Weekend highlights

A quick overview of highlights from my relaxing fun weekend.

1) I went to a stag and doe for a highschool friend on friday night. I won a tent! So now when I go camping in Algonquin in August I have a new tent.

2) In keeping with the wedding theme I went to a bridal shower saturday afternoon for my good friend Cheryl. It was fun and not as naughty as I expected:)

3) I bought a bag for my yoga mat which is made entirely out of recycled soda bottles. Pretty cool:)

4) Baking. I missed baking while I was in Rwanda because even after I lived in a place with an oven it was an electric oven and it cost about 10$ worth of power just to make tea biscuits. Saturday I made cinnamon buns which tasted yummy but didn't come out of the pan very well so they look gross. Now I am making yummy french bread. I love the smell of bread baking!

5) The weather. I'm glad I'm not buried in snow like people in Calgary! I am very much enjoying the 20+ degree weather and spending time outside. If it had been this nice out when I got home a month ago the transition would not have been so hard!

This week I start my new job at World Vision. I am not looking forward to all the driving to Mississauga because the 401 is crap and gas is tres chere but since I only have to go 1-2 times a week it should be ok. I am still looking into car pooling or finding another means of public transport to save money and the environment, but so far no luck.

Spring is here!

Finally spring. I wore spring clothes today and only got mildly chilly in the shade. I spent most of yesterday doing yardwork for my parents (now I have ugly blisters on my hands) and used the bbq to make dinner. Now I just have to clean all the leaves and junk out of my garden and I can start to get it ready to plant things. I am still deciding what to plant this year. Last year my squash and zuccinni both failed, but they would be so yummy if they grew this year. I will plant carrots, peas, beans and tomatoes. Maybe cucumber? Not quite the same as having lemon and avacado trees in the yard, but once the cherries start coming it will be pretty close!

Employed once again!

I got a phone call today from one of my old bosses from WV Canada and now I am working once again!! The phone call came sort of out of the blue and just as I was starting to get frustrated with my job search. I have been offered a temporary contract as the junior program officer in charge of the programming in Chad. It is only a two month contract but it may lead to something more later. For now it is money, more experience and more learning. And I get to do most of it from home since transport it an issue. I will still be working for my friend at the University of Waterloo, which is also mostly done from home, about 10 hours a week so I will be busy :)

So the pressue is off, I can feel like a productive member of society again but I will be going stir crazy in my house all day! The starbucks near my house has wireless so I can use that as my office once in a while:) Yahoo!!

Adjustments and tulips

Finally the snow is starting to melt! So exciting to see the grass and know that spring is here!! I've only had to deal with winter for three weeks, but I am ready for it to be over! I went to the Elmira Maple Syrup festival on saturday - the largest one day maple syrup festival in the world:) It was fun and I had a pickle on a stick. An annual tradition. yum.

So I've been home now for three weeks and am still adjusting. Live happens so quickly here, even when I don't have anything to do! I'm having trouble catching up. When I got home from South Africa the transition was a little traumatic, but this time it is a more subtle adjustment. Part of me wants to just re-adapt quickly and fit back into life here, while part of me really doesn't. It is confusing!

I have a part time job for the next month 0r so helping a friend who works at the university of Waterloo doing admin and stuff. At least it will keep me busy while I find another "real" job. :)