Ooops

I missed a few days. It's only February. Work got the best of me. Bugger.

Gulp

I'm scared. Tomorrow, I am Fedexing my passport to Canada. It expires in April and there is no way I'll be able to renew it in person. Given that the last time I renewed it (when I lived in Canada) I waited in a long line three different times only to have my photos rejected (for various reasons, including blurriness and my head being 3mm too small), I am very skeptical about this process. Yesterday, I asked my boss if he'd ever renewed his passport via mail from Bermuda and a look of horror crossed his face. I was ready for a comment about the photos not being suitable. However, he then informed me that Passport Canada had once lost his son's passport in the process. He Fedexed it and someone at Passport Canada signed for it...but when he called to follow up, they denied ever receiving it and said they couldn't trace who had signed for the package. His advice was to send it to my family and have them deliver it. Unfortunately, that's not going to work since the mail-in process only works with the Passport Canada office in Gatineau, Quebec and my family is clear across the country....and so, with a great deal of trepidation, I'm saying goodbye to my ticket out of here. Apparently, if worse comes to worse I could get back into Canada with my birth certificate...I just wouldn't be able to get out again. Fingers crossed.

On a side note, why is the Canadian passport system such a gong show? Dave can walk into a passport office in the UK with his photos in hand and have a brand new passport that.same.day. Plus, the thing is good for TEN years. Why can't Canada take a cue?

Spicy?

One of my coworkers was talking about Indian takeout yesterday and it gave me a craving. We ordered take-out tonight and I waited in the car while Dave went in to pick it up. Who should turn up in that exact tiny window of time but the same co-worker. It's a small world...but Bermuda is really small.

Too Complicated

On Saturday, Dave's golf course is having a tournament. The catch is that the two-member teams were drawn tonight and then auctioned off. If the team members themselves did not win their auction, they could pay the winners 50% of what the auction proceeds were for their team. The proceeds raised in the auction are then allotted to the 'owners' of the winning teams. This is all way, WAY too complicated for me. Dave's team sold for $700, which the guy is writing up on the board in this shot - I'm hoping he comes home with thousands on the weekend...but I've probably just jinxed him.

Rainy Day Entertainment

Cage of Cuteness

Yet again, Roxy needed to see the vet this afternoon. While we in the waiting area a taxi van pulled up. The driver came in and one of the ladies went outside with him. They opened the back and I could see a huge cage but not what was inside it....I assumed a typical Bermuda Pitt Bull or Rottie was one his way in. However, they just continued to stare at the cage for the longest time, which seemed a bit odd. Eventually, the two of them lifted it out and I could see it was full of puppies! I wasn't sure what they were at first because they seemed so big but when they got inside, the owners explained they were Great Danes! They were SO cute and their feet were SOOO big! There were seven puppies in the crate and the owners explained that they were only 5 weeks old and that they had TWO MORE at home! I couldn't help but think how small Lola was when we picked her up at seven weeks...these guys were almost as big as full-grown Lola - that poor doggy mom! (Of course I didn't bring my purse with me...I had to borrow Dave's blackberry to snap this shot!)

Brr

While we don't have any snow (like all of North America seems to!), it has been pretty chilly. I've taken to wearing this toque around the house.

Jerry Can't

Last January, I bought a Vespa. It had an issue with it's fuel injection system since the day I picked it up. Several letters and visits to the shop later (including one stint where they kept it for 2.5 months while they 'investigated'), I ended up giving it back to them and exchanging it for a 'more reliable' brand new Honda. I picked the Honda up just before Christmas. It has 130km on it. I got on it at lunch and it wouldn't start. I turned the key and it made a nasty noise. I repeated this exercise. I swore profusely and gave it a nasty look. I called Dave, who I was supposed to be meeting at home for lunch, and told him I was stuck. He said, "Bugger". (Gotta love those English-isms.) I let it rest an hour, lest I had flooded it or something. Same result but I noted the fuel gauge was in the 'orange' zone. With my tail between my legs, I informed Dave that perhaps I was out of gas and how could I get some gas into my bike. He suggested a watering can. I didn't think that sounded like the safest means to transport the gas. Being the awesome husband he is, he made a trip to the hardware store and then the 'petrol station' and brought me this Jerry Can full of gas. My bike gobbled it up. I pushed the start button. Same result. Bugger indeed. Seriously?! Another lemon bike?!

Winter Blooms

No idea what these are but saw them on my way home from work today (boo to working on Sundays!). Murphy's law prevailed and the low battery warning came on right away, so I could only take a couple shots...I used the 'fisheye effect' for this one. I'll have to be careful not to use that too often...it may make me want another lens!

Windy

The weather has been pretty crappy of late but at least it was just windy and not raining this morning, so we took the dogs for a walk on the beach. I hadn't contemplated that the high winds and surf would bring out the crazy kite surfers, so of course I had the wrong lens...but here's the best shot I got.

Boxing Day!

I'm pretty sure only grocery stores and gas stations were open here on Boxing Day and there certainly weren't any deals to be had (I saw some Christmas stockings I really liked a few weeks ago but I wasn't shelling out $90 a piece...we went back to look at them this past weekend and they were still $90 - what the heck?!). Luckily, I was able to score some Boxing Day deals from home in the comfort of my pj's and they finally arrived today!

Baby It's Cold Outside!

I never owned an electric blanket before I moved to Bermuda...and other than Bermuda, the only place I've lived is Calgary, Canada (where it gets just a wee bit colder!). You don't truly appreciate central heating and sub-50% humidity until it's gone.

Still lit

It's bereft of presents and shedding needles like crazy but I am reluctant to admit the holidays are over and undress it.

Happy Holidays from Bermuda

After we opened presents this morning, we took the dogs (and the champagne) to Elbow Beach. The weather has been pretty s#@tty lately but kindly gave us a much appreciated break for Christmas Day.

deets: f/4, 1/1250, 28mm, ISO100

Remember, Remember the Fifth (or Sixth?) of November

Tonight was my first Guy Fawkes Night. A bonfire, effigy burning and fireworks (after a scenic tour of parts of St. George I've never seen before!).

deets: f/3.5, 1,640, 50mm, ISO1600

Saturday night at the dog park

Deets: f/5.6, 1/400, 300mm, ISO1600

Bermuda Dog Show

deets: f/7.1, 1/2500, 155mm, ISO800

Impending Doom

deets: f/3.2, 1/100, 45mm, ISO1600

Today was a bit of an odd day, as we carried on as usual, knowing Igor was bearing down on us. I had a hair appointment this morning (moved up from this afternoon so they could shut shop at noon) and then I picked up some more masking tape for the windows (as you do!). Dave picked me up and we took the dogs to the "off leash park" for some pre-storm exercise and we hunkered down at home shortly after that.

I've been watching live coverage on The Weather Channel...but I should really stop because it's just making me more nervous! The winds are really just starting to pick up and it's still 24+ hours until the center of the storm hits us. Were as prepared as we're going to be....and now just playing a waiting game (feeling a bit housebound already!). I'm hoping for the best but am 99.9% sure we're going to lose power. I'm saying my prayers that it's not two weeks before the power comes back on, like it was after Fabian in 2003.

Non-perishables Have Been Procured

deets:  f/3.2, 1/40, 34mm, ISO1600

Behold, the recently acquired Igor supplies! There is a sense of impending doom throughout the island at this point that's hard to ignore. Our office closed at noon today, even though the storm is not supposed to reach its closest point for another 48+ hours and the winds are just starting to pick up. Nice gesture - but sure makes it feel like the end of days is near! We've got the non-perishables, batteries and other supplies (and water!). Dave took the lawn furniture and BBQ into the garage this morning before he left for his golf tourney - ha! Tomorrow, we'll close the shutters and fill up all the tubs. I'm not really scared of the storm (we were here for a similar one, Fabian, in 2003) but dread the nightmare of extended power loss. No lights, A/C or running water is not really my scene. Here's Igor's latest forecast:

Faster Than a Speeding Bullet. (Maybe Not!)

I think I've mentioned my inexplicable fascination with snails on previous occasions...but I don't think I've ever actually seen one on the move before. So, naturally when Dave mentioned this morning that he'd been doing yard chores (dog related!) and had seen a snail "out of its shell", I had to delay the drive to work and arrange an impromptu photoshoot for the little guy!

deets: f/5, 1/320, 100mm, ISO800

Embarrassing footnote: My snail knowledge is serious lacking. When Dave told me it was out of his shell, I went out looking for the snail MINUS the shell. Apparently I should have known that a snail can never leave its house behind...then it'd be a slug! I blame snail inexperience.