I have a social life!

Hi Everyone!

I stayed out until 11pm last night! After work, I went to the meet-up group to watch "The Lives of Others" (Oscar foreign-language winner). The projector was broken so we ended up seeing "The Wind that Shakes the Barley" (Cannes winner). I still don't know what to think of it - it's Irish and it can be difficult to understand what's being said because of some very strong accents. As well, it was a thinking movie and I'm still working out what the director was trying to bring across. If you want to see it, I'd wait until it's in the cheap rental section - and don't watch it if your tired.

There was 6 of us and after the movie, we went to the strangest Irish pub I've every been in. I found out today that it's owned by the same person who owns "Cowboys" (a notorious bar where the servers are "encouraged" to be well-rounded). There were only three Irish beers on tap and about 6 domestic. There was pop/dance music playing and the hockey game was on tv. The only thing I saw in common with other pubs I've been in was the amount of wood and the fireplaces. It's been a while since I've had a Kilkenny and it was rather tasty - although I was looking for a nice cream ale.

Anyways, I had a wonderful time. We're rescheduling the movie again for next week so I have another event planned in my social calender. I'm almost giddy at the thought...

I'm rather tired now and I think I need a good night's sleep. I don't know how many of these late nights I can handle! :-)

Have a great day!

Christine's Birthday

Hello Everyone!

Today is Christine's birthday. I was feeling a bit old at work as I still remember the day she was born. She was on the top of my "Monday" list. I planned to call her shortly after getting home but...

While walking the final block home from the bus stop, I could smell someone barbequeing. This led me to crave pork chops with bbq sauce and french fries. This is not a normal sort of craving. I had the pork but went to Walmart to pick up the rest of the ingredients. Still thinking about food, I ate supper, which was delicious. The next thing I know, it's almost 7:30! (or 9:30 Ontario time). I spoke with Dawn who said Christine has already been in bed for an hour. I'll call her tomorrow right after work. It's weird - this was the first year I either didn't see her or talk with her on her birthday. Stupid time zones.

Anyways, it was a lovely day and we're suppose to get a huge storm overnight/tomorrow. Lots of snow and wind. I'm starting to feel the temperature drop.

Not in the mood for typing - Have a great day!

A New Adventure...

Hi Everyone!

I walked home on Friday to see how long it'd take. It was 1 hour and 7 minutes in sem-practical shoes. I kept watching people zoom by me on their bicycles when it dawned on me that it's now practical for me to get one. At my previous apartment, I was on top of a large hill so it didn't matter what direction I was coming from, I always came home going up hill. At my new place, I'm near the bike path system that gives me access to most of the city.

I figured out pricing for a bike vs transit and decided an entry level bike was all I could afford. I know I could go to Walmart and get a $100 bike but I did that when I first got here and didn't like it - it was heavy, uncomforable and I couldn't get a rack or basket for it - wrong type of metal and it didn't have mounting posts. I went online and checked out different websites of bike shops in Calgary.

Today, I went to Ridley's in Kensington (trendy neighbourhood that's about a 30 minute walk away). I already knew I wanted a simple bike for commuting (paved bike paths and roads) that I could attach a basket, rack and lights. The assistant was really friendly and helpful. He showed me lots of options but we both thought the above bike (isn't it cute!) would work really well.

It's made by Trek and it's a cruiser bike called Calypso. It has 7 gears (I'm not using it in situations where I need a lot) and I can get all the assessories I want. At the store, they have free monthly classes to teach you about maintenance and repair (something I'll need as I have no clue) and free maintenance. I was pretty clueless - I wanted something simple but pretty and the assistant didn't look down on me for it. He explained that he was looking at this style for his girlfriend and to remember that "bikes are fun!" He encouraged me to find something I liked and was fun for me.

They didn't have any in stock (only a man's style) so they're going to order one in for me to try - with no obligation. As well, if I buy it and decide after a month it's not suitable, they'll accept it as a return and I can use the credit to get a different bike. Including the bike, accessories and tax, it will cost me 8 months of transit passes (or when you count the odd time I will be using transit - 10 months) and since Calgary doesn't get a lot of snow accumulation, you can basically bike all year. My commute is mostly side streets and city pathways and should take about 15-20 minutes (about the same as if I take transit). With the woman's style, I can still wear a skirt (I did this when biking in China) and it's designed for my body frame rather than the Walmart-style bike. As well, I'll get back into shape again - that walk on Friday really did me in!

I felt really great after leaving the store - I was listened to, informed about what I needed to know, felt that this was a store that cared about their customers and knew their business and most importantly, treated me with respect. It's like when a woman goes to a car dealership and the seller asks her "what colour she likes" rather than what model. The associate talked about model and features before I brought up its cute appearance.

Anyways, I'll let you know when it comes in and how the test drive goes...

It's a lovely day and I was able to walk in a short-sleeved shirt (maybe +15). Did some errands and cleaned the apartment a bit. Lisa stopped in after work so we had a nice chat. I also got more fish - one of these days, Walmart is going to stop selling them to me. I got 2 big goldfish because I figured they could handle themselves against psycho fish. Actually, all three are psycho so they're quite entertaining. The sole (ha-ha) little goldfish left is small enough to dodge and hide from the others. The catfish can also hold his own. He rarely moves from his rock tunnel but he's quick when he does.

Bought some daffodils today and already they're opening up - hooray for warm water and its wonders for blooms. I had bought some for work on Tuesday (raising money for the Cancer Society) and everyone commented on how lovely they were. They were so cheery that I decided to pick some up when I was grocery shopping.

We have a difficult choir piece tomorrow and 3 for Palm Sunday. They're pretty so I like the challenge. It'll be a busy Holy week - service on Palm Sunday, Good Friday, a labyrinth I'm helping to organize on Saturday, and Sunday.

For those (women) who remember Gramma Halliday making doilies - check out this website: http://koniakow.com/sklep_en.php. Not suitable for all eyes - it was mentioned in the newspaper and I think it's rather innovative...

As an aside, the newsletter I've been working on for The Townships Project has been published! It only took since September - fustrating but worthwhile in the long run.

I just remember the tea a made before turning on the computer is still steeping - I'd best go make a new pot.

Have a great day!

Murphy's Law

Hi Everyone!

I wrote too soon. I got home tonight to discover one of my fish has passed on "to the great ocean beyond."

Donated plasma last night - they've changed the clinic hours again so instead of my every three weeks, it's a very infrequent four weeks now. After I got home, I laid down on the futon for a quick nap (headache). Next thing I know, Whiskers is waking me up this morning for work. Felt surprisingly refreshed.

Alice Cooper was making fun of Pink Floyd last night. He couldn't figure out why a band that made sounds like that were named after two blues musicians. He hasn't gone into a big rant tonight but apparently he thinks Bon Jovi is a great band to see live (I knew there was a reason why I liked his show!).

I've got a busy week ahead of me - Thursday: choir, Friday: free, Saturday: focus group for Alberta Bible College, Sunday: church, Monday: free, Tuesday: movie. I'm going to watch "The Lives of Others". It's a German movie that won the Oscar for best foreign language film. I'm going with a group through "Meetup.com". It's a website where people with similar interests can get together. This particular group gets together to go to the cinema and then for drinks. It's playing at a "historical" theatre downtown so I'll go there after work (early show) and can easily catch transit for getting home.

Anyways, it's past my bedtime...

Have a great day!

Stupid Calgary weather

Hi Everyone!

It was so nice on Saturday that I was able to go for a walk in my green short-sleeved shirt. Overnight, it turned cold and there was a skiff of snow when I went to church.

I've been indulging in some "fluffy" music recently. This includes The Pusscat Dolls - PCD (fun for cleaning and dancing to when nobody's around) and Christina Aguilera - Back to Basics (I was rather surprised by the lyrics). I also picked up the Dixie Chicks (Taking the Long Way) and my super favourite indulgence - Meat Loaf (Bat out of Hell III). I'd be the first one to say he's an over-the-top, rock/opera style musician and I love it! He puts so much passion in his singing and I think that's missing in a lot of the music I hear today on the radio.

I also got some chick-flick movies - In Her Shoes (was pleasantly surprised at its depth and I've now ordered the book), She's The Man (fun, girl-power, Twelveth Night-based fluff) and The Devil Wears Prada (another pleasant surprise).

My tv watching has decreased - Dr. Who finished the 2nd season and I have no idea when the third is coming out. For anyone who hasn't watched the series (or the really old ones), it's light-hearted, fun, sci-fi pg watching. I've still got Jericho to watch and I hate its addicting quality. I can only see it run for a maximum of one more season because of its story line but I highly recommend it. It's based on the community of Jericho and what happens when some type of giant explosion changes their lives forever. Each show builds on the previous and you learn about what's happening at the same time as the citizens. It's an interesting look at how people can react in high-stress/survival situations (even though it's a fictional story).

I've been having good luck with the new fish - only one has died. They're quite active and I find myself getting distracted by them often.

Anyways, I've got a whole bunch of stuff to do before bed. I starting getting a headache mid afternoon (there's going to be another weather change according to where I felt it on my head) and I ended up having a 2 hour nap after work. I feel a lot better though and not that "fuzzy-head/cranky" feeling you get when you sleep for too long.

Have a great day!

Ice-cream

I now understand why Hagen-Dazs is so expensive...Wow!

cream, concentrated skim milk, sugar, liquid egg yolk, natural vanilla extract.

That's it - no chemicals I can't pronounce! Mind you, I did add unsalted peanuts (a new snack for me) and warm chocolate sauce to it. It was so good I had to leave my homework and sit on the futon to focus on its lovely taste.

Have a great day!

A slow Sunday

Hi Everyon!

I'm taking it easy this weekend. On Friday, I was so tired after work, I made supper and then fell asleep. All in all, I got about 12 hours of sleep and it felt good. Today, I could have made it to church but I decided to nap some more and take things slow.

I've been getting a lot done around the apartment that I've been putting off. Mostly cleaning and organizing but it feels great to putter around and get everything done. I have some laundry to do but there's a Chinook so my clothes will likely be dry by tonight.

Mike has been really cute these past couple mornings. Since he likes to sleep in too, he'll slowly bat me in the face with his paw until I acknowledge him and then he's happy to be cuddled. He also finds human yawning fascinating. I have no idea why.

Anyways, I'm not much in the mood for typing - I'll be doing enough of that later when doing my homework.

Have a great day!