Merry Christmas

Christmas has come early in 2007 or else this is the stand in Christmas for the Green Christmas of 2006. When I left Ottawa on Thursday I decided to take the bus to Toronto. We drove through four different snow squals with one real white out and a hail storm. I'm glad that I wasn't driving through that myself. As Leslie can tell you James and winter driving aren't the best combo, although having a monster truck does help.

I arrived to a cold windy Toronto where I had an hour to wait before my friend Dave H met me for lunch. I see that Yonge and Dundas is trying to get a Times Square type of thing going but it looks pretty shabby with that giant Labatts Blue beer can dominating things. I checked out Sams which still exists despite my worst fears. They had most of Neil Youngs recent reissues of newly remastered recordings on sale so I grabbed three of the harder to find discs, Zuma, On the Beach and Hawks and Doves.

Our favourite Italian bar by the Bus terminal has been relaced by a Starbucks. Sad but true. Maria met us in what is likely the most poorly designed bus terminal in any major city in North America. You have to wait for the bus outside standing amid the buses breathing their fumes and dodging them as they make the tight turns between the lines of awaiting passengers. Not to mention the wicked wind that blows through there. it's crazy and sad that such a major city has such an unfortunate bus terminal. To top it off they had people standing in the aisle of the bus we were on as there was not enough seating.

I'm in Owen Sound now and it's white as December (should have been) It's been snowing since Thursday and we had one more fresh blanket descend this morning. It's actually quite lovely except for the poor tulips that were tricked into coming out last week.

Today I will do a bit of shopping and then go see Grindhouse with my bro-in-law. Unfortunately I woke up this morning feeling like someone had slit my throat in the night. A lovely addition to the stomach flu I've had since last Monday. I felt guilty starting my first day as a permanent staff member being sent home after vomiting three times at work. At least I have sick leave now.

Tomorrow we are having Easter dinner celebrations at my sister's I hope I am feeling better by then as Monday I have a 12 hour trip back to Ottawa and need to be in ship shape to get back to work for Tuesday.

I've been sick a lot sonce last fall and the irony is I have been living healthier than ever diet and exercise wise. What the hell is with that? Maybe its all the stress of the radical changes in my life or maybe its just being out in the 'real world' more now. In either case I am so sick of feeling sick.