told ya we were hockeyville!

Only in a hockeyville does the zamboni driver get charged with drinking and icing!

This gal just couldn't wait for her vodka on ice... so she had vodka while on the ice! How redonculous is that?????? check the news stories... we made it across Canada and even down in the golden state of Cali!

we made the LA Times: http://www.latimes.com/sports/printedition/la-sp-random4-2008nov04,0,203752.story

the National Post: http://network.nationalpost.com/np/blogs/posted/archive/2008/10/31/ont-zamboni-driver-charged-for-driving-drunk-at-arena.aspx

The Toronto Star:
http://www.thestar.com/News/Ontario/article/528761

weird sightings in Mississauga

ok how's this for weird....

In the drive-thru line at Tim Horton's (the kind that's in the Esso gas station) and while waiting to order, I was looking around and in the parking lot I see a guy washing his car... with a squeegee. You know the squeegee that is next to all gas pumps, used to clean windshields. WINDSHIELDS not the entire car. And some of you may be thinking- well there mustn't have a been a car wash at this particular gas station- nope there was- and two kinds at that, the drive through and the DIY kind. And this guy is cleaning his Chrysler 300m with a squeegee. Hey if you can afford a car like that you can afford a car wash. WEIRD.

Very funny old man winter!

Yeah. Thanks. I really REALLY appreciate the reminder of Ottawa winters. It absolutely figures that the 4 days I come to Ottawa to finish up the move just happens to be the same time that Ottawa gets its first snow storm of the year. For Pete's sake (no Sara, I'm not referring to PC). As you know things are going great in Mississauga- I'm really loving it. I must admit I didn't think much of coming back to Ottawa to finish up the move- I mean I didn't think I'd feel weird about it. Driving up the 416 Wednesday morning, I saw the snow on the ground and on the trees- it was beautiful. Met with Robin for lunch- it was so great to see her- I loved having lunch with Robin- so it was great to be able to do a normal thing of ours. Coming to the apartment was BIZARRE. It felt foreign. Not only that, but I have expected to see my cat Tiffer at the door waiting for me- as he always did. I took the opportunity of the downsize in apartments to do a clean sweep of my junk (and I ain't talking about the junk in my trunk- (haha I was just going to delete that last bit of the phrase given the gross reference if anyone saw last night's episode of Private Practice).

OK I have to back track and say a little something about the drive from Mississauga to Gan on Tuesday night after work. Oh the traffic... and the trucks. Seriously- I would support my (future) children in whatever they want to do in life- except maybe being a trucker. The truckers that I encountered on the drive up were terrible!!! Cutting people off left right and centre. Almost driving people off the road! It's insane. I'm very much looking forward to when they limit trucks to 105km/hr.

ok enough about that. oh one more thing- sleeping in an actual bed for the last two nights has been incredible- I don't know how I'm going to deal with sleeping on the air mattress for the days I'm waiting for my furniture to get to 'sauga.

Man these moving guys are just packing up everything- seriously. Even the magnets on the fridge. Kinda crazy watching my life being packed up by strangers.

Tonight will be interesting- just being here with nothing but boxes surrounding me. Boxes the size of me may I add.

holding my breath- as they take down and pack my beloved framed Patrick Roy Jersey- Ok no smashing, resume breathing.

This weekend should be fun... nao'r's coming up tomorrow and we're going to watch my cousin Andrew play against the 67's (during which his little 5 year old brother will be playing with his timbits time between the 2nd and 3rd! how cute!!!). Saturday nao'r gets to meet some very special people in my life. Cathy and Bill have been family to me for the past 8 years or so and are just wonderful people. We're having lunch with them on Saturday, and I'm quite excited for them to meet nao'r. Saturday night, as luck would have it miss SC is hosting a Christmas soiree pot luck. LOVELY. Can't wait! So glad I'm in town for this!!!

Sunday, I'll drop nao'r in Gan on my drive home.

To my new home.

leaving Ottawa.

F.o.r.e.v.e.r.

Oh my.

"The one with all the answers"

Hey peeps...

Ok here it is- the posting with all the answers... or not... well some...

so while the last few posts and status updates on facebook have been cryptic- it's been killing me not being able to put into words what's going on in my head. Drum roll please... I'm leaving O-town!

Yep this small-town gal who's been livin' it up in O-town is movin' to the the T-dot. From our nation's capital to the province's capital..

In true communications fashion, I figure I should prepare some products to help well, uh, communicate the news and all important messages:

Qs & As
1. Where are you going?
The T-dot- Mississauga to be exact.

2. To be closer to your man?
Uh no- actually I'll be further. I'm going for a new job.

3. A brand new job?
Nope, being transferred within the dept. But expanding my horizons!

4. So will you be doing the same thing?
Nope- Getting phenomenal experience in the region and doing more communications, something I've been trying to get into for some time.

5. When do you leave?
Well I start my new job November 5th. Not sure on exact departure date.

6. Do you have a place to live?
Luckily I do, I just went apartment hunting this weekend- and although exhausting, i found a place I think I can call home for at least the next year!

7. Wow that's a quick move?
Yep but I'll only partially move, I'll get movers to do all the tough work in a few weeks...

8. Are you excited?
Hell yes, but crazy nervous, and incredibly sad to be leaving Ottawa.

9. But you'll be closer to home?
One of them... yes I'll be closer to my mom, sister, niece and grandparents, and closer to my friends and from my hometown. But it means I am leaving some of the most important people in my life. Ottawa has been so important to me. My friends/family here are so important to me. I want them to know that I'm not leaving them. I'm still gonna be around. I'm still here on email, facebook and who can forget the blog.

10. Your turn! any questions????

two homes

How did I end up with two homes?

No no- I didn't go on a spending spree...I'm just wondering at what point Ottawa became home... I wonder if I can pin-point it. Actually I can. Well not so much when it became home to me, but when I realized that it had- and that my friends was the day I thought about what it would be like if i didn't live in Ottawa.

Let's see, while I've been here, I've been a student, a fast-food worker, a public servant, I've been single, in relationship(s), in a long distance relationship, I've made friends, lost friends, rekindled with friends, and made myself a family (out of friends, not kids).

I have officially lived in Ottawa for 9 years, and one month less a day (minus one summer at home, and a semester in Europe). I've lived with roomates, I've lived alone, I've lived with my cat.

There are things about Ottawa that I'm ashamed I've never done while living here. I've never gone on a tour of Parliament Hill (though stood in line for hours when P.E.T. died). I've never had dinner at the revolving restaurant at that hotel that I can't think of the name. I've never (shrinking with embarrassment) gone for a hike in Gatineau park. I've never gone to find the cottage my grandparents lived in near Crown Point. I have gone to Ottawa Senators games, I have seen the ballet at the NAC, I've been to the Art Gallery and I've wondered the market many days and many nights.

I was educated in this city, and sometimes feel like i was un-educated here too. I grew up in this city. I moved here when I was 18 years old! A baby for crying out loud! That's a third of my life I've lived in Ottawa!

In the last while, when travelling, and people ask me where I'm from, my answer is, without hesitation, Ottawa.

What happens, if one day, i don't live in Ottawa? They say home is where the heart is, but what if I've left pieces of my heart in more than one place? Will there be room in my heart for a third?

lineups

Tourists don't know how to stand in line. I've witnessed this before, at my Tim Horton's in the Rideau centre- which has an unconventional line in that there's one line up and like 5 cash registers... frankly i find it to be the most fair of lines... and I'm not always mean, I'll let the occaisional tourist come between me and my coffee (I wouldn't want to start an int'l incident). But yesterday in line at one of the stops on the 401, I got there at the same time as a tour bus of germans, or dutch (the lack of coffee didn't help me being able to distinguish). So after waiting in line for five minutes, when the cashier asked "what can I get you", while looking right into these brown eyes of mine, the ladie behind me headed towards the cash...she was literally about to get between me and my coffee. First thing in the morning is one thing, but at this point I was about 1/3 done my trek home... with hours of car singing and fednign off truckers ahead of me... the lady was tredding in some rough waters...

So seriously, I don't understand how or why tourists don't understand the concept of a line... I know they have line=ups in other countries, I've been around some parts of our green earth, and have stood in line. Do they just not notice? I find this hard to believe considering line-ups are not a new phenomenon, and there pretty darn common, whether it be at a sporting event, at a restuarant, waiting for coffee, or when shopping for just about ANYTHING... I just don't get it.