The Wedding

The wedding has now come and gone... it was a weekend of trips to the airport, late nites, numerous bags of dill pickle chips, cans of hairspray, hundreds of bobby pins, many smiles, tears, words of love, exchanging of rings, laughs, beauty, rain, flowers, reunion... love.

If you are on facebook I have posted a whole album of pictures. For those of you that are not yet part of the most popular networking friends website here are a couple pictures:








MC'ing went fine... after I started I wasn't stressed anymore... and things ran along very smoothly. It was a beautiful day....

My Mafia Friend George... Richie... Joey....

This is my hotel.... the tiki bar in the back ground... the marina I went fishing in w/ George and Joey.



These guys were so great...
I felt a little tentative at first, but I just went with it... how bad could they be - they had I love Jesus caps in their car -lol.

The Mafia

So far life in Florida is great.
I've been to the beach everyday... I am now officially burnt... that cool ocean breeze can be deceitful... I felt chilled and so was delayed in putting on the sunscreen.... and now I'm RED.

I went fishing last nite with this guy from the Christian Mafia. Actually he isn't Mafia... but he looks like it and talks like it... but him and his 2 brothers had "I love Jesus" caps in the back of the car. I almost caught a fish. Had a good bite... the little bugger stole my bait.
My hotel has a marina in the back. There are so many fish - you can see them swimming if you just sit there long enough. After we were done fishing they took me out for Chinese food. yummy.

Then they decided I needed a fridge and microwave in my room so they snagged one from down the hall and carried in for me - installed it and everything. They are so great. Don't worry they are all over 50 years old... so no I'm not going to marry a Mafia guy.

I have to take the bus everywhere b/c I didn't rent a car... the transit system has a subculture of it's own. I've already made friends with the regulars as I have now become a regular myself. Because Sarasota is not really that big - they don't have that many buses running so I've already made friends with a couple of the bus drivers. Interesting people.

I'm not sure what I'm going to tomorrow. Perhaps try another beach... or maybe the museum?
My Mafia friend George leaves tomorrow so I'm on my own... but my hotel does have a pretty slick tiki bar so I guess I could just hang out there.

Well no new pictures yet... perhaps tomorrow.

Life In Florida

Sarasota... Sarawhata?
That's the response I got when I told people that's were I was going to be going on for holidays.

24 hours ago I was on my way to Seattle WA. I drove to SeaTac airport and hopped on a plane at 10:45 p.m. I arrived a few hours later in Charlotte (6 a.m.) - That was the shortest longest nite ever. Thank God I had the emergency exit row so I had a little extra room to stretch out. Hung out in the Charlotte airport for a few hours watching the Southerners interact with eachother. They are a different bread down here.

Arrived in Sarasota at 11 a.m. Wow.
After I got of the plane I had to find a place to stay and figure out how to get there.
Thanks to the many great helpful Sarasota residents I found a place to stay and the bus depot to get me there.

Checked in, took a shower (it had been thirty some hours in the same cloths) and jumped back on the bus to head to the beach.
WOW....

WOW.... The sand is like sugar... white and fine...
WOW.... The beach empty and beautiful...
WOW.... look at that blue water...

WOW.... look at me getting a tan :)

Covert... Convert...

OK OK yes I mean CONVERT - not COVERT :)

Hockey

I will not convert, I will not convert, I will not convert...

Game 7 - Canucks vs Dallas... and I say "WE SCORED" and poo poo says to me... "WE" what is with the "WE" you mean - THEY SCORED... eeeeeeeeeeeeeeek

NO NO NO I have not changed my loyalties... I am an Oilers fan first and forever.
I'm only cheering for Vancouver b/c they are the only choice in the playoffs.

Just in case anyone had any doubts :)

Moving... Stagettes...

It seems as all is happening at once... moving... weddings... stagettes....

We took Poo Poo to the Giggle Dam (Dinner Theater). First we dressed her up in her evening attire before we took her out:


While we were there she got called up to play the "dating game" - who would she pick?????


Then home to continue packing.

We move in 3 more sleeps. I'm moving to North Vancouver and poopoo is moving to English Bay - on Beach Ave - nice.

It has been one year and 3 weeks since we moved here... had to believe we are already moving again. Time goes so fast.

Anyone want to help us move????

More on Sushi

As one of my faithful readers commented that I may have found nemo - I was distraught think of the possibility that I could have eaten the cute little black and orange movie star... but then I realized the fish I eat are tuna, salmon and crab... no little cute orange and black clown fish.
phew... that was close.

BUT I'm finding this week as I had sushi 6x in 5 days that perhaps it's not very healthy.
Today I ate sushi for my 6th time and found that after I was done my fingers and toes started to swell... is it all the salt in the soya sauce? Is it msg? water retention from the salt?

Perhaps one should not eat sushi that many days in a row. Note to self for next week.

Breaking News - Edmonton, Canada

A seven year old boy was at the centre of an Edmonton courtroom drama yesterday when he challenged a court ruling over who should have custody of him. The boy has a history of being beaten by his parents and the judge initially awarded custody to his aunt, in keeping with the child custody law and regulations requiring that family unity be maintained to the degree possible.

The boy surprised the court when he proclaimed that his aunt beat him more than his parents and he adamantly refused to live with her.

When the judge suggested that he live with his grandparents, the boy cried out that they also beat him.

After considering the remainder of the immediate family and learning that domestic violence was apparently a way of life among them, the judge took the unprecedented step of allowing the boy to propose who should have custody of him.

After two recesses to check legal references and confer with child welfare officials, the judge granted temporary custody to the Edmonton Oilers, whom the boy firmly believes are not capable of beating anyone.

My New Found LOVE

No No not a man, but a food.... SUSHI
I've been eating it 4x a week - whenever I can. Not sure if it's the taste of the seaweed or the soya sauce - but I can't seem to get enough of it.

YUMMY!!!!!!!! I could eat all those little rolls right now... (I've already had sushi today - should at least wait until tomorrow)

The Oilers

Being the MC

So I'm going to be a MC for the first time in my life on May 20th.

I've been to many weddings... good and bad... and have seen some amazing MC's and some really boring hopeless MC's. Through all those weddings I never really took notes of what made a good MC and now I find myself trying to dig deep into my memory to find something to go on coming up with nothing.
HELP someone HELP ME?

There's gotta be some books out there on "the idiots guide to being a MC" - there seems to be one of those books for everything else.
I'll keep you posted on the quest - but if you have any ideas let me know.

The Count Down Has Begun

Only 9 days until it's been a year that I moved to Vancouver

30 Days and counting until the big move across town.
Poo Poo is looking at moving to Beach Ave at English bay - yes a place on the beach looking over the ocean... I'm moving to Lonsday Quay overlooking the harbor.
We will both have amazing places over looking the ocean.
Who'd a thought back in Jan of 06 that a year and a bit later I'd be sitting in a place over looking the ocean with the cool salty breeze brushing my cheeks as I watch the ships head out to sea. The full green lush mountains all around me... I love how life takes us places we never thought possible. I'm thinking for the next phase of my life a beach house in Hawaii is a good step up. You never know!

(note: for those of you who are feeling like you want to move here - just know that gas is now at 1.18/litre)

Spring is officially in full bloom here - feels more like Edmonton in mid-July.
I think today I'll head over to Stanley Park for a stroll around the seawall and take in some fresh ocean air.

Only 52 days until Poo Poo gets married. I'm the MC for the wedding along with being a bridesmaid. I need to start finding some good MC material - jokes etc - any ideas?

The Chinese Massage OR should I say Chinese Torture

Last nite I went in for my first massage since moving to Vancouver a year ago.
I asked around the office if someone knew a massage place that did them - hard! None of the wimpy massage stuff that you don't even feel... This girl says she knows a place - just tell them you want it hard and they'll give you someone who's strong.
So I call in and make my appointment... only $33 for 1 hour. WOW great... located on Granville Street... called Big Feet. HAHA nice name... ok I'm open to give it a try.

I get there and it's 12 Chinese people all of who 2 can speak English... hmmmmmm
The place is comprised of 20 small rooms with open ceilings so you can hear everything going on.
This was going to be interesting!
I get all undressed and crawl under the thin towel laying on the bed. The room is cold and the sound of many Chinese people yelling at each other over the walls.

We start off by my massage lady - Frey - saying - you tell me if pain. I say - ok.
So off we go.
Well good start... she's got got pressure and good technique... except she kept saying "it okay?"
"pain?" and I kept saying it was good.
THENNNNNNNNN she starting kneading my muscles like bread on my back. I said - PAINNNNN PAINNNNNNN she say - "yes pain"

we got through that.
Then she proceeded to my head. She started by pulling my hair... who'd a thought pulling hair could be good? But it was okay... BUT then she started hitting my head with her hands like they were flippers hitting a ball...

Then she took kleenex and stuck them in my ears. Yes that's correct... Hmm wonder if my ears were that dirty? still not sure what that was about.

Then she kept saying - this maybe pain you... and then I would howl in pain as she tortured me.
Most who know me know that it takes A LOT to make me wince in a massage... well... this was the massage of a life time. No one has ever made me say - not so hard.

It was definitely not a "relaxing" massage - but definitely did the trick on my tight muscles.
So my new addiction is now Chinese Torture :)

Zellers Cashier

So have you ever had it where it was let's say 8:54 p.m. and you realize you're out of milk...
Happened to me tonite... must have milk for coffee in the morning...
Great have 6 min to grab credit card, in pj's, no glasses (can't really see), race down elevator, out the door, across the back alley into Zellers, to grab milk pay and get out by 9 p.m.
AND THENNNNNNNNNN the cashier says - do you have any ID on you?!?!?

WHATTTTTTTT?!?!?!? Do I look like I have ID on me? I"m in my Pj's with my hair all disheveled... WHY do I need ID??
Oh B/c the back of your credit card is not signed.
I say, " are you for real? I just need MILK for MY COFFEEEEEE TOMORROW MORNING... NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH don't do this to me........ It's my card really it is.... I'm buying Milk... like I'd use a stolen card to buy milk!?!?!?!?!?"

She says "Oh I'm just doing my job"

ARgh - "PLEASEEEEEEE ask the manager if she can just let this go..." and sure enough the poor manager had pity on my poor soul and let me purchase my milk without the back of my credit card signed.

It is a good day... I will have milk for my coffee tomorrow :)

Redundancy

What is a "Redundancy Error?"

42 Days

...Until I move to my new place in North Vancouver.

AND 21 days until my 1 year anniversary of moving to Vancouver.
Wow! can you believe it's almost 1 year.

We figured now that it's been a year that we've been here it was time to move.
Actually I'm moving b/c my dear poo poo is getting married and I have no other choice.

We are spending our last few weeks together doing our "lasts" here in our neighborhood.
Like hockey games at the fire fighters club... late nite dips on our hot tub... walks to Zellers... sitting on our balcony enjoying the view of Grouse Mountain ski hill... shopping at Metrotown mall which is basically in our back yard.

I am excited for my new place... the view is of the ocean harbor and downtown - when I move I'll post pictures.

OH did I mention that the flowers are in FULL BLOOM!!! Yes they are so amazing and smell amazing... sigh... I love Vancouver. :)

Time...

Time.... what is time really.... a measurement I suppose... to keep track of things perhaps?

Well it's been one year and 3 days since poo poo moved here and 11 months since I've moved.
wow... I was looking back over my blog entries from the past 11 months and remembering all the trails of moving (oh poo poo that was so brutal), the hard parts, the joys of new friends, the new life and new adventures.

The course of my life is changed forever b/c of moving here.

I know that I've grown up in the last 11 months... I've shed many tears and had many laughs but most of all I've learned so much about myself and determined some fundamental key things about life. The meaning of life; Of my life.

I can now say - although nothing has really changed per say - I love my life - just the way it is - with my singleness and everything. I love living in Vancouver, I love the rain, I LOVE the ocean and mountains... I even love the seagulls :)
I love watching the sunset over the ocean and slowly creep behind the mountain peaks. I love sipping starbucks coffee on the seawall. I love roller blading in Stanley park. I love the smell of the forest. I love that skiing is all of 20 minutes away. I love the beautiful men that swarm in their business suits in the bustle of downtown. I love White Rock and Lighthouse Park.

Most important I love that I found life!

INTENTION...

Some may argue that one can have good "intentions" but at the end of the intentions things don't actually get done...
Where others who speak the lingo of - the secret - or from - the advancement course - say that you need to have the intention or else it won't happen.

So are intentions good or not? I see the point of both parties.
If you only have intentions of things but never put any action behind it - it is pointless... but at the same time - if you don't have an initial intention of something you have nothing to put action behind.

I conclude that intentions are good... just be careful to put action behind them and not resort to a life of unfullfilled intentions!

Back Fat

At what age is it okay to start accumulating back fat?

Fat on the belly, the bum, and even the thighs... bearable - but when is it okay to have back fat?
Is it ever okay?
Is it an age thing or an eating thing?

Hmmmmmmmmmmmmm that is the question of the week.

NOTE: This blog entry inspired by poo poo :)

"The SECRET"

Oprah had let out "the secret"

http://whataniceweb site.com/ oprah.wmv
http://whataniceweb site.com/ Oprah-Feb16. wmv
http://whataniceweb site.com/ aftertheshow. wmv

cool

Never AGAIN!

For the sake of saving a few bucks - I am no longer waxing my own eyebrows.
NOT WORTH IT!

I did everything the directions said - warmed up the wax to a liquid state... put a coat on the area I wanted to wax... laid on the cloth strip... held down one end and --- RIPPPPP....

OWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWW

MY SKIN came ripping off WITH the hair... so yah no hair - BUT also no skin.
not only is face burning - I'm scabbing over.

well at least my eyebrows are good for a couple weeks. Note to self - find a salon to go to before next waxing needed!

I'm Backkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkk

YES it's true - my computer is fixed and I am back online...
I know you have all desperately missed me and you're lives came to a stop during my absence... but now you can all go on knowing that my computer is fixed and life is back to normal.

During the week of silence this is what you missed from my life:

I lived through a week of minus 20 on my trip to Edmonton. I do have to say it was a shock to the system... How quickly we forget the bad hard cold. Scrapping the ice of the windshield of my poor frozen rental car - it all came flooding back to me. the reason why I moved to Vancouver.

The nite I landed back in Vancouver I sat on the balcony in a T-Shirt basking in the warm misty rain, taking in the green lush landscape... WOW - do I ever love Vancouver!

The flowers are already blooming... the grass is green... the rain is warm...

Thank GOD for SAFE MODE

That Bill Gates... I have to say he's a smart man! Next to inventing "Windows" I'd have to say his next best invention is "SAFE MODE".... That which I'm currently using.

SAFE MODE is for those who don't regularily back up their computer and need to get back into it when it crashes! AKA - ME!

Although I can't print or sync my palm pilot I'm able to burn disks of all my files before I wipe my corrupt hard drive clean.

sigh... yes SAFE MODE you have saved my life.

Thank you Bill Gates... Thank you!

Good Bye Pee Pee

Good Bye Pee Pee...

Today January 20, 2007 our dear beloved Beta fish has died - for real this time...

It was only a matter of time before this long fight with Fungi came to an end. He is now on his way to the ocean.

"All Drains Lead To The Ocean" - including our toliet.

He will be missed dearly. sniff

I LIVED!

I finally had my first Vancouver skiing experience! Living 20 minutes away from 3 of the greatest ski hills in Canada I had to go at least one.

I went snowboarding for the second time in my life - and I lived. I only have a bruised tail bone, black and blue knees, and bruised elbows.

The view was great as I tumbled down the mountain head over heals... being at the top of the mountain with the stars above the city lights below... wow!

I love Vancouver. Next year I am getting a seasons pass!

Unfortunately I don't have any pictures of this great fun time, but I'm sure there will be many more adventures to come!

He Lives!

He Lives, He Lives, our pee pee Lives today... He swims w/ us and bubbles at us... and smiles in his own speical way....
YES a miracle has happened... Pee Pee is ALIVE!

I don't know how it happened but our apparently dead fish came back to life.

After floating like a "dead fish" on the bottom of the tank for hours Jan came home in tears of the sad news only to find that he was indeed swimming around.

So....... Pee Pee the miracle fish is on his second life! YAYAYAY!

Rest in Peace...

Today, January 5, 2007 our beloved fish and friend Pee Pee passed away... He died alone, peacefully after a long struggle with fungus.
He lived through many tanks of green water, many nites of watching ALIAS, many hours of swimming in circles. HE was deaply loved and will be missed... our beloved Pee Pee... may he rest in peace.

The Sky is FALLNG...

Or at least BC PLACE is!!!

Happy New Year

Our road trip to Seattle started out early Saturday morning... yay... this is going to be exciting!


















Then we sat at the US Boarder for over an hour waiting to get through...















Oh yay... we're crossing over... now in the USA!!!
































WINTER
WONDER
LAND!!!!

Look at the space ship... I mean space needle...

MASQUERADE...

















WOW... I'm getting to old for these late nites...


HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!


What a great trip!

Happy Christmas, Happy Boxing Day, Happy New Years

HAPPY " Two Days AFTER Boxing Day" DAY

(This is our Christmas Tree in the lobby of our Building)

Christmas in Vancouver was amazing...
Surreal...
Warm...
Green...
Beautiful...

It was a great first Christmas in my new beautiful city.

NOW my first New Years... which will actually be spent in Seattle.
Jan, Scotty and I are leaving Saturday for a road trip. Check out the city... sleep in a 1.5 star hotel and ring in the New Year in the US of A. This will be my first New Years in the US.

Yay... lots of pictures will be posted of our road trip and New Years. :)

Happy New Years!

Merry Christmas

My first Christmas in Vancouver.

It doesn't feel like Christmas... it feels like spring time...

Green... Rain... Lush...

I LOVE the rain!! Still....

Going to Seattle for New Years... Lots of pictures to come :)

Merry Christmas Everyone!

THIRTHY

30.... what does that "number" really signify?

Now that I'm offically 30... I waiver back and forth b/w feeling old and not really feeling anything at all. It's like there is an unspoken expectation that once you are 30 you are supposed to behave and act like an - adult.

What does it mean to be an adult?

Well... that's my new quest... to find out what it mean to be 30... to be an adult.

I'll let you know when my book is published!

SURPRISE...

Tonite my dear Poo Poo planned a surprise b-day party for me!!

Here are the pictures:

Vancouver Crisis

Day 2 - Vancouver Blizzard 2006 - Revenge of the Commuters

Chilled Vancouver commuters faced their second day of winter hell today, as an additional ¼ centimetre of the peculiar white stuff fell, bringing the lower mainland to its knees and causing millions of dollars worth of damage to the marijuana crops. Scientists suspect that the substance is some form of frozen water particles and experts from Saskatchewan are being flown in. With temperatures dipping to the almost but not quite near zero mark, Vancouverites were warned to double insulate their lattes before venturing out.

Vancouver police recommended that people stay inside except for emergencies, such as running out of espresso or biscotti to see them through Vancouver's most terrible storm to date. The local Canadian Tire reported that they had completely sold out of fur-lined sandals.

Drivers were cautioned to put their convertible tops up, and several have been shocked to learn that their SUV's actually have four wheel drive, although most have no idea how to use it.

Weary commuters faced soggy sushi, and the threat of frozen breast implants. Although Dr. John Blatherwick, of the Coastal Health Authority reassured everyone that most breast implants were perfectly safe to 25 below, down-filled bras are flying off the shelves at Mountain Equipment Co-op.

"The government has to do something," snarled an angry Trevor Warburton. "I didn't pay $540,000 for my one bedroom condo so I could sit around and be treated like someone from Toronto."

ALIAS

It's a sad day today...

We are officially done watching Season 5 Disk 4 - the last made episode of "Alias"
AND we are done the OC

So....... now what? Maybe it's time for the start of 24?

PART 2:

It's one week today until I turn 30. A long-time good friend of mine - who turned 30 earlier this year - informed me that people over 30 get

hemorroids

AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH - thanks Missy for wisdom.

What City Is THIS???

WHAT CITY DO YOU THINK THIS IS??

A) EDMONTON
B) YELLOWKNIFE
C) CALIFORNIA
D) VANCOUVER
E) MOSCOW

If you answered A - You wouldn't be far off -- but not enough snow to be Edmonton

If you answered B - Again - close but there are no Igloos

If you answered C - What are you smoking?? It doesn't snow in California

If you answered D - YOU ARE RIGHT!!!

If you answered E - Then you've never been to Moscow - no human beings actually live there!

Yes - it's Vancouver... sigh.

I woke up this morning and thought that I had been in the movie "back to the future" -- that I had been transported back to Edmonton 2005...

BUT then I saw all the people walking around with UMBRELLAS - IN THE BLIZZARD! Couldn't be Edmonton... nope - only Vancouverite panzies walk around in a snow storm with umbrellas... those poor confused people...

My Founded FEAR!

Many people have commented on my phobia of sharks - that it was not really warranted... that sharks don't really attack that many people unless provoked or if they think we're a seal...
BUTTTTTTT my poo poo head just in formed me that there have been FOUR deaths by sharks in Hawaii this year - and just recently a BC man! That they happened 9-15 meters from the shore!
So.... YES my phobia of sharks is TOTALLY warranted!

Maybe that trip to Mexico in January isn't such a good idea after all.

My New MAN!

SNOWMAN that is...

Jan got us a new addition to our home... Merph.
I love him... he's so sparkly and handsome.
I slept with him last nite.
Not with him... I slept on the couch beside him.
He's my new man... he brings a smile to my face!

Welcome to our Family, Merph!

RAIN

I am ALIVE!

Our apartment is still standing... the rain has not washed us away.
Our water does not look like sludge and I'm not taking a mud shower anymore.

YES - I still love LOVE Vancouver!

Vancouver... Wedding Shows... Birthdays

Vancouver in NOVEMBER!!

So, Jan and I went to our first and last wedding show. WOW - Bling Bling
We got our picture taken at the show by one of the photographers soliciting business... the great part about his is I had a dream the night before that Jan wore that same netted hat to her wedding!

It's exactly one month minus a day until I turn 30! I don't know how I feel about it... Although people keep trying to say that 30 is the new 20... we'll see.

I live in IRAQ... or so it feels like

For those of you who have never lived in Vancouver here is a reason why NOT to move here...

All week we kept hearing what sounded like gun shots... and we for sure thought it was - b/c this is Vancouver you know... many shootings...
As the week progressed it was happening more and more - and so I thought - can't be THAT many shootings happening...

It was happening so often I was starting to feel like I was in Iraq. Driving down the street the shot gun sound would go off and I felt like I was in a drive by shooting...

BUTTTTTTTTT I guess Vancouver has a thing about Halloween and fireworks.
It's even WAY bigger than Canada Day. The entire city (2.5 million people minus me and Jan) buys fire crackers and fire works and just sets them off all night for the week of Halloween.

I'm so used to it now I don't flinch anymore... I think I could live in Iraq after this!!
(Just joking I take that back... I don't want to live in Iraq)

This is a picture of me Sat nite... I was a bat for halloween... yes I'm flying on the light fixture!

Free Hugs

Engaged...

No No... Not me.... My roommate Jan is engaged to her Scotty! What a cute couple :)

Not only do I get to be a bridesmaid... I get to be the MC! HAHAHAH... little do Jan and Scott know what they've done giving me the POWER!!!