Note to self: Gotta meet more bachelorettes ^_~

Hahaha! I attended my first bachelorette party last night and it was a lot of fun! The leader of the women's small group I'm in this term hosted a surprise luau at her home for the bride, who I met two weeks and was the person who introduced me into the small group (Karen). It was a potluck-type event, and we all wore Hawaiian attire and waited in anticipation for Karen to arrive and yell "Surprise!" Of course, she said that all the cars in the drive-way tipped her off that something was going on...but since the house was kind of out in the country, we had nowhere else to put the cars. Oh well! I think she was more surprised about the outfit that she had to wear!

So, we mingled around and played a couple of games. I won one of the games, and got a picture frame which is very nice. When I got home and opened it, I knew exactly which picture to put inside...that's right! The CCF gals sitting on all our garbage bags of crinkled paper! One of my favourite pictures...I should scan it one day and post it here.

So, I had better get ready for church...everybody I know goes to late service, plus it's supposedly more "lively" than the first. I really love the church...it's very much like CFC in Waterloo, and the pastor is great. I notice however that he really shares the teaching duties quite often with other people, which is great. Of course, I wouldn't mind if he spoke every week, but variety is the spice of life =)

P.S. Congrats to Kalan Porter, the latest winner of "Canadian Idol". All your brothers and sisters in Christ are immensely proud of you for taking your stand of faith...and don't listen to what Zach says...the way you sang "I Can Only Imagine" was wonderful! Keep on singing to the Lord!

~Invasion of Dial-up~

Yes, yes, I ashamedly admit that I have caved to the frugality monster and reverted into the world of dial-up... but for $0 for the first three months, wouldn't you? Hey, it's fast internet or food, so I'm getting my priorities straight. Besides, this whole dial-up thing isn't half as bad as I remember. Now of course, I can't watch MSN news online or any more apple.com movie trailers, but they were time wasters anyways. Already, my yahoo account is running *almost* as fast as usual... due to cookies I suppose.

Well, here I am in Montreal. I'm starting work tomorrow, and am just enjoying this awesome apartment that I have been blessed with here. It turned out to be less sad than I thought... I was quite worried it would be really ghetto, considering that I'm sleeping on an air mattress for 4 months, and that all my stuff is borrowed, doesn't match, and my living room contains fold-out camping chairs. But really, when all is said and done, it's quite charming!

So, more for myself than anything, I want to preserve a few memories here:

- move-in day was Thursday, September 2nd
- first meal was Special K mixed with Apple Muslix (I had no food)and was eaten on the floor
- parents came on Friday, Septemer 3rd to move in the rest of my stuff; we ordered pizza from Luna's and this was the first meal eaten at the table
- The Saturday night, I made the first official meal; chicken stuffed with apple and brie, with rice and cole slaw on the side (it was on this day the futon was purchased for the living room...cheap!)
- parents stayed again and I went to church in the morning (it was great!)
- after finishing a few errands, I made chicken parmesian for the first time and served lunch
- Mom and Dad left, and the first movie I watched here was Dante's Peak in French.
- Most of my channels are French, but I am overjoyed that I get CTV (yay CSI!!)

Okay, wow, I realize that I focus a lot on food. LOL! Do you do that too? When I look through old journals of mine, I notice that I do document the food I eat when I am writing about a memorable occasion. I wonder what it is about food that helps me remember events. Hmmm...

So, I have been integrated into a young women's cell group from my church, and I'm really looking forward to the first meeting. I am also going to try out McGill Christian Fellowship on Friday night. My friend is on committee there, so he will help me get aquainted. Montreal feels so different to me than Toronto did. In Toronto, it felt like I was on my own in my spiritual walk. Here, I already feel like I am becoming integrated into the community...like part of the body. Maybe God's just babying me because He knows I don't do well on solitary stints... who knows. But what I do know is that God has given me a tremendous opportunity to learn and grow here, so my prayer is that I don't waste it.

Perhaps my primary life-skill goal this term, is that after this term, I will actually become a good cook. Cooking is such a useful skill...it's a great way to serve people and to get to know people when you share food together. Plus, I'm sure my future husband would be quite appreciative that I won't make him do all the cooking. LOL! =P

My new favourite quote - LOL! (okay, now read this with an Austrian accent)

For those critics who are so pessimistic about our economy (American), I say to you, don't be emotional girly-man...

Yes, that was Arnold at a Republican Rally... my Dad and I burst out laughing when he said that. LOL!

So, I'm leaving on a Greyhound tomorrow for Montreal. Dad and I took a trip down to my very first apartment last Sunday and moved in most of my stuff. Mom and Dad will come down on Friday evening to deliver the rest of my furniture, so for one night, I won't have anything in the apartment. I truly believe though, that this is going to be the term that I will truly learn to cook something other than rice, veggies, with a selection of meat on the side. Dad taught me how to make our special recipe of Shephard's pie and Chicken Parmesian. I'm looking forward to experimenting as well.

Oh yes, and good news! I am eligible for a student card for the Montreal transit system, which means that my bus pass will cost me only $31 a month... just for quick comparison, that would be $58 in Ottawa and $98 in Toronto, so I am quite pleased.

Once my phone line is hooked up and my computer is moved down, I will henceforth revert into the dark world of dial-up internet. Wish me luck as I fend off the minions of darkness - boredom, page-won't-load-itis, and why-can't-I-just-read-one-email anxiety.