Working in the Garden of Eden...

DAY 1

While I am finished working at Shoppers and Jesse is just waiting for us to move to Red Deer. We have decided to do some day to day work. Jesse worked yesterday for this lady and I began to help out today. We were called to do some landscaping for her, guess that she is going to put her garden into a home and garden show at the end of the summer. She would normally do the work herself except that she had surgery that is not allowing her to do heavy lifting.  

To begin our day we were shovelling mulch into a wheel barrel to use in the pathway around the boxes of her garden. The mulch would then make the pathway through the garden..to be honest..I felt like the mulch didn't look that pretty in the garden I think a stone walking path would be better but if that works for her its great. Then I pulled up some garlic for her to make way for the mulch. I helped her weed her garden beds too, she told me that some weeds are actually better for you than some vegetables especially dandelion. 

But when I say this woman had plants everywhere..she literally did. She had the gardens in the boxes, she had them around the edge of her yard, in front of her gazebo, the front of her house. She had a greenhouse filled with probably hundreds of different flowers, even her house was filled with plants. She actually made an indoor garden that she can tend to all year around full with a waterfall and everything. I thought going to this job you are helping with a garden or so..I wasn't expecting that we would be tending to the 10 gardens that normal people have. She also had lots of animals too, she told us there was at least 4 skunks in her yard a few snakes and she had this parrot on the inside. Man did the parrot have sass too, it kept on looking on the owner throwing out its food then it said hello and then it went to the top of the cage and was screaming at the top of its lungs. It truly was deafening to the ears.

Greenhouse

DAY 2

Today we woke up at 5:30 am to go work at her place, because the way we saw it if we can beat the afternoon heat it would be better because it was just so hot the last day. But today we mostly weeded a portion of her garden, she didn't want anything to grow there and things did. Then we took out most of the dead stuff that was in the gardens around the fence and I put mulch back into the garden instead of the grass. But it was a struggle because I was in so much pain from the cramping in my back from shovelling the mulch from yesterday into the wheel barrel.

At the end of the day she invited us inside so she could pay us and I guess the parrot screaming meant that it just wanted to say hello. So she took him out for us and he got to say hello, she tried to get Jesse to hold him but the bird was too shy. Instead the bird just let him pet his head and when we were leaving the bird said bye bye as well. I thought it was a very cool parrot, loud, but cool.

DAY 3

We finished weeding the corner of the garden and we mulched the whole thing. We also began to clear the dead stuff out of the other beds as well. But one surprise that we got today, was we got to meet some of the critters that lived in her garden. For example, her SKUNKS and SNAKES. Was just enough to give Jesse and I a heart attack both. But I have to admit baby skunks are cute..even though deadly. 

Uncle Chris and Date at the Brick

Today Uncle chris came to visit. He was bringing down a computer for grandma. I guess he programmed it so that she would only need to touch a few buttons to get to where she needs to. He also helped to make sure that her tv only had one remote for the tv and for the on demand, which she needed. Later on we went for dinner at Ricki's, Jesse and I both had beef dip, but his was a philly and mine was made into a swiss. I really like the thought of having two different kinds as well. But I have to admit the bill was quite cheap, we were pleasantly surprised by that. 

Earlier that day though Jesse and I had a little date. We went to The Brick and we were window shopping for furniture. We didn't really see too much that we liked except for the massage chairs, the ones that have full on deep tissue massages. It was very nice having the massage especially since we were doing gardening all that morning as well. 

But thats what we did today! 

The trouble with Red Deer...

So these past few weeks has been a rollercoaster that was going to plunge straight into hell! It has been horrible! First off the prices in Red Deer are outrageous. You are paying 1000 dollars for a 1 bedroom apartment, which does not even include internet or electricity! Crazy right? or just plainly spoiled here in lethbridge? But anyways that is where our trouble began. 

The first trip to red deer we went to a place downtown and we just stood outside the place for a few minutes before saying no. For 775 dollars per month it got you a shotty looking place downtown Red Deer beside not even one but TWO strip joints, a bar and crack heads down the street. You might as well just see the needles in the storm drains it was so bad. I tried to convince myself that I could maybe stay there and live there. But even Jesse said no we couldn't, we didn't even see the place and we just said no.

The second time we went to Red Deer when we got there to see a place they already gave it away and still had the audacity to still show the place. It is kind of like saying "yeah so we gave it away...but we are going to dangle it infront of your faces anyways." Yeah. No Thanks. Then the other place we saw that day we viewed it, put in the application and never heard from the B*** again. So that was just great. 

Did I also mention more than half of the places were very specific in their listings! For example, no couples, only single person, full time working individual only. Like holy it is harder to find a place than work there, the application process is worse than a job! Never in my life would I think it would be this hard to find a place, especially since everything was in place except for finding an actual place. 

But finally when I was at work this past Saturday, Jesse and mom went to go view this basement suite and although it is 1000 dollars a month he says that everything in included in that price which works for me. I never got to see the place so it will be a surprise when we see it, but both Jesse and mom say that the guy is nice. All he really asks is for quiet and clean tenants which Jesse and I can be. But after all that strife we finally have a place and now I cannot wait for my life to begin in Red Deer. 

Working in endoscopy and living in my basement suite with Jesse!

Uncle Chris and Aunt Linda came to visit

Today my Aunt Linda and Uncle Chris came down to visit us to buy a car from grandma's friend Jane. They really needed another car since awhile back their van got written off from an accident, and their other cars windshield got busted when something fell on it in their garage. They currently only had a little sunfire beater and needed another vehicle...because especially I know how hard it can be to share only one car..let alone in Lethbridge but it probably would be even worse in Calgary! 

We really had a good visit for them too, they told us how the girls were doing and how the boys were doing too. She told us more about Lindsey and Ross and how they are doing in their new place. They congradulated me on getting a job in red deer (endoscopy unit) and for getting my drivers ed. It was nice knowing how much they support me in what we do. While they were there we had lunch at grandmas, she made spaghetti with homemade sauce. It tasted the same as it did when she used to make it for us as kids, it was bringing back memories for me. I always loved my grandmas cooking, whatever she makes its normally good if not better. We also had some salad, then later we went to a candy store for some Ice cream. 

The candy store that we went to is called Sweet Ideas and they live behind grandmas apartment building. It is cute because they have the old fashioned candy store ambiance about it and sort of a 50's dinner feel. They had like a raised Sundae bar, we had some ice cream there. I had pinacolada cheesecake, Jesse had bubblegum tutti frutti, mom had chocolate cherry, grandma had butter pecan and uncle Chris and aunt Linda had pistachio (Theirs was my favorite) 

Later on Uncle Chris gave both mom and I blessings. It was nice because Uncle Chris explained to Jesse about what a blessing is in the proper way, because I kept on trying to explain to him the purpose of them and why I wanted one. I hope he understood after he explained what it was to him though. But the blessing was exactly what I needed, it gave me clarity and made me feel comfort. 

 

But that was our visit. I truly love my Uncle and Aunt and am so glad that I am going to living somewhat close to them so that I can go visit them. 

Mothers Day

Mother's day this year was also Grandma's Birthday. We took her down to the river bottom and we had a nice picnic. She actually enjoyed it more than if we took her out for her birthday. We had homemade Hawaiian Haystacks, which consist of cream of chicken soup, rice, tomato, green onion, chow mein noodles, and cheese. Mom bought some chips and some pop as well and we had butter tarts for dessert since they were grandmas favorite.

But we had a good time. I gave her a Viola and a book on Joesph Smith. Mom gave her a music box that both Jesse and I helped her with making.It was just a nice day in general.

Graduation Day!

Today was the day that I had my convocation for graduating my Central Sterile Processing Certificate. It was horrible because I really thought that I was going to be late this morning because I was going to get Jesse up at 9 to get there for 9:30 when we should have left the house at 8:45 to get there to get my bib, get lined up and have my card for the announcer to say. It was frustrating because I first went to the wrong building it was like 9:22 when this happened, I had no idea where to go because there were so many students everywhere in their gowns. I even started crying I got so frustrated but luckily I went to someone to figure out where to go I got my bib I got into the lineup and then right after they marched us out. 

When they marched us out they had a person with bagpipes and there were so many people standing up to congratulate us when walking into the gym. My program was first so we got to sit in the front row. They had a few speakers say things, had a award for an honorary degree and then they took us out again to be lined up for the announcing of the graduates. I was second to graduate from the college for the year. There were only three of us in our program so our program went by fast. The harder part was waiting for everyone else. Another girl in my program had the same idea that I did, we get our crap from the teacher and go but we had to wait for everyone else. 

The largest groups of graduates that there were was the nursing program and criminal justice (policing). There was probably 100 or more policing students. So those two groups were the most painful to go through since they are the most popular programs. After all the graduates were announced they officially announced us as the class of 2014. Then they led us out of the gym and then we followed a huge line of family, friends, and staff that clapped for us as we walked out. It was very emotional I felt like crying because having so many people clap for the accomplishment that you did was very fulfilling. 

It was nice too because Jesse was there, grandma was there and mom was there. Mom volunteered to in the morning to make sure she saw me graduate. She was actually the last person I saw before I sat down after they handed me my folder to put my certificate in. But on the way out I at least found Jesse and I made him hold my hand and walk with me because he deserves it as much as I do for putting up with me throughout my school and supporting me through it. 

After we found Grandma and we took pictures after. We tried to get pictures by the fountain because of my favorite photos of grandma and me is infront of the fountain for my high school graduation but it was too busy so we just took them over near the trees. Grandma got me flowers as well, she always gets the most interesting arrangements and she got me a "birds of paradise" flower. They come from Hawaii I guess, but she chose them because she knows that I like orange. 

Then afterwards we went for lunch with Grandma and Jesse to Tony Romas. Mom couldn't because she had to go back to work. But it was nice going for lunch with just Grandma. Jesse got to know her better and she got to know Jesse better too which was nice.

But that was my graduation, it was hectic and emotional but I am glad that I decided to go.

Drivers Ed : Class time

Last night I started Drivers Ed. I did not want to go to drivers ed since I just wanted to get my license as soon as possible and most of the classes revolve around kids class schedules instead of just getting the classes done and get my drivers license quick.

My instructor for the class section is Adrian Brown he is a teacher in a little town around Lethbrid. ge and he is awkwardly funny. He tries to make jokes but they are not always the best but he makes driving seem interesting. While listening to the lesson I realized that I was glad to take the class rather than just being like I don't want to be there. I am glad that I took the course because it is making me more aware of things that I wouldn't have known. 

In the class particularly he taught the proper position of the wheel which is supposed to be at 9 and 3 o'clock so then you can turn the wheel 180 degrees instead of struggling and he tried to teach hand over hand method but when he made us practice in the air I couldn't get it right he joked and said I was getting into some major collision because of that. But I really feel like the first class is to scare the crap out of you by showing car accidents and such. But I am glad I am taking the course I am glad I am getting to learn how to drive the proper way.