How I Met Your Mother...

By far my favorite TV show on the air now is "How I Met Your Mother". I've been a pretty steady fan of others like CSI, Scrubs, Lost, and more recently, Heroes, but this one tops all others. Not to many shows make me laugh so hard out loud. Give it a watch some time. Best character: Barney played by Neil Patrick Harris (aka Doogie Howser).

In other news, I am missing real work. I've had so much training in the last couple weeks since getting back from Costa Rica and I have much more to come. I just finished a 2 hour online class and have to get some work done before my casing desing course over lunch. I always say I miss school but with this load I don't think that's true anymore. I get plenty of class time here. The good thing is my (almost) last course of the summer is two weeks long...in Houston. That'll be quite the experience. Nevin will be down there on his last bit of training so we'll have to party it up a couple nights. I think an Astros game is in order too.

The Sweetheart Bouquet...

I know I probably reveal more of myself on this blog that perhaps I should (or more than most people wish I would) but one topic I don't talk about much are my relationships. That's just me. I like to have some private mystery to myself. Anyway, I'm going to break the rules today...just because I think this is a great story.

Today is Noel's and my 6 month anniversary. I haven't had too many of these AND I like to surprise people, especially her, so I decided this was a great occassion for another one. Today Noel worked at the pool in Olds teaching lessons during the morning and afternoon and then started a shift at BP's at 5:00. She's also been fighting off a bit of a cold or something so I doubt she was feeling great today...but I knew that was going to change.

First, I sent her a nice, personal card along with some music to her dad's place and also had a bouquet of flowers going to the pool. Unfortunately the flowers arrived after she'd finished her shift but it didn't take long for the remaining guards to figure out who had a boyfriend named Mike and call her back. She loved the flowers (impressed the other girls at work too) and had a letter and CD to listen to when she got home.

I'm pretty sure the smile will still be on her face when I see her tomorrow night.

Well, that's what made my day (I've been in a great mood all day) and now at 6:00 I'm finally ready to leave work. Can't wait to be home.

On a rainy day in May...

I guess the declining frequency of my posts is a good indication of my busy level. I've had to be very efficient the last week or so and I'm hear to testify that I love it that way.

Oh, Costa Rica was amazing. It was definitely a whirlwind tour but we saw a good portion of the country. Started off with some a volcano hike and a trip through a zoo/garden/waterfall park. Went on a 3 day trip to the Caribbean Coast to the town of Tortugeuro. Pretty hot over there but amazing forests and a chance to see quite a few animals. Highlights were the crocodile and the monkeys.

Partied back at the house for a break in the middle of our stay. The house is looking great. Had windows but sadly, no doors. Made for a few large insect visitors the first couple nights but my dad and uncle Mike took care of that with some fancy screening. The pool was great too but our deck needs some work. Pools the water too much and the trick to living in Costa Rica is good drainage. You get some major rains down there.

Next we headed off to the Pacific Coast to the town of Jaco. I like the Pacific side a lot better. Better beaches (Jaco's isn't great but I know of others up the coast that are) and better surf. Plus, no malaria danger. We rented boogie-boards and spent out days on the beach. Jeff and his friends did a one-day deep sea fishing trip. Caught a huge sailfish (which they threw back) and a couple of mahi mahi (which they kept, cleaned, and got some restaurant to cook up for them).

We spent the last day in San Jose to do some souvenir shopping and by the end I think most people were ready to head home. Definitely need at least two weeks to have a good trip. Have to make the cost of the flight worth it. Can't wait to go again and I think I share that with the other 13 people that went down (including my dad and my uncle and cousin from Cali).

Hmm...well I was going to tell you why I like being busy but I got sidetracked. Time to work so that'll have to wait for another day.

Interesting quote...and a joke

"If there's no time to do it right then how come there's time to do it twice?"

Just absolutely profound.

Hunting Bear in Alberta

The Pope took a couple of days off to visit the beautiful Rocky Mountains of Alberta for some sight-seeing. He was cruising along a campground in the Pope mobile when there was a frantic commotion just at the edge of the woods. A helpless engineer, wearing sandals, shorts, and the customary "pinkie ring" was screaming while struggling frantically, thrashing around trying to free himself from the grasp of a 10 foot grizzly.

As the Pope watched horrified, a group of roughnecks came racing up.

One quickly fired a .44 magnum into the bear's chest... The other two reached up and pulled the bleeding, semiconscious engineer from the bear's grasp. Then using golf clubs, the three roughnecks finished off the bear and two of them threw it onto the bed of their truck while the other tenderly placed the injured engineer in the back seat.

As they prepared to leave, the Pope summoned them to come over.

"I give you my blessing for your brave actions!" he told them. "I heard there was a bitter dislike between roughnecks and engineers but now I've seen with my own eyes that this is not true."

As the Pope drove off, one of the roughnecks asked his buddies "Who was that guy?"

"It was the Pope," another replied. "He's in direct contact with heaven and has access to all wisdom."

"Well," the roughnecks said, "he may have access to all wisdom but he sure doesn't know anything about bear hunting! By the way, is the bait holding up, or do we need to go back to Calgary and snatch another one?"