Day 59: Run club!

I was working at Lazia today and it seems that for anyone working tomorrow (Halloween) they will be sent home if they are not in fancy dress. I wish I could go in and see what people are wearing!
I had the chow mein for lunch, which is apparently the largest dish we serve.  I was intending to eat half and save half for later, but when one of the other servers mentioned he is the only one to finish all of it, I saw that as a challenge and ate the lot.

I used my free afternoon to make a giant vat of soup and catch up on a few other jobs, then I headed out to Wednesday night run club for the first time in a few weeks.  I am a bit out of condition, so it was hard work, but I still managed to do all the sprint sections on the super seven hills.  Hopefully I can start doing more exercise again now, I have a half marathon to train for in Cambodia!

After washing my hair and eating my soup, I caught up on the last two episodes of Breaking Bad!  It feels very strange that its finished.  I am very far behind on a lot of other TV shows as I have had no time at all for telly.

Day 58: back at the running room

when I finish work at 9:30pm on Monday and start again at 9:30am on Tuesday, it feels like I haven't left.  Although I was a little bit late this morning.
it was really cold in the shop so I ended up with two jumpers on (with tags hanging off them) but other than that a fairly normal day, with a few boxes to unpack and a few pairs of shoes to sell, but then in the afternoon a rep from New Balance came in, and bought some cakes with him!  I sat in on some of his chat about the shoes, but the NB shoes really confuse me so I'm not sure anything he said stuck in my head.  I got distracted by the shoe talk and ended up leaving work a bit late.

I went home via the supermarket, then spent the evening trying to catch up on all the things I haven't had time to do.  I even turned down an invite to the pub in order to do this!
Laundry all done, I watched some TV with my housemates while sending a few emails and went to bed at a relatively sensible time.  I really needed a dull day, and maybe a couple more!

Day 55 revisited: photos

here are some photos from Saturday stolen off facebook:

much more snow on the mountains than last time I was here

Avalanche!

 The "death trap"

quite a few people slipped over on the way back down!

Day 57: A Very Long Day

When my alarm went off on Monday morning I did not want to get up at all.  After many days staying up late and getting up early I was not looking forward to today.
I had to get ready in a hurry and get to the running room for 8:30 as a girl from Ronhill was going to give us some information about their products.  She also gave us each a free pair of Hilly socks!  I managed to stay awake and even learn stuff, then went just up the road to the High Level Diner to get some breakfast before getting the bus downtown to Lazia.

The other hostesses at Lazia were very sympathetic that I was really tired, which helped.  It was a quiet day with not many reservations, but there was still just about enough to do to keep me awake.  I then had the butter chicken for my lunch (a Canadian curry) and boxed up half of it for later before wandering back over the river on foot and back to the Running Room again.

I arrived at 4pm but my shift was from 5pm-9:30, so I tried to catch up on emails on my phone and read a bit of a running magazine I found.  The boss wants me to do this Monday evening shift permanently from now on, which makes it a long day, but I think there would be time to go home and come back and the extra cash would be handy.  It wasn't too busy, so we were instructed to try on some clothes while we had a chance.  Rachel even found some tights she liked and bought them while still wearing them.  She managed to get the alarm off without taking them off!
There is a "learn to run" clinic on a Monday night, which means we move the stands in one corner of the shop and put out benches for them.  They have a half hour talk about something, then go out for a little run/walk.  tonight they didn't need benches and did the run/walk first so they could learn about stretching.
We had some issues closing the tills once the shop had shut, so rather than finish at 9:30, it was more like 9:45 for me.  The other two left even later.  I went straight to bed when I got home to try and catch up on the sleep I was behind on but knew I still had to be up early to go back to the Running Room again.

Day 56: Canadian birthday and 1st snow day!

I woke up this morning, looked out of the window and felt very at home.  Everything was wet and it looked like a typical English Autumn day.  While I was eating my breakfast, you mostly couldn't see the mountains as they were shrouded by cloud, so it was quite different to breakfast on the last trip I had here.  Then it started snowing!  its never snowed on my birthday before!  it was very exciting.
I also checked my emails and facebook and saw lots of "happy birthday" messages from people, both back home and in Canada so that made me very happy too.

We checked out and left not long after breakfast, but the roads were very slippery and treacherous so we moved very slowly and passed several cars that had skidded off the road.  We ended up listening to a country radio station for most of the journey, which was pretty funny, especially one song about a pick-up truck.  Again, we were stuck with only fast food options for lunch and we went to Wendy's this time.  It was a fun journey so I didn't really mind spending most of my birthday in a car.

I was really tired, but still went round to a friend's house once I got back to Edmonton for some comfort food, wine and a film.  I wanted to drag out my birthday enjoyment even longer.  Although I decided to have a few days off socialising after this to just catch up on sleep and get chores done. 

I was worried my birthday might have been rubbish here, but I had a really good time!

Day 55: UK birthday!

Saturday and I'm in the mountains and not working! Yay!
at breakfast I got to meet the rest of the group, as there are around 12 of us in total, then we drove over to Lake Louise to do a five hour hike.
it was amazing as there was snow on the ground in places and its a beautiful area.  The scenery changed from lakeside to forest to rocky but I was far too lazy to take any pictures at all.  I was suffering a bit from the cheap rum yesterday, which took the edge off how happy I felt, but my word of the day was still "amazing!" and I really enjoyed the hike and meeting the group.  We even saw an avalanche happening the other side of the valley, which was pretty spectacular.
there was one bit I didn't like, because it was steep and gravelly so I felt a bit dizzy with vertigo and basically crawled back down again, and quite a few people slipped on the ice of the downhill return route, but I came through unscathed somehow.

By the time we finished the walk, we decided to go straight to dinner.  I had decided that I would start my birthday on UK time, so at 5pm it would be midnight in the UK and therefore my birthday. 
The restaurant had a lovely room with a big wooden table big enough for all of us.  I ate an elk burger, which was delicious, pink and spicy and a new animal for me!  I was stuffed by the time I finished, and getting really sleepy, then the waitress came over with a slice of chocolate cake for my birthday!  That was really touching.  The group then sung happy birthday to me, which made me laugh a lot because some of them weren't sure of my name so it all went a bit wrong in the middle!  I was also extremely pleased that the cake had cream and sprinkles on the side and the sprinkles were shaped like dinosaurs.  Amazing!

The next part of the day was a trip to the hot springs, which I decided to skip as I was still feeling really full up from dinner.  Once I'd recovered, me and Nicole hung out in the hostel lobby and the bar waiting for everyone to get back.  We were planning on heading into town to go dancing but were both a bit too sleepy, so when the rest of the group suggested playing board games this seemed like a much better plan.  We were having so much fun, we ended up staying up til quite late. 
I also met quite a few Brits, although I didn't recognise a couple of them as being British!  I may have been here too long, or maybe it was just noisy and hard to hear.  They did think I was Australian so it wasn't just me!

Day 54: Banff again

I'm a bit behind now, so I'll try and be quick.
Lazia was really busy on Friday but one group included a couchsurfer friend of mine and a couple of girls recognised me from the running room.  One had just done her first marathon!
once my shift finished, I got the train to the designated meeting point to get a lift to Banff.  I was meeting Nicole and her friend Ian but another girl I hadn't met yet would be driving us all.  Ian was an hour late, which was annoying as it would have given me time to go home and change or go grocery shopping for example, but it did mean we got to chat.
The journey was slower than we thought due to traffic, so instead of arriving in Banff in time for dinner, we stopped at McDonalds on the way down.  I can't remember the last time I bought food from McDonalds so I felt pretty disgusted with myself but it wasn't too bad.
I explained the rules of "mountain", but nobody else seemed keen.  more points for me!
Once we arrived at the hostel, we checked in, dumped our bags and headed straight to the hostel bar for some cheap rum and cokes.  Due to there being karaoke going on, I had quite a few rum and cokes.  in fact quite a lot of rum and cokes.  but I did have a great evening and laughed a lot.
if I wake up in time tomorrow morning I'll continue on with Saturday and Sunday.  maybe by mid-week I'll be up to date...

Day 53: English Pub

The Running Room was quiet today, but we had some displays to change and mannequins to undress/dress, then I ended up re-arranging shoeboxes again.  I found out that Kate has been offered another job and is leaving.  She is probably the RR person I've spoken to the most so I'll miss her.

After work I walked over the high level bridge and across downtown to meet Cecily and Sascha for dinner and a catch up.  We went to the Sherlock Holmes Pub, an English themed pub, where Cecily knew the server from high school (she knows everyone).  I had a steak sandwich with gravy to dip and clam chowder on the side, as well as a pint of Murphy's.
Off to Banff tomorrow straight from work, so I'm not sure when I'll be able to update this again.  I think I'll be doing my packing in the morning at this rate!

Day 52: more culture

I was working at Lazia today from 9:30.  This is usually plenty of time to get everything done before the restaurant opens at 11am, but today, the phone kept ringing all the time and there were loads of reservations, then there was another new hostess starting so I had to show her around.  whenever I tried to show her a reservation, the phone would ring again.  Also, Michelle was mostly needed to serve so I was the most senior hostess there.  it was all a bit of a scramble but lots of fun in a bizarre way.  I crashed into a customer while I was carrying plates, but luckily nothing broke and neither of us ended up with ketchup on us so I think I got away with it.

I had a plan for today, which mostly worked.  my next stop after work was the bank to make another withdrawal, then the travel agents near the university to book some flights!  I had been emailing them to work out the best arrangements and have been withdrawing my maximum allowance whenever I am near a bank.  As I still don't have a credit card, it would have to be cash and debit card.  it was fun paying with an envelope full of twenties, I only regret that it wasn't a brown envelope and I couldn't pass it under the table to them.  A suitcase of money would have been even better, but the flights didn't cost that much.  Even without a suitcase, it was pretty exciting.  I'm going back to Cambodia!

The next stop (via an ice cream) was the bus stop across the road, then the Value Village, where I was reliably informed I would be able to get cheap costumes.  I was really reluctant to spend loads of money of things I would only wear once so spent ages dithering in the shop, and ended up just buying accessories to go with dresses I already have.  I ideally needed a ball gown for the race I entered, but instead will wear one of my dresses, a masquerade mask and some gloves.  For Halloween, I am now going to have to be a ladybird, which is pretty lame.

As I wasted so much time in the shop, I had to rush a quick dinner at home and straight back out to Churchill Square again to see the rest of the elevator theatre project.
This time we managed to be much more efficient and saw all of the remaining six, but it was much less fun than yesterday's silliness.  Instead of encountering a chatty barman from Leeds, we encountered the jaywalking police, giving us a warning about not crossing a road if its not at the lights and the man doesn't say walk... even if there are no cars in sight anywhere. Stupid Canada.
In the first play, there were two guys in white overalls, gloves and masks who treated us like zombies.  In the library, the play started while we were waiting for the lift.  There was a guy with a mop singing and a man who lost his memory following a car accident, but it came back in the lift as that's where he met his wife and they used to sing together in the lift going to work.  you knew he would forget again and go back to not knowing her, and she would take him back there again over and over.  it was very touching.
The next building we went to had two different lifts.  in one, we were eavesdropping on three people's stream of consciousness, although one guy was just playing games on his phone so that was all he thought about.  In the second, there were two ladies who kept meeting in the lift at work.  One was particularly obnoxious and shallow, and it was pretty funny watching them fall out with each other.  It was called "I love your hair and other conversations"
On to the next office block, which had a giant metallic bear eating a salmon in the entrance and a water feature where we waited.  When the lift opened we were greeted by a security guard, who didn't say anything, but held up a video phone for his boss to OK us, then we were allowed in the lift.  Before the lift could go anywhere, the boss's mistress tried to get in too and there was an argument between the three of them.  Eventually, the guard hung up on his boss and suggested we leave.
The last play we saw was probably the heaviest as it was a young boyfriend and girlfriend.  She was really teary, had just found out she was pregnant, and they were deciding what to do.
I think my favourites of all eight were "the club" yesterday, with the dancing and loveliness.  And the one in the library today with the couple singing.  There were rumours of them doing this again at Christmas, so I'll have to keep an eye out.

Day 51: Culture

It was a fairly quiet shift at the Running Room.  The new manager instructed me that it would be a really good idea to try on lots of clothes whenever I get a chance so that I can learn about the products and be able to talk to customers about it.  Despite my protests and insistence that I hate trying on clothes, I relented and agreed.  I love my job!
I also got to learn a bit more about the treadmill in the store, then said "do me, do me!" and had myself videoed walking.  I've never been on a treadmill before and I was quite dizzy when I got off, but according to the video I am fairly neutral and do not over pronate.  for years I have been buying shoes based on overpronation.  it could be just an anomaly based on never walking on a treadmill before, and things could have changed over the years, and I've had no major problems with my shoes but I still find it a bit strange.  maybe I will have to try some neutral shoes to see. 
Shopping!
also, as stated by my manager, watching a video of yourself in slow motion is like when you hear your voice on a recording for the first time.  it's hideous.

After work, I was meeting a CS friend for dinner, then a theatre show that he suggested.  The dinner was kinda posh and involved all sorts of bizarre ingredients, but it was delicious. We then walked (and also ran occasionally) over to Churchill square to buy our tickets.  The theatre was a series of eight short plays set in elevators nearby.  The ticket included a map to find the elevators.  it took us a long time to find the first one, and then there was a fifteen minute wait so we only managed to see two and will have to go back tomorrow to see the rest.  However, in the fifteen minute wait, we went to find a drink of water and ended up having a glass of wine as well, served by a guy from somewhere near Leeds.  He was very chatty, talking mostly about all the places he has travelled to.  When his wife phoned him (she's from Preston), he passed the phone to me so that she could hear my accent.  I could tell it was going to be a bizarre evening.
The first play was about a woman who abandoned her baby in a hotel.  it was fairly intense as we were all standing inches away from them.  The second was called "the club" and involved some dancing and a conga line on the way up.  on the way back down you found out who the actors were as they all had lines.  it left you feeling lovely.
I cant wait to find out what the other six are, although it does mean i'll have to miss run club tomorrow.  on the plus side, it gives me an excuse to miss run club tomorrow.

Day 50: five oh!

Well, it was a struggle getting up in the morning but I made it to Lazia on time at 10am.  I thought I'd be the only one there but Michelle was there and surprised to see me.  Usually one of us starts at 9:30am, then anyone else starts at 11 or 11:30.  The extra sleep would have been handy but there was plenty to do still.
I had arranged to meet a friend for lunch in between Lazia and starting at the Running Room at 5pm but it seems I didn't understand the schedule properly and was down to work til 4:30 there.  After texting to apologise and cancel, they then realised that two of us were scheduled which was unnecessary, and there wasn't anything for me to learn so I didn't need to be there.  I quickly un-cancelled and went for lunch on Whyte ave at a place I had previously only been in to hand in a resume.  This was quite a relief, as working 10-4:30, then 5-9:30 all in one day whilst really tired would have been difficult. 
It was a lovely café and I got to have blueberry pie, ticking off another "Canadian dish".  There was some free cake at the Running Room too, so that was a bonus.
I feel a bit bad as I keep having to explain that I'm tired because I have to socialise so much and its exhausting having this much fun.  woe is me!  I don't really think I deserve any sympathy, but I would like to be antisocial for a bit and catch up on sleep.

Day 49: found it!

so, my first day off work for two weeks, lots of late nights building up, and yet I still dragged myself out of bed and off for a nice run bright and early in the morning.  The world was pretty so that helped make up for the early start.  I really should avoid running on my own though as I felt terrible in the 2k to get to the Running Room, but totally fine while I was out with the group.  it was a small group as lots of people had been racing or were racing that weekend but there were still people a similar speed to me to hang out with.  It seems my IT band (or whatever it was) is all better now, which is great, I'm just a bit unhealthy.

I was aiming to get some housework done once I got home and I managed to get quite a bit done, but it was slow progress as I was so tired.  I was going to make some soup for dinner, then go out to meet some friends in the bar that Lazia people apparently go to.  The plan was altered slightly and I went out for dinner instead of cooking!
Nicole had been to this bar before, so I met up with her, some of her friends, and some of the Brazilians with the aim of having a few drinks, saying hello to work people, then going home at a sensible time.  I clearly am unable to do this and ended up going home at about 2am again!
There was karaoke going on, which I am allergic to, but I managed to survive it and even enjoy it a bit. I was being a bit shy about talking to work people but it was good to hang out with Nicole and her friends so that I know them a little bit better before heading off to Banff with them at the weekend.
I keep thinking about all the things I am doing that I would never do at home, like agree to go on holiday with people I barely know, but everything is new here so there isn't much of a choice, I just have to go along with whatever comes up.  It's strange and exciting!

Day 49: bah!

I just wrote out this whole day, then it vanished!  quite annoyed and too tired to rewrite now.
here is a picture of Oscar taken a while ago to make up for it:

I will add Sunday and Monday tomorrow morning if I get enough time.
hmpf, stupid, grumble, grr, hmpf.

Day 48: More free stuff!

I was working at the Running Room today.  There was a new guy starting, a retired PE Teacher, so the manager decided that a few of us should all try and learn more about the shoes.  He even put a couple of willing volunteers on the treadmill to watch them run in slow motion.  I think I will have to find some time to try and write it all down or make a table as there is a lot to know.
I got to have another go at the Brookes competition today and won a pair of shoes!  I will now be getting a t-shirt, jacket and shoes all for free, plus I run in a pair of Brookes back home so I just chose the same ones.
After finishing at 6:30 and going home via the shops, I quickly shoved a pizza in the oven, got changed and went out for a few drinks.  I still feel like I have to socialise as much as possible, even if I have to get up early the next day.  We went to the West Edmonton Mall as there are lots of bars there too and a "few drinks" became getting home at 2am.  I guess I was just having too much fun!  I set my alarm for 6:30 as I really want to go running with the Running Room.  I've missed the last couple of weeks and haven't exactly been doing much exercise so its going to be hard work.

Day 47: Full moooooon

It was a bit of a struggle getting up this morning, but I managed to get some housework done before heading out to work.  I left half an hour early with the aim of meeting Patrick for a coffee instead of the Guinness we were going to have yesterday.  I got a bit lost so it was a very quick coffee instead but the more runners I meet the better!

Lazia was quite busy today and the coffee made me a bit jittery, but I had fun and then I tried the Greek salad for my lunch, as suggested by one of my fellow hostesses.  it was pretty tasty, and followed down by a home made muffin that one of the servers had made.  Her other job is somewhere nearby so she seems to come in most days and her boyfriend is English so its nice to chat to her.  There were other people having their lunch at the same time as me so I actually got to chat to some of them and I found out where they go to socialise so may have to join in, although it does involve karaoke!! Things are looking up at Lazia.
I also got my pay cheque today, if I collect a few of them I may finally be able to get a credit card.

In the evening I was meeting a group of ladies for a full moon run.  I was invited by one of the girls who gave me a lift back from the Iron Horse and the meeting point was only about 3k from home, so I got my lycra on, crammed my phone and some emergency money in my pocket, put my head torch on and headed up the trails.  it was lovely with the sun was setting over the river valley.
There was one girl there already when I arrived, and then Aimee cycled up (I had invited her too).  All in all there were seven of us plus a dog and we headed off for a nice sociable 10k along the trails.  It was much warmer than I was expecting and a lovely clear night.  I think I will have to do the route in the day time at some point so I can see what it actually looks like.
We all agreed that we should officially set up a coven and do this regularly.  I love running at night but don't usually get the chance.
One more day of work before I finally get a day off.

Day 46: this blog entry was helped by Oscar the cat

Running room today.  Days are starting to disappear, I can't wait to finally get a day off.
I sold another pair of Brookes shoes and this time I won a jacket!  I had one customer who must have taken hours deciding on shoes, which I didn't mind at all as that's kinda how I shoe shop too.  I saw someone from the Iron Horse and she was even wearing her jacket and then I entered a race.  I'll just need to find a costume for it (yippee).
After work I rushed home to eat, change and go out again.  I was going to meet a runner for a Guinness but he had too much work to do so I went to the usual couchsurfing meeting instead.  I think I have now tried all of the cocktails on the menu.  It was a huge group again and there were some new people to meet.  This week quite a few of us went to the salsa place although everybody else seemed much better at it.
I am really starting to get quite podgy, I need to start doing more running and maybe swimming and stop eating out all the time.  This will also help with my savings!

Day 45: Things are looking up!

Today I went to Lazia.  it was reasonably quiet for Lazia (so fairly busy), I guess everybody is too stuffed with Thanksgiving turkey to want to go out for lunch, but more importantly, at no point during my shift was anyone horribly sarcastic or mean and no criticism.  I don't know how I escaped this but it was nice!  I also got given an envelope of cash from the tips percentage.  it was $15 and I have no idea if this is good or bad but its all extra money so I can't complain.
I couldn't stay for lunch at lazia as I had a sports massage appointment so I just bought a sandwich en route.  it was actually quite warm out today so it was a nice walk and better than just getting the train straight home.
The massage guy was from Hungary but been in Canada since 1970.  it was more of a relaxing massage than I'm used to, hardly painful at all and he had plinky plinky music on.  I'm sure it's done some good, but I might try a different place next time.  my new manager at the shop said he's been made to cry by his therapist, which sounds more like my kinda thing.  Maybe I'm just used to Gisela and Craig and it's not the same.
In the evening I went to meet Nicole from Australia, who is here as a nanny.  We had some food (mine was ice cream!) and some wine and a chat.  She has some interesting tales to tell!  She also invited me to Banff so I will have to see if I can take time off work.
Whenever I'm walking anywhere I seem to end up frantically texting lots of different people to try and arrange things.  This isn't too much different to back home, but my new phone is so much more unwieldy.
Right, it's really late now and I have to be up early.

Day 44: The MEC

At the Running Room AGAIN today but this time it was a little bit busier.  There is a new competition this month which started yesterday: every time you sell a pair of Brooks shoes, you get to scratch off a tile on a poster and there may be a prize underneath.  As it happens, I have already sold three pairs!  out of my three chances I won a t-shirt - yay!  Kate managed to win a pair of shoes!  I sold another pair later that day, but I pointed the lady towards the sale version to save money, and the deal doesn't count for sale shoes. oh well.

Before I left home in the morning, I had taken my sandwich out of the fridge and left it on the kitchen counter for a bit while I got ready.  I then noticed Oscar on there looking very pleased with himself.  He had chewed through the plastic and the bread to get to the tuna!
I texted Tim (Oscar's dad) as I was worried it might make him ill, but he seemed OK when I got home.  he's just a very naughty boy.  he's also currently chosen to sleep between me and my laptop making this quite difficult to type.

After work, I got a bus over the river to the Mountain Equipment Co-op, a giant outdoorsy shop, to browse round the winter coats.  Aimee was out running with their group and due to return at about 7pm so we could have a catch-up.
Some of the coats are basically like wearing a sleeping bag!  I need to do more thinking and research but I do intend to keep going outside even through the winter so I'll need to buy some stuff.
Me and Aimee then went across the road to the Urban Diner, where I ate a lovely steak and they played lots of 50s tunes

Day 43:Thanksgiving Monday

I got up early today to meet a couchsurfer (and his dog) for a run.  We went along some of the trails starting near my place and found a nice loop.  it's quite undulating, and we came back via a long flight of stairs so it should be pretty good training.  It was below zero and there was mist on the river that looked really pretty.  As its only going to get colder I tried not to wrap up too much, which meant the bottom of my legs below my 3/4 length tights went bright red, and we couldn't stop and walk for too long at any point. 
It was really good to have company, I just wouldn't have gone otherwise and I am really suffering from lack of exercise at the mo.  I have been invited for a run on Friday evening with some of the Iron Horse people as well, so I'm looking forward to that.

I made it just about on time to the Running Room, (it took me a long time to warm up in the shower) and there were quite a lot of us working that day so we had some extra chores to do to pass the time.  I volunteered to clean the fridge in the staff room for example.  I was feeling quite sleepy so popped over to Remedy café at lunch to get a chai tea, then accidentally bought a slice of cheesecake too!  Aimee came into the shop in the afternoon as her Aunty, Uncle and cousin that she's staying with have signed up to a run clinic and needed to buy shoes.
I had arranged to meet up with a couchsurfer after work, but she couldn't make it in the end.  This was probably a good thing as it gave me time to buy some groceries and get some chores done instead.
I like writing this in bed under my duvet, and Oscar likes to attack my feet!

Day 42: Life, the Universe and Everything

I hate getting behind on this, I know it was only yesterday but I really can't remember what I did on Sunday.  I'll try and remember as I write.
I worked at Lazia as they had, again, put me down for a sunday despite agreeing not to do that.  I had had to drop some of my shifts (with plenty of notice) due to the other job so I thought it best to compromise and agree to do this one sunday.
it was really quiet. there were about five of us working and probably the same number of groups eating so we got some general housework done.  I dusted the wine shelves for example.  I'm used to it being quiet in the shop and busy in the restaurant so this was very strange but most people were off having thanksgiving meals with their families at home.
There was one strange guy from the Philippines who came in and started talking to me for ages, until the manager called me over, which I was very grateful for.
I ordered the lettuce wraps for my lunch and made a complete mess of trying to eat them, but they were delicious.
When my shift was over I checked the schedule and noticed I had been put down for the next day as well, despite letting them know I couldn't do this already.  the manager was not happy about this at all as it left him with no notice to try and find someone else.  they seem to keep constantly messing these things up so far.  hopefully from now on things will be much more regular and easier.
I went out for a few drinks in the evening to the Sugar Bowl again.  I had a raspberry beer, then a really nice porter, then a Canadian beer with spices.
I am missing my friends back home and spying on facebook updates to see what people are up to.  New is exciting but sometimes it sucks.  I'm meeting all sorts of interesting new people and hanging out with them, but none of them have known me for more than a few weeks.

Day 41: Inventory

my normal Saturday shift is 9:30-6:30, but it was moved to 1:30-10:30pm so that I could help with inventory (yay).
This meant I could meet a couchsurfer friend for lunch and a catch-up before work and arrive a bit early to put some things aside to buy.  I managed to find myself some really cheap shoes in the sale room that I can wear for work so no more walking around all day in my running shoes, and I also bought some tights with windproof material for winter running.
I sold some shoes and saw one of Cecily's friends, although I couldn't speak to her as I was serving another customer.  The inventory company employees gradually arrived and once the shop closed at 6pm, the fun started. 
The manager was pretty stressed today, but we did get free pizza as part of the deal.  There was lots of counting and double checking, we found quite a few mistakes by spot checking, which suggests that there are probably still mistakes, but ended up with the total value of all stock in the shop being something like $1,500,000 or $1,400,000.  I forget which.
Its really pretty in Edmonton at the mo, blue skies and yellow trees.  lots of people are off work for the long weekend to do family stuff for thanksgiving, which I think is why i'm working so much more as no one else is available.
I just found out my friend's first marathon time and feel very proud of him.  he didn't just finish, he smashed it!  I really need to find more running friends here.

Day 40: Doesn't feel like Friday but it is

Getting up in the morning was a bit of a struggle, and as soon as I got to work there was an offer of coffee, which sounded like a good idea but it just made me jittery.  I don't usually work in the Running Room on a Friday so that added to the confusion.
As they are doing an inventory check on Saturday, there were lots of jobs to do involving checking stocks in advance, so I spent most of the morning counting watches.  this was fairly tedious but sometime tedious jobs are just perfect.  When I checked my phone at lunchtime I had a voicemail message:  The restaurant had called to ask where I was as I should be working.  I rang back to check as I definitely spoke to them about this and they changed the schedule.  I remember because they weren't happy about it.  She must have realised since leaving the message as there was no problem when I called.  I also confirmed the Sunday shift and she said they wouldn't put me on a Sunday again.  hopefully that's what will happen, I need one day off!
it was surprisingly busy in the afternoon with all kinds of issues but I did get to try on some new shoes from the sale room that the assistant manager recommended.  I may buy them for work, then I won't have to wear my normal running shoes and "waste" them on non-running.
After work I was going to meet a friend for food.  he had found something pretty similar to extra strong mints for me, which is great because I've nearly run out (if anyone is planning on coming to visit, please buy me some!!).  Instead of going home and going to bed early like I was planning, we decided to watch a film and drink wine.  I feel like I need to take advantage of every opportunity and have as much fun as possible as I'm not here for very long, but this mentality conflicts with my work schedule somewhat.

Day 39: salsa

I got to wear my new souvenir t-shirt to the Running Room today.  its black with red maple leaves on it.  I was hoping it would be quiet in the shop so I could use the foam rollers on my legs but lots to do.  As soon as I finished I quickly tried on some tights from the sale section.  They have windproof material all down the front, which should help for winter running.  I couldn't quite make my mind up so i'll think about it and hope no one else buys them.
I then had to rush around and get ready to go to the couchsurf meeting as I said i'd meet an Australian girl there.  Again, there was a really big group with some people I've met before and some new people so I actually barely spoke to Nicole but hopefully we can meet another time instead.  A few of us then drove over to "on the rocks" for some salsa dancing!  I think to the untrained eye, it might have looked like I managed to salsa, and it was definitely fun.  I tried a few different cocktails too, probably a few more than I should have with work the next day but it seemed like a nice bar.  I spoke to some lovely people and it seems they have live music there some nights so might be worth investigating.  There are still so many places I haven't been but I really should stop spending so much.  I managed to speak an English guy as well, from Northampton.  it's good to compare stories with other people who have moved over here.  lots of people come here for work, but he had a similar story to me!

Day 38: to be erased from memory

It's Wednesday so I work at the restaurant.  I was starting at 9:30 again so doing all the set-up, working through a list of jobs.  At one point I got told to stop what I was doing as it was less important and do a more important job first, so I did.  then I got told off for stopping what I was doing mid-way through.  I guess I still haven't worked out how to work with the managers here, but I'm sure I'll figure it out as I manage to work with so many different people back home.
There was another new hostess starting and she was on her "on the job evaluation" day (or free labour).  She had been given the table layouts in advance, which helped, and she seemed really nice.  I learnt a few new things, made a mistake with table allocations, but apart from that I thought I was doing really well.  They needed extra people to take food to the tables because it was really busy, so I was helping out having never done it before until the rush ended, then back to hostessing, that was fun.  I did any job I saw that was needed but with one eye out for anything more important to switch to if necessary.  There were four hostesses, so sometimes I'd see a table that needed clearing, grab a tray, cutlery and a cloth, then someone else was already wiping it so I'd just hand them the cutlery, help to clear it then find another one instead.  Between us we seemed to be on top of things.  Some of the servers praised me for being better than some of the newer girls and for helping them out.
Then after my shift finished, the manager told me I was too slow, which came as a bit of a shock.  And there was no praise to go with that, no constructive criticism.  Seems I can't do anything right.  I ate my lunch feeling like they just don't like me much there.
my original plan was to have a lazy afternoon and just stay in and catch up on telly, but I was quite glad when there were a couple of potential plans to get out for food/drinks so I could have a whinge and avoid sulking too much.
Unfortunately, I got the train downtown, then couldn't find anyone and wasn't getting any answer to calls or texts so I went straight back home again feeling even more sulky.  Turns out I was looking in the wrong place but I was nearly home when I found that out.  I went back to the telly-watching plan instead, via buying some cakes on the way home as comfort food.
Tomorrow will be better.

Day 37: slowly returning to normality

Overslept slightly this morning but was no more than five minutes late to the Running Room.
I managed to keep myself occupied for most of the day today with a whole variety of different things, but not much talk of ultramarathons.  I had one unhappy customer and one happy customer, so the balance was restored.   I feel like I'm starting to get the hang of the shoe fitting but still a long way off expert.
After work I met Cecily in Remedy café just up the road and had a delicious chana masala.  It didn't look huge but I was absolutely stuffed afterwards.  Cecily packed half of hers up as takeaway, which I really need to start getting in the habit of.  We then went to another bar for a drink as there was more catching up to do. 
I now have my actual SIN card rather than a printout and my proserve card which allows me to serve liquor.  I also have my loyalty card from the bank which gets me a free cinema ticket.  I save points for every transaction I make and I already have enough for one ticket.  The best though, was my postcard from Stas.

Day36: Manic Monday

I was starting work at 9:30 at the restaurant, then 4-9:30pm at the shop.  I was dreading being on my feet all day, but actually it wasn't too bad, and probably helped.  I also got away with wearing flats, which was a relief.
The most experienced hostess was off work for a week, so it was a slightly nervous morning without her guidance, but luckily it wasn't too busy (by Lazia standards) and I think we pulled it off.  I even got to make a couple of coffees and a dessert.  I ate half of my chicken and cashew nut and boxed the rest up to eat later for dinner but I had finished work at 1:30 so I had a bit of time to kill.  I wondered over to the bank to see if I could pay in my salary cheque at the ATM machine (I can't it seems) and somebody noticed my bag and started chatting to me!  I was using my Iron Horse Ultra race kit bag for my work clothes and shoes (as well as wearing the medal as a necklace - if it was colder I'd be wearing the hat as well).  After a morning spent with non-runners not really able to bask in the ultramarathon glory, it was great to bump into someone else who was there.  I think I'd met him briefly right near the beginning of the route while we were still in St. Paul.
I got to work early enough to rummage around the sale area and bought myself some tights, a t-shirt and some socks as I'd forgotten to bring any with me.  This time I was greeted with congratulations and was encouraged to tell the story.  I love working with runners!
I was a bit tired and not with it, at one point showing a guy the women's shoes, but managed to keep myself busy and even helped close the tills.
I popped into the shops on the way home, which was a mistake as I bought a tub of ice cream then ate it all.  ooops.  I can't even claim it was tourism as it was Ben and Jerry's, the same as back home.
9:30am start tomorrow too!

Day35: Medals, thank yous and smugness

Only time for a few hours sleep, packed up all my stuff to take to the post-race breakfast.  Joanne made me a lovely pot of herbal tea before Pierre drove me to the race HQ.
The breakfast was delayed slightly to about 9am so we could wait for the last few 100milers to finish and cheer them over the line.  Every single finisher got to break through tape at the line to wooping and applause.  the last two crossed the line together looking tired but happy and then we all went for our lovely breakfast: sausages, eggs, pancakes, fruit and maple syrup.
This was followed by the medal presentations.  I thought they would just call up the first few in each category, but they got everybody to go up and collect their medals (unless they had already left, like the guys who drove me up - but it was good to hear that they did really well and hit their target time).  No extra credit for finishing faster, just finishing is spectacular enough.  They announced me as coming all the way from England for the race... not strictly true but they seemed pleased to be able to claim international interest in their race via me and a kiwi (one of the two last 100mile finishers).
The medals were designed and made out of pottery by a local, so more special than any road race medal.  The lady sat next to me was the second to finish 100k and she got back before sunset.  The fastest 100k runner finished before any of the relay teams setting a new course record.  The fastest 100mile runner wasn't too far behind me!  Then there were the exhausted looking few who had only recently finished.  There were lots of faces that I recognised as I had spoken to most of them at some point during the event.

The organisers managed to find me a lift home with a team who had been camping next door to race HQ, they had kindly offered two of us strays a lift back.
I bought myself a souvenir hat and said some final thankyous to Pierre, Monique, Corey and lots of "well done" and "wasn't this awesome", "see you at the next one" before grabbing my bags and heading back to Edmonton.

It was a lovely journey back, discussing the joys of ultrarunning and trail running, as well as possible wildlife that could be encountered.
My legs were pretty achey and I was really tired but feeling so pleased with myself and happy to have met so many wonderful people.
I ate an enormous pizza and gradually limped around unpacking, doing laundry, trying to stretch, but mostly lazing.  I tied my medal round my neck and do not intend to take it off anytime soon.  Drank some wine, watched some telly, chatted to my housemate and played with Oscar.  Bed time was around 9pm I think.

Day 34: Iron Horse Ultra 100k trail race

The race started at 7am, with a group photo beforehand at 6:50.  I thought I'd given myself plenty of time in the morning, but ended up rushing, not having time to plait my hair, and forgetting my punch card for the aid stations.  I decided to wear a base layer, rather than t-shirt and arm warmers as the coldest temperatures were predicted for the morning.  The forecast was pretty good though.  I saw Patrick and Rob (my lift up there) and Patrick lent me some spare batteries for my head torch (my free one from last week's race)
This is the fifth year of the Iron Horse, and their biggest number of runners at over 100, which matches nicely with the 100k/100mile options.
It was still dark when we set off underneath the wrought iron archway, through the town of St Paul and out along the boardwalks at the edge of Upper Therien Lake. 

Some people sped off quickly from the start line, but it was good to see that I wasn't right at the back.  I also didn't seem to be going too fast, which was my other worry, and people were still close enough together to chat to a few different people as we went.  There was a stretch of gravel track along part of the Iron Horse Trail, then we went off road and into the rolling hills and scrub.  There were some steep climbs to deal with and some crawling through bushes, as well as negotiating a few barbed wire fences (much easier with help) until we emerged onto "the ridge" with amazing views of the landscape.

It seemed further than I thought to get to the first aid station (supposedly 21k), but time had flown. After a brief break and refuel, I abandoned my base layer to collect after the end of the race, grabbed a sandwich and headed off into the woods. I was mostly keeping pace with a guy called Corey, who was also a newbie at ultra.  He has never even run any races before and went straight up to 100k!  We ran through some farms and up what seemed like some endless hills before getting to the second aid station.

I continued on via a slightly altered route due to flooding.  We went past some oil industry equipment and some nice wide trails through the woods before a stretch along the highway with some long uphill drags.  I spoke to a 100miler who was really suffering from all the pavement pounding, trail is definitely easier on your joints.  I passed the 26.2mile point at just under 6 hours, which I thought was pretty funny.  There was an "out and back" section up to the top of a hill and back, where we got to see some of the other runners ahead and behind us.  somewhere on the way down the hill, I passed the halfway point, which is the furthest I had ever run before now. 

Leg three is long at 25K, but once we got off the highway it was stunning.  I took this photo while heading over some rolling hills and eating on the way down to the shore.  I ran alongside Moosehills lake for sometime with nothing but autumn trees all along the opposite bank.

After zigzagging up to a ridge, the route went along a wide gravel road for a while before joining onto the Iron Horse trail for a long 7.5km stretch into Elk Point.  There were fewer of the familiar green flags along the iron horse trail, which was initially really disheartening, the occasional quad bike throwing up dust wasn't great either and the heat meant I was running a bit low on water so the 3rd aid station was a sight for sore eyes.  It was staffed with some really helpful girls who filled our water bottles for us, bought us delicious home-made soup and generally looked after us.  This was well into unknown territory but I wasn't feeling too bad at all.  aching yes, but it wasn't getting any worse and I was still running and making good time averaging 13:30min/miles.

After setting off on leg 7 (100 milers head to leg 4,5,6, which we skip) along some more iron horse trail, my stomach started suffering and complaining so I'm glad I ate lots earlier in the race while I could.  We saw someone running back down the trail towards us and panicked that we'd gone the wrong way, but he called out that it's not us it's him, then when he caught us up he explained that he was a 100miler and had missed the turn off.  He had a couple of Km back to run.  I think I'd break down and give up if that happened to me so I was in awe of him for sticking it out.  We wondered how he figured it out, but the next day I met the guy who he caught up who told him.  As he was tired he asked which distance he was doing even though obviously it should only be 100k'ers at this point.  it was a good thing he did ask so he could let him know he'd gone wrong.
Leg seven had a few interesting hills to deal with and by this point, me and Corey were sticking together the whole time.  There was one section that looked like sand dunes but green.  In some woods we caught up with another runner on his own.  He turned out to be another newbie, his fiancée was also running about an hour behind him.  He was feeling pretty bad and I recognised exactly what my brain would be doing to me if I was on my own so I felt very grateful to have company now.  Earlier on being alone was OK, enjoying the scenery and the random songs in my head (mostly the "sir Robin" song thanks to a Python fan I had been talking to earlier) but by this stage it was a distraction from all the pain and doubt and "why am I doing this?!" type thoughts.  We were laughing and singing instead.  Corey also spotted a moose and some deer, which was brilliant!
A bit further along the track, I failed to spot the flags skirting around a bog and instead jumped straight in, sinking halfway up my legs.

We met some marshals in orange jackets who let us know that it was still a few km to go to the next aid station and there were some hills to negotiate first and I am so glad they were honest as these hills were particularly brutal.  the sun was starting to go down and the temperature was dropping, we could see the light of the base at the top of the really steep hill in front of us and thought "its OK, just one last hill" only to find out we were wrong!  The road dipped back down and up again.  This was a cruel trick, but the base was lovely, with a tent, fire, soup, coffee and cookies.  I also had a complete change of clothes in a drop bag here.  We stayed here for about an hour.  The guy on his own caught us up and decided he would wait there for his fiancée but probably call it a day.  I reminded him that he has run 80K, which is absolutely amazing and seen some wonderful scenery so not finishing is irrelevant really.  He has achieved something amazing and I hope he's pleased and proud and not disappointed. 
Melissa joined us when we finally left, but she had had less rest than us so dropped back after a while.  we could always see her torch behind us, usually catching us up through the woods, where we walked as we didn't trust our footing, I guess its a knack you learn, and dropping back a bit on the straight trails where we'd run and make up time.  A few times I switched off my head torch to stare at the stars as they are incredible this far from civilisation. We had a very sporadic run pattern, fartleking from one flag to the next or to a stop sign or the bottom of a hill.  The flags had red reflective strips on so it was very comforting to see them glowing. Glowing cow eyes did look like an alien invasion but apart from that it felt fairly safe.  Again I was glad to not be on my own with my own paranoia.
The lights from the city eventually started getting closer, which was lovely as it was starting to gradually hurt more and more whenever we ran.  A car approached us along the track and we wondered why it had stopped, then someone called out "Is that Amy?" and it was Pierre, my host.  it was great too see him, he had driven back to check where I was and he told us that it wasn't too far now, for real. 
Soon after that, we hit the outskirts of the city, switched off our headlamps and went back to following the green flags rather than the red reflective strips on the flags.  It was a wonderful feeling to be near the end, then we saw the big iron arch and felt amazing.  a sudden burst of energy led us to run through the tape across the finish line, it felt like a sprint!  And we were cheered all the way in by the waiting crowd.  It was just before midnight.
There was a lovely bonfire going, I sent a few ecstatic replies to texts from people who were rightly concerned about the craziness I was up to this weekend, then Aimee actually called me back, which was lovely!  I felt very happy and achey.  I cheered in Melissa who wasn't far behind us, then headed inside to eat some homemade chilli.  All of the organisers and marshals have been brilliant and it was such a good, friendly race.
Here is the "after" photo with Corey before Pierre took me back home for a cold beer, cold bath, hot shower and bed.

 

It was really late by the time I got to bed, and the breakfast/medal presentation was scheduled for 8:30am.  I was hoping I'd find a lift home from someone there, if not I'd have to wait for the Greyhound at about 4pm and costing $70.
Everything was hurting but I felt great!

Day 33: Friday (its now sunday)

Right, I've got a lot to catch up on!
I'm currently getting mauled by the kitten as my jacket has dangly bits so this may take some time as he's so cute and distracting.
On Friday I went to the restaurant with lots of bags so that I could get picked up straight from work.  One of the other managers told me not to take things Tan says too personally, which was quite sweet.  he also gave me my pay cheque!  I hope none of you think I'm taking it that seriously either.  I can see that she gets stressed and I can see she is like this with everyone so its definitely not personal.  It was just nice to have a whinge and get things off my chest.  I'm sure everything will be fine.  I'm still dreading having to be on my feet all day on Monday though!  and really not happy that I'll be working next Sunday.  it means two weeks straight through without a day off!
Patrick and his son Van came to collect me from work.  We went to pick up his daughter from school popped to the shops then to his house to wait for his friends who would be doing the driving.  Going to the shops hungry is never a good idea and I bought a nice healthy banana and a nice unhealthy slab of cake!  Rob would be running the race with Patrick, and Rob's wife Rhonda would be supporting.  We compared training and race strategies and generally chatted nonsense on the two hour drive up to St. Paul.  All I knew was that I would be staying with someone on the race committee and that I'd meet them at registration.  Sure enough I was introduced to Pierre and then his wife Joanne, who were amazingly generous and accommodating.  Joanne had cooked a delicious stew and Pierre gave me a pre-race beer and a bowl of ice cream with maple syrup.  It was lovely talking to them.
I was very happy to be there and settled into the idea that it would be a wonderful experience even if I didn't finish, given my lack of training, potential injury, etc.
Early start in the morning!

Day 32

As promised, here is the outside of my house, and my street:

Today I worked at the shop.  Lots of people from Head Office came in, and a separate group who were doing a photo shoot.  They got to try on loads of shoes and clothes and got a $100 gift card.  Our new store manager was also here today to learn the ropes.  At the end of my shift I bought myself some windproof mittens for winter in the sale.  With my discount they came to a total of $3 compared to an original price around $40 I think. woop!
Usually on a Thursday I have been going to meet the couchsurfers, but I spoke to my lift to St Paul and he wants to pick me up at 2:30 tomorrow, which is about when I finish work, so I'm going to make sure I've got everything I need packed up.  I'm bringing a change of running kit and various options depending on the weather, although it looks like it will be nice.  I've got quite a bit of food and energy gels as well as head torch, thank you chocolates and all sorts of other things, so it's going to be fun trying to pack it all and take it to work with me!
I don't know what internet access I will have, so you might not hear from me until Sunday night.

Day 31: One month anniversary!

I arrived in Edmonton one month ago today!  I now have a house and two jobs and lots of people that I hang out with and call friends.  I haven't managed to travel too far afield much but I have done some tourism.  I've also joined the 21st century (a bit) and bought a smart phone and a lap top.   I feel like I've ticked off lots of boxes, but its been a tough day today and I definitely miss people who have known me for more than a month!
Consequently I am now eating some posh expensive chocolates I bought earlier today and trying out a locally brewed beer.  Playing with little Oscar also helped!

I thought it would be difficult telling my new boss at the restaurant about a couple of shifts I wouldn't be able to do for her, even though it was - just about - enough notice, but the conversation was surprisingly easy.  I was suspicious and it became clear she would try and torment me for the day as a consequence.  Much as this was challenging, she doesn't know that I have had to deal with way worse bosses and I think I coped well.  I took some pointers about where I need to improve (after three shifts and no previous experience) and then finally managed to order a delicious nasi goreng for my lunch at about 3pm before getting a bus across the river (with half of the nasi goreng in a box for my dinner) for my shift at the Running Room. 
On arrival I had a bit of a vent and thanked Ed for being a lovely manager there.  it was a relatively quiet shift with some excitement as a shoplifter returned to the store for another attempt and I got to see all the Running group people head out for their hill reps, including Aimee.  Some of the regulars had been racing at the weekend so it was good to chat about that too.
There were three of us working until 9:30 to close the store.  After my day, I volunteered to do the cleaning rather than learn new things about closing the tills etc. so I happily cleaned the toilets, swept and mopped the floors and listened to the radio while the other two girls did the complicated stuff at the till.  The three of us then went over the road to the local pub for a quick drink.  my first work social!  I did feel a bit like a third wheel so headed off home fairly quickly, but was very grateful to be invited.  Today I also met my counterpart who works the day shifts on the days I don't work and it seems he normally arranges work get-togethers, so there is promise for future social occasions.
Well, I'm back at the Running Room all day tomorrow so I should probably go to bed.  Today could have been worse and I'm sure tomorrow will be better.
I was planning to take some pictures today, but Oscar was too hyper in the morning and it was a bit drizzly and overcast to take a picture of my house, so maybe once the weather is better.

Day 30: complications

I left a bit early this morning so I could go register for health care before work.  It was a fairly slow day in the shop.  Some rearranging bras again and helping with shoes.  I tried on a few different pairs of shoes myself as this will help me learn the differences between them, and also because its fun and gives my shoes a bit of a break.  As it was a bit chilly in the shop I also tried on a few of the jackets, which will help me decide which one to buy for myself for winter running.
I found out that I have been scheduled some extra shifts over the next couple of weeks.  The manager did not know about my second job (my bad) and there are a few clashes that I will now have to negotiate.  I am not looking forward to that conversation at the restaurant tomorrow!  I think it's workable but i'll have to get in early tomorrow to talk it through.  Now I will be working 11:30-2:30 at the restaurant and 4-9:30pm at the shop so it'll be a loooong day.  I think this is just due to a few people leaving the shop at the same time so hopefully I won't have too many days like this.

After work I met Thea, a Danish couchsurfer studying polar bears at the uni, for dinner and it sounds like we may go and watch some uni ice hockey!  it was good to compare stories of how weird Canadians are.
Right, I best try to get some sleep before my crazy work day tomorrow.