The Reunion and the Return!

The Amazonian Queen has landed safely in Saint John, New Brunswick. Back from her research in Peru, she can't stop talking about the people and the things she did there, and when she does take a break...it is to talk about Coldplay!!! Which is pretty exciting, because we're off in a few days (Wednesday!!!) to see them play in Toronto!! I've probably ranted enough about that over the past few weeks. 

I just got back from the annual Forestell Family Reunion. It is always a good time. Though this year, it felt very much like a continuation of my sister Katie's Wedding. KT & POD Get Hitched Part II; The New Brunswick/Nouveau-Brunswick Edition. 

We've bounced around from a few different spots since we sold our old cottage, but it always seems to work out. It was foggy and wet, but we still had lots of fun, the kids seemed to enjoy it, and there was plenty of good food! 

On my way back to Sackville, with my parents, we stopped into a few different artisan galleries along the coastal drive between Fundy National and Moncton. There are some pretty amazing artists that have taken up residence in Albert County. I wonder what people do for work out there. I can't imagine trying to make my way into Moncton during the winter, on those back roads. 

Well, I'm off for the night! 

P

Shiny Times

This weekend has been more eventful than others spent in Sackville.

Friday was such a nice day in Sackville that it seemed like everyone's boss said they could have the afternoon off...

If I'd had the afternoon off, I would have spent it sitting on my front porch, with a summer-themed drink in hand, and a good book. My friend Maggie probably would have driven through town and stopped off at my place with her mom. I probably would have shown them my place, and Maggie would have jumped at the chance to see anything that I bought while in Toronto. After that, a few friends would show up, we'd have some cold beer on the front porch, and just enjoy the afternoon sun while it lasted. That is what my Friday afternoon would have looked like if I'd had the time off...

Saturday was pretty fun, a group of us ended up going to the Beach after the Shinerama bottle drive. We'd planned to make our way to Shediac, but ended up at Silver Lake instead. It was a chill afternoon. Sarah and I took off to Moncton that evening to see Brüno. It was ridiculous, hilarious, and the best laugh I've had in a while. Beware though, it is pretty...interesting. If you're not a very open-minded person...stay away hahaha. It is rated the way it is for a reason.

Saturday night, 6 of us on the Shinerama team headed out for a Bar blitz. We went to the O2, a bar in Moncton, and we were fundraising from midnight until the bar closed. The bar-blitzing is a pretty itneresting way to raise money, we had buckets of candies and condoms, and we asked for a small donation, and people could take what they wanted. We raised over $450.00 in 2 hours. Shinerama is a fundraiser for Cystic Fibrosis research. CF is the most common, fatal genetic disease affecting young Canadians today. For every year of fundraising that has happened, a year has been added to life expectancy of those who suffer from CF. It is a pretty shitty disease, that affects multiple organ groups in the body, mostly the lungs and digestive systems. Our school's goal is to raise $20, 000 this year, and the national goal is to raise over $1, 000, 000.

Mayme is our Shinerama chair, and has been doing a pretty amazing job so far organizing hte events on and around campus all summer, and planning for the fall Shine Day. I think we are well on our way to meeting the $20, 000 goal.

Today was just a day to recover from being out until 4am, I lounged in bed (my new bed!) and I got a fair amount of reading done. I don't know what I am going to do once I'm done this book, I don't think there is a 3rd to the series, at least not yet. Any suggestions?

Until next time,

Patrick

PS, this is the song I had to keep asking Sacha about, it was one of the last songs played at the 02 last night, we all had it stuck in our heads:

Back in the Sack

There is nothing quite like Family reunions, or Family Weddings. I always come away from them wishing I had another week to recover from them. This time, it was my sister's wedding. 

Most of our family flew up to Toronto, then drove to Haliburton, to see my sister marry her then fiancé-now husband (still getting used to that!)- Patrick. Yes, his name is Patrick. A bit confusing when you're around both his family and ours.

She married into a family that is almost the mirror image of our family in New Brunswick;

there are too many to count, keep track of names, and you're always being introduced to Aunts, Uncles and cousins you never knew you had. If you had to give it a title, I think everyone would have agreed on "My Big Fat Irish Catholic Wedding"

It was nice to get out of Sackville for a week, get some much needed shopping done (there isn't anywhere in Sackville to buy socks!), and see my siblings. My twin brother (kevin)  and sister (Katie) live in Toronto, and I get to see them a few times a year. Between family reunions, trips to Toronto, and holidays. I was also able to pencil in some friends while I was up in the city. Laura is working up there for the summer for MSF (Doctors without Borders) and we went shopping for my wedding outfit together, and finished off the outfit by running around the Eaton Centre frantically with 5 minutes before all the stores closed, to find the right tie. 

I got an email from my friend Allie's parents the other day, they forwarded along the email she sent out from the Amazon, she seems to be having a great time, and I am looking forward to hearing all of the interesting  stories and of course, like I've been saying for the past few weeks, to see Coldplay! 

We've been getting the housing assignment letters ready for the past few days in Isobel's office, and I have had this one song stuck in my head, and I just cannot seem to remember what it is called, so I have to keep asking Sacha. Nothing too interesting, just a good upbeat to keep us motivated while we're stuffing the close to 800 Residence letters... which will go out this week! I still can't remember what it is, so this one is going out to Keleigh 

Well, that's all for today. I am off to lunch, the café has a BBQ on today which Sarah and I usually go to, but since she's enroute to Thailand/in TO for the time being, I am going to have a 2nd burger for her. 

Until next time!