dream dear friend

Testing

2008-04-30T13:14:00.001-07:00

Cool... I still know how to update my blog! It took a few tries but I figured it out.

Perhaps this will come in handy in Costa Rica. Or maybe I won't go near a computer for the next 2 weeks. Only time will tell.

Spanish Fun

2007-06-10T08:43:00.000-07:00

It's the end of the trip so I finally have time to update blog. Spain was quite fun, mainly because it was an entirely different culture from anything else I've experienced. We also got to do some different things like:
1. see a little flamenco show - guitar-guy was incredible
2. watch a bull fight - most memorable moment happened when a matador didn't succeed in getting his sword deep enough into the bull, so the bull started to buck and the sword FLEW OUT of him and into the audience, not far from our seats. A man actually got injured in the leg. The matadors, on the other hand, all escaped without a mark.
3. check out Gaudi's architecture in Barcelona, my fav being the Sagrada Familia. It is stunningly beautiful and it's not even done yet. I'd love to attend worship there.

Tomorrow, I'm heading back to Canada. Will post some pictures later. Thanks for the notes, family - good to hear from you!!

Wild Times

2007-06-01T08:41:00.000-07:00

Who knew that there's a little french cottage country near Mont St Michel?? We had a true backpacking experience to get to our hostel today... a nice little hike down a country road, ending at a little cove looking out onto Mont St Michel bay. From here we can see a bunch of little boats, rocky shore, beautiful blue water, and the Mont way off in the distance (apparently an hour's drive away). After checking in, we kept on hiking around rocky points and found everything thing from tiny little beachy village to a swanky resort, not to mention great views of the Atlantic.

It's not at all what we expected from today, but it's been fantastic!! Tomorrow we return to the world of foreign tourists by visiting the Mont. Then it's off to Spain.

War History

2007-05-29T12:35:00.000-07:00

This has been the theme of the past few days... with a trip to Vimy ridge on the weekend and a trip to Juno beach today. They are very different sites but each with lots of valuable stuff to learn & experience.

Vimy has preserved some landscape as much as possible to the WWI conditions (trenches, tunnels, craters from mines); is supported by the gov't; maintains a beautiful monument celebrating Canada's contribution & sacrifice.

Juno has a museum that is only 4 years old; has a couple run-down German bunkers from WWII; and is LOADED with info about Canada's cultural climate in the 30's & 40's. Definitely recommend either site to any Canadian travelling around in France.

Hope everyone's doing well!!

still in paris

2007-05-25T14:24:00.000-07:00

oh la la, i love paris!! We starting to love our neighbourhood which is in the 'new delhi' of paris. We have a little daily routine of coffee at the brasserie of a friendly old french man, hop on the metro, walk our legs off for most of the day, have a little indian food in the neighbourhood (this is 2nights so far & we got treated like royaly the second time we went to this local place), then stop at the late-night grocery store to pick up a few beers. We've seen eiffel tower, sacre coeur (& surrounding area of montmatre), pere lachaise cemetery, arc du triomphe, notre dame, latin quarter, pantheon (which has a pendulum that supposedly proves that the earth rotates on its own axis but i'm done quite getting it - open to suggestions), versailles, and louvre. We have done lots & lots & lots of walking. We like views so we've also climbed lots of stairs. Having fun.

Bonjour from Paris!

2007-05-23T03:41:00.000-07:00

Just a quick note to let you all know that I arrived safely in Paris. Brad and Greg met me at the airport so I was not alone trying to figure out french phones and train stations (they're trickier than you'd think). We're getting settled in our apartment (which is a bit of a hole... but cheap and a good home base nonetheless). Off to see the sites. au revoir!

New Addiction

2007-05-03T13:59:00.000-07:00

No time to update blog... too busy on facebook. I'm sure it's okay because no one reads my blog... they're too busy on facebook. For those that aren't on facebook: my passport arrived after 3 months of waiting. My sister is visiting. We just had a great hike past Johnston Canyon, check it out:
gotta get back to facebook...

Coffee + Laptop = DISASTER

2007-04-26T08:24:00.000-07:00

I spilled coffee on my laptop a few months ago. Lost EVERYTHING which is sad... especially sad is the loss of photos.

So if you've hung out with me in the last couple years, and have pictures of it, please share with me! I now have a desktop. So a coffee spill should only hurt the keyboard.

If you mix drinks with laptop, I suggest an investment in something like this:

Do not try this at home

2007-02-03T19:36:00.000-08:00

I had a pretty fun day of hiking in Grotto Canyon today. The highlight was a little visit to this cave:
You may think that it looks like a steep drop at the edge of that cave. IT IS! It took a few tries, a lot of work, some crawling, some sliding, & some near-death experiences to get up that slope!

Family Traits

2006-12-30T15:20:00.000-08:00

I'd like to cut down on the explanations with a brief post: yes, I have a black eye. How did I get it? I had a little run-in with my car door. The general run-down of events: opened car door, leaned forward, banged my cheek into the corner of car door.

I blame it on the genes. Take a moment to compare:

me (Christmas, 2006):
my Grandma Schwartz (Christmas, 1995):
Grandma got her black eyes by missing the bottom stair in the house she'd lived in for years. I bet I could dig up similar pictures of other families members but this should be enough proof: accident-proneness is hereditary.

Welcome me back to Blogger Land

2006-12-12T10:10:00.000-08:00

The good news is that I finally have time & energy to write an update (I like to wait until people have given up hope and stop checking altogether... it lowers expectations). The sad news is that my home computer is on the fritz so this update will not be all it could be.

Recent happenings include a trip to the magical land of Ontario a few weeks ago (lots of quality time with friends & family... photos to come); the annual Survivor youth retreat (kept me busy but went SO well); and the finale of Amazing Race 10!!

I haven't been as emotionally invested in the this race as in others. I was moderately happy with the winning team, Rehab Model Guys:

I was OVER THE TOP happy that the self-righteous, Alabama, single moms didn't win. Look at those cranky faces:

It's not just me

2006-10-28T11:39:00.000-07:00

There are some long overdue repairs needed here at the church, as well. I arrived at work today to find that:
-the furnace won't work, making my office feel like a fridge;
-my computer decided to crash for the 9th & 10th times in 3 days;
-the right arm has fallen off my office chair; and
-MY PERSONAL mug is missing!!

Okay, the last one isn't a home repair issue but it does add to my frustration. On the bright side, I can get all my anger out of my system at paintball this afternoon. "Come 'ere, youthy youthy..."

Help Wanted

2006-10-19T22:56:00.000-07:00

I’m a strong independent woman but when my dad doesn’t come to visit for a while, things start to deteriorate in the home/car repair department. Then I turn to guy friends, draw them in with the offer of free food and nag them into service. Buddy proved himself quite handy by fixing my broken cupboard door. Check out the manliness:
Anybody out there interested in some apple pie & soy ice cream in exchange for dealing with any of the following issues:
-1 lame closet door
-1 squeaky windshield wiper
-1 non-functional ipod fm transmitter
-3 burnt-out light bulbs
-1 loose windshield wiper
-1 naked clutch petal
-several banging pipes
-1 crooked shower head
-1 broken car-door-switch which connects to my "headlights are still on!" warning signal (note: you can either offer to fix the switch or make yourself available 24-7 with booster cables)
-2 temporarily ‘fixed’ cupboard-door-hinges

Other Highlights

2006-10-12T19:59:00.000-07:00

The conference feels so long ago after Thanksgiving food and madness but I promised highlights and you're getting them! Fun times included kayaking,

beautiful fall scenery,
tantalizing ice cream from the big moo,
inappropriate placement of chocolate chips, :)

and a field trip to the beer store.

ps. for those who have had the misfortune to be around me after I've eaten dairy, be assured: I abstained from the ice cream. For everybody's sake.

Conference Wounds

2006-10-06T08:47:00.000-07:00

Just returned from the Alberta churchworkers conference yesterday. Many good moments of fellowship, discussion, worship. But the highlight, by far, was the night we played Spoons.

I've spent many hours playing spoons and it's often turned violent. I've played spoons with other churchworkers and have learned that they can be the most aggressive players in the game. I particularly remember a moment at the National workers conference in Winnipeg a couple years ago when a certain pastor (who figures into this week's story as well) yanked DPS Judy Ellard to the floor BY THE HOOD of her sweatshirt to get to a waylaid spoon first.

Yes, I know the risks of this game. But I have NEVER in my life seen Spoons interrupted mid-game, so that a player can be rushed to emerg for 4 stitches. Now, I don't want anyone getting paranoid. I'm not telling this story to expose the extreme dangers of this game. Rather, I'd like to pay tribute to the dedication of Pastor Matty Zip. In the face of battle, he clung so tightly to his spoon that it actually sliced through the skin between his fourth of fifth fingers. What a hero.

Matt & Curtis reenacted the scene for your viewing pleasure.

Keep in mind that Curtis is only an actor here; he was not involved in the original incident. I also have a close-up of the wound but I'll save that for the eyes of the strong-stomached.

Stay tuned for other highlights from the conference...

Love Lost

2006-09-21T11:57:00.000-07:00

Just about a week ago, I was washing my face. This is a pretty average event, something I do at least once a day. On this sad day, though, I accidentally pulled out my nose ring which proceeded to hop into the sink and RUN down the drain. I tried not to panic while I pulled out some other nose rings and tried to insert them, but my nose-ring-hole rejected them all!! No matter how hard I tried or how much I cried or how loud I swore, I could not get any nose rings back into my nose. I even had kind friends who all got involved, selflessly sticking their fingers up my nose.

No use! The hole has regrown. Please take a look back with me, at a relationship the ended far too soon... Does anybody know of a good piercing place in Calgary? By "good", I mainly mean clean & healthy.

Always learning

2006-09-08T14:27:00.000-07:00

The most important lesson of the whole summer: make sure your camera battery is charged before important events like, i dunno, a WEDDING! The event of the summer and here's what I have to show for it:

... a pair of shoes that I coveted. btw, Michelle is the girl-with-great-taste who owns these shoes.

In general, the wedding was a blast with great food, lots of drinks and no major brawls or disasters despite the many hoodlums in attendance:

Best of all, the couple were clearly overflowing with praise to God for bringing them together. Congrats!

Lessons Continued...

2006-09-02T11:56:00.000-07:00

7. Do not annoy someone who has your picture, the tendency to hold grudges and access to a photocopier, tape & telephone poles in your area.

This poster, found in Hope, says, "This man claims to be Belgian, a firefighter, single, Rash Free. None of the above is true. He is not to be trusted. If you see this man exercise extreme caution."

8. The Pacific Rim is COOL!

9. The rainforest grows gigantic slugs!

10. My ass has grown to a gigantic size over the last year. Sadly, I cannot blame this on the rainforest.

(I refuse to display the evidence.)

The things I learned this summer

2006-09-02T11:29:00.000-07:00

It's been a busy summer with some road trips, visits with family, youth gatherings, visits with friends and some great life lessons.

1. Exercise extreme caution when starting a blog... you may be subjected to A LOT of pressure to update it. (see comments on previous post)

2. Don't always do what your youth leaders tell you to do.

3. It's not a good idea to stare into the sun while taking a self-portrait.

4. Don't get caught with your mouth full.

5. BC has zero tolerance for speeding.

(my sister was the student of this lesson - ha ha)

6. ALWAYS use restroom/outhouse facilities when they are available, especially if you want to do more than glimpse into the Coquihalla tunnels before sprinting back to the parking lot.

Rage against the Machine

2006-07-10T17:51:00.000-07:00

Some people experience road rage... I experience computer rage. Roadragers.com says that road rage is the "violent behavior under the influence of heightened, violent emotion such as anger and frustration, involving an automobile in use." Insert the words "ethernet card" for "automobile" and you have a very good description of me for today. I kept the violent behavior to minimum, only assaulting a screwdriver that wouldn't work but if my office computer doesn't shape up soon, it may get tossed out the window... or off the roof... or into the duck pond... OO! or under a bulldozer from the adjacent construction site!! That is very tempting.

Yduj

2006-06-23T11:48:00.000-07:00

If you have read certain comments on my blog, you'll know that a certain person has been feeling overlooked. It's time to pause, reflect and comment on what a supportive, fun and unique friend I have in Anonymous.

Anonymous has been there in times of need. Sitting in the cop car (during the ditch of humiliation), taking toe pictures in parking lots, lending her Scrabble dictionary, helping to make the ENDLESS movie of King Kong a little less painful with witty mockery... these are just a few examples of her commitment to her friends.

For these gifts and many others, I thank you, Anonymous. And in tribute, post your favorite cartoon:

As a service to our members

2006-06-21T14:34:00.000-07:00

I was looking around online for VBS craft supplies when I came across something I NEVER expected to be able to buy from Costco: funeral caskets. There are assorted styles ranging in price from $924.99 to $2999.99 (American), shipping & handling is included. Before you get too excited, I should mention that only USA Costco (found at costco.com) cares enough about it's members to offer this service. Costco Canada (www.costco.ca)? not so caring.

I'd like to state how I feel about this little piece of information, but I just don't know.

Calgary Weather

2006-06-18T23:20:00.000-07:00

I'm starting to notice a disturbing trend in Calgary weather: it seems that we get early spring weather in June. It's been way too cool and rainy to show off the beautiful pedicure I got while in Ontario:

This is the first day since I got back 2 weeks ago, that my toes have been comfortable entering the outside air unprotected by socks.

I don't want to complain too much, though, because we did have some fantastic summer weather in April & May. You just can't be too close-minded about appropriate seasonal weather around here.

Welcome to the family!

2006-06-12T22:52:00.000-07:00

I'd like to introduce you to my goddaughter. As you can tell, she is the cutest goddaughter ever.

Her name is Elizabeth Grace and she was welcomed into the family of God on June 4 (this is for my own future reference). She was quite fussy during the baptism and she had a fever afterwards, so we're thinking the Holy Spirit had a lot of work to make it "take". :) Just kidding, of course. Teething is not a fun thing to happen during your special baptismal day.

Anyway, I enjoyed a fantastic trip home but, as usual, it was all too fast. Began pondering the question, "will I ever get to return to the magical land of Ontario?" Okay, maybe not magical, but home to many important people in my life. I'm so thankful that after 7 years out west, I can still return to my family & friends and feel right at home.

Then and Now

2006-05-01T20:57:00.000-07:00

I must apologise for the small text size that I have used lately. The fault really belongs to computer settings described by complicated words that are not in my vocabulary. Hopefully everything is better now thanks to my skilled cousin. If not, I can't help you.

btw, my mom now realises that I didn't ACTUALLY have a rough week at work. ;)

Many years ago, in a far away time called 1998, I travelled to Ukraine on a summer mission trip. While there, I learned some amazing lessons about the bonds of Christian community and the value of prayerful trust in Jesus, even in the midst of seemingly hopeless situations. Also, I was privileged to get to know some awesome Ukranians & Canadians, folks like the crazy Vania...

And now, eight years later, we had a brief reunion in Bellingham, WA, along with another Ukraine mission alum, Ian. My, how we've changed:
Sometimes I just can't wait for heaven!

Hope you're happy

2006-04-25T12:07:00.000-07:00

It's been a rough couple of weeks at work. I have been receiving a lot of pressure from my coworker (who shall remain nameless but not faceless) to update this blog. It's been almost impossible to get any work done with all the nagging and bullying. I finally had to succumb to the pressure for the sake of getting back to work!!

Well, folks, in case you live under a rock and haven't yet heard, the race is airing on Wednesdays! The past two legs of the race have been VERY stressful. Everybody's favorite hippies almost got kicked off twice in a row!! Look at the relief on their faces:
I'm hoping for bigger and better things from them tomorrow night. Can anyone tell me what "TTOW" stands for??

Just for the record

2006-03-25T07:29:00.000-08:00

I want to clarify something for the employees and clientele of various restaurants, Starbucks, card stores, etc, etc. I want to do this for two reasons. First of all, credit must be given where credit is due. And second, there are times when I appear to be a real retard.

The truth is: this child does not belong to me.

Sadly, I cannot take any credit for how cute, smart and well-behaved he is. All praise must go to his mother, Susan. Happily, conversations like the following, really DON'T mean that I'm an unfit mother.

woman at *$: "cute kid!"

me: (smile)

woman: "he must burn so easily."

me: (deer-caught-in-headlights expression accompanied by long pause and then) "him?? ummmm...."

Happy Amazing Race Day!

2006-03-21T06:15:00.000-08:00

I have missed two episodes and that must end tonight! I'm excited to see how all the claws are coming out. And I'm hoping that my buddy Phil:

...is not becoming super-cheesy. He did a lot of lame one-eyebrow-raises in the season premier. I deeply hope that hasn't continued.

Last week I made a new friend while hanging out in Edmonton. Introducing little Ricky Ziprick, aka Josiah:

Hm... that doesn't look too comfortable. We did bond and become great friends. And now there's another one on the way in Toronto!! Congrats Laurel & Bill!!

Ditch of Humiliation

2006-03-11T08:51:00.000-08:00

Who can drive down a road that has NO ice, NO obstacles, NO road-dangers whatsoever, and somehow manage to spin out into the ditch? That would be me! I'm not sure where my head was at... I wasn't adjusting the radio or anything, just snapped out of a reverie to find myself getting a little close to the shoulder and then over-reacted! Cranked the steering wheel, did an unintentional donut, then landed facing the opposite direction on a steep, soft shoulder. Picture a green Echo looking something like this:

I was hoping to avoid utter embarassment, by just pulling out and heading on my way, but no such luck. With one back tire in the air and both front tires sunk into soft ground, I had to wait for a tow truck. Before the tow truck arrived, a curious policeman showed up. He decided to park his car behind mine, flashing lights and all. He also decided to call his parter in a giant police van to come and have a look.

On the upside, I got to keep warm in the back of a police car. Criminals get VERY little foot room! Policemen get GPS systems to keep track of their buddies' vehicles. I got many stares from passers-by during the 40 minute wait for the tow truck.

Signs of Hope

2006-03-04T20:32:00.000-08:00

I am pleased to report that not all companies have abandoned quality customer service. I was unsatisfied with a certain facial cleanser so I emailed Johnson & Johnson.

(aside: I would like to state for the record that I really do have a life outside of complaining about products I don't like. It's just been that kind of week.)

Lo and behold, J&J actually wrote: "we regret your experience with our product but appreciate the time you took to give us your feedback" then they proceeded to send me a coupon!!

I am heard and appreciated as a customer! Thank you, J&J, for making my day.

Thanks, also, to the Toshiba support line for saving me from mental breakdown when I thought my compter had passed from this life. It's been a big day.

ARG!!

2006-03-02T22:46:00.000-08:00

Whatever happened to quality customer service??!? I guess it went out of business when Walmart came to town. I just stayed up 90 minutes past my bedtime trying to install a LINKSYS WIRELESS ROUTER that turns out to have an UNFIXABLE software problem. What does the company do to show how much they value my business and how sorry they are for the trouble THEIR problem has caused me?? They say, "um, you'll have to check on the store policy where you bought it."

Thanks. Thanks a lot. I'm really excited about packing up all the various pieces and trekking back to the store.

To be fair, the call centre people were nice... good listeners, polite & friendly. Oh, and talking to me from somewhere in India! Thanks to CBC radio, I know that India is becoming the world leader in Call Centre business. Although, CBC said that many call centre employees in India (who generally have graduate-level education) learn to speak English with 'mid-western' accent. My phone buddies had not taken those courses and were quite willing to admit their location.

I'm going to bed in hopes of being less whiny in the morning.

The Race is on!

2006-03-02T06:59:00.000-08:00

My favorite show is back for it's 9th season... and it looks promising!! Most of the first 2 hours was driving and cab rides. It was short of exciting tasks (except for the helicopter ride -- I LOVE helicopters!), but I still have high hopes. Who could not love the team of hippies??

They're funny, they're easy-going, but they're not dumb. They know how to get around. The stupid girls-in-pink, on the other hand.... here's hoping they get the boot at the next pit stop.

21 years ago

2006-02-23T21:45:00.000-08:00

Root-bear and Pinky heard that my sister wanted her own sign, so they worked ALL night to have this ready in time.

Domino & Ampersand also wanted to help, but they just weren't team players...

Anyway, have a good one, kiddo!

love, am

ps. Should have had some windows open while using those markers... still feeling it!

Old News

2006-02-22T07:41:00.000-08:00

I'd like to send out a special hello.....

It had been way, way, way too long since I heard David Francey in concert. Fortunately, he came to Calgary a couple weeks ago and sang in this "stage & grill" place called Ironwood (www.ironwoodstage.ca). Cute little DF just keeps getting better. We had an awesome time as you can tell by the expression on our faces:

Domestic Wonders

2006-02-14T09:03:00.000-08:00

I am very thankful to be surrounded by Martha Stewarts. On the weekend, a very generous friend invited people over to make truffles. She provided all the ideas & whipped up the ingredients. AND it was her first time! Most of our truffles weren't too pretty, but they taste delicious! Too bad for my friends & family who live too far away to try them out. Feast your eyes instead:

It took several tries to get a decent white chocolate swirl. If you want to try it out, don't ask for my advice. Apparently the recipes came from allrecipes.com (website also seems to have lots of vegetarian and vegan recipes which makes me happy).

Last month, I got to enjoy home-made pizza fresh from a wood-fired pizza oven. Lovely.

Meet my Skis

2006-02-10T22:10:00.000-08:00

So the best thing about Calgary is that when you leave it, you can be surrounded by mountains in under an hour. I wanted to still experience full enjoyment of the mountains in the winter, so I bought some cross-country skis. They were partly a gift from my kind congregation and partly a gift from Ralph. Thanks to both.

My skis and I had our first trip to the mountains together today and it was wonderful. Here is how the world looks to my skis:

Here is how the world looked to me (beautiful! isn't it?)

Of course, it's always better in person.

I should rename my blog:

2006-02-10T10:48:00.000-08:00

"Things to tell my sister" since she is so faithfully checking it. Of course, I've only told 2 other people about my blog. I don't want to rush things.

So anyway, Teresa, I was thinking that I should post this picture on my personal profile just for your benefit. I know you love it. But I won't post it there. First of all, because I'd like something a little more flattering in my 'personal profile'. And secondly, because I don't know how to get a picture of any kind into my personal profile.

Have a good weekend at home! Show this to Mom & Dad.

Progress!

2006-02-08T21:20:00.000-08:00

Help menus are a wonderful thing. I've figured out how to change the links and upload pictures... oh, the possibilities!!! So here's an artistic shot: my new Christmas socks on my feet, framing my dear mom opening a present. Good times.

Blogging troubles

2006-02-08T21:05:00.000-08:00

how the frick do I get pictures on this thing? Why does it seem so easy for the rest of the world? I may have been overly amibitious in my plan to start a blog. But it's just the computer-blahs talking. I'll get a good night sleep and I'll try again tomorrow.

Welcome

2006-02-04T11:13:00.000-08:00

I'm trying to figure out this bleeping blogging-thing. Wish me luck.