moldy mixing bowls and hairy measuring cups

i just did the dishes.  'nough said.  now i'm trying out my brand new washing machine.  what a thrill.  i need a shower too, but i won't shower at the same time as the laundry is bathing.  so let's see what i have to tell...

you know the other day i got a message from katie on my cellular device.  katie has dad's gift of leaving crusty messages that nevertheless make me chuckle.  if i ever need a good chuckle all i have to do is listen to one of katie or dad's crusty messages.  and i may or may not phone them back after my chuckle is over.  it's part of the crusty/chuckle cycle.

saturday-a momentous day

i woke up 7ish saturday morning, had a shower, got ready, grabbed an orange and a mango, a change of shoes, my camera, and left for the land of surry where my best buddah and bud-in-law live.  i've discovered a new way to buddah's and it's faster than the old way.  not only this, it was saturday morning and there weren't many on the road.  i arrived in record time.  fatima was still in her pajijis. so i had my orange and mango and fatima gave me some juice.  i gave daman some of my mango because he was not well acquainted with the mango and her pleasures.  he said he didn't like mango texture.  what? i said.  first you don't like board games and then you don't like mango?  what??

from their window you can see down by the skytrain, a place where sex trade workers regularly stand.  daman was looking at one with his binocs.  we figured out that she was homeless because of how she was putting on her make-up and doing her 'business'. i was surprised that she should be out so early in the day.  fatima explained that early in the morning a lot of girls are just looking for drug money.  so sad that that is someone's existance.

fatima and daman got into an argument on the ins and outs of sex trade workers.

i told fatima it was time to get dressed.  then we decided we may as well know where we were going, so i looked up vaisakhi and we got in daman's black car and were on our way.  when we saw a bunch of people parking on the side of the road, we took our cue from them and did the same, narrowly missing a propane tank in the grass.  we followed the crowds to the darbar.  (sikh temple).  there were fair rides and glittery tinsel strings and best of all numerous tents giving out free food.  fatima and i took full advantage and got some pakora and a juice box.  daman was eager to catch up to the parade.  it was all about the parade.  so we persued the parade and it wasn't long before we caught up.  and had lots of good foods on the way.

getting away from the parade proved to be the hardest part. daman wanted us to hike through the 'woods'. but eventually we made it through the mass of peoples back to the temple.  our last treat was free mango ice cream.  it tasted like frozen mango lassi.

back in the car we headed out on the highway for golden ears park.  it was a beautiful day and perfect for exploring the park.  it was the first time for each of us.  the river was so clear and green and inviting.  we sat on bolders in the stream and fatima and i dipped our feet into the icy water.  daman vowed to jump in on the way back.

so we went on down the path stopping here and there to take pics. we found this cliff that overlooked the river just as it went into the lake.  it was so deep and green.  there were boys on the opposite side sitting on the rocks.  of course daman had a convo with them.

when we got to the lake we found a log and made it our home and just sat in the sun and basked in the beauty and talked.  daman and i got sunburned.  sunkissed, you know, when the burn is gone the next day.  i'm not sure how long we stayed there but it was quite a while.  eventually we pulled ourselves a way and walked back.  and daman stripped down to his skivvies and jumped in the river.  twice.  he changed behind a big bolder.  this is how he got his new nickname--commando.

pics from the park:  (i didn't take very many)

we decided to eat dinner at some place in haney.  just the name haney reminds me of gram and al.  so we ate at the haney public house.  i had chicken strips.  they were juicy.  fatima didn't get a straw because they don't like brown people in haney.

back at budstead, we all climbed up on the big bed and watched salt.  it was totally not what i thought. shrug.

then i dropped off my taxes and went home.

sunday a day of rejoicing

i woke up early on easter morn to practice the choir song.  i sang it over and over and over to know it. at 9 oh clock practice i had it down pat no problem.

sacrament was really really good. all the talks were amazing and i was getting filled up with good things.  i did ok in our choir number.  but i sang my heart out during our closing easter hymn.  i felt full of rejoicing.  hey, i didn't tell you that my voice is coming back.  well it is.  i discovered it a week ago.  i went for that run on saturday and on sunday morning i was singing in the shower, but didn't notice i was hitting all the high notes with power.  but i suddenly noticed it while singing the hymns in sacrament meeting.  i wonder if it had anything to do with running because tami lost part of her voice for many months and felt in her heart that what she needed to do was go for a run, and she kept putting it off but finally did it and her voice came back.  maybe something similar happened with me.

i had to end up teaching the four year olds in primary because their teacher was a no show.  for 5 minutes prep time, it didn't go too badly.  after church there were two primary baptisims so i stayed for those but i felt uncomfy in my skin.

came home, put my potatoes au gratin in the oven and had a napski.

got to evan and esther's fifteen minutes late but no sign of doug and del.  i'm not sure when they did show up, but they still had to cook their ham a bit so we sat around and talked until it was all ready.  the kids had already eaten by the time we all sat down and were then concentrating on a movie.  uncle dennis and auntie heather were there, as well as the three brothers, me and tracy's mom.  oh and douglas' girlfriend.

after dinner esther and i hid easter eggs all over the living and dinning room.  it was supposed to be outside but the weather was yuck.  i like hiding stuff.  i don't like looking for stuff though.  after the kids were done we sent the teenagers in to find the rest.

i was the last one to leave.  evan and i were talking about school and the things i want to do with tax return.  which are two very fine topics.

monday a cocoon

monday i stayed inside all day and listened to talks while i worked on the finn slough pics and ate potatoes au gratin for every meal.