think of all the friends you've made
Harper needs a stylist. Bad. He's in CANCUN, for god's sake. It's HOT. And what the heck does he wear? Dark colours and some utilitarian vest-thing, over another shirt...? Has the dude never been to a hot country before...?

It's great that Bush thinks he's got all that "steely resolve", but what about plain old fashion sense? I hope he at least remembered the sunscreen.  | ¶ 1:44 a.m.

  it may be over but it won't stop there Here is a peek at what a family dinner at the compound is like. This is from Caia's hotdog party last week.

  | ¶ 1:24 a.m.

  I'm just chasing time again So, I'm getting a ride home in a taxi and my driver is preoccupied with his telephone conversation. Has this happened to you - where your foreign-speaking taxi-man is so busy with his conversation that he can barely get your address from you? What the heck are these guys talking about? Is the taxi shift the only chance they get to speak on the phone?  | ¶ 3:14 a.m.

  I'm not leaving less you come with me In two separate social circles I am known as "Stacey Two". Who knew there were so many Staceys out there that I would be the second one people became acquainted with. When I met Tone-L in 1998 (or 99?), he already had a Stacey-friend, so he gave me the descriptor. Then recently, when I was working over at BW last summer, I worked for a lawyer named Stacey (who I call "Stacey H"), and she gave me the same title.

When I was in grade five, though, there were three Staceys in my class. Stacey G., Stacey M., and me. When you're a kid, being friends with people who have the same name is a super-cool thing, but Stacey M. and I didn't really get along with Stacey G. So our little gang was froo and me and Stacey M. and another girl named Carmen. We even created a little club. 'Cause kids do gay things like that when they're eleven. Carmen's brother used to pull out his eyebrows. I'm not sure what that has to do with anything...

Stacey M. is now Stacey D. My dad keeps me in the loop on stuff like that from Moncton because he teaches an education program and sometimes the kids who were the friends of his children growing up become his students. These are things you need to know.

With the insanity that comes with being a securities lawyer, Stacey H. is much too busy to keep in touch with me very regularly now that I don't see her every day in the office. But we do manage to get together for drinks now and then. Today is that day.  | ¶ 3:19 p.m.

  and so I'm offering this simple phrase When I went downstairs to transition my clothes from the washer to the dryer earlier tonight, I found the washer halfway across the room. I hope my landlord doesn't think I was trying to steal the washing machine.  | ¶ 11:32 p.m.

  there must be an angel with a smile on her face Oh God.

Mom-to-be Katie Holmes is reportedly gearing up for the silent birth of her first child after Scientologists were spotted carrying signs into her home, reminding her to keep quiet during labor.

Reminding her to keep quiet!!?? I've never given birth, but that seems pretty rude to me.

Go ahead and scream, Katie.  | ¶ 10:59 a.m.

  I can't take my eyes off of you The other night at Caia's hotdog party (see slideshow here) the family had some good laughs. I brought the heart-shaped glasses, then later in the evening froo had the brilliant idea that we should make "fish faces" for some pics. We were laughing so hard most of the time we could barely make the faces. froo and I are decidedly unskilled at fish-face-making.

Due to some unexpected financial expenditures this month and the need to spend a little more cautiously, froo and I are talking about having the Third Annual West Coast 30th Birthday Bonanza here in Calgary. froo has been looking for an excuse to have people over to her condo, so this is as good a reason as any to plan a party. A trip to Vancouver might be better come late spring or summer when we can maybe take a little more time and the weather is more likely to be nice.

Usually I'm looking forward to my birthday a lot more than I am this year. It's not an age thing, but maybe after 30-plus birthdays you kinda just lose your enthusiasm for celebrating them...? All I can think about this year is the hectic-ness I'm expecting at work. Yes, even the most boring job in the world has some stressful moments now and then. It's 'cause of all the board meetings in early April. Board meeting prep is the only thing that challenges me these days, so I actually kinda look forward to the stress.

We figure we can still have a decent party staying in Calgary. [Sidenote: The other night froo decided that we should continue to celebrate our 30th birthday each year, at least as long as we can persuade people we're really that young. I can run with that.]  | ¶ 12:22 a.m.

  we might live like never before We think we're so funny...

(click photo to witness the silliness)  | ¶ 11:38 a.m.

  the same old scenario, the same old rain I haven't forgotten how to blog, people. I just have a little creativity / enthusiasm block this week. I've never had a job that made me feel so useless - and it's hard to snap out of that sometimes.

I used to work as an assistant to a couple financial planners a few years ago. I worked with a really fun young guy named Trevor (he saved my sanity during that stint), and we used to laugh when one of the planners would ask me to make a couple labels, but then add that he didn't need them right away - "next week sometime is fine..." And I was like, how long does he think it takes to MAKE LABELS...?! Sadly, that job was more challenging than most of my days currently. Yeesh.

The update is that we're going over to the compound for a hotdog dinner tonight. That's what the birthday girl requested for her meal. Caia's getting a week-long birthday celebration, basically. Tomorrow she gets to go rollerskating with some friends. That's BIG time when you're seven!  | ¶ 5:35 p.m.

  once I wanted to be the greatest Check out this poutine exposé.

  | ¶ 10:19 p.m.

  lights will guide you home The body is good at letting one know when the need for downtime is becoming urgent. These past couple weeks have been draining both emotionally and physically - what with some not-so-constructive coping mechanisms kicking in, and bodies being forced to go into survival mode, running on adrenaline half the time. So Friday I started planning an ambitious weekend. I told people that I was going to sleep, then sleep, then watch TV, then sleep some more. And I proceeded to do just that. My only outing was to church on Sunday morning. And Monday evening? Oh, more napping to help wind down for a full night's sleep. I'm not even sure if I'm done with all the resting up. Coming back to work yesterday did nothing to revive any enthusiasm for the current state of things.

But I do have some positive news to report. On Friday I received my letter of admission from Carleton. They included my course audit, and although I'm still making sense of it, I can at least understand that they're admitting me as a third-year student. That's good news, in this educational quest! All I gotta do now is get myself an academic calendar and start planning which courses to take to best figure out where my interest and strength lies, to start me on the path toward a Master's degree. And, oh yeah, get a student loan... The cycle begins again.  | ¶ 4:03 p.m.

  I saw your face in a crowded place
Yesterday Devin and I attended church. No, we haven't gone and "got religion". Kyle and Caia were performing with the church "extreme kids" choir during the service, so we thought it would be nice to see the show. It was funny to watch Ella waving frantically throughout the whole show, trying to catch her brother and sister's eye to acknowledge her down in the crowd. It was also endearing to see the big hugs she wrapped them in when they finished. They did a good job.

They're cute kids, my nieces and nephew. Today is Caia's birthday - she's seven. Happy Birthday, pretty girl.  | ¶ 12:03 p.m.

  time, where did you go? A year ago today I made a new friend. I'd seen Devin around and had spoken to him in passing, but this day was the day I trudged into J9 knowing I had just failed my Modern Government midterm. I really wanted to go drink beer. Given that it was also St. Patrick's Day, it seemed as good a day as any, so I announced to the three people in the room that that was my plan and invited all to join. Devin, being the good sport that he is, decided to join me.

The night consisted of numerous green beers, some very badly sung Irish karaoke, and culminated with some oh-so-nourishing poutine at the Village Grec. It is a year later and Devin and I are still drinking beer and eating poutine together. The image you see was taken late Monday night in the city of Montreal after Devin picked me up at the airport. We had decided to take advantage of some of Quebec's great offerings: bars open late and poutine served into the wee hours. It was 5:30 when we finally got to sleep that night.

As you know, these past couple weeks have been heartbreaking for Devin. I've seen the relationships he has with his parents and know that he is a good son and a real credit to his parents. It's obvious that he was raised with sensitivity and discipline, because he has been nothing short of respectful and generous in the time that I've known him. "Too nice" is how we sometimes describe Devin. He might not love that description, but there are worse things you could say about a person, don't you think...? I can't help but respect him for how he has handled himself.


Here's to many more beer-drinking evenings, skiing outings, Rocky mountain roadtrips, movie afternoons, diner breakfasts, St. Patrick's Days, and the dirty dirty pout.  | ¶ 6:18 p.m.

  I keep on talkin' trash but I never say anything Yesterday I got to see some friends I haven't seen since leaving Bishop's last May - Scott and Tom. And I have some news that I must report. After recovering from his unfortunate altercation with a brick wall, Tom made the following statement:

I’m back to typing with two hands, so I’m going to start blogging again. I still have my right arm in a sling, but I’m getting better…

People, not only is Tom not blogging these days, but I could see very clearly that he was not sporting any sling. As a matter of fact, he looked perfectly healthy and able to blog. Makes you wonder why he isn't blogging, doesn't it...?  | ¶ 4:28 p.m.

  running wild among all the stars above I'm not a great flyer. The more I fly, the more afraid I become. Especially if it's been a while since my last trip, before or during takeoff, it isn't unusual for me to morbidly contemplate my death in some fashion. I think about who will have to go through my things, who will take care of my cat, who I haven't seen or spoken to recently, and about the things I have yet to do.

Strangely I can also find flights a very peaceful experience. After you reach cruising altitude and they start the movie - the people are all subdued, maybe the cabin lights are dimmed and there is only a few soft lights dotting the cabin among those who choose to read.

I try to get a window seat. I love watching the country pass by - initially unrecognizable barren landscape, then as the sun sets, the clusters of orange lights signifying a town or maybe a farmhouse somewhere.

I put on my iPod and get lost in my thoughts. Somehow I feel more connected to "real life" up there above it all. Flying makes more seem possible - the ease with which we can join the lives of friends and family half a world away, if even just for a few moments.

I'm home.  | ¶ 3:49 a.m.

  but we shared a moment that will last 'til the end I'm safe and sound in Cowansville, if you're wondering. Today was a pretty sad day for Devin's family as they said good-bye to his mom. I was the klutz who couldn't get the double-cheek kissing thing down - a standard greeting in these parts, it seems. I do like this province; I met lots of nice people today.  | ¶ 8:00 p.m.

  how can you know it, if you don't even try Check it out:

So along with two phone calls on the weekend, they've managed to get my info updated on the web page. Guess it's official now; I'm admitted to Carleton.

Now what?  | ¶ 12:38 p.m.

  yesterday I got lost in the circus, feeling like such a mess Have I mentioned that I'm not a very good packer? I'm flying to Montreal tomorrow afternoon and need to leave straight from work, so I'm a tad frantic tonight. Luckily, Devin is going to meet me at the airport and save me from worrying about that part of the journey. Whenever I fly east, it takes me forever to recover from the jetlag, so I'm guessing I'll remain on mountain time for the two days I'm in la belle province.  | ¶ 11:33 p.m.

  you're always a heartbeat from me Again I ask for your prayers for the Corey family, as they mourn the loss of Jo-Ann.  | ¶ 5:45 p.m.

  will you be a friend of mine to remind me what is real Since the people at Carleton are busy evaluating my courses and have "deferred" their decision (it's been a month now), I haven't received any correspondence from them. The frustrating part at this point is that other things have led me to believe that I will be getting an acceptance letter - I was added to the undergraduate email distribution list, with the first email saying "Congratulations on being accepted", and they mailed me documentation regarding planning my finances for the school year. Only to follow up with an email saying, "we sent you that stuff in error; we're still evaluating your application and hope to have a decision within the next few months..." Eep - a few months...?? I was all encouraged and then quickly discouraged.

In better news, today I got to hear those magical words that every ex-student delights in: PAID IN FULL. That's right, people, my old student loan is paid off. Now I've only got those shiny fresh ones from last year (and any I incur in the coming years) to haunt me for the next decade. At least I don't have to deal with the CIBC anymore - I was getting sick of those people. The federal government was nice enough to get my tax refund processed in only ONE week, so I quickly turned around and dumped my entire refund on debts.  | ¶ 10:36 p.m.

  where do you go with your broken heart in tow Devin's mom remains in the hospital fighting for her life. Her prognosis is far from certain. This week has paradoxically passed by in a blur and somehow a numbing slow-motion. She's not my mother, but I swear, I can feel his pain. His fear and sadness are so real to me because I know him so well and have seen the depth of his emotion and sensitivity. The boy was raised right - kind and gentle and giving - and now he faces losing the woman who molded him.  | ¶ 3:44 p.m.

  make me over; I don't wanna be afraid As previously mentioned, my weekend in Banff with Devin was a pretty laid-back affair. I wasn't as motivated as certain other people to do anything active, so we kinda didn't. In Banff you can drive around to various little spots and just observe people taking advantage of the natural amenities of the Rocky Mountains. We parked at Bow Falls (I wanted to see what they looked like all frozen), then walked back behind the Banff Springs Hotel where kids were sliding and skating. See my movie clip below for a glimpse of this peaceful scene.


The funny part of this little scenario is what you can't smell in a movie clip. At first we assumed that somebody near us had some bad gas, because it was awfully sulphur-y. Then we figured it was some naturally-occurring gas because it never really diminished the whole time. It is the Sulphur Mountain hot springs that are right in that neighbourhood anyway...

I've posted my pics from the weekend here.  | ¶ 3:43 p.m.

  we were hiding from the rain Yesterday Devin flew home to Quebec to be with his mother, who is in the hospital in Cowansville. Everybody, please pray for Devin and his family - they need your support.  | ¶ 11:48 a.m.

  living on nerves and such sweet pain
I have a confession to make. After all the talk of doing more extreme picnicking, the most extreme Devin and I got over the weekend was making sandwiches at the table in our hotel room. Same story for the snowshoeing: with my priorities being to relax in a jacuzzi, we hit the facility at our hotel and made a trip to the hot springs. At no point did we don specialized footwear and trek through any serious snow. Actually, visiting the hot springs pool was a seriously soothing experience. It's pretty nifty to be sitting outside with snow surrounding you and feeling completely enveloped in the warmth of these warm spring waters. Pics to come later.  | ¶ 4:14 p.m.

  so smile for awhile and let's be jolly
life shouldn't be so melancholy [interim content update til cupcake gets back from the roadtrip courtesy of frou]

Surfing today, I visited Buzznet's video page and found out I like the Pixies! (Plus these girls are funny :)

Check it out here.  | ¶ 7:06 p.m.

  I'll sit you down and count the ways Tomorrow Devin and I are off for another mountain adventure. We've left the plans flexible, but the rough outline is to do some snowshoeing somewhere in or around the town of Banff. Our forecast is looking promising, so you can expect more extreme picnicking photos upon my return on Sunday. We're hoping to find some cheap overnight accommodations - preferably something with a jacuzzi to soak in after our snowshoeing outing. It will be nice to get out of town because this week felt really long.  | ¶ 12:49 a.m.

  by now we should know how to communicate New technology alert! Okay, some of you are probably already familiar with this, but I'm a new convert. I've been struggling to find webspace to host my videos for free. Shaw gives me ten different website addresses with 20 MB of space each, so I was starting to cycle through "Chief_Exec", "Chief_Exec2", "Chief_Exec3", etc., but if I ever cancel my service, I lose that space. Now what have the smart folks at Google done? Created a free video-hosting service, just for people like me. I'll be using it lots in the coming days (remember that great video of Devin making coffee I promised a while back?), but for now I've got the video below uploaded. This is one of Persuade's new roommates over at the animal house. If you have audio, you can listen to me encouraging him to speak and him obliging me with some gentle murmurs (I'm not sure how else to describe the little "mmm" sound he makes). Fun!



Since I'll be labelling all my videos with my identity, you can search for my latest work by going to the video site and entering my name into the search field. My videos might not be terribly interesting at first, but I promise they'll get better.  | ¶ 8:56 p.m.

  the words turn the minutes to hours
When I was growing up, since we had a large family and not a ton of money, our family vacations consisted primarily of camping trips. For several years in a row we went to Prince Edward Island for a summer vacation, taking in a musical performance of Anne of Green Gables, visiting Rainbow Valley, and camping at the Sunset Campground at Cavendish Beach (the campground had an L-shaped pool!). We had to be quite the sight, the seven of us loaded up in our red van, hauling a tiny trailer behind us with all the gear - two tents, seven sleeping bags, seven mattresses, two coolers, a water jug, a couple gas lanterns, and all of the dishes and cleaning supplies needed for a family of seven.

A trip to PEI always included a stop at the Bonshaw 500 for some go-kart racing (it was on the way to Charlottetown). I've got lots of good memories from that place - we used to have a blast driving those little lawnmower-engine-powered buggies around the track. In my memory, I won a lot of the time. Some might dispute that, though.

Also on family trips, Mom would randomly get out of her seat and travel through the van doing a "seatbelt check". When you didn't have your seatbelt on, it meant that you didn't get ice cream with your brothers and sisters at the next stop. Very sad.

Travelling to PEI back then meant taking the ferry, and in the summer, with the abundance of tourists headed that way, it meant that you joined the other lines of cars waiting sometimes for several hours before space was available. Luckily we planned ahead, and were equipped for sandwich-making, because trip preparation always included a trip to "Bun King" for fresh Kaiser rolls, to fill with cold cuts, mayo and cheese.

While we waited we would innocently debate which ferry we would get that day - would it be the Holiday Island, or the Vacationland? In the winter time, you got the enclosed boats that were built for icebreaking - either the John Hamilton Gray, which Dad called "Captain Crunch", or in later years, the new Abegweit, called "the Abby" (it replaced an older version of a boat with the same name - see image to left). It's kinda sad that you can't experience this aspect of Canadian history anymore - the bridge is nice and everything, but the ferry was an experience.  | ¶ 6:30 p.m.