I think this guy ate Alf

This picture gave us hours of entertaiment at work today!! Somewhere there is a guy who is either really proud of this picture, or has been trying desperately to remove it from the internet machine.

Please do not think I am an awful person for loving it!!

Return to Poetery Day...c'mon, you've kinda missed it

This has been one of my favorite poems since I was a teenager - I think I liked it back then because of its mildly over-dramatic sentiment. However, some of the lines still resonate with me today. Especially "A fragment of what you felt, of what you knew,/A formula, a phrase remains,—but the best is lost."




Dirge Without Music

I am not resigned to the shutting away of loving hearts in the hard ground.
So it is, and so it will be, for so it has been, time out of mind:
Into the darkness they go, the wise and the lovely. Crowned
With lilies and with laurel they go; but I am not resigned.

Lovers and thinkers, into the earth with you.
Be one with the dull, the indiscriminate dust.
A fragment of what you felt, of what you knew,
A formula, a phrase remains,—but the best is lost.

The answers quick and keen, the honest look, the laughter, the
love,—
They are gone. They are gone to feed the roses. Elegant and curled
Is the blossom. Fragrant is the blossom. I know. But I do not
approve.
More precious was the light in your eyes than all the roses in the
world.
Down, down, down into the darkness of the grave
Gently they go, the beautiful, the tender, the kind;
Quietly they go, the intelligent, the witty, the brave.
I know. But I do not approve. And I am not resigned.

Edna St. Vincent Millay

I am rather pleased to be writing again, although it does mean that I am finished my holidays and back at work. Sigh. I was glad to be home and see my lovely roommate, but work is always hard to adjust to after 10 days off.

"10 days off, Jenny? Pray tell, what did you do, where did you go, and what personage magically appeared while you were there?"

Well, boys and girls, I did a fair few things during my wonderful holidays. Firstly, I finally took the plunge and hightailed it to the centre of the Canadian universe: that wonderful metropolis of Toronto. I had been promised that this was a city not to be missed, and it did not disappoint. I flew in on Thursday, Apr. 2nd at 12:42 pm, and took a bus and the subway to my hotel. My hotel was a converted mansion which was built in the mid 19th century. Its claim to fame was that Hemingway lived there for a bout a year in the early 2oth century.I was staying right off Bloor Street, which is a busy and happening thoroughfare. Thursday evening I walked down Bloor and did a little sight seeing while trying not to look too much like a tourist. I miserably failed at this because I was constantly looking up and narrowly missing running into other pedestrians. I was reminded of my trip to New York City because there was just so much to see.

That evening I went to the Peter Katz / Rob Szabo concert which I enjoyed very much. The location, "Hugh's room" was big enough to fit a decent crowd, but small enough to be intimate. I was sitting down quite close to the stage, so I had a great view. The sound was really fantastic, and both guys sounded amazing. Rob Szabo had such a beautiful voice, and I became a fan of his the moment he began to sing. I bought a cd and spent a few minutes talking to him. Peter Katz played everything off his new album (he was actually in the studio last week), and I liked all of it. It was different seeing him in his home town, because all of his friends and fans were there. He was more relaxed and pretty crazy at times, but I had a mild feeling of being an outsider due to his numerous shout-outs and personal jokes. He was, however, as charming, generous, compassionate and talented as he always is, and I got the brief chance to shake his hand and say hi.

Friday I went to the Royal Ontario Museum which was infinitely more than I had been promised. It was enormous: five floors, each one like a maze where I got myself lost a couple of times. The highlights:
1. "The evolution of style" This display had Western european furniture and decorations from the Medieval period up to the Vicorian era. It was really quiet in this wing because it wasn't as exciting for the kids, but I was completely mesmerized.
2. The Canadian History exhibit. It was really neat to see the artifacts from the Hudson Bay period in the 17th century, furniture from Upper and Lower Canada, and the numerous paintings of the landscapes and the people.
3. The Asian exhibits. The furniture and the statues were breathtaking in their detail and craftmanship.
4. The restaurant. The food was delicious, the prices reasonable, and the recycling was so advanced that although all of my waste was disposable, I only threw away my napkin.
5. The mosaic on the ceiling of the original building. In the centre of the tiles it read: "That all men may know His works" I was really touched by this inscription, and the idea that the earth and all of its treasures are a reflection of God's wisdom and influence.

Saturday I went downtown and did some shopping a sightseeing. Eaton Centre was great, and there were so many fun little boutiques on Queen Street. I finished the day off with a trip to Indigo Books and Music, which was so big and beautiful - the stuff that Chapters dreams are made of.

I really enjoyed my trip! I loved walking and taking the subway, the ridiculous amount of culture there was, the friendliness of all the people I met, and the pace and energy of the city itself.

I came back to Edmonton on Sunday, and spent some time with Jess and Andrea. On Wednesday, Andrea had a baby girl, Rachel Lee! I have to say that I am still flummoxed by the idea of childbirth. You go to the hospital and you come home with a baby, like they are giving them away for free there. Maybe if our stomachs were transparent and I could see it growing it wouldn't be so strange (well, strange in a very different way!) Babies just seem to magically appear out of nowhere.

So, I am back in Lethbridge and in the midst of completely changing the set-up of my room. I finally have my dresser assembled (thanks, Dad!) and am going to do a second book-shelf next. Pretty soon it will be done and maybe I will have an Open House.

"Party on my bed and everyone's invited!!"

Wait a minute...

What I did on my sabbatical...

It didn't really feel like a holiday, but here are a few of the highlights:

1. I planned a trip to Toronto for April 2-5. This is going to be a very short vacation, but a needed one, nonetheless. I was sitting at home about a month ago wanting to do something really crazy (Spring Fever really gets to me, I guess!) and I saw that Peter Katz was having a concert on April 2nd in Toronto. I booked my plane ticket, got a hotel, and reserved a ticket for the concert. I am going to Toronto!! I am really excited to go by myself, and can't wait to venture east of our fair province. As it stands, in Canada,I have never been further east of Brooks (home town of our dear dear Denise, and site of the controversial Alberta Summer Games where I was forced to be on display in a manner both humiliating and [unintentionally] kind of slutty. If you don't know the story, too bad. It is something that Jess, Andrea and I try not to speak of.)

Some of the other things I will be doing in T.O. are the Royal Ontario Museum (which I will soon be calling the ROM), the Bata Shoe Museum (combines 2 great loves!!), shopping on Queen Street, ogling the high-end stores on Bloor Street (Holt Renfrew, Louis Vuitton, Tiffany and Co, just to name a few) and doing as much walking as possible!!

2. I planned an Open House for our program here at the College. If anyone wants to come and find out more about what I do during the days, you can come to the Sunflower Room from 4 pm - 7 pm tomorrow, talk to all of us and eat some great refreshments. (By the time I am posting this, it has already happened, and it went very well. So...sorry that y'all missed it!

3. I had a Lethbridge renaissance, of sorts. Last Saturday, I took Travis around the wonders of the downtown because he had never really explored our metropolis. Some of our highlights included Chinatown (all 2 stores of it!), Blueprint, Nicholai (the new furniture and design store), a new used book store (we cased the joint in the name of spying for Chapters), and best of all, Progress Clothing. I had not stepped foot in that store for 20 years, and I am pretty sure that the winter coats are the exact same ones I perused at that time. If you have not been to this store, please go. It is quite an experience.

4. I have started doing Aqua Fit: Deep Water Jogging. My boss, Jean and I are going to go at least twice a week, and so far, it has been an amazing workout. You get a chance to raise your heart rate, and work pretty much all of your muscles. My stomach is sore, but I hope there are going to be killer abs in my future...

Well, I am off to watch "The Office" and "30 Rock". I will be thinking of all of you when I am getting off of work 4 hours early tomorrow. Hooray for a slightly longer weekend!

So's Christmas.

You have probably forgotten about me...

I have tried to write for the last week. Really! It seems, however, that the longer I go without writing, the easier it is to procrastinate another post. Sometimes I can even pretend that my blog doesn't exist, but every time I log on to the computer, the guilt starts to eat at me and I realize that March has almost gone by with nary a word from me. I could probably come up with 100 excuses as to why this is, but let's not embarrass any of us with that nonsense.

This last Saturday I had the privilege of attending the Opera at the Met, all in the comfort of my local movie theatre. I have wanted to attend a live broadcast for about a year now, and so I give all credit and thanks to Amy Still who went with me. We saw "La Somnambula" (which means "the sleepwalker") by Bellini. I had never heard of the Opera before, but the music was beautiful, and the story suitably dramatic and romantic. Read about it here:

http://www.metoperafamily.org/metopera/history/stories/synopsis.aspx?id=268

I am really excited to see more operas, and the line-up for next season is pretty great. It includes Tosca, Aida, and Hamlet.

Hopefully this will be the first of many new posts!

Someone should tell Sophia Loren what decade it is...

O.k., so I am still learning about Blogger. This picture goes with the last paragraph of this post. I am not smart enough to even figure out how to delete it or put it in the right place.

So I have solved a little mystery - call me Sherlock. I had misplaced my gold circa 1986 prom dress that I love to pull out for special occasions. I was so sad because it really was very classy and timeless. I was at my wit's end all weekend until I tuned in to the Academy Awards on Sunday night. Thank the heavens and all of the angels, it turned up. Sophia Loren was wearing it.

I am not really sure who told her that the dress was a good idea. Her stylist probably thought that such a garish gown might possibly distract from the train wreck that was her face. It makes me so sad that because of plastic surgery, a woman who was probably one of the most beautiful in the world, now just looks like a burn victim. I am reminded of Catharine O'Hara's character in "For Your Consideration". After she is nominated for an award, she undergoes plastic surgery, and the result is terrifying. (If you have never seen this movie, watch it immediately!)

Besides Ms. Loren's fashion adventure (and thievery...hm!), the Academy Awards were pretty enjoyable. They showed their recession roots when it took about 30 seconds to open up the curtains for a video presentation, but the musical numbers were exciting (directed by Baz Luhrman!) and Hugh Jackman was "just as cute as [he] could be"! (if anyone can identify this slightly altered quote, you will be the winner of this post, and my undying admiration for your knowledge of 1960's live action Disney films.) The clothes were understated with hints of couture (see Kate Winslet's dress and Jessica Biel's), the politics were about as over-bearing as they could be (We get it already, California!), and the right movie won Best Picture. Seriously, if you haven't seen Slumdog Millionaire, you really need to. Here is an interesting fact about the director: He also directed one of my favorite movies, "A Life Less Ordinary".

This past weekend was also the premiere of the "25-35 Lethbridge Midsingles" group with a fabulous pot-luck on Friday night. Leita and I have been planning to get a group started for awhile, and so we organized and advertised the pot-luck. At 7:00 pm on Friday, when there was only one person there, I was pretty worried. However, by 7:20, there were about 50 people there. It was such a tremendous success!! See the picture at the beginning of this post! There is so much excitement for another activity, and we are going to start planning right away!

Have a wonderful week, everyone!

This post comes to you today from the desk of the sick and the lethargic

I was about to say that I hate being sick, but that would be implying that there are those who enjoy it, and I can’t imagine that there is anyone who likes feeling like garbage. “Yay! I have literally no energy, and my face is leaking.” No. These are words you will never hear from a sane individual. Of course, there are those hypochondriacs who, in the words of my father about his Aunt Edith, do enjoy their bad health. These people, however, probably also enjoy a good funeral and a really exciting car crash. I am suddenly reminded of a commercial on television for which Denise and I have an abject hatred. It is a face wash ad which begins with 2 girls saying “I hate pimples!”. It really bothers us for the following reasons:

1. The girls look like they have never seen a blemish in their lives
2. Doesn’t everyone hate pimples? I mean, the statement doesn’t even merit a worthwhile conversation due to its glaring obviousness.

Anyway, enough of my craziness for one day. Yes, I am sick with a cold and slight case of the flu, and I am very perturbed because I had held out for so long without getting ill. I have also been promised good stories from a certain friend, but I can’t go visit anyone right now without reigning down illness and possible irritability on them.

As for good news, however, I have just finished a poster for our Information Session that we are hosting next month, and I have emailed it out to many people.

I also had the opportunity to go to the new East Indian restaurant, Taj, yesterday. It was absolutely delicious. It was a lunch buffet, so there was homemade Nan (to die for!), rice, and these amazing fried potatoes. Then there were various sauces and meat dishes to have with them. The Butter Chicken was the stuff that dreams are made of… If you get the chance to go, head to the lunch buffet from 11-2. It will give you the chance to sample a variety of dishes. As for the room, the decorations were quite understated, but there was a plethora of hookahs about the place. My only complaint was that it was really small inside.

Have a great Wednesday, everyone, and here’s to hoping that you stay healthy…

Beauty and...the actress...

Oh, my sweet Ryan Adams. In the words of the immortal Jesse Mcartney, you do indeed have a "beautiful soul", even if your hair is extremely unfortunate


Now I know I am a bit behind on this news, but I just read that Ryan Adams and Mandy Moore are engaged. I have to admit that this seems like a weird couple to me. Does not the picture speak volumes? He looks like the eccentric and talented musician that he is (I may be a bit biased..."I love you Ryan, you should have picked me"!!) and she looks like a regular-type mediocre musician/actress. Once again, I may be a bit biased in this summation of her professional skills as I have only seen her in teen movies. I did just watch "A Walk to Remember" this weekend as our DVD machine was not working, and I had to resort to our VHS collection. (Really, just a terrible movie - could Shane West be a worse actor?) So, that was the image of her I had in my mind when I heard of the forth-coming nuptials: A sickly overly-Christian teenage girl who is dying of leukemia.

Mandy Moore's character: "I told you not to fall in love with me!"
Shane West's character: a confused silence followed by an extremely awkward grimace

Just chalk up my disdain of her to jealousy that she has dated both Zac Braff and Ryan Adams, I guess.

This week is Reading Week, and I only have students in quite sporadically. I am pleased to be able to catch up on paper work, but especially to spend quite a bit of time planning our Information Session / Gala that we are having on March 26th. Yay! Planning events is what I love to do.

So, if you are feeling like you want to know a bit more about what I do, then come to "The Sunflower Room" between the hours of 4pm and 7pm on the specified day to hear about our incredible program. There will be refreshments, so it will be worth your while.

New template!!

I am pretty excited for my new Template...especially since I downloaded it myself! Isn't it beautiful? I love the flowers, and it is really going well with the new floral theme that is beginning to pervade our house these days. We have decided to embrace our girlishness, and our decorations are following suit.

I am home today because it is "Family Day", and it is a good thing it is a holiday because I feel like garbage. I am nauseated and feverish, and just generally enjoying my bad health. Anyone who knows me knows that I am an absolute baby when I am sick, and I relish the role of martyr. Just ask Denise, who is much sicker than I am, but who is a trooper. I did go out to lunch with my parents and cousin Jeff, but I politely declined the opportunity to see "Paul Blart: Mall Cop" with them. I have little to no desire to see that movie.

Enjoy your Family Day, everyone!

A quick update

My dear blog is like an old friend that I just can't seem to make time for. So, news:



1. Today is my last class with the Home Alone Course. Thank the heavens and all of the angels, I will be finished with Satan's little darlings.



2. I did my last shift at Chapters on Tuesday, and I no longer work there! It is extremely hard to believe, but I will now have the majority of my evenings and Saturdays free...well, at least until I can fill those up as well. The staff were so wonderful, they all pitched together to give me a $50 gift card. I am really going to miss a lot of the people there. Who will I deconstruct 30 Rock with without Rob? Who will let me know about all of the amazing Bargain cook books, if not Karen? Kathy did let me know that I could come back any time, and I am thinking about it for Christmas.



3. Things here at the College have gotten beyond crazy with students acting out, one of our team members quitting, and school work increasing every day. If we make it through the semester relatively unscathed, it will be a Spring miracle.



4. I really want to get healthy and active, but I am finding it harder than ever. If anyone has any ideas to get motivated, please let me know...

Have a great Thursday, everyone!

Something you may not have known about me

Y'all should probably stop reading this post cause I am going to let you in on a little secret. I am boring. It is true. How do I know this, you may ask? It has been told quite vehemently to me every Thursday night for the last 3 weeks, and I have a sneaking suspicion I will continue to hear it for the next 2. It has been told to me by at least 10 people, and they were pretty serious about it. In fact, tonight, one person even showed me a piece of paper where he had written the word "boring" in tiny letters about 50 times. He told me that this was just how boring my class was. What I wanted to tell him was that with his ugly little smirky face, his incessant eye-rolling, the slumping in his seat, and the Napoleon-like sigh every time I suggested any new activity, he was not really my favorite person either.

So, for all of you who do not live in Lethbridge, and have thus heard my complaints, I am teaching the "Home Alone" class again. this time I am teaching it at Galbraith school every Thursday for 5 weeks at the unholy hour of 3:45-5:45. I just finished week 3, and it is still touch and go at this point whether I will make it through the next two. The classes have consisted of me trying to be heard over the yelling, laughing and fighting of 16 children. (There are 18 in the class, and two of them are absolutely delightful. The other 16 are the pure spawn of Satan, I swear) The first week they complained the entire time that they were bored, that they hated everything, and that they just wanted to go home. The second week, after I had spent hours creating activities and about 15 dollars on snacks for them, they complained because I tried to make them do things. This week they went back to saying they hated everything and that they wanted to go home, and that, of course, they were bored. A few of them kept goping on and on about how they just wanted to be at home watching video games.

I feel as though I am not teaching them anything, I am just trying to get them to STOP TALKING for 1 minute. I realized that I could never have the patience to be a public school teacher because it would just be behavior monitoring all the time, and I really don't like being told I am boring and that children hate everything I try to do for them.

Anyway. Sorry for the rant. It will be over in two weeks.

Otherwise, things are pretty good. Work is getting crazy, but at least they like me there.

Enjoy your weekend everyone!! I will be in Edmonton so I will be having a great time!

I really miss Communications class...

The following "poem" is an assignment that I was helping one of the students to do. It is for a communications class, and I thought I better do it as well.

For funsies.


I am

I am a thinker, a reader, a writer, a talker
I wonder when I will feel like I am successful in my own life
I listen to great music, friends when they need me, my own thoughts
I see goodness wherever I am able, the humor in many situations, too many faults in myself
I want to be loved wildly, a closet full of shoes, to be more generous, to try more new things
I am generally a happy person

I pretend to be more confident than I really am
I feel blessed for all that I have
I read books that I love over and over again – they are like old friends
I worry that I may never be financially stable, about my family and friends
I value my parents’ opinions, my religious and personal beliefs and commitments, the importance of education, knowing your family and personal history
I am a spiritual being having a human experience.

I understand that there is a plethora of things I will never understand
I say things that make people laugh, things I wish I could take back
I dream about being a singer
I try to help others, new recipes, to be brave
I hope to feel good about myself, to be more patient
I am interdependent

Cabbage rolls, anyone?

A happy Ukrainian Christmas to everyone and anyone who partakes in such festivities. I remember putting on a Ukrainian Christmas with my roommates for our friends my first year of University. It was a lot of work and a lot of money. Back then we weren’t really good at organizing things, so it was A LOT OF WORK. We did it at the West Institute Building (the only one in those days!), and we cooked for about 25 people. We did some traditional dishes and some regular-type ones as well. Looking back, we probably should have done a pot-luck…

Anyway, on to more current topics, there is a question that is plaguing me today. I am writing an ISA (Individual Service Agreement) for one of the students that I work with. How this document works is the students share some of the goals that they have for their college experience, and we put some objectives in place to help them achieve their goals. The student I am writing the ISA for has a goal of getting a boyfriend. So, my question is thus: How can I help her to do something I have been trying to do for the last 15 years, but failing miserably at? Hmm. It’s a puzzler, alright.

Things are finally getting a bit settled here at school: we almost have all text-books purchased, there has been only one near-tears experience (shockingly not me!), almost everybody has bus money to get to the College, we have had our free hot-dogs, and our first staff meeting of 2009 is tomorrow morning. I think it is going to be a great semester!

Until tomorrow, and poetry day!!

Cheers

...thy name is Karma

I have come to the conclusion that you should never say your beliefs/points of faith out loud, because you will be called on it later. I say this because I have had, excuse me, am having such an experience these days.

It all started on December 28th, when Andrea, Chris, and I were having a discussion about the scriptures that say that if you are making good decisions in your life, then all things will work together for your good. I mentioned that I believed this promise to be true, and that although we are faced with trials in our lives, we are still able to find happiness. Things will work out for us, although not always in a way that we anticipated. I also voiced my opinion that there are some realities that come our way that we just have to accept, because there is nothing we can do. Here are a few things that have happened since I said this:

1. My flight to Edmonton was cancelled because the flight attendant was sick, and all back-up crews were in Vancouver.

2. One of the student's classes changed times and days, which completely wreaked havoc with the rest of his schedule.

3. This morning I spent 30 minutes looking for my keys at my parents place, only to have Dad find them in my Mom's purse?

In all these cases I could have completely freaked out (well, I was pretty close this morning with my Dad) at someone else. I supposed I could have felt as though my life was ruined because I had to wait a few extra hours to fly, or find another class to fit into the student's time slot, or be 30 minutes late to work this morning. Instead I said a silent prayer (or three!) and went about my business. Not so shockingly, everything has turned out just fine. I got to Edmonton with lots of time to spend with Jess and Adam, we got the student into another class in the exact same time slot in a post-Christmas type miracle, and although I was late this morning, I got to drive in the light!

I saw a quote the other day, and if you will forgive me the cheesiness, I think it is great.

"We can not stop the wind, we an only adjust our sails"

Peace.

A look back

Happy New Year, everyone!

Since I already did my progression to being an adult post a few weeks ago, I kind of covered the changes I made this year. So, I will once again steal Denise's idea, and do a highlights of 2008 post.

1. Travel - I had such an amazing time in Ireland this spring. The best part was traveling over by myself, and realizing that I can do things on my own. Sure, it was scary at times, but it was such a rush to find out everything, and make it from Lethbridge to the apartment in Dublin successfully. I also traveled to Edmonton last week, and enjoyed flying as opposed to driving.

2. Concerts - Ashley and I made it to "The Slice" for some small but enjoyable shows, we saw Sarah Slean in Calgary, where I passed my love for her music on to my friends!, and we had the amazing opportunity to see Peter Katz twice.

3. New job - I work with some fantastic people, and it is still great to be able to tell people I have a real adult-type job.

4. Working as a key-holder/master at Chapters. I got to work with the phenomenal management team, and I really enjoyed the responsibility of being in charge. I didn't know it would be so hard to step down, but it really was. I will miss working closely with the managers, and I will miss being able to call the shots occasionally. Some of the staff have already tried to boss me around since my return to the floor, but I will not be letting that happen any time soon. I have still been there longer than most of them.

5. The Midnight Masquerade - From the planning meetings to the decorating to the Television interviews, it was undeniably a ridiculous amount of fun. I gladly worked many overtime hours to help make it a success, and everyone who was involved put their hearts into it as well.

6. Moving to the North Side - Denise and I have a lovely apartment, and I am in a great ward. I really enjoy living with one other person. We are slowly decorating and making the place really ours. We would like to make it feel like a less temporary place, but I do keep telling Denise that she needs to get married soon so I can turn her room into a library!

7. Getting a car - I love having the freedom to be able to drive to Magrath if I want, or go to Calgary for the weekend. I am so grateful to Jess and Adam for helping me out.

I have had a great year, and I am looking forward to 2009. I have some resolutions, and I look forward to more great concerts, traveling stories, and maybe even some dating type stories starring me, instead of everyone else. For one last look back, though, I am including my track listing from my 2008 Year in Review cd entitled "No Dress Rehearsal"

1. Drive - Bic Runga "make me feel alive when I ride with you"

2. Viva la Vida - Coldplay "I used to rule the world"

3. If I were your Woman - Gladys Knight and the Pips

4. Your Wish is my Wish - Sarah Slean

5. My Brilliant Feat - Colin Hay "The world, it won't wait for you"

6. Rise and Shine - The Cardigans

7. Come Around - Rhett Miller "Sometimes my heart tricks me in to thinking someone else will do."

8. Between the Bars - Elliot Smith (every year end cd needs at least one downer, and who else but Eliot Smith to provide?)

9. Love on the Rocks - Sara Bareilles "Dulls my senses, drives my pain...but I do it again"

10. O.k. - Peter Katz "Try as I may, you might still walk away"

11. Stolen - Dashboard Confessional (this song, which I heard on "Scrubs" is a homage to my obsession with said show this year)

12. I am Aglow - Sarah Harmer "Does it matter that what I remember might be just my own imagination painting scenes more pretty?"

13. Free Fallin' - John Mayer (What is a year end cd without him?)

14. This Winter I Retire - Said the Whale (one of the great bands from "The Slice")

15. White Flag - Dido

16. Change Your Mind - The Killers "If the answer is no, can I change your mind?"

17. Now that You're Gone - Ryan Adams (this one might actually make you want to kill yourself)

18. Let your Loss be your Lesson - Robert Plant & Alison Krauss

19. Life is a Song - Patrick Park "Maybe life is a song, but you're scared to sing along"

20. Which Will - Nick Drake (a song full of pertinent questions)

Mostly a movie review

My promised post is a few days late, but it is the holidays after all. I would have written last night after work, but I went and saw "Australia" instead. I thought it was great, and I will say that Hugh Jackman really lived up to his "Sexiest Man of the Year" title. Yowsers! He was dirty, bossy, emotionally unavailable for the first 3/4, then teary-eyed and driven by a sense of justice for the last bit. The movie itself was big and had elements western, romance, comedy, and war-time action. At times it seemed to be trying to be too many things, but on the whole, the central themes tied it together. I think I loved it so much because it reminded me a lot of "The Man from Snowy River" with its sweeping shots of the landscape, and the afore-mentioned combination of romance, action, etc... It definitely had some of Baz Lurhman trademarks, especially some of the camera shots, and the story-telling elements. I will absolutely be seeing it again.

Well, Christmas is over, and it is time to start a new year. I have finished my "Year in Review" cd, and will be posting a track listing next week.

Here is the poem that I mentioned in conjunction with the e.e. cummings. On another reading, it isn't as much like his poem as I thought, but I still think it was weird that I had never read his before I wrote mine. Maybe I am being too fanciful, and they are not similar at all. Anyway, I wrote this poem in December 2005.


Trees for Sale

Standing in lines
taller and tallerest
kings of the motley lot.
Missing arms and fingers
lend a desperate air
to their straight shoulders and spines
limbs, some bent and sparse,
reach out to embrace
someone for Christmas-
my throat catches at their dignity
especially the ones
who were missed last year
praying these twelve months
will only have made them more-
these are the quietest and heart-achingly proudest.

But it is the little ones
I love the best
standing beside the kings
with unformed branches
truly green
in this cruel buy and sell world
knowing they will never measure up
but plucking up chins anyhow
hoping that somewhere
they will appeal to
the small ones of the world
People like me
who also ride this life
rooted close to the earth.

If I had a house
I would take them all,
line them up in every corner
let them take off their strained
"please love me" smiles
and give them something shiny to wear-
anything to erase the bright
searing memory of the saw,
the screaming realization
of what it means to be chosen
(things they never told you)
and the slow death
of fulfilling their destinies.

JKO, 2005

...a Good Night

So here I am on Christmas Eve...my absolute favorite day of the year. There is a feeling of anticipation, the presents are still gloriously mysterious and full of promises, there is much baking and making of caramels, an appetizer supper, and a general feeling of relaxation because all of my presents are wrapped, and I have two days off in a row. Heaven!

Yes, my presents are wrapped, and they look glorious. I splurged and bought wrapping paper and wired ribbon from my favorite new haunt, Costco. Because the paper was a bit more expensive, it wrapped up a treat and creased beautifully in all the right places. It also helped that I took about 1.5 hours to wrap about 8 gifts. Finished off with the ribbon, the gifts look absolutely elegant. The paper is a textured gold, and the ribbon is a striped green and gold (go Golden Bears!)

Here is something kind of weird. Because Christmas falls on a Thursday this year, I was looking to resurrect the old Poetry day with a seasonal poem. I found a Christmas poem by e.e. cummings the other day that I really liked. The weird part is that I wrote a poem about three years ago that is really similar. Both poems are about Christmas trees, and there are some themes and lines that are too close for comfort. I had never read the cumings poems before, and I wrote mine while travelling on a greyhound bus, looking out at a field that contained rows of spruce trees. I of course don't have the poem with me, but I will post it tomorrow so you can see how it compares to the one I am posting today. Am I just crazy? Please read tomorrow and weigh in if you so desire.

little tree

by E. E. Cummings

little tree

little silent Christmas tree

you are so little

you are more like a flower

who found you in the green forest

and were you very sorry to come away?

see i will comfort you

because you smell so sweetly

i will kiss your cool bark

and hug you safe and tight

just as your mother would,

only don't be afraid

look the spangles

that sleep all the year in a dark box

dreaming of being taken out and allowed to shine,

the balls the chains red and gold the fluffy threads,

put up your little arms

and i'll give them all to you to hold

every finger shall have its ring

and there won't be a single place dark or unhappy

then when you're quite dressed

you'll stand in the window for everyone to see

and how they'll stare!

oh but you'll be very proud

and my little sister and i will take hands

and looking up at our beautiful tree

we'll dance and sing

"Noel Noel"

So, I am off to bed.
Merry Christmas to all, and to all...

Just when you thought you knew me

I really am addicted to these quizzes/questionnaires. So, if you will indulge me, here is a pretty fun one:

A

- Available: I think the real question is: when am I not?
- Age: old enough to know better
- Annoyance: sound of my high heels on the dry snow
- Animal: cat
- Actor: Christian Bale
- Actress: Kate Winslet

B
- Birthplace: Cardston, Alberta
- Best Friend: That would be my lovely roommate...Denise
- Body Part on opposite sex: legs
- Best feeling in the world: the one I get when I am singing
- Best weather: light jacket weather...it is all about the layering!
- Been in Love: Yes
- Believe in God: Yes
- Believe in Ghosts: Yes
- Believe in Evolution: I believe that things are always changing and evolving

C
- Candy: Rockets...ah, Halloween delight
- Colour: all shades of blue
- Cried in school: Almost everyday in Junior High. It is all about the bathroom.
- Chocolate/Vanilla: Vanilla
- Chinese/Mexican: Mexican

D
- Day or Night: Day
- Dream vehicle: a BMW
- Dance: when I get the chance
- Dance in the rain?: Not as of yet, but there is always hope
- Do the splits?: Uh, no.

E
- Eggs: omelet
- Eyes: blue

F
- First crush: His name was Dade and it was in grade three
- First thoughts waking up: Do people actually think first thing in the morning?
- Food: Anything Jess and Adam make that doesn't have the blue cheese
- Fear: the dark
- Favourite channel: Food Network

G
- Greatest Fear: finding a dead body...pretty irrational, I know!
- Giver or taker: A little of both
- Get along with your parents?: Yes
- Good luck charm: as of late? My sparkly Le Chateau shoes

H
- Hair Colour: brown
- Height: about 5' 2'' (on a good day)
- Happy: Yes
- Holiday: Christmas
- How do you want to die: not in any way that would be embarrassing to tell for the rest of eternity.
- Health freak?: I aspire to be
- Hate: being patronized...especially when people tell me to calm down. Try it. I dare you.

I
- Ice Cream: anything cherry
- Instrument: piano

J
- Job: facilitator with Inclusive Post-Secondary Education at Lethbridge College and peddler of the books at Chapters
- Juggle?: No

K
- Kickboxing: No, but I have always wanted to learn
- Karate: no
- Keep a journal?: yes

L
- Longest Car Ride: Lethbridge to Bryce Canyon, Utah
- Laughed so hard you cried: No, but definitely laughed until I couldn't breathe
- Love at first sight: no way...it is all about personality
- Last person out for dinner with: Travis

M
- Milk flavor: chocolate
- Movie: Just one? "The Man from Snowy River"
- Mooned anyone?: No
- Marriage?: Depends on who's asking
- Motion sickness: Yes. Oh, my yes.

N
- Number of Siblings: 4
- Number of Piercings: just my ears
- Never: date someone just because you're lonely

O
- Overused Phrases: Snappers
- One wish: to travel all over Europe
- One phobia: spiders

P
- Place you'd like to live: England
- Perfect Pizza: my mom's cheeseburger pizza
- Pepsi/Coke: Neither

Q
-Quote: "Be the change you want to see in the world" - Gandhi
"I don't understand the question, and I won't respond to it" - Lucille Bluth

R
- Reason to cry: broken heart
- Reality TV.: I. hate. it. so. much. I. could. punch. it. in. the. face.
- Radio Station: CBC 2

S
- Song: Seriously! Just one? "Looking for Someone" - Sarah Slean
- Shoe size: 8
- Salad Dressing: Dijon mustard vinaigrette
- Sushi: yes. Especially 7-11 sushi
- Scent: grapefruit
- Skipped school:yes
- Slept outside: is there anywhere else to sleep in the summer?
- Skinny dipped? Absolutely
- Sing well?: Sure
- In the shower? I always sing in the shower
- Swear?: only in my head
- Stuffed Animals?: a chicken and a Panda
- Strawberries/Blueberries/Raspberries: Yes/yes/yes
- Slept in a bed beside you? only Jessica

T
- Thunderstorms: both terrify me and make me happy
- Touch your tongue to your nose?: no

U
- Unpredictable: I don't think so. My friends and family seem to know what I will do at any given time

V
- Vegetable you hate: Brussel sprouts
- Vegetable you love: Everything but brussel sprouts
- Vacation spot: New York! Best trip ever!

W
- Weakness: men with a great sense of humour
- When you grow up: I will live in the city and have more shoes than I know what to do with
- Which one of your friends acts the most like you: I don't know if I would wish that on anyone
- Who makes you laugh the most: Jessica
- Worst feeling: waiting

X
- X-Rays: I have a vague memory of wearing a lead vest

Y
-Year it is now: 2008
-Yellow: love it

Z
- Zoo animal: giraffe
- Zodiac Sign: Taurus

- Zodiac sign: Taurus

"Hey, I can reach the tap now for the very first time today"

"I wonder if I'm growing, I wonder if I'm growing? My mom says yes, I'm growing, but its hard for me to see!" -Raffi

Not only do those lines from Raffi (including the title of today's post) make me tear up a little, but they equal truth. I have a hard time feeling like a grown-up most days, but as I started to write this post, I started to see some things about my life this year.

Last week I officially became an adult. How? you may ask. Well I will tell you. The answer is that I got a Costco membership. Yes! My very own!! No longer will I have to rely on the kindness of others (Thanks, Braden!) or wait until someone is going so that I can revel in the delightfulness that is Lethbridge Costco. Samples! Books! DVDs! Yam Fries! Occasionally, mini-doughnuts!! There are, of course good and bad points to this acquisition. The good points are all mentioned above. The bad aspect (o.k., there is only one!) is that I will spend way too much money there. I have a hard enough time controlling myself when I am not driving the cart. I will probably need some sort of supervision, so if you ever need to go, please let me know and we will go together. My only stipulation is that you have to at least attempt to discourage me from buying one or more of the following:

1. a Kitchen-aid (sp?)
2. the entire series of "Gilmore Girls"
3. a black-forest cake if there is no discernible gathering approaching
4. a life-size singing Santa
5. a trampoline
6. a box of chocolate bars
7. a Lobster roll

Getting the membership was part of my year long transition to adulthood. This year I got a new adult-type job, I bought a car, I travelled to Europe by myself, I moved to a Family Ward, and I am learning to wrap a present so it doesn't look like it was done by a blind man with only 3 fingers. Denise and I were talking about how the theme of 2008 was "Change the fate", and as I look back, I did just that. Pretty exciting. I often used to think that we have to become the person we aspire to all at once, that it would just happen. I am starting to realize that it is possibly an evolution instead of a transformation.

Thanks for all of the support in 2008, I really couldn't have gotten to where I was without your help. Here's hoping that we will all get the chance to grow a little more in 2009. If anyone has any suggestions for a title/theme for next year, let me know.

Here are some (pretty darn awesome) ideas:

2009

"The stars for me will shine"
"This year is mine"
"The journey is mine"
"This year will be fine"

Talk to you soon!

If you show it, they will come

I had a bit of an epiphany today...it all begins with a little story. I was watching a movie in the cave today with one of the students. There was not really any one else in there, but that was due, I am sure, to what movie it was. (I am too embarrassed to admit that I watched it, albeit, only the last half, so the title shall not be revealed) When it was finished, the (really tall and oddly attractive) guy from the Student Association came to put in the second movie of the day, and it turned out to be the brand-spanking-new release "The Dark Knight". As the movie got underway, I noticed an interesting phenomenon start to occur. Guys started appearing out of nowhere to watch. They just kept streaming in, and even bunched up on the couches together.

So, epiphany? If you want to find the men, go to the Superhero movies. The darker and grittier, the better. If you want them to come to you, you should probably buy the movie, and then casually let it be known you have it. If my calculations are correct, you will hopefully have the men-folk beating down your door within the hour. Try it out and let me know!

Once again it has been a disgracefully long amount of time since I wrote anything. (I do not count yesterday's post as it wasn't really original) Here is some of what I have been doing

1. taking the expression "mutton dressed as lamb" to heart. I attended Denise's Ward Christmas party, and semi-pretended that I was still young enough to be there. The food was great, but the entertainment was... interesting. I will not say more, but I will testify that there were many moments of unintentional comedy, which we all know is the best kind. There were at least 3 moments where Denise and I clasped hands in shared amusement/agony. I will say that I didn't know it was possible to sing the verses of "Leaving on a Jet plane" in 3 different keys, but the chorus always in tune.

2. working with a new student. She is a lot of fun, but pretty crazy as well.

3. eating at the Keg. Seriously, I have eaten there twice in the last 2 weeks. The first time was fraught with peril . We had to wait for an hour, I didn't get my salad, and my steak came well-done and then when I sent it back, rare. (I took it home and out it in the GF grill for about 4 minutes, and had the most beautifully cooked medium-rare steak for Sunday morning breakfast.) The second trip was with the Managers a couple of nights ago. This time my steak was delicious, and we were regaled with some quasi-risque stories from one of the ladies. Ah, it was enjoyable to watch Travis squirm upon hearing Jo's descriptions...

4. Going to Calgary to watch Cam in the "Messiah". She did a wonderful job on her solo, and Greg and I were treated to the delightfully disgusting sight of a boy throwing up in to his father's hands and the floor during the Hallelujah chorus.

5. Singing in the Telethon!! After Dad "lost his voice" on the morning of the blessed event, we had to completely re-work our program, and so it was a bit of a gong-show getting some numbers together. But, in true Olsen fashion, it came off with only minor hitches that we breezed right over. "Dignity. Always dignity."

6. Substituting one habit for another. I am giving "Scrubs" a break, and thoroughly enjoying "30 Rock", and "Sports Night" (for about the 4th time through)

Have a great week, everyone.