Family Day long weekend 2011

I just arrived back in Edmonton this afternoon after a super-fun long weekend in Calgary spent with friends. I can't believe at this time last year we were in the throes of the 2010 Vancouver Olympics and I had gone out to Lake Louise to go cross-country skiing with my friend Amy.

This Family Day long weekend was just as much fun as I participated in a sno-pitch tournament that my friend Lloyd had organized. No we don't play ball with a snowball, we just played slo-pitch baseball in the snow. It was chilly this year with the temperature sitting around -24 degrees and my beer kept freezing on me whilst I was playing in the outfield :), but with sufficient layers of clothing on we all had a fantastic day.

While in Calgary I also got the chance to finally catch up with Bonnie and Curtis and I got to meet their new little girl, Chloe. She's a cutie-pie and has equal parts of mom and dad in her (they both agree it's their bad traits!).

It was a perfect weekend with friends (thanks again Lloyd, Paisley, Courtney, Will, Curtis, Bonnie, Jason and Andrea). I can't wait for my next trip down!

Curlapalooza 2011!

Another year and another fantastic reason to get out of the house and on a curling sheet. Today we held Curlapalooza 2011 at the Granite Curling Club in Edmonton. The fourth year this event has been held and it's a raging success and a sell-out every year.

This year was extra fun and extra special as Courtney was in town and pressed into action to fill in a space where we'd had a cancellation. Everyone knows how much Courtney and I love our curling.....all you have to do is remember these two separate occasions: Andrea goes to the Brier! and A piece of Canadian sporting history. It was extra fun to have her out curling with some of our faculty, staff and students yesterday.

Lots of fun was had and it was a bit bitter-sweet as it will be the last Curlapalooza my Wellness Committee co-chair Ian Colman will help with before he moves to Ottawa. I've got some big shoes to fill next year. Thanks again School of Public Health staff, faculty, students, friends and family!

Night snowshoeing in Fort Edmonton Park

A while back a Twitter conversation started with my friend Tamara and I reminiscing about snowshoeing when we were younger. We decided we wanted to get out and give it a try again sometime this winter. Lo and behold the City of Edmonton was offering moonlight snowshoe tours through historic Fort Edmonton Park - so we signed ourselves up!

We didn't understand the full experience we were about to get but quickly found out that $15 didn't just get you a snowshoe rental and a tramp through the powder. Nope that money got us a fantastic night walk through the river valley, then a personally guided tour through Fort Edmonton proper.

Look at these gigantic bear traps! Apparently it takes 3-4 "strong" men to get them open!

It was a moonless, mild night in Edmonton and just the perfect kind of night to poke our heads about the slightly spooky fort. Thanks again Tamara for being a willing partner in crime. I can't wait to go snowshoeing again!

Beating the winter doldrums

We've had an adventurous January so far. From Snowocalypse (or Snowmageddon if you will) to the a brief crazy thaw this week including freezing rain and back to freezing temperatures this weekend with glare ice, January has served up the wildest winter weather.

So what do you do on a -20 degree weekend in Edmonton? You get out with friends! This weekend I managed to get out for a cross-country ski with my friend Genevieve (sorry no photos), attend a house-warming / open house at my friend Sarah's and enjoy some hookah for the first time with my friends Daphnee and Chris.

Just because the weather outside might be frightful doesn't mean you have to stay glued to the fireside :)

My next adventure!

Well it's pretty much official. I've have been offered the opportunity to join the 2011 cohort for the Master of Arts in Communications and Technology (MACT) program at the University of Alberta. My next big adventure!

Age ain't nothin' but a number - turning 34

Well it's been another year ~ a fantastic year ~ and as my birthday has been approaching I have been thinking a lot of how I wanted to mark the occasion. Winter birthdays could be boring but I have always made them fun. We went skating last year and this year I decided to have a toboggan party. Too bad Mother Nature wouldn't cooperate.

With the temperature sitting at a chilly -26 I cancelled the toboggan party and had friends over to the house for appies, drinks and visiting. Later on we went to Overtime in Sherwood Park to see friend Eric serve up some hot dueling piano action!

Thank you again to Paisley, Denise, Renee, Chris, Chantel, Eric, Daphnee and Heather for making my 34th something to remember!

Snowocalypse 2011

Here are a couple of shots out the front and back doors of the house - we're in the throes of the biggest snowfall we've seen all season.

Our front yard (the semi-circle is the garden that sits one foot off the ground)

The backyard after I shoveled it this morning

I was supposed to go to a meeting halfway across town this morning. After shoveling for nearly 40 minutes and nearly getting stuck in our back alley I wisely decided to stay put. Perfect time to curl up with a good book or do some baking!