Umbrella reflections...

It's been raining a lot here. Not all the time every day, but most days have had at least some - ranging from a few sprinkles to a full out downpour.

Being that I live in one of the driest climates in Canada, I am so not used to this. It definitely gives you a renewed appreciation for the sunny moments! It also gives you an appreciation for a good umbrella.

I brought my Roots travel umbrella with me. It's not tiny - but it's definitely not the largest umbrella out there. The first time I had occasion to use it, it was laughably inadequate. The wind blows the umbrella up and makes the rain come at you at an angle - I had to resort to pulling it down so it was sitting right on the top of my head and still managed to keep only the area above my shoulders dry.

Judging from the garbage bins full of abandoned, mangled umbrellas that I pass on the street on days like this, I'm not the only one who overestimates the usefulness of a small umbrella in Vancouver. (It does seem logical to keep a small umbrella with you at all times when out and about in a rainy city... I guess you just have to have lots of spares.)

Fortunately, the good people at my hotel realize that tourists and visitors will arrive woefully unprepared for the Pineapple Express. My room came stocked with a giant umbrella that would be completely ridiculous in Calgary - unless maybe you were using it for a shade umbrella - but is very appropriate for Vancouver.

The only problem is that most Vancouverites have already learned their lesson and carry similar monstrosities. As a result, I've quickly learned that umbrella etiquette is as important here as subway etiquette is in Toronto. Watch where you're going - look behind you before making a sharp turn - tilt or lift your umbrella when passing people on a busy street - and watch out for those who don't, or risk getting an umbrella spine to the eye!

Here is the link to the long-term forecast for Vancouver. Don't you love how they add more rain coming out of the cloud, to indicate a downpour??

(For the record, I am fully expecting a number of sympathetic comments when I check back in here.)

I never used to understand people who said, "I'd rather have rain than snow, you don't have to shovel rain"... I'd think, yeah well, I don't shovel the snow either. Whatevs.

However, 2 years going on 3, of brutally cold Calgary winters has me agreeing with them. I'd rather carry an umbrella in my purse everywhere I go, than stand at the bus stop when it's minus 40. Plus windchill.

Boy, it's gonna be a long winter.

Three Weeks in Vancouver

So, here I am back in Vancouver again. It's a good thing I like it here, considering how much time I seem to spend here.

The forecast for the foreseeable future is nothing but rain, rain, rain. However, it's supposed to stay above zero, which I like. Today it rained and rained and then at around 3:00 p.m. the rain stopped! And the sun came out! And I could hear the angels singing...



Hee.

I can't complain though - I'm less than 10 minutes' walk from work, in a very nice and well equipped hotel that has a gym, spa and pool. My room is like a one bedroom apartment, so I was able to pick up (healthy) groceries, which will help me save my per diem allowance for this:

It's November

Time is flying by. I haven't updated this blog for almost 2 whole months, oops. Well, let's see...

- I was in Vancouver for a week in September
- Left on Oct 7 to take a red eye to NYC to celebrate my good friend Tim's 30th birthday
- Stayed in NYC until the 12th
- Spent 6 days in Toronto
- Came home only to leave 3 days later for 3 days in Ottawa
- Came home again and basically collapsed in exhaustion... got sick and also was studying for a challenge exam
- Wrote the exam on Friday, it was hard and took me 3 1/2 hours to do...
- Finally relaxed and got some sleep

And now I'm great, feeling a lot more like myself again. Did some shopping yesterday for things we needed around the house and even started my Christmas shopping.

So, now I have another week at home and then I am going to Vancouver for 3 weeks for work. It should be a pretty decent work trip, 3 weeks in a suite hotel near work, I'm hoping to get some exercise in and get some of my next course done, which is Administrative Principles - basically Management 101. I've actually had the books for ages but have until the end of January to complete it.

Here are some recent photos for your viewing pleasure:

My backyard in early October:


New York City:




We walked across the Brooklyn Bridge....



...to go to a famous pizza parlour on the other side. Turns out we were not the only ones with that idea. (We didn't bother waiting in line. Turns out that pizza in Manhattan is pretty good too.)


Getting ready for a night on the town:


The birthday boy:




I believe they were dancing to Bon Jovi...

Just a boring little update :)

Time is flying along - well into September already - boo hoo. At least the weather is decent. It's been about 25, consistently, with a few hotter days thrown in. This weekend is supposed to be 27 I think. Nice.

Last weekend my friends Robyn and Trevor came to visit with their little kids and we spent Saturday at the Zoo, which was fun (if not busy - that's a long weekend for you). Sunday we checked out the new giant mall, CrossIron Mills. (For you Torontonians, it's almost exactly the same as Vaughn Mills - same developer even.) And Monday, we did our weekly chores and I did my assigned school work. I set a schedule for myself as my exam is booked for October 30 and I have quite a bit on the go between now and then. So far, so good.

Next week I'm headed to Vancouver for work and the spousal unit even gets to come. I am hoping for more sun and lots of seafood. And maybe a new purse.

Summer Recess is Over...

Six weeks has gone by, I cannot believe it. I've finished my courses (A+ and C-), started 2 new ones, returned to work, gone on holidays to Toronto and Niagara... and am now gearing up for Fall which includes trips to Vancouver, NYC (!!!), Toronto, and Ottawa. So far. Good thing I got over my fear of airline travel.

While we were in Toronto, we attended a Holland America reunion party with our friends that we went cruising with back in April. Denise, with the help of sous-chef Alastair, prepared a fabulous 5 course meal reminiscent of those we enjoyed on the ms Westerdam ... we pulled out all of our HAL swag for the occasion and even drank buckets of MGD. Bonus points to the hostess with the mostess, for printing out the menus complete with the HAL logo on them.

Belated photos of Victoria

Well, I think I figured out how to make the pictures work. The dimensions might be a bit wonky, but it's better than nothing!

While in Victoria last month, I had the pleasure of spending a sunny afternoon at Butchart Gardens, a huge and very beautiful botanical garden. Very nice place. Victoria in general, from what I saw, seemed quite nice actually. I'd like to go back and explore Vancouver Island a bit more sometime. Anyway, here's some pics.

Worst. Blogger. Ever.

I know I said I would post pictures from Victoria. I still can't figure out what is wrong with Blogger. I'm sorry. I better figure it out, because a blog with no pics is no fun.

We went to the Stampede yesterday, ate some junk, bought tickets for the Dream Home Lotto... nothing too exciting. I don't do rides and we decided not to go to the rodeo again, since we went last year. I sort of wanted to see the chuckwagon races but also didn't want to, because horses are usually fatally injured at some point during them and I'm not cool with that.

2 more weeks of education leave left and I'm done one course and closing in on the other. Both exams are next week. Then back to the grind. Honestly, I won't mind it. I kind of miss going to work and talking to people.

So...

I have a post written about my trip to Victoria but again I am having problems getting the pictures to load properly. For some reason, they upload in HUGE scale and do not display properly on the blog, even though I am using the same camera, procedure, web host, etc. I have to start from scratch and upload again or manually resize, which will take awhile. I'll do it on the weekend, fo sho.

Otherwise, let's see... our landscaping is fully underway, actually it is mostly done. The noise has driven me out of the house all week, so I am 'that person' with the laptop at Starbucks... actually, you can eat and drink at the public library here (weird!) and they have free wifi with the purchase of a library card (also weird, but only $12/year) so I prefer going there. The added bonus is that I can take 'breaks' and read magazines or look for novels to check out.

I was hoping to get down to Medicine Hat since it's Father's Day this weekend, but alas, not going to happen. We'll be staying in town hopefully enjoying some summer weather and not, you know, more hail like yesterday. At least these storms are fast and furious, they come and go within an hour. Yesterday the rain was coming down like it was being hurled out of the sky, mixed with hail, loud thunder, huge lightening. The sun came back out and our fence was actully steaming as the water evaporated. I wish I had taken a photo, it kind of looked like the fence was on fire.

So that's my update. I'll fix up those pics this weekend and post em. Happy Father's Day to the dads out there!

Up Up and Away

So I'm off to Vancouver today. I have a job interview tomorrow (for a job I won't get, but that's okay. I'm giving the interview process a try for a position one level above me, but the actual position is only a 1 year backfill, so it will be filled locally. Kinda takes the pressure off, which is nice.) Then I will go to Victoria to attend a meeting on behalf of my boss, and come home on Thursday night.

The weather is supposed to be, you know, late spring like in BC which is a nice change from the FROST WARNINGS here over the past few days. Oh, and the snow. And hail.

On the upside, it's supposed to be 21 and sunny when I come back. I'll try to take some interesting pics for ya.

Bleargh

It is going to be 4 tomorrow with a chance of SNOW.

Yeah, seriously. It's JUNE.

Stupid Calgary.

Fortunately for us, we had decided to spend this weekend indoors doing some home improvements. New closet doors x 9, and a few other wee projects. I am very excited to get new doors, ours are the original 70s woodgrain look and they look so.dated.

Next week, we'll be getting a bunch of landscaping done. I decided that installing the brick patio in TO gets me out of more manual labour so we are hiring a company to do it. Never mind the labour, we need a new retaining wall and have no idea how to build one. Pay now and get it done right the first time, vs. DIY and eff something up and pay later, that's my motto. I'll post pics when it's all done.

Announcement: New Blog

I started another blog to keep school stuff separate from everything good and fun, which will continue to be posted here.

Check it out, yo.

Special Edition 50th Post

I logged in to do an update and noticed it's the 50th post!



(I can hear your applause through the interwebz.)

I guess this merits something special. I have an announcement that I've been holding back on, as I wanted to wait and see how it would all turn out.
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Are you ready?

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(No, I am not pregnant. I know this is the Special Edition 50th Post, but do you really think I would announce something like that on my blog?)

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I am getting 7 weeks of leave with pay this summer to do schoolwork! AKA, lay on this lounge chair in my backyard tanning and reading, for most of the summer.



I plan to set up an umbrella and side table for my drinks as well.

Did I mention, I love my boss?

Compressed Days are the Best Days

Monday, Monday. The last day of the long weekend. But not for me! I'm off tomorrow too, and the previously dismal weather forecast has improved to 16 and sunny.

A day off in the middle of the week is so sweet. Traffic is light. Going out in public when everyone else at work = no lines. You are finally forced to do things you've been saying you'll do 'on the weekend', for ages.

My to-do list:

• awaken early for an appointment with a contractor for a quote on some landscaping we need done in the front. We're hoping to get a new path put in between the street and our front door, the retaining wall in the front rebuilt, and some gravel laid down the side of the house where the weeds are presently out of control.
• go to Safeway and Superstore and get the various deals at each. Usually Superstore is a nightmare and I avoid it, but I do love me some PC products and it should be quiet on a Tuesday morning.
• go to Rona and pick up mineral oil and stain. We bought new patio furniture and want to stain our 2 deck chairs to match:

• I would also like to go out shopping for plants. But I will have no time because I have to...
• Complete assignments/study for school. I'm down to the wire on 2 courses and have 2 assignments to complete as well as 2 exams to write by the end of May

I'm excited to be done with these (boring) courses and start 2 new ones. I'll be taking Employment Law and challenging the exam for Administrative Law over the summer. I've received the texts and materials and it looks much more palatable than Professional Ethics and Business Communications (not that they've been hard, exactly, just a bit mind numbing. Ethics in particular.)

I'm back, baby, I'm back!

Many apologies for the hiatus. We were away and then my mom came to visit and then I got bogged down in work and housework and a million other mundane things. On a side note, I am touched that you haven't completely given up on me.

The trip: awesome. Aruba was beautiful, safe, and we had tons of fun snorkelling. Curacao, we took a hair raising ride on the local bus to the beach. $1 each, in a speeding minivan with no seatbelts. Grand Turk was beautiful, but you could still see evidence of the hurricane that hit a few months back. We followed our tourbook to the local beach for 'the best snorkelling on the island' but saw nothing. I think the coral was wiped out by the storm. Eh, the beach was still nice and we had it all to ourselves, basically (all of the passengers stayed at the terminal, which contains a ridiculously huge and overpriced Margaritaville).

Puerto Rico was interesting, we checked out an old fort and Denise got starstruck by Johnny Depp, who was in town shooting a movie. We also scored a bottle of Dom Perignon in the duty free for $99.

In St. Maarten we went to the nude beach (no, we didn't bare all...) and the trip started and ended with a stop at Half Moon Cay, Bahamas, which is a private island owned by the cruiseline. We've been there before, and it didn't disappoint - a slice of heaven on earth for sure.

To be honest, I didn't take a whole lotta pictures but here are a few good ones:

Snorkelling (and jumping) off a pirate ship in Aruba:



The view of Grand Turk from the ship:


San Juan, Puerto Rico (taken from Fort San Cristobal in the old city):


And the Fort itself:



Our darling waiter, Nur:


The view of our ship from the private island in the Bahamas:



And a whole pile of shots of South Beach (we stayed at the Beacon Hotel):








Actually, I think South Beach was one of my favourite parts of the trip. The art deco architecture is really cool and the vibe is relaxed, healthy and happy. I'd love to go back for a longer trip (we just stayed for one night at the end of the cruise before flying home).

*Edited to add, sorry some of the pictures are showing up off centre/weird. Blogger is pissing me off and I have fiddled with it enough for one night.