Happy Thanksgiving!

Happy Thanksgiving!

It’s a balmy -5 here and the snow keeps a-fallin’. At first I thought I’d have nothing to share with you as I’d just been feeling rather sad and pathetic since the beginning of the week. To sum it up: I got sick. It sucked. I missed some work. Also sucked. I have a feeling that Ashton and I’s insane vegan feast yesterday has me pretty much cured.

Curious what we had, as Vegans? I know you’re dying to find out! I still can’t believe I spent $9 on a squash here.

- Coleslaw with purple cabbage, carrots, walnuts and cranberries
- Home-made bread stuffing with apples, parsnips and white wine
- Parsnips
- Baked spaghetti squash with molasses
- Wild mushroom gravy
- Mashed potatoes with garlic and fresh dill
- Tofurkey!
- Pumpkin pie
- And…a rather large bottle of Australian white wine after being in the kitchen ALL DAY!

We’re going to be eating all of this for DAYS to come. It was all home-made and organic. We definitely had some pumpkin pie for breakfast.

Thanksgiving is my favourite holiday of the year so I was gearing up for a sob-fest. (not that I could deny that didn’t already happen this week. ) It was awesome then to be called up and for all of my extended family to yell ‘happy thanksgiving’ then promptly put the mouth piece to the accordion.

And you know what, just being able to sit and share dinner with Ashton was awesome. I know it’s a rite of passage; young couple moves out and tries to cook their first turkey. Well, tofurkey and just the whole process was enjoyable. Neither of us had ever tried to make stuffing or gravy on our own before so it was all kind of experimental. As well, neither of us have ever had a holiday dinner that we could everything of without worrying or offending anyone. Next week we’re going to a post-thanksgiving pot-luck at a fellow vegan’s home.

The weekend has been rather busy and I’m so glad I have today off after running so many errands and truth be told, getting in at 2 am last night from a gig. That much is sort of back to normal. I NEED to be able to go out to shows in order to feel ‘at home’.


We saw the Shout Out Out Out Outs on Saturday. They’re an Edmonton based synth-rock/dance band that I’ve been a fan of for quite a while. They have 2 drummers and 3 keyboardists mounted on different levels. Lots of dancing and shaking and moving. I was half-hoping that Cadence Weapon (also from Edmonton) would come out and do his song with them but at about 1:40 I called a cab.

We learned last week that gigs start super late so we hit up Walmart before so that Ashton could buy a TV!

Now, I must say, I’ve NEVER seen Ashton buy anything that wasn’t essential before. I mean, I’ll say ‘we need to get some more margerine’ and he’ll be like, ‘oh, let’s just wait til it’s on sale.’ Come on! It’s margarine! It’s essential! The television is calling to us now, begging us to spend the rest of the day on the couch watching movies.

I’m sorry Dave, I must let you go.

Hope all of your Thanksgivings were enjoyable and spent with the ones you love!

p.s so this is what it's supposed to look like here


and this is what it actually looks like

Hey, Hey, Hey!

Some observations of Albertan concerts vs. the Rest of the World (London, Montreal, Toronto, Ottawa)

- People dress the for the weather (There were not one skimpy outfit in the place, no bare shoulders even!)
- People do NOT dress up
- There WILL be cowboys
- The cowboys DO dress up for gigs, spurs, leather boots and all
- The cowboys are in fact, REAL and apparently like Indie music
- You’ll have the sudden urge to yell out ‘yeehaw’ when surrounded by said cowboys
- Age doesn’t matter! Just wear a tuque and you’ll fit in!
- They do not abide by the rule, don’t wear the t-shirt of the band you’re seeing (nerd alert!)
- The concert WILL stop to ask the score of the hockey game


So as you can tell, I went out to a concert last night. We saw folk-rock/blue-grass/R3 indie sweethearts Elliott Brood at the Starlite Room on the Jasper side. We learned quite a bit about indie shows here in Alberta. First we were told that we couldn’t enter the club until we bought a ‘membership’ which is just overt capitalism considering we spent so much just to get the tickets, but once we got in we had a security body –pat down which in ALL of the concerts I’ve been to ALL over the world, has NEVER happened. (What’s up, Edmonton?)

I also learned that unlike Ottawa or montreal, there is no bylaw in place to make sure the event is over by 11 pm. (truthfully, I’ve always liked that in that it meant I could always be home in time to get at least 6 hours of sleep). So when we showed up 9.30 we were convinced we’d have missed the opening band.

This place was in fact a HOLE in the WALL (no not an ATM, my British readers) but you walk down a dodgy back alley, up stairs and around some brick industrial area to find a hipster or two hanging out front. Interesting.

All that being said, it was a good show. I ran into a co-worker that introduced us to some friends. Again, such a different feel from all the pretensious hipster gigs I’ve been to. It’s nice though as going to live music has always been where I feel most comfortable no matter where I am. The place actually reminded me of Rescue Rooms, for those of you that know what Rescue Rooms is. (I miss it!)

Elliott Brood have this song called ‘oh, Alberta’ with lyrics that celebrate going out West but missing ‘back home, Ontario-oh-oh-oooooooooooo!’ I listened to this song a lot while packing up to move and always felt a special connection and couldn’t help but to sing along loudly. “How I long for my home, sweet, home…’


…and then the pots and pans came out. Ashton and I were right up front and so despite the purpose of the pots, pans and wooden spoons as makeshift percussion immediately after the song Ashton was like, ‘FREE KITCHENWARE!!!’ I don’t think you could have thrown out anything, save for Communist manifestos, that would have made him happier . He waved his wooden spoon gleefully as we raced out of the club to catch a cab to the other city divided.

On to other non-concert related things,

I’m fighting something right now. I woke up yesterday with the sniffles and they haven’t gone away yet. It could be because it’s SO cold here and I’m not used to such dramatic temperature changes. As I write this, the forecast says it’s likely to snow today. NO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! As my stepfather would say, I have to make sure I’ll not leave my ‘snotrags’ around the flat. That would be such a mood killer for poor ashton!

Work is ok, I’ve had a little more to actually DO this week, but that’s not stopping me from looking around still.

I’ve agreed to be the Festival Director of the University of Alberta’s Film Festival, happening this March. This is not a paid position, but I’ve got a really fancy looking card with my name on it that got me into ALL the EIFF Film fest exclusives last weekend! I’m hoping that doing this opens a lot of doors. As it is, I’m attacking this project with intense verocity and am making some major changes. I’m hoping to make it a three-day event and have abolished the entry fee for artists. As well, I’m opening up categories to encourage new work including documentary, aboriginal, queer/GLBQT, experimental/avant garde and will be seeking beyond Canada for our ‘foreign’ film category. More to come on this still, but yes, I would be interested in doing events management as an actual career, and have since I put on my first concert.

Anyways, long post, and yet I still feel I have more to share. Email me if you want to know more!

Love and miss you guys, xo

(p.s. this post means I've officially made it one month in Cowtown!)

Things are getting better...

When I was living in the UK, every Sunday morning I would wake up, make some tea and dunk digestive cookies into it while I wrote ‘my life’ to everyone ‘back home.’ Well, I plan on doing that the same, however there are some major differences now:

1. I don’t have any Digestive cookies, I’ve since gone vegan
2. I’ve replaced my traditional Earl Grey tea with ‘Morning Thunder’ tea
3. Ahem, no hangover
4. Lastly, I’m not waking up alone

If you’ve been following before, I had been having a hard time in the last two weeks but this week things got better. Yes, dare I say it, Ashton and I made friends! We actually left our flat to socialize! He’s since had me up past my bedtime for the last three nights in a row doing cool things found only in Alberta.

Speaking of which, there has been the most insane windstorm ever going on here since yesterday morning.

My job is still kind of silly, I don’t mean to be so efficient at the few tasks I get done in such a short period of time, but I’ve realized that most likely I can get some major writing done there. I have been getting a little distracted lately though when everyone assembles by the coffee machine and talks about the weather, or Eskimos, or…? I’m grateful for the job, I honestly don’t know how long I’m going to last. I’m missing school and am seriously considering taking a creative writing class here at the uni but need to first justify the money. Something I DO need to invest in: warmer clothes!

However with this job, I’ve had a little bit of time to spend on the internet on all the sites NOT blocked, enter Couchsurfing.com. I’ve been involved in couch surfing since living in Europe. It’s this awesome network of people, travelers, bohemians, artists, all willing to invite you into their home and life for that period of time you’re in their home town. Well, they also welcome new Edmontonians I learned at their montly ‘meeting’ (read: party). Ashton and I left on a cloud so excited to have made ‘FWENDS! YAY!’

I’m going out with some of our new friends today to the Edmonton international Film festival . We’re catching the shorts series called ‘In Our Own Backyard’. The Film soc is co presenting it- more news on them and a particular festival I’ve been asked to organize later in the week.

Ashton and I saw this film on opening night. Not Quite Hollywood http://edmonton.bside.com/2009/films/notquitehollywood_edmonton2009

Ladies and gentlemen I finally did it. I finally stepped foot into ‘Alberta’s Number One Tourist Destination’… for a PUNK show. Yes, a punk show in a MALL. We went out with Ashton’s brother and friends to go see The Gaslight Anthem. They played for over 2 hours! Everyone else seemed to be into them but instead I stood there contemplating how my relation to punk rock has evolved.

Especially considering one of the opening bands and I have a bit of a history. I love The Loved Ones. And they were kind enough to think I was hot enough to get some major VIP privileges one time in Ottawa. They were actually really nice guys and I’m glad their band is still going strong.

K- I have to go wake a sleepy boy.

week 3- we're not in kansas anymore, toto

So the good news is that ashton and I finally have the internet. I’ve been feeling really disconnected from everyone and everything that is familiar(I think that’s one of the main reasons why I’m so eager to get to my new flat –its sort of a haven). Edmonton’s another country in comparison to what I’m used to- England’s been easier than this.

It’s not that Albertans’ aren’t friendly, it’s just that Ashton and I haven’t really made any new friends yet. Ashton’s in a bit of a funk right now because he wants to go to the Cuff the Duke show up the street in like an hour, but I have to work tomorrow meaning I’ll be up at 6:15 so it’s just not going to happen. We’re very much caught up in our own universe. Neither of us ever initially thought that we would live together. Though we’ve been having our differences, that’s what brings us closer together. This is the longest time I’ve ever NOT gone to a gig since I was about 16. Yeah, there have been concerts at the uni at lunch, but I’ve not been interested. I don’t know who I am lately. I feel rather boring because all I do is get up, go to work, come home go to bed.

At least now we’ve got a second bike so it’s a lot faster getting to work. I’ve really missed my friends back home lately. Wherever home is…


It seems that Fall has hit Edmonton in the last week alone. Everything has turned to a golden yellow and the leaves make a satisfying crunch when I’m wading through.

Week 2

I’m feeling pretty down. It’s been two weeks now and I’ve already accomplished everything I set as goals for myself when moving to Edmonton. I’m very tenacious and goal orientated so the question is- where do I go from here?


Lately all I do is get up, go to work, go home, go to sleep. Repeat. I never thought I would end up in a 9 to 5 type of job. I’m not the lowest of the low, but I’m down there on the totem pole. It would be very different if I was in Ottawa because I would have my friends to keep me busy after work but instead Ashton and I are existing in this little bubble. We are still getting used to seeing each other every day, and even then with our work and school commitments it can be hard to do much together. (aside from arguing who was snoring the loudest.)


Work isn’t that stimulating. I see other people running around with cool and creative jobs but instead I’m sitting there using minimal skills to stretch a project out for a whole day. Instead I finish 7 hours work in 2 hours and sit there listening to various podcasts. This was also not the job I was hired for.

It’s ridiculous. I am apparently ‘training’ the new receptionist. I need to remind you its only been 2 weeks that I’ve even been in the office. The woman keeps looking up at me like mine is the voice of God, finality, with regards to any inquiry. Working with her I realized that I was indeed WAY over-qualified for the position. Whatever.


I know that if I were to be in a coffee shopped I could forget about work after the shift and have way more flexibility. I think I’m also just coming to grips with the idea of not being a student.

Week 1 Edmonton

Things I have learned since moving to Alberta/en route to Alberta

- I have such desirable employability skills that I can get promoted in the first five minutes of starting a new job
- Throwing up at the side of the 401 is no fun
- Sleeping on the floor is also no fun
- Beware of air mattresses that promise mattress like quality- they will only end up lowering you gradually more and more to the ground.
- Dumpster diving is beneficial to everyone!
- If I follow the yellow painted footprints, they lead me to work
- There is one other Ashton at the university and he is the president of Beta Alpha Chi
- I have food issues that don’t even make sense to me
- The best samosas in Ottawa are at the Middle Eastern Bakery on Somerset and we couldn’t hold out long enough to smuggle them across the Alberta border
- Edmonton Bus transit chooses to ignore whole parts of the city, therefore a vehicle is essential.
- Coconut milk to chocolate chip cookies makes them that much yummier
- When bed shopping, try not to pass out on the floor models
- Moving in the rain across the country with all your belongings strapped into the back of a pick-up is a true test of a relationship
- Albertans do indeed say, ‘hey’ at the end of every sentence, and for that matter have very country accents
- Vegans can eat out every day, though
- The best sushi in Canada can be found in a suburb of Oshawa
- Pinning my address and telephone number to me makes getting around that much easier
- Milk crates = couch!
- If interested in finding out who my bosses are, please turn to the front cover of this magazine and this newspaper spread, and this website and this radio interview and this…
- Chips for 830 students is a LOT of chips
- 20,000 people come through my building everyday
- Security guards at pearson need to be nicer
- A bouquet of hand-picked flowers makes up for silliness

So my first week in Edmonton is almost over. I’m sitting on my brand new bed relieved to have at least one piece of furniture, though truth be told, Ashton and I have been so tired it wouldn’t matter what we slept on.

Today is labour day. It’s weird to think that this will be my first three-day weekend in quite a while- probably til Christmas? I like my job so far, though have actually been getting trained in reception until they find a new front office administrator. What I do know is that I’m rather important ;) I’m in charge of the schedules of all of the Student Union VPs, except the president who has his own assistant. Tomorrow I’ll find out more.

Our apartment is awesome! I’ve never moved into a place where I didn’t want to immediately scrub down the walls. It’s quite large with a dining room, living room plus our bedroom. We don’t have anything in furniture yet aside from the bed and some dumpster dive finds (2 coffee tables, one desk, a box full of kitchenware (!), and a chair. Oh yes, and some brand new mirrors that the university was for some reason throwing out. There are some things we’re obviously not going to dive in for, and we’ve both got money to purchase new items but not having a car seems to be a curse. Future visitors let this be known: we will have a futon!

I’ve been overwhelmed with what we need to get. It’s terrible how we NEED things to be happy. First thing on my list was a tea kettle. Ashton countered this by getting me the biggest box of Twinings Tea I’ve ever seen. I also left a lot of clothes behind and the climate is very different from Ottawa so I’m pained to realize I need to go clothes shopping. (What I REALLY want is a dresser to put away my clothes, but that will come) . I’m quite proud of everything we’ve accomplished so far. Our kitchen is set up now, we’ve everything we need and so much cupboard space. Ashton’s really excited because he can wander around and eat everything (as a vegan it’s a first). I’m now worried that he WILL eat everything ;)

What else to say… I’d like to say I’ve been thinking of all of you but I’ve been so tired that when I’m not running around I’m sleeping and making lists of things to do in my dreams.

Day 2 Edmonton

So Day 2 in Edmonton, Alberta.

Day 1 was not so smoothe sailing. I was nervous and hadn’t been able to sleep much the night before as we were to leave very early in the morning. This quickly translated to my throwing up at the side of the 401 some 5:00 a.m.

Then I was accosted by security because I had a pair of eye tweezers which apparently are considered a weapon at Pearson International. We both passed out on the plane, Ashton noticeably snoring louder than anyone else around us. I thought I would have been so much more excited to get on that plane but it was simply a means to reach the next day; the day that I began my new job.

Arriving in Edmonton Alyssa picked us up, (Ashton’s brother’s girlfriend) and then became an absolute godsend. We were worried about rent so we popped over to the bank only to discover that ALL of my money had holds on it. ALL of it. Therefore, no bed, no bedding, no food, no nothing. It was a VERY frightening concept- flying into a new city and having NOTHING and access to NOTHING. I broke down in the bank and had to be ushered into the bank manager’s office. Overexhaustion was obviously another factor. Then I discovered that water had leaked all over my laptop. The scary thing is, that situation was VERY similar to what happened to me when I first arrived in England, except that my grandmother died. Ashton and I were also just grumpy from not eating at all.

By the way- if you haven’t already gotten this I broke down a few times yesterday.
The light at the end of all of this is our apartment. It’s one block away from Whyte Avenue (like the Bank Street of Edmonton) and everything is within walking distance. Spacious with a living room, dining room, full kitchen with several closets and big sunny windows on the main floor of a walk-up. It’s just expensive building a whole new life. I’ve eaten out almost once every day since last Monday and I’m tired of it. The only solution however is to cook for ourselves which we’d LOVE to do if only we had pots, pans and other cooking supplies.

We fell asleep on an airmattress that gradually got lower and lower til we were sleeping on the beautiful caramel coloured carpet in our flat. I’m sitting on our ‘bed’ as I type this actually. It looks like a bomb went off everywhere. We only have so much but just in trying to figure out what to wear to the first day of work was messy.

That being said Day 2 = HOW DID I WHAT!?!?!

Have you ever gone into a brand new job first day and been promoted within the first five minutes of attendance? Well, that is what happened to me today. I was in shock. But I am very grateful all the same. This is a job that I’m sure many people would have been interested in but I’m not even sure of what the whole job entails! Yesterday I could count on my hand how many people I knew in Alberta alone- today I met at least 2 dozen Edmontonians.

It’s a really positive work environment and I could see myself sticking around there. This is an awesome contrast to every other job I’ve ever had where after one day, I’m ready to quit. Shit, I still need to quit my coffee shoppe job in Ontario. Well then…

Anyways, Ashton’s off buying pots and pans right now and I’m ready to pass out on my ‘bed’.

More updates will follow but right now, that’s all the entertainment that’s fit to type.