Lookin' For Something To Do?

If you're looking for something to do tonight you could come and watch myself, Dan Postma, the newly married Brian Van Dooren, Sams Martin and many more, play some ball.

The aforementioned ball takes place here:


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Parking is on or just off of Strathcona St.
The game starts at 6:30pm.
We wear red shirts and this week are on the diamond closest to King St.
Bring a lawn chair for yourself.

Busy?

So this summer has been more than averagely busy for me. How busy you ask? Well... If you have ever lived with me or been around shortly after I have moved you will know that I decorate my walls forsaking all other and more practical things.

I moved into this place on August 1st. Last night, the evening of August 28th, I put the first two things on any wall of the apartment. And they weren't even decoratey things. They were practical things. A cork board and my dry erase calendar. Man, oh, man.

Side note - my lovely roommate becomes a part of Canadian television history today. And she may take one of my sweaters with her!

Traffic Is Fun

Welcome

Welcome to the blogging world one overseas blogger and one soon to be overseas blogger:

Amanda Van Halteren in Honduras

and

Evan Haas soon to be in Australia


clap, clap, clap, clap

Um What?

Ok, so I'm just kind of lounging today as I recover from so much good work done at the retreat (more about that later - maybe). And due to our current tv/cable situation we only get a few channels. Currently I'm watching abc. When I started watching, the show NBA Access was on. One of the little features they showed was about the San Antonia Spurs and their homecoming as the 2007 NBA champs. One of the things that they said over and over was that the fans were so great, and really behind their team and that was because the Spurs are the only professional team in San Antonio. I thought that was interesting and that it made sense.

NBA Access ended and a WNBA playoff game came on. They started talking about the various teams. Turns out that there is a WNBA team in San Antonio. Now, I'm no expert on sporting. BUT, I am pretty sure that WNBA players get paid. I also feel that basketball is a sport. So that would make them professional athletes and that would make the San Antonio Silver Stars a professional team. And therefore the Spurs are not the only professional team in the city of San Antonio.

I'm just sayin' is'all.

Special Mention

Special mention to Beth's postcard as it is/was the first piece of real mail to be received at the new place.

On the Road Again

Why would I ruin my August by staying put for a weekend? Silly.

Anyway...As of Friday lunch I'm off for the Church In the Box leadership planning/visioning retreat. It promises to be good work, fun and eating. I should know, I just bought all the food. Mmmm. So that means no blogging until Sunday. I'm sorry. But I'm going to leave you with three pieces of random narcissism. Ok?


Me and my mane after a day at work. (notice the view from the balcony in the background)


Me bare-handing a ball about to make a play at the plate.


Me gussied up for Sarah and Tom's weddin'.

A Burning Question

This question came to mind while cutting away dead leaves at work.

Do you think if the movie version of Chicago had come out before the movie version of Evita, that Catherine Zeta-Jones would have played Eva Perron?
	Yes
	No
	Definately no because my Mother would be playing her.
	Obvi
Free polls from Pollhost.com

My New Friend

So this post begins an ongoing series on urban high-rise living. It will chronicle my thoughts on living in an apartment building and my personal and very gradual transition to very urban living.

Thus we begin with Irwin.

This is Irwin.


Irwin has decided that he is going to permanently hang out on my bbq. Every time I have been out on the balcony in the past few days Irwin has been there. He is pretty quiet so I don't know he is sitting there and then bam! I see him and he scares the s-h-i-t out of me (if you look closely at the picture it seems i do the same to him!)! I have a little phobia of birds. Just a little one. But once I realize its Irwin we talk a little bit and then I go inside.

I feel that Irwy (or sometimes Erween-gah) and I have many good times ahead; eating popsicles, having deep conversation, back rubs and pooping on the ground. Awww.

The Lines Between Danger, Bravery and Stupidity

Apparently its bee season. I didn't know. I probably should know. But I don't.

Apparently there are more bees on the 10 acres I'm working on this year than the 50 city blocks I was working last summer. And by working I mean of course....gardening.

I had Sarah's camera with me and while I was mulching the other day, and I decided to take a picture of all the above ground bees* (*a loose term for anything bee-like or that seems like it could be more than averagely harmful to me) that I would pass with my wheelbarrow going to and from the garden I was mulching.

Here are the results:


Courtyard


Rock garden


Rock garden


Rock garden


North East corner of the barn

There are also 5 underground Park N Flys that I know about too. Those are the ones that almost get me into trouble. I usually don't know they are there until the bees start flying into my head as I am sitting/kneeling/standing/existing directly in their flight path.

Thus far no stinging and I'm not forced to work directly in danger. Which is nice. I like that.

Oh bees.

Best Thing

So you may recall that my birthday was at the end of June. Not too far after the day I went home to celebrate with my family. This is a picture of the best gift I received.



Now, its not actually for bank heists. Its a hair band with a bandanna already attached and at the end of the bandanna is bits of hair extension. Versatile and sexy.

Please contact me if you wish to borrow it for your wedding, bat mitzvah, or retirement party.

This Too Shall End

The internet (with phone) returns on Saturday. I'm heading to the Ottawa valley for Sarah and Tom's wedding. And oh man, when I get back there is going to be such an onslaught of blogging. I have a lot of time to think at work and therefore a lot of blog ideas and oh man guys, I have so much to catch you up on. There are a million photo essays to do - more New York, heck more birthday, this wedding, baseball, my new place, plus the aforementioned bridal post and the girl band post. Everything has been brewing in my head.

Thank you for your patience. Some of you have expressed in person or by email that you will be happy to see regular posting resume. So will I baby, so will I. You had better hope that next week is a light work week 'cause you're going to have to spend a lot of time on here catching up with my life, its gonna be like 3-a-day posts. Oh wait, I mean, you better hope you don't have a lot to do in the evening, because I know none of you read this while you are at work because I have a site meter that tells me how many hits I'm getting and when and bosses everywhere, there are none during the 8am to 6pm range. Yes, everything is in the evening, noone reads this during the day. Cough. Sorry, allergies.

Ok, I'm back outside to keep filling drought cracks with soil. A special and very large thanks to my boss for letting me use her husband's computer all this week. She is a fellow internet/email/communication addict. And really, I think she felt that the cold sweats, shakes and possibly that I was passing out in the middle of the lawn due to lack of internet, was really taking a chunk out of my productivity. So really, it was in her best interest to help a sister out. Anyway, thanks Yvonne for helping to stave off death and other terrible things!

Camera

HEY! do you have a more than averagely decent camera i can borrow for the weekend? let me know asap if you do.

No Lie

Thoughts

Can you imagine how gross it would be if instead of panting, dogs sweat through their skin?

Bye

I'll miss you. I do miss you.

Still Alive - I Promise

Though, i did turn my alarm off in my sleep, have outlook tell me that despite the over 3000 emails that I know I have in my hotmail inbox - that there were 0, have my ipod headphonse quit and get bit by an ant on my bum.

But I'm still alive, my boss let me use her husband's computer during lunch and a rain delay, the unpacking is coming along, and Jesus loves me. So its alll good.

Not Yet

Hey, I'm still gonna be at least another 6 days without phone or internet, so email use is patchy at best (the Yanks post came from using the internet at RUC). So if you email me and I don't respond as quick as usual its because I can't get a signal strong enough to get my email checked, let alone responded to. Also, if really, actually need to get a hold of me, call the cell. Ok? You gots it?

Its not like I'm around too much anyway - tomorrow evening I gots John's rescheduled playoff game in B-ford, Thursday is my ball night, Friday is saying good-bye to Amanda :( , Saturday is Bun and Kenny's weddin' :) and Sunday is Stratford with Chels. So really, six days will be over before we know it, and patchy blog posts about unpacking and a lack of the communication tools I love best. We'll all be happy then. Yes we will.

This was exciting - getting a signal strong enough to send emails and check webpages. I hope we all sleep tonight.

A Little Slice of Yankee Stadium

Jealous?

This is me checking this blog on an iPhone.



This is me about to make a call on an iPhone that was 'dial-in'. I ended up calling home and also calling Felix - I knew he would drool.



Pretty much they are so nice and pretty much the 4GB was 499USD. Mmmmm.

Some Highlights of Day 1 In NYC

Moving - An Epic Tale written and not embelished by L. Elizabeth St. Ewart

Once upon a time there was me. I moved to Hamilton in the fall of 2001. Even then it took more than one car to fit the stuff I was moving into my dorm. Six years and seven moves later there was more stuff, more back pain and an elevator. Thus setting the scene for terror, heroism, humour and good times.

Once the need to move came upon me I knew that I was your typical maiden in distress - you know, most maidens are in basketball shorts and a cut off t-shirt and can belch loud enough to set off car alarms. I knew I had too much stuff to move in a series of trips to my new place and I knew if I tried to move that much stuff I should just sign myself up for back surgery for the next week. So I put out an SOS...

The moving date was set for Wednesday evening. As I madly packed I wondered if my poor little SOS call would be responded to. What was poor little I to do? Poor little I should not of spent one minute fretting - heroes were on their way!

The first of the heroes to make their way down the stairs into the bunker was the American ambassador - Gayle Doornbos. With her smile as big as her muscles she lept into action and we started toting my belongings up the stairs and into her car. After a few loads we were met in the driveway by Mrs. Brittany Groen, a van and a bonus - her new husband! She had brought added and unexpected muscles! The combined power of Gayle and the Groens was awesome and one almost had to avert their eyes as not to be blinded by the sheer amazingness. Loads continued to be brought up, larger objects were sized up, seats removed from the van - the operation was starting to take shape.

Just when it looked like things couldn't get better, fresh from the Niagara orchards, Jill Hermansen came bounding in. With the addition of Jill the things were flying out of my apartment at a rate that would have made your head spin. And the leadership of these people! My goodness! The poor maiden didn't have to say a word, things just happened (I feel this is a result of the strong character building and reasoning skills that Redeemer University College provides its students)!

Cars and van were beginning to get fullish as fellow farmer's daughter, Sarah Moerman joined the party. With one more car and Sarah's sun-bronzed arms to help load it, things were really moving. I was able to take my bed apart and bag up the contents of my closet. The last bits of packing that I had thought I would have lots of time to do needed to be hustled as the movers were more than ready to receive the goods.

All of my belongings had been brought above-ground, but alack alas, it wouldn't all fit in the vehicles. Would one car have to come back for a second trip? Would I have to abandon things, leaving them in the driveway forever? Have a bonfire? What would become of us?

The answer to all questions is Felix Lam. He showed up with his mini-SUV (and Asian muscles) just in the nick of time. Well, we jumped all over that like keg party guests on a bouncy castle and all vehicles were filled to capacity - roofs with bicycles, head room filled with bed frames, boxes, bags, scooters....!

And thus the convoy began (we had a great big convoy). We were able to stay together through attacks from pygmies, tornado, flood, and stop lights. Once we arrived at my new castle the real fun began - the elevator.

Frank, the elevator was put in service - we all felt a rush of power, having the elevator reserved only for our use. Up and down, up and down - we filled Frank to capacity each time he came down and each time he'd hike my belongings up to the 7th floor. We were like ants to and from sugar - fill the elevator, ride it up, empty it go back down and get the load that was there waiting. Rinse, lather, repeat!

In just under three hours all had been taken from the basement apartment of one house and lovingly placed on the 7th floor of the new place. I was thrilled. My heroic and now very sweaty, muscular moving friends were even more thrilled, as with the end of the moving began the start of the party. Beers, juice, water and pop were pulled out as pizza was procured.

It was a beautiful scene to eat pizza and replenish fluids on the balcony, overlooking the escarpment, watching the sun set, with people who had just loved me in a really real way. I had a balcony full of Christ.

As the evening wore on, the movers trickled out. They'll be back - for suppers, balcony sitting, gatherings and general loving.

Thank you Gayle, Brit, Dave, Jill, Sarah and Felix. I couldn't have done this without you!

Excellent

The Kitchener Panthers eliminated the Hamilton Thunderbirds and are now on to the semi-finals against defending champions, the Brantford Red Sox. The series starts on Saturday. Look here and here for more details (at time of publishing schedules were not up).

Go Cats!

(ps - John is throwing HOT right now, so if you come to a couple games you'll likely see him get in.)

In

I'm in, I'm tired, I'm grateful (more on that later) and I'm stealing wireless out on the balcony.

JIC

Just in case I can't find some wireless signal to steal at the new place....

I am almost packed - its a corner of a room there, a few things to throw in a box here, you know. You'll be happy to know that I didn't try and take my bed apart by myself. I will wait for help. :)

Speaking of help - some of today's hopeful heroes include....Gayle Doornbos, Sarah Moerman, Brittany Goheen, Felix Lam and Jill Hermansen (all current or former bloggers). Hopefully I will have a picture of them in all their moving glory.

So, in case you don't hear from me until I'm in NYC, I love you and, um, keep up the good work...butt pat.