Loose Ends

     I calculate that I am still three or four blog posts behind but I am having a hard time remembering what has gone on this month. One thing I do know is that I feel as if I have spent a lot of money. I certainly have gone into London enough times judging by the fact that I had to top up my Oyster Card twice in December.
   One way for me to remember is to go back through photos.

There were these photos from about three weeks ago when we had a bit of a mouse problem:

   We girls spent a day and a half shrieking every time we saw a mouse, alive or dead in the trap. A good number of us cowered on the couch while Nicholas gallantly disposed of each mouse and reset the trap. We got an exterminator to lay down poison and though the traps are still set we have not caught any in weeks. So either they are gone they got a lot smarter.

    What else? I voted at the end of October! That was a first. I knew there was a by-election for the Victoria MP due to Denise Savoie's retirement so I went on Elections Canada's website and found the right application form to fill out. I mailed it off to Ottawa and within a couple weeks I was sent a special ballot voting kit. There were very specific instructions about which order to put the ballot in the envelopes and which envelopes to sign. It took me until the end of October to decide who to vote for.

I was not going to let 7000 kilometres prevent me from voting for the first time!

    I have also got my Christmas and New Years plans figured out, and almost everything booked. Gilwell Park closes from December 20 to January 6 so we have those weeks off without using up an of our holidays. Emily and I, after changing our minds many, many times finally decided to go to Brussels, Belgium for Christmas. It may seem like a bit of a random choice but we had two very good reasons. One: Brussels looks beautiful at Christmas, full of markets and lights and it will be great to get  into the Christmas spirit. Two: Emily has a cousin who lives in Brussels with her husband and children and she has offered to let us stay with her over Christmas; it will be really nice to be in a home with a family over Christmas.
  Our plan is as follows: I will travel up to Sheffield to Emily's placement on December 21 (providing the world does not end that day), as she works that day. The next morning we will take the train to Manchester and fly to Brussels. As soon as we land in Brussels we will go to the train station and take a train to Cologne, Germany. After booking our flights to Brussels and back to Manchester, we decided that going to Cologne at Christmas would be amazing, but the markets end on December 24 so we will stay in a hostel there from the 22nd to the 24th. On the 24th we will take the train back to Brussels and stay with Emily's cousin until the 27th. One the 27th we will take the train to Bruges and stay two nights in a hostel there. On the 29th we will take the train back to Brussels, stay one night there, possibly with Emily's cousin, and then fly back to Manchester.
  I know it would have made more sense to fly into Cologne and out of Bruges and cut out some train trips, but the plane tickets were the first thing we booked, and they were a very good price.
   After flying into Manchester we will take the train back to Sheffield and I will stay the night there with Emily.
  Then part two of the Christmas holiday adventures will begin! Emily has to go back to work, but from Sheffield I will take the train to Edinburgh, Scotland on December 31. I will meet Megan, another Lattitude volunteer from Saltspring Island that I met through coming to England. We have a hostel booked for three nights at about 150 pounds each. It's a little expensive but Edinburgh is supposed to be an awesome place to be for New Year's. We have tickets for the street party that takes place right around Edinburgh Castle.
   Finally, on January 3 I will take the National Express bus from Edinburgh to London. It takes almost  nine hours but it is a lot cheaper than taking the train. It will be back to work before long and on January 11 to 13 Gilwell Park hosts a massive Winter Camp which will keep us all very busy.

    I'm getting very excited for Christmas holidays now, it's coming up soon and I still have a few things left to book. I will write all about the adventure when they happen.