Today, I am having one of the singularly most boring days at the ROM in ages. The E.O. has me re-entering addresses into the database, which had originally been entered incorrectly. He told me that often they were mistakes by me, so I gather this is some sort of punishment. They're stupid mistakes - typically dyslexic. However, I've been tracking, and considering I probably enter more new members into the system than anyone else, my errors aren't so much higher in number than a few of the full-timers. Still, yet again, I feel stupid.

So, let me change the topic and write about my wonderful weekend.

I drove out to the Petes on Thursday night after Heretic. I wrote a long note for Nick about how to care for cat and plants while I was away. The following morning, after much finishing up of laundry, I took Bernadette (Mom's car), which has the joy of a tape deck, and headed out. Mom kept Scarlette and took her in for a much needed tune-up. The drive was uneventful, but pleasant, though the wind was fierce. I stopped at Silver Lake, as usual, but rather than the nice picnic I'm used to, I had to sit in the car while it was rocked by the gale force winds. I kid you not when I say there were metre-high waves on the lake.

Arriving in Calumet around dinner time, Jean made me a dinner - she just whipped it up, boom, like that. I talked with her and Mike and got new gossip, and argued about the merits of the Ottawa Senators versus the Toronto Maple Leafs. Then I headed up the Avoca Rd and landed at Kristina's. Derek wasn't back from work yet, so it gave Kris and I lots of time to bond, and time for me to meet Emma - the gurgliest baby ever.

Saturday, I slept rather later than I'd intended, missing out on a social call by Kristina's mom. Derek and I went up to the cottage, which was still boarded up for the winter, in order to check the damage. The deck is in rough shape, half rotten in several places, and the panels beneath the house have given glorious habitat for porcupines. It will be a costly affair to fix, but necessary. The beaver certainly have made a mess of the wood lot, too. We went back down to Jean's where Kris met us and we all talked about repairs and whatnot. Mike and Derek went up to cut the dead top off the oak that grows from the deck, and Jean persuaded us to stay for dinner. No surprise there.

Saturday evening was quiet, with Derek studying, Kris studying Emma, and me reading 'Akira'. Kris fell asleep on the couch with the dog, and Derek found my conversation an excellent diversion from helicopter maintanance. He's a good guy, with good values and high moral standards. Kris could certainly have done a lot worse. I like him a lot.

Sunday, I woke up a good deal earlier than the previous day, and Derek was busy making a Mothers' Day omlette for us - as thick as a quiche and just as delicious ! After lunch, Kris and I went down to the house Anna (her sister) is building. Their mother was there (much hugging and kissing) as well as Anna's two daughters. It was bloody cold, and when the freezing wind wasn't blowing, the black flies were trying to devour our faces. We helped put up the final wall (yay, I can say I helped build Anna's house !), and held it in place while the boys banged it into place. All too soon, though, the bugs and cold were getting to us, so we went back to Kris' for hot chocolate. Yum !

A few minutes later, Kristina offered to let me hold Emma - something I NEVER do. People that know me, know I do. Not. Do. Babies. Well, I made a happy exception this time, and Emma squiggled in my arms for a while and it was wonderful. Sadly, I had to relinquish her in order to hit the road. One more stop at Jean's to say goodbye, then to the Marche du Pont for some alcohol and tasties of the region, some poutine at Jos', and back home to the Petes.

About a forty minutes southwest of Ottawa, I found some die-hard Leafs fans at the side of the highway, dressed in their blue and whites, waving flags and heckling the Ottawa Valley drivers heading toward the Corel Centre. I honked enthusiastically at them, which made them whoop merrily. :)

I spent the day, yesterday, doing some more laundry, mostly to rid my clothes of the masses of pet hair I'd gathered on my trip. I talked about jobs with Mom, and how it's so disheartening to have spent so much money in order to be educated, so as to remain unemployed. It's depressing. And now, back in Toronto, I'm still doing this stupid address correction stuff, and I realise just how much dyslexia can screw a person up. I feel like saying, "I'm not this stupid, really," only no one in here would listen, anyway.

Star Wars soon, though, and that will be much fun. At least it can't possibly suck as much as Ep. I did, right? Too bad the whole gang isn't going to be there, but whatever. I'm still plenty excited.