Your Sky is So Big!

"Good morning!"  Yes, they could actually say those words and mean them, as they were up before noon.  Granted, it was 11:30 but I guess that still counts.  This was followed with a few hours of deliberation and many comments like "I don't know... what do you want to do?"  Oh my, where is my detailed, minute by minute, planner Rissa when I need her?  Clearly I should have sat down with her last week and had her create an entire itinerary for these three so that they could appropriately disregard it.

Since Clare needed to take one of her computers in for service, Nate jumped at the idea to check out a store called Future Shop (does this mean you can buy your future?).  For those not in the know, it is a store for geeks, gamers, oh and the occasional person looking for a washing machine.  Believe it or not, our two resident geeks actually left that store without spending a dime (or a penny even), and Clare's computer was still under warranty.  I think everyone should be quite proud of them both (Di rolled eyes and gave them both a * Gold Star for their foreheads)!

Next stop... another store!  At least this time it was one I actually enjoy.  You guessed it (ok maybe you didn't, but I can think of a few friends who already have)... Build-a-Bear!  They have so many more outfits for small-frys now (in other words it's a "just-my-size" clothing store).

It looks better with snow!

Upon leaving the mall, I just had to share with my tourist friends our equivalent of Park City.  I mean they'd showed me this beautiful town in the mountains with ski lifts popping up like daisies, so it only seemed fair to show them where the locals go to enjoy the same type of winter recreation.  Yes, my Ontario friends, I had Clare drive us to Chicopee Ski Hill.  Di's first response: "Wow... that's... um... some ski hill!"

Between these various store trips, I had Clare drive the scenic routes.  Now, I'm sure those of you from this area are sitting there wondering what the scenic route could possibly be when these two tourists are from an area surrounded by beautiful mountains.  But, as we skirted the city of Guelph, driving country roads, the constant sound from the passenger seat was "Wow!  It's so flat!"  "You can see the bottom of the clouds!"  "How do the trees grow that close together?!" "Look!  They have real cows in Canada!"  (Ok so that one was a joke, but it WAS said).  "Honey, they have wildflowers growing on the side of the road!" and last, but certainly not least: "There are just flat fields forever and then, poof, there's a forest right in the middle of a field!"

For all the teasing and laughing we did over the comments made during these escapades through the Ontario countryside, I can only say that it truly takes new eyes to make you appreciate what's right in front of you.  Just as Clare was overwhelmed with amazement at the mountains, while Utahns stood around thinking "they're just mountains", Di was equally breathless with awe at the simplicity of the landscape.  As Clare drove, I could not help but try and look at my surroundings with the same wonder that I only recently felt in the mountains of Utah.  What an interesting new perspective.

Wait!  It can't end there!  I gave these two girls four hours to update my blog and there are still 15 minutes to go!  Oh well, I suppose if I keep them up then I won't be able to make fun of them staying up and talking, not to mention they said they were getting up early to go to the St. Jacob's Farmer's Market.  Yeah, I'll believe THAT when I see it!

Tim Horton's Count: 3 (Total = 8)  Keep in mind these are UNIQUE stores, and does not include ones we've passed on previous days, nor does it include billboards, advertisements or other methods of coffee-based brain washing.
Whatever!