I guess I'm still pretty smart! and my favourite things about Saskatoon

Not having been in school or anything really even remotely close for 4 years, I've been pretty nervous the past few weeks about what my first marks in my evening class would be. Had I forgotten how to study? (no) Had I forgotten how to do homework? (no, but I still don't like it). Turns out, I can still do well in school...after 3 assignments and 2 exams I have about a 92 ish % average! I'm pretty pumped because in order to take the Level II of my course (which will enable me to work up to being a paralegal which is my ultimate goal), I have to have an 80% in this class and 2 others which I'll be taking in the summer and fall. I hope I can keep up the good grades!

Speaking of school, I start my full time classes on May 1st - that would be Tuesday, in only 5 days! I am really excited - mostly to get out and apply myself to something again. Its been a long haul since the end of November when I went on stress leave from Carman Mennonite and I am ready to take this step to start another chapter of life. I'm also excited to meet people - don't get me wrong, I love my family but I don't know too many other people in Saskatoon so it'll be good to get to know the people in my program. Here's a picture of what SBC (Saskatoon Business College looks like) :

In the past month and a half I've been in Saskatoon, I've been struck by the beauty of this city. I mean I love Winnipeg, but Saskatoon is just really pretty with all the bridges and the gorgeous scenery at the University. Here are some pictures of my new home city...

<-- Saskatoon at night. I'm trying to figure out which bridge this is...I think its the Broadway Bridge.

<-- The walkway and park with the Bessborough in the background. My mom and I go walking along this walkway about once a week during the summer and then sometimes (for a treat!) stop for ice cream at the Double Decker bus Ice Cream shop that sits by the Bez. The river runs along the walkway.

The beautiful flower gardens that are placed all over the university. I never went to school here a day in my life, but I think it is the most beautiful campus.

I think one of my favourite parts of the whole city is the Agriculture buildings at the U of S. I can't find any good pictures of it, but it is literally an entire farm stuck right in the middle of the city and in the middle of the university grounds. Driving down Preston to go to Old Navy 2 days ago I was struck by how only in Saskatchewan you could be at Old Navy 1 minute and driving past roaming cows the next.

Another thing I like about Saskatoon is how small it is, despite everything it offers. Saskatoon has quite a few famous people living here or born here (for those of you unaware, Joni Mitchell and Gordie Howe are both from here), including some Canadian Idol finalists. So it shouldn't have been strange to me when yesterday afternoon as I was having coffee at a Tim Horton's just a few blocks away from our house, sitting next to me was this person:

OK, so only those of you who are avid summer watchers of the phenomenon that is Canadian Idol will know who this is. This is Josh Palmer (who yes, is from Saskatoon), who was the 6th finalist in Canadian Idol season 3. I just loved him that season and everytime I see an advertisment for CI coming up this summer (I personally like it better than American Idol because I have a few connections to it and it just seems so much less commercialized and well...American!) I wonder what the heck Josh Palmer is up to. I guess now I know, he's at Tim Horton's! So I was a bit flustered for the first few minutes and my mom wants to know why I didn't ask for his number (yes, that would have been CLASSY...reaching across the table and interupting his conversation to ask for his number...good call mom). But I now have motivation to go to see his band if they perform here over the summer!

Other things I am growing to love about my new home city:

~Broadway and 2nd Ave. shops. Very much like Osbourne in Winnipeg

~free parking downtown in the evenings (which means I don't have to pay for parking when I'm at my night class)

~Costa Blanca, my new favourite clothing store in Midtown Mall. I wish Winnipeg had had one of these. Its amazing and fairly cheap.

~Saigon Vietnamese restaurant on 33rd - I've been there with my mom 4 times since I've moved home 6 weeks ago.

~city bus drivers are SO much better than the ones on Winnipeg (at least I haven't been almost hit by one yet which was almost a weekly occurance in Wpg).

~the biggest Walmart in Western Canada just off Circle Dr. East (at least I've heard on more than one occassion that it is). It is literally bigger than the Wheatland Mall in Swift Current.

~how excited people got about the Juno awards being here. There was a HUGE rumour that Justin Timberlake (aka my future husband) was in the city that weekend and was seen at the Midtown Mall by himself. Yes, Justin Timberlake, probably one of the top 10 most famous people in the world, decided to come to Saskatoon for the Canadian Music Awards and walk around the Midtown Mall by himself with no security. People will believe anything these days (I have to admit I believed he was in the city for about 5 minutes, although I think it was mostly hope we would actually meet rather than actual belief he was here).

~construction on Circle Dr. West (oh wait, that belongs in the HATE list). Ugh

One other note - I bought a Dancing with the Stars Cardio Workout DVD this week. I haven't done it yet but it's going to be amazing. Mainly because it is lead by Maksim Chmerkovskiy who would do quite nicely if I don't get a chance to marry Justin...

Yard work, creepy neighbours and studying

This is what my weekend has been about.
Friday night my mom and I went for a walk because it was SO beautiful here...+16, sunny and WARM! I am so excited that summer is on its way and the snow is (almost) all gone...just a few little piles on yards here and there.
Saturday it was again really, really nice - I think it was supposed to get to +21 but I don't think it got quite that warm. In the morning, my mom and I set out to rake up all the dead grass in our front yard that was hiding under the snow for the past 5 ish months. I'm not HUGE on yard work, but it was actually ok! I think it was made better because I could be outside in a t-shirt for the first time in MONTHS. My mom and I have serious allergies to grass etc. so she bought these dorky masks we wore while we were raking. I felt like such a geek.
What I would like to know though is what the heck attracks WEIRDO neighbours to me. When I lived in Carman I had the weirdest, creepiest neighbour (who I was about 99% positive had a grow up). He and the other old man who lived there were always outside watching me and/or whoever was outside (including one of my youth who used to mow my lawn). SCARY! And now I have ANOTHER weird neighbour here. Not AS creepy, maybe just dirty. He walks around staring at whoever comes outside with just a button up sweater with no shirt underneath, smoking. He always seems to be conveniently outside when my mom or I am outside and strikes up conversation. My mom says he's just being friendly, I say he's really odd.
Other than going to church this morning with my brother and talking to Lisa on the phone (which was AWESOME!), I studied. My first exam for my night class is this Tuesday night and considering that I A) haven't written an exam in 4 years and B) HATE exams and usually freeze up just before them, I'm studying my little butt off. I know its only 1 chapter, but I'm really nervous about it. So whoever reads this before Tuesday, pray for me at 6:30 pm Sask. time that night!
This week will be busy, I have a lot of errands to run, homework and the exam. Plus Grey's and Ugly Betty are FINALLY going to be new ones after a whole month of re-runs!

I'm a Student!

It is still SO weird for me to say that, I can't believe that I'm back in school. Tues. night was my first night class and I LOVED it! This class is called "Legal Preperation" and then will eventually turn into "Legal Keyboarding." Its so super interesting - basically the class is explaining the legal system in Canada, how everything works etc. I even have homework to do already - there are SO many times in the past week that I've suddenly remembered I need to do it sometime before next Tues (it would have been due at yesterday's class but the class was cancelled because it's the long weekend). But I know that soon enough ALL I'll be able to think about is homework and I definitely won't be forgetting that I'm a student!

Another really exciting thing that happened for me this weekend was that I got approved for funding that will pay $5500 of my tuition/books (so about 2/3 of it all) and I won't have to pay it back...free money for school!!! I just feel so incredibly blessed by it - at the rate I'm going now, it would have taken me about 2 years to pay that back if it had been student loans. So 2 years less paying student loans, DEFINITLY a blessing! It was an exciting day when I found that out on Wednesday.

On Wednesday I was also able to spend 1/2 the afternoon and the evening with Larissa who was here in Saskatoon for a few days. It was SO good to see her - we went to Kelsey's for supper then did some shopping at McNally and at Superstore. Then we came back to my house and watched our educational television for the week (America's Next Top Model and The Search for the Next Pussycat Doll) then spent a good hour just doing some more talking. I'm so sad that we won't be able to see each other every week like we could when we were in Carman and Winkler, but I'll see her in June and then in August and with me getting busy with school in the next few weeks, the time will fly by.

My mom starts her Easter break today (in Saskatchewan, schools have a week off at Easter). I'm really glad that she will be around lots this week. She's been SUPER busy at work lately so I feel like I haven't seen her too much since I've moved home. She and I went for Vietnamese food last night (mmmm...SO good) and Sunday night she, my brother and I are going to see Blades of Glory. I'm pretty excited to see that, it look HIlarious! Sunday my mom and I will go to Nutana Park Mennonite for church which I'm excited about...Easter is such a meaningful day and I'm SO looking forward to celebrating in church. Monday, Jarrett and I are going to Swift Current to see my Dad and Brett and I'll spend some time with Lindsay and hopefully Donalee too. We'll come back to Saskatoon Tues. afternoon because I have to back for class at 6:30.

So that's the update for now. The weather is progressively getting warmer here...today its 0 and sunny! So that means more snow is melting and it looks more and more like summer is on its way! I unpacked my capris yesterday with the hope that that will bring summer even sooner! I'd totally love to go to the Saskatoon Jazz Festival this summer and sit out in the sun and listen to great jazz music but unfortunatly no one in my family likes jazz so I'll have to search for someone to go with me...

It's like I'm in elementary school all over again

Today I went school supply shopping! Oh I am so excited - I got 2 binders, some lined paper (aka 'looseleaf'), highlighters, pens, and subject dividers. I'll use my bookbag I got at CMU, it still works fine (although I did see a HOT Barbie suitcase/briefcase at WalMart that was tempting). I still have to get a calculator since I have to take Math and Accounting which will most definitely make for some very frustrating and late nights. I almost failed the last 2 math classes I took in high school and haven't looked at anything math related since (that's 8 years ago for those of you counting). As for accounting...well thank goodness my mom is an accounting TEACHER! Because I never took a minute of accounting in school.
Anyways, back to school supply shopping. After I got the paper etc. (which by the way, is MUCH cheaper to buy when regular people start school and go school supply shopping in July/Aug.) it was time to start thinking about new clothes for school! Well, this won't go super far b/c I am completely broke but I do need a few things. So off to Winners it was where I found a STEAL of a deal, getting Tommy jeans for $40. I also got new sunglasses and I love them (well, they were my 3rd favourite behind the Missoni and Blumarine ones which were $70 and $50 respectively. If I was still working full time and had major disposable income, those Missoni ones would have come home for me no doubt). Anyways, I love my new 'shades,' they're big and white and Kenneth Cole and I'll probably wear them everyday for the next 6-7 months (as long as its sunny and even if its not).
Anyways, I'm really excited, I feel like I'm back on my way to elementary school. Maybe I'll get my mom to take a picture of me when I leave for school Tuesday night...Kelli's first day of school! (in 4 years)

Getting Healthier

Since I've been at home in the past week I've lost at least 2 pounds. No, I don't think that I'm fat or hate my body, I just know that I need to get healthier and if I lose a few pounds before I get my dress for Mike and Misty's wedding altered, that's an added bonus. How have I managed to do this you ask? A few reasons...

#1. I now live with a health freak. Going grocery shopping with my mom is sometimes a 2 hour ordeal. She reads the labels of EVERYTHING she buys and anything that has a "fat free" or "low fat" option is bought instead of the regular one. She lost almost 30 punds since school started this year and she wants to keep it off which I totally commend her for. Our cupboards and fridge are chalked full of healthy granola bars (like no chocolate in them), zero fat puddings and every fruit and vegetable you could imagine. Which is good because I like these things, but its a bit excessive at times. Reason #1 also relates to reason #2...

#2. I haven't eaten fast food in nearly 2 weeks. My mom looks down on fast food, therefore if we want to eat it, we have to buy it ourselves. I am completely broke and have bills like nobody's business. Therefore no money=no fast food.

#3. I have no social life here in Saskatoon yet. When I lived in Carman we would drive 45 minutes from Rosenort to Winnipeg JUST to have McDonald's. Everysingle time we were in Winnipeg we would stop at McDonald's on our way out of the city (one was conveniently located just a block from our exit). I don't go out anymore so I don't spend $ on fast food.

#4. I gave up potato chips for lent. I have zero doubt that I will eat an entire bag of salt and vinegar chips (like a big bag, not a personal size) on Easter Sunday therefore probably cancelling my small weight loss. If you want to lose weight, give up potato chips for 40 days. Or pop - Misty says that works too.

I also am feeling much better health wise since I've been living at home which I credit the eating healthier and less eating of the junk/fast food. We'll see how long though I can put up with grocerty shopping with the label nazi...

So here I am in Saskatoon...

Yep, I made it. All the way from Carman to Saskatoon in 1 day. It took 8 hours and 25 minutes. I can usually make it in exactly 8 hours but thanks to a longer break in Brandon (I was feeling kind of sick so I stopped for longer than usual) and a slight detour in Regina (I missed my turnoff), it took 25 minutes longer. But I got here alive.

So now I'm trying to adjust to living with 2 other people (my mom and brother Jarrett) instead of all by myself like I have for the past 4 years. Its a bit tough having a LOT smaller space to myself (Instead of a whole house, I only have a bedroom that is only mine). Unfortunately I also have smaller closet space here, that is kind of a big deal considering the massive amounts of clothes I have. But I'll make it work. I finally found my picture frames on the weekend so they're up now. Oh and now I have my stereo in my room so I can listen to something other than whatever channel 706 on digital cable galaxy is playing (I seriously heard Irreplaceable by Beyonce 3 times in 2 hours. I mean I love the song, but seriously).

But most likely I"ll be starting school next Tuesday, I know as in a week from today. I was planning on just working for awhile but then I realized I can take the course I want to starting now so I thought I "mind as well" (thats for you Kelly!) do it now then I can get working in a job I like sooner rather than spending the next 5 months working in the mall or Rogers video (those were beginning to look like my better options). Its a Legal Administrative Assistant Course and will take 9-10 months. Right now I'm working on some paperwork for a program that will hopefully pay for 2/3 of my program for FREE! Like I'd never have to pay it back! So I am really praying that that will work out, it would just be so great to have that. During April it will just be night classes, Tues and Thurs nights 6:30-8:30. Then it'll be full time during the days starting in May and the night classes until June 16. So May will be looking fairly busy. But I am SO excited to get on with life and be able to apply myself to something again. I really feel like I'm ready for it.

Other exciting events of the past week: my brother finally found a job (working at a PetroCan station just a few blocks from our house), I got a new cell phone that I don't like and will unfortunetly have to put up with for at least 2 years, Saskatoon is going crazy because the Juno awards are here this weekend (I'm going Nelly Furtado stalking on Sat.), it was warm enough to go outside with no sweater on the weekend, I got my hair trimmed so it doesn't look so heavy (maybe not a big deal to some, HUGE deal to me), and...I JUST found out that Justin Timberlake is coming to Winnipeg Aug. 25. Looks like road trip time for me!!! OH MY GOODNESS!!!!

Anyways, thats life here in toon town for now.