What A Week!

I haven't written in a while and there's good reason for that. While out driving two Wednesday mornings ago, the bottom fell off my car.
It's not a great way to start the day.
Fortunately there was no traffic - otherwise they would have been swerving to avoid springs and various other car body parts that came flying off. I have no idea how we got the beast home but when we did, I knew it was time to start looking for another vehicle. After all, there's really no point in putting thousands of dollars of repairs on a rusty 12-year-old vehicle that's probably going to fail inspection anyway. So, for the part week, I've been renting, taking the bus and walking, all the while looking at new-to-me vehicles.
I love to shop. But I despise car shopping. I finally decided on a small 2010 Chev that has few kilometres on it and some warranty left. I'll have payments for the next few years but I can pay it down whenever I can, so I know where all my extra money will be going. I hate having a car payment again but at this time, it's pretty much a necessity and I'll just have to adjust.
It's a nice little vehicle and I confess I'm a little afraid of it. New cars always freak me out a bit since you're never sure just how they'll react to certain situations. It has power windows and locks which I hate and if you don't use them, the horn will start beeping - I'm sure the neighbors are shaking their heads as I write this. It does have air conditioning, which I've never had before and I'm using it - it's been pretty hot here the past few days.
Of course, the fun never ends - when I arrived home after buying the car, my eight year EMac has decided that it's going on vacation - maybe permanently. So I'm looking at computers - I need a job soon to pay for all of this. So, today, I applied for a few jobs - the serious job hunt has begun.
Of course, all of this stress has exhausted me so I'm drinking Harney's Paris tea right now. I may have some Higgins and Burke Pear Green tea later - it's subtle and gentle for a hot summer's day.

Back to Tea

I awoke not feeling all that great this morning and decided to soothe myself at lunch with a traditional (sort of) afternoon tea. I took some homemade scones out of the freezer and slathered one with some homemade lemon curd. Then I made a peanut butter sandwich and cut it into fours and completed the food with a large slice of the blueberry pecan coffee cake that I made yesterday. The tea was a loose coconut black from Metropolitan Tea. And you know what - I do feel a little better! Maybe I was just hungry for something special.
I tried one of my samples from Upton Tea yesterday, a Yunnan Green Silver Buds Supreme. What a nice tea! I may have to order more of this one. It was light, vegetal with an orchid like scent - a lovely summertime tea.
It's back to hot and sunny today - it feels like July again.

Chilly Summer

After a week of heat and sun, the rain and cooler temperatures are back. I don't mind the cooler weather - it's much more comfortable - but I doubt if others share my opinion. We haven't even had a queasy day yet - you know, a day so hot, you haven't got the energy to do anything but sweat and it's so hot, you actually feel a little sick. I don't really consider it to be summer until we get one of those days but here it is, nearly mid-July, and none of those days are even in sight.
It hasn't even been hot enough yet to make iced tea or crave ice cream. I've been eating a lot of chocolate lately and it's not even melting. Yes, I have been drinking plenty of hot tea but mainly out of the Tassimo - Earl Grey, Chai Spice Lattes and the occasional Twinnings Ceylon Black. I really have to get back to making proper tea but I've been craving a Dragonwell Green and of course, that's the one tea I don't have. I may have to make do with a darjeeling or even a pouchong.

Summertime and the roofing is easy ...

Well, for me anyway - I hired people to do it. They've been here all week after rainy weather delayed them getting here by about five weeks. They're a hard-working bunch and I admit I don't envy them working in sun-drenched 29 C conditions but I guess it's better than working in the rain. I've had a chimney taken out on an old Franklyn stove that was improperly installed and therefore unusable so while it's looking nice outside, it now means I have a hole in my livingroom ceiling. It's covered with a grocery store bag, adding to the ambience of the room.
Despite the high temperatures, I haven't started drinking iced tea yet. I have been drinking Stash's Wuyi Chocolate Mint Oolong which is surprisingly good and a white orange spice that I picked up at the mall. I do think there will be some iced green peach tea in my future though ...