Disclaimer: This journal is written strictly for entertainment purposes only. It details the experiences and opinions of a spoiled-brat-city-slicker new to the lifestyle of the "Great Northwest". So, if you are offended by any of the content, please, please, do yourself a favour and find a sense of humour. Thank you.

July 31, 2002
Tbay, Day 86
Went up on the roof of the mill today to help a stack tester check the flows for exhaust vents. I have never been in one place that is so windy, steamy, hot, loud, stinky, dirty and dangerous at the same time. Windy cuz the roof is about 100 feet up; steamy cuz there's a lot of water vapour from the stacks; hot cuz the vapour comes from flash tanks, combustion vessels, etc; loud cuz every stack and vent makes it's own "whomp whomp" sound (gotta wear earplugs); dirty cuz there is a 10 cm deep carpet of wood chips and junk on the roof; dangerous cuz of windblown slivers of wood that can get around those "safety glasses" and right into your eye AND dangerous cuz of the pissed off seagulls that think you're invading their territory and dive bomb u kamikazi style AND dangerous cuz if you aren't really paying attention, you'll just step off the roof...and SPLAT. Up until today, i have NEVER sweated thru my clothes before while standing still and recording data in a notebook. I was inside some of the nastier parts of the mill too, and took some pictures, but they didn't turn out cuz the metal grating floor vibrates all the time from the machines doing their thing. Quite the experience, no?

July 29, 2002
Tbay, Day 84
It's DARK when i get up now! The streetlights are still on when i'm heading out to the bus stop! Can't wait till winter gets here, when the sun will rise at 9:30 am. =/

July 27, 2002
Tbay, Day 82
Went to the opening ceremony of the Tbay Dragon Boat Races yesterday. It's... uh, just a bit smaller than the T.O. version. Some guy got up on-stage and proposed to his girlfriend whom he met at last year's races. It was a good thing she said yes. 8) Just seeing the dragon boats gave me flashbacks of volunteering at Centre Island. Ugh, unstable docks at race prep, bailing water and frying out on the start docks. They don't have start docks here, i'll bet there are lotsa false starts...

July 24, 2002
Tbay, Day 79
Ok kids, time for your impromptu "thunder bay lingo" lesson.
Going to camp ==> Going to the cottage
Going to a show ==> Going to a movie
Vehicle ==> Car
Ukranian Tupperware ==> Margarine tubs, etc used to hold leftovers
Heavy beats (as in music) ==> Pink (lol)
Persian ==> A cinnamon donut with cupcake icing on top. (it's the THING to eat here)

July 23, 2002
Tbay, Day 78
While channel surfing on my antique tv, i came across the much more music station. it was showing the top 90 videos of the 90s. And my my, those "oldies" are so much more fun than "today's hit music". I had totally forgotten about Meatloaf, Nirvana, Fugees, Hootie and the Blowfish and some older TLC and Sheryl Crow songs. Oooh yes, that stuff is indeed the $hit. lol.

July 22, 2002
Tbay, Day 77
Man, these TBT bus drivers sure like to chat. They tell me their whole life story in the 10 minutes it takes me to get home. I just wish sometimes they'd shut it and let me get some much needed bus sleep. But then, these drivers will radio another bus to wait for you if you have to transfer. Let's see some TTC drivers do that. 8)

July 21, 2002
Tbay, Day 76
Woo hoo! I'm updating the page! It's been a slow, boring week. But i got my haircut yesterday. The stylist was named Mimo. Surprisingly, he wasn't one of those stereotypical male stylists with a lisp and 'dainty' hand movements. Another clue to the 'un-fruity-ness' of the stylist was that he is married (to a woman) and has a son. heheh.

July 16, 2002
Tbay, Day 71
Seeing this poster was the highlight of my day. Boys, i bet u can't wait to get that prostate checked out. =D

July 15, 2002
Tbay, Day 70
I must remember to put sunscreen on now cuz i'm getting too good of a tank top tan. If i don't remember, i'm gonna look old and leathery before my time... *)
And, people at work are shocked that you can have red beans for dessert so i'm bringing some in to prove that beans can be eaten cold AND sweet. Just like bubble tea, it sounds wierd until u try it.

July 13, 2002
Tbay, Day 68
Went out to see Minority Report last nite. I liked it better than Sum of All Fears, even tho Tom Cruise isn't as...buff as you think he'd be... heheh. They actually have a Silver City theatre here, adults pay $7.50 all the time, even on weekends.

July 11, 2002
Tbay, Day 66
I have another question. Someone said that i might not get bonus points for cooking. Ok, then if girls don't get bonus points for being able to cook, what the hell do we get bonus points for? Would these be typical "guys like it" things, like wearing less clothes? lol.

July 10, 2002
Tbay, Day 65
As requested, I've made a new page for my cooking achievements. Now the spoiled-brat-city-slicker can cook! Hah! I kick @ss! Um, well anyways... I hear guys like girls who can cook. Does that give me bonus points?!
On a totally different topic, the mill manager kinda looks like a certain Process Control prof... Yeesh, i thought i came to TB to get AWAY from evil skule things like that! *)

July 8, 2002
Tbay, Day 63
TWO months in tbay now. Went to a BBQ yesterday with some new buddies who are definitely not rednecks and/or old and/or pot-bellied. heh. Mmm.... carcinogens... Oh, and more about my nite out at Wazoo. I was seriously over dressed, as in i was wearing too much cloth. The style here is to wear any piece of clothing that will bare both types of cleavage and as much of your tanning salon darkened skin as possible without lookin too much like a hooker. LOL.

July 6, 2002
Tbay, Day 61, Part 2
My computer sound problem is fixed!!! Woo hoo! =D I'm just not the "real emily" if i don't have my mp3s to sing to. I'm soooo happy now. *)

July 6, 2002
Tbay, Day 61
Well. Went out to one of the "clubs" here in TB last nite. Wazoo was it's name. It even had "Wazoo Keeperz", also known as bouncers. It wasn't really a club per se, more like a glorified bar with a stage, cover band and small dance floor. All I really wanted to do was play pool. heheh. But it was quite the meat market, if you're looking for fresh or 'used' white meat. 8) And i don't think i've ever seen so many fake blondes in my life. Do guys really like blondes that much better? Get over it, cuz even Britney Spears is a fake blonde. hahah.

July 5, 2002
Tbay, Day 60
Yay! it's friday! That means low to non-existant productivity day at work. Today we discussed evolution, chinese food, chinese drivers, "accidentally" finding black porn on the net and the concepts of heaven and hell. Around that, i STILL managed to get some work done.

July 4, 2002
Tbay, Day 59
Not much to tell today. Although during normal office conversation, i learned that there are classy trailer parks that you can live in. In Mexico. And you can "buy" a woman and her two daughters to keep your house, cook and cut your hair and toenails. They don't get paid much, but they live with you cuz they have no where else to go. Interesting, no? I'm not thinking about other services that could possibly be provided by these people. hehe.

July 3, 2002
Tbay, Day 58
So how's everyone in stinky, sticky, sweaty TO? Run outta places to put garbage yet? hahahahaha. 8) My office is just the opposite. It is FREEZING in there. I still have to wear a sweater even if it's 30 degrees outside. It didn't help that someone came down and gave us free Klondike ice cream bars. Despite the fact that the ice cream lowered my body temperature even more, it was sooooo worth it. And i think the warm temperatures woke up ALL the bugs in the apartment. Over the last couple days, i've killed or disposed of: two fruit flies, an ant, a spider, a sow bug and a centipede. i STILL haven't killed that stupid fly yet. Argh!

July 2, 2002
Tbay, Day 57
I had one hell of a weekend. Sunday i went out shopping again, and bought new running shoes. I can't remember the last time i went out and bought those things... Also bought more clothes. My mom DID say to buy whatever i needed to make myself comfortable, hehehe. I became a tourist too, visiting the Marina and other places here in TB.
Grr...There's a fly in here. I can hear it buzzing around but i can't see it. Must...kill...fly... Oh wait, I don't even have an old magazine to kill it with! Doh! Neh, maybe it'll just die of starvation and i'll vacuum it up later. Hehe. *)

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