Yeah water park!

Steve and I went to the water park yesterday (Super Aqua Club). SO much fun! Some of those slides go a lot faster than you would think! We got there at 12 and left around 5. We applied SPF 30 twice and still managed to get pretty dark tan lines. Not a burn but border line. I don't know how people still think they can get by without wearing sunscreen! There were a few people at the park who were practically purple, they were SO burnt! No joke. Anyway, all and all we had an awesome day! This is where we went: http://www.superaquaclub.com/html/english.html

What I've been up to...

Long time...no posts! It's been surprisingly busy since I stopped working. I've been spending most of my time walking Jesse, going to yoga and tomorrow I am going to try my first Pilates class. Aside from the aching muscles (including some that I didn't even know I had!), I'm feeling good! Although, I get a kick out of the women who go to classes during the day! They have their Louis Vuitton bags and perfectly manicured nails! Total trophy wives! Unfortunately for Steve, I show up at class in my $5 Garage comfy pants and my hair all a mess!

We've been babysitting Shamus in the evenings, while Stacey and the baby are still in the hospital. That's been fun. Stacey and the baby are still recovering and getting better each day. The baby has been gaining weight each day.

Other than that, cooking has become a new hobby, although I still have lots of new recipes I want to try. Our condo has never been so clean:)

Steve and I have seen 2 movies. "Pirates of the Caribean" and "The Devil Wears Prada", both of which I enjoyed.

Steve is taking tomorrow and Monday off. His "artlock" I think they call it was Wednesday, so work is finally slowing down for him. We're thinking about going to the Water Park on Monday. Here's hoping that works out! The weather for the weekend is calling for SUPER hot. 40 degrees with humidex!

Anyway...not too much to actually write down but I swear I have been keeping busy! I'm already starting to miss working a little bit but have to say it is nice to have time for yourself. Wouldn't it be great if everyone could work part time??! In my opionion that would be perfect.

It's a girl!!!

Congratulations to the Purdy family on the arrival of their brand new baby girl, Breagha (which means "Beautiful" in Gaelic)! Although she arrived early ( about 3 months!) and is just a wee little thing (about a pound and a half!), she is doing quite well. Stacey was pretty under the weather this past week but is doing much better also. Here's to the Mom, Dad and Big Brother, Shamus!!! Welcome Baby Breagha Purdy!

Thunder Storm

Another storm came through last night. I watched for a while then remembered the camera. I was only able to get this one shot.

Steve (lightning rod) Dickinson

Canada Day 2006

The Purdys threw what is fast becoming their traditional Canada Day BBQ. Good times as always. Here's just a few pics of the Canadian spirit everyone was proudly showing off that special day!
What Canada Day BBQ would be complete without good ole drinkin' games?:)
Steve sporting his country's color. Nice face, eh?
Darryl and Shamus hangin' out.
Steve enjoying the day.
Shamus and Stacey...watermelon break.

Happy Birthday Canada!!

"Happy Birthday Canada, you gay-loving, dope-smoking, gun-hating, no-Iraqing, funny talking, universal healthcaring, magnificent bastard"

Lobster night at Jeff's

What a great time! Thanks for having us Jeff! Isn't this such a cute little lobster?
Dinner.

Jolyne knew how to handle a lobster!
Me on the other hand...not so sure. Which is really pretty bad considering I grew up in Nova Scotia!
My first time eating a whole lobster! It wasn't too bad. I even tried the eggs but didn't like them so much.
Lots of fun! Yummy lobster.
Paul dedicated a beautiful song to Steve and I;) He's getting pretty into it here!

Jeff too entertained us with his musical talent.
Kris and Jan.

Our weekend at Algonquin

We had such a great time! The weather was AMAZING, the bugs not bad at all and the park was absolutely beautiful. We saw 6 deer, lots of chipmunks, a peasant, and a moose! I even saw my first ever shooting star! The only thing we didn't see was a bear! Oh well, next time! We'll definitely be going back!
Tadpoles.
This look will be hitting the fall runway 2006. Sure to be a hit!
Katie enjoying the fire. That's also her, "I think I'll put peanut butter on your tent tonight!!!" face!
Me and Snugs chillin' early in the morning.
Steve and I taking down the tarp.

Some funky mushrooms.
A pretty flower.
Me while taking a water break on a hike.
Pretty lake.
Steve and the dogs.
Steve (The Cook) Dickinson. The food was great thanks to Steve!
A stranger fishing. Cool pic though.
Waiting for breakfast.
The sunset.

We saw a moose! A little too up close actually. She jumped out of the woods, about 3 feet from the bumper of our moving car! Fortunately, Steve wasn't going that fast! After the shock wore off, we backed up and got this pic. Man moose are big.
Vegas thinks he's a lap dog. He's cuddling here with Marc.
This was taken on the hike that Steve and I did around one of the lakes (4.5 km). A really nice hike. Beautiful scenery.
There is a 300 ft. cliff (gorge) and a hiking path follows along it. The view was amazing. The pics really don't do it justice.
Vego.
Another pic of the gorge, taken from the top. It really surprised me that there was no guardrail! There was a sign however warning that falls would be fatal. Very comforting.
Steve and Jes swimming together. Man Jesse was a tired puppy!
Katie.
Me. Jes is in the water swimming (surprise...man he loves the water!)
Steve chillin' out.

My last day of work

Well it's getting into the late afternoon hours and thus is bringing my last day of work to an end. Another chapter in life is about to close and I'm curious to see where the next chapter will open. I'm actually looking pretty forward to finishing here. It's been a great learning experience and it's been a fantastic opportunity but the last couple of months, since we found out that we were closing has been dreary and it just hasn't felt the same. Some of the daycare providers came in to the office today and brought me a big bouquet of flowers, which really made my day. I've met a lot of great people in the last few months and have learned A LOT! Here's to taking the positive experiences with me and looking forward to the future! Oh what bright, new and exciting things lie ahead...

Cari

The vet's verdict

Yesterday I took Jesse to the vet to get his chipped tooth looked at. Looks like at best he'll need a root canal, and at worst, he'll need it extracted. There's only one specialist in the Montreal area that does this and even he travels between Quebec city and Montreal. Our vet said that it'll cost minimum $1000, but probably more like $1500. So, Steve called the dog insurance that we've been paying $50 a month to for 4 years and it turns out they cover a whopping $250. Great. Plus Jesse will need a consultation with the dog dentist, blood work with our vet and then the day surgery. AND the vet said, as soon as possible, as it will get very infected because the nerve is exposed. Poor puppy. Anyway, not exactly what we need right now, seeing as I'm about to be jobless in 4 days but what can ya do??? Jesse's worth it! It was so cute yesterday...Steve had Jes outside and I left to go to yoga and Jesse was crying after the car and trying to run after it! They really make you feel loved, that's for sure!

Cari

Attack Dog

Who needs to kick and scream at bears when you have Jesse. In this pic he just finished attacking the pillow, this is his victory pose......I feel bad for the bears.

Steve and I are pretty excited for our big first camping trip of the season! We went to Canadian Tire last night and bought some stylin' new camping gear. We each got a pair of very sexy water shoes and mosquito net hats. Yup, we're going to look so cool out there!!!;) We're staying at my cousin's house (Kathy and Joe) on Thursday night in Ottawa to help cut down on the drive on Friday. The place where we're going is about 5 hours from Montreal, 3 hours past Ottawa. I'm a little worried about the wildlife. Apparently moose are very common there (I'd love to see a moose!) but so are bears. Steve was reading me the info they send on what to do if a bear comes into your campsite. Surprisingly, you're supposed to confront the bear and try to intimidate it. The more aggressive you are the better, so throw stuff, scream, jump up and down, whatever. Playing dead works only with grizzly bears, not black bears. Anyway, here's hoping that all bears stay a safe distance from our campsite!

Cari

Camping countdown

Okay so camping reservation is confirmed. Nothing but the great outdoors from Friday morning to Sunday evening. Can't wait. Katie and Marc are coming with us, which makes this Vegas' first big camping trip...the puppies should have a great time together!

Well, once again the Henley/Dickinson luck strikes again. And by luck, I mean lack there of. With only 6 work days left, including today, I'm soon to be unemployed and looking for things to fill my time. Seeing as our laptop just broke and has to be sent away for 4 weeks, that time won't be filled with much blogging, emailing or job searching for that matter! Who knew I had come to be so internet dependent??? If I can take something positive out of this, I'll say, at least this way I'll be more motivated to get out and exercise, my number 1 goal for my unemployed ass. Steve and I started on the weekend, walking hardcore and playing tennis. My butt muscles are feeling it today, which is good, considering that's where I want to tone up the most. Hopefully, with more time to cook, I can find some healthy recipes (although not on the net!) and feel fit as a fiddle in no time! Please just don't let everyday feel as hot as yesterday! The temperature was reading 35 degrees Celsius inside our apartment. Brutal.

Right now, we're trying to plan our camping trip for the upcoming long weekend (St. Jean Baptist in Quebec), however, we haven't been able to confirm our reservation because the entire Ontario Parks system is down. Yup, Steve and I definitely don't have any horse shoes shoved in any unfortunate places ;)

Steve's birthday pics

Celebrity Birthdays

Celebrity Birthdays June 15th:

Jim Belushi, 1954
Courteney Cox, 1964
Mario Cuomo, 1932
Helen Hunt, 1963
Waylon Jennings, 1937

Happy Happy Birthday Steeeeeeve!!!

Happy Birthday to Steve!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Yup that's right...the big 29!!!! That's 2...9. 29. He he he!!! Have a great day Babe!

Cari ;)