If I invited Him - by Woody Kum
No! - by Kurt Reply
Allegiance to the King - by Neil Downe
Not a Guitar! - by Amanda Lin
Punk Rock Rulez! - by Lotta Noyze
Home Alone IV: The Sequel - by Anni Buddyhome
You're Kidding! - by Shirley U. Jest
Stop Arguing - by Xavier Breath
Trim Those Sideburns Too? - by Buzz Cutt
Dull Razor - by Nick Shaving
Irish First Aid - by R. U. O'Kaye
Pain in My Body - by Otis Leghurts
The Miracle Drug - by Penny Cillin
(stolen from Daniel Foucachon)
30 May 2005
29 May 2005
ooooooooh
| Your Star Wars Pickup Line |
 "You will go home with me. It is unavoidable. IT IS YOUR DESTINY!!" |
11 May 2005
05 May 2005
In 1983 (the year you were born) |
* Ronald Reagan is president of the US * Sally Ride becomes the first American woman to travel in space * Marines are killed when a TNT laden suicide terrorists blows up Marine headquarters at Beirut International Airport * US Marines and Rangers invade the island of Grenada and evacuate hundreds of US citizens * The Soviets shoot down Korean Airlines flight 007 * The Internet Domain Name System was invented by Paul Mockapetris * Ronald Wilson Reagan signs a bill creating Martin Luther King Day * Baltimore Orioles win the World Series * Washington Redskins win Superbowl XVII * New York Islanders win the Stanley Cup * Return of the Jedi is the top grossing film * "Every Breath You Take" by The Police spends the most time at the top of US charts * The A-Team and Webster premiere |
03 May 2005
Hello again, everyone!
Our lecture this morning finished early, so I have a bit before Alison comes to pick me up for lunch. So here goes - update.
First of all -
I am really excited about Steve and Alison's engagement. I guess it's amazing that he found someone that all nine of the women in his family could get along with, let alone love. It's wonderful to think that my only brother and my good friend will be starting their own family soon. God bless the two of you in your future plans, Steve and Alison!
School -
We just finished the segment on Corporate Law, and started the next segment on Real Estate. Most of it so far is procedures and terms, but soon we will be doing some exercises in real estate. For Corporate Law, the Electronic Accounting class came in, and we incorporated their accounting firms for them. First we interviewed them (which is usually the task of a lawyer, so we won't actually be doing that on the job). Then we prepared all the appropriate documents for incorporation, and then submitted them to the "Registry Office" (in this case, Lola, our teacher). When she has reviewed them all, she will issue Certificates of Incorporation, which we will give to our clients, along with a Statement of Account. That one was neat, because we could relate better to an "actual" case with real clients. I hope we have some interesting exercises in real estate too.
Work -
Alison is now working the same evening shifts as I am at Jack's. She decided to work there too the other day, and was hired without delay. Our boss, Pat, is training the two of us to close up in the evening, which includes making sure there are enough back-ups in the coolers, cleanup, and cashout. I'm still enjoying it. Never having had a job in the food industry, in any public service business, for that matter, it is very different to deal with customers this way. At first I had trouble mastering the till, as it is quite involved, and the plastic cover over the buttons makes it barely legible. After every shift, we split tips from the pool. I have been saving mine up, and I have over $30 already. Any suggestions on what to use it for?
Church -
I am going to St. Albert Canadian Reformed Church right now. Reverend Reuben Bredenhof is the pastor. I really appreciate his preaching, which is always very logical and easy to follow. The young adults group there has made us feel very welcome, inviting us everywhere for visits, Bible study and other events. The discussions we have at Bible study are unlike any I've ever known - serious but fun, and often very in-depth. We have made many new friends there, who I'm sure will be friends for a long time.
Our lecture this morning finished early, so I have a bit before Alison comes to pick me up for lunch. So here goes - update.
First of all -
I am really excited about Steve and Alison's engagement. I guess it's amazing that he found someone that all nine of the women in his family could get along with, let alone love. It's wonderful to think that my only brother and my good friend will be starting their own family soon. God bless the two of you in your future plans, Steve and Alison!
School -
We just finished the segment on Corporate Law, and started the next segment on Real Estate. Most of it so far is procedures and terms, but soon we will be doing some exercises in real estate. For Corporate Law, the Electronic Accounting class came in, and we incorporated their accounting firms for them. First we interviewed them (which is usually the task of a lawyer, so we won't actually be doing that on the job). Then we prepared all the appropriate documents for incorporation, and then submitted them to the "Registry Office" (in this case, Lola, our teacher). When she has reviewed them all, she will issue Certificates of Incorporation, which we will give to our clients, along with a Statement of Account. That one was neat, because we could relate better to an "actual" case with real clients. I hope we have some interesting exercises in real estate too.
Work -
Alison is now working the same evening shifts as I am at Jack's. She decided to work there too the other day, and was hired without delay. Our boss, Pat, is training the two of us to close up in the evening, which includes making sure there are enough back-ups in the coolers, cleanup, and cashout. I'm still enjoying it. Never having had a job in the food industry, in any public service business, for that matter, it is very different to deal with customers this way. At first I had trouble mastering the till, as it is quite involved, and the plastic cover over the buttons makes it barely legible. After every shift, we split tips from the pool. I have been saving mine up, and I have over $30 already. Any suggestions on what to use it for?
Church -
I am going to St. Albert Canadian Reformed Church right now. Reverend Reuben Bredenhof is the pastor. I really appreciate his preaching, which is always very logical and easy to follow. The young adults group there has made us feel very welcome, inviting us everywhere for visits, Bible study and other events. The discussions we have at Bible study are unlike any I've ever known - serious but fun, and often very in-depth. We have made many new friends there, who I'm sure will be friends for a long time.
26 April 2005
umhum
Laura Hofstede's Aliases |
Your movie star name: Miss Vickie's Lime & Black Pepper Chips Ceus |
Your fashion designer name is Laura Venice |
Your socialite name is Shrimp Paris |
Your fly girl / guy name is L Hof |
Your detective name is Cat |
Your barfly name is Gobstoppers Red Wine |
Your soap opera name is Dufferin Street |
Your rock star name is Licorice Allsorts My Brain |
Your star wars name is Laumax Hofvig |
Your punk rock band name is The Procrastinating Steve's Truck |
24 April 2005
12 April 2005
long long ago
wow, i just realized I haven't posted in a good while. this will attempt to update you all.
Yesterday we had midterms for Legal Environment, Office Procedures, and I forget the other chapter. Anyway, I think I did ok. Now that pressure's off a bit, I can concentrate on getting my exercises done. I'm really enjoying it - even all the legalese is fun. Today we started the next segment, on accounting in the law office. Some of it's confusing, but as Lola says, numbers don't lie, so that part is fairly straight forward.
I worked tonight again, as well as last night and all day Saturday. Today being Tuesday, we didn't have a moment to sit down. Tuesdays is our special - $2.50 rice bowls. Today was frantic. Up till 4:00, they sold over 180 rice bowls, and this evening, from 4:00 on, we did over 100. But I enjoyed it, except for the customers who came in just before closing. Some people seem to enjoy coming late and ordering lots of food. Well, we did survive, which I suppose is a plus.
I had a nice surprise when I got home - Alison tells me some of our new friends called, and they're coming to spend the evening with us tomorrow. I'm looking forward to that.
This is so not chronoligcal (sp?). (Deal with it :-) )
Emily and Julie came to visit this past weekend. After work on Saturday, we went to Stony Plain to a couple of stores. That one thrift store was something else. I suppose I'm glad that we got there only about 15 minutes before they closed. :-)
On Sunday we went to St. Albert for church, and then VanRaaltes invited us over for lunch. After the afternoon service, Alyson Bosch invited us to her birthday party that evening. That was an absolute blast. Some of us played a few rounds of Dutch Blitz, and then Fiona and I played Citadels with Mike and Tricia and Henry and Fiona and some others (my memory for names is strained). It was a great evening.
I really should get to bed. Tomorrow looks like a full day already. So good night (to the owls anyway; or good morning)!
Yesterday we had midterms for Legal Environment, Office Procedures, and I forget the other chapter. Anyway, I think I did ok. Now that pressure's off a bit, I can concentrate on getting my exercises done. I'm really enjoying it - even all the legalese is fun. Today we started the next segment, on accounting in the law office. Some of it's confusing, but as Lola says, numbers don't lie, so that part is fairly straight forward.
I worked tonight again, as well as last night and all day Saturday. Today being Tuesday, we didn't have a moment to sit down. Tuesdays is our special - $2.50 rice bowls. Today was frantic. Up till 4:00, they sold over 180 rice bowls, and this evening, from 4:00 on, we did over 100. But I enjoyed it, except for the customers who came in just before closing. Some people seem to enjoy coming late and ordering lots of food. Well, we did survive, which I suppose is a plus.
I had a nice surprise when I got home - Alison tells me some of our new friends called, and they're coming to spend the evening with us tomorrow. I'm looking forward to that.
This is so not chronoligcal (sp?). (Deal with it :-) )
Emily and Julie came to visit this past weekend. After work on Saturday, we went to Stony Plain to a couple of stores. That one thrift store was something else. I suppose I'm glad that we got there only about 15 minutes before they closed. :-)
On Sunday we went to St. Albert for church, and then VanRaaltes invited us over for lunch. After the afternoon service, Alyson Bosch invited us to her birthday party that evening. That was an absolute blast. Some of us played a few rounds of Dutch Blitz, and then Fiona and I played Citadels with Mike and Tricia and Henry and Fiona and some others (my memory for names is strained). It was a great evening.
I really should get to bed. Tomorrow looks like a full day already. So good night (to the owls anyway; or good morning)!
31 March 2005
Cankles / BeBeep the Road Runner(s)
My foot is much better. I haven't used crutches for two days now. On Tuesday when I went back to school, they were all teasing me about the silly things. I put my foot up on my desk during my break to keep it elevated so the swelling would go down. One girl said, "You have cankles!" when she saw my ankle. Naturally, we all wanted to know what that was, so she explained. When she was expecting her daughter, she retained an awful lot of water. Her ankles became so swollen that they were almost as thick as her calves - hence "cankles" (ca(lf)ankles).
We moved to another classroom, as our classes have split after the first 5-week segment. Just 16 weeks left till graduation, and so much we still have to learn! Our new classroom is really nice and roomy. We have big desks, with enough room for our computers, transcription machines, books, and working room. There are only seven women in the legal secretary program, so we almost rattle around in our "office." Our teacher, Lola, wants us to get a feel for what working in an office will be like, so we treat our classmates as colleagues and Lola as our boss. On the door is a sign with the name of our firm, Hill, Conners & Carleton. We will be taught how to do standard office work, such as filing and answering the phone, as well as a host of other things that I am afraid I can't remember off the top of my head. It's a little overwhelming at the moment, but I'm sure we'll all catch on. This afternoon we started with our transcription machines, typing sample letters. I'm not very fast - have to practice the typing a bit more.
Last night Alison and I went to a Road Runners game in Edmonton at Rexall Place. A client at Alison's shop couldn't go, but has season tickets, so he gave them to her. For the unenlightened, the Road Runners are a hockey team in the Alberta Hockey League. Because the NHL hasn't played this season, AHL hockey has become much more important in a way, sort of the replacement, but less money-centered. It was the first professional game I have ever seen, so I was really excited. Rexall Place is a huge stadium, and last night it was full of thousands of people making lots of noise. The game was fascinating to watch, as I've really only ever seen the kids of our church play before, and heard the play-by-plays on the radio. The Road Runners were playing the Chicago Wolves, and they beat them 4-1. Altogether, it was a very fun and satisfying evening.
We moved to another classroom, as our classes have split after the first 5-week segment. Just 16 weeks left till graduation, and so much we still have to learn! Our new classroom is really nice and roomy. We have big desks, with enough room for our computers, transcription machines, books, and working room. There are only seven women in the legal secretary program, so we almost rattle around in our "office." Our teacher, Lola, wants us to get a feel for what working in an office will be like, so we treat our classmates as colleagues and Lola as our boss. On the door is a sign with the name of our firm, Hill, Conners & Carleton. We will be taught how to do standard office work, such as filing and answering the phone, as well as a host of other things that I am afraid I can't remember off the top of my head. It's a little overwhelming at the moment, but I'm sure we'll all catch on. This afternoon we started with our transcription machines, typing sample letters. I'm not very fast - have to practice the typing a bit more.
Last night Alison and I went to a Road Runners game in Edmonton at Rexall Place. A client at Alison's shop couldn't go, but has season tickets, so he gave them to her. For the unenlightened, the Road Runners are a hockey team in the Alberta Hockey League. Because the NHL hasn't played this season, AHL hockey has become much more important in a way, sort of the replacement, but less money-centered. It was the first professional game I have ever seen, so I was really excited. Rexall Place is a huge stadium, and last night it was full of thousands of people making lots of noise. The game was fascinating to watch, as I've really only ever seen the kids of our church play before, and heard the play-by-plays on the radio. The Road Runners were playing the Chicago Wolves, and they beat them 4-1. Altogether, it was a very fun and satisfying evening.
27 March 2005
Blessed Easter, everyone!
“Christ the Lord is risen today,”
Alleluia!
Sons of men and angels say;
Alleluia!
Raise your joys and triumphs high;
Alleluia!
Sing, ye heavens and earth reply.
Alleluia!
Lives again our glorious King;
Alleluia!
Where, O death, is now thy sting?
Alleluia!
Once He died, our souls to save;
Alleluia!
Where thy victory, O grave?
Alleluia!
Love’s redeeming work is done;
Alleluia!
Fought the fight, the battle won;
Alleluia!
Death I vain forbids Him rise;
Alleluia!
Christ has opened Paradise.
Alleluia!
Soar we now where Christ has led,
Alleluia!
Following our exalted Head;
Alleluia!
Made like Him, like Him we rise;
Alleluia!
Ours the cross, the grave, the skies.
Alleluia!
This is my favourite Easter song. The last verse especially always stays in my head, with the triumphant ending, “Made like Him, like Him we rise; Alleluia! Ours the cross, the grave, the skies. Alleluia!” The harmony is very beautiful as well, especially now that I’ve mastered the alto. There are a good number of people who sing harmony in our church, which always kind of finishes the song nicely. We sang this one this morning.
I’m home for the weekend. I have Monday off too, so I will go back in the afternoon.
I had a clumsy moment yesterday. I opened the door of my car to get in, but slipped on the ice. About to slide under the car, I grabbed wildly at the roof and managed to stay upright. However, in the process, I whacked my right ankle really hard on the doorframe. I sat for a couple of minutes until it didn’t hurt so bad, and then went to work. It really only started to bother me when I was driving home after work. Because you have to use both feet driving a standard, I couldn’t really rest my right foot. Yesterday evening my ankle was really swollen, and pressure bandages and ice didn’t help, as it’s more of a bruise than a sprain. Today everyone at church asked why I was hobbling around (especially because I can’t fit into my Sunday shoes, so I had to wear my wooden and leather clogs). Hope it subsides a little before I have to drive back tomorrow.
Alleluia!
Sons of men and angels say;
Alleluia!
Raise your joys and triumphs high;
Alleluia!
Sing, ye heavens and earth reply.
Alleluia!
Lives again our glorious King;
Alleluia!
Where, O death, is now thy sting?
Alleluia!
Once He died, our souls to save;
Alleluia!
Where thy victory, O grave?
Alleluia!
Love’s redeeming work is done;
Alleluia!
Fought the fight, the battle won;
Alleluia!
Death I vain forbids Him rise;
Alleluia!
Christ has opened Paradise.
Alleluia!
Soar we now where Christ has led,
Alleluia!
Following our exalted Head;
Alleluia!
Made like Him, like Him we rise;
Alleluia!
Ours the cross, the grave, the skies.
Alleluia!
This is my favourite Easter song. The last verse especially always stays in my head, with the triumphant ending, “Made like Him, like Him we rise; Alleluia! Ours the cross, the grave, the skies. Alleluia!” The harmony is very beautiful as well, especially now that I’ve mastered the alto. There are a good number of people who sing harmony in our church, which always kind of finishes the song nicely. We sang this one this morning.
I’m home for the weekend. I have Monday off too, so I will go back in the afternoon.
I had a clumsy moment yesterday. I opened the door of my car to get in, but slipped on the ice. About to slide under the car, I grabbed wildly at the roof and managed to stay upright. However, in the process, I whacked my right ankle really hard on the doorframe. I sat for a couple of minutes until it didn’t hurt so bad, and then went to work. It really only started to bother me when I was driving home after work. Because you have to use both feet driving a standard, I couldn’t really rest my right foot. Yesterday evening my ankle was really swollen, and pressure bandages and ice didn’t help, as it’s more of a bruise than a sprain. Today everyone at church asked why I was hobbling around (especially because I can’t fit into my Sunday shoes, so I had to wear my wooden and leather clogs). Hope it subsides a little before I have to drive back tomorrow.
22 March 2005
So I did land a job. I applied at about 20 different places, and then as a sort of after-thought, I applied at a small restaurant near Alison's work. And wouldn't you guess, the first (and only, so far) response was that after-thought. It's called Bad [bleep] Jacks (henceforward to be referred to as Jacks, Subs & Wraps or just plain Jacks, because of its questionable/objectionable name :-O ). Alison and I go there every Tuesday for lunch for their special, $2.50 rice bowls. They're delicious. Anyway, they called me in for an interview last night, which was interesting. I had submitted a resume, and when I got there, the boss lady, Michelle, sat down with me and asked me some questions. She threw me a few zingers, such as "What drives you? Ambition, money, power, family?" and "What are your strengths and weaknesses?" and "What do you understand by integrity?" That last one threw me for a bit. How do you define integrity? It's more of an idea, an intangible value I've been aware of without actual definition my whole life. Anyway, she must have gotten a good impression, because she asked me to come in for a trial shift this evening, after school from 5:00 - 9:30. It was fun to be on the other side of the counter for once, though I'm sure the novelty will wear off eventually. It was busy for an evening, because it's Tuesday. People kept coming in until just before 9:00, when we closed. I mostly scrubbed frying pans because they were quite busy, but they did teach me how to make the rice bowls. Except for during the really busy part of Tuesday, they actually fry each portion of chicken or beef in an individual frying pan with vegetables and sauce (of which there are several choices). So there's a good many dishes to be done on the go. They told me to come back on Saturday, so I guess I'm on.
I just realized that was probably not as interesting to everyone else as it is to me, so I shall cease this strain.
School was great today. It was our teacher's 40th birthday and 1st year anniversary at the college today, so our class pooled our resources and made a cake and bought a gift. It was fun, and I think she enjoyed it too. I got both the last spelling test and the take-home English exam back today, and I am pleased with the marks. On Thursday we have an in-class English final and a computer exam. If the computer part is primarily practical, I'm sure I'll do good. Guess we'll see.
But I should really run along to bed -- my feet and back are quite tired (in a good way). So good night all.
I'm sorry I haven't written most of you regularly. I seem to have plenty to keep me busy :-)
I just realized that was probably not as interesting to everyone else as it is to me, so I shall cease this strain.
School was great today. It was our teacher's 40th birthday and 1st year anniversary at the college today, so our class pooled our resources and made a cake and bought a gift. It was fun, and I think she enjoyed it too. I got both the last spelling test and the take-home English exam back today, and I am pleased with the marks. On Thursday we have an in-class English final and a computer exam. If the computer part is primarily practical, I'm sure I'll do good. Guess we'll see.
But I should really run along to bed -- my feet and back are quite tired (in a good way). So good night all.
I'm sorry I haven't written most of you regularly. I seem to have plenty to keep me busy :-)
21 March 2005
random stuff...
I'm on my afternoon break right now. Today we are learning all about Internet Explorer and Outlook, so now we are allowed online. The school has high-speed ADSL (which I learned stands for Asymmetric Digital Sunscriber Line :-) ), and all the computers are networked to the main server, so we can go on whenever. So I figured I'd take advantage of this break.
Yesterday we went to church in St. Albert again, at the Canadian Reformed church. We also went to their Young Adults Biblestudy in the evening. They are very welcoming, and since most of them are college age, they are able to carry on a good discussion intelligently.
Alison was in Grande Prairie over the weekend, visiting Steve and the others. She took the Greyhound up and back, getting home pretty early this morning. We had lunch together today, the first I've seen her all weekend.
Today I finally finished my MS Word Level 1. The last assignment was to make an interactive table of contents for the financial document created in several of the exercises. It's really amazing what you can do with Word. I am planning to go on to the advanced Word levels also, but that won't count for my overall mark. They will issue a certificate when I am finished so I will be recognized as having completed Word.
We had our last Spelling test on Thursday, and I'm waiting impatiently to see what I got. This Thursday will be our English final and Computer final, and then start the actual Legal Secretary Program.
But this is the end of this post, because break is over.
Yesterday we went to church in St. Albert again, at the Canadian Reformed church. We also went to their Young Adults Biblestudy in the evening. They are very welcoming, and since most of them are college age, they are able to carry on a good discussion intelligently.
Alison was in Grande Prairie over the weekend, visiting Steve and the others. She took the Greyhound up and back, getting home pretty early this morning. We had lunch together today, the first I've seen her all weekend.
Today I finally finished my MS Word Level 1. The last assignment was to make an interactive table of contents for the financial document created in several of the exercises. It's really amazing what you can do with Word. I am planning to go on to the advanced Word levels also, but that won't count for my overall mark. They will issue a certificate when I am finished so I will be recognized as having completed Word.
We had our last Spelling test on Thursday, and I'm waiting impatiently to see what I got. This Thursday will be our English final and Computer final, and then start the actual Legal Secretary Program.
But this is the end of this post, because break is over.
15 March 2005
Yes, this is Canada ( . . . where else?)
Since I’m looking for a part time job, Alison and I went out the other day and papered Spruce Grove with resumes. That evening, after working out, we went to Tim Horton’s, and I decided to apply there too. They had an application form for me to fill out, so we sat there while I worked on it. I had to read one section, headed Activities, a few times before I could believe it. Here, I’ll write it out so you can enjoy it too.
"Activities - civic, athletic, etc. (Please
exclude reference to any organization which could indicate race, religion,
marital status, age, colour, gender, ancestry, political beliefs, sexual
orientation, place of origin, physical disability, mental disability, or
handicap.)"
I read it out loud to Alison, and then we read it again and counted. There are thirteen categories of unmentionable activities; there was only one activity I could only write down (which won't come to mind at the moment - it was so random) that was not in one of those categories. I mean, if I were to say that I enjoyed walking, biking, or skiing, that falls under the categories age (I'm not so old that I can't walk anymore), physical disability, and handicap (I'm able to walk). And if I mentioned that I volunteered last summer as official agent for our local CHP candidate, that would indicate my political beliefs, whereas if I said that I like to read, they could conclude that I am not severely mentally handicapped.
Why don't they just skip that whole section and hire every idiot off the streets, regardless of their . . . ? Then they wouldn't have to draw any conclusions, or make any judgments (which by the way, indicate they are not mentally handicapped either).
Good. Now that's out of my system.
04 March 2005
Wow!
I hadn't realized that that picture was quite so vibrant!
I'm on Alison's computer at her work, while she finishes for the day. I have to tell you all about the deals Alison and I hit in Walmart yesterday, but maybe we can do a combined post about that. I just have to tell you about today when I wore a new outfit to school. My teacher Lola is a self-proclaimed bargain hunter and second-hand shopper. This afternoon she called me up to the front of the classroom and told them, "This is the kind of outfit you can get for $7 if you have your eyes open." And she expanded on that theme at some length, aiming at the girls who come dressed in less-than proffessional looking ensembles. That was today's interesting moment.
I hadn't realized that that picture was quite so vibrant!
I'm on Alison's computer at her work, while she finishes for the day. I have to tell you all about the deals Alison and I hit in Walmart yesterday, but maybe we can do a combined post about that. I just have to tell you about today when I wore a new outfit to school. My teacher Lola is a self-proclaimed bargain hunter and second-hand shopper. This afternoon she called me up to the front of the classroom and told them, "This is the kind of outfit you can get for $7 if you have your eyes open." And she expanded on that theme at some length, aiming at the girls who come dressed in less-than proffessional looking ensembles. That was today's interesting moment.
01 March 2005
27 February 2005
HelloHelloHello!
I figured I’d better post again so you’ll all know I’m still alive.
My first week of school is over. So far it has been fairly basic. I’m good with the English part of it, as that was always my favourite subject. And the computer part makes sense to me so far. On Friday we learned about different types of software. Coming Tuesday is our first test on computers. I think I should be ok with most of it, but I want to get the highest mark I possibly can.
Tomorrow we have a field trip. Our computer class is going to CD Computers here in Spruce Grove to "shop" for a computer.
The only thing I don’t like about the college is that it is across the tracks. I have very nearly been late a couple of times. I’m trying to figure out when the trains run, but they sometimes vary as much as 10-15 minutes.
Alison has a membership with the Tri-Municipal Leisure Centre, so the other day I went and got one too. We went there on Friday after a trip to Tall Girl in West Edmonton Mall. I’ve never worked out before, so it was all new to me. First we both tried out one of those upright elliptical bike thingys. That actually was really fun. You have to enter your weight, age, and the amount of time you want to go for. Then it tells you what your heart rate should be while you’re working. If you much over the suggested rate, the machine tells you to slow down and cool down. After that, we wandered around the weights room, looking at the different fitness machines. Then we each picked out some light weights and hefted them around a bit. That is supposed to strengthen your wrists, but I don’t think it did much for me. Finally we went upstairs to the overhead indoor track and did about two miles alternating walking and walking. The track goes around above the two soccer pitches, so we could watch two different games from several vantage points. It was great, but I sure discovered how out of shape I am. We hope to go every day, or something like that. Then maybe by summer the two of us can bike to school and work.
This morning Steve and I went to First Presbyterian downtown Edmonton. It was a different service than I’m used to, but it was good. It’s a really beautiful old church, built in 1901, one of the first in Edmonton. They have a good organ there, and a choir.
Have a great week, everyone!
My first week of school is over. So far it has been fairly basic. I’m good with the English part of it, as that was always my favourite subject. And the computer part makes sense to me so far. On Friday we learned about different types of software. Coming Tuesday is our first test on computers. I think I should be ok with most of it, but I want to get the highest mark I possibly can.
Tomorrow we have a field trip. Our computer class is going to CD Computers here in Spruce Grove to "shop" for a computer.
The only thing I don’t like about the college is that it is across the tracks. I have very nearly been late a couple of times. I’m trying to figure out when the trains run, but they sometimes vary as much as 10-15 minutes.
Alison has a membership with the Tri-Municipal Leisure Centre, so the other day I went and got one too. We went there on Friday after a trip to Tall Girl in West Edmonton Mall. I’ve never worked out before, so it was all new to me. First we both tried out one of those upright elliptical bike thingys. That actually was really fun. You have to enter your weight, age, and the amount of time you want to go for. Then it tells you what your heart rate should be while you’re working. If you much over the suggested rate, the machine tells you to slow down and cool down. After that, we wandered around the weights room, looking at the different fitness machines. Then we each picked out some light weights and hefted them around a bit. That is supposed to strengthen your wrists, but I don’t think it did much for me. Finally we went upstairs to the overhead indoor track and did about two miles alternating walking and walking. The track goes around above the two soccer pitches, so we could watch two different games from several vantage points. It was great, but I sure discovered how out of shape I am. We hope to go every day, or something like that. Then maybe by summer the two of us can bike to school and work.
This morning Steve and I went to First Presbyterian downtown Edmonton. It was a different service than I’m used to, but it was good. It’s a really beautiful old church, built in 1901, one of the first in Edmonton. They have a good organ there, and a choir.
Have a great week, everyone!
23 February 2005
Hey there, everyone!
I got out of school half an hour early today because the computers wouldn't load the typing tutor we were supposed to use. Alison gets off work at 5:00, so I figured I'd go to the library and make use of one of the computers here.
My first day, Tuseday, was orientation. They split us into groups and got us to interview and then introduce each other first. Afterwards, we had a tour of the new campus. It is a one-storey building with about seven classrooms or so, a common room, and two bays that are still under construction. They're planning to have the one finished by May or thereabouts as a combination classroom/salon for the hairdressing class. They will work as apprentices from there. Apparently, they like to experiment on the students during lunch or breaks or after school, or so someone told me when they saw my hair.
Then we had a basic course on the proper way to take notes and study, which was very helpful to me.
The first five weeks of my class, the Legal Secretary Program, is basic English and Computer skills, so we are combined with the Medical Care Assistant Program (something like that). The classes together are about 20-25 women. They range in age from 18-over 40.
Today was our first regular day. I don't have my own wheels right now, because my car is still in the garage, so Mrs. Doige brought us yesterday. Today Alison and I drove in together. I dropped her off at work, and had just enough time to get to school. That was because I still have to figure out where you can make a left turn onto the divided highway. I ended up going down three streets before I found the right way. Also, the college is over the tracks, and students have been known to be late because of a train before. So they advised us to take about half an hour more than we might otherwise.
Anyway, today we had General Communications (English) in the morning, and Introduction to Microcomputers in the afternoon. The English was really basic, mostly stuff I already know, like parts of speech, so I was finished my exercise early. I picked up Alison and we took our lunch to Tim Hortons'. My lunch break was about an hour and a half long so it was nice not to have to rush.
My first official day of college was great. I think I was a little nervous yesterday before I went, but I'm glad it's starting out so simple. After five weeks, the classes will split, and we will go into stuff more specific to our courses.
So here I am now, at the library. I actually managed to find it myself, without getting lost (which my family will find impressive). It's so quiet here; I'm enjoying it.
I got out of school half an hour early today because the computers wouldn't load the typing tutor we were supposed to use. Alison gets off work at 5:00, so I figured I'd go to the library and make use of one of the computers here.
My first day, Tuseday, was orientation. They split us into groups and got us to interview and then introduce each other first. Afterwards, we had a tour of the new campus. It is a one-storey building with about seven classrooms or so, a common room, and two bays that are still under construction. They're planning to have the one finished by May or thereabouts as a combination classroom/salon for the hairdressing class. They will work as apprentices from there. Apparently, they like to experiment on the students during lunch or breaks or after school, or so someone told me when they saw my hair.
Then we had a basic course on the proper way to take notes and study, which was very helpful to me.
The first five weeks of my class, the Legal Secretary Program, is basic English and Computer skills, so we are combined with the Medical Care Assistant Program (something like that). The classes together are about 20-25 women. They range in age from 18-over 40.
Today was our first regular day. I don't have my own wheels right now, because my car is still in the garage, so Mrs. Doige brought us yesterday. Today Alison and I drove in together. I dropped her off at work, and had just enough time to get to school. That was because I still have to figure out where you can make a left turn onto the divided highway. I ended up going down three streets before I found the right way. Also, the college is over the tracks, and students have been known to be late because of a train before. So they advised us to take about half an hour more than we might otherwise.
Anyway, today we had General Communications (English) in the morning, and Introduction to Microcomputers in the afternoon. The English was really basic, mostly stuff I already know, like parts of speech, so I was finished my exercise early. I picked up Alison and we took our lunch to Tim Hortons'. My lunch break was about an hour and a half long so it was nice not to have to rush.
My first official day of college was great. I think I was a little nervous yesterday before I went, but I'm glad it's starting out so simple. After five weeks, the classes will split, and we will go into stuff more specific to our courses.
So here I am now, at the library. I actually managed to find it myself, without getting lost (which my family will find impressive). It's so quiet here; I'm enjoying it.
20 February 2005
[this was supposed to be posted last night]
1. Your name spelled backwards. edetsfoh arual
2. Where were your parents from? Dad was born in Smithers, B.C. to immigrant parents. When he was ten or so, they moved back to the Netherlands. Mom was born on a farm near Groningen, the Netherlands.
3. What is the last thing you downloaded onto your computer? New version of Messenger.
4. What's your favourite restaurant? I haven’t been to a great variety of restaurants, but my favourite is probably Tim Hortons. Eastside Marios is great too; and I love Chinese.
5. Last time you swam in a pool? Probably about a year ago. We rarely go swimming, because the pools around here are all two-bit, one-horse deals. Now THE place to swim is West Edmonton Mall Waterpark. You can’t really swim lengths there or anything, but they have a vast assortment of slides and rides, and a wave pool. The only thing is it’s quite pricey (hence I haven’t been for a while :-/ ).
6. Have you ever been in a school play? In grade 1 we did The Three Little Pigs. I was the big bad wolf with a big smelly nose I had to wear. Later when we started homeschooling, we did a production called A Tour of the Americas with our group. I was Brer Terrapin, friend of Brer Rabbit, with a papier-mache shell on my back.
7. How many kids do you want? As many as God sees fit to bless me with. I think a large family is wonderful, having grown up with 7 siblings, but I’ll have to see if I can handle that myself one day. :-)
8. Type of music you dislike most? New-Agey type music, such as Crystal Method, my brother’s current favourite (or was last time I saw him anyway). And any music that plays too long. I like variety.
9. Are you registered to vote? Yes indeed.
10. Do you have cable? Uh-uh.
11. Have you ever ridden on a moped? Yes, I have. My cousin took me for a spin when we went to Holland when I was 16. Though I think he called it a “brom-fiets” (free translation: noisy bike).
12. Ever prank call anybody? Once, and it wasn’t my fault. :-) The girl I was with dialled a number, handed me the phone, and told me to ask the person who answered to come to her party. I was pretty naïve, and did it (hey, I was like 11). I forget who answered, but we both got in trouble.
13. Ever get a parking ticket? Never. But then I haven’t parked much where such objects are distributed. Ask me again, after my college stint is over. :-)
14. Would you go bungee jumping or sky diving? Definitely not. Like Rita said, “If at first you don’t succeed, sky diving is not for you.” Rather not take that particular risk.
15. Farthest place you ever traveled. The Netherlands/Germany.
16. Do you have a garden? Gardening is a big thing in our family. We’ve always had a very large vegetable garden, but I didn’t have time to work much in it last summer.
17. What's your favourite comic strip? Garfield? No real preference. Whatever’s around that’s funny.
18. Do you really know all the words to your national anthem? I know the first and fourth verses, which is more than most Canadians. I’m also a Dutch citizen, and I know the first verse of the Wilhelmus too.
19. Bath or Shower, morning or night? I like both, but rarely have time for a bath (not to mention it empties the water tank :-/ ).
20. Best movie you've seen in the past month? Spiderman.
21. Favourite pizza topping? I couldn’t isolate a single favourite ingredient. Pizza is a favourite though.
22. Chips or popcorn? Salted corn chips with hot salsa, THE best.
23. What colour lipstick do you usually wear? I don’t wear lipstick, just lip balms, lip smackers, and lip shines. But they are all natural pinks.
24. Have you ever smoked peanut shells? You learn something new every day. No, I haven’t smoked peanut shells. I once smoked a hollow reed, though. Steve put me up to it.
25. Have you ever been in a beauty pageant? Me?
26. Orange Juice or apple? OJ
27. Who was the last person you went out to dinner with and where did you dine? I seriously can’t remember. Probably a fast bite at Tim Horton’s with Alison and Fiona when we were in the city a while ago.
28. Favourite type chocolate bar? O Henry bars. They aren’t too terribly adulterated with other substances (like Eat Mores – yech!)
29. When was the last time you voted at the polls? Past summer, provincial election.
30. Last time you ate a homegrown tomato? Last summer mom had some really good ones. I took them to work instead of an apple.
31. Have you ever won a trophy? Not unless you count 4-H ribbons and medals.
32. Are you a good cook? I don’t remember… haven’t cooked in a while. I used to be.
33. Do you know how to pump your own gas? Uhhuh. I’m a big girl. (although once the cap was screwed on a bit sideways, and I had to get a big strong guy also gassing up to loosen it for me :-/ )
34. Ever order an article from an infomercial? Never watch tv.
35. Sprite or 7-up? Gross. Give me root beer or coke any day. Different names for the same thing, anyway.
36. Have you ever had to wear a uniform to work? no
37. Last thing you bought at a pharmacy? Vitamin C
38. Ever throw up in public? Personal question X-D Actually, I don’t remember. Of course as a baby, probably plenty of times.
39. Would you prefer being a millionaire or find true love? Only one answer to that: love first (I’ll gladly accept both if they come together :-D )
40. Do you believe in love at first sight? No experience to speak from. But I would probably say no.
41. Ever call a 1-900 number? nope
42. Can ex's be friends? Again, no experience.
43. Who was the last person you visited in a hospital? Alicia Thompson when her son was born.
44. Did you have a lot of hair when you were a baby? I can’t remember :-) (Just asked mom, and she says I did.)
45. What message is on your answering machine? My cell-phone has just your typical message, but I want to find a more unique, or at least interesting, one. Suggestions?
46. What's your all time favourite Saturday Night Live Character? No tv :-
47. What was the name of your first pet? Max, actually a family pet, is the first one I can remember. He was a really cute kitty, whose mother taught him to drink out of the toilet bowl when no one was watching. He carried the habit to our home, until we all learned to leave the lid shut.
48. What is in your purse? You don’t want to know! Actually, I'm not sure I even know what’s all in it. :-/
49. Favorite thing to do before bedtime? Internet – chatting, blogging, reading other blogs, etc.
50. What is one thing you are grateful for today? I finished my new denim book bag and got all my errands done.
1. Your name spelled backwards. edetsfoh arual
2. Where were your parents from? Dad was born in Smithers, B.C. to immigrant parents. When he was ten or so, they moved back to the Netherlands. Mom was born on a farm near Groningen, the Netherlands.
3. What is the last thing you downloaded onto your computer? New version of Messenger.
4. What's your favourite restaurant? I haven’t been to a great variety of restaurants, but my favourite is probably Tim Hortons. Eastside Marios is great too; and I love Chinese.
5. Last time you swam in a pool? Probably about a year ago. We rarely go swimming, because the pools around here are all two-bit, one-horse deals. Now THE place to swim is West Edmonton Mall Waterpark. You can’t really swim lengths there or anything, but they have a vast assortment of slides and rides, and a wave pool. The only thing is it’s quite pricey (hence I haven’t been for a while :-/ ).
6. Have you ever been in a school play? In grade 1 we did The Three Little Pigs. I was the big bad wolf with a big smelly nose I had to wear. Later when we started homeschooling, we did a production called A Tour of the Americas with our group. I was Brer Terrapin, friend of Brer Rabbit, with a papier-mache shell on my back.
7. How many kids do you want? As many as God sees fit to bless me with. I think a large family is wonderful, having grown up with 7 siblings, but I’ll have to see if I can handle that myself one day. :-)
8. Type of music you dislike most? New-Agey type music, such as Crystal Method, my brother’s current favourite (or was last time I saw him anyway). And any music that plays too long. I like variety.
9. Are you registered to vote? Yes indeed.
10. Do you have cable? Uh-uh.
11. Have you ever ridden on a moped? Yes, I have. My cousin took me for a spin when we went to Holland when I was 16. Though I think he called it a “brom-fiets” (free translation: noisy bike).
12. Ever prank call anybody? Once, and it wasn’t my fault. :-) The girl I was with dialled a number, handed me the phone, and told me to ask the person who answered to come to her party. I was pretty naïve, and did it (hey, I was like 11). I forget who answered, but we both got in trouble.
13. Ever get a parking ticket? Never. But then I haven’t parked much where such objects are distributed. Ask me again, after my college stint is over. :-)
14. Would you go bungee jumping or sky diving? Definitely not. Like Rita said, “If at first you don’t succeed, sky diving is not for you.” Rather not take that particular risk.
15. Farthest place you ever traveled. The Netherlands/Germany.
16. Do you have a garden? Gardening is a big thing in our family. We’ve always had a very large vegetable garden, but I didn’t have time to work much in it last summer.
17. What's your favourite comic strip? Garfield? No real preference. Whatever’s around that’s funny.
18. Do you really know all the words to your national anthem? I know the first and fourth verses, which is more than most Canadians. I’m also a Dutch citizen, and I know the first verse of the Wilhelmus too.
19. Bath or Shower, morning or night? I like both, but rarely have time for a bath (not to mention it empties the water tank :-/ ).
20. Best movie you've seen in the past month? Spiderman.
21. Favourite pizza topping? I couldn’t isolate a single favourite ingredient. Pizza is a favourite though.
22. Chips or popcorn? Salted corn chips with hot salsa, THE best.
23. What colour lipstick do you usually wear? I don’t wear lipstick, just lip balms, lip smackers, and lip shines. But they are all natural pinks.
24. Have you ever smoked peanut shells? You learn something new every day. No, I haven’t smoked peanut shells. I once smoked a hollow reed, though. Steve put me up to it.
25. Have you ever been in a beauty pageant? Me?
26. Orange Juice or apple? OJ
27. Who was the last person you went out to dinner with and where did you dine? I seriously can’t remember. Probably a fast bite at Tim Horton’s with Alison and Fiona when we were in the city a while ago.
28. Favourite type chocolate bar? O Henry bars. They aren’t too terribly adulterated with other substances (like Eat Mores – yech!)
29. When was the last time you voted at the polls? Past summer, provincial election.
30. Last time you ate a homegrown tomato? Last summer mom had some really good ones. I took them to work instead of an apple.
31. Have you ever won a trophy? Not unless you count 4-H ribbons and medals.
32. Are you a good cook? I don’t remember… haven’t cooked in a while. I used to be.
33. Do you know how to pump your own gas? Uhhuh. I’m a big girl. (although once the cap was screwed on a bit sideways, and I had to get a big strong guy also gassing up to loosen it for me :-/ )
34. Ever order an article from an infomercial? Never watch tv.
35. Sprite or 7-up? Gross. Give me root beer or coke any day. Different names for the same thing, anyway.
36. Have you ever had to wear a uniform to work? no
37. Last thing you bought at a pharmacy? Vitamin C
38. Ever throw up in public? Personal question X-D Actually, I don’t remember. Of course as a baby, probably plenty of times.
39. Would you prefer being a millionaire or find true love? Only one answer to that: love first (I’ll gladly accept both if they come together :-D )
40. Do you believe in love at first sight? No experience to speak from. But I would probably say no.
41. Ever call a 1-900 number? nope
42. Can ex's be friends? Again, no experience.
43. Who was the last person you visited in a hospital? Alicia Thompson when her son was born.
44. Did you have a lot of hair when you were a baby? I can’t remember :-) (Just asked mom, and she says I did.)
45. What message is on your answering machine? My cell-phone has just your typical message, but I want to find a more unique, or at least interesting, one. Suggestions?
46. What's your all time favourite Saturday Night Live Character? No tv :-
47. What was the name of your first pet? Max, actually a family pet, is the first one I can remember. He was a really cute kitty, whose mother taught him to drink out of the toilet bowl when no one was watching. He carried the habit to our home, until we all learned to leave the lid shut.
48. What is in your purse? You don’t want to know! Actually, I'm not sure I even know what’s all in it. :-/
49. Favorite thing to do before bedtime? Internet – chatting, blogging, reading other blogs, etc.
50. What is one thing you are grateful for today? I finished my new denim book bag and got all my errands done.
18 February 2005
Yippee!
Today is my last day of work. I will bring my computer and my last work to my boss this evening probably, and then I am forever finished! Then I have to concentrate on my packing. I didn’t think there’d be much to take along, as it is not a permanent move. But as I have been going through my things, I’ve realized how much I need to have for six months. Clothes, of course. And then a few books I must have, although I can go to the library in Spruce Grove if I have time. Then I need my stationary, calligraphy pens and supplies, and some of my CDs. My flute and music have to come along; maybe I will have a little time to practice, and Fiona plays piano, and Alison the violin, so that would be fun. Oh, and I mustn’t forget the shoes. I don’t have as many as some people (*cheeky grin*), but there are enough essential pairs of footwear that must come along. The list continues, but I’ll let it rest.
My dad just phoned. He took my car in for an oil change before I move, and lo and behold, the rear brakes need to be replaced too. I declare, that car devours money, with no significant return. On top of that, they won’t have the parts in until Tuesday (the day after I move!), so I’m not sure what I’ll be doing yet. We’ll have to see.
My dad just phoned. He took my car in for an oil change before I move, and lo and behold, the rear brakes need to be replaced too. I declare, that car devours money, with no significant return. On top of that, they won’t have the parts in until Tuesday (the day after I move!), so I’m not sure what I’ll be doing yet. We’ll have to see.
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