So my time here is up and we're heading home. Thanks to all of you for your interest in my blog and your comments. I've realized that I really enjoy writing and I think I would like to pursue it further in some capacity.
My blogging days are over for now. If any of you are just dying to fill the blog-sized hole that will be left behind, you should check out my friend Kirstie's blog at http://kirstie-seizetheday.blogspot.ca/. If you think my blog was at any time a little bit funny you'll think that Kirstie's is HILARIOUS. Her blog is also based on a really great project that she's doing and it's got a lot of heart behind it. But most of all it's super funny.
So thanks for sharing a little bit of your time with me and I'll see you all soon!
Love,
Melissa.
Saturday, May 26, 2012
Wednesday, May 23, 2012
The Top 10... 12... 16 Things I've Done While Living in L.A.
Well it's 3 days and counting until we return to the Great White North. Thank goodness it won't actually be white because I don't think I could handle it. I need to be eased into winter gradually. Luckily that happens with a little something called autumn.
Anyway, I'm feeling a little bit weird as we pack up and I see people for the last time. Mostly I'm excited to go home though. I'll miss the weather but I feel as though I've done most of the things that I wanted to do here. Here's a list of what some of those things were (in no particular order):
1. Went to a watermelon farm
It actually had way more than just watermelons but we got to take home our own little watermelon at the end of the tour
Here we are having a picnic, Alberta-style in the
back of Ol' Blue (may he rest in peace)
2. Participated in a flash mob
This was such a great experience and everyone should do it at some point in their lives! It was part of a wedding proposal on the Santa Monica Pier. It was one of those things that I didn't know if I would have the guts to do it but it was super fun.
I don't know if this link will work for you but you can try to watch the video:
http://youtu.be/6JVIXk1X3XM
3. Auditioned for and sang with 2 new choirs
I've sung with the same choir for 16 years and I didn't ever really audition for it so it was another thing I didn't think I would have the guts to do. The two choirs I sang with were wildly different but both great experiences. This leads me to the next item on the list...
4. Sang the Mahler 8 with the L.A. Philharmonic and Gustavo Dudamel
So I didn't know who Dudamel was before either but he's pretty much the most famous conductor in the world. He's a musical genius and all around phenomenal person. I had to do a separate audition in order to participate but it was totally worth it. I got to sing with 600 other singers and 400 musicians. The music was reverberating through my whole body.
5. Did a beach bootcamp class
The class itself was nothing special but it was so cool exercising on the sand. When I didn't have one or both of my kids with me (which was most of the time. Thanks, David!) I would also go down by the water and stretch and meditate for a few minutes. Sweet!
6. Watched the Disneyland fireworks with Asha and my nephew Tyler
These were the best fireworks I've ever seen and the kids' reactions to them were so wonderful. Asha said, and I quote, "it's like there's no tomorrow!!".
7. Moved into a much smaller house
I realized that a smaller house is cozier, easier to keep clean, and a much more efficient use of space and money. I also put my girls in a bedroom together which I never would have done if I hadn't been forced to. Even if we live in a 3 bedroom house in the future I will still have them in a room together.
8. Saw the sequoias
Have I mentioned the sequoias yet? Ha ha! Should I post some more pictures to illustrate just how big and beautiful they are?
9. Went to the Coachella Music Festival
It was the music festival to beat all music festivals. The lineup was AMAZING and the quality of the concerts was better than any I've ever been to. It was ridiculously hot out in the desert but completely worth it. I mean, I got to see the hologram of Tupac Shakur. Are you kidding me?!!
I like to call this picture "label the body part".
The people in front of us decided to hoist eachother
up right before I took this picture. I have no idea
what body parts these are. But anyway, see Tupac
in between the mystery body parts?
10. Tried having only one vehicle for our family
Note the word "tried". It was not very successful. I would like to blame this on the embarrassingly horrible public transit system in Los Angeles. That was a factor but I didn't really try that hard. I just couldn't get myself to haul two kids to the bus stop then wait for the bus and then sit on the bus listening to teenagers swear in front of my kids. Maybe I'll try again when I live somewhere where there is a subway system that is actually adequate. Or maybe I won't...
11. Subscribed to a CSA box
CSA stands for Community Supported Agriculture. When you subscribe to a CSA you get a bundle of produce from local farms every week (or every second week in our case). It's a great way to get super fresh produce, support local farms, and try new things. I hadn't heard of many of the fruits and veggies that we got (pomelos? joi choi?) and there were lots that I knew of but hadn't really tried (mustard greens, blood oranges, artichokes).
Each time we picked up our bundle we would
ceremoniously take it out, lay it on the table and
take a picture if it was particularly colourful
The have CSA's in Canada too but I'm pretty sure it's not the same as in California!
12. Oilers game in a different city
I already wrote a whole post about this but it had to go on my list
13. Kids' yoga class
Asha joined a kids' yoga class which was fantastic. Her teacher is phenomenal and the class was really fun. At the end of each class they have a minute of quiet meditation. At first Asha would spend the whole time telling on kids whose eyes were open (obviously missing the irony that in order to see them she must have her eyes open). Well now she can actually sit quietly for 1 whole minute! This is amazing since she literally is only silent when she is sleeping, and even then she often talks in her sleep.
14. Saw wild dolphins in the ocean
This wasn't one of those resort, quasi-natural swim with the dolphins situations. We were just down at the beach and we saw dolphins playing out in the waves. It was so cool! We've seen seals a few times too. When I was waiting to do the aforementioned flash mob on the Santa Monica Pier it was SO cold. It was super windy and rainy and the only time in California that I've been genuinely freezing cold. Then I looked over the edge of the pier at the huge waves and saw 3 seals having a blast playing in the waves. It made me stop feeling sorry for myself!
15. Hosted visitors
We had so many visitors it was difficult to schedule them in sometimes! We also had a few repeaters. My mom wins the prize for a total of 3 visits! One of my favourite things to do was greet arriving visitors. The people arriving from Canada always come down a specific escalator in LAX so I would stand at the bottom of it to wait for them. It was so fun because most people on a flight between Edmonton and L.A. don't have people meeting them!
16. Got the opportunity to really choose where we wanted to live
Most of the time the place where we live is determined by external factors (where we're born, where we go to school or get a job). That has been the case for me for my whole life so far. We had some choice in where we went for David to go to school but there were only so many Real Estate Development programs and the one in USC is one of the best. Well now that David's program is done we could pretty much go anywhere we wanted. We could stay in L.A., move to another U.S. city, or move anywhere else in the world for that matter! Well we're as shocked as anyone to discover that where we want to be is Edmonton. That is ultimately the place we call home.
Anyway, I'm feeling a little bit weird as we pack up and I see people for the last time. Mostly I'm excited to go home though. I'll miss the weather but I feel as though I've done most of the things that I wanted to do here. Here's a list of what some of those things were (in no particular order):
1. Went to a watermelon farm
It actually had way more than just watermelons but we got to take home our own little watermelon at the end of the tour
back of Ol' Blue (may he rest in peace)
2. Participated in a flash mob
This was such a great experience and everyone should do it at some point in their lives! It was part of a wedding proposal on the Santa Monica Pier. It was one of those things that I didn't know if I would have the guts to do it but it was super fun.
I don't know if this link will work for you but you can try to watch the video:
http://youtu.be/6JVIXk1X3XM
3. Auditioned for and sang with 2 new choirs
I've sung with the same choir for 16 years and I didn't ever really audition for it so it was another thing I didn't think I would have the guts to do. The two choirs I sang with were wildly different but both great experiences. This leads me to the next item on the list...
4. Sang the Mahler 8 with the L.A. Philharmonic and Gustavo Dudamel
So I didn't know who Dudamel was before either but he's pretty much the most famous conductor in the world. He's a musical genius and all around phenomenal person. I had to do a separate audition in order to participate but it was totally worth it. I got to sing with 600 other singers and 400 musicians. The music was reverberating through my whole body.
5. Did a beach bootcamp class
The class itself was nothing special but it was so cool exercising on the sand. When I didn't have one or both of my kids with me (which was most of the time. Thanks, David!) I would also go down by the water and stretch and meditate for a few minutes. Sweet!
6. Watched the Disneyland fireworks with Asha and my nephew Tyler
These were the best fireworks I've ever seen and the kids' reactions to them were so wonderful. Asha said, and I quote, "it's like there's no tomorrow!!".
7. Moved into a much smaller house
I realized that a smaller house is cozier, easier to keep clean, and a much more efficient use of space and money. I also put my girls in a bedroom together which I never would have done if I hadn't been forced to. Even if we live in a 3 bedroom house in the future I will still have them in a room together.
8. Saw the sequoias
Have I mentioned the sequoias yet? Ha ha! Should I post some more pictures to illustrate just how big and beautiful they are?
9. Went to the Coachella Music Festival
It was the music festival to beat all music festivals. The lineup was AMAZING and the quality of the concerts was better than any I've ever been to. It was ridiculously hot out in the desert but completely worth it. I mean, I got to see the hologram of Tupac Shakur. Are you kidding me?!!
The people in front of us decided to hoist eachother
up right before I took this picture. I have no idea
what body parts these are. But anyway, see Tupac
in between the mystery body parts?
10. Tried having only one vehicle for our family
Note the word "tried". It was not very successful. I would like to blame this on the embarrassingly horrible public transit system in Los Angeles. That was a factor but I didn't really try that hard. I just couldn't get myself to haul two kids to the bus stop then wait for the bus and then sit on the bus listening to teenagers swear in front of my kids. Maybe I'll try again when I live somewhere where there is a subway system that is actually adequate. Or maybe I won't...
11. Subscribed to a CSA box
CSA stands for Community Supported Agriculture. When you subscribe to a CSA you get a bundle of produce from local farms every week (or every second week in our case). It's a great way to get super fresh produce, support local farms, and try new things. I hadn't heard of many of the fruits and veggies that we got (pomelos? joi choi?) and there were lots that I knew of but hadn't really tried (mustard greens, blood oranges, artichokes).
ceremoniously take it out, lay it on the table and
take a picture if it was particularly colourful
The have CSA's in Canada too but I'm pretty sure it's not the same as in California!
12. Oilers game in a different city
I already wrote a whole post about this but it had to go on my list
13. Kids' yoga class
Asha joined a kids' yoga class which was fantastic. Her teacher is phenomenal and the class was really fun. At the end of each class they have a minute of quiet meditation. At first Asha would spend the whole time telling on kids whose eyes were open (obviously missing the irony that in order to see them she must have her eyes open). Well now she can actually sit quietly for 1 whole minute! This is amazing since she literally is only silent when she is sleeping, and even then she often talks in her sleep.
14. Saw wild dolphins in the ocean
This wasn't one of those resort, quasi-natural swim with the dolphins situations. We were just down at the beach and we saw dolphins playing out in the waves. It was so cool! We've seen seals a few times too. When I was waiting to do the aforementioned flash mob on the Santa Monica Pier it was SO cold. It was super windy and rainy and the only time in California that I've been genuinely freezing cold. Then I looked over the edge of the pier at the huge waves and saw 3 seals having a blast playing in the waves. It made me stop feeling sorry for myself!
15. Hosted visitors
We had so many visitors it was difficult to schedule them in sometimes! We also had a few repeaters. My mom wins the prize for a total of 3 visits! One of my favourite things to do was greet arriving visitors. The people arriving from Canada always come down a specific escalator in LAX so I would stand at the bottom of it to wait for them. It was so fun because most people on a flight between Edmonton and L.A. don't have people meeting them!
16. Got the opportunity to really choose where we wanted to live
Most of the time the place where we live is determined by external factors (where we're born, where we go to school or get a job). That has been the case for me for my whole life so far. We had some choice in where we went for David to go to school but there were only so many Real Estate Development programs and the one in USC is one of the best. Well now that David's program is done we could pretty much go anywhere we wanted. We could stay in L.A., move to another U.S. city, or move anywhere else in the world for that matter! Well we're as shocked as anyone to discover that where we want to be is Edmonton. That is ultimately the place we call home.
Tuesday, May 15, 2012
Walking Amongst Giants (and Junk)
Oh my goodness, it's almost been a month since I last wrote a blog post. I'm officially not a very good blogger. Well if there's anyone out there left reading this, I apologize! I sort of wait until a post forms itself in my mind and then write it and that just hasn't happened lately. That is, until last week.
So, when you think of California, what comes to mind? Seriously, I'm curious what sorts of words pop into your heads. Maybe warm weather and beaches? Celebrities and beautiful, shallow people? Horrendous traffic? Well how about breath-taking scenery and natural phenomena? Did you know that California is the home of the following: the oldest living tree, the tallest tree species, and the biggest tree in the world?
Well I saw the General Sherman, the biggest tree in the world last week. We went on a road trip to Sequoia National Park. Words seriously can not describe how amazing the sequoias are. David keeps making fun of me because I'm obsessed with these trees. It's not just that they're so big but that they're really, truly beautiful.
I mean, are you kidding me?! They look like two
giant dinosaur feet! P.S. I finally figured out how
to insert pictures! Yay!
The main reason that the sequoias are so big is that they are pretty much immune to the things that kill other types of trees. Guess what the top killer of sequoia trees is? Bugs? Nope. Fungus? Uh uh. Forest fires? We saw a cross section of a tree with 80 fire scars! Nope, the number one killer, and really the only thing that kills these trees is... toppling over. They get so friggin' big that they can't hold themselves up anymore. And one of the things that makes them so beautiful is also what protects them. They have excessive amounts of tannin in their bark which gives them their beautiful red colour but also makes them unpalatable to insects and fungus.
General Sherman, the biggest sequoia of them all is not actually the tallest or the widest but it has the most volume because it tapers very little toward the top. It's volume increases by the equivalent of another very large tree every year. As we walked toward the grove of sequoias and they came into sight my mouth was literally hanging open. I was like a cartoon character who sees a beautiful girl with my eyes bugging out and my tongue lolling. I felt like I was suddenly thrust into world 4 of Super Mario 3, minus the giant fish trying to eat me, of course.
Sorry that this picture is so annoyingly big but I'm trying to give you a sense of the scale here.
Can you see the people standing in front of the tree in the middle?
There was one tree that had fallen down and was completely hollowed out so you could walk down the length of it. This tree had been used as a shelter, a saloon, and a horse corral. The trees were once logged but now they're protected. We saw one stump of a tree that took 13 days to cut down.
These trees are also incredibly old. General Sherman is about 3,000 years old. So it was a pretty old tree already when the bible was being written.
So anyway, I'll stop obsessing about the sequoias now. All I will say is that every single person should see these trees at some point in his or her life. The shocking thing is that not a single person that I have talked to in L.A. about our trip has seen the sequoias. The world's biggest tree is less than 4 hours away and they haven't even seen it?!!
Another cool thing we did on our trip is a cave tour. We were there during the off-peak season so we got our own private tour (which was good because she was able to answer ALL of Asha's many questions). The cave is in a mountain made of solid marble. The formations inside are formed by water making its way through the mountain and leaving behind calcite deposits. The formations were truly breath-taking. Asha liked them because they were all named after food (stack of pancakes, popcorn, lasagne noodles). Nia was completely mesmerized and kept pointing all over. I wonder if later in life she'll have crazy dreams about wierd, wavy rocks and gigantic trees!
As we were walking through the cave a drop of water landed on my head, what is called a "cave kiss". The tour guide told us that it takes between 500 and 800 years for the water to make its way through the mountain into the cave. So the water that fell on my head had rained at least 500 years before!! Isn't that amazing!?
So, when you think of California, what comes to mind? Seriously, I'm curious what sorts of words pop into your heads. Maybe warm weather and beaches? Celebrities and beautiful, shallow people? Horrendous traffic? Well how about breath-taking scenery and natural phenomena? Did you know that California is the home of the following: the oldest living tree, the tallest tree species, and the biggest tree in the world?
Well I saw the General Sherman, the biggest tree in the world last week. We went on a road trip to Sequoia National Park. Words seriously can not describe how amazing the sequoias are. David keeps making fun of me because I'm obsessed with these trees. It's not just that they're so big but that they're really, truly beautiful.
giant dinosaur feet! P.S. I finally figured out how
to insert pictures! Yay!
The main reason that the sequoias are so big is that they are pretty much immune to the things that kill other types of trees. Guess what the top killer of sequoia trees is? Bugs? Nope. Fungus? Uh uh. Forest fires? We saw a cross section of a tree with 80 fire scars! Nope, the number one killer, and really the only thing that kills these trees is... toppling over. They get so friggin' big that they can't hold themselves up anymore. And one of the things that makes them so beautiful is also what protects them. They have excessive amounts of tannin in their bark which gives them their beautiful red colour but also makes them unpalatable to insects and fungus.
General Sherman, the biggest sequoia of them all is not actually the tallest or the widest but it has the most volume because it tapers very little toward the top. It's volume increases by the equivalent of another very large tree every year. As we walked toward the grove of sequoias and they came into sight my mouth was literally hanging open. I was like a cartoon character who sees a beautiful girl with my eyes bugging out and my tongue lolling. I felt like I was suddenly thrust into world 4 of Super Mario 3, minus the giant fish trying to eat me, of course.
Can you see the people standing in front of the tree in the middle?
There was one tree that had fallen down and was completely hollowed out so you could walk down the length of it. This tree had been used as a shelter, a saloon, and a horse corral. The trees were once logged but now they're protected. We saw one stump of a tree that took 13 days to cut down.
These trees are also incredibly old. General Sherman is about 3,000 years old. So it was a pretty old tree already when the bible was being written.
So anyway, I'll stop obsessing about the sequoias now. All I will say is that every single person should see these trees at some point in his or her life. The shocking thing is that not a single person that I have talked to in L.A. about our trip has seen the sequoias. The world's biggest tree is less than 4 hours away and they haven't even seen it?!!
Another cool thing we did on our trip is a cave tour. We were there during the off-peak season so we got our own private tour (which was good because she was able to answer ALL of Asha's many questions). The cave is in a mountain made of solid marble. The formations inside are formed by water making its way through the mountain and leaving behind calcite deposits. The formations were truly breath-taking. Asha liked them because they were all named after food (stack of pancakes, popcorn, lasagne noodles). Nia was completely mesmerized and kept pointing all over. I wonder if later in life she'll have crazy dreams about wierd, wavy rocks and gigantic trees!
As we were walking through the cave a drop of water landed on my head, what is called a "cave kiss". The tour guide told us that it takes between 500 and 800 years for the water to make its way through the mountain into the cave. So the water that fell on my head had rained at least 500 years before!! Isn't that amazing!?
Well now I'm just going crazy with the pictures!
The cave formations are hard to capture on film
but here you go!
At the end of our trip we decided to head out west so we could drive back down the coast. Most people visit the Cambria area to see Hearst Castle. It has been dubbed "America's castle" and was build by William Randolph Hearst, the publishing bagillionaire. It's supposedly very extravagant and opulent. A couple of people told David we shouldn't miss it. Well, it's not really our style so we skipped it.
We did, however, go to a place called Nit Wit Ridge. It's a house that was built by a guy named Art Beal. He bought the land for $500 and built the entire house out of repurposed items (also known as junk). He did all the stonework, plumbing, and wiring himself. He was the town garbage man and rumour has it he didn't actually take anything to the dump but kept ALL of it. He has picture frames made out of toilet seats. The handrails are functioning pipes that water runs through.
Nit Wit Ridge
The guy was a total nutcase but it was pretty amazing how industrious he was and how he found beauty in unusual items. He has integrated into the stonework hundreds of abalone shells that he got from the plant where they removed the meat and threw out the shells.
The residents of the town are divided between folks who think the house is a heritage site that should be preserved and people who think it's an eyesore that should be torn down. Our family was also divided. I thought it was fascinating and a testament to what can be done with stuff people throw away, some ingenuity, and a whole lotta time. David found the entire tour uncomfortable and couldn't get past the glaring building code violations. I suppose it's like if there was a person who didn't know how to fix speech and language problems but they got a bunch of kids and tried to give them speech therapy. Then someone put on tours so people could look at all the screwed up little kids!
So, that's our little road trip in a nutshell. We successfully logged many hours in a car, minus a DVD player I might add! After 4 days we were more than ready to go home. Once again, the term "home" was confusing because we alternately called our hotel room, Los Angeles, and Edmonton "home". I have a new obsession with sequoia trees and renewed sense of awe for nature.
Now for the super fun job of packing up our house!
Sunday, April 15, 2012
Apple Pie For Breakfast
No, this is not an homage to my father-in-law who actually eats apple pie for breakfast. I don't really have anything interesting to write so I thought I would send out a recipe that I invented. I am not a person who typically invents a recipe. I am a person who follows recipes exactly and never sways from doing exactly what it tells you to do. My mom is a person who, when you ask how she made the fabulous dinner you just ate replies "I don't know. I just threw it together". She makes these fabulous portabello mushrooms. She says she just sautees them in olive oil and garlic. It sounds easy enough but when I make them they end up looking (and tasting) like a dog's dinner. Is that genetic do you suppose? This ability to throw things together and make a fabulous meal? Will I ever possess that ability?
Well I've gotten a tiny step closer with this recipe. It's nothing groundbreaking but it tastes damn good. I actually did just throw it together without measuring so the measurements are approximate. You might need to adjust accordingly.
Here it is:
Apple Pie for Breakfast
1/2 cup of quick oats
1 tsp. ground flax seed (optional but highly recommended because it's so good for you!)
3/4 cup almond milk
1/3 cup unsweetened applesauce
2 dashes cinnamon
handful chopped walnuts or pecans
Put the oats, flax seed, and almond milk in a bowl and microwave for 45 seconds. Stir and microwave for another 45 seconds. Stir in applesauce and cinnamon and sprinkle nuts on top.
You could probably make it with regular milk but I think it tastes better with the almond milk. Almond milk also has as much or more of the good stuff (calcium, iron) and as much or less of the bad stuff (fat, sugar, animal cruelty) than regular milk. You can also cook it on the stovetop if you want but it's way quicker in the microwave.
So there you go! It seriously tastes like apple pie with no added sugar (just what's in the almond milk and naturally occurs in the applesauce) and it has lots or iron, vitamin C, and protein to start your day!
Here's another recipe courtesy of Asha. It's called Puddling Poo. Now I thought it sounded like what would result if you ate too many Christmas oranges but apparently it's delicious. I'm told it looks like poo but tastes like chocolate. I've tasted it and I beg to differ...
Puddling Poo
Sand
Sea water
Seashells (optional)
Fill a bucket 3/4 full with dry sand. Get a very small container and ask your mom to go scoop some sea water out of the ocean for you repeatedly. Continue until she says she's had enough of going back and forth and the mixture has a mud-like consistency. Season with seashells to taste. This is particularly delicious if you take it home and let it sit for several days (if you can convince your mom to let you take it home. Mine wouldn't let me.)
Hmm... Maybe the ability to throw ingredients together skips a generation??
Well I've gotten a tiny step closer with this recipe. It's nothing groundbreaking but it tastes damn good. I actually did just throw it together without measuring so the measurements are approximate. You might need to adjust accordingly.
Here it is:
Apple Pie for Breakfast
1/2 cup of quick oats
1 tsp. ground flax seed (optional but highly recommended because it's so good for you!)
3/4 cup almond milk
1/3 cup unsweetened applesauce
2 dashes cinnamon
handful chopped walnuts or pecans
Put the oats, flax seed, and almond milk in a bowl and microwave for 45 seconds. Stir and microwave for another 45 seconds. Stir in applesauce and cinnamon and sprinkle nuts on top.
You could probably make it with regular milk but I think it tastes better with the almond milk. Almond milk also has as much or more of the good stuff (calcium, iron) and as much or less of the bad stuff (fat, sugar, animal cruelty) than regular milk. You can also cook it on the stovetop if you want but it's way quicker in the microwave.
So there you go! It seriously tastes like apple pie with no added sugar (just what's in the almond milk and naturally occurs in the applesauce) and it has lots or iron, vitamin C, and protein to start your day!
Here's another recipe courtesy of Asha. It's called Puddling Poo. Now I thought it sounded like what would result if you ate too many Christmas oranges but apparently it's delicious. I'm told it looks like poo but tastes like chocolate. I've tasted it and I beg to differ...
Puddling Poo
Sand
Sea water
Seashells (optional)
Fill a bucket 3/4 full with dry sand. Get a very small container and ask your mom to go scoop some sea water out of the ocean for you repeatedly. Continue until she says she's had enough of going back and forth and the mixture has a mud-like consistency. Season with seashells to taste. This is particularly delicious if you take it home and let it sit for several days (if you can convince your mom to let you take it home. Mine wouldn't let me.)
Hmm... Maybe the ability to throw ingredients together skips a generation??
Friday, April 6, 2012
The Best Game You Can Name
Our time in California is ticking down so we have made a list of things we definitely want to do while we're here.The list ranges from likely (go to the Zimmer Children's Museum) to not-so-likely (go on the Price is Right). At the top of this list was to go to a Kings vs. Oilers game. There are only a few home games versus the Oilers each season so we had to wait until the end of the season to go. Never ones to actually pay full price for anything, we scoured Craigslist ads for people selling off tickets from their season ticket packs. None of the seats were great so we decided to chance it and find a scalper at the game. (On a side note, isn't the word 'scalp' disgusting? Not only is it just yucky sounding it has such horrible connotations. How did the the resale of tickets to sporting events become synonymous with the removal of one's enemy's scalp?)
Well in good ol' Edmonton you can count on several people hanging around under the statue of Wayne Gretzky trying to sell you tickets. I assume it's either legal or the authorities look the other way. In Los Angeles it seems to be a much shadier business. A guy around the corner from the gates asked if we wanted tickets but as David perused the merchendise some cops approached and our 'dealer' told David to put the tickets in his pocket. We then casually walked up the block with the guy several steps ahead of us. After a little negotiation (on David's part of course. I am really horrible at bartering) we landed 2 tickets, 10 rows behind the Oilers' bench. Not bad.
It turns out that actually selling the tickets isn't illegal but you can't do it outside the arena without a permit. Still though, don't you think that the LAPD has better things to do than patrol the Staples Center for scalpers? This is a city where people get murdered daily. The whole undertaking was actually pretty thrilling, as was getting past the gate without being told the tickets were bogus.
When we found our seats it turned out that the guy next to us had been given 4 tickets and sold 2 of them to a guy in the parking lot who then sold them to us for $25 more per ticket than he had paid. It really worked out well for everyone because the guy beside us made a little money, the entrepreneur in the parking lot made some too, and we got great seats for way less than the box office price. Unfortunately I think some of that money went up the guy beside us's nose. He was awfully sniffly and really hyper. Oh well.
There were a remarkable number of Oilers fans in the crowd. I suppose some people were expats like us but lots of people probably traveled there for the game. I guess if you want to travel to an away Oilers games, L.A. is a good place to go. It beats Pittsburg! A guy in front of us took one look at my Oilers jersey and asked, "do you live in Edmonton?" and when I said 'no' he said "why do you cheer for them then?".
Lots of things were the same as hockey games at home. Beer, popcorn, annoying people constantly shouting "shoot it!". There were some differences though. One of which was people that came out and shoveled the ice during commercial breaks. It was different because they shoveled the blue and red lines as well as the area around the nets. It was also different because these people were scantily clad women. During the first period, they were wearing low cut shirts and pants. During the second period they seemed to have lost the bottom halves of their shirts. We waited with baited breath to see if they would be pantless in the third but alas they were not.
Another similarity was the chants. You know, when the organ plays and people hollar "DE - FENCE!" and "let's go Kings, let's go!". A difference was that there was also a chant involving a little ditty played by the organ and the fans yelling "Oilers suck!". This was shocking to my Canadian sensibilities. I couldn't help thinking that in Canada we're not mean hockey fans.
We wondered what the crowd would be like and if these Angelenos would know anything about hockey. We were pleasantly surprised to see that the arena was fairly full and the crowd were pretty hard core. I guess if you're a hockey fan in a baseball/basketball town you must really love hockey. In other words, it doesn't take much to be an Oilers fan in Edmonton but if you choose the Kings over the Lakers, Clippers, and... what are the baseball teams called? .... you must really be hard core.
So did we win? Of course not! Don't you know that the Oilers suck?! I like to say that we lost the game but we won the fight. The highlight of the game was the fight in the first period where our guy worked the other guy. What is it about hockey fights that I love so much? I really am a pacifist at heart. When I was a kid I used to let mosquitos bite me because I found out they only live for 2 weeks and I felt bad for them. When I was 5 years old my mom asked me to choose between an ugly plaid dress and a cool one with stripes and a mock turtle neck. I chose the cool one but felt horrible for the ugly one. As an adult I don't eat meat and close my eyes whenever there's violence in movies. But a hockey fight? I go crazy! I find myself saying things like, "come on! Throw off your gloves, you sissy!" and cheering like a crazy person when someone lands a punch. I guess it's because it's mutually agreed upon by both players and usually increases the energy of the whole game. So although we didn't win and most of the Oilers (excepting the goalie) seemed to be counting down the minutes until golf season, even Sniffy beside me had to admit his guy got worked.
So I would highly recommend going to an away game of the sporting team that you love. It's kind of thrilling being the underdog and cheering when no one else is. It must be so fun for all those Leafs and Flames fans in Edmonton! We just might have to schedule any future North American travel around the Oilers' travel schedule.
As a side note, Asha's current favourite song is "The Good Ol' Hockey Game". She sings it all the time and tells people that hockey is the best game you can name. I have her convinced that when we fly back to Canada they are going to ask us at the border what the best game you can name is and if we don't say 'hockey' they won't let us in. She has also told David that when we go back to Canada he should be a house builder and a hockey player. Do you think it's to late for him to make the big leagues??
Oh, and one more thing. I'm going to use this blog as a way of recording something for posterity. David seems to think that he has a knack for predicting the Oilers' future. He insists that he predicted that Ryan Smyth would come back. By the way, it was nice to see Smitty back! Although does he always play wing now and therefore can't take his position in his "office" (i.e., the crease)? So anyway, David's new prediction is that the Oilers will just barely miss a playoff spot next year, make it to the playoffs the year after, and then they'll be on fire. I guess he believes all this "it's OK that we suck because it means we'll get great draft picks" business. Well, we'll see!
Well in good ol' Edmonton you can count on several people hanging around under the statue of Wayne Gretzky trying to sell you tickets. I assume it's either legal or the authorities look the other way. In Los Angeles it seems to be a much shadier business. A guy around the corner from the gates asked if we wanted tickets but as David perused the merchendise some cops approached and our 'dealer' told David to put the tickets in his pocket. We then casually walked up the block with the guy several steps ahead of us. After a little negotiation (on David's part of course. I am really horrible at bartering) we landed 2 tickets, 10 rows behind the Oilers' bench. Not bad.
It turns out that actually selling the tickets isn't illegal but you can't do it outside the arena without a permit. Still though, don't you think that the LAPD has better things to do than patrol the Staples Center for scalpers? This is a city where people get murdered daily. The whole undertaking was actually pretty thrilling, as was getting past the gate without being told the tickets were bogus.
When we found our seats it turned out that the guy next to us had been given 4 tickets and sold 2 of them to a guy in the parking lot who then sold them to us for $25 more per ticket than he had paid. It really worked out well for everyone because the guy beside us made a little money, the entrepreneur in the parking lot made some too, and we got great seats for way less than the box office price. Unfortunately I think some of that money went up the guy beside us's nose. He was awfully sniffly and really hyper. Oh well.
There were a remarkable number of Oilers fans in the crowd. I suppose some people were expats like us but lots of people probably traveled there for the game. I guess if you want to travel to an away Oilers games, L.A. is a good place to go. It beats Pittsburg! A guy in front of us took one look at my Oilers jersey and asked, "do you live in Edmonton?" and when I said 'no' he said "why do you cheer for them then?".
Lots of things were the same as hockey games at home. Beer, popcorn, annoying people constantly shouting "shoot it!". There were some differences though. One of which was people that came out and shoveled the ice during commercial breaks. It was different because they shoveled the blue and red lines as well as the area around the nets. It was also different because these people were scantily clad women. During the first period, they were wearing low cut shirts and pants. During the second period they seemed to have lost the bottom halves of their shirts. We waited with baited breath to see if they would be pantless in the third but alas they were not.
Another similarity was the chants. You know, when the organ plays and people hollar "DE - FENCE!" and "let's go Kings, let's go!". A difference was that there was also a chant involving a little ditty played by the organ and the fans yelling "Oilers suck!". This was shocking to my Canadian sensibilities. I couldn't help thinking that in Canada we're not mean hockey fans.
We wondered what the crowd would be like and if these Angelenos would know anything about hockey. We were pleasantly surprised to see that the arena was fairly full and the crowd were pretty hard core. I guess if you're a hockey fan in a baseball/basketball town you must really love hockey. In other words, it doesn't take much to be an Oilers fan in Edmonton but if you choose the Kings over the Lakers, Clippers, and... what are the baseball teams called? .... you must really be hard core.
So did we win? Of course not! Don't you know that the Oilers suck?! I like to say that we lost the game but we won the fight. The highlight of the game was the fight in the first period where our guy worked the other guy. What is it about hockey fights that I love so much? I really am a pacifist at heart. When I was a kid I used to let mosquitos bite me because I found out they only live for 2 weeks and I felt bad for them. When I was 5 years old my mom asked me to choose between an ugly plaid dress and a cool one with stripes and a mock turtle neck. I chose the cool one but felt horrible for the ugly one. As an adult I don't eat meat and close my eyes whenever there's violence in movies. But a hockey fight? I go crazy! I find myself saying things like, "come on! Throw off your gloves, you sissy!" and cheering like a crazy person when someone lands a punch. I guess it's because it's mutually agreed upon by both players and usually increases the energy of the whole game. So although we didn't win and most of the Oilers (excepting the goalie) seemed to be counting down the minutes until golf season, even Sniffy beside me had to admit his guy got worked.
So I would highly recommend going to an away game of the sporting team that you love. It's kind of thrilling being the underdog and cheering when no one else is. It must be so fun for all those Leafs and Flames fans in Edmonton! We just might have to schedule any future North American travel around the Oilers' travel schedule.
As a side note, Asha's current favourite song is "The Good Ol' Hockey Game". She sings it all the time and tells people that hockey is the best game you can name. I have her convinced that when we fly back to Canada they are going to ask us at the border what the best game you can name is and if we don't say 'hockey' they won't let us in. She has also told David that when we go back to Canada he should be a house builder and a hockey player. Do you think it's to late for him to make the big leagues??
Oh, and one more thing. I'm going to use this blog as a way of recording something for posterity. David seems to think that he has a knack for predicting the Oilers' future. He insists that he predicted that Ryan Smyth would come back. By the way, it was nice to see Smitty back! Although does he always play wing now and therefore can't take his position in his "office" (i.e., the crease)? So anyway, David's new prediction is that the Oilers will just barely miss a playoff spot next year, make it to the playoffs the year after, and then they'll be on fire. I guess he believes all this "it's OK that we suck because it means we'll get great draft picks" business. Well, we'll see!
Sunday, April 1, 2012
Smog Sunsets
I'm now in a peculiar position because I'm sort of in between places. I know I'm moving away but not for 2 months. I don't want to squander my time here thinking about the future but I also don't want to forge new connections here if I'm leaving anyway. I'm in the Waiting Place, as Dr. Seuss would say.
Of course now that I'm moving I've suddenly become friends with some of the parents at Asha's school. That seemingly unpenetrable group of friends. It turns out that two of the kids who have a long-standing twice-weekly playdate only have it because one of the moms works and pays the other mom to babysit. Well we now have a weekly yoga class date with Maya and her mom and most weeks we go to the farmer's market with some other kids and their parents. We're going to the zoo tomorrow with another family. I guess it's like those women who desperately want to get married and as soon as they stop trying they find him immediately. I still haven't found my L.A. best girlfriend but a bunch of playdates will do.
The fact that our time here is winding down has made me think about what I've learned from my time here. I had a lot of pre-conceived ideas about Los Angeles before I came here and most of them were unfounded. When David first threw out the idea of moving here my immediate response was "absolutely not". I thought that this city represented all that was wrong with the world: disparity of wealth, obsession with fame and beauty, pollution, crime. Don't get me wrong, those things all exist here but there's more to this city than that. Here are a few things that I've learned about this crazy place:
Not all of L.A. is Beverly Hills
I was literally prepared to be the ugliest person in the entire state. When you picture California you imagine beautiful, blond women who have paid ridiculous amounts of money on plastic surgery. I also thought that everyone would drive fancy cars and wear fancy clothes and I wouldn't fit in at all. Well it turns out there are parts of the city where that is the case but in my little 'hood and most of the neighbourhoods people are just normal. I also imagined everyone here would be snobs and look down their noses at our hillbilly truck and reserve dog but this hasn't been true at all. I guess the people that are too cool for us stay away!
Not all of L.A. is Hollywood
As I mentioned above, not everyone here is a movie star. However, although not everyone in this city is a wannabe starlet, it has actually surprised me how big a part of the local economy the film industry is. I have met the following: a movie producer, a costume designer, a talent agent, a rapper, and several movie extras. I been inconvenienced several time by movies being filmed on location. I even met an actual, real-life actor! Remember that movie "10 Things I Hate About You"? I met the woman who played Julia Stiles' best friend. And I was very close to meeting Blossom. Remember Blossom?! She's the co-leader of a holistic mom's group. Unfortunately she was absent at the meeting I went to. Rats! David said she would definitely fulfill my need to see a celebrity while I'm living here.
Not all of L.A. is South Central
I suppose I assumed that if an area of L.A. wasn't fancy schmancy Beverly Hills then it would be sketchy and crime-ridden. Although the area that we live is Inglewood-adjacent it seems to be really safe. I probably shouldn't say that out loud. Now I'm going to get mugged for sure. I often walk Stobie at night by myself without batting an eye. I suppose any would-be muggers would be scared of my tough, res dog! Little do they know he recently got his ass kicked by a cat and he's scared of water to the point that he walks on the road to avoid people's sprinklers.
The Mexicans are the hardest-damn-working people in this place
I know there is more to the immigration situation down here than I understand but I'm pretty sure that if they fixed the "immigrant problem" the city would fall apart. The Mexicans are the people who do all the jobs that people could do themselves but choose to outsource including mowing their lawns, parking their cars, and taking care of their kids. I have never seen a Hispanic homeless person. Every Sunday night people go around with headlamps looking for bottles and cans in people's recycling bins on the curb. I think that's downright resourceful! Our neighbours across the street are from Mexico and I am not exaggerating when I say that they are the hardest working people I have ever met. Both of them work their butts off so their kids can go to a fantastic private school in Brentwood. And did I mention that they have the 3 nicest girls in the world?
It isn't that smoggy (most of the time)
We live on the west side of L.A. so most of the smog gets blown away from us and into the valley. I've heard the air quality can be so bad in the eastern part of the city that asthmatics can't live there but on our side of town it's not too bad. It does get noticably worse as the week goes on. There was one day when the wind had shifted so there was a haze of yellowish-greyish smog over the ocean. It was fairly disgusting. Someone told me that it's not too bad though because smog in the west makes for beautiful sunsets. How's that for a silver lining (or a yellowish-greyish one).
People in L.A. are actually pretty friendly (most of the time)
Someone told me that Los Angeles had been voted the rudest city in America. That hasn't been my experience with the exception of when I'm in traffic. People become downright evil in traffic.
Airplane travel is very safe
We live about 10 minutes away from LAX airport which can be noisy although we live near the part of the runway where planes land which is much quieter than the area where they take off. It's been very convenient for picking up visitors and it has provided endless entertainment for visitors who like watching planes land. The thing you realize when you watch a plane land every 5 minutes all day long is that airplane travel is really quite safe.
Well I may have tempted fate with this post. I'll probably get mugged and yelled at and then die in a plane crash now. Oh well. I still stand by my observations!
Of course now that I'm moving I've suddenly become friends with some of the parents at Asha's school. That seemingly unpenetrable group of friends. It turns out that two of the kids who have a long-standing twice-weekly playdate only have it because one of the moms works and pays the other mom to babysit. Well we now have a weekly yoga class date with Maya and her mom and most weeks we go to the farmer's market with some other kids and their parents. We're going to the zoo tomorrow with another family. I guess it's like those women who desperately want to get married and as soon as they stop trying they find him immediately. I still haven't found my L.A. best girlfriend but a bunch of playdates will do.
The fact that our time here is winding down has made me think about what I've learned from my time here. I had a lot of pre-conceived ideas about Los Angeles before I came here and most of them were unfounded. When David first threw out the idea of moving here my immediate response was "absolutely not". I thought that this city represented all that was wrong with the world: disparity of wealth, obsession with fame and beauty, pollution, crime. Don't get me wrong, those things all exist here but there's more to this city than that. Here are a few things that I've learned about this crazy place:
Not all of L.A. is Beverly Hills
I was literally prepared to be the ugliest person in the entire state. When you picture California you imagine beautiful, blond women who have paid ridiculous amounts of money on plastic surgery. I also thought that everyone would drive fancy cars and wear fancy clothes and I wouldn't fit in at all. Well it turns out there are parts of the city where that is the case but in my little 'hood and most of the neighbourhoods people are just normal. I also imagined everyone here would be snobs and look down their noses at our hillbilly truck and reserve dog but this hasn't been true at all. I guess the people that are too cool for us stay away!
Not all of L.A. is Hollywood
As I mentioned above, not everyone here is a movie star. However, although not everyone in this city is a wannabe starlet, it has actually surprised me how big a part of the local economy the film industry is. I have met the following: a movie producer, a costume designer, a talent agent, a rapper, and several movie extras. I been inconvenienced several time by movies being filmed on location. I even met an actual, real-life actor! Remember that movie "10 Things I Hate About You"? I met the woman who played Julia Stiles' best friend. And I was very close to meeting Blossom. Remember Blossom?! She's the co-leader of a holistic mom's group. Unfortunately she was absent at the meeting I went to. Rats! David said she would definitely fulfill my need to see a celebrity while I'm living here.
Not all of L.A. is South Central
I suppose I assumed that if an area of L.A. wasn't fancy schmancy Beverly Hills then it would be sketchy and crime-ridden. Although the area that we live is Inglewood-adjacent it seems to be really safe. I probably shouldn't say that out loud. Now I'm going to get mugged for sure. I often walk Stobie at night by myself without batting an eye. I suppose any would-be muggers would be scared of my tough, res dog! Little do they know he recently got his ass kicked by a cat and he's scared of water to the point that he walks on the road to avoid people's sprinklers.
The Mexicans are the hardest-damn-working people in this place
I know there is more to the immigration situation down here than I understand but I'm pretty sure that if they fixed the "immigrant problem" the city would fall apart. The Mexicans are the people who do all the jobs that people could do themselves but choose to outsource including mowing their lawns, parking their cars, and taking care of their kids. I have never seen a Hispanic homeless person. Every Sunday night people go around with headlamps looking for bottles and cans in people's recycling bins on the curb. I think that's downright resourceful! Our neighbours across the street are from Mexico and I am not exaggerating when I say that they are the hardest working people I have ever met. Both of them work their butts off so their kids can go to a fantastic private school in Brentwood. And did I mention that they have the 3 nicest girls in the world?
It isn't that smoggy (most of the time)
We live on the west side of L.A. so most of the smog gets blown away from us and into the valley. I've heard the air quality can be so bad in the eastern part of the city that asthmatics can't live there but on our side of town it's not too bad. It does get noticably worse as the week goes on. There was one day when the wind had shifted so there was a haze of yellowish-greyish smog over the ocean. It was fairly disgusting. Someone told me that it's not too bad though because smog in the west makes for beautiful sunsets. How's that for a silver lining (or a yellowish-greyish one).
People in L.A. are actually pretty friendly (most of the time)
Someone told me that Los Angeles had been voted the rudest city in America. That hasn't been my experience with the exception of when I'm in traffic. People become downright evil in traffic.
Airplane travel is very safe
We live about 10 minutes away from LAX airport which can be noisy although we live near the part of the runway where planes land which is much quieter than the area where they take off. It's been very convenient for picking up visitors and it has provided endless entertainment for visitors who like watching planes land. The thing you realize when you watch a plane land every 5 minutes all day long is that airplane travel is really quite safe.
Well I may have tempted fate with this post. I'll probably get mugged and yelled at and then die in a plane crash now. Oh well. I still stand by my observations!
Wednesday, March 28, 2012
Homeward Bound
Well folks, it's official. We are moving back to Alberta. We have decided that Edmonton is the best place for us to live. The biggest reason is that pretty much our entire family is there (including a forthcoming niece or nephew!). The exception is my sister, Natasha but we're not moving to England so I guess we have to accept being far away from her. Something else I realized lately is that if we were to plot our friends on a map they would be concentrated in Edmonton and the rest would form a small circle around Edmonton. Do we need any reasons other than those? Well it will be nice to be back somewhere that is familiar. It's also a nice compromise between small, rural Whitecourt and gigantic, metropolitan L.A..
When we were debating where we would live next Asha was fairly adamant that we should move back to Canada. When I asked why she said "because we're Canadians, Mom. That's who we are". Well she's got a point! I've tried to be pretty open-minded and not keep myself in a little Canadian bubble. I have a theory about traveling that when you are in a different country you need to immerse yourself in the country and not obsess about what it's like at home. This means not constantly calculating what time it is at home and converting the price of everything to your native currency. This is particularly helpful for getting over jetlag and basically a necessity if you want to get drunk in Iceland (a beer cost the equivalent of $20!! Maybe that has changed now since their economic crash though.... Melanie??) Anyway, I've tried to do that while we've been here. Yes, rent is ridiculously high here and people complain if it's less than 70 degrees but starting every sentence with "well in Canada..." isn't going to change that. If you're going to move to a new place you have to adapt to your environment.
I've tried to be more than the token Canadian in any given group but it's so hard! Every time I take off my jacket when I get warm at my exercise class the instructor says "Canada's taking off her jacket!". Meanwhile everyone is still cowering from the "cold" in their sweaters and "stocking caps". I want to say "well actually they're called toques" but I'm trying to fit in. I wonder if a person ever sheds their native skin a becomes an actual local. I certainly haven't but it's only been a year.
I have changed quite a bit over the last year. I'm much more likely to run a yellow light (you need to here or run the risk of getting rear-ended). I'm much more friendly and likely to talk to strangers. I made a decision when we moved that I would have to push myself out of my comfort level a bit if I was going to get to know anyone. It's kind of ironic that we think that Canadians are nicer than Americans but it took moving here for me to becoming a friendlier person! I guess most of the things that have changed about me have nothing to do with being in the U.S. and more to do with moving somewhere, anywhere new.
There are lots of things about me that I don't think will ever change. You don't realize how the political and social climate of the country where you are brought up affects you. For instance, universal healthcare is such an ingrained part of me that I continue to be shocked that it can be any other way. I know that Canada's healthcare system is far from perfect but I think there's something about the nation taking care of the health of its people that is comforting. If we were to stay here David and I would most likely have health care coverage through our employers which is essentially the same as having it covered by the government. But even if we had adequate coverage I would find it hard to forget about the millions of people who do not.
Well this post has turned into one giant tangent and isn't at all what I intended it to be. I guess I just wanted to let you all know that we're officially moving back and we are ALL thrilled about it. My sister said recently that she's glad I'm moving back even if I'm not but the truth is that we wouldn't be moving back if we didn't want to be. We will need to be reminded of that regularly when we're up to our eyeballs in snow and cold. I guess we won't be able to complain about the weather anymore, will we!
When we were debating where we would live next Asha was fairly adamant that we should move back to Canada. When I asked why she said "because we're Canadians, Mom. That's who we are". Well she's got a point! I've tried to be pretty open-minded and not keep myself in a little Canadian bubble. I have a theory about traveling that when you are in a different country you need to immerse yourself in the country and not obsess about what it's like at home. This means not constantly calculating what time it is at home and converting the price of everything to your native currency. This is particularly helpful for getting over jetlag and basically a necessity if you want to get drunk in Iceland (a beer cost the equivalent of $20!! Maybe that has changed now since their economic crash though.... Melanie??) Anyway, I've tried to do that while we've been here. Yes, rent is ridiculously high here and people complain if it's less than 70 degrees but starting every sentence with "well in Canada..." isn't going to change that. If you're going to move to a new place you have to adapt to your environment.
I've tried to be more than the token Canadian in any given group but it's so hard! Every time I take off my jacket when I get warm at my exercise class the instructor says "Canada's taking off her jacket!". Meanwhile everyone is still cowering from the "cold" in their sweaters and "stocking caps". I want to say "well actually they're called toques" but I'm trying to fit in. I wonder if a person ever sheds their native skin a becomes an actual local. I certainly haven't but it's only been a year.
I have changed quite a bit over the last year. I'm much more likely to run a yellow light (you need to here or run the risk of getting rear-ended). I'm much more friendly and likely to talk to strangers. I made a decision when we moved that I would have to push myself out of my comfort level a bit if I was going to get to know anyone. It's kind of ironic that we think that Canadians are nicer than Americans but it took moving here for me to becoming a friendlier person! I guess most of the things that have changed about me have nothing to do with being in the U.S. and more to do with moving somewhere, anywhere new.
There are lots of things about me that I don't think will ever change. You don't realize how the political and social climate of the country where you are brought up affects you. For instance, universal healthcare is such an ingrained part of me that I continue to be shocked that it can be any other way. I know that Canada's healthcare system is far from perfect but I think there's something about the nation taking care of the health of its people that is comforting. If we were to stay here David and I would most likely have health care coverage through our employers which is essentially the same as having it covered by the government. But even if we had adequate coverage I would find it hard to forget about the millions of people who do not.
Well this post has turned into one giant tangent and isn't at all what I intended it to be. I guess I just wanted to let you all know that we're officially moving back and we are ALL thrilled about it. My sister said recently that she's glad I'm moving back even if I'm not but the truth is that we wouldn't be moving back if we didn't want to be. We will need to be reminded of that regularly when we're up to our eyeballs in snow and cold. I guess we won't be able to complain about the weather anymore, will we!
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