Notes from 503, or, If You're Intimidated by the Thought of Graduate School, Don't Be

Today was the last day of my 503 class.  I took my computer with me, to take notes in class as I usually do.  Not that I ever DO anything with my notes; I usually just take my lappy along and type stuff up as it's said so I have something to keep me occupied.  Otherwise I'm sitting there bored, which leads to doodling, which looks unprofessional.  At least when I'm typing up notes, I look like I'm engaged in class, and when I get a seat in the back, I can sneak in some Facebook time and a Mah-Jong game or two.  I'm sure Dr. C isn't really fooled by it, especially since there are other students with laptops and notebooks who do the same thing, and don't even pretend to be discreet when chatting with friends during class.  But at least I make the effort to pretend I'm paying attention.

Today, however, I was having a difficult time focusing.  Usually my notes are pretty basic, just about what is discussed in class.  Today I was so bored, I started a stream-of-consciousness thing in my notes.  I now give them to you for your amusement, or as an insomnia buster.  Take your pick.

*These notes have been slightly edited.  I took out people's names, just leaving their initials, and threw in a couple of clarifying statements, in italics.  Otherwise, this is how my brain usually works in class, but normally I don't bother typing everything out.  Like I said, it was a boring day.

EDSE 503 6 December 2011

·         Once again, capitalism is evil.  Because it’s not a curriculum studies class without dogging on capitalism.  This time, capitalism is trying to take over the globalization of education.

·         ASCD is BAAAAAADDDD!  Because it’s an American organization, and has colonial roots, those evil bastards!

·         IAACS – trying to create something different – de-centered international curriculum association – one not necessarily based in Western culture, which, as we all know, is EVIIIIILLL.

·         World-wide but not necessarily....Dr. C forgot the phrase – worldwide but not necessarily uniform association of curriculum studies – no standardization!  VIVA LA REVOLUCION!!!

·         World conference every three years in some part of the world not in the West – Shanghai was the first, second in Tampura, Finland.  And he has a shiny book that came from there – he presented it there, about China.  Third was in 2009 (tri-ennial) in Africa (“I bless the rains down in Africa!  It’s gonna take some time to do the things we nev-er ev-he-eh-ev-er do” bum ba ba ba ba bum bum, doodle ee doo doodle ee doo, doodle ee doo, doodle ee doo) in Capetown South Africa. 

·         Audience had little idea about Canadian history – he talked about experience of aboriginal peoples and the residential schools.  Someone thought he meant Aboriginals from Australia.  In that dude’s defense, most people outside Canada refer to the group of people here as Natives or Indians, not Aboriginals.

·         Next conference in Rio!! Brazil!  Viva la BRAZIIIIILLLLLLLL!!!

·         We’re invited – I feel special!  Too bad I’m a poor college student living off of loans and familial generosity.

·         Paper #1 – Presented by Dr. C in Finland – should probably have read it, but let’s be honest – I’m not being tested on it, and I really don’t care at this point.  Christmas Break Fevah STRIKES AGAIN!!

·         Western China – not as Chinese as Eastern China – lots of Muslims and non Han Chinese. 

·         China has a lot of people.  Really!  Huh.  You learn something new every day!

·         Eastern China is much more isolated.  I should have gone to China on the panda trips when I had the chance.  Now I will probably never get the opportunity.  LAME SAUCE!!

·         I miss Badger Springs.  I’d like to see what it’s like now with a different principal, and how the staff is dealing with it.

·         Okay, Dr. C, you promised J you’d let her speak her piece.  Maybe you should do that.  We don’t have any more classes, so you can’t make it up to her.

·         Oh, that’s mean.  (He was asking the student what she thought of and how she liked the paper that HE WROTE – like she’s gonna say she didn’t like it.)

·         Five key elements of curriculum reform in China –

o   Student centered teaching

o   Focus on democratic education by involving locals in decision making when it comes to curriculum

o   Address global education to foster international understanding of Chinese education

o   Concern about responsibility for environment and care for natural world

o   Move away from subject matter common knowledge; relate knowledge to life of individual students

·         Chinese education is generalist – make all students the same – get high marks and learn everything they should – highest achievement possible – ingrained in the culture – an A- is an Asian F!! (I didn’t say that, one of my Chinese classmates did).

·         They can be as high minded as they want about changing education, but you are dealing with cultural stereotypes that are ingrained in the majority of civilization.  Eventually, you will realize 

·         Students are obedient and listen.  Do not question the teacher.  Asking something not related is thought of as weird, stupid.  Teachers are honoured and unquestioned – authority.  Oh, would that I could be a teacher in China!

·         Teachers resisting the change to democratic teaching.  I don’t blame them.  Have very avaunt garde ideas about what a democratic classroom means, and trying to make it fit with ancient Chinese traditions.

·         Class size is very important; China has around 60 to 70 students in each class.  I changed my mind about wanting to be a teacher in China.  The private schools have around 35-40.  I will never complain about teaching a class of 30 ever again.  Okay, that’s probably a lie, but hopefully I will remember it could be a lot worse.

·         Maybe the reason teachers have to be considered the authority, and students are taught to listen and obey without question has something to do with how many students are in the class.  There’s a limit to how much you can get done when students won’t listen and decided to question your authoritah!

·         Changing who is in control is not always a good thing, and shouldn’t happen over night.  No sh*t, Sherlock.  Kind of like how OWS wants everything to change, but has no idea what they want to change to, or how to get there.  Okay, tangential rant over.

·         Funny how some people keep trying to tell the class how it is in China, and the Chinese students keep saying, um, noo....not really...

·         Certification = smartness in China.  So, the more certifications you have = the smarter you are.  Apparently, they don’t really talk to people with degrees, because I’ve met some doctors who are morons.

·         What happens to the students who have special needs?  Honestly, the LD students probably don’t even get an education, or identified as LD.  When anonymity and conformity is the goal, no parent is going to fight for their different child.

·         Chinese teachers work as a collective....”You will be assimilated.  Resistance is futile.”

·         I am not a robot!  I am a unicorn!!

·         And now we’re talking about the Cultural Revolution – I wondered when we’d bring Mao into it.  YES!! Thank you for bringing out the radical tone of the articles we read! 

·         New does not mean good.

·         ON TO GOUGH!!!

·         How do we understand other cultures in this globalized society in a way that is not exploitative, but communicative?

·         Transnational curriculum inquiry.

·         Emphasis on creating trans-nationalist spaces

·         Explore possibilities for teaching, learning and research beyond Australian nation.

·         Not sure what W is talking about, he’s kind of muttering – oh, polity – international polity > national polity, I guess...Aristotle?

·         W has a cool accent.   Mixing Iraqi with British – very fun to listen to. 

·         Polity = political system combining oligarchy and government by democracy – rule of those with property; majority of citizens have a share in government= middle class rule

·         All about balance in power; transfer balance of power into curriculum inquiry

·         Roots in Greek thought, Aristotelian paradigm compromise between oligarchy and democracy.  W is using big words I don’t know, and am too lazy to look up.

·         Global solidarity – yeah, like that will EVER happen.

·         Curriculum decision making is blurry; postcolonial views to the rescue!  But, wait, isn’t a postcolonial perspective EVIIILLLL?

·         Regulate research regularly

·         Now he’s bringing in Italian sociologists; cultural hegemony and hegemonic systems; certain values become common knowledge and people don’t question them; curriculum studies has become a hegemonic discourse; curriculum inquiry needs to intervene

·         He’s using big words again...I guess when you’re a professional student with multiple Master’s and Doctoral degrees, you get used to using big words and referencing obscure people...

·         One time, when W was in second grade, he recited a poem he wrote about Saddam Hussein, and he got a pin with Saddam’s face on it from Saddam himself, which he proudly wore until he was about twelve, and his father and uncle sat him down and gave him the business on what a horrible person Saddam was...good for them, and good for W for realizing it

·         What IS IAACS trying to do?  Better question: Do I care?  Answer: No.  No, I really, really do NOT care...oy vey.

·         L, I can’t hear you!  Speak up!

·         Rhubarb, rhubarb, rhubarb, watermelon, watermelon, watermelon...oh, wait, you say that in crowd scenes so it looks like you’re talking...I guess typing it out isn’t quite the same thing...

·         Oh, I crack myself up...and I can’t type for beans...backspace is my new BFF!

·         I’m tired.  And bored.  And cold.  Remind me...why do we need the AC in December, when it’s -3 outside and snowing?

·         I think I’m gonna post this to my blog...anyone intimidated by graduate school really, really shouldn’t be. 

·         We already know we need a large scale change to education as we know it; the problem is getting everyone to agree where the problems are, and what needs to be done to fix them.  Personally, I think we should start by getting rid of the Department of Education, and returning the control to the states.  Canada has their Education system set up that way (well, provincial control, they don’t have states here), and it’s working out better for them.  And they only have standardized tests every third year, or something like that.

·         Also, they have this nifty Bill 44 thingie, which states that parents are the primary educators, and have the ultimate responsibility and say in how their child is educated, and what they learn.  So if parents take issue with a curriculum topic, they can opt their student out.  We need that.  Badly.

·         Wow, that was phrased really awkwardly – “...adults use children as the outward projection of adult unrealized desires” – I think the point M’s making is parents try to get their kids to achieve the dreams the parents had for themselves, but the way it was phrased...awkward!

·         Young and old work together to teach each other – everything I know about life, I learned from Kindergarten.  No binary us vs them mindset.

·         What is all this for?  Why are we here?  What is the meaning of life...?

·         Oh, here we go.  Modern economies don’t want us to ask...conservatives are bad...le sigh...why do we seek for knowledge?  See, this is why I love the Gospel.  Because I can be a conservative, and believe in the pursuit of knowledge, and understand why I am here, and what I am doing, and where I am going.  And I understand that the pursuit of knowledge is means to an end, not an end itself.

·         Oh, shoot, here we go again, K and her incomprehensible accent, bless her, and her long, winding, tangential comments...le siiiiigggghhhh....I wanna go hoooommmme

·         D, if you don’t know how to say what you want to say, don’t say it.

·         See, the problem with open mindedness is eventually you lose hold of anything concrete, and then what do you have?  I’d rather cling to my close-minded concrete ways of thinking, absolute right and wrong and everything in between, and know where I stand and what I believe, rather than allow everyone else’s opinions and thoughts influence my own to the point where my open-mindedness leads to my brains falling out.

·         Please can we go now?

·         BIS-MIL-LAH!  NO!!! We will not let you go!

·         LET ME GOOO!!!

·         THANK YOU!!!

·         Final assignment: e-mail it to him.  Okay, thought we’d get a little more instruction than that...

·         Thanks for the offer of beer, Dr. C, but I’m outta here. (Class ended an hour early so everyone could go to the Faculty Lounge for drinks, and Dr. C offered to buy the beer.  I went home instead.)

Love Letters from the North

The Christmas season is officially upon us, and as I wander around this lovely city, I am filled with profound feelings of thanks, of brotherly (or sisterly) love, feelings which I can no longer hold inside of me.  In order to release the karmic goodness I am feeling inside, I have composed several small love notes, in the hopes that the addressees may feel some small part of my love for them as it is released into the universe. 

Dear #46 Bus Driver:

Thank you ever so much for always being late.  The schedule says you come at 4:13; you almost never come before 4:20.  This discrepancy in time always makes for a pleasant experience, because then I get to stand at the bus stop, reading my book, while the wind wends its whistling way through my jacket and scarf, until you show up.  The one time I tried to wait a little longer before going out to wait, you came right on time!  You sure got me then, you sneaky little devil!  I had to sprint across the street in boots, but that was okay, because I could call it exercise.  So thank you, #46 Bus Driver, for giving me the chance to shiver or sprint off those few extra calories every Tuesday and Wednesday.  What would I do without you?

Lately Yours,
Claire
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Dear University Station LRT Boarders,

Thank you, thank you, thank you, for giving me a true "public transit" experience every time I ride up to campus.  It makes me feel so loved and accepted, the way you all try to board the LRT before I step off - I feel like a real city girl now!  I had always wondered what it would be like to be trampled by a herd of stampeding bovines - I now feel as though I have a pretty good grasp on how it feels, so thank you for giving me that life experience.

Yours from the Floor,
MatWoman (a.k.a. Claire)

P.S. - And I'm sorry about all the times I used my elbows as weapons to clear a path off the train - it was an involuntary reflex of my sudden-onset claustrophobia.
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Dear Weather,

I will never forget the kindness you have shown me this past week.  I thought, after the -35 night we had, that you hated me.  I know I didn't feel kindly toward you at all.  The snow, the wind, the cold...it was just too much.  I know you wanted to give me a true Canadian winter experience, but it was a bit harsh for a poor little Cali girl like me.  Thank you for realizing that it was too much, too soon, and bringing the temperature back up to hover between 4 and -4.  I promise, now that I know what true cold feels like, I won't complain (much) about the lovely days you keep giving me.  Hugs and kisses if you can make it last until I go home!

Warmly Yours
Claire
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Dear Cats,

You guys are the best pets ever!  How did you know I wanted those earrings gone?  I was thinking, "Gosh, I sure do hate these little cz studs that I wear all the time.  If only they disappeared, I wouldn't feel like I had to wear them every other day," and you read my mind!  Thank you for stealing them off my bedside table and using them as a play toy while I was downstairs - if I'd seen you take them, I might have felt obligated to stop you.  I would only caution you - next time you steal my jewelry, make sure you dispose of it thoroughly - I found one earring and back at the foot of my bed.  If I hadn't, I might never have known what happened to them!

Yours in Affection,
Claire

P.S. - Good job on hiding the other one, though - I have no idea where it went, and I've looked all over!  You guys are good!
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Dear Honky-Tonk Ba-donk-a-donk,

Thank you for making pants shopping such a pain it the a- >a-hem<, bum.   I love the way you make it so, if pants fit me around the waist, they're too tight in the front because you pull them back so far, and when I go up a size to accommodate you, they fall off the minute I sit down.  It's been super fun trying to find pants that fit me properly and don't cost a boatload - impossible, actually!  But I do love a challenge!  So thanks for that!

Fittingly (or not) Yours,
Claire

P.S. - Sorry I keep trying to get rid of you.  But good job hanging on, despite my twelve pounds of lost weight!
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Dear Wells Fargo Dimwit Banker Lady,

Thank you for cancelling my debit card when I called to tell you to take the purchase shield charges off my account.  And thank you for lying to me and telling me it wouldn't take effect until I gave the submission go-ahead.  The fact that you don't know your own company's policies regarding cancelling a service makes me feel all warm and snuggly inside, secure in the knowledge that you are part of the company that manages my money.  Thank you for making it impossible for me to access the funds that my dad loaned me to see me through until I go home.  It's nice to have money in the bank, with absolutely no way to get it!  And tell your company thanks from me for taking their sweet time getting me a replacement card - it's made this past week really exciting!

Yours in Irritation,
Claire
P.S. - We'll talk more about those service charges later...

Happy American Thanksgiving!

Okay, so I was going to title this "Happy American Thanksgiving, Yo!" for some nice symmetry with my Canadian Thanksgiving post, but I'm afraid some members of my family might take exception to that, so I refrained.

I have seen the month of thanks everyone is doing on Facebook, and it gave me the idea of doing 30 things I'm thankful for in one swell foop. So, in no particular order of importance, here are 30 things I am grateful for at this point in my life.

1.  The Gospel (duh) - but really, nothing stretches you and makes you grow in your testimony than challenges and trials, and the past three months I've had many of them.  I have gained a deeper appreciation for Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ, the scriptures, President Monson, my local bishopric, and the power of prayer.  I hope the lessons stick.

2.  My family - here and at home.  I miss my family back home a lot, but the separation from them has been eased by the family I have up here - particularly Aunt Cath and Auntie Li and Uncle Walt.  I'm thankful for the chance I have to get closer to them, and how they take good care of me.  And my parents are rock stars, because at 28 I should be on my own and independent, but they continue to help me out in many different ways instead of telling me to grow up already.  Love them!  Also my siblings - we actually all like each other and like hanging out together, which is awesome!  And JD will be home when I get there!  Woo-hoo!

3.  My Land's End down stuffed jacket that's good to -35F.  It was -35C over the weekend - which translates to -31F.  I needed that sucker.

4.  Starbuck's peppermint hot cocoa.  Try it.  Love it.  Crave it.

5.  My agreeable, fuzzy heating pads who only occasionally try to kill me on the stairs.  Really, for cats, they are very chill, more like dogs.

6.  Facebook.  Laugh all you want, but that has become my free, direct line to knowing what's going on in people's lives back home, so I can make snarky comments on it.  Also, it's a great workaround for the international texting limit on my cell phone.

7.  My Es-cah-pay.  Fords are awesome, and my car is handling the cold like a champ.  I've outfitted her for it, but the -35C night happened before I got a block heater, and she started up anyway.  Good little car.

8.  The Walking Dead.  One of the few shows that's managed to keep my attention.

9.  CouchTuner free online TV.  All caught up on Psych and The Vampire Diaries - for free!

10.  Nice girls at church.  They make all the difference.

11.  My calling.  I play for the ward choir now (it's like deja vu all over again...).

12.  Supportive professors.  I've heard horror stories of evil and heartless university professors, but so far I haven't had one.  That could change...

13.  Ian Somerhalder and Wentworth Miller.  Their beauty just makes the world a better place.

14.  Mahjohng titans.

15.  The military.  I went to a Remembrance Day (that's Veterans' Day for the Yanks) ceremony at the Butterdome a couple of weeks ago.  Five minutes in and I was a snorfling mess.  They had vets from every conflict from World War II and up to the present.  It was very touching, and I think sometimes as Americans we forget that Canada has our back in war, but I was forcibly reminded of that fact, and I am grateful to ALL the vets in BOTH countries who have served to defend my freedoms.

16.  My boots.  They're pretty.  They keep my feet warm.  I just like them!

17.  Wonderful classmates who have become my friends, and have a lot of support, advice, and encouragement to offer.  Most of them are PhD students, so they know the ins and outs of Master's Degrees, and they are free with their wisdom.  And we all have good therapy venting sessions together.

18.  Choir opportunities.  I get to sing in a Messiah choir this year.  How cool is that?

19.  Bonding opportunities provided by video game playing.  Mock if you will, I'm stoked that my CoD crew will all be together when I get home.

20.  Public transit.  I walk out my door, across the street, and up three houses.  I get on the bus, ride for five minutes, get off the bus, walk across the street, board the LRT, ride it for fifteen minutes, get off, walk up and out, and about fifty feet to my building.  Don't have to worry about parking, traffic, snowy roads, none of it.

21.  Mobile technology - it's given me the foundation for my Master's project.

22.  My hair is finally long enough to style curly, and my fauxllet is less noticeable.

23.  Contact lenses.  My eyesight is so bad, my glasses are practically coke-bottle thickness.  Thankfully, I have eyes that will accept contact lenses.

24.  Books.  Do I need to explain?

25.  Music.  (See above.)

26.  Pepperoni pizza.  One of mankind's greatest innovations.

27.  Indoor heating.  Once again, -35C over the weekend.  How people survived up here BEFORE indoor heating, I do not know.  I'm just grateful I wasn't one of them.

28.  M is almost done renovating the basement.  Hallelujah!

29.  SnorgTees and their awesome t-shirt designs.  I have them as a scrolling background on my lappy, and watching them during class makes the time go by faster - and provides entertainment for those sitting nearby.  It's the little things.

30.  I get to go home for Christmas - 2 1/2 more weeks!

HAPPY THANKSGIVING!!

Crazy Cat Lady

Today as I was sitting down to read my book, I politely inquired of Gus whether he would like to be my lap cat for the evening (he did).  As he got comfortable, the variably-named-little-girl cat (no name has stuck so far) jumped up, and I informed her that, while she was welcome to sit on my lap, it was Gus' turn for pats, so she had to wait.  Upon reflecting for a moment that I had just spoken to both of my cats with more civility than I normally afford actual human beings, I realized something.

I am becoming the crazy cat lady.

You know the one.  She's the nice lady who lives down the street, gives out lots of candy on Halloween, doesn't have children (or they're grown), who starts off with a couple of cats she refers to as her children, speaks to them like they actually understand her, talks about them for hours with anyone who will listen, has all sorts of photos of her cats...next thing you know, she's hoarding feral cats, living in a bath robe and slippers, and refusing to answer the door because one of her babies might escape.

While I haven't quite descended that far into madness, I have come to realize that I fulfill a good portion of the criteria:

1. I gave out handfuls of candy at Halloween - we had a lot, and there weren't a lot of kids out that night, I was trying to get rid of it.

2. I have no children...yet...

3. I spend most of my days, not in a bathrobe, but in my sweats and slippers (it's cold here).

4. I have to be very careful answering the door, because the cats are convinced that outside is a veritable Xanadu of wonders and delights, and Gus has already escaped 3 times (just to the porch, but still...)

5. I can talk about the cats for a long time..."They're so cute!  And they love to snuggle!  And they're so funny!  And they hardly ever meow!...."

6. I speak to the cats as though they understand me - "I'm going downstairs now, want to come?" "I could use a lap cat right now, are you interested?" "Please refrain from sticking your claws in my pants, thankyouverymuch" etc, etc.

7. I have a LOT of pictures of my cats.  I doesn't help that my cell phone has a good camera on it, because when I see the cats in a funny position, or looking particularly adorable, I have to document it.  Now, I'm going to share them with you.  Enjoy!

A lap full of cuteness...until they start fighting.

Even the variably named little girl cat knows General Conference is important (this was the first day we had them, too).

I don't understand the fascination with the tub...but they only want to get in right after someones gotten out, and it's all wet...I thought cats hated water?

If they're not at my door, they're at Cathie's.

Preferred perch atop the piano.

They REEEEEEALLY want to go outside...

Okay, the angle stinks here, but Gus is drunk-slumped against the wall, sound asleep.  You'll notice his hind leg is falling off the step.

Aww, sleepy kitties are so CUTE!  Especially when they make little smacking noises like they're nursing!

I don't have a cat, I have a fur rug that occasionally moves of its own volition.

Maybe it's the enclosed space she likes?

I was not the only one concerned about yesterday's snowfall.

I kid you not, this is her preferred holding position.  I try to hold her normally, and she flips upside down and stretches out.  I tuck her up under my arm in a football carry, and she just hangs, totally relaxed, until I put her down.  I don't get it.

It doesn't help that, until I get my citizenship, I have no job, and lots of free time.  I spend a lot of time at home, with the cats.  And they are sweet cats, very personable but quiet - they seriously hardly ever meow at all, highly unusual, and still spend a good deal of time sleeping, which they are happy to do on your lap or feet, if you need a mini heater.  But I'm starting to wonder if all this quality cat time is slowly driving me insane...

Now if you'll excuse me, the variably named little girl cat is requesting some snuggle time.



Alright, Fine, O-KAY!!

I realize it's been a while since my last post - nearly a month - and I can only plead excessive schoolwork and poor time-management on my part.  I'll try to be better, but don't hold your breath.

A little FYI: typing up a literature review on Halloween night - very stupid.  Stupid, stupid Claire, with the bad planning and everything, and of course, just as I get a good rhythm going...trick-or-treaters.  POOR PLANNING!  Anyway...

I've tried to hold off writing this post.  It's been rolling around my brain for about a week, but I didn't want to admit weakness.  I tried to be strong, to not whine, to have a stiff upper lip and all that...but I can no longer deny the truth.

I'm freezing up here.

What, you didn't hear that?

I'm freezing up here.

C'mon, you must have heard that!

Alright!  Fine!  O-KAY!  I'M FREEZING UP HERE!!!  You were all RIGHT, and I am a WUSS, and silly for coming up here in the winter, and I will proclaim it loudly to all and sundry that I was dumb, just make December 12th get here so I can come home and thaw!!!

In other news, it is currently -14 C outside (that's 6 F for you Yanks), and the projected high for tomorrow is -18 C with a low of -29 C (that would be 0 and -20 F).  Did I mention it's been snowing all day?  Because it has.  Lots and lots of snow - except according to Cathie, this isn't that much snow.  It seems like a lot to me.  This is on top of the light dustings of snow we got last week that did not melt AT ALL, so the new snow is just piling on top.  I supposed I should be grateful it's powdery dry snow, but I'm not quite to that place emotionally yet.  I was lying awake at about 7:30 this A.M., debating whether I was ready to get up, or sleepy enough to roll back over and doze off, when my dear sweet friend J, who delivers papers, felt the need to inform me that it was going to snow all day, and have really bad wind, a message he concluded with "So prepare for winter in Edmonton!".  I don't think it's possible to fully prepare for Edmonton winter, not for this CA girl, at least.  Oh, I've got snow tires (thanks, Uncle Walt!), and an appointment for a block heater for my car, and a parka good to -35 F (thanks, Aunti Li for telling me to get one, and thanks, Daddy, for buying it!).  I even have TWO pairs of boots, my Uggs from UT (thanks, Mum!) and my birthday boots (thanks, Cath!).  I have scarves, and mittens, and gloves, and even a couple of beanies (thanks, Michael, for letting me steal one of the Army beanies Eric gave you!).  So physically, I am prepared.  It's the whole mental/emotional area where I am unprepared.  Seriously, I don't think it's really possible.  It's worse when you're told that the REAL cold comes AFTER the snow...I dimly recall some of that from my BYU days, but it wasn't cold on this level, not really.

It's really, really cold here.  Did I mention that?

Also, the dry powdery snow that seems to be standard fare here is different from what I am used to in UT.  The snow in Provo wasn't super wet, but it was wetter than here, it melted fairly quickly, and I never had trouble telling the difference between the road and the sidewalk there.  Here, everything's just WHITE, and you have to be very careful to drive where you see tire tracks, because odds are that's the road, but on some side streets it's touch and go because there's little traffic, and the snow fills in the tire tracks quickly, which wouldn't matter if the sidewalks were all raised up high like back home...but they're NOT.  I went visiting teaching tonight...and I drove.  It was an adventure, thankfully not one that involved damage to objects, but it was close.

Also, I'm cold.  In case you were wondering.

But I think I figured out why everyone drinks coffee at U of A, or at least a factor of it.  Starbucks cups are not well insulated, and even with the cardboard slipcovers, your hands heat up fast.  So if you forget your gloves, or don't want to mess with them, you can pick up a nice hot coffee and get a handwarmer!  I know this because I discovered Starbucks' peppermint hot chocolate, which is almost nuclear when I get it, and I figure the coffee is of a similar temperature.  I am fast becoming addicted to it, it's so yummy, and I not only get a handwarmer, but I blend in and disappear, fitting in so comfortably with the college crowd that I feel like an undercover spy, because I, too, have a Starbucks cup in my hands.

I think the cold may be affecting my brain.  I told you it's cold here, right?  Like, freezing?  Actually, technically, below freezing?  Because it is.  Thought I should mention it.

It's so cold here, I've actually broken my cardinal rule of never allowing the cats to sleep on my bed, because when they do, they make it nice and warm, and then I kick them out right before climbing under the covers.  I draw the line at allowing them to sleep in here all night, but I will shamelessly exploit them for heating-pad purposes.  Because it's cold.

Need proof?  These pictures show the same creek, less than a month apart.

This is October 17, 2011

This is November 14, 2011, and does not show all the snow we got today.

And finally, the view from my window this morning, at the start of the barrage...

and now...

you'll notice my parking place is completely gone now.

Aaand, it's still snowing...>SIIIIIGGGHHHH< it's gonna be a long, looooonnnnnggggg, LOOOOOOOOOONNNGGGG winter................>sniffle<





Happy Canadian Thanksgiving, eh!

So, Canadian Thanksgiving was a couple of weeks ago (on Columbus Day), and I have been remiss in posting.  I'll try to catch up quickly....(right).

We (Cathie, Lilas, Walter, and I) decided to head up to Dawson Creek, B.C. (yes, that is the REAL name of the town) to have Thanksgiving with my cousins Andy and Jamie, and their two girls, Tamsen and Rowan.  Cathie and I took her cute little zoomy Mazda RX-8, which aspires to be a James Bond car when it grows up.  It's about a six hour drive to Dawson Creek, through some of the most gorgeous country I have ever seen - part of it on the Alaskan Highway - really. 

Driving up, it was a beautiful sunny day, and the leaves on the trees were stunning - evergreens mixed in with this almost highlighter yellow color of the....not evergreens, and don't ask me what they were.  Of course, on the drive up I didn't have my phone near me, so I didn't take any pictures.  On the drive back, I took pictures, but it was a gloomy day, so the leaves didn't look as cool.  But here are a couple three of my best efforts to show the amazing fall colors up here:

Seriously, they don't even come close to doing it justice, but that's what I got so far.  Beautiful country up here in the fall.  The drive was six hours, so nothing too terrible, and we arrived at the Best Western in Dawson Creek without incident.  And now, I'd like to take a moment to sing the praises of the Dawson Creek Best Western, in the style of Buddy the Elf:  It's amazing!  It's so cute, and they'd decorated for Halloween!  They served REAL continental breakfast there - I made myself REAL waffles with their easy-to-use-if-you're-literate waffle irons and batter machine!  They had lots of different cereals, fresh fruits, yogurt, pastries (fresh ones, not those horrible pre-packaged ones everyone else serves), a bunch of different milks, juices, cocoa - so good!  And the receptionist was nice!  And the room was nice!  And the towels were fluffy!  The only thing I hated was the hide-a-bed!  And it was only for two nights, so it wasn't a big deal!  And I love them, I love them, I loooo-OOOOVE THEM!  Okay, I'm done.

After dropping our stuff at the hotel, we headed over to Andy's house.  I admit, it was awkward at first for me, because I've only met Jamie and the girls once before.  Jamie is always sweet, no weirdness there, but the girls, I think, weren't sure what to make of me.  Rowan got over it the quickest, bless her little three year old self, and showed me how she could jump from stone to stone in the garden without touching the dirt.  So cute!  Things got better when Evan (the son of a friend who's staying with Andy and Jamie) started showing me his longest-play-doh-snake-in-the-world.  Then there was a little piano playing, some shared kitty and puppy loves, and everything was good. 

The decision was made to go to Tony Roma's for dinner (it's next to the hotel), and while I normally support anything to do with Tony Roma's, I have to say, if what we got in D.C. is indicative of what is served at most Tony Roma's, it's no wonder they're closing all over the place.  Not great.  Not even good.  But the company and conversation were excellent, so I survived.  Then it was time to retire for the evening, except for me that was postponed as I worked on school assignments.  It's been a long time since I had to do school work on a holiday weekend.  I forgot how much I hate it.  Anyways...

Sunday, we went to the D.C. ward with Lilas, Andy, and Rowan (poor Tamsen wanted to come, but she was getting over a cold).  It was a nice meeting, a little different - half talks, half testimony meeting - but I realized, as I listened to the little girl in front of me throw fit after fit about not getting her way, that I am turning into a curmudgeon.  I'll have to work on that. 

After church, Cathie decided she needed a better coat because the wind in D.C.?  She is very chilly and strong.  Santa Anas ain't got nothin' on D.C. wind, nu-uh.  So we changed, headed over to Wally World, and ended up getting a bunch of paper, markers (including window writers) and soda.  We headed from there to Andy and Jamie's, where our gifts of paper and markers were well received by the children, and I spent the next couple of hours coloring.  I love coloring!  It's so relaxing. 

See?  Don't I look relaxed?

When coloring ceased to be a distraction, Cathie and I bundled up the girls and ourselves and took a walk.  We ended up at a park next to a school, which had, miracle of miracles, a merry go round!  One of those old metal beasts that you just can't find anywhere anymore.  So of course, we had to play on it.

This is Rowan.  Not bad, considering she was spinning at the time.

And here's Tamsen, holding back her bangs which were whipping in the wind.

Aw, look at these cute girls!

There was also a corkscrew slide, which Rowan and I went down together (twice) with mixed results.  The second time we stuck the landing...the first time, I fell over and took her with me.  Thankfully, I was the one with the camera...but after the giant tire tried to eat Rowan, we decided to head back to the house.

Back inside, we had Fred Penner sing-a-long time, with Cathie standing in as Fred on the guitar.  Then we played I Spy with the I Spy book.  It became very intense, and took all four of us concentrating very hard to find everything.

Where is that darn seahorse?

Found it!

Then, it was time for dinner.  Thankfully, Canadian Thanksgiving dinner is pretty traditional, what with the turkey, stuffing, potatoes, carrots, etc.  I had to square off with Uncle Walt about the beets, though - he felt I needed some.  I disagreed.  After dinner came dessert, pumpkin pie with more whip cream than pie - then only proper way to eat it, according to Andy (I agree).  Then, we watched Megamind on Floyd's (Andy's friend) iPad, and a bunch of the BBC talking animal voiceovers off YouTube (random, but SOOOOO FUNNY!). 

Overall, it was a great experience, and I am glad I got to spend Thanksgiving with my Canadian family.  It was a little weird, coloring Halloween pictures on Thanksgiving, but it was a fun time.  And I made friends with two adorable little girls, and hopefully they remember me the next time I go up there.  Happy Canadian Thanksgiving, eh!