Back in the Labour Force

Maybe not a triumphant comeback, but I have found a job. Before we all get too excited, it's just a temp position, and it's only for a month, and it's data entry, and I will be looking for another job the whole time. It will, however, pay the bills for the meantime and it is with Shell so perhaps I can get an 'in' (if you know what I mean).

Regardless of the moderate achievement here, I have rewarded myself with a bottle of 'wine', although with my budget these days it has to come with bubbles: last name "Duck", first name "Baby".

Don't forget your friend "Funnel",

Joe

The People I Know

I gotta say, job searching ain't easy. It's times like these that we need our network to come through for us; and I tell ya, they are for me. In a crazy time where one person says it shouldn't be hard to find a job, and the other says 'good luck, you'll need it!" it is great to depend on these people.

Shouts out to my beautiful fiance Carrie, the Paynes, and the people of Calgary. They are making things easy for me. I will find a job yet!

2004: A Wirl Wind Year

Somebody told me a little while ago that life is funny sometimes: it is going along like nothing really eventful is happening and then all of a sudden, you look behind yourself and everything has changed. 2004 was one of those years. To think that a year ago I was living in Korea as a big fake. I was trying to be a teacher when I most certainly am not, and I was not really thinking that the year ahead would be so awesome. It was an awesome year.

1. April 9: Ryan and Sue get married! Not exactly a surprise, but it was the first great event of what would become a life- altering year.

2. June 1: Nick and Lynn come to visit! There is something about seeing your best friends half way across the world that is pretty great. A good time was had by all and some Poyo Pop was played.

3. July 29: The visit of a lifetime! Carrie's parents come to Korea and we all go to Thailand together. Great mammories... I mean memories.

4. September 30: Carrie and I celebrate our 4- year anniversary in style atop the Jongno Tower in Seoul.

5. October 2: Randy and Amie announce they are going to have their first child! Pretty damn cool. Uncle Joe, I like the sound of that!

6. November 17: Ryan and Sue announce they are going to have their first child! Pretty damn cool. Uncle Joe, I like the sound of that!

7. December 24: I ask Carrie to marry me atop Big White mountain. She says yes! What a Christmas!

8. December 31: Joe gets extremely drunk.

Now we have moved to Calgary and are looking for some jobs to pay the bills. It is a pretty sweet city and we are looking forward to making our mark.

Yes, it was an awesome year. One of many to come.

Going through the Rockies

On the Road

So, Carrie and I have made it through the rockies, and what a drive. Despite a bruised ass from sitting for 12 hours, it was a fabulous trip. There is nowhere like the Canadian Rockies, especially on a sunny winter day.

The trip wasn't all great mind you. As we were pulling on to the Coquihalla, and the first major hill of our journey: pop goes the engine light. Uh-oh! After letting the car sit for a couple minutes and kicking the tires, I had fixed it and we were on our way again. However, it was a consistent burden on my mind that that thing would turn on again. Solution: 50 up the hills. Semis were passing me. I turned on my hazzards.

We couldn't have asked for better weather. A week later all the roads we had travelled on were closed including the Trans Canada at Rogers Pass which suffered an avalanche. So we were lucky. We arrived unscathed and ready to start a new beginning in Cow Town, Canada.