June was unusually tiring - glad it is July already

June is gone and July is just barely beginning... and I am still working from home. Wendy was able to go back to the hospital most days of the week. It is a reasonably safe area with everybody being screened and masked at the door.

I have been experiencing a long bout of extreme fatigue the last several weeks. It came on suddenly and I seem to only be able function with about 3 hr of nap every day. We are working on various different ways to alleviate it, but nothing seems to be having an effect. I don't think it is really due to isolation or the extreme heat we have been having. Too sudden and a very drastic change all at once. I will be having another scan to check my lungs in mid July. This time will be a simple x-ray prior to my oncologist appointment. Will also do blood tests a week before - hopefully seeing a change in my thyroid hormone levels as well as my overall energy.

I did decide to get out and do something creative the other day. I went on a solo 5 km hike of the Dundas conservation area and took the time to record another YouTube video (see below). I was mostly just playing around with my DJI Osmo Mobile 2 gimbal (which holds my cell phone steady) and seeing how things worked.  Normally an hour long hike, it took me 3 hrs with all the recording and resting. It was a lot of fun, but it was way too hot (38C) by the end of the hike!

July 2nd and the leaves are turning already!

Hermitage ruins along the main loop trail

Yesterday (July 4th) seemed like a big fireworks day in our neighbourhood. I think people were actually celebrating Canada Day, but waited for a Saturday night to have their fun. Maddy was NOT impressed. She was shaking and hiding in corners because of the noise (happens every year). She even crawled away from Wendy to hide and ended up stuck and panting on our end table - she soon realized there was nowhere else to go.

After close to 19 years, I finally gave up my aquarium and fish - just one less thing to worry about each day. We had Adam and his classmate from Canadore College in North Bay work on dismantling and transferring it over to our friends' place just around the corner. The tank and fish are all safely in their new home, with a standing offer to go visit them if I would like!

While Adam was visiting, he and his friend Calvin did a lot of work around the house. Among many other projects, they sealed the driveway and epoxy coated the garage floor.

Of course, the cars needed to be parked on the street overnight. Sure enough, someone broke into our car and stole a bunch of stuff... including my prescription sunglasses and parking cards for the Cancer Centre.

Epoxy coating - done!

Wendy has been baking a few things here and there (muffins, biscuits, etc.) at the same time that I have been doing a lot of baking. We seem to use so much more flour than we used to use (onto our second 10 kg bag since April).

Biscuits

One of the best things I have made in the bread machine were baked Paczki - Polish doughnuts. Normally filled with jam, I used custard. Easy to make and even easier to eat!  I have now made them twice since they are so good. Check out my Recipe page for the details!

Paczki (Polish doughnuts)

Earlier this month we had an ice cream BUS (yes, like a city bus) arrive and park directly in front of our house. This has never happened in 25 years of living here. Of course, we couldn't pass up the opportunity. Here are Parker and Wendy getting ready to order.

For those interested, below is my most recent YouTube video (where I, admittedly, get a little philosophical about things). It is just over 10 min long and describes how my perspective on life has changed as I went from cancer scientist to cancer patient. Click the link to open a separate window or the image to play it on this page.

https://youtu.be/T0JUs-tEoD4

Let's hope July will bring just as many interesting things to post about. The weather may be hot, but we are trying to get out as often as we can.

Our somewhat busy winter

I guess it has been busy over the last several months, although not too many photos to show you.  Check out the captions to see what's been up.

Maddy with a new haircut

All of us visiting family in Toronto

View from niece and her family's condo

No snow for Maddy (March 1)

Lots of snow for Maddy, the very next day (March 2)

Another trip to Toronto for a great niece's birthday party!

Toronto wildlife

A more sedate version of Toronto wildlife

Wendy has been trying to cook more

Museum in North Bay (northern air defence)

At the museum in North Bay

First bloom of the spring - later than normal

Parker's graduation photo

First hike of the season

Maddy on our first hike... she picked up a tick...

New office at work - still under construction

Our mourning dove has come back for another try

So that about sums up the last 4 months. Next on the agenda?  A trip to San Francisco, Maui, Oahu, Hawaii, and Vancouver - all in 3 weeks!

More photos to come!

The last four months

OK, OK!!! I know I haven't posted since July! I have been a little busy being unemployed then being re-employed again. After 18 years, I lost my position at McMaster (due to funding cuts). With all the disruption, the blog just didn't make it to the top of my list.

So, what has been happening recently? Well, here is a quick list of things that have been going on:

• We went on vacation to Atlanta (it was already paid for, so no way to cancel)
• went on a coal-fired steam train trip
• went to the World of Coca Cola (for Wendy)
• went to the Georgia Aquarium
• went Underground zip lining
• went on a Bourbon tour at Buffalo Trace distilleries (and a Ghost Tour)
• I got a part time teaching contract for the McMaster Bachelor of Health Science program
• I got a part time/occasional research technician contract in the Department of Surgery
• Parker learned to drive!
• School started again - grade 11 for Parker, university classes for Eric
• Did some hiking of the Bruce Trail
• Had my car damaged in the grocery store parking lot
• Hockey season started for Parker
• Wendy had the girls from work over for a class in string art

Atlanta trip! 

We took a driving trip down to Atlanta, Georgia for a holiday getaway with our friends Mel and Murray. We rented a rather large vehicle (Ford Expedition) so we would all fit in. Parker got his own row of seats at the back.

Off we go!

Our first overnight stop was in Cass, West Virginia at the Cass Scenic Raiload. The next morning we took a 4 hr trip up and down a mountain on the train to Bald Knob. Beautiful scenery and a great way to travel.

After another overnight stop, we arrived at Atlanta and stayed in a house SW of downtown (a VRBO). It was very hot there, but most of our Atlanta events were indoors. The first day we took in the World of Coca Cola - a museum dedicated to Wendy's favourite drink (on her birthday, no less)! All the Coke products you could drink!

The next day we hit the Georgia Aquarium. This was a fantastic place (I think Murray's favourite), with more to see and do than any other aquarium around.

Back stage tour

Whale shark

Whale shark

We headed to Kentucky for some bourbon... I mean sight-seeing. Of course, we had bourbon with every meal... or maybe it was more than one bourbon with every meal. Hard to remember.

A flight of bourbon, before dinner

Another stop was Underground zip lining! This limestone cavern has been converted to an entertainment area. Fantastic experience and a nice break from the 30C-40C weather. Almost the entire tour was in the dark, sometimes 100's of feet above the soft limestone floors.

Our trip to Buffalo Trace distillery was both informative and tasty. Our second tour of the day (and second bourbon tasting!) was a ghost tour.

Root beer

Those not drinking gave me their samples

The rest of the trip home was mostly driving, although we did do some shopping - and sleeping in. This is Parker in one of the hotel rooms in the morning.

Parker was desperate to go to Krispy Kreme, so we did so just before heading back to Canada.

Near the end of the summer, we replaced the flooring in our back room (bad carpet replaced by somewhat less bad laminate).

Before

After

Parker learned to drive at the end of August!

I don't look stressed... do I?

Parker started grade 11 after labour day.

A few images from our Bruce Trail hike.

My car, scraped on both doors.  About $2100 damage.

Parker's school photo

Parker on the Dundas Sharks

Wendy's string art evening

OK, I promise to post more frequently than once every 4 or 5 months.  Maybe in December...