I'm thinking that Toronto has been invaded by the U.K. this spring and summer!! Lynda is always talking about rain in Ireland, now she's been telling me about sunny days and her wash out billowing in the breeze!! Here at home, I think I need webbed feet!! We certainly have had a very wet spring and summer. Humidity? Rare this year, which I'm very thankful for. I've used my a/c at home a few times, but most times I have the windows open and the fans working.

I'm still trying to re-stock my bank account after my trip to Las Vegas. The "cash cow" aka "the car", seems to be using my funds rather freely these days!! Now, why is it that I needed a car, anyhow? Oh yeah, I remember now, so I could work whatever hours I wanted without worrying about how I would get to and from work. Thankfully, my cousin can do most of the work on my car, so it costs me next to nothing. The a/c compressor is gone, but seems I won't need that this summer!!

The backyard at my house was an mess!! Thanks to the landlord using it for a dumping ground for old appliances, last year I didn't get to sit out back at all. This year's different story!! He's actually had his property manager, who happens to live in the basement of this house, clean it up!! What a difference!!

I bought a screened-in gazebo for the yard, so I can sit out there on warm summer nights and not worry about mosquitos. My patio furniture wasn't looking too good either, but I solved that problem. A vinyl tablecloth, some new chairs and it will do for this summer!!

Our girls night dinners seem to be on hold at the moment. My friend Brenda was getting ready to move, Julie has been looking for a job after completing her web design course, and I'm happy to report that she has been successful in her search. My cousin Kim keeps very busy running the taxi company and with her 3 kids. Now that things are settling down, we'll have to make that a priority!!

My friend Brenda finally got moved July 9th and 10th. I went up on the 10th with my friend Bill and we helped clean out the storage space where most of her things were. Long story there, but needless to say, it's a new beginning for her and her kids.

She bought herself a very nice house, about an hour north of the city. It's perfect for her and the kids with a beautifully shaded backyard. She just wanted help getting the stuff there, so we did that, and relaxed for the rest of the day. She had a BBQ for us to say thanks for helping. Needless to say, I didn't leave much Chardonnay in the bottle when I left!! It sure was nice having a designated driver for a change!!

In June my father's side of the family got together for the first time in years. I was supposed to attend, but got overtime at work and decided to go for the money!! Apparently I was missed, and since this is going to be a yearly thing, I'll try to go next year.

My mom's side gets together twice a year. In the summer we all go to my Uncle's cottage, which is about 2 hours northeast of the city. It's a beautiful spot on the lake. At the moment I'm a bit concerned, as that area suffered through heavy flooding on Thursday when a storm system stalled over the area. I'm sure we'll hear all about at the party. My Aunt arrives from California on my birthday, and I haven't seen her since November '98. I'm looking forward to seeing her and spending some time with her.

Tonight I'm off to see Rod Stewart in concert. My friend Brenda and I go whenever he comes to town, although we have missed a few concerts, but not many. I just love his Great American Songbook CD's, and apparently the 2nd half of his show is all that. The first half is his old stuff, which I also happen to enjoy. The weather is beautiful here today, and with this concert being down at Ontario Place, which is on the lake, it should be a nice evening.

Work is keeping me busy as usual. My hours vary each week, as I've taken a liking to doing "Vacation Board". This means I cover off other folks when they are on vacation, and it's a great way to not get bored. Before I had the car, I had to be careful what I signed in terms of hours. Now, it doesn't matter. I do like the luxury of switching each week. Sometimes it is difficult to get weekends off, but most times I can. In August, I've got a mixture of weekends, Sunday/Monday and I took one that has Tuesday/Wednesday/Thursday off. I seem to be getting quite a bit of day work doing this, which isn't exactly my favourite, but it's working for me right now, so I'll stick to it. The night bus crew I like seems to go before it's my turn to sign and I find it very difficult to flip back and forth from nights to days now. If I could get consistent nights, I'd be happy, but I can't, so days it is for now!!

That's about all the news here. Till next time!

Tracey