Snow in Victoria?

Okay, so it has snowed in Victoria before...but not in amounts like this!! It started snowing Sat night and hasnt stopped since. We now have over a foot of snow, which is outrageous in a city that doesnt even own a snowplow! I woke up this morning and thank God I have boots (fur ones, they are cute). The snow was almost to my knees and my poor car was buried! I unfortunately trudged almost all the way to the bus stop before my roomie called to tell me that the University was closed and the buses weren't running. Damn, I should have checked first but I grew up with snow and nothing was ever closed on its account-you dealt with it. So I trudged home, took some beautiful pictures on my street and then spent 20 mins cleaning off my car.
I had to laugh at the people of Victoria-they are completely helpless when it comes to snow. I saw one girl cleaning off her car with a flip-flop and my landlord was trying to shovel her driveway with a garden shovel! ha ha ha ha. The lights keep flickering and I hope we don't lose power. I am very grateful for the snow closure as Mondays are my long day at school (8am-6pm) and now I have an extra day to work on my Brtish essay.

So it seems that I really don't have anything to complain about, especially since my mom just e-mailed to tell me that it is -39 in Calgary with the wind chill...brrr. And I know Edmonton is not pleasant right now either. But hey-I put my time in AB and I remember all too well the frozen days. I can't honestly say that I miss them.I have one week of classes left, another week of finals and then...FREEDOM!!
Oh, and 27 more sleeps until CHRISTMAS!

Hitler Couldn't Drive!

I think it is about high time I started writing about history. Seeing as how I plan on making my career about history I thought I should start integrating it into my life wherever I can. While I have chosen Canadian history as my special focus, my blogs will reflect whatever tidbit of history I am currently learning about. This may include American, British, Japanese, etc. Do not take this to mean that from now on I will only write about history-nah-I write what I want, when I want. I can’t promise anything.

This semester I was lucky enough to have chosen “The History of the Automobile in America,” as a class. Besides being a very interesting class….I finally discovered where UVic has been hiding all the men! This class has kept me so interested that I have explored many topics on my own time. One of the most fascinating to me was the advent of the autobahn.

For those of you not aware, autobahn is the German word for highway. Auto-bahn=auto-course. Credit for the first autobahn must be given to the Italians. However, the autobahn in Germany was actually created with great support from Adolf Hitler. He saw the autobahn as a military advantage that would move troops and vehicles across the country in a quick and efficient manner. While the autobahn does not have a speed limit, it does have a recommended speed of 130 km/h. Oh how I wished I lived in Germany after reading this!! The autobahn is 12,000 km long with plans for future expansion.

The autobahn was not the only automobile-related interest and creation of Hitler. He also wanted to produce an affordable car that would beat out Ford’s Model T (the #1 most affordable automobile in the early 1900’s). Apparently Hitler had a picture of Ford on his wall for inspiration but this could be fabricated info. Anyway, Hitler hired Ferdinand Porsche (yes, creator of the hottest cars on earth-Porsches) to create and design an affordable automobile. Enter the Volkswagen.

While all of these facts are extremely interesting, I found the most interesting part to be that Hitler couldn’t drive! A car enthusiast who couldn’t drive! Oh well, you don’t have to be Chinese to enjoy Chinese food.

My information was obtained from “Cars and Culture: The Life Story of Technology,” by Rudi Volti. Additional facts can be found at Wikipedia and I have added their link to my site.

Meet my Friends

So-I have decided that I should introduce my friends and give an explanation of their links. I recently explored a link off another blogger's site and found it quite entertaining. I thought that maybe if I explain who my links are, then some of you might explore their sites and find them interesting as well.

*It should be noted that I have received permission from the following parties to disclose information about them*

We will start with Wayne because he is the one who introduced me to blogging and he is by far the most dedicated blogger I know. I met Wayne in Grade 12 and since then we have always kept in touch despite the obstacle of distance (I love the internet). Wayne's site is always filled with current events about his life and especially his knowledge on mites. He is kind, generous, and intelligent and always makes me laugh. He is an incredible photographer, snapping artistic shots of whatever he happens to encounter while biking home. His blogs are quite humorous and worth checking out.

Lise is my aunt-she lives in Calgary and I really must credit her for expanding my cultural knowledge of city life. It was Lise that took me to the theatre, introduced me to sushi (forever grateful), balsamic vinegar (do I smell something rotting in the fridge?) and taught me about LEAP. Lise is incredibly entertaining and loves to be the centre of attention (being a Leo and all she can’t help it). She is incredibly active with ice climbing (her passion) and her site is filled with her recent mountain escapades. There is never a dull moment when Lise is around!

I have known Bobbie since grade 2 and out of all my friends she is the best at keeping in touch. After years of following each other around BC and AB (PG-Nanaimo-Calgary-Vancouver Island), Bobbie has settled on the beautiful island of Gabriola and is busy opening her Blue Apples Health and Wellness Store (Nov 25th!) and raising her adorable daughter Magdalene. The link for Bobbie will take you to her Blue Apples site where she explains what exactly blue apples are and what it has to offer. Bobbie is generous, dedicated, has a great sense of humour and is always willing to listen. Her site is filled with incredible knowledge on Chakra and Reiki as well as crystal and gemstone healing-check it out!

So that ends the description of my friends, I hope you check out their links. If you have a blog or website, let me know and I would be glad to add you to my list. I visit my friend’s sites on a regular basis and it’s a great way to “stay in the know” about what is going on in their lives.

Hallowe'en

I have to say that I am really just a big kid when it comes to holidays. I love Hallowe'en and when I was a kid Hallowe'en was always a big deal to us. I remember my dad taking us to pick out pumpkins and we would buy 4 or 5 and spend a night carving them up. On Hallowe'en we used to set them up around the backyard and then have a bonfire-it was really cool.
Last Saturday I went to my friend Laura's place to help her decorate. We then headed to Galey's farm where they had a haunted house and a corn maze. The haunted mansion was really well done and I screamed my lungs out (after telling my friends I "wasn't a screamer"). To be honest we all screamed except Clay, cause he's a guy I guess. Afterwards we went in the corn maze which totally freaked me out because its dark and reaches way above you and you can hear it rustling...the momvie signs kept creeping into my mind and I just grabbed onto Courtney and walked with her through the maze. In the middle of the maze was another haunted town and it was so neat how they had it set up, looking like a ghost town.

Laura and I went to her house afterward to get ready for a house party. We were dressing up (in the spirit people, in the spirit) and she was going as Marilyn Monroe and I went as Audrey Hepburn from "Breakfast in Tiffany's." We were old style Hollywood! Clay was a zombie and did his make-up well. The house party sucked so we took off and went to Plan B, a popular club. There were some really great costumes and as usual some really shitty ones. I am so sick of girls taking the opportunity to dress slutty...its really getting old and where is your sense of pride?? I saw way to many nurses and schoolgirls, it was gross. Some of the best costumes I saw was a guy dressed as lego, another as Where's Waldo and the best was a group of people who went as the Kokanee commercial-you know with the mountie and saskwatch and Kokanee girls?? It was really well done. The Saskwatch was even carrying a case of Kokanee, which was a nice touch.
So tomorrow is Halloween and then the countdown to Christmas begins...I am already excited for that! I am taking Jamie trick or treating tomorrow night and then Laura, Jyo and I are going to drive to Sydney because apparently they have a very scary haunted house there-the best on the island. I'm already excited because I love to be scared.
I hope everyone has a Happy Hallowe'en!

Autumn!

Well, we are well into fall and I love it. Thinking back over the years fall really
has always been my favourite season. September always brought the excitment of school starting, for I am one of those annoying people who really love school.
October brings Thanksgiving (turkey and pumpkin pie!) as well as Hallowe'en.
I love the crisp smell fall has, yet the breeze is still warm. The colours are the best part-orange, red, yellow and light green in flashes. I like to kick leaves when I walk and when I was a kid I loved to jump into piles of leaves!
I guess I really love the change that fall brings...usually I hate change but fall eases you into change so that you embrace it. I like to think I change for the better every fall....but I couldnt really tell you if that was true or not. I did dye my hair a dark brown-wash out of course. But this is what my natural colour is...when it eventually grows out.
So I am settled into the grind of school-5 classes that I love (3 History, 1 English literature and one Japanese lit class) and boy do they keep me busy. I have no midterms and only 3 finals but essays every week! I work twice a week and play indoor soccer Wednesday nights and attend Pilates on Thursdays. I have joined the History club and we have a pub crawl coming up soon...I have my own personal reasons for attending, especially since it is on a Wednesday night!
I long ago settled into my new ground floor suite with my roomie, and best friend of 17 years, Jyoti. We get along quite well as it seems we are both freaks (is consumption contagious??) heh heh, and we both love food more than we should admit. Our place is small and cozy and the picture shows just how crazy everything was on moving day-what a mess! I apologize that the pictures are not of good quality-I think I need to tinker with my camera.

I do miss the company of Pete and Kristi and without Jamie's hugs and laughter some days are a bit lonely. But I have Riley and he is very happy and we have a good routine here. I have included a picture of Riley helping me study.

I take Jamie to school Wednesday mornings (the only morning I dont have class or work) and I go to her dance and swim lessons every Saturday morning (which leaves Sunday as my only sleep-in day). I don't complain though because really-the busier I am the happier.
I had a pleasant surprise a few weeks ago when my Uncle Darren and his wife Chrystal showed up for a visit. We had a very nice evening of walking down by the harbour and an enjoyable dinner with a view of the parliament buildings. It was so good to see them again as we get along so well and my uncle and I have a history of good timse. After all, I lived with him for 3 years and the stories we could tell you! It was nice to see how happy he and Chrystal are together and I couldnt be happier for them.
Well, I dont really have much else to say...I really only wrote in here because it has been so long and I keep getting harassed (in a good way) by Wayne. Are you happy now Wayne? I hope so because knowing me I might not write in here again for 3 months!
Anyway, I hope everyone else is enjoying fall as much as I am, I will write again...when I write!

A Weekend in Vancouver!

So I spent last weekend in Van with Jyo and her friends....it was totally wicked. Trying to ignore the fact that I got hardly any sleep Friday night before I left and almost missed the ferry....I did make it you know.

Anyway, Friday night Laura called me out of the blue and we ended up heading down to Centennial Square and listening to "City and Colour" live, we couldnt get tickets so we watched through the fence. We met up with her friends afterwards and headed to "The Mint" for some drinks that kept us there until around 2. It was great fun and Laura and her friends are very cool.

I had to catch the 8 o'clock ferry the next day and after 4 hours sleep....I didnt actually get to the ferry until 8. I was told that I was too late but the nice ferry lady managed to get me on (phewf) and despite the rough ride (oh barf), I made it to Van in good shape. Jyo and I hit the mall first (Sam & Jyo style) before getting some great sushi for lunch. She took me to her place, which is so cute and she has the nicest roomies!! After a huge dinner of two, yes-count 'em two-veggies burgers, we got ready and headed out to meet up with her friends.

I have never met Jyo's friends before, so I wasnt sure what to expect. They were awesome. They were the nicest, funniest, coolest girls ever. I am not kidding. They were so easy going and made me feel like I was part of the "group." We immediatly got along and had a blast. We had trouble getting into a club because we didnt get downtown until well after eleven, but the journey down was hilarious. I was opening drinks on church steps, truck bumpers and whatever else I could find!! Sukdeep was climbing trees and Jyo was all business in getting a cab! I have great pictures posted throughout this blog, will not even try to explain them! Well, 6 girls never had so much fun, it was a pretty wicked night. We did get in a club but it was dead...played good music though.

On Sunday we met up for lunch on Granville Island and then toured around for a bit before I had to head out to the ferry. I got practically no sleep but it was worth it. I hope they come and visit Jyo and I often this year.

A Week in Winfield

Hello, hello!

I am back from holidays and I had a great time. Above is the view we had from our place on Okanagan Lake in Winfield BC.
I arrived in Kelowna Saturday morning and my grandparents came and picked me up. On they way back to their place in Vernon, my parents called to say that they arrived and were waiting for me. We had managed to find a place to stay in Winfield, a basement suite of a house on the lake. However, by the time we got there, launched the boat and unpacked, we were way too tired to do anything. Its kind of pathetic but we were all in bed by 9 because nobody had slept the night before.
On Sunday we were total keeners! We were up at 7 and on the water by 9. Unfortunately the weather was not kind to us at all. It was windy and cold and we had trouble getting on the boat because of the waves. But we were on holidays and determined to get out on the water. We toured the shore for a bit and the houses down there, I mean mansions.....wow. I wish I had money! The featured house is just one of many "chateaus" that we saw. By noon it had warmed up a little although we still had not seen the sun. My dad tied us to a buoy in a small bay and I went swimming. The water was surprisingly warm and eventually everyone went in. We had buoyed in an area surrounded by cliffs of rock. Being the adventurous girl that I am, I swam up to the rocks and attempted to jump off of them...but there were too many rocks under the water for me to actually jump. But the rocks had caves, very cool.
So Sunday was a bit of a bust, we headed home shortly after that and called it a day. It was unfortunate we never got to do any boarding.
Monday was awesome! We were (again) the first people on the lake (9am) and mom and I sunned on the front of the boat while dad putted by the shore and dreamed of a lakehouse of his own. The lake was like glass and it was very hot out. I volunteered to be the first to try our new wakeboard and I have to admit I was a little scared. I needed have been, it was really easy. For those of you who have not wakeboarded but have waterskied....wakeboarding is so much easier. I hate waterskiing but I love wakeboarding. Its amazing how a little board and some speed can make you glide on water. The feeling is so cool. Being the cocky 24 year old I am, I had to try hot doggin on my first go. So I began to carve and then got gusty and crossed the wake...successfully! But then on my way back over the wake I tried to jump and found out that the board did not jump with me! That was when I did my first (yes, first) faceplant of the week. It was very painful and my chest and stomach was so sore and I felt like throwing up. Apparently that is not how you "get air." I was a little bit more cautious after that. The rest of the day went well, bouncing back and forth between wakeboarding, kneeboarding and swimming. Mom did very well on the wakeboard and dad was content to just "drive the boat." (Here is a picture of when I was up, I dont have my eyes closed, I am just checking out the board).

Tuesday was such a bad day that we didnt even get on the water. Instead we went into Kelowna and shopped and went mini-golfing and then out for lunch. It was a really quiet day and we ended it with a swim and a movie.
Wednesday was gorgeous and that was the day my grandparents came out. We actually drove the boat to a marina where we could dock it and get lunch. Grandma and Grandpa met up with us there and then spent the rest of the day boating with us. I showed off my boarding skills (they were improving) and had no major wipeouts. In the evening we got to tour a cherry farm as my grandma's cousin runs it. It was 5 mins down from where we were staying and it was so cool! You wouldnt believe the amount of people it takes to pick and sort cherries! The staff was 90% Mexicans as they cant get the locals to sort cherries for 9 hours a day. They spoke little or no english and translators were present. But the cherries are transported by water so that they dont get bruised or cut and they are sorted by size (largest is best of course). It was very neat to see the process and surprising to find out that they are the biggest market in fruit and that 70% of the cherries are sent overseas to Japan. After the tour we were given a bag of the "exoport (best)" cherries and I have never tasted better cherries. They must package what they pick everyday so only the freshest cherries are sent out. We ended that day with many margaritas garnished with cherries!
Thursday was another beautiful day like Wednesday and we did a lot of boarding and swimming.Here is a picture of dad going out to get the boat in the morning. His boat is very beautiful.

On Friday, our last day of holidays, the weather was shit. It was warm but very windy and so we decided to head into town and visit my Uncle Bill and cousin Brad, who just recently moved to Winfield. They have a very nice brand new house and after getting the tour we headed out for lunch at a place called "Turtle Bay Pub." We got a seat out on the patio by the water and to our surprise there were actually turtles in the water! Of course my dad couldn't resist and continuously fed them fries for the whole meal. The turtles never got any because the ducks and large fish were much faster. I swear Winfield is going to have some ducks with heart disease after that! When we finished lunch, the sun had come out and, even though it was still a little windy, we headed back to our place to enjoy the lake for the last time.
We toured my uncle and cousin up the shores a little to show them the huge homes and then I said I wanted to go boarding. I got up the first time and it was fun and I eventually wiped out. I decided to go again and everything was fine..then I decided to cross the wake. Big mistake. Oh, I had done it all week long with no problems....not this time. With such speed that I had no time to react, I hit the water face first. And I blacked out. Now, for those of you not understanding what water feels like at that speed, let me help you out. It feels like concrete. No other words for it than that. I dont really remember much, not what happen to the board (it was ripped off my feet, that is how hard I hit because I was strapped in good) and the next thing I knew dad was beside me with the boat. When I finally came around, I was scared shitless because I couldnt see anything. I actually put my hands on my face to make sure I still had eyes....oh I know you are laughing but that is how scared I was. I hit the water so hard that the left half of my face was NUMB for almost a quarter of an hour. Its like after you get a cavity filled and they have frozen your lip and you keep poking it and you dont feel nothin...yeah, like that. Oh, but then I tried to breathe...big mistake. I had, apparently, taken in a lot of water in my nose and it tried to go down my throat and I panicked because I was disorientated, hurt and I couldnt breathe. My poor uncle was perched on the swimgrid, posed to dive in for me. Instead, he pulled me out and I just laid on the boat gasping for air and doing my best not to cry in front of my 15 year old cousin. I eventually got air in my lungs and ahold of myself and, standing up, is when I realized how much pain I was in. My right arm was so sore that I could not lift it up. I must have hung onto the rope for a second when I hit the water and as a result I had badly pulled the muscles in my right arm. The face got better, the arm did not. Needless to say I did not do anymore wakeboarding that day. The wipeout must have looked as bad as it felt because there was no way in hell my cousin was going to try wakeboarding after my wipeout. Mom did, she is such a gutsy little thing. Check out her wicked boarding style.Brad did go kneeboarding (he rocks) and he did go tubing. I huddled on the floor of the boat, wrapped in a towel, craddling my arm. As far as I was concerned, holidays was over for me right then and there. The rest of the day was not so bad. It was practically over anyway. We headed back to shore, loaded the boat on the truck and had some dinner with drinks. We went for one last evening swim after dinner but I swam badly as I couldnt use my right arm. I was like a doodle-bug going around in a circle with my one good arm. It was pathetic.
If I thought the next day would be better...I was very wrong. You never really discover how many muscles your body has until you cant move them. My neck was stiff as a board, my right arm (although I could lift it) hurt like hell and all the muscles in my right thigh had been pulled too. I had to pick up my leg to get my shorts on....pathetic! Oh, did I mention the headache??? Oh yeah, the head-splitting, dizzy, make you want to throw up headache that lasted for 3 days!!! I have never been in so much pain in my life! Without a doubt I had a slight concussion and I hope to never get one again.
My dad felt bad but it really wasnt his fault. I liked to go fast, I find it easier to control and I dont really know what happen..one minute I was crossing the wake and the next-SLAM!

So its Tuesday and you are wondering the long term effects? Yesterday was a great day, no headache (I will not tell the number of pills consumed over the weekend)and the pains were not so bad. Today I hurt and I can feel the strain in my neck, not to mention the back pain....oh god its bad. So I am planning on going to massage therapy this week, boy do I need it.
So you are asking me, "Was it worth it?"
Hell yes!

HOLIDAYS

Wahoo! I am so excited because on Saturday I leave for a week in the Okanagan! I love the beach and I love hot weather. I am flying in early Sat morning and then my grandparents will pick me up and take me to their place. My parents will arrive later that day and then we will head out to some small house on the lake somewhere.... I don't really know where but I don't really care. For an entire week I will swim in the lake, tube, kneeboard, wakeboard and drive the boat! Did I mention I will be drinking margaritas and wine? oh yes, yes I will. I'm just a little excited.
So what is happening in my life lately? Not very much. My second family (the one I am currently living with) is away on vacation, out to Seattle and then Kelowna. I really hate big empty houses and I haven't slept well since they left. I miss getting daily hugs from Jamie too. Hopefully we will cross paths in Kelowna but I don't really know what their plans are..or ours. This is a picture of China Beach, we went there on Canada day, isn't it beautiful?

I am keeping busy by organizing and cleaning and baking! I know I am going to sound lame but I absolutely love watching the Food Network. I watch it more than any other channel and I know all the shows. My favs are Everyday Italian, Chef at Home, Barefoot Contessa and Iron Chef. I love to recreate what they make and not many people are willing to test it out (I am good...most of the time). Still, its fun. I made a banana cake with cream cheese icing (my favourite) and I made cookies the other day too.
Of course, mostly I am busy looking for a place to live and its been hard. You can't be choosy at all. I think we did find one though and we are very lucky as the location rocks and the Landlords are very nice. Its small but I don't need a lot of room ;) Hopefully we will be happy there.
This last picture is of our makeshift shelter at China Beach. It was rather cold when we went and the wind was brutal. I noticed that people all down the beach were making walls out of the driftwood so we did the same. What a difference it made! Despite the cold, I still braved the wind and hit the waves!

Thoughts

Does anybody believe in karma? I totally believe in it and I think it defines who we are as people. Good stuff happens to good people right? Many would disagree with that statement, I even do sometimes. But eventually really good things happen that you realize it just took so long to get to you, like slow shipping. So when I am having really bad days, I try and do something really nice - like hold a door open for someone, pay a compliment or give attention to someone who needs it....even when I dont want too. I cant help think that one day when I need it, someone will do something nice for me. It happens all the time. I am very fortunate to have some pretty fantastic people in my life...I dont know what I would do without them. There are those who let you down..certain individuals in my family for one or even people who I once called friends. But none of that really matters when you think of your life and what you have in it. We are so lucky to live where we do and have what we have. Its too bad so many of us take it for granted. I used to take it for granted but then I moved to Victoria and I have had so much time to myself that I feel I have rediscovered who I am. Everyday I am thankful for the people in my life and the things around me. So every now and then I stop. Just stop. And I think of how thankful I am for my family, my job, my good health and loyal friends. When I do that, the problems of the day.....fade into the background.

A Summer Walk

My dearest blogmates, I must apologize for the delay in my writing. I have just been....lazy! You know how it is, summer, sunshine...the beach!!
Anyway, here are some pictures of my most recent walk:
This first one is the path of which I walk....its very peaceful and not that busy (except on the weekends). I absolutely love how surrounded I am by the forest.

This is the cat I always see in the farmers field chasing birds and mice. He is a brillant colour and I caught him mid-hunt on some birds.

This is an amazing shot of a Maple Leaf against the blue of the afternoon sky. It really stands out...great representation for Canada!

This is the environmental habitat lake that I walk too. It was a great night for a shot and the reflections turned out beautiful.

This little guy was sitting on the bridge over the lake and he was more than happy to pose for me while I took a dozen (at the least) shots of him. This was my best shot.

Yet again another shot of the lake. Lily pad surround it, providing shelter and food for ducks, fish and turtles.

I came accross these guys by accident, I was so focused on the lake that I almost pushed them off the bridge! I call them my lovebirds although I think they are really just buds catching the last of the evening rays and huddling for warmth. The one on the right totally ignored me until the last shot when he decided to crack his eye to see what the hell I was disturbing him for.

And that's about it for my photos. I dont think I will have too many new ones from my walk for awhile...unless something really cool pops up. I would love to find a turtle but they are hard to catch on land or close to the surface....still I wont give up, I wont!
Buenos Noches

Went for a Walk

Hello All!

So I have a new hobby and its walking (and taking pictures). I know it sounds really lame but I have never felt better. I was kind of pissed off one night so I decided to blow off steam by taking a walk and I decided to check out a trail we have behind our house...it is an awesome trail. Its called "Lochside" and it is a forest trail that runs through farmland, you can see horses and cows to deer and bunnies on your walk. I usually go for an hour and that means making it all the way to the Environmental Habitat lake that is actually very pretty and not as marshy as you would think. Anyway, on these walks I always encounter the most beautiful foilage and wild animals everywhere. Tonight I was smart enough to take my camera and here are a few shots of what I came accross.
The picture above is a view of Mount Doug, taken after I climbed a very steep hill to get the shot.


Only one of the hundreds (no joke) of slugs I come accross on my walks. Last night there were so many fat, black ones but of course I couldnt even find one tonight...how does that work?

Only now can you fully appreciate their size. Please try to keep in mind that they fall from the trees......

I can't identify this flower until I have spoken to my mom. I think its beautiful and I found it on my way up the steep hill to take the picture of Mt. Doug.

Here is a little star flower, delicate and the only one on the bush.

I thought this was the cutest thing!

I had to stop and take a look at what surrounded me. Even the view above was breathtaking and I felt sheltered under my canopy of trees.
I enjoy every walk as much or more than the last one and I plan on taking many more pictures (I need the practice). Let me know what you think!

Futurama!

Hello blogmates!
Welcome June and bring on the sunshine and hot weather! I need to hit the beach in a bad way and I need some good weather to do so. I would have to say that last month's weather was rather shitty for Victoria and I really need a good June to make up for it, so far so good.

Are there any Futurama fans out there? I'm a freak for the show as it makes me laugh my ass off whenever I watch it. My fellow co-worker Warren is also a fan and we like to exchange Futurama quotes over MSN. Damn there are some good ones, here is just a sample:
Bender: That's no flying saucer! That's my ASS!

Fry: I bet Leelas waiting for a nice guy with one eye.
Bender: That'll take forever. What she should do is find a nice guy with two eyes, and poke one of them out.

Leela: Now strip naked and get on the probulator!

Captain Zapp Brannigan: Kif, I have mated with a woman. Inform the men.

Prof: Who are those horrible orange men over there?
Guide: Why they're the Grunca Luncas. They work here in the slurm factory.
Prof: Tell them I hate them!

You really can't help but love Futurama. I have not seen every episode (I never know when it is on) but luckily for me Pete is also a huge fan and has all the seaons. So I am slowly making my way through and I have the entire first season completed. Hands down the best episode is the "Slurm Factory" where Fry discovers that his favourite beer "Slurm" is actually slug excretment! ha ha ha ha. OMG!

Well, I think I could talk forever on Futurama but I will end it now...more quotes and pictures to come! Stay tuned!

The Month of May

Okay, its been an eventful month! I always love the month of May....warm weather, no school and most importantly-my birthday! I can't believe I am turning 24 already. I think back to when I first moved to Calgary and everything that happened over the years.....I can't believe I am turning 24!
I took off to Vernon the first week of May. My grandparents just moved there and they have this wonderful spot on the lake and it was bloody hot while I was there! 33 degrees but trust me, four margaritas will cool you down fast! I spent four days in Vernon and then my grandparents drove me home (I flew down). I think I gained 10lbs while I was there, my grandmother cooked all my favourites for me-ribs, chicken, cheesecake, caesar salad, etc. It was great. The best thing of all was that my parents drove down to see me for one afternoon/evening! It was a surprise and I was so happy to see them, especially my dad because I hadn't seen him since Christmas. We had a really good visit. My grandparents stayed in Victoria for 4 days, visiting the family and travelling to Nanaimo, before heading back and taking my great grandfather with them (he lives here).
I have eased into the grind of full-time work and I am busy! I love being busy, but having deadlines puts a little stress on you. We just launched version 2.5 and I think everyone in the office is breathing a little easier now. We celebrated with cheesecake.
I got really good news last Sunday night. My best friend Jyoti (since grade 2) called me up and told me that she had decided to move to Victoria to take Law at Uvic. I am very proud of her for getting accepted (Uvic is one of the top two law schools in Canada) and super excited that she is moving here. We are going to be roomies (of course) and already I am busy looking for a place for us to live. Kristi is going to drive around with me tomorrow to help me look. I can't wait! It is rather funny that this is happening because when Jyo and I were about 10 years old, we used to sit in her room and talk about how we were going to go to Uvic and live together...14 yrs later -BAM! ha ha ha , its pretty cool, not everyone's dreams come true.
I met a cute guy....that is all I am saying right now because there is really nothing else to tell.

We have had great weather lately and I am already tan! Burnt my legs accidentally as they were the only part of me I forgot to re-apply sunscreen to in the afternoon...paying for it now-ouch!
It was so nice last Sunday afternoon that I hit the beach. I took some pictures of interesting things because Wayne always does and I want to copy him. Our pictures will be very different though...bet you dont have one of these Wayne!

Anyway....long time since I have wrote in here and now I have babbled on. I think I will go and put on a movie. Ciao.

Evolution!

Oh my GOD! I hate to take the name of the Lord in vain...oh wait, no I dont. Anyway...
Okay, here is a funny story. I was invited to go out with my friend Rachel and a couple of her girlfriends to a club called EVOLUTION last Wednesday night. I had to work the next day but it was a celebration of the fini of finals and I so desperately needed a night out. It was girls only and we had so much fun. Rachel told me to meet them at the club at 9, which I thought was early and she told me this at 8:15 when I wasn't even ready! So in record time I was downtown (okay, 9:15pm) and walking the 4 blocks or so to get there. Now, several people told me it was in shady part of town...I didn't meet a single person and it didnt look to shabby. Yet I have been in the best of places in Calgary at night and you meet the scariest individuals. Whatever, I'm a city girl now and nothing can scare me! Anyway, I got to the club and no one was there!! I don't just mean my friends, I mean no one.It was kind of weird. The club had just opened and there was no cover before 10, so I walked in and met no one. The music was going (yeah retro night!) ha ha and there were lights and smoke and all but it was the smallest club I have ever seen! Once again, being accustomed to the multiple level clubs in Calgary....

I didn't want to look like an idiot sitting by myself in a deserted club so I went over and started chatting it up with the (very cute I might add) bartender. His name was Joe and he has been working there for 10 years, even thought he is only 24. I bought a drink and a friend of his walked in. Now, his friend was a very intimidating man on first look. He was older..30ish maybe and he had long hair, he was big and looked like a bouncer. Joe invited me over to talk to them and so I sat down. I discovered that the man was J-man and he owned the tatoo shop accross the street. Well, that explained the tatoos of the naked women on his arms! He was really sweet though and made me feel comfortable right away! I met the DJ, the other bartender (Vinny) and the server (Jennifer). I chatted with them for an hour before my friends came (apparently they were waiting outside for me...oops!) I thanked them kindly for keeping me company and we went and sat down at a table. Two minutes later Jennifer brought me over a drink from Joe and J-man! I met Rachel's friends and they were so nice and we had a lot of fun together. I made sure to stop by the bar and say hi to J-man, Jennifer and Joe occasionnally. We danced for hours and everytime I went to the bar, my drink was on Joe. I know he has a girlfriend but he was really kind. I tipped him really well at the end of the night and he took my hand and asked me to come back. I promised I would and I will. It was a great night and made me feel really good to have made some friends. I think the whole night was halarious and so unlike me. I dont just approach people and start chatting it up with strangers in a club. That's not me! But I guess it was that night and it worked out ok! I recommend you do the same! All in all, it was a really great night.