Why we loved the Queen Mum

"Wouldn't it be terrible if you'd spent all your life doing everything you were supposed to do, didn't drink, didn't smoke, didn't eat things, took lots of exercise, and suddenly, one day, you were run over by a big red bus and, as the wheels were crunching into you, you'd say, "Oh my God, I could have got so drunk last night." That's the way you should live your life, as if tomorrow you'll be run over by a big red bus."

- Queen Elizabeth, The Queen Mother, quoted by Michael Parker in
Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother: The Official Biography

A Brief Sojourn Miami

My Other Half has been away for two weeks at the Boston and Miami Boat Shows and I was lucky enough to join him for the latter. Despite the fact that we stood in a parking lot in 85F heat for ten hours a day I couldn't really complain. We were together, there was no snow and no meals to make.

Espanola Way where we stayed which is lined with restaurants and boutiques. We ate Mexican, Cuban, Spanish Tapas and French in the four nights I was there. Breakfast was at a Jewish Deli.

Our hotel in South Beach. Quite old and Spanish-feeling. A bit noisy at night with the restaurant below but great people-watching from our balcony on the corner

The view from our room

Our booth in the parking lot

What our booth (complete with a bar) will look like next year after we sell lots of boats

Random Tuesday Ramblings on Wednesday

• I am already worrying about what I will do when Season Two of Downton Abbey ends. Don't tell me how many more episodes there are, I don't even want to know.
  
  
• I feel not so much off but more like under my horse for the first time in three years. It wasn't very dramatic as I was only trying to get back up from a log when he moved and my foot was stuck in the stirrup so I ended up on the very hard ground with him standing perfectly still looking down at me as if to say, "I'll just wait here while you sort yourself out."
  
  
• Number One Son has now missed nine days of school out of a possible 20 since they went back after Christmas. Yup, he's on the right track for becoming a member of the Canadian Senate.
  
  
• Day One of Single Motherhood began with me deciding to make banana bread for breakfast. Why? Not sure. Unfortunately the frozen blueberries I put it in resulted in the middle not cooking while the outside burned. Note to Self: Never try to operate large appliances before noon.
  
  
• Number Three Son is finally going to get some extra help at school after test results showed he is relying almost entirely on memory which is sad in that it took so long to figure it out and amazing that he has coped as well as he has.
  
  
• Number Two Son announced that he has joined the school choir which, I think, has less to do with my continued suggestions that he should do so and more with the girl to boy ratio.
  
  
• I received three (!) bouquets yesterday but my favourite by far was the one from my best friend Sandy (shh, don't tell my Other Half or my Dad) It was made up with beautiful blush pink Parrot Tulips. They are all blousy and droopy and made the other arrangements of lilies and roses look stuffy and formal in comparison.
  
  
• I am going to the Erma Bombeck Writer's Workshop, my name came up on the waiting list, I paid my money and now I have to figure out how to get to Dayton, Ohio. Drive for nine hours or drive for two, wait at the airport for two, fly for and hour or so and then do the same in reverse. But however I get there I am so excited to be going and meeting a few of my blogging idols - Tanis of Attack of the Red Neck Mommy, Amy of Bitchin' Wives Club and Kyran of Planting Dandelions.
  
  
• I've decided that instead of giving something up for Lent (which I have never done anyways) I am going to use stuff up. My freezers (yes, that's plural) are full of food, as is my pantry and while Number One Son continues to eat for four I want to empty out all the meat, pasta, rice and other things before I hit Costco again. So, no more stopping at the grocery store because I've forgotten to take something out of the freezer to cook for dinner. I am, for the first time in my life, actually planning meals in advance and it is easier. Can't wait to see how long we can live off the fat of the land, so to speak.

Winter Wordless Wednesday

Random Tuesday Ramblings

• I think Mother Nature is going through menopause with hot flashes due to global warming. It's the only explanation for the roller coaster ride we've been on this winter - snow, rain, snow, rain, wash, rinse, repeat.

• I survived (barely) being a single parent for 10 days. I won't get into the gory details but sufficed to say it was a bit like Groundhog Day from the same time last year. Three kids throwing up, ski races and hockey games all over and finished off with me lying on the bathroom floor wishing I was anywhere else but there.

• Trying to love the Twitterverse but thinking it really is just the ultimate time-sucking blackhole. Until they come up with a newer time-sucking technological black hole, of course.

• Only 11 more sleeps until I escape to here and then I'm off to Florida to be a bikini-less boat babe at the Miami Boat Show. We'll definitely sell more if I keep my clothes on.

• The wacky weather and flu epidemic hasn't done much to help me stick to my promise to ride every Tuesday, so far I've gone once.

• Watched Contangion while I was sick as I am not only a end-of-the-world sort of gal but also a masochist. It actually wasn't that scary, more of a docudrama than thriller.

• Missed the first episode of Season Two of Downton Abbey after my Season One marathon on the weekend but have now programmed the PVR so I don't miss it again. Can't believe Thomas is now in charge of the house.

• Still waiting to hear if I will get into the Erma Bombeck Writer's Workshop on the waiting list. I also entered the contest held by the University of Dayton and the Public Library with this post in hopes of winning a spot at the workshop. Wish me luck.

• Now I have to get up and out of here to go and subject myself to mindless government bureaucracy to finally get Sons Numbers Two & Three their SIN Cards which for you non-Canadians isn't what it sounds like. SIN stands for Social Insurance Number and the fact that they don't yet have them is completely due to my lack of interest in dealing with it for the last 11 years. And while I'm subjecting myself to this torture I might as well renew No. 3's passport which conveniently is on a completely different expiry rotation from mine and his brothers. Oh well, speaking of black holes, maybe I can catch up on my Twittering ;-)

Totally Wordless Wednesday

'cause there are no words to describe this

I'm Going Old School

With the three boys' ski, hockey and school schedules plus boat shows and work I now have a calendar on the fridge, one hanging on the wall, one on my laptop and one on my phone and even though I sync and cross-reference them regularly I still can't keep all the practices, races, projects and training straight so when a seemingly unflappable mother of three pulled out this on the weekend I knew where I'm headed in 2012 - old school. Back to pen and paper. It isn't just that I have always loved paper and notebooks but having gone to school in the pre-computer age I remember things so much better when I write them down. Of course I still have my Kate Spade leopard print Filofax but I don't need the address list which is sadly out of date anymore so I think I'll keep it simple with just the planner. Now I'm ticking off the days on all my calendars until it arrives (along with Season One of Downton Abbey!)