Olympic Journey...

Hurry up!... and WAIT.... does the left hand know what the right hand is doing? ... sigh... well these questions have yet to be answered... I did have a nice first day on Friday. I waited only a few hours before heading over to the village to be a driver from the Welcome centre - being that it is Athletes we are driving - most did not want the 2 block ride to their new digs... but their baggage usually got a ride. :) so far I've had 3 more shifts, but no driving mostly being sent home early.
I did run into a girl I went to Highschool with... 17 years later and we both recognized each other right away!

Urban Gardening

Well as our search for a house was supposed to have included a patch of dirt... but compromises had to be made, and we ended up with a patio again... I went on the search for an Urban Oasis for gardeners. I found one in the form of Port Royal community gardens. And for only 30$ a year I now have my very own 7x8 patch of dirt!

Now I'll be thinking of what yummy veggies I'll be able to plant and cultivate. I did quite well with my Tomatoes this year... I do love fresh carrots, peas and potatoes...yummmmmm

I'm also another day of training closer to the Olympics! It's getting so close! It looks like my job will include 3 different routes driving the Athletes. I will get to take the figure skaters to their training venue, the speed skaters to the Olympic oval in Richmond and also the shuttle that is in the Athlete village. Where as most drivers only get one route, this changes things up and gives us the opportunity to meet alot of the Athletes and not get bored!

I will be heading back east this summer. Ontario here I come! I'll have about 10 days at the end of July... Easterner's here I come!

I'm sure I had more to tall all of you ... but i'm exhausted. so i'm going to bed instead. :)

Olympic's are a comin'

They are officially arriving!!! I picked up my uniform and accreditation yesterday. So it's official I am a volunteer! After a year and a half of meetings, and training! I have 3 more full days of training for my position - Athlete driver. I then work my first shift feb 5th! I have tickets to one event, Womens arials, tickets to one victory ceremony INXS is playing and tickets to the dress rehearsal of the opening ceremonies. I am hoping with my job that i will get to know whatever team I am assigned and be able to watch some practices or events and get to know the athletes. :)

Christmas and New Years

just a sneak peek at my xmas and new years. I spent the 5 days free from work over in Courtenay at my Grams house. visiting with my friend Shelly, who has just moved there and my mum. I was able to take in a day of skiing up at Mt. Washington and had a great first day out on hill - bright blue skies, above the cloud cover Courtenay was under and nice snow!
New years was a quiet one playing rock band and guitar hero... we are addicted now...

Grace's 4th birthday in Penticton Dec 11-13th

I drove up to Penticton after work on friday. The Hope/Princeton Hwy was actually really clear and had no snow... however after being in the car by myself for 4.5 hours I was going a little stir crazy!!!
I love visiting my sister up there. Grace was already in bed, so it gave us time to catch up without her interrupting!
Saturday we took Grace, 5 pin bowling - the first time for her. And to the 'delight' of Niki, her 3 year old beat her at the game! 99 point to 96! :) Grace had a great time! lunch out at the White spot, movies rented, and a few bevvies for the evening and we were good to go!
Grace is at such a fun age. This is about the 4th visit I've had with her this year, and she's at the stage where she really knows who I am now. I kept hearing all weekend " I love you Aunty Christin", "Aunty Christin come see this", "Aunty watch this", " Aunty come over here" ... Even when I was in the shower I would open the door to her sitting outside it waiting for me to come out!
I love the unconditional love of kids!
I wasn't able to stay too late on Sunday as it had started to snow and I wanted to get through Manning Park in the day light hours. It was definitely a longer drive home with snow on the roads, but my great little Kia and my new tires got me through no problem!
I can't wait to visit again Niki and Grace!! Love you!

December 5th Xmas party House warming

We had a great night!
Thanks to everyone who made it out!
lots of cookies, chocolate and tequila were had by all... well the tequila by the boys... can you tell in the photos which ones? ;)

Jen's annual visit ( year 4) :) November 27-29th

Jen's visit was Great. when is it not?

I can't believe this is the 4th year for us to have a weekend with just us!
Friday night we headed to a local pub - I've been trying out new places in the area every chance I get. They had live music and good appy's.

I had warned Jen that I was in sleep in mode, but she didn't believe me... and when I finally hauled my butt outta bed at 11 Am- and i still could have slept more - I think she started to believe me! I found a local Dutch store that sells everything from dutch applesauce to the wooden shoes! So Jen was able to pick up all her childhood favourite xmas treats! We then headed into south granville area for some speciality Bra shopping, shoe shopping and window browsing. Dinner at Earls with some yummy martini's and then a night out for our first xmas party of the season at Kim and Robs.

Now I tried to get up earlier for Jen on Sunday so we could have more time for shopping and we able to get up by about 10 am... I thought that was pretty good anyway! I took her over to our local 'outlet' mall shops in Queensbrough and into Richmond Centre before dropping her off for her flight... how does the time just seem to fly by like that? Why can't all my best girls live in the same town as me????

Day 20

Well I really did try. Somehow I have learned in the past 20 days that, NO, I am NOT super woman... sigh... defeat is hard. Very, Very. Hard.

So after trying to go back to work on Monday, and ending the day crying from exhaustion... I did come in Tuesday from guilt, but have had to take the remainder of this week off. I don't know how much better i'm going to fair next week - but I have to go in... So my bed time will be moving to about 9 pm as I am sleeping 10-11 hours a night and most days napping too!

The follow up surgeon said that it can be quite common to take up to 4 weeks for the anesthetic to wear off! why did no one tell me THAT before?... although I do admit the surgeon did tell me prior that most people do take 5-6 weeks off work... did i listen? NOOOO. thought i could do it. didn't want to disappoint my patients... but what have i ended up doing by canceling last minute, and putting my workmates through re-booking hell? ... disappointed my patients and created more work for my work mates... sigh...

My area manger has asked me to make sure that next time i go in for surgery i listen to the Dr... 'next time' i think? what the hell is going to happen that there will be a next time?? yikes!

A new me.

So really this is the only PG rated photo i can post of my post op look. ;) this was about day 2 or 3 where i still had my drains in and wearing the lovely tenser top they fit me in after the operation.

I'm at about day 11 now and feeling more active and awake... although I have been up since 2:30AM and on the computer since 4:30AM today... I feel a bit like a teenager... although we tend to have a few years to grow into ourselves and get used to the changes our bodies were going through... this instant change affect is just plain weird.

It really is.

I now have to change years of habits! everything from Day to day stuff, even drying off after a shower, to now being able to wear a whole plethora of new tops that were NEVER accessible to me before. Empire waistlines, V necklines, and embellishments on the chest area here I come!!!

I decided to take this week of work as well. I'm just too tired still and really don't want anyone coming close to me quite yet. And my work environment would be too tiring and I have to get to close to people!

I have caught up on ALL my TV shows now, watched about 7 movies, baked for our xmas party, read half a book, half a magazine and have really made a lovely bum dent on my couch!

Photos of our new home

Spare Bedroom

Main Bathroom

Kitchen



Master Bedroom

ensuite bathroom

Dining Room

Living Room

M's week long visit

Unfortunatly the panoramic photos have come out blury on this thing, but you'll get the gist...

We had a fab week. Couple of days here in Vancouver wandering around and enjoying the fall weather, walking, and taking the false creek ferry. Then on to Tofino where we stayed at the Cox Bay Beach Resort - GORGEOUS!!
We were about to do lots of hiking and watching surfers. We kept hunting for wolves and cougars and bears 'oh my'!(like in the wizard of Oz... Lions and Tigers and Bears 'oh my'!) but never found any. :) And I finally got to have dinner at the Wick Inn... people have been telling me about that place for years! so yummy, great service and the view was beautiful... even in the rain.

M. wanted to see a real Mountie as well but the closest we got was outside the station in Tofino. We were also able to make it up to Courtenay for a night's visit with my mum and Gram.

Thanks for a GREAT visit M!

thanksgiving.

I have taken the week off for vacation. For the long weekend, I headed down to Washington state with Ashley to stay at her family's rustic cabin on Cameno Island. We shopped at the outlet mall and then spent the rest of the weekend laughing at the dogs, eating, sleeping and watching Pride and Prejudice - the 6 hour version which i had never seen before.

I then headed over to Suzanne's for a photo shoot. I haven't had a portrait taken since I was 26 so thought it would be a good idea to get one in my 30's!

Tuesday and Wednesday were spent painting out our den, hanging' and shopping with Karen and picking M. up from the Airport last night!!!

last Sept weekend.

I spent the weekend with Ashley and helped her pick up her new puppy from the SPCA!!! Her Name is XUM- said ZOOM. and she is soooo nice! such a calm puppy!
We then headed out to tsawassen to watch Dave Kite board and then spent the evening watching their friend Dino play at a local pub. I loved his music so much that I bought both of his CD's! SUCH A GREAT DAY!!!

life is crazy and I love every minute of it...

I don't have any photos to go with this posting yet, but I figured some of you may read.... ;) Although I still love picture books like when we were kiddies...

My last post was Rita's wedding shower, then the weekend of the 5/6th was the big day. The last wedding of the season, and the one where I had the most responsibility. Maid of honour. I took my duties seriously, got Rita trussed up in her dress, got photos taken, got through my speech with only a few tears, got drunk ... got REAL drunk... then proceeded to be the blathering, bawling, emotional maid of honour that had to put her 'sunglasses on at night' cause all the make-up had been cried off.... geesh... oh well there's always one isn't there? ;) The day after was one for the records... I don't actually remember being that hungover probably since I lived and worked on cruise ships... 5 years ago... yikes!

But after all the fun this summer it was on to the big job of moving and packing! we took possession of our new home on the 11th and moved in on the 12th... one of the fastest moves i think I've ever done and it was ALL thanks to the 8 or 9 friends that came out to help - I know I owe you all big time - there will of course be lots of booze for you at our house warming! About 3 days later we were all moved in and unpacked... although it has now been 2 weeks and i still can't find where I put everything! I only just found my cell phone charger tonight!

We love our new home. It's big, It's new, It's clean and we have already played Pool once, gone swimming twice and biked and walked the beautiful Fraser River boardwalk 3 times. it's going to take me a little bit longer to get used to the noise of traffic a bit more here, but other than that, so far everything else is going well!

Some biggish news on a personal front. I find out my surgery date October 1st. I'm hoping for the beginning of November - After M's visit, but all good for xmas. :)

I'm actually at a loss as to what to do with what other people call 'spare time'... I don't ACTUALLY know what this term means as it feels like years since i've had any! ... and just so you know how stressed i've been this summer - Steph and Tracey you will appreciate this the most(as you were their for my first)... i have found 3 gray hairs this summer... sigh... oh well it happens to the best of us right???

So I'm going to bust out a book this weekend, hang out with Ashley, watch some live music and go for a walk.

How....

Simple.