are you eating apple crumble?

we're still talking about hilarious duff

Just a side antidote that we're still joking about Hilary Duff- for some odd reason, I went island hopping with the girls this last week, and it was a valid conversation. And now! while facebook stalking this guys sister, I realize- even though she's a world away (think europe) Hilary duff is a conversation over there too. It made me realize that we're not that much different as a generation.

ps mortimer, let's see each other soon.

Thursday

Got a family doctor yesterday, or whatever they call it when you're legally single and out in the world.
Went in for a pap test after biking up the world's steepest sweaty hill and she prodded me, then gave me a tetanus shot and asked me to be hers!

Mikes taking a party boat to Texada this weekend for a music festival that sounds like a front for a cult. I'm supposed to be busing out to North Delta for Sal's birthday, be at least interesting since I don't know many of her friends. Fingers crossed that I'm only working five days this week but with my luck...

So I'm doing some work for the Canadian Fishing Company, which mostly involves scanning their abundance of photographs and organizing them in files. This work can be tedious but yesterday I got to go through some pics of a boat called Prodigy that burned and sank "total loss by fire." Everyone there seems to have nothing but contempt for the DFO so I'm sitting on the news that my beloved works for them/ is one of them. I'm doing this scanning for them even though I'm not their employee because eventually I will be doing some research for my real employer (Gulf of Georgia Cannery) with Canfisco's info. So far no news on that front so I'll just keep plugging away

Home you girls are well, having adventures and belly laughs or something miss youuu

I'm lacking the noodles of being embarrassed.

So the day prior to yesterday, I sat on the computer- inspired to create something for myself. I decided to create a map, a rough solid walking route. I tried to make it as simple as possible, so I basically did a big loop, taking the afternoon and ending to be 25km. It was nice, except for some funny fact.

While walking up Cook St, some lady thankfully told me that there was a rip on the butt of the jeans.

My new favourite pair of jeans are now ruined, and it made me think of an incident that happened almost 6 years ago in Yellowknife, where I was walking to work and some lady pulled over to tell me the back of my skirt was pulled up into my tights.

I'm the worst at this guys, and to boot- it didn't phase me. I'm trying to convince myself that people don't really care who they see on the street and the individual relevance I might have on the general public in reality in close to zero.

I'll keep in touch, and tell ya guys if in 6 years another similar incident happens.

dedicated to my sister's 22nd+springrolls

Woke up early today. I had this anxious feel- my recently reunited cat is on the rough rocks (probably will have to go back to the vet this week) and I was convinced I should start prepping for this family birthday lunch I was planning for Katelynn. So at 7 am, in my pjs and sipping a huge glass of morning water- I started rolling springrolls and dipping strawberries in chocolate.

It was technically vietnamese theme- but the desserts were not.

I'm pretty sure that springrolls are in my top 50 favourite foods. At least for the last couple years. The year before last- when i started learning html/css to make a mock website for kicks, I dedicated an entire page to it. I thought I was hilarious.

HBD KATE

feeling squishy and relaxed in the sun

Hey,

I'm in victoria right now just enjoying this heat right now. I have this extravagant plan tonight to make a salad that has cooked zucchini and pickled mushrooms in it- wish us invisible luck.

I wore the earrings you bought me for my birthday, this one earrings got stuck and i had to use pliers to get it out the next day- super dramatic.

Miss you guys and maybe see you at brett's cabin adventure?

Life Round Here

Cat's been extra cuddly lately. And today she was flipping around the grass in the garden like she was high. Found some catnip in the garden so that might be the source.

Planted so far: carrots, radishes, borage, nasturtium, sun flowers and a wild flower mix, lavender and mint. Trying to keep the bees happy. Plus I like the idea of edible flowers. Got some marigold seeds but I think it might be too late to start on those. Plan for next week is to get some mustard greens and lettuce and arugula in. Kale is already going from last year I think. I think I want to get some strawb starters too. Found a strawberry flower under the rosemary plant.
Anyway my green thumb is pulsing happily. I am definitely gardening instead of studying and applying for jobs, which may bite me in the ass. I have a list of 18 jobs that I need to get applications in for and so far have applied to three.
My roommate is moving away for the summer so we're looking for a sublet. If you know someone who doesn't mind not having a dryer and loves being covered in cat hair (and having fresh garden veg!) give me a shout. For some reason it's only been couples applying, which will be cheap as for moi but maybe cramped? A couple from Ireland came by today, pretty cute, both into books and writing which is nice. Maybe we'll be best friends by the end of the summer.
Finished a sock yesterday, started the pair today so maybe this will be a first. Stay tuned.

i'm talking good problems

I came back saturday morning, after moving c-man into his apt. Third floor, and an alright view of the surroundings- I think I'm just a sucker for tall buildings. Maybe next time I'll try your recommendations- though recently i made it to finally trying discovery coffee to try their donuts and i wasn't too impressed (salted caramel had rosemary?.. I remember ages ago that you said that they had really earl grey ones.

Today we had our first marimba gig of the year- we used this cajon that carm built with her very own hands, and now I'm just slowly unravelling chocolate easter eggs (the small ones in foil) and listening to hypem.

Live it up girls.

See my baby loves to dance

You still in Victoria Sarah?
If so or next time you go:
-Government House gardens. From here you can walk through the neighbourhood and go to Moss Rock Hill or the Ross Bay Cemetery and the beach if you feel like being outside and around flowers
-Shatterbox coffee. Get a sweet there too (A+)

Feeling like I've undergone some huge life change after that hike. Also only craving huge carb-filled meals. I can't sleep beyond 7 am. I keep touching the parts of my collarbone that have the skin rubbed off by accident

Anyway needless to say the Juan de Fuca trail was pretty challenging as a 3 day ordeal but if someone asked me to do it again tomorrow, I would.

Have recently made friends with a group of frat boys that Sally and I do trivia with. Their not frat boys anymore and now I guess the only indication of a douchy past is their very nice watches. One of them's mother is the deputy director of the Coquitlam Library so that pretty ok.

hanging out, unsure of what i am exactly doing today.

Hey guys, hope your exciting hiking trip goes as planned.

Bad news, my favourite cat- Snickerdoodles is lost in the wilderness. I'm on a computer right now, creating an abstract but eye catching poster to put up around the neighbourhood. Hopefully she's just kicking it, being a little shit head, and making my little heart worry for nothing.

I'm unsure of what my daily steps are going to be, I might just take a really long walk into town or opposite- I'm actually in Victoria- staying cute and forever unsure. Any tips of where to go or what to do, and hopefully it happens in the next hours- text me up girls!

Few days ago, I finally taught myself how to crochet- I've been making buckets of dishtowels ( if you happen to see me before this trends stops, you might be able to get one ;). I think the fact that I started to crochet really created the situation of me chatting with a lady with no name, at the ferry terminal a few days ago- we talked for almost 45 minutes about knitting, crochet and world events- all because i chose to teach myself a relatively small skill. Here's to you lady-who-was-picking-up-her-two-grandchildren-but-the-ferry-was-45-minutes-late.

Take care, and be safe!

Hi LV,

Just got letter, here's a quick run down of the answers to the questions you asked, although you'll see for yourself next week! Plus thanks for the pin I guess I'll have to put it on my lapel.

1. L-I-C-E-N-S-E
2.  No I do not carry around a yoga mat and sip lattes and go to pipeline protests- that sounds more like Victoria folk tbh. I'm still lactose intolerant and broke, so.
3. Jewy is paying me about the same amount of attention, although last night she did wake me up at 1:37 am to be let outside.
4. Reading list= Missoula by John Krakauer, which is frankly freaky and heart breaking. And I finished the Curious Case of Benjamin Button this morning, which was nothing like the movie (like his wife died alone in Italy cause he got bored of her when she was older and he was younger). It's really a short story but they bound and republished this version separately after the movie came out.
5. My practicum was part time during school, at the school library so it was manageable. Made some cool temporary friends and also got a good performance review, although I don't know what I could possibly have done to get a negative one, other than maybe publicly speaking about the things they asked me not to mention to anyone (Don't ask me! I already forget what they are!)

As far as amassing the hike group, basically we had 7 definite yeses after the glory that was Nootka last year, and then a couple people invited their other friends and relatives, and you and Fran finally stepped up.
Please do not count on even one day of sunshine, not sure where you are getting your data. I've heard the last day is the muddiest but maybe that's for the best.

Anyway thanks for the news and the advice and the cool card. See you soon!

Kusawa

Baller, this was us yesterday. Our French friend Pierre, an award winning photojournalist ("The awards are on their way," he says) took it with his fancy-pants camera.

We had a pretty lovely weekend out here in the woods. A cabin-warming party was thrown, and a fire was lit under the gigantic tripod built next to the house. Everyone contributed something sweet, and we all peered intently at the sky and tried to figure out if we could see faint northern lights or just moonlight (it was the moon). Small puppies were brought over and passed around until they fell asleep. Several people stayed the night, including a soft-voiced man from Hungary who would only remain in the cabin if we could assure him that we wouldn't steal his kidneys for resale ("Or any organs, really.") In the morning Kory, two journalists, myself and C-Dawg all trotted up the hill to visit a canyon where, I kid you not, we suddenly heard a chorus of yowling and yipping from the next valley over. I might have thought we had imagined it, but it was picked up by the sled dogs in the valley, who began to sing back. Creepy creepy. Things basically ended with bacon and eggs and a discussion about how the journalists, both being from 'established' (ie. rich) families in Montreal, were the black sheep due to their terrible life choices of not becoming lawyers, doctors etc. It feels as if middle-class North American  kids who grow up wealthy are so traumatized by the lack of happiness in their parent's lives that they strike out to do something that leaves them poor but content, and their kids are seized by a burning desire to be successful and attain all of the wealth that their parents never had. And so the cycle continues.

In other news, if that smug blond poster child wins the Iditarod again this year, I will scream and rip out my hair.

     

Pineapple Princess, I Love You

Glad to see we're all back and together, finally.

I'm in Nanaimo, writing a stupid business report on leadership (in academics)

Everyone is impressed with the girth of the pineapple that I picked up while walking home in a daze of post-buzz. Went for pints after a student (me!) organized tour at the Archives, got more cut than expected, walked 10 km home. Thought I ought to stop in and find some eats at the IGA, store was half empty due to closing down this month. Only thing that looked appealing was this prize pineapple. Yesterday, when running out the door to catch a ferry, room-mate goes "make sure you bring that pineapple!" (clearly less impressed), and so here it is, sitting on the counter next to some other less impressive specimen.

 I dunno why I put myself through this torture each time but now I have to Get Inspired and write FIFTEEN pages of suck-uppy drivel, due Monday.
Bye girls

Once you start listening for the backbeat to this song in other tunes, you will find it everywhere

I have an interview with MacBride Mining Museum on Wednesday, and Brent Sass is leading the Iditarod. All is right with the world. Was reluctant to jump on the fandom train, but this guy. Really. Dropping one-liners that would be ludicrously cheesy coming from anyone else (ex. "PAIN IS JUST AN OPTION!"), but somehow you really feel that he believes them. Plus, his dad is just about the biggest sweetheart in the world.
Mushing is one of the few sports in the world where you can freely rub shoulders with the biggest superstars in the game (although, of course, they will attack you if you try to rub shoulders with their dogs). Where your friend can get drunkenly hit on by a certain 1000-mile race champion (not naming any names) who then manages to pack all 13 of his sled dogs into the scuzziest bar in town. And everyone just keeps sipping at their pints the whole while.

In the Mood to Strut

All this milk talk definitely has me craving pancakes. Preferably banana. With cinnamon. I was looking through my hiking cookbooks today for delicious Juan de Fuca recipes. Found a few, but they are mostly of the "dehydrate this for seventeen hours" variety.

The Big Dog, The Big Man and I all had a little adventure out to Kusawa Lake today. I wish I had a photo to show you, but my camera charger has gone awol. ***king incredible mountains out that way. This badly-behaved Airedale terrier ignored the frantic calls of his owners and bounded over to greet Chaos with far too much enthusiasm. Being an old, strong-willed husky, Chaos promptly tried to eat him, leading to ever louder cries from across the lake. This guy finally yelled over that if I just let my dog off leash, everything would be fine. I didn't capitulate as witnessing a bloodbath would have definitely ruined the day. The dogs above are from the YQ Carmacks checkpoint. Hordes of small schoolchildren descended on the checkpoint and were shunted into the care of an enthusiastic veterinarian from New York.

There have been an incredible amount of elk hanging out on the bluffs behind our cabin for the past few days. Yesterday at dinnertime I watched four of them bound wildly in a straight line across the cliffs, like something in a repetitive cartoon. When I turn on the generator, all twenty-something of them turn to stare down into the valley simultaneously.

Still don't have a job, and it's leading to increased guilt and anxiety on the daily. But at least I spend a lot of time outside.

finding a responsible usage for the infamous cold cream

had really good raw tiramisu today (sorry mascarpone)

I had this internally relaxing day today- it felt good just being in the sun and soaking it up. My sister and I had an exploring Nanaimo day- and it consisted of us just taking a different bus than usual, taking our sweet time and continuing this tradition of buying weird asian snack food from Manlee's and testing them out on the waterfront- I think my personal goal is to try every type of seaweed snack in the shop, wish me luck.

ps your milk is fine- the date is just to assure that the grocery store isn't sued- when in doubt though, don't throw it out. Use it for your baking (or pancakes is my favorite choice.)

pss jarule and jlo 4life.

More Milk Problems.

So I'm in the middle of my practicum right now. Today I hung out with Ngoc and put tattle tape in donated theater magazines from the 1980s.
I guess the worst thing about libraries is that a lot of books and especially magazines go into the landfill once they've been removed from the collection. Apparently the glue used on books makes them really hard to recycle.
And there's an odd amount of snobbery (that maybe only I perceive) displayed by librarians. We library techs tend to dress down and end up in the back cluttered work spaces, away from the windows. Librarians have standing desks and glass water bottles and have 'big picture' plans. Or maybe I'm thinking of one in particular... Anyway I'm sort of wondering if I made the right choice in becoming a tech instead of going whole hog. We will see in the long run.
Mike keeps saying that I'm gonna have to be the bread winner, or that I'm gonna end up supporting him. He's worried because he just turned 27 and he's considering going back to school. Doesn't seem to hit home every time I tell him that I am one of the younger people in my program, and that lots of people do their masters in their 30s. Plus who cares: if you are unhappy doing what you're doing, switch it up. Shouldn't matter what age you are.
Lately I've been obsessed with Ja Rule duets and I don't even care who knows it.

I'm having another milk problem. My milk is 4 days over expiry and it smells fine but I'm pretty sure it tastes bad. It's really hard to say and I keep second guessing myself. Plus my stomach feels weird and I'm bloated which maybe is because of milk? But what if both are psychological side effects of buying half price milk??

I Want to Be Left To My Own Devices.

This is where I went for a walk Saturday. And a gang of young men sped by on bikes whooping.


In the past week, two couples that I know have gotten engaged.
Heather, whose locker used to be next to mine, is marrying Elliott, who is British and whose parents died in high school and who once complimented my dainty feet and proceeded to ask me if I wanted children and what I would like to name them.

My friend Regan, who lives in D.C and is interning at the Smithsonian, is marrying her long time boyfriend.
U next L?

I dunno I guess I knit a sock. I've been plagued for the past week by the second cat, Johnny, who comes in in the middle of the night and stands on my chest. And tries to free climb my leg when I'm eating something tasty and is either blind in one eye or supremely disinterested in things happening to his left.
Other cat news: Jewy's full name is Ju-On, which is the Japanese name for the Grudge (Remember watching that movie at Maddy's birthday party and it was raining outside and we were sleeping in her living room in sort of a circle and there was glare on her TV so I couldn't see any of the scary parts and someone was giggling uncontrollably close to me anyway- Nicky?). Which was a name that came for her when she was malnourished and found, a yowling kitten in a cardboard box in the alley in Montreal. I guess I don't have to worry about telling people her name anymore.

Mike left last night and I went to the store and bought makeup and a pint of ice cream. And then I was embarrassed carrying it home like a cliche next to all the other girls clutching their ice cream and lipstick bags.

I have the worst headache and i'm listening to this

At least we're getting sun now.

I'm glad you have drunk bus stories.

I think my personal favorite for me is while I was in Montreal.  It just involved sneaking out to drink this delicious mint cooler in the alley way, a few streets behind the corner store we bought it all from. It felt ultra city slicker... and I don't remember much else from that night. I remember being silly with Camille and Kathryn.


Other than that, update on qualicum life:

1. It's quiet.
2. The local coffee shop makes the sweetest london fog still.
3. I feel weird being at the local QF
4. I'm impressed the forest walkway by my house has street lamps guiding my way. Parksville didn't have that.

Stardaddy Lives On

We were talking on break during class about throwing up and horrible hangovers, because apparently some debauchery went down this weekend, and I of course brought up the story about getting off the bus to throw up on the sidewalk, then catching the next one up to the school. I don't really remember the rest of the story to be honest. Like I know that Joey was moving to Vancouver, I know we were sitting around at someone's house passing around a small bottle of whiskey at one point. But really it was just another case of being too drunk and unjustified. Maybe this year will be the year of responsible beverage choices. The fact that no one finds that story very funny is a good indicator.

Plus David Bowie died, so nothing matters anymore.

L and the Milk

This is the story of L and the Milk. L is a German boy traveling in Canada over the winter. L has a degree in Geography and has never lived with anyone other than his family.
This winter, he decided to rent a room that he found on Craigslist. His roommate was uncommonly gorgeous and intelligent and he had a difficult time looking her in the eye, or coming out of room to spend time in the common areas of the house.
His roommate had just started drinking milk again regularly, after a summer of full swing dairy in which she realized that it wasn't worth drinking the milk of America's most water-consuming crop, especially since it makes everything taste worse (Still better than soy maybe). She had broke down one particularly cold week and bought a two liter carton, since she foresaw the need in the coming week for many hot chocolates.
L, as was customary, had bought his own large carton of milk. However, he was so shy he had trouble asking where the recycling was kept in the house. Once he finished the milk he left the empty carton in the fridge, and simply placed a new one next to it.
One day, his roommate opened the fridge to find her own half full milk carton, accompanied by his empty carton (which she removed and recycled for him), another half full carton and- what's this?- an entire full four liter jug of milk.
This is unfortunately where the story gets more difficult to tell as the author cannot fathom what a person could be planning to do with that much milk, especially since it goes bad so quickly. This is not the sort of product that one buys in bulk to save for a day when there is nothing else to eat.
The roommate, though deeply confused, did not have the chance to ask L what his intentions with the milk were as he had a tendency to stay out late and sleep in late.
The roommate went to visit her parents for two weeks over the Christmas holidays, and in this time forgot completely about the milk. When she returned to resume her studies in the new year, however, she found that the nearly full four liter jug of milk was still in the fridge, with a thick layer of scum rimming the top.
When L left the house to continue his travels, he took the milk with him.