Going home...thank you Port Alberni

Last night Mike and I had our Christmas date. We went ice skating at the Butchart Gardens, and then walked through the garden to see the lights and the 12 days of Christmas display. We drank peppermint hot chocolate, and then had hot soup and listened to the Christmas carollers and the festive brass band playing bluesy Christmas carols. It was perfect. I love the Butchart gardens, and so when you add the lights it was just magical. My favourite was the 9 ladies dancing. They included little bo peep, little red riding hood, snow white, the witch with her apple, cinderella, little miss muffet, and a few others. Hey, why is it that all the nursery rhyme ladies are named "little..."?

The funny thing about this Christmas is that there was a long list of Christmas things I wanted to do in Victoria, but I wasn't sure if Mike would be able to do them all with me. The Butchart gardens was my main one, so since we got to do that I wasn't going to worry about the other things. One of which was going to see "The Nativity Story" before Christmas. Well, mike called me from work just now and said "I think we should go see the Nativity story tonight" since it's our last night in Vic before Christmas. I was so excited because he just asked out of the blue without me even hinting. So, I went to check the theaters, and a few minutes and many websites later, discovered that THE NATIVITY STORY, the true Christmas story, is not playing at a single theatre the weekend before Christmas! I was very upset, but immediately started to brain storm other ideas. I wondered if it might be playing while we are in Port Alberni, since the thing we always complained about in town as teenagers was how the movies always arrived three weeks after they came out everywhere else. But I thought, with all the movies out, what are the chances of that?

But I checked anyways, and whaddayaknow, good old small town movie theater came through. It is playing all week at the matinee and the 7. So, that's my Port Alberni story. We may get the movies late, but sometimes they are just on time.

So, now I'm happy again. This Christmas has been amazing so far compared to the rush of last year and the short time at home. This year, I got to see all my friends in Victoria, have a Christmas party, I actually have a tree and my house is very festive (all the ornaments I've been purchasing the past few years have finally added up into an entire apartment's worth). All we need now is some snow to keep us in Port a little longer! I wouldn't mind getting snowed in this year. Might be fun to be stuck somewhere. As long as we don't lose power. I was thinking about that earlier, how all the people without power on the island might not be able to cook their turkeys. What will they do? I guess you could always barbeque them outside? Hmm...let's all hope the power comes back soon enough.

Have a Merry Christmas everyone!

TQS...BCCT...BCTF

Ack! Too many acronyms.

Today is the day I finally stop procrastinating and get on my applications to the TQS (Teacher Qualifications Service ) and the BCCT (British Columbia college of teachers). I just hate filling out forms, but I want to get it over and done with before I go home for Christmas. So, now I just need to go to Uvic, drop off my transcript forms, then get someone to notarize my marriage certificate, find two references, and send it all away to the people who will be paying me for the duration of my teaching career.

I really should have done this sooner, but school was so busy and then once school was over I got all giddy with Christmas and with doing whatever I want that I forgot all about this!

So, now today and tomorrow have become errand days.
1) clean up from Christmas party
2) TQS BCCT
3) get pants hemmed
4) get eyebrows threaded (they are beginning to look like caterpillars!)
5) wrap presents

But, they are all on their way to being done. Might be closer though if I wasn't completely involved with my next book "The lovely bones". Very good and addicting so far.

Off to change the dish load over!

Christmas Party, and lots of food....

Mike and I had a Christmas party last night at our apartment. It was a lot of fun, although out of the many people we invited, we ended up with a small group, just 2 other couples and us. It was perfect though. I had the whole place decorated with Christmas lights and a tree and candles. It was very cozy and we had sooo much yummy food. Mike made his famous mushroom caps and I made crostini, cookies, shortbread and chocolate fudge. We also had veggies and fruit and cheese and bread and everything I love to eat. Plus cranberry punch. Needless to say, we ate a lot.

I tried to make everything "Christmasized" as our friend Sarah (Matt's sarah, not Fraser's) put it. I thought that was the perfect way to describe it. I even had the movie A Christmas Story playing in the background while we ate. Such a Christmas classic.

Then, we introduced Matt and Sarah to the game Shadows over Camelot. And, of course, after I said that it sucks to be the traitor the first time you play the game, Sarah ended up as the traitor. It was still fun though, and afterwards, we played a new card game they bought for us called "Wizard".

Then, today I finished the last few items I needed for Christmas. Mike and I went shopping yesterday before the party and got all of his family's presents. I'm very happy to be finished and I think we got some great presents in the end. I spent more than I was supposed to, but oh well.

Myana and I went out for lunch at the Tapa Bar this afternoon as well. I don't think I've ever gone out for food so much as in the past week, with all the Christmas parties, shopping, and friends who, like me, love going out to restaurants. Just since Friday, I've been to a dinner party, a birthday dinner at The Reef, breakfast at the Blue Fox, lunch twice at Paggliaci's and lunch at the Tapa Bar, plus my Christmas party dinner. I guess that's why people make their New Year's resolutions dieting.

It's all been great though, I love Victoria restaurants. It's also nice to have time to see friends before Christmas. In two more days Mike and I get to go home for Christmas as well, so I'm getting very excited to see everyone. I also finally finished the book I've been reading since September, and can move on to others! I have a huge list waiting.

Well, that's all the Christmas fun so far. Plans for Butchart Gardens tomorrow night, just so long as it doesn't get blown away by the next wind storm tonight.

Also, Happy Birthday Mom!

All it takes

All it takes to make me cry is page 406 of the Time Traveller's Wife. If you haven't read it, you must. It is the best book I've ever read. There are a few things I wish were different, or that we had more of, but I think it is only a sign of how good the book is.

In other news, I did some Christmas shopping today. I thought my arms would break off near the end. Too much walking with heavy bags. Plus my purse is huge. I should have brought a back pack.

Tonight is the start of my busy nights out. I'm going to a dinner party tonight, then a birthday dinner tomorrow, then breakfast with a friend sunday morning, then a matinee show! It's going to be a busy weekend, but it's all good as I have no homework!

10 Days until Christmas!

My Library Thing

If anyone is interested, I've been using my library thing for a while now to catalogue all my books. So, if you are looking for a good book to read, then check out TEXT'>my catalogue. Or make your own. It will even give you recommendations on what other books you might like. I hope that link works. I only know how to post and put up photos, so I've never tried making a link before. Does anyone know how to put permanent links on the blog home page to other blog and homepages? I've always wanted to know how to do this, and since everyone else has them on their blogs, I figured it shouldn't be that hard, right?

It's Christmas...in 11 days!

Okay, so not having school is actually kind of boring. I got waaay too many things done by lunch time. I got all my laundry done, tidied up the house, put up all the Christmas decorations, set up the tree, sent out all of my emails, read, and it was still only lunch time. So, then I went to my practicum school to talk with my sponsor teacher. I had some questions I needed to ask her about the units I will be teaching. It was raining so hard that by the time I walked the three blocks from my bus to the school I was drenched from my coat down. Thank goodness I found my umbrella as it would have ruined my hair, which is still nice from the hair cut yesterday. I'm hoping it will be nice again tomorrow, although it might do that weird greasy thing that happens after a day of not washing it. But, since I got it cut yesterday afternoon, it might be good tomorrow. And, I actually have plans for tomorrow, so that's good. I won't be so bored.

I need to do most of my Christmas shopping still, but it's just too hard. It stresses me out trying to decide what to get people. Especially since I have a very strict limit, so I can't just pick out anything that looks nice. You have to be very creative.

It was dark out today at 3:30. It's very strange, but I don't think the sun came out today at all. I woke up at 9am and it was still pitch black in my house. When I went out at 2:30 it was very gloomy, and then by the time I left Oak bay around 4 it was dark. Very depressing. I'm hoping it's nicer next week so I can go ice skating.

Man, I'm starving. But I don't want to go anywhere since I just got off the bus. The bus in the rain with wet stinky people is no fun at all. And, Mike has the car at soccer so I can't even go out for food.

Lately all the TV episodes are the Christmas ones. It's fun because there is always something Christmacy to watch. Right now there is a Seinfeld episode. It's the one where Elaine sends out Christmas cards that have her nipple showing. I guess that's a little worse than not knowing what to buy for Christmas! I think I should watch a Christmas movie. Have to get them all in during the next 11 days. Hey, it's the second day of the 12 days of Christmas. Hmmm. Should I watch the Nightmare before Christmas in honour of Jenn? Or Love Actually? Or A Christmas story?

Isn't it weird how we can watch the same Christmas movies every year and not get sick of them?

I'm back

I've been putting off writing on my blog for the past two weeks. When I finally started to feel better (I didn't have mono after all) it was then the final week of school. I've never done so much reading, studying and writing as I did from December 1st to the 11th. But, it's over now.

Today was my last day of school at Uvic. In January I start my practicum until May 4th, then I'm leaving Victoria and off to who know's where! I'm nervous about my practicum but excited about not having to write any more essays or exams. It felt very weird last night with nothing to do since I'd handed in my last essay on monday. I didn't know what to do with myself. It feels different from last year when I graduated because back then I knew that I was going to be starting a new degree, so it wasn't really over. But soon I think I'll find myself missing school. I already don't know where to start when I get home. So, basically I've been Christmas shopping ang planning and spending way too much money.

I just got my hair cut this afternoon and I love it. But, I have nowhere to go and show it off! Here I am all dressed up in Christmas colours with a new hair style and my only plans are to sit and watch TV, since Mike has a dinner with his boss tonight :(

So, what's new lately? Well, Mike is nearly through all the RCMP hoops. He just redid his PARE test on Sunday and was still the fastest one there, and then did his first aid course yesterday. I'm hoping they'll get through his file quickly and hopefully he'll be going to Regina in January sometime.

We also went to see the Winter Harp concert this past Friday. It's my favourite Christmas thing to do. I love the Celtic harp. It's such a good way to start off the holiday season. I dragged Mike along with me this time too since he ditched me last year. We also have plans for a Christmas party next week and a trip to see the lights and go ice skating at the Butchart gardens. We're hoping that Sarah and Fraser will be able to come with us.

My apartment is almost decorated, but I still have to do the tree. I'm still using the old fake tree Jenn and I carried home on the bus when we lived together in 2nd year. It's done good over the past years, but I think next year I will be retiring it for a real tree.

I was watching Jeopardy last night (that's how bored I've been) and realized just how ignorant some Americans can be. Jenn was telling me that people in the US don't do the whole poppy thing for remembrance day, but I didn't realized they don't even know why we wear them. THe Jeopardy category was poetry, and the question, or answer rather was something along the lines of: In flanders fields, the (this flower) grow, between the crosses row on row. I thought at first glance that they were asking for the author and was getting mad at myself for not being able to remember the poets name. Then, I realized they wanted the flower. I thought, boy is that easy, it's poppies. The first man rings in and says....What are pansies? I laughed and then the second man rang in and said Ah, what are cornflowers? Ahh! At least pansies sounds like poppies. I couldn't believe they didn't know the poem. I'd been made to memorize it in grade 11 socials studies and I see it every year in November. But, thankfully, the third player, a woman, got the right answer. Even Alex Trebek looked surprised.

Well, that's my rant about poppies. On to other things. I sent my first short story out on Monday to the Fiddlehead contest. I'm hoping that I'll be able to get something published in the next year, and I realized that I have a lot more good writing than I realized. I can't really complain about not being published unless I'm getting rejection notices now can I?

So, all you writers out there, send your work out! It's the only way people will read it.

Merry Christmas everyone!