Regretfully Back

I planned my trip so that I could spend the day at Le Nordik on my way to Wakefield... it was nearly 30 degrees that day so the spa was crowded and festive. It took me a good couple of hours to immerse myself in the peace and relaxation I sought, but after the second hot-cold-relax cycle I began to let my stress go.

About 1600 I headed up to Wakefield and checked into the Mill Inn. The handsome young man at the front desk upgraded my "basic" room to a divine suite overlooking the falls. I dropped off my luggage and went exploring...

A road out back led me to a cemetery where I had the opportunity to pay my respects at the grave of Lester B. Pearson. After prowling the small area, I allowed a trail that led to Gatineau Park entice me into the woods, where I climbed a nearby summit and enjoyed the hot breeze.

Descending the trail after a period spent spellbound in the woods (and very homesick for my lost house in the country) , I was charmed anew to see the inn and waterfall from the back-side. It looked very European and reminded me of my country walks around Bosnia. I went up to my room, grabbed my book, and wandered down to the lounge to sit outside, sip a local micro-brewery beer, and immerse myself in the book.

This set the pace for the weekend... it was rainy the next day so I read and nibbled all day long. The book was my constant companion for the two days... by the time I left yesterday I had read almost 700 pages. What an intriguing read... but I *am* a huge fan of Neal Stephenson to begin with. He's certainly not for everyone, though.

I enjoyed an outrageously beautiful and wonderfully delicious table d'hote meal the last night I was there... the food was presented so beautifully I wish I had my camera to capture every course before I destroyed it before eating. (Exhibiting signs of complete blogger idiocy, I completely neglected to bring my camera on my little get-away.)

All in all... a fabulous trip to a fabulous place. I will absolutely be returning there. I am still enjoying a few more days off before I return to school on Tuesday, and waiting with baited breath for my final marks from this semester. They ought to be published tomorrow... (I have four out of six (and they are very, very good) but it's the two I don't have that are the ones I worry about.

I'm Ready

I'm ready for the beginning of the new semester next week.
I think the coloured pens will make the course load just that much easier.

More importantly, I am ready for a couple of days of rampant hedonism.
My spa pack is all ready to go, (and yes, it includes chocolate and knitting) and so am I. A day at Le Nordik and two nights at the Wakefield Inn. I'll see you later! :)

Signs of (Crafting) Life

I've since finished the companion to that lone fingerless glove I teased you with ages ago.



I've also completed the lovely Whisper cardigan from the Interweave Knits Spring magazine.







I absolutely love this knit and am thrilled to have finished something so lovely. I wore it for my final database exam and I think it made me 5% smarter.

There's also signs of life in the sewing room.





Mum Janet's quilt is coming along nicely... I love how it's working up. The neutrals are so elegant and the top stitching in the high-sheen rayon is delicious. I'm sure she'll be delighted with it!

Gotta Get Away

I wrote my last exam today, and feel like pooling into a small blob of ooze on the floor. Oh, the sudden relief of pressure! (Not for long, though. I'm in school all summer, and classes resume 5 May.)

Smart girl that I am, I just realized I have a week off and not much to do with it. The first thing that crossed my mind was to dust off my passport and go south. However, there was no packages available to Mexico at all (what's with that?) (and I don't care about swine flu, before you say it.) The best offer I could find was a two-star hotel in Cuba, six nights for around $600.

I thought about it hard. Money's at a bit of a premium right now, what with not having a job and all, but a week off and exams finished required some sort of celebration. But do I really want to hang around an airport for two days to get there?

I "settled" for this instead. Two nights and two spa treatments at the Wakefield Inn in Quebec. It's almost as much as a week in Cuba, but there will assuredly be no cockroaches and it's only an hour's drive away.

I can't wait. :)

PS... I am TOTALLY not bringing my laptop.

"Nothing to See Here!"

To distract you from the fact that I have had no new blog content for ages, please go tour this site. I have been laughing continuously all evening over the entries... if you're a grammar weenie like I am, this is your kind of place.

Bringing Me Back To Reality

A thanks to all that sent comments remembering that today marks a significant passage for me; my last day as a serving member of the CF. I thought it would make me a little sad at the change; as good as school and my civilian life is shaping up, I loved my time of service and was so proud to be a part of something so (I think) important.

Honestly... I've had no time for emotional response. With two term tests this week (one in database, which I find very challenging), finals in another week and a beloved guest (mum Linda) coming out on Thursday, I have had absolutely no quiet time for reflection. I ran ragged all weekend, studying this, fixing that, doing practice tests, sewing, gaming... until my husband, catching sight of the fevered, frenzied gleam in my eye, ran me a hot bubble bath and gave me a massage on Sunday night "to bring me back to reality", he said.

Yes, he *is* a keeper.

Thanks as well for your comments on your favourite poets. I'll have to check them all out and see if there's not another personal "win" on the list.

Poetry Sunday

Spring

To what purpose, April, do you return again?
Beauty is not enough.
You can no longer quiet me with the redness
Of little leaves opening stickily.
I know what I know.
The sun is hot on my neck as I observe
The spikes of the crocus.
The smell of the earth is good.
It is apparent that there is no death.
But what does that signify?
Not only under ground are the brains of men
Eaten by maggots.
Life in itself
Is nothing,
An empty cup, a flight of uncarpeted stairs.
It is not enough that yearly, down this hill,
April
Comes like an idiot, babbling and strewing flowers.

~ Edna St. Vincent Millay

I was never much for poetry , until I heard a program on CBC Radio One's Ideas on Millay. I fell in love instantly, and am given to reading Vincent out loud while in the tub, luxuriating in the sensuality of her imagery and the hot scented water. Hubby perhaps thinks I'm insane, but I need to speak her poetry out loud to capture the nuances.

I've lately been turned on to Yeats, too, by an episode of House, strangely enough. A young boy reads this poem out loud to his mother... it, too, captured my imagination.

Do you like poetry? Who is your favourite poet?

A Quick Update

So we're doing an oral presentation in English, worth 30% of our total mark. My partner volunteered us to do ours a full week before everyone else... hahaha. That's okay, I had nothing better to do this week then be a slave to PowerPoint. (At least the presentation is on Guild Wars (I know... how very very geeky) so the topic will be riveting to the other presenter and I.)

Oh yeah... term tests coming up next week, just a couple of weeks before finals. (ohmygod I can't believe we're that close to the end of the semester!)

Mum Linda flies out next weekend for a quick visit... I'm so afraid I'll be swamped with schoolwork but I'll do my best to clear some time in my schedule ahead of time. Maybe it's best I'm doing the oral presentation this week.

I am finishing off the last bits of administration that I need to do before I am released from the military. My last day as a soldier is 7 April... not sure if I'll celebrate or have a little cry or both. Not that I'm not loving being a civvie and a student, but that's a huge chapter about to be closed. More thoughts on this later.

I carved a bit of free time out last weekend and actually began Mum's quilt. The top is nearly pieced; I expect to begin quilting (as-you-go) this weekend. It's spectacular already... pics soon.

Must get back to my presentation. Anyone know how to knit more time?

CBC Cutbacks: Online Petition

I'm never sure how effective online petitions are, but I figure it can't hurt, might help.

I'm sure you've all heard the news about the massive cutbacks at CBC. If you're as outraged as I am, go here and let your tiny, insignificant voice be heard.

No Littering

I dreamed last night that I had had a litter of kittens. There were nine of them, and they were striking and gorgeous. Each one had a very distinct patch of lime or vibrant orange fur on their necks, and I was a proud momma. I reclined lazily in the bed, feeling their warmth on my belly, enjoying their unique beauty.

I woke up to discover my thoughtful husband had gotten up, heated a rice-bag, and snuggled it against my belly. I had gotten up ah hour or so earlier to take an Ibuprofen to ease my cramps, and he responded to that with a little gesture of love after he woke up.

Kittens. Huh. Funny how the mind takes off with things.

I Made A Spectre out of Myself

DH and I went to see The Watchmen last weekend. While I freely admit it isn't a movie for everyone, we quite enjoyed it for a number of reasons.

This is one of the reasons.



Silk Spectre II. All that crime-fighting sexy goodness and really long hair, too. She got me thinking.

The inevitable happened this weekend.





Yes... I Spectre'd myself, or at least my hair. For the first time in nearly 10 years, I have bangs... and I feel pretty damned hot, if I do say so myself. Now all I need is some yellow and black rubber for the rest of her costume. :) (Not to mention killer cheekbones.)

A New Low

So I was sitting here doing homework and came to the realization I've hit a whole new level of geekiness. I can't even find it within me to see this as excessive in any way...

I was also sitting in a reception area earlier this week, scribbling out Java code for giggles. Another sign the transformation is in progress. :)

Speaking of Java... that last mid-term I was waiting for was in Java, and it was a solid "B" exam. It will do... for now. Not bad for the hardest exam I've ever written, but I know I have to dig deeper. This will probably sound arrogant, but I am not a "B" student.

Mercenary Love

I met Roy in a gym. It was appropriate... we were both young, and beautiful... and arrogant as only the young and beautiful can be. We worshiped at the temple of our bodies and recognized each other as a like spirit. It was enough to form the foundation of a relationship on.

The physical attraction was strong, and the sex was mind-blowing; perhaps the best I've ever had. We were both competitive, adventurous and outdoorsy, so found common ground outside the bedroom by mountain-biking around Salt Spring Island, weekend hiking trips into the interior of BC, and rock climbing.

We both loved country music and camped out over a long weekend to attend the Merritt Mountain Music Festival; a crazed four days of sun, mescal, oranges, sex and country music. (I walked out of the final concert one evening, thinking the band sucked, was more rock than country and would never go anywhere. Who the hell were these Blue Rodeo people, anyhow?)

Somehow, despite the shared interests and physical passion, Roy and I just never clicked emotionally. We both really wanted it to work, and stayed together long after we should have called it quits... just waiting for that spark. It never came, and we both realized the inevitable after a while. It wasn't a heartbreaker, but it was disappointing.

Before we parted ways, we made a pact. In the event that we reached 30 and were not otherwise engaged, we would marry. Both of us, vain as we were, felt the ticking of the time bomb that was age, and knew our assets were rapidly depreciating. If there was no better offer on the table, we would take the 75% solution and make it work.

As it turned out, I was married at 30, though hubby # 1 was no bargain... he wasn't even a 10% solution, but that's a story for another post. I changed careers, changed cities, changed names, and never saw Roy again. (I just googled him and found a few references to cross-country racing and the Grouse Grind... so he's still up to old tricks.)

It strikes me now how mercenary we were about it. We knew that we had the basis of a pretty good relationship, but we both wanted to see if we could trade up. There's always something better just around the corner, isn't there?

Are we ever really satisfied, or are we perpetually doomed to wonder what's behind door # 2?


PS... Hubby # 2 is a 99% solution, but I have to take his daughters into consideration.. that's -10% each... so he clocks in at 79% right now. In five years, when his daughters are out of the house (pleasegodplease)... his stock will soar.

Can You Hear Them?

This morning I saw the first "V" of geese winging their way home against the cold white sky. I ran to throw open a window, rapt and holding my breath, listening for their faint honking. As I heard it, my heart leapt within me, and I knew I had survived another winter.

Shot Over the Bow

I have one mark in out of the two mid-terms I've been dreading, and while it's not the best mark I've ever had on a test, it's not the worst, either. I'll take it, and be happy about it, and use it as a learning experience.

I consider these tests as my "shot over the bow"... I had better knuckle down and get serious about re-wiring my brain to do code. The problem is, everything else in my life is already seriously curtailed due to this study-and-homework routine. Quilting? Who has time for that? Knitting? When there's a spare moment between class. Exercise? Shamefully, it too has often taken a backseat to my scholarly pursuits. And you can bet I'm not clocking 70 hours a week on GuildWars like I was over reading break...

I think what this is telling me is I have to study smarter, not longer. I'm just not sure how to get there from here. I'm also waiting for the "aha!" moment, where my brain cells re-arrange themselves overnight and I begin thinking and speaking in fluent Java and SQL. I'm kind of afraid, yet strangely turned on, when I think of that moment. You'll all still be my friends, won't you?