Catching Up

Went to Roast (hat tip: AMT) to catch up with Chris + Olivia now that they're back in town. The cafe is palatial and just about as fancy as the braising on this green-tea latte.

Olivia-Chris

So, I was in Warman for a wedding! An Olivia-Chris wedding! But I brought a camera I'm not used to, so I only have blurry pictures of the beautiful ceremony:

But there was Heidi! While the wedding party was getting pictures done, she showed me how to do Saskatoon right:

Then it was back to the reception, with lovely speeches and wicked-fun square dancing, and smiles and (new) family and love and stuff.

Oh, and this cake that is a cake. THIS IS A CAKE! I almost picked up one of the controllers before I realized.

And after the unable-to-resist-being-helpful Cox family took down the beautiful garden-party-themed reception hall, we sent the couple off to their secret honeymoon with ample banging on the trunk.

Hooray!

Edward Gorey and Tiny Robot waiting for me in the department! Merry Christmas indeed.

Hearth and Home

Paula was kind enough to have the department over for an American Thanksgiving potluck full of delicious food, warm friends, and good conversation. And so her cat could video-tape our butts.

Light Minutes

I only ever go to observatories by serendipity. Tonight it was when the PhD Comics movie was cancelled just in time for the Physicists' five-story Foucault pendulum to lure Chris, Olivia and I onto the roof.

The Learnèd

I tried to get a picture of Chris when he was earnestly poring over ancient documents and looking studious, but Olivia intervened.

Nice Cans

Olivia looks pretty much hipster as fuck, but she's not really.

Econolodge? By the highway?

...Not where you'd expect a much-buzzed-about Thai restaurant. Anyway, not so good that my brain exploded, but nothing to complain about. Except the drive.

Locals

I'm used to running into people I know in Edmonton by now, but I'm not used to them always being Chris.

Moral Support

Everybody was exhausted from a long day of phonology, so my 30th birthday gathering fit twice the uninhibition (?) in half the time.  Thanks!

A flower? A heart? A heart flower?

Olivia found the coffee shop that's taking over Pharo's Pizza's old location with fancy hot chocolate.  

It was worth it

I think the 5 of us took Sally's call for a no-talent show a little more seriously than the rest of the department.

... They Can't Refuse

They can't put a price tag on these, or you'd just bring them into the new fitting room with an ugly 69 cent shirt and switch the tags.    

Many Days in One!

Too many good things today! I got to have lunch with famous writer and avowed butterfly gang member Rebecca Rosenblum!I got to see Steve play a matinee with Bramwell Park and the ghost of Stephen Tchir

I stunned a few more people with the Star Trek Interactive VCR Board Game
And found a good home for Data!

Social Norms

Wonderland had a thanksgiving do too, where I learned that Canada is nicer than Germany, at least in the sense that going to a bar alone in Germany makes you look like a serial killer. 

PANCAKES!

... with real Maple and Saskatoonberry syrups!  Plus two fruit salads composed with complementary distributions of fruit! Nota bad way to start a morning.

An Embarrassment of Riches

By ridiculous coincidence, Tyler's visit coincided with Olivia's.  wee-haw.

God, I should just say "everyone at LSA is awesome" and get it over with

You know who else is, it turns out, awesome? Olivia. She comes from Oklahoma, like the best webcomic artist there is. She gave me an excuse to order this extravagant Vegetarian Soviet Republic Mixer Platter, and allowed, nay, insisted that I eat all the beets. Then she and Tyler and I went to the lake and took pictures.
[Tyler is awesome too, but we all already knew that]