So I'm laughing at my self tonight. 

I've been looking Everywhere for these two, $100 gift cards for BestBuy Electronics that I got for Christmas. I swore I put them in my wallet and had been carrying them around with me, but when I was going through my wallet while I was in Aus one day on the bus with Nic, they weren't there. Of course then I was worried that they had fallen out somewhere and now were lost for good. I hoped I would stumble across them while I was un-packing my boxes from Edmonton and Kelowna a month or so ago, or at least have a brain flash as to where the hell I'd put them for safe keeping, but no go. So after searching every place in my room I could think of and not finding them, I eventually gave up.

Tonight, I finished the most recent book in the Steven Erikson series I'm reading, and was in need of a new book. So, over to the little book shelf that lives behind my closet door (which is usually open, which is how the book shelf is behind it but not in my closet) that holds most of my yet to be read books or books that don't fit into a series (The series books have their own shelf or two) Lo! there's a Charles deLint book on the shelf I forgot I had! Well, that doesn't belong there, it belongs with all the -other- Charles deLint books (yeah, they have their own shelf too, pretty much) and a book or two to the left I see these thin pieces of blue cardboard, what looks like 4 of them. "Now what on earth are those??"

*laughs* You guessed it, my missing gift cards, still in their little cardboard holders that they came in. Now what possessed me to put them there I will never know. But, that's where they're staying, because if I move them, I'm bound to lose them again!

Grr! I'm frustrated. Most of the stuff I wanted to accomplish today, I haven't been able to do, for this reason or that one. Most of the offices I needed to call are all apparently closed for the day (most of which I had never been in contact with before so didn't know the hours) And the one office I did get ahold of couldn't help me! Grr. Frustrating. So most of this has to be put off till Thursday, which is apparently my next day off. *grumbles* 

Oh well, at least I got my new glasses today, and they came with free clip on sun-glasses too, so that was a nice surprise. Now I have something to use when I'm waiting to get the new lenses put in my regular prescription sun glasses (which I like better) That's one plus side to the day at least.

Well, today was my last day of indolent freedom, so to speak. I did virtually nothing all day except for lay on my bed and read my book.

Tomorrow, however, I have a looooonnnnnggg to do list planned, and an early morning to help me get back on a work type sleep schedule. My body has decided that going to bed around midnight or 2am and getting up some time between 9 and 10 is ideal, but unfortunately that isn't going to work for, well, work. Besides, I like busy days a lot of the time, so I'm actually looking forward to tomorrow. Plenty of phone calls and around the house stuff to do, but some running around too. Plan to go and order my new glasses (YAY!)

Tuesday I start my new job.. sort of. Still feels more like going back to an old job than starting a new one, even though I'll be there in a completely different capacity. There was such a feeling of "Welcome back!" from everyone on the day I dropped off my resume and had my little quasi interview, I think that's a big part of the reason I'm choosing to go back. Besides, I really did enjoy working there, and I see no reason why it will be different now.

So wish me luck on my first day!

This made me smile and so I wanted to share it. What a way to live your life eh? Just dancing for the joy.

http://ca.video.yahoo.com/watch/2977277/8534761

Bah, another crash, more lost journal entries. *grumbles* Looks like only about 24 hours worth this time though.

Well, I just spent the better part of 6 hours sorting through almost 7 years worth of saved pay stubs, bank statements, and various other miscellaneous documents I've been keeping instead of getting rid of for this reason or that. 

My back -hurts- from sitting on the floor for so long, but I'm relieved to finally have done that. All in all, I would say that at least 90% of the paper collected wound up either going through the shredder, or going directly into the recycle. And now the remainder is nicely organized in a sturdy plastic case with hanging file folders that I can stick up on the top shelf of my closet and hopefully keep up on the organization of.. 

It doesn't help that with moving 5 times in the last 2 years, I didn't do -any- organization what so ever, and hadn't even opened half the visa bills or bank statements.. *chuckles* So yeah, here's hoping I can Keep it all organized now..

So I am very happy to report that, almost a month after writing my certification exam, I've finally gotten my lazy ass a job *chuckles* Seriously though, I'm really happy to be working again (or almost, start in a few days) I'm way past the point where sitting at home doing nothing is relaxing. Now it's just gotten frustrating to be broke and not be able to really work effectively towards any of my goals.

So any how, I was interviewed by two clinics, and have settled on the one that's physically closer to home and also a clinic I'm already familiar with, as I worked there in a different capacity before I started the AHT program. So in a lot of ways, it's going to be more like going back to an old job than starting a new one, which is nice because it will equal less stress.

Once I know my hours, I'll be applying at the Calgary Zoo to work in a volunteer capacity, and I'm quite excited about that possibility. It's funny, when I started the AHT program, I never would have guessed how interested in exotics and particularly birds I would become. When I was thinking about getting into the program, it was because I wanted to work with horses!

It's so nice to be living somewhere that I can do the majority of my running around and grocery shopping, etc, on my bike again. It really is my favorite mode of transportation.

*laughs her ass off*

Ok, so my mom is cleaning out her jewelery box or something, and she just found this super old note I left for the tooth fairy when I lost one of my teeth. I wrapped the tooth up in it, I guess. Unfortunately she didn't date it, so we don't know how old I was. Pretty young by the spelling and the writing.

Yay! Things are looking up on the job hunt front. I had a quasi interview at a clinic I used to work at before I went away to school this morning, and got a call back from them this afternoon. They would like me to start on the 15th.

I have another interview at a different clinic on wednesday afternoon, and I still intend to go to it, but I have a fairly good feeling that I'll wind up going with Macleod Trail (which is the clinic I talked to today). I already have a fairly good feel for their clinic and I know I get along with the staff. And I found out that the one girl I didn't get along with so well isn't there any more. 

So yeah, looks like I'll be gainfully employed by the 15th at the latest. What a relief that is. I seriously need to start paying down my Visa and paying back my school debt, not to mention saving for my plans for the next year. That's a bit of a weight off my shoulders, for sure.

Well.. a month's worth of diary entries lost, including all my tales of Australia and such.. that's too bad. 

Its hard to believe that, by week's end, I will be in Australia. Wow. I'm so excited! It's going to be amazing. I should have my passport in hand by 5pm today at the latest (though I hope it comes sooner so I can take the dog for her walk before dinner) It's coming by courier, so I have to hang about to sign for it when it arrives. The last thing I need is to not be able to get it because I wasn't here when they came calling.

I may post an update or two in here while I'm there, but I wouldn't count on it. I'm going to be too busy exploring and having fun to want to be spending any more time than I have to on the computer. But I'll be sure to post many photos and lots of stories when I return and have time to kill again.

So, doing a bit of a test pack today. Seems I can fit everything I want to take into my bag... However, I seem to be over the weight restriction... Hmm. Time to pare down I suppose. I don't particularly want to pay an extra $75 because my bag weighs more than it should.




update
Hmm, seems I may have read the scale wrong due to my bag half covering the numbers. Seems unlikely that what I removed would take the wt from 77lbs to 23lbs.. must have said 33 lbs when I read it the first time... Oh well, it made me re-think what I -really- needed.

Today's paddle was even nicer than yesterday's. By a lot, actually. And I was mistaken about the name of the lake that's connected to Wood Lake. It's not Mara, it's Kalamalka. Mara is half way to Castlegar, and not all that close to here.

But Kalamalka is a lovely little lake. Lots of sheltered coves and inlets, and a very scenic shoreline. Beautiful clear blue water.. and so warm! I was more than half tempted to go for a swim. We were out for about 2.5 hours today. If the weather's suitable, we'll go paddling one more time tomorrow, but then dad has to go back to work and I have to get back to studying.. *sigh* It's been an awesome weekend so far though.

Woke up this morning with a hell of a knot in the muscles of my right shoulder, right where it joins my neck. Not sure what that bodes in regards to paddling, guess we'll see.

Well, today was the first paddle of the season, and my very first paddle in my new (to me) little boat. Went down to Wood Lake in Oyama and were out for about an hour and a half before my left arm decided it just didn't want to paddle any more. A definite disappointment to the rest of me, which could quite happily have stayed on the water all day (and probably gotten sun burned even worse than I did) 

It was a gorgeous, almost wind free morning, and there wasn't too much motor boat traffic on the lake, so it was nice. We plan to go out again tomorrow morning, and probably paddle Mara Lake, which is just the other side of the road from Wood, and connected via a channel. Looking forward to it for sure. Hopefully my arm will let me go a little longer this time.

Since I still haven't gotten around to getting a picture of myself in my new boat, I thought I would see if I could track down a pic of it OL to show. As luck would have it, I even found it in the right color.

or

Stolen from the Diary of [Viking] and posted everywhere I think people might see it.

Earth at 350
350 parts per million of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere.
http://www.thenation.com/doc/20080526/mckibben

Yay! Mom got the envelope full of my passport application and stuff yesterday, and she should be able to go pick up my birth certif from the courier this morning or tomorrow, which means she'll be at the passport office by tomorrow after work, and there should be no problem with me getting my passport in time! Yay!

And, on a completely unrelated not.. I HATE my body's internal alarm click. 6:45 is not a decent time to wake up when one went to bed at 2am!

As much as an income would be somewhat of an assistance at this juncture, I have to admit that I'm -really- enjoying waking up every morning to no responsibilities. No work, no school, no nothing. I got up, had breakfast, read for a while, and then slept for another couple of hours *chuckles* not normally something I would do, but it felt lovely to be able to.

I've mailed all my passport stuff off to my mom, and now it's out of my hands. All I can do at this point is wait with crossed fingers and bated breath, and have faith that everything will work out. I'm very excited about this trip. It's going to be amazing. The 25 hours of travel however, between leaving Kelowna and arriving in Perth, are going to be killer.