On November 5th, we returned to Canada from our vacation in Japan. It was great to see for ourselves that Vecsey's eye had completely healed and that she's doing extremely well. Lisa's birthday was while we were in Nara, so we belatedly celebrated with my family by going out for dinner and then having icecream cake and visiting. |
Lisa had a few meetings in Surrey for a short-term contract that she accepted, and the timeframe corresponded perfectly with our friend's family trip to Disneyland. We were able to housesit and keep her SFU exchange student company while they were away. We enjoyed the convenient New Westminster location and many walks in nearby Queen's Park, including an unannounced drop-in visit with the Bournes. We attended the city's Remembrance Day service, and while there I met guys I hadn't seen since high school. I was able to reconnect with an old buddy over beers at a neighbourhood pub the following evening. |
I also attended the Remembrance Day assembly at my old school. Surprisingly, many students were still very excited to see me and flattered me with the reception I received. The two boys in this photo are the younger brothers of boys I taught several years ago. It was nice to have the opportunity to reconnect with some former colleagues and see their smiling faces in person again. |
For most of the month, we had bright, sunny days with chilly temperatures. This actually made for beautiful walks and gorgeous views. Unlike last year, we were prepared with seasoned firewood and it has made all the difference. Heating our home isn't nearly as much of a burden this season. | The day we returned home to Honeymoon Bay corresponded with what I thought was the Ronda Rousey fight, but turned out to be the Holly Holm fight, as the relative mma newcomer dethroned the previously undefeated champion. We had our friends over to watch UFC 193 while enjoying some snacks and refreshments. Soon afterwards they reciprocated by inviting us over for dinner. We quickly fell back into our regular routine, with the exception being that Lisa is still working on the aforementioned contract. |