September 30, 2004

September 30, 2004

Ottawa to Kingston, Ontario

DAY 105

 

When we arrived in Ottawa a few days ago, one of the kitchen cupboard doors, behind the dinette slide out, had come open because of a misaligned latch. When I extended the slide outwards, the edge of the slide caught on the cupboard door handle, damaging both the inside edge of the slide out, and the cupboard door. I spent this morning repairing that problem, including removing and repositioning the latch inside the cupboard door. By the time we were hitched up and ready to leave, it was 12:30.

A bit south on Bank Street / Hwy. 31, then a bit west on Regional Road 8 to Hwy. 416. South on Hwy. 416 to Hwy. 401, then west on Hwy.401 to Kingston. We were parked in front of Sep's house by 4:00 P.M.. Since they had treated us to dinner at Mino's last weekend, we decided it was our turn to spring for dinner, especially since Sep and Susanna had to work today and we didn't < snicker >. Yesterday Joanne had bought all the fixings to prepare my sister's Teriyaki beef barbecue recipe, and Caesar salad, and a couple of bottles of nice wine. As soon as we arrived, Joanne began to work on supper.

Digressing a bit, when we stopped for lunch at a road side rest area halfway between Ottawa and Kingston, Joanne reminded me of something funny that had happened there a year ago. At least she can laugh about it, now that the scars have healed. On our very first outing with Harvey and Dee-Dee last fall, we stopped at this same rest area. We took the cats out for a walk, to give them a break from being inside the truck. They were still rookies at travelling. We walked them on their leashes, as we went to the washrooms. Well ... not washrooms really ... pit toilets ... you know, outhouses. I went in the men’s outhouse with Toby. Joanne went into the women’s outhouse with Teddy. The Master of Overreaction ! Joanne picked Teddy up into her arms as she went into the stall, to keep him with her, and out of trouble. As she entered the stall with Teddy in her arms, he took a whiff, and looked down into the toilet pit. MMMMEEEEOOOOWWWWRRRR ! ! ! As he shreds Joanne arms and shirt trying to escape, for fear that she is going to throw him down through the toilet seat into the outhouse pit. Poor Teddy. Dumb as a rock !

So ... when Sep and Susanna arrived home after work, we started in on the appetizers Joanne had prepared, and I began to barbecue supper on the barbecue that Joanne and I gave to Sep and Susanna as a wedding present when they got married a couple of years ago. We ate and drank, and talked and laughed, all evening. Sep is the embodiment of the mantras "live life large" ... and / or ... "go big or go home". Our main reason for returning here was to sell to Sep and Susanna our few remaining possessions that were not sold by the consignment shop in Ottawa. Our rosewood cutlery chest, and the gold plated cutlery set within, were a bit too upscale for the garage sale and flea market crowd, and had even proven a bit too upscale for the consignment shop crowd. Sep wanted to buy them. He travels all over the world on business, and indulges in purchases of exotic liqueurs and cigars. We indulged in plenty of both tonight. I don't think I've been this intoxicated in 20 years. After dinner, Sep and I sat out on his back deck, drinking Black Sambucca, and smoking Romeo Y Juliet cigars from Havana. I’m expecting to have quite a headache tomorrow morning.

DSK