Moving to Winnipeg

So I recently have accepted a position to work in Winnipeg.

I'm moving back.

It was a hard decision to make but I decided to move to be with Cass and family.

That being said I now have a bunch of stuff to sell.

I can take pay pal or cash - I'm flexible on the prices

If you are interested e-mail me tjerrettenns@gmail.com

Queen Serta Sleep Perfect Pillow top Mattress & Box spring with Mattress Pad and Bed Frame.

Only Been used for 3-4 months with tags still on. - $800

Single Serta posturepedic mattress and box spring. Came out from Winnipeg - $200

Miele 262 Mountain Bike, good brakes and grip shifts - $100

IKEA table and chairs, 4 chairs in the set even though only 2 are shown. - $100

Like New Electrolux Volta upright Vacuum, will last 10 years. Easy bag removal and many attachments used only for 7 months in a single bedroom apartment- $150

Staples office chair, rip in the leather on the right arm rest - $20

Long IKEA couch, great for napping, as wide as a single bed with the back cushions off - 300$

2 red Leather IKEA tub chairs valued close to 400 dollars selling for $150 each.

White shelf - $20

This weekend

This weekend has been kinda busy.

On saturday I volunteered to help the rowing team since I coach with UFV with set-up and take-down of the stage for the campus' opening student union concert. In return we got free tickets. There were a bunch of bands there but we only went to see finger eleven. We saw a band on before them but didn't think their stuff was that great. Finger Eleven did a great job.

The student union probably lost a decent amount of dough with the stands kinda empty though. The problem with abbotsford is that there isn't really a mainstream marketing thing for the Abby area, like a radio station or tv channel so no one really knew Finger Eleven was even coming out.

The next day I coached late morning up till lunch. I came home and went on a bike ride with a friend. We followed the Trans Canada trail on his GPS from Vedder River near Chilliwack all the way to mission bridge. IT was a 45 km ride with some trails and mostly crushed gravel and paved road. We had to walk up Sumas mountain road but coming down we found a trail which was probably the highlight of the trip. We were just flying down there.

Anyways I hope you guys are enjoying your weekend because I enjoyed mine.

Talk to you later

-Theo

Activity

The long weekend has been pretty active. I didn't plan to do anything because I knew I would have to start coaching and it seems to be going really well.

I didn't row much over the summer but did say I would coach during the fall. So thats what I have started with the University of Fraser Valley development Crew. Right now there have only been 4 people, two girls and two guys. We are planning to go to the Deep Cove Classic on October. 11. For the time being I have decided to not show on days that I work at ARHCC I think that would make for too much of a rushed morning.

I also went out to see inglorious bastards at the Abbotsford theatre on Saturday night, there was quite a line up but the theatre wasn't that busy. It made me laugh and my heart pound.

The best story was trying to mountain bike. Oh what a novice I am, not to mention my friend who moved to abbotsford a winter before me who's most experience comes from the Brandon hills which are a tad different then the mountains of BC. We ended up hiking the mountain carrying our bikes most of the way. A nerve racking but enjoyable way down. Seeing as my brakes barely worked.

We talked to a guy at the bottom and found out if we had stuck to the main path we would have gotten to the place where the trails all start and there are some nice cross country ones that we'll try next time.

Cass is still beating me when it comes to our exercise tracking chart, I am catching up though.

This week when I go to work I'll be walking by the gym everyday so no excuse not to do some damage.

Later this week I am doing a thing with work playing in a Wii tennis tournament. I wonder what's the best way to practice for that? I'll tell you how it goes next week.

Theo

Can't Decide

After a lazy long weekend we are finally going to get some rain at the end of this week. Things have cooled off and I hope it lifts some fire bans but probably not. After I work 4 days this week I have another stretch of time off, so we were going to go away on a 'vacation' sat-tues. Cassandra and I can't decide what to do. We were going to go to the states but now we have decided it would be easier to stay in Canada. East would be nice but there are forest fires and such. So we thought of maybe Vancouver island.

Do we camp?

Stay at a hotel? do both.

Go to Port Alberni? Victoria? Galliano Island? Nanaimo?

All I guess will be decided shortly because we only have a week to come up with a plan.

Another Pasta Recipe

This is a recipe I found online that Theo and I tried tonight. It was really simple to make and tasted great.

6 ounces pasta
2 cups grape tomatoes, halved
1 cup green seedless grapes, halved
1/3 cup thinly sliced fresh basil leaf
2 tablespoons white balsamic vinegar
2 tablespoons chopped shallots (we used green onion instead)
2 teaspoons capers
1 teaspoon dijon mustard
1/2 teaspoon minced garlic
salt and pepper to taste
4 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 package (4 ounces) crumbled feta cheese

1. Cook pasta according to package directions omitting salt and fat
2. While pasta cooks, combine vinegar, shallots, capers, mustard, salt, and pepper. Stir with whisk. Gradually add oil to vinegar mixture.
3. Combine cooked pasta, tomatoes, grapes, and basil.
4. Drizzle vinegrette over pasta mixture. Toss well to coat.
5. Add feta. Toss to combine.

Since then

Since we camped at Golden Ears the first time. Cass' sister has visited and left us. It was great having her visit. We ended up going down to Bellingham in the states to shop at Target and see the pier. She brought a GPS car navigator with her. This was awesome, it made finding things really easy besides the couple wrong turns I would make. I also  ended up buying a game called Settlers of Catan. Which is a very well made board game that only takes about an hour to play, is quick to learn and is different every time you play it.

Today Cass and I got back from camping at Golden Ears again. During the heat wave BC is having now it was great. We spent a lot of our time swimming and in the park it is cooler than in Abby plus it gets cooler at night so It was easy to fall asleep. Right now it's 35 degrees in our apartment, I wish we didn't have to leave.

I need to finish writing up an Abstract for a poster I am making for work to be sent to CAMRT the annual conference for my profession. Cass is reading a fair bit and trying to stick to her running schedule for a 10k after she gets home.

For pictures of our Camping trips go to

http://www.flickr.com/photos/tjerrettenns/

I just finished posting pictures now

Camping at Golden Ears

Windshield Wipers

I was driving home from white water rafting on a dark and rainy night. Turn on the wipers and I see nothing but streaks. So yesterday finaly i went to buy some. Walmart had a good selection and I found some good ones. I was playing with turning them on and squirting the washer fluid all day. They worked so well. It's raining today and I want to drive around the block just to test them. I'll hold off, i know they work.

Theo

Beautiful Cultus Lake Cottages

Cass and I went down to a gated community on Cultus lake where her aunt has a cottage. It is a very beautiful place. Everything has been very well built and the landscaping looks great. They're right beside a glacier stream that is freezing but very refreshing to walk in on a Hot day like yesterday and it feeds into Cultus lake which is busy but fun to be at. They also have a community building with two pools one for kids the other adults and two hot tubs, an exercise room, ping pong, foosball, pool, poker tables, and shuffle board as well as a media room that is full of recliners and a big TV. The views are great because it is really close to the mountains, I didn't feel claustrophobic but I'm sure some prairie folk would. 

Here is the website: http://www.cultuslakecottages.com/

It was also the first time I saw a pink sky out here in the evening, guess it will be a good day today.

In Addition

Rafting was amazing and I want to go kayaking too before the summer is up. Something else to add to Cass' post. On our rafting trip we saw a couple nude sunbathers on the shore scampering behind a log as our convoy of 8 rafts came down the river. Everybody was clapping and whistling. We were told a lot of people think the shores are a lot more private than they really are.

White Water Rafting

Yesterday, Theo and I, went white water rafting and it was AMAZING!! We went on a tour with people Theo works with to Chilliwack River Rafting. It was a great place. They provide lunch (although we were running late), wet suits, life jackets, helmets, and paddles. You provide a bathing suit and shoes that can get wet. You get to choose between the classic ride or the canyon ride. We choose the classic because it was the easier of the two and we were feeling a bit nervous. They shuttle you up river on school buses and give you a big safety talk. This includes what to do if you fall out of the raft, how to pull someone back into the raft, and the three ways you can die (getting stuck in a tree, getting foot stuck in rock, and...we can't remember the third way).

Each raft has a guide, and a solo guide also rides ahead of everyone in a kayak. We had 8 rafts on the trip with 8 to 10 people per raft. Theo and I were with Para (a girl he works with), four Aussies, and our guide Jeff. The entire trip down the river takes about 2 to 2 1/2 hours.

Heading down the river you immediately hit some rapids. They definatley don't ease you into it. Out boat got stuck on a rock and I almost went flying out. That was a bit scary. We had to keep shifting out weight from left to right to try and free the boat. Once we did, we hit they rapids again, and Theo fell out. He barely seemed to hit the water before Para pulled him back into the raft. She ended up saving a lot of people from the water.

Further down the river, Jeff says "everyone to the back of the boat...trust me", so we all squish into the back of the boat. Before you know it, we've been launched up a smooth rock on shore and are slowly tipping backwards (he did this on purpose!). The raft almost flipped backwards, and two Aussies fell out. The girl lost two of her shoes and a sock. We managed to retrive one of her shoes further down river.

During a calm part of the river, you had the option to jump out, hold on to the OS (OutSide,
Oh Shit, or Oh Sugar) line, and float down the river. Theo and I both jumped in. The water was cold, but nice. It was really relaxing.

We also had the chance to go on a short hike to see a water fall. You could walk under it if you wanted. I was not in the best shoes (converse, very slippery). Theo walked beneath and said it was really cold!

Our guide was really great. He keeped trying to tip the raft, but the seven of us were paddling too well for him to succeed. It seemed that on the easier course they try to get people into the water as often as possible.

Right before the higher class rapids at the end you stop on the shore for a snack. People who are not enjoying themselves have the chance to skip these rapids and walk the rest of the way back to the campground (only about a 15 minute walk). We definatley did not walk! Apparently on this last set of rapids I managed to split my wet suit right in the bum. It's a good thing you wear a bathing suit underneath.

After a day of rafting, we headed to Andrea's place (another woman from work) for a BBQ. We were absolutly starving at this point! The food was good, the beer was cold and we were exhausted.

This morning, we are incredibly sore. My arms, abs, legs, and butt are killing me! The guides are obviously in great shape, because they do this twice a day, 365 days a year! I'm not sure I could do it twice a week at this point.

Some of us are considering doing white water kayaking later this summer. Should be fun!

--Cassandra

Stanley Park and Granville Island

On Monday, Theo and I went to Stanley Park for the afternoon followed by a ferry ride to Granville Island. Stanley park was nice. We walked around, collected sea glass, saw the totem poles, and checked out the Vancouver Rowing Club. After walking about 8 km, we decided to head to Granville Island. This place was pretty cool. It is reminicent of The Forks...only better. It is an old industrial park in the middle of the city. The old buildings have been converted into a public market, artist studios, galleries, an art school (Emily Carr School of Art!), theatres, restaurants, and so on. We ate a late lunch at the Public Market and wandered around some of the galleries and stores.

I'll make Theo post some picks on fliker soon!

Pouring Rain and Making Bread

It's been pouring rain for most of the day with a risk of a thunderstorm. It's the first time it's really rained since I got here. I planned on going for a run this morning, but since the weather was not cooperating, I made Mediterranean Olive Bread instead! This was my first attempted at making bread without the assistance of a breadmaker or electric mixer. I actually kneaded the dough by hand!! I found out it's not easy, but it does make for a good arm workout. The recipe was pretty easy:

3 cups bread flour
2 teaspoons active dry yeast
2 tablespoons white sugar
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup chopped black olives
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 1/4 cups warm water (110 degrees F/45 degrees C)
1 tablespoon cornmeal

(I also added basil and oregano).

1. In a large bowl, mix together flour, yeast, sugar, salt, black olives, olive oil, and water.
2. Turn out dough onto a floured board. Knead until smooth and elastic, 5 to 10 minutes. Set aside, and let rise about 45 minutes, until it doubles in size. Punch down. Knead well again, for about 5 to 10 minutes. Let rise for about 30 minutes, until it doubles in size.
3. Round the dough on kneading board. Place upside down in a bowl lined with a lint-free, well floured towel. Let rise until double in size.
4. While the bread is rising for the third time, put a pan of water in the bottom of the oven. Preheat oven to 475 degrees F (260 degrees C).
5. Gently turn loaf out onto a sheet pan that has been lightly oiled and dusted with cornmeal.
6. Bake loaf at 500 degrees F (260 degrees C) for 10 minutes. Reduce heat to 350 degrees F (190 degrees C). Bake for 30 more minutes, or until done.

I hope it tastes good!

--Cassandra

Running and Grilled Cheese Sandwiches!

I managed to drag Theo out for a run today. We went around the neighbourhood adjacent to us and on the Century Trail. Trail running is nice; completely different from the street or sidewalk. On Monday we're going to head to Stanley Park and Grenville Island. We plan on another trail run through the park, but we'll see how Theo's legs are treating him.

Another idea from John: Grilled Ham, Cheese, and...Apple Sandwiches! These were sooo tasty. We used two layers of mozzarella cheese, one slice of black forest ham, thinly sliced gala apple, all on whole grain bread. Delicious!

Tomorrow we're going to the Abbotsford Flea Market. Hopefully we get some good finds!

--Cassandra

Fasta Pasta

Marg and John gave us an easy pasta recipe when we were visiting at the coast. I made it for us tonight and it was delicious! I recommend everyone try it. The recipe is for 2 people, but could easily be adapted for more.

Fasta Pasta

2 cups halved cherry tomatoes
2 minced garlic cloves
1/2 cup chopped fresh basil
3 tbsp. olive oil
salt & pepper to taste
1 cup grated mozzarella cheese
enough penne or rotini for 2 people

In the morning: Combine tomatoes, basil, garlic, olive oil, salt, and pepper. Cover and leave to marinate on the counter.

Dinnertime: Cook the pasta according to package directions. Drain and return to pot. Add marinated veggies (don't drain) and cheese. Toss, cover. Set aside for 5 minutes, until cheese melts. Place in your favourite pasta bowl and serve immediately. Good with baguette sticks.

Instead of fresh basil, I used dried because that's what we had. Also, I only used about 1 tbsp which was plenty for the dried basil.

--Cassandra

Halfmoon Bay, Sunshine Coast, BC

On Saturday afternoon, Theo and I headed out to the Sunshine Coast to visit his Aunt Marg and Uncle John. I was very excited to get out of Abbotsford for the weekend. 

Theo's cousin Ben, his wife Tammy, and their baby Anna were also out for a visit this past weekend. It was nice to spend time with them and also nice to meet Anna. She is very cute.

On Sunday, John's septet was playing in the Gibson's Jazz Festival. It was nice to hear him play. Gibson is a very quaint town. Theo says he wants to move there, but I think the 2.5 hour commute to Abbotsford would kill him. Even if he did get a job in Vancouver it would still be a good 1.5 hour commute.

On Monday we took our bikes out for a ride up and down Redroofs Road. The hills in BC are killer...nothing like biking in Winnipeg. You definitely feel your quads burning on the hill climbs. Afterwards, we headed down to the beach to enjoy the wind, collect some sea glass and some rocks. We saw a garter snake on the beach (second one this summer) and geese swimming in the ocean. It's strange seeing geese in the ocean, it seems so out of context. 

Monday evening we caught the last ferry to leave the coast at 8:20 pm. Theo had to work Tuesday afternoon and it was less stressful to leave the evening before, rather than in the morning. The traffic on the highways can be very unpredictable.

Our future plans include white water rafting on June 27th and camping for a few days in July.

You can check out more pictures on Theo's flicker account. Search for The Tedster's photostream.

--Cassandra

Fort Langley

Today Theo took me to Fort Langley. It is a very cute little town on the Fraser River where he claims to be a member of the rowing club. I have yet to see him go rowing there. Our plan was to check out all the shops. Instead we went on an impromptu 12 km walk along the river. I definatley did not where the best shoes, and now I have a few blisters. Damn you converse!! We saw some awesome trees on the walk, they were huge! I also saw a garter snake. Do garter snakes live here? Well, I saw some kinda snake anyways. We didn't see much wild life, but we did see some cute puppies and a very pretty golden retriever that we followed the whole way. Theo works the next two days and then on Sunday we are going to visit his aunt marg and uncle john at Halfmoon Bay. I am very excited!


--Cassandra

Aldergrove Lake Regional Park

Cass and I went down to Aldergrove today for a bike ride. It's only about 15 min away. We couldn't find their paved paths that we had read about so we went for a hike instead. The only place I could draw some similarities too for the scenery would be rushing river in Ontario. It was a fun walk though. We we're right on the border and the park is set -up a lot like birds hill. There is even a little man made lake/pond to swim in.

Shtuff

I put together Cassandra's Bike and we're looking for camp sites. Apparently you can't be spontaneous with your reservations, they don't let you book for the next day. Still we may drive and drop in some where for a couple nights. There are too many options here and cougars, grizzlys, and rattle snake warnings.
I did however get in touch with my aunt who we can go up to visit in halfmoon bay by sechelt. We'll go next week and see my uncle play in the Jazz festival. My cousin will be there with his kid as well just for the day. We are both looking forward to that trip.

BBQ

Yesterday Cass and I went to Canadian Tire based on something I heard at work.

We bought a small 30 dollar gas BBQ that runs on the small camping propane tanks. I assembled it and we had BBQ chicken sandwiches for dinner.  It was so nice to be able to cook outside of the apartment and it made some yummy food too.

Making Decisions

Are we in control of our own decisions?

My favourite quote is at the end "If we understood our cognitive limitations like our physical ones we could design a better world." I wonder how this applies to political elections between two candidates or 3/4? Do prime ministers in Canada more regularly run consecutive terms than in the states?

www.TED.com

Weather

So this is the extended forecast for Abbotsford. Pretty sweet after several damp days.

Baking

I just got back from a baking class. There were only 7 of us, 3 of which were kids. We were shown how to make sweets like brownies, a cream cake which is delicious and jam cookies. I'm going to try making the cream cake next time I decide to bake something, with whipped cream icing that has a secret ingredient to keep it stiff.

This evening in a couple hours I'll get my new bed delivered. I'm excited. I bought some sheets and a couple pillows from the bay, they were having a big sale. I think I got a really good deal on the sheets too. There was only 1 bed set package left so I couldn't be choosey, we'll see how it turns out. I may need to buy a blanket now but we'll see.

Top Gear

Ok, so after watching a marathon of old episodes of Top Gear the British Car show I can say it is one of my favorite TV shows. The pranks those guys play on each other and toys they get to play with are ridiculous. There is a 24/7 stream of episodes here

http://www.justin.tv/faustinipt

I have spent a fair amount of yesterday watching these. I downloaded the special episode where they go to Vietnam, it is one of the best shows. It's hard to tell if the producers are just being mean or funny.

I think Ricahrd Hammond is my favorite bloke of the lot.

Theo

Rowing

That was great. I just got back from the rowing club out in fort Langley. I spent most of the day doing nothing special, reading over a journal article I am presenting at work (very informal). The time came to finally go out to the club.

I met two other community rowers who have been trying to get more people out that have had some experience being competitive. It was good to have another boat to row with, otherwise I probably wouldn't have gone about 10k. I got to row this pretty decent wood hudson, they keep their boats in good condition. I only took a few strokes in succession that I didn't feel I had a criticism for, I would have been frustrated years ago but right now for a first row in a long time I was happy with it. I had to double check that I had my oar locks pointing in the right direction, lol. 

I'm going to sleep like a baby tonight and most likely be sore in the morning. Which is exactly what I was hoping for. The head coach also asked if I would be interested in any coaching and I said I would be open to that idea. There is a lot of interest for junior LTR and usually she has her daughter help but she won't be able to this year.

I'm really glad I went out and look forward to Thursday.

as of late

As of lately I have dropped off keeping this updated. I have been gently reminded that it would be nice to still keep people updated with my stories.

So I think I left off before I left to Victoria for a weekend. A beautiful place, well landscaped and taken care of. I saw some rowing buddies and stayed at my friends place overnight.

Skipping to Cassandra's visit on Monday I made stuffed red peppers, stuffed with curried ground beef, roasted asparagus and potatoes. I'm glad she came. We basically vegged out watched movies and walked around downtown.

Today I went to the rowing club. I got there after their Saturday morning practice but I was able to meet the coach and some athletes. I will probably go out Tuesday afternoon for a paddle.

I'll post agin when something happens, I don't seem to have anything planned for this weekend except to clean the mess in my kitchen from cooking and not cleaning up after.

The week so far

So I actually went out this week, lol.
On Monday after work I went to the Abbotsford Photo Arts Club competition night with Rick. It wasn't quite what I wanted it to be. They meet twice a month on the first and third mondays with the first being competition and the latter being informative.

It seems to be a pretty big club with a range of photographic abilities. The night we went they would display one submitted picture after another and a judge from an outside club would score them from 1-10. The scoring he gave ranged from 6-10. After achieving a total score of 200 you move on from being level 1 to level 2 in the club and so on to level 3 bronze, silver etc...

On tuesday I had a day off didn't really do anything to note of during the day. In the evening though I went to the Duke of Dublin Pub, which is quite a nice place with live music and really good food. I went for a poker fundraiser for the Weekend to end breast cancer put on by someone here at work. Ther were about 16 of us. It was a fun night playing texas hold 'em with the stakes getting higher and higher (chip count bets kept getting steeper, there was a 12 dollar buy in at the begining of the game), I was out after an hour and a half or so.

I also realized it's easter this weekend, meaning four straight days off and I haven't planned anything. I think i'll call up a couple people and see whats going on in Vancouver.

Vlog Attempt

First day off

My first day off and I believe I spent it well.

I had a bad night with a sore throat. Halls and strepsils did nothing to soothe it. I had a hot shower which started to help then a day of ginger green tea with honey. I had several things to do though. I needed to get a trim so I walked down to the corner barber shop. I also needed to get a BC Drivers license, luckily the licensing office is only a 13 min walk because my insurance ran out yesterday. I also had to drop my vehicle off at smart care auto last night so that they could safety it today. I like living in or right beside old abbotsford because everything is just down the street. Like I thought there were a list of things the auto place needed to fix and I'll have to wait till tomorrow to get the safety papers so that I can get an A to B permit to drive it to the insurance agent to get BC Plates.

I'll run down the list for you interested folks

Replaced rear sway bar connections

Brake Cylinder was leaking

Brake rotors worn down past min spec

An Engine mount in need of replacement

Front Tires worn down to replacement line

In any case I got through the day without much problem. I am however not sure my health is good enough to go to work tomorrow. I hate to call in sick after working 2 weeks but it was a co-worker I believe that started it.

Today

I decided to make some pancakes and eggs instead of going to the rowing club this morning. It was raining and cold and decided it wouldn't be a very good trip to say hi out by the river. I have got to realize that halving recipes ain't that bad, i'll have pancakes and cookies for the rest of this week. There is a dog in an apartment across that way that won't stop yelping though. I believe it is a lone and can't stand to be without company. It has made my morning fun to say the least. Wash some clothes watch a couple movies. I need to contact smart auto to safety my car, they are open till midnight I hear. I'll look into it and get car insurance this week. I've been watching CBC Manitoba over the internet and it seems like you guys are in for a crappy spring melt. I hope that it doesn't cause too much of a headache for you guys.

You get the jist, pictures say more than words. The soup I just added a bunch of veggies to hearty chicken classico soup. The cookies were fun to make but I should have cut the recipie in half. Oh well, one baking sheet will just make this take a while.

I got the two chairs

I picked up the chairs today after going out to breakfast with Rick. They look pretty slick. I'm happy, they'll look great with that ikea couch I'm thinking of and a coffee table perhaps.

awesome dinner

So I was chatting with Annie online and was trying to decide what to eat for dinner. I had pasta but no red sauce stuff. I just listed what I had and then it all came together in a pan. Sauteed onions and mushrooms salt and pepper, cook some pasta, then to the pan i added a fresh tomato thickly chopped red peppers then garlic and to finish my sauce off a few spoonfuls of cream of mushroom soup. Top the pasta and you got yourself what tastes like a home cooked meal with a gin and tonic to boot (I didn't forget the lemon). It was Annie's idea to put on some tunes, that made all the difference, I think.

I devoured most of my meal before I thought to take a picture

Out to Ikea

After work which is going quite well I came home and then went off to IKEA. I was thinking of just getting what I needed and then getting out, NOT POSSIBLE. I was going to get a queen bed frame on sale but decided not too because it wasn't sturdy enough. I did however get the end table I wanted and a CD Box as well as a list of things i never really intended on buying like, a toilet brush, bath mat, towel, lunch containers, coat hangers, kitchen brush scrubber. It was ridiculous.

I met up with my friend Kaitlyn after in stuperstore next door to IKEA and helped her with her groceries. She got a job in surrey and has a place on the 23rd floor of an apartment building in Coquitlum. The view is crazy, I could barely stand at the edge without getting some sort of vertigo.

Today I'm pretty tired after getting up early for warm-up of the machines at work the last two days. Tomorrow I don't have to go in till 8. Today I felt like a part of the team though so that was nice. The rest of the day I plan to fill out some paperwork to pay my professional fees and get a health card and deal with whatever is in my mailbox.

Rick and I are going to pick up two red chairs an Saturday from Coquitlum and some time in the next couple of days i'll walk down to the library and take out a book. Biking hasn't been a problem in the rain I just wish I could find my turtle lights for riding before the sun rises.

Second Day at work

This time I may try not to make so many grammar mistakes.

I made sure to get up early this morning and I left half an hour earlier too. This was a very good idea. I got there early enough that I could change and get downstairs before 8. I also decided to scrap the idea of taking my mountain bike, that thing is the heaviest piece of steel and It's meant to be ridden with a lower seat position which hurts my knee more than a road bikes riding position. So I got there much faster and I took a direct route without any squiggles so I didn't get lost.

My card still didn't work to get into the change room though, i went to security to check with them and they said it was supposed too. So I tried again, still no go, so I will have to bug them again tomorrow with the specific room number I need access too. I waited for them at the end of the day but they were not around.

I also found out that there is what's called 'The Great Outdoors Show' at the TradeX convention center this weekend. 200 booths, climbing wall, cycling area, anything you do outdoors will be there. I'm definitely going. Who with I dunno maybe no one. I know someone at work is going but they are going with a bunch of friends and I don't think I want to go in a big group.

I was getting more involved with set-ups today, here they always end up at the same point as we do in Winnipeg they just take a bit of a different path to get there. I can tell I'll learn quickly I just have to do it.

Glad it's not dark right now at least, tomorrow I have to wake up earlier for machine warmup at 7:20. I should probably make a lunch before I wake up in the morning.

Theo

First Day

well aside from waking up because of the rain on the window in the middle of the night and the smell of the heat turning on an hour before I had to wake up I was pretty refreshed for the morning. I listened to this odd radio show before going to bed it was an audio book of sorts from 1956 after the radioactive wars. People lived in outer space and earth "terra" had turned into a terrible place where you were always watched. There was a resistance though called freedomites.

Anyway, I was a little behind getting ready in the morning, i forgot the garage door opener so had to come back upstairs for it. When i finally got out it was like 7:38, and I thought that was later than i wanted but i could till get there in time as long as I didn't doddle.

My mountain bike isn't really the speediest of vehicles though and for some reason I had to turn right instead of left and end up riding up a hill, more like a mountain. When I get down I'm in the same place I started and my knee was hurting. 2 min later I'm at the hospital and lock my bike to the outside of the bike cage because you need a proximity card to get in. By the time I get downstairs my face is red and i'm sweating underneath my rain gear (It was wet but there was no rain). Gerald is able to take me to the lockers back upstairs because there isn't enough room for casual workers to have lockers in the department. (By the way the locker room needs a key card, this will be important later on). Luckily I packed an extra shirt, short sleeve of course and I leave my fleece in the locker room, so that i can get nice and chilled later that day downstairs.

I end up going through a few things with the clinical education therapist and she shows me around. The building is beautiful with tons of windows, lots of light and it's pretty easy to get around. A workout room for 10 bucks a month parking is only 13 bucks a month but there is a monstrous wait list to get on that. We go for break chat with a few others and then I get a computer and am told to read the policies and procedures on their intranet as well as other things on the portal.

At lunch I go to the cafeteria and read some more stuff then I head to Unit 4 for the afternoon. There I met with a few others we just chatted a bit and they showed me how things work. Abbotsford is a paperless centre so everything they do is electronic. Winnipeg was going in that direction but hadn't made the move yet. So i have a bunch to learn. It also seems like no one that works their actually lives in Abbotsford. I only met one person that lives here and thats in the residential outskirts and she's my boss.

I also needed to get an access card and photo ID so someone took me to security, no one there. After taking to a resource therapist downstairs for a bit I decide to go back up. I got a temporary access card that they took from someone else that didn't really need it. It was close to home time and when I got downstairs people were packing up. I went upstairs to get my stuff and little did I know but my key card was denied. I had to quickly go find someone before they all left, only the clerk was left and she was rushing out so she found me a physics guy to take me upstairs and open the door. I got my stuff together and headed out for my bike testing my card along the way to see witch doors and gates it would open. Unlocked my bike and was glad to be headed home.

Just my luck that I had to turn the wrong way down Ware street and get lost again. So I finish work at 4:30, get to my bike at like 5 and then my 15 minute bike ride home turns into a 40 min journey, one because I get turned around and two, because My bike rack starts to fall off(which I fixed with a bungy cord thank god) and three, because my knee hurt.

When I got home I had corn flakes topped with some honey and took a break.

All in all I would say that sounds very much like a first day.

Theo

IKEA

I was going to go to IKEA this morning but do I go the distance with a wind and snowfall warning in effect? I want to get a couple picture frames an end table maybe some coat hangers and starting monday there is a sale on their queen Ramberg bed frames that i can keep in storage until i get a mattress. There are also these IKEA tub chairs that are being sold for less than a third of their retail price in coquitlum because they were in a movie and are getting sold off now. My debate is whether or not I should get two? Any ideas?

When I actually start making money i'll buy a sofa bed for my living room and maybe start adding stuff to my bedroom.

Photoshopped the pic again, showing the steps.

I had too much fun figuring out photoshop.

Spent my time Learning Photoshop

This was a picture pencil sketched by a friend of mine in college. I scanned it in and started playing with it today learning how to colour things in. Next step I guess would obviously be learning how to shade, thats how to make an image pop. If your not sure what's going on Korey is asking me what I have in my hands and I respond "I downloaded a plan from you tube and built it from my mom's cookie jar".

The Day I Bought Furniture

I finally got some furniture so I can sit on something other than a rubbermaid container warping it out of shape. Both pieces came from someone on Craigslist that just recently moved. The dining table is from IKEA and it came with 4 chairs and the office chair was thrown on top of the deal for a total of 130. It does have a rip in one arm but thats ok, i just wanted a place to sit. They helped me bring everything over so I gave 'em an extra 5 bucks. They were in a condo just down the street. I'm quite happy now and after I had unpacked all my clothes this morning and went to stuperstore for the last time it felt like this was the last thing i needed to do. To feel settled.

Bike Ride

Went to superstore and got an answering machine. Was going to return my toaster oven but I forgot it and my hands were to full of other things i needed like another lamp and hangers to get food so i just left and decided i would go back later. When I got home I unpacked what I bought and decided I would make dinner in the slow cooker I borrowed from Cass. Cream of asparagus soup with chicken and veggies, set it and forget it, lol. Then I went for a bike ride to check out routes to the hospital and the two bike shops in town. One bike shop is I think a little better than the other.

My knee started to hurt on my way home, I need to do my exercises if i'm going to be riding my bikes. There is going to be a group road ride probably on tuesday nights starting soon that I would like to do. Also on my way home I went on the mill lake trails and there were more people and kids and seniors walking on those things then Assiniboine park on a sunny afternoon. I think because mill lake is so small everybody just crams together but there were tons of people walking dogs teenagers on cell phones and kids learning how to ride 2 wheelers.

I had to get off and walk my bike for a while.

Now i'm tired and I don't want to go back to stuperstore to buy garbage bags and return my toaster oven, i don't really need to right away. OOh but I did talk to my brother and he told me to look on craigslist for furniture and there are a couple cheap nice pieces i may get. I'll keep you updated.

My first full Day here

So this morning I started to look into a few paper work things I needed to get out of the way. I got home owners insurance set up. I also enquired about my bank account at TD of which won't get set up until I send in a form which should be mailed to me which should be coming any day now, or they forgot to send it.

I also started to fill in my BC health application form and I got an account set-up with BC Hydro. Then I realized I really needed to go to superstore for a few things. My tummy was grumbling and I had nothing to eat for breakfast except Banana bread and crackers.

Armed with two gift cards, I went for my first shop to try and fill an empty apartment. First stop house amenities like garbage bin/bags, knives, toothbrush holder, the owner was nice enough to leave TP, laundry detergent, a plunger and a microwave that's 12oo Watts which cooks my food to fast for what I'm use to. Soup covering the microwave tells me to tone it down, 1 min instead of 2. I also got these really cool hanging shelves

which I should get more of and a 3 in 1 lexmark printer which was like 40 bucks. I also found a good dish ware set and a toaster oven and I can't forget the blue polk-a-dot shower curtain especially for Cass' taste.

When my cart was pretty much full I went to get food. Chicken, rice, sugar, salt, tonic water to go with some gin I have left over from a party(forgot the lemon). Red pepper ,carrots, potatoes, pasta, bread, milk, cereal. I forgot, pepper and olive oil and lemon/lime and an ice cube tray and a jug for water or juice. Next time.

After the huge unloading of goods on and off the cart and paying the $350 down to $250 from gift cards (thanks guys) I ended going to london drugs to find stamps but I saw a toaster oven on clearance so I picked that up and am going to take back the one from stuperstore.

I got home and the apartment is a mess pretty much. So I set up my desk (no chair yet) and start putting things away cook myself some chicken and then waddya know it's the end of the day.

Moved In

The morning started with me walking up with a pained stomach. I needed to leave before seven to get to Abbotsford on time to catch the owner and the Shaw guy. So I carried on hoping that I didn't have food poisoning from the burger that I ate at the motel restaurant. I distracted myself listening to music and when i drove out of the closed in mountains into a more open area and after the sun came out I started to feel better. This was around 9 or 10.

The insane truckers carried on throughout the day a couple passed me going up the mountain and then 10 min later I passed them going down because they had to ride their breaks then they passed me again. I never new there were such things as run away lanes until I drove through the mountains, in case a semis' breaks fail and they can't stop they can divert to go up a lane about a 100m into a snow bank.

There were also more snow packed roads which required cautionary driving but all in all the weather was sunny and warm and when i got to Abbotsford it was like -3 or 3 degrees, cold to them but great weather to me. I met with the owner and the shaw guy.

While the shaw guy did his stuff i was taken for a walk around and shown the keys and which doors they open. I soon was on my own enjoying an empty apartment. I phoned a friend and got my mattress and some extras from greyhound shipping of which I am very thankful for. I unpacked my car ate some soup then washed the salt off of my bikes and car in the underground garage. Washed my sheets and am now planning out tomorrows activities.

Travel Through the Mountains

Sorry I couldn't post yesterday, no WiFi.

Yesterday was pretty amazing. I woke up bright eyed and bushy tailed for an early morning drive from Regina through the rolling hills of saskatchewan. Which is pretty cool in itself, they're like waves in the water. Anyways the driving was really good until the more hilly areas in Alberta after Medicine Hat. There were a few sections still snow packed near Calgary. Nothing worth stopping for just slowing down. After Canmore the sky started to clear and I could see the sun again like in Saskatchewan. Lifting my spirits I trudged on towards BC. When I got to the mountains I was in awe. This is awesome I thought. The driving conditions were good it was early afternoon everything was great.

Imagine being surrounded by these, I got claustrophobic.

Once I got through Banff and then through YoHo National Park in BC I thought it wouldn't be much further to Revelstoke where I could stop for the night after a long drive. It took longer than I thought, winding roads with semi trailers running up my rear even though I was going the speed limit, sometimes slower, sometimes faster. I would catch them going down hill but up hill they would pass me, 4 cylinder without winter tires driving through the mountains in March is not recommended. Native drivers to BC though were flying by me at crazy speeds.

I eventually got to Revelstoke as the sun started to set and pulled in to the first Motel I saw.

The Frontier Motel it was clean nice and cheap, western themed, a gal with an Australian accent gave me my room and I collapsd on the bed after 13 hours of driving I felt squirrley. I went to the resteraunt had a Muleskinner(burger) and then came inside and had a shower. After of which I called a bunch of people and then watched TV and went to sleep. I love how a plan works out, now I'll be able to drive to Abbotsford for around noon tomorrow and meet the owner before he leaves and the Shaw guy to get internet and phone set-up.

Tomorrows plan

12 or so hours of driving depending on the weather and how I feel. Could possibly get me through Banff but we'll see how the day goes. I'll be cautious and drive safely, forecasts across Alberta just call for flurries and a little wind. I'll be up for an early start tomorrow as close to 6 am as possible. I've got food and entertainment for the trip so off to bed I go.

Roads are still Iffy

There are still slippery sections after Moose Jaw with low visibility. I'm not going to get away tonight. I feel like I should be driving. I need to come up with another plan that I'm happy with to feel less stuck.

Well the blizzard warning has ended but road conditions are still a little iffy.

This is the latest information I can find.

www.theweathernetwork.com/hwycond/sk/cask310

I'm still trying to decide whether or not I should drive out at least some of the way later today or just get up early tomorrow morning.

I'm Frustrtrated

I'm not sure if I'm more frustrated with the weather or the fact I'm going to have to change my plans. There is a blizzard warning out in swift current of which I was called back to Regina for, I had only driven out 15 min. I will have to wait it out. I had been planning for a while to get to Abbotsford on Monday. I need to call SHAW to change my installation date and the owner of my apartment is leaving to Europe on Tuesday so I'll need to see someone on his behalf to move in I guess. I'm probably going to end up spending another night here.

Day 2- On to Canmore

Yummy waffles to send me on my way to Canmore. I plan to stop every two to 3 hours in swift current medicine hat and calgary and then find a motel. I downloaded pod casts to listen to and have music and the rest of an audio book so I think I am in good sorts.

Out to Regina

This morning I re-packed my car with all of my stuff and at 1 o'clock I headed out to Regina. I have some good friends here to feed me some warm food and give me a place to sleep. The drive out here was pretty good, I didn't make any long stops just to stretch and get gas. I forgot to find my sunglasses amongst what I packed so I just bought another cheap pair. When the Mazda is packed to the brim it uses gas a lot quicker than I thought, so I ended up stopping for gas twice instead of once like I thought I would. I only had had minor discomforts with no cruise control and a just slightly misaligned steering wheel but all was cured with a stretch. We'll see how I do with an eight hour drive tomorrow, to Canmore probably. I am going to likely head off around 9. As soon as the sun goes down I feel like I've had enough driving although heading into a beautiful prairie sunset is quite nice.