Toronto — Page 31 — You are in My World Now

Is it really summer? Feels like Spring around here

July 15, 2009 by Tricia

OMG … is it really July 15th already? Normally I wouldn’t question the calendar … but if you were here in Toronto you’d probably be wondering if it were really July too!

It’s definitely been a cooler than normal summer. We’re used to it getting quite hot and humid here in Toronto, but this summer … well it’s more like late Spring. Daily temperatures have only reached 20 to 24 c (68 to 75 F) on average and there’s been a few nights lately were it’s fallen down to 10 c (50 F) at night! Seriously … those aren’t the summer temps I’m used to!

I’m starting to worry about my Tropical plants that I have outside. Maybe I should be taking them in at night when the temps are dropping unusually low.

I mentioned the weather earlier in the month, but heck, I thought it would be warming up by now!

My husband Chris is taking his vacation the last week of July and first week of August. We didn’t plan to go away for a vacation as we don’t really have any spare money … but I swear, the way the weather’s been this summer, if we did have any extra cash I’d seriously look into one of those Orlando vacations. I’d bet with this poor economy that there are some great deals out there. I know that some of the airlines here in Canada have really slashed their prices. Hmmm … maybe we can scrounge up some extra cash? Sigh … no probably not.

How is your summer going so far? Is the weather cooler than normal in your area too?

Summer’s off to a busy start!

July 6, 2009 by Tricia

I’ve been so busy over the last month or more that I’ve barely been posting in my blogs. I think the hectic period is finally over and I can start posting more regularly on my sites. I hope it is anyway.

I guess life just got in the way of things and for the most part that’s a good thing.

My husband and I have spent most of the last four or five weekends keeping busy – working in the garden (mulching, weeding, tidying – works done now), visiting family and doing things around the city like going to Woofstock, going to that big attempt to break the worlds largest guitar ensemble, attending two ribfests and one waterfront festival, a concert and on and on!

Do you find that once the weather starts to get warm and or the snow melts you’re life suddenly gets a lot busier? I’m not complaining, I love getting out and doing things, but I must say my blogs have suffered from my lack of attention!

This Summer feels more like Spring

July 4, 2009 by Tricia

Well I guess it’s summer here in Toronto … if you want to call it that. So far we’ve only had one week of “normal” temps. Otherwise it’s been cooler than normal. Last night it went down to 13 c (55 F)! That’s cold … that’s early spring temps!

It is supposed to warm up by next Thursday … but I hope that once it does get “summer” warm it stays that way. Weird weather!

Anyway … now that it’s supposedly nice out I’m getting outside more and taking the dog for long walks. I’ve been thinking about looking at the various types of ipods so that I can have some music while I walk.

Yeah yeah … I’m behind … don’t even have an iPod or any kind of portable music player. Sad really, isn’t it?

So for those of you who have an iPod already … which one would you recommend? I’m not really interested in one that plays video. If it happens to have that as an extra feature so be it, but I probably wouldn’t use it much. I’m purely interested in an ipod for the music. We also don’t have much spare money so an inexpensive ipod suggestion would be appreciated. Thanks!

Here’s hoping for a warmer summer around here soon! BTW is it cooler than normal in your area too?

The neighbor saga continues!

June 24, 2009 by Tricia

A while ago I wrote about how our new neighbors have been driving me crazy. I think I mentioned that they had purchased a huge boat of a car (a Buick Regal – 30 year old gas guzzler!) and since it was there month to park in our shared driveway, promptly parked their new car in the driveway and left it there.

I think he almost decided to return the car a few days after he bought it because he found out that he’d have to do a lot of paperwork to get a license for the car since it’s not exactly environmentally friendly. Well … about mid-month I guess he got it all figured out and license plates appeared on the car … but still it sat and sat in the driveway.

Blocking the driveway is more like it since it’s wedged between our two houses in our narrow driveway. I can’t even get our garden hose past the car without my husbands help. We have to carefully pass the hose over about five feet of car – being careful not to touch the car since the neighbor is out there washing and polishing it pretty much daily! God forbid if we made a mark on it!

Anyway, I guess he called around and got some insurance quotes because they’ve started driving the gas guzzling car about once a week.

I’m just so frustrated with the huge car blocking off the top of our driveway. They also put their BBQ at the end of the driveway so they end up blocking the end of the driveway too. Argh!

Luckily … we get the use of the driveway in July. He’d better move that darn car! Oh and their young daughter told us that they might be moving in August … If the home owners continue to rent the house I hope we get better neighbors when they move.

Between what they’ve done to the driveway, how they treat their puppy and all the screaming and yelling I keep hearing next store I won’t be sorry to see them go.

Tired after a day at North America’s biggest dog Festival – Woofstock

June 13, 2009 by Tricia

Our dog Midnight had an exciting day today. We took her to Woofstock. It’s billed as North America’s largest festival for dogs and oh boy … were there ever a lot of dogs and dog related items there!

My husband is a little tired, but Midnight (our Lab) and I are positively tuckered!

We walked outside in the warm sun for hours. Looking at every vendors booth, hoping to get a free sample here and there of things that our dog could use. We did get two packages of free dog food, and some promotional tote bags but that’s about it as far as freebies go. We got more freebies last year, but of course we went on the last day of the event last year so I think the vendors were trying to clear out their booths! Hmm maybe we should go again tomorrow at about 5 pm – an hour before closing?

Our dog made out well though. She met lots of other dogs and came home with two mammoth bone, a stuffed bone, a beef knee joint, pigs ears and a few small bags of dog treats as well as two new leashes and a new collar. She’s set for a long while!

Tomorrow we’re going to go to the end of the Luminato festival on the waterfront here in Toronto and next weekend we’re going to an outdoor concert. Toronto has so many great things to do … I’m sure we’ll find something interesting to do pretty much each weekend of the summer. I just hope that I don’t keep coming home from these “events” as tired as I feel tonight!