Dispatches from a happy Hullian

On Saturday, Elizabeth and I got married out in Ormstown, and celebrated with a bunch of family and friends.

Elizabeth has already posted some of her thoughts here, I'll add a few things for now, starting with pictures.
( photos )
The ceremony was intimate and intense: Elizabeth and I both were on the verge of tears while we made our vows. We'd both known Ellie Hummel before we asked her to officiate, and it showed in how she did things. We'd planned on getting married outside under the apple tree, but it was threatening to rain, so we packed everyone into the basement of André's farmhouse, which felt like a tiny church, crypt or castle, with stone walls and metal and painted decorations. It was pretty hot, and very crowded, but it felt right. We did burst out to the yard with the tree for a toast and pictures afterward.

Later on, Owen had picked out a poem involving love and Scrabble for us at the cake-cutting, which was quite appropriate. I'll try and get the author and title. The folks at StatCan Scrabble Club will be impressed.

The day as a whole went really, really fast, and sort of unfolded before us due to all the help and merriness from everyone.

There are a couple of evangelists, with an amplifier, out in front of de l'Eglise metro. We can hear them from up here, in the back of the apartment, with the windows closed.

So, I sign up for e-bills and check the "send me e-mail when bills arrive" option in March. I keep getting enough paper bills to impart a feeling of keeping up, but my phone/Internet bill keeps piling up in my e-bill thing without a single e-mail. Three days before they pull the plug, I call to change some stuff and am informed that they can't do anything until I shovel a heap of money their way.

I pay the CIBC service fees to do stuff like notify me when they recieve e-bills. And maintain branches (they always close the ones close to me soon after I arrive in a neighbourhood). The CIBC can't manage this. I'm switching banks (I'm thinking Desjardins RBC (Desjardins horror stories seem to abound, and there's an RBC right near my place)... any horror stories I should know about?)

In good news, Noisette is back from whatever dimension she was hiding in. Lost cat situation over (for now).

I'm pretty much camped out down here by de l'Eglise with four cute furry mammals, adequately patched Internet and pretty much set up.

Back up the hill, the bugs have been hit with my latest bout of chemical warfare, this time with a thorough swabbing of the floor with bleach solution to kill any eggs 'twixt the floorboards. I fully intend to win this time. They'll now starve for a few days before they get more bleach and another misting of doom. I play to win. Woe to any arthropods who evoke my wrath. Eventually.

Lots of work underway. So much for a break. Still, busy is good at this juncture.

I have a rat on my shoulder and a cat at my feet. So far this is working just fine, with supervision...

This may be my last entry from my current computer — my supervisor's acquired a new laptop and has decided to pass his on to me, and mine is tripping on down to loupdebois sometime in the near future... the "new" machine is actually the same vintage as my current one, but whereas I got the basic model, my supervisor's is the tricked-out one with a somewhat faster chip and much more space.

Went out to the country with rottenfruit Saturday night, arrived very tired to supper with my folks, my sister and her boyfriend (who we hadn't met before). I think we both pretty much approve... almost as soon as my mom was alone with us she had a mini-debriefing session to get our opinions. It's not much of a stretch to presume that way back in March there was a similar debriefing right after Elizabeth and I were on the bus. It was a nice wander out, and a good change of pace. Lots of talking, plenty of rest, some dreamlike moments and even some required reading.

I think that cold that I've been dodging since the beginning of the semester just thwacked me. Buy your tissue futures now. This week'll be a little lighter, but still with a couple of freelance appointments -- and that's only what's arranged ahead. Still, if I'm smart I'll be careful to sleep and eat well.

( due to loupdebois [and thanks to dzuunmod for chopping #8], stuff will happen if you comment )

The little gathering Thursday night was nice... mostly Châteauguay Valley people, but some city dwellers too, and lots of chatting, food, drink and generally kicking around. The place is starting to feel like my own, and is getting quite comfortable. I hope I can stay for a while, and throw the occasional small bash (so all is not lost, ye who missed it and know who you are — I'd still love to have you down, jointly or severally, sometime soon).

I went to Oka Provinvial Park this weekend with Elizabeth. It was a fun, relaxing trip.

We set out Friday afternoon, four thirtyish or so( ... )

Sunday, we bicycled the whole way back through Deux-Montagnes, Laval and bits of Montreal, about 70km, stopping for an Indian feast at Pushap. Saw Elizabeth off at Atwater, made it home, unpacked some stuff, let my folks know I was alive, and then loupdebois turned up for some impromptu beer, snacks and chatting. Went to bed pleasantly tired.

I'm so happy and lucky to be able to share this kind of experience with someone who I love that also gets it. Happy to get away from it all, keep my watch out of sight, live pretty simply and have a big stretch of time to enjoy the fresh air and the company. Didn't think to take many photos, but here are a couple.

( Photos! )

This week, some work, some bike repairs (a couple of front spokes went on the trip as my bike mechanic had predicted -- time to get those fixed before they become a big issue), and then off to Oakville with my folks to celebrate the marriage of my cousin. It should be fun, pretty serious and religious (they're both church youth leader-ish types) but not too serious (this is my family here, and my dad's probably been practising his ukulele extra-hard for next weekend).

I swear, I found her like this.

Here are the highlights of the highlights of today's photo foray. It was a beautiful day.

( Read more... )