My last weekend in BC...

... and it makes me sad. But what better way to spend it than in Salmon Arm at the time-honoured family bonding/beer gardening/enjoying awesome musicing Roots & Blues fest?

Catch y'all on the flipside...

A letter to my previous internship that I seriously considered sending

Dear CFJC newsroom,

I have noticed your new "Firewatch 2009" advertisement that has been playing consistently on channel 7.

I approve of the jump cuts of shots of forest fires and men battling the elements. Big helicopters dumping water! Drama! Excitement! Exclamation mark!

But may I offer one small tidbit of a suggestion?

I humbly request that the epic circa-1995 newsroom music be replaced with Sarah McLachlan's "World on Fire"...

Don't pretend you don't want to.

Indubitably yours,

Meg.

There's just one catch...

Walking along one of the (many) strip malls in town today, I passed a women's clothing store and felt compelled to look in the window.

The models looked comfortable and well put-together, albeit a bit preppy. I yearned for their crisp and functional look that refused to sacrifice comfort for the sake of style.

It was then that I noticed that all of the models were sporting baby bumps.

This isn't the first time as of late that I've caught myself accidentally eyeing maternity clothes... While walking 4th through Kitsilano the other week, Gloria and I determined that maternity clothes are starting to get too cool for their own good, especially the brightly-coloured jersey wrap tops and dresses they're charging an arm and a leg for in the Kits shops.

So comfy! And so stretchy! So convenient to cover my inevitable "back to school" beer belly! ... I digress.

But seriously, why is it that pregnant women are getting the good stuff? I want in on the colourful and stretchy goodness that will hide my belly, too.

Maternity clothes in non-maternity sizes: it should be the Next Big Thing. Because, while I really want stretchy waisted pants, I refuse to procreate to get them.

To the Island and back again

It was a typical evening drive in Saanich when the old mix CD turned to its next track: Shakira's "Underneath Your Clothes".

"Yes!" I exclaimed, thrusting my fist in the air and getting ready to ballad about endless stories and territories.

It was then that I realized that not everyone shares my love of old Shakira. I looked sheepishly to my friend Dee, who thankfully looked as enthusiastic as me.

"Wait!" she exclaims. "Before we go all out..." she closes the car windows.

"You mean we can sing out loud to circa 2000 Britney Spears without shame, but not Shakira?" I asked incredulously.

"Don't look at me like that," sighed Dee. "Shakira is amazing. But a window-closer."

As usual, Dee was right. I quickly remembered the time last week when I pulled up to a stoplight belting Alanis Morrisette at full tilt only to discover that the car next to me also had its window open. Dammit, why weren't they like the 99% of cars in town smart enough to roll up their windows and let the AC work its magic in this dry and dusty desert?

The problem with not posting as regularly as I'd like means that there are too many things to write about. It seems too long past to write in detail about my last few days at the TV internship (I think blog years is like dog years... so even a week suddenly becomes almost 2 months. Right?).

I celebrated the end of internship #3-- and the August long weekend-- by visiting Dee, one of my very best friends from high school, out on Vancouver Island. Gloria and Friso came along for the adventures as well, and we had a brilliant weekend of wandering the downtown, enjoying the patio weather, riverfloating and hiking and trail running and movie nighting and eating and visiting and all sorts of other good things. And I think we ended up stopping in every small town between Victoria and Nanaimo in the process. I even managed to interview an artist for my MRP at a farmhouse out in Duncan and was able to justify a bit of art gallery-ing in the name of "schoolwork". Happy sigh.

As I sat on the ferry deck on the way back to the mainland, I had no doubt in my mind that this time back home was exactly what I needed this summer. In the last four months I have moved thrice and tried my hand at three very different types of jobs in my field-- which has been both exciting and at times overwhelming-- but the chance to hang out with old friends and live in, rather than just visit, the place I call home has made all of the difference.

I'll end this before it gets any sappier.

Yes, another list. Deal.

Signs you're back in your small hometown... all which have happened to me in the past week:

1. Every third interview you do with the TV station knows your mom. (I'll leave the reason why to your imagination...)

2. You go to cover a 6 car accident and find yourself chatting with one of the drivers-- you played softball with her daughter.

3. You hop into the bank ATM line-up and see your mom at the machine in front of you. When you say hi, you realize your sister's in line at the teller.

4. You go see the annual Shakespeare play in the park and recognize both Hamlet and Ophelia from your grad class.

5. While sitting on the patio at BP downtown, one of your old high school teachers walks by... with one of your classmates on his arm. And her belly is starting to show.

A few of my favourite things

In honour of tomorrow marking one month back in town, I offer my dear readers the following...

10 Best Things About Being Back in Kamloops
(in no particular order)

1. Time Warp

... the radio stations are pretty much exactly the same as when I was in high school. People who live here regularly find this frustrating. I, however, love the short-term opportunity to nostalgically rock out. Case in point: belting out Amanda Marshall's "Let It Rain" as I passed by Riverside Coliseum, where I saw my first "real" concert-- Amanda, playing, nonetheless-- back in grade 7.

2. Francie

There's already a post on her and how awesome she is, but it's worth repeating. Francie rocks my socks. Even when high school boys laugh at my car at the park. Or I walk into the lunchroom to hear my coworkers trying to deduce "WHO is driving that 90s hatchback?". Or she takes a good 30 seconds to hit 60 going up the hill. Heart.

Kamloops is a great city to drive in-- the weather is perfect for rolling down your windows, there's a beautiful view of the valley down from my place... and it's really big and hilly, and I'm pretty lazy, so it's far superior to... shudder... walking.

3. Canada Day

Ottawa notwithstanding, Kamloops has one of the best Canada Days I've been to- it's a huge community event with tons of live performances and art displays and kids' games and amazing food put on by tons of the local cultural associations. And the fireworks over the river are pretty fantastic. Plus I got to do a story on it for the news-- woo!

4. Perfect way to end the day

I won't pretend I'm up for many of the sunrises... but the sunsets in the valley are gorgeous.

5. Sun, sun, sun...

At least 4 days of brilliant dry heat and sun for any crappy rain day... the perks of being in a desert.

6. Riverside Park

I can't tell if Riverside has gotten nicer and less sketch since I lived here, or if my standards have substantially lowered after being in Toronto... but the park is lovely, even if the beach is a bit lacklustre.

7. The old haunts

Denny's, the piercing shop, Scoops (or better yet, when it was Summer Dreams), the tea house, Zak's...

... I just realized that all of my favourite places in town either feed me or poke holes in me. Hmm.

8. West is Best

This can be proven through equations:

Safeway > Hartman's; Save-On > Loeb; Superstore > Loblaw's

Okanagan Springs, Big Rock, Growers = amazingly delicious

And the fresh fruit from the Okanagan pretty much schools the ByWard any day of the week.

9. Deck privileges

What can I say? Like most folk, I enjoy being able to barbecue and nap and drink beers. All three are exponentially better when a deck is involved. The only downside is that nosy strata types are often watching deck goings-on... which means I've had to keep my pants on. Thus far.

10. The... pace...

Things are slower out in BC... and even more so in Kamloops. Outside of the newsroom, there's rarely a reason to rush. It's probably one of the things I've missed most.

Those summer ni-iiights...

There's nothing quite like a summer fling. The excitement, the romance, and, most importantly, the rumble between your legs on the way home from work.

Meet Francie, my 1990 Ford Festiva and sweet summer ride.



In a sprawling, hilly city with pretty lame public transit (and I think even the Mayor would agree to that one), having a car is almost a necessity. But one that is sadly out of reach for a girl working for free for the summer. Until Francie came along and saved me from a summer of showing off ankle at the truck stop in hopes of catching a ride home.

Maybe it's the epic 1990s blue wave detailing. Maybe it's the dent on her right side that could house an obese chihuahua. Maybe it's the sigh and lunge she makes as she heaves her tiny frame up the hills. But I'll admit it, I'm totally in love.

As with any new relationship, it's full of surprises-- like when I picked up a latte the other day and realized that Francie doesn't have cup holders. But then imagine the exhilaration of discovering that the space between the emergency break fits a coffee cup perfectly!

It was as I grabbed my precious coffee cup and headed into the station that I saw the pressure from wedging the cup left a dent... a dent the perfect size for my thumb to support my sweet sweet morning addiction in one hand as I contemplated the morning's story meeting.

Sometimes, things just... work. Clearly, Francie and I were meant to be.

And yes, Francie got her name from the inimitable 1950s movie classic Gidget. Her full name, however, is Fancy Francie, in honour of the most epic of Reba McEntire videos.

What does the summer have in store for us? Only time will tell...