Jill: Through The Ages

I think my brothers and I went trick or treating maybe 3 times since we moved to Kamloops. After that, I never had an outlet for my weird fascination with costumes and "dressing up".
Maybe that is why I was suddenly driven to www.yearbookyourself.com tonight. I needed to have a good laugh at myself ...

I bring to you, Jill Coulter, age 20, year 2000 AD.
Those bangs are amazing. The curling iron definitely belongs to my mom though.

1998: this isn't even too bad. I always wondered what I would look like with a little bit of curl in my hair.
Stepping further back in time now, to 1996...I distinctly remember my mom looking like this when we were kids. Scary.
I could be McGyyvers girlfriend with hair like this. Its 1994, and I've just had my weekly perm done. The resting-chin-on-hand is one sexy pose. I'm also a fan of the padded jacket.

Back in 1990 I was still getting into my perm routine, so this is mostly just the work of a curling iron and hairspray.
Ahhhh....the '80s. Those were the days. Shoulder pads were THE thing, I tell ya.
I'd like to forget 1984 ever happened. Please.
Now THIS is hot stuff. Gotta love 1980.
Not sure what's going on here, guys. After all, this is 1978.
A personal favorite. I think I would have done well in the '70s. Particularly '78.

Or maybe not. '74 wasn't good for anyone though...right? RIGHT?

This is more like it! Look at that saucy grin. Look out world, its 1972!
1970: Someone please strangle me with those fake pearls.
Wowee! I had a neck in 1968!
Oh boy...OH BOY. We need to bring '66 back, guys. Who's with me?
'64...an atrocity. What the heck was going on.
The best thing about this 1960's photo is the collar.
Yup, I was definitely meant for the 50's. It doesn't get any better than this.

I think I will go weep now.

I'm Bored

Being bored is a choice...I realize that.
Because right now I should be studying, and I could be doing a few other things, one of which could be writing a sort-of interesting blog post. Unfortunately I'm not in the mood to climb out of this pit of boredom.
I'm too tired.
Did I just waste some of your time? Sorry.

The Saga Continues

Since there are no one-year anniversaries to celebrate today, its back to the good ol' reliable story of my burn. Its always there for me.
As you can see, its healing up very nicely, and actually is hardly noticeable anymore.
Amazing how our bodies repair themselves, isn't it??
Now besides the burn on my knuckle, my grated thumb, and other various work-related injuries, I'm pretty much a picture of health.

One Year Ago...

At about this time, I was sitting at my boarding gate in Vancouver Airport, SO excited about my flight into the unknown.
It seems like a lifetime ago!
I can't believe so much time has passed already. I still remember exactly what I was feeling then, and what my expectations were, all those weird preconceived ideas that you think up without any basis of experience.
I remember dealing with the crazy Irish customs lady that almost didn't let me into the country, and seeing my first Lefty car, and hearing Maggie's sweet Antrim accent, and staying in her beautiful house...it doesn't seem like it was a year ago. Its still so sharp in my mind.
Its been good being home, though. I do miss a lot of my friends in Ireland, but in many ways the trip settled me...at least for a while!
As a point of interest, I was hoping to stay in Ireland for a year, but as it worked out my visa, flights, finances, etc. all caused me to come home after 9 months. In the end, that was a good thing.
I came home July 23, and on August 28, Zoom Airlines (the company I flew with) went bankrupt.
So I'm pretty thankful that the timing all worked out!

Its That Time Again

It honestly does not seem like 365 days ago that I last wished dear PJ a happy birthday, the day before...well, that's tomorrow's post.
But, the fact is, today is PJ's 2nd Birthday. Kind of crazy, eh?
This blog has told you a lot about these first 2 post-highschool years: my first (hopefully last) car accident, a-day-in-the-life-of-a-Tim-Hortons-employeee, wedding dress shopping with Ange (the first of my friends to go :D), Christmas adventures, the passing of sweet Beebs, Homewood days, the Ireland saga, and lately my installment into the crazy world of cooking.
I still love blogging as much as ever, and I'm looking forward to finding out what will be written in the coming year....

Feel free to wish PJ a happy birthday, and drop a line telling which is your favorite/the most memorable PJ post you've read :)

I Crave Fiction

I've always loved good fiction.
Like really...if given the option, fiction or non-fiction...I always go fiction.
I don't know why.
Actually maybe that is a little bit of a lie. I like a good true story too.
Anyway, I'm kind of straying from the original point of this post.
I used to be a huge bookworm and I read sooo much. I would devour everything that came to our house from the library. Maybe it was during the stress of grade 11 and 12 that I fell out of that habit, and since then I read only textbooks, and only when I have to.
Lately I've been craving good books again. I miss that feeling of getting totally absorbed into a totally different world, with great characters that seem almost real, and scenarios I can imagine myself into. When I get into a book, I reallly get into a book.
The thing is, I find it so hard to find books I can get into!
I get so discouraged when I pick up a book and within the first chapter could tell you the basic plot of the story fairly accurately. I find this especially true of novels written about women for women. Don't even get me started on Christian Romance...
Sometimes I just go back to my old favorites because I don't have the time and energy to find new favorites.
Its starting to become obvious though, that I have never read a lot of classics. So I'm thinking maybe I should work on those. I read through a list and I picked out a few that I might find interesting. A lot (if not all) have been made into movies...but you know me. I haven't really seen many of those anyway!
Here are a few I'm hoping to get my hands on this year:

The Count of Monte Cristo
Gone with the Wind
Casino Royale
Love in the time of Cholera
Catcher in the Rye
The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn
Children of Men (I started this one at some point last year, but I think I left for Ireland before I finished it)

On a side note, I just finished reading "The Hiding Place," by Corrie Ten Boom, for the first time. Now...I'm sure many of you have read "The Hiding Place," and probably love it the way I did...so I must insist you read,"Things We Couldn't Say" by Diet Eman. Its also a true story written by a Dutch woman during the exact same time period. In fact Diet Eman met Corrie Ten Boom. However, its a different perspective, a different personality, and a story with the good, the bad, and the ugly. I absolutely loved it.

Now I'm finished for tonight, but if you have any reading suggestions please leave a comment, and feel free to elaborate on why you like it!

The Picking Stage

There hasn't been too much excitement on the scabby-wound front these days.
Its slowly but surely healing up.
Today its been incredibly itchy! The flaking skin and scab are sooo pick-able.
So tempting...
My brother Hugo* used to eat scabs.
I think maybe he still does.
GROSS.




*Name has been changed to protect privacy

The Road to Recovery

I know you are all dying to hear the latest on my bloody wound.
Its a pretty exciting topic.
Today it looks sort of like a target with 3 rings.
The outer ring is a browny shade with a puckered inner edge, like a drawstring bag. Its starting to flake a little.
Then we have the exposed pink flesh of the middle ring.
And finally...
The Scab.
Its officially begun to form.
I am so proud. Its really come a long way in the past week.
Maybe tomorrow it will be completely scabbed over. Wouldn't that be something.

Evolution of a Scab

I've been putting vitamin E on my burn, hoping for improvement.
This morning it looked yellow and pussy and gross.
Then a scab began to form...
We'll check in tomorrow to see if I will recover, or if amputation is necessary.

ps. In actuality I have very slim, delicate wrists. They are not fat and pudgy, as this picture would have you think. Its the angle I tell you. A trick I say!

Occupational Hazard

I burn myself a lot at school and work, and I'm beginning to lose sensation in my fingertips from always picking up, touching, testing, and dealing with hot foods.
This past week I burnt my arm when it touched the rim of a stainless steel bowl that had been heated by a nearby element. I only touched it for a second, and I thought the burn was minor.
Yesterday I noticed it was very red and looked pretty scabby, so I thought to myself that I better moisturize it.
Well surprise, surprise-- I forgot!
And this morning at work suddenly it really started to hurt, and I noticed that the scab had fallen off! eewwww!!
Now its stinging like crazy, and wearing long sleeves really irritates it. Ooouch!

Burning Questions

First of all I'd like to announce an official name change.
My Instructor known as The BFG is now simply, "Sully".
I'm sure you all have seen the Pixar film, Monsters Inc. Hopefully you will remember the huge blue monster who made little girls scream, but was really just a big teddy bear at heart.
I'm back in Sully's station at school, and one thing he does a lot is ask us these burning, unanswerable questions. Maybe you can help me out.

-If 7-11's are open 24/7, why are there locks on the doors?
-Why does Donald Duck wear only a shirt, but when he comes out of the shower he has a towel wrapped around his waist?
-How do they get teflon (non-stick) to stay on the pan?

I'm a Fan

A couple years back I made a bad decision.
My mom invited me to a small concert at Valleyview Church to hear a new Christian artist play, and I didn't go. I don't really know why I decided to stay home instead...but I should have gone. I missed out BIG TIME!
Luckily my mom still went and bought the album, self titled, "Amanda Falk".
I've listened to that CD ever since, and I've never got sick of it! She has a pretty mellow style, with lots of piano and guitar and beautiful melodies.
I was so excited when I heard about her new release, "Beautiful". Since I downloaded it from iTunes, I've had the songs stuck in my head all day! At school and at work I have them floating through my head, and its nearly impossible not to sing along with it in the car!
I absolutely love her music, so check it out!!

Hee hee hee

My little civic, Peppy, (He broke down on Sunday) is back on the road! Hooray!

I just decided I don't want to blog, so I'm not going to. Ha!

I'm such a rebel.

Wild in Scotland: the beginning

July 14- I left Fermoy and Ireland early in the morning. Christine drove me to Dublin airport where I boarded my flight to Edinburgh. My journal reports, "I'm just ready to fly home right now. I don't even really want to bother with Scotland."
I arrive in Edinburgh around 2PM where I'm met by Karen Mawhinney's cousin, Lyn. She gives me a driving tour of the amazing, beautiful city, and helps me sort out my train ticket to London.

Waverly Train Station in Edinburgh

She was fantastic and sooo much fun!
I stay overnight with Lyn and her husband Phil (minister of the Presbyterian church) in their gorgeous old townhouse downtown Edinburgh, and then she drops me off at the Wild in Scotland office building.
Its pretty awkward to begin with. There is a whole bunch of people standing around outside with big duffel bags. No one really knows what to say to each other.
Finally the office opens and we all start signing in, and get sorted into groups.
I find myself on a tiny white 17-passenger bus with only 7 others on board. Besides our enthusiastic and very Scottish guide, Fiona, I am the only one that came by myself. There are two Canadian girls that strike me as very possibly homeschooled (take that how you will), two Aussies, and three Brits: two girls and a guy.
Probably like the lone guy, I'm beginning to wonder what I've gotten myself into.
Everyone seems way older than me, and they've all brought friends!
At this point I'm wishing myself on a flight home.

Edinburgh Castle overlooking the Princess Gardens

Whatever, I'll just take lots of pictures for everyone and pretend I'm enjoying myself!
Fiona tells us that we will have some more people joining us the next day, since they will be leaving their 4-day tour and joining us for an additional 5 days. Then she talks us through Edinburgh's history as we make our way out of the city. Eventually the bus goes quiet, and she turns up the music. I start to fall asleep. Driving does that to me...when I'm not at the wheel of course.

The Wallace Monument

Stirling was our first stop. It was a really cute little place, and Fiona's hometown, so she was really excited to show some of it to us. The castle was amazing! Unfortunately we only saw it through the bus window, and I didn't have my camera out to snap a shot through the glass.
Of course we stopped at the famous river where Braveheart had his great victory over the British army, and were told the tale of his life and death. I was the only one that hadn't seen the movie, a fact that brought me much shame over the week.
At this point we also introduced ourselves to overcome the awkwardness, which of course DOESN'T WORK. It just became more awkward.
I wasn't really seeing any potential tour buddies and was having visions of loner-ness on my horizon. Everyone seemed to be keeping pretty much to their selves, and I'm not really that outgoing- in case you haven't noticed.
We drove for another long time. The scenery in the lowlands of Scotland is really nice! Very lush. I found it far more mountainous than Ireland, and more trees. And of course its abundant with European charm.

Hamish, the Highland Cow

We stopped at one tourist trap along the way: a little gift shop/tea house which featured a Highland Cow named Hamish. He lured picture-snapping, pointing, giggling, tourists in droves, especially since the store supplies you with free baggies of kiwis, cooked potato, carrots, apples, and other assorts foods to feed the little porker. All Hamish does all day is scarf the goodies down...he doesn't even need eyes, which I guess is a good thing since that hairstyle is a permanent deal.
After a potty break, we bid Hamish goodbye and hopped on the bus again.

The River in Killin

For lunch we pulled over at a tiny village which I believe was called Killin. It was a really quaint little place, but I was pretty tired and unenthusiastic at this point, so I didn't really take many pictures. Plus I just have issues with taking pictures of villages and being a conspicuous tourist. It doesn't help.

Tim, Kathryn, and Jenny

At this point I was searching for a place to eat some lunch. Suddenly someone called my name.
"Hey Jill!"
The Brits were walking behind me, and Kathryn waved at me.
"Want to have lunch with us?" She asked. Normally I might not want to hang out with 3 friends who know each other, are way older than me, and possibly have nothing in common with me...but I wasn't going to be choosy! And I'm so glad. Kathryn, if you ever happen to read this: thank you for that invitation! You saved my week.
We went to a little fancy little tea house and ordered nothing but tea and a scone, totally enraging the old waitress.
The three of them were a lot of fun to hang out with- always cracking jokes and bugging each other. We eventually wandered down to the river in the center of the village and took some pictures.
Later in the afternoon we pulled over in rainy, and fiercely windy, Glen Coe. It was about this point that we entered the Highlands, and the landscape began to change. It became even more mountainous, the road signs were given in Gaelic (a slightly different dialect than in Ireland), and it was COLD.
We hiked up a trail for about 15 minutes for a view over the valley, where Fiona told us the story of its dark and violent history. (Many, many years ago) The Campbell clan was forced by the king to attack the clan that lived in the valley. On the way they ran out of food and supplies and ended up cold and starving on the doorstep of those they were sent to kill. The clan (unaware of the Campbell's mission) took them in and fed them. After a week of warm hospitality, the Campbells were forced to massacre their hosts.
Apparently you can still hear the eerie shrieks of the murdered in the valley, and anyone under the name of Campbell is unwelcome in Glen Coe to this day. There are still very hard feelings among the locals.
After that very depressing story, we were shipped out to the Commander Memorial, which commemorated past and present soldiers.
We had anther snack break in Fort William and watched the boats go through the lock system to get from one lake into Loch Ness.
I think we also went to a place called St. Augusta, but I have no pictures, and no other memories of what it was about...so...I guess it wasn't that interesting.
The bus pulled into our hostel in Altguish around 8 or 9 PM and we were all relieved to get off and stretch our legs. We were given two rooms, and I bunked with my new British friends, while the Canadians and Aussies went in the other.
The hostel was FREEZING, and the water was brown with peat, which apparently wasn't harmful and didn't have a flavor...but there was a mental block there when you were served cloudy brown water in your glass, or ran a bath (there were no showers) that looked like lake water.
We met up with the rest of our tour inside the pub next door. Two more Canadians (Calgary Cowboys...haha...the Brokeback Mountain kind), a really funny guy from South Africa, a British burn-out, two Germans (a girl and a guy), and two hilarously awesome Scottish women.
The group began to gel a little with the help of the new additions, and some bevvies.
So that pretty much sums up the first day! It was packed full, and we covered a lot of ground. Tune in next time I have an hour to blog for an update!

More Summer Photos

July was a pretty crazy month for me. I realized that I haven't blogged about anything that happened in July, really. So those things are coming up next. I'm kinda going backwards.
Since its getting late already and picture posts take me a freakin long time, today you only get the announcement. My Wild In Scotland tour will be up sometime this weekend hopefully!
You will get to meet my good friend Hamish, see the sights of Orkney, and experience all the wonder and excitement of 20-somethings staying up all night in a castle, with a lot of alcohol. (I was good, I swear)
I'll bet you can't wait!

Summer Photo Update #2

Mom and I spent about 10 days down at Camp Homewood this summer, cooking at the Woodsman (wilderness) Camp. That means outhouses, no electricity, a homemade running water system (boiled in the "missonary pot" if you want it hot), and only tents and tarps for shelter. I love it!!!
During the time we were there they were running a Jr. Boys camp (ages 10-12) for a number or roughly 50. It was a lot of fun, especially since Tim was counseling there that week, and I knew most of the guys from previous summers.
Mrs Burdett, the head cook, taught us a card game called "wizard". We played it quite a bit!
Each tent has to take turns in doing the dishes. This little guy, known as "Gorgeous James", or simply "Gorgeous", had a slight problem with shorts that were too large...Otis came up with the satisfactory solution of putting Gorgeous' extremely long braids to good use (as suspenders)!
Here Mom is demonstrating the grueling task of cleaning the grill. Of course, after the posing is done, the real work gets handed off to me...ha ha....
We saw a lot of mink while we were down there. I think there was a whole family of them living beside the lake! They were almost tame...not scared of us at all.
It was a beautiful week to be working there. The weather was perfect, and the lake was warm! We had a great time, and even got to spend a couple extra days at the main camp after to visit with everyone! That week really made my summer :)

Summer Photo Update #1

In a desperate fit of homework procrastination, I bring to you my summer photo updates: highlights since my return to Kamloops!

In today's episode: my bedroom's life story.

Beige, Pink, Purple, Brown: Layers of my life

This room has undergone a lot of change since I first darkened its door at the age of five. Back then it was a bland beige and I shared it with Tim. Back in those days, I didn't really notice or care about decor. I don't think any five year old really does. So don't judge me.

When I was about eight years old, and had had the room to myself for a while, Mom and I tackled the bad beige job, and it became a little girl's wonderworld of PINK!!! and KITTIES!!! and some more PINK!!!
I'd like to think I was a pretty tasteful girly girl. After all, I choose the dark green kittens-in-the-garden border as my accent, instead of picking out the pink kitten-in-balls-of-yarn border. That means something, doesn't it??

Please ignore the little nerd in the middle of the room there.
That was the adopted sibling. We don't like to talk about her much.
Oh My. WHAT is she wearing??

When I hit my teens, PINK!!! wasn't so hot anymore, and neither were the KITTIES!!!
At 14, I decided it was time for a change, and since purple was my favorite color at the time, naturally the walls would reflect that. Again, my natural good taste won out and I didn't end up with a cheesy PURPLE!!! smeared on the wall- I got a light, airy purple, with a dark shade for my accent wall that reminded me of a blackberry milkshake (mmm!). I realllly liked that purple. Actually I still like that purple. But it was time for a change.

One of the first weekends I got home from Ireland, my mom and I decided to attack the purple. We armed ourselves with sandpaper, rollers, and a lovely creamy brown...
I love the change!

The color in this photo is probably the most accurate.

I have to admit, it did make the "moving back" transition a little hard. Everything was a mess and I was overwhelmed with all my "stuff". Its only recently that the decor has started to take shape again. I still need to put up some pictures or do something to the big empty walls. Its hard to put holes in after all that puttying and sanding...
The classy finished product...
I tried hard to get the color as accurate as possible. Its a little olive greeny in these pics.

I think its pretty cozy...A while ago I refinished that desk. It was given to my mom for her 13th birthday so you can GUESS how old it is :P
It used to be a computer desk downstairs, and it got some pretty rough treatment. When I got a hold of it, there were big gauges on the top, and it definitely needed some TLC. I stripped it, sanded it, stained it, put on new hardware, and claimed it as my own. I LOVE this desk.
That ugly orange dresser? That's next on my to-do list...
I ditched the squeaky, cheap closet doors long ago. I love the curtain so much more. Makes the room feel more open somehow.
Decorating my room is definitely a hobby of mine. The state of my room affects me a lot. I like it to be clean (even though it definitely doesn't stay that way for very long!), peaceful, functional, and beautiful. Its a work in progress. I'm always adjusting it, and trying out new things. I love it when I find something for my room that fits perfectly and adds a unique little touch. Like this:
Jill's Bedroom Metamorphosis seems to take place on milestones. Maybe next time you hear about one, it'll be when I move into my very own place! (Don't hold your breath. It could be a while...)

Freedom!

Anyhoo, this past Wednesday was a pretty momentous day for me. After borrowing the Rav, bumming rides off friends, and waking my parents up early to drive me to school for the past month or so, I've FINALLY bought my very own car!
A shiny red mustang convertible! Ok, not quite. She's a 1990 Honda Civic and she runs real nice.
I'm pretty pleased, I have to admit. You know how parents always think their babies are the cutest, even though they look like shriveled red aliens? Ya...my Civic is my baby.
In other news: I've transferred all my Ireland pictures onto CDs now, so my computer will no long implode at the mere thought of using up any more disc space. This means that all those pictures I've been hoarding on my camera memory sticks can now go on my computer and you will begin to see a few photos from this summer. If I'm feeling generous.

Caffienated Consequences

I used to drink coffee a lot more than I do now. In the past year I've moved over to tea- not because I don't like coffee, but because in Ireland they just drink TEA allllll the time, and its also healthy for you...so its guilt-free. I like that.
If I drink coffee frequently, the caffeine doesn't effect me too much, but when I've been holding out for a while...well, things can get a little out of control.
When I poured myself a mug of coffee at C&C last night, the possible consequences didn't even cross my mind. I enjoyed it to the full (even though I accidentally put waaaay too much creamer in) and thought nothing of it.
Until I lay my head down to sleep at 11pm, and my eyelids seemed to have mysteriously disappeared behind my sockets.
And my toes wiggled of their own accord.
And I fidgeted, and tossed, and turned, and I thought, "OH NO! I'M GOING TO BE SO TIRED TOMORROW MORNING!!!!!" All in capital letters.
There was a buzzing in my brain, and my heart was doing a spastic dance.
Its sad, really.
One little mug of coffee at 7PM kept me up all night.
For real.
I never got past the dozy stage between 11 pm until 4 am.
After 4 it was game over. I couldn't close my eyes, so I basically watched my clock until 6 when I got up for school.
I think I should stick to tea.

Cast of Characters

I've decided on a few PJ ID's for my instructors.

1. The BFG. My instructor for Veg & Starches, and Entrees. It not only stands for Big Friendly Giant, but Big Frightening Giant, because his moods are across the board. One second we can be laughing at stupid jokes about the Spice Girls, and the next he's shouting,
"What the hell are you doing?!" (<- happened today. My blood ran cold.) He also happens to be very tall. He has to duck through doors. Its true.

2. Ned Schneebly. So named for his striking resemblance to Mike White's character in School of Rock. I almost laughed out loud the first time I saw him. He will be teaching me about Soups & Stocks in two weeks, as well as Meat Cutting at some point.

EDIT: Ned's name is now officially changed to Toby.
Ever watched "The Office" ? Need I say more?










3. Gordon Ramsey (Cold Kitchen- salads, sandwiches, etc) It took me a long time to settle on this one. There are probably more apt titles for this instructor, but none of them would pass the PJ editor's approval. Gordon is very, very loud. All of the time. He is what we would call an "Aggressive Communicator". He will probably make me cry at some point this year.

4. "Grandfather" is really the only name that can properly describe our instructor for baking and desserts. He seems like the sweetest old man ever. He is always smiling and happy, he has a sweet European accent, and a gray mustache, AND he brings us goodies to eat at lunch. What is there not to love? I am so excited for baking class, I can't even tell you.

5. Mr Clean is bald like his namesake, also very insistent on cleanliness. He appears to be friendly, but I was always slightly mistrustful of the Mr Clean we saw on the commercials because you never know when that massive fist could be turned against you. I haven't seen much of this instructor since he teaches Breakfasts over in the Norkam cafeteria.

There you have it. I can never be pegged for slander.

Free Time

I seem to go from one extreme to the other.
It wasn't long ago I was sleeping in every day, eating a leisurely breakfast, and then goofing off for as many hours as I pleased.
These past few weeks have been quite a bit different. To say the least.
I am genuinely busy...on the go all the time. If I'm not at school, I'm at work, and If I'm not at work I'm doing homework, and if I'm not doing homework I'm at Youth or C&C...
When I log into Facebook I realize its been a couple days since I last updated my status. Weird. I used to be on facebook ALL the freakin time. Now its like I'm never on.
Its not that I mind. I'm actually sort of enjoying always having something to do. I think I will even get used to the early mornings. What I don't like it being without a vehicle. I hate the transit system. I got off school around 12:30 today, but didn't get home til 2:30 because of those terrible buses. All that precious time down the drain.
Now I've sacrificed a good hour to catching up on email and facebook, and I work at 5. I have homework to do, but my brain is all mushy, and I'm feeling rather peckish.
Tomorrow is going to be a crazy day. I'm not looking forward to it at all. In fact I wish it was Wednesday morning right now.
Well, this is it for my free time today.
I may not be on the blog again for a while. I shall miss you all very much.

Mystery Fruit

The question DID flit through my mind...for about a millisecond. Then I thought, "Hey, its cool, its different, its crisp, and it works well. I'll keep it."
Nevertheless, the mystery is unsolved, and the question haunts many who enter here.

WHAT KIND OF FRUIT IS ON MY BANNER?!
A red skin, yellow flesh, black seeds...

Is it a passionfruit? A papaya? a mango? A wax creation that really doesn't resemble anything that grows naturally on this earth?

If you know, please put our minds at ease and share your infinite wisdom.

Also, credit where credit is due. I found the photo at www.omsfoodphotography.com and I think their site is awesome. Please don't sue me.

In the Kitchen: Day 1

Getting up at 6AM is not my favorite thing in the world. Its even worse in the winter, when its dark and COLD. Luckily for me its still September and even though August weather decided to head south early this year, its pretty mild outside in the morning, when I stumble to the car.
My dear sweet generous father got up early today as well to drive me to school...what a guy. what a guy.
Since it was our first day actually working in the kitchen most of us were there early to get changed into our whites (soooo professional) and buy our caps. Unfortunately for those suckers poor, poor, unfortunate souls that were counting on their debit cards, the machine was down and only cash was acceptable. I was one of the few that walked away donning a sweet checkered pillbox cap. And by sweet I mean ridiculous.
I've been assigned to the "Vegetables & Starches" station, which works closely with Entrees. I was terrified of our instructor to begin with because he came across as so harsh and strict in the past week, but today was really good because I came to realize that he's very fair and he's not out to get us...he just wants us to use our brains and be safe & professional. He could be pretty sharp with some of the Second Level students, but it was because he knew that they knew better, and it was never a personal attack.
I'll have to come up with a suitable pseudonym for him, as well as everyone else at school...its really easy for some people. There's a Second Level student that was put in charge of us for a part of the day, whose face and manner fairly screamed "Percy Weasley". And one of the instructors is definitely Ned Schneebly.
Anyway, today my group (4 of us altogether) learned different techniques for cutting carrots (batonnet), zuchinni (large dice), and cauliflower (florets), then we watched two L.II students create a stew, and then we blanched our veggies, had a break, then learned about risotto and pilaf rice dishes, and sauteed our veg to order when the cafeteria opened. It wasn't very busy so we were standing around a lot. I got to chat with the other people in my group, and we talked to our instructor (his PJ identity is yet to be decided) about random stuff...it was fun.
One scary thing happened though.
Just as we were finishing up the cafeteria stuff, one of the girls in my group that I've gotten to know a little bit looked a little droopy and said to me, "I think I need to get some water."
I have no idea where anything is, so I was like, "Sure I think we can get some over here." and started walking through a bunch of people. All of sudden her face went completely white and she was leaning on the table. I was like, "Oh crap, she looks terrible!" and basically grabbed her and pulled her past all these people and all of a sudden she just collapsed and I was like, "HELP!" and this guy beside me helped me put her down, and we're like "MR INSTRUCTOR GUY**! WE NEED YOU!"
She came to in a second and our instructor helped her on to a chair and I got her some water, and after a while she went home, but MAN....I was freaked out. I'm no good in emergencies or things like that. I just don't know what to do. I'm pretty useless.

Anyway that was my day...we got to eat a free lunch (cafeteria leftovers), and I got out at about 2 o'clock. I'm pretty tired now, but glad that everything went well and I think I will enjoy this course.

** We didn't actually call him that, ok? I've just got to think of another name for him. I won't call anyone from school by their real name...gotta protect the "innocent" and all that, right? :P
You guys that read this? You know who you are. You aren't innocent, and you will be named. Unless you can come up with a sweet PJ Identity. Then maybe I'll protect your anonymity.

My Ego Needs a Boost

I don't know how many of you have blogger accounts, but IF YOU DO....
there is a new feature which allows you to "follow" a blog. If you go to your dashboard and type in, say...for example....MY BLOG....and become a "follower", your picture will come up on my blog and I will know you read my blog and I will love you very, very much. And my self-esteem will go up, and then my grades will go up, and I will be a better student and succeed in life.
You will be able to sleep well at night knowing that this simple act of kindness has launched me into a better world.

I've already added a few of you that I read on a regular basis, oh and I'm just gonna put this out there-
even if I don't know you, or just don't know that you read my blog...I would still love to see your little face smiling back at me from my "followers" list. I'm just weird that way....

So now this post is over, and you can go and become my little follower...

Its Begins at Last...

Today was my last day sitting at a desk doing bookwork!
Well, sort of.
Since the course started last week, the class has been going through booklets about Health, Safety, Sanitation, Measurements, Conversions, Shipping, etc, etc...
We even watched some sweet videos on fire safety, made in the 70's and others made in the 80's. Some pretty classy acting in those things, let me tell you. Very impressive. The quality of the production reminded me of the Dharma Initiative tapes. Fun stuff.
Anyway, after much homework and stress I have at last completed the H-Line test, received my whites, and handed over the necessary forms, as well as laid the last of my life savings at the feet of the university.
Apparently that qualifies me to set foot in the kitchen.
Actually, we spent about 15-20 minutes in the kitchen today, learning "Knife Skills". I'm pretty much amazing now.
I can dice carrots and onions, and chop celery. Ya, pretty impressive, I know...

Tomorrow I start "Vegetables" with a few of my classmates, under the tutelage of the most intimidating instructor I have met so far. I am terrified.

I am very excited to get out of the classroom though! Even though it was great to get to know the other students (there are some seriously sweet people in my class! So thrilled to go through this with them!) and get myself back in to the 'school' routine, I want to improve in the practical ways, since the longer I am here the more I'm realizing how inexperienced I really am.

Since we took a test today and we start in the kitchen tomorrow, there is no homework tonight! A first! I'm pretty stoked about that because it means, 1. I can blog! 2. I can go help out at youth group tonight!

Unfortunately this freedom will be short-lived, as I will be getting up at 6Am regularly now, and working Friday nights and Saturday mornings, as well as an earlier weeknight shift. Brutal.

We had someone come into class today and explain about how there is a lot of bursary $ sitting around and telling us to apply for it. I'm hoping to apply and receive some for a car which would make my life so much easier!

So there you have it folks-- that is what my life is like.
I will attempt at putting up a blog at least once a week, but I'll have to see how busy/dead I am!