Good morning!!

Bonjour All,

My unenviable task is to find a decent place to live "downtown".
Not right in the heart of those extremely tall buildings, but nearby.
Close to the Lake (fresh water sea) and near amenities so I don't lose the rest of the mind I am rather fond of.

We drove around yesterday to look at a few places and lo-and-behold you can actually find reasonably priced apartments in terrific areas.
We decided to rent for this next year until I have a chance to be here a while and see if this is indeed a good city to live in.
As it is, the Arctic cold has my vote already cast...but alas, a year...will it kill me?

Made an attempt to go and see the Chinese New Year's Parade yesterday.
With windchills of -30 F and an air temp of -2 F it took a minute to freeze any exposed skin.
Scrapped that idea, although DimSum at The Phoenix was delectable. Yummmm...

So with the temp being a balmy 10 F or so today, I am venturing forth to do my own hunting...just awaiting some calls/emails back and maybe it will work out today.

Last week I drove right downtown, where people keep saying they fear, and completely enjoyed myself.
The city is so old that each building is fascinating, the people kind and helpful with directions, etc.
Plus I know a secret FREE parking area and walked to city hall in 20 minutes to get our marriage certificate.
What incredible architecture inside there!
WOW!
I will take photos next time.
I stood and spoke with a senior security/info dude for a while in there and got tons of info about what is going on in the city. I then went to Millennium park and saw where there is skating and an eclectic ice painting/sculpture thingie going on. He was quite welcoming to a Cannuck. Said he loved the time he had visited Vancouver.

I hope all of you are having a great day!


Enjoy your new conquest Emancipation.

bump. where's the coffee? bump.

I'm up early today so here you go


Timbits too!!

Had to google Wayne Cao. lol. I saw Don Cherry in Mark's Work Wearhouse once. He wasn't buying anything either. He had come in to check whether his clothing line was being displayed properly. He was being driven around in a big black SUV with dark tinted windows so you couldn't see inside.

It's a little nippy here too. 60f/15c Click to view attachment

-15!! Honey put the blankets in the bunker! ahhh .... Florida

ty ty it's a tradition in this thread. i've even learned what tim horton is famous for

I finally have finished all the paperwork!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Just got to take the 6 passport pics in the morning!@!

Oh sweet Liz, I am just behind you.
Yippee for us!

Good morning friends.

Holy girl.. you are up extra early!!!

Just waking up to snow and rain here this am... blech.. why can't the snow stay around for more than 5 minutes?????

yay coffee and humpday, what a combination!

Good morning!
I woke up sick as a dog... my husband had this cold last week and I was feeling pretty smug that it hadn't hit me. Then it hit me hard this morning.

Yuk!

Interesting story from when I was in the waiting room of the dealership having my car serviced yesterday:

There was a man sitting across from me with his wife. He asked about 3 or 4 other people sitting near him if they were republican or democrat (primaries were here yesterday) Everyone he asked said they were voting for Obama. Anyway, I'm just flipping through a magazine trying to mind my own business when I hear
Him: Excuse me miss?
I look up
Him: Are you a republican or a democrat?
Me: Oh I can't vote
this is when it got funny
His Wife: Oh #### me too! Oh I can't vote neither! Felony charges. Incarcerated. Where were you in prison at?
Me: OH NO no no no! I can't vote because I'm Canadian
His Wife: Oh
She looked very disappointed.
The waiting room was full and I could hear snickering from every corner
Him: You don't got no accent or nothin. Don't y'all talk with some funny accent?
Me: Nope. Not really. We pretty much talk like Americans.
At that point I got up to see what was taking so long with my car and tried to get out of there.

My car wound up taking forever and I was almost late for my biometrics appointment.

Probably saw that couple of Cops!! lol I was watching one episode last night of cops!! I now know where Springer gets his contestants,lol Was all pretty funny, then a guy comes out of the house with a baby! Felt soo bad for that baby!! Going to have a hard go at life!!

Is funny, I'm a RN student and for our hospital rotations, were in a group of 6-8. In our group we have 7 and 3 of us are immigrants! 1 from Ethiopia, another from Peru and myself! Few weeks back I was on the post partum floor (moms/babies) and a nurse started to talk about immigrants, nothing bad, but I warned her I wasn't American,lol She was surprised.

Poor Rhymeswithcandi, i hope you kick it ASAP.
Funny story about that woman feeling like she had found company with you...as an ex-con! Hahaha.
I can imagine her embarrassment.

And yes, Flames9, it is most challenging to pick out who is an "American" and who isn't...not that that is your problem.

Ah, racism (etc.), what a world we live in.
Fear-based.


The Cure:
Spread more love.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

This is a little old, and quite appropriate to a post here from yesterday about snow in Canada, a Special Report:
http://youtube.com/watch?v=tyZcwnO794k

Enjoy!

I have been called far worse!!!lol Only kidding!! I get along with everyone for the most part. I dont choose *&^%& based on their skin color or religion, they do it themselves,lol

OMG, I can't believe that woman told you she'd been incarcerated on felony charges, Mandi! That's hilarious!

When I was watching that video, Spirit, I laughed at the part where RM said he had to get his child to Montessori. It reminded me of the time a guy came sliding into the back of me during an ice storm, taking his kids to school. He got out out of his van to check if I was okay and then said "My kids just learned some new words today."

Now you reminded me of a story from a faraway time in a faraway place...okay okay it was the late 80s in Montreal:
Winter driving and trying to find a plowed spot to park in downtown.
I find one and am parallel parking; meaning I am backing into it.
A guy comes zooming up behind me at Mach speed and sticks his (car's) nose in!
So I leave my car (a tiny MR2) backed in there and it is not quite in, but it is not to be a bother to passing vehicles; plus I only had a quick errand to run and normally I would park anywhere and throw the flashers on, HA!

The guy starts to swear at me calling me all kinds of interesting names as I am walking away not wanting to engage...but then he uses THAT word. The one I cannot overlook. I stop walk towards him about to spew out just as much venom, when I see a young boy in his car; his son. And so I end it, "Sir, I can see that by your behaviour in front of your son, that you are beyond help." (Well something equally goo and without stooping to his level.) And left.
I, of course waited around the corner to spy on my car for a moment. He drove off, and so I fixed my parking.

Crazy, and in front of children. I just hate that.

Wow. Good for you, Spirit. That is awesome. Two thumbs up.

Thank you darling Crikey.
It's an ooooolllllld story.


Now please, all you Cannucky OT people, go here and add your name on this website.
I had posted it in regular OT, and putting here too, shamelessly.

http://www.whalesrevenge.com/


Thanks!

done!

Well you guys told some interesting stories this morning! Nice latte there crikey.

It seems to have snowed a lot here overnight, but it is plus 1 today, might do some sunbathing later. not. Did you guys do that when you were teenagers - slather on the baby oil or hawaiian tropic and aquire that lovely tan!? I have a picture of myself at 16 where I have this really dark tan, I have freckles and it was so dark you couldn't even see them.

I know I wrote it in the other forum but I am just happy. We had our AOS interview today and were approved. Green card will be in the mail in 2-3 weeks.

Congrats!!

Wow Spirit... crazy story.

I remember doing that triailmix. Thank God I didn't damage my skin. I'm super fair and it's insane how much time I've spent in the sun (probably not good). I actually tan which is strange 'cause to see me you'd think I'd be a total "burner"

Flames - isn't it great that we can blend in so well? It's awesome until someone starts Canada bashing (which has happened to me a few times). My husband is so chivalrous though when someone insults Canadians/ immigrants... he totally sticks up for me He jokes with me though that I need to brush up on my "American" a bit.

So my Husband has his Canadian citizenship test on February 27th, I guess February is immigration month. Anyway I called them and was told that after writing the test it takes 6-8 months before the swearing in ceremony will take place.

We had applied for his Canadian citizenship before I did the research and found out he could maintain his Canadian PR status when we move. So he will do the thing, but when it comes time for the swearing in don't know if he will be bothered.

Why does it take 6-8 months anyway, how about having them take the test on a computer and if they pass swear them in on the spot - like a driver's license.

When I went for mine it was in July with a roomful of other people. I think they wait until they get enough people to do it all in one shot. It was kind of nice, actually.

And on a completely different note! The Calgary winter Olympics started 20 years ago today, so I thought it would be fitting to give a shout out to Hidy and Howdy.

Awe.. love those two... sooooo cute

Hey trailmix, I've always wanted to ask you how come you folks didn't file DCF like we did????

bored............................

I once was on a bus next to a murderer. Nice guy. One question, was it by any chance a Ford dealer? On second thought, Ford folks are usually Republican, must have been a Chevy dealer.

BTW, I've been fighting the flu for the last few days, my nose is running and it looks like my bowels have stopped doing so. I know what you're going through.

Spirit, the rather abrasive fellow no doubt escaped a fate much worse than death. I'm a man and THAT word never comes up even when I'm suffering from PMS.

I once saw a guy stop at the side of the road, take out his daughter (she must have been 8 or 9) and repeatedly kick her backside while screaming obscenities. I was a passenger in the car and I thought for a minute about stopping but we were moving too fast and just past the incident. My friend who was driving looked at me and saw exactly what I was thinking and told me "calm down, he isn't worth going to prison for." My friend and a few other people just started honking their horns and started yelling at the guy. I still wonder what happened to that little girl. Very sad.


How was your day?

my day was alright.. Oliver's got to go in for a *procedure* at the hospital in march
I can't elaborate cuz he'll kill me.. anyway, he'll be completely under but I'm sure everything will go well

umm, been doing wedding stuff and some sinful shopping =)

and filed for AOS.

what about you??

Good morning good people. I have made you a special Valentine's Day breakfast. Enjoy!

coffee's ready!
happy valentine's day everyone.

and mumsie, i've found the ford usually means dem, chevy means republican

I have to agree with Charles. I own a Ford and I am a Liberal. And I think Liberals translate to Democrats, and Conservatives translate to Republicans. Still trying to work this American politics thing out. Not quite sure what donkeys and elephants have to do with the whole thing yet, though.

Hmmm. But I also own a Nissan. No idea what that translates to. lol

that you love nader

Good morning everyone and happy valentines day! We too own a Ford - and we are liberals !

You asked about the DCF thing Len - there was a time early in 2007 when DCF was suspended - I believe it was from some time in January until like March 21st or so - we filed mid march - not knowing, of course, that DCF would be reinstated a week later. If I knew then what I know now I would have cancelled the petition and started over.

Is that the cutest thing EVER???

hmmm, maybe if it had eyes. hmmm

so what's the link to track your case while you're in AOS =)????

It's here at the USCIS site:

https://egov.uscis.gov/cris/jsps/index.jsp

They are pretty bad about getting stuff on there though. My BIL applied for his AOS in July, they finally put his EAD application up there in September, his actual application was never posted there.

morning all. no carlacoffee™ today

No CarlaCoffee^TM, Charles. Sorry. You'll have to make do with Crikey!Coffee^TM and the morning paper until she's back.

Morning all!! hope everyone had a very romantic day yesterday..

Hubby did good for me and got me the newest Jack Johnson CD... mmmmmm that guy's voice gets me everytime!! Hubby was rewarded accordingly!

I Jack Johnson. In fact, that's the first CD I bought my hubby when we were dating.

hey that works

I don't know who Jack Johnson is, so now I will have to find out!

Oh and good morning everyone!

mmmmm he is dreamy.... and his songs are the best songs in the world to make me happy!! LOVE HIM!!!

Isn't Jack Johnson the guy from the Banana Pancakes song? Cutsie song, that one.

Well, morning in the morning peepz. Len, in all her wisdom and enormous humility (HA!) is going for an interview for a part-time gig as a weekend barista. I seriously miss Second Cup you freaks, and even when the Honourable UDub is a cool place to work full time and get cushy government benefits, I miss being a barista. So tomorrow mamma in law is taking me all the way to the interview.I'll update you on the results on Monday - or maybe even sunday.