The Adventures of the Prison Warden

A student could often compare their life to that of a prisoner, especially if one is living in the dormitory or jail. However as one grows up, one can also apply for a job known as RA or prison warden assistant. This one certain individual happened to apply and get this very job. As a result these RA's were taken on a special trip to Banff where they spent time in the hot springs, going up a gondola, running down the side of the mountain trying to make it to the bus before those riding the gondola (those with weak knees and those who don't run often, such as a girl by the name of Charlee, are not advised to do this as it leads to not being able to walk for three days afterwards), going on a hike in the mountains and just enjoying nature with your fellow RA's. It was a good bonding experience. The next few days that followed (imagine days following days) found this group in a series of meetings which didn't help this Charlee girls legs which felt as though they had been run over by a bulldozer then trampled on by thousands of angry bulls and finally seized up as they sat and then those horrid words were mentioned by those in charge "lets stand for prayer or for the opening song." At those words her legs would scream "no pleases! We are too weak" but her arms would grab the arm rests and push up and her legs had to valiantly muster up the courage to support the crazy amount of weight that pushed down on them from her body. They screamed, they cried, but to no avail. They sent little messages to the brain screaming for help but the brain sent a message back saying "shut up and pay attention." Needless to say just as Charlee' s legs began feeling better something else began to...not feel better. She spent the whole of Sunday night awake in the bathroom praying for an instant death, she didn't care how just death. She tried different pills (not to kill herself but to help with the pain and such) but nothing helped. It wasn't until later the next day that she found out that raspberry leaves made into a tea help big time...modern pills are useless at times. So she tried to catch up on some sleep but she was also on duty and new students were arriving.
Now Charlee is working the front desk and trying to plot out her life...to some extent. Should she drop out of college...just kidding...
On Tuesday Charlee and her friend Azalea hopped into Charlee's trusty ol' pickup and made thier way into Edmonton with Charlee sweating all the way hoping no spark plugs decided to play games again. Thankfully all went well and they made it there safely. They both had appointments at 4:30 to get their hair done and so they both went in and sat down. At 5:00 Charlee was done and decided to go to the food court and get popcorn and call her parents. She sat there, by herself, on the cell phone while trying to place the exploding popcorn into her mouth. This was a problem, you see, Charlee is blonde. As she talked she realized she did not possess the talent to place the popcorn into her mouth and so by the end of her conversation a pile of popcorn had accumlated on the table and on the floor. She bent down and picked it all up, throwing it in the garbage, then continued walking back to the salon only to discover Azalea was still sitting with tinfoil in her hair...it was 6:30. With this she decided to walk to Chapters and "look" at the books. However Charlee happens to suffer from something known as bookaholism which is, for her, the equivalent of an alcoholic walking into a beer store or a kid walking into a candy store...not a healthy combination. She walked in not expecting to buy anything but this is next to impossible for her as she is crazy about books...she walked out with two. So there she sat, on a ledge next to the escalators, across from the salon, reading her new book. People walked by but she failed to notice as she slowly dissolved into the world of the book. Before she knew it Azalea was standing over her asking if she was ready to go and thus they left and headed back to the little town of Lacombe. Now Charlee sits at the front desk on Wednesday evening writing the first blog in a while and now that the blog is finished she will pick up her book and read until her shift ends in 54 minutes.

Oh No!

As I was sitting here working the front desk I began feeling as though there were something I may be forgetting. I read the book I am currently reading, ate ramen, read some more and then put the book down as I realized, with 16 minutes remaining in my shift, that I had not written on my blog tonight. So, I will give a quick overview of what is going on in my life.
Last night I did not have to drive my truck to the airport as a friend of Azalea's offered to drive instead. Needless to say I was relieved. Sarah got there safely and my brother was picked up and brought back to the school safely. We did not get in until late and were all really tired.
Today was one of those slow days where you find yourself wondering what you should be doing but knowing there is a lot to do. I did get some things taken care of with the school, finished unpacking my room and putting everything in its proper place, went to Red Deer to buy some essentials and then working front desk. It was a somewhat busy day but it was also one of those days where you drag your toes due to tiredness.
Tomorrow night there will yet again be no blog as I am heading to Banff for the night with the school and won't return until Friday. Should have a lot of exciting things to report then. So...Until then!!! :)

Hot!!!!

It is so hard to believe that in a little while I will be writing blogs that tell of how cold it is and how I wish that the temperature would rise just a little. Needless to say, today was over 35C which meant that it was quite warm outside. It is still quite warm right now and I am currently sitting at the front desk with the AC on and well, still sweating. However, my day...
No alarm clocks went off and even if one had I probably would not have heard it. The night before had felt especially long seeing as I had worked a 9-1 which to my body felt like a 11-3. I should be used to even those shifts as I worked them all last year but I'm still recovering from the drive out and well, its hot! Around 9:30 I rolled over, the sun was shining outside and the temperature was already warmer then it should have been especially since I had to move. So, I crawl out of bed and walk down the stairs to see if anyone is around. No one is as Azalea had to go to work and Sarah had gone on a long bike ride to get groceries. I dressed and walked out of the apartment and to my surprise I found Azalea heading in the same direction I was, to the Ad building. I had to take care of some business and so did she. I am proud to say I got that done, now for all the other things to take care of. After this I decide that I cannot, as much as I'd like to, put off moving any longer and so without further ado I take my stuff and begin the move up to fourth floor, all stairs. By the time I reach the top with the first load I'm out of breath and sweaty as, well, heat rises, this should sum it all up. I open the window and place my cute little fan in the window but for some reason it feels like it is only blowing in hot air. Its hot! So I try to unpack but fall asleep on my bed for a while then wake up. I got all moved up just not unpacked. After this Azalea got off work and with exactly 1 hr 1/2 we ran into Red Deer (before Azalea had to be back again). Wal Mart, stuff, stuff and more stuff. I was able to buy the sockets for spark plugs in case that blows again. The truck made it there and back safely and everything seems snug so hopefully all will go well tomorrow night on the way to Calgary...please pray as I cannot afford to break down nor can Sarah afford to miss her flight (Michael can wait if worse comes to worse lol). Anyways just as I pull back into the parking lot and reach to open the cap I see a red Toyota Corolla come into the parking lot at the school. There is only one other faithful Toyota lover I know and sure enough it was Christel. Due to the extreme heat Christel, myself and Sarah (Azalea had to work) headed to Subway then came back to the dorm to eat it with Azalea. Afterwards Sarah headed off to the gym, Azalea still working and Christel and I in search of something cold. So, we jumped in her beautiful baby (with very cold AC) and headed to Euphoria, a place in Lacombe which makes really good, cold, smoothies. Jaymee would like it. Around 8:30 she had to get home and my shift began at 9 and so now I'm looking at a book called Dear John by Nicholas Sparks and well I'm gonna read it as I have the time. I won't be writing tomorrow evening as I will be in Calgary late due to flights. So...until Wednesday evening, take care

Water Plugs and Spark Parks

I was hoping that, perhaps, someone that is somewhat dyslexic, might catch my mess up of a title which should read Water Parks and Spark Plugs, I'm tired. Currently I am watching my battery level on my computer becoming increasingly lower and thus I don't know how much I can write tonight before my computer just dies. I packed the plug for it in another bag so I wouldn't loose it and now I can't find it, Oh well I unpack tomorrow.
What does my title have to do with anything, well it has to do with my day and it pretty much sums it all up. However, first I must say, quickly, that yesterday we went to church and then on to Gull Lake where we spent a few hours soaking up the sun and swimming as it was quite warm, yesterday and today. Last night found a few of us at Boston Pizza ordering the cheapest things we could find. Now I can get on to today's news...
I awake this morning to silence, no one else was up yet. I am staying in Azalea's apartment until tomorrow when I will make the long climb to fourth where I shall reside for the rest of the year. Anyways so I wake up this morning, around some crazy time called 9am which to my poor body was 11am, so I'm lying there wondering "hmm, what shall I do today..." I had been to the West Ed oh I don't know, 7 or 8 times before and never ever, nope, not even once, had I set foot in the waterpark. Sarah needed to see the West Ed, I mean you don't come this close to Edmonton and not see the current but not for much longer, biggest mall in the world. Everyone wakes up finally and the process begins of getting ready, throwing bathing suits in a bag and well, getting into the truck. Now, I check all the fluids on the truck faithfully and go over the truck looking for anything loose or out of place and there was nothing so on to the gas station we drive where I fill up and continue on the Edmonton. It was a good drive, the sun was shining, the fields were green and yellow (wheat) the massive expanse of sky in Alberta was blue with very few white puffy clouds. As I left the gas station (to back up quickly) the guy asked me if I had anything known as AMA which is the equivalent of CAA or AAA...I said no...and something in the back of my mind uttered "your gonna wish you had it." Excusing the fact I proceeded to Edmonton where I exited onto the Anthony Henday (shortcut to the West Ed) and suddenly, pop! followed by a loud noise. What! This can't be happening!! I continue driving as I had power and everything worked, just a loud noise. I pulled off at the first exit I could get to and thought to myself, "there is bound to be a garage or something." I was wrong. I pulled off into a very wealthy area with houses ten sizes larger then my own and cars I can only imagine owning. I continue driving down this really nice road with really nice houses and really nice cars and my own vehicle announcing my entrance. Of course, the roads have no shoulder and so I continue on down the road until I see a bus stop area, its Sunday, no buses and thus I pull in. We pop the hood and look and look and Sarah remembers her car making the same noises once before, she walks back and forth then announces "It was the spark plug!" Sure enough the spark plug had popped out. So we tried to insert it again only to be discouraged as we did not have any spark plug wrenches. I'm walking around the truck praying that someone will come and help because to call a tow truck on a Sunday, well, lets just say I wouldn't be owning one of those nice houses soon. There we sit, waiting, trying to get it to work but nothing. Suddenly I spot a black Honda turn the corner and come our way. To make a long story short they were extremely nice people, religious and had a spark plug wrench. We got it back in then with encouragement from them opted to continue on to the mall as they had given us their number in case something blew again they could come help and figured if we were still in Edmonton that would be better.
We arrived at the mall and everything was still working good so we went in and had a really good time! At 3pm its cheaper too so it all worked out. Some of those slides were crazy and caused you to take air. Of course the first slide I went down I do believe the whole pool ended up inside my nostrils. Eventually I got the hint, plug thy nose! I would get into more details but there is now a little red x over my battery so I know my computer will die shortly. Until later though, have a good evening and a great day tomorrow. All I can say is that we did make it back to Lacombe safely. God is good and sent the right people to help and got us back safely. :)

At the Front Desk....Deja vu!

It is currently 7:28 am in Alberta and I took over working front desk from 7-9 for my crazy friend who was trying to work from 1am to 9am after she had already worked a bunch of hours yesterday and was trying to hang out with her sister and wants to go to church this morning. Anyways, now that I have the time and no excuses I will fill you in on my trip out west.
It all began Sunday, in all honesty, with greasing the truck, changing the oil, strapping on the loose gas tank, and putting new shocks on the front end of the truck. Then Evan helped me clean the interior of the truck (due to a *cough* paintjob on it back in the summer I like it dirty so the exterior of the truck stays dirty). While Evan and I cleaned Michael ran up into the shop and proceeded to run around like a chicken with its head cut off and scream "I hate country music" as Evan and I listened to the radio, with, you guessed correctly, country. Anyways Monday follows Sunday, correct? So Monday I packed and tried to tie together loose ends. Tuesday follows Monday and found me putting everything into the back of the truck, heading to Sears to get our family pictures done and then back home to finish packing and once again tie together loose ends.
Wednesday, this day gets its own paragraph because it is all about the trip now, no more getting ready. My plans said, let's leave at 7 am, reality said "let's not leave until 10" needless to say reality won and we didn't leave until later. Sarah, Azalea's sister, drove up from Buffalo to travel out west with me and surprise her sister. So, we leave the house, dad driving my truck to ensure that all is well and myself and Sarah riding with mom so I could sleep as I would be the solo driver of the trip due to insurance purposes. Around, I can't remember what time, but a time, we arrived in Belleville and ate at Denny's for breakfast, I wasn't all that hungry as I was picturing every possible thing that could go wrong with the truck, the engine blowing, the alternator dying, the rad dying, maybe blowing a fan belt or an alternator belt, a tire going flat...you get the picture. Anyways I choke down some toast and eggs and then we drive to Oshawa where we made a stop at the ABC to pick up some things and meet up with Auntie Faith and Uncle Cary. After talking for a while and just chillin' we said our goodbyes and thus the trip began, it was 12:34. We drove through Toronto, the rain was falling and traffic was thick but finally the 400 was in sight and off I went and headed toward Sudbury. I won't get into all the details but we made it Sudbury around 5 and began driving to Sault Ste. Marie (also pronounced Salt Saint Mary jk). I stopped for gas here and wanted desperately to stop as it was getting on for 8 but knew I had to continue on, so Wawa here I come. The drive between Sault Ste. Marie and Wawa takes you along Lake Erie and through a provincial park. This means, lots of hills, no people, due to the hour there were very few people driving and lots of corners in the road. At first I was going 90, the speed limit, as I didn't want to hit a moose or deer. However as the hours crept on and Sarah was passed out in the passenger seat I began feeling tired too. Suddenly, a car went whizzing by me and this was the break I needed, let him hit the moose (what is the plural for moose? there should be one). As I continued driving I noticed the moon's reflection on the water and needless to say, it was very beautiful and picturesque. There were many occasions I was glad I had no one with a camera in the car as many stops would have been made :) Anyways, 11ish I finally pulled into Misty Isles Lodge, a very nice place, nice people, strongly recommend staying there if you are ever around Wawa, Ontario. So, now its 11:30, I've showered and am finally in bed. As I lay there almost asleep I hear it. That faint, utterly obnoxious drone of a mosquito and they always have to hover over your ears! I lay there for a few more seconds, she's still there...I wait...the noise is gone. I roll over and almost fall asleep again and...there it is. Now I'm mad so I begin praying "please God just let it land so I can kill it." I prop myself up and wait, finally, in the darkness, I see this speck on my white pillow, the moment of death for this mosquito is at hand. With one swift swat the room falls silent. I brush her remains off my pillow and proceed in falling asleep, afterall that was an intense battle.
Thursday: Don't you just love the sound of an alarm clock after you have tossed and turned all night in a hotel bed and then you finally fall asleep only to be awakened by some diddy of a tune on your cell phone. Its 6:30 am, I pull myself out of my nice comfortable bed and drag my sore body into the bathroom and change. I walk out, my alarm clock is still going off but there is no movement from Sarah...I hate waking people up unless they are my brothers and I have a whistle. I stand over her "Sarah" I whisper. Then I begin laughing, here I am trying to wake someone up and I'm whispering! *smack!* Needless to say I raised my voice just a little to a half whisper half real voice and repeat name...finally she gets up and gets ready and by 7:10 we were on the road again. Now, from Wawa to Thunder Bay should only take 3 and 1/2 hours...unless there is construction, and more construction and just when you think you are clear there is more! It was depressing, at one point, 100km from T-Bay I look across the lake and there, there, there, there! is T-Bay. Why don't they just build a bridge!!!! Instead you go up and down, around corners and basically follow the lake. 1pm I arrive in T-bay and stop at the Terry Fox Memorial to eat a lunch of sandwiches and walk off my cramped legs and sore shoulders...didn't work. I wanted to just fall asleep there as I looked out over Lake Superior and realized this would be the last real lake I would see for a while, Alberta's lakes are the equivalent of what we would call a pond. The drive continues, I fuel up in T-Bay and drive 500+ Km without stopping once, for anything! Just past Kenora there's a little gas station at which I stopped to fuel up and well you know what you do when you stop. It was around 9 Eastern time, 8 Winnipeg time, when I reached Winnipeg. My plan was to just stop in a truck stop and spend the night in the truck but dad wouldn't let me and booked a hotel in Portage la Prairie, 70 km from Winnipeg. Now, in Winnipeg I should've have taken the by pass but instead I followed highway 1 thinking that's the way you are supposed to go...wrong! oh and who knew the highway turned left on Portage Ave...not me. I kept going until I'm in some really nasty section of town, wondering where I am! All I'm thinking about is the bus incident and I'm holding my neck and driving and talking on the cell phone trying to find a way out of town and holding my neck and looking at all the dings in people's car...looked like a smash up derby...it was bad! So I'm watching all lanes of traffic because they simply don't drive good and finally!!! I make it out of Winnipeg and into the truck stop to fuel up then onward to Portage. Its about 10pm aka 11 for the east. I'm tired! I call mom and dad and while I'm talking to them I open up the patio door which leads out to the pool...suddenly I hear *click* as Sarah comes out of the room and shuts the door behind her. "Sarah, it ..." too late...the door locked and the keys were sitting in the room on the shelf. The lady gave us another key and I found my way back into the room and showered. Around 10:30 (11:30) I crawl into bed and fall asleep...Needless to say due to a few things I didn't get to sleep until 12.
Friday: the last day of the trip!! Its 6:30 pm (7:30 Eastern) I wake up, get ready and we are "on the road again" by 7 (8). I really don't have much to write about the first bit other then...drive, drive, drive, drive, drive. In Regina I took a different route which leads north on the 11 for 2 hours. Then you go West on the 15 until you reach the 4, then head north for a few km's where you stop for gas and then turn west onto the 7 which turns into the 9 when you hit Alberta (don't worry, I didn't hurt it). You are on the 7 for probably 2 hours until you reach the 884, the 54 kms to the 12 West. This was finally the last leg of the journey. 12 leads you right through Stettler (when you turn on 12 its 119km to Stettler then 74km from Stettler to Lacombe). Needless to say this felt like the longest part of the whole trip. The sun had been shining in the driver's side window all day and due to an increase of temperature I had my left arm hanging out the window all day...it got really brown! Just the one arm. So I have this really brown arm and the other arm is tanned but looks white in comparison. Anyways the drive from Regina to Lacombe took roughly 7 1/2 hours. It saved around 2-3 hours taking the back route. Now, Azalea was supposed to be surprised when Sarah arrived but due to a phone call she was informed of the plan and so *sigh* she knew. As soon as I got there I dove for the phone and dialed Panago to get a pizza as the word hungry wasn't strong enough.
Today: well the plan is to go to church after I get off in 45 minutes (9 am here time) and then a group of us will be heading to Gull Lake (pond) to go swimming as the weather forecast for today is hot and the lobby tends to be a million degrees on hot days. So...until later! Later!!

I'm in...Alberta ...again

The subject pretty much sums it up, I have a lot more to say and I had full intentions of writing more tonight but I am so tired that I will write more later, probably tomorrow evening. So...I'm here safely, write tomorrow night :)

August 1st already?!

Good evening. I just discovered today, as I walked into the bathroom, that it is none other then August 1st and I realized that the summer has washed away in all the rain we have been having lately. If it was sunny I would write that the summer had evaporated or something but it hasn't been all that sunny thus the...never mind. If I had to sum up my summer in one word it would be...discovery. This summer has been one where I have discovered many new things about myself, other people and life in general. I discovered that the older you get the faster life flies by. As you get slower in all other areas life speeds up just to torture you, and I'm only 21...I also learned that life changes and that change is a huge part of life in general, in a sense it could be argued that the two are inseparable. Life = change. Bills have to be paid, the future becomes more daunting as the realization dawns on you that you don't really know what you want from life or what you can give to others. I also discovered I think too much. I wish I was just a simple human being...the flowers are beautiful, the sun is shining and life goes on but I think into things way to much and wonder about everything... oy!
Oh I have to tell a story. I'm in the excavator moving some rocks into place for a wall that we were building on a job site. I get out when the wall is finished and notice some squeaking nose but I'm in an old excavator so it could be any number of things right!? Out I go and dad hops in and begins moving some dirt and as I'm watching I notice a mouse run along the tracks of the excavator and into the grass. Now my curiosity has sky rocketed and instead of just leaving well enough alone my brain begins turning and I start putting things together. After dad climbs out I jump back in and look behind the seat...nothing. In the corner is an old radio so carefully I pick it up and there on the ground are three baby mice. They were so cute! I know, rodents...kill!! But hear me out. My first instinct is exactly that, kill the baby mice but as I look at them closer I notice they are shaking (no the machine wasn't on) and they had vibrated across the floor and were away from their nest. I jump out of the machine and grab a pair of gloves (there is no way I'm touching them with my bare hands) and push the three babies into their nest which I discovered, after taking the roof off (old grass) that there were 4 more babies... thats 7 in total. I tell dad and he says "kill them" so for the rest of the day I guard these crazy little babies (well watched carefully as I was working). I get home that night and tell my tale of the mice to my family only to be laughed at and told I should have killed them. Agreed, if they were in my house I would but they were sorta out in nature...there little beady eyes (ok there eyes were still closed) but they were cute and helpless. Anyways today they moved the machines back to the yard and Michael informs me that they left the door open on the way home so the mice probably blew out or were moved in the night as they are no longer around anymore...murderers! ok not really. I also saved a frog, I picked it up and moved it away from the teeth of the excavator...I'm weird right now what can I say. Snakes though, should die as should spiders and anything other nasty thing in a house! There is no such thing as a cute snake...ugh! Under our porch outside we have a snake abiding and under the other porch lives a mole. Now to make things even better our cat sits and watches the mole playing as does the snake...and the mole climbed into the dogs dish the other day and couldn't get out...this is the dog's food dish. Tramp, the dog, walks over, sniffs it and helps it out...and people say I'm weird for saving a mouse family...I'm vegetarian, Tramp is not! Weirdness! Anyways I must be getting to bed...just wanted to update everyone and say yes I'm still alive and leaving for school in 12 days.