Wednesday, July 27th, 2011

It was a hard day getting my car packed and loaded.  Finished up all my laundry and then used my best Tetris techniques to fill every nook and cranny on my car.  Off to Calgary tomorrow morning!

Grandma came over for a visit and we all had dinner.  Then, it was a relaxing night with the family.  Here's my 92 year old grandma... still as beautiful as ever, reacting to something she was watching on the news.

Tuesday, July 26th, 2011

I really made some good progress on my packing today.  Spent most of the day in my bedroom trying to sort, organize, and stuff everything in bins.  I met Mom and Dad in Sears just after lunch, so I could help find my Mom some clothes for the cruise we're going on in January.  They had a big sale on, so everything was pretty cheap.

Monica and Jack came by around dinner time, and we had a scrumptious chef's salad - ham, cheese, eggs, cucumber ... yum!

After dinner, Jack, Dad and I went down to Canadian Tire to see if I could find a rooftop carrier for my car.  It seems I have a lot more stuff than I thought!  Just as we were leaving, this rainbow took shape over our house.  It was vibrant and gorgeous - mom took this shot, and I borrowed it because I didn't have my camera.  At Canadian Tire, I managed to find a 13 cubic squared waterproof rooftop carrier for $50.  It's soft so will be easy to store once I'm settled again ... if that ever happens!

Monday, July 25th, 2011

My parents and I left pretty early this morning to go down to Bellingham.  I have to admit, I spent a little more money than I had anticipated.  I only bought one $4 item in Big Lots, but then when I got to Ross, it was another story.  Everything seemed to fit me, and I was finding some great clothes for work.  I like to represent myself well when I start a new position, so I've got myself some really nice outfits.  I even got three new dresses - one of them a little black number!

We met my Auntie Betty for lunch, and had a nice visit.  It was good to see her before I leave for Calgary.  After lunch, we made it to Big Kmart, where I bought a couple more little items, then we went to Walmart.  I always like to stop at Walmart because I can get wine so cheap.  It was about $9 U.S. for a magnum of Shiraz.  Brilliant!

It was getting pretty late in the afternoon by this point, so we headed home.  Dad and I played a little guitar together when we got home, then we watched a movie.  It was a fantastic day!

Sunday, July 24th, 2011

I saw the sunshine again, today ... wow!  Gotta enjoy every moment that you get a glimpse of the sunshine here on the West Coast.

I spent the morning getting some stuff done around the house, then went over to see my bestie at her Aunt's house downtown.  Lisa had a lot of relatives there, and they were busy with some cleaning and organizing, but we had barbecued hamburgers for lunch and, of course, great company.  I stayed for a couple of hours to visit, then headed home.  Lisa and I had a chance to catch up before I leave for Calgary this week.  I'll miss her so much!

Mom and Dad were at a barbecue most of the afternoon and early evening.  When they got home, we all had a relaxing evening at home.  Dad is off on his holidays, so we're going to the U.S. tomorrow to spend some money while our dollar is so high.

Saturday, July 23rd, 2011

Finally, a hot day in BC.  It was a scorcher and I loved every minute of it.  First thing in the morning, I took Tequila (my cat) for grooming.  They shaved half of her so she looks funny, but she doesn't have any more mats.  Then when I got home, I helped my dad put up his new canopy tent on the back patio ... let me tell ya, it wasn't easy - even with instructions.  It was so hot that it was so nice to have the shade once it was assembled.  So we ate some lunch outside, then headed out to MTF in Vedder.  Surprisingly, none of us bought anything.  Dairy Queen was in the same complex, so we stopped there to have a treat before continuing on to a thrift store.  I found a steering wheel cover that matches my car.  That's it.  I took this photo of a bloom on a clematis vine.  I loved the dusty rose colour.  Now I'm enjoying a relaxing evening catching up on my blog and thinking about all the things I have to get done before I move to Calgary.  Ugh!

Friday, July 22nd, 2011

Happy Friday!  I spent most of the day preparing to move to Calgary - looked for furnished apartments online, cancelled my BC Medical, etc.  Then when dad got home from work, I went with my parents to Bozzini's for dinner.  It was delicious and very reasonable ... generous portions of food ... I had enough left over to bring home for my lunch and dinner tomorrow.  Then, the three of us headed to the Galaxy to watch the final installment of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows in 3D.  It's the last of the series, and so it was bittersweet.  That's about it for my Friday night.

Thursday, July 21st, 2011

What an exciting day!  I had a phone interview at 7:30am for a company I didn't want to work for.  However, beggars can't be choosers, so they say.  It's cliche, but it definitely applies!  Then, I spent the rest of the morning scouring the internet for jobs I could apply for.  Then, early in the afternoon, I got a call from Calgary for the job I had interviewed for.  They scheduled another call for me with the HR manager later in the afternoon.  It could only be good news, I thought.  Fortunately, it was!  They offered me the position, and it sounds fantastic.  They asked me if I could start on Monday.  That would mean I would have to pack tomorrow, and then hit the road on Saturday.  Then, just when I was panicking about everything I had to get done, they called me back one more time to tell me that it would be better if I could start the following week instead.  Brilliant!  So, I'm headed to Calgary to live for the next year or so ... then, we'll see where life takes me from there.

This was a photo I took in the back yard... it was just a perfect rose for a perfect day.

Wednesday, July 20th, 2011

Long drive back to Chilliwack today.  Got on the road just after 9am, and hit variable weather patterns the entire way; rain, wind, sun, repeat. Then there was a lot of construction which slowed us down considerably.  Got home around 6:30pm.  We did manage to stop briefly to take this picture around Redearth, which is between Banff and Lake Louise - it's Castle Mountain, I believe.

 It's good to be home after a long drive.



 

Tuesday, July 19th, 2011

Had a very nice day today.  Woke up to another sunny, hot day.  Mom and I had a relaxing morning at home, while everybody else was at work.  Then, we decided to go to Value Village just to check things out.  We both bought a few items, and had a 25% off coupon for our purchases, so that was fun.  I dropped mom off at home, then drove up to the North to visit with Debra.  On my way there, a storm blew through the city - rain and lightning and wind.  Then, by the time I got to Debra's, it was sunny again.  Clear, blue skies once again.  We took her dog for a walk, and enjoyed the sunshine, while we caught up on things.

Then, I headed to the Kensington Pub to meet Bryn.  Again, it was wing night, so I filled up on some tasty salt and pepper wings.  That's one of the things I miss most about Calgary!  There's a wing night somewhere every night... and they're delicious.  Anyway, while I was chatting with Bryn, we both heard some pretty heavy rain falling on the skylight overhead.  It was getting louder and louder.  Then, we both realized that it was actually hail.  HAIL?!  I was beginning to freak out a little, knowing that my car was parked outside on the street, and just last year, Calgary had a hail storm so powerful that it did damage to thousands of cars in the city.  So, I took my camera and ran outside to check it out.  I couldn't even go on to the sidewalk because the hail was so strong and the hailstones were so large that people were running for cover everywhere.

Once it had subsided, Bryn took a walk to my car to check it out for me.  He said that there didn't seem to be any hail damage, but I had left my sunroof popped up and the inside of my car was pretty wet.  I was relieved.  Water will dry!

Here is one picture of the hail.  Not sure if you can make out how big some of the hailstones were, but it looks like it was snowing in July.

Monday, July 18th, 2011

I had a job interview today, so in the morning I prepared for that, then left for the interview.  I thought it went well enough, but it's never that easy to tell until the decision is made.  After the interview, I headed to the Regal Beagle in Kensington to meet a friend.  We sat out on the patio and had a cold drink and some wings - it was wing night!  We didn't stay too long because it was about 34 degrees and the heat was draining our energy.  I headed back to Lurline's, and still needed a photo for the day, so we all went to Tim Horton's to grab an Iced Capp... the sky was starting to look like a storm was coming.  There were some large clouds that looked like they could turn into a tornado, so we took a picture of that.  These skies aren't like the skies in BC ...

Sunday, July 17th, 2011

Change of plans.  Mom and I were going to go to the Stampede grounds today, but we heard the temperature was going to be killer hot, so the last thing we wanted to do was walk around in the heat on hot pavement.  Dave suggested we go for a drive out to Kananaskis in his convertible Firebird.  So that's what we did.  It was a scorcher so we all lathered on some sunscreen, put on our hats and sunglasses and off we went.  It was windy in the backseat, and I was having some trouble keeping my shirt from blowing around and showing all my goods to the passing cars, so I changed places with Lurline in the front seat.  We made it all the way down to Interlakes ... everything was so beautiful it was hard to decide what picture to use for the blog today.  If you've never been there, it's worth the trip!  This is the photo I chose - it hasn't been edited, enhanced, adjusted, and I didn't even use a polarizer filter.  All I did was add the black border. When nature is this perfect, sometimes adjustments aren't needed.

Saturday, July 16th, 2011

What a hot, sunny day in Calgary!  It was a nice change to see the sun.  Mom, Lurline, Talia, Tristan & I headed downtown to check out what free Stampede events we could find.  We went down to Fluor Square at Olympic Plaza, but nothing was happening.  So, we walked along Stephen Avenue in the sunshine, and looked at the stalls and did some people watching.  It was lunch time by this point, so we sat on the Earl's patio and had a refreshing beverage and a tasty lunch.  Afterwards, Lurline took us to her new office because mom hadn't seen it yet.  Then, we went to a big discount store in the South and everybody bought something small.  That night, Lurline, Dave, mom and I went to Ceili's pub in the South and listened to the live music out on the patio.  It was nice to enjoy the warm weather well into the evening.  I love Stampede!


Friday, July 15th, 2011

It was a very full day today.  Mom and I packed up our suitcases in the morning, as we prepared to do the drive to Calgary.  Before we could leave, however, we went to the Rotary luncheon at the Best Western, as they were thanking the participants of the Garden Tour.  My mom and dad won second best garden overall, and they only lost by 4 votes... and the unfortunate part was that none of us voted on the day of the tour.  If we had, they would've been first, as we had a house full of relatives at the time.
Anyway, after the lunch - around 2pm -  mom and I headed out on the highway.  It was a good driving day... only had rain around Field and it only lasted for about 15 minutes or so.  We saw a moose and some deer, and the most magnificent full moon!  We arrived in Calgary around 11:30pm, so we made very good time.  The picture I took was when we were stopped near Salmon Arm for some road construction.  It seems they have wheat growing everywhere along the sides of the highway.  I found it strange, so took a photo.

Thursday, July 14th, 2011

Well, I instructed a beginner's Photoshop class at my house today.  I was well-prepared, but the students were very, very beginner level, so it took a lot longer than I had anticipated.  I didn't get to cover all the material that I wanted to.  It was good practice, though, and it seemed like everybody learned enough to do some basics.  After everybody left - about 5 hours later - mom and I went downtown to pick up a few things for our long drive to Calgary tomorrow, and stopped to take a picture of the old Paramount Theatre sign.  It closed down this year after 61 years, but the sign's still there.  Did some photo manipulation to make it look more authentic and antique-looking.  Off to Calgary tomorrow!

Wednesday, July 13th, 2011

Spent some of the day preparing for tomorrow's Photoshop class that I'm instructing.  It's a test class for my mom, my aunt and two of their friends.  I need to review my lesson plan for timing, especially.  Other than that, I just did laundry, watched a movie and just had a good day.  When it came time to take a picture, I knew what I was going to take ... right outside our front door, there's a calla lily that has some weird discoloration.  The leaf is taking on the pigmentation of the flower, and since it seems to be some genetic defect, I had to take the shot.

Tuesday, July 12th, 2011

Took my mom downtown to the dentist today, then I went to grab a Peppermint Latte from Starbuck's, browsed at some magazines in Save-On-Foods, then took some books out of the library.  I love free reading!  I also got a call today for a job interview, but it's in Calgary, so I'm leaving on Friday afternoon.  Mom is coming with me, since I plan to drive.  At least Stampede is on right now, so I won't have to miss it this year.... I haven't missed it for about 7 years.  Lots of Calgarians hate the Stampede and look for ways to get out of the city, but I've always loved it.

Anyway, later in the evening, mom and I took a quick drive to the river to see how high the water is.  The Fraser is apparently at flood levels in some areas and will peak tomorrow.  The Vedder was high, but it didn't look like there was any real threat of flooding.  As we walked along the river path, the mosquitoes started to swarm us yet again.  I did manage to get this shot before I got eaten alive.

Monday, July 11th, 2011

Had a great day by myself.  Watched a ton of design tutorials, and then did some designing.  Took a few breaks here and there to feed the fish, take a walk in the garden, do a little housework, etc.  Dad got home late, so I fried up a couple of steaks, and we ate dinner.  Mom got home from the States late - around 9pm.  Apparently Sue had a lot of stops to make, so they were gone most of the day.  I didn't go anywhere to take a photo today, but I've always loved this gum ball machine in the house, so thought I'd capture it.

Sunday, July 10th, 2011

I decided to go with my parents out to the Harrison Festival of the Arts.  I used to work there for a few weeks every summer over 15 years ago, I think.  Anyway, it was hot and the beach was picture perfect.  We wandered around and looked at the artist stalls - and we discovered some amazing artists that live in the area.  I was inspired!  Then, we took our picnic lunch and headed to Green Point beach, which is away from the big crowds of the main beach.  We ate our lunch there, then stopped by the marina to take a few pictures.  I really liked the colour and texture of this rope and rusted chain that was sitting on the pier.  The water was a rich turquoise colour, as well, which made for a great combination.

Saturday, July 9th, 2011

Mom and Dad went out shopping today, but I wanted to stay home and work on some projects.  It was great to have the place to myself and get some writing done outside on the back patio.  There's nothing like sitting out in a beautiful garden, listening to the birds and water from the pond.  It's so relaxing.  I did some writing and watched some design tutorials, then went out front to hand wash my car.  The sun was so hot that it was drying the water and soap before I could rinse it off.  Anyway, my car finally looks cleaner than what it was.  Later in the evening, we got comfortable and watched a movie - I'm trying to get my parents caught up on the X-Men series and next is the Matrix series.

Here's my self-portrait:

Friday, July 8th, 2011

Mom and I went out to get some groceries today.  We wanted to head downtown to the Party in the Park.  We heard they were going to have the band Chilliwack playing, so we wanted to get there early to get a good seat.  When we got there just after 5pm, the mosquitoes almost sent us back home, but once we got seated on a hill near the stage, they seemed to disappear in numbers.  So, we watched some great entertainment, and saw some people we knew.  Apparently there were 12,000 people there, and about 70 vendors selling stuff.  The weather was quite nice, so we stayed for about 3 hours, then decided to head home - right before Chilliwack came on to play.  Anyway, there was some great people watching ... I took pictures of a lot of kids dancing, but this little girl in the silver sparkly dress with the yellow Crocs was endlessly entertaining.  I think mom got a picture of her, as well.  I didn't want to show her face to protect her identity, but here she is in all her dancing glory!

Thursday, July 7th, 2011

What a change from yesterday's weather.  Today was windy and overcast with some rain thrown in, as well.  It was a low energy day for me.  Spent most of the day in Photoshop doing some designing, and learning tutorials at Lynda.com.  I think I overworked my brain a little because I ended up having a 2 hour nap.  When I got up, we were losing daylight, so mom and I decided to go for a short drive to the Vedder River Bridge to take a picture.  The sky was just starting to clear up a little.  I hope things are a little more exciting tomorrow!

Wednesday, July 6th, 2011

Another scorcher today ... and you'll hear no complaints from me.  Got some resumes out today - unfortunately, very few were in the Lower Mainland, so we'll see what happens.  Mom and I took an impromptu trip to Value Village, and while there, I realized that I had a 30% off coupon for our entire purchase, so we piled a few more things in the cart.  I love saving money!
Dad had a bad scooter day today.  His bike tipped over this morning, and he broke his fender, scratched the body and one of the side mirrors broke off.  Then, after work, he had a flat tire - a nail punctured it, I guess.  So I took his van to go pick him and his scooter up from work.  He's gone golfing now, so hopefully that will make him feel a little better about his scooter!
I spent quite a while out in the garden, and I've been hearing some cooing somewhere close by.  Mom and Dad both said they've been hearing it, too.  Anyway, while I had my camera, I saw two white doves fly over my head and land on the neighbor's rooftop.  Mystery solved - it was the doves making the cooing sound.  I managed to get a couple shots of them flying away.  I did some photo manipulation to make them more interesting:

Tuesday, July 5th, 2011

Well, most of the post-party clean-up has been done now, so I took my computer out on the patio and created a Beginner Photoshop lesson plan.  I hope to teach some continuing education courses at the college, if I can.  I'm going to test it out on my mom, my aunt and our friend, Sue... if they can learn it, anybody can!
I was enjoying the weather so much, that later in the evening, I took a stroll to Sardis Park.  There's always something going on there.  There was a brazen turtle sitting on the grass out of the water, but by the time I got close enough to take the photo, he darted back into the water.  Who said turtles are slow?  Anyway, I love the way the massive willow trees hang over the water.  Their roots are so twisted that I thought it made for a nice shot:

Monday, July 4th, 2011

Happy Independence Day, America!
Said good-bye to the last of the party-goers this morning, as Lisa and Scott headed back to Vancouver.  Mom and I cleaned the two suites in case she gets a call for the B&B.  When dad got home, we all went outside and started taking down tables and moving stuff back where it belongs.  The weather was so warm and beautiful that it was nice to be outside.  In the evening, we all went in the hot tub until the mosquitoes started dive bombing us ... dad didn't seem too bothered, but mom and I weren't about to take them on.  The garden blooms in stages, so I took a walk around to see what was in bloom, and shot some nice photos in the rose garden.  I did some photo manipulation on this bloom:

Sunday, July 3rd, 2011

Spent most of the day in recovery mode.  I suffered some sun stroke at the party, and it hit me hard overnight, so ended up only getting an hour sleep.  So, I crashed on the sofa for a few hours and listened to the laughs and conversation going on in the kitchen - fading in and out of sleep.  It was great to hear the post-party chatter with the guests who had stayed the night.  The stories that they told were endlessly entertaining, and it was a sure sign that they all had a fantastic night.

Later in the evening, Lisa, Scott and I got some snacks and blankets and got comfortable in front of the TV to watch a couple of movies.  It was so perfect to just chill out and have a low key night with friends.  I crashed pretty early, but here's Lisa and Scott getting cozy on the sofa:

Saturday, July 2nd, 2011

Party!!!  What a party it was!  We had 44 amazing party-goers attend, and the weather was picture perfect.  The food was superb, and everybody seemed to have an awesome time.  I'm so thankful to have such great friends and relatives, but without my parents - the gracious hosts - these parties wouldn't happen... so thanks to them both for their generosity!!

There were so many pictures to choose from that I couldn't just pick one - therefore, I made a collage, and still missed some great shots.  Regardless, this shows some of the Karaoke and daytime fun.  Unfortunately, I didn't get any shots later into the night because there was just so much going on that I couldn't be bothered to be a photographer.

Friday, July 1st, 2011

Happy Canada Day!  It was quite a nice day today.  Dad and I went out shopping to buy even more stuff for the party and garden.  Then, all of us did more cleaning and prep for the party.  Lurline and family went out to Harrison Hot Springs for the day - and she finally tried dad's scooter before she left.  In the evening, Lurline, Talia, Monica and I went to Walmart to see if we could find some more Karaoke discs - Lurline bought three more to add to our collection.  When we got home, we all went in the hot tub, while dad was still pulling out tables, umbrellas, chairs and decorations.  Then, dad helped me to bath both our cats.  We wanted them clean for the party!  Peeka didn't seem to mind so much, but my cat, Tequila, made a sound like she was being slowly tortured. This is the photo of her post-bath: