Getting Ready to Leave Ottawa

Yuck! I got up this morning to rain although it wasn’t cold. It was raining hard enough that I decided to forego my walk. Around 10:30 a.m. the rain stopped for a while so I took a short walk making sure I wasn’t far from the RV in case a downpour started.

I have had a minor medical problem this week and couldn’t decide what to do about it so this morning I decided to go to our doctor’s after hours replacement clinic just to have a check so I called this morning and made an appointment for 1:30 p.m. I left here at 11:00 a.m. and headed over as the clinic is in the Carlingwood Shopping Centre so I walked around there, bought Gordon some splash pants, he’ll probably need them tomorrow. The doctor checked me out, told me it was nothing to worry about and sent me on my way. The problem with having medical attention before you leave is with travelers medical insurance your pre-existing condition has to be stable for six months. If you have a recurrence of the pre-existing condition while away, it isn’t covered. I think this is terrible. It makes people afraid to seek medical help in case they should have a recurrence while away and it wouldn’t be covered. That could be financially devastating! They should just charge extra for pre-existing conditions. I expect this would also make payment for claims quicker as the claims department wouldn't have to contact your doctor to verify that the condition is pre-existing. Oh well, I guess that might make travel insurance too expensive for most people.

After I got back, I watched TV for a while and read, tried to take a nap and then the sun came out so away I went on a walk and took a few photos. The sun wasn’t out long nor was it very strong.

Tomorrow is not supposed to be a very nice day but we’ve made the commitment to leave so leave we will. Forecast is for rain following us east and thunderstorms. We really hate travelling in rain but we've made a reservation, another thing we hate to do for just this reason. Anyway, we went out tonight to get fueled up. Diesel has gone down to 82.9. It was 87.9 a week ago. That’s always nice to see. We hope to get started early tomorrow morning but we’ll see!

I took today's photo in the campground.

Friday's Happenings

It was sunny and cool this morning for my walk. Our electric blanket worked really well last night, maybe too well. I had it turned down as low as it would go and wound up turning it off but it did it's job warming the bed before I got in!

I had asked Gordon last night if he wanted meat loaf or chili for dinner and he chose chili. It’s probably been well over a year since I made it. I used to have the recipe in my head so this morning I made chili and I guessed at the recipe. I could have looked one up on the internet but decided to wing it and it turned out pretty well.

Late this morning I headed out to do more errands. I had to go and pick up a prescription for Gordon that they will only give him month to month. They didn’t want to give it to me. I can’t imagine what will happen next month when I ask for six months’ worth.

This afternoon we relaxed and watched some TV as it had mostly clouded over outside although it wasn’t cold. Around 5:00 p.m. Gordon told me that one of the hard drives in the Desktop PC had died so he removed it and we headed out to buy a new one. We wound up at PC Cyber in Bells Corners where we got the hard drive as well as extra memory for his PDA so I inherit his old card that was in his PDA. I have been getting a window telling me that I’m running out of memory on my PDA for quite a while now so it appears we’re all set up and upgraded.

I was supposed to hear from our US travel medical insurance today about my excess hospital account that they didn't pay but no phone call. Hopefully I'll hear at the beginning of the week or I'll be back on the phone again.

We’re getting excited about heading to Quebec City. Gordon thinks we may be there for two weeks depending on the weather. If next week doesn’t bring good weather maybe the following week will. Good weather to him means good photographing weather.

Season premieres tonight of Ghost Whisperer, Close to Home and Law & Order!

I didn’t take any photos today so you’ll have to make do with my mundane drivel.

Errands and A Walk in the Woods

Me at the campground in my new green vest

Photos below from our walk in the woods

Today was sunny and cold when I got up 3C (37F). I decided to walk within the campground hoping again to see some wildlife. This time I lucked out and saw three deer but they were too quick for me to get my camera ready. There was a lady from Germany walking behind me and I stopped to talk with her for a while. She spoke some English but we managed to communicate. Her English was definitely better than my German. They had rented an RV on the internet last November and she said it was much cheaper than renting it before they came. They were enjoying their trip and really liked Ottawa.

After breakfast and Regis and Kelly Live I went out to pick up some things. I stopped at WalMart and found an electric blanket for $99.92. I didn’t buy it but we are wanting one to replace our electric mattress pad which isn’t working that well. When it’s cold I like my bed to be warm when I get into it and the mattress pad just isn’t cutting it.

We have decided to stay here till Sunday and then leave for Quebec City. We like to travel through large cities on Sundays so that’s why we’ve elected to stay here till Sunday. We may be traveling in the rain but we’ll have to deal with that.

It was a really beautiful Fall afternoon so we went out and did some errands. First stop was to book our time here in October at Rideau Heights from October 16^th to 25^th, then on to WalMart and bought our electric blanket. Then we headed back toward the campground and parked in the parking area for the P3 trail on Corkstown Road. We walked quite a ways on the trail. It was quite pretty and reminded me of walking in the forest in my childhood. We took some photos there then headed back to the RV and packed up some of the outside stuff and put up the awning as after today it’s supposed to be rainy so probably won’t be spending much time outside. We also like to put the awning up when it’s dry so it doesn’t smell mildewy. Then we came inside and put the new electric blanket on the bed and disconnected our electric mattress pad. We want to be sure it works before we leave Ottawa and it seems to be fine. We’ll know tonight. It’s supposed to get down to 4C (39F)!

Cloudy, Cool and a Visit

This morning was cloudy and cool but at least there was no rain so got in my 20 minute walk. It remained cloudy all morning so we watched TV and did internet stuff. Gordon’s friend, Leroy was talking to him via internet so he went to Leroy’s for 11:30 a.m.

I hung around the RV, watched TV, had a shower, called One World Assist, the insurance carrier for our US travel medical insurance as the hospital is indicating that they have no contract with our insurer and therefore they can bill us for the amount over and above what the insurance paid. This time I got to speak to a really nice lady who indicated that their group doing the negotiations was contacting the hospital again to get this straightened out. She is to contact me on Friday with an update. Sure hope we are both healthy this winter when we’re away. We have gone with the same insurer for the winter and I know having worked in Auto Claims for 26 years that these things don’t happen over night but I would really like to see the end of this! I think other than the hospital all the other carriers have accepted the negotiated amounts as I haven’t heard from anyone else.

Since I didn’t take any photos today I’m featuring a few that Gordon has taken lately while we’ve been here in Ottawa. A couple were taken here in the park and the others are Ottawa scenes taken at night.

The Alexandra Bridge

The Museum of Civilization with Parliament Hill in the background

Tonight we went to Margie and John’s for a visit before we leave Ottawa for some short trips. We haven’t decided exactly where yet but are thinking of Quebec City and then Montreal. If so, we’ll probably leave Sunday morning so we can get through Montreal on Sunday when the traffic will hopefully be better. The only problem is it’s supposed to rain on Sunday. Unfortunately Danica had just left so we missed her but while we were there, Nick dropped in on his way back from Pembroke with the ambulance so it was good to see him especially since he was in uniform. I also got a beautiful bright green vest which was an exchange gift from one I got on my birthday that didn’t fit. Thanks again to Margie, John and Danica.

Margie was on vacation last week and she and John took a couple of days and went to Quebec City. They brought us a whole bunch of literature and brochures which is one of the reasons we are probably going there and also because it’s a place Gordon has wanted to go back to with his camera.

We got back in time to watch the season premiere of Criminal Minds.

I often find myself quoting my father or saying “Dad would have said this”. Here’s a little poem he used to recite when we were kids:

A wonderful bird is the pelican

His bill will hold more than his belican

He can take in his beak

Enough food for a week

But I’m damned if I know how the helican.

I always thought it was cute and true! The pelican was one of Dad’s favourite birds when he went to Florida. He came back with all sorts of pelican knickknacks and I’m sure we all had them in our houses.

A Visit and More Errands

I woke up to rain this morning so although I’m not a fair weather walker and if it’s just sprinkling I will go however this was rain, so no walk. It’s supposed to rain most of the week too so we may not be leaving here on Friday (unless our spot has been rented out to someone else).

We got an email yesterday from our friend from Ohio, Mel. He and Janice visited us here in June. Since then Janice has had some rather serious medical problems and has recently had surgery and is in the hospital. We are thinking of her and hoping she gets well soon! Pictured above is Mel and Janice at the Museum of Science and Technology that I took when we visited there in June.

I took my extra Nexium last night and my throat is already improving. I can swallow now without it hurting so I will take two per day for the next week. My body aches seem to be gone but I’m still not feeling 100% and I don’t think the rain helps.

Around 11:00 a.m. the rain stopped and the sun came out. YEAH! A friend of mine from my former employer, Breconridge dropped by to see us at lunch time. It was good to see John again and have a chat. I had seen him when I went into work in May but it’s not the same. He is envious of our lifestyle and has been checking out the Titanium since we went on the road in 2004. He needs an MPRV for his motorcycle though.

After John left, I went to take my sneakers back to Sears as they bother my back but the outlet for Sears in Bells Corners wouldn’t take them back as I had worn them. So off I went to WalMart in Barrhaven and got what I needed to get, stopped at our vet on Greenbank to tell him to close our file then went to the Sears Home Store where they did take back my sneakers. On my way to Barrhaven I was going south on Richmond Road and just before the Esso station there was a little fawn on the side of the road. He was so cute.

From there, home I went, then went out for my walk that I missed this morning. It was partly cloudy for most of my walk and the pictures above and below reflect that but it was very pleasant outside. I also stopped at the office to find out where you go when you go through the gate at the back of the property (like Alice through the looking glass?) They told me not to go back there as that’s where they throw brush and stuff but I’ve already been back there and there is a trail. One of the maintenance guys said it will take you right to Carling Avenue if you don’t get lost but they don’t recommend walking in there as it’s NCC property however there isn’t a NO TRESPASSING sign.

A Nothing Monday

It was cloudy and fairly warm on my walk this morning. I didn’t really feel like going as I’m still not feeling all that well but I went, then went out and got some errands done so this afternoon I’ve been resting. I still feel achy and my throat is sore which usually means my GERD is acting up so I’ll be increasing my Nexium today. Don’t think that has anything to do with the achy feeling though.

I have been keeping my fruit outside in a hanging basket but Gordon had to bring it in early this morning as there was a little raccoon that was trying to help himself in the wee hours. I guess I’ll have to keep it inside until we’re out of raccoon territory. In the southern US, you see RVs all the time with fruit hanging from them. I had put it outside as we were getting fruit flies and they are really annoying!

Nothing else to write about for today. Hope I feel better tomorrow.

Not Much Going On Today!

Today has been mostly cloudy with a few sunny breaks and some wind. When I walked this morning it was cloudy but fairly warm. I walked farther than usual. I guess that gave me the energy to do the vacuuming and wash the floors this morning.

Gordon tried his farm fresh eggs this morning but said he didn’t see much difference.

After lunch I sat outside for a while but it didn’t seem to be that kind of day. It was warm when the sun came out but cool with the wind when there was no sun so I came back inside and spent some time on the computer.

Late this afternoon I started feeling achy from the back of my neck, all down my back and into my legs. My doctor has always said for body aches, take Tylenol so I’ve done that and I think it’s a little better but I’m still feeling kind of yucky.

No photos today so I’ve borrowed one from Gordon again.