Well I decided to relax a bit and catch up on email, etc. Yesterday was all right but did not go quite as I had planned. Breakfast here is hectic as the Algonquin residence is full of the likes of us walkers, teenagers on band trips, etc. plus families. They serve continental breakfast but it involves a lengthy wait. I usually opt for coffee and a bagel, bring it up here and add a banana. Yesterday morning was my last board meeting...:) Afterwards a few of us on the board went for lunch. By the time we left the restaurant I wasn't sure what I should do...I registered for a 5 km walk downtown but on the way to the bus stop I turned around as I realized I would be rushed. I hate being rushed! So I wandered over to the shopping centre and went into Bath and Body Works again as they had given me a coupon...sigh...of course in my bag I had another coupon but I shall resist....what can I say I love that stuff. I looked in the New Balance store but couldn't find anything to use my 20% coupon on. I have quite enough socks, I just got new shoes and the less said about the t-shirts the better...oh well. I hope to hit Mountain Equipment Co-op while in Ottawa. I felt badly though as probably should not have gone for a big lunch when I hadn't walked - I was really beating myself up about it...I did have a good lunch though. It was beef, melted cheese, grilled onions, peppers and mushrooms on top of a a small calzone with a side caesar salad. Oops just had to wipe the side of my mouth from the drool - it was good!
We attended the meet and greet last night - we sat at a table outside which was nice but it wasn't big enough for the people we wanted to have with us. They served bbq burgers, chips and pop - supplemented of course by a trip to the cash bar. It was fun to see walkers I knew across Canada. We had an early night so Eilleen and I came back here and had a yack over wine coolers and chips.
This morning after brekky it was time for the Presidents Walk - I opted for a 10 km walk this time rather than my usual 5 km- the first time in years. The walk was pretty good - the best part was through the forest...nice and cool and the smell is heavenly. It was getting hot though...the wait to get our books stamped was long but worth it - we walking geeks have to get our books stamped. Back to the room where I had the most wonderful salad I had purchased at Loblaws yesterday - spinach salad with fresh strawberries, goat cheese, almonds and mandarins. With a raspberry vinagerette. With a cheese bun - well you didn't expect me to be perfectly good did you.
Off to the AGM at 1 p.m. where a new president was elected - the current vice-president is now president. Go Ethel! No one to take my place yet. I enjoyed my four year term on the Board of Directors but am glad to be back to just being VP of my local club. (all 7 of us!) I came back to rest a bit then back for a workshop by New Balance but they moved it to the store and just did not feel like walking over there in my birkenstocks so here I am. Eilleen can tell me all about it. Oh it was fun to see Nancy from Hay River at the AGM - we sat beside each other but sadly she won't be at the banquet tonight or walking tomorrow.
Tonight is the banquet - I plan to have a couple of drinkie poos to celebrate being free....free at last! But can't be too bad as we have a walk tomorrow at 9 a.m. and it's gonna be a beauty - by the tulip beds at Dow Lake. I plan to do a 10km. We will be getting a bus there. I've taken very few photos since I've been here but I think by this time tomorrow I will be telling a different story. Depending on the weather I may do a 5 km in the afternoon although I have heard that it's going to be a hot one - it was very warm today. The weather has been glorious with gorgeous blue skies.
Lots of walkers here - over 400.. Interesting to overhear comments from people on the dorms. These are college dorms. We have a bedroom each with a kitchen and bathroom - they are basic but hey I only have to share a bathroom with one person and I have internet in my room. The Air conditioning works so well that I had to get up and turn it down last night as I was so cold I could not sleep. Anyway one guy was bitching on the elevator on the rough towels and how they didn't change them today....duh....everyone pitched in that it's a college dorm and you don't get service like that. We have two towels each - I brought my own so have a back up. Yes they are rough but whatever....I am so used to it I barely notice. I could see his wife was embarassed and even she said I've stayed in worse places. I'm glad I don't have one of those - yippee to be free in more ways than one!
Hmmmm...will it be white wine or gin and sprite tonight?
We attended the meet and greet last night - we sat at a table outside which was nice but it wasn't big enough for the people we wanted to have with us. They served bbq burgers, chips and pop - supplemented of course by a trip to the cash bar. It was fun to see walkers I knew across Canada. We had an early night so Eilleen and I came back here and had a yack over wine coolers and chips.
This morning after brekky it was time for the Presidents Walk - I opted for a 10 km walk this time rather than my usual 5 km- the first time in years. The walk was pretty good - the best part was through the forest...nice and cool and the smell is heavenly. It was getting hot though...the wait to get our books stamped was long but worth it - we walking geeks have to get our books stamped. Back to the room where I had the most wonderful salad I had purchased at Loblaws yesterday - spinach salad with fresh strawberries, goat cheese, almonds and mandarins. With a raspberry vinagerette. With a cheese bun - well you didn't expect me to be perfectly good did you.
Off to the AGM at 1 p.m. where a new president was elected - the current vice-president is now president. Go Ethel! No one to take my place yet. I enjoyed my four year term on the Board of Directors but am glad to be back to just being VP of my local club. (all 7 of us!) I came back to rest a bit then back for a workshop by New Balance but they moved it to the store and just did not feel like walking over there in my birkenstocks so here I am. Eilleen can tell me all about it. Oh it was fun to see Nancy from Hay River at the AGM - we sat beside each other but sadly she won't be at the banquet tonight or walking tomorrow.
Tonight is the banquet - I plan to have a couple of drinkie poos to celebrate being free....free at last! But can't be too bad as we have a walk tomorrow at 9 a.m. and it's gonna be a beauty - by the tulip beds at Dow Lake. I plan to do a 10km. We will be getting a bus there. I've taken very few photos since I've been here but I think by this time tomorrow I will be telling a different story. Depending on the weather I may do a 5 km in the afternoon although I have heard that it's going to be a hot one - it was very warm today. The weather has been glorious with gorgeous blue skies.
Lots of walkers here - over 400.. Interesting to overhear comments from people on the dorms. These are college dorms. We have a bedroom each with a kitchen and bathroom - they are basic but hey I only have to share a bathroom with one person and I have internet in my room. The Air conditioning works so well that I had to get up and turn it down last night as I was so cold I could not sleep. Anyway one guy was bitching on the elevator on the rough towels and how they didn't change them today....duh....everyone pitched in that it's a college dorm and you don't get service like that. We have two towels each - I brought my own so have a back up. Yes they are rough but whatever....I am so used to it I barely notice. I could see his wife was embarassed and even she said I've stayed in worse places. I'm glad I don't have one of those - yippee to be free in more ways than one!
Hmmmm...will it be white wine or gin and sprite tonight?
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