How the WEST was won!

how the WEST was lost.

2010-05-29T12:23:00.002-07:00

after just over 3 years of living in vancouver, the time has come to move on from this place. it's bittersweet, but i feel that for some reason the universe is calling me home.

vancouver was never a city i had dreamed of living in. for the past 3 years i have certainly had the best of times and the worst of times, here in my land of heartbreak. lost loves, lost minds, great friends, great times... this place has it all (and nothing at the same time). i'm grateful for the experience that living on the west coast has given me, but am looking forward to the new adventure that awaits me.

this blog will end now. and will not be updated again.
adios all, jp

body of years...

2009-11-24T17:48:00.003-08:00

i am currently rocking out to this song, and dancing around my living room...

ENJOY

can you tell me how to get...

2009-11-06T06:32:00.002-08:00

how to get to sesame street? hey the street is 40 this week... 40! i love this show.

listen to the music

2009-10-21T18:56:00.002-07:00

did i mention that dating in your 30s is WAAAAY better than dating in your 20s? just 2 months into this new relationship thing (yeah!) and i am happy to report that things are on the up and up! i mean if i look back to my life 1 year ago from today i am looking at a completely different person. awesomely enough, i don't really miss that person at all because i feel much more comfortable and excited to be where i am right now.

i know i am a lot healthier, im eating better, working hard at my new job (and finally getting some rewards for it). planning out my classes for college next term :) dating a wonderful person <3 the world has finally come back into line for me! i'm pretty excited, and frankly a little scared that it could come crashing down around me. this is not something that i have had a chance to think about recently, but have had a lot of time to think about right now!

my lovely is in korea for the next month checking out her heritage so now is my time to get some things in order that i have been neglecting. bear with me, i don't really have the internet at home anymore and am winging it on free wireless and the roomie's computer.

ah my friends, keeping in touch with you should be really easy... but i seem to suck at it. i often have really great ideas that i will take one evening per week and compose these lovely and flowing emails. yeah... sorry mates, but it appears i've missed the boat on that one! of course you all know what i think of the lot of yas... so i'm really sorry i am that lame-o that never writes or calls. but i think about you all often, so that should count for something.

my family: gee how hard is it for us to talk. i mean aside from my parents that hear from me often, it's like the rest of you all fell off the planet. i love you guys, so sorry! not my intention at all! one skill i wish i had was keeping in better touch with friends and family.

WORD!

wake me when september ends.

2009-09-17T12:53:00.003-07:00

well its been a few busy weeks, as i have recently started a new job and thrown myself back into the dating world. things are certainly looking up. it's been a long time since i have been working and the brain stimulation, socialization, and monetary gains are certainly appreciated.

let's start with the job shall we?

i was hired part way through august for the new pricesmart foods store that is opening on september 23rd. there are lots of good things about this job for me. there is tremendous opportunity for growth right now, and it is good to get in on the ground floor. i am being cross trained as a cashier, working in payroll, scheduling and cash office. the latter of these skills i am interested in acquiring, as they will no doubt come in handy if i am going to open my own business in the future. i've been working for the past two weeks, and will finish up the cash training on sunday afternoon.

dating world:

well technically there really hasn't been much dating as the first date i went on since i came home from san francisco ended up being an ongoing thing. i have been really lucky this summer with the quality of people i have met, and thankful for the year of healing i required before i could give myself fully to someone else. i have been doing a lot of reflection over this past summer and developing a criteria of qualities that are required from someone! i have realized over the course of the summer that there are certain behaviors that i will no longer tolerate, and certain types of people that i am not interested in being around. i guess this has blanketed over the rest of my life as well, as i have had to let go of some friendships that were either toxic or not holding up their end of the bargain. sad, but as the old chain letter goes, some people are there for a long time, and others for a short time. the key is to remember the lessons learned.

anyhoo, im about 1 month into this new relationship and so far its been going really well. for me, the key has been open communication and the refusal to put up with other people's baggage and crap. for far too long, i have sat by, let people walk over me, crush my dreams, verbally assault me, and devalue my self-worth. these things, i will never allow to happen to me again.

the person i am seeing is amazing, and she understands me, doesn't judge me, and is honest and open with her communication. RAD!

that's the update for now. i also wanted to mention that it seems, after a quick poll of my friends, that everyone has had an amazing summer of self-discovery! here's to more of it!!

WORD!

SCHMAP.com update

2009-08-30T14:33:00.001-07:00

pretty sweet... since i love taking photographs, this really made me happy.

I saw a movie the other day that was filmed in san fran, and the characters walked right by the mural that was included in the pictures!!!!!

ps: the movie "fruit fly" was awesome, you all have to go and see it.

~~~~~~~~~

Schmap San Francisco Eighth Edition: Photo Inclusion

Hi Jen,

I am delighted to let you know that your three submitted photos have been selected for inclusion in the newly released eighth edition of our Schmap San Francisco Guide:

Painted Ladies-Alamo Square
www.schmap.com/sanfrancisco/all_sights/p=379737/i=379737_15.jpg

Mission Murals
www.schmap.com/sanfrancisco/all_sights/p=379683/i=379683_1.jpg

Sutro Baths
www.schmap.com/sanfrancisco/all_sights/p=379864/i=379864_18.jpg

If you use an iPhone or iPod touch, then these same links will take you directly to your photos in the iPhone version of our guide. On a desktop computer, you can still see exactly how your photos are displayed and credited in the iPhone version of our guide at:

Painted Ladies-Alamo Square
www.schmap.com/?m=iphone#uid=sanfrancisco&sid=all_sights&p=379737&i=379737_15

Mission Murals
www.schmap.com/?m=iphone#uid=sanfrancisco&sid=all_sights&p=379683&i=379683_1

Sutro Baths
www.schmap.com/?m=iphone#uid=sanfrancisco&sid=all_sights&p=379864&i=379864_18

Finally, if you have a blog, you might also like to check out the customizable widgetized version of our Schmap San Francisco Guide, complete with your published photos:

www.schmap.com/guidewidgets/p=35358411N05/c=SL20011311

Thanks so much for letting us include your photos - please enjoy the guide!

Best regards,

Emma Williams,
Managing Editor, Schmap Guides
www.schmap.me/emmaj.williams

P.S. We're now tweeting San Francisco restaurant and bar picks at
www.twitter.com/sanfranpicks
If you've a favorite you'd like us to tweet, please visit
www.schmap.me/picks/sanfran

schmap.com

2009-08-04T10:21:00.001-07:00

I know that there are a lot of people out there who take photos and get these mentions, but i still thought it was pretty awesome and put a smile on my face for the day! hooray!

Hi Jen,

I am writing to let you know that three of your photos have been short-listed for inclusion in the eighth edition of our Schmap San Francisco Guide, to be published late August 2009.

www.schmap.com/shortlist/p=35358411N05/c=SL20011919

Clicking this link will take you to a page where you can:
i) See which of your photos have been short-listed.
ii) Submit or withdraw your photos from our final selection phase.
iii) Learn how we credit photos in our Schmap Guides.
iv) Browse online or download the seventh edition of our Schmap San Francisco Guide.

While we offer no payment for publication, many photographers are pleased to submit their photos, as Schmap Guides give their work recognition and wide exposure, and are free of charge to readers. Photos are published at a maximum width of 150 pixels, are clearly attributed, and link to high-resolution originals at Flickr.

Our submission deadline is Tuesday, August 6. If you happen to be reading this message after this date, please still click on the link above (our Schmap Guides are updated frequently - photos submitted after this deadline will be considered for later releases).

Best regards,

Emma Williams,
Managing Editor, Schmap Guides
www.schmap.me/ewilliams

job update

2009-07-24T11:41:00.002-07:00

the food store called me yesterday and apologized for not getting back to me on wednesday.

they said that i had an excellent chance, but there were 8 more interviews to do. I called them back this morning and they had 4 left, and they said they would be calling at the end of the day. I hope it goes well.

actually, i feel like i did very well, so if i DO NOT get this job, i am at a loss for what people expect at an interview.

I should know by tomorrow... at the very latest.

a new career?

2009-07-22T13:25:00.002-07:00

today i had an interview at overwaitea foods to work at their new PriceSmart Foods Store opening September 23, 2009 at king edward village. i think the interview went rather well and i am excited about the opportunity. the interviewer asked the standard gammut of questions which i feel i handled thoughtfully and with tact.

they seemed genuinely interested, and i assured them that whatever they gave me to do, i could handle. they told me that they had a training program, even to work in payroll, which i think is an awesome skill to have! after they said this, i told them that if there was training involved i could absolutely do any job at the store. another thing i threw in was how the most important thing is building a brand and creating a brand loyalty through excellent customer service! I think that was an amazing interview!

fingers crossed!

i wonder what is next?

the end of the innocence...

2009-07-20T23:38:00.003-07:00

well folks, this is the email i replied.

i think this is the first time in my life i have ever had this kind of honesty in a relationship, and even though it didn't end successfully, the lessons it taught i will carry with me forever.

i will settle for nothing less.

--------------------------------------

Im glad you sent this letter.

You are an amazing woman, so please don't ever forget that. I know you will find someone awesome, who is kind, and treats you well.

I do not hate you. I was just disappointed that i hadn't heard from you and was wondering if this was your subtle avoidance ritual. I kept telling myself that you would at the very least return my call or email at some point, and that this was likely a terrible case of not being at the right place at the right time. as time went on, and i couldn't get you at all, I started to worry about you and whether you were OK.

i agree that the time we spent together was wonderful, and i have no regrets. vegas will always have a special place in my heart. so many great memories that i will remember fondly, and I will always watch the wizard of oz with a sparkle in my eye. denny's, whore houses, the eiffel tower, 'ew York and beers in a can. the list is long my friend! :)

i think we both deserve a huge pat on the back for taking a shot at love, by ignoring the risks and letting the fun be the guide. that trip was entirely out of character for me, but there was something just leading me there. i knew i had to take a shot. i have come home to a much better space and a new frame of mind, something i have you to thank for. i feel that i have learned so much about myself from my trip to california, and i am glad that i got to share that experience with someone entirely different and new. i know what i want in a relationship, and what i am able to give to someone.

i am imagining how difficult it was for you to write this, and i certainly don't blame you for taking "the easy way out". this conversation would have been a little sad, (and you know i'm a crier), and you would have heard some hurt in my voice, but know that what you hear is coming strictly from my emotional being and not my logical being. you know how great you are, so of course to lose you would be really sad. but to never have met you would have been worse. because i got to have an awesome experience with someone really amazing. i choose to reflect only on the good times, because they really were our finest hours. footloose and fancy free (while remaining hydrated)!

i hope you don't think it is weird that i am replying to your email ~ i just felt bad about the way things went down, and wanted to make sure that you were OK. i am glad that you had the courage enough to write to me. i wrote this letter for two reasons... first, your email to me was kind, considerate, and deserving of a response. i don't want you to ever wonder if i took it terribly and hated you forever. this is not the case. from time to time i may just email you (don't worry, i'm not a spammer), or send you a postcard from somewhere. second, i want you to know that i am not sad, hurt, or mad in any way, shape, or form. from start to finish, this is by far the most "adult" relationship i've ever had (in 33 years!!). it felt really good to be honest and not be afraid to say things to you. so for that i am thankful.

i learned so much, and you still RULE (don't forget that)

jen

ps: so sorry, but you might be getting mail for some time still... i think the last one i sent was this past friday!!! i told you, i am an excellent postcard sender!

the return email...

2009-07-20T13:09:00.000-07:00

I am sorry it's taken me so long to get back to you. You didn't blow anything, but the more hectic my life gets, I think it's only fair to stop seeing you. I can't devote enough time or attention to you, and I'm not even sure at this point when or if I will have the time or money to get away to visit or to have a visitor here.

You haven't done anything wrong, but I don't want you to spend all this time and attention on me when I can't do the same for you. You have been kind enough to keep asking for less and less from me, but at this point in my life, I just don't have time to devote to a relationship and you deserve someone who can appreciate all the sweet attention you have to offer.

I am sorry for hurting you, if I have. The time we spent together was wonderful. But, every day that I keep you waiting for a phone call or an email, I feel guiltier. Every time I open the mailbox and have three or four pieces of mail and haven't sent you even one, I feel worse. You are a great woman and have a lot to offer someone who will treat you right, but I can't be that person right now.

I still have some feelings for my ex I need to work out. I have my job, all the travel, an apartment to set up on my own, and friends and family obligations too. Adding another obligation to the mix when I can't make you a priority is not fair to you. You will find someone some day who can return your undivided attention, but I can't be that person.

I understand if you never want to see or hear from me again. And I'm not going to make some polite gesture that maybe another time would be better or leave you with a "maybe one day." I want you to find happiness and even love. But I don't want to lead you on and pretend that I anticipate my life getting any less complicated any time soon. Thank you for showing me what I deserve in a relationship when I am ready for one some day. But I can't be there for you, so I have to let you go.

Our time together was very special. I will send Ernie back to you, because I know he has sentimental value. And thank you for showing me what I deserve when the time is right. Now is not the time. I feel bad sending you this in an email, but honestly, I am too chicken to hear the hurt in your voice if I hurt you. I'm not proud of it, but I am. I am completely taking the wimpy way out here, so maybe that will make it easier for you to hate me instead of be sad. I am not feeling like an amazing person right now for doing this, but it's only fair to you.

Please save your love and time and attention for someone who can give you the same back. I am not that woman.

it IS out there...

2009-07-18T13:21:00.001-07:00

summer inspiration...

ROCK!

a very big state of maybes and whatnots

2009-07-15T01:06:00.003-07:00

what happens when you try to contact someone and you can not get ahold of them?

you send email, text messages, and even phone calls, but nothing gets answered or returned?

what, what then?

i guess i know the answer, i just wish she would have AT LEAST told me in person.

worthy....

2009-07-14T10:02:00.002-07:00

what does it take to be worthy of love these days?

a few random notes as this is something i have been thinking about recently.

a long time ago when i was starting to date, i had very specific ideas about what that looked like in my head. flowers, candies, movies, cuddles, joint crossword puzzles, being together. i wish, in retrospect, that it were as simple as this. relationships are hard, and the ones I have had are no exception.

my first real relationship started like most others at that age, began at a college bar. we met, we drank, we made-out in the back of my car! this relationship, and my introduction to the adult dating beast, had high points and low points and eventually ended. when you are 18 i guess you have no real control over how things will change over the course of your life, where you will be in the next 10 years ect. looking back over the past 10 years, i have done things that i would have never imagined doing, including 6 years at university, lotsa travelling all over the world, working in korea, living in vancouver, having NO career.

over the past 10 years, i have really started to learn who i am and what i want out of life. but, the past 2 years have been the steepest part of this journey, which has challenged me to re think the things i may have bought into only years before.

In the fall of 2005, while working in korea i met someone. now i have met lots of people in korea but this was someone who i really adored. they were fun, witty, smart, enjoyed a good conversation (and even crossword puzzles). It was like winning the lottery. we spent a lot of time in korea seeing the sights, hanging out, and generally having an awesome time. in the summer of 2006, that love left me, and promised that we could survive the distance that was put between us by thousands of miles and an ocean.

i should stop and point out here that I am a believer in love.

it was easy at first, the emails and the phone calls, the letters and packages. for about 4 months this situation was great, but then ... the call came. breaking up... too much distance... too far.... no physical contact.... ugh. I really didnt want to hear those words but being that this was december and I still has a full 6 months left on my contract, what could I do? i agreed that it was for the best, and we left it at that... the next day i went to work, and my boss told me that if i wanted to because the school year starts in march, i could actually get out of my contract on Feb 28th, and still get my free airfare home. I called to inform, and the relationship was back on. I readied myself for vancouver (a place i had not even thought about living in) where i would be moving to, all for love, in about 7 weeks.

those 7 weeks flew by so fast... excitement, packing, selling stuff, sightseeing the rest of seoul, dinners with friends... so little time. then i arrived, 2 bags, 1 guitar, & one cat at vancouver international airport.

i often think about how my life would have been if i would have just let it go, stayed in korea and finished my contract. where would i be right now? still ESLing around the world, home on the east coast working in a call centre, or maybe i would have come to vancouver anyhow... who knows, and that is the adventure of life...

fast forward to a few months ago: a broken-hearted girl decides to take control of her life, packs up some gear, cashed out the student loans and heads to California. it turns out, this trip actually saved my life. for quite some time after the end of that relationship i was spun into this terrible depression, had terrible thoughts of finding a way to end it all. after a lot of thought about what to do, i decided i needed a break, the company of some good friends and a readjusted attitude. the time i spent out of the city helped to heal me and certainly changed my outlook... then it happened, just when i wasn't looking for it.. LOVE!

i met a someone, we hung out - a lot.... we spent 3 awesome days in SF and then a further 3 days in Las Vegas. we parted ways at the airport, with promises to keep in touch, to visit each other when we have time, and to communicate often. We agreed to a set of rules for ourselves which i will relay here:

- we pinky swore not to put up with crap
- honesty, communication, asking questions when we have them, talking when we are scared
- it's ok to cry sometimes and I will always listen
- all I expect of you is to be kind and to be you. Period. You are more than I could ever have hoped for, exactly as you are.
- it can be easy
- we both deserve to be this happy

i like her, but i wonder if she still likes me, or if the excitement of a trip and the city and life gave the placebo effect and that in actuality, "she's just not that into me"

a treasure hunt

2009-06-29T00:08:00.012-07:00

on tuesday of this week i met my friend from college to hit up the thrift stores. she had a specific mission "a juicer", but not just any juicer, for this juicer must conform to a stringent set of rules set forth by the hunter. "having nubs" was one such requirement in reference to the previous failed missions. also, "the ability to strain", assumed to mean no pulp or seeds needed or required. there was a thrift store near my house, in which we would find such a treasure. "dude, it has a basement! haven't you been?" i was sure everyone had been there before, their "name your price" bargain basement was, i thought, legendary. "nope", i nearly fell of my bike. truly, it is my favourite thrift in the city!

tuesday did not disappoint, a quick wander upstairs revealed the same over priced "luxury" goods that make the store its real money. TVs, stereo receivers, turntables, DVDs, an electronic smorgasbord. we were headed for the stairs, let the digging begin. descending past the never used gum-ball machines, a hand drawn sign asked the visitor to leave their bag upstairs, a rule that is not adhered to in any way. rounding the corner, my friend's face carried that joyous look as if she were a child and santa had left her exactly what she wanted. "wow!, i had no idea!" Indeed.

i always start in the kids section to check out the board games. there are a few that I am looking for, and I know I will find them eventually. like an old "clue" or "sorry". they are hard to get complete, and counting them in the store takes some time. today though, game shelves had been ravaged. no dice! then the usual route rolled me into housewares, with the pots, pans, racks, and sheets. I am not really looking for a particular house-ware at present (though a crock-pot is on my wish-list) so the i burn through that section. my friend found many things she thought i would like and started off the find with a box of drinking glasses. inside the box were not normal glass but rather kitschy, pop-culture mcdonald's promotional glasses from the 60s - the 80s

a set of four walt disney glasses(1980s)
a pair of camp snoopy glasses (1960s)
and one coke promotional glass (1970s)

"oooh", my friend laughed "thought they would be something you'd like". she was right, they were amazing!

a wander through the picture frame section garnered an original lithograph from vancouver artist john koehner called "pacific gateway (107)" the inscription on the back revealed its life and ultimate fate. "to ALCAN: thank you from the students of the arts umbrella, 2000". i can imagine it this way: a retirement party, and office cleaning, a trip to the thrift. or maybe it sat neglected leaning in amongst the winter michelins bought for last years snow, in a garage. it now hangs on my wall next to my desk, it makes me smile to look at it.

my friend spotted the pack next, while i was flipping through the records. i had seen this pack on two previous visits to this thrift and wondered what made it linger so long. burnt orange in colour, i am rapidly dressing it in patches of far away places, past lives, and former glories. a fine reminder of the places i've been and the sights i have seen. its retro stylings fit the times perfectly. i put the pack next to the glasses and my lithograph, and threw myself back into the records. by this point my friend was enjoying a break in a rubber chair reading a children's book about bears.

i picked out seven albums in total, four as wall art and three to put on the stereo. stereo worthy recordings include "flashdance: original soundtrack", corey hart's "boy in the box", and seals and croft's "summer breeze". artwork presently adorning the walls include "2001: a space odyssey" and three disneyland recordings "goldilocks", "little engine that could", and "cinderella". indeed the thrift had been kind!

unfortunately my friend never found her juicer in this bargain treasure palace, and the hunt continued, after a quick stop by the house to unload my presents.

... remember the time ...

2009-06-28T23:04:00.012-07:00

ah, went through a bit of a spell there didn't i? oh, back to our regularily scheduled programming now. so these days life is pretty good. i am riding my bike lots, talking films, enjoying cultural education, connecting with people. very nice indeed! it's a sunday night and i am curled up on the couch, burning through a marathon session of deadwood (season 2), whilst cruising around on the "www."

this was an interesting week, one of the first times since i've been home that i have had a kinda blah feeling. when i got back from my trip i felt amazing. i had spent a lot of time healing a broken heart, learning to be confident and strong. the trip was good for me on so many levels but particularly an emotional one. time and distance really was the difference between recovering and continuing to wallow. one thing i have definitely learned is that i am finally over my ex! That alone was a really freeing experience.

The support of my friends was quite simply amazing. true friends who went above and beyond the call of charm, wit, and congeniality, played excellent host to this couch surfing canadian. we chatted, drank beers, ate wonderful food (even the beans, lentils, barley, and rice), as if we had been living next door to each other for ages. it had been three years or so since we parted ways from korea to return to our "real" lives in north america. over the course of six-weeks, i slept in their beds, on their floors, their couches, used their soap (and maybe i stole a razor), ate their food, probably helped them spend more money than they normally would. they were generously kind, wonderful, entertaining and gracious. i probably didn't thank them enough when i was there, and i really, really want to thank them now. you guys rule!

the elevator to my friends place in the richmond district of San Francisco

oakland city centre BART station, home base!

and then it happened!
Serendipity is the effect by which one accidentally discovers something fortunate, especially while looking for something else entirely.

the plan: out with fab gay friend to the castro, after wild bay to breakers run, for window shopping, eye candy and bar stool hopping.

the result: sitting single in the mission district's les watering hole The Lexington, staring into a glass of PBR, texting like a fiend, and grunting about my lame friends.

accidental discovery: a girl

NICE!

a random conversation, while watching each other's bags for smoke breaks, led to a really entertaining evening out (on a sunday), an amazing dinner the following evening, and a late night beer and appies fix, with ride on cable car (to cap off the mini weekend). a lovely end to my vacation to be sure. i had no idea at this point that i would be, only 3 days later, on a plane to las vegas to continue the adventure. Rat Packers beware... a couple of lucky, high on life, ladies just rolled into town. it's roughly been a month that i've been home and when i think about her i smile. she taught me a valuable lesson: it is possible to love someone for who they are, and you should accept nothing less for yourself! we agreed to be honest and communicate - be kind - she has earned my respect for her honesty, and continues to surprise me at every turn. so thank you rad girl, for re-teaching me some of the things i had long forgotten about myself :)

it's now almost midnight, and i wanted to leave this little shot because it made me chuckle!

i figured this happened, but i didn't expect someone to make a profit. pretty funny, dummy looks like he's headed to school in the 90s.

word!

am email i wish i could send...

2009-04-17T02:45:00.000-07:00

im really sorry
but I can't see you anymore!

it isn't fair to either of us.
i wish you nothing but the best,

living on a prayer

2009-04-01T14:31:00.001-07:00

I'm ticketed, prepared, guided and sorted!

Ready to start the adventure.

It's going to be a good time!

If I had my life to live over...

2009-03-25T23:34:00.001-07:00

If I had my life to live over, I would have talked less and listened more.

I would have invited friends over to dinner even if the carpet was stained and the sofa faded.

I would have eaten the popcorn in the 'good' living room and worried much less about the dirt when someone wanted to light a fire in the fireplace.

I would have taken the time to listen to my grandfather ramble about his youth.

I would never have insisted the car windows be rolled up on a summer day because my hair had just been teased and sprayed.

I would have burned the pink candle sculpted like a rose before it melted in storage.

I would have sat on the lawn with my children and not worried about grass stains.

I would have cried and laughed less while watching television - and more while watching life.

I would have shared more of the responsibility carried by my husband.

I would have gone to bed when I was sick instead of pretending the earth would go into a holding pattern if I weren't there for the day.

I would never have bought anything just because it was practical, wouldn't show soil or was guaranteed to last a lifetime.

Instead of wishing away nine months of pregnancy, I'd have cherished every moment and realized that the wonderment growing inside me was the only chance in life to assist God in a miracle.

When my kids kissed me impetuously, I would never have said, "Later. Now go get washed up for dinner."

There would have been more "I love you's".. More "I'm sorrys" ...

But mostly, given another shot at life, I would seize every minute... look at it and really see it ... live it...and never give it back.

are you going to san francisco? wear some flowers in yer hair

2009-03-19T13:42:00.002-07:00

ok, i am really going to do it.

i have a bit of money, got a good tax return. am heading away to the city!

prepare ye landlubbers, jen's sailing into the bay!

shazam!

j

2008-11-05T07:52:00.000-08:00

YES, THEY DID!

I am so thankful, Can't wait to see what happens next!

Oprah says.....

2008-10-23T09:04:00.001-07:00

OK... I know she is famous and all that, but really people...

"oprah's favorite Diet Berry, acai."
"oprah's book of the month"
"oprah's favourite ice cream"

This list was complied from a myriad of pop-ups on facebook.

Don't get me wrong, she's alright, but seriously people!

Un-Like an old 45

2008-09-19T19:50:00.004-07:00

This is what a real "single" looks like... DAMMIT

WTF

2008-08-15T08:49:00.003-07:00

Three Years and Three Months.... Seriously???

I am appalled. This rant is long overdue and I can't guarantee that I will be playing nice, so this is the warning that there will be lots of swearing and whatnot.. Could be slightly offensive to some.

WHAT THE FUUUCK!

Today I am faced with the picture again, it stays in my brain, and the reminders take me back to a place that isn't like this at all. How could you do it? How dare you rob children of their lives and harm them all the while pretending to be a a mentor and teacher and friend! Children who don't know any better, who are young, impressionable, have lives ahead of them. I am sickened that you did this, and more sickened by the face that you seem happy. Like you don't give a shit.

But it's not just the children that you have hurt. There are your friends, those of us who stood by you when things were bad. Supported you when you needed it whether it be through time, money or energy. What a fucking waste! Then there is your family, probably wondering where they went wrong, (even though clearly it isnt their fault). Wondering why they didn't know anything about you, why you never called, why you never came home.

Now, you will sit in prison for 3 fucking years. That's it. I am saddened by this fact because what you really need is therapy, and coping skills. Now you will sit in prison and become angry and jaded only to be released to reoffend. That is the sad fact. YOU WILL REOFFEND! How many more lives will you ruin?

I wish i could forget you, forget i even knew you! Forget all the great times that we had. Forget the times where we shared a laugh and sang some songs. drank some beer and stayed out LATE. So many memories of my travels contain you and I am really sad for that. To have my experience tainted by you.

...........................

I can't write anymore!

Working for the Weekend

2008-08-14T17:29:00.000-07:00

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Yay GAY icons!

ROCK IT

If only...

2008-07-05T09:42:00.001-07:00

This came into my email the other day.
SCAM-O-RAMA.

hehehe

Must admit tho, sounds like a cushy job....

Dear Teacher,

I am Frederek Sigvard from stockholm, Sweden and work as an Engineer at Chevron Oil Lagos, Nigeria. My wife and Kids recently joined me in Nigeria; she is Swedish and can't speak English. I am seriously seeking for the services of an English Teacher.

I have reviewed you resume online and would like to know if you would be able to come and teach my wife and four kids Ludvig, Helmer, Synnove and Arvid English most importantly is my wife; She would be attending an interview at a bank here in Nigeria soon. I want to know if you can come by July 2008 to teach my family English.

I am willing to offer you US$6,500 per month with health insurance and return ticket. I have a twin duplex which I and my family occupy one of them at the moment, and if you accept this offer, you would be staying in the second Duplex. I will pay for your airfare cost if you accept the offer.

Regards
Fred (+234 708 728 6586)

The cat came back..

2008-06-05T20:25:00.003-07:00

ok so...

schwa took a flying leap into the abyss of an abandoned garbage chute!

Goodness me!

He's ok, a bit bruised and a nice slash across his face. But all things considered... in one piece... pics to follow.

EDIT~~

First, there is an abandoned garbage chute that was used when the building was built in the 1950s. The garbage went down to an incinerator (which has been long shut off)

Me: Hey you, what are you doing down there?
Cat: meow!
Me: You OK?
Cat: Meow!

So here is the dilemma. What the hell and how are we gonna get him out.

meow!

Ah here he is after his visit to the vet for x-rays. Letting the pain medication set in!
No borken bones! good...

First "war wound"... in the war for the great outdoors, it is vacant shaft = one, Schwa, WunderKat = no score!

2008-05-28T17:03:00.002-07:00

Well it's been about a month! and look at the fruits (and veggies) of our labour!

hooray.... the growth has been fantastic, and we have gotten most of the pots for free, salvaged from the streets.

ROGHT ON!

Awesome Weekend

2008-05-12T13:11:00.003-07:00

Well...
Another week has begun...
This weekend was very awesome...

On Saturday, Astrid and I went to Maple Ridge to go Junk Hunting (looking at Yard Sales). We didn't see much in the way of "good" things, but we went to a Church Sale where I managed to pick up a TREK 500 Pro-Series bike for $10 bucks... it is killer. I am addicted to bike projects now and I have a MTN bike already but wanted something faster for the commute to work.

Pretty SCHWEET.... I think I have gone OCD on the bike thing, but both Astrid and I really enjoy fixing the bikes up, so that's great. Her bike is now finished except for the handle bar tape.

Also, BC is here from Australia so Sunday was spent touring her around Vancouver. It was her first visit to Canada-land and I hope she has a FUN time....

Addendum....

2008-05-06T16:22:00.001-07:00

I haven't mastered all the perks of Blogger yet, and I can't figure out for he life of me how to go back and fix the page so it doesn't look like Shiiiiite! Without doing the page all over again...
BAH!

Easy Rider

2008-05-06T15:30:00.006-07:00

On Saturday, I biked about 20kms with my school friends around Vancouver.

Today I Biked 13.6kms to and from work. I need to get an odometer to record how far I go this summer... I am really curious.

I want to see how far I go during the month of May... I want to not buy a bus pass for the whole summer... Saving me $146.00!!

This is a photo from that day... We were taking up the whole street, and totally flying all around the city. It really didn't feel like we went that far until the next day!

Mac, Huff & Ash (who is dressed as "sperminator") chillin in the cherry blossoms at Granville Island's Coffee Pit Stop.
Sara & Christina waxing philosophic on the "zen of planning" or playing the game "Who would you rather FUCK?" (Stuart or Brian?)

It wouldn't be a first day out without an injury. this one... not very "cool"... it's the metal pedal bangs back of leg.. WHOOPIE.
And... i almost got smoked by a van who just stopped in the middle of the road. when i biked by she said... "o, i want that parking spot, sorry." Also, summer is coming and that means gardens. Faced with agreat deck outside, and creative ways to make it look better, we have created a little garden nook. Got some veggies and fruits there... proably going to et worm composter really soon so that I can have my own fertilizer.

Good times.

Enter Sandman

2008-04-22T11:45:00.002-07:00

Well... I keep trying and trying to get onto this thing more than once in a blue moon. But surprise, surprise. I can't manage to get on here at any time. hahaha Not that I am busy at work or anything just facebooking and reading online newspapers.

So YES, I am still at that boring ass job... I don't really need to go inot detail here, just want to mention that I am totally bored, and I am actually taking the time here at work to look for another job!

Finally finished skool for this year... well all except summer classes, but its only one class and its only for 6 weeks. Good news about taking one class, is that I no longer have to purchase monthly BUS PASSES, as I now get them through school. ROCK ON! instead of paying $73/month it will be $38.50/month WHOOT....

Hmmm, I've been run down and tired for the last little while, I think it was just the end of term and the stress of getting exams and projects done. But now thats all behind me and I am ready for the SUMMER... at least this year I feel like I earned it.

On the weekend, Astrid, Kate, Jimmy, Paljo, and I went out to Bowen Island for a nice little retreat. Oh the joys of not having anything to think about for 2 whole days... We just consumed lots of beer, scotch and Green and played board games all weekend! HOORAY! I love Board Games.

Speaking of Board games, For my Birthday, I got the Settlers of Catan expansion set called the Seafarers of Catan we played one full game of it and it was great. We also played a huge game of Carcassonne which is a tile laying game where you build land, and then try to amass points but building roads, cities, and settlements. Kinda like risk and a puzzel! hehehe

Well that is the exciting life of me for today. hehe..
Catch ya on the FLIP SIDE!

Hangin' Tough

2008-04-03T09:36:00.002-07:00

WELL WELL WELL
REUNION.?
I'M JUST SAYIN'

Old Skool!

2008-03-31T15:57:00.003-07:00

ASTRID's NEW WHEELS...
I will be working on this as my PROJECT.

Jen

The IDES of March

2008-03-10T12:18:00.005-07:00

So, another Monday.

Don't get me wrong, I can appreciate the beginning of the week, but I loathe the going to work bit and the pretending to enjoy this job bit. It's all just utter BS really. I have skool tonight so that will be nice, I am learning GIS and that is the class I have tonight. I actually like this class a lot better than last term. For some reason, the Professor became human or something after the christmas break and now he is funny, cracks the jokes etc.

I have about 5 weeks left until finals and I am excited for the summer, so that I can hopefully get a real job in the city and out of this ridiculous, busy work, atmosphere. I have been working my resume and getting cover letters in order. I will send out to applications today and see what happens. One for a private developer firm and one for the city of Vancouver. I have sent out 3 other letter and resumes to West Van, New Westminster, and Saint John but as of yet have had no bites.

FINGERS CROSSED

Oh, I thought I would add a picture of my apartment here. I live on the very top floor, yes the little box on the top... Its a tiny little piece of paradise.. Very much love it... we finally let the cat out on the PATIO and he really enjoys it...
He likes to sit and watch the birds and sometimes he shases them, but he has been really good and has not wandered off the patio...

Well... I guess there isn't too much to say today. back to the studying... reading... and general planning learning.

L8R
J

Fight for your Right to PARTY...

2008-02-22T13:41:00.002-08:00

Skool has been keeping me busy. It seems like just when I get (or think that I get)a handle on things, the workload just steamrolls me into oblivion. Seriously, who knew College would be so difficult to time-manage? I spent 6 years in University working towards two degrees and I feel like I haven't worked as hard in those 6 years than I have in the past six months. I am enjoying to work though so it makes it at the very least berable.

So I am trying to decide what to do for the summer. I could try to set up some sort of internship here in Vancouver working either for the city, or for a private consulting firm, or perhaps I could head back to the east coast and look for an internship there, and hang out with my parents and long lost friends for the summer. I guess I should make a decision one way or another in the next few weeks so I can tweak my resume and get the cover letters out.

Tonight Astrid and I scored sweet tickets to the Vancouver Giants hockey game. Really like going there its really fun... They are part of the CHL, and play for the Western Hockey League. Its coming up on playoffs so the game should be intense.

I have quit drinking beer. It's been 2 weeks. Unfortunatly I have replaced the beers with weed and am now barred from smoking that as well... Its for the best though as I failed my LAW test cuz of not studying and and being incoherent.. LOL. I have this guy who delivers and i had to delete his number cuz I am not responsible enough to have it. oh bother.

I have been riding my bike to school for the past 2 weeks. It's true that you never forget how to ride your bike. I bought a bike last summer, and rode it a few times, but now all the people I go to school with ride their bikes and in an effort to join the cool club, i am doing it as well... to give some sort on context, I live in a reasonable flat area, which is good, and it takes about 15 minutes to get to school. I live on 15th avenue and my school is on 49th avenue (I bike 34 blocks to school)! I am feeling better about doing that, good for the environment and good for my body. The first time i did it I was so tired after, but it is getting easier and easier.

Not good at blogging

2008-01-22T10:34:00.000-08:00

So it is true, I am really not good at blogging. Not that i dont have anything to say, just that I never take the time to put my thoughts down on paper! Weirdly enough, if you wanted to talk to me, i would have PLENTY to say, but I just can't manage to keep this thing current. So I will try again!

It's been a hella long time since I last wrote in this thing! I was just fresh off the plane and settling into Vancouver. Now It's a new year... and I'm still settling into vancouver, 9 month later. I think I like it here, but I can't be 100% sure. There are certainly things that I enjoy, the nicer weather (winter excluded), the summers here rock. I have made some friends independant of Astrid, which I think is crucial to my happiness here... As I am always the Social Bug! Being in School has been really great. Even though I don't feel like I have learned a lot (maybe I'm just overwhelmed, and I really have) I am really enjoying the courses.

UIrban Planning is an interesting thing. I have been having mixed feelings about my professors as of late. I have been calling them "dreamcrushers" as they are only interested in telling us all the things that are NOT possible in the world of planning. This is a career and I will certainly find it really hard to work in this field if I feel like a CRAP Government Sleezeball all the time. I'm pretty sure that I will not be working for the Provincial Government, but rather pushing forward with my dream of working for the United Nations in Developing Countries! I'll be damned if i let them try to quash my dreams.

On the work front things have not really improved. I am just an administrative hooker, and while i need the money and will try to trudge on as best as I can, it is becoming increasingly difficult to get out of bed and get to work. I work with a bunch of lame people, which doesn't help the cause in the slightest. One of the other women here is clearly losing her mind and as she falls deeper and deeper into her mental illness, the rest of us have to suffer her weirdness (the woman is WHACK!) She used to like me but then accused me of stalking her a few month back and hasent talked to me since. WEIRD-O!! I have started applying for other jobs in the hopes that I can get the hell out of here....

Our project for this term at school is to develop a neighbourhood plan for an area of Vancouver. The great thing about it is the fact that we get to work on teh project all term and that will be most excellent in terms of being able to focus on one thing for a greater period of time.

OK, I really gunna try to keep at it...

Incense and Peppermints

2007-07-25T22:49:00.000-07:00

Well... you can see, I've been doing a "really great job" at keeping at this blogging thing!

This will be short but sweet... I bought a bike, and on my first ride (proud to say it was almost 3 hours) I went along the beach... here are some pics.... Hooray for NO MORE SMOG....

A picture of the sunset at 3rd Beach

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My new BIKE!

Still working on the composition!

Enjoying the sunsets...

...and the vibrant oranges...

Enjoy the rest of your day, where ever you may be!!!!

Good Vibrations (LOL) ~ Pt.1

2007-06-26T09:19:00.000-07:00

"Good Morning ColyVan Pacific"

...and another day begins here at work. I have been working as a receptionist at a Real Estate Management Firm for the past few weeks. Which I should use as an excuse for not writing in this BLOG but I won't, I'm simply lazy! hehe! I'm temping at the mo' but will probably move into a full time position in the next week or so.
It's not a bad job, and I am enjoying getting out of the house, as that was getting really BORING and I was running out of money. This is good for now, but do I see it as a career? I doubt it!

I have scheduled some time tomorrow at Langara College to attend their Urban Planning Program information session. Some of you may have heard me talking about it in Korea when I was there, but it is something that I am interested in, and with the job I am in now and the fact that the classes are held at the college at night, it seems like it might be a good fit, at the very least, to keep my brain from atrophy! Yay for brain exercise!!

The transistion from Korea to Canada has not gone as smoothly as expected! Seems that the reverse culture shock (and being sober for the first time in over 4 years) takes some getting used to.

Knuckle Down

2007-06-09T08:43:00.000-07:00

OK... so it's Saturday morning here (about 844 am)... Just a quick BLOG before I head out for my busy day!!

Actually, here is what's on the agenda for me today...

9:30 ----> Eggs and Toast
10:00---> Laundry
11:15---> Haircut (its getting shaggy)
12:00---> head to the mall and return a shirt
2:00----> Shop for a bicycle (something to take me to work)
4:00----> Meet Chris, have some dinner
tonight: head to celebrities nightclub for some dancing.

I'm still on the no drinking train so I can actually afford to go out, cuz you can really only do one or the other here... drink and stay home, or not drink and go out...

Should be an entertaining day!

LATER!!

Oh, well what can you do?

2007-06-02T11:13:00.000-07:00

OK so i just realized that I have been neglecting this blog as of late and that my last post was int he 3rd week of April (WTF). Not that I don't have anything to say just that I havent had the inclination to say it.

So... i mentioned before that I was in training for the 10k Turkey Trot in October. However I have failed miserably in that endeavour. LOL.. Honestly, not a huge fan of running...

So now I am thinking about getting a bike, something that I know that I like! Will go and have a look today and see if I can get one at a consignment store.

Also, on the good news front. I finally made time to get down to Seattle to hook up with some long lost friends from Korea and Thailand! Spent the first 2 days in Bellingham, Washington (which is a beautiful little place) with my friend Kim who I met in Thailand when I was at the Spa doing a fast and Colon Cleanse. We had a great time chatting, hanging out, beach walking, and beer drinking.

Downtown ~ Bellingham, Washington (May 2007)

The Illicit Love between a Crab and Starfish (errr, i think the starfish is eating the crab)

Starfish ORGY!

Plants and the coast!

Watched a coupla movies and ate fantastic Mexican food! On Sunday, Kim gave me a drive down to Seattle, where I first spent more than 2 hours in the giant REI flagship store (the American version of Mountain Equipment Co-op). What fun!

My friend Melanie, who taught with me in Korea in 2004 picked me up where we proceeded to BURN ONE DOWN and head out for Vietnamese food (yummy) . when we got back to her place we watched the BBCs Blue Planet... Hey if you havent seen it then you should.. its grand.

The next day was a Monday, unfortunatly it was a Canadian holiday and my friends all had to go to work!! So I set off the explere Seattle on my own. There were many things on my list... Space Needle, Bruce Lee's Grave, Kurt Cobain's house, the Museum... Unfortunatly, I only got to see one thing, the Underground Seattle Tour (Melanie said it was not to be missed and I agree, it was certainly not disappointing!

The Beginning of the Underground Tour

What's left of a Bathroom in the Underground

Underground Corridor walking towards the Business and RED light districts.

Ye Olde Shop Walls

RED LIGHT RED LIGHT

This is a skylight, underground. Where the light is coming in is actually the sidewalk above me. The history of seattle is that because it was initially settled below the water table it flooded... they had the build up the land before they could actually live on it. so the roads are where they are now, but the shops were below and the people had to use ladders to go into the shops or to cross the street.

well. that's about it for now... Yesterday Astrid left for Amsterdam for a week. I went to her sister Tara's BBQ down at kits beach after work.. caught this lovely sunset...

Ahhh, west coast living!

Rock n' Roll High School

2007-04-23T11:17:00.000-07:00

wow, there has been so much going on! i hope i dont lose track of this blog.

i have been getting out a lot more. did another hike on sunday at the base of mt. seymour. it took about 2 hours and i complained the whole time. haha. i just am trying to get into this healthy lifestyle but its hard to curb the lazy ways that i have developed from years of university and years of korea! sometimes, its difficult not to be lazy.

but its now monday and its time to stop talking and start doing. so this morning i started my training for the Turkey Trot! a 10k run held over thanksgiving. it was my first day of running and i have a training program that i am going to use so i hope that i can stick with it.

it started with a 5 minute warm up of walking... then you run for 1 minute and walk for 2 minutes. You repeat this 8 times, then walk for another 5 minutes. I thought i was going to die about 1/2 way through, but i perservered and finished! amazing how out of shape i have become... hahaha... i am blaming the draft beer in korea for that!

its been good to be here because i am certainly not drinking as much as i was in korea. i can feel my liver rejoicing at this fact!!

last thursday, i went to TOJO's Japanese restaurant with Astrid and her family for her sister's birthday. it was my first real experience with sushi, and i can say with some certainty that i am not a fan! the first think that came out was a very large sea urchin, uncooked, still in the shell... it had the consistency of snot, and well kinda made me think that if sea urchin was a kind of jell-o, this is what it would taste like... i washed the piece down with sake! blech! i really dont like sushi!

i drove to the restaurant with Astrid's sister and when we got there astrids parents were already there.. as we were getting ready to sit down astrid's mom told me to sit at the back of the table, in the gay section! ok. the gay section? what the hell? apparently even though she is ok with gay, she doesnt exactly filter what she says and sometimes promptly inserts her foot in her mouth. haha, funny thing is, when astrid arrived there, she didnt have to sit in the gay section,so i spent the whole night by myself at the end of the table.! nice!!

i have also recently discovered the joys and absurdities of FACEBOOK. its kinda like myspace, but it seems to have a wider audience. you join and people can search by your name. i have been talking to lotsa people from high school and middle school. its so random and weird, but in a good way. its like a cyberspace reunion. its been really nice catching up with people that i havent seen in more than 10 years. seeing what people have been up to, and how many have kids and are married! surreal!

I finally got a job on friday. i am now a full time english instructor at vancouver international college. I will be starting in one week. i'm pretty excited about it, but nervous at the same time. i have a lot of experience teaching kiddies, but this is teaching adults which i imagine is quite different. only time will tell what's going to happen. in the fall i am going to start taking courses at UBC, upgrading so i can try to get into their urban planning program. i think i have to take math so that will be a real challenge for me!

well.. i think that's about it for here. Im going to see the vancouver canucks play tonight, game 7 of round 1 against dallas. I sure hope they dont lose. they were way ahead at the beginning of the series, but kinda lost momentum! here's hoping they can get it back...

that's all

Quiz the Nation

2007-04-19T09:31:00.001-07:00

I got 111!
try it yourself.

http://www.cbc.ca/testthenation/takethetest/

These Boots were made for walking...

2007-04-10T12:41:00.000-07:00

Whew, It's been a busy few weeks.. I guess I'll start with the sunset.... It was pretty awesome!

We sure did a lot of walking around... here are some photos!

The weathers been good, and the ski hills still have some snow!

and looking for apartments this week!
its going to be a bit tiring!
I got new boots... hikers!
j.

PS.. HAPPY BIRTHDAY ETHAN
If I were still there we talked about going to Japan!
Sorry to miss it!
love me

My Humps

2007-04-04T22:33:00.000-07:00

I love Canada... this is hilarious!

Hooray for ALANIS!

When I was BORN

2007-03-28T09:28:00.000-07:00

In 1976 (the year you were born)

Gerald Ford is president of the US

The US celebrates its bicentennial, marking the 200th anniversary of its independence

The Viking II sets down on Mars' Utopia Plains

Promising, "I will never lie to you," Jimmy Carter is elected president of the United States

Israeli commandos rescue hostages from Entebbe, Uganda

The Concorde begins flights from New York to Europe

George W. Bush is arrested and fined for driving under the influence of alcohol

Cray-1, the first commercially developed supercomputer, is invented by Seymour Cray

Freddie Prinze Jr., Reese Witherspoon, Colin Farrell, 50 Cent, Fred Savage, and Shannon Elizabeth are born

Cincinnati Reds win the World Series

Pittsburgh Steelers win Superbowl X

Montreal Canadiens win the Stanley Cup

Rocky is the top grossing film

Filming begins on George Lucas' Star Wars

The Selfish Gene by Richard Dawkins is published

The Eagles Their Greatest Hits compilation becomes the first album in history to be certified platinum

"Tonight's The Night" by Rod Stewart spends the most time at the top of the US chart

Charlie's Angels and The Muppet Show premiere

What Happened the Year You Were Born?

It's raining Men

2007-03-22T18:58:00.000-07:00

OK.. it isn't really raining men... more like raining ALL THE TIME... looking for an apartment in this weather sux!! since i have to walk and bus everywhere its a real pain in the ass!! I have looked at 3 apartments so far... and am off to see another one tonight... luckily (or unluckily, depending on rain) It is within walking disatnce of Astrid's place... about 9 blocks east of here!

I've been busy with Megan since she arrived last week.. we walked all around the downtown core one day. and then we both met up with Fraser (another Korean chingu) on onday night to go and watch the hockey game at the cambie. WHAT A GONG SHOW! we started drinking at about 300pm while I ate a plate of wings (1 pitcher of Kokanee)... then we went to the seawall and smoked a big fattie! then we took the seabus to Granville island where we got another pitcher (2)...

after this... i was feeling a bit hammered... we headed over to the cambie to watch the 'nucks play edmonton! we ordered a pitcher of Labatt Blue (that's 3)... and a big ass plate of nachos. then we ran into 3 korean girls and wowed them with our korean language skillz... hmmmm.... turned out that they were tohe absolutely most unkind koreans that i have ever met.... they have about 15 beers on the go and were WASTED... falling all over the place... one girl tried to pick up Megan, Fraser, and I... didnt matter which one of us it was! LOL... fraser had to escort the most wasted one out... and she got all violent that none of us would play with her.. snd started kicking the windows of the bar! weird... YAY for us.. they left their beers.. as this interaction was going on... we had decided that we were going to have a pitcher of every Granville Island brew tat they had on tap... (there were 4 all together, bringing the total to 7 pitchers, +the k.grrlz kokaneees = 8)

next bright idea...Amsterdam Cafe. 'nuf said!

we then crawled into some bar called 320 or 420... i dont know at this point... and we bought another pitcher (9)... i think i had one glass of beer and then threw up into an empty pitcher for about 5 minutes str8!!!!! DAMN! Classy night all around...

I got home at midnite... crawled into bed and died!

GONG SHOW!!!!!!

My Visual DNA...

2007-03-16T08:48:00.000-07:00

Read my VisualDNA™ Get your own VisualDNA™

I Don't Feel Like Dancin'

2007-03-13T13:56:00.000-07:00

Whee... Really I don't !

I am officially a JJ Bean Whore.. I have just decided to spend all my free time here downloading music and videos and tinkering with my Webpages.. Life is sweet isn't it?

Vacations Rule....

Oh, and I have to thank Wendi for introducing me to Mika and the Scissor Sisters. They are my newest addictions!

The Space Between

2007-03-09T12:24:00.000-08:00

oh dear.

so i got both a bite on a job and a bite on an apartment... in the same day.

the apartment: probably way too close to E. Hastings for me but i will go and have a look at it anyhow, as the rent is $490 for a 10x10 room ... the pictures that were posted were nice... but one never knows what the place will look like in actuality. and there are NO PETS, so schwa will have to bunk with astrid!

the McJob: A curriculum developer in an English College downtown. both working in the office and working from home. Seems like I might be perfectly qualified for it, however... it will be hard to send them a resume as I have discovered that this computer has NO word-processing program. ACK! Guess I'll have to lug Astrid's computer down here and try that one...

things are looking up for sure. if only it could stop raining for a moment so i can haul ass home.

Thinking about Apartments, Jobs, Coffee and Muffins!

Brand New Colony

2007-03-04T14:44:00.000-08:00

Well......

I am sitting in a coffee shop on Commercial Drive in Vancouver. I'm happy to be here...

I got a very large VAT of coffee for $2, and some free wireless internet that my MacBook is loving! I think I will be at this coffee shop often! haha!

So, it's overwhelming to be here.. there is far too much English being spoken and some girl at the next table apparently thinks that she is the only one here and that EVERYONE needs to know her business because in the 1.5 hours that she has been here she has not shut the fuck up. CHRIST!!! Something that I guess I will just have to get used to...

Astrid will stop by in about 20 minutes, she's at YOGA now... and we will have a look at apartments... I am thinking of living in the Westend with the GAY men becasue I feel like this area is a bit rundown for my tastes. I'm not sure... though i do know that the WestEnd is a bit more downtown, and it is also close to Korean land which might be nice to have a few chingus floating here and there. The hardest part is going to be finding affordable housing...

I went to winners yesterday to buy some "dress" clothes (which I hate shopping for). It gave me a meltdown and made me cry. I know it's silly to cry over dress clothes, but really... I hate wearing them, so its hard to justify spending $70 bucks on something that you absolutely hate! ARGH... I know i will have to look nice to get a McJob.... and that McJob will prolly be in an office or some other random Joe-type job!

OMG, that girl has shut up.. she must have run out of things to say!!!

Well not much to say today.. lacking coffee, cheap smokes, draft beer, and sleep.... ACK.. I still havent had a JOINT! what's wrong with this picture???????

Leavin on a Jet Plane

2007-02-28T18:43:00.000-08:00

well this is my final post from Korea.

it's been nearly 5 years since I have lived in canada for long term and I am nervous and excited about it. My apartment is nearly empty and I am watching oprah and getting ready to pt the last thing into my bag (this computer). So many memories and goals that I will take with me. Where do I stand..

I've paid off nearly 50,000 dollars in debt. I've travelled all over south east asia. i got my heart broken and i also fell in love.

i will never regret coming here but i am really happy to leave. I've come full circle and feel that I am leaving with a clean slate and an open heart!

I'm in a good space!

farewell to the old me.... Look out VANCOUVER!!

You Know You're a Maritimer When...

2007-02-25T05:24:00.000-08:00

1. Your idea of a traffic jam is ten cars waiting to pass a tractor on the highway.

2."Vacation" means going to Moncton for the weekend.

3. You measure distance in hours.

4.You know several people who have hit a deer.

5. You often switch from "Heat" to "A/C" in the same day.

6. You use a down filled comforter in the summer.

7. Your Grandparents drive 100 km through 13 feet of snow during raging blizzard without flinching.

8. You see people wearing hunting clothes at social events.

9.You install security lights on both your house and garage and go and leave both unlocked.

10. You think of the major food groups as: Meat, Fish and Tim Hortons.

11. You carry jumper cables in your car and your wife knows how to use them.

12. There are seven empty cars running in the parking lot of the Canadian Tire store at any given time.

13. You design your kid's Halloween costume to fit over a snowsuit.

14. Driving is better in thewinter because the potholes are filled with snow.

15. Your lingerie consists of tube socks and flannel pajamas.

16. You knowall 4 seasons: Almost Winter, Winter, Still Winter andConstruction.

17. It takes three hours to go to the store for one item, even when you're in a hurry because you have to stop and
talk to everybody in town.

Ah, Happiness

2007-02-25T03:24:00.000-08:00

My favorite SMURF video of all time!

2007-02-22T08:42:00.001-08:00

OK... i really have to get off this YouTube addiction!
LOL

The Pyramid & The Fish (haha)

2007-02-22T08:28:00.000-08:00

Damn... I'm addicted to YouTube!

I love these guys

Heeeeere fishy fishy fishy!....

The World Spins Madly On

2007-02-22T07:18:00.000-08:00

Today was Graduation Day at work. We had strict orders to arrive at the COEX (the GIANT shopping center) by 900am. We got there a little after 9 tho, and i went up to check in and then went for a coffee at starbucks. I came back and my boss was pitching a fit about how i was late... and everyone was waiting for me. I looked around the hall, and well the kids weren't even there yet. The were arriving at 1020... so wha exactly I was late for I will never know. My co-peeps think the was just stresseed out and taking out some frusteration. but i mean... all i did from the time i got there until the kids arrived at 1020am was sit on my ass and text message the other teachers. There was zero logic in being there as early as we were.

AAAAArgh....

anyway, we put the kids in their little cap and gowns.. they looked CUTE... and gave them certificates and awards that we invented out of thin air becasue we had to. I swear.. there were more people at this hall than there were at my university graduation! hahahaha.... You would think they were getting PhD's or something... Kindergarten is DAMN serious business. After the ceremony the parnets bum-rushed the stage and i was pulled in all directions for pictures, posing, flowers and gifts. PS christine's mom gave me the best gift... coffee gift certificates from Starbucks.. HOOOOORAY!! At least i have good coffee until I leave!

the parents were like paparazzi, I have sympathy for rock stars now.

after the shenanegans let up, it was about 1230 so we headed to UNO for some lunch. We started off at O'Kims Micro Brew, but it was not very accomodating... then we tried to go to Jug Jug, but they were booked out for the afternoon... We settled on UNO as a fluke and it turned out t be really delicious. I had one of the best Pizzas I have had in a long time there... nice deep dish chicago style! tasty! had a beer too and headed home...

the bus ride back tot he hood was LOOOOONG.. It took about 1.5 hours in total and because it was so slow I was napping. Needless to say, any plans that we were going to make for going out were put on hold as the three of us on the bus were so fucking exhausted we all went home for a nap... I slept for about 3 hours and woke up just in time to meet my friend NaNa for some food in insadong.. I actually forgot i was supposed to meet her, and was a shade late, but we had some awesome chicken soup and then went to a tea shop and chatted. I'm ging to miss her a lot.

Fears materialized... but were handled with tact!

Stopped at Geckos after that with the girls, had a beer and a chat. I went to pick up a phone card and a woman emerged from the shadows. the conversation went a little like this:

Woman: Hello!
Me: Hi
Woman: What you do?
Me: What?
Woman Me, Sex, $50?
Me: Uh, no!
Woman: Me, go now!
Me: NO!
(followed by me running up te street) hahaha!

I'll miss this place!

What Sarah Said...

2007-02-13T18:19:00.000-08:00

I was marking the kids final exams, and came upon this GEM!

Somedays... Life in Korea is SO worth it!

A View to a Kill

2007-02-13T16:51:00.000-08:00

The Adventuring continues...

Sunday's excursion was to the raddest and grandest palace in Seoul! I met the Fab Ethan at Anguk Station and we decided that food would be a great option! We headed towards the Palace and up a side street after an hour... we didnt manage to find any food, but we did manage to find some random museums, and the cutest little neighbourhood that I have ever seen...

Finally, we heded to Namaste in Jongno tower for some eats. The Indian food there is tremendous. I was a bit bummed that my trademark meal was not available (the Thali Set) so I settled on some Butter Chicken Curry, Basmati Rice, and Garlic Nan Bread! awesome! With bellies full to the gills we headed to the Palace. I guess if I were well versed in Korean History, I might be able to distinguish the differences between all the Palaces, but to my untrained eye the all just end uo looking the same. It was a beautiful day tho and the sun was shining brilliantly...

We puttered around for awhile and meandered in and out of the buildings... We walked to the very back of the Palace and saw the Blue House, which is the Korean Equivalent of the American White House! I took a picture and the police watched me to make sure I wasnt a spy or anything! Heheh

After the Palace, we were going to have some coffee, however the coffee shops all looked or claimed to be full! So I took E. to ToyKino, a little toy museum that I had stumbled upon last weekend... It was grand, and we had a good time, taking lots of silly pictures and the like!

Finally, The Egg... a quaint shop... coffees were had, and a Hershey Bar too.

The End!

This is the Year

2007-02-09T07:42:00.000-08:00

Well... another week has ended. The time is going so quickly here, faster than its ever gone before. I can't believe that I will be leaving so soon! Wow, where does the time go?

Ah the week started off with a bang... literally. Monday morning at 1:30 am I awoke to a loud BANG and a weird warm feeling in my bedroom! I looked out the window, only to discover that the little flower tent across the street from my apartment EXPLODED! The thick black somke came through the open window and immediatly I (like the idiot i am) believe that the North Koreans are attacking... DAMN! i think, upon further consideration, the space heater must have been left on and the LG gas tanks blew.

Went to my private that morning... Seriously, if i had known it would be that easy. This guy RULZ! I have also decided that single hour in the morning is really the highpoint of my entire day.it's all down hill from here! haha

I think the supervisor of the Kindy program is LOSING her mind. we have this winter festival thing next week, OMG, you'd think it was a broadway production... Such utter nonsence! REALLY! I cant wait until this fucking thing is over!!! @.@ monday and tuesday "The MIG" went totally off the rocker! screaming in the hallways, walking around with pseudo-smile, kicking and banging on doors.. im hoping to catch a video of it some time!

work went quickly, and was filled with drama, drama, drama... On wednesday Slim and I went to quiz nite at phillies. a bunch of peeps were at our table, but sheri and I were being total "quiz whores". regardless, it was pretty good and we came in a tie for 1st! YAY! I believe in the power of crossword puzzles and pop culture!

Thursday I came home from tutoring ... and starteding puttering around purging and packing (P&P)... Dear god it is amazing how much crap one person can collect... Seriously i think the hardest part is deciding which DVDs i must sacrifice in order to follow the strict baggage allowance limits on the plane! I am planning on sending 3 boxes, and taking one backpack, one guitar, and one SCHWA! Those of you who know me, know what kind of a daunting task this truly is.

**Nap TIME**

Vintage Sesame Street

2007-02-04T06:22:00.000-08:00

This stuff is just great!

You guys remember these?

THE YO-YO MASTER (trippy as hell)

WANDA THE WITCH

THE ALLIGATOR KING

THE LADYBUG PICNIC

ah good memories!

Rubber Duckie

2007-01-31T05:49:00.000-08:00

You Are the Very Gay Bert and Ernie!

Two grown puppets living together, sleeping in the same room?
They've even got coordinating striped shirts!

What Gay Childhood Icon Are You?

Looking Back to Me...

2007-01-29T07:47:00.000-08:00

im getting nostalgic about returning to the MOTHERLAND!!

I love the news from home...

http://www.cbc.ca/health/story/2007/01/29/sled-safety.html

hahahahaha, enjoy

Monday, Monday

2007-01-29T04:13:00.000-08:00

hehe, i love eventful days at work. i love days filled with gossip of the weekend!!

You & Me

2007-01-26T05:18:00.000-08:00

Oh dear.. seems it's been awhile since I've updated this BLOG.. I promise that I will try to keep at it... had a busy weekend, then a crazy week at work, and now here it is... the weekend again. sometimes in korea, if you blink, you might miss it.

so where to begin? last weekend was a good time. i spent saturday afternoon shopping and drinking beer in songtan, the other military base aout 1 hour south of seoul. a few girls went to celebrate gosia's brthday where we kicked off the evening at a little place called SOUL TRAIN. 2000 won beers and 5000 won cocktails later, our "little" group of 11 had dwindled to 3. by 1230, with the birthday girl settled into the hotel for a good nights sleep... Naomi and i were left carousing, dancing and smacking asses toll about 5:00 am... We ended the evening at a little hip-hop club called stereo drinking a soju kettle and conversing with some guy named squeaky (which I am informed is his hasher name). i'm sure he told me his real name several times that evening but I can't seem to remember it.

we then proceeded to the lion's den (?) at least i think that was its name, where we met up with a lively chap named quentin! we hung out with him for the rest of the night and the whole evening turned out to be quite the blast.

I left songtan in the morning at around 11:00am to head back to seoul for a field trip with my favourite artsy fartsy crew (DY and BC). this was BCs last excursion around seoul to take in the sights and she chose to see the prison museum. i will agree with DY that the prison museum was "underwhelming" yes, it was a bit dull. the highlight was the company nonetheless... Funnily the most excitement came from being accosted by the christians on my way to meet up with DY. they simply would not let me pass by them... they kept blocking my way until i was like "I have no fucking time for this".. not to be rude, but really. so you have to block my way by, for this is a sure way for me to not want to listen to you even more... really though... get a life!

after the museum, we headed to insadong... we cruised around and ended up at the usual place.. we had a korean pancake, side dishes, bul-go-gi, and some kind of unnamed root thingy! WTF! good times and good conversations, we then headed to a coffee shop/wine bar. I had "lemon tea", which was ... i think ... hot country time lemonade! whatever... it was still nice!

said BYE to BC and came home... sunday over and the week staring me in the face!

Arrrgh Matey!

2007-01-14T06:53:00.000-08:00

Some of you may know, I am reading "ONE PIECE", it is a fantastic Manga published by Shonen!! Awesome... I am reading book 6 right now, and I am totally hooked! Monkey D. Luffy is so cool... But I like the "master of the three sword technique" best of all!

Portions of Foxes

2007-01-14T02:55:00.000-08:00

"The Two Brothers" Korea War Memorial, 2007

hehe... Staying in on the weekend is a really great thing to do. I have a lot more energy and I actually get to see some of Seoul and hang out with my friends without being hungover. This is the second weekend of staying in and I am quite enjoying it. So today's adventure **Drum Roll** War Memorial of Korea

Headed to samgakji station at about 1100 to meet up with BC and DY (duckling yellow) for some much needed social time and gossip. BC is going home really soon... and that sucks, so it is really nice to be able to see some stuff with her before she heads for the green, green, grass of home! We stopped for some coffee and cheese cake at Jeremy's Coffee Shop... YUM! then set our sights on the Museum.

I've been to that museum before, and I found it to be quite dull... Of course, the second time around didnt disappoint, it was STILL as dull as it was the first time... But, again, i was there for the socializing and not the actual museum... I took some silly pictures outside... Random shots, and some nice ones inside as well... We chatted lots, and I talked to astrid while wandering around the model of a "refugee Camp".... Ahhhh... The weather was pretty good, and clear, so the sky was fantastic...

Soldiers Helmet Mosiac

Picked up by a Soldier!

A lunchtime Fondle

Servicing the Troops

We stopped for some K-food... Finally getting poor DY to eat something as he's been under the weather for over a week now! We then decided it would be a great idea to head to the DVD guys in Yongsan to see if they had anything good to buy! For a change I left empty handed in terms of DVDs (i did however buy some CD-Rs that were apparently 800MB, got them home to discover they were labeled 800 but only had 700MB on the disc :(....oh bother) Looks Like I'll just make some CDs with them...

haha... BC picked up the new "Rocky Balboa" film... and though she claims that it isn't for her... I have my suspicions that perhaps she is secretely in LOVE with Sylvester Stallone!!!

My Favourite Game

2007-01-13T17:17:00.000-08:00

...INDECISION...

yes, this is my new favourite game! I'm here, I'm not... I'm staying, I'm going... Noodles or rice... hard rock or classics....

DAMN, sometimes life just throws you curve after curve...

one thing I know for sure...

I AM IN LOVE

above everything else this girl makes me happy and complete, we complimant each other and care about each other... this is the one time that the playing field is completely equal. after agonizing over this for over a month and deciding and undeciding time and time again! I will be leaving... sometime mid-end april. The love affair with Korea is done, and its time for me to move on. to move forward... To stop being scared to live my life the way i want to live it.

Schwa and I are going to Vancouver.

its TIME!

1 more CAT video

2007-01-10T06:55:00.000-08:00

he plays fetch, nuff said!!!

Saturday Night's Alright for Fighting...

2007-01-06T07:47:00.000-08:00

Sorry to keep posting, but i read this and was like WTF?!?!? How does this shit keep happening?

WASHINGTON (AP) -- The Army said Friday it would apologize to the families of about 275 officers killed or wounded in action who were mistakenly sent letters urging them to return to active duty.

The letters were sent a few days after Christmas to more than 5,100 Army officers who had recently left the service. Included were letters to about 75 officers killed in action and about 200 wounded in action.

"Army personnel officials are contacting those officers' families now to personally apologize for erroneously sending the letters," the Army said in a brief news release issued Friday night.

The Army did not say how or when the mistake was discovered. It said the database normally used for such correspondence with former officers had been "thoroughly reviewed" to remove the names of wounded or dead soldiers.

"But an earlier list was used inadvertently for the December mailings," the Army statement said, adding that the Army is apologizing to those officers and families affected and "regrets any confusion."

"I'm Sorry", Yeah, that'll do!!! RETARDS

My GUY!

2007-01-06T07:04:00.000-08:00

I'm way into CATS!

They make groovy pets, companions, and bed warmers.

anyway...

Let it Snow

2007-01-06T05:19:00.000-08:00

So....

After a WILD week of partying on Wednesday... Getting home at 6 am on Thursday... Skipping work without even calling in...Staying out on Friday night until 4am... and being generally naughty, I find myself sitting here in my apartment on a Saturday night (and ever so content to be here)!! I had a busy day actually, and lovely one too.

Started at 11:30 with a phone call from my friend Gosia telling me to go and look outside. So I hauled my big butt off the couch, and flicked the lock on the door... HOLY SHITE! snow! real sonw, like Canadian style blizzard... Holy Hell! Guess that means there would be no scootering today. So, we decided to head over to Smokey's Saloon for a Burger, to get over the winter BLAHS. Prolly the last time that Gosia will go there since they changed the place to a NON-smoking venue! Not so impressive! I had the usual, a BIG Islander... mmm, pineapples and Mozzarella on a burger is just dandy with me. and then headed to the newish Deli in Itaewon to pick up some rolls and Ham.

Let it Snow, Snow, Snow

Parted ways with Gosia, and headed home to check my emails and take Schwa to the VET, he got the 3rd of his SHOTS today... I always feel bad when I take him to the VET cause he hates it, and it makes him tremble, also... he cries the entire way down the street. Which is a bit embarassing!!

I met up with Megan and headed to Insadong to see the "Wake Up Andy Warhol" exhibit... It was pretty cool, I liked the cartoon bombs and the umbrellas hanging from the ceiling best of all.

Then we stopped ant the tourist informaton place and picked up a Seoul Art Guide (which is great for planning the weekends) and noticed a photography exhibit that we thought was worth checking out.. It took us over an hour to find the place, but It was brilliantly worth it (GO SEE IT)!

Willy Ronis: "La Vie, Grande Inconnue"
2006.12.23 - 2007.2.28 Chosun Ilbo Art Museum
Gallery Lumiere
www.willyronis.net

After that, we stopped off at my favorite little Insadong Traditional Food Joint. We ordered the Dalk-do-ri-tang (spicy chicken stew) and Bamboo Leaf Wine... Yummy, chatted for a few hours about this, that, and other things, and then were getting ready to head home when the flashing lights just drew us in.... ARCADE! We played a couple of race car games, contemplated Dance Dance Revolution (but we both decided that we would suck at it), and had a few rounds of tetris.. I then embarassed myself at a drumming game... I tried to do Virtual Insanity by Jamariquoi, but it was just plain terrible, OH WELL... a percussionist I am not!

I got home at about 9:30, hoping to watch Miami Ink... but it hasn't finished downloading yet!
Back to OZ season 2!

The Cat in the Hat

2007-01-03T03:42:00.000-08:00

So I'm finally home from work, my first real full day at it... Yes indeed 7 hours can take a bit out of a girl. Of course i went out last night and it was kind of a mix between crazy, entertaining and *GONG* show!

Someone had the bright idea to go out for an hour, only one hour.. Well I guess it was not as bad as it could have been, it was about 2 1/2 ours all told, but it was still good for a laugh. I have some new friends from Iraq, and they are a great bunch of people to hang out with, they like to drink, play pool, and have a dance or two. So we went over to this one guys apartment and ate some really awesome food. Anyhow, i was a bit tired this morning, but I fixed tat with a GIANT coffee and an Egg McMuffin.... ah the sweet taste of McDonald's in the morning!

New years was pretty fun, hung out with ethan for a bit at my place before we went to Queen to ring in the new year. Ethan plyed "the card" and got bc to join us for a few drinks. Nice work! it was good to go out with them... The hill, unfortunalty was pretty boring and there were not enough Eye candies to keep my companion busy, so we bolted after the countdown... It really as just like and other night with people stopping to count down from 10 and midnite. rehaps it was the Rum, or maybe the Wine, or maybe... I'm just getting too old to deal with this crap anymore !!!

here are some of the better shots from the night!

Don't I look all 80's Rock Star?

"Fame, I wanna Live FOREVER..."

"...I want to learn how to fly, HIGH!"

Chasing Cars

2007-01-02T19:54:00.000-08:00

Um, so a blog from school, I have 5 minutes...

I have a birthday party this afternoon... I am happy for it as it will break up the day nicely... nothing worse than a WHOLE day of teaching! The 4 afterschool classes, which i consider to be my personal hell... Well the first 2 hours are and the last 2 are not too bad!

After that, I'm off to my home! I watched the 2nd season of Weeds and will be starting OZ season 2 now... I hope I am not distracted by the BEER train thru Itaewon! LOL

Good some good pics from new years... will hopefully get them posted tonight... Till then Peeps!

Even An Ugly Man

2006-12-30T04:21:00.000-08:00

There is something addicting about Nip/Tuck.

In order to beat the "stir-crazies"of spending another day at home, I headed back to ShinYongsan for what seems like the 5th time this week. Since I've watched everything in my apartment that can be watched, I was in need of some DVD therapy!

I bought the 4th season of Nip/Tuck, the 2nd season of OZ, and the 2nd season of Weeds. Oh goodie.

Did I mention how much I enjoy my new computer?

So I'm watching the Npi/Tuck DVDs... Episode 5 right now! I just can't stop watching. The vanity in the world is almost laughable! But the interesting thing about this season is the appearance of Scientology. Admittedly, I don't know anything about this religion, so I used this computer to check it out on Wikipedia! It seems like interesting stuff, nothing that I would get into, but interesting nonetheless. I guess the bottom line is, people just need something to believe in. And there is nothing wrong with that.

O my, there is a fight outside my living room window, It must be Saturday!

Back to the TV!!

New Obsessions!

2006-12-29T03:30:00.000-08:00

Um, one more thing!

I am addicted to Krispy Kreme Donuts, but only these plain ones

All Over You

2006-12-29T03:01:00.000-08:00

Here I am, this is my first attempt at a Blogger!

I have decided to abandon MySpace and well try to keep this online journal up to date. Seems that all the cool peeps have Blogger accounts, and in order to fit in, I will follow suit (seriously, I want to be cool too)!

So, where to begin? Well Christmas has come and gone. All told, it was a pretty fab time... Did some shopping, some sightseeing, some arting, some Scooting (yes riding a scooter all over Seoul)! Pretty good time really.

Christmas eve, Ethan came over and we played Gin and drank Gin until about 4 in the morning, I taught him how to play crib (and he beat me)... He refreshed my memory on gin (and kicked my arse!) Oh Dear! Cards are apparently not my thing! We listened to Indy Radio, and I tortured him with Evanescence!!! LOL!

On Christmas day, we went to see the Science of Sleep. Gael Garcia Bernez was a dilusional hottie, but a hottie just the same! The movie was about 40% French, 5% Spanish, and 55% English... Which meant that I had to really pay attention to the dialogue. This was no easy task as the movie was visually stunning, Bottom line... good flick, go see it.... go now!

Today I just sat at home and watched Morgan Spurlock's 30 days... For those of you unfamiliar with it, it is similar to his movie Super Size Me, where he challenges other people to live like someone else for 30 days... The issues he tackled were as varied as being Muslim in America, homosexuality and binge drinking! That was my hole morning, then I downloaded a movie called Loving Annabelle, about a teacher and a student (both female) who fall in love! The mvie was really good, and the soundtrack was fantastic, so I am trying to download it now... PS I LOVE having the internet at home!

Also spent almost 2 hours on the phone with Astrid. Just chatting and being all giddy and silly. Live is so good these days!