Today is New Years Eve, and we have no plans...being new to a city, and really not knowing anyone makes it hard to find something todo. We might just go to the movie store and rent a bunch of Bond movies and have a Bond-a-thon. I know, pretty low key, but that's ok. I'm not a huge fan of being around a lot of people I don't know. I was looking forward to going to the Parliament Buildings for fire works, but there aren't any this year :(
We had a wonderful Christmas with our families and friends. It was busy, but I think we got to visit with almost everyone we wanted to. We both got hair cuts, I got a much needed massage, and we got to eat yummy breakfast bagels at Castello, Todd's coffee shop. It was so fun to celebrate with both our families, first in Victoria and then in Lethbridge. I was sorry that we missed having Christmas with Jenna, Bill and the kids. We sure had fun with the kids in my family though. On Christmas Eve, Mom and Dad rented the YMCA for the afternoon, and we had lunch, pool time and fun in the gym. Some of the highlights of the afternoon included watching Rod, Michelle, and Mom swing from the rope, watching the two youngest boys in the hot tub, just jumping away. The two on two basketbal game (Rod and Michelle ie the Tower of Power vs. the Raines') was fun, but slightly mismatched. We got royally spoiled by everyone, and I just wanted to thank everyone again, especially Mom and Dad Raines and Mom and Dad Kornelsen for their hospitality. Happy New Years everyone, and we'll talk to you in the new year!
Sunday, December 31, 2006
Saturday, December 16, 2006
Learning to love a new city
It has been over a month since we have been in Ottawa, and even though I miss Victoria terribly, I am learning to love Ottawa, or aspects of Ottawa. Firstly, I love our house. We have worked hard to make it "ours", and though there are still things that need to be done, it is a wonderful and, I hope, welcoming home. We have yet to entertain, but we will in the not too distant future. Here are a few pictures of our home.
Here is our bedroom:
Here is our guest room (aka our shark room, due to the colour:
Another view of our guest room:
In the staircase between the main floor and upstairs, we have our paddling wall, and the two massive paintings that Chris's friend James created.
I also love the river right at our door step. We have enjoyed several walks at various times of day. It is a busy path, with joggers, cyclists, rollerbladers, families and people walking theirs dogs (my favorite). The park is over run with squirrels, both black and grey. There are a few intrepid ducks still swimming in the river. I have been told by our neighbour Sue that they stay because they are fed by passer-bys. We have met all our neighbours, and I am very excited about one couple, Mike and Sue in particular, not only because they have two great dogs (a boxer Sadie and a corgi-cross named Jack) but also because they seem very cool. They had us up for a visit, and I have gone for a walk with Sue and the dogs. On our walk I discovered that they enjoy boardgames (HURRAY!), the outdoors and that we share an embarrassing propensity for celebrity gossip. They are kindly looking after Jazz when we are away.
Another nice thing in Ottawa is Hogs Back Falls, a man-made lock dam only 9 kilometers away. According to the Parks Canada Agency "This is where the artificial channel of the Rideau Canal in Ottawa departs from the natural channel of the Rideau River. The canal from here to the Ottawa River is man-made. The river continues to flow as it always has, to the Rideau Falls and into the Ottawa River.
The top lock at Hogs Back is a "guard lock" - it isn't used for lifting, but rather was put in place as protection, particularly from spring flooding of the main lift lock. Although several were planned, this was the only guard lock built on the canal." We went to visit it yesterday, and Chris took some amazing pictures.
All around the falls, there were signs warning you not to do something. We weren't sure what they were at first, but then we decided they were "No Vogue-ing" signs. You be the judge!
Well, that is all for now. I might post tomorrow, but if I don't , Merry Christmas all!
Here is our bedroom:
Here is our guest room (aka our shark room, due to the colour:
Another view of our guest room:
In the staircase between the main floor and upstairs, we have our paddling wall, and the two massive paintings that Chris's friend James created.
I also love the river right at our door step. We have enjoyed several walks at various times of day. It is a busy path, with joggers, cyclists, rollerbladers, families and people walking theirs dogs (my favorite). The park is over run with squirrels, both black and grey. There are a few intrepid ducks still swimming in the river. I have been told by our neighbour Sue that they stay because they are fed by passer-bys. We have met all our neighbours, and I am very excited about one couple, Mike and Sue in particular, not only because they have two great dogs (a boxer Sadie and a corgi-cross named Jack) but also because they seem very cool. They had us up for a visit, and I have gone for a walk with Sue and the dogs. On our walk I discovered that they enjoy boardgames (HURRAY!), the outdoors and that we share an embarrassing propensity for celebrity gossip. They are kindly looking after Jazz when we are away.
Another nice thing in Ottawa is Hogs Back Falls, a man-made lock dam only 9 kilometers away. According to the Parks Canada Agency "This is where the artificial channel of the Rideau Canal in Ottawa departs from the natural channel of the Rideau River. The canal from here to the Ottawa River is man-made. The river continues to flow as it always has, to the Rideau Falls and into the Ottawa River.
The top lock at Hogs Back is a "guard lock" - it isn't used for lifting, but rather was put in place as protection, particularly from spring flooding of the main lift lock. Although several were planned, this was the only guard lock built on the canal." We went to visit it yesterday, and Chris took some amazing pictures.
All around the falls, there were signs warning you not to do something. We weren't sure what they were at first, but then we decided they were "No Vogue-ing" signs. You be the judge!
Well, that is all for now. I might post tomorrow, but if I don't , Merry Christmas all!
Wednesday, December 13, 2006
December in Ottawa
We just got back from a nice walk. It's December in Ottawa, and I was wearing a long sleeve shirt, an athletic jacket and a puffy vest....no winter boots, no scarf, no big jacket. We walked along the river a ways, past some really nice houses (similar to the ones on the edge of the Uplands). It started to get a little chilly, plus Jazzy was outside, so we decided to return home. We are both looking forward to when it is really covered in snow, and for spring, when everything will be green and in bloom. We really do live in a glorious location, right on the river with a bike/walking path practically at our front door. It's almost like we live on the Selkirk.
In other news, Jazzy has discovered the hole in our fence that leads to our neighbours yard. They in turn have a hole in their fence, or rather, their gate doesn't close completely. Jazzy went on her first exploration today. She had me worried that she wouldn't return, or that she would get into a fight with some other cat or dog. To be honest, I still think she might! But right now, she is sitting beside me, purring and kneading the blanket. Ahh, winter nights with a cat are a delight!
In other news, Jazzy has discovered the hole in our fence that leads to our neighbours yard. They in turn have a hole in their fence, or rather, their gate doesn't close completely. Jazzy went on her first exploration today. She had me worried that she wouldn't return, or that she would get into a fight with some other cat or dog. To be honest, I still think she might! But right now, she is sitting beside me, purring and kneading the blanket. Ahh, winter nights with a cat are a delight!
Tuesday, December 12, 2006
A Christmas blog
It is less than a week until we head home for Christmas. We are going to Victoria for a few days and then on to Lethbridge. This is our first Christmas as a married couple, and I am so grateful that we are able to spend time with both our families.
We have been shopping for Christmas presents for our families and for each other. It's a lot harder to shop for Chris when he is with me all the time. We have had to take solo shopping trips, and now there are places in the house that are restricted for both of us. He is not allowed in the storage closet and I am not allowed in his closet. It reminds me of when we were kids. Around the beginning of December, parts of the house slowly became out of bounds for us kids. I remember hearing "You aren't allowed to go into our closet". In later years, as the gifts or surprises got more elaborate Mom and Dad had resort to hiding presents at friends and neighbours houses. I wonder how often our neighbours knew what we were getting before we did?
Tomorrow I hope to wrap Chris's presents and place them under our tree. Right now, the only thing we have under the tree is, well....you'll see :)
We have been shopping for Christmas presents for our families and for each other. It's a lot harder to shop for Chris when he is with me all the time. We have had to take solo shopping trips, and now there are places in the house that are restricted for both of us. He is not allowed in the storage closet and I am not allowed in his closet. It reminds me of when we were kids. Around the beginning of December, parts of the house slowly became out of bounds for us kids. I remember hearing "You aren't allowed to go into our closet". In later years, as the gifts or surprises got more elaborate Mom and Dad had resort to hiding presents at friends and neighbours houses. I wonder how often our neighbours knew what we were getting before we did?
Tomorrow I hope to wrap Chris's presents and place them under our tree. Right now, the only thing we have under the tree is, well....you'll see :)
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