Good grief, two weeks have gone by since my last post. The last few days of work went well. My retirement party was very nice. I was pleased to have 3 former students there - one from each decade of my teaching career. My best friend was there as well as Mark from MN who came especially for my party. Tuesday, I had a lovely dinner with the Special Ed. department at the Mandarin. Wednesday, was lunch with the Math department. They gave me a gift card from Future Shop. I decided to enjoy these last days with my colleagues and not worry about getting all my stuff out of my office and classroom. I decided to come in for a day in July to get the job done.
Friday I worked in the morning and then we went to the golf club for our staff luncheon.
My car tire got buggered up after I hit a pothole on the way home from work that week. I had to get the tire replaced so Skip drove me to work after I dropped the car off. Fortunately, they were able to get the tire in stock and the repair was done. YAY! Since then I've had to have the tire rotated to the back to get rid of some vibration in the steering wheel.
Skip and I just puttered around the house on the Canada Day weekend. The statutory holiday was Monday because Canada Day was a Sunday this year. We decided to wait until Tuesday to go and visit my sister in Petrolia near Sarnia. We took the 407 for a hassle-free drive and had a nice drive there - a beautiful, sunny day. We had no trouble finding her new apartment. It is very nice and the only apartment in the basement of the building. The guest suites are also in the basement so Skip and I stayed almost across the hall from Ester's door.
On Wednesday evening, I visited Floyd and Angie. On Thursday, Skip and I went to Pt. Huron, MI to shop. Skip found a square-headed driver and a pair of new runners - EEEE width. I bought a couple of things at my favourite store - Christopher and Banks. We also had a nice lunch at Cracker Barrel. Friday morning I met the retired ladies from the school before I changed school boards 18 years ago. It was nice seeing them. A couple I hadn't seen since I left the school. There were only a couple of ladies that I didn't know.
Friday night we went to the Victoria Playhouse Petrolia to see a fast-paced comedy, "Perfect Wedding". Petrolia is such a small town we were able to walk to the theatre from the restaurant and then back to Ester's afterwards.
We finally got on the road Saturday morning about 10-ish and got home by 2pm. We puttered around the house and scritched the cat a lot. Neighbours fed him while we were away. Monday morning I went into the school early. After about 4 hours of throwing stuff out and packing, I got the last of my stuff out of the Math office and my office and music room. Just before I was going to bring the car around, the new guy stopped in. What good timing. He was able to help me load the boxes into the car and I was able to just hand the keys off to him. It was quite strange leaving that room for the last time as the 'proprietor'. I was a bit choked up after I pulled out of the parking lot but that passed. It was so strange, the remains of a 30 year teaching career fitting into 6 boxes.
This week I've been shopping, paying bills and doing house stuff. Scooter arrived last Saturday and is with us until Sunday. He's been golfing with his Dad every day - weather permitting. Yesterday we went to see the new Harry Potter movie. It was good. I only snoozed a little bit at the beginning of the movie when it was so slow-moving and dark.
Sunday, we're going to the Donkey Sanctuary of Canada . Skip happened upon their website whilst researching 'zonkeys' - half zebra, half donkey. The donkeys at the sanctuary have been rescued from abandonment or neglect. Each one has its own sad story. It is wonderful they can live out the rest of their days well fed, well groomed and in peace.
After we visit the donkey sanctuary, we'll have lunch and then I'll drop Skip and Scooter off at a golf course. I will then go to a bridal shower of a second cousin of Skip's. After that, I'll pick the boys up and we'll drive back to Toronto to deposit Scooter back at his mother's.
On the knitting front, I frogged the bath mat and as of today have reknit it to the larger dimensions. I'm 2/3 done now. I think I'll have enough yarn.
I bought some Cherry Tree Hill yarn on eBay and was thrilled when the seller told me the shipping would only be $1.65 US. I hate it when sellers charge exorbitant amounts for 'shipping and handling'.
Oh big news flash: Skip found my Palm!!!! It was under the passenger's seat of my car. I had looked for it there a couple of times but obviously not close enough. What a relief.
I finished another garterlac dishcloth that I want to give to Lorna tomorrow when she comes over to give me drapery advice. I still need to finish Shingo's sock. I'm on the foot of it so it won't take much more to finish it. I ordered the pattern for the Surprise Baby Jacket. It looks intriguing. One of the gals from my former place of work is expecting a baby in December - a perfect excuse to knit it. I will pick a colourful yarn - DK weight.
I asked Scooter if he would like me to knit him a pair of socks and he thought blue ones would be nice. They'll be nice and toasty on his feet in the winter. While at Mary Maxim in Pt. Huron, I bought 9 balls of Debbie Bliss alpaca silk (80% and 20% respectively) to make a triangular shawl. It's a simple garter stitch pattern. I'm almost finished it. I will bind off using larger needles so the long side (they hypotenuse for all you math fans) will have some stretch to it. I also bought some more sock yarn.
No comments:
Post a Comment