Feeling Better

   This has been one eventful week! As well as doing 6 shifts at Roger's Cup I spent a whole day at the emergency department getting a load of test for my sore back and hips. I had gone to my GP early that morning thoroughly exasperated with the lack of improvement so he sent me to Emergency. Mostly I sat around waiting but, finally at 5:00 p.m. the doctor arrived with a diagnosis and a prescription. Next day I felt considerably better but I think there will need to be some tinkering with the dosage to get me back to normal. I'm keeping my fingers crossed that all will be well before I depart for Spain on the 25th.



Women's Final live in Toronto

   Roger's Cup is over for another year - we (the volunteers, not the players!) had a great party after the Final on Sunday and said our goodbyes until next August. No rain outs but a couple of the players withdrew which made for a rather lacklustre field. Great excitement at the Men's Tournament in Montreal as two Canadians got to the semi-finals. One went on to the Final but wasn't able to put up much of a performance, probably exhausted by the preceding matches. 

Men's Final on the big screen from Montreal

   Judy and the boys came over for lunch today - Elliot actually got in the pool for half-an-hour although it wasn't a very warm day. He is quite a little fish! Natalie is at dance camp this week and I am interested to hear how she likes it. Elliot's outdoor camp was a big success, by all accounts. 

Two good books

   Had a quiet day at home watching Tennis from Montreal, a little light housework and gardening, and finished a very dramatic book. It's "The Storyteller" by Jodi Picoult and has two main themes: family ties and The Holocaust. I am not usually able to stand to read about the atrocities of the concentration camps, but this story was very compelling. I couldn't put it down!
   I also just finished a biographical account of the life and times of the 5th Countess of Carnarvon called "Lady Almina and the Real Downton Abbey: the Lost Legacy of Highclere Castle". The author is Fiona, 8th Countess of Carnarvon who is a historian in her own right. Lady Almina not only brought fabulous wealth to the estate (her father was the banking tycoon, Alfred de Rothschild) but also spearheaded a tremendous war effort to help wounded officers of the Great War recuperate at Highclere Castle. She seems to have been an amazing woman. 

Rainbow Trout

   Got this lovely rainbow trout fillet the other day for just over $5! I think it was a mistake as the price per kilo was $19 and it weighed 10 ozs. I cut it into 3 parts, grilled the first one with an orange ginger sauce and tonight I will have the second one, grilled, then flaked on top of a grapefruit and avocado salad with a potato and egg salad. Plenty of food for less than $3 each meal! 


  

 The first day of the Roger's Cup went off well but was very long. Left the house a 7:50 a.m. and got home by 6 p.m. but I had stayed to watch a match after my shift ended. I'm not back until Tuesday, so will watch the matches on TV, but then every day until Sunday's Final. Very windy today so I imagine some of the players found it very tricky. It will be interesting to see which of the qualifiers survived. Lots of games and activities for the kids as it was "Family Weekend"

Rain and more rain

   It has been belting down since about 3:00 p.m. and still shows no sign of stopping. The pool, which was already full to the top of the skimmer from Wednesday night's rain, is approaching full capacity. At least I won't have to worry about filling it or watering the garden during "Roger's Cup" week. Natalie had lots of fun in the pool today but was the only one who ventured in. James just wandered around the edge, wearing his "floaties" and throwing in things for her to dive for. Luckily she had had her fill before the rain arrived.

   Early start tomorrow - I have to be across town by 8:30, parked and waiting for the shuttle to the Rexall Centre and arrive there by 8:45 (this includes stopping by "Volleys: for a coffee). Our shift starts at 9:00 a.m. but the gates don't actually open until 9:30. Hopefully the rain will have passed over and the qualifying matches will all be completed. The first day is usually quite easy although it is Family weekend - free to families. Not many hassles or difficulties. It's my only early start and Saturday traffic isn't too horrendous.

   I have taken a few days off tennis this week as I have been very stiff and aching. The mornings are the worst so I hope I will be moving OK tomorrow to get away on time.