Nova Scotia: A Break from all that Sunlight

Are you tired of the sun? Do you long for a break from year round naturally bronzed skin? Overdosing on vitamin D? Have I got a vacation spot for you! I have to admit, the first couple of days of rain were novel and refreshing, but this wind and cloud and rain is a little much. I shouldn't have to wear a coat in the middle of July. It's a matter of principle for me. I've gone almost a year without any type of outer layers and it just feels wrong to be bundling up on my summer vacation. If we weren't having such a great time, the grey skies might actually have a chance of getting me down a little, but our time with friends and family has been more than enough to offset the less than ideal weather patterns of Atlantic Canada.

James and Yoda and I at The Monster Comic Lounge in Halifax.

We've had a few plans that have been interrupted by weather, which has taken some adjusting. In Abu Dhabi, you really don't factor the weather into any of your decisions. There's basically a zero percent chance of rain on any given day, so days at the beach are rarely interrupted by meteorological surprises. The first time I actually went on line to look up the weather in almost a year was when we were in London. Now that we're in Nova Scotia, I do it at least once a day, sometimes more.

Liam's gotten back into tennis since we've arrived. Funny how one of the selling points of Abu Dhabi was year round tennis and he hasn't played once all year. We'll have to find some way to remedy that. Lucy's been able to reconnect with a number of friends which has made it all worth it for her. Miranda and James have taken to my father's dog, Miley in a way that is both endearing and troubling for a Dad who has a strict no-pet policy.

Friday night, Julie was able to get together with her good friend Caroline while I held down the fort. On Saturday, Liam watched the kids in the morning so Julie and I could go to the temple. We had a great experience there. Saturday night, Dad and Ellen watched James and Miranda so the rest of us could go see Harry Potter. The Glanfields, Choos and Quists were there with us and we had a great time.

Saturday's soup: Chicken, Rice and Vegetable. Mmmmm!

Does it look like I'm on vacation? That's kind of what
I'm going for here.

Although I enjoyed the books and love what Rowling has done to inspire and entire generation of avid readers, I really believe that The Goblet of Fire was a turning point for the books and the movies. Book four is where the books became so popular that I think her editors gave up giving real feedback. It's also the point in the movie series where the movies became more engaging than the books. I remember watching as Cedric was killed by Voldemort and being surprised because I actually felt something. In the book, I was largely indifferent. The quality of the acting, screenwriting and direction, brought the characters to life in a way that the books never did. I was genuinely moved by the sense of loss that pervaded the final movie. It was easily the most emotionally satisfying movie of the summer (which, considering this summer's bounty, isn't saying much). Now if only they could figure a way to go back and film the first two movies in such a way as to make them watchable, I'd be one very happy camper.

Liam and Lucy from a couple of years ago when we went to
a special screening of The Half Blood Prince

Joel and Heidi came over after the movie for a game of Ticket to Ride. I probably should do a write up of one of the best boardgames I've ever played, but I'll have to save my boardgaming post for later on. It was a great time except for the fact that I didn't win. I suspect Joel's time with the Ticket to Ride app may have something to do with his crushing victory.

Sunday morning was church again where we were no longer novel (it's amazing how quickly the lustre is lost). In the afternoon, our friends Ethan and Joanne MacLennan had us over for dessert, dinner and a game in that order. Again, Ticket to Ride came out and again, a person that I had introduced to the game soundly trounced me. However, I made up for it during the rematch. It was a great visit for everyone. Their kids more or less line up with our kids age wise and when you've got a room full of children with active imaginations, it's surprisingly easy for them to find lots in common to talk about.

Fun and Games at the MacLennans

There's always time for a Teaparty.

Is everyone actually looking at the camera?

Monday we got on Liam's case about school. For some reason, the boy thinks he's on vacation. Luckily he didn't give us too much attitude. In the evening we had dinner with the missionaries and some friends from church. It's easy to take the missionaries for granted until you don't have them any more. We enjoyed their company and the spirit they brought with them.

Before we went to bed, we tried watching the Last Airbender on Netflix with the kids. It's a pretty horrible film in its own right, but if you watched any of the cartoon upon which it's based, it makes the movie that much worse. I don't understand how people can spend tens of millions of dollars developing a property without understanding what makes the property work in the first place. The only pleasure I took was listening to my kids guffaw at the stilted dialogue and wooden delivery. I may have made a lot of mistakes as a parent, but one area I did not let my kids down in was the ability to recognize cinematic mediocrity.