Did practically nothing today. Slept late, puttered on the computer, didn't do much else. Read for awhile, ate.

The FWiB called, and we talked. And then I went out to my meeting. First wanted to go to the good pizza place across from Macy's, for dinner. But the traffic was unbelievable due to street work on Main Stret. It took forever to get there. I ate my pizza, which was yummy, and then headed for my meeting. Again, it took forever to get there, I was a half an hour late! And not only due to the street work on main, they rerouted part of the trip, which took up time also. Very frustrating.

But the meeting was good, and then I got a ride home so all is well.

Gratitude List:

1. My meetings and the people there.

2. The FWiB.

3. Good pizza.

4. Air conditioning.

5. Vacation days.

6. Good books.

So here's how my vacation went: Pretty good. Got picked up Sunday morning by mashfanficchick and her mother and went to the bus stop (Megabus, so not in the Port Authority like most buses.) The trip was uneventful, and I got there ahead of time. The Kid and SIL picked me up and we went to the famous Anchor bar, home of Buffalo wings. And we had wings which were indeed very good. And we went to the cottage, stopping to shop at Tops on the way.

Monday the contractor came to look things over, and things are not as bad as we had thought. He said the kitchen floor is fine, nothing wrong with it at all. But the porch roof is a big thing that needs fixing. And will be expensive. But we knew that really. We played Yatzee in the evening.

Tuesday we did wineries. Three of them, and we tried a fourth but they didn't open until later. Then went back to the cottage, the kids dropped me off and went out, and I waited with Aunt Helen and Mari S for cousins Diane and Bob to show up, and then had a nice talk with them and cousin Cliff who came by. Then we went out to eat at Gordie Harper's, a local place. The kids joined us there and had dessert with us.

Wednesday was Canada, Niagra-on-the-Lake, the Botanical Gardens and Butterfly Conservatory, and the falls. The butterflys were spectacular as always, and we had a very good time there. By the time we got to the falls, it was late. The kids planned on going to Toronto and leave me to get home on my own (which I wasn't thrilled about, but what can you do?) so rather than spend $22 on a parking lot space they found metered street parking, still expensive at $5 for half an hour. They walked with me part of the way to Table Rock and the brink of the falls, then had to leave to get back to the car. I continued on, ate there, and then walked back slowly to the pedestrian crossing on the Rainbow Bridge. Crossed to the American side, sat outside the Hard Rock Cafe and failed to get an Uber. So I had to take a cab, which was very expensive, never mind how much. Got home safely though.

Thursday since the kids weren't there I spent watching hummingbirds and reading. I brought my Nook along and read stuff I had on that. The kids got back quite late.

Friday we all sat around and did nothing. Aunt Helen came by and we invited her to dinner, The Kid grilled. She had to leave before we really sat down to eat but she got something. Then cousin Sue came by and hung out for awhile and talked. And there was more Yatzee that night.

Saturday was getting ready to go day, but first The kid made pancakes. They took me into Newfane to do the cottage laundry. They caulked the living room roof flashing like the contractor told them t do, with silicone caulking, and started packing up. We finally were ready to leave by 4:30 I think. They drove me to Rochester and I got a bus from there. mashfanficchick and her mother picked me up at the Port Authority, and we went out to a diner, and then brought me back here.

And that was my trip.

Today I slept quite late, then didn't really do anything but unpack, and get something to eat at Dunkin' Donuts The FWiB called, which was lovely. What wasn't o lovely was what I found in my mailbox, a notice of the certified letter waiting at the post office for me. I am very worried about that as good news rarely if ever comes by certified mail. But I can't think what it could be. I will have to pick it up tomorrow.

And now I'm caught up to date with everything.

Gratitude List:

1. The cats and turtle weree OK while i was gone.

2. The FWiB.

3. The Kid and SIL.

4. Family.

5. The cottage wasn't in such bad shape as we feared.

6. Still a week off from work.

We were short staffed, so it was busy, but not too bad. The worst thing was that the air conditioning was, for the first time in quite awhile, far too strong and it was freezing. I had a bad moment when i bcame convinced that I had gotten my bus ticket for the wrong day, but I checked and I didn't.

But I got through it, and got home. The FWiB called, and we talked. We e-mailed too, yay! I will miss talking to him on vacation but the phone reception up there is so bad that the best we can manage will be occasional e-mails.

Did a little more packing, I am now confident that I have everything that doesn't need to be packed just before leaving. Tomorrow I put those last things in, and set up the cats, and then mashfanficchick and her mother are going to pick me up and take me to the bus stop. I love them!

I feel I should say something about Charlottesville. I don't want to. I feel sick and scared about it. I blame that thing that was elected president. I don't want to say anything more.

So anyway, this is goodbye for a week, unless I take my laptop to town and hook up to the wifi in the Village Shops, which I have done in the past on occasion. Be good everyone, and if you can't be good, be careful. ;-)

Gratitude List:

1. The FWiB.

2. mashfanficchick and her mother.

3. Vacation!

4. The Kid.

5. Got my bus ticket right!

6. Oldest Brother will come in and check on the cats.

The plumbers never showed up today! I waited until 2:00 and then gave up and went to work. I left a note on the door with my phone number but they never called, and when I got home tonight the note was untouched. So I assume they never came at all.

What was left of work went OK, and after I left at 7 the FWiB called. Had a nice talk. I called The Kid but just got her voicemail. Wanted to talk to her before she left for the cottage which will be either tomorrow or Saturday. Oh well. E-mailed Lynn S to see if he is interested in dropping by for a visit next week.

Finally got off my duff and found my passport, not that it was missing, I knew where it was, I just needed to dig it out. So now we can go to Canada while we're there. And did the advance packing of my suitcase, everything that I wont need before I leave. Except my shoes, I forgot to put them in so I have to do that. Bjorn kept trying to pack himself in the suitcase.

The one thing I did do this morning while I was fruitlessly waiting for the plumbers was read Penric's Fox. As always with Bujold, a very good read. I miss new Vorkosigian books, but I love her Five Gods stories too.

And that's about all there is to say.

Gratitude List:

1. The FWiB.

2. Found passport.

3. Understanding boss.

4. The plumbers didn't come whole I wasn't here.

5. Lovely weather.

6. Wonderful reading.

First, we got our new Children's person. She's young and seems nice, and lives in College Point, of all places! (Where I lived for years until the marriage broke up and I had to move). We had a small celebration to welcome her, some yummy stuff. I brought orange juice.

The other thing is I had my end of summer celebration today. Oh stop that, I know it's not the end of summer yet! But that's when we do it. So I had a graffiti art program, and gave out goody bags, and all was well though to be honest it was mostly younger kids not teens.

I got a text from mashfanfichick asking did I want to meet them for coffee at Starbucks after work before my meeting, and I said yes. So when i got out of work, the FWiB called and we talked while i waited for the bus and got to 20th ave. They met me there and we went to Starbucks, and had a good time, and then they took me to my meeting.

The meeting was small but good, and then I came home, and that's about all.

Gratitude List:

1. The FWiB.

2. Friends.

3. My meetings and the people there.

4. My celebration is over and went well.

5. New person seems nice.

6. Vacation almost here.

Slept late and then puttered on the computer. Texted mashfanficchick and asked if she was up to anything, we decided to have dinner later.

So for the afternoon I didn't do much, went out for a little snack from Dunkin' Donuts to hold me til dinner, took my laundry down, did a very little work aruound the house.

When I went to meet up with mashfanficchick, the FWiB called so I talked to him on the way. I forgot that there is track work on the E and F trains so that they are only running to 71st street, and there's a shuttle bus from there. So I got on the shuttle bus... and got off at the wrong stop, so I had a long walk to her apartment. We ended up going out for sushi, cause nothing says "night out with a friend" like raw fish on rice.

Then we had desert, which was rolled ice cream, which I believe is originally a Thai treat. They have a refrigerated surface, and the liquid ice cream mix for one serving is poured on it with whatever add-in you pick, and it is mashed and mixed around until it freezes and is spread out flat and scraped up into rolls which are packed neatly in a cup and topped with more delicious things. It's very dense and tasty.

Then I came home and that's all.

Gratitude List:

1. mashfanficchick

2. The FWiB.

3. Sushi.

4. Clean laundry coming.

5. Lovely weather.

6. Got some exercise walking.

And they got what they needed to do, whatever that was, done by a little after 10:30, so I got to work by a little after 11:30, so not too bad.

The rest of the work day was OK. There was a terrible rain storm in the morning before I left, so i brought my umbrella along but by the time I left, it was bright and sunny!

After work I went to Boston Market for dinner as usual. The FWiB called. He has gotten himself back on line with a new e-mail address, so we can e-mail again!

Then went to my meeting, which was good, another step 8 meeting.

The bus home left at the usual time, unlike last week when it was 10 minutes early and I almost missed it.

Betsy e-mailed snidely about the cottage and leaks. The Kid replied to her, I didn't. My stress levels are up again.

Made plans with Oldest Brother to take Middle Brother out tomorrow. We were going to see Valarian but it's not playing anymore so we're going to try for Spiderman instead.

Gratitude List:

1. The FWiB has e-mail again.

2. My meetings and the people there.

3. The Kid.

4. Didn't get involved in the rain.

5. The plumbers were fast.

6. My boss was understanding.

The main thing is that it turns out that the till at work was $21.60 short on Monday. And we can't figure out why. I am worried there may be some repercussions from this. I hope nothing serious.

Aside from that, the main thing about the day was the thunderstorms. They have stopped now, though and the humidity and heat are much better.

After work the FWiB called as usual, and that was good. And in the evening, Carvel with mashfanficchick and her mother, but not Theo, who is home with his family now.

Tomorrow is the manga drawing prgram at work, I hope I get an audience!

Gratitude List:

1. Friends.

2. Missed being out in the worst of the storm.

3. Ice cream.

4. The FWiB.

5. Working late tomorrow so I can sleep late.

6. Air conditioning.

mashfanficchick and her mother have unexpectedly ended up being responsible for Theo for a few more days, so she called me up and asked if I wanted to meet up aftr work and help Theo-wrangle for the evening. Of course I said yes.

So after work (which was quiet again because the phone is still out of order) I headed to them. The FWiB called and we talked on the way.

We met at Starbucks, and then went to Uno, and my Theo-wrangling help was not needed because he fell asleep in the car.

So a nice evening though slightly late.

One political comment: Can't believe that Scaramucie (however you spell it) is out already. Couldn't have happened to a better guy! Confusion to the enemy!

Gratitude List:

1. Friends.

2. Pizza.

3. The FWiB.

4. Quiet day at work.

5. Confusion to the enemy.

6. Bed soon.

Very quiet, particularly since the phone is out of order. Our workers say it's Verizon's fault, Verizon says it's ours. Hopefully it'll be fixed soon. But in the meantime, very quiet and erlaxing day.

After work the FWiB called, he had a successful excursion yesterday, though it left him very very tired.

mashfanficchick called, it was a special at Buffalo Wild Wings and did I want to join them, with Theo? Of course. So they picked me up and we joined Mandy and her boyfriend Evan there.

A quick stop afterward in Target, and then home. I didn't sleep well last night so I'm looking forward to bed soon.

And that's about all.

Gratitude List:

1. Friends.

2. Specials.

3. The FWiB.

4. Sleeping late tomorrow.

5. Cooler weather.

6. Didn't rain.