ch ch ch changes....

I've been feeling a little blegh about blogging recently, and i think that it's because I feel that I've turned it into a sort of boring this is what I'm doing sort of blog rather than just blabbing about whatever I'm thinking about or what I've noticed that day. So. I think that starting June 1st (a day with several beginnings including my new position, and wage) I'm going to change the format/way I write. I've been inspired byMatthew Good's recent use of the letter style, so I think I might try that for a while, see what happens. Just thought I'd give a heads up...

Our Little tent, under our little tarp, in our soggy campsite. it served us well. While we may not have had the greatest sleeps (or much sleep at all) it kept us dry. and that little tarp worked really hard!

down at the beach. it was so windy and wet. we were actually getting pushed by the wind!

our first dinner... cold veggie dog sandwiches in the car, in very wet pants.

an attempt to dry our jackets and pants from the previous night... (the jackets were dry, but alas not the pants...)

life in a Temperate Rainforest...

some rather large rubarb growing in Tofino...

I want to say what this cool thing is, (there were hundreds washed up on shore) but I can't for the life of me friggen spell it (I've even tried the dictionary!) will some one help me? Crystal???

this is on the little island... it was freakin windy!

I forget which beach this is from, but it was beautiful (and it wasn't raining for a little while!) we ran out to that island and misjudged the tides and got rather wet feet...)

the ramp/stairway from Half-Moon Bay... (it was actually harder on the way down...)

Half-Moon Bay, our last day, of course it started to get nice

first strawberry of the season!

a backlog of blogs...

it hasn't really been my month for blogging apparently. I write them in my head and then forget or don't have the time to type them on the computer. Like how I applied for and was offered a supervisor position at work (eek!), how our garden is getting taller (well, maybe and inch or so) and I had the first strawberry the other day (I split it with Dave - slightly mealy, but sweet). I'm sure there are other things, and hoefully they were more interesting. But, I've just come back from two nights of camping in torrental (sp?) downpour (ok, it didn't rain the WHOLE time, but basically...) with very little sleep (but a good amount of fun) and all I want is a good sleep on my nice comfy, dry bed in my rainproof house. that's it for now...

mmmm... The Marble Slab... soooo good...

an enjoyable way to spend the evening... good friends and tastey ice cream... what more do you need?

poem of the month

Chickadee Poem

I can't quite picture the staircase
but see you stop on the way up,
a sandwich in your hand when you hear
a chirp trill beyond the buzz of fluorescent lights.
A switch clicks, erasure, the way a good idea
slips away if you consider it too long.
So you go back down and find the bird
packed tight as a feathery tumour
in the guts of the step.

You think a minute
to figure out what to do with the sandwich,
abandon it in its institutional-strength plastic,
reach in and cup the chickadee in both hands
as you used to do with grasshoppers as a child
feeling their violin bows rosin
in your curled palms.
Back out the glass doors, open
and see the tiny black thumbtack
blink once before it flies.

You go up to your office and
write a few lines. Teach a class,
stop in at the library.
Come back and look at letters
too obedient on the page.

"Nah," you say to yourself. "This is not the day
for a chickadee poem." You crumple
the paper but hold it
before tossing it in the wastebasket,
see a dee, and a dee, and a dee on the foolscap,
paper wings bent on your stalling hand.

- Jay Ruzesky, Blue Himalayan Poppies

Since last I blogged...

• the garden is sprouting little green rows of broccolli, spinach, beans, peas, onions, beats, and carrots
• Dave is finally moved in (although the living room does need a little bit of a rearranging now that we've got another chair)
• me andTara went to a bridal potluck for my old supervisor from Grafix Ryann, and had a lovely time hanging out with her and her husband to be Matt and her kid Ashton (who is so cute and smart! - if a little bit drooly) and a few other friends. Tara made delicious potato salad mmmmmmm!
• worked, worked, worked, grilled italian sausages and hot dogs (ewww!!! my face felt so gross after 2 and 1/2 hours of that!)
• made wicked good stir-fry on friday night and watched Oceans 12 with Crystal
• grew wings
• hungout with Tara and Dave and watched the first 4 episodes of the O.C.
• went to a birthday brunch at my friend Michelle's and hung out with a bunch of groovey women and reconnected with my friend Wendy
• met Tara at Serious Coffee for a americano before heading to the Vic Theatre to watch "The Ballad of Jack and Rose (a very interesting/intense/strange movie I'm still not sure what I think about it)
• oh yeah, while finishing our drinks, who should walk in but Adam Brody, the very person we'd been staring at on the t.v. the night before. and due to the seating arrangement, I got to stare at him while Tara could only listen to my descriptions and attempt to look with out being obvious - aren't I terrible? I feel bad and a little pathetic... but hey, it's not everyday that a celebrity walks in to a coffee shop in Victoria - and it's not like we ran up to him begging for an autograph and photo - we were cool... if that's possible... ;) (He's hear filming a movie with Meg Ryan - I forget what it's called, something about a house of women...)

before the cut...

oh so long (well for me anyway)

after (Jenna straightened it - today it looked a little more flippy)

a good day

Isn't is great how something as small as a little email can make your whole day (or week) ? it's so great. :)

It's been a rather nice couple days off (I'd say weekend, but seeing as it was a mon-tues, it doesn't really qualify). Monday I slept in, had scrambled eggs with peppers, cilantro(from the garden!) cheese and lime, with some fresh brewed coffee. lounged around, did laundry, had a little dance session in the living room (alone, behind curtains - yeah I'm cool), went for a little jogarooey with Oona (ugh, I thought I hated running, what am I doing?) then had a lovely salad for dinner. Met with my friend Alana for coffee and then we caught the late showing of Kingdome of Heaven, which (starring the rather yummy Orlando Bloom) was pretty good actually, if you ignore a few leaps in logic.
Today I puttered in the morning, went to serious for coffee then walked over to The Academy of Excellence for a hair cut by my friend Jenna who's in the program. (I'll post pics tomorrow). I like it, it hangs just above my shoulders (shorter than I 've had it in awhile, but I like it) weeee! Then I headed up to Uvic to pick up my GRS essay (finally!) and the only mark on it was 30/30. weee doggy! I ordered my grad robe, and then headed down to Bolen Books where I used the gift certificate Oona gave me for my b-day and bought two books I'm very excited about reading. as soon as i finish The Time Traveller's Wife, an extremely excellent book I highly recommend!!! My and Oona went for supper at Ferris's mmmmmmmmm.... Then I headed home and watched the final episode of The Amazing Race with Crystal, and hurrah, the good team actually won this time! YAY! But now it's time for sleep, and the workweek begins again...

don't forget to vote on May 17th! (My roomate Crystal was a part of this - it was on saturday on the lawn of the legislative building) Let's not forget about the environment when we elect our next premier (which means say no to the Librels in my opinion)

Happy Mother's Day!!!

can I get a woot woot for an A+ in GRS 200? Oh yeah. maybe I should have taken more of those kind of classes and less of the damn subjective marking that is the bane of writing classes... But I'll take it!

good groovin', good gardening, good golly!

Well, just a quickie. It's been an interesting week, with Tara moving out of the house and Dave moving in, work gearing up to full time (and the possibility of a supervisor position...), lots of planting in the garden, a play, and tonight, The Sadies, a very fun and groovey band that we danced all night to. good times. I'm looking forward to settling into the summer sway.

well, it doesn't really look like I want it too, but at least it's there.

my trip

salmo-creston passthe pappa

alternative power sourcesthrough the windy valley. I tried to make it look neat, to show how long the lines were.

on the way home we had to make a detour to Skookumchuck(sp?) to pick up some honey, and saw this crazy big billowing of smoke, weren't sure if it was controlled or not.

the birthdayand the oh-so-delicious
homemade torte (yes the knife is upside down, so as not to cut my wish!)

the lovely view from my house (well, my parents house) mmmm the poplars smelled soooo yummy!
lovely oona on our afternoon in the sun...

The Kootenay Bakery Cafe Cooperative

(What a mouthful hey? but the food is worth it!)

On the longest free ferry ride in Canada (possibly the world!).

ah, we're like little m&ms with our hoodies (and we did indeed have the hoods up for a little - it was chilly!)

a beautiful statue at the Ashram we visited near Riondel.

a bit of Nelson in the spring.

on the way to Ainsworth Hot Springs with Oona and my cousin Cayley... It would have been a great time if we hadn't been inundated (sp?)with like 80 teenagers who clearly didn't understand that it wasn't a pool, but a hot spring wheren you're supposed to relax! (does that make me sound old?) :)

My car! officially named Seraphina, but her nickname is Ticki-two (I can't help it, i just started calling her it.) there's a bit of rust, but she runs great, and best of all, she was free! Thanks Uncle Brian!

the long drive home. but with Tara for company, it was all good.

too tired

well, I was going to try to post all my pics and tell of my daring (ha!) adventures in the homeland, but frankly I'm pooped, I instead I'm going to leave the 5-6 pics I've posted (in their messed up order) until tomorrow sometime (or maybe even wednesday). sorry, but sleep comes first!