What a strange place for a business convention. Niagra Falls isn’t really “home” for anyone- none of our offices are here, so everyone has to drive at least an hour or so to get here. It was particularly odd driving past the wax museum or whatever it was that had speakers blaring spooooky sound effects on my way to the hotel. But I’ve made it safe and sound to the other side of the country, and that’s what counts.
I have to do a bit of travel soon for work, and I’m not looking forward to it.
It’s not that I haven’t been through the routine before: in fact, for a few years I was away from home for work probably three or four months out of the year. It got so that the check in counter attendants at some airports recognized me as I walked up, and “bumped” me into first class…that was nice, if uncommon. I’m not complaining about the travel, at least not really: some people face daily travel as part of their work routine, and I’m very fortunate that I’ve been able to make career choices that have reduced this to the bare minimum for myself.
I live on the Wet Coast- webbed toes are a pre-requisite for living here. So you know that it’s a strange thing when I’m *happy* about the fact that it’s raining.
We’ve had a couple of weeks of strangely cold weather, with an accumulation of snow that has stuck around for well over a week. But the temperature has started to go up a few degrees, and the precipitation is no longer the kind you need to shovel. A couple of days will erase the winter wonderland and restore our normal soggy greenery.
On Thursday Iris woke up with a limp. She was favouring her right front paw, and was acting somewhat depressed. We took her to our friendly vet, Doctor Michelle, who couldn’t find an obvious problem, but suspected a puncture wound hidden somewhere. Dosed with an anti-inflamatory and a prescription of antibiotics, we took the little one home. She perked up, had a big dinner and seemed much happier. I gave her the first dose of antibiotic. Part of the “prescription” was to keep her calm…yeah, right- Iris is a million mile an hour kitten, so slowing her down was about the best we could do.
I admit it…I’m weak. Put a tiny little kitten in my hands, and I toss all reason and logic to the wind. Nimbus came into our lives through Irene’s volunteering at a local pet shelter. And now Iris has joined our catty household due to a visit to our friendly vet…
It’s a little past midnight, so that means it is now officially 2007 here on the Wet Coast. Irene and I got back from Chilliwack about an hour ago, and my wife is already off in dreamland. I’m sitting here in front of my computer with a glass of cognac at hand, pondering the deep imponderables. Actually, I’m just experiencing a mild buzz from the cognac fumes as I upload a handful of photos from Judy and Bryan’s New Years fondue party.