Sooke Harbour House escape

To celebrate our 12th anniversary, Hubby and I splurged and booked two nights at the Sooke Harbour House which is one of the top 100 hotels in the world, as voted by Conde Nast Traveller readers -- and it is in our back yard, less than an hour away.

And you know what? It was one of the best experiences I've had both for accommodation and dining, despite a major, though completely unexpected hitch.*

Our room included a large shower (large = half the size of our bedroom at home) and a private jacuzzi tub on the deck. Add a fireplace and a queen size bed plus high ceilings and lots of little extras and I could have been happy with just that.

Of course there is also a 5 star restaurant on site that specializes in fresh, local fare; the hotel is situated on the water's edge, not far from the Southern end of the West Coast Trail; and the hotel boasts an impressive and ever-changing array of art by local artisans and a big library, free for guests to use during their stay. They even offer small televisions and dvd players and had an impressively eclectic selection of films (including two we hadn't seen).

Would I go back? Heck yes, if our budget allowed. Would I recommend it to others? Absolutely.

And you know what? If you live in the region, you should go have a peek anyway -- through the "quiet season" (i.e. now) they have an open house every Sunday from 1-4; you can peek in the rooms (each one is decorated to a theme -- ours was the Phycologist's Study) and see all the artwork.

*We had selected the "Kitchen Adventure" package which included three hours in the kitchen with the chef and staff along with a tour of the gardens. Unfortunately, just a short time before we were set to meet in the kitchen, the chef was called away for a family emergency and the sous-chef was out of province and understandably unreachable. We were extended a gift certificate for a "do-over" of that portion, including another night in the hotel -- far beyond the minimal service I have come to expect from the hospitality industry in recent years. (I'll let you know when we take advantage of the do-over.)

Five Years of Flotsam

Today marks a milestone of sorts, 5 years since I first posted on this blog. 5 years of rants, raves, family life, felines, projects, crafts, peculiar things, and everything else. Surprisingly few redesigns (maybe 3?) and only one (the most recent) that was significant.

People often ask me why I blog. They say, "I could never do that. Why do you put so much out there?" I usually shrug and say something along the line about always having kept a journal... then trail off. There is certainly something therapeutic in it for me but the most surprising thing to me is how useful it has been as a documentary of sorts.

I have found (and Hubby and I have discussed this) that roughly since Kiddo was born, time and our lives seem to have become "compressed." An example of this recently was the airing of The Last King of Scotland on a third-rung cable channel. I said to Hubby, "wasn't that just up for an Oscar?" Turns out it was -- in 2007. So this blog helps me keep track of things that otherwise might blur into the compression of the last 8 years. I only wish I'd been blogging longer.

Ankleversary

I just glanced at the calendar and realized that a year ago today I smashed my ankle.

For the most part, it is all better now -- as good as it's going to get, I'd say. I do get the odd day of extra aches and pains (usually when the weather changes) and I obsessively cling to handrails now, but I often forget that I have permanent metal plates in my ankle. This, I presume, is a good thing.

Many thanks again to all those who supported me through the ordeal.

Milestones.

I knew this year was a milestone for our marriage (10 years this October) but I had forgotten it marked another milestone: in June 1987, I graduated from high school; in August, I left to spend a year working in England. While it no longer seems like "just a couple of years ago," neither does it seem like twenty years ago. 2007 also marks 15 "official" years with my employer (the four years I worked as a casual employee don't count toward this milestone). Strange. Time is such an odd concept.