Energize.

I am feeling, if I can be candid, a near complete lack of energy. Or maybe, instead, its a form of malaise, the kind that hangs over you not really stopping you from doing something, but stripping you of the motivation to do anything.

It's been a non-stop few months at work that have been quite intense. All this mental invigoration leads, naturally, leads to a fatigue of the brain, and at the end of the day, I often come home and want to crash, post-dinner, on the couch with the dog.

I can't actually do any of this post dinner, of course, for there is running the kids to scouts, karate or swimming, and by the time that is all over, it is already 9 pm. But this, so far, is not abnormal. Work hard, come home, relax for the evening has been my mantra since my early days in the workplace. But where I used to settle in with tea (or wine) and a new (or old) book, these days, even that seems like too much work and instead I flit through my I-pad, clicking on wonderful Twitter links and articles that are interesting but which demand little real attention. My ability to pay attention has diminished.

Then there is the weather. Even back in February, I'd be out in the evenings on snowshoes. By March, Winter has lost its charm, and the cold wind seems too harsh, the frost too sharp. Easier to stay inside.

So today...it starts. Less technology, more books. Less work, more relaxation. Less laziness, more activity.

April

Ah, April!

Month of gentle showers...

Daffodils....

Crocuses popping up and trees sweetly starting to bloom...

Fresh asparagus shoots....

Swapping winter boots for rubber boots; snow for mud; Winter for Spring...

Or at least, that's what it is supposed to be.

What it is not supposed to be

IS THIS...

Oh, April!

(Think we've been spoiled in Ontario by a few good years in a row...)

Easter

1) tonight, we watched a mindless romantic comedy with friends. Our children engaged in a deep philosophical discussion about feminism in ancient Egypt, and then created a short play on the subject.

2) I have had too much wine.

3) played soccer earlier and will pay for that folly tomorrow.

4) Happy Easter...any holiday falling on the first Sunday after the first full moon after the Spring Equinox has to be a good one. Feeling Pagan tonight.

Sigh

Sigh.

Sigh. Big Sigh.

I want Spring to come.

For real.

Tired of Winter. Want to trade it for some decent weather.

Last March looked like this...

 This March...well, I took this picture last Tuesday...

(But at least the sunrise is pretty....)

Painting Montreal Pink

Back in October, a good friend of mine from New Brunswick called me up and asked if I'd go to a concert with her in March.

Sure, I remarked, blithely confident that it would be fine.

When she reminded me of this a few weeks ago, I did one of those hand waves, where you assure someone something is no problem even though you have absolutely no idea if this is in fact true or not. 

Montreal is not far from my house. (You have my permission to be jealous.) I can be at the shops of the west island in under 30 minutes, and downtown is a lovely little jaunt away by train.

Then I looked at the date. And realized the concert was on a Tuesday night.

I mean really....any other night of the week I could have gone into Montreal on the afternoon train, had dinner, gone to the concert, stayed at the Delta Centreville, and caught the morning train home again.

But on Tuesday, I have class until 5:30. And on Wednesday morning, I teach at 8:30 am. The train was out.

Regardless, I did go into Montreal. We did go and see Pink, a concert that was musically, thematically, and creatively absorbing. I loved it. And I did get to stay over, albeit with a very early start navigating the streets of Montreal at dawn.

We missed dinner because I got there late, and by the time the concert was over and we got out the doors it was after 11pm, and even the Keg had finished serving meals. Probably could have found somewhere, but wasn't sure where to look, and was disinclined to spend too much time wandering aimlessly that time of night.

But it was a great evening. Wonderful to catch up with Julie again. Wonderful to see a concert that seemed fresh and invigorating. Wonderful to be...for a moment at least...cool in the eyes of my students who hardly believed me when I told them where I was going.

Ocean

I will never, ever, get enough of the ocean.

Particularly the Atlantic.

I have an award winning poem about the rocky coast of the Atlantic, but I subdue the emotional tug I have for the waves and the shore most of the time.

But by far, my favourite day last week in Orlando, was not the theme parks or the smiles on my kids' faces; not the roller coasters nor the dolphins at Sea World. Nope...it was the day we spent on the coast at Cocoa Beach. Playing in the surf, riding the waves as they crashed into shore, running along the beach....it was awesome.

  

Orlando

We've been here only three days, and my feet are tired, so tired. But what fun it all is. We hit Universal, Epcot, and Seaworld this first half of the week, where in addition to carousels, world pavilions and adorable dolphins, we also rode some really scary roller coasters that got my adrenaline pumping. The kids it seems, are impervious to riding upside down at 120 MPH or whatever it was: truly frightening.

Loved all of it, truly.

But really, what blew me away this trip was the Wizarding World of Harry Potter. I thought Universal pretty lame (except for Shrek 4D, which was fun) but when we walked over to Island of Adventure where Hogwarts was, the game all changed. It was phenomenal. I loved HP when first I read it. I used to dream technicolour dreams about Hogwarts. And this village really brought those dreams to life.

Hogwarts Express

Outside Honeydukes Sweet Shop....

...Where we bought Bott's Every Flavour Beans

We drank Butterbeer outside the Three Broomsticks 

Purchased wands at Ollivander's

And enjoyed exploring Hogwarts...on a fantastic Harry Potter ride .

Truly, there is so much to do here that I am exhausted. Going to the Atlantic tomorrow for a day of rest (and because I love the Atlantic) before hitting a couple more parks before we have to leave again.

But if there was one place to go to twice....it would be Hogwarts.