This was my last day with my friends Gerry & Renee. This was my last day looking out the windows at the woods on Park Road wondering if I will see a wild turkey, a deer or bunny. It’s funny, while I look forward to this new chapter in my life – I am reminded of books that I don’t want to end. I can’t imagine not waking up everyday weekday mornings and hearing about Gerry’s home improvements, or Renee’s latest venture at Big Brothers & Big Sisters or stories about little Jimmy. We really are family here at CD 98.9.

Outside of work – I can not believe how many bloody boxes of books I own! Box after box labeled “books”. To think I gave half of them to the book place on Highway 3 outside of Courtland! I’ve got the majority of my stuff packed – and my mother doesn’t think I will have room for all the shoes I’m taking.
As my friend Karen says “there is always room for shoes!”.
Eveyone has been asking me how my mom is taking me leaving. My family is used to the travelling. My brother lives in Australia. It takes over a day for him to come home. I am an afternoon away. I’m a cheap summer paradise vacation that would cost well under a thousand dollars for a family of four. Lol. To celebrate my family is going to the Barrel for dinner one night this week, and then I will be home at Christmas. My mom is already planning a visit if she can get tickets to Kelly&Regis when they visit Prince Edward Island next month.

It’s so much easier to keep in touch now – with facebook and e-mail. I will also continue to have a blog – if you send me an e-mail I will send you the link when it is set up. kbuick@live.com If not – look me up on facebook. I’m there. Also, The Hub has requested I let them know how I am doing every now and again, so look for stories there! I will miss you!
:)

I will miss Final Touch Ladies Exclusively Fitness in Simcoe. When I started going to the gym, I was 205 lbs. I was tired all of the time, hated the way I looked, and was eating way-way-way too much bad food. That was back in 2008. I started working with Wanda the trainer, who changed the way I looked at food, (although I still eat chocolate) and taught me how to get the most out of my workout. Anyone can go to a gym and workout, but when you work with a trainer, you learn how to maximize your time there, how to squeeze as much as you possibly can into the time that you allotted for that day at the gym. I did that boot camp with Wanda—remember that? Good grief that was crazy challenging, and yet so effective! Since joining Final Touch, I have lost over 50 lbs, and 67 inches. I want to thank Heather, Tracy, Wanda and all of staff there. I have learned so much, and I will miss you!

Other faces I will miss seeing—Dave Scott from the Hub, Henry Eising, Shirley Adams, Derek Demeyre, Kyle Kowtaluk, Laura Snow, Kate Stratford, all of the folks from Clark’s Pharamasave, Kelly Fulsom from Rick McCall’s and so many others that were just fantastic to work with. Thank you!

I have accepted a Program Director job with K-ROCK in Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island. My last day on the morning show will be June 15th. Pretty crazy eh?

I’ve always wanted to move out east, experience what it would be like to live near the Atlantic, those crazy Maritime winters, the beautiful cool summers. It it a dream come true for me.

The sad part is saying goodbye to Norfolk. Of course I still have family here, and will visit, but I don’t expect I will be living in Norfolk County for a long time. My plan is to see as much of Canada as I can, while working at a job that is so much fun!

My friends have asked me what will I miss? These are in no particular order, (except for missing mom is number one) however the greek salad is up at the top of the list.

- my crazy mom
- my sisters and their families
- my best friends, Erica, Angie, Jody and Rhonda
- The Barrel Restaurant Greek Salad
- The smell of the Long Point Marsh
- Renee Berube, Gerry Hamill and the staff of Cd 98.9
- The cows, horses and especially the pony &donkey on my drive home on Regional Road 1
- Wanda and the other fine folks at Final Touch in Simcoe
- Vanmaele’s Foodland in Langton—it is the perfect mini grocery store.
- Jim Howse at Howse Appliances in Langton
- The smell of tobacco being cooked in kilns
- Fishing on Lake Erie
- My office chair (it is really comfortable)
- The Quetzal Family Homes Board of Directors
- The Soroptimist of Haldimand Norfolk ladies
- The Reese’s Pieces Fudge at the Norfolk County Fair

I will also miss you guys. All of the listeners of Cd 98.9 and the readers of Kate’s Norfolk. You made every day at work fun and an adventure. Donna Green, Stretch in Port Dover, Gayle, Wendy, all of the kids who played the “Time Machine” who are now almost adults that play Norfolk CSI. The listeners who sent me emails when my father passed away, the listeners who drop off vegetables, fruit, baked goods, a game of Jenga because I said I had never played it, a woman who brought in a videocassette of ET because I said I had never watched it, the little girl from Waterford who brings me chocolates on special occasions because she knows I love chocolate, people who brought in cough candies and natural remedies when I got pneumonia 3 years in a row, and all of the people who would come up to me at Panorama, the Norfolk County Fair, or any event CD 98.9 was attending and just wanted to shake my hand. I still have plenty of stories to tell, so keep coming back!

I walked around to the different displays and talked to a lot of the kids there. It was interesting to hear about how a lot of the kids took part in workplaces across Norfolk and Tillsonburg, and most were allowed to do work and most were very well spoken about the job that they did. There are pictures on line of the displays that the students did, including Cd 98.9’s super awesome co-op student Olivia Driedger. Olivia has been doing evenings and Saturday afternoons on CD 98.9. She is intelligent, fun and if she chooses to take radio (which I think she is) she will excel at it. So proud.

I think about all of the good times I have spent on the Gulf of Mexico in Englewood Florida. The birds, dolphins, sea turtles and all kinds of sea life were a part of my childhood. Walking on the beach and picking up shells. Swimming in the warm water, having the time of my life. I know that officials say parts of the Gulf may not be affected. The Governor of Florida wants BP to pay millions for damages to the tourism industry. Hopefully Kevin Costner’s brother will come through with his machine that cleans water of oil. I’m trying to find a bright side here…..

Anyways, today I feel much better, and feel silly for allowing myself to get so worked up. We human beings are just crazy sometimes. I should take advice from my cat Paris Frances and not worry about thing, while I lay on the windowsill and look at birds. Aaaaa, to live the life of a spoiled indoor cat.

On May 27th, two New York musicians, Greg Holden and Ian Axel, will be coming to do a concert in Fairground Ontario. Greg Holden, originally from Britain, moved to New York just over a year ago to pursue his music career. He has released 2 cds, and has done many shows since then. He has toured with Ingrid Michaelson, and some of his songs have been featured on shows such as Private Practice and Life Unexpected. Ian Axel, originally from New Jersey, has been playing piano since he was a toddler. After moving to New York, Ian has recorded a cd, with many hit songs. Having filled shows, Ian has been a hit throughout the city, as well as across the country, slowly creeping up to Canada.
Why would a student be bringing these two New York artists to the middle of nowhere you ask? Many students in the area either don’t have the time, the money, or the transportation to go to a show in say, London or Toronto. So instead of organizing a way to get these students to the show, why not bring the show to the students? Being in a rural area, its close to many students in the surrounding schools, making rides easy, and affordable.
If anyone is interested in tickets, send an email to samantha_driedger@live.com or stephaniedriedger@gmail.com . A Paypal account is set up for those able to pay in advance.
Ticket prices are $20 in advance, or $22 at the door. Doors open at 6:30pm, and the show will be starting at 7pm, and will be going till around 10/10:30pm.

I’ll let you in on a little secret. We will have Nikki Yanofsky cd’s to give away shortly. Hint—Make sure you a CD 98.9 facebook member!
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I learned on the weekend that a friend of mine that I went to Langton Public School with passed away. Darryl Carruthers was married to Danielle, and he was the proud father of 3 little girls. He was a resident of Langton, employed with Norfolk as a building inspector, and he was one of those guys who everyone liked, and no one ever had a bad word to say about him. He will be missed by everyone who knew him.