For Christmas last year, Scott won the Awesome Husband Award. He got me tickets to see the NKOTB Mixtape Tour. Touring along with the New Kids was Tiffany, Debbie Gibson, Salt-N-Pepa and Naughty by Nature. The concert was in May over the Memorial Day weekend.

We stayed at the Bellagio and it was all I imagined it would be. I have wanted to stay there ever since my first trip 7 years ago. Probably even before that. Haha. On my first trip I stayed at Paris overlooking the Bellagio so it was only fitting to do the opposite this time around.

We flew in on Friday and had reservations that night for dinner at Gordon Ramsay’s Hell’s Kitchen. Dinner was fantastic. We had a window table and had a lot of fun people watching while we ate.

The food was delicious. Although, the main star of my meal was the side dish. That was the best macaroni and cheese EVER! I wished it was the only thing I got so I could eat it all. Sadly, I could only sample it because there was so much.

After dinner we hit the casinos because Vegas. We were pretty lucky all weekend on that front and actually came out ahead of the game when we left. Yay for us! Saturday night was the concert at Mandalay Bay. Here are some blurry concert photos for you squint at.

It was a great concert! Even better than I was expecting and believe me my expectations were pretty high. Even Scott said it was entertaining even though he isn’t really a fan. I loved how they mixed up the sets so that you would see all the acts multiple times throughout the whole concert instead of the usual concert flow of one after another then the headliner.

It was such a great weekend I can’t fit it all into one post. So you and I can look forward to this continuing into Part 2 soon!

Truth be told, until last week I didn’t really have any interest in lighthouses. Not to say I didn’t like them, I just hadn’t really ever given it any thought. If I had really thought about it, I would have known that they would hold a special place in heart. After all, they are the situated perfectly beside my very favourite thing ever. Water. I love water in all its various forms. I am not picky. I will take it any way I can. Whether it be oceans, lakes, rivers, streams, pools, hot tubs, bath tubs it just soothes my soul. There is nothing quite like the sound of crashing waves.

This trip has inspired me to seek out more lighthouses and the shores they are protecting. There are quite a few here on the West Coast that look like they are worth checking out. I am sure they all are. I know because I totally just googled it. Although they are a lot closer than the Maritime variety, they are still a good road trip/ferry rides away. I know I am up for it and I am sure it won’t taking any convincing to get Scott to go. Just where to fit it into my dance card.

The surrounding fishing village at Peggy’s Cove is so picturesque. I love the weather worn contrast with all the bright colours.

This building makes my heart sing. Oh the purple of it all. And the chairs. Yes, to all of it. I have never seen so many coloured Adirondack chairs as I did this trip. Most of them were red which I found quite fitting.

The only thing we saw more of was Tim Hortons. Seriously, we could not believe how many Timmy’s we came across. I know it is truly a Canadian staple and don’t get me wrong we definitely have a lot of them here in B.C. but this was on another level altogether. Seeing a Starbucks was like finding a unicorn in a sea of Timbits. That just isn’t the case here. I guess we are all just a bunch of yuppies on the West Coast.

I could have in this quaint little place a lot longer but we were soon off too the big city from here. Next stop Halifax, Nova Scotia.

Hurricane Dorian hit Atlantic Canada overnight on Saturday, September 7th, 2019. I will never forget this because being from the west coast of Canada, it should not personally affected me. It just so happens we had flown into New Brunswick the day before for a wedding. I have to say I am not a nervous flier at all but flying into somewhere that is about to get hit by a hurricane is a whole other thing.

I am sure the bride and groom with never forget it either. Maybe I will do a post about it later, if they don’t mind. Jokes went around that their first child should be named Dorian. Despite the down-pouring rain, raging wind and flickering power, it was a beautiful wedding. The reception was cut a bit short to make sure everyone could get home safe, understandably. The happy couple were to fly out the next day for their honeymoon, Walt Disney World! Yes, I was a little green with envy. Despite the uncertainty of what was coming everyone was happy and hopeful for them.

The drive back from Hopewell Rocks to Moncton was about 40 minutes along dark country backroads. It was a little nerve wracking but we made it back to the hotel safe. The hotel had set up sandbags all around the doors to try to keep the water out of the hotel. Which must of been an uphill battle since the whole parking lot and back entrance to the hotel was on a downslope.

Once safe back at the hotel we snuggled in and watched the storm and HGTV from the safety of our comfy bed. It was a topic of debate as to whether the carpet by the air conditioner under the window was wet from the AC unit itself or a product of the storm. It will remain a mystery. Although, I do have my suspicions about that shady storm. We woke the next day to a partly sunny/cloudy day and relief. As we were leaving the hotel, we talked to a couple that had been upgraded to the penthouse suite only to have the roof collapse in during the storm. They were fine but that turned out to be an unlucky upgrade.

We got in our rental car and headed from Moncton, New Brunswick to Halifax, Nova Scotia. The drive was incredible. Although we saw so many breathtaking views and historic sites, I think this lag of the trip was my favourite. It was unbelievable to see the way the storm had affected each place we passed through. We saw so much in the aftermath of Dorian, from the massive flooding and power outages and the incredible force of the wind that uprooted small or massive trees alike and took off roofs with ease.

I didn’t take many photos of the destruction we saw. Somehow it didn’t feel right to do so. I didn’t want to feel like I was exploiting someone else’s misfortune. I did however get a few snaps of a public park in Oxford, N.S. that was flooded. Most of the town was without power. Seems a tragedy for a town already famous for its sinkhole.

Along the way we stopped at the Swiss Air 111 Memorial site. I took a lot of pictures here. The site was beautiful as was the memorial itself. At the time I took them I didn’t realize I would blogging and most of them are vertical so they don’t upload properly to WP. I will have to figure that one out soon. Although, if I had brought my big girl camera that would not of been an issue. Live and learn.

And then there was Peggy’s Cove off in the distance but that is a story for another day.

I have been itching to get back to this space of mine for a long time now. I have been slowly working on a come back. A new blog design goes a long way to help edge along the motivation. Apparently, so do 2 glasses of wine in an Irish pub in Halifax because here I am back in my hotel room typing away. I’ve been gone so long WordPress has changed. I must say I am digging it so far, a whole paragraph in. We will see if the love continues.

We have been doing quite a bit of travelling this year and have more planned to come still. I have so much to share already. I have been sharing mostly through my Insta stories. Which has given me a bit of a vlogging itch. I have been saying that for years though. Maybe one day I will get the gumption up to actually do it. For now, I know that now is the time to come back here.

I have always wanted to visit the Atlantic provinces of Canada. Scott and I finally got the opportunity to make it a reality this year because we were invited to a friend’s wedding. We decided to fly in for a week, rent a car and see as much as we could in that short amount of time. We have been here two days and I am already raving about it. Clearly, since I am loving it so much I am actually blogging! I have already taken so many photos and videos. It is crazy. Especially since I made a really stupid last minute decision not to bring my big girl camera and now I just have my iPhone. I told Scott I am buying a new camera tomorrow as a joke. Or is it? Ha. Ha.

I am planning to do a blog post for each lag of this trip. I think that is the best way to break up the content. I just thought I would use this post as a jumping off point for this series. You can expect posts to come from today’s journey from Moncton to Halifax which included such attractions as the Swissair Flight 111 Memorial and iconic Peggy’s Cove. Tomorrow we are headed to the Halifax Citadel. We also plan stops in Sydney and Cape Breton, NS. We will be heading to P.E.I then back to New Brunswick to St. John’s and Fredericton.

It seems strange to me to be talking about future events because I have always blogged after the fact. I am sure that is how it is always done but I don’t care. I believe blogging should come from the heart and this is the direction it is taking me in right now and I am going with the flow. Hope you enjoy reading as much as I do writing again!

Step 2 || Don’t freak out. Yes, it has been a year and half since you last posted. Wow, that’s sad and embarrassing. You will be fine. This is something you love and miss. It is ok to come back to it on your own terms. Even if those terms have changed.

Step 3 || Blog when you want to. When you have the time and energy. Blog for you. You don’t have to Blog full-time. Remember that. There doesn’t have to be deadlines and pressure and that jazz.

Step 4 || Write whatever you want. Don’t worry about it. Close your eyes and type. This is for you because you need it. Not to please anyone else or any specific ideal.

Step 5 || Let it bring you joy. It doesn’t have to stressful. Step away when it is. Remember that.

Smile and laugh because now you have Step by Step stuck in your head and now you have to listen to it. And according to this logic there can only be 5 steps.

Cheers, till next time.

T.G.I.F. everyone! It has been a long week. I am so happy to have this weekend almost upon us.  I didn’t really do a lot this week except work and watch Downton Abbey on Netflix. I have been watching it through again with my MIL as she had never seen it before. We are on the final series now. I will be sad when we have finished it. Today’s post is going to be short and sweet just like this sunflower.

This week I found beauty in an unexpected place. There is a little cafe down the street from my work called The Bellevue Cafe. I have never really paid much attention to before. I ended up stumbling in looking for some lunch because I decided to wing it instead of bring one yesterday. The place is really cool inside. They have these fabulous little sunflowers on all the tables. It was like a ray of sunshine. I don’t even care that it wasn’t real. It put a smile on my face when I needed one.

I would love to go back. Maybe even when I have more time to really take in the atmosphere. I could totally see sitting there with a nice cup of coffee for a blogging session. I haven’t done that in forever. Maybe I will try it again soon.

To my dear Be-ta aka Tarbender aka Porkchop aka TKat,

I am writing to you to let you know how much you mean to me.  I love you, I really do. You are an inspiration to me in so many ways.

I love your compassion, it seems endless.  Whether it be for animals, people or the planet. Even though, I know sometimes it makes you feel silly or sad. Remember the time you cried during that Ensure commercial?

I love that you like to take pleasure in the small things, reading a great book, watching a favourite movie for the gazillionth time, 2 hour soaks in the tub or a slice of cheese

I love that you think the cure for almost everything can found in either in a coffee cup, wine glass or a trip to Disneyland.

I love that you take the greatest joy from seeing other people smile.  You’ll go out of your way to make it happen.

I love that you are always trying to find a way to do something special for someone else.

I love that you think singing and dancing in the living room, the car or walking down the street is still a performance art.  If anyone saw you they should feel lucky they didn’t have to buy a ticket.  It really is quite the show.

I love your spontaneous side, your sense of adventure and your willingness to try new things. The latter is something you weren’t always comfortable with and I am glad that you are overcoming that.

I love that no matter how grown up and responsible life requires you to be, you are still a child at heart.

I love that your favourite movie night will always be a Disney marathon, sing-a-long style.

I love that you love your stuffed animals the same way you did when you were five because everything you see in Toy Story is true, right?

I love that your favourite time of year is Christmas because you still believe.

I love your nose. It may be the family nose but you make it cute as a button!

Love always,

Tabby Cat

P.S. Never let “anyone” know that nickname doesn’t bother you.

We docked in Montego Bay and we booked a shore excursion through Carnival to go to the Good Hope Estate. It was about an hour bus ride from the cruise ship terminal to the estate. From the research we had done it seemed like there was quite a bit to see and do there. There was a great house to explore, zip lining, ATV’s, lazy river, pool, aviary, and a rum tasting. It seemed like a good deal and there would be something for everyone.

The rum tasting room/hut was really cool to see but there never seemed to be anyone there to do any tastings with. Scott and I were planning on going checking out the great house while the others in our group were zip lining and taking out the ATV’s. It turned out when we got there that we weren’t able to do that and we ended up spending the afternoon by the pool. Which was good but still a little disappointing.

This challenge course was pretty high off the ground and my nephew totally rocked it. Too scary for my blood. Give me a Hellevator type ride any day and I am on it. Walking on strings and stuff in the sky? I will leave that to the brave kids.

We made a new friend. Isn’t he the cutest? Too bad he had fleas or I might have tried to stick him in my bag.

We had a couple of drinks included in our excursion. Apparently, they decided to love our bus load so much that they sent us away with some road drinks.

It was super incredible how green, lush and beautiful Jamaica is. We had a good time but it wasn’t a favourite port of call . We even got to see a drug deal in the middle of the road on the way back. Bonus points? Although I do believe, that we probably wouldn’t choose to come back to this port again. I would love to see more of Jamaica but I think next time we’ll hit up Ohco Rios.

Last year I posted this fall bucket list. I didn’t get around to doing most of the things on it. I had just started a new job. I was adjusting to the new schedule and all that jazz. I just didn’t have the time or energy to make it happen. I decided I am going to get it done this year. They are all super easy and fun things to do. I’m even going to give myself a head start and put it up now even though it isn’t technically fall quite yet.

I as far as I’m concerned, it is perfectly fine because I have already had 2 Pumpkin Spice Lattes. Gasp. Wink. Wink. If Starbucks can bring it out this early so can I.

I think I am going to be super basic and make a fall wreath for my craft. I don’t have one and I have been meaning to do it for a few years now. Is that cheating? I think it might be. I may have to think of a second craft. Any suggestions?

I feel like watch a scary movie could be a whole other list. I have so many fall or more accurately Halloween type movies I always plan to watch. I don’t usually get to many of them. I never skip on Hocus Locus or It’s the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown. Can’t miss classics. Do you like to watch scary movies this time of year? What are your favourites?

What is on your fall bucket list?

On Friday after work Scott made some amazing quesadillas and I drank this delicious wine. We attempted to watch Allied because I have been on a Brad Pitt kick lately. Unfortunately, as I suspected might happen I was bored. When I say I am on a Brad Pitt kick, I mean 90’s like Legends of the Fall,  Interview with the Vampire, Meet Joe Black, old school Brad. Sometimes, I feel so old. I haven’t really liked anything he’s done since Moneyball. Sorry buddy, just not my type of movies. We ended up switching to ER Season 1 because clearly I love all things 90’s. Doug Ross and young Dr. Carter get all the heart eyes from me. On Saturday I ate this amazing breakfast on my balcony. It really does pay to be married to a chef. Or ex-chef, as he would say. I kind of feel like once a chef always a chef. haha.

I also did a happy dance because it finally rained after forever and ever of no rain. I was hoping for a downpour but no luck. I’ll take anything we can get. I’m so ready for this Smokanagan season to be done with. No more fires. Please. I did some chores as Saturday mornings aren’t complete without them. And coffee. I say some because I must admit it wasn’t my best effort. I did a lot more procrastinating than actually getting shit done. C’est la vie. As a reward for my efforts because all that matters is that I tried I had this wine with dinner.

Then headed to the theatre to watch the movie It. I was a little nervous about going. I hadn’t seen the original movie or read the book. Lots of people were saying it was scary. I never go to the theatre to watch scary movies. I like them but I often get too scared. I like to be able to get up and leave if I change my mind. You can’t do that at the theatre. If I am going to watch a scary movie, I prefer psychological thrillers and don’t like gore at all. I actually ended up really enjoying it. Honestly, I didn’t really find it scary. There were parts that were definitely creepy but it was also pretty funny. Two thumbs up. It even made me curious enough that I have to read the book now.

On Sunday I waited. Impatiently. Counting down the minutes to the Outlander Season 3 Premiere. It has been a loooooonnnngggg wait but #Droughtlander is finally over! Of course, I also had to watch the season 2 finale. I passed the time during the day puttering around the house, blogging and playing with my big girl camera. Something I haven’t done in quite a while.

I also did a little online shopping. What can I say I am a sucker for an Air Miles promotion. I had a few different things in mind but I ended up going with these reading socks from Indigo. I can’t wait to be snuggled up on the couch in front of a fake tv fireplace reading a new or old favourite book.

I also got a couple of e-books to go along with those socks. Next on my to-read list are Into the Water by Paula Hawkins and Prince Lestat by Anne Rice. I loved The Girl on the Train and so I am excited about Paula’s new book. It has been a hot minute or a couple of decades since I have read an Anne Rice novel but keeping with my I love the 90’s theme I thought I would hit up The Vampire Chronicles again. It is hard to believe she is still writing them. I thought it was the newest one and apparently it isn’t. I also was surprised to learn there are 12 of them since I have only read 6. I may have some catching up to do. While writing this post I discovered that a tv show is in the works as well. Since The Vampire Diaries has ended, I think I may have room for this in my life. So hurry up and get it done, if it is really happening.

Of course, I also spent a good chunk of the weekend glued to #Irma updates, crossing my fingers and toes and praying for the safety of loved ones and strangers alike.

And that’s a wrap on another weekend.