Today and the weeks past

Today was our tenth wedding anniversary. The weather here in Halifax not unlike the weather in Vancouver 10 years ago. It was wet, windy and cool. We started off the day with coffee courtesy of my friend Jesse, who had sent us some Guatemala SHB from Vancouver. Thanks Jesse! You have excellent timing. There was a phone call from my folks, which turned into a teleconference on Skype (yes, I finally unpacked my old computer and got it up and running). A trip to Walmart, window washing, dinner, house cleaning, and laundry. Not exactly romantic stuff I suppose, but we got to spend the day together.

A lot has happened in the weeks since my last post. I probably won't remember everything, but I will attempt to summarize the important bits.

1. I have started working at The Smiling Goat, a small cafe across from the Public Gardens downtown. So far it's just half days twice a week, but those hours will increase later.
2. We spent a week painting the house and getting it cleaned before we moved in.
3. We moved into our new house on 16 May. We're mostly unpacked, although there are a few boxes to go, mostly books and CDs. For those of you who are thinking of visiting, the guest room is all setup.
4. I discovered that our espresso machine had not survived the journey across the country. I suspect there was water left in the two heat exchangers, and that water must have frozen at some point, causing the boiler to rupture. Hoping to get it welded back eventually. Fingers crossed. For now we're using the french press.
5. About nine days after we moved in, Patty left for Regina and Ottawa. This left me, Nate and Snoopy bouncing around in a huge house, an odd experience that will probably take some getting used to. During this time, I spent a lot of time watching Flight of The Conchords. So much so that I found myself speaking with a kiwi accent.
6. While Patty was away, I took Nate for his first dental checkup. To my amazement, he did not throw a fit. Instead he was the complete opposite. He listened and did as he was told, he asked questions, he joked and shook hands with the dental hygienist and dentist. I was so proud of him! And to top it all off, no cavities!
7. My brother completed his tour of Afghanistan and made it back to Singapore safe and sound.

There's probably more, but I can't think of what it might be right now.

Come Wednesday, we'll be getting on a plane and flying to Singapore. I would be lying if I told you I was looking forward to this flight. It will take us some 30 hours of travelling to get from here to Singapore. The longest flight Nate has ever been on was from Vancouver to Halifax, 8.5 hours that seemed too long for him and me! People have suggested we drug him for the trip, but I think it'll work out better if I drug myself.

I hope to be updating this from Singapore, so stay tuned.