Bienvenue au Canada

Auberge du Vieux-Port
Me looking out our 4th floor window

The taxi the husband and I took from the airport drove through the city completely avoiding the highways. Curious as to why and thinking aloud in a whisper, "maybe he thinks as vacationing tourists we want to see the beauty of Montreal?" While glancing at my watch, I see that it's the middle of rush hour. Mr. Cab Driver had more practical ideas as to why he drove us though captivating neighborhoods instead of efficient highways. Me and my romanticism - the husband just smiled. After some time, we arrived at Auberge du Vieux-Port. It took my breath away. The room was even more intimately alluring. If it is even possible, I fell more in love with the husband while stepping into our room for the next three days.

Finally, I can't resist sharing a bit of history regarding Auberge du Vieux-Port. Rumor has it that Auberge is where "Suzanne" took Leonard Cohen to her loft by the river and fed him oranges and tea "that came all the way from China". Suzanne is actually dancer Suzanne Verdal who is no longer alive, but left immortal due to Cohen's love song of the same name. A precious relationship which produced a highly acclaimed piece of art. And also took me back to many memories growing up in a household that played Leonard's music during family dinners, parties and anytime the TV was off.

So far it was a fantastic start to our much needed vacation.

. . . more pictures to come . . .

I Once Wanted to Become an Atheist, But I Gave Up - They Have No Holidays h. youngman

I thought to myself, "self you've never made a silk floral thingy maybe you ought to try." Besides, it's got to be cheaper than paying someone else to do it. So, I began to scheme. I also threw in a little bit of design. Then I went to purchase silk floral items list in hand. To which I found myself staring at a bill that was just under $3.1M . . . . .

Right. Great idea to make this festive holiday item myself. It took many hours, a phone call to a floral designer (thanks mom!), a few hot glue gun burns, 2 trips to the craft store and a somewhat pseudo hole permanently burnt into my pocketbook. This is the end result:

World's Most Expensive Wreath

It wasn't cheaper, it took loads of my hours, I physically hurt myself (melted glue is hot and I do not highly recommend you place it on your nail bed at the exact place nail meets skin) and I'm not sure the end result is even remotely pretty.

So, after showing the husband my triumphant national-debt-expense, he replied with some oh-la-la's and a kiss. Awesome man the husband is! Then, just I was about to hang it outside he mentioned, "I wonder how long it will take before someone steals it?" As people have been prone to do with our front yard pretty things. Gah.

I never said brilliance was my forte.

Bonjour

Whose broad stripes and bright stars thru the perilous fight,
O'er the ramparts we watched were so gallantly streaming?
. . . .wait. . . that's our version. . . .
But I am standing on a rampart that surrounds old Quebec City. The only remaining
fortified city walls in the Americas north of Mexico.
And, we walked on them.
Now, that's cool!
(the fountain you see is in front of the National Assembly of Quebec)

Sorry for the brief intermission. The husband and I went on a vacation. We are now back in our Longhorn City in tow with 1,298,376,457 pictures. Sorta. Might be more like 500, but I've still got to review and edit the worthy one's so it might as well be 1.3 million. For serious.

That said, I've also have loads of travel tips for you. Such as the highly helpful, "do not pack for an 8 day vacation after one has consumed 2.5 bottles of wine oneself". Be ye not so stoopid. One doesn't tend to exactly know what one has packed. Stilettos are not a good item for a 5 to 6 hour walk a day. I'm just sayin'.

I have more bits of brilliance, but unfortunately, today will not be the day you get my moments of exceptional clarity. I don't have the time right at the moment, though I wanted my 7 readers to know I've been thinking of all ya'll. Mwah!

Au revoir et salut! At least until next time. . .

A Sphincter Says, "What"

Two knees. One diagnosis.

I have Patellar Chondromalacia. I also have Patellar Subluxation. In both knees. Granted one knee is a bit more famboozled than the other, I'm not going to mention any names left knee, ahem. . . . but they each have their degrees of severity.

You may think that I've won something uber fantastic, such as the lottery where I will sleep in $1,000 bills for the rest of my life. And, really, what rich folk does not do that luxurious behavior? Sadly, no. This is not the case for me even with such fancy-schamncy labels. Chondromalacia means I have inflamed cartilage, like arthritis, but instead of the degeneration which comes with arthritis, chondromalacia is thought to be capable of repair. It is also known as "Runners Knee." Hm. . . . Drat. Anyhow, subluxation means my knee cap doesn't glide properly in the groove it was made for; instead it's being pulled toward the outside of my knee.

So, I now know the reason as to why I had to quit my half-marathon training last year. Both cause some annoying pain, especially with physical activities.

Do not despair though. Good news can be found in all this. With a bit of physical therapy all should be cleared up and ready for more marathon training, hopefully by the end of the October month. Which is when I am supposed to begin my marathon training for Team in Training. A cause that is bigger than myself.

Can I get a whoot-whoot-huzzah?!

In other world news, the husband decided to tangle with a tree on a mountain bike trail at high rates of speed the other day.

The tree won.

I think trees always win. It's in their nature to not lose. Unfortunately, I can't say the same for the husbands face. We are like two old biddies sitting around comparing aches and pains. . . Okay, the husband doesn't gripe. He just looks like a cute in da face Frankenstein-wanna-be.

Have a great weekend, my seven readers. Don't hit your face on any trees. In fact, I'd recommend not hitting any part of your body on any tree. It hurts.