Seattle, take two!

Well, I am currently sitting in front of a computer in Seattle in the apartment of someone very important to me. One of the major benefits of going on this little excursion is the opportunity to visit Heather! It makes me want to stop and stay here for awhile longer...

However, that is not to be the case. Later this afternoon, we'll be leaving The Emerald City to journey south to Cape Disappointment, a state park on the border between Washington and Oregon. I know, from the name, it doesn't sound like the most exciting place, but the name has historical significance... I don't have time to get into it, but look it up on Wikipedia, it's actually quite interesting!

Tonight, we'll be at a campsite, so I don't know if I'll be able to post anything, but I will try to get online again soon. To all my friends back in Grande Prairie, you stay classy, and I'll see some of you soon in Vegas!

My Little Corner of the World... on the road!

Well, it's official... in a little over an hour, we will be heading down highway 40, south through Jasper on our way to Kamloops, and the first leg of our whirlwind summer adventure! That blue Toyota Matrix in the image at the top of this page? It's currently loaded to the brim with tents, sleeping bags, luggage, and camping supplies. On top of that, it will transport three friends thousands of kilometers over the next two weeks. Before we're done, our trip will take us to the beautiful Oregon coast, the lights of San Francisco, the creations of the imagineers at Disneyland in Anaheim, the beautiful fakery of Las Vegas, and the mountains of Montana. It is my intent to update this blog daily as an account of our journey. As I do not have a laptop, I will not be able to upload pictures until I get home. However, some of the great experiences we undertake will be posted. I am intending to find internet cafes and other wireless hot-spots in order to make this possible. So, join us on our very cool summer trip, and hopefully we'll come back in one piece with some interesting stories to tell!

Hoo boy... it's been forever.

Wow, it has been nearly a year since the last time I posted. I should try to catch up on what's been going on in my life.

I'm nearly finished teaching another year at St. Joseph Catholic High School here in Grande Prairie. The year has had its share of challenges, excitement, and trials. As I watch the grad class of 2009 begin the process of moving on to bigger and better things, I am reminded of the excitement and promise that accompanied my own graduation in June of 2000. I had already been accepted to the local college to begin studying to get my teaching degree, but there was still the promise of the unknown, and the tantalizing alure of what will forever be known to high school students as "the real world." As I help grade twelve students earn that last credit or two needed to graduate, I wonder what the future holds for them. Some will go off to college and university; some will travel, exploring the world and themselves before deciding what the rest of their life will be. Others will begin their lives in the working world right out of high school.

Well, I suppose I should update everyone on what's happening with me in the next few weeks. For starters, next Friday I fly out to Seattle. Seattle is one of those places that I've always wanted to see. My parents visited Seattle before I was born, and they always talk very fondly about it. I'm also planning on meeting, in person, someone I've gotten to know very well over the last few weeks. She has become someone very important to me, and I can't wait until we are able to see and talk to each other in person for the first time. In addition, I can't wait for her to show me around Seattle, and let me see everything that that beautiful city has to offer.

Following the end of the school year, I will be embarking on an amazing two-week road trip down the Pacific coast of the US, going through Washington, Oregon, and California. After a day in Disneyland, we'll be travelling north to Las Vegas to partake in everything that the adult amusement park has to offer. Then, after about three days in Vegas, we'll drive north through Utah, Idaho, and Montana. After fifteen days on the road, we will once again be home.

I do plan on posting the itinerary for the trip here, as well as posting pictures and stories from both trips as they happen. I know my track record for updates has been, frankly, miserable. However, all I can say is stay tuned.

Las Vegas...

Well, the excitement of the summer is fast approaching: On August 14th, me and three friends will be heading to Las Vegas, Nevada! I'm pretty excited, as I haven't even been to the US since I was about seven years old. There are a few must-sees there, including The Blue Man Group, Star Trek: The Experience, the Grand Canyon, and Circ d'soleil. If anyone else has any suggestions, please let me know! We'll be there for four nights, heading home on the afternoon of the 18th. We'll be staying at the Las Vegas Hilton, so if anyone's stayed there before, let me know what it's like!

The final stretch...

Well folks, countdown time has officially begun. In a mere ten days, I will be moving into my new apartment. Frankly speaking, I can't wait. It's truly going to be the first time that I will be living in "my place." The closest I've ever come to that is sharing an apartment with two friends back in university. However, this time, my roommate and I will be sharing the place equally. None of this rooming at someone else's place anymore. In ten days, I will be living in a sweet apartment with my best friend. I couldn't be happier!

The Long Wait Continues...

The saga of the new apartment is nearing its thrilling conclusion! My friend has agreed to get the place with me. All that remains is hearing from Boardwalk following a check of our credit, renting histories, and income. I see no reason why we won't be able to get the place. Hopefully, we can move in on May 15th as planned!

In other news, this bloody cold just won't go away. I stayed home from work last Wednesday, and did parent/teacher interviews again on Thursday. I should have stayed home on Friday, but instead I went in to work. Now, Monday is here, and I'm stuck at home. No matter what, I'm going back to work tomorrow, as I can't afford to miss more work.

Crappy Squared

Still waiting on my friend! Seems it will not be until Thursday that I get my answer... and it doesn't look good.

In other news, I am sick as a dog. On Monday, in block four, a student of mine needed assistance with her computer project. I leaned in beside her to help her out, and she chose that moment to cough. Now, she did try to cover her mouth, but this only served to direct the cough onto my face. Sure enough, this morning, I woke up with a horribly sore throat, and the worst sinus headache in recent memory. Unfortunately, today was the first day of Parent/Teacher interviews, meaning calling in sick was simply not an option. So, after arriving home tonight at about 9:30 from work, I made the decision to call in for tomorrow. Hopefully that will give me enough time to sleep this thing off before PTIs resume on Thursday.