The Faraway Horse

Another elections come and gone, a trip to Tofino for some crab, and four days off of riding my dear redheaded nut pony.

I've also become a bit of a closet foodie, eating at restaurants like Shelter or SOBO (yes these were both in Tofino, ha!) and I even experimented with polenta the other day, and ate squash gnocci (which was delicious).

I'm heading out to England in a few weeks, for another Royal wedding, my cousins. Should be fabulous! And hopefully will cure this aimless nonsense that's been flitting in and out of my mind lately-why do we so define ourselves by our work? It's a recipe for heartbreak, in my opinion.

Oh and I will hopefully be able to enlist a talented and capable rider to exercise my evil pony while I am away, 9 days is just too long to leave him to his own devices--hell, I just rode again after 4 and he wasn't great, but at least he didn't feel like I was riding a stick of dynamite. Ohhh horses. If you're lucky enough to have horses, you're lucky enough.

Peeps Season! Happy Easter

Last Easter I made Peeps (my favourite Easter candy, next to Cadbury Creme Eggs) and they were SO good, courtesy of everyone's fav felon, Martha Stewart. This Easter I'm going somewhere a little more...Technical?

Yes that's right, I (courtesy of friend Jessica) found a recipe to make Cadbury Creme Eggs! Yes that's right! http://blog.craftzine.com/archive/2011/02/how-to_homemade_cadbury_eggs.html

Oh, glorious days, an Easter filled with diabetes-inducing treats. This will put my job-less-ness blues on the backburner and focus on something a little less dreary (like school.ugh.) yayyy!

And I can't help but reflect a little on where I was last year. Is it bad I still feel the need to tally this year's successes against last year's? Last year I spent Easter in NYC, and it was fan-freaking-tastic. However, I was still living apart from my husband, embroiled in a demanding job, writing a ton and working on school constantly. Do I miss this? Am I someone that relies on external busy influences to keep myself 'sane'?

I'm not sure about that yet. I am *so* not busy these days, and it is .stressful.? How is this? I can't figure it out. Was I happier when I was burning myself on both ends, stretched to capacity with time, mental powers?

(Oh and this year, I have a pony! And I can still afford to keep him! This year's Easter already has one step up. That ' fulfilled' feeling will have to come, I have to be patient).

Thanks but No Thanks

Pretty sure I got the grand 'brush-off' from a rather spectacularly unsuccessful interview the other day. It led me to ponder a few things, now that I'm stuck in this situation again (by choice!)...What makes a good interview? A good impression is fairly easy, well for some, but if employers know who they want within minutes of meeting an applicant, what sets you apart?

I think it's the brutal unknowing that drives me crazy. Who's to say they already have a candidate waiting in the wings, going through the motions with other prospects only to dismiss them summarily as a formality?

Interviews make everyone paranoid.

I hate them.

Hot topics--books

Last year I was on a bit of a Pat Conroy kick, I know how corny and overwrought his books can be but damn, he is an excellent storyteller.

So, I watched Prince of Tides this past weekend and it was pretty awful (Nick Nolte and Barbara Streisand???) and honestly did not do the book justice. The actual book is tense, flowery, brutal and overwhelming. I was very surprised at how well done it was, and how poorly the film adapted it. It's a very long book with flashbacks that tell a horrible story, and the film pretty much glossed most of it over. Anyways, it reminded me of the strength of good stories and how powerful the written word is.

So, I looked up a few of his other books and autobiographies and recommended one to a friend. It seems that the richness of lived experience really 'shines' through Conroy's work, particularly the unvarnished, plain banality of evil that seem to permeate his books.

That said, I recommend Prince of Tides, Beach Music, The Water is Wide and The Great Santini...they're not easy reads, but excellent ones.

An In-Between Place

Now that the hustle, rush and hurry of moving, moving again and buying a condo have worn off...I'm bored.

For awhile (the first month of unemployment and the excitement of moving) I was glad to be off work momentarily, and have a chance to settle in, focus on my new life, new pony and be with my husband again. But now? I'm struggling a bit to define my days.

I'm going into a month and a half, almost two, of not working and it's starting to drive.me.crazy. I'm fine in the mornings, I go riding (or get into arguments with my adorable, terrible pony) and come home, have lunch, and go for a jog with a dear friend. I'm living the retirement lifestyle! Except...after I'm done jogging, now what?

I kind of get 'stuck' in the afternoons, whiling them away doing absolutely nothing important. What's this? Susan loafing around? Why, two months ago that would have been the dream, when I was working full time, hating school full time, and handling the household and freelance writing contracts. But now? I kind of miss it (well, not all of it, maybe like 50 per cent).

I have almost finished the entire Las Vegas CSI. And this is from someone who doesn't really watch much TV! (The Internet is more my vice, ouch!).

So, I'm finishing my thesis and doing it poorly, and applying to jobs with bated breath, but it feels so odd to complain about my (relatively) luxurious position in life. Honestly, I quite enjoy it but it gets lonely, and I seek to fill that void with 'busy' work. Things might improve when I'm not living alone *again!*.

Hmm, the tyranny of time.

Summer is the Champion

Well, I almost feel like this blog shouldn't be titled UpNorth anymore, it's a bit misleading as I certainly am no longer there!

But, I'm pretty lazy/not great with tech, so I will most likely leave it.

And some updates... In the month and a half (and a bit over that actually), we've bought a condo, I have been working on my masters research paper and finished a case study, moved my dear pony to a new boarding stable, and reconnected with tons of friends. Success right?

I'm still hedging about finding a new job, as it seems like the world's biggest curse (job hunting, that is)...Oh well, I have to suck it up and work somewhere eventually?

Guess it helps that the weather here is warm-ish, around 9-12 degrees everyday and today the sun is shining, the future is bright, and I'm where I was meant to be!

Also, Easter is coming up and you know what that means...Peeps! I love peeps!

And my pony was being pretty naughty today, he's been very spooky at the new boarding stable, which is in a pretty central location, but that means tons of stuff/distractions. For example, during the past week we have had to deal with:

• Tarps from the hoarder neighbour's flying around on a dark and windy day
• Hail bouncing off said hoarder neighbour's multitude of crap sheds full of junk
• Street construction (complete with power tools and flashing lights) outside the 'scary' side of the riding arena
• Two large scrapers/graders parked in the stable yard
• Dumptruck in stable yard that was dumping right next to the riding arena

Luckily, it seems that he's only bothered by the neighbour's crapload of stuff, not anything happening in his stable yard. Phew. Except he spooked at something (nothing...) today and slipped on the concrete near his cross-ties! Yeesh.

Ponies are short, and therefore closer to hell

Wow have I ever let this slack off! I don't even know if I can call it UpNorth anymore, as I am...drumroll please... no longer up North!! Yes that's right, can you believe it?

In a series of unfortunate events, my 4 hour flight from Whitehorse turned into a two-day excursion of stress. In other news, fuck Air Canada and their fucking stupid non-existent pet policies..."I don't know why we don't allow any pets other than dogs or cats. Maybe it's a Transport Canada rule''...NO it isn't, why is AIR NORTH (a far superior airline) fine with it with no fucking dithering> huh.

So, don't fly Air Canada if you can help it. They suck.

What's been going on so far? Well, let me list the events:

I went back to Costa Rica for Christmas, and it was very nice. I got 80 mosquito bites and pulled a muscle in my leg, but otherwise very flawless.

I am still doing school. Ugh.

I sold my house in Whitehorse.

I am in the process of buying a condo in Victoria (yayy)

I quit my job in Whitehorse (I am really going to miss it, it was sweet!)

I am unemployed and rather hating it, I didn't realize how much I defined myself by my job(s)

I am living in a hotel in Victoria and running between realtor-lawyer-notary public-horse barns

I am looking for boarding for my dear devil pony

I am trying to reconnect with dear friends

I am going to try to continue some freelance writing, which has really taken off this year and I've absolutely loved it

I've been eating out in restaurants everyday and i LOVE IT

I really haven't been focusing as much on school as I should

I am planning to go to my cousin's wedding in England in May (YAYYY)

I am planning to ride in horse shows this summer with said devil pony

I'm trying to get back in shape and almost screamed with fright at how horrible my swimsuit looks on me

Annddd I live with my husband again! It has been 1.5 YEARS since we have lived together. It's about time. :)