I have been lacking in the posting area of my life on account of the amount of prep we are being put through. Endless, I mean endless, days prepping for our trip. Officially 9 days until we go? I don't even know. On top of that we have piles and piles of homework. Okay, I am done with my excuses and complaints... I did just finish my last paper (this deserves some dancing around in my room).
The other day I was having a down day. Mostly because my roommate wouldn't build a blanket fort with me. I had not been outside all day. And my attitude was reflecting it. My friend, Brock, was the one to roust me out of my basement apartment (also known as "the dungeon"). We were going to take a walk. By my house there is a hockey arena. We decided to pop inside. And what do you know, but there was a game of pick up hockey going on.
We sat and watched for more than an hour as old men scored countless goals on each other. This was officially my first real hockey game to ever attend (so Canadian).
It really did cheer me up.
Currently: listening to some good jams, going to jump in the shower, then the Oscars!!
Life, maybe, is good.
this morning i got to sleep in. the first time i have received a fair amount of sleep all break.
i got to sleep in while everyone else in my program was helping out at missions fest, the biggest missions conference in all of north america (and it is here?).
i was selected to help the fourth years with their presentation tomorrow for an hour. so i didn't have to wake up early and do it today. thank you brianna.
so i just woke up. homework is ever looming. but. i slept for so long i feel good.
thank God for these mornings.
I returned to Canada with a welcoming party.
And a much needed tea courtesy of my friend Peter.
So happy to be out of the airport and back home.
We hit the ground running.
The next day we took a planned trip to Calgary and Banff national park.
Banff is a little skiing village about an hour outside Calgary
(five hours from Edmonton).
We played tourists, despite the fog hiding the mountains,
and went around to all the little ski shops and restaurants.
We visited a giant castle-like hotel.
When we drove back through Calgary we went to Peter's drive in.
A famous little burger place with great shakes.
We didn't forget to hit up Tim Horton's (a Canadian favorite) for roll up the rim.
Roll up the rim is a Canadian obsession,
similar to the lottery game that McDonald's
plays only instead of those little peal off things that come on the
cups you roll up the rim of your cup to see what you have won.
I know, I am so Canadian. So far the score is
Timmy's-3 Abby-0
I am choosing not to complain about my current airport situation.
Instead, I shall enrich your life with a little song from the kid sitting next to me this morning on the plane:
"Jingle bells, Batman smalls... Robin laid a pickle."
Just as little twist on an age old song, a revolutionary idea if you ask me.
This morning we woke up and had lunch at Ben's Chili Bowl,
made famous as Obama's favorite restaurant. We had the best Chili dogs. Ever.
After that we went for a stroll around Capitol Hill.
We got birthday cupcakes at Eastern Market.
It was so warm and sunny, weather like I have not seen it in forever.
After our stroll we went to an outlet mall to hit up Ikea. It was just grand.
At night we took our rented car out and about in the city.
We saw all the monuments lit up, it was beautiful.
It has been a grand birthday. Can't believe I am no longer a "teen."
Today we took the metro over to the Takoma area to visit some cousins.
We went and ate Ethiopian food, my first time!
It is a bunch of different things, slightly resembling Indian food,
that you eat with a thin bread called Injera and your hands.
It was so good. Even as I am writing this I am craving it.
We went to a giant thrift store after! Pretty much the size of Wal Mart. It was so rad.
Today was such a nice day. People were wearing shorts right and left.
My mom and I met up with a family friend, Melissa, for lunch at Amy's Pizzeria.
This place has been voted the best pizza in DC for many years.
It certainly brought me back to my days prancing around Italy.
It was so delicious.
After lunch my mom and I did some shopping in the Georgetown area.
We came across this old ice cream place, called Thomas Sweet, that I had visited
a year prior with some friends. Again, delicious.
Can I just say that I have so dearly missed people dancing in the subway?
Although the DC metro is nothing compared to NYC (freak-wise)
I still saw a couple people bustin' moves all by themselves. My favorite.
Tonight I met up with the Alex and Jordan Harshaw,
some old friends from my home church that moved to the NE a couple years ago.
There home was a refuge for me last year when I wanted to get away from the hussle and bussle of the city.
We went galavanting around Georgetown campus as if we belonged there. It was so weird to me to be back at a school like that, even just walking around the campus.
We went up on the roof of one of the buildings and looked out over DC.
The three of us went out for some real American barbeque at a restaurant called Old Glory in Georgetown.
On our way back we stumbled upon Georgetown cupcakes,
the shop featured on the show DC Cupcakes on TLC.
We each bought some great cuppies.
One thing I love about being home, there are always an abundance of cupcakes...
No wonder we are all obese.
This morning we ventured to a diner around the corner for breakfast.
We took the metro to Alexandria to see my great aunt and uncle.
We went to lunch at Mount Vernon, Washington's former home.
When we got back to Crystal City we went to do a bit of shopping.
Now I am in the hotel room, while my mom works, doing homework!
And I finally got my American iced tea!
(Canadians think iced tea is some sort of pop).
I hope you had a fabulous Valentines day.
Tonight I shuttled myself to the Marriott hotel that they booked me in for free.
Along the way I made a few friends.
I realized that I am way better making friends with old people than with young people.
When we were all discussing how our plans for the evening had been ruined an old lady said to me:
"I am just trying to remember that when I was 25 I would have called this an adventure."
So as I checked into a hotel. Alone. The first time I have ever been alone doing these things... I love it.
My first official act was to notice the two giant fluffy queen beds that now, both, belonged to me.
What could I do with two queen beds? Obviously the only thing to do.
Jump from one to the other until I pass out or get a noise complaint.
Maybe I could also sleep 2 hours in each tonight? (I am only getting to sleep four hours.)
Currently, I am watching a giant TV after taking a nice bath.
Cheers to adventure. And I am not even close to being 25!
So in Canada they are especially fond of perogies, thus, the invention of the perogie pizza.
I tried this pizza not too long ago and it changed my life. I pretty much crave it every day.
So tonight we ordered one. I almost blogged about it right when it happened because I was so excited.
An hour and a half later we called to complain and it turns out our order was never put in... because we forgot to press confirm (the joys of ordering online).
So it has been almost two hours and still no pizza because we had to start the order over.
Can I just say I am so very excited to receive this pizza.. and even more now that my stomach is almost eating itself because I am so hungry.
Tonight we took a spontaneous trip to my friend Marissa's hometown,
a small suburb of Edmonton called Beaumont.
We drank coffee at her work place and did homework.
Then we went to our other friend's, Janelle's, house to eat dinner.
We had a magnificent shepherd's pie and dessert.
On the way home we died laughing at Lawns' stand up comedy act.
so maybe I creeped on the Sarah Lawrence website.
so maybe I miss it a little.
so maybe I am in another world today.
so maybe my mind is anywhere but here.
--Revelations by Stanley Hart, p. 21
On Friday night we hung out over at Chelsea's house (Brianna's sister).
We baked cookies, went in the hot tub, and watched Zoolander.
On the way home we were so tired. Mandi was driving and went into the complete left lane. LeeAnna and I exchanged terrified glances and I said
"Umm... I think we are in the wrong lane? Maybe it is different here in Canada?"
Then at the next light we were talking to Kent, in the car next to us, and we had to open the door because our windows were frozen shut. We took off and Laura's purse fell out of the car and onto the ground at the light. We had to pull over and make LeeAnna run back to get it.
Eventful night, eh?
