Forever

It feels like it has been forever since I last posted, but I don't think I have anything to say. Maybe that's okay...

But in the name of doing a blog post anyways, here is a brief update on the happenings around here:

• I'm still working evenings at the pool, and I'm getting lonely. I see people at work, but that isn't the same as hanging out with friends and family and doing what you want to do
• I'm re-modeling my room. Well not totally. I'm spring cleaning, packing things into boxes that don't need to be in my crowded and cluttered room. And I'm moving furniture around to give it a new look.
• I got a second job at the outdoor pool in Leduc, but do to mechanical problems at the pool, I haven't actually started working yet.
• I'm considering becoming a PartyLite consultant. This would be a big step for me, and it makes me nervous. But it is really appealing, so I guess we'll wait and see.

And...that's all I got for now.

Update

You know how sometimes you really just don't know what to write about, and other times the words just flow like water? Can you guess where I'm at right now? I left you last time with a foul taste in your mouth as an idea for what my job can sometimes entail. I do feel the need to comment on how that is NOT my experience at work every day. Only once in a while - but it sure does leave an impact! Other days at work, such as ones where I spend a few hours in the water teaching swimming lessons, are great. Swimming lessons is: a half an hour with a bunch of kids that aren't yours, that will play with you, laugh with you, have a grand ol' time; and then you give them back. You sure get some cute little 5 year olds. Teaching is a rewarding experience, it really is. Over the years you get to see kids progress from learning to float, to learning the front crawl. With that said, teaching can be exhausting. You also deal with parents expecting you to work a miracle, and having a temper tantrum when you let them down. I guess this is a preview for when I finish university and go back to high school as a full time career. Can't wait!...?...!!

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On a completely different note, I got my final acceptance to Cortona! I handed in the necessary forms, paid my deposit, and am now registered in my courses! Here's what I am taking:

Topics in Roman Civilization: The Roman City

The Roman city was the symbol of the Roman Empire, of the diverse cultures and lands that the Romans conquered. Wherever the Romans conquered, they established cities. Modern cities are the legacy of the Roman city. The Roman city was a stamp of solidarity, unifying cultures and where Roman rule, law and institutions were honoured. The course concentrates on understanding how the Roman city developed. The evolution of the Roman city includes not just the physical layout and the architecture of the city, but also the institutions that public buildings housed and the private residences. Rome, Ostia and Pompeii are the focus of the study.

Topics in Roman Art: The Power of Beauty

A study of the way in which Greek art influenced the Roman world, particularly at the highest social levels. We will concentrate on architecture, painting and sculpture, and three central themes that we will explore are: a) Greek Italy: Greek art produced in Southern Italy and Sicily and its influence on the Etruscans and indigenous populations; b) Greece conquers Rome: a study of Greek art in Rome, copies vs originals, and the use of 'classicism'; c) Nostalgia for Greece: ancient works in new contexts, ancient and modern.

Conversational Italian

An introduction to Italian designed for non-native speakers who do not require the intensive study of grammar to complete degree requirements. This course will give you the basic skills to communicate effectively in your daily interactions and travel across Italy.

I am so unbelievably excited. Now to arrange the proper paperwork, travel arrangements, etc. Eeeek! So excited!

My job has it's downfalls

Censors Warning: The following blog post may contain mental images that are too disturbing for some viewers. Proceed at your own discretion.

I don't like milk. I don't know what it is about milk, but I just can't drink it. Unless of course it satisfies one of the two requirements: i) It was removed from the fridge and opened less than 2 minutes ago. OR ii) It has chocolate syrup in it. Otherwise, it gives me a nasty gag reflex that I can't seem to fight. So imagine when I open the fridge and discover sour milk. I never would have drank it, but now I have the responsibility to dispose of it. Oh the smell! I've had to do this at work a few times (cleaning out the fridge), and I can handle it. It's awful and almost unbearable, but I can handle it. Another thing at work that is awful and almost unbearable, is cleaning up faeces and/or vomit. From within the pool is one thing, but when it is on deck the putrid smell is overwhelming. At least when it is in the pool - as complicated as it can be to clean up - it doesn't smell. I just don't understand how people confuse a swimming pool with a toilet. They don't bear even the slightest resemblance to each other. And then you get the patrons who find it funny to take their faeces and smear it all over lockers and floor mats. I know, now you will never be able to go to a public pool again. Haha. Blegh!! The reason I am sharing all this lovely information with you, is because yesterday at work I got stuck with a situation that almost tops all charts. The reason I got stuck with it is because I was the closing supervisor, and there were no male staff on that evening. Ready for it?? We discovered some melted/rotten/decaying ice cream in one of the lockers in the male changing room. A few young patrons informed us that it had been there for three weeks already. Three weeks!?!? I'm still confused as to why no one informed us sooner. Anyways, the smell was...I'm sure you can imagine. But it was dry and crusted on, so it could have been worse. Well the fact that it was dry and crusted on means I had to pour boiling water onto it in order to clean it up. Do you know what happens when you pour hot water onto dry, crusting, rotting ice cream? That putrid smell amplifies 100-fold. I don't think I have ever been so close to vomiting - in any of those faeces/vomit/sour milk incidents. Anyways, next time you go to a public pool - if you can ever bear it again - please think of us poor lifeguards that have to clean up after you. Finish your ice cream before you come, or throw it in the garbage. It's going to melt in your locker before you come back for it, so don't bother. Use the washroom before you enter the pool, the pool is not a suitable substitute. Take your young children to the washroom before you enter the pool, they do not know the difference between a toilet and the corner of the pool. Do not feed your children within 10 minutes of entering the pool. They may get too excited and want to share their dessert with the other kids. Thank you for your consideration.

A Day in the Life of...

I was at work last night, and thought up what (in my opinion - obviously) would be a cool blog post. You may or may not know, that to fund my way through school, I work as a lifeguard/instructor at the Leduc Recreation Center Mix Family Aquatic Center. A mouthful - I know. We just call it LRC, or the M-FAC. So what does a lifeguard do? Besides standing on deck and yelling at patrons anytime they come up with something 'fun' to do. Well...that's not really what we're doing - we ARE trying to keep you safe. It just so happens that most fun things are 'unsafe' and thus a potential water rescue. We don't actually enjoy jumping in after you...just so that you are aware. It is true though, that we don't do a lot while on shift - we are paid for what we know, not for what we do. But here's a typical shift at work for me:

• A rotation is the amount of time spent at each guard position, followed by a period of off-deck time. The number of guard positions at any given time are determined by the number of patrons in the pool, and the off-deck time is determined by the number of guard positions, and the number of staff on shift. The amount of time at each position is typically 15 minutes. For example, if there are 5 people on shift, and we have between 10 and 75 people using the pool, we are at two guards. This means that we are on deck for 30 minutes, and off deck for 45 minutes.
• On deck time is spent - watching you swim! Sometimes there are adorable toddlers that get really excited in the water. Other things I typically deal with on deck: parents not supervising their under 6-year-olds, young teenagers deliberately breaking rules (such as multiples down the slide, head first down the slide, etc.) just to irritate us, young teenage couples making out in the corner, adults that think they have 'outgrown' rules, and much more...
• Off deck time is not spent sitting around....well not for the whole 45 minutes anyways. Sometimes we only have 15 minutes off deck, and we are more likely to relax for this period of time. We have a maintenance list - cleaning windows, disinfecting, checking for damage, etc. Little things that need to be done so the place stays nice.
• We used to have to clean the changerooms at night - but we're hired a custodial crew to do that for us. YAY!!! (Do you realize how gross those get?!)
• I've been working at the MFAC for 3 years, and in this time period I've jumped in the water twice. Perspective? Paid for what we can do (know), not for what we actually do.
• I'm also a supervisor - so I get to boss around everyone else. Kidding. Sometimes I have to...request...that things get done though. As a supervisor I'm also in charge of maintaining water chemistry and ensuring the pool is safe and running smoothly. I have to keep it in running order!

This is...my life.

Again, I realized that it has been days since I lasted posted. Sometimes I really don't know what to write about - there isn't much exciting going on in my life, and any thoughts/emotions I have are basically the same as the last post. Except maybe not as violent. I supposed I need to remember that the daily happenings here are boring to me, but they may still be of interest to you.

• Re: Apologies. Still angry, but getting better. I find my refuge in the Lord, because there is nowhere else to go, no one else to turn to, and no one else can make it better. And even that is a slow process. I wrote him a letter, since that seems to be the only way I can communicate without screaming and crying. Haven't given it to him yet and I don't think it will do any good. But at least I'll have said my peace. He's never going to give me the apology I desire, so I think I just need to accept that.
• I gave my room the most extensive cleaning that it has ever received since we moved to Alberta. I sorted out my closet, under my bed, etc. and I discovered that I'm a serious packrat. For example, I found an old La Senza bag under my bed, and inside this bag were...more bags...and a shoebox. Inside the shoebox were...even more bags! I threw out a large garbage bag of stuff I could burn, and a second large garbage bag of stuff to go to Salvation army. I even found two old backpacks stashed in the back - both broken and unuseable. Why?!
• I finished the end of summer swim lessons. No more being a drowned rat for at least a month! Yay!! We've also started our annual pool shutdown. The pools will be closed for two weeks, and in this time we have the opportunity to do some cleaning that we can only do when there are no public in the building. So far we've: drained all four pools (leisure pool, lane pool, hot tub and whirlpool), scrubbed a few equipment/janitor room floors with grime away (an acid complex cleaner), organized these equipment/janitor rooms, CLR'd the slide (and accidently stripped some paint off it too), and began cleaning/organizing one of our mechanical rooms. As hard of work as it is...I'm enjoying it! I come home exhausted, but I feel like I've accomplished something. Also, it is cool seeing all the pools empty. The lane pool alone holds over 80 million litres of water. Wow.
• At the moment I'm watching American Outlaws (one of my favorite movies of all time - highly recommend it), making supper (marinated salmon and rice), and getting ready for one more day of shutdown before we head off camping in Saskatchewan. Last big excitement before school starts next Thursday. Ugh.

Well that sums up my life for the past few weeks...hope you enjoyed the brief insight to my life. Ciao till next time.

Anticipation

In reflection of my last post, I find myself in a state of anticipation. Not necessarily a state of looking forward to anything, as in being excited about everything that is to come. Some things yes, I'm excited for. But some things not so much. In the next few days, weeks, and months, here are some of the things I am anticipating:

• The end of summer swim lessons. I enjoy teaching, this is why I am taking Education at the University. However, I am tired of being wet and chlorinated every day. I look forward to being dry for more than 3 days in a row.
• Leduc Recreation Centre Pool's annual shutdown. I still have to go to work, partially because I am a supervisor at the pool, and I am (surprisingly) of use to them at this time. This one is more of an anticipation because it involves alot of cleaning. Not just every day wipe the windows type of cleaning. Actual dirt-on-your-knees cleaning. However, I do look forward to possibly learning something new about how the pool works though.
• Camping! Last camping trip of the summer before I head back to school and we're headed to Saskatchewan. Yes!! Saskatchewan has better lakes than Alberta - by far. We are joining another family from our church for a few days in Meadow Lake.
• The start of the 09/10 school year. Definitely just an anticipation. This means studying, lack of a social life, and more moths in my wallet.
• Taking my IPT (first education practicum) second semester. Not sure yet if this is just an anticipation or something more exciting. I'm nervous, yet excited to do something more related to my career.
• SNOWBOARDING! Please do not be upset with me, and understand that I LOVE summer. But I can not wait to shred some powder and get back on the mountains. I'm planning a trip to Panorama in BC for reading week with some friends.

That is all that is on my mind at the moment. I know there is probably more, since I tend to stress and worry about needless things. Big breath...one step at a time. Here we go.

When Jason met Kaley

When Jason met Kaley, she was naive and innocent. Jason was a charmer. It didn't take long for Kaley to unconsciously notice him when he walked into the room. Easily and quickly friends, they got along without much effort. But Kaley was preoccupied - she had a serious boyfriend, who very quickly turned into a not-so-serious fiance. But the damage was done. By the time Kaley was a broken-hearted damsel, Jason had his guard up. Paths irreversibly tangled, they continued forward - awkwardly working side by side. Kaley always held a soft spot in her heart for Jason. Her heart jumped when he looked at her with those beautiful blue eyes and smiled. Anytime he called - to hang out, if he needed a favor, anything - she would do it. No questions asked. Kaley did everything in her power to get him to notice her, to smile, to laugh, to make him jealous. It rarely worked, but she didn't falter. There was just something about him that drew her in. It didn't matter that he never wanted her. It didn't matter that she didn't actually want him to be hers. She just needed his presense.

Things changed. Jason got a taste of power, and continued to charm people to get more. Everyone liked him, and he got everything he wanted. Not just from Kaley. Kaley noticed his sudden arrogance, noticed the taste of dust in her mouth. Wait. What about me? I thought I got you this far...

Jason ignored Kaley more, so she pined after him more. He'd turn around and need a favor, and she'd jump to it. But the cycle of ignorance and favors got worse. Now she's angry. She's sick of being his doormat. She's figured out that she's used and abused. She sees through his 'nice guy' facade. There is rarely a thank-you to go along with the favor - let alone a favor returned. Anything that inconveniences Jason is out of the question. There is never a text or a phone call unless he's got a favor. But what can she do? He doesn't need her. She needs him! She feels bad refusing him. Kaley mutters and rants, she practices what she wants to say to him. But she loses her nerve the second he walks into the room. She still has a soft spot for him and those beautiful blue eyes...

Canada Day!

Happy Canada Day! Well I suppose looking at the clock now, Canada Day was technically yesterday. Happy Canada Day nonetheless. I certainly hope you got the chance to enjoy some Canada Day festivities - such as a parade - or my personal favorite - FIREWORKS! Oh how I love fireworks. I get totally mesmerized watching fireworks. All those pretty colors and flashing lights. Ahhh. I had to work tonight, but conveniently, the Leduc fireworks are situated in the baseball diamonds right next to the Rec Center where I work. Second convenience: I am a pool supervisor, I have the key to the roof. Best seats in the house, guaranteed. All day we heard rumors of a fabulously huge fireworks (sing.) 16 1/2, whatever that means. Biggest one in Canada, never before used in Canada. Straight from China. I had originally thought it would be in Edmonton, but it was in the Leduc Rep, and everyone was convinced it would be in Leduc. So sweet! Best seats in the house, for the best fireworks show in Canada. NOT. Unless we got ourselves so hyped up that we missed it, there were no special fireworks. Just the same ones we see every year. Normally I wouldn't object - like I said, I love fireworks! But they told me there would be a fireworks known as the nuke. I'm so disappointed! Maybe the other disappointment is due to Disneyland fireworks. Once you've seen those, well, nothing ever compares. Road trip anyone?

Thunderstorms

One of my favorite things about spring/early summer is the thunderstorms. I always sit on my bed watching out the window for every flash of lightening. As I get older the urge to go outside and get soaked increases. Last night we had a thunderstorm - but I was stuck at work! Ugh! Instead of frolicking in the pouring rain and watching the beautiful flashes of electricity I was watching children splash around inside. It didn't even last until we left work. Nope, when it was time to leave it had all cleared up and was sunny! I missed most of the spring thunderstorms while I was in Europe, and I can't even get a good one now that I'm back. Not fair.

My "real" summer begins today. That's because summer swimming lessons begin today. I get to teach all four sessions of lessons, and I really don't mind. I'm taking Education in University, so I'd better love what I do. The only problem with teaching swimming lessons so much is the perma-stench of chlorine that engrains itself into my skin. I'll have a weeks worth of hot showers before it goes away. Yuck.

Finally, the highlight of my day. Colette comes home tonight!!! Lucky bum has still been in Europe for all of June. Taking some classes, but nevertheless, still in Europe. I won't see her until tomorrow at work, but I'm so excited! Unfortunate souls, also known as coworkers, that have to put up with our reunion. Muwahahahaha.