Frustration no more! The last post was kind of blah and I am suddenly feeling much more revived now that Matt & I have returned after a month long of traveling. Our trip to Toronto was much anticipated with family gatherings, family meals and family excursions. Did I say family? I love it! I can't begin to tell you how much I miss being in the company of family. However, the fact is that they are all around the world and far away.

When we first arrived in Toronto, we were picked up by my cousin Kathy and her boyfriend Kirk. I really had no idea what car she drove, but Matt was very quick to decide that it was possibly the Honda Civic "rice burner" driving in the airport circle. Damn him, he was right too! After a quick visit to her apartment in Mississauga, we went off to meet the rest of the clan at a Chinese restaurant where we met up with my aunts, uncles, cousins, and extended family members. Ahh... I love big Chinese dinners! :)

The following week ensued with a visit to Niagara Falls, where my aunt set us up in a hotel room with a view of the Canadian and US falls directly from our window. The hush of the falls provided a sort of white noise, which made sleeping all that easier. My aunts spent much of their night and morning gambling away until their tired little hands could no longer push the "BET MAX" button. Aunt Maggie walked away with a lump sum and refused to gamble any longer, while Aunt Nancy tried her luck several times. It didn't help that the lady behind her won 2 jackpots within 5 minutes at 2 different machines! How is that possible?

We stayed in Toronto at my brothers condo, which is conveniently located near the heart of downtown. We spent many days walking around the streets, exploring all the local flavors and even stopped for an outdoor skating opportunity - how magical! The most disturbing part was seeing blood forever caked into the surface of the ice in a specific location, which we passed in ever lap. But, we never let our bottoms touch the ice and finally went on to explore some more.

The most memorable family dinner was at Uncle Pat's house, where he dished up a 4 course italian dinner including Veal Parmigiana. This was followed by a lunch the next day with Aunt Nancy in Chinatown where she ordered a 5 course meal to feed more than were seated at the table! Did I mention we were still stuffed from the dinner the night before? Needless to say, my family goes hand in hand with food. I love them to death and wish that I were not so far away. It's good to know that if I were starving, all I'd have to do is hop on a plane to Toronto and I will be well taken care of until I can no longer fit into my pants :)