Babbles of a Procrastinating Grad Student

Went camping at SNAFU Lake this weekend, and despite the lack of sleep due to freezing cold nights and way too much smoke in our eyes, we had a great time.  I haven't been camping in years!  We went on a hike yesterday and found a winter trapping line and an old camp site, complete with rusted metal fuel tank and cans.

We stayed in the camp ground, but next time we're going to find a random nice place in the bush with a nice view and set up camp there.  Being woken up at 7 am by the neighbours obnoxious generator was less then pleasant, especially since an hour later we could hear the TV they were watching over the drone of the engine.  Not exactly what I'd call camping. 

We came back early because holy crap cold, and arrived home just in time for a bunch of snow to dump down on us, so yay for a good call there!  Now we're cuddled up in the living room, reaquanting ourselves with our computers.  :D  I think we're going to get the fireplace going tonight and roast the rest of the mashmellows, so hurrah!

Also, I have eaten almost all of the smores, and will finish them up tonight.  Mmmm...smores.

Today was a much, much better day.  Right after writing that post yesterday, D convinced me to come over, despite my threats to cry on him.  Good man, D.  Anyways, he put on one of my favourite shows (Top Gear UK) and cuddled with me for a while before going to bed.  Cuddled some more this morning.  Put on a movie I wanted to see (The Hulk) and left me to knit on the couch while he worked on a project in the basement. 

We may not communicate well verbally all the time, but we're good at more quiet forms of communication, and I can't forget that.

I came home this afternoon to wash up my soccer gear before our game this evening, and thoroughly enjoyed a pot of tea.  The game was great and a lot of fun.  I was cramping up like crazy from running, but I was running a lot more than when we started, and I'm pleased about that.  I'm also less afraid of the ball, and my team is getting good at passing the ball around and talking to each other on the field.  I'm super glad that D recommended this league, because I love it.

D was playing hockey right after my game in the rink next to the soccer pitch in the Games Centre, so I went over to watch.  Not such a good plan, considering that I was sweaty and gross, and sitting in a cold rink gave me a chill, but as usual it was fun to watch.  Except that poor D's team got their asses handed to them, and got a bunch of time-outs for mouthing off to the Refs after play.  Still was fun to watch!

My stressors aren't gone, but the crash seems to have passed for now, and I have a couple ideas for solutions to the things stessing me out.  As has always been my stress moto, things will get better soon, just have to ride out the rough time until it passes.

Uh, so we sort of yarn bombed an airplane today!  Check out @yarnbombyukon on twitter for pictures and progress posts!  It was so much fun, and the cumulation of 6 months work by the organizers!

That was a pretty good weekend, despite all sorts of plan changing. 

D and I were supposed to go to his best friend's place to camp overnight before the 4 of us (best friend and his wife) floated down the Yukon River from his place back into Whitehorse, fishing, sight-seeing, and camping along the way. 

Then D's friend and his wife waffled on and on, and then changed their mind Friday afternoon.  Okay fine.  D and I went out for dinner, and then to go see the Frantic Follies with his buddy instead.  Which was so much fun, I haven't laughed that hard in a long time!  If you're ever in Whitehorse for a visit, it's worth the cash to go see!  A beer or three and a couple games of pool at the local dive bar rounded out the night perfectly.

So the plan was to just head out to D's BF's place early Saturday afternoon to hang out for the rest of the weekend, having a bbq and chill by the fire.  D and I did our individual shopping and packing, and just as I was about to leave to meet up with D to head out, I got a text saying no hurry.  Turns out, the BF's wife decided that she was having a boring weekend and wanted to go out to this lake about an hour from their place, and did we want to go along to camp overnight?  Uh, no, because we weren't ready to go camping since they'd initially cancelled on us, and it would take a while to get everything together, not to mention a 2 hour drive to get to the lake.  Talk about not relaxing or fun at all.  So we bailed on them.  If you can call it that.

But that's okay, because D and I hung out and made Very Tasty Milkshakes (butterscotch ripple ice cream, ice, milk, vanilla pudding mix, and a healthy cup of coconut rum - YUM), watched a bunch of movies, and then went for a drive and mini hike up a mountain today!  :D  All in all, a good weekend.  Even if it wasn't driving down the Yukon River.

Although I won't be trusting any plans we make with D's BF and his wife anymore.  Geez, how fickle can you be?

Going on an in-town adventure!  Local museums and coffeeshops, here I come!

Let's just hope I don't ride off the curb again.  Heh.

Aww, my dinner date went really well.  :)  Okay, so dinner was an hour and a half late because I really suck at figuring out cooking times and time management, and also I was dumb and started WAAAY early because I sort of set my watch to Manitoba time. Don't ask me how I wound up late anyways, I totally lost track of time.  I don't even know.

Dinner was pretty good though (even if I really do think that meat looks so gross, but it tasted alright), and then we snuggled watching the romantic movie, Sin City.  Haha yeah.  I'm not a fan of gorey graphic movies, but this actually was pretty good and even funny in places.

But really, the best part of the night was just sitting and chatting.  We're so ridiculously awkward sometimes, but that's okay because we're still feeling things out (and up, haha), and tonight was just great.  :D

Next time though, I'm making KD. 

My best friend's husband is in town for his birthday, the airline ticket purchased by a bunch of friends who have missed him.  I thought it was a really sweet gesture, and went to his birthday party last night to see him.  He's a great guy, it was nice to see him again.

On my way there, I stopped to pick up some cookies from the grocery store and saw a guy sitting outside the doors with a sign saying that he's travelling and broke, and anything would be appreciated. 
( I was going to say that I don't know what struck me about it that I wanted to help, but that would be a lie... )

I got a call from my brother earlier this evening, telling me to come down to my favourite local pub for a beer.  Not having anything in particular planned and craving a beer, and also maybe a little curious about the "surprise" he had for me, I headed down right away.  It's like, a 3 second walk from my apartment.

Note: This pub is the best.  It serves something like 150 varieties of beer from around the world, including scads of the beers I've been missing from southern Ontario.  Plus it's the only place except for the Yukon and parts of BC that sells Yukon beer.  Hell yeah!  Let's see your local do that!

So the surprise?  My childhood best friend works there.  Has been working there for like, 8 months.  And she lives down the road from me.  How the fuck we never crashed into eachother is anyone's guess.  I haven't seen her since I started university, hell nearly 10 years ago.  Fuck me, has it really been that long?  She hasn't changed a bit.

We've tried to meet up a couple times, but I admit, I'd been terrified to do it.  How do you deal with something like that?  And I'm a chicken shit.  But the scariest part is over, and I'll be fucked if I'm not going to convince her to come out for a beer with me sometime so we can catch up for real without her having to work. 

Awesome evening was awesome.

Just got back from a short visit with my brother and his girlfriend.  Was nice to just get out for a quick coffee with people that I like (and I'm pleased to put my brother in that category now). 

Surprisingly, I really like his girlfriend.  This is surprising because I've never really liked most of his girlfriends.  Or at least, didn't really know them, and never really wanted to.  But this one, R, is fun and chill and the very first one I can relate to.  Probably because for once my brother isn't going for the hot bad chick, but a smart pretty 'good girl'.  I think even he's surprised by this.  I hope they make it, because I'd like to adopt her into the family.

Favourite part of the coffee date?  Bonding with R over Sims2.  Oh god, I can't wait until my brother realizes he's dating someone just like me.  It's only fair, my last boyfriend was basically just like my brother. 

Man we're a weird family.

I believe that even the stupidest little mistakes happen for a reason.  Okay yeah usually it's because you've done something stupid, but sometimes it's for other reasons.

About an hour ago, I rented an upholstery cleaner to clean my new (to me) couch (\o/).  If I'd read the instructions I would've known that I needed the anti-foam gel, but I didn't.  Stupid little mistake.

Luckily, I live 5 minutes from the store, so off I went to correct said stupid little mistake.

On the way home, I discovered a great little coffee shop that just opened between the shop and my place!  It's fantastic!  Good coffee, nice staff, tasty-looking stuff, and convenient location.  And on top of that, they're fair trade, have eco-friendly products, and a board where a notice was posted for a meeting on a community garden next weekend!

I'm in love.

And dammit, they open at 6:30 am on weekdays.  Guess I know where I'm getting my morning coffees from now on.  Screw you Second Cup!  :D