Vacation!

Personal Stuff – ignore it if you want.

Don’t you just love vacations!

This year it’s just a staycation for the next few weeks in Toronto. I have to use my vacation days or lose them.

I’ve got enough home stuff to catch up on after a grueling travel schedule this year. ALA in New Orleans was great fun but it was the straw that broke this camel’s back. I need sleep and to stay in a single time zone for a while.

Stephanie and I are readying her late mother’s home for sale. We’re almost done and it will be a relief if it sells quickly.

My Mom had her knee replaced on the weekend and she’s doing well but it’ll be nice to visit her. My Dad turned 80 on Canada Day which is amazing. His gift was my Mom’s new knee (grin). He already has a few of them of his own.

Zac visited for most of June for my goddaughter’s wedding (which was beautiful – Sydney did the photography) and Zac joined us in New Orleans as a treat. He published two scholarly reviews this month and a short story. I don’t know where he found the time since he has 1,000’s of books to read for his PhD comprehensive exams. It was good to have him around for a little while. I forgot how much he eats! Sydney is looking forward to spending most of August in the UK and Amsterdam.

We bought new wallpaper for the guest bedroom and bathroom yesterday so I’ll be decorating for the next two weeks. I like decorating and find that relaxing and we can enjoy the finished product.

I have booked some good lunches and dinners with close friends that I’ve been neglecting due to my travel. I am looking forward to that and we hope to have houseguests at the end of the month too. We’ll break in that new guest room. Maybe we’ll see some plays at the Fringefest and some movies. I bought tickets today for Craig Ferguson at the end of the month. He makes us laugh.

I am an idiot so I will still be blogging lightly and checking e-mail. I have some writing due but it’s still less than 3-4 keynote speeches a week and airports.

Anyway, it’s a break and that’s a good thing. Maybe I’ll be a more tolerant and rested person at the end of this break.

Enjoy your summer, if you’re north of the equator.

Stephen