Posting has been light lately for a number of reasons. Reason number one is that we have been having a tropical heat wave here in Northern British Columbia and, as much as I feel a duty to satisfy my readership of 4 people, posting from an air mattress on the Lake is not as easy as it looks.
Reason number two is that my laptop is on the fritz. It's broken. It really sucks. Right now I am posting from work, shhh. I have a bazillion pictures that I want to show you of the awesome summer we've been having, plus I am acutely aware that I have not finished telling the gruesome tale of the college's Hellscape-Neverending-Daymare Field School of Satan. Don't worry, it's brewing, and once I can access my pictures it will be unleashed upon the interwebs.
At the moment I am waiting for a new battery and power cord for my laptop to arrive in the mail. As neither of mine work, I am obviously unable to turn it on and everything that is on there is trapped in the limbo of computer-memory-storage-land and will not see light of day until my shit arrives. Not being able to access my documents and pictures, and my inability to sit with my laptop, feel its radiant warmth....let's just say I've developed an eye twitch and I've been spending way too much time with the toaster.
Thursday, July 30, 2009
FAIL Blog
While I was surfing the interwebs this afternoon I came across a most exciting new development, one that has the potential to become a regular installment of my daily timewasting routine. You may have already experienced the ridiculously epic entertainment value that FAILblog has to offer. (Not to mention the incredibly valuable public service they provide). If you haven't, I suggest you click the link to your right and get yourself some educations.
What is this new development you speak of? It is none other than a new blog by the good people at FAIL entitled 'emails from crazy people'. Catchy right? Well, I just got my daily ab workout from reading the first few posts and I can tell you, it is worth getting busted by your boss for sluffing off on the web at work, so GET TO IT PEOPLE.
That is all.
What is this new development you speak of? It is none other than a new blog by the good people at FAIL entitled 'emails from crazy people'. Catchy right? Well, I just got my daily ab workout from reading the first few posts and I can tell you, it is worth getting busted by your boss for sluffing off on the web at work, so GET TO IT PEOPLE.
That is all.
Monday, July 20, 2009
Monday, July 13, 2009
Summer Activities - Waterfall Edition
Saturday night Dave and I and a few friends decided to check out a waterfall near the Extew River. It was a hefty drive down an old logging road, but once we were there it was only a short (but steep!) hike to the falls.
We brought Zoe out on a hike for the first time, (we've always been wary that she'd disappear never to return), and she did marvelously, although she promptly fell asleep for the night once we got back to the vehicle!
Kieran - Always ready for a sudden bear attack.
Kieran - "Wait, you've never shot a rifle before?!"
This is the very bottom, where the waterfall lands.
photo courtesy of Heather Roberts
There was so much spray we might as well have gone swimming.
Photo courtesy of Heather Roberts
Photo courtesy of Heather Roberts
Somebuddy's tie-tie...
Photo courtesy of Heather Roberts
We brought Zoe out on a hike for the first time, (we've always been wary that she'd disappear never to return), and she did marvelously, although she promptly fell asleep for the night once we got back to the vehicle!
Kieran - Always ready for a sudden bear attack.
Kieran - "Wait, you've never shot a rifle before?!"
This is the very bottom, where the waterfall lands.
photo courtesy of Heather Roberts
There was so much spray we might as well have gone swimming.
Photo courtesy of Heather Roberts
Photo courtesy of Heather Roberts
Somebuddy's tie-tie...
Photo courtesy of Heather Roberts
Thursday, July 9, 2009
Summer Activities
Dave's first catch, a little trout! He was out fishing with friends for the evening and I was at home writing a paper when he called to say that he was going to cook dinner (at 10pm) and we were eating fresh trout. I would have to admit that it wasn't exactly a full meal, especially shared between us, but it made for a good evening nibble.
Tuesday, July 7, 2009
Canada Day Bliss
Aaaaah, Canada Day. The celebration of our world domination, safety from our Southern enemies, emancipation from our British overlords, peace and shared prosperity between the English, the French, and the Natives...well, maybe not exactly. But still, a fun party.
We went to the old-timey, fun-time, log-cabin-and-mounted-buffalo-head heritage park for some celebrations.
Saturday, June 20, 2009
Kitlope, no, something, whatever, Field School
Eight months ago a friend of mine told me that there was this really amazing field school that NWCC puts on in the Summer where you go to the Kitlope. The Kitlope is a ways down the Douglas Channel, past Alcan, past Kemano and into the wilderness where the 1st Nations people used to have villages before European contact. Sounds great right? Even better is that the course is two weeks long and is worth 6 credits, a geography and an anthropology. Right up my alley. I went straight down to registration and signed up.
So there I am, totally set, 8 months in advance, I booked the time off work, let everyone know what I was doing, and didn't really think about it for another 7 1/2 months.
Then what happens? I got a phone call from the college, two weeks before the class began, letting me know that it wasn't looking good. There were some problems happening between the college and the 1st Nations group that was supposed to take us and it looked like we were going to have to do something else instead.
So, like a trooper, I'm like, ok, no big deal, I trust that we'll do something interesting and worthwhile, and I guess it'll cost a bit less, so that's a bonus. NO WORRIES.
Ok. So there has been some give and take. Our first field trip consisted of a cancellation of our hike at Glacier Creek because it might have been flooded, but no one was sure either way, so instead we drove the 20 minutes to Old Remo to look at culturally modified trees, but SURPRISE the road was flooded out, so we had to turn around and go somewhere else. (Oh, did I mention we had already left late because the teacher had forgotten to book something for the next day so we had to wait for her to get her shit together?) Where? 30 minutes out of town to a deactivated logging road that had completely grown over. We had to trudge through solid bush, shoving juvenile spruce trees out of our way and braving steep, muddy, embankments. Not a trip for the faint of heart, or knees. We then arrived on the bank of the Skeena, and apparently we were looking for culturally modified trees and cache pits, which were used by the 1st Nations to store food during a hunt. We walked around for about 20 minutes, didn't find them, (because of course the INSTRUCTORS didn't know where they were), and decided to leave, because OH WELL I GUESS THEY AREN'T HERE.
Most of us decided to walk back on the tracks because the trek in was beyond ridiculous, until we heard a shout in the woods from the teacher saying that they had found them. We then hiked it back in so that we could look at, wait for it, a bunch of holes in the ground. Holes in the ground that contained food 300 years ago. HOLES.
This is my two weeks of holidays for the entire YEAR, PEOPLE! Sigh.
So there I am, totally set, 8 months in advance, I booked the time off work, let everyone know what I was doing, and didn't really think about it for another 7 1/2 months.
Then what happens? I got a phone call from the college, two weeks before the class began, letting me know that it wasn't looking good. There were some problems happening between the college and the 1st Nations group that was supposed to take us and it looked like we were going to have to do something else instead.
So, like a trooper, I'm like, ok, no big deal, I trust that we'll do something interesting and worthwhile, and I guess it'll cost a bit less, so that's a bonus. NO WORRIES.
Ok. So there has been some give and take. Our first field trip consisted of a cancellation of our hike at Glacier Creek because it might have been flooded, but no one was sure either way, so instead we drove the 20 minutes to Old Remo to look at culturally modified trees, but SURPRISE the road was flooded out, so we had to turn around and go somewhere else. (Oh, did I mention we had already left late because the teacher had forgotten to book something for the next day so we had to wait for her to get her shit together?) Where? 30 minutes out of town to a deactivated logging road that had completely grown over. We had to trudge through solid bush, shoving juvenile spruce trees out of our way and braving steep, muddy, embankments. Not a trip for the faint of heart, or knees. We then arrived on the bank of the Skeena, and apparently we were looking for culturally modified trees and cache pits, which were used by the 1st Nations to store food during a hunt. We walked around for about 20 minutes, didn't find them, (because of course the INSTRUCTORS didn't know where they were), and decided to leave, because OH WELL I GUESS THEY AREN'T HERE.
Most of us decided to walk back on the tracks because the trek in was beyond ridiculous, until we heard a shout in the woods from the teacher saying that they had found them. We then hiked it back in so that we could look at, wait for it, a bunch of holes in the ground. Holes in the ground that contained food 300 years ago. HOLES.
This is my two weeks of holidays for the entire YEAR, PEOPLE! Sigh.
Sunday, June 14, 2009
Summer Activities
The weather here has been gorgeous for the last three weeks and although we've been enjoying it immensely, we've had a rather limited amount of time available to get out and enjoy it. So after much griping and moaning on my part, we took the day aside. In the morning we did loads and loads of yardwork and cleaning and then we went on a lovely little jaunt down the Centennial Trail and then up the Bench. I road my bike and Dave rollerbladed. It was a great day and we got to enjoy some breathtaking views while panting and hacking from overexertion.
The view from the top of Kalum Hill
Dave looks miserable but he's just exhausted.
Me!
The view from the top of Kalum Hill
Dave looks miserable but he's just exhausted.
Me!
Friday, June 12, 2009
A Little Glimpse of Nonna
My Dad's side of the family is Italian. And when I say 'Italian' I mean, live across from Giovanni Cabotto Park, shop at Spinelli's, attend Santa Maria Goretti Catholic Parish and drink wine with an alcohol content resembling screech. I mean the dish-flinging, over-bearing mothering, plastic sheets on the 50 year old 'chesterfield', singing O Solo Mio while drunk at 400-plus guest weddings kind of Italian. When I'm with my Nonna and Nonno I love every minute of it. That is, until Nonna starts fretting over me and asking when I'm going to move back to Edmonton and why doesn't Leannie have a boyfriend yet and why isn't Jon in school and while we're at it lets talk about grudges that originated over 40 years ago but are still going strong.
Oh what the hell, I still love it then too.
One of the most distinct things about my grandparents is their house. All of their furniture is exactly the same as it was when I was growing up. Most of their belongings remain as well. They have blush pink couches bearing intricate dark wood detail. Their coffee table is a dark wood with space in cubbies for trinkets and little statues, of which there are many. The china cabinet, kitchen and dining room table, their bed and dresser have all been in that house since before my birth. Their belongings are so distinct, (tacky), that whenever I (or my sister or my mom) see "Nonna" stuff, whether that be decorative items or clothing, we always take the time to stop and point it out. Often, one of us will stop and cry out at a particularly sequined, colourful confection, "oh god, that is SUCH a Nonna sweater." And the rest of us will stop and admire.
Not having had this experience in quite some time here in Terrace, I had to stop and take pictures of these "bouquets" that I saw at a local shop here. Nonna has these EXACT displays in her home and I was shocked to see they still sell them....somewhere.
Oh what the hell, I still love it then too.
One of the most distinct things about my grandparents is their house. All of their furniture is exactly the same as it was when I was growing up. Most of their belongings remain as well. They have blush pink couches bearing intricate dark wood detail. Their coffee table is a dark wood with space in cubbies for trinkets and little statues, of which there are many. The china cabinet, kitchen and dining room table, their bed and dresser have all been in that house since before my birth. Their belongings are so distinct, (tacky), that whenever I (or my sister or my mom) see "Nonna" stuff, whether that be decorative items or clothing, we always take the time to stop and point it out. Often, one of us will stop and cry out at a particularly sequined, colourful confection, "oh god, that is SUCH a Nonna sweater." And the rest of us will stop and admire.
Not having had this experience in quite some time here in Terrace, I had to stop and take pictures of these "bouquets" that I saw at a local shop here. Nonna has these EXACT displays in her home and I was shocked to see they still sell them....somewhere.
Wednesday, June 10, 2009
Self - Help by Norm Foster. Pics Volume One.
The show closed on Saturday night with what was undoubtedly our best performance. For those of you who couldn't be there, some pictures will have to suffice. Too bad for you.
These are from opening night and were graciously provided by my one of my colleagues, Gloria, and her man, Sandy.
"Mr. & Mrs. Savage, the people who live here."
"Okay, time to switch to plan B"
"Flatter you be damned!"
"Is it because I said Mitchell Quinty was a pantywaist?"
"Please Detective, call me Ruby."
These are from opening night and were graciously provided by my one of my colleagues, Gloria, and her man, Sandy.
"Mr. & Mrs. Savage, the people who live here."
"Okay, time to switch to plan B"
"Flatter you be damned!"
"Is it because I said Mitchell Quinty was a pantywaist?"
"Please Detective, call me Ruby."
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