Gord's family too!

Gord's parents are kinda on the way home from Sandra and Dave's and we stopped in on the way (they are 2.5 hours away from us).

Here's Gord with his stepdad, Keith, and his mom, Minnie.

I hadn't seen them since Christmas so it was nice to see them.

I am very jealous of their tomato plants, though. Here are theirs:

Click here to see mine.

Sigh ...

Family reunion 2009

After we checked out of the B 'n B, we went to Sandra and Dave's.

My uncles, Dave and Fred, were making brunch.

Another fine feast ... scrambled eggs, roast, bacon, sausages, potatoes and homemade preserves.


Here we all are!

The surviving brothers and sisters:

The cousins along with our spouses:

The spouses of the brothers and sisters:

Here is the link if you want to see all the pix.

Korner Stone Kastle Bed and Breakfast

There are no hotels in Verona ... the nearest would be a half hour drive to Kingston.

I didn't want us to be drinking and driving, there was no room in Sandra and Dave's house and I didn't want to camp in the yard.

Sandra had recommended a bed and breakfast called Korner Stone Kastle since it was just a five minute walk away. A big plus is that we could bring KC.

The house is almost 100 years ago and used to belong to a doctor who had his home and office there.

When we got back last night, we sat on the verandah on the second floor for a while.

Verona Lake is just minutes down the street.

Here's our bright and airy room.

The bed was so comfy ... it was hard to get up. Our very friendly host, Steven, knocked on the door to let us know that breakfast was ready (he had told us it would be ready at 8:30).

Breakfast was delicious! Here's Gord enjoying it ... frittata, roasted potatoes, fresh fruit, yogurt, orange juice and coffee.

It was our first experience at a B 'n B and it was a pleasurable one!

Family reunion 2009

Every two years there is a family reunion of the descendants of my maternal grandfather of Glace Bay, Cape Breton, NS. He was married twice ... to my grandmother, Sarah, and Mae ... and had 15 kids.

This year it was at my Aunt Sandra's in Verona, ON (about three hours away). There were about 30 of us. There were uncles and aunts who came from as far away as Victoria, BC, and Halifax, NS.

I took a ton of pix and here are just a few.

This is Janet and I in front of the signage from the first reunion. Janet lives just outside Halifax, NS, and is the widow of my uncle, Eldon.

Here's Gord and KC. KC spent most of the afternoon on the deck ... er ... monitoring the action around BBQ.

These flags represent past and present attendees.

And this represents where we all began ... Glace Bay, Cape Breton!

Dave (he's married to my aunt, Sandra) BBQed a huge beef roast. It was delicious!

Here's the supper feast ... BBQed roast beef, corn on the cob, roasted potatoes, salad, potato salad, macaroni salad, bread and more. Yum!

We ate outside in the backyard.

My uncle, Fred, was the auctioneer to raise funds for future reunions. We donate junk stuff and everyone bids on it. I bid $10 on this fish figuring that someone would outbid me. But no! I ended up with the fish! But then my uncle, Michael, bought it from me for $8 ... it was worth losing $2 to get rid of it!

Cindy and Bill were the entertainers and we sang along. Cindy is the widow of my mother's brother, Calvin. Bill's daughter is the mother of Dave and Sandra's grandson, who is my first cousin, once removed. Got it?

It was fun to see everyone and catch up.

Here is the link if you want to see all the pix.

Book ~ "The Boomers Retire: A Guide for Financial Advisors and their Clients" (2008) Lynn Biscott

From Chapters.ca ~ Well over five million Canadian boomers hope to retire in the next 10 years. The shift from planning for retirement is now on to ways of living in retirement. Using plain language throughout to explain fiscal and investment strategies, the author is writing this book for the consumers of advice as well as for their counsellors. The transition to becoming a retiree involves knowledge of government benefits, employer-sponsored retirement plans, personal sources of retirement income, and a good grasp of the options for living well after one's working days are over.

I've been in the group retirement industry for over 20 years ... and I learned some stuff from this book.

Not enough information for novices but it fills in some details if you know the basics.

Johnny's Hamburgers

I conducted a retirement planning seminar at Yonge/Sheppard this morning so scampered over to Johnny's Hamburgers afterwards for lunch.

I've only been there once before with Gord ... it is a blast from his past.

Luckily I got there just before noon ... after that, the place was jammed.

Here is part of BlogTo's description of it:

At the corner of Victoria Park and Sheppard in Toronto's East end, Johnny's Hamburgers is a landmark. It's the kind of place that your parents would have gone to as teenagers (and maybe even did), and it's still around for good reason. Endorsed by the likes of Mike Myers, the brightly painted burger joint is not meant to be a place of fine dining or ambiance. You step up the counter, order your food, take a number and wait on a bench. It takes just a few minutes and you're back on your feet and picking your toppings, though they don't offer lettuce.

I ordered a burger, fries and chocolate milkshake (yum!) ... and it came to just over $8. A great deal! There was nowhere to eat so I took it back to the car. It was good, though I was too full to finish all the fries.

The fella waiting on me was extremely helpful and friendly ... he could probably tell I was a newbie!

Toronto Blue Jays 3, New York Yankees 5

Gord and I went to the ballgame this evening ... the New York Yankees were in town against our Blue Jays.

We had a wicked thunder 'n lightening storm this afternoon but it cleared up before the start of the game. Alas, the dome stayed closed.

It wasn't too bad at first but after a while it got really hot and muggy in there.

Our seats were in the fifth level, between home and first base. A great spot at $12 a ticket!

Eric Hinske used to be my favourite Blue Jay ... he's with the Yankees now.

Here's Vernon Wells.

And here's Gord and I.

We had ... er ... interesting people around us.

The guy to the left of me ate non-stop ... non-stop! He kept hauling McDonald's burgers and sandwiches one-by-one (there were at least five) from his knapsack ... then he got a big Slush ... then his buddy got him an ice cream sundae. And if he wasn't eating, he was yakking to everyone (I ignored him).

The four guys behind us arrived hammered ... and then proceeded to order and drink more beer. They soooooo shouldn't have been served more! They were really really loud and said a lot of words that rhyme with truck, hunt, trigger, mothertrucker, etc. No respect, especially because there were kids around them. They spilled beer on us a few times ... we were polite about it and asked them to be more careful. Finally we got pissed off and moved to the "family section", two sections away. I don't mind people having a good time ... I've had beer at ballgames (not tonight cuz I have to work tomorrow). But these guys were waaaaaaay out of line.

The guys in the red box were the drinkers and the guy in the green box is the eater.

It was an exciting game but Toronto lost 5 to 3.

Do you know this family?

Police are looking for them after this was posted on YouTube of a seven-year-old driving while Dad videotaped him and cheered him on!

Look what I found!

I cleaned our desk this evening and found this ... I forgot I'd bought it!


It's sooooo true!

Chillaxin'

After such a busy Saturday, we chillaxed yesterday and today.

I spent most of yesterday and today here ... reclining on the swingy chair on our terrace with a book.

If you need dirt for your plants, I've got two HUGE bags... No Frills had a sale this spring.

Gord BBQed a pork roast last night for supper ...

And steak and potatoes (and mushrooms ... yuk!) for supper tonight ...

Yum!

Book ~ "Always Fresh" (2006) Ron Joyce

From Chapters.ca ~ It's as Canadian as hockey and beer and almost every town has at least one. Many know that it was hockey legend Tim Horton who opened the first Tim Hortons restaurant in Hamilton, but few know the inside story of Ron Joyce, the former cop who, after the death of Horton, grew the company into a colossal North American enterprise that now earns over a billion dollars a year.

Always Fresh is Joyce'’s own story in a blend of memoir and business book, as he looks back at how the franchise became a sacred cultural tradition. Joyce takes us back to 1964, from the first almost-failed Tim Hortons Donut Shop in Hamilton, to his full partnership with the eponymous hockey player and the tough years of franchise expansion. Recalling the tragic death of Tim Horton in 1974, and relating the little-known chapter on Joyce’'s attempt to sell the chain and his subsequent legal battles with Tim’s widow, Lori, here Joyce sets the record straight. With great candour, he reveals the strategy behind the chain'’s phenomenal expansion, including the introduction of Timbits; how Tim Hortons' coffee has become a number one seller, despite intense competition; an inside look at Donut University; and just why it is that every day tens of thousands of Canadians line up for Tim Hortons products. Joyce also gives the inside scoop on menu items that didn’'t quite work out, the company’'s launch of drive-thrus, why the franchises have done so well in small towns, his decision to sell the company to Dave Thomas of Wendy'’s, and gives his take on Tim Hortons’ much-anticipated IPO. This book provides an insider’s look at an empire, its successes and failures, and the determined passion and character of the man who created it.

Gord picked this book up at the library and is reading it. It sounded interesting so I started it last night (and just finished it).

I like reading non-fiction and who hasn't heard of Tim Hortons?

I'm not a coffee drinker but rarely say no to a donut!

Joyce grew up poor in Nova Scotia (I'm from NS too). So it was interesting to read how he achieved what he has.

Realizing we are just hearing his side of the story, I still found it entertaining. I enjoyed the writing style (though there were some typos). It wasn't too deep or detailed ... just right for me.

I used to work for a group retirement plan provider who provided their pension. I've done some investment meetings for their employees in Oakville and Kingston (I wasn't crazy about doing the 5am meetings, though ... ha!).

My crops

I still haven't had any tomatoes, though my neighbours are on their second crop.

These are supposed to be cherry tomatoes but they haven't ripened yet ... they don't seem to be going anywhere.

At least they aren't dead.

My chocolate mint is doing great, though, and running like crazy!

I still don't know what I'm going to do with it!

Happy Simcoe Day!

Today is a holiday here in Ontario.

It is named for Col. John Graves Simcoe ...

* Hero of the American Revolution
* Commanding officer of the Queen's York Rangers
* Founder of Toronto
* First Lt. Governor of Upper Canada
* Builder of Yonge Street
* Abolished slavery in what's now Ontario 30 years before the rest of the British Empire did it and 60 years before Abe Lincoln did it

"West Side Story", Stratford Festival, Stratford, ON

Gord and I spent the day in Stratford.

We saw our second play in the Stratford Shakespeare Festival (we were there for Cyrano de Bergerac in June).

We saw West Side Story at the Festival Theatre.

Two rival gangs, the Jets and the Sharks, wage a turf war in the mean streets of New York City. But when Tony, best friend of Jets leader Riff, falls in love with Maria, the sister of Sharks leader Bernardo, simmering tensions escalate toward a shocking finale.

With its explosive dance numbers and unforgettable score, this modern-day retelling of Romeo and Juliet changed the face of the American musical.

The Toronto Star had given it 4 out of 4 stars and I was looking forward to it. It was okay ... Gord and I gave it 6/10. I've never seen the movie ... gotta go rent it.

The Festival Theatre has nice grounds ... here's looking down from the outside balcony at the tribute to Shakespeare.

Gord and Chia Kitty (he's on top of the sign) outside of the theatre after the play.

After the play, we had four hours 'til we had to catch our train home. We walked to the downtown area.

We went to Sid's for supper. I had the rib/wing special. It was okay.

I liked Gord's fish 'n chips better (yes, that's one of my wings).

We always make the Dominion House our last stop for a couple drinks on the patio as it's next to the train station. The Dominion House was established in 1865.

Here's Gord and Chia Kitty settling in on the train for the two hour ride home.