Bye, bye Algonquin ...

School is done!!! YAY!! I am very happy to have completed the AMS program, and am also proud to say that I enjoyed it, made a lot of friends, learned alot, and was a really good student. I managed to stay on the Dean's list for the first 3 semesters, and am waiting to hear about this last semester, though I am pretty sure that I will still be on it. It is quite an acheivement and I am so glad that I went back to school and stayed with it through all the very frustrating times we had during the program. Some neat skills I learned aside from the more theoretical/museum based knowledge include: table saw, bandsaw, compound mitre saw, drill press, router, glass/acrylic cutting, sign vinyl, mat cutting and framing, and tons of artefact cleaning and treatment procedures. Kinda neat stuff, for the most part. I can now say that I would be able to find my way around a wood shop - maybe not with great expediency, but I could still do it!! (And for those of you wondering, I did learn a lot of other stuff too that is more obviously related to museum work than a wood shop!)

I am happy that this phase of life is over, and am really looking forward to starting the next - moving to England!!

Peter made it safely back to England yesterday (well, early this morning) and is trying to stay awake today to finish the work he needs to do. We are starting to count down the days now for when we will be able to live under the same roof again. That being said, we are thankful that the last few months have gone smoothly, and really really fast!!

Team PM

5 weeks and counting ...

In just under 5 weeks I will be heading to England. I am finally starting to get excited about the transition ... now that school is just about done, I have some time to consider the fact that I am going to LIVE IN ENGLAND!! Its nuts .. the best part is that I get to live with Peter again. The last few months have been quite an adjustment for us, but we've done pretty well I think. And, as previously UNexpected, Peter gets to come home a second time to help out with the move this week....so he'll be here on Thursday afternoon for about 4 days.


That being said .. I am very sad that this is my second last night in my house. I will miss living here alot, and have become very attached to this place - our very first home .. sniff sniff ..

On Wednesday we have the packers/loaders for our International shipment coming to take the stuff that will be sent to England. This is mostly kitchen stuff that wasn't provided in the UK house, as well as some furniture including our computer desk and my big easy chair. The house in Amesbury is adequately furnished, we're just taking some stuff for additional comfort/convenience : ) Then, on Thursday the Domestic packers come - this is all the rest of our stuff that will be going into storage; Friday the moving truck comes to take all that stuff to the storage warehouse. Seeing the moving truck was exciting the last time we moved (I couldn't wait to get out of that apartment in Barrie!) .. but I don't think I will be as excited this time .. I am starting to feel pretty sad about leaving Ottawa.

So .. as you can see the next few days are very busy ones for me, and Peter once he arrives. After that, I'll have some time to relax before Fletch and I head over to England. Don't even get me started on the stress associated with that voyage ...

Team PM

Happy Easter

Well, Peter's long anticipated visit home to Ottawa is here .. he arrived yesterday at about 5 pm. It was a long overdue visit for us, and a very welcome break from school work for him. The past three weeks have been very busy for him what with many 12-16 hr days, as well as a minimum of 12 hrs work on the weekends. He also went to Heathrow to (in his words): 'explore 21st century civilian systems technology in the Boeing 777 simulator'...in the simulator he 'flew' from Heathrow to Marseilles, France. The first semester has been extremly exhausting, but really exciting and rewarding; he has flown over 30 hrs in 8 different types of aircraft, and was even able to experience 'formation flying' - think Snowbirds. Needless to say, I hope he doesn't have to do that too many more times! The term ended on Thursday with Peter's group presentation on the 'range and endurance performance of a Hawk T Mk 1' ... one tutor said that it was the best presentation on that subject matter that he had ever seen during his time at the school. It was a nice way to leave off before the break.

So, Peter will be home in Ottawa until April 15th when he heads back to the UK. After that, we have 6 weeks apart to endure before Fletch and I fly over .. so that should be interesting to say the least.

Just thought we'd keep you all posted, hope you have a Happy Easter!

Team PM