I would hate to write about the food here again but it's really so tempting... tonight I had Halibut steaks! I also started going to the gym yesterday. Really breaking myself in easy though started with cardio yesterday and did weights today.

Things here in the office have calmed down quite a bit and near the end of the day today things were pretty good. Turns out I still work for the same company that hired me but another company is paying my salary... don't ask it doesn't really make sense to me but it works awesome because this way I'll be able to get references from TWO massive companies!

I do believe the weather here has been warmer than it has been in Edmonton for the past few days. I've only been outside twice but each time the sun has been shining and it's been around 6 degrees. That is causing some major problems on the roads apparently though because the puddles are the size of lakes! That and our roof is leaking torrents of water in some places, I thought the gym was going to have a pool at one point.

Watching some of the people up here is really interesting. There are a hell of a lot of miserable people who are just plain miserable. It's incredible that they're so damned unhappy and mad at the world. These are the people that put holes in the walls, steal the TV's from their rooms, bitch about the food, and just hate life in general. These are the people that it's not worth talking to. Luckily most of the people who work for our company are generally really great and very happy so life is good.

Oh, for any of you who were hoping that I would take some pictures and post them, I'm not allowed to take any pictures of anything because this is an oil company and for security reasons it's strictly prohibited. So sorry no pictures, I'd like to keep my job.

Livin' the life!

OMG I LOVE the FOOD here!  Tonight we had a choice of New York Steak, Chicken Cacciatore, Pizza or Stir-fry.  They’re going to have to get a Hercules to haul my fat ass out of here!

I no longer work for the company that hired me and brought me up here.  Today HR did some people swapping and somehow I ended up moving to another employer.  As far as I know everything is going to work out even better for me though because of this.  OB was officially told that I wasn’t her employee and that she needed to back the hell off.  I’ve been smiling ever since because she’s so pissed.  The fact that she’s completely oblivious to the fact that the office staff despises her is actually quite entertaining as well.  Now because I’m trying to keep a low profile with this kind of stuff and not get involved at all I’m not going to be saying anything more.

So, so far everything here is fan-fricken-tastic!

The not so frozen North.

March 21, 2006

Well the first day is over… finally.  As first days go it was good but there are a lot of things that need to be ironed out.  My number one complaint already is that the Office Manager.  This really isn’t surprising as I knew her from school long before I got here.  In school we’d clashed like nobody’s business and I fear the same thing is going to happen here.  Overall the problem is that she doesn’t know where her power ends and doesn’t seem to realize that I am not her subordinate.  Today I just let it slide because I have information about how things are going to go down tomorrow that she doesn’t.  My job description has changed completely already and I’ll be starting training for it tomorrow.

New job difficulties aside the camp is an excellent place to be.  Everyday my room is cleaned for me and the bed is made.  My room is equipped with a 19” Television/DVD player with 60 satellite channels and the bed is nicer than any I’ve slept in for at least the past 6 months. Fabulous dinners and breakfasts are just waiting for me to show up and when I’m done the plates and leftovers are magically whisked away.  I was even told that our Head Chef cooked for Lady Di for two years!  Now my biggest concern is… not getting fat!

I’m going to bed because this first day has absolutely exhausted me and I need to be fresh for tomorrow as I know it’s going to take everything I’ve got to go keep pretending OB actually knows what she’s talking about and go along with what she’s ‘teaching me’.

Calgary's Better!

March 20, 2006

I’ve decided that the Edmonton airport kind of sucks.  What makes this airport suck?

1. No Starbucks! – How in hell am I supposed to get my Starbucks fix before I go away for three weeks with no Starbucks!  Bloody unfair.


2. Few laptop plug-ins – and I’m not telling where they are so you’ll have to find them yourself.


3. Wireless internet is limited - to some company that I’ve never heard of and a few American companies like Sprint.  C’mon every Starbucks in the country at least has Telus Hotspots… but of course Edmonton has to be different.


4. Calgary’s Airport is a 100 times better! – Calgary is a gorgeous well laid-out airport that makes flying a lot more pleasant.  

That said the airport does have a few redeeming qualities:

1. I nice vacant lounge on the observation deck to kill time in.


2. A Harvey’s

Freakin' Out!

As expected I’m kind of freaking out.  I got a haircut this week by a new stylist because my regular was out of town and I hate how my hair is behaving.  I think I resemble the poodle is all I have to say.  As it’s Sunday all the Salons that are any good are closed and the only other one worth going to is booked solid.  Fuck!  I think I’m just taking out the stress and aggravation I’m feeling though on my hair.  This morning Sister woke me up when she kept repeatedly calling me asking for help with her move, essentially this really wasn’t a big deal but more time would have been nice!

I think I need to go take some more vitamins or drink something to calm me down.

Date number two went really well. The more time I spend with this girl the more I enjoy her company. Very frank and honest and very funny.

It's Fresh!

I just realized that it was exactly a year ago today that my time with The Hudson’s Bay Company came to an end.  Strangely ironic that I’ll be starting a new job on Monday!  Life is funny with its little twists and turns isn’t it?

Today is really making leaving so much easier as I’m just sitting around the house with the Poodle.  I’m looking forward to starting fresh somewhere else.  

On the Move!

Well I’m on the move again.  I’m getting things ready to move out of The Barons.  This morning I went to Kelowna and bought some pants at GAP and ended up buying a merino wool sweater for $7!  Now I’m really tired again.

This is kind of fun... what's your theme song, mine's 'Let's get it on' by Marvin Gaye.

Grey's Anatomy

Very rarely in life have I ever connected with a television character but I have to say that I presently empathize in a very deep way with George from Grey’s Anatomy.

I went to a 90^th Birthday today and had quite a nice time. This couple always astonishes me as he is now 90 and she is 92. They are both still very current and extremely interested in what’s going on in the world. For his 90^th birthday he was very excited to receive his very first digital camera. I’m not sure what it was but he’d been studying Consumer Reports for months and finally made a decision. If I make it that long I hope I can be as cool as those two.

I have to admit that I’m feeling a little jealous tonight. The family went for dinner and after that I went with Sister to go and see her new place. She’s now renting a HUGE house with a friend from work. The place is very nice with a huge kitchen and living room, yard and even air-conditioning. So as I gear up for moving into my place at camp I’m feeling slightly envious.

This week is going to be a whirl-wind of activity. Tomorrow I’m going to Kelowna to do some shopping, as I’m not to wear jeans while working at the camp I’ll need some new things. Then I have to move my stuff out of The Barons because if by some miracle he does sell the house while I’m gone it’d be a good idea to have my stuff out. I work from Tuesday till Saturday then Monday I’m gone. I’m kind of glad that I’m working all week because it will presumably give me less time to worry about starting my new job.

The Date

Just because I know you’re all dying to know, the date was entirely enjoyable.  She was funny, intelligent and beautiful.  We had an excellent meal at Ric’s Grill and then made our way over to the wine tasting.  Tasted some truly fantastic wines and had quite a few good laughs.  After they kicked us out of the wine tasting we went for dessert and I dropped her off at her place, all in all a truly fantastic evening.  It’s true what they say though, just when the timing is completely wrong is when you’re going to meet someone.  Nine more days until I leave for camp.

Are You Selfish?

Why does it seem that so many people in my generation are so selfish?  I have been contemplating this a lot lately as I seem to have been running into a number of people whose actions have been incredibly selfish.  Now talking about it with my Parents they have told me that the 20’s tend to be an inherently selfish age but I would like to disagree with them.  I don’t consider myself selfish (although I suppose some could see me that way…) and I have a number of good friends who are the furthest from selfish anyone could get.  

So I don’t know people how ‘bout some of you actually comment on this and let me know what you’re thinking?  Is the generation in their 20’s right now really selfish or is it just me over-reacting to a few isolated incidents?


Discuss!

It's FRIDAY!

I have a date tonight!  I’m looking forward to it quite a lot actually because it’s a chance to get out of the house and do something fun.  We’re going out for dinner and then we’re going to a wine tasting.  I met her at the ill fated New Years Eve party and we really hit it off.

I’m off work today and will be puttering around just enjoying the freedom.  Have a good day everyone!

Loneliness

Artist: Annie Lennox
Album: Bare

Loneliness
Is a place that I know well
It's the distance between us
And the space inside ourselves
And emptiness....
Is the chattering in your head
It's the call of the living
And the race from life to death

Woa and I know
Yes and I know
What you feel...
And I've got a longin'
That's hard to find
Won't give me no peace of mind
Something that I've lived with all along
Days and weeks and months and years
Filling in the time my dear
Tryin' to find the place where I belong

Hopelessness
is the darkness in your heart
It's the sound of one hand clapping
While it's pulling you apart
Woa and I know
Yes and I know
What you feel

And
I've got a longin'
That's hard to find
Won't give me no peace of mind
Something that I've lived with all along
Days and weeks and months and years
Filling in the time my dear
Tryin' to find the place where I belong

And
I got a hunger that's
Hard to fill
Driving me on overkill
Tellin' me that everything's gone wrong
Got me a need
That I can't break
More than I can hardly take
Somehow I still keep on going strong

When I call your name
I'm gonna scream out loud
I'll say..."here I am standing in the crowd
"You'll say "come to me"
With your open mind
you never know
What you still might find
"But you keep me here
Like a cancelled flight
An empty train
Running through the night
An orphan child
A broken shoeand I'm still down here
Looki' out for you
Are you there for me?
'Cause I'm here for you

Ever since I heard this song it’s resonated with me in a way no song ever has before. Somewhat of a theme song for my life, I’m really feeling it tonight.

Just for Kicks

I was going to go to Vancouver this weekend but then I went out last weekend and bought three new pairs of… SHOES!  Yay, shoes.  I’m a dork.

Shakin' in my boots!

People keep asking me if I’m excited at the prospect of my new job.  I honestly can’t say that I’m “excited” so much as slightly scared because it’s yet another new horizon.  As has seemed to be a pattern in my life lately I’m heading off into something new and completely unknown.  The nice thing is that I’m not necessarily alone in this because I do have a friend working up there, in fact she’s the one that got me the job, though as she’s in management and is significantly older than I am it looks like I’m back to square one for making friends and meeting people again.  I think the scariest part of the whole situation is the unknown but that’s a dragon I’ve dealt with numerous times before and I’m sure will continue to deal with throughout life.

With everything in life comes choices and with every choice you wonder if you’ve made the right one.  I sit here at 26 and think “is this the best choice that you can make for this time in your life?”  Some of the things that concern me about this option are the semi-nomadic life that I’ll be living yet again.  Far away up North living in a place that is provided for me but is certainly not my home.  On weeks off where will I find myself?  Much of the time I imagine I’ll find myself back in Vernon with family but the option for foreign travel is definitely there.  But then the question begs to be asked “with who?”  I know that this is a fantastic opportunity in terms of if I make sound decisions now and don’t do anything impulsive or stupid I could literally be setting a financial and career foundation for the rest of my life but what of life beyond finance and career?

Good-Bye House.

The cold that I had is almost completely gone.  I guess my whining about my immune system and all the vitamins I take was premature because the cold didn’t even really last a week.

I didn’t mention in the last few posts but The Baron has put the house up for sale and has started the process of buying another place.  So it looks like we’re going to be moving in the next little while when this place sells.  Like everyone else who has ever been here I’m really going to miss this house.  I’ve considered it a great privilege to have been able to live here for as long as I have (although it was completely unplanned that I would be here for so long) and I have been pretty darn happy here.  I think the amazing views are what I’ll miss the most, that and the patio where we eat in the summer.  What I won’t miss is the miniscule kitchen and the main bathroom that is right off of the dinning area.  

At this juncture I’m not really sure where I’ll be going to from here because with the camp job happening I won’t really need much of a place to live because I’ll be working and living in camp for three weeks.  For my one week off I’m foreseeing myself being somewhat of a nomad.  With no real home base there’s nothing stopping me from spending time wherever I want to for that week.  Of course I’ll probably come back to Vernon for most of those weeks, especially those in the summer, but during the winter I can see myself booking myself into an all inclusive resort in Cuba or something… My main goal for this job is to make a lot of money and invest so that I’ll be able to have choices that don’t necessarily hinge on financial need.  I still want to look into the possibility of opening Narcissus, I’d like to own a condo in Kelowna at some point (I’ve been thinking of that in particular because if I’m gone for the three weeks I could rent out the place to some room mates and have them pay the mortgage), just make some smart decisions that would help lead to a place where I wouldn’t have to work for the rest of my life.

Northward Ho! (?)

Well I think that I’m going North.  Got the call this morning and I think the whole thing is going to go really well.  Only possible problem is that they want me there on the 20th and my current job likely needs me until the first of April.

(Immune) System Down!

Well the sick has hit full on, stupid cold.  I don’t even know why I got it this time.  Usually when I get this cold it’s because I’m tired and run down.  This time I think it got me purely out of spite.  You’d think that with all of Vitamins that I take I’d have a super immune system.  Apparently it doesn’t seem to work that way.