Oh garcon! may I please have some cookie dough?
Other than the whole cookie-dough thing, Steve is treating me very well. He also has a previously-unsuspected talent for gauze wrapping... I expect only expertly wrapped Christmas presents from now on!
Well then.
My new desk!
Oh garcon! may I please have some cookie dough?
Other than the whole cookie-dough thing, Steve is treating me very well. He also has a previously-unsuspected talent for gauze wrapping... I expect only expertly wrapped Christmas presents from now on!
The aftermath.
So. As you might have guessed, the WCT didn't go exactly as planned. We did manage to hike from Pachena Bay to Michegan, Michigan to Tsusiat Falls, and Tsusiat Falls to Cribs Creek, which was both Crab Day and the Long Day.
We had fun doing what we did; we covered 42km of the 75 kilometre trail; we saw some incredibly cool stuff, including what was probably the ass-end of a cougar. We also got on fine -- better than fine. The long day was hard for me, physically and emotionally (because I pushed myself further than I ever had), and Steve was still my biggest fan. He was amazingly supportive.
Here is the link to the full Trip Report we did for Clubtread.com, complete with photos:
Link (created by my Steve 'cause he's so smart)
I have to repeat here that after the accident, Steve was a rock. He did everything right, even though the situation was incredibly stressful and painful for him too. I can't imagine what it took for him to say "no" to me while I was begging to go back in the creek (and get hypothermia and even sicker). He came off the trail with me, held my hand in the ambulance, and, though exhausted himself, was nothing but kind and loving.
I'm laid up now, for at least a few more weeks (even after spending the five post-accident days on my future in-laws couch watching cable). But we're already planning another trip to the WCT -- perhaps next year, or early the following year.
For me, this WCT photo sums it up. Even though this is Cheewat Beach, and I've just hiked 13-14km and my third wind is amost entirely an illusion... I still wanted to give Steve an 'awwww' moment by practicing my 'new name' in the sand...
On the up side, being immobile is giving me lots of opportunity to think wedding stuff! (Steve would say too much, I think :-) I've been thinking vows, colours, Trish (who apparently does do food management at the RCCH), beer etc. I had apparently been reading the Knot's budget thing wrong so we will actually be fine for money. I had a nice chat with my parents about stuff too -- my Mum is a consummate table-decorator, so she's going to lead up the decorating for the hall.
I may even get a pedicure before the wedding... pretty up my ugly foot!
Here's another one of us at the dock at Nitnat: Crab Day!
We had fun doing what we did; we covered 42km of the 75 kilometre trail; we saw some incredibly cool stuff, including what was probably the ass-end of a cougar. We also got on fine -- better than fine. The long day was hard for me, physically and emotionally (because I pushed myself further than I ever had), and Steve was still my biggest fan. He was amazingly supportive.
Here is the link to the full Trip Report we did for Clubtread.com, complete with photos:
Link (created by my Steve 'cause he's so smart)
I have to repeat here that after the accident, Steve was a rock. He did everything right, even though the situation was incredibly stressful and painful for him too. I can't imagine what it took for him to say "no" to me while I was begging to go back in the creek (and get hypothermia and even sicker). He came off the trail with me, held my hand in the ambulance, and, though exhausted himself, was nothing but kind and loving.
I'm laid up now, for at least a few more weeks (even after spending the five post-accident days on my future in-laws couch watching cable). But we're already planning another trip to the WCT -- perhaps next year, or early the following year.
For me, this WCT photo sums it up. Even though this is Cheewat Beach, and I've just hiked 13-14km and my third wind is amost entirely an illusion... I still wanted to give Steve an 'awwww' moment by practicing my 'new name' in the sand...
On the up side, being immobile is giving me lots of opportunity to think wedding stuff! (Steve would say too much, I think :-) I've been thinking vows, colours, Trish (who apparently does do food management at the RCCH), beer etc. I had apparently been reading the Knot's budget thing wrong so we will actually be fine for money. I had a nice chat with my parents about stuff too -- my Mum is a consummate table-decorator, so she's going to lead up the decorating for the hall.
I may even get a pedicure before the wedding... pretty up my ugly foot!
Here's another one of us at the dock at Nitnat: Crab Day!
ouchie! stop.
Evacuated from West Coast Trail. Stop. Burnt foot with pot of water. Stop. Second degree burns. Stop. Free Zodiac ride! Stop. Spent five days in Delta recuperating. Stop. Thanks, John & Gayle! Stop. Back on Coast; will post later. Stop already.
And... we're off!
Our rockers!
Yes, I'm joking. Kinda. I think you have to be a special kind of crazy to do the West Coast Trail. Fortunately, I'm that kind of crazy, not the other kind.
Tonight we leave for Port Renfrew; tomorrow we take the Trail Bus to Bamfield, do our 'this is a bear track; this is a wolf track' BC Parks orientation... next stop, 14km to Darling River campsite. Then to Tsusiat Falls, then the long day (crab day @ Nitnat!) to Cribs, then Carmanah, then Walbran, then Logan, then Camper, then Thrasher, then car! and home! We'll be back in Delta on Saturday night; back on the Coast on Sunday.
Gail & John: in case I don't get a chance to send you an email:
Angel gets fed 1/3 heaping cup of dinner morning and night (2/3 c per day).
She eats after people are done eating (unless it's Really Late or Really Early). If she's getting some scraps from dinner, give them after dinner with her dinner.
She usually goes out for a pee first thing in the morning and last thing before bed.
She does tricks for dinner -- even a simple 'sit' is fine. You can also try her 'down', her 'sit pretty' or her 'spin'.
Feel free to give her treats in moderation, so long as she does a trick for them. I'm bringing a bag of boney bones. She also likes raw marrow bones, but it's hard to keep her on the lino with them. No cooked bones, please.
Poop bags are provided. They smell like cookies. I'm sorry.
I washed her last night, and flea dosed her with Advantage, so she should be fine for fleas.
Thank you thank you thank you for looking after our dog.
Yes, I'm joking. Kinda. I think you have to be a special kind of crazy to do the West Coast Trail. Fortunately, I'm that kind of crazy, not the other kind.
Tonight we leave for Port Renfrew; tomorrow we take the Trail Bus to Bamfield, do our 'this is a bear track; this is a wolf track' BC Parks orientation... next stop, 14km to Darling River campsite. Then to Tsusiat Falls, then the long day (crab day @ Nitnat!) to Cribs, then Carmanah, then Walbran, then Logan, then Camper, then Thrasher, then car! and home! We'll be back in Delta on Saturday night; back on the Coast on Sunday.
Gail & John: in case I don't get a chance to send you an email:
Angel gets fed 1/3 heaping cup of dinner morning and night (2/3 c per day).
She eats after people are done eating (unless it's Really Late or Really Early). If she's getting some scraps from dinner, give them after dinner with her dinner.
She usually goes out for a pee first thing in the morning and last thing before bed.
She does tricks for dinner -- even a simple 'sit' is fine. You can also try her 'down', her 'sit pretty' or her 'spin'.
Feel free to give her treats in moderation, so long as she does a trick for them. I'm bringing a bag of boney bones. She also likes raw marrow bones, but it's hard to keep her on the lino with them. No cooked bones, please.
Poop bags are provided. They smell like cookies. I'm sorry.
I washed her last night, and flea dosed her with Advantage, so she should be fine for fleas.
Thank you thank you thank you for looking after our dog.
Masochist? Me?
Just got back from a weekend in the Tetrahedron... very tired! Will post cool photos later.
On the wedding front -- still engaged! even after slogging about in the mountains for two days! Actually, it was fine. Mostly because I have a short memory (kidding). I tried and mastered the "rest step" which means that I will have WAY less of a sucky time going up hills; I made the executive decision to wear my Vasque trail runners on the WCT; most importantly -- I felt like a REAL hiker.
More specifically on the wedding front, I cancelled Chaster House for the ceremony/reception and booked the Roberts Creek Community Hall instead. Chaster House is lovely (and the post-wedding brunch will still be there), but the wedding capacity is 30 people. I was ok with doubling that, but tripling is a little too much, and we keep thinking of people we want to come to the wedding.
Such as... Phil & Susan, who are almost complete strangers that keep coming to Steve's gigs. I was introduced briefly to them at the Dutton's SOPA gig, then met them again after the Celtic show for Music in the Landing last Saturday night. Steve had made a few "see the tip jar? I have a wedding to pay for" quips during the show, and after the show, Phil comes up to me and says he loves my man's music so much that he wants to donate flowers to the wedding and has a five acre dahlia farm out in Roberts Creek. After unswallowing my tongue, I thanked him for his generosity and advised we're getting married in May, so dahlias probably won't be out yet. Without missing a beat, he asked "do you like tulips? I'll buy a sack and plant them for you. What colours are you having?" He wouldn't even accept my offer to pay for the bulbs. Craziness! But so very amazing. Apparently lily-of-the-valley are growing then, too. Again, craziness! We'll accept their lunch invitation as soon as we get back from the WCT.
Anyway, we've got the Roberts Creek Community Hall for the reception, though I think we're going to keep our eyes open for a useful ceremony place outdoors until we have to decide for sure. I like the Hall; it is a big open space with room to set up tables for dinner, a jam area for the musicians, and a dance hall as well. We'd even be able to easily have the ceremony inside as well if weather is inclement, though we'd have to make the lighting nice. The ceiling is painted to look like the sky! And I thought I'd get married there the first time I went inside (Steve and I had been dating for all of six weeks at that point). Funny how things come to pass, eh?
What else? I'm thinking of a Quaker Wedding Certificate instead of a guest book -- it's a document printed on beautiful paper that has a public declaration of marriage that is signed by the bride and groom... and all their guests!
I looked into catering at Gayle's request, but it looks like the caterers would charge an arm and two legs for pretty much the exact food we plan on serving. The suggestion was made, and I think it's brilliant, to hire a person from the community to act as 'feastocrat' for the evening, heating and putting out food in some semblance of order. Steve has someone in mind; I think he's been trying to get ahold of her. That would be a few hundred dollars well spent!
I probably won't be posting much until we get back from the West Coast Trail... my mind is on kettles and down sleeping bags right now, not wedding stuff. I will post some pics from the Tet once Steve gets them downloaded, or you can check out the Trip Report I'll be writing for Clubtread (probably tomorrow night).
We were all cute in the logbook at Mt. Steele cabin, writing sweet messages at each other. Hopefully it comes equipped with barf bags for the cynical.
He even rubbed my feet when we got home! And they weren't even very clean! I love him so.
On the wedding front -- still engaged! even after slogging about in the mountains for two days! Actually, it was fine. Mostly because I have a short memory (kidding). I tried and mastered the "rest step" which means that I will have WAY less of a sucky time going up hills; I made the executive decision to wear my Vasque trail runners on the WCT; most importantly -- I felt like a REAL hiker.
More specifically on the wedding front, I cancelled Chaster House for the ceremony/reception and booked the Roberts Creek Community Hall instead. Chaster House is lovely (and the post-wedding brunch will still be there), but the wedding capacity is 30 people. I was ok with doubling that, but tripling is a little too much, and we keep thinking of people we want to come to the wedding.
Such as... Phil & Susan, who are almost complete strangers that keep coming to Steve's gigs. I was introduced briefly to them at the Dutton's SOPA gig, then met them again after the Celtic show for Music in the Landing last Saturday night. Steve had made a few "see the tip jar? I have a wedding to pay for" quips during the show, and after the show, Phil comes up to me and says he loves my man's music so much that he wants to donate flowers to the wedding and has a five acre dahlia farm out in Roberts Creek. After unswallowing my tongue, I thanked him for his generosity and advised we're getting married in May, so dahlias probably won't be out yet. Without missing a beat, he asked "do you like tulips? I'll buy a sack and plant them for you. What colours are you having?" He wouldn't even accept my offer to pay for the bulbs. Craziness! But so very amazing. Apparently lily-of-the-valley are growing then, too. Again, craziness! We'll accept their lunch invitation as soon as we get back from the WCT.
Anyway, we've got the Roberts Creek Community Hall for the reception, though I think we're going to keep our eyes open for a useful ceremony place outdoors until we have to decide for sure. I like the Hall; it is a big open space with room to set up tables for dinner, a jam area for the musicians, and a dance hall as well. We'd even be able to easily have the ceremony inside as well if weather is inclement, though we'd have to make the lighting nice. The ceiling is painted to look like the sky! And I thought I'd get married there the first time I went inside (Steve and I had been dating for all of six weeks at that point). Funny how things come to pass, eh?
What else? I'm thinking of a Quaker Wedding Certificate instead of a guest book -- it's a document printed on beautiful paper that has a public declaration of marriage that is signed by the bride and groom... and all their guests!
I looked into catering at Gayle's request, but it looks like the caterers would charge an arm and two legs for pretty much the exact food we plan on serving. The suggestion was made, and I think it's brilliant, to hire a person from the community to act as 'feastocrat' for the evening, heating and putting out food in some semblance of order. Steve has someone in mind; I think he's been trying to get ahold of her. That would be a few hundred dollars well spent!
I probably won't be posting much until we get back from the West Coast Trail... my mind is on kettles and down sleeping bags right now, not wedding stuff. I will post some pics from the Tet once Steve gets them downloaded, or you can check out the Trip Report I'll be writing for Clubtread (probably tomorrow night).
We were all cute in the logbook at Mt. Steele cabin, writing sweet messages at each other. Hopefully it comes equipped with barf bags for the cynical.
He even rubbed my feet when we got home! And they weren't even very clean! I love him so.
Looking to the future, for a while, anyway.
Having been entirely remiss in keeping this blog up to date, I've decided to abandon it entirely for at least a little while. Ok, nine months and two weeks, to be exact.
Steve proposed in July, and I'm now working on a wedding blog to keep various family & friends up-to-date (the link is the title of this post). It's much easier than spending an hour a week with each person on the phone, reiterating the same news!
That said -- CALL ME! I'd love to chat.
Steve proposed in July, and I'm now working on a wedding blog to keep various family & friends up-to-date (the link is the title of this post). It's much easier than spending an hour a week with each person on the phone, reiterating the same news!
That said -- CALL ME! I'd love to chat.
The lion's den is... kinda cozy, really.
So. First major hurdle passed, lions bearded, all that. We went into town on the weekend and met with Steve's parents, John and Gayle, and had the first "wedding conversation" (duh duh DUH). And... it was fine. Nice, even. Wonderful, in places.
I'm really lucking out in the in-law department and, considering how every wedding magazine & website I've read so far gives tips on how to deal with recalcitrant (even hostile) parents-in-law, I am fully aware of how fortunate I am.
They're being a huge help with the food: they've already marshalled various friends and family members to make salads... and turkeys. Whole turkeys. For cold cuts. And wine -- they're arranging wine. They've also apparently spoken to almost every relative, trying to get a feel for who is going to be able to make it. The tenantive answer is lots.
Lots is great; when we were first thinking about getting married, we realized that the point of having a traditional type of wedding is to bring everyone we love together for a weekend and having a really fun party during which there is a small and beautiful moment in which we get married. John & Gayle not only leapt on board this idea, they appear to have started hauling the yardarm... or some other sailing metaphor.
Gayle even agreed to go on a midnight (ok, 8pm) run to Michael's Crafts on Friday night where, not suprisingly, I realized exactly how much I have yet to decide. Even basic stuff, like what kind of paper & stamps to buy presupposes knowing if the decor is going to be tea-themed, leaf/outdoors themed, pretty hand-made paper themed, if the colours should be cream or white, what accent colours to use... God help me, I DON'T KNOW!
I did, however, buy a guestbook -- a scrapbook, actually -- and I think that has become the 'theme' of the wedding. Having spent $14 on a guestbook, everything must now match it. Really. It is handmade cream-ish paper with leaves in the paper. Very simple and organic and not too frou-frou.
The scrapbook turned into a discussion on decor later in the evening, when we talked about putting rocks and shells into plain clear glass vases instead of robbing a bank to pay for flowers. This is very appealing; I am a rock hound from way WAY back, and it would be nice to have Steve be obliged to help carry rocks up from Secret Beach instead of being all "you picked them up, you carry them" like he usually is. We could also drown -- I mean, 'float' -- some flowers and cedar boughs in vases, and float candles in others. It would be very pretty and very Coastal and very inexpensive. Some of the vases could even be mason jars, which I like very much. Anyway, blah blah blah weddingcakes. I mean fishcakes. Hey, some jars could have starfish in them (in salt water, and released back to the beach after the event) or even fish! Yeah, little feeder fish! For the kids' table!
Oh, wait -- sorry. Welcome to my fixation.
So. On Saturday, after an emergency trip to REI in Bellingham for WCT stuff, we met up with one of Steve's friends before the Illuminaries Lantern Festival at Trout Lake in Vancouver. It was very nice -- ok, it was bloody hillarious, and Steve's friend is a hoot. I was able to return the favour later that evening when I bumped into Karen, who hadn't actually met Steve, even nine & some months later. It's funny, for me at least, that I feel like I've known Steve for so long, and he's so important in my life, and yet there are other people whom I've known for longer, and who are also important -- and they've not met him. I wonder if he feels the same? It just seems so darn improbable that we haven't known each other forever. I keep trying to remember what the 'we' were doing this time last summer, obviously with little success, as there was no 'we'.
Anyhoo, the Lantern Festival was magical as always, bright and colourful and a little disorienting. The walk around the lake was good and bad: on the downside, I couldn't find Karen again; on the upside, I am now considering making paper lanterns to use as decor out on the lawn and in the hall. I even bought a two-setting hot glue gun, on the principal that I can also use it to make bouquets.
Which, if the theme is 'cream-coloured, hand-made paper with outdoors-y tea-leaf motif' really ought to be paper flowers from Chintz & Company.
What? So I'm fixated! It's a WEDDING blog, ok.
Fine, here's a few pictures of Angel, our dog.
She's going to be the ring bearer :-)
I'm really lucking out in the in-law department and, considering how every wedding magazine & website I've read so far gives tips on how to deal with recalcitrant (even hostile) parents-in-law, I am fully aware of how fortunate I am.
They're being a huge help with the food: they've already marshalled various friends and family members to make salads... and turkeys. Whole turkeys. For cold cuts. And wine -- they're arranging wine. They've also apparently spoken to almost every relative, trying to get a feel for who is going to be able to make it. The tenantive answer is lots.
Lots is great; when we were first thinking about getting married, we realized that the point of having a traditional type of wedding is to bring everyone we love together for a weekend and having a really fun party during which there is a small and beautiful moment in which we get married. John & Gayle not only leapt on board this idea, they appear to have started hauling the yardarm... or some other sailing metaphor.
Gayle even agreed to go on a midnight (ok, 8pm) run to Michael's Crafts on Friday night where, not suprisingly, I realized exactly how much I have yet to decide. Even basic stuff, like what kind of paper & stamps to buy presupposes knowing if the decor is going to be tea-themed, leaf/outdoors themed, pretty hand-made paper themed, if the colours should be cream or white, what accent colours to use... God help me, I DON'T KNOW!
I did, however, buy a guestbook -- a scrapbook, actually -- and I think that has become the 'theme' of the wedding. Having spent $14 on a guestbook, everything must now match it. Really. It is handmade cream-ish paper with leaves in the paper. Very simple and organic and not too frou-frou.
The scrapbook turned into a discussion on decor later in the evening, when we talked about putting rocks and shells into plain clear glass vases instead of robbing a bank to pay for flowers. This is very appealing; I am a rock hound from way WAY back, and it would be nice to have Steve be obliged to help carry rocks up from Secret Beach instead of being all "you picked them up, you carry them" like he usually is. We could also drown -- I mean, 'float' -- some flowers and cedar boughs in vases, and float candles in others. It would be very pretty and very Coastal and very inexpensive. Some of the vases could even be mason jars, which I like very much. Anyway, blah blah blah weddingcakes. I mean fishcakes. Hey, some jars could have starfish in them (in salt water, and released back to the beach after the event) or even fish! Yeah, little feeder fish! For the kids' table!
Oh, wait -- sorry. Welcome to my fixation.
So. On Saturday, after an emergency trip to REI in Bellingham for WCT stuff, we met up with one of Steve's friends before the Illuminaries Lantern Festival at Trout Lake in Vancouver. It was very nice -- ok, it was bloody hillarious, and Steve's friend is a hoot. I was able to return the favour later that evening when I bumped into Karen, who hadn't actually met Steve, even nine & some months later. It's funny, for me at least, that I feel like I've known Steve for so long, and he's so important in my life, and yet there are other people whom I've known for longer, and who are also important -- and they've not met him. I wonder if he feels the same? It just seems so darn improbable that we haven't known each other forever. I keep trying to remember what the 'we' were doing this time last summer, obviously with little success, as there was no 'we'.
Anyhoo, the Lantern Festival was magical as always, bright and colourful and a little disorienting. The walk around the lake was good and bad: on the downside, I couldn't find Karen again; on the upside, I am now considering making paper lanterns to use as decor out on the lawn and in the hall. I even bought a two-setting hot glue gun, on the principal that I can also use it to make bouquets.
Which, if the theme is 'cream-coloured, hand-made paper with outdoors-y tea-leaf motif' really ought to be paper flowers from Chintz & Company.
What? So I'm fixated! It's a WEDDING blog, ok.
Fine, here's a few pictures of Angel, our dog.
She's going to be the ring bearer :-)
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