Easter visits!

So here I am, sitting on a train en route to Toronto for the second part of my Easter/Spring holidays. Over the past few days I've come to a few realizations, all of which are a bit unsettling:

1) I have very few friends left in Kingston. I can literally count them on one hand. My whole life before this year was based in Kingston; family, high school AND university friends...now, like me, they have moved on to other cities for work or family or another reason. So, the ones that remain in Kingston are few and far between.  It's the people, not the place, that make the place. And since the people were so limited this time around, it wasn't very exciting. That's not to say it was unenjoyable (at all!). It was so nice to see my family and my few friends; and to sleep in my old room; and to eat good, home-cooked food; and to meet the international students living with my parents; and to finally get to sleep in. 

2) I'd rather have spring break AND Easter break than to cop out and mush them together for one kind-of long break.  I feel like I kind of got ripped off.  I'm used to having a break in February and then FOUR months off in the summer. Now I had to wait ALL of February, and pretty much ALL of March, and then I don't get the lovely 4-day weekend for Easter :(

3) People are noticeably better looking in Ontario than in Alberta. Or, at least in Grande Prairie. I'm not just talking men, either. I'm talking humans. I've accounted for the one-offs, demographics, and the fact that my first reminder of attractiveness was at the airport, where people are often dressed well and/or have the international flair. Or, of course, it could just be that I missed Ontario so much (and am so sick of GP!) that in my mind, everything is better here than there. I'm well aware of this possibility 

4) Babies scare me. I think they're adorable and amazing and intelligent and funny (and admittedly a little bit gross sometimes), but I just don't like holding them. I don't know if it's my personal "I-dont-initiate-physical-contact" quirk, or the fact that I'm afraid I'll drop them, or the fact that I'm afraid they'll throw up on me...but I would MUCH rather simply be in a room and be near one and watch him or her rather to hold one and talk in motherese and blow raspberries on their stomachs or slobber all over their baby cheeks.  Little did I know that this disinterest in holding children generally offends parents.  Maybe I just need a sign that says "It's not your baby, it's me", and I can wear it whenever babies come over. (on a side note, maybe I can be economical about this and have a velcro addition to the sign that changes it to "It's not YOU, it's me" and then I can use it for breakups. You know, since I have to do that so often...) Does this mean I don't want kids? No. It just means I don't wan to hold yours. Nothing personal.

As I'm sure you've figured out by now, I didn't end up going on that adventurous spring break I had originally planned. Although I could have gone, then returned to GP cultured on April 6th or 7th, I sure the hell would have been exhausted from the travel, touring, and sleeping in a different bed each night.  Not to mention the cost of paying for transport, food, and accommodations.  So, after MUCH debating, I decided to come home to Ontario for the break, to spend some time with the PEOPLE I miss, and to relax and chill out and get a good refresher before returning to GP for the last 2.5-3 months of madness.  I'm not posting this for a few days because I don't want my friends in Toronto to know that I'm here. I surprised Nicole and Drew by asking them to skype with me (having them assume I'm far away). Then, right at the time we were supposed to call each other, I drove to their house and knocked on the door.  I greeted Nicole with a "surprise?" and the surprise on her face was priceless.

The journey here wasn't too too eventful. I missed a few flights but nothing horrible, trying to get from GP - Toronto. Although, Air Canada has employed an idiot in the baggage department, who loaded my bags EVEN WHEN I DIDN'T GET ON THE FLIGHT. I was a bit frustrated, especially since the agent flat-out LIED to me about why it happened...but on the bright side, it meant that I didn't have to check bags again on Thursday morning. It arrived in Toronto safe and sound, so I can't complain.  Because of the timing of my flight from Calgary to Toronto, I would have had to wait about 6 hours at the airport for a chance to get a (fully booked) flight to Kingston on Thursday night. So I surprised my sister who was en route driving to Kingston from Waterloo, who wasn't expecting me either. Luckily, Jesse and her were on the way, so I got a ride back to Kingston with two more familiar faces :)

Funny story: I just experienced a first-time roll up the rimmer, on the train. Let's call her New Canadian, for her own integrity. As painful as it was to see N.D. try and understand what the "contest" was, and to watch her attempt to peel up a random part of the rim with two fingers (!); it just made it all the much better when the lady beside her helped her figure it out and she actually won (and colossally failed at the french "café ou latté"; feeling proud of herself for settling with "I won a café au lait"). Ohhhh, Canada. Speaking of which, my odds this year have been INSANELY good. I think I've won as many as I've lost! Timmy Ho Ho's has been a good friend to me. I knew there was a reason I loved this country. Still waiting on the barbecue, though.

On another note, HAPPY EASTER!! You know what this means? Jesus rose from the dead? Yes! I got some awesome chocolate? Yes! I CAN DRINK BEER AGAIN!? YYESSSSSS! It was a good Lent, everyone, but now I'm back in business -- and perfect timing, just as I roll into Toronto for party time with the best friends I've ever had.

Until Next Time,
B

P.S. I purposefully omitted talk about next year, teaching, jobs, etc in this post because a) I don't want to talk about them when I'm supposed to be relaxing, and b) I don't even know the answer to any of those questions...More to come on that later!

P.P.S What do Easter Bunnies get for helping make a basket?
A: Two points, just like anyone else.