Going here for the weekend...

July 1 is Canada Day. I was actually at the exact same place one year ago... with Petey!

On Tuesday I went with Pete and his team from work to his boss's house for a cookout lunch (in Canada, it's called a barbeque), and then to the big amusement park, Canada's Wonderland. It was hot, sunny and crowded. Even so, I was told that this is not a busy day for Wonderland, because the kids are still in school. YIKES! We got to go on a few rides, after standing in line for about 25 min each time. However, it was fun going on the water slides. I would go in front of Peter, and watch him come shooting out after me, grinning like a kid.

Life has been slow for me. Today I have to make an appointment to take my drivers test. I also want to drive to the different work sites that I will be volunteering at for Habitat for Humanity.

I went to an orientation on Tuesday night, and learned a little about the history of Habitat. It was founded by a man and his wife, (of course, I do not have their names) who were very wealthy, but it had taken a toll on their marriage. They had separated, and then decided to get back together and start from scratch, and not keep all their wealth. I find that quite inspiring. But the reason I'm volunteering is to keep myself sane, get out of the apartment and meet new people. They also are going to have me help with the landscaping on a couple of projects, which I'm excited about, because I want to learn more about that side of things.

As far as work, I can't get a job until the papers come in. Unless and employer sponsors me. I was told that since I had a specialty, the chances of being sponsored are good. But then I discovered that the chances of being certified as a dietitian without these papers are not good at all. And dietitians cannot work without certification. Considering how many varying answers we have gotten in the past, I am hoping that if I talk to the right person, he/she will tell me what I want to hear. Kind of like using a slot machine. Or the lottery. Ya right.

View of our balcony

You can see my plants too. I planted them in May, some flowers and some herbs. I included my favorites: snapdragons! Pete did a great job of keeping them alive while I was away, but kept making off-handed comments about how dried-up they looked and how he kept forgetting to water them. So when we finally got home, I rushed out to the balcony, and was surprized to see they were alive and well.
Yesterday I heard a series of loud thuds and looked up to see a four car pile-up right in front of our balcony. It took about 15 minutes before the cops came, and another 20 or so before an ambulance showed up. One of the cars was driven by a young-looking girl who was being comforted by a friend. Everyone had to hang out and wait... sitting on the grass until the authorities made their appearance.
Great views of pileups aside, I love having a blacony! Pete has a grill, which we've used almost every day so far. We're moving to a larger apartment in about 3 weeks, which has a slightly larger balcony, and it's on the fourth instead of the second floor, which means much less noise and dust, and maybe more sunlight!
I can't wait to move, so I can finally unpack my boxes, and stop living out of a suitcase after close to three months! The thought of packing up all Pete's stuff is daunting. Must go through and get rid of more stuff. I'm hoping the new kitchen has more space that this one. I was spoiled by my apartment in Chicago, with so much space it took three girls to use it all, and even then we still had room to spare. The good thing is that after one meal, the kitchen is too full of dirty dishes to do anything else, so we are forced to clean up after ourselves. One thing that made me feel at home was the lovely coffee maker, given to me (Pete doesn't drink coffee) by a wonderful friend as a wedding gift. Nothing like morning coffee to get me going.

Aruba: One Happy Island (no problem!)

Canada O Canada

To my loved ones, back in my beloved country, I miss you already! I came accross the border 4 days ago with my new husband, my baby (aka 99 Nissan Altima), and a whole load of stuff in the trunk and back seat. Along for the ride was a beautiful Aruban tan, and a smashed kneecap, from exploring the northern tip of the island. And some fears about what living in Canada will be like. My head, now cleared of wedding plans and honeymoon dreams, is swimming with details of living in the Great White North. Sadly, I feel no fuzzy warm feelings for Canada, so if you have any great Canada jokes, I will laugh along... I am considered a settler to Canada, which makes me want to jump into a covered wagon.

Yesterday I decided to go grocery shopping, and try out some new recipes. I received 5 recipe books as wedding gifts from various people, and I'm anxious to try them out. During the last year of my life, cooking has fallen to the wayside. Pete is glad I'm trying out new recipes, but added a disclaimer: "I might not like all of them." Did I mention he's known for his honesty?

I also found out that in order to re-take my drivers test (yes it's true), I have to get my car inspected and brought up to Canadian standards; but before I can do that I have to wait for some papers to come in the mail. I also might be able to get a job before my citizenship papers come in, which would mean I might not have to wait 9 months after all! I need to study to re-take the RD exam though, and have not yet found study material for the Canadian exam... There is so much to learn and so much paperwork ahead.

I still have thankyou cards to write, which will keep me busy today... I'm trying to stay busy in an effort to avoid the feelings of loneliness, lethargy and guilt that will come if I let myself get lazy. However, I have to space some things out so I don't run out of small tasks that make me feel like I'm not a bum when I do one or two of them (aka laundry, floors, dishes, dusting, tidying). Doing stuff on the computer or phone does not give me the same satisfaction.

As for the honeymoon, it was wonderful! The sun was shining every day, the beach could be seen out our floor-to-ceiling windows, and the water was delicious. Being newly-wed was fun. Pete and I felt comfortable together from the beginning. We learned to wind-surf, rented jet-skis, took a tour of the northern side of the island which is rugged and windy, ate out, walked on the beach, swam in the ocean, dunked each other, fed the iguanas, learned a little Papiamento (local language), did a little shopping, watched movies, talked and rested. But by the end, we were ready to come back and see what real life was going to feel like.