Zzzz...

Isn't it wierd how shitty you feel when you only get three hours of sleep?

Check it off the list!

Well, I've just now finished applying to all the schools I'm looking at here in BC. For five schools it cost me a measly $185.00 for them to simply review my applications and decide if they want me to attend an interview and portfolio review. THEN I might get in. Geez, what a process!

Oh, but it's not actually finished... I still have to gather and send off my HIGH SCHOOL transcripts to each school, which I think is a bit ridiculous considering I've been out of high school for ten years. Apparently my college transcripts aren't enough, and even that I graduated almost seven years ago. Oh well.

Now I just have to get my portfolio in tip top shape. I'm sure I'll be asked to send off portfolios to each school, so that's going to be my goal for the next two months or so.

I got drunk on my own last night and made chocolate chip and banana pancakes for breakfast this morning. They were delicious!

One Month In...

Again, my apologies. I've been slacking off with my weblog, and I'm sorry.

So January is basically over, and it's been a pretty good month. We haven't had any new snow here in quite a while, so people are getting pretty anxious for the skies to open, but it will come. We can't really complain, though, when we look east to Ontario and Quebec and the winter they've had... I'm just happy to be out there and enjoying the winter weather.

In just over two weeks I'm off to Vancouver to meet my parents who will be flying over for a visit. I'm looking forward to this, and having some time away. The past week or so for me has been, well, interesting. I'm sorry, but I can't really get into it. Again, my apologies.

Some pretty big news here for you all: within the next week I will hopefully have all my school applications in the mail. Awesome, eh? I'm pretty excited to get these done with, so I can focus on my portfolio. For those not in the know, I'm applying for courses in Graphic Design and one in Professional Photography. Good times!

Keep your fingers crossed for me...

Ass-numbingly Cold in BC!

It's been on average -17celcius here for the past week. No call for a break until Thursday at the earliest. Oh, and no new snow for snowboarding in over a week, either. I guess I shouldn't really complain, actually, since Blue Mountain in Ontario recently had to lay-off almost their entire workforce. Ouch.

I'm making plans for a bit of a break in February, as my folks are coming out to Vancouver for a week. I'll be flying out to meet them, visit a couple schools, eat some delicious food, do a little shopping, look at buying a car... You know, the usual.

"Don't take your guns to town, son".

...And three days in...

Happy New Year to you all... wherever you may have celebrated, and with whomever you celebrated, I hope that it was a joyous occassion. Congratulations to everyone for making it through another year, and may the next 365 days (now 362) bring prosperity and happiness to you.

Cheers!

Three days to go!

It's beginning to look a lot like Xmas, wouldn't you say? We just had three cents worth of snow last night, a nice little touch of powdery white stuff. Probably just enough for Santa and his Reindeer to come sliding on all the rooftops.

I was just thinking how nice it would be if there actually was a big round man who traveled the world and stuffed gifts down everyones' chimneys... Wierd, but nice. It would be especially nice for people that aren't with their families, or for people that actually DO need those new socks or package of toothpaste.

Me, well, I'll be working Xmas day. It should be alright, I guess. A little bonus money in my pocket, and bright happy faces all around as they "shoosh" down the hill. I've been invited to a pot luck dinner in the evening, with a secret Santa give away.

You know what I say: Ho, Ho, Ho and a bottle of rum!

I'm a baaaad man...

I've been told that I don't update my weblog frequently enough, so I'm going to try and focus on that a little more. Hopefully I will be able to add more photos, too. I will try for one new photo a week, and see if that pleases the masses (by "masses" I mean the four or five people that actually follow this)...

So the job up at Red Mountain Resort is going well. This past Saturday I had my first shift as a bartender in the Rafters bar, and it was pretty good. I was only there for a couple hours, but by the end of it I felt like I had most of the basics down. I like working in bars, and have worked a couple before, so I'm sure this one won't be any different. Hopefully all the American tourists that come up for weekends are good tippers!

What else? Xmas is coming up thick and fast, and I feel bad because I haven't had a chance to send off my presents to my family yet. I'm sure I'll get them in the mail this week though, no worries...

Right now it's snowing like a biyatch here in Rossland. It's very pretty, but can be hard on the back. Apparently it's meant to snow all night and all day tomorrow... probably another 30cms or so... When it dumps, it damn-well-dumps here!

Have a great day!

Work is such... Work!

But when you've got views like this all around you, somehow it's all worth it...

So far everything is going well, except for this constant pain in my entire body. I think it will be a good winter. Snowboarding is fun and SO relaxing. When I'm out there I'm not thinking of anything else, and it's great. The job itself should be alright, and the people seem pretty nice and very friendly. Everyone is there to have a good time and have a laugh.

More images later!

Back in the thick of it.

Well folks, finally here's a real update for y'all. I hope you enjoyed the last couple photo posts.

Things here in Rossland, BC, are flowing along nicely. For a while there I was a little worried that nothing would fall into place, but it seems to be working out great. I've been working part time at a restaurant down in Trail waiting tables, which has been good for pocket money but not good at all for bankable money. So finally I managed to land a job at the local ski hill, Red Mountain Resort, as a lift operator. I also had an interview with the food and beverage people yesterday, and I'm confident something will come up there.

What does all this mean, you ask? Well, if something DOES come up in F&B at the hill then I can give up on the restaurant job. My main problem there is that the shifts are infrequent and traveling back and forth is sketchy at best. If I had a car of my own it'd be no problem, but public transport here runs at ridiculous hours, so I can't rely on that.

As you can see, everything job-wise is falling into place perfectly. My future, on the other hand, is all over the map. I've got some great ideas, and just came up with another one an hour ago. I like this one and might look deeper to see how far I can take it.

It's all in how determined one can be to obtain their dreams. Make it happen.

Through The Fog...

Closed for the Winter!

When it dumps, it dumps!

Well, today is snow day number 3 here in Rossland, BC, and it's bucketing down. I went to bed last night and there wasn't a fleck of snow in the air. When I got up, somehow there was three inches on the ground. All this in a span of seven hours... And it hasn't stopped! Amazing.

Tomorrow I am hoping to start my new job at the Trails End Cafe down in Trail. I'm going to be waiting tables, but it won't be that bad. The menu is amazing (and pricey), and the restaurant has a good reputation, which should bring in some nice tips for yours truly. And trust me, I need it. I'm looking into buying a car (just a little run-around for the winter and beyond) and it looks like the insurance alone is going to cost me more than the car! Well, not quite, but it's still a kick in the dick.

Some more good news for you folks out there: I got an interview at Red Resort. This is the big one for me. Ideally I would like to work days at the mountain, then about three nights a week at the restaurant. This would give me the money I need to play around for the winter, as well as put some aside for when I have to decide what to do in the spring. Most importantly, though, I'd be keeping busy and meeting people, which is definitely what I need at the moment. Restlessness is setting in!

Good things are happening, I can feel it. The ball is rolling, and I think it's rolling in the right (albeit lengthy) direction...

Snow day #2.

Right now, here in Rossland, BC, it's snowing like a mutha... I'd finish that sentence, but sensitive eyes are watching. They are calling for up to 15cms of snow today and over night, but from friday until tuesday it's meant to rain, rain, and rain some more. All the beautiful snow will be gone for good. Well, until it snows again.

Talking to a lady in a shop today, she told me that it's a pretty regular thing to get over twenty five FEET of snow each year. I assume that this doesn't all happen at once and you have to dig your HOUSE out of the snow, but tweenty five feet of snow is still twenty five feet of snow, no matter how you look at it. Apparently about five years ago they got hit with more than FORTY FEET in the season! Are you fucking serious??!!?? That's some back-breaking shovel work, let me tell you...

No, it's actually good. I'm looking forward to the snow. I haven't done a whole lot of winter photography, so it will be a good challenge for me. Oh, and that whole snowboarding thing should be pretty fun, too!

All settled in, with LOTS of places to go!

Well, I've moved in to my new place here in Rossland, BC, Canada. A little history of Rossland: It was apparently the place of the first ever helicopter flight in North America by Louise Gagnon in 1902; Rossland was home to the country's richest gold mine; There are over 200 mines dotted around the area of Rossland; It is home to approximately 3500 people.

Everything is super amazing at the moment. I'm confident that a job will come soon, and I'm even more confident that my photography skills can only improve by being in such a beautiful location. Rossland is only about 10kms from the US border, so if I felt like going for a long weekend to Washington, I could walk there. HA! Everyone that I've met in my short time here (and there's been quite a few!) has been super nice and helpful. Just yesterday I was given a tip off about two different job opportunities that look interesting!

The house itself is very cool, too. Two bedrooms, huge living/dining room, big kitchen where I can build up some culinary skills, massive bathroom with a kick-ass shower... It's very nice indeed. The tv only gets two stations that are always fuzzy, so I won't be watching it that often, but this can only be a good thing! Oh, and there's a huge, fenced backyard that I can go out and make snow angels in when the snow arrives.

Did I mention that last year (from what I've been told) there was six feet of snow on the ground at one point? Good things are going to come from this move to BC, I can tell...!

All settled in, with LOTS of places to go!

Well, I've moved in to my new place here in Rossland, BC, Canada. A little history of Rossland: It was apparently the place of the first ever helicopter flight in North America by Louise Gagnon in 1902; Rossland was home to the country's richest gold mine; There are over 200 mines dotted around the area of Rossland; It is home to approximately 3500 people.

Everything is super amazing at the moment. I'm confident that a job will come soon, and I'm even more confident that my photography skills can only improve by being in such a beautiful location. Rossland is only about 10kms from the US border, so if I felt like going for a long weekend to Washington, I could walk there. HA! Everyone that I've met in my short time here (and there's been quite a few!) has been super nice and helpful. Just yesterday I was given a tip off about two different job opportunities that look interesting!

The house itself is very cool, too. Two bedrooms, huge living/dining room, big kitchen where I can build up some culinary skills, massive bathroom with a kick-ass shower... It's very nice indeed. The tv only gets two stations that are always fuzzy, so I won't be watching it that often, but this can only be a good thing! Oh, and there's a huge, fenced backyard that I can go out and make snow angels in when the snow arrives.

Did I mention that last year (from what I've been told) there was six feet of snow on the ground at one point? Good things are going to come from this move to BC, I can tell...!

You CAN get something for nothing!

Well, that's a bit of a lie, or at least an exaggeration. If you read down a few posts, you'll notice that I had all my camera equipment stolen from an underground parking lot in Calgary (thanks again, fuckers). Anyway, after much wrangling and telephone calls between parents, insurance claim agents, etc, I have finally started to rebuild my stockpile.

Here in Vancouver, at a Best Buy, and via a telephone call back to London, Ontario, to a claims agent, with the help of Manager Michael, I managed to spend close to $3500.00 on camera goodies. The most exciting piece of all is a brand new Nikon D80 digital SLR, along with two lenses (18-135mm and 55-200mm). These two will pretty much replace the four lenses that were stolen, but I DO still wish I could have picked up a 50mm f1.4 prime. Oh well, beggars can't be choosers when you're shopping at Best Buy. I also picked up close to $350 worth of filters for the two lenses, which shocked Manager Michael. Also, I threw in a nice SB-600 speedlight flash for good measure. That's the main unit. I also got a Canon Powershot A710 for nights out.

It was fun and frustrating at the same time doing my shopping, and took over four hours to get it all done. In the end, though, I got close to the equivalent of what was taken from me by the Calgary Crackhead. Now I'm off to start making beautiful art. Can't wait to be in those mountains again!

Oh, did I mention that all of this didn't cost me ONE PENNY? No? Well, all of this didn't cost me one penny. There.

You CAN get something for nothing!

Well, that's a bit of a lie, or at least an exaggeration. If you read down a few posts, you'll notice that I had all my camera equipment stolen from an underground parking lot in Calgary (thanks again, fuckers). Anyway, after much wrangling and telephone calls between parents, insurance claim agents, etc, I have finally started to rebuild my stockpile.

Here in Vancouver, at a Best Buy, and via a telephone call back to London, Ontario, to a claims agent, with the help of Manager Michael, I managed to spend close to $3500.00 on camera goodies. The most exciting piece of all is a brand new Nikon D80 digital SLR, along with two lenses (18-135mm and 55-200mm). These two will pretty much replace the four lenses that were stolen, but I DO still wish I could have picked up a 50mm f1.4 prime. Oh well, beggars can't be choosers when you're shopping at Best Buy. I also picked up close to $350 worth of filters for the two lenses, which shocked Manager Michael. Also, I threw in a nice SB-600 speedlight flash for good measure. That's the main unit. I also got a Canon Powershot A710 for nights out.

It was fun and frustrating at the same time doing my shopping, and took over four hours to get it all done. In the end, though, I got close to the equivalent of what was taken from me by the Calgary Crackhead. Now I'm off to start making beautiful art. Can't wait to be in those mountains again!

Oh, did I mention that all of this didn't cost me ONE PENNY? No? Well, all of this didn't cost me one penny. There.

I'm a Westerner -- It's Official!

Today I passed from mountain time (like I said before, fuck you Calgary. Mountain time is NOT my time!) into Pacific Time. I don't ever plan on going back. Sorry everyone. Pacific time seems to suit me just fine...

BC. What to say about such a place? Everywhere I look there seems to be something new and exciting and beautiful and amazing. I'm loving it so far. I'll let you know again when I actually decide on a place to stay, and start looking for a job. That could make or break this whole experience. The job hunt is one of my major worries right now, but I think I've come at a good time of year, so hopefully no problems.

We're in Nelson right now, which is apparently one of the sunniest places in BC. Even though we arrived and it was dark, I've got a good feeling about the place. I only noticed ONE Wal-Mart! Lots of coffee shops, street shopping, it's on a lake, and the air is clean.

About 10,000 people call Nelson home, but there's a good possibility it might be 10,002 by the end of this month.

Fuck You Calgary.

Last night as Stephanie and I were peacefully sleeping the night away at the Days Inn here in Calgary Alberta her car was broken into. I'm guessing that it was probably some kind of addict looking for some crap to sell. Thankfully the "crap" they decided to take was ALL OF MY GOD DAMNED CAMERA EQUIPMENT!!! WHAT THE FUCK!!! So not only do I not have a camera to take photos of the rest of our trip, but all the photos since Red Lake Ontario (about two weeks ago) and all the undeveloped/exposed film has been taken.

Thanks Calgary. I don't know if I'll be coming back any time soon...

Mountain Time is MY Time!

Welcome to Calgary, Alberta. The urban sprawl here is huge. I think we probably drove for about thirty kilometres before we got into the city proper. Absolutely crazy. The place is booming, but there isn't enough housing for all the people to stay in, so people are having to rent one bedroom apartments for $1000/month. Is it REALLy that amazing of a place? Sure, it's pretty sunny for most of the year, and those chinooks will warm you right up in the winter... But the COST!!! Think about it!

So off to Banff tomorrow or the next, and probably spend a few days in the surrounding parks area exploring and getting used to the mountain air. Hikes, bikes, and good ol' times...

BC is next, and off Vancouver to see a couple friends and an Uncle. Can't wait.