I can't find my debit card. I also can't find my HI card. This is problematic for two reasons: I am staying at an HI tonight, and I need my HI card, and the cab companies don't take visa. Supposedly, the shuttle does. We'll have to wait and see. I can't figure out where the cards would have gone... I definitely had the debit card while in Toronto. I used it to withdraw money before I got on the train to Edmonton.
...They say someday we will all just have chips implanted in us, and that we'll just be scanned for things like visa, debit, etc. I cannot wait until that day comes.
Time to go through my luggage. Maybe fourth time will be the charm and they'll turn up.
Sunday, May 17, 2009
Saturday, May 16, 2009
...an update on Edmonton
Candice came rushing out of her bedroom and said to me, "I just realized that we need to go to the West Edmonton Mall. You can't go to Edmonton and not go to the West Edmonton Mall!"
I assured her that I was okay with it, really, but in the end it was determined that we needed to go to the mall. We head there within the hour.
...And Candice's car didn't get towed, but we did get a ticket. Stupid parking cops.
I assured her that I was okay with it, really, but in the end it was determined that we needed to go to the mall. We head there within the hour.
...And Candice's car didn't get towed, but we did get a ticket. Stupid parking cops.
Well, now. I am currently sitting on a couch in Edmonton,
and it seems quite possible that I may manage to spend two days here and not set foot in that most famous of monoliths: the West Edmonton Mall. I'm actually pretty okay with that. I've never been much of a mall person, even a normal sized mall person.
...More later. We need to go see if Candice's car is still downtown, or if it's been towed.
...More later. We need to go see if Candice's car is still downtown, or if it's been towed.
Thursday, May 14, 2009
Winnipeg is cold:
See your breath cold. I'm not dressed for this -- the rest of my clothes are somewhere in the bowels of the train. Just updating my blog, and then I need to determine what there is to do in Winnipeg for three hours...
Saturday, May 9, 2009
Ottawa
I am on the train to Belleville as I write this. Supposedly the train has wifi services, but that is horse pucky, so I’ll be posting this when I next get access to a good internet connection.
For all that, I do like the train. It’s very peaceful. When you’re on the train, worrying is useless: the train will get where it’s going in its own sweet time and there’s not much you can do about it. Also, every seat has a power outlet, so you don’t have to worry about your laptop losing power. Really, it’s a pretty good place to get some work done, so long as you‘ve done your research ahead of time and aren‘t counting on the internet.
There’s a baby somewhere in this car who has been exercising his lungs for the past half hour. He’s showing a great amount of strength and endurance. If anything, I think he’s gotten louder as time has passed.
And with that, I’ll segue into Ottawa, where last night I witnessed not one, but two crying children. Kiara, my niece, has a dandelion, you see, and Kaeden, my sister’s boyfriend’s son, was of the opinion that he had picked that dandelion. So he burst into tears because she had it, and then, when it had been established that Kaeden had indeed probably picked said dandelion, and Kiara was made to had it over, Kiara burst into tears. Kiara then continued to cry for the whole drive back to her house over the injustice of it all and the fact that she could not remember where she had put the dandelion she had plucked (we found several, but she said none of them were hers). I think I may be a cold and unfeeling aunt, because the whole thing made me laugh.
Also, the dandelion that started the dispute was an extremely ugly one.
What else can I say about Ottawa?
I learned an interesting fact while at the Museum of Civilization: the Tsimshian tribe, native to Canada’s west coast, believed that when a chief died, it’s spirit came back to them as a dog. Everyone in the village recognized this dog, when it chose to appear, as their deceased chief, and while they apparently didn’t treat it much differently than they did any other dog, when it died it was buried with the ceremony befitting a great chief. I thought that was nice. I’ve often thought that there could be no better way to come back then as a dog.
…I heard a Tsimshian chief, Calvin Helin, speak when I was living in Smithers. He was very smart, and very articulate. I suspect he will come back as a sleek hound, or possibly a terrier. I keep meaning to pick up his book, Dances with Dependency. I’ll have to look for it while I’m still in Ontario. It would probably make good reading during my 3 day trip across the prairies.
But back to Ottawa.
Ottawa is one of my favourite cities.
I was born there, which is, of course, a notch in its favour. It is also the city I went to with Ed, Laura and Dave during Spring Break when I was at Queen's. Ed's mother made us a huge pot of spaghetti, which lasted the entire visit. We skated on the Ottawa Canal (or rather, Lauara and Ed did -- Dave and I spent most the the time on our asses) and at Beaver Tails.
This time, I was in Ottawa just in time for the annual Tulip Festival. The city was alive with the colours of thousands of tulips. I didn't get the chance to catch any of the festival events, but the flowers were lovely.
And then, too, Ottawa is where my neice, Kiara, now lives. When she’s not crying over dead dandelions she is quite charming.
For all that, I do like the train. It’s very peaceful. When you’re on the train, worrying is useless: the train will get where it’s going in its own sweet time and there’s not much you can do about it. Also, every seat has a power outlet, so you don’t have to worry about your laptop losing power. Really, it’s a pretty good place to get some work done, so long as you‘ve done your research ahead of time and aren‘t counting on the internet.
There’s a baby somewhere in this car who has been exercising his lungs for the past half hour. He’s showing a great amount of strength and endurance. If anything, I think he’s gotten louder as time has passed.
And with that, I’ll segue into Ottawa, where last night I witnessed not one, but two crying children. Kiara, my niece, has a dandelion, you see, and Kaeden, my sister’s boyfriend’s son, was of the opinion that he had picked that dandelion. So he burst into tears because she had it, and then, when it had been established that Kaeden had indeed probably picked said dandelion, and Kiara was made to had it over, Kiara burst into tears. Kiara then continued to cry for the whole drive back to her house over the injustice of it all and the fact that she could not remember where she had put the dandelion she had plucked (we found several, but she said none of them were hers). I think I may be a cold and unfeeling aunt, because the whole thing made me laugh.
Also, the dandelion that started the dispute was an extremely ugly one.
What else can I say about Ottawa?
I learned an interesting fact while at the Museum of Civilization: the Tsimshian tribe, native to Canada’s west coast, believed that when a chief died, it’s spirit came back to them as a dog. Everyone in the village recognized this dog, when it chose to appear, as their deceased chief, and while they apparently didn’t treat it much differently than they did any other dog, when it died it was buried with the ceremony befitting a great chief. I thought that was nice. I’ve often thought that there could be no better way to come back then as a dog.
…I heard a Tsimshian chief, Calvin Helin, speak when I was living in Smithers. He was very smart, and very articulate. I suspect he will come back as a sleek hound, or possibly a terrier. I keep meaning to pick up his book, Dances with Dependency. I’ll have to look for it while I’m still in Ontario. It would probably make good reading during my 3 day trip across the prairies.
But back to Ottawa.
Ottawa is one of my favourite cities.
I was born there, which is, of course, a notch in its favour. It is also the city I went to with Ed, Laura and Dave during Spring Break when I was at Queen's. Ed's mother made us a huge pot of spaghetti, which lasted the entire visit. We skated on the Ottawa Canal (or rather, Lauara and Ed did -- Dave and I spent most the the time on our asses) and at Beaver Tails.
This time, I was in Ottawa just in time for the annual Tulip Festival. The city was alive with the colours of thousands of tulips. I didn't get the chance to catch any of the festival events, but the flowers were lovely.
And then, too, Ottawa is where my neice, Kiara, now lives. When she’s not crying over dead dandelions she is quite charming.
...and the thunder rolls
When I woke up this morning, it looked pretty nice in Toronto. I figured that forcast of rain must be wrong. And then the storm clouds rolled in. It was quite impressive, actually. Within the course of a few seconds, the sky grew dark and the rains descended.
Wednesday, May 6, 2009
Of things lost and found.
So, in my last post I was whining about having lost my key card for Rogers. I found it two days later. It was on... dun dun dun... the key hook.
I am now in Ottawa, and have a lot of blogs that I should have written, but haven't thus far. Instead of writing them right now, I'm going to entertain you with a list of things lost or misplaced since the last post.
April 30: I just barely made my train, and sat down only to realize that my brand new cell phone was locked in Janine's car. So much for having a cell phone in case of emergency. I had Mom express the cell phone and a hat I had knit Kiara, but forgotten to pack, to Ottawa.
May 4: I was very careful to pack all my stuff back up before leaving Jen's apartment in Montreal. Made sure her doors and windows were all locked and headed off to the train station. Halfway down the street, I realized I had forgotten one thing in Jen's apartment: my train tickets. This is where having that cell phone I had forgotten in Moncton would have come in handy. After determining there was no non-destructive way to get back into Jen's apartment I went to the train station, so that I could access the internet, so that I could get Jen's number, so I could call her on a pay phone. I missed my train and caught the last one of the day to Ottawa.
May 6: Bought tickets to the Imax at the Museum of Civilization. Somehow the ticket was the one thing I couldn't find among my vast array of museum crap. Backtracked and found it lying on the floor.
Tomorrow, I will attempt to blog a bit of Halifax, Moncton, Montreal and Ottawa. Oy.
...My feet hurt, and I'm thirsty.
I am now in Ottawa, and have a lot of blogs that I should have written, but haven't thus far. Instead of writing them right now, I'm going to entertain you with a list of things lost or misplaced since the last post.
April 30: I just barely made my train, and sat down only to realize that my brand new cell phone was locked in Janine's car. So much for having a cell phone in case of emergency. I had Mom express the cell phone and a hat I had knit Kiara, but forgotten to pack, to Ottawa.
May 4: I was very careful to pack all my stuff back up before leaving Jen's apartment in Montreal. Made sure her doors and windows were all locked and headed off to the train station. Halfway down the street, I realized I had forgotten one thing in Jen's apartment: my train tickets. This is where having that cell phone I had forgotten in Moncton would have come in handy. After determining there was no non-destructive way to get back into Jen's apartment I went to the train station, so that I could access the internet, so that I could get Jen's number, so I could call her on a pay phone. I missed my train and caught the last one of the day to Ottawa.
May 6: Bought tickets to the Imax at the Museum of Civilization. Somehow the ticket was the one thing I couldn't find among my vast array of museum crap. Backtracked and found it lying on the floor.
Tomorrow, I will attempt to blog a bit of Halifax, Moncton, Montreal and Ottawa. Oy.
...My feet hurt, and I'm thirsty.
Friday, April 24, 2009
It's my last day at work
...and I should have left for it about half an hour ago, but I can't find my key card.
Just bloody great. "Sorry, guys. I know I'm supposed to turn over all the company effects today, but I can't find them."
I've taken the house apart, and I can't find them. I know I must have used the house key (which is attached to them) to get into the house last night. What the bleep?
Well, I don't have any more time. I'm already late. I'll have to find them this weekend.
Seriously. What the bleep.
Just bloody great. "Sorry, guys. I know I'm supposed to turn over all the company effects today, but I can't find them."
I've taken the house apart, and I can't find them. I know I must have used the house key (which is attached to them) to get into the house last night. What the bleep?
Well, I don't have any more time. I'm already late. I'll have to find them this weekend.
Seriously. What the bleep.
Tuesday, April 14, 2009
I found it!
I was on hold with some annoyingly soft-spoken fellow from the Rogers employee discount hotline and I decided to catch up on some reading.
Turns out I've been using my trip itinerary as a bookmark for Bill Bryson's 'Neither Here Nor There: Travels in Europe.'
So without further ado, I give you my (still potentially in flux) travel plans:
April 30, 5:20 p.m. - leave Moncton
May 1, 8:15 a.m. - arrive in Montreal
May 4, sometime - train to Ottawa
May 12, 10:00 p.m. - leave Toronto
May 15, 6:37 a.m. - arrive in Edmonton
May 17, 7:37 a.m. - leave Edmonton; 1:00 p.m. - arrive in Jasper
May 20, 12:45 (I have never been able to figure out if lunchtime is a.m. or p.m.) - leave Jasper
May 21, 2:10 p.m. - arrive in Smithers
May 23, 2:20 p.m. - leave Smithers; 8:25 p.m. - arrive in Prince Rupert
May 25, 7:30 a.m. - leave P.R. via ferry; 10:30 p.m. - arrive in Port Hardy
May 26, sometime - find my way out of Port Hardy, get to Vancouver by May 27
May 29 or 30, sometime - take greyhound to Banff
I have discovered that planning a trip by train is not without its inconveniences. On the one hand, yes, there is no car to break down and cost you money, but on the other hand, half the trains only run three times a week and arrive in places at really stupid times.
Case in point: I had planned on spending the day in Quebec City before going to Montreal, but the train arrives in Quebec City at 5:15 a.m. How stupid is that? Very stupid. What is one supposed to do upon arriving in Quebec City at 5:15 a.m.?
Also, I had planned to make some stops in Manitoba and Saskatchewen, but the fact that if I stopped in Winnepeg or Saskatoon (the train doesn't go to Regina - just Saskatoon) I would be stuck there for three days gave me pause.
Anyhow, enough whining. Time to go buy my tickets and head into work.
Hope to see lots and lots of you!
...16 days to go!
Turns out I've been using my trip itinerary as a bookmark for Bill Bryson's 'Neither Here Nor There: Travels in Europe.'
So without further ado, I give you my (still potentially in flux) travel plans:
April 30, 5:20 p.m. - leave Moncton
May 1, 8:15 a.m. - arrive in Montreal
May 4, sometime - train to Ottawa
May 12, 10:00 p.m. - leave Toronto
May 15, 6:37 a.m. - arrive in Edmonton
May 17, 7:37 a.m. - leave Edmonton; 1:00 p.m. - arrive in Jasper
May 20, 12:45 (I have never been able to figure out if lunchtime is a.m. or p.m.) - leave Jasper
May 21, 2:10 p.m. - arrive in Smithers
May 23, 2:20 p.m. - leave Smithers; 8:25 p.m. - arrive in Prince Rupert
May 25, 7:30 a.m. - leave P.R. via ferry; 10:30 p.m. - arrive in Port Hardy
May 26, sometime - find my way out of Port Hardy, get to Vancouver by May 27
May 29 or 30, sometime - take greyhound to Banff
I have discovered that planning a trip by train is not without its inconveniences. On the one hand, yes, there is no car to break down and cost you money, but on the other hand, half the trains only run three times a week and arrive in places at really stupid times.
Case in point: I had planned on spending the day in Quebec City before going to Montreal, but the train arrives in Quebec City at 5:15 a.m. How stupid is that? Very stupid. What is one supposed to do upon arriving in Quebec City at 5:15 a.m.?
Also, I had planned to make some stops in Manitoba and Saskatchewen, but the fact that if I stopped in Winnepeg or Saskatoon (the train doesn't go to Regina - just Saskatoon) I would be stuck there for three days gave me pause.
Anyhow, enough whining. Time to go buy my tickets and head into work.
Hope to see lots and lots of you!
...16 days to go!
Oh where, oh where has my itinerary gone...?
Oh where, oh where could it be?
I was planning on posting a (semi) detailed trip itinerary, today, as well as emailing it to all the friends and family I had promised to email it to days ago, but I seem to have misplaced it.
I know some of you think I am this disorganized on purpose, but I would really rather be organized on purpose. In fact, the whole point of the lists I write is that they are supposed to organize me. I seem to spend half my time looking for the lists, though, which kind of defeats the purpose, I suspect...
Sometimes I watch those alzheimers commercials and worry about my hypothetical children. I don't think they'll be able to recognize the signs of alzheimers in me early on while their treatable. I think they'll just assume I've misplaced something again.
On that note, I'm going to go look for my itinerary in my bed and in the cupboard. I'll be back once I've found it.
I was planning on posting a (semi) detailed trip itinerary, today, as well as emailing it to all the friends and family I had promised to email it to days ago, but I seem to have misplaced it.
I know some of you think I am this disorganized on purpose, but I would really rather be organized on purpose. In fact, the whole point of the lists I write is that they are supposed to organize me. I seem to spend half my time looking for the lists, though, which kind of defeats the purpose, I suspect...
Sometimes I watch those alzheimers commercials and worry about my hypothetical children. I don't think they'll be able to recognize the signs of alzheimers in me early on while their treatable. I think they'll just assume I've misplaced something again.
On that note, I'm going to go look for my itinerary in my bed and in the cupboard. I'll be back once I've found it.
Monday, April 13, 2009
mission accomplished: notice given
I gave my notice at Rogers today.
It was amazingly easy. There was no tears, and no yelling. I had slept just fine the night before giving my notice, and didn't feel like puking.
I've been informed that should I decide at some future time I would like to return to the company, the company would be happy to have me.
...17 days 'til I'm on the train.
It was amazingly easy. There was no tears, and no yelling. I had slept just fine the night before giving my notice, and didn't feel like puking.
I've been informed that should I decide at some future time I would like to return to the company, the company would be happy to have me.
...17 days 'til I'm on the train.
Sunday, April 12, 2009
A new blog, a new beginning...
This morning when I logged into facebook I was greeted by this post from my friend Neen: 'Oh Snow, you need to stop coming around here anymore. I'm dating Spring now.'
It made me laugh, and think about how much I will miss Janine. I will also miss Bonnie, who I have only just reconnected with, Shannon, who I don't see nearly enough, Ryan, and our drinks at Docs, Amy, Andre, and their lovely new baby, my mother, all my new friends from work, and all the other people who are reading this blog and wondering why I haven't mentioned them. And while it is unlikely that I will actually miss working at Rogers, I will almost certainly miss bitching about working at Rogers.
Which begs the question, why am I moving again?
I don't really have a good reason.
Well... I have one good reason: it is April 12, 2009, today, and it is snowing. Not just a little, either. Big fluffy flakes are swirling around outside my window. Yesterday, the last of the snow had finally melted from the yard, and I was busily coming to terms with just how ugly Riverview in the spring can be. Today, there has to be a good foot of snow in the yard with plenty more where that came from.
I suppose what it comes down to is, it's time.
I filled out a passport renewal application a few weeks back. It was way more difficult than it should have been, due to section 7. This was the section where they asked me to list my addresses within the last two years, if different from my current address, and my occupations in the last two years.
I couldn't remember all my addresses.
In Banff, I lived in... hmmm... I think four different locations, but I'm not entirely sure (and what the street addresses are, let alone the streets, I couldn't tell you. In Smithers, I lived in two different locations.
In the past two years, I've worked as a waitress, sold fur coats, been a horseback trail guide and an office girl (or office troll, as I believe the official term was), worked as a reporter, waitressed some more, and worked in a call centre. Oh. And freelanced quite a bit. Mustn't forget that.
And now, after a ridiculously long stretch at Rogers (8 months! ...It feels like I just left Smithers yesterday) I am heading out to Banff again.
This new (and improved) blog will chronicle my experiences as I head back out into the big, bad world again.
But more on that later... I think this is quite enough for a first post.
It made me laugh, and think about how much I will miss Janine. I will also miss Bonnie, who I have only just reconnected with, Shannon, who I don't see nearly enough, Ryan, and our drinks at Docs, Amy, Andre, and their lovely new baby, my mother, all my new friends from work, and all the other people who are reading this blog and wondering why I haven't mentioned them. And while it is unlikely that I will actually miss working at Rogers, I will almost certainly miss bitching about working at Rogers.
Which begs the question, why am I moving again?
I don't really have a good reason.
Well... I have one good reason: it is April 12, 2009, today, and it is snowing. Not just a little, either. Big fluffy flakes are swirling around outside my window. Yesterday, the last of the snow had finally melted from the yard, and I was busily coming to terms with just how ugly Riverview in the spring can be. Today, there has to be a good foot of snow in the yard with plenty more where that came from.
I suppose what it comes down to is, it's time.
I filled out a passport renewal application a few weeks back. It was way more difficult than it should have been, due to section 7. This was the section where they asked me to list my addresses within the last two years, if different from my current address, and my occupations in the last two years.
I couldn't remember all my addresses.
In Banff, I lived in... hmmm... I think four different locations, but I'm not entirely sure (and what the street addresses are, let alone the streets, I couldn't tell you. In Smithers, I lived in two different locations.
In the past two years, I've worked as a waitress, sold fur coats, been a horseback trail guide and an office girl (or office troll, as I believe the official term was), worked as a reporter, waitressed some more, and worked in a call centre. Oh. And freelanced quite a bit. Mustn't forget that.
And now, after a ridiculously long stretch at Rogers (8 months! ...It feels like I just left Smithers yesterday) I am heading out to Banff again.
This new (and improved) blog will chronicle my experiences as I head back out into the big, bad world again.
But more on that later... I think this is quite enough for a first post.
Wednesday, April 8, 2009
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