Christmas Pictures!!

My Grandma and my Mom!! Aren't they cute!!


My brother Kevin and sister-in-law Laura


Kaitlin and Kerry, her boyfriend


My Dad!!!!


Me and my cousin, Aaron

Merry Christmas To All!

I can't believe Christmas is here already!! Does anyone else feel like this whole season has crept up on us so much faster than usual? It's insane!! It might have a bit to do with the fact that I didn't get back until mid October, then there was Halloween, finiding a job, learning the job, then suddenly it's Christmas and I'm frantically running around trying to get presents and a tree. It doesn't help either that Kaylee and I decided to paint our entire place 2 weeks before Christmas, but it does look fantastic. Now I just need to organize my room (it's a disaster!!!!!) and scrub down the house. It won't be that bad actually, it's just trying to fit it in with the buying, making, wrapping, and decorating presents that a;so need to be done. Sorry if this seems like a bitter blog, I'm actually really excited for Christmas.... i just wish I had another week before it's here.

On another wonderful note, LAUREN'S BACK IN TOWN!!!!!! Now it's been 6 months since I've seen her!! It doesn't feel like that much as we've talked a lot since then, but when I actually count the months it seems like forever. I haven't seen her since we said goodbye back on June 18th, the day before I left and 2 days before she left. I pretty much wore the necklace she gave me for my entire trip. I CAN'T WAIT TO SEE YOU LAURZIE POO!!!!!! I'm going to squeeze your frickin face off!!!!

This week has been pretty good. Kaylee and I got the living room painted and it looks pretty sweet, if I do say so myself. It's very purple, but it suits us wonderfully.

I'm happy to report that I've jumped on the Bailey's and Hot Chocolate band wagon... and does it ever feel good. I stopped off at the Liquor store on my way home yesterday to pick my sister up some wine and decided to get a little something for Kaylee and I. I don't normally ever buy alcohol as it's so expensive and I'm not a big drinker, but I figued I'd go a little crazy. Obviously this whole Bailey's train is huge as they were completely sold out of the regular stuff and had a back order out for the caramel one. They did, however, have a couple bottles left of the mint chocolate one.... mmmmmmm. Soooo yummy.

Tim came home from his trip yesterday and regaled us with his stories. It sounded like he had a fantastic time and it just makes me want to get out there and explore some more. It was interesting to listen to him talk about someplace that I've never been. I'm sure that the way I was picturing the places he was describing wasn't the way thry looked like at all. It makes me wonder what everyone else pictures when I describe things that I've seen. Which makes me realize that I've gone through some of Kait and my pics and I've picked out a few of my favourites which I can post.


Kait and I on the beach in Lagos, Portugal. This was such a beautiful place!


At the Moulin Rouge in Paris


Right before we saw "Avenue Q" in London


In the Catacombes in Paris with an actual human skull...she isn't acting grossed out

Wicked!!!


Preparing for Paragliding in Interlaken, Switzerland

Decorating Diva's

So Kaylee and I mad a fantastic trip to IKEA today to get some sweet stuff for our living room. We bought pillows and amazing pillow cases, candles, a coffee table, curtains and a throw. I think we might take the throw back though as the colour of our couch actually doesn't look too bad with what we got. The coffee table is pretty sweet and it wa sonly $30. Then we went to Home Depot, picked our paint colours, and bought our paint!!! It's so exciting!! I don't really like paining, but I know it's going to look so good after. Our house is going to be decorated to match our personality so well. we're going for an Indian stlye theme in the living room with red, orange, purple, green, and gold. The walls are going to be a deep rich purple and there are candles everywhere. I'm actually writing this right now siting on the couch with the sweet pillows in the candlelight. I know, I know.... every guy that comes over here is probably going to puke a little, but we love it!

We also got yellow paint for the kitchen, hallway, and entrance. If anyone has free time this week and feels like painting, let us know as we'd love the help.

I don't really have anything in depth to write about right now. I'm just kind of floating through this holiday season so far. I love getting gifts for people and am actually a little depressed that I won't be able to get as much for eveyone. The good part is that I've become more creative with what I will get (or make) and I find that it can often be more appreciated than the bought stuff. that's all for now.

Our first adventure

Kaylee and I managed to explode our dishwasher yesterday. Well not explode, but there was water EVERYWHERE. See, the thing is that it doesn't like liquid soap.... I don't know why, but my dad told me not to put in liquid soap. Kaylee didn't know this. Our dishwasher is portable as my dad fashioned it out of one from a motorhome so that it would fit into our kitchen. In order to hook it up, you have to plug it in and attach the hose to the faucet. I hadn't shown Kaylee how to do that yet as we don't have many dishes so we've been doing most of them by hand. Now, she couldn't get it started, so I turned it on last night. The only thing is I added more soap (powder this time) not fully understanding how much she had already put in it. We turned it on and then went and chatted in my room. When we came back out, the floor was flooded. We turned the dishwasher off and threw every towel we own on the ground to clean it up. I asked my dad what we should do and he said to take as much soap out of it as possible and then just start it again. We tried scooping the water out with a cup, but the cup was too big to get it. We ended up using a ladle. It was actually quite funny. Kaylee and I had different tactics to the ladle routine. I transfered the water quickly from the dishwasher to the cup with the ladle while Kaylee took her time. Mine was twice as fast, but half as effective, so they ended up being pretty close as her's was half as fast, but twice as effective. You understand? That's all I have to say for now.

100 Things

So I stole this idea from Nick who stole it from someone else....

Here are 100 things you may not have known about me:

• My middle name is Alanna
• I have an older brother and a younger sister
• All 3 of us have the same initials (K.H.)
• My birthday is April 19th, 1985
• My favourite colour is Green
• Purple is a close second
• I'm obsessed with bows at the moment (the pretty ribbon ones - not the ones with arrows)
• I've never been in love
• I used to have a cat, Fluffy, but she died last year (Abby has a story that goes along with that actually, haha)
• My parents names are Gerry and Pearl

• I'm 1/2 Chinese (Suprise Suprise)
• I've been to 22 countries - Canada, USA, Mexico, Spain, France, Italy, Thailand, Laos, England, Scotland, Ireland, Portugal, Morocco, Denmark, Sweden, Norway, Finland, The Netherlands, Greece, Switzerland, Germany, and the Czech Republic.
• I hope to travel to all the other countires in the world before I die
• If I had one wish in the world, I would want to be fluent in every single language that ever has, or will exist.
• My favourite food is my mom's spaghetti
• I haven't eaten meat in 2 months
• I've worked as a receptionist, server, theatre instructor, engraver, and now I do collections (that's all I can think of right now, but I'm sure there's more)
• I tend to get along better with guys as friends, so all you girls out there reading this are amazing people!
• I've lived in the same house my entire life
• We have a cabin on the Sunshine Coast that I have also lived in my whole life - well until recently I guess because I haven't been there in ages

• I have been involved in many activities in my lifetime, including gymnastics, figure skating, t-ball, softball, roller hockey, dance, bowling, singing, theatre - one time I came late to a roller hockey game because I had a dance recital - I will still in my dance makeup and hair. Let me tell you that not many of the 10 year old male hockey players understood me much.
• My dad was the coach of above hockey team
• My dad used to race corvetts for a living
• I need to wear contacts
• I have a fear of things touching my eye
• I'm Claustrophobic
• I've always wanted to go skydiving
• I love doing adventurous things
• I believe that the harder something is for you to accomplish (fear wise) the better the reward when you complete it
• I believe in Karma

• I call myself a Christian
• I haven't been to church in a long time
• When I was young I had a problem with staying over at friend's houses
• I went to a child therapist for it, though It only made it worse
• I was the most highly sensitive child - I would cry over everthing
• I have a high stress personality
• I'm very empathetic of other people
• I love Gilmore Girls and Grey's Anatomy
• I'm in love with the really geeky character on Criminal Minds
• I'm also in love with Christian Bale

• My favourite movies are Newsies, Notebook, and Armageddon becuase I remember what I felt like the first time I watched them
• I LOVE to read
• As a child my punishment for misbehaving was that I couldn't read my book before I went to bed
• My favourite books are The Outsiders, Captain Corelli's Mandolin, and Angels and Demons
• My favourite chocolate bar is Crunchy
• I'm not a huge sweet person - I don't crave it very often
• I HATE slurpees
• I love chai tea lattes
• I love tea in general
• I love just looking things up on the internet fo absolutly no reason at all

• I'm NOT a morning person
• In fact I would rather stay up all night and then sleep right through it
• I have a great family, seriously
• I've been told that my standards are too high
• I'm working on it
• I love anything with coconut in it
• My favourite number is 8
• I'm a messy person though I like things to be clean
• I'm grumpy when I have to wake up
• I love guys with accents, though I know that having an accent doesn't make you a loveable person

• In some parts of the world I have an accent
• I'm pretty good at directions and finding my way around
• I'm not very good at remembering street names
• Or peoples name
• Or lines
• Or anything for that matter
• I want to be married on a beach and honeymoon with a backpack in India... or Venice
• Everytime I see one of those World Vision commercials I want to cry
• I'm not big into drinking, but I have my moments
• I've never smoked pot

• I've had a barbed fish hook stuck in my hand before and my dad had to pull it out on the boat with a pair of rusty needle nose pliers while my mom kept me from watching him do it
• I've never broken a bone (knock on wood)
• I think my blood type is O+
• I have my Open Water Diving Certificate
• I was the top Automotive 11 student in my High School
• One of my high school friends that I met through Auto was killed in an accident in the Auto shop of my school in my grade 11 year.
• I went to Montgomery Elementary and Middle, and Centennial High
• I've always wanted to own a motorcycle
• I used to have a rock and shell collection that I refused to let my mom throw away
• I used to make my mom tuck me in for bed with all of my stuffed animals because I though they all had feelings and I couldn't show favouritism by sleeping with just one

• To fall asleep at night when I have too much on my mind, I try to block out everything and just concentrate on counting my inhales and exhales.... works everytime
• I love highlighting stuff to the extent where I would highlight so much of my notes that it would be pointless because everything was highlighted
• I love the sound of high heels clicking on hard floors
• I play with my hair alot, which makes me look dumb
• My first kiss was with a boy named Brock
• My first real kiss was when I was 16
• I love swimming
• I get motion sickness reallllly easily
• I love being a passanger in cars during thunder storms
• I love the snow, though I hate to drive in it

• I've rear-ended someone, been involved in a rear-ender, backed into a cement lamp post at Cap, backed into my dad's truck, was parked at work when someone hit my car and ran, and finally wrote my car off
• When I finally got out of my car and looked at it when I wrote it off, I threw-up all over the sidewalk
• My dad's best friend put my boyfriend at the time through a very funny fake lie detector test when they first met
• My dream job would involve performing, travelling, and dealing with people - so far I seem to be heading into a tourism career
• I hate flying
• I love seafood
• I hate fake people
• I love country music
• I love quotes
• I really want kids, but not for a while yet

Why can't I change?

Ok,

So I did end up getting a new phone plan, and it doesn't seem too bad. It's with Telus, so I kept my cell # and the phone my Dad gave me. I have unlimited incoming calls, unlimited evenings after 5pm and unlimited weekends. I only have 100 or 150 weekday minutes, but since I'm at work anyways, I figure it won't be a problem (I hope!) I also have 100 long distance minutes a month, so All of you long distance people better start calling me.

Work is going well - the people there are all really nice. I'm also supposed to be picking up some shifts back at Alekos on Friday nights, so hopefully I will have a little extra money as well. I worked last night as well, which was actually good as I am a little rusty and I'm working Friday, which hopefully will be nice and busy, so it was good to get up to speed.


I'm actually sitting at work right now writing this. I have an hour for lunch, and today I had to cover reception while Carlie takes her lunch, and since I usually hang out with Carlie or Sarah, I have some free time. I normally run errands as I'm so close to Coquitlam Centre, but I didn't really feel like it today.

Now for the good stuff.


So, this morning while waiting for a customer to answer the phone, I was watching the seconds tick by on the clock on my phone. It got me to thinking how short life is and how we will never get the time back that we waste. I know, I know, that's a pretty big thought while listening to the phone ring, but it came about because I was thinking about how I am just sitting here calling people trying to collect money, and I just really want to be doing anything else. Now, don't get me wrong. I actually enjoy my job and the people I work with and I totally understand that in order to do the things we want, we need to work for it, but I feel like I'm spending so much time just waiting for the "next big thing."

I know I've posted on this before on the other blog, but I am still dealing with this problem. I can't seem to just enjoy life where I'm at in the present time. I mean, I can enjoy it, but I'm never happy. The grass is ALWAYS greener for me. I feel like I waste so much just biding my time and then it's done and gone. I worked my bum off all year last year and the result let me spend 4 glorious months in Europe doing whatever the heck I wanted. I promised myself that this year I wouldn't do that, that it wasn't worth it, but I'm backsliding into the same habits.

I was talking to Larry, the owner of Alekos, last night about my schedule. I had requested to work only Friday nights as I didn't want to take on too much and have no social life again. Then I got to thinking that well, if I'm working 1 shift, it's not really that much of a difference, but if I work 2.... I settled on every Friday night, plus a Saturday or Sunday shift every other week. I also picked up a shift for someone else for next Monday. Why do I do this??!!! It's not that I desperatley need the money (I should have my debt paid off by the end of this month) but I just can't seem to say no to something if it means it may bring about my goal a little faster.

Why why why why why???? I keep asking myself that.

On a completely different note, If anyone comes to visit our new place starting Dec. 1st, you MUST bring a Christmas tree ornament with you, preferably hand made. I would love to have beautiful, or not so beautiful depending on your crafting degree, ornaments for the rest of my life made by people I love!

I'm going to get back to work now,

Kim

Untitled

*Sigh*

So I'm in the midst of searching for a new phone plan and it's feels like such a huge job! Kaylee and I aren't planning on getting a house phone, so I need a plan with lots of minutes. Daytime isn't that big of a deal, but I would like at least 100. I'm looking at a couple Telus plans and a Fido plan, but I still don't know. If anyone is on a good plan or with a good carrier, please let me know. I'm on Telus right now, and besides the bad reception in some areas, it's been pretty good actually. Is anyone on Fido? How is it for reception? We're in the basement so the signal needs to be fairly strong.

Sorry this is such a boring entry. My life is pretty bland right now. All I seem to be doing is work and then come home. I'm going to bed now though, so I will continue this later.

Night!

K.A.H.

Sorry it's been a while. So... what's new? Well I got a job doing collections at an Auto Leasing company, and it's actually not as bad as I thought it was going to be. The people are really nice and so far I haven't had any customers that are too bad. There are still the people who blame you for the fact that they couldn't pay their lease, and the people who hang up on you, but I don't mind it actually.

Wow, a lot has happened actually I don't know where to begin. Oh! Kaylee's moving in!!! I now have a roommate and a hot one at that! Now we will just have to spend our evenings having pillow fights and doing our laundry in our underwear, haha. As soon as we are settled we will have everyone over. We are going to have a Christmas tree this year and since neither of us are going to have much money for decorations, I was thinking we should have a popcorn-stringing and paper chain-making party. That would be fun, right? Right?

I watched a show on tv today called "The Long Way Round" with Ewan McGregor which made me miss travelling so much. I always knew that I loved to travel but I feel like that's what I should be doing. I know it sounds totally cliche but I really feel that I need to spend a significant time living abroad. I'm not sure where I want to go, but I know that I probably won't end up stating there too long anyway. I just want to be able to take off again and not really know where I'm going to go and what I'm going to do there. With my personality though I don't know if I will be able to just take off. I tend to freak out a little bit when I don't know what I'm doing and am HORRIBLE at leaving. I get so stressed out and start getting anxious about the fact that I may get anxious. I know it sounds crazy, but I'm just a stressed person naturally.

I know for a fact that there is no way I will be able to go in the next year as I don't have the funds, but if anyone is looking to take off and wander around the world for a year, let me know. I would much rather go with someone. The most common thing I hear about travelling is that you should go on your own, but one of the things that I loved the most was being able to share the experience with someone else. Most of the people we met that were travelling solo were actually pretty lonely. I mean they weren't lonely all the time, but the thing I heard the most was that they wished they had someone else that they could reflect with and experience everything with. My point is that I will be going and would love someone to travel with.

I actually just got totally distracted, haha. I don't remember where I was going, so I'm going to change the subject. I've decided that I need to get more active. Now that I'm sitting at a desk all day I feel that all I do is sit around. I really want to get out there and actually be doing something. I'll let you know how this goes, but I HOPE that this feeling of blahness gets me motivated enough to do something about it.

Love you all!!!!

Kim

PS. Kaylee, Have fun at WICKED and do some serious shopping!

Beautiful British Columbia

I had a good weekend.

On Friday I met up with Kat for coffee then met Abby and went over to Ian, Nick, and Micaele's house for dinner (yumm!) Afterward we went over to see "Laramie Project" at Capilano. It was a really good, but sad play. It's about the death of Matthew Shepard in Laramie, Wyoming; here's a brief synopsis:

For a group of young actors and writers from a New York City theater company, these are the questions that have led them to this unassuming town, where they seek out Laramie residents — shopkeepers, teachers, students, bartenders, social workers — whose lives were forever changed on October 6, 1998. That was the night when a gay college student named Matthew Shepard was brutally beaten, tied up and left for dead on a fence off a rural road... and when Laramie, Wyoming became the Hate Crime Capital of America. Five members of the theater company — Moises, Greg, Leigh, Steve and Amanda — have arrived here to research a play they are writing about how the Shepard assault has changed this town. The details of the case are clear-cut and well-known. On October 6, Matthew Shepard met two men at the Fireside Bar in Laramie. Eighteen hours later, a cyclist found Shepard unconscious, severely beaten and tied to a fence. He never regained consciousness, and died five days later. Two Laramie residents, aged 20 and 21, were apprehended for the crime, which became front-page news around the country. But as Moises explains as the company assembles at a local diner, "This is not about the case. This is about the town: why did this happen here, what are people saying, how do they feel and think about what happened."

The Cap kids played over 70 characters and did a fantastic job. It was really moving and I'll admit I cried. Seeing them makes me want to do some serious straight plays instead of just the musicals.

Saturday I went over to Kevin and Laura's new condo for dinner. They just moved in in August and I am now living in their old place - the basement suite. Their place is really nice and spacious and well decorated (thanks to Laura I think) although the HUGE entertainment system is Kevin's doing. You can't even sit far back enough in the room to see the entire screen, haha. I'm jealous since the TV I have has to be watched through the VCR if you want to see any channels about #13. Ah well, I didn't have to pay for it though so I can't complain.

After dinner I got dressed up in my Dirndl from Oktoberfest and headed out to Langley to meet my cousin and her husband at a bar/restaurant for a Halloween party. It was a blast and I met some fun people. Spent the night over there and woke up at 10:30 this morning (gotta live the time change) and watched "Ghostbusters II" with them over a Pumpkin Spiced Latte and a great scone from a bakery by their place. Stopped off at my Aunts place and played with their new puppy - so cute!!! - then hit up T&T on my way back home.

Ok, how blessed are we to live in such a beautiful city?? I was driving home back over the Port Mann and looking at the sunset over the mountains and Fraser River was absolutely breathtaking!! It made me so proud that after everything I've seen over the past few months I could still be in awe of B.C.. I feel so happy that at any time I can wander out my door and take a look at such a beautiful country. I'll try to keep this feeling as long as possible as I know I used to take it for granted. I also want tog et out there and do more of the "touristy" things so that I can actually say I've done some exploring in this neck of the woods when someone from another country asks me what it's like here.

Well that's all I have to say for now. I'm looking to get a job within the next few weeks, so if anyone knows of a position that's available, please let me know!

xoxo
Kim

Welcome!

Welcome to my new blog!!

Since I'm no longer backpacking, and Kait doesn't really want to continue posting, I though I'd start my own one. Now I don't know yet how this is going to work, but please bear with me. I'm not very good at keeping up a "journal" but my life should be changing rapidy in the next little while so this might be a vessel where I can vent and help me avoid all the stresses that accompany it.

Since I don't really have that much to say at the moment as I just posted on the old blog, I though I'd attach some fun pictures from previous days that I love.

Kim

Dundarave night with Kaylee as a ghost

Tim and Dan't 21st

80's Freaks!

Goofing around during Cinderella