Lost On Purpose

Junkanoo anyone???

2011-02-25T19:55:00.000-08:00

Part of being in the Bahamas during the Christmas Holidays is that you get the opportunity to take in a local and from what I understand and island tradition...Junkanoo. The link on the title is the most information I've seen on Junkanoo. More than the locals were able to give us anyways :)

It happens on December 26th and January 1st...supposedly in the wee hours of the morning. Being on island time, they didn't start until the early hours of the evening...lol.

This video is the first round the parade took down the street of Alice Town. That kid at the end is Kegan...he was from Toronto and we ran into him everywhere. He's also dancing on the bar with an older ladie in the New Year's video. This kid just made my heart sing. So open, so free and so curious. I realized I could use a little more of his lifestyle in my life.

In the last few days in Bimini we went snorkelling again at Honeymoon Harbour and then at the Sapona shipwreck. The water at this wreck was freezing, but there were all sorts of cool things to take in. Justin, Ty and Drew were all about going through little holes and seeing what was on the other side, which ended up being like little rooms, but I decided I'd stay in the main part of the ship. No little spaces with only a snorkel for me... Although I did venture through one at the back of the ship as it led out to the back deck where we found the prop and lots of other gear. I'm sure it has names, just don't know them :) (video)

And then as a final hoorah, we went and fed the sharks...again. This time dad got in the water...hung on to the back of the boat though, and took video. I'm still quite apprehensive about doing that. It's on my bucket list though... :) (video)

I'm excited to get back to Bimini...whenever that is!

The After-Effects are Blissful

2011-02-05T20:41:00.000-08:00

Post birthday bliss led to a relaxing afternoon snorkelling at the Three Sisters Rocks, also known as La Chance Rocks I believe. Bimini is also known for the Bimini Road which is said to be part of the ancient civilization of Atlantis, which is the reason my Dad ended up in Bimini in the first place a few years back. These rocks are not far from where that road begins.

Beauty creatures and beautiful rocks...

And of course a day of rest was required before the New Year's festivities were to begin because PS...we're crazy :) and fireworks by the beach are great!

A Bimini Style 28th Birthday

2011-02-04T20:29:00.000-08:00

Typically Katie and I create each other's birthday videos...that was not possible so fortunate for me I had little to do with the camera on the evening of my birthday. Well I'm still not sure if it was fortunate or not! lol. It was fun though!

In the words of the country music..."Some days you gotta dance, give it up when you get the chance, when the world doesn't make no sense and you're feelin' just a little too tense, you gotta loosen up those chains and daaance!" So I did...but only after spending a ridiculously amazing day snorkelling in Honeymoon Harbour.

I cannot tell you how majestic this day felt especially when two beautiful creatures decided to 'fly' through and say hello! Ah magic! And it doesn't hurt to know how to spear and clean a lobster either! Yum :)

Despite all my resistance to posting this....here it is... in all it's glory lol :)

Happy Birthday To Meeeee!!!Thanks Drew, Ty, JC, Dimagio, Navaro.... :)

Bimini or Bust!

2011-02-03T20:12:00.000-08:00

It would be difficult to start this post without first acknowledging that it's very weird having gone on vacation without Katie. And then to write some posts seems very out of place as well, but Bimini is just too beautiful and too fun to keep inside any longer.

This beautiful island in the Bahamas is well...beautiful. Not too toursity, not too quiet, just the right amount of sun and sand and adventures to partake in. It's known for it's fishing so it's no surprise that its very seasonal. It was a great place to spend Christmas.

I will admit, it was sometimes a challenge staying with 5 guys/men...masculine things...lol. I have a new appreciation for women with boys. It's all about food, killing stuff and burning stuff...and making noise. Overall it was great fun though.

The first week was like the warm-up... a bit of snorkelling, some karaoke and a night out on Christmas Eve.

And on a Christmas Day snorkelling venture I ran into a little friend I have been waiting to see since Australia!!!! Duuuuude! It made my holiday...until my birthday of course!

Kelly Coordinated a Conference... :) Part 2

2010-09-13T13:15:00.000-07:00

After the 3 day conference was over we took 57 of those delegates up to Legends in Whistler Creekside for a more intensive 5 day ISTDP (Intensive Short Term Dynamic Therapy Program) session. Oh my, how I fell in love with Whistler. Well maybe not so much Whistler itself, but definitely the landscape and the cool fresh air.

Thank goodness for Michele, who organized this event with the exception of the catering and transportation, which I did, and the activities (trying my hand at activities coordinator too!)because my brain was toast after those three days at UBC. I welcomed the quiet time and cherished the 'Free Day' when we got to do whatever we wanted!

I helped to organize some activities where possible and the one I did was Ziptreking! It was great! One thing I realized was that while everyone else's adrenaline began to pump, mine actually slowed down. Ya, it was exhilerating to fly on a cable across the river, but there was something about it that relaxed me. Perhaps the scenery, the ability to let go of control or maybe it was just that I was out in nature for the first time in weeks! Who knows, but I couldn't have asked for a better group of people to go with!

That day definitely opened the group up and allowed everyone to let loose a bit after being cooped up in seminar rooms for 5 days! And I think it even cracked them far enough open to bring in some amazing creativity for the Karaoke night the next evening. Now that's what I call entertainment.... lol.

"Get up get up you scum sucking pig...." Oh Josette...I'm not sure anyone can say that quite like you :)

Kelly Coordinated a Conference... :) Part 1

2010-09-11T12:50:00.000-07:00

I know I know, Katie's posts are so exciting! I'm a little envious that she's in Australia at the moment and I'm elsewhere.... I do love Vancouver though. And speaking of, during our little hiatus, I was up to a lot of things! Namely organizing and coordinating a 3 day conference for the International Experiential Dynamic Therapies Association with my friend Diane. It was awesome! I got to put my gifts of organization and service to use and used the opportunity to really see if event planning was something I was interested in persuing.

I had an absolute blast meeting all the delegates from all over Europe and the US and Canada, not to mention enjoying the beautiful area at UBC where it was all held. And I'm so happy Diane and I were able to be on the same page for this event because we sure as hell brought the fun! At one point nearly everyone... yes everyone, was on the dance floor dancing at our Gala. My fav though was little Rose Point, the Native elder who did our blessing for the dinner. Total sweatheart and what a sparkplug she is! 80 and hasn't got a slow bone in her body!

I'm looking back at that experience and saying, "Haha, I organized and ran a conference! How flippin' cool is that!?! I DID IT!" Ya I'll give my ego a little boost there! I deserve it! lol.
Thank you all of you amazing beings who entered my life for those three days and lit up my life in unexpected ways. I love you all!

Melbourne MAGIC!

2010-09-10T22:39:00.000-07:00

It's been about a week since I've been in Oz. The whole time hanging out in Melbourne. Loving this city by the way! It is magical! So many great people and energy! Always something to do or see. Last week was fashion week so I caught some free fashion shows, which was awesome! D and I saw a crazy one with a very vibrant drag queen. It was fun! lol.

I've been to some museums. Waiting for a day when D is free so we can go to the Tim Burton exhibit!!!! Oh I can't friggin wait! I went and saw a free exhibit at the same place the other day and it looked amazing! haha
Anyways, I ride the City Circle tram everyday for free and it's awesome! Goes all the way around the city and I can walk from anywhere. Everything is close and it's easy to find your way around here. I love it!

What else,...met up with John, Giovanni, a couple times. Got a hot chocolate the other day for $4.40 Aus and it was the size of a small timmies at home. But John explained to me that this was normal. The city is relatively expensive but people get paid well so it doesn't seem so bad. SO I think an income would probably benefit me. lol.

The only thing I don't really like about this city is that there are a lot of smokers. But I guess I can deal since it's not in buildings or anything. Other than that it's pretty sweet. Planning to stay here for the rest of the month if I can find something to occupy my time, while making money. :) Fingers crossed.

Also planning to krew the MMI here on the 17, 18, 19, but I haven't received a reply so I am probably going to write again and manifest like crazy! And hopefully if everything works out, which it will, I will be going to New Zealand and FIJI with John in Oct/Nov. EEK!!! I hope so!

Anywho! I will update you all again soon. Hoping it gets warmer here so I will want to be outside a LOT more than I already am. lol. Those who know me well, know how I feel about the cold. GAH!

Next on the list..Great Ocean Road with D and Jay and visits with Karen, Jenna, and Allison. :)

love to you all,
oxxo

Return to OZ!!

2010-09-01T22:33:00.000-07:00

So, since this is the best and easiest way to let everyone know about my Oz adventures, AND since I am traveling, it's the perfect time to get Lost on Purpose rolling again.

As you all may know already, I made it to MELBOURNE! YAY! It was a looooong day but well worth it. D cried a little when I arrived and I was greeted with warm hugs and of course a well needed bed. That sleep was sooo delightful and the shower this morning was heavenly. Thank you, thank you, thank you. :)

The flights went very well too. Only a little turbulence. But lots of snacks and meals and I got to watch Iron Man 2, Hot Tub Time Machine, and Wog Boys 2. Which is a really funny Aussie film. lol. I liked it. The most daunting parts of my travels was the layovers in LA and Auckland. LA was about a 7 hour layover I think. And I was in Auckland for a whole day. hahha Got there at 8am and left at 9pm. Had some good naps tho so I was happy.

As I'm typing this I feel as though I am on a plane right now and it's making me feel sick, so I'm gonna wrap this up. lol.

Highlights:1. Saw a plane attendant putting a dog in the bottom of an airplane and before he put him in he gave it some water and was talking to it for about 5 minutes. AWW. lol I was happy.
2. Good looking men everywhere.
3. Saw some celebs at LAX. Jamie Presley, a Soapstar, and I think someone from 30Rock but wasn't quite sure.
4. Security didn't take the popcorn that Nina gave me for Jay and D.

Um, that's about all I can think of right now....until next time!!!

Side note: Apparently I had to come all the way to Oz to see Bedouin Soundclash play tonight. lol. Going to their concert with D and Jay and some friends. One of their buddies is opening for them. TRES COOL!

LOVE to you all from Down Unda.
Katie ox

What! A Birthday Apart?!

2010-04-28T14:11:00.000-07:00

Well dearest Katie, it was very different being away from your birthday festivities this year...so I created some for you while I was away in Palm Springs! And there were so many other peeps who said Happy Birthday to me for you and wished you well...my camera just could not contain all the love we were sending your way. Miss ya sista! xo

It feels like ages ago!

2010-04-20T12:49:00.000-07:00

It's the end of April and it literally feels like ages ago since the Olympics and Paralympics were revving up Van-city and Whistler. After a busy month of reflection, unwinding and recentering here is the final Paralympic post!

Diane (my lovely friend I am living with while I'm out in BC) and I decided we were going to head to Whistler to check out the Closing Ceremonies. Our original plan was to spend the day up there watching Alpine, but VANOC had other plans for that and cancelled the event and moved it to another day. So there we are two chatty Cathy's driving up to Whistler in the pouring rain and having no clue what we're going to do when we get up there. Just another day in the life of Kelly really... :)

We had no tickets, but found out about the Athlete's Parade through the village which would lead them into the plaza for their Closing. We decided we'd watch the parade and then head into a restaurant or pub to watch the ceremonies on TV.

We we got there and I wanted a picture of myself on the podium which held the Paralympic symbol, emblem, rings, whatever they are...anyhow... While I'm up there I realize this is an amazing place from which to watch the parade and I haul Diane up with me! As the parade begins and the athletes from all over the world start rolling and walking by us I realize that we are in everyone's pictures because of the rings behind us!!! And in the mysterious ways of the Universe I have proof of this, which I will show you shortly.

It was an amazing experience to love on all these athletes and honour them for their dedication, courage and passion and it was pretty sweet to see those honkin' medals around some of their necks too!

After the closing was done, a lot of athletes came into the pub we were at. One in particular, Tim Farr and his family, chatted with Diane for a bit. I got my picture with him and his contact info to send it to him. Upon getting home and looking at my pictures I realize that I have a picture of him taking a picture of us during the parade...so of course I email him and tell him this and send him the photos and he replies with his photos attached as well. :) He's got a pretty cool story! Check him out here!

Now, aside from that synchronistically amazing event Diane and I made friends with a group of 10 or so British guys and one sweet gal, who were on their annual snowboarding/skiing trip. They were great! Many beers and laughs later we were escorted out of the bar and it was time to say farewell to the Paralympic symbols, which we honoured by taking a big group shot, to our new friends and to Whistler.

And now finally, a month and a bit later, a final farewell to the Paralympic Games a la Lost On Purpose. (and that was probably John Furlong quality French and I'm A-Okay with that)

Erin Go Braugh! Slainte!

2010-03-22T16:58:00.000-07:00

This was the first year since I was in Australia that Katie and I have been apart for St. Patty's Day (and even then I had friends with me) :( And last year certainly topped the list of amazing St. Patrick's Days. So this year I meandered into The Corner Bar in Vancouver and found myself a great little place to celebrate. Between Roger, the two Irishmen, Paul and Mick and the Aussie Simon, my glass was always full, a smile on my face and good Irish entertainment the entire time.

But St. Patty's Day is pretty simple... drink and have fun!

Well my St. Patrick's Day was not celebrated quite like usual. It usually consists of lots and lots of beer starting around noon. It's definitely my drunkest day of the year. And by about 5pm I'm ready for a quick cat nap to only start drinking again. Ahhh, I love this holiday!! So it's easy to see that Kel and I celebrate this holiday 100% and with a lot of passion...last St. Patty's proved that! lol

This year was the complete opposite, but I had a lot of fun! My friend Danielle and I decided to make an Irish dish. Chicken with cabbage and bacon and BOXTY!! aka potato pancakes. Delish! It was good company and good eats. And later we watched "P.S. I Love You", which made me want to go to Ireland even more....

Anyways, the best holiday never disappoints no matter what you do! And when you're among the Irish you're bound to have a good time!

Won't You Be My 'Neighbour'...and ride the ZipLine With Me?

2010-03-22T15:33:00.001-07:00

Being as I've been a weekend warrior because the transit is so cheap then, I decided that I would check out a Wheelchair Curling event during the Paralympic Games. The place was only half full so I got to stand when I wanted and was really pretty darn comfy.

Katie, I was alright as far as commentating went...Robin, who MC's the World Cup series sat next to me and kept me up to speed the entire time. He even told me who everyone was and what they were like and pretty much anything and everything he could to keep talking to me. He was cheering for Switzerland and was rooting for Norway to win against Canada. I'm still trying to figure that one out! There was no doubt in my mind Canada had the game!

Mr. Rogers came about when Darryl Neighbour made a good play and the gentleman next to me stood up and yelled out "Won't you be my neighbour?!" It was a classic moment, kind of like amazing punch lines that occur in the moment. But it was a tight game and it came down to Canada's last rock that blocked out Norways final curl. The energy was awesome!

Although I don't remember what I did directly after curling, I know I ended up in line at the Zip Line at Robson Square. It was worth the wait! Especially when I coaxed Alexi from Montreal into staying in line and doing it with me! So much more fun when you do things with other people, even if you've only just met them in line!

One inspires many...

2010-03-21T13:42:00.000-07:00

Well, I'm on my own now out in BC (well without Katie anyway)...left to my own devices, can't sit still, gotta check stuff out...

My plan for the Paralympic Opening Ceremonies was to watch them from a pavillion downtown after going on the zipline. Well, instead of doing that, I listened to the woman on the bus, made myself a little sign,

held it up and said with a big smile on my face, "Anybody have an extra ticket?" It took me less than a minute to find a ticket for the right price!

'One inspires many' is the motto for the Paralympic Games and I believe it is true. It alwasy starts with one person, one thought, one dream or vision, one action and then somewhere it becomes something great. It would have been tres cool if Katie had been able to stay out here! Then again, I wouldn't have gotten the ticket I did if there were two of us....I guess it's all perfect the way it is!

We believe!

2010-03-17T01:59:00.000-07:00

I really have no idea what to write for this post. This video is a montage of 17 days of absolute amzingness. Looking back at those two weeks is like looking at a mosaic of hundreds of pictures...a bit of a blur.

Words can't describe what it was like to be here, to be Canadian and to have the privelage of hosting the world. The Olympics is about sport, and it's also about peace through sport. The energy the Olympics carries with it, even the torch relay back in December in Leamington, is something that is unexplainable.

The Olympics are a feeling for me now. Bigger than sport, bigger than a gold medal; it's a feeling in my heart I'll always carry with me.

It's believing...

Seeing Gold!!!

2010-03-02T11:55:00.000-08:00

As Canada took to the ice in the final Gold Medal match against the USA there was a calm confidence among the city and all it's people. I think everyone in the country said a hockey prayer and left it up to the hockey Gods having complete faith in a positive outcome.

After a heart wrenching end to the third period, we all took a collective breath and said, "Alright, let's do this!" AND WE DID!!! In an unassuming Canadian way, I feel as a country, we just knew we would win that game...we believed!!! It was just our time, for this gold and every other gold we got over the games. It was time for Canada to shine, to claim ourselves a spot amongst the top in the world and to fight for a sport that runs like blood through our veins.

It was truly a uniting moment for us, as Canadians, as hockey fans, as a country; a full circle moment and at the end of that game, there were tears of joy and pride and high fives at every turn!

One thing I know for sure is that a goal scored by Sidney Crosby led to a medal of Gold and a new era for Canada post Vancouver 2010...words cannot describe the emotions and footage will never do it justice. As Canadians we all know what we felt and it felt DAMN GOOD! GO CANADA GO!

HARD! HARD!...WHOA,..whoaaaaa...

2010-03-01T17:14:00.000-08:00

Kel and I attended the Bronze Medal match for Women's Curling. We've never watched it live and, well, never actually understood the game. lol. But after we caught on it was a great time and surprisingly pretty intense. Although we were cheering for Switzerland, China won bronze respectfully. All in all a great morning. The highlight:seeing Quatchi!!

Later that day we watched the Canadian women snag silver and watched the Men's Canadian Hockey Team overtake Slovakia. It was an intense last 5 minutes but we held on. Go Canada!!

Women's Wednesday and Triumphant Thursday

2010-02-27T18:23:00.000-08:00

It was an amazing women's Wednesday at the Olympic games for Canada. Many of our strong female athletes took to the podium and made their country proud! We celebrated along with the rest of Canada, and were behind our athletes 100%.

The next day Joannie Rochette proved to be a champion with or without her Bronze medal, and it was one of the most touching moments throughout the 17 days. We then headed out to Livecity Yaletown to see Johnny Reid and meet up with some friends. We all headed to Earl's to catch up and it just so happened that the Swiss hockey team was there. And Kel got a photo with them! I was in the bathroom!! Damn! lol. If anyone meets Roman Wick from Switzerland please give him my number. haha

Every night at Livecity Yaletown there was a Laser Waterworks Show. It was pretty incredible and at times emotional. These Olympics were amazing and pulled at our heart-strings many times over. Enjoy!

Dear Hockey Gods...

2010-02-27T13:28:00.000-08:00

In the words of the Russians in past competitions, "God was with them..."

Let us pray!

Our Father,

Who art in GM place,

HOCKEY be thy name.

Thy will be done,

GOLD will be won,

On ice as well as in the stands.

Give us this day our hockey sticks

And forgive us our penalties,

As we forgive those who cross-check against us.

Lead us not into elimination but deliver us to Victory,

In the name of the fans of hockey, in the name of CANADA,

AMEN!!!

WE BELIEVE!!!

Who Says Women Can't Play Hockey? Not us!

2010-02-26T09:49:00.000-08:00

What started out as a lazy afternoon became one of the most random fun nights in Vancouver yet! I got a text from my friend Marc wondering if Kel and I wanted to go to the women's hockey semi-finals. CAN vs FIN. Um, ya! So we left as fast as we could considering our commute is about 1 1/2 hours to downtown. lol. Needless to say we missed most of the first period...but it was all worth it. Got some tickets off some scalpers, who Marc was scoping for about 20 minutes while waiting for us, and then headed in.

Turns out our seats were actually a suite! Pretty sweet! And it just got better from there. Met LOTS of people from Ontario, almost everyone in our suite and even the neighbours beside us. Of course, Canada won and our hometown girl Megan Agosta got a goal! We got everyone's attention when that happened because we were screaming so loud. We even made a sign, supporting in full force!

VICTORY!!

2010-02-25T13:00:00.000-08:00

Livecity Yaletown: Free

Coca-cola House: Free

Victory Ceremony: $26

Russia House: Free

Seeing Canadian Jon Montgomery receive Gold: PRICELESS

Some of the most amazing days on our Olympic journey yet. Obviously we took in Jon Montgomery's victory ceremony. And afterwards watched British band Stereophonics. Earlier in the day we checked out the Russian house, which got us excited about the 2014 Olympics in Sochi. May plan to go to those ones too,...who knows? lol

Granville Island and Yaletown are always bumpin so it was only fitting that we check it out and see what all the fuss is about. It didn't disappoint. Lots of things to do and always something to keep you busy!

Don't walk away...Sam!!

2010-02-24T18:10:00.000-08:00

Took in some great Canadian music while out here in Vancouver for the big games. Sam Roberts was playing in Surrey and we couldn't pass up the chance to see him. He was absolutely amazing. And even better LIVE, than we were hoping!!

Here's some of the random things going on in Downtown Vancouver at night during the Olympics. Some things we didn't catch...ball hockey in the street, multiple outbursts of 'Oh Canada' and of course the thousands of people draping the maple leaf down their backs. Such pride here in Vancity!

It Was an Eventful Day 6 at the Olympics

2010-02-23T16:43:00.000-08:00

Wednesday was Day 6. The day we went to the hockey game. We took in as much as we could! Absolutely loving everything!

Taking to the Ice

2010-02-23T01:32:00.001-08:00

The Good Old Hockey Game

2010-02-20T00:09:00.000-08:00

We Got Some Rest and We're Ready for More!

2010-02-17T00:13:00.000-08:00

Alright...Here Comes the Action!

2010-02-16T23:46:00.001-08:00

3 days before the games begin, the torch runs through White Rock and a beauty of a sunny afternoon got us out in the town.

We made our way out to a celebration site to check out the Opening Ceremonies...

We embraced the rain and the wind and had a wicked time!

And the sun came out tomorrow! Another day downtown soaking in the spirit!

Next post...what we did on our ''days off''!

Valentine's Day at the Olympics

2010-02-15T16:33:00.000-08:00

It's Rainy and We're at the Olympics!!!!!

2010-02-14T00:17:00.000-08:00

Kickin' Off the Games!

2010-02-13T02:52:00.001-08:00

So we made it out to Vancouver!!! We took in some Torch Relay in White Rock on Tuesday morning, but we were really ready for the Opening Ceremonies.

Our intention for documenting the games is to do our best to get a post a day up of a synopsis of our day and then create some more picture/video related material that actually shows what we've been doing.

Today...Day 1... Enjoy. Must get sleep to have more fun tomorrow! xo

Leaving On A Jet Plane!

2010-01-31T13:31:00.000-08:00

A bit ago we posted a video and some words about the Olympic Torch coming through Leamington and that 'plans were in the works'!

Well our flights are book and we'll be arriving in British Columbia on the 8th of February. I think this might be one of the first times we've written a post about something in the future as opposed to reflecting on the past. It's kind of nice!

From Vancouver

We've still got to check out what sites and celebrations we want to take in and whether or not we'll be attending any events, which will give me lots to do this week while Katie is off celebrating other things with her friends this weekend! We both have to start packing too...

Katie has booked a return trip and me...well I booked a one-way knowing that I'll be back in Ontario in June for a short time. That makes packing a bit different, leaving many things unknown, and I'm quite excited about that. It's three days away from being a year since we first ventured out Lost On Purpose and we're really pumped about heading off a new adventure with the Olympics! It's going to be an amazing experience celebrating the games with the world in Vancouver!!! YEAH YEAH!!!

An Olympic Journey Begins...

2010-01-12T11:01:00.000-08:00

On December 23, 2009, the Olympic Torch made it's way through our hometown of Leamington, Ontario. It was an early morning (by our recently decided standards) of being out the door by 7am to get to the celebration in town. Katie and I picked up some friends and headed to the Leamington Kinsmen Recreation Complex for the festivities! Being the most souther part of Canada, we were a celebration community which meant there was a stage show and lots of cool stuff to check out. From Coca-Cola, RBC and of course the Vancouver Olympic Organizers, it was a great show. There were quite a few local stars who performed too. Erin Armstrong sang a beautiful operatic song, Claire Hanson and her dance partner danced, there was a choir that sang O'Canada and Meghan Agosta of the CDN Women's Hockey Team along with a couple other paraolympic athletes said a few words. It was nice to see the people we grew up with at school or at the arena take the stage and do their thing.

We caught a taste of what the morning offered. I will warn you, in true Mullen fashion, there is screaming and cheering on this video...it might be loud :)

The excitement of the morning certainly permeated through the rest of the day and into the holidays. The wheel's began to turn and we started asking ourselves, "Could we really go to the Olympics? Like, for real...the Olympics." It seemed a bit surreal, talking about making our Olympic dream a reality. Yet those questions quickly had answers, "Well, we would have a few places to stay, I wonder how much flights are...and we'll look into surrounding airports too...and we definitely need to check out the schedule." And with Christmas gifts being money we certainly had a start to our potential adventure!

There are most definitely plans in the works....Vancouver 2010, get ready!

Happy Birthday Kelly!!!

2009-12-29T17:51:00.001-08:00

A birthday video for Kelly. Strange, yet entertaining. Enjoy! lol

HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!!!!

Weddings and Wine

2009-10-22T15:09:00.000-07:00

Heading back to Ontario was a strange experience for Kel and I. As we crossed the border into Windsor and made our way home to Leamington it had felt like we never left. Not exactly the reaction I had thought I was going to have, me either, but I guess when nothing has changed there's nothing new to see. I don't know why I thought it would all look different to me...?

Well I think part of it was that we came back with a new set of eyes, or so we thought. Physically things have changed in some ways, but in the grand scheme of things we just re-inserted ourselves back into that world...hesitantly. We weren't quite ready to really take a break and found ourselves embarking on adventures of our own with friends from old places!

I headed to St. Catharines for a weekend of grape and wine action! A festival they have every year...And I must say it didn't disappoint. As usual, it was filled with live music, good times and great friends. And of course we went to The Chilli Pepper and Rockfords...where we partied most of the 4 years I attended Brock University. All in all a fabulous weekend!

And while I did partake in one evening of Grape and Wine -it would have been a sin not to :) - and shared my love for the band at the Chilli Pepper, I was off to the Kawartha Lakes region north of Toronto to watch one of my beautiful girlfriends tie the knot.

It's a long story to explain how I know both the bride and groom. Tim I've known since my first year in university and Kristi (T), I lived with my last two years of university. Somewhere in between, they met and the rest is history.

Thank you Kerry and T's friend Katie for the FB pics :)

The wedding was absolutely beautiful and it was great to see everyone...and I mean everyone. It was like a Brock University reunion. Well actually maybe not Brock, maybe Ajax....or maybe those are synonymous terms, as at times, it felt like Ajax was taking over Brock and vice versa. On either side of the fence it didn't matter because the group of people there to support T and Tim were all amazing and many hold a little spot in my heart...and lots of crazy memories!

Much love to all of you, I love you heaps and heaps and can't wait until next time!

Made it to Michigan

2009-10-20T18:09:00.000-07:00

After World's Greatest Marketing Seminar in L.A., it was time to head home. After dropping Dad off at the airport in Las Vegas, Kel and I were off! We basically drove for 3 days straight...sleeping in the car both nights we were on the road. Although it wasn't our ideal place of rest we were pretty used to it considering it wasn't the first time the car became our bed! lol. The night sky was brilliant and the mountains of Utah and Colorado were a nice place to be again. It'll be the last time we see those mountains for a while. *sigh* Venturing along the border of Colorado and Kansas revealed some eclectic people. I think we saw our first REAL rednecks, mullets and all.

Finally we arrived in Michigan at our Dad's place and all we could do was crash! Obviously! lol

The next couple days we just relaxed...and creeped facebook of course, and replied to emails and such. It was nice to actually do nothing. lol. We also helped our Dad put his boat in the water and we went for a boat ride and swim in Lake St. Clair. I'm pretty sure it was the last nice day of the year so I'm glad we took advantage of that!

World's Greatest Marketing Seminar

2009-10-18T18:08:00.000-07:00

Well, I don't have too much to say about this one. World's Greatest Marketing Seminar was basically the end of our trip on the West. Although the course was educational and I had a lot of insights about what I want to do and directions for a prospective business, I knew we were heading home right after the course was finished and I must say I wasn't thrilled about it. But it was where we were supposed to be going, and it became quite obvious when the course started to seem dull and I was uninterested in half the stuff that was being taught.

At first I thought it was the difference between the high energy at camps, which we've been experiencing all summer, compared to the mediocre energy of a course. And then I thought it was just my own boredom and weak attention span when it comes to talking about business. BUT I soon discovered that it was perfect. It was perfect that the course wasn't fulfilling to me

because the universe wanted to show me that it was time for me to leave. There was nothing left for me here now and I was meant to be somewhere else.

I was sad to be leaving...not just to be leaving the West which I fell in love with, but all my friends and strong connections I made over the past 8 months. Although Leamington has been our home all our lives, Kel and I now have multiple homes and families all over the continent.

Nothing like throwing it all on the line there Kate. lol. I had a major energy shift coming from the high energy of camps into the lower energy of a seminar. It was a serious adjustment for me to make. Coming back into the real world isn't always the wake up call you want, but it's usually what you need. The course was full of valuable information and we did get some kick ass ideas about what to do with our blog, but for me it was the end of a cycle, not neccessarily of learning, but just the end of a cycle in my life. Of that go go go, learn, gather, network. I feel like it's time to start applying what I've learned and really commit to something to make it work.

Leaving the west sucks. But we do have plenty of homes to come back to when we decide to go back. On to whatever is next!

Even and Burbo!

2009-10-16T18:08:00.000-07:00

Our amazingly, fabulous (yes, he is fabulous) friend Even was kind enough to let us stay at his house after our fun-filled two weeks of camp in Sanger.

But before we went to Even's, Kel, Chris, Veronica, Ben, Irma, Lea, and I all went out for dinner in Santa Monica followed by a walk on the beach under the full moonlight. I guess you could say it was a night to show our love to the moon and to release whatever was on our minds. We definitely did that! lol. Levitate anyone?

Kel and I, and Veronica tagged along as well, then headed to L.A. for some much needed R&R. Kel and I had actually been going non-stop since July. Two months of continuous fun is fun...but still tiring.

Even has an amazing house and its filled with amazing art by none other than Even himself. He also shares his pad with his slobbering handsome dog BURBO! lol. I love him! His spit is everywhere and he is like a miniature wrecking ball sometimes, but he is a sweetheart and very entertaining. haha.

We didn't see Even much when we were there. He had lots of fabulous parties to go to..lol..But we did go to a cabaret show with him to watch his friend Bernie. It was great! I had an awesome time, and they even made a shout out to us Warriors! Congrats to Bernie on the show and on being a new Warrior! A-HO!

Mostly Kel, V and I just hung out. Watched TV! The one night we had a goddess party with Lea and Irma. Ben came along as well, even though he's technically not a goddess. V came up with the idea of a traveling journal and so the 5 of us spent the night decorating it and putting all our love and radiant energy into it.

It was a magical creation and is currently with Lea I believe, aka Medusa. Oh la la! :) I love these ladies and can't wait to find out what adventures are to come for each of us! What she said!

August? When was that?

2009-10-15T18:29:00.000-07:00

Oh my, August went by so fast it was as if it didn't even happen...but it's impossible to forget all the adventures we had that month! It was an amazing experience, filled with amazing people! Couldn't have asked for a better experience and a better August! Thanks to all, old friends and new!

Return to Sanger...Birthplace of our Enlightened Warriors!

2009-10-14T15:34:00.000-07:00

It wasn't quite a full year since our last visit to Sanger when we returned to volunteer for Warrior and Wizard in August, but it was a full circle moment (for me at least).

We had only been at Diane's for like 2 days and Katie and I were committed to being at Warrior and Wizard to volunteer in CA if that's where we were meant to be. Well, that's sure where we were meant to be because we were confirmed and leaving in two days within 5 mins of me sending that email! Talk about getting answers quick! And talk about going with the flow. :)

Back to the grounds where we first became Warriors last September. Something in the air, the energy, the heat...I was at home, every part of my being felt it. Writing it right now brings it all back. I guess it's that easy to go back to the places you want to go! Being in Sanger was like returning to the place I was born. It's a place that will always reinforce me of my power and remind me of my contribution to this world. Playing small is no longer an option, and everything I do is in line with my purpose. And well, the next two weeks at camp sure did want to test that!! lol. I'm not surprised considering it's the place where it all began...

We worked, we played, we laughed, and I know we cried. Two very different activities within two very different weeks. It was different than our camps up in Squamish, but a great experience in awareness, love and service. YES! We are so grateful for all our new friends, for the deeper connections with old ones and for being able to do and witness some of the most amazing shit ever!!!

A-HO and So Be It!
Thanks to Irma for some of the awesome photos!

Soft Rock in White Rock

2009-10-12T15:33:00.000-07:00

After Mind of Steel Heart of Gold (MSHG) we decided to move on from Burnaby and hauled all our stuff to Diane's place in White Rock, BC. It was absolutely beautiful.

The first night after camp Dad put Katie and I up in a B&B on the waterfront pretty much. It was absolutely beautiful. We spent most of the night chilling on the balcony overlooking the ocean or strait...I'm not sure...I think it was a strait, while munching on pizza and nachos. Although all the great food at camp was to be missed (especially the crumble), we 'preferred' something a little more on the less disciplined side of things for a change. Every day at camp I told Diane I was manifesting pizza in the lunch line, buuuut nothing. I wasn't surprised. Lol, so ya I was pretty determined to get some.

Diane was in our group for MSHG and was kind enough to extend an invitation for us to stay with her as long as we needed knowing that we really didn't have any plans made for our next move. Well after a FULL day of laundry and drying out wet belongings, we had our answer. We were off to California.

I love staying with new people and getting a glimpse into their lives. Diane certainly knows how to have fun. From our walk down the peer and gelato to awesome dinners, we had a blast in the company of her high energy and happiness! Birds of a feather flock together I guess :)

Diane, don't forget your declarations! And thanks for the pics that we used in the MSHG vid!

Mind of Steel Heart of Gold

2009-10-10T15:32:00.000-07:00

Ummmm..... There are absolutely no words to describe this week. It's a month passed as I'm writing this and I'm still saying "Really??? Did that ACTUALLY happen???"

Hahaha, ya it's hard to really put into words or even cohesive thoughts what Mind of Steel, Heart of Gold was for me. Possibly a culmination of everything I've learned starting a year ago! All I can say is that it was one of THE most amazing experiences of my life, and I am so proud of myself, my Dad, and my sister at how far we've come and how much we've changed..for the better of course! lol. I am so grateful...and to echo Kel, "I can't believe I actually did that!?!?!" ah! Great way to end our camp adventures in Squamish!

Much love to Soft Rock! Enjoy the video xo

Mamma Mullen in the Hiz-ouse!!!

2009-10-08T10:20:00.000-07:00

Mom arrived in Vancouver on the beautiful Civic Holiday Weekend! The night she arrived we headed out to Jessica's place in Coquitlam for a BBQ with her family. Mmmmm.... The Voo's are such amazing people and let us into their home without even giving us a chance to say YES! lol They and made us feel like we were home. Vancouver now holds a special place in our hearts. Not just for the Voo's, but for everyone who welcomed us with open arms...and open hearts. :)

The next day we started our week long adventure with Mama Mullen! We did a beautiful drive along the Sea to Sky Highway from Vancouver up to Whistler with a little stop in Squamish...as if we weren't already spending enough time there. It was nice to show Mom where we were spending the majority of our summer! And although it's not the same experience as being at camp, the view on the drive up in unbelievable and worth the trip!

We headed out to Vancouver Island and stayed with some family, Mike and Marlene, in Courtenay, BC. We didn't have the best weather or highest and best energy possible, but we had a good time anyways! Took a little drive up to Telegraph Cove and Port McNeil. Well it wasn't really little, but it created lots of space for us to chat and bond again. Being away from each other for 7 months can create some distance...nothing we couldn't gap though!

After a few days of just chilling we headed down to Parksville for the sand scultpure competition before heading back to the mainland. Artists from all over the world came to build and had some amazing sculptures! I think the theme was 'the olympics'.

One thing I know to be true is that my week spent with Mom was not about what we saw, where we went or what we did, it was about just being in the moment with an open heart and very much going with the flow of whatever was thrown at me.

Hmmmm,...the week was interesting. Although us three Mullen women had some grunts at the beginning of our trip, we worked through the knots. Three VERY different energies coming together as one after months apart....it's bound to happen! But that was normal. I knew that would happen. The interesting part was when the universe dropped a challenge into our lap. A challenge that tested us right to our core but did not defeat. The point of this banter...The lesson learned: The perfect house in the the perfect neighborhood with the perfect family and the perfect cars and the perfect friends...is a lie. It's a lie if you're not really LIVING. And once you actually start LIVING the life you've always wanted,....the 'perfect life' doesn't really matter anymore.

End note: I love my life! And my family!

July Flew By!

2009-09-22T13:05:00.000-07:00

From Canada Day to Stampede to weeks at camp and surfing on the beach. July came and went super duper fast. So damn fast we could hardly keep up with the blog!

Thank you to everyone who made the start of our summer A-M-A-Z-I-N-G!!!!!

Peace out!

Enlightened Warrior Traning Camp

2009-09-06T12:34:00.000-07:00

I swear we spend more time at the airport than any other place in Vancouver. After dropping Deeds off in the AM it wasn't long before we were back picking up Eben. It was then that we became "4Krew". Me, Katie, Jessica and Eben, in search for 'Cupcakes' the cupcake shop toured the streets of downtown Vancouver before trekking up to Squamish. It was a mission and a damn tasty one at that!

We arrived at camp much later than we had anticipated, but it was amazing all the same. Katie, Jess and I staked claim on the giant tent I had used the week before. Even though there were only 3 of us in there for the week, it looked like there might have been 6 the way it looked! Hey, we're Warriors, we do whatever it takes to get shit done...that meant having a messy tent!

We had an awesome crew to work with at Warrior camp. Lots of great, energetic people that all brought different elements of wonderful to the table! Like Gerry and his 'ad lib' drumming, Lori and her random a$$ injuries, Jenny and her Kundalini Harley Davidson ... As I'm writing I'm struggling to put into words what it was like to be on the krew for this event...there just aren't words, only intense feelings of gratitude, love and joy. Amazing, awesome, crazy, FUN, empowering, frickin fabulous, irreplacable.....to name a FEW.

Volunteering for Warrior was an awesome experience and I can't wait to do it again! Just like Kelly said it's hard to put into words...It's just one of those things that leaves you feeling all happy and gooshy inside. And it's so frickin cool to be a part of something that's so much bigger than you, and to know that you served well and changed peoples lives!

As a volunteer, we're processing and learning just as much as the participants. I was pushed slightly that week, but was ready and excited to take on whatever I had to do. I was put into a leadership role and although I was a little scared, I rocked it! It was so cool to know that I could lead and that people actually listened to me! haha. I tapped into a part of me that I never really used before and I had sooooooo much fun doing it!! Great to be back in the Warrior energy! A-HO!! (You were a rockstar at camp! You walked into camp one person and walked out a hot, powerful, confident woman...YEEEEOOWWW! haha I luv ya!)

I got a feeling, that Tofino will be a good time!

2009-08-13T09:20:00.000-07:00

Surfs, sun, and relaxation! Oh, Tofino you treated us well. A week in Tofino was just what we needed after a week at Wizard. It fit perfectly and the randomness of Wizard continued through our week. And we were joined by my friend Deeds, which made it that much better!

We arrived in Tofino with no idea of where we were gonna sleep and what exactly we were going to do while there. All we knew was that surfing was a must and chilling at the beach was a priority. With limited money and free spirit we decided to ninja camp! lol. We set up camp on a logging road that our awesome friend Alex told us about. We didn't really know if he was for real or not so we had to ask at one of the shops and they were like, "Ya totally go to this logging road and there'll be tonnes of spots for you guys to crash at!" It was sweet! There were only about 3 other groups of campers with the same idea....and they were no where near us! Even though we were in the bush in the middle of nowhere, we were happy. I think Deeds was a little worried at first but she had faith that Kel and I had it under control. And we did!

When Kel and I were in Calgary and met up with Dave and Brad we planned to meet up again in Tofino, along with another Brock alum Kenora. The rest of the week we basically all hung out together and went surfing! The ocean was FREEZING! But it was worth it! Kel and I couldn't wait to go surfing again, but Deeds on the other hand was a little nervous. For her first time she did awesome! Getting the wetsuit on and off was a bigger challenge than anything. lol. Thank God for the wetsuits though! I'd have been an icicle without one!

It felt so good to be in the water and crash against the waves. It was the first time Kel and I had been in water and been swimming all summer. We needed it! And we missed it! And if we weren't surfing we were at least on the beach! It was the most beautiful week ever. Perfect weather and an amazing place. Definitely a slice of heaven.

There's something to be said about being in quiet beach towns where everyone is a friend and it doesn't matter what you're doing as long as it's making you happy. I really don't know the last time I felt that rested and ready to go!

I give major props to Deeds...Katie and my randomness can be a bit unnerving to some because it literally is chaos; no plans, no ideas, just going with the flow; and she was absolutely up for anything and ready to play! She didn't even mind when we picked up the two young guys trying to get a ride back to the airport:) They were cute...couldn't just let them keep running down the road...

Wizard Training Camp

2009-08-10T09:20:00.000-07:00

Oh baby, oh baby! Finally! Time for camps! WOO HOO!

I've got to be honest. I've been waiting for camps pretty much since I took them last summer. I set an intention to volunteer at at least 2 this summer, had no idea how or where it was going to work out and when I got those confirmation emails I was estatic!

I had been to both of the other camp locations in Ellenville, NY and Sanger, CA, but had never experienced the 'highly recommended' Squamish, BC site. WOW! It's everything everyone talks about and then some. Set in the valley between glaciered mountains....what's not to be amazed by. The trees talk, the wind whispers....well maybe I'm giving a bit too much of the Wizard experience away here... :)

Although Kel had been to Wizard, I on the other hand had not. And I was ready to go right after I did Warrior last September! My intention for the camp was to have fun....and well let's just say I had a frickin riot! I loved every minute of Wizard! And I had the BEST band ever! Full of love and light...and crazy too! I heart them all. Connected Creators = CHAMPIONS! hehe

And there definitely was no better place to do it than Squamish. One word, Magical! It's amazing and beautiful. And it feels like home.

Needless to say, it was an amazing week!!!

Great energy, great people, great transformations...new friends, new family and new perceptions. And of course a whole lotta love!

Words are little in comparison to how I felt so read this post for a deeper look at my Wizard experience from the 'other' side. :)

Old Friends in New Places...

2009-07-25T12:17:00.000-07:00

There is so much to do while in Alberta. And Kel and I FINALLY went to one of their most popular tourist locations of all, Banff National Park. We originally weren't going to go to Banff until the next day, but when we got to Canmore (our hosting for the night), the people we were staying with weren't actually at their house. lol. So we decided we might as well go.

We basically flew right through Banff and headed to Lake Louise. While we were walking up to the lake I looked over to my left and saw 2 people I haven't seen in months. My uni friends Dave and Brad were there! I was planning to meet up with them at some point but the universe thought then and there was as good a place as any. lol. HOW COOL! So we ended up spending the day with them. We sat by the lake for awhile catching up and enjoying the view. The guys seemed very appreciative of the beauty of it and the park itself. After tree planting for 2 months I guess you start seeing things in a new light.

Along with Lake Louise we headed to Lake Morraine, which I thought was even more beautiful, as if it's possible! Lake Morraine had a lot more character...it was rugged and secluded. It' also called the Valley of ten Peaks because there are ten huge mountains along it's base. It's gorgeous!!

After that we all headed to Johnson Canyon to the waterfall. It was, again, beautiful! Everything there is pretty wonderful. lol. The best part was the cave that we went through that took us right in front of the waterfall. It was cold and wet but awesome! Fresh glacier water! That's the other thing, all the lakes are very blue...it's really pretty.

Our afternoon in wilderness gave us growling stomach's which led to a quick grocery shop at Safeway. Being with other travellers on a budget is awesome! You start to appreciate grocery stores and coolers a hell of a lot more! And minivans apparently.....We had dinner in Brad's van in the Safeway parking lot. It was quite a set-up with lawn chairs and everything. We were quite cozy and the company was the best part! :)

We eventually made our way back to Canmore where we stayed with our cousin's inlaws, Moe and Garth. We hadn't seen them in a realllllly long time so I had forgotten what they looked like. lol. But they were very welcoming and had a beautiful home that Kel and I were very appreciaticve to have stayed in. We visited with them the next morning and they told us all about their travels to Europe. Can't wait to go there!

Another rainy day in Alberta didn't stop us from going to Jasper and seeing the icefields on our way. Now we saw the Athabasca Glacier and I must say I wasn't impressed. I thought it was going to be alot bigger and more like a glacier....but it really just looked like ice on a mountain. I guess that's what it is, but I just wasn't expecting that. lol. It was neat though, and something to see. We headed to the Athabasca Falls as well. Beautiful, but probably would have been gorgeous to see on a sunny day!

Finally we made it to Jasper. I like Jasper. It's alot quieter than Banff and more low-key. When we got there my friend Whitney, whom we were going to stay with, was at work. So to pass the time we headed to the local brewery, where else? lol. We eventually made it to her place and got to see where she lived now. In a lodge basically. She works for the lodge and lives there as well. It reminded me of residence life in uni, prolly not something I would like to repeat. lol. We just chilled all night and caught up with one another. It was awesome to be around old friends again. I'm getting excited to head back home in Septmeber and see everyone again!

Calgary Stampede...Day 2

2009-07-23T14:22:00.000-07:00

After Nashville North we needed a little recovery time. We chilled out all afternoon, worked on the blog a bit, slept and hung out with Lisa. We were contemplating whether to stay another night or head to Canmore and Banff, but Kenny's advice was not to leave until we've seen a Chuckwagon Race and the Grandstand Show. His words were, "If I thought it was awesome and I liked it then you two definitely gotta go."

If Kenny sat through a Grandstand Show, lived to tell and lived to tell others to go to it?! We had to go. Basically if he liked it, the possibility that Kel and I would like it are about 99%. Not because he's our cousin and we like the same things, but because Kel and I are like little kids and get excited about the smallest of things. Kenny on the other hand..not so much. So we did. When we left Lisa's it was sunny, when we got to the park it was rainy. It poured pretty much the entire 3.5 hours we were there. I think maybe for 45mins combined there was no rain....but it was worth it! Good thing I brought my little cover-up. lol.

Now we want to see a motorcross! That stuff is sick! The video doesn't quite do the show justice. It was wayyyyy more than we excpected and the performers were incredible. And they did most of it in the rain. I was impressed.

It was a wicked, what, 3 days? in Calgary. Cowboys and cowboys and horses and cowboys...sorry, I lost my train of thought there... :) I think you're on the right track. Cowboys, cowboys.....cowboys...........

Calgary Stampede...Day 1

2009-07-21T08:22:00.000-07:00

We got up really early with no clue how to get downtown for the parade. We ended up taking the bus right downtown a block from the parade route and parked ourself on a corner where we had a great view of everything! Katie and I decked out in our 'new to us' cowboy boots...hehe...we looked and felt like real cowgirls! Value Village has a great selection of cowboy boots...well in Alberta anyway. But of course you must clean them before wearing. This is important.

Thing about Calgary is that a good chunk of people from home relocated out there so we were expecting to run into a few people we knew, but when we ran into Kara, we were pretty surprised! We grew up figure skating with Kara and her sisters...one of which now plays for Team Canada, Meghan Agosta. That was just the start of our little Leamington reunion...we knew a few of them were out there, but some were entirely unexpected!

Apparently we were so captivated at the rodeo that we didn't take any pictures or video of the bucking horse or bull riding. It was awesome! IT WAS THE BEST PART!! lol. But yes, wayyy to into it to even think about snapping any pics. Our friend Cheyenne's brother was one of the bull riders! He didn't do so well the first day, but the second day I guess he kicked a$$.

Nashville North was also awesome. Met up with Kenny and Jarod again...man...let's just say it was A LOT of fun! Kenny's got moves I've never seen! (I'm sure no one has ever or will ever see those moves again!) Well he's now on youtube so everyone can see them! hah! Luv ya cuz!

The Warm-Up...The Day Before Stampede!

2009-07-19T08:18:00.000-07:00

Our purpose for heading back to Calgary was just to experience the Calgary Stampede... "THE GREATEST OUTDOOR SHOW ON EARTH!"

One of the Stampede Traditions is that local businesses have Free, yes free... :) pancake breakfasts every morning of the Stampede. Well CBC Radio, one of the official stampede peoples had their breakfast the day before the festivities even began! It started at 7am so Katie, Alanna and I got ourselves down there before 7 and were still behind almost 100 people! Yes, 7 am in the morning and there was a line all the way down the street. These people are keeners. I thought we were for being there at 7, but I guess not!

We were served by the Mayor of Calgary, Dave Bronconnier, who gave us each an extra pancake when he found out we were all the way from Ontario. I think he said, "You're hungry and weary travellers." I didn't protest, they were goooood pancakes! We moved down the line to get some sausage and then enjoyed the entertainment.

The hoop dancers name was Dallas Arcand and the Asian marching band came all the way from Tapei, Tawain. They were also in the parade the next day. We also met Harry the Horse, the official Stampede mascot. He was prety cool. Although he slightly resembles a giraffe....

That afternoon we were totally geeked about hitting up the Stampede. We went to our friend Lisa's house. Another of our childhood friends. Me and Katie and Lisa and her sister Stacey were inseprable when we were together. It had been a long time since seeing Lisa so it was awesome to catch up. She's quite the hostess! Lots of awesome food and good company. She took good care of us and made sure we didn't go hungry while we were there. lol.

We be Jammin' in JUNE!

2009-07-16T11:25:00.000-07:00

Juuuune! Thanks to all who made it fantastic! Lots of love and appreciation! <3

Canada Day Festivities

2009-07-15T17:25:00.000-07:00

Our Canada Day was very relaxing. We basically sat in the sun all day as Jen gave us manicures and pedicures. Then we went to watch the fireworks. A solid day of doing pretty much nothing. It was awesome!

Maybe the Most Random Stop Yet?...Edmonton!

2009-07-14T17:36:00.000-07:00

When we were in South Dakota we chatted with our mom who informed us that our neighbour from home (who lives in Edmonton) had been in a pretty serious car accident and that the family was out west visiting him. We were headed that way anyway, so why not stop by and do what we can? So we did!

A little back story. Katie and I grew up with Jason's sister Nikki (well him too). They lived across the road and we pretty much spent every moment possible with each other as long as we didn't hate each other or had something else to do. From dirtbikes, farm wagons, house, hide and seek, tree forts to tree climbing... So when we found out Jason wasn't doing so hot we really didn't question it, we just went.

We had no idea what hospital he was at, or how to get ahold of Nikki or their parents. So we just started calling every hospital in Edmonton. We found it, called to see if when we could visit and went. The first day he didn't look amazing, but I know I had expected much worse!

He was riding his bicycle to work and was hit by a truck resulting in something like 9 broken ribs, 2 collapsed lungs, some spine problems (maybe a break or fracture or something) and something with his hip...I didn't get it all, there was a lot to take in!

So when I first saw him I was impressed he was awake and coherent enough to chat and joke around. The second day we went back to pick up Nikki and take her to the airport and he was doing much better. They had given him a shave and he was in even better spirits than the day before. We're still sending our love vibes his way in hopes of the fastest and most awesomely amazing recovery ever!! lol. If you're reading this, please send some love. :) The more the better....couldn't hurt. Thanks!

Apparently the day before his accident he was asking his parents to come out west and they hadn't said yes, but the next day they were on a plane out there...obviously not for the reason they'd like, but the world works in funny ways. Makes you realize how quick things change and how little control you have over anything. I know it made me appreciate life more and the people that have been and still are in it today.

So other than hanging out at the hospital, Katie and I did catch the main attraction...THE West Edmonton Mall!!!! Talk about random...

Saskatchewan, naturally.

2009-07-13T15:35:00.000-07:00

When we said we were going to Saskatchewan, most people asked, "Why? There's nothing to do there!" And although that may be true, that's part of its beauty!

We pulled up to the Saskatchewan border...er, house...er, customs??? Simple is the best way to describe our border experience in Saskatchewan. Pen and paper and off we go! Our first stop was Bengough, where we decided to camp in a completely empty campground in gail force winds! That didn't fly so we slept in the car....

Our entire purpose for visiting this part of Saskatchewan was because our Grandma was born in a little itty bitty place called Horizon. Although it was actually populated and busy when she lived there it has since been pretty much abandoned, but preserved as a community area. Right along the train tracks, there are grain elevators, church and a few random houses. But oddly enough, my Gram's house is still standing...beat to crap by the years and weather it's seen, but still standing.

We saw where her dad and brother were buried and where she was born. It's a bit surreal, like many other things on our journey, to sit and imagine what it would have been like in the 1930s in the middle of Saskatchewan without anything even remotely close to what we have now in the way of communications and electronics. Now that's another lifetime!

That morning we made friends with the owner of TK's at breakfast and were invited back for some home made 'authentic' fettuccine alfredo on the house. We don't ever pass up free food, so we hung out with the owner for a few hours, ate some amazing bread and pasta and watched some stuff in memory of Michael Jackson on the TV...we were a little late in finding out the news.

After that we pretty much headed up to Regina, hoping to get a call from our friends there, but no dice so we just kept going, just like the land in Saskatchewan. (haha) Through Saskatoon and into Alberta. We passed a place called 'Findlater'. We laughed pretty hard. Find-Later. Please tell me you got that :)

But really, had we not gone to Saskatchewan we would't be able to appreciate the quiet, the openness of the land and sky and the sheer magnificence of solitude that we do now. There have been many places that have been quiet and open, but something about Saskatchewan is a little homier, a little warmer and a little more soft.

Dead Prezzies and a Crazy Horse!

2009-07-12T13:38:00.000-07:00

The Black Hills is a beautiful part of the states. Lots of wild west history like Wild Bill, Calamity Jane, Colonel Custard and the Lakotas...I liked the Black Hills A LOT! Good energy.

Our first stop was Crazy Horse. The biggest rock sculpture in the world (no where near finished) in honour of the Native American Crazy Horse. The monument is meant to honour all Native Americans and their culture. The laser show was sick.

Our second stop was, well technically, the Flintsontes parking lot! I had to see it. You could actually go in the park but I think you had to pay and I didn't want to spend any money. lol. Plus the parking lot was entertaining enough. But after that it was Mount Rushmore aka. Dead Prezzies as per Katie. Little did we know that the sculpture isn't even finished, nor will it ever be because the rock under George W will collapse if anything else is blasted from it....Poor Honest Abe's head isn't even totally sculpted...he's still hiding in the rock.

We scooted out to the Badlands for a quick tour (so HOT!) and the entire way there we kept seeing these signs for Wall Drugs...well this place had to be a superstore because each sign had something different...well, it was! Ya, it pretty much had evrything. Even fake mounted Jackelope heads.

I wanted to take a quick cruise through Deadwood...I think the Universe wanted otherwise cuz I got pulled over for speeding...woops. I really had no idea I was going as fast as I was, but Officer Ken on the other hand, did. He was really cool. He took me back to the cruiser and did all the paper work...which was only a warning THANK GOD! And I asked him about what the codes were he was calling in. He was checkin' to see if I was wanted in the state or in the country...turns out I'm not. lol. If it weren't for him, we never would have found the cemetary where Wild Bill and Calamity Jane were buried! Divine intervention...ya ok. We got out of Deadwood pretty fast. Maybe I was a cowboy in a past life and that was my karma...hmm.

The next day we hit the road towards Saskatchewan...through North Dakota. It's not the long and winding road out there...it's the long straight, uninhabited road out there! We got goofy after seeing like the 50th herd of cattle....but the fresh air was good and the view was endless.

Father's Day!

2009-07-11T12:05:00.000-07:00

To all the father's in the world. Thank you, you make a difference!

Our father...who art (not) in heaven...flew into Colorado from LA after a course for Father's Day. We picked him up at the airport and met his new friends Trina, her husband Larry, and Susan. All very cool people and we went out for breakfast, well more like lunch. I don't remember what the place in Arvada was called, but their Huevos Rancheros was awesome!

Trina and Larry have a cabin on the west side of Rocky Mountain National Park and were kind enough to let us use it for the night. We drove through the park, saw lots of elk and another moose and fox, and travelled on the highest paved road in the US. We made a wicked pasta dinner and just relaxed!

Of course Dad got up before us and was off having breakfast when I was sort of waking up. He walked in and said the magic words, "Hey, get up we're going horseback riding." SWEET! We had been wanting to go riding since Montana. So we got up, went to the Bear's Den for breakfast and wrote a little blurb in their guestbook/diaries at the tables and then walked around town for a while waiting to go riding.

We finally got to go riding through Rocky Mountain National Park. It was a beautiful ride. I got the fattest horse and rode off centre for a long time without realizing it. And I loved when it started to trott to catch up to Katie's horse and I felt like I was going to fall off because my saddle was just a little off and I wasn't prepared... My horse was called Monkey! haha And he was really small. But he rocked. And Dad's was Rhino. And he almost put him to sleep because he wouldn't stop singing to him. But according to Dad he loved it. lol

After our riding, we grabbed lunch and headed back to Denver to get Dad back to the airport. We stopped quickly at Red Rocks Amphitheatre (we missed it the first time we were in CO). It's every bit as amazing as everyone says. I can't wait to go back and watch a concert there under the stars! Amazing!

Dad departed and we headed to Fort Collins for the night. Had amazing wings and pizza with Ben, Mike and Heather. Mike is so curious about Canada...it was like Jeopardy, with Canada as the only topic! Katie got to rekindle her flame with Tony, who has only gone from manly regal cat to playful cuddly cat. Too cute.

Yep, I still love Colorado...wonder when we'll go back again? If it was up to Kelly we'd be there every weekend.

Just as good the second time around...

2009-07-09T14:00:00.000-07:00

We headed south from Cody and headed for Colorado. We were actually planning on staying in Cheyenne (which I like to pronounce as chien-like dog in french) a night, but after Kelly talked to RJ and he said we could get to Denver a lot sooner than we thought we figured we might as well giv'er and get down there. No point in paying to spend the night somewhere when we have friends close by. And we were heading there anyways...

Aurora is always a good time. I say that like I've visited there a million times, but I guess the company is what makes the difference. So we arrived a day early. We crashed again. A whole day of driving wipes you out!

Friday was pretty relaxing...well for RJ anyways. After a massage from Kel he got a short one from me, but it soon turned into me doing his hair all pretty. lol. He quite enjoyed it, and it was actually his idea. Later we went to the Movie Tavern and watched 'The Hangover', which by the way is hilarious. So hilarious! Especially since we had just been in Vegas. We didn't just watch the movie, we got to eat too! It's not like a normal theatre, half the seats, big comfy chairs and a menu with good food and drinks!

The boys went to a wedding that night and Katie and I hung out at the house, put together some videos, hung out with their roomate Cassara and drank some wine. We only remembered RJ's warning about drinking in altitude the morning after...if you're not used to it, it'll kick you in the ass A LOT quicker than you think!

Saturday night was just as fun. After a day of movie after movie after movie, 'Fired Up' is a great flick by the way. 'Fired Up' is actually really funny. I thought it was gonna be another stupid movie, but it was another stupid movie that was actually funny. We decided to try our hand out at our own gymnastics! RJ and I had handstand contests, although I'm not sure we were really competing, but that quickly turned into skating...singles then pairs! YES! I finally got to be a pairs skater. That was my dream my whole skating career but I was too tall! RJ and I had the most amazing lift and I am so proud! Thank god RJ is big enough and strong enough to lift me so smoothly! :D

Rodeo in the Rain

2009-07-08T14:00:00.000-07:00

Cody, Wyoming. We arrived in the rain, we played in the rain, and we slept in the rain. I guess that whole theory of 'we bring the sun with us wherever we go' isn't so true anymore. lol. Well we are the sunshine...just sometimes mother nature has to do it's thang, yes?

It rained and rained and rained, but that didn't stop Kel and I from having a good time. When we were in Billings we picked up a brochure for the Cody Rodeo. Said there was a rodeo every night in the summer. I think that's the only reason we choose Cody to stay the night over alllll the other cities in Wyoming. lol. But it was a good choice! The rodeo was a lot of fun and got us pumped for the Calgary Stampede!

We camped at a place called Ponderosa something or other. The man who checked us in reminded me a bit of David Koechner, the sportscaster in the movie Anchorman with Will Ferrell. He was bald, very animated and loved to talk. He was pretty excited that we were all the way from Ontario, as most people are, and that we were so gung ho about the rodeo and Cody!

In the morning we had breakfast at The Irma, which is a really old hotel downtown Cody. It's very western and very cool! And had a lot of character. If ever there I suggest checking it out. A lot of the stuff downtown is still original, but with obvious maintenance and upgrades. Lots of log/wood cabins and stores and faded signs on the tops of buildings. Irma's or 'The Irma' as they call it is the original hotel/saloon of Buffalo Bill (one of them western peoples I need to learn about someday).

We then headed south and made a stop in Douglas for an oil change. Ok, so we get there and there are these rabbits with antlers...everywhere! Not real ones, but there are statues and posters and even designs of them on the bridges and benches. I had no idea what the hell they were or better yet WHY they were plastered all over this town. I later found out that they are jackalopes. And they are supposedly mythical creatures. You should read up about it on Wikipedia because it's actually quite interesting and funny. Anyways, long story short, today they are mostly used to play tricks on tourists (haha, it worked!) President Reagan apprently started the joke when he mounted a jackalope on his wall and claimed he killed it. Obviously a fake. Douglas, Wyoming just so happens to be the 'Home of the Jackalope' and they even give out hunting licences to tourists. Hunting season is only one day of the year. haha. And get this, in Rock Springs there have been sightings of real jackelopes. Not sure about that, but who knows!!

Funny, I had a dream about a jackalope last night...haha.

WILD HORSES!!

2009-07-07T13:16:00.000-07:00

From Montana we headed to Wyoming. More specifically Bighorn Canyon National Recreation Area. W-O-W! It is quite small compared to the usual large National Parks we're in, but it is beautiful and totally worth it!!

And the best part....WILD HORSES! It doesn't sound like much, but it is unbelievable. They are such beautiful creatures and watching them run was amazing. I swear it's almost like your watching them in slow motion because your brain can't register how beautiful they really are in real time. And then before you know it they disappear over a hill or something and you wish you could watch them all day. It's so incredible!! I love horses by the way, if you didn't get that already. :)

When we arrived at the park we didn't see any, and we were thinking maybe it wasn't gonna happen for us. Then as we turned a corner we saw a mama horse and a babay. As we turned the next corner there was the most gorgeous blonde male horse waiting for them at the top of the hill. So cool! So we hung out with them for awhile and then cruised looking for more. We were blessed near the end of the day when we got the chance to see two horses running together in the hills in the distance. Awesome!

Along with the horses the landscape was amazing. It was actually really rough and harsh but still amazing. And it's clear Mother Nature rules the show here. Kel and I were thinking about camping but it was a little intimidating. I think the land belongs to the horses anyways...there are about 250 of them. I would love to see them all!! lol.

Bighorn was amazing. Katie pretty much hit it on the head. It was absolutely magic.

Montana...Big Sky Country

2009-07-06T12:19:00.000-07:00

After being in Yellowstone for a couple days I was ready for a long hot shower and a nice comfy bed. So thats's basically all we did in Montana.

We drove straight to Billings (not sure why) and stopped at the visitor's centre. Not much was going on. Well we stopped in Livingston, which was a beautiful little town, for information. They didn't have much, but we took in the original architecture and the mountain backdrop for a little before hitting the higway. Plus I got a travel book with a Bingo game in it! Kept me occupied the entire way to Billings! We did however meet a very nice lady who worked there, (at the visitors centre in Billings, her name was Shirley) and although she was helping us figure out what to do in Billings, nothing really appealled to us as much as that bed and that shower. lol. (And it was the best shower ever! I must say...I could have stayed in there for hours.)

After eating dinner at Denny's we got a hotel room and crashed! Watched Las Vegas, which cured our desire for more Vegas energy..and we repacked out bags again, always trying to figure out what's the best way to organize all our stuff. But it's usually put back relatively in the same way. Oh well. We have come to the conclusion that when we get back home we are leaving ALOT of our belongings behind. Living simple has a whole new meaning. Even all the stuff we left in Vancouver to pick up when we go back is just too much stuff. You can always pick up what you need wherever you are and really...for the number of shoes I packed in February and the number of times I've worn my runners and flipflops, there's just no need for all the other ones!

Aside from that, Montana is a beautiful state. The mountains in the West and the rolling hills in the East. That big blue sky is forever reaching to the next bend and new heights. One of many pieces of paradise.

Knock knock...Park Ranger

2009-07-05T14:50:00.000-07:00

As we made our way across Idaho and into Wyoming we made a quick stop in Jackson Hole to pick up some groceries for our 3 day adventure in the parks. Jackson Hole is quite the happening place. In the winter it's a ski resort and in the summer...well it's pretty much just a party. We headed out to Grand Teton National Park for the night. Not without seeing like 4 moose though. By the time we made it to camp it was pretty darn dark so we decided to sleep in the car...at the campsite. We prepared all our veggies and stuff so that we didn't have to worry about it later and basically just hung out.

It was raining in the morning when we left the campsite so we stopped to take a few pictures in case we didn't have a chance to get anymore, but a few hours later it cleared up enough for us to do a little trail and have a picnic. Katie was a little scared of all the bear warnings and scarfed down her lunch and packed up for fear that bears were going to find us :). In all fairness there were A LOT of bear warnings and maybe I can be a little non-chalant at times...I think that serves me; and my sanity.

Grand Teton was a beautiful place to see, but we soon head up to Yellowstone National Park for some more adventures.

Yellowstone is like the Disney of geothermal activity. I saw geothermal activity in New Zealand when I was there, but this was WAY more impressive! We made it through the geyser section of the east side of the park and then looked for a place to camp. Well the entire park was full so when we decided it was time to go to sleep we found a parking lot in the park and parked. Then 1am rolls around and:

"knock knock...park ranger. Are you aware it is illegal to camp in a parking lot ma'am?"
To which I replied no, while Katie is still sleeping in the back. As he took my license and reg over to his vehicle I pretty bluntly asked, "So are you going to be giving me a ticket or no?" Thankfully the answer was no, well it was 'we'll discuss that later', but I knew it was a no just by the uncertainty in his voice when he answered that.

So we got to spend the rest of the night in the visitors centre parking lot where the park rangers could keep a 'close eye' on us. I mean, we weren't worried about crazed maniacs running through the forrest to attack us, but I guess maybe in our sleepiness we failed to recall the information we had read about the strength of grizzlies and the potential danger wildlife and nature would pose. Lesson...Have a plan before you get too tired!

We headed out of Yellowstone at a good pace the next day...they had our information in the park system incase we'd be camping illegally again! We saw tonnes of wildlife...everything in the paper except for a wolf. Yes, a wolf. That was the only thing I wanted to see, and didn't. But that's ok. I'll be sure to find one next time. I'd go back for a longer time anyday.

Is this what the moon looks like?

2009-07-02T12:50:00.000-07:00

So if you've ever wondered what the surface of the moon would look like, I think Craters of the Moon is the closest you're gonna get to seeing it. Not sure if this is what it really looks like, but I wouldn't doubt it.

It's a pretty wierd thing to see. On our way into the park there were rolling, green, velvety hills to the left and harsh, jagged, awkward rocks to the right. Strange. Really strange. The craters were actually once volcanoes, and some still are I believe. Well there are volcanoes, but the craters, I think, are like parts of lava flows that shift and stuff with the earth. I dunno...that's my scientific rendition of it. Although there isn't much there, it is interesting to see. The land, for miles, is all rock. And it's not like anything I've ever seen before. We walked up to the top of one of the mounds/volcanoes and we could see for miles. It was pretty surreal really. Middle of nowhere, standing on an active (well sort of) volcano looking out over all kinds of lava rock formations for miles. Like the moon...eerily quiet and amazingly beautiful all the same.

HAPPY CANADA DAY!!!!

2009-07-01T09:54:00.000-07:00

To all things Canadian, eh...

..also Canadian,

Dan Akroyd, Martin Short, John Candy, Chevy Chase,

Wheat, wildlife, free healthcare,

Beer is good go grab a case!

Canadian Tire, Shopper's Drug Mart, Zellers and The Bay,

Degrassi, Airfarce, Rick Mercer, all are A-OK!

Peter Mansbridge is the best,

Celine Dion has passed the test.

East Coast, west coast, Saskatchewan,

David Suzuki, you're the bomb!

Oot and aboot or out and about,

Us Canadians know how to work it out...ya eh!?

To anyone who would like to contribute to our list of all things Canadian, please feel free to leave comments below. :)

HAPPY CANADA DAY!!

Boise Boise Boise

2009-06-27T12:25:00.000-07:00

I fell asleep in Utah and woke up in Idaho. Strange...

We were driving to Boise in the rain to my friend Kelly's place. I met Kelly at Guerilla Business School in March. It's so easy to meet new people and make amazing friends! Especially when we share the same name. I mean, every Kelly I know is pretty damn cool. We got to Kelly's around dinner time and we were greeted by his dog Cocao...she's a cutie! We filled our bellies with AMAZING Mexican food and we were pretty much done after that! OMG, best Mexican food I've ever had! So delicious!

The next day we chilled most of the day with Emily, his girlfriend's daughter, until he got home. And then the adventure of Idaho began...

The guns weren't really scary, it was how comfortable I felt with them that scared me. I had a pretty good shot too, it felt quite natural! I had a better shot. Beat her everytime..sorry Kel, had to rub it in. I was pretty nervous about holding a gun let alone shooting one, but it was an awesome experience and I had a blast! I felt pretty fierce. I'm hardcore now. haha I'll just tell myself that!

We went for a drive to Warm Springs Mesa where we looked over the 'City of Trees' (Boise). It's wierd to think that you can look out over a city and see more trees than you can skyrises! Then we hit up Olive Garden for dinner. Oh baby...that was damn good!

Thanks again for everything Kelly! We made it to Wyoming no prob!

Utah Yeehaw!

2009-06-26T12:24:00.000-07:00

After leaving Las Vegas, we headed north-east through the Nevada desert towards Utah. That was an absolutely beautiful drive. At one point I'm sure we were driving through a canyon of sorts. It reminded me of the Grand Canyon only looking from the inside out. I didn't know that you had to cross through Arizona to get to Utah, so we were in Arizona again... :P technically.

Utah is a beautiful state. The I-15 runs straight through the state with mountains and large hills on both sides. I'm guessing that the majority of the population of Utah lives in that valley that runs through the ranges. It's beautiful, so beautiful we decided to camp there!

We stopped at Yuba State Park to set up camp. It was a really pretty lake with campsites along the beach. We set up camp and built a wicked fire and pretty much soaked up the stars and nature, including the rain. Yes, the rain didn't stop us. It did inconvenience us slightly when we had to cover all the food and ourselves just after we got everything out and ready. But we managed to beat it out and thank goodness we have rain jackets.

The next morning we packed up and drove up to Salt Lake City. We didn't stay long and I know Stacey and Grant will be disappointed we didn't check out the Temple....woopsy. :) We liked Utah, but we wanted to get to Idaho!

VIVA LAS VEGAS!

2009-06-24T00:00:00.000-07:00

This was my first time in Vegas and I must say it is Disney World for adults. There is sooo much to see! You can't fit it all into 2 days. And that's all we had. And of course I wanted to see every hotel, inside and outside, on the strip. So that took up most of our time. I LOVED the Paris casino. It was my favourite! Old downtown was also a must. Freemont Street is very cool. The digital roof show thing is amazing and there's lots of interesting people. Like chipanddale guys who hit on Kelly. haha. Anyways, I can't wait to go back. We didn't get much nightlife in due to time, exhaustion, and money, but that's ok. Next time!

Ooooo Vegas was fun... not really sure there's much else to say about that! Sweet room, sweet deal, sweet weather. It was damn sweet!

Mirage Volcano
Freemont Street Light Show

Once we left Vegas we headed to the Hoover Dam which was only about an hour drive. It was quite cool. We didn't take a tour because it cost money and we thought it wouldn't be anything special, but apparently, we were told a day later, that it's the best thing there. So if ever at Hoover Dam take the tour!! lol. I just thought it was cool that on one side of the bridge I was in Nevada, and when I crossed to the other side I was in Arizona. The Dam is right on the state line.

Goin Goin Back Back to Cali Cali

2009-06-23T12:23:00.000-07:00

After our relaxing few days in Oregon we pretty much booked it South to get to L.A...Back to California....ahh, how I love thee. I absolutely love California. And the week was none other than pure relaxation...again! lol. While Kelly was off at Extreme Wealth, I was hanging out with Christiana's mother Lois. We stayed with Chris, Lois and Jack and Lucy (the dogs) in Universal City.

The majority of my week was filled with reading....5 books in 4 days. The books were by Nora Roberts...a four book series, Captivated, Entranced, Charmed, and the last one Enchanted. So good!! And yes, I read that many books > to anyone who is reading this right now and thinking to themselves, 'Katie was reading? 5 books?'...lol. Anyways, it was lovely, and Lois couldn't have been better company. We had mini-reading parties, as I would like to call them, we also walked the dogs in the park, made our way to Universal City and made mushroom chowder together. And our Saturday night was filled with excitement! lol. We watched all 3 Cheetah Girls movies thanks to Disney Channel while enjoying a roaring fire. Yes, we had a fire. It was actually fairly chilly in L.A. while we were there. Ok, so not an extremely exciting night, but I enjoyed it none the less. Along with my new friend Lois, was Jack the dog. lol. He was adorable and I loved him. And he was more than willing to let me give him my love in the form of belly rubs and back scratches.

And I learned all about investing and played with my friends...that sounds like a 10 year old, but I really do have a tonne of fun every time I'm at an event! Learning about investing made fun? If they can keep my attention for 4 days on that topic, they must be doing something right.

But of course I had to create a little fun of my own...

Crater Lake

2009-06-22T12:23:00.000-07:00

On our way out of Oregon we took a detour to Crater Lake. It was formed from a volcanic eruption a long time ago and Wizard Island (which you can see in the pictures) has been formed over the years by lava. It is actually a mini-volcano...

The lake itself is fed only by snow and rain and it has no river run-offs. It's sooooo blue and eerily quiet when you're up there. It's at or a bit higher than the cloud line, at least this day, and there were thunder storms going on around us. Very cool to watch from a higher perspective. A must see when in Oregon.

Multnomah Falls and Remnants of Twilight!

2009-06-21T10:45:00.000-07:00

Because we had such beautiful weather while we were in Oregon we decided to hit up Multnomah Falls for the afternoon. It was amazingly beautiful and wonderful. We then decided to have a picnic overlooking the Columbia River Gorge. After our lunch Kathy showed us the spot where the final prom scene from Twilight was filmed. It was gorgeous and had an amazing view! And it was really cool being just being there. It wrapped up our 'Twilight tour' quite nicely. Hopefully the next step will be to actually meet some famous celebrities! lol.

A Saturday in Portland

2009-06-19T10:45:00.000-07:00

We went downtown Portland to check out the Saturday market and this is what we saw after getting off the train...

...it was quite surprising, not just because there was a ramp of snow in the middle of the courtyard, obviously, but also because it was extremely hot that day! But thankfully the snow didn't melt too fast and we still got to see some of the show.

The actual market was pretty big and had lots of cool vendors and entertainment. There were also a lot of different artists, which I think a large portion of the people of Portland actually are. Portland definitely has a different vibe to it though. Can't quite put my finger on it yet. Yes, Portland is a little strange. There's a lot of punk-pop youth there. That's sounds strange but there's no other way to describe it. lol. A lot of interesting eccentric people.

That night we hung out at Kathy's and had a delicious dinner which consisted of taco ingredients in the form of a lasagna. So good! And we just hung out all night and talked. It was a good girl's night in!

Just Do It!

2009-06-18T10:41:00.000-07:00

Our morning on the Nike Campus was a sweet part of our stay in Portland. Well that and being able to shop at the employee store! Danger, Danger! That place had so many good deals and there's no tax in Oregon so you're actually just paying what the tag says. The campus is huge and you really do feel like you're on a campus rather than at work. There's like 3 soccer fields, a running track, beach volleyball courts, 2 gyms, a pool, spa, yoga studios...you name it, it's there; pubs and all! They even have a hair and nail salon.

I have 2 favourite parts. The walkway at the main entrance where you have to walk over little gaps in the cement that signify that the path to success always entails overcoming some obstacles, and the museum thing with Prefontaine's quote. "To give anything less than your best is to sacrifice the gift. "

My favourite part was all the beautiful people. Everyone there is so gorgeous! haha. I also loved the huge basketball court, and of course all the free Canadian gear Kathy got us! :) Watch the second half of the video for a fashion show/weird picture montage/crazy outfits from Kel and I. Enjoy!

We Have Family In Portland?

2009-06-16T10:40:00.000-07:00

After we passed through Oregon on our way up to Vancouver a few months ago, we found out that we have family in Portland. Of course, she knew way more about us than we did about her, but we finally got to meet her at the end of May.

Kathy is cool beans! She's a total Mullen; strong willed, stubborn, loud and adventurous. I know that not everyone in our family fits that bill, but it's a pretty strong trait! Kathy's dad and our Grandpa Mullen (who died before we were born) were brothers. As Kathy tells the story, our families were really tight! I must say it's interesting listening to what our family is/was like from a different perspective. We've got some dirt to play with now! hehehe

Another thing about us Mullen's is that we're too modest and tend to downplay some of the greatest successes of our lives. Kathy, in my books, is a pretty big success. She's lived in a handful of different states doing stuff from restaurant work to youth minister to now being a part of one of the biggest sporting companies in the world; Nike. She's beaten cancer 4 times (correct me if I'm wrong) and has got great experience to share!

Now those are all amazing things, but being the young, media driven generation we are, these are some other things that really tipped the scale. When she was younger, she went on a few dates with Troy Aikmen of the Dallas Cowboys. This was after they won the SuperBowl!

Sorry Kathy! I couldn't resist!! She's kind of a celebrity magnet. When she was at the US Open in NY with her Aunt, Tom Cruise was sitting in front of them. This was way back when he was still dating Minnie Driver. But my favourite story comes from the Nike World Head Quarters. A lot of sports stars actually have offices at the HQ, such as Michael Jordan, Lance Armstrong and Tiger Woods to name a few. When those guys are on 'campus' as they call it, you can't ask for pictures or autographs or ask questions or anything. So one day Kathy was working out in the gym next to a big black guy. It took her a while to put the pieces together until he asked if she was OK. Her reply was, "I can't believe I'm working out with next to Michael Jordan." And his reply was, "I can't believe I'm working out next to Kathy Mullen."

We're all just people doing our thing...we're all put here to do exactly what we do best, whatever that may be. Yes or yes!

Love ya girl!

Back on the road... Mount St. Helen

2009-06-14T10:32:00.000-07:00

May Marvels!

2009-06-13T15:56:00.001-07:00

Although we spent the month of May off from travelling around the country (with the exception of Calgary and Portland) we still managed to have some adventures with old friends and some with new ones. Thanks to all who made our month off the road, one that was filled with fun and good times! ox

From Baked Lasagna to Black T-Shirts

2009-06-12T11:55:00.000-07:00

Katie and I decided to head into the city for some lunch on Robson on Friday afternoon. The sun was shining, it was nice and warm, but no humidity...at least in comparison to Ontario. We actually wore sleeveless tops out! Woohoo!

We went to a Greek restaurant past all the hype on Robson and ordered up the special of the day...baked lasagna. It was ginormous!!! We really should have split one! And of course it was amazing. We chatted lots about what we've been learning so far about ourselves, what kind of Warrior lessons have been appearing over the last few months, but most of all, how much fun we've been having. (We do intend to share with you the lessons we're learning, but we're still not sure how to articulate them to ourselves yet) 'Deep stuff' ya know! lol

So after lunch we mosied around on Robson and we knew that the Millionaire Mind Intensive event was going on downtown so we decided to pop in and say hello to our friends! We had no idea who would be working, but it's always nice to say hello anyway.

Well, we walked up the stairs and I've never seen someone so excited to see us as Andy was. Needless to say we got recruited to volunteer for the rest of the weekend and I know I'm glad we did! We had a friggin' blast, met so many amazing people and got to help light up people's lives. There's nothing sweeter than watching people see their potential and open up to the possibilities that await them. It was a perfect weekend.

Hey YooHoo!

2009-06-02T10:20:00.000-07:00

Katie and I have been logging a lot of hours on our blog and doing creative endeavours. Apparently that book I was going to write next year wanted to be started now! But as a result of all this work, we needed a night out, so we geared up and headed to Granville Street.

It's hard to find a place to party when you're not from the city. We knew we didn't want to dance, which ruled out half of the bars on the street, but to find a pub that had a little action was also a bit of a task. We picked up a traveller on the way. His name was Tino, from Germany, and he was in the same boat as us. A german named Tino....yes I thought it was quite strange. lol

We ended up going to Lennox to grab a beer and then figure out a game plan. A guy that I started chatting with from Nova Scotia decided to make the plan for us. He offered to buy us some drinks so we graciously recieved the offer and what started off as one beer turned into many beautifully combined with an assortment of shots and Redbull.

On our way home in the midst of a serious tree hugging session we met our new favourite yoohoo from New York.

Brian was a little wierded out by us. First we were hugging a tree, second we started talking to him. This is apparently unheard of in NY...people get defensive when you say hello there. Gee must be fun! lol. But we didn't scare him too much because he decided to join us on our search for food. After blocks of walking to finally find a sacred 7-11 we learned a heck of a lot about Brian. He's got a pretty cool story. Hopefully he'll write about it and we'll get to read about it someday. Hint hint...

Just remember to mention your two favourite Canadian yoohoos...you know you love us!

EPIC Event for an Epic Adventure?

2009-05-30T10:10:00.000-07:00

It's always great meeting up with family when you're nowhere near 'home'. We met up with our cousin Kevin on Saturday night, after hiking, in downtown Vancouver. While waiting for him on Robson Street, we were sure we were witnessing some escort service going down next to us. lol. You never know what you're going to see...

We headed down Robson to Earl's which is a very modern, cool place. Kinda like Moxie's back home. Martini's and beers and some damn good food. Mmm, I can still remember how good that steak was. Perfection... :) But beside the point...it was great to hang out and catch up with family when you're least expecting it. And it was great to watch the hockey game! We have no TV where we are and we were a little lost on the standings. Unfortunatley Vancouver lost that night, but it was fun being around some Canuck fans, they're pretty hardcore!

Kevin was in town for the EPIC event at the convention centre in Vancouver. It's basically a consumer show for products that are 'green' or eco-friendly. Kevin's product is Kiju. It's an organic juice and its sooooooooooo good!!! I wish we had juice boxes like this when we were kids! They're actually realllllly good!

After dinner with Kevin we walked over to Granville St to grab a pint with an old friend of mine, Megan. Well she's not old, but I swear we've known each other for centuries! It was nice catching up and seeing what was new and exciting in her life! Can't wait to get together again. PS. How's the book?

So on Sunday we headed to the event. (Thx for the tix Kev! We loved it) We sampled lots of food, juice, watched a fashion show and even got our hair straightened and curled! lol. It was a random day. Send positive energy for us because we entered to win lots of stuff...a GPS (that might come in handy!), $10,000 from Toyota (that might come in handy too!) and a car full of 'green' products from who I cannot remember. Fingers crossed. They had so much cool stuff at that show. Gave us lots of ideas too!

Kevin sent us off with some souvenier juiceboxes...lots of them. They'd be great for camping, which we were going to use them for, but we drank them all already! They're just too good!

Big Bear...Big Bear Chase Me...

2009-05-28T09:56:00.000-07:00

If you have no idea what that's from you were deprived...No just joking, you just need to go rent 'The Great Outdoors' with John Candy and Dan Akroyd!

Anyways, so while in Vancouver I wasn't really expecting to see anyone except maybe the handful of friends that said they wanted to come out West and visit. Cool! Out of the blue my wonderful friend Yulan said she was heading out here for a week away from home. ( I don't blame her!) And I was so happy!! lol. So Kel and I headed to Kitsilano to meet her and her brother Michael for some lunch. After a good Mexican lunch in Kitsilano we made plans to do the 'Grouse Grind' the next day.
The Grouse Grind is a hike up Grouse Mountain. They call it the grind because it's basically like being on a stair master up the entire thing. (ooo that'd be good for my butt!) I have no idea how far it is, or how long it typically takes, but my understanding is that you need to give yourself a good few hours. Yaaaa, I'm pretty sure it'll porbably take us about 4 hours. We headed to Grouse ready to climb only to be told that the mountain wasn't open for hiking yet so Yulan, Katie and I admired the timbrewolves for a little bit while Henry, Marvin and Kim waited for us to get going.

We headed to Lynn Canyon Park. The main attraction was the suspension bridge and the fact that it was FREE! :) We arrived, parked and headed towards the suspension bridge. Right before the trail for the bridge starts there is a little cafe and seating area. As we're walking towards the trail entrance a guy is yelling really loudly to all of us there (meaning the collective of everyone that was there). It took us a little while to figure out what he was yelling about because he wasn't moving quickly and his Asian accent made it difficult to understand clearly what he was yelling.

Well it didn't take long before we SAW what he was yelling about as a BIG black bear came barrelling up the road and headed right for the trail head. It seems a bit like a blur, just as it did that day, but that bear was huge and it was moving fast! I wasn't so much scared of the bear as I was worried about how it would react to all the people running from it!

We waited a little bit before heading onto the bridge.

We crossed the bridge, which was really cool. This was the first time I've been that high and realized that my fear of heights really doesn't exist anymore. I guess all those camps last summer did the trick!! Thank you Warrior! :) We hiked up or maybe down to Twin Falls where some dude was on the rocks taking everyone's 'wish' money. Still undecided about how I feel about that... I see both sides. But after that we continued along the trail along the river and stopped to make some Innukshuks. It was a wonderful afternoon spent playing in nature.

We ended up hiking all the way up to the road, which was in the wrong direction, but we were needed there. Who knew we'd be breaking into a car that day too! A lady had locked her dog and her keys in the car with no windows open. Leave it to Windsor and Leamington peeps to bust it open! But we got the dog out and everyone was happy!

Random Things We Forgot to Tell You...Part 1

2009-05-24T12:30:00.000-07:00

You can expect to get a few of these over the course of our trip as sometimes, we just forget to write about stuff. It sounds a little like this, "We should write about...!" or "We forgot to write about...!" So here's the stuff, the little random tidbits, we forgot to tell you!

This goes way back to Denver...
So at home after a good night on the town, you're usually looking for something to eat to kill those spins you're already dreading when you get into bed. There's usually street meat (hot dogs) or pizza or something closeby. Well in Colorado it was different.

We got out of the bar and there was a guy holding a cooler. He asked me something that I couldn't understand and I thought he was prolly just weird or something, so I said no. Then he asks Aaron...and this time I heard, he asked if he wanted a wrap. What?! lol. Apparently these guys make wraps at home and then bring a cooler full and stand outside the bars at night and sell them for like a buck or two. He got tons of business and they weren't too bad! I just thought it was so random...And I don't recall seeing anyone with a cooler, I just remember a wrap appearing out of nowhere in Aaron's hands.

Another thing they do in Colorado that I thought was odd was instead of asking for the bill at the end of a meal they call it a ticket. So if you're in CO and out to eat and they ask you if you want the ticket just say yes...or no, but that prolly won't turn out well.

And then in California...
Katie, Levi and I stopped off at a small store outside of Santa Cruz. As I was walking into the bakery to grab some bread two guys that I said hello to asked if they could hitch a ride with us up the coast for 5 mins. I thought about it and said, "If you don't mind being completely squished...sure!" I saw Kelly walking to the car with a big smile on her face and knew something was up. And then I was thinking how the hell are we all gonna fit!?!

So for 5-10 min there was me, Katie, Levi and the other two guys (names I don't remember... maybe Mike and Adam?) and a giant backpack in the car. On top of our roof bag was another backpack. I don't know how we did it, but it worked.

San Francisco...
We were going for a walk with Keith and Mari and walked past a lady walking her dog. He came up to us looking for some attention, but we just kept walking. Apparently this was a big thing, he's a fairly anti-social dog because of his previous owners so when he approaches people, his new owner asks them to pet him. We got asked to pet a dog for a change! Usually it's the other way around.

He was a sweet dog and he even did tricks. If you said ''paw'' he would shake a paw. lol. So the lady was like ''Put out your hand and say P-A-W.'' Now, I didn't realize she was doing the whole i'm-spelling-paw-right-now-so-he-doesn't-hear-it-and-get-excited thing. So I bent down, put out my hand and said ''P-A-W!'' I friggin spelt paw!! LOL I am peeing my pants laughing right now! Then everyone started laughing and the lady was like ''No...you have to actually say it.'' haha Needless to say I felt like an ass cuz I just spelled out the word paw to a dog to get a shake from him. That was a very ditzy moment! haha P-A-W

Another thing about San Fran is that there is little to no chain fast food joints in the city. It's all little privately owned cafes and restaurants. The closest Wendy's was 7 miles away I think...I looked it up! I wanted a Frosty! But that is actually a blessing because it opens up your palatte to new things. Now instead of us craving McD's or Wendy's we usually crave mexican food...greasy tacos! Can you say 'El Mattate'? mmmm...

Calgary Millionaire Mind Intensive

2009-05-20T22:07:00.000-07:00

Where do I start with such an eventful weekend?

First of all, the drive out to Calgary was absolutely beautiful. It didn't matter that we had already been on that stretch of road twice, it looked completely new and astonishing all over again. Katie slept for pretty much the entire first half of the drive until I pulled over for some food at the historical "Last Spike" monument. It's literally the place where they drilled the last spike into the railway that connected the entirety of Canada. I remember learning about it in history class at some point in my educational career, but to actually be there and think that over 100years ago, trains were first coming to life. It was very cool for me at least...that historian being awed by the smallest of historical snippets.

Once we got into Calgary we were reunited with Gregory. We headed out to Brewster's, the local brewery for some dins and drinks. In my opinion this brewery was my least favourite, but it was still good, just not great! After catching up after a whole 2 weeks of being away from eachother we pretty much passed out and got lots of sleep to be ready for the long weekend ahead!

The Millionaire Mind Intensive is a course that Katie and I have both done. This was my second time volunteering at it and Katie's first. To be honest, words will not be able to explain what this experience was...still. Greg asked us to explain it to him and we couldn't really even do that because it's an 'experience' not something you just go to or do. What you learn and how you grow over the course of that weekend is unbelievable until you actually experience it for yourself.

But being on the other side of it, helping to run the event, rather than participate, afforded us a different perspective. We learned a lot about ourselves as leaders and as followers. We had rock star volunteers on our Karma Krew and we just gelled! Everything...to us at least...went really well! Howard said it best, "When you're doing something that is in line with your purpose, it is effortless and your natural talents and skills just do the work for you." Or something like that :) But it was soooo true. Katie and I were doing something in line with our purpose, whether that was just 'being' whoever, whatever, wherever we needed to be or whether there was something we haven't quite become aware of, it felt right and it felt goooood!

At the end of the day, it wasn't about how good we felt, but how good we made everyone else feel. 300+ people's lives have been forever shifted into a new energy because of our little team of peeps. It is unreal what small groups of people can accomplish for a something greater than themselves...what one person's idea has done for millions of people.

What can you do for just one person? How can you help shift someone's energy from down in the dumps to closer to the clouds?

Side Trip To Seattle

2009-05-17T22:07:00.000-07:00

Seattle, again! The main purpose for our trip to Seattle was to pick up my one shoe that I left there, lol, and to pick up my computer that Miss Chantelle Tibbs got for me! So we made a weekend of it. It just felt right. Trust your gut and it will all work out...always does!

The first day we got there we went to see the Troll under the bridge. lol. Now, when someone tells you there's a troll under a bridge your mind sort of wonders. I heard a story once of a troll that lived under a bridge and would come out and take you and you'd disappear forever. So ya, wasn't sure what to expect. I really shouldn't have watched Tales From the Crypt Keeper when I was younger....I envisioned this big ogar like man with a toll booth and a very large cane charging people to view him and his home. I'm not sure why I thought it was a real live being, but I've been surpised before. But anyways, it's actually a huge clay/cement sculpture of a troll holding a VW Bug. It's cool! And apparantly a very popular tourist attraction.

After meeting with the troll we headed to Jessica's again. Not easily may I add. We had a little trouble finding the place, but thanks to RedHook we figured it out pretty quickly after that. The term Lost On Purpose is resonating with me a little more frequently. At first it was a quirky title for our blog, but the more I venture around, the more I realize that I intentionally try to find my way around with out maps and such. There's a BIG lesson in that one! Although it does confirm that trusting your gut does get you where you need to be....eventually. Without having any plans upon arrival we made some real quick. Michael, who we house sat for the last time we were in Seattle, was making dinner. We wanted to visit the animals again, and he invited us over to eat! It was delicious! Kel and I ended up playing Candy Land, Barbie Fashion Show computer game, and American Idol karaoke, again! Olivia, Michael's daughter had lots of fun stuff for us to do! And I think she was happy to have someone to hang out with.

The next day we headed to Pike's Place Market. VERY COOL!!! If ever in Seattle it's a must! Lots of interesting people! And when you're there be sure to see the 'fish throwers'. Mar, if it weren't for Buzek and that Fortune 500 video of Pike's Place I would have never known! It's way cooler seeing it live rather than on the video in the office!

We were hoping to do the underground city tour but unfortunatley they only took cash. And Kel and I didn't have any American money on us. And we weren't gonna be charged $10 to take some out. So hopefully we'll do that some other time! After that we just sort of walked around and toured the city. I love Seattle. Especially the area near Pike's Place and the harbour. A lot of the buildings are original and beautiful. And Seattle is actually very well kept. It was nice to be in a clean city!

Our drive back to Vancouver was much quicker than the drive there and we had some eye candy along the way. A truck with 4 surfers played the passing game with us for a long time. And then we parted ways. We took a quick drive through the city through Kitsalano and then Stanley Park, mostly so Katie could get a quick peek of it and a feel for what's going on in Van. Very good weekend indeed!

Earl's Birthday

2009-05-16T21:14:00.000-07:00

Earl's birthday was the day after mine, April 24. To kick off his morning he went and played some poker and black jack and won $4500!! That's a pretty good way to start your day! But while he was off winning lots of money, Michael, Kelly and I were filling his bedroom with balloons!! 100 at least! It was wonderful! lol. And Michael seemed to be happy that his plan worked. Although Earl was suspicious because he saw a balloon in his window on the walk home, he didn't expect so many! We also wrote little message in some of them so he had to find the ones that had them. Out of the 7 that had messages, only one was important because it told him where his present was! lol. It was quite funny watching him find them!

After the balloon incident Kel, Earl and I went to Central park and played some frisbee. Earl, an ultimate frisbee player tried to teach us some tricks which we failed at, but it was fun none the less. I AM getting better. I have shown remarkable improvement in my 'skills' since the last time someone got suckered into playing frisbee with me. We later headed to Boston Pizza for some bday dinner. FYI don't go to BP for your bday. They don't sing, or clap, or even celebrate customer bdays there. Not even a free cake or brownie..or ice cream!! Although WE know, from inside sources, that you are supposed to do that!

But bowling made up for all that! We ended the night with some friendly competition and rocked out to 80's rock music at Rock n' Bowl! Bowling never disappoints! Apparently niether do I when I attempt to bowl with out bowling shoes and forget I can't slide, therefore landing square on my knees with everyone watching...or at least just Katie who nearly peed her pants laughing at me.

A Vancouver Birthday

2009-05-13T10:06:00.000-07:00

April 23, 1986. Yes, I turned 23..on the 23rd. I think that means something but I'm not sure. Hopefully it means this is going to be the best year of my life!! It sure started out that way....I woke up that morning earlier than usual, 10 am, haha. Because obviously it was my big day and everyone gets up early on their big day, even if they're not doing anything! Well I woke up to Kelly, acting very strange, telling me to go back to bed. That NEVER happens, so I knew something was up. She also locked me out of the computer so that was a sure sign that she was scheming. Once I got her permission to use the computer again, I realized she made me an awesome birthday video filled with random birthday wishes form random people! haha It was fabulous! And surprising! And a perfect way to kick off my day.

After I blew out the candles on my birthday Tim Horton's donuts, and made a wish to meet the cast of Twilight, Kel and I headed out for a walk in Central Park. B-E-A-UTIFUL! I foresee me taking lots of naps and having multiple picnics there this summer! Or possibly picking up a couple games of horseshoes...Anyways, the real reason we went there is because we found out the set of New Moon was being filmed there. And the park is right next door to us so we went to creep it out. And we found it!!! No cast in sight unfortunately, but we saw a green screen set up and some posts and such. Pretty cool none the less. Kel and I are confident though that we'll see the cast downtown Van somewhere, and we'll spend the night laughing and drinking, and become great friends! :D

After our park stroll we got haircuts! A new look for a new city! Sure! It was well needed,...shaggy was taking over and I was feeling sluggish. A good clean up fixed that right up! And a new style. I now have bangs....strange at first cuz I felt like I was in grade 3 again singing in the school play, and then I looked identical to my mother. A weird feeling I must say. But it all worked out. We were ready for a night out!

First stop - Steamworks Brewery...let's just say that was the starting point. Good food, good beer, good 'tradition' shots of SoCo. The Horvath-Staudt tradition that probably put us past the point of clarity,..it was just nonesense from then on. Pretty sure the one waiter had a crush on Katie. With her hand all the way to the bottom of her beer glass to pull out the lemon, he walks by and asks, "Do you want another lemon or are you happy fishing that one out?" And then he brought her another lemon. He was super sweet. We also thought we saw Al Borlin (Richard Karn) from Home Improvement sitting at a table near us. BUT we were disappointed when he got up and looked nothing like him at all.

Of course that wasn't enough so we wandered around and happened to stuble upon Ceili's (Kay-lee's), an Irish pub with dualing pianos! DULEING PIANOS PEOPLE!!! It's the same chain that Greg told us about in Calgary. Talk about a blast! Those guys rocked! They were very entertaining and they sang happy birthday to me!! Yay! Looking forward to another Thursday downtown soon. We also made friends with some cools peeps who (I think it was more of a warning) told us they were in the 'film industry'. I'm not sure if that was supposed to scare me or not, but it didn't. They were awesome. Yes, Mase who resembled the lead singer of The Darkness (big curly long afro hair) with a mix of the Beatles with a jacket similar to that of the Sgt. Pepper Band attire. And Chad who was sweet and liked to be dipped while dancing with a woman,....he quizzed us on the song 'Piano Man', wondering how we knew all the words.

So, to all you Billy Joel fans:

It's 9 o'clock on a ...
What's the old man making love to ...
What is Davy still in ...

In the midst of all our fun we failed to keep track of time and ended up running 6 blocks...Katie in closed toed shoes, me in my Jesus sandals...to catch the train back to Burnaby. It would have been a $30 cab ride home...running seemed appropriate! The next day we realized we really only needed to run 2 if we had paid attention to where the stops actually were...lol. Oops! So I guess we need to learn the train system a little better. But there will be lots of time to do that now! There will be lots more adventures, more random people and definitely a lot more fun timez ahead!

Brian and The Arrow

2009-05-11T11:20:00.000-07:00

Katie and I are sitting in a cafe in Burnaby, BC working on a blog post. One of us is researching what to do in BC as the other writes their part of the blog.

Then comes along Brian who throws down a book about 'The Arrow'. Here's the wikipedia description..."

The Avro Canada CF-105 Arrow was a delta-winged interceptor aircraft, designed and built by Avro Aircraft Limited (Canada) in Milton, Ontario, Canada, as the culmination of a design study that began in 1953. Considered to be both an advanced technical and aerodynamic achievement for the Canadian aviation industry, the CF-105 held the promise of Mach 2 speeds at altitudes exceeding 50 000 ft (15 000 m), and was intended to serve as the Royal Canadian Air Force's primary interceptor in the 1960s and beyond.
Not long after the 1958 start of its flight test program, the development of the Arrow (including its Orenda Iroquois jet engines) was abruptly and controversially halted,[1][2] sparking a long and bitter political debate."

Who knew? Certainly not I! It turns out that Brian was in the Canadian Airforce for many years. After chatting for a bit about the contraversies surrounding the superiority of The Arrow we found out a bit more about Brian.

When Brian was 17, he left Ontario for the first time and joined the Airforce. He says that the discipline saved his life; he's not sure where he'd be with out that opportunity. He didn't enjoy it at the time, but it was what it was and like so many things, they are a part of our journey, lessons to be learned to help us grow.

He seemed very approving of our little journey and when I asked him if he had any advice for kids our age and younger he said this, "Don't be afraid to try things, you only come this way once."

After talking with Brian for a while it was clear that he understood the concept of one life; one chance to get it done.

We are very greatful that he crossed our path and was willing to share his story. Brian, if you're reading this, which I'm sure you are, hope you're having an awesome day! Thanks for your contribution to our journey!

The States Ain't So Bad!

2009-05-06T20:14:00.000-07:00

Being in Canada has made us realize that there are some things that we miss about the good ol' U. S. of A.. Now some of you are probably saying "Are you for real?" And I bet your Canadian, lol. But once you've travelled the great country for 2 months straight you gain an appreciation for it and find beauty in the least likely of places.

Things we miss...

-the breweries in Colorado
-the Arizona sun
-cactuses
-thinking you may see a celebrity on every corner of LA...or any city for that matter
-the creative energy...they've always got ideas for something
-Mexicans that don't whistle at you...with the exception of the Mission in San Fran
-Mexican food at every corner
-the diversity of landscapes and climates even within one state alone (aka Arizona, Cali)
-being in the mecca of the entertainment industry and knowing that you'll never be bored
-being in the midst of another culture that is not your own

Being away made us appreciate Canada more and now being out of the USA we have a better appreciation for what we experienced there. I'm sure they are out there, but 'like attracts like' so we didn't run into anyone that was anymore rude, loud or crazy than ourselves. I guess it's all in the eye of the beholder.

April's Awesome!

2009-05-06T17:15:00.000-07:00

Shout out to all the awesome peeps that let us crash and play with them last month.

Thank you for your patience with our 'yet to be determined' planning and our last minute decisions at Easter.

Your understanding allowed us the space we needed to recollect and reorganize our lives, our car and our thoughts! April was a month filled with randomness at it's best. From lawn darts and pet fashion shows to birthdays, easter celebrations and friends from home in far off places.

Thank you for opening your doors to two crazy gals on a crazy journey, your trust and willingness to help us out is greatly appreciated!

We're Twitterific!

2009-05-03T22:23:00.000-07:00

Recently in the news Twitter has recieved a lot of coverage. Partly because Ashton Kutcher said that if he beat CNN to get 1 million followers first he'd 'Ding Dong Ditch' Ted Turner's house. Katie just had to tell me that that means it's like a 'Nicky Nine Door', ring the bell and run. Katie also said she's not sure if there's a bag of flaming dog shit involved, but hopefully not! But that would be entertaining... hmm.

We decided to get Twitter for our blog about a month ago after some of our friends told us we had to. I believe the conversation went like this.

KK- "What's this Twitter thing?"

Martell Bros. - "Just get it."

KK- "Well what is it?"

MarBros- "How do you have a blog and not have Twitter?!?! It's like better than a blog!"

KK- "Ya ok...maybe we'll check it out"

And then they went on to talk about how many followers they have, how many people they are following and how many times a day they are 'tweeting'. All of this was like listening to someone talk with marshmellows in their mouth. And then of course one of the presenters talked about it at GBS and then in San Fran, Chantelle and Hoan raved about it.

So we got it. And we didn't know how to use it for about 2 weeks! Katie called Dan a 'twitter slut' for the first little bit because we were hardly following anyone, but she takes that back...there are bigger twitter sluts than Dan. But it's actually REALLY easy and you can follow pretty much anyone!

For example...we are following A.C. Slater (real name Mario Lopez)- his most recent 'update'
MarioLopezExtraMaria Shriver and I are going to start taking salsa lessons together! Hope Arnold is cool with it... She loves to dance
jimmyfallonRode the elevator with David Letterman just now. How cool is that? Shout out to Eddie Brill....
JonathanRKnightFor Earth Day some of these Hollywood woman should give up their lip injections! Just saw the craziest lips on this woman QUACK! QUACK!

Even though we're following some of the biggest names in Hollywood, we do love to see what they're up to, but it's less about following 'them' and more about learning what they do, where they get their information and who they are affecting.

We're all human, we're all on the same level, same planet, why shouldn't we be able to communicate?

And I wanna see Ashton 'Ding Dong Ditch' Ted Turner in Atlanta....we'll keep you posted!

In the meantime, get a Twitter account to add to your already growing list of Social Networking Sites and follow us @Lost_On_Purpose :)

Happy Tweeting!

A Little Love for the Motherland...Canada

2009-04-26T18:30:00.000-07:00

When we got back to Canada the first thing we did was hit up Tim Horton's. I know you've seen the video already, but what hit us wasn't the Ice Cap, but the accents and the unique culture of CNDs. We hadn't heard a CDN accent in months and especially one from the west. They are so much thicker...like aboot :) We also really missed the people. Everyone is so damn nice! I love it! And everyone is very chill and relaxed, it's nice to be away from the fast pace of the US.

Once we got to Greg's we sat and watched TV and the first thing we watched was a replay of the Juno Awards...Canada's Music awards show. Talk about forgetting how awesome CDN music is and how awesome we are as a country. It's easy to get caught up in the hype of the US, but in all my time travelling down there I don't remember ever having the feeling of awe and inspiration and over all warm fuzzies I had when watching our country celebrate it's artists and musicians. Sam Roberts, Divine Brown, City and Colour, Simple Plan, The Tragically Hip and of course Bryan Adams, just to name a few. And, wow, I can't believe I'm gonna say this, but I actually missed Canadian television! lol. A commercial for The Hour came on and I was so excited! And I love that Candians don't really care what they say on TV. It's so non-chalent. Even the award show was just like a joke. A good one though! lol. It's all about the music and none of that other bullsh*t.

And then sure as sh$* the hockey game came on shortly after! Hockey Night in Canada is a bloody religion. My apoligies to Ron McLean and Don Cherry for not keeping up with hockey and not watching coaches corner...I will do my best to make sure I see all of your snazzy outfits Don. Now that we are stable in Van for awhile we can catch up on what we've missed!

More things that I missed about Canada...
-the fact that I can use my debit card here and not have to take out money all the time
-knowing that your craving for Timmy's will be filled in a few short minutes no matter where you are or at what time
-the luxery of using my airmiles
-the trees
-hockey
-and did I mention Tim Horton's? lol

Katie's Birthday! :)

2009-04-23T09:13:00.000-07:00

Today is Katie's birthday! She's turning 23...I know, she's getting old.

She has NO idea I'm writing this because she's still sleeping!

Drop by, send her a message and wish her a great day. Stay tuned. I'm heading out to have some fun on her behalf... :) Check back shortly!

OK I'M BACK.

Happy Birthday Keets! Love ya long time!

Gregory Plata turns 23!

2009-04-22T14:30:00.000-07:00

So our first couple days in Calgary weren't too exciting. Probably due to the fact that Greg went home for the weekend as soon as we got there. Not that we're complaining. We enjoyed time alone and of course the freedom of doing nothing or something at any time. But I must say as soon as Greg returned there was much more happening and definitely a lot more excitement in our slow-moving lives of the previous couple of days. He will be quite happy that I'm writing this and I know that he's reading this and thinking that exact thing. Hi Greg!

The days leading up to Greg's birthday were not as crazy as THE day, but fun none the less. We bantered at each other, hung out, had some drinks, and wings @ Watchman's...oh wing sauce, and of course played lots of MAD GAB, which is the easiest and hardest game to play all at the same time!

Now, I would like to think I am pretty good at MAD GAB and fairly quick to get the answer. But for some reason Greg and I could not solve this phrase: Are Eight Ease Pails Rat. Now if you've never played here is what you do. The series of words given sounds like a phrase, person, item, or anything that is actually real. For example, Egg Ranch Howled, doesn't really make sense. But the answer is A Grandchild. Say it loud, sometimes really fast, or even in the voice of Borat and you will become a pro! lol. Greg will tell you that he gets better with a few drinks, but Blazing Saddles (me) wooped Rhino Thunder's (Greg) butt in our first round. My trick...the Borat voice...sometimes you just need an accent to hear something that makes sense. Soon you figure out how to split up certain words and emphasize certain syllables. Anywaaayyys, the Are Eight Ease Pails Rat phrase took Greg and I about 8 minutes to figure out. Well actually I figured it out. Greg clearly needs to work on his skills. lol. He's not just a pretty face but sometimes it doesn't hurt to have one. JOKING!! lol. We will give you the answer at the end of this post, so if you want time to figure it out we won't ruin it by putting it up right now. :)

Greg's birthday started off fairly normal. We baked him a cake, which he saw when he came home for lunch. (Surprise ruined!!) Greg then made us dinner, even though it was his birthday. He insisted and I wasn't gonna say no! lol. And it was delicious! Jarod joined us for some dins and then we started another round of MAD GAB with Maggie who had come early for the celebrations.

The noise level and fun level escalated quickly as MAD GAB and Jenga became intertwined with a few drinks. The cake went down quickly, drinks were enjoyed and then out came the DOWNTOWN MAGNETAWAN t-shirts! Ok. I talked about odds...

1) 6 out of 9 of us went to Brock University

2) 3 out of 9 of us were all from Leamington...I just had to say that

3) This is pretty big....5 out of 9 of us have been or go regularly to Magnetawan!

So only fitting that we throw on our DTM t's and take a picture.

Katie and I have a cottage, Maggie used to go to girls camp there every summer, Greg and Julie have a friend with a cottage up there...somehow, the Mag always connects us with someone! As per usual...people feel left out when we all throw on our DTM shirts...Mark (in the blue shirt) has never been. You can't blame a guy for wanting to put that shirt on and be tres cool! Oh but I did! lol. It was all good that he had it on though, because it's literally the coolest place ever. But I strongly stated that he was a fraud and a fake and had no sincere respect and appreciation for Magnetawan therefore no right to wear it. haha Yes, I went a little overboard but tradition is tradition. As any 1st, 2nd, 3rd, or 4th generation Staudt, Herhaldt, Fisher, Mullen and Horvath will tell you...If you've never been to the Mag you can't wear the shirt! But no worries Mark, I'll let it slide this time!

We then took the party to the bar, the Roadhouse, where dancing, singing and drinking continued. There was even some of our own versions of karaoke and we got to witness Nicole's party tricks -> see pics! It was an evening that ranks fairly high on my partying experiences thus far on the trip. Thanks Greg, for turning 23! And thanks again to Greg for letting us crash at his place when we barely had an actual conversation before that week. lol. We'll be back soon! :D

Answer to Are Eight Ease Pails Rat is R-A-T spells Rat. Like how did it take you guys 8 mins to figure that out! Duh! :)

Of course, the day we leave is the day you get engaged?!

2009-04-22T13:01:00.000-07:00

Friday started off fairly tame with a visit to our cousin Shannon at her work. She works for a company called Haworth which specializes in 'adaptable workspace solutions'. In simpler terms, they create work spaces for offices that are economically and environmetally friendly, and the best part, moveable! So all the walls can be moved throughout the office at anytime, and you could create a whole new environment for working. I am not making it sound as exciting as it is..but believe me, it's really cool! It is really cool. You can customize your workspace aesthetic to exactly what you want to represent. Like they've got custom made glass pannels, everything is adjustable and rearrangable (is that a word?). I think this would be awesome for houses too! Just put up a basic foundation and outer shell and recreate the inside as often as you want! Especially for lofts...geez...I wonder if they do 'home spaces'? I'd be in...when I get a home that isn't our car. Not having to tear down drywall and put it back up to give the office a new look? Ya, think of how much less $, labour, waste... Just check out the website and see for yourself.

So, earlier this week we found out Shannie was engaged. Just hours after we saw her I'm assuming. Such strange timing! Congrats Shan!

We've Kept You Waiting...It's Time!

2009-04-20T00:00:00.000-07:00

Having some fun on the road. I'm sure there will many more photoshoots in the future!

Wealthy Warrior

2009-04-19T16:13:00.000-07:00

Sometimes instead of taking courses it's nice to be on the other end organizing and helping to run the course. Wealthy Warrior is an evening course so it's not the typical 'intensive' environment, but having Harv as a lead trainer is intensive enough....especially when you're helping run the event!

Regardless of that Katie and I had a blast helping out. I think our favourite part was the saddle seats at the top of the theatre. I mean, why doesn't every bar have saddle seats?! Honestly, I think I gasped so loud when I saw them that others around thought I was having a heart attack!THE best thing ever! BUT I could only imagine the trouble you'd get into while intoxicated. We weren't even drinking and still having a blast!

We each had lots of different tasks to do throughout the night. Some went well, some not so well, but we live and learn! It was my first time volunteering and well, I think I did pretty good! I was at the second table for check-in and it was quite hectic. I must say at one point I was very overwhelmed. But I got myself together and kept pushing. I am now ready for MMI and WARRIOR! My volunteering skills are much better than I thought!

I've gotta say though, one task I had was like a VIP task. lol. Speaking in an earlier post about the odds being in your favour....well what the hell are the odds that, with the exception of 4 of us on the team, everyone else was from Calgary, but Katie and I were the only ones who drove ourselves and knew our way around the city?! Again...apparently REALLY good! The girls who don't live here somehow....somehow, know their way around the city well enough to become a chauffeur for Mr. T Harv Eker...

I know, it's big! The Silver Century's first multimillionaire passenger. lol. But in all honesty, he's a rock star. We had some casual conversation in the Silver Century on the way to his hotel, but I was really focused....I was on a mission; get Harv to his hotel in one piece so he could sleep! He really is a super nice guy, very down to earth and very focused. I'll be honest, having him sitting next to me in our car was a bit of a wake up call for me to get my ass in gear...and he didn't even have to say a thing.

As far as Wealthy Warrior...it's a wicked program. It's short, it's sweet, it's to the point and if you're a Warrior...well you get to have a little fun too. I may not get this word for word, but last night the man who gave Peaks this quote was at the event and he shared... "A mountain is strong and tall by itself, but not until there are other mountains around it does it become a range and get put on maps."

oooo goosebumps! A-HO!

The 'Gary'

2009-04-17T10:17:00.000-07:00

Easter weekend was, well, Easter weekend! We went out with Greg's friend Amy and her friend Lauren for some drinks. Of course being the Goddesses we are, we attracted a handful of guys. Good looking guys who had a limo. That sounded appealing until the one guy (the only guy who seemed to have any kind of head on his shoulders) told us that one of his buddies actually bought the limo. Yeah, I wasn't very impressed. I think he was shocked when I said that. But really, I don't want someone that has a limo. Now if someone has a driver, then we can talk. lol. So me being curious, I asked if they were starting a business and he said, "No, they just bought a limo for going out and stuff." Who buys a friggin limo just to go out in?! Needless to say, Katie and I passed on the limo and the Barbe-friggin-Q and headed home. We found out later, there was no BBQ.... Inutition-1, Silly Boys and their Egos-0. My first clue there was no BBQ..."What are you guys serving at the BBQ?" "Uuhhh hjdiksahlf uuhhh njfih duh!" Yeah, thanks but no thanks.

Sunday and Monday were super lazy days. The original plan was for me, Katie and our cousin Kenny to have Easter dinner together, but that didn't work out and we ended up meeting up with him for a few hours on Monday instead.

Kenny's involved with a company called World Financial Group which is actually really cool. We checked out an overview during the week. The jist of it...you need financial help, are looking to save money, would like to know more about creating tax advantages, are interested in starting up a business...this is a group to check out!

The overview was cool, but let me ask you this? What are the odds that you're going to get 4 people in the same room from the same hometown on the other side of the country in Calgary on a random Wednesday evening? Apparently REALLY good! Wait...the crazy part...3 of us went to elementary school together. I'm beginning to think that the odds are more in your favour than not...the Universe has been amazingly abundant. We hung out with Jared Bailey, a Mount Carmel alum, for a couple drinks and caught up on life since. We made up for 10 years in about 2 hours! lol. But it was nice to see a familiar face.

KENNY....PASS THE TEST!!! There's going to be people looking for you soon!

O Canada, Our Home and Native Land...

2009-04-11T14:59:00.000-07:00

Well, things are very random these days. We were in Seattle one day and in Canada the next. The decision to leave Seattle on Thursday was so last minute and spur of the moment, but absolutely perfect!

I mean, heading to Calgary for Easter was our initial thought which then turned into staying at a friend of Katie's while he's back in Ontario for the weekend and making a week out of it before we get a little more settled in Vancouver!

The drive up to Calgary was a long one. The border in Bellingham is WAY different than the border at Detroit! The lady in the booth played '21 Questions' with us, but she was cool and we were having fun with her. She thought we were hilarious and sent us immediately to stock up at the nearest Tim Horton's! She must be psychic!!!!

For those of you who don't know what Tim Horton's is, you must come to Canada just to check it out. Well, realistically, there's much more to see in Canada, but you'll find it difficult to go anywhere in Canada without seeing a Tim's or several in one town. Tim Horton's is a coffee shop, but it's sooo much more than that. You can get anything from bagels, donuts, sandwiches, coffees, Ice Caps!, cakes....and it's so damn good to boot!!! 'Always Fresh, Always Tim Horton's'! OOO and every spring they have a 'Roll Up the Rim To Win' contest where you can win crazy stuff like cars, cash, TVs BBQs...or free coffees, which is what I usually end up with! It's perfect!

We crossed from BC into Alberta probably around 8ish am on Friday morning. It's an absolutely amazing drive through the Rockies. We missed a lot of it driving through the night before, but we're headed back the same way so we'll have ample opportunity to bask in the mountain beauty again. Banff and Lake Louise are also on our things to stop and see on the way out. We had one thing on our mind that morning. Getting to where we were staying so we could get out of the car!

We surprised our cousin Shannon first. She came out for lunch with us and we got to catch up. Ya know, 'girl talk'! She's been out in Calgary for almost 3 years and loves it. It's very cool to see what she gets up to out here! Then we grabbed Katie's friend Greg from work and he showed us around his apartment, and parts of the downtown that we may be interested in...like a brewery.

So here we are in Calgary. Apartment sitting and making the most of the lack of fast internet and of our time to readjust to Canadian pace of living. I didn't realize how 'Americanized' I had become...especially as a driver!!!! It's nice to bring it down a notch.

This is a bit of a turning point in our journey. Our family got to see our friends, all those crazy people we always rave about and now our friends get to see our family, all the other crazy people we always rave about! What a way to keep connected!

The Art of Housesitting...

2009-04-08T19:23:00.000-07:00

Housesitting with Jessica has been awesome. Not only do Katie and I have our own beds (thank God!) (Thank god!) and bathroom, but we've pretty much had the place to ourselves. It's quiet, it's green, it was sunny, it wasn't a city...to be honest, it reminds me of Magnetawan! A little taste of the cottage on the west coast!

Katie and I have been pretty low key the last few days, actually reading books and being all scholarly and stuff. "He's Just Not That Into You" is a great read btw! And athletic too! I think we could go pro at lawn darts. We've been practicing that, our trampoline skills, croquet, lawn darts and monkey bars; hell, we even had a catwalk to walk down... We got skills I tell ya. We weren't put here just to look pretty. Although we do that pretty well too. ;) We're Mullen girls...we can do anything. "We dig our own worms, we bait our own hooks...."

I've got to be completely honest though. Laying low after being on the frickin' road for 2 months was exactly what we needed. We get to take in our surroundings. The bobcat that stalks the back fence by the garage/loft we're staying in, the 2 cats and a dog that we've become BFFs with, the grass, the sun....mmmm.

And if the Universe couldn't get any better we've even made money while we've been here!! Ka-ching! I mean, we worked for it...pretty damn hard too, but it was a win-win. They got cleaner houses, we got money for gas and food. That's all we really need. I mean, we can figure out ways to get all the other 'luxury' stuff like plates, forks, napkins...they keep those things out at the grocery stores for the buffet stuff...why buy the package in the aisle when it's sitting there screaming to be used. :) LOL. Some of you are thinking, "OMG, my girls are stealing plastic dinner ware from grocery stores." HAHA sure are! It's not like we're not buying food there or anything...I mean, we've got a Safeway card now! We get discounts all the time now. We saved like $9 the other day.

We haven't seen the city yet, and we may not. I guess you'll find out in our next post whether we checked it out or not cuz we're headed to Calgary baby! Again, the Universe wants us elsewhere. Who are we to argue? And besides, there's a medium Ice Cap with my name on it. Who's buyin'?

Canada here we come!! Can't wait for Tim Horton's!!! Oh I can't wait!

Where the F is my Kazoo and How do you spell B-I-Z-N-A-T-C-H?!?

2009-04-06T14:34:00.000-07:00

After Kel and I were done fantacizing about Edward Cullen,..carrying us in the woods on his marble, rock hard body, looking into his topaz eyes, and listening to his smooth voice and smelling his sweet sweet scent... umm, ya I know he's not real. But a girl can dream! Oh he's real...we just haven't found him yet... :) Vancouver?

Anyways, after Forks it was time to hit up Seattle! We caught the Ferry just in time to make the trip over whatever-body-of-water-that-was to the city! We didn't spend much time there. Just to meet up with our hostess for the next couple days, Miss Jessica! And she's fabulous! And hilarious! We followed her all the way home which is actually about a 20 minute drive from the city. And the best part is she lives in the boonies! We have not yet stayed outside of a city or subdivision, besides camping, so it was awesome to see a great backyard, smell the fresh air, listen to silence, and see the amazing night sky! Oh and having a bed to sleep in instead of the car was good too. lol.

But before we hit the hay we partied at the local brewery, Redhook. Again, in Mullen fashion, we sampled every beer offered, and to our surprise they were all delicious!! Really did you expect anything else? Jessica's intuition and random actions have been absolutely perfect thus far!There was also an awesome band playing, Kris Orlowski, so there was clearly no other option but to stay. Great beer + great music + great company = a great night out!

Kris Orlowski is actually the name of the lead singer in the band and he's pretty cool. He came up to our table and gave us kazoo's! Anyone that just has kazoo's to give away is awesome in my books! I think pretty cool is a bit of an understatement. I've never been somewhere where the band actually talks to everyone in the bar! Talk about marketing....Throughout the night we played our kazoo's like it was the best sound in the world and enjoyed the music of Kris and his band. After the show Jessica offered our services to help the band clear out their equipment, so we did. Now we can actually tell people that at one point 'we were with the band'. While doing so we got to meet the rest of the band, Jason and Tim, his Mom, Nancy, and his Dad, Paul, who is Canadian btw, even though he thought for some reason he wasn't really. He was slightly intoxicated so that may have been why. None the less they were all very nice and fun people!

After we closed up the brewery we hung out with everyone at Daddy's. Katie and Jessica played pool and I chummed around with Pappa Dukes Orlowski. Very cool guy and Kris' mom Nancy, she's a doll. Proud parents! Kris gave us a list of cool things to check out...it's signed on our CD cover...When he makes it big you'll all be jealous! lol.

Dad gave us a little inside scoop on the song Jessi. It was written about Kris' ex-girlfriend. He told us where she was from and we jokingly...well maybe not...asked for her address and gave him a napkin to write it down... from the mouth of Paul, "Um, how do you spell Biznatch?"LOL

Seattle has been fabulous so far! Can't wait to see what else it brings! We're house sitting with Jessica so I can only imagine the trouble we can get into!!! hehehe...

For more vids from this night click here.

MMMMMMMMMarch!

2009-04-05T18:57:00.001-07:00

Drive to Carlsbad from Arizona - 5 hours
Time spent watching AI with the Musselman's - 2 hours
Listening to Isabel talk,..and talk and talk.. - indefinite
Watching Mickey flail his arms and legs in the air while in a lay-z-boy - PRICELESS

Time Kelly spent on her ass in a seminar writing notes - 50 hours
Time Katie spent sleeping in - 11hours
Amount of time gathering everyone for the bar - 5 minutes
Hanging out with Peak friends and family, having a few drinks after a long day - PRICELESS

Wine tours in Sonoma - Free
Eating good food at a new restaurant - Free
Ice Cream from Safeway - Free
Listening to Mari's reasons why her words in Scategories are right and watching Keith just shake his head, and then Mari giving herself the point anyways - PRICELESS

Amount of orange juice brought to pre-drink at Dan's place - half a jug
Amount of Vodka to mix with O.J. - way too much
Amount of texts it took to get Dan to the Lexington - 5
Doing the 'Dan Martell' anywhere, everywhere, and all the time - PRICELESS

Percentage of time Chantelle, Hoan, Katie and Kelly were tech nerds - 75%
Percentage of time Hoan talked about the SlapChop - 50%
Percentage of time Chantelle got distracted from her work - 30%
Watching the Sneezing Panda over and over again - PRICELESS

Thanks to all our friends and family we've seen this past month. You've made California memorable! And interesting!

MUCH LOVE,
Katie and Kelly

About three things I was absolutely positive...

2009-04-05T17:00:00.000-07:00

...first, there was no way we were going to Washington and NOT visiting Forks, second, there was a part of me - and I'm not quite sure I know how strong that part is - that wished Edward Cullen actually existed and would be there, third, I was extremely excited and anxiously awaiting our arrival!

AH! Forks! For anyone who has read Twilight you will know exactly what this post is for as soon as you read the title. :D If you haven't read Twilight you may be lost, and you should read it!!!

We woke up on Friday after sleeping in our car for the second night in a row. It was cold and wet, but the day started off well. We thought we would get dressed, go to the bathroom and leave. But to our surprise there were people outside serving hot chocolate, tea, and chocolate brownies! At the rest stop!! lol. It was the best breakfast surprise ever! And the hot chocolate was delicious! Kel chatted with them and found out there's a waiting list for people to set up shop at the rest stop to serve drivers in the morning. It's all FREE too! Just donations if you wish. It was honestly the nicest surprise and from the nicest people!

With a whole day ahead of us and a great start to the morning it was only appropriate that we make our way to Forks, and keep up the good energy. So we did! The drive there was beautiful. Everything was green! The sun would shine off and on throughout the day, but there was a slight overcast, and it would start spitting randomly. The coast of Washington really is gloomy most of the time. lol. There are also a lot of little towns and simple living, much like Leamington and surrounding areas. But it was an awesome drive through the forest and it looked exactly like Stephenie Meyer described in the book!

Forks is basically the smallest town and there is nothing really to do there. Hiking is probably the only thing, and the forest, again, is beautiful! Our first stop was the visitor's centre where we saw Bella's truck. It wasn't the one from the movie but it's close enough. I usually compare things to the books anyway, they're way better! Kel and I were greeted by a woman who was very enthusiastic about Twilight and Forks! She gave us a map that was specifically made for Twilight fans. So we knew exactly where everything was! Perfect! She also talked as if the the Cullen's and Bella were real people living in Forks. I liked her! haha.

It was easy to find everything. We usually just followed the teenage girls with their cameras! lol. Lots of people,..well mostly females, of all ages, were in Forks to get the Twilight tour. It was quite funny actually. It's definitely blown up this small town!!

Of the many things we saw there, I have a few favourites...the sign at the hospital that was reserved for Dr. Cullen, it seemed real! I liked the sign on the motorcycle parked in the spot that read, "Give blood, date a Cullen!"And of course the Forks sign, obviously! And most definitely the Cullen house! It was really old and really cool!The Cullen house is actually a B&B and Esme writes a note every morning saying where they are. When we visited they were visiting Renee, Bella's mom, in Florida. haha. Thy're really into it! I think what I liked most though was seeing the actual place that Stephenie Meyer based her story on. The way she described things in her book is exactly the way it is. It's awesome! And then you start thinking about the story and how her vision came to life. It's quite inspiring actually to put yourself in her place as you go through Forks and wonder how she came up with such an amazing story from such a quaint town.

One thing is undeniable though, the forest is MAGIC and has lots of character! I could picture Edward running through the woods and Jacob with his tribe! For real, it's crazy!! I really think the forest is what attracts people to the area, it's hard to deny it. I think for me, because I saw the movie before I read the book, I do a lot of comparison to the movie and they were absolutely bang on with everything! I mean, the houses and buildings aren't the same as the movie, but are definitely in sync with the book, but the character and the tone that is set in the movie is absolutely perfect.

After Forks we made our way to the Quileute Reserve. Sooo gorgeous! La Push Beach was so amazing, the view was awesome! I'm so excited for the New Moon movie! It's gonna be sick!! AH!! Going to La Push was just the thing I needed to get me into the Jacob spirit! lol. And I can't wait for the cliff dives!

Goodbye California

2009-04-05T14:05:00.000-07:00

After spending nearly an entire month in sunny California, it was time to say goodbye. We left San Francisco a day after we planned (it was a sign...don't leave, don't leave!) and crossed the Golden Gate bridge into what seemed like a completely other world! Leaving California was sad and somewhat appealing all at the same time. There was a part of me that was thriving to see new things and another that was saying "There is no sun in Oregon, you're heading North, why the hell are you leaving me?". Extremely tempting, yes, but it was time move forward. And Oregon is beautiful in it's own way, sun or no sun.

We stopped to get an oil change and grabbed a bite to eat. I tried out my negotiating skills on the guy at Jiffy Lube....the cute girl discount didn't fly. I did catch him off guard though...lol. Never hurts to ask. At the grocery store I got a Safeway discount card. Apparently it doesn't matter if I'm Canadian. I like when people want me to save money! I'm a money magnet! Canadians deserve Safeway cards as much as anyone else. And we are currently their #1 customer. We shop there all the time. Now we have discounts!

So anyhow, we headed up Highway 1 along the beautiful coastline again for Mendicino.

Unfortunately that plan got kiaboshed by a forest fire so we decided to bypass that area and just head right up to Redwood National Park. I think we've got something for giant trees. Sequoia last September before Warrior was absolutely 100% magic and the Redwoods didn't disappoint either. They are sooooooo tall! They're not just trees, they are spirits.

After weaving in and out on the old stagecoach road through Jedediah Smith State Park we crossed the state line into Oregon! I can say this in reference to my travels down under. California is like Australia and Oregon is like New Zealand. Brut forces along that coastline, but still magnificent.

Driving through Portland I had this gut feeling that we should just stay the night, but of course, in typical Kelly fashion I ignored it and we crashed at a rest stop for the night. (Best rest stop ever btw.) Checked my email to find out we have family in Oregon!? If I had trusted my gut, we would have stopped, checked our email and been hanging out with another Mullen in no time! But the universe is perfect. Lesson learned... At least we're still on the same coast so we can go back!

Hello Foto!

2009-04-04T10:45:00.000-07:00

Katie and I always joke about our 'continuous' setting on our camera about photo shoots...we actually got to be in one this time! I did more tasks actually. I held the toilet paper for Chantelle, got her different shirts, and took video. The people behind the scenes are just as important! :)

Chantelle and Hoan were doing a photo shoot for their music website. Anthony Kearns was the photographer. It was pretty sweet watching the whole process go down. I mean, photographers are really good at what they do, but somewhere I feel we're all photographers at some degree.

Anthony got some really cool shots even after his camera decided to bail out on him :( Didn't matter though, he got the job done and it was awesome!

Here's some pics from my perspective...

And it wouldn't be a photo shoot with out some goofy video...Hoan is always good for that!

To celebrate we hit up St.Francis for some sammies and malts! And a Rick Roll isn't always bad either! Sickest prank calls I've ever seen! Check 'em out @ http://iprankd.com/

Stay tuned for our photoshoot soon! ''It's sexytime!''