Not so free wifi

Well this is going to be a speedy post because I paid 5 dollars for an hour of wifi and time is running out. Disneyland has been amazing and I'm keeping an old fashioned (hand written) journal so I will do multiple posts recapping the magic.
Plus, pictures. I've been taking those.

Free airport wifi

What I really should have called this blog is "all the places you can find free wifi in the modern world". We have made our way through customs. I am currently sitting on the ever so comfortable seats that are provided for us, wondering why the nice air Canada people have the door to the outside open. That crisp air is doing a fine job at waking me up.

Last night sleep was a difficult task. Five really excited, former theatre students in one room did not bode well for slumbering.

Starting in California I'm going to try to start eating healthier. So far I've only consumed food with zero nutritional value. Not on purpose, but that almond croissant looked so yummy. It wasn't. Airport food has this magical quality where it looks edible but tastes like cardboard. Much like hospital food.

Might as Well

Might as well right a blog post while wifi is available (and free!) even if there isn't really anything of interest to report.

I would like to thank the Comfort Inn for providing us with enough room so I could have my own bed. It may be a (not so comfortable) pull out, but I know I will slumber much better if I am not worried about open mouth breathing in someone's face. Or, saying something embarrassing in my sleep. Both of these have occurred more than once.

The journey to our fine airport hotel went by quickly. How could it not, especially when you have five theatre kids belting out Disney songs the whole way? I mean, that may not be everyone's cup of tea but I sure had a nice time.

Tomorrow morning we leave for the airport at dawn. THEN DISNEYLAND HAPPENS!

Tonight, We Ride.

I'm not sure how it happened, but my "Disneyland Countdown" went from being like 55 days to WE ARE LEAVING TODAY! We actually fly out tomorrow morning, but we are staying in a hotel tonight so it is basically today.

Yesterday was Christmas, in case you all were wondering. I had a wonderful time. It even snowed! I've had very few white Christmases, so it was special. Santa spoiled me. I must have been well behaved this year or something.

Packing has not been going as quickly or as efficiently as I would have hoped. This is evident by the fact that I am sitting in my living room writing a blog entry instead of finishing up. I'm close though. Definitely close to being done the whole packing thing. I have clean underwear. Which is most important. WAIT, NO! NEED TO GRAB MY PASSPORT!

And books. I have no idea what books I should bring. I have about 50 that I want to read... That is too many, right? I could always buy a book there if I read the ones I bring. Or read on my phone, as I have books downloaded onto that as well. AHHHHH.

I need my chargers. Yes, charging my electronics is very important. WHAT ELSE? OH GOD. I better go. Okay. Packing. Finishing of the packing. Doing it. Going. Making it happen. Leaving my computer. Now. RIGHT NOW.

All Graduated and Everything

Well, I did it. Five and a half years, an unspeakable amount of money owed to the government, and more than one tear shed... I graduated. I passed. My university feels as though I am fit to teach children.
Doesn't feel real. Probably because I'm still living as though I am a student. Perhaps I'll feel like a grown up after I get my first paycheck?

The Aftereffects of my Napping Addiction

Three hour naps are not good for my social life.

I'm supposed to be at an authors group at this very moment. I know what you are thinking, "authors? When did she become an author?" Well, mostly I go for the tea and company. I have always loved to write, hence why I keep this silly little blog going. Who doesn't have a half finished tome saved somewhere on their computer? I have a few, to be honest. They are located under funny little filenames like "I'm writing a book!" or "Stuff I do instead of homework!" or "This is rubbish!"...

Back to the whole issue of napping though. I was exhausticated (that isn't a real word) at work today and when I got home I climbed into bed and immediately fell into a comatose state until 6:58pm, two minutes before I was due to arrive at said writers group. I then was famished as napping is hard work and needed to eat dinner. At this very moment I'm supposed to be lesson planning for my very full day tomorrow. I need to make a priority list, and force myself to do only the things at the very top of said list. That way I won't end up distracted on social media and stay up late AGAIN.

The list will go as follows:

1. Get off of blog
2. Go get school bag from living room
3. Open math book
4. Stare at math book for 15 minutes
5. Write math lesson
6. Take out Socials work
7. Write Socials lesson in 1/3rd of the time it takes to write math lesson
8. Panic that I am forgetting something
9. Give up on remembering what I've forgotten
10. Read and then sleep

Artist Friend

My friend Richard now has a brilliant etsy shop because he is incredibly talented and wonderful. He is a carver, and if I had any money that didn't have to go back to the government in a few months, I would buy something from him.

Click here to check it out. Just a preview:

COOL HEY?!

Microscopes and Books

Long weekends result in short work weeks--meaning it is already Friday night and I have no idea how that happened.
Not that I'm complaining.

This week was filled with new and exciting teaching experiences for me. First of all, I took my grade six class into the senior school to conduct a microscopic experiment. I do have to admit, I was slightly terrified they would somehow find the chemicals and blow something up. I even made them sign a contract basically selling their souls to me before I would allow them to enter the lab. Turns out there was just the right amount of intimidation involved with travelling into the senior school that they were both excited, and well behaved. I had all types of comments, one of my favourites being "OH. MY. GOD. You HAVE to come look at this. Wicked. Wicked. SO wicked." This was uttered out of one of the boys in my class that doesn't usually participate too much in class discussion. He wanted to show me the slide of onion skin because he could see the cellular make up. I found it a) awesome he was so engaged and b) hilarious because I planned the lesson so I had already looked at all the slides.
It was also fun because due to my small amount of experience with microscopes I seemed to be able to find the specimen when kids were having trouble. I felt like a hero, swooping in to refocus the magnification to reveal something they had never seen before. I spent a lot of the class gloating "Yes, yes, children. I know I'm the best scientist in the world. Do try to keep your admiration to a minimum. I will sign your homework later."

Have I mentioned I am reading "Hannah and the Spindle Whorl" to the class? It is perfect for them as it centres around this 12 year old girl living in British Columbia. It is relevant, funny and the kids seem to really connect with the characters. I've been told that it is their "NEW FAVOURITE BOOK" and the "BEST BOOK EVER" and "SO FUNNY". Though they may be slightly hyperbolizing their immediate love for the book (they started saying these things after reading like 2 chapters) they do seem to genuinely enjoy it when I read. The book really is wonderful, so that helps.

If I haven't suggested this book as a good read, I would like to remedy that horrible oversight and do so now. It is truly a wonderful read that provides such a vivid picture of the West Coast of Canada. The 12 year old voice of Hannah is captured perfectly, and I'm so looking forward to reading the sequel. So are my students, it would seem.

Another book I've read recently that was quite enjoyable was also by a Canadian author. "Crystal Promise" is a urban fantasy novel. I shall try not to give too much away, but one of the things that I really loved about the novel was the fact that it was primarily character driven. Those are the kind of fantasy reads I like best. I am able to engage in the world and the way in which society functions within that world if I am attached to the characters. Basically, I have to want to play the game in order to follow the rules. Some fantasy/sci-fi books tell you the rules of the novel's universe before they have you hooked in any way. For me, those ones end up in the donation bin. I finished "Crystal Promise" in two days. I couldn't stop reading until one conflict or another was resolved. Read more about this novel on amazon, and then I suggest you buy it. Click here to be directly taken to the website.

I suppose that is all I have to say for this fine evening. The book I'm currently reading is part of the "Fablehaven" series, which are meant for 10-15 year olds. I pretend I read them for the sake of recommending them to children, but really I just like.

Long Weekend Laziness

Long weekends are most delightful. Here I am, sitting in bed, while my brother and dad are off to work. I know it's not very nice, but there is something satisfying in that.
I'm not even sure the last time I wrote. I'm completely aware I could go look at my last post, however in the spirit of long weekend laziness I'm not going to.
School has been amazing. I'm two weeks into teaching and I've honestly loved every minute of it. There was this one math lesson I would rather not speak of, but other than that working at the school has been a dream. I'm already attached to the students and the staff. I now would love more than anything to be hired there in January. It would be so nice to work at a school I know with kids I know and actually make money teaching.
Disneyland is slowly creeping closer. I have to say that I'm far too excited for my own good. I fear I may get overstimulated upon arrival to the park and trample some small child in pursuit of Mickey Mouse. That would not look good.

Front page

I made it to the front page of etsy!! YIPPEEEEE!!


This is the listing here.

And this shows the treasury here!

Captains Log

Captains Log:
The crew has abandoned me. They say that they will be back. Brother said "they had to" and Dad said something about "work". But I know the truth, they are saving themselves. I've officially been placed in Quarantine. I know the signs.
Strange things have been happening to me. Vivid dreams I cannot explain. My only thought is they must be induced by the consumption of NyQuil. I would give it up, but I'm afraid that the little green capsules are my only solace.
Who knows how long I'll be here? Who knows who will read this? I imagine my bones being discovered millions of years from now, illuminated by the faint glow of my laptop.
Mac's have really great battery life.
I suppose I should not despair. Perhaps the worst is behind me. I do seem to be capable of breathing out of my left nostril. This could be a sign of recovery.
I must resolve to keep going. As they say "drink lots of fluids, and get plenty of rest"... I'll try. If not, this Captain will go down with its ship.

The Ability to Breath and the Other Things I Took For granted When IHad My Health

As day 3 of being sick in bed comes to a close, I cannot help but wonder--shall my health ever return? It is hard to remember what life was like when I could breathe out of my nose. Ah, the good old days.
In all seriousness though, I really want to be better so I can get to teaching. I'm suppose to start tomorrow but with the blessing of both my sponsor teacher and my supervisor, I'm staying home.
I suppose another day of bizarre NyQuil induced dreams and books for preteens it is. I also spend a lot of time on etsy and Pinterest looking at things I cannot buy.
I did splurge and purchase a boxed set of the book series "Fablehaven" which is written for the age group 9-15 year olds. I, at 23, find them delightful. The Percy Jackson series is shaping up to be quite enjoyable as well. I keep telling myself I read them so I can chat with the kids but that is only half true. They bring me joy. Deep down I'm just a 12 year old badly dressed preteen with thick eyebrows and no boobies that believes in magic and secretly thinks there is a possibility Santa is real.
Speaking of Santa! Christmas is on its way! I know I know.... Halloween blah blah blah. I think I'm kind of like a department store in that I start preparing for one holiday before the other is even finished.
Anyways, before I start sounding like a crazy person high on cough syrup (or is it too late?) I'm going to leave and fall into a slumber. Goooooooodniiiiiiiiiiiiight Neverland!

NyQuil and Cuddles Cure Everything

My immune system is not as steeled to kid germs as those teachers that have been working for years. I fear the cough, sneeze and sniffle. Rightly so, it would seem. I've come down with the plague. I laid in bed all today as a result. I was supposed to teach a class at the rec centre this weekend and have had to call in.
I am not an incredibly touchy person. I suppose it depends on the situation. That being said, when I come down with even the mildest of colds, all I want to do is cuddle. I think it is a case of wanting what you can't have. And I certainly do want a hug, and soup.
My dad did bring me home raspberry ginger ale. He is a good man.
Other than this not so unexpected illness, things are pretty darn good. I'm settling in nicely at my practicum school. The kids are awesome (their germs are not) and I begin actually teaching on Monday which I am thrilled about. I was almost getting bored with all the observation. Though it is cool to see my sponsor teacher work.
Did I mention she has a Scottish accent? It is delightful.
My etsy team (etteam) has asked it's members if they would like to write any blog posts for us. That blog has 900 plus followers, which is a bit more of an audience than this little guy has. I attempted to begin a post and got shy. If anyone wants to check out that blog go to etsytreasuryteam.blogspot.com
Perhaps I will give writing a post another shot tomorrow. What with the fact that it is highly likely I will be spending it in bed with only books and tea to keep me company. Though I love my books, they don't cuddle very well.
Maybe my cat will grace me with his presence. Only on his terms, of course. I would cuddle my dog except she is very very smelly. Like fish and poop. She is still cute though, despite being roughly 900 years old in doggy age.
The NyQuil appears to be working its sweet, sweet magic. Thank goodness for modern medicine.
Night, y'all.

The Art of Procrastination

I am very skilled in the art of procrastination. The process involves making a list of things to do, going from most important to least important and then working my way from the bottom of the list to the top.

For example, writing this blogpost is at the very very bottom of my list. In fact, it shouldn't even be on my list. It should be on my "things I do that aren't helpful to my future in any way possible" list.

I'm not even dressed for the day. It is 12:30 in the afternoon and I'm currently sitting her in my housecoat. I'll probably succumb to a nap fairly soon as well.

The things I DO need to complete are as follows, I must write four lesson plans, one unit plan and an "assessment overview". Though, because these things are not due until Monday morning, the pressure is not quite enough to kick my butt into gear.

I'll probably finish the book I'm reading instead.

On a similar note, math planning is my nemesis. I hope that teaching math will go better than the planning has. I've stared at the math textbook for many-an-hour to no avail. It isn't even hard; that isn't the problem. It is that I find it painfully boring. I should have done it first and gotten it out of the way. But no, instead I finished every other unit plan I needed to and left math for the bitter end. And I do mean bitter.

I'm housesitting tonight so hopefully seclusion will help in the process.

In other news, Christmas is approaching nice and quick. I'm going to try to get some new etsy items up (ornaments etc) in order to boost my sales. We will see how it goes, if not I'll just hang the dang things on my own tree.

I'm also participating in the National Novel Writing Month (as I don't have enough to do already) if you want to check that out click here.

That is all for today. My math book is staring at me.... Perhaps I will open it and try again.

Working Hard for No Money

With my first week of practicum officially behind me, I am that much closer to graduation. Decidedly more important though, I am that much closer to going to Disneyland.
There were many wonderful things that occurred last week. For one, I met some really awesome kids. Two, my sponsor teacher has helped me immensely already. Three, they feed me lunch every day and there is free coffee in the staff room. This is very important to me as I love both food, and coffee.
I also get to teach some pretty awesome material. I'm not sure if I'm more excited about the fact that I am doing a language art unit on a book authored by a good friend of mine OR that I am teaching about Cambodia and Asia. Any excuse to talk about the trip in 2011 (was it really that long ago?) is good for me.
I'm reading a Percy Jackson novel now as per request of my students. I'm told it is da bomb.
I got to go to music class with the students as well and sing lion king songs. Not even coffee cheers me up like a lion king song.
Anyways I figured I would give a brief update on everything that is practicum. Now I must slumber.

Quarter Life Crisis

It has happened. I've moved home to live with my Father and Brother. I couldn't put it off any longer. I finished the classroom portion of my degree and there was nothing I could do about it.
There are bonuses to living at home. The groceries, for example. There are also down sides to living at home. My brother eating all the groceries, for example.
Apparently living away from home for five and a half years means you accumulate some stuff. Now, I'm trying to fit all of that stuff into my box of a bedroom. I'm starting to forget what my floor looked like. But hey, at least I can't see the dustbunnies any more.
Planning for my practicum has begun. This, I am excited about. January, when I'm unemployed, 23 and living at home--I am not excited about. But let us take one step at a time.
I have a grade six class at a private school. This will be VERY different from my last practicum. Which is a good thing. It is important to vary ones experience.
I started writing a book. Perhaps this is why I haven't been writing many blog posts. Of course I always seem to have a half finished novel on the go, so really it should make no difference.
I get to teach my friends book for a novel study in my class. This, ladies and gentlemen, is really really cool. A) Because it is a good book and B) Because I get to bring in the author and be all like "This is my friend, she wrote a book". Click here for a link to Hannah and the Spindle Whorl.
Anyways, I am going to try to have a little nap. But before I do, I would like to say that I AM EATING TURKEY TONIGHT! It is Canadian Thanksgiving. Turkey is my favourite. In a couple of hours I shall be bursting with turkey goodness and it shall be delightful.

Flow

I write a lot. Whether it is journal entries, my attempt at the next best seller, school work or on here, I tend to have an affection for expressing myself through the written word.
I even write bad poetry. That is how dedicated I am.
Will it ever go anywhere? Hard to say. My greatest dream is to be "discovered" and hired to keep a travel blog as I get paid to explore strange and exotic places. This greatest dream is placed with my other greatest dreams like becoming a (paid) actress. Or eating whatever I want and not gaining any weight. That too, is a dream.
Anyways, it isn't really that I wish to have any of my work go down in history or be recognized as genius. I'm fairly content in enjoying the process of writing, or acting, or creating artwork. Those things are what ground me and make me happy.
We learned about this term "flow" in class the other day. Surprisingly I had never heard of it before. Flow is something everyone has experienced. What best explained it for me is when I get so wrapped up in the act of something that everything else becomes background noise. It's that moment when you look up at the clock and realize its been 3 hours and you had no idea.
I have been in this. Musicians often feel this. Gamers. Painters.
Flow is the adult equivalent of learning through play. How could that not be an attractive notion to me? After all I just a big kid.
I suppose since in actually tired at midnight for once I will take this opportunity to sleep.
Short and sweet, this post was.

The Apple, The Tree and the 48 Hour Cleanse

I have recently got it into my head that I should do a 48 hour smoothie cleanse. It must be some dormant masochistic behavior that is leading me to believe it is a good idea. My Father and Brother will tell anyone that listens that I'm of a split personality: kind happy Kim and then hungry Kim. I suppose they aren't completely groundless in these tales, however some could be said for the both of them as well. The apple falling from the tree, and all that.
Anyways I believe I shall be doing this cleanse either next weekend or the weekend after. I can't see myself lasting anymore than 24-48 hours. After said cleanse I hope to continue on the health train to reach the healthy station to live in healthtown. I hear they do crazy things like run and ride bikes and snack on carrots. It is my greatest wish to enjoy snacking on carrots. Okay so maybe not my greatest wish but I do want to be accepted into the "we care about our bodies" community.
I wish I could channel my addictive nature into exercise. Instead it gets all used up by French fries and good books. Perhaps it would be easier if I removed all my coats from my exercise bicycle. I imagine that would be a good place to start.
Speaking of books! I just finished one called "Juliet" which was about the secrets and intrigue behind shakespeare's most famous tragedy. It was a good little read and it made me want to visit Italy and fall in love, very much. So I decided to keep the romantic European trend going and immediately picked up Joanne Harris's novel "Chocolat" after. So far it is very good. I haven't seen the movie in a long time so I will watch it after I am done. I'm currently waiting for Johnny Depp's character to make a sultry appearance.
You may wonder how school is going. I suppose that this is natural because usually I talk about such things. Well, you will be happy to note that the university is still there, and I still attend it. I did get my practicum placement which I may have mentioned before? I'm not sure. However I will say now that I'm very pleased with the placement and wish we were in practicum right now.
So that is all the excitement I've got for you tonight. I know you all (I say you and you all with the sarcasm of someone speaking to an empty audience) were sitting on the edge of your computer chairs.
Oh, I will leave you with this tidbit, today I saw a man riding a bicycle with a full sized exercise ball. It was quite impressive.
Goodnight!

So They Call it Puppy Love

I have recently been suffering from an affliction. It involves the incessant need to look up adoptable dogs in my area. This is a gigantic problem considering my mental health and the fact that I cannot, by any means, have a puppy right now. My Dad won't let me and although I am 23 years old and in theory an adult that should be able to make my own decisions, I'm afraid that I am at the mercy of my fathers rules on this particular instance. If only I had a job and wasn't the poorest girl in the land. Then I would have a puppy and perhaps a pony. (Woo! Alliteration!)
Moving back with my father full time is going to be very interesting. I've lived with him on and off for my whole lode, that being said I've also had my own place (as well) for the last 5 and a half years. So I've been a part of, yet separate. The thing I suppose I'm most concerned about is the amount of stuff that I've accumulated over my time in university. I do, in fact, have a whole room of things that I am unwilling to part with. I know that I do not need two beds, however I want to be able to have those two beds if I ever manage to grow up properly. As in one left at my dads and one at my grown up house. I am incredibly lucky because my father is one of those people that will always want me around (no dog though) and I will always have a room in my childhood house.
I guess I should make it clear that I do have a dog, though Chippy is 19 years old. I can't really say this any other way but, she is going to die soon. I am trying to come to terms with that along with reconcile the fact that my dad will never own another dog again.
He is a cat person, though he is a monogamist cat owner and refuses to betray Cosmo and allow an imposter into our home. So it would appear I am at a stalemate with this particular situation. Which is truly unfortunate because I love me some animals. I find that animals are incredibly therapeutic for me and I'm in a much better space when they are near.
I'll just have to wait for a)when my dad changes his mind or b) when I get my own house. Both seem incredibly improbable to me at this current time.
I have much to write about my next practicum placement and my school adventures, however I am in need of slumber. All this puppy talk has made my eyes sleepy.
Goodnight Neverland. Sweet dreams.

My Dad is a Party Animal. I, Am Not.

The other day we had a really interesting activity in class. We were exploring discrimination, which is a heavy topic indeed. But the activity was done in such a way that we were comfortable to put ourselves in vulnerable situations. We were placed into groups and asked to come up with a feature that was common to each member of the team. We then had to create a sort of society or group mentality based on that feature. We were given the room to make this feature as ridiculous as we could. Then we had to justify WHY this feature made us superior.

Our group decided on soft elbows. We called our society the "Velvet Elbows" and had a coat of arms and everything. We operated under the belief that we were more desirable because we had naturally moisturized elbows and therefore were more attractive to the opposite sex. We had the choicest genes as we got to pick the life partners with the best attributes and therefore our children were superior. We did not allow people with rough elbows into our society and referred to them as "roughbows". Then, if a pair of roughbows had a velvet elbow we would give the parents the great honour of taking their child and raising them.

We were all in hysterics by the end. The other groups came up with ridiculous common features as well. One group said that they could "control minds" but didn't really want to so they were proving their superiority by choosing not act on their power. I asked the question of where they congregate or come together as a society, one of my classmates said "well, we don't have to meet because we can simply communicate through our minds. Sometimes we communicate through telekinesis sometimes text message". This is not the most perfect recount of what happened. It is a sort of 'you had to be there' situation. However, I would hope you would get the idea in that the activity was done in an engaging and sensitive manner.

It is Saturday night, now. My Dad is out with a bunch of people he knew in high school. He even asked me if he could call me to pick him up and I said "You know you can always call me, no matter what time. That being said I would prefer if you found another option if you are very late."
This is an extreme example of role reversal. I--at the age of 23--should be the one going out and causing havoc. Instead, I'm sitting at home watching the second Bourne movie with my brother and his girlfriend. Somewhere inside, my 18 year old self is crying to be set free. Perhaps next weekend I will make the effort to party as if I had rockstar tendencies. Get down all over town, and all that. I mean, it is unlikely... but yeah.

Tomorrow I work at the Highlands Fling Festival in Victoria. It will probably be the highlight of my weekend. Highlights at the Highlands. Heh. Anyways West Shore asked me to work it and told me they feed whoever works for them and I said "THAT SOUNDS GOOD, I'M GOOD WITH THAT".

I much preferred the newest Bourne (sans Matt Damon) than the first three...

I'm going to stop writing on this here blog before I embarrass myself any further.

This post is perfectly useless

It is always difficult for me to monitor my napping. The result of having a weakness for day sleeping is being up until one am. Like right now, for example.
I am watching the series Hell on Wheels though. And I don't have to wake up at any particular time tomorrow either so it isn't a worse case scenario sort of night.
I am glad I didn't live in the wild west. In this particular episode of Hell on Wheels a man just repeatedly stabbed another man behind a large pile of garbage. Can't say the man on the receiving end of the shanking didn't deserve it though. The characters on the show don't exactly exemplify good decision making.
I just don't think I would have survived the times. Unless I was some kind of lady of privilege. Of course, if that was the case I would be bored tearless. Im not one for just sitting around a tea parlor all day. Though I do like tea...
Well, this post is just ridiculous. I have said nothing of worth. Except if you are reading this specifically because you are trying to decide whether or not Hell on Wheels is a good television show and worth watching.
In that case, the post still doesn't really say anything of merit.

Happiest Place On Earth

Disneyland is officially a go. Last night we finalized our booking. Needless to say, December this year is going to be overwhelming. I may have suffer a happiness induced brain aneurysm. Not only do I love Christmas, I am graduating. Not only am I graduating but I am going to Disneyland. It is a big month.
Since last night I've downloaded a Disneyland app as well as a vacation countdown app. Just to prepare. I may download a trip advisor app or packing list app. Gotta keep with the times, you know.
I wonder if there is an app for stalking Disney characters. If so, captain hook I'm coming for you.

Goodnight Neverland

It was bittersweet seeing all the first years around campus today. I was there for class while they were there for orientation. Their post secondary education (for the most part) is just starting. Mine ends a little bit more with each day. I was sad.

But then I stole a popsicle meant for the first years and I felt immediately better.

Tomorrow is Friday, which is delightful news as that means my first week is over! Done! Finished! Only five weeks left of class after that and then I begin practicum. It blows my mind how soon we are finished.

I just watched The Borrowers movie and completed two paintings. Recently, for some unknown reason--I've been fixated on tiny people that live in walls. I actually spent one night looking up movies and books that revolved around gnomes or fairies or just regular old little people. I found that Terry Pratchett wrote a series about gnomes that is actually quite funny. That got me on the audiobook kick I was writing about earlier.

Anyways, not really sure what the obsession with tiny people is about. Other than, perhaps that I DO BELIEVE IN FAIRIES!

It is important to me that I get as many Peter Pan references into this blog as possible. I warn you, don't expect subtlety.

I marathon napped today, which was probably a horrible idea because now it is almost 11:30 at night and I'm just kind of laying here contemplating what the next couple of hours looks like for me. I'm hoping soon a wave of exhaustion will take hold and I will manage to get a good nights rest. I hope, but do not expect this to be the outcome.

TOMORROW is a WONDERFUL day because tomorrow the plans happen for DISNEYLAND! I will probably write a post tomorrow night outlining the finer details of our booking. Like, where we are staying. And when we are flying. And how I have plans of chasing Captain Hook until he takes a GD picture with me! I am a tiny bit bitter about this picture business because when I was there last (almost 10 years ago now) he ran away from me and I neither got a picture OR an autograph.

I suppose I have nothing else to report. Other than the fact that I hope to get my practicum placement soon so I can begin to plan lessons and get my head wrapped around the age group that I will be assigned.

But that is about it. Goodnight faithful readers!

Party Over Here

So, Friday night. Party over at my house. I'm hanging out with my brother and his girlfriend and we are getting real crazy over here. Watching National Treasure. I'm in my Eeyore pyjamas. I've staked claim to the couch but survey says that won't last long because I'm super tired and National Treasure is a long film with an overabundance of American history that (sorry USA) is not really an interest of mine.

Also, Game of Thrones is calling. I'm 70% done Dance with Dragons (thanks Kobo app for making my reading life so... precise) and things are going DOWN. I shan't be giving any spoilers, but lets just say George Martin has got my attention.

I sure do hope he doesn't die before finishing the series.

Oh hey, speaking of Game of Thrones, Sean Bean is in National Treasure! I forgot about that. Pretty sure he dies in this movie, just like in every other film he has acted in. I think it must be in his contract. Click here to watch the Sean Bean death montage.

Today was my last day of work. It was sad. I made a lot of friendships this summer with kids of all kinds. I got a lot of hugs today, though I'm not really supposed to hug them. BUT I AM A REBEL CAMP LEADER! HUGS FOR ALL!

I got a very interesting sunburn today. Not often do I burn the tops of my hands. I also have an awesome circle burn on my inner legs thanks to being in a kayak for the afternoon. It was a wonderful way to finish my summer job. I spent the day on the beach and paddling through the water.

Between the tubing on Wednesday and the kayaking today I do feel like my arms may feel better if they were removed from my body. But that too, will pass.

No rest for the wicked(ly awesome) as tomorrow I move back to my apartment by my school for my roommates birthday and then school starts on Monday. August school start--I'm still not over it.

Sleep time is now. Goodnight imaginary readers... I shall leave you with this golden nugget:

Nicholas Cage's hair is a National Treasure in its own right!

Hah. I should be a comedian. 

The Negligent Blogger

Wow! Talk about neglecting my blog. I got busy and look at what happened.

I don't really know where to begin? Last I wrote here I think I was just starting my camp job. Things have changed a bit since then, but a lot has remained the same as well. Such as life, I suppose.

I'm a newly single woman. That is all I wish to say on that because as a teacher and a professional I'm not using this blog for anything but happy thoughts. It is, after all, titled Second Star to the Right. And if Peter Pan taught me anything, it is that happy thoughts make us fly.

Metaphorically fly, that is. I don't have any pixie dust so I cannot ACTUALLY fly.

Work has been amazing this summer. I am so happy I stuck to my guns and got a job working with kids. They truly make my life meaningful. Not only that, I got to go kayaking, tubing and skim boarding. While getting paid.

Met a lot of awesome people as well. One in particular stands out in that she has kind of adopted me in more ways than one. She is my partner in crime and she has let me stay at her place for the past two weeks. Which, let me tell you-- has made my life so much easier. Before that I was commuting back and forth and the drive had grown tedious to say the least.

I've also discovered the beauty of audiobooks. I'm not quite sure what my aversion was to trying them before this summer. They are brilliant! Especially when you are listening to a book by a british author and the reader is also from the UK. It is delightful. I've taken to listening to Terry Pratchett books. I also don't feel bad about starting new books in audio format when I'm already reading a book (right now Dance with Dragons) because audiobooks are completely different than other books so I can have as many going as I want. At least that is what I tell myself.

TapadhLeibhCards has been doing alright. It isn't the money making venture I hoped it would be in the beginning. However, that being said I have sold some of my art work. How many artists can truly say that?

HERE is the travelling bit of this post, I'VE DECIDED TO GO TO DISNEYLAND! Well, my friends whom I am graduating with this December kind of decided and I thought, "that sounds fun I'm going"... So, I will probably be blogging about that quite a bit. I haven't been to Disneyland since I was 14. It is about time, I think.

School starts on Monday. What kind of program starts in August? Mine, I guess. I'm going to miss working at camp. Not only because having money is awesome but because I've really enjoyed my time there. It is better than any other job I've ever done. Though with some of my previous jobs that really isn't saying too much. Not that camp doesn't have its challenges, it does. But the rewards are so awesome and I love to hear when a kid has had a great day or they enjoyed their time with me.

So that is about it, I guess? Oh, I paid of my credit card! This is big news. Only to be racked up again, but still. I paid it. So I can put Disneyland on it :P

That is it for now. Tootles!

Christmas in July

My very first store wide sale is happening on etsy tomorrow! Go there! See the sale! Also shop on etsy because there will be lots of neat stuff for good prices.

www.etsy.com/shop/tapadhleibhcards

Child minding

Kids are cute. And tiring. That's basically all I've got right now. Oh, and tomorrow is payday.

Having Fun and Getting Paid

I started the job! Training week has come and gone, and so far it has felt a lot more like school than it does a job. And we all know that I'm kind of weird and love school, so that should be an indicator of how it went. There was a bit of repetition simply because a lot of the most recent theory about child care is focused on A LOT in the education program. However, there were so many moments during the week that we were playing a game or running around and I had that moment of "I'm getting paid for this?" that it made up for the repetition.
Starting Tuesday I actually get to hang out with kids, which is awesome. I also get a free gym and pool membership AND there is a library right there that rents video games and movies as well as books. So its kind of excellent that I have these things available for my pleasure during my break.
I also found out I have a friend that lives 2 minutes away from the centre, with a couch, so I may frequent her house during my break... I did say that I work split shifts, right? So I have time to kiiiiiill.
How is the card business, you ask? Going very well. I'm just trying to get as much of it set up so I can just do minimal upkeep when I return to school in the fall.
Hold up, did you know Colin Farrell is in the new Total Recall? As in the movie that Arnold Schwarzenegger was in back in the day? Who will be seeing that? OH, ME. I also want to see Batman, Spider Man and The Hobbit. Some may say that my movie tastes are a bit inconclusive to my gender... Oh well.
I'm hoping to have some funny kid stories to recount after next week. I need to keep things confidential so no names or any way that the kids will be recognized as an individual, but I'm sure I can have a stuff kids say update, because those are always fun.
I'm off to craft now. My brother is currently in Disneyworld with his girlfriends family (lucky little...) and will be there for his birthday. I am going to make him a bat cave sign for the garage door (he lives in the garage with the spiders) and have it be magnetic and there for when he gets home.
So I must do that today! And then I get to see Torrie. I'm hoping we can go to the Raptor sanctuary that is in our town tomorrow so I can take some wicked pictures of eagles and things.
Merry Sunday World! And Happy Canada Day to all my fellow Canadians out there.

Work Hard For the Money

I had my first shift on Friday! Granted it was 2 hours but still! I worked! Tomorrow I start work for real. Four full 8 hour days. Hopefully I survive. I've become quite accustom to waking up when I want, napping when I want etc. this will be good. Make me feel like a grownup again.
I am sure that I will have lots of funny things to write about once I start working with kids again. They truly say the funniest things.
Anyways, happy Sunday one and al.

Thanks A Lot

Hostel World emailed me today. They wanted to let me know its been one year since my trip.
THANKS HOSTEL WORLD LIKE I DID NOT KNOW!
I'm definitely getting the travel fever. I only have to sell.... 300 cards or so and then I can go somewhere. I'm thinking Disneyland. Or if I sell more perhaps I could go to Eurodisney. Or Disneyland in Hong Kong. Or Disney something.
Start work not tomorrow but the next day, which will be a lot of fun I feel. Got my criminal record check done yesterday. Should be clear. I don't remember committing any crimes.
I've been seriously thinking about what I'm going to do after graduation. Will it be overseas? Will it be the great white north? Either way I think I will be getting a dog because these options sound lonely.
Perhaps things will change in the next 4-12 months and I will get on the TOC list. That would be very nice.
Not that I wouldn't want to go elsewhere to teach. I think it would be an adventure, for sure. We will see I suppose.
But I am getting a dog. Yep. There is a puppy in my future. Torrie wants a German Shepherd, which I endorse completely.
Mostly I just wanted to complain about that email telling me I need to go on another trip. So I did that.
If anyone wants to support these dreams, you could buy some cards or prints. I wouldn't mind that at all. Not. At. All. Etsy!

Some of my Etsy Picks

As promised, here are some of my favourite etsy links :)
Don't expect any through line. This is the most random collection in the world.

Mickey mouse cute romantic charm, click here

Nintendo DS Ewok handmade case, click here

Post card necklace, click here

Anne of Green Gables painting! Click here

(As Promised) Celtic drinking horn! Click here

Peter Pan minimalist poster (I want!) click here

Pirate ship photo click here

I will add so many more, I'm sure. I also want to direct you fine readers to my friends shop. She has amazing shots from all over the world. Some incredible photographs from Africa. Visit!! (click visit to... visit... lol)

Etsy and Celtic Drinking Horns

Oh. My. Lanta. Etsy truly has some fantastical things. I'll post the links later when I'm not on my telephone, however let's just say that there is a Celtic drinking horn.
I would name it King Arthur.
Basically all my nerdy dreams come true thanks to etsy. I believe in an earlier post I mentioned that it doesn't even matter that I'm selling things anymore. Though that is kind of a falsehood but only because I know that if I sell things I would be able to buy other things made available to me because of the magic of etsy.
I will probably start posting cool items I find there. Though we have already gone over the fact that I am posting these entries for my own sake. Blogger stats love to tell me that nobody visits. Not that I mind, I just enjoy writing.
I'm reading the fourth George RR Martin book now. Though my iPhone is great for many a thing, I miss my kobo a lot when I'm trying to read. Luckily Torrie had a hard copy of the novel and let me borrow it. Which I actually prefer over any kind of ereader. Its the smell. I love me the smell of a good book.
I also saw the other day that Martin has written other books? This frustrated me because he is the slowest writer ever and even if he wrote it before he started GoT he should have known his efforts would have been better spent elsewhere.
Speaking of Game of Thrones, etsy has so many really original things representing all types of nerdy topics. There is a Khaleesi shirt with Disney dragons on it. I only have to sell.... 4 cards to be able to buy it.
Etsy makes all my nerdy merchandise dreams come true.

No Fly Zone

I've become completely immersed in my etsy addiction. It has become so much more than just trying to advertise my work.... It is like when I first got on pinterest. A ridiculous amount of time has been spent creating "treasuries" which are much like the boards you pin on. BUT EVERYTHING IS HANDMADE!
I am very excited to begin working as it means I will get off my bottom and move around. It also means money which will be great because my GD money tree hasn't been growing at all.
Heh.
My Dad and I are watching "The Grey" with Liam Neeson, who is bad ass. Though I like wolves so I may root for them. Plane crashes are terrifying. I remember when Lost first aired and I had nightmares of my plane going down and being trapped on a magical island full of polar bears.
I have also been powering through The Wire. Season four is my favourite. It has to do with the school system so it is kind of like Dangerous Minds. But awesomer.
This movie has made me vow that I will never fly over any kind of arctic terrain. If by some divine intervention I survived the crash I would definitely be the first to be eaten. I would probably volunteer as long as we did some kind of Sam McGee style bbq....
This movie is intense.
As if it isn't bad enough that they are injured and in the Great White North, but now wolves are going to hunt them? And these aren't the regular kind of wolves, these are some kind of direwolf hybrid straight out of George Martin's imagination.

Pictures for ALL!.. If you buy them...

Some new photographs on my website. Check, check it out!

http://kp-photography89.wix.com/pictures

I would post some here, but I don't trust the users of the world wide web not to copy paste and print my pictures.... I'm not paranoid, okay? It has happened before. Just because no one reads this blog doesn't mean it won't happen!.....

House Arrest

What have I learned in the last two weeks of selling cards? A) that I have an incredibly supportive community B) That it is weird selling your own art C) Etsy is addicting D) June is the start of tourist season (I already knew that actually) and E) Ordering things online is fun and cheaper... it brings together my two favourite things, buying things and receiving mail.
As you readers know, I spent all my money in Seattle. Clifford (my red volkswagon beetle) is out of gas. So I cannot go anywhere and I cannot do anything. That is an exaggeration as I am doing things, they are just things that I can do in my pyjamas. This includes watching The Wire, eating cereal, drinking coffee and playing on my computer. I'm planning on going for a walk to my mailboxes which will be a party I'm sure.
My Corona umbrella I won came in the mail! But I cannot go get it because as stated earlier I have no wheels.
I have now convinced my Dad that the Seattle Outlet Mall is the Mount Olympus of shopping. I believe we will be going there for retail therapy and a baseball game.
In other news I'm now reading the fourth Game of Thrones book. It is good to be back in Westeros. I'll write a whole post about it soon.

Good Day, Seattle.

Headed back on the ferry as I write. I must say I much appreciate the free wifi made available to me.
I'm not sure that our trip could have been any better. Torrie won enough money to pay for the hotel, the ferry, food, his purchases at the mall and STILL come out with money to put on his credit card.
I have no money. HOWEVER, I do have lots of new pretty things for a fraction of its regular price so I am pleased. The Tulalip outlet mall is seriously rad. I got an Adidas hat, three shirts, two pairs of shorts, a dress, a purse and a pair of shoes for probably 180 dollars. The shoes are very nice and teachery as are 2/3 tops. The hat will be good when I'm working at camp in a couple weeks.
It's weird, I start work in like a week and a half. I am very excited and also nervous. Which I imagine is pretty standard when beginning a new job. Especially one that pays more than I have ever made.
The moral of this post though, is if one is in Seattle or there abouts, go to the outlet mall and stay at the resort casino. I guarantee you won't be disappointed. Also become a rewards member as they give you discounts. And discounts are nice.

Green Backs

So, the boy won money. Lots of money. As in 450 cards sold wholesale kind of money.
I am both happy for him and incredibly jealous. I told him he is lucky I like him or else I would steal the money and bus back home tonight. Or even fly home. I could fly home and still come out on top. If I stole his money. Which I did not.
In other news this hotel room is amazing. I love king sized beds. A lot.

Oh Silly Me

On our way to the outlet malls this fine (it is actually so nice out right now) morning. Turns out that we are not taking the Clipper ferry as I previously assumed. Apparently I was actually quite silly for thinking we were taking the Clipper as we are in fact not actually going into Seattle.
These are important lessons I am learning.
I've been taking pictures like a tourist today and not someone who has taken BC ferries 800 times. But I'm hoping that I get a couple really good shots for some new cards. I got into a few shops yesterday! Seems like this might actually be something that makes me some money.
Took a picture of a float plane that my dad loves. He wanted to get a print. Little does HE know I'm going to get him the picture on a canvas for Fathers day. Or... Rather, I'm going to order the print and my brother (who has a steady income) will pay for it.
Got an email with information about my summer job too. So that will be nice, pay off my credit card and all that.
Well that is my Seattle update. I suppose I shouldn't even say Seattle. But Tulalip is hard for me to say.

Local Talent

Alright avid readers, here is the photographer I wanted to feature (no it isn't me, sillies). Her name is Sam Rose and she is brilliant, truly. She is local, relaxed and talented. I had a shoot with her almost a year ago now and she made me feel very comfortable.
Click here for a link to her Facebook page. Everyone should book a shoot with her. Seriously. I'll even include a picture of me she took last year!

2am...

I suppose this is a lesson that if I am not spending an exuberant amount of my energy resource during the day (like when I'm teaching) napping for three hours is a bad choice. When I'm working at a school I can nap for a bunch of hours after I arrive home and still be able to get a solid 7 hours of sleep that night. Apparently taking pictures does not require the same amount of energy as 24 twelve year olds. Go figure.
So what to do at two. Well, I've exhausted my daily etsy exploration as well as spammed Facebook enough to sufficiently annoy all my friends. Nothing new on pinterest, nothing exciting in terms of tv (I've never been one for infomercials) and every time I read I feel like I get tired enough to sleep. But then I end up going back to my cell phone and spin the whole process over because hey, maybe something changed in the last 15 minutes.
In other news I dropped my cards off at merridale cidery. Then I wandered around the little seaside village and chatted with a shop and a gallery owner. I am going back down tomorrow (which is actually today) to show them some samples.
I suppose napping tomorrow would be a very bad idea because Monday is Seattle day and I need my rest for the shopping marathon. Must be in peak physical condition for such a venture.
It's funny, no one has read anything on here for like... 4 days, yet I keep posting. It does stave off the bored and I do think I'm getting sleepier.
Tomorrow I will be sharing information on another local photographer who is very talented. So stay tuned my mon existent followers, stay tuned.

Bumblebees and Boats

I have been sitting in my yard attempting to take a "good" picture of a bumblebee for the last... Oh I don't know, 2 hours? This is after I went down the road to the ocean and took about 100 pictures of the sail boats booting it around the bay I live by (ah, alliteration at its finest right there). Needless to say most of my day has been trucking around with my camera. Last night I was up late painting as well. Later I'm going to the winery to drop off my card order.

Monday I'm going to Seattle! Torrie and I are going shoooopping. Which I don't have an exuberant amount of money to do, however I do have some saved up from card selling that will get me a few things. And if what Torrie says is true, I should be able to find some wicked deals there.

Life is busy here in Kim land, even though I thought it wouldn't be.

Silly me.

TapadhLeibhCards

I am now selling cards at a winery! This is very exciting as I need the money very badly. They buy the cards outright! How nice is that? MONEY RIGHT AWAY! And then they may do a feature on me as a local artist. And put me on their website.
I have a lot of people to thank for this opportunity and I'm so grateful to them. So is my bank account and my pocket, as both are empty.

Poor People Should Not Love Video Games

I'm sitting here watching the Nintendo keynotes presentation. Turns out very soon my wii will be obsolete. I knew that it would happen eventually, however I feel as though I haven't spent enough quality time with my gaming system. So what does this mean? It means I need to a)play more video games b)buy more wii games before they dont sell them anymore and c)buy the new console.... The issue with this game plan (heh) is my financial situation. Also I still have another semester of school so that will probably cut into my sweet game time.
This new console is awesome. Called the WiiU its got like this hand held thing that is a touch screen. Kind of like the Nintendo 3DS you have two screens to control.
Sigh. I have this feeling that when when I do start making money I won't keep a lot of it. My habits are expensive.
In other news I've sold some cards and prints and one of my small paintings! So that should help me buy like.... A shirt or something in Seattle.
Expensive habits, people.

Babbling Because of Boredom

Almost a year ago I went to Vietnam. I was looking at the blog my roommate and I wrote in before/during/after the trip and I got all nostalgic. Then I realized, I should probably go to South East Asia again. It was really cool there.
So I made some more cards in hopes that I can earn money.
Then I realized that all my money goes to school right now, so the "paying for another trip to 'Nam with my art" plan went out the window.
But I formed a new plan. "Make money to pay for school so you can get your teaching degree so you can go teach and make money in another country or so you can go to another country on the vacations you will be able to afford after you pay off your student loan". This is a somewhat longer more complicated plan than "making cards=go to Asia=take more pictures".....
I did mention that I also got a real job too, right? Working with kids? In a day camp. I'm very excited about this. It is part time which I'm happy about in some respects and not so happy about in others. Mostly, money would be better if I was working full time.
Basically this is how it works: I get up early, go to camp and hang out with kids for two hours. Then, I go home/the beach/the pool/zumba/hiking/something else fun then I return at 3pm and work two hours and forty-five minutes. One might think this split shift kind of format would be awful. Well, it may not be for you but it seems pretty sweet to me. I love naps. I love time to myself. I love kids. Maybe I'll even get a tan this summer.....
Maybe.
In my last blog I didn't think anyone was reading. With this mindset, I began treating it like a journal. Then our posts started to get interesting (Vietnam does that) and people began to read. At this point I realized that posting about my underwear and the like was not a good idea.
I have almost fallen into the same trap with this here blog. I looked at the stats today and realized that I don't really have any readers. Which I'm not too worried about. However, on the off chance that people will one day read this, I will not be speaking about my underwear at any point. Other than this brief mention to it, right now.
I would like to say I won't talk about anything embarrassing however I feel like that blanket statement would be a bad idea because a)it would turn into a lie very quickly and b) I know I've said embarrassing things already.
I should probably shower. Unemployment has turned me into a slob. My makeup supplies aren't depleting at the same rate however I have had to do many-a-loads of laundry because I only have so many pairs of yoga pants.
Today I missed teaching. I will probably be visiting my practicum class this coming week. I hope to be greeted with gifts and compliments. The reality is probably "I thought you weren't teaching us anymore..." or "hey, you wore your hair down!"... or something. But that translates to love in thirteen year old speak.

Shameless Advertisement

I am poor. Though this isn't a state I'm unused to, it has become especially prevalent recently. In response to this I've decided to attempt to sell my art work. Selling my art is something I've always been hesitant to do, as I never really create anything with the idea of making money it in mind. But circumstances call for drastic measures.
I set up an etsy account, I made 40+ cards and I spammed Facebook and Pinterest shamelessly. What is left? Blogger. I shall blog about my attempt to pay for my university degree through taking pretty pictures.
Click here to view my etsy account. Click here for my photography website.

The name of my shop is TapadhLeibhCards. This is sort of a homage to my Nana. Elizabeth was a lovely Scottish woman who inspired me every day with her kindness and her dedication to her family. "Tapadh Leibh" means thank you in Gaelic. So literally, my cards are called thank you cards. It is also a play on "TLC".
So. That is my story. I feel a little embarrassed about the whole thing, but like I said, I'm the poorest in the land.

Postcards from the bed

Well, I'd like to begin this post by congratulating myself for the extra clever title I came up with just now, on the spot. I'm sure no one has ever used the Carrie Fisher (She is so much more than just Princess Leia, okay?!) film to provide inspiration for a play on words. Nope, just me. The most clever in the land.

Sometimes you just have to congratulate yourself on those trivial triumphs.

So, other than making reference to Meryl Streep and Shirley MacLaine, why am I writing this post? Mostly because I am actually sitting on my bed, surrounded by postcards. I bought many a post card in Vegas to be sent away upon return to Canada (cheaper that way) to my posse of postcard lovers. Actually I'm not really sure if people like me sending them postcards, but I like doing it SO! Onward and upward!

What happened when I returned from my trip to sin city was that I began my practicum. And my practicum became my number one priority while my poor pretty postcards sat abandoned upon my shelf.

So, what better time than now to write my friends? Friends who I just spent the weekend with?

No better time than now.

I have some other news to report. I got a job! YAY FOR EMPLOYMENT!

Employment that doesn't begin for a month so YAY FOR TIME OFF!

It is amazing how quickly I get into the routine of having time for myself. Already I've caught up on television, visited my friends and began watching The Wire. Which is a damn fine television series if I do say so myself. Damn fine. Also damn depressing. I highly suggest watching it if you are in a very stable emotional state and you do not happen to get too attached to sympathetic characters. You should probably read the newby edition of "What's Alan Watching?" as you go along.

http://sepinwall.blogspot.ca/

Strong blog. He points out a lot of things I miss due to the tears blocking my vision. Perhaps my emotional state isn't solid enough to be experiencing "The Wire". I tried to take a mental health break after the first season. Then I realized that shaw exo on demand has the whole series online for free. Season two here I come! I've learned my lesson though, I refuse to get attached to any loveable characters. Nope, I will not.

Because I have time off I have time to plan my next adventure(s). This is both wonderful and dangerous because I have a tendency to become single minded. My dear, sweet, patient boyfriend has already told me if I become too attached to the idea of going to Disneyland in December (that's right) before the plan is plausible he will begin to veto the topic in daily conversation. I both hate and understand his reasoning.

It really isn't my fault though as my friends and colleagues are the ones that are planning it. How can I not hop on the bandwagon when they talk about it in front of me? I am not strong willed when it comes to all things Disney.

I will be going to Seattle in two weeks which is very exciting. I wish I had more cash, but I'm excited regardless. Torrie and I will be staying at the Tulalip Resort and Casino, which is fannnnncy. Reminds me of a newer, smaller version of Caesars Palace. Just... no statues and more totem poles..... Okay, mostly they are just both super nice and I feel like a queen in the king sized bed.

That is all I really have for the world tonight. There is more Wire to watch before the night is through and the streets of Baltimore are calling.

A Teacher and Her Love of Books

I have this problem where I own far to many books for my own well being. It has gotten to the point where I have to skirt through and around them for my floor has become a makeshift obstacle course.

I decided on Saturday morning I needed to take action. So, I sorted through the mountains of literature and decided what I was going to keep and what I was going to donate or sell.

This was a difficult purge. Not only do I love to read books, I love how they look. What they stand for. To me, no house is as attractive nor as pleasing as one that includes a library.

I decided to keep all the children/teen books because I figure I can have them in the hypothetical future classroom. That is how I justified keeping a huge tote stuffed to the brim, and I'm sticking with it.

There were some books I decided to sell online. And by some I mean six. Six out of the hundreds. About 1/3rd I'm donating to a used book store. The rest I'm keeping. Really, I just need to be able to organize it in a way that ensures I don't break a leg in the middle of the night.

My question to the universe though, what is a fantastic children's/YA book my future classroom can't live without?

Headed Home

We had to wake up at 7am, which was difficult. Not only because we were up later than the night before, but also because we didn't want to return home to reality.

We sent our luggage to a nice man to go to the front desk while we checked out and got breakfast. We went to the same nice lady that gave us the upgrade to check out. We regaled her with stories of our adventures, trying to prolong our departure as much as possible.

I'm not quite sure one can call what we ate in the morning "breakfast". It was more like dessert in the early hours of the day. Torrie had some kind of french toast chocolate mountain topped with whip cream. I had WAFFLES.

The flight home was not worth writing about. It was uneventful, though enjoyable to reminisce with Torrie about our adventures.

I really can't communicate properly how lucky and happy I felt during my time in Vegas. It was so special and I can't wait for my next trip. Thanks again to MTV Canada and Sony Music Canada for the best birthday present ever.

Saturday Night's Alright With Me

Torrie and I fell asleep Friday night as soon as we got home. Which compared to some Vegas goers would be an early turn in, I know. But you try to run on 3 hours sleep after being overstimulated all day by pretty lights and sounds.

We did wake up early though, so that was good. I was so happy we had all of Saturday to walk around and experience all that is Vegas.

Our day began by heading the opposite way that we went the day before. I will say again that there is an awful lot of walking you can do on The Strip.

We made a team decision to go look at the stalls called Tix For Tonight to see what kind of deals we could get for that evening. We pretty much had our heart set on a Cirque du Soleil show, but there is about 6 that you can choose from so we did have our options open.

It appeared that other people had similar ideas when it came to getting tickets in the early morning. We waited in a line for about 45 minutes, waiting just to enter the building to see what tickets we could get. I was getting hungry considering I could smell the Denny's that was located right beside our lineup. Luckily it wasn't raining at that point.

We chose to see Cirque's show "KA". Which was probably one of the best choices we have ever made.

For breakfast we went to a restaurant located in the shops at the Venetian Grande Hotel Shoppes, called Tintorettos. Both Torrie and I had omelettes, which were delicious, paired with a much needed coffee. Once again the portions in Vegas make it very easy to only eat two meals a day, which was kind to our wallets (though the slots weren't).

Following breakfast we went to places like Treasure Island, Casino Royale, Fashion Show Mall and more. I spent too much money in the mall, but I figured that it was a once in a lifetime sort of thing. I also won like 60 bucks in a Survivor themed slot machine, which I started to play mostly because Survivor is my guilty pleasure.

We got back to the hotel around 6pm, that is how much walking around we did. I then had a swim in the spa tub located in our giant bathroom.

We then headed to the MGM to get our tickets for KA and have dinner. We decided to eat fancy that night, what with me wearing a fancy dress. We went to Wolfgang Pucks Bar and Grill, where we were treated with kindness and served incredible food. Torrie was even quoted saying that "It was probably the best meal I've ever had". He had a rare steak, I had a steak cooked the appropriate amount. I like my steak to be dead.

The Cirque du Soleil show was beyond description. I could attempt to talk about it, tell you all what it was like, however I truly believe it is something you just have to experience. I could have just watched the stage move the whole time and have been happy. It was like some kind of crazy hybrid of Ferngully, Zelda and Madmax. I was in awe the whole time. I have a theatre degree and I didn't spend one moment thinking about what was going on to make everything happen. I was just sucked into the story and the crazy flying people.

I then bought way too much at the KA gift shop, that was conveniently located right outside the doors of the theatre.

We went home with smiles on our faces, though the reality of going home was sinking in. I fell asleep almost immediately, while Torrie stayed up and thought about our day.

THE SHINS! THE VEGAS!

Talk about a view from the top. The Shins concert was on the roof of the Cosmopolitan Hotel. What I learned was that The Shins concert is the first in a series of summer shows, many of which I would enjoy going to. Perhaps I'll have to win another contest. Heh.

Though it was freezing (isn't Vegas supposed to be warm?) it was a ton of fun. We got there and unfortunately The Shins didn't begin right away because of rain. Torrie and I made some very nice friends when we were huddled somewhat uncomfortably close underneath some kind of shower contraption that I had first mistaken as a heater. The rain did stop though, and the set began. The band had great energy and made sure to joke around about the weather. I personally love "Simple Song" so I was super happy when they began to play it. James Mercer had a very cool stage presence, he was relaxed but it was still clear he was having a lot of fun. If I had any musical talent at all, I would aspire to be like Jessica Dobson. It was such a cool atmosphere with so many huge fans. I heard so many people say that they had came from all over the place to Vegas to see the band specifically. I felt so lucky to be there with Torrie, on top of an incredibly tall hotel looking at the lights of Vegas, listening to The Shins, thanks so Sony Music and MTV Canada. Click here for the wikipedia page about The Shins, and here The Shins setlist that they played in Vegas and you can see for yourself what we had the pleasure of hearing. It was truly a magical time, even though I wished I had worn pants.

First Day in The Vegas

I have this issue where I get really enthusiastic and excited about anything that is out of the ordinary. One might think that this is a good quality, however when one is trying to sleep before waking up at 3:30 am to catch a flight to Las Vegas.

I think I probably slept two hours. My boyfriend, whom was accompanying me on the trip--probably got less.

We were still able to wake up at the appropriate time, though I'm pretty sure I was just running on autopilot.

We caught our flight at 6am, had a stopover in Seattle and then arrived in Vegas around 10:45. I still was in shock. The weirdest thing was that Torrie and I hadn't seen each other since my birthday on Sunday. We weren't going to Vegas at that point, and then when we saw each other again we were heading to Nevada. I was so grateful to MTV and Sony, as well as just fate in general. It sounds hockey but if it had happened on any other weekend we wouldn't have been able to go. Honestly it was like the stars aligned in order for us to go.

When we got there I had a case of total overstimulation. There was literally way too much to look at. The cab driver gave us a coupon book which became my primary concern during the taxi ride to our hotel. Torrie was a little bit less overwhelmed so he was able to look at the sights.

The sheer size of Vegas is just shocking. Everything looks so close together because it is so huge. However, once you start traveling you realize that it is actually not as close as you would think.

We headed to Caesar's Palace first so we could get our room set up.

When we arrived in the lobby it was absolutely incredible. Neither Torrie or I had ever been to Vegas so our mouths and eyes were wide open.

The lady at the desk was very helpful, as well as incredibly nice. I gave her the whole story about how it had been my birthday, I had won the contest and we were both Vegas Virgins. Because she was so nice, she gave us a complimentary upgrade. Little did I know that that meant we would be staying in a king sized bed, on the twenty sixth floor, with a bathroom the size of my apartment.

Thank you, kind lady. Thank you so much.

The first day was spent primarily looking around and walking. We went to the MGM Grand, Planet Hollywood, Cosmopolitan and as many other hotels as we could look at. We ended up eating at a place called the "Studio Cafe" at MGM.

Let me just say one thing. The food in Vegas is designed to give you some kind of health issue. The portions are ridiculous. Just incredibly enormous. And delicious. I'm a foody, so it was glorious.

I am also a napper. I enjoy naps on a daily basis. I don't function so well on less than 7 hours of sleep. My boyfriend does not have this affliction, but even he was pretty tired come 4 pm. We decided to head back to the hotel and spend one precious hour hanging out in the king sized bed. I immediately fell asleep. At least when I woke up I was rejuvenated enough to get ready and go to the Cosmopolitan to enjoy the musical soundings of The Shins, courtesy of my friends at MTV and Sony Music.

Best Birthday Yet

It isn't often that I receive phone calls from Ontario so needless to say I was curious when the area code popped up on my cell phone. I had been entering the MTV Canada and Sony Music flyaway contest to see The Shins in Las Vegas for probably about two weeks, every day. Not that I expected to win though.

I answered the phone with my tried and true customer service voice (you know the one, its about an octave higher than regular) hoping that I wouldn't have some kind of telemarketer telling me "this is your captain speaking".

"Hello" I said.

"Hi, is this Kim Phillips?" said a nice sounding lady on the other line. This seemed promising.

"Yes, I'm Kim"

"Hi Kim, I'm calling from MTV Canada. Do you remember entering a contest to go to Vegas and see The Shins?"

OH MY GOD HOLY MOTHER OF MAN I SURE DO REMEMBER ENTERING I ENTERED EVERY DAY!..... "Yes, I do think I remember"

"Well I am here to tell you that you won! I see it was your birthday yesterday, happy birthday!"

There was no more keeping my cool. "OH MY GOSH. HOLY. OH. REALLY?"

"Yes! Can you go this Friday? Do you have someone you can take?"

"I think so! YES. Of course yes. Okay. Yes."

By this time I was just sitting in the middle of my bed shaking. The homework I had been attempting to do was not going to get accomplished, I could guarantee that.

It went from there in a whirlwind sort of fashion. The nice lady on the phone basically became my best friend and we corresponded through email making sure that we could set everything up for Friday.

What did I win? Well. Round trip airfare for two to Vegas, leaving Friday and returning Sunday. 500 dollars spending money and 2 tickets to see the Shins at the Cosmopolitan Hotel, and two nights stay at Caesars Palace.