New Start 20 - Final Canada pics (phew!)

The final journey - you must all be sick of Canada now but the piccies are for me to remember a good holiday and an important step in my diet journey so I've persevered!

We went to Ottawa to stay with my cousin Michael for the final 3 days of our trip. He took the time off so he could be tour guide which was a bit unexpected but which meant we did see loads of sights - the Parliament Buildings, Museums and the Mounties' Sunset Ride. The latter is a ride of a select band of the Mounted Police set to music which tours round Canada in the summer, ending up at the Calgary Stampede. It was surprisingly good fun - a really gentle family atmosphere with the added bonus of lots of hunky men in tight trousers which always helps!!

I think our police could learn something from the Mounties as they were obviously very popular despite various scandals about heavy handed dealing with riots and corruption etc. Maybe our Bobbies need to do more family entertainment and try and catch the kids young??

I included a few pics of the best looking one for the girls (sorry Guinea for this blatent sexism) Can you spot the one who turned round and winked at me??!

I also liked the poor longsuffering dog dressed up as a horse! He wasn't happy about it but what could he do?!

The swimming cossie one is of me hurling myself into what looked like a very cold and choppy lake just so I could say I'd done it. My cousin has a weekend cottage up there and it was gorgeous. As it happened it wasn't cold at all so had a good swim, a bit too choppy for staying out too long though.

Anyway, back to England. We went out to the local last night. It has changed hands again! The village is getting sick of it but we'll give this lot a chance as ever. They're a funny lot though - a Bar Manager who clearly doesn't like people and isn't very good at serving pints! And is as camp as a row of tents which will go down well in t'country. Actually people are remarkably tolerant in the village but his attitude is already raising eyebrows. We had a couple of butch lesbians running the other pub for a few months a while back and everyone loved them because they were a laugh and ran a good pub - it's not what you are, it's what you do with it that counts! The landlord and landlady are harder to work out so we're reserving judgement.

It was karaoke last night - turned out to be a good laugh so hats off to them for trying. Our mate Eric made his usual fool of himself and I could't stop dancing - since I've got slim, I just can't stop jigging around and so last night was no exception. D couldn't keep his hands off me - kept clutching me to him and holding hands, singing into my eyes and generally acting the loved up swain. Our mates were taking the mick of course but it was nice.

I think the fact that he's going to have to something about his belly and drinking has now sunk in - he said to me last night "Les - you've cracked it - now I've got no place to hide have I?" Very ruefully. So, my post of a couple of nights ago seems to have been accurate. Weird isn't it?

Also, a few of the locals were swarming round and saying how D'lll have slim down to join me in the Fell Race next year, or he won't me able to hang onto me - all that macho mens' stuff which I just take as a laugh but which actually sticks in men's heads. Quite amusing, especially from the perspective of a sober girl!

So, he's still sleeping this morning tryng to catch up from 2 weeks of night shifts but hopefully we'll have a good weekend and I'll see whether D is going to put his money where his mouth is!!

Wish me luck!