Mosquitos Want My Blood.

Whoa. There is a thunderstorm happening right now. Why am I always home alone for thunderstorms? It's my curse. I can't complain though… Mark and I have spent a heck of a lot of time together over the past week and it's been quite lovely. Yesterday we went to the Community Bike Shop in Kensington to try and fix Mark's bike together. We were pretty much about to give up and take the bike off the stand when this kind man, named Mark came over and basically offered to take the part home and fix it. We happily agreed and later on he told us we could come over and he'd help Mark put the bike back together and pumped his tires up, told him how much the bike was worth, etc. Mark payed 7 dollars for his Bianchi, back in the day. Cray! We were so grateful to this guy! When people from Calgary find out we've just only moved here, they seem to be extra nice to us. He was like "Any time, especially for newcomers to Calgary!' Later that day, we went to buy Mark a tennis racket so that I could inherit his old one and we could get playing already! It was a success and later we dragged our recycling and cardboard and tennis rackets and went walking to the courts, where the recycling bins are conveniently located... right? What a crappy experience. Mosquito's were OUT FOR BLOOD last night. We had no arms free to bat them away and it was infuriating. Later when we were waiting for a court to open up, I was getting SWARMED! I smacked at some on my leg and when I moved my hands there were four dead mosquitos on me! Mark was swinging on the swings as I was losing my mind and he kept calling out 'come on the swings! they won't get you if you're moving' ... Later he admitted there was a cloud of bugs around me. Some kindly ladies let us have their court and we tried to play, but the swarm followed me and after swinging my racket at them I gave up, near tears and we ran home and locked the door. We hadn't even opened our tube of balls. What a bummer. I had about 16 bites and countless mosquitos remains on my legs and arms upon inspection. I said to Mark 'I could feel myself going crazy and it only took about 2 seconds.' Friends, mosquitos are the worst. 

The other night Mark and I watched 'The Sandlot' (my first time) and ate popcorn, but before we did, Mark made me watch a fifteen minute youtube video of famous Arnold Swartzeneggar quotes… they weren't even good quotes! Some of them included 'Let's kick some ICE' or 'I eat green berets for breakfast' or 'well that hit the spot' … I guess that last one is pretty good. Mark was like a little kid watching it and sat frozen, entranced by Arnold. It was a weird sight. See photo below.  After the movie we played Quiddler late into the night. Mark loves word games and he schools me at them er'ry time. 

I worked my first day of work in Calgary today! It was for a temp agency, but a really fun company. I go back tomorrow. It feels good to work again! I can walk or bike it's so close! Yay. Trying to be thankful and not stressed about decisions that are imminent and those freakin' online courses that are always looming, looming… 

This was my face in a moment of pessimism regarding my job search. 

We went for a picnic before work. A thunderstorm was rolling in. 

As you can see, it was sunny at one point, which was why we were lured outside. 

One night after Mark got home, we wandered up to the park and shot off this little rocket thing I brought him home from France two summers ago. We ended up breaking it and it snapped back and hit us both in the hands at different times which was surprisingly painful, but it was a good time. 

It's a bit hard to see... but my face is filled with joy. 

I don't want to brag, but I am a bit better at taking photos at night then Mark. :) 

Walking home. 

Haha. This was Mark during Arnold's youtube vid, mouth agape, hand frozen. He's so cute!! Mark, not Arnold.

Playing games against this shirtless dude. 

We light candles to make it feel more datey.

The light is so bright in the morning these days. 

This is our place from the front and our unit is the one on the side there. Our neighbour went away for a week and lent us her parking space. Mark says he feels like a real man now. It's so nice having somewhere to park!!

Around the neighbourhood. 

This was such a cool place! There was like three people in there just threading rackets. So neat. Also around our neighbourhood. Don't ask me what my hands are up to. Mark never says anything when he's taking a pic of me.. so I'm always internally like.. did he take it? Keep smiling? Move? Different face? It's such a mystery with that guy.

You can't tell, but he's sitting at a table in a car. McDonalds date!! 

You guys... this really irks me. This is my favourite popsicle... and they just decreased the size by like 30% and it's the same price. What the?!! I seriously got all up in the clerks face at Macs about this.... not in a meeeann way.. just in a 'I've been wronged, we've all been wronged' kinda way...  It's just not right. They're so sneaky.

I'll go fold some laundry now. 

Confabulation with the Freemans

Sometimes I write down things we say during our days that make me giggle. I had quite the list so I thought I'd share it with y'all.

We were talking about a new couch pillow cover I found at a garage sale 
Mark: These pillow are kinda scratchy hey? 
Beth: Yah. You kinda need to stay away from them. 
Mark: Seems like a great selling feature. 

*

Talking about organ systems (I was studying biology) 
Beth: If I had to get rid of one (organ system) I'd choose reproductive system, cause it's the only one you wouldn't completely die without. 
Mark: I'd choose muscular. 
Beth: …. 

*

I cringe most of the time Mark puts his feet on me, especially when they're cold. Even though he lets me do it to him all the time… I'm a terrible person. After one instance where I particularly cringed: 
Mark: You have to love all of me. Including what's below my ankles. 

*

Beth: If you had fifty million dollars what would you wanna buy?
Mark: I'd wanna get prosthetic arms and legs. 
Beth:…. what?!!? 

*

Beth: Whoa.. look at how foggy it is over there. 
Mark: It looks like there's mysteries going on over there. 

*

Beth: What were you just doing?
Mark: Tai chi. 

*

Drinking from one of those large mouth nalgene thingies..
Beth: It's really hard for me drink water bottles like these on jiggly trains. 
Mark: We're on a bus. 

*

Beth: I wonder how many people die every day in NYC… Think about it, if there's thirty million people living there… that's like the population of Canada.. think of how many people die every day in Canada… Probably thirty. 
Mark: I like how many numbers you're pulling outta your butt. 
*
Here is a crappy video of a video that Levi Binder took of Mark dancing last year that I love... 

Buying Bulk, the Job Hunt, and Crossing Traffic

Hi guys! 

Things I have learned in the kitchen so far: 

I have an ongoing grocery list on the side of my fridge, so when I run out of something I write it on there straight away. This is to avoid me going to the store and assuming we're out of something and coming home to realize we have three 2 litre milks in the fridge already. Done that a couple too many times. 

Also, newsflash! Some things you (I) need to buy in bulk.. such as: 

Onions - I've been buying individual onions for so long… Individual ones are freakily gigantic (cut my finger real bad cutting one last week) and I always use half and have to wrap the second half for later… in a big bag of onions they are a more natural size and cheaper. Done and done. 

Basmati rice. I've been buying these puny bags every two weeks. Wussup with that? Bought a HUGE BAG this week. 

I WISH I could find arborio rice in bulk… we eats a looottt of risotto 'round these parts. 

I also wish I could afford to buy a 4 litre bottle of gin. I want g & t's all summer long! I'm obsessed. 

I'm trying to think of more things I can start buying in bulk.... 

Hey, it really annoys me when I know I have something and can't find it in the kitchen. I KNOW for a fact I have a bag of potatoes around here. I was just in the kitchen trying find them muttering aloud 'Where ma taters at??!' and I still can't find my taters. Sometimes I'm scared being home so much during the day is making me go a little crazy. 

More job applications today! I have yet another interview tomorrow at 11, and one on friday as well. I have so many call backs from these recruitment agencies who are filling positions for big companies. I'm just confused with the whole thing. Do I call them back to follow up? Also, so many job postings don't end until the end of June. Don't they know I can't wait that long? C'mon guys, get your crap together. 

Does anyone else get nervous when they're crossing a crosswalk at a packed intersection? I always get these butterflies, like I'm in a one-man play, and all those vehicles paid to be there, to watch me walk. I get super aware of my arms swinging at my sides, usually resulting in a slowww dowwwwn of the arm swing which probably looks super weird. I feel like I might trip any second or stub a toe. I usually end up taking out my phone and looking at it mindlessly to feel aloof, like I don't notice them. It's also annoying when you're about to jay walk and you're all .. watching the cars, choosing your moment to lunge into the street, and then a car slows down and holds up traffic and you have to run awkwardly across the street in front of them and look grateful at the same time. Guh… let me live my life! But thank you for the gesture, kind and thoughtful stranger.

Hmm.. post without pics? Say it ain't so! Here are some of Mark & I for all the grandmothers and mothers reading :) 

 Mark is really enjoying that peck on the cheek, hey?

I got a new app that I was playing with in the car. I kept adding these little doodles to photos and showing them to Mark. He said 'Uh huh' a lot, which means he LOVES them I think.

We went on a lil' neighbourhood walk. Mark wanted to show me this bridge. The water was high. I took a picture as a record. We will return at the end of summer and record it again. Yes! 

Our busy, un-matching bed in all its clashing glory. Yes, that is Darth Vader you see on the bed spread.

At the zoo. 

At T & G's rehearsal dinner in Vancouver this weekend. 

My peeps. Nuff said.

Car 2 go! Yah! 

This morning we went out for a little bite to eat after we did our taxes. It was a bit chilly to sit outside but we did anyway cause it was packed inside. Those sammies were real good! Thanks Wurst Boulangerie. 

Ok, I'll go make supper now.