Sept. 6th: It begins!

One year ago today (or at least last year right after labour day) I went through a weird existential shift.  As I waited for the bus to go to work I got that same feeling that I used to get on the first day back to school - only I wasn't in school anymore.  Still - I had an overwhelming sense of "Fun's over.  Time to get down to work."  I didn't get that today.  Or at least not until I entered the office.

Our box office opened today.  Today was also the last day that our subscribers could get the earlybird discount.  Phones were ringing off the hook!  This is a big change after a very quiet summer in the office.  It's official.  The theatre season has began.  Which means I am going to be able to see some amazing art and hear some amazing stories very soon.

Welcome theatre season!  It's going to busy and thrilling.  I can't wait!  

Sept. 5th: Pleasure Toast!

Okay - so the Kamloops breakfast didn't quite work out on Sunday, but fortunately we still had Monday to make up for it.  So after finishing up our spider dogs* and packing up the tent, we headed back to downtown Kamloops to Hello Toast!  It was worth the wait.  They had a menu item called Pleasure Toast, which of course caught my attention.  Then I read the description:  Cranberry sourdough bread, soaked in egg, served with a mulled cranberry sauce.  . . . Guess what I ordered!

It was SOOOO good.  How good?  Let's just say that after the first few bites I had tell myself to be quiet for fear of recreating the famous restaurant scene from When Harry Met Sally.  There's a reason why they call it Pleasure Toast.

After breakfast we eventually made our way back home.  I realized that I had never actually driven along the Coquihalla in the daylight.  It's a gorgeous drive.  Not that I should be surprised.  It's beautiful British Columbia after all.  But it's amazing how I am constantly overwhelmed by the beauty of the landscape here.  A weekend spent in the outdoors experiencing the natural beauty of this province is nothing short of AWESOME!  Thank you long weekend!

*For the record, spider dogs are roasted hot dogs that are quartered at each end so that they curl as they cook, thus making the hot dogs look like spiders.  If you haven't made them before, then prepare for your mind to be blown the next time you are camping.

Sept. 4th: Kamloops is beautiful?

Sunday morning was great!  After a very cold first night in the tent, we made sure that we were prepared for a better second sleep.  We layered like crazy, made sure the sleeping bags didn't have holes in them, and kept our feet nice and warm.  And sure enough - we were actually able to sleep in.  It was a great night sleep that was followed by an early morning fire.  Welcome to what was our humble abode, complete with water feature.

We tried to start the day with some delicious Kamloops breakfast, but then got slapped in the face with small town charm.  Apparently there are still places in this world that actually close on Sundays or when they are down a worker.  Weird!  Alas - we went to another delicious breakfast joint that I used to go all the time in Montreal.  Enter Cora's!  If you want a breakfast that includes half a plate of fruit, then Cora's is the place for you.  Sure it wasn't Kamloops specific, but it was still new to a couple of us, and therefore still awesome.

After breakfast we decided to spend the day fulfilling one of my desires of the trip: a day at the beach.  Yes, Kamloops has beaches.  It's still a desert.  It's just a desert with a river running through it.  And so we made our way to Riverside Park and spent a relaxing afternoon in and around the river.  

Afterwards we enjoyed a delicious meal and some entertainment, and headed back to the campsite to enjoy some beverages and 20 Questions (or 50 Questions ... whatever).  Any night spent with friends, drinking, playing games and chatting is pretty awesome.  Spending that same night next to a fire and under the stars is even better.  Thank you Kamloops for your simple beauty!

Sept. 3rd: Agricultural Fairs!

Okay so I'm beginning a list of all of the awesomeness that happened this weekend in Kamloops.  There was a lot, so let's get started!

It first started with a trip to Armstrong for the Interior Provincial Exhibition (also known as the IPE).  It seemed a lot like the Ancaster Fair and Heritage Days combined into one event.  The day started off with a parade.  I LOVE parades.  Luke, however, does not.  So the fact that he came to watch the parade was huge.  It takes a pretty awesome person to be willing to put up with something that they REALLY don't like, just for the sake of making their partner and friends happy.  Having a good seat and good company can also make the situation better.

After the parade we made our way over to the fair and the flood of nostalgia began.  The smells of the animals, the grand stand, the rides, the crafts, the vegetables, and the many many ribbons.  I felt like I was home again - just in a much hotter and drier climate.  I have not been to the Ancaster Fair for almost ten years now, so perhaps things have changed since then, but there were some things at this fair that I had not ever experienced in Ancaster.  Such as waiting in line for the tilt-a-whirl right after someone threw up on it, getting bruised from the Scrambler, watching miniature horse races, or eating Taco Salad out of a Doritos bag.  IPE - you are awesome!

Also awesome is making it back to the camp site in time for some hot cocoa, roasted marshmallows, and spider dogs, and a view of the night sky.  Generally - it was a great Saturday!

  

Sept. 2: A land of no internet!

It's rare that I actually get a chance to be in a location where I am without internet for more than 24 hours.  I'm looking forward to this weekend of being a luddite and enjoying the great outdoors.  Sleeping in a tent, under the stars, without any real connections to the rest of the world, other than those in my immediate surroundings.  Yes - I look forward to this weekend.  Pen and paper, I look forward to you too.

Oh - don't think that just because I'm away from the internet that I am going to use it as an excuse to not write about these next few days.  I'll just be logging it while I'm away.  The web part will come back into play when I get back to Vancouver on Monday.

So - goodbye online world!  Hello nature!

Sept. 1st: My fake father!

I love it when my friends are so comfortable with me that they extend that level of comfort to my family members - even if they aren't part of my family.  For instance - when an older gentleman by the name of John Chisholm calls my place of work looking for me, I love it that my friend/co-worker will actually ask the question "Are you Alison's father?" even when the answer to that question is no.

Yes folks - there is more than one John Chisholm in the world.  I happen to believe that I'm the daughter of the best one, but this gentleman seemed pretty awesome too.  I was able to speak with my fake father today as I helped him complete his ticket order.  We bonded over the awesome/awkward situation and then got into some conversations about being a Chisholm.  Asking if I my family were from out west, talking about our Chisholm families in Ontario, and finding out that west coast John Chisholm was actually somehow related to the former Toronto Police Chief, John Chisholm, from back in the day.

So - even though he wasn't my father, it was great to talk with this John Chisholm who has great taste in theatre.  Glad to have you as part of the clan.  Feros Ferio!

Aug 31st: Sexy Dramatic Fantasy Plots!

Wow!  Wow!  That's all I can say.  My mind is BLOWN.  Who knew that if you combined the Tudors with the Lord of the Rings, that you would have an amazing HBO series?  George R.R. Martin did!  Or at least the person who read his book and happened to pitch and sell the series to HBO did.

Yes - I've been spending the better part of my evening watching almost the entire season of Game of Thrones, and it is bloody amazing.  Sean Bean - you made an awesome Boromir, and are an even better Eddard Stark - or at least now you're a lot more likable.  I love you and your awesome kids (looking at you Arya), and their dire wolves.  I'd ask you to adopt me, but I don't think I want to be a part of all the stuff that your family is going through right now.  So I'll let you deal with that on your own.  Just know that I'm rooting for you!

Next up - Episode 9.  I hear it's a doozie!  NO SPOILERS PLEASE!