Tuesday, December 26, 2006

More Blog tagging:

Due to pressure from Emma Duncan who tagged me here you go 5 things you may or may not know about me...

1. When I was a wee kid I had to have my shoe laces pulled so tight that it would either cut the circulation off to my feet or leave lace marks on my feet. Both feet also had to be of equal tightness. Many shoe laces were snapped trying to accomplish this, we also discovered that velcro didnt help.

2. I at a very young age I refused to wear any kind of pink, lacy or dress like clothes or played with any form of dolls. I did ask for a wheel barrow for my third birthday so I could follow dad about the garden.

3. Once at North Rugby club [now Belfast Harlequins] I went to visit Santa and received a handbag and beaded necklace and bracelet, I wasn’t pleased with this even more so when my brother appeared out with a racing car. I balled my eyes out until my dad went in and asked if they would change my girl present to a boy one!

4. My brother and I used to have a radio station called Bluebell FM. In which my brother used to walk through the fields around our house with a bit of metal for a microphone. Called bluebell fm due to a tunnel full of trees and bluebells.

5. When my brother and I were wee and my younger twin cousins used to come and stay some weekends we used to take a twin each and “train” them, we were their coaches and make them fight each other, and got cross when they got didn’t comply with the game or got upset if they were losing and my brother and I used to fight over who got which twin.

I tag Dan Weekes and Paul Coles.

Sunday, December 24, 2006

Home

I have been home now for a week and a half and I have to say I did love Canada but didn’t realise how much I love/missed home. Its hard to beat a good home cooked Sunday lunch or having the freedom to jump in your car and go somewhere at the drop of a hat or go to church where you know people, or have a shower with water pressure or to sleep in your own bed or have a washing machine in your house, or not having to pay tax on everything you buy or friends that you’ve known for years or to not have to wrap up in 5 layers before you leave the house so you don’t freeze to death and you certainly can not beat the Northern Irish banter even with a big stick!!

So… to stay in Northern Ireland or return to Canada for a while longer that is the question?!

Monday, December 11, 2006

Scrubing, Ladies night & nearing the end

Work finished 2 weeks ago and we spent a few days earning extra cash cleaning the indoor climbing wall which meant taking down all the holds, scrubing them clean them and putting up new routes. Was good craic its not often we all get to work together at one project we’re usually spilt up into 2 or 3. We set up a projector and screen and had a Harry Potter marathon [not my choice of movies don’t see what the fuss is]. While we were working on the climbing wall it started to snow and continued to snow until at times we had knee deep snow! You may think this sounds great and in part it is when it looks like bits of glitter are falling and the ground is all sparkles and the silence and peacefulness it seems to create but then comes slipping and sliding everywhere, pushing cars out and getting huge chucks of snow thrown at you not to mention the bitter coldness of it all. We had our staff retreat last week it was good craic and we got lots of free stuff. The first night we had a fancy formal so everyone had to dress up in silly outfits and we had an awards ceremony. I won an award called ‘Learn’ which was pretty surprising as I’ve been at the woods 3 months. In short the award is for putting into action skills, abilities that I’ve learned at the Woods and things that the Woods can benefit from. With the award came a $50 meal voucher which has already come in handy. Everyone also won ‘best awards’ like best hair, best laugh and best car salesman etc some were pretty funny I got best friend. We had speakers in the next day and that night was girls and guys night. The guys decorated an area like a posh restaurant put on suits and served the girls a 6 course meal the food was amazing!! The next day was a look back at the past year at Muskoka Woods and a look to the future was really good to see the ministry in full and explained- there is so much going on and is all very encouraging. Was great to be away with everyone and to met and hang out with all the staff in the Toronto office. On Friday Lindsay and I scored a lift down to Toronto I’m staying at her house until I fly home. Have been shopping and the cinema twice [don’t get to go much at the woods] Just back from an hour and a half run you may think I’m exaggerating but I kid you not! I should also say I some what tricked/lied to about the length of the run by my good friend Lindsay Ball! Can't believe my 3 months in Canada are nearly up!

Here’s to five alive in a tin, mastering the art of lighting a match from my zip and almost mastering lighting one with my teeth, “What are we going to do tonight? – Same thing we always do… try to take over the world!”, Building my own mouse trap, getting the van stuck in the mud, “It really is super good!” Alias Saturday, the dvd/thinking bed, winter snowy walks, “Aaron is this a word…?”, fake teeth, “We’ve destroyed you!”, Kenny vs Spenny, “and id like a pet puppy but not a normal puppy I want one that does tricks!”, skittle juice, “agreed”, mastering proper layering to stay warm, “Oh my guudness!!”, learning how to efficiently plunge a toilet, spotting a skunk, “Brutal and super sketchy!”, playing take 2 for hours on end, “Why don’t you get another bowl of soup?- Why because I didn’t like the first bowl!?”, “you wouldn’t, you couldn’t, you shouldn’t… DON’Y DO IT!”, “Awk noy”, “Look another dolls head!, if these were real this would be a very bad day!”, "SERIOUSLY!" and to Lindsay’s head bob after she eats!

Pictures: On the top left we have Yetunde and myself, followed by a our ladies night, then the Squirral that had been feeding from our bin. Down the right side is Lindsay and myself! Check out Lindsays amazing knitted green dress!!- I kid you not!!