Hooray for Hi-speed!

After using the slowest dial-up Internet in the history of the universe for the past 5+ months, I decided to make good use of my parent's hi-speed, while I could. Unfortunately I was delirious was I was packing, so I didn't bring my laptop. No Homewood pictures. Sorry. I'll do it in September.
Instead you get to learn with me about the little town of Fermoy, co. Cork, in Ireland! The picture is of Fermoy Fellowship, where I will be working! Isn't that amazing?! It was built in 1834.
Fermoy is small town "nestled at the foot of the Galtee Mountains", with a population of approx. 5,000. Its located right on the Blackwater River, and apparently its mostly known for its fantastic fishing. I might have to learn how to gut a fish after all...ick.
It is also famous for its abbeys, and its military history. Sounds like I won't have to go far to soak up some interesting Irish sights! Cork county is the location of the Blarney Stone...which I am debating going to see. I don't really cherish the idea of kissing a rock so many other people have touched....but its sort of one of those things you HAVE to do. Besides, I could use "the gift of the gab" that is supposedly bestows.
It is also said to have a "disproportionate" population of musicians, playwrights, artisans, and poets! Unfortunately it doesn't sound like there are many handsome sheep herders around....I may have to further Northwest for that. Oh well, I've got time.
There are so many castles, and cliffs, and interesting old buildings to see in the surrounding counties. I am sooo excited!

(Ps. I am also excited about my 'job' at Fermoy Fellowship, but I just needed to gush about my excitement for traveling today)

For Your Information...

Its only a matter of days now before I visit my homeland!
I'm leaving here on the 15th, spending some quality time with good friend Karissa, shopping in Nanaimo, and then meeting Mom in Horseshoe Bay. Either we will spend the night in Langley with dear Aunty D & Uncle Matt, or we will head straight home. On the 17th I hope to meet up with some friends (aka YOU....so contact me!), on the 18th ANGE IS GETTING MARRIED! Crazy! And on the 19th I pack up and head on back down here. Its going to fly by!
But I'll be leaving Homewood's green pastures for good at the end of the month, so even if I don't catch up with you this week, I will in September. Unless of course you are leaving to go live in the States at a most inconvenient time, as Some are in the habit of doing. In that case I demand to see you on the 17th!!!
Ready or not, here I come!

Happy 25th Anniversary Mom & Dad!

I love you guys!
Can't wait to come up and visit you!

ps. the card is in the mail!

Milestones

Today is a day of Milestones for me!

First of all, this is PJ's 100th post! Though is has taken an extremely long time to reach the third digit, I like to think it is because I prefer quality over quantity :S
Secondly, today is the fourth and that means I've been here for precisely five months!!! I can't believe how fast the time flew. One more month to go!

Lastly...today I have received an email which may strongly direct and influence the next few months of my life, and bring me closer to my goal of many years: travelling to Ireland.

Its a long story...I'll abbreviate it as best as I can.
I was looking for a way to experience Ireland without being a tourist...I wanted to do something meaningful while I was there. I mentioned that in passing to a friend I met as a kid, who now lives in Afghanistan with her missionary parents.
Well her pastor there used to pastor a big church in Ireland, so she asked him if he knew of anything and then emailed me back and said, "Hey Look, I've got you a contact in Ireland!"
So through a friend, of a friend, of a friend, I was put in contact with someone in Fermoy (A little place in Southern Ireland...I looked it up. Its situated almost exactly there I wanted to be!) who I emailed a few days ago.

The whole process has just seemed to ridiculously random and coincidental that I felt it couldn't be just luck!!! (Even if we are talking Ireland)

I've been nervously awaiting a reply since then, and finally received it just a few minutes ago!

The email begins:

"Jill,
It has been a real blessing to hear from you. All of us in the Fermoy Fellowship have been praying for such a long time for someone like you to volunteer to work alongside us for a season so I guess we are all hoping that you are an answer to prayer."

And I am hoping they are an answer to mine!

Though as I read on, I became more and more nervous. What they are looking for is someone young like me to come and work with the kids and young teens in their little church. I won't be a youth pastor by any means, but as Harry (the guy I'm in touch with) says, all the leaders are 45-50 years old and they want a "young person" so come be an example to their kids!

SCARY? I THINK SO!

Firstly, I love kids, but I've never been a "kid person"...but I really felt a change in me after this last week of counselling at Woodsman. And I feel a sort of peace about the whole thing.

I'm not about to make any rash decisions guys, but I think I want to do it! (Which is really weird for me...)
So...I'm going to pray, pray, pray! And if you want to join me in that, go right ahead!

Dutiful Daughter

I don't really have anything to say, but news that my dear family at home checks my blog regularly for an update gives me a wee bit of a guilt trip.
So here is the Woodsman Counselling Adventure update.
It rained pretty steadily for the first three days, a teeny bit of sun on the fourth, hard rain on the fifth, and then good strong sun for the sixth and seventh days.
Because we are outside ALL THE TIME there, with no real "indoors", no heat in the tents, and no dryer of any kind, we were pretty muddy, damp, and cold all week. If it hadn't been for the few days of sun, I'm pretty sure there would have been a camper mutiny!
I was having the time of my life though! Being outside 24/7 was a first in a very long time! I loved not having a real strict schedule, and I tried to pass on some of my enthusiasm to my campers. I'm pretty sure I had the sweetest tent of girls ever in time, because they were real troopers and were basically the best group in the whole camp.
One girl got super homesick the second day and that was a challenge because she was very persistent on wanting to go home, which was "conveniently" right here on Quadra Island. It totally brought me back to when I was 12, going to camp for the first time, and desperately wanting familiarity! (Yeah...I was the crying camper)
Fortunately, I managed to get her to stick it out (mostly by keeping her busy alllll the time) and she ended up loving her week! That felt good :)
Zoe and I were in charge of one activity block, and it was her brilliant idea to create a new activity, which was dubbed, "Woodsmanship & Weaponology". Basically the most gong-show hour of the day! First of all we would "blend in with our surroundings" by putting mud on our faces, and making fern skirts, or something crazy like that. Some of the prissier campers had a hard time with it!!! I showed them my "cougar scar" (from that time when I wrestled with a cougar, and strangled it with my bare hands!....) on my arm, and awed them all....until they found out later it was acutally a burn I obtained while baking. Erk.
Then we hiked out to a really cool bunker Mike built a couple years ago, and invented weapons of self-defense and did skits showing how to use them! One of mine included two blades of grass to shove up your enemy's nose....very creative, I know.
My co-counsellor turned out to be pretty fun, and we got along pretty well all week! I discovered her crazy side, and she defnitely kept the kids entertained at night by telling them her "most embrarassing moment" stories!
Our "tent times", the time after chapel when we would discuss things about God and stuff, went really well, which was good because that is what I'm always most nervous about. Actually, two of our girls gave their lives to Jesus, which was really neat!
I had to give my "testimony" on the last night, which was a huge stretch for me, because I HATE speaking in front of people especially about something so personal! I was so nervous, but the feedback I got was positive, and hopefully I encouraged some of the campers.
Overall it was a really great week, maybe the best of my summer so far. I was sad to say goodbye to my girls, but very tired afterwards.
From Friday until tomorrow is Staff Retreat, so I'm trying to catch up on my rest before another crazy Family Camp.
Tomorrow is the "fancy brunch"...yay. (I'm still in grub mode)

Exciting New Adventures

So I have been working in the kitchen for just over four months now, and I'm not gonna lie, I'm getting pretty tired.
Luckily for me, Irwin, the director, understands that! This week I'm completely out of the kitchen and doing something completely different!
I'll be heading out to the Woodsman camp two days from now, co-counselling a group of 7-8 girls between the ages of 10-12.
This is so far out of my comfort zone! I feel so ill-equipped for counselling...which is partially why I volunteered for the kitchen in the first place!
I am also going to be counselling with another girl here that...lets be honest now...I don't particularly like. I mean its not like we're enemies, I think we both just know and accept the fact that we will probably never be buddy buddy. I was a wee bit upset last night, but I've come to terms! with it, and I think it will be ok.
Besides these minor setbacks, I'm actually very very excited! I absolutely love the rustic Woodsman camp....its located on a nice freshwater lake; we'll all sleep and eat under tents, no showers, or flushing toilets....ahhh...that , to me, is camping! :)
Plus its in the middle of nowhere, so you feel like you're totally in another world. I love it!
Anyway, I'm just feeling very crazy right now, with my apprehensions and anticipations colliding in a frightening way...
Pray for me this week that I will have a positive impact on my campers lives, and that me and my co-counsellor will get along :P

Disturbing Discoveries

Whilst allowing my tired feet to soak the other night, I stumbled across something very troubling.

Two small warts on my right foot.

On below my index toe, the other on my second-to-last toe (the one by the pinky toe). They are disgustingly white rimmed, with horrific fuzzies flowering inside. I wished to vomit.

I've never had warts before...

How do I get rid of them?

September Solutions

I feel like I'm already on the "Home" stretch!
Its only the beginning of July, but the last few months have gone by SO incredibly fast that I'm expecting these next two to melt away as fast as ice cream in this amazingly hot weather!
While this inspires a certain anticipation of seeing familiar places and friends again, I also get a little panicky thinking about September.
The terrifying Unknown!
Its obviously a little late for school, and I definitely don't want to work at some $8/hour place again. I feel like someone is suddenly handing me Ireland and I'm way too freaked out to take it!
The more I think about it, the more it seems like the perfect timing. I am completely responsibilty-free, I have saved up some funds, and its one of my dreams....right??
Yet I'm so scared of actually going!
What is wrong with me?!
Its like all I want is to slip right back into the normalacy of Kamloops life, where it is safe and comfortable and warm....
But everything changes.
For one, Beebs will not be there at home, Ange will be married (!), and a certain brother of mine might be moved out! Who knows what else will be different. Home might not be bathed in such a sunny glow once I'm living there again!!!
I think perhaps it is time for me to take a little adventure. I just need to work up the courage to actually jump on it.
GAHH! SO FREAKY!

Golden ReBeaver

Let me tell you a story about the Beaver.
It likes to have things just so.
It works hard to build its quaint little dam, each stick placed just right. It stops the rushing water and creates a very calm, safe pool for itself. It doesn't want to be on the shore with the wild creatures, and it builds its house just above the water so that the gross fish won't touch it, and makes a roof for itself so that the birds don't poop on it.
The Beaver is very content with its safe, gaurded, particular little life.
If something scary happens to come by... SLAP! The Beaver will hit its tail and then dissapear into the water. After a while its little eyes might come above the water surface and check for danger. If its safe, the Beaver will go back to work.

I'm pretty sure most of you have probably taken that personality test that sorts you into one of four different categories: Lion, Otter, Beaver, or Golden Retriever.
Lion is the dominant, (often insensitive) leader, with an eye for the "big picture".
Otter is the happy-go-lucky, scatterbrained entertainer with a gazillion friends.
Beaver is the meticulous, (often artistic) planner, who doesn't like any ripples in its pond.
Golden Retriever is the faithful peacekeeper, who will let people walk all over them in an effort to make everyone happy.

This is of course only a brief summary.

For Staff Training this week, a couple came in and gave a few talks on these personalities and how they effect us in a camp setting. They also spoke on conflict and how the personalities typically react to it (the story above was an illustration they used).
I've already read alot on the subject but it was awesome to hear what they had to say, and it helped me understand myself better, and explained a little of why I react to some people the way I do.
I am a pretty even mix of the Golden Retriever and the Beaver (or so I've been told). The Beaver story describes me pretty well I think. But there's more.
As a Beaver, I'm ready and willing to knaw down some trees.
Lions, however seem to think they know best, and they like to push people around. And who better to push around then some peace-loving Beaver? But this Beaver doesn't want to share her tree and she resents some mangy Lion with flesh-eating fangs telling her how to chew it down.
IF I happen to take a misguided bite and my tree isn't quite perfect for the dam, I will probably chew myself out, and the last thing I need is for that presumtious puss to tell me that its no good. My perfectionist Beaver-y heart is very sensitive to criticism, and I will probably hop in the water, slap my tail, and go hide for a bit.
Then when the Lion is gone I'll cautiosly nibble another tree, and be a bit more careful about how I do it.
But while that Lion is on the prowl, I seem to bare my buckteeth....

From a safe distance.

Adventures with Brownies

Brownies are one of the greatest chocolately creations. Gooey, and chewy, and dark, and good. Best of all, it can be coupled with other fantastic flavors.
I'm in the process of exploring the many brownies of this world.
There are Butterscoth Brownies, Double Brownies, Extra Chocolate Brownies, Mint Brownies, Cream Cheesey Brownies, Mocha Brownies, and Brownies rolled into a ball and dipped in melted chocolate (a favorite around here).
Recently I discovered a new kind of brownie. I believe I am possibly the only person ever to have made them. ever.
You think I'm arrogant to say so?
Well it happened by accident, if that will convince you.
It began innocently enough.
I was following the best basic brownie recipe I have yet stumbled upon. Very straight forward.
Vegetable oil, and cocoa, and flour, and sugar...
Only instead of using the sugar we keep up front, I was lazy and used the store of sugar we keep in a green bin in the back.
Well as I was mixing it, it looked lumpy and gross and I was feeling rather dubious about it.
However, I went over the recipe checking for missed ingredients and I had put everything in, so I popped it in the oven and assumed some time alone would do it some good.
15 minutes. It hadn't risen at all. I put it in for 5 more. Beeper goes. Still no good. I thought maybe the ovens had gone on the blink or something and the inconsistent heat had ruined it. Eventually, when it had been in there for a good 30/35 minutes I pulled it out and let it cool.
Then I went in for the kill. As long as it tastes good, who cares what it looks like, right?
I sliced a little off the corner and popped it in my mouth.


I cannot describe to you how revolting, nauseating, and utterly disgusting the experience was!
Unbeknownst to me (though you may have guessed), the green bin was full of salt, not sugar!
I gagged, and spat, and washed my mouth out and shook my fist at those terrible salty burnt pieces of putresence, and then threw them to the pigs.

And then like a good little baker I whipped up a second batch and steered clear of the deceitful green bin.

And they were fabulous chewy moist brownies.

The end.

Sailing, ahoy!

The heavy rain we had on Saturday had us worried.
An all-day staff sailing trip was planned for Sunday, and we didn't want to spend 12-14 hours shivering and soaking wet on the boat.
5 AM Sunday morning rolled around, chilly and overcast. We donned numerous layers of flannel and waterproof coats, and trudged down to the docks.
We were divided onto four boats, and I landed on the San Christi with a solid crew including my kitchen partner in crime, Barb.
By 6 AM we were motoring out of Gowlland Harbour, nibbling large muffins and slurping yogurt without spoons.
This was a big day for me, because I'd never actually been sailing before. I was pretty stoked.
The first few hours weren't too eventful. Basically we talked and a few crept below deck to catch a few more winks. Out of boredom we invented pirate names: Long Jill Silver, Barnacle Barb, and our worthy Captain Rusty Richard. Zoe went by her last name, Salty Schroeder, while her boyfriend became known as Mollusk Matt. Victoria the Vicious and the Ferocious (Jenna) Falk were also on board.
These titles were especially handy when the winds picked up and we entered the Surge Narrows which were laden with rapids! In dramatic Hollywood style, the skies burst open and the rain fell hard and fast as the boat was hurled into whirlpools.
"Hold fast Barnacle Barb!"
"Orders, Cap'n Rusty!"
"Steady on Salty Schroeder!"
I had a knack for toppling nearly overboard, so Jenna tied me to the mast during the stormiest part. (In fact I had several near-death experiences)
After the worst of it, the sun came out and it got really warm. My face was burnt red as a tomato at the end of the day, with two pale circles around my eyes where my glasses had protected me. It was very attractive.
We had pretty steady wind all day though, and it was a thoroughly successful sailing trip. We arrived back at camp at around 7 PM wind-blown, sore, and exhausted...but very happy.
There were lots of pictures taken, so one day when hi-speed becomes available to me once again, I'll upload them for you!

I Never Liked Tag

I've been tagged and have decided to play along. Here are the rules… Each person tagged gives 7 random facts about themselves. Those tagged need to write in their blogs the 7 facts, as well as the rules of the game. You need to tag seven others and list their names on your blog.

1. I have never owned a pair of sunglasses in my life! It used to be because I always wore glasses, but now that I have contacts, its because I look stupid in them.

2. I'm a sucky conversationalist, espeically with people I don't know well. I love chatting with people who like to talk because then the pressure is off.

3. I have a strong hatred for "crocs" or "hole-y soles". I think they are the most hideous creation for the feet since someone decided it was acceptable to wear socks with sandals.

4. Old Disney movies bring me much joy. Robin Hood, 101 Dalmations, and Mulan are a few faves. I still watch them.

5. I love stuff for houses. I could spent eons browsing through HomeSense, Home Outfitters, etc.

6. My hair is falling out by the handfuls. When I wash my hair, my hands get covered. Yuk! What is wrong with me?

7. I heart corderoy (is that how you spell it?). Such a comfortable fabric.

Pretty much everyone has been tagged already and since I hate doing this I won't make anyone else do it either :)

Do you know Joe?

Foreword:
This is a trivial, frivolous, fluff post, which may seem awkward due to the more serious nature of it's precedessor. Its the only way I know how to get back into blogging...so too bad.

A fifteen-minute ferry-ride away from Quadra there is a small sea-side town called Campbell River. This town is small, and is located by the sea.
Did I mention that it is small?
For us Homewood staff without vehicles it seems even smaller because we can only go places that can be easily reached on foot. The main attraction is the extremely large Superstore that is a five-minute walk from the ferry.
The Superstore is AMAZING. It has everything a camp counsellor/cook could need: food, housewares, toys, cards, books, and most importantly-- clothing!
That's right folks. You may still be caught in the past when "Stupidstore" only carried cheap Higher State or other lame brand name clothing. The kind of stuff that wears out after a few washes and is just plain silly all the rest of the time.Not to mention overpriced.
Well its time to rethink your prejudices on Superstore clothes shopping, because now they carry "Joe".
Joe has taste, style, and class. From skirts and spring dresses to sportswear and pyjamas, Joe has got it all.
Trendy tees without obnoxious brand names smeared across them, and long-lasting Lulu Lemon style sweats...everything you could wish for and WITHOUT the crazy prices! This is why it is perfect for penniless camp staff (or students, or bargain hunters). You can get sweet shirts for $8, a good quality zip-up sweater for $10-15, and dresses/skirts for $20. There are so many styles and colors to choose from, even our diverse bunch of girls here can all find something they like.
Its so exciting to find an article that you really love, without having to cough up a ridiculous amount of cash for it. And you also know it will last.
So if you haven't already, check out your Superstore's selection of Joe, and be mightily pleased with what you find.

Tribute to an Adored Pussums

A person can have a lot of pets during a lifetime, but only rarely will you find a creature to care for that you truly love.
I hope all of you have met my precious kitty Beebs at some point.
She's nothing special if you take her at face-value. She wasn't the most beautiful beast to look at, and wasn't very friendly to strangers.
She was an epileptic too, which was often the brunt of many jokes. The medication she took made her obese.
But Beebs was a very, very, very, special cat.
I remember I was so thrilled to FINALLY get a cat when I was 11. She was such a huge deal to me. I found the advertisment in the Buy & Sell and my mom and I went to look at three different cats. The first was too old and grumpy, the second had long hair (which was a no-no), and then there was this scrawny 9-month-old mommy cat sitting in a pile of clothes that purred so happily when we picked her up.
They called her Cindy, but her name was Beebs.
Mom and I went home and she told me to pray and ask God if this was the right cat for me.
I prayed. It was.
We went back and brought Beebs home for the first time. I made her a bed in a carboard box, and introduced her to our dog. Dad didn't like her, and said she was ugly (but she wormed her way into his heart later). We called her Pepper, but her name was Beebs.
When I woke up the next day she was sitting beside me on my bed, purring. We knew we were meant for each other.
I've always been one for nicknames, and soon I was calling her my little "Bebe", which eventually led to me discovering her true name: Beebs.
Its the only one she's ever responded to, that's how I know.
Beebs was a quirky little creature, with a love for catnip and her drugs. Often she would randomly race around the house growling, and other times sprawl out on a patch of sunlit carpet becoming one with the floor.
She loved my feather duvet, and on cold winter mornings would crawl underneath the covers and purr. She was playful and loved to be teased and wrestled with. We had lots of crazy games that we would play together.
She hated the outdoors, and yet loved the thrill of sneaking out. More than once she would give me a scare by going missing, and I would have to go and look around the yard where she would doubtless be mewing pitifully in a corner of the garden shed.
She was a sensitive cat too. The only time she would voluntarily cuddle with me was when I was upset or crying. She would bump her head against my arm, purr, and try and crawl onto my lap.
As sickeningly cheesy as it sounds, Beebs was not just a housepet to me, she was a friend. She had a very distinct personality, and kept me laughing all the time with her idiosyncrasies and quirks.
But life isn't always perfect.
Beebs medication for epilepsy was hard on her system, and she got sick and wasn't eating.
Yesterday she went to kitty heaven where she will get all the "Temptation" treats and warm duvet covers she deserves.
Beebs was truly one-of-a-kind and I will miss her soooo much. She was the best cat I could've ever had and I thank God for allowing me so many years to enjoy her. Its hard to know that she won't be waiting for me when I get home, but I'm keeping my fingers crossed that God will have her waiting for me in heaven.

Unspoken Rule

There are certain things you just don't do.
Everyone knows those things are.
Everyone abides by the Unspoken Rule.
Well...almost everyone.
Every so often a rebel will rise up and casually disregard what is known to be right and fair.

This morning Maria picked extra raisins out of the bag for her Rasin Bran.

Naturally there was an intervention.

These kind of things can't be allowed to happen.

A Real Weekend!

At last!
Tomorrow at noon, my first real weekend in a very, very, long time begins. I will be taking the 1:00 ferry to CR, and FINALLY visiting my dear friend Karissa who is actually moving back to Kamloops on SUNDAY. It would appear that we just can't stand to live in the same vicinity for very long. A theory that will be further confirmed when I come home in September and she leaves for PBC in Alberta! Sigh.
At least we'll get to spend Friday and Saturday together :)
Then apparently I will have Sunday off....and maybe Monday too! What a change from working for so long in a row.
Anyway, if I don't post this weekend now you know why.
I've got to go pack now.




Ps. Anyone who watches American Idol....how silly were yesterday's results??? OBVIOUSLY Melinda is better than Blake. Its such a popularity contest. Grrr.

Pss. Anyone who watches LOST....last week was probably the most amazing episode ever in time. I'm so excited to watch last night's tonight and get some answers!!! (yeah right)

Slightly Inappropriate

A brief snippet of our lunchtime conversation today.

Mike: So, how often do you poop?

Andrea: I pooped twice today.

Mike: Twice?! That's not healthy! Mekel, how often do you poop?

Jill: (aside) Mike just because you only poop once a week...

Matt: Sometimes I will poop twice a day.

Mike: But before lunch?!

Matt: Well that might be pushing it...

Jill: (snickering loudly) "Pushing" it!

Extremely immature giggling ensues.



Disclaimer: Mike and I both have Kostelyk blood running through our veins. Fascination with, and amusement from, the topic of poop is inevitable.

I'm Back!

I've been uber-busy lately....no time to blog.
And besides that, there hasn't been much exciting stuff to write about. Just the day-to-day camp doings and goings. But my fans on Todd Road have requested a post, so here I go...
I've moved from fruit platters and salad-concocting to unofficial baker! Basically I make all the desserts and mug-ups (just-before-bedtime snack). I find this a welcome change because I can pretty much do what I want and its fun to try and make them look all pretty and yummy. And everyone loves me for my creations....that's always a bonus!
So far I've made lots of cheesecakes, tarts, cookies, bars, and a wonderful, amazing, delectable, heart-attack-inducing pie! I was even going to take a picture of it for the blog, but it actually got eaten too fast. I'm not even exxagerating! It was sooo good.
This last week I started coming down with a cold, and was generally feeling pretty worn-down, so I slept a lot in my free time and now I'm feeling much better.
Today I gardened for a few hours. The little cottage that Mike and James have moved into has a really neat landscaped yard that had been neglected for a couple years. It was very overgrown and weedy, so we started working on it today. Very satisfying! I pulled weeds and transplanted flowers, and created little rock gardens. hee hee...
It looks a lot better now, but still has a long way to go.
Any hoo....that's about all that I've got to say for now. I miss you all :)

Ps. Hannah if you read this, I can no longer read your blog due to the fact that it is an MSN space and not a blogspot. I miss it and I am very sad. So comment on mine :D

Another Boring Title

Sorry I haven't updated for so long!
The school group we have right now has been here since Monday, and leaves tomorrow- our first week-long group this spring. It's been very busy.
Things in the kitchen are going pretty well...better than at first, anyway! I am learning both to
1. speak up and voice my opinions, and
2. shut up and let things pass.
Its a fine balance, and I certainly haven't perfected it yet.
I've also discovered a love of soccer! Who would've thought. I started playing with the last two groups and have had soooo much fun with it. I've scored one goal, and had a few close shots. I seem to be better at defense though because I'm not very accurate at kicking, but I'm not afraid to "get in there".
This last week I've been waking up at around 5:30 AM every morning! I would lay in bed forever, paranoid about oversleeping, until I bought a box of Corn Pops and discovered the cheap little Tucan Sam alarm clock with the projecter light, inside. Now I can press the little button every five minutes and the time will light up on the wall.

*click*

5:30 AM

"OK, I'm fine...sleep."

*click*

5:35 AM

"Geez Jill, you're crazy its only been five minutes. Sleep!"

...

"Oh no! What time is it?!?!"

*click*

5:45 AM

"ARGH!"

And so it went for a very long time.
Finally I decided to do something about it.
I got up and went for a run/walk at 6 AM. I know Mom, aren't you proud?
Yesterday I made a record and slept in until 6:50 AM, so I went for my walk this afternoon. I'm hoping to cultivate a good excercise habit.

It has been called into question whether I am actually at Camp Homewood, and not hiding in my parent's basement, avoiding contact with friends and family. The fact that my visit to Karissa's didn't work out, and thus did not post pictures seems a little too convenient. Alas, you will all have to hold on a little longer for visual proof of my residence here. I'm bugging Mike to help me get my laptop connected to the internet, and then I promise I will post a picture if it kills me.

Anyway, this is a decent sized post, so none of you can complain! I'm off now.

The Return of G.I. Jill

I couldn't sleep Friday night.
I lay awake in my bed, eyes wide open, trying not to move so that the sqeaky bunkbed wouldn't wake up my roommate. I was too excited and nervous about going to Yorke Island!
Sleep must have come at some point, but I woke up way before six, when everyone else started getting up.
Mike had given me some camo pants, and I popped on a few sweaters, thinking the thicker the better! In my bag I stuffed a waterbottle, rain-gear, and my camera.
By six-thirty we were at the lodge dividing into vehicles and heading off to the ferry.
And we were off to Sayward!
(At this point I realized it might have been smart to have eaten breakfast)
I think we arrived at the wharf at around 8:30-9:00 where the bright yellow barge was waiting for us. We piled all the paintball gear and personal baggage in and began the 1/2 hour ride to the island.
It was amazing! So much fun.
I haven't googled it yet, but apparently Yorke Island was used as a military base during WWII. There were 260 men living there, waiting for the Japanese to invade! It was a pretty small island, so I'm not surprised to hear the rumor that they all went stark raving mad living there for a few years without contact with the outside world!
When we landed we brought everything up to a clearing above shore.
It was very eerie knowing we were the only people on that island when the barge left to pick up group #2!
Fellow LOST fan, Zoe, and I were going nuts! It looked and felt exactly like that Island, and when we started discovering the old abandoned buildings, the only thoughts on our mind were "Dharma Initiative"!!!
Seriously, we wouldn't have been surprised to have a large dark cloud start chasing us...that or a polar bear.
Luckily there were no "others", though the boys did try and scare us a few times!
We started paintball almost as soon as group #2 arrived, and at first I wasn't going to do it, but then changed my mind.
Most of the guys there were like six feet tall so I was feeling pretty intimidated.
Once I started though it was addicting! The real fun began when Mike took me under his wing and showed me "the ropes".
It was a hostage situation.
Jeanette was captive in one of the buildings with six terrorists guarding her. We had 20 minutes to rescue her before they carried out their threats!
As soon as the game began Mike and I took the left "flank", and secured a stairway, where we met up with Bean.
A hostile was on the roof, but with some team-work, and "cover", he was taken down.
Suddenly Mike had moved on, and then I saw Jeanette booking it down the path! She made it to the safe-house and shouted "GAME OVER!".
We played until 4 PM, stopping only for lunch.
I only got hit once, and that was in the mask, so I STILL don't know what it feels like to get a "real" hit. And my biggest regret is that I didn't get anyone. ARGH!
But we're all addicted now, so I'm sure I'll get another chance.
I'm hoping to set foot on Yorke Island again, maybe with my Dad because I know he would feel like he'd died and gone to heaven exploring that island!

(Maybe I'll upload some pictures this weekend at Karissa's if she'll let me!)

Coming Soon To An Island Near You...

Through the dim light of the early AM, the gray fog parts and reveals a cold metal barge, breaking the even colder ocean water before it.
Huddled close to one another, shivering, and casting anxious glances about each other, a sorry group of motley Homewood staff contemplate the upcoming moments when the barge will land.

York Island.

Their destination is small island just a half hour off the shores of Sayward BC; an abandoned milatary base with a dark and grisly history of paranoia and insanity!

An excellent place for PAINTBALL!!!

Its true my friends. Tomorrow morning, bright and early, we will be heading out for a day of paintball on York Island!

I'M SO STOKED!!!

(To be continued...)

I Am Leaving Homewood

Ha! Just jokes. C'mon now, did the title get you even just for a second?
I only did it because I didn't want to write "tagged" like everyone else does...
Because the fact is that my lovely mother has "tagged" me to fill out this little thing:

Three Things I'm Afraid Of:
1) Spiders
2) Being chased
3) Rejection/Abandonment

Three People Who Make Me Laugh:
1) Mindy Boody
2) Cortney T.H.
3) my roommate, Zoe

Three Things I Love:
1) A cat's purr
2) Sitting around a campfire at night with good friends
3) The color green

Three Things I hate:
1) Rudeness
2) Misquitoes
3) Crying

Three Things I Don't Understand:
1) Math
2) People who think they are better than everyone else
3) Where candle wax goes when it burns

Three Things On My Desk:
1) My scrapbook
2) "Northanger Abbey" by Jane Austen
3) A candle

Three Things I'm Doing Right Now:
1) Listening to music
2) Typing
3) Talking to Zoe

Three Things I Want to Do Before I Die:
1) Go to Ireland
2) Marry
3) Write something worth reading

Three Things I can Do:
1) Listen
2) Find humor in nearly every situation
3) Clean windows

Three Things I Can't Do:
1) Sing
2) Dance
3) Be perfect

Three Things I Think You Should Listen To:
1) Birds outside your window
2) A friend who needs to talk
3) The soundtrack to "The Lord of the Rings: the Fellowship of the Ring"...yes I know I'm a nerd, but its great music.

Three Things You Should Never Listen To:
1) A baby screeching
2) The aforementioned misquitoe
3) Country/Rap/Hip-Hop "music"

Three Things I'd like to learn:
1) How to ride a horse
2) How to sew
3) How to do woodwork

Three Favorite Foods:
1) Whip cream
2) Chocolate
3) Teriyaki Chicken Stir-fry

Three Shows I Watched As a Kid:
1) The Magic Schoolbus
2) Wishbone
3) Arthur

Three Things I Regret:
1) Not getting into sports when I was younger
2) Getting my hair cut really really short when I was 12...the pictures still haunt me.
3) Letting other people's opinions of me influence how I feel about myself.

Three People I Want to Tag:
1) Karissa
2) Ryan
3) Rebekah

Bargain Master!

I bring happier news this day.

I have never been much of a Bargain Master (note the capital letters. It is a title). Bargain Masters are crazy people who can find brilliant things for brilliant prices. Oftentimes the brilliant prices come as a result of their bartering.
The mere thought of arguing over a price makes me uncomfortable. Normally I would willingly cough up the extra cash, or just not buy the item, rather than barter for it. Needless to say, the merchants in Guatemala made a killing off me...

However, I have recently come into my Dutch heritage, and perhaps one day I will become a Bargain Master.

The other day we borrowed the movie "Emma" from the lady at the movie store (The store didn't actually carry it, it was her own personal copy). As probably most of you know, I absolutely adore that movie!
I found myself in the movie store the next day by coincidence, and apologized for not having it on hand to return it.
She told me not to worry, because she didn't even like it that much, and I could buy it if I wanted.
Gazoo!
I wasn't about to let the opportunity drop.
"How much do you want for it?" I asked.
"How about $10?" She said.

This is where I pause and explain the sudden transformation. See, my Dutch ancestry rose up and revolted against paying $10 for a used DVD, and without thinking (that is key to the transformation I am referring to) I said,

"We-e-e-e-lllllll, I could buy it new at Wal-mart for $10."
"Ok, how about $5." She said.
"Done." Said I.
And I bought that glorious DVD that I have wanted for a very long time for the wonderous price of $5.

And if that isn't really a good deal, don't tell me so, because right now I feel like a Bargain Master.

Territorial

If you've ever had a dog, you may have experienced a time when a visiting dog came over and sniffed your pup's food dish. Maybe taken a nibble.
The typical reaction your dog has is to bite that offending visitor's head off. Sometimes though, the owner will intervene and tell their dog to "be nice". Poor dog is caught between defending its territory and obeying the master.
I can now sympathize with those poor pups.
Last night was the first night the new cooks actually worked with us in the kitchen.
I prepared myself to be very open-minded and accepting...all that good stuff. After all it is THEIR kitchen now, and they will have their own way of doing things, and I have to be ok with that. I'm just the peon now.
At first it was just fine...but then just random stuff started to bother me.
For one, the kitchen knives have ALWAYS been washed by the clean-up crew. It has never been a problem- no one has ever cut themselves; they ARE ALL over 10 years old after all. However, the rule that the cooks must now wash their own knives has been implemented because it is safer. Sure its just a small thing, but I can't pretend it doesn't bother me.
Secondly, I always do the fruit and veggie platters. They are my pride and joy.
This morning I was stripped of my fruit platter privilege without ceremony, and ended up doing basically nothing except stirring syrup.
I hate feeling useless, but this morning I was.
Reading this, I sound pathetic, but that is how I feel. Just little things build up and I'm just not feeling excited about the coming months at all anymore.
Maybe I'm overreacting. Probably. But it just sucks, especially because being in the kitchen was so fun before. And soon Jeannette will be leaving me to do the "program", and I'll be left to fend for myself in the lonesome wilderness of kitchenness.
Its very hard to try and be positive right now.

no hope for an interesting title, sorry.

Tomorrow after lunch the group we have in will leave, and we'll be off for a few days celebrating Easter.
Sort of.
It just kind of sprang upon me and I didn't really think about what I will be doing.
Most of the staff will be off visiting their families, but not moi,...sniff sniff.
Sooo....one of the girls I work with has invited me to her home, and I may just take her up on it. It just feels weird to be away from home at this time, because I've never been away from family for big holidays. Its really strange.
In other news, I've been here for precisely a month now, I believe. Time really flew by, and so much has happened. Its been a lot of fun so far, and I'm so excited for more new staff to come in!
Anyway I'm horrendously tired right now, so I'm going to go. Happy Easter!

April Fools

Nature has played a cruel joke here.
Yesterday was sooo warm it actually felt like summer. We shed our sweaters, long pants, and shoes, trading them for beach attire. We were all certain Spring had come at last. It was glorious.
At around 5 PM today it snowed.
Not just a few little flakes.
BIG HONKING HUGE FLAKES THAT STUCK.

This makes me sick!

Busy, Busy, Busy

I feel I've been afflicted with some sort of disease that completely cripples my ability to create interesting titles. It pains me deeply.
Well the group that came in last weekend were called the "Fun Knits Knitters". They must suffer with some strain of the same problem.
And what a strange group! Most were older ladies, settling down on the couches with their needles and yarn within minutes of arrival...though there was one knitter man. Maybe he was hoping to score a date with Deb or Joan. I don't know.
Cooking for them was...interesting. Initially we had three Gluten intolerant guests, but by the end of the week we had seven (supposed) "Glutens", and three "Dairies" and a Diabetic. They were indignant that we weren't preparing proper food for them. Gah.
But there were fun people too. There was one older lady who had just had all her bottom teeth taken out, so she brought her own blender and cutting board so that she could make shakes out of all the food! Sick. But very funny. And she was super cool, and fun to chat with.
We also had one lady who loved our food so much she hated to see anything thrown out...so she would gather what she could and take it back to her room with her! Hilarious.
The weekend did not go smoothly, and there were many stressful moments, but it was not all bad either. And the food was good...when there was enough to go around.
When the camp was over three of us girls decided to head out to Nanaimo for our two days off and shop! I was excited, but didn't end up buying much because, lets be honest, this years summer stuff is pretty lame. Or maybe I'm just too poor to buy anything nice :P
The cooks moved in today, so yesterday was spent cleaning the Ivy House (previous residence of Mike & co.) from top to bottom; painting, scrubbing, vacuuming, and arranging furniture. Bachelors can be so disgusting.
Jeanette and I baked over 1,200 cookies today on top of our regular cooking schedule, and Mike got his tooth knocked out today by one of the girl staff here, when she threw a rock at him. hah. hah.
I'll admit I was not in the best of tempers when I found out, especially since he just paid his "last" visit to the dentist in Victoria two days ago.
So today I write to you weary in my bones and in my mind. Its been a very long, long week.
But on the bright side, it was a very nice sunny day. Yes Paul, I made a pun. Sort of.

Back to Work

So my week since Monday has been slackness to the extreme. I feel I'm being spoiled.
There have been no groups in that need cooking for, so I've had free time galore. Yesterday it was sunny for the first time and i spent a lot of time reading down at the point, which was glorious. The rest of the week has been cold, dreary, and rainy. I've played with the Schurman kids a bunch, which has been awesome. Such cute kids! They can't seem to remember my name though, but that will come in time. I hope!
Tomorrow a ladies retreat starts, and the menu is fantastic....and very time consuming! I'm sure I'll be working my butt off, so this might be my last post until the end of the weekend. Thanks for all the comments and emails! Its nice to hear from everyone.
Signing off...

Irish Experiences

I'll bet you were all shocked and horrified that I didn't post yesterday, wishing you a Happy St. Patrick's Day. My Irish-loving ways suddenly seemed cheap, artificial, and put-on. A fraud.
But that is not the case, my dear friends. Do not doubt me. I was in fact celebrating the Irish ways and didn't have time to post.
1. The Irish love food. I was cooking it. Nearly all day. There is a men's retreat going on right now, and let me tell you they eat A LOT. Jeanette does way more than me and she only got 30 minutes off between (approx) 7 AM- 7 PM. EEEK! But she will get her reward soon, as she's heading off to Mexico for Spring Break today!
2. The Irish raise sheep. As it would happen, one of the girls that lives here grew up on a sheep farm right here on Quadra Island. Her mom still runs the place, and yesterday evening we got a phone call saying, "Come right away if you want to see a lamb born!"
We raced out the door to their farm and arrived just as the ewe started to give birth! AMAZING! What an unbelievable experience! The lamb was black and very big and cute and slimy! I was actually very surprised how quick and clean the birth was though.
We hung around for a bit and held some of the older lambs (VERY CUTE!) and then discovered that the ewe was going to give birth to ANOTHER lamb! Then Sarah's mom told us it was a "breach" (I think everyone knows what that is...) and we all got worried.
The legs started coming out (it was whiteish) and she pulled the rest of it out and quickly wiped away the slime from its nose and mouth, but it wasn't breathing. Explaining everything as she was doing it, she began to swing it by its hind legs which would have been really funny if we weren't so worried. She said that this would make all the goop that was clogging its lungs come out of its mouth and then it would be able to breath. For a few minutes we just watched as she alternately swung and wiped.
It began to breath a little!
Very exciting!
Eventually it was doing just fine, and it even began to walk and nurse a little. What a resiliant little thing! Compared to her brother, she was very skinny and small. And covered in poop because of the "strain" of the difficult birth...gross. Thinking I was being sympathetic when I said, "Poor little Crapper.", I actually cursed her with the name, and she will henceforth be known as 'Crapper'. You just can't win sometimes.
3. Yes, the Irish love their pubs and alcohol. Last minute the girls asked me to come along with them out for a drink to celebrate St. Patty's. How can I say no to celebrating all that is Irish? I admit I was a teensy bit nervous because...all right here it is...I've never been to a pub before! As a good little homeschooled Christian girl I never did underage drinking. But now that I am 19, the time seemed right.
We went to the Heriot Bay Inn which was actually quite nice. Guiness was the special but I didn't think I would enjoy/be able to finish it, so I ordered a Mike's Hard Lemonade which tasted like pop. Mmm. We talked for a while there, and I told the story of St. Patrick because I was the only one that knew it, and we all had a good time. It was very fun!
So that was the most Irish day of my life so far. I'm hoping to improve it by spending St. Patricks in Irleand one day!

I Miss You : )

Hello everyone!
I am simply writing this to let you all know I am thinking about you, and I miss you. As much as I love it here, I love you guys too and I'm glad we have blogs to chat and keep updated on each other's lives.
Life in the camp kitchen is lovely. I'm really enjoying it (my fruit/veggie platters are beeeeeautiful if I do say so myself), especially working with Jeanette! She is so much fun and we always have good times when we're together, in and out of the kitchen. And she's a Dutchie like me, only more so! A great bond has formed between us :P
However, our time working alone is swiftly coming to a close. Soon the new head cooks will be here, and we're both a little nervous about the transition. The couple coming in has never cooked at Homewood before, and don't really know anyone so it will be difficult for them as well. Please remember us in your prayers in the next few weeks! (we're gonna need it heh heh)
I hope you are all doing good, too! I'm finding lately I have way more computer time than I expected, so emails are nice :)
Youth Group people & Young Adults- I am SO jealous of you all getting to go to the Blazers games! Let me know how it goes!
Rebekah- For some reason I can't comment/read comments on your blog most of the time....I don't know why it won't let me. But you and the Queen seem like great chums! Haha!
Anyway I should go. Love you all!

Jill

The Good Life

Just as we were cleaning up breakfast from our last group on Sunday, we got a call from a friend of Homewood inviting the group to spend some time in the next two days up at their condo at Mt. Washington.
Amazing!
Completely last-minute, seven of us staff piled into the Homewood van (with an obscene amount of luggage), crossed to Campbell river where we made a stop at Blockbuster (entertainment), Superstore (junkfood), and Tim Hortons (bagels and caffiene), and then drove up for some sweet relaxation time in a fabulous condo with a stunning view of the mountains.
While up there we went exploring/crazy-carpeting in the snow, sauna-ing, board-game playing, and being the only customers at a restraunt late at night (their new-york cheesecake was the best I've ever had.)
We were planning on partaking of their night-tubing, but unfortunately Fate was against us and we never seemed to be there at the right time.
I learned how to play crib, and did alright both rounds.
I also learned that the girls I now share every moment of my life with, are highly emotional and dramatic, and often overreact to everything (If you guys read this, I want you to know I love you anyway :D) !!! Coming from a family predominantly male, this has definitely been a challenge. Heh...anyway, it is a learning experience, though I doubt I shall ever understand it all fully.
The adventures don't end there, but for the sake of my poor mother's heart I shall refrain from telling the tale of our trip home :P
I will only say it involved smoke, flames, and tears.
Muahahahaaaaa!

Now the REAL work begins!

Up til this afternoon, there were no groups coming through the camp, so we pretty much had all our time off. Yesterday a bunch of us went on a fantastic trip to a little island just a 20 minute canoe ride from camp, and explored a bit. It was soooo beautiful! Jeanette (the head cook herself) took loads of pictures and maybe someday I will be able to share them with you.
So today was my first day of actual WORK. And it was fun :)
I have a feeling that I will have some interesting adventures in the kitchen, though. See, I've never been the Martha Stewart type. I always mess up. For instance, today whilst creating a luscious chocolate cake I threw in 12 Tablespoons of baking powder instead of 12 teaspoons.
Yeah...
But its all good. I just have to be more careful.
Oh! they make the mose DELICIOUS chocolate chip cookies here, and once I find the recipe I'll share it with you guys, because they are soooooo wonderful!
Anyway, don't mock me for being on the computer again. Its getting late, and its cold and dark outside, and everyone else is off doing other stuff, so I consider it a legit time to be on here.
phbbbt.

There's No Place Like Homewood

Well, well, well...
Here I am!
It took me like twenty minutes just to get to this screen because of this lovely dial-up internet. ARGH!
Not that I am complaining. Actually I am...but I didn't mean to.
Anyway, me and the fam left Kamloops bright and early Saturday morning, and we spent that night at the Epps house in Union Bay (by Courtenay) so I got to see my friend Karissa and meet her fellow "Treadettes" (see the link on the right) for the first time, which was nice. Hopefully we'll get to hang out some more during my time here.
Sunday morning we headed for Campbell River, and after a quick visit with my Grandma, we took a fifteen minute ferry to Quadra, and on to Camp Homewood. Duh, duh, duh, duuuuuh.
I'll admit I probably wasn't a joy to be around during this time.
It was harder than I thought it would be to leave home, and I got into one of my "moods". All I wanted was to get into my room, unpack, and settle in. And have no contact with human life whatsoever.
None of the girls were home when I arrived, but I was fairly certain where my room was and that I would love it to pieces and never leave its confines.
I had stayed in this room for a week last summer, and loved it because it was private and had two LOVELY big windows that overlooked the camp and it was just generally a great room. So I was pretty excited.
Unfortunately...nothing works out the way I plan.
MY ROOM was filled with SOMEONE ELSE's stuff. The room was quite obviously occupied and didn't look like it was likely to be un-occupied any time soon. That was a blow. It would seem that it wasn't MY ROOM after all.
Later on I found out, sure enough, my room was down the other hallway.
I wanted to cry when I saw it.
First of all because I found out that I was sharing it (selfish, spoiled little "only girl" child that I am), and secondly because it had two tiny windows up at the top by the ceiling that reminded me of a prison cell. And they weren't even on my side of the room. AND I didn't even have a dresser or closet.
So I had a nice little pity-party all by myself as I unpacked what I could.
I was not a happy camper.

No, Mom, I'm not coming home.

I was still a little grumpster the next morning, and my roommate hadn't shown up yet, so I was nervous about how she was going to deal with me moving in, and all that jazz.
It wasn't until 3 that afternoon that we saw each other and it was very brief. But later on we started cleaning up our room and talking and GUESS WHAT-
we got along.
Yeah.
All my worrying for absolutely nothing.
She even helped me find a dresser and carry it in, and our room is all nice and tidy now, and it looks great. And it feels homey! Yay!
So right now I'm feeling pretty positive about everything.
Thanks for all your prayers, I appreciate them.
I have until Thursday off, so i MIGHT be on here again, but after that its supposed to be really busy.
Leave a comment- keep in touch!

Cheers,

Jill

Goodbye Girlie

The prodigal puss returned yesterday. It was a brief stay.
This morning I dropped her off at the SPCA.
I really didn't want her to have to go there, but what else could I do? There isn't a huge demand for stray cats with no records of anything about them. Beebs and her don't get along, and I'm leaving tomorrow...
Of course I felt guilty bringing her in. I know the SPCA is already struggling to find homes for their cats, and the last thing they need is another scrawny little tortiseshell. And Girlie cried so pitifully during the car ride...
The lady behind the desk was nice, but sceptical.
"Are you sure this isn't your cat?"
"Yes, I'm sure."
Gah.
I hope Girlie finds a nice home as soon as possible. She's such a nice, cuddly little thing.

(Picture: she liked the carrier, and purred when I put her inside.)

To Blog, or Not To Blog...

The question of my continued blogging has arisen.
Will I?
Won't I?
There are formidable hindrances. I will only have dial-up internet access, and time to access it will be very, very, limited.
However, as far as it is in my control, I will try to keep up PJ. I've grown rather attached. I will probably only be able to blog once a week; less during the summer months. Pictures will be a no-go with dial-up. It would take FOREVER. But I'll do my best to relay how everything on Quadra is running, and maybe throw in a few funny camp stories. You can never hear too many of those!
So there you have it...I will persevere! Don't abandon me. If no one comments, I'll assume no one is reading, and give it up until the Fall (when I can beat you up for not commenting!). You've been warned!

Last Weekend at Home

The last few days have been a lot of fun, which of course includes a lot of pain.
On Saturday I went up to Sun Peaks with some friends to learn how to Snowboard!
A few years ago there was a sort of "free day" where I tried snowboarding for the first time, officially. I only remember going down one run which seemed to go on FOREVER and by the time I made it down, I was too exhausted to do any more, so I was done for the day. The next morning I could hardly move! Lots of pain.
Needless to say, I was a little nervous about trying it out again, especially since I had to dish out the cash this time. For that kind of money you need to go down more than one run!
It turned out really good, and I actually made it down Three Whole Runs in a half-day...that's right folks, Three Whole Runs. One of them was even a BLUE. I know...I'm very daring. Heh heh...
It came a lot easier this time around, but it was still very, very tiring. The best part of course was the embarassing face-plants that conveniently take place under the chair-lifts or at the bottom of the hill where everyone has a good view of your wipe-out. It would be a shame to let those less graceful moments be wasted at any other time, when there is no one around.
ANYWAY...it was a very fun day, and the pain was well worth it. Yes, hobbling up and down the stairs is worth it. Not being able to lift my arms above my head is worth it. I'll try it again next season.
Sunday was a very exciting day! My friend Liz invited me to go out for lunch after church, but ended up luring me right into a suprise farewell party! No one has ever thrown me a surprise party before. Tear, tear. There was lots of food, and competitive games, and best of all, a Ju Jube war! Of course an innocent pack of ju jubes cannot simply be eaten at our party. They must become weapons of mass destruction. I learned just how dangerous a simple blob of ju jube can be when thrown at terrifying speeds. In fact I found a pretty nice bruise on my arm this morning from one shot. One candy was even embedded in the wall of the youth room. Wow.
You can find pictures of the party here.
To top it all off, I went to my last Sunday Night College & Careers meeting, and it was completely A.D.D. and marvelous! I will miss you guys tons!
Overall it was a very satisfactory last weekend at home!

Shut Up Michael Buble!

Here I am sitting silently in my room staring at empty shelves and clothes hangers listening to the lonely, mournful wailing of "Home" by Michael Buble. Its fairly depressing.
I decided to "start" packing up my things today. Somehow, in a productive frenzy, it escalated so that my belongings are divided into "staying" and "going", and both are neatly packed away. I even put away my picture frames (I might have to bring them out again so that my room doesn't feel so barren). One large suitcase is stuffed with summer clothes and bulky sweaters, another with books and DVDs that I can't part with. One tote has scrapbooking things, and another crafts and fragile room decor.
I know I should have resisted packing for a little later. I don't leave until Saturday and staring at my empty room all week is going to kill me...but its too late now. I refuse to unpack unnecessaries (barring the pictures).
I'm more attached to my bedroom than I thought. But I guess I have lived in it ever since we moved to Kamloops 14 years ago. Its undergone serious redecorating over the years, and lately its been morphing into a very Jill-ish space. I love it. And it looks so wrong all empty like this!!! Now it shall no longer have a loving, appreciative resident, but instead be relegated to the cold and impersonal service as a "Spare Room". How sad. How sad.
Bedroom, you shall be missed, and remembered fondly.

Girlie is Gone!!!

Missing!!!For the last four days, Girlie has not appeared for her morning feedings. I have not seen anything of her for the same amount of time...I think she might be gone for good. I just wish I knew what happened to her :(

Perhaps Beebs had something to do with it...that is not exactly the face of innocence....

I Homeschooled For a Day...

and it was crazy.
Somehow word leaked out that I am unemployed for the next while, SO...a friend of the family asked if I would watch their four homeschooled children while they raced to Kelowna for a day for an appointment.
I knew there was no REAL reason to say 'no', and that it would be a "good" thing to do. I actually do have a fairly healthy conscience. So I said I'd do it. After all its ONLY eight hours, right?
Well let me tell you I have a new-found respect for my mom, and all other mom's that make the crazy decision to homeschool their kids. I don't know HOW they manage it day after day after day! I am thoroughly exhausted from simply being with those kids (I don't know their exact ages, but I'm guessing they were between 7 and 12) and always hounding them to get back to work, or helping them figure out (aka TELLING THEM) which of the four words in the list are misspelled, or trying to remember how to create common denominators...my poor little brain is only used to taking Tim Hortons orders, not teaching kids school stuff. It was unbelievably hard to keep up with four different "lessons" at the same time, and then move on again and make sure everyone was getting stuff done and not just taking advantage of Mom being out for the day and duping the stupid babysitter.
I think I was just as eager for school to get "out" as they were!!
Tomorrow's sleep-in is well deserved.

Checking In

So I endured a weekend of being called an un-employed slacker, which is completely unfair because even if I WERE employed, I am entitled to my weekends.
So today was my first day of legitimate slacking.
Sleeping in was definitely nice. I got up about nine, had a nice hot shower, a lesiurely breakfast, not too shabby.
Then I helped my mom grocery shop (my good deed for the day), and then shopped at good ol' Value Village with friend Liz. We figured we couldn't miss 50% OFF day...but we could have. We each found three items, waited a half an hour in line for the change rooms, and were unsuccessful. Sigh.
Then after a little coffee time at Zacks, we froze our butts off downtown, and bussed home.
I don't really remember much after that, except I vaguely recall a episode of 'Remington Steele' season one...
Its really scary how little you can get done in a day.
Tomorrow shall be a little less relaxing...I'll let you know how it goes. I may even have pictures.

New CD

I recently bought this CD, and I'm really enjoying the music. Leeland is a relatively new band, but very good. They write the kind of songs that get stuck in your head and you can't get them out alllll day! And that's a good thing. Check it out, you might like it.

Blast Off!!!

Check out my new best-seller! Its a big hit.

So...
Its over.
Weird.

Today went pretty much like every Friday at Tim Hortons goes. The only thing different was everyone saying goodbye to me. It made me sad, because I don't know when/if I'll ever see them again. But it was nice to know I'll be missed. I plan on sending them a postcard from Quadra!!!

Thanks for rooting me on to the end of this week guys! I'm not gonna lie, I could have done it without you, but it sure is nice to get such supportive comments :P

EDIT: If you're looking at that picture and thinking "what the hecK???", you obviously were not ferociously force-fed the teachings of this book.

One...

MORE DAY!!!
I just need to make it through one more gruelling 8-hour shift, and then I'm home-free. I'm even beginning to feel better, so maybe I won't be spending my free weeks before I leave in a coma. Its a cheering thought.
Oh and I have GOOD NEWS!

The Prodigal Chapstick Has Returned!
It was lost, but now it is found.

See, I have very specific chapsticks. I have a purse chapstick, a coat chapstick, a home chapstick, and an at-work chapstick. The above is my at-work chapstick, and the other week at the bus-stop when I needed it most, I couldn't find it. I seriously turned my bag inside-out looking for that chapstick!!! It was nowhere to be found. I figured I must have left it in the locker at work, but it wasn't there the next day. I was very sad.
So, imagine my delight when it turned up yesterday. I don't know where it was hiding, but it saw fit to return to me, and that's all I need to know. I'm just happy its back. Its Vanilla-Minty freshness was missed.

Two...

More wretched days at Tim's.
I had a wonderful blog all planned out for today, but when I got home I curled up on the couch with my sniffles and misery, and watched a movie instead. And now I'm going to bed. Better luck tomorrow.

Three...

more days at Tim Hortons!
Yes, I'm back from the near-dead. Though not 100% healthy, I was able to go back to work today. I feel kind of ripped off though. Sure sleeping lots and taking Monday off as well as having a free Saturay and Sunday MIGHT sound pretty nice, but trust me, it wasn't. Being sick is never fun. So my weekend was wasted. sigh.

Sick

I am sick. I can hardly talk because my throat is sore, and I have no voice. On top of that, I also have a perma-headache. It refuses to leave. Waaah. Yes, I know I'm whining. This is your cue to comfort me.

Welcome Home, Liz!!!

For the last seven months my good friend Liz has been off adventuring in the lands of Australia and New Zealand, and tomorrow she's coming home! I'm so excited to see her again!!!

FREE TO GOOD HOME

Long story short: Girlie is not going back to her previous owner, and is therefore looking for a nice family to live with.
She is a really sweet little thing, LOVES to cuddle and purr, is indoor/outdoor, litter-trained, and CUTE.
I never did follow up on the very long process of getting her and Beebs to tolerate each other, and my parents don't want another cat, especially since I am leaving...so we can't keep her.
I don't want to send her to the SPCA!!! She is too nice a cat to go there. If you want her, or know someone who will take her and love her let me know!!!
She is a very talented cat. Here you can see her working as Beebs' stunt double in our family photo.

Death Of a Hairclip

This black hairclip's life ended abruptly Saturday, January the Twenty-seventh. It was only a few weeks old.
The tragic event occurred after a long road-trip to Vancouver. Experts suspect that the clip was not packaged properly and was weakened after the bumpy ride. When forced into service the following day, it collapsed under the pressure.
In life it served the noble purpose of being exactly the right size and strength for my hair, and in death it shall be remembered as being the perfect clip.
Hairclip, you will be missed.

And replaced for $1.95 at Wal-mart.

Happy Birthday Ju!

Here's to the best cousin a girl could have!

Julie and I were born EXACTLY a week apart and spent years 0-5 inseperably, until my family moved away from Alberta into Kamloops. But that didn't stop us from growing up into awesome friends.
We've shared many MANY hilarious moments and have a limitless library of inside jokes (for example, the names "Herman", "Brandy", and "Hubert" will probably mean nothing to all of you, except her sisters might have some inkling...), both share a deep and abounding love for the Disney animated "101 Dalmations" (and you know what Ju, I LIKE Pongo, I never wanted to be Purdy anyway...), and we even began to write a joint best-seller, titled "Bearlock Holmes", featuring my favorite teddy. It was prime material, but we never did figure out who the killer was.
Its hard to believe we're 19 already, and not pretending to be buck-toothed rabbits inhabiting the Shuswap camping sites, or laughing hysterically over random little stick-people we carved. But we don't let that stop us from having a good time whenever we see each other, so here's to future visits, and to you, Ju. Thanks for all the memories!

Fun Weekend

To your left you can see a very interesting picture.
It is one of three pictures I took this last weekend (the other two were of the same subject*, but didn't turn out).
I'm developing a bad habit of not taking pictures of events in my life. I think I should hire someone to follow me around and photograph different moments of my life. I wonder if one day they'll invent a robot camera like that? That would be awesome! I would totally get one.
Anyway, the pictures that I didn't take, but should have, were of my Young Adults group as spent the weekend up at Loon Lake. It was soooo much fun!
We played "Apples to Apples" (of which I am the undefeated champion WITHOUT cheating, Ryan), ate scrumptious nachos, rode on GT's behind a truck, introduced two people to "The Princess Bride" (we were shocked and appalled they hadn't seen it yet), had pathetic snowball fights, and experienced life with minimal sleep and Mr Coffee.
Oodelally!
I'm going to miss the group so much when I head down to Homewood this March!

*Ryan created a tower of dominos that stayed upright for about 12 hours even though it was highly unstable!

iZombie

I do solemnly swear never to become an iZombie.
(By the way i never knew that was an actual coined word until I googled it. But what else is new?)

Nothing irks me more than otherwise normal, interesting people who choose to zone out and ignore the world around them by wearing head/earphones, and thus declare that their music is more important/interesting than anyone they might meet or talk to.

Ok, a loner of the bus can get away with it because let's face it, half the people on the bus your mother doesn't want you associating with anyway. But when you start to miss out on normal social interactions because you are tuned in to you ipod/mp3 player I think its time to put it away for a while and remember what life was like without an accompanying soundtrack.

So here's the news: I got an iPod nano for my birthday! Yay me! I love it. I really do. What an awesome gift! But I'm super paranoid I'm going to become an iZombie. I don't want to walk through my life ignoring everyone around me, interested in hearing only the things I choose to hear. I don't want people to feel that I'm only listening to them with one ear when they talk to me.

I will strive to only listen to my iPod when no one else requires my attention. If you see me turning into an iZombie, please, please, feel free to unplug me from my new toy and tell me. I'll be listening with both ears.

Thank God for Rational Parents

Honestly.
I was almost out of my mind last night. I'm such a freak-out prone person. As soon as this opportunity came up it send my head spinning in a million different directions.
For so long I've wanted to do something different, and go somewhere different, and try out my little almost-nineteen-year-old wings! This camp thing just seemed so convenient and it's come at such a good time, it sort of scared me. I've been talking about "flying away" for so long, now that the opportunity has come, I'm noticing lot of baby "feathers".
ANYWAY last night the only thing that kept me sane was my amazing parents. They gave me some really good advice, and sort of leveled my thoughts a bit.
So, with their input my tentative plan is to apply for the job in March, as opposed to February. I will spend most of February working at Tim Hortons some more, then take a week or so off to prepare myself for the move and such.
I talked to my manager today and told her February 16th will be my last day serving coffee.
So no matter if I DO got to the Island or not, I will not be at Timmy's past February 16th, which is a relief, and a step in the right direction I beleive.

Turmoil of the Worst Kind

Minus the gray hair (and the whole general apperance of this very frustrated woman, besides the fact that she is clutching her head), and you have a basic picture of myself.
As my career at Tim Hortons nears its close (I am giving notice...tomorrow? the day after? argh!) I am forced to look at other occuptational options.
In the distant future I was thinking of volunteering at Camp Homewood as an assistant cook for the Summer months. A couple nights ago I asked brother Mike (who works there full-time) to sort of test the waters for me in that department, and see if it looked promising.
Being the laid-back Islander he is, I wasn't expecting a response any time soon. I was mightily surprised to find that he had called this afternoon and left a message for me to call him back.
Well of course when I picked up the phone to do so, I got the "busy" signal. The same sound I heard every five minutes for the next hour and fifteen minutes! By then I was getting antsy. What did he have to say that made him call back so soon? It was totally unlike him!
Well when I DID finally get through, he said he had talked to the Director...and he was eager for me to come as early as February!!!
WHAT?!?!?!?!
That means I could be gone....soon! IF I go. But... but... but...
I'm totally ill-prepared mentally to leave so soon.
What about friends? Family? BEEBS! (i'd really, really, really, miss my little Beebs)
It wouldn't be a good move for making the moola, but I wouldn't be spending a lot either, so I could go either way financially.
And what if I hate it? I mean, I've cooked there before and its hard work, and I liked it...but what if I get sick of it? Would I be stuck there and hating it?
On the other hand:
What if I love it? What if moving away is just the sort of adventure I need right now? I'll get to explore the whole of Quadra Island with some of the funniest people on earth, I'll be closer to my good friend Karissa and possibly see her on weekends, and who knows I might meet someone during the summer that will want to go to Ireland with me!
I'm so confused. I need to think about this. Slowly. Thoroughly. Rationally.

AUUUUGHGHGHGHGHGH!!!!

Snow Camp 2007!

Last weekend the youth group went to Gardom Lake Bible Camp for the annual Snow Camp. And this year we had LOTS AND LOTS of snow!!! It was glorious! This meant that we spent a lot of time on their fantastic tube hill. Yes, Snow Camp is much more than tubing alone...but that was my favorite part! Above you can see the hill, it doesn't look so steep in the picture but it is quite scary when you're there.

We went whipping down that hill so fast! Here Angela is holding the remnants of the tube she was riding....AFTER they hit the tree! (no one died, so don't fuss)

Here you can see the classic beginning-of-the-end. The beginning of the hill was quite steep, so the top person would often slide off and consequently be squashed by everyone else as they took their turn (I was that person more often than not).Preparing to launch!!!

The Ultimate Face Wash.

Aftermath.

After a particularly painful wipe-out, I was sure I was bleeding somewhere. And my ear really hurt. When I returned to the lodge, I found out I had broken the stick of my earring (below) and it had scraped my earlobe badly (its scabbed over now, thanks for asking). Luckily, the earring was the only casualty of the weekend (besides the one tube).

WARNING!!! BLOOD!

Don't worry he was fine, just a little scratched up from a stick that was living quite peacefully until it was nastily disturbed by some rowdy children on a tube.

Wahhh....I don't want to go to Tim's tomorrow.

So...
I'm pretty sure I've told almost everyone I know (except -erk!- my boss) that I am quitting Tim Hortons THIS MONTH. I know without a doubt I need to move on from that...that...place.
The only thing holding me back is lack-of-another-job...and I admit I'm not the most diligent job-seeker. I can't think of anything that I could do that would be different from what I'm doing now and that I would like better. uuuugh.
But I'm looking at my calendar now, and since I have to give 2 weeks notice, the LATEST I can break the tragic news is the 17th...a day after my birthday. What a way to celebrate!
In case you can't follow where the point of this post is going, I'll tell you it is entirely me talking to myself and saying, "Hurry up and find another job before you wimp out and don't quit at all."
I know, I didn't catch that either.

Ps. Snow Camp pictures coming soon. yay!

Ack!

Please no! How could this HAPPEN?!
Apparently we must all pack away any hope of wearing comfortable pants that might balance out or hide any imperfections in our figures.
Now, if you are one of those lucky beings that was born with a body that looks good in anything, then you have nothing to worry about.
Unfortunately there are a few of us less fortunate people. And these horrible new "skinny jeans" will exploit a great many of us.
I thought we were done with *shudder* tapers back in the 80's and 90's but it would seem they've made a vengeful comeback. I won't be surprised if waistlines shoot waaaay back up, and we start wearing ponytails on top of our heads soon too. There is no evil those trendsetters will not stoop to.

2007

Things I Want To Do This Year:

-Make exercise a habit
-Break a bad habit
-Visit friends in Alberta
-Challenge myself to not buy clothes that blatantly sport Brand Names
-Expand my library of both books and music
-Get a new job
-Go to Ireland
-Get a credit card
-Move out

I know there is probably a lot more, but I''m tired and this is all I could think of. I'll check in Jan. 1/08 and see how well I did.