This and That

Paul and Margaret went home to Calgary today--sniff, sniff. The house feels emptier. It's always sad when visitors leave (well not ALWAYS, but luckily we never have THAT sort of guest).

The burn on my back has turned into a tan, but unfortunately the tan just looks like a big ugly birthmark. Should I slather sunblock on that part of my back and burn the rest tomorrow? I'd like it to even out before our trip.

Yes, Betty--have seen those "Head-On" commercials. It should go, "Head-On: Apply directly to the forehead, directly after hearing this commercial."

We are leaving for Europe in 4 days!!!! As we'll be packing suitcases for two separate trips (Winnipeg right after we get back--different performance for Dave, different clothes, etc.), I'm going to spread out our things over the guest bed. Stressful decision: which shoes to pack. Comfort vs. style. I don't want to visit other countries looking like I'm there to mow their lawns.* However, taking a walking tour of Ljubljana (Slovenia) would not be so great in my flip-flops or strappy sandals. I'm not sure which city I'm looking forward to visiting more, Ljubljana or Venice. We're not going to bring the laptop, but if we pop in at an internet cafe, I'll see if I can post a quick blog or two.

We've made some great progress with the house, mostly thanks to Margaret and Paul this week. This evening, we hung our Thai fabric (fuschia and gold) in the front room. We'd ordered a chair (where I'll sit for piano lessons), and I still want to buy a round rug for the center of the room, a runner for the hall, and two chairs to go by the front window. We just can't do it all at once, so it'll be a while before we're done with that room.

It's our 5-year wedding anniversary this Friday. Very exciting! We planted a crabapple tree in our backyard, ironically named if it's to symbolize our marriage. ;)

One of the things brought down by P&M was my gr.6 time capsule, which I'd opened in gr.12 (our elementary school had a reunion) and resealed after adding a few things. In it there was a diary affixed with a post-it note that read, "Do not open until May 2002." Well, I'm a little late for that, aren't I? The first entry was in May 1990 (the last that year, June 27, before the diary was sealed up in the capsule), and the last was in May 1996, right before I graduated high school. The exciting things in my life at the time included playing oboe in Calgary Youth Orchestra, getting ready for grad, and having just received my acceptance letter from the University of Calgary. I had written that when the diary was next opened, I hoped to be finished with university (ha!), working as a elementary music school teacher. I also wanted to "get married after university and start a family a few years later." Well, my plans were slightly altered, but I really didn't go in an opposite direction. I was saying to Dave that although I know I've changed in 10 years (because who doesn't?), I don't feel as though I'm a completely different person. The biggest changes include religion and (hopefully) geek level. I look at those pictures, and wow. It's not even a "wow--we all looked so dated then" sort of wow. It's a "Jillian stuck out like a sore thumb of geekiness--why did her mother let her leave the house looking like that" sort of wow. At least I feel far enough removed that I can look back and laugh instead of cringe.

Goodnight!

*David Sedaris--10 points if you know which essay that is from.