So, I'm writing this from the middle of nowhere. Or, more precisely, from a rustic house somewhere in the middle of nowhere. We actually got here on Saturday morning, but we just now got the internet connection working, so I had to wait a bit before jumping on here and recounting the adventure... anyways, I'm supposed to be relaxing, right?

We left on Halloween night, so Sylvie and I donned our own monsterous outfits and escorted Pest straight outside into the streets with barely a notice. The scary thing was that Pest looked positively normal compared to some of the people we passed on the way...

The real difficulty came when we had to get Pest into Sylvie's car. It's a small SUV, so we thought it would be relatively easy, but trying to get Pest in between all the gear we packed and in a position that didn't elicit endless whining proved to be a trying experience. After a good hour of poking and prodding, we got the big fur ball situated and finally hit the road... only to find that said fur ball is easily inclined to bouts of motion sickness. I'll spare you the details, but I will say that that was, without a doubt, the longest ride of my life.

We rolled off the main roads and into this secluded place just as the sun was coming up, and we all immediately stumbled inside to collapse wherever we could, leaving the unpacking until very late in the day. Sylvie stayed around until Sunday afternoon getting everything set up and then ran back to the city to attend to her business affairs, leaving me and Pest here to amuse ourselves. If it wasn't for Pest complaining every few minutes about how bored he is, I'd almost be enjoying the peace and quiet...

You bet I'm bored. As feared, the television situation out here is dire... the set we brought can only pick up a signal from one lousy channel that broadcasts farm reports and fishing shows around the clock. Thankfully, we got the internet connection running, but it's pathetically slow...

I'm also somewhat disappointed that I didn't get a chance to take advantage of my Halloween night out to get some trick or treating done. You owe me a heap of candy, Addie.

Oh yeah, you'd be much more bearable if you were on a candy-induced sugar rush, bouncing off the walls...

Why don't you go out and enjoy the joys of nature or something now that you've got the chance?

If I wanted to experience the joys of nature, I'd just turn on the Nature Channel. It's a lot more sanitary than going out there with all that dirt and muck.

Oh, wait, I can't...

Well, it sounds like you guys are off to a great start. Unfortunately, the contractors working on my cafe don't seem to be able to operate without direct supervision, so I'm going to be trapped down here a bit longer than I expected. I'll try to get back out there as soon as I can.

Take your time, Sylvie. If the worst thing I've got to complain about is Pest's complaining, then things can't be too bad.