october 1... really

And another retarded flight plan... note how A to C also looks like the smart route but apparently - is not.

Indianapolis was pretty cool - I'd definitely send people here.  There were some great lessons for community revitalization that I'll be taking away from this - woohoo :)

Alright - night my loves - this daily flying thing is draining me like nothing I've ever experienced.
Love to you :)
xxoo

(Paula - I love you - thank you for your voice mail and email - I miss you so much)
(Mel - thank you for putting up with my texting at flight - I love you - you don't know how much I appreciate you putting up with my crazy behaviours)

raging panic

It is nearly 4am here and I'm sleeping - not well - but sleeping and I start having pain in my left side... (left) and it jolts me out of sleep and in two seconds my entire body goes - it is appendicitis and you are in the USA... (insert expletive) - I just sit there and try to calm down... it is ok - where are the positive mantras - why am I having a meltdown... but now I can't sleep I'm wide awake - could this be true - and so I hit google and see... and there - thankfully - it says right... and then I check my hands to make sure that it is left and not right,... but it is too late my body is full of adrenaline and now I can't return to sleep - I haven't watched tv in over two weeks - I think I will try that to get back into... try and get another couple of hours sleep... madness... stupid, freakin' anxiety..  just needed to write... this too will pass - just anxiety... just panic... and now I'm freezing...

*yes - I do actually have out of country insurance for this... but seriously... that is just something I don't want to have to use.

night - ish

tomorrow's flight plan

Sheesh - so today was a bit much - I arrived from Columbus to Atlanta Georgia - way south - and there airport is HUGE - I mean I had to take a train to get from where I landed to where I need to take off.  The Atlanta airport people were nice - one talked to me about God and blessed... in fact - that has happened twice today.   Blondes from Canada in America - watch out :)  It could be a video... but not that kind...

Anyways - then I flew back up to Cleveland and made my way into town to check out the downtown for my thesis - I was pretty disappointed and that only grew as the lights went out.  The downtown is poorly lit and the signage isn't great - they could definitely make improvements.  I understand the city has had tremendous change with the recession (a word that people try to avoid here) but it is a shame when the buildings are beautiful.  I got to go to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame - the building is wild - the items inside... well you can't take photos - so you have to have a really good memory and they kind of missed the music that I really really like - no Metallica section, no Pearl Jam, no Sharon Lois and Bram :)

Anyways - it was a whirl-wind tour and now I can't sleep.  So I'm going to work for a bit and then crash for a few hours and then....

Here is my day tomorrow - and again - see how it would be far smarter and less environmentally damaging for me to fly from A to C but no... they have to add in B and so I'm flying to Detroit tomorrow... - shorter flights though and that is good - looking forward to visiting downtown Indianapolis.

xxoo my loves :) 

good night

on a jet plane (i hope)

So I'm back on the road again and now it is time to work on my thesis - hooray.  60 pages on community revitalization and some wrap up on another paper I'm working on right now. I fly to Cleveland today... here is how I'm getting there...

That's right - not A to C like it should - a one hour a flight - that is what I booked - nope I'm going A to B (Atlanta Georgia) and then back to C - WTF!  So needless to say I'm not happy about that - six hours versus one - ridiculous - but the US - it seems that people are just use to this ridiculousness - that it is ok to have to travel in this fashion.  So that's my day today - more tonight... xxoo love to you :)

male highway

how do you spell done

Alright - I'm tired... I can barely stay awake through sessions and it isn't from a lack of sleep, but I'm just burned out and lonely - (I know - it is a pity party just for me).  And while I'm definitely getting good ideas for my thesis (diploma program) so that is good - I have some great ideas for downtown/community revitalization - so that is all sitting in the positive court.  And yes, I'm in a major American city where you certainly wouldn't know there was a recession in this city.  I've seen a few homeless people - but very few... count them on one hand - went to a mall yesterday - a 1.5 BILLION development and it is all high end - Tiffany, Chico, Apple, etc - and it is swarming with people and they are shopping it up!  I also walked to the Ohio State Buckeye Stadium yesterday where they hosted 105,000 people at the game... not me - I just decided to walk around a bit.  What else... well here are a few photos from some of the evening stuff...

View from the nose bleeds - three rows from the wall of the building... note the Canadian flag...

Here is Little Big Town - VERY GOOD

What's this - I'm closer and on a different side of the building... how did that happen....

10 rows from the floor - this is the opening of Sugarland

There encore included Little Big Town - it was good too

$22 for this concert

Here are the Coors Light girls and boys cleaning the ice... 

And here are a few of the Pittsburg/Bluejackets game... 5-4 Pittsburg...

If you can see the flags going off in the distance of this photo - between the flag guys was the canon.

And more lame intermission activities...

This was another $10 game.. unreal!

So while this stuff is interesting and fun while you are there - it would be better with family - and I wish they were here to see some of the  stuff... to be honest - this place isn't that great and outside of the sporting features the business improvement area is run down and has only a few blocks where the surface is maintained - the mall I went to was too far from downtown and nothing to just browse and look at.  The zoo was something I was kind of interested in, but it is more than an hour away - so I'm not sure how they can call it the Columbus zoo - it is halfway to Cleveland... and now - back to class.

columbus ohio

I arrived in Columbus Ohio - the buckeye state - the buckeye is a nut... for your information.


Last night I got in and took the opportunity to go and see an NHL game - Bluejackets/Capital (I <3 the capitals) - $10 and because the Bluejackets were taking the beating of a lifetime there were good seats open - so here is the view from centre line - 18 rows up...

WICKED

Today I was talking to someone about what to do in Columbus and she said - oh well there is going to the game - and I immediately say - well I went last night - it was great and she just looks at  me... like I'm from another planet.. you see the game - was football... welcome to the USA - where football is king and the playbook is the bible... and so she told me about a game this weekend.

Hockey here is totally different - during the intermission they did this...

This is beach ball rolling with flippers for prizes... yep... and then they have cheerleaders who clean the ice - they cleaned the ice about 5 times in the 3rd period - completely unnecessary - but I guess people like that.. and then they had a canon go off when there was a goal - a real giant loud canon - I guess I'm just too use to hockey being the "game" and nothing else.

Anyways - I'm heading out to take some pictures to share what Columbus looks like - nothing like Quebec - I'm sad to not here french anymore and keep expecting people to bust out in it or for people to look at me in confusion because they don't know what I'm saying.  

What I've learned again on this trip - American's don't smile enough - they should take lessons in smiling and loosening up - let us all live happy lives... 

sick

So I've spent the last two days trying to get better. Turns out that when I don't have kids and husband around I forget to eat properly - and so I skip meals or food for the day and then get sick - awesome.... or I got a flu bug - I don't know - something...
today was the big finale to the first conference - big evening, awards today... (didn't get any) and then they show case the next conference... didn't come off as very appealing - so we will see...

What else? Well not much else - I've been busy with the sessions and trying to bone up on my french - I was in one store today and this girl starts talking to me in french and I answer her in english and she looks at me - shocked - you understood my french - I said yes, and that I just didn't speak it that well... so then she was excited that I could understand - especially being from BC - so that was nice... even at the awards show tonight I could piece my way through the awards and winning categories - it was fun... thinking... who know it could be great! :)

Alright - there is my brief update - I'm heading to Columbus tomorrow - two flights - meh - Air Canada because darned West Jet doesn't fly there... so that sucks... but I'm sure it will be fine - both flights are short...

Love to you!
xxoo ;)

photographique

oh la la la

Alright - so I'm Quebec and today was the first day where we had people talking in both French and English and holy man - I thought my head was going to explode. Someone will be speaking in French and you've got a headset on trying with all your might to concentrate on the words the translator is saying to have it make sense but the guy "calling" the conference stutters and doesn't make sense and you just can't understand what the hell is going - I've never been through anything like it - it was like torture because I just couldn't put it together.

I'm not feeling great today - not a flu, but just sick - probably from the food - it isn't the same and - holy - if you like mayo you should come and live in Quebec - they love it here - it goes on everything! literally - I haven't had one meal yet that didn't have it on something or as a side... unbelievable.. and yet there are lots of hot quebec people so maybe there is something different in their mayo.

I'll have photos later today - I forgot my cord, but am boring one from someone so I can load up.

Love to you!
xxoo

quebec - bonjour

So I've busted out bon soir, merci and the days of the week this trip... plus I can still read french so that is great - I left my hotel room at 5:40 this morning to get my first flight to Toronto - then Toronto to Quebec City and basically got here at dusk - I did go for a walk tonight just to see some of the buildings. I've been told that we will tour a bit while we are here and see old Quebec during the day - but we'll see - not a lot of time for that - between classes and conference sessions - little worried that there will be large sections of the conference in french... but we'll see - you see - I can understand slow french, but if they get going.. I have no chance.

It really is like being in another country though. Tonight we got told about the Canadian tax - not the gst like we call it - the Canadian tax - and they are getting charged 6.5% - I kind of laughed because seriously - we are charging Quebec more - no wonder they are pissed.

So it is now 2am - or 11pm BC time - so I'm struggling with the time change - but what's new about that... I guess I'll lie down and try to find some sleep - long day tomorrow - that much I know for sure :)

xxoo

stress

I'm leaving tomorrow morning for three weeks and I'm a wreck. I have so much to do that I don't know where to start. I haven't packed, I'm still working on files from the office - it is a nightmare... on top Kyle broke down over me leaving tonight. Just starting to cry and be sad - it just sucks.

So I'm kind of meandering between files and packing - that will be my next four hours now that the guys are snoring. I'm also trying to set up a scavenger hunt for the guys - so they have something to do every day - to stay connected to the house even when I'm thousands of miles away.

Alright - reporting from the Fairmont Vancouver tomorrow night - love to you!
xxoo

tea for your tub

Um... ok so I bought some tea bags for the tub... now at the time I was very impressed with the scents and thought that would be great in the tub and I could relax and enjoy... um... here is what I failed to calculate...

When I make a regular cup of tea I use a tea bag that is about 3 times bigger than the tub one. Now when I use a regular tea bag I get between 2-4 cups of tea... now in walks the bath tub tea - three times bigger... why did I think that it would scent my whole tub - that is far more than 12 cups of tea... and I know it shouldn't be colouring or flavouring the water - but I wouldn't have even known there had been a scent in the water if I hadn't unwrapped the tea bag myself...

Maybe I'm doing something wrong here.. any advise?

Ps.. We moved nearly everything in the house - less a few minor items - the guest room is pretty much set up, the living room is set up - upstairs and downstairs, the boys rooms are set up - our room has our clothes nearly put away but the room is a disaster but that is because we are going to redesign it and didn't want to set up when it will all just be moved again - I've been able to start packing and that is great... well great and not great - I'm sad about this trip - longest I've ever been away from home... it is all good and fine.. and if you post your mailing address or email it to me (aakcheng atsymbol gmail periodola com) I'll send you a postcard ;)

more xxoo - lucky you :)

east

Tuesday - that's under two days - I'm leaving for three weeks for training - wrapping up my EC D stuff - so I can graduate before the end of this year. I'm heading to Quebec City first and would love to hear some ideas on what I should definitely see and do while I'm there. I don't really have a lot of spare time - in fact - I think it is under a few daylight hours - but if there is something I should really really go and see then... I'd like to fit that in rather than just sitting in my hotel room.

Today we went four wheeling - Kyle had a blast and Michael - well he was done about an hour in - good time, good time, good time and then he was just finished and complaining - 'who thought this was a good idea, when can we go home' granted we went for two hours - and it was a lot and it poured... but it was fun and we got outside and did something together.

And then we got home... Michael is going through a box of games and holds on up and then starts screaming - wasp - wasp - he is so shocked that there was a wasp in there in the first place and then for the damn thing to have stung him - well - the wasp must have been barely clinging to life though as it just hit the floor - I can't figure out why it was even in the box... weird... so then he cried hard for about 5 minutes and then worked to get over it... fast forward two hours and he is watching a movie with kyle and enjoying the tale end of the weekend... and look at that - that loops back to the fact that I'm leaving on Tuesday morning and haven't packed anything.

Alright - back to unpacking and then on to packing for the trip.
xxoo + x

today is saturday

I still hate moving...

What else? Well school started - so Kyle is enjoying grade 3... and Michael has one more year until kindergarten - he really could have gone this year, but being the new year's baby means he has to wait.

Tomorrow - if the weather holds - we will be out four-wheeling - there is a big group going and then there is a BBQ afterward.

I leave for Quebec in a couple of days - I'll be gone for three weeks from family and that is a lot - plus I'm bent out of shape about it because I'm swamped at work right now and don't know how to just leave there on Monday afternoon. With any luck I'll have photos to share with you of cities I've never been to over the next three weeks... insane...

Alright - I'm bagged - love to you!
xxoo

u-haul

Alright - so since it is bound to come up and I can't be ashamed about it - I'm just going to come out and say it...

We moved back to town.


I HATE MOVING!

We rented a giant honkin' u-haul and basically moved most of the house back today. It was insane. Lucky for us the kids had a birthday party to go to and we got three hours to move. That meant the living room (all the heavy furniture, the bedrooms - well beds and some of the gear, a little bit of the kitchen and then various other stuff - desks, etc...

I know... you are like - um' hold the phone here ms. thing... what do you mean you moved back to town... what? why?
so here is the list of why...

1. The water burned my skin - even when we got it fixed it still wasn't great and I couldn't drink it
2. There are bears and Michael was afraid every night that a bear was going to come in the house for food (he thought he might be on the list as food)
3. The neighbours had giant dogs that roamed the neighbourhood freely and crapped all over the place
4. The drive (I know - my city dwelling friends - hold on...) 15 minutes (one way) and exceeded what some of us felt was ok (I know we are spoiled - I'm 1.2 km from work and the only reason it takes me 10 minutes is because I have to drop off kids in two different locations... )
5. The house was haunted (ok - it totally wasn't - but that sounded good)

So we are back in the house that is adjacent to the crack shack and trying to settle before school starts - stop rolling your eyes... I see that... I know - I know.. I KNOW!

I also love you! I hope you are having a wonderful evening, my legs burn from the move today - and we still have a bit to go tomorrow.. and then the joy of unpacking stuff... all with the clock ticking on my next departure - I leave for three weeks of training on Sept 14 and feel completely unprepared for it even though I've known it was coming all year.
xxoo

sleep walking

Well - odd as this is - I started sleep walking again last night. I opened my eyes this morning and actually couldn't figure out where I was. I had a blanket, but I couldn't figure it out. I knew I'd slept walked somewhere... and then I got it - I'd transported myself to Michael's room - and Michael couldn't figure out why I was there... said he hadn't called me... so I don't know when or what prompted this... but I thought I'd share... at least I didn't wake up outside... I'm always scared of that.

I'm super tired tonight. Feel like I could sleep for 12 hours... but sadly - it will be more like six... maybe seven - night my friends - more hugs to you! xxoo

nothing

I have nothing important to say or offer tonight - other than please accept this hug from me to you - because we all need more hugs. With love... :) Night night...