Trains, suburbs, and automobiles.

I'm back home in semi-rural Ottawa. Except it doesn't feel too much like home. There's one big thing missing: my dog! Oh, and I guess my dad and my brother and sister too. But, seriously, it's really wierd that the dog isn't around. (She's in C'town with my dad.) I keep wanting to check on her outside, or lean down and give her pats, or else watch that I don't put food on the floor. And when this ginormous air balloon flew by the house today, there was no dog to run and hide in my brother's closet because she's terrified of those things. Sigh.

The train to Ottawa yesterday was fine (apart from it taking an hour longer than it should have). I sat next to this chatty lawyer man who immediately introduced himself to me even before I had a chance to sit down! Coby is 42, a father of 2 daughers, grew up in Ottawa, but now works in Calgary as a will and estate lawyer, etc., etc., etc. I can tell you more. But he was a nice, sincere guy. And, FN: He likes his job a lot! (But he doesn't strike me as the intellectual type.)

It's been really beautiful weather and scenery 'round these parts. The leaves are just about at the height of their fall colour season. (Coby told me that there are no maple trees in Calgary, so they never see red leaves. How sad!)

There's not much to do at home except hang out with my mom while she watches home and decorating shows, among other things that you only get if you have cable. We went grocery shopping today, and got stuff for turkey dinner tomorrow as well as bagels and good old fashioned (fake) Chinese egg rolls. (I've never seen egg rolls of this sort in Toronto's Chinatown.)

Tuesday through Friday I'll be leaving the house at 7:23am to catch the "late" bus into town. Oy. And then I get to leave the archives at 5:05pm to get the last bus back home. So I'll get a taste of the 9-5 (well, 8:30-4:30) thing next week. Sounds dreadful.

Happy Thanksgiving everyone!