lost luggage

2007-04-11T13:35:00.000-07:00

sorry for the lame amount of posting, i'll admit that facebook has been easier to keep updated. But I'll be home in Canada in a few days, and hopefully I'll be able to take some time to catch up. Berlin, and Germany/Switzerland, has been fabulous, and I definitely hope that I'll be able to come back some day (with the ability to speak German preferably).
But for now, life in the working world must start again. sigh.

some photos...

2007-03-21T02:54:00.000-07:00

2007-03-15T04:25:00.000-07:00

Ok, i'm being lazy, but it's hard having 2-3 places where you have to keep people updated. so. for those of you who don't have facebook, here is an exerpt: (hmmm I just realized that I can write here, and automatically have it post on facebook too.... I think I'll have to do that next time! yes i realize that i'm a nerd...)...
...
ok, i'm stupid. damn i hate macs! tara's not here and I forget the shortcut for copy and paste... how lame is that? (stupid no right click function!)
well. basically except for me getting my date of departure wrong, having to cancel the first leg of my flight which left from Calgary (cause I was 7.5 hours way and the flight was leaving in 4), drive to Spokane (well my darling mom drove me) catch a flight from there to seattle where I was able to connect with the rest of my flight, the trip over was quite smooth...
Tara's flat is very lovely, and we've done a lot of walking. Yesterday we went to the East Side Gallery and walked along what remains of the Berlin Wall, we walked all around and went into a KaDaMe (or something like that) so Tara could get some maple syrup from the canadian section. which also had other random stuff I wouldn't necessarily consider canadian staples. But they did have hempseed flour and pancake mix from hempola which is based in Barrie Ontario, and my friend who lives there knows the owners. That was crazy! We also went to a concert last night, with Tara's friend Andrew, a really nice and funny australian. The venue was kind of cool, although very smokey, our eyes were burning by the time we left. The music was interesting... not something I would generally go for, but it was neat being there. And I had German beer! (a rare thing for a girl who doesn't really like beer, but it wasn't that bad at all). Anyway, it was a chilly walk and tram ride back home, and bed was a lovely thing. This morning I went to Tara's work with her, and then walked back to her flat. It was beautiful and sunny and nice just to walk along the streets. We may check out a museam this afternoon, or just enjoy the weather. It's nice not to feel rushed about seeing everything. I am, so far, having a lovely time. Hopefully, once Tara shows me how to upload photos, i'll get some posted.

Whew!

2007-03-06T21:37:00.000-08:00

Well, I made it. I'm here in Nelson, in my bed, in my new room that is full of boxes and makeshift blinds. It was a whirlwind of a trip that started when my mom came on sunday night to help me move. we packed that night. we got up early on monday, got some coffee, picked up the uhaul (almost didn't get one cause one of the guys was such a jerk! but it worked out), got some euros for my trip, picked up some glass and a kiln in Millstream for a friend in nelson, (maybe shopped a little at the outlet malls in sooke...) got back to the house, packed and cleaned in a frenzy (and I mean frenzy by the last hour or so)and just managed to make the 7pm ferry to vancouver. we stayed with my friend Lindsay and got to see her and her sweet baby again (yay!) then we started at 830am the next morning and drove drove drove. Got into Nelson (and I will admit to feeling a little apprehensive as we were entering the city, thinking "what have I done?" but I got over it.) Then we had to un pack everything and load it into the garage and up a flight of stairs to my bedroom (which will look very nice once I actually get it organized and unpacked) and now I'm in bed, ready to fall asleep! I have a week to relax and get organixed for my trip. weeha!

going away party number 1

2007-02-19T22:46:00.000-08:00

Saturday night, Kim's house, friends from work, martinis (vodka, peach schnappes, cranberry juice, and lime...mmmmm), cake, games, a little dancing (we'll omit the part where we danced to the spice girls...), a painful day on sunday. Good times! :)
blogger is being annoying, so pics to follow.
and here they are:

2007-02-08T23:45:00.000-08:00

Weeee. It was time for something new....

2007-02-06T23:23:00.000-08:00

Let me just say this: film festivals are where it's at. Railpasses are handy to have when travelling. Bowling is fun (more fun if you're actually kicking ass - unlike me - and if the people in the lanes next to you AREN'T loud raving lunatics...). Cookies are delicious. Friends who take photos with you in the photo booth are cool. Sleep is never overrated.

2007-02-05T09:26:00.000-08:00

Well I'll be! I finally decided to update my blogger (say bye bye beta) and I had 6 unrevied comments waiting - sorry guys, if I'd known that I had to update in order to see the comments, i'd of done it a long time ago!

But here we are.

It's monday, it's my weekend and I didn't have to wake up to an alarm clock this morning. Wahooo! (We'll ignore the fact that I did wake up to my roomates getting ready for school, but it's okay is didn't have to get out of bed). I have today and tomorrow off, and there is so much that I'm going ot try to fit in: cleaning my room, sorting and packing the things that aren't essential to my living needs at the moment, cleaning the kitchen (especially the floor!!), going to the gym, going downtown and picking up my plane ticket, changing names on all the bills (free at last!), going to see 3 films at the Victoria Film Festival, having lunch with Ben, and of course going bowling on tuesday evening. Whew! I think I should get started soon!

Time is flying by so fast, I can't really believe that in one month (and a bit) I'll be pulling out of this place in the ole uhaul and lugging my life back to Nelson. Pretty crazy. And pretty exciting! I'm ready for a new adventure. Germany here I come! Right Tara? :)

Well there you have it. :) Thanks for those of you who actually still check this blog in hopes that I'll have bothered to write something. I'm sure as Germany looms closer, I'll be typing away. :)

2007-01-15T22:24:00.000-08:00

well, apparently I'm an abysmal blogger. and I'm afraid I have to agree. I was readying a friend's new blog and I was reminded of how much I enjoyed writing blogs when I first started. How I used to notice things thoughout the day and think about how I could write a blog about it. That hasn't really happened in a long while. Maybe I've just got caught up in the mindnumbing routines of everyday life, maybe I've just gotten lazy, maybe I've forgotton how much fun it is to write random and entertaining little tales. In any case, it was refreshing to read my friend's blog and delight in her witty style of writing.
I'm afraid my brain does feel a little numb right now, but perhaps that is a lingering aftereffect of standing for 4 hours outside in minus something weather (minus 6? I realize that it isn't that cold in comparison to those living in say Winnipeg at the moment, but for Victoria it's damn chilly, especially with the wind) while waitind in line to submit my passport application. I thought I was prepared: hoodie, wool jacket, long socks, comfortable shoes, hat, mittens, scarf, coffee, music, a book, a little energy bar - I knew I was in for a bit of a wait. However, after about one hour of tapping my toes to Justin Timberlake (i know I know, shameful really) and sipping my rapidly cooling americano, i realized my mistake. I was short an extra pair of socks, another sweater, a couple of those pocket hand warmer things, and most importantly a friend to take turns getting more warm drinks or sitting some place warm for a little bit. Horray for Ben who brought me a hot chocolate three and a half hours in (still outside, but oh so close to that elusive elevator). And horray for Dave who told me to fill out my application online and then print it out, as it saved me almost an hour once I made it though the first line (sorry you irritated ladies that I got to budge in front of, you should have been better informed - suckas!). But, I perseveared (sp?) and will have my passport in 2 weeks. wehaa. Plus, afterward I got to have a tastey late lunch with that same lovely Ben of the hot chocolate. yay for me.
a trip to the gym and the Golden Globes (well most of it, i do have to work early tomorrow, and this is taking up precious sleeping time, plus 12 minutes of Robot Chicken) finished off my weekend. here's hoping I dream of beautiful men and pretty dresses.

2007-01-08T22:03:00.000-08:00

And the new year has begun.
Here are some exciting things about 2007 :
I cleaned my room
I got a new pair of shoes
My mom is working in Alaska teaching
I will be moving home in the first week of March
I will be flying to Germany for 4 weeks on march 13th
I got a raise at work (with only 2 months to go!!)
my oldest and dearest friend just had a baby boy today!!! (I will be "auntie samara")
um... well that's about it. mostly right now I'm excited about the baby. :)
I shall attempt to be more frequent in my posting (for you emolita) even if it only consists of a pic or two, or a little interesting tidbit.
for example, did you know that ketchup coming out of a Heinz glass bottle travels at the speed of 25 kilometers per year? fasinating isn't it?

2006-12-05T23:23:00.000-08:00

What can I say? I'm a lame ass. There have been many posts running through my mind in the last month or so, but I have failed to put any of them down. I have pictures, and stories of running over tumbleweeds, dancing in a country bar, driving over a live wire, and so much more, but I just can't seem to find the motivation to write them when I'm thinking about it (or I'm no where near a computer). Maybe I should just relinquish this blog... But then I think about how I'm going to be going to Germany in march and wont this be a good place to post my exciting adventures with Tara, and also when I move back to Nelson, and hopefully start spending more time writing and perusing interesting things, perhaps this little blog of mine will have a rebirth. So those of you still randomly and patiently checking to see if i'm ever going to write here again, don't loose all heart. (or just send me nasty comments or something) :) Until then, I'll try my best (I know, excuses excuses...)
here's some new pics just because...

fun with coworkers...

2006-10-26T22:25:00.000-07:00

looking for that elusive turkey...

2006-10-03T22:39:00.000-07:00

(deja vu?
if you happened to read my myspace blog, this may seem a little familiar. but I was feeling lazy, so I copied and pasted. sorry. if not, read on)

Bowling is like a box of chocolates, you never know what pin you're gonna hit (if any)... or something to that effect. So, while mentioning this may slide me further down the scale of dorkiness, some co-workers and I have been going bowling on tuesdays. yup. and this was our third week. and I'm not talking no computer scoring, ten pin rolling, music thumpin bowling lanes either. no no. this is a five pin, paper and pencil score yourself (if you can), push to reset the pins, shoes from the 80's, kinda bowling lane. yesseriee bob. and frankly, we've been having fun. a little laid back competition, a little rowdy cheering, and more than a few good laughs. I think i'm actually getting better. anything over 100 is good in my books. :)
I think next time, I'll try to remember my camera!

2006-09-22T09:25:00.000-07:00

so apparently love is in the air... or at least weddings and engagements... My friend since birth was just married on the weekend and I was fortunate enough to be her maid of honour. Besides the waking up at 4:30am to get ready for the 9:30 ceremony, and the desperate need to pee just before the ceremony started (luckily but the time we walked up the aisle and into the sunshine it went away - until after anyway) everything went smoothly. there were a couple of fun slip ups - i'm most fond of Lindsay's pause before the word "Faithful" and when I almost dropped her boquet as she was passing it to me and blasphemed (sp?) fairly loudly (might I add that I was standing next to the baptis pastor? typical me. But the weather was beautiful, everyone looked lovely, and I can't wait to see the professional pictures. I managed to get a few of before, and of the reception, but seeing as I was in the ceremony, it would hardly of been appropriate for me to be snapping pics.
Me and the Best man, Nichola's brother Duncan, got to be witnesses, and my hands were so cold, I could barely sign my name! It looked like a 5 year old's signiature! anyway.
My dad made the cake, and did and absolutly fabulous job as usual, so he was there and my momma too, and also my cousin Emily, and it was sooooo nice to have them there. I just wish it all lasted a little bit longer.
so that was the wedding. and when I got back to work, i discovered that one of my co-supervisors just got engaged. awww... (sigh)
here's some pics:

2006-08-29T21:57:00.000-07:00

I was going to do this really big rant about stupid people, stupid drivers, and stupid messy bedrooms, but I've run out of time and must get 8 hours of sleep, or the anger will get worse!
so instead (for the moment) I'll post some pictures.
Me and Megan (the other bridesmaid) just threw my friend Lindsay's bridal shower, and it went very well - Lindsay was a good sport, and everyone seemed to enjoy themselves. I also got to see Minter Gardens where they'll be getting married. very lovely.
so until I have some more time, the rant will have to wait. all I have to say is EXCUSE ME for stopping quickly to avoid running over some cute wild grouse , if you hadn't been driving so close behind you might not have had to slam on your brakes and honk at me, bitch! grrr!

2006-08-18T15:52:00.000-07:00

ah, finally some heat again! Yay sunshine! I only wish that the beach was next to my house and not a car ride away (or bike ride). Summer is going by way too fast - although I have to admit, part of me is looking forward to wearing scarves and mittens and sitting in coffee shops sipping steaming mugs of sweet goodness. mmm... But that will come soon enough.
here's some recent and random pics
i can see a killer whale, can you?

Tara's picnic at Beacon Hill - brrrrr! but it was fun and zany. way too much pita and dips!me and Tara on our Inner Harbour ferry tour. weee! it was neat, we learned lots of things.
my friend Elaine down at Cloverpoint.

sorry...

2006-08-04T11:21:00.000-07:00

whoops, that month went by fast!
I've been meaning to post, but time is a funny thing... It's been a pretty crazy month. Crystal is in the valley until september, enjoying the sunshine and not working, Julie finished her summer classes and is now home in PEI for august. Crystal's friend Sarah is staying in her room for august, so I'm not completely alone. She's cool. I finally got the bench swing I've been wanting all summer (I'll take a picture and post it), and I'm loving it. Working lots as usual. um... eating blackberries in the back yard, and having bbq's. Tara finished her bike trip, and is visiting for a couple of days before heading home for august (before moving to Germany!) and her and new stellar legs have been fun. :) We went shopping yesterday and she got 3 pairs of pants for a total of 39 dollars! (One pair was only $5!!!) How do you pass up sweet deals like that??? You don't! ;) We just went to Shine for a delicious breaky with Dave, and are now gonna head downtown. weee...
I went to Abbotsford last week or so, to chill with my friend Lindsay who's pregnant, and getting married! It was ridiculously hot, but we had a good time. I got to play with cats, dogs, adn babies, so I was happy. :) and I think that the bridesmaid dresses are going to look pretty nice!
I can't believe how fast July went by! I must get to the beach more!!!
I will work harder at blogging more, but I make no promises.

2006-07-01T01:02:00.000-07:00

You know what I think about inventory, especially inventory done in the evening? I poop on inventory! There's nothing better than counting tea and jam packets at 11pm...
and can you believe it's july 1st tomorrow! (well in a few minutes really) 1st Fireworks of the season, should be interesting. But Folkfest is on and I'm very excited for a few of the acts. (and the yummy food!)
what I'm most excited about right now, is the sleep I'll be starting in a few moments...

2006-06-28T14:02:00.000-07:00

I really have to get back into the habit of posting more often! I get wrapped up in the craziness of life and then put off writing about it until it feels like there's too much to say, so i put it off some more! Maybe I just need to stick to simple things, like how much I love the americanos at Cafe Fantastico, and how nice it is to have some sunshine! (except, perhaps, not the resulting sauna of a house!) and how I like to on occasion use excessive amounts of exclamation marks!
There have been several exciting events in the recent weeks: a trip home, a raise at work, a stabbing 4 blocks from our house, my cousin being robbed at her bank, Julie's sunflowers blooming, a bbq involving croquet, spoons, and twister! But that's really all I want to say about them. (except maybe that I had a great time at home - but too short, and sad to say goodbye to my house...; the stabbing was really creepy, but drug related and thus hopefully an isolated incident; raises are always a good thing) I thought I'd just stick up some photos, which is not surprising for me... :) (Flowers and such from our gardens)

2006-05-31T16:03:00.000-07:00

just got back from my second (and last) day of Foodsafe Level 2. weeha. basically, I'm glad I'm a vegetarian, don't want to own /run a restaurant, thankfully passed the exam, have never drank so much tea in 2 days. (am also trying to get over an icky cold/cough). At least it's over now.
went and saw X-men 3 last night with friends from work - very good, kind of want to go see it again because I missed the part where another friend from work was an extra (the funeral scene, back row behind the Beast apparently) I was looking, but no dice. and it was worth waiting out the credits to see the little extra scene at the end. It doens't necessarily change the ending, but it does make it more interesting.
um... yeah that's pretty much it. my cousin Cayley is coming down this weekend for a wedding, and it will be great to see her. That's the one think that sucks about growning up and moving away, you don't get to see your family as much (I know some people move away for that reason, but I happen to like my family)

the green house is tilting dangerously, and I don't have the energy to fix it...

2006-05-27T17:48:00.000-07:00

okay, so i know it's been awhile, there's no excuse, really. What can I say for myself, except that I've been busy with work, a new roomate, gardening, sunshine, and more work. just haven't really had the energy to extrapilate on my days. (Did I spell that right? just wanted to use a big word, heck did i even use it right?) :) anyway, I've read some good books - Sweetness in the Belly, A Reciepe for Bees, and i'm in the middle of The God of Small Things. built a "greenhouse" with Julie... which is still standing, to our surprise.

missing Tara who is now starting her long bike journey (GO TARA GO!)
went to my friend Michelle's 40th surprise birthday party - quite enjoyable

got sick, along with Julie, so we've been watching alot of movies and whining - good times all around.
am very excited about going home next week for a little visit. The parent's finally sold our house, so it will be the last visit... :(

Just found out that my friend, whom I've known since birth, is pregnant, and getting married! and I get to be her maid of honour! eek! very exciting.
oh yeah, went to a Joel Plaskett Emergency concert, which rocked ass! good times were had.
Other than that, just some random animal sightings: deer on quadra street at 7am, a funny looking duck waddling down west saanich road, several wild rabbits, a couple turkey vultures, a bald eagle, and lets not forget the roadkill - :(

tinkering...

2006-04-24T22:23:00.000-07:00

here's some photos and tidbits:
I broke a bumblebee's leg the other day. I didn't mean to, I thought he was a dust bunny!
Easter was lovely, a visit from Norann, egg painting, chocolate, brunch, sunshine, cheesy movies, what more could you ask for?

I am now 25. oh my.

spring, oh spring, with your blue skies, and your delicious smells, and the glorious earthworms in my garden.

Cuff the Duke is a wicked good band! especially live.
Tara is leaving soon... :(
but before she goes, she's having a benefit concert to help fundrais the 4000.00 she needs for her bike trip. so if you live in victoria (heck, if you're just visiting) you should definately check it out! info at www.go-tara-go.com/

high eight us...

2006-04-10T22:52:00.000-07:00

You yeah, it's been awhile... what can I say, I just haven't felt the urge to explicate, if you know what I mean.
hopefully this lackluster feeling towards blogging will lift soon, and I'll be renewed with a new vigour and a bevy of interesting tidbits to share.
But for now, all I have is this:
work, sleep, food, games, time off, neck issues, work, play, la la la.

March in Victoria, 2006

2006-03-10T23:26:00.000-08:00

8am this morning...
6pm this evening...

10pm this evening ... (i wanted a better picture, but it was cold and i didn't have any shoes on...) There was hail, slush, rain, lightening and thunder it the period of an hour or so... please hurry up spring, i want to plant flowers.

ch ch ch changes...

2006-03-09T23:11:00.000-08:00

so, it's snowing. or at least it was this morning and a good chunk of this evening. bah.

Dave is going to be moving out at the end of april. (maybe it's time I took a real room... ) :) Hopefully he will find a place that is fabulous (although without us that might be hard) ;)

We think (hope) our landlady is going to ask the downstairs tenants to leave. (have I mentioned that Matt - acid tripper... see oct/05 recently had another crazy fit and smashed his fist through their bathroom window? yeah.)

Tara is going to be leaving in May to bike across the states for "Habitat for Humanity" for 9 weeks! Very impressive. If you want to donate to the cause (she has to raise 4,000.00 for it) you can check out her blog : adventures in Taraism and click on the HBC link on the side bar (I'll try to get the link up here too.)

did i mention that it was snowing?

2006-02-27T23:27:00.000-08:00

three strikes and it's a turkey...

2006-02-26T00:18:00.000-08:00

Yes, I'm talking about bowling.
Had a great day today, friend's Alida and Jodi from the valley are here visiting and we had a delicious breakfast of veggie scromlete and toast. Then we bundled up (because yes it snowed a little today - not as bad as the mini blizzard of 2 days ago, but it was still cold) and walked downtown to do a little shopping. lunch at the Lotus pond, so full! bus trip home, some yerba mate tea, a competative game of scrabble (crystal won of course), some good conversation and relaxing on the couch. Then, we met up with tara, emanuel, and moneet, and went bowling! we had to wait a bit (well and hour) for a lane so we hung out in the "bar" had a drink or two and played some darts (I lost both games...). Finally, after paying and getting our rather ratty shoes (except for emanuel's) from an interesting employee (and by interesting i mean slightly wacky and a tinge irritating) we got to bowl. First game not so hot, second was definately better for me. 2 strikes in a row! (that's big for someone who usually doesn't make it to 100)
photos in the am...

2006-02-13T22:49:00.000-08:00

After 4 1/2 years, i've finally gotten a library card. Yup. I decided while walking downtown this sunny afternoon that I would do the deed. I was hoping that I'd get to see my friend Ben there, but alas he must have been working at another branch. After handing over my driver's liscence and listening to a very well rehersed (and i'm sure often exercised) speech about how to use, how many books, what to do in case of losing, and late fee charges I ambled around in the video and cd section for a few minutes, and then left empty handed. I hadn't come prepared to actually borrow anything today. But now I can. yay me. :)

Did any fellow figure skating fans out there catch the pairs free skate today. How crazy that last skate by the chinese pair! She was incredible, getting up after that fall and then actually skating a great performance to win the silver. Talk about impressive. I'm sure they have the story here.

2006-02-09T09:00:00.000-08:00

It's sunny! It's sunny! La la la la la!

2006-01-30T23:00:00.000-08:00

ok. anyone who lives in Nelson, Vancouver, Toronto, or Winnepeg (and maybe a couple other big cities), you have to go and see "A Simple Curve" on friday (or at least sometime after that while it's still in the theater). It is a fabulous film that happens to be set in the Slocan Valley (New Denver area more specifically). The story is great, the acting bang on, and the scenery, well it doesn't get much better. A bunch of us saw it here as part of the Victoria Film Festival, and we'd gone to see it primarily because it was set in the valley, but it was way better than I imagined (or than the trailer on the website might suggest). I'm hoping that it's going to come to Victoria again soon, because I'll definately be taking as many people as I can to go see it.

check out the website: www.asimplecurve.com

Word Scramble: yiwdn

2006-01-28T00:16:00.000-08:00

woah windy weather! watch out, wear warm winterwear.

party party party it's the weekend! after another slow day at work (made barable by the ever lovely and amusing Sue), came home and attempted to get ahold of the pappa for a big birthday wish (53, i think?) but the man was too popular, out and about, so it will have to wait til tomorrow. Finally talked to the younger brother (after about 2 months or more). made some suppa with the roomies, played some crib (and won! boo-ya) then me and crystal decided that we didn't want to spend another friday at home, so we went down to the Central Bar and Grill to see Kelly Joel Phelps (acoustic/slide guitar and a wicked smooth husky voice). It was nice once we got a seat (2nd half), pretty mellow. A guy from highschool was there, and it was cool to chat with him. Did i mention that it was mellow? Did I mention that some guy got punched in the face, and the guy that hit him got dragged out by the bouncer? oh yeah, that happened. It was pretty fast, and Kelly kept on playing, but i mean, it was an acoustic show... (although the guy that got punched was really annoying...)
then we raced to the car, wind wooshing, hair flying (well mine was under a hat), and came home.
Now the wind is beating up the tarp that covers our neighbours camper, and i get to listen to it all night long.
Sweet dreams...

if you didn't vote, you can't complain...

2006-01-23T22:49:00.000-08:00

sooo.... how 'bout them conservatives hey? GAAA!!!
thank god it's a minority government and not a majority conservative one!
at least the NDP upped their number of seats. (yay BC voters!)
this is going to be interesting...

oh sundays...

2006-01-22T22:29:00.000-08:00

Today I:

-slept in
-had delicious scrambled eggs and veggies with pesto on an engish muuffin courtesy of Crystal
-talked to my aunt, mom, grandma and cousin on the phone (and almost my elusive brother, but he wasn't home when he said he'd be!)
-lost at crib
- cleaned my room
- cleaned the mold off of my windows...ewww
- walked to fantastico's with Crystal for an americano... yummmmm
- got asked to be a bridesmaid for my cousin's wedding! (in summer of 2007)
- made lasagna (a little soupy but tres tastey!)
- played Lord of the Rings monopoly with crystal, tara, and dave (and won!)
- finished knitting a scarf
- went to sleep in a bed with fresh flannel sheets... aaaahhhhh....zzzzzz....

oh yeah, and yesterday I got a great pair of jeans that were on sale, and fit really well!!! (it's a rare thing let me tell you) and me and oona went for a nice walk around swan lake.
oh and the night before, me and Ben and Michael went for dinner at Le Petit Saigon a lovely Vietnamese restuarant (spelling of the last two???). it was fabulous, and the waiter made me a drink that we named the pocket rocket (cause it tasted a little like those "rocket" candies you get around halloween)
i think that's all...

2006-01-17T23:13:00.000-08:00

let's talk about toilets. yes, toliets. Specifically, the things that can go wrong with toilets, and the joy that is fixing the. Let's take, for example, the simple issue of replacing the flusher (the little handle you press down on to make the water work its miracles). a simple job no? get a new handle. But wait! what happens when they (yes "they") have decided to stop making that style of flusher? well, you can try to use a different one, tie if on with a peice of string. but that only works for a little while, and get's a little frustrating. if you're renting a place, lucky you, call your landlord (or landlady in our case) and they can fix it. which is what she decides to do, herself. oh wait, not by herself, but with my help, because apparently we had to put in a whole new flushing system thingy to go with the new flusher handle... Starting at 8:30 this morning, (i'm supposed to work at 11am - thinking no problem, she'll be out of here in an hour tops), and FOUR hours later (thank goodness it was okay for me to come to work late), oh god, I don't really want to go into the grime, and cursing, and stupid plastic parts, and a trip to the "do-it center", and more grime, and leaking, and more cursing... so we're going to stop there. but if you ever need a new flush system put in your tank... (please call a plumber)
anyone hungry?

oh yeah, on a better note, me and Tara had our first belly dancing class tonight. weee. it was fun for the most part, feeling a little uncoordinated, but here's hoping that will pass. :)

2006-01-12T23:36:00.000-08:00

some pics, from Emanuel's birthday and the like...

2006-01-12T23:35:00.000-08:00

hmmmm.... a year teaching English in Germany with Tara... hmmm....

2006-01-12T23:28:00.000-08:00

work is so slow now, we're rolling coins for fun...
we've cleaned EVERYTHING
breaks seem pointless...
there's only 4 staff on over the course of the day, compared to 20ish
cleaning under the sink is exciting...
every time someone speaks, I think of a song lyric...

now don't get me wrong, slow is okay right now, we've earned it. but. slow is still slow.

a montage, a photo montage of christmas and new year's

2006-01-05T16:53:00.000-08:00

Welcome 2006, please be gentle...

2006-01-02T00:33:00.000-08:00

Another year has come and gone...
Highlights:
- Graduating university
- getting a free car from my uncle
- our garden
- trips to the beach
- becoming a supervisor
- my trip to edmonton, kelowna, and nelson
- dancing in the kitchen with Crystal, Tara, and Dave at various times
- Christmas with my parents and my brother Jesse, and skating on christmas eve
- yummy brunches
- potlucks
- folkfest
- seeing Feist, Matthew Good, and other fabulous bands play

lowlights:
- having to fix my free car... ;)
- not having Levi here for christmas
- not being home for christmas
- working 7-8 days in a row
- student loan payments
- being single, still
- dealing with the neighbours downstairs
- mold on the windows
- Jesse breaking his leg on New Year's Eve.

to be continued...

maybe I'll do a photo montage... oooohhh what fun!

2005-12-25T23:07:00.000-08:00

Merry Christmas!!!

yay for family that come to visit, yay for fabulous gifts, yay for long walks by the ocean, yay for scrumptious food that fills you up.

2005-12-19T22:44:00.000-08:00

well, this weekend was definately a change. whipped out a cleaning frenzy on saturday - including the inside of the fridge - made some truffles (and smashed my head on the fridge door when I was trying to shove the glass pan into the shoebox freezer, which involved finally having to tape the freezer door shut...) , tidied the room, and the christmas get-together began-- okay I have to pause for a moment, because the heat just turned on, but it smells like cigarette smoke! how nasty is that? )%%@$$!*# downstairs neighbours!!! ohhhh I could....-- so there was a nice amout of people, we ate yummy snacks, and lots of chocolates, played cranium, cheered when Crystal won a sirius satellite radio from cbc radio 2 (or 3 or something), listened to christmas music, had a fire, and generally a jolly time. Sunday, matinee with Tara (The Family Stone - funny, sad, cheesy, what more can you expect?) Coffee with an old friend Sinisa, and then to the Belfry to volunteer for the last showing of "The Syringa Tree" which was fabulous. One actor who did an amazing job. She was brilliant. Even when the play had to stop woth 30min left becuase a poor man had a seizure or something. It was quite unnerving. But the paramedics got there and he was okay. They took him in a chair stretcher, and then the play resumed. We gave her a big standing ovation when in ended , and she deserved it. Today, brunch with Sarah Mc and Steph - lucky Sarah is going to mexico for 6 weeks and then australia until june!. Then shopping - Ga! and finally home to relax for the rest of the day. another 7 days in a row starting tomorrow. weee. Happy Holidays!

2005-12-17T00:36:00.000-08:00

when your days feel like constant deja-vous, it's time for a change...

2005-12-15T08:55:00.000-08:00

so i finally had a day off after 8 days in a row of working, and it wasn't even as relaxing as i'd hoped. well it's my fault really. I should have just stayed home. But I thought I'd try to be productive and get some christmas shopping done. Basically I wandered the streets of downtown for 3-4 hours, bought some tea her hershey mint kisses... it made me tired, hungry and irritated. I was supposed to go to dinner with Ben, but I sweet-talked him into brunch this morning so I could chill out for the evening. :) Lovely boy. Now I've just tossed some laundry in (stupid work uniform), and am planning on writting some christmas cards before I head out to get Ben. and then it's off to work again.
But, it's our christmas get together on saturday which is going to be fabulous!

2005-12-09T21:22:00.000-08:00

Well, today was no winner, but I made it though, and it perked up at the end. It was day 4 of an 8 day work week, I opened- which was actually fairly fun because if was with Sarah Mc. we made snowflakes. Phoned the mechanic at 7:45am. Yes my clutch is gone. yes it's going to cost my arm. okay, just do it. slow morning. cleaning. wandering. delegating petty jobs. weeee. get off work, get groceries at Red Barn - fabulous place for cheap produce! phone mechanic again, oh some part on my transmission is worn down, should be okay, but no big warranty or something. okay. Trying to figure out how I'm going to pay the guy, student loan, and life for the next month, a little overwhelmed. Phone the pappa, attempt to explain what's going on with the car... he decides to phone the mechanics himself. phones me back to say that he put the bill on his visa! and that I can pay him back in parts. Ah Pappa, I love you! Big sigh of relief.
went to the mall with Crystal to find her some pants etc. got a pair of christmas socks.
came home. chatted with sweet Nadya on the phone for a while. in bed nice and early. and there you have it.

2005-12-05T22:40:00.000-08:00

- The movie "Proof" is fabulous! I highly recommend it - Great acting, good story, not too hollywood.
- Never go to the mall on Senior's Day.
- Put up christmas decorations today. yup, and I don't care what anyone thinks.
- knitting is where it's at. I finished a pair of mittens today. they're red and I love them.
- Pommegranets (sp?) are delicous and fun to eat (esp with a bit of vanilla frozen yogurt)
- working 8 days in a row will not be fun...
- pay day is thursday so hopefully i can finally get my car fixed!
- Finished reading "The Secret Life of Bees", and excellent book, sucked me right in. as delicious as honey!
- will someone please make me clean my room???

2005-12-04T09:16:00.000-08:00

I stole some more party pics from Dave, not that they're terriffic ones, but just so you can see our silliness. :)
Another chilly day in the making. I feel the urge to go on a long wandering walk today, no destination, just walking in the weather.
Two of my favourite bowls decided to end their lives last night at 2:30am when they slid off the frying pan I had carefully (and stupidly) stacked them on to dry earlier that evening. I heard them and new what had occured but couldn't bring myself to get up and witness the reality. But someone had woken up too, and quietly (I barely heard him) picked up the pieces. Thanks Dave. They will be missed.

2005-12-01T12:52:00.000-08:00

It's December 1st and it's snowing in Victoria. It's december 1st and I can now listen to christmas music. It's december 1st and now I have to work until 10:30 pm instead of 5pm. sigh. two out of three isn't too bad i guess.
Lots has been happening in the last little while, christmas parties, skating, eating delicious food, dancing, snow, and the like. I've been meaning to post excessively, but apparently that means sparsely in my books.
So there you have it.

unless...

2005-11-16T23:27:00.000-08:00

Well I just finished my first evening of volunteering at the Belfry Theater and I'd definately do it again. Not only was it fun taking tickets and seating people, but I also got to wear a Volunteer tag!!! (come on, doesn't that make you feel important???) AND!! the best part was that I got to see the play: Unless - the play Carol Shields was adapting for the stage with her daughter Sara Cassidy when she passed away. Sara finished the adaptation, and she did a fabulous job! I haven't read the book (now I want to!) but I was blown away by the performance tonight. The actors were terrific, especially the woman who played Rita - the main character (don't have her name because I didn't manage to grab a program). We laughed, and cried (well I know I did), and the writing was fantastic. If it wasn't already sold out for the last two weeks I would recommend every one to go see it. If it plays again here, or where ever you areI highly recommend seeing it. Just a great story.
And that's what I've got for tonight.
Tomorrow night - Oklahoma!

p.s. either my clutch or my transmission is going in my car... I can barely get it into 1st gear! Gaaaa! I don't need this right now!

2005-11-15T22:26:00.000-08:00

okay, it's been a little while since my last post. And there are a couple of reasons for that: I was a little overwhelmed by the epic nature if the post I had promised to write re my trip, I haven't felt like spending much time in my room beause it's messy, I've been working alot lately, I've been knitting and crocheting alot lately, and I'm lazy. So there you have it.

Basically I had a lot of fun on my trip, got to see a bunch of family(it was absolutely fabulous to see them all!) a few different cities, a couple rainbows, some snow, rain, sunshine, deer, a moose, my brothers, some appartments for rent, the road in front of me, a play, a hockey game (on tv) got to eat some great food, some terrible soy jerky (hey Travis? mmmm.....), bakery treats (drool), did some pottery, some dancing, went to a hotspring, played lots of games ( I love games), joked around, hung around, walked around, drove to town, and drove out again. Saw some lovely sunsets, and sunrises too, took a ferry, in fact, took two! Made it back, and that was that. Any quvestions???

in progress...

2005-11-04T22:32:00.000-08:00

Happy Halloween!!!

2005-10-31T22:44:00.000-08:00

Well, I finally made it back, to the tune of fireworks down the street, and the hum of rain. There is an epic (epic in the sense that it will probably be very long, but not necessarily adventurous or grand) blog waiting to happen. and I promise it will, soon, complete with pictures and song lyrics. But not tonight. It's halloween, it's getting late, and i haven't loaded my pictures yet. My luggage is half unpacked, meaning i have even less floor space than I normally do, I'm a little jittery from all the small packets of sugary candy I've been nibbling on inbetween handing some out to cute little trick-or-treaters and sitting perched on the end of the "un-comfortable-comfortable" chair listening to something strange going on in the suite below us. Tara and Ben were over, lovely friends they are, and we crouched uncertain in the livingroom as 4 cop cars pulled up next to the house, and proceeded to enter the basement suite, where someone had been yelling for the past 15 minutes. I won't go into details, but basically an ambulance showed up, and he was taken away. It was a rather unfortunate situation, hopefully he's okay. some night hey? so now, having driven Ben and Tara home, chatted with the roomie Dave and filled him in , I'd just like to relax a little, then try to fall asleep (although the stupid firecrackers are still slapping around in the air - really, it's just stupid.)

EDIT: Tara's account of the evening has wicked drawings, i recommend you take a look. :)

2005-10-18T08:17:00.000-07:00

well i've made it to edmonton :) and now i'm sick. :(
stupid head cold! but it's been great hanging out with my cousin Angie and her fiance Travis, and seeing the grandma and my aunt and uncle and cousins. Good times playing games, grocery shopping with Travis (he's from newfoundland - and very entertaining) :) , eating pies, and laughing alot. what more could you want? no stupid head cold! But I'll survive, and hopefully get some good pics to boot. :) ciao for now!

2005-10-14T23:11:00.000-07:00

here we go two week vacation! I'm off to the wonderful world of visiting family (and while most people might cringe in pain at the thought, i'm looking forward to seeing my family, cause I like them) :) I'll attempt to post during the trip, but don't expect too much. There will be pictures, and perhaps a story or two when I return, of that you can be sure. :)
sorry Ben that I didn't get to see you before I left. Dinner for you and Micheal when I return, i promise!

happy thanksgiving!

2005-10-10T23:06:00.000-07:00

Man I love potlucks! We had an epic potluck tonight, epically tastey and filling! Soooo much good food! Carrot Corriander soup, yams, spagetti squash casserole, homemade bread, salad, spinach salad, vegetarian stuffing (which was a little too moist, but absolutely delicious - kudoos Tara!), a yummy rice dish, and lentil dish... i'm soo full, and yet it's making me drool. :) and if that wasn't enough, dessert!!! to die for dairy and sugar free pumpkin pie, rubarb/apple/blackberry crumble, apple pie, baked apples, another fruit crumble, ice cream, and a mystery dessert (he wouldn't say what it was, but it was a delicious toffee, chocolate, whipped cream, graham cracker, peanut butter concoction). And if the food wasn't good enough, we got to share it with a bunch of great people! You gotta be thankful for that.
(and Tara, we missed you, but we understand - sorry the stuffing is all gone, everyone loved it!!! And if you're shaking your head at this post, I poop on you! :) )

I should have taken a picture of all the food, but by the time I remembered it was all gone!

2005-10-07T15:06:00.000-07:00

A sunny October day is a beautiful thing. (especially when it's friday!!!) I'm off to take some pictures!

2005-10-05T22:57:00.000-07:00

So, Saturday was great, and Sunday was looking to be fabulous. It started with some pancakes with strawberries and bananas, and the plan was oh maybe staying in pjs for the majority of the day, watching a movie, doing some crocheting, you know a lazy sunday. I was pretty excited.
but no, this wasn't to be. Some how the schedule at work was messed up and the closing supe. was in tofino, leavng a very sick Damon trying to find someone to come in and close. Lucky day for me, I was the only one available... So I got to spend my sunday at work. wahoo...
the only good thing is the money, and I got to see a few people that I never see at work because they're only there on the weekend.
so there's that.
monday was much better, had fun with Sue and Jess. Tuesday, felt a little sick, so work wasn't fun, but I made it through, and managed to make it through the Feist concert as well. She's bloody amazing. Her voice is, like, magic! :) Today flew by, and it was another new episode of LOST weee! It's so interesting! I just want to know all the damn answers! They've done a good job of hooking you in. damn them.
let's see what tomorrow brings...

2005-10-05T22:54:00.000-07:00

You are a
Social Liberal
(68% permissive)

and an...
Economic Liberal
(5% permissive)

You are best described as a:

Socialist

Link: The Politics Test on Ok Cupid
Also: The OkCupid Dating Persona Test

"Those were the days my friend..."

2005-10-02T01:17:00.000-07:00

Good times were had at the Irish Times last night, celebrating Oona's 21st Birthday(Happy Birthday Oona!) We sipped martinis, clapped and belted along with the music, laughed, tried to de-grumpify Tara ;) , and generally had a blast. Nice atmosphere, tastey food (although primarily for meat eaters...), all around good time, (even with me and oona practically pushing this couple out of their table so we could have it.) :) And my friend Aimee, who I haven't seen since february was there, and it was great to reconnect with her. Then, me and Oona and her friend Julie then headed over to The Upstairs Caberet for some dancing. It was fun - we just boogied to the beat (some of which was terrible, but most was fun and great for dancing), the only downside was my choice of shirt (too hot!) and the sleasy guy that kept trying to dance with us. (Take a hint buddy!)
Today was a great day too! In the morning (ok, waking up at 730 to josh - the kid downstairs - yelling MOMMMM! was not so pleasant, but seeing how it's pretty much a daily occurence...) Crystal and I went for americanos at Cafe Fantastico (the best ever!) , then we pulled out the last of the beets, tidied and turned over most of the garden, and trimmed the hedge (with an electric hedge trimmer! It's not pretty, but at least it's not flailing in all directions now). Burritos , mmmmm, one of my favourite things for lunch, then a spot of crocheting (tis the season) and 13 going on 30 (which was actually more amusing the second time). Then (a busy day) I went out for a bit of groceries (a bit of an ordeal as it was 530ish, and customer appreciation day at Thriftys, busy place!) and to pick up some wine for Crystal and our dinner guests. So, basically I shouldn't be the one to pick out wine. Seeing as I don't drink it, have no idea what's good, even what the differences are between say a shiraz and a merlot, and could pretty much get lost in a liqour store. So I bought two, just in case...
And for dinner... Ramona, Kent, Juile and Hayden brought over salad rolls, steamed soy beans, and tofu (SOOO good!) and me and Crystal made (well, actually Crystal pretty much did all the cooking and cutting) bbqed veggies and tofu (a very soy-ful night!) and Yams and Beets with Lime (simply divine, esp with some chipolte mayo... drool) another night of good food and great people. Then I headed out for a late movie with my friend Gavin; we saw The Constant Gardener. Very very good. I highly recommend it! It made me want to do something important with my life. Gorgeous cinematography.
and to top it off, a bit of dessert at home and a little SNL ...
all there is left to do is sleep!

part two of three

2005-09-27T22:53:00.000-07:00

some pics from the last little while (obviously me and tara shouldn't be allowed to have a camera when we're together - we're a little camera happy you might say, especially when we get giddy)

She's got hearts on the soles of her shoes...

2005-09-26T22:11:00.000-07:00

I’ve been meaning to blog for a while now…
Quite a bit has happened in the last week or so:
- My brother Jesse was in town visiting (his girlfriend actually cause she just moved here about a month ago, but I got to see him too J). We (me and Tara) went dancing with him and Maren (said girlfriend – very nice, and cute) at Hush on Friday night because there was a dj that Jesse really likes playing. It was fun to dance, but Tara and me didn’t last too long (it wasn’t entirely our scene…) we headed back to her place and crashed. On Saturday morning, we met Oona for breakfast at The Blue Fox (one of the many excellent bruncharaunts in town) and then we went shopping all day and had supper at the Lotus Pond (mmmm!!! But I swear I normally don’t eat out twice in one day!!! It’s usually more like once a week… )
- On Sunday me and Crystal and Jesse headed out to East Sooke Park, to bask in the sunshine, ocean air, and take a walk along the coast. It was lovely. We had sandwiches, and apples, and chips with some of Crystal’s delicious homemade salsa (with tomatoes from the garden!). But poor Jesse’s feet! He was wearing Birkenstocks, which aren’t the best for that kind of trail.
- Had a busy week of work (four days of closing in a row! Whew!)
- The Finale of Rockstar INXS! It was so intense (shut up all of you)! But J.D. won, and while I was rooting for Marty, I think J.D. actually fit with the band better, and that’s what matters in the end I guess.
- The O.C. on Thursday. Steph and Sarah and Tara came over. Oh the soap opera sinks it’s teeth in cleverly hidden behind the darling dimples of Adam Brody once again. Thursday night line up… (and Happy Birthday Jay! Finally 19)
- Friday night consists of a low fat cake, frozen yoghurt, some people from work over to celebrate Jay’s 19th (he makes it over, but is in fairly rough shape from the previous night of revelry) we chill, eat some cake, and then head down to Hugo’s. Only Hugo’s is packed, (with older people). So, we head to the Sticky Wicket (Roof top patio) and find a table large enough (there are 7 of us at this point) under the only table where the heater is broken. We shiver there for a little while, order a round of drinks (coke for Jay) and then as soon as we see an opening for another table, we grab it. Only to discover that there is one more broken heater. (Insert Sandeep making some amusing comment about telling the weather from his nipples) Sarah Mc finally arrives and we decide to head indoors. Only to find no seating… anywhere inside… so. We head out side and attempt to find a location with enough seating for the nine of us (yes I can count, Sarah has a friend with her) It’s getting a little ridiculous (we really should have planned it better) Sandeep decides to head out, taking Lisa and Will along, so it’s now six of us. We decide to check out the cactus club, and low and behold, they aren’t that busy! And it’s warm! Wahoo! We actually had a pretty good time there, the food was nice (a little pricey but what can you expect) and the martinis were on special. Poor jay went home to recuperate for his Sub Party on sat night, and me and Dave walked home (brrr! It was chilly!)
- Saturday, the Matthew Good concert!!! Sooooo good!!!!
To be continued… (sleep first)

ah the weekend...

2005-09-14T23:14:00.000-07:00

I've just had my last tuesday/wednesday weekend before moving over to actual weekends off! wahoo! It's going to be nice actually getting to do stuff on the weekends with Crystal.
It was a nice weekend though, on tuesday I got my hair cut by a very cute asian girl at Aveda (student of course, that way you get a haircut and can actually afford to by product!) Then I did a bit of shopping, well grocery shopping that is, and I made a roasted red pepper and feta dip for Ben and Micheal's 2nd year anniversary, which was fun. We chatted, ate yummy snacks (mmm roasted garlic bulbs!) listened to a very eclectic music selection, and I got to taste Amerello (sp?) a drink made from fermented fruit that has fallen off of trees (which apparently elephants then eat and get drunk and crash into villages and the like!) Tara was there for a bit with Biz and her doggy Pepper (whom I have now dubbed "Spepper") which was nice, and I always enjoy hanging out with Ben and Micheal. I like them, they're just so darn cute and loveable! I'm excited to go for brunch on sunday with them.
Then today, I slept in, lazed around for a bit, then showered and decided to go a little domestic. I tidied the kitchen, then made banana muffins (which didn't turn out so well, but my muffins never do, and I did manage to use up 4 of the 8 or so frozen bananas shoved into our shoebox freezer), and cookies (which turned out rather smashing if I do say so myself) and finally for supper I made carrot corriander soup with carrots and onions from the garden (and even some of the corriander was seeds I'd dried from the garden!) it was tasty (and so easy to make!). The me and the roomies settled in for and intense hour of Rock Star INXS which we are shamefully (or shamelessly) addicted to, to discover who would be going home of the 4 remaining hopefuls!!! To our immense sorrow, the dumb bastards sent the best singer, and the only female left home. I really don't understand what they see in Mig? (Mic?) I'm really hoping that Marty wins. I like his song "Trees" very catchy.
and tomorrow? work again. but it's the last late shift of the season! (till christmas anyway) I'll be glad when it's over (and even happier if Dave remembers to tape The O.C. for me! - I swear I have a real life...)
anyway, enough babbling.

ah the workplace...

2005-09-11T23:42:00.000-07:00

okay Ben, here you go...

2005-09-07T09:55:00.000-07:00

7 x 7?

7 things I plan to do before I die:

1) Own and operate a bookstore and cafe.
2) write for a month in Brugge
3) publish a collection of poetry, a novel, and a children's book
4) have two children, a girl and a boy
5) build my own house
6) travel around great britain
7) rent a room beside Ben in the Shakespeare and Company bookstore in Paris

7 things I can do:

1) make some mean pancakes
2) pun terribly
3) drive a standard
4) listen
5) get along with parents
6) use a blender
7) laugh

7 things I cannot do:

1) eat tomatoes
2) save money well
3) hurt people intentionally
4) keep my room clean for more than a week
5) confrontations
6) drink wine (eww)
7) burp intentionally

7 things that attract me to others:

1) a good (potentially quirky) sense of humour
2) beautiful eyes and smiles(and calves)
3) High intelligence.
4) likes to dance
5) Tastes in food, drink, literature and film.
6) Genuine warmth.
7) hugs

7 things that I say most often:

1) Halla
2) certainly
3) You have a break
4) yo momma
5) what's the word?
6) sweet
7) so basially

7 celebrity crushes:
1) Johnny Depp
2) Orlando Bloom
3) Dermot Mulroney
4) John Cusack
5) Dave Matthews
6) Diego Luna
7) Matthew Good

7 people I want to do this

1) Dave
2) Tara
3) Norann
4) Mika
5) Lindsay
6) Nadya
7) Jay

2005-09-06T10:22:00.000-07:00

sunset at summit park...

2005-08-24T20:04:00.000-07:00

Happy Birthday Tara!!! (and a champagne one at that!)

2005-08-24T19:59:00.000-07:00

apparently i've decided to purchase a cell phone...
the things that can happen when you're just lying in the backyard enjoying the sunshine, a good book, and some cherries...
hmmm....

2005-08-24T19:22:00.000-07:00

a smorgasbord...

2005-08-19T12:14:00.000-07:00

this last week has been a concoction of work, movies, good food, and hanging out a lot with people from work. On monday night a few of us went to dinner at 5th street fro Alana's birthday, then went for coffee and a walk by the water and a swing on some swings. Then on tuesday night, Dave's little brother, Matt, had a bbq which most of the same people came too (plus my roomie Crystal - the only non-TBG person there, but she got along great) - it was a little chilly outside, but we all warmed up under blankets and votive candles. :) Then on wedneaday morning I had them over for a pancake breakfast. mmmmm.... Then it was back to work again. This morning I'm helping Dave paint his room, and I must say it's a loverly colour! a very warm
sage green. Then it's back to work again! wahoo!

and grocery shopping it was...

2005-08-11T09:11:00.000-07:00

yup, nothing too earthshattering over here. just some groceries, a book, and tp. I painted my toenails, attempted to water the garden (somehoe managing to get rather wet and muddy...), made supper for Tara, and went to see yet another movie. But this one was about the life of a guide dog named Quill. It was very cute, and a little sad too.

2005-08-10T00:32:00.000-07:00

basically all i'm going to say to sum up the last night is: DD (designated driver, of course), a gathering at a friends house, move to a small party on the beach, a driftwood fire started by some other guy(a safe one), the arrivalcops, no more beach party, waiting for someone's ride on the side of the road at 1:30am with four drunk girls and two drunk boys (one who kept trying to beat up trees...), having a cop car show up behind the friend, getting everyone in the right car, driving away only to turn the corner and have the cops follow and flash their lights, getting out of the car, and yes, breathing into a breathelizer (sp?). Me. it was rather surreal. then, of course, heading to Denny's to eat fries, driving everyone back to the friends (in two trips) and heading home to bed at 3am... weeha. if only i'd remembered to bring my camera. dang it! it was definately amusing most of the time.
tonight? i went to a movie by myself. Star Wars: The Revenge of the Sith. I'm that cool.
tomorrow? The World!
or maybe just some grocery shopping. we'll see.

2005-08-03T00:22:00.000-07:00

Ben had the quiz on his blog, and well I just felt like doing it.
apparently I'm Galadriel. Which one are you?

2005-07-31T22:15:00.000-07:00

well, the car is finally up and running - minus a new stereo, plus a new starter, and plus one clipped wire creating a minus one old stereo, so what do we have? a car that starts but makes no music... you'd be surprised at the kind of songs you can get stuck in your head when there's nothing to drown out the sound of your own brain. "The Monster of Love" egad! the chicken/wedding dance, and often random children's songs, or even christmas songs! sigh. well, I could always listen to my discman with one earohone out... come on next paycheck!
That's my story for tonight.

my car wont rarrrr...

2005-07-26T10:13:00.000-07:00

i was planning this great post about all my recent fun adventures, but I'm too bummed out because my car is playing dead, and is being very stubborn about it. i had to cancel my appointment to get a new stereo put in (the cause of ticki too's problem/battery drain being the old one that's in there now), but she just wont start, not by jumping, charging, or plain ole splunking... i'm at my wit's end, well maybe 3/4 along the way. GAAA! that's all i have to say. I leave you with a selection of photos from luminara in lieu of my usual rambling...

2005-07-24T22:30:00.000-07:00

aieee work! it saps all my brain power, making me incapable of regular (and interesting) posting. I have so many wonderful stories to tell, but all I want to do is sleep... but tuesday is almost here, and then I shall have some time to produce. til tuesday...

timbits

2005-07-17T22:38:00.000-07:00

why does it always seem to take so long when you're waiting for something? Like an email, or phone call, or paycheck. sigh...

in other news... my car has issues. well one in particular. Something is draining the battery so that if I don't drive it every single day, it won't start. gaaa. it's frustrating. But I'm taking it in on tuesday so hopefully the nice mechanic man (or woman) can make it better, and do it in under an hour so I can afford it. here's hoping.

BEANS! We had beans from our garden tonight. lovely slender green bush beans, which were very tastey. mmmmm.... and salad too.... food is good.

My cousin Matt sawed off the tip of his thumb the other day. Ouch! and because it was above the joint they couldn't reattach it. poor guy. I hope he's doing okay. that's why I stay away from saws and fast moving sharp objects...

and lastly. of course. apicture of a rose from the garden...

2005-07-12T23:43:00.000-07:00

so I had a dream where I was laughing at some silly thing - a camera taking photos of three old ladies as it is dropped on the ground (don't ask) - and as i was laughing in the dream, I could actually feel myself physically chuckling, and i couldn't stop myself! it was very bizarre... i've never done that before. anyone else have weird dream experiences like that?
maybe i shouldn't have had a peice of toast before bed...

went home last week for 5 days to catch the tail end of my grandparent's 50th wedding anniversary celebration, which was lots of fun. saw family I haven't seen in a couple of years, it was especially nice to hang out with my cousins. one night we played pool at Mike's Place, and took over all three (yes 3, that's all of them) pool tables. (and man do I suck!) I even got to go to a belly dancing class with my momma (not so much dancing on my part more like awkward wiggling) ;) went out in the Dad's boat (which used to be my grandpa's) and cruised along the lake (well river acutally) tried to catch chips in our mouths. it was fun.
played alot of this cool game called Blokus, and played frisbee with the brothers . then I got to fly back on thursday, and head to work. Oona picked me up at the airport, and so I had a couple of hours before I had to leave. When I got into my car and went to start it, nothing happened. the brake wouldn't press down, and when I turned the key nothing happened! So basically, i was going to be late for work. I phoned to let them know I'd be late, over and hour because of the stupid bus schedule. So I was sitting there waiting, staring blankly at the clock and cursing myself, when I heard the downstairs neighbours come home. eureka! I thought, I could get a boost. So I go downstairs to ask. (and I might add that they've managed to make it look quite nice down there, way better than me and crystal had it) Rena said no problem, but once we got outside we realized that neither of us had jumper cables... argh! So i was resigning myself back to the bus, but she offered to let me take her car! i just had to put gas in it. and I barely even know her! It was very sweet. I was only 45 minutes late, and the other supervisor didn't have to do overtime. whew!
on sunday, the last night of Folkfest, me and crystal and violet and allen went down to see Ladysmith Black Mombazo, and they were terrific! the ole back was aching with all the standing and neck craning, but they were fun, and the sound was amazing. a good end to folkfest.
Last night, me and Crystal and Tara, made mini pizzas (sooo good!) and watched Bride and Predjudice... my mom asked whether it was and epic. an epic in cheesiness! I think we laughed more from how cheesy it was than the actual intentional funny parts in the movie. But that's not to say it was a bad film. but it was definately no Monsoon Wedding that's for sure. but during the film, someone knocked on the door, and it was our next door neighbour (not the old couple, the others) and he was like "I think our cat is locked in your shed." WHAT??? apparently the cat had snuck in there when crystal was mowing the lawn and hid in the back so she didn't notice when she closed it. the poor thing was in there for almost 2 days! I felt so cruel! but he was very nice about it. just happy to have his cat back.
spent all day downtown today (yuck) went shopping, got the hair cut, wandered for way too long. But I did get a cute black tank top from Jacob. Then I went to Tara's for supper (mmm. burritos!) and we went to the Vic Theater to watch Ladies in Lavender, a very sweet movie. (although Tara was so tired that she fell asleep a couple of times, poor dear)
Now it's bed time. Here's hoping that tomorrow is actually hot and sunny so I can go swimming for the first time this summer!

2005-07-11T23:39:00.000-07:00

Finally! A weekend! Will post more soon, with pictures!
More on Folkfest, flights home, fireworks, Bollywood, cats in sheds, and strange dreams tomorrow!
a big fattie of a post! with no exclamation marks! I promise!
Goodnight!

2005-07-03T08:59:00.000-07:00

sweet sleep, that's all I need, a whole day of sleep to get caught up.

So I made it through the first "Fireworks" of the season yesterday. barely. I closed on friday til 12am and then had to open on saturday at 7:45am. Needless to say I didn't sleep much. BUT, what I did sleep through is my alarm clock, as it was set for 6:15pm! I woke up at 7:13am basically jumped out of bed, cursing oh shit oh shit as I threw on my work clothes, threw everything in to my bag, ran into the bathroom, brushed my teeth with shaky hands because the were still in sleep land, put my hair up pretty much how it was the night before, and ran out the door at 7:17am. I've never been out of the house so fast. (no I understand what crystal used to do when she had a morning shift at the deli) I made it to work with 5 minutes to spare! And while it wasn't pretty, I made it through my shift, managed to deal with the excess of staff and then got home and showered! And then my day got much better. Me and crystal had yummy rice wraps for dinner, then we rode our bikes down to the Inner Harbour for Folkfest, and met Violet and Tara there, and grooved to the beat of Marimba Mazuva, the victoria marimba band, and Oliver Mutikutzi a wicked musician from Zimbabewe. It was fabulous! And to top it off, we walked our bikes to Tara's new place and sipped hot chocolate (well I had lemonade) and chatted for a while. It was lovely. Her place is quite cute. I plan on hanging out there more ofter. (okay Tara?) :) and best of all. I got to come home and sleep!

It's getting better. In an hour or so, I'm getting a ride to the airport from Crystal and I'm flying home for a few days for my grandparent's 50th wedding anniversary! (well I've missed the ceremony which was yesterday, but all the family is still there and we're having a big dinner at my parents place tonight) Thanks to Sue, my sweet friend and co worker who is taking my shifts for me.
But I guess I should go pack!

2005-06-28T18:19:00.000-07:00

to swim or not to swim...

2005-06-28T18:15:00.000-07:00

spectacle lake

2005-06-28T18:13:00.000-07:00

with oona

2005-06-28T18:10:00.000-07:00

a day off in the sun

zzzzz......

2005-06-20T22:03:00.000-07:00

that's what i want to be doing. tomorrow marks day 6 of official Supervisor duties and boy am I exhausted! ( I was supposed to have tomorrow off, but on of our other supervisors is very sick, so I''m going to work tuesday and she'll work thursday for me... here's hoping she's feeling better!) My poor brain feels bruised. too many neurons trying to fire at once. I can't wait for wednesday! But there has been some good laughter, especially today. first, me and Helen had good fun during lunch, something about plumbs and nostrils - you had to be there; and then my sweet friend Nadya is visiting, so I went for dinner with her and her sister and by the end, well, let's just say that there was snorting involved, and tears too. and perhaps strange looks from the other patrons sitting near us. it was delicious. and the food was too. ;)

2005-06-14T23:32:00.000-07:00

yes I am holding a glass of champagne. we were toasting... it tasted gross

2005-06-14T23:31:00.000-07:00

my sweet friends

2005-06-14T23:30:00.000-07:00

sidetrack... our garden. isn't it cute?

2005-06-14T23:29:00.000-07:00

mmmm, mmmm... tastey kabobs (sp?)

2005-06-14T23:27:00.000-07:00

poor Tara, still has another year before she graduates...

2005-06-14T23:25:00.000-07:00

silly pappa

2005-06-14T23:23:00.000-07:00

me and Tara's classic pose...

2005-06-14T23:22:00.000-07:00

so many of us... so colourful... so long...

2005-06-14T15:10:00.000-07:00

obligatory grad photo

west coast BBQ

2005-06-08T23:37:00.000-07:00

What do you get when you put chilly weather, shish-ka-bobs (sp?), potato salad, roasted red pepper and feta dip (mmmmmm!), gooey apple walnut cake, ambrosia, alcohol(champagne too!), parents, friends and university graduations together? you get a fun-filled evening at my house. And what fun it was.
aside from the rather painful/embarassing moments when various adults but you on the spot, asked those "questions" (what do you think about your education? are you using it in your job?)
it was an all around good time. the food was excellent (horray for the bbq working!), as was the company.
Now all I have to get though is tomorrow's convocation ceremony, and I'm FINITO!

p.s. pictures to follow. ;)

ah screw it...

2005-06-06T16:50:00.000-07:00

I was going to try to do a more inventive, artsy, funky blog, but frankly I don't have the time or energy right now for that. So, I'm just going to put down whatever I've got in the moment, however I feel like it. so there. Seeing how this is my blog, I'm not sure why I'm trying to justify this to the 6-7 who actually bother reading it, but well, there you go.

So my parents are coming to town tomorrow evening for my convocation on thursday, and I'm pretty excited. I hope my brother Jesse is going to make it too, since he's never visited me here before. It's going to be a busy house though as Crystal's parents will be in town too. I'm all about the BBQ we're having on wed. night. here's hoping the grill works!

The garden is growing like crazy (okay, maybe not crazy-like, but them potatoes are givener!) I'll have to post a pic soon. and our roses are bee-utiful! I love eating from the garden, it just tastes that much better. mmmmm....

but it's time to get the butt in gear. gotta hem my new pants (those high-waisted ones I was talking about... ugh), clean the room, and make everything pretty for the parents. aw.

what i saw today

2005-06-02T18:22:00.000-07:00

... a percolation of coffee urns, a striping of surpervisors, a murder of crows...

she hasn't quite got it all figured out yet. her brain is still on information overload. so much that she's had to have a nap the last two afternoons.

In high-waisted pants, a leaky back tire, and a brian full of jumbled facts, she faces the day. Is she out save the helpless? rid the world of terror? find the cure for all diseases? no, not this time.
She is
simply
a supervisor in training.

ch ch ch changes....

2005-05-29T00:24:00.000-07:00

I've been feeling a little blegh about blogging recently, and i think that it's because I feel that I've turned it into a sort of boring this is what I'm doing sort of blog rather than just blabbing about whatever I'm thinking about or what I've noticed that day. So. I think that starting June 1st (a day with several beginnings including my new position, and wage) I'm going to change the format/way I write. I've been inspired byMatthew Good's recent use of the letter style, so I think I might try that for a while, see what happens. Just thought I'd give a heads up...

2005-05-26T23:08:00.000-07:00

Our Little tent, under our little tarp, in our soggy campsite. it served us well. While we may not have had the greatest sleeps (or much sleep at all) it kept us dry. and that little tarp worked really hard!

2005-05-26T23:07:00.000-07:00

down at the beach. it was so windy and wet. we were actually getting pushed by the wind!

2005-05-26T23:05:00.000-07:00

our first dinner... cold veggie dog sandwiches in the car, in very wet pants.

2005-05-26T23:04:00.000-07:00

an attempt to dry our jackets and pants from the previous night... (the jackets were dry, but alas not the pants...)