I’m sorry, but over five months of heat is starting to annoy the hell out of me.  Though it’s lovely to see the dahlias blooming away, it’s tiresome to be watering like a medieval peasant week in and week out.  Every time we’re told it’s going to rain, it doesn’t, so on top of heat we have drought.

The City of Kelowna is up to its usual antics, and I’m trying to get people to sign a petition to stop them from spending a quarter of a billion dollars on an improved rec centre.  There’s a group called kelownaconcernedresidents.com who have spearheaded this, and I feel for them as to get 10% of all citizens to vote no on this is a tough go when only 30% care enough to vote civically.

I was in Osoyoos last weekend and made a faux Thanksgiving dinner that included a stuffed and roasted chicken, mashed potatoes and gravy, yams topped with marshmallows and brussels sprouts.  In other words, the usual fare except no turkey as the group was too small for that.

Mom’s all excited about my upcoming trip to Germany as she knows at nearly 99 she’s never going to see that country again.  I’m excited about the food I plan to eat as I was raised on southern German fare thanks to my gramma who was such an excellent cook.  Sadly that skill skipped my mom, but it seems one that I have acquired.

I’m going with carry-on so I have to figure out how to get 25 Ritter Sport chocolate bars into that small suitcase upon my return.  I suppose some can go into my purse, a few into coats pockets and then some spread about in the bag.  My friend Petra queried why I would bother when London Drugs carries them, but I explained to her at the factory’s store near where the relatives live, you can get dozens of varieties, most of which are not available in Canada.  Pity.

I have a bunch of old German stamps my grampa bought when their money was being devalued after the war, and I wondered if I should haul those along but have found out most dealers aren’t interested. And really when I need all the room for chocolate, if no one buys the stamps I’d have a conundrum on my hands.

I had the former gym women over for coffee last week, and no one eats anything at these events though whoever hosts it either bakes stuff or buys it.  I decided to outsmart the women and made only two items.  Either they could have freshly made pumpkin pie or else nice healthy seed crackers. Guess what they ate?  Yup, they said no thanks to the pie and nibbled on a few crackers but predictably, I had a piece of pie.

They also own really well-behaved dogs who go to dog trainers, and so my pups are always a bit of entertainment.  At one point they both raced to the door barking furiously and the women said oh is there someone at your door?  I said no, I think someone must’ve moved somewhere in the neighborhood as they’re very sensitive to sound.

I’ve checked the long-range forecast in southern Germany and of course now it’s nice and warm but around the time I arrive it looks like clouds and rain.  I have no idea how to dress or pack for that given I live in the Sahara Desert.  I told my cousin I’m not packing an umbrella and will borrow one, because as we know, there’s no room in my suitcase for stuff like that.