Summer Update & the August Long Weekend

I can't believe that I have been blogging for a year now. The time sure has flown and, although I'm haven't been as committed to writing weekly lately, I'm proud that I've been able to keep it up for this long. I'm so grateful to those that come back and read weekly. I hope that you have enjoyed following along and learning about me so far. So, if you're reading this, thanks!

This past month has been pretty hectic. Blake and I have finally gotten into a groove of living together. If I'm being honest, I wasn't very happy the first 2 weeks that he was around. After living alone for 2 years, a person gets used to a certain way of living. I've had to, somewhat, let that mindset go and allow Blake into my personal space. It took a bit, but I think we've arrived at a comfortable place.

So, what else have I been up to? On Tuesday nights, I've begun attending a local gaming event to play Dungeons and Dragons. I've always been interested in playing, but have never gotten around to it. I told myself that I was going to push myself out of my comfort zone this summer, so I attended my first event, alone. Once Blake moved in, he was able to start accompanying me. We know it's super nerdy, but we always have a lot of fun and it's great to meet new people. Since I first went, the weekly event has grown substantially. It has expanded so much that they have had to open up another night. It's a great way to get out of the house and have some fun.

On the August long weekend, Blake had his first weekend shift. Since we only have one car and he needs it for work, I'm left stranded in Peterborough. Luckily, the buses are pretty easy, but I don't usually leave the house anyways. My parents came up for a visit and brought Storm. As you know, I'm very close with my parents, so it's always great when I get to spend time with them. On Saturday, my mom and I went to the Selwyn liquidation centre to browse, while my dad went to Lakefield to get an, unfortunately, terrible haircut. Later, since The Lakefield Animal Welfare Society happens to be very close to the liquidation centre and Blake has been asking for a cat, I went in for a quick peek. We didn't come out with a cat, but they were cute to look at. Afterwards, we went home to have some lunch before my dad and I went out to explore Peterborough. Those that are closest to me know that this year has been difficult for my dad. He's been burdened with severe osteoarthritis in his pelvis that causes debilitating pain. It has been a long year, going through multiple tests, doctors appointments, and treatments trying to figure out the best plan for my dad. Some days are better than others and, thankfully, this was one of those days. My dad and I had a great time walking along George Street in Downtown Peterborough. I took him to Dueling Grounds, which is where Blake and I play Dungeons and Dragons. Then, we walked down to the Silver Bean Cafe where we came upon an Artisan "Market". I'm putting market in quotations because there were only 4 vendors. It was still nice to take my dad there because the Silver Bean overlooks the water. Afterwards, we walked back to check out Knot-A-New Bookstore which is Blake and I's favourite used bookstore to check out...even though I never buy anything from there because I'm a book snob. Once we started heading back to the car, we heard live music being performed and decided to check it out. Apparently, on Saturdays, The Social (a bar in Peterborough) has live music and free classic board games; who knew? Just as we were about to leave, we decided to walk further up George Street and visit some dessert shops. We didn't end up buying anything, but it was still fun to check them out.

The next day, I woke up early and sat outside on our deck. Shortly after, my dad came outside and we had a good morning talking and completing crosswords together. It was a nice moment to share. Afterwards, my parents and I went out for breakfast at Square Plates before spending the rest of our afternoon visiting open houses. Blake and I aren't quite at the stage where we are looking to move, but my dad and I both love going to open houses. I guess it's the nose-y part of us that like seeing inside people's homes and seeing the way others live. The houses went from best to worst, with the last one being occupied by a previous heavy smoker and the house being listed, to put it lightly, as a "fixer-upper". By the time we finished, we were all pretty hungry and hot from being outside all day. We all wanted McFlurries, so off to McDonalds we went. We ended up getting a full lunch, but by the time we finished eating, we weren't hungry enough for ice cream. It was disappointing, but also kind of funny. After our late lunch, we had reached the end of our visit and my parents headed home. It was great to see them, as always!

Blake had the Monday of the long weekend off, so we got to spend a day together, just us. We started off the day with a quiet breakfast before headed off to the gym. The Petsmart is right next to the gym, so, jokingly, I asked Blake if he wanted to go and look at their kitties. Long story short...

...we now have a kitten named Lily. She didn't fit any of the boxes for what I wanted, but Blake fell in love with her and home she came! I DEFINITELY didn't want a kitten, but I have to admit, she's pretty cute ... even when she walks along my keyboard as I'm trying to write about how cute she is. We've had her for little over a week now. She's already met Storm and Gary; and those interactions went as good pretty than we could have expected. She is also awesome in her crate during long car rides down to Whitby. As well, she's finally sleeping (roughly) until 8 a.m. so most nights I'm still able to get 8 hours of sleep, even though, I'm the one that has to get up with her at 8 a.m. every day. Tonight, Blake will be beginning his transition for his first night shift, so we shall see how tonight goes now that she will have a nocturnal buddy.

Anyways, I hope everyone is having a great summer!