Friday at 3:30 pm

As you can see, things at work are going really well.
In this photo I'm "working" at getting rid of my "Calgary tan" as my sister calls it
At least I'm reading a marketing magazine...

Thank you for not smoking!

I'm thrilled to say that I've found a place to live! Interestingly enough (it's not ironic, is it Nicole?) - it's the place that I mentioned I'd missed out on in my previous post. As it turns out the couple who had rented it are both smokers and the ad had specified non-smoking tenants. So, thankfully, the landlord phoned me back right away to see if I was still interested. I signed all the rental papers yesterday. It's a great little place, essentially a brand new basement suite just outside of downtown Nelson. Since it's within walking distance from work, the grocery store, the beach and the bar - I'm laughing! It's also a 2 bedroom place so I have room for guests after I move in on the August long weekend. High season it'll cost you dinner to stay and in low season a pint at the pub or a latte at Oso (other terms negotiable). If you need a change of address form let me know, as I don't intend to publish my info on the Internet. Looking forward to hosting friends in the near future.

Alps Alturas

Well, I feel like I'm settling in nicely into life in Nelson. This past week has been busy with lots of dog walks, beers with friends (including the good folks at Vacuum) and looking for a place to rent. So far no luck in that department. I missed out on a great place today because I took too long to think about it. Lesson learned! Luckily, Lisa hasn't kicked me out yet! I'm optimistic that I'll find something in the next little while though.

In the meantime, I went on a great hike past New Denver today called Alps Alturas. It was quite a climb on logging roads to get there, the Subaru got a good workout, but it was well worth it for the views. Within two kilometers of starting we were in alpine terrain, and there were all kinds of wildflowers in bloom. Even the rain that was threatening stayed away and we had blue skies for most of the day. It was beautiful. Unfortunately my footwear didn't agree with my feet (big surprise, eh Sheri?) so I've got loonie sized blisters on both heels and will be wearing flip flops for the next couple of days. Another lesson learned, I'll be much better prepared next time. Fortunately the pain in my feet was forgotten after a couple beers on the patio in Silverton on the way home.

Blessed!

I have to say that I am lucky to have some pretty amazing people in my life. Many thanks to my parents for helping with everything, and I do mean everything, to do with the move. Especially my mom who spent several evenings packing and will be hauling a trailer full of stuff out here when she comes to visit in August. I honestly couldn't have done it without her! I only hope that someday when I have kids I can help them out as much as my parents have helped me.
A huge shout out to Kathy as well who also spent a few nights running up and down the stairs in my condo with boxes in tow. And let me tell you, with 30+ degree temperatures it's a good workout! Last but not least thanks to Jordan - who without his help and custom-built Thule mount I would have never gotten all my sporting gear here! (and sporting gear is of the utmost importance in the Kootenays!) He helped me out in a dire moment, and I only hope someday I can return the favor. Everything has arrived safely and is looking forward to being put to good use.

That said, I did manage to spend a couple of days in Fernie en route and tried my hand at whitewater kayaking and did a bit of mountain biking. Hung out with Shon of Hardwater Productions for a day, and repeatedly tried to drown myself while attached to a kayak - luckily he helped me out such sticky situations. In all honesty - it was a great day. We did the morning in flat water doing skills and then spent the afternoon in Class 2 rapids down the Elk River. Those rapids don't look so big when you're in a raft with 7 other people, but when you're the only one in control of a tippy little rodeo boat - it's another story! I did go for a couple swims, but managed to hang onto my hat and sunglasses both times. Thankfully the weather was scorching hot so the river felt... refreshing. On Tuesday we hit the mountain bike trails in the early morning to beat the heat. It was still a workout heading up Dem Bones - and I did manage to add a few more scrapes and bruises to my already battered legs when I went over my handle bars, but it's good to know I'm challenging myself ;)

I've now started to slowly settle in to Nelson life. Lisa and Carey had an amazing meal waiting for me when I arrived, and today was a casual day of getting organized. Provided the good weather keeps up - tomorrow I might just have to hit the beach...

Friday the 13th

Some say it's a bit of an ominous day to pick for my last day at work - but what's a girl to do?

I'll admit I'm a little teary as I type this... Because it is with mixed emotions that I am leaving NovAtel. I'm excited about the opportunities waiting for me in Nelson, but am very sad to be leaving such an amazing group of co-workers and friends. Many, many thanks to everyone I've worked with over the last 3 years. I'm looking forward to meeting up in Calgary, the Kootenays and everywhere in between. Thanks for the learning and the great memories!

A final salute to Alberta

With my move to Nelson coming ever closer, I thought it fitting to spend one more weekend of adventure in the Rockies. And what better way to do it, than to spend it with an amazing friend climbing one of Southern Alberta's best known rock faces, Mount Yamnuska? Sheri and I packed up and headed out first thing Saturday morning in her sexy new convertible for a girls weekend. We met up with Mark from Cirrus Alpine Guides and did a short multi pitch route on Twilight at Kid Goat. Managed to get a couple more climbs and a lead in the crag there before heading into Canmore for dinner and calling it a night at the Kiska Inn. Deb fed us an early yet hearty breakfast before we headed off into the fog to meet Mark for day two. We made our approach and despite being 100 feet from the base of the rock wall still couldn't see it. That was reason #762 why it was good to have a guide, because never having done the route before, it would have been tough to see where it even began. At one point, about 3 pitches up, when you looked down all you saw was fog and when you looked up, it all disappeared into the clouds. It was a bit surreal. We could hear other parties calling out to each other around us, but couldn't see anyone even though you could tell they were quite close. We did end up meeting up with quite a few people on parts of Kings and Easy Street - and had 5 of us hanging out at one belay station. The crowd and the clouds both thinned out though and by the time we were midway up, the ceiling had lifted enough to provide us with a good view of the Bow Valley. Fortunately too, the weather stayed decent up until the last pitch - which was a welcome relief from the scorching weather we could have had being that exposed. It did get sunny on the way down, enough to even merit having the top down on the car on the way home. Woke up this morning feeling stiff but happy.

The Inagural Post

So it's finally hit me, that I'm actually moving. I know, I know, a bit of a delayed reaction given that I signed the papers for my new job and gave my notice at my old one almost 2 weeks ago. Overall I'm really excited. I feel pretty lucky to have found a good job and to be able to live in the heart of the Kootenays. When I stopped and thought about it, what I would miss most is the people that I've met .That said, a lot of people have been mentioning that they want me to send out updates, so I thought that a blog might be the best way to do it. That way, those of you who want to read it, can, and those of you who don't, won't be hassled with emails in your inbox on a repeated basis.

So, be sure to check back here for updates and photos as I make my way and get established in the Kootenays!