Canadian Buffoon's Exhausted Vacation - Update 09/01 - New TR link!

[pkondz]

Hello, stranger!

Hi Kelly!

Yes! The beginning of the end, I pray. I got my first dose 12/22 and can't wait for my second on 1/9. I can't wait for the rest of my family and all of you to be able to get it too

I think I saw that you got a dose... maybe on FB? Maybe?
Either way, I'm happy for you and hopeful for the rest of us.

Looks like I came back to the TR pages just in time

Yes, I had written this report about two months ago,
but have been waiting for you to show up before posting it.

This has been the longest two weeks of my life

Ugh... ain't that the truth.

Aw, they're beautiful that's exactly where my Oscar lays and I am constantly tripping on him!

And yet... you wouldn't want them anywhere else, right?

Sorry…my job has been a bummer too but I'm also grateful that I am still employed.

You're job is much more difficult than mine.
(From a Covid sense.)
I don't really have to worry very much about catching it
from a co-worker.
We keep apart and clean the station between people.

So cute! My Allie would love that!

I bet she would.

Ew. No. God, No. Nope, never, no way.

It wasn't that bad. The dry spots were dry enough. And we dragged the table out of the puddle.

That looks fun. And now I'm craving celery with peanut butter

Except... that's not what that is.

Celery with cheese whiz.

Where's the picture of that?? Yikes!

It's kinda hard to take a photo
when you're running around
screaming like this:

Looks great!

Thanks!

She's in love and I can't say as I blame her…that looks amazing

We know how to do burgers around these parts!

I think I started listening to a Podcast about that a while back. There's a famous highway where so many women have gone missing, right? I had to stop listening to anything depressing after the pandemic started since life was depressing enough…

That's the Highway of Tears. It's in BC.
But it's country wide unfortunately.

Wow…just like Niagra!

Identical!
I mean... there's water and everything.

Thank goodness! We've had a couple close calls here too…knock on wood...

I'm just praying we can
get through this without
coming down with it before
we can get vaccinated.

Youtube is your friend…and pools are crazy expensive, aren't they??

Nah. Just a drop in the bucket.
Okay... a lot of drops in a very
big bucket.

Awesome! Congrats to you!

Thank you!

You too!

No, of course not, but I was wondering if there would be something! Now I'll have to go back and look!

Good luck!

 

[pkondz]

Thanks for the update!

You're welcome!
Nice to see you again.

I especially like the Unsolved Mysteries clip- that show was a favorite of mine growing up.

Mine too.
We'd try to watch them all the time.

What an odd story, and cool that you could visit the site!

It is an odd story.
Was it aliens? I personally doubt it.
But... something happened to the guy.

It sounds like you and your family made the best of this year.

It's certainly had its challenges.
But I'm pretty sure we're not alone in that!

I look forward to hearing more stories in the years to come.

I hope I'll have something to write about!

(And I didn't see it, either!)

Wasn't an easy one.

 

[suse66]

But a new year is dawning and while the troubles
of the last year are not behind us,
nor will they be for a while yet…


There is hope.

We can see the light at the end of the tunnel. My sister got her first dose last week (she's an ER doc) and I am hopeful thatI'll get it by the end of March ish as a kindergarten educator.

Luckily, I have sous-chefs that
assist me in these endeavours.

You have the cutest sous chefs ever!

We checked in and were soon astride
our mounts.
Or mounted our steeds.

Great adventure!

Doesn't that beach look inviting?
More on that later.

And no camping trip would
be complete without a campfire.
And no campfire is complete
without S'mores.

Smores are essential!

When we got back to our campsite,
we were both ready to cool down
with a swim.
We headed to the beach, which we
had all to ourselves.
And we found out why.
We waded in and got as far as
about mid-thigh.
The water temperature, still early
in the year, was probably around 45F/7C.
Also... when we waded out...
we each found we'd picked up
an unwanted passenger.
One leach each.

Sooooo gross.

No unwanted passengers please! Also......7 degrees?????? Are you kidding me? 16 C is my absolute minimum.

And another small project was
replacing the gate.
I think it turned out well enough.

It looks great! That was one of Bill's projects at our place this summer too.

We headed down to the beach
and just chilled for a while.
The kids and I decided to walk
to the far side where people were
jumping into the lake from
some rocks.
You can barely make them out
on the left side of the photo

Beautiful spot! I really only know Gimli and Winnipeg. Where are you in relation to those two spots?

The dresses have and are being
displayed in various locations in
Canada and the United States.
There were several located here.
It was both eerie and humbling.

The Red Dress project is both awe inspiring and thought provoking.

Relaxation didn't last long
as Elle wanted to go exploring.
I was game, so we set off.
But... never disturb a resting dad...

Haha!

As I was putting the pool to bed
for the year, I managed to snap
a critical part of the mechanicals.

Oh dear!

Amazingly enough, I found the part.
I also found the tool I needed to clean
out the old joints.
I'm hoping to be able to fix it myself.
At a fraction of the cost.
Hoping being the key word.

Nothing ventured, nothing gained! Hope a little DIY works out for you!

And the Van Gogh exhibition
came to Winnipeg.
I took my folks (and Kay)
to go see it.
It's a dynamic display of
his works that are constantly
changing as you watch.
The paintings are projected
on the walls and the floor.

Gorgeous! It was in Toronto too but I didn't feel comfortable making the trek down to the city to see it.

And with that, I'll bring this
update to a close.
I hope you are all staying as
healthy and safe as you can.

Here's to a better, healthier,
happier new year in 2021.

Thanks for an awesome read and a very happy, healthy New Year to you!

 

[pkondz]

We can see the light at the end of the tunnel. My sister got her first dose last week (she's an ER doc) and I am hopeful thatI'll get it by the end of March ish as a kindergarten educator.

I'm hoping my eldest DD gets it soon too.
She's the only one in our family at risk.
She's currently finishing her Education degree,
but she's been running her own class anyways
since the school she's doing her practicum in
is so short staffed.
They've already told her they want to hire her in April
as soon as she graduates.

You have the cutest sous chefs ever!

You should see the head chef!

Great adventure!

It was!

Smores are essential!

No unwanted passengers please! Also......7 degrees?????? Are you kidding me? 16 C is my absolute minimum.

We didn't stay in very long!

It looks great! That was one of Bill's projects at our place this summer too.

Thanks!
How did Bill's turn out?

Beautiful spot! I really only know Gimli and Winnipeg. Where are you in relation to those two spots?

The Red Dress project is both awe inspiring and thought provoking.

Very much so.
And it's such a tragic story.

Nothing ventured, nothing gained! Hope a little DIY works out for you!

Oh man. I sure hope so!

Gorgeous! It was in Toronto too but I didn't feel comfortable making the trek down to the city to see it.

That's actually how we heard about it.
My sister saw it in Toronto first.

Thanks for an awesome read and a very happy, healthy New Year to you!

You have a happy New Year too, Susan!

 

[lvcourtneyy]

Thanks for sharing an update with us! Glad your family has remained safe and healthy this year and managed to get a little fun in. Hopefully 2021 will be a better year for us all!

 

[QueenJen]

Enjoyed reading your 2020 recap.

I started out by running for
60 seconds.

60 seconds is a looong time.

After that you walk for 90 seconds...

You left out how quickly 90 seconds goes by.

 

[tundra1]

Doctors, while unable to stop the ravages
of our least favourite virus, seem to at least
have reduced the mortality rate somewhat.
And of course, there is the promise of vaccines
already beginning distribution or in various
stages of development.

I got my first dose of the vaccine on Dec. 17th, and am getting the second dose January 5th. Being that I work in a cesspool of Covid-19, I am very grateful for the world's scientists who were able to develop and test the vaccine so quickly!

Why I am writing is just my way of trying
to provide you, dear reader, with a small gift.

Thank you! You shouldn't have!

Shall we begin? Yes, Please

Hi Sweethearts! You are beautiful!


The other item that dominated the news
for a good chunk of the year was the US election.
We were inundated with information,
graphs, bar charts and maps for months...
And it's still on-going.

Thank goodness I live in Wisconsin, where anyone can own and operate a Kangaro legally:
You can't find those beasts of a stapler everywhere!


I've been fortunate to remain employed
during the pandemic.
So I'm grateful for that. Me Too!




Wow! I have never seen a Canadian Pig before! They are huge!

We checked in and were soon astride
our mounts.
Or mounted our steeds.

Pick one. Mounted our Steeds works for me!

Doesn't that beach look inviting? Yes, it is beautiful!

And no camping trip would
be complete without a campfire.
And no campfire is complete
without S'mores. Aren't S'mores a food group?

That tunnel looks amazing!

One leach each.

So good to read another Pkondz classic! What a great surprise!

​

 

[pkondz]

Thanks for sharing an update with us!

Thanks for suffering through it!

Glad your family has remained safe and healthy this year and managed to get a little fun in.

We were fortunate.
So many others haven't been.

Hopefully 2021 will be a better year for us all!

I sure hope so!

 

[pkondz]

Enjoyed reading your 2020 recap.

Thanks, Jen.

You left out how quickly 90 seconds goes by.

Oh, man! How right you are!

App: "Begin running."
Me: "Okay... here we go... oof... is it a minute yet?... I can't keep going... please stop... it has to be a minute!... I'm dying... must... stop... when will it end???... WHEN WILL IT END????... FOR THE LOVE OF GAWD, WHEN WILL..."
App: "Begin walking."
Me: "Oh, thank you. I thought I was about to..."
App: "Begin running."
Me: "What? Are you kidding me?????"

 

[pkondz]

I got my first dose of the vaccine on Dec. 17th, and am getting the second dose January 5th. Being that I work in a cesspool of Covid-19, I am very grateful for the world's scientists who were able to develop and test the vaccine so quickly!

Where do you work, Terri?
And I'm quite pleased to hear that you were able to get the shot!

Thank you! You shouldn't have!

'twas nothing...

Hi Sweethearts! You are beautiful!

Little typo there. You accidentally pluralized your pet name for me.
That's okay. Typos happen.

Thank goodness I live in Wisconsin, where anyone can own and operate a Kangaro legally:

You can't find those beasts of a stapler everywhere!

Wisconson... Kangaroo capitol of North America!

That thing looks like you could staple the world with it!

Wow! I have never seen a Canadian Pig before! They are huge!

We like our bacon.

Aren't S'mores a food group?

That tunnel looks amazing!

It was so cool! Very glad we went.

So good to read another Pkondz classic! What a great surprise!

You're very welcome! Glad you enjoyed.
But...
Not that you need to comment on everything, but I noticed your comments ended right at the end of the first of the three parts. Just wanted to make sure that you voluntarily quit reading out of self-preservation and not because you missed them.

 

[buzzrelly]

Yes, I had written this report about two months ago,
but have been waiting for you to show up before posting it.

So considerate!

Except... that's not what that is.

Celery with cheese whiz.

Oh…well, that's a surprising twist. It sounds kind of different but I grew up eating celery stuffed with cream cheese and walnuts every Thanksgiving so I'm sure the cheese whiz concoction is yummy too.

It's kinda hard to take a photo
when you're running around
screaming like this:

Haha! I am in LOVE with that cute little emoji, I've never seen him before!

That's the Highway of Tears. It's in BC.
But it's country wide unfortunately.

Yes, that's what it was. So sad

I'm just praying we can
get through this without
coming down with it before
we can get vaccinated.

 

[buzzrelly]

Did you see it?

Finally, yes! So sneaky!

 

[pkondz]

So considerate!

Nothing but the best for you, Kelly!

Oh…well, that's a surprising twist. It sounds kind of different but I grew up eating celery stuffed with cream cheese and walnuts every Thanksgiving so I'm sure the cheese whiz concoction is yummy too.

It's what I grew up on.
And now my kids have too.

Haha! I am in LOVE with that cute little emoji, I've never seen him before!

I've had him for quite a while now.

Yes, that's what it was. So sad

Yes.

Finally, yes! So sneaky!

Good for you!

 

[tundra1]

Where do you work, Terri? I work in the ER of the busiest hospital system in the area. We treat everyone like they have Covid until proven otherwise!

And I'm quite pleased to hear that you were able to get the shot! Thank you!

Not that you need to comment on everything, but I noticed your comments ended right at the end of the first of the three parts. Just wanted to make sure that you voluntarily quit reading out of self-preservation and not because you missed them. Yeah... I got called in to work. It is hard to tell your coworkers, "Sorry, I can't come in for another hour... I am busy commenting on my Sweetheart's posts!"

 

[Positively Bashful]

Hello, I don't think I've ever commented on any of your reports before, but have read and enjoyed several. I just wanted to let you know how happy I was to see a good update from one of my favorite DISboard authors. It's been quiet for so long that I'd nearly forgotten how fun it is to take part in other people's travels. Thanks for sharing!

 

[pooh'smate]

Loved the update. We too are waiting for the vaccine and watching the border. We can't wait for the border to open again so we can go see our family. It really sucks to not be able to go see your family. We never thought that the border would close between us (who would before 2020) we have taken the ease of cross border travel for granted up til now. Oh yeah I saw it.

 

[pkondz]

I work in the ER of the busiest hospital system in the area. We treat everyone like they have Covid until proven otherwise!

Yikes!
I can certainly see that.
I had to go in to the hospital a couple weeks ago and that's how they treated me.
I was okay with it, because I treated them as if they had it.

Yeah... I got called in to work. It is hard to tell your coworkers, "Sorry, I can't come in for another hour... I am busy commenting on my Sweetheart's posts!"

I dunno. I think if you said that they might understand.

 

[pkondz]

Hello, I don't think I've ever commented on any of your reports before,

Well... I checked!
I went back through every TR I've written and this is the first time.

So...

to the TR!

but have read and enjoyed several.

I'm glad you've enjoyed them.

I just wanted to let you know how happy I was to see a good update from one of my favorite DISboard authors.

Aww shucks.
That's very kind of you to say.

It's been quiet for so long that I'd nearly forgotten how fun it is to take part in other people's travels. Thanks for sharing!

It has been quiet.
I sure hope things start to become un-quiet as the vaccines roll out.
Thanks for the kind words and thanks for reading!

 

[pkondz]

Loved the update.

Thanks!

We too are waiting for the vaccine and watching the border. We can't wait for the border to open again so we can go see our family. It really sucks to not be able to go see your family.

I'm sorry to hear that.
I've heard of some people who have family or loved ones across the border.
I know it's hard.
Hopefully, with the vaccine roll outs, they'll be able to open it. Or at least open it to people who've been vaccinated or can prove they're negative.

We never thought that the border would close between us (who would before 2020) we have taken the ease of cross border travel for granted up til now.

I know what you mean. We would think nothing of popping across to grab some parcels or something.
Not anymore.

Oh yeah I saw it.

Good for you!
Wasn't quite so obvious with it this time.

 

[Tracy161]

Yay!!! So happy to see an update from you, I've missed you!

Santa… face down in the muck.
If that doesn’t describe 2020 in a single visual,
I don’t know what does!

That absolutely, positively sums 2020 up in a single visual.

They are so beautiful... and fluffy!

The other item that dominated the news
for a good chunk of the year was the US election.
We were inundated with information,
graphs, bar charts and maps for months...
And it's still on-going.

Trying living in said country...

We had driven through driving rain
(as opposed to sledding through sleet?
Fighting through fog?
Inching through ice?
I'll quit now. You're welcome.)

You forgot hail. I'll be anxiously waiting for this error to be corrected.

Also... when we waded out...
we each found we'd picked up
an unwanted passenger.
One leach each.

EEEEEEECK!

I did also find the time this year
to finally finish off our deck.
I had put up the railings earlier,
but it still needed to be finished off.
Before and after photos of the process.

Beautiful work!

Gorgeous picture. Beautiful little church.

Afterward, the dam was
used for artillery practice
by the military.
But what remains is still
pretty dam impressive.

I see what you did there

A worker, with a rope tied
around his waist (!) would
walk on the ice and chop it away.
How's that for a job?

I guess my job is starting to sound a little better...

We managed to avoid
any covid exposures.
(We did have a couple of close
calls, but no one caught it... yet.
As I write this, we're waiting on
Elle's test to come back.
ETA: Just found out it was negative. Phew!)

I'm so glad to hear that!

We signed up for a Disney
virtual 5K as an incentive.

Great incentive! Love the swag.

Here's to a better, healthier,
happier new year in 2021.

YES, YES, and YES!!! Happy New Year!!! So great to "see" you again