October is Rounding the Corner to Home Plate ....

Its Monday again and it was a 'gooder' as they say out here.

They also say when something is broken, that its either "pooched" or "hooped". I've asked several people what it means. Noone knows. Its just an expression, they say. (welllll, no kidding, but whats its origin?)

Moving on. Two of my wonderful girlfriends today asked me, in seperate phone calls, how my day was. "Really good" I reply spiritedly. Slight silence ..... "oh. what made it so good?" they both asked. Me thinking for a second can only come up with "I don't know. I guess I just set the bar really low". And its true. The last two Mondays have been pretty epic-ly (and pardon my made up words ... just work with me here) horrendous. And last night was a shaky one, so I was expecting both conference calls this am to be really bad and they turned out super positive. Then I got to go to Banff and Canmore. My favorite places on earth. So, I guess what I'm saying is, I was totally expecting another 'low blow' day and it wasn't. In fact, it was quite pleasant and productive.

Some funny stories: (maybe not for you, but I need to keep record of this because it made me laugh and anyone who knows Jeremy needs to know this story)
Background Info: Jeremy - look in "Floating Down the Bow" post from August. He's in there. So we've spent a good, solid day with together, he spent time at my house afterwards with everyone, we're Facebook friends, he's one "of the gang", the whole nine yards. He is like Colin Kelly and Rob Rosania put together, so funny and doesn't care what he says or does etc. He's got a huge heart and truly means well in everything he does. (He's the one who, when a story been told by the pastor one time involved a cougar, reached over Bree, and tapped me on the knee - IN CHURCH) So, is that enough info? Heres the story.
I was walking into church on Saturday night, meeting a friend there and I hear a car horn, look up, Jeremy is waving wildly and rolling his window down. "Hey Jeremy" I say surprised, and since he's holding up traffic, "I'll wait for you in the lobby if you want to sit with us" (He goes to a different church usually) So we sit down with the three friends he brought with him who arrived late. He leans over to me and says "Alicia, right?" Church is in progress, and I'm engaged, so I have to divert my attention to him to see what he is talking about. So he repeats "Alicia, your name's Alicia, right?" "Yes, Jeremy" I say, "my name's Alicia.". "Whew", he replies, "I didn't want to look like an idiot after church when I introduced you to these guys". "Dude," I say sarcastically, "we're FB friends, shouldn't you know my name?? Its Leanne, my name is Leanne". I think he may have apologized or something - I don't even remember. Those who know him, can completely relate to this story.

There was a pie party after - where we paid $2 for pie and had to introduce ourselves to someone new. I didn't. I had already hit my quota of new people for the day when Jer narrowly missed looking like an "idiot" when he introduced me to the three he brought with him. So I plunked a tooney in the basket, grabbed some apple pie and stuck with my little group of new friends. And had pie spilled on my by .... guess who?

The weekend was pretty much perfect. Started off with a bra shopping trip with Britters, which morphed into a tour of the mall, including free samples of perfume at the Bay which was proceeded by some shameless compliments to the 'Fragrance Counter Attendant". And some "heres my business card, when you're ready for an iPhone upgrade, let me know". Which led to Saturday morning workout (which didn't happen, but I showed up, which doesn't melt the pounds away, by the way). I went to my microdermabrasion appt, was 15 mins late because Calgary traffic is absolutely hideous, appalling, and messes with your head. Then I go, bare faced, blotchy, red, with my clinically diagnosed acne to Starbucks with my newest friend Julie and said "you know, its pretty liberating sitting here knowing I look like crap. I don't even care and it feels kinda nice". (you'd love her - she's my diva friend, in real estate, drives a Land Rover, wears True Religion jeans with newsboys hats and rocks the Gucci bags pretty hard - met her at church through Travis. I told Travis the other night that he oughta intro me to some cool guys, since he's doing such a good job on the hooking me up with great girls- Bree being the other)
Fast forward to Julie telling me "Theres a really cool store in Inglewood that has designer jeans at half price. The owner is young and hip, her background is in skin care and make up but started this amazing little boutique (check it out here: http://www.espyexperience.com/espynew/ ) etc etc etc.... Go even further to me standing in said boutique, at the jean table, perusing the fab deals, I see movement in front of me, look up, and the owner is there, I smile, say hello. She points at me and says ...... "I've got just the thing to zap that".

YUP. Thats what she said. I turn to my left, look at Julie with an expression that must've prompted her to say slowly and deliberately, "she just got microdermabrasion". Mrs did not care. She went on and on about NS air and how much better it was for your skin and girls that move to Alberta develop acne blah blah. Long story short - I left there with tonnes of samples of skin care that promises to rid me of my 15 year old girl look.

This blog is way longer that I'd planned.

I went to church with Bree on Sunday and there were 4 of the Calgary Stampeders there. Pretty cool. The pastor and the players start whipping little footballs into the crowd with Pastor Anthony saying " This isn't your Grandmothers church you walked into". Meanwhile, the cutest little cotton top ever was sitting in front of me. We went for brunch after and I love that girl so much, I'm so very glad she's in my life. Everyone needs a Bree.

Then off to the Seed. Was told by a guest there that I was his favorite volunteer, that I'm always so pleasant. Hmm. Who knew?? The night ended the very same way it did last Sunday - with me broken hearted because of another teenage girl who couldn't stay there because she was too young. The cops had to come to get her and take her back downtown. When I went to get my coat to leave, Ryan looked at me, pointed and said rather forcefully, "Don't cry." Ugh. It just kills me. The adults, I can handle, its the kids that get me. That image of her sitting in the back of the police car weeping as Ryan and I left breaks me in two.

Ryan is the Mustard Seed's founders son. One of 6 sons! He's one of the funniest people I've ever met - and best friends with Wes' brother, and his brother and Wes are best friends - so totally tight knit group and such a wonderful, big hearted family. They are all well over 6 feet, and Ryan at 6'3, is 340 lbs! He's not allowed on the new furniture at his house. Seriously. His mother told him he's banned from the new couches because he's too heavy. But his heavier brother is, because he's only there once a month or so. Thats true story. Ryan goes to school, thus lives at home and isn't allowed on the furniture on the main level. For now, I'm sure that will pass - I hope so for his sake!

Okay. I have more to tell, but I'm going to go. I need to go to the gym for 8 - hopefully then the smell will have dissapated and I don't have to use the women's side to save my poor nostrils (and gag reflex) from the abuse that comes with working out at peak hours in a gym in NE Calgary. I live in the hood - have I ever told you that? Hard core hood. Though I've not had any problems or heard any gunshots etc. I think its quite nice here .... but I'm just a silly little Nova Scotian who didn't have the good sense to exfoliate enough when I moved here and I trapped all the bad stuff in my skin and developed, 20 years too late, acne. So, what do I know anyway??

Peace Out, Homies

L.
xo

Maria is Safe - Coming Home Tomorrow

Thank Goodness! The leader of this crusade shes on is the pastor of her church. The other pastor is his wife who gave a detailed account this am of what has happened. I don't have time to relay it today but the good good news is that she wasn't harmed and is on her way home tomorrow night to arrive late Tuesday.
Thank you to my family for your prayers while she was over there. I can't wait to see her again!

Cheers
Leanne

I'm Not Dead, Just Boring!

Its been a quiet 10 days. I've had the house to myself - both roomies are away - far away - one in Sask and the other in Ethiopia. One cozy in her childhood home with her parents one last time before she moves to Uganda for a year, the other in grave danger on a mission trip with promises of bloodshed and bombs. She is sending updates every chance she gets and each one is scarier than the last. She fell asleep the other night to gunshots and Orthodox chanting. There are piles of rocks ready for them when they enter the stadium tonight (in two hours) to preach the gospel. She said before she left that this isn't her thing (preaching) but she wanted to go meet her sponsered child as well as visit the country and do a missions trip. One of the statements she made before she left was "this is so far outside my comfort zone, its going to really stretch my faith." If she only had a fraction of an idea of what was going to happen .... I was terrified as I read her first text message and I think thats why I've been so jittery and anxious this week. But I have to have faith that she is going to be okay. We've become very close and I consider her to be a very special friend, as I have so much respect for who she is as a person and what she does in life (she is a director at an organization called Youth for Christ and she runs a mobile drop in center for streetkids) and who she is a roommate, a confidant, and fellow 34 year old single girl. (shes getting married in April). Part of me diligently prays for her safety, and the other part is ostrich - HEAD IN SAND. I go to the same church as her some Sundays (its bree's church too) and we're going tomorrow so it'll be interesting to see what they are saying about it. Whew. Its exhausting even writing it down. She IS coming home on Tuesday. IS. And I will never take her presence for granted again.

On a lighter note:

I went for some skin treatment today seeing my face is like a 14 year old and getting worse everyday. So I got whats called Microdermabrasion. It took 30 minutes and its a suction action which raises the skin and the tip is encrusted with diamonds.

So basically .... today I had diamonds dragged across my face .... not a bad Saturday.

But she told me that my skin was good and soft and clean with good pores and that ... get this.... "yes, these are productive"- talking my acne. Oh well, at least something I do is productive !! So she figures it has to do with emotions and stress. Remember when my boss back in July wasn't going to pay me ? Well, thats when the acne started, then I started my new job and it was stressful and I wasn't sleeping very well, eating very well, getting stressed out about the lack of gym in my life etc. But I can't figure out why its not settling down now .... She also mentioned the change in climate. I've come from a place that is very moist and good for ones skin to this dry/cold/prairie-ish (i guess) air.

I finally got my Alberta license, health card and phone number changed over. I feel official. And covered (by insurance).

Then I was a WalMart in Marlborough tonight (busiest one in Canada). On the phone with one of the Branch Managers trying to figure out schedules as I'm looking at belts which I forgot to buy earlier today. This kid, likely 16, was standing near me and as I was finishing up the conversation, he was standing right beside me holding a belt, staring at me. It's been a reallllllllllly long and stressful week and I kinda didn't have time/want to deal with some creepy Walmart kid. So I just looked at him and smiled and he wasn't moving and was literally in my way, so I was just about to say excuse me and he said "you speak nice". Meanwhile my thoughts went immediately to the word that slipped out during that conversation. And I said (partly in confession) 'Thank you, but I just said a bad word". Long story short, he hadn't heard me, and picked out a belt for me after introducing himself as Peter and asking me if I was born here. To which he replied "Well, welcome to Calgary" when I told him no. I told him he did a really good job in picking out a belt and thanked him and literally bolted. I kind of didn't know what to do with that kind of interaction - but wasn't shocked seeing where I was.
Never again, Marlborough WalMart, never again. You are creepy and dirty and busy and repeat.

One more than I have to go. I get calls all the time from one particular manager who runs our busiest location asking me what to do because so-and-so didn't show up for their shift. I go through the usual, "how late are they, who else can cover, have you called them, texted them?" This particular situation was out of the ordinary as this guy is young, a good worker and has worked with Rogers before and knows his stuff. So this kid calls me yesterday at 6pm to tell me why he didn't show up for his noon shift the day before. He starts off with "Leanne, I didn't have my phone all day, I have a really valid reason for not showing up yesterday".
He sounded so distraught and he has no family around here, so I softened and asked if he was okay.
He said he was and "I'll tell you sometime". I was okay with that, I was in another meeting anyway. Then he blurts out "Well, I'll just tell you - I was in jail". The bottom line is this:
He gets pulled over for a DUI Thurs pm - the cops were letting him go, called a cab for him (i will divert for a second here : (sorry Kenny, bear with me) The Calgary City Police will pull someone over for going 60 in a 50 zone, threaten to tow, and ticket them $113 - thats stupid enought, but to let a drunk driver off the hook is a dirtbag move - I guess they don't make money of scum of the earth ..... SO ANYWAY, this kid is drunk, which we all know inhibits our sensibilities, and he hears them making racist jokes about Natives - and starts giving them gears for being racist. Stooooooopid boy. They come after him, in his face, saying stuff like "oh, we have a native lover here" and the cop was totally in his face and he made a move like he was going to head butt the cop and they attacked him - he is soooooo bruised up its crazy. and in the scuffle, he spit on the cop. Yeah..... spit on a cop. So they dragged him off to jail for assaulting a police officer. He used his one phone call to call him mom..... that poor mother. (so, he has to go to court and will end up in jail - NOT FOR DRUNK DRIVING but for assault. I hate Calgary police. They suck)

Anyway, I'm going to stop talking - but thats been my week. Stressy and weird and worried.

Its 10:09 Saturday night and I have lots of stuff to do before I hit the sack, and hit the ground for another non stop day of church, church (mine - I didn't go tonight, then Bree's) then the gym, then the Seed.

And The Good News Just Keeps Coming ..

Lots of good stuff happening for The Seed! So amazing to think that one man, who was a little hellian himself, with the help and untold patience of someone else, got his life back together and this is what it is today. I am so happy I can be the (teeny tiny itsy bitsy) part of this that I am.

http://thegauntlet.ca/story/13380

and .... yay!

http://www.660news.com/more.jsp?content=20091007_011117_5632#

Please Watch ...

From List of the Day. Omgoodness ... who does this?? So hilarious!

http://listoftheday.blogspot.com/2009/10/vid-of-day-ugly-face.html

Direct Quote

Upon discussing compensation and pushing his sales to the next level, one of my staff at the Banff location said to me: And I quote ...

"yeah, i'm okay with where i am am in sales right now. other than my mild alcohol addiction, i have very low overhead."

I literally burst out laughing. Imagine this said in a british accent.

Tidbits in Time

So much is happening 'round these parts .... here are some highlights:


- New job (big job), I've changed from Operations Manager to Territory Manager which takes a wild U-turn from my both my experience and comfort zone. But its working out well and apparently my strengths were noticed on a sales side and (how funny is this? whipping people into shape without hurting their feelings) coaching mentor-ish kind of stuff so here I am. In taking on the new position, I've made myself very clear that because I don't want to be set for failure, that I get proper training and that I wont' be working 14 hour days anymore, because I'm gaining weight because I only eat at drive thrus, don't have time or energy to get to the gym, don't have time or money (bonus' are quarterly) to buy bigger clothes, and my face is breaking out like an adolescent girl, thus affecting me socially. (okayyyy, so I'm being a littttle dramatic, but its mostly true, like 99%) and because of the lack of gym, my mood is questionable and my energy level has taken the long, slippery trip to h-e-double hockey sticks. THUS .... yes, they are listening to me (as I'm sure they don't want to hear this rant again!) and I'm taking control of my career. THEN the other Territory Manager quit, and I'm left again with 11 stores. Yes, welcome to my crazy, unpredictable, faith-stretching life. But I must say, everything is coming together nicely and calming to a managable pace. For now.



-Wes and I went hiking last Saturday to an amazing place called Johnstone's Canyon. I can't even believe that places like this exist. Part of it reminded me of the falls behind our house, its that same kind of trail. But its a tourist trap and we were "stuck in traffic" on the catwalk. And both being of the same energy level and dislike of crowds, we found some pretty creative ways to get past them. The falls are really cool, and the hike is so hard. After the upper and lower falls, the hike up to the ink pots (google this - i can't explain it and it was, truthfully, kind of lame) was INTENSE. Uphill both ways, we joked, to everyone we met. And each time, as it was their first time hearing it, they laughed heartily, as did we because we are nerds and thought we were SOOOO funny. But seriously, the hike was crazy and steep and we were wheezing and begging "just stop for a second, okay?" Then being the competitive duo we are, we'd race up the steepest parts. He always won. Always. Then on the way back down, we decided that it'd be funny and stoooopid and hilarious and immature to say hello to everyone in different languages. The trail after the falls thinned out - a lot less people- but we were all equally pooped and asking the same questions "are we almost there?", and "how much further?" to people coming back from the ink pots. In addition to us be complete idiots, we answered everyone the same when they asked "how much further". We said "20 minutes" for the first hour of our trek back. Then we felt bad. And stopped. In all, it was a 4 hour hike. A hilly hike. A hot hike. A hungry hike. Me, of course, wanting to bring a backpack full of snacks, was denied access with a "its only a three hour hike, are you able to wait til we get back"? He soon regretted not supporting my grocery shopping suggestion prior to leaving. We were both so starved by the time we got back to Canmore, we contemplated making ketchup soup with the condiments on the table, while we waited for (my salad, his greasy burger and poutine).
It was a great day. Really showcased my need to get back to the gym and not let my job get in the way. Reality bites.

-Totally saw someone stealing at Safeway the other night. And totally didn't know what to do. The poor toddler running behind the mom while she was stashing food in the stroller. She was a mean lady. Big. Tattooed (neck, upper arm, ankle, etc). Scowling. Moving with a mission. I wasn't tellin' on her! She'd hunt me down. Her friend was just as mean. So I let her steal. I wished Kenny was there! He'd take her down!

-Met Ruth, Ray's younger sister last week. I went to church on Sunday and sat with Uncle Lloyd and Aunt Kay and her. Then we went out to Red Lobster for lunch and had a super visit. She is very different than her siblings, she's super quiet and lowkey. What a beautiful lady, inside and out. She was up for 5 days from Oregan and was doing housework , cooking, driving, shopping for her parents. I am so blessed (theres that churchy word I hate so much! but it sure fits here) to both be blood related to these people, and to have the incredible opportunity to know them and spend quality time with them. Next Saturday, I'm going to go over and cook freezable meals for them - that way I get to spend some quiet house time with them.

-Random text I received from Brittney. (girl from ACDC and newest employee of mine) 'The train smells like Chunky soup and Aloe vera lotion"

-I think thats all for now. My days are so busy and my nights seem to be filled with non-sensical things like: ...... work. And crashing asleep and thats about it. And thats about to change. I am large and in charge !

Theres no pics for this post - Mainly because I'm not on my laptop that has pictures and because it takes way too long. And I have to get back to work. I love my job, I really do. I am so grateful to have found something that I am excelling at. Its a strange sensation.

Peace Out!

xoxo
L.