Getting to the Other Shore

   This morning it was -18, more like -22 with the windchill.  When I got off the train, I briefly considered darting inside, to take the plus 15 route all the way to my office building, but thought, "hey, I'm inside all day, I could use some fresh air."  So off I went, mittens on, wool sweater buttoned right up, ear muffs secured, good to go. I only have to walk two and half blocks outside, but this morning, once I headed on my merry way, I thought my face was going to freeze solid and I have never had my nose burn like that before.  My eyes were watering like I had just finished watching My Girl, and I was completely prepared for my nose to fall right off, which would be a shame because I've always thought I had a nose that rather suited my face.  By the time I pulled open the door to the building and buried my face in the warmth of the festive lobby, my cheeks were tingling like they were made of pop rocks.  And yes, I know that -18 is not even cold yet; it&#

So I have been a very good girl lately about not focusing on the negative and not getting swallowed up in anxiety or stress or things I cannot control or the fact that I have not won the lottery yet despite the universe knowing that I clearly deserve to. Nope, I have been very Zen and have been re-reading Deepak Chopra, Eckhart Tolle and all those cheesy Positive Outlook quotes on Facebook, like a crack addict gettin' their daily fix.  I am ooooohhhhmmmmm.  However, despite my new positive, "roll with the punches" attitude I still allow myself the freedom to be annoyed, to wrinkle my nose and think WTF?  Here are five things that I find particularly irritating/confusing/annoying/down right piss-off-able since my relocation to "little Texas" 1) Green Doesn't Mean Go?   I don't know what it is but every time I come upon traffic at a GREEN light, nobody is moving. Why? Is somebody up there finishing a text they thought they had time to send? Are the

My daily commute is most feasible via LRT.  Parking in downtown Calgary is highway robbery - averages around $600/month.  Plus let's face it.....I'm a shitty driver and I'm an even shittier city driver. So, LRT it is and really, it's pretty slick. Trains come every 1 to 3 minutes and depending on where I get on, I most often do get a seat and have a chance to disappear for a half hour into a good book. I was pondering this morning however on some of the more "interesting" lessons I have learned about LRT living, and for a laugh or two, thought I'd share: LRT Lesson #1:   Reserved parking - 'nuff said LRT Lesson #2: Do away with common decency. Do not by any means be courteous and give your seat up for an elderly person, or go out of your way to assist or clear the path for someone in a wheel chair or pushing a stroller. This would interrupt your getting on the train by at least, I don't know, 5 seconds, and that would be tragic. LRT Le

Well I know I vowed/threatened/prematurely promised to keep up with the blogging even though we would no longer be on the west coast. I have therefore decided to re-title my blog "A Fish Out of Water" Chronicle of a West Coast transplant. I hear people back "home" talking about frost on the road and it being, "cold."  Frost, ppht.  While Calgary/Cochrane does not seem to get hit with the intense winter storms that Edmonton or other parts of Alberta do, rest assured, everything here is white, frozen and about as cold as your spouse after you forgot to mention you wouldn't be coming home for the night. The greatest surprise so far has been that I do not long for the coast nearly as much as I thought I would. Perhaps it is because between getting settled and starting new jobs, schools, etc, etc. there seems to be little time for sitting in corners and pining away for the sea.  Don't get me wrong, I miss our friends and family terribly, but as fa