You again...

I grew up in small towns from the top to the bottom of this province. (And just so you know, Southern Albertans, Edmonton is not considered "Northern Alberta". Not by a long shot.) One thing that is common to all small towns and rural areas is that you will always see people you know when you venture out of your house. Usually it is when you haven't done your make-up or are at Wendy's on the day you move and see the guy you really want to impress. (Nothing says "Hey, how you doin"? like a greasy ponytail and sweats)

Even in Lethbridge I would always see someone I knew. That is probably because of the high number of Mormons, as well as the fact that I had lived there quite awhile. My friends and I used to play the "Costco Game" where the winner was the person who knew and could greet the most people while shopping there.

Seeing people I knew on a daily basis was one of the things that used to drive me kind of crazy about small towns and cities. So I was surprised to find that this was one of the things I miss most while living in Toronto.

Toronto is big. I mean, I am pretty sure I have never seen so many people in my life combined as I do in a day here. I never see the same people twice, and I realize that I miss seeing people I know when I am out and about. What I do tend to see are people who look like the folks I know. I have seen the Toronto version of lots of Albertans!

So next time you run out for something at the store and you are looking pretty rough (This absolutely does not apply to Denise) and you run into someone you know, greet them heartily for me!

It was a [school] yard smash!

I live across the street from a school. This is great for several reasons including great property values, nice location, when I cross the street a crossing guard stops traffic for me, etc. It is kind of annoying for the fact that those kids are really loud. I mean like someone must be murdering them loud. On days that I am studying in my room, recess time is break time for me too.

Today I was researching on the ole' Mac when I heard "The Monster Mash" playing from across the street. I looked over to the school and saw that all the kids were walking around the playground and then around the block to awesome Halloween songs. They looked so great and they walked with such pride and excitement! (yes, some of them were still screaming bloody murder, but I guess it is appropriate on today, of all days)

You kids rock! I can not tell you how much this made my day!

Happy Halloween weekend, everyone! Are y'all dressing up?

The only thing missing was the Fortress of Solitude...

I know that this post is long overdue and the only excuse I have is my difficulty with uploading pictures to my blog... I am still trying to figure out how to paste them to the place in the post where I want them to be. Well, that and my fear that my captions won't be witty enough!!

Here is me in front of the Falls. (You may remember this picture from such episodes as "My facebook profile picture".) The day was absolutely beautiful and the spray from the falls was pretty intense. You can't tell, but I am covered in a fine mist of water (truly, nature's moisturizer!) The view was spectacular, and generally unobstructed as there weren't too many people there. In talking to Jessica the other day, (she was there in the summer), we both noticed how very fast the water was moving, and how much of it there was.
Here is a picture of Travis and myself, and it is taken by his sister, Amy. We spent the whole day in Niagra Falls, and they both shared with me their favourite things about the falls and the town. This picture was also taken only moments before I decided to test my theory that one of the people in the crowds was actually Clark Kent, and I jumped over the edge...
Another amazing view!! I have to say, I was absolutely humbled by the magnitude of the falls and the quantity of water. I could not resist a comment about how these were nothing to Cameron Falls...
Ok, this is a view from the Maid of the Mist. Going on that boat ride was the BEST decision I made that day. It was completely crazy!! When the boat goes right below the falls (see picture below for reference), it is like you are in the middle of a rainstorm from the spray. We somehow manoeuvred ourselves to the front of the boat (there were tons of people there!) and as we were right under the falls, I really couldn't see anything besides the water pounding into my eyes.

Here is a view of the main street of the town, which was pretty cheesy. A lot of hotels, restaurants, wax museums, and weirdly, assorted haunted houses. I can't tell you how much I didn't want to go to a haunted house, although if I had had a desire, there were plenty to pick from.

All in all, a great day!!

A lovely Saturday and a stressful week...

Last Saturday, I decided to forgo the downtown celebrity hunt at the TIFF and I went instead to a Celtic Festival at Kew Gardens which is in the Beaches area of Toronto. It was about a 10 minute ride on the streetcar. (The streetcar runs along Queen St, and it is about a 5 minute walk from my house to Queen)

There were little booths selling many things including Irish jewelry, Scottish shortbread, and British candy. I sat and listened to some music by the Scarborough Pipes and Drums, and my far-off Scottish blood was dancing along.

After listening for awhile, I walked through Kew Gardens, which are absolutely beautiful. There were lots of families, people with dogs, homeless people, and even singletons like myself.

I walked down to the shore of the lake (Ontario), and there was a boardwalk with tons of people. It goes quite far, heading west all the way past downtown. I sat for a bit on a bench and watched the sailboats on the water.

I then walked along Queen Street east which is a wonderful little neighbourhood full of little shops and restaurants. I found a beautiful little walkway / parkette called the "Discovery Walks".

It wound its way up into a quite nice area with some beautiful houses. A lot of them were hidden by the trees (like the next picture), but you could still see how incredible they were.

It was a perfect Saturday afternoon and I really enjoyed scratching the surface of the city just a tiny bit more.

This week I am in school and it is definitely an adjustment to get back into a "scholarly" frame of mind. I have been to 2 of my classes so far, and it is hard not to feel overwhelmed when everyone else sounds like they know everything already. Hello! I thought we were here to learn? I think it is that most of the students are much more culturally and globally aware than I am. I will just have to do a lot of reading and research on the topics of the classes and hope that I can provide even a small opinion.

I hope that you all have a great week!

My first week in Toronto

So, it has definitely been a bit of a quiet week. I had had many plans of exploring the city, but the heat and the humidity kept me either pretty sweaty and exhausted or indoors.

There have been some highlights for sure. On Tuesday, we went to Ryerson University to see Peter Katz play, and he was as wonderful as always.

On Thursday, I went to Ontario Place, the Molson Canadian Ampitheatre to see the Jonas Brothers!! They were pretty cute, but I found the music was so loud, you couldn't really hear them. If that makes sense.

Today I went to a little tea shop that is just around the corer from my house called "Steeped and Infused". I got some tea and a beautiful little tea pot. I am drinking it with pleasure today because it is windy and cool...

Next week I have plans to see some great sights, especially since the weather is supposed to be much cooler...ahhh

In the meantime, here are some pictures of my house and my room to give you an idea of where I live!

Summer in the city means...

Hello from the largest city in Canada!! I have arrived in my new home for the next 18 months to 2 years, and I am starting to become a bit more acclimatized. It is extremely hot and humid here, the likes of which I could not have even imagined during my 33 years in the desert. It is unbelievably crowded and jam-packed with all different kinds of people. It is full of many, many things to see and do. I have been laying a bit low over the last few days due to a bit of fear, heat stroke (real or imagined), and tiredness from the trip out here, but have had the chance to see a few things. I am also in the middle of a 2 week long holiday, and so I am going to start exploring...

On Monday, I went to the University to find my building and do some registration stuff. Luckily, my building is probably the easiest to find on campus, as it is right on a main avenue and subway line. I came out of the subway at St. George station and walked about 25 steps. This was a blessing as the temperature yesterday was 34 degrees. (I was not so blessed as I tried to make my way home on the street car later, and not knowing exactly where I as going, walked a lot longer than I probably needed to.)

That evening, Travis showed me around downtown and along the lakeshore. It had cooled down a little, but it was still extremely balmy. We ate at a wonderful little Thai restaurant and then proceeded to walk around for the next 3 hours. It was great exercise, and I was able to see the legislature, city hall, lakeshore and a smidgen of the university campus at night.

Here is a picture of Dundas Square(I think!!), right across from Eaton Centre on Yonge Street.

Lovely!!

Tonight we are heading to Ryerson University to see Peter Katz play!

More to come soon!

Up and Down

Well kidlets, I am 20 days away from leaving our fair city. 20 DAYS. I think it really hit me when I went in to the Telus Store yesterday to see if they could offer me some sort of student plan (p.s., they were monumentally unhelpful...are you shocked?). I told them "I am moving to Ontario in a few weeks", and though I have said it before, it suddenly seemed extremely real. I am moving to Ontario in a few weeks. Yikes.

I am extremely conflicted, of course. I am dizzy with excitement at the prospect of embracing new challenges and taking a pretty big step towards my goals. I am thrilled at the prospect of living in a bustling metropolis where I can spend hours exploring and shopping!! (Have I mentioned my love of shopping?) I am terrified at the thought of leaving the only province I have ever known, and being the farthest away in my family. None of us have ever moved this far away before. I am heartbroken to think of the family and friends I am leaving.

I am ready, though. I have a place to live with two other women who seem really nice. I am not too far from the University. I have enrolled in courses for the fall and the winter semesters. I have arranged to sell my car. I have given away my bed and am in the process of downsizing the rest of my possessions (including my books, which was pretty difficult) as I am moving to a furnished room. Hey, on that note, Denise and I are planning a day in the near future when we are going to have a free "yard sale" of sorts. I say "of sorts" because it will be inside the house and people can come and take whatever we don't need or can't move with us. Details to follow.

Also look in the next few weeks for me to do a few posts about some of my favorite spots in Lethbridge. Kind of a sentimental thing, but a farewell to this city!!

See you again soon!

The good ol' days...

I realized yesterday that I have become quite the old fogey. That's right folks, I am now complaining about the weather and the price of gas, shaking my head about the shenanigans of "those kids today"; as well as fighting the urge to yell out my window at the people who are stumbling around outside the apartment building, holding their beer in one hand and trying to "playfully" punch each other with the other one.

My realization has been sneaking up on me for the last few months, but it hit me like a ton of bricks yesterday when I referred to the "flood of '95". I think my exact words were "This is nothing compared to the flood of '95". Yikes!

Have a great week, everyone!

Like it's 1899...

First off, please join me in wishing our dear Denise a very happy birthday today!

Ok, now let me tell you about my morning. I woke up with plenty of time to shower only to find that we had no hot water. When I discovered this lovely fact, I carefully weighed my options and came up with these four.

1. I could leave early and shower at the gym in the College. This did not appeal to me at all because I really do not enjoy public showers and I didn't want to pack everything up and there are no separate change rooms...you get the picture.

2. I could have a cold shower. No.

3. I could use about a 1/2 cup of cornstarch in my hair and go to work without showering. Well, this wasn't really an option because I hadn't showered in 2 days... This could only lead to

4. Calling in "dirty". I could have stayed home in a cloud of my own filth just waiting for the hot water to magically reappear. Sadly, I was needed today.

After considering all of these not-so-great ideas, I ended up boiling a pot of water on the stove. I then added some cold water to that in the tub, and got about 2 inches of water in which to wash everything. It was kind of a juggling act, but I think I managed about a 95% in cleanliness.

Pretty good, huh?

It stands for Professional Computer, right?

I am not sure how it happened, but over the last few months, I somehow forgot that I actually have a blog. The possible reasons why are numerous. It may be that I got really involved in selecting and enrolling in my classes for next year at the University of Toronto. It could also be that I was busy with Young Womens. Another likely distraction is Twitter and my deep desire to know what celebrities and common folk alike are doing on a daily basis. Whatever the case may be, it has been quite the hiatus and I am finding it difficult to get back into the swing of things.

I guess I can just start with the big news of the day: I am getting a laptop this evening!! It is actually the first "real" computer that I will be semi-purchasing (there is a lot of help coming from Mom and Dad!!) as I don't really count the 2 I inherited from my dad in the past. One of them I left beside a dumpster in Edmonton...classy! The other is still up above my closet as I wasn't really sure how to set it up. I am just now realizing that I may have to step out of my Luddite comfort zone and attempt to become tech savvy. There's a book for that, right?

Anyway, I was going to go with what I know and get a PC, but I think that my father has some sort of aversion to even being part of a purchase of said machine. He has convinced me to go the way of the rest of the family, visit the dark side, and get me a Mac. Now, the "gentleman" at Laptop World would have me believe that a PC user such as myself would not be able to easily transition to an Apple; however, he did not account for the fact that I am not really an expert at using a PC. To say that I am a proficient would most likely be a gross overstatement. I do get by, but not without the help of my extremely tech savvy roommate. So, I am starting fresh. I am going to learn as I go. I know it will not be easy: even with my limited PC abilities, I have experienced some "frustrations" when trying to use my parents' Apple. My dad has been known to hear me ask him (several times) why I can't just close the "windows".

Wish me luck!! If you have any advice, it would be much appreciated!

If I have a party for my car, will you come?

Song of the day:

I am going to find the song of the day by hitting shuffle on the ol' ipod. So, here we go... (I am now taking this moment to perform said task...)

So, the song of the day is "We might as well be Strangers" by Keane. Yes, thank-you Ipod, this is a fantastic song. It was featured on their first album, Hopes and Fears, which really deserves a listen if you have not hither-to-here fore...listened.

Here is a link to the song.

Story of the day:

After many 2 appraisals of my car, several phone calls to my insurance company, and some awfully weird and new sounds coming from my car, I found out yesterday that the damages were too great, and that my car is now a write-off. How sad is that? Also, how extremely ill-timed. I only needed the thing to last me until the middle of August, but that is apparently not to be. The insurance company will give me a pretty paltry cheque for the value of my car. However, it is more than I paid for it, so the joke is on them. Hah!

I do have a few options in the works for a car. Updates to come as soon as something more concrete is in the works. I will tell you what I will not be doing: I will not be renting a car from Enterprise for 5 months for $5000 dollars.

See you tomorrow for poetry day.

Town Day

Hello to you all from this most wonderful of Thursdays!! First (and most exciting) announcement of the day: I have been (almost officially) accepted to the University of Toronto. The department for Adult Education has accepted me as a...Grad Student (wow! I love saying that...), and they just have to send their recommendation back to the Registrar (hey, does anyone else still miss bureaucracy?) who will be sending out the official Acceptance letters at the end of March. When I got the email this morning, I read it a few times, because it kind of sounded like the department had only recommended me. However, upon several more readings and consultations, the fact that the email began "We are delighted to inform you", as well as the fact that I have been a assigned a faculty advisor, I have decided that it is real. I have been offered the chance to complete my Masters of Education in Adult Education and Community Development.

I am still going to wait to see if I am accepted at Mount St. Vincent in Halifax, but Toronto was my number one choice. I am just so unbelievably excited!!

Because it is Thursday, I couldn't leave you all without your weekly dose of poetry. I wrote a poem yesterday that is kind of in direct contrast with the sunshineness of today, but it is extremely topical for our week at work. So, sorry for the downer, but I really like this one.


Autograph

He speaks with his hands
his knuckles bear the marks of her face
Each one has taken something-
her fearless smile
every open expression
her brightly mocking eyes-
even the upward swing of her chin
is smeared across his skin.

All these pieces of her
weight his fingers like
championship rings.

He hits her with his mouth
every word dances
like a boxer's swiftest jab
that finds its mark every time
with vulgar accuracy-
darkening and shadowing her soul until
she is half again last year's woman
the palest copy of a long-ago girl.

In the good times
his silence is full of screaming and
his sweetness is a portent.

Opem your eyes, look up to the skies and see...

Song of the Day!!!!

The song of the day comes to you from one of the cds I scored in the exchange this year. It is "Bohemian Rhapsody" by Queen, and it was from Leinani's cd. Thank-you to her for the resurgence of this song in my life. This song also ties nicely into...

...Story of the (back in the) Day!!!!

The movie Wayne's World came out when I was in grade 9, and I went with my friends into Lethbridge to see the movie. Of course, I loved it and because "Bohemian Rhapsody" was featured so very heavily in the movie, I embraced the song as well. I basically thought I had invented the song when my parents let me know that no, it had been around for awhile. I never did get much into Queen, but as I listened to the song again this morning, I was reminded of an experience I had with the song and HMV at the mall. At the time the movie came out, the song had a huge comeback, and it was everywhere. I happened to be in HMV a few months after Wayne's World was released. The song came on over the speakers, and every person in the store started to sing it. When it got to the infamous head-banging part, everyone in the store (including me...I was about 15) started dancing. It was actually a pretty significant occasion in my life. I had never been to a concert before, and to see people come together through music was exciting. I felt so cool to be part of that moment.

So, if you get a chance, listen to the song. Take yourself back. Enjoy something truly campy and spectacular.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2omuoO_hIbQ

A truly great start to the week!!

Did I say earlier that there would be no cost to me for the repair of my car? I apparently forgot about the most hateful word in the english language : Deductible. Actually, I am getting off pretty cheaply as the deductible (yuck!!) is only going to be $250. Still, that is $250 that will never see my Visa bill. After I talked to my insurance lady (who was actually very nice!!), I had a dark few minutes where I cursed the unknown driver who is actually responsible for my predicament. Then I realized that he/she will probably have to foot the entire bill for their damages (hah!). I also came to the conclusion that as trials go, this one is pretty minor. Plus, I really do need some sort of distraction from the month of waiting I have until I get any acceptance (yes?!!) or rejection (no thank you?) letters from the Universities I applied to.
I talked to both universities, and they both said end of March, beginning of April is the earliest I will hear. Kill me!!

Anyway, I am going to leave you with an excerpt from an article in the National Post about the cost of the Olympics. Something to think about, anyway...

During the Games While 100,000 free condoms had been provided to the roughly 7,000 athletes and officials staying at the village -- about 14 condoms per person -- the Village ran out of prophylactics on Day 13, forcing an emergency restocking. Read more: http://www.nationalpost.com/news/story.html?id=2626214#ixzz0gwsKGxyH

Thanks, Universe for the cosmic slap!!

One and all: I would like to address your attention to my post yesterday which literally dripped and reeked with sunshine. Now, cut to me today sitting in the back of a police car. How did I get there, you may well reasonably ask.

The story, I am sorry to say does not involve me committing any crime. (I will assume that there has now been a collective sigh of relief). It does include me coming out of my building this morning and finding that someone had hit my car in the night, and left the back left side all crunchy. I called the police and my insurance company, and then bussed it to work. When I originally talked to the police station, they requested that I complete a report online. I was a bit loath to do this, thinking that they really couldn't do anything for me anyway. However, one of my concerned neighbors called the police as well, so they could contact me in case I didn't know about the "accident". The police did call me, and because I had not moved my car and there was still "debris" around it, they sent a constable to come check out the scene. One of my co-workers graciously drove me home to meet with him, and I got to sit in the back of the police car. I felt a little dangerous...

Anyway, I am now playing phone tag with the insurance company, but it seems as though they will be able to fix it with no cost to me, owing to the fact that it was a hit and run. So, hopefully a happy ending.

Let's hope that nothing else too crazy happens today. I am very fortunate that it all seems to be working out quite well. Plus, it is even nice weather for when I am carless, so taking the bus and walking will be enjoyable.

Have a wonderful weekend, everyone! Drive carefully out there...

The result of cup-cakes for breakfast...

I have had a wonderful morning today and it is due to three very important factors:

1. It was light as I drove to work today!! I cam so excited for almost Spring, and I can't wait for the ever-approaching days when I can wake up with the sun. Right now that privilege is only reserved for Saturday and Sunday mornings when I sleep in to the unholy hours of 8:30 or 9:30 am. There is something so magical about laying in bed with the sun streaming in your window. Add a great book to the mix and you have one fantastic morning.

2. My breakfast was a peppermint and chocolate cupcake that Denise had got for me at Crazy Cakes. While this is not a very healthy breakfast, it is certainly a sweet one! Thanks to Denise for getting the cupcakes...

3. Weekly staff meeting at work. These are always enjoyable, but today we found out that one of my co-workers and his wife are expecting a baby!

Today being poetry day (another reason to celebrate this Thursday!). I am going to include a poem by Yeats. I had read it originally when I was in High School, and it has been a favorite ever since. I recently became reacquainted with it when I attended Jessica's Ariose concert a few weeks ago, and their choir sang a beautiful choral setting of the poem.

I will arise and go now, and go to Innisfree,
And a small cabin build there, of clay and wattles made:
Nine bean-rows will I have there, a hive for the honey-bee,
And live alone in the bee-loud glade.

And I shall have some peace there, for peace comes dropping slow,
Dropping from the veils of the mourning to where the cricket sings;
There midnight's all a glimmer, and noon a purple glow,
And evening full of the linnet's wings.

I will arise and go now, for always night and day
I hear lake water lapping with low sounds by the shore;
While I stand on the roadway, or on the pavements grey,
I hear it in the deep heart's core.

-William Butler Yeats

Thoughts about school and other stuff

I was thinking the other day that the Lethbridge College was a lot like high school. There are a lot of lockers, it's a small campus, and according to some of the instructors, a lot of the students are about as motivated as your typical high school student. I found something today that only cements my theory. Some one had written on one of the tables in the Centre Core, "School Sucks!". My first response to that is, "Why are you here, then"? I would like to think that College students are more mature than your usual vandalizer, and that they are making the choice to be at school. Say what you will about the students in our program, at least none of them are writing all over the school.

Well, on a more personal note, today is poetry day!! I wrote a poem yesterday, but I am not really satisfied with the first stanza. It doesn't seem to go with the rest of the poem. Hmm. I am going to put the working copy here, so you can see the creative process (or whatever), and then next week I will include the edited, revised, possible totally different version. No title yet...but then again, I am really bad at thinking of titles.

Enjoy!

I haven’t written for days-
My paper is cold and empty
(like your heart)

I tried exploring there
Tried to excavate
beneath the cool exterior

I wanted to feel the beating
bleeding chaos that you
hide so quietly

But my search was futile-
The messes you’ve left
Lie deeper than even your heart.

You have buried them in the earth-
Reached into the dirt and
Pushed them down

An offering for her heart.

A day in the life

The other day a friend asked me if I liked my job because it was different all the time. I realized that this is exactly why I like my job. While working with a variety of different people (students, instructors, the other members of my team), there is always something new and different happening.

Sometimes they are frustrating or negative events such as a student who feels like he needs to yell at me every time I suggest he do some homework. This same student loses or forgets his keys at least twice a month, and so I am on excellent terms with the security and information people, which is where he inevitably goes to panic. (He knows that if he comes and lets me know, that I have an extra key to his locker, I won't get that upset or worried, and heaven help us all, he loves the drama!)

On the other hand, sometimes I have a really great conversation with instructors about how much they like having one of the students in their classes. Sometimes I get to sit down with the other people I work with and hash out a specific problem one of us may be having. I get to see our students when they finish a long and complicated assignment (one in which I have usually invested a lot of time and effort myself), submit it, and get some great feedback. The pride and accomplishment that this brings makes every day worth it.

I spent years working in retail where money is god, the bottom line, and the final goal. I always wanted to work in a job where I actually helped people, made a difference. Now that I am there, I find it extremely rewarding.

So, bring on the challenges. They may want to make me tear my hair out, but at least they keep things interesting.

Looking ahead

So, I think the New Year is shapin' up pretty good. Ashley's wedding is coming up in May, and we are looking forward to that. Denise has a job, so she can start buying work clothes and competing for most stylish in the office again. (I already know she will win!) My parents are planing a big move to the great white north which they have wanted to do for many years. Our friend Travis is in school, with plans for even more education. I myself have applied to grad school in far off places, and have also set a life contingency plan in place if I don't get in.

This is a year for positivity. This is a year for moving forward. This is a year of independence. I am pretty excited, aren't you?

Recently, Laura commented on one of my favorite songs from my 2009 Year in Review cd, "The Sun will Rise" by Brendan James. The words are extremely apropos for the 2010 outlook:


The sun will rise the sun will save me
The sun will change me change the way I feel
The day will make this heart a fortune from the fruit of a hundred orchards
From the water rivers bring

The sun will rise the sun will save me from the night the sun will change me
Change the way I feel
I've had enough of the hard and harder times are tough and I've drifted farther
Farther from myself

I won't dwell baby on my failures
It won't help baby it won't bring changes
I won't run baby when all I want is to run
I won't forget the morning's sure to come

The sun will rise the sun will save me,from the night the sun will change me
Change the way I feel
The love I want the love I need is sure to come is sure to lead me
Lead me home again

The light is low the night is burning, my head is still but my mind is turning
Turning round again
If only I can make it through this lonely night if I can do this
If I can drift away

Then the sun will rise the sun will save me from the night the sun will change me
Change the way I feel

I live only to amuse others

So, here is a story from yesterday:

I was leaving the library when I saw who I thought was Ed Stelmach sitting at a table in the Centre Core. I can tell you, I was pretty darn excited. I went back into the library and asked the ladies if they knew who the gentleman sitting out there was. They told me it was Glenn Secretan, who is an instructor here at the College. I told them I thought it was the premier, and they got a pretty good laugh about that. But, seriously. He looks just like him.

I can't decide if this is a failing of my eyes, my good sense, or my ability to recognize our esteemed provincial leader. It could just be my insatiable desire to see a celebrity, any celebrity.

Whatever the reason, I at least gave the librarians a bright spot in their day.