Welcome to Kim's World!

Responding to Ignorance

2011-02-20T02:27:00.003-07:00

There are many times when I bite my tongue when someone vents ignorantly, but today was not one of those days. I have been volunteering for the adult soccer league in Yellowknife as the scheduler. I felt this was a good way to stay with soccer, monitor the poor refereeing, and get on the board. Until today it was good. Of course the scheduling job can be a pain with multiple requests and such, but I can handle that most of the time. Normally I accommodate whomever I can if their requests are reasonable.

To the point: another exec and I made a decision with one day's notice to change a game from 8pm to 9pm so that we would not waste a field that could be used for drop-in. We both thought it was a pretty good idea, but I made it known that one particular team might have an issue. It turns out I was right. After several emails back and forth he said he understood the change, but did not like it. Fair enough. Well, the other team, after being questioned, said they had issue with it as well. The other exec and I asked what they wanted to do since both teams had already been notified of the change. They would not make a decision so we did. We canceled the game. Reasonable if you ask me since this game was going to be the 3rd for each of these teams this week. Normally teams play two.

Well, that caused the first complainer to send out a very rude and hostile email to his team and he felt the need to copy me on it. He basically said I gave him absolutely no notice and the other team should forfeit the game (his team has not won a single game all year). He was incredibly condescending and disrespectful.

A little background on this person: he has requested multiple changes to the schedule including asking to only play early games and to have no back-to-back games. This is impossible with the days we have to play, however I've done my best to accommodate him. I even changed their game that was going to conflict with the Santa Clause Parade so the parents on his team could go. Only one other team has ever made a request and it was one I could not accommodate due to the short notice.

OK, back to today. I woke up to his rude email and was pissed. I think the other exec, who was also copied, knew that would be the case and called me to let me know that this particular guy has been a pain all year and that he complains more than any other captain. It calmed me for a bit, but I felt the email was totally unacceptable given I don't play in the league, I'm volunteering, and I've helped him out more than once in the past. I admit, I made a mistake by trying to change the game at the last minute, but the only fair thing to do was cancel it when everyone complained. I received a very long apology after I sent him this email:

Thanks Jason,

I have gone out of my way to accommodate your requests (you're the only one who has asked for multiple changes) and I now see how little understanding you have for my position within the league. This was an error on my part and I will admit that but, for the record, I did not inform you at 4:45pm. That is when you checked your email.

It's nice to know people understand how difficult it is to schedule and accommodate everyone especially when this is a voluntary position. Perhaps you'd like to volunteer for the position in the future.

Kind Regards,
Kim

Let's just say I feel much better not allowing this jerk to walk all over me. BTW, he doesn't want to be the scheduler next year.

Hi!

2010-07-29T14:30:00.002-06:00

Just wrote my first two midterms in this quest for a higher education. I think I did very well on one, but am not positive on the other. Either way I know I passed.

We've had some weird weather here of late. We actually had a funnel cloud (a tornado/waterspout that doesn't touch the ground)! Of course it had to happen on my shift so that was a bit chaotic. Although it did go away rather quickly.

On the soccer front, it seems that we have managed to join a league where refereeing is sub-par at best and where our competitors seem to have missed the title of the league "Recreational"! It's really rather ridiculous. Since I've played soccer I haven't seen this many cheap shots and illegal or unsportsmanlike plays ever. I had a ball kicked in my face from a high kick last Thursday and am still feeling the effects of it. Oh, and the guy didn't even get a yellow card. Our captain, who was playing in goal last game, had a guy jump at him and jab his forearm into our captain's throat and he didn't get ejected from the game! Needless to say we're filing a grievance. My team has never won a game and other teams are still attacking us?!! We just want to have a good time and still be able to work the next day. (no more bitching here)

On my final note, my mom is back in the hospital. Apparently she wasn't doing well and Ken forced her to go. The doctors were glad she went so she can be properly cared for. It seems she's just there so they can monitor and make sure she's getting what she needs for now. The doctors don't know if she'll be in there for a few more days or if it'll be weeks.

That's the latest for me...hope you are all well!!

Whuzup?!

2010-05-19T14:29:00.004-06:00

Just a few things going on in my world so I thought I should update:

I got a new bed! Wait. Did I already tell you about that?! Well, the bed hasn't actually arrived and we just found out that the delay was due to an item that they said was in stock, but won't arrive until the middle of June!! Kind of ridiculous, but the good news is the bed should arrive this week!! Good-bye inflatable bed!!

I started my studies and they are going well. I'm loving what I'm learning. My first 2 courses are an Admin course which discussed management and decision making and an Accounting course. So far so good, but I haven't done any assignments yet.

I made a fabulous new purchase!! A scanner for photo negatives to convert them to digital. It's so great! I have this option on my fancy photo printer, but it's a difficult task that seems to take ages. Now I just put the negative in a holder and push the holder through the little scanner. It goes onto a memory card (not included) and then I can just load it onto my computer! Super easy and I got it on sale!! I did 10 packs of negatives yesterday...only about 100 to go :)

I've started back on my exercise kick. Last year I did well taking the weight off and I was doing well to keep it off until recently. Now I have a goal weight and a few new games and dvds to help with the monotony of one routine. I'm also going to buy a bike and start hiking. It's also soccer and softball season which will help as yoga will be ending for the summer at the end of the month.

My only other news is that I have holidays in June! I'm really excited about that! Once again, though, I do not have plans yet. My friend in the Netherlands wants me to visit her, but I'm hesitant due to the ash cloud. I actually want to go to Disney!! Dave was just there and his stories were enough to make me consider paying to take one of my brothers with me! We'll see...of course Vancouver is always my back up plan so never count that out.

That's about it for now...procrastination time ended. Have a great one folks!!

Back to School!

2010-03-31T12:33:00.002-06:00

I did it! I signed up for school!! I'm going for my Bachelor of Commerce with Accounting as my major. It's through the University of Athabasca which is mostly a correspondence/on-line school based out of Alberta. I'm really excited and should be receiving my books for the first 2 courses I'm taking in a couple of weeks for a start date of May 1st. Good bye lazy days at work.

Read It!! I think you might enjoy!

2010-03-26T20:09:00.005-06:00

I just read a great book. Well, in my opinion, it's a great book. If you've read and enjoyed any of Malcolm Gladwell's books you'll likely enjoy Outliers. I've read The Tipping Point and Blink and am just starting What the Dog Saw. What I like about his books is that they make you think and bring up excellent points for discussion or further reading/research. So, I recommend reading Outliers especially if you're raising kids or plan to in the future. He gives a little insight into things you wouldn't necessarily have thought about.

Crazy Trip

2010-03-09T18:44:00.002-07:00

Wow, what a trip!! I returned home last night and was back at work this morning! Let's just say I'm exhausted! Now, where to start?

The trip started with me still unsure of the initial part. I flew to Edmonton on Thursday morning and went directly to West Edmonton Mall. I booked the cheapest room at the Fantasyland Hotel the previous night so I dropped off my luggage and headed out. I had my hair cut, ate a cinnamon bun (MMMMMMM), got my nails done, watched a movie, and then went to check in.

When I went to the check-in desk I said I didn't need two beds so they upgraded me to the honeymoon suite! They game me my pick of 3, but I decided to take that one! It was cool! I was a little exhausted at that point to I took a bit of a nap and watched some Olympics. It was the night of the women's gold medal game. I watched the first 2 periods in my room and then, starving, went to Boston Pizza to enjoy the rest of the game with other Canadians! It was awesome!

After the win and a really tasty dinner I did a little shopping (bought 1 pair of jeans) and went to buy my toiletries and a snack. On my way back tot the room I discovered some poutine which made my night!

The next morning I met the "ottoman" at the airport and we headed out in our Yukon to Montana! We stopped at a small diner somewhere in southern Alberta for lunch and were at the US Border Crossing after some weird GPS navigation about 2 hours later. The border guard told us the road we were headed down was going to turn to gravel and to just keep following it. We knew we were definitely in a hick town! The ride once near Whitefish was amazing! We drove through the mountains for a couple hours! It was great!

We arrived at the hotel we had researched sometime after 6pm and got a great deal at what turned out to be the best hotel in town! It's called the Lodge at Whitefish and it was awesome!! We ate at the bar that night and were amazed that the cost was marginal compared to what we'd have paid in Yellowknife, or many other places in Canada. The next day was a day to drive around and eat. Totally relaxing. We were back at the hotel in time to watch the excitement of the Canadian Men's curling final!! What a moment when the crowd sang O'Canada! I wish I could have been there in person!

On Sunday we planned a snowmobile trip which meant we missed the big game, but it was definitely worth it! Such an awesome adventure! We ate at a restaurant called Famous Dave's which is what we assume the Canadian restaurant Montana's was named after! The food was great and so cheap!!! We went back to the hotel and watched some of the closing ceremonies and fell asleep from exhaustion.

Monday was back to Canada! It was a beautiful drive! Here are aome pics of the Montana Trip:

Whitefish, Montana 2010

Tuesday was off to Ottawa to see some Disney folk!

Wednesday I spent relaxing with my friend and then we walked around downtown Ottawa and had a beaver tail as a snack! We went to a pub that night and met a couple of other people from Disney. The next day we did errands and made spaghetti for dinner. It was a fun day! Then, Friday, we drove to Mississauga! We were there by 4:30pm and had plans to go to a dueling piano bar that night.

If any of you know anything about my time at Disney, you know a lot of it was spent at a dueling piano bar so we had high hopes! Boy were we disappointed! The piano players didn't know very many songs and actually had to look things up in a book! I'm sorry, but if you're going to start a piano bar like that then you need to hire talent. We decided to make the most of the evening so it became a drinking night. We went to the club upstairs and spent 3 or 4 hours drinking and dancing! It was a ton of fun and we all left happy and not sick! It was an achievement! hahaha

The next day we drove to Niagra Falls to visit another Disney alum. We went for lunch and walked around a bit. We drove back to Mississauga and relaxed before we headed into Toronto to meet up with another Disney friend. She took us to this great little restaurant for dinner and we spent the evening eating and reminiscing! It was awesome!

The following morning we drove back to Ottawa and then my friend drove me to see some friends from Yellowknife (they now live in Ottawa). I stayed there that night and Ghislain took me for a ride on his motorcycle to see the neighbourhood they were in. They had other friends from Yellowknife show up that night and we all hung out and played video games. Oh, they took me out for really good pizza and got me a piece of cake for my birthday! It was awesome! The next morning I woke up to bacon and eggs for breakfast and more video games! Then it was off to the airport!

That seems to be all of it! A whirlwind of a trip to say the least, but so fun to get to see so many people!

Vacation One 2010

2010-03-04T00:05:00.002-07:00

My vacation started with a "Kim Day" in Edmonton where I got my hair cut, my nails done, and my eyebrows waxed. I went a movie, ate poutine and a cinnamon bun and watched the Canadian women win a gold medal at hockey! It was awesome! Oh, did I mention I got a free upgrade to the honeymoon suite.

The next day I met the "Ottoman" at the airport and we rentaed a Yukon and headed down to Whitefish, Montana!!! It was awesome!! Pics to come! We stayed at a really awesome resort which was cheaper than my suite in Edmonton! It had a mountain view, a fireplace, half a kitchen and a wicked bathroom!!!

While there we ate well and enjoyed the scenery! I also tried snowmobiling for the first time!! So fun, give it a try if you haven't!!!

The trip was so amazing!! I recommend the place if you ever get the chance....I think it's only 6 hours from Vancouver!

Now I'm in Ottawa and enjoying my time with friends I haven't seen in years! Funny how things just fit right back into place with some people!

Have a good week/emd everyone!!

Great Day!

2010-01-26T20:27:00.004-07:00

Today was awesome! I got so many things done that I was putting off along with a few things that I wasn't necessarily putting off, but wanted to get done.

My day in a nutshell:

Went to the dentist for a check-up - literally walked in, checked in, sat down, had my name called, and it was over in less than 10 minutes (all is good and referral for braces set up).
Received a cheque from my health care provider and deposited it.
Received my car insurance renewal documents which have been reduced by over 1/3!!!!
Renewed my vehicle registration and had NO wait!!!
Did some grocery shopping.
Finally visited the library, got a library card, and took out a few books.
Cleaned the bathroom.
Made cupcakes.
Invested in my RRSP.
Made a kick-ass pasta sauce with spicey Italian sausage.
Took a nap.
Watched American Idol.
Went to yoga.
Now I'm eating my yummy dinner with garlic bread and waiting for Biggest Loser to start!!

Such a great day!!

No "New Couch"

2010-01-10T23:53:00.001-07:00

I have to announce that there is officially no "new couch". I know I may have told some that there was as that is what I believed at the time, but I have since come to the conclusion that the couch is merely a figment of my imagination. I have a new friend I think (still deciding on that). Just wanted to stop the rumors.

Dream...

2009-12-31T10:23:00.010-07:00

I had a dream last night that kind of freaked me out so I had to do a little more research into it. The results were kind of cool so I'm no longer freaked out.

Your dream symbolizes an aspect of yourself or some aspect of your personal life that is growing and developing. You may not be ready to talk about it or act on it. This may also represent the birth of a new idea, direction, project or goal.

Kind of cool since this is totally where I'm at. I love how that all works together.

Started as one thing, turned into another...

2009-12-29T10:48:00.004-07:00

I can't believe the year is coming to an end. I've completed most of my goals for 2009 (can't really find the list so going from memory). Among them was to read 20 books. I know, only 20, but reading is still a relatively new concept in my world. I love to read, but have found it difficult to get into some books. I'm getting much better at it. When I returned from Vancouver I had 7 books left to read to complete my goal. I was a little overwhelmed to say the least considering it took me 10 months to read 13! I'm happy to report that today I just completed my 23rd or is it the 24th book?!! In fact, over the past 4 days I've read 3 1/2 books. I think my goal for next year of 30 books will have to be increased. Other goals included changing my eating habits (which I did until the end of the year), working out more (once again did that until the end of the year) and watching less TV (still working on it, but doing better). Basically, I wanted to focus on changing my life in positive ways.

Among the things I've been doing to change my life include delving into crap from my childhood that still affects me today and reading some great self-help books. I like them because they have some great quotes and give guides to changing negative thinking and actions. So instead of dwelling on the negative things in life I'm focusing on the positive, or, more to the point, realizing that I can only control my reactions to the events and people in my life and not the event or the person.

This brings me to a revelation:
I was feeling a little (ok a lot) sorry for myself at Christmas since I was on my own and working. I started to complain that my brothers did the same as all years and asked me what I wanted for Christmas 2 days before the occasion. Normally this would have incensed me and it did at the time, but I now look at it through a different perspective. That will likely never change and it's ok. They don't need to give me anything to make me happy, but a phone call once in a while would be way more enjoyable. Spending time alone was good and it meant I didn't have all those expectaions that normally accompany the holidays. If I wanted a turkey then it was my choice to make it or not.

Then it occurred to me what I like about Christmas. It's connecting. I did that with my family via telephone, but it's still connecting. Getting gifts is not what I like about Christmas. It's about the people. Oh, the tasety foods and the lights are nice too :)

I love giving. And I like giving something that I think someone would either really need or just simply enjoy. I want to bring a smile to someone else's face, which, in turn, will bring a smile to mine. Not that I'm saying I don't like receiving. Let's face it, we all do. What I like is recieving something totally unexpected or straight from the heart. Like a card from someone unexpected, a brief hello on FB or an email, something small works for me. A clear example is the gift I received from Tanya and Andre - a totally cool book which I would never have purchased or heard of or expected, but which made me laugh and grossed me out a bit in parts, but was something that they knew I'd enjoy.

So this coming year I am focusing on the good and working on reacting differently. I have a new list of goals for 2010, which I will not lose this time. And for probably the first time in my life I'm really happy to just be. I have no expectations of others so I'm not anticipating disappointments. Of course I'm sure I may fall, or more likely go flailing off, this new path, but it's already making me feel like a different person. Happy 2010!!

Some updates

2009-10-22T12:27:00.003-06:00

OK, I only drunk dialed one person and that's because he told me to so there's no big story. I did get drunk rather quickly off 3 pints, but I think that's because I've been barely eating lately due to my mouth healing.

On another note (Tanya reminded me I haven't updated), my mom is doing better. She is in the step down unit and I talked to her briefly the other day. So, no more tube. I believe she's on oxygen, but it's not all the time. I think her recovery time in the hospital will probably be longer than last time and she'll most likely have a harder time once they release her.

Oh, and my mouth is feeling better! I'm still having difficulty eating but that's more due to my tongue being really sore. Since I haven't been able to fully close my mouth my tongue has been rubbing against one of my really sharp teeth and is having a hard time healing, but the tooth pain is gone so I can't complain!!

Tooth update

2009-10-16T16:01:00.002-06:00

Wow do I feel crappy. My teeth still hurt, but no worse than the first day. My tongue has taken a beating. I think while it and my cheeks were swollen it rubbed against one of my sharper teeth a few too many times and now it just continues to do so constantly. It's better than yesterday, but still painful.

My big problem is lack of sleep. I try not to take the painkillers too much. The pain, for the most part, is OK, but it's better not to feel it when I lay on my face. I can't sleep while laying on my back so it's inevitable. I take one painkiller when I go to bed and it takes away the pain, but doesn't really put me to sleep. It kind of makes me drowsy and I end up in this semiconscious dream state. It's rather disturbing. So now I'm just hoping for a good night of sleep. Perhaps no painkillers tonight. I did take today off and just called in for tomorrow too. The swelling is still there and it's still a little difficult to talk so I'd rather not be at work on the radios.

On a good note I've progressed to mashed potatoes!! MMMMMM....they are yummy!!

Ouch!

2009-10-14T10:50:00.002-06:00

Yesterday morning I had my wisdom teeth taken out. Apparently there were only 3. The first 2 (top on either side) were ok, but the last one (bottom right) was a nightmare!! He spent nearly a half hour on it and had to pull out the drill to get it all out. When he finally popped out the roots one had a hook on it. That explains why it was so difficult, but the amount of pressure he put on my tooth was unreal!! Oh, and the noises!!! So gross!!

The pain medication he prescribed is stronger than T3's! The pharmacist was a little concerned which concerned me as well. Apparently it's a straight narcotic. I figure it was because it wasn't an easy extraction. Nonetheless, I went home after getting the painkillers and antibiotics and tried to sleep since I slept for all of 20 minutes the night before. Since the pharmacist was sure I'd get drowsy I figured I'd be asleep in no time...not the case.

Anyway, I'm doing OK. I slept fairly well last night so that was great! Trying to get some foods (liquid form) in me and using ice to reduce the chipmunk look. Hope you're all having a fun day!

Not so good

2009-10-12T18:11:00.003-06:00

So mom is now in ICU. She was doing OK and her CO2 levels were coming down (started at 75%), but she took a turn for the worse this afternoon. From the sounds of it she was delusional last night when Craig was with her.

They asked if we wanted to intubate her (tube down the throat) or not. Last year she had said not to do it, but they did it anyway in the hurry they were in to make sure she was breathing. After she came through mom said she wanted the tube if it was going to save her so we approved the tube. Now it's a waiting game. She will have the tube in for a few days and, hopefully, at that time she will be getting better.

Either way, they have to take the tube out in a few days and at that point we do not want to use any form of resuscitation because if she can't breathe on her own at that point then there's no point in keeping her on machines.

At this point I am not flying home. I'm having my wisdom teeth out tomorrow morning and then I'll just play it by ear. She won't remember anything from the ICU anyway and my brothers seem to be doing OK. I think we went through the worst part last year when reality hit us that this was how she will eventually leave us.

OK

2009-10-11T15:15:00.001-06:00

My mom, although still in the hospital, is doing OK. She'll probably be in there for a week while she's recovering from a cold. It didn't get to the point of infection and she wasn't having memory loss like the last time. So it seems they did the right thing by getting her to the people who could take the best care of her. Her oxygen level in her blood is low so they're working on that ans talking isn't very easy for her, but she's getting a free Turkey dinner tomorrow...lol.

BTW, Chris is cooking turkey dinner tomorrow so that should be interesting. I figure when it goes well he'll be in charge of Christmas, Easter and Thanksgiving meals in the future :)

Again

2009-10-10T02:25:00.002-06:00

News of the day is my mom is back in the hospital. She went to the doctor today because she got sick and was sent home with new meds that she picked up a few day before. Chris noticed she wasn't able to take in a breath. She couldn't even get to the car so he called an ambulance. She is currently in the hospital and we have no more info.

SIMple Life

2009-09-19T16:57:00.002-06:00

My social meter is way up (talked on the phone all day)
My comfort level is fairly high (sitting on a comfy chair)
Feeling the need to boost the hunger
Bladder is ok...until I eat of course
Weather isn't so nice and I'm at work so the room rating is somewhere near 3-4
I think all in all my mood is pretty high!

Hope you're all having a great Saturday! Tomorrow I'm off so I'm going to buy some stuff and cook all day I think (and watch Patrick Swayze movies)!

Word of the day

2009-09-18T17:54:00.002-06:00

Learned a new word today and thought I'd share:

Parvenu - one that has recently or suddenly risen to an unaccustomed position of wealth or power and has not yet gained the prestige, dignity, or manner associated with it.

Stupid CRA

2009-09-16T17:11:00.002-06:00

OK, so I'm getting audited by our highly productive and wise government (Note the sarcasm in that). What is really annoying is that I have to send them 14 pages of information, 11 of which they already have. Seriously!?! Do they really need me to send all that AGAIN??!!!

Well, I am and I'm rather annoyed at the fact that I have to send it. I've been told that it happens to a lot of people upon the first year of moving to NWT, but it's rather ridiculous when all they really want to know is if I really live here.

Random Thought

2009-09-13T14:58:00.002-06:00

Sometimes we all need a little reminder that there are really spectacular things in the world. For me it was driving home from work last night watching the most beautiful Northern Lights. I might complain about living up here, but that view puts things into perspective.

Vacation Part 7 - The End

2009-09-05T10:50:00.002-06:00

Well, I'm sad to say that my vacation is over :(

It was a great vacation even though I went on my own. Although I still believe vacationing with one or more other people is the best way to go, this trip went really well for me. I wandered aimlessly through the streets of London on a daily basis and just enjoyed my time away from work and all the rest of the normal day-to-day happenings.

I spent Thursday relaxing. I did a bit of shopping, but for the most part vegged. My cousin and I spent the evening at a local pub just chatting. It was a really nice way to end my vacation.

Now for Friday. I awoke at 5:15am and got ready. My cab arrived promptly at 6am to take me to the airport. My flight was scheduled to leave at 8:30am. Check-in and security went smoothly. Boarding started on time. Then the excitement happened...delays! Lots and lots of delays. My connection in Toronto was 2 hours from our original estimated time of arrival which would be enough time to get my luggage and go through customs and immigration and still make my plane. Yeah, if only! The captain, although very sincere, told us we were waiting for some connecting passengers who's luggage had just arrived...it would be 15-20 minutes. Then, as it turned out, their luggage was not in the crate that was at the plane so they had to find it. Then, the maintenance guys notice a water leak and had to find the source...another 15-20 minutes?! The maintenance crew were unable to find the source of the leak so they had to drain the water onboard. This meant there was no water in the restrooms for washing hands. They then had to bring on purell and extra bottles of water. OK, so after all that we were airborne 2 hours late!!!! The breakfast we were served was OK, but nothing worth writing home about (I guess I just did though), and we received a snack which was like one of those bistro pastries. The plane was full for the 8 hour flight!! It was a very, very long flight...I think I watched every movie on the plane. A 2 hour dely helps with that...lol!!

Of course I figured they would either hold the connections or find us alternate flights. That works for me normally, but I had a connecting flight with another company in Edmonton. When I initially booked I figured this sort of thing might happen so I allowed for a 3 3/4 hour layover. My new flight that they arranged was scheduled off 2 hours after my original flight from Toronto. OK, so that meant 1.75 hours between flights in Edmonton. Totally enough time to gather my luggage and check in. Of course then I boarded my flight in Toronto only to be delayed again!! This time the PA system wasn't working and that's a 'no fly' item so they spent a good 45 minutes fixing that. We were served free non-alcoholic beverages onboard, but everything else had a price! It was even $3 for a blanket and pillow!! It was a 4 1/2 hour flight!! And there were problems with the individula screens for watching mvies/tv, whatever so that was out for over a 1/2 hour during flight while they rebooted it.

By this point I'm wondering if I'd ever make it home! The flight arrived in Edmonton giving me 1 hour adn 10 minutes to get to my next flight after picking up my luggage, checking in, and going through security again! Well, I made it! My flight from Edmonton was with Canadian North and it was excellent! We pushed back about 10 minutes early, then were breifly delayed while we awaited a part required by another aircraft in Yellowknife. We still departed on time. I had a meal which included wine on a flight less than 2 hours! I had 3 seats to myself so I stretched out and slept. We landed exactly as scheduled!! I was home. I opened my trunk and discovered the documents I was missing when I left!

So, the only complaint I have about my trip is Air Canada! The food was not worth eating...buy your own if you use them. I actually anticipated problems with them which was my reason for the planned layover in Edmonton and they proved me right!

I am home now and very happy about that...not so happy about going back to work in less than 12 hours, but still happy to be back in my own home with all my own stuff and my own pillows :)

Vacation Part 6

2009-09-03T10:55:00.003-06:00

Alas it's Thursday, September 3rd - my last day in England. I fly out tomorrow morning at 8:30am. The car will be here at 6am! Another early morning and then many hours of flying. Of course at the end of the day I will get to shower in my own place and sleep in my own bed. I really can't wait for that :)

Tuesday I spent the day wandering and saw Piccadilly Circus, Covent Garden, and a number of other random attractions as I wandered about. I did go to Harrods, but didn't buy anything there. Tuesday night I went to the theatre. Guess what I saw?!?! Read it at the end :) I paid £15 for the ticket and now know why the ticket was so cheap. Let's just say if the guy in front of me leaned forward he blocked my view. It worked out, but I would spend more next time. I did enjoy the show very much.

Yesterday I woke up before 5am to get to the Aerostar Train station for 6am. It was a good trip. Toured the city on bus and a Seine River cruise and had a champagne lunch at the Eiffel Tower. It was great and the other people on the tour were awesome. Then we went to Le Louvre for a guided tour. I really should have gone on my own at that point, but it was good. We then headed back to the bus for our trip to the train station. It was a very long day, but I'm glad I did it.

Today I took my time getting up and went out for a few last minute things. Now I'm relaxing and waiting for y cousin to come home so we can go to a local pub for dinner. This has been a excellent vacation!!

Oh...almost forgot...I saw the theatrical performance of Dirty Dancing!!

Vacation Part 5

2009-09-01T04:18:00.005-06:00

It's hard to believe I only have 3 days left!! It feels like I've been in London for a month...a great month!!

It was a Bank Holiday here yesterday and that meant Carnival! It was Saturday and Sunday and the streets around my cousin's place were packed!! They closed a few of the tube stations and no cars or busses were allowed in the area. There were massive sound systems and crazy people everywhere. The cops were all over and were very nice. I had my picture taken with one :) There were loads of Caribbean food stalls around and it was fun to see people being respectful for the most part. I got a wee bit drunk on both days, but had a blast with my cousin and her friends!!

Saturday my cousin and I vegged and I had real fish and chips at a pub that night. We did a little shopping and vegged some more.

I know I'm going in reverse order, but Friday I went to Stonehenge, Windsor, and Bath! It was a great tour! I must say the tour itself wasn't great, but the cost of the travel and getting right in to the buildings was worth it. Oh, and Stonehenge - Rocks!

Vacation part 4

2009-08-27T11:48:00.002-06:00

Today I'm seriously exhausted!! I have no idea where I left off. I went to a rap concert (Asher Roth) on Tuesday night with my cousin. Yesterday I did some more shopping and wandering on Oxford Street. I think I've spent most of my money on clothes :)

Last night I decided to head to the cinema because they have really, really nice leather seats and you can drink alcohol!! I didn't buy any food because what I wanted was popcorn and they sold it by the handful so it wasn't worth it. They had things like smoked salmon and sausage rolls. It was really kind of cool. Oh, and NO previews!! So awesome!!

Today I went on a tout of London which included a flight on the London Eye. Now I'm tired and have blisters so I'm going to go relax. Another tour tomorrow. This time I go to Stonehenge, Bath, and Windsor. I think Saturday will be a right off for me!

Oh, and apart from a little rain yesterday the weather has been lovely!

Vacation Part 3

2009-08-25T02:28:00.002-06:00

It's now Tuesday morning. I spent Saturday at V Festival and saw a number of bands and DJs, most of whom I had never heard of. I did get to see the Killers from backstage...very cool!! I spent that day with a friend of my cousin and two of her friends. It was a lot of fun. I got free alcoholic (and non-alcoholic) beverages all day!! So much fun! That night I was exhausted and slept very soundly on the floor in my cousin's hotel room.

Sunday I spent the day on my own at the festival. It was soooo hot that day. So the heat combined with my jet lag made for a rather tiring day. I didn't stick around for Lady Gaga or MGMT, but saw a lot of bands I didn't know. Oasis cancelled at the last minute so I didn't get to see them. It was still a good day in all. I headed back to London around 8pm and managed to get myself back to my cousin's flat before 10pm. I had a shower and pretty much crashed by 11pm.

Oh, Tanya, you'll be proud...I ate some sort of pie from one of the food stalls. It had goat cheese and mushrooms in it with some other stuff and they topped it with a heaping scoop of mashed potatoes and gravy...mmmm!! I also had chips and gravy!

Yesterday was a relaxing day for me. I wandered around the area here a bit and then sort of vegged. I'm on vacation after all. My cousin came home from work early, but was totally bagged from the weekend. She napped and then worked a bit and we chatted as we watched tv. For dinner we had Indian! Yep, I ate it and enjoyed it except for the spinach. We had nan, butter chicken, stuffed chillies, Pilau rice, Tarka dall, Pappadum with chutney and mint sauce. I was pleasantly surprised. Perhaps we'll try Thai next.

Today I'm heading out on a bus to doa little shopping. I might wander around and see a few landmarks while I'm out and about today.

Vacation Part 2

2009-08-21T17:51:00.002-06:00

It's now nearly 1am London time yet I'm wide awake. It could be because I slept most of the day away.

I think I've decided that Air Canada is NOT the way to fly long distances. My flight from Edmonton to Montreal was 4.5 hours yet they didn't serve any food...not even snacks like peanuts!!! Crazy!! I did get a meal (not too bad) on the 8 hour flight from Montreal to Heathrow, but the breakfast was a muffin!! Seriously folks! If you want to keep people flying with you, try giving them some food. Kind of crazy! Oh, also, the seats don't really recline! I enjoyed the choice of movies, but that was the best part of the flight.

My flight was also late and once discovering that my cell doesn't work here (I wasn't sure), I found my taxi to take me to my cousin's. Alas I arrived shortly after 10am London time which was 3am Yellowknife time. I was a wee bit tired. My cousin showed me around her small apartment (it's small, but nice) and I walked with her part way to the tube station as she had to head off to work. She lives a few blocks from Portobello Road Street Market. I took a brief walk along the market and found a Starbucks and a Subway should the need arise. I'll explore a little more tomorrow morning.

That was about it for my day as I headed off to bed. I thought about getting up, but figure I'll still be able to sleep at some point in the middle of the night. I just finished eating some KD (I brought it for my cousin) as she doesn't have ANY food in her place. I'll spend the remainder of my meals out I'm sure unless I pick up some bread for toast in the mornings.

Tomorrow I head to the V Festival with friends of my cousin. Should be fun :)

Vacation Part 1

2009-08-20T09:22:00.003-06:00

Yesterday was the official start to my vacation. I managed to get very little sleep the night before...perhaps I was too excited. After procrastinating with a little paper toss (get it free for your ipod or iphone!!) and yahtzee I managed to crawl out of bed and head to Walmart for a few last minute items (read: Original KD for my cousin). I was treated to a very nice lunch and then headed home to begin my packing. I began around 2pm and was finally finished at 6pm. I did stop for a chat with dad and a little spider solitaire in there too.

By 7pm I was completely ready with clothes put away and my suitcases sitting by the door. All my documents were packed right where they were suppose to be and things were looking good for the morning.

I awoke 5 minutes before my alarm went off, had a shower, and double checked everything. I headed out the door just before 6am...flight left at 7:15am so plenty of time. I arrived at the airport and sat in my car eating my scrumptous sausage and egg mcmuffin and apple juice. OK, time to get checked in! WHERE THE HELL IS MY TRAVEL FOLDER?????!!!!! Yeah, that's right, somewhere between my front door and the airport I lost the travel folder with my preprinted boarding passes for my 2nd and 3rd flights as well as all the other info like my itereraries and such. I decided to go check in because I had duplicates of the itineraries. After check in I raced home, grabbed my duplicate boarding passes and raced back only to arrive at the airport and freak out becasue I couldn't find my passport!!!

OK, at this point I was freaked, but thought there was no way I could have lost it. I made a brief panicked call to Bruce to see if he could see it and then decided to board anyway. As I was standing in security checking for loose change I found my passport. It was in my back pocket!!! I was the last to board the plane, but I arrived well in Edmonton. They had banana bread on the plane...yummmm...things are looking up!! I now have a long wait for my flight to Montreal.

Peanut Butter Update...

2009-07-14T09:48:00.002-06:00

I tried the organic peanut butter in a milkshake the other day and, despite the slightly different texture, it was actually quite delightful. So I might keep it around for milkshakes. Next test is cookies.

Peanut Butter

2009-07-11T11:47:00.003-06:00

I love my peanut butter...it's great with so many things! I was eating it like it was going out of style (or stock as the case may be up here) and really enjoying it. I mean I ate it with apples, on toast, in milkshakes, on celery...with so much.

I was encouraged, due to the high fat/sugar content, to switch to organic peanut butter. I know some of you are huge fans of the stuff, but let me say...I am NOT!

Seriously, if I wanted to spend 10 minutes churning peanut butter I would have taken it up as a profession. Also, the texture is all wrong! And taste! Well, the taste isn't horrible and I've yet to try it in a shake, but it's missing something. Oh, I know...sugar!! I like sugar!!

Ok, that is my rant for the day. I will continue to eat the newly opened jar, but will most likely switch back to my fatty, sugary, yummy Skippy or Jiff very soon.

Busy busy

2009-06-26T00:14:00.007-06:00

Back for another crazy week of work...I get July 1st and 2nd off!!! OK, now I've jinxed it and I'm likely to get called in...of course, I can refuse :) Plans are for a BBQ at my place on Canada Day. I'm excited!

I spent the day hanging my new art work (abstract paintings from ebay), potting my new plants, and hanging out at the dentist. That part wasn't so fun, but I did enjoy the freezing. I don't even know if they used a needle. I barely felt anything. My mouth was thus frozen for the next 4 hours. I splurged on death food for the first time in ages and now am regretting it. I must remember this blog for future cravings.

Painting over my couch...it's 4'x3' in total.

Painting over my table.

Oh, and it was Craig's birthday today and I didn't get to talk to him. He turned 21!!! Insane, I know!!! I sent him a text in the morning...he's not a morning person so I chose not to go there and it was 6am your time. He decided to go see Transformers tonight so I didn't get to hear his voice. Well, perhaps I'll give him a shout tomorrow.

I'm working so I guess I'll get back to it. The systems all seem to crash on my shift lately so it makes more work for me...stupid computers!! Have a good one y'all!

Hiya folks!

2009-06-20T10:09:00.002-06:00

Hola! Life in Yellowknife is picking up a bit. We think it's getting nice. Hard to say because one day it gets to 20 and windy, but the next it's 6 and rainy/cloudy. Ah, what can you do about the weather?

Soccer season just started and once again I'm on the team that gets walloped 12-1 on a regular basis. We get to play the team we actually beat on Sunday so there should be a good turn out. haha. I played the full 80 minutes last game out in the field and could still feel the pain 3 days later :)

Work has been insane. It's not that it's busy, it's that we have no staff and we work obscene amounts of overtime. Now I know I shouldn't complain since there are a lot of people out of work and wishing they were in my shoes, but it's summer and summer doesn't last long here so I'd like to get to experience a little of it.

I bought a BBQ, then lost my client card and my credit card so I still don't have a propane tank :( The BBQing will commence shortly :)

I've been doing a lot of reading lately and looking into info about adult children of alcoholics. I really wish I'd checked this out earlier because it really explains a lot. Should be an interesting time ahead while I delve further into it.

So that's what's happening up here. Hope you're all enjoying the summer :)

Finally Springish

2009-05-23T19:21:00.002-06:00

Ah, it's finally like spring in Yellowknife. Today it's gorgeous outside. There are some scattered clouds in the sky, but they are high and don't hide the sun. It reached 13 degrees and will be sunny until after 11pm.

I went to the driving range this afternoon after a healthy brunch of steak and eggs. Yes, I ate steak. It turns out I like it :)

Now I'm at work, getting a little sun burnt from relaxing in the sun all afternoon and trying to decide when I'll buy my new BBQ. With the double time I'm getting today I can get something really nice :)

Happy nice weather everyone!

Haven't seen me for a while, eh?

2009-05-17T20:29:00.002-06:00

It's been quite some time since I added to my blog and I'm at work and bored so I thought I'd pass along a little sampling of Kim's life.

What's new? hmmm...really, not much. I finally got my washer and dryer (that was prior to my trip to Vancouver). Oh, I went to Vancouver. It always seems like such a short visit, but I always manage to miss people. I had a great time and spent way too much time with my mother. I know that sounds bad, but you have to understand my mother. I also spent a lot of money on new clothes. That was fun.

The reason I spent all that money on new clothes is that I've lost over 20 lbs since January. I know this because that's when I bought my Wii Fit. Now I know you must be thinking that you should run out and buy one too, but that is not my reason for losing the weight. In fact, I only use it so it can tell me my BMI, weight, and Wii Fit age.

Of course I can hear you asking, "What's the secret?". Ok, I'll tell you. My secret involves sitting on the couch and aimlessly watching television while drinking beer. If I'd only known this sooner in life I'd be a size 2 by now. haha.

Honestly though, I think it has to do with my change in diet. I am not on a diet, but I've cut out (or at least cut back on) a lot of things. Like?? Chips, potatoes, pizza, desserts (stopped baking), pasta, most white flours and rice, cheese (simply reduced, not eliminated). I eat a lot of chicken, salmon, steamed broccoli and plenty of yams. Oh, I also reduced my meal sizes.

Now I'm back at work, enjoying 8 evening shifts in a row...yeah me! Of course these shifts include 3 at time and a half, 1 double overtime, and 1 day in lieu. The next 2-3 months look pretty much the same. Good thing because I'm saving up for a trip.

Speaking of which, anyone want to go on a trip with me at the end of August. I booked my flight to Edmonton already and now I haven't the faintest clue where to go. Suggestions are welcome. If you know anyone wanting a travel companion and looking to go somewhere interesting let me know.

Oh, I've started reading again and am working my way towards 20 books this year. I just finished 'A Thousand Splendid Suns'. Good book about life in Afghanistan told through the eyes of 2 women.

So, that's about it for me. See, not much to share, but I'm still enjoying life up north. I wish the lakes would thaw and the temperatures would average above freezing, but that's all wishful thinking at this point.

Need your help

2009-03-16T22:33:00.002-06:00

I have a friend who just moved to Vancouver and needs to find a place: apartment or basement suite that will allow dogs. he's training in Surrey (right near the law office in Newton). He only needs 1 bedroom and has one dog. he's been looking, but doesn't really know the area and he is already studying to be an Air Traffic Controller. If you know of any places that he might be interested in let me know.

Blah

2009-02-11T19:13:00.002-07:00

Back at work after a great vacation and now I'm sick. Bruce (yes, that's his name) started feeling sick on the weekend and has missed 3 days of work. That's making him nuts since he's a workaholic. Now I'm sick. I have resorted to Buckley's, but this is one nasty bug. It wipes you out. I think I'm taking the day off tomorrow if I don't feel any better.

By request

2009-02-03T11:35:00.003-07:00

I hear there's a request for a picture of my couch. I already have a picture of my couch on here so I'll put up a picture of Bruce.

Ahhhh!

2009-01-28T08:49:00.002-07:00

Relaxing in sunny Mexico at the free internet station. No excursions today. Maybe I'll try to tan...haha. Yesterday was sailing with the whales. Very few whales and sailing didn't happen much due to the lack of wind, but still a nice adventure. The previous day it was a trip to Yelapa and some snorkeling. Although not officially a whale tour, there was some really cool whale watching and dolphins followed the boat on the way back.

The food here at the hotel is great. We're treated like royalty. I guess it pays to be in the Royal Suites. Even the food on the tours has been pretty impressive, especially on the sailing trip. I tried new foods...or new to me!! Some was good, others not so much.

My couch is enjoying the trip as well even though he can't swim and nearly fell off the sail boat. Ok, off to get some rays and read a book with a drink in hand. Have a good day!!

Having BLAST

2009-01-25T21:52:00.003-07:00

I'm really enjoying my time in Mexico. We arrived at 2am on Saturday morning and fell fast asleep by 4am. We spent the day exploring and enjoying the food, the pool, and Royal Suite amenities. Today, Sunday, we realxed in the morning and then took a Canopy Excursion (Ziplining) which was a blast. We came back and spent a nice evening at one of the exclusive dining rooms. Very nice. We watched the show, which was hilarious. Now that I'm well drunk we're heading to the disco to see what that's all about and then off to an early tour in the morning. Have I told you I'm loving Puerto Vallarta?!!!

It's been a while...

2009-01-18T19:37:00.004-07:00

Well, it's a toasty -6.8 right now at the Yellowknife airport and I planned my vacation for this time of year just so I could get out of the -40 weather. Jokes on me...hahaha. The temperatures are suppose to drop to -25 or so by Friday - the day I leave - so I'll feel a tad better about my choice of vacation time.

As for me, I'm currently training our new Supervisor. It's kind of funny since it's really slow. I mean REEEAAALLLLLYYY S L O W. There isn't much to train him on. We've completed 6, almost 7 days of training and I think he's almost ready to check-out. It's rather an uneventful thing to train someone with a lot more experience than I have. He's pretty easy-going so it's not such a drag and I get an extra $8.50 an hour while he's training.

What else? Not much really. I finished my second book of the year and am nicely on my way to completing my goal of 20 books this year. Another goal of mine is to stop wasting so much time. It was working OK, but then the TV started calling me again. I'm working on it. My third goal (I had more, but realized I have limits) is to get back in touch with friends and family I've lost touch with over the years. There are plenty of ways to do that, but my preferred methods is snail mail. Although most of the people reading this I already keep in touch with, you may just end up seeing random cards, letters, recipes, whatever end up in the mail box.

Oh, I'm headed to Puerto Vallarta in a few days (5 to be exact) and am really looking forward to some warm weather and nice pools. I'll let you know how it goes.

Have a super day!

Lesson of the Day...

2009-01-12T18:19:00.001-07:00

When driving a small car in a place where there is lots of snow, do NOT drive into the unplowed area that doesn't look all THAT deep.

Merry Christmas!!!

2008-12-25T05:24:00.002-07:00

I just wanted to wish everyone a very Merry Christmas! I hope you have a safe and happy Christmas!

Dog Sledding

2008-12-24T17:30:00.007-07:00

I went dog sledding the other night. So much fun. Check out the pics: http://picasaweb.google.com/Kimsfirstalbum/DogSleddingDecember2008##

ROFL...

2008-12-18T19:21:00.002-07:00

Just read Andre's Twitter..."Boy it's cold out"?!!!?? I just checked - it's -4 in Vancouver! Wow, you must be freezing. I bet you don't go outside in that weather without a jacket even to grab the laundry. Oh, did I mention it's -33 here?! That's not a typo. There really are two threes there. I went outside a few minutes ago to see if there were any clouds in the sky and I didn't wear a jacket. I think I might be becoming a northerner. Hope the weather warms up for you southerners ;)

It's already been a year...

2008-12-13T07:45:00.003-07:00

It's been a yeaar since I moved WAAAAYYYY up north to Yellowknife. And it's been an interesting year. I flew back to Vancouver 4 times and drove down to Edmonton once. I've experienced weather that I would not have been able to truly fathom coming from a mild climate like Vancouver. I really didn't enjoy the dip below -40 last week or the problems I'm currently having with my car, but it's been an overall good experience.

I learned a new game this year - broomball. No, it's not played with brooms, but I'm sure it started out with brooms instead of sticks. Whenever we actually get spectators perhaps I'll be able to post some pics.

Although I've had one visitor - she lives in Resolute Bay so it doesn't really count - I've yet to see any southern folks up this way. It makes for an interesting road trip. I wouldn't want to come here in the winter either, except the Northern Lights and dog sledding are real treats during the colder times. I'm going dog sledding in a couple weeks.

So, that is my one year in Yellowknife update. Oh, and I'm going to Cuba in January!! Yippeee! Somewhere warm!!!

Thanks Everyone!!

2008-12-13T07:29:00.002-07:00

Thanks for all the great comments!! I think you all rock too!!! I was actually going into my blo today to answer Laura's question and then saw I had a ton of comments. I thought - wow, this Magic Bullet thing has really caught on!

Anyway, I really haven't used my new appliance much. I actually wanted it partly so I wouldn't have to chop onions anymore. Well, it's not made to chop onions. It was more like and onion puree. It comes with a recipe book so once I've tried a few of those items I'll let you know more.

Blending all sort of tastey treats

2008-12-07T11:56:00.003-07:00

I got a Magic Bullet!!! You all know what that is...we've ALL seen the infomercial with the people sitting around the kitchen while 2 people tell you how amazing this little blender thing is. Oh, and of clourse there's the lady smoking a cigarette with ashes about 2 inches long at the end. I finally caved and was sucked in. Years of that infomercial have sucked me in. Perhaps it's time to turn off the tv and hide the Canadian Tire flyer.

Tree

2008-12-06T22:55:00.005-07:00

Tanya wanted me to post a picture of my tree once it was done. I took a picture, but it looks WAAAAYYY different in the dark.
Yeah, that's right, it's blocking the door to the balcony. I don't think I'll be going out there for a few months so it'll be ok. :)

String this...

2008-12-05T12:29:00.003-07:00

To Say I'm a LITTLE bit frustrated is an understatement. I just got back from Wal-mart and a few other stops in town and I still don't have enough lights for my tree. I like LOTS of lights on my tree. Now I have to make the decision: go back out in the -30 weather (-39 with wind chill), or take off all the lights and try to redo the whole tree.

I already took off my long johns. Argh!! I think braving the cold is what I will do. Isn't Christmas GREAT?!!??!!!

Christmas Questionaire Thingy

2008-11-27T23:28:00.005-07:00

This is the Christmas edition of getting to know your friends (stole it from Lara). (I had to go with pink instead of red because the red didn't show up well)

1. Wrapping paper or gift bags? Wrapping paper for sure. I love wrapping presents and decorating them with ribbon and bows.
2. Real tree or Artificial? I love the real trees, but will only have one if I'm staying in my own place.
3. When do you put up the tree? December 1st if possible. Not before that though.
4. When do you take the tree down? After New Year's.
5. Do you like Egg Nog? Love it! Do you have some? Bring it to me!
6. Favorite gift received as a child? It had to be the stereo my dad got me! I was always the last to get cool stuff, but I was the first of my friends to get a stereo with a double cassette player and CD player. Oh, and I got New Kids CD's that year!
7. Hardest person to buy for? Hmm, there are a few of those, but my step mother probably tops the list
8. Easiest person to buy for? Craig, hands down. I find stuff for him on a daily basis and it helps that he likes anything he gets as long as I pick it out.
9. Do you have a nativity scene? Nope, but my step-mom has crazy amounts of Department 57 stuff and a wicked winter scene she does every year. Well, it's up year-round.
10. Mail or email Christmas cards? It's all about snail mail for me. I miss last year, but this year I'm sending them out.
11. Worst Christmas gift you ever received? Hmm, well there was the year we didn't get Christmas or perhaps when I was working for Disney and my dad sent a t-shirt that said "Canada, EH?" I was not impressed.
12. Favorite Christmas Movie? I like the remake of Miracle on 34th Street and all the Santa Clause movies with Tim Allen.
13. When do you start shopping for Christmas? Close to Christmas. I'm all about getting in the right mood to buy gifts.
14. Have you ever recycled a Christmas present? I have no idea, Perhaps, but I really don't remember.
15. Favorite thing to eat at Christmas? The baked good, particularly shortbread and butter tarts.
16. Lights on the tree? Do you mean colour? It depends on the theme of the year for me, but I like multi-coloured usually. oh, and yes, I like lights on the tree.
17. Favorite Christmas song? White Christmas and Rudolf the Red Nosed Reindeer...I love Christmas songs!!
18. Travel at Christmas or stay home? It all depends. I say i want to be home, but then I have a really crappy/dysfunctional Christmas, but staying away sucks unless I'm with friends. The BEST would be traveling with friends somewhere.
19. Can you name all of Santa's reindeers? Yes, but the really question is, can you?
20. Angel on the tree top or a star? Star.
21. Open the presents Christmas Eve or morning? We open one on Christmas Eve (pj's). Then stockings in the morning when you get up. No waiting on that one. After breakfast the rest get opened.
22. Most annoying thing about this time of the year? It starts too early. Wait until December and then bombard us all you want!
23. Favorite ornament theme or color? This year I'm going with blue and silver and white I think. I like my Disney ornaments!
24. Favorite for Christmas dinner? Yams and my mom's stuffing
25. What do you want for Christmas this year? Christmas cards from all my friends around the world!
26. Who is most likely to respond to this? Tanya already blogged it, but have is in some alien language so I don't think she really wants us to know what it says.
27. Who is least likely to respond to this? This question always annoys me.

Vancouver flew by...

2008-11-24T23:46:00.002-07:00

What a wicked trip!!! Of course I'm leaving out the flight delays, luggage delays, my car not starting, and the person who stole my parking spot, but other than that a great trip!

I stayed at Steph's except the last night when I stayed at Tanya and Andre's. So much fun. When I arrived Monday Steph and I went to get a bite to eat and then we were both exhausted so I crashed.

Tuesday was spent with Tanya and Warren and I stayed for dinner and Killer Bunnies. Totally awesome day!!

Wednesday I spent with my mom and then had dinner with my little brothers adn my mom.

Thursday was spent with Tanya, Lara, and Warren at the craft fair. Then, Steph and I headed to a movie (her mom forgot about us, kind of).

Friday I got my hair cut. I did a little shopping. Had lunch with some friends from Disney (hadn't seen them in 6 years). Of course the evening was spent at the New Kids concert!! It was worth ever penny!! Reliving my youth with Steph and a couple friends who also went to the concert. Very awesome night!!

Saturday i did some shopping then met my dad and Ken and his girlfriend for lunch. I did a little more shopping, then I spent the evening at my mom's with my brothers (not Chris though).

That was about it. I dropped the car off at 7:30am and headed to check-in. Oh, I did remember to pick up the car so I guess teh dreams were for nothing.

Once again I missed out on the Hatch Family! I swear next time I'll make it there!! Nonetheless it was a fabulous trip and I just wanted to thank everyone who helped to make it so great!! Maybe I'll see you again soon, but who really knows...

Ready! Set! Go!

2008-11-16T15:36:00.003-07:00

I arrive in Vancouver tomorrow!! Yeah!!! I've rented a car this time, but have had a couple of dreams lately where I've realized about 2 days in that I forgot to pick up the car at the airport. Both dreams were totally unrelated, but in both dreams I couldn't figure out how I got from the airport to wherever I was at. hmmmm, curious how the mind can mess with you sometimes.

I'm really looking forward to coming home. I already have plans to hang out with Steph (staying at her place until Friday), hang out with Adam, get my hair cut by MY stylist, hang out with Tanya and Lara (Thursday, right?!), go to the New Kids concert (Friday), and a few of my Disney pals are going to meet up with me somewhere in there. Hopefully I'll get to go watch Craig play soccer and see his place in Langley. Oh, and I need to help my mom pack a bit, perhaps they've found a place, but I'm not sure.

So that makes for a pretty busy week, but I'll definitely make time to visit with the Hatch Family and get in a little Christmas/Kim shopping.

Stuff

2008-11-07T12:02:00.002-07:00

Yippeeee!! 10 days until I'll be in Vancouver!! I'm so excited! I'm also excited because I get this weekend off. Another weekend (it's been 3 or 4 in a row) with very few midnight shifts. I start my On-the-job Instructor Training on Monday which means 5 days in a classroom learning trainer skills! I love training so this should be fun. I also love being in a classroom and learning. I finished a couple of online courses this morning and a couple days ago I had practiced putting out fires with the airport fire guys! So much fun. Doesn't my job sound great?!

Got Milk?

2008-10-26T23:47:00.002-06:00

Hey Lara, our secret is out. There are a ton of commercials out there promoting drinking chocolate milk after excercising. Even Bob and Jillian from the Biggest Loser have said drinking milk helps prepare broken tissues. Well, I figure you were the one to start the trend so you should be getting all the credit. At least you know you're a trend-setter!

Week of Firsts

2008-10-26T12:37:00.002-06:00

I played my first game of broomball this week - so much fun!

I made cabbage rolls for the first time ever - really good!

I made banana cream pie (never done that before) - so delicious!

So now I'm going to play another game of broomball tonight. I'm going to eat some more cabbage rolls and banana cream pie. I'm also going to do some ironing and perhaps play a little Wii! I know, I live a tough life. Oh, I've confirmed it (after way too many calls to Air Canada), I'm arriving on November 17th and leaving on the 23rd!! Concert's on the 21st and other than doing some packing for my mom I have no confirmed plans!!

Holy Moly Cow!!!!

2008-10-21T08:13:00.004-06:00

Yep, that's right...we have snow!! It's not the first day of snow here in Yellowknife, but it's the first day it looks like it'll stay!! It's really kind of cool. At least I think that now. I'm sure my opinion will change at -20 or so.

So a quick update:

I was suppose to start broomball on Sunday, but the game was late and I'm still trying to get over this cold I caught while in Vancouver. It should be interesting since I shelled out a few clams for the equipment.

My mom is doing better. She's out of the hospital, but tasks are definitely more difficult than before she went in. We're going to be moving her at the end of November, but are still looking for a suitable location. It's been decided that she can't work anymore so that's a big adjustment for her. Thank you all for your thoughts, we really didn't think she was going to make it out of the hospital.

I'll be back in Vancouver in a few short weeks! Can't wait for that NKOTB concert!!! I might change my ticket and arrive a day earlier than planned, but that's still up in the air. Maybe we can arrange a Killarney gathering while I'm home since I won't be around in December.

OK, back to work, I think the snow is getting heavier!

Mom's doing better

2008-10-07T19:10:00.004-06:00

My mom is doing much better today. last night was quite bad, but she was sitting up for a while today and is doing much better. She's still very anxious about money and her job which we're taking care of, but she doesn't think things are being done. Nonetheless, she is looking better. No more mask, which she's really happy about. As it is right now, I'll be heading back to Yellowknife on Saturday. We are planning on getting my mom into a new place hopefully by the end of the month. Right now we still don't know how long she'll be in the hospital or if she'll even get out at all. That's my udat for now. Thanks for all your support.

Coming Home

2008-10-05T13:56:00.002-06:00

It looks like I'm going to be coming home tomorrow. My mom is, once again, in the hospital. This time it's worse. She was admitted on Thursday afternoon after a routine visit to her doctor who sent her to get some tests. She is now in ICU at Mount Saint Joseph's on a resperator. The had to recessitate her. She is not breathing on her own at all. We don't really know what happens now. We are still waiting to find out more details on whether or not they will even be able to try to take out the breathing tube. Ken and I have already decided that if the doctors tell us that she can't breathe on her own and is not conscious, we will have them turn off the life support.

So far I'm doing fine, but it helps to be distant from it. My brothers are all sticking together and doing as well as can be expected.

I don't really have a good title for this one

2008-10-03T14:09:00.003-06:00

I've been having loads of fun organizing lately. I'm pretty close to getting everything right where I want it. One of my big tasks was getting my DVDs and videos organized. While in Edmonton I purchased 2 new DVD shelving units. Of course this led to changing my living room around. Alas, it is done and I don't want to leave my living room. Somehow I managed to open up my living space and give more room to my dining table. All this due to an attempt to organize my movies. I'll post new pics of it soon. http://picasaweb.google.com/Kimsfirstalbum/Apartment#

I also purchased a new desk (my purpose for driving south). It's perfect. There's really nothing to it. Simple is exactly what I needed. Now I have an office/den that is totally clean and organized. I have a clean desk for scrapbooking or studying or whatever else I want. I also have room in there for a blow-up mattress when company arrives.

I also purchased a Wii!! I haven't really played it yet due to the cleaning, moving, and organizing. Perhaps this week I'll spend some quality time with my Wii. I wanted Wii Fit, but it sells out within a day of arriving in the stores! I REALLY want one!

I'm going to go relax in my awesome living room. Have a good day all!!

No Bison Hurt In The Making Of This Blog

2008-09-24T18:32:00.004-06:00

So we made it to Edmonton! It took 13 hours, NOT the 17 hours that mapquest said it would take. No, I did not speed. Tanya knows I don't like to speed. :)

I got a few pictures of the bison along the highway, bit it was dark so I didn't see much else. It was REALLY dark!!

Now that I'm refreshed after a well-deserved nap I'm going to go get some food!!! Oh and perhaps do some shopping.

Counting sheep doesn't work

2008-09-19T00:48:00.002-06:00

It's nearly 1am and I'm still WIDE awake! That wouldn't be a problem if I didn't have to get up at 5:30am for work. Damn couch making me nap after work! Although I like naps. Naps are good. Maybe I'll be able to nap before work.

Blue Moon go away!

2008-09-17T18:07:00.004-06:00

In response to my previous blog my meals of that day consisted of Chocolate milkshake and ketchup flavoured popcorn for lunch and fries and gravy for dinner. I think I might take you up on that suggestion Lara (at least until there are no more "grown" items available here).

My dilemma of the day: my cheque book

I have lost it. I know I had two, but I can't seem to find either of them. The worst part is that there are no hidden places in my house anymore because I've completely organized things and gotten rid of a lot of useless paper and other items I don't need. I know I shredded my really old cheques, but I might have mixed in the ones I didn't want to shred. Argh! And I only use cheques once in a blue moon...damn blue moon!

Oh, did I mention we had our first day of snow? Yep, winter is upon the north!!

And 1 and 2 and 3...um, can we stop now?

2008-09-16T22:13:00.003-06:00

Today is the start of the new Biggest Loser season. Guess what I'm having for dinner? For that matter, guess what I had for lunch!?! Well, let's just say I need a lesson in healthy eating. Perhaps a trip to the gym might be a good idea tomorrow. Lara, I need my gym buddy back!!

One more down

2008-09-13T23:46:00.004-06:00

I think I found a new favourite book...The Fountainhead by Ann Rynd. I've wanted to read this book for some time since it was referenced in a really great movie. I just never got around to it, at least not until now. It was also on my list of classic novels that I'm working my way through. I'm sure the architectural aspects of the novel and the red-head are huge draws for me, but it's simply a great book!

Who invented it?

2008-09-03T21:11:00.004-06:00

So I've been trying to be more organized especially with my scrapbooking stuff. Being the brilliant woman I am I started to put the completed pages into a scrapbook. Simple, right? Not so. Who invented the screwed in fasteners that take your valuable time and energy to simply put in new pages? Grrrrrrr. I finally did it, but I can tell you I'm not opening that again anytime soon.

Thanks for allowing me to vent because everything else around here is going well :)

Found this on Tanya's Blog

2008-09-01T11:00:00.003-06:00

You.
Can.
Only.
Type.
One.
Word.
No.
Explaining.

1. Where is your cell phone?
Left
2. Relationship?
Good
3. Your hair?
Awesome
4. Work?
Interesting
5. Your sister?
non-existent
6. Your favourite thing?
Laughter
7. Your dream last night?
Weird
8. Your favourite drink?
Water
9. Your dream car?
Lamborghini
10. The room you’re in?
Living
11. Your shoes?
comfy
12. Your fears?
minimal
13. What do you want to be in 10 years?
Happy
14. Who did you hang out with this weekend?
Bruce
15. What you’re not good at?
cleaning
16. Muffin?
Tops
17. One of your wish list items?
Desk
18. Where you grew up?
Vancouver
19. The last thing you did?
Eat
20. What are you wearing?
Clothes
21. What aren’t you wearing?
Pajamas
22. Your pet?
imaginary
23. Your computer?
Working
25. Tired?
Nope
26. Missing?
Stamps
27. What are you thinking about right now?
Chores
28. Your car?
Ean
29. Your kitchen?
Messy
30. Your summer?
Short
31. Your favourite color?
Green
32. When is the last time you laughed?
Today
33. Last time you cried?
unknown
34. School?
Athabasca
35. Love?
Family

Hmm, maybe that one

2008-08-23T21:26:00.003-06:00

I think I should NOT go shopping when I'm in the mood to spend money. I bought a new dining room table today. Here's the best part: I asked for financing and while they were getting it approved they told me to go home since the guys were on their way to my place with the stuff. Yes, that's right, I left without paying. I guess living in a small town has it's benefits. Now I have a wicked dining room table, 8 chairs, and a lazy susan. It's awesome! Feel free to come and see it :)

More randomness

2008-08-22T16:18:00.003-06:00

Alas I have completed my 15 days in row!! It's so nice to have 2 days off. Plans for my days off? None really. Perhaps I'll do some more organizing. Watch a little more Olympic action. Oh, and attend a few garage sales looking for plants...yes, that's right plants (not pants). They are hard to come by in these parts and soon will be next to impossible to aquire.

As for the weather here, it is changing. 15 days ago it was 30 degrees and yesterday we had a high of 14 and a low of 6. I waqs told it would happen overnight, but you really can't believe it until it happens. Oh, and it's getting dark again. It's light by 6am still and dark by 10pm. Here comes the winter!

Oh, and here's another random and cool thing: I was organizing my negatives and wanted to put them onto CD for easy duplication, but much to my dismay Walmart's photo lab charges $9.97 for 40 images on a CD. I calculated it out and figured it would cost well over $400. That's crazy right?! So I figured there must be a scanner out there that will be cheaper and allow me to do it myself. Well, here's the best part...that scoockum printer/scanner I bought a few months ago can do it!! So awesome! And it will scan them directly to the CD.

Hope you are all doing well! Have a great weekend!!

Movie to watch

2008-08-21T17:17:00.001-06:00

I saw a great movie the other day...Charlie Bartlette. It's awesome! Watch it. It's not a movie I can describe except to say it's about the life of a teenager with a number of interesting twists. Tanya, I think you'll enjoy this one, but I can't guarantee anything. Oh, it's on DVD.

A Little Piece of Kim

2008-08-18T07:39:00.003-06:00

All is well...I have the Internet again. In fact, I was incredibly impressed with the technician who came to fix it. Fabulous job! Although, I haven't really been online all that much since it's been fixed anyway. I guess I was just feeling isolated without it.

I'm on day 11 of 15!! Almost there! I guess that's what I get for switching shifts and not taking actual leave days for a vacation. It's cool because I still have 3 weeks of vacation time left. Or something like that.

Speaking of vacations, I'm driving down to Edmonton next month for a couple of days. Why, you ask?! To go shopping, of course. Perhaps I'll find my dining room table while I'm there. That's the plan anyway.

I've been doing a lot of organizing lately. I alphabetized my CDs so I can store them in the new case I bought. I finally started using the expenses form my dad sent me (with a few modifications) and have entered all my receipts into it. Now I know where all my money went! I also found all my photo negatives which I had started organizing and now I'll finish that today and contact Walmart to see if they'll be able to put them onto CDs for me.

Oh, and I'm a little obsessed with the Olympics. They are so amazing! I saw all 8 of Michael Phelps' gold medal performances. That guy should be classified as a fish, not a mammal. What about the Men's 100m sprint? That Bolt guy from Jamaica was beyond fast and he pulled up at the end! As for the Canadians, they haven't been winning a lot of medals, but they have broken more national records than any other team in the Olympics this year. That's pretty cool if you ask me. Besides, we're a winter Olympics country and we'll have a lot more athletes in Vancouver than ever before because we're the host country. Although a little unfair, I think it'll be awesome!

Have a great week everyone!!

ARGHHH!!!!

2008-08-14T15:09:00.002-06:00

I'm a tad frustrated, but it just goes to show how dependant on the internet I've become. At home my internet went out on Tuesday due to (at least that's what the cable company says) a thunderstorm we had on Monday. Well, I still had internet on Tuesday until the afternoon. Of course I called them to figure it out and they said they'll have to get a technician to call me to set up a time to fix it. That was yesterday. I called them today to find out why I hadn't received a call and they said that the online tech didn't pass it on to the dispatcher. So now I have to wait for the tech to call me today, hopefully, just to set up an appointment time. Oh, and did I mention that they only work Mon-Fri from 9am-5pm??!!!? My access to hotmail doesn't exist because at work (I'm there now) they blocked that site. I'm surprised they haven't blocked this site..lucky me!

So I hope this explains where I've been for the past few days and, I'm sure, many days to come.

Thanks for a great holiday!

2008-08-07T17:27:00.002-06:00

I arrived safely back in Yellowknife and now I'm relaxing on my new couch and enjoying being inside. It's 29 degrees celcius here today. Not much different from Vancouver except there's no shade here (no trees).

Thank you all so much for coming to the BBQ last night. It was awesome to see everyon, especially Jennifer and Kevin since it had been about a year since I'd seen you. And thanks to Tanya and Andre for hosting it and me during my stay.

Now I prepare to work 14, no 15 (just got a call for overtime) shifts in a row. Lucky me.

Vacations seem to go so fast

2008-08-05T00:54:00.003-06:00

I'm in Vancouver!! So far I've done so much on this trip:

1. I visited with my dad
2. I went to Kamloops where I played in 3 soccer games (not my best performance by far...if I ever get asked to play again, perhaps practicing first might be a good idea)
3. I hung out with my dad a bit more
4. I hung out with Ken and saw Dark Knight (great movie)
5. I got my hair cut, but not by my regular guy
6. I surprised my mom on her 61st birthday
7. I hung out with Craig
8. Hung out with Steph and went to see Mamma Mia! (quite enjoyed it)
9. Finally arrived at Tanya and Andre's

So far I've done a lot. I'm very much looking forward to the BBQ on Wednesday and hanging out here with the Baron family. I have a little shopping to do before going home, but nothing major. This trip is just flying by.

Alas it Has Arrived!

2008-07-26T13:00:00.004-06:00

My new couch arrived today. It took a bit of maneuvering, but we managed to squeeze it into the apartment. To tell you the truth I wasn't sure it would go well with my love seat, but it goes great. AND it came with 4 very big and comfy pillows. I like this online shopping thing, perhaps a new washer and dryer are in order. We'll see.

Looking forward to coming home and seeing you all at the BBQ on Wednesday, August 6th!!! Did I mention I'm bringing beer?!

Cool Weekend

2008-07-21T14:27:00.003-06:00

This past weekend was fun. I worked, but the Snowbirds were doing a show so it was fun. My favourite part of the airshow was the F-18. It's a very cool plane. When he left yesterday, he flew by the tower about 20 feet away on his side. It was sweet.

Also, this weekend the Folk on the Rocks Festival was here. It was ok. I went after work on Sunday and stayed for about 4 or 5 bands. The were now well-known bands, but it was pretty decent. The cost was a tad steep, but it was entertaining. For future reference it's a great time to come and visit during the show.

Best of all this week/end I found a wicked tuna/broccoli dish that is sooooo tastey. And it's easy to make. I also tried to make Boston Cream Pie for the fist time. It was ok, but the filling needs work, but the cake was scrumptious!

Ok, I'm off to eat some tuna casserole!!

August Trip to Vancouver

2008-07-17T22:27:00.003-06:00

I finally have my vacation/soccer trip set. I'll be in Vancouver August 4-7. I'm staying with Tanya, Andre and Warren...thanks! The best part is I might actually get to see a few people while I'm there. I totally want to visit with you, Jennifer. And Kevin, of course. That's my news.

Meow

2008-07-17T22:15:00.002-06:00

I had this dream today that really freaked me out. I'm currently looking after my co-worker's cat. Well, actually, it's his wife's cat, but that's beside the point. So back to this cat. He's not staying in my apartment, but he lives downstairs so it's easy enough for me to feed him and spend some time there while playing the Wii.

I had a dream that I was late feeding him so he found a way to squeeze under the door and took off. He left a note though saying that he was tired of waiting for his food and he was going to find a better place to live. I was freaking out trying to think of what I was going to tell Isabelle about her cat. Then I woke up and went to feed the cat who was safely inside the apartment and not upset with me at all.

The funniest part: Isabelle, who's with her husband in Hawaii, called me tonight to check on her cat. Of course I told her everything is fine. Weird, eh?

Where oh Where?

2008-07-12T07:45:00.001-06:00

Why is it that at 7am on Saturday mornings only 2 people on my msn list are signed in? What are all you people doing?

What Happened?

2008-07-08T23:00:00.002-06:00

There was a time when I was good. I know I was good because people would ask me to play on their teams. Those days seem to have passed me by. I don't know what happened. Oh yeah, I'm not 20 years-old anymore. That could be the answer.

Regardless of my abilities, I still love to play and that's what really matters, right?

Living in the North Causes One to Do Strange Things

2008-07-07T08:38:00.008-06:00

It's amazing how many different things you'll buy online when you're stuck in the middle of nowhere. I know people who buy shoes online and I think that's going just a bit too far. I mean, shoes?! How many times do you go into a shoe store and try on the 'perfect' pair of shoes and realize they don't fit? How on earth do people think this will be different when you don't even try them on?

The point of this blab: I bought a couch online yesterday. Yep, that's right, a couch!!! I'm a tad concerned, but not too much. I almost bought the same couch Tanya and Andre have, but I decided that wouldn't be right. Then I rethought that and figured, why not?! Then I thought the material just wouldn't go well with my loveseat.

This is the couch I decided to buy:

My couch arrives July 26th! Just in time for me to enjoy it for a few days before heading home. Cool, eh?

Homeward Bound

2008-07-05T18:02:00.002-06:00

I love my instincts. I knew there was something Chris was keeping from me. He's in a bind with this girl in Bolivia and has decided that he's too young to get married. That's a relief, right? Well, there's a lot more to it than that and as a result he has asked me for help. Now, I know I'm going to help him out, but I'm going to make him seriously think about it. He's gotten himself in way over his head on this one.

I guess this is the part where I realize living in the middle of nowhere kind of bites. The good news is I might be able to solve this in Vancouver. I'm coming home, briefly, in August. I was asked to play soccer in a tournament in Kamloops so I'm arriving on July 31st and driving to Kamloops on August 1st. We arrive back in town from Kamloops on August 4th, my mom's birthday, and I'm not sure yet if I'm staying for one day or more. It depends on which days I switch to get away from here. I'm not going to tell my mom I'm coming and just show up on the evening of her birthday.

This means I'll be home long enough to see some of you, however brief it may be. Are you as excited as me?!!

This and That

2008-07-03T07:44:00.002-06:00

We won!! Yep, last night my soccer team, with only 8 players won the game 4-7!! It was great!!

Did I tell you I'm starting to take courses through the University of Athabasca? I received my course material in the mail yesterday. It's a philosophy course. If all goes well with this, I have a list of courses that I'll take while I'm up here (for many years).

I was invited to a soccer tournament in Kamloops August long weekend. I would love to go, but am not sure if I can switch my shifts to get the time off. It would be so fun if I can work it out.

Happy Canada Day!

2008-07-01T14:17:00.002-06:00

Just wanted to wish everyone a Happy Canada Day!!!

Paddle Me This

2008-06-28T12:41:00.003-06:00

I just got back from a fun 3 hours spent in a canoe with 13 people and 2 dogs. Such a fun time and not at all a strenuous endeavour, though check back with me tomorrow on that because I may have a different opinion after my body has time to figure out what I just forced it to do. Now I'm off to bed since I worked a midnight shift last night. Did I tell you I love this place? Indeed I do...you should come visit, there's lots to do!

And the winner is...

2008-06-27T20:27:00.002-06:00

Played soccer again last night. We had barely enough players to play and the other goalie didn't show so I got the pleasure of standing between the posts. The other team was terrific. I can't even tell you hoew many shots they had from about 6 feet away. By the end of the first HALF we were losing 7 or 8 to nothing. It was crazy!

Another team member offered to play in goal during the seccond half so I graciously accepted. The other side was really cool though and instead of trying to rack up points, since they had won anyway, relaxed on the offense a bit and only added 3 or 4 goals in the shortened 2nd half. We did manage to get one goal, but I believe that's when we put an extra player on the field.

Although the scoreline was a little lopsided, I did have a blast. I am a little sore today though.

Showers

2008-06-24T15:27:00.002-06:00

Alas, we see the rain such as it would be if we were in Vancouver. Nice little treat to the week. Gotta love a little rain every once in a while.

Work and Play

2008-06-23T15:11:00.002-06:00

I have such a busy week ahead.

I work day shift until Thursday which is nice, but means I start at 6:30am. Tonight I have soccer practice/pub night, tomorrow and Wednesday - softball games, Thursday - soccer game, Friday - another softball game.

I work a midnight overtime shift on Friday night and then head out canoeing with my coworker and his family Saturday morning.

It's going to be busy, but I can't complain because it's 22 degrees, the sun is shining (all the time) and I'm doing all the stuff I love.

Ahhhhhh

2008-06-21T19:16:00.003-06:00

I feel it is my joy, er, my duty to pass along this amazing wonderfully delicious item. I believe it is one of life's truly perfect delights. You might scrunch up your face and wince at the sound of it, but once you've tasted it you'll have to whole-heartedly agree with yours truly. Now, there might be those who are allergic and for that I believe you have been sadly left out of a treasure surely meant for royalty. Those who disagree with my assessment of this heavenly beverage need not comment, merely lie and say you are allergic. It'll make me feel better. Oh, the scrumptiousness is overwhelming. I need to go finish mine. mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm!!!

TIme ticks on

2008-06-20T13:41:00.003-06:00

Today is officially the first day of summer AND it is one of the longest days here!! Cool, eh? Not that it gets dark here unless it's cloudy, but it's officially the longest day. I know I'm milking the nice weather for all it's worth, but that's because the winter will make me miss rainy Vancouver.

The first day of summer actually reminds me that Craig's birthday is a few short days away. In lieu of his birthday I called him to discover what he wants as I'm not with him enough anymore to figure it out without hints. That part sucks, although I think he'll get a surprise when all the Whitecaps stuff arrives at his place.

Talking to my brother, Craig, is always such a highlight of my day/week because he has such a different view of the world. He always makes me laugh and feel a sense of pride as he matures. Of course there are times when he doesn't want to talk, but for the most part he tells me all about his life. It makes me so happy that I spent all that time with him when he was really young because I don't think we'd have such a strong bond otherwise.

Ok, I just had to babble about my brother because his birthday is on the horizon and I miss him so much. I miss all my brothers and all of you, too. Have a great day!

Ronnie sent his to me so here you are:

2008-06-16T11:41:00.004-06:00

Here is my answers!Hit forward and place an X by all the things you’ve done and remove the X from the ones you have not. Answer the 30 questions at the end and send it to your friends (including me). This is for your entire life! It's a great procrastination tool, too!

(X ) Gone on a blind date
(X)Skipped school
( )Watched someone die
( X ) Been to Canada
( X) Been to Mexico
( X) Been to Florida
(X) Been on a plane
(X ) Been lost
(X)Been on the opposite side of the country
( ) Gone to Washington , DC
(X ) Swam in the ocean
(X )Cried yourself to sleep
( X) Played cops and robbers
(X) Recently colored with crayons
(X ) Sang Karaoke
( X) Paid for a meal with coins only?
( X) Done something you told yourself you wouldn’t?
( X) Made prank phone calls
(X ) Laughed until some kind of beverage came out of your nose
(X ) Caught a snowflake on your tongue
( X) Danced in the rain
( X) Written a letter to Santa Claus
( ) Been kissed under the mistletoe
(X)Watched the sunrise with someone you care about
(X) Blown bubbles
(X) Gone ice-skating
( )Been skinny dipping outdoors
(X) Gone to the movies

1. Any nickname? Red, Kimmy, there used to be so many more
2. Mother’s name? Cindy
3. Favorite drink? Beer
4. Any Tattoo’s? nope
5. Body piercings? ears only
6. How much do you love your job? So much I couldn't put a number on it
7. Birthplace? BC, Canada
8. Favorite vacation spot? Florida
9. Ever been to Africa ? No, but the possiblity looks greater all the time
10. Ever eaten cookies for dinner? me? no, never. Ok, maybe once. Well, perhaps a few more times than that. OK, it's a regular meal. Happy now?
11. been on TV? Not sure. I think they put one of my soccer games on tv once
12. Ever steal any traffic sign? haha. No.
13. Ever been in a car accident? yes
14. Drive a 2-door or 4-door vehicle? 2-door
15. Favorite salad dressing? depends on my mood and the type of salad
17. Favorite number? 21
18 Favorite movie? Dirty Dancing
19. Favorite holiday? Christmas if it's spent away from home or Halloween
20. Favorite dessert? Lemon suffle
21. Favorite food? Lasagna
22. Favorite day of the week? Tuesday
23. Favorite brand of body wash? don't use body wash...soap - ivory
24. Favorite toothpaste? Colgate
25. Favorite smell? mood dependant, things that are baking, but not burnt...vanilla...lemon
26. What do you do to relax? chat, play sudoku, watch tv, read, and most often SLEEP
27. How do you see yourself in 10 years? Happy! Doing some job totally different from the one I currently have. Surrounded by the coolest friends even if not in the immediate vicinity (yay internet). Best aunt in the world (no doubt my brothers will have had kids by then). Still exploring and playing soccer.
28. How many siblings do you have? 3 - the most amazing brothers in the world!! Even though they don't always call, I still adore them all!
29. Furthest place you will send this message? Oh, the possibilities are endless. Of course, I haven't told many people that I moved my blog...thanks for the advert Tanya!
30. Who will respond to this the fastest? It's beyond me

Oh, and just for those of you who might be wondering, I didn't see #16 either and I chose not to attempt yet another question.

Woohoo!

2008-06-13T08:58:00.003-06:00

I played my first soccer game last night! So much fun!

I was told I was to play on the "new team" even though I'd already registered and practiced with Gold City. This is due to a lack of goalies in the league. Well, I arrived at the field where my Gold City teammates wanted me to stay with them. I'm so glad I did. I didn't play in goal, but totally have that option should I choose to take it. Also, this team is really easy-going. If we win that's cool, but it's really all about the social aspect and going for drinks after the game. We lost our first game, but scored 4 out of the 7 goals...you figure it out.

I'm liking Yellowknife more and more. Who would've thunk it, eh?

Softball tonight! Problem with playing all these sports is that I think I'm going to gain weight rather than lose it with all the drinking after the games. haha.

Miss you all. Hope your summer's going as well as mine!

Can it really be this difficult?

2008-06-12T01:44:00.002-06:00

Ok, I finally purchased a photo printer so I can print all my pictures adn scrapbook them, not that I don't already have enough to scrapbook without adding more. I thought this was great and researched the one I wanted. it turned out it was on sale so I got it!

I get the thing home and am setting it up when it gives me an error. This does not make me happy. After trying for a while online I decided to get some help from HP. Earnest (I don't believe that's his real name) and I spent quite some time troubleshooting only to discover that the ink cartridges, all SIX of them, that come with the printer are only "host" cartridges. Although they were only used for initialization and there is plenty of ink in them still, I was forced to go out and spend a bunch of money on ink.

Is it just me or do you find that incredibly insane?!! Even the people at Staples, where I purchased it, thought that was odd. I didn't purchase their extended warranty so they were pretty useless other than to show me the ink I needed.

I did write to HP and might still send them snail mail with my disgust over something so stupid. Why provide cartridges if they don't work? Why does it not say that you need to replace the cartridges right away? Was the HP help desk guy just too lazy or unqualified to fix the problem rather than tell me to go get more ink?

Argh, what a frustrating experience!

Busy Busy

2008-06-12T01:37:00.002-06:00

Wow, i can't believe how busy I am. It's great! I'm now playing baseball (slow pitch) and soccer! Games are all on weeknights and vary anywhere from 1-3 games a week. I played my first baseball game EVER tonight. Our team won. I was walked twice. Translation for Tanya: bla bla bla bla bla.

I play my first soccer game tomorrow night. I'm still not sure which team I'm playing for since they're trying to make the 2 new teams a bit more competative than in past years. I, being one of the only goalies, am being moved from team to team. We'll see how it goes because I really liked the team I was playing with.

I'm working a lot too. I have 3 overtime shifts this month, 3 next month ans, so far, 1 in August. It's a little busier at work too so that's nice.

So that's me, taking advantage of the nice weather despite the obscene amount of bugs. Hope you're all enjoying the fine weather (oops, forgot we don't share the weather). Have a good day!

New and Exciting News from up North

2008-06-03T03:45:00.003-06:00

I officially live in the land of the midnight sun. It's currently 3:46am and the sun is rising, although the sun set around 11pm, it didn't get dark. Cool, eh?

I joined the local co-ed outdoor soccer league. Not too sure when we have our first game, but I'll meet my team on Wednesday at practice. I'm a little worried since they are pretty mucha group of beginners. Should be interesting.

Oh, and the really cool news...I'm coming back to Vancouver in November. Do you want to know why?

I'm going to the New Kids on the Block concert! Yep, that's right. The New Kids reunited and are touring North America in the fall. I'm so excited!

Hope you're all doing as good as me!!

Read This!!

2008-05-30T08:27:00.001-06:00

See how productive I can be at work? Yes indeed. Have a great day Tanya!!!

Dreams

2008-05-28T21:12:00.002-06:00

I was discussing with someone at work the wonder of my dreams. I told her that I really don't have nightmares - dreams that make you wake up all freaked out. I've had a few, but generally my dreams, although odd and possibly scary, they end up being more interesting than freaky.

Here's proof:
I had a dream today (I work midnight shift tonight) where I was a police detective and I knew there was corruption within the force. I decided I wasn't going to take the elevator with my partner so I waited for another and one of the bad cops got on. We pressed the button for the 6th floor, there were 9 in total. At the 4th floor someone else got on. I was suspicous, but stayed on. He was going to the 9th floor. What happened next would be the scary part because the elevator didn't stop. It just kept going up and shot out of the top of the building like in Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. This one, however, wasn't suppose to do that.

So this is the point where most people would freak out, right? Not me. I was in the elevator with these 2 guys I was certain were the bad guys and thought, "This can't really be happening. There's no way we're going to die like this or when it lands."

Then we kind of dropped out of the elevator and the bad guy lands on some ledge. I grabbed onto a pole of some sort and grabbed the other cop's hand. I swung him onto another ledge and then jumped down myself.

That wasn't the entire dream, but don't you find it funny how the scariest stuff only made me think of how it was going to work out rather than the other way around? And people wonder why I like to sleep so much...ah, for the cool dreams :)

Happy dreams!!

I, alas, have joined the revolution!

2008-05-27T21:42:00.000-06:00

I've converted too! Are you proud of me? We'll see how this goes. Pass along the info of my move. I'm trying to see how many people figure it out without me telling them. I guess that means nobody'll be reading my blog. Oh well, that's life.