Gots ta get PAID!

Just filling in anyone who was becoming concerned...after three and a half months of no income, damn if I didn't finally get paid!

I've held a new RAship for two months already and there was problem after problem with the forms to get me on salary for the work I was already doing. Stupid, ridiculous problems like the administrator coming to me and saying, "UBC payroll doesn't have your birthdate and they need that to process the forms." Uh huh. So how did they manage to pay me for the other five jobs I've held on campus over the years, and why didn't they (or YOU, ya donkey) check one of the 52 other places my birthdate is on file in order to find out? Ridonkulous.

The point is, I finally have a (modest) amount of money coming in again on a regular basis so I can rejig the domestic costs distribution Rocco and I had adjusted for my non-income status, and I may actually be able to pay my tuition that will come due in three weeks. PHEW! In the nick of time, I tells ya. The nick of time.

Photo fill-in

Here's what we've been up to this summer:

Hiked High Falls Creek in the Tantalus range in July with our friend Steven. It's an amazing hike with varied terrain including some sketchy climbs with ropes and chains, and a long logging road out. But all along the road you have this fantastic view all the way down the Squamish River valley. Stunning, really.


I've loaded up our new deck with plants and veggies. My favourite is an heirloom tomato plant I bought for 12 bucks that was already bearing fruit. The first massive tomato ripened quickly (it's on the little blue table there). Other things are doing quite well and I've found that Sophie peeing on the chard really forces the chard to perk up and grow like mad! :-)


I went out to Tofino for a quick surf holiday with The Duchess, her mom, and another Yukon friend. I finally got a ride! Three surf rides to my name now and I finally understand why it can be fun! The weather was crap but that doesn't matter once you're in the water. SO good to see D and spend some fun hang out time together.


We hiked up Mount Strachan last weekend in beautiful heat. Just at the start of the trailhead we saw a brown black bear - Rocco's first trail bear! It was pretty exciting, but really the bear had no intention of being distracted from his clover patch by a few measly humans. The view up top is pretty much incomparable, as you can see.

This coming weekend we're off to Vancouver Island so I can start my thesis fieldwork. I'm nervous and excited, and Rocco is to be my esteemed research assistant, thank goodness! Even though we have fit in lots of fun stuff this summer, school has been very, very busy for me and will continue to be for a while. Still, it means stuff is happening and work is being accomplished, and at least I can't complain of boredom. I hope all of you are also having a nice summer filled with adventure!

Something I haven't told you...

Shane gave me a Silvia for my birthday in June! I'm so in love with her! It's taken me a while to find the time to build a suitable premiere of my little beauty, but it's finally done. I feel like I've joined an elite club with this machine.

Freshening up

Before (-ish, forgot to take a true before pic in my eagerness to get started):



After:



It's called Spring Fest and it is only slightly less aggressive in person. It's definitely a fun colour! We'll have to see what it's like in the flat winter light but for now, for summer, it's a great change.

Under attack!

I was walking up 17th Ave toward Cambie just now and two crows attacked me! They were first squabbling in the big trees that line the avenue, making a ruckus, but I thought they were just fighting amongst themselves until they started aiming for me! They were swooping me, getting closer and closer until one of them got his talons on my head! I was totally freaked out! Ducked, ran for cover and used my bag to try and block them, eventually crossed the street, but that wasn't good enough for them. They followed me and continued to dive bomb all the way along the block. Finally I got out from under the cover of the trees and they still followed me, up and around the corner until I took refuge in Caper's grocery store! Holy crap! It was scary!!! The woman behind the Caper's counter asked how my day was going and I had to say something about it; turns out she and her son experienced the same thing yesterday evening on the same block. So obviously the crows are protecting something, maybe new hatchlings, but they were seriously fierce. I'm going to avoid that area for a little while. It was so Hitchcock!

Picnicface

A totally hilarious comedy group from Halifax called Picnicface do sketch comedy and produce these ridiculous, pee-your-pants-from-laughing videos. I'll put two up here (the funniest, in my opinion, and the cleanest) and leave you to watch the rest at your own risk and level of comfort! They are eminently quotable but considering the content you will want to be careful just where you bust out Picnicface lines. Stace, be thankful you'll be released from the bonds of student-friendly language within a few days of watching the videos!



And the followup to Powerthirst:

Oh my

I take no responsibility for even finding this, but I will post it for your amusement. :-)