tuesday was market day ... I took a side trip to my aunt's house and when I got home, I did the laundry, weeded the garden and vacuumed the entire house.

Wednesday was shopping day. I managed to score some awesome sales at the Cat Center and Cotton Ginny's. Due to the fact that I was already in the city, I decided to get my oil changed at COndies and see what can be done with my car predicament. After three hours, the service manager came out to tell me that the next time I bring my car in for an oil change, they will replace the intake manifold gasket as GM is now covering the cost of replacement due to an impending law suit in North America. Let me say, it certainly helps to put up a fuss and make the company aware of issues that you are not happy with. It has certainly worked so far in my case.

Billy came home early on Wednesday afternoon so we went for an early dinner at the Legion and then went for a boat ride around 3pm. We managed to make it out to the Jenna Lambert flotilla and as we watched this young disabled struggle to cross the lake, it certainly makes one put things in perspective. I wanted to jump in and swim with her however there were so many boats and people around her, we couldn't get close enough to even ask. Here is a zoomed in picture:

We took a side trip to Confederation Basin and found this huge ocean cruise ship docked in where the Island Queen usually is. My brother said this beast is over 200 feet long!

On the way home, we stopped in at John and Sues place. Their neighbour was there and decided to play photographer. So here is a picture of the four of us:

On Thursday I rested as I knew that I was off to the Krock Party Cruise with my hairdresser Joanie and some of her crazy friends. It was so hot that I was sweating after I got out of a cold shower. It was so funny to see all the people I knew on this cruise. Two girls I once worked with at Bell, one young man named Mitchell

that I met online and worked with for a short time, a bunch of people that I work with now, a guy I worked with for 3 months in 1996 at Altair Electronics and a lovely lady that I met online 8 months ago but had never met face to face till that night. Her name is Christine and I feel like we have known each other for ages. Here is a picture of us on the boat:

On Friday Billy took off for his deer camp to do some repairs and I got up late (as I didn't get home till 2am after driving 3 drunks females home) and got my music together for my radio show that night. I also took the afternoon to finish a book I had started back in May. So now I can say that I have (finally) read The DaVinci Code! We went to the Legion for dinner and I sat outside by myself as the guys sat inside and yapped.
Saturday was a rainy dreary day so I worked and cleaned all day long. I cleaned the basement and even vacuumed all 4 floors of the house. I decided I needed to be rewarded for this so I went to see James Mckenty and The Spades at The Merchant that night. I met up with my friend Tina there and she was kind enough to take a bunch of pictures for me and of me. Here is one of me and the band after the first set:


The place was packed and at one point in time I realized that Kirk Muller was standing right beside me and Paul Langois from The Tragically Hip was sitting right across the table from me. Even my favourite Prince Edward County girl Emily Fennel was in the house. I managed to have quite a conversation with her and I think we may be able to get her over to the Island for a show at The Lodge and/or a recording at the radio station. What a sweet lady she is....She even posed for a picture with me:

Here is a cool picture I took at 2 in the morning from the parking lot where my car was parked:

The next day I dragged my butt out of bed at 9 and we were on the water by 11am in the boat. It started off as a beautiful sunny day as we slipped over to the back beach. Billy washed the bottom of the boat and I swam around him in circles. The water was actually refreshing and I didn't want to leave. We went across the gap and took our time viewing the beautiful shoreline of Prince Edward County. We stopped for lunch and a quick drink and then took off again for a short time till the black clouds formed overhead and we were chased down the lake by a looming thunderstorm.
It certainly was a short week, even though it was 10 days long:) In three more days Billy and I will be on holidays and I certainly hope the time goes a bit slower.

Holiday Week #1 is now over 50% complete!

Its pretty bad when you cant get percentages out of your head when you are away from work for a week! However, I have had a great week weather-wise but not so great dollar-wise:) Last weekend Billy had to work all weekend doing inventory therefore I had to drive over to the cottage both Saturday and Sunday. It seemed weird not having our boat tied to the dock but I guess you make due with a lawnchair as your sunpad when the boat is not available.

On Saturday I stopped at the radio station just as Peter Truman was finishing his show with one of the local residents. It seemed weird to be in there when someone else was on the air:

When I got to the cottage, our friend LB was getting ready for his step-daughters wedding. Apparently he was the bearer of the shotgun therefore we thought we should get him ready by handing him the potato cannon:)

Our friends from Amherstview came over and left us with a lasting impression. What a couple of asses!!

On the way home Sunday night, my friend Warren (who is a captain on the ferry) invited me up to the wheel house! What a great spot to take some pictures:)

The wheelhouse is airconditioned and has a fantastic view up and down the channel. Here is a picture of Diane docking the boat at the Millhaven dock. The two toggles she uses are like operating an oldschool video game!

On Monday evening, Billy came home with a box of chicken from Dixie Lee and we packed up the cooler and the chairs and headed to Finkles Park. The sun was shining through the trees and the water was just a blessing in the sticky humid heat.

Tuesday and Wednesday were spent shopping and cleaning. And right now I'm waiting on mister c's arrival so we can finally go out in the boat...its been over a week!!!!


For some reason I have been compelled to shop every day for the last three days. Now remember, I am not a shopper therefore this is a once a year event! And it was an added bonus that all the sidewalk sales are on this week as well.

Rock Crew & The Golden Dogs!

My favourite band out of Toronto visited Kingston last Thursday night for the Rock Crew Productions 4th anniversary party. Unfortunately this was to be the last Rock Crew show as Chris M has made a career move to real estate. He will be missed and (IMHO) local rock shows will never be the same. Regardless, it was a night out for me and seeing as I was officially on holidays, it was going to be a late night for this cat. My 'boss' from the radio station wanted to get a quick interview with the singer from The Golden Dogs, so we snuck backstage before the show started and Tom started questioning Dave as I snapped pics. Its funny, Dave remembered me from my myspace page as well as all the Kingston shows they have played. (I'm always up front) The interview was cut short as the sweet sound of the Lady Racers crept into the room. Here is a pic of Dave and Tom:

The real reason *I* was there was not only to see the dogs, but I had never witnessed The Mudlocks...This band that only plays every two years or so consists of my friend Shayne on drums, Robbie G on lead guitar, Mike Perlin on bass and Morris on vocals/guitar. They sounded pretty good considering the time frame since their last gig!

The Slaves of Spanky came on next and I am happy to say that I was bopping and bouncing along with the crowd...not bad for an old gurl:) This rap band had the crowd on their feet immediately!! They managed to get Morris up on the stage to dance and sing with them and then BOOM, out comes the shaving cream and Morris ends up smelling like an old man (Old Spice) for the rest of the night!

And then the Dogs hit the stage and the crowd pushed to the front again. What a show these guys put on...everyone was dancing and singing to the top of their lungs. Sweat was flying everywhere. I certainly hope this entertaining band makes its way back to Kingston despite the fact that Kingstons greatest promoter has retired.

It was a good thing that I didn't have to go to work the next day as I didn't get home till 3AM!!!!

The second week of July !!

As we roll into the third week of July, I realize that the summer is running away from us in an alarming rate! We hid out from the crowds that invade our small village on Canada Day weekend. It's always a tradition for us to run away to Amherst Island and watch the crowds from a distance. Really, who would want to be walking around in the sweltering heat when you could be relaxing here?


Or even here, in Stella Bay:


The next weekend we started our Saturday off as tourists. We went to Morrison's Restaurant and then over to the market for some fresh veggies. Its weird, we have lived here all our lives and have never experienced breakfast at Morrison's. What a lesson in teamwork that place is. We managed to get a table right down by the kitchen and watched the waitresses race back and forth and shout their orders to the three men at the grill. Never once did I see a chit pass over to the cooks...they filled the numerous orders by memory. Damn, I wish I had that type of gift.
The sun was shining and it was a beautiful day to explore the newly cobbled market square. The colours were such a treat to the eye, and the camera lens.



That afternoon we hit the water for an afternoon of sun and fun. Being the chicken that I am, I decided to be the spotter/photographer for my friend Bert.

The ducks that have been hanging around the dock for the past 4 weeks are now eating out of our hands. How tame can they get?

As the sun slid down, the perfect photo opportunities always present themselves:

On Thursday at 430pm my supervisor told me that I could start my holidays early!!! What a treat, as I had already planned on going out that night and having the next day off was a real benefit. Thanx Helsby!

I told you I was having fun!

My friend Mike did a radio show with me two weeks ago and he was so kind as to take pictures of the event. This is the only one I can show here:) hahaha

The end of June...Canada day is this weekend!

So we finally got the boat in to our slip last Sunday. Even though it was a hot sunny day, the snow was there in full force:



I realize I take way too many pictures of the trees and the water and whatever else strikes my fancy....But I must say, this picture just says PEACE...To me anyways:



It was a day of 'firsts'. Bill's first dock treats:



And the first tow of the season went to Roger this time:


It is ironic that our last trip of last season ended with Roger towing us!!!

As all of you know, I never travel without my camera. So when I started chasing a big black cloud down the road last week, I made a feeble attempt to capture it. I thought it looked kind of freaky...like that movie Independence Day:



As usual, on Friday evening I took the boat over to the island to do my weekly radio show. My friend Brenda and I were up top when I shot this pic. It looks like the poor puppy is being asked to pay for his ride over:)



We took off for our second boat ride of the season on Saturday. Man it was soooo hot and the water was so smooth. Doesn't it look like paradise?



Of course we had to stop at the cottage. I took this picture just as Ian was traveling by on his tractor:



Every year I have to take a picture of Jessies point:



Then that night I went to a party at our friend Mike and Louise's place. They have such a beautiful back yard:



There were no bugs due to the massive citronella burners that Mike set around the yard:

Its June, but it feels like March!

Not a lot to report here. The weather has been deplorable (except for the weekdays when I have to work) and our boat is still sitting in the driveway. This does not make this cat very happy! When will the summer start?

So my radio gig is developing into something big for me. My friend Mike will be joining me next Friday night, which should be a blast! Maybe I will get him to take over my show while I take holidays in the summer.

On my way home from work the other night, I saw something out of the corner of my eye as I came off the highway into our subdivision. As I pulled to the shoulder of the road and reached for my camera, this is what I captured: (just doubleclick on the loop and it will pop open)



Ohhhh and I forgot the most exciting news...My friend Louise managed to score us EXCELLENT seats for the Red Hot Chilli Peppers on September 29th in Ottawa! Its a Friday night which is perfect timing! Maybe I can get her husband Mike to do my radio show that night:)

Well, if the weather doesn't improve this weekend, I guess I will have the cleanest house on the street!!! Come on SUN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

And two weeks later......

Yea I'm awful for updating my own blog. With so much going on around here, its hard to justify the time to sit down and write about me.

Last Thursday I was fortunate enough to be in attendance for another amazing Chris Koster show at the Elixir. When I got there, a bunch of kids from work were in the lineup....As I shuffled in behind them, one of them looked down their nose at me and said "what are YOU doing here?' I said "To witness an amazing show, as well as meet up with some of my friends!' "oh" was the reply. And with that, they turned on their heel and headed in the door. Those poor little punkass kids sat at the back, all by themselves. I went right to the front and grabbed 2 chairs on my way past the bar and parked my ass right in front of the center of the stage. Then the promoter Chris came over to have a drink with me. A few minutes later my friend Scoobie approached with a smirnoff ice for me. Then his buddy Brian arrived. Ten minutes later my second son Mitchell tapped me on the shoulder. Couldn't wait to give him a big momma-cat hug as I haven't seen him since December! Then my original date Grigg arrived, an hr late, but at least he showed his face! I had to get a picture of that:



And then my rock and roll friend Derek Downham (who was out in Bath that week recording the second album with the Hugh Dillion Redemption Choir) gave me a big hug as did his 'date': Snoshi (aka Shayne B) I was surrounded with men! What a great feeling it was to look at the back of the room and see the 4 sad-sack faces of those kids from work. They were still sitting in the back of the room...alone:)

The show was amazing, as I fell in love with Chris Koster and his band all over again. There is nothing like LIVE music to get one's soul in perfect balance!

Here is one of the many pictures I took that night:



It seems like summer will be here soon, however its the end of May and we still haven't put our boat in the water. Yesterday Billy spent 12 hrs at a friends house assisting in the placement of siding on a new garage. He came home, had a beer and went to bed.

Friday nights are still my on-air shift at CJAI on Amherst Island. This past week they installed the new computer and moved all the files around the way they should be. When I arrived there on 630 boat, I farted around taking pictures and stuff and didn't get in the door till almost 7pm. The queue had emptied and all that was playing were recorded promo's and station id's. I had to race around and try and find my music and all that the on-air studio computer would access were the files with my old music in them. I dumped a bunch of songs to the queue then went on the air explaining that the new Hal (name used for the onair computer) and I were not seeing eye to eye ! It took me an hr, but I finally figured out their ancient method of networking. Damn, all those years ago I took a course and it finally came in handy. So I found my new files and carried on with my show.

Here is a cheesy shot of the station from the ferry on the way over on Friday night:



And another of the freshly painted milkhouse:



Today I spent the day working on the gardens as Billy painted the front pillars as well as the rest of the woodwork around the front of the house. Its going to look great when he is done!

Happy Mutha's Day

When starting this blog, I actually thought I would have the time to update it on a regular basis. Man was that wrong! Life keeps throwing stuff in the way which always seems more important about writing about yourself.

Regardless, I went to see Pearl Jam this past Tuesday (May 9th) and that's all that matters to me this week. My friend Stephanie was kind enough to drive my ass all the way there and back; which worked out fine for me as I hate driving in Toronto. We had planned on taking the GO train from Pickering to Union Station as the show was at the ACC. The turnoff was not clearly marked on the 401, or else we totally missed it as we were going 120+kms just to keep up with traffic. We didn't have to deal with backups as we were going into the city when everyone else was trying to escape. So we ended up driving all the way into the downtown core and finding a lovely parking spot right across the street!

My cell phone 'broke' earlier that day so I was pissed that I couldn't call Bryce as soon as we 'landed'. We were to meet him and Dorrie somewhere in Union Station. Can you imagine how many people were floating around that building at rush hour on a Tuesday evening? So I find a payphone and call his new cell number. A foreign voice comes on the voicemail so I hung up in disgust. Steff says 'you know, he may just find you in this crowd!' I'm like 'yea I'm sure he has his Mommy-radar on.' As we stand in a line up to buy a tshirt, the announcer says the line is starting to form by the front gate of the ACC and the doors will open in 30 mins. Naturally we bolt for the line so I could find a way to slide the camera in a private hiding spot. Ok, camera is hidden and as I turn around and see the people race for the lineup, I see two young men approaching with a dog. Yep...he found me!!! After a very short visit, I gave Bryce his birthday card with $$ enclosed, gave him lots of hugs and smooches, hugged Dorrie and then the gates opened so we had to move. I think I had a whole 7 mins with them:(

To say the concert was a spiritual experience is an understatement!! It doesn't matter that I saw them just over 7 months ago....I cant get enough Ed and the boys. It was very evident that the band had really rehearsed for this tour as they were one tight unit. On the last tour, Ed seemed to be a bit off and it seemed to throw the rest of the guys somewhat. Maybe it was the few bottles of red wine he consumed during the show. Anyways, I took over 400 pics and was glad to have the camera in my hand as I was trying not to sing along and act like a fool in front of Steff. I can really get into a Pearl Jam show...just ask my friend Louise!

When we picked up our tickets from the willcall, it was a great treat to find out that our seats were even closer to the stage than last time. We were 6 rows up, and to the right of the stage. Perfect! Thank You Pearl Jam fan club:)

Here are a few pictures from the show:


Its a truly amazing feeling to be at a sold out show at the ACC. The roar of the crowd is almost deafening. Good thing I had my ear protection.

The rest of the week slipped in a blur ... in anticipation of a weekend of rain. What a treat it was on Friday evening when the sun came out as I drove onto the Amherst Island Ferry.

It was sweltering hot in the studio...just from the equipment I am sure. The blind was up so I could see out to the fields as I did my show. It was kind of cool as the clouds turned pink as the sun set. The full moon emerged shortly after and it certainly added to the peace and quiet everyone experiences when they are on the rock.

Saturday was spent doing housework as Billy ripped the front of the house off for repairs that have been needed for quite some time. Our friend LB showed up and asked if we wanted to go to the Legion for a steak dinner. So off we went with our neighbour for a few hours of smokey enjoyment in our local legion. I will be so glad when this new no smoking regulation comes into effect in a few weeks.

Ok, now its time to enjoy my mothers day.

Ciao

CJ the DJ on CJAI

How corny is that? Well my little hobby has now turned into a 3 hour show from 7-10 on Friday nights as well as attending board of director meetings every couple of weeks. To say I enjoy being on the air again is an understatement. To have the ability to express oneself, freely, with the assistance of their favourite tunes is one of life's simple pleasures. For me anyways. Take a look at this picture I took getting off of the boat on Friday evening and tell me that it isn't a peaceful place!?



This one was taken as I was driving down the laneway to the station:



Last weekend was a total write off as far as outdoor renovation was concerned. It rained Friday, Saturday and Sunday. At least my housework got done:) Billy had to move the boat out of the sideyard on Sunday as we had an appointment at the boat mechanic's and the canvas shop to put new mooring covers on her on Monday. Well the van got stuck and Bill had to pull it out with the 4 wheeler. Then the boat trailer got stuck so we had to ask our neighbour Morey to help us with his 4X4 truck. We now have 2 foot deep ruts in our sideyard. The boat covers turned out beautifully...I just wish it would warm up a bit so we could get out on the lake. We have put the boat in on may 1st weekend and it is way too cold to be enjoyable.

This weekend has (so far) been spent putting up the fascia. Today will be dedicated to the EAVESTROUGH. Then the outdoor work ON the house will be done. The gardens have not been touched yet, but that can wait for a few more weeks. Here are a few pictures of yesterdays work:


This one was taken from the roof, by Billy. (I was too chicken to get up that high:


***** ATTENTION EVERYONE: I lost all my contacts in my address book as I had to format...if anyone I had sent email to in the past would like to still receive emails from me, please either leave a message on here or drop me a line at c2me4me@hotmail.com