Happy Halloween!
Saturday, October 31, 2009
Saturday, September 05, 2009
Paris, take two
Our second day in Paris started out yummy. We took a walk, past the Pantheon
and the Sorbonne to "la rue Mouffetard". Here I found a row of delicious bakeries and all types of food. We bough pain au chocolate, croissants, baguette sandwiches and a tarte au fraises. With our goodies in hand, we wandered back to the Jardin de Luxembourg, where we lounged beneath the trees on chairs (you're not allowed to sit on the grass) and ate our food. We didn't walk through the whole park, as we needed to be on our way, but we did stop to look at the pretty pond in the center and the statues.
Next we went to our first museum, the Musee National du Moyen Age, where we saw room after room of medieval relics, paintings, armour and artifacts. There were some amazing books here too. The higlight for me was seeing the display of the Lady and the Unicorn tapestries. So beautiful.
This day was really a day for museums, as we then walked to the Musee D'Orsay, an art gallery in a beautiful old train station. We didn't have an abundance of time, so we saw my favourite impressionists, took in the view from the roof top, and then headed back to our hotel to check and see if my luggage was in yet.
No luck though; it hadn't arrived. So, we turned around and headed out to see one last museum, the Louvre. It was a friday and was open late, and free for those under 26, so I didn't feel bad that we hadn't enough time to take in all the exhibits. Instead, we chose the ones we really wanted to see. The Mona Lisa, the Venus de Milo, the underground moat remains, and a beautiful collection of roman and greek statues. It was nice to look at something other than paintings. Many people have told me that they prefer the Musee D'Orsay to the Louvre, but I really loved the Louvre. When we emerged beneath the glass pyramid, the sun was just beginning to set, and we took a beautiful, albeit long walk (me in flip flops) to the Arc de Triomphe. The view of the sun setting behind it was definitely worth it, though. And, Mike was nice enough to suggest that we walk down one of the side streets, and took my photo as I posed with all the famous designer stores. It was fun to window shop while they were closed.
We then hailed a taxi to Montmartre, and found a lovely little restaurant, out of the tourist zone, to eat at. We had a three course meal, with the best ravioli I've ever eaten, horse meat (which turned out to be steak, thankfully--the waiter didn't speak English and had confused cow with horse), creamy potatoes, and dessert.
We were very tired at this point, at took our cab back to the hotel to get a good night's sleep before heading to Ireland the next day. Thankfully, my luggage had finally arrived.
Our time in Paris was short, but wonderful. We managed to see a little bit of everything, and take in the major sites.
and the Sorbonne to "la rue Mouffetard". Here I found a row of delicious bakeries and all types of food. We bough pain au chocolate, croissants, baguette sandwiches and a tarte au fraises. With our goodies in hand, we wandered back to the Jardin de Luxembourg, where we lounged beneath the trees on chairs (you're not allowed to sit on the grass) and ate our food. We didn't walk through the whole park, as we needed to be on our way, but we did stop to look at the pretty pond in the center and the statues.
Next we went to our first museum, the Musee National du Moyen Age, where we saw room after room of medieval relics, paintings, armour and artifacts. There were some amazing books here too. The higlight for me was seeing the display of the Lady and the Unicorn tapestries. So beautiful.
This day was really a day for museums, as we then walked to the Musee D'Orsay, an art gallery in a beautiful old train station. We didn't have an abundance of time, so we saw my favourite impressionists, took in the view from the roof top, and then headed back to our hotel to check and see if my luggage was in yet.
No luck though; it hadn't arrived. So, we turned around and headed out to see one last museum, the Louvre. It was a friday and was open late, and free for those under 26, so I didn't feel bad that we hadn't enough time to take in all the exhibits. Instead, we chose the ones we really wanted to see. The Mona Lisa, the Venus de Milo, the underground moat remains, and a beautiful collection of roman and greek statues. It was nice to look at something other than paintings. Many people have told me that they prefer the Musee D'Orsay to the Louvre, but I really loved the Louvre. When we emerged beneath the glass pyramid, the sun was just beginning to set, and we took a beautiful, albeit long walk (me in flip flops) to the Arc de Triomphe. The view of the sun setting behind it was definitely worth it, though. And, Mike was nice enough to suggest that we walk down one of the side streets, and took my photo as I posed with all the famous designer stores. It was fun to window shop while they were closed.
We then hailed a taxi to Montmartre, and found a lovely little restaurant, out of the tourist zone, to eat at. We had a three course meal, with the best ravioli I've ever eaten, horse meat (which turned out to be steak, thankfully--the waiter didn't speak English and had confused cow with horse), creamy potatoes, and dessert.
We were very tired at this point, at took our cab back to the hotel to get a good night's sleep before heading to Ireland the next day. Thankfully, my luggage had finally arrived.
Our time in Paris was short, but wonderful. We managed to see a little bit of everything, and take in the major sites.
Monday, August 31, 2009
26
Today is my 26th birthday! Yesterday Mike asked me if my life was what I imagined it would be at 26. I thought about all the things I wanted to accomplish and I think I am very happy with where I am right now. I have a husband, friends, a dog, a house, a good job.....really I'm very spoiled. I think the only thing left on my list to accomplish for 26 is to publish some poems (in a real journal) and then hopefully to make a baby...hehe. Mike says he doesn't mind helping me to accomplish that one.
So, now I'm closer to 30 than 20! Such a strange feeling.
For my birthday so far I have received: 25 facebook messages, a new hair colour from Mike's sister, a new blowdryer, some clothes from my mom and tomorrow I'm getting another puppy!
Here's to another year!
So, now I'm closer to 30 than 20! Such a strange feeling.
For my birthday so far I have received: 25 facebook messages, a new hair colour from Mike's sister, a new blowdryer, some clothes from my mom and tomorrow I'm getting another puppy!
Here's to another year!
Saturday, August 29, 2009
Side note
I haven't yet gotten the rest of my Paris pictures, and I'd like to blog about my trip in order, so I'll have to wait a few days as I am currently in Port Alberni. It was a surprise visit for my Mom and Mom-in-law, as Mike just happened to have a few extra days off. The look on my mom's face when I arrived at 11 pm a few nights ago and surprised her was priceless. So, in the meantime in between my trip journals...here is a photo that I love of Ireland. It's my favourite Irish sky.
Ah. I so miss Ireland. It was beautiful. I want to live there.
Ah. I so miss Ireland. It was beautiful. I want to live there.
Friday, August 21, 2009
Two Canadians in Paris
My 7 week European adventure began on July 2nd when we arrived in Paris. It was a long flight, made longer by the 3 hour delay on the run way in Montreal as we waited for a thunderstorm to clear up. Unfortunately, this delay shortened our already short two days in Paris, and caused my luggage to get lost and not be delivered until the night we were leaving. But, despite having to go shopping for essentials, makeup, clothes and some flip flops upon my jet lagged arrival at our hotel, we managed to see an amazing number of things in Paris on foot and had an incredible time together.
Day one:
July 2nd. We took the RER train from the airport to our hotel, the Dacia Luxembourg. I made a great guess as to where to get off and we walked only a few minutes before spotting it. We were located very close to the Notre Dame, the Pont Neuf, the Sainte Chappelle and the Pantheon, among others. So, we set out on foot at about 4:30 in the afternoon, once I was better equipped with a tank top and new shorts from the Paris Gap! (I had arrived in sweatpants and sneakers to 32 degrees). Luckily for me I had put my summer dresses in Mike's suitcase, so after swapping my sneakers for some new flip flops I was able to dress up in the evenings.
Our first adventure was to see the Notre Dame Cathedral. It was lovely and cool and HUGE! I was really blown away by the beauty of this church. I wasn't expecting the size and we really enjoyed looking around inside. Because we were short on time, we didn't climb the tower, but took some gargoyle photos from below. We then headed a short distance away to another smaller church, the Sainte Chapelle.
This one is known for it's stunning stained glass windows that tell the entire story of the bible.
The Notre Dame and my first glimpse of the Eiffel Tower.
Me inside the Notre Dame.
We enjoyed walking about and seeing the sights until our stomachs started grumbling. We chose a little outdoor cafe to have a seat and some dinner. We then headed back to the hotel, and I thankfully managed to find some decent socks along the way which made me very happy as I was wearing Mike's big sports socks and my feet were still swollen from the long flight. We entered our hotel, took a nice nap to try and shake off some jet lag (we travelled for a full 24 hours before arriving) and headed out again. We had planned on seeing the Musee d'Orsay that night, but were enjoying the sleep too much, so decided to have a late walk to the Eiffel Tower instead.
We left just before sunset and walked hand in hand along the Seine river. We underestimated the distance a bit, as we could see the tower as we walked, and figured it couldn't be too far away. But, over an hour later, we finally arrived. It was 11pm and I was worried that the upper floor would be closed, but there was still quite a line up and we were able to go to the third floor. The elevator was scary--like an amusement ride all on its own. We arrived at midnight to cheers from the park below as the Tower lit up with sparkling lights. It glows yellow all night but only has twinkling lights for the first ten minutes of every hour. It was really magical to step out of the elevator to the twinkling lights.
Once at the top we took our time seeing the sights of Paris. If you're only in Paris for a short time, it's a good way to see what the entire city looks like at night. Everything is lit up. We could see the Arc de Triomphe in the distance.
Me at the top.
When we left, we spent some time lounging on the lawn in front of the tower. In the evening, there are many Parisians who sit on the lawn here and drink wine and watch the lights. We soon found ourselves hungry, though, and decided to see if there were any Parisian cafés still serving food at 2 am. Lucky for us, there were. We split a burger and frites and then took a cab home. I only remember swearing to Mike that if we survived the cab ride I would never call a cab in Paris again.
And that was day one. We went to sleep exhausted with a very long list of what we wanted to see in our one remaining day.
Tuesday, June 30, 2009
Guilty
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Lately I've been the worst blogger ever. But, I figured I should probably update my blog given as I'm leaving for Europe tomorrow morning for 6 weeks!
It's not that I haven't had anything to write about. In fact, I've been so busy that I could probably do a post every day for a month to write about all of it. Between directing a two hour musical for 60 students to planning this trip, finishing my report cards and being sick for two weeks, I haven't had much time for anything.
But, I thought I would post a picture update of what I've been doing. I won't write a whole lot, but the pictures include my students' graduation ceremony and red carpet, Mike in his serge at the grad red carpet, a few more pics from my trip to the Dominican and the wedding there, me and my friend M's new baby Angeline, and a few of my puppy who looks so grown up now!
Well, tomorrow morning we fly to Paris for two nights. We are planning on seeing everything we possibly can. Did you know that being 25 in France gets you a youth discount? I'm getting into the Louvre for free! Then, we head to Ireland for two weeks. We are staying in two cottages. On the 18th of July Mike flies home and I fly to Edinburgh to meet up with my friend Amanda. I will be visiting her and some family members around Scotland before heading to the south of france for 12 days. I will be participating in La Sabranenque, which is a volunteer camp where you help restore a medieval village. I'm very excited and I must admit not feeling prepared just yet. I have all my stuff laid out on the table but still need to put it into my suitcase and decide what to leave behind. But, that's very typical of me. I've spend countless hours doing the planning and preparing for this trip and cleaning my house for the house sitters I have coming. I've spent so much time doing all of this that I left no time for myself to relax and be excited!
Hopefully the trip there will go smoothly and I will be able to sleep a bit on the plane. Hope you all have a wonderful summer and I will try to update my blog with some travel news while in Scotland!
Tuesday, May 05, 2009
Punta Canada
A week of holiday.....
Well, I'm back from a gorgeous week in tropical paradise. It was my first time going anywhere tropical and I truly loved it. We arrived in Punta Cana to our resort, the Melia Caribe, just as it was getting dark out on the first day. After getting lost trying to find our rooms, (the resort is HUGE) we found the buffet for dinner and the rest of our group. There were about 60 of us or so going to the wedding so it wasn't too hard to locate the group of sunburnt Canadians most days, lounging by the pool drinking coco locos. After a delicious dinner (the buffet is amazing) we headed down to see the beach. It was night but I couldn't wait to feel the sand under my toes.
Friday was our first full day at the resort. We slept in as we had spent the previous night awake in the airport. Unfortunately this caused us to miss the breakfast buffet, but we were able to eat lunch on the beach and then lounge for several hours. We claimed a row of lounge chairs and Mike headed off with some of the guys to get drinks while I chatted with some girlfriends and read my book (the second in the Outlander series). The first moment of stepping onto that beach was by far the highlight of the trip. I couldn't believe the water could actually be that turquoise and that the sand could be so white. It truly is a beautiful paradise. So, I contented myself with gazing at it and feeling the hot sun for the first afternoon.
That evening, we managed to get a dinner reservation for 8 people at the Dominican a la carte restaurant. The food was delicious! For an apppy, I had Queso Frito, which is essentially fried cheese with a yummy sauce. For dinner I chose the chicken risotto which was also delish. Dominican food is very good!
Here are a few highlight pictures. The first three days were essentially spent sunbathing, swimming, eating out with a group of people and then enjoying the evening entertainers and open bar! There are lounge areas with cabanas, chaise longues and couches everywhere you turn, so there was plenty of space for the 60 of us to socialize in the evenings.
On monday we had the wedding to attend, which I will leave for a separate post.
The lovely beach...
Our room...
Well, I'm back from a gorgeous week in tropical paradise. It was my first time going anywhere tropical and I truly loved it. We arrived in Punta Cana to our resort, the Melia Caribe, just as it was getting dark out on the first day. After getting lost trying to find our rooms, (the resort is HUGE) we found the buffet for dinner and the rest of our group. There were about 60 of us or so going to the wedding so it wasn't too hard to locate the group of sunburnt Canadians most days, lounging by the pool drinking coco locos. After a delicious dinner (the buffet is amazing) we headed down to see the beach. It was night but I couldn't wait to feel the sand under my toes.
Friday was our first full day at the resort. We slept in as we had spent the previous night awake in the airport. Unfortunately this caused us to miss the breakfast buffet, but we were able to eat lunch on the beach and then lounge for several hours. We claimed a row of lounge chairs and Mike headed off with some of the guys to get drinks while I chatted with some girlfriends and read my book (the second in the Outlander series). The first moment of stepping onto that beach was by far the highlight of the trip. I couldn't believe the water could actually be that turquoise and that the sand could be so white. It truly is a beautiful paradise. So, I contented myself with gazing at it and feeling the hot sun for the first afternoon.
That evening, we managed to get a dinner reservation for 8 people at the Dominican a la carte restaurant. The food was delicious! For an apppy, I had Queso Frito, which is essentially fried cheese with a yummy sauce. For dinner I chose the chicken risotto which was also delish. Dominican food is very good!
Here are a few highlight pictures. The first three days were essentially spent sunbathing, swimming, eating out with a group of people and then enjoying the evening entertainers and open bar! There are lounge areas with cabanas, chaise longues and couches everywhere you turn, so there was plenty of space for the 60 of us to socialize in the evenings.
On monday we had the wedding to attend, which I will leave for a separate post.
The lovely beach...
Our room...
Thursday, April 23, 2009
Middle of the night at YVR
So, it's the middle of the night at Vancouver International Airport. And, I'm finally finding myself with some time to update my blog. I've got a lap top, free internet, and plenty of time to waste.
We've just checked in for our 6 am flight only to discover that they won't let us through security until 4:30am. I was hoping to go in the duty free shop that is open all night, hit up the 24 hour Timmy's and then fall asleep at the gate until boarding. But, unfortunately, Mike and I are stuck at the food court just outside of security for another two hours. I tried to sleep but it's just too noisy and uncomfortable. Hopefully I'll be able to sleep on the plane as it is a nine hour flight before we arrive in Punta Cana.
So, what has been happening lately in Dawson Creek? Well, I had a good trip home for spring break and did a lot of visiting. Since then, I've been working really hard preparing my musical for June. I felt like we were really ahead until after spring break, and now the month has flown by and there is still so much to do! The advertising alone took forever but I am very proud of how the posters turned out.
Also, spring arrived in Dawson Creek, and then promptly disappeared this morning when I woke up to a blanket of white on the lawn and windy snow all day long. Thankfully we will be somewhere warm before long!
We are heading to Punta Cana for the wedding of my friend Carly but also as a good reason to lie on the beach for a week! I'm looking forward to having no plans other than the wedding and just relaxing with Mike. We might go snorkeling one day, and we definitely want to book a massage at the spa if we can. But who knows what we will end up doing! I just hope the weather is nice and sunny, although even warm tropical rain tops zero degrees and snow.
When we return I've got a short month and a bit to prepare for our show. We've got costumes to finish, sets to build and lots of scenes to practice. Unfortunately, one of our lead male dancers broke his foot yesterday. Because he is such a great actor and dancer we had him cast as a thespian, cheerleader and a jock. He did all sorts of cool dance moves and lifts with the cheerleaders and now he has a 6 week cast on his foot. Apparently last year one of the girls broke her foot just before the CATS performance as well, so it seems to be a running tradition.
It's definitely a season of traveling, as we leave on July 1st for Paris. We spend two nights there and then fly to Ireland for two weeks. Mike is heading home on July 18th and then I will be flying to Scotland to visit Amanda in Edinburgh and possibly to visit a few of my family members who live in Glasgow. Then, I will be heading back to France to Saint Victor la Coste for a 12 day volunteer program where you help restore a medieval village. It's called La Sabranenque and I'm really excited for it. I'm hoping that I will be able to practice my french while I am there.
I am also going to be doing a poetry display in Dawson Creek as part of a community art project. I'm not sure which poems I'll display but I'm thinking of doing a family theme as I have a few based on my grandparents, parents and siblings.
Well, I think it's time for me to get some breakfast!
We've just checked in for our 6 am flight only to discover that they won't let us through security until 4:30am. I was hoping to go in the duty free shop that is open all night, hit up the 24 hour Timmy's and then fall asleep at the gate until boarding. But, unfortunately, Mike and I are stuck at the food court just outside of security for another two hours. I tried to sleep but it's just too noisy and uncomfortable. Hopefully I'll be able to sleep on the plane as it is a nine hour flight before we arrive in Punta Cana.
So, what has been happening lately in Dawson Creek? Well, I had a good trip home for spring break and did a lot of visiting. Since then, I've been working really hard preparing my musical for June. I felt like we were really ahead until after spring break, and now the month has flown by and there is still so much to do! The advertising alone took forever but I am very proud of how the posters turned out.
Also, spring arrived in Dawson Creek, and then promptly disappeared this morning when I woke up to a blanket of white on the lawn and windy snow all day long. Thankfully we will be somewhere warm before long!
We are heading to Punta Cana for the wedding of my friend Carly but also as a good reason to lie on the beach for a week! I'm looking forward to having no plans other than the wedding and just relaxing with Mike. We might go snorkeling one day, and we definitely want to book a massage at the spa if we can. But who knows what we will end up doing! I just hope the weather is nice and sunny, although even warm tropical rain tops zero degrees and snow.
When we return I've got a short month and a bit to prepare for our show. We've got costumes to finish, sets to build and lots of scenes to practice. Unfortunately, one of our lead male dancers broke his foot yesterday. Because he is such a great actor and dancer we had him cast as a thespian, cheerleader and a jock. He did all sorts of cool dance moves and lifts with the cheerleaders and now he has a 6 week cast on his foot. Apparently last year one of the girls broke her foot just before the CATS performance as well, so it seems to be a running tradition.
It's definitely a season of traveling, as we leave on July 1st for Paris. We spend two nights there and then fly to Ireland for two weeks. Mike is heading home on July 18th and then I will be flying to Scotland to visit Amanda in Edinburgh and possibly to visit a few of my family members who live in Glasgow. Then, I will be heading back to France to Saint Victor la Coste for a 12 day volunteer program where you help restore a medieval village. It's called La Sabranenque and I'm really excited for it. I'm hoping that I will be able to practice my french while I am there.
I am also going to be doing a poetry display in Dawson Creek as part of a community art project. I'm not sure which poems I'll display but I'm thinking of doing a family theme as I have a few based on my grandparents, parents and siblings.
Well, I think it's time for me to get some breakfast!
Sunday, March 15, 2009
Victoria Arrival
After two quick flights yesterday afternoon, I am now in Victoria. I arrived at about 5:30 last night, got picked up by my friend Myana, and then headed to her house in Brentwood Bay. We had a delicious meal at the Prairie inn and today I will head in to town to stay with another friend for the week. I'm so looking forward to visiting all my favourite places, but I might need to buy an umbrella first. It has been raining and slushy snowing since I arrived. Apparently I brought the lovely weather with me.
Wednesday, March 04, 2009
Where did February go?
So, when did it become March? You really can't tell up here, where it has been snowing steadily and the temperatures continue to be -10 or colder. February wasn't the greatest month, but at least it went by quickly.
I have been loving my new job but I've been really sick since last weekend and missing school as a teacher is a lot more work than missing school as a student. Not only do you have to catch up the students, you have to plan for another teacher to be there instead of you anyways!
I also have been having lots of misfortunate adventures, such as getting a flat tire as I sped to the gas station yesterday afternoon in an attempt to not run out of gas. I was so busy worrying about the gas being way below empty I didn't even notice the "thud, thud, thud" of the deflated tire. I had to beg the Safeway gas attendant to let me use their phone, but Mike was undercover so no one could get a hold of him for me. Luckily one of my friends was on the watch that was working so she came and rescued me in the police cruiser and took me home. I also ran over the cord for the block heater one day so I can't plug it in anymore. I figured it would be okay because you don't usually need to plug in once it's March, but the car barely started the other morning it was so cold.
So, those are my winter adventures. We've also been trying to train our puppy to go outside, which is difficult as she is about half a foot tall and the snow is 4 or 5 feet tall.
In other news, I will be coming to the island in just over a week for spring break. I fly into Victoria on the 14th and then home again on the 28th.
I've also booked the two cottages I will be staying in when we are in Ireland. I am then planning on going to Scotland to visit Amanda, and then possibly to France for a volunteer camp for two weeks where you work in a medieval village. As well, April brings us to the Dominican Republic for a week. I'm so looking forward to lying on the beach and reading books for 7 days. I better start tanning or I'll burn the instant I get off the plane!
That's all so far...just looking forward to the end of winter! I've had enough of the snow already..
I have been loving my new job but I've been really sick since last weekend and missing school as a teacher is a lot more work than missing school as a student. Not only do you have to catch up the students, you have to plan for another teacher to be there instead of you anyways!
I also have been having lots of misfortunate adventures, such as getting a flat tire as I sped to the gas station yesterday afternoon in an attempt to not run out of gas. I was so busy worrying about the gas being way below empty I didn't even notice the "thud, thud, thud" of the deflated tire. I had to beg the Safeway gas attendant to let me use their phone, but Mike was undercover so no one could get a hold of him for me. Luckily one of my friends was on the watch that was working so she came and rescued me in the police cruiser and took me home. I also ran over the cord for the block heater one day so I can't plug it in anymore. I figured it would be okay because you don't usually need to plug in once it's March, but the car barely started the other morning it was so cold.
So, those are my winter adventures. We've also been trying to train our puppy to go outside, which is difficult as she is about half a foot tall and the snow is 4 or 5 feet tall.
In other news, I will be coming to the island in just over a week for spring break. I fly into Victoria on the 14th and then home again on the 28th.
I've also booked the two cottages I will be staying in when we are in Ireland. I am then planning on going to Scotland to visit Amanda, and then possibly to France for a volunteer camp for two weeks where you work in a medieval village. As well, April brings us to the Dominican Republic for a week. I'm so looking forward to lying on the beach and reading books for 7 days. I better start tanning or I'll burn the instant I get off the plane!
That's all so far...just looking forward to the end of winter! I've had enough of the snow already..
Wednesday, February 11, 2009
What happened to my blog?
I'm trying to figure out what happened to my blog. Suddenly the little details and links are all missing. They're still there when I go into my layout but for some reason I can't see them anymore when I load my blog! Can you see them?
Right now I'm sitting in my pj's watching American Idol. I wasn't expecting to have a lazy night but it has worked out for the best. Tonight was supposed to be my Bible study night at my house but only a couple of people showed up so they went home early and I was left with a clean house and all my work done early since I was expecting to be busy all night. It's such a relief to just get to relax though and in a few minutes I'm going to watch Lost with Mike. It's been a long time since we got to relax together and watch our favourite show.
I also started my new job. It's going really well so far and is a lot of fun. There is very little real planning and no marking which is awesome. So far we are just playing improv games and doing warm-ups. We just started learning the first dance and are hoping to start learning the first song this week. I have some truly amazing students and support for the program. It really makes the job a lot easier and very enjoyable. I spend most of my day in the costume/dressing room talking with the theater students and trying out crazy costumes. Our costume guy is a real hoot. We discovered today that the colour scheme he chose is the same as Versace's spring line which made us feel very sophisticated and really reinforced our ideas. Needless to say, I'm excited for how it's going to turn out!
Last week was Mike's birthday and this weekend is Valentine's Day. No special plans yet but Mike isn't working so we can actually have a date night!
Right now I'm sitting in my pj's watching American Idol. I wasn't expecting to have a lazy night but it has worked out for the best. Tonight was supposed to be my Bible study night at my house but only a couple of people showed up so they went home early and I was left with a clean house and all my work done early since I was expecting to be busy all night. It's such a relief to just get to relax though and in a few minutes I'm going to watch Lost with Mike. It's been a long time since we got to relax together and watch our favourite show.
I also started my new job. It's going really well so far and is a lot of fun. There is very little real planning and no marking which is awesome. So far we are just playing improv games and doing warm-ups. We just started learning the first dance and are hoping to start learning the first song this week. I have some truly amazing students and support for the program. It really makes the job a lot easier and very enjoyable. I spend most of my day in the costume/dressing room talking with the theater students and trying out crazy costumes. Our costume guy is a real hoot. We discovered today that the colour scheme he chose is the same as Versace's spring line which made us feel very sophisticated and really reinforced our ideas. Needless to say, I'm excited for how it's going to turn out!
Last week was Mike's birthday and this weekend is Valentine's Day. No special plans yet but Mike isn't working so we can actually have a date night!
Saturday, January 24, 2009
Do I have at least 5 readers? hmm
From Ciboulette:
The first five people who comment here will get something I make. Could be a real life thing. Could be imaginary. Depends on what I think you will like and my inspirations. (Note, it’s going to be something I think you will like. Actual liking not guaranteed!)
The only real rule is that you have to make this offer in your own web log.
The first five people who comment here will get something I make. Could be a real life thing. Could be imaginary. Depends on what I think you will like and my inspirations. (Note, it’s going to be something I think you will like. Actual liking not guaranteed!)
The only real rule is that you have to make this offer in your own web log.
Tuesday, January 20, 2009
Holly
On Saturday at 11am I went to pick up the new member of our family. We decided to name her Holly, after all, so thanks Amanda for the idea. It seemed to suit her very well. She is a lot of work but very fun and playful. She likes to "dig", although there is no dirt to dig in so she does it in her blanket and so far seems to always pee on her pee pad and not on the floor. She also likes to go inside the cubby holes in our coffee table and try to launch herself onto the couch from there. So far, I haven't managed to get her to sleep all night by herself. She likes to crawl in under my chin or fall asleep on my arm, which makes it comfy for her, but a little hard for me to sleep. But, since Mike is away for two weeks on the island, it makes for something to snuggle.
I had a great video of her attacking a wrapping paper roll, but for some reason it won't load!
Friday, January 16, 2009
Warmth at last!
Today was such a wonderful day. Yesterday too. The thermometer was above 0! It's so exciting. After a full month of -25 or -30 it is now warm and sunny. The high for tomorrow is expected at around 8 degrees, which is literally unheard of for January. Last winter it was cold but there were always the -10 days where you could warm up a bit before it got back into the 30s. But this winter has been gloomy and cold. There haven't been many blue sky days or snowy cozy days, it's just been extreme cold and grey skies. I actually wore a skirt today, with no nylons! Or long johns for that matter. It's amazing how much I took for granted being able to have some skin exposed to the sun. No wonder we all take vitamin D up north.
It put me in such a good mood that I took my class outside yesterday for a walk. We had a contest to see who could hit the flagpole with a snowball. So much fun.
I'm also excited because I'm getting my puppy tomorrow and it will be warm enough to take her outside. I've already spoiled her with a very cool bed/house and lots of puppy toys. It's amazing what you can get for a dog!
Anyways, the weather is looking up for the north and this makes today a good day.
Happy weekending.
It put me in such a good mood that I took my class outside yesterday for a walk. We had a contest to see who could hit the flagpole with a snowball. So much fun.
I'm also excited because I'm getting my puppy tomorrow and it will be warm enough to take her outside. I've already spoiled her with a very cool bed/house and lots of puppy toys. It's amazing what you can get for a dog!
Anyways, the weather is looking up for the north and this makes today a good day.
Happy weekending.
Tuesday, January 13, 2009
Book list 2008
I've compiled the list of books that I read in 2008 and discovered I didn't read that many! Or perhaps I'm forgetting some, I don't know. But, here are the books read on my own and with my book club, in order of least favourite to most favourite.
However, I really enjoyed the top 10.
13) Divisadero
12) Flowers for Algernon
11) The Catcher in the Rye
10) An Audience of Chairs
09) The Lust Lizard of Melancholy Cove
08) The tales of Beedle the Bard
07) Magyk: First book in the Septimus Heap series
06) The Book Thief
05) The thirteenth tale
04) The Illuminator
03) Late Nights on Air
02) The God of small things
01) Outlander
I can't think of all the authors off the top of my head, so I didn't write them. But, if you want to read any of them I can find the author for you! They were all good reads, but as you can see Diana Gabaldon still topped them all for me!
Currently, my book club is reading "The magician's assistant" by Ann Patchett and I am also reading "Inkdeath" by Cornelia Funke.
However, I really enjoyed the top 10.
13) Divisadero
12) Flowers for Algernon
11) The Catcher in the Rye
10) An Audience of Chairs
09) The Lust Lizard of Melancholy Cove
08) The tales of Beedle the Bard
07) Magyk: First book in the Septimus Heap series
06) The Book Thief
05) The thirteenth tale
04) The Illuminator
03) Late Nights on Air
02) The God of small things
01) Outlander
I can't think of all the authors off the top of my head, so I didn't write them. But, if you want to read any of them I can find the author for you! They were all good reads, but as you can see Diana Gabaldon still topped them all for me!
Currently, my book club is reading "The magician's assistant" by Ann Patchett and I am also reading "Inkdeath" by Cornelia Funke.
Saturday, January 10, 2009
Big changes for 2009
I'm sitting here in my office, where for the first time I am able to open the blinds and look out at the perfect blue sky and the tops of snow covered fields. For months it has been so cold that I couldn't stand to come in the office. It's the coldest room in the house, with two outside walls. Not to mention the fact that it's been on average around -25 to -35 for the last month. But today the sun has come out and the weather man predicted a high of -4! This is very exciting to me, especially as I am currently red and itchy and cracked all over from the dry, dry, cold air. Having your fireplace and your heat running all day long really does a number to your skin.
This is all to say that I am finally catching up on my blog. It's saturday morning, I'm rested and have nothing I have to be doing. Mike is at work and I've got lovely view out my window. So, what's been happening?
Well, Christmas break was wonderful. I got some much needed sleep and time to hang out with Mike, read books, play wii and have movie nights with my friends. The highlight was spending time with my sisters and my mom. We haven't all been together for almost two years.
So, since I was only home until Christmas eve, we had a pretend Christmas eve on the 22nd and then opened presents on the 23rd, followed by a turkey dinner and open house at Mike's mom's house that evening.
The nightmare was getting home. We made the trip through the blizzard to YVR and then were about to check our bags when our flight status flipped to 'cancelled'. After talking with a very helpful (sarcasm) air canada employee, we were told that the next flight was Christmas morning, but only one of us could get on and the other would have to fly out Christmas night. Since Mike had to work Christmas morning, he was going to take the flight and I would have spent Christmas by myself in the airport. So, we spent 900$ to fly on West jet to the closest available city to DC, which is Prince George. Then, our wonderful friends Glen and Kyla saved us by agreeing to drive the 400km's on Christmas Eve to come and get us. We made it home by 7:13 Christmas morning, slept for a few hours and then Mike went to work. It was a long drive through the Pine Pass surrounded by Moose and coyotes and bears, but we were just glad to be back in our own home for Christmas.
And now we're back to the regular working, etc. But, I do have some exciting news. No, we are not having a baby. But, I was offered a new job for next semester. I only have 1 block of french, so I was only part time again, but beginning in February, I will be the new Music Theater director for the high school. The teacher is currently very pregnant and will only be teaching for another week or so, and unfortunately they couldn't find anyone with theater training to replace her. I actually didn't even apply for the job, but they offered it to me so I accepted. It makes me full time for the rest of the year, which is awesome as it will help me to fund my travels and also to pay off my student loan faster. It's going to be a TON of work though, as I will be in charge of the musical production at the end of the year. We're doing High School Musical, so it should be fun. I also have a student director, a music teacher, a student dance choreographer and a costume designer to work with, so I'm not alone, otherwise there's no way I would have been able to do it.
Also new for 2009 is that we are getting a puppy. She's a miniature daschund and is very adorable. We should be getting her in a couple of weeks. Here is a picture:
But, I could use some help naming her. Any suggestions?
Well, I think that's all my news so far. How have your New Year's begun?
This is all to say that I am finally catching up on my blog. It's saturday morning, I'm rested and have nothing I have to be doing. Mike is at work and I've got lovely view out my window. So, what's been happening?
Well, Christmas break was wonderful. I got some much needed sleep and time to hang out with Mike, read books, play wii and have movie nights with my friends. The highlight was spending time with my sisters and my mom. We haven't all been together for almost two years.
So, since I was only home until Christmas eve, we had a pretend Christmas eve on the 22nd and then opened presents on the 23rd, followed by a turkey dinner and open house at Mike's mom's house that evening.
The nightmare was getting home. We made the trip through the blizzard to YVR and then were about to check our bags when our flight status flipped to 'cancelled'. After talking with a very helpful (sarcasm) air canada employee, we were told that the next flight was Christmas morning, but only one of us could get on and the other would have to fly out Christmas night. Since Mike had to work Christmas morning, he was going to take the flight and I would have spent Christmas by myself in the airport. So, we spent 900$ to fly on West jet to the closest available city to DC, which is Prince George. Then, our wonderful friends Glen and Kyla saved us by agreeing to drive the 400km's on Christmas Eve to come and get us. We made it home by 7:13 Christmas morning, slept for a few hours and then Mike went to work. It was a long drive through the Pine Pass surrounded by Moose and coyotes and bears, but we were just glad to be back in our own home for Christmas.
And now we're back to the regular working, etc. But, I do have some exciting news. No, we are not having a baby. But, I was offered a new job for next semester. I only have 1 block of french, so I was only part time again, but beginning in February, I will be the new Music Theater director for the high school. The teacher is currently very pregnant and will only be teaching for another week or so, and unfortunately they couldn't find anyone with theater training to replace her. I actually didn't even apply for the job, but they offered it to me so I accepted. It makes me full time for the rest of the year, which is awesome as it will help me to fund my travels and also to pay off my student loan faster. It's going to be a TON of work though, as I will be in charge of the musical production at the end of the year. We're doing High School Musical, so it should be fun. I also have a student director, a music teacher, a student dance choreographer and a costume designer to work with, so I'm not alone, otherwise there's no way I would have been able to do it.
Also new for 2009 is that we are getting a puppy. She's a miniature daschund and is very adorable. We should be getting her in a couple of weeks. Here is a picture:
But, I could use some help naming her. Any suggestions?
Well, I think that's all my news so far. How have your New Year's begun?
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