November 27, 2007 by Steph.

G’day mates, I’m sitting here waiting for the girls to wake up…man can these girls sleep!  As usual I’m restless, I’ve already cleaned a few things in the house this morning, Laura has to be out by tomorrow so everything has to be shipshape.  It feels like all we do is clean and make clandestine trips to dump gargage in dumpsters!  Tonight the girls and Darrick (Laura’s cute and really nice boyfriend who got hair so curly that your fingers would get stuck in them!) are having a get-together for all the friends that are remaining, the goal is to drink all the booze that’s left before they leave.  I might have to help them out in that department.  So far, the only wildlife I’ve seen was in the Billybong Sanctuary…yes I held a Kuala, so did Jane.  Oh yes, Jane came to visit last weekend.  Picture this girls…Jane sharing a mattress on the floor with me and Laura has an infestation of ants in her house so there’s these tiny little ants all over the place….Jane was frieking out, she put every thing up on chairs and tables, by the second day she gave up!!  While she was here we went up the coast to Cairns and then on to Port Douglas.  It was an awesome ride, with breathtaking scenery all the way there.  We went up in the rainforest, sky rail on the way up, old fashioned train on the way down…all the while amazing scenes all around us. 

Port Douglas is cute, hippish with lots of shops, restaurants and bars.  We took a detour on our way back to Townsville and went to Millaa Millaa to see some falls.  Thank God Darrick was driving because Jane and I couldn’t have!!  It was like a rollercoaster ride, I thought I was going to be sick a few times…however, the wild ride was worth it.  It’s absolutely beautiful up in that area, farmland, very luscious and green with rolling hills and different palm trees, banana trees and ‘Lion King’ trees, you know the ones with huge canapies. 

Hey Barb, I saw a winery sign called ‘Murdereing Point Wineries’ makes you want to drop in for a tasting doesn’t it!? 

I’ve been doing some cooking while at Laura’s, restaurants are expensive and the food has been hit and miss so far.  In Cairns we went out to this really posh place called ‘Red Ochre Grill’ it was the best food so far.  Laura and Jane were very adventurous and went for the ’Taste of Australia’ menu at $66 per person!!  Hang on to your chairs girls here’s what they had:  first course appetizer tray of:

Kangaroo Terrine; Emu Pate; Crocodile Wonton; Deep Fried crocodile with a fancy sauce; wild prawns; Flamingo rounds with goat cheeze; Lemon Myrtle octopus; KaKadoo Plum; Capcicum Jam.  Jane loved the octopussy!  Laura loved the crocodile.  The main course:

Kangroo and Emu Steaks served with sweet potatoes/bok choy/fancy potatoes with dill/rice.   For dessert:  Chocolate Slut….really..I swear!  The only black note of that evening was the waitress…bitchy.  Next on the agenda is Brisbane (Nov. 29) from there I go to Canberra for the weekend to visit Jane, the girls and Darrick are going to Surfers Paradise and Byron Bay, we will meet in Melbourne (Dec. 4).  We end up in Sydney (Dec. 8).  we are staying on Bondi Beach …apparently it’s a cool place according to the girls. 

I’m having a tough time adjusting to the heat, I get these episodes of light-headedness….yes more than usual….we have to drink a lot of water that’s for sure.  I wear a hat all the time, the weather has been around 35 degrees each day, it rained last night though so it’s cooler right now.  Nobody wears pants here, skirts and shorts and sandals.  I’m amazed at the number of people who walk barefoot…on the hot pavement!  Next report….My Canbarra visit with Jane. 

Ta Ta  and hugs to all of you,

Paulette

Posted in Trips | 1 Comment »

November 24, 2007 by susan.

Hi gals -At the end of each session we always have a League social of some kind.  Given it’s December, we’ll keep with the holiday cheer and gather for a holiday social at Susan Logan’s house on Thursday, December 13th.We’re going to forego play that night so that we can all meet, eat and be merry earlier in the evening to allow those who have to be up in the morning to get home and into bed at a reasonable hour.All players, spares, and guests are welcome.  We ask that spares and guests pay $15 to cover the cost of food.  Regular player League fees cover this cost.  A warm meal will be served with vegetarian and non-vegetarian options.  We ask that you bring your own beverage.Gift Exchange: - In past years we’ve contributed to Toy Mountain by having a gift exchange.  For those who wish to participate we’ll be picking names next week at League.  It’s a simple exchange.  You pick a name from a list of attendees and buy a gift for a child that reminds you of the person you picked.  For example, last year I was treasurer for the league and someone bought me a children’s Monopoly game.  At the end of the night, we gather up all the gifts and bring them to Toy Mountain where they are distributed to girls and boys in the region over Christmas.More details about location and time will be forthcoming.Susan 

Posted in Thursday League | 1 Comment »

November 20, 2007 by susan.

Hi Gals - 
We’re back at the RA this week.  Order of play is 1-3-2.  

Teams 2 and 5 play the late shift starting at 8pm ish.  The rest of us should be on court at 7 pm.  

We’ve had some confusion with knowing who’s sparing for whom.  Could you please make sure that both your spare and your opponent know who they will be playing.

Thanks, and see you all on Thursday.

Ciao,
Susan  

Posted in Thursday League | 1 Comment »

November 11, 2007 by susan.

Hi gals,We’re at the Canadian Health & Squash Club this week for a round-robin (directions below).Games will start at 7 pm.  Whoever is there first will be on court first and then we will rotate through the line-up (when you get to the club, put your name down on a sign-up sheet and you’ll play the player either above your name or below it).  Once you’ve finished a game, put your name back on this list so that you’ll be back in the rotational line-up and be able to play again.We use American Scoring, which means that every rally scores a point.  Once you win 20 points you’ve won the game. Here are the directions to the Club which is located at 200 Terence Matthews Crescent, Kanata:

• From the 417 westbound, exit at Eagleson/March Road.
• Turn left (south) onto Eagleson Road.   Drive for 5 or 6 kilometers.
• Turn right onto Michael Cowpland Drive (there is a Tim Hortons and a gas station at the corner).
• Turn at the first right onto Terence Matthews Crescent. The club is located up the Crescent on the right. 
• See the attached map for details.

http://maps.google.ca/maps?hl=en&ie=UTF8&q=canadian+squash+and+fitness+club&near=Kanata,+ON&fb=1&cid=0,0,6911720390964206602&ll=45.30369,-75.869951&spn=0.043767,0.079823&z=14&om=1%20%3Chttp://maps.google.ca/maps?hl=en&ie=UTF8&q=canadian+squash+and+fitness+club&near=Kanata,+ON&fb=1&cid=0,0,6911720390964206602&ll=45.30369,-75.869951&spn=0.043767,0.079823&z=14&om=1%3E   Please Note:  The Ottawa Senators have a home game on the 15th so traffic will be congested.  Plan to leave a little early to be able to arrive at the Club by 7 pm.Cheers,Susan 

Posted in Thursday League | 1 Comment »

November 5, 2007 by susan.

Hi Gals - We’re at the Sportheque this Thursday.  Play starts at 7 pm.  Order of play is 3-2-1.  Teams 1 and 7 play the late shift, although we’ve been able to get players on court before 8 pm if both players are there.  So if you can come a little earlier, please do (and let your opponent know so that you both are there to play!)See you at the Sportheque.Cheers,Susan  

Posted in Thursday League | 1 Comment »