I think Stephen Hawkings works for Calgary Transit

But NOT as a ticket checker... I'm in week 5 of taking transit here in Calgary, and not ONCE have I been asked to produce my pass!  I actually took the train to work this morning and realized mid-day that it's April... and I'm still using my March pass!  Whoops!

Now, onto Stephen...the loud speaker voice at the CTrain platforms totally sounds like Stephen Hawkings!  Train arriving.  Please stand behind the yellow line.... You have to hear it to know what I mean :)

Today marks exactly one month here in CowTown.  I haven't done a whole lot of touristy things yet - I've been to the zoo, the Calgary Farmers Market and I've strolled down 17th Avenue where I had some tasty gelato.  Hopefully this long weekend I'll get out and see some more of this fine city.

Happy Easter, everyone!

Hippos in the river...and other Calgary lessons I've learned so far

I made it to the zoo on the weekend!!  Planned to go Saturday, but the day got away from me - headed out on Sunday to go to the Devonian Gardens downtown and decided when I got in the car to head to the zoo instead... ahh the life of a single girl - I have the right to change my mind...and nobody cares but the penguins!  I had a nice time at the zoo and am looking forward to going back to see what I missed.  I discovered I could get a Calgary Zoo day pass with my Airmiles, so I have it on order and will go back when the warm weather returns.

So two things I learned about Calgary in recent weeks:

When you drive on the "big roads" (Deerfoot, Glenmore, Crowchild, etc.) drive in the MIDDLE lane... you just never know when the right lane will disappear...or become an exit only lane.  If you drive in the far left lane, you'll get run over.  I've kept this "middle lane" suggestion in mind since I got here and it has served me well.

When the flood happened here, there was fear that the hippos would get out and into the Bow River!  Apparently it was quite the thing here in Calgary.  Now when things are going wrong, they say "next thing you know, we'll have hippos in the river".  That cracks me up every time I think about it!!  Of course if one was ACTUALLY in the Bow River, I may not find it so funny.. those things are MASSIVE...and dangerous!  But nice to look at from behind the glass of their tanks at the zoo :)

I experienced my first Calgary snowfall last night/this morning.  It began yesterday as eensy, teensy little flake and my first thought was "little snow, big snow", but that must be another maritime expression that doesn't transfer out to western parts of the country.  Woke up this morning to maybe 2 cm on the ground (sorry, Eastern Canada!) and people off the road, one lady ran into a light pole... oh my.  By the time I left work tonight it was pretty much all gone.  Yep, so far Calgary weather is beating Atlantic weather hands down!

I feel like chicken tonight... and pink skies in the morning means something different here

 I was walking to work this morning (well, to the train to work) and was enjoying the brilliant pink sky, but at the same time, the old saying...pink skies in the morning, sailors take warning was playing in my head.  I was disappointed thinking our weather was about to get stormy.  I ran into another former Atlantic EY-er in the +15 (that's the pedway for those back home) and was mentioning it to him and then he reminded me... not too many sailors in Calgary!  So apparently that saying is a maritime (as in near the water, not the actual Maritime provinces) saying!  In Calgary, it just means a pretty walk to the train, sunshine and +15 degrees at 6:30pm!

I also discovered another Calgary-esque thing... I thought that the BBQ left behind by the previous tenant was broken, but another form Atlantic EY-er told me about this yellow knob thingy that I had to turn to get the natural gas flowing... doh!  Why didn't I think of that?  Even when I used a propane tank at home, I still had to turn it on!  So, all that to say... BBQ chicken tonight and leftovers for lunch tomorrow on a giant Pete's ToGoGo-style salad!

Two Newfoundlanders and a Cape Bretoner

I've been fortunate enough to meet THREE true, honest to goodness East coasters this week.  On Monday I heard a voice in the distance... my first thought was HOME.  Not REALLY home, but close enough.  My cashier was a Newfoundlander.  It was so nice to hear an East coast accent :)  By the end of our chat, she was asking me, in true Newfoundlander-style, to come back some day and meet her for lunch!  Today at work someone asked me where my "drawl" was from, to which I of course replied that I'm from Halifax and we don't have an accent or drawl!  Turns out he is a Cape Bretoner.  Tonight my bus driver started talking to me...another Newfoundlander!

So all that to say, even though the title sounds like the start of a bad joke, it isn't.  It was nice to hear some "almost home" accents.

Oh, I also learned this week that Ontario is referred to as "Eastern Canada" out here in the West... they looked at me funny when I referred to it as Upper Canada...hmmmm

Canmore & Kananaskis

Day 7

Sorry for all the mountain pictures - I just can't get over the changing face of the mountain throughout the day.  This morning was the cloudiest it's been since I arrived and the mountains are still beautiful.  So thankful for this view.

My first week at the office was great.  So many nice people and so many familiar faces, which helps when the homesickness comes around, which I know it will.  The apartment is also great - my property manager had it professionally cleaned for me on Tuesday (the previous tenant had clearly not done a good job cleaning before she left).  My movers were scheduled to arrive today, but after a long song and dance, they will be here tomorrow morning.  Thursday when I was fighting talking with the movers was not a good day.  On my way home from work that day, I was ready to say forget it and move back home.  Thankfully things got better on the mover-front and I no longer feel like jumping ship...wait... I'm in the mountains, no ships around anyways!

I have a car rental for the weekend - a cute little red Nissan Versa.  Last night I did some shopping and finally found myself a new Keurig to replace the one that died before I left Halifax.  I did end up getting one of the newer models - I guess I'll have to figure out how to trick the Keurig when I want to brew my non-Keurig k-cups.  The price couldn't be beat, that's for sure.  I got it at Target's liquidation sale for way less than the original Keurigs are going for - and truly, it is hard to find original Keurigs these days!

I'm off to do a bit more shopping this morning and then this afternoon one of my colleagues is picking me up and we're driving to Kananaskis to go to the EY Ski Weekend dinner (not the whole weekend since the movers come tomorrow morning).  We will spend some time in Canmore, which I'm looking forward to seeing.  I've got my good camera charged up and ready to go!

Happy weekend everyone!
Bluenoser in CowTown

The Bluenoser really IS in CowTown

I have arrived!  I am happy to report that the weather here yesterday was lovely. Bright blue skies, mild temps...what more could a girl ask for on March 1st?  Today we are having flurries, but it won't last - 1cm this morning and another 1 cm this afternoon - by Sunday they are forecasting 12 degrees!!

Had a few minor issues with my Telus cable/internet install, but in the end, Andy (my technician) came through for me.  I was happy to see that the Telus Optik TV box has a Netflix App!  Their system is very easy to use and has way more options than Eastlink back home!

Headed to Wally-World last night around 6:00 and couldn't figure out why it felt SO late - then I realized that it was 9pm at home and I had been awake since about 2am Atlantic time (11pm the day before Mountain time).  I knew I was tired when I got up this morning and realized I hadn't touched my ice cream sandwiches I bought as my treat... I forgot all about them!

Well, for now I am living like a student - air mattress, a box for a nigh table, one bowl, one of each piece of cutlery, one mug (no cup...that broke en-route), one set of towels... thankfully I have my own washer and dryer, so I can just keep washing things.

Armed with my Calgary Transit pass, I am off to catch the train for my first day at work as a Supervisor in our Calgary office.  Wish me luck!

It's all done but the crying...

Last night was my going away event with my office - it ended up being a three-part event!  In the middle of the afternoon, our managing partner gathered everyone around my desk (snuck up on me!) and gave me flowers...and a knife bullet (???)  He found a bullet at a gas station store that had a built-in pocket knife - he told me that's so that the people in Calgary know that we Atlantic Canadians mean business :p  At the end of the work day a bunch of us gathered in our kitchen for drinks and some munchies...then we headed to a local gastropub for more drinks and munchies.  It was a great night!  They gave me a lovely gift (even nicer than the bullet knife!) of a photo of Peggy's Cove where they all signed the matt around the edges.  I LOVE IT!!  I know a lot of hard work went into this and it means more to me than they'll ever truly know.  This will be the first photo to go up on my new walls when I arrive :)

Boarding pass is printed, bags are somewhat packed and in about 28 hours I will be landing in my new city...  last minute visiting with some friends and family today before I go.  Thankful that the weather has cooperated this week and that we didn't get our usual weekly weather bomb!

There's no going back now!

View from my new balcony

I can't believe it - two full days in Calgary and I'm about to sign a lease on my first Calgary residence!  I looked at (I think) 7 condos/apartments in the last two days and the one I decided on was the second one I saw.  I knew as soon as I drove into the neighborhood that I wanted to live there.  The condo itself has 6 appliances (no need to bring my microwave!), mountain views, unique layout (in a good way!) and it's close to work.  More than I was even looking for! Across the road from the complex is a professional centre - coffee, pizza, doctors, physiotherapists, massage, nail salon, flower shop...all the amenities!  I took the train from there to the office today and I'm looking at about a 30 minute commute, which is ideal.  I've ordered power (they have OPTIONS out here!) and also internet/cable...it's getting real now!

I now have two more full days here in Calgary before I head back home to Halifax to finish packing.  In my mind, I'm already trying to picture where I'm going to place my furniture in the new place.

Well, my poor body thinks it's 2am when it's really 11pm here in Calgary, so I better turn in.  Looking forward to dinner with an old friend tomorrow night and maybe another trip to Ikea during the day... a girl's gotta plan, you know!

xx
Bluenoser in CowTown

What have I gotten myself into?!

I found out today that my movers want to come on Sunday, February 15th!  That's just over two weeks from now - and I'm in Calgary for nearly all of next week.  No pressure!  I did some major packing tonight and I have friends lined up for the next three evenings, plus Saturday.  I think by the time I go to Calgary next week, I'll be in pretty good shape.

My landlord came up tonight to talk about my notice to vacate.  I was anticipating issues...thankfully there were none!  She thinks she even has a tenant ready to move in.  On top of that, I asked her for a reference letter and she told me if I write it, she'll sign it (not blindly...but you know).  I'm so happy that this went well.  My next challenge will be to see if I have someone to take over my car lease (too costly to ship!) and then... I think I can relax a bit.

There are so many things to think about with this move - a new place to live, logistics with movers, packing, not to mention my new job!  I'm trying NOT to think of the challenges my new position will bring just yet.  I need to get my move out of the way and then I can plan for job-related research and such.  I'm not really concerned about the promotion...but it is something new, so I will have to give it some thought eventually before I get out there :)

Bedtime for me now - I've got a long 5 days ahead of me before I head out to apartment hunt.  If anyone has any suggestions/recommendations for me, please comment below or drop me a line.

Bluenoser (soon) in CowTown
xo

Let the adventures begin

Last week I accepted an offer to go work in our Calgary office... 5,000 kilometers (3,000 miles) from home...where I have lived my entire life!  I'm excited, terrified, nervous...but look out Calgary, here I come!  Stay tuned for my adventures out West as I revive my blogging and my photography.

Wish me luck!