tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-50443539828391984192024-03-05T01:45:42.251-08:00Rice It Up!Procrastination at it's BestKarihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17616219412842579639noreply@blogger.comBlogger62125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5044353982839198419.post-87439526984780000572010-04-27T15:32:00.002-07:002010-04-27T15:56:36.772-07:00Clothing I No Longer FitSo today I finally decided to do laundry. I say finally because well, during the school semester I don't get much time to actually do the many loads and loads of laundry. That's not to say I don't do laundry during the semester at all, rather I do my laundry selectively. For example, If I know I am running low on work shirts or sweaters or work pants, I will go ahead and do one specific load of laundry for those essential items and tell myself that the other clothing can wait (Luckily I have accumulated so many shirts over the years that if I was truly desperate and without time to do a load of selectively chosen "favorite" shirts, I can still wear clean shirts that I maybe do not throw into the rotation as frequently).<br /><br />I decided that because it has been awhile since I have done a huge day of laundry, that I would also go through my clothing and see which items I no longer fit (Unfortunately as I found out last Friday, I am no longer the size four I used to be... in fact, I seemed to have skipped a size...). The following is a short list of some of the clothing that I have in my closet that I can no longer fit into:<br /><br />2 Sweaters<br />2 Pairs of Jeans<br />2 Pairs of Shorts<br />4 Pairs of Capris Pants<br />8 Shirts<br />1 Pair of Yoga Pants (and they are super stretchy...)<br />1 Pair of Cargo Pants<br />over 10 Pairs of Dress Pants ( yes in the last three years of working at the TL I have bought and now can no longer fit into over 10 pairs of Dress Pants)<br /><br />Looking at this pile on my floor of clothing that I have once loved (it just so happens that the clothing I love the most out of my entire wardrobe happens to be lying pathetically within this pile), I am now feeling quite depressed! What happened to me? I used to be able to dress so cutely and now, well now I don't even want to think about trying to replace these items as I know that once I step foot into the mall my ego and self-confidence will suddenly shrivel away into an abyss. The mall is wear egos and self-confidence go to die. It is the proverbial farm where these dead egos and self-confidence get sent where they can be happier chasing the chickens and swimming in the pond with the ducks. <br /><br />The most depressing thing about this pile of clothing is the garments that are not there but probably should be. I have cheated myself into thinking that some of these articles I can and will fit into again! Thus, these articles have not been placed in the pile of shame. And what a pile of shame it is... most of these articles I have only bought within the last couple of years. Have I really ballooned up THAT much? Apparently so.<br /><br />I think I'm going to go for a walk. Wont change much right away, but perhaps I can convince myself that I am one step closer to fitting back into these outfits... right.Karihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17616219412842579639noreply@blogger.com11tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5044353982839198419.post-61668429314865986792010-03-18T04:54:00.003-07:002010-03-18T05:11:07.791-07:00It's Official... I've lost again.Ever get the feeling you're not who you used to be, or that someone else is not who they used to be? It's like a bowling ball to the gut when you realize there's no going back. We get so used to the idea that everything will stay the same. So when things do change it's sometimes a major blow to the heart.<br />Too many changes all at once. I have always said I was never any good with change. Now change is stompin' at my doorstep, barging in, and dragin' me out kicking and screaming. I'm sure it'll have some sort of positive outcome in the end... eventually.<br />Yes, I'd like to just drop everything and move to St John's. Start over, if you will. Seems there wouldn't be much to miss, save for a few key players.<br />Yes, a change of scenery would be nice...Karihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17616219412842579639noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5044353982839198419.post-18544466319198351302010-01-18T20:08:00.003-08:002010-01-18T21:26:00.038-08:00Big Truck + Massive Puddle = Big Splash & A New Wheel RimSo, if you live in the Lower Mainland, you MUST have noticed the massive amount of depressing rain that continues to fall and wreak havoc with my psychological well-being.<br />Friday morning was quite possibly one of the worst days for this rain and for this rain to ruin my day.<br />Let me take you back to Friday morning... It's 7:30am, the sun has not yet come out and the rain is quite literally falling down in buckets. I have just dropped Jacob off at work in Richmond and am driving through New Westminster on Stewardson Way on my way home to Maple Ridge. If you don't have any knowledge of Stewardson way, it is a piece of road that has two lanes for each direction, quite a few winding turns, and is surrounded by those lovely squared curbs (harder, and more dangerous, to drive over... we'll come back to that). This road is also very narrow which means that any mistake in the placement of your car on this road could result in a major catastrophy depending on the busy-ness of traffic.<br />So I am driving in the right hand lane on Stewardson way going about 50 km/hr (the speed limit is 60... but remember the massive amount of rain) and up ahead I notice a fairly massive puddle of standing water in the left hand lane. I think to myself,<span style="font-style: italic;"> good thing I'm not driving in that lane!</span> Hydroplaning is not very fun.<br />Suddenly, out of nowhere, a massive comercial truck comes barreling down the road in the left hand lane and cannonball's itself into this massive puddle, sending a gargantuous tidal wave my way. In the split second that I was blinded by what seemed like a ton of water covering my windshield, I failed to correct for one of the slight turns in the road. My passenger side tire first grates hard against the sharp edges of the squared curb, then the tire decides to attempt a daredevil jump onto the curb at a slight angle. As my front passenger tire hits the square curb at 50 km/hr, my car tries to pretend that it is a monster truck attempting to make a jump but manages to only hit the jump with it's passenger side wheels. On the dismount, my tiny little car and it's tiny little driver (me) is thrown off the curb and into the left hand lane.<br />Luckily, because it was only 7:30-ish in the AM hours and I was driving AGAINST the flow of morning rush hour, there just happened to be no other cars in the left hand lane. This would have been a completely different story had there been.<br />At the end of the day, the only damage to my poor daredevil car was to the front passenger side wheel rim.<br /><br />What a way to start my day!Karihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17616219412842579639noreply@blogger.com216tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5044353982839198419.post-12118247005855881892009-12-18T07:58:00.002-08:002009-12-18T08:35:41.234-08:00Give the gift of Divorce this Christmas season!I was reading The Province this morning when I came across a very odd article titled "<a href="http://www2.canada.com/theprovince/news/story.html?id=4ee30981-13e7-4263-a33d-d1f6c267bec2">Perfect gift for unhappy couples</a>". Apparently a british law firm has come up with the "must have" present, having sold 54 of these presents in only three weeks. What is this "perfect gift"?... Divorce gift vouchers!<br /><br />Yes that's right, for $216 you can give the gift of a broken family! These vouchers offer couples half hour or one hour long advice sessions with a lawyer.<br /><br />Now, I'm not against divorce by any means. If people are truely not happy with each other or the relationship is a violent and unsafe environment, then there is no reason (no, not even children) to stay together. Staying together in a marriage that is just not meant to be, can make life worse for everybody involved. However, having said that, this doesn't mean that I would encourage couples to rush right out to the lawyer's office at the first sign of tension.<br /><br />As most of you know, I come from a psychology background in my schooling and thus my approach to life. As a result, I believe that <span style="font-weight: bold;">some</span> relationships can be mendable through couselling and very aggressive self introspection. The offering of divorce "gift" vouchers seems like another way for divorce lawyers to aggressively market their proffession and encourage a rushed decision into divorce.<br /><br />Can we talk about the name of these things too? Divorce "gift" vouchers. Since when has a divorce ever been a "gift" for anybody involved? I don't care how violent, oppressive, or turbulent a relationship is, the process of divorce is NEVER a "gift"! While it may be neccessary and may provide the parties involved a better, safer, and more worthwhile life after the fact, it is still a very hard and extremely emotional and wearing process. While it is technically their job (and thus the nature of being a divorce lawyer), these lawyers seem to be capitalizing on the strain that the christmas season sometimes brings to couples in slightly rocky situations.<br /><br />It just makes me sad that you can actually add a divorce gift voucher onto your list of things to give to that special someone.Karihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17616219412842579639noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5044353982839198419.post-64065709474133978012009-11-28T13:40:00.002-08:002009-11-28T13:58:33.952-08:00Radio SurfingPrelude:<br />So the other day in class I was explaining to one of my class mates about how I used to be addicted to blogging before Facebook came out with it's stupidly addicting games (Farmville, Roller Coaster Kingdom, and Cafe World are my current vices). It reminded me about how much I missed blogging and made me question why I ever took a hiatus from blogging. Then I remembered: I'm extremely lazy! Anywho, I'm back now (until I get lazy again that is). Enjoy!<br /><br />Blog Entry:<br />I was driving to school early last week and decided to search for something new in the way of radio stations because I was in a bit of a musical funk, that is I didn't particularly want to listen to whatever music I had on my Zune and I started to get bored of listening to The Peak or any other "normal" radio stations for that matter. In my radio surfing (made all the better by the fact that my stereo has a remote control) I stumbled on what I thought was an all Carribbean all the time station at 96.1 FM (Vancouver) called "Carribbean Express". This was AMAZING! They even played a Carribbean Christmas song while I was on my way to school. Anyways, so I thought "hey, I have extra presets that I'm not using, I'll lock in this station because it's super cool". But I kind of forgot how to set my presets and ended up messing up ALL of my presets.<br /><br />So presets messed up, I decided that I would just listen to this station for awhile. After my class that day I was very excited to listen to some more Carribbean music but became slightly dissapointed and confused when I turned on my car and started hearing east indian music instead. It turns out my "Carribbean Express" is actually just a radio show (weekdays from 9am until 11am I think) and after "Carribbean Express" is "Strictly Punjabi" (from 11am until 3pm I think). Either way, it was still pretty cool. That is until 3pm when the cantonese talk show comes on... I can't even pretend to understand what they are saying!<br /><br />The next day I decided to broaden my horizons on the other random radio stations that are offered in the lower mainland area. Basically, this last week I have listened to everything from Fun FM (can't remember the frequency that is on, but my mom knew and blared out all the words to those songs) to CBC's French radio station which plays everything from Jazz to Classical and even some french pop.<br /><br />I really wish I could remember how to set my presets though! I'm getting Carple Tunnel Syndrome or something in my thumb from changing the radio stations constantly with my remote control.<br /><br />Happy Listening.Karihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17616219412842579639noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5044353982839198419.post-12005156495359823242009-07-12T11:09:00.002-07:002009-07-12T11:21:43.824-07:00The Trouble with BloggingI cannot tell you the number of times that I have logged in to Blogger within the last two weeks, with the thought that I would finally write another post for my blog. So many things have happened that I wanted to blog about: I finally got my Research Project Proposal done and handed in and am now waiting patiently for it to go through ethics so that I can actually conduct my study; I celebrated my 22nd birthday with a fantabulous two day celebration which included Parasailing, Conquering the Grouse Grind and of course our wreaking havoc at another poor unfortunate restaurant for the Rice Family Dinner- Kari's Birthday Edition-Volume 22. I also wanted to write a sentimental peice about friends and how special friendships are, but alas to no avail.<br /><br />So here I am at work (where I very well could have written every single one of these blogs that I wanted to write) blogging about how I wanted to blog about certain things but haven't yet because I'm too busy or I'm too tired, or I just don't feel like it at the time.<br /><br />Well that is going to change my friends! In the next 2 and a half hours I am hoping to get at least the post about my birthday done and published! I think I have basically uploaded all of the pictures (finally) to blogger so I think it's just a case of writing... I hope you enjoy!<br /><br />P.S. Yes I do realize how extremely useless this post was... but it doesn't seem to matter to me.Karihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17616219412842579639noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5044353982839198419.post-72529067600119220012009-07-02T15:44:00.021-07:002009-07-12T12:23:39.633-07:00Kari's Two Day Birthday Extravaganza!Alright folks, I have finally added all of the pictures that I am going to use in this blog post! Do you know how long it takes to upload pictures to blogger? It's ridiculous! Anywho, without further ado I present to thee:<br /><br />KARI'S TWO DAY BIRTHDAY EXTRAVAGANZA!!!<br /><br />June 30, 2009: Day 1<br /><br />Richard and I hop into my little blue car with "Big Red" (my zune) full of a fantasmigorical mix of musical happiness! This time we are off to Kelowna!<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAyQoJ66EK4G8N2zrRV6EfFOha1QMr0Gao3gTX1NhWdUHKNj4ZwXdqHEnpnibk-TBeYOYvKXlaflYqF5rQH5AgC_CDbKwmZP-nUnvk54xD1ttFQORoxI9gkmzkno8Pa5oSoRjHzQtlx0I/s1600-h/P1020269.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAyQoJ66EK4G8N2zrRV6EfFOha1QMr0Gao3gTX1NhWdUHKNj4ZwXdqHEnpnibk-TBeYOYvKXlaflYqF5rQH5AgC_CDbKwmZP-nUnvk54xD1ttFQORoxI9gkmzkno8Pa5oSoRjHzQtlx0I/s320/P1020269.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5357645159839245666" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEXTgJPiqiCcffWisIXexVawSaP2w92xVlt5PRgcXtCdLw6q2KVG_gGtjBxLTvK0bfbUX2cOMl1UjC3H3PCDsWzH9YlDLW-d46s8CVkU1qSsls5BgUfKXwcpLfet7-kZFLV137lImbnRU/s1600-h/P1020270.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEXTgJPiqiCcffWisIXexVawSaP2w92xVlt5PRgcXtCdLw6q2KVG_gGtjBxLTvK0bfbUX2cOMl1UjC3H3PCDsWzH9YlDLW-d46s8CVkU1qSsls5BgUfKXwcpLfet7-kZFLV137lImbnRU/s320/P1020270.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5357644194958618658" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7KlHOtvp8Xtk2pGFKqerCxxa0lPdO9uU6fmw6ltMRJexRTz7gp_8iXFEShSZI3wK3MDWRTDkmW6YC0JZSAJAxPTZXUAT1Yn9CEwJFuELOfMQ5vsS4P-quY1rX1vKL9IAWu8nzk2HuOdU/s1600-h/P1020271.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7KlHOtvp8Xtk2pGFKqerCxxa0lPdO9uU6fmw6ltMRJexRTz7gp_8iXFEShSZI3wK3MDWRTDkmW6YC0JZSAJAxPTZXUAT1Yn9CEwJFuELOfMQ5vsS4P-quY1rX1vKL9IAWu8nzk2HuOdU/s320/P1020271.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5357644192459734530" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuD18aUskTtpazqdi_1eqop__vK-LywpHnMJ_iTmT0LasfDK5q4TMdOWkgyxv2UIfg71YJ0n_73I3YaRwJriF2NLCCMZwBVoTP_DU96IfMzvFhj1-CxrTmjiLEovI-G1073e9h-jyytFM/s1600-h/P1020276.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuD18aUskTtpazqdi_1eqop__vK-LywpHnMJ_iTmT0LasfDK5q4TMdOWkgyxv2UIfg71YJ0n_73I3YaRwJriF2NLCCMZwBVoTP_DU96IfMzvFhj1-CxrTmjiLEovI-G1073e9h-jyytFM/s320/P1020276.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5357644188345576802" border="0" /></a><br />There is a lot of money being spent in Kelowna. I have decided that when I become rich I too will play in Kelowna!<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2RTmqSJZYMUN8lp4FSVowaEmt4EoRPNxZ2BZunJ8pitQCdPaZy8wj7NPdSS0X4f_qaPNaVZp8aumcXHCwKyTz5pcvlMnGRM6tN9lZfeeg4QcAIQdyWloTRkDo060X7-sGqA_H1YKuQks/s1600-h/P1020277.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2RTmqSJZYMUN8lp4FSVowaEmt4EoRPNxZ2BZunJ8pitQCdPaZy8wj7NPdSS0X4f_qaPNaVZp8aumcXHCwKyTz5pcvlMnGRM6tN9lZfeeg4QcAIQdyWloTRkDo060X7-sGqA_H1YKuQks/s320/P1020277.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5357644178808825618" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvmD8eDlpLoSoysto_rOoqvbc5xOw6llbk3juMUtUpW4FAymZyX-rAmm1UAsdUSXeEP8CVcu-GS9f0vKow9v83_I6o3nmCDC0_czfGD7FkKcF8uoGT_HzHM7XZKsdr_JfuSV2OlsFjkZE/s1600-h/P1020278.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvmD8eDlpLoSoysto_rOoqvbc5xOw6llbk3juMUtUpW4FAymZyX-rAmm1UAsdUSXeEP8CVcu-GS9f0vKow9v83_I6o3nmCDC0_czfGD7FkKcF8uoGT_HzHM7XZKsdr_JfuSV2OlsFjkZE/s320/P1020278.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5357644174087363314" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkv9EhK5OK57Vfbx5FEwmX8VdN1-AYZ1UVO7kPFy_efBsiIySTEmqUDG2-F7ZiUwqkyfV13MPg285P45p6AXnHJ94POpdFXhgU444yiT9ZHjylS-kkietAKSg0t7E6Ae7OEsuxj0BdchY/s1600-h/P1020281.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkv9EhK5OK57Vfbx5FEwmX8VdN1-AYZ1UVO7kPFy_efBsiIySTEmqUDG2-F7ZiUwqkyfV13MPg285P45p6AXnHJ94POpdFXhgU444yiT9ZHjylS-kkietAKSg0t7E6Ae7OEsuxj0BdchY/s320/P1020281.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5357642337458843058" border="0" /></a><br />So apparently they are too lazy to sail their boats back to the marina if they become slightly hungry. NO no, no need to go to the food... wait ten minutes and the food will sail to you!<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyr4l8XK9ARsgIsn7IU2R5PGoi0klbnIiAjs7YFRGScZ22OPfmAGfIMRvIPG33x0BMqCPJsjlhZ042eSqrQ63kJ1jXCRzMkyTaE6AXeh09hEtN5PeLNT52dYd5XRxbNA8-DaD3NLunGDg/s1600-h/P1020285.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyr4l8XK9ARsgIsn7IU2R5PGoi0klbnIiAjs7YFRGScZ22OPfmAGfIMRvIPG33x0BMqCPJsjlhZ042eSqrQ63kJ1jXCRzMkyTaE6AXeh09hEtN5PeLNT52dYd5XRxbNA8-DaD3NLunGDg/s320/P1020285.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5357642327958961282" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_dxeED3tbBo_SVr9CjEfJYg9Cq4hJVAToIMOBdplacwKcsyhNCI9-Lx5bsOC0B5z5x3-ZmYVafsewJfPNt5wmBAwJtvskPzVKqkDBX2zYprmKy8wPeO2ibGNULFU8WN_0osoYIvn9o8U/s1600-h/S3.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 213px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_dxeED3tbBo_SVr9CjEfJYg9Cq4hJVAToIMOBdplacwKcsyhNCI9-Lx5bsOC0B5z5x3-ZmYVafsewJfPNt5wmBAwJtvskPzVKqkDBX2zYprmKy8wPeO2ibGNULFU8WN_0osoYIvn9o8U/s320/S3.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5357642321356808674" border="0" /></a><br />Bret and the other Kiwi getting the parachute ready! I'M SO EXCITED!!!!<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjCXA9VrTwkChajXcXKZThl1DABJT2umhEybHaOG4f039V0Gn_Q6xrH1hRWjoqWmeQ6w0D6Lz9Bq1CwWVKoJ_A8wTt49EQEgw3Bbwt7PD2Az9YSo7wh2pdhEO8x35RVGIX3vr5GajViM0/s1600-h/P1020286.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjCXA9VrTwkChajXcXKZThl1DABJT2umhEybHaOG4f039V0Gn_Q6xrH1hRWjoqWmeQ6w0D6Lz9Bq1CwWVKoJ_A8wTt49EQEgw3Bbwt7PD2Az9YSo7wh2pdhEO8x35RVGIX3vr5GajViM0/s320/P1020286.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5357642317203503826" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzB9sF7Lw9VdSmt06KRjTHQ2-OeUceGYL8YS3tsmxesjsw2xeqhy-mNoVGOEzb6JTy_N6qRED6G80HsgRaNChlKgh9jAXPYb9h66qHriITtEZsnCyzn7LsYaOk4u61Vc13bKV59qsuM_I/s1600-h/P1020288.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzB9sF7Lw9VdSmt06KRjTHQ2-OeUceGYL8YS3tsmxesjsw2xeqhy-mNoVGOEzb6JTy_N6qRED6G80HsgRaNChlKgh9jAXPYb9h66qHriITtEZsnCyzn7LsYaOk4u61Vc13bKV59qsuM_I/s320/P1020288.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5357642310511517730" border="0" /></a><br />Woohoo! Look at me go!<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQDkyadSKnkIzROqKR6ebDNhkZowjmwpi1QtZxbJOTxIO8g-L8FqWnqS5RGtZlsIjIDwBwdb32K37Tvc3HaMZNr1JBtULkfZQyTHch7O1dfM_RGj5fIlsPTznc_08bIBowC2aAInvWq3A/s1600-h/P1020295.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQDkyadSKnkIzROqKR6ebDNhkZowjmwpi1QtZxbJOTxIO8g-L8FqWnqS5RGtZlsIjIDwBwdb32K37Tvc3HaMZNr1JBtULkfZQyTHch7O1dfM_RGj5fIlsPTznc_08bIBowC2aAInvWq3A/s320/P1020295.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5354487337285610370" border="0" /></a><br />We apparently got up to about 250 feet above the water!<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCd_l01_w8QPblSZsSMLFHfyXLJ71jkiCsywieybulvQROtwzaZdAyw1bXa3w1NKkwCXobgpQq1qp0TecUhGvCy-GgFIq3NUTaWecZBc-IsOD5tdqY-aahYn96PNQCNe91ABA4gP1b8pQ/s1600-h/S14.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 215px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCd_l01_w8QPblSZsSMLFHfyXLJ71jkiCsywieybulvQROtwzaZdAyw1bXa3w1NKkwCXobgpQq1qp0TecUhGvCy-GgFIq3NUTaWecZBc-IsOD5tdqY-aahYn96PNQCNe91ABA4gP1b8pQ/s320/S14.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5354487328930502754" border="0" /></a><br />It was so relaxing and peaceful up there.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnIt40kPA7Z1U_Xf0xZe0sg3jqT50ZG1D_ZO8nWW9l9CGJrtgQr9ZwheNTaP45lOZSa4sQamNo9o53v2jTyOndR_kSh6PA44lOPmMeIVlrRcZIqcnKwucMVqjvocnDFxtvfAZmlMJPTBs/s1600-h/S16.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 216px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnIt40kPA7Z1U_Xf0xZe0sg3jqT50ZG1D_ZO8nWW9l9CGJrtgQr9ZwheNTaP45lOZSa4sQamNo9o53v2jTyOndR_kSh6PA44lOPmMeIVlrRcZIqcnKwucMVqjvocnDFxtvfAZmlMJPTBs/s320/S16.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5354487327827971410" border="0" /></a><br />Yeah, taking pictures of myself in the air! Skills, I tell you, skills!<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoR5ppwSXKDvFjETTXkim9JUt-O1rC6SJl63ZvnBQd8JinfbCW9euxkAx3ChETOerOIzGRCsq3i9y0nCS9QPBBtbaorSa1bZZ8bcRJC-FhXaoOTV2oo4vpGFSDrZmKvL2FjkU47SSm0A8/s1600-h/P1020298.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoR5ppwSXKDvFjETTXkim9JUt-O1rC6SJl63ZvnBQd8JinfbCW9euxkAx3ChETOerOIzGRCsq3i9y0nCS9QPBBtbaorSa1bZZ8bcRJC-FhXaoOTV2oo4vpGFSDrZmKvL2FjkU47SSm0A8/s320/P1020298.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5354487320260057106" border="0" /></a><br />Going down?<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiTtGAUB29FugMJ6z1P8lHccPGc3-1k-1wqUQFitLJzbDpMKl6DN_tjrVMDlNjk2HbtC7Vjacsu3zgz1FGjeLGN_oKF0556iETEBqhbcdMKHCNLxWF_A6bBd_vqqIANmLVwAP3KuTCGzk/s1600-h/P1020299.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiTtGAUB29FugMJ6z1P8lHccPGc3-1k-1wqUQFitLJzbDpMKl6DN_tjrVMDlNjk2HbtC7Vjacsu3zgz1FGjeLGN_oKF0556iETEBqhbcdMKHCNLxWF_A6bBd_vqqIANmLVwAP3KuTCGzk/s320/P1020299.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5354487315701734322" border="0" /></a><br />Getting closer to the water...<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDwMlddKILmGZZDtqARzTKPeQRUtWjQSWbHv99UPxvMRkvf8yGk_HpuptE3S1zk9xozGccswDJCMBXSLHlRWoRVpU6b2D0jZqhx1UHkggCrKljihyphenhyphenRFvcsqZys0E6urm6Rb17BbDTGiTM/s1600-h/P1020300.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDwMlddKILmGZZDtqARzTKPeQRUtWjQSWbHv99UPxvMRkvf8yGk_HpuptE3S1zk9xozGccswDJCMBXSLHlRWoRVpU6b2D0jZqhx1UHkggCrKljihyphenhyphenRFvcsqZys0E6urm6Rb17BbDTGiTM/s320/P1020300.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5354480918018333058" border="0" /></a><br />Getting even closer...<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpbSpP4HGzge8_hg9Igl0cio97jx5Vu9a9auo9rVcDVZFfVVJAKJWsDNIUl39OJ_He8WcHVJ05s7g_dqLCfEHwSwjn7s6_6AemJ1OJrR1NDxb5AEp3SrGBfjg5WPfKBlS_TV4N3E2IxOE/s1600-h/P1020301.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpbSpP4HGzge8_hg9Igl0cio97jx5Vu9a9auo9rVcDVZFfVVJAKJWsDNIUl39OJ_He8WcHVJ05s7g_dqLCfEHwSwjn7s6_6AemJ1OJrR1NDxb5AEp3SrGBfjg5WPfKBlS_TV4N3E2IxOE/s320/P1020301.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5354480913488812882" border="0" /></a><br />And down I go. Because of the way I had put my legs when I was going in, my legs were being pushed back and I was starting to be quite literally dragged through the water!<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWrFZL3ITHRkkvgBqTF0blQN5-Y_e9lClypzyD_1ZwzJciXe0DV5fsSHwpjPrue2BJYBQQHK90Zex05CtbMcp9aCYd-BbwNYXPV8BEVlRpNw5gz8ymQFEQdKuYDTqTgYK6JN6M4Z0FHws/s1600-h/P1020302.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWrFZL3ITHRkkvgBqTF0blQN5-Y_e9lClypzyD_1ZwzJciXe0DV5fsSHwpjPrue2BJYBQQHK90Zex05CtbMcp9aCYd-BbwNYXPV8BEVlRpNw5gz8ymQFEQdKuYDTqTgYK6JN6M4Z0FHws/s320/P1020302.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5354480910982942514" border="0" /></a><br />And back up we go to get dried up!<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHKg5mAajF62peGsEzBA7qS5Q55MsIRnbGi-4Lud1hCNlNp4IP61RGimr59PfI_6b9kfg9nfhlgceh8wLa5Hhv_WqlqGRXBkeCsC3pjd0xn2S-X_e6Z96r8lFb14jHyFZ3AM4m_iiqWX4/s1600-h/P1020303.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHKg5mAajF62peGsEzBA7qS5Q55MsIRnbGi-4Lud1hCNlNp4IP61RGimr59PfI_6b9kfg9nfhlgceh8wLa5Hhv_WqlqGRXBkeCsC3pjd0xn2S-X_e6Z96r8lFb14jHyFZ3AM4m_iiqWX4/s320/P1020303.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5354480897603943762" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgb18hnw_2DDIsVejBV3IPBMMF-JKFDuAqyVgxrfxdIY8qI7s6FivLiMdNEHr8R2b2MlcmOQspIHYIYZxvuVPEE9FzlxvhxFGrK1RpN_ZSG9IE_FKwzVIplkAYy1IVz1VKGRORxjOGMieo/s1600-h/P1020304.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgb18hnw_2DDIsVejBV3IPBMMF-JKFDuAqyVgxrfxdIY8qI7s6FivLiMdNEHr8R2b2MlcmOQspIHYIYZxvuVPEE9FzlxvhxFGrK1RpN_ZSG9IE_FKwzVIplkAYy1IVz1VKGRORxjOGMieo/s320/P1020304.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5354478489699853586" border="0" /></a><br />Richard's Turn...<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyoOtdh9JPDWgJzv0FWjmiu1AuIJH5-H-pFxxjvBKX4UeYmsszTNiY-4uEhP2vlgz8n0QDNnsHLJxZHyA3XHmmRsVL6QNO2lBjl_ifvOwykFuuWtor5SJ8zaYjqoyAkRTltim7GU9nV9o/s1600-h/P1020305.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyoOtdh9JPDWgJzv0FWjmiu1AuIJH5-H-pFxxjvBKX4UeYmsszTNiY-4uEhP2vlgz8n0QDNnsHLJxZHyA3XHmmRsVL6QNO2lBjl_ifvOwykFuuWtor5SJ8zaYjqoyAkRTltim7GU9nV9o/s320/P1020305.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5354478482444023410" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZ297GzNQdinW7TUoIBDdVUJeYoYoprtDkhp9qNOhB1It-lSPETZtXY03ctaVFsvPqHJ-M-_hoTxarVi_A_NzxGx04_GKXiVm9w2YRUVpKVbSSsrGxpEaDUzGS0M0gop9WdjuYzzD-D1w/s1600-h/P1020307.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZ297GzNQdinW7TUoIBDdVUJeYoYoprtDkhp9qNOhB1It-lSPETZtXY03ctaVFsvPqHJ-M-_hoTxarVi_A_NzxGx04_GKXiVm9w2YRUVpKVbSSsrGxpEaDUzGS0M0gop9WdjuYzzD-D1w/s320/P1020307.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5354476588247711346" border="0" /></a><br />And away he goes!<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2zAL8rZ1-iQKb6BgzdTE-ebEDPxYz9GoEzw3xeBYL_u26B3lfIlqx8-AnO9KOn8iHUuHs3x5V6-TIlwiRmUnC4z7Fi1ixU17zxjRVDuU1m9V3PzLCbsBwlGknOGGpOAuWwn1UIb4FQkA/s1600-h/P1020306.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2zAL8rZ1-iQKb6BgzdTE-ebEDPxYz9GoEzw3xeBYL_u26B3lfIlqx8-AnO9KOn8iHUuHs3x5V6-TIlwiRmUnC4z7Fi1ixU17zxjRVDuU1m9V3PzLCbsBwlGknOGGpOAuWwn1UIb4FQkA/s320/P1020306.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5354478477947010466" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBBvThD1TLd0GZjedLRtYl6Bgcj0vcOyDxQCdmhI8eeosCdR1PrRLphVo3Qu482Ged5vuz4g4x4eJ2J2olxtl2YG8UKaRKpQNb54Mo_Fy3nGfxkGhg_MXVazNpNYppoa4wpKeVsUBdXUM/s1600-h/S20.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 216px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBBvThD1TLd0GZjedLRtYl6Bgcj0vcOyDxQCdmhI8eeosCdR1PrRLphVo3Qu482Ged5vuz4g4x4eJ2J2olxtl2YG8UKaRKpQNb54Mo_Fy3nGfxkGhg_MXVazNpNYppoa4wpKeVsUBdXUM/s320/S20.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5354476580349247858" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmUxO3_JskukkOMCEr_JQdmPiP-3Nlc8Zz1bdBhWOgby_ILwrZpDdbsZwc8KxUI1qzl1PBxk1-7PymQIPOmw6M4IVpCdsQAhdMd0zn3_MQUtwVZd6WQbqLkAeBrUOIn4iF7vyRZOIiL-o/s1600-h/P1020309.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmUxO3_JskukkOMCEr_JQdmPiP-3Nlc8Zz1bdBhWOgby_ILwrZpDdbsZwc8KxUI1qzl1PBxk1-7PymQIPOmw6M4IVpCdsQAhdMd0zn3_MQUtwVZd6WQbqLkAeBrUOIn4iF7vyRZOIiL-o/s320/P1020309.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5354476578579036498" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyx0Y_tA3e2pB5DnNz7S4z6ArC7DEbbtoj-v8mHV9eIvXFm_Er8VO0ZikD2GboMkx9xJaDz35pjbtX8msljyWD_rMSlKWhVtK-etg0TwhQcs099GUcygCpDW8Q3DXYPzjHKk6Nk8usn38/s1600-h/S25.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 210px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyx0Y_tA3e2pB5DnNz7S4z6ArC7DEbbtoj-v8mHV9eIvXFm_Er8VO0ZikD2GboMkx9xJaDz35pjbtX8msljyWD_rMSlKWhVtK-etg0TwhQcs099GUcygCpDW8Q3DXYPzjHKk6Nk8usn38/s320/S25.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5354476571316375474" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhutKcF2rnvqdt6-FoVfkfkC7taJsy0zQ1XCXZlfUPBdDEulRXhVaOfc5cqHeUZqZYG-A8cHQ3f8ZQkeDZP4NKSn1wpPkJhlmQpLBWzVSFhXrbJPjTPa7FFW7_rPDuXGd18Op_mBz_DFKU/s1600-h/P1020310.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhutKcF2rnvqdt6-FoVfkfkC7taJsy0zQ1XCXZlfUPBdDEulRXhVaOfc5cqHeUZqZYG-A8cHQ3f8ZQkeDZP4NKSn1wpPkJhlmQpLBWzVSFhXrbJPjTPa7FFW7_rPDuXGd18Op_mBz_DFKU/s320/P1020310.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5354476567402107298" border="0" /></a>These shots of his legs are awesome!<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTfJNYAS7xGLCgqjaMTmt91p1JIc58MzYsZx7pdtK-2UxWdMjYEt_IqL6XqsdmsaUp4wOoam0F4_tYr91Y9D_IhrjYsxhJTTmcWykqv5yIUkMnmMxDD2aen9NXZ5si8hQjQdxZ7wpyNuw/s1600-h/S22.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 217px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTfJNYAS7xGLCgqjaMTmt91p1JIc58MzYsZx7pdtK-2UxWdMjYEt_IqL6XqsdmsaUp4wOoam0F4_tYr91Y9D_IhrjYsxhJTTmcWykqv5yIUkMnmMxDD2aen9NXZ5si8hQjQdxZ7wpyNuw/s320/S22.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5354472526204390946" border="0" /></a><br />Coming down<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1kVkEi0fyfcQZW7scunQ55KyubTDRDm375waqlFpewa_H8Jxk817ApsccKJyI0R-5HNCe1Pc9RKCrDYuI96CMnfrDn5nSuRvoteeY2fntMFLgR8-FF3z42CDu-J_bxoKssJUdXAtUmms/s1600-h/P1020311.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1kVkEi0fyfcQZW7scunQ55KyubTDRDm375waqlFpewa_H8Jxk817ApsccKJyI0R-5HNCe1Pc9RKCrDYuI96CMnfrDn5nSuRvoteeY2fntMFLgR8-FF3z42CDu-J_bxoKssJUdXAtUmms/s320/P1020311.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5354472521247765698" border="0" /></a><br />Getting closer....<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6XXA7W98BGlI7AYuPtsjesdQI8kMHWNun_Cyt8ZhrKJUzWDTeSMwRF4ueGntMmjXBqYDSBx2re6yRAAOnFkjo7-7J72zgxMLfkgK4ejkmgrkJijPQ-mcEW2F3HvoSzcbAfYmEmb4spo8/s1600-h/S21.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 213px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6XXA7W98BGlI7AYuPtsjesdQI8kMHWNun_Cyt8ZhrKJUzWDTeSMwRF4ueGntMmjXBqYDSBx2re6yRAAOnFkjo7-7J72zgxMLfkgK4ejkmgrkJijPQ-mcEW2F3HvoSzcbAfYmEmb4spo8/s320/S21.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5354470911663883234" border="0" /></a><br />SPLOOSH! As you can see he is trying to take a picture of his legs going into the water...<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgysn8FiewLilCRFcEB5kpW3BZ3O81yknjisDuojkBkM4Y8iogjGSfPglCLOAMLFtSlYPiTr428O5gI-4Xkxu_kizzslLzv99IiN718HRSVoWYPw2k-FjMCZ8AHRQTtCwwcIBNMq2kzi0k/s1600-h/P1020312.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgysn8FiewLilCRFcEB5kpW3BZ3O81yknjisDuojkBkM4Y8iogjGSfPglCLOAMLFtSlYPiTr428O5gI-4Xkxu_kizzslLzv99IiN718HRSVoWYPw2k-FjMCZ8AHRQTtCwwcIBNMq2kzi0k/s320/P1020312.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5354470905495470354" border="0" /></a><br />This is what came out!<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigs5uWiwrsUbt2IqWrWzv240mIoa15Llvs4bR3jldoW5tiry7gRsYNhYcoARqqhY2BFLmbmCWwP-5wqs-n99QCXygJr9ZjZj3I8mewHiMWxz5RXhcPfyuNQEI7i7Ao1B0vyihkMgrziyk/s1600-h/S26.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 211px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigs5uWiwrsUbt2IqWrWzv240mIoa15Llvs4bR3jldoW5tiry7gRsYNhYcoARqqhY2BFLmbmCWwP-5wqs-n99QCXygJr9ZjZj3I8mewHiMWxz5RXhcPfyuNQEI7i7Ao1B0vyihkMgrziyk/s320/S26.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5354470903675876418" border="0" /></a><br />Ok, so funny story... For some reason, the way that Richard held his legs as he was going back up made him twist around. Just as he was twisting around, the captain turned his head to look back at him and I guess because of the force of the water, Richard's shorts and boxers were being pulled down revealing a generous view of his rear end. The captain's head shot back forward in suprise, as the three of us on the boat burst out laughing! I only wish I had had the camera ready for that shot! Unfortunately I did not.<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfBDDZI09J80a4X6ubpOL04OeNlWaxjy4-dLbXSh45Eo7v7Kks96dWtKiw6sa-OJRIxXD2ql_XkVZ7EycFnFCS3bkjXAH2zp6gP94sJDKbkeB0XZPN5ng7Qu3N6LvKe93kgxpA6MQOaFM/s1600-h/P1020313.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfBDDZI09J80a4X6ubpOL04OeNlWaxjy4-dLbXSh45Eo7v7Kks96dWtKiw6sa-OJRIxXD2ql_XkVZ7EycFnFCS3bkjXAH2zp6gP94sJDKbkeB0XZPN5ng7Qu3N6LvKe93kgxpA6MQOaFM/s320/P1020313.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5354474456491012978" border="0" /></a><br />Coming in for landing...<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrzxE4U5MNC2ooO_RdfSZ_0SsbGChQMh1riWQmO7570uLOR_BdkIbsOBqDpu2R1My_DgCOm4qzUeQ1AT3oDsJqUCko0y0eNMsCianr89y8Ehb_iE3nba3Laql8yIbNsS1vbeal40fLyG4/s1600-h/P1020314.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrzxE4U5MNC2ooO_RdfSZ_0SsbGChQMh1riWQmO7570uLOR_BdkIbsOBqDpu2R1My_DgCOm4qzUeQ1AT3oDsJqUCko0y0eNMsCianr89y8Ehb_iE3nba3Laql8yIbNsS1vbeal40fLyG4/s320/P1020314.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5354474463783633778" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmpvasw_F7C4pc_n5k38qe32sP22kZ1CbbJMx1WVkBxBWoW1pVPJItAW9n5i73n3IJi6UgWyifrlP4EH5PO-EImjLHmdxXbSAeCmPZ093O7cn2NZknCF5pxuX8EYEg2flj3g974sUVGA8/s1600-h/P1020315.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmpvasw_F7C4pc_n5k38qe32sP22kZ1CbbJMx1WVkBxBWoW1pVPJItAW9n5i73n3IJi6UgWyifrlP4EH5PO-EImjLHmdxXbSAeCmPZ093O7cn2NZknCF5pxuX8EYEg2flj3g974sUVGA8/s320/P1020315.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5354474472479900690" border="0" /></a><br />Once we were done flying above Okanagan Lake, Richard and I decided to spend the rest of the day hanging out and relaxing at the beach.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3UG7uI-cL75iO-F9GxDCjoSgxOP53v8cr5DXWnxIHbWskXnYw2PHEte6mlitaqa-31rVFkmplKPJC5L6BVa6macTO8U4lpfEhSV9CJFUCPXXnD3ZEBt_-DQlZKjUdscKSpS00HdX6npM/s1600-h/P1020316.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3UG7uI-cL75iO-F9GxDCjoSgxOP53v8cr5DXWnxIHbWskXnYw2PHEte6mlitaqa-31rVFkmplKPJC5L6BVa6macTO8U4lpfEhSV9CJFUCPXXnD3ZEBt_-DQlZKjUdscKSpS00HdX6npM/s320/P1020316.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5354470895603857170" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiC9evm7sElYhROpAp8yazyxKDYMBPsC4IxVe7wd94NmhIJK7g1fDAUfAEoY3DXEQW5FaPKEB9Qtm5oT2BQYFncn9axWN1Oln15yD6NuEJAnabIXEqjq68S945i6ewZx1mMBwzTrQtbduA/s1600-h/P1020317.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiC9evm7sElYhROpAp8yazyxKDYMBPsC4IxVe7wd94NmhIJK7g1fDAUfAEoY3DXEQW5FaPKEB9Qtm5oT2BQYFncn9axWN1Oln15yD6NuEJAnabIXEqjq68S945i6ewZx1mMBwzTrQtbduA/s320/P1020317.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5354468782649985314" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1nyj0KqHRhNF7xpCIhj3B5eDHyeKeFhssQFMtFYwhTvp9sGIApAedznZ1X26upoF4NHGk9K0zfoL1abHccZKxSjtoc3OL89kObrJFiGj76YSsPl9-IQq3TwbGiKcmYvsEQJcJDf5eOZs/s1600-h/P1020318.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1nyj0KqHRhNF7xpCIhj3B5eDHyeKeFhssQFMtFYwhTvp9sGIApAedznZ1X26upoF4NHGk9K0zfoL1abHccZKxSjtoc3OL89kObrJFiGj76YSsPl9-IQq3TwbGiKcmYvsEQJcJDf5eOZs/s320/P1020318.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5354468780831141890" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhWd9-soA0dNmLCg1mg94pt3SyskaLbJ0AHlvYHdy7ZdvkaP5-BHoBVyxMh-45YflGFNFLaQMBxbEUlzu4uXohIg-sg2op8eAYBQgqPJ500qvPFmfvvG13zGf9Cd1oOEtcHNkiiIOxmxQ/s1600-h/P1020319.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhWd9-soA0dNmLCg1mg94pt3SyskaLbJ0AHlvYHdy7ZdvkaP5-BHoBVyxMh-45YflGFNFLaQMBxbEUlzu4uXohIg-sg2op8eAYBQgqPJ500qvPFmfvvG13zGf9Cd1oOEtcHNkiiIOxmxQ/s320/P1020319.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5354468773344394162" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzoF-2QE2kJMvHMfqI5XUNHiUiAsXkbJgd4awiEPi7qT-BRJoOfPi4G_HCfavT_nr47jHIVTRkNORZhIDOJmCDVCfYHaTJYBYWEN42LESbjJnfPd07moTaS-2-BzVOd9sYT101u55Cn8Y/s1600-h/P1020321.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzoF-2QE2kJMvHMfqI5XUNHiUiAsXkbJgd4awiEPi7qT-BRJoOfPi4G_HCfavT_nr47jHIVTRkNORZhIDOJmCDVCfYHaTJYBYWEN42LESbjJnfPd07moTaS-2-BzVOd9sYT101u55Cn8Y/s320/P1020321.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5354468768870428146" border="0" /></a><br />After a lovely sushi dinner, around 6pm Richard and I decided it was time to head home, back to reality.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWRiYGobCQxj5VcGNyI-uaRJQuRnPftHZuXfSP0FYZhEJYxTdBtbrHPk715eY92mESGX-jxOxT81YhuXA5DgYrlzMC8DS6bUoGGr3ND8h1m0_v8iBB-qSHEniMYcgbg2lR17-LmnmdXyA/s1600-h/P1020326.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWRiYGobCQxj5VcGNyI-uaRJQuRnPftHZuXfSP0FYZhEJYxTdBtbrHPk715eY92mESGX-jxOxT81YhuXA5DgYrlzMC8DS6bUoGGr3ND8h1m0_v8iBB-qSHEniMYcgbg2lR17-LmnmdXyA/s320/P1020326.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5354468759217173426" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAHM-IEXR2f3ZJV8KcBQ0v21fm4y3TNwnVW2WvhTwor2YEfyFntl8Pw1nzcanSCAJfPunuzXD5yRKqX_Oq2CAvABIyglcVqa8_ZfWZUYcLlUdvbRhX-SllZnizKIb_G95XImf1obCPH34/s1600-h/P10202882.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 289px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAHM-IEXR2f3ZJV8KcBQ0v21fm4y3TNwnVW2WvhTwor2YEfyFntl8Pw1nzcanSCAJfPunuzXD5yRKqX_Oq2CAvABIyglcVqa8_ZfWZUYcLlUdvbRhX-SllZnizKIb_G95XImf1obCPH34/s320/P10202882.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5354470892652787250" border="0" /></a><br />An Awesome day was had by all! In fact this last picture basically sums up the entire day!<br /><br />July 1, 2009: Day 2 - MY BIRTHDAY!!!<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDXqTvO6nUBRIrnpI6eaUBV8_Pn5tD0BS21OEXi3QAY6lD0a9wF8b0Pcgfo_LXKd7tjuFzdYYSmsrSxln-tkYC_Hr-_WtsRO-KdV1izmtKTOa-JHs5jJJZPV1XC0N3jtrbstfsKdHvawM/s1600-h/P1020328.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDXqTvO6nUBRIrnpI6eaUBV8_Pn5tD0BS21OEXi3QAY6lD0a9wF8b0Pcgfo_LXKd7tjuFzdYYSmsrSxln-tkYC_Hr-_WtsRO-KdV1izmtKTOa-JHs5jJJZPV1XC0N3jtrbstfsKdHvawM/s320/P1020328.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5354465837087247586" border="0" /></a><br />To start the day mom, dad, and I headed down to the Pitt Meadows Canada Day celebrations for our annual Canada Day Pancake Breakfast! Dad normally works on Canada day but this year (the first in about 20 years) he decided to take it off and enjoy the celebrations.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAdmn_yOz7pcX24RtBu8xZln0N57NpI1eYU96XJGylpsChyk3c4tspAg2LoPRYXLZIUb0fTwdViSaiTH70iKgWB0kHs1mywdNh-6ncpfI7exbrHHZRIimE0tsZx5NISx314bxjcANdJLA/s1600-h/P1020330.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAdmn_yOz7pcX24RtBu8xZln0N57NpI1eYU96XJGylpsChyk3c4tspAg2LoPRYXLZIUb0fTwdViSaiTH70iKgWB0kHs1mywdNh-6ncpfI7exbrHHZRIimE0tsZx5NISx314bxjcANdJLA/s320/P1020330.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5354465834538199698" border="0" /></a><br />Mom and I at the Pitt Meadows Spirit Square!<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiD6pgj4n4kiJC33PZYQTE_rp04Dn1UZpnJm4wCPcLS5ON5q9KOuLg_UCWTR4xQdQd7bYcZfW-0ETZ4Dj6-ERvl3WpPcxt9hZNgeOKOkKQ-FSufFL2ZBC3j29Vy784j1HaB16FVEAJHstA/s1600-h/P1020331.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiD6pgj4n4kiJC33PZYQTE_rp04Dn1UZpnJm4wCPcLS5ON5q9KOuLg_UCWTR4xQdQd7bYcZfW-0ETZ4Dj6-ERvl3WpPcxt9hZNgeOKOkKQ-FSufFL2ZBC3j29Vy784j1HaB16FVEAJHstA/s320/P1020331.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5354465829864685170" border="0" /></a><br />Dad and I at the Pitt Meadows Spirit Square<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghGN06pUmdTHGdcgVrmWiQZRfEZOvwzz6-48BHLxcF8BH9AUTtXM1q6YrrbvPbAUY1IZkQ37RCSkYSK5NivGlCqrhSdpdCXYefgG1PfnYO6iXxt6i936BWCs0MpavWdcLR9lVcHeM3ZT4/s1600-h/P1020335.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghGN06pUmdTHGdcgVrmWiQZRfEZOvwzz6-48BHLxcF8BH9AUTtXM1q6YrrbvPbAUY1IZkQ37RCSkYSK5NivGlCqrhSdpdCXYefgG1PfnYO6iXxt6i936BWCs0MpavWdcLR9lVcHeM3ZT4/s320/P1020335.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5354465820075420386" border="0" /></a><br />They had a bicycle parade for the children to dress up their bikes.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNekQslSxFMgLf1fNZ3FjI6t8MVfpTIEbAVnWHW389suRF6WJHUS46lxtyyH_Bl3lzmZJscQH656BAp2jFp73rCGukniAH9wBuxgQjGO4K6FsYIrO7G4xGAgPRygC0RrODKzqE-HK_Rv8/s1600-h/P1020336.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNekQslSxFMgLf1fNZ3FjI6t8MVfpTIEbAVnWHW389suRF6WJHUS46lxtyyH_Bl3lzmZJscQH656BAp2jFp73rCGukniAH9wBuxgQjGO4K6FsYIrO7G4xGAgPRygC0RrODKzqE-HK_Rv8/s320/P1020336.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5354462607070663426" border="0" /></a><br />My favorite was the one in the top hat. There was also a little kid in an Ireland jersey wearing all green... he was also my favorite!<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHgmKBsbvrvtt_CGcWZTEqxCNZdJxKNq4kR6Xer9dnDFfX4C8pcuELfRoo1jZBSQNcGqIwsXT6HjS7NF6v1Sy0sIdRpx2haC4YRIRfxzi-Q2DEn-G9rZye5nI_Ra0ZQMLNXzFfBVTmuXE/s1600-h/P1020342.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHgmKBsbvrvtt_CGcWZTEqxCNZdJxKNq4kR6Xer9dnDFfX4C8pcuELfRoo1jZBSQNcGqIwsXT6HjS7NF6v1Sy0sIdRpx2haC4YRIRfxzi-Q2DEn-G9rZye5nI_Ra0ZQMLNXzFfBVTmuXE/s320/P1020342.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5354462602152435954" border="0" /></a><br />Jacob is super excited to go hiking the Grouse Grind yo!<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWYBCo59Ww3d3UxqQVqvj07MKJ0hkLsgZLU2tXzRkCbR6Kamnh-BTqQyqLKf0bOzGV6Hu2AO3BaCK22doOhU_6ANKpc1ldNlr-TMfbAWwtSuruCB3JtBvBK-Jr964ORyNQxoCDpgW-l2o/s1600-h/P1020343.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWYBCo59Ww3d3UxqQVqvj07MKJ0hkLsgZLU2tXzRkCbR6Kamnh-BTqQyqLKf0bOzGV6Hu2AO3BaCK22doOhU_6ANKpc1ldNlr-TMfbAWwtSuruCB3JtBvBK-Jr964ORyNQxoCDpgW-l2o/s320/P1020343.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5354462594679322338" border="0" /></a><br />Proof<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCe1Is5cQ35KgFuBTY7wjidHwHz6Ag13KwpFrUmjWoS_OG_IoPm1vGmCJ5DpFvyOGHM9WQ9uK-8G2qGVfOoFm22pS60oHFpIEXAw06IHlOS0xufRH_gPMOT0CAEWglKwNwAJCtemQmpws/s1600-h/P1020344.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCe1Is5cQ35KgFuBTY7wjidHwHz6Ag13KwpFrUmjWoS_OG_IoPm1vGmCJ5DpFvyOGHM9WQ9uK-8G2qGVfOoFm22pS60oHFpIEXAw06IHlOS0xufRH_gPMOT0CAEWglKwNwAJCtemQmpws/s320/P1020344.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5354462592012216930" border="0" /></a><br />We're only just starting and both Robin and Jacob look very impressed!<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicr0NxZ4hg47-kAVJnyuMawxpnsoez5c52uK5u-sP5k8-uRMx3g0nszBBea3jE6fjt8uKxg1dAhqtCu82fCZxvIhnkVlprnOYBYFofFWVaHnK96JWxRbxKcpjH2x8biZ_kSEoChxjN4_A/s1600-h/P1020345.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicr0NxZ4hg47-kAVJnyuMawxpnsoez5c52uK5u-sP5k8-uRMx3g0nszBBea3jE6fjt8uKxg1dAhqtCu82fCZxvIhnkVlprnOYBYFofFWVaHnK96JWxRbxKcpjH2x8biZ_kSEoChxjN4_A/s320/P1020345.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5354462580563273698" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1Jw51S_FKesbcviHENE_Zb2xRGYM975sPaE-oIhaYqd81UQHBaUpkwe5RcuFxOZfKVW9h5gJyXm5hyphenhyphendjww_eyyjRFduGbGKi9gkO-LuWH8WTWBuFxIF-059cgvWf1LT1UE4lOLvflL_k/s1600-h/P1020346.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1Jw51S_FKesbcviHENE_Zb2xRGYM975sPaE-oIhaYqd81UQHBaUpkwe5RcuFxOZfKVW9h5gJyXm5hyphenhyphendjww_eyyjRFduGbGKi9gkO-LuWH8WTWBuFxIF-059cgvWf1LT1UE4lOLvflL_k/s320/P1020346.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5354007948364284658" border="0" /></a><br />Getting tired?<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBnPfNylhP9tKdcwdBApL5km40m8gGUEUWSAElJ3Iiodj097pZ3wXGYH8OHUx-UR5RyJ23GC2TX4n2DbI9qEV3vbXdsnaluWPY2YpfaDIa4NrhbVICdGjVhyphenhyphenvb_l1wSyBINPOiho2u6us/s1600-h/P1020347.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBnPfNylhP9tKdcwdBApL5km40m8gGUEUWSAElJ3Iiodj097pZ3wXGYH8OHUx-UR5RyJ23GC2TX4n2DbI9qEV3vbXdsnaluWPY2YpfaDIa4NrhbVICdGjVhyphenhyphenvb_l1wSyBINPOiho2u6us/s320/P1020347.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5354007934536988274" border="0" /></a><br />Half way mark!!! Wooo!!! "The second half is easier right?" "No actually the second half is worse"<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTtrkgVnz2k4xvqV-0p5vm38oEer4sCs-9j35iZ5ccPPWdFfgXdqF5CZrcDvHvdZEZnE0MZoFzN6ajbLqx7DWou5OpMko02laz76sHsKCKngjLDhFP6BTW2b201Ab45_ploMQHY_A50hQ/s1600-h/P1020351.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTtrkgVnz2k4xvqV-0p5vm38oEer4sCs-9j35iZ5ccPPWdFfgXdqF5CZrcDvHvdZEZnE0MZoFzN6ajbLqx7DWou5OpMko02laz76sHsKCKngjLDhFP6BTW2b201Ab45_ploMQHY_A50hQ/s320/P1020351.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5354007926450867314" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnmBlMl__9NOzI2tsNEe09H_U537Oe7kZn6vwRm8s3pZkAyrMIZL8bOGLAq8rT4x1rylQvfGezug1Iv6n0KNfTOWhh_qlPOtMtzC8YIqz6PZccH9hFoOzGHayvzdIRfE6v3hz9mIYpPvU/s1600-h/P1020352.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnmBlMl__9NOzI2tsNEe09H_U537Oe7kZn6vwRm8s3pZkAyrMIZL8bOGLAq8rT4x1rylQvfGezug1Iv6n0KNfTOWhh_qlPOtMtzC8YIqz6PZccH9hFoOzGHayvzdIRfE6v3hz9mIYpPvU/s320/P1020352.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5354007917060782338" border="0" /></a><br />The view from the top!<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhC6qLrQ9UXKFt1vXmxxFXnpyMBSZV2wOmOZWBkYVh3REFGJ1z_TTu4e-C27B5ZwF5g31HlH-gWFuVFX0ZO-bAIaBltIRC_0xQikHmxKC5gvKUX1mndE2_tcOU_8yD9g7U7wgYIYm02Ji4/s1600-h/P1020353.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhC6qLrQ9UXKFt1vXmxxFXnpyMBSZV2wOmOZWBkYVh3REFGJ1z_TTu4e-C27B5ZwF5g31HlH-gWFuVFX0ZO-bAIaBltIRC_0xQikHmxKC5gvKUX1mndE2_tcOU_8yD9g7U7wgYIYm02Ji4/s320/P1020353.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5354007906045869314" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxl663sXZ7SLHsdEBSRVKB_8hQroAq0RjATFip2WTJndRsqzAn10GJBsQ1XpJ3PcdpqVGViJfgRoTJQniPBgxPFw0lL5IsoHlqLPfQHSp2qvRwMq9yhLVr5UumC4rDMwl98OfhBNQNNyI/s1600-h/P1020354.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxl663sXZ7SLHsdEBSRVKB_8hQroAq0RjATFip2WTJndRsqzAn10GJBsQ1XpJ3PcdpqVGViJfgRoTJQniPBgxPFw0lL5IsoHlqLPfQHSp2qvRwMq9yhLVr5UumC4rDMwl98OfhBNQNNyI/s320/P1020354.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5354005799713630274" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiz0e3QdoqFpnxcQEijCHDZVgqIut2J0jha0j_wkR03PjPLt0OQdt5qcdeIC6TNkpzLlTdt6ndBQU3h1ksmK3shtj6S2nSvY_CfA7CgZiKJ8sbFmAwhCFBWI2RVRB9X9IEzB1ll_JUUzIo/s1600-h/P1020356.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiz0e3QdoqFpnxcQEijCHDZVgqIut2J0jha0j_wkR03PjPLt0OQdt5qcdeIC6TNkpzLlTdt6ndBQU3h1ksmK3shtj6S2nSvY_CfA7CgZiKJ8sbFmAwhCFBWI2RVRB9X9IEzB1ll_JUUzIo/s320/P1020356.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5354005797118510178" border="0" /></a><br />This is what happends when you try to take a picture of yourself with Jacob standing around... (there's a bug on my arm too!)<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSoZjGKmljKBrPtawFcUx5rw3Eo6LNzblWLk8DyPMzJwrSyj7vpgSZrtUOoI24tPKBup2OWnscjRiGh0wAPhoc1K6n6esbogP59jK1V-AEeM8xoZNY23FISWMzyAOTEhFM6vM-atOF6-4/s1600-h/P1020357.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSoZjGKmljKBrPtawFcUx5rw3Eo6LNzblWLk8DyPMzJwrSyj7vpgSZrtUOoI24tPKBup2OWnscjRiGh0wAPhoc1K6n6esbogP59jK1V-AEeM8xoZNY23FISWMzyAOTEhFM6vM-atOF6-4/s320/P1020357.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5354005792289812370" border="0" /></a><br />Happy to be done.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4xSe_BFWs04QBCNBYZPFU-5HxMORU0rIQY0sH2ec9-WQH_7AtNFt29fYZUlb1UoW1ULYSVxZRRaQZgK4x7BuCR_-Z101X8nkpvisY9T7d76AA8W_SmDKFDyloWUQv3lUUGRS5GIe0iYI/s1600-h/P1020359.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4xSe_BFWs04QBCNBYZPFU-5HxMORU0rIQY0sH2ec9-WQH_7AtNFt29fYZUlb1UoW1ULYSVxZRRaQZgK4x7BuCR_-Z101X8nkpvisY9T7d76AA8W_SmDKFDyloWUQv3lUUGRS5GIe0iYI/s320/P1020359.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5354005782707042274" border="0" /></a><br />Good picture of Robin... I'm not looking.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlpJSeSIUnE9wKFxsJ3MJgM7XAjga8sLWRiq3iwNG_WSYbtmWc3RU8wIq_2pISrKzD_fqMJOBmjctleTE1P_P33Iq5KlJLH-DM8uIaAAE-odfwaIk0Iw6BQMTB-3lCRpLMW5N_95tWUL4/s1600-h/P1020362.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlpJSeSIUnE9wKFxsJ3MJgM7XAjga8sLWRiq3iwNG_WSYbtmWc3RU8wIq_2pISrKzD_fqMJOBmjctleTE1P_P33Iq5KlJLH-DM8uIaAAE-odfwaIk0Iw6BQMTB-3lCRpLMW5N_95tWUL4/s320/P1020362.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5354005773813974946" border="0" /></a><br />Much better.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFuECuTIPNRsTocK3yPn4H3y_pFwb-n4iqYoO11bCVuI5CQ12-u-j1xfPFvbknR00gx-kM24ZKnEdyGjt6Je9bB2dgnFaTn5fEyBmeLhPy_oswg-eYGYuhU7kkhmLEthZSXRQvKU_o82U/s1600-h/P1020363.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFuECuTIPNRsTocK3yPn4H3y_pFwb-n4iqYoO11bCVuI5CQ12-u-j1xfPFvbknR00gx-kM24ZKnEdyGjt6Je9bB2dgnFaTn5fEyBmeLhPy_oswg-eYGYuhU7kkhmLEthZSXRQvKU_o82U/s320/P1020363.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5354001428815651170" border="0" /></a><br />Aww, aren't we cute! lol.<br />Now that we are done the Grouse Grind it's off we go to Santorini for a wonderful Greek Feast!<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgm1oe8K6Ja2dRNXtTpd_sXDqjXb4GlmDgTUdme7pD3GWm4cD4jvMey0fbAXnrVbpa94TmMyDuq_rL-u9XH0wgVjRe0tzavUaHywmwhKSdbcosPwVbus2ZAFAi_OyjrMNVLqZJFN8fi5wc/s1600-h/P1020364.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgm1oe8K6Ja2dRNXtTpd_sXDqjXb4GlmDgTUdme7pD3GWm4cD4jvMey0fbAXnrVbpa94TmMyDuq_rL-u9XH0wgVjRe0tzavUaHywmwhKSdbcosPwVbus2ZAFAi_OyjrMNVLqZJFN8fi5wc/s320/P1020364.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5354001418884255922" border="0" /></a><br />I've never had a long island iced tea with green stuff on the bottom... but it was tasty!<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmc-_uAWidAsOk0dNX0oR5-wn2oy_D8Cv4vZJxRkI4lnGeXqt-fq5X7YmTWi4Ps4ejiSvgDKMFAem5dT1Y9IPh-bz6RM0Q9qssfNCdPTt89DB_P1Oc7ikq3_DSo4Z2wUM8GL7ddv8YkXI/s1600-h/P1020366.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmc-_uAWidAsOk0dNX0oR5-wn2oy_D8Cv4vZJxRkI4lnGeXqt-fq5X7YmTWi4Ps4ejiSvgDKMFAem5dT1Y9IPh-bz6RM0Q9qssfNCdPTt89DB_P1Oc7ikq3_DSo4Z2wUM8GL7ddv8YkXI/s320/P1020366.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5354001414519813490" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5BwrelqAifYR_Fjng28IhS0qHdvPPG1txJar9dvwWxtPxKcp2EJvAFwV7Ppy9kuuSSHbLGOQGXtoiJ2Mbslp__D0mGU98KiHUdtdEVAN-G6vH5wYf3trGr2ullWpxCP-lZ9C2ouGDcKE/s1600-h/P1020367.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5BwrelqAifYR_Fjng28IhS0qHdvPPG1txJar9dvwWxtPxKcp2EJvAFwV7Ppy9kuuSSHbLGOQGXtoiJ2Mbslp__D0mGU98KiHUdtdEVAN-G6vH5wYf3trGr2ullWpxCP-lZ9C2ouGDcKE/s320/P1020367.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5354001409905407810" border="0" /></a><br />Nate decided to show up!<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGoteWiIantw-i5ppCSPPJ0nJV0C5qrfwdOH7wm4TCP78d9kM2UIapPC7WCoQC-s82jNYoGr7Hgp6BgAh8uJ0WU-aTBIRQNBRHxWRapHfMC04E386ePKsbrOFdwMfVSImauVNm6gI2exk/s1600-h/P1020368.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGoteWiIantw-i5ppCSPPJ0nJV0C5qrfwdOH7wm4TCP78d9kM2UIapPC7WCoQC-s82jNYoGr7Hgp6BgAh8uJ0WU-aTBIRQNBRHxWRapHfMC04E386ePKsbrOFdwMfVSImauVNm6gI2exk/s320/P1020368.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5354001401886939138" border="0" /></a><br />Mmmm... dessert! Jacob and I ate one side of it each but neither of us wanted to cross the line and tear down the wall.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsAWe1CbAxfTB5LVzB1Zo-KwOBVHF792pW8dpO-OLfuHAv1GbjOGfFOwPOTXPXhk5m0p84nmbJVIjuIV8l_4z_Om9PytdtoUZQOZCRZVvccrGW8bQ6t9RyZzTOt4gkabG_mWtQUvBwLrg/s1600-h/P1020369.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsAWe1CbAxfTB5LVzB1Zo-KwOBVHF792pW8dpO-OLfuHAv1GbjOGfFOwPOTXPXhk5m0p84nmbJVIjuIV8l_4z_Om9PytdtoUZQOZCRZVvccrGW8bQ6t9RyZzTOt4gkabG_mWtQUvBwLrg/s320/P1020369.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5353998844215651138" border="0" /></a><br />Nate, threatening to FORK me if I touched his dessert, which I wasn't planning to in the first place but definetly wont now.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHNBtMOynsG7ltLgpqHSQ1bF7mVXJCkmqnr4M5FhklUh45MfJ18tFZUoxLDYPi0gzmioplXO_ip9-YwcVZZZDXljVrk1J5RA2aaiaozKFpgtnTKswxdC7SXn7dw4SHMzBESGa7IdPxsUQ/s1600-h/P1020371.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHNBtMOynsG7ltLgpqHSQ1bF7mVXJCkmqnr4M5FhklUh45MfJ18tFZUoxLDYPi0gzmioplXO_ip9-YwcVZZZDXljVrk1J5RA2aaiaozKFpgtnTKswxdC7SXn7dw4SHMzBESGa7IdPxsUQ/s320/P1020371.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5353998840528852802" border="0" /></a><br />Mom enjoying her dessert.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3IyFP2nkRnwk0a_umJlAGuhzkIUTt4VIKRkI28eXXZQbtCutQGazYz23HzwwaVjWkJeYvg_cjoD4CxEifiDCGN5K6Dqh3KYHEHmyLsOoU-PXiW8qL6bBS02YvTbkInWlc2QXMcgIIp4g/s1600-h/P1020372.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3IyFP2nkRnwk0a_umJlAGuhzkIUTt4VIKRkI28eXXZQbtCutQGazYz23HzwwaVjWkJeYvg_cjoD4CxEifiDCGN5K6Dqh3KYHEHmyLsOoU-PXiW8qL6bBS02YvTbkInWlc2QXMcgIIp4g/s320/P1020372.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5353998831525745330" border="0" /></a><br />Jacob... looking very happy!<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYo-tswxLP-f-c288HSDeFDuKdxnio9STzdttY-KDPhs4VQkRhITlQlhTAhM2FeDSxJhCOCc5TZ2ihYYSSsfR-78da5nNY2KoD6S8fnRXA9lsekXzu9_6FN7igVldgb9DFakDMy4y-o0g/s1600-h/P1020374.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYo-tswxLP-f-c288HSDeFDuKdxnio9STzdttY-KDPhs4VQkRhITlQlhTAhM2FeDSxJhCOCc5TZ2ihYYSSsfR-78da5nNY2KoD6S8fnRXA9lsekXzu9_6FN7igVldgb9DFakDMy4y-o0g/s320/P1020374.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5353998828617249554" border="0" /></a><br />Nate looking very bitter, angry, and full of hate... Tracy's not buying it though!<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-94Sr7rF0KTC1U_m3hQcQCfSvQKnhaukNrIG8ZK-rUgldAyT0Xs0e6l-8HUo7LvM3WsHniZszS1NLXmWRVS7rrt12G8v8YY1BmZTvuYkCejy01ImixJvDH5Hrl15hyoN1KjrU0bhZPaU/s1600-h/P1020376.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-94Sr7rF0KTC1U_m3hQcQCfSvQKnhaukNrIG8ZK-rUgldAyT0Xs0e6l-8HUo7LvM3WsHniZszS1NLXmWRVS7rrt12G8v8YY1BmZTvuYkCejy01ImixJvDH5Hrl15hyoN1KjrU0bhZPaU/s320/P1020376.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5353998818658672866" border="0" /></a><br />Here we are. The Rice Family at Kari's Birthday Dinner Extravaganza! (Everything sounds better when you add Extravaganza at the end of it!)<br /><br />Thank you to everybody who celebrated my 22nd birthday with me. Last year I went to Newfoundland for my birthday. This year I went parasailing and did the Grouse Grind. What is in store for next years birthday??? I have all year to figure it out! (Jacob, Lori-Ann, Richard... you three better be ready for what I might throw out there for next year's celebration!)Karihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17616219412842579639noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5044353982839198419.post-44746268297042554912009-06-27T07:21:00.005-07:002009-06-27T09:03:34.613-07:00Mourning Michael Jackson and Farrah FawcettThursday June 25, 2009 will mark a very sad day in Entertainment History. A long battle with cancer came to a close; and a life of music, dance, and never-ending controversy suddenly ceased to exist. Of course I am referring to the deaths of Farrah Fawcett and Michael Jackson.<br /><br />The passing of Farrah Fawcett, while still heartbreaking, was inevitable. Her fight with anal cancer was brave and courageous. I did not know too much about her or her story before, and I cannot say I am all knowing and an expert now, but since having watched "Farrah's Story" on TV last night I have a better understanding and respect for what Farrah and her family endured throughout her fight. I only hope that she is now shining down on us in happiness and at rest.<br /><br />Unfortunately, on the same day that Farrah succombed to cancer we also lost Michael Jackson, a notorious and larger than life entertainer whose life always seemed raught with controversy. This loss was one that the world was not expecting. This loss was one that the world was not ready for. In fact, as the internet has almost become "the world" to many of us, we could say that this loss practically made the world stop!<br /><br />Michael's death, due to his age and how sudden it happened (not to mention the simple fact that he was one of the biggest, best and well known entertainers since Elvis and Frank Sinatra), is one of those celebrity deaths where people will ask "where were you" or "what were you doing when you found out that Michael Jackson died?" My answer to those questions still haunts me to this day...<br /><br />It was 2 o'clock in the afternoon when I got off work. I told my co-worker who was coming on shift after me that I was probably going to nap the rest of the afternoon away. When I got home though, I decided that I needed more Michael Jackson music in my repetoir. As a dancer, I had always been a bit of a Michael Jackson fan but since I got my new computer (and since my cd's got stolen from my car last summer) I hadn't put any Michael Jackson music on my new computer.<br /><br />So here I was sitting with my computer downloading a couple of Michael Jackson albums. The 25th anniversay edition of Thriller had just finished downloading when I got a text message from my friend Brian "CNN confirmed that Michael Jackson has passed away from cardiac arrest today..." This text message came at 2:59pm of Thursday June 25, 2009. Weird! Creepy! <br /><br />Of course in all my wittiness I questioned...<br /><br />Did my music downloading kill Michael Jackson?<br /><br />While re-reading this post before publishing it, I found it interesting that I wrote that Farrah Fawcett's death was "inevitable". Why did I use the term inevitable? I mean all of our death's are inevitable. We are not immortal, and neither are celebrities.Karihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17616219412842579639noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5044353982839198419.post-4991839075118969462009-06-21T11:40:00.003-07:002009-06-21T11:55:14.344-07:00Being Bored at Work is DangerousAlright, so just a warning to start this whole thingy off with: I'm so ridiculously bored that this may either not make sense or be a complete waste of time.<br /><br />Wasting Time: It's what I do best, since 1987!<br /><br />Anywho... so here I sit, absolutely bored out of my skull, while at work. Really wishing that I had turned back and brought my camera with me as was my plan originally! I was late-ish for work though and so I decided not to go back into the house and grab my camera.<br /><br />Big Mistake!<br /><br />Not that there is really anything much to take pictures of here at the ol TL. I would have found something at least though. It would have occupied me for at least an hour, maybe two. But alas, I did not bring it, thus I must create something else to occupy my last two hours and 14 minutes here at work.<br /><br />Hmmm... speaking of my camera... I was looking at a bunch of my pictures from thousands of years ago (ok so maybe only 5 years ago) and I have decided that I do not take enough pictures anymore. Everything that I used to do was always documented. If I went to IKEA it was documented. If I went for a walk it was documented. Hell, even dinner's at Lori-Ann's house were documented!<br /><br />Maybe that's the problem... Maybe I just don't do enough anymore. I'm always too busy! You can only take pictures of the same hotel front lobby so many times before it becomes redundant. Additionally I don't think my proffs would appreciate me blinding them with my flash every five minutes while they're trying to explain to me what a Factorial Anova is.<br /><br />Here's the solution: do stuff... take pictures of it.<br /><br />Simple, right?<br /><br />Anyways, today is father's day and we will be having our normal Sunday Family Dinner... perhaps we'll play dice or Apples... perhaps I'll document it.<br /><br />Happy Father's Day everybody!Karihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17616219412842579639noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5044353982839198419.post-82120436033719328482009-06-17T01:19:00.002-07:002009-06-17T01:55:12.375-07:00So This is What It's Like...This last week or so has been rather tough on me... I was super stressed with school, then my dad was in the hospital for four-ish days, I had had a couple of random breakdowns while thinking about next semester, and my "main squeeze" was gone for a week and a half on a work trip and was unable to be there to console me.<br /><br />Last Thursday though, Richard and I took a bit of a stroll to the Lower Falls at Golden Ears Park. We went around the fence when we got to the falls and sat on the smooth rocks for awhile just listening to the sound of the rushing water. As we sat there in silence I could feel the slight mist from the waterfall on my skin and was reminded of the feeling of the ocean spray when I went to Hawaii a few years back.<br /><br />There's something about being in the middle of nature and away from people in general (except that Richard was there) that really has a calming effect on me. (Note: I failed to mention that during work that day I had had 6 cups of coffee... I rarely ever drink coffee... so I was wired!)<br />While we were sitting on those rocks I couldn't help but reminisce about the last year or so and everything I had gone through. I thought about the people I connected with, the people I lost; my accomplishments and breakdowns in school; the stresses of getting a new property management system for work and the hostile work environment certain employees created; the day said employee left us and the new employees who made our team work more like a family; and ultimately I thought about the people who really helped me get through and overcome all the changes that have occured within the past year or so.<br /><br />Then I took a deep breath and I closed my eyes. Feeling the sun on my eyelids, I started to smile. <span style="font-style: italic;">I'm good. Everything has fallen into place....</span> <span style="font-style: italic;"> </span>I opened my eyes again, glanced down at Richard, who was basking in the sun completely unaware of the epic life changing moment I was having. Then I looked back at the waterfall and noticed the very faint rainbow in the mist from the waterfall...<br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">So this is what it's like... to be truly happy again.</span>Karihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17616219412842579639noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5044353982839198419.post-80722016164165677922009-06-10T00:52:00.002-07:002009-06-10T01:04:57.193-07:00UP! and Other MusingsAnother sleepless night gives birth to another random blog post about nothing in particular.<br /><br />Well alright, that's not too entirely true...<br /><br />Saturday night my sqeeze and I went to see Pixar's new movie UP! It has now become my favorite Pixar movie! Of course if you go to see it in theaters you must see it in Disney 3D! With the 3D it makes everything so vibrant and real. I must echo John Lasseter in saying that UP! is quite possibly the funniest movie that Pixar has made to date. In fact I think I may have enjoyed it a little more than I should have (people started to stare... haha). For those of you who truely know me, when you watch UP! you will most likely instantly relate the character Dug, to me! I know I did! Anyways, I cannot continue writing about this awesome movie without giving any of it away so I think I will stop... Go see it NOW!!!<br /><br />Other musings...<br /><br />I have a Joel Plaskett song stuck in my head. Actually I have two Joel Plaskett songs stuck in my head, but I only know bits of each song so I am constantly mixing the two up. Thus the song in my head goes a little bit like this...<br /><br />"It’s taking too long to get there<br />It’s taking too long to get there<br />It’s taking too long to come<br />He can’t remember where he started from"<br />"Oh, love, you’ve got sailors eyes<br />Sailors eyes, sailors eyes<br />Gone before the next sunrise<br />Goddamn your sailors eyes"<br /><br />The funny thing is, these two songs are completely different in speed and tone, thus making it very awkward to transition from one song to another!<br /><br />Other musings...<br /><br />I got nothing... Sorry for wasting your time! haha.Karihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17616219412842579639noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5044353982839198419.post-80758128257207430772009-06-01T18:25:00.010-07:002009-06-01T21:00:27.522-07:00Gong Show Friday!!!As I sit and think of all the things I should be doing or could be doing but am not doing, I noticed that I have not blogged in awhile. I've been busy. I've been lazy. I've been all of the above.<br />Today, I am feeling very lazy and very procrastinating-y. I have a bunch load of Statistics homework that I could do but have absolutely no will or want to do. Thus I blog, which to tell you the truth I'm a little apprehensive about as well... only because then I feel I should come up with something worth reading. haha. Oh well!<br /><br />Let's take a quick gander at the options for what I can blog about shall we: My Edmonton Trip which was now almost a month ago. My loathing for Statistics and school. Friday, in general.<br /><br />Let's go with Friday in general!<br />~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~<br />This past Friday was a complete gong show! Earlier in the week, I had had a plan for friday. That plan included Alana, Chevy, and Myself (possibly another person or two but not definite), either Alana's pool or some other body of water, and the possibility of going to see UP! with Jacob later in the evening.<br /><br />Here's what really happened:<br />After my doctor's appointment in the morning I called Alana to see what time she wanted to get together. At this point our plan was to have the three of us girls hang out at her place and go swimming in her pool. But now she was telling me that Chevy would probably not be joining us. Thus I decide, ok that's fine. We'll do a random Kari outing that may or may not include going to Harrison Hot Springs.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEic0jsjJPKE9WVa6yw9vZ9Mce-w3rF2qf59exA19YkWYJikPQ29sfCkeLm8YcEQErK-Kb0pzA2wHidN6rm4OM9mjT1x7XPlQQHlWKSTscqMjtva0-RW_pD3LSb6McpjYaQ4y6bn2RATwSU/s1600-h/P1020188.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEic0jsjJPKE9WVa6yw9vZ9Mce-w3rF2qf59exA19YkWYJikPQ29sfCkeLm8YcEQErK-Kb0pzA2wHidN6rm4OM9mjT1x7XPlQQHlWKSTscqMjtva0-RW_pD3LSb6McpjYaQ4y6bn2RATwSU/s320/P1020188.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5342566304454793906" border="0" /></a><br />Note: a random Kari outing usually consists of driving to god knows where, doing god knows what, for only god knows how long. My outings are usually never planned at all. As Richard once said to me "When you hang out with Kari, it's like who knows? We may end up joining the French Army Reserve for all I know!" (Alright, so those aren't exactly his words... I just don't remember what group/cult/organization he mentioned that we could potentially end up joining.)<br /><br />Anyways... so I hopped in my car and started driving to her place (which I feel the need to tell everyone that it is way out in sticksville). While on my way she texts me saying that maybe Chevy would come and would we be able to pick her up (she lives in a different kind of sticksville) on our random journey. Sure why not.<br /><br />So our plan at this point now has changed from Alana's pool to random drive, picking up chevy along the way, and ending up at Harrison Hot Springs!<br /><br />I get to Alana's house. Chevy's not coming. Ok, fine. Let's go to Abbotsford to grab gas and then we'll be on our way to Harrison Hot Springs! (The whole "random drive" thing flew out the window, as whether or not we would be joined by our third party became random enough for us).<br /><br />In Abbotsford! Woohoo! Gas has been grabbed! Woohoo! Chevy has finalized her position that she is not coming but that maybe we could stop by for a bbq later :P<br /><br />I'm hungry, so I decide to take a side trip to Birchwood Dairies, the best place in the world to get ice cream! Once ice cream is finished, we hop onto the Trans Canada Highway #1 and WE'RE OFF!<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEJKNhWDR2NBlaRsgGIQnTrOOTqpsGT58XrrjY6i8TAcjBKBG-b9MXxPRyroRfX79NA6DyVA_hbA53-TMZXK9gIBCEoNuVowa2c1pnsTzWh90QcFlb-HIgeITSxtr4LSjE7DBTr2uGdGc/s1600-h/4611_202829165579_544860579_7006814_3337138_n.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEJKNhWDR2NBlaRsgGIQnTrOOTqpsGT58XrrjY6i8TAcjBKBG-b9MXxPRyroRfX79NA6DyVA_hbA53-TMZXK9gIBCEoNuVowa2c1pnsTzWh90QcFlb-HIgeITSxtr4LSjE7DBTr2uGdGc/s320/4611_202829165579_544860579_7006814_3337138_n.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5342561616552576578" border="0" /></a><br /><br />We've got good, loud music, two hot chickas racing down Hwy 1, each armed with photographic devices. The sun is shining. There are no clouds in the sky. The cars are moving out of my way! AND THEN...<br /><br />Complete Stop!<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiwMr8TyImFvpw537-lrO5sm2lujIwYL-3issIQglTj8v7ye0cokXKujXch2S4ZdzgYta1VoHEucKNZNKLJ5aWYIBjAzyq3g_vYqDAybECoq7NuXKor9ugjo20TrXshzlayivVMY-O6SM/s1600-h/P1020183.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiwMr8TyImFvpw537-lrO5sm2lujIwYL-3issIQglTj8v7ye0cokXKujXch2S4ZdzgYta1VoHEucKNZNKLJ5aWYIBjAzyq3g_vYqDAybECoq7NuXKor9ugjo20TrXshzlayivVMY-O6SM/s320/P1020183.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5342564236891268770" border="0" /></a><br />I think "ah yes, highway 1. Road trip season = Road work season. Sit tight, we'll be back to 100kms soon enough..."<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhezcvoa3F6FhWbKe2ubb-QMIjKT35qY3rxjNUef7jpMUVxuhfESinusn9O6jwSXNC_mXkVH2jQqzEW1NZPNdza6iRnHENbTvNvCQ16_BeA6TXCLhfEBrTjqXc8Tm9Tl3NfY9-ZYnWl_X8/s1600-h/P1020184.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhezcvoa3F6FhWbKe2ubb-QMIjKT35qY3rxjNUef7jpMUVxuhfESinusn9O6jwSXNC_mXkVH2jQqzEW1NZPNdza6iRnHENbTvNvCQ16_BeA6TXCLhfEBrTjqXc8Tm9Tl3NfY9-ZYnWl_X8/s320/P1020184.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5342564229417372386" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkpHTdaxRFWtcEK2sFOLsA5BB2qohDBobflreJYeIXQvmz0OGIKe_jPgP3nPPGxhmUk2K8VtbRii2WVF6RRwgBYTXfAGhDXttxxAajnbNuuJKC5eHQ4WNNQ9t11hnv6X9d7GeS8ZJZeec/s1600-h/P1020192.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkpHTdaxRFWtcEK2sFOLsA5BB2qohDBobflreJYeIXQvmz0OGIKe_jPgP3nPPGxhmUk2K8VtbRii2WVF6RRwgBYTXfAGhDXttxxAajnbNuuJKC5eHQ4WNNQ9t11hnv6X9d7GeS8ZJZeec/s320/P1020192.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5342564222888723410" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVKXAw0JKjQmDpSYo-mwe6GB6xpZbaWuaZhgyg76OEc3mVUZmuAFWe6MKOtA4gUcj7ys2pbTevmiY3F0Y4kO-3zP4VBNIHpIL4BrL5XIGocIeCHY56iO1JTSdNk7kTtu3_xx1oG9XGTFs/s1600-h/P1020185.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVKXAw0JKjQmDpSYo-mwe6GB6xpZbaWuaZhgyg76OEc3mVUZmuAFWe6MKOtA4gUcj7ys2pbTevmiY3F0Y4kO-3zP4VBNIHpIL4BrL5XIGocIeCHY56iO1JTSdNk7kTtu3_xx1oG9XGTFs/s320/P1020185.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5342564225687951954" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrBxE_118OO359WMkROaeNdDPxWeJDL9pplOhpwHbP7ubymZEYMDf9z-hcdrvD0GJXjSI-HxtjTcmQRiOkYuy6tVFVVIjIsdv2_ZkPDAbcK-c6gqvM9sNG99Jgm6lkV0TfUgsbZbFLNdE/s1600-h/4611_202829175579_544860579_7006816_6605009_n.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrBxE_118OO359WMkROaeNdDPxWeJDL9pplOhpwHbP7ubymZEYMDf9z-hcdrvD0GJXjSI-HxtjTcmQRiOkYuy6tVFVVIjIsdv2_ZkPDAbcK-c6gqvM9sNG99Jgm6lkV0TfUgsbZbFLNdE/s320/4611_202829175579_544860579_7006816_6605009_n.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5342564215937415538" border="0" /></a><br />Half an hour later, 0.3 kms later. WTF??? Get out of the car... talk to good looking man with better looking truck in front of us... Apparently there's been some sort of accident. I turn on our wonderfully boring yet very useful "All Traffic, All the Time" AM station... "There is a Semi-Truck that has rolled over on Highway 1 just past Chilliwack. Traffic is being filtered off the freeway using the Annis Road exit. They have shut down Highway 1 from the Annis Road exit to the ____ exit. If you are currently on the #1 heading towards Chilliwack take the Prest Exit."<br /><br />Here's where the fun actually starts! We had just gone past the Prest Exit at this point. The only other exit that we can get off at IS the Annis Road Exit! Thus we decide, no worries. We still have good music, good company, and the car is not going to be moving very far anytime soon! So we did what any young 20-somethings would do. Crank up the music, have a dance party outside of the car, and joke with fellow highway sitters about throwing a tailgate party in the middle of the freeway!<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVyRihxmoefQyG1LWtvHE7I6C2SSFBo22BcivPl6obO9yV-M3URetxVE5RAlaNz-T-5kxK5hXi6kcZ1VdjLRNNVThkdvIOyd28g9cZLgFRv_emoICFUvUFoU8tEN8P-ZDqo7uwM74bIhY/s1600-h/4611_202829180579_544860579_7006817_7679566_n.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVyRihxmoefQyG1LWtvHE7I6C2SSFBo22BcivPl6obO9yV-M3URetxVE5RAlaNz-T-5kxK5hXi6kcZ1VdjLRNNVThkdvIOyd28g9cZLgFRv_emoICFUvUFoU8tEN8P-ZDqo7uwM74bIhY/s320/4611_202829180579_544860579_7006817_7679566_n.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5342561605092970994" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh41sIWw-1R1cRLflIkIOSTZpIRE-SGSrdj34LTFzzGRGTK6ka_kSNPCAyZ5jmFJ_TbqhcbeFVmEtkncnwW4kYSs14aNMz1Ed-saYLj9Inny5FwEQOSBp1BwXVhLiHJCwng1VN0pYwdPRY/s1600-h/P1020189.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh41sIWw-1R1cRLflIkIOSTZpIRE-SGSrdj34LTFzzGRGTK6ka_kSNPCAyZ5jmFJ_TbqhcbeFVmEtkncnwW4kYSs14aNMz1Ed-saYLj9Inny5FwEQOSBp1BwXVhLiHJCwng1VN0pYwdPRY/s320/P1020189.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5342561611036631618" border="0" /></a><br />Little did we know that this was what had happened not too long before our sudden stop!<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.cbc.ca/canada/british-columbia/story/2009/05/29/bc-trans-canada-highway-closed.html"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 306px; height: 172px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3BQ9WETlBiBXjAztEE9OyhiocpkKFlEnk1oEPF3GVGq-0qaaJaSUorcGcCivNXbxiaFV1J6nCMfK6fScV0VsPbBoqUuV2O9Y4tanT948K6IPxvLfSPLua2UE9t7PNV1M6sibhRajsORw/s320/semi+crash.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5342549004007844354" border="0" /></a><br />After the first hour and a half or so, the sun got hotter, the playlist got smaller, our water bottles were emptier and our bladders were fuller. At the same time though, little by little we eventually made it to the Annis Road Exit (only after about 2 and a half hours).<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTUw3SGIDn-xYI2jYm6v-Q-4RZoEZJdTclveWZ6OS2F0QRn9Ih3ncBZdBEjgnqb9gJBlJkIMLyBIokQihhfnaZUFyvaj-Ape7MU0YvHp1isOejhf2yQN8uw8Z86IhbBHHTsrN_7EHQH6Q/s1600-h/P1020190.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTUw3SGIDn-xYI2jYm6v-Q-4RZoEZJdTclveWZ6OS2F0QRn9Ih3ncBZdBEjgnqb9gJBlJkIMLyBIokQihhfnaZUFyvaj-Ape7MU0YvHp1isOejhf2yQN8uw8Z86IhbBHHTsrN_7EHQH6Q/s320/P1020190.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5342566294863039586" border="0" /></a><br />"Yes!" we thought to ourselves. Just one or two turns down this side road that crews were making us go down and we'll be on the beach in no time!!!<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzfviJ_huyhzaLWPj-lPdDLomIkhfd-bkOxFLnFn-onOQAcbh8iI0FjVSGSlPeLmtyTAbYvwr8gl03-FZXn5iAcRAuD7H-Kgh4xKaptnTRceWreH4wXVLKFtMLmSMjOtuD_WBaN47KDzs/s1600-h/4611_202829190579_544860579_7006819_7554615_n.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzfviJ_huyhzaLWPj-lPdDLomIkhfd-bkOxFLnFn-onOQAcbh8iI0FjVSGSlPeLmtyTAbYvwr8gl03-FZXn5iAcRAuD7H-Kgh4xKaptnTRceWreH4wXVLKFtMLmSMjOtuD_WBaN47KDzs/s320/4611_202829190579_544860579_7006819_7554615_n.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5342561615259518418" border="0" /></a><br />45 minutes later a big-rig trucker was heading down the same side road we had been sitting on this entire time (but going the opposit direction) and advised us that we would probably be there for another 2 hrs or so and that we should probably just make a U-y and head back west. So we said "forget this! lets turn around and take the #7 to harrison".<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiINeWJlUi1G30pgHL1_3erIfBqcji_058Q0gukW1SxK7PLXOX0vLZglvy2u0bxWgotWlVhC5YKgDbHHuuTIjFTfz6FgLxkpcWVwMYkMXo3gJHcNRZSSepk5XgPw3_FlqXInuWdW_F_Ogo/s1600-h/P1020193.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiINeWJlUi1G30pgHL1_3erIfBqcji_058Q0gukW1SxK7PLXOX0vLZglvy2u0bxWgotWlVhC5YKgDbHHuuTIjFTfz6FgLxkpcWVwMYkMXo3gJHcNRZSSepk5XgPw3_FlqXInuWdW_F_Ogo/s320/P1020193.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5342561602409143314" border="0" /></a><br />Let me illuminate the timeline here... I got to Alana's house at 11:45-ish that morning, we finally decided to turn around and go to Harrison via the #7 at 4:45-ish.<br /><br />While heading west we both realized how tiring sitting in traffic was and how burnt our driver's side and passenger's side arms were getting so we decided to forgo going to Harrison and opted to go to Alana's house and hop in the pool instead. Then we decide, actually let's go to Hayward Lake which is just 15 minutes from Alana's house. The closer we get to Maple Ridge the more we both start to think that maybe we should just call it a day and go home. Then we get to Maple Ridge and decide no, let's go to Hayward Lake and at least put our feet in, that way we can say we went to a lake. After about 20 minutes standing in the water we decide to head off and call it a day.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgD_K9Bhl_3su-8ptxGkeNZ4kH8CyNYE6Vl1EOalpnOzqq1dSZlKaQezWaTNLAB53oXgheNlzjemMeHoFoUdEI6a8G0a9cfDKX016fxrsJHFLuFxNvucwdUUhmbWinizHsZ63gS7OG_lN4/s1600-h/P1020196.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 241px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgD_K9Bhl_3su-8ptxGkeNZ4kH8CyNYE6Vl1EOalpnOzqq1dSZlKaQezWaTNLAB53oXgheNlzjemMeHoFoUdEI6a8G0a9cfDKX016fxrsJHFLuFxNvucwdUUhmbWinizHsZ63gS7OG_lN4/s320/P1020196.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5342571655132647090" border="0" /></a><span style="color: rgb(153, 0, 0);">(Note the awesome watch tan...)</span><br />I was just about to pull out of Alana's yard when she introduced me to her dog. I get out of the car, pat the dog, talk for a bit and 20 minutes later we find ourselves in Alana's pool doing exactly what our original plan for the day had been. We are such indecisive women!<br /><br />BUT WAIT... THERE'S MORE!<br />I left her house at around 6:30pm. I decided that I would make my way over to Jacob's place for dinner and to hang out before he went on a trip. Of course if you know the Pitt River Bridge at 6:30pm going west on a friday evening, you will know that I sat in MORE traffic for about another 20 minutes.<br /><br />However, all is well! I can see the bridge! I will be in New West in No time!!!<br /><br />My phone rings...<br />"Hey, where are you?"<br />"Just before the Pitt River Bridge. Whats Up?"<br />"My tire on my bike blew up..."<br />SILENCE<br />"Do you think you can come pick me up?"<br />SILENCE<br />"Sure, where abouts are you?"<br />"On river Road in Richmond"<br />My head was about to explode! You see, geographically wise going east to west starting in Maple Ridge goes- Maple Ridge, Pitt Meadows, Coquitlam/Port Coquitlam, New West, ...Richmond. So over the bridge I go on my way to good ol Richmond. I turn once again to our "All Traffic, All the Time" station to see what the Queensborough bridge would be like ... "There is a stall in the right hand lane on the Queensborough bridge. It is blocking the right hand lane and it is backed up to 8th (which is in New West...).<br /><br />Luckily by the time I got to the bridge whatever happened had been cleared. I picked up Jacob and his bike at a random gas station and drove us home. It was 8:30 pm when we finally got to his apartment. I Looked in the fridge and asked "Do you want a Rickards Red or Honey Brown? I'm having the White!!!"<br /><br />I needed that beer!Karihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17616219412842579639noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5044353982839198419.post-59423080916240261882009-04-17T21:58:00.012-07:002009-04-18T00:49:49.861-07:00Ultimate One Day Road Trip-Here's to Maija-LiisaWednesday April 15, 2009: A day that will go down in the books as the best, most random, and emotional day that I have had for a long time.<br /><br />Tuesday night marked my last class of this stressful and emotional semester at school. I was very happy to go to class that night because I knew that the end was here. All there is left are two exams and I'm home free (for a week at least). Before class started Tuesday night, I decided to check my email and facebook.<br />My giddy-ness was abruptly interrupted as I was reminded via two facebook messages, that it would have been <a href="http://karinabear00.blogspot.com/2008/09/missing-maija-liisa-life-lesson.html">Maija-Liisa</a>'s big 20th birthday on Wednesday.<br /><br />One friend wrote:<br />"Tommorow would have been Maija-Liisa's 20th birthday. I hope we all take a moment to think about her tommorow, and maybe find a way to celebrate for her. I know her family will be struggling with this and I hope our thoughts can be with them as well."<br /><br />While Maija-Liisa's sister wrote:<br />"Try to put things into perspective, and maybe those "big problems" won't seem quite as huge anymore. Try to do at least one thing in her memory. Laugh and smile, because she always did. Make a sarcastic comment, because she was the queen of sarcasm. If you're feeling sad, allow yourself to feel that way, because she never hid how she was feeling. Have a moment or two of immaturity, because although most of the time she was very mature, she certainly had her moments of just being a kid again. Cheer someone up, because she was amazing at that. Basically, just do something in her memory."<br /><br />Thus, I called my good friend Richard and said "tomorrow, we are going on an adventure. I don't know where we are going or what we are doing, but I have to go on an adventure!"<br /><br />We agreed to meet up at his place at 9am and that we would drive east and then maybe north until 2pm and see where we end up. At about 2pm we could turn around and go home.<br /><br />And so began the Ultimate One Day Road Trip!<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqujBT_kZN4f5518dKry607HFFNyL5RgyrUSGq0YLPeagRoZK4KnZ1aUYDa5BEHKeBnkcdmQBjAevTefYx0Nw3-j37JsWYZnCbaV94J7pxWp9bDSXsL0KeCoxfuJAVg8e5orfkgMzzhFU/s1600-h/P1020027.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqujBT_kZN4f5518dKry607HFFNyL5RgyrUSGq0YLPeagRoZK4KnZ1aUYDa5BEHKeBnkcdmQBjAevTefYx0Nw3-j37JsWYZnCbaV94J7pxWp9bDSXsL0KeCoxfuJAVg8e5orfkgMzzhFU/s320/P1020027.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5325905309549134466" border="0" /></a>So for those of you who know me, I have a habit of taking long drives with friends and usually we end up in <a href="http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=106847&id=752420645">Hope, BC</a>. This was our first stop on our One Day Road Trip.<br />P.S. This totem pole is new...They placed it on top of the<a href="http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=106847&id=752420645#/photo.php?pid=2719018&id=752420645"> rotary circle thingy</a> that was on the ground. It's very unfortunate when you know that something small like this has changed in a town that is 119 kilometers away.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIh0uijkmrm-NKOqrh84aGPstsS0j2BQMeBcWyV4Q5BUrMMW-fg0MFt5cVkXGi54WOOrbSFNyzbF2nMrsHpWe3Own0gylFz8XmT3Gf85xwkCFvKmjAsSSaspHwc9EkWP17VC5nTg_c_I4/s1600-h/P1020030.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIh0uijkmrm-NKOqrh84aGPstsS0j2BQMeBcWyV4Q5BUrMMW-fg0MFt5cVkXGi54WOOrbSFNyzbF2nMrsHpWe3Own0gylFz8XmT3Gf85xwkCFvKmjAsSSaspHwc9EkWP17VC5nTg_c_I4/s320/P1020030.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5325904516868374434" border="0" /></a>I love this spot in Hope! Although the Fraser River is murky brown the view is absolutely amazing. I spent quite a bit of time standing there, reminiscing about the significance of this day for me, before this picture was taken. <a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNftogMiFlWQ5ZxB-9_8benVasKO278ig3fUbnave_BoH9mykvuFqbYfXpNSAxQwurBQvF9bUuGm138wDeK9N9k-ZfJ89MymBZmH00U60kzdg9Pdz2TBUhYARJOJ9r37hquGtdWkYIIw0/s1600-h/P1020028.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNftogMiFlWQ5ZxB-9_8benVasKO278ig3fUbnave_BoH9mykvuFqbYfXpNSAxQwurBQvF9bUuGm138wDeK9N9k-ZfJ89MymBZmH00U60kzdg9Pdz2TBUhYARJOJ9r37hquGtdWkYIIw0/s320/P1020028.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5325904519033613458" border="0" /></a>But Richard soon reminded me that the day was still young, and we had a lot of road to cover before 2pm.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjusjxpzwlTSun2V8wAhwLGt4b89bqKC0_x-XPx5eqThWuRl8ZmuE6pvPR23pt00ex5Vsh2eiaoOgtNMNfWKuiIyStSjN8MoErDHOyCvMKKXAugjqAvHV82TVQQMFyOd5YVbGpjSXJwvfY/s1600-h/P1020032.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjusjxpzwlTSun2V8wAhwLGt4b89bqKC0_x-XPx5eqThWuRl8ZmuE6pvPR23pt00ex5Vsh2eiaoOgtNMNfWKuiIyStSjN8MoErDHOyCvMKKXAugjqAvHV82TVQQMFyOd5YVbGpjSXJwvfY/s320/P1020032.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5325904512974320018" border="0" /></a>One quick picture together, and off we went!<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVC0vx6b7X-0kNIWukMWEu9nXD0jt1HtpKS1M4xh0MCs_MWXn6mD1h-iilUeOK6NOlhlhqYzMAj9S8Ip9M-0uJqY8iIsSlKanhsuAzE4GRgCIRO6ziEgMSZUekfO6AYbNEP29CJlIKafI/s1600-h/P1020033.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVC0vx6b7X-0kNIWukMWEu9nXD0jt1HtpKS1M4xh0MCs_MWXn6mD1h-iilUeOK6NOlhlhqYzMAj9S8Ip9M-0uJqY8iIsSlKanhsuAzE4GRgCIRO6ziEgMSZUekfO6AYbNEP29CJlIKafI/s320/P1020033.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5325904508991198962" border="0" /></a>Before entering the Fraser Canyon, I decided that we would pull over at almost every new town sign that we passed, so long as it was safe to stop of course!<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2djUc3HR24XczB-RvN1ZWitlEKcLV4zPJTfwruc15b2TNulj-Qx2egzM9e2wxPJfOPQdpAXpwndpHglap3OjuB8CSI3NhfOSaYvvvKdY7ALDoI4aUBK7EXarlgfh4EEcXCxw3NnZ-9k8/s1600-h/P1020034.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2djUc3HR24XczB-RvN1ZWitlEKcLV4zPJTfwruc15b2TNulj-Qx2egzM9e2wxPJfOPQdpAXpwndpHglap3OjuB8CSI3NhfOSaYvvvKdY7ALDoI4aUBK7EXarlgfh4EEcXCxw3NnZ-9k8/s320/P1020034.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5325904504950941506" border="0" /></a><br />I was very excited to drive the Fraser Canyon! My parents and I always used to take it on our way up to Prince George, but I had never actually driven it by myself or in my car! The Fraser Canyon is a beautiful stretch of highway along the cliffs beside the Fraser River. It winds and twists and turns quite a bit. It's a really fun road to drive!<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicE49OMcTAtc-59kVT4-TgXTebBvTPhJltEAn1ckZq3ew1zvIkqM-X6FMu6wEvdywCI1V9SJyb-Otq1G5Ka8YgZHDns8m-JqubOgQE1QWUa-HqpOtjXEAm1Xpn-wggVaxmiLMtLVGLvuQ/s1600-h/P1020035.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 239px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicE49OMcTAtc-59kVT4-TgXTebBvTPhJltEAn1ckZq3ew1zvIkqM-X6FMu6wEvdywCI1V9SJyb-Otq1G5Ka8YgZHDns8m-JqubOgQE1QWUa-HqpOtjXEAm1Xpn-wggVaxmiLMtLVGLvuQ/s320/P1020035.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5325901268408068050" border="0" /></a><br />Next Stop, the historic little town of Yale. We really didn't stop long in Yale at all... mostly just long enough to take some pictures and get back into the car. Yale basically consists of a diner maybe two, some historic churches and museums and has about 200 residents... not much to see!<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiD5rzd7D84IxTreGHt-yNWv7UWgg_7iIjHZ_ctE9q2JhzWIKUE9D1fw1XPzaAnM_pwsdF16Y3FqU-i9Sf8rm_nNLBybUCXVWfMZ6vXUB6sOQkLehZW65M7BueW9vwdnGISBcHv1WNA18g/s1600-h/P1020036.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiD5rzd7D84IxTreGHt-yNWv7UWgg_7iIjHZ_ctE9q2JhzWIKUE9D1fw1XPzaAnM_pwsdF16Y3FqU-i9Sf8rm_nNLBybUCXVWfMZ6vXUB6sOQkLehZW65M7BueW9vwdnGISBcHv1WNA18g/s320/P1020036.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5325901264554532978" border="0" /></a><br />Nestled in the mountains, the Fraser Canyon also consists of 7 tunnels. This is just one of the tunnels.<br />I stood there for so long because Richard wanted to take a picture as a vehicle was just coming out of the tunnel (you can't really tell, but he just so happened to catch a police cruiser coming out of the tunnel). It's amazing how loud it is standing beside a tunnel as vehicles are going through it!<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEil7lrKE5T5go0myGV9quN9VgXq8x7cJpL3ohTxesWW6oZEMA_raGPlq_-qsDnuv2Q932HYI_SPt4_GFsDxXuyN7m6UnJ3ce4bext-HHIDcrbn4Btr1USCI6n5XIPBbgzSZF0mcm2HH_cs/s1600-h/P1020037.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEil7lrKE5T5go0myGV9quN9VgXq8x7cJpL3ohTxesWW6oZEMA_raGPlq_-qsDnuv2Q932HYI_SPt4_GFsDxXuyN7m6UnJ3ce4bext-HHIDcrbn4Btr1USCI6n5XIPBbgzSZF0mcm2HH_cs/s320/P1020037.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5325901262106709858" border="0" /></a><br />I of course preferred not to wait for a car to come out of the tunnel, so I took the picture while a van was going into the tunnel. Richard of course wanted to be standing in the middle of the tunnel, or trying to climb up to the top of it, while I was taking a picture to which I gracefully called him an idiot! Humans don't look to nice when they've been hit by a vehicle (worse if it was by a semi truck) going over 110 kilometers/hour.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjX5UhCNcT3vruTUxVPBmycqZJxr6nIns9VTr_Btdi1sjzYu6zAP2XKSM_7T98wBMQP499qtzNKleXe3UL2vf_o-bVGmENrsFSzj6yn6BhBY6GnnhHrLzO6SJts01Adpk45iIKzRpMX1gs/s1600-h/P1020038.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjX5UhCNcT3vruTUxVPBmycqZJxr6nIns9VTr_Btdi1sjzYu6zAP2XKSM_7T98wBMQP499qtzNKleXe3UL2vf_o-bVGmENrsFSzj6yn6BhBY6GnnhHrLzO6SJts01Adpk45iIKzRpMX1gs/s320/P1020038.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5325901256198735346" border="0" /></a><br />Our next stop was Hell! (quite literally!)<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTp5qdDk_DLq33C9swxlopUL9_bLLY8vwoGHUEgYgCK3zmM7brCZqTPv8yF2uOwNENnjdUJx886P1BnLu2Ht66MSp5tv05dZaPRc4OtNtcX8BqzYLMkfbDW-QLXlufp3ieA8-oc-Dk0m4/s1600-h/P1020039.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTp5qdDk_DLq33C9swxlopUL9_bLLY8vwoGHUEgYgCK3zmM7brCZqTPv8yF2uOwNENnjdUJx886P1BnLu2Ht66MSp5tv05dZaPRc4OtNtcX8BqzYLMkfbDW-QLXlufp3ieA8-oc-Dk0m4/s320/P1020039.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5325901253161877266" border="0" /></a><br />Ah yes, the wonderful little tourist trap called Hells Gate! ...and yes, we decided to fall into the trap!<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwqyOCarcwsxRSCz7LeArzRbLo1eAPWfgoSXohs5aU6Rkk-yDglpkS4VwzKmSBwVHQyO-w94tHgWIG0ei7C8bb7xo4v9oYo9aSspkazsz3tcJ2A9-2-fUrfRazgwqps8KdhyrwtsvvSqI/s1600-h/P1020040.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwqyOCarcwsxRSCz7LeArzRbLo1eAPWfgoSXohs5aU6Rkk-yDglpkS4VwzKmSBwVHQyO-w94tHgWIG0ei7C8bb7xo4v9oYo9aSspkazsz3tcJ2A9-2-fUrfRazgwqps8KdhyrwtsvvSqI/s320/P1020040.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5325899517731842450" border="0" /></a><br />It's really an awesome little place called Hell/Hell's Gate. You first take the airtram down and then there's a little gift shop, restaurant, photographic area, and of course a fudge factory!<br /><br />"No surprise Hell would have a Fudge Factory!"<br />-Richard<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAXliTdqdsYAsVozsXsbP1fhQMbZIA5cCNfFTOx2v962HxrI_FMpHVDwWtRHYsoUmhBaqUI0BoCE4Q03Ab2K6ipwijv59CKKeeXX114AG41reFc0rJlaECkuDiq6VLx3qp-tviYCLAblE/s1600-h/P1020041.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAXliTdqdsYAsVozsXsbP1fhQMbZIA5cCNfFTOx2v962HxrI_FMpHVDwWtRHYsoUmhBaqUI0BoCE4Q03Ab2K6ipwijv59CKKeeXX114AG41reFc0rJlaECkuDiq6VLx3qp-tviYCLAblE/s320/P1020041.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5325899511575771762" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGqQSxQUrBs4UhnXY1dYgzyYmT6Lsv2wPJMuPqCNeGVY8TSMgapLLtBwXqJu6-UTgXEL1eYgS9E-LUN_Ds_WwY7ny6WkNU6BbAt4qlragffirgZaiygGDKPjaoAmswbKphXqInxCNFdGE/s1600-h/P1020043.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGqQSxQUrBs4UhnXY1dYgzyYmT6Lsv2wPJMuPqCNeGVY8TSMgapLLtBwXqJu6-UTgXEL1eYgS9E-LUN_Ds_WwY7ny6WkNU6BbAt4qlragffirgZaiygGDKPjaoAmswbKphXqInxCNFdGE/s320/P1020043.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5325899506768123602" border="0" /></a><br />Going across the Fraser River to get to Hell.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkzRHuEVC7LCjopWZx2EEI5LMeZ1XixI9mXiYwnjCJ3djByGQDb42jacyd1kA_AlQFYwFY-f7iajqLHyA-ShfHEjO-CFfgOb8X8X6LFLa-OF2Oo2D5IspCcx8tA4-UFR4WsaUA_yA95rE/s1600-h/P1020045.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkzRHuEVC7LCjopWZx2EEI5LMeZ1XixI9mXiYwnjCJ3djByGQDb42jacyd1kA_AlQFYwFY-f7iajqLHyA-ShfHEjO-CFfgOb8X8X6LFLa-OF2Oo2D5IspCcx8tA4-UFR4WsaUA_yA95rE/s320/P1020045.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5325899502330148578" border="0" /></a><br />Haha, I saw this and thought it was the cutest thing in the world! The pup pub!<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdhCTXOU7sIoUWIYDzT2pJ59fs6ug51Padd3bQ3URaZA5NQpR9CHmj33yolEwBPvgMejwxtjwbFD2McijZc2PDPxu0do1zfTEIEYsXtveLSmkuGbJz9pzd28LFfvNR7d3qEdN1pP_il5w/s1600-h/P1020046.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdhCTXOU7sIoUWIYDzT2pJ59fs6ug51Padd3bQ3URaZA5NQpR9CHmj33yolEwBPvgMejwxtjwbFD2McijZc2PDPxu0do1zfTEIEYsXtveLSmkuGbJz9pzd28LFfvNR7d3qEdN1pP_il5w/s320/P1020046.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5325899494789932978" border="0" /></a><br />The joys of the 10 second timer on digital cameras! This is Richard and I in the Hell's Gate Air Tram... ok so it's just a cut out but...<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTj_Mdq2Y-N0vkvT_JMWG4e3IAXurCmCAr5io9o8vNBBRH_uv9ewyQ6OuV5iThkuvUEowKzquTT9RAx1OgcZw3Yfqc1Tp3dfr6Ge54df-Mnr0_TffcG_-N74YQfAEQoNpdSYj7-DLpCdg/s1600-h/P1020048.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTj_Mdq2Y-N0vkvT_JMWG4e3IAXurCmCAr5io9o8vNBBRH_uv9ewyQ6OuV5iThkuvUEowKzquTT9RAx1OgcZw3Yfqc1Tp3dfr6Ge54df-Mnr0_TffcG_-N74YQfAEQoNpdSYj7-DLpCdg/s320/P1020048.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5325897219020927682" border="0" /></a><br />...This is an awesomely HUGE wooden chair!<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0h3nS1FheYoSWSJFisC7WaX5W-gyAUQ8iZsU1sc-oQ29hYR4N9WeM0-4M_fB-ViyS2Wndi1Q5p4RoCY1KFL_FoYyFq7pkvxyTOagQ45_mR66eUGCoqGf_d4UOXmMKznhYsLUQk5x5eBc/s1600-h/P1020049.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0h3nS1FheYoSWSJFisC7WaX5W-gyAUQ8iZsU1sc-oQ29hYR4N9WeM0-4M_fB-ViyS2Wndi1Q5p4RoCY1KFL_FoYyFq7pkvxyTOagQ45_mR66eUGCoqGf_d4UOXmMKznhYsLUQk5x5eBc/s320/P1020049.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5325897216852952946" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZXtSVMb_EeOJQuFcst63ZB-OndkPLo4kvrT91ZDYtAHJxKFrQIoq2b2fYkihohZjAxSmhvSs4FtR8wNckz6rNHfv0GzZVhAyGpUVgCwCy0sMMLJFMwFf1nz9tmRoWzamShHpWWpadfJc/s1600-h/P1020051.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZXtSVMb_EeOJQuFcst63ZB-OndkPLo4kvrT91ZDYtAHJxKFrQIoq2b2fYkihohZjAxSmhvSs4FtR8wNckz6rNHfv0GzZVhAyGpUVgCwCy0sMMLJFMwFf1nz9tmRoWzamShHpWWpadfJc/s320/P1020051.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5325897216606368306" border="0" /></a><br />Woot woot! Hell's Gate is sooo cool! I love it there!<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOhk5r17P6-1ahyFGNcbW6rndrFjCpdw-sODB3pNtYtNLY_M5GX_IekyzOJ537qEMVu2bYb19RCj8SKr1sxXeVDMDtrOxKd8eMoaoGFoVkdXwtW7WWYV09yI1gO5atxZnm8AdoDk83rAE/s1600-h/P1020052.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOhk5r17P6-1ahyFGNcbW6rndrFjCpdw-sODB3pNtYtNLY_M5GX_IekyzOJ537qEMVu2bYb19RCj8SKr1sxXeVDMDtrOxKd8eMoaoGFoVkdXwtW7WWYV09yI1gO5atxZnm8AdoDk83rAE/s320/P1020052.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5325897209394540322" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgV4ysgShuDz_bdxr57cHhpjlrKOsRojG9fc_NlzHiYz4uz6Sn2aMsWnYbGccZdkA6cci7u9LZ_ih6g2Vw6CAsf5peIvUiyO5297BsmmnXm8mJobkRFhyAK5YmEQoLjTAfPd2Z3lCuXrMU/s1600-h/P1020054.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgV4ysgShuDz_bdxr57cHhpjlrKOsRojG9fc_NlzHiYz4uz6Sn2aMsWnYbGccZdkA6cci7u9LZ_ih6g2Vw6CAsf5peIvUiyO5297BsmmnXm8mJobkRFhyAK5YmEQoLjTAfPd2Z3lCuXrMU/s320/P1020054.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5325897207892662418" border="0" /></a><br />After we rode the airtram back up to civilization (if you could call the little towns dotting the road along the Fraser Canyon civilization) it was back into the car in search for our next stop.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-1CIibs5v-WUupyVMRJR6-CyyhW1NzZhI7TelajgqR65Wm7FlsSGTvCtUZGVcIoUPNl0gapp-5uHVmk_12M_ciqDT-fgRJQPXNwA8SkFaxM6ocEpNEtzTT3m6ttgNsA3vmUGVEjOn7I8/s1600-h/P1020055.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 241px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-1CIibs5v-WUupyVMRJR6-CyyhW1NzZhI7TelajgqR65Wm7FlsSGTvCtUZGVcIoUPNl0gapp-5uHVmk_12M_ciqDT-fgRJQPXNwA8SkFaxM6ocEpNEtzTT3m6ttgNsA3vmUGVEjOn7I8/s320/P1020055.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5325895648078569362" border="0" /></a><br />Hahaha, I always laugh when I think of these little towns between Hope and Cache Creek, such as Yale and Boston Bar, because I always think of them in terms of where the Greyhound Bus stops. In Boston Bar the Greyhound bus stops at this little shack-like structure that is probably just big enough for five people to stand in with their baggage!<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdkS4GXkU4eTecvbLehlA8mwivYOcm7XQXO6UIPNuNZiQbXyrSCCCzDUJ5AJ00rYywtxE2xYST4arznUYd63hRTP9hl6bhyphenhyphenAD4X7Y5g-nb2pVo4omBWzH_-xMUOidfLZqsaSXRwDzHp9E/s1600-h/P1020056.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 239px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdkS4GXkU4eTecvbLehlA8mwivYOcm7XQXO6UIPNuNZiQbXyrSCCCzDUJ5AJ00rYywtxE2xYST4arznUYd63hRTP9hl6bhyphenhyphenAD4X7Y5g-nb2pVo4omBWzH_-xMUOidfLZqsaSXRwDzHp9E/s320/P1020056.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5325895641905288834" border="0" /></a><br />Of course, because of the lack of population, Richard was hailed the coolest man in Boston Bar... the close second was the third longhaired construction flagger.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIM1i00IRgD7HXoXItcdinbiQzsy71iX-4rx5P279opQIISBWjP68yYOpJ8llTT2A6U8Di9ZC1e5cNBj7BXJOyClAtGkM8UP4zAbG9Op3tEkyE0e_9FCgqNVjeGyuxih_MU-LkCSGJipI/s1600-h/P1020058.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 239px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIM1i00IRgD7HXoXItcdinbiQzsy71iX-4rx5P279opQIISBWjP68yYOpJ8llTT2A6U8Di9ZC1e5cNBj7BXJOyClAtGkM8UP4zAbG9Op3tEkyE0e_9FCgqNVjeGyuxih_MU-LkCSGJipI/s320/P1020058.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5325895639584240930" border="0" /></a><br />Lytton is another winner of a small town. Of course they had to have the biggest town sign though... can we say overcompensation??? I think we can!!!<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhJZlG2Ae59-12eHEs_QHCGufXIoa-nJA6HOrkcebP4Dpnaa_LJ6M9nXVfcMRZTM4dGL2y_PjkKcd9yNiprvCZ9epi4RX9IAaHzmOIsI2Abg1OKr875FG0Q8rb5GEW059z1OT1aiOGbJs/s1600-h/P1020059.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 239px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhJZlG2Ae59-12eHEs_QHCGufXIoa-nJA6HOrkcebP4Dpnaa_LJ6M9nXVfcMRZTM4dGL2y_PjkKcd9yNiprvCZ9epi4RX9IAaHzmOIsI2Abg1OKr875FG0Q8rb5GEW059z1OT1aiOGbJs/s320/P1020059.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5325895636088199842" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9xRE72T9jaHkqU7zOL_qXoWQm13QZQ05sobhIbn393dMX3T1n8mRFZKYVEcPA5Dg2ah5qHGfIwnOR_ntU3-1FeTlSs71C3D99IDsAK90ntAPJ8hFDVSmRDFFpTyyCm3lTosJ87RxJ0vU/s1600-h/P1020062.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9xRE72T9jaHkqU7zOL_qXoWQm13QZQ05sobhIbn393dMX3T1n8mRFZKYVEcPA5Dg2ah5qHGfIwnOR_ntU3-1FeTlSs71C3D99IDsAK90ntAPJ8hFDVSmRDFFpTyyCm3lTosJ87RxJ0vU/s320/P1020062.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5325895627921571922" border="0" /></a><br />This is Lytton! Haha, ok so really this isn't all of Lytton, but a major part of it!<br />At this point in the trip I was really starting to think about Maija-Liisa and how much this road trip actually meant to me. It became more apparent that I started to feel as though driving further north and closer to the tops of the mountains would bring me closer to wherever she is. I started to cry a bit while listening to Steve Earle's song "Waiting on You". The following is just a sampling of the song, at which point I was tearing up...<br /><p><span style="font-family:Arial,Helvetica;">I can't let go, I wait for you</span><br /><span style="font-family:Arial,Helvetica;">Till hell goes cold, I'll wait for you</span><br /><span style="font-family:Arial,Helvetica;">You're all I know and I wait for you</span> </p><p><span style="font-family:Arial,Helvetica;">Breathing out, breathing in</span><br /><span style="font-family:Arial,Helvetica;">Holding out, giving in</span><br /><span style="font-family:Arial,Helvetica;">Doing with or without waiting on you</span> </p><p><span style="font-family:Arial,Helvetica;">Don't show it all, walk on, walk tall</span><br /><span style="font-family:Arial,Helvetica;">Behind this wall I'm still waiting on you</span></p><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiD6u3t_5NCt54rOq0BFabr6ZFMG5dGL7zEk4z6KCjLRWEY8n8v_NkbFRcU-66QaOZiBKhlryA_FTtB6sNxuLsZbM3_BD0vcepXjVRR0r264vej5-3eJwyErz6oFRqwsnBJ_PKBIw3Oj4/s1600-h/P1020063.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiD6u3t_5NCt54rOq0BFabr6ZFMG5dGL7zEk4z6KCjLRWEY8n8v_NkbFRcU-66QaOZiBKhlryA_FTtB6sNxuLsZbM3_BD0vcepXjVRR0r264vej5-3eJwyErz6oFRqwsnBJ_PKBIw3Oj4/s320/P1020063.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5325893853664571378" border="0" /></a><br />We thought that my car parked like that made it look sort of like an advertisement picture.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEis7MityD4AWbetsWhy0DKv9eDT_NrtuilClmULdYH87EipT3yvTzH9SmkQObUC1vxTFL0blm6TiXEnT2PELJ24ruVD7JW5eMZJ1P47mrtI89j1riSjXdkjyf4BjyLLqY47w5L-cf1JqMw/s1600-h/P1020065.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEis7MityD4AWbetsWhy0DKv9eDT_NrtuilClmULdYH87EipT3yvTzH9SmkQObUC1vxTFL0blm6TiXEnT2PELJ24ruVD7JW5eMZJ1P47mrtI89j1riSjXdkjyf4BjyLLqY47w5L-cf1JqMw/s320/P1020065.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5325893849062250770" border="0" /></a><br />Hehe!!! The Long Horned Sheep of Ashcroft!!! I refused to go any closer as I could see that the sheep were starting to stare me down! Of course Richard wanted to run towards the sheep and see if they would bunt him in the head. As entertaining as that sounds, I again called him an idiot and got back into the car!<br /><br />Once we got to Ashcroft (sorry no town sign picture, I was driving too fast to stop), it was already a little bit after 2pm but I knew that there were scarce choices for food places and gas stations, so I suggested to Richard that we drive the extra 40 or so kilometers to Cache Creek as our final destination. There is this Diner in Cache Creek called Herbies that makes the best burgers around! Thus, that was our final stop!<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZWfsiLLMvy56w8JrcwXBfrZ4sNBCL-30sb_KkvoUJg5gjqUl_ruFe1cRmfhExPRrSIMKncAW1bHpXPyOH84HP557tHOqOWlExAK5xB2KM9pcPjYf4_5-kLFTOrek7fkM1q24BGj69tFw/s1600-h/P1020067.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZWfsiLLMvy56w8JrcwXBfrZ4sNBCL-30sb_KkvoUJg5gjqUl_ruFe1cRmfhExPRrSIMKncAW1bHpXPyOH84HP557tHOqOWlExAK5xB2KM9pcPjYf4_5-kLFTOrek7fkM1q24BGj69tFw/s320/P1020067.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5325893842825364514" border="0" /></a><br />After a couple of bites Richard agreed that it was the best burger he had had in a long time... It was so worth the 5-ish hour drive!<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-o1KawanG1ReFvpb1-TM5YkJR003Xs5q_ksY0abY6-0begQ6xAmmbu4_gf4EtJj4eZVYk7WXGKNIR8ZkONo3NSixDPnsNVzwS8zn2vnVulabfjV370U9WWOEQKY0g7pNLdTB-WnwjosA/s1600-h/P1020068.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-o1KawanG1ReFvpb1-TM5YkJR003Xs5q_ksY0abY6-0begQ6xAmmbu4_gf4EtJj4eZVYk7WXGKNIR8ZkONo3NSixDPnsNVzwS8zn2vnVulabfjV370U9WWOEQKY0g7pNLdTB-WnwjosA/s320/P1020068.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5325893839126082530" border="0" /></a><br />By the time we got to Cache Creek it was just about 3pm. We were both super exhausted!<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5_ZGbIVyMVyBeG8g07PRh1SYfetUAP75aAbnoKShd8G6faxcpdACVt_PTStLI7nsKGJdcV50o3CHZTFtwL8nr7TxifyPQCzwPGe-45drI3hYsMO7N6E1CcIOGqGT1on1oEleWb5LlSZ4/s1600-h/P1020069.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5_ZGbIVyMVyBeG8g07PRh1SYfetUAP75aAbnoKShd8G6faxcpdACVt_PTStLI7nsKGJdcV50o3CHZTFtwL8nr7TxifyPQCzwPGe-45drI3hYsMO7N6E1CcIOGqGT1on1oEleWb5LlSZ4/s320/P1020069.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5325893833621620578" border="0" /></a><br />Once we finished our food, we set out for the trip back home. In total, the drive up took around 5-ish hours because we made stops in Hope and Hell's Gate that were both at least half hour stops, and our drive home was only about 3 and a half-ish hours long. We did stop again in Hope to take a well needed break.<br /><br />Looking back on this day and thinking about the two messages I recieved on facebook the night before, I truely feel that I fulfilled the wishes of my friends by commemorating my friend's birthday in the Ultimate One Day Road Trip. I really feel that this road trip can be significant and almost symbollic of the road that each of us has been driving down since the end of August.<br /><br />At first we had Hope that we would all survive this long journey of healing ahead of us, that is full of twists and turns and tunnels through which we must pass in order to see the light, but every now and then we stop at Hell's Gate and hurt and yearn for everything to have been a dream. When we realize it is not a dream, we pick ourselves up and rise from the depths of Hell, to continue our journey. Once we have reached as close to whatever or wherever heaven may be we can take a break, perhaps a snack, and we are filled with such warmth as though we are actually in her prescence. This warmth fills us up for the rest of the way home. Speeding past Hell, on our way back to Hope! All while the glorious sun is shining!<br /><br />I hope eveybody was able to enjoy this beautiful day as much as I did!<br /><br />RIP Maija-Liisa!Karihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17616219412842579639noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5044353982839198419.post-24197077983409904892009-04-10T11:54:00.003-07:002009-04-10T13:08:12.713-07:00Good on you, Britney Spears!Alright, so this is probably going to create some tension with my readers and other random people who stumble onto my little corner of the blog-o-sphere but I have to come out and show my support for Britney Spears' latest move!<br /><br />Let me begin by explaining my relationship (or lack there of) with Britney Spears... I have not listened to any of her music since her debut album. I am not a fan of hers in general. I have sympathy for what she has been through but not for some of the things she has done (this sympathy of course stems from my Psychologist/Human Services Core Value in that I "believe in the dignity and worth of all people"). I tend not to speak of her or follow anything she has done or is doing and I generally roll my eyes to any mention of her name in most conversations.<br /><br />Having said that, I feel the need to comment on reports all over the media about how she stopped her show in Vancouver for approximately half an hour, after performing only three songs because GM Place had become too smoky.<br /><br />Now, I'm a proud Vancouverite (alright so I don't actually live in Vancouver but close enough) and I am well aware of the ventilation in GM Place and Vancouver's love affair with cigarettes and pot in general (hell I live in the small town that is apparently known for smoking and growing weed more than anything else). I am also well aware that it is generally customary to "hot box" GM Place during rock concerts, I mean back in grade 10 I went to see Ozzy Osbourne who of course condones the smoking of BC Pot (our greatest export apparently) during his concerts (that turned out to be some night. I didn't even smoke but I can assure you by the end of his concert I was flying high!).<br /><br />However, the difference between an Ozzy Osbourne concert (or any other heavy metal/rock concert for that matter) and a Britney Spears concert, other than the fact that one plays better music than the other, is the fact that Britney Spears, whether she is lip syncing or actually singing, is taking in a lot more oxygen (or recirculated air) when she is "dancing" (note the quotation marks) than Ozzy is while he is singing/jumping up and down like a frog.<br />Alright, so that may not be true but COMMON PEOPLE! SMOKING WEED AT A <span style="font-weight: bold;">BRITNEY SPEARS CONCERT???</span> That's like smoking weed at a Kenny G concert or the Opera!!! WHO GETS HIGH WHILE LISTENING TO BRITNEY SPEARS????<br /><br />Wow! That was an unexpected rant! My point is, as "performers" Britney Spears and her dancers need to have some sort of clean air in order to perform well. You cannot sing (or lip sync) and dance (or whatever it is she calls dancing) while taking in polluted air. I don't care if she smokes while she's off stage. I don't care if she tokes while she's off stage. When you are performing on stage you need to breath in a lot more air than when you are simply walking around or sitting on the couch.<br /><br />I agree with what she did! I think she has the right and the duty to protect herself, if not her dancers, by stoping what she is doing and waiting for the air to clear. I don't care how much money you paid to see her girate and lip sync! It's a lot better to pay a bunch of money to see her stop the show and wait until the air is clear than it is to pay a lot of money, watch her perform three songs and then see her, or her other crew members, collapse on stage and have the rest of the show cancelled all because some idiots decided to toke up (again, at a Britney Spears concert?!?)<br /><br />Additionally, I think that GM Place needs to do a better job of enforcing the No-Smoking bylaw! Personally, I don't really care too too much about me and second hand smoke only because I know I have options and I can move if I want, but if we are to have a no-smoking bylaw then shouldn't that bylaw be enforced everywhere. If smokers are allowed to hot box GM Place then why can't they hot box the office that they work in? That doesn't seem fair now does it? Not to mention the fact that they will enforce the no-smoking right outside the building doors but once you get into the arena it's all systems go! That doesn't make sense... "No smoking outside while other people are waiting in line to get in. I know they have the option to move a bit and get some real oxygen but there's no smoking allowed." but once you get inside the building "Haha, non-smokers have no choice but to breath in this smoky air... feel free to light up!".<br /><br />Let me just make sure one thing is clear, I am not a smoker. I have never tried smoking, and I probably never will. However, if you want to kill your body much faster then by all means go for it. I would prefer that you do not do it while I am around, but I too have the option to step aside and find some fresh air. I shouldn't have to, but (especially considering my size) it's a lot better than getting into a fight with a smoker! Just don't blow your smoke in my face and we'll be fine!<br /><br />One last thought, on a general note, we really have to stop thinking of only ourselves and maybe start thinking about other people around us. If we can achieve this, perhaps we can acheive world domination!Karihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17616219412842579639noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5044353982839198419.post-28643304339828906742009-03-30T17:12:00.004-07:002009-03-30T19:14:25.898-07:00How to Eat a Burger at 100 Kilometers an HourNormally I don't condone doing anything other than driving when it comes to driving. No talking on cell phones, no texting. I rarely even condone eating anything other than simple finger food such as fries or chips, and drinking (non-alcoholic of course), but today for myself was a bit of an exception.<br /><br />I was having a very strong craving for a burger while I was on my way to my class this evening. When I crave burgers, it has to be a burger from Triple O's or White Spot. Mmmm... I love the Triple O sauce, which I am convinced is some sort of mixture of mayo, ketchup, and perhaps some sort of cheese sauce... perhaps it's better to not know! Anyways, so I pull into the local Triple O's Drive Thru and put in my order.<br /><br />The first portion of my meal, that being the fries, went well as I was driving my way to school... but the burger part was quite difficult. Firstly, for those of you who know me will know just how small my hands are. Thus due to my hands being ridiculously small I have a very hard time holding a burger with one hand. Basically, until I had eaten enough of the burger to be able to hold it in one hand, I had to wait until I was stopped at a red light in order to take a bite.<br /><br />Secondly, unlike snack wraps or donairs where the food is nicely wrapped in an envelope-type tissue paper that you can simply shimmie down in order to keep the food wrapped while not eating the paper, burgers are round and most often not wrapped in a pouch-like wrapper, so you have to fold the paper around and underneath the burger so that you do not end up with a whole load of condiments and lettuce falling in your lap. Again, doing this while driving 100 km/hr with tiny nible hands is very hard to do.<br /><br />Lastly, you know how at the end of the burger you sometimes end up with a little bit of bun, a larger portion of burger, and more condiments on your plate then burger in your hand? Well put that inside a not-so-well folded pouch-like tissue paper... Imagine me driving on the highway with this little bit of bun, a larger portion of burger, swimming in Triple O Sauce, wrapped in a large amount of tissue paper. I debated eating this last bit of my burger, but when it came down to it I knew that if I were to simply dig in I would have Triple O Sauce all over my face.<br />All in all, the burger was well worth the trouble.<br />~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~<br /><br />Speaking of burgers, I heard about this super large burger that you can get at a West Michigan Whitecaps minor baseball game.<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.usatoday.com/news/offbeat/2009-03-25-4800-calorie-burger_N.htm"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 212px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNJ17g1njsT_VRA1249-ClGCgmv_ewdLajXchjsq7ApQD2uRFTbznN0vYmZMVKBLqnQVTKqO2ekTCX5XDbjTkyEkyVxlUd0ueyOlspE47dKgITqeiawExSq8o9UY0wr2QgNe1xjka-jA0/s320/burgerx-large.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5319162019130167506" border="0" /></a>It has five beef patties, five pieces of cheese, nearly a cup of chili, lots of salsa and fritos (corn chips) on an 8-inch sesame-seed bun. It's calorie count is 4800 calories. To put that into daily caloric restrictions, my calorie intake per day should be between 1200 and 1250 (in order to maintain my weight). Thats approximately 4 days worth of calories, almost an entire work week's worth (say that aloud five times fast... bet you can't) of calories.<br /><br />I dunno about the rest of you, but this makes me want to vomit. Who would be able to eat that in an entire sitting? I don't even want to know. Apparently if you can eat this $20 dollar burger in one setting, you can get a free special T-shirt. I'm not sure I can speak for everyone else, but for $20 I can-and would prefer to- buy a new T-shirt (special or not) without having to engage in massive gluttony.Karihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17616219412842579639noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5044353982839198419.post-4435270091421710782009-03-28T00:33:00.006-07:002009-03-28T01:35:35.455-07:00Science World Funtastico!!!<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjctEHjW5X_sBDilSyRoNUahUJeloaXbDGIE67o-2daqsMATBp5EycF0-JfOiKrgK01zu2xQHRXG3OzSxxupM0H6VNf6XJm5E1D7nzHfE8WyW6A_lhbEy2w4EBLAssytw1BQ4XmCsaxAiM/s1600-h/P1010972.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjctEHjW5X_sBDilSyRoNUahUJeloaXbDGIE67o-2daqsMATBp5EycF0-JfOiKrgK01zu2xQHRXG3OzSxxupM0H6VNf6XJm5E1D7nzHfE8WyW6A_lhbEy2w4EBLAssytw1BQ4XmCsaxAiM/s320/P1010972.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5318147650099530402" border="0" /></a><br />March 18, 2009 is the day Jackie and I took a trip to Science World!!! The Lego exhibition was on and we were very very excited!<br />Although because it was in the middle of spring break we had to fight crowds like crazy! It was overwhelmingly busy that we decided to first duck into the small theater to see what was going on there. That's where we found this guy...<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtlJIfuAyg9d7U6Kct5Sspc8K_teQzSowQrMOVqgsNRaBc6AgwXPtelqJjVQEzZ9TjbM61_X9Wu-9fSBlJjobwbmiuq9G1PMGk9ouJguM-Z2YNT3LfzWl-RKhyMTKjiG6q2zdJ7pWLgi8/s1600-h/P1010975.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtlJIfuAyg9d7U6Kct5Sspc8K_teQzSowQrMOVqgsNRaBc6AgwXPtelqJjVQEzZ9TjbM61_X9Wu-9fSBlJjobwbmiuq9G1PMGk9ouJguM-Z2YNT3LfzWl-RKhyMTKjiG6q2zdJ7pWLgi8/s320/P1010975.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5318147643729410882" border="0" /></a><br />Then we decided to get the learning adventure started! Here's Jackie trying to listen in on somebody's personal conversations... actually you could barely hear what you were supposed to hear from those tubes because there were so many people!!!<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9PSGRJDtlv5sEdX8JWXJmOZ0pD5oRZagYpCnG-IHrLhuEj4kg5PfQh9zd7zVNlps76YUTr3zACql9qHDu5ODT7kFFWGgUQzidbmoX4oBlW6-ofdmCre8GbR7fcqp3zqD4imu_EZ_x5wY/s1600-h/P1010977.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9PSGRJDtlv5sEdX8JWXJmOZ0pD5oRZagYpCnG-IHrLhuEj4kg5PfQh9zd7zVNlps76YUTr3zACql9qHDu5ODT7kFFWGgUQzidbmoX4oBlW6-ofdmCre8GbR7fcqp3zqD4imu_EZ_x5wY/s320/P1010977.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5318147638570133442" border="0" /></a><br />Ever since I was a child I have had a specific fascination with water, waterfalls, and water toys so naturally I gravitated towards this wonderful contraption! <br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwhuQ0uHKWuwJvLWt9Djagph4Je4ZEXrGyGxdK9wk8I-VLbLE75mho1CtAhBaQiXEhJnOtns4RV2SjGQOHdt7BGmxuM8uFAhGr0VSEoJwYhq6XsC_p7PNG6ANbRuok6KVXQrTlFbYV5Zw/s1600-h/P1010980.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwhuQ0uHKWuwJvLWt9Djagph4Je4ZEXrGyGxdK9wk8I-VLbLE75mho1CtAhBaQiXEhJnOtns4RV2SjGQOHdt7BGmxuM8uFAhGr0VSEoJwYhq6XsC_p7PNG6ANbRuok6KVXQrTlFbYV5Zw/s320/P1010980.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5318147636007168322" border="0" /></a>Although I love water and I love this water thing... My favorite part about the above picture is this guy...<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0Aa4_3oE1ZV1AIxM-EYqdejV1gUPrJ5BU013SPAio7FGGJ01rFcg9gtTTzTIyhKwgyx1M62wKcHl-TALSgcTw7ruAREwZB36h1rRF22ZmB6C0eC3dZCDX2tRRf8_CvpFM7yl36JYUi6o/s1600-h/P1010981.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0Aa4_3oE1ZV1AIxM-EYqdejV1gUPrJ5BU013SPAio7FGGJ01rFcg9gtTTzTIyhKwgyx1M62wKcHl-TALSgcTw7ruAREwZB36h1rRF22ZmB6C0eC3dZCDX2tRRf8_CvpFM7yl36JYUi6o/s320/P1010981.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5318147628089646130" border="0" /></a><br />I dunno if you can tell... but if you click on the picture to make it bigger, you will see that my camera apparently did not get rid of the red eye and so this scientist dude looks even more like a MAD SCIENTIST!!!<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVM2NAuyajwEg5qcZ0MEPIfnKzQJNSvi7FIf-jCqHqCLp-KIPdGrTxZYn7xqeFg_TkeRq-npRDSEan1r4h2x8Wl5_vwqDr49a5q1rHXWWS28N3j0Cj8IBfZkK55mnaw9gcGdltmyEmKxI/s1600-h/P1010982.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVM2NAuyajwEg5qcZ0MEPIfnKzQJNSvi7FIf-jCqHqCLp-KIPdGrTxZYn7xqeFg_TkeRq-npRDSEan1r4h2x8Wl5_vwqDr49a5q1rHXWWS28N3j0Cj8IBfZkK55mnaw9gcGdltmyEmKxI/s320/P1010982.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5318145413637176114" border="0" /></a><br />I constantly had to babysit Jackie as she always wanted to play with the other kids... hehe<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNKcNAniy1IF6tTFu0iwGRq-YA3Se5DeeFjcH8zbvfCYlUi6L6L7O_dUxvQfVUqNCKVk4S8e14Kw1kenhEuhsQl_QF8S3NgTnoyrUFHMHqBEchNhslgYpsiNPE21_dQo4cwRX1mNwTPOk/s1600-h/P1010983.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNKcNAniy1IF6tTFu0iwGRq-YA3Se5DeeFjcH8zbvfCYlUi6L6L7O_dUxvQfVUqNCKVk4S8e14Kw1kenhEuhsQl_QF8S3NgTnoyrUFHMHqBEchNhslgYpsiNPE21_dQo4cwRX1mNwTPOk/s320/P1010983.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5318145408692550978" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLlPVX4467VDrFcIRP1WY1B1Hv2LGmQDMqsqzFbX74Jcdmjsi2KPmlfYHXOk95HeIQnQIF2yxY9HEe03EoFx7S2WXD6aq6XQafeWB4hr1vkensXpN-qqB94BNHzyfnfljEl9tLGi9VRAM/s1600-h/P1010984.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLlPVX4467VDrFcIRP1WY1B1Hv2LGmQDMqsqzFbX74Jcdmjsi2KPmlfYHXOk95HeIQnQIF2yxY9HEe03EoFx7S2WXD6aq6XQafeWB4hr1vkensXpN-qqB94BNHzyfnfljEl9tLGi9VRAM/s320/P1010984.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5318145405588993298" border="0" /></a><br />So, Jackie and I found this area with these building sticks and whatnot and the plaque on the box of stick things said "can you build a figure taller than yourself?" Naturally Jackie and I stepped up to the challenge, but as you can see above, our first attempt did not go so well...<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgu3bsG-BEI7ilhIoQhJEAs088CUK1isKf5sGrUquoF2aTu994VMYF9sFCz_FF0l4HK-Ih2oBuFqcYEfEeouV_ZH4XKY9irtNoe83tupaj6bhsJBUmHWLB6GMr9JAghjdlyzqGPADplD1M/s1600-h/P1010985.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgu3bsG-BEI7ilhIoQhJEAs088CUK1isKf5sGrUquoF2aTu994VMYF9sFCz_FF0l4HK-Ih2oBuFqcYEfEeouV_ZH4XKY9irtNoe83tupaj6bhsJBUmHWLB6GMr9JAghjdlyzqGPADplD1M/s320/P1010985.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5318145401253813586" border="0" /></a><br />However we made it happen on our second attempt!!!<br />Side Note: Notice how the bottom section is fairly uniform and could possibly look structurally sound and the top part is well... not so much. Yeah! Guess who did the top part... That's right, yours truly (i.e. me!). I decided to take on a more creative and unique approach to it!<br />Further Note: as was reinforced throughout this exercise, neither of us are engineering students! Moreover, this emphasized my role as an arts student!<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWxVfYOqRE4FuGXVLEcy8rW95WZzngVyWolSjao2SeO2HWlKzx-ExDMk6BCsE__U3dUaV4yN6qLsFlgiqrKdZH77960ycZ57WlYA1G5VnWhNBf4goojILGPW_omb9pW7jgSFC-NQ4A9Aw/s1600-h/P1010987.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWxVfYOqRE4FuGXVLEcy8rW95WZzngVyWolSjao2SeO2HWlKzx-ExDMk6BCsE__U3dUaV4yN6qLsFlgiqrKdZH77960ycZ57WlYA1G5VnWhNBf4goojILGPW_omb9pW7jgSFC-NQ4A9Aw/s320/P1010987.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5318145395007593714" border="0" /></a><br />Well, nothing lasts forever unfortunately!<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjExZ5pj0OmA2UeJce3e2Jy77Dn7TVgR7wQ_Ozdkd7YZCMlMJy5-9m-AcP64ButJGymdnx7fnuy3G4-jO9uWWDMyYPajLugKsH0DQV12LmwZz6lvY1mjTkf_8nEsms3u5ioPdndV38Vqhw/s1600-h/P1010989.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjExZ5pj0OmA2UeJce3e2Jy77Dn7TVgR7wQ_Ozdkd7YZCMlMJy5-9m-AcP64ButJGymdnx7fnuy3G4-jO9uWWDMyYPajLugKsH0DQV12LmwZz6lvY1mjTkf_8nEsms3u5ioPdndV38Vqhw/s320/P1010989.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5318143596386105970" border="0" /></a><br />Tap dancing on a large piano is a lot more fun (and safer) than in your kitchen in your socks!<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPfmjLdI1F3SpBWcV8fe7HenIKxk1XNanYqDYMP1bb-8eUlS5KReQSpFDBNAujHrbHdEhgaFev1rr-TaSp3JoPMVOOpKLBMksSItGuQAacY_98QhHLaQsDEtd9X_8XbOYbotYL-X1aPr8/s1600-h/P1010993.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPfmjLdI1F3SpBWcV8fe7HenIKxk1XNanYqDYMP1bb-8eUlS5KReQSpFDBNAujHrbHdEhgaFev1rr-TaSp3JoPMVOOpKLBMksSItGuQAacY_98QhHLaQsDEtd9X_8XbOYbotYL-X1aPr8/s320/P1010993.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5318143590501655186" border="0" /></a><br />Notice the number of children around me compared to when Jackie was on this thing... Perhaps I looked too "adult" with my boots and whatnot!<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjL3xAomFXWjKQC2lEnUolp1_vhYuzPTBQlcyK_KwkTD_QskErHmqZIS_5_YGEDnvOXP0L-dQeSWNuZpADRQJh9xRtU5LDtpUIAoyMJTPfMIzUdSC0NnRJsjCxTwH7SG_p68UDGqyxn5xA/s1600-h/P1010997.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjL3xAomFXWjKQC2lEnUolp1_vhYuzPTBQlcyK_KwkTD_QskErHmqZIS_5_YGEDnvOXP0L-dQeSWNuZpADRQJh9xRtU5LDtpUIAoyMJTPfMIzUdSC0NnRJsjCxTwH7SG_p68UDGqyxn5xA/s320/P1010997.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5318143588918100738" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_QyYYDm2szhN_o6EFos8zMqH1XAmAN8nbbt3XZndHRFKeqO464c26El99K1FuzCmAqPPRGGJwbrrFyfw9xs-Ih0uisSHWYqsC-UjpZdAss_xE8Nc-ANwE7rqVUrFPURjslmCrFypB0_g/s1600-h/P1010998.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_QyYYDm2szhN_o6EFos8zMqH1XAmAN8nbbt3XZndHRFKeqO464c26El99K1FuzCmAqPPRGGJwbrrFyfw9xs-Ih0uisSHWYqsC-UjpZdAss_xE8Nc-ANwE7rqVUrFPURjslmCrFypB0_g/s320/P1010998.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5318143584549620738" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNnY3FWJddD-muGj2App7-K3rKsRvA-DX-iXhovBT0HhI9gn9eUH4RuPlEe7FRxvqpak2cszOv9Bh_GQQSB7pYCfZZ9GstKATvH5ZLY6MgEaaULuxtcM3f_n7AhY_oG4WHUqbOiG5y_fM/s1600-h/P1020002.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNnY3FWJddD-muGj2App7-K3rKsRvA-DX-iXhovBT0HhI9gn9eUH4RuPlEe7FRxvqpak2cszOv9Bh_GQQSB7pYCfZZ9GstKATvH5ZLY6MgEaaULuxtcM3f_n7AhY_oG4WHUqbOiG5y_fM/s320/P1020002.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5318143577587727682" border="0" /></a><br />So we finally got to the Lego section, and I realized that it was going to be more of a museum type thing with little sculptures of Lego stuff... it was interesting, but not enough to keep this ADD mind from wandering. Anywho, I did manage to take a photo of this Lego sculpture of the YVR Skytrain station.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8zJ-d8Yv_2Ye8DEKfA3x0MF5AcIgqGSMrvHFCEqNuUf-qzRYkRndYGucO-9_buSq4JaH-v61whILTHeaqQfTH4v8JDzD9yhGHS86jtpB1Wkf5X7SZEs9rqNU4noIdB3K8PkzAzhBY4eA/s1600-h/P1020003.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8zJ-d8Yv_2Ye8DEKfA3x0MF5AcIgqGSMrvHFCEqNuUf-qzRYkRndYGucO-9_buSq4JaH-v61whILTHeaqQfTH4v8JDzD9yhGHS86jtpB1Wkf5X7SZEs9rqNU4noIdB3K8PkzAzhBY4eA/s320/P1020003.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5318142043077440642" border="0" /></a><br />Oh, and of course the large Lego Race car! I took it too seriously and put on my racing face...<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidnx3-3VIzrI_XKNCUv0kceQW3pe3vUNHZfAS867BhnnHKqwtFePJqORDTc5Hw6vOswplw9bTU0zigvrGSswDYYahRSojWIcw2sDg_ObbOw816yY7IC9AfcRACmdJ_0AFFFq-2U-NY6F4/s1600-h/P1020004.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidnx3-3VIzrI_XKNCUv0kceQW3pe3vUNHZfAS867BhnnHKqwtFePJqORDTc5Hw6vOswplw9bTU0zigvrGSswDYYahRSojWIcw2sDg_ObbOw816yY7IC9AfcRACmdJ_0AFFFq-2U-NY6F4/s320/P1020004.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5318142035400970914" border="0" /></a><br />Meanwhile Jackie just decided to smile away!<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0TuYLan-XuP1WrBtDId0BhnnWz2W3SD4fLfqmWY14xIDayVov_pLGXrrn2mSRH5hFfse6Wj9Hr7bwjz9Opl75K6Kadw6WTX8aDv-RcHaA6otC8oQNsJ9kBEKpJ234TOO2BEyeYObYR8I/s1600-h/P1020005.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0TuYLan-XuP1WrBtDId0BhnnWz2W3SD4fLfqmWY14xIDayVov_pLGXrrn2mSRH5hFfse6Wj9Hr7bwjz9Opl75K6Kadw6WTX8aDv-RcHaA6otC8oQNsJ9kBEKpJ234TOO2BEyeYObYR8I/s320/P1020005.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5318142032638178002" border="0" /></a><br />Science World from above!<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7dE41rW3UbCvzcQPc8vhDGJoAeOPhpfrXT_fZzAxybvDvdoCILg-dj5jDJtQyqfTeDfuOfGZZIqxe67S20ZmH5GoHxUSdyOsO1Pd41yrGBvvIp2aIfHXcYZhqerolQ5-FirDA8Uc80EE/s1600-h/P1020007.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7dE41rW3UbCvzcQPc8vhDGJoAeOPhpfrXT_fZzAxybvDvdoCILg-dj5jDJtQyqfTeDfuOfGZZIqxe67S20ZmH5GoHxUSdyOsO1Pd41yrGBvvIp2aIfHXcYZhqerolQ5-FirDA8Uc80EE/s320/P1020007.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5318142029969412914" border="0" /></a><br />Taking a well needed breather on our way up to the Omnimax.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgq7BSIc8hEKrl1_3ct-eqMA7to0xbQ2vP8SWuW6L0BulMemWLrQeJEcuaCt7QSApQF9sFT-vgcbWUeziKPYnBRh3XWh-8bcj67Y5twqlysa8llsBC8ojCLPst6W2UKuE2VfJjKjljwYyU/s1600-h/P1020008.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgq7BSIc8hEKrl1_3ct-eqMA7to0xbQ2vP8SWuW6L0BulMemWLrQeJEcuaCt7QSApQF9sFT-vgcbWUeziKPYnBRh3XWh-8bcj67Y5twqlysa8llsBC8ojCLPst6W2UKuE2VfJjKjljwYyU/s320/P1020008.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5318142024470394146" border="0" /></a><br />Waiting for Van Gogh: Brush of Genius (our Omnimax experience for the day) to start.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiksQyFAnejfKF8ZCZW_XfnRPDnIdoAyhKT7YV34aZ7iXyxvX1-z1XHr0CRWprTQlgGnJBEFDi4RJOwZ91-ndeoXuBY7YjYqXM7Rz4cG_fHnGXCQ8y1wCAzZqOvljOMprpRRsqSyxc4QLQ/s1600-h/P1020012.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiksQyFAnejfKF8ZCZW_XfnRPDnIdoAyhKT7YV34aZ7iXyxvX1-z1XHr0CRWprTQlgGnJBEFDi4RJOwZ91-ndeoXuBY7YjYqXM7Rz4cG_fHnGXCQ8y1wCAzZqOvljOMprpRRsqSyxc4QLQ/s320/P1020012.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5318140174734563346" border="0" /></a><br />I hate mind bending puzzles!!!<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJAYToV9LZus-IKJI0blFG8GrVJP_KvMTNppcgy-uzrUJnx3Lm9dUhiy7HFsYyaE1IjnOtl_q0nYLeqTRHV6cm_S2jSLTDftiBfVnH7QQQenxUzCGUxgiwdpqdGLfgxFofcxeHijEMfkA/s1600-h/P1020013.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJAYToV9LZus-IKJI0blFG8GrVJP_KvMTNppcgy-uzrUJnx3Lm9dUhiy7HFsYyaE1IjnOtl_q0nYLeqTRHV6cm_S2jSLTDftiBfVnH7QQQenxUzCGUxgiwdpqdGLfgxFofcxeHijEMfkA/s320/P1020013.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5318140163128398594" border="0" /></a><br />However Jackie seems to excel in them!<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjm0cTlE7TJWDXS3K0QletSyLvfvmpC8Et6SfKdQQ42oDuJwxhQhq8Lqu12pC9j0DL8KL-ChkHccLUoGcEh1Xk-wlumbAUhRyw9RPBHT2CqLvIocSUZLxWY_GbOLxLQiFHl6rl1LasO8Us/s1600-h/P1020014.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjm0cTlE7TJWDXS3K0QletSyLvfvmpC8Et6SfKdQQ42oDuJwxhQhq8Lqu12pC9j0DL8KL-ChkHccLUoGcEh1Xk-wlumbAUhRyw9RPBHT2CqLvIocSUZLxWY_GbOLxLQiFHl6rl1LasO8Us/s320/P1020014.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5318140155432602754" border="0" /></a><br />This is my new favorite Lizard!<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGP4Q-XqZpcbmkPP5TgcSQOTOfd5Dz_Rk_KkKgcMgBtb0SUTpjDw4CERY9zzEdK875C6lTjg8HwkKvJhJt_rhgea3UQefBd61oVpYVikJ8jYxQzG1RT9XxOMbek5Gs3__h0hUUeWzt3bw/s1600-h/P1020021.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGP4Q-XqZpcbmkPP5TgcSQOTOfd5Dz_Rk_KkKgcMgBtb0SUTpjDw4CERY9zzEdK875C6lTjg8HwkKvJhJt_rhgea3UQefBd61oVpYVikJ8jYxQzG1RT9XxOMbek5Gs3__h0hUUeWzt3bw/s320/P1020021.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5318140148900859634" border="0" /></a><br />Jackie trying to be a T-Rex<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggSKfHxRpv26HCd72IkktYYzCjdfB5d-O253X_s5i267dTek3QTog_3AP8EWKi9PqB10al8QrW4hgTVw7UDP3BROcYIKBW-lFxqc3BTPI09yDTVGDxxpfRACQLHjlFI6blE2T_eUiOwi0/s1600-h/P1020024.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggSKfHxRpv26HCd72IkktYYzCjdfB5d-O253X_s5i267dTek3QTog_3AP8EWKi9PqB10al8QrW4hgTVw7UDP3BROcYIKBW-lFxqc3BTPI09yDTVGDxxpfRACQLHjlFI6blE2T_eUiOwi0/s320/P1020024.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5318140129940019202" border="0" /></a><br />Jackie and I in the Beaver Dam!<br /><br />Yes it was a great day of learning and building and playing with other people's little children. We both agreed that building that "thing" to make it as tall as ourselves was easily the highlight of the day! It's too bad <span style="font-style: italic;">somebody</span> rushed to make it look more entertaining rather than focusing on structure! :PKarihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17616219412842579639noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5044353982839198419.post-28488690788274879532009-03-28T00:07:00.003-07:002009-03-28T00:14:33.865-07:00Make Every Road Trip Into a Day at the Amusement Park<p style="font-weight: bold;">Plinky Asks:</p><p style="font-weight: bold;">Engineers are getting closer to the dream of the flying car. How would you sell one of these if you were an auto dealer?<br /><span class="prompt_container">Sure, it's only flown for <a target="_new" href="http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/29775195/">37 seconds</a> so far, but any day now it'll be ready for consumers. What's your sales pitch? </span><br /> </p><p style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Answer:</span><br /></p><h1 style="font-weight: bold;" class="prompt"> </h1> <p style="font-weight: bold;"> </p><p>Stuck in Traffic? The car in front of you going too slow? No Worries, why not take a flying leap in this Luxury Leaper!<br /><br />The Luxury Leaper offers you an astounding 37 seconds of pure high flying in order to jump to the front of the line!<br /><br />Imagine carpooling to work everyday in a ride like a roller coaster! Make every road trip into a day at the amusement park! Baffle the thugs with your no-hydrolics-needed lift!<br /><br />Your kids will never want you to drop them off 3 blocks away from the school anymore because your ride is super fly! </p><p style="margin: 10px 0pt 0pt; padding: 0pt; clear: both; font-size: 13px; font-family: Georgia; line-height: 24px;" class="plinky_badge_rid:7971"> <a href="http://www.plinky.com/mini/reroute/7971"> <img src="http://www.plinky.com/proxy/badge?id=7971" style="border: 0pt none ; padding-right: 4px; vertical-align: middle;" alt="" title="" /> </a></p>Karihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17616219412842579639noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5044353982839198419.post-74404230745107525032009-03-22T12:47:00.003-07:002009-03-22T13:07:14.457-07:00The Things You Find On Craigslist!And I'm not talking about potential material products either!<br /><br />I was bored at work (surprise surprise) when I came across a posting on Craigslist called <a href="http://www.craigslist.org/about/best/all">"Best of Craigslist"</a> which is a compilation of ridiculously funny/innapropriate/colourful postings. I read the following posting called <a href="http://www.craigslist.org/about/best/van/998600114.html">Eleven Things I Hate About Working At a Liquor Store (Vancouver)</a> and I just had to share it with you all! I hope you enjoy...<br />~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~<br /><h2>Eleven Things I Hate About Working at a Liquor Store (Vancouver)</h2> <hr /> Date: 2009-01-19, 5:38AM PST<br /><br /><br /><b>1. Anyone under the age of 20 who rolls their eyes when I ask them for ID.</b> I'm sorry -- you still look like a fucking kid, and the government of British Columbia says that fucking kids aren't supposed to be drinking so that's why I've IDed you. What -- do you think that it's OBVIOUS you've just turned 19 and I should just be able to tell? Well, sorry, I can't. So don't roll your eyes at me and sigh heavily when you reach for your cards. My job is on the line.<br /><br /><b>2. Anyone who can't believe that I want TWO pieces of government ID.</b> Why can't you believe it? That's what my bosses tell me to ask for, so I ask for it. It's plastered everywhere: right when you walk in, on drink displays, and at every cash register. So, yes, I want TWO pieces of ID. No, your gym membership is not government ID! GODDAMMIT DON'T ROLL YOUR EYES AT ME.<br /><br /><b>3. People who buy one item and want, like, 10 plastic bags to carry their shit.</b> What are you, some kind of serial environmental offender? What really kills me are the assholes who buy a PLASTIC bottle (virtually unbreakable), then want the plastic bottle in a paper bag, then want the plastic bottle in a paper bag in a plastic bag, then want a double plastic bag for their plastic bottle in a paper bag in a plastic bag. The best is when people catch me giving them a sour look and they say, "I'm taking the bus." Really. Does that make it better?<br /><br /><b>4. People who ask me to smile.</b> Smiling isn't in my job description. The line up is HUGE. I'm just putting my head down and trying to plow down as MANY PEOPLE AS POSSIBLE IN AS LITTLE TIME AS POSSIBLE SO YOU CAN ALL GO HOME AND DRINK FASTER. Speed requires concentration; when I concentrate I don't smile, so don't ask me to fucking smile when I'm already trying to be as fast as possible for you.<br /><br /><b>5. People who touch my hair.</b> Generally happens about once or twice a busy weekend -- someone hammered (or weird) comes in and really wants to touch my hair. I know my hair tends to look fabulous, but just because I'm within arm's reach doesn't give you the right to maul my locks. Look, compliment, but don't touch!<br /><br /><b>6. Cell phones.</b> Chewing gum, too. Okay -- I can accept that being irritated by chewing gum is a problem that I ought to keep to myself, but cell phones? Now that I've worked as a cashier I understand how intensely rude it is to be on your cell while going through the checkout. Just get off that damned cancer pod you've got glued to your ear and provide a little respect to the cashier. Once I had a lady refuse to acknowledge me because she was yakking on her cell, but then had the nerve to exclaim, "I just guess they don't do anything around here anymore!" when I pretended not to hear her asking for a bag.<br /><br /><b>7. People who buy one or two items and then hover at the end of my til while they stare at the receipt like they're trying to decipher the fucking Rosetta Stone.</b> Okay -- so you wanna check your receipt because you seem to believe that I have incorrectly rung up ONE OR TWO ITEMS. But move on -- don't stand in the way of the next customer and, seriously, does it take a full 30 seconds of INTENSE FOCUS to understand your receipt? You're clearly an idiot, so get out already!<br /><br /><b>8. Gaggles of ten or so barely-post-teenage thugs/sluts/idiots who come into the store and scream and giggle and pose like they're already at the club.</b> Being able to hear your idiot babble all the way from the other side of the store means that you're being too damned loud. I feel sorry for all the people within 30 feet of you, let alone 100. Groups like this generally have me bolting for the warehouse.<br /><br /><b>9. Restaurant owners who have special discount accounts but don't tell me that they have an account until everything is rung through.</b> Oh, you own a restaurant? It's ever-so-popular, is it? Well, my! I'm sorry I didn't know who you were right away, because clearly you're VERY IMPORTANT because you own a restaurant. Now I have to ring the WHOLE THING through again because you didn't have the foresight to tell me who you were. Sorry for wasting your VERY IMPORTANT time.<br /><br /><b>10. Sleazy guys who press tips into my hand.</b> Listen, buddy, that 72 cents of change you really wanna hand me while staring deep into my eyes does not impress. I'm not allowed to accept tips anyways. So don't try to tip me -- I don't like it, I have to say no, it's awkward. No, you can not have my number because you gave me 72 cents.<br /><br /><b>11. Older women who WANT me to ID them.</b> Ugh, yeah, back to the ID thing. Listen -- I'm sorry you're 30-something and you don't look under 19 anymore. Really, I think people are beautiful at all ages. Don't worry about it! Just be gorgeous the way you are. But I still don't need to see your ID, so please stop shoving it at me. It just makes you look really desperate, especially in front of your friends.<br /><br />----------------------------<br /><br />Anyways, don't get me wrong -- there are a great many things I love about my job. It pays well, my coworkers are pretty colourful, and the job tends to protect my safety and human dignity pretty damned well. When it's not <i>sobusyIwanttokillmyself</i> then it's a dream job. There's even a great many kinds of customers that I do love -- I just love bitching about the ones I hate more. :P<br /><br />~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~<br /><br />Other Fun Postings Include:<br /><a href="http://www.craigslist.org/about/best/det/1012665177.html">-Executive Life for Sale (OR REPO)</a><br /><a href="http://www.craigslist.org/about/best/tor/1010492513.html">-Carry My Casket-m4w</a><br /><a href="http://www.craigslist.org/about/best/stl/1017058283.html">-Dear Mr. Scammer.. I am sorry - m4w</a> (A Classic!!!)<br /><a href="http://www.craigslist.org/about/best/chi/1018581833.html">-Dear Best Buy #305</a><br /><a href="http://www.craigslist.org/about/best/nfk/1000672204.html">-WANTED: ROADKILL</a>Karihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17616219412842579639noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5044353982839198419.post-83263282737814354492009-03-20T17:44:00.002-07:002009-03-20T17:46:47.142-07:00Please stop talking and start staring<p>Plinky Asks:<br />Who would you rather be seated next to on a daylong bus trip: a talkative person with a really irritating voice, or a quiet person who keeps staring at you?</p><p>My Answer:<br /></p><p>I would prefer the quite starer because then I can easily put on my headphones and listen to my music without having to turn up the volume too loud to try and drown out the irritating voice. It is also easier to ignore people who just stare at you because if you try to ignore a talkative person (irritating voice or not) they will simply continue talking to you and even start to ask you why you are ignoring them. Ever spend time with a kid who constantly says "why? why? why?" after everything you say? Exactly! </p><p style="margin: 10px 0pt 0pt; padding: 0pt; clear: both; font-size: 13px; font-family: Georgia; line-height: 24px;" class="plinky_badge_rid:6819"> <a href="http://www.plinky.com/mini/reroute/6819"> <img src="http://www.plinky.com/proxy/badge?id=6819" style="border: 0pt none ; padding-right: 4px; vertical-align: middle;" alt="" title="" /> </a></p>Karihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17616219412842579639noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5044353982839198419.post-76812164726084139392009-03-20T17:36:00.002-07:002009-03-20T17:43:27.015-07:00Procrastination StationOk, so this is blog post numero 2 for the day... Exciting isn't it?!?<br /><br />Anywho, so I just thought I'd mention that while getting bored with my normal procrastination methods, i.e. Finding about my friends lives through facebook, reading other people's blogs, watching The Daily Show, etc etc, I decided to try "Plinky".<br /><br />"What the hell is a Plinky" one might say... I don't really know the answer to that question. All I know is it's another blog-type thingy but this one gives you prompts or questions to start your blogging post... basically it's for people who want to blog everyday but don't know what to write about. Once you've answered the prompt then it can be posted to Blogger and other fandangled blog related sites. Thus, if all of a sudden you notice some random post here that does not make sense (ok wait, that sounds like every posting of mine... haha), it is safe to assume that I am bored at work, bored at school, or that I have a paper of some sort to write... and don't want to.<br /><br />Anywho, happy reading!Karihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17616219412842579639noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5044353982839198419.post-87568610460180457042009-03-20T15:17:00.003-07:002009-03-20T16:04:25.525-07:00My Left Arm is Jealous of My Right Arm!So, the painful "sprained/maybe fractured wrist" saga continues!<br /><br />It has now been over a week and a half since "the incident". I have had continuous questions from random people as to what happened to my wrist or what I did to my wrist. I've noticed that if I don't answer fast enough (which is within 0.35 seconds of the last word in their question being audible), people will start guessing as to what happened. The number 1 answer that a lot of people have guessed for some weird reason has been a skiing accident, to which I always reply "I WISH!" A skiing accident would be far less embarrassing and would mean that I had been skiing recently. Of course, the last time I went skiing was back in high school... many many years ago! One of the most interesting guesses had to be that I sprained my wrist while smacking my boyfriend around... For those of you who know me and my boyfriend, well you can attest that I am much smaller than he is and that I would probably fail at smacking him around... not to mention the obvious that I love him and would never smack him around to begin with.<br /><br />This whole issue with my wrist has definitely rekindled my hatred for clinics though! I called the clinic yesterday because although I'm pretty sure that it is simply a sprain, I wouldn't mind knowing what the results were from the Xray. The receptionist told me that yes, they had gotten the results back (finally) and that I would have to come in to talk to the doctor about them. Initially I think "ok so, if I have to go in and talk to the doctor, that must mean that something is outta wack" but then I think "if something was fractured or broken though, you would think that they would have called me when they got the xrays back rather than wait until I called them."<br /><br />So I asked the receptionist if they would have called me when the xrays came in if something was wrong and she said "probably". First of all, PROBABLY???? What the hell does that mean, probably??? So then I asked her to specify yes or no as to whether they would have called me and she said yeah. My next issue then is why do I have to come in and talk to the doctor if nothing is broken/fractured? All the doctor is going to tell me is yep, it's a sprain... ice it for comfort... keep it in a splint when using it... try not to use it too much. Why can't the receptionist simply look at the results and say, yes it's broken/fractured, or no it's just a sprain - suck it up!<br />When I asked the receptionist if it was pretty safe to assume that it was just a sprain and nothing more she answers, "maybe, maybe not."<br /><br />At this point I am ready to slam the phone down like a tween who just got into an argument with her best friend over wearing the same headband to school the other day!<br /><br />Clinics are supposed to be helpful and easier/faster/more convenient to get to than your family doctor. I ended up having to ask the clinic to fax my results to my family doctor's office so that I can call them and get that receptionist to tell me (which I of course keep forgetting to do within their hours, thus I still don't know the results). I'm not waisting my time going to the clinic just so that they can tell me what I already know. In fact I think it is a ploy to raise their client/patient count for the day. I assume they must get some sort of funding or something for having a high number of patients going in and out of their office.<br /><br />Anyways, here's hoping that I wont have to go to the clinic again anytime soon!<br /><br />Onto less anoying (yet still slightly annoying) things, my left arm has expressed that it is feeling jealous of the lack of work my right arm has had to do lately! It is true that since "the incident" I have been driving (almost strictly) with my left hand, I carry more things and lift more things with my left hand, and I've even started trying to write with my left hand! As a result, my left arm has started to complain by cramping up in the biceps (by the way, it is a very very strange thing when the muscles in your biceps cramp up... I'm so used to cramping in my feet, thighs, toes and even palms of my hands but I have never experienced cramping in my biceps before) and feeling tight in the forearm. If this keeps up, I'm going to have to get a brace for my left hand too. Then what will I do??? Perhaps I should start teaching my feet how to drive...Karihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17616219412842579639noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5044353982839198419.post-53047745784902470982009-03-18T02:44:00.003-07:002009-03-18T02:51:37.559-07:00My Eyes Feel Like Lava Lamps<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhiEd7vivZHWzNosyB5yBDHLMSPWQdKJ9kzZ692hCGqMPdLB2ots7T0ZpDSuomYA24MSyu33XWB5jIDyUEmZ1LqVuFIF9RMIl0AJGlokFtl7RsqyxovWGkgXLQ18rycQoDV8iCPLbuAtkM/s1600-h/Lava_Lamp.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhiEd7vivZHWzNosyB5yBDHLMSPWQdKJ9kzZ692hCGqMPdLB2ots7T0ZpDSuomYA24MSyu33XWB5jIDyUEmZ1LqVuFIF9RMIl0AJGlokFtl7RsqyxovWGkgXLQ18rycQoDV8iCPLbuAtkM/s320/Lava_Lamp.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5314463172650403634" border="0" /></a><br />You know how lava lamps have the lava that just sort of gloups up and down... my eyes are starting to feel like that on the inside!<br /><br />I simply wanted to address the fact that I have just posted three (and now four) new blog entries. I decided that I couldn't sleep (maybe too much excitement because Jackie and I are going to Science World tomorrow/today) and so I thought I'd catch up on my blogging of the last couple of weeks.<br /><br />Now I will post a new blog entry on my <a href="http://frontdesktltales.blogspot.com/">Tales From the TL</a> blog (<a href="http://frontdesktltales.blogspot.com/">http://frontdesktltales.blogspot.com/</a>) and then I think I will put my lava lamp eyes to sleep!<br /><br />Anywho, I hope you enjoy!Karihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17616219412842579639noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5044353982839198419.post-8573557573560097532009-03-18T02:04:00.004-07:002009-03-18T02:44:43.215-07:00"I May Owe You a Bag of Frozen Peas!"So, Wednesday I was unloading the dishwasher when I suddenly started to tap dance in my kitchen. This is not an unusual sight at my house, as the kitchen used to be where I would practice my dances because well, there's no other place in my house (other than the bathroom) where I could actually hear the sounds from my taps on the floor (the rest of the house is carpeted). However, I was not actually practicing a dance, I am just never able to completely stand still, thus I tap!<br /><br />This wont mean much for a lot of you out there but I did a flap on my right, followed by a flap on my left, and a brush of the right foot, finishing with a single pullback on my left foot; however, I did not land the pullback successfully... Lost my balance and...<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3xbgg6Xq4qAuunxv4NlWyebk3j1Ca19G0kjAVnd7lFCcZyB2oIskRoLuudRQ8eKIyQ8GEdws2W7WCN7OsuGMEdlwKJjILEhnhdKqRWGmkFoS0VesD4m9Ke37-02cYisDMAD8UqMaMNEE/s1600-h/P1010960.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3xbgg6Xq4qAuunxv4NlWyebk3j1Ca19G0kjAVnd7lFCcZyB2oIskRoLuudRQ8eKIyQ8GEdws2W7WCN7OsuGMEdlwKJjILEhnhdKqRWGmkFoS0VesD4m9Ke37-02cYisDMAD8UqMaMNEE/s320/P1010960.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5314452717279766994" border="0" /></a>TaDaaa! Landed on my wrist while trying to avoid falling and hitting my head on the open dishwasher!<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHVVNQ-oTJs5o02YK-oeKRa7q8LyAEEl9iaV4pmG7gO_4zSChwIuEjWYa1FtaRazuVJppbU_jSNjpd84Cj3L4RTYDKF3p83tsFJiOQwQ13CE_Nl-clbxGwRKLFQdLti7cwTCtS6GDSAIQ/s1600-h/P1010961.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHVVNQ-oTJs5o02YK-oeKRa7q8LyAEEl9iaV4pmG7gO_4zSChwIuEjWYa1FtaRazuVJppbU_jSNjpd84Cj3L4RTYDKF3p83tsFJiOQwQ13CE_Nl-clbxGwRKLFQdLti7cwTCtS6GDSAIQ/s320/P1010961.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5314452712115008626" border="0" /></a>This here is the scene of the accident! Right in the area with the kitchen chair, pantry, sharp wall corner, and of course the open dishwasher door! So many Hazards!<br />It hurt so very much and was very red but I wasn't too concerned about it until I started to notice a rather large bump starting to form... not to mention the fact that I could not move it at all! So I grabbed a bag of frozen peas and sat down to nurse my hurt while finishing watching The Daily Show (Priorities!). I then called Richard to ask him if he'd like to join me on an adventure to the clinic but of course his liscense had expired and he hadn't gotten around to renewing it so I had to pick him up and drive.<br /><br />Normally, a visit to the clinic will take anywhere from an hour to three or four... but the wait was so ridiculously fast that I only had time enough to call my mother and tell her that I fell, hurt my wrist, and that I had stolen a bag of frozen peas and will probably have to buy her another bag later because it would no longer be frozen (now that I think of it, I'm pretty sure I STILL have those peas in the backseat of my car... Ooops!)<br /><br />Once the doc took a quick look, and poked and proded and pulled and pushed on my wrist she sent me to the local hospital to get some Xrays!<br /><br />Again, normally waiting to get Xrays done is a full day event at best! This time while in the waiting room, I only had enough time to notice that they had John & Kate Plus 8 on the television, when I heard from down the hall "Kari Rice"... Then three quick snapshots and I was on my way home! <br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhisWoG0-Mx_7mtcMwObR9TosSHNFMMyMqGiRSnAQp_e8ChUKI5lgPmxh_qOMRUvK_D2qtxWZNLt3yb2xJGN3K6tuWZZJGhHyNHMotv90e345XR4TvIRH1uWgGduqoHt2sTuoUFgg24TNY/s1600-h/P1010968.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhisWoG0-Mx_7mtcMwObR9TosSHNFMMyMqGiRSnAQp_e8ChUKI5lgPmxh_qOMRUvK_D2qtxWZNLt3yb2xJGN3K6tuWZZJGhHyNHMotv90e345XR4TvIRH1uWgGduqoHt2sTuoUFgg24TNY/s320/P1010968.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5314452713507654114" border="0" /></a>For the last week now, I have been learning to do things with my left hand or with both hands. Of course the hardest thing to do while wearing the splint is writing and of course I just happen to be right handed... and I really can't write with my left hand either!<br /><br />Someone told me that she read once that if you practice writing backwards with your left hand, it can either help you write with your left hand normally or it's almost easier to write backwards with you left hand... I dunno about this claim so today during class I gave it a try...<br />You probably can't really see it but this is what I wrote...<br /><br />With my left hand backwards:<br />"I WAS TOLD THAT IF I PRACTICED WRITING BACKWARDS WITH MY LEFT HAND I MIGHT BE ABLE TO TEACH MYSELF HOW TO WRITE WITH MY LEFT HAND.<br />I AM FINDING IT HARD TO DO IT. IN FACT IT SEEMS TO BE GETTING WORSE."<br /><br />Then I wrote backwards with my right hand to compare:<br />"LETS TRY WITH MY RIGHT HAND. MY RIGHT HAND IS INJURED WHICH IS WHY I THOUGHT I COULD TRY WRITING WITH MY LEFT HAND. MY WRITING IS GENERALLY BAD. MY BACKWARDS WRITING WITH MY RIGHT HAND IS BAD ENOUGH. THE ONLY DIFFERENCE IS THAT MY LEFT HAND IS MORE WIGGLY."<br /><br />One final comparison, would be to write normally with my left hand:<br />"BUT IF YOU LOOK AT MY WRITING FORWARDS WITH MY LEFT HAND YOU CAN SEE THAT IT ISN'T MUCH DIFFERENT FROM MY BACKWARDS."<br /><br />Yes, I know... it is very sad that I resort to doing something mindless and random like this during class. Don't worry, I am just as dissapointed/sad! Haha!<br /><br />I never did hear back from the clinic/hospital about my Xray results, however seeing as it has now been one week and I can start to move my wrist a bit more, I'm pretty sure it was just a major sprain!Karihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17616219412842579639noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5044353982839198419.post-80350491798508470532009-03-18T01:27:00.004-07:002009-03-18T01:53:30.368-07:00The Return of LAQAh yes! The day that I was waiting for, for two weeks finally came! March 13, 2009 saw the return of Lori-Ann Quon back to the wonderful province of B.C., if only for the weekend! Yes, I got my best friend back for an evening, Jackie got her biological sister back for an evening, Jackie and I split up as new best friends for an evening! It was all very exciting!<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgv46aSolIWNSY1vManlK1X6ZSP5z3ct4LqOOagW06FcEHFVYzDBsA76riLzV4PQyb9NcYv-EGxyiQJJqCDLczfEWjeBi44uKMZwuwQwB9tMdbExqWAF11jTdFIqeS_3o1XF1NqAKQc8Rc/s1600-h/P1010940.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgv46aSolIWNSY1vManlK1X6ZSP5z3ct4LqOOagW06FcEHFVYzDBsA76riLzV4PQyb9NcYv-EGxyiQJJqCDLczfEWjeBi44uKMZwuwQwB9tMdbExqWAF11jTdFIqeS_3o1XF1NqAKQc8Rc/s320/P1010940.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5314443898262892946" border="0" /></a><br />The Quon family and Dave (I'm included in the family portion... but Dave isn't apparently. Probably because I've been around longer! haha! Even if/when those two get married I will still be more family than he is... at least in my eyes :P But I digress...) all went to White Spot for dinner to catch up and celebrate her return (and a little celebration was had for I had good news about a departure at work)!<br />I love this picture only because something messed up with the lighting and it looks like Jackie's head is poking through the window and the window blinds.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjX9BDEFSsgXhohoTFtWETneSbH2O9Om1yNQ2THOfpKpDKS_JzRUt2mSvqREkH2zzmXR8MFPQtTK6GSrdHRlsTQkVGCDgtx_oD6qA3GXMTvCh42HOlTR9SCUkqDiOnMTKyZWnCxHFAK9Q0/s1600-h/P1010941.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjX9BDEFSsgXhohoTFtWETneSbH2O9Om1yNQ2THOfpKpDKS_JzRUt2mSvqREkH2zzmXR8MFPQtTK6GSrdHRlsTQkVGCDgtx_oD6qA3GXMTvCh42HOlTR9SCUkqDiOnMTKyZWnCxHFAK9Q0/s320/P1010941.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5314443892545102002" border="0" /></a><br />While Lori-Ann prefers the serious happy pose, Jackie can't seem to make her nostrals any bigger...<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioTCVY5riUwciFu-PvDwHaxKjgYrlEH9MaCJgJr4iIglrrbzLB48gm4g9DqiQB39HAw0QFCoZt0fI3XAixn785taw33kweMKNGKIHoKY_dLcft58ly72G7fN_RVbE93ucnpmugyGV4xF8/s1600-h/P1010943.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioTCVY5riUwciFu-PvDwHaxKjgYrlEH9MaCJgJr4iIglrrbzLB48gm4g9DqiQB39HAw0QFCoZt0fI3XAixn785taw33kweMKNGKIHoKY_dLcft58ly72G7fN_RVbE93ucnpmugyGV4xF8/s320/P1010943.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5314443882261873282" border="0" /></a><br />Oh, I may have been wrong about that last sentence! Hehe, I only kid because I love!<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJRN5OKH0SJI2ZRFqvRHwp5e8TOkHG1Rtv9w77VceZyjhg5nofw41qNaewPVO97LSH0LpCNc6OwCx-eES747XuCDfA9V67MogWYl2ieV02LRe1psnibxFigv0ALOygI__xv63oVxe0_Bg/s1600-h/P1010944.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJRN5OKH0SJI2ZRFqvRHwp5e8TOkHG1Rtv9w77VceZyjhg5nofw41qNaewPVO97LSH0LpCNc6OwCx-eES747XuCDfA9V67MogWYl2ieV02LRe1psnibxFigv0ALOygI__xv63oVxe0_Bg/s320/P1010944.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5314442852238590658" border="0" /></a>Finally Jackie gets her act together and I get a really nice shot of the two sisters who could very well be twins... even though they are separated by 5-ish years.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfiFFGONluPUxd4709o9w_ldGTsJcE2vgH_P6zuPgN0WM9FxZedAeTsMYl2_IogOgjfxz79ClWFp3fmP7JY5PXzzk-ipXRAwC8hhB_u-vZjIpGIzJF2OFIWz187yy3RKbr64muhDt3Ac4/s1600-h/P1010946.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfiFFGONluPUxd4709o9w_ldGTsJcE2vgH_P6zuPgN0WM9FxZedAeTsMYl2_IogOgjfxz79ClWFp3fmP7JY5PXzzk-ipXRAwC8hhB_u-vZjIpGIzJF2OFIWz187yy3RKbr64muhDt3Ac4/s320/P1010946.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5314442839594712226" border="0" /></a>Lori-Ann and Dave looking mighty happy!<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj897g71iJzeKi8o4ft8ihL2WxkAsbAamysR9sHaEtSswHcSIfVu4LSthWbCoRD7Amijn1RVW1_9kQolv28FaIHszIlyx0oqWief4JSKx_5OFNQ6RrqtoRG1vOFEY6IGo2YhYXmE0oqaKA/s1600-h/P1010948.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj897g71iJzeKi8o4ft8ihL2WxkAsbAamysR9sHaEtSswHcSIfVu4LSthWbCoRD7Amijn1RVW1_9kQolv28FaIHszIlyx0oqWief4JSKx_5OFNQ6RrqtoRG1vOFEY6IGo2YhYXmE0oqaKA/s320/P1010948.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5314442832078579474" border="0" /></a><br />We went to momford's office in downtown Maple Ridge to tell one of her co-workers to go home because it was late, and Lori-Ann wanted me to take a picture of one of our main streets in Maple Ridge all dug up so that she can show her people in Fort Mac that our roads are made up of dirt and gravel!<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj14mLTsFRiLaMXCZgqDKtCe9u9lJHDZSTDtXJ5mDqCPpqruvM9IcPnTlMqE_V1BiQ7eJWDgCFXH9imG9CMQBLjA8LzPiu3DjIY86pBThlMsLEpJX-Un09SXg-RdsTHtlH-X0Rw-1a3q-I/s1600-h/P1010950.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj14mLTsFRiLaMXCZgqDKtCe9u9lJHDZSTDtXJ5mDqCPpqruvM9IcPnTlMqE_V1BiQ7eJWDgCFXH9imG9CMQBLjA8LzPiu3DjIY86pBThlMsLEpJX-Un09SXg-RdsTHtlH-X0Rw-1a3q-I/s320/P1010950.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5314442823861268418" border="0" /></a><br />After dinner, Lori-Ann Jackie and I took a quick trip to Castle Fun Park to do some go-karting!<br />The flash was not on for this picture, which is why everything is slightly blurry. I realized that the flash would be off right before Jackie took the picture so I thought I'd move to change that and thus the super blurry me! On the upside, Jackie thought this looked like a really good picture of the two of them so I thought I'd include it here!<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhK_m6W8tJjjbUdzWRyLjaTxMl2RwA84PhUhesa1TrlWJW0Hl9tjgQXSjPzLF4bc8zXenTHoc3qXCEGJH1ZgzJp5WS94QSrAutfBOKsrbs7D26IsogvMo5X8zfMO_0Lfx93_2tUygKecI8/s1600-h/P1010951.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhK_m6W8tJjjbUdzWRyLjaTxMl2RwA84PhUhesa1TrlWJW0Hl9tjgQXSjPzLF4bc8zXenTHoc3qXCEGJH1ZgzJp5WS94QSrAutfBOKsrbs7D26IsogvMo5X8zfMO_0Lfx93_2tUygKecI8/s320/P1010951.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5314442819543289330" border="0" /></a>Finally, la piece de resistance! All three best friends together again... if only for one night!Karihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17616219412842579639noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5044353982839198419.post-3124594128105224372009-03-17T23:58:00.006-07:002009-03-18T01:25:59.531-07:00Maija-Liisa Memorial Scholarship FUNdraiser!!Yes, I know my title is slightly lame! Yes, that is the best title I could come up with at the time! I am sure it would have sufficed even if I didn't capitalize the F U N in fundraiser, but then my title would seem boring... and we don't want boring! Anyways, this post is not about my ability to come up with lame titles so <span style="font-weight: bold;">back off</span> ok?!!<br /><br />Wow... don't you hate fighting with yourself? I know I do! Anywho, lets get right to it!<br />On March 7, 2009 a bunch load of people gathered together at The Ranch Pub in Maple Ridge to commemorate the great loss we have all suffered, and to raise money for the Maija-Liisa Memorial Scholarship for SFU! The night was wonderfully organized by probably the most thoughtful group of people (most of which are young adults and students), and included draw prizes, a healthy silent auction, really amazingly good food, and of course alchohol (for those of us over the age of 19). <a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJQducfAiWwqnJTKJZ3uPN5V-NmySduwOgqSsM3GV6Hg2hBJzNUDRpBC4CTEwh239RJgDgAZHGEwy6_m-RPyiPhYWo5q_zJzRbDPuuHpvPAgcgNMlqY3cT806PT8tpfAMAPUVdCj-Ws4U/s1600-h/P1010925.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJQducfAiWwqnJTKJZ3uPN5V-NmySduwOgqSsM3GV6Hg2hBJzNUDRpBC4CTEwh239RJgDgAZHGEwy6_m-RPyiPhYWo5q_zJzRbDPuuHpvPAgcgNMlqY3cT806PT8tpfAMAPUVdCj-Ws4U/s320/P1010925.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5314425409940541218" border="0" /></a><br />I spent some good time with my sister and new best friend Jackie, as well as a lot of the wonderful ladies that I used to dance with. (Don't Jackie and I look like identical twins??? I think soo!)<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRmCA0PXCrWkUZOtWKMnScxygQ-RdoeIbpxmaKJ9sG1_fBNKNlWMV2dkw30J-uwamFcK9DpdzqUij-79WZdBvzZf_shfWH-vvHYNx-WNx4IrAVC7ALxBgZVgb6EoAYHieml9Wdr8av-Jc/s1600-h/P1010927.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRmCA0PXCrWkUZOtWKMnScxygQ-RdoeIbpxmaKJ9sG1_fBNKNlWMV2dkw30J-uwamFcK9DpdzqUij-79WZdBvzZf_shfWH-vvHYNx-WNx4IrAVC7ALxBgZVgb6EoAYHieml9Wdr8av-Jc/s320/P1010927.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5314425404149545330" border="0" /></a>Aparently the Rice family dresses up for pub night! Dad doesn't usually wear a collared shirt unless he is dressing up. Then again, when I joked about the Rice family dressing up for pub night, he defended himself in saying "No! This is the ONLY clean shirt I have left... and if I'm going to wear a collared shirt then I should wear nice pants... and if I am going to wear nice pants I have to wear my good cowboy boots!" Oh, daddy!<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCtHQRPP3VRDEnVx50WTNYsL1jG4W780Dmdh9k8YhiEkPrgFsml-sfqzAogH4LQ4KkUZ78I2umh4RsCjADrKuC0lOCNAkOJrb7mwgPCbiwZeNfl6s7cj2iDIlDw8No124fU0xYy-nmz3A/s1600-h/P1010929.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCtHQRPP3VRDEnVx50WTNYsL1jG4W780Dmdh9k8YhiEkPrgFsml-sfqzAogH4LQ4KkUZ78I2umh4RsCjADrKuC0lOCNAkOJrb7mwgPCbiwZeNfl6s7cj2iDIlDw8No124fU0xYy-nmz3A/s320/P1010929.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5314424534120545474" border="0" /></a>Yes, fun was had by all (or at least I think fun was had by all... In my pictures it seems like fun was had by all!) Jacob and I like to pose seriously for couple photos! (HA!)<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglZxm8uuB2UCH_Ejh_8rcrfohQgapQKO3V6aaCJ4CEUyM6i_cVDdzP0QjGkDEmLplPmrdEXNYG0bQH41NrYEaFiFJjf8u4ywea8f6JLhvV918MQ9aBntbD1E02-Xmni_zpR7F-t1HSU7o/s1600-h/P1010930.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglZxm8uuB2UCH_Ejh_8rcrfohQgapQKO3V6aaCJ4CEUyM6i_cVDdzP0QjGkDEmLplPmrdEXNYG0bQH41NrYEaFiFJjf8u4ywea8f6JLhvV918MQ9aBntbD1E02-Xmni_zpR7F-t1HSU7o/s320/P1010930.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5314424534100296178" border="0" /></a>Haha! Right before taking this picture I yelled "Candid Shot!" and this is what candid shots usually look like! The youngens from the Dance Circle don't mind though (or at least I assume they don't mind... I don't remember anybody complaining at the time but whatever!)<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7VknnbkItWWXmuCe9Iyt3K1cxgXbAEp5oNu6Zymu4yGGINDfICbC2G78oqs4W_exm0GGWbWomwT4Ayz9kZiDD2aumhFge7flfMGfg4hXfFKDvPP9jJq3ri0LCG6kY40dGvhfoESL2aCg/s1600-h/P1010931.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7VknnbkItWWXmuCe9Iyt3K1cxgXbAEp5oNu6Zymu4yGGINDfICbC2G78oqs4W_exm0GGWbWomwT4Ayz9kZiDD2aumhFge7flfMGfg4hXfFKDvPP9jJq3ri0LCG6kY40dGvhfoESL2aCg/s320/P1010931.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5314424521674333186" border="0" /></a>You know, these girls have all grown up SO much and SO quickly! (does that make me sound OLD??? HA!) Molly, Marja-Leena, and Julia looking very adult-like (They still couldn't fool the waitress though (I'm guessing, haha)).<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEim0zMgMAzTwiBj_9rOXsu48o9fxEM0_HSeuyT3qpZ8_qhI7hQuX08IUVd_gnumAAoLBPauLiCKY9DExVd_DE-U7ydHw2rkM6PaZvI2qzZg_XDR0KuUVUr6rvl693a-YArdTq2CQUud2fI/s1600-h/P1010932.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEim0zMgMAzTwiBj_9rOXsu48o9fxEM0_HSeuyT3qpZ8_qhI7hQuX08IUVd_gnumAAoLBPauLiCKY9DExVd_DE-U7ydHw2rkM6PaZvI2qzZg_XDR0KuUVUr6rvl693a-YArdTq2CQUud2fI/s320/P1010932.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5314424519644083634" border="0" /></a>Molly, Marja-Leena, Jackie, and Julia once more! Looking good ladies!!<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjN15d3eM2CwRGpAXLRN5l0Yu0OqNe8J9IGAvb9jmMPbkOEDQYuhkUjQXPAbdjRzqdrfkkBiuiN_88ekak9JP1H_2ijl38Ue619iAv_Kls889HIiXijJRiqKXMj5NOLAOd-7Pw3DI4f4HQ/s1600-h/P1010933.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjN15d3eM2CwRGpAXLRN5l0Yu0OqNe8J9IGAvb9jmMPbkOEDQYuhkUjQXPAbdjRzqdrfkkBiuiN_88ekak9JP1H_2ijl38Ue619iAv_Kls889HIiXijJRiqKXMj5NOLAOd-7Pw3DI4f4HQ/s320/P1010933.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5314424517207499970" border="0" /></a>So, onto the main attraction (actually I thouroughly enjoyed just being able to spend time with and see the girls from the Dance Circle... but prizes are fun too!) Mom won the silent auction for some gardening tools and gloves and I think a gift certificate to the Triple Tree as well! Way to go mom!!<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinNknSVoN2J8xlZLT8vicyNvGF4ISG7fO5nIogvwpB83IY226HOD4PZNKhjv2_6LoPGODgmBoQ5KVCQB9b1NdvVtj4lsUbPrvcIe0HQ3pZZChfihvNNC9o8RZ8t1xfZ2yPuYLK1QpfVG0/s1600-h/P1010934.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinNknSVoN2J8xlZLT8vicyNvGF4ISG7fO5nIogvwpB83IY226HOD4PZNKhjv2_6LoPGODgmBoQ5KVCQB9b1NdvVtj4lsUbPrvcIe0HQ3pZZChfihvNNC9o8RZ8t1xfZ2yPuYLK1QpfVG0/s320/P1010934.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5314422444842376834" border="0" /></a>Haha! One of the highlights of the night!!! I (somewhat ruthlessly) won the silent auction for a Starbucks Gift Pack which included two hand painted ceramic mugs, a stainless steel water bottle, four Starbucks chocolatey treats, and a James Brown Cd!<br /><br />Here's the mini story on how I won the Gift Pack. When I first got up to the table (After Rum and Coke #1) I looked at a few items then decided on three items to put my name down for: the Starbucks Gift Pack, a Disney Print, and a Bath/Candle at home Spa Pack. When I got outbid for the Disney Print and Bath Pack (After Rum and Coke #2) I was reminded that I should not bid again for the Bath Pack due to certain allergies that I have, thus I devoted all my attention to the Starbucks Pack!<br /><br />I started to get obsessed about winning this thing (After Rum and Coke #3 or was it 4?) and my mom thought it would be funny to outbid me a couple times just to bug me. It then got to a point (After Rum and Coke #... I lost count) where I would be constantly standing near/beside/behind the display table to keep an eye on the sign sheet so that as soon as someone put their name down I would outbid them!<br /><br />Finally I had the winning bid of $25.50... but when I gave in my money, I had forgotten how much I put down, and thought that I put down $26.50 so I ended up paying an extra dollar! All goes for a good cause though!<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7oEwN3jTOmOlSViuiv6V4VgSUPt9rYgXi3wLk7p5iZWuWpZYHOm9hsNjrCGvP3fnzJcQv0Qk_FyrJD3uH8qsSOgdfUNshmTPWWnncwoD8MLXH2Yu6hP0ozVJFDkNjz26ZAmgWIECsVU4/s1600-h/P1010935.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7oEwN3jTOmOlSViuiv6V4VgSUPt9rYgXi3wLk7p5iZWuWpZYHOm9hsNjrCGvP3fnzJcQv0Qk_FyrJD3uH8qsSOgdfUNshmTPWWnncwoD8MLXH2Yu6hP0ozVJFDkNjz26ZAmgWIECsVU4/s320/P1010935.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5314422449696562786" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOP9Kq52N07VVOaqH7V6zlo8MrAthPQqA9srawnM92YoMbrKq7enT5wX-N2VzvzKhbhRBvYTRotbLAGSCJG7nbvmQj-qstL0hrCQXrAnWGOmvB8S224gSh_6nVXco0l44jul33lwihAeY/s1600-h/P1010937.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOP9Kq52N07VVOaqH7V6zlo8MrAthPQqA9srawnM92YoMbrKq7enT5wX-N2VzvzKhbhRBvYTRotbLAGSCJG7nbvmQj-qstL0hrCQXrAnWGOmvB8S224gSh_6nVXco0l44jul33lwihAeY/s320/P1010937.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5314422455746291362" border="0" /></a><br />So, another funny winning story... Everybody was given 1 draw ticket with dinner and you could buy additional ones for a dollar each or 7 tickets for 5 dollars. So, I decided to buy 7 tickets and dad and Jacob decided to give me their tickets so that I can try to win something.<br /><br />Initially there were three prizes that I would have liked to win: a set of two Indoor/Outdoor Roman Candles, A tea press with assorted teas, and two tickets to a Canucks game. I put the majority of my tickets in for the candles and the Tea set. Later in the evening, Jacob bought another 7 tickets and had written my name on all of them. So I went again and put more tickets in the tea set and candle holders, a couple more tickets for the Canucks game... then I put <span style="font-weight: bold;">one single ticket</span> in the jar for the Sunday Brunch for Two at The Pantry. Of course, what do I win? The sunday brunch!<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmewlFMfr29okg64fQQyyU6QtifWISQND8io2H2siToe7973AtpMLcXoeBWJc1G_UquSVUbAnjvgrv3IgCvBC0Lkb_sAjc_zCW_MSvoFnhVf9qoVfdETxI7yY_DvO8K438UpHoO9OAxo0/s1600-h/P1010938.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmewlFMfr29okg64fQQyyU6QtifWISQND8io2H2siToe7973AtpMLcXoeBWJc1G_UquSVUbAnjvgrv3IgCvBC0Lkb_sAjc_zCW_MSvoFnhVf9qoVfdETxI7yY_DvO8K438UpHoO9OAxo0/s320/P1010938.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5314422468215178786" border="0" /></a>Jacob put up the envelope just as I went to take the picture. He says he likes this picture because I am the one not smiling in it thus I ruined the picture!!! :P<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjz1As-ySof4ixNTkulQDb_qrWAKxBqY5gFqQAQBV3PyyWLGSkSHPL7Hdg-fbf-x_yuvlTmjJ2ReCuwgPglMRz2Qa_M5OMkx8bRYllDAR3u8x_bzFkenEPWvydLce5nZmmnzLo_KH-gabo/s1600-h/P1010939.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjz1As-ySof4ixNTkulQDb_qrWAKxBqY5gFqQAQBV3PyyWLGSkSHPL7Hdg-fbf-x_yuvlTmjJ2ReCuwgPglMRz2Qa_M5OMkx8bRYllDAR3u8x_bzFkenEPWvydLce5nZmmnzLo_KH-gabo/s320/P1010939.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5314422466588824370" border="0" /></a>Yes, it was a really great evening! There were some small speeches from several people thank us all for coming out. A woman from F.A.C.T. (Families Against Crime and Trauma) came out to share her story and support for Maija-Liisa's family while also to tell us about and ask us to sign a petition to recognize Vehicular Homocide as a crime (Please go to :<span style="text-decoration: underline;"> </span><a title="Remove frame and go to this web address." class="url_fragment" href="http://www.familiesagainstcrime.org/">http://<span class="domain_name">www.familiesagainstcrime.org</span>/</a> to learn more about F.A.C.T and it's mission and to download and sign the petition as well if you like).<br /><br />Marita also got up at the end to thank us all for coming and to thank and recognize all the wonderful people and friends who put this night together. She talked about how great it was that everybody came out and more importantly she reminded us that Maija-Liisa had so many aspirations that she wanted to achieve in life and that we all now should take on those aspirations and fulfill our own aspirations with her in mind! So touching. I cried... I'm sure I wasn't the only one!<br /><br />This night was very important for me, but I think it would be safe to say that this night was MORE important for Maija-Liisa's parents, her sister Marja-Leena, as well as her closest friends to bring people together to commemorate and turn this negative event into a positive movement. Additionally, as I told Marita when she came around to say hi, it was very important that we all were there to let her and her family know that they have community support and that we will all be there for each and every one of them if and when they call on us!Karihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17616219412842579639noreply@blogger.com0