Christmas 2013 update

Our Christmas really started will Ellie's travels on Saturday 15th.  Poor Ellie!  Her route was DUB-FRA-YYZ(Toronto)-YGK(Kingston).  Firstly the turbulence on the DUB-FRA started immediately after the drink service causing the man beside her to burn his hand when he put it over his cup to try and keep the tea from spilling, then her apple juice went flying while the guy across the aisle was upchucking into the air sick bag. Thankfully, as her connection was very tight, flights from FRA were delayed by the queue for de-icing and her transatlantic flight was uneventful, but her problems were only beginning on arrival ay YYZ.  Snow storms were causing severe delays and her lack of a phone (the curious incident of the apple and the toilet) meant sporadic communication.  Her flight to Kingston was delayed, due to arrive at 3pm, and it kept getting pushed back.   We were monitoring all sorts of sites to find out how she was getting on, anxious to get her before we had to go to Roisin's office party (one of a few) that evening.  Well it was 7.50pm before she got airborne which meant we had the dilemma of choosing between airport and party - we opted for party (its not the same in a three person office when 33% miss the party!) and were in the restaurant in Gananoque, 15 miles from Kingston when Ellie eventually took off.  Ellie was not impressed with the choice of aircraft - where the co-pilot doubles up as the flight attendant and where you can see the pilots consulting the manuals.  She now knows what seat belts in aircraft are for (to prevent you hitting the roof) and also realises that it is possible to land a plane with the aircraft at a 45 degree angle in three dimensions immediately prior to touchdown.  (She was lucky; our journey along highway 401 to and from the restaurant was probably hairier- residual smell of pot in the taxi, road verges disappearing in the snow/mist and the ditches showing evidence of those drivers who hadn't identified the edges).  Anyway we arranged a taxi pick up for Ellie (sin sceal eile) and we were all reunited just before midnight.
The following Sunday (22nd) Laura travelled DUB-JFK-SYR and her travel was uneventful, although she made the mistake of going to bed after gettting in at 5am, when she need to leave at 6:30.  Saved by having packed before she went out she made the airport in time.
Ellie was here in time for the ice storm.  When weather conditions allow for freezing rain, the drops freeze on contact with everything - trees, power lines, windscreens, everything.  The biggest danger is the power outages caused by the weight of ice bringing branches down on the lines or the lines themselves breaking from the weight of the ice.

Everyone stocked up on food, water, candles, batteries, firelogs etc. The hardware store ran out of de-icing salt!  Everyone here compares times like these to the famous ice storm of 1998 when power was out for five days or more and they had to get help from US power companies.

 Many people moved into downtown hotels or went to friends houses.  This didn't happen this time in Kingston, we did lose power for a few hours on a number of occasions, but some areas of Toronto still are without power as we write.

Our friends, the ten Hoves, were going to Florida for Christmas from SYR on the same day a few hours earlier than Laura arrived.  They made arrangements with Joy's daughter Marie and her boyfriend Harry, who wanted to do some shopping in SYR,  to travel with them and bring the car back to Kingston.  However a snowstorm (another one) looked like making driving difficult, so they asked me to go with them instead.  I was delighted to oblige as their Highlander was much more suited to the drive than our Civic.  Once again some sketchy conditions, but Syracuse was at +9 while Kingston was at -4  so it got better during the trip and by the time I collected Laura and was on the way back, the roads were clear and the trip was uneventful.  Snow ploughs are great men altogether!
Laura was delighted to see the wintry scenes in Kingston and we took a drive around avoiding the fallen branches and low lying wires caused by the ice storm as we did so.


On Monday evening we had a party (continuing our tradition from Ireland) and about 30/40 of our Kingston friends joined us for drinks and snacks.
Sinead (without kids) came to us on Christmas eve and joined in the queue for Santa, and although we don't have a stocking with her name on it there was probably a present under the tree for her.
Everyone enjoyed a great Christmas - Santa did his usual good job and of course the cook did a great job of producing the traditional Christmas fare.  Skype allowed us to say hello to
family, although we have yet to make contact with Lobinstown.
After dinner we went downtown to the market square and went ice-skating - well some of us did and that was great fun. Here's a couple of pics and also an interesting dedication on a bench in the park opposite the house.

On Saturday we went to Calabogie, a ski hill about two hours away.  Rosin was able to show off her skills to Laura - and its questionable who is the best skier now!

Wednesday, Ellie is going to Toronto to see Les Mis as an early birthday treat - just a day trip and then back here before the girls leave on the 2nd - Ellie to Dublin and Laura to NY where she will stay with Roisin for  a few days.

So that's all our news - its been great having the whole family under one roof. 

Happy New Year

Paddy, Roisin, Laura, Ellen and Patrick