history.

Could this be history?

Right now Canada and the US are dukin' it out for gold.

The bro is rooting for the Unites States because he's been brain washed by his father.

The rest of us are cheering for Canada because we are swept away in the feeling of patriotism.

It's kinda neat to see an entire country joined together to celebrate their athletes.

I remember watching the last Summer Olympics with my sister while we were on vacation in Ontario. We were staying at my Aunt's trailer in Nothern Ontario. We'd spend all day outside, soaking up the sun, reading, splashing in the lake, then head back in to catch the latest sprinters or swimmers reach for gold. Even in the boonies up North, it felt as if we were still connected to the larger picture of the country.

Fast forward two years and the Winter Olympics are almost done. I've spent the last week or so studying in front of ski jumpers, bobsledders, and figure skaters. The past two weekends I've been at home, the entire famjam has gotten together and tuned in to support the Canadian favorites. It's been more than easy to get caught up in the Olympic frenzy.

I wonder how these Olympics will end: marked with Canadian or American glory?

Love, D.

weekend wonderfuls.

Things that make me happy. A way to kick off the weekend.

• fresh strawberries.
• blogs
• when coffee is pipin' hot
• finish an essay before it's due.
• The Big Bang Theory
• my momma
• naps.
• when friends come to visit
• blueberries in smoothies and oatmeal.
• home on weekends.
• Ellen during lunchtime.

What kicks off your weekend? Enjoy it!

Love, D.

1 tan - 4 pairs of pants = a swell 'ole time.

During Reading Week the chicka's in the house went to Los Cabos. It was BEAUTIFUL! Loved it beyond words. It was so so nice to not have to think about bones, muscles, the essence of nursing, or whatever else is required for schol. But, I think I might have got a bit too relaxed because I forgot some things in my hotel room. Like my favorite jeans. And my black skinny jeans. As well as my funky cargo pants. And, lululemon capris too. SERIOUSLY PEOPLE - how does this happen??!!! It would've been shorter to list the pants I did remember to bring back. BAH. All I can do shake my head.

Now I'm back in the routine. T-minus a month + a tad! This next week or so is going to be nuts: english essay, nursing essay, Diabetes project, anatomy AND physiology midterm, all within the next 14 days. Phew. I doubt I'll be seeing the light of day for a while.

Just kidding. Life goes on regardless of homework. On the 14th I'm running a 10k-er, so I'm working on getting my butt in gear for that. Running helps with brain function/sleep too, so it's an all-around good thing to do when wanting to stall off homework even longer. And a possible family-plan for Easter long weekend is in the works too - hopefully the shenanigans all work themselves out.

Speaking of family, it's never a dull moment at with the famjam. Take Sunday, for example. The whole crew headed to Marsh's hockey game early in the a.m. so we could stop for Timmy's on the way. So we all roll out, still bleary-eyed and yawning, to Tim's. Well, apparently line-ups weren't anticipated - the parents saw the atrocious line and turned right around. After much grumbling, it was settled that Thorsby was our next best bet for a cuppa joe before the game. (aka - the hick town of AB. Good luck to us.)Way to go, Pops - were else would people be on a Sunday morning??? (besides church. or hockey, I suppose. ) Oh well. Because of that commotion, we arrived in game-town WAY earlier that we needed to be. Like 45 min before the 1hr-before-game arrival time. So what did we do? Stopped in at a diner for coffee and bacon. And no jokes, it was just like the movies! A total Corner Gas/small-town type diner with the best food EVER. It was one of those hang-outs were the sole waitress has long fake nails and too much makeup, knows everyone by their first name & order, and all the customers have their routine tables. It was so darling. It was kinda neat to see a quaint place that survives just on regulars and can still peal off the best bacon and eggs around. Very homey. It made the extra driving time worth it.

Love, D.

Hi, this is Canada. We speak English here.

It amazes me how some people are allowed to be teachers.

Take my anatomy class for example. On the first day of class, the lecture room was filled with students. Today, 5 weeks in, barely 20 are here. What could be the problem? Could it be the multi-million dollar facility? Nope. Could every student have somewhere better to be? Nope - we are paying for our education. It is too nice to be inside? Nah - it's Canada, people. Perhaps it's the teacher who doesn't speak English????? PFT. Since when is English a requirement for teaching?

URGH. Sitting in class for an 1 1/2 hours makes me want to scream when I can't understand anything coming from the professors mouth. Honestly, how in the WORLD can this guy be considered a teacher?

Moving on.

I've got three midterms down in the last couple days and so far so good! Anatomy was first and I was able to pull of a B+ which is swell considering I flubbed on studying for a rather key figure. Physiology, the beast of human sciences, came out at a B+ as too. I'm a happy camper. My first midterm in Nursing was this morning, so my fingers are crossed in hopes that everything went well. I felt confident writing it, but you never know! Crazy things happen. The marks should be out soon.

Bright and early this Thursday morning I will be leaving for Mexico - yahoo! I do believe that Los Cabos is the destination, but I'm prone to forget the simple things. Sadly, I do have to bring studying along, but hopefully a bit of sun on my face will keep the smart-juices flowing. Perhaps a pina colada or two will work just as well...

Besides that, no much else to update on. My roommates have continued to be great, and I'm learning the 'rules of the kitchen' first hand.

• just because you kick crumbs under the counter doesn't mean that its gone - it means that you'll step on that pile when your in bare feet the next time you wander through for a snack.
• letting milk cartoons pile up under the sink isn't good - the cupboard doors hide the smell for only so long.
• garbage bags cannot walk themselves to the dumpster.
• warming up food in a microwave full of old splatters will cause your food to taste like splatters, regardless of how crusty/non smelly you thought they were.
• oatmeal becomes cement on your dishes when left over night. So does sauce.
• the 'Popcorn' button on the microwave is a dirty, dirty liar. It burns your popcorn every time, causing the entire apartment to smell like burning snack food. Gross and grosser.
• always always turn off the element when finished cooking. Cooking 'nothing' will equal in fire/horrible smells/increased potential for a series of rather unfortunate events.

Peace, D.

what am I scared of the most?

I suppose my time for having a childish fear of cooties should be over. WAY over.

Sadly, they aren't. Boys still have cooties. And they scare the poop out of me.

For example, look at my relationship with Joel. To date, we've had about 7 random encounters (not that I've been counting or anything) and about 5 of them have been so awkward that I've wanted nothing more than to be swallowed by the earth. Some of them have involved random mumbo-jumbo rambling on my behalf, accompanied with silences so awful its painful to breath. Most of them, however, consist me of seeing him, pretending I didn't see him/hiding, and then carrying on as if this awkward silent meeting had never occurred.

That's why, folks, I'm going to be single for a long, long time.

I come up the best responses and the most clever things to say as soon as I'm out of his sight/he's out of mine. I find the gumption to smile, say 'hello', and strike up a conversation. But it doesn't do much good when I'm already 12 floors up, out the door, or in another room. I feel like I'm playing the game in kindergarden, the one where you bat eyes at a boy then pretend he doesn't exist, but then decide to say hello and follow it up with a good dose of silence... yup. I am a kindergardener at heart.

Besides being inept at socializing, school has been grand. A tad stressful with several assignments due all at once, but ah, such is life. It's tough figuring out what the professors want - paying attention and taking notes isn't enough to prove your worth, which is how high school often worked. I've meet some fun girlfriends throughout my classes, so between studying and coffee, the weeks zoom by. I've already been here for 5 weeks. 5 entire weeks. I can't wrap my head around how fast everything has gone by, and how fast everything will continue to go. I'm soaking it up the best I can but thankfully I still have a while to go!

Dinner planning is calling, which makes me rather excited because my culinary skills are slowly growing. Hold onto your pants - not only can I scramble eggs, but I can put them on a bagel with salsa to make a funky-lunch-bagel-thingy!! Which is so yummy, btw. I am very proud of my creative endeavors. Plus, I can make pasta and top it off with chicken, sauce and mushrooms to call it a meal! With a little bit of innovation and a dash of hunger, I've been able to eat more than pre-packaged food. I wonder what tonight's adventure will be?

Love, Dani.

holy february!

Holy moses. It's february already!

This is my fifth week of school but it feels like I've just started yesterday. Times flies with your nose in a textbook all week.

Last weekend I went home and it was so lovely! Honestly, I love love love home. I caught Marshall's hockey game, went swimsuit shopping (which was less torturous than prev. years, thankfully) and ate the best home-cooked meal ever known to man. My belly was pretty happy thanks to my mother: her roast + mashed potaters + cheesecake make for a lethal combination of joy.

I also went to a fundraiser for 'Olive Tree Projects', a organization in Haiti run by a girl, Sarah, from my small town. She left everything behind at 19 and moved out to make a difference as a midwife and care-provider for pregnant mums and babies. Sarah is the coolest person I know. I admire her absolute selflessness as she gives her energy towards helping people in dire need. The work she's done there is unbelievable - she's constructed a facility where pregnant mums can get the prenatal education they need and/or deliver their babies. Her long term plan is to open an orphanage. With the Haiti crisis, this is becoming more of a reality for her. What's almost more amazing is the support she's received from her family, friends, and community back at home. Apparently, a teacher in Korea, a total stranger to Sarah, had been moved so much by her story (it has appeared on CNN and CTV) that her organized her class to hold a massive fundraiser for her cause. It happened just last weekend. I think that the heart's of people can be downright amazing. Whether it is giving time, money, or just prayer, I've seen a lot of good in people these last couple of weeks. Keep it up, folks.

With a physiology midterm looming over my head, I must get cramming. No more stalling/blogging!

Peace!

Love, Dani.