things not to do and vice versa

I've has some unusual experiences in the last few days while Michael and I have driven from Vancouver to Red Deer, Alberta through some of the worst weather BC had this year.

So for the final hours of 2008, I'll list them while we wind our way through the mountains to Banff...

1. Trust others. Give them the info to make their own decisons.

2. Give your customers the benefit of doubt and if they want to split the discounted Po'boy let them.

3. Travel with snacks and juice.

4. Be veryu careful of ditches filled with snow.

5.Be thankful and grateful of strangers come along on a rural road and pull you out of the ditch.

6. Appreciate the love and kindness right in front of you.

7. Visit your family.

the three graces

where oh where has my true love gone?

IMGP2576.JPG, originally uploaded by jill y.

tracking santa

Through the Coquihalla,
Over the hills of snow
Off to see the wizard,
Called Krimbo, don't you know.



I'm sending my mom and friend Lisa periodic GPS updates.

http://maps.BlackBerry.com?lat=50.20210&lon=-120.65644&z=8

And now you can see them too. Cut and paste into a new brouser if the link doesn't work.

Merry Merry Joy Joy

Hi!, originally uploaded by jill y.

I'm off with a load of granola bars, fruit, juice, blankets, candles, tow rope and tire chains for wild west adventure to Alberta.

Hopefully, I won't be burning the wrapping paper on my gifts to keep warm in a snowbank.

Just kidding Mom, Dad, family.

Merry Christmas You.

It's a Lush Life..

bushels

I found this Wheat Necklace on Etsy. It came all the way from Italy and arrived just in time to brighten my cold, wet and dreary day. Thanks Mail delivery Person for being out in the hard packed snow, salt and bad drivers.

ode to joy

island life

The last time I was on an island it was Cuba. The night was hot and tropical and mysterious. Palm trees illuminated against the night sky left lingering shadows of strangers waiting for rides in the middle of nowhere.A cab buzzed me recklessly through the heavy black air, over Soviet built roads and past billboards of anti-American and pro Socialist propaganda and though the decrepit streets of Havana to my borrowed bedroom home.A bed with only a top sheet and 2 pillows, a tiny fridge and a window overlooking a roof top with a kept rooster would be by home for 2 weeks.

Tonight the island adventure is with air so crisp and puffs of breath that keep me an unwelcome company. Yellow street lights glare down on crunchy snow and make the trees pointy and stiff without their leaves. A bus dark with strangers keeping to themselves and glancing suspectantly at each other makes it's way along show homes and prefabricated siding with manicured trees and cascading rock landscaping services. Tonight my borrowed bedroom will be a ruffled and flowered with puffy blankets and meant for 2. But it's just me on the island.

a note ed

I've been wandering and rushing around these last few months in a navy blue haze. sometimes the light breaks though for a moment of a nice cerulean blue..maybe for a moment of robin egg blue. But, generally it feels blue and dark, this cloud I find coated upon my presence in life.

This mini grief I carry around in a rose colored handbag. Do you ever feel like you had a day in your 20's when you thought.. one day it will be better..then I will be happy.. one day, it will go away and it won't matter. and then one day you woke up and you realized that you had spent 20 years waiting for whatever it was to go away so you could start something that would feel meaningful and there it was, stuck to your shoe still.

This made me kick off my shoes and feel sunshine again.

catch me if you can

catch me if you can, originally uploaded by jill y.

guess where

IMGP5062.JPG, originally uploaded by jill y.

proof that aliens exist

a sketchy sketch

Couldn't retrieve chat history

On my way home, and half way up a hill in the rain, I suddenly discovered my front wheel had gone completely flat. Not a little bit flat. Completely flat. Not ride-able to the nearest gas station. Flat. Did I mention the prairies?

Morosely, I walked my bike down the hill. Rain dripping down my rain covered helmet. Drops of rain in attack mode against my rain repellent pants, making a slight headway into my shoe coverings and certainly dancing a dance upon the neck of my rain coat. Did I mention it was wet?

In the dark and oil slick wet street back to work, I passed 2 coworkers who barely recognized me in my repellent suit of armor. But we said our greetings and carried on.

forward 2 hours:

Me: Oh Kate. It got so much more worse

Kate: What happened???

Me: The keys to the van and my wallet were locked in my office. I thought I had the key. When it turned and broke off in the door, I suddenly realized it was my apt key I broke. Stuck at work in a wet suit- with a flat tire, no money and no apt key.

I did the obvious thing I could think of.

Kate: WHAT?!

Me: With some help, we got a hammer and screwdriver and attacked the lock until it was a wretched mess and then hacked away some more until we were able to get the door open.

Then I phoned my landlord and no one answered.

Kate: OH MY GOD

Me: I KNOW.

Kate: This is awful! Are you still at work??
Me: It's a bad b-movie without the soundtrack.

Kate: Where's your man friend?

Me: In the UK. He has my spare key.

Kate: Oh my......

Me: I spent about 40 minutes me surfing the web, going through friends in my head that would put me up and alternating between a hotel room and sleeping at work.

Kate: Are you just going to keep trying the landlord?

Me: No, it's OK. I'm home now.

Kate: Oh you are? Oooooh, ok good. Good grief Jill!!!

Me: But I got home to find that my boyfriend's vehicle, that he co-shares with another friend, happens to be off insurance and is parked out front in a "street cleaning zone" and bound to be towed if not moved.

Kate: Aaaaaahahhahaa

Me: It's comedy of errors.

dreaming of days gone

IMGP2318.JPG, originally uploaded by jill y.

I may be wrong..

But I think everyone I know has a ball of string and therefore needs a Victorian String Holder, just because it's so pretty.



And affordable available right here in Vancouver at Lee Valley

I LOVE this hat

It's from this Etsy site. By the way, my head size is medium and I like it in Eggplant, Black linen, and Black and White herringbone.

I think it would go really great with my new necklace.

chainlink

Take the day off and be gay.

Go shopping

Have a cute overload.

away

IMGP2252.JPG, originally uploaded by jill y.

just in case you forgot...