Marketing of our Christmas Concert

Since I'll be away for the next few weeks on our aussie/fijian honeymoon, I only get this ONE opportunity to advertise for this fabulous show. We're actualy being recorded for a CD and all.

I would really love it if many of my family and friends could attend one of the two concerts. Just email me which concert and hw may and i'll do my best. But the tickets are running out FAST! It is probably going to sell out. I would hate for you all to miss it.

If you're unsure I will be able to get tickets for you on the day of my return (Dec 10th), then I suggest contacting ROCA directly or my friend Robin Salkeld at Business Objects as he's in the choir too.

Sunday Dec 11 at 3pm at Fraserview MB Church

Monday Dec 12 at 7.30pm at South Delta Baptist Church

For more info, plase contact me by email.

Wedding Day - More Pics Explained

There are so many pictures that are coming my way now that I'm going to have to just include them and explain them. They will probably be out of order but at least they are there. These ones are still from Sandra's submissions. Please send me more!!!


Above is my new Mother-in-Law Bev and her mother Marion. They were just hanging out having coffee in Pacific Centre while we newlyweds were getting our picture taken at the Vancouver Art Gallery after the ceremony.

Best Man James is being quite the gentleman by holding Sandra's bouquet while she got her camera (and therefore decided to take his picture from the "ground up").

Sandra looks just LOVELY as she is waiting for the newlyweds to arrive at the Four Seasons. Thanks so much for being so supportive Sandra!

Shall I show some leg? Perhaps a garter? The above is I think my FAVOURITE fun pic so far. This is actually BEFORE the ceremony. To explain....

My mom, Sandra and I were meant to be picked up in a 1935 vintage Rolls Royce from the Wall Centre at at 12.30pm. Unfortunately, by 1pm, still no Rolls Royce. I admit, I was starting to feel just a little stressed but Sandra picked up on it and decided to turn it into a joke. She suggested a picture where we've got our thumbs out as if we were hitchhiking.

We ended up outside a little later and these taxi drivers wanted to drive us and tourists wanted to take our picture. It was so hilarious, there was no time to stress.

Above is another pick of coffee time after the ceremony. You can see half of Bev's face. My father-in-law Glen, Best Man James, and Bev's dad David.

Preparations at the Wall Centre for our big day

I know, I know it's been AGES since I updated the blog but I'm sure you all can agree with me that my life has been a whirlwind these past 4 weeks. It was only yesterday that I realized that it had been ONLY a month since I left work. I'd been so busy, I didn't even realize. I can't imagine what this all would have been like if I had been working up to the thursday before the wedding. YIKES.

Well, none of that matters now. All that matters is that Richard and I had our perfect day and are now husband and wife!

I'm sorry I don't have more pictures yet but I'm hoping those of you with digital cameras can send me some to include. Our photographer's shots are all done the old style so they won't be available for a few weeks yet.

Thanks to Sandra (my maid of honour with the mostest!) here are some before the ceremony shots. I think I'll have to explain them as I go... We'll just talk about what happened in the morning getting ready and all.

This is me BEFORE all the magic took place. Ali is my hairdresser regularly and was just ecstatic to come out and do this on her weekend off (at 7.30 in the morning) to help us get ready. Our make-up was done by my talented cousin Tia Gramuglia. If any of you ladies need make-up advice or help or anything go see Tia at the Bay Downtown at the MAC counter. She's the BEST!

Once we were all dolled up, it was time for photos. The above is me with my mother Patricia on the left and my paternal grandmother Gloria (Nan as we all call her) on the right.

Once we kicked everyone out of the room, Sandra and I had a sip of Baileys. Sandra was so concerned I would get it on my dress, she covered first in a towel (up top) and then in her pashmina (the black on the bottom). And, no, I didn't spill but of course, I would have had I not been covered so thoroughly.

The flowers arrived thanks to my brother David and his girlfriend Michelle. Here I am pinning my mom's corsage on.

And then the one shot of the "bridal party". Sandra and I taking a moment to sit and do nothing! I'll leave it at that for now. I'll post more later in the week.

Kathryn Hunt's Metamorphosis (post of email sent Oct 4th)

HM… The math… 11.5 years. All of my twenties. My whole adult life. 1/3 of my entire life. WOW!!!!

Hello Family and Friends, I hope this email finds you well. Richard and I are counting down the days to the wedding.

It’s been a long run for my first job out of school but it’s now come to an end. I was laid off (or let go – whatever you want to call it) last Wednesday from Business Objects. Sorry it took me so long to get a hold of you all but since I had to hand in my laptop and blackberry on the spot, I wasn’t able to get your contact information right away.

Don’t worry. I’m fine. Seriously! I was shocked yes but I’m fine now. When the going gets tough, the tough go shopping and that’s what we did. Got a new laptop (using it right now) and Rich got a new monitor for his computer. Thanks for being so strong for me RW.

The timing is a little strange (with the wedding and the new house) but it’s also quite perfect. Everything else in my life is changing (becoming a wife, name, address, phone numbers, jobs – well, had just started a new role) so why not start fresh all the way?!?!? On my blog, I made a comment about maybe I should get a little plastic surgery and then I could be in Witness Protection. J And even stay in Vancouver but no one would recognize me. I am so looking forward to my first extended break since high school! I’ll be able to put my full attention on the things that matter most: our marriage as well as making this new house of ours into a happy and lovely home.

For those of you that are former or current BOBJ employees, I’m on http://www.linkedin.com as well. (Use any of the addresses above to “invite” me to connect). Any Endorsements would be AWESOME. ; )

Well, I’ve got to get ready for yet another choir rehearsal. (Yes, I’m in yet another choir – first performance is the afternoon of Oct 30th if you’re interested).

Keep in touch!
-Kathryn “Webster” (hehehehehe – counting the days)

Thank you & Goodbye

THANK YOU
I was really looking forward to posting all of the news about the Bridal Shower that was had at our new home on Sunday but the details will have to wait for another post. I just can't do it justice right now.

It was REALLY wonderful. Thank you so much EVERYONE who came or participated in ANY way. I am rarely without words but in this case I am. You all are such generous people. I am so lucky to have such wonderful family and friends (and a whole new family to join very very soon).

BTW, we are now COMPLETELY stocked with towels for all three bathrooms. No more needed. :)

Richard and I are counting the days until the wedding. It's so close now. Anticipation - WOW!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

GOOD-BYE
On Wednesday, I was called into a meeting room just before 9.30am and was laid off.

Yes. I was let go. I did NOT quit. After almost 11.5 years with the same company. It was a complete shock. There was no warning and no reason. Just that they were re-organizing and there was no position for me in the new organization. And then I was escorted out of the building. I was out of the building by 9.42 I think.

I've had a lot of people who replied to my good-bye email seemed "shocked and surprised" that I hadn't told them I was going. I made sure the email was upbeat. In some cases, I did explain to them that it wasn't my choosing. But, it's no secret.

If you're trying to get a hold of me, I can't get to you because they took my blackberry and laptop (which contains all of my contact info - all of your addresses and phone numbers). Rich is working on getting that info back for me but it might be a while.

If you need to contact me, the best way is by emailing me at koolkatnip@gmail.com

Now you see why I can't write about the shower. I just am not in the right frame of mind.

I have a whole new life. LITERALLY. By the 3rd week of October, I will have no job, new address, new email, new(well old) cel, new last name, new husband. I might as well be in Witness Protection.

I am so looking forward to Richard's and my marriage (not just the wedding) and making our new house into a warm and happy home for our family!

Fare Thee Well My Former Colleagues. DIX at 5pm next Friday Night. (Oh yeah, and I'm on LinkedIn if you're into that sort of thing).

Steveston House - Room by Room (#1 Master Bath)

It seems like everyone is asking what us what our new house looks like. Well, it's really not what you'd expect for either one of us really. That's about all I can do to describe it.

Pictures really do say a thousand words so why don't we do it that way? So, where to start... The master bath is huge beyond anything we could imagine. It's as big as a bedroom. Check this out.






Next room... hm.... family room? or living room? remember we only have half of our stuff in by next week.
I move in on Wednesday. Apartment life is gone for me in less than a week. Have a great long weekend. Happy Labour Day!

OK OK - The House!

Yes. We're closing on our house on August 24th. I'll be moving on Sept 7th or 9th. (Richard will be moving in after our nuptials in October).

People have been asking me for what the place looks like. I'm not going to give it all away but here are a few pictures.

Dining Room (with mirror - far wall):



Living Room & Dining Room as seen from above:

Breakfast nook with 3 skylights (and kitchen on right):

View from Living Room up to Master Bedroom and Bath (doorway)

Well, that's all I'm gonna show for now. :) We have lots planned for our little cottage.

Oh yeah, those of you with RSVP's to the wedding sitting on your "to mail" pile or on coffee tables or whatever, please mail them back as we need to get numbers figured out soon. THANKS. K&R

Wedding Info

So, the invitations are in the mail. (Unfortunately we couldn't invite everyone we wanted to - hope you understand).

As mentioned, more information will be posted here as the day gets closer. So... here goes.

• If you want to stay in a hotel in the downtown core, please contact us ASAP. We can get some rooms at a cut rate deal through work. (approx $99-120 per night at either the Hotel Vancouver or the Sheraton Wall Centre). This is a WAY better deal than the Best Western which was the best we could prior to finding out this loophole). PLEASE CONTACT US BY AUG 18th. Email us richkatproject@gmail.com
• If you're k-urious as to what the big deal is with the "location to be revealed at the reception" line is about, it's because we don't know how many people want to come out after. Knowing the number is required for reserving space at a restaurant or pub that night.
• If you're looking for parking, park at Pacific Centre (it's marked with a P on the map). It's in the same building as the reception. (Parkwell plaza may be closer to the church but it's more expensive, less safe for your car and a further walk back to it after all is said and done).
• On your RSVP's just let us know how many people will be coming. (It's not assigned seating - and it's small tables).
• If you are able, taking Skytrain is probably the best way to get to the ceremony. (No drinking and driving please!) Granville station is where you get off and then go up the stairs (after the escalator) to Seymour St. Turn north (left) towards Dunsmuir St and then turn right until you hit the far side of Richards (about a block). The cathedral is impossible to miss. :)
• We're not going to have a receiving line at the church because there is another wedding ceremony right after ours. We'll meet up with you around 4pm at the Four Seasons after we take just a few photos around downtown.
• We ask that this ceremony and reception be for our adult friends. However, our family invitations do include our younger nieces, nephews, and cousins.

That's all we have for the moment.

We're off visiting my family in the BC Interior for next week so no updates until August. Have a great time!

The Natural Order of Things

Lately, I've been asked by many people "Are you crazy?!?! Planning a wedding and a honeymoon, working full-time AND house-hunting all at the same time?!?!?!" My answer is "Well, what else can we do? He lives in Coal Harbour and I live in Yaletown. We're gonna HAVE to live together EVENTUALLY!"

OK. So it's obvious we're doing this the more traditional way. We're not "moving in" until after the wedding. Hence the title (the natural order).

What's really ironic is that the "traditional" way is so out of culture today.

It's been amazing how many people just completely change their expression to complete awe when they realize we're not living together. I get the "WOW! That's amazing! No wonder you're doing the house-hunt now!"

I've even heard a few along the lines of"That is just so unexpected. When did the moving in after part of a marriage move before?! Cart and horse non? It's such a shame. But not for you! You're gonna enjoy your wedding and other firsts so much more because of all this." All this what? WAITING!?!?! GAH!!! Yes. I admit... I'm stressed. But then...

The best line that I've heard and it truly sticks with me is "Good things come to those who wait". Gotta keep remembering that. Just breathe. Good things... Good things...

Have we waited long enough yet?!?!?

Apparently YES! (On one front anyway)

We found our dream home on Canada Day. We put a bid on it that day, got it accepted on the 2nd and on July 6th, all subjects were removed. We take possession on August 24th.

Check it out!

That's the Katmobile (with Canada Flag waving proudly) with her baby sister the RichKatPod. (Just trying the name on... not committed yet).

For those of you in the Vancouver area, if you've got any spare boxes... :) heh heh

We will be living in Steveston Village (South Richmond). Walking distance to the dyke and the village and the fisherman's wharf (mmmm fresh seafood).

I'll probably be moving my stuff in before the wedding but continuing to live downtown until around the wedding day. It's just more convenient. Rich's stuff will be moved in after the big day. We're in no big rush so we can even take advantage of the non-rush weeks for moving companies.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

HAPPY BIRTHDAY RICHARD!!!

Rich's Birthday is on Monday (July 11th) so I'm taking him to the island for a few days of R&R.

WOW! They Like Me! They Really Like Me!

Saturday was a major turning point for me emotionally. Big Engagement Party that Rich's family and friends on that side put on.

I was so nervous that I was sick to my stomach starting that afternoon. Couldn't stand up without shaking and this is just the engagement party!!! I'm gonna be a wreck on the wedding day if I don't get the nerves under control.

Marg (Rich's Aunt) came down from Kelowna for this. Completely surprised us! Wonderful surprise! So glad you came Marg. So good to see you!

Glen (Rich's dad) made a BEAUTIFUL toast. It was so hard not to get emotional with everything going on. My mom made the most amazing Big Ben tealight candle holder. It is stained glass. Absolutely beautiful! It was even set to 10 o'clock (the time that Rich proposed).

Mary and Dave Gates (family friends) were so generous to provide their home etc for this lovely event and I would like to thank them for their incredible contribution. The food was amazing. (Thanks Glen/Bev and Carol/Gary).

Thanks Sandra for doing the Maid of Honour duties of writing everything down! You are AWESOME! (BTW, Sandra is also blogging. You can check her blog out at http://lifeofsandra.blogspot.com).

An interesting factoid was that Lori (Glen's cousin) works with my godmother Janice. They saw each other at the party and you can imagine the "Small World" comments that occurred.

Thank you all for coming to the party. And for all you did. I know I don't know what each and every one of you did. We are both so grateful.

I can't express how wonderful and special I feel! You brought tears to my eyes. (But I made sure I waited until we drove away before I let the waterworks start).

October 22nd is fast approaching. So many things left to do.

Happy Birthday Mom!

Thursday June 9th was my Mom, Patricia's Birthday.

Happy Birthday Mom!

She's also known as Trish, Trisha, and most recently "Mother of the Bride". :) If you know what's good for you, don't call her Pat or any derivative of the like.

Tonight, all of us (my brothers and our families) are going to Kobe Japanese Steakhouse to treat Mom. It's VERY seldom we're all able to get together. (Work hours are all whacky amongst us). But tonight, we're all going to be together.

I don't think Mom knows what is so special about Kobe. When I talked to her on the phone yesterday, she said, what's the big deal. At that point, I just clammed up. No one else ruin the surprise for her ok?

Kobe is just so amazing in its concept. A Japanese chef cooks your meal right in front of you. That doesn't sound too creative yet. What's neat is that these guys aren't just chefs, they're gastronomic jugglers. They LITERALLY throw the food around on the grill that is in front of the guests and makes the food dance. Juggling pieces of steak and shrimp while only using chopsticks and knives to touch the food. Talk about skill and art combined. I keep thinking of the Karate Kid scene where Mr. Miyagi catches the fly in the chopsticks.

I think what will make Mom's day even more enjoyable will be my nephew Sébastien's reaction to all this. I just know he's going to be enthralled by all of this. He's 2 and a half and just LOVES anything that flies around.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Now for the wedding update...

• The reception is going to be at the Four Seasons in the Garden Terrace (it's indoors). We should have the contract signed early next week.

• Sandra (my Maid of Honour) got her dress ordered. It's Alfred Sung (like mine) so they will match in terms of train etc...

• We've figured out our invitations, favours, flowers and other things. (Don't want to give TOO much away).

• Richard and I start our Marriage Prep course on Saturday. We have 3 half-days to go to before "graduating".
• I have to say a special thank you to Bev (Mother of the Groom) and Carol (Aunt of the Groom) for helping with the "Invitation Goose Chase". Carol is going to try to get our invitations tomorrow morning at Michael's when they go on sale since Rich and I have to be at the course. (Bev found the flyer that showed that they were going on sale - I was JUST about to buy them at the higher price).

I know that many of you are reading my ramblings to get the latest and greatest on the plans. Thanks for all your comments and notes of encouragement. I truly appreciate knowing that people are actually reading this. :)

Have a great weekend everyone!

Walking Through the Bay with a fully-loaded UPC Gun

Last sunday, Rich and I took about 2 hours to visit the Bay (www.thebay.com) and actually do the wedding registry thing. We had already gone in during a couple of lunch hours and tried to figure out what we needed and what we didn't.

For two people who have been living on their own for a while, we noticed that we didn't have very much on our list. For example, we don't really need pots and pans (I've got my favourite Lagostina set that my Mom found for me when I moved out), and neither of us are into the idea of China. Just a nice set of informal dinnerware is fine by us.

So, I was given a whole bunch of reading materials and a clipboard while Richard was handed a UPC gun. He had a TOY to play with. I saw a little twinkle in his eye every time he got to "zap" something into the system. (I was only able to "pry" it from his hands when it didn't seem to work. Then I got to try but only to find out that it wouldn't work for me either).

I didn't realize how tiring just zapping stuff (not buying but zapping) could be. I was exhausted for the rest of the afternoon. To be honest, I think I slept for 2 hours in the heat afterwards.

We're not nearly done on the gift registry yet. We really only focused on the Dinnerware and Bedding. (Although neither of us really think we need anything else I'm sure we'll find out we do).

As you can tell, the wedding plans are progressing. We should have our reception venue finalized very soon. Hopefully by end of week. We're just waiting on some director's ok at the venue. Keep your fingers crossed for us.

May 22 marks the T - 5 month mark (YIKES!) & the start of my QBI life

Richard and I have just gotten the OK from the priest at the church to "move ahead" with the next stage of planning. Now, we can actually go ahead and sign contracts and the like. WAHOO!

We've just let Natalie know so hopefully next week, we'll have some great progress on reception facilities, caterers, photographers. YIPPEEEEEE! It's been stressing me out cuz we've been stalled on this up to now. (The Church requests that you don't sign contracts etc prior to going through the paperwork hoops. Yeah. It's a pain but I understand that it's in our best interest. Better to not put down deposits than to try to get them back later if something had to be changed or moved).

So, now that we can get this going, I've got to turn this all over to Richard to work on for the next week! Have fun Sweetie! All of you are asking WHY?!?!?! And you're also asking what the heck is QBI in the title. Well, they are related.

Starting Monday (yes, on the holiday Monday) and continuing all next week, I'm on "vacation" while I take a training course to become a Qualified Buzan Instructor (aka QBI). I know, you STILL don't know what I'm talking about right? Well have you heard of Mind Mapping? http://www.mind-map.com I use this technique to get the strange stuff that is occupying my brain out on paper. The idea is that our brains don't think linearly so why are our note-taking procedures? Why not take notes down in a way that works WITH your brain's power instead of IN SPITE of it. Anyhow, I've enjoyed my exposure to this technique so much over the past year that I've decided to become a teacher of it for others.

I don't know WHOM I'm gonna teach just yet but I thought it would be a good addition to my resumé regardless.

There was a lot of prep work that I had to do for this course. I had to read read books by Tony Buzan and then actually map them out. It's a true test of whether or not this is for you. It was tough but it did work. I remember the content of the book. I can get to the major points fast and easily by looking at this strange picture with a bunch of images. I will try to put a map or two up here at another time so you can see what I have done.

Celebrations = Migraines

Happy Mother's Day to all you Mothers! That's a big celebration on its own.

Now it's Monday and things are back to normal (well normal INSANITY anyway for me).

This week on Wednesday, we're having an Engagement Party with a bunch of our friends. I've been very fortunate in that Rich has done most of the organizing. (Getting the reservation done with the facility and catering). Yes... There is still so much to do. Invitations, keeping track of who was invited. We have a capacity limit and yet we want to invite all of our friends.

Same problem we're having with the wedding itself. 3 of the 4 of our parents come from 5+ sibling households. Do the math and you can see that we have a WHOLE LOT of family that want to celebrate with us.

Plus we want our friends there too. O my! The numbers! The headache... But, we're smart kids. We'll figure it out. :)

Even though we have Natalie (my Fairy GodMother) helping, that doesn't mean I can turn my brain off to all this stuff. I'm still Kontemplative-Kathryn. I can't help it. I think. I brood. I worry. It's who I am. It's who Rich fell for right?

Last week, work and life got caught up in my brain so much that I suffered a migraine that started Wednesday and went straight through until Saturday. Left work early on Wednesday and didn't work at all on Thursday. I attempted to work on Friday but after 3 hours, I had to call it a day. A lot of people would think that the sun would make it all better. In fact, it makes the migraines worse. The light triggers something in me and MAN does that something HURT! No, I was definitely not playing hooky from work. I wish! Well, no I don't wish this on ANYONE!

I basically have to sit in the dark. I can't sleep because I can't put pressure on the back of my neck (pillow) and I can't read cuz that involves turning on a light. Talk about cabin fever. I couldn't do anything productive. I did try to get some housework done. It seemed like a got SO much done but then I looked at my place and it still is KAOS! My migraine was playing tricks on me.

That all being said, my head seems to feel better now. I even got outside for a walk at lunch today in the sun (with sunglasses of course).

Admittedly, my stress level has been abnormally high the past week and a bit:
- "interrogated" by my parish priest for marriage in the church
- some uncertainty around my job
- prep work for a major training course I'll be taking this month. Lots of reading and mind map stuff.
- lack of concentration
- Engagement party schtuff
- the concert at the Chan centre

Rich has been SO patient with me in spite of my zany-ness . To get me back on track, I'm being whisked away by "My fiance Richard" to Osoyoos to go camping. We're leaving on Thursday and NEVER coming back! OK. That's just a WEE BIT not true. NOT coming back until Sunday anyway.

Those of you that know our track record with camping will know that undoubtably, it will RAIN while we're camping. We're going to a desert and yet, it's rained 2 out of 3 times we've been there. Just fair warning, if you're planning on camping this weekend, YOU may end up with a Migraine - camping blues!

A Whole New Language

HELLO! My name is Kathryn and this is my fiancé Richard!

It's been a month (well almost) since the whirlwind trip to Europe and Rich's proposal. It's amazing how much has changed in that month. What I find really cool is the whole new set of words that we are using and that others are using around us:

- Proposal

- Engagement

- Fiancé(e)

- Affianced

- Betrothed

- Wedding Date

- Reception

- Ceremony

- Ring

- Bridal Gown

- Tuxedos

- Flowers

- Showers

- Best Man

- Maid of Honour

- Registered at ______

- Wedding Planner (aka my Fairy Godmother)

- Catering

- _____ of the Bride

- _____ of the Groom

- etc...

Well, not cool necessarily. Maybe a little disconcerting. It's like a whole new language that I'd never spoken or really understood before.

OK. So, now I'll throw in some details for those of you wanting to know specifics. Obviously, things are FINALIZED or anything but SAVE THE DATE!!!! ;) This is a 6.5 month warning.

CEREMONY

WHO: Richard D. Webster to marry Kathryn L. Hunt

WHEN: Saturday October 22nd, 1.30pm

WHERE: Holy Rosary Cathedral

Maid of Honour: Sandra Trace

Best Man: James Anderson

Now to answer some of the questions I've been asked recently:

1. Yes. I will be changing my last name. (Goodbye "first initial + last name" jokes/giggles around the office - YAY!)
2. Yes. My dress has a bit of a train. (Not much but a little)
3. Yes. We are considering buying a place to call home (timing is not decided as yet)
4. No. We're not going to dance at our reception
5. No. We're not going to have a full dinner reception. We're looking at having an afternoon tea.
6. Yes. There will be music. VERY SPECIAL LIVE MUSIC
7. Yes. There will be choral music at the ceremony
8. No. I don't know the honeymoon plans. That's Rich's task. :) I'm happy to be surprised later. Just as long as it's far away and warm. (He knows the criteria)

As you can tell, we still have a LOT of unknowns yet but we're getting lots of help. Fairy Godmother Natalie (http://www.thefrogprince.ca) is simply the BEST! She's really keeping my stress level down. Thanks so much.

I will continue to update the blog regularly. Admittedly not every week (as I'd hoped) but at least every two weeks.

I just wanted to say "THANKS" to everyone who reads this blog and especially to those who have told me so. It means so much to me to know that this iisn't just going into oblivion. I've had such great comments back like "I keep going back to see if you've posted new stuff" and "The stuff you write is just so interesting and the way you write is just so fun. I just have to get my hands on more".

I need to head home and rest for the big Chan Centre concert tomorrow night. Must drink lots of water and no talking. I know it'll be tough for a motor-mouth like me to stay quiet but I'm gonna try.

Engagements before Weddings

Apologies right up front to Matt and Marysia van Wollen (aka the Newlyweds). I had been planning on blogging about their wedding (Poland Day #3) as my next blog. However, something changed all that (after they left on their honeymoon). I’m sure they’ll understand. (I promise to get back to their wedding story once things calm down around here).

We’re going to skip to the end of our trip to Europe. Last things first. After Krakow, Richard and I headed for a day and a bit in London. We had grand intentions of seeing the London Eye, the Tower of London and St. Paul’s Cathedral in less than 36 hours. Good plan.

On Sunday, we arrived at our hotel near Westminster Abbey and the Parliament buildings in the late afternoon on a clear day (very rare). We decided to literally drop our luggage in our room and immediately get to the London Eye since the sun was still in the sky. It was a good idea apparently because we got on the Eye virtually right away. (Sunday nights are good times to go – no waits). We talked with the employees and they said at most times (during the day) you have to wait in 2 long lines. First one to get your tickets (which are for a specific time) and then again when your time comes up. The second line is usually 45 mins at least. PHEW. We were up and back in less than 45 mins. We saw some great views from up there.

For dinner, we went to the Sherlock Holmes’ pub and restaurant just south of Trafalgar Square. Dinner is served upstairs (try to get reservations if you can). They have a glassed off area that shows “Sherlock Holmes’ study” as a museum. Meals are all named after characters or titles relating to the books (i.e. Hounds of Baskerville). We just HAD to take in the local beer (Pride) and cider (Strongbow) with our traditional English fare as well. For dessert, we had an amazing bread/yorkshire pudding idea just soaked in toffee sauce.

Next morning, we took the Tube/Underground (Mind the Gap!) to the other end of the city to see the Tower of London. The name is a bit of a misnomer. It’s got about 10 towers!!! It’s quite a big museum. From dark and bloody torture devices to the crown jewels. It was very impressive. It was also a very LONG morning. We spent more than 3 hours in the attraction. At one point, we both sat down and said, “Sorry St. Paul’s, you’ll just have to wait”. There was no way we were going to be able to climb the bell tower after all this. We were exhausted. Both of us had queasy stomachs too. Was it something we ate? Off to grab food at Pret a Manger and then eating the food in the hotel room. NAP TIME!!!! Sleep off the pain!!!

We woke up at about 8pm. Yikes, the entire afternoon had gone by. At least we both felt slightly better on the queasiness front. Both agreed that since we had a VERY early flight back to Vancouver the next morning (no time for breakfast probably), we needed to get something to eat for dinner. My knee was still really bad from all the stairs and walking at the Tower of London. I requested that we just eat in the pub downstairs. Richard said that his stomach couldn’t take two nights of English food in a row. Also, we needed to get some Galaxy chocolate and only convenience stores seemed to carry it. Since there was nothing else in our neighbourhood, it was off to Trafalgar Square.

We got our chocolate fix (for back home) at the Tesco Express at the square and then we decided that Italian food would be ok for our tummies. Café Zippi was the place. Since we were the only ones in there at this late hour (9pm), we got our food in 10 mins. It was great Italian food. We both really enjoyed it.

Walked back home along Whitehall passed 10 Downing Street (PM’s residence). Just as we were getting within eye-shot of Big Ben, he started ringing for 10 o’clock. Richard wasn’t getting there fast enough to see the exact time so I was pulling him forward saying “Hurry up! You’ll miss it!” At the corner of Whitehall and Birdcage (across from the statue of Winston Churchill), we stood there and listened to the bells chime. The rain had stopped and we just stood there both facing Big Ben.

Then, Richard turned me around and said “You make me so happy. Will you marry me? Kathryn, will you marry me?” I was already in his arms hugging before he got to the “marry me” part. So I just stayed there hugging him and said “Yes, of course! I love you!”

Needless to say, I neither of us have had a good night sleep for a few days with all this going on.

It will be my highest honour and ultimate priviledge to marry Richard.

(Just in case anyone missed it… I SAID YES!!!)

Krakow Tourist Day #2

April Fool's Day is not celebrated in Krakow. Or perhaps it was just not this year. Things were really sombre. Let me explain...

By now, most of you (the world) has heard of Pope John Paul II's illness and declining health. Before he was the pope, he was Father Karol to many people in Krakow and then Archbishop Karol for all of Krakow. Needless to say, he was Polish before he was pope and his heart belonged not just to Poland but more specifically to the city of Krakow.

We (Richard/Kat and our friends Alice and Douglas) decided to see the sights of Krakow itself rather than the environs. We started off climbing up Wawel Castle (remember that in Polish, W's are pronounced as V's as in Victory). This castle (and the hill it sits upon) is the site of some of the most extraordinary views, sights and feelings/emotions in all of Krakow. (In my opinion anyway).

Wawel Cathedral sits within the castle walls. It's a beautiful cathedral that has been expanded over many centuries. So many important Poles have been buried there. In particular, just about every Archbishop of Krakow has been entombed within the Cathedral. Not just buried but each one is given a chapel. And if you look at the cathedral from the outside, you can see that each new chapel is appended to the main building. It's very obvious since the building materials differ. Also within the Cathedral are the relics of at least two saints. Most notably, the patron saint of Poland - St. Stanislav. His relics hold the place of highest honor (middle of the sanctuary). You could actually feel an almost electric feeling in this place. Something was going on within these walls. If only they could speak.

We the ascended up to the bell tower. It is said that touching the largest bell's "ringer" is a sign of good luck. (DONE - pic to prove it). Hope the luck will show itself soon. :) Then, we descended to the main sanctuary and then into the catacombs under the cathedral where even more past famous Poles now reside. Since I've mentioned that the religious figure prominently in the sanctuary itself, you can imagine that the catacombs are for the non-religious. Many are from the monarchy and those that have done great things for Poland (like fighting the Communist onslaught).

On to the treasury and armory museum in the castle. Richard wanted to see some swords so we had to indulge him but then again, Alice and I wanted to see some of the fine gold pieces. It's quite a sizable collection of gold and other "treasures". The number of gold tankards (yes BEER tankards) was amazing - and the sheer size of them. The Poles must have always loved their drink. I just hope they were in fact drinking beer and not vodka - that could have been REALLY disasterous. Funky swords and canons and guns OH MY!

Next on our list (well at least Alice and my lists) was to find the Wawel Chakra Stone. It's one of the 7 chakras (or spiritual energy points) in the world and in every living being. It's between the Cathedral and the courtyard so you can't see or get near it. It's supposed to give you a sense of inner peace and balance. Douglas and Richard were not into it so they just moved along. Alice and I did as the guidebooks mentioned and touched the wall closest to it. Perhaps that is what I was feeling within the cathedral along with the other spiritual forces within the walls of the holy house?

Lastly at Wawel, we visited the Dragon's lair. There are good legends about how a dragon lived under Wawel Castle. By the size of the limestone caverns we saw, it's plausible. :) You actually come out at the bottom of the hill next to the river so if you are planning on visiting the lair, leave it until the end. That way you don't have to climb back up!

On our way back to the centre of the city, we walked along the river for a bit and then through the greenery zone called the Planty that surrounds the entire central city. We heard beautiful music being sung. Gregorian Chant. So we followed the sound and ended up behind the Franciscan church. Behind you say? Yes. Behind. It was time for the afternoon Angelus prayers and all of the citizens were not facing the church but the building across the street. It's where the pope resided (as archbishop) before he moved to Rome. It was a solemn prayer vigil. News crews everywhere. I think our sneakers were taped for CNN or BBC or something... If you saw a couple of pairs of New Balance shoes in the news in reports about Krakow, it was us. :)

For dinner that evening, we went to a French restaurant. The name escapes me. I will edit the post when I find it. The food was wonderful. Very french. But what was even more divine was the conversation between the 4 of us. With the decline of the Pope's health, we talked spirituality, religion, morality, and ethics. For HOURS! What is even more amazing is that only Alice and I are Catholic. That didn't stop Richard and Douglas from being VERY active participants (and in fact leading) in the conversations. One thing that came out of our discussion is that there is a real need for more of these types of non-judgemental open and frank discussions closer to home. Would anyone else be interested? Just a dinner once a month or something? Feel free to add a comment to this post if you are or for any other reason of course. It was amazing how invigorated I felt about my faith and my life after that evening.

Thank you so much Douglas and Alice for another absolutely amazing day in Poland! And of course my dearest Richard for sharing it all with me!

Tomorrow is the big day. Matthew's wedding to Marysia!

Krakow Tourist Day #1

Wieliczka
A few of my Polish friends all suggested the same place to visit. The salt mining town of Wieliczka. We're taking a little shuttle bus there right now. It's 10km out of the city. http://www.kopalnia-wieliczka.pl/english/index.html

It was really neat. We rode in a little mini bus to the town and then decended what felt like hundreds of steps to the mine. Absolutely amazing. I can really descibe what we saw. Chapels and statues carved all out of salt. Understanding the different forms of salt. Hearing a german choir sing in the largest chapel (st Kinga's chapel) and the way it resonated was phenomenal.

We each got to take a piece of rock salt home. (Hey can't seem to get rid of it fast enough).
For lunch, we went to a traditional Polish restaurant that advertised 'we will remedy you hunger'. That they did. Alice and I tried the soups (borscht and mushroom respectively) and the boys (Doug and Richard) went for veal and potato pancakes (and beer for course). It was a wonderful meal. And at the end they gave us each a souvenir. Can you guess what it was? More salt!

Then, mini bus back to Krakow.

Jewish Quarter
We then walked around the Jewish Quarter where the Jews were all rounded up and sealed in by a brick wall. The area was tiny. It reminded me of the movie "The Pianist" but that took place in Warsaw so I'm told but it's the same result. Very moving. Found it strange that only one of the

Night Life
Off for a brief snooze and then dinner at the Italian restaurant (il Calzone). Alice, Doug and Richard all had calzones and I had pasta.

After our massive and very yummy meal, we headed back to the Jewish Quarter to a French cafe called "Cafe des Couleurs" to meet up with my friend the Groom (Matt) for his "Bachelor Party". His Bride to be showed up but was ushered out once the Canadian Contingent got to say Hello. Instead of beer, I was being fed vodka and apple juice. The special vodka has a buffalo grass strand in the bottle to give it flavour. YUMMY! Tasted almost like there was a hint of cinnamon in the drink. Very nice. We brought some home with us as part of our duty free.

Got to catch up with Matt's brother Sebastian and sister Samantha as well as his best man Alex whom I hadn't seen in 15 years. Matt, Alex and I all worked together at summer camp when we were in senior high school.

Once we got to midnight, we were told that's when parties really get going in Krakow. So off we went to the Zentrum (or Centre) of town also called the Market. We went below the city's streets and buildings into club PROZAC where it was techno all the way.

Needless to say, Matt was "well taken care of" from a bachelor party point of view. Alex took his duties as best man seriously and got our groom-to-be home and ready for his rehearsals and dance lessons the next day (his true last day of bachelorhood).

What will we get up to in Krakow as tourists while Matt is pacing around as a nervous groom? We'll see shall we?

Sitting in the airport lounge watching all the planes...

Watching all the planes go by!

Vancouver

I remember a song back in high school we did in a play that went like "standing on the corner watching all the girls, watching all the girls go by". For some reason it just popped in my head.

We got here to YVR early to try to get better seats on the plane. We didn't want to be in the lavatory access line-up seats - ugh! There is nothing worse than a bunch of 'urgent' people standing (should I say leaning) on you while they've got no where to go well, atleast no where to go fast.

Instead we're in an exit row so Mr. Ricky Long-Legs doesn't get cramped up. Tee hee.

No first class this time but no matter. We got to avoid the ticket line up and the security line up so far. Now we're sitting in the air canada lounge just watching all of the transport vehicles drive under the building. Richard seems very enthralled. I think he'd like to go down and drive them for a while. Has that look in his eye and his tongue hanging out when he thinks I'm not looking. In that 'mmm beer' Homer Simpson sort of way.

Yes, we're incredibly early but no biggie. We're just enjoying each other's company. I don't think Richard believed me when I told him the lounge had a bar. He just about flipped when he saw it was self-serve. And the fact that there are 2 of 'em. :) We're going to take advantage of the red wine later so that we'll get a good night's sleep as we fly over Greenland.

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Frankfurt

While we were at YVR (aka vancouver airport) we saw an ad for the 'open to the public' airport lounge. Similar to the new pay as you go lounge on the Spirit of BC ferry.
We're now sitting in frankfurt waiting for our final leg of our flight and sitting in another lounge. Let's do some math shall we?

That public one charges 30$ per person.

3lounges x 30$ x 2 people = 180$!!!

Holy macaroni! And this is just on the way there!!! I don't even want to THINK about it in Zlotys or Euros or Pounds. (All different currencies we'll have to deal with on this trip).

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Krakow

It's 10pm in Krakow Poland and we're just about ready to fall asleep. 3 flights in less than 18 hours through 4 countries. Sleep meds are stating to kick in (need to combat jetlag right away).

The things we do for friends eh? Fly 1/3 of the way around the world to witness Matt's wedding. I know he appreciates the effort.

We're ok. We promise. Regards from Krakow!

Signing off as my eyes won't stay open.

Krakow - Here comes Kat!

A week today, I will be on a plane to Poland. I've never been there before and I'm really looking forward to it. This travel itinerary has NOTHING TO DO WITH WORK!!!!

One of my dearest friends in the world (Matthew) is getting married in Krakow on April 2nd.

We're going a few days early to see the sites of the central city and just in case flights don't work out, we don't want to miss the wedding entirely.

Normally, I'm a lot more prepared for trips but this time, I'm going to actually be RELAXED before (aka NOW), during and after.

Speaking of after, we're heading to London to see the sites for a day and a bit after the wedding. Plans are to go up the London Eye at night (early evening) on Sunday April 3rd and to see the Douglas Coupland exhibit at Canada House at Trafalgar Square on Monday April 4th. Yes, Douglas Coupland is the author of Microserfs and Souvenir of Canada vol 1 & 2. Lives in Vancouver but I've got to go all the way to London to see his art. Go figure.

We're only gone for a week, but it should be a lot of fun. Seeing a new country means I can add it to my list of countries I've been to. There are NOT many on that list so one more is always a good thing.

From the top of my head the list of countries I've been to:

• USA (duh!)
• Canada (eh!)
• Mexico (ole!)
• US Virgin Islands
• Dutch Leeward Islands
• France
• Germany
• Scotland
• England
• Netherlands

Now you can see why adding one more is a GOOD thing. I hope that this list will expand a great deal over the next year or two. I've yet to make it to the Pacific Rim. Hopefully that will change. Australia in November would be nice.

I promise to send an update on what we did and saw when we get back. Until then, I'm going to pretend I hear you all saying "BON VOYAGE!!!"

-Kathryn

PS: On a completely different topic: If anyone (in and around Vancouver) is interested in coming to my chamber choir's final performance of the year, we're performing as a special guest for the Spirit Alive concert at the Chan Centre on April 30th. Tickets are available at ticket master at http://www.ticketmaster.ca/artist/941769/

What/Why "Kool K@ Nip"???

Good questions. Both of them. How do I begin. Well... At the beginning. Sort of.

I have a friend who recently moved from here in beautiful BC (Vancouver) to St. John NB. He had always sent me the funniest/wittiest emails I'd ever seen. Just stories about himself and his family.

When he left the company and picked up stakes to move all the way across the country, I begged him to keep the emails coming. Actually, I had suggested to him when he still was here in Vancouver to take up Stand-Up Comedy à-la-Seinfeld. He continued to send me updates on how family life was in the deep-freeze and I continued to laugh.

One day, he decided to start a blog. It just started a month or two back but I'll tell you. I've been reading his posts every week. Funny little stories. If you're interested you can take a read at http://rileypix.blogspot.com/. The most recent two, "To Serve and Protect the Parking Lot" and "Sometimes I Am a Smartass" are really funny.

So now... what is KATHRYN doing? Is she crazy? (Yes, of course - but you already knew that).

Kool K@ Nip is my first Blog-site.

What's in a name? You ask. Riddle me this you logical/engineering types.

K K N + ool @ IP = "Kool K@ NIP" (pronounced KoolKatNip)

Get it? Got it? GOOD! On to the background on the name itself.

When I was in grade 6, I changed schools. Everyone had trouble spelling my name so the teacher (and some of the students) asked if they could call me Kathy. I thought it would be a short-term thing. Yeah. Right. It lasted right through until I graduated high-school.

When I started work, email became my new nightmare. People kept spelling my name "KathEryn" and the email would never get to me. So, I would say to them, "Just type KAT HUNT, you'll find me". And yet again, a nickname stuck.

Cats have been a part of my life for ages. Cats I've lived with: Pumpkin, Pepper, Tiger, Princess, and Flower. Also, Gringo, Chi(-Chi), (Barra)Cuda, Nibs, and Puffin have been around me more indirectly when I was younger. So (logically) has catnip. You can do the math on how I came up with the rest of the name.

As to why I'm doing this... Well... Yes... I do tend to travel a lot. (Mostly for work but then again not ALL the time. Disneyland in February was LOTS of fun!!!) People ask me what I did on my trips. I love to tell them. But, I undoubtably forget to tell some key piece to one person and some other tidbit to another person. No one seems to get the whole story. I used to write a "Dear Travel Diary" that I would email to friends. Why not POST the information for you to see whenever YOU want to. Maybe even a picture or two.

Well, that's it for me on my first/introductory post on my Kool K@ Nip blog. My next one will probably be a posting of all of my previous "Dear Travel Diaries". C U SOON!