NYC trip

Events in April and May

A few weeks ago our rec league team traded in dodge balls for bowling balls and entered a 3-game tournament hosted by the Forest City Sports and Social Club. Many beer towers were ordered (I opted to have one drink and then concentrate on my game) and surprisingly we finished second, winning shirts, water bottles, and bottle openers. Everyone on the team had moments of glory and frustration, but our middle scores, when added up, put us just 7 points behind the leaders. Not bad!!!

For my birthday, Lindsay took me to a Jays game in Toronto. This was at the boardwalk a few blocks away from the stadium, and here I am enjoying a picnic she packed for me (how nice, a little chilly on this day in April). Without my knowing, she invited my MBA friend Brewin and his wife Renita to join us for the game. They surprised me by showing up at the hotel where we apparently were waiting for our tickets to arrive...by bike courier! I knew it seemed a bit fishy.

Brewin enjoying a very large ballpark frank...$11 later and an appointment with a physician...He enjoyed every bite, and gave us a taste too with lots to share.

The view from our seats in the upper deck. The Rogers Centre stadium is enormous inside, with the camera doing little to capture the size of this inside world. Cool to see the players I watch on tv!

Big jays mascot, with his mini me counterpart entertaining the crowd between innings.



Lindsay and I enjoying the game...the funny part was we had to hand over the cap to this vitamin water so we couldn't throw it on the field.  I'm not sure I'd be able to from here, but I think the rule protects players from the beer-guzzlers down below (and there were a lot of them).

Easter 2013 at Deerhurst Resort

Lindsay's delectable Easter creations - all the chocolate bunnies' nests full of eggs for Sunday's hunt. We had these for dessert after Friday night's salmon smorgasbord.

Mrs. Bowden played Easter Bunny by dropping these goody bags in our room for us to find upon arrival - what a nice, and delicious, surprise! While Lindsay didn't witness frequent trips to devour the stash, frequent trips were made...even before dinners.

The local ski resort straight ahead - it looks bigger the closer you get. We explored a woodsy restaurant around the bend, where tourists stay and ski next door.

Just up the road on a first walk in the sun near Deerhurst Resort - a nice way to stretch the legs after a 4 hour drive.

This popular rocky point has been visited by "a many travellers" in all seasons for this view and its close proximity to the highway that winds through Algonquin Park.

Why take a small bite when a big bite is so much better? This rocky point served as a peaceful place to picnic on a lake in Algonquin Park. Curry/chicken/apple sandwich delight...thanks to Bonnie.

The top of the falls and terrifyingly close! It's hard to see, but this is as close as we wanted to get with the roaring water about 10m away.

This is a whole lotta me hugging a tree - but I was close to the falls and didn't want to fall - in that is!

Another shot from the bottom with the falls behind us. We saw people crossing these snow bridges and standing on the crescents for photo opts - we waited here for a great shot of someone falling in, to no avail.

A close-up of the crest of the falls - the water dropped under the ice bridge to charge the channel below.

Another beauty, "Ragged Falls." This giant waterfall was roaring and working away the cavernous walls of ice and snow. This is the mid-point, but we also saw from above and down below.



This was a medical emergency resulting from me thinking it would be a great idea to put the My "Little" Pony ring on Lindsay's finger. And little it was. Lotion was required to remove said ring from said finger. Here, Lindsay smiles through the pain and even suggests this moment as picture-worthy. 

Spring Hat Party: "Spring Chicken"

Voila! A spring chicken hat for Lindsay's spring work party courtesy of supplies from the dollar store and a little imagination.

It fits, and not too heavy!

When Lindsay looked down the chicken took over. It was like a float on her head. The theme was "spring chicken" because she's the youngest gal in her old gang from the hospital. 

While not everyone took the hat theme seriously, those that did (and certainly the two on the right) helped herald in a new season and brighten up the occasion! Part way through the evening the chicken decided to take flight, tossing his spring bouquet everywhere to the amusement of the party goers. Luckily, Lindsay pieced the hat back together for this picture - a good lesson to pin that bird down next time!

Windermere Jazz Show and Dinner - Mar 15, 2013

The jazz quartet packing up after a great show - piano, guitar, bass, and drums. A fancy dinner and jazz night at the stately Windermere Manor catered to both of our interests. Nice find Linds.

This was the view from our table. Thank goodness for the old window hole in the wall that let the music spill into our section. And spill it did...lots of good standards, including a tune from Mile Davis' Kind of Blue album.

Cheers! Trying to make the wine last before our food arrives...Lindsay was more successful than I was.

Well...it's full for now but not for long!

Projection Light Show - World Figure Skating Championship 2013

Robinson Hall, a club adjacent to the stadium wall where the light show took place, lit up red against a blue crowd.

The story of London's city and skating history told in colorful moving murals was a sight to be hold.

3D effects made the scene jump out at you - a visual sensory overload. The tree of life is pictured here to pay tribute to London's nickname The Forest City.

The visual effects were stunning, with shadow details to enhance the illusion. Watch out!

The building was mapped out with computers so the projections fit perfectly into its architecture. Very cool!