December Ramblings

Well, I'm happy to say that my intro to officership course is ALL done. My preliminary papers are done, and now I wait. I don't have much of an idea of what to expect in this next phase of the application but I'm enjoying some time to just relax in between phases.

The time also gives me a chance to more fully enjoy my holidays. My new(ish) job gives me from Dec. 25 - Jan 4 off and that is pretty sweet to me. I absolutely love all the facets of Christmas and am excited at the opportunity to wallow in them.

For the first year in a long time I have not had too many engagements. While I do miss the aspect of being out with the band and the fun that I have in those venues I'm liking being home or able to spend time with friends and family.

One of the things that's very exciting to me this year is the opportunity to go to the New Years Eve Flames game. For the past few years it's been a battle of Alberta and that is always worth seeing.

Well, stay tuned for my training college application updates and my other random blogs.

Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year

Pick Yourself Up, Dust Yourself Off, Start All Over Again

The title of my blog comes from the movie Swing Time starring Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers. It's very early in the movie and comes when Fred Astaire is trying to speak to Ginger Rogers after a misunderstanding and gets in by asking for a dance lesson. As she's trying to teach him he's pretending he can't dance at all and so she tells him to pick himself up, dust himself off and start all over again.

It's the type of song that sticks in your head and of course you start to think(as I'm sure you're meant to) of how much more this could apply to.

So my advice to myself and all others out there is when you're not sure it can be done, when you've tried and failed give the song a thought and start all over again.

Also, give the movie a shot it's a good one.

Naming Quirks

I know it's weird but honestly the names of some colours for things like pantyhose drive me a little nuts. For example I am currently wearing a pair that are considered the colour neutral. I ask you - to what skin colour are these neutral. Now maybe I have a little less colour then some people but seriously I don't think most people are this particular shade. One day maybe I just won't wear them as often as I do now but in the mean time I will continue to shake my head.

Now, nail polish colours I need to give them full credit for fun and humour. OPI in particular seem to know how to make it engaging with some names like Russian Navy, Lincoln Park after Dark and Espresso Yourself. Those just crack me up.

Yes, this is a totally random blog and more then a little bit strange but I just wanted to get it out there.

This and That...and the other.

So for those of you that may not know I'm a reader. I don't mean that in the Firefly/Serenity way but rather in the always holding a book in front of my face way. I always have at least one book in my bag and usually at least three that I'm reading at home. So when books get made into movies or TV shows I almost always prefer the book. The notable exception to that being The Devil Wears Prada. While I do prefer to read the book I will say that several of these movies have been excellent. The Lord of the Rings movies were great to watch and I enjoy them still and found that their discrepancies were for the most part minor and understandable given the transition from book to big screen.

Now there is a new series on television call The Legend of the Seeker. It is based on a series of books by Terry Goodkind called The Sword of Truth series. I have only just started reading this series in the past year and have enjoyed it. However, the tv series so far is drastically different in order of events, characater knowledge and relationship with each other. At the end of the episodes I say "at least the names are the same". I do enjoy the series though so I'm trying to pretend it has nothing to do with the books and just relax and savour the good action sequences and the directors use of a slow motion scene.

In other news:

I am still working through my application process for training college which right now consists of me working on a course. Whether or not I am accepted I pray that God's will be done in every step of the process even if that means I stay in Calgary or if I end up in Winnipeg full time.

I burned the entire length of my finger and it really hurts - this is the entertainment portion of my blog I mean really my entire finger. However, there is a guy that I work with now who is more accident prone then me.

I'm going to Winnipeg for a weekend about officership and find myself standing back and thinking that I managed to avoid Winnipeg for 23 years and now I go back twice this year. My bandmaster is worried about my travelling destinations - Edmonton, Winnipeg, Edmonton, Winnipeg.

I'm hoping to go to Seattle in the spring - stay tuned for updates.

Thanksgiving and other October events

First and foremost I do realize it's been a long time since my last post...oh well!

I have started my new job and am enjoying it so far. A common phrase from me these days is that I'm living the dream of working less for more money. I'm sure that won't last long as I get more into the job, used to my various tasks and pick up more work. For now though I'm enjoying a bit of a break. The people I'm working for and with are very nice and I'm finding the transition very smooth. I'm enjoying working with Eunice again as that's how we met and our friendship got started. It also makes it a lot easier to start at a new company if you already know someone there. I've also had the opportunity of reconnection with some people from my last job and that's always nice. It's a very small professional world be you in oil and gas, or professional services.

I spent Thanksgiving up in Edmonton with the family and had some great food courtesy of my Dad. I really enjoyed wandering around the downtown farmers market and got a new toy for my cat which I'm sure she'll love and using this toy as a bribe should keep her from being displeased with me for awhile. Yes, the toy has catnip I am a dealer for my cats addictions and have no shame in that job.

I'm taking an intro course right now and finding it interesting....more or less. I think it's a good opportunity for me to remind myself what school's all about and the education mindset I'll need. Some of the units seem to have an inordinate amount of required reading but hey reading has never been a problem for me. Be it fiction or non.

Well, I hope everyone had a very Happy Thanksgiving!!!

Kids

Well, I find I have to post this story for the humour effect.

While I was housesitting/dog sitting for friends I actually had kids ring the doorbell and runaway. Now maybe this would normally be only a small annoyance and mostly something to chuckle at, caused a small chain of events that made it highly entertaining.

My friends dog ran to the door upon hearing the doorbell and I was not paying attention enough to remember he should be upstairs when I open the door and sure enough when I opened it he was off like a shot. Now he stayed close by and I had his treats so I figured getting him back would be easy and we were well on our way until the little girls cat from across the street came to investigate and well there went the dog. So of course as cats and dogs do they fought and of course the dog lost. Then there followed another spate of running around to catch him and the girls were very helpful and then low and behold two boys walked over to ask how he escaped so I explained the situation as I picked him up and thanked the kids for their efforts and wouldn't you know it as I was walking back to the house behind me I heard "Don't do that again" shouted by one of the boys to his friend and a scared SHHH as they wondered if I heard. I left it alone as hey I can understand wanting to try the legendary prank and really as you read and picture all this can't you see the humour?

Oh and just so you can see this all clearly when I'm lounging at home - you know doing laundry, cleaning, cooking whatever I just wear sweats and a big baggy t-shirt. Now for those of you who are wondering how this is different from what I wear out...it's usually jeans outside the house and shoes.

Oddly enough though this has not changed my desire to not have children ;).

New Job

So, it finally happened...I am leaving my current job and going back to oil and gas. Talk about scary. I had only just started looking again when they called and very quickly I was hired. Too quickly to me...it's only now starting to sink in. I've been working at this place for going on three years and have made some wonderful relationships that I will miss. The reactions of people as they find out I'm leaving have been very interesting and for the most part incredibly supportive.

There was a senior manager who said he hopes it goes badly so he can recruit me back was very sweet, but the manager who said well see ya then was a little off putting. So I focus on the good ones. I didn't expect this level of support and I guess sadness(?) from people. I will miss seeing a lot of them day to day and discussing my "breakfast" of coke or being teased for my heavy sighs in the morning by one of the partners. I'll miss a fun rivalry with one of the other assistants who says her managers like me better then her and the senior associate who comes by every Friday to do the Happy Friday dance.

I am looking forward to going back to oil and gas which is after all my background and working with a really good friend who I've worked with a few times before. I'm excited to be going back as an admin instead of document control and working for someone who trusts me to know my job and will leave me to do it. I focus on things like building new day to day relationships and keeping the ones that mattered at my old job.

So all in all? I find myself ready and willing for the challenge and glad this came about at exactly this time for me.

Vacation

Well I don't normally post twice in a month but July was a bigger month than normal for me so here we have it. This year I took 2 full weeks off from work and headed out on my first trip with my father since I was about 18 months old, and you may be shocked but no I don't remember that trip.

Dad, Glenda and I headed off to Winnipeg in the van and I got to see such sights as the worlds largest easter egg...and well...that's about it. However, I enjoyed the drive with all the modern comforts like a portable DVD player, a cooler and several books. We stopped over in Yorkton, SK. the first night and then it was back on the road to Winnipeg.

I enjoyed the few days we spent there getting to see all my family and see some of the sights. A big moment for me was getting to eat a VJ's Drive Inn (their spelling) cheeseburger. I had heard numerous stories about these burgers and it was great to finally taste one fresh from the grill. I will admit on record that it was a very good burger, and I was completely sold on the french fries. They were fantastic all crunchy and good.

We headed back to Alberta on Friday stopping first in Moose Jaw and then they dropped me off in Calgary just in time for a wedding reception. Ashley was beautiful and Nathan looked pretty good too, so my congrats to Nathan and Ashley Beadle.

I had the following week off and got to just hang out at home and relax. I did some cleaning and organizing although not as much as I planned, but I am feeling very relaxed even if I'm not ready to go back to work.

Wedding number three for me this summer was Phil and Amanda's and for a change I went to the ceremony. Everything looked amazing and went smoothly - at least from where I was sitting. The reception was in Bragg Creek and wow was it decorated nicely. Congrats to Amanda and Phillip Waters.

So now I get to go back to my day-to-day life and look back on these lazy days with fondness. I hope everyone enjoys the rest of their summer.

Stampede

As a native Calgarian there is one event I'm always aware of and that's the Calgary Stampede. 10 days of tourists, parties, breakfasts, rodeos, and general fun.

I have always enjoyed marching in the parade once my feet go numb and this year was no different. We set off from the church at 6am which even for me is a little early....admittedly not that early and headed downtown. We hung out on the bus for a long time but eventually got to the band staging area and were able to head down for our pancake breakfast. Then back to the parking lot for our picture and off we went. I was glad it was overcast as this kept us from melting in the sun. It's always exciting to see someone I know along the route and this year I saw several and I've had more come up to me since to say they saw me.

Friday night we go to the grounds and see the chuckwagon races and grandstand show. The grandstand show was phenomenal and I loved the fireworks. It always seems like they're going to land on you but no actual fire (which if you know me you'll realise is a bit disappointing :) ).

Saturday is our carnival, BBQ and concert. So off to the church to enjoy the always fabulous food they have. I do love that beef on a bun. Then we had our program and I really enjoyed the guests. So much so that I decided to line dance right into them during the timbrel drill...never let it be said I'm shy or graceful.

So now I look forward to the rodeo on Wednesday and watching the tourists enjoy this great city of Alberta.

June

June has become the big month of my life the past three years. This year as always things heat up at work as corporate tax deadline is typically June 30, and at church as July 4 marks the start of Stampede.

So, as the month nears its end and I'm finally seeing the light at the end of the tunnel. I'll pause for a few moments and write out my blog.

June saw a last minute trip to Edmonton to visit with Dad and Glenda. A big thanks to my friends for driving me up. I also found out about a trip to Winnipeg to visit my family there and am looking forward to that in July. It's probably not wrong to say I'm as excited about that week as I am about the week following where I will be off work and just hanging out at home.

June has also seen several changes at work with people leaving and starting and I'm reminded that part of what makes my job both interesting and challenging is all the new people.

June at church means getting ready for Stampede weekend. We march in the parade, do a carnival, BBQ, concert and celebration service. I love this weekend every year for a variety of reasons. Marching in the parade is hot, sweaty and grueling but the people are always so enthusiastic even after sitting on the sidewalk for hours beforehand. The carnival and the rest on Saturday provides a great opportunity for sitting and chatting with friends and neighbors (not to mention great food) and the evening program gives us a chance to play some really fun music. So even though my practices are tougher it's worth it. Another reason to love this weekend is it marks the end of my busy season and I get two glorious months of relaxation, and enjoyment.

So enjoy June and know that better is coming.

Thanks

I just wanted to say a big thank you to all my friends and family that came to my party and wished me a happy birthday. I felt and feel very spoiled.

The party was a great time. Lots of laughter, food, and talking. The various pictures of me through the years were both seriously embarrassing and a good conversation starter. May I never again have to see the picture of me in my tie-dyed outfit. Don't Ask!

Nothing Much

Well, here's my post for April. I don't have much on the go right now. I'm very excited about my birthday party on May 3. It may be bad form to plan your own party but I'm having a great time doing it.

I hope my parents are feeling their age with a 25 year old daughter.

Earth Hour

I'm not usually a big joiner on these things but turning off my lights for an hour is simple enough.
Kyla has committed to taking part in Earth Hour 2008. Like Kyla, you can add your name to the Earth Hour movement here. Once registered, you'll receive useful tool and tips to help you get even more involved. And Kyla will see that their efforts have inspired you to join Earth Hour.
http://earthhour.org

Band Trip

I was very happy this year when I heard that we were going to be heading to Rockford/Chicago with the band on the return side of a band exchange. The Rockford Temple band came to Calgary for Stampede last July and I was looking forward to going out to their corps.

So the Easter date was set, the fundraising has commenced and we got our itinerary. I flew out on the 6:30am flight going from Calgary to Denver to Rockford. So I stayed at Pete and Sandy's the night before, got all of an hours sleep and headed over to the airport. I had one suitcase, my carry on and of course my horn. We met the other three people travelling with us and checked in. I cleared customs, sent my horn and bag (marked for Rockford) down the chute and headed to the gate with my group. The flight to Denver was fine. Short and sweet with no problems. We arrived at gate 25 and had to walk down to gate 91 which ate up most of our layover in Denver. The plane from Denver to Rockford was considerably smaller and I noticed the change when my ears plugged and it was a painful experience. When the plane descended my ears did not unplug and the pain started again. It faded as we walked and I decided that a plugged ear can be lived with so long as it doesn't hurt.

We were greeted in Rockford by the bandmaster and headed down to their single luggage carousel. A few bags came out and then nothing more until with a deafening THUD down came Dave's tuba, and the rest of the bags....or so it seemed. Missing in the luggage was Dave's suitcase, Dani's suitcase, Pete & Sandy's garment bag and....my horn. We filled out the claim forms and headed to the corps. We were told by the airport that we would be receiving our things from Denver late that night.

So we grabbed some lunch, hooked up with the other flight group and had dinner at the corps with the Rockford band, their families and the rest of the billets. My billet partner was Bev Preston and my billets were Alan and Shirley Nelson. They were fantastic. I had my own room with the bathroom right across the hall. The Nelson's were lovely to stay with and I was happy to see my billet situation. We sat and talked for awhile that night and then I went to bed and slept very, very well.

Friday morning we got up and got ready for our trip to Chicago. Upon arriving at the corps I was informed that while the luggage had arrived my horn had not. It had been sent on. So, I borrowed a horn from one of the Rockford band members and off we went. Needless to say I was not in the most positive frame of mind and sat by myself on the bus. We played a lunch hour good Friday concert in a government building and then got changed for a trip to a large mall in Chicago as the weather was too nasty to tour downtown. We wandered around for an hour and a half and I got to go to my favourite store in the states which was fantastic. Then we loaded the bus and headed to Oakbrook corps for a good Friday service. Little did I know that Bill Himes my favourite composer attended Oakbrook and I got to meet him and he had dinner with us at my table. That was a very exciting moment for me (I can hear dad laughing at me as he reads this). The evening service went very well and we finished on an upbeat note singing/playing There is Power in the Blood.

Saturday Lindsay and I decided to go shopping in Rockford which enabled us to sleep a bit later, and spend some time with our billets. I had the most fantastic breakfast of swedish pancakes and bacon. I didn't want to leave that table that's for sure. However, the time came to head out and so we did. I met up with Linds at the mall and we wandered. There I got to go to my second favourite store in the states and that was also great. Saturday afternoon we headed to the corps for sound check, dinner and of course the big concert. Imagine my joy and surprise when I was informed that my horn had FINALLY arrived undamaged and ready to play. I returned the borrowed horn and played my own happily. The sound check went well and then it was off to dinner. I enjoyed the concert no end as we played, sang and played some more. Some really fun pieces to listen to like Western Fantasy and Praising, as well as some more thought provoking ones like Reflections in Nature were on the program. I was up there with the timbrels and we had a great time. Afterwards it was home with the billets to chat some more and then I had to pack up. Getting all my stuff into my suitcase proved an interesting challenge but I managed.

Sunday morning we brought all of our stuff to the corps (well not Bev because she stayed on a couple days) and got ready for a SonRise service and 7 o'clock in the morning. I don't remember a lot of it just that I was very very tired. Then it was off to the Swedish American hospital to do some Easter carolling with the Rockford band. They also fed us breakfast which we were very happy about. Back to Rockford corps for their regular Sunday service and then one more lunch with the band and billets. Then it was off to Chicago for our flight where I traded my seat for Sandy's window and managed to get the row with no chair in front of it which I needed for my incredibly long legs ;). We landed in Calgary and miracle of miracles my horn and my bag arrived as did everyone elses.

It was a great trip and this is a very long blog, but it's nice to be home.

Looking Back

I tend to be very reminiscent so as I've been looking back on my life I marvel at the stupid mistakes I make and realize the stupid mistakes I have yet to make. However, I also get to smile at the fact that I was influenced away from so many others - mistakes I mean. So, to those who have been an influence on my life you have my thanks.

Alright, that's as sentimental as it gets on something other people read. Hope everyone had a happy February.

Whoops

Okay so this isn't posted in January...so kill me. Just look on the positive now for those two readers this blog has, you get two postings in February....all things being equal.

I don't have much to say. January was a very normal kind of month which I enjoy.

Work is going okay and the rest of life is pretty good too. I had a wonderful New Years Eve and am right now very excited about the band trip to Rockford which pretty much sums up this month.

Really that's it! No trips anywhere so far. No events have happened only several in process. Basically my January was just the way I like 'em. Slow and Easy. Have a good one.