Stop the Discrimination!!!

I am sick of of hearing people complain about Americans. Seriously, people, stop! I hate to breakthe news, but believe it or not, there is no difference between the Americans and us Canadians. We are both people!
I was blessed to be raised in a home that allowed me to grow up and develop my own opinions on everything (I apologize if what I say here offends anyone, but afterall, these are just opinions of someone who is human). And, as part of my development, I have come to see all people as equal, regardless of their colour, ethnicity, beliefs, laws, etc. People are all the same. And I certainly don't feel that it is right to judge a man because of something he was taught; something created by man in the first place. Different people have diferent laws, and modern-day laws are man-made, and we all know that man is incapable of governing himself. We're all idiots, but God created us that way, and to Him that's perfect. I figure, if God can look down on this tangled mess we've created and still find it in His amazing heart to love us all equally, how could I think that my judgements should supercede His? But then, I realize, I am coming at this topic as a Christian and being that I have always believed in God, I can not understand and atheistic or apathetic veiw on this same topic.
However, back to my original rant. People need to stop thinking of the Americans as less than us Canadians. I mean, their laws and leadership is leaving somthing to be desired, but look at ours; Canada is tearing itself apart from sea to sea, and no one can agree with anybody on anything. So guess what, both countries are populated by people (who are even the same ethnicity!!!) and both have governments that aren't perfect. Big suprise. So why do so many folks say "those dumb Americans?" We are the same!!!! We are all human beings with opinions, likes, dislikes, goals, dreams, talents; stop building up walls folks!
I think I'm done. Hopefully my point came across clearly enough.

Finally Rested Up

This past weekend, a couple of my pals and I booked 'er out to Saskatoon for a show at their wicked Jazz Festival. It was so much fun, and a painfully quick trip. Seriously, we spent a whole 23 hours in Saskatoon and 12 hours or so driving.
We booked a hotel room for the night, which almost ended up being a waste in that I only got about and hour, tops, of sleep, three others got 3 os so, and one about 8. We were mostly all up and at 'em around 6am. We ended up walking around the city the whole next day too, so our poor drivers had some troubles keeping their eyes open on the trip home (which started around 11:30pm and ended back home around 6am Sunday morning). But, the best part was that for some reason our trip was seriously blessed.
Thursday night my glasses broke, my titanium frames, and I was told the following day that the sudden and unfounded break was irrepairable. It was supposed to cost me anywhere from $150-over $200 to get new frames for the glasses I bought back in Feburary. I can't afford that! Anyway, one of the guys who went to the festival with us just so happened to have an uncle in Saskatoon and who just so happened to be one of the four people in western Canada to have a laser welding machine. We took the glasses into the uncle on Saturday and he not only fixed my frames (and laser welding was the only way to fix titanium), but he did it free of charge. Talk about a blessing! Goodness! And coincidence? I think not! Not only that, but we had no car troubles, gas was cheaper than anticipated, our hotel room was thankfully held for us (we were 9 hours late for check-in), we ended up having someone give us a free parking pass for the whole next day, and we picked up the tickets with no problem (there were MANY expected). Actually, we ended up having the whole Saturday afternoon to ourselves!
We were first at the gate for the concert of the amazing Herbie Hancock when we met a man named Terri. This man, and his sweet wife, bought us the most collosal pizza i have ever eaten (or seen!), just because they met us. We spent our entire evening with them. They sent us off that evening with the pizza, and a fatefult timing. My one friend who got us all to the event is the a huge fan of Herbie and his Quartet, and because of Terri and his wife, he was able to meet him. Seriously, after the pizza and on our way out of the hotel, Herbie was walking into the lobby as we were about to walk out. My friend got to meet him and his autograph and was pretty much in a silent state of shock for the rest of the night/morning. Even now he is floored at the fact that he met Herbie.
Anyway, it was awesome, truly. I put some pictures of it on my facebook. I took some really great pics of the beautiful town of Saskatoon (I should have anyway, being that I was out taking most of them at 4:30am and the light then is stunning!).

Demo Crew Here I Come!!

Four years ago I had my very first taste of reality through a program called Demo Crew. Basically, this program takes a youth group into the inner city of Calgary and strips them of any boundries and comfort-zones they may have had before. In Demo Crew, there is no room for stereotypes, there is no room for judgement, there is no choice but to grow. Simple: you can not go through that program and not have had a glimpse of how awesome, and imperative God is.
My first year, on my first day, I hated it. Well sort of. I knew I would rather have been at home than sleeping on a col churches hardwood floor. My leaders had challenged us to leave everything at home: expectations, cd players and mp3s, emotional baggage, showering--everything! I it was so hard. But I returned home a different person, and enlightened person, and a person with a heart to heal and help the broken, and a heart that accepts diversity as a beautiful thing. I returned the following year, again, not expecting a thing. And guess what? My enlightenment was even more intense. Then I went to Mexico the following summer, and last year I worked. Now this year, I have the privilage of returning to Demo as a youth leader, and the chance to see other lives changed and naiivety disappear. It's only four days of intense ministry, but holy man, can it ever change the course of your life!
I'm thrilled that God has bropught this back into my life right before I move away. The timing is just perfect, well, for the most part. I mean, I have to take time off of work to do this thing, which sounds like it will result in less road tripping and vacationing, but God has laid this so heavily on my heart that I couldn't possibly say no. I mean, if there were any better way for me to spend four days of my week, I couldn't possibly think of it. I love volunteering! It's been so long since I was last in inner city Calgary for that purpose.
Any how, this isn't happening until the end of July, but if you think of it, prayer would be awesome; prayer is essential for the kids going and the leaders leading!

Little by Little

It seems yet another week has sliped by me. This keeps happening. I'm making head-way, in small and larger ways, with my upcoming move out of province. Today I finally set up an account at a national bank.
I can't believe that a month ago I was in Ontario. Oh how times flies! I keep dreaming of going back to the cottage and bumming around with my sweet realtions; they seem a lot cloer in my dreams than they really are.
There has been little but rain this week. Lots of thunderstorms too. Everything has seriously greened up. I love green; it means life and rejuvination.
So it looks like I might be a leader for a youth even coming up at the end of July. I hope the idea pans out . It's this thing called "Demo Crew," and basically involves sleeping in a church and clocking in insane hours of volunteering in a homeless shelter in downtown Calgary. I've been several times in the past, and it changed the course of my life and my outlook on life entirely. For once, I can say there is a program I believe in. I dearly pray that another bunch of kiddies can go in and see what's up in the real world.
As this summer starts chugging my way, all I hear are stories of everyone's plans for the fall. One of my oldest friends is moving to New Zealand, another one is moving to Austrailia, ones already in Thailand, most of my high school chums are already in Calgary, one of my dearest plans to book 'er to England, one to Manitoba, me to BC, another back up to Edmonton, and two, I believe, will be remaining in Linden. I can't believe how spread apart we're getting. I come from a town of 700 or so, and it seems like a great portion of them are going international all at once. I hope they all know that I plan to hit them up for a place to stay in my travels!
Well, with that I suppose I should call it a night. Good eve to all, and to all a good night!

My Very First Energy Drink

So this week has been one for the books. Once again, a polar opposite from the beginning of the week to the end; I am thrilled to say I ended the week on top of the world.
God has, undoubtedly, been humored by me in the past little while. He's not the one testing m patience or faith, but rather a bystander, watching how I react to doors opening and closing. And then opening again. Turns out I can get a government loan for UCFV Abbotsford (which I have now applied for), and now the church has decided that they want to financially support my venture to college. No kidding! I'm speechless. I mean, the last thing I want is for the church to be thinking that I'm just in it to get monies out of them, which I'm not. I just want to go to school! Oh how I want to be learning again!
I move in to rez in 82 days or so. I think. I can't believe how the time flies. I mean, less than a year ago, I had no idea where I was going, was struggling to regain confidence after my first break-up, just moving out on my own, and basicaly learning the ways of adult life. I'm now a successful young lady, with three jobs (until the end of the month, when I'll say "So long!" to Cousins), the ability to fend for myself, and more confidence than I ever had before. Most of the time. I'm happier now to, far happier.
So anyway, in my meeting with the elders and pastor, I divulged that I might perhaps like to work for the UN or Greenpeace at some point in my life. Unfortunatly, this confession was met primarily with scoffing and some judgements (except from a couple men, who told encouraged me to give 'er beans). I'm thinking along the lines of foreign aid and/or their program UNESCO, which brings education and sciences into the counrties of the world where such things are currently lacking or unavailable. I think that is great! I don't believe a single person in this world lacks the right to be educated on anything, and I don't fully believe that I must evangelize the person first and teach them later, after they've accepted Christ. I am not a missionary. I am a teacher yes, a linguist no doubt, and my heart for this broken world of ours is undeniable, but I believe that God can be found and revealed in the ordinary day, through a verse of Shakespeare or the way a language flows. I believe that the subtle revelation can be the most powerful (a favorite of example of this is "The Lake Isle of Innisfree" by W.B. Yeats, check it out and see what he is saying!). I realize that the corporations cited above have become somewhat corrupt and broken, just like the rest of the world. But as far as I can tell, if God has laid such things on my life, such venues, why should I be judged if I want to work for them? Not everyone is called to work in a Christian environment! I mean, most of my life, I feel, I am going to be in a strongly Roman Catholic environment, but I have no doubt that God will be placing me there for some reason.
All said and done, I am fully excited and anxious to see where the good Lord is taking me. It obviously starts at school, as He is literally carrying me there. Thigns keep coming together, and my passions for what I am wanting to do are getting intensified daily. Honestly, sometimes I feel just so fully of excitment and hopefulness that I feel like I don't have enough sking to retain all the emotion. But then again, that might just be because I am a girl.

Monday Mornings Suck

Oh how I wish I were still on vacation. I'm stressing out unlike ever before; this week I register for classes, might be taking a test for school, am trying (and failing at that) to get some student loans in the works, and working full time every day. And on top of that, nothing is working. Everything is breaking. I'm breaking.
So this morning I have been making a third attempt at starting a loan file for the government, but everytime I try, either the site or internet crashes. Today I finally got far enough through the whole works only to find that the government does not (as far as I could tell) support students on the Abbotsford campus of UCFV. Now I'm thinking: "Oh God, what am I going to do?" No matter what I do, I will not have nearly enough money for school unless I get some loans, but now I don't know where to get those!
Three months to go until all is said and done. Boy howdy, how will this whole thing turn out??

Day Seven: Culture Shock

So I've already been grounded for 2 days, but have been hard at work and trying to debrief myself from my arguous journey. Okay, so maybe it wasn't so arguous but it was long and most definately overwhelming.
It's hard to say, exactly, how my trip affected me. Nothing bad came as a result, which was to be expected, but it seems as if so much good came of it that my brain simply can not digest all that happened. I felt connected. I have a family. I really, truly have realized that I am not alone in this vast world. I know where my laugh comes from, where I get my nose, my sense of humour, my wits, my passions, my strengths--my history. I know the story behind my own: where my folks come from, where Dad's uncle, Grand-dad's, and uber great Gran-dad's hail from and what amazing things they did with their lives.
Growing up I know nothing of the Tomlinson's (nor of the Mills') and now, I know fully that I come from a line of people who have done great things with their lives. Here I had always thought and been told that my family tree had been lazy bums, but that's not the case at all! I would like to thank everyone who set me straight. I'm proud to be a Tomlinson.
Anyway, the trip home was alright. I was excited to be going home as I missed some people a lot, but terribly sad to be leaving Ontario. I've also come to realize that I am as much and Ontario-an as I am Albertan. I was with complete strangers (despite the blood relations) and on strange turf, and yet was completely at home. Is that naive?
At the airport, after a lovely last meal with my Aunt and Uncle, I was forced to part ways with them. Going through security I was choking up, but managed to hold it in until I passed through. I of course had to call Dad from the airport and talk to him to feel grounded again, and there I was, blubbering the whole time. But not like, all out crying; tears just seemed to fall from my eyes on their own steam. Weird.
The plane ride home wasn't exactly comfortable either. I sat next to a lovely couple on their way to Vegas and enjoyed getting to know them, and out flight attendents were quite commical, but there was so much turbulence. At one point the Captain had to issue a warning vocally and turn on the seat belt sign and we were just tossing and bouncing everywhere. Coming into Calgary was the worst though. I've never gone through turbulence that bad. Despite that, I was laughing the whole time. Turbulence, so far to my experiences, is fun.
David and Curt picked me at the airport and we came home right away, much to my appeasement. However, I quickly learned that my homecoming would be one filled with work. Withing hours of touching down I was at work, and then worked another 10 hours the next day, and was supposed to today. Except today...it SNOWED! It snowed at the end of May; thick heavy snow that took off all the limbs from trees and our power lines. I thank God for my earlier-than-expected day of rest. The snow's already melting and the power is finally back on (came back around 5:30pm after going off at 10am) and my clothes are starting to dry. And I write this all now from the most comfortable place I know...

Day Four, Five, and Six: The New World

The past few days have been unbelievably busy, and unbelievably short. Friday was spent mostly with Aunt Barb and Uncle Mark. We went for a bit of a hike in a beautiful valley, and just enjoyed each other's company. Later that evening we ventured over to Uncle Tim and Aunt Sue's for tea and cookies on our way out to Aunt Peg's and Uncle Don's (where I stayed for the night). I got to visit with my cousin Heather for a bit, met my adorable little cousin Sarah (who is actually 5), and hung out with her older brothe Eric, who was maybe a year old last time I saw him (8 years ago!). People have gotten older!
Saturday morning came bright and early with a 6:30am wake-up call. That's the earliest I crawle out of bed since I got here! Aunt Peg and I then went to pick up my Aunt Kathy and the three of us girls booked 'er out to the Tomlinson cottage on Gull Lake. We stopped in Little Britain and got these amazing, unwholesome treats called "Chelsea Buns," on our way. They were fabulolus.
We met Mark, Tim and Eric at the lake and so began my very first weekend of "cottaging." I loved it! The lake was stunning. It was a wee bit nippy so I didn't go in, but there were plenty of boat rides and fireworks, games and photo ops. It was so much fun! Except for the huge spider I brought in with the wood. Oh, and the cottage had been broken into sometime before we got there (which is weird because the cottage is on an island). And the fact that the place smelled of moth balls. But other than that, I loved it!
Kathy taught me how to play Chinese checkers and, with joint effort, she and Mark showed me up at crockinole.
Sunday I was taken to Minden and given the Kawartha dairy experience (similar to the Foothills Creamery out West), which was fabulous. In the evening, much to little Eric's amusement, we set of some fireworks (Roman Candles) and lit some GIANT sparklers. I love Ontario!
We came back to civilization yesterday. I was sad to leave to cottage, and even more sad to realize that the end of my vacation was fastly approaching. Peg and I stopped by an apple market and I picked up some Apple Butter (some for Mom and Dad too) and real maple syrup. I can't wait to have some back home. I was able to have a longer visit with Heather and Don yesterday too. Heather and I went on a bike ride all 'round Streetsville, which was rather exerting.
I was back at Barb and Mark's for supper and a quick unpack and repack. We drove into Toronto for the fireworks last night, and stood right across from the Expo and on the shore of Lake Ontario. It was breath-taking! The vast expanse, the fireworks everywhere, the view; it was amazing.
So this whole trip has been busy as ever, but definatly eye-opening. I've really learned a lot about my parents and where I come from. It's weird because, despite the fact that I have basically been away from these people all my life, we have the same antics, the same strengths, the same trains of thought, senses of humor....It has been amazing to see myself being related to people. It's been fascinating learning more about my parents and seeing similarities (and oh, how many!) between my Dad and his younger siblings. Even more cool is seeing just how functional my family actually is. I was blown away by how Dad's family actually loves him and how some of his younger siblings deeply care about him. I was humored by the Grandma Mills and how she is so funny (she has such a witty humor). These are people I was either terrified of or unaware of growing up, but really, they are all amazing people!
All in all, to this point, I have decided that I am a Tomlinson/Mills from Alberta/Ontario (and a little BC). I was expecting to be more one than the other I guess. But as Aunty Barb said at the airport: "You're a perfect blend of your Mom and Dad." Makes sense, now that I can actually see it.

Day Three: The Five

Today was a little bit slower than the past couple, thank goodness; not nearly as much travelling!
I slept in this morning (although I am still not adjusted to the time difference, so my body thought it was waking up early) and went out for lunch with my Aunt and Uncle at this huge, and I mean huge, Chinese buffet. It was huge. On our way home, Uncle Mark took us for a quick stop at Erindale Park and the Credit river, and on a tour of "Millionaire's Road," which fully lived up to its name. How and why people can have houses like that bewilders me.
This afternoon Aunty Barb and myself went off shopping to the main mall in Mississagua, not so convieniently named "Square One." We decided to be big spenders and absolutley splurged on some $7 flip-flops and frozen yogourt. But I had a lot of fun hanging out with my Aunt.
Then, the coolest part of the whole day was the drive-on. We booked 'er over to a drive-in ttheatre just down the road and watched a new movie, "Next," which came complete with cheesy (and yet surprisingly cool) old promo's for the lobby and hot dogs, oh, and frozen dill pickles. Very bizzarre. But, overall, the whole experience rocked. And it was a butt load cheaper than the theatre.
Tomorrow is my last real day, that I am aware of, at my Aunt Barb and Uncle Mark's. Tomorrow night I move up to my other Aunt and Uncle's place (after visiting briefly with another Aunt and Uncle and wee cousins) for the night to visit with my cousin before moving up to the cabin for a couple of days. Then, Monday sometime, I'll be back in Mississagua for the night and flying home around noon Tuesday. So I guess my whirlwind vacation is far from being completed and I have at least another 13 hours or more of pure travelling before I reach my lonesome bed back in tiny ol' Linden.

Day Two: The Olde World

Yesterday was another day full of travel; I was exhausted by the time I got back to my Aunt and Uncle's place.
It was my first time ever on the train, and the experience over-all was fabulous! I was completely in awe of the beauty of this place. The trip down to Kitchener was breath-taking; I tok so many pictures! Then, when the train pulled into Kitchener, I was not only greated by my second cousin, but even my Grandparents came to pick me up. It was so sweet! We promptly went back to Grandma and Grandpa's place and had chicken noodle soup. Awesome! I always wanted to go for chicken noodle soup at my Grandparents place! We visited for a while before my cuz and I had to depart. I was sad, but know that I should come back and visit them before long.
My cuz is pretty much the keeper of all knowledge about Kitchener/Waterloo. He took me on a tour (we were on foot thank goodness) of Kitchener: my mom's old old house, Victoria Park, WLU, where he works, the first house in Kitchener. He took me to his house and showed me a bunch of old pics of mom's family and his, gave me a couple books I'm looking forward to reading, and then out for supper at this old boat house in Victoria Park, convieniently named "The Boathouse." We killed a couple of hours there talking about pretty much everything under the sun and then, sadly, headed up to the train station again. My day went so quickly! I had taken so many pictures, walked so many km's, and I ended up where I had started none-the-less. It was a whirlwind, but insatiably fascinating trip to "Berlin," as it was formerly named. It truly is a beautiful city though. I mean, it obviously has it's problems, but it could easily wet the appetite of any creative mind.

Day 1: Landing in Unfamiliar Territory

I'm in Toronto!!! And guess what, I'm dealing with my very first (ever) bout of homesickness. That's right, I miss home and I have only been gone for a couple hours! This is so strange for me!
Anyway, I'm enjoying the Toronto bit so far, despite missing my bed and friends. And my sweet new mirror. It is 11pm here, insanely humid, at least 20-some degrees, raining (thunderstorms actually), smelling lovely and everything is so green. The tulips here are like 3 feet tall! This place is just breath-taking. Everything is so green, Lake Ontario is right close, beautiful parks, houses, perfect jogging terrain...if it weren't for the fact the most of me is a West Coast girl, I would move here in an instant. I mean, I'm in the middle of Mississagua and I feel like I'm in a village somewhere, a small one. With really rich people.
My Aunty Barb and Uncle Mark picked me up from the airport this afternoon with no problem. In fact, I had no problems at the airport what-so-ever. The flight was long, but chekcing in, security, baggage--it all was taken care of within 25 minutes. A serious blessing. And landing and recognizing people I haven't seen in nearly a decade from across the room; I was trillled to see that I have some sort of magnetic pull towards my family members. They promptly brought me home, fed me yummy spaghetti, and took me out to a church ladies meeting which focused on how to minister to Muslims. I wonder why God brought me all the way to Ontario for me to hear that; to have it primarily be my first activity in this undiscovered land seems more than coincidential. In fact, on every vacation, my first activity at m destination is always something to do with a church. Coincidence???
Tomorrow morning requires some day travel though, so it is in my best interest that I retire. It has been a long, long, long day.

Two Days!!!

May: glorious May. What a month it has been to date. I mean, the past two weeks have been something else. I have been frantically trying to get everything in order for my trip down east, syaing good bye to a lot of friends, and some are coming back to me (and oh how I have missed them!!), planning course schedules for college, as well as racking up an impressive long distance cell phone bill between calls to BC and Ontario. Crazy!
I am quite pleased to say that life is going swimmingly at the moment. I've been doing a lot of self-reflection (as I have learned is important from time to time) and been making some positive changes in my life; all in all, I have firmly realized that right now, I am exactly where I want to and am supposed to be. I am thrilled about connecting with my family, my job, my friends...everything is the way it should be. Awesome.
Well, I guess I should getting going. The girls and I are going on an Ikea run this afternoon. Now, if that doesn't make us domestic, young women, I don't rightly know what does!

Say What??

So, just when people are strating to get on my nerves and when I am starting to doubt that I'll actually make it to college in the fall, God has a way of surprising me. Seriously. I started to panic a little again last night over the whole college thing (which still totally doesn't seem like it will actually happen), and this afternoon when I went into work, I was informed that a kind hearted patron o the coffee shop left me a hefty tip in my "Rebecca's Global Grounds Scholarship" jar. I almost started to cry. I mean, the cheque was enough for a textbook or so, but seriously: the fact that people are willing to tip large amounts of money for a cup of coffee boggles my mind. At recent count, the tips in the jar have amassed more than $250 in only three weeks. And this is at a small town coffee shop. It's impressive to me. Not just impressive, but astonishing! People rock. I just wanted to thank people, in general, for being nice. I like it when the world spreads a little luv.

Slip n' Slide

So last night I was privilaged enough to have a new experience. Curt and I, on a mission to gorge ourselves on donuts, were on our way to Olds to raid Timmy's when suddenly the slush took Curt's car and pulled us right into the ditch. We slid, and slid, and slid, until we were nearly in a farmer's field. No injuries occurred, and Curt's car managed to survive mostly unscathed. However, while we waited for Clarence to come fish us out, all 806 passer-bys took a moment to treat us as their newest spectacle. I couldn't help but laugh, even though I know i probably shouldn't have. I mean, jeez! We were in the ditch. Opps, there I go laughing again. Guess that was God's way of making sure we stick to a healthier diet.

Casquenette

I find it somewhat ironic that as I am reading about "Louis the Goose," my old neighbour comes into the shop and starts talking about his wife and my mother. Mr. Koch's wife suffers with Alzheimer's; my mom, a genetic disease known as Myotonic Muscular Dystrophy, and this terribly sweet elderly man says "Well, we just have to learn to how live through it." Although seemingly common knowledge, I've been hearing this same thing said to be for days now. All the time. it's like in Shakespeare (I'm a nerd, I know): when things are repeated, the author is trying to get a message through to you.
Here I am, sitting and fretting about going away in the fall for thousands of reasons, when really, even if I am here next year, even if I work my tushie off in the next five months (five months already!!), whatever happens will happen regardless of whatever I do; it is in fact what i do with the outcome that is really going to affect me. I mean, Mr. Koch is married to a woman who is slowly forgetting everything that makes her her and forgetting who he is (I can only imagine it is painstakingly difficult to have to watch someone you love drift away from you so slowly), and he is ok with that. I mean, he is not okay with it, the man tears and has deep love for her after all, but he is okay with it! He is just dealing with it, and what he has to deal with is a great deal more to deal with than I will as a result of going away to school. Serisouly, how long have I been this daft?

Lucky Friday the 13th!

Well, it is Friday night and I have never been happier to be sitting on my couch at home with a beverage. This week has been awesome! Aided mostly by the fact that I have been living in the beauteous sunshine, but needless to say, a great deal has happened.
It's been a week of incredible insanity. I've recently found out that my cousin is pregnant, which is awesome, and that Sam Magee was not actualy cremated in the midnight sun up north, but rather burried outside of my old hometown of Beiseker in their olde cemetary.
Last weekend was the huge paint job at the coffee shop. I think Laura, Meg, and myself clocked in probably close to 30 hours or so in there over the Easter weekend. Insane! But it looks good.
Also, I now officially have a dorm room at the University in Abbotsford. I registered and they accepted my application all in one day! Amazing! Now I just have to wait for a room assignment.
My roomies and I have also decided that we are now officially moved back into our duplex. It has been quite a rollarcoaster ride of hightened emotions over the past month, but thank goodness it has started to dwindle down. Or sink is empty, our house smells clean, the lving room livable, the TV watchable from all angles and each seat, and even our kitchen table is cleaned off. This is a feat in and of itself! We even ate a meal at our house today. BBQ even! The first one of the year.We ate on our back deck too. Awesome. They were simply the tastiest home made burgers ever! I guess this means we can have people over for suppoer again. Wonderful!
Along with the wonderful weather, my roomies and I have begun setting dates for all of our wonderful adventures this summer. We have a week long road trip through some States and BC, a weekend at the lake in Montana, and moving me out to Abby. Of course there will be hiking on the weekends we're home, more laking, badminton, Odessey driving...this summer is going to be absolutly flipping diddley-awesome!

Technicolour Easter Bunny

I am so exhausted. This whole long-weekend I have been living at the coffee shop, as is usual. We got to paint the brains out of that place and boy, does it look cool! I love it. The colours were originally lavender, periwinkle and a green, but are now red, brown, grey and white with accents of silver. Sweet! The one wall that is red also has a giant white damask painting on it. I love it. I think the boss likes it too, which is the most important part.
I just want to go to bed now, but should probably go put the place back in order. I can't wait to see everything so fresh and new. We even bought the boss these cute little whitish and yellow flowers called "lemnesia" or something strange like that. They smell so delightful.

7:11 Wake Up Call

Well folks, it is Wednesday morning and although our house still has walls that are a little wet, there is carpet back in our basement. We're not moved back in at this point, and will remain as such unitl the baseboards go back on, but I'm thinking of sleeping in my room at home tonight. It is just so much easier to get to work if I do it that way. Mmmmm...home.
It just feels so weird to be living independantly one day and not the next. Man, is that weird. I didn't want to move back home for that reason, but here I am, living dependantly off of my roomies and their family. Not a bad thing, just really weird.
In other news: I'm going to Toronto!!! Well, that is kind old news now I suppose, and it isn't for a while yet either. I'm flying down mid-May for a week of catch-up with my families and just planning on taking some time off; I'm not financially set for school or anything so taking the time off does worry me a little bit, but I know that I need a break again and that I would regret not doing this. Especially if all the weeks leading up to my departure are like this one has been: working 7-9 hours every day at the coffee shop alone! Ane then off to the Cousins, and then cleaning...and floods....

Just Like a Child

So this whole 'growing up' thing is so far a giant pain in the derierre. It seems everything gets a whole gosh darn more complicated in the first year out of high school! But I knew that already.
So I am officially now an adult! I've got my income taxes all done (with the help of my wonderful accountant!), post-secondary plans figured out (though the acceptance letters keep pouring in), and a place of my own (which I have to share, WHEN we actually live there!).
Two in and we are still homeless. Can you believe it? Our landlords have been in an out every day and taken on the labour of fixing everything themselves, but seriously, that is just how bad the flood was. However, they did put the carpets back in today! The walls are still drying out though; w should be able to move back in by mid to late week. I can't believe it. We should have a re-house warming party!
I got a package in the mail this week that told me that UBC had accepted me; I found this quite contradictory to their previous rejection letter. It seems as though UBC wants me to attend their school...in Kelowna rather than in Vancouver (where I wanted to go). Their sudden and unanticipated acceptance, however, does not alter my plans for the fall: I'm going to UCFV. This is all just getting so confusing though!
Today was the first semi-rain storm of the year, and it was beautiful. Freezing cold and half snow mind you, but gorgeous none the less. I was sitting in the empty coffee shop watching the little kiddies run around in the rain when I suddenly realized how much I missed being a kid. Not that life isn't fun now, but when I was younger, I seemed to see life differently. I've noticed that I have started veiwing situations, realtionships, random moments...everything, so selectivly. You know, like selective hearing, only instead of hearing, it is my sight which is affected. Stupid I know, but hey, I am a human being.
Most of it stems from a series of hard 'life-lesson' moments last summer, after which I decided (from some ridiculous reason) that life really wasn't as good as my 'naive' mind thought it was. Well, now, almost a year later, I am sitting here thinking, "What if it was my 'naive' mind that had it right?" Life really is, or is at least meant to be as breath-taking as I had thought it before. The days when my mind seemed a lot clearer (though not always happy) were the days before I decided to filter what I saw, heared, felt, said, or did. I guess it might just be part of that desire to control, or feel like I have the possibility of controlling what happens to me in life and where I ultimatly end up. I don't do I?
I think I had a revelation today. I am so... adult!

I Am Noah

Oh what a weekend. I swear, God has the sickest sense of humor.
It is now Monday afternoon, and guess what: my roommates and I are STILL homeless. It's pretty dumb, but I guess our house was built rather poorly and not really up to standards. But anyway, there is a funny story about our weekend.
My roommates and I were staying at their grandparent's house across the street from our house. But, sometime on Saturday (after I had a shower, go figure) Henry and Martha's hot water tank called it quits. No joke. I swear, I am bad luck for water tanks! So anyway, Sunday afternoon, Laura, Curt and I moved out to their parents house in the country. Since we aren't expecting to be back in our house anytime soon, we packed up the matresses and literally, moved in. However, Laura's Dad (though joking, of course) has fobidden me to take a shower in their house. From my point of veiw, he has good reason. I'm sleeping in the basement though, so if the place floods or tanks explode, I'll be the one to notice and have to deal with it.
Other than that, I've been fighting a rather dumb head cold again, and as a result was twice late for work at the restaurant on two consecutive days; I didn't even know I was working! I was not happy.
Sleep has still been eluding me a wee bit, but I did manage to get a refreshing hour and a half in before work this afternoon. Someone must really be praying for me too; I've had the energy to get through the days and have been feeling a lot less unhappy, which has been simply wonderful. It truly is amazing how much we, as humans, can let the runnings of life take control of us.