Ontario is My New Home

(post written by Charlie)

Hello family, friends, and crazy blog addicts searching through the random blogosphere—

It is very important for me to point your attention first to the parentheses at the top of this entry so that you can be sure to understand that Becky is not responsible for anything I say in this, or any other, blog entry.  Having an audience that might even be as large as five people, I cannot whole-heartedly commit to the truth and nothing but because, for me, embellishment is often more enjoyable.  When talking in such hyperbolic states, I will endeavour to make it clear enough when I am indeed exaggerating.

The Goods:

Becky and I are still in Burlington, Ontario.  While I hold a small amount of affection for Burlington in my heart, being that it is the birthplace of my sweetheart, I can say without any reservation that it is most certainly not Madrid. 

Wednesday—the day our flights were booked for—was a discouraging and disheartening day.

We are itching.  I've been feeling the itch for weeks.  We've had our time to rest and recuperate; now, we rest and recuperate some more.  It could be God teaching us to be patient—the things of God are always worth waiting for.  I don't know how good of an intern I'll be if I'm Simeon's age but I understand the need for patience.  It could be bureaucratic nonsense.  Western Europe isn't exactly the hardest working place on the planet, particularly in the warm summer months, when the ocean is just close enough to drive, and just far enough away to forget about the office.  It could just be, the way it is.

So we have found contentment in one another and have chosen to take it one day at a time.  The ladies working at the Spanish Consulate in Toronto are on a first name basis with Becky and have been very kind to us.  We continue to call, and will continue to call, until we board a plane.

The Periphery:

Our two weeks in Ontario have been fun.  We've done some things we normally wouldn't do and have had quality time with friends and family.

Our first week, we got to go to a Toronto Blue Jays game. Although I don't really care for baseball, or any team from Toronto, I cheered with all of my might against their opponents, the Yankees.  I hate the Yankees.  I hate them because a good portion of my extended family loves them to the point that simply by reading the words on my blog, "I hate the Yankees," they'll be fired up.  It might even fire them up more than when I said, in jest, that "Hilary would make a good president." No, nothing fires them up that much.  We had a fantastic time with our friends, The Synchyshyns, who were visiting from Edmonton, trying on hats, visiting Toronto hot spots, and watching the Yankees get annihilated.  Yes,  I said annihilated.

Another very fun day was spent sailing with Becky's mom, Susan, step-dad, Andy, and twin brother, Jeremy.  We embarked from Hamilton Bay—certainly not the most beautiful bay in Canada, or Ontario, or even the GTA—and passed Stelco, made it through the bridge, and began sailing in the most torrential and devastating winds Ontario has seen in decades.  I mean, there were times where we sailing at speeds of 1, maybe even 2 knots. Waves were crashing down around us and the rain made it nearly impossible to see.  After our mast was struck by lightning, I felt the worst must certainly be over.  As it turns out, there are sharks in Lake Ontario and now Becky's twin brother is missing three fingers on his left hand, and his entire right leg.  Becky missed most of the adventure since she was a little seasick and decided to stay in the cabin as the weather turned.  In hindsight, she made the wise decision that Jeremy will now wish he had made for the rest of life.  To see the entire encounter lived out on film, view the above gallery "Sailing"—be warned that it is not for the faint of heart.

And finally, we went hiking...in Burlington...it's hard for me to believe too! But there is actually quite a nice forest and an escarpment to hike in and enjoy. The uphill portion of the hike ended quite soon after it began but the views and scenery were really stunning, and coming from a Vancouverite, that statement means a lot more than someone from here, or Saskatchewan or something.  I avoided major injuries and death, which should make my family happy as I have difficulty walking on sand and ice without shattering my foot or destroying the shape of my nose.

Well folks, thanks for reading.  Most of you probably never made it down this far, and I can't exactly blame you.  I'll try to update more than once every month so I don't have to unleash on you the thoughts and events of my life in such a voluminous way.