Run, Run away little one!

I've never been able to run, ever.  I either get winded, end up with side stitches or excruciating shin splints.  I feel it would be extremely rewarding to make my goal this summer to learn to run!  So here I am!  I downloaded a pretty neat app on my iphone which tracks my progress - its a couch potato to 5K running program that takes 9 weeks.  Apparently, in 9 weeks I'm going to be able to run for 30 minutes without stopping (or 5K equivalent depending on my running speed).  Currently, I don't even think I'd make it to 5 minutes.  I just finished Week One, Day Two last night.  If anyone is interested, you can view the program Here! 

Can a smoker learn to run for 30 minutes, when they have never accomplished this goal even before they took up smoking?  Stay tuned for further progress...

Garden Creek Falls

Fredericton's actual hidden treasure - Garden Creek Falls!  I'm surprised more locals don't already know about this! 

Garden Creek Falls

This place is beautiful, complete with natural forest pathways.

Again, another waterfall situated next to a highway!  I'm in disbelief that the two beautiful waterfalls I located were both beside major highways!  Anyways, to get there take the Fredericton Bypass which connects to highway 8.  Continue along this highway until you come to km marker 1. 

Where to park along highway 8.

If you hit the Trans-Canada high speed merge lane, you have gone just a wee bit too far!  When you get out of your car you'll notice an ATV trail to your right at the top of the bank.  Take this trail and within a minute you can hear the falls. 

A little perspective - Amy at the top of the falls!

Me!

The only problem with visiting this waterfall is trying to get home.  It takes less than 5 minutes to get there when your on the Fredericton Bypass - but more like 15 to return.  I had to hit the Trans-Canada and drive all the way to the Mazerolle Settlement exit before I could turn around.  Nonetheless, ch ch check this waterfall out!  Its within city limits, so no excuses!

E cigs!

I heard about e cigarettes only recently from a friend who tried them. I was curious and met a girl last night who had one! I'm in love. The thought of smoking them anywhere really fascinates me and I love the different flavors you can get! Also you can get nicotine free refills so I am hoping it could help one cut back. I think it's more the action of smoking that I desire, more than the actual nicotine itself. I want one.

Upper and Lower Joslin Falls

I got the idea to start chasing waterfalls because I love hiking and adventures in the forest. I'm a nature/outdoors girl at heart.  But are you really surprised?  I am from the middle of nowhere-ville... I also stumbled across a wicked website containing a list of many of the main waterfalls in NB.  To view it, go HERE!  It gave me the idea to visit these waterfalls, blog about my adventure doing so, as well as try to post better directions to get to the falls. I haven't visited very many waterfalls yet, however, I would have to say this is one of our provinces hidden treasures.

 Saturday afternoon in Fredericton was calling for a beautiful sunny day, 15 degrees. (Thats a beautiful day for April in Canada!) I grabbed my two besties, Amy and Miray to join me on this hunt. We set off from Fredericton heading towards Nackawic on the Trans Canada Highway around 2pm. We were there in no time. I think the drive took around 30 minutes. The falls are located JUST off the TCH at the highway marker 250. Literally, park your car on the shoulder at highway marker 250.

Where to park to get to Upper and Lower Joslin falls

 Lower Joslin Falls (the more spectacular of the two) is located just to the right of the highway (if your heading in the direction towards Edmunston, from Fredericton). We walked down to the deer fence and through the deer gate. (That was my first time entering a deer gate!) Now, there are two ways you can approach the falls. The first is to your right. Be very careful, the falls is literally just around the corner and it is a huge dropoff. I recommend going this way to get your initial view of the falls because it is just out of this world. The sound of the water is so loud you forget that there is a highway literally just above you. My buds and I decided that it would be far to dangerous to try and scale the cliffside from that direction so we turned around and walked back up, past the deer gate and into the woods on what looked to be ... somewhat of a foot trail. This led us around the steep part of the cliff and then over to a small stream running down the hillside. The hillside is much much less steep over here and your able to carefully walk down and get a view of the falls from the bottom. I snapped a few photos and we hung out for a bit in the valley between the mossy cliffs.

 When we had our fill, we climbed back up the way we came (which is way more of a workout than you think for someone out of shape like me) and were on our way.I enjoyed visiting this waterfall so much, that I convinced my boyfriend to come with me to see it again the very next day. I'm pretty sure Sunday was even a nicer day than before. It must have hit at least 25 degrees. This time, I decided to take a different approach at the cliffside. Travis and I decided that since the water level was pretty high due to the recent rain and it being spring in Canada, we climbed up the rocks around the culvert under the highway and made it to the other side that way. We followed a foot trail that led around the rock ledges by the waterfall and carefully made our way down the cliff side.

Lower Joslin Falls

 It looks harder at first glance than it actually is. I thought being a shortie, I might get stuck and not be able to climb back up the mountain but this wasn't the case at all.  I enjoyed all the climbing and boulder hopping.  When we got to the bottom of the cliff, we were closer to the base of the waterfall and there was a conveniently placed pile of giant boulders to perch on. It was very refreshing to sit in this gully as the waterfall was spraying a light mist of water in our direction.

After Travis and I had our fill of Lower Joslin Falls, we set out across the highway to find the Upper Joslin Falls. It is literally straight on the otherside of the highway.  You can't miss it.  Granted, these aren't nearly as spectacular as the lower falls but since you are already there, definitely worth checking out.

Upper Joslin Falls

Don;t go chasing waterfalls...please stick to the lakes and the rivers your used to.

Hi kids! I'm back again! I have been slacking on blogging due to the lack of computer. I have a computer, it's just hooked up to our television so we can stream shows since we don't want to pay for cable. This means it's a rare day where I actually can use the computer other than watching tv...also I'd have to sit on the floor to type.

However, I just got the blogger app on my iPhone. But my god it's so much faster to type with a keyboard!

Anyways, breakie at work is over but I will try to return to write about my waterfall chasing adventures later on. I have decided that my goal for summer 2012 is to hunt down as many waterfalls in New Brunswick as I can. Just call me... The waterfall hunter.

Playoff season.

I got this for Travis...just because! (I'm an awesome girlfriend, period.) Personally, I'm a Detroit fan because my dad was (he used to attend their games in Detroit back in the day because he is from Windsor). But I'll still root for the Habs as my secondary team!



I gave it to him on the first day of the playoffs. We didn't have any bread at the time to test it out so I suggested using one half of a hamburger bun. The result would have been more toasted around the edges with a full sized slice of bread but you get the picture! I made Travis pose with his toast but he wasn't as enthusiastic about posing in a picture with toast as I was about taking it...haha



Logan likes toast.

I've decided it's a girl.

She has very feminine eyes (headlights). Scarlet is her name. I love her.

I live for adventures outside.

Just a quick blog update while I sit at home on my lunch break from the lab. I usually come home for lunch these days because for one, its only a 5 minute drive from work and two, I'm saving so much money on food not eating out all the time! Plus, I suck at making a lunch and bringing it to work with me. There are so many more options when you can eat at home because you have access to a stove and oven! Tuna melts are on the menu.

I'm hoping the weather this weekend will cooperate with me. Trav and I want to go to Saint John and go hiking around in Irving Nature Park. We had a brief stop there a couple weekends ago when we went down to visit my mom for her birthday. Brief, but so fun! I love hiking! The animals there are so tame its rediculous. You can tell that people always feed them.. We had a crew of chickadees and squirrels following us throughout the trail. And by friendly chickadees they were landing on branches literally a foot away from us. At one point, I thought maybe if I put my arms out I might have one land on my hand. Sure enough, within a minute I had a chickadee try to land on my hand but it surprised me and I pulled away. Too bad, would have been a great photo.




After our Irving Park adventure, I took Travis to Mispec beach which is a sort of hidden treasure. It's a lovely beach just outside of the city. Beautiful sand, and tons of awesome rocks to sit on and watch the ocean waves.

Wow! Two updates in a row! I'm on a roll!!

I'm currently bored out of my freakin mind...aaaand craving a yeti like its no ones business. (I threw the yetis out last thursday). I'm just waiting for Trav and Farva to get back from the gym so we can all go for a run. Yeah, thats right. A run! I've only gone out once for a run last week but I'm trying to incorporate it into my daily routine. It's not easy when you haven't been to the gym in over 5 years... I'm not trying to lose weight, but just get back into shape and (please please please) grow a bigger bum. I'm so sick of my clothes not fitting me at all!!!

I did get an antique sewing machine from my mom as an early birthday present. I love it! I did a little bit of practicing on some scrap material but man its hard to sew perfectly straight lines... I'd love to someday in the not too distant future learn to make my own clothing, and tailor all the stuff that doesn't fit me! Its not my fault I'm so little :(

P.S. That picture always brings a smile to my face.

2 years later..

...I am still alive and kicking! Did you miss me? I don't even know how to do this blogging thing anymore its been so long! Well, how to catch up on 2 years time. Its not going to be easy.

I'm still working at the lab - and finally got my permanent full time status after 3 contracts! Yay!! I'm also still working at the eagle, although just part time. Usually once or twice a week. The extra income and discount is always nice. haha. I also bought a CAR about a month and a half ago! Its a lovely 2007 Ford Fusion, red, with leather interior. I'm in love with it. I never thought I would buy a Ford, I was dead set on a Civic. Trav also recently moved into my one bedroom apartment with me. It will be nice next month when he starts helping out with rent and I start saving $250 + a month. What an excellent start to the year 2011. :)

There is so much more to say,
but I'll save it for another day.

A new beginning.

And my journey at American Eagle as Assistant Manager has come to an end. I'm really sad that its over, its my second home! I'm going to miss being there all the time soo much but at least I will still be there for a couple shifts a week. I already picked up an extra "associate sales" shift tomorrow on my one day off before I start my new job. Oh well, I need money to start getting myself out of debt. I'm a workaholic, what can I say? I don't know when my next day off is going to be..

untitled.

Its been a really long time since I've done an update - this place used to be a way to vent my frustrations in writing but now I feel as if its a struggle to put them to paper. Why do I put so much time and effort, get nothing in return, and continue to live life like this?

I got a new job. Its the first Biology job that I applied for, I can't believe I actually got it! I haven't started yet but as of June 8th I'm no longer assistant manager at American Eagle. Instead, I'm going to be a molecular biology technician. (Sounds pretty crazy!) I do not feel like I have it in me to part ways with AE though, I demoted myself back to sales associate. That place is my second home, I love it and everyone who works there. One more week of being a manager *sniff*

Death Bridge

I am on Farva's laptop up in his new little loft room in our house. He moved in, Celia moved out. We (Farva, Trav and I) just got back from a huge walking adventure starting at our house and walking on the trail across the walking bridge and all the way around to the Westmorland Bridge, which I now have renamed Death Bridge. This is because I almost had a panic attack because there were spiders EVERYWHERE! Surrounded! Spiders on every place they could be on the railing on either side of us walking. It seriously freaked me the fuck out. But other than that the long hour and a half walk felt goooood.

Useless.

I'm home alone. The boys are all gone out drinking. I would have loved to go but alas I have no money - plus I have to work at 8am. I guess crazy gill has matured a bit. Either that or her body just can't handle booze anymore. Those damn crazy hangovers make me too grumpy to work at my job with all those customers! I just got home from hanging out at Heats house. A big crew showed up and we all sat around and watched episode after episode of the show Weeds. I'm so hooked whenever I start watching it. Every episode ends with a cliffhanger goddamnit! I just can't start watching without stopping after one, two, three, no four episodes!

I feel slightly relieved yet slightly anxious.

Give yourself a pat on the back for being you.

The boys in my room are doing some sort of hockey thing right now where they are picking players and creating their own teams on the xbox. Then they are going to play a season of games. They are hardcore into it and using excel on the computer and stuff to keep score. I'm kinda bored actually. Too much hockey talk for the past 2 1/2 hours. In the meantime I've taken it upon myself to create an AE Window Change Checklist. This way the associates can remember all the little things they may forget if I'm not working that night. I feel accomplished. But now I don't really know what else to do. Facebook is no longer amusing me. I'm just sitting on this chair in my own little world.

Tomorrow will be an adventure. I'm taking Trav to Kingston to visit my mom at her work and get some fruits and veggies which I'm in desperate need for. It will be something different to do at least on my day off. And I can't remember the last time I've been home to Kingston!

the best surprise!

You will never guess who I saw today! Zac! God I missed him! He's back from Toronto for a year because his girlfriend is going on maternity leave soon and they wanted to be closer to family. He came into AE today and surprised the shit out of me!

Other than that I guess my first day back to work was decent. It's nice to be back to work, but I wish I could have had one more week off. One week just isn't enough. One week just gets you caught up in all the sleep you've missed out on while you've been working so much. The other week is the week to be productive and catch up on errands you've been putting off. Too bad I didn't have the week two to be productive with... I let Chris borrow my car for the day while I was at work and he brought me some delicious lunch from Mikes Restaurant and a smoke. I would have killed ten gypsies for that smoke, I was jonesing. I guess you can say I'm sort of trying to quit smoking cigarettes. I'm too broke to smoke anymore and I don't want my lungs to fail on me... And I'm lucky enough that I wasn't born with asthma - I shouldn't be trying to kill my respiratory system to this extreme. I'll be happy if I can just cut sober smoking out of my life right now and keep it to solely smoking while intoxicated.

Thiefs!

I never really understood where people get off from stealing from others. Do they not realize karma will come back to kick them in the ass? Last night while everyone was asleep someone apparently came in through our front door and stole Wes's Xbox 360 from the living room. And last week at work someone stole $25 from the Make a Wish Foundation out back on the break table. Some peoples children..

Where am i?

I don't feel at all like myself right now. Today has just been one of those days. Where nothing is really wrong, but everything feels so so wrong. When you just want to burst into tears every moment for no real reason. I feel like there is so much emotions trapped inside of me at this very moment and I don't know what they are so they are just left inside. Where they will build until one little thing sometime in the future will set them free.

So its summer now!

Winter has come and gone since my last post and I am still alive! It's surprising tho, considering my random encounters ranging from an explosion gas fire in the house across the street that blew my bedroom windows in, literally.. metal poles from AE window displays crashing down, and my wide array of sicknesses - bladder infections and antibiotics that give me a retarded rash. But lets get down to business.

I'm twenty fucking five now. Can you believe it? I had a glorious birthday weekend and now I'm on day two of my glorious eight day vacation. This is a much needed break away. Last night was a pretty rediculous night. I spent the day with Chris and his entire family at his cousin Fentons wedding. By the end of the night, Trav's parents had gotten us drunk off expensive beer and caused both of our faces to hurt from laughter. They were so hammered that I couldn't help but laugh all night.

We looked goooood.

Maybe we should all listen to our mothers...

...when they tell us to never walk alone at night. I was walking home at 1am from Laura's place (which really is not that far and only involves George street and Regent street) during a snowstorm the other night. It was a quiet yet peaceful night. I was enjoying the walk in the freshly falling snow. It wasn't a brutally cold night, it was warm. I had been alone almost the entire walk and I can recall a Checkers Cab van pass me on Regent street and I saw it pull right onto a street way up ahead. I thought nothing of it. When I passed by the Kebab (or formerly called Kellys Cafe/Bouldons) I noticed that there was some sort of vehicle parked behind the building with its lights on and running (but I could not see it). I still thought nothing of it.

The next thing I can remember was when I was just beginning to approach the edge of the street at the crosswalk, where Aberdeen connects with Regent. I had glanced over to the right and noticed a mans shadow RIGHT behind me. Uncomfortably a foot away from me. It shocked the crap out of me and I may have jumped slightly. He was not that tall, probably not too much taller than me. He was older - probably in his 40s and wearing a leather jacket. He said "Hey how are you?" and I started to walk faster and vear to the left to cross the street, answered "good." and glanced back over my shoulder....

What happened next I never expected. He leaped towards me and grabbed me around my side saying "Give it to me!" We ended up falling onto the snowy road with my purse underneath me and with him on top of me. I started to scream and try to get my purse to throw it at him. I thought he was going for it. I was ready to throw it and get the fuck out of there. The biggest shocker of the story? I yelled take it while struggling to get my purse off my shoulder and he just got up and left. He just walked down Aberdeen street and left me laying on the road with all my belongings. What the fuck? I ran the rest of the way home and when I got there I could barely breathe.

I'm going to take this all as a sign, as I believe in all that karma and signs and stuff. I was lucky and got away this time, but next time I may not be that lucky. I'm taking it as a wake up call that I'm not invincible, these things WILL happen to ANYONE and I can't go about life with the attitude that 'it will never happen to me'. I have to stop being so stupid.