Buddha in a Teacup! I've Been Tagged

Thanks Care... Now all I have to do is think of 8 interesting facts to tell the world (by which I mean my three quasi-regular readers) about me. Which should be no problem. If only I could possibly quit agonizing over exactly what other people might find interesting. This would be way easier if I could just confess 8 weird things about me. But here goes nothing:

1. I own two turtles with French names (Henri Boivin and Pichou) and I usually only speak to them in French. I really couldn't say why though... Henri, who is now 12 years old (and by all appearances will live forever) likes to listen to me play my violin. I think that he and my own ever-loving mother are the only two creatures on earth who do.
2. I love to travel. Quite possibly above and beyond all other things. I like to travel so much that I would be willing to sacrifice good paying contracts if they interfered with my plans. Current plans include the Inca trail in July and then Leh, Tibet and Rajasthan in Sept/October 2008.
3. I almost drowned in Ecuador in 2005. Then I went white water kayaking later on that same day. For the first time in my life. Which I know points to the fact that I am not the sharpest knife in the drawer. Although I have to say I do not really fear death. Not that I am in a particular rush but I do believe in fate and reincarnation, which certainly takes the edge off worrying about when and how I will kick it.
4. I have absolutely no feckin idea what I want to do when I grow up (which technically speaking I'm supposed to be by now). Right now I think that maybe I might want to be a photographer. I have also worked as a translator (boring), a communications coordinator (too many meetings, too much bullshit, and way too much stress), and as a tour guide (I just ended up getting all jealous of the vacationing people I met everyday on the job). I think that what I really, really want to do is be independently wealthy. I just have no clue how to get there. I also would like to write, but so far this blog is about all I have managed (beyond work related publications).
5. I love animals. Just about all animals, even animals of the ugly, non-cute, human killing, foul smelling variety. My brother found a rat at work and kept it, and although in the normal course of things rats kind of make me shudder I've still kinda fallen in love with Pinky. Even though he bit me once. When I was younger I wanted to be a vet. Probably should have followed up on that...
6. I think men in kilts are totally hot. Although I suppose I should qualify that a bit. Physically fit men in kilts are hot. And on a bit of an aside I really like the sound of bagpipes and would like to buy some and learn to play them. I collect musical instruments from the places I travel, and by now have quite the assortment ranging from a mouth harp to a charango. And all they do is sit around and collect dust.
7. If I hear a song two or three times in a row it is stuck in my head for just about forever. Which can be really, really annoying. Like right now I keep hearing Elvis singing Suspicious Minds... "So if an old friend I know, drops by to say hello"....
8. I live with my rather large extended family, which I love but which also drives me absolutely feckin nuts. I mean, honestly, while I was writing this I had my nephew Mackenzie hanging off my elbow asking me about whether or not the turtles poo, and if they did poo where was it, and what does it look like anyways. I tell you, children are not for the faint of heart. Don't get me wrong, I love kids, and kids for some odd reason like me. But when I finally have some of my own, should that day come, I am so totally going to let other people (you know, those women who see little babies and get all doe-eyed and mushy and start to talk baby talk) take them off my hands and do the nasty stuff like changing diapers, or feeding and burping them, or take them out trick-or-treating and the like.

So that's it I guess. Don't really know who else I could tag, I suppose Amn. Although I wouldn't be shocked if he totally ignored this...

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A Little Rant for August

I went to go see the movie Stardust on Thursday night. I thought it was pretty darn good, and the scenery was amazing. Incredible. I'm gonna find out where it was filmed and go there someday. There've been alot of fantasy movies out lately, but this has got to be the best since Lord of the Rings. In any case. Loved the movie. I really did. But it would seem that I have some latent feminist bra-burning gene which I heretofore would not have suspected, but there you have it (or rather, I have it). Can someone out there please tell me why women in movies are always:

• shallow and conniving (like the chick the hero of this movie lusts after, at least at the beginning)
• evil (like the evil witches, of which there are several in this movie)
• helplessly controlled by other, evil women (such as the hero's mom in this movie)
• incapable of saving the world (or themselves for that matter) without the love of a good guy (like the beautiful not-shallow chick that the hero finally falls for by the end of this movie)

Why, why, why? It's total horseshit.
Well I guess that's it. August's rant.
Wish I could say I felt better for having written this. But as Mahatma Gandhi said: “You may never know what results come of your action, but if you do nothing there will be no result”.
Hence the blog.

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Chasing the Fraser

So. Last week I made my annual trip north up to Prince George. It has been so long since I travelled anywhere (not including last week's rather insane 21 hour round-trip jaunt to Comox to secure lodgings for the year...) that I was happy to embark upon a full day's drive. My two eldest sisters both live in the PG area (hence the annual pilgrimage) and I wanted to see them before making the leap to Vancouver Island in two weeks. As I am currently overwhelmed with tasks to complete before moving, I had to keep it short and sweet. I slept in on Friday, so didn't get on the road terribly early, and of course ended up taking no pictures on the way up. I raced the Fraser all the way back down to Deroche (it's kinda cool we live on the same river, even though it's an 8 hour drive to get there), but did stop once or twice (and occasionally just slowed down) to snap some pics. So for those of you who wonder where the world-travelling, picture taking Solomon disappeared to, she's back! O.K, so this isn't as exotic as Ecuador, as intriguing as India, as novel as Nepal... Sorry, got a little carried away there... Still, it is travel related... After a fashion. Feel free to ignore all family pictures.

Saturday night was sushi night

My sister Anita with her husband Yvon, and their daughter Michelle with her new guy Mike


My nephew Danny stopped by his mommy's on his way to a wedding so she could iron his shirt... oh, and to see me too. He let me drive his brand new 2007 Mustang.

Nita's dog Sophie

My sister Becky and her hubby-to-be Randy
on Sunday night (which turned out to be steak night)

Her boys Evan and Gavyn

Their seriously drooly and one-eyed dog Angel

Two rather rude looking mushrooms in Becky's yard. Sorry. Couldn't help myself.

Moose poo. Sorry. Once again. It's just that when I saw it
I thought of those little cans of "moose turd" candies that
Parks Canada sells in their souvenir shops.

Ahhh... Is there anything more beautiful than a pulp-mill sunset?

I love the long drive through ranch land...
Which reminds me, I was at the StupidStore with my sister,
where they were playing "Where have all the cowboys gone?".
While the song was on, I counted no less than 7 guys wearing either
cowboy boots or hats, or both. Apparently the answer to that question is PG.

One of my favourite stops, The Chasm near Clinton B.C.

There's a row of these old buildings near the Ashcroft junction. I have no idea what they were used for or when they were built.

Marble Mountain, just above the town of Lytton where the Thompson and Fraser Rivers join.

The mountains at the south end of the Fraser Canyon.

This tree has been defying gravity my entire life...
Every time I drive past I expect it to be gone.

Ruby Creek, as seen at a speed of about 80 km/hr. It is the scene of one of the most infamous Sasquatch encounters ever recorded... So I didn't linger. Or slow down too much.

And on a final note, just to make this feel more travel-ish here is a video of the road through the canyon...

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