My Petite Quodlibet

My New Job!!

2008-08-30T13:53:00.002-06:00

Well, it is true folks - I have taken a new job which I am very excited about! On September 10th I will be starting a groundschool at Canadian North for the Dash 8. Initially, I thought I was going to get a spot on the boeing, but they needed another person on the Dash, so I accepted it. After some thought, I think it is for the best anyway; it is a much smaller and more manageable step along my aviation career. Plus, I have always wanted to fly a Dash anyway.

I remember back when I was doing my flight training in Moncton, we would often see the beautiful red Coast Guard Dash 8 fly under us in our practice area. Since then, I thought that I would love to fly one of those and now I get to!!

I have really enjoyed my time with Bar XH, but I have been there for three years now, much longer than most. I was the last surviving employee from my initial groundschool! Everyone else had previously taken other jobs. I really liked my job there and have had tons of fun and learned a lot. I don't regret a single day spent there as it is a good company to work for.

Canadian North is somewhere that I always thought that I might want to work. So far, my experience with them has been fantastic - great people! I'm really looking forward to this new adventure!! Wish me luck!

Upgrade

2008-07-15T17:45:00.003-06:00

So, I've just returned from Seattle, WA where I did my training and upgrade on the Jetstream. Not my dream of an aircraft, but they say it prepares you well for bigger and better things so that is what I keep telling myself!! It was my third time to Flight Safety for training and overall I guess it went well. For those of us who are very fussy and prefer perfection, it always feels like you suck!! I passed, so it must have been ok despite my mistakes. It's all about learning I guess and I did learn some stuff that I won't ever forget!

This time in Seattle was pretty busy so there wasn't any time to tour around and do anything fun. It was just work, work, work. I do love that city though. It is lush and beautiful with all of its trees and water. It is much like Vancouver, but better I think because one could actually afford to live there!

I don't have much for pictures of the jetstream and obviously that is not me in the above picture!! That's a fellow who I used to fly with here - awesome guy and lots of fun to fly with! That, however is that Jetstream and you will notice that it is not a jet!!!

Sooooooo long!

2008-05-31T00:50:00.003-06:00

Well, time certainly does fly by! I guess I don't really have much of an excuse for not writing. Partly, I think that Facebook is to blame. All of this online stuff is time consuming!

Well, winter was very busy at work. Like most companies in Western Canada, we are short pilots. This means that those of us remaining have had to work a lot more. In many respects, I think that the aviation industry is in a bit of trouble, but not the kind of trouble that we pilots have been used to in the past. These days companies are having such a tough time to find pilots with any amount of experience. The industry has changed so much over the past couple of years and it does have its good bits, in that it is not terribly difficult for pilots to find jobs and operators have had to increase the pay scales. For so long, companies could get away with not paying pilots very much money because we were all so desperate to have a job.

I also think that the overall work ethic of pilots has diminished. It is quite rare to find someone who will do anything extra. "I don't get paid to do that." is something I've heard. Even for a small thing. I think that it is unfortunate, but I guess it is these kinds of situations which bring out people's true colors. There has to be a happy medium in all of this: if each of us could go out of our way just a tiny bit, without demanding extra this or extra that, then the effort would be small and the result large.

My final complaint is about just that - complaining!! Don't you think it is contageous. I do. As soon as you get one person complaining about whatever, before long someone else chimes in and voices their complaints. It is so icky to be around!! I've certainly fallen victim to this, but try not to. I love it when I'm paired up with someone who likes their job and we can talk about stuff besides how "terrible" it is to have to "work" for your money!!

Anyway, I still feel lucky every time I get to look out that front window from way up high! It's the best job in the world.

Disneyland!!!!

2007-12-19T01:19:00.001-07:00

I went to Disneyland with my gal pal Thenes and we had an absolute blast! I had never been there before and had no clue what fun I was missing! It had to be one of the best vacations I've ever been on and much of that was due to Thenes being such an awesome travel partner! Here are some pictures!

Where does the time go?

2007-10-13T22:28:00.000-06:00

After my trip to Gull Lake I had done some other fun stuff which I was all prepared to post on, but the rest of the summer just seemed to slip away. I had to go down to Seattle for recurrent sim training and that took up some time and energy! I did manage to go camping another time or two and I even went once with other people! Imagine - the novelty of non-solo camping! It was lots of fun.

What else, well my excellent gal pal Thenes got a job at my company and recently completed her PPC on the King air! I just remember how exciting it was for me so it's been fun sharing in her excitement now! I've also enjoyed hearing some amazing stories of flying up north from my other most excellent gal pal The South African. She recently just returned from a 2-3 week stay in Nunuvut where she and her flying partner carted around a bunch of hunters. It sounded amazing and I will bite my tongue on what I think about trophy hunting.....!!

Anyway, not a lot to say right now considering I have been lazy for so long on this blog! Maybe I will just post a small assortment of pictures instead of writing more right now!!

I actually went to a number of company going away parties this summer with people leaving for things like Jazz and WJ and all sorts of things! The parties were fun, but not so fun to say good bye to lots of good people.

Here are a couple of cool clouds; one on the way to
Fargo and the other on my way to my house!

Yes, I even did help install some flooring in the basement!

Gull Lake

2007-07-29T19:09:00.000-06:00

This week I went north to Gull Lake. Originally, I thought I would go and check out Sylvan Lake until I realized that it was packed with condos, pubs and restaurants and thousands of people. It was not quite what I was looking for. The only campground that I could find around the Lake (called Jarvis Bay) was full so I continued on to Gull Lake where I found a spot. I got the very last site available in the Brewers campground which is located inside the Aspen Provincial Park. It was a very nice campground - it even had showers which is so nice after you area all sweaty from biking, hiking and driving all day! There was a nice beach, but was quite shallow so not great for swimming, but very nice for wading around in.

I also visited the town of Lacombe which apparantly some magazine named one of the 10 prettiest cities in Canada. I'm not sure I'd put it in my own top ten, however it was very beautiful with it's old and well cared for downtown buildings.

I also went to the town's local Corn Maze! There was four acres of corn with a three part maze cut into it! It was rather incredible! I did the phase one of the maze where you find five checkpoints within the maze and answer questions which, if you answer correctly, will point you in the correct direction. It was fun!

I made a friend at this corn farm! He was so cute and a true believer that the grass is better on the other side of the fence!

Kananaskis Lakes

2007-07-29T18:17:00.000-06:00

Last week I went camping at Kananaskis lakes for a night. I did a few hikes over the two days and visited a number of amazing spots. I just love the smell of the trees and water out there; the air is so fresh and clean. The only bad part of the two day event was the thunderstorms that hovered over the lakes for the entire night! It began with hail which confined me to my car for about a half an hour. After that it just rained, lightly for a while and then after I went to bed it poured all night. The thunder was so loud that I could feel the ground shaking in my tent! I was only a tiny bit wet in the morning. The next day was beautiful again!

Here is my little ol' site!

Beautiful eh!

This is the view from the top of the Mt. Everest Exploration trail which gives you a good view of both lakes. I guess this trail was in honor of the first Canadians who climbed Mt. Everest.

Most Favorite Shoes Ever

2007-07-11T19:19:00.000-06:00

I could almost cry....over shoes. I bought these sandals in South Korea in 1998. Yes, nearly a decade ago. I've gone hiking in these shoes, worn them in water, worn them everywhere. I LOVE these sandals like I've never loved a pair of shoes before. Today, they broke. They broke in such a way that they are not to be fixed. Man, I'm gonna miss these shoes.

Emerald Lake

2007-07-11T16:50:00.000-06:00

So, although Emerald Lake is not one of the Day Trips listed in my book I went out there last week with my gal pal Thenes! If you have never been, I highly recommend the visit. I had been there one other time about five or six years ago when I first moved to Alberta. It is about a three hour drive from Calgary, but well worth it.

We did the hike around the lake which is beautiful and diverse. It is just over 5 km, but is very easy and we hardly broke a sweat! That is my kind of hike! In this second picture you can see where there had been a landslide and the trees are just growing back in.

There is a really nice lodge at the lake, but it is also very populated at this time of year. Perhaps a nice place to go in the winter for a weekend and likely more affordable then too.

Along our way back towards Calgary we took a detour to see Takakkaw falls which someone had recommended to us. It is also well worth the time to make the drive to see. It is a crazy road that sidewinds up the side of a mountain and then a very short hike which leads you right up to the base of the falls. It is incredibly loud and misty at the base. Very powerful and beautiful to see!

We stopped into Field to see the visitor center. Well, to be honest, someone told us that there were free hotdogs in honor of Canada Day, but I think we missed them! Oh yeah, and to even make our day better, the enterance fee to Banff National Park was waved because it was on Canada Day! Once again - Canada Rocks!

We had supper in Canmore before finally making our way back to the flatlands! It was a fantastic way to celebrate our great country!

Big Rock

2007-07-11T16:28:00.000-06:00

It is amazing the places around here that I havn't been! Take Okotoks, Black Diamond and Turner Valley for examples!

Okotoks is such a beautiful town and I can see why so many Calgarians are migrating south to live there. It is actually much larger than I had expected. I parked in the downtown area and took a walk and visited a number of quaint shops and antique stores which are all in this area of Victorain style buildings. They reminded me of Fredericton in N.B. which has numerous houses of that style. Very nice.

From there I drove to Black Diamond where I stopped for lunch and found this awesome little 60's style diner called Marv's Soda Shoppe! I had a chocolate malt (made by Marv himself) and their classic hotdog. It was probably the best hotdog I've ever had and it had celery salt on it - strange, but yummy!

If you couldn't guess, this is a picture of Marv! He has an amazing curled mustache! This diner also had one of those old organs that play by themself and the keys move - not sure of what they are called, but it was very cool and I had never seen one before, other than on tv...

Along my travels I also stopped to see the Big Rock which weighs 18,000 tons! I guess it is the largest glacial erratic in North America and was dumped on this now farmer's field by a glacier which carried it there from up Jasper way some 35,000 years ago! They are gigantic and when I was there a few people showed up with their gear to do some climbing on it!

From this area I drove more north toward highway 22. It is such a pretty area and some of it is in such a valley that you can't even see the mountains even though they are very nearby. Some of the properties and houses were amazing; you always hear rumors of various celebrities who own houses out there and I can see why. If you could afford something, who wouldn't want a place out there.

I did see one funny sign to a property which was called, "Happy Ass Acres" and I thought that it must be a great place to live!

Drumheller

2007-07-11T15:51:00.000-06:00

The town of Drumheller is developed in the badlands which are about 1.5 hours east of Calgary. I had flown over the area many times, but had never visited the town before. It is a beautiful place with lots and lots to see and do. I could have stayed another day and still not have seen everything there was to see.

I of course had to go to the Royal Tyrrell Museum of Palaeontology. The museum is a day trip in itself as there is so much to see and read about. The museum is named for Joseph Tyrrell, a geologist who first discovered dinosaur remains, an Albertosaurus skull, in the area. He also happened to be the one who discovered coal deposits in the area which eventually led to the area being known for its coal mines.

After spending a few hours in the museum I went on the interpretive walk which is just outside of the museum. I did it rather quickly as the mosquitos were bad. It was however very interesting.

From there I took a drive on highway 10 where I first stopped to check out an old suspension bridge that took workers to a coal mine.

I then continued on to the HooDoos. It is very cool, although I had expected to see a larger area of hoo doos, but there are only a few of them in that location. I guess hoo doo's got their name from the word voo doo. Early native Canadians believed that at night they would come alive and throw rocks at unwanted intruders!

The same highway eventually led to the Atlas Coal mine where you can actually take a tour inside the mine. I didn't take the tour as it was getting late in the day. Perhaps another time I will.

On the way back to Calgary I stopped just outside of Drumheller to take a look at the Horseshoe canyon where they do the helicopter sightseeing trips from. It was quite rainy by that time so there was noone around but me!

Anyway, it was a great day trip and I'd like to get back there one of these days and take my bike because near the Tyrrell museum there seems to be a lot of trails that would be fun on a bike!

Day Trips From Calgary

2007-07-11T15:44:00.000-06:00

I bought this book a while back and decided that on my days off this summer I would try and do as many trips from the book as possible. I started a few weeks ago and have tried to go somewhere on most of my days off. I decided that since I have lived in Calgary for six years, it is about time to see this part of the country. For the first few years I did nothing but work because I was too poor to go anywhere and my car was too unsafe to drive far!!! Ahhhhh, to be a pilot!!! We do it for love and definitely not for the money!

I'll try to write little bits on what I have seen so far!

Little Louie Lucifer (known as LOUIE)

2007-06-23T13:52:00.000-06:00

Here is my silly cat (aka: king of the castle). He rules the house and there is no stopping him from doing the things he knows he's not allowed to do. He just waits until you're not looking to do them. For example, take a drink out of your glass of water or dip his paws in the glass, get in the kitchen sink to see if there might be anything to nibble on, have a lick of the water cooler tap (gross for most people - I stopped worrying about it ages ago), or have a snooze on the table or on the dvd/stereo equipment (one of which I'm pretty sure he killed with kitty fur - my brother called it his $800 bed!!). Despite all of this, I love him and he's an awesome cat!

A Great Day!

2007-06-22T23:11:00.000-06:00

I don't know about you, but sometimes when I have a great day I find it hard to go to bed because it means the day will be over. Today was one of those days! It began with a Timmys (how else could one properly start the day) and then going to my lovely friend Thene's house to meet up with her and her two kids (and the dog too). We all piled into her van and drove out to Big Hill Springs Park which is a little gem of a place just west of Airdrie. It was so beautiful and lush with trees and waterfalls and a stream. It was just perfect. We went for our walk (Thene's with 30 lbs of little boy on her back - she's a tough mama) and me in control of the energetic lab. Her little girl was the official flower picker of the day! It was so awesome and I wish I could start every day out that way.

Not long after I arrived home later in the afternoon I had a knock on my door. It was my neighbor holding a big beautiful bunch of flowers. She said that a delivery man had come to my place twice and no answer so could she please give these to me when I arrived! I was certain that she just had the wrong house - but NOPE!!! Flowers for me! And, from the S n' N duo nonetheless. Can you guys see how fantastic the people I know are; I'm so very, very lucky! Thank you S n' N! My cat also loves plants, flowers, etc... and you'll see his nose poking in the corner of the picture!

I was still feeling energetic and it has been such a nice day outside that I felt like going for a bike ride so I stuffed my bike into my car and went to Fish Creek Park. I'm sure there was somewhere closer that I could have gone, but that's where I felt like being. It was also amazing and the paths where I entered the park (on the east end) are surrounded by grasses and they smell so fantastic. So, it was just a great end to a great day.

And, did I mention that I cooked salmon for supper - my most favorite food!

What's Up

2007-06-13T01:07:00.000-06:00

What's been going on.... well, I've been on a few days off and have wasted much of it - sleeping in too much, watching too much tv and wasting time on the computer. As much as I hate to waste time, really sometimes I think we are all entitled to a little bit of it and I'm not going to apologize for my laziness these past few days!!

What I did do: I read quite a bit. I finished the book, "Turning the Mind Into an Ally" by Sakyong Mipham. I really enjoyed the message and the writing. It is by a Tibetan Buddhist and is largely about meditation and achieving peace, yada, yada, yada. It was very good and I would read another by this fellow. I'm not Buddhist per se, but I do find it very interesting and I think we can take the parts that work for us from various practices.

I usually read several books at a time (not a great way to remember them all clearly, but I can't help it - this is what I do...) and the others I'm reading are: "Inspire! What Great Leaders Do" by Lance Secretan - so far an interesting book on leadership that my mom gave me. "Spontaneous Healing" by Dr Andrew Weil. I've read two other of his books and found them fascinating and this one, which I believe might have preceeded the others I read, is equally fascinating. I not only love the content of his books, but I love how he writes. He writes as though he were sitting next to you and having a conversation. His books are truly the only health books I've read that didn't feel like I was back taking some uni course. I've also been picking away at "Creative Visualization" by Shakti Gawain. I've seen this book numerous times in book stores, but only picked it up a while back at Fair's Fair (fantastic used book store in Calgary) on Suzie Q's recommendation. I enjoy it, but only in small bits at at a time. I guess I am also still reading "The Secret", but can also only read it in small bits at a time - I "get it" but can't help feeling like I am reading the script of an infomercial.... I have been reading "Suite Francaise" by Irene Nemirovsky which is quite interesting (and sad) because it was an unfinished manuscript by a Jewish woman who lived and wrote in France during the Nazi invasion of World War II. This manuscript had been lost since her murder in 1942, which sadly was at the hands of evil people in Auschwitz. The book was found, edited and translated in 2006. It is very interesting to read this long lost work of fiction which tells a story of various people living during the same era which ended up taking her life. And lastly, I am reading "26a" by Diana Evans. In my own defence, I only started this book because I had misplaced temporarily the "Suite Francaise" and I was in need of something to read!

I'm almost tempted to delete this last paragraph - I think it makes me look kinda crazy, like I have some sort of personality disorder which doesn't allow me to focus. (Pingcat - any comments!!!) Oh well, I do eventually finish books and when I find one that I LOVE, I generally don't read any of the others. A good example would be "Eat, Pray, Love" which I finished a week or two ago. Really, one of the best books that I have read in a very long time. My cousin Angie gave it to me and she had loved it as well. It was just the book I had been in the mood for.

Anyway, what else. My brother has been renovating the basement. This has been going on for a while now, but that is how he does things. He never buys things on credit (unlike myself...) and patiently does things properly as he has the cash and the time. I'm more of an instant gratification kind of person unfortunately! He has little (actually none) experience at mudding so that is taking some time! I'll post a picture of what he looks like at the end of every evening! It will be so great to have another room in the house, although I'm not sure that I will be allowed down there - he hasn't said so, but I suspect it will be "his" room. I hope he takes his stupid "UFC" obsession down there with him! It is pretty bad when some UFC show comes on and I've already seen it and know who wins...

Today I went for a hot stone massage - can I just say that there is nothing quite like it. This was a gift from the fabulous S n' N duo. I say to them, Thank-you, Thank-you, Thank-you!!! They had given me one another time and I swore at the time that it was probably the best single hour of my life. Today was a repeat of that experience! If you have never gone for one, I would highly recommend it. We gave my mom one for part of her Christmas gift and she loved it also. Who wouldn't. I wish I could go for one every day!!!

Tomorrow, for my final day off, I am going to help my friend work on the books for his company - very exciting... I am going to a meditation class and hopefully if it is nice I will have time to get my bike out and go for a ride somewhere - Fish Creek park maybe. I was supposed to go camping with my friend for a couple of days this week, but he had some family thing come up and had to cancel. That's more important stuff so we'll try again another time.

Oh, and can I just say that I LOVE George Stroumboulopoulos on The Hour. I think he is most brilliant.

Well, that is about it. Cheers!

Thunderin' Calgary

2007-06-06T12:59:00.000-06:00

Last night I was on a medevac shift and checked in for work a bit before 18:00 and checked the weather for southern Alberta. Heavy thunderstorms were forecast/reported over many areas of the province, including the Calgary area. My co-worker, his girlfriend and I hung around the office for a while watching a big CB to the south develop and move closer and closer to the airport. I say big CB, but really it was MASSIVE! After some time, I decided that I better go home and close all the windows that I had left open, and it was just in time because the wind and rain had started. A few minutes later we were having the craziest thunder and lightning and this went on for a couple of hours at least. I took some video and pictures of the gigantic cell as it moved toward the airport, but it doesn't do it justice since you can't see the entire cell on one frame.

Lilac Festival

2007-06-01T22:52:00.000-06:00

Last weekend I went down to 4th street to check out the annual Lilac Festival since I had never gone to see it during the six years I have lived in Calgary! I must say that it didn't start out so well...have you ever tried to find parking down there on a regular day, let alone when most of the city has also decided to park down in that area. Initially, I was going to take the train, but to be honest I didn't get up early enough to figure out how to get from the train station to that area. I don't often use public transit in Calgary so am not very familiar. Anyway, so needless to say I drove around for probably close to 1.5 hours in search of a lone parking spot. I drove near and I drove far as I was willing to walk. But seriously I found nothing. So after this amount of time in my non-air conditioned car driving around packed streets I decided that I did not need to go to this festival after all and decided to head for home. That is precisely when I saw a car pull out of a spot and I slipped right in. And, it was on 7th street so only a few blocks away! I could hardly believe my eyes. In fact, I triple checked for signs which prohibited my parking there for I feared that I would return later to find my car towed away. But, nope, no signs!

So I walked around the festival for a couple of hours just checking out what was there. It was much like traditional outdoor markets that have crafts, clothes, food vendors and lots of great music. I couldn't believe how packed it was; I swear everyone in Calgary was there! It was nice, despite the shoulder to shoulder walking but I must say I saw very few lilacs! Here are a few pictures of the festival.

Seven Wonders of Canada

2007-05-17T06:55:00.000-06:00

The CBC is hosting a nation wide vote for the Seven Wonders of our country. At this point, they have narrowed it down to 50 that have been submitted by Canadians. There are some great ones, many I know and I few I don't know. I had a conversation with a co-worker about the wonders of Canada the other day while having breakfast. He had a few really great suggestions that I didn't see on the CBC's posted list of 50. One that he suggested which I would have voted for was the Canadian Railway through the Rockies - what an incredible feat to have built that so many years ago. Another good suggestion which I heard someone submit on the radio was the bush pilots of Canada because of the unique landscape and climate up north that over the years they have had to endure. That one didn't make the top fifty.

Here were my votes, but I had such a hard time to pick and as soon as I submitted my vote I questioned whether they were the seven I wanted, but too late. I just think that there are so many amazing things which are unique and special about our country that it is very hard to pick.

1. Bay of Fundy
2. Confederation Bridge
3. Cabot Trail
4. Drumheller
5. Haida Gwaii
6. Northern Lights
7. The Rockies

What I noticed about my choices is that they are divided between what I know and love of the East and what I know and love of the West. In my little current world, the middle of Canada has been left out. That is not to say that I don't love that part as well. For example Niagra Falls or even the TCH that winds us through some amazing landscape in Quebec and Ontario.... so many to choose from.

And your choices would be????

New Brunswick

2007-05-13T12:36:00.000-06:00

My trip home to New Brunswick was nice and relaxing. I did spend a lot of time at home, which was the plan. It bugs my dad when I go home and then spend the entire time out visiting everyone but them, so this time I asked my mom to plan some kind of a potluck family party thing and whoever wanted to see me should come to that! So that is what we did and it certainly was much easier than driving everywhere to see my family.

The province of New Brunswick is so beautiful and so different from Alberta. It's simple, quiet, quaint and full of trees and water. It was still a bit early for the trees to be all green and the water to be warm enough to swim in, but beautiful nonetheless. Here is just a sample of what I love.

This visit home was the first in a year and a half. That is much too long to go without seeing your family. I would like to go home frequently enought to not notice changes, like my parents aging or people moving away or people who never had children all of a sudden have toddlers, and so on. Hopefully my next visit won't be so far away.

2007-04-30T22:12:00.000-06:00

I guess I don't really have one specific topic that I feel like posting on, but here are a few tidbits of what's new. Not that any of it is terribly exciting!

I'm reading a really good book by Dr. Andrew Weil. It's been out for several years, but I had never read it before. It's called something like "Eating Well for Optimum Health" and it explains the various components of what we eat (ie. carbs, proteins, fats, vitamins and minerals, etc...) and it is very good. I've learned tons and am only half way through the book.

In other stuff - also not falling under the exciting category - I have been on nights this weekend and again tonight and tomorrow night. I've only flown once so far. That's good in the sense that I have not gotten woken up during the night and bad in the sense that I havn't gotten to fly.

What else - Noelene should hurry up and post about her very exciting first week of flying on the twin otter.... I got the 'over the phone version' but I would like to read about it and see pictures!!! Hint, hint!

I am going home to N.B. on Friday for six days! I havn't been home in over a year and a half. Really, that is just too long to not see my family and for my family not to see me. I'm looking forward to seeing my parents and relatives as well as just the relaxation that comes with the area. My folks live on Grand Lake in NB and it is so beautiful (not as great as summer when it is nice for swimming - still a bit cold!). I am also really looking forward to the smell of the East Coast. For those of you who perhaps haven't spent a lot of time on either coast or near water there is a different smell. I can't wait for that - it always makes me want to cry when I smell it because I just miss it so much. I was in Victoria a couple of weeks ago and when they opened the aircraft door it hit me right away. I was homesick immediately. Now, I don't want to move home right now or anything, I would just like to be able to visit much more frequently. I'm looking forward to walking by the lake and having my mom cook for me!!! I can't wait to see my dad and am so thankful that he is healthy (some of you know that he had two surgeries to remove spots of the "big C"). He's extremely fortunate that they got it all and he didn't need to get the dreaded chemo. He's nearly 100% again, so for that reason I'm especially looking forward to seeing him.

What else...well, lately I've been wanting a dog even though I know that is a very bad idea for numerous reasons which I won't go into right now. I think that it is because it is starting to get nice out and a dog would be a nice companion for walks when you just want peace and quiet, but not to be completely alone! Make any sense! Anyway, I'm sure I could just offer to dog walk for people I know with dogs and that would curb my wanting! At least it isn't something crazy like a baby that I'm wanting!

Well, that's about it.

Facebook

2007-04-22T11:06:00.000-06:00

So, does anyone else find facebook addictive? I think it is so interesting to get caught up with all of these people that I havn't seen or heard tell of in years and years. It's amazing how many people have kids and are married, etc... I guess that is what normal people do. I'm finding myself checking it everyday now just to see what people are up to. I've joined a couple of groups: for example, I've joined a group that someone at my work started and I joined another one for the flying club where I used to work and one for the Moncton Flight College. Actually, I just joined another one a couple of days ago - something about being from New Brunswick and how that province kicks ass.... I keep waiting to get made fun of for that one!

Anyway, obviously I have some kind of an addictive personality, so please don't send me anything else that I can become addicted to - I'll never leave the house!!!

Who's that on my fridge???

2007-04-11T18:02:00.000-06:00

Hey, who's that guy on my fridge? What a handsome devil he is!

Hawk

2007-04-11T17:52:00.000-06:00

Today a friend emailed me to tell me that he would be in Calgary for a bit in his jet. He did some flying at the club a few years back and now is training in the Canadian military on the Hawk. I wasn't even sure which plane that was, but today I met him at the airport and got to have a look! Pretty cool! It flies fast (over 300 kts) and high (36,000' or so). I don't really know very much about it, but looks like fun to fly! Here are a couple of pictures. I like how it has "Canada" written on the nose!

Suzie Q

2007-04-10T17:38:00.000-06:00

So one of my best gal pals in the entire world was here on a layover last night. She came over, along with half of the Davisons for dinner and some wine. Unfortunately, N was still sick so opted to stay home and try to get better (we missed you N). We had a variety of bbq'd things for supper.

Since Sue moved to Montreal a few years ago we have been very lucky because we get to see her quite regularly due to the nature of her job. BUT, she will be finishing this job in the very near future to take a different job in Montreal. The new job will be fantastic and a great foot in the door for her flying career, however it means that no longer will she be able to visit us so frequently here in Calgary.

I'm so happy for this change that is going to happen for her, but at the same time I feel really quite sad that I won't be seeing her so often. It is going to be a significant change in the amount that I see her really. Honestly, I think I will have a hard time with that. So many of my favorite people no longer live within visiting distance. Noels moved to Yellowknife, my family is all out east, Jeanne is still in S. Korea, and now Sue will be in Montreal much more permanently. Now, S n' N you guys just aren't allowed to move - that's all there is to it! At least till I'm not single - I need someone to entertain me!!! Naw, I know - it's the way things are. I've just in the past always been the one who ends up moving and that's a different feeling.

I'll just miss seeing her all the time. That's all.

Twin Otter

2007-04-08T11:47:00.000-06:00

It's been a little bit since I've posted here. Excuses: was sick for a few days, got a new laptop that I've been busy playing with, worked a bit, and have become slightly addicted to facebook.

Anyway, I must post something here because I know our South African friend hasn't yet. SHE DID HER TWIN OTTER PPC the other day!!! She has worked for over two years as a load master, flight attendant, groomer, etc... waiting for this opportunity so it is a well deserved PPC! Congrats to you N!!

And Some More Pictures....

2007-03-26T17:26:00.000-06:00

Lake Louise Pictures

2007-03-26T17:20:00.000-06:00

As promised, here are some pictures taken at Lake Louise last weekend. From the pictures you should be able to see how I spent a lot of my time!!

Yummy Indian Food

2007-03-25T16:33:00.000-06:00

Saturday night a bunch of us went over to Sean's parents place for homemade Indian food! All I can say is "yummy, yummy, yummy". Unfortunately, I can't remember the names of most of it (let alone the correct spelling), but we had come beef curry, a potato and cauliflower dish, a spicy chicken dish, dal (I think that's the name of it), samosas (one of my fav foods ever), various chutneys, naan bread (yumm) and a really good deep fried one that started with a "P" - S n' N help me out here. Then we had Indian sweets for desert (including gelabis - excuse the spelling).

It was great food and great company. Sean's parents started cooking for this on Wednesday - can you imagine! I think there was 10 of us in total so that is a lot of cooking! They gave me a dish of leftovers which my brother ate half of when I got home and I have to admit that I ate the remaining half for breakfast this morning! It was too good! Thanks S n' N!!

Nunsense

2007-03-23T10:39:00.000-06:00

The other evening I joined Pingcat at Stage West to see Nunsense. Nunsense is a musical comedy and really it is so so so so funny! I laughed from beginning to end. The premise of the story is that these five nuns are putting on a variety show in the local high school to try and raise money. Now, the reason they need to raise money is to bury a few nuns from their convent. The convent's chef (Sister Julia, Child of God is her name!) made soup and some fifty or so nuns died after eating it. The five remaining nuns came up with enough money to bury all but a few of these nuns (they would have had enough but Mother Superior bought a plasma tv). Until they come up with the money, these last few dead nuns are in the freezer awaiting burial!

Anyway, it was really a great show and I would highly recommend that anyone who can see it - should. I hadn't been to stage west in a couple of years and I can't remember the show I saw there before. Also, the dinner part of the dinner theater was quite good. I'm always a fan of dinners that I don't have to cook!

A big thank you to Pingcat for taking me as her guest!

Going Snowboarding!

2007-03-18T21:52:00.000-06:00

So tomorrow I am going to make the big leap and head out to Lake Louise for my very first time! I used to ski when I was younger back in New Brunswick, but our ski hills are not much in comparison to the Rockies! I've gone to C.O.P several times now and think that I can handle the easier runs on the mountain. I heard that Louise is a good place for snowboarders whereas some of the other hills are better for skiers.

I'm going with my friend Allison. She's never been there before either. I'm very excited, but also a little bit nervous - I guess just not knowing quite what to expect. I've looked up the website and it is just amazing how many runs there are; there are 139 of them according to the site! I plan to stick to the green ones!! I remember my crazy brother saying that he went on a black diamond the first time he went down. I'm not sure that we really share the same genetics sometimes because I won't be doing that!! I certainly can't afford to hurt myself! I also want to take my camera to get some good pictures, but am afraid that when (not if) I fall I will break it. I haven't quite decided about that yet. Maybe I will take a little back pack and keep it in a locker for the day and get some shots from the lodge. There, I think I just solved my own problem! I will certainly post some.

.....In other news..... I guess I kind of had a crappy weekend. I hate to bitch, but I went out for St. Patrick's day and had a not so nice experience and came home early. I spent the rest of the night feeling like shit and today was much of the same. I think I've worked myself out of the pouting now, but still need to work through being pissed off!! C'est la vie right. Some people are just not nice sometimes. So, I am really looking forward to the fresh mountain air tomorrow to help clear my stress.

International Women's Day 2007

2007-03-08T15:23:00.000-07:00

Did you know that apparently today is International Women's Day 2007? I didn't know that until just a few minutes ago. It was started by the UN. Now, I also looked up to see if there is such a thing as an International Men's Day and did not find anything official; I did, however, find a site where one could sign a petition to the UN requesting, that in honor of equal rights, there should also be an International Men's Day.

Now, I can't say that I'm one to go off about men vs. women because I think it is silly. We are simply a different gender. Nothing wrong with different anything. I do, however, love being a woman and all that goes with it.

What does get me going however is when we see/hear of crimes against women which are going on worldwide every single minute of every single day. Really, what gets me is crimes against humans because along with women around the world, millions suffer at the hands of others because of their race, their age, their religion (or lack thereof), their body type, their economic status, their job, their lack of a job, their language, their illness or handicap, their politics, where they were born, where they grew up, and the list could go on forever.

All over the world humans are being cruel to humans and just because it is not ME suffering at someone's hands does not mean that I don't have a responsibility to stand up against it . I will always love what Elie Wiesel said,

"one person of integrity can make a difference, a difference of life and death. As long as one dissident is in prison, our freedom will not be true. As long as one child is hungry, our life will be filled with anguish and shame. What all these victims need above all is to know that they are not alone; that we are not forgetting them, that when their voices are stifled we shall lend them ours, that while their freedom depends on ours, the quality of our freedom depends on theirs."

So this is why I think that International Women's Day deserves it's place in the calendar because it means that on one day of the year there is cause to stop and take a look at the world and investigate, recognize and protest against the horrific acts from which women around the world still suffer every single day.

I am so thankful that I live in a place such as Canada and am surrounded by people who love me and treat me - a woman - with respect. My heart goes out to those who are not so fortunate and my pen speaks of my protest of crimes against women who suffer, and in hopes that those who have won their freedom and rights might never lose them.

Busy Week

2007-03-03T09:02:00.000-07:00

It's been a busy week at work - well more like a busy 11 days at work. I was in Medicine Hat a couple of times; the second time there I didn't even fly - just waited at the hotel for a flight to go. I guess we were waiting to pick up some rig guys but they got the dril bit stuck in the hole and were working to get that out. We were waiting for them to tell us to come and get them. I waited in a hotel from Saturday to Monday. I guess they didn't get the drill bit unstuck because we never went and got them all weekend! Luckily I had bought a really good book to read because there wasn't much else to do while I waited as I had no wheels. I actually read a 700 page book from Saturday afternoon to Monday!! It was called Labyrinth by Kate Moss (and no, not the model) if anyone is looking for a good book!

I also did a rig charter last week where both of us up front were women! Imagine, eight rig guys in the back with two female pilots - I knew we would get comments!! Sure enough - they went on and on about the flight and how it was the best flight they'd ever been on and they never want to fly with men again, oh how our landings were the best ever, and so on. One fellow decided that my fellow pilot was certainly to be his future wife!! It was funny!

Last night I went to see Pan Labyrinth with my gal pal Athenia. Despite it being a bit of a fairy tale, it is certainly not a movie for kids. There were a few very gory, graphic scenes. Shocking really - I guess because it is unexpected. It was a spanish movie with english subtitles about a young girl who goes with her pregnant mother to stay with her new step father where he is at work as a captain in the military. He is an evil, violent man. She finds a labyrinth nearby and after some exploration is given some tasks to complete before the next full moon in order to prove that she is in fact the princess of the underworld. Anyway, it was quite good. I like those types of movies where there is some fantasy type stuff in it. I always liked movies like Legend (with a young Tom Cruise), Labyrinth (with David Bowie) and others like Indiana Jones.

In other exciting news - today I bought a slow cooker. I've been finding lately that I'm eating like shit because I don't feel like cooking for just myself after a long day at work. Also, I end up buying groceries and then going to Medicine Hat for a few days so waste so much of it. So, I decided to try this method. I'll put some stuff in the pot in the morning and when I get home it will be ready to eat. I think it will be a much healthier strategy than the crap you end up eating when you are too tired/lazy to cook for one person.

Ohhhhh, I also bought new windshield wipers for my car. Mine are nearly falling apart so they are overdue!! So, that's it - I'm off to install wipers!

My Weekend

2007-02-12T12:38:00.001-07:00

This weekend I spent with two canines and a feline, respectively named Chimo, Bailey and Oliver! It's been a while since I have received so much attention and affection. Bailey would have been happy to spend the entire weekend nose to nose with me, had I allowed her! She is most affectionate. Chimo seems a little more independent with age, but is happy to have any attention sent his way! Now Oliver, the kitty, is at your heels the second the dogs are let outside! She would place her front paws up on my shoulder so that she could rub her head against mine! So very cute!

In between the time spent cuddling and walking with animals, I did do some walking around in that area. I didn't get to do as much as I would have liked as it was quite cold and snowy most of the weekend. I had coffee with Canagal and hubby at the Purple Perk which was yummy and as always S & N are excellent company.

One evening I met up with a fella from work and his girlfriend for drinks. We went to Ming on 17th ave. I love the dark and cozy atmosphere of that place. It also brings back fond memories for me as the only other time I had been there was with my galpal Sue several years ago when she still lived here in Calgary. I remember that time because I was having a crappy day and she and her boyfriend took me out for drinks and snacks to cheer me up! Which they did!

Sunday I went snowboarding for my second time and it was as fun as the first! Actually, it was more fun because after a couple of refresher runs down the hill I was feeling better at it! It was basically a whiteout on the top of the hill for the better part of the afternoon and a little cold on the face, but otherwise it was awesome! It is my new favorite thing.

Well, in a nutshell that was my weekend. Now it is back to work!

Boredom

2007-02-04T21:28:00.000-07:00

Have you ever felt so bored that your brain feels empty. I'm on call tonight (was on Friday and Saturday night also) and again tomorrow night. So I am sitting at home with my phone attached to my hip in case we get a call. Sometimes having nothing to do is okay, but tonight I am just bored. That is all!!

Snowboarding

2007-01-28T10:31:00.000-07:00

A couple of months ago I bought a snowboard from a friend who wanted a bigger one. I don't know how much this one was used, but it looked like new so it was a good deal. For Christmas J gave me a helmet and ski goggles and Noels gave me a lesson at COP. Yesterday before I went to the hill I bought wrist guards.

So I ran into my friend Doug on Thursday night and learned that he used to be a snowboard instructor so he went with me yesterday and instead of paying some teenager snowboard instructor at COP, I bought Doug a ticket and away we went. He was so awesome and I'm so very glad that I went with him.

It all went so much better than I would have guessed. We began with simply moving the board around with only my lead foot in the bindings and then went up the bunny hill and practiced doing the falling leaf on my heel edge (I don't know how to properly call any of this) and then again down the hill but on my toe edge.

Next we went up the chair lift and down the bigger hill where I learned how to turn both from heel side to toe side and vica versa. It was so much fun despite some falls, but really I was surprised that I did much better than I expected.

After a few hours my legs were so tired coming down the hill that they were shaking! I figured that it would be my legs that would be sore today, but nope - it is my neck and my knees. My knees are sore from falling on them (it is a surface soreness) and my neck is sore from when I fell and whacked my head on the ground - it's pretty much like whiplash. Everyone said that your butt and wrists will be sore after snowboarding but they are fine today.

Anyway, I can hardly wait to not be sore so I can go again. Really, it was the most fun I've had in ages. I was so happy that I liked it since I had already bought all the stuff (probably not the best way to take up a new sport - should really try it and THEN buy the gear!) Thanks to Doug for the lesson and laughs!

Presents from Africa!

2007-01-22T18:51:00.000-07:00

Noelene's parents visited Yellowknife for Christmas this year which of course was so great for Noelene. They passed through Calgary both on the way up there and on the return leg towards home. Unfortunately, both times they passed through I was unable to go and see them at the airport, but did speak to them on the phone. They are as nice as you would imagine Noelene's parents to be!

When Noels came to visit last week she came bearing gifts from her parents FOR ME!!! They gave me a little pin with two beaded people dressed in traditional garb. This pin also happened to be made by a person living with AIDS and so was sold to help raise money for that cause. They also gave me a really beautiful black neclkace with a silver elephant on it that was handcrafted in Swaziland. Noelene has a matching blue necklace!

It was so nice of them to think of me all the way in South Africa! I'll post a couple of pictures, but I couldn't get the light quite right to do them proper justice.

Irritating Blog Vent

2007-01-18T21:58:00.000-07:00

I just need to vent that I find it irritating when I arrange my writing and pictures in a particular order/format and then when I publish it on the blog it arranges it however it wants..... That is why there are strange gaps and pictures that don't go with the words. I've tried several times to rearrange it but to no avail. I guess I will just have to live with the disorder.

A Northern Visitor

2007-01-17T12:33:00.000-07:00

I have had such a great weekend. Noelene arrived in Calgary on Friday night and after picking her up from the airport we went to Moxies for dinner and caught up. Well, I say 'caught up' but we speak several times a week on the phone!

She was here to renew her flight instructor rating out at the CLUB where I used to work. When she wasn't busy doing the things related to that purpose we filled her time with socializing! Saturday night Noels, J, and moi met up with S n' N and Rob for dinner and had lots of laughs as we always do. Then we came back to my place and watched Jackass 2. I'm slightly embarassed of how funny we all found it!!

Sunday, Noels flew with Athenia - the best darn instructor at the club and then J and I met them for lunch (where strangely enough all four of us ordered exactly the same thing!!). It was this very lunch that resulted in a rather lengthy afternoon nap!

Monday night we were treated to a 7 course meal at Rob's place. Rob never does anything small; go big or not at all should be his motto!! I think we counted about 9 types of meat and seafood throughout the evening. We began eating at around 1930 and finished somewhere around 2300!!! T'was Fun and Yummy and Filling!!!

Tuesday, Noelene did her flight test and did well (no big surprise). I went out to the club with her to be her cheering squad and visit some people while she flew. We ran into Suze, who happened to be the very person who first introduced Noelene and I so that was a great surprise! We had lunch and returned home to have coffee with Denis who still seems to beleive that Noelene will be moving back to Calgary any week now (nearly 3 years away hasn't convinced him that she's living rather permanently in Yellowknife now!!)

Then came my least favorite part where we had to take her to the airport to catch her ride on Canadian North back to Yellowknife. The cool part was that one of our friends was the Capt of the flight to Edmonton. Ahhhhh to fly for Canadian North..... Anyway, she made it home to Yellowknife newly re-rated as a flight instructor.

Orphan's Christmas

2006-12-26T18:18:00.000-07:00

Every year for the past five or so my brother and I have been hosting our annual Orphan's Christmas. Since most of our family lives back East we decided to have friends over who aren't from Calgary and therefore may not have anything to do for Christmas. The number of people who come varies year to year, but this year was the biggest group yet. On Christmas eve we had some twenty or so people over for drinks and snacks and then on Christmas day we had others over for turkey dinner. We actually managed to cook the turkey right side up this time so that was nice! It was a great holiday and so great to have so many awesome people come and celebrate with us!

Christmas Party

2006-12-17T00:34:00.000-07:00

So last night was our Christmas party at work! I had a blast, as I did last year too. We flew two Jetstreams down to Medicine Hat where we had a nice dinner, won some prizes (I won a dvd player), mingled, had some drinks, did some dancing and so on! It was a good time!

Tagged by Izzy

2006-12-16T22:46:00.000-07:00

A- Available or single? Single (very) but ok with that
B- Best Friend? Suzie Q, S and N & Noels
C- Cake or Pie? Cake I guess
D- Drink of Choice? Timmy Ho's or Red wine
E- Essential Item? hmmmmmmm....
F- Favorite Color? I don't know - not a fan of this question - depends on what the color is attached to...
G- Gummi Bears or Worms? Bears for sure!
H- Hometown? Waterborough, New Brunswick
I- Indulgence? I'd have to go with chocolate I guess
J- January or February? Um, I like em both - I guess whichever turns out to be warmer
K- Kids and names? eeekkkkkkkkk!!!!!!
L- Life is incomplete without? family, friends, love
M- Marriage Date? I'll be eloping so it will be a surprise!
N- Number of Siblings? 1
O- Oranges or apples? apples for sure because it takes me an hour to eat an orange (gotta peal off all that gross white stuff)
P- Phobias/Fears? losing my medical
Q- Favorite Quote? Oh my, I have so many. Here is my favorite these days: "Where, after all, do universal human rights begin? In small places--close to home--so close and so small that they cannot be seen on any maps of the world. Such are the places where every man, woman and child seeks equal justice, equal opportunity, and equal dignity, without discrimination. Unless these rights have meaning there, they have little meaning anywhere."Eleanor Roosevelt
R- Reason to Smile? 9 days till Christmas!!!
S- Season? If this means which one do I like - well I love Spring and Fall for different reasons
T- Tag three people! Canagal, Noels, Pingcat
U- Unknown Fact about Me! I think that the only time I was truly in love was when I was in grade 9 - He's married now.
V- Vegetable you hate? Asparagus - gross!
W- Worst habit? Ha, my friends know what that is...
X- X-Rays you've had? teeth and back
Y- Your favorite food? Salmon and N.B. Strawberries
.Z- Zodiac? Cancer

Elie Wiesel's Speech

2006-12-10T21:17:00.001-07:00

I read the book Night by Elie Wiesel a while back and at the end of his book was his acceptance speech for the Nobel Peace Prize awarded to him in 1986, on December 10th oddly enough. Anyway, I think I have read this speech twenty times. I just find it so powerful so I thought I would put it on my blog so you guys can read it too. In case you are unfamiliar with this man, he was a survivor of Nazi concentration camps and the book Night is a very honest and horrific account of his childhood experiences during that time.

The Nobel Peace Prize Acceptance Speech Delivered by Elie Wiesel in Oslo on December 10, 1986

Your Majesty, Your Royal Highnesses, Your Excellencies, Chairman Aarvik, members of the Nobel Committee, ladies and Gentlemen:

Words of gratitude. First to our common Creator. This is what the Jewish tradition commands us to do. At special occasions, one is duty-bound to recite the following prayer: “Barukh atah Adonai…shehekhyanu vekiyamanu vehigianu lazman hazeh” – “Blessed be Thou…for giving us life, for sustaining us, and for enabling us to reach this day.”

Then, thank you, Chairman Aarvik, for the depth of your eloquence. And for the generosity of your gesture. Thank you for building bridges between people and generations. Thank you above all, for helping humankind make peace its most urgent and nobel aspiration.

I am moved, deeply moved by your words, Chairman Aarvik. And it is with a profound sense of humility that I accept the honor – the highest there is – that you have chosen to bestow upon me. I know your choice transcends my person.

Do I have the right to represent the multitudes who have perished? Do I have the right to accept this great honor on their behalf? I do not. No one may speak for the dead, no one may interpret their mutilated dreams and visions. And yet, I sense their presence. I always do – and at this moment more than ever. The presence of my parents, that of my little sister. The presence of my teachers, my friends, my companions…

This honor belongs to all the survivors and their children and, through us, to the Jewish people with whose destiny I have always identified.

I remember: it happened yesterday, or eternities ago. A young Jewish boy discovered the Kingdom of Night. I remember his bewilderment, I remember his anguish. It all happened so fast. The ghetto. The deportation. The sealed cattle car. The fiery altar upon which the history of our people and the future of mankind were meant to be sacrificed.

I remember he asked his father, “Can this be true? This is the twentieth century, not the Middle Ages. Who would allow such crimes to be committed? How could the world remain silent?”

And now the boy is turning to me. “Tell me,” he asks, “what have you done with my future, what have you done with your life?” And I tell him that I have tried to fight for those who would forget. Because if we forget, we are guilty, we are accomplices.

And then I explain to him how naïve we were, that the world did know and remained silent. And that is why I swore never to be silent whenever and wherever human beings endure suffering and humiliation. We must take sides. Neutrality helps the oppressor, never the victim. Silence encourages the tormentor, never the tormented. Sometimes we must interfere. When human lives are endangered, when human dignity is in jeopardy, national borders and sensitivities become irrelevant. Wherever men and women are persecuted because of their race, religion, or political views, that place must – at that moment – become the center of the universe.

Of course, since I am a Jew profoundly rooted in my people’s memory and tradition, my first response is to Jewish fears, Jewish needs, Jewish crises. For I belong to a traumatized generation, one that experienced the abandonment and solitude of our people. It would be unnatural for me not to make Jewish priorities my own: Israel, Soviet Jewry, Jews in Arab lands… But others are important to me. Apartheid is, in my view, as abhorrent as anti-Semitism. To me, Andrei Sakharov’s isolation is as much a disgrace as Joseph Begun’s imprisonment and Ida Nudel’s exile. As is the denial of Solidarity and its leader Lech Valesa’s right to dissent. And Nelson Mandela’s interminable imprisonment.

There is so much injustice and suffering crying out for our attention: victims of hunger, of racism and political persecution – in Chile, for instance, or in Ethiopia – writers and poets, prisoners in so many lands governed by the left and by the right.

Human rights are being violated on every continent. More people are oppressed than free. How can one not be sensitive to their plight? Human suffering anywhere concerns men and women everywhere. That applies also to Palestinians to whose plight I am sensitive but whose methods I deplore when they lead to violence. Violence is not the answer. Terrorism is the most dangerous of answers. They are frustrated, that is understandable, something must be done. The refugees and their misery. The children and their fear. The uprooted and their hopelessness. Something must be done about their situation. Both the Jewish people and the Palestinian people have lost too many sons and daughters and have shed too much blood. This must stop, and all attempts to stop it must be encouraged. Israel will cooperate, I am sure of that. I trust Israel, for I have faith in the Jewish people. Let Israel be given a chance, let hatred and danger be removed from their horizons, and there will be peace in and around the Holy Land. Please understand my deep and total commitment to Israel: if you could remember what I remember, you would understand. Israel is the only nation in the world whose existence is threatened. Should Israel lose but one war, it would mean her end and ours as well. But I have faith. Faith in the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, and even in His creation. Without it no action would be possible. And action is the only remedy to indifference, the most insidious danger of all. Isn’t that the meaning of Alfred Nobel’s legacy? Wasn’t his fear of war a shield against war?

There is so much to be done, there is so much that can be done. One person – a Raoul Wallenberg, an Albert Schweitzer, a Martin Luther King Jr. – one person of integrity can make a difference, a difference of life and death. As long as one dissident is in prison, our freedom will not be true. As long as one child is hungry, our life will be filled with anguish and shame. What all these victims need above all is to know that they are not alone; that we are not forgetting them, that when their voices are stifled we shall lend them ours, that while their freedom depends on ours, the quality of our freedom depends on theirs.

That is what I say to the young Jewish boy wondering what I have done with his years. It is in his name that I speak to you and that I express to you my deepest gratitude as one who has emerged from the Kingdom of Night. We know that every moment is a moment of grace, every hour an offering; not to share them would mean to betray them.

Our lives no longer belong to us alone; they belong to all those who need us desperately.

Thank you, Chairman Aarvik. Thank you, members of the Nobel Committee. Thank you, people of Norway, for declaring on this singular occasion that our survival has meaning for mankind.

December 10 - Human Rights Day

2006-12-10T19:38:00.000-07:00

So December 10th is Human Rights Day.

I wonder what it feels like to be really hungry? I know what it feels like to be at work all day and not have time or maybe no opportunity to eat - often due simply to poor planning on my part. But, then you arrive home and regretfully eat something bad for you at midnight so that you satisfy that hunger. That is not hunger. I remember once when I was in junior high I participated in the 24 hour famine to raise money for some sort of organization. The drill was that I couldn't eat for 24 hours, however you were allowed to drink water and juice. Honestly, it wasn't terribly difficult and I don't think I was ever really that hungry. In my entire lifetime I have never experienced true hunger where I had no opportunity to have or gain access to food when needed.

I wonder what it feels like to be thirsty? Sure, I've gotten myself dehydrated before for failure to drink water when I should have, but it was never because there was nothing available to drink. Yeah, I've felt thirst but never thirst when I had no idea where I might find something safe to drink. At my house, the worst we suffer is when the water cooler bottle is empty and we forget to get it refilled and are therefore forced to drink tap water - which is perfectly safe, but just doesn't 'taste' as good as the bottled stuff. No, I have never suffered from thirst.

I wonder what it feels like to have children that you can't feed and have to watch them get so thin and lethargic that they can't even muster the strength to swat a fly off of their lips. I find it difficult to watch these children on tv without wanting to cry and I don't even know their names. I can't even begin to imagine what their parents suffer.

It is an unfair world where some people can have 15 cars in their garage and other people can't find a single sip of clean water. Whenever their are extremes in society - it is a disaster, well it is certainly a disaster for those at the poverty end. Generally, where one fits into this spectrum is simply a matter of where or to whom you were born. I wish I could save the world, but I can't. I can however post what I think and wear my campaign against poverty bracelet and encourage others to participate in the protest against the world's extremes of poverty and hope that someday the world will become a better place for everyone.

United Nations Link: http://www.un.org/events/humanrights/2006/

Little Las Vegas

2006-12-09T17:03:00.000-07:00

I went to High Level yesterday and to the locals it is otherwise known as Little Las Vegas. They have about four hotels on the main street in town which are named after places in Las Vegas. Their signs are all brightly lit in flashing and neon signs! The people there seem to take it all very seriously! I was therefore, pretty excited to experience the place.

We were lucky enough to have day rooms at the Flamingo, although the sign was fancier than the hotel itself! The desk guy offered to take me to the fourth floor and show me their jacuzzi rooms which hosted mirrors around the tub as well as on the ceiling! I declined that very exciting opportunity as we were just about to check out! The only gambling type thing I saw were a few VLTs..... So now I can at least say that I have been to Little Las Vegas!

Guns n Roses

2006-12-07T02:59:00.000-07:00

I just got home now at approximately 0300 from the Guns and Roses concert. It was a pretty good concert once they got Axel Rose's volume adjusted properly. For the first number of songs you could hardly hear a word he was singing. They played all of their classics like Patience, November Rain, Sweet Child of Mine and so on and then a few new ones that I'd never heard before. Hearing them takes me back a number of years and makes me think of home and my old friends back there. It was more fun for my brother who has wanted to see them for ever. I practically had to carry him home....too many Saddledome beer (aka heroin beer)!! Anyway, it was a fun night with a fun bunch of friends!

Sebastian Bach (formerly of Skid Row) opened for Axel and he was really fantastic. He has such an amazing voice and can hit the most incredibly high notes. He was also a bit more interactive with the crowd than Axel was.

I must say that the highlight of the night for me was when Bubbles (yes, Bubbles from the Trailer Park Boys of back home) came on to the stage to sing one of his songs with Axel Rose. Apparantly Axel had visited Bubbles Bar back east and met him and invited him to come along on tour with him! They sang Bubbles' most famous song, Liquor and Whores! I actually know the words to that song...how sad is that! I just blame it on being from back east!!

PS. Watch the Halifax show of Axel and Bubbles: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yVsp9gos3_8

Trip to Smithers

2006-11-30T21:46:00.000-07:00

On Tuesday I did a trip from Calgary to High River to Fort St. John to Dawson Creek and then to Smithers where we overnighted. I had hoped it would be nice the next day so that I could get some good pictures of the mountains, but it only cleared up as we neared Calgary on the return. I did get a couple of good ones which I will post.

Crappiness!!

2006-11-29T19:56:00.000-07:00

Cars suck! Well, they don't suck until they decide to break! The other day (of course it was the coldest day yet this winter, like minus 25 or something brutal like that) my car heater stopped working....needless to say it was bloody cold in my car. So I took it into the shop to have it looked at and on the way there my brakes completely failed. Isn't that fun!!!

I had to go away overnight so I left it at the shop (not that I could drive it anyway...) and they called me while I was up north yesterday to tell me that it was going to cost nearly $2000 to fix!!! So anyway, I'm not paying that so they are going to fix my heater and I am going to fix my brakes myself. I've done them before so that is the plan. It certainly won't cost as much this way. A couple of friends kindly offered to come over on the weekend and help me in exchange for beer and a meal. I plan to feed them lots of beer before I feed them my meal - then they won't notice that I'm a bad cook!!!

Anyway, things always work out in the end, however it is a royal pain in the butt and there is nothing worse than spending your christmas money on a car! Crappiness!!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY NOELS

2006-11-22T13:59:00.000-07:00

It is Noelene's birthday today so I want to wish her a very happy birthday! Here are some of my favorite things about Noelene (and of course there are a bizillion more, but this is just a sample).

1. She is so thoughtful when it comes to other people. Remember my post of the flowers she sent me when I was sick back in May or June. She is always thinking of others in that way.

2. She has great ideas of new things to try and do. For example, she bought a snow mobile and braves the cold of the north on it. She made the most amazing christmas cards last year using pictures that she had taken herself. She partakes in all the fun events that are going on in her community - winter golf, etc...

3. She is a pilot and wants to fly twin otters and dash 7's for Tindi so has worked her butt off for more than two years on the ramp and as a flight attendant and load master for the company while she waits for her number to come up. She does this even though there are other jobs that she could easily get, but she is holding out for her dream job - very impressive.

4. She has an amazing memory. She remembers things that you tell her, even months/years even later. I'm lucky to remember what someone told me yesterday. I guess that makes her very attentive to people and what they say. She can also tell you a story about a place or an event with great detail - she pays close attention to things and is always interested to learn more.

5. She is independent. Noelene moved to Canada from South Africa, oh probably 7 or 8 years ago now. She lived in Calgary for most of them but moved to Yellowknife a few years ago and has loved it there ever since. What a difference in lifestyle coming from SA where it is so very opposite to the great white north of Canada. Her family is spread all over the world: SA, Japan, and England, yet she manages to remain close to them all.

6. She is very good at staying in touch. Since she has moved to Yellowknife, there has not been a week go by that I havn't spoken to or been in touch by email with Noelene. Even though we live quite a distance apart, I know all about her life and her friends and what she has been up to each week. It's like we are neighbors and not separated by a provincial border.

7. She is my sister. Several years ago, my brother and I decided that we would adopt Noels as our sister and we would be her Canadian family. Of course we are no substitute for her real family, we do consider her part of ours and always will.

Happy Birthday Noelene!

I Did Something Stupid

2006-11-22T00:04:00.000-07:00

Oh, this will be an anoying post because I want to say something that I'm not going to say!! How is that my friends. Basically, I did something stupid and regret it, but am not going to tell anyone what it was. That is how stupid it was; it was an 'oopsie' but what can one do after it has been done??? I am just going to put it on my 'oopsie' shelf and move on. Sorry for a teaser, but I had to just get it out there so now I can forget about it!!

SHORTBUS

2006-11-16T00:33:00.000-07:00

Okay, this has to be one of the best films that I have seen in a very long time! Basically it is about a number of people who are each having their own issue with sex, love and intimacy despite being seemingly 'together' at the beginning of the film. Sook yin lee is not only fantastic as an actress in the film but as the filmaker she is brave and honest.

I laughed out loud many, many times during the movie and at other times had tears streaming down my face. All of the characters are so interesting and complex, but you can still understand what they are going through as they are all so human. There is explicite sex in the movie, but it felt more emotionally explicite than sexually explicite and I wouldn't want her to change a thing.

I think that everyone should watch this film, and I think I will likely watch it again if I can get back to the theater before it leaves. I was disapointed to see only about fifteen people in the theater, but I suspect that once the word is out, it will become more popular.

On a side note, Sook yin lee is a Canadian and she is a broadcaster on the CBC - good for her for sharing this film despite its controversial nature.

Check out the site for the movie: http://www.shortbusthemovie.com/

Things I Want To Do

2006-11-09T22:28:00.000-07:00

1. Publish my book
2. Re-visit South Korea
3. Own a dirt bike
4. Fly for an airline
5. Build a cottage/cabin
6. Renovate a house
7. Learn to play guitar
8. Fly my dad somewhere
9. Have an old (early 70's) mustang to cruise around in
10.Invent something
11.Own a business
12.Have a flower and vegetable garden
13.Get married
14.Travel all of south east Asia
15.Have a living room without a tv in it
16.Have a pottery wheel and kiln of my own
17.Live by a lake or a big river (again)
18.Get a float rating
19.Make stained glass
20.Learn how to weld
21.Date a psychologist, writer and/or architect (don't ask...)
22.Swim with dolphins
23.Visit South Africa
24.Learn how to build furniture
25.Go to a high school reunion
26.Go RVing
27.Hang out in Europe for a summer (again)
28.Take my favorite friends to New Brunswick and show them around
29.Drive across Canada with someone I love
30.Learn to snowboard
31.Visit Alaska
32.See Sarah McLaughlin in concert
33.Be able to see my family more often
34.Hang out at a nude beach (go on diet first!)
35.Be an extra in a movie
36.Be a sponsor to impoverished kids (like World Vision)
37.See the redwood forest
38.See Phantom of the Opera
39.Learn about photography and developing
40.Do a Masters Degree
41.Learn to speak French fluently
42.Read Proust
43.Design my own house
44.Get botox on my wrinkle between my eyes
45.Grow my hair really long again
46.See the northern lights while in the North (they're better up there)
47.Visit my parents more often
48.Learn how to cook
49.Run a marathon (sure)
50.A bunch of other things that I'm not going to share!!!

Halloween

2006-10-31T19:19:00.000-07:00

I went to a friend's Halloween Party on Saturday and had a blast. I was up until 0700 the next morning! I'm such a wild and crazy gal!! Not really - I can't remember the last time I stayed up all night drinking . Anyway, here are some great pictures from the party, and if you can't figure it out... I'm the Angel (of course)!

Why No Pictures???

2006-10-31T19:07:00.000-07:00

I'm irritated - blogger won't let me post any pictures and I have some good ones to post. I'm so irritated!

Who's That Girl???

2006-10-30T20:45:00.000-07:00

A very good friend of mine came for a visit last week from Winnipeg. She was here for a course and stayed at my place. We had a good time drinking some wine and having some laughs! She actually was one of my flight instructors from Moncton and we have kept in touch over the years and I have managed to see her about once a year since so that has been great.

She is, however, very tough to get a picture of.... I'll just give a sample of this!!!

Vancouver

2006-10-18T23:01:00.000-06:00

I had such a fun day today. It began with a medevac to Lethbridge - nothing terribly special about that since we go there generally several times a week. As soon as we returned to Calgary we were dispatched for Vancouver to pick up a baby and take her to Medicine Hat. This was my first time flying to Vancouver so at first I was a little nervous because I didn't know quite what it would be like, but it was fine and not as busy as I had expected. Unfortunately, the ceiling and visibility weren't really good enough to get a good look around from the air.

For lunch we walked over to the Flying Beaver which was very cool because it is right on the water where you can watch the float planes coming and going! It was a great view, not to mention the food which was awesome. I had one of the best sandwiches I've ever had. It was crab meat and smoked salmon with avocado, onion, lettuce, tomato, and some kind of honey mustard on a croissant. Delish!

From Vancouver we flew to Medicine Hat to drop off the baby and then we returned to Calgary to end our day. I love these days where you go somewhere fun and fly with someone great like my Captain today. I love my job.

Biker Bitch

2006-10-17T20:45:00.000-06:00

Aside from my mother being here for a visit, I also took a motorcycle course this weekend from the Calgary Safety Council. The course was last year's Christmas gift from my brother. I had a BLAST!! Every person who ever has intentions of riding a motorcycle should take this course. I was expecting it to be easy, but it was actually a bit tough at times, but still fun!

It began Friday and went from about 1700 to 2030 and then on Saturday from 0800 to 1800 and again on Sunday from 0900 to 1700. I was beat at the end of each day and my hand hurt like hell from using the clutch for that many hours!! On Sunday I did the road test and passed and got my license!!

Now, the funny thing is that I don't own a motorbike, nor had I any intention of buying one. BUT, as one could guess, now I desperately want one! If I do end up getting something, it would be a dirt bike. I don't really want to drive in traffic with all of the crazies and figure that riding off road would be so much fun. Anyway, maybe next summer I'll look into it. A Vespa is also more my style, but if I had to pick - I'd go for the dirt bike!

It was a cool gift. Thanks J!

My Mom

2006-10-16T08:46:00.000-06:00

My mom arrived on Wednesday to visit for a week. It's funny how one reverts back to a bit of a child...for example, I don't think I've cleaned the kitchen since she got here. She always seems to beat me to it - now as I say that, I think there is certainly some part of my brain that allows her to beat me to it! She tries to do everything for me - like fold my laundry, etc... It is very strange to have someone try to do these things for you again. I know she is enjoying the role again - it has been about 5 years since she saw both of her kids at the same time so that must be very tough, although she never says. She does always say: "'I raised you guys to be strong, independant people and look what I got - strong, independant people".

Anyway, it has been nice having her here for a bit and I'm sure it is harder for her to go than she will admit since she knows it will be a while before we see each other again. The last time I was home was a year ago August and my brother was home about a year ago so that is a long time for parents not to see their children especially when their lives are a lot less busy these days. Anyway, I look forward to the day when I have airline passes so that I can see my family more frequently.

Thanksgiving Dinner

2006-10-09T00:57:00.000-06:00

So this year my brother was in charge of cooking the turkey. He ended up cooking the turkey upside down and then once it was cooked he realized this and decided that he better flip the bird over to brown the other side. The following pictures will show you what happens when one tries this!!! It was the funniest thing I've ever seen! We all had a big laugh and the turkey tasted the same as always!

Pictures of Alberta

2006-10-06T19:08:00.000-06:00

I thought I would post some pictures of Alberta. As I've said before, one of the things I love about Canada is the diversity of landscape as you travel across the country. Alberta is mainly prairies, but then you also have the mountains. It is a beautiful province.

Tagged!

2006-10-03T22:10:00.000-06:00

3 Smells I love:
1. TREES
2. the smell that comes out of the dryer vent when its going
3. coffee

3 Smells I hate:
1. garbage
2. sewage
3. mop water

3 Jobs that I have had in my life:
1. English teacher in S. Korea
2. Flight Instructor
3. University paper marker

3 Movies I could watch over and over:
1. Top Gun
2. Indiana Jones
3. Good Will Hunting

3 Fond Memories
1. Summer nights at the canteen and beach by my house
2. Flying across Canada with my friend Sue
3. Hiking up a volcano on an island south of S. Korea with my cousin Jeanne in a hurricane then getting into a fight with a crazy Korean...much longer and funnier story....

3 Jobs I would love to have:
1. Mine
2. Writer (if I had the talent)
3. Architect (if I had the talent)

3 Places I have lived
1. Canada
2. S. Korea
3. Australia

3 Things I like to do:
1. Fly
2. Read
3. Drink wine (not all the time)

3 Of my favorite foods
1. Salmon
2. yams
3. New Brunswick strawberries

3 Places I would like to be right now
1. S. Korea (for a visit)
2. At my parent's house for a visit
3. At my friend Sue's place for a visit
4. In the L seat of a 767 (I know, that's 4)

3 Websites I visit daily:
1. Hotmail
2. Nav Canada Weather
3. This one

3 Things that make me cry
1. The news
2. Books
3. Movies

I tag: Canagal, Issy, and a South African

Simulator

2006-09-29T09:32:00.000-06:00

Here are a couple of pictures from the sim in Seattle. I did all of my training in the right seat as I am an FO and not a Captain, however I did get to try a bit from the left seat while my Capt was doing his right seat conversion training. It was interesting using the tiller to steer on the ground instead of the rudder pedals.

Here Comes The Bride...

2006-09-27T23:30:00.000-06:00

On Saturday I went to my friends (Scott and Jesse) wedding out in Kananaskis. It was so beautiful and the weather was perfect. The wedding was outside next to some horse stables and it was just amazing with the view of the mountains in the background. Scott and Jesse have to be two of the coolest people I know. Everyone who has ever met them would agree. They are just loveable and a perfect match. Jesse is a pilot and has been living up north for the past few months (amazing how the wedding turned out so great considering she was never here) and anyway she is going to the Maldives this week for six months or so. Her hubby is also going in mid October to live so they should have lots of fun! Anyway, here are some pics!

Seattle

2006-09-25T17:14:00.000-06:00

So I have returned from Seattle having completed my Jetstream training and flight test. It was difficult at times but I learned a lot. It was my first training in a proper simulator and the flight deck looks identical to the aircraft and all of the switches, etc do the same as if it were a plane sitting out on the ramp - pretty amazing. Anyway, it is all over with and now I'll be flying that plane as well as the King air.

The first day we arrived in Seattle we took some time to do a little sight seeing around the city. I'll post some of the pictures.

9-11

2006-09-11T16:30:00.000-06:00

I feel as though I need to post just a small something because it is September 11th. I'm sure it is a very difficult day of remembrance for many thousands of people in the US. My thoughts are with them.

Steve Irwin

2006-09-04T03:24:00.000-06:00

I just read that Steve Irwin passed away today. I guess he was filming underwater and had his heart pierced by a stingray barb and suffered cardiac arrest. I never really watched his show or was that into him, but I just found this really sad. I never want to die doing what I love.

One Million Bucks

2006-09-01T23:42:00.000-06:00

Lately, I feel as though I havn't had much to say on my blog. I've felt consumed by studying and have not had much else going on that is interesting enough to write about!! So, I feel happy to have been tagged by Issy to post 10 things I would do if I won a million bucks. I imagine it would be easy enough to spend! Here I go:

1. Pay off my student loans - they are a curse
2. Pay off my brothers mortgage
3. Give my parents whatever they wanted
4. Pay for my friend Sue's multi-IFR and the rest of her commercial license
5. Buy Sean and Nancy an RV (with fancy bike racks)
6. Invest in a house or property
7. I don't think I'd get a number 7,8,9 or 10 after all of that!!!

World Trade Center

2006-08-23T12:22:00.000-06:00

Last night I saw the movie World Trade Center. It was a mistake to think that I could go to a public place, watch a story about one of the world's saddest events and come out of the theater without 'cry eyes'. Folks, this is a movie to be watched in your livingroom with a box of kleenex.

It is amazing how fresh 9-11 still feels and to see those images in that day's story being told felt like that day all over again. I thought the movie did a great job at telling the truth but all the while being respectful to the people involved. Basically, it was the true story of two police officers who had been trapped in the rubble of Tower One and what their and their family's suffering must have been like. Now just imagine the suffering of the friends and families of nearly 3000 people. Unimaginable. I suffered and I didn't personally know a single person who was killed on 9-11. I'll never understand how people can wish to make other people hurt like this.

Everyone remembers what they were doing on that day and at that time - I was still at home getting ready to go flying (I was working on my instructor rating) when Suze, my instructor called me and said, "We won't be flying today; turn on your tv. Planes are flying into buildings". My first thoughts were that the world was ending. I guess it did for many. So sad.

So Smart

2006-08-21T11:45:00.000-06:00

Sometimes it is just the most simple solution. Thanks for the suggestions to fix my blog - I simply removed the post and "poof" there was my profile back at the top again! Now I'm not irritated anymore!

Somebody Help Me!

2006-08-20T12:01:00.000-06:00

Can anyone tell me how to make my profile and links return to the top of my blog??? When I put in the map of the world and all the places that I had visited, my profile magically moved to the bottom of my blog and I can't get it back???? Any suggestions?

Saturday Night Live

2006-08-19T21:06:00.000-06:00

I hardly ever get to see SNL anymore, but I used to watch it when I was in university (always up late). Anyway, my favorite part was Deep Thoughts by Jack Handy. I came across some today and had a big laugh so I thought I'd share a few!

Once while walking through the mall a guy came up to me and said "Hey, hows it going?". So I grabbed his arm and twisted it up behind his head and said "Now whose asking the questions?"

One thing vampire children are taught is, never run with a wooden stake.

If you work on a lobster boat, sneaking up behind people and pinching them is probably a joke that gets old real fast.

To me, it's a good idea to always carry two sacks of something when you walk around. That way, if anybody says, "Hey, can you give me a hand?" you can say, "Sorry, got these sacks."

If a kid asks where rain comes from, I think a cute thing to tell him is "God is crying." And if he asks why God is crying, another cute thing to tell him is "Probably because of something you did."

It takes a big man to cry, but it takes a bigger man to laugh at that man.

Bad People

2006-08-11T14:22:00.000-06:00

Yesterday I had to go to Seattle for work. We were at the airport at 0430 to depart and soon learned of the events in England where the terrorist's plans were foiled. In order to get through security I had to throw out my liquid foundation makeup, travel size shampoo, travel size perfume, toothpaste and bottled water. After waiting in line for about two hours we made it through to our flight.

We thought that was bad, but it was nothing compared to what we had to go through at the Seattle airport in order to return home. I have never seen such a line up of people in my entire life. I can't even begin to guess how many people were there waiting to get through security. We got into the line (which ended at the back end of the parking garage) shortly after 0900 and got through security some time after 1400. We missed the first flight and caught the next one. I'm just thankful I wore comfortable shoes!!!

Despite it being a huge pain in the ass, it was better than watching the news and seeing that numerous aircraft had been bombed. It is so very frustrating that a few number of evil people can make life so difficult for an entire planet of people. I guess that is what they want. I hate that they exist.

Night Brain

2006-08-09T00:44:00.000-06:00

It seems that I study much better late at night. Here it is 12:40 am and really I should be going to bed, but I feel like studying. When I say, "feel like studying" I mean that relative to how I feel about studying in the morning when I get up! Maybe it is because the world is quiet by this time and there is not a lot to distract me from the books. Anyway, I am slowly making my way through the manuals which is not to say that I know much yet!

I wish I had one of those memories that allowed you to read the stuff once and understand and retain it all. Unfortunately, I do not so must read and re-read and re-read the stuff so that it eventually sinks into my brain. As for all of the memory items (ie. emergency procedures which of course you must know instantly for as long as you fly the plane) they, too, require a lot of practice on my part.

Anyway, eventually I will learn and remember it, but until then I am finished procrastinating for the moment and am returning to my studies!

Tag - I'm it!!!

2006-08-08T00:34:00.000-06:00

Tag!
1. Grab the nearest book. Ok got it.
2. Open the book to page 123. You guys are gonna hate me!
3. Find the fifth sentence. still gonna hate me!
4. Post the text of the next 3 sentences on your blog along with these instructions.
5. Don’t you dare dig for that "cool" or "intellectual" book in your closet! I know you were thinking about it! Just pick up whatever is closest.
6. Tag five people.

HERE IS MINE...

The other is needing a place where she can entertain her boyfriends. Lately, in front seats, she wants to break out, smash her foot through the windshield. The Seven Year Itch is all right, but three dollars a time adds up, and those rooms are not paradise.

This is from "Mister Sandman" by Barbara Gowdy

Someone lent me this book and I havn't read it yet, but now my interest has been peaked!!!

New Plane

2006-07-31T19:56:00.000-06:00

I just found out that I'm going on a new plane and the groundschool starts in mid August so I have two weeks to learn A LOT of stuff! I have three big binders staring me in the face saying "open me, open me" so that is what I will be busy doing for the next little while. I can't say that I'm excited because it will be a bit of work and some stress for the next bit and I never feel excited about that kind of stuff, but I am excited for when it is all over and I have another plane under my belt! I know it will be a good experience and I'll learn lots in the sim. I'll keep ya posted.

Another Test

2006-07-24T17:30:00.000-06:00

Ok, once again while messing around with my blog I have managed to remove the comments option - so this is a test to see if it is back....

Pictures of Yellowknife

2006-07-19T14:59:00.000-06:00

These pictures go with my previous post. I couldn't get them to post with my story....

I love Yellowknife

2006-07-19T13:08:00.000-06:00

So I've returned from my trip to Yellowknife and I have to say that it is one of the most beautiful places that I have ever visited - and I've been a lot of places! I really had the time of my life and I wish that everyone I know could have the opportunity to go there. I had a busy week spent with my gal pal Noelene who is quite possibly the best hostess in the world (but I already knew that before I went there - we used to be roommates!) and her boyfriend Mike.

Saturday after my arrival they took me for a driving tour around the town and we had lunch at the Wildcat Cafe which was very cool and I think it's been there nearly as long as the town itself. In honor of being in the north, I had an Arctic Char chowder which was very delish.

Sunday, I went into work with Noels and helped her and her co-workers wash and groom the Dash 7. It is pretty cool standing on top of its wings - one can really appreciate its size from up there! I learned how to install and remove seats when they configure the plane for passengers instead of cargo. Much less exciting was my lesson on how to empty the lav....!!! That night Noelene and I had an amazing dinner at the Oldtown Landing where I had Great Slave Whitefish stuffed with crab!! Yummy! The restaurant had an amazing view of the water where float planes and boats could dock and come up for a bite to eat. Something to see!

Monday we had a full day which began with a great hike on the Prospector's Trail which is a 4 km loop right in town where there is a great diversity of land: from volcanic rock to marsh land. There are points of significant rock marked all along the trail, however somehow we managed to forget the guide and only picked it up after we did the hike. I guess I'll just have to go back and do it again!

After our hike I was lucky enough to hitch a ride along in the Dash 7 up to a closed gold mine which is currently undergoing an environmental clean up. The plane was carrying supplies in to the clean up crew. It is such a small world, especially in the aviation community, because the FO of my flight was a fellow I had known in Moncton when we were doing our flight training! It was a pretty nice day so I was able to see the vast expanse of nothing but trees and water. It was really beautiful and much more exciting to see when one is looking out the front window of the mighty Dash 7!! People up there refer to the Dash 7 as the "QuodOtter" and for good reason - it is an impressive plane.

That night we had a bbq at Noelene and Mike's place where I got to meet many people from Air Tindi. What a great bunch of people; it was so nice to put faces to all of Noelene's friends that I have been hearing about for several years! After everyone left the bbq a few of us went out for a drink at one of the local bars called the Black Knight Pub where of course we met more pilots! Yellowknife is simply full of pilots!

Tuesday, my last day, I did a bit of shopping to see what kinds of local things were to be found. I visited the Gallery of the Midnight sun which had many beautiful carvings which were far outside of my budget! We visited a great bookstore where I could have stayed all day and spent a fortune. I was so impressed with their selection of Northern books. There was everything from northern art books to recipe books to fiction books to biographies to history books on the area. I bought a book called Rogue Diamonds which is about the discovery of diamonds in the area and the interaction with the Dene people on whose land the diamonds were found. I have yet to begin the book, but am excited to learn all about it!

For dinner we went to a friend of Noels for dinner, Sonya where she and her friend Miles cooked us the most amazing salmon dinner. After dinner Miles took us for a boat ride up the Yellowknife river where along the way we stopped and made a fire and cooked our dessert on the coals! It was so beautiful that I don't think I will even attempt to describe it because I just couldn't do it justice. We sat by our fire on top of a large granite rock until midnight and it still wasn't at all dark. Time is very decieving in Yellowknife where there is so much daylight in the summer and I imagine it is not so fun in the winter when there is very little daylight.

So, I had an amazing trip and am already trying to think about how I can get back there again for another visit - maybe in the winter next time so I can see the extreme of Yellowknife.

Thank you Noelene and Mike for everything; I had the time of my life and I understand why you live there now!

Going to Yellowknife

2006-07-15T09:28:00.000-06:00

This morning I am going to Yellowknife to visit my good friend Noelene! Initially I had tried to go home to New Brunswick on airmiles to see my family, however as it turned out, all of the airmiles seats were full on the way there so I couldn't go. Instead, and equally as fun, I decided on Yellowknife! I've never been there before and have always wanted to visit. I will be gone for five days and will be sure to post my stories and pictures when I get back!

Stampede Breakfast

2006-07-09T20:48:00.000-06:00

Today I went out to the flying club for their annual Stampede Breakfast. It was fun to see a lot of people that I havn't seen in a while - plus the breakfast was free!!! Here are some pictures.

Ice Queen

2006-07-08T22:56:00.000-06:00

I've just finished a great book called Ice Queen by Alice Hoffman. It was the first book that I've read by this author and I thought it was excellent. My friend Sue recommended this author to me and I'm happy she did. I'm also excited because Alice Hoffman has written quite a number of books so now I feel as though I have something good to read for months!!

Her writing is descriptive, in that it gives you your own image of the places and people, but it is not so over-wordy that you find yourself skimming over the description! It's sortof whimsical and magical but I found myself just believing it all to be true. By the end of the book I had fallen in love with her characters and clearly understood the message of the story. It was beautiful and interesting and I learned something from the book. You'll have to read it to learn what I learned!

Ghost Lake

2006-07-08T20:18:00.000-06:00

I had the most amazing day! A few of us went to Ghost Lake this morning for a day of playing on the sea doo. It was a perfect day - cloudless sky, light breeze and warm temperatures. J bought a wakeboard and a tube to pull behind the boat so we all took turns trying them out.

Everyone always says how cold Ghost Lake is, but it wasn't cold at all. We grew up on Grand Lake in New Brunswick and would go swimming after school as soon as the ice had melted! I think we have thicker skin as a result!! I remember getting out of the Lake when we were kids and we would be purple because it was so cold! Naw... Ghost Lake wasn't cold at all - it was beautiful.

Being on the water twice in one week has made me so happy that I can hardly believe that I've gone so long without being around water. I know I keep saying it over and over, but there is very little I appreciate more than being surrounded by trees and water. They make me appreciate my life.

It was a great day!

Sea-doo

2006-07-05T22:37:00.000-06:00

My brother just bought a brand spankin new sea doo this week and we took it out to Chestermere lake tonight for just over an hour. It was the most fun I've had in ages! It can go 70 mph at top speed! I had it going 58 mph tonight. They tell us that for the first ten hours it won't perform at full power because it needs 'break in' time.

The machine fits three people very comfortably and it can tow skiers, wake boarders or a tube. Jason is going to get a tube and maybe waterskies for the weekend. We may try out Ghost Lake on the weekend - but I hear it is very cold!!!

More on Canada

2006-07-02T14:48:00.000-06:00

I love the diversity of animals, birds and marine life that is so unique to Canada.

I love that in the winter you can ride a skidoo and in the summer you can ride a seadoo!

I love it all and am PROUD to be a CANADIAN!!

Canadian Tribute

2006-07-02T13:44:00.000-06:00

There is so much I love about Canada! I love the diversity of people, nature and even weather across this great land mass! July 1st is Canada Day and here is a pictoral tribute!!

I love the beauty of the water and the trees, particularly in the fall when the leaves change color.

The Rocky Mountains are something that no picture can ever do justice. You simply have to experience them: the massive size of them, the sounds and the amazing smell that is unique to being in the mountains.

Fish Creek Park

2006-06-22T09:23:00.000-06:00

Who knew that Fish Creek park was so beautiful and full of trees? I should have gone there years ago as it is exactly what I miss about home - TREES!!! In my mind, I had always imagined the park as more of a prairie environment so never took the time to go for a visit. Now I know better and plan to take better advantage of such an amazing place so close to where I live!

A Hug from Yellowknife!

2006-06-20T22:04:00.000-06:00

My friend Nolene and her bo Mike are so sweet! The other day I arrived home to find these flowers on my doorstep! She lives in Yellowknife so I don't get to see her very often, however we talk on the phone a few times a week. My brother and I always say that we adopted her and are her Canadian family (she is from South Africa where her parents still live), but I think that she adopted us because she is always doing the most thoughtful things for us.

The card read, "This is instead of a hug from Yellowknife". So sweet! Noelene, my friend, I am lucky to know you! Thanks - you made my day!

I am Canadian!

2006-06-01T11:20:00.000-06:00

I have always been a proud Canadian, but every once and a while something will happen to really make me realize just how very lucky I am to be Canadian.

I had this very experience last week regarding our health care system. I, like all Albertans pay my $44.00 per month for health care and by doing so can go to the doctor or hospital and get whatever I need done and that's it. I don't get a bill or have to get my folks to mortgage their house or any of that. I cannot even begin to imagine what my 'health care experience' last week would have cost. I am so lucky and thankful for our system, and although many people may think that it has its faults, maybe they haven't been sick lately.

What Muppet Personality are you?

2006-05-24T16:27:00.000-06:00

You Are Dr. Bunsen Honeydew

You take the title "mad scientist" to the extreme -with very scary things coming out of your lab.And you've invented some pretty cool things, from a banana sharpener to a robot politician.But while you're busy turning gold into cottage cheese, you need to watch out for poor little Beaker!"Oh, that's very naughty, Beaker! Now you eat these paper clips this minute."

The Muppet Personality Test

Computer Genius

2006-05-23T23:46:00.000-06:00

I am a computer genius! I finally figured out how to display links! How did I ever get so smart - really I should have gone into computer tech.

Bragg Creek

2006-05-23T22:57:00.000-06:00

On Monday I went with Sean & Nancy to Bragg Creek for my first 'real' mountain biking experience on my new Kona. I still have yet to name the bike, but it will come. The trail began with a big hill. Not as easy as it looks! Sean made it look kinda easy as I walked my bike up the hill! Nancy said I made her look good!! Hehehehe. I think I could have made someone on a tricycle look good! After barely surviving the hills, the down part was awesome and I even enjoyed the wipe out when my wheels decided to stop rotating through a pile of mud. Sean and Nancy said that I fell properly, so I was happy to learn that I was a natural at this part!!

As always, when we finished I felt great and was happy to have had the experience. I look forward to the next time and the next and the next and with each time getting better and the hills getting easier. For me, so much of the experience was being around all of those trees which I often miss while living here in Calgary. They smell so amazing and fresh and remind me so much of home where the trees are so plentiful that you never know what it is like to miss them or not smell them.

Yet again, I am thankful to S & N for taking me along and waiting for me at the top of the hills!!!

Patio Lanterns

2006-05-19T21:13:00.000-06:00

PATIO LANTERNS

Our house had the biggest patio

Our house had all the summer shade

We had patio lanterns

I'd spend half the night making lemonade

Which we drank a lot 'cause we were all so shy

Shy and nervous

Who was gonna be

Who would be the first to dance

Who was gonna be

Who would be the first to kiss

Under those patio lanterns

Those patio lanterns

They were the stars in the sky

Those patio lanterns Lighting up our lives

Those patio lanterns

They were the stars in the sky

Those patio lanterns Lighting up our lives

Oh those patio lanterns

And i was stuck on Joy (that was her name)

We didn't talk much

She was a nervous girl

I was a nervous boy

We stuck together like glue on glue

Dancing to an old song Bobby vinton's blue on blue

Heartache on heartache

Remember these lyrics by Kim Mitchell??? It is my brother's birthday this weekend and I gave him cheezy patio lanterns for his gift and he put them up last night. They remind us of where we grew up at the lake and there was this old guy who had similar lanterns at his camp. It's all very nostalgic and I love how the lanterns look in the back yard!

Crafty

2006-05-18T19:33:00.000-06:00

My friends Sue and Shane left this morning to return to Montreal. I was sad that they were leaving and wish that they still lived nearby, but I guess on the other hand we are lucky to see one another as often as we do given that they live so far away.

We had a great week together and spent a very entertaining evening with our other favorites, Sean and Nancy! I love that combination of people: Sue, Shane, Sean and Nancy (and me of course)! This group of people feel like family. These are my friends that will be my friends until the day I die. I could count on any one of them anytime, anywhere and for any reason. They are solid friendships that I am so thankful for and will never take for granted.

Sue had a great idea to make bracelets - our plan was to make three, but we ran out of some materials and only finished two. We want to make one for Nancy so we can all have matching bracelets. I will pick up more materials this week and complete the third one, but here is a picture. The picture does not do it justice, keep in mind!

Calgary Bike Paths

2006-05-14T20:35:00.000-06:00

Today was a great day! I went biking for a couple of hours all along the Calgary bike paths with my favorite duo (Sean & Nancy of course). I bought padded shorts and adjusted my seat and my butt doesn't hurt too bad at all today!

We rode along both sides of the river and took a couple of detours around Inglewood and stopped to visit our pal Pierre, who wasn't home. We did, however, meet his mom and wished her a happy Mother's Day. Sean showed us his elementary school stomping ground and its surroundings. We rode along the zoo and by old Fort Calgary with Sean giving a guided tour!

It was a fun day and I'm so very happy with my bike. The day is not yet over though because another of my favorite duo's is arriving in Calgary tonight from Montreal - Sue and Shane. They will be here for most of the week so I am very excited to see and spend some time with them!

My Kona

2006-05-13T11:27:00.000-06:00

I am so excited because I bought a new bike yesterday and I have wanted one for so very long! I got a Kona Blast from Bow cycle with the help of my bike expert Sean. I was torn between a Giant and the Kona, but decided on the Kona and am quite happy with it! I could hardly wait to get home and ride it - which I did.

The only thing that I have to work out is the seat - my seat bones hurt today, but I'm going to ride it later anyway and try the seat in a different position. They tell me that it's normal for your butt to hurt for a while anyway until you get used to it. I am also going to buy some padded bike pants today (like I need more padding there....but they say it helps)!!

I also have to name it, Nancy says. I'm still working on a name. Suggestions anyone?

Beautiful Day

2006-05-07T09:32:00.000-06:00

It is so beautiful outside today - sunny, warm, and no wind! So awesome. I am on call and part of me wants to go flying because it is so nice out, but the other part of me wants to have a nap! I'm sleepy after a late night at a wedding (more about that later). Here are some pictures I took of Cranbrooke, BC the last time I was there. It was a day much like today.

Calgary Flames

2006-05-03T23:23:00.000-06:00

I can't believe that the Flames lost tonight (3 to nothin'). I was so sure that they would win and there would be good times in Calgary for the next while. As little as I know about hockey, I did think that they weren't at their best tonight, but I won't hold it against them. We'll just hope for next year.

Burrowing Owl

2006-05-02T12:22:00.000-06:00

During my free time while in the Hat, I went for a walk at Police Point Park which takes you through cyprus trees and eventually down by the river. It was quite beautiful.

We came upon a little gift shop/interpretive center and went inside to have a look. It turns out that a little burrowing owl lives in there!

He was a couple of years old and came from Moose Jaw, which is why he is named M.J. Anyway, they are an endangered species - I don't remember the stats on them, but there aren't very many left. His parents were injured captives and this little guy got attached to people during his youth so is unable to survive on his own in the wild. They had tried to mate him at one point, but would have nothing to do with it; apparantly he just flapped his wings in distress when the young lady was introduced to him!!

He does enjoy being petted on the head and will come right up to you and lower his head for you to pet him! He also enjoys a little finger nibbling. He was very cute and was the highlight of my day!

The Hat

2006-04-26T20:12:00.000-06:00

I am going to Medicine Hat (aka 'the Hat') tomorrow for a few days for work. I will be on call during the night so my days will be free - assuming that I'm not sleeping all day because I got called out at night! I'm planning to explore Medicine Hat and its outskirts since I will have my car this time. I don't really know very much of what is around that area, but I'll look it up on the internet or ask around.

I will probably hang out a bit with some friends/co-workers who live there and I also have a bunch of paperwork to do, so the hotel will be the perfect spot for that! There is also a hot tub and pool in the hotel and I love them so I'm looking forward to going for the weekend.

Automobiles

2006-04-26T11:44:00.000-06:00

Ahhhh cars.... They sure are nice to have. I actually don't know what I would do in a city like Calgary without one. I think it would be nearly impossible to get by, especially with my job. They are great....when they work...

Every time I go over a bump of any size the right front end of my car 'crunches'. I don't know what it is, but its not a good noise!!! I'm thinking maybe it is a strut... but what do I know. Anyway, so the other day I called my garage and tried to make an appointment to bring my car in and have this 'whatever' fixed,but they suggested that first I bring it in and just have them do a front end inspection to see what it is and then I can get an estimate and then make another appointment to bring it in for repair. The inspection is free.

Ok, so that's fine I'll bring it in today and have it looked at so then if its very expensive I can arrange for that. So I go in like they told me to (no appointment necessary) and hand over my keys. A few minutes later he comes back to tell me that they can't see anything wrong and that unfortunately they don't have enough time to take it for a test drive... WTF!!! So what on earth was the point of going there at all??? I have to fix it so why did they talk me out of making an appointment in the first place so I can just get the stupid thing fixed!

So I made an appointment for Friday and hopefully I can borrow my brother's car for the day. Ahhhhh cars!

Relief

2006-04-21T16:55:00.000-06:00

I wrote the SAMRA exam today! I can't even begin to explain what a relief it is to have that exam finally finished. It was the final written exam that I will ever have to do for Transport Canada and that makes me very happy! It was quite hard I thought and there were about 31 questions (out of 80) that I had bookmarked because I was not one hundred percent certain of the correct answer! That's a lot! Anyway, it seems I am a great guesser because I got 90% on the exam. I was surprised by that because a number of those 31 uncertainties were purely guesses! Anyway, its done and now I can apply for my ATPL (Airline Transport License) finally!