Winter is upon us!

I hate the fact that Edmonton is experiencing temperatures down to -35 degrees Celsius, while my family in Ontario, are strolling the streets in t-shirts. Ontario is suffering through a warm spell while Edmonton is thrown into winter. The Ice Queen must be punishing us Edmontonians for our mild winters these past few years. It looks like we are in for a long drawn out, chilly winter. The worst part is that I head home to Ontario next week, and with my luck, once my plane touches down we will get a snow storm.
Boy I wish that I loved winter, the look is pretty but the feel is too cold for comfort!

After isolating myself in my apartment for the better part of the weekend, I braved the cold (-23 degrees Celsius without wind chill) and walked to the gym today at 6:30 am. I have been absent from my morning gym rituals due to a bum knee and decided to go back before I went insane due to lack of exercise. I found myself running at a medium speed on the treadmill for thirty minutes and then without realizing it, I got off, put my magazine away and left. What was I doing, I have no idea. I usually do free weights after running and then finish with ~250 sit-ups; but not today. I think my mind and body wanted to get to my office as fast as they could; so that they didn’t have to keep putting off the inedible cold where the wind was blowing and my hair turned to hair-icicles. Thus I dressed fast and headed out into the snowy abyss. The next thing I knew I was in front of my trusty laptop with a smoldering cup of hot chocolate. Now that’s living. In 7 hours I will have to venture back out into the icy winter wonderland, but until then, I will keep warm, plugging away at my research.

FIESTA Meeting

This past Thursday the FIESTA gang (includes, Leslie, Justin, Bill, Cindy, and myself) had a meeting down in Rocky Mountain House (RMH) on this year’s field season. For the past couple weeks we have been preparing the presentation, making it perfect. Bill and Cindy picked us up at my place at 7:00 am Thursday so that we could make our 10:00 am meeting. It was an early cold morning, and because their vehicle had seen better days, it didn’t maintain heat. Well this is what I believed. During the trip down, I sat in the middle, sandwiched between Leslie and Justin, and you would think that they alone would keep me warm, but they were selfish, keeping all the heat to themselves and my feet froze. The worst part was that my right butt cheek fell a sleep due to the uncomfortable middle seat. So on the way back I sat by the door thinking it would be more comfortable. In the end it was, but I still froze. However the cold may have been somehow heightened due to me being cold blooded. At least we had donuts to provide some energy.

The weather driving down wasn’t bad, but occasionally there would be whiteouts, caused by the strong winds or large trucks. Once we got to RMH, we met up with Corey, Steve, Rocky, Mike and some other new faces. When the meeting started, I got really nervous and my hands started shaking. The weird thing is that I love giving talks (it’s the excitement I love) but lately I have been really nervous and shaky. The shakes disappeared once I got up there and started talking. I believe my part of the presentation went well (I only think this because once I sat down I felt good). The only thing I can remember screwing up was how I explained a couple slides wrong, but I don’t think the ACA/SRD crowd knew. Leslie and Justin did a great job too. Both are naturals. During the question period Justin got nailed with a surplus of questions, mostly on his work (isotopes). However, Steve brought up the fact that Justin was keeping the fish that he caught, and that this act wasn’t on the fish permit. However, because Justin had a fishing license, he thought that he could keep them. Steve was a little upset with this because we didn’t tell him we were keeping the fish, and if someone saw that we were keeping them and told Steve, Steve wouldn’t have known, making him look bad. If he was told he would have modified our fish license. In the end, everything went well, and Corey, through ACA, treated us out to lunch.

Sex and the City

For the past couple months, during any free time I conger up, I have found myself sitting in front of the television, in the same spot on my couch. Well it’s not really a couch but a below average sized love seat. I have sat in a bean bag chair that is more comfortable. The spot on my so called couch actually has a permanent indent where my butt has been parked. You may ask yourself, “How can a social butterfly, like me, watch so much TV?” Well, I am not watching TV, I am watching “Sex and the City.” This show has changed my life, okay, not really but it is definitely entertaining, and a great guide to “dos and don’ts” for relationships. To all the guys out there, believe me when I say this, “Your jaw will drop at how erotic this show is.” Let me clarify this, I do not watch if for the soft porn, but for the character plots, clothes, hairstyles, and accessories.

The show is based around four best friends and their (sex) lives. Episodes are situated around a relationship/sex philosophy question that Sarah Jessica Parker (SJP) presents to New Yorkers by way of her sex column. These are usually addressed through frequent relationship/sex conversations with her friends. Typically in each episode, the four main girls meet at one of NYC new and thriving restaurants or a favorite café for drinks or a bite to eat. During this time they talk about men, relationships, sex, and more sex related topics. I always laugh at how blunt they are and wonder, do woman actually have locker room gossip when they are out to lunch? They’re things that friends just don’t openly say in public, or even at all. My friends and I never talk about things intimate. Don’t people believe in the old saying “don’t kiss and tell” or are we living in a world of innocence where we are all just to insecure and shy to talk about these sort of things.

The show is addicting but I find it hard to imagine any woman squandering their money away by purchasing expensive (> $400.00) shoes, and outfits that are more than what a one bedroom apartment in NYC will cost. Still I like how some of the characters can dress over the top (SJP) by wearing blinding colours, weird patterns, outrageous accessories (like gigantic fake flowers pinned to you right breast—Oh my gosh!), and splendid hair styles. But other characters keep it professional, wearing sleek dresses and business suites. You just don’t see this kind of fashion on any other television show. The individual styles of each character truly fits their personality, and always makes you wonder what they will wear next.

After watching episode after episode, you start to ask yourself questions concerning your own past, present, or future relationships, while manifesting the perfect guy (yum yum). Because of the relationship themes, once you have finished watching the show you find yourself attempting to answer the questions that were presented. Do I dress to impress or am I more conservative? Does everyone have a soul mate? Have I let my soul mate get away or can you have more than one? Does romance still exist? Wow, these questions are exhausting, and if you think about it, if answered, what kind of affect will they have on your life? None! But you did lose valuable time and sleep pondering them.

I have just finished watching the entire 6 seasons, and have to say "I will miss it!"

I am not a writer!

I have never liked writing, probably because I just plain suck at it. Maybe if I could sit down and write what was on my mind in a clear and concise fashion, I may feel different about this art.

After reading some blog entries posted on my friend Ellie’s and her brother’s website, I can with no hesitation conclude that I do not have a talent for writing. I found that these separate websites contain writings about life incidents or views that are so well structured, they are breath taking for their thoughts are carried over to the computer screen effortlessly. Both of these people will definitely go somewhere if they decide to pursue journalism or publish a novel. Whereas my entries are choppy, inconsistent and grammatically incorrect; well most of the time. So if you notice that I have spelt something wrong, used the wrong punctuation or just don’t make sense, please laugh with me and turn a blind eye at one of my largest weaknesses, WRITING!

An angel on earth

One of the strongest women that I have every known has left this world. This woman is my Aunt Doris, one of my dad’s four sisters. After years battling and beating myriad sicknesses, and living 31 years with a transplanted kidney (she was the oldest living person with a kidney transplant in Canada), stomach cancer took her from us. She will be greatly missed and loved.

I flew home last Wednesday (01 Nov 2006) to visit her, knowing that her time was limited. While I was at the hospital visiting my aunt, I over heard a visitor call her a “Living Angel”. I couldn’t have described her better if I tried. This woman had a warm heart and a welcoming home, and you could do no wrong in her eyes. She always saw the good in us/people. If you stopped by for the afternoon/night, she would overwhelm you with various refreshments and platters of assorted foods. She always made sure that you were well feed by the time you left.

My aunt lived life to its fullest, taking on its simplicities and complexities, like a bull charging a red blanket. A couple of my aunts favorite past-times included casino hopping and hitting every Saturday garage sale. For the past couple years, my parents regularly accompanied my aunt and uncle to various casinos throughout southern Ontario. Both couples enjoyed these nights, spending money, wining money, laughing and socializing together. Luck was always on their side for I would always hear stories of how much money they won. In addition to frequent visits to Ontario’s casinos, my aunt loved garage sales. She could find something for anyone amongst all the rubble and boy could she bargain.

During the time I was with her these last 5 days, I realized that one of my sayings “Hey Girl” is a modification of her “Hey Babe”. I remember how I loved how she would say it every time we would see each other.

Some of my fondest memories take place at my aunt and uncles farm. Over the years their barn housed pigs, chickens, and cows. Currently they just have cows and one large intimidating yet strangely masculine bull. Sometimes our visits were planned yet others were spontaneous for my family would take a drive and end up at the farm. Once we arrived, on those warm summer nights I would find myself playing in a river that flowed behind their barn. I would drag my siblings there, telling them it would be an adventure. It was always exciting for me because capturing rock bass, crayfish, and other aquatic organisms fancied me, but my siblings bored quickly and never stayed long. I guess this is why I was the only one that pursued biology as a career. Recently my uncle Harold created two large ponds and stocked them with Speckled trout. He brought me to visit them this past Sunday. We (including two cousins, Natalie and Caylen) had a blast feeding trout that averaged 15 inches. I asked my uncle if he fished them and he exclaimed that he would never eat his pets!

Often when my family and I visited, we ended up playing cards. I can remember staying up well past 4:00 am and then getting up at 8:00 am when the first morning riser made a fresh cup of coffee. It wasn’t the temptation of the coffee that woke me (I don’t like coffee) but because I usually slept on the couch in the kitchen I was easily awoken from the pitter patter of adult feet.

Aunt Doris, you were a strong, brave, loving women. My heart and thoughts will always be with you.

Love Candra

Is this your kind of man?

Beauty

is in the eyes

of the

beholder!

With Child

My Cousin Caylen,

Pregnant and loving it!!!

Currently: 8 months

Expecting: Dec 28th 2006

Stop drop and roll

When I was growing up, one is taught to evacuate a burning building. However, after talking to a friend I found out that this is not always true. Recently a friend was working in a retirement home when the roof of the building caught on fire. Since the fire was contained in a sector of the building, management decided NOT to evacuate. One room (containing my friend and 100 residents) was actually barricaded shut. This was done to prohibit residents from venturing into the burning building. This is nuts, insane, ridicules, loony. No one should have to stay in a burning building. Due to the lack of communication and evacuation actions, my friend and everybody thought they were going to die. An untimely 12 hours later, the fire department decided that if they don’t evacuate, the fire will encompass the room, devouring them all. Therefore a wall was removed, providing an escape route. In the end everyone was safe; however residents have been hallucinating, thinking that they are still in the burning building. I don’t know about anyone else, but I believe my friend and the residents should sue!