A long expected update...

Well, hard to say if its actually expected, but long overdue nonetheless. So the week after I went to Edmonton (my last post) I went back to PG for a few days, if I didn't see you please forgive me it was a pretty quick trip with lots to accomplish. I actually arrived on the saturday but everyone save Jenny and my Parents thought I was comming in Sunday morning. This was all part of my very devious plan to suprise Dustin who claims he is rarely suprised by anything. Jenny picked me up from the bus depot, and hung out with me in Dustins room for an hour waiting for him to come home... finally she gave up, and I phoned him (pretending to be on the bus) wondering when he was going to come home... he was just waiting for a cab, so I made a trail of hugs and kisses (the candy) from the front door to his room... it was awesome, I heard him walk in, stop, rush down the hallway, fumble with the lights, and then just stared at me... he couldn't move or anything. Mission accomplished.

That was the begining of my trip, the next day mom and dad picked me up and we went door shopping... I made them dinner, went downtown and hung out with Mel but left my phone in the car, 1 hour 45 minutes later I get a call AT Melissa's from my sister saying Dustin was looking for me... then immediatly afterwards I get a call from my Mother saying she thought I was in a ditch somewhere... so I phone Dustin who ALSO believed I was in a ditch somewhere and was going to go look for me.... This whole time my dad was like "She's just come from living on her own for 6 weeks in Calgary... I'm sure she's fine, just wanted to be alone. If she's in the ditch she knows to call us, if she's in the ditch and CAN"T call us, the RCMP will notify us." Thanks Dad!!! Anyways, its also nice that ppl worry too...

Monday was Dustin and mine's Valentines day since I was out of town... I got very spoiled, he got me a white gold heart pendant that is simply gorgeous, and he took me to the White Goose bistro for dinner, where a vase of gorgeous flowers were waiting for me on a candle lit table. Like I said, I was very spoiled.

The rest of the week was some good quality time with my dad, talking and playing video games, watchin the begining of movies with my mom and singing and dancing to some country music, movie with Mel, Dr's appointment (apparently I have chronic sinusitis (it sounds so made up) and need to go for a CT Scan to see if I'm a candidate for surgery...) and hangin out with Dustin.

Since comming back to Calgary another of my classes has been cancelled. Very frustrating, but inevitable (the professor just underwent major surgery) but this leaves me once again with only 3 classes this next 7 weeks. Now getting my certificate was no longer an option 1 week after arriving here, so the cancellation of one class in ways isn't that big of a deal. The issue was the classes I was left with. Advanced Adobe Photoshop: Looks very promising, learned alot in the first class... however, this class is also VERY teachable from a book... SAIT class $215 Scott Kelby's guid to Photoshop CS3 $52. The otehr two classes were advanced portrait lighting and wedding photography, both with the teacher I had for Portrait lighting... in that class I learned SO much on my first day and then very minimal from there on in... one thing I learned that he made quite obvious was that I suck at posing ppl. Needless to say I wasn't looking forward to that twice a week for 6 weeks...

SO! Long story short, (or possibly short story long) I withdrew from my classes, went to Chapters with my Visa and bought some photography books (including Scott Kelby's Adobe Photoshop CS3 book). I was going to stay for the month of March here in Calgary, just cause I have a job here, rents already paid for, and lets face it guys, your weather in PG ain't so great!! Its been +10 daily here for about a week!!! However, the PG Photographic society has a photographer comming in for a seminar on March 12th. Funny story, I have a ticket to see the Calgary Flames on March 10th. SO I'm seeing the Flames on the 10th with some work ppl, then i'm flying home on the 11th, then Nic and I are going to this photography seminar on the 12th... and then I'll have to be finding a new job... again

Anyways.... thats pretty well it, I'm only scheduled for 2 shifts next week which really hurts because I'm very bored. However, I've been reading alot, got some ideas for a couple photoshoots will have to wait till I get home so I can actually manipulate light a bit easier (there aren't really any lamps here, and flash isn't always great). Oh, adn one day in the next 10 I'm going to go to the Calgary Zoo!! Its only $16 for the day, adn I"m going to bring my camera and take WAY too many photos!! I'm very excited about this. I also wanted to see the Opera while I was here, but the next one doesn't open till April, and I was goign to see the Ballet, but tickets are $85... maybe if I had a few more shifts next week. Ce la vie. K, with that I will stop boring you and continue with my day... which really has no plans as of yet...

EDMONTON!!!!

So! I went to Edmonton this Saturday Sunday as many of you know for Shay's house warming party!! K, so silly me I didn't take any pictures of her home :S But below I will post pictures of my stay!! Very fun!!!

Shawna and her cute puppy Sprite!! Sprite... like those little magic fairy things!

Don't I look damn hot in coveralls? Eh? Eh?

Napping with the puppies...

Look mom!! I let someone else cut my hair!!!

With kitchen shears... please don't cry mommy!!

Shawna Dezeray Ashley after a few jello shooters... we made tonnes (peach, cherry, blue raspberry and lime!) but I took no pictures of the pretty things... dammit.

Dennis and Shawna... its too bad you can't see the rock he bought her, may she never backhand me I'd need 8 stitches.

Its Sprite! She's so gosh darn cute!!

Shay and me nappin with the pups!

Jake, Duke and Sprite all learned how to look out the window at traffic!!!

So as you can see much time was spent lying around with the cute puppies!! They're actually 1 1/2 years, and Jake and Duke are Shawna's parents puppies but they're all from the same litter. Their house is great, I absolutly love it. And to add to it Shawna and I found a door mat that says "GO AWAY" so Dennis is quite pleased. It was so nice to see my friend, but it wasn't long enough and I dont' see her often enough... hopefully I'll get back soon though :)

The White Rabbit

First off!! I have an announcement... my little cute sister, Tiffany, just got accepted into a Fashion Design school in Ottawa, only 35 English and 35 French speaking students are selected accross Canada. AND! She got her class 5 license just this week as well!! SHe's getting all growed up on me... I'm so very proud of her :)

Now to explain the name... I keep meaning to mention it just cause its a curious thing... about a week or two after moving here, when I turned onto my street and was walking up it to my house, I literally followed a white rabbit home. He was hopping just in front of me, and once I got to my house he took off... it was crazy. And last night when I got home he was sitting in my driveway, and when I got there he went off... I would've followed him, but I am so doggone sick right now. Other crazy things I've seen... a squirrel running along a powerline... weird.

Seriously, so sick right now... it started Monday morning, and its gotten worse with every passing day :S and of course I've had to work the past 4 mornings as well... but tomorrow I don't have work or school so its deffinetly a PJ day

There isn't really alot to report... my roommate's hockey team won the minors tournament, which is pretty cool!! His g/f bought me flowers, I took some macros of them so they might get up on my DA. AFter winning the game the team came over to the house... there was 30-40 ppl in the house and it didn't quiet down till 5:30 a.m. OR I just passed out (of exhaustion :P) by then...

I go to Edmonton this Saturday for Shay's house warming party! Very excited!! AND!! I get in to PG on the 17th at 9:40 a.m.!!! Man these 11 days cannot go by fast enough... I miss Kantana and my family, my friends, and mostly I miss Dustin sooooooo much.

Anywyas, thats all for now folks!!

The daytime of the night! ;)

K, has anyone had frost bite? I have a lump under my eye, that is really itchy right now, and kinda reminds me of a hive, but I was thinking maybe its from the cold, since its the only part of my body that was exposed to the elements today... any thoughts?

Anyways, it was -47 with the wind this morning when I walked to work. Hurrah. My legs were SO frozen, it hurt SOOOOO bad... so I bought longjohns to wear under my pants after work, I went to 2 different Marks Work Warehouses, and the 2nd one had only ONE pair of small... and they aren't the waffle iron ones that I wanted, and they really don't help. OR if they do, I dont' want to know how cold I would've been walking to school :S

Also, why is it when I leave my home town to live somewhere else for a bit, I experience the most extreme weather... in St. Catharines it was like +39 with the humidity it was +50, and here in Calgary its -38 with with wind its almost -50... In 2 years I've experienced a range of 100'c, crazy!

We did the night photography shoot I've been looking forward to since arriving. Some of my work is posted below! Of course to see my finished works, go to www.dezdez.deviantart.com/gallery

The city of Calgary WB set to Daylight

The city of Calgary, WB set to Auto

Other part of Calgary... I like all the sparklies in this one :D

Calgary, long exposure, zoomed in 1/2 way through.

Calgary, panned the camera sideways 1/2 way through.
This is a high side view of the Heritage building... its really a nice building.

These are the stairs I walk up to to get to the C-Train, cool eh? And right behind it you can see the Alberta College of Art and Design!!

Saxamaphone....

Ok, I have a confession... I have an addiction to the Simpsons. I watch them EVERYDAY since arriving. I started at season 4, I'm now on season 9... and after I've watched season 10, its FAMILY GUY!!! Then southpark I suppose.... out of desperation only. That or Seinfeld we've got 9 seasons of that...

Right now I'm baking an apple cinnamon coffee cake!! It smells so good!! I'm so excited... probably a better snack than all the fudgesicles I've been eating!!

So I kinda tried to get Hypothermia today :D It was fun... except not. I knew it was cold, but didn't think it was that bad and wanted to catch the 6:07 bus, so I grabbed my winter coat and ran outside... wearing naught else but socks, shoes, PJ pants, a tanktop, and a bandana. Waiting for the bus was HELL!! It was -24'c, -38'c with the wind... so I figued I'd take a cab back from the store but the only cab # I know in this city was busy for over 10 mins, so I took the bus home again... by the time I made it to my door my ears were nothing but pain (and I pulled the hood up on my coat) and my fingers stopped working... I've never had so much trouble unlocking and opening a door... *sigh* anyways, I'm all warm now :D Lesson learned. And in my own defence, this is the coldest it's been here since I moved... just yesterday it was +1, and friday it was +3.... stupid Calgary weather.

Not a lot else to report. I got my pictures printed for critique on tuesday in Portrait lighting, tomorrow in Basic we're doing a night photoshoot of the city (in a penthouse, so no freezing), and we've started working on a CD cover in Photoshop. I've got the requirments for my portfolio for NIC, so I've slowly started selecting photos for that and such... I should start on the essay soon as well...

K, I'm gunna check on that coffee cake!!!