For when you miss me

Tomorrow I leave for Italy (weeee!), and I know that for some of you, three weeks is a long time to go without your delightful dose of Sara. In my stead, I have created a piece of art that will hopefully tide you through until my glorious (and victorious!) return. I call it, Fugly In F# Demented.



Eww.

Will blog if I have Interweb connections overseas - TALLY HO!!!!

The Tomko Files #2 - Life Lessons on a Clay Court

Question: What would Jesus do?
Answer: Jesus would not hit a union labourer in the face with a shovel!

Sometimes reality hits you at the most random of places. Today was day two at Van Lawn, and my muscles are screaming. But, we have accomplished a lot these past few days, which feels good.

There are certain individuals on this site who sit around and do nothing all day long, which pisses me off. They aren't Tomko employees (all the Tomko employees have been working their asses off under the direction of a great foreman). I don't understand how these people can keep their jobs, and it's so hard to stay motivated to work hard when other people are getting paid--double what I make--to dick around. They sit on benches and watch me and Megs shovel gravel and then make comments like, "oh, better not shovel too much, or you'll get man arms." Yah dudes, YOU don't have to worry about getting man arms. Dinks.

Example - For over an hour, one of them sat in a wheelbarrow smoking and drinking coffee. I kid you not. Meghan and I powered through that section nonstop just so that he wouldn't be in our line of vision.

So I was shoveling away, sweating and getting sunburnt, swearing to myself and thinking about the injustice of it all. Why is it that I'm busting my ass to pay for university and get an education when some idiot is getting more than me to stand around and smoke cigarettes and stare at me inappropriately? Is my human capital not worth as much as his? And then in that moment I realized that there are people all over the world who toil like this not for a week, but for months, years even, for hardly any pay. To support themselves, to provide food for brothers and sisters after parents have succumbed to AIDS living their entire lives in absolute poverty... THAT is where the injustice lies. And as I come home to my MacBook Pro, take a warm shower to wash away the dirt of the day, pack clothes for my European vacation, and register for next semester's classes, I know that I can't fully understand what that's like. Walking an inch in those shoes is hard enough, humbling enough.

I feel a bit like an ass now, but I figure it's good to be put in my place now and again. Accountability tends to sneak up on you when you think you've got the righteous act down pat.

What the hell do I know about injustice?

The Tomko Files #1

Anyone see the forklift driving around on West 16th just off of Granville today? Yep, that was me.

Today Megs and I worked at Vancouver Lawn and Tennis Club, shovelling gravel all day. My elbows are burning and are currently refusing to work so I'm hoping I'll be able to move tomorrow morning. Took the occasional break to block traffic and unload a flatdeck from the middle of the road, you know, tomfoolery at its best.

By the way, this is a new feature called The Tomko Files. Of course I'm leaving for Europe in a few days, but there will always be something Tomko-related to talk about. It'll get better, and hopefully more comical. I'm just tired.

In other news, had a wonderful time at Crescent Beach yesterday with some really cool cats. For a vid of Dean skimboarding, go here.

The Blog is Back in Town

Yes I'm back. Good to take a break, but I did decide that I missed the little bloggy. This last month and a half has been insanity, and my thoughts manifested themselves not online, but with pen on paper and in conversation, which is really much more appropriate. Survived some pretty serious goings on, and am still in the process of surviving, but I can see the end. Not sure when we'll get there, but I at least now know that it exists.



Oooh, now isn't that cryptic? OK, done. What else has been going on? Finished exams at UBC, kept an A average despite dealing with a little bit of depression and taking 4 4th year English classes (never again) and a law class. I was pretty stoked about how things turned out; God must've decided to bless my effots because He loves me more than I deserve, and despite the fact that I spent January - March mad at Him because He took Australia away :p.



Working full time at Tomko these days, got my forklift license, spent some time on the Island this week at an asphalt plant / gravel quarry which was pretty scary/fun, working with Megs still, having a much better time than one would expect working at Tomko.



I also have another class under my belt: Poli 101: Introducition to Government in Canada (summer session). Sounds incredibly dull, you say? Yah, you'd think, but actually, we had a newbie PhD teaching the class, and he ended up being a great prof. Good teaching skills - which is sooooo important - and still has a genuine interest in most of the class material. Not to say that I didn't complain every time I had to go from Tomko to class (because I did, every single Tuesday and Thursday), but once I got there it wasn't so bad at all. There was a guest lecture on blogs, and the guy wanted to know who keeps a blog. I stuck my hand up and he asked me if it was a political blog. I laughed at him. And that was that.



Going to Italy in 6 DAYS! Woot. I am looking forward to doing some travelling again. It'll be a bit different than sleeping in hostels and under the stars and doing whatever I want - this time we'll be going in style, although I'm thinking it will be National Lampoon's Italy Adventure (starring the Macdonalds). More on that soon I'm SURE. I don't know if I will be able to blog while I'm over there, but I think we're bringing Kell's Macbook (yah, the entire family is being assimilated to Mac, slowly and surely), and that is one of the reasons why I am resurrecting the blog.



Saw the Lions kick the asses of the Saskatchewan Roughriders last night. Woot!

Hmm what else what else?

OH! Trevor became a pastor, which is just awesome. I respect and look up to him more than an e-prop could communicate, but let's just say I think that God is going to continue to use him to bless an awful lot of people.



OH! Dean and Amanda are getting married NEXT SATURDAY. And I will be in an AIRPLANE. BOOOOOOOO. But, knowing them, it's going to be so beautiful. Not just because they are a beautiful couple (which they are), but because they have great taste, and because the love they have for each other is going to make a beautiful marriage.

OH! Dean got more funding for his PhD research. He is such a smarty pants! He and his new bride will be off to Aberdeen in the fall to continue with Dean's studies over there; I have a feeling there will be a new blog emerging from this adventure.

OH! Jess is almost done the first draft of her MA Thesis. Again, another person whose work is going to make a huge impact on the lives of other people. I am going to try to make her let me read her work some day.

OH! Megs got a lead in Anything Goes, so look for more info later in the summer. I am going to make everyone go see her, so be prepared with an excuse if you don't like the local musical theatre scene.

Wow.... you know, sometimes I can't believe that I am lucky enough to have such amazing friends... people who make the world a better place because they are in it. *sigh... tender moment*



Alright, time for me to do other things... I told my dad I would clean my room for Father's Day hehehe. And I need to go to Langley and get new spectacles. Woot.

[NB: the rest of the posts will be coming back soon]