You know that old saying about being careful what you say as it might come back to nip you? Well, I feel nipped. Last night it snowed, and snowed, and snowed again so when we woke this morning there was quite a deposit that had to be cleared before anyone could move. George and Aida our building supers had everything cleared by the time that I ventured out at 0800 to walk Peri but the city sidewalks were still snow covered so our walk was a bit of an adventure - making some progress on the street but having to jump off into the snow bank to avoid traffic when it came along.

I ventured off to take our tax returns into a tax specialist to see if they can see if there is anything we can do to appeal the good folks at Revenue Canada's decision to try to squeak out an additional $13K from our meagre resources. Keep your fingers crossed.

Has everyone been following events in the Middle East? As I alluded in a past post I can't begin to imagine what new Canadians of Middle Eastern background must be going through right now. Granted we are a nation of immigrants and we all more or less recently "got off the boat" but for example in my case, although my people come from the UK and I'm sure that we have family back there I wouldn't know them if I fell over them in the street. There has been enough time passed since my grandparents came over for the two branches to grow apart. No doubt it is the same for long term second and third generation middle eastern families, but there has been a recent influx from that part of the world and they have to be concerned about their families that they left behind. How are Mom and Dad making out? Brothers? Little sister? Uncles and Aunties? As I said we are cursed to be living in interesting times.

Today is the start of the 2011 Halifax Boat Show. This show is small potatoes by comparison with Annapolis or Miami or New York or even the Toronto show and there is definitely no in water component but it is still the biggest and best east of Montreal and from our point of view well worth the entrance fee. Best of all, for me, it looks like I won't be working it so I can be a tourist and wander about looking at stuff and trying to get ideas. The snowstorm did do one good thing. At ten minutes before the opening on the first day of the show, we were the third and fourth people in the line up and moreover by the time the ticket booth opened there were only about ten people in line. That meant that we had a couple of hours to wander about without a whole lot of other folks showing up to crowd out the joint. We also got first pick at the sales. Barb got a new pair of deck shoes and we both got some new books for the boat. I also got a couple of contacts for the ultra sound bottom cleaning and for the v-groove split pulley. Possibly good things to have for when we get Nelleke home in May.

Tonight Barb's boss has invited us out for dinner to celebrate the closing of her store in Historic Properties. Her husband is from Sweden and there is a Scandinavian restaurant close to where they have a condo. That'll be where we have a dinner. Apparently they are having a meal to celebrate the fact that the restaurant has been open for 30 years with a menu from 30 years ago along with prices from that era too. Barb and I have bought a bottle of wine to contribute and some flowers for our hostess.

Closing off now to have a shower, a shave and a squirt with smell purty so I won't embarrass Barb. Blog ya later.....