Licorice-licious

Life in an Abandoned Trailer Park

2008-02-17T16:51:00.000-08:00

Or at least it seems abandoned.
Mind you, the park managers (who moved into #8 when we bought #9 from their landlord and are thus our closest neighbors, with intimate knowledge of our home, or at least what it was like before we ripped it up and rebuild it) are very nice.
And Old Man Joe as we like to call him is in pad #7 (which isn't really a full pad because he lives in a little camping trailer and doesn't need much room) and we see him outside very regularly. He checks the mailbox compulsively but it may be just to get out of his trailer that I think is probably colder than the outdoors, with less room to stretch.
But there are a bunch more trailers... and no more people. We never see them. It's eerie.
We had been taking whatever household garbage we had with us to the dump in our regular loads of gross carpet, wood paneling and etched glass tiles, etc. But apparently we can leave our garbage in the designated area, tagged, and someone will pick it up (the city doesn't do it because we live 5 min out of town). So Ryan inquired about buying some tags from the managers. They said to come back the next day. When he went back, they said that they didn't have any tags to sell at that time but we could just put our garbage in the shed-thing and they'll let us know when they get tags. The designated area used to be a chicken coop. Recently. But there was a sign that said "garbage" with an arrow so we left it there. A few weeks later, Ryan took a couple of bags over and the only thing in there was our garbage - from last time.
What does everyone else do with their garbage? Or, rather- because they are the only others here - what do the managers and Old Man Joe do?
Another thing: last week I went in the ditch (the road was treacherous, and, in my defense - the tow truck that pulled me out got stuck just around the corner immediately after) and I was waiting for Ryan to get there with the tow truck. The park managers (#8) pulled up alongside me and asked if I was okay and if I needed them to get Ryan and I assured them that everything was fine. They said, "Well, we just wanted to make sure you were okay," which was sweet, but then they turned around right there and went back home. So... apparently they came because they heard that I went in the ditch (simultaneously with my actual going into the ditch) and made a special trip to check on me. How is that possible? It was really nice of them but... what?
One good thing about having very few neighbors is that it's super quiet here. And, here, sitting on the couch, looking out the front and side windows, there isn't a single trailer in sight. Just some trees, a mountain and a whole lot of snow.

The Year of the Move

2007-11-30T23:30:00.000-08:00

a record of the places i've lived in 2007, for the interest of my future self:
1> Wentink's, Inglewood (January - February)
2> Parent's, Balfour (February - March)
3> Paul & Gen's, Nelson (March)
4> Aronson's, Nelson (April)
5> Jord's (April)
6> Josh & Louise's (May)
7> Jord's again (May - July)
8> Blue House (July - September)
9> Don & Jackie's (September - November)
10> Home.

A New Idea of Home

2007-09-19T13:18:00.000-07:00

"You know that point in your life when you realize that the house that you grew up in isn't really your home anymore? All of the sudden even though you have some place where you can put your stuff that idea of home is gone... And you can never get it back. It's like you get homesick for a place that doesn't exist. I mean it's like this rite of passage, you know. You won't have this feeling again until you create a new idea of home for yourself, you know, for your kids, for the family you start, it's like a cycle or something. I miss the idea of it. Maybe that's all family really is. A group of people who miss the same imaginary place." -Garden State

Call it nesting if you want. I've been hopping around houses for the past year, never bothering to really unpack all of my stuff.
I want a place of our own.

The Urban Trailer

2007-09-19T12:56:00.000-07:00

I thought Ryan and I were being so brave about this trailer. We'd charge into it with full force and rip up the flooring down the seventy foot length. We'd throw paint on all the walls and lay laminate and all would be well.
Not so, not so.
We did charge into it, actually and ripped up all the flooring from back to front. And then we tore down a couple of walls to make the kitchen more functional. While meticulously picking off the wallpaper in the living room we found.... you guessed it! Mold! So we had to partially rebuild the corner of the trailer, from the outside in. Then, all hell broke loose.
Better check under the raised floor in the laundry room! Rip it out! Better tear down the ceiling, right back to the studs. May as well stop scraping away at this wallpaper and replace the walls. In that case, let's drywall the whole living room and kitchen, walls and ceiling. Hey, there was water damage. You know what we need? A second roof!
....and so on.

But as a take a sip of my rice milk latte (espresso machines make great wedding gifts), I am reminded that all is well. We're being well taken care of.
Examples:
Our families are giving up much of their time to help us. We had a work bee last weekend too and about 20 people came. Tim's a flooring expert and handyman extraordinaire. My dad is an electrician. Ray is doing our plumbing. Josh, Richard and Brenda come every couple of days to help with whatever they can.
We get an employee discount at the building center, even though neither of us work anywhere near it.
Here's my favorite: we're getting a free roof! A roofing company just happens to have a trusses and a metal roof for our size of trailer just laying around and is willing to get rid of it for... $3200. No, wait, they'll give us a deal... $1600 (at this point I would be thrilled). Nah, actually, let's just trade for labor. So we'll just do some rip-outs and lay some laminate and voila! new roof.

So, anyway, this, as you can tell, is all-consuming right now. It's is taking a little longer than we had hoped but we should be moving in at the beginning of october. And when it's been completely gutted, a month isn't so bad.

Now, I should be packing right now. We have to move out of the blue house this weekend. I will miss it terribly. In its honoe, we've even painted our bedroom in the trailer orange.

And now... puppies and plush!

2006-10-23T23:28:00.000-07:00

My poor Annika had surgery today.
I miss her terribly.

Roxy

2006-10-10T23:04:00.000-07:00

The party's crashing us

2006-10-10T22:53:00.000-07:00

Does anyone know a guy named Tod? I don't.
If I did I would tell him to celebrate every day like it's Todday.

Origami

2006-06-28T10:40:00.000-07:00

Last week I made this pinhole camera, because, well, I didn't want to make the sushi too early.
You can make one too.

Out of Egypt, into the Great Laugh of Mankind, and I shake the dirt from my sandals as I run

2006-06-15T12:36:00.000-07:00

The Black Hawk War,

2006-06-14T22:39:00.000-07:00

or, How to Demolish an Entire Civilization and Still Feel Good About Yourself in the Morning, or, We Apologize for the Inconvenience But You're Going to Have to Leave Now, or, "I have fought the Big Knives and will continue to fight them until they are off our lands!"

It's raining again. If you didn't wake up, put a sweater on and watch the storm last night... you well, missed a good storm (I can't think of a good threat but that in itself should haunt you for weeks to come).

It just thundered. Hurrah. Wake up!!

Dear Disney,

2006-06-14T22:18:00.000-07:00

I read a strange thing in the paper today. You're not renewing your legendary partnership with McDonald's. You are abandoning the finest purveyor of trans fat... for fruit and veggies?? You would rather encourage children to horde licensed fruit and keep the collectible stickers? Some collectors become, um, very deranged... you should be ashamed of yourself. These children may just turn away from their culture of obesity, without those little Winnie the Poohs and Mickey Mice in their happy meals.

Sincerely disappointed,
Britt Davis.

soft revolution

2006-05-21T21:44:00.000-07:00

I keep checking this, hoping that someone hacked into my account and wrote something incredibly insightful. Or anything really, to change the look of this page. Looking at that newspaper clipping (from February!) has become quite depressing. I considered deleting Mr.Blog but, well, he's goin' on two years now. 2004 seems like such a long, long time ago.

So, let me see... something to push my february banter down the page...
Well, the other night I was re-reading East of Eden and I dug out my highlighter for this:
"Eventlessness has no posts to drape duration on. From nothing to nothing is no time at all."

That is why schedules are evil.
And why I need to move.

ALSO:

2006-02-11T16:44:00.000-08:00

Speaking of goings-on here in Cal-gary (CALgry), I also found this. Serena, what say you, it's no amateur wrestling but it is in a high school... C'mon...
[the above was clipped from DOSE, Feb. 10, 2006 while I was riding the train, on my way home from work where I was dismissed 5 hours early because I'm sick and apparently coughed-in lattes aren't so hot right now, just after realizing that I didn't have my key and no one was home and had to switch trains and trek back across town to meet my parents. At least I had my london fog (ugh, okay, vanilla earl grey tea misto) and white chocolate blueberry scone to comfort me. I'm not sure if any of that made sense but I'm sick and I reserve my right to not make sense (coincidentally, I also fight for my right to party)
bah! I almost forgot that last bracket. ]

...and then Death Cab for Cutie came to Calgary

2006-02-11T16:21:00.000-08:00

I heard
a rumor.
And I
found
this.

...and then it was february

2006-02-06T21:40:00.000-08:00

February! And I'm yet to be booted and toqued. In fact, on my meal break, I'd rather float up the endless escaladers in TD square with my caramel and cream covered shirt than wear a coat. Gawk if you want to. I'm warm.

Well, I'm off to do my jum-de-jums. Take a scan of my brain. I'm using every little part, even the part that recognizes unforgiveness but doesn't know whether it is coming or going.

That little part told me to end the blog silence. You know when you say something and if you or someone else doesn't say something quick it just repeats and repeats in your mind? Well, I don't drink grande americanos anymore and I have to stop the repetition. It's been too long.

Death by caffeine.

2005-11-24T10:36:00.000-08:00

It would take 84.5 Grande Americanos to kill me.

Know your limits.

Songs about happiness, murmured in dreams

2005-11-04T19:33:00.000-08:00

My first day on the espresso bar. I didn't even feel like crying when it was over. I just walked out of Starbucks and thought about how pretty the lights look downtown when it starts to get dark. There were blue lights in the trees (FYI: John K. Sampson is a 'faulty string of blue christmas lights'). Then I thought wouldn't it be more lovely if all the lights were turned off and the visible patches of sky between the buildings were smothered in stars.
I sat across from an interesting character on the train. Nondescript, well, business-like I guess. Then he turned on his mp3 player and he really got into the music. Head bobbing, shoe tapping, air piano and drums. He looked like he was so moved he was going to cry.
I would've given my venti green tea misto to know what he was listening to.

Diagnosis (The Weakerthans)

2005-11-03T12:18:00.000-08:00

I have a headache.
I have a sore back.
I have a letter I can't send.I have desire,
it falters and falls down,
it calls you up drunk at three or four a.m.
to wonder when...wonderful.
All the cheap tricks I tried too hard not to pull.
Pulled along or pulled apart.
The diagnosis of a foreign frame of heart.
I have a story that I'd like to tell you,
it's littered with settings and second takes.
I have a feeling that hums with the street lights
and hides under ice in always frozen lakes.
My mistake to make you cringe.
Another greeting like a broken creaky hinge to oil
and push or pry apart.
The diagnosis of a foreign frame of heart.
Found a cure for being sure,
and, sure as anything,
I'll smile for my reckoning.

The dawn of Nintendo ushered in an era of inactivity, obesity and lonely equipment.

2005-11-02T21:53:00.000-08:00

'gainst all odds

2005-10-20T16:41:00.000-07:00

Exhibit A: Job 1, Day 1

2005-10-19T22:35:00.000-07:00

Clinic assistant.
The coffee maker was the only machine that functioned properly all day. Legitimate problems with the copier, printer, heater, email, fax machine, courier, phones...
Yeesh. But it can only get better.

I work for the man now. Specifically, the middle man.
A paper pusher. But right now I feel like I'm just pushing a deck of slippery cards around in circles and I don't know whether ace is high or low.

You took my passion and perfected it.

2005-10-17T16:19:00.000-07:00

Canadian Candidate

2005-10-03T11:54:00.000-07:00

It did snow this morning.
I was standing on the sidewalk behind the 1 Street LRT station and this guy starts waving to me from the platform. Do I know this guy? I give him a little wave. Maybe he really wants a sample. He runs over and hands me a piece of paper. It's a print-off of some kind of election website, by the looks of it. "Send me an email!" he yells as he runs to catch his train.
I shoved the piece of paper in my pocket. I'll throw it out later.

Now, upon closer inspection, I see the paper says:
"A Canadian government message encourages me to know someone like you better for an eventual marriage"
and
"Let me be the candidate of your personal choice now if you are nubile"

You have to see this.

Sweater Weather

2005-10-02T22:11:00.000-07:00

Think of me tomorrow morning.
It's going to be cooolllld. Maybe even snowing.
But I will be dutifully handing out samples an hour before the sun hands out its warmth.

Answer:

2005-09-28T09:27:00.000-07:00

Nothing.
I was wrong to worry about being able to wake up at 5. The problem (unrelated to my taking NyQuil) was getting to sleep at all. Yeesh.

But on a happier note, I finished work an hour and a half early. Easiest promo ever.

Question

2005-09-27T22:33:00.000-07:00

Endorsements aside, what happens when you take NyQuil at 10:30 and you have to get up at 5?
Hmm. I'm about to find out.

Steinbeck was wrong

2005-09-26T18:45:00.000-07:00

"The hour of the pearl - the interval between day and night when time stops and examines itself" is at dusk, not dawn. Not that I have anything against sunrises, unlike some people (Kristian!).
I just really like dusk.

the beast and dragon, adored

2005-09-25T23:09:00.000-07:00

Well, this sickness has given me little in the way of insights. Sorry Serena. The only thing I have rediscovered is how much I hate the common cold. I knew it was coming by Friday because I get this horrid taste in my mouth that I associate with cheese and oreos. I gag if I think about it. Anyway, I'm heavily drugged.
NyQuil really works. Yay for product endorsement!

You can teach a child anything.

2005-09-15T15:41:00.000-07:00

2005-09-13T10:35:00.000-07:00

The Hazards of Sitting Beneath Palm Trees is result #1 when you google "Yuha coolers" (in quotes).
Hurrah.

I Love the Unknown

2005-09-11T23:06:00.000-07:00

Then he asked him "Hey, where's this bus going"

and he said "well I'm really not sure"

he asked him "then how do you know where to get off"

and he said "the place with the most allure"

So maybe we didn't take a bus there but Vancouver sure does have allure.

espresso cubano

2005-08-13T23:52:00.000-07:00

Today was fantastic because it involved the last day of a job I didn't like, the getting of a new job, the realization that I will make my time before I go to Vancouver for that TESOL course, two free cases of beer and the winning of eleven hammocks.

A Great Battle

2005-08-10T17:03:00.000-07:00

Today - forced to stay indoors because of the rain - I slayed the monster that is my closet. That's right. It's not in my closet, it is my closet. It's this gaping mouth with doors, swallowing bits and pieces of my life. I thought I would never see them again. This post is to honor those little heroes who survived life in the monster...

Four tiny pieces of glass that I found in the pocket of my coat after Erin and I totalled her parents' car that slippery December day.

More glass in the form of those little fishtank marbles from Art30.

Pages and pages of copied notes in Icelandic.

24 Lanterns.

The biggest, ugliest button you could ever imagine.

A letter from a mute girl. I have always hoped that the "special horse star girl" part was referring to me.

$2 from the Old Times.

Scorecard from an epic game of dice when we were camping in May. Guess who won.

An odd assortment of patches.

Abiel's song.

So you'll be glad to know I attacked the monster fearlessly - I was throwing things out with wild abandon. The orange garbage bag was bursting at the seams, or it would've been if it had any seams.

And now, the monster has been tamed. A fully functional and productive member of my room.

A noble use of a rainy day if I do say so myself.

Newsflash

2005-08-08T22:42:00.000-07:00

Top news at CNN: Man forgets wife at gas station

Fascinating, really.

2005-08-03T23:03:00.000-07:00

This album cover really knocks me out.

2005-08-03T22:58:00.000-07:00

Mmmm antioxidants

2005-08-03T22:57:00.000-07:00

And now for a dog in a car!

2005-08-03T22:56:00.000-07:00

Consider your growth officially stunted, Annika. I know, it is hard to resist the bold flavor and smooth taste...

2005-07-18T14:56:00.000-07:00

new growth

2005-07-07T20:13:00.000-07:00

summer in 6/4 time

the way i see it #23

2005-07-02T21:01:00.000-07:00

"Chances are you are scared of fictions. Chances are you are only fleetingly happy. Chances are you know much less than you think you do. Chances are you feel a little guilty. Chances are you want people to lie to you. Perhaps the answer lies on the side of a coffee cup. You are lost."
-David Cross

These words bobbed in and out of my vison every time I took a sip of my overpriced coffee today. I don't feel lost or fleetingly happy and I definitely don't want people to lie to me. I was just thinking about how sad it is that now coffeehouse conversation needs to be prompted by some random quote.
How ironic is it that I was reading Adbusters in a Chapters, drinking a venti nonfat vanilla latte? I assure you I would support local business if there was any up here.

Reading Adbusters wasn't really a good idea. I used to criticize them for being all about the shock-factor but they now seem to be making progress- they're being more constructive.
But for what?
Is wearing socially responsible shoes going to really change things?
I don't know why I bother reading that trash. I'm not looking for hope.
I know Culture Jamming is not the answer.

But I was just feeling really odd today.
Disconnected, I guess.

Ten minutes before I was supposed to be at work- with no way of getting there - and I was just sitting at my computer, reading my email, not especially worried. At all.
After work I realized, again, I hadn't arranged a way to get home. So I started to walk with my bag full of leftover Yuha coolers.
Two hours later, I am home.

I thought about why I feel disconnected- why I am not connected. Simply put, I haven't connected with anyone today. Sure, there was plenty of conversation at work ("It's a new vodka cooler with 55% real fruit juice and it's not carbonated. We have mango-citrus, and orange-passionfruit-guava. Would you like to try both?") but there was nothing real.
I realized that I need that real conversation.

And I am so thankful for all the wonderful people in my life who help me stay connected.

2005-06-23T18:04:00.000-07:00

I'll take you to the most beautiful beach you have ever seen, where the sand is like sugar, and the water is champagne...

obedience vs. submission

2005-06-16T17:38:00.000-07:00

Would you think I was questioning your intelligence if I pointed out the relationship between the title of this blog and my profile picture (taken in Mazatlan, at the Bruja, by moi)?
Really. How perfect is that?

Enough about how great my blog is...

It's Feelings Time!
I'm feeling a little sad right now. Only shallowly, however. I won't be going to San Fran this summer, nor will I be able to take that course in Vancouver in August. It's the too-bad-it-didn't-work-out-but-it-is-probably-for-the-best kind of sadness, not to be confused with I'm-sick-of-this-rain sadness.
On the contrary, I love this rain.
Heavy rainfall warning?
Bring it on.

2005-06-14T21:50:00.000-07:00

times like these

2005-06-06T17:08:00.000-07:00

Idealist.
IDEAlist.
IdeaLIST.
Idea List.

2005-06-05T23:52:00.000-07:00

I'm having trouble getting to (and staying a-) sleep lately. Four or five times each night I wake up and think crazy thoughts:
"Did that woman at the store yesterday really ask where the dried raisins were?"
"Is it weird that I am almost nineteen and I can't remember how the 'I' Before 'E' rule goes?"
- or -
"Why do I keep making new promises when I can barely live up to the ones I have already made?"

That's the Big One - the question that makes me feel ill.

Then I sink back to sleep until a song that slowly digs its way into my consciousness wakes me.
The song I love waking up to these days is Iron & Wine's cover of "Such Great Heights" by the Postal Service.

2005-05-30T22:14:00.000-07:00

summertime and the livin's easy

I hate comic sans

2005-05-14T08:27:00.000-07:00

Really, I do.

2005-05-12T20:49:00.000-07:00

thought process.

Fancy Like Tokyo

2005-05-05T22:42:00.000-07:00

So, here is a really late post of some pictures from my little trip to BC with Serena and Kristian. That was, what, a month ago? Ah well.

Scroll.

2005-05-05T22:35:00.000-07:00

So our trip began with a mouthful of radishes and a renewed respect for Serena.

2005-05-05T22:34:00.001-07:00

2005-05-05T22:34:00.000-07:00

Welcome to Marysville.

2005-05-05T22:33:00.000-07:00

We went on a walk and got lost on a golf course.

2005-05-05T22:32:00.000-07:00

We were wandering by a waterfall and Serena asked (this is going to sound really sadistic, but you have to know Serena): "Would you rather fall off an unfamiliar waterfall in the dark to your death or be drowned by a loved one?" I just liked that she specified that it was an unfamiliar waterfall, like if it was a waterfall that you knew, it would be okay.

2005-05-05T22:31:00.000-07:00

(In Fernie) I have no shame.

2005-05-05T22:24:00.000-07:00

Of course no road trip would be complete without plenty of stops at obscure points of interest. Like the big truck in Sparwood, for example.

2005-05-05T22:23:00.000-07:00

2005-05-05T22:20:00.000-07:00

We even stopped at the over-photographed tree. And photographed it.

2005-05-05T22:19:00.000-07:00

I thought it was funny how extremely happy I seem to be that I am in a cave. Hurrah for caves!

2005-05-05T22:17:00.000-07:00

2005-05-05T22:15:00.000-07:00

Back in flat, flat, flat Alberta

Throw a coin in the fountain of dust

2005-04-28T09:32:00.000-07:00

I was just looking at my bank account activity. I never thought I would fall victim to that evil Starbucks but they are slowly stealing my money from me - $4.39 at a time - and all I get in return is a delicious... creamy...

Uh, I gotta go.

Killer Bees and Bee-Killers

2005-04-25T17:32:00.001-07:00

It was such a beautiful day.
If I was going to spend it inside, I was at least going to let some fresh air in. I opened the back door wide and went to change my clothes. From my room, I heard a loud buzzing noise coming from the kitchen.
The biggest bee I have ever seen came whirring towards me. Now, I've seen bees. This thing was more like a flying rat.
I was finally able to catch him with the largest bowl in the house. The fact that I thought I needed to put a book on top of the bowl is a testament to how big he was.

So there it sat:

2005-04-25T16:57:00.000-07:00

For three hours he buzzed angrily inside. I wasn't about to let him out. My plan was just to leave him there for someone else to get rid of. Jord came over (and scoffed at the book on top of the bowl, I might add). Then our little bee friend escaped. How is that even possible?? There was a book on top!

2005-04-25T16:51:00.000-07:00

He's dead now. In a jar. I put the lid on because I think he might be faking it but I'm pretty sure. I feel awful.

She's only happy in the sun

2005-04-24T23:54:00.000-07:00

Attention, all you who yearn for an update on the exhilarating subject on what I like to call "My Life":

Things are pretty rad.

I had an especially good weekend and I feel the urge to share it with you. I worked Friday (hurrah!) and then I was dragged out to a late movie. A lame movie, but a laughable one. Thus began my weekend intrigue... (I'm trying to create a little suspense to make you keep reading. Is it working?) So after a meager (or 'meagre', if you will) 5 hours of sleep, I went in early morning service. Keep in mind that I love sleep. It's one of my very favorite things.
So I went out in service and then headed straight to work in the afternoon. When that horrid task was accomplished I was, however, able to enjoy the fruits of my labor (I'm doing liquor demos and I got to bring some home).
Then I thought a little nap would be really nice....

But Serena called. We decided to go get coffee instead. Then, my blood crawling with pure vanilla-latte-goodness, we thought we'd give Kristian a scare. Serena's Jetta (his name is Car-car) was filled with all the ingredients necessary for a good spook (you know - branches, masking tape, wooden planks, bongo drum, ketchup...) and this idea gave us several hours of enjoyment.

When we finally revealed ourselves as the geniuses behind the scare (whichI think, admittedly, scared us more than him), Kristian kindly invited us in for chai.
We phoned Jord too, who was apparently sleeping but came over anyway.

Then we had a really great opening-up session.
It wasn't on a roof in Mexico, but it was good.

All of a sudden it was about 4 am.
So I went home, slept until 9, went to my meeing at 10 and then made a really fantastic decision.
I decided not to go to work.

Instead, we went for lunch. Thin crust BBQ chicken pizza... mmm hmm.

Then I spent my afternoon away, curled up in my backyard with a sleeping bag. I had a lines-on-my-face-good nap.

This would be a good time to mention that Nate and Jay are bringing back the hackey-sack, making quite the noble effort. There were people hacking in my backyard all afternoon while I slept and listened to their great music.

The moral of the story is... well, enjoy your moments in the sun. Or, no, maybe it's "sleep outside -it's really great". Or, "hackey-sacks are soo making a comeback".

Or, perhaps, "call in sick - you look like you need a 'mental health day' ".

2005-04-22T12:22:00.000-07:00

2005-04-20T15:24:00.000-07:00

This is what caffeine does to me.

2005-04-20T15:21:00.000-07:00

I always knew Nathan was a cupcake-head...

last chance to lose your keys

2005-04-12T12:25:00.000-07:00

The sky is gray today.
But it's just not the same in Calgary. I want the dark clouds to settle just above the house tops. And I want rain.
I miss BC.

I must really be looking for comfort today. I came home from service and made myself some soup and I'm not talking about the instant miso that I eat pretty much every day since Erin got me addicted - I'm having borscht. Like my grandma used to make.

It might just be that I'm feeling a little ill after working in service with Lina this morning. For the first time in my life, I think I got carsick. She's really sweet but she has an, um, unique driving style.

Well, I am going to have a quick shower. That sounds warm and... comforting.

2005-04-11T16:42:00.000-07:00

A celebratory blue house... because I made it though another week of work (And by week, I mean three days).

We all have a map of the piano

2005-04-02T16:38:00.000-08:00

The best part of work is the end.

Fiend in a Cloud

2005-03-28T19:24:00.000-08:00

Little Micra survived our trip to BC. Kristian, Serena and I drove through Banff to Kimberley, where we stayed one night. Then Saturday night we stayed over in Fernie. There are no particularly spectacular (say that ten times fast) events to speak of but we had a grand ol' time. My stomach still hurts from all the laughter.

Today Jordan and I went on another adventure - a search for M.Ward's new album that came out a few weeks ago. We finally found it at Sloth Records and I ended up buying John Vanderslice's "The Life and Death of an American Fourtracker".

Mmm... new music...

2005-03-21T16:11:00.000-08:00

3100 Miles
Look at all the people
on the train
rubbing their eyes
not saying anything
Got your headphones on
and you missed your stop again
Get there half an hour late
wear a comatose face
leave an inkblot on the space
below the words time in
slip in round the back,
crawl under your desk,
and then, wait to turn
the punch card clock back to seven

Set yourself on fire

2005-03-19T12:14:00.000-08:00

It all began with the removal of my tofu from the toaster oven - a tragic case of Burner vs. Flammable Material.
A small flash of light, a puff of smoke and a tear on the sleeve of my sweater.

Regarding my title: the Stars song of the same name has quite possibly the saddest lyrics ever.

2005-03-17T21:36:00.000-08:00

Indeed...

2005-03-17T21:33:00.000-08:00

Cookie Wisdom.

2005-03-15T22:02:00.000-08:00

When the teapot is smaller than the cup

2005-03-11T11:57:00.000-08:00

You're my hero, Jord.

2005-03-09T16:26:00.000-08:00

You laugh, but not too hard. You look, but not too far.

2005-03-08T22:41:00.000-08:00

You came Here to leave There

Watership Down

2005-03-04T22:37:00.000-08:00

I think I've taken hypochondria to a whole new level:
I think I'm a hypchondriac.

You see, I don't think a hypochondriac is really supposed to worry about hypochondria. Do you get where I'm going with this? No?
Well, anyway, I figure it's the only explanation for this barrage of obscure symptoms I've been having - it must be all in my head.
The latest on the List O' Symptoms? A stabbing pain in my head when I move!

It's getting ridiculous. Really.
I wasn't sick at all in Mexico. Everyone gets sick in Mexico. But not me, thanks to my "strong immune system". Yet, I have been sick ever since the day I got back to Canada.

Well, I have been watching more television (yeah, that's right, television. I don't like the abbrev.) which is probably why I feel so rant-y.

Did you know that a new, completely digitally re-mastered edition of Bambi is coming out? The things you learn while watching the television.
My mom said Bambi was the first movie she remembers watching and that she sobbed and sobbed for days after.

I had a similar experience with Watership Down when I was little. Did anyone else see that movie?
My parents picked it up for me. They meant well. The cheery bunny-plastered cover looked innocent enough, I'm sure. Perhaps if they had read the tagline:

"All the world will be your enemy, Prince with a Thousand Enemies, and when they catch you, they will kill you... but first they must catch you."

Now, I was pretty young. All I can remember is that there was no pink or purple, no sparkles in this movie. The rabbits were brown and gray and needed to be cleaned. One rabbit got its ear bit off I think. And there was a map of a forest or something with blood seeping down it, I guess to show the extent of the bloodshed.
This movie (actually based on a book, I found out later) probably has vast social implications and yadda, yadda, yadda but it was definitely not 'suitable for all audiences'.
I cried and cried and cried.
And I never finished it so I still don't know if those bunnies made it out alive.

Just thought I'd share that with you.
I need to get well. As you can tell, this is making me crazy.

2005-03-03T22:10:00.000-08:00

Thanks for cheering me up, Jeremiah

"Only the children know what they are looking for"

2005-02-27T23:49:00.000-08:00

I don't really know where to begin so I will follow Mike's example and start from now and go backward.
My friends - the ol' gang - just left. It was the first time we hung out since I got back.
I slept all afternoon.
We went for Vietnamese food for lunch.
I went to my meeting this morning; it was the C.O.'s visit.

I got home from a party in Delburne (just outside of Red Deer. Why is it that the best parties are in the smallest towns? Toefield, Lacombe, Morningside, Delburne...) at 2:30 a.m.-ish.
Uh, I went to the party in Delburne.

Yadda, yadda, yadda... this could go on for quite some time.
Instead, I will leave you with an excerpt from The Little Prince by Antoine de Saint Exupery:

"Good morning," said the little prince.
"Good morning," said the merchant.
This was a merchant who sold pills that had been invented to quench thirst. You need only swallow one pill a week, and you would feel no need of anything to drink.
"Why are you selling those?" asked the little prince.
"Because they save a tremendous amount of time," said the merchant. "Computations have been made by experts. With these pills, you save fifty-three minutes in every week."
"And what do I do with those fifty-three minutes?"
"Anything you like . . ."
"As for me," said the little prince to himself, "if I had fifty-three minutes to spend as I liked, I should walk at my leisure toward a spring of fresh water."

2005-02-19T00:54:00.000-08:00

Here are some pictures from Mexico (no logical order). We took over 400 all together of the Mexico City trip alone so expect to see more in the future. In this one (taken by Erin) we are heading out to the Bruja for a beach day.

2005-02-19T00:51:00.000-08:00

At the bus depot in Mexico City. We are pretending to be happy to be leaving.

2005-02-19T00:50:00.000-08:00

From the top of the moon pyramid.

2005-02-19T00:49:00.001-08:00

The sun pyramid - My legs really hurt the next day.

2005-02-19T00:49:00.000-08:00

This is where I was a couple of hours before my flight - the Bruja.

2005-02-19T00:48:00.000-08:00

Where this picture is taken from - the roof of Laura and Ashley's, looking down at Russ' house, is where we slept on my last night in Mexico.

comings and goings

2005-02-19T00:22:00.000-08:00

So.
I didn't get murdered in Mexico City, if that is what you were thinking.
No, I am alive, well (except for this cold) and back in Canada.

Mexico City was fantastic. We didn't even scratch the surface in the short time we were there. Two nights were spent at Bethel and two nights with a family we had never met. We toured the pyramids and got stared at for being the only white people at Six Flags. And then we came home.

I was quite sad to leave Mexico City and all the amazing people we met there.
And I was sad to leave Mazatlan on Wednesday. I was fine until everyone was making plans to go out the beach just before I left and Britanny said, "see you later" and I said it too and then realized that it wasn't true.
So I cried.

I am not sad to be home, though.
I really missed my family.
It's good to have a place that is this soft and comfortable to come back to.

the day of forty-four sunsets

2005-01-31T01:06:00.000-08:00

So I should be coming home tomorrow.

But I'm not.
I was thinking of staying for another month the latest date I could switch my ticket to was February 16th, which actually works out really well.

Six of us - Laura, Ashley, Britanny, Angie, Erin and I - are taking a bus to Mexico City on Wednesday. It's going to be a long ride (15 hours I believe) but Laura and Ashley came down here on the bus from Calgary so they are seasoned bus-riders.

We are going to stay at Bethel there. I'm really excited.

As for what I have been doing...
The past week has been really awesome. We had several rad days at the beach. We took this little raft out (apparently a 2 person raft) and piled 11 people on it and tried to catch some waves. We caught a few but mostly we just fell off. I will have some impressive bruises before we tire of this raft.
On Thursday, we stayed all day at the beach (the Bruja) and then had a bonfire.
We also went to an orchestra which was mostly awesome. It was really good until halfway through when a giant electric guitar dropped down above the stage and really long speeches in Spanish were made. It kind of wrecked the mood. But it was still fun.
And of course service has been great, 'service rocks' and all. It wasn't really what I was expecting. We search for Mexicans who know English more than we look for tourists.
The congregation is amazing too. There are lots and lots of people visiting from all over right now - people like me who are serving where the need is great and conveniently escaping the winter. The attendance at the meetings is about double the actual number of publishers. The first thing that I noticed is that everyone sings really loud. I mean really loud.
It's been so cool getting to know people from all over.

This whole Mexican experience hasn't been what I was expecting. For example, I read all sorts of warnings before I got down here about eating from taco stands but we eat at them all the time. They're really good and super cheap.
Yesterday I discovered a smoothie place really close to our house. It's my Mexican Booster Juice. I'll have to take a picture of it.
Anyway, my point is that this experience has been better than I expected.

I am looking forward to my bonus two weeks here.

2005-01-23T07:51:00.000-08:00

Teacapan (yesterday)

2005-01-23T07:49:00.000-08:00

Completely self-explanatory.

2005-01-23T07:48:00.000-08:00

Market in Centro: shell-covered greatness

We're Concentrating On Falling Apart

2005-01-20T01:25:00.000-08:00

Today was... a day.
A really good/really bad day.

First, it was beach day. Only my second one since I've been here. It was so great. The water was a little calmer so I had a chance to get comfortable on the surfboard. I caught my first real wave and rode it all the way to the shore. But I forgot to stand up. After that I was super psyched but, alas, there were no more good waves.
We ate some food up at the restaurant. Our plan was to watch the sunset but there really wasn't one. It was fun just the same.
Everyone left and Erin, Jeremiah, Alex and I walked up the road to take the bus.
But no buses came.
Apparently they don't come out that far after 6. We sat on the side of the road waiting for a long time talking until we finally clued in that a bus wasn't coming.
Jeremiah kept saying stuff like, "This is so great! We're stranded. In Mexico. And we just went surfing. In Mexico!" I took pictures of everyone's excited-to-be-stranded-in-Mexico faces.
Finally a taxi came and after negotiating a fare to Rico's, a little cafe in the Golden Zone, we hopped in and slid the surfboard across us through the side windows.

The funny thing is that we were having a party tonight. And we were very late for our own party.

From Rico's we got picked up by some people who were planning on coming to the party. They have the cutest little Westfalia that we all crammed into.

The party was actually at Russel's house. It was a Napoleon Dynamite party (Last night Erin and I tried to pick up some food for this party. Apparently you can't buy tater tots in Mexico. Figures.). There were 21 of us in that little, tiny apartment. I wasn't really looking forward to seeing it for the sixth time, but it was hilarious somehow.

So we were having a grand ol' time.
But then...

First I have to explain that Russel lives in a huge house that is split up into little apartments. Laura and Ashley, also from Calgary, are renting one of the downstairs apartments.
They went downstairs for something and realized that they had been robbed. They think it was when they went to use a payphone and left the door unlocked for a minute. Ashley's wallet and camera are gone. The camera had all the pictures from their trip so far on it. At first they thought that a set of keys had been stolen, which freaked them out, but they found the keys.
I feel really bad for them. We all helped search the apartment and then we looked around the neighborhood for a bit to see if they threw out Ashley's wallet. They have been really sick for the past couple of weeks - they were just starting to feel better - and now this.

And then I just got an email from my parents saying that an old family friend from Fernie passed away last night.

So, yes, it was a day.

Somewhere Only We Know

2005-01-17T22:21:00.000-08:00

Sorry for my lack of posts (letters to body parts put aside).
I should have a fountain of Mexican adventure stories. And I do.
But, you see, it takes me such a long time to decide which of these tales is worthy of space on my blog (yes, because all my other posts are so full of wisdom and insight).
Anyway, I didn't want to monopolize the computer.
I have, however, been writing regularly in a real journal - you know, pen and paper. It's good because I can freely write about what a big jerk Erin is without her knowing it.

No, no, Erin is great. I mean magnificent.
We have taken to beating each other up though. I have some unexplained bruises that I like to blame on her.

Now I am going to sit in my room and think of a really great story (worthy of my blog).
No promises.

Adios.

Dear index finger of my left hand,

2005-01-15T01:03:00.000-08:00

Please accept my apology for my treatment of you in the past couple of days.
I promise that one day I will learn how to properly catch a football so as to not hurt you.
I also promise that in the future, I will always use a cutting board.

Tomorrow I will get a box of really cool band-aids to make it up to you.

Yours truly,
Britt Davis

You take your car to work, I'll take my board

2005-01-09T22:42:00.000-08:00

I have decided that English needs to adopt the upside-down question mark at the beginning of questions. Because there is nothing worse than forcing your voice up a tone at the last minute when you don't realize that a sentence is really a question.
Yes, this is what I have learned in Mexico.

So I am alive after all. Sheer disappointment that Hello won't work has prevented me from posting since I arrived here on Tuesday.

I have too many stories to tell and no time to tell them right now.

Tomorrow we are taking the surfboard (by 'the' I mean Russel's) to the beach on the bus. This makes me very happy. Should be good times.

I will try to post something interesting soon. Adios.