Judith and I always planned before we left for vacation to spend the penultimate day of our vacation in Canada packing and not venturing out. We did that somewhat… until the evening. We awoke late in the morning, knowing that we were going to rise early the next morning for our trip. My brother, Ian, returned from Montreal in the afternoon and my cousin met him at the bus terminal. The next day, Ian was about to make the longest road trip in his life thus far.

In the evening, we had dinner with our cousins and my brother at a favorite restaurant of theirs and ours named The Keg. It is a steakhouse and bar, where I have been dining with my cousins when I am in Canada. I have done so for the past 15 years. In fact, although I have dined at various restaurants in Canada, when I am there I always dine at the Mandarin and the Keg. As usual, we had a fantastic time at the Keg – wonderful fellowship, delicious food and drinks, great conversation, and an intimate atmosphere.

After returning home from dinner late in the night, it was off to bed for what will be a long 2-day trip back to South Florida. The fun and relaxation were over and it was time to get back to reality.