Quittin Time

Remember when I said I really need these last three weeks to fly by? (and by 3 weeks, I mean 17 days 3 hours and 2 minutes) I take it back. I need these last three weeks to be over.

Good News: I GOT A JOB!!! The office I've been temping at all summer hired me full-time! Wahoo! One of their hygienists has been struggling with health stuff and has called in sick or simply failed to come in a lot in the past few months and today was no different. I'm not entirely sure whether this girl decided she wasn't going to be able to keep working anymore given her recent history and continuous illness, or whether she was encouraged to stop trying (aka fired), I have no clue. All I know is I get her job now. Is it just an indefinite sick leave fill or an actual permanent full-time job? Good question. Don't care. So in general I'll be working 9 hour days, mon-thurs. Awesome right? Well on the other hand...

Bad News: I'm scheduled to temp this week mon, tues, fri, sat. Split between two offices. But because this girl called in sick suddenly today and won't be coming back... the office has weeks and weeks booked solid for her. Which means I'm now working tomorrow (wed) and thurs, too. Don't worry, I'll do the math for you. It's 50. 50 hour work week this week. Is that legal? 2nd bogus part of this ordeal... because yeah, there's a 2nd downside. I was planning on going home Sunday because I wasn't scheduled to work until the next Friday. As you can assume by this point - I'm now needed to work next week. Yuck. Which means 9 hour days mon-thurs and then friday's 8 hours. Just another 44 hours. No biggie. Then obviously they have patients scheduled for the next week too, but that just so happens to be the week leading up to Kanzi's wedding - and Trent's return! and then I'm taking a week and a half after that off since Trent will finally be back... I doubt the office will be thrilled by that. They have a lot of rescheduling to do. But at least they have less immediate rescheduling to do? Whatever.

At least I have a job! I can stop worrying about what's going to happen when summer ends and this office stops going on vacation. I get to stay! These two weeks are going to be long.  And I'm still waiting on word to move upstairs. Things could get crazy. I know I already am.

Nieces

I got to spend another few days with family last week before I had to come back to work this week - only 3 more weeks! I yi yi, I just need these three weeks to fly by.

On my way to southern AB I stopped outside of Drumheller to visit Trent's brother Kurt and his wife Meg, and their two girls, Tate and Mani. They're the sweetest little girls... I dubbed them sugar and spice while I was there, though they both have a little of each. Tate has brown hair and big brown eyes and more olive skin, while Mani has blonde hair, blue eyes, and fair skin - hence the sugar and spice. And I would say Tate is a little more spice and Mani is a little more sugar currently - but Meg laughed and ensured me Mani has enough spice in her too, and Tate loves everything and everyone which is pretty sweet. We just played outside and fed the goats and ate freezies and had a good day. It was sunny and hot and wonderful. I love playing with those girls.

Then I carried on to Lethbridge and found out that we'd be babysitting my niece, Riley, for the weekend. I was actually so excited because I don't think I've seen that girl since Trent and I got married (which was already 7 months ago!). She's already 4 1/2 and going to kindergarten this fall, which is crazy to me in my head. I can still see sumo baby, and the toddler that called me "an guppies" (her attempt at Aunt Cathy). She's all grown up now, but still calls me auntie guppy sometimes because that's what Mark calls me - and probably always will.

Riley is hilarious and just has that little kid imagination down to a T. I stubbed my toe and she's immediately playing doctor, and making me lie down because I had a "twist ankle". She proceeded to pull out her doctor kit and check my temperature and says, "Last year your temperature was little, but I'm sorry, your temperature is very big now." Then she checks my blood pressure, "Auntie Cathy, your blood plessure is on the roof!" I moan and say "Oh man!" and she says, "I know, I don't know what to say either, I'm sorry, but you are very sick." She checks some other things and then looks at me gravely and says, "Auntie Cathy, you are very sick, you have swallowed a radio!" Where do kids come up with this stuff?! Oh it was a good time. She was a very demanding doctor though. She told me I would have to stay in bed for 42 years. That must have been one big radio. Not gonna lie though, I am so not ready for a 4 year old, that girl is exhausting, and needs a sibling to play with. But she loves her aunt guppy and I love it.

There was plenty more lounging in kiddie pools, reading my book, and visiting with a little bit older family. Including a trip with Trent's mom and sister Kanzi, who's getting married at the end of the month and moving into her first house, so we went to look at kitchen cupboards and countertops and appliances. It was a good time. And plenty of card games and visiting and exercising with people. All good.

PS. I still love my ook. And maybe this week will be the week I get a pic of me with it up.

I love long weekends.

I love weekends.

I love Henry Ford for creating the weekend.

I love London for being the first place to make formal swimming pools.

I love kiddie pools. And if I knew who invented them, I'd love them too.

I love family.

I love friends.

I love sunshine, and God for blessing us with an amazing sunny warm weekend.

I love rodeos.

I love cowboys, and love that Trent looks dang good dressed like one.

I love BBQs.

I love summer dresses.

I love just chilling.

I love card games.

I love fireworks, and I especially love the biggest loudest sparkliest ones.

I love laughing. A lot.

I love love.

Work Weeks

2.5 weeks down, 4.5 to go. I think I can I think I can. And let's be serious, it's actually 30 days, 2 hours and 49 min to go. Because of course I have a count down on my phone.

Last week and this week has been nothing but work. Which is great in it's own special way.

For one, it gave me something to do every day for at least 9 hours. Which is a really long time to do hygiene, in case anyone was wondering. And 7am is way too early to start. But hey, at least that means I'm off by 4:30. Which is nice. (3:30 would be nicer.)

For second, it has reminded me that I actually really enjoy being a hygienist - and people enjoy me being a hygienist. It has done wonders for my self esteem. And at least I get to be around people, rather than just puttering around my apt without a job, alone, very alone. And I'm never bored at work. Exhausted, yes; in pain, by noon; running behind, occassionally; but bored? never.

For third, it gave me funny stories to tell Trent. Like about the guy that hit on me shamelessly until I told him my husband is at boot camp. Then he told me he meant nothing by it all, and had just gotten out of a long serious relationship and was just having fun, and I was the best trip to the dentist he'd ever had, and he couldn't wait to get home and tell his roommates... it really was an entertaining app't.

For fourth, it ensured that I was around to get news that I will be moving at the beginning of July - which I had previously been told wasn't going to happen - so now I must start packing boxes and getting organized and cleaning. Quickly. But at least I'm moving up in the world! And hopefully they'll let us have a say in the paint colour so that Trent and I don't have to secretly paint again.

As great as having work is - and I'm turning out to have a fair bit between this office and another for the summer - I am so stoked for 4:30 tomorrow, when I will be done work for the week and shortly on my way to SoAB for a 3 day weekend; where kiddie pools, and frozen yogurt, and people watching await me. My swimsuit is already packed.

Nomadicity

Where to begin...

Trent left for bootcamp last Saturday. T-39 days. He had to be at the airport at 5:30am.

Why yes he is shaving while driving to the airport.

Man I miss that boy.

Upon dropping him off at the airport, I proceeded to cry my way home, crawl into bed and take a nap, then packed the car and drove to Edmonton. What other options did I have?

It was a great choice. I arrived to the smiling - if not a little groggy - faces of Jessica and Amy E; two of my long lost edmonton friends, who also made the drive to edmonton that day. And it only got better from there. Devo, Beth, and Blaire were soon home and we met up with plenty more Edmonton favourites at Paula's wedding reception! Nothing like a good wedding to bring the old crew back together. I'm going to be sad, in a selfish sense, when all my friends get married and we no longer have receptions to act as reunions. Baby showers just don't bring people together quite the same. So it's official, I'm going to have to start planning Edmonton YSA reunions.

For some reason I didn't have my camera out at the reception and am just banking on stealing pics from Amy E. Check back, I'll add the classic group shot when I steal it.

That night we moved on to a classic YSA house party. They're still bompin'. Only word for it. Though I may have spent the majority of the time on one couch catching up with one friend. I got to say hi to EVERYONE (we were conveniently located right by the door).

I know, I know, what was I doing at a YSA house party? I've decided I'm breakin the barriers. Who cares if I'm married, they're still my friends, and I still wanna have fun. Though funniest comment of the party goes to Erin S... when she whispered to Devo, "Is Cathy still married?" I know that shouldn't be funny, but I mean, COME ON! Of course I am. That and it was coming from Erin... just sayin.

Sunday was a glorious day. The talks at church were seriously phenomenal - sadly I can't say that about every Sunday - but they were so good, I honestly didn't want the one girl to stop talking and then didn't mind at all when the last guy went 15 min over. Pure. Brilliance.

But that wasn't all that made Sunday great. There was also, "The Treasure". What is that? Oh it's just a little piano musical starring the one and only Amy W. She started piano again this year and I guess her teacher does these musicals (but with piano instead of singing). Amy may have been the eldest by 8vyears. Her co-stars were probably 8 and 10. And awesome.

This was no low-budget production. We walked into the theater and BAM - check this out:

Can you see how radtacular the set is?! Because PS. All those flowers are kids in costume.

I love piano musicals. Where people burst into piano instead of song.

And finish it all off with jazz hands.

We loved it.

(Totally not planned: Amy's glowing. Or Devo's pasty phtoto-shopped look.)

Okay, and I have to admit one more hilarious awesomeness of "The Treasure"...

That's Candian Olympic Curling Gold Medalist, Kevin Martin!

Random. I love random.

I didn't end up having to go back to S'Toon to temp Monday, so I stayed and Amy W and I had a lovely morning. We slept in, and talked, then got up, and talked, then went for a walk in sun dresses, and talked, then went out for lunch at Olive Garden, and talked. It was wonderful.

Then I jumped in my car and headed for another one of my favourite places - the Wilderman's! (That's right, I'm living the nomadic life now, while my husband is gone living the most structured life ever.)

Oh how I love the Wilderman's. They're great people. Even if Erin does swear like a sailor.

Erin had to work Tuesday morning (for a ridiculous DH rate that makes me cringe to come back to S'Toon), so I may have taken advantage of the sunny, warm morning to finish reading my book and visit with Art (E's dad). Yep, just took a little vacation all for myself for a few hours out on the Wilderman's deck.

Then the nomad in me drove on to Lethbridge. Surprise family! What's for dinner? It was nice to get to spend some time in Leth - and Raymond. I was sad little one was sick and couldn't play, but the weather wasn't conducive to us playing much anyways. And we had a great girls day sewing and hanging out - listening to american idol performances.

Oh and I bought a Ukulele! You must go back and pronounce it ook-uh-lay-lee. It took much googling, you-tubing, debating, seaching, and sleeping on it. But it was all worth it. Because I found this:

This will one day be me. That's totally what I sound like when I sing along to the radio.

(And Michelle and I killed ourselves laughing at it. Multiple times.)

I love my beautiful new ook. I'll show you it sometime this week when I haven't already written the world's longest blog post and still have one more story to tell.

I slept over at the Bevan's Thursday night and woke up bright and early to a) a call from an office I'm temping at this summer - them wanting me to come in that morning - ooh sorry, totally 7 hours away currently; b) to a text from Trent - him asking me to buy him a laser hair removal groupon for the front of his neck; and c) to Trent's mom coming to see if I wanted to get up and come to the border with her to pick up Kanzi's bridesmaid's dress fabric. A through C may have all occurred within a minute of each other.

So to the border I went! It was a fun drive. Trent's mom and I discussed laser hair removal and waxing and her babies and having babies. Yep. It was great. The best part of the story was coming back though. We ended up in the slow line. Of course. And Cari needed to get back to Raymond ASAP to drive the school bus. So we finally get to the front of the line, and I know the guard! Like, KNOW the guard. If I had run into him anywhere else (and a car and booth weren't separating us) we would have hugged and we would have been so happy to see each other. (He's a 50 year old man, everyone calm down, we just go way back.)

But here at the border, he's all business. I leaned forward so he could see me, but still nothin. I wanted to wave and say hi, but I was afraid that maybe he wasn't allowed to recognize and be jovial with border crossers... Then we handed him our ID and he lights up and is like, Cathy I thought that was you! Really? Because you sure didn't seem like it. From there on, it's all good, he asks what the value of stuff is we picked up and waves us on! No GST for us! WOO WOO! Cari was so hesitant and afraid, but he didn't tell us to turn in or mention GST or anything. I tried to tell her not to worry because he would have said something, but she was so funny about it. She said she felt like that commercial where the lady is running through the parking lot with the receipt and arms full of shopping bags, screaming "Start the car! Start the car!" Apparently she gets really nervous at the border and doesn't always have great experiences. Apparently I never have bad experiences because borders don't make me nervous at all. It was a good drive. I even got a tootsie pop out of the deal.

Okay I've rambled for long enough about my nomadic life. And I want you to know that only the beginning falls in chronological order. But now I am back in S'toon, and have two and a half weeks of DH temping... before I can hopefully be a nomad again because Waterton is calling my name. Don't get me wrong, it's a fantastic opportunity to have this much temping lined up, but Waterton... and playing my ook on mountain tops and on rocky beaches... are calling my name.

I don't know how kosher calling my ukulele, ook, is, but that's what the google pronunciation said. And abbreviating it to uk, will make you think uck, like yuck, which doesn't portray the right sound and joy that ook does.