Move-in Day + Blogging Madlibs

Note:  Any word in italics was mad-libbed in by my small brother via text.

Two trips to Red Deer later and a good weekend comes to an end.  Friday I dodged out of work and straight into Otto and sped off to smelly Old Butt.  Skipper was kind enough to help me drink Otto full of my things and Shurl was even kinder to offer her truck and her time to wake up very early on a Saturday morning, load my furniture, and drive it up to Edmonton.  Apparently the gnarly boys thought our packing skills were lacking but it gave me an excuse to leave my green dresser - which does not match my new motif - at someone's garage sale.  Good packers or not, nothing fell off the truck.  We arrived and Shurl, ShanWow and I had everything unloaded in 50 minutes.  That either attests to how efficient we were or just how little stuff I actually own.

Then it was a shower, a bowl of chicken pot pie and KD from Shan&TyWOW, and speeding (literally) back to Red Deer again just in time to put my make up on in the parking lot and stroll in to see two lovely friends tie the knot.  Then the requisite celebration of course.  Followed by a late night and a trip back to Edmonton the next afternoon.  Side note:  Otto reached and then blew past his 10,000 km milestone this weekend.  Thanks, Otto!

The order of the week is painting followed by unpacking.  In order to paint I have to be a more decisive person and choose some damn colours.  Here are the top colour scheme contenders:

#1:  The deeper pink/red as the living room feature wall, the light blue as the rest of the walls and the rose-y pink for the kitchen.  Plus a mustard coloured (or grey dark grey?) accent wall in the bedroom.

#2:  The blue for the living room feature, the middle off-white for the rest of the walls and the pink for the kitchen (and the yellow for the bedroom feature wall).

#3:  The orange-pink for the living room feature wall, the off-white for the rest and the pertty blue for the kitchen.

Here are some before pics:

A big week is before me!

Weekend Getaway (Jasper Edition)

This is the "Jasper Edition" because I am hoping it won't be the only edition.  ShanWow, TyWow, DIW and I drove out to the more-quaint-than-banff mountain town this long weekend to have a mini adventure.  It was a lot fancier than my typical student vacations because it didn't involve any buses, hostels or sneaking food for later from a buffet (oh wait, yes, it included the last one).  We got ourselves a real hotel room and ate at real restaurants.  Despite my obsession with the possibility of running into a grizzle* we went hiking in (near) the mountains.  There really is something wonderful about all that fresh mountain air.

Things we did:
1. Took a free walking tour of the town of Jasper.  Check out the CIBC building if you go there.  It has been the CIBC since the day it was built sometime around 1906.
2. Ate ice cream and fudge
3. Took a "flight" on the tramway up Whistler's Mountain and then hiked the rest of the way for the view.  The air really is colder and thinner up there.  What a spectacular view of the mountains.

4. Canoed (and paddle-boated if you're ShanWow and DIW) on a picturesque lake at the base of Pyramid Mountain.  We even did death-defying stunts of taking a short cut under a bridge so low we had to lay down in the canoe.  Oooooo.  Ahhhhhh.

5. Hiked the Trail of the Five Lakes which included one absolutely majestic teal lake and 4 swamps.  And not one grizzle.  Or any mammal other than humans and squirrels for that matter.

TyWow looking very "Alpian" with his stick

DIW contemplating evolution

The circle of life

6. Investigated an truly impressive canyon of evil aka Maligne Canyon.

7.  Then we ended the weekend with a day (hour) at the SPA!  A real massage for me - none of that boring relaxation massage junk - and a dip in the mineral pool, a soak in the hot tub and a scorch in the sauna.

If this is how grown ups go on vacation I might be able to handle it.

*New name for grizzly bear

No Longer Homeless

For the past month I have been answering the question "What is your address?" with "I don't have one".  Not really sure what people took that to mean but hopefully they thought I smelled pretty good for not having regular access to plumbing.  As of May 26, 2012 I will be a real adult with my VERY OWN (rented) PLACE.  It is in the heart of edmonton and near the river valley for running and walking and sight-seeing and the such.

It is a one bedroom, about 800 square feet (sorry, Hi-C) and the owner even said I can PAINT!  You never get to do that in a renter.  Woot!  I've advertised myself at the lunch table as a charity case since I'll need just about everything to furnish this little place all of my own.  It is in a high-rise condo (no balcony, though) and I look out over the city.  The floors are darkish laminate wood stuff and there is a closet large enough to store a set of tires.  I even bargained a bit and got her to agree to take down the hideous accordion closet doors and have them replaced. Thank yam fries.  Sadly, no photos now.  I meant to take some and then forgot.  This is a great motivator for routine garage sale going.

In fact, there was an article on Huffpost today about things you should do and know by age 30.  Even though I'm not there yet it looks like I'm on my way to meeting most of them.  The number 7 is "How to live alone.  Even if you don't like to."  Challenge accepted.

Temporary Pet

For the past week I have been a double nomad with most of my things in Red Deer, my home base with DIW and living out of a bag of stuff at a co-worker's house.  Actually, at the house of the woman whom I replaced at work since she is now gloriously retired.  The reason I was there for the week was so that little Gus the schipperke (pronounced:  skipper-kee) would not be lonely.  Basically he is a little black dog with enormous amounts of energy because his owner does doggie replay races with him for funsies.  None of the photos I took of him with my phone camera really do justice to how much he looks like a cross between a fox bat and Stitch of "Lilo &" fame.

Fox bat +

Stitch

= GUS!

Actually, he could just be a a fruit bat. Period.  In a cute way.  But I'm not sure how much I like real responsibility.  Dogs require me to be home at a reasonable time after work to feed said animal instead of changing plans last minute and doing whatever I feel like.

Other than a bag of cheezies and a cute dog the other best part of the week was hanging with Carmen in the man cave.  If I wanted to watch TV it had to be with a giant stuffed bear.  Like the previously was alive but got shot and then worked on by a taxidermist.  We had a photo shoot.

Carmen tries on his fishing hat (watch out the for angry deer behind you!)

Carmen is appalled at human pastimes 

Carmen ate a boy scout

Carmen calls home - has big news

Carmen babysits for a friend

Carmen doesn't feel to hot the next morning

Carmen rocks out (double punny!)

Help me be more funny - re-caption these to be more hilarious.