A Working Alien...

Yep that is what I am. A working alien. Yes after filling out numerous forms and checking that box, one does get a complex! After living in Chula Vista (I kept telling everyone I moved to San Diego, but it was really Chula Vista!) for 5 days, these are some things I've noticed.

I don't claim these to be intelligent, just observations from a working alien...

• The day here doesn't become light gradually. I am usually up at 0530 and each day so far it's been gloomy. First day I was sure it was going to rain. But by 0730 or 0800 all of a sudden light (sun) just explodes! I would have thought fog, but I live about 20 mins from the ocean.
• All the shopping places I've been to so far has angular parking. I guess it's easier to park (still give me parallel parking anytime!), may give more parking places, but this seem to create one way drive paths. These confuse the heck out of me! Especially since the directions are marked on the road, no posted signs!
• It's a little freaky to find that I can buy alcohol where I buy my groceries. I don't know about the wines, but they have quite the variety of the fruity cooler type alcohols. I am not a big drinker or really a drinker most days but I am actively resisting buying some cool looking daiquiri bottles!
• Palm trees creep me out. I mean come on, it's a green bush on top of a stalk!
• The county library files their paperbacks by title. Not author, not subject but by the first letter of the title!
• I actually came across the "slug" as an unit of measurement. I admit, I giggled to myself. Of course I've seen it as possible units in text books, but never actually used it!

I am sure I won't even notice these things in a couple of weeks. Well except for the library thing!

Happy July 4th everyone.

My goods are in...hopefully next week I will have a card posted here and not just my meanderings!

Bit of me...

Is it me, or has the posting lately been me, me and me?! Who am I kidding, this has always been me, me and me! I saw this on Allison's site a bit ago and thought I'd give it a try. Here's a mosaic of me...

How to do this can be found on Allison's site here. Each of the pics is the answer to the question below...

• First name?
• Favorite food?
• High school?
• Favorite color?
• Favorite drink?
• Dream vacation?
• Favorite dessert?
• what did you want to be when you grow up?
• you love most in life?
• One word that describes you?
• Celebrity crush?
• Flickr name?

Me on a Suspension Bridge...

Last of our weekend was at Lynn Canyon Suspension Bridge. I've never been to Capillano but was told it was a bit expensive for what it was. So we trekked to Lynn Canyon, which is free and a beautiful place to hike.
Shaky view from the bridge...

Tim on the bridge...

Rest of the pictures are of us hiking around. The mission (for me at least) was to get to the waters edge!

Mission accomplished! Dunked my face in the water. Saying its cold is an understatement!

Happy Canada Day!

This is third year in a row I am out of the country for Canada day and even worse working on Canada day! Next year, heading to Ottawa, who's with me???

At UBC...

We spent the night at UBC...they convert the dorms into hotels during the summer. I slept in till 0600 (yes that is sleeping in for me) and decided to take a walk (in my pjs) around campus while everyone else was sleeping. First place I wanted to go was to the beach. The guy at the front desk pointed the way and said there were a crazy number of steps. Crazy was not the word for it. Rocky had nothing when compared to steps...this pic doesn't give the actual pic of the staircase. This was right at the top...
View from the beach...when I finally got there...

The water was beautiful! I couldn't help but take off my shoes and dunk my feet in. It was crazy cold...my feet went numb in two minutes but I still walked for about half hour.

I've don't remmber seeing ridges like this before...it was cool and a little creepy at the same time!

I hiked up the steps again and got crazy lost trying to head back to the dorm. A ten minute walk took something like forty-five minutes!!! On the way I found the rose garden. These pics doesn't do it justice. With white capped mountains in the background it was just beautiful!

Non-Typical Beach Outing...

Saturday night we went to Bard on the Beach. Every summer they put up tents on the beach and perform 4 chosen shakespear play (hence the title). Their production is fantastic! Also relatively cheap considering this is professional live theatre. This year it was King Lear, Twelfth Night, the Tempest and another I can't remember.


This time we went to see King Lear. The production it self had some issues and of course I forgot it was a tradegy and didn't end the way I wanted it to!

First play we saw this season was Twelfth Night. It was beautiful. The story was set in the 1930's with the flappers and jazz. This was by far my favourite, great story, great music, great production overall.

This was the stage for both King Lear and Twelfth Night. I wasn't supposed to take pics in there, which of course I only realized once I snapped a picture and got busted by one of the volunteer ushers!

Me...

Welcome to the 2008 edition of Getting To Know Your Friends. C&P, change the answers, and post. The theory is that you will learn a lot of little things about your friends, if you did not know them already. (Took this from Catherine!)

1. What time did you get up this morning?
0500...out of bed by 0530 at work by 0630

2. Diamonds or pearls?
hmm…fossilized carbon or calcium carbonate from a mollusk? Well the fossilized carbon I guess…it’s at least shinny!

3. What was the last film you saw in the theatre?
Indiana Jones…I want my money back!.

4. Favorite TV Show?
How I Met Your Mother/Bones/NCIS

5. What do you usually have for breakfast?
Oatmeal or junk.

6. What is your middle name?
Paneetha

7. What food do you dislike?
Creamy soups from cans. Anything with Cilantro

8. What is your favorite cd at the moment?
CD? What is that?

9. Favorite sandwich?
BLT

10. What characteristic do you despise?
Lies

11. Favorite item of clothing?
Linen long skirt

12. If you could go anywhere in the world on vacation
...everywhere. Like to see Tokyo

13. What color is your bathroom?
White, I think

14. Do you make friends easily?
No not really.

15. Where would you retire?
Stay in one place?! Seriously? ME?

16. What was your most memorable birthday?
Can’t remember

17. Favorite sport to watch?
Hockey

18. How many towns have you lived in?
4 since being in Canada. Don’t make me count the time of being an airforce brat.

19. How many people do you think will send this back?
None

20. What is on your bedroom floor right now? Left over stuff from the packers

21. Favorite saying?
Hmmm….that's not the saying. I just can't think of it at the moment.

22. When is your birthday?
November

23. Morning person or night person?
Morning person

24. What is your shoe size?
11-12 (I know!)

25. Pets?
1 imaginary puppy and hopefully a Pleo at some time.

26. Any new and exciting news you'd like to share?
Moving to SD, starting a new job!

27. What did you want to be when you were little?
Don’t remember. Since I can remember an Aerospace Engineer. I guess I am there…I just didn’t know what would be “there!”

28. Which talent would you most like to have?
To look back into the past and see into the future – I’ll steal from Catherine.

29. Which words or phrases do you overuse?
Jeez!

30. What is your favorite flower?
lilies and daisys

31. What is the day on the calendar you are looking forward to?
No particular day...well maybe sometime December, finally visiting NY!! Maybe, hopefully. How''s that for plans!

32. What color are your eyes?
Brown. A deep dark chocolate brown. Kiddng. It's just brown.

33. What was your favorite toy as a child?
I think a doll of some sort?

34. Summer or winter?
Neither, autumn

35. Hugs or kisses?
Hmmm…

36. Chocolate or vanilla?
Both

37. Do you want your friends to post this?
If they feel like it, no pressure.

38. What is under your bed?
My bed is in a truck somewhere on it’s way to California

39. When was the last time you cried?
I can't remember

40. Who is the friend you have had the longest in LJ?
Jen/Kendra although I just got in contact with Buddhini (she is an awesme scrapbooker!! We found each other after 20+ years to find that we are both into paper crafty stuff!)

41. What did you do last night?
Went out to dinner, came home and crashed.

42. Favorite smell? Vanilla

43. What are you afraid of? Things not working out

44. Plain, sweet, or salted popcorn?
Plain, fresh and air popped.

45. How many keys on your keyring?
at least 6

46. How many years at your current job?
2 and a bit years

47. Favorite day of the week?
Friday or saturday