When did the Trees turn Yellow?

It's a Mellow Yellow...



Yesterday I mostly stayed inside except for going out to the concert, and by then it was dark... So imagine my surprise upon venturing out today at seeing the trees almost completely and uniformely yellow. "When did the trees turn yellow?" I managed, surprised. The answer, from Quynn was "yesterday." Duncan confirmed - on his way home yesterday from work the entire river valley had turned yellow, where it had still been green that morning. Well, atleast fall is a pretty season

We went bike riding today!



T3 was ok, not terrible, but there were some issues with it. Mostly I can see T4 from here... and I don't know how I feel about that. Regardless, I enjoyed it, and we talked about the movie over Hooters wings for a good hour or so before table talk turned to Politics (as it always does).

I miss my kids, who will be home tomorrow, but it has been a great weekend so far! We rock, life is good!

These Boots were made for....

The Painting Daisies ROCK! Sexy girls and great music too! They are a dream, for sure. Opening for the Daisies was the War Party. It was all very well done.


We had SO much fun. Wish there was a wee bit more room to dance, but it was all good!


It's a perfect Friday. And what about those boots, mmMMMmm?

I love Sex.

That is all.

Toys for Iraqi Kids

Chief Wiggles is running a toy drive for Iraqi children. He is looking for basic toys, in good shape (preferably new) to give out to the kids. The following list are toys that are not welcome:


No guns of any kind
No violent action hereos
No violent toys
No barbie dolls or dolls skantily dressed
No toys that shoot something, no projectiles
No water guns


You can check his website for updates on other stuff that is needed, such as pencils, pens, paper to draw and color on, toothbrushes, toothpaste, floss, brushes, combs, etc.


Here is the mailing address to send items to:


Chief Wiggles
CPA-C2, Debriefer
APO AE 09335


Please folks, spread this around. Let's get as many toys as possible over there.

Okay, I have finally gone and done it!

Tonight, I have created my Photoblog - may I introduce, Shutterfly! I don't know yet how often I will post there, but I humbly invite you to visit!

FOR SALE: Iraq (It's a fixer-upper)

Now, there's privatisation, and then there's privatisation...


Philip Thornton and Andrew Gumbel wrote an interesting article today for the UK's Independant News. Entitled "America puts Iraq up for sale" the article highlights some alarming new policy in the Middle East country of Iraq.


(comments added in brackets are mine)


"... the American-appointed administration announced it was opening up all sectors of the economy to foreign investors in a desperate attempt to deliver much-needed reconstruction... (and) the Iraqi Governing Council announced sweeping reforms to allow total foreign ownership without the need for prior approval."


"... the biggest reconstruction contracts have been allocated to American firms such as Bechtel (George Schultz, Former Secretary of State, is now Senior Councillor of Bechtel) and Halliburton (formerly headed by now Vice President Dick Cheney), which (CLEARLY) have ties to the Bush administration. They were selected behind closed doors, with no opportunity for competitors to present bids." (and thats not even considereing the involvement of companies like the Carlyle Group - which former President GHW Bush currently works with, or the New American Century Project, or other war profiteers to be found in the numerous oil companies and weapon producers).


So, Iraq, the 51st state of America? Are there any buyers?

THE MEEK ARE GETTING READY ...

So much hate. So much that I don't know where to start even. People who hate are dark unhappy creatures indeed. Sad and Pathetic and Lost.


Yesterday I covered a Rally for The Gateway. The rally itself was supposed to be in support of the traditional family (aka a protest against Bill C250 and same sex marriages) but what it ultimately degenerated into was a big gay bashing rally.





Of course, while at the rally, I had to remain impartial in order to write a balanced and fair article. I managed to write a pretty good piece that my editor was impressed with. But this is my blog, and I can say what I want to. And I want to say is that these people made me sick. Literally, sick to my stomach. I left despising their so called "loving" god, their misled religious fanaticism and their hateful bigotry.


I have other words that I would like to say, but first I will share with you some of the words they shared with me. I want to point out that every single protester I interviewed refused to give their full name (leading me to believe they know what they are saying is wrong).


One protester told me that "I am a Nurse, and I can tell you that homosexuals are not born that way and that they can come out of the lifestyle if they choose too." She then proceeded to add "I find them the most intolerant group of people in this country."


The Speakers, clergy men and prominent community members, sometimes had the most hurtful things to say. One speaker addressed the counter protesters with "Shame on you brother. The shame is on you... don't bend over for anyone". The rally MC, Marshall Deslauriers, claimed "The real danger of assigning homosexuals with group human rights lies in ... awarding [human rights] on the basis of deviant sexual practices. The suggestion that Canada has evolved into a country that now accepts homosexual marriage is both morally and intellectually repugnant."


Yep, if we give homosexuals equal rights and protection, everyone will want them... (rolling eyes).


As the Counter Protesters chanted "EQUALITY FOR ALL" and "SHAME", an older woman in the crowd behind me said to her friend "Just goes to show you how sick these people are". I turned around and looked at her. She looked about ready to die. Before I turned my attention back to the rally, I silently hoped that these antiquitated, bigoted ideas will unceremoniously die out with this entire older generation. One can hope can't they?


I talked to a little 10 year old girl holding up a sign about Homosexual marriage being a sin. Her parents said I could interview her, as long as I was reasonable. I asked her to tell me what her sign meant, but she didn't know. I asked her why she was there that day, but she didn't know. I asked her what she thought about all the people and being here today, and she said in a low voice to me, "I'm scared". Poor kid. And I'm the one who has to be reasonable?


I did hear some things I agreed with on that day, though, and I want to share those words and voices as well.


Marilyn Hooper, and her family, came to the rally in support of Same Sex Families. Marilyn told me "I believe in Equal rights for all, not just for some. The argument is that extending equal rights to Same Sex Families threatens the family, but my husband and I are here to say that we aren't threatened by equal rights."


Bill Lee, who was wearing a shirt that said "Hate is not a family value," told me "I think that straight only marriage is a kind of apartheid."


I also was able to talk to Wendy Robutka, a mother who came to the rally in support of her gay son. Wendy was in tears at the hatred being expressed towards her son, and other people. Pointing out that the definition of marriage has been changing in this country for over 30 years, Wendy said "There is no room here for Hate Crimes. I believe they should have equal rights and if they are denied equal rights then this isn't a free democracy."


Otto Frank, the father of Anne Frank, once said "We cannot change what happened. The only thing we can do is to learn from the past and to realize what discrimination and persecution of innocent people means. I believe that it's everyone's responsibility to fight prejudice."


Me too.


I have an earnest need and desire to live in a world where everyone has equal rights. I reject the notion that I should have more rights then someone else. I reject the notion that my rights mean anything at all if they are only at the expense of someone else. There is room in my world, and yes, in Alberta, for Same Sex Marriage and Families.


Lots of bible passages were bantered around at the rally on Sunday. But they forgot one... Matthew 5:5. "Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth".


And they are getting ready.

I have found the one

Aphrodite/Eros


?? Which Of The Greek Gods Are You ??
brought to you by Quizilla

"Indifference to Evil is Evil"

Today is the International Day of Peace.


At this years United Nation's Observation ceremony (at UN HQ), a young Rawandan girl asked a question, "How could the world have done virtually nothing to halt the 1994 genocide of 500,000 people, targeted only for their Tutsi minority, in Rwanda?"


Nobel peace laureate Elie Wiesel, a Holocaust survivor, answered the question as thus: "We knew and we did nothing. I have no answer... except that we must now learn the lesson that indifference is never the answer. Indifference to evil is evil."


He should know.


Just days ago, George Bush said "We have no evidence that Saddam Hussein was involved with the 11 September attacks." Hmmm. No WMD, no 9/11 connection, no Osama bin Laden... Is our own indifference to these truths as a world community indicative of a level of apathy relevant to how directly we are affected by the actions of america or is it denial that "one of us civilized nations" could be rampantly achieving its goals through less then favorable means? Do we really think two wrongs make a right?


Will one day someone be asking us why we didn't do anything? Will we have an answer?

It's all fun and games...

Until someone loses an eye. Then it's a sport...





Duncan to me (as his Dad "ends" our "mutual" pact of non-aggression in one fale swoop across my borders): "See Allie, It's genetic!"


Duncan to Dad: "I love her, but I'm not going to let you have her cards. I'll kill her myself if I have too".

I love IKEA. Finally, a kitchen table! Unböring!!!

Better than Ice Cream!

You are Ice Cream


You're madly in love, cheerful, and carefree. Life couldn't get any better than this!

Which
Sarah McLachlan Song Are You?

Created by Noor

Gateway Drug?

As a result of my eternal search for allie type activities, I am now writing for the Gateway (and would you have guessed they are a bunch of bloggers too?). I cover my first story on Sunday - didn't realize how much I missed it until now.

The obvious priorities of a ten year old boy

Well, atleast he's putting his own stuff away...

How does one run out of time when, really, they have nothing to do?


Today has been a fabulous day! Spent the morning updating/adding features to my web pages (you'll likely have to refresh to see the changes) and planning how I would like my domain page to eventually look. Now I am off to meet Duncan for lunch at his new place of work.


AND ...it's not snowing here in Edmonton like it is in Calgary!

Don't get me started...

"Your child is the canary in the miners cage."
(graffiti written on the wall by my old home)

Not my child.


The kids school sent home a notification of intent to immunize all grade five kids for HepB AND Chicken pox this year. Well - I am not going to descend ito the stupidity of the Chicken Pox Vaccine, mostly because my son has already had the disease and as such they wont require him to recieve the immunization, but Hep B is fair game in my books...


Anyone know what Hepatitis B is? Thats right... it's a blood borne, semi contagious, lower risk virus mainly passed on through sexual contact, or non casual contact with blood/body fluids. The virus, if one should become infected, can cause nausea, vomiting, fatigue, low grade fever, pain and swelling in joints, headache, cough, jaundice, enlargement of the liver and fatigue. Even in cases of acute Hepatitis B most patients do not require hospital care and more then 95% of patients recover completely with no side effects (with the case-fatality ratio being approximately .1 %) and furthermore acquire life-long immunity for their troubles.


Well guess what? I don't have Hep B, and I certainly didn't have Hep B when my 10 year old son was born. So, unless my ten year old son is sexually active, an intravenous drug user, or a f**king paramedic, gimme a break.


Oh yeah, and North America has had the lowest actual percentage of cases in the world (along with Europe), with the occurences of the virus itself declining since 1985. Yay for personal hygiene.


There are some increasingly troublesome connections and implications between vaccinations themselves and long term auto immune side effects (as well as immediate debilitating side effects, like death) that should concern anyone considering this procedure for themselves, or others. Thankfully, in Canada, we are allowed Informed Consent with respect to making these choices, although unbiased information is hard to find.


A quick perusal of product package inserts (all medication in Canada must come with a little data sheet that you may - and should - read before taking a medication) will reveal a multitude of all sorts of neuro toxins used as perservatives in the carrier solution of the vaccine, including (but not limited to): Sodium Chloride; Sodium Hydroxide; Formaldehyde; Hydrochloric Acid; Thimerosal (mercury); Phosphates; and Monosodium Glutamate.


Who needs that crap inside their body? Not me thank you (I was never vaccinated since my parents had friends' whose baby became severely brain damaged after recieving her first immunization). And not my kids. Sometimes, you have to make choices with all of the risks considered, and after looking at both sides, I decided that I did not want my child to be merely a statistic that I would spend a lifetime blaming myself for.


Michael Belkin, who testified twice before the ADVISORY COMMITTEE ON IMMUNIZATION PRACTICES, for the CENTERS FOR DISEASE CONTROL AND PREVENTION (USA), lost his baby daughter within hours of her recieving the Hep B vaccine. His words echo the pain many families feel after they discover the potential risks, too late. He warns “Parents should be aware that the Hepatitis B vaccine is not administered for the well being of their child. Rather, it is delivered by the long arm of some incompetent and mindless bureaucracy in the name of stamping out a disease most babies can’t possibly get,” and I hear him. My child is not at risk of contracting Hep B, and even if he did get it, we would get through it.


It's a Shot in the Dark, and not one I am willing to take.

We are so getting a dog!

  

  

So, our travels took us down into the river valley, along the river and eventually up (and up, and up) to the U of A campus where we hung out for a while reading the Gateway and sharing a pop before heading back home. We passed through a big dog off leash area, and we were amazed at how many dogs there were! At first I thought it must be a dog walking club, but after talking to some of the owners we discovered that this was normal here for Edmonton.

Holy evil reptilian kitten eaters from another planet, Batman!

Bits and pieces of my thoughts grace my Blogosphere this morning, and I have been meaning to share them... I found these in, around and about:


With blogging being so prominent in my own web experience, I sometimes forget that there really are people out there who don't quite understand the phenomenon - like for example, I left a comment once on someone's blog about his subject matter (I wanted to know his thoughts on something in reflection to the experience he writes about) and somebody after me commented on "the nerve of some people who read a free blog and think they can make demands". I, of course (after rolling my eyes), refrained from retorting with an "all blogs are free, Moron" response and just chucked it up to blog naiveté. But I found a gem, a gem I tell you, on Matrix Essays the other day. I am going to share it with you, because I know you will all be able to relate to it, in some form or another!


From the mailbag (of Matrix Essays)

Q. How much money do you make from this blog? Is it easy to make a living from blogging?


A. Well, let's see, let me get out of my Matrix Essays hot tub on the deck of my Matrix Essays yacht and walk down to the accounting department so they can get me that figure. Oh, here it is: so far I have not made any money at all from this site.


So, a morning smile for all of us hard working, underpaid, stimulators of blogosphere wisdom, keepers of world history and personal philosophical commentarists. We rock, but we're obviously not in it for the money!


Today, I am off bike riding with my best friend! We are going to go explore the river valley here, so expect photo's. My entire life is lived as an adventure... I must be really in touch with my inner child! (See proof below)

My inner child is ten years old!
The adult world is pretty irrelevant to me. Whether I'm off on my bicycle (or pony) exploring, lost in a good book, or giggling with my bestfriend, I live in a world apart, one full of adventure and wonder and other stuff adults don't understand.
How Old is Your Inner Child?
brought to you by Quizilla

The Man, The Sound, The Legend... The Life.

Every one I know goes away in the end...
(click to listen, but it takes a while to load)





Duncan and I share many fond memories of Johnny Cash's work (is it sacrilege to mention on a day like this Duncan and Oliver's drunken rendition of "Ring of Fire"? Or our bouyant hilarity in enjoying "A Boy named Sue" over and over again?) and were both recently touched by Johnny Cash's last video, "Hurt", which we felt should have won more awards then it, in the end, garnered itself.


God's speed to the river bend, Johnny... and don't forget to meet June there.

"We also remember our firm resolve that such hate should never again transform an ordinary day into a day of horror"

“September 11 will forever be a day that we stop and remember the moment terror changed our world... Two years later, we find that our wounds are deep and the pain of our losses remains. History will never forget the events of September 11. But neither will it forget the will of humankind to rise above hate and prevail over violence and extremism.” - Prime Minister Jean Chretien

Let's Roll

There is so much emotion. So many memories. So many reactions. It makes it hard for one to define exactly what September 11th means to her, two full years after the fact.

Only, it's not really after the fact. We live in a post 9/11 world - almost everything, it seems at times, is a result or a reaction to what happened to us during those few hours. 9/11 is everything and nothing all at the same time. Everyone remembers where they were and what they were thinking at that moment in time.

Well, not everyone. And this is a day to remember those people.

So much was lost. Was anything gained?

Remembering Sept 11
Flag of Rememberance
Flight 93

MmmMmmm! I'm so yummy!

Strawberry Pocky! You're energetic and you probably bounce around a lot. You're also a bit naive, and you probably fall in love easily.

What Kind of Pocky are You?
brought to you by Quizilla


They forgot smart, cute and sexy as well...

As my wonderful and understanding boyfriend can attest to, my variant mood swings (read PMS) today have made today a rough day, and I wisely decided to spare the blogosphere with any real rantings for the time being (although I did post on Duncan's blog this morning).

But we did some shopping today, and in honor of Duncan's fetish for Pocky (combined with the close proximity of an Asian food store) I bought him some Pocky. Just happened to be Strawberry Pocky as well. I know, the coincidence is shocking. While he sat here at the computer consuming all of them, he found the above quiz. Yes we are both yummy.

Knowing (really) is Half the Battle…

I was going to blog about how I thought the Bush Administration needs a change in their posturing over Iraq (and North Korea, and Iran), especially in light of the newly announced cost (87 billion) just for the US to carry out the next year in Iraq.


But then, after reading the local news, I thought today I would entertain something a little closer to home. Closer to home, mostly because I, like many of us, have mini versions of adults running around that we dearly hope will actually someday make it to adulthood.


Last weekend, a gruesome early morning rural car accident (in Leduc) left four party going teenagers dead, while 5 others, were found scattered among truck fragments and across the ditch at the accident scene. Only one of the victims was wearing a seatbelt. Although tragic, these deaths are an unchangeable reality that no one can escape.


What has peaked my ire this morning is the debate that has arisen from the aftermath; misguided suggestions on how to prevent this type of incident, including “More police on the streets”; “higher fines”; “stronger penalties, like your license being taken away for three years”; “better laws”.


Well, anyone who has been a kid, or knows a kid, knows what the term fearless means. Kids are invincible, and rules are for breaking, no matter how tough they are. Teens don’t care because they can get away with it, pay a fine (if caught) and get on with it. And teens don’t grow out of it either – every time we chose not to put on our seatbelt, or flagrantly disregard the speed limit we are doing the same thing. It doesn’t mean much to us. Why?


We have to teach kids how to think, not what to think (hat tip to Barbara Colorosso). Don’t tell them to put on their seatbelts because it is the law, we all can find the fault in that logic. Tell them why. Show them that people get hurt, that people die. Show them pictures, accident scenes, get them into morgues even. Show them how seatbelts work, how cars are designed to protect the occupants within the core area of a vehicle. Giving them the real world reasons and knowledge as to why we wear our seatbelts will help them make a better informed choice when they get into a vehicle. Then, when they are putting on (or leaving off) their seatbelts, they atleast will know why they made their choice. And it really is their choice to make.


BUT some choices aren’t really for kids to make, which brings me to the next issue that has irked me. Why is everyone ok with a 100 mostly underage school kids drinking out at a party? One parent, who knew most of the crash victims and had a child attending the party, was quoted in the Edmonton Journal as saying “I know it’s not right for them to be drinking, but I’m also a realist and I know they’re going to do it… and yeah, it was stupid to have kids in the back of a truck. But they’re kids”.


Pardon me? I hope I am not the only parent to be insulted by this lack of responsibilty. Yes, they are kids. Kids have parents for a reason, to provide them with the skills and the judgment needed to make decisions and survive in this world, and to not throw them into potentially life threatening situations. Well, as a realist, I guess you can’t escape the fact that these kids are dead, and yet they needn’t be. The whole kids will be kids excuse sounds to me as a way of saying “it’s not our fault”. A parent who allows their child to ride home in the back of a pick up truck, from a party where everyone has been drinking, is as derelict as the kid who made the choice to get in. So you lose an hour of sleep going to pick them up – is the alternative worth it? And that’s not even addressing the drinking issue.


I remember as a child reading an empassioned "open letter" from an RCMP officer (my Dad gave it to me) who had just mopped up a similar road side disaster, and was petitioning parents to take a more active role in caring and knowing where their children were at night. He felt that parents (and the society) often blamed him for being “too hard” on the kids about drinking and driving, speeding, seatbelts and what not, and as such undermined the importance of enforcing vehicle safety in the minds of the kids involved. “Kids will be kids” he often heard people say. I actually found his letter published on the web, so I urge you to go read it. But I will leave you with the final words of his letter:


“… if you continue to regard alcohol abuse as just a part of growing up, then please keep your porch light on because some cold, rainy night, you will find me at your doorstep, staring at my feet with a message of death for you.”

The Govenator...

Vote for me if you want to live...


Isn't politics an interesting game?

Allegations over September 11 'monstrous', says US

From telegraph news:


"Mr Meacher listed a number of reports detailing intelligence that the US was said to have which warned of the September 11 attacks... The MP for Oldham cited a document called Rebuilding America's Defences, written in September 2000 by a neo-conservative think tank, Project for the New American Century, which was set up by a group that included Dick Cheney, the American vice president, Donald Rumsfeld, the defence secretary, and Paul Wolfowitz, the deputy defence secretary, which he (Meacher) called "a blueprint for US world domination". He said the document stated that making America "tomorrow's dominant force" would be a long process without "some catalysing event - like a new Pearl Harbour".


A blog I read this morning posted this article and the blogger insisted that there could be no way the Bush Administration would allow this to happen to americans.


Why? Why not? What happens when someone believes the good of the many outweighs the good of the few? What happens when that person, or persons, have power? What happens when other people don't critically approach it because it is more comfortable to shrug it off as impossible?


Discuss...

Places we still need to find:

corner store
coffee shop
video rental store
dentist for Raven
afterschool program
eb games for Duncan
hockey team for Wes
gymnastics for Raven
gym for Allie
grocery store
movie theatre
big ass mall


Life here is almost perfect!

Punishing the children for the sins of the fathers (to the third and fourth generation...)

As reported in the Globe and Mail today, 70% of americans believe there is a link between Saddam Hussein and the 9-11 WTC attacks. According to the poll, conducted by the Washington Post, that means nearly 7 out of 10 americans actually believe that Saddam was personally responsible for the WTC attacks.


They actually do believe this… even though there has never been any evidence to support this claim (a claim that was thrown out there by Mr. Bush in order to garner american public support for an invasion of Iraq), to the contrary there has even been evidence to suggest the complete opposite – so why does this belief persist? If the american public is so easily convinced, which country (and which excuse) will be so easily swallowed next?


The Washington Post story suggests the reason for this groundless belief lay in the ease of which a shocked american public could demonize and blame Saddam for 9-11, a presumption which Mr. Bush happily exploited while manipulating public opinion with his pro war rhetoric. As an immediate respsonse, this can be understandable - yet this poll was taken two years after the fact... Is this connection, made, embraced and maintained by the american public indicative of a nation scared enough to place blame on any “evil doers” presented to them by their “president” – borne of a culture of adults spooked by random boogey men – or have they merely allowed themselves to suspend all intelligent skepticism and/or belief in order to have the satisfaction of revenge for the worst terrorist attack in their history?


Is it my imagination, or are the phrases “Land of the Free” and “You are either with us or against us” diametrically opposite?


Fear can be a good thing, if utilized properly it can mobilize a necessary response for survival, but it is a bad thing when it is open ended and undefined. The american public is afraid – but where does their fear transpire from? Do they know what they should be afraid of? Should they not fear the loss of their independent freedom? Should they not fear the loss of open and critical inquiry, imperative to the democratic process? Should they not fear a “president” that seems more intent on misleading and scaring the public he leads into perpetual war then actually empowering them?


Fear has long been used by undesirable governments to solicit control over their peoples. It is often used as a way of removing choices from a "free" people so that the only choice they logically see is the choice the government wishes them to support (think Germany, World War II). BUT, the american people still do have a choice. Their government is still “elected” (regardless of what happened in the last election). Lets hope they are both free and brave enough to make a choice. Let's hope that when Mr. Bush is long gone from the geo-political scene, that the american people were brave and strong enough to withstand what ever his antics have brought down upon them, and the generations to come.

Thank gods it's Friday!

Such a good day today! I got stuff done, so I feel productive! The house is all unpacked, and I have met my neighbours... We all went to West Edmonton Mall after the kids got out of school and watched the Dolphin for a while, and then Duncan took us to watch the fire breathing dragon at Silver City. We had to hurry home to meet Quynn, who was coming over for the evening with Pizza and his adorable dog, Mischief. We just got back from the park, where the kids exhausted themselves and the dog, running around playing frisbee. It's a huge field, and I decided that I would run around the field in the mornings (Duncan said that he would come with me too) for exercise!


Anyways, we are about to settle down to an evening of watching "Yes, Prime Minister", which Quynn brought Duncan as a birthday gift...


Awww, the month of Duncan's Birthday has begun...

It is nice to be home!

You know that feeling that occurs when everything seems like it is all planned out and confirmed but some little part of your instinct nags at the back of your brain, in some vain attempt at warning against the complacency you have allowed yourself to settle into?


Well, I have come to believe that every good moving story must begin with the following dialogue:


Me: “Hello. I’m here to pick up a moving truck”
Guy: blank stare
Me: (helpfully offering) “I have a confirmation number”
Guy: “You’re here to pick up… a truck?”
Me: looking around to see if I am somehow not at a U Haul outlet, “Yes”
Guy: “We don’t have a truck”
Me: (hopefully, insistent) “I have a confirmation number”
Guy: “That doesn’t mean anything to me”


Well see, it was pretty early in the morning that day, on a Sunday no less, and I hadn’t yet had my coffee. I had been packing and cleaning for days and there was no way I was leaving this U Haul outlet without a truck to get all our stuff to Edmonton. I was done with Calgary nonsense, I had places to be. So my darling friend Cathy and I pulled a good cop / bad cop routine on the guy (damn she is a great bad cop) and before he knew what had hit him I was driving out of the parking lot with a 26 foot U Haul truck for less then the price of the 17 foot I had originally “confirmed”. (Note to all movers: “confirmation” doesn’t mean to U Haul what it means to you…)



So like I said, all good moving stories start out with some sort of laughing matter. I think it is the law of moving. A teensy bit behind schedule, I finally got this (diesel sucking, manual shifting monstrosity) truck home, and we (thanks to friends) had all of our worldly possessions packed into Pig (as it lovingly became known) and ready for the road before 12:00. It was actually better to have a big truck, as it was easier to pack everything in, not having to be so precise to preserve space. I love the way everything works out in the end.


When we went to pick the kids up from their Dads house, my ex came out and helped us plot a route into Airdrie that would have us avoid the road side scales – with the truck being so huge we would have had to have submitted to the scales, and with the way we packed I was sure our load would be deemed unbalanced (and there was no way I was repacking that thing). So we took his advice (Thanks Mark! Thanks for not being a crazy Ex!) and avoided what we later learned was three hour line up at the scales. In Airdrie we met up again with Cathy and Dan (who came to Edmonton to help us unpack – what lovely and entirely incredible friends we have!) who took Raven in their car, leaving myself, Duncan, Wes and an unimpressed cat in the cab of Pig.


To make a long story short (and bygods it was a long story) it took Pig 5 (expletitve deleted) hours to drive to Edmonton. We were passed by motor homes driven by people three times my age even. Our moment of excitement and glory came when we actually passed one vehicle… (there must have been something wrong with it) - Much whooping and hollering ensued with that event!


It didn’t take us long to unpack the truck once here, and although Cathy and Dan couldn’t stay long enough to enjoy it, I can say it has certainly turned into our new home. I was really happy when I saw it, the walls are a gorgeous beige color, and all the trimmings are white. The kitchen is beautiful, we have two bathrooms and a dishwasher, and both the basement and front (fenced) yard are huge. The only thing that broke the whole time was some wine glasses, and all in all, I can say the move went perfectly! It is nice to be home.



The kids started school, which is right next door to where we live, and they are enjoying it. We got Wes registered for Hockey and Raven will be doing Gymnastics instead of Ballet. The transit system where we live is great – so many bus routes. We live very close to West Edmonton Mall, and the only thing we haven’t found close yet is a major food store. Things have worked out wonderfully!


I am enjoying my Edmonton friends, and looking forward to making new friends, but I am missing my Calgary friends (as you all know). I can’t wait to see everyone who are planning trips up here this month. I am so excited!

Last Post for a while...

I thought I would leave you with a picture of my new style to tide you over! Blogging will resume in September!


P.S. This great haircut just got me ID'd at the liqour store, but I didn't actually have my ID on me; so Duncan, who was drunk after too many Strongbow's consumed in the sun at Kilkenny's, was made to purchase our alcohol. So, as much as I am flattered to be considered young enough to ID (it's been ten years since I was ID'd), there must be some irony somewhere in liquor laws that allow a drunk Duncan (drunk enough to lose all train of thought to follow random dogs upon seeing them) to buy the alcohol while the sober one waits outside the store.

Girl welcomes South to her Blogosphere...

Everyone Applaud and Rejoice. South's Adventures is here!


Also, for a beautiful pictorial essay on China, please visit Mike's Blog, while he reflects on his first year in China.

Only 5 more to go...

My hit counter sits at 2995 visitors. Check it out... if you visit and you are number 3000, let me know! I don't know exactly what that will get you (yet), but even a little bit of fame is exciting is it not?

MARS MADNESS

We need a break, it's (finally) a lovely clear night, and Mars is visiting. So we shall go and entertain it.


UPDATE: 10:55pm: It is gorgeous! If you haven't seen it, talk a walk to admire it! It is the brightest, yellow-orange planet in the eastern sky! Duncan said "it's like you could just reach out and grab it". That about says it all.

My life with a Historian...

To understand what living with a (wonderful, beautiful, sexy, intelligent, amazing) historian means for a girl lost within the throngs of moving chaos, check out DUNCAN'S BLOG for his lovely and enlightening (note the hint of sarcasm) pictorial illustration of our packing. Well, our pre-packing state, admist the sorting of wanted and unwanted stuff. I asked him why he felt it was neccessary to take pictures of everything in absolute disarray when we had every opportunity to take pictures of our home in it's normal state of order and tidiness, but he said it was for historical purposes that he should document our moving in all its glorious and jumbled mess. He said he was the true state people get into when moving. I know I can't argue with that, so I just nod my head and smile prettily. Anything that makes him happy is fine with me...


It is worth some pondering over the portrayal of our lives through the pictures we take - and is it accurate - does any one take pictures of the things they don't want to remember? Or just everyday, mundane things that make up our experience but are overlooked when it comes to the documentry of our lives? I love pictures: they are, among many other important artifacts of my life, proof of my existance (and my enjoyment of) here. I love what I see within pictures, I love what pictures represent to each observer, I love how I can see so much of a common human condition in a shot that someone, sometime, was moved enough to capture on film. I even collect pictures other people have taken - and I am a big fan of how the intro to the film ONE HOUR PHOTO (a freaky website, check it out) describes the overall phenomenon of picture taking... "[Family] pictures depict smiling faces. Births, weddings, holidays, children's birthday parties. People take pictures of the happy moments in their lives. Someone looking through our photo album would conclude that we had led a joyous, leisurely existance, free of tragedy. No one ever takes a picture of something they want to forget..."


Or do they? I think maybe we do.


Anyways, I am soposed to be taking a "break" (today we have finished, incuding cleaning carpets and washing walls, the upstairs of the house) so I should hurry this up. We had lunch out at the Den today with Kim and Kirsten, and I had the most fabulous sandwich (Parmeson coated Avocado, Tomato and Red Onion Sandwhich.) It was DELICIOUS. Also, thanks to Kim, we did a Belief based quiz from Beliefnet, and it appears that we are to be (rolling eyes now) Unitarian Universalists. Hahaha. Also, Secular Humanists and buddhism were high, and they fit well into who I am spiritually. I guess it could be worse... Anyways, here are my results:


1. Unitarian Universalism (100%)
2. Mainline to Liberal Christian Protestants (96%)
3. Liberal Quakers (96%)
4. Secular Humanism (82%)
5. Neo-Pagan (80%)
6. Mahayana Buddhism (76%)
7. New Age (75%)
8. Theravada Buddhism (74%)
9. Taoism (69%)
10. Bahá'í Faith (66%)
11. Christian Science (Church of Christ, Scientist) (65%)
12. New Thought (61%)
13. Nontheist (57%)
14. Reform Judaism (56%)
15. Scientology (55%)
16. Orthodox Quaker (53%)
17. Jainism (52%)
18. Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints (Mormons) (47%)
19. Sikhism (45%)
20. Mainline to Conservative Christian/Protestant (42%)
21. Hinduism (37%)
22. Jehovah's Witness (33%)
23. Orthodox Judaism (30%)
24. Islam (23%)
25. Seventh Day Adventist (22%)
26. Eastern Orthodox (11%)
27. Roman Catholic (11%)

Take the test yourself. Warning: Belief-O-Matic™ assumes no legal liability for the ultimate fate of your soul.

At 0438 hours...

Whose to say whether or not it's time to go to bed, or just stay up for the rest of the night playing Civ III? I mean, isn't it the next day anyways?

And getting close...

To 3000 visitors. Who will it be?

Almost time for moving!

Today, while I packed my stuff in the bedroom into boxes, Duncan took the kids out on an adventure (to rent them some movies so they would stay out of our hair...). After a while, they came back bearing gifts; Raven brought me a chocolate bar, Wesley brought candy and Duncan gave me LORD OF THE RINGS: THE TWO TOWERS (I also got Chicago as a gift the other night, right after I had been given Bowling for Columbine. I have been spoiled!).

Right now we are taking a LOTR intermission break - kids are outside making loud outside noises, Duncan is making ground beef into hamburgers which he will BBQ, and I'm, well... I'm blogging, obviously.

The packing is going well. Very well, actually. Yesterday I got the bathroom all cleaned up and ready and today we almost finished the Kitchen. Cathy hung out with us for a while yesterday, and Dan dropped off some boxes to aid in the packing efforts. I started a war against the Mongols, a tiny backwards civilization that has done little but build spearmen in the years since our game began. It's my "peace through superior firepower" strategy (inspired by the americans, ofcourse). It worked on the English and the Celts... now they are mere blots on the history of the world.

Good news is, our internet will be hooked up in Edmonton relatively soon after moving, so I will be back online soon. Just don't expect anything massively indepth or with any real substance until after I am unpacked and everything is settled. Then I can begin to really blog again.

There's no such thing as too much Civ III

I'm not sure which one of us decided that beer and packing go together, but I am happy to announce we have found a great beer... Big Rock's Honey Brown. Yummy. Between packing and among other things today (including our coffee ritual - likely our last in Calgary for a while) we played Civ III. I know, I know, we are sopposed to be packing, but it's soooo much fun, and we can play together (and take turns packing/playing) so it's perfect!

Damn Brits and Celts made me stay up until 2:20 am destroying and assimilating their meger cultures. It's bad enough being alive when nobody wants you...

That's it for me. I am following Duncan upstairs to our bed now. Sleepy time. Sweet Dreams Allie.

I a.m. tired...

As it's officially Sunday, I just missed blogging on Saturday by a few minutes. It was a busy and productive day today - packing, cleaning and other stuff that a couple does when home alone on the weekend - plus we played Civ III for quite some time as well. I'm tired. That's all I have to say, except to mention that the news about Kelowna (and the other forest fires) was shocking, and my heart goes out to the fire victims in BC. This is all getting out of hand. I don't remember a time ever in BC (or Canada) where 30,000 people were evacuated (with another 15,000 on Standby). Given that Kelowna's population is around 90,000, thats more then problematic.

Pray for rain.

Rain without Lightening.

Every new beggining comes from some other begginings end...

I have a quick chance to blog while on my lunch break, before a friend (Lincoln) comes by to say goodbye. However, that leaves me with the problem of what to blog about, and with all sorts of different things floating around in my head (and I surely mean to blog about them all), that is no small feat. The UN Bombing in Iraq; Bush (as always); The "war" in Iraq (and how americans continue to die over there daily but no longer recieve combat pay); Bowling for Columbine (which my glorious boyfriend surprised me with yesterday); the "prisoners/detainees" in Guantánamo Bay (as they approach their second anniversary in captivity still without trials); the capture of "Chemical Ali" (hey didn't they kill him a few months ago?); my annoyingly mild concussion; or even just my last day of work here at the University of Calgary. But I think what I really need to blog about is how my life is changing in these next couple of weeks, and how I have been feeling about those changes.


With my pending move, I have been in a state of nostalgia for this past little while; an odd observance of my world here as I prepare to engage an exciting, new world in Edmonton. In the due process of natural separation, I have already more then detached myself from many mundane aspects of Calgary (my school, my job, the place that I lived in, my hairdresser's, even some of my favourite hang outs) but there really are things that are harder to leave behind (mostly they are the things that aren't really being left behind, I am just adding distance between me and them). Saying goodbye to friends is obviously what is influencing my thought here, but I know that distance is not a true impediment to friendship and I welcome the warm thoughts and well wishes that our friends have graciously expressed, both from near and far.


I must admit, that it was with a tiny twinge of saddness that I came to realize that this summer, as it draws to a close now, will likely be the last summer that I ever stay home with my children. I have, for every summer since they have been born, stayed home with them (working minimally part time, if at all). In these treasured summers I have come to know my children as the individuals they are, gone many places with them and shared many of my own favoured childhood pass times. This year, Wesley turned 10, old enough to babysit and be home alone, and Raven 8. We have had a great summer this year, and I am so proud of how they have grown up.


Mixed in with all of these feelings is a pure, raw excitement. It's full of passion and expectation and a sense of danger with the unknown ahead. I am looking forward to making a home, with Duncan and our family, in Edmonton. Wish us luck!

Boing, Boing, BloG!

So yesterday... hmmm, where to start? See, I own this beautiful, almost new (read hardly ever used) blue and silver Giro bike helmet, that ran me about 100.00 (only the best for me!) a couple of summers ago. And if I had been wearing that helmet yesterday, (cue hysterical laughter) I totally would have wrecked it while executing my glorious three point landing (Shoulder, Knees, Head) while jumping various cement items in the local urban jungle (read mall parking lot). Wow. I left body parts behind with that one. Well, I ride my bike. And if you're not bleeding, you're just not really riding your bike!

And, today... a very full day indeed, one of those exhausting days where you welcome your bed at the end of the night. I travelled, care of Duncan's Dad (who drove me) to Edmonton for a big job interview. I was surprisingly more nervous then I have been in an interview in a while, but it went well. When I arrived home I changed very quickly as we were going out for dinner, and then off to Kim's house for a party. I am always surprised at Kim's party's by people attending (you just never know who is going to show up), subject matter (the potential for anything is there) and the varying level of attention that I get (Yes, it is all about me!). I was actually somewhat flattered by the fascination one of her friends showered my blog with, so I showed her a few different blogs as she wondered at the extent of the blogosphere. I guess, when you stand back from it a bit, it really is an amazing thing.

Its a nice day

I think we will go for a picnic.

Just Horsin' Around!

Todays adventure was brought to you by the letter "H"... "H" for Horseback Riding, a treat from Duncan's Dad (thanx Neil!). So much fun. I loved how quiet it was there in Fish Creek Park, like we were cocooned within a blanket of silence that somehow separated us from the city that was all around us. It was calming, beautiful and peaceful. Happy Trails indeed!

Remember, Smokey The Bear says only YOU can prevent forest fires!

Here's a pic of how our smoke filled skies look tonight - pretty enough, if it weren't for the flagrant unpleasantness of living with the smoke. A wee spat of rain yesterday managed to clear up our air quality a bit - but I hear the forest fires are still burning mostly out of control, and it's been almost a month now. I don't quite remember anything like this.

Packing it all in...

Boxes.

Our house is slowly but surely being reduced to a box store room. There are boxes everywhere. This particular house will never ever again exist for us without our things stacked in boxes. And it won't be until we unpack these boxes that our new house will become our home. The size of each box does not convey that enormous importance carried by its contents... but it is there neverless. Today we have mostly spent drinking coffee, watching movies, playing virtua fighter, and packing boxes. We will likely go for more boxes later when ready for a break. Yay boxes...

Went through the kid's special boxes today - brought back a lot of memories for me, and alot of opportunity to share with Duncan what kind of people my kids were before he met them, or really got to know them. It was hard to pare down their stuff (there was a lot of stuff), but I am pretty sure we are now moving mostly what is really important to them. You know, the mementos that make up somebody's life - like baby books, cards, old school pictures, first teddy, passports and art work. Life times are long these days though, I aim to make one rubbermaid box enough until they are ready to walk out the door. Then I hope to give it to them as a gift (but some of the stuff will be hard to part with, like their baby hats and booties...).

In other news, this moving business is getting very exciting! I am a little nervous about my upcoming job interview, but nervousness is only excitement and anticiaption in disguise.

We aren't in Kansas anymore, Toto

What's wrong outside?

When we woke up this morning, it was 8:30am - but it was still dark outside. Well maybe not dark per se, but this odd twlight type darkness and all the street lights were still on. Its still quite odd out there - and those aren't clouds blocking out the sky, its a big ass blanket of forest fire smoke. We've had to close all the windows cause when I woke up my eyes were all scratchy and my chest has this uncomfortable sensation occurring in it. It's all very eerie indeed.

I think we are going to stay inside until this goes away. We have more than enough to entertain us inside (we are afterall, Canadian) but it may mean that the big Shakespeare in the park outing doesn't happen today (Sorry all, but will keep you posted).

Tee Hee

I am drunk. And we have more alcohol now. Yay!

Long haired creepy people need not apply...

So, it (friendster.com) was referred to in The Onion (making fun of it ofcourse) and then the same day on a blog here in Calgary, so, as Duncan put it, why don't we check it out? Interesting. It turns out to be an internet popularity contest with a twist... you gain network contacts through your own contacts and so far, after 2 or 3 days, my web of people has spiralled to include a mere 5000 people. So far, its been fun, albeit somewhat trendy. I don't think it is a completely serious service but (yes, again agreeing with Duncan, better then Classmates). Ah, how I love the internet community. Let me know if any of you are involved in this scheme!

Anyways, it helped occupy some of my time today as the girls I have been daycaring didn't show up. It's good, it was nice to have an off day, even if Raven was a little sad. Tonight we are entertaining Joel and getting drunk on the patio. Thank god it's friday! Anyways, Duncan just walked in the door home from work, and he has a new game that I bought him (Virtua Fighter 4 Evolutions) so I am going to go play with him! I love playing with Duncan!

Oh yeah, and welcome Deven to the Blogosphere!

Guilty Pleasures?

Looting in Ottawa and Toronto? Pardon me, Canadians looting? Shame on you. Shame on us! We are better than this.

Update: After reading about Lilly's day in her blog I am heartened to hear the stories of ordinary Canadians dealing in positive ways with this crisis. It makes me feel a little better.

The lights aren't on...

New York and Toronto would not be cool places to be in (rush hour with no traffic lights) a major power outtage. Apparently, it maybe into the evening before the power in this part of North America comes back on. I feel for all my blog buddies and readers from the East... Ofcourse, you can't read this... and your phones apparently don't work either, so you will just have to feel the love. Can you feel the love??????

Martian Opposition

It's close encounters of the Martian Kind! I can't wait. Plus, a great Meteor Shower going on right now too. What a treat!

I have created Blog Monsters!

Out of the mouth's of babes... Wesley and Raven.

Come on Joel! Deven! Even my kids can do it!

Those artificial voice systems are becoming progressively more annoying

In the process of having our new utilities switched and/or set up, I unwittingly found myself tangled within Telus's new automated voice mail system. In this lovely experience, a calming electronic female voice (there is a reason why this needs to be calming, but I don't know it yet) informs me that "If I can't help you myself, I will find someone who can". Myself? Since when did an electric voice exist as a self aware entity? And are these others she refers to also self expressing electronic voices? I find the implications of the language being used disconcerting, and wonder briefly if I am the only person it annoys (my standards are sometimes high), but I don't really have any clue yet the extent of what awaits me...

I soon realize that this "system" must be the phone gods definition of a joke. I breifly consider the karma I must have incurred in a past life to have to endure this, but I perservere anyway. The voice asks me questions, and I am soposed to respond with preselected answers. Sounds easy enough, but "she" usually doesn't understand my response (even when I am clearly stating the required response in an elevated tone), which launches "her" into repeating the entire menu (after apologizing ofcourse) again before asking for my response. So I finally get to the point where I can tell "her" that I want my phone disconnected. She doesn't like this option, asking in a (yes small and pathetic) guilt inducing questioning manner "You want your service reconnected, right?" Shit. Damn voice making me feel sorry for it, like I am rejecting "her" personally (Personally? What am am saying???). After I say "NO!" for the umpteenth time, I am informed that "she" now knows who to direct me to (AMEN - this process has now taken 25 minutes of my life that I will never get back again) and I am put on hold. Eventually a recorded message tells me that the expected wait to talk to a service representitive (dare I hope, a real person?) is 20 minutes. Twenty minutes? I don't think so, not even the chance of a real person is worth another 20 minutes of my time. No really, I'll try the internet thanks.

Learn something new every day...

Somewhere in the back of my head I had this long held notion that dragonflies didn't live for very long. I think when I was a child, someone told me dragonflies lived only for a day. That would make every day mating season for a dragon fly (just like me). However, today I learn that Dragonflies are actually the longest living insect, sometimes living even years. And bonus, they are pretty too.

Lots happened today. As if the dog attack (see post below) didn't provide enough excitement for the day, in the afternoon we had Raven's Birthday Party. Her theme for the party was "Princess Party", which saw me doing the hair, make up and nails of each little girl in attendance. It was fun, once they had all sorted out which hair products and lipstick they desired (we had prepurchased all the stuff so they could have their own but you know, girls start to get a little catty at age 8). Raven has a picture on her blog.

Wesley spent the day at a Babysitting Course. My little boy is getting all grown up. He learned first aid and the best way to deal with all sorts of scenarios to get his certification. I am so proud of him. Tomorrow he goes to his home alone course. Time flies, I tell you, time flies.

Dog eat dog world?

Believe it or not, one of the four girls I am babysitting today just got bit by a dog. Serious. The only thing that stopped her from being hurt worse is she was wearing a costume. This dog bit the wrong kid (the daughter of an on duty Calgary Police Officer, who is now out looking for it). This dog, apparently, ran up out of no where and attacked her, then ran off. The neighbours who witnessed it and said the kids weren't even trying to get this dogs attention. It went after them. Now I have a little girl sitting beside me who can't go outside. I have to make sure the door is shut. And no honey, dogs can't jump very high.

Damn dog. Damn dog owners. Why are there people letting their (aggressive) dog run around biting small 5 year old children anyways?

The Cat's Meow

Just found this on a blog I read, and had to share.

Every one should start their day off with a smile! Thanks Kid Jacque!

Also, check out "The Cat Herders". Not everyone can do a job like that...

YAY!!!!

A little bit of hard work, a little bit of determination, a little bit of belief in ourselves and in the world around us - and look! Our place in Edmonton is secured (our perfect place). It has all worked itself out! Well, I worked it out with an email to the head office, but regardless - YAY! Duncan will be so happy! I can't wait to tell him! We rock. Look out world, here we come!

"Whats that smell...? It's the smell of victory, son..."

Somedays, just when you think life's a little harder that day than others, you realize you don't actually have it bad. You realize at least you don't live in a country that america (Yes, I think I am going to start addressing the USA as america, small a intentional) likes to drop napalm on.

Atleast not yet, anyways.

Assuredly this napalm dropping is likely actually the newer, more effective version of hyperbaric weapons that america used in the caves of Afghanistan, but in the end, still nasty. What about that 1980 United Nations convention banning the use of Napalm, you say... well guess who didn't sign the treaty.

Well, apart from some disappointment, today was a productive day. After having breakfast with Deven at Weeds (coffee) Cafe, we went to the dump to rid ourselves of excess appliances and did some shopping (beef prices are great here right now, go figure) in which we also scooped moving boxes! We are just about to enjoy the great steaks Duncan just BBQ'd, with wine, on the porch. It's a lovely evening indeed.

Life is good, hold the napalm.

Somebody left their manners at home...

Reading Warren Kinsella's blog (come on, you all know who he is, and if you don't I ain't gonna tell you) and he has posted this great example of some of that hate email we bloggers get once in a while that is soposed to slap us smart or something (according, ofcourse, to the sender of such drivel) but really just usually proves our point. In this case, this wonderful 60 year old "gentleman" out does himself. I have selected the tastier parts of his email for you:

"... By the way, you little fag... My only crime is that I’m a 60-year-old Canadian with a national memory, a perspective you don’t have because you’re a product of the T&C ideology. God help you. I advise my kids (34; 19; 13) to escape to the United States before you guys close the border forever."

Interesting perspective. What is that "word" he uses... "fag?" Well, I don't think this word means what he thinks it means. According to dictionary.com, the following definitions for fag can be found:

1. A student at a British public school who is required to perform menial tasks for a student in a higher class.
2. A drudge.
3. Fatiguing or tedious work; drudgery.
4. To work to exhaustion; toil (verb).

In middle english, "fag" was a word meant to express "droop" but this usage has become obsolete. Oh yeah, I found another interesting definition at dictionary.com, although I am unsure how it might fit into the conversation, but I will add it anyways...

bigot:

1. A bigot or hypocrite
2. A hypocrite; esp., a superstitious hypocrite.
3. A person who regards his own faith and views in matters of religion as unquestionably right, and any belief or opinion opposed to or differing from them as unreasonable or wicked.
4. A person who is intolerant of opinions which conflict with his own, as in politics or morals.
5. One obstinately and blindly devoted to his own church, party, belief, or opinion.

Oh, and in "unrelated news", Warren Kinsella is married with four children. Congratulations Warren!

Going for a break!

There is only so much sitting in front of a computer one can do, even if you are snuggled up on the love seat with your beau playing Civ III. We need a break. Our eyes need a break. We are going out - Mountain Equiptment Co-op bound we are. And maybe I will get my hair cut, and get treated to chocolate (that's a hint for the man reading over my shoulder). mmMMmmMMm chocolate.

The weather has turned bad, which is ok cause we are driving anyways - but puts a kink in my plans for mountain biking in the mountains. Well there is always tomorrow...

A little more sober now

Raven woke up with a bad dream, and I can't go back to sleep (she's fine - out like a log) so I thought I would blog. The past couple of days have been busy - Thursday with friends and Friday with job and moving preparations. Yesterday I had to write the longest resume I have ever written. It felt odd because for so long I have tried to limit my resume to one page of pertinent details, yet when I was invited to apply to this job they asked for a very detailed long resume. All in all it was an interesting experience.

Both Thursday and Friday mornings Duncan has woken me up to play with him (Civ III that is!) and we have played from the moment I have picked him up from work (since Wednesday night) until we are too tired to go any longer, forsaking most other activities (except there is always time for couples stuff) including all of our new movies. I really like the expansion for Civ III. I really like that I can play with Duncan. It was certainly worth the 30.00 Duncan paid for it, in entertainment value at least.

Friday night we celebrated Grandpa's birthday with a huge dinner. Everyone was there, the food was nice, the wine was beautiful and Grandpa was in a great mood! Afterwards we went to Lauren's house and we played for a while with her lizards (bearded dragons) but had to get the kids home for bed so we left early. W really liked the wine, so we picked up a bottle on the way home and drank it while playing Civ III (hence the drunk post below). I will have to see when I play this morning how being drunk affeted my few hundred years that I played through!

Deven will be here tonight for another all nighter - felt weird not having him here last weekend (he went away/we went away) so it will be good to see him. We thought about giving him a key but now that we are moving I guess he will just have to get a key to our new place! Anyway, I am tired now, so I am going to go crawl back into bed! Yay bed! Yay Weekend!

If you can't run with the big dogs, stay on the porch!

Maybe one really should't blog when drunk. But thats a big maybe.

Sorry I haven't blogged in a while (I feel minimally guilty) but Duncan and I have this great Civ III game going and thats all we have been doing in front of the computer since it began. It is much fun.

Otherwise life has been busy, but fun. I have taken a million pictures (ok, perhaps that is a slight exageration) and we have been diligently working towards getting our move all in order. But I can't say more cause my guy is drunk and needs to be taken to bed.

Drunking when blogged ain't so bad after all...

I don't always know what day it is...

It's not that I am losing my mind or anything, its just that I don't really have a job (besides parenting) right now so my main activities everyday have been to just enjoy the summer... so the concept of what "day" it is escapes me most of the time...

After a beautiful Alberta steak dinner at Nick's Steak House, we made it back to Calaway Park in time to ride the Roller Coaster before it closed. A fun time was had by all (it was Wesley's first time on a coaster). After that we headed into Kananasksis Country to sit at Barrier Lake while the sun went down. I love how peaceful it is out there, quiet yet full of it's own noises (like chipmunks). Duncan taught the kids to skip rocks on the water, we took some more pictures and then we drove home the long way - along a road that was mostly gravel, but it afforded us a glimpse of a Moose, as well as beaver dams and many cows (on/in the road). Our final stop before home was in Cochrane for ice cream at the Dairy Queen. All in all a very good and enjoyable day. Days like this is what summer is all about.

Now that the kids are sleeping Duncan and I are going to play some Civ III (lost our old game so we are going to start over). I will start considering the beginnings of a photoblog tomorrow, given that I have taken well over 100 pictures in a few short days.

I have the power!

So just now, my friends husband comes to pick up his daughter (she spent the day with us) and he is all totally nice to me and even offers to help us PACK our moving truck, AND drive up to Edmonton to help us UNPACK said moving truck... a very generous offer indeed. So, a little perplexed, I told Duncan how generous he had been while at the door, and Duncan smiled and said "I'm not surprised". To answer my quizzical look, he added "Allie, look down". So I did. I was wet and cold (story to follow) and my breasts were protruding nicely against my tank top. I sighed, Duncan laughed, and said "I'm surprised he didn't offer to MOVE to Edmonton".

Boys. Sigh, again.

So we spent a lovely day with friends at Callaway Park - Duncan, Wes, Raven, Dakota, Myself and Cindy, Jamie and Mackenzie. I love going on rides, and it is a relatively new activity for Duncan and I to do together (just waiting now for West Ed Mall). Sadly, while we were in the line up for the Roller Coaster (we had finally convinced Wes to try the Coaster) a huge storm came up and they closed the ride (believe it or not) right when we were next. They also closed the boat ride, so we spent some time with the smaller rides before the cold rain drove us from the park. Now we are home to dry off, get changed and go out again. The clouds have passed, so after dinner (I believe we are going out for steak) we will drive back to Calaway Park to partake in the Roller Coaster before the night is out.

I am having so much fun with this camera!

We are off to the river now. Maybe this being home during summer vacation isn't so bad after all!

How many of you can't really see my blog page?

I have a very good 19 inch monitor with amazing colour and resolution - and to me my blog page looks fabulous... but I have come to realize that on a lesser machine, at a smaller resolution, it might just look like ass.

I always have my settings on the highest quality, and as such, this page is best viewed at 1280 by 1024 (32 bit colour). I also have the monitor running at 75 hertz (I sit in front of it alot, I don't know how people have it any lower!).

So I am considering changing the background image a wee bit to enable people with smaller screens/lower resolutions to see more of the picture. Anyone with any ideas, let me know! I have a pretty busy day a head of me today (going to callaway park) so it might not get done right away, but feedback is always appreciated.

It's a Civ III expansionist marathon!

Yesterday I bought Duncan the Civ III expansion - it has a multiplayer option where we can both play against each other on the same computer... We are on our second game since beginning late this afternoon and still going strong!

Anyways, must go back to the battle!

I didn't ask to be a Princess... but hey, if the crown fits...

I am such a girl.

First, I love dancing, but its more than that - I love being in my man's strong arms. I love the way his skin is soft against my cheek, the way he smells, the gentle way he sings along, in my ear. I love the way my body fits into his, like it was meant to be. I love dancing.

Second, when we were out shopping yesterday Duncan found me this great nail polish colour... It's fabulous! Sally Hansen's Nail Prisms colour Amber Ruby. It has all sorts of exciting colours in it, fun stuff for summer days. Fit for a Princess!



As you can see, I am making good use of the new digital camera!

Well, it's been a super long weekend (I guess ours did start on Thursday with our trip to Edmonton), and it's not over yet! We are going in search of breakfast before meeting up with friends later.

Guess Who Has A Digital Camera?????????

Yay Digital! Our lovely friend Quynn lent us one of his Digital Cameras... so we have been busy bees taking pictures while learning how to operate our new toy, which has proven very fun. Soon I will consider the potentials of a photoblog of my very own...

Well, the coffee ritual began today, with Quynn joining us at Weeds for coffee. We attempted a bike ride this afternoon but part way into our ride we noted a problem with Duncan's back tire, which we ended up taking it to the shop to get it fixed - so no more bike rides until Tuesday... we came home to get roller blades, but ended up sidetracked and went to the mall instead. Duncan is very excited to try an new expansion that he got, so I need to vacate the computer for him to play. I hope everyone is having a good long weekend!

Evil Airline Loses the Stanley Cup

Sacrilege...
I don't know what to say about this. How can the Stanley Cup, accompanied by two big BodyGuards (whose sole job is to make sure the Cup is safe) get lost?

The Small Pleasures in Life

Sinking into a tub full of hot water to wash off the sweaty grime from our road trip this morning (we are back from Edmonton now) reminds me how wonderful the small pleasures in life actually are. Sometimes I am so caught up in the bigger pleasures and wonderments of my world that I forget the importance of merely relaxing in my bathtub.

Also wonderful was that realization that we still had almost the entire weekend (yay!). What should I do?

Sunny Days are Here Again...

This blog is coming at you from sunny Edmonton, where life is good! We have a place to live, we have a school for kids, we even have afterschool daycare. I have had two interviews today, and a serious inquiry. A very productive day indeed. We also had a quick lunch at Hooters in West Edmonton, a delight Duncan had never had before, and very much enjoyed. I think I might even throw his bday party there! I got spoiled today - I will talk a little bit more about it tomorrow when we are home.

After playing with the dog at the off leash area, and being treated to a wonderful meal of Buffalo at a delightful place called Sawmills, we are now settling down to enjoy the summer evening at Quynns house with Bellini's and episodes of Yes Minister. Does life get better then this? Well, therer could be air conditioning... rolling eyes now...

Where is this Hell you speak of?

"Prime Minister Jean Chrétien risks burning in hell if he makes same-sex marriage legal in Canada" says Bishop Henry (RC from Calgary).

Gimme a break. If this hell is where all people are equal and everyone shares the same rights then count me in.

It's Only Rock and Roll, but I like it!

We just got back from the Simulcast of the Toronto Rolling Stones Concert... it was great! I love the Rolling Stones! I love how sexy their music is! It looked like it would have been so much fun to be one of the 500 000 people there in TO - but as we had decided alot earlier not to go (given expenses coming up and all) this was the next best thing! Duncan says next time the Stones come to Canada we have a date to go!

Anyways, it was good - we saw ACDC as well, and the 90 minutes of the Rolling Stones... "we" (by we I mean the crowd) eventually "convinced" the security gaurds to let us dance on the floor of the Saddledome, which was soon full as we all spilled over the boards and began dancing (dancing at some point quickly turned into moshing and crowd surfing amongst clouds of ummm... flowery smoke...). WAY more fun to be out there and moving around to the music then sitting in a chair with the other more sedidentry people. Lots of cheering, singing, dancing and it almost felt like a real concert! I LOVE DANCING!

Duncan and I walked down 17th ave to find a place to eat after the concert let out and eventually settled on a wonderful Italian resturant by his old High School called Fiore. We shared the soup, which was Spinach Sambucha Bacon Soup. It was both delicious and interesting (the Sambucha gave it a very sweet taste). I had a half order of Fettuchini, but couldn't finish it. Not bad for someone who has been on liquids only-ish for 4.5 days. Was proud of myself.

We were going to go out dancing with a couple of friends (who I know are reading this...) and their plans changed at the last minute - so I am issuing fair warning that we are all going to reschedule for after Edmonton. Dancing, who can get enough of it? Anyways, it was actually a pretty full evening - so I am going to finish blogging and go get ready for bedtime!

Long Live the Rolling Stones!

Heritage Park

Today was a long day - we all saddled up to go to Heritage Park. We had a lot of fun... I haven't been there in years, and Duncan had a lot to show me. The kids went on all the rides, but Duncan and I decided that we would go on the Caterpillar. It's a circular ride that was designed with courting couples in mind - once the ride gets going a canopy lowers down over the riders so that they can't be seen by anyone else. It was semi difficult to "make out" on a circular up and down ride, but we sure gave it the old college try. It was fun. We spent some time after that trying to speculate what courting was like "back in the days" and how it is different from today's courting rituals (for example, Duncan and I played Diablo over the internet together).

We ate at the Wainwright Hotel - me still on my "liquid" diet ordered a French Onion Soup only to discover most of it actually more non liquid than not, but c'est la vie; it was too hot a day to eat anyway. The food was good, but the portions perhaps a little too large. We had some fun "girl watching" - or perhaps made fun at the lack of girl watching... I had suggested to Duncan earlier that day there might be some girls in bikini tops to admire out at the park today (he had enjoyed quite the treat the day before at Eau Claire) but we didn't see anyone even remotely close to that state of undress all day, even though it was so very hot.

The train ride home was a blast, we had so much fun, but I almost can't describe it here (you would have had to been there) so I might just skip it. I am pretty tired though from the day - feeling much better though - so I am about to go to bed. Good night everyone!