1920's Party

As I mentioned before, one of the first discoveries I made at our 1920's Murder Mystery on Friday night was not a dead body...but a dead battery. My camera's battery.
So alas, I do not have any pictures...but a few can be found on Rebekah's Blog, and I'm sure most of you have checked out the ones on Facebook too.
Enjoy!

haha...by the end of the night, my "bob" hairstyle was disintegrating...

Sneak Peek

Last night was Roarin' success! The only downer? My camera batteries were DEAD!
So as I am currently up waaay too early, this is all you get for now.
Can you see me?

Sunny Day

On a day like today its impossible NOT to go outside
and watch the last bit of snow melt awayunder the glare of the sun.

To wonder at things big...

and small...
close...
and far away.
But most of all wonder, how can this be February?


And jump for joy because it is.

My "Secret" Obsession

I have been invited to a Murder Mystery dinner party for this Friday. Its 1920's themed, and I can no longer suppress my wild excitement!
I have always taken a huge (nerdy) interest in the styles and cultures of bygone days, not to mention "dressing up" was one of my favorite pastimes as a kid.
Social Studies was one of my best-loved subjects in school, and as a teen I was frequently planning themed costume parties or short dramas. Any excuse to wear a costume would do!


As a result of this invitation, I've been plotting my costume, makeup, hairstyle, and googling anything/everything 1920's.It was really a remarkable time in history-- there was so much going on, and (North) American culture was changing at a breakneck pace.
The woman's role in society was undergoing a huge change-- they had just won "the vote" and felt a new confidence and independence due to managing the country while their men were at war just a short time previous. The new generation discarded their heavy, constrictive clothing and shocked their elders with shapeless, "revealing" dresses, bobbed hair, and plenty of dramatic makeup (applied in public-- oh my!).

They were shocking, free-spirited, and the world was their oyster. What an exciting time it must have been!

I know the murder mystery will be a fantastically fun night! I only wish I could learn to dance the Charleston as well as these girls have :)

My Weekend

What did I do this weekend?

I went to a live show up in a small, artsy upper-floor room, downtown, to see Ari Neufeld and Scott Dunbar...both "One man band"s.

I don't (ok, almost never) go to see live music, and I didn't really know what it would be like, but I loved it!

These guys were so talented, it was a little mind-blowing. They would play an instrument, sing, and then keep a rhythm on a drum with their feet, as well as with little bells and wooden beads attached to their legs. Crazy!!! Ari was always hopping around, it looked like dance.

They played a variety of instruments, from acoustic guitar, to accordion, to banjo, and the atmosphere was extremely relaxed...couches, a coffee bar, people sitting on the floor...I thought it was great, and would gladly pay the $10 cover to see them again, and again.

The CD's are good, but nothing can really compare to watching these guys perform right there in front of you (I had a great view, if not a comfortable seat :D)

Thanks for recommending the show, Rebekah!

Well, that was Friday night.

Saturday morning a couple friends and I hopped into a car and drove out to Kelowna for some bargain shopping at Orchard Park Mall. Its late January, so the good sales are on now, as the stores are clearing out their winter inventory, and the Kelowna mall has a lot of stores that we don't have in Kamloops.

The 2 hour drive is a bit of a trip, but it was a good time to do a little socializing, and ask some tough questions...like, why is there a mural of a tiger on the Westwold elementary school?
And...does the Ogopogo really exist?
And...is Rishelle going to be the crazy lady that feeds the duck in park when she's old? Or has it already begun? Can we save her from this fate?
And...why haven't I ever had Wonton soup before??
It was a good day.

Wii-k Arm

Yes, we got a Wii for Christmas!
We've been duking it out on Wii Tennis, Bowling, Boxing, and the myriad of Wii Fit games.
But especially tennis.
And I hate to admit it, but my arm is sore this morning!

V-Town

I am currently in Victoria, visiting my dear friend Barb. 

The purpose of this weekend visit was originally to go through a Introductory Massage course at the West Coast College of Massage Therapy, but since it was full, I decided to come down anyway and simply get a tour of the college and check it out. I'm already falling in love with this quaint and vibrant city...

Barb lives in the neighbourhood of Fernwood, which is the most beautiful area...it looks so European, at times I am reminded of Ireland. She and her roommates are renting the most adorable heritage house...it is like Patty's Place...I really am dying from the awesomeness of this whole thing. I can't lie: it makes me want to move down here ASAP. I know its kinda dumb, but I just love being on the Island, it just feels like home to me. 

After I came across on the ferry last night, Barb and I hung out for a bit, ate at the coolest  place...so delicious....watched "The Road" (one of the most terrifying/horrifying movies I have ever seen...yet very interesting at the same time...though I can't think of many people who would enjoy it) and then returned to the house and we talked about many philosophical things until 3AM. A great night.

I woke up early, and finished the book I have been working through since September, and then we ate at The Blue Fox Cafe and I got the most deeeeeeelious breakfast and again we talked about many deep and intriuging matters. 

This afternoon I have begun reading a new book (Love in the Time of Cholera), learned to play "Labrynth", a super awesome and strategic board game, and now...blogging. Tonight I visit some Homewood friends, and then who knows. 

Tomorrow there is basically nothing on the agenda, and Monday morning I get my tour, and then head home. 

Barb has a friend who is in the massage therapy program that I'm looking into, so I am hoping to meet up with him at some point and ask a few questions. I really hope that I can get a feel for what its like, and if I want to do this. The next introductory classes would be in April, and then I would know for sure I guess. If this is going to happen, I also need to make a LOT of money before next September, which means that there had better be a message for me on the machine from a prospective employer! So far I have got no response from the resumes I have put out, or my follow-ups. 

This blog post is turning into verbal diarrhea, so I'm gonna head out now. 

I'm sorry I have no pictures for you of this lovely place, but I am camera-less :(

Ok, well that's all for now. 

Spelunking!

The other day two friends from the lodge and I drove out past Gold River to visit the Upana caves! The park is out in the middle of nowhere on a back road to Tahsis, surrounded by mountains, with a small river running through it. We were armed with hard hats, headlights, rain gear, and a poorly designed map which allowed us to partake of a self-guided tour.

Nancy, Me, and Cole just before our first spelunk!

At first we walked right by the caves. Some entrances/exits were hidden in the bushes, others appeared to be nothing but an overhang at first glance, and others seems just too small. WELL...little did we know!
At last we got our map sorted out and realized, hey this must be a cave! Nancy was terrified at first, but I was eager to do some exploring, so I took the lead. At first it was very narrow, and then it expanded suddenly into a spacious, if cool and drippy, cavern. As we clambered over slick unsteady stones, the cave gradually spiraled downwards, growing narrower and narrower as it went along. I couldn't believe it was so big, and went so far! From the outside it hadn't looked like much at all! Some places were quite tight, some required crawling on hands and knees, and for others wriggling like an earthworm was necessary. It was so worth it though!
The biggest cave had multiple openings, and was so large I could imagine Robin Hood and his merry men living in it. My favorite part was discovering a tunnel that went straight up. Naturally, I had to climb...
It kept going up and up, and then it lead straight out to what would appear like a small hole in the ground from above. Another was very low, so that we had to waddle like ducks throughout the exploration...even more duck-like because it was nearly up to our knees in black, very creepy water. I didn't like that one so much, because there could have been anything hiding in there...ick.
I've been in a few caves before, once in Guatemala, and once in Ireland, and while both were bigger, they were also guided tours with far less freedom to explore and enjoy in your own time. This was a great (free!) day trip that would be fun to do again!

Life is Good

Today I...
1. slept in
2. did 1 1/2 hours of yoga on a warm sandy beach
3. ate a yummy lunch (that I didn't make)
4. drove to Campbell River with friends
5. found some good deals on a sale rack
6. blasted my music on the drive home and sang along
7. went for a swim in the lake...sooo nice!

and now I will...

8. work on craft project number 2 (picture to come)
9. eat a yummy supper (that I didn't make)
10. work on craft project number 1 and hopefully finish it, or come close!

After that, who knows. Maybe I will read, or watch a movie or....

well, that's gonna be a secret until later on...hee hee hee....

Coombs

I randomly had last Thursday off, so I jetted South in search of the fabled, "Coombs: land of weird shopping". I was under the impression that it was somewhere between Campbell River and Courtenay, but apparently that was a lie...
I called up my good friends Karissa and Karen, and drafted them into my search party. Luckily, Karissa knew where Coombs was. So we got there. And tried on hilarious animal tuques.
And perused the limitless ice cream flavors available. Karissa got Moose Tracks, Karen got Lemon Meringue (my runner up), and I got Licorice...which was delicious!! But apparently my smile of delight was kind of freaky.
After that we tracked down the Goats.
You know...the ones on the roof.
It was quite an awesome day.

Myra Falls

Last week some fellow cooks and I took off for an afternoon to explore Lower Myra Falls.


It was such a gorgeous location. I was in awe of the thundering waters, and view of the mountains. The perfect place for a photoshoot :)
I love being out in nature.

One Month Anniversary!

I've been gone a month!
Already!
Its gone fast, but at the same time I feel like I've been here forever.
The terrible "newbie" feeling has mostly worn off, and even though I still haven't explored much of the property, I have a much better sense of where everything is. There are still staff I haven't met, but with such a large crew and such different hours and areas of interest, I think that is inevitable.
I've made some good friends among the kitchen/serving/housekeeping staff, and I am enjoying my chef and fellow cooks very much.
My instructor from school called my chef today, and apparently he is coming up some weekend to check it out! I suddenly got kinda nervous. I can't believe my "practicum" flew by so fast! I feel like I haven't been learning enough...I'm going to start reading books on gluten-free, vegetarian, and vegan diets now so that I will be all knowledgeable when he comes.
We have 2 more weeks of buffet-style cooking for school groups, and then everything changes...which makes me excited and anxious at the same time! When the summer season officially begins, I will be doing more of al a carte style cooking for guests who come to stay at the lodge. The food will be a little fancier, and there will be "plating" involved, which has never been a strong point for me and my shaky hands!
I am excited to be stepping it up in the culinary department though! As much as I love the buffet cooking, it gets a little redundant after a while.
In my free time I've been doing a lot of reading (supplied by my friend with a personal library...BARB!), facebooking, hiking, visiting friends, watching hockey games, and hanging out. Its a blast. This whole month has been fantastic and I am so excited for the rest of the summer.
Also...my lovely mother just sent up my laptop cable so now I have my own computer in the staff room, and you know what that means....PICTURES! I've just uploaded a bunch to my facebook, so go ahead and take a look. You can see a little bit of what I've been up to on my days off, and I'm also putting up some videos of Tim's hockey and such. Check it out!

Cheering

I was sad to leave Kamloops when I did, because my two older brothers had just joined a ball hockey league and I was able to go and cheer for them for a couple games. I love watching sports where I know the people playing...its so much more fun! And its especially fun when its your family, and you get to cheer them on!
Luckily for me, my little brother Tim joined a league in Campbell River around the same time, and so now that I live here, I've had a few chances to get out and watch his games!
He is so intense about his hockey. When I was visiting Homewood (where he works) I could hear him practicing his shot up in the bus barn, and the girls I know there say he spends a lot of his spare time up there, preparing for his games. He sometimes has to leave his duties early to catch the ferry to get to a game on time, but he always works so hard to do the most he can before anyone else even starts, so that it all evens out.
He jogs before games to warm up, and when he gets dropped off to the arena he is fairly shaking with adrenaline. He just loves it so much!
Last week I surprised him by picking him up off the ferry, because it arrived at the same time his game was supposed to start, and usually he has to hitch a ride. He was so relieved...maybe because it was pouring the mother-load of rain!!!
I love watching him play. He is so good at it! He is one of their fastest players, and always seems to be in the right place at the right time. When the other team has the ball, he can just seem to effortlessly knock it out of their control and spring away with it. Maybe I'm just biased as his sister, but I keep thinking that if his whole team were made up of Tim's, they would do a lot better :)
Its so cool that I get to go and cheer for him, (shouting really loud to embarass him), and I think deep down he likes it too, because no one else can be there to see him doing what he loves.
My favorite part is after the game, win or lose, Tim comes off the rink sweaty and stinky, with his quirky half-smile, and then we go for an ice-cap at Tim Hortons and chat until the last ferry pulls in. Its funny that we have lived in the same house for years, but we never took a lot of time to visit, and now that we live a distance from each other we finally can appreciate each other's company!
I'm looking forward to his next games on Monday and Wednesday, already :)

"Weekend"

I got my first "weekend" on Monday and Tuesday, and it was so great!

As soon as I finished work (around 7PM) I jumped into Peppy, and we sped down the long winding road to Campbell River.

As much as I love being at Strathcona it is frickin isolated out there, and you don't see anyone but who you are working with, so I was ready for a change of scenery and company! It was a very exciting and freeing feeling to fly out of there just as the sun is going down, a little sprinkle of rain dotting the windshield, and my music turned up loud!

I also love the Campbell River ferry because it has such good memories attached to it, and such a strong feeling of anticipation. I couldn't wait to get across and see Tim and the Homewood crew again!

My coming Sunday night was a bit of a spur of the moment thing, and as it turned out the staff had gone to the Woodsman camp unaware I was arriving! I had a really good visit with Irwin and Rita Harder (camp directors) and then my friend Jenna and I drove out to Woodsman at 11PM and snuck out to where the staff were camping out. It was pouring rain, and extremely dark, and extremely fun! When we got to the girls tent they were already in bed, so we crept up and I started whispering their names and saying creepy things to scare them. It was SO FUNNY! Charlene was freaking out, half-asleep and a little delusional. They finally figured it out, and then we all had a hearty belly laugh and packed all 7 of us in a 4-man tent.

I got to spend some time with little brother Timo, and I even got a chance to go to Campbell River and watch him play ball hockey, which was so awesome! There were only one or two other fans in the stands with me to begin with, and I think I out-cheered them all. Tim was really amazing...he's a quick little guy, and he spent most of his time up by the other team's net, and I think he even got a goal (it was a little confusing with so many people leaping about).

As much as I like watching my brother play, it was a little lonely, so I was super happy when my friend Graeme (who I know from camp) showed up to watch the game with me, and we got a chance to catch up too.

Wednesday morning I was back on the ferry and then driving down to Courtenay to visit my friend Barb. It was quite a delight...we did some gardening (she has a greenhouse!), and we ate some really yummy things, and we did some window shopping in Cumberland...cutest little place. It was such a relaxing and fun day. To top it all off we watched "Once" and it was a great movie, with an amazing soundtrack that I simply must have! It was also cool to watch because its an Irish-produced movie and there were some spots they filmed in Dublin that I had actually been to, so that was neat.

I left Barb's early this morning so that I could be here to work at 11AM, and I just got off work now, so its been a pretty full and busy weekend. But I wouldn't change any of it, because it was just about the greatest thing ever.

However, I didn't get any of my "chores" done, so I've decided I will have to take one of my next days off just to do those annoying necessary things. sigh.

Anyway, that's what I've been up to! This week I'm going to be pretty much on my own as far as dinner is concerned, and I'm cooking for 260 people tomorrow...so that should be interesting!!!
You might not be hearing from me. I might be passing out after my shift is done :)

Stagette

Poor Rishelle...
She didn't suspect that when we made her wear an ugly sweater and plaid pajama pants in public, it was only the beginning of the embarrassment.
Andrew G. watches from the safety of Starbucks, probably very glad he is male.
The beauty treatment begins...back-combing, hairspray, makeup....
Dang, she still looks good :)
But she's not too happy with her new style...or her assignment.
A shopping list of about 10 veeerrrrry embarassing items.
The "M.O.H", Kelsey is enjoying this a little too much. Does she realize this is all going to come back and bite her in the-
"But I can't do that!"

In her own words.
Haha! Your friends will always honk for you.
Party afterwards! Great gifts, like this pair of used Granny Panties from Value Village!

Liz, consider yourself lucky we were unprepared for yours! You got off waaaay too easy :)

Hoo Doos

We went to Drumheller once when I was younger, and I remember climbing up to Hoo Doos there, and it seemed very exotic.
Little did I know that we had our very own Hoo Doos right here in Kamloops!
They are on the North Shore, kind of by that spooky old psychiatric hospital.
Today I went out there to hike with my parents, Mike, and my friend Lin, from school. Lin is from Taiwan, and though she has lived in Kamloops for about 3 years, she's never really explored the area. It was fun to bring her out for the experience.
She is a good sport, and always up for any kind of adventure! There were a lot of cacti out and about! Every once in a while one would pounce on our unsuspecting legs...I have no idea how, but one thing was certain: it desired our flesh.
Mike had an unusual way of dealing with the threat. But what else is new.
They struck back with a vengeance.
There were a lot of tricky sections on our "trail". Sometimes it was really scary.
Mom wasn't very confident of her skills.
In the end we all survived, and it was a beautiful day. A great way to start the holiday!