Home Again, Home Again, Jiggity Jog

I have quite shamelessly neglected my blog this week. I'm tired of it to be honest. I think I might just quit.
But not really.
Its been a pretty good First Week Home. We had lots of company over, and I went to a road hockey night (and nearly coughed up a lung-- I really need to get in shape!), and a "surprise" birthday BBQ, and a youth & young adults BBQ, painted my room (maybe I'll put up pics later), and went to Gateway church on Sunday...its a little different than the Presbyterian services I've been attending all year!! It was good to sing some of the newer worship songs I like again.
I was supposed to go to my TRU orientation yesterday, but....apparently someone forgot about it, and that person wasn't me...
So now I have to get in touch with the program coordinator and find out if that is going to happen after all. But she's on vacation until August **th? So we'll see how that goes.
Anyway, its been so great to see everyone again! I really missed you all! I'm so excited about this year :)
This week will be busy as well. I'm hoping to catch up with out-of-town friends who will be IN town, and then Mom and I are heading down to the Island to cook at Homewood for just over a week. I can't wait to see my camp friends again, and of course the 2 Homewood-ing brothers! Contrary to popular opinion I am not going to Homewood for a long period of time! Somehow it seems word got around that I was leaving you all again. Not true! I'm pretty much in Kamloops to stay...for a while.
I start Culinary school on the 27th of August, which seems SO close! I'm really excited, but really nervous too, big surprise there! Its a 12-month program, and I'm hoping to snag a part-time job so that I can do it all in one go. Then...we'll see if I survive before I plan any further ahead :)

Anyway, I should go. If you're lucky, I might update this week :D

Back in my Home and Native Land

I slept in my own bed last night, snuggled up on my feather duvet next to my soft fuzzy green blanket. Oh, how I have missed that bed...
I kind of missed you guys too, I guess.
:P

I don't really remember what time we got into Kamloops yesterday, but it was probably around 8PM. As soon as we hit the Coquihala I was totally gone; mouth hanging open, probably snoring...the works. (no drool though. its too hot and dry here...)

Since around 7AM Monday morning in Edinburgh, I hadn't really had more than an hours' sleep at a time. The train to King's Cross in London was quite pleasant (I think we should have more trains around here) and I arrived between 5-6PM. After a quick search for Platform 9 3/4, I dashed across the street to St. Pancras station and caught to Tube to Gatwick Airport. That took pretty long, and the train was packed, and very uncomfortable. Not nearly as nice as the one from Edinburgh. It clanked and screeched and it was SO HOT. I caught a glance of the Gherkin (sp?) and what I think might have been Big Ben, and the train crossed London Bridge. So that was my experience in London!

Gatwick Airport was smaller than I expected, which was nice because I didn't feel so lost. It was roasting inside though. I bought myself a book (Making Money by Terry Prachett) and settled down for a very uncomfortable night on a bench by the Departures screen! There were quite a few others with the same idea, so there wasn't a lot of room. Around 12AM I decided to call it a night, and bunched up my hoodie for a pillow, and attempted at sleep sitting up. Not so successful.
About 40 minutes later the guy who was sleeping on the rest of the bench sat up and gestured for me that it was now free for me. I didn't argue. With a quick thanks, I lay down and tried to sleep again.
Maybe I'm just a pansy, but I couldn't get comfortable and sleep was nearly impossible.
I caught a few winks here and there, but it seemed like I was awake all night.
Around 4:30AM I sat up and began to read again. I got some breakfast at 7:30AM, and the trundled down to check myself in to my flight. Waited in line FOREVER, paid $ for my suitacase being 7 kilos over the limit (grr). At last I made it through and shopped around for a couple hours, and read my book.
Finally the Gate # came up and then once I got checked in there, it was just a long wait ahead of me...

We took off at 11:40AM July 22, and arrived around 2:30PM (which felt like 10:3o PM for me), but the flight itself took over 1o hours. That wasn't so bad when I flew in October because it was dark and I slept a little bit, plus I had headphones so I watched the movies. This time around it was BRIGHT and i had left my iPod in Karissa's bag, so no headphones...
On top of this, I was so tired and sore, and restless. The poor guy beside me was probably so annoyed with my squirming! I tried to sleep, but that only resulted in a headache from being in an uncomfortable position. Then I got motionsick for the first time in my life! It was intense. I was lightheaded, and my throat was thick and tight, and all the smells around were so disgusting (we were right beside the toilets, and there was food being passed around...yuk). Everytime I looked out the window I groaned. I was just getting out the barf bag in front of me, because all the toilets were occupied. I thought for sure I was gonna puke...it was a terrible feeling.
The only reason I didn't, I firmly believe was by the grace of God! I was praying so hard, "PLEASE settle my stomach! PLEASE don't let me puke!!!"
And I didn't, for no apparent reason, so HALLELUJAH! :P
It seemed like forever before we landed. And then going through customs was fun, as always. Then waiting for my bag took forever, because it was one of the last one's off.
My flight was supposed to land at 1:40, but with the delays and everything, I didn't walk out of there until around 4PM (which felt like midnight).
It was SO good to see my parents again!! I wasn't sleepy at first, so we did get some talking in, but like I said, as soon as we hit the Coq, I was out like a light.
I could hardly believe it when the car stopped and I was home!
So now maybe you can understand how happy I was to sleep in my own bed?

By the way, Kamloops is ridiculously HOT.

So today, I'm planning on unpacking what I can manage, and I'll hopefully have a nap later on, and then HOPEFULLY see good ol' brother Paul tonight! I'm so excited!

It is good to be home :)

The Yogurt Didn't Kill Me

I know its been a long time since my last post about eating expired yogurts...but in fact I haven't been dying from dairy products gone bad.
July has been so extremely busy...
I had a fantastic final week in Fermoy, working with a team from Bloomfield Church in Belfast in putting on a childrens summer Bible club. It was absolutely mad, but very fun!
Last week today I was saying goodbye to all my Fermoy friends. There were many hugs and tears all around, but I hope to go back to visit some day. I will miss them all very much!
On Monday I bade farewell to the Dobsons (the family I was staying with, and have spent a lot of time with over the year!) and Christine drove me up to Dublin airport to put me on my plane to Edinburgh.
I arrived in the afternoon, and was met at the airport by Karen's cousin, Lyn, who has kindly allowed me to stay at her place while in Scotland!
The Wild in Scotland tour left early the next morning, so I headed off there and spent the next 5 days experiencing the Highlands and Orkney.
Just got back last night, and went to Church with Lyn and her husband Phil who is the minister of a church here, this morning. Chatted with a few people after the service, which was great.
I'm planning on taking Lyn's little Scottie terrier, Angus, on a walk today, and hopefully I will get a few nice photos of the city as well. Its a really beautiful place...stunning city.
Anyway, I take the train to London tomorrow, and will fly out of Gatwick airport Tuesday morning at 11AM and arrive in Vancouver in the early afternoon! Gotta love short flights!
So that's what I'm up to.
When I get home I'll be sure to put up some pictures for you, and try to make my posts a little more interesting, but this is all I've got for right now.
2 days and I'm home....WEIRD!

How far will YOU go?

I have a confession.

I've been eating out of date yogurts for the past few days.
They expired on June 29th, and I'm still working my way through them. One to go.
Actually there are 2 sitting in the fridge, but one expired on the 15th of June and the package has been damaged. I'm not quite THAT brave. I guess I should throw it out.

I was listening to a radio program on the subject recently. Someone phoned in and confessed to eating a yogurt that was a month out of date! And they were perfectly fine. (except for a small mental disorder...)

How seriously do you take expiry dates?

Sunny Day!

It looks like we might get some sunshine today! I'm so pleased!
Last night the church got together to clean up the garden (read: back yard) of the manse, because it is fairly large and has become overgrown with weeds!
When we started at 7pm it was not raining, but it had been raining all day (see yesterday's video clip!). We got about 30 minutes in and then it began to rain again! At first we dived for cover until it let up, but then it came again and again and again...there was no point! We were soaked!
However, "many hands make light work" and what would have taken a very long time for a couple people to do was done in 2 hours when everyone pitched in. We were dirty and wet, but the garden has been weeded! They even planted a few new flowers.
Today we're all meeting up again. That's why I'm so excited about sunshine!
I think there's going to be some pruning and trimming done, and some finishing touches. Originally we were going to be working Friday and Saturday as well, but it looks like we're almost finished! Hooray!


(Boring post, I know...but I was desperate to write about something, and I've been doing nothing since I got back)

The Difference Between Kamloops and Fermoy...

Apparently Karissa and I chose the right few weeks for our trip, since this is more or less what the weather has been like since I got back!
While its hitting 42 degrees back home in Kamloops, its absolutely ferocious rain and wind over here, and we're still wearing socks, sweaters, and long pants.
The funniest part is...I think I prefer the rain!

(hot weather makes me grumpy)

I'm Nuts about Crunchy Nut...

Someone please tell me that we have this cereal in Canada and I've just never noticed it before.
Please.

I've become officially addicted to Crunchy Nut corn flakes over the last month. I love it...check out "Crunchy Nut tv ad" on Youtube and you'll see that I'm not the only one. I'm not usually one for peanut-y things, but there's something so right about the blend of honey and peanuts on corn flakes that delights my tastebuds. Its absolutely delish.

I'm not sure I'll be able to bear leaving it behind...


Oh yeah, Happy Canada Day!
(22 days...)