...But first, coffee (with Jen)

September weather has me feeling refreshed and ready for Fall.  There is just something about that chill in the air that makes me want to grab a sweater and get outside.  After a trying, and super busy, week at work a night out was greatly needed.  So, what prompted this night out you ask?  It was one of my very close friends' birthday and we were meeting for drinks and apps. I live outside the city, so going into town for a walk around always brightens my day. After circling the area for free parking we settled on paying the parking garage fee.  Not ideal, but the parking garage is huge and well lit, there are stairwells that lead to both Water Street and Harbour Drive - both areas where we were going to be venturing, and in the same building is a well-known coffee location (see below) and a restaurant. First stop, as usual, is Starbucks.  Personally, I love this location.  Inside is cozy, the staff are friendly, and it's usually a quite place to ...

We did it!  We attended the Lantern Festival - finally!  Over the past few years I really wanted to get out to the festival and have take in this experience. We did not attend previous years due to the weather.  There is no way in July that I want to go stand in the cold (like single digit temps) and sometimes wet weather to see some lights.  But this year - this year they moved the festival from the usual last Saturday in July to the next weekend due to bad weather and I'm really glad that they did.  It was fantastic to get out and actually enjoy this event. The lantern display, which was up on the hill, was amazing and very well done.  There were a variety of lanterns on display - some large, small, and at various levels of detail.  I imagined that there would be more lanterns throughout the park, but they were all focused in this area.  And, we almost missed it!  Thankfully, I asked a friend if they knew where they would be and - to ...

The races were 'A Go!' for the 200th Royal St. John's Regatta - and we weren't going to miss the action. (from  @ StJohnsRegatta  on Twitter) Although, truth be told, we are not going with the intention to watch many of the races.  We go for the food, the games of chance, and the time spent with friends and family. This year, like the year before it, and the year before that, hubby checked out the Hindu Temple tent for his lunch - and he was not disappointed. I had a feed of chicken pierogi (not pictured because I ate most of the dish before thinking of getting a pic for my blog). I did, however, remember to get a pic of us before the heat of the day sunk in. I don't think that I have even been to the St. John's Regatta on a day like this before.  It was hot!  Like, reapply the sun screen and still get sun burned hot. Usually, on Regatta day we have mild temps, and sometimes a little rain.  Some years it is far too windy for the races and ...