Pumpkins!

I had an absolute blast this weekend. Yesterday, I had people over for a night of pumpkin carving.... at my parents' house. *L* So why there? My dad really, really, really gets into Hallowe'en. His yard is decorated to the nth degree. The last few years my sister has carved several pumpkins herself to add to his collection and she didn't want to do it alone. I thought it would be great to make an evening of it. I asked my parents if they would mind if I invited some people over for dinner (hamburgers on the BBQ, made by Dad) and pumpkin carving. They said it was fine. I sent out a few emails, invited some cousins and some friends, told them to bring their own pumpkin if they wanted to carve one and my dad would gladly adopt it if it needed a home. I honestly did not think everyone would say yes. Most people seem to roll their eyes when I mention pumpkin carving, but this year people got into it. Although apparently the chance to have one of "Uncle Ron's" burgers was a huge draw. 15 people! I had tons of fun. Before people came, we covered the floor with tarps just in case, put up two long tables and every chair in the house. We had burgers first (soooo yummy) and then cleared off the tables for the pumpkins! Some people used stencils, some people went classic and Rod went highly creative. He made one pumpkin look like two hands clinging to the bars of a jail cell and he peeled a second pumpkin to make this glowing orb/disco ball thingie. Very odd. I carved three (my dad bought 7 pumpkins and I bought 2, so there were lots as most people also brought one or two), two classics and one using a stencil of a skull. I think 17 pumpkins got carved and my dad was left with almost all of them! I can't wait to see how he's added them to his display. And yes, there are pictures. You know where.

Today was just a quiet day of running errands, going to the gym, sewing. The usual. I'm looking forward to this week - Hallowe'en and my birthday!! Really, it's my favourite week of the year. I get to have ice cream cake!

Oh yes - earlier this week, Fuzzy's friends came visiting him again. My poor little indoor kitty gets taunted by these two outdoor kitties who just want him to come play. Well, one does anyway. I think the white fluffy one is spoiling for a fight. Anyway, I got a great pic of one of the visits!

Bowen

I had an absolutely fabulous day. I met up with my family, took a ferry from Horseshoe Bay to Bowen Island and spent the day outdoors. Amazing weather! It was the perfect fall day - the sun was shining, there was very little wind, and it got warm enough that I didn't even need a coat for most of the day (I was wearing a light sweater). We spent about three hours walking along the trails on the island, from the ferry dock up Alder Grove Trail to Killarney Lake Loop and coming back through the Meadow Trail. We had our brown bag lunches at the end of Killarney Lake, about our halfway point. I'm guessing about 8km, but I'm not too sure. We ended our hike with the ritual ice cream before we boarded the ferry back to the mainland. I took some really great pictures I think, as usual posted on my website . There is this really cool pic of a dragonfly, who was too wet to fly away while I took his photo.

I went back with my parents to their house and helped my dad with his Hallowe'en decorations for a while before supper. To say my dad gets into the Hallowe'en thing would be an incredible understatement. I haven't seen it in person for years obviously, so it was cool to help him. Can't wait until it's done and I can check it out. I wish I wasn't working that night, it would be a lot of fun to hand out candy.

Saturday was a pretty slow day for me, but nice anyway. I spent the day cleaning and chatting on the phone. Got to talk to both Erin and Lori and it was very very nice to catch up. I want to congratulate Erin again for finishing her half marathon earlier this month, with the fantastic time of 2:09:07. Just in case I haven't made it clear, I'm very impressed. 21 km. Eep. I also want to share the exciting news that Baby M has added both crayon and table to his vocab! It sucks not getting to see him grow, but I have to admit that this Vancouver thing is working out for me quite well.

Trying to think if anything else happened this week that I can share - sewing? Did some. Work? Yep, I went. Have stories, can't tell them as usual. Gym? Still there.... Going to try to crank up my work outs this week and I plan to get a personal trainer. My motivation has been lacking and I think I'm going to need someone kicking my ass through the Christmas season.

Delayed post

Oops, forgot to post last night. I was very very sleepy if that will serve as an excuse.

I had a great week at work as it was only 3 days long. My favourite kind of work week! I have now officially finished all my training. Very cool.

I also had a really nice weekend. Spent a relaxing Friday pretty much doing nothing. Had a massage, sewed a lot. Saturday, I had lunch with my sister, my cousins and Shivauna at a really nice sushi restaurant. We ordered a bunch of different rolls - a yam roll (very very tasty), a caterpillar roll (based on appearance, not contents - it has layers of avocado across the top), a spider roll (again on appearance - it has crab legs sticking out of each end, very creepy but tasty), california roll, and something else that I can no longer remember. Later that day, Shivauna and I went up to a party in Squamish at her friend's house. I had a great time, met some new people, went hot tubbing. We stayed the night (we had brought sleeping bags), and drove home in the morning. Even with the low clouds and rain, the view up there is just amazing. Lots of construction taking place on that road, but it has improved since the last time I remember going up there. Sunday, I had lunch with Rod and Fancy at a restaurant near their place.

Almost finished the first of my Christmas projects. This one is for me, so I don't know if it even counts. I have bought so much fabric lately. I need to ban myself from fabric stores again.

Andrea gave me some books to lend to Rod - Belgarath and Polgara. I decided to read them first *L*. I read the Belgariad and the Mallorean (I think I got those right), but never had any urge to read any more. But I have a very low TBR pile right now, and these just fell into my hands.

Ack, forgot to put my laundry in the dryer.

food is tasty

Should have typed this earlier, I'm too tired now. I love long weekends. I don't have to go to work tomorrow!

And... it's Turkey Weekend. On Saturday, I had people over to my house for dinner. My sister came over early and we cooked the meal together. 5.85 kg turkey, bread stuffing with onions, celery and carrots, yams in a brown sugar and orange juice glaze, mashed potatoes, green beans, corn, buns and salad. For dessert, we made apple tarts in phyllo pastry. Shivauna also made a great peach and blueberry cobbler. A nice basic dinner for eight :)

Sunday night, I had a big family dinner at my grandmother's with even more dishes. There was a pureed yam and apple side dish and a pineapple fluff dessert that I really need to get the recipes for. Yummy.

I could type about sewing and going to the gym, but now all I can think about is food.

Kudos go out to Erin today. I haven't talked to her yet so I don't know how it went, but today was the Victoria half-marathon. I'm sure she did great, but in any event, congrats for being ambitious enough to even contemplate it!

Wow, October First already.....

I had a pretty nice weekend. Friday, I had a little adventure. I drove to Langley. Ok, so it's just the next community over but a big deal for me as I hate to drive places I haven't been. I needed to hit fabricland and it was the closest one (I think....) I had to turn LEFT across Hwy 10. *whines* People are scary. Construction zones are horrifying. I like being a passenger better, but I love being able to go when I want to go. I spent the rest of the day sewing and figured out how to heat my apartment this winter. Using the iron and the halogen lamp in my sewing room makes that room darn hot. Hothothot. I worked on pillows for my couch/day bed thingie. I only had enough scraps from the curtains (which I finished earlier this week) to make one 18" pillow. I also made 2 22" pillows and another 18" one, using the same fabric as the old 16" cushions I have. I need so many pillows to make the day bed narrower so I can actually lean against the cushions and have my feet on the floor.

Saturday, I met up with friends and went to the Telus World of Science. We saw an Imax movie on Greece and went to the Body Worlds 3 exhibit. If you haven't heard of it, it's an "stunning exhibit featuring almost 200 authentic human specimens preserved using the extraordinary method of Plastination". Donated human bodies. I know it sounds really morbid, but I found it hard to remember that they were real and not just incredibly detailed models. Although I found it really interesting, I only spent an hour looking at the exhibit. It was really crowded and I didn't find that part enjoyable. I think I would have spent more time if I had gone on a Wednesday instead of a Saturday. I also thought it was over priced. If it had just been the regular Science World price, I would have been fine, but it was an extra 10 bucks for the special exhibit.

Saturday night, Rod and I went to a pre-season hockey game at GM Place, Canucks versus the Oilers. It was so strange to be cheering for the away team! Nice game, with the Oilers taking it in overtime. Today was a quiet day. I had tea at my grandma's, went to the gym, and finished the last of my couch pillows. Onto the next project! Well, tomorrow anyway....

I feel like complaining

If you are one of the very few people who read this and have been to my house, you know my toilets are very very hard to flush. You have to push hard on the handle to an effort to defeat the vacuum seal in the tank. Earlier this week I broke the handle off! I can still flush, but I have to lift the lid to do so.

Bah.

Saw Gridiron Gang last night with my sister. I give it 3 out of 5, but I admit to liking sports movies in general. Even when they star The Rock. But the movie led to other things that bug me:

People who think their views on the movie DURING the movie will add to my entertainment experience.

Morons who can't disconnect for two whole hours and text message throughout the movie. Although I actually think this particular guy was perhaps recording the movie onto his cell phone because he kept holding it above his head. The blue light from the screen is so distracting!

And my popcorn was really salty!!

Things that bug me as a driver:

Peope who don't use stop lines and like to drift out into traffic!!! Rolling stops are one thing, but dude, you nearly plowed into me and I'm the one on the main street. Used my horn for the first time.

Pedestrians who jay walk. I think I should be allowed to hit them. Especially the old lady with the WALKER who decided to jaywalk!!!

People who actually do 50 in an 80 zone. Seriously. On the highway. And no, there wasn't any traffic in front of him, just behind him....

I'm sure this list will grow....


Best rumour of the week, with a strong likelyhood of being TRUE since it is in offical court documents - Belinda Stronach, Liberal MP, and Tie Domi, Toronto Leafs enforcer, having an affair! Man, I laughed out loud....

blahblahblah

Excellent news - I finally finished my living room curtains! I think I like them, but I'm not 100% sure yet. I still have to make the matching roman shade for the patio door and possibly some cushions for the couch (aka the spare bed...). Then I'm moving onto my Christmas projects! Yes, that's right. I have a long list of things I want to make and a large number of them involve my favourite thing of all - hand sewing.

I had a really nice weekend. I had Friday off and spent it running errands and I went shopping with my mum. Friday night, my high school girl friends and I had a sleepover. Very old school, much laughing involved. Saturday, my sister, Rod, Fancy and I tried an Italian restaurant near my house. I thought it was quite good, but when they warn you of large portions, they really mean it. I think I could share a pasta dish with 3 people. We played a few board games after dinner and my sister stayed over. This morning, we went for a workout and a swim and then I spent the rest of the day sewing.

So I must say after a week of being a car owner, I'm loving it. The fall weather is settling in and it was very sweet being able to get groceries without having to walk in the rain. No twenty five minute waits at creepy bus stations! No two hour ride to see my parents. Of course, I haven't filled up the tank yet, so we will see how much I love it after that.

Random points

I desperately need a break from sewing my curtains. I'm currently trying to turn a 15 foot long tube of fabric right side out to make curtain tabs and it's very boring. These curtains are taking forever. So much fabric! One panel is mostly done, except for the tabs and the bottom hem, but the second panel still needs side and top hems. I can't believe how much thread I'm going through.

I had a nasty moment this evening. I was walking into the kitchen when I saw a dark spot in the corner. At first I thought I had dropped something, but then it moved. Another damn spider - this one about an inch and a half wide. And bulky, not delicate like a daddy long legs. I used my boot to kill it. Why doesn't my cat torture and murder them like most pets I've had before?

Vancouver weather hit on Saturday for the first time since I moved here. I actually took my umbrella when I ran my errands. It felt like fall - a light rain, crunchy brown leaves beneath my feet as I walked. Of course, today was summer again, gorgeous and warm.

I had a nice weekend, even with the little bit of rain. I spent Saturday cooking for my first dinner party in my new place. I had my grandmothers, a family friend, my parents and my sister over for salad, homemade dinner rolls, roast chicken with rosemary, thyme and lemon, roast potatoes and carrots, green beans, and pavlova with strawberries and blueberries. First time I made a roast chicken, but since I've made turkeys, I figured it had to be pretty much the same. I think everything turned out well and I was especially proud of the pavlova since I rarely bake. Today I made chicken stock from the leftovers so I can make soup sometime.

I went to the gym this morning and had a good workout - in addition to my usual, I went swimming and swam slightly more than the distance needed for the sprint triathlon in March. I need to half my time though, so I will have to really concentrate on swimming. I'm thinking about taking adult swim lessons so I can actually learn to do it properly. Maybe in October or November as I'm already taking a weight training class starting later this month. I did learn something valuable today - if I go for a run first, I need to stretch before going in the pool, otherwise the cold water results in hideous leg cramps. Much ouchie.

Ah yes - my big news. You may have noticed my whining about the transit system. I gave in to convenience (seriously, 2 hour bus rides?) and safety worries (25 minute waits in the dark, in crappy neighbourhoods) and got a car! It's a 1998 Ford Escort, in green. It's in really great condition, with only 97000 kms on it. I really like it and it's very comfortable to drive. Funny that I got an Escort though - my first car was a 1993 Escort in blue. I thought I'd maybe like something like an Echo or a Focus, but out of all the cars I test drove (I only drove cars in my price range, no point in dreaming), the Escort was my favourite. Now I just have to be careful not to turn into one of those people who drive to the corner store.

Long Weekend

Phew. This long weekend actually felt long. This was probably my first real long weekend in years since I was working part time before and frequently had several days off in a row. When I was working nights, I worked every second weekend no matter what. So technically this weekend was a three day break. How come I don't feel rested?

I woke up on Saturday almost an hour earlier than my usual workday as I had an early morning appointment (after staying up to 330am reading Time Traveler's Wife - great book!). When I got home, I spent a few hours cleaning before hopping on a bus for the two hour ride to my grandmother's - a bus, the skytrain, the seabus and another bus. Oh the joy. It was worth it though, as I had a lovely cup of tea (what can I say, we're British!), a piece of chocolate cake and a long chat with her. My parents and sister picked me up from there and we went to the Pacific National Exhibition (PNE). It's a lot like K-days - rides, a midway, exhibition halls and performers. We wandered around for hours, had supper listening to some mandolin players, watched the Superdogs (way more amusing than I thought possible), resisted spending a fortune on useless junk, and ended the night with an ice cream cone.

My sister came home with me and spent the weekend at my house. We went for a workout and a swim Sunday morning, checked out the mall, had Rod and Fancy over for some board games, and watched Hidalgo. Monday morning, we took the bus back to my parents (AGAIN) and met up with them and grandmother for a walk through Lynn Valley Headwaters - a really incredible area. We went for about four hours, and had lunch in a sunny spot in the middle of the forest. Lots of people on the trails as the weather was gorgeous.

I've been trying to make curtains for my living room but haven't got very far. So much fabric to fold and iron and hem. I want to finish them by Saturday though as I'm hoping to have my first dinner party. I'll have to make a serious effort!

Fuzzy is famous!

I submitted a pic of fuzz to a comedy/pet website and it got posted.

Hopefully this link will work - Stuff on my Cat .

End of My Second Week Here

Well, I guess it's official. Today was the end of my first week at my new job. Good news - I think I like it. (This is where I typed a bunch of job stuff, remembered my confidentiality agreement and deleted it. I'm sure it was fine as there was no patient information or mention of company policy, but hey, you never know.)

So the only thing that sucks about my job is the getting there! The bus system out here is not good at all - it takes at least 2 buses to get anywhere. On my very first day my bus got stuck in a traffic jam due to an accident and I ended up missing my connection. So I decided to take a cab to make sure I wasn't late. Not on my first day! Coming home is very annoying as I have a 20 minute wait for my second bus. Not that it would make a difference, but I should write translink and ask them to run that bus every 15 minutes instead of every half hour. Every time I take it, it's packed full, barely any standing room left.

I haven't done much else this week, just a few things around my new place. Tomorrow I plan to join the gym and get a library card. Buy some curtain rods to make living room curtains. Still need to get my bike tire fixed. I'm also planning to visit my grandmothers as I haven't seen them yet. Sounds like a thrilling weekend!

The Long Blog

Well, I'm more or less settled in and thought it was time for an update! So much has happened in the 9 days since my last post....

Last Saturday, I spent the day running around Edmonton, getting a bunch of last minute things done. One of which was getting a haircut - I loved my stylist and I hate the thought of trying to find a new one who knows what do with my thick wavy hair that does not like humidity. That night, I went to BPs on Whyte for one last gathering. Most of my friends managed to make it and I spent the night chatting away. It was really great seeing everyone before I left, although I was so tired from packing that I went home not long after midnight.

Sunday was full of last minute packing and taking apart furniture to have it all ready to go in the morning. Dad and I went out for supper on Whyte as I had a craving for Julio's nachos. Yummmm. We also went for a walk through my old neighbourhood before heading home.

Monday morning, I woke up at 430am, ready and raring to go. We couldn't pick up the truck until 8am so there wasn't a lot I could do at that point!! The loading up went really well, as Rob, Lori and Baby M came over to help. Baby M was so cute. He walked up and down the hallways with us as we took down carts of boxes for my Dad and Rob to load. I honestly didn't know how it was all going to fit into a 16 foot truck but somehow my dad figured it out. I can't imagine what he would have done if I had kept the ancient couch!

We were ready to go about 1230, and after a few almost tearful hugs and the stuffing of one cat into a cage, we were on the road. We had lots of healthy and unhealthy snacks for the road - sandwiches, fruit, cold pop, water, licorice. What it is about road trips that give me the munchies?? Fuzz cried for a little over an hour, mostly while we drove out of the city. He didn't take long to settle down after we got on the highway, but he was clearly sulking. He sat right at the back of his box with this attitude of "If you're going to ignore me, I'm going to ignore you too". Our first stop was in Hinton, after about 3.5 hours on the road. Just a quick washroom break and a diesel fill up. The weather started getting crazy after that and we went through some very very very heavy rain. After another 3 hours or so, we stopped in Blue River just to get out of the truck and use the washroom again (must.stop.drinking.liquid). As we were driving out of there, a lightning storm started up. It was amazing, although quite freaky. We actually saw a lightning bolt strike the side of the mountain and start a fire. We would have called it in, but no cell service of course. From there, the weather got even crazier. Even heavier rain and large hail. It was so bad at one point that we couldn't even see the front of the truck and my dad had to pull over. It looked like the road was flooding out in spots. Once we got going again, we drove through a section that had had so much hail, it looked like it snowed. We pulled into Kamloops around 10pm Alberta time, so roughly 9 hours of driving. Fuzz started crying when we got back into the city, I think because of the stop and go motions of the truck. We got diesel so we wouldn't need it in the morning and it took two tries to find a vacant hotel. We stayed over night at the Best Western and Fuzz was very excited to get out of his cage. He explored the room for a bit and settled in pretty well. The next morning I was up by 5am BC time. We had decided to have breakfast at the hotel's restaurant before leaving and it didn't even open until 6, so once again I was awake too early! After breakfast, we went back to our room and I was surprised by how easily Fuzz went back into his cage. He clearly didn't like it, but he hardly fought at all. Once back in the truck, he didn't cry for the first half hour and then he got really cranky. He kept crying and sticking his paw out the bars at the front, which he hadn't done at all the day before. At one point when I leaned down to check on him, I realized the floor was really hot. We were going through a really mountainous area and the engine was obviously working too hard. For the next 4 hours, I kept his cage on my lap. We drove straight through to the Lower Mainland and my new apartment!

The first thing I did when I got here was find a good place to put Fuzz's litter box and let him out inside the laundry room. After that, I actually got a look around. It's a really nice place - 1083 square feet, 2 bathrooms, 2 bedrooms, a breakfast nook, a galley kitchen and a long living room/dining room with a gas fireplace. Only problem - smells like cat pee. The previous renters clearly had pets with problems. The first time my dad viewed the apartment, the carpets were being cleaned so it smelled like rug cleaner. The second time they were painting. Not much I can do really, although I've spent the last few days using stain remover, odour remover and carpet deodorizer. I think I've weakened it, or perhaps I'm just adapting. If I invite people over for supper, I'll just make really strong smelling food to drown it out :)

The unloading went great as one of my uncles helped us. 6 days later, everything but my china is unpacked and that will be finished tonight. My dad's helped me with a bunch of things like putting my furniture back together, hanging pictures and extra shelves, and a few little fix-its. My landlord is away for a few weeks so I haven't met him yet.

I've also explored my neighbourhood and it looks really great - lots of shopping and restaurants within walking distance. I've found the bank, the library and the gym (although I haven't joined yet, it's on the list of things to do this week). I took the bus to my new job to make sure I know how to get there. Long ride, but not really that bad. I like to read anyway.

I've already seen my friends a couple of times - Rod and Fancy stopped by Wednesday night to check out the new place. There was a party at Shivauna's house Friday night so I got to see the girls and meet some of her friends. My sister came too. Saturday I had dinner at my parents' house and my sister and I went to see Snakes on the Plane. Honestly, it was the most entertaining movie I have seen in a long time. Five stars. Worth every penny. I'm mildly scared of snakes, although I wouldn't freak out if I saw one here since we basically only have garter snakes. So I jumped about a million times during the movie, screaming and laughing at the same time. I highly highly recommend seeing it - no, it's not a classic in sense of Gone With The Wind, but I think it will definitely be a cult classic along the lines of Rocky Horror Picture Show.

My new job starts in the morning! Nervous. I think it will be what makes this move feel real though. It doesn't yet. Sure, I'm in my own place, but it feels a bit like a vacation still. I have this feeling of "i'll be going home soon". I'm sure I won't by 5pm tomorrow though!

Live From Edmonton

Well amigos, I have a feeling I'll be packing up my beloved computer tomorrow so I thought I should make one last blog post from Edmonton.

I had a really nice day today, my last day at work. When I came in this morning, there were some signs posted around saying Good Luck/Farewell etc. I also had a vase full of carnations and baby's breath on my bench! I spent the day training my replacement and then we had an afternoon coffee break with cake and lots of treats. My co-workers gave me some cards, a company water bottle, a company bag, a HBC gift card and a really nice wall plaque. It was lovely. I got a bit teary as everyone was saying goodbye. I worked there for 6.5 years as I started right after I graduated from university.

Can't help reminiscing about all my time here in Edmonton. It will be just two weeks shy of 11 years. I moved here at the end of August 1995 and moved into Lister Hall. I remember the first person I met (Donald, wearing a white and purple bathrobe) and my first Edmonton bar (BPs). I remember Lori insisting we had to go to MH to met those cute guys. My obsession with checking my messages. The time I shaved my eyebrows. And my head. Manson's fish killing spree. The Goddard-Baydak Discipline Centre. My first real apartment with the weird stain on the kitchen floor, but so conveniently located across the street from BPs. My first big move when I moved downtown, where for the first time everything I owned didn't fit into the back seat of a car. I love my current apartment, can't believe I've lived here for almost 6 years. Kind of odd that it finally looks like I've always wanted it too, and I've sold it. But it's time to go home. I only meant to stay for university, but when I graduated, I wasn't ready to leave the life I had built here. All my friends. I really loved my years here in Edmonton, but I just feel a need to be closer to my family. When they were here in April, I almost left with them then. I tried to get to them to move out here, but my mother has serious issues with Alberta weather.

It will be nice to be home, but it will be weird too. 11 years gone. Glad I have my own place and I don't have to live with my parents!! I just can't believe there is only 2 full days left....

one new thing done

I have an announcement.

I, who willingly admits to being the greatest yellow bellied chicken in existence, finally overcome my fear and rode Marc's motorcycle tonight.

Yeah, I'll probably never do that again.

All we did was ride around the parking lot and my little side street, but any time he got over 30, I had to yell at him to slow down. My hands still hurt from clutching at the little handhold bars.

Can't believe I rode a motorbike.

As for the rest - packing still continues! ARGHHHHHHHHH! Only two more days left work. 4 days to go...

An Unexciting Update

Really not much to say, unless you want me to go into detail regarding my packing. It's painful! I don't consider myself to be a packrat at all, so how do I have so much stuff? And I gave 2 boxes away to a garage sale this past week, and quite a bit to charity when we did the renos. It's going okay, but there is still a lot to do. But now I'm at the point where I wonder if I can pack the object in question. Will I need this lamp in the next week? How many plates/glasses/items of clothing should I leave out?

And then there was the exciting moment when I couldn't find my thick black marker and I realized I had packed it in the box I just sealed....

In other thrilling news, I finished my antibiotics. Yeehaw.

Went for a long walk with Erin and Kim today. From Whyte and 109 Street down to Hawerlak (hmm, that looks wrong, apparently I've never looked at the sign) Park for a wander through the Heritage Days tents, across the river and up Victoria Park hill and down to 110 St. They split off to go have supper (and then walk back), but I had an appointment in Oliver Square. Almost 3 hours. And I went to the gym this morning. Good girl.

Ok, enough boring news. Make me pack more.

Happy News!

I got an apartment!!!!! I haven't seen it obviously, but my dad viewed it and said it was really nice. I found it through an online ad in the Vancouver Sun. What I know about it - 2 bedroom, 2 bath, ground floor condo apartment with a patio, insuite laundry and dishwasher. Takes cats! It even has two parking spots which will be nice for visitors. It's available for the 15th so there will be no awkwardness with the move. Just leave here on the 14th and take my stuff straight there.

*happy dance of joy*

If you want my new contact info, just send me an email!

Two weeks to go

It's been a long two weeks. A couple of days after Erin's stagette, I started feeling achy and tired. At first I thought it was just a summer cold, but it was very unpleasant. I went home early on Wednesday because I so tired. Worked Thursday, but called in sick Friday because my throat was so sore I could barely swallow. On Saturday it felt like I tried to swallow a golf ball and it got stuck. I thought about going to a medicentre to see a doctor, but on Sunday it seemed to be getting a bit better. Besides, I figured it was probably viral and there was nothing they could do for me. I went to work Monday because I didn't feel sick - my throat was still a bit sore but other than that, I thought I was fine. An hour after I started work, I started feeling dizzy and passed out. We have an employee nurse on staff and she came and took me to the first aid room. Apparently, my blood pressure was 88/56. Pretty low. After I recovered enough to walk, I went to a medicentre. Had my throat swabbed since it still hurt, my pressure taken again (98/60, coming up!), and blood collected. They called me on Tuesday (I stayed home again) and told me I had an infection. Yep, figured that out. Wednesday they called (I went to work that day) and it turns out I had strep throat. Never had that before, never ever want to again. I started antibiotics that day and my throat stopped hurting Thursday. Antibiotics are wonderful!!!

So other than being sick, I haven't much to say. Was mildly social with Erin and Kim on Friday - we went to the gym, out for coffee and then visited the boys who had a Starcraft tournament. It tired me out though and I spent Saturday sleeping. Apparently I wasn't quite all the way well yet. Felt okay today though and went to the gym again with Erin.

Haven't got much packing done since I felt so horrible. Most of my books are packed though and that's a decent dent. My 1970s fabulous couch and matching chair are gone now. I donated them to a friend's garage sale and they were picked up on Thursday. I think they were the very first thing I bought when I moved out of rez, but I'm not sure. I can't remember if Nancy (my first roommate) had a couch when we lived on Whyte. I do remember that I got the couch, the chair, a coffee table and 2 end tables for 100 bucks though - what a deal :) I have my Ikea day bed/spare bed in the living room now so I can have somewhere to sit. It looks quite odd, but it works for now.

Oh, and the condo has been sold. Had three offers the night after the first sale went through, all very close to each other. Accepted one and it was final that week. Good news. Still working on the place to live part, hoping to hear good news tomorrow.

Only 2 weeks left before the move. Eep.

The One Where Erin and Todd Get Married

This post is just to send out my best wishes to Erin and Todd, who are getting married this afternoon. Congratulations to both of you!

A health to you,
A wealth to you,
And the best that life can give to you.
May fortune still be kind to you.
And happiness be true to you,
And life be long and good to you,
Is the toast of all your friends to you.

moving details update

I ache absolutely everywhere. I'm hoping it is just tension and that I'm not getting sick. Tension? Why tension? A million little details of course, and a few major ones.

First, the condo sale fell through yesterday. My realtor told me at 5pm and by 730pm, there were already 3 showings lined up for today. Which meant some frantic cleaning (ok, my place is pretty good, but I'd been shredding documents and had confetti everywhere. Not to mention the ol' litter box.) I think there was 5-6 showings in total and I had 3 offers again tonight. I accepted one of them so hopefully it's taken care of it for good this time.

I still don't have a place to live in BC yet, but my mum filled out a rental application for me today. I think it was a place I found in Vancouver Sun and she viewed it today. First place she's liked out of the ones I've had her go to, so hopefully they pick me! 2 bedroom apartment in New West, takes cats. That last part is all that really matters to me!

In the good news category, I won Cracker Cats tickets at work. My first and last Cracker Cat game will be Thursday. I haven't been to a baseball game since I was a kid. My poppa used to take us. Trying to remember if I liked it...

I think I'm going to be lame and go to bed before 10pm.

The Weekend

Wow - what a weekend. Friday night, Lori and I saw Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest. I really enjoyed it but I hate when a Part II movie ends on such a note that you forced to see Part III (and spend a year waiting for it!). It was really great hanging out with Lori and I hope we get to hang out a bunch more in the next couple of weeks. Before the movie, she came over and raided my Wee Book Inn and garage sale boxes. I'm being absolutely ruthless with what I take with me. It must serve a purpose.

Saturday night was Erin's stagette, arranged by her friends Jamie and Anne. Great night out. We started out at Erin's house where they gave her a hot dog toaster as a gift! I had no idea they even made those. They then gave her the traditional stagette gifts to wear - tiara, beads, blowup doll etc. First, we went to Pub 1905 for a few beers and burgers. Then off to Cook County! We had a stagette package so the price included quite a few free drinks and a bottle of nasty champagne. I danced to the few non-country songs they played, but Erin two-stepped quite a bit. Lots of fun.

The weekend before we had a kind of bridal shower/girls' day out for Erin. Erin, Kim, Kate and I went for a 3 hr hike in the Elk Island National Park, followed by a picnic. We then wandered around the interpretive area, and joined a bunch of kids in a lakeside program where we caught some water life - minnows, leeches, snails and various bugs. It was strangely fun! We drove back to the city (it's about an hour from my place), had showers at our individual homes to get rid of the layers of sunscreen and bug spray, and then went out for supper on Whyte. Just a casual, lovely day.

Pics are posted as usual :)