[Paris, France - easyInternet Café on Rue de la Harpe]
[Time: Plus 8 hours]

Day 6 - Versailles

Today was dedicated to exploring Versailles. A funny thing happened during the train ride there. Some black guy was trying to pick us up. I couldn't really understand what he was saying, but he was basically trying to exchange phone numbers and/or addresses. Uh, I don't think he realizes that there's a bit of a language barrier. Wouldn't that be interesting - corresponding to each other in our languages, not understanding what the heck the other person is saying. Whatever.

The property was unbelievable! It's hard to fathom the wealth that was put into this estate, let alone living there. Bern and I briefly looked at the rooms (because there were too many group tours and we wanted to by-pass the crowds), and spent a whole 5 minutes in the Hall of Mirrors, which was the only room we wanted to see anyway. After our tour of the "apartments", we headed to the gardens where we spent over 3 hours walking and sitting and walking and sitting. [Bern seemed to be bonding with the ducks. hehehe. =P].

Here are some tips to visiting Versailles (if you're ever in France):

• Get there early, otherwise you will be in line forever.
  
• Go to the bathroom first. For a nominal fee (0.40 €), it's best to use the facilities before you even proceed into the property. It helps if you have the "buddy system" so you can have one go to the bathroom, and then switch (providing, of course, the lines are moving at the same pace).
  
• Go to the info desk to get a map/brochures of the place and ask any questions you may have.
  
• Pay 10.50 € for general admission and admission to the gardens (The signage they have is a bit confusing. You don't need to get a day pass, unless you plan on leaving and then coming back, which I would not recommend because the lines do NOT end).
  
• Unless you're really into the history of the rooms, briefly go through the apartments and spend a few minutes in the Hall of Mirrors. By-pass tour groups as much as you can.
  
• Spend most of the day in the gardens. It is quite massive, and there is no way to see the entire thing in an afternoon. But this way, you're can explore at your on pace.
  
• Pack a lunch or have a picnic in the gardens. It is much cheaper than buying food there.

Some stats on Versailles:

• Approximately 8 million people visit per year. In admission revenue alone (at an average admission of 10 €), they make 80 million €
  
• At a nominal fee of 0.40 € to use the bathroom, they make 3.2 million €. Multiply that by 5 facilities and you have 16 million €
  
• In addition, they also get revenue from food sales, bike/boat rentals, souvenirs, etc.
  
• Bottom line: they make WAY to much money. But I guess all the revenue is needed to maintain the grounds.

Tongue twister of the day

fierce french fish

[Paris, France - easyInternet Café on Rue de la Harpe]
[Time: Plus 8 hours]

Day 4 - Bastille Day

Agenda: Champs Elysées to watch the Bastille Day parade, then go to Place de la Concorde and Les Tuilleries for some photos, and maybe check out a flea market.

However, things didn't go as planned. We did go to Champs Elysées for the parade, but nothing was happening. All we saw were army vehicles driving by. And they weren't driving slow either. They all zoomed by like they were chasing something. Since it seemed like the parade would take a while, and Bern had to go the bathroom, we went into the Louvre to use their facilities. The cool thing was, we discovered a mini mall so we ended up doing a bit of shopping. So much for the parade. =P Since we were back in the Louvre, we decided to look at the things we missed - those being the Winged Victory of Samothrace (which we somehow passed by the first time we went) and Napoleon's apartments.

Fashion Faux Pas of the Day

1. sheer top over a lace thing with some kind of aztec print pants
   
2. flower top with pin-striped denim skirt and black lace leggings, and neon green sweater tied around the waist (So far, this one takes the cake. I really don't know what she was going for, but it looked like someone threw up on her.)

Mix-up at the Metro
Since we pretty much trashed our original plan, we decided to go to the Basilique du Sacré Coeur way in the 18th arrondissements (district). Only problem was, we couldn't find our way out so we ended up going back and forth between subway stations. We were having a "day would not be complete without one circle" moment. ;-)

Basilique du Sacré Coeur
It was amazing! It's just one of those things you can't describe. It was good to just sit there and have a moment to yourself.

Question of the Day
As Bern and I were on the metro, I looked up at the route that was on the train and wondered "if the train travels one-way and in a straight line, where does the metro turn to get on the other side?"

Feet Talk
After another day of extensive walking, Bern and I went back to the hotel to recharge. We had a foot soak in the tub, and had discussions about feet.

Le Vieux Paris
This is where we had dinner on Rue de la Harpe. It was nice to have something other than ham and cheese baguettes, croissants, and anything else that had bread and ham and cheese. =P

Fireworks at Trocadero
Since we missed the Bastille Day parade, we went to the Trocadero to watch the fireworks. The show was awesome, as the sky was lit up with red, yellow, gold, purple, etc. It was to the point that we were getting blinded by all that light. What a way to end the evening. The only not-so-good thing about the night was that we ended up walking an hour to get to a metro station that wasn't packed with a million people trying to get home. In doing so, we managed to walk along the Seine River (one of the things we kinda thought of doing). When we finally made it back to the hotel, we passed out.

Day 5 - Disneyland Paris

To change up the routine of going to museums and monuments, we headed to Disneyland Paris for some normal "north americana" stuff. Disneyland Paris is nothing compared to the original in California, but it was OK. We managed to hit 10 rides/attractions in half a day, so it shows you how big it is in comparison to the original. The rides/attractions we hit included:

• picture with Mickey
  
• Phantom Manor
  
• Big Thunder Mountain (had some technical difficulty at the beginning of the ride, so we got to ride twice and posed for the camera at the end both times)
  
• Indiana Jones and the Temple of Peril -- Backwards (I was feeling sick after this one, not to mention the side of my head got banged up)
  
• Pirates of Carribean (since I was feeling sick from the previous ride, all the water and bumping of the boat set me off (this ride stopped as well), so I went straight to the bathroom and puked my brains out. yuck!)
  
• went through It's a Small World and Alice's Curios Labyrinth
  
• had lunch at The Old Mill (to fill my empty stomach)
  
• Pinocchio's Fantastic Journey
  
• Peter Pan's Flight (similar to the E.T. ride in Universal)
  
• Space Mountain (felt sick again therefore I puked again, AND my ears got bruised/blistered from my head being banged up against the head rest).
  
• had a snack at Café Hyperion/Videopolis (to fill my empty stomach again; took a bit of snooze while the show was going on)
  
• watched Honey I Shrunk the Audience
  
• did a bit of shopping (OK, so this isn't really an attraction, but it was part of the day)

Other Observation
It smells here. It smells in the subway. It smells on some of the streets. It smells in this internet café. Some of the people smell. It even smelled in Disneyland. I don't know what it is, but they need to do something about it.

[Paris, France - easyInternet Café on Rue de la Harpe]
[Time: Plus 8 hours]

Day 2 - Museums & Metro

Our agenda for the day included a trip to the Louvre, Musée de Guimet, Galaries LaFayette, and the Eiffel Tower.

Musée du Louvre
Big. Enormous. Grandiose. The big-daddy musem of them all. There was no way, Bern and I could see every single piece of art in the museum (because it would take days), so we made sure we saw the key pieces: Mona Lisa, Venus de Milo, and Marly Horses. The Mona Lisa, as I found out later, was encased in bullet proof glass. Uh, OK? So is that because they're afraid that someone will shoot her? Bern and I critiqued the heck out of Mona Lisa:

• no eyebrows
  
• hair part was crooked
  
• what's up with the smile/smirk on her face?
  
• was she sitting or standing and leaning on an arm rest?
  
• the background of the picture seemed like she was sitting/standing in front of a picture

As for Venus de Milo, was her right arm sawed off because the left one fell off? These were the kind of things we were questioning as we went throught the museum.

Highlights:

• posing in other people's pictures
  
• "we're not here"
  
• ass-biting/ass-grabbing picture

Musée de Guimet
The next stop was Musée de Guimet. I thought it would be interesting to see a museum of asian art but when we got there, I was not impressed. It wasn't what I expected at all. I thought it would be more of modern asian art, but it was ancient stuff dating back to the 500's or 700's. What we noticed was almost all of the asian art had the same generic face. Unless you looked at the piece from the neck down, you couldn't really tell if the subject was male or female. And even then it was still difficult. It was like "Pat" from SNL in asian times.

Notes:

• art piece with "interesting" position
  
• statue with 500 arms?

Galaries LaFayette
After the Guimet museum, we were planning to check out the Museum of Modern Art, but by this point we were museum'ed out (and tired from all that walking) so we took a break and just sat on the steps in front of the museum. We decided to go to Galaries LaFayette to do some shopping. Big mistake. First of all, there was WAY too many people. You'd think that half the people would be working, but that wasn't the case. Mind you, there are a lot of tourists, but still. The worst part was the service. All I wanted to do was buy some stuff, and no one seemed to want to help me. One girl was putting away some stuff, and the guy was flirting with some girl. Nice. I went to one cashier and she told me to go to the next till. Fine. I went to the next till, but there was no one there. I tried to pay for the stuff in the cosmetics department, but for some reason I couldn't? Nice customer service. So I went back to where I came from, and waited for the sales lady to help me. Had Bern mentioned it to me, I would've walked out of the store with my stuff. Meanwhile, Bern went to the welcome desk to get a 10% voucher so I could get a discount (seeing as it's quite expensive here, every discount helps). When Bern came back, the lady who was helping me was having some technical difficulty with the till. And it didn't help that she was getting frustrated because she kept hitting the wrong key or something to enter the discount. All this trouble to get 10% off and a free bag. =P Ugh! Note: Unless, you're prepared to deal with the huge crowd and poor customer service, avoid the department stores altogether. It's just not worth the trouble.

Ice Cream Break
Since Bern and I were cranky with what just happened, plus the fact that we've done some serious walking to this point, we went for ice cream at Christian Constant to calm us down. Strawberry sorbet for Bern, and Mango sorbet for me. YUM! :-) We sat and relaxed for a while and people watched.

Fashion Faux Pas # 1
As we were people watching, we saw this one girl wearing a purple skirt with a matching top. Not a big deal, but her underwear, which was black (and of the granny panties genre) was showing. Uh, that is just wrong. It may come across as being mean, but how can you look at yourself in the mirror and not notice that your underwear is showing through your skirt?!

Eiffel Tower
After taking a nap to recharge, we headed to the Eiffel Tower. Making our way to the top took a bit of time (OK, it took more time to get up the tower than take in the view). And it didn't help that it was rainy and cold and cold and rainy and cold and windy. It's a good thing we brought an umbrella. Did I mention it was rainy and cold? When we got to the top, the view was awesome! Although it would've been better if it was clear and not rainy and cold and windy. =P

Tone of the day
The tone of the day was up, down, up, down, plateau, way up (thanks to Bern's omg/wow moment)! ;-)

Day 3 - More Museums, Metro, and Monuments

The schedule for the day consisted of a trip to Musée d'Orsay, Musée Rodin, and the Arc du Triomphe.

Musée d'Orsay
This was a very nice museum. Definitely not as big as the Louvre, but we were able to see everything. I really liked the sculptures and how the museum was set up, with paintings in corridors and sculptures in the main aisle to break up the monotony of the paintings. I agree with Bern in feeling like art students studying abroad. Besides the time I went to the art gallery with Irma, I don't think I've ever been this "artsy".

Musée Rodin
Another interesting museum, this was a cool place to check out. The musuem of The Thinker guy. Again there were a couple sculptures I liked, but the main one I wanted to see was The Thinker guy. There was also a garden in the back and it was nice to just sit and take it all in.

My first glass of wine
It took 3 days, but I finally had my first glass of wine the whole trip at the cafe in Musée Rodin! I mean, what would the trip be like without at least one glass of wine? =P [I was getting worried...]

Subway
Between going to the museums and monuments, Bern and I have gotten used to the subway system. It's quite easy actually, once you get the hang of it. If only they'd have english signs or color-coded symbols or something, that would make it easier.

Arc du Triomphe
Wow! Once you climbed the said 284 steps [I counted 274 going up; and then 279 going down because I didn't count 5 steps which I thought weren't included the first time], it was an good view of the city. Not as great as the Eiffel Tower, but it was not bad. There were guys in uniform there, but I wasn't sure what they were there for (Bastille Day perhaps?). [Sidenote: What is it about guys in uniform? ;-)]

Fashion Faux Pas of the Day
Being in the city of haute couture, Bern and I have decided to pick out those who have "broken the rules" so-to-speak. There were 4 "offences" today:

1. sports wear (waist of pants rolled down with tag showing) with a dressy bag
   
2. nylons with opened toe shoes (this should just be banned =P)
   
3. beach thong flip flops with a dressy outfit
   
4. layered look - leather jacket on top of a longer tunic top, denim jeans with cuff, and beige snake skin shoes (I have no idea what she was going for?)

More Exploring
After taking a nap, Bern and I walked around Rue de la Harpe and the hidden streets. We discovered that there were SO many places to eat there. It's basically 95% restaurants. Well, at least we know where to go if we get hungry. :-)

Late Dinner
We went back to Crépescule for a late dinner crepe (egg, cheese, mushroom). The old guy that runs the place is really nice. The funny thing was he thought we were spanish. I guess we have that latin look?

What do we look like?
First the crépe guy though we were spanish, and then these 2 locals thought we were japanese by saying "arigato". I'm confused. I suppose they can tell that we aren't chinese, but it's interesting to see them try to figure us out.

[Paris, France - easyInternetCafé on Rue de la Harpe]

Day 1 - Agenda Completed

[OK, so this is a little sooner than I thought] As you can see, Bern and I are back at the internet cafe. It's not that we don't have anything to do, we actually had a full day.

The plan was to get some lunch, see Notre Dame, and Saint Chapelle. And we did just that! We had lunch in front of this one museum (I think?), then headed to Notre Dame. Notre Dame was big! There were lots of people taking pictures and walking around, and I kinda felt bad for being part of that group because there were people in there praying, but what do you do when it's a tourist attraction? Bern and I lit a candle and took pictures. We walked around some more and just absorbed the surroundings. We still can't believe that we're in Paris. ;-)

Next on our hit list was Saint Chapelle. Frommers describes it best as "an explosion of color". And that's exactly what it was. As soon as you enter, you're welcomed by these vibant colors of red, blue, and gold. It was just amazing! The "upper chapel" was cool too with it's 6,458 sq. ft. of stained glass windows (although they looked like they could use a bit of cleaning). Bern and I sat there in complete awe.

Random Thought
There was a sign in Saint Chapelle to "be quiet". But how can it possibly be quiet in there when they conduct tours and the tour guide is talking? It would be different if people were wearing those automated-tour-guide-headphone things, but it wasn't like that. Or maybe they should conduct the tour in sign language?

After seeing all our places on our hit list, we headed back to the hotel for a quick break. Only the quick break turned into a long nap. =P Oops. I guess we were really pooped from all that walking.

Crépescule

That's the name of this creperie place we went to on Boulevard Saint Germain. We had the jambon & fromage (ham & cheese) crepe and it was so good. And so cheap! I think that guy is going to be seeing more of us during the week, right Bern? Gotta try that nutella dessert one next! :-)

"You are here"

At major intersections, there are these user-friendly maps with the You are here dot. They come in handy when you're trying to figure out where you are and where you want to go, and are too lazy to pull out your own map (for fear of looking like tourists, but then we're asian so that's a given, and we're looking at the said map to begin with =P)

Big Ben Pen(cil)

I forgot to mention earlier that I got my Big Ben Pencil and matching Big Ben Pencil sharpener. Thanks Bern! :-)

This keyboard sucks

I definitely agree with Bern that this keyboard sucks! It's all backwards and upside down and stuff. Had this been a "normal" keyboard, what I just typed would've looked like this:

"I definitely qgree zith Bern thqt this keyboqrd sucks1 Itùs qll backzqrds qnd upside dozn qnd stuff." Talk about some whacked up language.

Other Observations

• They drive "normal" (i.e. on the right side of the road)
  
• It's dirty here. People like to litter. Not to mention the occasional doggy-do on the sidewalk. Yuck!
  
• The lift in our hotel is REALLY small. It gives new meaning to Bern and I "getting close".

OK, my time is almost up (2 minutes left). Until next time...

[Paris, France - easyInternetCafé on Rue de la Harpe]

Bonjour mes amis!

Bern and I made it to Paris! Yay!! Although trying to type is a bit difficult since the keyboard is all bqckzqrds (i.e. "backwards"). So let's see how much I can type in the next 44 minutes...

Leaving Edmonton

I got to the airport at 8:20 am only because my brother dropped me off before he had to go to work. So I had 3 hours to kill, which consisted of having breakfast, walking, sit/read, walk, go to bank machine, sit/read, walk, sit/read, walk, then waiting to board. The guy at the Air Canada counter didn't seem to be awake since he asked me for my passport after giving it back to me? Then it was on to more waiting. I noticed some army guys in uniform and the cargo and fighter plane on the runway. On the plane, I took a nap, then ate, read my frommers guide, and napped again *thinking to myself: are we there yet?*

In Toronto

I arrived at 5:40 pm and the suggested time to be at the gate to my connecting flight was 5:50 pm. Uh yeah, 10 minutes to get from one place to the next. Normally that wouldn't have been a big deal except that I landed in Terminal 2 and I had to go to Terminal 1. Argh! After going through a maze of going down stairs, through the tunnel, then back up more stairs, I finally made it to Terminal 1. But there was a long line of people waiting to get through security. And it didn't help that the airline crew would cut in front of the line?! I made through security with about 30 minutes to spare. Only thing was, they hadn't started boarding yet. =P The flight ended up leaving half an hour later. So much for rushing.

En Route to Paris

The flight to Paris wasn't that bad. I liked the fact that we had a snack, in-flight movie # 1 (Monsters Inc.), dinner, in-flight movie # 2 (Analyze This), then I slept, then had breakfast. Now it was just a waiting game to get into Paris.

Bienvenue a Paris!

I arrived into Paris 15 minutes earlier than expected. The weird thing was, they were doing construction where we landed so we actually had to walk outside to get to the shuttle to take us to Terminal 2. Once at the terminal, it was one more check through customs [note: cute guy complimented me, therefore boosting my ego =P], and I was done. Now all I had to do was exchange some money and figure out if I should take the subway or the taxi to the hotel? Since I didn't want to risk getting lost on the subway, I took the taxi. The cab driver was this nice old man and I managed to make small talk with him en francais. I guess taking French in school was a good thing. One hour and 50 euros later, I made it to the hotel. Now all I had to do was wait for Bern to show up.

Exploring with Bern

Bern made it to the hotel and we went for lunch. So far we've just been walking the streets, getting a feel for the whole place. I still can't believe that we're here. And now we're spending our time in an internet café. Go figure! With 3 minutes left, we have to get going. Maybe we'll blog again soon?

Packed up and ready to go!

I have managed to strategically place everything into my carry-on suitcase. I've successfully fit clothes for the week, 2 pairs of shoes, toiletries, and a small umbrella into a suitcase measuring approximately 9" x 15.5" x 20". Like my uncle says, I have it down to a science. Ah yes, the master packer has done it again! Muahahahaha. :-) As much as I don't want to think about it, I can't help but wonder if I forgot anything. I hate that feeling. Worse comes to worse, I can always get it there. ;-)

Paris here I come! Yay!! See you tomorrow Bern! :-)

Happy Anniversary!

I can't believe it's been one year since I started this thing (really, it's not for another 8 hours and 45 minutes, but that's a minor technicality =P). So what's happened in a year? Well, lots. You'd have to read it all to see for yourself. I'm not sure if my writing style has changed over the past year, but regardless, I write just to get it out of my system.

Last minute running around

I hate leaving things to the last minute. But I had no other choice. Well, maybe I could have done this last week but I kept putting it off. Oh well.

42

...that's the number of shoes I have, not including the ones that I don't wear anymore (which I'm going to give away or throw out depending on the condition of the shoe). My parents got a shoe rack for me to get rid of all the boxes that were piling up in the closet. Ooops! =P

2 more sleeps

I can't believe that I'm leaving for Paris in 2 days! Yay!! I still have to finish packing, and do some last minute running around (which I wasn't able to do today) before I leave. Hopefully I can get all this done tomorrow.

So much info

Between my Frommer's book and the internet, I have all this information on what to do/not do, what to see/not see, where to go/not go, events around the city, etc. Talk about information overload!. I think I need to stop surfing the net because I keep coming across links to sites that seem interesting. I have to keep in mind that Bern and I are only there for 8 days. OK, gotta finish packing...

Busy, busy, busy...

The past few days have been quite busy for me. Between work, socializing, and planning for Paris (YAY!), I haven't had much time to sit and do nothing.

Friday
I left work early to run some errands. I had to go shopping for some "last minute" things and I ended up buying a pair of sandals (which are great for walking around in Paris), and I got a pair of shorts and 3 pairs of sock for $1.80! Talk about a deal. Actually, I had this gifr certificate I had to use, so that was the difference I had to pay. ;-)

Later that night, Irma and I went out and met up with my former co-worker, Sue. We had a couple drinks and caught up on stuff.

Highlights:

• "mudslide" and other natural disasters

Saturday
After work, Irma and I went for a 2+ hour walk. First we stopped at Booster Juice to get energized and did a modified version of Mission 1. What a "crazy" walk that was! It was literally a brain-freezing-finger-bending-tongue-twisting kind of walk. =P

Quote of the day: Can you do this?

Summer 2002 - Mission 2a: Walk to Hawrelak Park
Status: Complete

It was another nice day today (hopefully it's like this in Paris), and I wanted to be outside. So who should I call? I asked my brother if he wanted to do something, but he was going golfing with my dad. Then I called Irma, but she was "under the weather". Shelley was sleeping. Matthew wasn't home. And Jenn (as I found out later) came back from Montreal today and had errands to do. I even called Sue and Lynne, but they weren't home either. I was determined to be outside, so I decided to go for a walk by myself. And that's where I came up with Mission 3a (a modified version of Mission 3, which is to walk from Irma's place to Hawrelak Park).

I started at Kinsmen Park and went through the trails until I hit University Ave/Saskatchewan Drive, which took me to Hawrelak Park (ETA: 1 hour). Once at the park, I did one lap around and just hung out for a while, sitting in the sun and watching people play volleyball, soccer, frisbee, etc. After rehydrating myself, I decided to head back to Kinsmen. The weird thing was (and I know I was definitely walking slower on the way back), I somehow managed to get to my car in 40 minutes? Maybe it was because of the downhill areas? Whatever the case was, by the time I got back to my car I was TIRED! The good thing is I was able to enjoy the weather; the bad thing is I got a blister from my sandals. =P

Packing for Paris - Part 1

It took me a while to decide what to pack for Paris (because everything has to match AND be interchangeable AND go with the shoes I'm bringing, since I'm only bringing a total of 3 pairs of shoes). But I think I pretty much have it figured out. Now it's just a matter of strategically putting all this stuff in my suitcase, but I'll do that tomorrow.

Sweet old man

I see this man every morning when I walk into work. As I walk through the glass doors, he's right there cleaning them. I never really noticed him before (or should I say I didn't pay too much attention to him before), until he spoke tagalog to one of my co-workers one morning. I didn't realize he was filipino until he spoke. And now I say kamusta to him every morning. Even though it's just a simple "hello" in the morning, it's such a good way to start off the day. He seems like such a sweet old man too because he's short and he's got this cute smile. ;-) I just wish he didn't have to be one of the janitors because he's a senior and I don't like seeing old folks at that age still working.

Happy Canada Day!

(Or is it?) As much as I'd like to be outside and participate in the celebration, I just don't feel up to it. I don't what it is. I think part of it is the fact that I was working late, I have a bit of a headache, and I think I'm PMS-ing (either that or I'm just cranky). Oh well, so much for being patriotic. =P

It's not my day

Although it's the middle of the afternoon, it's been a long morning. And my day is really just beginning now. Ugh. And for some reason, I keep bumping into things. I now have 2 bruises on my knees and one on my elbow. Talk about celebrating Canada Day with a bang. =P. I'm also starting to get a bit cranky because (i) it's been a long morning, (ii) I keep bumping into things, and (iii) I haven't had lunch yet. *thinking to myself* The day will get better...

9 more sleeps...

...and it's off to Paris! Yay! I guess that means I need to think about what I'm going to pack...

What do you do when you want to be outside, but you have no one to go with you?

It's such a nice day and I wanted to be outside. Either go for a walk, play tennis, go to the park and toss a frisbee - anything active outside. I called Irma, but she wasn't home. Apparently she was at work. She told me to call Matthew, and I did, but he had to work in the afternoon. Hmmm. I would've called Jenn, but she's in Montreal. I would've also called Joi, but he's in Japan. So what do you do when you have no one else to call? You end up shopping. =P. So much for being outside. First I went to Sport Mart to use this gift certificate I had, so I bought a pair of shorts. I wanted to get a pair of sandals, but they didn't have the ones I was looking for. Next, I went to the mall. Big mistake. Even though I told myself I was only going to window shop, I ended up buying a pair of flip flops and 2 shirts. *sigh*. The way I see it, everyone is to blame for me shopping. Had I been able to "play outside", so-to-speak, I wouldn't have set foot in the mall or any other store for that matter. So, it's everybody's fault. hehehe. =P

Weekend in Toronto

OK, I finally have a chance to "clear my memory" and write about my weekend…


FRIDAY

At the airport
I was scheduled to take the red-eye flight to Toronto at 1:00 am. I got to the airport 2 hours beforehand, only because I thought there was still construction on the freeway. There was a bit of construction but not enough to affect traffic. So much for that…

So what does one do at the airport, when almost everything is closed and the only store that is open closes in 10 minutes? I bought a bottle of water and a Kit Kat, and then walked around the airport. Only problem is, the airport is not that big, so trying to kill some time by walking around wasn't successful. I ended up looking at my map of Toronto, and highlighting the places I would be going to, since I don't know Toronto that well (only my second time there). That took a whole 10 minutes. And at this point, I still had over an hour to go before the flight. There was nothing to do and I had nowhere to go, so I headed to the gate and waited until it was time for us to board.

People watching
Since I had nothing else to do, I couldn't help but watch people who were waiting for the same flight. Businessmen, moms and kids, students, etc. I noticed this one guy with an Old Navy bag who wasn't bad looking ;-). And I also noticed these 2 "army-looking" guys. "Army-looking" in the sense that they had the brush cut and matching tattoos. But then, for all I know they could be gay or something and the matching tattoos was their "thing"? I guess the reason they caught my attention (besides the fact that one of them asked me for change for the vending machine), was that one of them somehow reminded me of Irma's "Joey" (with the shoes and all… hehehe). I told myself that I wouldn't mind sitting next to this guy on the plane.

On the plane
Finally it was time to board the plane. I was anxious because (i) I was excited to go to Toronto to see my friend Alison, and (ii) I just wanted to sleep on the plane. As it turned out, the army guys sat next to me. Coincidence? The older guy sat next to me, while "Joey" sat next to the window. I would've preferred to have the window seat, but the flight was full and I had no choice but to sit on the aisle seat. I waited for the older guy to get settled in because he kept fidgeting (he was a bit taller and couldn't get comfortable in his seat). When he finally stopped moving around, I dozed off. After being asleep for about an hour, older guy accidentally kicked me. So much for trying to sleep on the plane. A little while later, he elbowed me. Then kicked me again, then elbowed me again. He apologized, but I just glared at him, thinking to myself if this guy hits me one more time, I'm going to punch him. Ugh. He managed to switch seats with his friend without bothering me. Had the older guy sat in the window seat to begin with, I probably would've been able to sleep. And if that wasn't enough, some guy 2 rows ahead of me was snoring. Argh.

Made it to Toronto
I arrived in Toronto at 6:30 am and took the bus (just my luck – army guys were on the same bus) to the Royal York Hotel, and met my friend Alison at the nearby Tim Horton's. I was so happy to see her. We briefly talked and then went for breakfast because I was so hungry. We went to Marchélino Mövenpick in Eaton Centre. It was a bakery type place with muffins, bagels, danishes, etc. At first I had a muffin and it was so good! And since I was still hungry, I had a muesli bagel with cream cheese and a mochaccino. Yum! Normally I'm not a coffee drinker, but due to the lack of sleep, I needed something to keep me awake.

Shopping with Alison
After breakfast, we met up with her sister Linda, and went shopping. I only tagged along, since I wasn't really in a shopping mood. Alison had to pick up some last minute things and it was funny watching her run around. I helped her out as much as I could, and she finally found what she was looking for. Yay!

[Sidenote: there are many good looking guys in Toronto! ;-)]

Back to East York
We took the train and headed back to Alison's apartment, where I met her dad, Donald, and her youngest sister, Lanore. I took a bit of a snooze, while Alison and her sisters prepared for the day (wedding rehearsal). Once they were ready to go, Alison's fiancé, Raph (short for Raphael) picked us up. It was the first time I've met the guy and I must say he's really nice. I heard so much about him from Alison, and saw pictures of him before, so it was good to finally meet him.

Church Street Village
Raph and Alison drove me to my B&B on Church Street (a nice area which happened to be the gay community) and they headed to the wedding rehearsal. The house I stayed at was quite cozy and it was within walking distance of everywhere I had to go to. The room I got wasn't that big, but seeing as I was by myself, I didn't need a big room anyway. The plan was for me to sleep (something which I didn't get much of the whole weekend), and then have dinner with Alison's family and relatives from Ireland.

My Extended Irish Family
Alison made arrangements for me to meet her family and relatives at the hotel they were staying at, which was 5 blocks away from where I was. I got to the hotel and waited in the lobby for her relatives, not really knowing who they were or what they looked like since I've never met them before. A little while later, Alison's mom Margaret, and her husband Bruce, greeted me. Then the rest of the relatives showed up and I was a bit overwhelmed when I was introduced to 10 more people:

• Marion & Joe (Alison's aunt and uncle; Marion is Margaret's sister)
  
• Peggy & Christy (Alison's aunt and uncle; Christy is Margaret's brother)
  
• Marion & Martin (Alison's aunt and uncle; Martin is Margaret's brother)
  
• Louise & her husband Martin (Louise is Alison's cousin)
  
• Sharon (Alison's cousin; Louise's sister)
  
• Dave (Alison's cousin; Peggy and Christy's son)

I was a bit confused when they were telling who was related to whom (I felt like I needed a flow chart or something), but I managed to figure things out. Somewhere in the midst of things, I became their "long lost adopted cousin".

Dinner and drinks… and more drinks…
We had dinner at the Windows Café, the restaurant in their hotel. The food was not bad, but one thing to keep in mind: If you have more than a party of 4, get separate bills. We The "grown-ups" had a bit of an issue with the bill. Somehow they couldn't calculate what each person owed. First, they put in money for the food; then they split the cost of the wine and put in money for that; and then put in money for gratuity. I don't know why they had such a tough time figuring things out, but we sat there for about half an hour before the bill was settled.

After dinner we headed to Boosters Bar (also in the hotel), where we had more drinks and the guys played pool. I already had some red wine with dinner (surprising for me, since I don't drink red wine), so I wasn't expecting to be drinking too much more after that. Was I wrong! One thing I learned is that the Irish can DRINK! I had a couple screwdrivers, and somehow more screwdrivers kept appearing in front of me. 3 glasses of red wine and 5 screwdrivers later, I was feeling pretty good. I played a game of pool with Martin (Louise's husband) and won! Yay!

Random Thought
I never realized eyebrow muscles could get sore? Dave was showing me this "left eyebrow, right eyebrow" thing (ie. how certain looks and expressions can be interpreted with the raise of an eyebrow), and by the end of the night my eyebrows felt numb.

SATURDAY

Eaton Centre
With Booster Juice in hand, I walked over to Eaton Centre in the morning to do a bit of shopping. I had my Eaton's card with me, and I was planning on using it. But the plan didn't pull through. I forgot how big Eaton's was. There was almost too much stuff in there. I almost bought a pair of jeans, but held back because I was a bit "iffy" about them. I decided to walk through the mall and see what was out there. While I was in the BeBe store, my phone rang. It was Alison's sister, Lanore, telling me that a friend was going to pick me up at 1:00 pm to take me to the church. It was 12:20 pm. I hurried back to my B&B and quickly changed.

To the church
Alison's friend, Sean and his girlfriend Naomi, picked me up at around 1:15 pm. And it was off to Mississauga for the ceremony. Sean was anticipating heavy traffic, but the estimated hour and a half drive took only 45 minutes. We got to the church at 2:00 pm, and the ceremony didn't start until 3:00 pm. What to do for an hour? Sean and Naomi took me for a drive around Mississauga. [Mississauga is more of a suburb and is much quieter than Metro Toronto. If I ever had to move to Toronto, I'd move to Mississauga.]

The ceremony was nice and simple. There were a few funny moments (comments the priest made; Alison almost forgetting to say "I do"), but one thing that stood out was when the priest said "No one is perfect."

Reception in Toronto
After the ceremony it was back to Toronto for the reception, which was held at Hart House in the University of Toronto. I was impressed with the buildings and landscaping of the university. The buildings reminded me of castles and the grounds were so pretty. Apparently a lot of people that get married, have their pictures taken here. Alison and Raph were getting their pictures taken in front of Hart House. Once they were done, it was time for the reception.

The reception was so much fun! I met more people [Elisa (the italian with the funky shoes), Steve & Denise, Rupert, Ahmed, and Serena (Raph's sister)], and had a couple drinks (OK, I had 3 but who's counting? =P). I really enjoyed the music they played too. They had everything from Frank Sinatra to ABBA to AC/DC to Cyndi Lauper. Raph and Alison were enjoying themselves, and it was fun to watch them.

Irish terms
"half (time)" (e.g. half eleven = 11:30)
fag = cigarette
lift = elevator
kitty = pool (money)
"Oy"
"ring" her = call her

Teary-eyed Moment
If anything, you'd think I'd get all teary-eyed at the wedding. But I didn't. Toward the end of the night, I got a chance to talk to Alison. There were just some things I needed to get off my chest and tell her. Even though we've only known each other for 2 years, it seems longer. I just had to tell her how she's been a great friend and that I would miss her, since they're moving to New York. I know that we will still keep in touch, but who knows when I'll see her again. I was just bummed that she was moving away. As I was telling her all this, I got a lump in my throat and couldn't hold it back. We both started crying, but laughed about it afterward.

One more drink…
The reception ended by midnight and "my Irish family" wanted to go for drinks. I walked back to my B&B to change (mental note: no matter how comfortable high heel shoes are, don't walk more than 2 blocks in them), and met them at Mick E. Fynn's. By this time, my feet were sore and I was really tired. I had one drink with them and called it a night.

SUNDAY

Brunch
I woke up at 8:30 am and met everyone for brunch. I saw Alison and Raph one last time. I said my goodbye's and after brunch, Dave and I walked around downtown to kill some time. I headed back to the Royal York Hotel and managed to catch the 1:00 pm bus back to the airport.

On the home stretch
There wasn't much traffic on the highway as I thought there'd be, so I got to the airport 2 hours and 20 minutes before my flight. Great. It was such a hot (and humid) day, that I needed to rehydrate myself (no, not with alcohol =P). So I had this strawberry-mango-peach-with-a-little-bit-of-banana-and-pineapple-juice yogurt smoothie. It was so refreshing!

With all this time to kill, I walked around the airport (which is much bigger than ours). I noticed the line through security was getting a bit long, so I figured I might as well go through and just hang out around the gate. As I was waiting, I noticed a couple people who were from Edmonton. One guy was on the same flight going to Toronto, and the other guy was someone I spoke to about a potential (side-)job opportunity a few months ago (but didn't pan out). I also saw one of the managers who works with my company, but he didn't notice me even after looking straight at me and me calling out his name? Oh well.

I slept 3 hours of the 3.5 hour flight back to Edmonton. Thank goodness I was sitting beside someone who wasn't fidgety and was just reading a book.

And the weekend doesn't stop there...

Just when I thought I'd be able to relax, Irma called me to let me know that we were doing our traditional Café Select thing with Joi before he leaves for Asia for 2 months. Uh, OK.

Irma and I met Joi and his friend, Poon (a.k.a. Paul). Paul has been assigned as Joi's "representative" while he's gone. Although Paul hasn't quite mastered the "art of being Joi", he should hold up OK. hehehehe =P. We were feeling quite yuppie-ish with the red and white wine (drinking seems to be the theme for me this past weekend) and the smoked salmon and fruit & cheese platter.

Highlights:

• Sweet (Bon Bon) Caroline
  
• "Her name was Lola, she was a showgirl…"
  
• Tony & Naomi
  
• too much laughing
  
• wine connoisseur/cheese specialist

Oh, but there's more…

We had a staff party on Monday night at BBQ Acres (some acreage in the middle of nowhere). It's my first staff party with the company, so this was a good chance for me to put faces to names. I rode with Larry and Rick and when we got there, they had some activities going on (volleyball, badminton, soccer, frisbee, football, etc.). I played a bit of volleyball, and then played badminton (my partner, Tim hit me in the back of the shoulder with the birdie). We also played this volleyball wobble relay game for prizes. My team won, and I got this cool mug, but someone walked off with it. :-( After that, a few of us played this velcro-ball-catch thing (I forgot what it's called). I had fun with that, but my arm was a little sore after. We had a steak dinner and I had 8 drinks throughout the night (hey, it was hot outside and I had to keep myself hydrated. hehehe. =P). It was a fun night and I'm glad I went.

Finally some sleep

Since I had the day off on Tuesday, I finally got a good night's rest. I slept in until 10:00 am, then met Lynne for lunch at Joey Tomato's. It was a nice day, so we had lunch on the patio and had a couple drinks (those bellinis are SO good). After lunch, I went shopping with my mom for my cousin's birthday present, then took a power nap before volleyball.

Volleyball – Playoff Game 1 & 2

Our first playoff game was against Team Unknowns. We won the first set, but they came back and beat us 2-1. Our second playoff game was against our "other half", Team Volition. Again we played 3 sets, but they also won 2-1. Even though we lost, we played pretty well considering we only had 4 players and were playing teams with 6 players. We had a couple wacky plays, and some long rallies, but overall this volleyball league was fun.

I've got Spirit

The highlight of the night was when I was awarded the Spirit Award, for displaying excellent sportsmanship during the spring volleyball league. What's even better is I got a $25 gift certificate at United Cycle. I guess this means I have to go shopping now. ;-)

Warm weather trend

We've been having some awesome weather. It got up to 34C yesterday, and 33C (I think) today. I'm trying to take advantage of the warm weather by being outside as much as I can (eating on the patio, going for ice cream, etc.) But with all this heat, I think I'm suffering from mild heat exhaustion – at the end of the day, I just feel so tired and drained. I've also been drinking tons of water to keep myself hydrated, but you can only drink so much before you feel bloated.

Flavor of the Day

I had blueberry cheesecake ice cream today. Yum! Yesterday it was pineapple ice. At this rate, providing that the weather keeps up, I think I'll be able to try every flavor of ice cream. [I really need to get back to the gym].

Whoa, that was a long post but at least my head's all clear…

Stay tuned

Update on the past weekend to be posted soon. Haven't really stopped since I left for Toronto. And now I'm off to have lunch with Lynne...

Ready to go

I'm packed and ready to go. And I even had time to do my nails. =P Now if only my brother would get here so he can drive me to the airport. I hope I didn't forget anything. This is the reason why I hate packing at the last minute - there's always that feeling that you may have forgotten something. Oh well, if anything, I can always get it in Toronto. ;-)

ETA to departure: 6 hours and 49 minutes (give or take)

Since my flight leaves at 1:00 a.m., I need to be at the airport by 11:00 p.m., which means I have to leave the house at 10:00 p.m. because of construction on the freeway. So really, I have less than 4 hours to pack and get ready. Can I do this? ARGH!

Shopping Mission with Irma

Before I could finish my sentence, Irma jumped at the chance to go shopping. ;-) Our mission was to go to the mall to look for a pair of shoes for me, and a top for her. The mission was successful in that I got a pair of shoes [which were the last pair in my size, but unfortunately they weren't on sale, but they made up for it with the "comfort factor"] to go with my dress, and Irma got a top... plus 3 other tops... and 2 pairs of shoes. OK, so the other 3 tops and the 2 pairs of shoes weren't part of the mission, but hey, they were on sale! hehehe. =P

After our shopping experience, we went to get something to eat at Tony Roma's. Although it didn't seem like much shopping, we were quite tired after the whole ordeal. I guess we were concentrating so much on getting the right thing. At least, I was anyway. ;-)

Panic Mode Update

As of right now, (i) I still haven't packed, but I have somewhat of an idea of what to take with me to Toronto. I figure, I'll skip the gym tomorrow and go home after work and pack then, since I'm taking the "red-eye" flight out (1:00 a.m. Friday); (ii) I bought a pair of shoes. Yay! (iii) I have tomorrow evening to get my stuff together. No pressure, right?

Volleyball - Game 4 & 5

We were scheduled to play two games last Tuesday, but since I couldn't make it (because my car died the weekend prior), I found out that we "won" against Team Red Devils, only because their team didn't show up, and lost the second round against Team Saucy Super Singles [try saying that a few times =P]. So at this point, we're in 5th place. Not bad, I suppose.

Volleyball - Game 6 & 7

We were also scheduled to play a double-header tonight. One game against Team Red Devils (again), and the other against Team Divers. Unfortunately, some members of our team were either away on holidays or had other plans, so we had to forfeit both games since we couldn't play with 3 players. :-( Oh well. We played with some of the members from Team Red Devils for fun, so it was OK.

Catching up with Lynne

As I was walking out of the locker room, I ran into Lynne whom I haven't seen in a while. I was supposed to get together with her daughter this past weekend, but something else came up. We got a chance to catch up on things and also planned to go for lunch on Tuesday, since I'll have the day off (again).

[Mental note: cute guys working out at the gym]

Panic Mode

As I'm sitting here typing away, I realize I don't have much time before I leave for Toronto at the end of the week. So here's my dilemma: (i) I haven't packed yet (because I haven't figured out what I'm going to wear while I'm over there); (ii) I need to buy a pair of shoes to go with the dress I'm wearing to the wedding; (iii) I only have a couple days to get it together. [OK, don't panic.... aaarrrggghhhh!!]. I know I'm only going for the weekend, but I like to have all this ready before hand.

Quote of the Day

I got this from my tea this afternoon:

"If the heart of a man is depress'd with cares, the mist is dispell'd when a woman appears"
-- The Beggar's Opera (1728)

Translation: If it weren't for women, men would be depressed all the time. hehehe. =P

Too Busy to Write

I feel like I haven't blogged in a long time. But it's only been 4 days. I've just been too busy doing stuff and enjoying this awesome weather we're having. [It's a nice day again today, so I need to be outside].

Thursday
Irma and I watched the hockey game between Detroit and Carolina. 99% of the people there were cheering for Carolina to win. I was the 1% cheering for Detroit. =P And they won! Yay! I'm not a Detroit fan, but I just wanted them to win.

[Sidenote: Chandler look-alike]

Friday

Since I went for an ice cream run (swiss chocolate almond – yum!) in the afternoon (I was taking a "mental break" from work – ah, who am I kidding, I just wanted to get out of the office =P), it was only fitting to go for a walk with Irma. We walked for about an hour through the trails, then headed back to her place to get ready for a night out.

Random Thought
I read in this article that "The average person takes 9000 steps each day. In a lifetime that is 3.5 trips around the Earth." Hmmm, with all that walking Irma and I have done since we've known each other, I wonder if we've made it around the earth once so far, so-to-speak? What do you think Irma?

The night was going well until we came across 3 obnoxious guys who basically kicked us off our table. I was ready to punch one of the guys out, but since I work there, I didn't want to be "banned" from my place of work. Besides, it wasn't worth it. And I got one of the guys who works there to "talk" to them. Not so much kick them out (which is what I would've preferred), but just to talk to them.

[Sidenote: I ran into 2 guys I went to junior high with and they haven't changed at all.]

Saturday

After work, I went home, had some lunch, and sat in my backyard and read a book. I don't usually like to just sit and tan, but I couldn't get a hold of anyone who wanted to do something outside (like go for a walk, or go to the park, or play tennis, etc.). So as a last resort, I sat outside with my dog. I wanted to work on my tan and I think (or at least I'd like to think) I got a bit of color. Who am I kidding, I'm still working on getting a base for my tan. Ugh. =P

Anyway, after sitting in the sun for a couple hours, I had to get ready for 2 functions to go to:

1. Happy Birthday Som!
   Joi's cousin was having a dinner at Thai Valley Grill and the food was SO good. There was way too much food (spring rolls, this salad with peanut dressing [forgot the name], chicken curry, sweet and sour tofu, and so much more), which meant I ate way too much. Plus it didn't help that Som ordered 11 dishes for 7 people. It didn't seem like a lot, but we probably could've gone without ordering the last 2 dishes.
   
   
2. Aloha!
   After dinner, Joi and I went to Lily and Brad's Hawaiian stag/stagette party which was held at one of their friend's house. By the time Joi and I got there, it seemed like most of the people had left. They also had a lot of food (they even had lechon), and as much as I wanted to eat more, I couldn't.

Highlights:

• Joi got lei'd (and they were "quality" ones too)
  
• Lily's friend Michelle trying to make blender drinks but couldn't get the right mix
  
• Joi's "card trick"

Sunday
Equals rest day for me. As much as I wanted to be outside again, I felt too lazy to do anything. Part of the reason was because I overslept this morning (woke up at 11:30 am). I took a shower after lunch to "wake me up", but it didn't really help. I ended up bumming around the house, looking out the window, and wishing I was outside. Maybe it was just my body's way of telling me that I need some rest. So I ended up taking a nap in the afternoon. So much for being outside.

Now the clouds are starting to roll in and we're expected to get some rain for the next 2 or 3 days. Oh well, it's not like it's the end of summer. There'll be more days to "soak up the sun". ;-)

Walk Run Walk/Run in the Park

Since it was such a beautiful day outside (current temperature is approximately 25C), I decided to skip the gym and kickboxing and went for a light jog/power walk at Hawrelak Park. Plus, I wanted to work on my tan. [Irma, I tried calling you at home but there was no answer. I guess you're at work.]. I jogged one lap and then walked another lap.

There were quite a few people enjoying the sun. People running, walking, roller blading, playing football, baseball, soccer, etc. And of course, there were the lazy bums who just laid in the sun. And there's nothing wrong with that, but I prefer to be doing something active.

Tea with Jenn

It's been about 3 weeks since I saw Jenn, so we went to Second Cup for some tea and to catch up on stuff. We talked about our upcoming reunion, which we've decided we're not going to attend (because we already keep in touch with people we want to keep in touch with, and we didn't feel like spending the money, which will likely end up in the pockets of the people organizing it). But we're thinking about, or at least I am, having dinner at the italian restaurant across the street from the church hall it's being held at, and just watching the people from there. At least this way we get to see the people we went to high school with, but don't have to do the "small talk" thing (which I'm not a big fan of).

Day Off Again

What should I do today? With no vehicle, I'm limited as to what I can do.

Any suggestions?

Bad Saturday Afternoon

After waiting an hour and a half on Saturday afternoon, the tow truck finally came to the mall to tow my car to my house. Thanks Joi for the hook-up. :-) [Sorry about the dent and the bird dropping on your car. =P]. Once I got home, I took a nap to rejuvinate myself.

Pre-Summer Party at Spence's

After my nap, I went to Spence's (former co-worker) house for his annual pre-summer party. It was good to see Spence and some of my old co-workers again. But one thing I noticed was that I wasn't really socializing with too many people. Part of the reason was because there were quite a few new faces. And the other part was I couldn't really relate to them anymore. A couple of them were talking about work, and I didn't really want to hear it. The whole tone of party didn't seem to match that of last year's. Mind you, there were more people last year, but this year everyone seemed more subdued. Not to sound conceited or anything, but I'd like to think that I played a part in being the "life of the party" last year. This time around, everyone seemed more serious. Even though the guys were watching the hockey game between Detroit and Carolina (Go Detroit!) and having some fun, something was missing. I also felt like I didn't really belong there. Sure Spence invited me, but maybe I should've thought twice about going? Oh well, I made my appearance and left.

Better Saturday Evening

Irma and Irene came to pick me up at Spence's and we headed to Ceili's (pronounced kay leez) for a drink. We caught the last little bit of Dave (I forgot his last name)'s act. There wasn't that much of a crowd, so we headed to Whyte Ave.

Plan A was to go to Suite 69, but there was a line to get in. Plan B was to go to the Attic, but again there was a line. Finally, we went to the Billiard Club. This was the first time I've been, since I started working there. There was also a line, but it's a good thing I knew the guy who was at the door. [Mental note: Working and hanging out at the same place of work is not so bad. Especially when you don't have to wait in line to get in, and you get discounts on drinks. ;-)] Irma, Irene and I walked in and the place was packed. It was a good crowd. ;-)

Five and a half drinks and a shot and a half later, I was gone. Don't get me wrong, I was having a lot of fun, but I couldn't see straight.

Highlights

• "Let me guess, you're filipino right?" (opening line from this east indian guy, whom I had a funny conversation with)
  
• cheers
  
• Shaggy and Norma (or is it "Norma"?)
  
• "I'm not cold" (my comment while walking outside, after consuming all that alcohol)
  
• "Thank you for driving Irma"
  
• "Irene, this is all your fault!" hehehehe. :-)

Since I didn't want to have a hangover the next morning, I took the "necessary measures" to get rid of it. And it was effective.

My Parents are Back

They had a bit of a delay in Vancouver, (since their flight from Japan to Vancouver was delayed so they missed their connecting flight back home), but they made it. I'm glad they're back and the best part is they brought some pasalubong. ;-)

Another late night last night...

Irma and I went to the Druid last night. It was OK, I got the attention I needed (hehe) ;-) , but I didn't get home until 3:00 a.m. By the time I went to sleep, it was 3:30. So trying to get up 4 hours later to go to work was a bit difficult.

Construction Season

Construction is happening everywhere. And everytime I tried to avoid a construction site (by taking a detour), I came across another construction site. It was a no-win situation. I ended up driving around the city just to avoid the traffic caused by all this construction. I know I need to be a bit more patient, but with 4 hours of sleep, I was a little cranky to deal with all the traffic.

My car died

After all this driving around the city, I had to make a pit stop at the mall to drop off some stuff for work. But when I went back to my car, it wouldn't start. It definitely wasn't from lack of fuel because I had just filled it up before I got to the mall. So what to do? I was parked in our "Private Parking" stall (to be used when we work), but I didn't want to get a ticket (since I can't just leave it there), so I contacted security to see if they could help push the car to a "normal" parking stall. Thank goodness my car died at the mall, rather than in the middle of nowhere. At least this way, I could just walk home. So now I have to make arrangements to have my car towed from the mall to my house.

Does this mean I need a new car? I wasn't planning on getting one for another 2 years...

Slack Afternoon

I have done absolutely nothing this afternoon. After lunch, I did a bit of work but then the electricians came in to install some new lighting in our office. So what did I do? I went to Baskin Robbins for mint chocolate chip ice cream. Yum! I went with a co-worker of mine and we took our time walking back to the office. But even then, the electricians still weren't done. Instead of just sitting around and doing nothing, I went to Chapters to "stimulate" my mind. I flipped through a Vogue magazine and an Oxygen magazine, and after a half an hour, I headed back to the office. So much for stimulating my mind. =P When I got back, a couple other co-workers were just sitting around chatting. Seeing as I didn't want to be anti-social, I sat with them. ;-) [Besides, if they weren't working, why should I?]

I really have no motivation to do anymore work. Maybe I should just take off now and go to the gym?...

Summer 2002 - Mission 1: Walk Across the Bridges
Status: Complete

No, not the Bridges of Madison County =P. It was another beautiful day outside, so Irma and I decided to go for a walk. A very long walk, that is. The trek started at Irma's apartment. We headed to Queen Elizabeth Park, and from there followed the trails. During our trek, we passed by the Edmonton Queen Riverboat, went through Rafters Landing and Henrietta Louise Edwards Park, until we finally got to Cloverdale Park. From there, we went across "Bridge #1" (don't know the name of it and I'm not sure if there is a name for it?) which took us across the river and into downtown. Once we got across, we decided to go up and down some stairs, and up and down more stairs, passed through Louise McKinney Park and then up, up, up more stairs. By this point, we reached the MacDonald Hotel. Now that we were in downtown, we walked to the Legislature Building until we reached "Bridge #2 - High Level Bridge". We had walked across this bridge before, but thought that it would add to our challenging hike. Again, we went across the river and headed back to where we started. We passed by Kinsmen Park, up Fort Hill, and made our way through Queen Elizabeth Park. 2 hours and 15 minutes, and about 500 miles later (OK, so I'm exaggerating a little), we made it back to Irma's apartment. It was definitely a long walk, but it was great to be outside. :-) Gotta enjoy the good weather while we can!

Tune in next time for "Mission II: Walk to Hawrelak Park"...

Allocation of time during my Sunday off...

• working (1 hour)
  
• checking email, paying bills, etc. (1 hour, 30 minutes)
  
• taking a nap (2 hours)
  
• going to Safeway to buy some dog food (20 minutes)
  
• cleaning the house (3 hours)
  
• laundry and ironing (1 hour)

For a grand total of approximately 9 hours. I've pretty much put in full day. And it's supposed to be my day off? [OK, so maybe I didn't need to take a nap, but I'm trying to catch up on sleep I've missed since Friday night.]

The Sum of All Fears

Irma, Joi and I went to see The Sum of All Fears last night at Paramount Theatre. I'm not a big fan of nuclear-war-type movies to begin with and I found some scenes dragged on a bit. But overall it was not bad.

You know you're getting old when...

... you go out drinking, have 4 drinks in an hour and a half (one of which was carbonated, which is what set me off), go to sleep at 3:30 am, and wake up 4 hours later (with a big headache) to go to work. I know I should've paced myself, but I really needed a drink. ;-) [No, I'm not an alcoholic and I'm not in denial either. hehehe =P].

It was another adventure with Irma. We went to the Druid last night and had a few drinks. All I have to say is "Your clock is ticking. Not your biological clock, but literally your clock is ticking" and "3 minutes" [Needless to say, you were successful in completing your mission. But talk about cutting it close. hehehehe. ;-)]

Nice weather = must be outside!

Although it's not as warm as it should be this time of year, we have been having good weather lately. And I've been making it a point to be outside. Meaning, leaving work a bit early. ;-) I left at 4:30 pm yesterday (after going for an ice cream run to Baskin Robbins) and went for a hike in Whitemud Park. I would've left early again today, except I was in the middle of paying bills and then my computer froze on me. Oh well. I was still able to go for a power walk with Irma and we went through Queen Elizabeth Park and took the trail to...I'm not really sure where we ended up because I've never been there before. But the point is, we were outside. [Mental note: must do that trail again, but go across the bridge next time and do the stairs] And to think, I was going to go to kickboxing class where the room gets all hot and stuffy and you get all sweaty. Not that there's anything wrong with that, but who wants to be couped up when you can enjoy being outside.

Volleyball - Game 3

I'm not sure who we played against last night (since I didn't check the schedule), but it seemed to be the same team we played last week. But with a few more players? Unfortunately we lost again. :-( But I have to say, with every game we play, regardless of whether we win or lose, we end up having a blast. Plus, we were laughing way too much to even concentrate on the game. Last night, one could describe us as being the "human pinball machine". Digs being deflected the wrong way, the ball deflecting off shoulders, head, knees, etc. It was a mess. I have to say though, I did spike the ball which gave us a point. I was quite proud of myself, since I'm not a good volleyball player to begin with, and I made the shot against a team who are true volleyball players. Call it luck, call it fluke, or call it whatever you like. The point is, I made the shot. =P Too bad we didn't win the game. Oh well, maybe next time.


Movie with Irma

After volleyball, Irma and I watched a cheap movie. We decided to watch E.T. There were some scenes that I don't remember being in the first release, but then I was 8 years old when I first watched it and I don't remember some of it. I admit, I got teary-eyed toward the end when they were trying to revive E.T. and when Elliott was saying his goodbyes. But who doesn't get choked up during these scenes? I think I need to get this on DVD.

Margarita Madness - Part 2

Yes, it was margarita taste testing again. This time we were trying different variations of peach, strawberry, and the "Adult Shake". We're trying to narrow our choices down by refining the elements of the margaritas. I really like this part of my job. ;-)

What's next on my list?

I'm doing a bit of laundry before I head out to my hair appointment. Then Irma and I are going to do a bit of shopping. Then it's off to volleyball at 7:30 pm, and after that Irma and I are going to catch a late flick. You sure do a lot when you have the day off and have all this time to run errands and stuff. Did I mention that I should take days off more often? hehehe ;-)

Ah-choo!

I seem to be having a sneezing fit. Unlike Bern, my nose isn't running. It's just stuffed up right now. Ugh. Probably the only thing I don't like about this time of year is it's allergy season. Ah....Ahh....Ah-choo!

A Walk in the Park

I decided to take advantage of the warm weather (currently we are 21C), so I went to Hawrelak Park and went for a walk. I was thinking of going rollerblading, but I forgot my wrist guards and knee pads (I don't skate that well, so I need them), so I went for a walk around the entire park instead. I ended up walking 2/3 of the way and jogging the last 1/3. It took me half an hour to make my way around and after that I went to the gym to do some weights. But instead of driving to the gym, I drove back home and walked to the gym, since it's about 8 blocks (?) away.

Now it's time to have some lunch. I need to do this more often - take advantage of my Tuesdays off and enjoy the day [(weather permitting, of course ;-) ]

Day Off

I took the day off today because, well, I can! ;-) Actually, I get every second Tuesday off but it seems like I haven't had a Tuesday off in a while. It's such a nice day and I don't know what to do. I have a to-do list, but I don't know where to begin.

Productive Day

For a Sunday, it sure seemed like i accomplished a lot. Usually, Sundays are my relaxation/lounge-around days but I just got into this "gotta do stuff" mode. First, my brother and I made lunch (this pasta creation thing, which was really good). Then I went to the car wash to clean my car. Then I did some laundry (whites only). Then I met Irma and we walked up and down Whyte Ave to take advantage of the warm weather (since it's quite rare to have nice weather these days...or so it seems). Oh, and I can't forget about the ice cream! ;-) When I got home, I did more laundry (dark colors) and ironed at the same time, while watching Pretty Woman. OK, so maybe it wasn't that much. But it's more than what I normally do on Sundays. ;-)

Surprising Phone Call

My friend Alison from Toronto, who's getting married in a month which is why I'm heading there in June, just called me to touch base and make sure all my arrangements were made. I still have to book a hotel, but that shouldn't be a big problem. I'm so excited to see her, since it's been a year since we saw each other. Now I have to figure out what to wear to this shin-dig. I know I'm only going for the weekend, but you can never be too prepared. ;-)

Loungin' around on Whyte Ave

I met Sue at Chapters on Whyte this afternoon. We hadn't seen each other in a while, so we decided to walk down Whyte and do a bit of window shopping (for her only). When we couldn't find what she was looking for we headed to Julio's for an afternoon "drink" and a snack. We started out with a margarita (I had peach and she had strawberry-banana) and shared nachos. Two margaritas and one sangria later, we were feeling quite giddy. Sue started talking about a tree with red blossoms in someone's backyard, and I'm supposed to know them? Yeah, I'd say she was cut after the second margarita. Hehehehe. Then we were fishing out the berries out of our sangria. Yup, it was a fun afternoon. ;-)

[As fighter planes fly above my house... not sure why?]

46 more sleeps...

...before I go to Paris. I bring this up because I finally picked up my plane ticket, which had been sitting at the travel agency for over a week. I'm so looking forward to it! :-)

Which reminds me...

I need to book a hotel for my Toronto trip in June.

A Night at the Symphony

Joi and I went to the Winspear Centre to watch the Edmonton Symphony Orchestra. Neither of us had been to the Winspear, and since he had free tickets I figured why not. I've never been to the symphony, so I thought I'd check it out (y'know, expand my horizons...).

When we got there, we hung out in the Founders Room, which was for members and guests only, and had half a glass of wine. Half a glass because we got there 10 minutes before the show started because we were driving around for 20 minutes looking for parking. And wine is not a drink you can gulp. Unless of course you're an alcoholic, of which I'm NOT! =P Anyway, Joi and I were feeling quite hoity-toity, lounging around in the "members & guests only" room, being all yuppie-ish (our new term). One thing I noticed was 90% of the audience were seniors. I suppose they have nothing better to do? Besides, they're all retired and have all this money to spend. Hmmm, I wonder if I'm going to be like that in 40 years? [What do you think, Irma? hehehe ;-)]

The concert was pretty good. I recognized 4 pieces so I wasn't completely clueless. Of the ones I knew, they played Grieg's Morning Mood and In the Hall of the Mountain King (from Peer Gynt Suite No.1), Khachaturian's Sabre Dance (from Gayane: Suite No.3), and Ravel's Bolero. During the intermission, we walked around a bit and I decided to have a snack and some tea. But by the time I got my raspberry chocolate cake and peppermint tea, the lights flickered, signalling that the show would resume in 5 minutes. Again, I only had half of my tea because it was too hot to drink and we couldn't take it back to our seats. Overall, the symphony was good. I'd probably see another one.

Margarita Madness

I've mentioned before that one of the perks working at this job is that you get to sample different kinds of food. Well, this time we got to sample different flavors of margaritas - mango, passionfruit, peach, strawberry, strawberry-banana, raspberry, watermelon, and a couple other concoctions. We got this new high speed blender that pumps out margaritas in no time. And since summer is almost here, which means the patio will be open, hence margaritas will be one of top beverages, we had to try out some of the drinks they were thinking of featuring. My favorite was this one we decided to call the "Adult Shake", which has a shot of Bailey's and a shot of Kahlua. It was really good and tasted just like a milk shake (I couldn't really taste the liquers at first, so I suggested they add a bit more alcohol). Yum! :-)

Volleyball - Game 2

We played against Team Divers tonight. Unfortunately we lost :-( But at least we had fun. The one thing that bothers me a bit about this whole volleyball league is that some of the teams are more semi-competitive than recreational. I just don't get why they would even join a recreational league knowing that they can beat their opponents. Really, what's the point in playing? Don't get me wrong, it's great to win, but wouldn't you be bored if the opposing team wasn't challenging you enough? For me, participating in a sport that's not challenging enough just seems like a waste of time. I see volleyball as a challenge for me because (i) I haven't played since high school; (ii) I'm not a great player to begin with; (iii) and I want to see if I can improve my skills, so I push myself in each game.

Anyway, after the game we hung out and watched our "other half" play another team. They lost as well, but it was no big deal. A group of us (Sherrilee, Jesse, Jonathan, Karen, Mai, Kris, Todd, Taz, Nathan, Shane, Sean, Joseph and 2 others who I don't know) went to Red Robin's to grab a bite to eat. Those guys are too funny!

Another busy weekend...

...and a long weekend at that (it's Victoria Day here - why it's a holiday, I don't know).

SATURDAY

I went to work for a couple hours, had some lunch, took an afternoon nap, and went through my junk pile (consisting of old receipts, bills, etc) which was beginning to build up. I didn't realize how much, and how fast, this stuff accumulated. I had receipts from last October! I guess I should go through this junk pile on a more regular basis. But with the crazy schedule I have, where's the time?

SUNDAY

Cleaning day

I woke up, had breakfast, and started cleaning. I'm not sure what came over me, but I got into this cleaning mode and cleaned the kitchen, the bathroom, then I did my laundry. I even got my brother to vacuum. By 1:00 pm, I felt like I had a full day.


"Don't cry for me Argentina..."

I watched the musical Evita with Irma and Jenn at the Mayfield Dinner Theatre. The show was well done and the voices of some of the cast members were phenomenal. I was impressed with this 12 year old girl in the ensemble who sang very well.

Before the performance, we had a buffet dinner (I ate too much), and the best part was the desserts! As part of our "strategic plan" (since they were going to close the buffet once the show started), the three of us each took a plate and were assigned certain desserts. Irma was in charge of the fruit and cheese & crackers, Jenn was in charge of the squares, and I was in charge of the cakes/pies. This way, we'd be able to sample everything AND have something to eat during the show. Although by the intermission, I was feeling a bit bloated. I think I had too much chocolate. =P

Survivor

After the show, Irma and I raced back to my place to watch Survivor. Since the show didn't end until 10:00 pm, I had my brother tape the first half of it. Even though I already know who won, I still want to see what challenges they did to get into the positions they were in.

And there's more...

Tonight I watched Star Wars with Irma, Joi, and Matthew. I'm not a huge Star Wars fan, but the movie was not bad. Though I'm not too sure about the whole love scene thing. One thing I did notice (and I wasn't the only one), was the similarities some scenes had to other movies. For example the execution scene with Padmé, Anakin, and Obi-Wan - the dome they were in looked like Gladiator; that giant crab thing that was attacking Obi-Wan had a bit of Alien/Starship Troopers thing; and the whole fight scene with the jedi's looked like Braveheart. Perhaps it's because I'm not a big fan of Star Wars, which is why I picked these things out? Even the characters had some similarities to celebrities. Mainly, Anakin looks like Justin Timberlake, and Padmé had a bit of Britney Spears thing with the torn shirt and everything. OK, maybe I should've been paying attention to the plot of the movie, but I couldn't help it. [Maybe I was a movie continuity critic in a past life...=P].

I can't breathe

As soon as we came out of the theatre, it was grey outside. At first I thought it was raining, but it was actually smoke from a forest fire that's a couple hours away from Edmonton. It's been quite windy, which is causing all this smoke to come our way. So now we're under this blanket of smoke. I'm hoping it will rain to help it clear up. But in the meantime, I have to struggle breathing through a plugged up nose.

"No man is an island"

I watched About a Boy last night with Louise and Steve (kickboxing buddies). The movie was actually not bad. It's about a rich, shallow, never-worked-a-day-in-his-life bachelor (Hugh Grant) who becomes an "uncle" to an adolescent nerd, and realizes that there's more to life than just watching TV, getting a hair cut, and chasing women. I thought it was cute.

GMCC Spring Volleyball League - Game 1

Even though we had our first volleyball game last week, it didn't really count because we had to split our team. And ironically, we played our "other half" tonight (they've decided to call themselves Team Volition). Jackie and I were "taunting" each other before the game, but it was all good. We played best of 3 and our team won 2-1. Yay! Hopefully our team does well next week also.

[Listening to Hot in Herre by Nelly]

Finally some nice weather!

Currently it's about 19C/66F under sunny skies with a light westerly wind. With this nice weather, that means I can finally take out my spring/summer wardrobe. I was hesitant to do it up until now, because we were still getting snow in the beginning of May. But I think it's safe to say that we won't be getting anymore of the white stuff. I've pretty much rotated my wardrobe, and now I'm just rotating my shoes.

And the shoe saga continues...

While I was going through my shoes, putting away my boots and taking out my sandals, I came across the pair of shoes I thought I lost last week. Yay! I guess I forgot that I put them in this box. Oops. =P Now I don't have to go out and buy another pair of shoes (not that I was going to get a new pair anyway ;-) )

Approximately 2.5 hours later...

...I'm up and ready to take my parents to the airport. *yawn* The sun is starting to rise and my brother and I are just waiting for them to finish getting ready. It's a good thing it's Sunday, otherwise I'd be screwed for work. It sucks that my mom isn't going to be here for Mother's Day, but they'll be in PI so they can celebrate Mother's Day there (a day late, of course).

A Saturday (not Sunday) with Irma and Joi

The original plan was to watch Spider-Man (again) and then go to our traditional hang out, Café Select. Joi hadn't seen the movie yet, and Irma and I agreed to watch it with him. But since Joi's golf game was longer than expected, we didn't get to see the movie. So we cancelled the movie and decided to meet Joi at Café Select a couple hours later. To take advantage of the nice weather, and to kill some time, Irma and I walked along the river valley. I was enjoying the walk until we were heading back to the car and Irma noticed a parking ticket flapping on my windshield. Ugh! And the parking patrol guy just left too. Dayum! I forgot that it was Saturday, not Sunday, so I didn't put anything in the parking meter. Oh well.

From the river valley, Irma and I went to Fujin (sp?), this Japanese restaurant, to get something to eat. After dinner, we went for a walk downtown and then headed to Café Select to wait for Joi. Once Joi got there, it was just like old times. hehehe. We sat under the not-proportioned-hand-holding-the-martini-glass picture; had some wine [good choice Joi; thanks for verifying that, Irma ;-)]; some food [even though I just ate, I felt like I needed to eat again]; and Joi (a.k.a. Paul -- Peter -- Patrick?) told us the much anticipated "story". All I have to say is "whoa". We hung out there for a while, then I drove Irma home since she was feeling under the weather (hope you feel better soon). Joi came over to my house and we watched Shrek. Joi hadn't seen it before, so I guess we ended up having a movie night after all.

To sleep or not to sleep?

It's 2:00 am and I'm still up. I'm debating on whether or not I should go to sleep, since my brother and I have to drive our parents to the airport in a couple hours. My parents decided to make a last minute trip to PI, and they'll be gone for a month. I wish I could go with them, but (i) I don't have the funds to go, (ii) there's no way I can take a month off work, and (iii) I'm already going to Toronto in June and then Paris in July (yay!). Hmmm, maybe I should take a power nap? *yawn*

My stomach hurts...

...from laughing so much during lunch. I was having lunch with a couple co-workers and one was telling some funny stories (especially the one about stalkers). Of course you had to be there to understand, but I haven't laughed that much in a long time.

Memorable line:"...she was walking toward me and it looked like the sun was rising..." LOL!

[I'm sitting here laughing at myself as I'm posting this, and Marc must think I'm a total nut!]

If I were a pair of shoes, where would I be?

I somehow lost a pair of shoes. I have had a pair of comfy, black loafers (which I got on sale ;-) ) and I can't find them anywhere. I noticed they were missing when I wanted to wear them yesterday and they weren't in the closet. I looked all over the house for them, but no luck. And I've been racking my brain ever since trying to figure out where the hell these shoes are. I figured they could be in one of two places - the gym or kickboxing.

I went to the gym and looked through their lost and found. Apparently, I wasn't the only one who was missing shoes. There were gym shoes, dress shoes, even boots. But my shoes weren't in there. :-( When I went to kickboxing, I checked if I left my shoes on their shoe rack or something. But they weren't there either. Normally, I wouldn't make such a big deal out of a pair of shoes, but they were so comfortable. Not mention, they were on sale! =P I suppose I could always go out and get a new pair of shoes, but I don't feel like buying a new pair of shoes. [Yes, I'm feeling alright. I'm a bit "off" because my planets aren't aligned properly, but that's OK]. Anyway, after talking with Irma, I think I may have put the shoes on top of my car and drove off without realizing it (because my hands were full and I had to set them down to get into the car). Not like that's happened before...

I need to invest in a bigger gym bag, so I can put all this stuff in it. That way, I won't have to worry about leaving shoes at the gym or forgetting them on being on top of my car. =P

Team Sniper

That's our team name for volleyball. Though I think it might change. Anyway, I decided to take up a new activity. It runs every Tuesday night until the end of June, and I thought I'd try it out. From a physical standpoint, I figured I needed to change up my routine of just going to the gym and kickboxing. From the social side of it, it's a great way to meet new people. Let's see, there's Sherilee, Kristin, Kris, Mai, Shane, Jesse, Gemma, Taswena (sp?), Jacqueline, Jonathan, Todd, Tasha, and Nathan. Since our team was so big (maximum of 12, minimum of 6), we had to split up our team. The team we played against had to divide their team as well, since they had the same problem. So this league is a couple teams bigger than anticipated. Oh well. It'll be interesting when we play against our "other half" (their team name is yet to be determined).

It's kinda funny how I met the girl who introduced me this. I was walking through the mall one day, and Sherilee approached me and asked if I go to church. My response was "not as often as I should" (but I do say my prayers every night). [Sidenote: Sherilee reminds me of Leah. And the weird thing is Sherilee is from Vancouver as well]. So she briefly told me about this Christian church she's involved with and suggested I check it out. I'm Catholic myself, but the two are pretty much similar. Besides, it's not like I'm going to convert overnight so what would it hurt to check it out? Anyway, we kept in touch (and I have yet to attend a mass) and she called me one day and asked if I wanted to join this volleyball league her and her friends were putting together. Ah, why not? As long as it's not hard core competitive, I'm in. I mean, I haven't touched a volleyball since high school, and even then I wasn't that great. But it's all about having fun. And so here I am in volleyball playing with people I don't know. We lost the first game, but it was a lot of fun! :-)

Movie with Irma

It was supposed to be with a movie with Irma and Joi, but someone had a bit too much to drink last night, hence the hangover, hence ditching Irma and I. Plus, the car wouldn't start which caused him to be stuck in Calgary. [You know, you need to take better care of yourself, especially at your age. hehehe. (IP3) And maybe you need to get a new car too =P].

Anyway, Irma and I went to see Spider-Man without Joi (we can see it again with you if you want). I really enjoyed the movie and it had some cool scenes. I wanted to hear the original theme song from the cartoon, but they didn't play it. Mind you, we didn't really stay in the theatre long enough to find out. Oh well. I was singing the song to myself anyway. "Spider-man, Spider-man, does whatever a spider can... Spins a web, anysize...la la la la la la... Look out, here comes the Spider-man..." hehehehe.

"With great power, there must also come great responsibility."

After the movie, Irma and I went to Rigoletto's (Café Select-ish type of place) to get something to eat. Irma wanted to try something different, so I suggested we go there. [Mental note: take Joi there and show him the "picture".] We had quite a big meal, so we walked it off. Too bad the weather was so cold. Brrrr.

Now that I'm home, I'm a bit tired but I don't want to go to sleep just yet. Maybe I'll watch a DVD or something...

Just wanted to say...

Happy Birthday Mike!! (my brother)

Vive La France!

Je ne crois pas que nous retenu notre billet pour Paris ce matin! Je suis très excitée! Nous avons beaucoup de chose à faire, mais c'est bon. Du moins c'est faits.

[OK, so I'm taking a crack at being bilingual. It's been a long time since I took French (uh, try high school =P), so I don't know if this is even the correct way of saying what I want to say. Oh well. It was worth a shot]

I want to go shopping...

Let me re-phrase that... I want to go shopping and actually buy something. After going to Etzio's and Glam Slam with Marc, I saw a few things that caught my eye but I held back because I'd rather save the money for an upcoming trip. I think it's been almost a month since I went shopping. Part of the reason is that I haven't been in the mood (yes, I'm feeling OK =P). Another part of the reason is this crappy weather. But I'll stop complaining about that.

Could it be spring now?

I woke up this morning and it was nice and bright. Once I found out what the temperature was, I knew it was time to take out the spring/summer stuff. Mind you, it wasn't that warm, but it was warm enough for me to wear capris. Although as I look out the window, the sky is all grey. *sigh* That's Edmonton weather for you...

Lunch on the patio

After going to the bank, Tara and I had lunch at Iron Horse on the patio. At the time, the sun was still out. It was bright and warm, with a bit of a cool breeze. I figured we better take advantage of the weather as much as we can. And now that it's cloudy outside, I'm glad I had a chance to sit in the sun earlier. [damn Edmonton weather...]

Did someone say shopping?

Marc, another co-worker of mine, asked me to go shopping with him to help him pick out something for his wife's birthday. And of course I agreed to go [like I'm going to pass up an opportunity to go shopping, especially during work?!? =P]. Oh, gotta go...

My Busy Day Off

I was so tired from running around yesterday that I didn't even get a chance to jot it down. In summary, I:

• woke up at 8:30 am, which is early especially on my day off, because I wanted to get a head start. Plus, if I woke up later, I probably would've felt sluggish and too lazy to do anything.
  
• went to the mall to drop something off
  
• got a new battery for my watch
  
• went to Chapters to look at maps of Toronto and this book I was thinking of getting
  
• went to Joey Tomatoes to meet Jenn for lunch (I hadn't seen her in a while)
  
• went to my dermatologist appointment, which was the fastest appointment I've ever had (compare 20 minutes waiting time vs. 2 minutes to get my prescription?)
  
• went to Wal-Mart to get the prescription, which they wasn't in stock so I have to call them to see if they got in
  
• went back to the mall to pick up a pair of earrings (because the ones I'm wearing now are irritating my ears)
  
• went home to change (because I decided to "dress up" even though I wasn't working)
  
• went back to Chapters and decided to buy the book I wanted to get (this time I brought my Chapter card =P)

After all this running around, I was tired! For a Tuesday, it felt like one of my typical running-around-the-city Saturday.