Update...

...because I can't sleep, and it is 1:17 am PST...my first insomnia in Katimavik. Let's remember this night.

So a bunch of stuff happened over the course of the week, and I don't even know where to begin...so I think I will look at each day and talk about what happened:

Monday - first day of work. I think I wrote a blog about that, so that's done.

Tuesday - Rally for Change...this rally thing where a bunch of people met up in Millenium Park and rallied against global warming. I think they were going to do a demonstration on the streets plus an open mike, but we missed the demonstration and instead got there for the open mike. It was pretty cool to hear the ideas and how they see things could be done to decrease polluation/global warming...the only thing that sucked was that it was cold and pouring, and no one had an umbrella except for me, because a lady took pity and lent it to me...a couple of the people started crowding in (hello BC rain, long time no see...). During the open mike, 2 young people came up to us and asked if we want to join them the next day to do another demonstration in Nelson, BC, but of course we couldn't because we had to work...a shame, really. Oh yes it was also Charles's birthday...we bought him a Dairy Queen ice-cream cake and had a very small party. Knowing him he would have wanted to go to the bar, but since we now live in the middle of nowhere, that didn't happen.

Wednesday - Free time...I skipped group dinner (a good thing, as I found out, because apparently Stephen made a barely edible dinner) and rode the bike out...did a bunch of errands and then treated myself to dinner in a restaurant, which was serving all-you-can-eat shrimps...wooyah! In total I had 48, and brought another 12 home. Oh yes I also rented the first 4 episodes of The L Word, so I watched that on Stephen's laptop.

Thursday - Committee Planning Day. An overall productive time, in my opinion. This time Cheryl and I are in the environment committee, and we have a bunch of ideas on what we are going to do...and it seems like that for everyone else too...I am pretty happy that people are more eager on planning things than the past two trimesters. After that Zach/Rebecca/Stephen/Alex/I played Clue...I found out the answer by luck and accident, although I didn't win...perhaps you guys can figure out why.

Friday - BBQ at Station Museum (the Welcome Party)...overall an enjoyable time...a couple of you may be amused to know that an 11 year old girl (daughter of a work partner) came up to me and said "wow I am almost as tall as you"...the same sassy thing later played with Stephen and chased him around. The PC (Christine, man this is the first time we see our PC so much so soon) joined us because...

...to check up on Mike and his progress in the group. So after the BBQ, we drove to a hill off the museum where we can watch the sunset and the valley, and we had a little meeting on Mike there. Overall, he improved a bit...let's see what things bring later on.

Friday night brings a slew of mindless activities...while Stephen/Cheryl/Charles went out for a bike ride (to BCL and then drinking in the park...Cheryl and Charles are lucky that Alex and Christine didn't see them since it's a small town and they were out that night also), Cynthia/Zach/Rebecca/I (plus a bit of Mike) were mindlessly surfing the web and doing personality quizzes and stuff like that...we came across this quiz (I am not going into details on what it is right now, perhaps another time) which led to Zach/me/Stephen hotly debating (more like me, with them laughing at me and saying things to provoke me) on our choices. The theme of this, I would say, is feminism/male and female gender roles.

Saturday - Cluster Day at Nelson. I really could talk about this more, but that could take a while (it is now 2:31 am and I should sleep even though I am buzzed). In point form:
- Nelson is one cool city/town...the whole town has a hippie/laid-back vibe to it...a good number of the citizens have dreads, and their downtown is rather funky and eclectic. And of course who can forget the official fragrance of BC? Apparently Cheryl said there is a certain spot/store where people can smoke pot, and Charles checked it out (hehehehe Charles you, what a surprise ;). But my thoughts: Why bother? People do it everywhere there.
I can totally see Emilie in Nelson, chilling out...and getting along really well with the PL (Renaud, who is a French hippie). Maybe I should go there for my 72 off?
- After seeing all the houses in the cluster, my favorite one is the one in Nelson...it has personality like the one in Blind River, except more...I don't know how to describe, but more like the old yet charming houses in the residental area in downtown Vancouver. Plus their neighbourhood (downtown Nelson) is pretty cool...a bit jealous right now.
- What we did: a) saw a waterfall b) went to a farmer's market (hippie central) c) played soccer in barefeet and mild rain (that was fun...I was goalie but my team was really good with all the PLs and Christine on the team, not to mention Zach who runs like the wind) d) the whole cluster suckered a tram (think Vancouver trolleys in Stanley Park) conductor into giving us a giant discount for riding on the tram...I got in for free, and it was pretty nice seeing the Kootney River and other scenic points along the way.
A good day overall...but our group had to leave right after, which was just as well because everyone was pretty much in zombie form when we returned home.
- That night: Alex/Mike/Rebecca/Zach/Stephen/I watched The Lady in Water...I fell asleep halfway because I was tired but I was still able to understand the story more than Mike did, who was awake the whole time and kept asking ridiculous questions about the movie. Pretty amusing.

- Sunday: Breakfast with Jack Johnson twist (think about it...), then ultimate frisbee at the field by the community center (fun...the only downfall was that everyone played barefeet except for Cynthia, who absolutely refused to take off her shoes...and me not being very good at the sport and not being in shape). Hung out by the river with Cheryl, and then Mike/Alex/I biked to the museum, since Alex was supposed to show us the route to there. A nice picnic supper, and loooong house meeting (our usual, but longest Alex has ever done), and here I am, writing this.

Currents thoughts in my mind/drama in house:

1) I LOVE YOU DRAFT AUTOSAVE! I thought I lost my blog because the computer froze, but yeah you came through! No bitching blog!
2) With house-meeting tonight, it is now decided that 72 hours off will be happening over Canada Day long weekend. Now that my mom and my sister can't come see me during that time, I am now contemplating whether I should go back to Vancouver, or go to Nelson, or stay in Castlegar, or go somewhere totally different (Kelowna)...each has its pros and cons, I don't know yet...
3) Obvious drama (but not really drama) - differences with people wanting 72 hours off in Canada Day long weekend, with Maxime really insisting it because her parents are coming up during that time and they have booked tickets/campsites/everything. Others prefer the August weekend because on that same weekend, Wheels for Life are happening and people would like to participate in it, plus various other things. So some "conflict" happened there
Not-obvious drama (actual drama, 34102 style) - Rebecca and Cheryl's room has this tiny shelf for storage that is really only meant for 1 person to use...while our room (Maxime and I) has 2 storage shelves, with Maxime using one that is suitable for 2. Cheryl and Maxime had a slight conflict over this (with Cheryl wanting Maxime's drawer and Maxime not wanting that, of course...I don't know what quite happened but next thing I know, Cheryl and Rebecca are moving the shelf upstairs to their room...and when I went downstairs, Maxime's stuff was everywhere on the floor in our room. I imagine that Cheryl and Rebecca confronted Maxime about it, and Maxime was like "fine take it" and threw all her stuff out and left the house to chill out.
Later on I offered to switch with her (because I don't have much stuff) but she just said "no don't worry about it" and just furiously shoved all her stuff into her bags/suitcase...and later on when I wanted to go into the living room (the door was closed) I heard her on the phone, crying to someone...
Summary: I sympathize with her for the fact that both shitty things happened to her on the same day, but really she must learn to stop shoving problems within herself and talk to people.
4) I have this crazy idea that I would love to do, but it's lots and lots of work...plus luck and timing is required...I would like to do a fundraiser for the museum...a talent show, in fact...with different talents from town. I would like to make it big, publicize it...but I don't know, with the schedules and demands of Katimavik...we will see...
5) Thing that Annoys Me about the Group These Days - People Who Ding Others For Not Following Rules But Does The Same Thing When Rule Does Not Suit To Their Liking...I am not going to elaborate quite yet because again, it can take awhile and it's getting late...

...so I will stop here. But I think I will pull an all-nighter because it is already 4:12 am, and I am not tired...if I sleep I am afraid I won't get up for work tomorrow.