Pretty Standard

Not even a security enabled wifi signal to be found anywhere. I am certainly suffering the effects today of technology or lack thereof. Drove through the mountains from kelowna to grand forks with Dad and had essentially "no signal" the entire way. Laying here now reflecting on this makes me think that perhaps I should appreciate and revel in the fact that I'm completely alone out here and tough to reach. I'm just going through a bit of ontario home sickness. I have completed leg one - I made it to grand forks. Holy shit!!! Next things on my list, not exactly in this order: get a job(s), join the aquatic centre, go to local bridge/crib/euchre/poker games, join grand forks choral society again and pick up some reeds and sheet music for my clarinet! Man all these things make me sound unbelievable cool. That ones for you Jesse. I also want to link up with a few special people (sister Olivia, friends al/matt/Kim). These things should all get me in the groo...

I said goodbye to Andrew today. I knew this would be the hardest off all of the goodbyes, but you can't fully prepare for the moments. He is such a special man. Over the past weeks I've been trying to prepare myself for this day in the hopes of making it less painful and more matter of fact. But of course, it's near impossible to be matter of fact about leaving a loved one. I wrote him a letter a few weeks ago telling him how great he is and trying to give myself closure and to ease the pain of our final goodbye. I suppose it helped over the past few weeks but had no effect today. Today I felt heart ache. Heart break. The kind of feeling you only feel when you are losing someone close to your heart. I don't know if I've ever felt the feeling before, but I made mental note of it in the hopes of never forgetting something so precious. The best way I can describe it is that it feels like a bird is in your chest trying to open and spread it's wings but...

Well out of a bit of boredom I've decided to write about not much. I've spent the last week or so seriously preparing for what is drawing nearer every day... moving from Toronto back to Grand Forks. Moving is never easy, but it's even less "easy" moving across the country. Not that I'm complaining - I quite enjoy the challenge of reducing my belongings into as few bags and boxes as possible! It's extremely liberating, but I still find myself experiencing separation anxiety from such sweet belongings I've grown accustomed to over the last few months and years... ie: my lovely high thread count sheets and most comfortable pillows ever, fun plates and bowls from IKEA, wooden bed side table, swiffer... you get the idea. There are two things I've kept though - my Ziploc zipper seal bags and my non-stick frying pan. YES. Jasmine has been a bit confused and upset by this whole ordeal - she's been tooting something terrible for the past several d...

Howdy bloggers and blogettes! Welcome to a special edition of Pretty Standard where an enterprising young man has invaded his wife's personal space in order to deliver a mighty "I love you!" for the most holy of holies, Balentines Day! You may be asking yourselves, "Is it really a good idea for Jess' husband to figure out how to log into her blog and leave his message of love and happiness for all to see?" The answer to this and many questions of life and love (and loooooove) is indeterminate, but one thing is certain: Jessica is a pretty great lady and I am extremely lucky to have tricked her into marrying me. Jessica is quite the impressive specimen. She is a hard-working medical champ, she brews her own sparkling wine, and participates in the all-woman MMA tournaments around Canada with a record of 16 wins - 1 loss (she was distracted by the cries of a young infant in danger. After throwing the fight she rescued baby and got it back to it's parent...

I try my best to smile at people I walk by on the street if we make eye contact. I have showers with my dog. I stay up late. I eat chocolate almonds frequently. I make lists and follow them. I enjoy hand sewing up dog toys and socks. I enjoy hand washing. I paint my nails pink and red... at the same time! I drink the cheapest wine possible and enjoy it more for that reason. I love (sexy) romantic comedies. Probably my favorite kind of movie. Doubly good if Woody Allen is involved. I experienced Acupuncture, Reflexology, and BodyTalk on Friday and swear by all of them!! I get insane excited butterflies in my stomach when I think about traveling and where I'll be in 1-5years. I thank my family for being so supportive and loving. Thanks Mum and Dad. I feel a big connection with cards (both the kind you play and the kind I make), teaching, and helping others. Notice how I left out all the bad things... hehe. Well that's not what this blog is all about and that's not what ...

What do you guys think about Valentine's Day? I usually loathe it, mostly because it feels like yet another intrusion upon our most intimate relationships by "the man". Every personal moment we have in life has a corresponding Hallmark card to go along with it. Yuck. And we all know "the man" plays to the lowest common denominator. In Hallmark world, love is either nauseatingly romantic ("Your eyes are as blue as the deepest ocean, your skin the smooth sand...") or pithily funny ("Ball and Chain, blah blah blah...").  I think we all know a truer romantic sentiment would be along the lines of, " I still love you this morning, regardless of the fact you bathed me in your fart-air all night ." Alas, we are taught that our professions of love need to be more profound and incorporate metaphor and other literary devices (written by someone else, no less) to really express our sentiment adequately. Double Yuck. Notice how I started thi...

I am a bad, bad, blogger. To ease myself back into it, and to earn back some blogger karma, here is a nifty update for everyone. What Jessica is: Watching: OMAR!! Brendan and I just watched Aziz Ansari's comedy central special and it was fu-u-un-ny! I tried to find a youtube clip to no avail, and comedy central are a bag of dicks to Canadians so I instead offer you an equally hilarious Human Giant sketch. Of particular note: I am simultaneously adding the entire cast of The Wire AND Human Giant to my "List". Rick Mercer is out, Aziz Ansari & Company are in. Reading: Committed , by Elizabeth Gilbert of Eat, Pray, Love fame. 'Twas good. She is a rock star . Writing & Obsessing over: Emails to peeps about grad schools . Ugh. I am a master obsesser and procrastinator, which means I will wake up at 3 am and ream myself out about the day I wasted doing yoga and singing songs to the dogs instead of getting down to business. Tomorrow, people. For re...