Our Kingston trip!

 We planned a trip to Kingston to visit Jordan. He's living and working in Kingston. He is all signed up courses for September (astrophysics and a minor in geology). He's enjoying his work, receiving and organising goods on 6-hour shifts at a grocery store. 

This is Jordan at 18 months old, 2009. 'What happens at Grandma's stays at Grandma's' I still have this roll of tape. The little one wanted to be covered in it! I told Jordan the story about us babysitting. Momma and Papa had a wedding to go to somewhere in southern Ontario, while we were in Muskoka.

2009

In preparing for our visit, I used the tape to close the lid of the parcel. 

 What do you take a university student in student housing? A tea towel I regifted and a nail kit. Freebies from the Red Cross fundraiser. 

Also, I took 18-year-old the window crayons! 

We used those a lot. This was 2017-ish. 

Here are the kids using the window crayons!

I wrote about Papa putting in the air conditioner in their top floor apartment, left by the previous renters. It makes a huge difference on the top floor.

 

We had a great chat and talked about all sorts of things, past, present, and future!

GIFTS

Jordan's bathroom was renovated in the summer. While teeny, it has a nice, newly renovated shower. 

The next photo is the toilet paper we gifted him. When he was in residence last year, he'd run out. As with this rental, they come in weekly to clean, replenish toilet paper, etc. There was never enough. We gave him some last Christmas! Not so much a gag gift, as a necessary one.

Jordan harvested the sign on the wall behind a dumpster. Guests are invited to sign it!

A great university. There is quite a variety for student housing. There were 29,000 students for 2025/2026.  Jordan's roomie is at home for summer, but will return for university in the fall.

It really is a great city. Summer brings lots of tourists, and summer employment for the students.

mural for a spa

Tragically Hip mural

A couple of passenger tours left as we had lunch.

It was a lovely drive home.

UPDATE:

Jordan sent a photo. He's already decorated his window!

Trip to Kingston

 We had a lovely Easter with Caitlin, Jean-Luc, Jordan, and Aster! Sunday morning we split up and the three of them went back to Ottawa, while Grampa and I took Jordan back to Queen's University in Kingston. 

The Big Rideau is still frozen in spots. 

I love this little cottage on the water. 

Green grass in some fields.

We made it...

Tragically Hip Way!

We drove Jordan to his dorm. I had his address, I should have plugged it into my phone map. That and the address of the hotel. That gave us some issues.

He dumped off his bag and we proceeded on a tour of the campus. It takes me back, those typical university walls. Joe Brian attended 50 years ago. It's changed. 

It was a brisk walkabout. You can see the winds blowing on the water.

Jordan took us to the Arthur B. McDonald Canadian Astroparticle Physics Research Institute in Stirling Hall. A student of his is a professor at the faculty.

It takes me back!

This is the coolest thing, a Foucault Pendulum. 

The Nixon rugby field, donated by a generous family.

It was at this point that Jesse, my son, phoned from Vancouver to wish us a Happy Easter. They were hosting his in-laws for Easter Brunch. Bryony was dressed all in blue, she was happy to tell me. What a hoot.

Discussions ensued.

MDCCCLXXIX

Jordan begins exams on Friday. He is home after that for a week, then the family will move his things into the apartment he and a friend have rented for a year. He's job hunting, and will stay in Kingston over the summer, as well. They say kids grow fast, but grandkids grow even faster! 

More on our visit tomorrow. 

In the meantime, we've more snow. The snow tires come off today. Oh yay.