Happy 2007

Happy New Year, everyone!!

I'm so sorry I haven't posted lately. With all the pre-Christmas rush and getting ready to go to Canada, I just didn't seem to have time! Anyway, I'm here now!

On Friday the 15th of December, we had our company Christmas party at a private members club just off The Strand called Adam Street. It was a lovely place, with fantastic food and an excellent wine cellar. Everyone really enjoyed it. It was a lunch, so when they kicked us out at 5:00 pm, we headed to the Canadian pub in Covent Garden, the Maple Leaf. Then the diehards went to another pub called the Lamb and Flag and the last two of us (accompanied by two friends who had joined the group later) had a late supper at an Italian eatery nearby and headed home. It was a fantastic time!

The following day, the 16th, I volunteered at a charity called Crisis. They house homeless and practically homeless people during the Christmas week (23rd to 30th), giving them a place to stay with clean bedding, hot meals, companionship, and lots of services to help them get on their feel. I was helping to set up the women's center - they have several different centres depending on the person's situation and location. It was lots of fun, and I went back on the 22nd and helped out that day as well. I also did a BBC Radio London interview for them! So I'm almost famous!!

There was a lot of packing and cleaning of the flat (I have some friends looking after it while I'm gone), a Christmas concert at the Royal Albert Hall on Monday the 18th (very nice!) and getting things done at work and ready for a 3-week absence.

So, I'm in Canada now. Had a wonderful Christmas with my parents - very relaxing and nice. Steak and crab legs (trust my parents to be non-traditional!) for dinner. We've been shopping a couple of days and mom and I got pedicures and manicures.

I went to a Roughnecks (lacrosse) exhibition game in Lethbridge on the 30th - it was good fun. I went with my friend, Simon, and a bunch of his friends, and we had a great time! I stayed at Simon's mom's house - she's a lovely British lady and we had a good time chatting about England.

New Year's eve was at A Bar Named Sue. Seriously - the bar is called A Bar Named Sue. As you can imagine, there is a big Johnny Cash fan element to it! I went with my friend, Alanna, and Tim Hus was playing. It was great fun, as Tim is a lot of fun to listen to. He does a lot of truck drivin' songs and Canadiana songs, a bit like Stompin' Tom Connors, but he sounds a lot like Johnny Cash. The bar is quite small and intimate, so a good time was had by all!

And, that brings me pretty much up to date. We had some relatives from Calgary out at mom and dad's yesterday for New Year's Day and mom did a ham, which is my favourite! It was awesome. I will be in Calgary for most of this week, and back in Linden for the weekend before heading out to Toronto next week (the 8th) to see my niece and new nephew (and their parents, of course!). Back in Calgary on Friday the 12th for the Roughneck's home opener and fly back to London on the 13th!

Having a blast, but looking forward to getting home again! Ciao for now!