it's like i never left

Well I'm back in the 'knife and in some ways it feels like I never left. Sure, the coffee shop has moved, they're building an addition to the hotel, but it still feels like I was just here. It certainly doesn't feel like nine months have passed.

People look a little different, but it is surprising how quickly you fall back into routine. I went to the lunch time spin class (which I used to attend regularly) and the regulars were there and the conversations just picked up from where they were left off.

It's nice to be back with friends and family. Now I just need to get back to work and then I'm sure the summer will just fly pass.

getting my brokeback on

Well, I actually found a place that was open, and was able to get some riding in. The big sister and I did a six-hour ride in the mountains, or more accurately up and down a mountain.

It was a great trip, it was the two of us, three guides and two of their friends so it wasn't the typical tourist ride. We went into Kananaskis country. We stated in the Sheep River valley, then worked our way up Green Mountain on an elk run and then back down on some hiking trails. It was probably the most challenging ride I've done. We were going through rivers that were still half frozen and climbing down muddy trails.

Here's some photos:

shoulder season

I have to say I am sick of the words "shoulder season". That has essentially been the excuse given for why there is absolutely nothing to do here in Calgary, or the surrounding Rockies. Too late for winter sports, too early for summer, and anything you can do in the spring they have taken the week off.

 

Up north, we have the 'tween' season, between winter and what we like to call spring/summer. However it seems short. How it's so long down here is beyond me. Essentially everything ends from early to mid-April and nothing resumes until the middle of May. Maybe they just have too much money here in this province and they don't need to take any of mine.

 

Instead of going outdoors, I thougt I'd try to get my culture on by going to a show, concert or opera, but everything is sold out. I guess it's really the only option so everyone is doing it.

 

Yours truly,

 

Bored and Restless in Calgary

 

 

blog on the run

Sorry the blog's been a llittle quiet lately, the last set of exams were a killer, followed by far too much drinking and then several days of recovery, packing and cleaning. I am now in Alberta and am slowly working my way north for the summer and should resume blogging regularly.

 

 

one year done

Two to go. Well it's official, well all official except for the marks. I'm done first year of law school. Sorry it's been light on posts this week, but these last two exams weren't my strongest subjects so I really needed to do some serious work this week and didn't have a chance to blog. I'm briefly taking a break from the celebrations before I head off to the Karaoke!

More later.

the home stretch

As of yesterday, I am done 2/3 of my final exams for first year. With one course finished in december, and three more exams written this past week, the bulk of my first year marks are already settled. I have no clear idea how I've done, but will continue working away at my final two exams this week.

It's amazing to think that in one week today I'll be getting packed up and ready to leave to start the journey back up north. I'll be making some stops along the way to visit friends and family so it'll take around a week to make it to the 'knife, but it's coming. One year of law school done. Two to go.

lizzie borden

It appears Elizabeth May either didn't receive or chose to ignore my earlier advice for the Green Party of Canada. She's gone and practically yielded an axe to hack away any credibility the Green Party may have had and hitched her horse to what appears to be a one-trick pony in liberal leader Stephan Dion.

This "mutual support pact" really appears to be turning into a mutual destruction agreement. First, Dion is hitching himself to a party that has never won a seat to shore up support for what is supposed to be his strongest issue. Does he really need what little credibility he would receive from this deal? Is his support now so lacklustre that he can't even win votes on his flagship issue.

Second, so much for Elizabeth May and the Green Party doing politcis differently. This so-called fresh approach to politics is nothing more than a long tradition of backroom wheeling and dealing. Should Elizabeth May somehow actually defeat Peter McKay, how soon does she bore of being the lone Green MP, with no support, no caucus and no funding and simply join the LIberals, which she has essentially done.

Green Party, I'm done with free advice.

bye bye charlotte

Well, the final installment in Charlotte Church week is just creepy. This is a duet with british bad girl Amy Winehouse singing Michael Jackson's Beat It. I have some parting words for dear Charlotte

Charlotte, consider this a warning - Amy Winehouse could be your future. You're young, you're talented, you got knocked up, but really you're still a good girl at heart. Stay away from the booze and drugs and you'll be okay. It's too late for Amy, but you can save yourself. Stay close to your metrosexual rugby guy (even if he is David Beckham-lite) and raise your family or one day you too can be drunk, stoned and singing unintelligbly.

If that's not creepy enough for you, this duet was filmed on Friday the 13th, and today is Friday the 13th.

six degrees of charlotte

Remember the six degrees of Kevin Bacon game, it appears Charlotte Church could be the new Kevin Bacon. The girl has sung with everybody. It's time to play six degrees of charlotte: less than two weeks ago I ran into Jian Ghomeshi at 3:30am in a hotel lobby in Saskatoon. The next day Jian Ghomeshi was at the Junos with Nelly Furtado; Nelly Furtrado sang with Charlotte Church. Boom, three degrees.

Here's Charlotte and Nelly covering Gnarls Barkely's Crazy.



PS - for those of you sick of Charlotte Church, I'm sure my little obsession will be over in another day or two.

synchronicity

It's still a month and a half away but I'm really excited about the upcoming Police concert. In recognition of this excitement, I offer the following post. It's Charlotte Church (like I said yesterday, I'm a little obsessed) and some other unknown to me singer, Nerina Pallot covering the Police's Message in A Bottle.

caught in charlotte's web

I still can't get over the Charlotte Church video from yesterday. I have this strange fascination with it that I can't explain. It works out that she has had at least two seasons of her show, "The Charlotte Church Show". It also appears that she ended each show with a duet.

In the following video, Charlotte and Patrick Wolf (I have no idea who he is, some british singer who comes across as a bit of a queen), do a duet of Prince's "When Doves Cry".

no one told me hell had frozen over...

Because that is the only explanation for this next video clip. It's of Charlotte Church and Fergie singing a duet of Dolly Parton's hit "9 to 5". Plus it appears Charlotte Church is knocked up; if that's not a maternity dress, then that girl should fire her stylist.

Wasn't it just yesterday that Charlotte Church was a 12 year-old prodigy singing classical arias? What is she doing with a) her own show, b) singing with Fergie, and c) singing about the horrors of a regular job that she has never had?

the daily dharma

This may come as a surprise to some of my readers, but I subscribe to a yahoo group called Dharma for Today. Dharmas are generally the teachings of the Buddha and could be considered doctrines or laws. The group sends out sends a dharma daily, and once on weekends. One of the messages this week has stuck with me and has been bouncing around my head. I thought I would share it.

In the Dhammapada, a buddhist religious scripture, Buddha said:

We are what we think.
All that we are arises with our thoughts.
With our thoughts we make the world.
Speak or act with an impure mind
And trouble will follow you
As the wheel follows the ox that draws the cart...
Speak or act with a pure mind
And happiness will follow you
As your shadow, unshakable.
Happiness and unhappiness depend on our actions.

go leafs go

It's the third period, the leafs are up, I'm in a bar on broadway with beer, the hockey game and free internet. Life is good. Exams are bad.

guilty pleasure #13: more parodies on parade

This video was put together by law students at Queen University. It's a send-up of Justin Timberlake's "Sexy Back".

freaked out about not freakin' out

I'm studying away but it seems not to be at the pace or intensity of other people in my class. You can actually feel the tension in the air while you are at the law school. It's not cool. Everyone keeps asking me if I'm freaked out or stressed about exams and I keep saying no. In fact, the only thing I'm freaked about is the fact that I'm not freaked out. I'm doing work, but I'm also making sure I get some sleep on a regular basis. I'm hoping that I know more than I realize from going to classes, and doing my readings, and organizing and reviewing my notes.

guilty pleasure #12: parodies on parade

I heard a snippet of Alanis' spoof of My Humps on the radio today and then found the video on a friend's facebook page. I really hated the Black-Eyed Peas' original version of this song. I would complain every time I heard it. I kept saying how there was no point to it. Here's the video of Alanis' spoof:



It's amazing the number of songs today that are just plain silly when you slow them down and listen to the words. You're all familiar with my new found obsession, cutewithchris.com. Chris has gotten into doing parodies of songs. He's done Beyonce and Fergie so far. Since Fergie has been spoofed once already this post, I figure I should spread the joy and provide you with this send-up of beyonce:

leave them wanting more

Well I must say you readers are a faithful lot. It's been a few days since I last posted but you keep coming to the site every day. No, I'm not trying to leave you wanting more, it's more of an issue of logisitics.

With the recent move I lost tv and internet, which is a good thing considering I should be studying for exams. It's only a few weeks until I venture even farther north, ao it's not worth getting everything connected. With classes done, I'm not at school everyday so short of driving around Saskatoon searching for an open wireless signal, I can't connect.

Over the next couple of weeks, blogging will be a little less regular, but keep checking in as I'm sure there will be some posts. Once exams are done and I return to working for the government every day, I'm sure I'll have plenty of time to resume blogging daily!

the art of procrastination

I've been working all week to take procrastination to a whole new level. In order to procrastinate studying I have moved, gone on a blind date, accepted any and all invites that came my way. I've started going to the gym again, and today actually kept ordering coffee to hang out at a restaurant because there was a juno related group of people coming in half an hour. It ended up being no one we recognized, but it was an excuse to procrastinate. I've begun the endless cleaning and reorganizing, and am now on Facebook as a new way to procrastinate.