flitting...to Sudbury

So...I've been to Sudbury before.

...when I was a kid - I don't remember much - my aunt & uncle lived there for a few years and we visited; lots of rock, and the stink of the mining stuff...

They've done a lot of work in Sudbury over the past however many years; it is a beautiful place now. Trees everywhere, gorgeous lakes & the rocks - there are still lots of rocks - are now part of a beautiful and interesting landscape rather than just ugly & there.

As an adult I have only been up there once until yesterday; was contracted to teach a course to their police department, and hubby & I made a mini-vacation of it. Horrid hotel room, but other than that, we had a good time, and hubby especially loved it up there. Science North was great; if you ever get a chance to go, take it!

So ... now... in order to do my Honours year (4th year of an English degree) .... I have to attend school at my university's main campus rather than at the satellite campus closer to me where I've done the rest.  Had some issues re: what credits I need - because I had a lot of transfer credits from my previous diplomas, things are less than straightforward, and I got some bad advice along the way. So yesterday, I had a meeting with my new advisor - in Sudbury.

Hubby came with; we got our friend Sue to cover the store and off we went. When we went before, I really didn't pay much attention to the drive and so on - but now that I'm going to have to do it every week for 8 months....   that is a LONG drive.

It was 252 km ... that would be 157 miles. Took a little less than 3 hours even though we got behind some twit with a camper for a bit, and there is a lot of construction along the way... of course, once the snow starts, it will take even longer.  My course is from 6 to 9 p.m. on Mondays.... can't say that I'm looking forward to the drive! There won't be so bad.... home is gonna suck! 

The meeting went well... not only in terms of getting courses straight and all that, but also, he was very helpful to talk to re: grad school options, programs, etc....   by the time I got home again, too, he'd emailed me with answers to everything he'd said he would 'find out for me' .... much  quicker & more competent than I've dealt with up until now.

We went to the library too; got my student card and so on. Stopped by the Registrar's Office to arrange to have a transcript sent to UBC for my first grad school app. Checked out their wireless to make sure I can get online. Found the buildings I will need.

Even though the drive is going to be a major chore, I feel better about the whole going to Sudbury thing; got my bearings - and we found an awesome restaurant too :)  We almost didn't go there because it looked like a bar and had annoying music playing outside it ... but they have a quieter area too and wow, what a full menu! I will definitely have to go back and try some of their appetizers and so on .... take years to work my way through all the things that interested me!  I had a Thai green curry chicken dish; it was excellent.

On the way back, we stopped at a marina and looked at pontoon boats; hubby wants one.....  neither of us had ever been on one before; I like them; can see all around, which is one of my requirements for feeling safe out there! Don't know if we'll actually end up buying one, but we'll see.  Personally, while I think he should have it if he wants it, I think we have a bit o' work to do re: making sure we have enough $$ coming in to cover ~stuff~ like kids needing help and taxes and tuition and... oh, I don't know... food, maybe?  Owning lots of property isn't the same as having money! 

Anyway .... suppose we'll sort it all out eventually .... and it was definitely a good thing for us to take a day off together; we haven't done enough of that lately.