Knotty Pine

I woke up early on Saturday in anticipation of all the work I have to do, and all the time I don't have to do it in! I worked for a mild part of the morning, then went out and bought some bright red gumboots! They do make me quite happy! I purposely splashed through some puddles on the way home. Take that cons!!!! I then met my friend Brendan for the Noah's Ark of Timbits. We ordered two of every flavor! We then progressed through the box, discussing and sampling the unique and distinctive Timbits. We had a Tim Coffee too, to cleanse the palate between each bit. This was so enjoyable - but not the most nutritious lunch, and then I had to go off to quidditch. YAY! There was a photographer from the Toronto Star there, and he was snapping away for the whole practice. But with special focus on the chick from Toronto, so I don't think I feature. We played until 5, had some team discussions about how serious we all want to take this. Some people are pretty keen to win this cup, so from now on we are going to have some more serious trainings and interspersed with some light heart-ed ones. But I am excited none-the-less. We have to choose numbers to get put on the back of our... CAPES!!! OH MY GOD! I could die of happiness. But I still have to choose a number, naturally since we are all geeks, 42 and pi are already taken.... ! I think I'll manage somehow, but I am open to suggestions.
When I was leaving quidditch I bumped into another Friend, Nick and we went and got some early dinner in the underground mall. I just like hanging out with people too much, dinner was a bad choice, as I had already planned to have dinner with Eric tonight as well. He came around here so we could cook some pasta and then head off to a quidditch party together. For all you back home, Lucy and Annabel - substitute family - approve. So, you will have to take their better judgment. The party was pretty fun, it was one of the guys on the teams birthday and his roommates had set up this surprise party for him. So when he came home to walk up the stairs they had set up drinks and dares for him to do - on each step, before he could even properly get into the house - it was good entertainment.

The next morning Lucy, Annabel and I were off to Mont Tremblant. This is a ski resort / village type thing. There is the most amazing mountain with many runs, and the most fairy-tale like village at the bottom of the mountain. The most glorious thing was that the mountain was entirely covered in the most gorgeous fall trees! The morning had a dodgy start though. So, when I woke up at quarter to seven (we were aiming to leave the house at quarter past) I panicked, raced to Lucy and Annabel's rooms to tell them of my lateness. Lucy was up and wondering why we were getting ready in seemingly dark rooms but had not bothered to knock on our doors. Annabel was fast asleep! So I panicked her in a state of awakening. We threw on some clothes, shoved some things on our bags and went down to the metro, to metro it over to the bus station. We made it there in plenty of time - but I guess that was the plan. I was SO silly at the metro station though. I wanted to buy a monthly pass, and apparently it is too easy. Well I bet it is, if you don't happen to shove your metro card into the wrong hole so forcefully that it gets jammed, and and puts the machine out of service. My only defense was the early nature of the time, and my lack of breakfast. The lady COULD NOT believe how stupid I was. Shame! So I left her my name and number, so that when it could be unjammed from the machine, I could have my pass back - probably with a black mark upon it, explaining that I am super stupid and will put public machines out of order. I have since looked at this machine, and cannot even begin to think how I messed up putting my card in so dementedly!
Our tour group was really funny. This was clearly a day trip for Asians. Lucy, Annabel and I were like the token Caucasians of the tour. The tour guide lady was most bizarre and stressed that what she hoped to get out of the tour was a clean bus at the end of the day, and punctuality. Sure thing crazy lady! She really wasn't kidding about punctuality. We enjoyed ourselves at the Ski Lodge in the morning before heading somewhere for an optional Asian Buffet, and when two people didn't make it back to the bus on time - WE LEFT! Oh my god! And then we had to sign something saying that we were okay with the fact that we just left these people. Well I was not okay with this, I would not like that to happen to me, but the tour guide MADE us sign it.
Anyway, our morning was lovely. We had coffee and much needed breakfast in a really cute cafe at the base of the ski lodge. We then caught a cable car up to another cable car to get to the peak of the mountain. We went to the lookouts and admired the sometimes cloudy / foggy view. There were even some deck chairs for us to chill out on, which we did for a while for amusement. We then cable cared down, and we had early lunch, as to not end up at optional Asian buffet. We had some maple ice taffy too! This is a process where by, they pour boiling hot maple syrup onto SNOW! and it freezes into taffy! Yum! But very sweet - I could really only manage so much taffy. We then piled back on the bus 9minus two people) and moved on to a lake called Sandy Lake, and something in French (sounded more serious) that I meant to write down but forgot. Anyway, the rest of the group, jumped at the opportunity to buffet while we walked around this cute little town. It had antique stores, cafes, ice-creameries and lolly-shoppes. It was that sort of 'ye-olde' town. God only knows how they manged to find an Asian buffet there! Then we got to go on a boat cruise on this river. There were hills that surrounded the river covered in spectacular trees and the most amazing holiday houses in the world. Apparently the whole lake freezes over in winter. It is just amazing to think. The cruise was most enjoyable, I don't think I can't really do it justice. We docked, piled onto the bus and left (with everyone that was left). We got home about 7:30. I slept on the bus instead of studying for my midterm on Monday! When we got home, we didn't much feel like cooking, so we all went out for some Thai. Someone else to do the cooking and cleaning - amazing! This was really good! Then when I got home - the idea of mid-term Monday hit me. I studied for a little bit, got too tired, and went to sleep.

I spent Monday morning cramming in all sorts of environmental system knowledge into my head - I did however have to miss some lectures to achieve this! On my way to school, I shuffeled into the metro station to shamefully pick up my metro card. Thank-god the same lady wasn't on, it was a man, who didn't think I was the biggest idiot in the world. He happily asked me where I was from and gave me back my card - which is now looking worse for wear. I dread to think what maneuvers they had to pull to jerk it out of there. I went on down to my exam - it didn't go so bad! Take that first McGill mid-term! I then bopped around for a chemistry tutorial which I felt compelled to go to, having missed the lecture and all. I came home, got ready for the gym and punched, kicked, jammed and jived with Sara, Sarah and Catherine. I had some really good tomato soup for tea and thought about my geochem assignment due tomorrow. I am still thinking about it now, and am going to get cracking. So enjoy my Mont Tremblant pics - I think I was a little over-enthusiastic with the photos, but the trees were too enchanting!