Hello readers. Welcome back. Did you go anywhere? I didn’t...ok, technically I did, I moved almost 50 blocks. I would have updated you sooner but I have been without aid of technology since Wednesday afternoon.

With the exception of my cable, internet and phone the move has gone off without a hitch—basically. One minor issue was that my shelving unit would not fit up the stairs. Being without tools the movers took it back to their shop to take it apart. I got the call on Friday that they could bring it back, but I asked if we could do it Monday—or later in the week. My reason—no room. Thursday was more than a bit chaotic here at my new home. I met with the two drivers from the Brick who dropped off my new couch, bed and dressers then raced back to my old apartment to meet the movers. I had them put everything in the living room—I knew I needed to set up the bed in the bedroom and wouldn’t be able to move with boxes in the room. I made it to an interview in the afternoon—this is the second time they have changed the time for me. (I was in Vancouver last time and this time I called to say I still had movers at my apartment and she pushed the time back again to accommodate me) There was a maze through the living room and when my landlord came to do a final walk through asked me if I had a couch. I pointed in the direction of the window and said ‘under there somewhere.’ I managed to get the bed set up that night and slept a very sound sleep.

My weekend was spent doing some unpacking, re-arranging my furniture and wandering around the neighbourhood a bit. Only a tiny bit of walking and exploring though—we had snow on the weekend. The colder temperatures and my lack of anything suitable to wear outside kept me inside staring at the piles of boxes. I’m still not sure where everything is going to go and it is now Sunday night.

I am short an entry way closet so all of my coats are in what I need to use as a storage closet. It is packed to the ceiling at the moment and I realized a couple of hours ago there is still one large item to go in—and it isn’t going to fit. Yes, the new apartment is much smaller. The space isn’t my issue—it is the lack of storage space that is becoming an issue. Ah well. It will all work out in the end and Value Village may get a few more items before next weekend.


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It is Monday. I finally have internet/cable/phone back. At least for the moment. The nice man who came to hook everything up (oddly enough same guy as last time), said that he will be required to update the line leading into the house, that requires the landlords permission because it means taking the wires out of the house, put new ones in and potentially drill a hole in the side of the house. I said NO. I am not going to make them do that to upgrade their lines. Do not ask me to ask my new landlord to do that...nope...not gonna happen. If I need to do that I will be switching my services to Shaw.

The apartment is a state of disaster. I am anxiously awaiting the shelf...thought why I'm not sure cause I was the one that told him there was no rush. The unpacking is at a bit of a standstill until I get the shelf in place and determine how much space I have to put a few of the other items that need to be placed. I really need to tackle the clothes but don't seem to have the energy. Maybe later tonight.

The focus now of course is on finding a new job. I have been speaking with a few people and some interesting things are potentially coming down the line...but nothing new yet. I'm torn between wanting time off and wanting a job. I guess when it is meant to be it will be. Positive thoughts...good thoughts...it will come.

I have a wedding in June that I am looking forward to. A few days to meet up with an old pal and then a wedding on the weekend. Sounds like a great road trip.

Now if only the weather would cooperate. There was snow on the weekend...snow. Yuck. A few days of some mid-teen, or even 20's would perk me up and help with the exploration of my new area.

I'll finish the Vancouver trip...later in the week.

Today we talk about my new apartment. I drove around a lot on the weekend and pounded the pavement looking for my new home. I narrowed it down to two parts of the city, Oliver or Whyte Ave. I have viewed apartments in both areas and managed to get to view a couple. I found the perfect one today and it seemed like a match made in heaven. He liked me, I liked him. I sign the papers tomorrow. I arrived back to my 'old' apartment this afternoon and managed to line up a moving truck, get my lights moved over on the right day and my cable/phone/internet. I'm super excited but I always have moments of 'what if he changes his mind?' 'what if one of my references doesn't work out?' and I will feel that way until I have the key in my hand tomorrow night.

I have been in touch with my 'old' landlord to let him know when I would be leaving the unit, etc. He mentioned in his email he was concerned with the state of my apartment. He had people in to view it when I was in Vancouver. I told him not to...but he has the right to do it as per Alberta law. I told him not to because I left the apartment in a state of chaos. I had boxes and stacks of 'stuff' everywhere. Dishes all over the counter, the sink was dirty (not full of dirty dishes--just dirty), and the floor hadn't been swept in a while. And luckily I had spilt a tea strainers worth of tea leaves the morning I left--so little dried brown bits were all over the floor in the living room. When he emailed and said he wanted to view it I knew he wouldn't be impressed....but I wasn't expecting company when I left--I was in the middle of a move. I was in a state of chaos. Ah well...good thing I am leaving. His email response to the mess has made me feel like a big ol' dirt bag....I didn't bother to respond back other than to say it is clean and he can show it anytime now.

The new apartment is smaller than my present one--but much more lovely. It has hardwood floors in the living room and bedroom and slate tiles in the bathroom and kitchen. A tiny balcony off the kitchen and a full size fridge. The best thing is the laundry in the apartment...my very own front loading washer and dryer. YEAH! It is a sage green colour on the walls...but I will need to see that again before I confirm it. The whole place has a cozy--single girl in the city look about it. I have windows on all 4 sides of the building and lots of light. Even a small backyard that any of the tenants are allowed to use.

Of course I am already decorating it in my head...lol. Can't wait to get there...that will erase the harsh words of my landlord. Who is he to criticize--how clean would your home be a week before you move and when you are not expecting company. Sheesh. As you can tell he really got under my skin with his email.

Onwards.

No news on the job front, but I'm sure that will come. I have faith in the world.

My new apartment is according to google maps an 11 minute walk to the weekly farmers market in Strathcona which means it is a 12 minute walk to the beadstore I really like. Oh, and I just remembered the awesome cupcake store not far away...that could be a problem. LOL. There are lots of trendy restaurants around the area and the street I live on is tree lined with lots of grass and flowers. And is a quick walk to the ravine....so that sounds like a photo op waiting to happen. I have met the neighbour next door and the lady who lives in the basement apartment. It seems like a lovely place and everyone is very friendly.

The movers arrive on Thursday and I have called the furniture company and pending any major problem I will have a new bed by Thursday night. The tricky part on Thursday will be coordinating the movers and the furniture delivery. No doubt they will both want me at the same time.

I am camping out in my bedroom at the old apartment at the moment. Did I mention I sold my bed and couch...getting new--starting over. Yes, I think this is my mid-life crisis. So I have been sleeping on the floor the past few nights. Well, not the floor. I have the following:

yoga mat
camping air mattress
sleeping bag
mattress cover
duvet
sleeping bag
me

Lots of layers between the carpet and my skin.

So in the bedroom is my lawn chair, tv, 'bed' and dressers. I am quite happy and it kind of reminds me of my bachelor apartment in Iqaluit.

There will of course be pictures--when I find the cord that will allow me to download from the camera....its in a box....somewhere...

Send happy thoughts on me getting the keys for the new apartment. And of course getting more calls for interviews.

Clearview to Hope, BC. Day 3.

The vista changed dramatically as I headed into Kamloops. No mountains, just long sloping hills and lots of shrubs and sage bushes. Smells so nice.

The day went off without any hitches or glitches. I stopped at a park just outside of Kamloops and just vegged for a while. I read, made lunch in front of a lake and laid on a blanket in the sun for a few minutes. It was delightful but I knew if I didn't get back in the truck I would never make my campsite for the night. I like to get there semi-early and enjoy the set up...you know...set up in the light.

And so on to Hope--what a great name for a town.

As I crossed over into BC I decided it was time for lunch. Yep, a whole hour on the road and time to take a break. I knew it would be a slow drive to Vancouver.

 Mount Robson Park. The picnic table faced a beautiful lake that had two loons swimming and diving. Except for the occasional large truck rumbling by and the odd car load--family photo op in front of the sign I was alone surrounded by nature.

Lovely close up of some of the many flowers and foilage spotted on my trip.

And here...wait for it...right after I took this shot I looked over towards the right and saw this next photo....

Yep, black bear. I sat and watched him for about 10 minutes then felt I should leave him in peace. In total I saw 3 black bears on my trip...but this was the first one.




This is one of the bears from my return trip.

The rest of the drive to Clearwater was relatively quiet.

Here's a few pictures from around the campground in Clearwater.

Isn't this a great place to have an event? Out in the middle of this great pond with the smell of lilac bushes wafting through the air.

This was my campsite...photo taken after the tent came down...d'oh. I meant to take a pic of my new tent. Maybe next time.

So...FINALLY word back on the Whitecourt job and since the title of this post isn't I got the job or I'm moving to Whitecourt you can guess where this is going. I didn't get the job. I was disappointed this afternoon...seriously disappointed in how they handled it, how I reacted and just over-all disappointed. Apparently a candidate came from out of nowhere the day after I met with them--she lives in town and that's that. So....on to the next one. I am now packing with the intention of moving in Edmonton...just need to find an apartment ASAP and hire me some moving men!

Ok, I'm back and settled (??) into the life I left a week ago. The trip was great and I am already planning my first GV trip in my head....but first...the trip itself.

I had two interviews on Tuesday before I left town. One for a company that I hadn't previously met with, one I would call a second interview. Company A was so not the one for me. It would have been very similar to the company I just left. They don't seem to have all their ducks in a row...HR is the last position they are filling after a lot of company change--backwards in my opinion. So, I called the headhunter afterwards and told them--no. I made a few suggestions and sincerely hope they figure out exactly what they need. I'd love to help them, but my mental health is worth too much. The second interview, was a second interview. It is the job in Whitecourt--the one I am pining for. I met with the VP of H-R. I'm impressed with the company and left with the understanding that things would soon be rocking and rolling to move forward with bringing me on board. Happy Days...I danced my way out to the truck and then down the road towards Hinton.

Hinton--KOA--LOVE IT! I got the same campsite as last year and had a marvelous time. My bbq was terrific...I love veggies in foil. Yummy. And the smores...oh, can you ever really get enough smores? I know I can't. I put the wafer of chocolate on top of the graham cracker and put that on top of the grill while I toast the marshmallow. It melts it a bit and the final product is delish.

That night on my way to the washroom--trip #3 but who's counting, I looked up at the sky. This is why I keep coming back here...the sky. It was chilly and I know that means there are no clouds overhead and there wasn't. I had a great view of the stars, all of them. You don't get this type of view in a tree covered campsite.

Wednesday morning Chicken and I slept in a bit, relaxed over breakfast, did some reading, surfed the internet and then packed up and headed for BC.

How could you not love waking up to a view like that?

You may laugh at my 'roughing it' with internet access at my campsite, but at least I don't bring my own satellite dish with me.

And I think this is great--playground for pets. This KOA is very pro-dog and  I like that. You never hear them bark, but there is lots of them around and lots for them to do.

Even with all the dead bugs in/on the image it still makes for a great view.

And this is how most of my pictures from inside the truck turned out...parts of truck, parts of sky, parts of the view. Ah well.

Here is a great example of the above mentioned photography...lots of deer on the side of the road as I was pulling into Jasper...and a great interior shot of the truck.

Because I am tired and my brain is fuzzy I will end this with the crossing of the BC border...to be continued...

I'm still here...well, not here in Edmonton, but here on the internet.

Here's the brief what I've been up to update--with further details on Monday evening (maybe) and pictures Thursday or Friday when I get back to Edmonton

Tuesday--left Edmonton--camped in Hinton
Wednesday--Hinton - Clearwater, BC (saw my first black bear in the wild, has smores)
Thursday--Clearwater - Hope, BC (more smores and a rooster sighting)
Friday--Hope - Burnaby (aka Vancouver), (reminder of why I don't like driving in Vancouver and met up with my Habitat friends)
Saturday--learning to be a Global Village Leader with Habitat (planning trips in my head while trying depserately hard to listen to all that is being said around me and hopefully interject some thoughtful comments)
Sunday--more training and then off to my hotel in downtown Vancouver (there will be no power on campus and it should be interesting cause I will have no idea what time it is when I get up--no watch, no internet and must be at the meeting for 8am--wish me luck)

My first free Monday. It was really nice.

Things are rocking and rolling on the job front...I have another interview on Tuesday am and a follow up to the Whitecourt interview in the afternoon. THEN I am hitting the highway and heading to Hinton and then Vancouver on Friday....with SEVERAL stops in between.

Back to the good 'ol KOA in Hinton tomorrow night and then to trek towards Vancouver for arrival at sometime on Friday for my Habitat weekend. I should be arriving back in Edmonton on Wednesday next week. I can't wait.

My clothes are packed and ready to go and the pile of 'stuff' is growing. I thought I had this down to a science last year...but I have WAY to much stuff. I guess I should do backpacking trips then I would be forced to pack lighter. Having the truck within feet of the tent allows me to pack the 'just in case' items. Funny how I can pack for a 3 week adventure in a foreign country in two backpacks but can't seem to get my camping trips down to reasonable pile. Ah well, maybe by the end of this summer I will do better--practice makes perfect.

Internet on the road may be sporadic but more and more campsites have it so you never know. I'll try and update as I go.

It's Saturday night and I am still enjoying my unemployment. Early days. Isn't it amazing how the sunshine can effect (or affect) ones mood? I got up this am to blue skies and a bright sun hanging in the sky. I managed to get myself to the laundry and by 11am was on my way back home. I spent my afternoon napping, watching some tv, surfing the internet and occasionally packing my living room. With the exception of my art work--which I simply can not bear to take down off the walls until the last possible minute--my living room is packed. Ok, not the tv and computer, but you know the other living room stuff. Tomorrow, I tackle the kitchen.

No real news on the job front--3 interviews finished, 2 to go. My top runner has asked for references and understands that I would like to make some decisions soon---looming end of month moving deadline. I may have made some decisions on a couple of jobs. One I think would be a frying pan to fire type of position and the other one I decided this afternoon is not for me. While packing my boxes and deciding what went into each carefully organized box I realized that I do not want to put all my belongings back into storage on a long term basis. Short term while I figure out if I am moving yes...that would be fine but not on a long term. So the camp job has just been taken out of the running. I still think it would be an interesting position and there were many pros to it...but I guess after the almost 3 year seperation from my 'things' I would like to stay with them. The camp job doesn't offer more $ than I am currently making and really the position is a step down from where I am. It would be great to save $ on rent...however, I would be too tempted to travel on all my time off and that would use up all the potential savings.

I am still looking, but must admit with the thrill of getting those interviews I did take some time off from the search. I will be back at the search tomorrow night. There are no chickens to count yet...only a few eggs.

Need to be in Vancouver next Friday evening for my habitat training. I have yet to decide how and when I am getting there. I keep changing my mind. Fly-drive-fly early-drive early I can't seem to decide. I guess when the time is right I will figure it out. Must be some reason for my indecision.

The office staff took me out for a late lunch on Friday afternoon. I drank way too much...but had a nice time. A few tears shed on my part, but not too many. I apparently called my mother when I got home...and then forget and called her again this morning. Oops. One too many celebratory martinis. I had a lovely conversation later in the evening with a good friend who listened to me chat about jobs for what I'm sure for her seemed like HOURS. She is a great listener and her advice is always thoughtful. A great sounding board for thoughts and ideas.

I'm free--and happy. I am happy with my decision. Here are the fortunes I found in my cookies this weekend...they always give me four cookies...

...Your first choice will be the wisest to follow at this time...
...Turn your thoughts within find yourself...
...An important word of advice may come from a child...
...Your talents will be recognized and suitably rewarded...

How's your weekend going?

Welcome to my second last day of work at _. Yesterday was a very tiring day. I drove the 1.5 hours to Whitecourt on Tuesday night and was surprised and delighted how nice and quick a drive it is--divided highway the entire way. I arrived in Whitecourt and the first impression was--yuck! Quickly followed by, oh, ok, thats better.

The first thing you see when entering town is a strip of hotels, gas stations and restaurants on both sides of the highway. No homes in site. As you reach the top of the hill a skateboard park appears (which shows the town is in touch with their youth), a large fitness centre with waterslide, pool, etc and then lots of paved walking paths. Ah, very nice indeed. The town seems to have 3 main areas. Most of the homes seem to be in two and I guess you either live at the top of the hill or in the downtown (at the bottom of the hill).

I checked into my  hotel on the far end of town and spent my evening relaxing with some tv--no internet--and was in bed early. Wednesday I awoke EARLY and by 7am had checked out and was on my way to explore the town. I happened upon what I thought was a rather tacky lawn ornament and turned out to be a live deer....not so tacky after all. The deer are everywhere. The gardeners must hate them, but I was enjoying watching them wander the nieghbourhoods. I had a long leisurely breakfast at one of the local spots and enjoyed the atmosphere while reading over my notes and jotting down my questions. I quite enjoyed my time before the interview and even made a trip to the local museum/interpretive centre.

The interview started at 11am and I drove away at 2:30pm. Yep, it was a long day. I had debated the day before staying in town until 6:30 to attend the WW meeting, but when I got into my truck all I wanted to do was get back to Edmonton--I was tired.

I took three or four pictures of deer and that was it. For some reason I have been feeling a bit superstitious about this interview. You know how sometimes the more you want something the more you have to lose? That's kinda how I felt going into this. Sometimes when you really want something you don't get it--happens to me all the time. So I didn't take pictures to share so the possibility of doing it later when I do move is still there...odd I know.

As of this afternoon I have had three interviews for three different jobs. I have a couple more that I want to apply for--maybe tomorrow while I am pretending to work for the last hour or two of my day--cause it has all basically been sorted and put away now.   :)

I am hopeful and confident that I will have a new job by the end of the year. (I just re-read what I wrote...obviously I meant month...hopefully that wasn't some sort of forshadowing on my part). I am so looking forward to Saturday morning. I get to wake up in a new life--and do laundry. LOL. Monday morning will be a tad odd...but I am looking forward to it none the less. I hope to enjoy the time off and am looking forward to my trip to Vancouver the weekend of the 14-16th for my Global Village training. It should be a ton of fun.

Countdown time...can you believe that I have less than 5 days of work left? I can't. I am working 3.5 of the next 5 days...those darn interviews keep getting in the way of my work. There is a TON of paper work to clue up at the office, good thing I have help this week with the filing and sorting.

I had a few moments of panic on the weekend. I am still confident in my abilities to get a job, but I think I was starting to question the order of my plans. Most people find the new job. Quit the old job. Pack the old apartment. Move into the new apartment.

I have quit the old job. Still looking for the new job. Gave notice on the old apartment and have started packing....no word on a new apartment yet--I haven't actually started looking. So yes, a few moments of panic. Luckily I have friends and family to talk me out of my moments. My biggest worry is about the timing of everything. I am confident I will get a job in the next 30-60 days, I just don't want to lock myself into a new lease only to find the ultimate job a month later and need to pay $$$$$ to get out of the lease. That would suck.

The new guy at work starts today. I had thought about going in extra early to chat with him and fill him in on a few things...and then I thought...nah, he's a big boy and can take care of himself. I will show up around my usual time.

The trip to Lloydminster was nice. It seems like a nice place. I think I like the Saskatchewan side better--it appeared to me to be the older side and I like the older style homes better. I didn't have lunch in SK, I had it on the Alberta side. I think with no PST in Alberta the stores have predominiantely (sp) opened on that side. I will write more on the trip tonight..with pictures. Have a great day!