It's 11.43 a.m EST and I am sitting in Rae's apartment (i.e. The Sauna). Holy shyte it's hot in here. A good thing she doesn't pay for heat. Anyway, Rae is off getting something done to her jaw by a chiropractor. Now, last time I checked chiropractor were 'back' specialists, but whatever. I am not going to question Rae's many methods of mending her jaw. She's got a load of pills to take every morning (just calcium and the sort, nothing hard...) , so many so that she has one of those little pill boxes for the week. It would suck to have TNJ. Or maybe it would crack. She's wearing a retainer type thing now too, which means she's got a bit of a lisp.

Anyways, I just had the most glorious in-bed experience one could possibly have aside f rom... wel you know... I slept for ten hours straight. And oh how I needed it! What a wearing week I've had, meeting so many people, running all around downtown Ottawa, from one big skyscraper to the enxt, discovering along the way that the government spares no expense in outfitting and furnishing its offices well.

Some highlights from the past week:

• Visiting Sugar Mountain. I left $8 poorer, with 300 grams of the good stuff in all the best forms (ie cola bottles, bubblegum, gummies, etc.)
• Meeting two very influential men from PEI, who were up here to speak at a conference on economic transformation in Atlantic Canada. It's amazing what they have accomplished in their respective areas of expertise.
• Working with the two women in our Ottawa office - they are both so wonderful and down-to-earth and on the ball.
• Meeting A LOT of nice looking men, passing a load of nice looking men on the street, being reassured that there is still a pool of young, single men out there. OK, so the pool isn't in my backyard, it's a bit of trek to go for a swim, but, hey I'm up for the hike!
• Going to Hillowe'en on Wednesday - a Hallowe'en party on the hill (West block) for Hill staff and their families. All sorts of kids dressed up in costume and adults standing around pretneding they aren't ecstatic that they've been given a HUGE bag full of yummy candy. No crap bags of chips or boxes of raisins -just chocolate bars and gummies and rockets and the such. And yes, I was lucky enough to get my hands on one..or unlucky enough. Oh dear me. Suffice to say I haven't been a 'good' girl this week. They were also serving free beer and wine, as well as mini quiches, bruschetta, deli meats, etc. So I had sugar and fat for dinner. Just as we were leaving a load of MPs showed up for their treat bag. Funny how easy it is to please some people.
• Thai dinner with the original group of gals I hung around with when I first lived in Ottawa: Becky, Rae and Renee. Dinner was very good, company was great.
• Friday the Hill staff are allowed to go to the Parliament Dining Room for lunch. Mary, Laura, Mary's husband and I decided to take the opportunity to enjoy first-class dining at decent prices. The dining room was huge and the ceilings at least three stories tall, with many domes. As the meal carreid on I thought I was going crazy. I'd be listening to Mary tell a story, but I could hardly hear her..all I heard was a strange male voice speaking very loudly. It was as if some other diner had decided to wear a microphone to lunch. But when I asked the rest of the table whether they could hear this loud voice, they all said 'no'. I honestly thought I was going mad. But then it awas deduced that the domed ceiling must be amplifying the voices in certain areas. So I ate my Atlatic salmon and enjoyed a dessert buffet and tried to forget about the voices in my head.
• Well, this isn't really a highlight, more like a lowlight. Yesterday afternoon as I was walking back to my hotel I ran into my old boss from DOJ. It's been over three years since I worked there but I still harbour ill-feelings towards that man. He was absolutely horrible to all his female staff. Mostly with me he was a bully and made inappropriate comments about my weight and personal life. With another one of the younger staff he definitely crossed the line and should haev been taken to HR. Sigh. I really really really wanted to give him a piece of mind and tell him how much misery he had cuased me and my co-workers. He doesn't deserve to be in a management position. BUt, of course, I didn't say anything nasty. I just told him all I'd been up to and when he asked why I'd not kept in touch I just shrugged my shoulders and said I'd been busy. In a moment of inappropriateness he asked if I was married. Phhpppt. Fat chance.

Anywho, that's the work week summed up. Today is gorgeous and we are going to go to the Aviation museum and check out Rae's new house, have a bite at Oh SO Good then get some props for our Hallowe-en costumes. Tonight I will be drunk and in disguise - a dangerous mix! I think I may dress up like a present with a gift tag that says: From God, To Men. That would be a laugh, but possibly too egotistical (excpet forhte fact hta I know I am not) But I have nuttin else. No other ideas....