Poplar Ridge, NY
June 3-11, 2017
Saturday we stayed at the Hampton Inn and Suites in Brantford, Ontario. When we pulled up there was a considerably large wedding party out front. As we were bringing our bags up to our room, Dan noticed a case of beer on the floor near the elevators. This was not boding well for a quiet night's sleep.
After settling in a bit in our room, it was getting close to dinner time so Dan and I looked at maps of Brantford (printed and online) to figure out how to get to the nearest Subway restaurant. With map in hand Dan headed out to pick up some dinner.
I vegged out on the couch and channel surfed. I found what I thought was an interesting documentary about Native Americans but it turned out to be the making of a music video by a Native American rap artist. On to something else: a Big Bang Theory rerun. I watched the rest of that episode and started to watch the next episode and wondered where Dan was with the food. Several minutes later he did come back. It turned out there was construction on one of the main routes to the restaurant and traffic was being re-routed elsewhere so Dan got turned around on the way.
While eating dinner I decided to turn on what I thought would be the local news, but their ABC, NBC, and CBS affiliated stations were broadcasting from Boston, Massachusetts. That surprised me since there are plenty of big cities between Brantford and Boston that could've given more relevant news and weather. After listening for a little bit I switched over to CNN and that's when we learned about the terrorist attack on the London Bridge.
After dinner, Dan decided to call his brother. I checked email and read a bit. Later it was back to channel surfing and I ran across a program called Murdoch Mysteries, a detective program set around the end of the 1800s and early 1900s. In my opinion, some of the acting by the guest actors was not that good but the case we watched was interesting. It was about using meth to enhance a soldier's fighting ability (but without regard to the side effects). There was a lot more to the story, including a series of soldiers' murders which is how Detective William Murdoch got involved, but I found the meth aspect and the reason the commander felt the need to give his troops meth quite fascinating. Maybe one day I'll look up the history to see if indeed meth was used (or was used experimentally, or was thought of being used) in the Canadian army for combat enhancement. Fascinating.
That night we went to bed earlier than we usually do when we're home. I was going to get up at 7 am to watch the Mass on EWTN online. Before getting into bed I could hear yelling from the parking lot. At first we thought that was the wedding party, but no, just a few young men yelling and running around. The hotel has a no noise policy from 9 pm to 7 am, but I guess that doesn't apply to the property outside the hotel building. Needless to say it took me quite some time to get to sleep and unfortunately it was a restless sleep too.
Sunday we arrived at Simkin cottage at around 4:30 pm. The weather was cloudy and cool, but not uncomfortably cool. Once we got settled a bit Dan proceeded to make a fire in the fireplace even though it wasn't necessary. I was concerned about squandering scarce resources knowing that the next couple of days would be colder and that we'd need to make a fire even though all but two pieces of wood were wet and unusable thanks to all the rain they've been having this Spring.
Dan tried calling some of his relatives to let them know that we had arrived but the phone seemed to be working only intermittently. We found out that when it rains in this part of the country the phone service goes out. And, depending on where you live, there is no cell service either (although the no cell service is all the time, rain or shine).
That evening Dan's uncle Paul and aunt Jane came over for a visit. Uncle Paul was telling us about the Cornell Solar Array that was recently installed on land that overlooks the farmland that was once owned by Dan's great-grandfather. Dan's aunt Linda and uncle Jim also had a solar panel installed at their farm. On Wednesday we got an up close look at the 76 ft. long solar panel at the farm and we drove by the Cornell Solar Array. While Dan did stop the car at the side of the road to take pictures of the Cornell Array, any picture will not show the entire array, so one won't get an idea of its size unless one sees it in person.
At the farm the solar panel can supply up to 12 megawatts of power, although Dan's uncle said that he has never seen the monitors read that high. The power comes in as DC, gets sent to one of two inverters that turn it into AC power that then runs through underground wires to the house. The reason the panel is 76 ft. long is because Dan's aunt and uncle wanted 100% of their power to come from solar. Dan's uncle said that those wanting to have less or more could get panels of different sizes, depending on their situation. The state of New York was encouraging individuals and businesses to install solar panels before the tax breaks expired in December 2016. Subsidies and grants brought the price down by about half for Dan's aunt and uncle.
Dan has been wanting to install solar panels on our roof for some time, but because of laws and regulations, not to mention the trees surrounding the back of our property, this would not be feasible, but in the summer of 2017 solar roof tiles and shingles are supposed to go on the market so, in theory, when our roof needs replacing we could get solar roof shingles, if the Briarwood HOA Board allows it. The roof would look similar to what we have now, so I think the Board shouldn't have a problem with it.
On Monday we went into Auburn to get groceries for the week. It was sunny when we left the cottage but as we drove closer to Auburn there were some ominous clouds in the distance. There was quite the downpour when we were inside shopping. Luckily it quit before we were ready to go back to the car. Our next stop, after a brief stop at the gas station to fill up the tank of the car, was the Union Springs Shur-Fine supermarket to get some firewood and kindling.
The temperature this day was not too bad, mid-60s, so we decided to eat lunch and read the newspaper on the screened-in porch. Since it was raining on and off there was nothing much else to do. We heard thunder off in the distance and a chipmunk scurried along the windowsill (the chipmunk made a second appearance Wednesday, even stopping to look in the window). About mid-afternoon it started getting colder so we went inside and closed the door to the porch. A little while later we got a heavy, wind-driven downpour. And that's when the roof started to leak. Luckily the leak was confined to the hallway, or so we thought. Some water also got into the bathroom dampening the toilet paper roll.
On Tuesday rain continued on and off, though mostly on. Despite waking up to 58 degrees, the temperature did not get much higher throughout the day as I had hoped it would. In retrospect I should have had Dan make a fire in the fireplace in the morning, but it was too late to do so when he offered to do so in the afternoon because we were due at Dan's father's cousin's house for a family dinner. After a nice visit with several of Dan's relatives (in a nice warm house!) we drove back to the cottage in the rain and went to bed shortly after.
On Wednesday it was 52 degrees and sunny in the morning, but inside the cottage it felt 20 degrees cooler. Dan made a fire in the fireplace and I ate breakfast and read a bit in front of the fire to keep warm. Dan's uncle called shortly after breakfast to invite us to see his solar panel installation. After the "tour" of the solar panel installation we spent time visiting, having tea, and getting acquainted with their dog Suzy, a golden retriever who LOVES to be petted. She lies down on your feet and puts her body up against your legs while she looks up lovingly at you while you pet her. Dan's aunt said that when I've had enough just say "Enough!" and she'll leave. Well, she didn't leave when I said "Enough!" Clearly the dog had not had enough yet.
Because the sun was out it warmed up to the mid- to high-60s, so it was warm enough in the afternoon to sit on the porch and read. Well, I did that. Dan sat inside on the couch and read. Before that, after lunch, we drove out to see the Cornell Solar Array (see earlier notes).
On our way back to the cottage I took some pictures of the surrounding countryside:
Saturday we stayed at the Hampton Inn and Suites in Brantford, Ontario. When we pulled up there was a considerably large wedding party out front. As we were bringing our bags up to our room, Dan noticed a case of beer on the floor near the elevators. This was not boding well for a quiet night's sleep.
After settling in a bit in our room, it was getting close to dinner time so Dan and I looked at maps of Brantford (printed and online) to figure out how to get to the nearest Subway restaurant. With map in hand Dan headed out to pick up some dinner.
I vegged out on the couch and channel surfed. I found what I thought was an interesting documentary about Native Americans but it turned out to be the making of a music video by a Native American rap artist. On to something else: a Big Bang Theory rerun. I watched the rest of that episode and started to watch the next episode and wondered where Dan was with the food. Several minutes later he did come back. It turned out there was construction on one of the main routes to the restaurant and traffic was being re-routed elsewhere so Dan got turned around on the way.
While eating dinner I decided to turn on what I thought would be the local news, but their ABC, NBC, and CBS affiliated stations were broadcasting from Boston, Massachusetts. That surprised me since there are plenty of big cities between Brantford and Boston that could've given more relevant news and weather. After listening for a little bit I switched over to CNN and that's when we learned about the terrorist attack on the London Bridge.
After dinner, Dan decided to call his brother. I checked email and read a bit. Later it was back to channel surfing and I ran across a program called Murdoch Mysteries, a detective program set around the end of the 1800s and early 1900s. In my opinion, some of the acting by the guest actors was not that good but the case we watched was interesting. It was about using meth to enhance a soldier's fighting ability (but without regard to the side effects). There was a lot more to the story, including a series of soldiers' murders which is how Detective William Murdoch got involved, but I found the meth aspect and the reason the commander felt the need to give his troops meth quite fascinating. Maybe one day I'll look up the history to see if indeed meth was used (or was used experimentally, or was thought of being used) in the Canadian army for combat enhancement. Fascinating.
That night we went to bed earlier than we usually do when we're home. I was going to get up at 7 am to watch the Mass on EWTN online. Before getting into bed I could hear yelling from the parking lot. At first we thought that was the wedding party, but no, just a few young men yelling and running around. The hotel has a no noise policy from 9 pm to 7 am, but I guess that doesn't apply to the property outside the hotel building. Needless to say it took me quite some time to get to sleep and unfortunately it was a restless sleep too.
Sunday we arrived at Simkin cottage at around 4:30 pm. The weather was cloudy and cool, but not uncomfortably cool. Once we got settled a bit Dan proceeded to make a fire in the fireplace even though it wasn't necessary. I was concerned about squandering scarce resources knowing that the next couple of days would be colder and that we'd need to make a fire even though all but two pieces of wood were wet and unusable thanks to all the rain they've been having this Spring.
Dan tried calling some of his relatives to let them know that we had arrived but the phone seemed to be working only intermittently. We found out that when it rains in this part of the country the phone service goes out. And, depending on where you live, there is no cell service either (although the no cell service is all the time, rain or shine).
That evening Dan's uncle Paul and aunt Jane came over for a visit. Uncle Paul was telling us about the Cornell Solar Array that was recently installed on land that overlooks the farmland that was once owned by Dan's great-grandfather. Dan's aunt Linda and uncle Jim also had a solar panel installed at their farm. On Wednesday we got an up close look at the 76 ft. long solar panel at the farm and we drove by the Cornell Solar Array. While Dan did stop the car at the side of the road to take pictures of the Cornell Array, any picture will not show the entire array, so one won't get an idea of its size unless one sees it in person.
At the farm the solar panel can supply up to 12 megawatts of power, although Dan's uncle said that he has never seen the monitors read that high. The power comes in as DC, gets sent to one of two inverters that turn it into AC power that then runs through underground wires to the house. The reason the panel is 76 ft. long is because Dan's aunt and uncle wanted 100% of their power to come from solar. Dan's uncle said that those wanting to have less or more could get panels of different sizes, depending on their situation. The state of New York was encouraging individuals and businesses to install solar panels before the tax breaks expired in December 2016. Subsidies and grants brought the price down by about half for Dan's aunt and uncle.
Dan has been wanting to install solar panels on our roof for some time, but because of laws and regulations, not to mention the trees surrounding the back of our property, this would not be feasible, but in the summer of 2017 solar roof tiles and shingles are supposed to go on the market so, in theory, when our roof needs replacing we could get solar roof shingles, if the Briarwood HOA Board allows it. The roof would look similar to what we have now, so I think the Board shouldn't have a problem with it.
On Monday we went into Auburn to get groceries for the week. It was sunny when we left the cottage but as we drove closer to Auburn there were some ominous clouds in the distance. There was quite the downpour when we were inside shopping. Luckily it quit before we were ready to go back to the car. Our next stop, after a brief stop at the gas station to fill up the tank of the car, was the Union Springs Shur-Fine supermarket to get some firewood and kindling.
The temperature this day was not too bad, mid-60s, so we decided to eat lunch and read the newspaper on the screened-in porch. Since it was raining on and off there was nothing much else to do. We heard thunder off in the distance and a chipmunk scurried along the windowsill (the chipmunk made a second appearance Wednesday, even stopping to look in the window). About mid-afternoon it started getting colder so we went inside and closed the door to the porch. A little while later we got a heavy, wind-driven downpour. And that's when the roof started to leak. Luckily the leak was confined to the hallway, or so we thought. Some water also got into the bathroom dampening the toilet paper roll.
On Tuesday rain continued on and off, though mostly on. Despite waking up to 58 degrees, the temperature did not get much higher throughout the day as I had hoped it would. In retrospect I should have had Dan make a fire in the fireplace in the morning, but it was too late to do so when he offered to do so in the afternoon because we were due at Dan's father's cousin's house for a family dinner. After a nice visit with several of Dan's relatives (in a nice warm house!) we drove back to the cottage in the rain and went to bed shortly after.
On Wednesday it was 52 degrees and sunny in the morning, but inside the cottage it felt 20 degrees cooler. Dan made a fire in the fireplace and I ate breakfast and read a bit in front of the fire to keep warm. Dan's uncle called shortly after breakfast to invite us to see his solar panel installation. After the "tour" of the solar panel installation we spent time visiting, having tea, and getting acquainted with their dog Suzy, a golden retriever who LOVES to be petted. She lies down on your feet and puts her body up against your legs while she looks up lovingly at you while you pet her. Dan's aunt said that when I've had enough just say "Enough!" and she'll leave. Well, she didn't leave when I said "Enough!" Clearly the dog had not had enough yet.
Because the sun was out it warmed up to the mid- to high-60s, so it was warm enough in the afternoon to sit on the porch and read. Well, I did that. Dan sat inside on the couch and read. Before that, after lunch, we drove out to see the Cornell Solar Array (see earlier notes).
On our way back to the cottage I took some pictures of the surrounding countryside:
After reading for a bit Dan decided to go look for the Indian mounds (we passed signs for them on our way to the cottage). That didn't interest me so I stayed back at the cottage and took a shower since we finally had a decently "warm" day. Later I started writing up my travelogue. I had been neglecting to do so up until this point. I was still writing while Dan was cooking dinner. Perhaps it was a good thing I was staying out of the kitchen since he seemed to be quite frustrated by something he was cooking. (Note: when we're on vacation Dan cooks and I do the dishes. When we're home, the other 51 weeks out of the year, I cook and Dan washes the pots and pans. The dishwasher does the dishes.)
On Thursday nature's alarm clock turned out to be a very loud 6 am wake up call from a woodpecker pecking on the cottage wall. Eventually he (or she) stopped and we were able to get back to sleep for a bit.
Dan made a fire in the fireplace in the morning to take the chill off. The rest of the morning was spent relaxing and reading, including us both reading the comics together. After lunch it warmed up enough so we went over to Long Point State Park to walk the trails. I was still trying to rest my previously injured knee so I suggested a fairly short- to medium-length route.
On Thursday nature's alarm clock turned out to be a very loud 6 am wake up call from a woodpecker pecking on the cottage wall. Eventually he (or she) stopped and we were able to get back to sleep for a bit.
Dan made a fire in the fireplace in the morning to take the chill off. The rest of the morning was spent relaxing and reading, including us both reading the comics together. After lunch it warmed up enough so we went over to Long Point State Park to walk the trails. I was still trying to rest my previously injured knee so I suggested a fairly short- to medium-length route.
What I hadn't figured on is the muddy terrain (the picture directly above is a deer print in the mud). After all the rain they've had in the area, it clearly takes longer than a day and a half to dry things out. So, most of the time we were hiking I was looking down on the ground in order to watch for muddy patches and downright wet areas (rivers I call them, and in one case there was actual running water in one of these overly-wet patches).
I managed, for the most part, to keep my socks dry but my walking shoes were a muddy mess as was the bottom of my jeans' pant legs. Although we tried to scrape the mud off on the grass at the park, there was just too much. After we got back to the cottage, we did a more thorough job. I was worried because these are the shoes I'd have to wear to the hotel Saturday night on our way back to Michigan. I wanted them to look presentable. Luckily by the next morning they looked a lot better. They still needed some cleaning once I got home, but at least they were presentable enough to check into the hotel without getting stared at. Dan had an easier time cleaning his shoes, I think, since they're leather. Mine are mostly mesh.
Later that afternoon it reached a temperature in the mid-70s so Dan decided he would take a dip in the lake. While the air temperature was in the mid-70s, the lake temperature was MUCH colder. Personally, I didn't think this was a good idea, but he went in anyway, swam to the camp dock next door and back. Dan commented that he thinks the water was colder this year than last. Judging from the lake irises, which barely had buds this year as opposed to them in full bloom last year when we were here, I would guess that it has been a cold (and we know, wet) Spring and that has kept the lake temperature lower than usual. In my opinion, the lake probably won't be warm enough to swim in until August... maybe.
Later that afternoon it reached a temperature in the mid-70s so Dan decided he would take a dip in the lake. While the air temperature was in the mid-70s, the lake temperature was MUCH colder. Personally, I didn't think this was a good idea, but he went in anyway, swam to the camp dock next door and back. Dan commented that he thinks the water was colder this year than last. Judging from the lake irises, which barely had buds this year as opposed to them in full bloom last year when we were here, I would guess that it has been a cold (and we know, wet) Spring and that has kept the lake temperature lower than usual. In my opinion, the lake probably won't be warm enough to swim in until August... maybe.
As Dan was wading out into the water, toward the neighbor's dock to the north we saw a mother duck and a number of ducklings in the water close to shore. We had been hearing ducks quacking for days, but this is the first we saw of them. They only went into the water a little way and then went back to shore (see the picture directly above).
After Dan's swim we sat on a bench by the shore for a while before going in for dinner. The weather was still nice and warm so we ate out on the screened in porch. After dinner I continued to read Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone by J. K. Rowling. While looking through the books on the cottage bookshelf earlier in the week I found this book. A while back Dan's brother had recommended I read the series so I thought this was a good opportunity to start. I finished the book Friday morning. It was an easy, fast-paced read. The story kept me interested, but I don't think interested enough to go on to read the next book in the series. It's a good children's book. I would think it would appeal more to boys and tomboys, but I guess in reality most children, boys and girls alike, like this series of books.
Friday the sun was shining again. Although it was quite cool in the cottage, Dan did not make a fire. It was supposed to be warmer outside today than yesterday so we figured as long as we could get through the morning it would be comfortable inside later. When I went outside to finish cleaning my shoes from the muddy hike the day before it seemed warmer outside than in.
Dan cleaned the ashes out of the fireplace in anticipation of leaving tomorrow. Later in the day I scrubbed the sinks and packed what I could. Most of the rest of the day was spent quietly reading. I thought that we would take one last trip down to the lake, this time to see the sunset, but Dan's relatives had other plans. Dan's father's cousin called and said they wanted to come to the cottage and visit with us one last time before we left. So, we spent the evening visiting with her and her husband.
Saturday it was time to eat breakfast, pack up, take the garbage and the recycling to the dump/recycling center, and then head on out. Except for my normal travel day health problems and a clogged toilet everything worked out OK and we started our travels more or less on time. We ate lunch at one of the rest stops on the thruway and then it was a quick visit with Dan's aunt and uncle who live in Rochester. Dan's aunt hasn't been feeling well for quite some time, so we decided not to stay long (although our "we're only going to stay 15 minutes" extended into an hour.) After that visit it was back on the road to Brantford, Ontario where we'd stay the night before heading on off to Michigan.
Once we got to the hotel, I checked us in. All seemed fine, but this is where my flightiness started. I get back out to the car and realize I left my credit card on the counter. So, I went back in and retrieved it. After taking our bags up to our room, we noticed the air conditioning had not been turned on and it was HOT in the room. The air conditioning unit was on the wall so both Dan and I tried adjusting the thermostat that was attached to it to no avail. I called down to the front desk to ask how to turn the air conditioning on and the woman told me that there's a thermostat on the opposite wall. I thanked her, but I felt so foolish! Of course. Why didn't I (or Dan) think to look on the wall for a thermostat.
Dinner went well. Dan did not get lost this time going to the Subway restaurant. At 8 pm I turned on the TV to watch Murdoch Mysteries. At this point, I just turned it on to find out what the name of the show was for this travelogue since I had forgotten it, but I sat and watched the whole episode. Now I'm hooked. I want to see all the episodes in the series. After I did a bit of research, I found out that this is a very popular series in Canada. It just finished up its 10th season and I think it's renewed for an 11th. When I got back home I put all the seasons of Murdoch Mysteries on my Netflix list. Dan and I are currently going through all the seasons of Foyle's War, not to mention I have quite a few movies in the queue, so I don't know when I'll get to watch this new-to-me mystery series, but maybe I'll move them up a bit on the list, maybe after the last episode of the last season of Foyle's War....
Sunday started out OK. I had breakfast in our room (due to my food allergies I can't eat the hotel breakfast offerings so I bring my own cereal and soymilk). I watched the Mass on EWTN as usual when I travel. Dan had breakfast down in the breakfast area of the hotel. We got dressed for the day, made our lunches, then packed up. Normally we leave around 10:30 am or so due to, again, my health (or lack thereof) on travel days, but today because I wasn't feeling too bad, we left a bit earlier. Normally we both make a last pass in the room to make sure we've taken everything and today was no exception, but for some reason we failed to see that I had my good jacket hanging up on the back of the desk chair. And, we were nearly to the border of Canada and Michigan when I suddenly realized that I had left my jacket on the back of that chair. When we stopped for lunch at the rest stop after crossing the border I called the hotel to let them know. They said they'd call back once they checked with housekeeping to let me know if they found the jacket. They never called back, so I called them that evening. Turns out they did have the jacket. And, the woman I spoke to this second time was helpful in explaining to me how I can get the jacket sent back. Since it was Sunday, I couldn't do anything so I had to wait until the next day to go to FedEx and get a mailing label.
On Monday I got up earlier than usual because I intended to go to FedEx before I went to go pick up the cat at the vet so I wouldn't have to take any more time off from work. Well, that didn't happen. I went to FedEx, explained my situation to the clerk and he said that he can't issue a packing label unless they had the package in hand, but I could create a packing label using their computers. After many tries, well, no I couldn't. And, the clerk at FedEx had no idea why. He tried setting up an account tied to my credit card on his computer and that worked, but even with that information I could not get the in-store computer to issue me a packing label. It was getting late and I had to go pick up the cat and get to work.
Once I got to work, I could not think of work until I got the whole packing label troubles solved. So, I got on the computer at home, used the information the clerk at FedEx gave me to create a login and followed the steps to create a packing slip that I could email to the manager at the hotel in Brantford (luckily she emailed me a few days before otherwise I would not have known her email address). This time, it worked. It was quite confusing, however, because there was some extra paperwork needed due to the fact that the package would be crossing international borders. Why I was not able to do this in store, I'll never know. I called the hotel in Brantford to let them know to expect the packing slip in the email and that I scheduled a pickup for the next day. The woman I talked to said that would be perfect. Wednesday the package arrived with my jacket and I breathed a sigh of relief...until a few days later when my credit card was charged over $100 for the postage. International shipping is expensive! I have to make sure this does not happen again!
After Dan's swim we sat on a bench by the shore for a while before going in for dinner. The weather was still nice and warm so we ate out on the screened in porch. After dinner I continued to read Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone by J. K. Rowling. While looking through the books on the cottage bookshelf earlier in the week I found this book. A while back Dan's brother had recommended I read the series so I thought this was a good opportunity to start. I finished the book Friday morning. It was an easy, fast-paced read. The story kept me interested, but I don't think interested enough to go on to read the next book in the series. It's a good children's book. I would think it would appeal more to boys and tomboys, but I guess in reality most children, boys and girls alike, like this series of books.
Friday the sun was shining again. Although it was quite cool in the cottage, Dan did not make a fire. It was supposed to be warmer outside today than yesterday so we figured as long as we could get through the morning it would be comfortable inside later. When I went outside to finish cleaning my shoes from the muddy hike the day before it seemed warmer outside than in.
Dan cleaned the ashes out of the fireplace in anticipation of leaving tomorrow. Later in the day I scrubbed the sinks and packed what I could. Most of the rest of the day was spent quietly reading. I thought that we would take one last trip down to the lake, this time to see the sunset, but Dan's relatives had other plans. Dan's father's cousin called and said they wanted to come to the cottage and visit with us one last time before we left. So, we spent the evening visiting with her and her husband.
Saturday it was time to eat breakfast, pack up, take the garbage and the recycling to the dump/recycling center, and then head on out. Except for my normal travel day health problems and a clogged toilet everything worked out OK and we started our travels more or less on time. We ate lunch at one of the rest stops on the thruway and then it was a quick visit with Dan's aunt and uncle who live in Rochester. Dan's aunt hasn't been feeling well for quite some time, so we decided not to stay long (although our "we're only going to stay 15 minutes" extended into an hour.) After that visit it was back on the road to Brantford, Ontario where we'd stay the night before heading on off to Michigan.
Once we got to the hotel, I checked us in. All seemed fine, but this is where my flightiness started. I get back out to the car and realize I left my credit card on the counter. So, I went back in and retrieved it. After taking our bags up to our room, we noticed the air conditioning had not been turned on and it was HOT in the room. The air conditioning unit was on the wall so both Dan and I tried adjusting the thermostat that was attached to it to no avail. I called down to the front desk to ask how to turn the air conditioning on and the woman told me that there's a thermostat on the opposite wall. I thanked her, but I felt so foolish! Of course. Why didn't I (or Dan) think to look on the wall for a thermostat.
Dinner went well. Dan did not get lost this time going to the Subway restaurant. At 8 pm I turned on the TV to watch Murdoch Mysteries. At this point, I just turned it on to find out what the name of the show was for this travelogue since I had forgotten it, but I sat and watched the whole episode. Now I'm hooked. I want to see all the episodes in the series. After I did a bit of research, I found out that this is a very popular series in Canada. It just finished up its 10th season and I think it's renewed for an 11th. When I got back home I put all the seasons of Murdoch Mysteries on my Netflix list. Dan and I are currently going through all the seasons of Foyle's War, not to mention I have quite a few movies in the queue, so I don't know when I'll get to watch this new-to-me mystery series, but maybe I'll move them up a bit on the list, maybe after the last episode of the last season of Foyle's War....
Sunday started out OK. I had breakfast in our room (due to my food allergies I can't eat the hotel breakfast offerings so I bring my own cereal and soymilk). I watched the Mass on EWTN as usual when I travel. Dan had breakfast down in the breakfast area of the hotel. We got dressed for the day, made our lunches, then packed up. Normally we leave around 10:30 am or so due to, again, my health (or lack thereof) on travel days, but today because I wasn't feeling too bad, we left a bit earlier. Normally we both make a last pass in the room to make sure we've taken everything and today was no exception, but for some reason we failed to see that I had my good jacket hanging up on the back of the desk chair. And, we were nearly to the border of Canada and Michigan when I suddenly realized that I had left my jacket on the back of that chair. When we stopped for lunch at the rest stop after crossing the border I called the hotel to let them know. They said they'd call back once they checked with housekeeping to let me know if they found the jacket. They never called back, so I called them that evening. Turns out they did have the jacket. And, the woman I spoke to this second time was helpful in explaining to me how I can get the jacket sent back. Since it was Sunday, I couldn't do anything so I had to wait until the next day to go to FedEx and get a mailing label.
On Monday I got up earlier than usual because I intended to go to FedEx before I went to go pick up the cat at the vet so I wouldn't have to take any more time off from work. Well, that didn't happen. I went to FedEx, explained my situation to the clerk and he said that he can't issue a packing label unless they had the package in hand, but I could create a packing label using their computers. After many tries, well, no I couldn't. And, the clerk at FedEx had no idea why. He tried setting up an account tied to my credit card on his computer and that worked, but even with that information I could not get the in-store computer to issue me a packing label. It was getting late and I had to go pick up the cat and get to work.
Once I got to work, I could not think of work until I got the whole packing label troubles solved. So, I got on the computer at home, used the information the clerk at FedEx gave me to create a login and followed the steps to create a packing slip that I could email to the manager at the hotel in Brantford (luckily she emailed me a few days before otherwise I would not have known her email address). This time, it worked. It was quite confusing, however, because there was some extra paperwork needed due to the fact that the package would be crossing international borders. Why I was not able to do this in store, I'll never know. I called the hotel in Brantford to let them know to expect the packing slip in the email and that I scheduled a pickup for the next day. The woman I talked to said that would be perfect. Wednesday the package arrived with my jacket and I breathed a sigh of relief...until a few days later when my credit card was charged over $100 for the postage. International shipping is expensive! I have to make sure this does not happen again!