Speech Pathologists - We See Dead People

So I'm getting soo excited to go back to school. Fuelling the flames are the emails the department is sending us, tips for the coming year and such. In fact, I find them so exciting that I'm going to post them here. I hope you find them exciting, too!

Welcome Class of 2008!

First off, we second years would like to offer you a belated congrats on getting into the program! We know, first hand, the seemingly endless hoops you’ve jumped through—the GRE, academic references, and an obscene amount of applications. You exhaled a sigh of relief when you were accepted, and now you’re only about a month away from the first day. A few words of advice—use your 2^nd year buddy! They have survived the first year of the program and have a wealth of information to share with you.

Admittedly biased, our class can agree that you’re entering a mighty fine profession at a stellar school. The number of resources you’ll have at your disposal for your education is something you won’t experience in the workplace- take advantage of them as much as possible. Every professor is knowledgeable and willing to lend you his or her time to help you learn what you need to learn. Plus, when you first start working with clients in May you can do it within the comfortable confines of Corbett Hall teamed with a fellow classmate—a clinical program that is second to none in Canada.

Make sure to check out the attached survival guide for you eager youngsters. Honestly, if you’re at all apprehensive or scared about the program (perfectly normal!), these feelings will be amplified enormously for the first couple days. Trying to remember the name of 39 new people, getting a new student card, (maybe) adjusting to a new home or city, paying tuition, getting your schedule straight, and appearing somewhat well-adjusted to your classmates is tough. You might shed some tears sometime at the start of the program. That said, let it be known that after the initial start-of-the-program shenanigans are over with, and you are immersed in the program, things seem a lot less intimidating! You will survive!

A final, cliché before we sign off: time will fly by. You’re going to meet 39 really cool people who all have different personalities and interests, and you don’t have a lot of time together. Make sure to take the time to get to know your classmates. And please, please, enjoy the rest of your summer!

See you in September!

The Class of 2007

Tips For First Year SLP Students – Class of 2008

(From your second year buddies)

1. CARRY CHEQUES OR CASH ALWAYS! There are hidden fees everywhere…During the first week of school fees will add up for computer lab access, deposits, memberships, photocopying, textbooks, etc.
2. BUY BINDERS (DUOTANGS, CLIPBOARDS, ETC.). A giant 3” binder will be useful for Anatomy/Physiology and Speech science. We get an unbelievable amount of handouts and you will need a place to put them all. It is especially useful when clinic comes around in the summer, but it is advantageous to buy them in September while prices are low.
3. ON THE NOTE OF ORGANIZATION… items like highlighters (in all possible colours) and mini staplers are very useful and may save your life!
4. TAKE CARE OF YOURSELF! You are important! Make sure you get enough SLEEP. Bring healthy snacks and a water bottle to school.
5. GET TO KNOW YOUR CLASSMATES! They will be an amazing group of people with similar interests and great insight. They will also be your strongest support system, as they will go through the same things you will. It will be important to you. HOWEVER, REMEMBER THE “OUTSIDERS” WHO CARE ABOUT YOU. It’s easy to get wrapped up in all the school stuff, but life exists outside the walls of Corbett. You will always be busy, but don’t forget about you “non-speech” friends and family. They will be waiting for you when you get out (sounds like prison!) and you will need their guidance and support for life on the outside.
6. LAUGHTER IS THE BEST MEDICINE! Have a sense of humour and laugh, laugh, laugh. You will find this useful, especially around mid-October and end of December.
7. THINK OF YOUR CLASS AS A 40 PERSON TEAM! Being competitive is not as helpful as working together.
8. DON’T EXPECT TO DO ALL THE READING! You may not believe us now, but we are assigned massive amounts of reading. Don’t feel bad if you don’t read it all. Learn how to skim read and prioritize.
9. DON’T GET HUNG UP ON MARKS! Another thing you might not believe, but marks don’t matter anymore. It’s time to focus on knowledge and ideas; you will actually get to apply this in “real life”.
10. TAKE IT A DAY AT A TIME! Keep things in perspective
11. YOU WILL “SEE DEAD PEOPLE”. This is no joke. Some of you may not realize this yet, but you get to have fun in cadaver lab as part of your anatomy/physiology class. For this, VICKS is a must have.
12. LOCKERS. It may not seem important now, but it will be helpful to have a locker come spring/summer session. Think about sharing with a classmate or 2^nd year student.
13. OASIS WEBSITE. Check out the OASIS website www.ualberta.ca/~uaspeech for a “sneak peek” at your second year buddy, links to information on housing, entertainment and much more!
14. YOUR SECOND YEAR BUDDY IS A RESOURCE. Use the knowledge that your buddy has acquired. Don’t be shy to ask questions about anything from classes, profs to personal experiences.
15. WEAR NAMETAGS FOR THE FIRST WEEK! This will make remembering names SO MUCH easier and result in a lot less embarrassing mix-ups.
16. Last but certainly not least…BE PROUD OF YOURSELF. YOU GOT INTO THIS PROGRAM FOR A REASON.

Just over a month! Just over a month! And I'm getting a laptop, and a locker, and school supplies, and new textbooks - ooooh, I'm so excited!

Love,
me

Hey all

Hi dudes,

it's been a busy week, but I finally got a day off - hurrah! :D We went to Parksville to go mini-golfing, and it was so much fun. The place we went has 2 18 hole courses, so we golfed one, had lunch, and golfed the second. I SUCK at the mini-golf (I was at least 10 strokes behind both Amy and Michael), but it was fun none-the-less. Our timing was also awesome - it rained during lunch, but cleared up for our 2nd game.

I have a short week this week - only 3 days at the Pier - because I'm taking a long weekend next weekend! They're the only days off I'm taking off this summer, and I'm really looking forward to them. Michael and I are going to go kayaking, and N. and I are having a movie night. Whee!

Other fun things that have happened this week:

1) I got my MSc-SLP buddy - a girl in her 2nd year who's willing to answer all my questions, and hopefully share a locker next year.

2) I went to both my step class, and the tone and sculpt class, so I feel all healthy.

3) I was so tired today I practically passed out on the car ride back - it was like I'd been hit over the head with a hammer! :)

Things I'm excited about:

1) Going back to school!

2) Getting a locker in Van Vliet, so I can go to the gym in the mornings before class. I'm going to stock it up with all my stuff so I can get ready there.

3) Buying a laptop. I'm getting a new 'puter for grad school, and have decided to go the wireless route. I'm soooo excited.

4) The chance to maybe TEFL again. I've been mentally planning some kick-ass lessons I could teach if I were in a smart classroom, and could use powerpoint in my classes. Oooooh - I hope I can teach English this fall.

I obviously have nothing too exciting going on. I'll try and do something thrilling tomorrow to make a better post. :)

Love,
Elizabeth

At the Zoo

So it's my lunch break, and I'm just hanging out, listening to some Simon&Garfunkel. Did you know that giraffes are insincere?

Life trundles on here in the big CR. I'm loving day camp - yesterday we made sandcastles, and today we played parachute games. I remember Fun Days at ClearVista, and we always played with the earth ball and the parachute. So exciting! Also, some of the girls gave me pictures that they made today, which was so cute. I took some pictures, and will try to get around to posting them.

Life at the Pier is better since the heat broke. It's only been about 25* here, which I can totally deal with. People are much nicer when it's not so hot! Oh, and just a tip for every person currently residing in CR: 'please' is a word that we still use. Trust me - you'll get better service if you say "I want a maple walnut waffle cone, please," than if you say "I want a maple walnut waffle cone" and then just stare at me. Other suggestions? Stating that you want an ice cream is awesome. Telling us what flavor you want is helpful, though. So when I just stand there, waiting, after you've said "I want a baby cone, please," (note the please!), I'm not silently mocking you. I'm just waiting for you to tell me which of the 20-something flavors you want ON that baby cone. K?

In extraordinarily happy news, the UofA's Faculty of Extension contacted me re: some contract work for August. Since I'm in BC til September, that won't work. I emailed them back, asking if we could meet in Sept. for fall contract work - and they asked me to get in touch with them then!! How great would that be?? I can't get over the fact that I'm missing teaching so much, and this would be such an awesome opportunity to do a little TEFL, earn a little money, and be a little happier. I hope it all comes together.

That's all, folks!
Love,
Elizabeth

Just a few pictures...

Hey all,

just got home from the lake, and I'm STARVING. So I'm just going to put up some pics, and then go eat some dinner! Hope you all had great weekends, I know I did.

Love,
E.

PS - got a phone call today about a TEFL job - will hopefully talk to them tomorrow. Fingers crossed!

La Vie en Rose

And so the heat continues here in CR - it's a balmy 30-something degrees out today, but (woot, holler) I'm not working. So yay!

Work at the Sportsplex is great. As I've mentioned previously, I've become Little Ms. Rec Coordinator by default, and as such, I get to work with all the 9-11 y/o boys. Things they like to do: watch TV, play video/computer games, ride their bikes, roughhouse. Number of those things available/allowed at Kids' Klub (I hate the 2nd 'k'!): 0. So any ideas of games and such that these guys could play that might interest them? I only a 30-45 min. activity for each day, so nothing too crazy!

Work at the Pier is work, and it's been tense because it's been so hot. Inside the hut is hovering at 35*, the ice creams are all melting, tempers are short, and we keep running low on waffle cones because it's too damn hot to make more. Let's just not talk about it anymore, mmmK?

Michael and Amy and I went to Brewster Lake today, and it was gorgeous. We were the only people in our area, so Jasper could run around unleashed, and I could swim and sunbathe to my heart's content. Having a new swimsuit only made things better! (My old ones either a) were falling apart, or b) were too big. Go me!) M and I are now BBQing steaks, and getting ready to watch Monty Python and the Holy Grail. I do love Monty Python!

Amy has officially uttered the best burn of the season. We were sitting around eating lunch on the patio out at Painters' Lodge, and I mentioned wanting to hear from a dentistry student that I'd started a correspondence with.

"Oh, Elizabeth," she said comfortingly "he's got other teeth to clean." *snap!*

She's been apologizing ever since, as it did come out in a somewhat 'harsh' tone... but it's just too funny to have taken any offense at. Brilliant!

I went to my step class yesterday, and managed to keep it all together. Then today I went to 'sculpt and tone,' where I was reminded once again of how tight my hamstrings really are. That whole sitting on your butt on the floor, with your legs out in front of you? I can't do that! At least, I can't do that and sit up straight. I get all hunchy and Quasimodo. And I may have played him once (and lit my costume on fire in the process), but I don't want to be 'le sonneur des cloches de Notre Dame' forever! :D Must. Stretch. Hams.

Next weekend is mini-golfing, and the weekend after that is kayaking. We're hoping to fit in some horseback riding, too, which should be super cool! I think this is my best summer ever!

Loves you all,
Elizabeth

Blargh

Hi all,

I'm currently feeling like a recovering alcoholic (not that I'd actually know what that feels like - I'm guessing here!) It was SMOKING hot today, and it's only meant to get hotter, and I'm not really a heat person. Give me -50 with a windchill any day - throw on some extra layers, and it's all good. When it's hot, there's only so nekkid you can get, and that's generally considered 'inappropriate' for work. Not to mention 'unhygienic!'

I rolled out of bed this morning, showered, ate my cheerios, and headed for work. Out of habit, I threw on my long sleeved shirt under my staff t-shirt - big mistake! Since the other woman at work is super arts&crafts lady, I have become the rec/games girl. This means that I have to get very active, very full-of-attitude 9-11 year old boys to keep busy for about a half an hour. Since they have the attention span of goldfish, it's challenging. Today, I hauled them out to the field to play 'jug and jog,' a game that requires stealing the other teams' jugs/bowling pins/beanbags. Since I believe a good leader always participates, I played too. This meant playing for my team, refereeing, and dealing with the inevitable idiotic behavior (e.g. The kid yells "I'm not playing" just before an opposing team member tags him. He then yells "now I am" as soon as the other kid moves away. How dumb is that?) By the time we were done, I was broiling, and even my KNEES were sweating. Eeeeeeeew.

I headed home to cool down and eat some lunch, and then it was off to the Pier. I walked in the door - and was hit by a solid wall of heat. With a hot dog machine/hot chocolate machine/deep fryers/freezers working over time - it was hotter inside than out. I made waffle cones, served customers, made wraps, fried fish... and started feeling weird. Crampy muscles, short tempered, very thirsty. I headed on my break, ate some not good for me dinner, came back in, got back to work, and promptly threw up. Twice. Luckily, I made it to the bathroom. I felt so gross!

Michael came and picked me up, and we decided I had heat stroke. He brought me home, made me gatorade (rehydration), advil (muscle relaxation) and pretzels (stomach settling). I'm currently feeling much better, and plan to have a better day tomorrow, when it's supposed to hit a record breaking 38* outside. Since it was 35 inside today, I imagine tomorrow'll be close to 40. Wish me luck!

I'm really liking the day camp gig, and the kids are starting to warm up to me - even the little boys, who are generally too 'cool' for such things. I have no idea what I'm going to do with them tomorrow - I'd better think of something. Then it's the late shift at the Pier, Saturday morning Step class with Amy, the late shift at the Pier, and then *angels sing* my day off.* I can't wait for Sunday!

Love,
Elizabeth

Postscript

I almost forgot one of the funniest stories from today! One of the little girls came up to me and said:

"Ela, how old are you? 15?"

I attempted to keep a straight face, but failed miserably. Grinning, I said "nope!"

"16?"

"Nope!"

"17? 18?"

"Nope and nope!"

"13?"

"No way, kiddo!"

"19? 20?... TWELVE?"

Now I'm giggling madly as I inform her that I am, in fact, not twelve years old.

"21?? TWENTY-TWO?" She gasps incredulously as I nod my head, and tell her I'll be 23 in August.

"Wow," she says sagely "you look really young."

Guess that's why I got ID'd on Saturday night!

Love,
Elizabeth

Day One on the New Job

Good morning! How's everyone on this beautiful Monday? I, obviously, am having quite a good day! :)

I tried to get to bed a little earlier last night, but could not fall asleep before midnight or one. Dangers of being on the 3-11 shift and schedule, I guess. I had my alarm set for 7.30, and I woke up when I heard someone get up. I assumed it was Michael, and that it was about 6.30. Nope! It was Amy, who gets up at 5.30. And I was WIDE awake. I got up, let Jasper out for a potty break, and crawled back into bed. I fell sort of back to sleep, but was in that weird half asleep/half awake/all trippy dreams place. Just as I fell soundly asleep - *BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP* Typical! I hit the snooze button, and slept for another 15 minutes. ;)

Then it was up and at 'em! I headed over to the Sportsplex for my first shift as an Instructor/Leader. I got my electric green t-shirt that says "Staff" on the back, which is cool - I feels all professional 'n' stuff! I also met the kiddos. I was with the older group (9-11) this morning. At that age the girls are generally pretty laid-back, just starting to get catty, and the boys are nuts. I spent like 15 minutes trying to talk a boy into putting his name tag ON his shirt instead of UNDER his shirt. Christophers are always so difficult. ;) Then I comforted a girl who was upset since it was her first day and she was nervous as she didn't know anyone. We sat down to colour together, and were soon joined by a gaggle of other girlies. One of them can talk. I mean, I know that I can talk the right leg off a hippo, but this girl took the cake! My name tag said Ela (I hate being called Liz, and little kids like short names), so the conversation went something like this....

"Ela? Ela? I can't remember the name of the street I live on. I can't remember it! Do you know the name of the street I live on? Suzie* and Phil live just down the street with their mom and step-dad and step-sister Lisa, and Lisa's half-sister Angelica has a friend Lacey, and Lacey has a hamster named Fred. I had a hamester named Shazaam, but he died, so we buried him next to Princess, who was my horse, but she died too (*editor's note: how do you bury a HORSE?). My uncle just died, so if I start crying today, it's just because I'm missing him a lot. His name is Greg and my dad's name is Greg too, and my dad and I went to the beach yesterday and my water shoes gave me BIG blisters and now I have band-aids on them and then I had to walk on the really hard cement and it hurt my feet. Wanna see my blisters?"

"Um... no, I don't think so." *smiles nicely, so the girl doesn't feel insulted*

"Oh, Ok. Well, my blisters hurt, and they're really big, and I might need new bandaids. And I don't have my earrings in right now, because I think that my ear might be infected. But I'll tell my mum about that. My mum told me she would buy me an MP3 player or a basketball net, and I picked an MP3 player..."

I'm running out of energy just transcribing it! She's so cute, and it's so sad that her uncle died. It was also her first day at the camp, so she and the other new girl hit it off pretty well. I got them talking to each other while colouring, and headed off to play battleship with one of the other girls. I also paused to suggest to the little boy sticking the rubber jumpy thing (you know the ones, they're like half a ball, and you press the middle down, and wait, and eventually they *pop* and go flying?) to his forehead that he might not want a HUGE hickey in the middle of his face. He disagreed. He now has a bruise the size of a twoonie right in the middle of his forehead (and when he was good, he was very, very good...)

And then it was 10.30, and time for me to go! I can't believe the amount of money I'm being paid to color, play battleship, and monitor minor battles. Of course, should there be an emergency of any sort, I'll be expected to know what's going on, and to take control of the situation. Let's all hope that there are NO emergencies!

I came home, hopped on Amy's bike, and went to the Dr's, to get my note signed. "Elizabeth is physically and mentally healthy, etc. etc..." The Dr. says "Like kids? Ever hurt, harmed or murdered a child? Have lice? Yes, no, no? Good." It was great! Now I'm home. I'm posting this, then eating lunch (I'm STARVING), doing laundry, cleaning the bathroom, and (potentially) cutting the lawn. I imagine it's my job to plan dinner tonight, too. Busy days off!

Oh, and remember my dating post? The one where I raged about the 2 kinds of Christian daters? Well, I met one of the number ones yesterday. We met online, and were chatting on MSN for the first time last night when I got home from wherever I was... oh yeah, playing tennis with Michael (I'm getting better, if you care!). Anyhoo, we were chatting. All's pretty normal at first: what do you do, do you like BC, where are you from, etc. etc. Then he asks me what I'm looking for in a man. Well, we all know I've thought that out, so I gave him the short version. All of a sudden he's listing off the ways that HE specifically meets them. Ooook... and THEN he asks (first time we're talking! first time!) if I want to settle down and have kids! Good Lord! We all know how I feel about the whole kids' issue and I'd essentially decided to just not think about it for the time being... so much for that plan! So I just stated that I'm not sure because I have stuff to do first (grad school, working and living abroad), and HE says:

"I guess things between us wouldn't really work out then, since I wouldn't want to hold you back."

Things between us? Hold me back? Dude, you don't even know my last name! We've never met! We've been talking on MSN for 15 minutes! This is EXACTLY the kind of person I was talking about in my dating post. He's a Christian, I'm a Christian, so apparently that means we'll skip any sort of normal 'getting to know you' process, and just jump right into the 'are we ready to be life partners' process. Huh. IT'S SO WEIRD. I don't get it! I mean, clearly, I don't think 'things between us' would 'really work out' since I DON'T KNOW YOU, and you're already on the 'I want a wife and babies!' bandwagon. Bizarre. Men are bizarre. That's the only answer!

Anyhoo, that's what's new in the life of Elizabeth. And Venus and Serena Williams had better watch out, because I might just drop out of grad school and work full-time to pay someone to KICK THEIR BUTTS! ;)

Love,
me.

*all names changed!

Nights on the Town

Morning all! I just rolled out of bed, and it's a little late, even for me. :) But I didn't get in til 3, so I figured it was allowed! The less nice part (sort of) is that I start my new part-time job tomorrow, and will have to get up at 7.30 Unheard of!! :D

I worked last night, til close, and then N. and her friend V. picked me up. We went over to V's house, where we got changed and prettied ourselves up. V has the cutest flat!! She decorated it all, and it's absolutely adorable. V phoned a friend, and left a message saying "we're going out on the town, hopefully we'll run into you if you're out on the town, too." If you said that to someone in Prague, it could potentially work, but it really isn't very likely. There are just too many pubs and clubs! But here in CR it's the strippers, or it's the VooDoo. The peelers aren't appealing to me or my friends, so the VooDoo it was.

Everyone warned me that it would be gross and disgusting, but it wasn't terrible. It wasn't very big - maybe the size of the Stonehouse in Edmonton, or ... That really expensive place with the red walls in Prague, where we went briefly on the pubcrawl. Fairly small, but with a dancefloor, which is all that matters to me!

We rolled in around 12, and things were still pretty quiet. We got a drink, and while we were standing in line, K from the Pier showed up! She was with a big group of friends, one of whom was the C that I went on that coffee date with. The one that didn't go well; no connection. So we said 'hi' to all of them, and then left them to their own doings while we went and danced. Do I ever love dancing! And N is willing to do all kinds of dumb stuff, just like me, so we were busting out the clock, and various other geek dances. We took a break, and I ran into...

...a young offender that lived in the treatment home I worked in. I said 'hi,' and he was like "Elizabeth!!" He gave me a huge hug, and said "Can I buy you a beer? I really want to buy you a beer!"

"No thanks, I don't think that's such a good idea! Are you even old enough to be in here?"

"Yeah! I turn 20 this year. And I've cut my drinking in 1/2! I've got a girlfriend in Edmonton, and a job doing some roofing. Things are good!"

So we chatted a bit, and said goodbye, and I wandered off. It's so bizarre, because those kids hated me when I worked there. I was only 20 then, and only a few years older than the kids. I was also the 'summer student' which meant I was low man on the totem pole. I followed the rules religiously, a) because I like rules, and I thought ours generally made sense, and b) because I didn't have the authority to bend them. The guys didn't understand that idea, and called me RoboCop. RoboCop! But apparently all of that is forgotten when you meet the aforementioned RoboCop in the VooDoo in CR.

N and I danced some more, saw Je. from the Pier (being out in CR is all about who you run into...) and decided we were ready to go. V., however, had met a cute boy, and was NOT ready to head home. So we kept dancing, and the WEIRDEST thing happened. They had this thing called 'last call,' and then they turned the lights on, and the music off, and told us to leave! Ok, Ok - so I do actually know about this, but I never stayed that late at the clubs in Edmonton, and this kind of thing didn't happen so early in Prague. We did get kicked out the Konvikt one night, but the barman just took our glasses and started turning the benches up!

Everyone wandered out into the parking lot, and I was chatting with C. (bad date guy) and N while we waited for our ride. C's a smoker, and a Newfie showed up asking to buy a cigarette. He introduced himself as P. , and we started chatting. He said something about "where you to?" and I laughingly said "stay where you're at til I come where you're to!" (stay where you are til I get there). He was rather impressed, and proceeded to teach me the correct pronunciation of b'y (boy). He was a very hesitant speaker, and I assumed he'd had a few too many, but he suddenly said "I'm not drunk, I have a stutter!" Aah... that explains it. So we talked about where he's working, and where I work - and he wanted to know why on earth we were scooping ice cream at the Pier (he'd just found out I have a BA and was teaching English in Europe). I told him I was heading back to school in the fall to do my Masters.

"In what?"

"Speech Pathology."

His whole face lit up, and for one of the few times, someone clearly knew what speech pathology was. He grabbed my arm, "God bless ya, love! God bless ya. God bless ya."

We chatted a moment or two more about how hard life is if you stutter, and what a difference a good SLP can make. Then N and V and I headed for home.

All in all, quite the night. I'm not sure I want to do it again this summer, but it was definitely fun to go once - I've seriously missed dancing!

Love,
Elizabeth

Sunset at the Pier

My job might make me crazy somedays - but I have to admit, I work in one of the most beautiful locations I've ever seen!

Love,
me

My kind of mornings

Hey guys!

I woke up slowly this morning, savoring a rather entertaining dream about a guy I've known since I was 5. (Actually, when I was 5, myself and another girl pinned him down and kissed him on the playground. Fortunately, he doesn't remember that particular event). Anyhoo, my dad owned a bowling alley (which is funny in itself), and Craig and I were working for him, but kept screwing up these incredibly simple tasks and finding it all very funny. Reading it over, it doesn't sound quite as fun as it was, but I guess that's how dreams are.

So I slowly drifted out of my dream, to discover that it's my favorite kind of morning - a rainy one. The kind of one where you lay in bed, listening to the rain for a while, and then read a good book. Pausing every chapter or so, of course, in order to listen more to the rain. Currently I'm reading Father Joe: The Man who Saved my Soul by Tony Hendra. It's wonderful! And parts of it take place on the Isle of Wight, which reminds me of my darling Lucy, and spending Christmas there. It's lovely.

I also woke up this morning unable to straighten out my right pinky finger. I've had this problem before, but only this summer. I think that I must hold my ice cream scoop in an odd way, because my pinky and ring fingers of my right hand are often very stiff and sore at the point where they connect to my hand. Lately, the pinky has taken to curling up and staying there. (Like hedgehogs! You know, Chris had hedgehogs in his garden [yard for you North Americans] and his dad liked to feed them gingernut biscuits [cookies], but it made his mum crazy. You see, the master bedroom was over the kitchen window, where his dad was throwing the biscuits... and she could the hedgehogs crunching!)... wait... where was I?? Oh yeah, the pinky curls up, and won't straighten out. It doesn't hurt at all where it's jammed (the big knuckle in the middle), but it just won't go. After a few minutes of bending and flexing the other fingers, the pinky eventually joins in. So clearly, nothing serious. Just bizarre. Like me. :D

So now that I've brushed my teeth, read my emails, and written a blog post, I think I'll go back to bed, and listen to the rain some more. I imagine work'll be even quieter today than it was yesterday...

Love,
Elizabeth

Quiet Days

Hi all!

I was planning to have busier days off (tennis with Michael, rollerblading with N.), but I seem to have strained my lower back somehow, and have thus spent most of them on the couch with a book.

On the upside, I have now memorized the 7 features of the limbic system (amygdala, parahippocampal gyrus, cingulate gyrus, septum, fornix, hippocampus, olfactory bulbs) and several other handy bits of info from my neuropsych book. Go me! On the downside, I've been majorly inactive, and ow! my back hurts. :) Hopefully I feel better soon, and can get back outside.

It's chilly and rainy today, so I doubt work's going to be very busy. I imagine we'll be doing lots of cleaning, and a fair bit of chattering. Got to love working with university age girls. We never run out of stuff to talk about! Unfortunately, time tends to drag when we aren't busy - hope tonight doesn't take forever to go by.

More good news: I have a roommate! My mum found an ad in her church's online bulletin that a girl was looking for a place to live in Edmonton. Mum emailed her my email address, and we've been corresponding. Barring unforseen circumstances (which I can't see happening, hence the unforseen bit *wink*), I shall be living with M. come September. She sounds like a great person, and I'm looking forward to meeting her this fall!

And that's all that's new. Like I said, they've been quiet days recently.

All my love,
Elizabeth

Just Stuff

Morning all! It's another beautiful morning here in Campbell River, and it's another one of my days off, and I'm feeling pretty good.

Yesterday we did the grocery shopping (which I always enjoy), and had some lunch together. Then Michael and I watched Life of Brian, a movie that's been recommended to me a million times, but I've never bothered to watch before. It's pretty darn funny, and it made me think of Adrian in Prague, who quoted it frequently. Mental note: email Ade! Then Amy and I went for a walk. Or perhaps trek is the better word. We went on her "Two Hour Tour of the Neighborhood" and it involved some very steep hills. I felt like Iago in Aladdin when he gets stuck in the door. (*pantgaspwheeze*so, how did it go?).

Then we all cooked dinner together, and I'm so proud of myself, because I made Marta's Couscous Salad. When I was in Prague, we had a potluck, and Marta brought this absolutely amazing couscous salad. Everyone was fighting for it, and even the vegetarian was eating, albeit she was picking out the ham. It was INCREDIBLE! (What're you waiting for? I don't know, something amazing!). She kept insisting that it wasn't THAT hard to make, but I didn't believe here. So last night, I attempted it. It turned out great! It wasn't as drop dead Fantastic as hers was, but it was still pretty freakin' yummy.

And then because I was feeling all moody and stuff, I went outside to lay in the hammock and think. And I was focusing, like in the book I told you about a little while ago. And I thought to myself, maybe some of my friends would like to know this technique, because it might be helpful. So here is:

Elizabeth's Brief Summary of Focusing

1. Get comfy. Sit up, lie down, walk slowly, whatever works for you. You should be able to relax, and to be very internal. Minimize disruptions.

2. Chill. Just be there, for the time being. Let your mind wander and race.

3. Imagine. You're going to look at all the things that bother you, and set them aside for the time being. You can imagine putting each one in a box in a closet. I personally imagine them as bubbles in a blue sky. Anything that works for you.

4. Clear a space. As worries or images come to your mind, put them in a box/bubble/whatever-you're-using and set them in front of you. For me, I've been thinking about dating a lot, so I put the word 'dating' in a bubble, and tap it gently so it sits a ways away from me. Continue doing this until no more thoughts or worries come up for you.

5. Be in the space. Mentally push those boxes/bubbles away from you. You can still see them. They're still there. But now isn't the time to think about them. This is why I like bubbles for my imagery. Mentally, I tap them, and they just float a little ways away. Sit in this space, and realize that all these worries and such aren't suffocating you. You have room to breathe; room to be.

6. Listen to your body. Be in your body, trying to notice any tension or anxiety in it. For me, I get a knotty/nauseous feeling under my solar plexus. Find that feeling, and sit with it. When your brain starts chattering, tell yourself "I'll think about that later." What you're doing now is letting your body speak its knowledge. I know, I know. It sounds retarded. But it isn't. Your brain will usually speak to you fluently - that's the stuff you want to shut down for right now. Your body will usually speak to you in images, or single words. Wait and see what comes up for you. When I was doing this last night, a certain image came to mind, and I instantly started crying.

7. Sit with those feelings. FEEL those feelings. Imagine walking around the feeling, looking at it, touching it, being with it. Accept that you feel this way. Don't try and make it go away, don't try to understand it. Just be with it.

8. Most of the time, you'll undergo a felt-shift. This where that feeling that you're exploring in #7 will suddenly change. It will feel different, or it will go away entirely. It's pretty amazing.


So that's my guide! If you do bother to try it out... let me know, Ok? I know I really like it, and I'm curious what other people think.

All my love,
Elizabeth

Technical Stuff

Hey guys!

I'm getting really tired of the anonymous comments that are showing up on my blog. Everyone's entitled to their opinions, but if you don't have the guts to at least say who you are... well, I don't think that's fair. So I'll be moderating the comments from now on, which means that I get to see them and decide if they're posted or not. All you normal folk will get your comments posted, of course... but I can just delete the anon. ones.

Love,
E.

More Head-Hurting Thinking

Morning all! How're you?

I'm feeling right fine at the moment. Yesterday I did my first aid training (which meant getting up at *gasp* 7:35. I haven't been out of bed before 8:30 in I don't know how long, and I'm usually in bed til 9:30 or 10. Keep in mind I usually get home from work after 11!! But that'll all change when I start my new job - hopefully next Monday (not this coming Monday, the one after). I was really grumpy all night at work, but managed to only take it out on the idiotic customers. Then Michael took me for a slurpee, which made me happy. Or happier. Then I went to bed. Still pretty grumpy.

Got up at 8:30 this morning to go to step class with Amy. It was very hard to get out of bed! But it was the fancy hams instructor this morning, so I got to show off my mad hammin skilz. Apparently she doesn't teach step very often, and a couple people left class early. I couldn't figure out why; for once I was keeping up, missing only a very few steps - it was great! Then I realized that if I could keep up, it meant that the class was waaaaaay too easy for the women who come all the time, and have been doing it for ages. Darn! We also did arms, which was sweet, because I can keep up no problem due to my MASSIVE ice cream scooping muscles. And then we did abs, and although I used to believe I didn't have any, I seem to have found them, and they seem to be functioning. So yay me!

Anyhoo, on to the head-hurty topic of ...

DATING

More specifically:

DATING AS A CHRISTIAN

I tend to believe that people fall into 2 categories here. (Yes, I know. There's likely a middle ground. But as I learned in Social Studies 30 Honours [thanks Mr. Raitz!], it's much easier to argue an extreme point of view than a moderate one. You don't have to spend so much time spelling out the details. For the sake of my argument, there are 2 categories. My blog, my arguments!)

#1 - OH MY GOSH I NEED A MAN/WOMAN/SPOUSE

These people are LOOKING for a partner. They're convinced that God wants them married, and they're hunting down whomever that might be. Most of the ones that I've met have never even considered that God might (not necessarily, but they haven't even considered the possibility) want them single for the time being, for a while, or maybe for forever. They're the ones who meet new people and it's obvious that they're surveying them for "spousal" characteristics. Awkward. They talk about finding "the one" constantly. They go singles' events, look to be matched up by friends, and just generally are incredibly focussed on finding this person.

#2 - IF GOD WANTS ME WITH SOMEONE, HE'LL BRING THEM AROUND

These people are living life focussed on God and themselves (I mostly fall into this camp). They aren't actively seeking a partner. They're making long term goals and plans that assume their singleness. They meet new people thinking "hey, here's a new friend," and often don't think that there's any romantic possibility there. Often, they don't go out of their way to even meet new people, since they're comfortable with the friends they currently have, and the activities they're currently doing. Obviously, this makes it difficult to meet future partners.


So those are the 2 categories. And my question is, which is the better attitude? What attitude should I have towards dating? As my great friend Elly says "You don't meet someone when you're looking, yet you don't meet them if you're not, either." If I'm hunting for a spouse, it's creepy! No guy wants to be evaluated as husband material the first time he meets you in a friendly social situation (at least, I know girls don't like that. There was a guy at camp who was there to meet a wife, and you could totally tell he was assessing all of the female staff. Ew!) And you miss out on so much of life when you're so focussed on what you don't have.

But on the other hand, when you get the ball rolling on a happy single life (which is where I am right now), how does someone new ever get in there? I've got the next 2 years of my life planned right out, and yeah, I'll meet some new people (hello, the 30-some women in my program; no men there, darn!), but I've got a life in Edmonton that's pretty settled at the mo., and I just don't see how a guy is going to a) meet me, b) secure a niche for himself in my short term plans, and c) deal with my long-term plans to live abroad (at least for a while).

So what's the solution? Am I supposed to be looking for a man? Should I just focus on living my life as it is, and hope that God squeezes him in somewhere? (Mum would say that she's pretty sure the creator of the universe can arrange for me to meet the right man, but I find it hard to believe sometimes.) More generally, what should my attitude be? One of "I'm keeping an eye out for the right guy" or one of "I'm keeping an eye on my life and my goals right now?"

Hm. I need to go to work and make some waffle cones. Maybe then I can get through all these crazy thoughts!

Love,
E.

Well slap me silly and call me a llama...

Hi all!

I got a bit of unexpected news today (read: totally out of the blue, craaazy). Michael gave me a call at work, and said I needed to phone the Sportsplex. I gave them a call, expecting to be asked if I wanted to be put on the sub-list for the summer camp, which I'd only be available to do on Mondays, and so wouldn't be very worthwhile.

Well slap me silly! Instead, I got a job offer! I'm going to be an instructor/leader Monday thru Friday from 8:30 - 10:30. Yup, only 10 hrs./week, but it'll sure help with the savings (it pays [I believe] nearly twice what I make at the Pier). Plus, I can keep my full time hours down't the Pier. Yeah, my schedule'll be a bit nutty, what with mornings at the camp and nights at the Pier, but I'll still have all day Sunday off, and only work the morning on Mondays.

You know, Garth Brooks once said "sometimes I thank God/for unanswered prayers," and I must admit I concur. I really wanted to go full-time with the summer program, but it would have meant leaving my current place of work in the lurch (I'm not sure there are a lot of good full time people available right now), and I'd miss the girls. I also kind of like my schedule as it is. This 10 hour a week job fits right in with what I already have; it's just like a complete bonus. So thanks be to a gracious God, who always knows best. Yay!

So tomorrow I'm redoing my first aid (I need kids' CPR), and then next Thursday I'll sign all the paperwork, and give in my reference letters. I should start the following Monday, I think.

Yay!

Love,
Elizabeth

PS - Yeah, Kim, my brain does hurt from thinking. In fact, I often wonder if other people think like I do at all! I'll be at work, doing something fairly mindless, like making waffle cones, and in my head, behind the "grab the waffle/lay it down/roll it/pinch/set down" my braing is going "you know, I'm not sure I'd be a good mum. I'm way too selfish. But kids can be so rewarding, and who will curl my hair when I can't do it anymore?" I don't wait til 'pondering time' to think over deep things. Sometimes I'll be scooping a cone and thinking "why does God choose to miraculously heal some people, and not others? Should we pray for healing? Should we just pray for the strength to get through it?" and then I have to stop thinking and ring it through. Does anyone else ever do these things??

Baby, baby...

Amy Grant, anyone?? The worst part is that those are the only 2 words I can remember from that song, and now they're stuck in my head. Blech!

Anyhoo, having had a baby round the house for the past few days has started me thinking (actually, I think about this topic oddly frequently, but let's pretend I don't, since it makes me seem all crazy-like). You see... I really can't decide if I want kids or not, and it kind of bugs me that I can't make up my mind.

I know, I know... I'm only 22 (23 in just over a month!), and it's not like I'm married, engaged, have a boyfriend, have a date for Friday or anything; stuff that might come in handy for thinking those baby thoughts. I'm also not financially secure, geographically settled or universally tuned-in (42!). So why all this thinking? I don't really know, to be honest.

When I was TEFLing in Prague, the textbook I used most often (English File Upper Intermediate, boo yah!) had a section on the best ages for things. Best age to vote, to have kids, etc., so the subject of the babymaking came up fairly frequently. A number of my students who are only a year or two older than I am were very certain that they wanted kids. Most of them want 2, a boy and girl. And they're just so sure! They'd laugh at me when I said that some days I want 6, and some days I want to be single forever, and inevitably they'd say:

"Wait til you're older. Then you'll want them."

In fact, one of my classes FAVORITE sayings that I taught them was "my biological clock is ticking." It described many of the women there!

But I'm not sure that being older is going to make such a difference. Maybe it will, maybe it won't. But think of the number of women you know who had kids before turning 23 (my age). Lots of them knew for sure they wanted kids. So why can't I figure it out?

My big reasons for not wanting kids are as such. 1) After living in the world with so many people who are so disturbed from living awful childhoods with terrible parents, I'm scared shitless that I'm going to bring this little person into the world and proceed to wreck them. All the developmental psych that I've taken (and there's been a lot of that) has clearly shown me how much WORK it is to raise children somewhat adeptly, and I'm just not sure that I'm up for that. Also, not being up for that leads to reason 2).... I'm selfish. I admit, I tend to look out for number one, being me. I want to travel, live abroad, own a house, own a car, own a dog, and have my own career, and I don't know where kids fit into that picture, or line up with those goals. I'll be 25 when I graduate with my MSc-SLP, and I don't want to bust my butt to have this career that I've dreamed of since I was 15, only to get married and have kids immediately, since I think if you have kids, you should stay home with them at least til they start kindergarten.

My big reasons for wanting kids is simple: love. They love you. They make you crazy, they push you to the limit, they break all the rules, they break all your stuff, but there's a lot of love there. When Jacob was 5, he gave his mum the best mother's day gift ever: he came home from his German school, and said "Ich liebe dich" (Hope I spelled that right, Bari!). He told her he loved her. It took a fair bit of practice for him to get it right, but it was such a sweet moment.

I also have a somewhat selfish reason for wanting children. When I'm old and gray, when I need help curling my hair and getting my groceries, when I'm all alone because my husband has died and many of our friends are also going to their quietus, I want someone to love me. Someone to call and chat, to give me hugs, to help me out. Having volunteered with the senior population, I've seen the difference that a loving daughter/son can make for someone who's suffered from stroke. Their support is integral to their parents' coping abilities. I want someone on my team.

Yet when I try to imagine myself with children, the image seems contrived. I have a hard enough time seriously picturing myself married; adding children to the idea makes the whole thing frankly ludicrous. So who knows?? Maybe one day I'll be reading my archives, come across this post, and laugh hysterically as I burp the baby, rock the toddler in her stroller with my toe, and tell the oldest one to keep the peanut butter "OFF THE REMOTE CONTROL!"

Guess we'll wait and see!

Love,
Elizabeth

PS - the other thing that might contribute to my decision making ability would, of course, that hypothetical husband of mine. If he really wants kids, we'll probably have them. If he really doesn't want kids, then we likely won't! Maybe I should wait for him to show up and sign on before making these decisions....

Love,
E.

Days off are a beautiful thing

Hi all! I've been having a FABULOUS couple of days, so I haven't been online much. But here I am now!

Work was busy this week, culminating in our record setting Canada Day crowd. It was nutty! But there were 4 of us girls on my shift, so we were able to handle everyone with no problems. We also got to watch the fireworks. Very exciting!

Yesterday we did the grocery shopping and ate some lunch, and then Amy's brother, sister-in-law and nephew arrived! The baby is so cute, so I got in some quality baby-cuddling. Then it was time to head down to the Pier to meet N.

We went to her place, she got her stuff, and then we went to the lake! Oh.my.gosh. McIvor lake is gorgeous! NOTHING like Pigeon Lake! :D We laid in the sun, swam a bit, and then N. ran into her friend T. He was there with his boat, so he took us out on the water. :) We putted 'round the lake, swam in the deep part (jumping off the boat, whee!), and then roared across going 55 mph (no idea what that is in kmh). T. has a rather nice little stereo system as well, so we rocked out to the BlackEyed Peas (whom I love - and I don't care if everyone else thinks they're geeky!) and Jack Johnson. Such a great afternoon! N. and I had dinner at Moxie's, and then I came home and watched Undertaking Betty with the family. Such a funny movie!

Today I got up, and Amy made us a yummy breakfast. We visited, and I played with the baby some more, and then they headed off to the beach, while I stayed here. I wanted to do some laundry (done now!), read (I finished a magazine, the 6th Harry Potter, and a few chapters in another book, and I've got my textbooks out for some pre-reading, blurgh), and just be lazy (definitely accomplished!). I've been laying in the sun, but I'm feeling a bit pink, so I thought I'd come in and update my blog. Next I need to clean my room and do some more pre-reading.

So as you can tell, things continue to be good here. I'm starting to get a bit of a tan, and I'm feeling happy and relaxed. Hope you're all feeling the same!

Love,
Elizabeth