My final week

Well it certainly hasn't been what I expected. I thought that this final week visiting back home would be a bit slower paced than the first two weeks. How wrong could I have been!

After arriving home from the cottage, then heading down to the Toronto Centre Island for my friend Deb's 5km walk/run in memory of her dad, dodging massive down pours of rain and finally getting back to mom and dad's place I thought the rest of the week would be very slow.

On Monday I was able to get back down into the gym and do an ergo. Considering that I have a 5km time trial 10 days after I get back I thought it would be a good idea to get on the erg! Did 10km but I think it just about killed me! After that it was time to head out to a local shopping mall with my mom. I am being smart this year, buying all the Christmas presents that I usually have to post, wrapping them and leaving them here. After getting most of them mom and I headed out to my sisters to scoff down some dinner and head to the soccer pitch to watch my neice Lea play. Unfortunately their game was against the best team in Ontario. But they can hold their heads high, they were only scored against once and even got a goal back (which was unfortunately not allowed), so went down 1-0. I think the referree has to learn the rules better.

Tuesday I was supposed to go with my dad to a brunch with a bunch of retired senior officers from the Toronto police. But when I got up I was so tired, I think that two weeks of going non stop had finally hit me. So needless to say I didn't go with him and proceeded to go back to bed. Not that I was there long as the gardener came by with his ride on lawn mower!

That afternoon I headed to downtown Toronto with my sister. Cindy has her own production company and is a brilliant filmmaker! She was going to view the final showing of her next documentary called "The Skies the Limit", so she invited me to go with her. This was exciting because I never really get to see the films that she has made. What a brillant piece of work, although many would say that I am biased. But it was a wonderful look at the airline industry and where it is growing.

We then headed over to my aunt's place for dinner and I was staying the night with her and my uncle. We had a nice evening and it was great to just sit and chat with Rheta (my aunt). Growing up Rheta was always our "cool" auntie! She bucked the trend back then which said that women should get married and have a family. Rheta had a fabulous career, was proposed to 3 times, travelled the world and when she was finished with that decided to get married. She was always someone who did her own thing and she was a great role model for Cindy and I as we were growing up. So her and I had a great catch up.

The next day my cousin Marg-Rheta (yes you can guess she was named after our aunt) picked me up, we went to her place and then to the local pool where Marg teaches an older crowd to swim, or should I say she does stroke correction. I think the oldest woman is 86! We then headed to the west end of the city to a Japanese restaurant and the most wonderful lunch. It was then time to head back to mom and dad's, so Marg came with me and had dinner with my dad. It was a really nice catch up.

Yesterday I ended up meeting up with mom and dad down the street for coffee. Both of them head off with their respective friends for their walks. Dad doesn't do too much, but mom and her ladies walk for about an hour. I just met them for the coffee part! Mom and I headed to another shopping mall to try and get one last present...not to be! I was unable to find what I wanted but was able to get Russ (my husband) a couple of gifts to take home. We then hurried home as we had to get ready for a "Pub Night". I was going to see all my police friends that I hadn't see in about 3 years!

What a great night. There were people there that I had not seen in almost 20 years, if not longer. People I had never even thought would be there. My friend Deb did an amazing job of getting in touch with people. So it was a wonderful evening to have a couple of drinks, some great food and some fabulous conversation.

I am off tonight to catch up with two couples who mean more to me than just friends. I worked with Kim and Bill just before I left the police force 14 years ago. So I am meeting them for dinner with their wives and mom & dad as well. So it will be a great ending to the week.

My trip does not end there as I have a few more days left and when I will write about those later. I will certainly need to have a rest when I get back home!