Visa on Fire

I just spent the last two hours booking flights, hotels, and car rentals for my Interview Trail Extravaganza!!! And I am not even finished yet.

I think my VISA is about to spontaneously combust. 

So far I am at $1440 dollars (and 21 000 aeroplan points) poorer, with still 5 nights hotel left to book and transportation from Toronto to Hamilton.

I am reminding myself to be thankful for the financial burden. It means I have interviews which probably means I have a future job back here in Canadia...What is that saying about having to spend money in order to make money!?

Eep!

In Hiding

I hate to begin all posts with an apology for the dearth of updates. I have good excuses though: patchy internet access, roaming around Canada and the US living out of a suitcase, distaste for staring at computer screens except when absolutely necessary, awareness that future program directors may be reading the blog...

It's been a wonderful handful of weeks though, I really must say. You know, I love Ireland, but I LOVE Canada. The fact that my future job prospects are looking quite good here makes me oh so very delighted. I actually left a suitcase of winter clothing at Momma Bear's house, knowing that my next Christmas will likely be HERE! It is exciting. Also, did I mention that I actually got some skiing in this year?!

Luc and I on the lift. Quality time with my nephew/Godson (said with Brando voice while stroking underside of chin).

Cruisey Tree Skiing = Happy Place!

Yes. After family Christmas in the dark we traveled to Montana for some fine, fine skiing and even the odd celebrity sighting! Saw Timberlake and Biel snowboarding (they're quite good!), Affleck and Garner skiing (she is even more gorgeous in real life, he's a scruff box) and had a random chat about powder quality with Mary Hart (ridiculously nice and bubbly).

I forgot how much I love spending a day on my skis. The quiet of the trees, the hypnotizing snow flakes, the tired legs, crisp air. It was such a beautiful resort, they had to drag me away at the end of our week there.

Will post some more updates about the last couple of weeks soon. 2013 has already been VERY top shelf. A nice change so far from 2012.

In the meantime, working on a literature review and getting ready for my interviews.

Eep!!

The Griswolds Meet Pieces of April

Somehow the post I wrote about our family Christmas was lost to the binary blinkings of blogger. This displeases me greatly as of course I am quite sure that it was the most delightful post I've ever written (probably not). So now, in its place I will make a quick summary the first (of two) family Christmas dinners.

It started with (what I refer to as) The Griswolds meet Pieces of April Christmas.

We had a major power outage the night before and day of our planned family Christmas feast. In fact, not just our house, but the entire neighborhood. This resulted in my mother and sister kicking into full food preparation RED ALERT. Driving across town to several surrogate ovens and bringing back cooked dishes wrapped in tea towels and hoisted into coolers. Meanwhile my brother in law bought dozens of electronic tea lights, large candles, and industrial flashlights to illuminate the house. We tried to strategically place the various beams (including one shining directly on the darkened Christmas tree).

"Yes, the tree is...er..lovely!"

Buffet by flashlight.

A romantic family Christmas...?!

Gift opening in the dark.

And then there was light!!!

Regardless of the electricity situation, the food was fabulous thanks to the industrious problem solving skills of my sister and the fact that she has a gas stove (no Christmas feast would be right without steaming sour cherry sauce for the pork and hot gravy for everything else). Despite being in the dark things maintained a degree of normalcy, the adults ate too much and the teenagers texted too much. We drank wine, opened presents, and enjoyed having (almost the entire) family together for the first time in ages. I have to admit, being home for Christmas for the first time in 9 years has made me very excited at the prospect of being back in Canada. As much as I love Ireland and all the adventures I've had, there is something to be said about being home, in the dark, with my crazy family.