When DO You Leave A Party if the Sun Doesn't Go Down?

Allo from somewhere in the Arctic Circle.

So you're at a bonfire below the 60th parallel, the sun will go down and the guitars will come out. You never need to look at your watch because a subconscious little voice will tell you that when the streaks of sun come stealing across the horizon it's time to put down the travel mug of booze and take yourself home.

Ahhh the Sun. Or 'God's Flashlight' as I like to call it. It firmly taps on the window of your consciousness and asks "Have you been drinking tonight ma'am?" At which point the bedraggled version of "Me and Bobby McGee" stops and the realization that you've been partying too long hits. Followed by the realizations that your eyes are burning from smoke, your guitar playing is really really bad, and you've been drinking from a cup that contains cigarette butts. A brief moment of clarity in an otherwise foggy evening.

But what happens when you're in a place where the sun never goes down, the whiskey never stops flowing, and you never realise how bad your guitar playing truly is?

You are punished the next day when you are on call.

You are punished by a phone ringing--pulling you out of your unconsciousness. Punished as you remember you are on call, and therefore, you have to answer it. You are punished by the pus filled festering wound of a patient that you must clean with bleary eyes and the steady hand of Nick Cage before the tequila in Leaving Las Vegas. And all of this on an empty stomach...well maybe you're happy that it is on an empty stomach...

But then you discover that, actually, you are happy about a lot of things!

You are happy about the fact that you never disclosed any details about your sex life, you didn't end up in the hot tub with all the RCMPs, and you avoided stumbling home down main street (by getting a ride home with the 2 addictions counsellors, mind you).

And what, if anything, did you learn from your foibles?

When it is the night before you have to be on call, and you go to a BBQ in the Arctic:

-Always forget your bathing suit in another province or territory.
-Never accept scotch from an officer, even if he isn't in uniform.
-Never agree to stay for 'just one more' song off the Dance Mix '92 cd.
-Never forget your watch.
-And always remember that you have to be on call the next day. And that that means the next 24h straight. With a potential for no time for food/showers/peeing/teeth brushing/deodorant applying/sleeping...

Sadly I cannot post photos to accompany this tale of woe (or woah) because I swore and oath as I left the gathering
"I will not post these on my blog"
"I will not post these on my blog"
"I will not post these on my blog"
just before my final
"You don't KNOW ME!"
outburst of the night.

Ode on A Non-Grecian Blog

Kitchen oh Kitchen. If there were a real "myspace" in "myworld", it would be "mykitchen".
Happy place. The Zen art of chopping, slicing, mixing, tasting, tasting (and more tasting if it it something like cream cheese icing).

Why is it that no matter what hurricane of life swirls around me I am able to be transported to a quiet gleeful meditation when I am lost in a recipe?

Maybe because it is a trip for all of the senses. Testing the springiness of dough with my finger tips, smelling the bubbling soup as all the aromatics mix, scanning the colors of vegetables that spill onto the counter, the sizzling sound of scallions. And of course, taste.

Taste is a tricky thing I find. Being someone that usually operates with the "more is better" and "even more is even more better" I am trying to tweak my food from the usual wham! bam! that is cumin man! type of dish. Finding wine parings that bring out the most subtle whims of a dish or flickering flavors in the wine.

John and I enjoyed a meal at his friend Mark's restaurant where at one point we turned to each other and realized that the food was so sensual, subtle, and savory it was almost erotic. Monk fish erotic?

Strange but true. When you want to roll every bite around in your mouth in an attempt to try and prolong the experience it is difficult to tell your brain that it is food that is making you feel this way. Love should be savored. Good food should be savored.

And so. A departure from uber-healthy cooking has been fun....cream and sugar have replaced powered soy milk and evaporated cane juice. And with that, a gusto and newly recharged view of my kitchen and the things that come out of it.

Some of that laughter and stress relief that comes with the smell of fresh cinnamon buns and sharing them with friends must cancel out at least a little of that cholesterol. It must.

And so. A quick recipe. A franken-recipe, good for fridge cleaning out in the summer.

Super Green Pretty Pasta

3 scallions diced fine
4 cloves of garlic, minced
tsp red pepper flakes (or 1/4 tsp cayenne)
2 tbsp olive oil
1 bunch asparagus, chopped into 2 inch pieces
1 handful beet greens coarsely chopped and de-ribbed
1 handful kale coarsely chopped
1 handful spinach coarsely chopped
2 tbsp capers with bit of juice
1/2 cup black olive slices (or green olives--but black is better)
1 tbsp Braggs (or tamari to taste)
1/2 cup soy milk (or cow milk, cream, whatever you have in your fridge that is milky)
fresh ground pepper
1/4 cup basil, coarsely chopped
1/4 cup grated fresh parmesan cheese (no green container allowed)
4 servings of cooked pasta--your choice

Saute garlic on low heat in olive oil until aroma is released. Add scallions and cook until transparent. Toss in capers, milk, braggs, let simmer for a few minutes until milk reduces somewhat. Add asparagus until just starting to tenderize. Throw in cooked pasta, toss until coated (if not enough sauce add a bit more milk). Once it is covered in sauce toss in greens until just wilted.

Sprinkle with basil and parmesan. Add grind of pepper. YUM!

What Have You Been Up To?

Okay. There is an ever growing list of things that need to be done here in the mountain hideaway before I head back up to the arctic circle. Boring things like writing petitions to close down the in-town burner, unpacking, sorting...exciting things like learning how to knock walls out and put new windows in, painting, drywalling, walnut tree watching, reading, sipping coffee at the modern with my new boyfriend who is wayyyyyy to young for me (Tobin--he's three months old but so cute). And yet, I am continually drawn to the on-line crack cocaine hit of "F*$ebo@K", the voyeuristic junior-high like addiction to a computerized social network which feeds my passing interest in what people that I rarely communicate with are doing.
And so, my point...yes j'arrive! I have had numerous "what are you up to these days" from folks who I haven't seen or heard from in 10, 15, 20 years.

And I have to chuckle at the simplified post with which I respond, condensing the past 10 years of my life into a 11 line snapshot.

So here it is, from now on I will refer these inquiries to my blog. And thus freeing up time to pursue the aforementioned activities. I genuinely enjoy the contact, it is just getting old answering the same question over and over and over again.

The last 10 years in a nutshell by Albinoblackbear (it's like a one woman Hamlet).

Finished high school, lived in Jasper. Moved to Edmonton. Went to GMCC, took courses. Travelled and volunteered around South-East Asia mostly Hans Solo--including India, Sri Lanka, Nepal, Malaysia, Thailand, Singapore. Came back, did a semester in French in Pointe D'Eglise, Nouvelle Ecosse. Enrolled in BSc Program in Nursing. My dad died suddenly. Graduated. Started a band, The George Bushes. We rocked. Played music festivals including North Country Fair and other venues around AB. Made a great album, still get good radio play across Canada. Band broke up, moved to V, worked in ER's there.

Stared masters courses in Yellowknife and then working up north. Have spent the last two years mostly working in the arctic-with a short sojourn to New Zealand for biking/hiking trip, then on to W where I worked first as a ER nurse in the clinic there, then became manager for W and P ER. Learned how to telemark and ride cross country (and still the learning curve continues!) Missed the north. Went back to contract work in Nunavut and NWT.

Moved to Revy. Met John Simms (aka my fellow homeowner and partner in crime). It was a setup, orchestrated by mutual friend Ann Marie. Traveled to Morocco with John in Dec for climbing trip. Spent remaining winter on Baffin Island, then central arctic. Went back to school at U of A this summer to continue working on pre req's for MD school, plan to write MCAT next summer (fingers crossed).

Became an auntie for the 5th time last night! My brother Russ and wife Karla have added to our families brood their first baby, Gionna.

Currently am loving life large. Cooking all kinds of goodies, playing mandolin, drinking tasty wine, riding, climbing, putzing around the house (sometimes all of those things in one day). Missing some friends and family that are too far away from our mountain town but am so smitten with our little casa which affords mountain views from every window and several lilac bushes. So I just continue harassing folks to come visit and hope some of my offers get taken up.

Whew! All done. Got to get on the cinnamon buns and corn bread, and lentil soup...and...and...

And Then Suddenly a Mortgage Fell Out of the Sky

And into our bank accounts.

Has anyone noticed that the word "mort" or "death" is in the word "mortgage" before?

But really, the word "yippeeeeeee!" should also be in there because our house is such a wonderful place and both of us feel so excited that it is ours. Our own little piece of the mountainous pie. "A handsome view" of Begbie as Ryan pointed out. And a giant walnut tree that keeps the eyes of our neighbors and rays of 34 degree sun out of our living room.

Yes. It is official, John and I took possession of our giant bundle of joy just a few days ago. And so the great unpacking, sorting, and rearranging of belongings ensues.

So many new and exciting things to figure out; like how to tastefully hide all of your partners things without making him feel you don't like his stuff. Also discovering that the man you now own a house with is actually quite handy, good with a wrench and knows what to do with washers. What else but joint ownership would entail one waking up to a new knife rack in the kitchen?

And now he learns things about me as well I am sure. That I am no star at yard work, handing bugs in the basement, or letting dishes sit in the sink overnight.

Our housewarming party rocked---full of fantastic gourmet goodies from all of our foodie friends, great beer, wine and sparkling white flowed all night. Until John brought out the whiskey which apparently had liquid valium in it. Prior to the liquid sleep however we enjoyed wicked music from James and Verena, Steve, and Saakje. I think my drunken fingers spronged along the mando strings a few times as well for better or worse. Carlos started the dancing trend and soon Ann Marie and Sylvia were shaking it on our dancefloor as well.

So now there is a spare room and a cellar with plenty of good wine just waiting for weary friends from near and far to wander off the Trans Canada for some hospitality, Revy style.

Are you a faculty member or a student?

Ouch. Now there was my first "you know you're an adult learner when" moment at the U of A this summer. Needing to activate my defunct student ID I had to head over to the computing services department and ask for a new password.

"Are you a faculty member or a student?" Was what I got. Wow. Things were feeling a bit like too tight underwear already but that really cinched it. Okay, so my youthful exuberance (ahem!) did nothing to hide the fact that I was either a returning student or keener faculty member.

I have to admit to some moments of insecurity and fish out of water sensations with my fellow organic chem classmates (or "o-chem" as the kids are calling it these days).

For starters most of them were well under the age of 25, I whined to my mother "My lab partner looks like she's 17" to which she replied with her deadpan version of comfort "that is because she is Erin".

Right.

Clearly I am out of sync with fashion, the whole legging thing really threw me off. I thought the girls were wearing skirts with 3/4 length leggings under because of the "no bare legs" rule in the lab. But no. Even on no lab days it was a trend that jerked me back to high school girls when I was in elementary school--where have all the feathered bangs gone though? is the question.

No more visa on campus either. HELLO! Some of us are working on aeroplan miles here people. When I complained to the chem store guy asking him "what kind of university is this?" he replied "welcome to the university of life--well I guess you've been going to that university for a while". HARSH! And then refused to believe that he didn't need to sell me the special lab goggles that go over glasses/contacts.

I hiss in his general direction.

But not only has the uni changed I guess, so have I. I remember my former schedule when I was doing my undergrad:
-wake up at last possible minute, pull clean-ish clothes off floor, apply toque to head and eat coffee for breakfast....arrive last, leave first. Spend as little time as possible on campus.
-go home, put on cleaner clothes, go to live music venue and drink rusty nails all night...except on the nights when I was waitressing--or the night before term paper due, only a few hours of rusty nail drinking, then paper writing until 7 am.

This time around it looked more like:
-rise at 5:45, eat breakfast in car while driving 45 mins to uni. Meet with tutor for 2 hours before class, review notes, drink excessive amounts of T-Ho's. Go to pre-class help session for 1h before class. Sit in lecture then lab for next 6.5h. Do homework at uni, study. Do extra questions. Work on lab. Study for quiz next day. eat dinner somewhere in there. Pass out on bed totally sober and depressed after midnight. Repeat.

I see the live shows advertised--Z-trip was playing the second week I was there. Last time I would have partied all night and recovered for three days after. This time for me the only Z-trip I saw was more than 5 hours of hydrogen-bond-breaking in-my-sleep-shut-eye.

Other new exciting differences that I noticed were--that I drive the same car that some of the kids in my class get dropped off by their mom in.
--I associated more easily with my prof and T.A's than with my fellow classmates. I also dress more like the profs than my classmates. Comfortable shoes are sooo out this year!

All in all it was an amazing challenge for me--the nerd in the front row with the dictaphone and multi-colored highlighters.

There was one rant which I posted on a certain social interface page which I will post here for those that missed my steam-let-off moment in the Central Academic Building.

Don't Reflux H2SO4 With Your Shirt Off
Okay seriously. It is sad. I am in this organic chem class right now with a bunch of tweens and yes I have been feeling a touch old....bitter...jaded. Well no, I have just been feeling like the adult learner that I am. A nerd. Who sits in the front row everyday, records the lectures, does all the homework, has a tutor, does the supplemental learning, studies everyday...

I realised that I have turned into one of those people I used to make fun of (who me?) in my undergrad. The dreaded keener-adult-learner. Well, I am not at the powerpoint making, pamphlet handing out stage of the game yet but GIMME TIME!

But seriously girls what is with the cleavage in the chem lab?? I mean really. This isn't a jealously thing either. I am perfectly secure when it comes to my twins. Honestly though, I mean--use your born-in-the-nineties brain! We are heating, distilling, mixing things like CONCENTRATED HYDROCHLORIC ACID and SULFURIC ACID! We're not baking a cake here gals! Have you heard the expression "don't fry bacon with your shirt off??" Try this one "Don't reflux hydrosulfuric acid with your tits out!"

I know, I know. Then how ever will you catch the eye of one of the dozens of pre-med guys? Wellllllll sweetie if you've got hamburger for a chest d'ya think he's going to want to be your lab partner? Think about it.

Anyway, I am done my rant/public safety announcement for the night. Gotta get back to the riveting chapter on the "properties of enantiomers". I feel a powerpoint coming on........