Isabelle

Bruce is on his way back to Tacoma today. It seemed much more bearable when he was in North Bay because he was close enough that we could drive to see each other, and in the same time zone, not to mention the same country..... It was also really nice because we had long chats on the phone every night :) That is something we don't do very often when he is in Tacoma, mostly due to the time difference and our work schedules. In less than 2 months none of that will be an issue. I cannot wait to move. I am sooooooo excited to start "our life" together. We will be going from 3000 miles apart to living in the same house!!! I am so happy we are skipping the months of long distance dating between Ottawa and North Bay.

:)

Pub Italia

Last night two of my coworkers and I went out for a couple of beers at Pub Italia. All 3 of the beers pictured here were fantastic (2 were raspberry, 1 was strawberry- all VERY different....) I had a raspberry belgium beer that tasted like fruity sparkling champagne. We walked over from my place and hung out for a couple of hours.... They have a "beer bible" with over 200 kinds of beer. It is very impressive. They also have ~36 beers on tap. And the atmosphere is very nice.

tip toe through the tulips

I have given my notice to my landlord (he then asks me if I could put an ad on the internet for him. I said sure!)

I always said "I am not leaving my job until I get my 5 years of service plaque"..... well I get it in June!!! talk about timing. I will have been at the shelter 6.5 years by the time I leave (there is a bit of a delay in getting the award...)

I get a 3.25% raise (back paid to April 1st) which I am quite happy about.

I am so excited to be moving. I am excited to start my new life. To see Bruce every single day. I am ecstatic beyond words. I love him MORE every single day. He really is very very sweet. The next time I see him will be moving day. I have smiled every day since mid January, without fail. A coworker said "you are the happiest person I know. It makes me sick."

The Tulip Festival donated some of the tulips to our shelter. Sue and I spent quite a bit of time cutting the bulbs and organizing a way to dry them out so we can plant them in the fall and make our shelter pretty next year. Also I got to keep some, which I will plant in our yard in North Bay and they will remind me of the shelter, and Ottawa, and Sue.

moving.......

After much discussion we have finally decided on a moving date. July 26-27th. I am soooo excited. but a little overwhelmed. The next time I see Bruce I will be moving into "our house" in North Bay.

Since yesterday I have....
cancelled my cable (all of it).
started taking birth control pills.
quit smoking.

free sunsets!

heart shaped jaccuzi tub

I LOVE this!!!!

our little walk through the woods across from the Inn

the view from outside our hotel room

I loved falling alseep every night next to the fire


a wonderfully fun & relaxing week

I miss him already

It was so hard to leave

North Bay

Our second "date" involved buying a house and staying at an Inn that overlooked a lake (that also had a fireplace in the bedroom and a jaccuzi tub for two ). Bruce taught me how to play chess and already I am addicted. Our second date was even better than our first.... I am even more in love with him.

OMG I adore this man!

I love being with him.

talking to him.

sweet, sweet love of my life.

I cannot wait to move to North Bay and be with him......

Our House

"sold" :)
side split, 3 level, single family home

huge yard, walk to the beach

1.5 bathrooms

~1700 square feet

big yard

with birch trees!

back deck- off the rec room

front deck off the living room

more birch trees

spacious kitchen

glossy hardwood floors

3rd level- 3 bathrooms

master bedroom with french doors overlooking the backyard



kitchen

the most gorgeous bathroom in the world

rec room

fireplace!

the large window with the trees is the first thing you see when you walk into the house!

big dream

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NHkwdPwLevQ

I feel intoxicated by the overwhelming love I feel.
I leave for North Bay Monday to spend a week with Bruce.

I cannot wait.
There is nothing in the world I want more than to be with him :)

I am an aquafit junkie :)

my "new" $5.00 maryjane shoes :)

In the past week I have gone to aquafit SIX times!!

and on the weekend I walked almost 15km. I walked to Westboro and back and I walked to Holland and Wellington and back :) two days of lots of walking.

I am going to North Bay next Monday.... in 6 days. I will be there for a week with Bruce :) I CANNOT wait to see him again.

a moment of complete clarity!

I spent 20 years looking for my soulmate. I never found him. When I finally stopped looking and found real inner peace and happiness.... he walked into my life. People always say it happens when you are not looking. And that that you "just know". And that is EXACLTY how it happened. Blindsided. and I JUST KNEW.

He is sweet, gorgeous, sexy, kind, funny, honest, loving, affectionate, trusting, gentle, fun, smart. He is everything I have ever wanted and more. He has qualities that I love because they are so much like me. And he has qualities I wish I had. We are similar, different, and very complimentary. I feel so lucky and grateful to have him in my life. He makes me smile every single day.

It is magical and wonderful. I love him more than I have ever loved another person. I look forward to every minute that I will get to spend with him. I look forward to every conversation.

I look forward to everything.

Oneday I will marry him. And that day will be the very best day of my life :) The day I get to marry my very best friend. the love of my life. I never knew I could feel this way about another person. I never knew I could feel this good.

I get to see him again in TWO WEEKS......

I want to wrap my arms around him and NEVER let go. I *wish* that were possible :)

How Cute Am I?

Mick

I spent a week trying to save this cat. Yesterday my supervisor decided to euthanize him. Last night I sobbed for 2 hours. I am angry. and upset...... for so many reasons.

the hardest part was saying goodbye to him yesterday. and then working all day, trying not to think about it.

Some days I hate my job.

21

I am going to see this movie tonight. with Tim and Jodie. I used to go see Matinees with Sue on a fairly regular basis but haven't been in months. Looks like a good movie.

UPDATE: this movie was fantastic!!!!

IKEA

I bought new (much needed!!!) dishes!!!

my new dishes are a mix of this (the white with black flowers) and this (black stoneware). I love being able to mix and match my dishes. the dishes look so pretty together! I cannot wait to buy more..... a few at a time.

Next I would like to buy a few of these:

La Favorita!

Jodie and I decided that we are going to try a new restaurant on Preston St (in Little Italy) every two weeks. This was our first. It was so warm out that we decided to eat outside!!

Jodie

moi!

I am really enjoying spending so much time with Jodie. It is nice to have someone to hang out with who likes doing the things that I like: shopping, baking, aquafit, crafts, walking... She has a bike now so we can start biking to Westboro beach and have picnics. It makes being in a long distance relationship easier.... all the things I would want to do with Bruce I instead do with Jodie :) Of course I do miss the intimacy and affection that I would get from Bruce (very very much), but at least I am busy so I don't have a whole lot of time to dwell on that fact. In June Jodie and I are going whitewater rafting!! FUN. I went many years ago and loved it.

My sister was here for a "sleepover" last night. We had dinner, wine, watched "Atonement" (which I loved), and had some great conversation. We also went out to Orleans to visit with my brother and his gf. I am SO HAPPY my treadmill is gone to its new happy home (with my sister). Also we drove some empty cages I had stored ontop of the treadmill back to the shelter (I had them for my foster kittens and no longer need them)- so now I have this giant uncluttered space at my front door and I LOVE IT.

Today Jodie and I went to aquafit, then walked 4km to do a little shopping. I came home and watched a movie.

I am thinking I will put my cable on "hiatus" for a while. Although I love having the movie channels, I really am not watch regular TV at all and haven't in a couple of months so it seems like a waste of money.

I am so happy I have a 3 day weekend. and that the weather is so gorgeous. My apt is clean, I have all of my errands done, so tomorrow I think I will tackle some mail that I need to send and go to aquafit, and perhaps take a walk down by the canal. I am only about a 10 min walk to the canal :)

formerly known as the "Plant Bath"

This is where I spend most of my free time!

two sides of the pool area are just windows-

this area has nice couches for people to sit and watch or wait

There is a semi olympic pool, a leisure pool, a whirlpool, and a steam room in the pool area

I love this place. It has a very warm feel. It is all new and state of the art.

I am planning to go to aquafit 6 times this week :)

That will be 5 hours of water aerobics...and about one hour in the steam room!

uncluttered

I spent 6 hours yesterday rearranging, organizing, and cleaning my apartment yesterday. What I would really like next are: a new soft chocolate colored throw/blanket , a chocolate area rug for the kitchen, and a new set of dishes. I donated two large boxes of "stuff" this morning (I love places that will pick up donations!!!)

Last night's aquafit was so challenging!!!! I plan to go every day except Wednesday this week. Summer is around the corner and I have to step it up a bit. I am also going to blow up my excercise ball and start doing core workouts at home :) plus yoga here and there....

I am looking forward to aquafit so that I can excercise all of my work related frustrations out.

I miss Bruce... I would give anything to be able to come home from work and hug him :)