Am I misguided in thinking that I got a terrific lunch deal outta the cafeteria vending machine? I procured 1 cup of Kraft Easy Mac for a dollar. That's feeling like a super bargain but I could be naive in that notion. After all, it's 2.05 ounces of elbow macaroni and cheeeezy powder... for $1...they've probably marked that up 300%.

I had a feeling that I'd spend longer on my vacation recap than I actually spent vacationing. That feeling was right. But I hadn't taken into account the TV phenomenon that was Celebrity Duets, nor did I predict that I'd be compelled to ramble on and on and on ad infinitum about said TV phenom.

I hope to wrap up the recap today...if I take much longer, I shall surely forget what the hell I did on vaca.

WEDNESDAY AUG 23--
This was our first day in Ottawa. Laura, Greg, & kids went to some anthropological museum, which sounded like it was lotsa fun, but Mum, Dad & I couldn't get our arses outta bed & primped in time to accompany them. Instead we roamed Ottawa and I dazzled one and all with my map reading/ navigational prowess. We stopped for a few hours at this ginormous mall where I bought a shirt which just might make me look like a trend-glomming fashion victim. But I like the shirt, so I am determined to not give a rat's fanny. I think it will make its office premier this week sooo..nah nah nah boo boo.
THURSDAY AUG 24--
The whole lot of us went to the wee li'l teensy weensy burg of Blue Sea Lake in Quebec. Specifically it was a municipality, not even a town, but it was incorporated...but not until 1921, which made our whole Blue Sea Lake quest rather problematic. Y'see, my paternal grandfather (Pepere, as I called him) was born in Blue Sea Lake in 1907 and their family moved in 1917. My Dad wanted to take a look at where exactly Pepere had lived in his youth, at least at the same plot of land ('cause the actual house was apt to be torn down). But the town had no
pre-1921 records. Our best bet was the church records, but the church was not staffed with office help on that day (Mon & Wed only- just our luck) so we couldn't even access that info.
Just the same, it was nice to wile away the afternoon in this idyllic little burg, good to see some of the Canadian countryside. Although I am very relieved we didn't go with the early draft of our vaca plans, which would've had us going straight to Blue Sea and staying there for the whole week. Lovely it was, but NO THANKS. It woulda been unspoiled nature and gorgeous lake views abounding, but 4 kids and absolutely NADA to do.
Also on Thurs (after our return to civilization) Laura, Lucy,and I went on an epic walk and we both bought art supplies at this place called Wallack's. Laura bought stuff to carve out print making stamps and I bought paper,a pen for pen & ink drawings and 2 colors (black & vermillion) of Winsor & Newton ink (which I find indescribably adorable... have a look-see here:http://www.winsornewton.com/index2.php ) After that we had dinner at the best Irish pub ever (http://www.darcymcgees.ca/ottawa/index.html) . Well, it may be a bit hasty to proclaim "BEST IRISH PUB EVER", especially before I make my pilgrimage to Dublin. So lemme rephrase-- "Darcy McGees is the bestest Irish pub that I have thus far imbibed in". Their photo gallery doesn't do the place justice, I mean, I just perused the thumbnail pics but it looks to be all shots of their doofy patrons (sorry, sorry, forgive me--I'm sure all their customers are just great and thoroughly UN-doofy). The inside is really nice-- lotsa dark wood and stained glass. And best of all-- it's a pretty huge pub. I always give a place mucho demerits if I find it lacking in elbow room....this particularly applies to the Irish pubs I patronize, as I need a large-ish berth in order to air-fiddle to the best of my ability.
FRIDAY AUG 25--
Our last full day in Canada, we went to the much hyped Byward Market area of town. I thought it was pretty rad (& lived up to the hype) but my parents woulda rather done the mall again (sooo they thought it lived up to the hype notsomuch). Hey, I dig the mall, don't git me wrong, but it's a bit lacking in local flavor, y'know?
We had a bit of last-night-in-Canada-drama in the form of a 2:30 am fire alarm in our hotel. And the good news is this-- for a thoroughly out-of-shape human slug, I can really haul arse when it's required of me. I made it out of the room, and to the front of the hotel in,I'd say, just over 2min. That's down 8 flights of stairs, lugging my purse and a 30lb child. The bad news is this-- My morals are in a state of heinous decay. Here's why... The fire alarm wakes me up, I yell "It's a fire alarm!!" y'know to just convey to my folks that they're not having some, winning at the Vegas one-armed bandit dream (because that's pretty much what the ringing of the Lord Elgin fire alarm sounds like, and it probably wasn't even as loud) and my mom is all agitated, and I get her shoes lined up by the door (I've got mine on, plus a purse on my left shoulder, a 3yr old on my right hip) and tell her they're there by the door and to put them on NOW (barking commands like a drill sergeant, which, not surprisingly, does not work to quell agitation) and she's all consumed with finding her robe because she can NOT go out in her nightie and to that sentiment I couldn't sympathize with since I happened to be pretty well covered with my sleeping attire (Oh, ok, since your mind's eye is straining sooo hard to get the complete image...it was black work out shorts and black AC/DC tee) and so I barked out something appropriately unsympathetic like "Don't worry, none o' your junk is hanging out--LET'S GOOOO!" Not very nice to say to your Mum, eh? I was maybe a wee bit panicky, try to cut me some slack. But here comes the real abominable part... My Dad, who is assisting in the robe search, barks back "Just take Sadie and go" And I was GONE. Out the door before he even got the "o" part of "go" finished. Well, that may be exaggerating things, but he did not have to tell me twice, let's just say. And as I said before, I made it downstairs & out front with astonishing speed (for me). Once I was down there, I was all worried about my parents getting out, and kept anxiously watching the streams of hotel guests that were coming from both sides of the building. But that fire alarm, like, instantly kicked me into worst case scenario mode and the adrenaline mighta made me loopy. Whereas Greg & my sister automatically presumed it was no biggie (it turned out that it really was no big deal) and they let Seth go to the bathroom, and put on clothes, then they actually (this was a bit idiotic) called the front desk. "Hello concierge? Yes. Fine thanks! Yes, this is room 806...is there REALLY a fire in the building? Oh yeah? OHMIGOSH! Well, I guess I'd best go then. Thanks ever so much! Buh bye now..." But though my sis had a rather BIG brainfart with that move, she did hang back & herd my parents out of the hotel. So I can't really razz her too much, blackhearted piece of shit that I am.
SATURDAY AUG 26--
Lengthy and dull drive home. YAAAAWWWN.

Phewwwww! I'm glad I finally wrapped that up. It's quite anticlimactic when its drawn out so much, but I was intent on finishing what I'd started.

I was going to prattle on a bit more.... had stuff to say about the bizarro but SAD passing of the Croc Hunter, but I'll save that for tomorrow as I'm running late already for dinner at my Aunt 'Rainey's.
Adieu, my lovelies....