Leave something on the table

My dad has been known to say that you should always leave something on the table when you are leaving a place.  There should always be something there to return to, or why else would you want to return.

So although I didn't quite finish all my items on this list, I know that I have a whole bunch of fun things to do when I get back!!  (and a whole lot of great friends to do them with!)

As I say "see you later" to Freddy, I say "hello stranger" to Tur-on-a.  And a new list....  torontobucketlist.blogspot.ca!  A whole bunch of new adventures await!

Beat SP at a game other than Apples to Apples

Stop the presses....

I did it!

No cheating.

A fair win!
I beat the Strategizer.

What an end to a fantastic weekend.  Here I was hoarding my animals and hoping for the best without any ovens or crops, and I did it.  We have played Agricola for months and I have never come close to beating the Strategizer, and without a doubt this the game I wanted to beat SP at, and I fished my wish!

Well played (and thank you if you went easy!)  I feel I am redeemed from the night I was forced to steal money from the bank to win!!

Catch a lobster

Ahhhhh...... my Pièce de résistance!

I honestly cannot believe this happened - and thank you soooooooooooooo much Sweetest people for making this happen.  I am excited beyond what you will ever know.  I know this was such a special event - and I am very very thankful!

I must say that I lurve lobster!  I am a proud pescitarian, and although I have no idea what a good steak tastes like, I know how great a lovely lobster goes down.  My mom has said that as a small child when I would be asked what I want for dinner, my response was often "just a little lobster".  What an amazing opportunity to join K on his boat at the crack of dawn and fish the waters for those lovely morsels!

I learned a lot:  the lobster season in Bathurst is only two months - May and June (there are two seasons further south in the Bay of Fundy), you cannot keep any lady lobster with roe on the outside (doing so results in a $5000 fine), or any lobster that is below certain size (there are also two sub categories - canners and market - market being the larger of the two), you sometimes catch really "interesting" things in your trap - sea urchins, crabs (really ... who would want crabs in their trap??!), skate/sole, and my fave, congor eels.  Ugh ....

Glad my removal of said eel provided so much entertainment!  (these things have to be the ugliest fish I have ever seen!  Big huge faces smiling with three rows of teeth attached to a snake body!)

In all we caught ("we" being a bit of a stretch - K did all the work and we provided comic entertainment and the giggles - though the Sweets became quite good at eye-balling what was a throw-back, a canner or a market, me on the other hand just tried to get some sea legs so I didn't fall in the bucket of angry lobsters or overboard!) about 160 lbs of lobster.  For 90 traps that is a good haul (our good captain aims for 1lb a trap!)  The weather was beautiful, the water was as calm as glass, and man those rubber waiders certainly hugged in all the right spots!

But I must say that perhaps the capstone was arriving back on shore at about 9:30 and cracking open a couple Alpine beers while K cooked up the catch.  What a gosh darn amazing experience!!!

Visit three new NB cities (Off the list!!)

The Sweetest people hail from a wonderful city in the north of NB - Bathurst!  After a scenic drive through the province, we arrived in the fair city.   What a fantastic chance to meet the Sweeties' families and relax in one of the most picturesque cities ever.   I was fascinated by amount of water that is everywhere - rivers, streams, the bay, running water (jokes!).  Also cool was the amount of French that was used so effortlessly.  Was at a birthday party and people just slipped back and forth between the languages.  I was very excited to practice my numbers at the LC and Shoppers (though I was quickly found out to be an English speaker when I couldn't answer back!  Oui, j'ai une carte d'Optimum!!)

I was so lucky to have seen so much of the city and surrounding area and to visit with so many fantastic people.  I was at the beach, the residential areas, down bay fishing and harbour area, and up (the) river to see the camps. 

I was also totally intrigued by the "absence" that seems to abound here.  The remnants of the mill, shopping mall, and shops were haunting - though a fantastic site for an end-of-the-world movie, or paint-ball game!

What I might skip on my next visit: the fried clam and choco milkshake combo at the Big D!

Thank you Sweets for a wonderful trip! And with that .... it is off the list!

Visit the world's largest ...

Whilst en route to the latest adventure, the Sweetest people indulged my Bucket List by making stops at two more large things.  I have my doubts as to whether these are the "largest ever", but they are certainly giant items in the good old Miramichi!

So let me introduce you to Bruce the Moose (a classic statue that most people seem to recognized!  I have been told he sports a bright orange vest during hunting season!)

As well as the (unverified) World's Largest Fly - also living in the Miramichi!  (Watch out fish - I will be back to get you some day!  That list item remains unfinished!!)

T-Minus

Hey kids -

So I am putting the feelers out ... anyone fancy doing any of the following next week ...

a) going to the Beaverbrook?  (EM you in?)
b) playing bingo at St.Mary's?
c) swinging by Gagetown to see the bucks?

After this weekend I will have an increadibly fun update to report. Let the excitement build ...!!!!

Visit the World's Biggest Axe

In writing up the last post, I realized I have totally neglected this "world's biggest" (which I hope I don't have to substitute for Shedac's lobster!!)

As I was driving to Boston I came across the sign for the World's Biggest Axe en route to Woodstock, NB.  And seeing as my driving companion, yours truly, loves to tick off any world's biggest ever, we/I drove into the tiny town of Nackawic for a photo.  I met some awesome people who directed me to the axe, and it was just the kind of driving detour I love!

Visit three NB cities - two down

OK I am slightly cheating again ... but the ticking clock says it is OK!

Over Easter I went to Boston to visit my sis and friends (sorry DHope I know I was supposed to write that trip up - I am bad to the bone!!)  I guess since it was Easter season, the lines at the boarder were INSANE!!  I tried to find a NEXUS line in vain, but was happy to answer a load of questions about who I am and where I am from and what I do.  Hell, it was better than a lot of first dates I have had.

And since I spent many many a minutes/hours waiting in line, I will say I have visited the city of "Boarder Crossing".

AWOLness and Countdown excelerated ...

I spent last weekend in the city that I am from (but don't like to discuss) for a meeting.  And it was .... interesting/weird/fun/awesome/different to be there.  I have to admit that I missed good old Freddy!  Had a lovely dinner last night of fiddle head quiche with a side of lobster roll ... does life get any better?!?

And with a heavy heart I have to excelerate this list as I will be back in the big smoke in T-minus ... too few days.  I have one hell of a wicked weekend planned with the Sweets - and EM might join me for a little art gallery fun.  So much to do and so little time.  Every single gosh darn part of my body is crossed that I can continue this list next year ...

Beat SP at a game other than Apples to Apples

I am a cheat.

I don't deserve this badge ... but in the highly likely chance that I will never beat the stratigizer at anything not Apples, I will cheat and win this badge.

First off - congrats to S&A on their beautiful new abode.  What a great spot!  Looking forward to seeing the final colours.  What a fantastic space you have!

Apres Cinco de Mayo and K derby celebrations I was tardy to the games party (sorry!).  I was a little behind on the game, but when I was delegated to be the banker and could steal thousands whenever I felt like it, the play really began.  That move snagged me a fake win!

Agrigola rematch SP?!??

Go to three Churches (2 down)

I lucked out with my apartment.  Centrally located, a wonderful space for me and my fur baby, and a pretty spot in general.  Little did I know that I would have Sunday morning church bell concerts as a perk of being so close to the big cathedral.  I am a morning person, so don't mind being up at the crack of dawn on Sundays (but can't seem to run at that time!!).  Even in the winter months I was known to crack open the window so I could hear the lovely church bells every Sunday.

And in my quest to cross things off the list I now enter two churches to the list.  Said Cathedral - went there one day to walk around (have since met the man in St.John who redid all the goldsmithing - small world!) and also Wilmont Church for Shivering Songs.  What a beautiful church!!!  Loved the little pew doors!

So one more church to visit!!

Award Ceremony time

For going to Science East I get a "bright ideas".

For riding the bus I get a wheel!

For trying three new restos I get an apple!

And for running another race I get ....  um.....a brownie holding her arms out!  (This is only going to get harder to find badges!!)

Dance with random strangers

OK this wasn`t originally on the list, but it sure is now!!
After crossing the cannon off the list, we went to Jungle Jim`s (am I making this up?!?  does such a place exist in Freddy?)  It was Latin Night and that means time to dance I guess.  I love a good dance, and was well trained in the latin stylz whilst living in Peru.  Even thought I don't really know how to dance these dances, I certainly love getting out on the dancefloor and giving it the old college try. 

So thank you Egyptian man and Man in striped shirt and politician - I loved the dances!!

Hit up three Restos I have never tried

I was invited out to the north side yesterday (a side of town I seem to be spending more and more time at) and I was excited to try out the Cannon`s Cross.  Not so excited when I arrived and thought I was stood up for over half an hour.  But I enjoyed their beer and hospitality whilst waiting for the politician and his crew.  The locals gave me the evil stare for being there, but I enjoyed it.

The food - perogies, man I have missed you - was good, and the beer was cold so I give the joint two thumbs up!   And with that I will cross this item off the list!!!

Go to Science East

After a week of this spring cold kicking my rear, I was stir crazy and ready to check off some more items off the list.  En route to doing some menial chores I decided to pop into Science East.  (Had visited Science North as part of a class field trip and now wonder where Science West and South are located!!!)

I joined ICOM - the international council of museums - many moons ago and love the perk of having a magic card (that looks like a home made piece of white plastic) that will get me into any museum, art gallery, science centre, etc. in the world for free.  (My sister would be laughing at this point ....)   When you pull out said magic card normally the employees are rather confused, but also kind of in awe.  If they don't accept the card you can kindly suggest you will report them to some museum police for not being a reputable institution.  (Oh Saskatoon Prairie Museum you almost got reported!!)  Over the years I have visited many a fine museum and brought along friends for free with said magic card (still laughing now Lyd?!?)

So I decided to visit Science East - located in a former gaol that was in use here in Freddy until the late 90s.  (A slight fight ensued with the lady who worked there over the validity of the ICOM card - after I said it worked at Science North she let me run amok in the clink!)  A very nice museum!!  It would be better if I was a kid - or with a kid - as much of the centre was designed for children.  My favourite part about the whole place was the basement section devoted to the history of the building as a jail, and some neat exhibitions on DNA.  The whole building is architectural fascining - and cool that a jail was located right within the heart of Freddy. And it is great that so much of the jail history has been preserved within the science centre.

Highly recommendable!!