2011 in review, Part 2

July


We flew to England on Canada Day. RJH got very sick, but was a very good sport. We spent a few days in London, where we did a lot of exploring on foot. We managed to meet one of RJH's old high school friends for dinner, and the lovely, multi-talented for brunch, both of whom were coincidentally in London, though they live elsewhere in England. I dragged poor ailing RJH all over the Tate Modern. We added The Tower to the UNESCO tally. We went to see The Monument, because Robert Hooke was a lot more than Christopher Wren's sidekick. We continued south to Southampton. My exhausting interview went well. My brave, feverish RJH drove a rented, stick-shift tin can car, and drove on the wrong left side of narrow, round-about-ridden roads, without a proper map. I think this was a cultural clash; North Americans get in the car and drive places, for hours, with the idea that they'll find a hotel at the end of the day, where ever they end up. We buy road maps at any gas station. Not having a hotel reservation, a map and a plan, seemed to bewilder people we met. However, we found Stonehenge, and a nice place to stay in Salisbury. The Cathedral was incredible, and even contained one of the handful of surviving original copies of the Magna Carta. We continued to Bath, on the recommendation of every single English person with whom we spoke. (I hadn't recognized that my sister-in-law still has family there). Sure enough, Bath was beautiful, though RJH teased me about being on the Jane Austen tour. We visited the Roman Baths, the Cathedral and enjoyed the architecture, and some surprisingly good Thai food. Though we made the mistake of arriving on graduation day, which meant traffic jams, low hotel vancancy, and some well-lubricated student celebrations. We drove south through Dorset, where the roads are narrow like Canadian logging roads; while there are mercifully no logging trucks, I confess I found lorries and hedges scared me. We stoped at Poole, and then went through Bournemouth to the New Forest, were we walked with the semi-feral ponies. We flew home and I packed and flew to Vancouver Island for our research cruise. It was beautiful, tough, with partial experimental success, and luckily, some answers to our questions. I was contacted at sea with the news about the job. We spent our time in the Stuart Channel and the Georgia Straight. Afterward, I had a chance to show our volunteers around Victoria, and visit with friends.

August


My Mercator print was requested by the Mercator Museum in Sint-Nicolaas, Belgium who will be celebrating the 500th anniversary of his birth in 2012. I gave a Euoplocephalus to theDADproject to raise funds for the Canadian Cancer Society. RJH and I explored the Humber River by kayak, and the Brickwords on foot. I started experimenting making and using thermochromic ink. RJH and I went to my step-mother's cottage, and visited with Dad&K, my aunt and uncle, and K's mother. I made a bunch of tea cozies, chipmunks and dinosuars. I was featured on the Trans-Canada Etsy Team blog.

September


I became underemployed, for the first time ever. I made a lot of art, sold more than I'm used to, started gathering Canadian myths, and studying up on 'smart' materials. RJH and I explored the Scarborough Bluffs. I began a quilting course and made my second quilt. We watched the salmon run in the Humber.

October


We began October with Nuit Blanche, always an experience. My 'Cloud Classification' was on Etsy's front page and I reached 1100 hearts. I had strange negotiations about a non-job and did not go to China. My brother and his wife bought a house a few doors down from the other brother. I made more unicorns. My screech owl was on Etsy's front page. I shared my portrait of Mme Wu in time for Ada Lovelace Day. I made some mini-prints and entered the Mini Print International Asian Pacific competition. RJH, the DJ&K all ran the half-marathon. I cheered. I started a screenprinting course. I started making tapirs. We visited with Dad&K. We had a low-key Hallowe'en.

November


There was some nonsense in our building about garbage, and some garbage at work about nonsense of the BS variety. Bohemian Hellhole profiled my shop, prints, and blogs. I tried to learn Photoshop. I pursued my own projects, including some non-fiction. I submitted my Dragon to the Year of the Dragon show, and re-vamped my shop. I made some complicated, multi-colour and glow-in-the-dark screenprints. Our ceiling started leaking. I did some engineering type work in the lab.

December


I celebrated 1200 Etsy hearts and took part in the Designwali giveaway. I made more tapirs. I made a lantern and took part in the Solstice parade with F&R. They (F&R) once again hosted a beautiful solstice feast. I was able to introduce RJH to the tradition and spend time with friends, including those we rarely see (Lady Redjeep&husband and Baby E). Since K was not well, there was no Polish Christmas Eve feast, and Dad joined us at my brothers for Christmas with Mom. It went surprisingly well. RJH made a beautiful oak top to the antique map cabinet he found me. We had a cozy New Year's Eve.