What I've Been Up To Lately

You can tell I am supposed to be studying by the fact that I'm doing the things I normally put off, like cleaning and updating my blog. Here are a few of the highlights from the last couple of months.

My Birthday:

Keegan and James bought and decorated a cake for me, I almost cried it was so nice.

It coincided with a beer-tasting party, which was tasty! I brought Maudite and Fin du Monde.

School:

Marc and I looking like a vine's worst nightmare.

The lab for my "Viticultural Practices" class is usually out in the campus vineyard pruning and training vines. It's my favorite class, I love being out there.

Keg Parties:

It wouldn't be college without the occasional keg-stand

Sightseeing:

I had a great day exploring San Fran. This is the Palace of Fine Arts

Coit Tower, just one of many sights I can show people when the come visit (that's a not-so-subliminal message)

Devo:

I've been busy with our student organization, helping make fundraising t-shirts and stuff. I volunteered to help plan our student trip to France this summer, which is very exciting. I'm having memories of the Hale trip to Spain!

Multi-tasking at the Craft Center on campus.

Immersion Trips:

Twice a year DEVO plans long-weekend trips to wine regions. We visit 2-3 wineries/vineyards each day and usually get to meet the winemakers. This picture is from Navarro, which is pretty much my favorite place ever.

Bonterra Vineyards

Apple Blossom

We held our 5th Annual Calgary Apple Blossom Festival last weekend. Check out the story and pictures on the Apple Blossom Website.

Catching Up Again

I finally downloaded the pictures off my camera from the last few weeks. Here's what I've been up to:

The Quilt

Katie and Gillian working on the quilt

A few of the girls pitched in to knit a quilt for Ruby, Dino and Becky's baby. We knit a few squares each and then got together at Helen's to sew them all together. We wanted it to be very hand made and patchwork looking and I think we achieved that very well. With so many different people working on it, the results were cool. We hope that Ruby will think of her Aunties every time she curls up in it... when she's old enough to know that there is a world beyond eating, sleeping and crying.

Katie, Gillian, Tamara, me, Helen's mom, Helen, Helen's sister

The Gala

Dessert, complete with edible Pengrowth logo

Pengrowth had their Long Service Awards Gala on March 16th. Katie and I brought Tamara and Anne as our dates and had a ladies night out. The evening was hosted by comedian Jebb Fink, and featured an Irish band and Irish dancers. The free drinks were pretty good too! Tamara made friends with the president of Pengrowth, and by the end of the night was calling him "Jimbo." For a company function it was a really fun night.

Katie, Tamara and Jimbo

The Shower

Becky opening the quilt

I finally got to meet Ruby Petrakos when I attended Becky's baby shower on St. Patty's Day. She is oh so cute! She's got beautiful olive toned skin and perfect little features. And now she's got a boat-load of stuff to pamper her for the next couple of years (including a beautiful quilt!)


The Visit
I finally got to hold Ruby when I went over for a visit on my own. I got some quality Ruby-Kate bonding time in (although she was asleep for pretty much the entire time). It was a lovely visit.


The Picture Night

Tamara had to take some pictures for her photography class so her and I and Katie headed down Highway 22 in search for everything Alberta. Here are the results.

Casino Night

Last night was the Second Annual Casino Night in celebration of John's birthday. This year was even swankier than last year as John and Gillian have made huge renovations to the basement. The mood was set with lots of Vegas-themed music and movies. They had also set up poker, craps and blackjack tables. I eventually lost all my money but had a great time doing it.

Going over the rules of poker.

Paul, sipping wine.

Dino and I playing blackjack.

The Vegas staples, high-rolling oil tycoon, middle-America gambling addict.

Big-D (soon to be Big-Daddy!)

Chris, the "Don"

"Goul-et!" The birthday boy!

Brian, the winner of the Big Money.

Queen Annapolisa made another appearance and ended up being the third place winner.

Shenanigans

Our dear friends Anne and Katie both turned 25 the other day so Katie's mom threw a party. The wine was going down very easily so I got pretty tipsy really quick. We went to Molly Malone's after (which doesn't wreak of cigarettes anymore) and good times were had by all.

Classic D'Entremont

All the girls

Me, Chum, Paul and Katie at Molly's

Birthday shots

Initially the waitress was pissed of that we did this, but then she dropped and shattered them both, so we all had a good laugh!

Birthday Shindig

I had my closest and dearest friends over on Friday night to celebrate the beginning of the Year of Kate. I think old age is getting to me because I had relatively little to drink and yet I believe I was quite intoxicated. We tried to go dancing at the Hi-Fi but the line wasn't moving so we decided to try the Bamboo instead. The line was even longer there so thought we'd try our luck at the Hop n' Brew. On the way we saw Soda and gave that a try. It was only okay there so on we went to get pizza. This at least was a success! I think I actually had the most fun of the night talking to strangers at the pizza place. This may have had something to do with the fact that I'd had a few more drinks in me at that point.

I was too distracted to take any quality pictures so, sorry, there aren't any for this post.

'Twas a Holly Jolly Christmas

I had a great time meeting Pete's family and friends in Boston, and it was lovely to see mine in Saint John. I got to have 3 Christmas', 1 New Year's Eve, 1 Baptism and 2 birthday parties. Not bad at all!

I went with Pete's family to see "A Christmas Story" at a community theater near their house. It was almost as good as the movie.

Pete on the beach at Plum Island. This is just outside the town of Newburyport, which is the most charming little seaside town I have ever seen. There were cute little shops and restaurants, beautiful old homes and big churches, all decorated for Christmas.

Pete enjoying a roast beef sandwich. It's just a funny picture.

We went to see Pete's friend Ross, who was alone for Christmas. We had just finished a huge traditional Italian dinner at Pete's aunt's house but Ross wanted Chinese food. Not only can you order french fries at this place, they come in a Chinese take-out box!

Ross's sister's cat. Diagnosed with "Failure to Thrive," this tiny thing is 5 months old! I hope it lives. It was such a cute little kitty.

Christmas day with my family, which happened on Dec. 27th. These are my niece, Alice's new cowboy boots, she's in a Toy Story phase right now and wants to be just like Woody and Jessie.

My other niece, Claire in Alice's new cowboy boots and hat.

My sister, Jennifer, with Claire, looking adorable in her new hat.

Claire eating a Toblerone bar that's bigger than she is.

Pete and I at the nature park in Saint John

At first the sweaters I knit wouldn't fit over the girls' heads, but I took out the bound-off row around the neck and re-did it a lot looser. They fit wonderfully!

Alicia (my friend since grade 7), Mark (an old high-school buddy), Pete and I at O'Leary's.

Dad and Claire.

Pete at the caves in St. Martin's. It was freezing!

Seen on the side of the road just east of Saint John, NB.

Claire and I having fun during the Baptism.

The cakes my sister made for Claire's first birthday. Each kid got their own little butterfly cake. She dyed coconut yellow and put it around the cake as a background. She's the perfect mom. I'll have a lot to live up to when I have kids.

Alice, with cheesie residue on her face, and Nana-Pat (my mom) at Claire's birthday party.

Claire blowing out her first candle.

Pete fit into my family just fine! Here he is being goofy/intimate with my brother-in-law Mark, with the headbands Alice wanted them to wear.