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My hiking buddy, Brett, and I took half of last Friday off and headed up to the Joyce Kilmer Wilderness for a couple of days. We hadn’t really done any hiking together in probably 18 months, although both of us … Continue reading
Having completed two weeks since returning from Ahmic, I suppose it’s time to regale the world with what I’ve done since.
In a word: Sweat.
It’s sooooo friggin’ hot in Georgia. It’s no wonder that this state consistently ranks at or near the bottom when it comes to education. Everyone’s brain is fried. I’m not exactly certain how, but I’ve managed to keep my walking streak alive (sorry, Dianne – I don’t run). Even at 5:30 in the morning, however, it’s hot. And in the afternoon? My car’s thermometer was reading 101 yesterday, as I was driving.
Other than sweating, I’ve been easing back into work garbage. “Easing” may not be the best word. “Hitting the ground running” doesn’t really do it justice, either. It was more like, “I was thrown out of a moving car” when I got back to work. I’m not sure how so few people can screw up so many things in such a short amount of time, but they did. I came up for air somewhere around last Friday. This weekend, I’ve mainly been writing updates to older programs (per requests), although today I got side-swiped by a new offering which is supposed to roll out to the public next week. The call center isn’t prepared to handle it, so I’ve got 4 days to get 100+ workstations configured.
Tonight marks my return to hosting a trivia game after taking a few weeks off. I normally spend Thursday afternoons thinking up questions, but I’m just going with database leftovers tonight. No energy (or time) to think up questions and research answers. I’ll throw in a couple of “Current Events” offerings, but I’ve got plenty of questions in the DB that have never been used.
This weekend, I think I’ve got plans to go see something with Jenny. A play, I think. Wait! I know it’s a play. It’s a Dunwoody Community Theater play. And I don’t know which one. Sorry, Jen. It’ll come to me.
Next weekend, I think Brett and I are going to hike up Stratton Bald in NC. I hope it’s cool. Or raining. Or that I have lots of bourbon.
That picture up there is just one of Chamberlain and me relaxing one day last week. It might look like it’s been photoshopped, but we’re really and truly melting.
Shout-out to Cleveland! One more day of GOPcon. You can survive this!
So I’m back in the ATL now.
Cy’s pain turned out to be a tweaked muscle, and it should be fine.
On Tuesday, Cy and Jamie and I took a trip to Parry Sound to sell (and buy) some books, then did a bit of souvenir shopping and picked up groceries. Got back to the camp in time for them to sit on the dock and me to take another nap on the farmhouse porch. Renny made BBQ for dinner, which was excellent, and we finished out the night with a game of Oh Hell – I lost. Again.
On Wednesday, I hit the road for home. Took the western route and crossed back into the States at Sault St. Marie, then continued on a beautiful drive down through Michigan and Ohio, stopping for the night in Lima. Got up early yesterday and completed the trip, arriving home at around 4:30.
I’ve managed to pick up a pretty bad head/chest cold (probably got it from Jamie, who was feeling bad last weekend), and I’m currently sitting in bed wondering whether or not I’ve got the strength to go grocery shopping. My food here consists of a loaf of bread and 15 pieces of cheese.
So yeah. I should go shopping.
If all goes as it usually goes, my house will be bombarded by the neighbor’s fireworks for much of today and I’ll worry that it’s going to start on fire.
This year, however, I’ll be worrying from the cozy environs of Ahmic Lake, and I’ll check with Jenny tomorrow (assuming that she hasn’t called me first) to find out if I’ve got a house to go back to.
Slept in the boathouse last night (like a rock), and woke up after 7:30 this morning. Sleeping that late – plus the nap that I got on the porch yesterday – is finally starting to give me some of my energy back, as evidenced by the 14 miles that I walked yesterday. I don’t even like to ponder what my sleep debt is like by the time I get to each vacation. Probably about 7 years.
Cy had to head to the hospital in Huntsville this morning. Hopefully nothing serious, but she’s got a pain in her neck (not “T”). Probably a pinched nerve or something. Here’s hoping those socialist Canadian doctors can take care of her. No doubt, she’ll have to wait 17 weeks to be seen. At least according to my oh-so-knowledgeable-in-the-ways-of-Canadian-healthcare buddies back home.
Had a swim after my walk this morning and the water is quite brisk. It’s supposed to be pretty hot this week, though, so that might be a really good thing.
Dianne took off for home early this morning. Since we had an overloaded camp last night (sleeping-wise), I slept in the car – and was very comfortable, thanks very much. Woke up at around 5:30. Dianne had plans to leave at 6:00, so I got up and took a short walk.
Kind of weird being on the road that early, and I had visions of running into a bear. Didn’t happen, fortunately.
After Trude left, the rest of the crew had some breakfast, and then Karl, Rennie, and Jamie took off to play golf. Don, Julie, and Lynn went to town to buy stuff for dinner (pork chops, I think), and to refill a propane tank. Not sure if Cy went with them or not. Diane took a nap, I believe, and I went for another walk after jumping in the lake.
Had a nice long nap on the farmhouse porch this afternoon and dreamt that I was playing in the barn at the Shoreham house. It was beautifully windy on the porch. Such good napping weather.
Woke up at around 3:30 and….took another walk. I’m coming up on 13 miles for the day as I type this.
Finished the walk and moved the comforter, quilt, and pillow out of my car and back to the boathouse (I borrowed them last night), where I’ll be sleeping for the remainder of my time here. Probably leaving on Wednesday so that I can chill at home for a couple of days before having to go back to work.
The weather today, as noted in the title, has been perfect. Temps in the mid-70s, sunny, nice breeze coming off the lake.
My deer fly stopper
The flies have been kind of annoying on Thompson and Langford, but I’ve modified a fly net to work really nicely with a ball cap, and it keeps the little buggers away from my head. Not the height of fashion, but I don’t really care. At least I’m not being driven insane by deer flies.
Awoke early this morning to a brilliant sunshine. I thought it was about noon. Turned out to be 6:00 AM. Since Karl and Diane are due to arrive this afternoon – and to displace me from my little cottage – I stripped the bed and went for a walk. Got back in time to have coffee with the rest of the group, which then dispersed to the four winds. “T” and Rennie went into town to get lumber to rebuild a staircase. Julie, Cy, Jamie, Di, and Lynn went to the farmers market, I think. I finished cleaning out the cottage, fell in the lake, and then set out for Parry Sound in my continuing quest to find good souvenirs for the few folks to whom I’d promised something, as well as to replace the Tilly hat that I lost when my car burned down a few years ago.
Managed to find plenty of stuff for the folks back home and get the replacement hat, so I’ll call that a success.
Arriving back at the camp, I took another walk, then fell in the lake again. Saw a deer during the walk. If you’re sharp-eyed, you can see it in the picture above.
Now, while we wait for Karl and Dianne to get here, we’re having drinks and watching people make dinner. Hamburgers tonight!
A busy couple of days, as far as Ahmic goes. The five of us took the boat to echo rock yesterday. It’s a cliff over in Lake Cecebe where people can jump into incredibly deep water from heights of 15-30 … Continue reading
Happy Thursday morning!
It’s about 8:30 in the main cabin at Ulvik and looks like it’s going to be yet another gorgeous day. Yesterday did not disappoint. Nor was anything of import accomplished, which added to the non-disappointment aspect of things. I drove to the Cornball Store to get “T” some sticky buns yesterday morning, and took a fairly long walk later in the afternoon.
Much of the rest of the day was spent either reading or lounging on the screened porch of my cabin (pictured) and enjoying the ever-present breeze and perfect temperature. Of course, falling in the lake was also accomplished.
“T” fried up some Tilapia for dinner last night, which was quite good. In other happenings, I finally won a game of something! Don’t remember the last time that that happened. The game, “Balderdash,” was something that Jamie brought with him; it’s sort of a cross between “Dictionary” and messed-up trivia. Players are given a subject, guess what it means, and then everyone tries to guess which answer given is the correct one.
Kind of goofy, but – as I said – I won. So there’s that.
We may take a trip to Echo Rock this morning, which involves taking one of the boats through the Magnetawan Locks. I don’t think I’ve ever done that.
And so we’ve come to Wednesday.
It’s about 11:30 right now and a beautiful Ahmic day. A bit nippy out of the sun (probably low 60s), but I’m sure that the docks are in the 70s. I couldn’t make myself jump in the lake when I woke up 5 hours ago when it felt like about 55 degrees. Pathetic, I know. Jamie – who arrived yesterday afternoon – and Cy both said that the water temperature was perfect. I opted for a hot shower instead, though I’m sure I’ll hit the lake within an hour – after which I’ll take a nap on my screened-in porch.
I made jambalaya for dinner last night, and thought that it was pretty good. In addition to chorizo sausage and all the “regular” stuff (onion, peppers, garlic, etc.), I included bacon, ham, and scallops. Made a lot of the stuff, which was good because Patrick and his wife (a Canadian couple who’s last name I cannot recall) showed up. Got some nice compliments on the slop, and there’s enough left over for lunch today. I always like the stuff better after it’s had a day to marinate in the fridge.
Had a bit of a scare – or at least an uneasy feeling – yesterday morning. I got a text message from my neighbor asking if I’d left yet and saying, “The house looks occupied!” I forwarded that to Jenny, who replied that she thought that she’d heard water running the last time she went to check on the cats.
After grilling the neighbor a bit, I learned that she was just referring to the lights going on and off (they’re on a fairly complex schedule), and Jenny and I decided that the running water was probably the refrigerator. Heard from her last night that all is well, all doors are locked, etc.
A bit freaky. Had me on the verge of heading home after only two days here!
I also drove down to Huntsville yesterday – mainly to get ingredients for the jambalaya, but also to look for souvenirs for a few friends in Atlanta. Wasn’t able to find anything that wasn’t stupid, so I guess I’ll try Parry Sound this weekend. We’d planned to go there on Friday, but realized that Friday, being Canada Day, won’t be good. The whole town will be closed.
So what to do Friday? I hear that there will be a Canada Day parade in downtown Magnetawan, which should be fun. I’ve been here for at least one of those, and it was so much like a July 4th parade in Shoreham….
After two years away, I’m finally back at the Mag. Joined Dianne, Cy and “T” at around 3:30 yesterday afternoon after a fairly pleasant drive from Lima, OH, in which I’d spent Saturday night.
The drive from Atlanta to Ohio was uneventful – once I actually managed to get out of Atlanta. Seems like the west-side traffic gets worse down there every day. It took me close to an hour to make it from Duluth to Kennesaw. After that, it was smooth all the way to Lima, and I arrived there at around 7:30 Saturday night. Woke up early and hit the road by 7 :00 in order to get to Magnetawan before dinner.
After said dinner (dirty bird (a.k.a. bastard bbq)), the four of us played Oh Hell until 10:30. CY was the big winner, followed closely by “T”. I, as usual, got my ass kicked. Never have been good at cards.
We got a couple of brief showers on the lake last night – enough to hatch some mosquitoes – but the sun is out today, and it’s absolutely beautiful weather. When I woke up this morning (at 5:30 – ugh), it was about 68 degrees in my cabin. I’d estimate that it’s currently in the low 70’s, and there’s a perfect western breeze coming in off of the lake as I sit on the porch this morning.
No plans for today at the moment. I’m sure that napping will be involved, and maybe some tennis. There is also a decent chance that I’ll go into town, as I need both Vodka and a mosquito/deerfly net for my hat. I took a walk this morning, and the flies were terrible.