September 29, 2006
Ikea!
I had a super-fun (tm) trip to Vancouver this week where I managed to rack up 300km, visiting Richmond and Coquitlam in search of various furniture and textiles. Anyway after a vast amount of fun unpacking a million boxes, smashing, cutting and bashing my fingers I finally got everything put together. The results are below (my duvet cover is in Montreal...):
Boxes!
Posted by Mark at 8:10 PM | TrackBack
September 27, 2006
Visa received!
Thank you Canada for letting me stay another year!
Also thank you for the weather, 25c+ all this week, it's like Summer again...
Posted by Mark at 12:17 PM | TrackBack
September 22, 2006
Google Sketchup is awesome
I don't really know how this started but somehow I found myself dedicating hours to mapping out my room in the new house using Google Sketchup which is a really nice tool, very simple to use but really lets you do some great 3d modelling. It helped that someone had already modelled all the Ikea furniture for me but here's my results:
Posted by Mark at 11:14 AM | TrackBack
September 21, 2006
All about Robyn..
Since I apparently didn't post about what a great time I had on Robyns last visit I am going to attempt make amends by dedicating this entire square inch of the Internet to her. Therefore I've compiled the below facts so you can all get to know her properly.
Things Robyn likes:
- Me
- Her dog, "Taffy"
- Photographs
- Arthur (the kids TV show)
- Buying clothes
- Hugging me while I am fetching something heavy and hot from the oven
- Mario
- Pizza, specifically my home-made type ;-)
- Americanos from Gone Bakery and cookies from Moguls
Things Robyn doesn't like:
- Cats, specifically Zoe
- Lying on my sofa bored while I work
- Meat
The above are not exhaustive lists, Robyn is a very complex girl and indeed holds very well educated, informed and strong opinions on most subjects.
I had a wonderful time during Robyns last visit and am very grateful that she took the time out to come visit it, I can only apologise that I had to work quite a bit and was not able to spend all the time I would of liked with her. I also hopes she accepts this public apology for my rather hasty descent down Sproatt mountain, leaving her trailing behind with a very sore blister, that was not nice of me and I am very sorry.
Posted by Mark at 7:45 AM | TrackBack
September 14, 2006
I take it back
All is forgiven for yesterdays post, it was indeed snowing in September.
Posted by Mark at 7:25 AM | TrackBack
September 13, 2006
Fall is here...
...did you bring your rain jacket?
Posted by Mark at 1:15 PM | TrackBack
September 9, 2006
New house, no visa
I had to pause for a minute when categorising this into Summer, it's raining for the first time in 30 days and the temperature has dropped below 30, again for the first time.
First off, the most exciting news is that Ron and I found a new place to live. It's a stonking brand new home, un-lived in, just bought for $2m and we have the 2 bed suite below the main house (but still on the ground floor). The family up top are great, really got on with them and I think they'll end up being family away from home. The rent is a very very reasonable $1500 for 2 bed, both en-suite, however the place is unfurnished which means we have to buy our own huge HDTV and memory foam matress beds weeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee!
Last night I went for dinner at Araxi for a "Staff Appreciation Evening" or "An excuse to eat lavish beef" with Duane, Meghan and Tania, I've never really chatted to any of them but they're a really fun bunch and the offer of working down at Chris' and Duanes office is growing more appealing, I kind of miss the office banter.
Visa update, since I hadn't heard anything from the shitty lawyer I thought I'd get in touch, apparently I can expect another 2-3 months of waiting just to hear a response (or more likely for them to open the envelope) from the consulate regarding my expidited application. Since my work permit that hasn't even arrived yet will only run until October 1st next year it's looking increasingly likely that I'll not have my residency by then even. This is dispite the numerous articles displaying a massive demand for more foreign workers.
Off to get the keys to the new place. Pictures later!
Posted by Mark at 6:42 AM | TrackBack
September 3, 2006
Call for gear...
So as the Summer comes to an end, except it's still forecast 30 day in and out, it's time to start focusing on Winter again, actually, my visa runs out in 29 days so I should probably be focusing on that but hopefully it's on its way, so back to focusing on the 94 days until Blackcomb opens.. eeeeeeeeeeee!
Fast approaching first of all is the need for a ski pass, which needs to be bought before mid October and should rock in at a nice round $1,000 this year after taking a half day programme on how to promote Whistler. Then equipment again, always need for equipment, like the bindings bought at rock bottom price last week, and the top of the range Smith Prodigys bought for a measly $74 this weekend. Indeed, the Turkey Sale is on October 7th/8th this year, I can't really scope out prices too much as it's like a free-for-all market but if there's any specific requests get them in now and I'll bring them home at Christmas.
Posted by Mark at 4:25 PM | TrackBack
September 1, 2006
Rainbow Lake Hike.
Robyn and I started out on a short ~5km walk yesterday that ended up being a 20km epic up to Rainbow Lake, the walk up was a lot more varied and interesting than Singing Pass, berries to pick and eat along the way, changes in shrubs from berries, deep dark forest, meadows and eventually the lake which was absolutely incredible, shame it took us 4 hours to get up and we had to rush our way down (which we did in 2 hours) to make it to Luna Fliks (massive outdoor movie screening at Lost Lake) which was really cool, albeit bloody freezing and we didn't prepare anywhere near as well as the people with chairs, duvets, pillows...
Pictures of Rainbow are up in Flickr, obviously completely failing to capture the incredible beauty of the place. I need a new camera. Donations welcome.