Frost!

What a beautiful morning! After dragging my ass in to work early, which is nothing short of a miracle for me (I would normally rather stay late than show up early... perhaps this is another perk with aging comes a different circadian rhythm?) I have a net station up, and I am grooving at my desk, enjoying the quiet.

The skies were pink, and it is clear! NO RAIN!!! It feels like it has already been raining for months straight and progress has been steady on our ark!

First frost this morning, and where did we put our ice scrappers? They have vamoosed, and then some. Funny, you only need something 3-4 months a year and once the temperatures change, away they go. Kind of like the bug zapper going in to hiding for the winter.

Battlefront

After too many hours, I have to admit that the latest Star War$ Battl3front II is awesome gameplay for the x-box. What a way to burn off angst with some senseless battles between good and evil. Very enthralling, great graphics, makes for a way to make a few hours evaporate in between pizza and iced tea and then POOF! That was your saturday. It has been fun though, we have been chilling with my bro, and it has been fun! Lots of trash talking, and mocking each other, interspersed with my trying to tell him that this speed metal band he is listening to now sounds like old school heavy metal from the 80s. Listening to a few sound bites was hilarious, I half cringe and half laugh, and partially half to admit I did really like some strange types of music in my day, hell, even still :]

There was some productivity today however, the house is clean, ran some errands, fixed the lock on our shed... I feel like I have been in an altered reality for the last few hours though - this will more than likely be my fix for the next long while!

Remembrance Day

A good time to remember those that have fallen in the name of something greater than themselves. Whether it be in a moment of silence, or participating in an organized event, it is important to never forget the events of the past, no matter how troubling they are.

I watched the Fab Five last night, they are truly wonderful folks and I like their show. Today would have been a dear friend's birthday, whom passed away during the summer after an heroic battle. I miss his prescence, he would have fit in to the Fab Five dynamic - an amazing art historian whom loved ABBA and the Spice Girls, with impecable taste, honour, and an unbelievable sense of humor. I miss his friendship all the time. On the flipside, Ken's best friends' birthday also happens to be today, and I am very proud of the man he is and the job he does. Today is meaningful in so many different ways, no less poignant.

Yikes!

I think I am really looking forward to playing hockey tonight. My mood has done a weird funky chicken today, at some points I have felt great, other times lazy as hell, at other times just blah. It will be nice to leave it all on the ice. I need to get better at incorporating exercise in to my daily regime. I feel so much better when it is there, seems like my schedule has been wonky enough that it just hasn't happened yet on a consistent basis. It is like I have weekly "resolutions" of what I should be doing and I think I half sabotage myself. I should be trying to get out and at least walk every day, I should be making sure the house doesn't fly to pieces by thursday night (ok, it is just that things are out of place and need to be put to rights) , I should be eating better all the time. Ah, the tyranny of the shoulds. All you can do is try, and when you stumble, wallow for just that second, dust yourself off, and get right back up again.

Then there is the human factor, and shit happens. You have a bad day at work, you wake up on the wrong side of the bed, you miss your bus, you end up not being in the mood to eat the lunch you packed. These things happen and you have to be flexible enough to be able to roll with it. Some days it is harder to shake.

Like yesterday, I got lots done but at times it felt really uphill. Picked up something from Puro-later and then went to drop off our empties and got stopped by a train, for almost 20 minutes, which was my second train of the day! Nothing like sitting in the car stewing over something you can't control, especially when the train stops and starts moving backwards, only to resume forward motion again and you wonder whether or not you are foolish to fit in another errand before you head to the doctors! Or going to Cosstco and getting a script filled, only to have them be able to fill about a 1/3 of what you were picking up but they did fix my glasses for free and I got out of their cheaply. Or getting to your mechanic, and getting a really big problem fixed, two actually, only to have another one crop up. It felt like one of those days where something would come together as something didn't. I hate that I end up feeling like I am whining when I go off about stuff like this - ultimately I am healthy, secure in who I am, in my relationship, but there are these little hurdles that you just deal with. It is what we all do - because I think life is a series of checks and balances, some good and some bad, and there are indeed moments when life does take your breathe away, usually when you least expect it.

Most of today was really nice - slept in, went out for lunch with Ken's mom and then to the casino for a bit, read my book, lazed around. Funnily enough, even just venting about this here has helped put things a little bit more in perspective again - a little moment before I work my way back in to optimism!

Busy day off

Why are days off busier than days at work?? I think I have put a dent in to my "things to do" list, but it still feels like I am avoiding things. Truck still needs some loving care, but I did manage to fix the sagging fabric roof! Yay!

It is damp and cold today, a theme of this week. Seems like I haven't been warm enough. Had to go to the doctor's today, so as a result of feeling sorry for myself I decided to buy a new tablecloth and grab a lunch on the run. It helped, a little!

Ken was also a sweetheart last night and came home with a dozen red roses - just because. Awww. Amazing how days always seem to be filled with highs and lows, and all points in between.

Temperature Wars

There is something to be said about being the youngest female in your office. Especially when there is a significant age gap and your hormones are doing different things directly as a result of being in different times of your life.

My office is so cold right now that my hands are cold. My nose is cold. Hell, I am getting cramps in my hands from the cold as I type this. There is a cold something drifting down out of the vent. I think I will need to call in someone to adjust my thermostat... and then I will probably boil.. but somehow boiling in November is more appealing than shoving my cold hands under my armpits inside, at work, in November.

Details. Of course, I am whining right now and it could be worse... Ken is outside quite a bit for his work, working in the inclement weather all the time and he doesn't complain, he is a trooper and does what he has to do, yet another reason why I love him. *SIGH*

Sunday, again

My house has been put to rights again, the laundry is done and the needles swept away until the next gust of wind. I am down to the last few pages of a Breath of Snow and Ashes and I have loved this book - all 1000 pages of it?! It has felt like a constant companion for the last few weeks, but it draws to a close. The worst part about discovering a favourite author in medias res is that you have to wait for them to write their next installment!!! Not nearly as satisfying as discover a "new to you" author that is a prolific writer and you have a whole library to choose from, at your leisure. It means I get to jump in to a new adventure book tomorrow!

Fiesty!

I am having one of those weeks where I am a little bit more blunt that normal. I also think I have been suffering from a bit of a sailor mouth as a result. I think I have been feeling pretty frustrated with things beyond my control in the last few weeks, and these frustrations have manifested themselves a bit in my overall fiestiness, or sassiness, or just blunt honesty.

I have been calling a spade, a spade rather than being diplomatic and trying to disguise my own frustrations with mamby pambly language that dances around the issue rather than just putting it out there. Overall this week has gotten better while it has progressed.... workwise I seem to be doing a lot of clean ups of other peoples messes, and it continues to amaze me the kind of vision that people generally walk around with. So many people walk around with blinders on, not realizing or considering the impact that their words or behaviours can have on other people. I don't think that I am unique in this awareness. There are pockets of people like us out there!

The weather has been crazy this week - I love how tumultuous it has been. The sky has been angry and roiling, and then breaks where the sun peaks through and the clouds shine silver. I have seen absolute monsoons come down, freak lightning, rivers of water down the street, the winds blowing the fall colours around, tossing them up and then sending them down wet and sticking to everything. There are so many needles down in the backyard it looks like a rust coloured patio and not concrete. I love fall - how the weather changes on a dime, and then tosses your hair around, and then breaks in a moment of beauty that takes your breathe away.

Wow, a rant and a poetic moment. I must be playing hockey tonight :]

First taste of this years batch...

The first of the Winter Ale's has come out, and frankly, I am not completely thrilled with this years offering. I had a hankering for a good beer, so I stopped in and grabbed a family of Granville I$land's Winter Ale.

I twisted off that cap after sufficiently chilling, and poured it in to a glass. No real head which I found surprising. Nice smell, and a slight vanilla taste, and it tasted ok, but it tasted a bit flat - like it didn't have a lot of kick to it, or fizz for that matter. Didn't really feel all that thirst quenching, or like more. It was nice, like an affable person that doesn't really stick out.

Looking forward to trying out other Christmas Ales that may come out. All in all, I am a microbrew girl. Unless I am in an establishment that can pour a fine black velvet (guinness and strongbow cider), I will go for a darker beer on tap, hopefully on sale but after my monday night experiences, that may not matter so much.

Glad the bulk of my work week is over. The students that I have interviewed this week fell in two camps, those that were a joy to help, those that caused me nothing but grief. Only so much character development I need to go through some weeks!!!

5 bucks!

Amazing what you can do with 5 bucks. Well that isn't completely true - I started out with $12.25 but I needed to send out a parcel (from one of the items I sold on the bay), so after squeaking in as a small package ($6.85) I had $5.40 left in my pocket. I needed to pick up the rest of dinner (just about payday so cupboards are getting sparse) and so I grabbed bulk rice, mushies, green and red peppers, and onions.. and it came to $5.33.

I am freaking awesome!! Ok, this could stem from my days working as a grocery store cashier, but damn, I am good. I find it amazing that you can have a budget, or fixed amount of dosh in your pocket and you can get what you need and have a few cents left over.

Cheap Beer

I love beer and hot wings. Some days, more than others. For our football club/pool, we get a free dinner and pint of beer on monday nights. Usually, this is a pretty good deal, except that the beer they used to have on special monday nights no longer is, and we have been cheaping out the last several weeks and getting a subpar beer (which is on special and appeals to our scotch genes).

Well, after a draft beer headache (or was it because I didn't have a coffee yesterday, I hope not!) from 2 beers, I think that next week I will be voting to continue with my free subpar beer, and then moving to the better draft beer if I feel the need to have another at that point.

It was a strange halloween - a few folk were dressed up at the pub, nothing like watching a granny make a few comments to a 20 year old MALE granny in full get up, but it was quiet. Not many fireworks in our neighborhood, or trixters out and about. Could have been the lousy, damp weather. When I went up to the bar to sign in, and got my prize draw tickets, one ticket sent a buzz up my arm and I figured I had a winner there! My dad was teasing me at the table, trying to get me to switch with him (he wins many doorprizes where I do not), but I refused, holding on to my lucky ticket. Moral of this story - I WON! I got a free pair of cool sunglassed with a case :] now if we could pick enough winners next week in our pool I will be even happier!

Happy Halloween

All Hallow's Eve is upon us, one of the two times of the year where the veil between worlds is the thinnest, according to celtic traditions.

It is raining off and on, so who knows what kind of a night it will be out there. I feel a bit nostalgic for the days of dressing up, eating way too much candy, the smell of the fireworks, and how magical tonight seems. We didn't even carve pumpkins this year!! It is hard feeling motivated to do one up when you don't have your own stoop where trixters and treater$ come by! Our door, being around the back isn't all that accessible from the front, and I don't want to encourage people to wander around the house at night. That said, I also want to go to the pub for dinner and enjoy a pint. For some reason, a beer has been sounding really appealing today.

When in doubt, go for funny bone

Decluttering

Damn. It is hard to clean out drawers, closets, and paper. The last few monts has marked one of the few times that I have parted willingly with some things in my life. I have always been a packrat, which is surprising when you considered how many times I moved when I was younger, but lately I have found some of the extra stuff to be more of a pain in the ass than it is worth.

I am finally letting go of clothes that might fit that I never want to wear again. I am finally paying forward some of the pocket books that sure, make my bookshelf full, but really, there are so many other books out there, do I really need to hold on to them all? - so out they are going, released to the wild and hopefully will attract some new books with which I can start that cycle up over again. I am trying to hold on to the few books I will read again, those out of print, and those that one day I might use as a reference. Reference to what? Who knows at this point, but they are a remnant of my university days.

I just cleaned out my filing cabinet and created a whole bag for recycling. Where the hell does all this paper come from?? And shoes, I know I love shoes, but really! How many pairs can a girl own, especially when they start to date back over ten years? Ok, this is where I connect with Carrie from SITC (I love shoes) but I am finally letting go of some now that I know where I can replacements for a reasonable value.

I think there is real worth in getting rid of stuff you don't use and won't ever look at again. I think carting all this stuff around, or servicing it, even if it is a few hours every few months to move it around again, is burdensome. I don't think I will ever be an austere person, or someone that doesn't have a few dust bunnies or a huge pile of lobsided books, or papers shoved away for future reference, but it does help to tame that clutter beast with courage every now and then.

Ruminations

My mind was wandering for a while today, and I have been trying to reign in my thoughts to no avail a few times.

What does your mind seize on when you have a quiet moment? When I think about what I have done with myself, a lot of the times I pull up memories from travelling, whether it be people that I have connected with, places that I have seen, things that have moved me spiritually, really good beers, coffee, or meals, places where you have a heightened sense of self, and you know that you are doing or seeing or interacting in a way that is damn cool and will stay with you for a long time.

In so many ways it is the holidays that I have taken that stand out as yearly markers. I was in school for so long, it all blurs in to different stages of my education. I have been on enough hockey teams, that I separate that in to team dynamics, and clumps of time. I have lived in enough places around BC, I think of the places that I lived in and what attracted me most.

I don't always stop to think about my favourite people, or memories, or photos and trinkets, or the moments that take your breathe away.

I think that is why holidays stand out - they are not the normal order of things. You are out of your normal context, doing "extra" ordinary things. You see places you don't normally have access too, you met people from different places with different ideas, you are in a constant state of change and as such, your senses are heightened and I think you are more open to what is happening to you, even if you don't understand until months later.

Surprised...

Well, I am still cynical when it comes to watching TV, but seeing as it fits my budget about now, the appeal is a little more there than it ever has been. I am never the one in this relationship to actually find new shows that are worth investing the time in, and you can hear a but here, another decent show has landed on my "things I'd like to follow list".

I have to say I have seen a few episodes of 'They call me 5arl" and it is funny as hell. I think I even laughed out loud. Watching all the teasers made it look like a real hick show, but it has some depth and it makes me laugh. Which for tv, isn't so bad.

Oh MY!

Role of Thanks

An appointment left my office a while ago, leaving me with a thank you card and a box of truffles. It was completely unexpected, and well, it made my day.

In my job, we don't get a lot of performance evaluations, or perks for doing our job well, or any performance incentives for that matter, but knowing that you made an impact on one person's life can make all the difference in the world. It means a lot to hear a thank you, and when someone looks you in the eye with respect, and you know that you have done good. It means that you are doing things right, and people remember that.

Also reminds me how powerful it is to take the time and let people know when they make an impact, because it can be a real turning point in their day too.

Call me terrible but...

When you go to CNN to check out the latest news, the caption reads "We Didn't Expect This" in regards to the latest hurricane to slam the Gulf Coast. Now, don't get me wrong, this has been a truly horrific and costly hurricane season that has had many of us more fortunate souls glued to our televisions and reaching out as we can. But, we didn't expect this?? Unreal. What, did you turn your television or radio off? Thousands of miles away we could tell how bad it was going to be, record size and changing strength... kind of hard to take that comment seriously, especially coming from CNN whom has had cameras and reporters on the scene for days! I couldn't help but react when I saw that, and not in a callous way, more shocked at the naivete in that statement.

Lists

I think I reached critical mass for new information somewhere about noon yesterday.

After Ken came to pick me up, and we got home, I faded fast. I napped, and just "was" for a few hours. I reached that point where you just don't have anything really intelligent to say, I didn't feel the need to take in any more information, and it was just time to catch up on sleep and processing time. So that is what I did.

On the opposite side of things, today has been productive. I have also created a few lists and tasks to complete so I can feel some sense of accomplishment as I get through today. I figure that we humans are goal orientated, so it feels good to strike things from that to do list. I added a few geeky links to the side that arose from some of the workshops that I was able to attend. Although I haven't heard of all the books on the Top 100 list, I have read a few and it could be a good place to plunder for reads when I am seeking something different that I can sink my teeth in to.

Did you know that if you post a poem, article, essay, photo, or piece of writing on your blog that you have just given up your "first electronic rights" in terms of publishing?

Slight amendment.

Must add "put on flannel pjs" and grab that last glass of wonderful wine to list of must dos for tonight. AHHHHHHHH.

Attitude adjustment complete.

I can now face the rest of the evening. Perhaps I may switch book for DVD and just chill on the couch. Ah, such serious decisions to be made.

My feet hurt like the dickens

The SIWC has been a great journey so far!! I had no idea what really went on during a writer's conference, having only been to a few 'festivals' to date. This conference, and I would assume those like them, are for writer's, and about writer's, and all about improving your craft. I have learned a lot and I still have another day. This has also been empowering, and I am glad that I am attended as a volunteer, because as a paying person, you would have to cram so much information and experiences in, your mind would be spinning and I think you would quickly reach the saturation point.

I got to meet Diana a few times. She is wonderful. I brought my hardcovers in for her to sign, and I picked up a copy of her latest installment of the Jamie and Claire series. I can't wait to get tucked in to it. Nothing like having a new book by one of your favs, but also having met them - and they are great people in person. She also has great fashion sense :] funny what you notice when you are a little nervous at being at your first conference, and also meeting people you never thought life would afford you the opportunity to do so.

I also got to meet Jean. Like wow. If meeting Diana wasn't enough, I also got to meet Jean. She was really nice, down to earth, and surprised me by commenting on the first edition of Clan that I have... apparently they are really rare, it is in great condition, and it is now signed... ! ! ! ! ! ! ! I got to meet a few people that I have also read, like Terry, whom has piercing blue eyes and lots of energy.

I spent a lot of time on my feet directing people, but I did get to go to a workshop on "community in writing" hosted by Jenny Crui$e. She was hilarious and dynamic, and I think she could talk even faster than me!!! I think some people had a hard time keeping up with what she had to say, but definitely some food for thought there. I haven't read anything by her, and I think she does chick-lit, but I am now intrigued and may have to look her up at the library next time I am there.

This weekend has also been about rediscovering my writer's voice. I can feel the urge to write awakening, and seeing so many people in every stage of their career has been really inspiring. I have seen people pitch their ideas, talk to hugely successfuly authors, gone to workshops, talked to Agents (hell, I even spilled coffee on myself in the elevator only to be embarrassed later on that it was an agent that was in one of the sessions I was working in, yah, I looked like an idiot there)... it really helps debunk some of the perceived distance for me. Where this will take me, who knows. Tonight, I think I will put the shoes I wore today in to a the pile of shoes I don't need to wear again and chill for a few hours.

It is strange being solo on a Saturday night but my honey is playing hockey, and I see popcorn and a good book in my near future....

Getting ready to head out...

After a boisterous first meeting with a new committee last night, I am heading to my first experiences with the Surrey Writer's Conference. I am volunteering through the day, and I am intoducing a writer named Don McQuinn. My background research indidcates he is a cool dude, retired corps turned to espionage and science fiction writing, sounds like he has a passion for writing and mentoring those coming up. I think the rest of what I am participating in is more administrative, but time will tell.

There is nothing like the unknown - it looks like I will get a lot out of the conference as a volunteer, but who knows?! It could really motivate me to things a little differently in terms of my writing in the future, but time will tell.

Just to make sure I feel properly balanced, I hope to pick up a new hockey helmet on the way. Mine is shot. I keep forgetting to do this (helmets aren't cheap) but it is my head, and well, it was cracked, and then I lost pieces, and it got worse last week. It is time to bite the bullet and make it a priority.

Other cool thing is that Reffffffffiiinnnneeeej is in town, so she is picking my ass up at 5 from the conference! Which is perfect, some time with the kids, some time with her, and then off to shop, and then go play hockey!!! Yup, it will be the day that never ends!

final thought of the day

"One must still have chaos in oneself to be able to give birth to a dancing star"
Friedrich Wilheim Nietzsche

Get that motor started

Ripley's Back!









I have never seen this cat so chatty - it is like he is telling me everything that they have done to him in the last few days at the vet.

He keeps wrapping himself around my hands, my face, this keyboard... he is so happy to be home. Cross your fingers that all stays well this time.

Our cat is on valium. Crazy eh?

Ripley is a purring machine tonight, and it feels like the weight has lifted from my chest. We are so glad to have him back, and the only time he has stopped with the affection is to run to the window to watch the squirrels. Too bad for him and his shaved derriere he can only look from behind the window.

That, combine with a chocolate utopia, and life is looking a lot better than it was just a few days ago. What a relief. One more day of work, and then off to the Writer's Festival. I am now participating all three days, and I get to introduct two speakers. It sounds like it will be an amazing event, and comes at the right time. I would love to continue to develop my writing skills, to do some projects on the side would help a lot at this stage of the game. Only time will tell what opportunities spin off from here. I am just glad to be able to participate as a volunteer, and see what all this is about. It is more than just a writer's conference where author's read excerpts from their books and answer questions at the end, these are workshops that enable potential writers to do just that.

When you have that destructive urge

Try this out!!!!

Definitely therapeutic. The screams are hilarious.

People are strange

Perhaps that tag line should read, sometimes I am strange. I don't think I am all that special in that awareness, I think most people are a bit odd some times, just depends on how much you want to acknowledge and/or embrace that.

I have definitely been feeling a bit introspective the last few days. Ripley needed a little more care and attention from the vet, which is stressful on us three. We both really care about our little guy and all you want to do is do the right thing by your buddy. I really believe that we are doing the best we can, and it has been an amazing part of my relationship to know I stand facing this all as a unit/partnership, not as an individual. It makes this seem not so daunting after all, knowing that your partner's hand is clutched in yours, and you both care and are on the same page. I waited a long time for a relationship like this, and it is great to finally be there :] Besides affirming this, he just called to affirm that Ripley is on the mend again, YAY! Makes my heart swell to know we have each other in the wings, loving and supporting, caring, and living together (so much more than just sharing space with each other).

My strange part for today, sometimes I end up being bad about phoning/emailing people back right away. I have less of a desire to spend time on the phone than I did when I was younger, and after some intense days at work where I can't control when I speak to people or when they see me, I find that I hold my private time closer to my chest. It doesn't mean I don't want to talk to that person, but sometimes it is more about having the emotional energy to do it too. Once you attend to your core - yourself, your partner, your immediates, there isn't always a lot left over, emotionally or time wise, and I would rather be there fully in the moment, rather than pick up the phone and hurry through it unless it is a touch base thing where you make a plan to catch up a later date. I have no idea if this makes any sense, but there you go.

Thanksgiving.. never too late for a savoury meal

We celebrated our Thanksgiving Dinner today with our folks, and my brother. First time officially all done at our place, and on our own without asking 5 trillion questions on what to do with this really cold and clammy, and kind of obscene (but tasty when cooked) bird.

This was made a little tougher by the fact that we didn't get in until close to dawn due to a long, drawn out texa$ hold em game at a friends place :] it was a lot of fun, just not as much fun at 4:30 am when we truly realized what time it was... so I was tired this morning. Took me a while to get going, and to get motivated to get the dressing made, and figure out the meal details. Everything went off without a hitch, my apple pie was amazing, and I have leftovers! Yay! Makes a few meals a little easier to plan - hmm, do we have Turkey Pie or Just Plain ol Leftovers. Both are equally appealing.

So, I am over tired, I think I will have a bath, and I feel a bit fried.

Buzzzzzzzzzzz

Ahhh. The joys of being Canadian and finding YOUR energy drink. Move over competitors, this beaver will take a bite out of you!!! LOL

Fall Days

I love fall days like today where the sun comes out, and when you step outside, the sun warms you like a caress.

Last night's hockey game was exciting. We couldn't hold on to a lead to save our lives. It was like we would score a goal, YAY! and then we would lay back and all just miss catching up to their players by just enough to give our outstanding goalie (yes I am biased because I love him lots) much of a chance. We ended up with a tie, 5-5, and it was a well played game. Being the git that I am, playing defense, I see a shot coming right for the net. Brain says, TURN FROM THE PAIN forgetting that my shin pads don't wrap all the way around, they are there to protect my shins not my calves. I think it is the first time being smacked with the puck that I didn't start swearing like a sailor on the ice. It hurt so much all I could think of was "holy shit" and it never made it past my brain. I successfully blocked the puck, but should not have turned. I have a great bruise coming up, and as my dear love would say, that is hockey, suck it up. He's right, but it still makes a great story, and give it a few days to become more colourful!

No call from SIWC yet - I guess my poems didn't make the final cut. Ah well, there is always another time in this purely subjective endeavour.

Taking the plunge

After almost a year of humming and hawing, I finally decided to hawk a few items on the bay of selling. It took forever to craft my listings - I am really surprised at how easy but time consuming it really is to sell stuff this way. I guess that is one way to learn a few more html tags!

Days off always go too freaking fast. Good intentions fly out the window, laundry only gets half done, and chores are left somewhere in the middle. Hell, I haven't even finished reading my lastest book yet (Michael Connelly kick, reading City of Bones this go around). I think with the tosvy turvy weekend that I had last go around, I guess today's general farting around and wasting of time is no big surprise.

I don't get what happens to days like this. I putter, and get easily distracted - like surfing the net, attempting to do constructive things, but then it is getting close to 6 and I have to think about dinner?! Like, WTF?! I have hockey to look forward to later on, we have another late game, we don't play until 10:15! Ah well, I guess it is time to go and clean up after myself. BAH. Will never be anything close to a perfect housekeeper. It just doesn't rank high enough in my overall priority scheme of things. Tidy is good, spotless is just too much damn work for very little payback.

Random thought

On one of the brain fluff thursday night reality shows, one of the guys commented that he is not in to the "novelty size" women's chests out yonder.

Since when have the girls been referred to as "novelty size"? Freaking bizarre. I guess novelty size is when you wonder whether or not it is the ocean you hear or a valley that trembles. Never looked at chest size like that before...

Cool Stuff

Got back from the volunteer's meet and greet for SIWC a while ago. Damn, it looks cool, although I am a slightly glazed eyed newbie to the lot. So far, I will be introducing a few authors, and perhaps working the room where potential scribes are booked in for short appointments with editors and agents.

A real sneak peek in to the world of writing and some of my favourite authors will be there!!! I can get some books signed at the book fair, and attend workshops if I am not volunteering for a session during that time.

I am stoked. I am like a kid on Hallowe'en with a full bag of candy.

Looking at the presenter's list is pretty inspiring. Jean Auel and Diana Gabaldon are both keynote speakers, and I should be able to hang out at the back of the room and listen in. I am really looking forward to this experience!!! From the sounds of it, volunteering is a great way to go because from what I gleaned from some of the folk there, as a paying customer, it is an overwhelming weekend because there is so much going on and can have a huge impact on how one approaches the craft of writing. At least this way, I can be a part of it, and pick and choose a few workshops at my own pace :]

Priority Sheet

These are signs in Japanese Metro Trains, "Priority Seats for... (from left to right)"

1. person with injured arm
2. person holding a child
3. pregnant woman
4. person with injured leg

Learned something else new!

Yikes!

Well, I think I actually may have used some muscles again tonight. I took the plunge and went to aquafit. One distinct drawback - I stink like chlorine. I even showered and washed my hair before I left the pool. One distinct advantage, I think I burned off some angst, even if there is still some waiting to be dispersed.

Fall is definitely starting to show it's colours as well. I am working at my secondary location and I actually have a window, and I look at out green space (novel concept if you could see my other locale - four walls, within four walls, within another box. Nothing like never knowing if it is daylight or not). The trees that line the path in are like burning matchsticks. The reds take your breathe away, and the oranges, and yellows, and trees that have yet to turn. It is a beautiful tapestry out there. I think I would miss the seasonal changes if I lived in a place where it was the same ol, same ol all the time.

Memes

Filled with all this new feline knowledge, I felt that I should continue on my quest to teach this old dog some new tricks.

I noted on J's blog, that there is a new meme that was going around. A few questions later, I kind of got the gist of this latest craze, but that surface knowledge just wasn't enough for me on this glorious day. Ok, so the sun came out and it is perking me up.

So what the hell is a meme, to us other lay peoples?

A meme can be seen as an idea that we, as humans, communicate. Memes are a kind of thing, but they only live inside of our minds. Like all things, memes fit better with some things than others. Some memes naturally fit better in people’s minds. Some memes naturally fit better with other memes. When a group of memes fit well together and pull the strings of someone’s mouth and vocal cords so that they pass them on to others, a new, self-replicating thing gets created. The new thing is called a memeplex.

Accordingly, a meme can also be viewed as simply a unit of intellectual or cultural information that survives long enough to be recognized as such, and which can pass from mind to mind. There's not much of a sense of describing thought processes, but nor is it just a model. A meme survives in the world because people pass it on to other people, either vertically to the next generation, or horizontally to our fellows.

Memes are contagious ideas, all competing for a share of our mind in a kind of Darwinian selection. According to Richard Brodie, memes can evolve, they become better and better at distracting and diverting us from whatever we'd really like to be doing with our lives. On this website, there is an interesting piece on chain mails, etc. and how they can be "mind viruses".

The OED defines the meme as "a cultural element or behavioural trait whose transmission and consequent persistence in a population, although occurring by non-genetic means (esp. imitation), is considered as analogous to the inheritance of a gene. Examples are tunes, clothes, ideas, catch phrases..."

Interesting stuff. Not sure what to make of it, but interesting just the same. Now you and me know.

Ripley's Home! (major cat care post)

Ripley's Home! And even better than that, no conehead :]

I guess I have been pretty lucky until now about never having had a cat with FLUDT before. For a while there, between a variety of circumstances beyond my control, my cats weren't living that log so this has never been an issue before.

From what I can gather from the Vet Assistants, the biggest problem with the cheaper grocery store cat food is that they are high in ash and magnesium. If your cat has any disposition to urinary tract problems, between the ages of 3-5 FLUDT can occur and without treatment that means a quick decline. Ripley's brother Murphy doesn't seem to have had the same issues, and never seemed to drink as much water as Ripley did/does.

Since Ripley has had FLUDT, we do have to do the special diet from here on out. Once the initial part is over (the two cats eat seperately with different foods), then they can both eat the special diet stuff that will help prevent recurrance of the crystals (after the vet bills, this food looks like a great preventative solution) and ultimate prevention for the other guy. When I asked about the better store brands, the assistant today pretty much said nay it is a no-go for us, and that Medi-cal or C/D formula is the true only way to go from this point since this incident.

Now, if your cats have not had an issue like this, and knowing what I do now, I would at least make a switch to a better cat food that is low mag/low ash to make sure 4 legged friends are healthier from the get go. Here is a way to make it cheaper for the first month (read free bag of cat food). It's funny, because we would all say that our cats are worth it, and we all have searched out for the best deals because it is an expense and it is natural to try to figure out ways to save a little money. I guess in future I will just buy bulk and try to save money that way, and with the wet food, the boys will be on total rations from here on out. No more over feeding and wasting the stuff. In the big picture of things, all positives.

The vet hospital was an interesting place this morning. It was smoking busy, and two cats do live there, which make their rounds to concerned owners cooling their heels. This clinic is only open nights, weekends, and holidays and there are only 3 in the GVRD. Our major break was that one of those clinics is at the bottom of our hill, so we didn't have to factor in a big drive to and from our place, a small mercy.

So the cats are getting reaquainted, and that was our holiday weekend! Slowly all is coming to right again, with the small exception that I didn't get any assists on friday night and I swear I was at least a part of one of those goals!

More on cat health

I never guessed that in the last week I would become knowledgeable about FLUTD. That would be Feline Lower Urinary Tract Disease. Anything in life can be a learning experience.

Our vet is recommending that once Ripley's inflammation has been sorted out, and all is working as it should, that both cats be put on a better diet.

I read this hilarious review of the PRESCRIPTION (like, OMG?!!) cat food for the boys that has been suggested as a maintenance food, which will put a significant dent in the budget, YES they are worth it, or, a slightly cheaper alternative and apparently comes highly recommended. When we get to pick up the Ripper, I will talk to the clerk and see what is up, and whether or not we should the c/d route for the first while and then perhaps switch to the Purrina 1 once health is restored as a cheaper and more available alternative to the prescription stuff.

Makes you start to question some of those diet choices any of us can(do) make. I have been going off about the cats, but what about us too? I have suspected for a while that many health issues are directly (or indirectly) linked to what people are eating. I try to shop the outside aisles at the grocery store, trying to stay away from the heavily processed foods of a questionable nature. We all slip, hell, every now and then I get these cravings for things I know are bad - like the cheese dip for nacho chips. We switched to bottled water about a year ago, and I think we have been healthier overall. When you read articles about how many pre$cription drug$ make it in to our water supply, it is scary!!

Enough of my rant.

Happy Turkey Day

Well, the little guy should be sprung tonight after 8 pm (all crossables crossed). I decided that with my other cat all wiggy without his buddy, and how this weekend has transpired so far, I am sticking close to home. I will either roast a chicken or do up a ham for dinner tonight. It was a tough decision to make. Turns out my gram is not going over to my Aunt's, and as I tossed and turned about what is right, I figured that I committed to getting my cat well, and then to not be around when he gets back is a bit hypocritical. Folks ended up driving on to the ferry, so it will be time unknown for them getting home tomorrow since there are no reservations available and guaranteed ferry waits, which only partially makes me feel better about staying in. Either way could have been a right decision, do I stay, do I go? but I think it is all good about staying back.

After all the furor about INXS, looks like they are opening in Vancouver (thanx Regs) next January. Will be interesting to see how fast it sells out, and whether or not a lot of us will head out to watch it.

Still waiting to see the stats from Friday's Crush Victory! All in all a decent game, and I think that I ended up with a few assists! I felt that I played well, and I definitely felt better after playing. I don't think that Ken saw a shot until midway through the second period! We played at 11pm, which made it hard to stay motivated before we played, and then you end up awake at 3am from the receding adrenaline rush!

I would settle for blah

Well, the little guy is at an 'emergency animal clinic' for at least another day because the vet I went to has no one around for the rest of the long weekend. ARGH, but what can you do? What is that saying, in for an inch, in for a mile? Ripley is stable, but needs more time for the urine crystals to pass, enough fluids to go through his system, and then he can come home. It looked positive this morning, but then there was another backup and back to needed catheder, etc. Hopefully another 24 hours of monitored care, and then he can come home, or at worst, monday morning. This does mean a lifelong diet change for the boys. Apparently Fri$kies or Whi$ka$ are "death in bag" for cats according the clerk at the clinic. That is a little eye opening. So the boys will be a little more pampered in the future.

Was great to have my friend D in town, but hard too, because I was really enjoying our visit, but a part of my brain is processing the whole "cat down" situation, as well as the money part. What can you do? In the comments, all you lovely ladies who have four legged friends get that hard part of the decision, once made, you have to go with it. It feels right in the heart and that is what you gotta do.

My sweetheart is out getting us some comfort food. Usually I would be going for some beef and broc, but this time around I am going to try out some mango butter chicken. Combine that with some DC and movies, maybe some hockey on the tube for the battle of the west, and that would be our laid back saturday night. I feel a bit emotionally done like I would love to avert making some big decisions for a little bit. Ripley is on the mend, there are unknown factors, but everything that matters is there. Tomorrow I will head to the island solo for Thanksgiving Dinner, and then get home on Monday. We couldn't get ferry reservations, so we will go as walk on to avoid waiting for 6 hours on either side.

Expensive Year

Adult decisions suck. The Ripper has an urinary tract blockage and I was presented with two choices - find the money to pay for treatment.. or it is time to say goodbye. This is a part of pet ownership, and those decisions never come at a good time financially, emotionally, or not around a long weekend when you have other plans. I couldn't not do it, even though I know there are a gamut of philosophical reasons to argue either side of that debate, and the Ripper is getting fixed up right now. Thank god animal lovers become DMVs and assistants, because I was holding on to a thread for a few minutes as I left him there. It was hard, even though I felt that I was making the right decision, and it is only money in the big picture of things, it wasn't easy and I wanted to cry like a baby. Coming home alone was weird, Murphy was sniffing around and he knew that something just wasn't right. So, I am juggling those financial balls up in the air, and making things work. It's not his time yet. I will now attempt to distract myself and clean.

Ride called life

It is a strange day. I am stoked because I get to see one of my oldest and dearest friends later, whom is in town from the southern states and I never get to see her as a result. On the flip side of things, one of my cats is not doing well (in fact, has not left the pant leg of my hockey pants for the last few hours) and we are soon to be off to the vets. So, as a result of a family member being in distress, I don't feel all that shit hot either. It sucks when a four legged friend isn't well, because they can't tell you what is wrong. They just look at you with their trusting eyes, imploring you to help them. It is hard, I am no DMV and all I can do is look at symptoms, book an appointment, and call a cab. I hope that in an hour, I have good news and that my wallet isn't that much lighter. *SIGH*

Super G

Best part of Victoria, besides just walking around town, would be going to Hugo's Brewhouse for Tuesday night dinner. $5 oven baked pizza and $3 pints. You can't go wrong. They make this funky ginseng beer that I look forward to indulging in when I am in town. Great atmosphere, great price, and just up the street from the Hotel. How can you go wrong? So, that sums up my Tuesday evening in Victoria. The beer tasted REALLY good, and for once, I kept with the Super G rather than switching to the Red Ale. As far as the work part went, the meetings went OK, but not sure where we will be heading too next, or when I will be heading across the straight next. Seems a little bit more preparation or clearly defining expectations needs to happens. This seems to be a theme lately - communication and expectations, and what is truly reasonable to expect to happen. Seems like a few people really miss it with those factors.

When is it ok to have an hotel towel hitchhike home with you?

Blah

Back from Victoria, and the skies have opened up with a deluge. I am definitely feeling the darker days, and right now, one of the cats keep crying, and I can't figure out why. Feels like it should be a monday today with how I feel right about now. This week just hasn't been stellar by any stretch of the imagintion.

On a lighter note, I was pleasantly surprised with The Next Accident, a suspense novel by Lisa Gardner. A fine way to spend a few hours. I have picked up a Lisa Scottoline novel for my next read. I think after that I am ready to sink my teeth in to something a little more intellectual next time. I have heard good things about The Kite Runner but I haven't picked up a copy yet.

Feeling pretty scattered during my work days, still. Between working two locations, and traveling to Victoria, to a few days off, I haven't got a clue what is up anymore. I feel a bit out of the personalities loop, but I think I have been saying that for a few weeks.

Break in the rain

From the looks of the weather map yesterday, we were in for rain, showers, mist, pissing down wet stuff, and whatever other words come to mind that describe the falling precipitation for the next few days. However, things are looking up and there is a break in the clouds. It is not the normal kind of monday morning, I am off to Victoria for a meeting, and my mom is tagging along. We are staying at the Empre$$, which is really swank and there is no way I could afford to stay here if it wasn't for work and I get reimbursed. But man, I enjoy it when I can.

I am looking forward to "super G" Ginger and Gingseng beer tomorrow night and half priced oven baked pizza. I think that I just tipped my hand to the fact that I like deals and I am motivated enough to find them. I am also looking forward to getting out and walking around town. Victoria is just the right size to get out and walk, and right on the coast, so not only is it a place to hit the pavement, but, you have gardens combined with ocean views and I am a happy camper. I am not sure what we will be up to today. There is talk of heading out to Sooke, the western edge of the island because we have never been out there before.

Here's to hoping we bring out the best in each other this trip! Sometimes it is bizarre because ultimately she is on a mini-break, and I am working. When I rock up at the hotel, she is ready to do something where I just want to lock myself in a room for 20 minutes and debrief from my day - alone, maybe with a book. Hopefully we catch the end of summer blooms and not just tumultous fall weather whipping by the fall colours by at mock 2.

BTW, Hitchhiker's guide was blah. Layer Cake was an interesting flick though.

Laying Low

So far this has been a great weekend. We have been laying really low. I think I really needed it after the last few weeks of just go, go, go. Yesterday I spent the day cleaning, and joy reading, and putzing around, and then rented a wack of videos. Today was a lazy day, with a few errands, choosing football picks, watching the 'Nucks game (we kicked some serious OILERS ASS!!!), and playing some Hold'Em with the family. Next up - watching The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy. I hope it even slightly comes close to being in the same ballpark as the books.. I feel like I have dropped off of the face of the earth, and I know that I am more than likely avoiding some social obligations, but I am embracing some selfish time with my myselt, my man, the cats, and staying close to our place, because really, it has been too long since we did just that. Solo time yesterday was a breath of fresh air too, although those damn hours went by like that car commercial - Zoom, Zoom, Zoom. All of a sudden it was time to get gear together to go out and play some hockey!

Bear fun at the Calgary Zoo

Was it really only two weeks ago that we were on holidays? The Calgary Zoo was great, moving towards a modern zoo with lots of areas for the wild ones to play! They also had a great conservatory, and then a cactus garden with many fluttering butterflies. Cool stuff!

First Night Jitters

AH. All is right again - hockey has officially started up again!! We played a tight game against the Coyote Blues tonight. A bit of the physical stuff happened, but nothing too out of control. I have the after game adrenaline rush happening - beer and nachoes were good, but I am still feeling way too wired to go to bed. I love playing, there is nothing like getting your gear on, and those first few steps on the ice. During the warm up, feeling the wind lift your hair, and the smile spread across your cheeks. I missed the regular hockey games on friday night, but I think without the summer breaks, it wouldn't be so sweet to get back in to the swing of things. I figure we will be placed in the top tier this year - a little more competitive and I think the crush are there. Sounds like there may be support of getting new jerseys this year - YAY!!!! Mine has never fit right and that bugs the crap out of me, so having a new jersey with an updated logo is something to look forward too.

Oh yeah - the jitters. I always seem to feel ansty that first game back. Excited to be playing again, hoping that first step back on the ice doesn't land me on my ass!

ZZYZX

Now this is Middle America Bizarre. Apparently this road leads to ZZyZx Springs, some where out in the Mojave Desert. Definitely not on my list of places to go on my next road trip.

Good Karma!

Wow. I am floored. I actually got some really positive resolution with the bank. I ended up dealing with someone in Customer Care, and wow, everything has been sorted out again, reimbursement is on it's way, and I can breathe a huge sigh of relief! A friend helped push me in the right direction of what to do, and I am really grateful because I had hoped for this originally, but after the last discussion with the bank, I felt pretty dejected and like the poster child for the Humungous Bank campaign that ran a few years ago.

What a novel feeling!! This made my day and is a good reminder that it really helps to keep notes of when and what is said when you talk to anyone who has anything to do with your money. It makes me feel extremely anal, but note keeping and having things on file has saved my ass a few times. Who knew?

Exchange

Well, I tried with that Cornwell book - Trace. I couldn't do it. Not 5 pages in and perspective was shifting from third person, to second, to kind of first, and then back again. I found myself rereading sentences for construction and flow, and feeling myself lost.

So, it was time to lose the book. I am over the guilt of reading a book all the way through that is like punishment from the get go. I have come to terms with the fact there are some books I don't need to read in this lifetime. Like finishing Tolstoy's War and Peace, or Zen and the Art of Motorcylcle Maintenance. I get so far in those books and my mind drifts and the next think I know months have passed and those books have vamoosed off of my side table.

Trace in hand, I wandered down to my local used bookshop, and traded that book flop for Michael Connelly's The Narrows. This is a follow up to the Poet, which I thought was a damn fine suspense story that was technical and filled with intriguing characters. There were a few gripping twists and turns that have stayed with me, even though I read that book about a year ago.

Now this is a good way to spend a few hours rather than stumbling over bad diction and schlocking development. Which is a shame since I really enjoyed the early Scarpetta novels like Cruel and Unusual and Body of Evidence, while my interest started to wane after I had blitzed through 5 of Cornwall's novels, looking for different characters and writing style. Maybe it was my mood, maybe it was the writing. Anyhoo, I am off to dive between the covers : ]

Pick of Doom

Last year it was me in my hockey pool. The guys I picked ended up having weird and unusual injuries throughout the year - a detached eyeball, dropping in a practise for no known reason, leg injuries, heart palpitations, all sorts of stuff that kept my guys out of the point chase and me out of taking the big money.

Now, it seems that Ken has caught my "doom finger" when it comes to picking a team for the Amazing Race. I think he is 3 for 3 for the last three seasons. The team he picks is the first one out. Bizarre, for it doesn't seem to matter how able-bodied the teams appear, they crumble after that finger has waved in their direction. He would make a great lion in another life so it appears, picking out the next one to fall with amazing reliability.

I got tagged.

Alrighty then - Refinnej "tagged" me to do this...

Ten Years Ago: I was just getting back home from a month in the UK. I had done a walking tour from London to Canterbury, yes, just like the Canterbury Tales as the proper English Lit major I was in my past life. After the 10 day walking tour I backpacked through to Edinburgh and then wove my way back across the countryside with a few stops back to London to do a Contiki tour of Southern Ireland. It was an amazing trip and that was where I met Kelz, whom I couldn't imagine my patchwork quilt of family not containing. I was really broke when I got home, I found out some bad health news about a dear friend, and I was close to a crossroads in what I would eventually do with my education. I was still living with my folks, albeit in Pitt Meadows and putting on way too many kms on my vw rabbit.

Five Years Ago: I moved out of my 'rents place that summer and graduated from SFU. I had just found my two cats, Ripley and Murphy. I was attending a Women's Conference in Vancouver and learning some new tools for dealing with stress and a I bought a long black skirt on one of my lunch hours. Little did I know that I would need that skirt for a funeral, not a week later :< This was a tumultous year, a lot of changes, and a lot of good byes for people who passed away. I was still single, still playing hockey, and was trying out dragon boating for the first time. I think this was a real turning point in my life, and it was crazy and chaotic, but I think the experiences of this year really helped shape who I am today.

One Year Ago: Ken and I were just getting back from an Alaskan cruise, the last of our big trips for 2004. We had also travelled to Yellowstone and back, which was a trip that blew my mind. I was marking for a student success course, and had taken a few courses at SFU to catch up my GPA over the summer, and was currently taking a creative writing course, which ended up being really vexing and not worth the pain. Our coed hockey team was getting off to a good start, and Ken's men's team was keeping up their tailgating traditions.

Yesterday: back to work after our road trip to Alberta, and then Monday Night Football at the John B pub. The game was lame, so we made it home at a decent hour and watched Las Vegas and then Prison Break (which is a surprisingly good show!). Farted around on the 'puter, and started to put things back where they belong. I think the laundry monster will be tackled today since I have pretty much exhausted my underwear supply.

Five Songs I Know All The Words To:

There would be a short debate here on whether or not I actually know all the words to any song without making up the words to it along the way to suit my needs (not my strong suit)

The Gambler - Kenny Rogers
Brian Wilson - The Barenaked Ladies
Blister in the Sun - Violent Femmes
You Gotta Fight for Your Right - The Beasties
Smoking in the Boys Room - Motley Crew (so I was a big fan in the late 80's)
Convoy - CW McCall

Five Snacks

popcorn
island farms vanilla plus low fat yogurt
chocolate
veggies and dip
hot wings

Five things I'd do with 100 million dollars

pay off all of our debts and share the wealth with family/friends
buy waterfront somewhere and create our dream home with accoutrements and dog run
have a library and work on literacy
travel and get both of us fully certified for scuba diving
put money in to an environmental cause, like salmon

Five places I'd run away to:

South Pacific: Australia, New Zealand, Fiji, and French Polynesia
Peru
Alaska
African Safari
UK

Five things I would never wear

block heels
itsy bitsy bikini
super low rise jeans that flash the crack of my butt
super miniskirt that looks like a belt
those shrugs that are popular now... bizarre

Five Favourite TV Shows

Amazing Race
Prison Break
Hockey Night in Canada with announcers
Las Vegas
MASH reruns

Five greatest joys

Being in love
My cats
Reading
Travelling
Family and friends
Our home and results of gardening

Five favourite toys

Fuji Finepix
Computer
Xbox
Tribble from Vulcan
Hockey Gear

Current Reads

Trace - Particia Cornwall
Something by Lisa Gardner
(cross fingers) will get copy of last book in Outlander Series (Diana Gabaldon)
(cross fingers) pick up used copy of one of Reich's latest when I am in Victoria next week
Policy Manuels

Other folks I am tagging to do this

Kelz
Gilly
Regan

Reading Materials

"Life is what happens to you while you're busy making other plans." I read that in one of the books that I wandered through on holidays.

So don't sweat the small stuff about the future and take time out to enjoy today, or something like that. Sometimes I worry about the future and forget to enjoy today, so this is a gentle reminder to make sure I enjoy what I am doing in the moment rather than rushing off to the next adventure without savouring what is now.

I managed to make it through four books on my week off:

Stones from the River - Ursula Hegi
Confesssions of a Slacker Mom - Muffy Mead-Ferro
Death du Jour - Kathy Reichs
Love, and other four letter words - Carolyn Macker

I enjoyed them all to a certain degree, but Stones was a great "intellectual novel" and the Reichs novel was consistently good, the others were a bit fluffly, but good for reading while my pilot drove and I navigated :]

Dramatic Badlands

These are the badlands of Alberta, areas rich in dino-bones and bring out the urge to explore in you. We climbed down in between the mounds of debris, and went up and down miniature valleys and washouts. The layers and textures were amazing - from solid rock formations to sand that would peel away at your touch.

This is an old stagecoach, abandoned near Horse Thief Canyon in the Badlands.

Home.

Home again. It seems like it has been forever since my eyes have caressed the familiar sites of the lower mainland. Has it really only been ten days since we left for Alberta? It seems like it has been a long time away - especially when my cats haven't let up on their loving since we got home. It is clearly evident that we were sorely missed.

It was a great holiday - better than I expected. We covered 3352 km in 10 days, and spent over 2 days in the vehicle. And all went well. I think we hit a bit of a break in the weather - we missed a blizzard in Banff by a few days, and most days we saw sun. The trees are turning - and there are shades of gold, orange, and red that show through the evergreens. Traffic was not terrible, most people don't travel this time of the year, so we pretty much had the roads to ourselves.

In a nutshell, we went from Coquitlam - Revelstoke - Calgary - Nanton/Fort MacLeod/Okotoks - Calgary - Badlands/Drumheller - Milo (where Ken's family homestead and farm is) - Calgary - Red Deer - Sylvan Lake - Ice Fields Parkway - Revelstoke - home. This trip was equally about the places we saw and the family that we stayed with. Ken has a pretty amazing extended family and they all welcomed us with open arms. I will fill in the gaps with some details over the next few days.

Going to work today sucked. It was really hard to be motivated to go in and put my game face back on. I think that anyone making the transition from play to work is in that position, whether or not it is after a day, a weekend, or a longer stretch of time off. Unless you truly love your job. Work was fairly uneventful, came home and toddled off to Monday Night Football. A bit of a blow out, so home at a decent time. I am still wrapping my head around normal hours, and rocking up to work when I should. Today was all about that - and putting out little fires all over the place. Makes me wonder at times what happens when I am not around?!

The truck is FIXED. Yay. Big banks suck. BOO. Lovely Humungous Bank delivered some bad info to me and will only apologize for inconvenience but not take responsibility for fees incured by yours truly from said bad information. BRUTAL. Gal on phone didn't want to discourage me from writing a scathing letter, of course, it was my right, but her notes didn't support what I was saying. Then again, she also revealed that said employee has been released? Hmm. Interesting correlation there.

Destination: Flatlands

Another adventure looms on the new morn! We are heading to Alberta tomorrow morning on holidays, a mixture of visiting relatives and the places they are from, and seeing a little bit more of Canada.

First stop - Revelstoke, BC. Nestled between two spectacular federal parks, along the Columbia River. We should rock up late afternoon and the night is ours. After Revelstoke, we will pass through the Rockies, stopping in Lake Louise and who knows where else will tickle our fancy, and then through to Calgary to stay with a cousin. A few days in Calgary, and then down to the family farm in Milo. From Milo, we will check out places with such exotic names and Brooks, Vulcan, and Drumheller. I am really stoked about being able to explore some of the badlands, and maybe spend time in the Provincial Dinosaur Park. Alberta is just so geographically different than BC, I can't wait to see and explore more of it.

I just have issues driving there. No really, I do!! The only time I went I was good for about an hour before the undulating grass on the long, straight stretches of road would lull me close to sleep. You don't realize how different it is driving on the Prairies until you have experienced it. Then you begin to understand why Prairie folk feel claustrophic driving between the mountains and trees out here. Strange, but true.

Feels weird not packing camping gear, it almost feels too simple. Have some books, we are packing lunches for the drive, grab some CDs... and we are good to go!! I will try to post about my adventures over the next week - the unknown factor is pretty exciting. Maybe I will finally finish Stones from the River.. it is a great book but it is taking me FOREVER to plow through it.

AHEM. On another note, Survivor started with a wee twist. Should be an interesting show - the ruins are amazing. Dude, to be able to CAMP in a place like that!!!!

Bare Tushes

After watching an old school flick last night, I couldn't help but comment that 20 years ago they used to show a lot more skin in movies. Bare tushes and chests were pretty commonplace.

Remember all the high school coming of age movies? Porkys, and Up the Creek, and Caddyshack, Hot Dog, the movie, The Joy of Sex (whose most titillating moment came when the boys were at the drive in lighting their farts), Sixteen Candles or St. Elmo's Fire... They all had some nudity and very little swearing, ok maybe except for Eddie Murphy in RAW. Although the nudity in the past was mostly women, and the odd male bare buns would create a furor of shock because it was the other gender's turn :]

Now we seem to have the reverse. Very little nudity and a whole lot of swearing, sly sexual innuendos, and more violence. Interesting.

If your dog is fat, you aren't getting enough exercise

Falling together

It seems the pieces are coming back together again. Had dinner with Ken's mom and we ironed out what needed to happen for our upcoming excursion. The three of us leave Friday morning, and then will be home the following weekend for a good break away from dodge.

I am starting to get excited about heading out. We have a hotel rented in Revelstoke for the first night, and hopefully I can get out for a walk along the Columbia River either Friday night or Saturday morning. It is a rustic, small town in the middle of the mountains, and I like it. It appeals, with the frontier meets everyone in BC with ethnic restaurants and old school hotels, and a funeral parlour in the main strip. In the river you can see all sorts of old metal bits, rusting and forgotten, and there are wild flowers and glaciers all around you. This is where the Kokanee Glacier is - yup, might see us a Sasquatch in them parts!

Haze

I just stepped out of my office and you can smell the fire in the college. A little alarmed, I went out to one of the upper patios - viz is shot! I can maybe see west about 3-5 km, and then it is like the world stops. There is ash in the air, maybe this is what it was like after Mt St. Helen's went? Still no known cause, still burning. Ironically enough, the story in Vancouver's section of Canada.com is less informative than the one for Victoria?! Air quality is terrible, it is leaving a nasty after taste, and clinging to my nose. Ken's working out in that area, so I can only imagine how he felt driving around today?! A little rain couldn't hurt at this stage, but I don't think any is forecast until later on in the week. It looks crazy outside though - really sunny, blue skies to the left, and to the right, a white, stinky haze out of which buildings and bridges appear from.

Burn's Bog Blaze

Hanging off my parent's deck yesterday I noticed a hug plume of smoke coming from across the Fraser river on the Delta. Great grey clouds were billowing up, and it was like you could see actual flames licking the top of the ridge. The radio was no help for news, and we all grabbed binoculars to see if we could see anything. After watching some amazing footage from the Channel 9 Chopter (now that feels cheesy saying), turns out that the Burns Bog is burning. This is terrible - it is an amazing ecological area that is home to many unique species. It is also rare as being a green zone close to a major metropolitan area.

Last night, the sky was orange, and we could smell fire from our place. Every now and then you could see the fire intensify, and the sky would dance with colours that would unsettle you. The darkness of the ridge, and then the flames and smoke. It is CLOSE and yet not that close. Driving in to work this morning, going up the river was a haze that looked like fog, and looking out towards the fire the plume of smoke continued, but more white than the angry colours it was yesterday afternoon.

I have all crossables crossed they can get this fire out ASAP! I understand fire is good, and needed for some elements of renewal (and hell, needed in the areas of the pine beetle infestation) I just worry about the Bog. Ken plays hockey out near there, and I have spent many a pre-game time walking through the preserve, enjoying the forest on the edge of civilization, wondering at the life that teems in there. I hope it wasn't a cigarette butt!!!!!

Crash

Was an amazing movie. Very provokative, rings you out emotionally a few times. Very powerful. Well worth the rental cost. Reminds you how closely linked we all are, even when we think we are either completely isolated or one of many.

Air Care

Never having had a newer vehicle, air care has always been one of those excruciating experiences for me. I rock up in my vehicle, and the prayers begin. I am never sure which of the pantheon to go for when it comes to a vehicle miraculously passing, and maybe I used up my "used" car miracles with the Rabbit or the pickup, but we went to our trusty mechanic this morning, he fixed a vacuum leak and we all but did an offering to get through. It is like going to the dentist, you know that it will be a slightly painful experience only aircare will hurt the pocketbook and not cause physical pain in in the spirit of prevention and retention!

Alas, another failing grade. So, we will get three months insurance and when we head out to Alberta, trusty mechanic will fix all that ails our beast which didn't get done today. Which, after this round, should mean we are in great shape. I am so relieved that we have a great mech, who is also a friend. He is a great guy - has his own shop, works by his own rules. Plus, a case of budweiser goes a long way. He plays hockey with Ken on his men's team (which was how we got connected to him) and is one of the end of game tailgaters with us. It helps to trust the person fixing your vehicle, and know you aren't going to get ripped off in the process.

Video night! Watching Sahara (may be cheesy but should be a fun adventure) and Crash, and some old movie called Death Race 2000. A big bowl of popcorn, maybe a diet coke sounds like a great saturday night. And NHL 2006 for the XBOX.

Was weird, had to bail on other plans for tonight because of said truck issues, and was asked, why don't you just borrow a vehicle from your folks? Not really an option. My family has always been a bit strange with their vehicles. Extremely possessive and it has taken me a while to get over that. Ken's bro has bailed us out a few times, and just offered his vehicle, no questions asked. A totally different attitude to the whole realm of car ownership.

Damn. Went on a LONG ramble again!!!!!

T G I P

Wow. 51 minutes and my bank card gets reloaded. Now how cool is that?

Today was a strange day, that seems to have finished with a strange wind blowing through. You know, one of those winds that makes you feel like change is in the air. One of those winds that triggers your sensor lights and then makes crazy shapes dance on your shed. It is still mild, but the gusts make the trees dance and suggests that it could be really raining, but it is just the branches going wild and crazy. It brings with it fall, the days are getting shorter, and I feel my attitude shifting away from summer.

Have to wear a t-shirt to work for these first two weeks of school advertising our department. Can't say that I am quite keen about it. I don't feel all that professional in it, bright blue with jeans, or my black capris. For once, I have some cool work duds again and I would much prefer to be donning them than having to change in to my blueberry shirt once we open to see folks for the day. Haven't been insanely busy either, which feels odd. Other campus has been slammed, so I feel like I have gotten away with something, and yet I miss the vibe too.

Kitchen is actually clean again, and I finally decided to do something with my fishtank. It had a lovely green glow about it, that wasn't getting any better. I figured that the fish were preparing for some kind of crazy rebellion so I figured it was time to deal with it.

And... I entered a writing contest with a few poems.

GULP. I am out there now. I have my crossables crossed. May post them here eventually, not quite there yet though.

Well, my book beckons. I am reading Stones in the River by Ursula Hegi and it is a novel that slowly draws you in and then you are fully engulfed in the story. It is a story about being different, and when you first realize that you are different than other folks, and how that awareness shapes the rest of your life, this is to the backdrop of turn of the century Germany; so throw in a bit of tumultuous history told through a new perspective and unique voice. Pretty catchy I must say. But dense. I don't get through these kind of books nearly as quickly as the trade paperbacks which barely last an evening when I am fully hooked.

Guess who?

Am I back home already?

Destination Reached: Saturday morning, about 9 am after hitting the road shortly after 5. Pimainus Lake was more than we imagined it would be. It is about 5500 feet above sea level, and 35km down a gravel road. It is remote, has cold running water and pit toilets.

It was also stunning, quiet, only a few people are/can be around, has a great proprietor, and the cabin was big enough to fit the four of us, but small enough to be quaint and just what we needed for eating, sleeping, reading, and cards. It didn't take long to unpack and hit the lake running (er fishing!). Ken caught his first fish, and then I caught one later in the day. We were all pretty tired, so it was an early night.


I took my dad out fishing Sunday night as twilight fell and the mist start to rise off the lake. We didn't catch any fish but it was magic being out there! A few loons in the lake, besides us that is, and we had the place to ourselves.

This is "Second Lake" and it was a smaller lake that you walked about 10 minutes beside a creek to get too. There are moose prints all over the place, and you see all kinds of birds, including Whiskeyjacks, ravens, herons, grouse, and other fowl. A few old fire rings, lodgepole pines that would creak and groan in the wind, and the fish were jumping.

Yup. We were enchanted by this place. This morning, Ken and dad went fishing early, and I slept in a bit before I headed out. Not finding them on the big lake, I wandered down to 2nd Lake, to see them rowing out near here. I walked further up the lake and found a tree stump, and just took it all in. The water is really clear, and there were birds making their morning noises. The morning mist was slowly disipating, and the sun was struggling to make an appearance. Eventually my dad spotted me, and we made various whistle calls to each other until Ken rowed to pick me up. Hard to believe that was 12 hours ago already. Back to work in the morning. It felt timeless up there, no TVs, no cell phones, no news, it was awesome.

Cabin Bound

In but a few, wee hours - we are bound for Pimainus Lake. Yup. Say that word a few times fast!!!

Should be fun, have a rod, have some cards, lets hope for some good times!

Just got home from playing some shinny - felt great to don the gear and know our season could be but a week away. I don't hurt too bad, but I did have one shift out there where I was doing my best impersonation of a human target. PING off my leg, PING off the shin pad, PING-CLUNK off the helmet and rattled my cage. I shook it off and played on, but what a way to come back to the game. We kicked some shinny ass and it felt good to get out there and play, and leave whatever angst I have been feeling on the ice.

Ahhhh. Season of weird leg bruises is back!!!

Old, new, and renewed.

Today has been a funny day.

Started with a bang at aircare, and now I am pretty much packed to head out for a weekend trip to a small lake in the interior for some fishing! I am looking forward to it, but this week off has gone by way too quickly and it feels like a headlong rush in to the weekend.

I hooked up with an old girlfriend this morning and it was like a piece of the puzzle coming back in to place.

I like where I am at now, and in some moments, it is so crystal clear that no matter what seems to be hurdles in the road, I have what counts. I have my partner, whom I really love and has brought so many positive changes in my life, by being him and his loving me for me, by being supportive, and being partners together, facing all that comes at us with a united front. I have a few dear, close friends that I really appreciate, and the clutter of acquaintances have been trimmed down. I love our place, our cats, our backyard, I love what the future holds. I am very grateful. It sounds like gushing, but this thing called life isn't always easy, and sometimes it is hard to see the wood through the trees, but you gotta embrace the good bits.

It is bizarre that this real clarity sometimes hits me when I have had glimpses of the past, and where I have come from, and whether or not those pieces are going to come in to the future with me. Aging is funny, because you see the past with 20/20 vision and you realize that there were times of your life that ring less true or more true than others. And this is where seeing C. this morning was so wonderful. We have always gotten on well, and spoken the same language (when it really came down to it). C. found an amazing man several years ago and has built an amazing family around her. It took me a longer to find that man for me, and I think to go through several versions of myself until I am where I am today, feet more solidly on the ground. There was time for us both to grow, and grow more solidly in to who we are. I still had to go through some hurts, and I think learn how to slow right down and enjoy the present moment more, I guess strip things down to the basics, and focus more on the people and things I wanted to count, rather than bits of everything because it was shiny and different and filled up the spaces in my life that I used to have. This morning was a relief, because I have hooked up with a few "old" friends in the last while, and it hasn't been that great of an experience the last few times (will avoid unnecessary whining here) and this time it was really positive, a breath of fresh air, and I was even on TIME!!!

I have to come to realize that you can reach a crossroads in any friendship in which you go in one direction, and the other went in another and the parts in common are moving further and further away in to the past. That has happened a bit in the last few years and it has nothing to do with physical distance, it is emotional distance.

Nothing like visiting some really fun past experiences, and the not so good experiences, the trials, the tribulations, the knowing that there were times where you left some of your friends behind because they weren't at that place, only to discover that you have caught up with each other again without it being an effort. The last year or so has been marked by the old and new, and me reinventing myself to a degree, and renewing some of the old but in different terms.

When you get excited about your family together (no matter how big and small), and crafts, and books, and music, and life, and the moments that take your breath away and they are pretty similar, you know you are back on track again in a friendship. Somewhere when you weren't looking you were already growing back to the same path.

I love that email that goes around about a "reason, season, and a lifetime" and how it describes people who enter (and sometimes leave) your life. That things do happen for a reason. It is hard letting go of those "season" people, but it frees you to enjoy the lifetime friends/relationships more, and I guess figure out the growing you did from the reason/season types.

This is another aspect of time, you realize that there are so many hours in the day and that the people you contact/stay in touch with are the people that count, because sharing that time is valuable.

Dahlias!

On Tuesday, my mom and I went to Sechelt to see my gram. There is a very cool place called Dahlia's Galore... it is a garden that you can wander around, taking in amazing blooms! Some of the blooms were so big and heavy that they bent the stalks that they were supported by!!

It was a great day, no problems catching our ferries up the coast, which is nothing short of a miracle these days as the ferries break down almost daily. Had a pub lunch at a place on the water called the Wakefield, a place that has probably been around forever, the floors creak like it has been! It was a stormy day that felt more like November than August.

Where has our summer gone?? It seems that Labour Day and the start of a new semester is RIGHT HERE. Soon my freckles will fade...