Sunday, December 10
Tuesday, November 28
Even change machines...
I can't help but be amused...It seems that on snow days, buses are like moving bull's eyes for any kid with a snowball in their hand...and because most of the schools were out yesterday, there was no shortage of snowball making manpower.
Monday, November 27
Tuesday, November 21
Everybody's working for the weekend.
So, I've been meaning to write a little blurb about my 'new' job with the construction company but more as a result of a lack of energy, rather than a lack of material, I didn't really finish any of my posts. I find it therefore ironic that I choose to write about it the day before I quit.
The Job:
Hired as a first aid attendant, the actual administration of first aid only takes up about .5% of my time, and even that time is frowned upon it seems. I did however do a lot of hauling garbage, cleaning and stacking bricks, skill sawing, cursing at the weathered and warped ceiling beams that I have to work around, measuring and remeasuring then cursing when it doesn't fit, not to mention the 100's of flights of stairs I've walked up and down searching for tools or trying to figure out exactly what I should be doing. My foreman and supervisor don't always say/bark the same message. At least my foreman doesn't yell...too often...at me.
The Site:
Hastings and Cambie. East Hastings meets Gastown. Models meet stoners and angry yelling vagabonds stumble past backpackers.
The north-east block, also previously the home of the Woodwards building, is where my construction site sits. The project is to renovate the 120 year old building into retail, office and residence space (for perspective, Vancouver is only roughly 140 years old). It'll be neat to see how it turns out.
The wake-up:
Ready to work at 7:00am on the dot. I often pushed said dot...
The punch-out time:
3:30pm. This is my favourite part.
The after work shower:
20 minutes minimum. I used to be the queen of 5 minute showers (no seriously, I was in a parade), but now I require an extra long time in order to scrub every part of the body. I find I'm using more product than ever in order to be "normal". My singing is getting better though.
The skin:
Itchy, dry, and clogged. One of my bosses told me about an ex-boyfriend of hers that died at young age - they think it may have been related to how long he worked in construction. Yes, I've only worked a month, but you never know...
Some things I learned:
I have a mild fear of heights that surfaces when I'm nailing things to the ceiling in precarious situations ~ I'm a hard worker and it feels good to be recognized by your 'foreman' ~ I have my limits on the dirtiness scale , a scale that takes into consideration duration of dirty state, content of 'dirt', and ease of cleaning ~ Steel toe boots are great for helping to tone your buttocks. So are stairs ~ Carpentry is fun ~ I'm still the math nerd I was in high school.
The reason I'm hanging up my tool belt:
I got offered a full-time ski patrol position (I had applied for part time) on the same day we found out that they would have to fire 5+ people since the head company who is contracting us refuses to pay for more than 15 people on the site. I got picked to stay, but for how long?
There you go. As of Saturday I will be working for Grouse Mountain on their ski patrol (!), which makes this the 4th company I'’ve worked for this year. Hmm.
The Job:
Hired as a first aid attendant, the actual administration of first aid only takes up about .5% of my time, and even that time is frowned upon it seems. I did however do a lot of hauling garbage, cleaning and stacking bricks, skill sawing, cursing at the weathered and warped ceiling beams that I have to work around, measuring and remeasuring then cursing when it doesn't fit, not to mention the 100's of flights of stairs I've walked up and down searching for tools or trying to figure out exactly what I should be doing. My foreman and supervisor don't always say/bark the same message. At least my foreman doesn't yell...too often...at me.
The Site:
Hastings and Cambie. East Hastings meets Gastown. Models meet stoners and angry yelling vagabonds stumble past backpackers.
The north-east block, also previously the home of the Woodwards building, is where my construction site sits. The project is to renovate the 120 year old building into retail, office and residence space (for perspective, Vancouver is only roughly 140 years old). It'll be neat to see how it turns out.
The wake-up:
Ready to work at 7:00am on the dot. I often pushed said dot...
The punch-out time:
3:30pm. This is my favourite part.
The after work shower:
20 minutes minimum. I used to be the queen of 5 minute showers (no seriously, I was in a parade), but now I require an extra long time in order to scrub every part of the body. I find I'm using more product than ever in order to be "normal". My singing is getting better though.
The skin:
Itchy, dry, and clogged. One of my bosses told me about an ex-boyfriend of hers that died at young age - they think it may have been related to how long he worked in construction. Yes, I've only worked a month, but you never know...
Some things I learned:
I have a mild fear of heights that surfaces when I'm nailing things to the ceiling in precarious situations ~ I'm a hard worker and it feels good to be recognized by your 'foreman' ~ I have my limits on the dirtiness scale , a scale that takes into consideration duration of dirty state, content of 'dirt', and ease of cleaning ~ Steel toe boots are great for helping to tone your buttocks. So are stairs ~ Carpentry is fun ~ I'm still the math nerd I was in high school.
The reason I'm hanging up my tool belt:
I got offered a full-time ski patrol position (I had applied for part time) on the same day we found out that they would have to fire 5+ people since the head company who is contracting us refuses to pay for more than 15 people on the site. I got picked to stay, but for how long?
There you go. As of Saturday I will be working for Grouse Mountain on their ski patrol (!), which makes this the 4th company I'’ve worked for this year. Hmm.
Tuesday, October 3
I have a new job!
As of Oct 23rd, I will be a first aid attendant/general laborer for a small construction company, working on the renovation of a building in downtown Vancouver
I figured that my resume wasn’t random enough and it was actually starting to look like I had a career path in environmental education, so of course I had to put a stop to that. I mean with seniority comes more pay and more opportunities – I like to start at the bottom rung every time.
Of course I’m being very sarcastic here and am kind of wondering why I took this job, especially since there is another job I will likely apply for in
Where this job will go, and how long it will last is anyone’s guess, but as long as I’m in
Wednesday, September 20
Nerocystis nighmares
whew.
Just got back from a pretty fun trip up at my family's cabin on the Shuswap.
Much fun was had and many Transmetropolitan comic books were read (*note* - Spider Jerusalem is strangely my newest "super hero" crush. Saving [a pretty fucked up] world with words!).
The braincells took a bit of a beating but no more than the daily pounding they recieve from the city's toxic fumes and droning construction.
To say the least, I was relaxed. Even the scenic drive home was an extension of that, with only the numbing sensation in my left hip to remind me that we had been driving for 7 plus hours.
This morning over a nice (relaxed) cup of coffee, I read my emails and found not 1, 2 or 3, but 4 progessively panicked emails from Bluewater, redirected from the teachers, wanting an itinary from the crew that details the educational compents for the school trip I'm working in October.
What school trip, you might ask? Haven't heard of it? Heh, that's funny - it would be because I was only asked on the 13th to fill in for a recent cancellation.
Now I'm the one panicking as I prepare to be stoned by the students of the Higher Level Biology International Baccalauate Program because, again, I don't remember/ever-fucking-knew the latin name of the seabird that just dove down.
Chest feels tight...breathing becoming difficult...must find brain cells...Nerocystis nightmares coming back...
Just got back from a pretty fun trip up at my family's cabin on the Shuswap.
Much fun was had and many Transmetropolitan comic books were read (*note* - Spider Jerusalem is strangely my newest "super hero" crush. Saving [a pretty fucked up] world with words!).
The braincells took a bit of a beating but no more than the daily pounding they recieve from the city's toxic fumes and droning construction.
To say the least, I was relaxed. Even the scenic drive home was an extension of that, with only the numbing sensation in my left hip to remind me that we had been driving for 7 plus hours.
This morning over a nice (relaxed) cup of coffee, I read my emails and found not 1, 2 or 3, but 4 progessively panicked emails from Bluewater, redirected from the teachers, wanting an itinary from the crew that details the educational compents for the school trip I'm working in October.
What school trip, you might ask? Haven't heard of it? Heh, that's funny - it would be because I was only asked on the 13th to fill in for a recent cancellation.
Now I'm the one panicking as I prepare to be stoned by the students of the Higher Level Biology International Baccalauate Program because, again, I don't remember/ever-fucking-knew the latin name of the seabird that just dove down.
Chest feels tight...breathing becoming difficult...must find brain cells...Nerocystis nightmares coming back...
Wednesday, September 13
A small pod of northern resident Killer Whales
I've maxed out my upoad limit for flickr so I'll post more of these guys next month.
Gallavanting around the northwest coast
If for no other reason than to make the photo of my pina colata boyfriend scroll down a bit, I am going to post a a quick update and a few photos.
My trip up north was great. Yes there was some tough times, but nothing a few tears, a couple of death looks, lots of laughs and wine won't fix. But I learned alot about sailboats, cooking and people.
What made me want to go back next summer though was the sights. We live in one of the most beautiful places in the world and the vastness of our remaining wilderness is overwhelming, amazing and heartbreaking. I saw grizzly bears, wolves, clear cuts, fish farms, a ridiculous number of eagles, jumping salmon, worrisome water tables, incredible intertidial diversity, and of course... marine mammals, but Ill let the photos speak for them selves on that topic (taken on james' camera which he graciosly lent me, and the skippers 300 focus lense camera - my own camera went kapute on Aug.24- Day 1...)
My trip up north was great. Yes there was some tough times, but nothing a few tears, a couple of death looks, lots of laughs and wine won't fix. But I learned alot about sailboats, cooking and people.
What made me want to go back next summer though was the sights. We live in one of the most beautiful places in the world and the vastness of our remaining wilderness is overwhelming, amazing and heartbreaking. I saw grizzly bears, wolves, clear cuts, fish farms, a ridiculous number of eagles, jumping salmon, worrisome water tables, incredible intertidial diversity, and of course... marine mammals, but Ill let the photos speak for them selves on that topic (taken on james' camera which he graciosly lent me, and the skippers 300 focus lense camera - my own camera went kapute on Aug.24- Day 1...)
Thursday, August 31
hmmm...drunk?
just got some photos from...the 18th I think. Thought I'd post them while in between trips here in Port Hardy.
Things having been both tiring and beautiful and I'm going to need more time to explain the amazing things I've seen. Wish me luck for the next trip. I except to puke on the crossing to Bella Bella. Some deckhand I am...
Hope you are all doing well!
Things having been both tiring and beautiful and I'm going to need more time to explain the amazing things I've seen. Wish me luck for the next trip. I except to puke on the crossing to Bella Bella. Some deckhand I am...
Hope you are all doing well!
Sunday, August 20
This gypsy's on the move...
Flying up to Port Hardy on the 23rd to begin my northern sailboat adventures. I'll be back on the 11th with stories and photos.
Happy Labour Day weekend to you!
Happy Labour Day weekend to you!
Friday, August 18
Rockstar LJ
There have been many inspirational and amusing moments during my career at the Aquarium, but nothing amuses me more than the fact that I have rockstar status simply because I can breath air from an oxygen tank and hover above the fish.
Today, after my dive in the Pacific Canada exhibit, I emerged from the water to find that there was a group of people waiting to "meet the diver", a couple of them very excited mentally disabled adults.
One in particular exclaimed several times to me "I was waiting for you!!!", so I gave him a wet hand shake and when he wouldn't let go I gave him a big wet hug too. So cute...
There has also been many kids who have pulled at the heart strings and made me feel way cooler than I actually am. There was the group of 5 and 6 year olds who had every question in the book and pretty much had to be ripped away from me, and the many apparently chatty kids who draw a blank when they actually get to see me in person. Then there was the little boy who watched me dive last week and was terrified for me, convinced that I was going to be harmed. His grandparents had to bring him up to meet me and prove that I had survived (his look of disbelief was priceless). Then yesterday he came in to see me again and prior to entering the aquarium was calling out "dye-dye! dye-dye!". They didn't realize until after the dive show when he wanted to come and see me again that he was trying to say "diver". Awww ...
(ok admittedly he may have been trying to say some other brilliant thing, like "the diver is going to die" or "use your diaphram when you speak, or the dichotomy of ethics in this aquarium makes me ponder" but I prefer to think that he was wanting to see me...)
Then there was the memorable 4 year old girl who, after I got out of the water, gave me the stamp of approval with a solid "good work LJ".
(sigh) I'm going to miss this part of the job...
Today, after my dive in the Pacific Canada exhibit, I emerged from the water to find that there was a group of people waiting to "meet the diver", a couple of them very excited mentally disabled adults.
One in particular exclaimed several times to me "I was waiting for you!!!", so I gave him a wet hand shake and when he wouldn't let go I gave him a big wet hug too. So cute...
There has also been many kids who have pulled at the heart strings and made me feel way cooler than I actually am. There was the group of 5 and 6 year olds who had every question in the book and pretty much had to be ripped away from me, and the many apparently chatty kids who draw a blank when they actually get to see me in person. Then there was the little boy who watched me dive last week and was terrified for me, convinced that I was going to be harmed. His grandparents had to bring him up to meet me and prove that I had survived (his look of disbelief was priceless). Then yesterday he came in to see me again and prior to entering the aquarium was calling out "dye-dye! dye-dye!". They didn't realize until after the dive show when he wanted to come and see me again that he was trying to say "diver". Awww ...
(ok admittedly he may have been trying to say some other brilliant thing, like "the diver is going to die" or "use your diaphram when you speak, or the dichotomy of ethics in this aquarium makes me ponder" but I prefer to think that he was wanting to see me...)
Then there was the memorable 4 year old girl who, after I got out of the water, gave me the stamp of approval with a solid "good work LJ".
(sigh) I'm going to miss this part of the job...
Friday, August 11
The straw that broke the camel's back
After much deliberation on Tuesday and Wednesday evening, yesterday I resigned from my position at the aquarium.
It was a tough decision but also an easy one. I was asked to be the second naturalist/grunt woman for another trip with Bluewater Adventures, this time to the Great Bear Rainforest (!) and at first it seemed like I was going to be able to take the time off. When the decision was reversed (among other things), it was the straw that broke the camels back.
I'm not sure what will pan out for me in the future but I have an interview on Monday with the BC Sustainable Energy Association and a trip to the Great Bear Rainforest to look forward to, so I'm going try and not focus on the fact that I very well could be incredibly broke in the next couple of weeks.
Send money.
It was a tough decision but also an easy one. I was asked to be the second naturalist/grunt woman for another trip with Bluewater Adventures, this time to the Great Bear Rainforest (!) and at first it seemed like I was going to be able to take the time off. When the decision was reversed (among other things), it was the straw that broke the camels back.
I'm not sure what will pan out for me in the future but I have an interview on Monday with the BC Sustainable Energy Association and a trip to the Great Bear Rainforest to look forward to, so I'm going try and not focus on the fact that I very well could be incredibly broke in the next couple of weeks.
Send money.
Monday, July 31
Firends
One of the toughest words for me to type properly is firends... fierends... freinds... friends.
And there are days when understanding firends can seem to be just as tough.
I've been thinking about old firends, new firends lately and a series of events (including reading mel's post) have got me mulling this even more. (uh oh)
Some firends are there with you until the end, some are just there for the moment, some you've outgrown, some will enjoy a beer and good conversation with you, some will try and lean on you a little too hard, some will morgage their house for you, some will read your blog (and some you won't even tell about it's existance) - but how do you know who is who?
And if you can figure that out, would/should you act any differently? (Theoretically I don't want to and yet...)
Either way it seems, if you want to keep that firend, you have to keep that contact. Killing two birds, I've decided to hone in on my typing skills by emailing my friends more often (and by that I mean we're shooting for one contact per week...this is big for me).
I love you all my fireneds. And by that I mean I'm thirsty. ;)
(http://www.qwantz.com/index.pl?comic=817)
And there are days when understanding firends can seem to be just as tough.
I've been thinking about old firends, new firends lately and a series of events (including reading mel's post) have got me mulling this even more. (uh oh)
Some firends are there with you until the end, some are just there for the moment, some you've outgrown, some will enjoy a beer and good conversation with you, some will try and lean on you a little too hard, some will morgage their house for you, some will read your blog (and some you won't even tell about it's existance) - but how do you know who is who?
And if you can figure that out, would/should you act any differently? (Theoretically I don't want to and yet...)
Either way it seems, if you want to keep that firend, you have to keep that contact. Killing two birds, I've decided to hone in on my typing skills by emailing my friends more often (and by that I mean we're shooting for one contact per week...this is big for me).
I love you all my fireneds. And by that I mean I'm thirsty. ;)
(http://www.qwantz.com/index.pl?comic=817)
Monday, July 24
Pigeon holes
There's been a fair amount of alcohol this past week and the combination of that with this gorgeous hot weather has made for some blissful dehydrated afternoons and evenings.
Most disturbing (exhilarating?) of all, the alcohol seems to be feeding my newest seed of an idea, quitting my job - the variable alcohol content determining which avenue I will pursue next, and which facet of my job, real or imaginary, I am most frustrated with, most recently the fear of being pigeon holed.
Apply to get a teachers certification program for summer/september 2007? (and until then, what?)
Try and land myself a job that lets me stand next to the intoxicating thought of being a photographer?
Apply to different environmental education positions, because it's easy?
Volunteer ski patrol? (OFA level 3 is an expensive first aid ticket...)
Pimp myself out for the possiblity of owning my "house on the ocean, built into a cliff"?
Something completely different?
Banjo rock star?
Tread lightly, ye who chooses to open the topic of career paths, I'm on a rant-age...
Tuesday, July 18
best girlfriend ever?
(cough, cough)
it took 4 hours to prepare, scrape and clean up just that small bit of the ceiling...looking forward to the bedroom.
it took 4 hours to prepare, scrape and clean up just that small bit of the ceiling...looking forward to the bedroom.
Wednesday, July 5
Here's Willy.
The other day I received change back from my pizza purchase which included a $5 bill with writing that said "Track this $5 as it travels around Canada! www.whereswilly.com".
Today I logged on to the website, thinking that it was going to be either the blog of some nerd in Vancouver, or a porn website who had the brilliant idea to try a different marketing technique in order to get more hits. I found instead an extensive website that someone had put a lot of work into, and apparently had many participants. Of course I diligently logged the travels of my $5 bill and found out a bit about it's history, which as of now is very boring - it originated from Vancity where Seth then took it home and wrote on it.
As interesting as my soon to be former $5 bill's future is, it does beg a major question.
Why are we doing this again?
$5 - HNL2521126
Today I logged on to the website, thinking that it was going to be either the blog of some nerd in Vancouver, or a porn website who had the brilliant idea to try a different marketing technique in order to get more hits. I found instead an extensive website that someone had put a lot of work into, and apparently had many participants. Of course I diligently logged the travels of my $5 bill and found out a bit about it's history, which as of now is very boring - it originated from Vancity where Seth then took it home and wrote on it.
As interesting as my soon to be former $5 bill's future is, it does beg a major question.
Why are we doing this again?
$5 - HNL2521126
Tuesday, July 4
Cat Lake
It was gorgeous on Sunday and had the makings for a lazy lake day so after a couple of stops in Squamish to buy a cooler, bbq and drugs for the cripple (steve), Devon, James, Steve and I headed out to go laking at Alice Lake.
Unfortunately, Alice Lake was full and we were forced to venture a bit further up the highway. We parked the car, sprinted across the highway, cooler in tow, and started hiking up the road towards where we thought Cat Lake would be.
A couple minutes in we wondered if a) a lake existed along this road (several people passed us with snowmobiles in tow???) and b) how far away it was. Luckily, at the same time that we found out a) the lake existed but was b) 1.8 km away, a sweet old truck (unsure of the age or type ... boys?) let us hop into the back for the ride.
Once we found a small 'beach' (read: steep, grassy-dirt hill) to lay our stuff, we quickly set about opening our beers and enjoying some of the finer lake activities - lazing, drinking, swimming, log fighting, reading, bbqing and lying in the sun. A great 'first' summer day for this Vancouverite.
I was surprised, though, to find that this small lake (for you Northern types read: pond) participated in a new lake activity - howling. Yes at random times during the afternoon someone across the lake would start a howl, which everyone else would join in on until we sounded like a pack of wolves claiming our territory.
Oh well, you know the saying, when in Cat Lake...
Unfortunately, Alice Lake was full and we were forced to venture a bit further up the highway. We parked the car, sprinted across the highway, cooler in tow, and started hiking up the road towards where we thought Cat Lake would be.
A couple minutes in we wondered if a) a lake existed along this road (several people passed us with snowmobiles in tow???) and b) how far away it was. Luckily, at the same time that we found out a) the lake existed but was b) 1.8 km away, a sweet old truck (unsure of the age or type ... boys?) let us hop into the back for the ride.
Once we found a small 'beach' (read: steep, grassy-dirt hill) to lay our stuff, we quickly set about opening our beers and enjoying some of the finer lake activities - lazing, drinking, swimming, log fighting, reading, bbqing and lying in the sun. A great 'first' summer day for this Vancouverite.
I was surprised, though, to find that this small lake (for you Northern types read: pond) participated in a new lake activity - howling. Yes at random times during the afternoon someone across the lake would start a howl, which everyone else would join in on until we sounded like a pack of wolves claiming our territory.
Oh well, you know the saying, when in Cat Lake...
Saturday, July 1
Happy Birthday Canada!
139 years old and still looking beautiful.
I just love Canada - it's people, it's natural beauty, it's tolerance, it's coastline (largest in the world!), it's humor, and it's pride in beer, hockey and toques.
My favourite places in Canada include:
~ Vancouver Island (the whole thing - though I could easily trade Nanaimo city center)
~ Morraine Lake
~ Haida Gwaii
~ Mnt Orford
~ Shuswapp Lake
~ above the treeline in the Northwest Territories
~ in the treeline of Gerabaldi Park
just to name a few...
And there are so many other places that I still need to visit (Yukon, Newfoundland, PEI, Quebec City, Owen Sound...)
What about you? What do you love?
I just love Canada - it's people, it's natural beauty, it's tolerance, it's coastline (largest in the world!), it's humor, and it's pride in beer, hockey and toques.
My favourite places in Canada include:
~ Vancouver Island (the whole thing - though I could easily trade Nanaimo city center)
~ Morraine Lake
~ Haida Gwaii
~ Mnt Orford
~ Shuswapp Lake
~ above the treeline in the Northwest Territories
~ in the treeline of Gerabaldi Park
just to name a few...
And there are so many other places that I still need to visit (Yukon, Newfoundland, PEI, Quebec City, Owen Sound...)
What about you? What do you love?
Friday, June 23
Monday, June 12
Fartman begins
Watched Batman Begins last night. Pretty fun movie - perhaps the best batman movie yet?
There's something about Batman that makes him a panty-soaker - could it be his extremely well-defined body suit, his flying ability, his deep voice and intimiating (but only if you're a crimianl) mask, or is it simply his super fast car and millions of dollars to dine you as Bruce Wayne? I can't decide.
Also enjoyed the comical mini with Jimmy Fallon, "Tankman Begins".
And after several nights of drinking and bad eating habits, BJ and I realized his own special powers...
There's something about Batman that makes him a panty-soaker - could it be his extremely well-defined body suit, his flying ability, his deep voice and intimiating (but only if you're a crimianl) mask, or is it simply his super fast car and millions of dollars to dine you as Bruce Wayne? I can't decide.
Also enjoyed the comical mini with Jimmy Fallon, "Tankman Begins".
And after several nights of drinking and bad eating habits, BJ and I realized his own special powers...
Saturday, June 10
An Island near Canada
A couple of nights ago I felt extremely tired so I decided to stay home and watch this tv show on global (formerly the only channel I could receive) that had been getting ridiculous hype - Windfall. I do not recommend. Not only was it an overdramatic if not overlysexy soap opera-esc show, but the ridiculously-good-looking characters said mind-numbing statements like "I lived on an island near Canada" - ooooh. THAT island.
Also, the premise of the show was that this group of people won the lottery, and almost all the commercials were for lotteries. Ha. Very subtle....
In other news, went out for beer (sssss - b/c there were many) with BJ, his friend Alex from Prague, Miranda, Eliana, Leah, Matt and a few other good people. Good times were had. Good hang-over today. Too bad I had to work this morning or else I could have been involved in the dancing that I heard ensued after the Irish Heather debautchery.
Oh well, I can always pick up where I left off tonight.
Is anyone interested in checking out "Raven Travelling" with me at the Art Museum?
Also, the premise of the show was that this group of people won the lottery, and almost all the commercials were for lotteries. Ha. Very subtle....
In other news, went out for beer (sssss - b/c there were many) with BJ, his friend Alex from Prague, Miranda, Eliana, Leah, Matt and a few other good people. Good times were had. Good hang-over today. Too bad I had to work this morning or else I could have been involved in the dancing that I heard ensued after the Irish Heather debautchery.
Oh well, I can always pick up where I left off tonight.
Is anyone interested in checking out "Raven Travelling" with me at the Art Museum?
Monday, June 5
Help
http://vancouver.craigslist.org/mis/
partly because it’s amusing to read about other people’s patheticness and desperation, and partly because the “the grass is always greener” and he’s just waiting for his own Miss
He wanted to respond to some of the reels with funny answers, but I reminded him of how horrible it would be to get a response and think it meant something only to discover it was somebodies attempt at a bad joke. We decided instead that maybe we would start our own set of postings and so yesterday afternoon I amused myself by typing one up. The problem is now I’ve got a response but from some other dorky computer guy out in
Sunday, May 28
Free Fun
This month has been pretty blase, paying bills and basically driving myself deeper into debt - all in all, boring.
Boring, that is until last night when I checked my messages to find out that Karen had called from work to say that she had an extra ticket to go to the Bedouin Soundclash/Ben Harper concert.
Karen is great friends with Bedouin Soundclash so the ticket was free (tickets were reguarliyl $60, and the concert was sold out).
And the evening just got better. I rushed home from a drywall dump run with James (another wall has come down! It looks great) to Deer Lake Park, Burnaby just in time to catch the second half of the Bedouin Soundclash set. A beer later (compliments of a friend I bumped into that helped me speed through the long-lineup to aquire beer by selling me her beer tickets, therefore bypassing the other long line-up to buy the beer ticket - what luck!), we were enjoying Ben Harper. A couple of songs in we were escorted by Eon, the base player of BS and super rad guy, into the VIP area where we enjoyed a great non-muddy view of the concert and FREE beer.
How could you top this off you ask? How about a Ben Harper-Be Good Tanya's collaboration encore. A great evening all around.
It's true, the best things in life are free...
Boring, that is until last night when I checked my messages to find out that Karen had called from work to say that she had an extra ticket to go to the Bedouin Soundclash/Ben Harper concert.
Karen is great friends with Bedouin Soundclash so the ticket was free (tickets were reguarliyl $60, and the concert was sold out).
And the evening just got better. I rushed home from a drywall dump run with James (another wall has come down! It looks great) to Deer Lake Park, Burnaby just in time to catch the second half of the Bedouin Soundclash set. A beer later (compliments of a friend I bumped into that helped me speed through the long-lineup to aquire beer by selling me her beer tickets, therefore bypassing the other long line-up to buy the beer ticket - what luck!), we were enjoying Ben Harper. A couple of songs in we were escorted by Eon, the base player of BS and super rad guy, into the VIP area where we enjoyed a great non-muddy view of the concert and FREE beer.
How could you top this off you ask? How about a Ben Harper-Be Good Tanya's collaboration encore. A great evening all around.
It's true, the best things in life are free...
Thursday, May 11
I heart Tylenol 3's
So in an interesting turn of events, I find myself in recovery from an operation that removed my appendix. It hurts quite a bit but I've decided that now, at James' place with internet connection, and with the help of some tylenol 3's, it was finally time to catch up on this blog. This post will, however, be written in shifts...
Basically I had a detoriating bad stomach ache that started on monday night, sent me home from work tuesday at 3pm, then to the med clinic at 6pm (the longest 10 blocks I've ever walked!), to the emergency room at 6:30pm, and under the operating knife at 11pm.
Some 'entertaining' events of the evening (if they can be called that in retrospect):
a) the overdosing screaming neighbour at the ER room who demanded oxygen, morphine, ginger ale and a sandwich (she didn't get the latter two, much to her despair)
b) the great ER staff who took care of me (and the many many students wishing to interview me - thank goodness for morhpine)
c) james swaying and having to poo partly from fear of the unknown and partly because of the 10th time someone asked me if there was a possibility that I was pregnant
d) the funny porter who told james to go find some women while I was under, rolled his eyes at the young nurse who bumpe an IV bag into my head, and told me not to worry about scars when I wore my "itsty-bitsy".
Thanks to all those who sent their best wishes, flowers and green sweaters from across the country :) I feel very loved.
So, I have definately been keeping myself quite busy in the last while.
April 24th-28th ~ Sailed through the Gulf Islands teaching grade 9 students about our coastal marine life. Very inspiring - amazing views too.
April 29th ~ BJ's surprise party (whoo hoo! it was a success! he was shocked thanks leah, eli, mel, and everyone else who came! photos are now posted)
April 30th ~ accepted a position change at the Aquarium. I'm now in charge of the dive programs. It'll be a nice change.
May 1st - spent first night in my new apartment. I love it! ~ small but great. Mi casa es su casa - there is floor space for friends.
May 5th-7th - Interpreters conference in Manning Park. Got some great ideas and met some good people. Also puked behind a wood pile.
May 9th - an impromtu trip to St. Paul's where I said good-bye to my appendix
that's all for now...time to hit up the pills again...
Basically I had a detoriating bad stomach ache that started on monday night, sent me home from work tuesday at 3pm, then to the med clinic at 6pm (the longest 10 blocks I've ever walked!), to the emergency room at 6:30pm, and under the operating knife at 11pm.
Some 'entertaining' events of the evening (if they can be called that in retrospect):
a) the overdosing screaming neighbour at the ER room who demanded oxygen, morphine, ginger ale and a sandwich (she didn't get the latter two, much to her despair)
b) the great ER staff who took care of me (and the many many students wishing to interview me - thank goodness for morhpine)
c) james swaying and having to poo partly from fear of the unknown and partly because of the 10th time someone asked me if there was a possibility that I was pregnant
d) the funny porter who told james to go find some women while I was under, rolled his eyes at the young nurse who bumpe an IV bag into my head, and told me not to worry about scars when I wore my "itsty-bitsy".
Thanks to all those who sent their best wishes, flowers and green sweaters from across the country :) I feel very loved.
So, I have definately been keeping myself quite busy in the last while.
April 24th-28th ~ Sailed through the Gulf Islands teaching grade 9 students about our coastal marine life. Very inspiring - amazing views too.
April 29th ~ BJ's surprise party (whoo hoo! it was a success! he was shocked thanks leah, eli, mel, and everyone else who came! photos are now posted)
April 30th ~ accepted a position change at the Aquarium. I'm now in charge of the dive programs. It'll be a nice change.
May 1st - spent first night in my new apartment. I love it! ~ small but great. Mi casa es su casa - there is floor space for friends.
May 5th-7th - Interpreters conference in Manning Park. Got some great ideas and met some good people. Also puked behind a wood pile.
May 9th - an impromtu trip to St. Paul's where I said good-bye to my appendix
that's all for now...time to hit up the pills again...
Sunday, April 16
Easter Trekking
My groin hurts and I'm extremely tired, but damn it was fun. 2 days, and 17km+ of trekking in 30-40 cm of new powder, all for one wicked run...that lasted 10 minutes :) next time we'll stay longer...
more uploaded pictures later. (I was really tired last night)
Saturday, April 8
Thursday, April 6
300 ft - revisited
I may have finally found a place to live (and love)!
All going well with the credit check, that is.
(Oh please don't let those two unpaid parking tickets, maxed out VISA card, low paying job, and newly lost debit card stop me from a great residence situation!)
I'm not so sure about the actual sq footage, but I'm sure it's not much.
It's a suite in a large house from the 1920's (with almost 30 people living there!), in a great location, with hard wood floors, 3 huge windows, a small kitchen, a small bathroom, a mirror where a fireplace used to be, a stove and oven, and a bar ledge (and a bar fridge). AND it would be all ...by...myself.
I have never lived by myself.
I would like to take the oppurtunity now to recollect my residential past
(and maybe be able to portay the happiness I feel for finally feeling like I may have found a place to stay for a while!).
3 years ago...
April 2003- June (Victoria, BC): back from Thailand and very poor -- that's what I rememeber of my time then.
June - August (Port McNeill, BC): I live in a dumpy apartment that DFO set up for me with my co-worker. I miss the salmonberries.
September - December 2003 (Magog, QC): I'm living with my friends Sebastien and Valerie and Valerie's sister Christine Boudrias. Christine is an olympic speed skater (I just like saying that because I think it makes me feel cooler. You know, cooler by association). My door is a drape, my bed takes up the whole space and one wall is at a 45 degrees angle. I could see a beautiful church tower from my window.
January - May 2004 (Vancouver, BC): I'm living in my parents house. It's not so bad though because they live in Belgium and I live with my brother and sister. They bought it to invest their money (they're renting in Antwerp) and to help out with my siblings rent. My room was in the basement and I could touch the ceilings.
May - August 31st (Duncan, BC): I have a 100 sq foot "room" with one wall consisting of a blue tarp seperating me from the pool room. My roomates (and landlords) are my old friend Jeff and his new wife Brandi, who spent most of their summer in Yukon. There is a beautiful river nearby with a family of beavers and a telephone to keep me company. I'm pretty sure I may have made a social faux-pas while living here, as I have yet to hear from them since I moved out :)
September 1 - September 10 (Victoria, BC): Probably a week and a half total in a house that continuously smelled like hamburgers. I 'm not a clean person but this place was so dirty that I couldn't use anything in the kitchen without scrubbing it for 5 minutes. Needless to say, there were 3 other older single men who lived there quite contently.
September 11th - December 15 2004: I moved into a lovely upper suite with this guy, Jesse, and later on Flora from France. I moved into this place because two good friends of mine, Loryn and Cris, used to live in that exact same suite. I loved the view, my room and the hardwood floors. Plus, it was two blocks away from the Cook St. Fantastico coffee shop. Jesse turned out to be creepy and never gave me my full damage deposit back...
January 2005 - June 1 (Everywhere, BC): I spent a lot of time on the road - two weeks in Vacouver, two weeks in Vernon, 2 weeks in Vancouver, 1 week on the Island, 3 weeks in the North... I stored my stuff at my parents house.
June 1 - October 1 (Vancouver, BC): I moved into my parents house full time. The summer was busy with two weddings, so I barely noticed that my mom was there for most of it. Come the end of wedding season though I was feeling stir crazy. There was a period where we had mice.
October 1 2005- March 1 2006: I moved into a room in a house because a) I needed out of my parent's home and b) it was cheap ($350!). My bedroom was one of 2 bedrooms in a basement suite where the kitchen was drab, the place was dark, and the living room had been converted into a third bedroom. I lived with two guys: Craig, who had an opposite schedule than me, and Gord, who I never had to see because he was on tour or at his girlfriend's home for most of the winter season. By January though, Gord hadn't moved out like he promised and was helping me avoid my place more than ever. My dislike for Gord grew and my need to leave came to head when he offered no help after my slit-wrist-broken-window incident (another story). I house-sat for James a lot.
March 1- current: I have a duffel bag and a laundry basket of possesions tucked into a corner at James' condo. At least I love the roomates.
11 moves in 3 years.
I may have gotten ahead of myself, but here's hoping I can stop moving and start being still.
All going well with the credit check, that is.
(Oh please don't let those two unpaid parking tickets, maxed out VISA card, low paying job, and newly lost debit card stop me from a great residence situation!)
I'm not so sure about the actual sq footage, but I'm sure it's not much.
It's a suite in a large house from the 1920's (with almost 30 people living there!), in a great location, with hard wood floors, 3 huge windows, a small kitchen, a small bathroom, a mirror where a fireplace used to be, a stove and oven, and a bar ledge (and a bar fridge). AND it would be all ...by...myself.
I have never lived by myself.
I would like to take the oppurtunity now to recollect my residential past
(and maybe be able to portay the happiness I feel for finally feeling like I may have found a place to stay for a while!).
3 years ago...
April 2003- June (Victoria, BC): back from Thailand and very poor -- that's what I rememeber of my time then.
June - August (Port McNeill, BC): I live in a dumpy apartment that DFO set up for me with my co-worker. I miss the salmonberries.
September - December 2003 (Magog, QC): I'm living with my friends Sebastien and Valerie and Valerie's sister Christine Boudrias. Christine is an olympic speed skater (I just like saying that because I think it makes me feel cooler. You know, cooler by association). My door is a drape, my bed takes up the whole space and one wall is at a 45 degrees angle. I could see a beautiful church tower from my window.
January - May 2004 (Vancouver, BC): I'm living in my parents house. It's not so bad though because they live in Belgium and I live with my brother and sister. They bought it to invest their money (they're renting in Antwerp) and to help out with my siblings rent. My room was in the basement and I could touch the ceilings.
May - August 31st (Duncan, BC): I have a 100 sq foot "room" with one wall consisting of a blue tarp seperating me from the pool room. My roomates (and landlords) are my old friend Jeff and his new wife Brandi, who spent most of their summer in Yukon. There is a beautiful river nearby with a family of beavers and a telephone to keep me company. I'm pretty sure I may have made a social faux-pas while living here, as I have yet to hear from them since I moved out :)
September 1 - September 10 (Victoria, BC): Probably a week and a half total in a house that continuously smelled like hamburgers. I 'm not a clean person but this place was so dirty that I couldn't use anything in the kitchen without scrubbing it for 5 minutes. Needless to say, there were 3 other older single men who lived there quite contently.
September 11th - December 15 2004: I moved into a lovely upper suite with this guy, Jesse, and later on Flora from France. I moved into this place because two good friends of mine, Loryn and Cris, used to live in that exact same suite. I loved the view, my room and the hardwood floors. Plus, it was two blocks away from the Cook St. Fantastico coffee shop. Jesse turned out to be creepy and never gave me my full damage deposit back...
January 2005 - June 1 (Everywhere, BC): I spent a lot of time on the road - two weeks in Vacouver, two weeks in Vernon, 2 weeks in Vancouver, 1 week on the Island, 3 weeks in the North... I stored my stuff at my parents house.
June 1 - October 1 (Vancouver, BC): I moved into my parents house full time. The summer was busy with two weddings, so I barely noticed that my mom was there for most of it. Come the end of wedding season though I was feeling stir crazy. There was a period where we had mice.
October 1 2005- March 1 2006: I moved into a room in a house because a) I needed out of my parent's home and b) it was cheap ($350!). My bedroom was one of 2 bedrooms in a basement suite where the kitchen was drab, the place was dark, and the living room had been converted into a third bedroom. I lived with two guys: Craig, who had an opposite schedule than me, and Gord, who I never had to see because he was on tour or at his girlfriend's home for most of the winter season. By January though, Gord hadn't moved out like he promised and was helping me avoid my place more than ever. My dislike for Gord grew and my need to leave came to head when he offered no help after my slit-wrist-broken-window incident (another story). I house-sat for James a lot.
March 1- current: I have a duffel bag and a laundry basket of possesions tucked into a corner at James' condo. At least I love the roomates.
11 moves in 3 years.
I may have gotten ahead of myself, but here's hoping I can stop moving and start being still.
Saturday, April 1
Island Roamer
Took my first voyage on the Island Roamer (a 68ft sailboat), Richmond to Sidney. Setting sail again on April 25th. It was nice to be on the water again. I'll be gulf island roaming soon...
Monday, March 27
Rudy's wingspan
Rudy is a red-tailed hawk who got shot in her wing, was brought to a rehab centre and then because of human inprinting, coudn't be released back into the wild.
Friday, March 24
Wednesday, March 15
Cypress night hiking
Another night skiing in powder. Too bad BJ broke his lurk and possibly concussed himself.
Played a game of tag (manhunt) in downtown vancouver last night. Cops got called because someone thought that people were getting mugged :) Interesting times...
Played a game of tag (manhunt) in downtown vancouver last night. Cops got called because someone thought that people were getting mugged :) Interesting times...
Monday, March 13
?!?!?!
I need a new bathing suit for work. Since I was off at 4:30 today, I decided that it was the perfect chance to rush and get to the store where i can find cheap suits for under $50 before they close at 5pm.
First my little Tercel u-turns on Georgia St. (! if you know vancouver you know that that was a dare devil move indeed) in order to drive north over the Lion's gate bridge. Then it roared it's way over the bridge and into North Vancouver.
4:47pm - still time to make it.
I turn right to head towards the water only to get stopped at a railroad crossing just as the train is about to cross. So I wait.
And wait.
4:56pm - still time to make it there and convince the employees to let me speed shop.
Still waiting (is this possibly the longest train in the world?!).
Finally, I see the end of the train.
Unfortunately for me though, 10 cars before it passes, the train slows and stops.
Now it starts going backwards.
(You've got to be kidding me.)
As car after car passes me again all I can do laugh - only when you're in a rush do these things happen.
5:07pm - I think I may have missed my chance. Guess I'll just try again tomorrow.
The irony in this story? After the train passed I ended up in a shipyard and not on Welsh St as I had hoped...
First my little Tercel u-turns on Georgia St. (! if you know vancouver you know that that was a dare devil move indeed) in order to drive north over the Lion's gate bridge. Then it roared it's way over the bridge and into North Vancouver.
4:47pm - still time to make it.
I turn right to head towards the water only to get stopped at a railroad crossing just as the train is about to cross. So I wait.
And wait.
4:56pm - still time to make it there and convince the employees to let me speed shop.
Still waiting (is this possibly the longest train in the world?!).
Finally, I see the end of the train.
Unfortunately for me though, 10 cars before it passes, the train slows and stops.
Now it starts going backwards.
(You've got to be kidding me.)
As car after car passes me again all I can do laugh - only when you're in a rush do these things happen.
5:07pm - I think I may have missed my chance. Guess I'll just try again tomorrow.
The irony in this story? After the train passed I ended up in a shipyard and not on Welsh St as I had hoped...
Sunday, March 12
Blue Bird Day
Baker was beautiful and the skiing was grand. Here is one of the slopes we tackled.
A dino comic about how I was feeling for part of the day
(I had a major headache after being pummeled by a snowboarder. My response to his "sorry"? "Fuck you." - I had no idea I had it in me...)
http://www.qwantz.com/index.pl?comic=326
A dino comic about how I was feeling for part of the day
(I had a major headache after being pummeled by a snowboarder. My response to his "sorry"? "Fuck you." - I had no idea I had it in me...)
http://www.qwantz.com/index.pl?comic=326
Monday, March 6
Jon Stewart
If I'm allowed one affair, Jon Stewart is who I would have it with. (Of course, I don't ever really think there would be the opportunity so it's a safe statement to make)
Hilarious, intellegent, cute, repectful...is there more you can want in a guy?
Him having a television show is a nice bonus.
And the fact that he's a devoted husband with a great marriage so it's even more unlikely, hot!
(this is the reason I sort of wished I watched some of the Oscars)
Hilarious, intellegent, cute, repectful...is there more you can want in a guy?
Him having a television show is a nice bonus.
And the fact that he's a devoted husband with a great marriage so it's even more unlikely, hot!
(this is the reason I sort of wished I watched some of the Oscars)
Friday, February 24
Canada Wins Gold!
It was an exciting game, Canada vs Finland for gold.
I wish I was talking about men's hockey, but it was curling instead that stepped up to the plate in talent.
I have to admit I like watching Olympic curling - the pressure is high on a sport that has weird variables, like surface texture, rink temperature and wrist rotation accuracy. I've tried curling and therefore have a deep respect for a game that pretty much secures gold with Canada taking 6 points in the 6th end! The 3rd man, Nichols, had a 97% accuracy and some of those were amazing throws (like hitting 3 rocks out on incredible angles!). And, to make this game even more interesting, the Lead guy was kind of cute.
I do wish I could have seen the women's hockey gold winning game.
(Glad i missed the men's)
I wish I was talking about men's hockey, but it was curling instead that stepped up to the plate in talent.
I have to admit I like watching Olympic curling - the pressure is high on a sport that has weird variables, like surface texture, rink temperature and wrist rotation accuracy. I've tried curling and therefore have a deep respect for a game that pretty much secures gold with Canada taking 6 points in the 6th end! The 3rd man, Nichols, had a 97% accuracy and some of those were amazing throws (like hitting 3 rocks out on incredible angles!). And, to make this game even more interesting, the Lead guy was kind of cute.
I do wish I could have seen the women's hockey gold winning game.
(Glad i missed the men's)
Tuesday, February 21
300 sq. ft
300 sq. ft is very small.
Imagine the average size of a bedroom and that would be the area of the suite that I walked in to. The small window looked across at the corner of Abbott and Cardero, Gastown (this was it's good feature). There were no cupboards. There was no countertop to prepare food. The silver unit that had two burners and a sink on top, also had a fridge, rather than an oven, in it's belly. The small bathroom DID have a half tub, shower and toilet, but there was no sink to brush your teeth or wash your face - the silver unit, it appeared, was multifunctional.
All that and no parking or storage space for the fine price of of $525.
I don't know. Call me middle class, but I think I'll pass on this one.
Too bad...I liked the idea of living in Gastown (and throwing the world's smallest parties).
Imagine the average size of a bedroom and that would be the area of the suite that I walked in to. The small window looked across at the corner of Abbott and Cardero, Gastown (this was it's good feature). There were no cupboards. There was no countertop to prepare food. The silver unit that had two burners and a sink on top, also had a fridge, rather than an oven, in it's belly. The small bathroom DID have a half tub, shower and toilet, but there was no sink to brush your teeth or wash your face - the silver unit, it appeared, was multifunctional.
All that and no parking or storage space for the fine price of of $525.
I don't know. Call me middle class, but I think I'll pass on this one.
Too bad...I liked the idea of living in Gastown (and throwing the world's smallest parties).
Wednesday, February 15
Traveling with my phone charger
One sign that could indicate you don't really have a home yet, is that you travel with a phone charger.
Yesterday I realized a disadvantage to this when I pulled out said phone charger and tried to charge it (in my car of course) since I had talked it down to dead.
Nothing. I looked it over, figured I had broken it (I don't think I had looked that closely at the charger before) and thought "Great, I'm now that much harder to get a hold of". Luckily this morning I discovered I had not in fact broken the charger...however now I wonder what the problem was. Since I was in the middle of calling someone about a place (a home for my phone charger) I decided to walk the blocks in search of pay phone. This is not an easy feat these days but after covering many blocks of pavement I finally found one. Ironically this one died on me halfway through my conversation and I had to move to the next stall over in order to finish hearing about a place to live that is 300 sq ft! - I can't even imagine how small that is. The size of my room with a kitchen attached to it? Probably. Anyway, the way this suite hunt is going, I might as well check it out - it could be the golden egg that my phone charger is looking for.
In other news, I am now an official diver at the aquarium, got some sweet, red, Rock and Roll underwear for valentines, danced a tiny solo in El Jaleo, an in-house casual performance, and I'm going on a trip in late April for 5 days to sail the Gulf Islands as a naturalist on a grade 8-9 Albertan school field trip.
And for those of you wondering about Canada's medal count, so far we have 2 Golds, 6 Silver and 5 Bronze medals. In half an hour the women's hockey play for gold! Go Canada go!
Gold - Women's Freestyle Skiing, Men's Skeleton
Silver - Two-Man Bobsled, Women's Cross Country team sprint, Men's Skeleton, Men's Speedskating Team Pursuit, Women's Speedskating Team Pursuit, Women's Speedskating 1000m
Bronze - Men's Figure Skating, Women's Snowboarding Cross, Women's Skeleton, Women's Speedskating 3000m, Women's Speedskating short track 500m.
Yesterday I realized a disadvantage to this when I pulled out said phone charger and tried to charge it (in my car of course) since I had talked it down to dead.
Nothing. I looked it over, figured I had broken it (I don't think I had looked that closely at the charger before) and thought "Great, I'm now that much harder to get a hold of". Luckily this morning I discovered I had not in fact broken the charger...however now I wonder what the problem was. Since I was in the middle of calling someone about a place (a home for my phone charger) I decided to walk the blocks in search of pay phone. This is not an easy feat these days but after covering many blocks of pavement I finally found one. Ironically this one died on me halfway through my conversation and I had to move to the next stall over in order to finish hearing about a place to live that is 300 sq ft! - I can't even imagine how small that is. The size of my room with a kitchen attached to it? Probably. Anyway, the way this suite hunt is going, I might as well check it out - it could be the golden egg that my phone charger is looking for.
In other news, I am now an official diver at the aquarium, got some sweet, red, Rock and Roll underwear for valentines, danced a tiny solo in El Jaleo, an in-house casual performance, and I'm going on a trip in late April for 5 days to sail the Gulf Islands as a naturalist on a grade 8-9 Albertan school field trip.
And for those of you wondering about Canada's medal count, so far we have 2 Golds, 6 Silver and 5 Bronze medals. In half an hour the women's hockey play for gold! Go Canada go!
Gold - Women's Freestyle Skiing, Men's Skeleton
Silver - Two-Man Bobsled, Women's Cross Country team sprint, Men's Skeleton, Men's Speedskating Team Pursuit, Women's Speedskating Team Pursuit, Women's Speedskating 1000m
Bronze - Men's Figure Skating, Women's Snowboarding Cross, Women's Skeleton, Women's Speedskating 3000m, Women's Speedskating short track 500m.
Thursday, February 9
When does it end?
Emerson switches to the Conservative party, Canucks lose to St. Louis Blues, and I just saw a commercial for a razor that has 5 blades.
5 blades? That's out of control...
5 blades? That's out of control...
Tuesday, January 24
Friday, January 20
Big Jim?
I havn'et processed or scaned any negatives recently, but I found some I took on James' camera... :) heh
Sunday, January 15
BIG powder...
(...why did I think that I could tele ski in that??)
well got back from our "back country" (read: front country cleverly disguised by the several feet of powder and no visibility) trip and we had a great time. Spent many hours "training", hiking and getting ready for our one big back country powder run so I was quite disappointed in myself that I pretty much slide down the slope and experienced several deep faceplants along the way - to my credit I had been convinced to borrow some extra long rental "real tele" skiis that were incredibly awkward to ski on (stupid nerdy non-tele skier rental guy). (sigh) oh well, live and learn eh?
Regardless of my backcountry failure run, and my subsequent frustration, I had such a great time and can't wait to give it a try again some time soon. I could be addicted...(now if only I could stay upright in powder).
well got back from our "back country" (read: front country cleverly disguised by the several feet of powder and no visibility) trip and we had a great time. Spent many hours "training", hiking and getting ready for our one big back country powder run so I was quite disappointed in myself that I pretty much slide down the slope and experienced several deep faceplants along the way - to my credit I had been convinced to borrow some extra long rental "real tele" skiis that were incredibly awkward to ski on (stupid nerdy non-tele skier rental guy). (sigh) oh well, live and learn eh?
Regardless of my backcountry failure run, and my subsequent frustration, I had such a great time and can't wait to give it a try again some time soon. I could be addicted...(now if only I could stay upright in powder).
Friday, January 13
back country tomorrow!
I'm so excited.
The views, no crowds, the fresh air, the exercise, the potential for powder tele skiing (!)...
The views, no crowds, the fresh air, the exercise, the potential for powder tele skiing (!)...
Junky
Almost done this book. An incredibally realistic perspective on being a junky, and a great read- as someone who was taught in Psych 101 that the body is instantly addicted to heroin from the first hit, I was shocked to find out that Burroughs estimates that it takes at least a year before you ever expererience junk sickness.
Some words I've learned from Junky:
Sepulchral
Effeminate
Reticence
Garrulous
Some words I've learned from Junky:
Sepulchral
- Of or relating to a burial vault or a receptacle for sacred relics.
- Suggestive of the grave; funereal.
Effeminate
- Having qualities or characteristics more often associated with women than men. See synonyms at female.
- Characterized by weakness and excessive refinement. (grrrr....)
Reticence
- The state or quality of being reticent; reserve.
- The state or quality of being reluctant; unwillingness.
Garrulous
- Given to excessive and often trivial or rambling talk; tiresomely talkative.
- Wordy and rambling: a garrulous speech.
Monday, January 9
I heart big dumps...
Just got back from Whistler- Blackcomb. Had good times, found some good powder runs, used my fantastic new telemark boots, and have sore legs. It feels good to be active in the outdoors again...
Thanks mel for having us! I've added another bunch of good stories to my collection -
including encounters with two hot tub visitors; 19 yearold drunk J-rock who feared Big Bunny (Jim) and Big "Median/Meridian" and brought me free beer, and chatty 13 year old "senior" boy scout Mark who had yet to learn sarcasm.
It was fun also to win the "word guessing" game with Miranda, Sparky, Devon and Heather. I like winning. Guess that means I'll never be a monk.
____________________
Holy how selfish do I feel. As the weather gets worse the chances grow slimmer of findding the lost person on Cyprus Mountain. Reports are saying that even the search team is coming back with hypothermia...
Thanks mel for having us! I've added another bunch of good stories to my collection -
including encounters with two hot tub visitors; 19 yearold drunk J-rock who feared Big Bunny (Jim) and Big "Median/Meridian" and brought me free beer, and chatty 13 year old "senior" boy scout Mark who had yet to learn sarcasm.
It was fun also to win the "word guessing" game with Miranda, Sparky, Devon and Heather. I like winning. Guess that means I'll never be a monk.
____________________
Holy how selfish do I feel. As the weather gets worse the chances grow slimmer of findding the lost person on Cyprus Mountain. Reports are saying that even the search team is coming back with hypothermia...
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