so I had a dream where I was laughing at some silly thing - a camera taking photos of three old ladies as it is dropped on the ground (don't ask) - and as i was laughing in the dream, I could actually feel myself physically chuckling, and i couldn't stop myself! it was very bizarre... i've never done that before. anyone else have weird dream experiences like that?
maybe i shouldn't have had a peice of toast before bed...










went home last week for 5 days to catch the tail end of my grandparent's 50th wedding anniversary celebration, which was lots of fun. saw family I haven't seen in a couple of years, it was especially nice to hang out with my cousins. one night we played pool at Mike's Place, and took over all three (yes 3, that's all of them) pool tables. (and man do I suck!) I even got to go to a belly dancing class with my momma (not so much dancing on my part more like awkward wiggling) ;) went out in the Dad's boat (which used to be my grandpa's) and cruised along the lake (well river acutally) tried to catch chips in our mouths. it was fun.
played alot of this cool game called Blokus, and played frisbee with the brothers . then I got to fly back on thursday, and head to work. Oona picked me up at the airport, and so I had a couple of hours before I had to leave. When I got into my car and went to start it, nothing happened. the brake wouldn't press down, and when I turned the key nothing happened! So basically, i was going to be late for work. I phoned to let them know I'd be late, over and hour because of the stupid bus schedule. So I was sitting there waiting, staring blankly at the clock and cursing myself, when I heard the downstairs neighbours come home. eureka! I thought, I could get a boost. So I go downstairs to ask. (and I might add that they've managed to make it look quite nice down there, way better than me and crystal had it) Rena said no problem, but once we got outside we realized that neither of us had jumper cables... argh! So i was resigning myself back to the bus, but she offered to let me take her car! i just had to put gas in it. and I barely even know her! It was very sweet. I was only 45 minutes late, and the other supervisor didn't have to do overtime. whew!
on sunday, the last night of Folkfest, me and crystal and violet and allen went down to see Ladysmith Black Mombazo, and they were terrific! the ole back was aching with all the standing and neck craning, but they were fun, and the sound was amazing. a good end to folkfest.
Last night, me and Crystal and Tara, made mini pizzas (sooo good!) and watched Bride and Predjudice... my mom asked whether it was and epic. an epic in cheesiness! I think we laughed more from how cheesy it was than the actual intentional funny parts in the movie. But that's not to say it was a bad film. but it was definately no Monsoon Wedding that's for sure. but during the film, someone knocked on the door, and it was our next door neighbour (not the old couple, the others) and he was like "I think our cat is locked in your shed." WHAT??? apparently the cat had snuck in there when crystal was mowing the lawn and hid in the back so she didn't notice when she closed it. the poor thing was in there for almost 2 days! I felt so cruel! but he was very nice about it. just happy to have his cat back.
spent all day downtown today (yuck) went shopping, got the hair cut, wandered for way too long. But I did get a cute black tank top from Jacob. Then I went to Tara's for supper (mmm. burritos!) and we went to the Vic Theater to watch Ladies in Lavender, a very sweet movie. (although Tara was so tired that she fell asleep a couple of times, poor dear)
Now it's bed time. Here's hoping that tomorrow is actually hot and sunny so I can go swimming for the first time this summer!

Finally! A weekend! Will post more soon, with pictures!
More on Folkfest, flights home, fireworks, Bollywood, cats in sheds, and strange dreams tomorrow!
a big fattie of a post! with no exclamation marks! I promise!
Goodnight!

sweet sleep, that's all I need, a whole day of sleep to get caught up.

So I made it through the first "Fireworks" of the season yesterday. barely. I closed on friday til 12am and then had to open on saturday at 7:45am. Needless to say I didn't sleep much. BUT, what I did sleep through is my alarm clock, as it was set for 6:15pm! I woke up at 7:13am basically jumped out of bed, cursing oh shit oh shit as I threw on my work clothes, threw everything in to my bag, ran into the bathroom, brushed my teeth with shaky hands because the were still in sleep land, put my hair up pretty much how it was the night before, and ran out the door at 7:17am. I've never been out of the house so fast. (no I understand what crystal used to do when she had a morning shift at the deli) I made it to work with 5 minutes to spare! And while it wasn't pretty, I made it through my shift, managed to deal with the excess of staff and then got home and showered! And then my day got much better. Me and crystal had yummy rice wraps for dinner, then we rode our bikes down to the Inner Harbour for Folkfest, and met Violet and Tara there, and grooved to the beat of Marimba Mazuva, the victoria marimba band, and Oliver Mutikutzi a wicked musician from Zimbabewe. It was fabulous! And to top it off, we walked our bikes to Tara's new place and sipped hot chocolate (well I had lemonade) and chatted for a while. It was lovely. Her place is quite cute. I plan on hanging out there more ofter. (okay Tara?) :) and best of all. I got to come home and sleep!

It's getting better. In an hour or so, I'm getting a ride to the airport from Crystal and I'm flying home for a few days for my grandparent's 50th wedding anniversary! (well I've missed the ceremony which was yesterday, but all the family is still there and we're having a big dinner at my parents place tonight) Thanks to Sue, my sweet friend and co worker who is taking my shifts for me.
But I guess I should go pack!

to swim or not to swim...

spectacle lake

with oona

a day off in the sun

zzzzz......

that's what i want to be doing. tomorrow marks day 6 of official Supervisor duties and boy am I exhausted! ( I was supposed to have tomorrow off, but on of our other supervisors is very sick, so I''m going to work tuesday and she'll work thursday for me... here's hoping she's feeling better!) My poor brain feels bruised. too many neurons trying to fire at once. I can't wait for wednesday! But there has been some good laughter, especially today. first, me and Helen had good fun during lunch, something about plumbs and nostrils - you had to be there; and then my sweet friend Nadya is visiting, so I went for dinner with her and her sister and by the end, well, let's just say that there was snorting involved, and tears too. and perhaps strange looks from the other patrons sitting near us. it was delicious. and the food was too. ;)

yes I am holding a glass of champagne. we were toasting... it tasted gross

my sweet friends

sidetrack... our garden. isn't it cute?

mmmm, mmmm... tastey kabobs (sp?)

poor Tara, still has another year before she graduates...

silly pappa

me and Tara's classic pose...

so many of us... so colourful... so long...

obligatory grad photo

west coast BBQ

What do you get when you put chilly weather, shish-ka-bobs (sp?), potato salad, roasted red pepper and feta dip (mmmmmm!), gooey apple walnut cake, ambrosia, alcohol(champagne too!), parents, friends and university graduations together? you get a fun-filled evening at my house. And what fun it was.
aside from the rather painful/embarassing moments when various adults but you on the spot, asked those "questions" (what do you think about your education? are you using it in your job?)
it was an all around good time. the food was excellent (horray for the bbq working!), as was the company.
Now all I have to get though is tomorrow's convocation ceremony, and I'm FINITO!

p.s. pictures to follow. ;)

ah screw it...

I was going to try to do a more inventive, artsy, funky blog, but frankly I don't have the time or energy right now for that. So, I'm just going to put down whatever I've got in the moment, however I feel like it. so there. Seeing how this is my blog, I'm not sure why I'm trying to justify this to the 6-7 who actually bother reading it, but well, there you go.

So my parents are coming to town tomorrow evening for my convocation on thursday, and I'm pretty excited. I hope my brother Jesse is going to make it too, since he's never visited me here before. It's going to be a busy house though as Crystal's parents will be in town too. I'm all about the BBQ we're having on wed. night. here's hoping the grill works!

The garden is growing like crazy (okay, maybe not crazy-like, but them potatoes are givener!) I'll have to post a pic soon. and our roses are bee-utiful! I love eating from the garden, it just tastes that much better. mmmmm....

but it's time to get the butt in gear. gotta hem my new pants (those high-waisted ones I was talking about... ugh), clean the room, and make everything pretty for the parents. aw.

what i saw today

... a percolation of coffee urns, a striping of surpervisors, a murder of crows...

she hasn't quite got it all figured out yet. her brain is still on information overload. so much that she's had to have a nap the last two afternoons.

In high-waisted pants, a leaky back tire, and a brian full of jumbled facts, she faces the day. Is she out save the helpless? rid the world of terror? find the cure for all diseases? no, not this time.
She is
simply
a supervisor in training.

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!