Hiya from Toronto!
We (Mike, Mr. Moseby Wiskers, and the U-Haul) arrived in Toronto late Saturday evening. After a 16 hour drive, for the second time in less than 2 months, we made it here in one piece. I started my new job on Monday. It is a pretty sweet job, but it is really specific, and not easy to explain. Basically I work for the secret service. Jokes! What I am actually doing is cool to me, but probably boring to everyone else!
Toronto on the other hand is super cool but I haven't had that much time to enjoy the city. Sunday was a sleep in day, and hanging out with my family, since we are staying at my Uncle's house until we find an apartment. We had a nice BBQ outside on Sunday evening and there wasn't even SMOG! The weather has been fantab!
Then on Monday I started working, and Monday night we went to view some apartments in North York (by Mike's school) with our Realtor, yes I said Realtor. In TO the real estate market is so crazy fast you need a Realtor to handle making the arrangements to view apartments and whatnot. It is also free or almost free for the renters, the landlord pays the fees.
Anyhoo, we didn't really see any nice ones Monday, so our Realtor convinced us that we should live downtown, because the apartments are so new, and there is so much to do, and the commute would be about the same for Mike and less for me! So last night we went and saw a billion units, and we made an offer on one of them! (More on that later).
It hasn't really hit me that we have moved to Toronto, but I don't think it really will. I think I am just going to get used to my new life here! I am super pumped to get an apartment, and get all settled. The past 2 months have been super chaotic and has involved a lot of packing and living out of suitcases. It will be nice to just get into normal life mode again!
Wednesday, June 22, 2011
Monday, June 13, 2011
Wrong Side of the Bed
Today I woke up and immediately felt grumpy. I have no idea why, but I am going to blame the weather. It is raining and dark and stormy. Gross. It is so weird how weather effects people's moods. On days like this I always just want to cuddle up and read a book or watch a movie. But I have to run errands this afternoon, then tutor, and then go to a Mary Kay thing (which should be fun, it is a fashion show where a local store is showing how to take 9 basic items and make a whole bunch of outfits with them..how this has to do with Mary Kay I am not sure).
I think to I am starting to get a wee bit stressed with all the loose ends I have to tie up before I leave. I sent a lot of e-mails in the past 2 days, so hopefully everything will get straightened out before I go! I really don't have that much to do, but when you wake up grumpy, everything seems like a BFD.
On a happier note, I put my schedule for next week into google calender (side bar..google everything rocks my world, just discovered google reader and now I am adding many blogs to it!). It is great to be able to have a schedule again! My typical day includes getting up at 6:30 (not too bad) and going to work, then going to the gym then coming home around 8:00. I am going to have to be organized to pack my lunch and snacks but I am super excited just to have some routine in my life!
Ok, time to get up on the right side of the bed, and try to stay happy today :D!
I think to I am starting to get a wee bit stressed with all the loose ends I have to tie up before I leave. I sent a lot of e-mails in the past 2 days, so hopefully everything will get straightened out before I go! I really don't have that much to do, but when you wake up grumpy, everything seems like a BFD.
On a happier note, I put my schedule for next week into google calender (side bar..google everything rocks my world, just discovered google reader and now I am adding many blogs to it!). It is great to be able to have a schedule again! My typical day includes getting up at 6:30 (not too bad) and going to work, then going to the gym then coming home around 8:00. I am going to have to be organized to pack my lunch and snacks but I am super excited just to have some routine in my life!
Ok, time to get up on the right side of the bed, and try to stay happy today :D!
Thursday, June 9, 2011
Moving, Packing, Listing
I threw out a pair of shoes today. A pair of flipflops to be exact. They literally fell apart. I also went through all my stuff on the weekend, and donated 2.5 garbage bags and threw out another 3. I also got to throw out some of my old notes for example my humanities requirement from 2nd year where I took History: Early Modern England...pretty sure I won`t need those some day soon. I figured since now I have actually got my degree I can probably throw out some of the "good memories." I keep thinking that every bag I get rid of now is one that I don't have to A: Pack and B: Unpack when I get to Toronto.
Speaking of which, I have started making a list of fun things I can do once I move to TO.
1. Going to Canada's Wonderland...like every day, I am seriously considering buying a season pass
2. Enjoying the Corso Italia Festival as it is my 2nd weekend in the City (and is around the block from my Uncle and Aunt's house, where I will be crashing until I find an apartment)
3. Finding an apartment and moving in, and buying things for the apartment! Yay IKEA and Homesense
4. Going up to my family's cottage (2hr North of TO) to enjoy the lake!
5. Hanging out with Toronto Family and Friends
6. Exploring the city as a non-tourist.(Kensington Market is up on my list, I will need to replace the Halifax Market!)
7. Not tutoring.
8. Enjoying my new job!
9. Blogging about new things
10. Cooking and exercising in a new city (see my other bloggity blog for all that business).
At the same time I am trying not to be sad about leaving the East Coast. 90% of the time I am ready for this new adventure (BF and Cat in tow) and about 10% of the time it hits me that this isn't just a fun short term trip. It is for realz.
Things I will miss about Halifax and the Maritimes
1. My Bathurst famjam and my Halifax famjam
2. My friends!
3. The kids I tutor
4. The Halifax nightlife, specifically trivia nights
5. The beach/salt air
6. Not being 40+ all summer
7. No 401
8. General east coast lifestyle (ie not rushing to catch a subway that comes every 2 mins)
9. Donairs, not that I eat them a lot, but they are delicious. Along the same line I am going to miss Alexandria's and Darrell's for noms as well.
10. No smog
I am starting the trek in a week. In between now and then I have a bunch of people to hang out with, a trip to Moncton, 12 hours of tutoring, some family dinners, and packing. Time is going to fly by!
Friday, June 3, 2011
Good Smaritans
I have been wanting to write about this for a while now, but got distracted by life.
The other week I was at Starbucks on the corner of Spring Garden and Queen. A girl came running in and fled to the bathroom. I thought she seemed pretty frazzled. Then she came out in a panic and asked the cashier (barista?) if he had seen someone leave with a wallet and a cellphone from the bathroom. Being the keen overhearer as I am I pieced together that she had forgotten her wallet and cellphone in the bathroom about 3 minutes earlier and then left Starbucks. The cashier calmly looked at her and said "Oh someone turned them in, we have them in our safe." The girl then exclaimed to her boyfriend that she couldn't believe that someone returned them, and then she even checked her wallet and all the money was in there.
Obviously the girl wasn't from the Maritimes. I think for the most part Haligonians are pretty honest people. I think that if most people I know found a wallet and cellphone in a semi public bathroom they would try to return it. I read somewhere once that a study was done to prove which country and cities are the most honest. The study peeps placed 100 wallets per city and monitored how many were returned. Apparently my memory is super good because it was in a 2001 Reader's Digest article as I just googled. At the bottom of the page shows the Canadian cities. Moncton was the best (100%), with charlottetown in 2nd (80%). Halifax was lower than I expected (50%).
Regardless, I was touched at how happy this girl was that she found her wallet because of an act of kindness from a stranger.
Another act of kindness...
Later last week, the Mike was driving around my new car (ooo I got a new car!) he didn't realize the lights had to be turned on. We are both used to driving cars with automatic lights. A car started following us, and as we pulled over to let out one of our friends, the driver of the car stopped, came over to our car and warned us that the lights weren't on! Thank you stranger!
The other week I was at Starbucks on the corner of Spring Garden and Queen. A girl came running in and fled to the bathroom. I thought she seemed pretty frazzled. Then she came out in a panic and asked the cashier (barista?) if he had seen someone leave with a wallet and a cellphone from the bathroom. Being the keen overhearer as I am I pieced together that she had forgotten her wallet and cellphone in the bathroom about 3 minutes earlier and then left Starbucks. The cashier calmly looked at her and said "Oh someone turned them in, we have them in our safe." The girl then exclaimed to her boyfriend that she couldn't believe that someone returned them, and then she even checked her wallet and all the money was in there.
Obviously the girl wasn't from the Maritimes. I think for the most part Haligonians are pretty honest people. I think that if most people I know found a wallet and cellphone in a semi public bathroom they would try to return it. I read somewhere once that a study was done to prove which country and cities are the most honest. The study peeps placed 100 wallets per city and monitored how many were returned. Apparently my memory is super good because it was in a 2001 Reader's Digest article as I just googled. At the bottom of the page shows the Canadian cities. Moncton was the best (100%), with charlottetown in 2nd (80%). Halifax was lower than I expected (50%).
Regardless, I was touched at how happy this girl was that she found her wallet because of an act of kindness from a stranger.
Another act of kindness...
Later last week, the Mike was driving around my new car (ooo I got a new car!) he didn't realize the lights had to be turned on. We are both used to driving cars with automatic lights. A car started following us, and as we pulled over to let out one of our friends, the driver of the car stopped, came over to our car and warned us that the lights weren't on! Thank you stranger!
Saturday, May 28, 2011
The Pink Hard Hat goes to Work
I am reposting the "Deats" of my blog here to address some issues-highlighted below:
I recently graduated university and I am now looking for work. After spending countless hours at school finishing my degree and the million other things I was involved with, this sudden free time is kind of scary. Hence the blog. Over the next unknown time period I will embark on an adventure of leisure. Follow along to see how a overachiever, super scheduler, perpetual planner (etc.) survives the NOTHING TO DO!
Firstly, I actually didn't officially graduate in January when I started my blog...I finished school then, and my actual graduation is on Wednesday. The truth comes out!
Secondly, my adventure of of leisure is about to come to an end. As some of you may know, I officially have a true blue engineering job! I will be starting my position at SNC Lavalin on June 20th, in Mississauga ON. I will have a desk and maybe even a shelf to books on! And the Pink Hard Hat will actually be used as a hard hat instead of a identification tool.
I guess I should have talked about the name of my blog before now. I actually do own and wear a pink hard hat..like this:
The past year I used it during my term as president of the engineering society for big events (like in the event above) so if people and volunteers needed me, I was easy to spot (for orientation events, all the organizing committee wore hard hats and it worked super well.) I digress...
I got my pink hard hat working on my first co-op job. I was working at a mine, and had commented on one of the contract employee's bright pink hard hats, and next thing you know, one of them showed up on my desk (a hat, not a contract employee). For those of you who can't imagine working at a mine/construction site, there aren't too many pink hardhats floating around. Or girls for that matter.
At first I was hesitant to wear it. I figured I was already in a minority, why bring more attention to it. Then one day I decided to be bold and wear the hat. I was driving around the mine site doing safety inspections and I noticed people looking at me, I was convinced that I was driving wrong, or breaking some sort of rule...and then suddenly I remembered that I was wearing a bright pink hard hat.
Over time, I realized that if a sleazy worker dude was going to make a comment, I would rather it be about the colour of my hard hat, than about the fact that "OMG IT IS A GIRL WHO IS AN ENGINEER" And the distraction worked perfectly!
Not everyone agrees with my hat, but over the past 3 years I have come to love it, and what it stands for to me. It shows that you can be girly, wear bright pink, and still be an engineer!
As for this bloggity blog, even when I start work I will still be posting! I have a big move ahead (ugh more packing) and huge life dealios to figure out! The theme of the blog may change slightly, and I may have to update the Deats, but overall its going to keep rolling!
Monday, May 23, 2011
The Amazing Road Trip-Part 2
Read Part 1 for this to make any sense :)
Last time on the Amazing Road Trip: Kaylee and Mike faced their way through roadblocks and detours, and found themselves in Toronto. Now they are setting off to New York City.
Leg 4 Toronto-NYC
Detour-Expressway or Cheapway- Teams must decide to navigate the backroads of the State of New York, or spend money on Tolls. Kaylee and Mike decide that using an Interstate system is totally worth the toll booth every couple miles.
Roadblock- Do you know the value of the Dollar? One team member must find a place to change money in the small town of Niagara (US) on a Sunday. Kaylee takes on this challenge and ends up going into the casino (biggest casino ever for a very tiny town) and changing money there. She almost decides to gamble with the money, but time is of the essence as Mike is waiting for her in the car.
Highlights- driving through NY and the CatSkillz Skills Mountain, meeting a older man from New York at a rest stop who told us stories of fishing in Quebec and asked if we knew certain people in Nova Scotia after finding out that we were from the East Coast of Canada.
Pitstop- Holiday Inn Express in North Bergen, New Jersey
Leg 5- New York City
Detour-Central Park Snooze or Central Park Sneeze. Teams must decide between relaxing in Central park or leaving central park because of a pollen allergy attack. Kaylee and Mike leave and find a drugstore and then go back to enjoy the pollinating trees.
Roadblock-North East South and West- One team member must be able to determine their location after coming out of subway stations. Kaylee picks this detour as she is good with maps, but quickly discovers that all street corners look the same.
Highlights- Full bus tour of NYC, Boat ride in the rivers, Empire State Building, LION KING, Gotham Comedy club, shopping, Central Park, Museum of Natural History, and NYC in general!
Pitstops- Holiday Inn Express in North Bergen, New Jersey
Leg 6- New York City to Boston
Roadblock- Have your Cake and Eat it too- Before leaving NJ, one team member must complete the task of eating some cake from Carlos Bakery from TLC's Cake Boss. Mike grudgingly volunteers for this task.
Detour- Shop or Stop- Teams have a choice between stopping to sightsee on the drive to Boston or stopping to shop at the outlet malls. Kaylee and Mike choose shopping and do well at this task.
Highlights-Shopping! And delicious cake! (Lowlights include a ridiculous traffic jam in Connecticut, that lasted the entire state!)
Pit Stop- Crown Plaza in Newton Massachusetts
Leg 7- Boston
Detour- Blue or Bruin- Teams can choose to either see a Blue Man group performance or go to the Bruins playoff game. Kaylee and Mike are u-turned and must do both tasks, oh well!
Roadblock- 1 if by land, 2 if by sea- One team member must choose to drive the roads of Boston, some are on original land, and some are on man made land which was once part of the Boston Bay. Mike takes on this challenge, and becomes very frustrated with the one way narrow streets and strange layout of the Boston road system.
Highlights- Bruins game, Blue Man Group, sightseeing around Boston!
Pit Stop- Crown Plaza in Newton Massachusetts
Leg 8- Boston- Halifax
Detour- Rain or Shine- Teams must choose to leave the sun of Boston behind them and head north, or they can spend more time taking the scenic route home. After 2 weeks on the road Kaylee and Mike decide to try to get back to Halifax as soon as possible.
Roadblock- You are Canadian Eh?- One team member must answer the questions at customs. Mike takes on this challenge and when asked tells the customs officer that the trip has been "about a week" in the states. The custom officer asks them to clarify what "about a week" is and then sends them on their way.
Highlights-Ummm....driving 12+ hours in the Rain?
Finish Line- Halifax Nova Scotia
Overall, an excellent trip!!!
Last time on the Amazing Road Trip: Kaylee and Mike faced their way through roadblocks and detours, and found themselves in Toronto. Now they are setting off to New York City.
Leg 4 Toronto-NYC
Detour-Expressway or Cheapway- Teams must decide to navigate the backroads of the State of New York, or spend money on Tolls. Kaylee and Mike decide that using an Interstate system is totally worth the toll booth every couple miles.
Roadblock- Do you know the value of the Dollar? One team member must find a place to change money in the small town of Niagara (US) on a Sunday. Kaylee takes on this challenge and ends up going into the casino (biggest casino ever for a very tiny town) and changing money there. She almost decides to gamble with the money, but time is of the essence as Mike is waiting for her in the car.
Highlights- driving through NY and the Cat
Pitstop- Holiday Inn Express in North Bergen, New Jersey
Leg 5- New York City
Detour-Central Park Snooze or Central Park Sneeze. Teams must decide between relaxing in Central park or leaving central park because of a pollen allergy attack. Kaylee and Mike leave and find a drugstore and then go back to enjoy the pollinating trees.
Roadblock-North East South and West- One team member must be able to determine their location after coming out of subway stations. Kaylee picks this detour as she is good with maps, but quickly discovers that all street corners look the same.
Highlights- Full bus tour of NYC, Boat ride in the rivers, Empire State Building, LION KING, Gotham Comedy club, shopping, Central Park, Museum of Natural History, and NYC in general!
Pitstops- Holiday Inn Express in North Bergen, New Jersey
Leg 6- New York City to Boston
Roadblock- Have your Cake and Eat it too- Before leaving NJ, one team member must complete the task of eating some cake from Carlos Bakery from TLC's Cake Boss. Mike grudgingly volunteers for this task.
Detour- Shop or Stop- Teams have a choice between stopping to sightsee on the drive to Boston or stopping to shop at the outlet malls. Kaylee and Mike choose shopping and do well at this task.
Highlights-Shopping! And delicious cake! (Lowlights include a ridiculous traffic jam in Connecticut, that lasted the entire state!)
Pit Stop- Crown Plaza in Newton Massachusetts
Leg 7- Boston
Detour- Blue or Bruin- Teams can choose to either see a Blue Man group performance or go to the Bruins playoff game. Kaylee and Mike are u-turned and must do both tasks, oh well!
Roadblock- 1 if by land, 2 if by sea- One team member must choose to drive the roads of Boston, some are on original land, and some are on man made land which was once part of the Boston Bay. Mike takes on this challenge, and becomes very frustrated with the one way narrow streets and strange layout of the Boston road system.
Highlights- Bruins game, Blue Man Group, sightseeing around Boston!
Pit Stop- Crown Plaza in Newton Massachusetts
Leg 8- Boston- Halifax
Detour- Rain or Shine- Teams must choose to leave the sun of Boston behind them and head north, or they can spend more time taking the scenic route home. After 2 weeks on the road Kaylee and Mike decide to try to get back to Halifax as soon as possible.
Roadblock- You are Canadian Eh?- One team member must answer the questions at customs. Mike takes on this challenge and when asked tells the customs officer that the trip has been "about a week" in the states. The custom officer asks them to clarify what "about a week" is and then sends them on their way.
Highlights-Ummm....driving 12+ hours in the Rain?
Finish Line- Halifax Nova Scotia
Overall, an excellent trip!!!
Wednesday, May 18, 2011
The Amazing Road Trip-Part 1
Hi again world (or at least the 20-30 ppl who read this)! I have been busy the past little while. As per the last blog, I moved into my boyfriend's parent's house for the time being until life works itself out. I also have been travelling! For a post grad trip my boyfriend and I went on a Roadtrip. It was our AMAZING RACE...
Phil: Lets meet the teams of the Amazing Race!!! Just one team this time: Two engineering graduates, dating for 3 years..Kaylee and Mike. They are about to embark on a journey across provinces and states, all for $1,000,000 (Hey I can dream can't I!)
Leg 1 Halifax-Bathurst-Ottawa
Detour- 5 hour drive/5 hour snooze: the team will have the choice of driving 5 hours to Bathurst after hosting a wine and cheese party, or they can choose to sleep in and not visit the Famjam (aka family). Mike and Kaylee have decided to choose driving, as they feel this is the better choice in life, not only the Amazing Race.
Roadblock-Parlez vous francais? Kaylee has chosen to complete this roadblock which involves navigating through Quebec, and communicating with the locals.
Highlights: Visit to the family in Bathurst, a nice drive along the Fleuve St. Laurent, and St. Hubert in Montreal
Pitstops: The Villa in Bathurst, Chimo Hotel in Ottawa
Leg 2 Ottawa-Toronto
Detour-Hot Engines and Hot Politics: Arriving on the night of the election, teams can choose to go and visit Parliament hill and congratulate the leader of the opposition, or can go on a tour of the national research council and look at jet engine turbines. They pick Hot Engines, because Mike thinks this is cool.
Roadblock-Economic Action Plan: One team member must navigate the construction that has been happening due to the Economic Action Plan at rush hour. Mike cheats by using GPS. The team gets a 30 minute penalty (aka a traffic jam).
Highlights- Drive by of Parliament hill, getting lost(ish) twice, and a tour of the national research council.
Pitstops- Kaylee's Uncle and Aunt's House
Leg 3 Toronto
Detour-Shoes in Glass or Shots on Ice- Teams can either choose between touring the BATA shoe museum, or going to the Air Canada Centre for a tour. This proves to be a difficult choice for the team, but they pick Air Canada Centre.
Roadblock-Mi Casa Loma es su Casa Loma: One team member must find the secret tunnel in Casa Loma where they did secret army stuff in WWII. Mike succeeds, by looking at the map on the brochure, and following the millions of children on a school trip to Casa Loma.
Highlights-Visiting the extended family, visiting friends, and job interviews (more on that later).
Pitstops-Kaylee's Grandparent's House
Stay tuned for clips from the next episode....
"Will Kaylee and Michael make it to New York City? One team member faces challenges changing money in the states, one team member can't handle the streets of Boston...all next time on the AMAZING RACE"
Phil: Lets meet the teams of the Amazing Race!!! Just one team this time: Two engineering graduates, dating for 3 years..Kaylee and Mike. They are about to embark on a journey across provinces and states, all for $1,000,000 (Hey I can dream can't I!)
Leg 1 Halifax-Bathurst-Ottawa
Detour- 5 hour drive/5 hour snooze: the team will have the choice of driving 5 hours to Bathurst after hosting a wine and cheese party, or they can choose to sleep in and not visit the Famjam (aka family). Mike and Kaylee have decided to choose driving, as they feel this is the better choice in life, not only the Amazing Race.
Roadblock-Parlez vous francais? Kaylee has chosen to complete this roadblock which involves navigating through Quebec, and communicating with the locals.
Highlights: Visit to the family in Bathurst, a nice drive along the Fleuve St. Laurent, and St. Hubert in Montreal
Pitstops: The Villa in Bathurst, Chimo Hotel in Ottawa
Leg 2 Ottawa-Toronto
Detour-Hot Engines and Hot Politics: Arriving on the night of the election, teams can choose to go and visit Parliament hill and congratulate the leader of the opposition, or can go on a tour of the national research council and look at jet engine turbines. They pick Hot Engines, because Mike thinks this is cool.
Roadblock-Economic Action Plan: One team member must navigate the construction that has been happening due to the Economic Action Plan at rush hour. Mike cheats by using GPS. The team gets a 30 minute penalty (aka a traffic jam).
Highlights- Drive by of Parliament hill, getting lost(ish) twice, and a tour of the national research council.
Pitstops- Kaylee's Uncle and Aunt's House
Leg 3 Toronto
Detour-Shoes in Glass or Shots on Ice- Teams can either choose between touring the BATA shoe museum, or going to the Air Canada Centre for a tour. This proves to be a difficult choice for the team, but they pick Air Canada Centre.
Roadblock-Mi Casa Loma es su Casa Loma: One team member must find the secret tunnel in Casa Loma where they did secret army stuff in WWII. Mike succeeds, by looking at the map on the brochure, and following the millions of children on a school trip to Casa Loma.
Highlights-Visiting the extended family, visiting friends, and job interviews (more on that later).
Pitstops-Kaylee's Grandparent's House
Stay tuned for clips from the next episode....
"Will Kaylee and Michael make it to New York City? One team member faces challenges changing money in the states, one team member can't handle the streets of Boston...all next time on the AMAZING RACE"
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