Singing in the Rain

I do not think there is a part on my body that is not soaking wet. It is monsooning out there tonight. I finished pottery class and I usually walk home but tonight it was raining so hard that from the pottery studio to the bus I got soaked. I normally do not carry an umbrella cause I am a west coast girl and am used to the rain. However, it was raining so hard today that it rained through my coat, my jeans, and my shirt. Luckily I had flip flops on today or else......

I did meet a nice man at the bus stop and we chatted about living in Kits and growing up in Chilliwack.....

Copacobana

I would like to introduce everyone to a new edition to my little family of toys...I got my new laptop today and I have decided to name her Lola....yes Lola....yes, I also know that I am too old to name inanimate objects but I just cannot help it, I have a bike called Gracie, a guitar named Kaiya and a computer named Lola

I am indeed a bit wacky...

My computer is fab, 15 inch screen, Pentium M, and a whole bunch of other stuff that I cannot remember...but it works like a charm and I am now connected to the world on my very own piece of technology.

This is a big purchase for me and I am so far still trying to test out the waters

Random Thoughts for today

1. I love the sunshine and the fact that I do not have to wear shoes and socks, yeah for flip flops and birkies
2. Flexibility in a job is great, ie you want to leave at 3pm cause you need to get groceries
3. It is cheaper not to eat, food is expensive
4. Parents will do almost anything for their kids, even when they are 28
5. I adore my nieces and nephew, I miss them when I don't see them and love hearing my nephew on the phone
6. eating ice cream instead of going for a run is bad
7. trying to meet nice boys in Vancouver is near impossible
8. and when you meet a nice boy, who you think you will have beautiful kids with, relying on a third party to hook you guys up is near impossible....(frustrating)
9. Parents and family will always ask you why you are not dating someone....(see point 5 and 6)
10. I hate coming home to a messy house....(groan, messy brother bah!!)
11. I love the dishwasher
12. I love my independance and don't ever want to lose that again even if it means living with a messy brother
13. spending $150 on an super duper sonic care electric toothbrush on the recommendation of the dentist is okay as long as it prevents your gums from receeding
14. It is okay to be scared about going back to gradshool, you just wish they would make a decision about whether you can go part-time or not
15. When a friend asks you to help her move, you help her move even though you hate moving cause you adore your friend
16. Purple highlights fade to a yucky orange brown after 8 months, time for new highlights
17. Self-proclaimed detox is still detox when you have a max of two drinks
18. I do not like being woken up by a telephone call in the morning
19. I love music and could not imagine a world without it
20. It has been a very long time since I have driven a car

Thursday Afternoon Blues.

It is 3:30pm on a Thursday afternoon and I cannot seem to concentrate on work. Today has been one of those non-work days, which means I spent the better part of the morning checking email and surfing the internet. Some of it was work related but mostly it was not. I know it is very bad seeing how I work for the government and I am perpetuating the stereotype but some days all you want to do is to do nothing. I guess today is one of those days.

I am tempted to go to the gym for a little while and kill some more time but my energy level is low and all I want to do is to find a place and go for a nap. Too bad my boss is still here or else I would crawl under my desk and sleep.

Anyways, all is well in my world. I am looking forward to the warmer weather. I have already broken out the sandals and gone sans socks a few times. I hate shoes and socks and cannot wait for it to get warm enough so that I can wear sandals all the time.
Yeah for summer!!!!!

I played some beach volleyball last weekend, it was sunny out but not all that warm. I was freezing and the sand was blowing everywhere. When I got home there was sand in my ears, my mouth, my hair and in my shorts. It was fun despite the cold and it also made me realize just how slow I have gotten in my old age. The joints just do not move and bend as fast as they used to.

Post-Easter report

The Easter Bunny did not stop at my house this year and drop off chocolate. Not sure why he did not visit. It could be because he heard rumours that I had been naughty, which are entirely untrue...well okay, I have been a bit naughty, but still my actions did not warrant the lack of chocolate. Oh well, considering how much other unhealthy food I ate this weekend, the chocolate was not missed. I had two Easter dinners this weekend. One with friends and one with family. I am a sucker for desserts and could not resist the yummy goodness of pies and cakes.

I even contributed to my own downfall by making two lemon meringue pies. My sister special requested pie and cause I was in charge of dessert for our family dinner I took on the challenge. I must admit during the baking process there were moments where I thought I would burn the lemon filling and I had to have 2 tries in getting the meringue to form soft peaks. This was my first time making pies and I think it worked out okay. However, if anyone ask I will deny that I enjoyed it and will stand by my proclamation that I cannot cook and bake.....

Hopefully, the Easter Bunny did not skip your house.

Pirate's life for me


I was talking to some girls from my pottery class and we were discussing the very intellectual subject of what is your pirate name...well it is

My pirate name is:

Iron Charity Bonney

A pirate's life isn't easy; it takes a tough person. That's okay with you, though, since you a tough person. You can be a little bit unpredictable, but a pirate's life is far from full of certainties, so that fits in pretty well. Arr!

Get your own pirate name from fidius.org.

Break through

I finally did it!!! I linked my turns for snowboarding. Finally, it happened. Last Thurs. night I finally decided that I was going to committ and do it and not let my fear stop me. So, I decided not to think about it and just did it. So, I did up my bindings, squared my shoulders, took a deep breath, kept my weight directly over my board, put pressure on my front foot, shifted my hips forward, leaned back and made my first turn from my heel side to front side....I did it, that is until I leaned too much forward and caught and edge and went down. For the brief moment I made the turn and was feeling proud until I went down and hit the snow. Luckily, it was fresh powder and it was soft to hit. I have been practicing and subsequently have linked my turns, still not stellar but getting better. This is a mini triumph for me and fear of committment...well at least when it comes to snowboarding...Committment is a whole different story when it comes to other aspects in my life.

My three little munchkins

What is going on?


I have once again been neglectful of my blog. In all honesty, it has not been a priority for me at all. Obviously, my mind is elsewhere. Mostly, very focused on work and getting these projects off and running before I go back to school. I am actually very happy with work and everything I am doing. I have been pretty involved in the planning of a 2 major meetings, one focused on bringing together researchers we have funded to discuss their science and the other on increasing capacity in the areas of obesity research. It is nice to be so involved and have feedback on what is going on. In addition to those meetings, I am also working on 2 major funding initiatives that I have written and will help administer. Work is hectic but going well.

As for my real life, things are good. Most of my activities are going well, volleyball is fun, pottery is shaping out to be really interesting, snowboarding okay, guitar non-existent, and French class a bit overwhelming. So, beyond guitar and snowboarding all is great. However, I am determined to master the two.

What else is going on? My birthday was great; my friends blindfolded me and took me to the spa. I was really surprised and it was so relaxing. I think it was one of the best birthdays yet. My friends actually cared enough to plan it and keep it a secret. I thought we were going snowshoeing but when I finally could see it was the spa I was in shock. It was so incredible. Then the following weekend we went to Big White. That was fun, albeit the big wipeout took the wind out of my sails for a day or so, but the next morning I was at it again. It was really good snow and the Sunday we had blue skies. I really enjoyed myself.

Officially Old!!!

Today I can no longer honestly tell people I am near my mid-twenties. I am now officially in my late twenties. I was fibbing a bit before when people would ask how old I was, I used to say "oh near my mid twenties"...aiya no more!!! I am old.

I am not sure if at 28 I am any more grown up, I certainly don't act that way but perhaps there is a different level of expectation of me now that I am 28. Certainly my family feels that I should start "settling down", whatever that means!!! 28 to my family seems like an ear mark for life to take root, but I am just not on that path. I have no desire to have babies and buy houses right now, I think I am too busy just enjoying being me. There is another adventure in the horizon and so many places yet for me to travel to.

I would love to share my adventures with someone but until that right person comes along I am content to travel solo. My co-workers jokingly tell me I am a spinster but if being a spinster means I can take a month to travel Europe and not have to worry about responsibilities other than what city to see next then I am happy to be a spinster. Don't fret too much, I want to put down roots and have a family but not before I am ready, perhaps after a stint in Australia and some time in Africa....hmmm...by the time I am 40 should be about right.

As well, thanks to all you folk out there who sent me birthday wishes, it was appreciated and I was touched you remembered.

Hawaii

So, the plans for Europe have been put on hold yet again, a bit sad but definitely for a good reason. My friend from uni, Vesna is getting married in April in Hawaii. I have never been but am excited about being there for this occasion. Hawaii would be a lovely place to get married. I know that it will be beautiful.

I guess, Europe will have to be post-poned again. There is some thought about going in August, but that is prime Tourist season....perhaps it is just not meant to be at this point. I guess I will have to deal with my disappointment about not going to Europe by going parasailing or snorkeling in the blue waters of Hawaii. ;)

Boarding Babes

In an effort to be a more well rounded individual I have been taking a number of different classes and trying to get into different things. There is of course my ongoing struggle with my mushroom fingers and guitar, mastering the clay and showing it who is boss, a return to volleyball, my desire to become more worldy-French lessons, and finally my efforts to channel the edgier boarder in me. The latter being the most painful I have decided.

I bought snowboarding equipement a few months ago because I figured that it would incentive to go up and learn. Who knew I was so uncoordinated, well actually I knew that but the bunny hill beat it into me yesterday, just extra emphasis that I am not very coordinated. Every muscle in my body now aches, and I am sure that there are more aches coming as I try to board on a more regular basis. However, I will not be defeated by the soft white stuff that is not so soft when you are zooming down the mountain and lose your edge. I am going to get good, all it takes is committment as my cute Aussie instructor told me yesterday, of course I smiled back and said yes, you are totally right, while in my mind I was thinking.."I have fear of committment", I hate the C word. Oh well, I have to learn to deal with committment in some form and this might be the first step in conquering it.

So, wish me good luck and pray that my bones are not as brittle as I think they are. Feel your fear and do it anyways, go committment!!!!

Blogging

Heya, it has been a while since I have written a blog, beyond the announcement of my new niece. I guess it is because I have been busy but probably because I have been lazy.

So, what is going on in the Wacky World of Char, well I have decided to keep myself very busy. I have a schedule that is jam packed, playing volleyball, doing pottery, snowboarding and learning how to parle francais. So that ties up every weeknight except Tuesdays. Tuesdays was suppose to be self learning guitar, so far that is not going so well, darn these mushroom fingers and lack of musical talent.

I figure that this is a great time to be doing all this stuff cause once I start gradschool in Sept. I will have no time for anything but sleeping, studying and working. I am almost looking forward to going back to school, not entirely sure if I am excited about it, but not dreading it. It is about time I start a new chapter in my life.

However, before I head back I would like to have one last adventure. I am thinking about doing a trip to Europe this spring, London, Paris, and Prague. Three places I have always wanted to go to. Paris in the Spring, it will be lovely...perhaps even meet that dashing European man who will sweep me off my feet. Well, that or try to mug me.

Other than a full plate and visions of springtime in Paris and Prague I have been recuping from way to much festivities over the holidays. It seems that I have been at one social function or another since the beginning of Dec. I think it will all come to an end once we get past Chinese New Year, Jan. 29th. Finally, no more food.

Just also want to say thanks to you faithful readers of this blog. The postings are not always so entertaining but I am glad that there are a few of you who keep reading.

More babies

My sister Christine had her baby on Dec. 28 at 3:00pm and I am now a proud aunt to another baby girl, Kiyah Rylee Cho. She is adorable and a beautiful addition to our family. I cannot believe that we have another little baby in our family. Time goes by so fast and my nephew will be 2 in a few weeks. Sometimes thinking about it makes me feel old and then my nephew does something silly and I am right there acting silly with him and he makes me feel like a kid again. I adore those kids.

Life and everything else

Still swimming along in the stream of life. Going along with the current trying to keep my head above the water and trying not to bump into too many obstacles. Occasionally, I feel something slimy brush up against my leg and I quickly swim away.

Life goes on

So, life has been swimming along. The unpacking was haulted due to the lack of storage, ie my books are still in boxes cause I need a bookcase. However, everything else has been unpacked and we are settling in. I am still unsure about the furniture arrangement and will probably change it again, knowing me. The room is a bit weird in that it is big but it is long and not very wide.

Anyways, I am heading off to Toronto this week for work and I heard that it is snowing there. Brrrrrr..... I am going to do some shopping so hopefully the malls are heated.

Settling In

I finally moved!! The actual process was not too bad. The packing was the worst part. I never knew I had so much stuff....Just boxes of books, clothes, shoes, and more shoes! It took about 2.5 hours to complete my stuff and the whole entire process took about 6 hours. Not bad. The only difficult thing is that I live on the second floor and there is no elevator, I do not know how the boys got the couch up the stairs.

So, now I am mostly unpacked. Only a few more boxes left to unpack and then home sweet home. It is a nice apartment and I hope that I will be happy here.

If you are ever in the neighborhood stop by to visit.

Box Lady

You know those homeless people who carry around cardboard boxes and cans. Well, I have become one of those people, well not homeless but what I affectionately call myself, the box lady. I have been slowly taking boxes home with me from work for the last few weeks. Seeing how I commute on public transit to work it is sometimes a very trying process. It is wet, the bus is packed and here I am with several Xerox boxes. It is not a good time. I will be glad when it is all over.

Packing Process

The packing process is very slow going. I still cannot believe how much stuff I have.....I think I need to learn to let go of things. I have clothes, books, shoes, stuff up the wazooo......

In 2 short years post Japan, I have managed to get all the stuff back that I had gotten rid of before going.

Other than that and work, life is going along. Guitar is going, not so well but going, pottery is still lopsided but incredibly enjoyable.

So, in a nutshell my life is still boring.

Moving....

I am once again packing up all my stuff and moving again. I am excited about moving, not the actual moving process but about my new digs. I will be moving into an apartment about 5 blocks from where I am currently living. For those of you familiar with Kits, at 6th and Vine , it is right near the trendy 4th ave, although I am not that trendy. It is super close to grocery stores and a bit closer to the beach. I like this apartment cause it has a huge wide open space, and a big bedroom, small closet (boo hoo), but I will miss living in a house with a backyard and a patio. My brother and I decided to move in together, to the delight of my parents. My parents seem to think that I will be a positive influence on him or something.....little do they know (as I slip on my hood of innocence).

In the meantime, I am busy packing and trying to figure out how I managed to accumulate so much stuff in so little time. As well, seeing how my bro and I do not have furniture and house stuff we are busy hitting up family and friends for their extra stuff. So, if you have couches or other furniture you do not want, let me know.

As always, Hotel Charlene will be open and if you ever need a place to crash then you are welcome to come stay.