Chez Nova Lodge.doc

As promised, the subject of today's post is Nova Lodge - my third home of the year. Someone asked me recently how dating has been in Europe and I had to lament that although I had been on a few here and there, it's tough to do when you know you'll only be spending a maximum of a few months living in one spot. Thankfully, Nova Lodge, like my unforgettable place in Amsterdam, is a true home where I feel comfortable and relaxed. It makes the transitory lifestyle easy to take.

We've had a few gatherings at this place already. Everyone seems to really like the furnishings - black leather couches, a faux fireplace, beige waffle carpet, and a beautiful dining room. It's not the type of Queen's house you'd throw a big jam in, but rather a swanky pregame place before hitting the town. We hosted a few friends the Saturday night Emily was in town and on Tuesday night we celebrated Jamal's return to the Spa with a few beers. We're planning to have a potluck in the upcoming weeks, and I'm sure once the group is ready to let off some steam this place will see some action. There's also an enormous backyard, at the centre of which is a gigantic tree that must be over eighty years old. It's the type of backyard you could throw a wedding in.

One of my favourite things to do in the new pad, after a day staring at the laptop waiting for inspiration and following two hours at the gym, is cooking up a really nice meal. The brand new oven and stove (gas operated) are brilliant for culinary delights and Em and I have both started experimenting this year. In the pictures below you will finally get to glimpse the "Rolly Polly" which Emily has been serving up in France for the year. She brought me two pastries for the new place and we put them to use when she visited - both times we made bacon, cheddar cheese, and rosemary pastries. They were to die for. In addition, I usually enjoy a grapefruit for breakfast, and most recently I cooked a full chicken in the oven. Tesco (the local grocery) had full chickens on for 2 pounds! I bought two and threw them in the freezer. If I ever see them on again I'm going to load up - I think they may be a good choice for Canadian thanksgiving in two weeks time.

WIthout further ado, the lodge and some eats:

Rolly Polly before Wrapping

Before 2

Rolly Polly After

Rolly Polly Dinner

Breakfast

Full Chicken

Full Chicken 2

Living Room

Fireplace

My Room

Suitcase Living no more

Mantel

Kitchen

Kitchen 2

Dining Room

Silent Discoers

The Infamous Beaded Wall

Morning Detox

Unfortunately, I took the photos in the evening so the quality isn't the best. And yes, to be clear, my bedroom is small. But for 225 pounds a month it's a steal. The girls and I have made the dining room our thesis desk.

This week has been up and down. On the down side, I've lost a little momentum of the past month, but I think that's to be expected. I just need to find a new angle to keep plugging away. It's not the word count or the length that scares me anymore, it's being able to have a coherent and convincing argument that lasts for the 120 pages. I know this is something that'll work itself out in revisions, but until I have some sort of product I won't know how it stands up - it's like I need the frame of the building before I can tell you if it'll be a Victorian, a semi, or a houseboat. Tomorrow I set firmer goals for the rest of September so that hopefully by month's end I'm in a position of strength.

On the up side, Tory returned back from Amsterdam so the household is complete! It's nice to have the three of us under one roof and most of the contingent back in Leamington. By all accounts we're operating really well as a unit - we spend time together working on the thesis, share the occasional meal, and talk about each other's day. I really enjoy living with others again - how I've missed it. Tory also joined the gym so I'll have a buddy to go with. We've already signed up for a spin class next week. Also next week we welcome the new MAIPR group to Warwick and take part in (yet another) Warwick-Amsterdam-Finland telematic conference. Should be jokes this time around.

Good Luck to Queen's University and the Kingston community who will not be hosting the annual homecoming festivities, but instead will be faced with the condensation of the yearly event in the form of unauthorized, unapologetic, and unwieldy partying. The Globe and Mail's coverage called Police ready for fall booze-up at Queen's is a bit laughable in building hype for the event - it's almost like they want to be the ones to predict something will go wrong: "see, that's what we insinuated would happen!" My favourite part is the unnecessary map outlining the Queen's ghetto - someone spent way too much time on this.

Doc's Prescription of the Day: Nothing is more important than having a home or a room that you call your own - I hope you're reading this from someplace comfortable.