I Made It!!!

Well, I managed to survive a year in Olds. Okay so it was only 8 months but believe me it was long enough. I'm headed back home for the summer and I'm pretty happy about it. But have I mentioned lately that I hate packing. As I pack up my belongings for my return voyage, I've come to realize how much stuff I really have. Way too much. They don't call it a "Charlene amount of copious crap" for nothing. How many t-shirts does one person need, seriously now? I have enough t-shirts that I could probably wear a new one everyday for a month and still not have to do laundry. Now that's a lot of t-shirts but I'm one of those people who is reluctant to throw clothes away unless they are severely stained or have holes in them. And even then if the t-shirt has sentimental value I still have problems parting with it. I know there are others out there like me. There's another help group I could start.

Another new challenge I have discovered in my packing is attempting to eat all the contents of your fridge. I'm down to frozen hot dogs, a plethora of sauces, tomatoes, milk, cheese, one egg and don't forget the bugs in my freezer. Let's just say I'm not looking forward to the omelet for breakfast. And for those of you who don't already think I'm crazy or know for a fact I'm crazy the bugs are for a bug collection I have to do for school, although I've heard chocolate coated they can be quite tasty. Mmm protein. Beats mosquitoes in your oatmeal.

Now that I am moving back and dismantling my computer I will be posting less blogs so don't except too much out of me over the summer, especially since I will be back to dial up and everyone knows how painfully slow that can be. So until September, when I will be back in school and more likely to post out of boredom, have a good one. In fact have a great one, on me.

All I Want To Do Is Watch The Game

The Oilers are in the playoffs, which most everyone should know and if you didn't already I informed everyone in my last blog, and all I want to do is watch the game. But will my T.V. let me? No, of course not. I have tried everything. I've moved it all around the apartment, put tinfoil on the ends of the antennae but nothing gets me CBC. I swear the T.V. gods are torturing me because no matter where I put it in the room or how I adjust the antennae I can never get CBC but I can always get Global. What kinda crap is that. Who needs Global? Do they have any good shows? No. Plus they don't have hockey so clearly that channel is useless.

Because of my T.V. woes I am forced to go elsewhere in search of the game because it would be a crime not to watch Oilers playoff hockey. So tonight when the game comes on I will wander over to the bowling alley to watch it. I will most likely be the only one in the bowling alley bar because it's exactly that and no one's first choice of a bar is the bowling alley, but that's okay I like to watch the game either alone or with people I know not a bunch of strangers at a bar. I choose the bowling alley because I simply want to watch hockey, plus it's close and smoke free. It's hard to go into a smoky bar now that I'm used to the no smoking laws in Edmonton. So for now I will suck it up and go to the bowling alley to watch hockey but I can't wait until I'm home and can watch the games in the comfort of my own living room that gets all the peasant vision channels. (I never thought I would praise peasant vision.) My advice for the day is watch the Oilers play and cheer them on, their going to need it.

On a side note I had a dream last night that the Oilers were playing Carolina in the playoffs and in order for that to happen that would mean it was the Stanley Cup playoff matchup. So I predict the Oilers are going to make it all the way and play in the finals against Carolina. But let's face it, it was just a dream and the likelihood of it happening is miniscule. Let's just say I'm not going to put any money on it. But wouldn't it be weird if it happened... that would mean I was psychic. Creepy.

The Oilers Made It!!!!!

The Oilers are in, the Oilers are in!! I'm very happy. It may only be 8th but at least we're not Toronto or Vancouver sitting out of the playoffs. Bring on the playoff hockey and bring on the President's Trophy winners we can take them. Even if we can't, I'm just happy we made it and Toronto didn't. Hallelujah, because it definitely took an act of God for the Oilers to make it and of course some incredibly good dumb luck that Vancouver lost, alot. Thank you Vancouver for sucking and dropping the ball, we literally couldn't have done it without you.

That's it, that's all I've got. Just felt the need to spread my excitement and joy. Yeah for hockey and Go Oilers!!!

Hockey : My Infatuation

Obsession just doesn't cut it, I'm infatuated with hockey. I love to watch it, play it, follow it, buy any piece of merchandise with a team logo on it (as long as it's not Toronto or Calgary, of course) from hats/shirts to mini cups/figurines. I am very happy I grew up in Canada. Only in Canada could Don Cherry be a national icon and Hockey Night in Canada be a Saturday tradition.

And as usual it is that time of the year again for us Oilers fans to watch our team struggle to make that final playoff berth. I check the standings several times a day, calculating who has to loss and how many we have to win just to get in. It seems it's almost become tradition for the Oilers fate to come down to the final games of the season while all the fans watch intensely praying the team will make the playoffs only to face the top seeded team or Dallas and loose out in the first round. But despite their hardships I am still a die hard Oilers fan like many Oilers fans are. Dedicated to the team, even when our best player leans to hard on his stick, snapping it in half, taking a nose dive on a breakaway with a chance to score the winning goal. Yes I am talking about Smitty, but I should probably lay off the guy because he is a major component of our team and if the pucks didn't bounce of his head or knee and into the net I don't know what we'd do.

So here's to hoping the Oilers manage to scramble their way into the playoffs so I can at least watch 4 games of Oilers playoff hockey. If all else fails several other Canadian teams will be in the playoffs and I would love to see a Canadian team bring home the cup (except Toronto of course, I don't know if I could swallow my pride and be happy for the Maple Leafs but I'm not going to have to any time soon because they aren't going to make the playoffs anyway.)

What If Everyone Was A Bobble Head?

Those of you who know me well have already heard me talk on this subject but each time I meet someone with the right personality the topic comes up again. Everyone can think of a person they know that would just make a hilarious bobble head. It's really quite a good trick, whenever you need a good laugh picture the person your talking to or whomever as a bobble head. Or if you need to make someone else laugh that works too.

For example, there is a particular person from my previous place of employment (and I won't mention any names but some of you might know who he is, Chantal I know you know who I'm talking about) that I could just picture as a bobble head holding a cup of coffee in one hand a doughnut in the other chatting away, bobbling along.

It's one of those things that came to me at work one day whilst weeding when I had lots of time to think about things. It was kinda like the time I felt the need to announce to everyone that I chew my mashed potatoes. But that's a whole other story. I know what your thinking, "She's crazy". And you know what that's probably true but I sure have had some good times as a result of my craziness. So the next time you have a strange random thought in your head, blurt it out. Some people may find you weird but like some guy I met once said,

"If your not weird, your not human."

A Little "Big" Piece of Alberta History

I had the pleasure to be in Lethbridge on the weekend to prune some elm trees at the site of this years tree climbing competition. I'm pretty sure I've been to Lethbridge before at some point but I certainly don't remember it. The part of it I did see while we drove through it I liked. It has a beautiful river valley and lots of spectacular trees. It's funny how you start to notice things once you start to learn about them because prior to going to school for arboriculture I don't think I ever drove through a city and admired the trees but now I do it all the time.


Anyway, on to the main topic. While I was in Lethbridge I got to see a piece of Alberta history, one of the largest trees and oldest trees in southern Alberta. A 100 year old cottonwood poplar. This tree is huge!!!! The tree is approximately 15 feet in diameter and 90 feet tall. In the picture of the base of the tree, the orange thing you see is my hard hat which is about a foot across and the tree looks like it's ready to consume it. It's one thing to see the pictures but it's an entirely different experience to see it up close. You may not be all that interested in trees but if your ever in Lethbridge I highly recommend checking out this tree. And for all the tree huggers out there, this is one tree you won't be able to bear hug but I'm sure it would appreciate the attempt.

Word of the Day: Copacetic

Copacetic. It's one of those words I've used before but can't quite figure out where I heard it and I don't know if I'm using it right but I definitely like the way it sounds. I looked it up today and it turns out I'm using it right. It means "acceptable or fine".

It sums up my current state quite well. Everything seems to be falling nicely into place for me lately. I got a job for the summer, I found out I can go to Vegas, school's going good, and school is almost over for the year which means summer break (and going back home). So yes, I am feeling very copacetic. ("I'm feeling very Canadian today", that one's for you Carol) And sufficiently suffoncified (that one I don't actually know what it means or if it's even a real word but it also sounds cool).

It is very much a complacent state but by the end of April I will be shoved into a new state of ecstatic, or at least that's what I'm hoping for. But for now I can deal with copacetic. Yes, I think I am done now. I know it's odd for me to run out of rambling power but that's what a copacetic state will do to a person. I guess it now becomes obvious how much I like the word, but to not overuse it so it loses all meaning, I will stop now. Cheers.