the things i do - #2

a thing I do when no one is home?

• I take the toy dinosaurs out of our basement... 

• I google search what kind of environments these dinosaurs lived in.. 

• I photograph them in the backyard depending on if that dinosaur lived more in a jungle area or more dessert land..

luckily my landlady did not come home while 

i was army crawling through the yard.

BONUS YAY: excitingly! because of THESE photos I made it past 200 followers on instagram!
hmm.. maybe my photos are liked by other people..

yes sunshine.. good morning to you too

a series- number one

I am now going to start a series for my blog..

its called...

'The things I do when no one is home'

so here is my first one I am sharing.

a thing I do when no one is home?

I climb trees! preferably apple trees.. for I think they created better pictures of the apples IN the apple tree rather then taking the photos underneath looking up. 

Aryk came home sooner than I had predicted...

 "Kristen? hello? where are you?" 

"I'm up here!!!!"

hmm.. a interesting person I am to live with indeed... 

hence why.. its called... 
things i do when NO ONE is home.. because.. I am purposely doing it by myself.

secretly.. and nerderly..

for kristen kinda days are already thrilling enough as it is.. without the excitement I actually purposely do

but I guess it won't be so secret due to this new blog series..

just a normal day printing pictures

so.. I print photos online from blacks photography

I put.. 

blacks.com in the address box

whoops!! 

the website I'm looking for is blacks.ca

for blacks.com..

is a pornography website.

the trauma!

DistrCATion

you might wonder what on earth I get distracted by when I'm gone from my daily life updates..

cute fatty mr. chops! 
what a cuddle bug snuggle man! how on earth could I write in my blog when I have this handsome fella meowing at me?!!

(view way earlier blog posts of me explaining what a non cat person I am)

THEE donation of blood

I figure I will give you all a update on how the saturday morning of my giving blood went..
due to the exciting story previous of the 'practice run' for getting up early in the morning few days earlier blog.. I'll give you the story of the actual blood giving day..

so the night before we got the honour of getting to attend Janet and Wayne's wedding off in beautiful Canmore! it was ever so gorgeous! the ceremony location, the ceremony itself, the 'giving and 'receiving' of roses, the giddy family members, the reception, homemade cupcakes, the scenic mountain view, and of course... Janet! the most gorgeous thing of it all.. she seriously looked like a bride right out of a bridal magazine.. Perfection! 

most of the attendants of the wedding danced the night away and stayed the night in Canmore.. Aryk and I much to our lack of planning and organizing (okay most of those two things that are lacking.. are me lacking those two things) and we had to give blood the very morning after, at 9 am.
so we ate, we drank, we toasted, we danced, we sang, we laughed.... but eventually we had to set out for our ride home for we had a early morning to save lives!

early morning came along... to early.
and man.. how I wished the Thursday was our actual blood donation day... for we were awake, prepared, hydrated.. and had a big healthy breakfast
this saturday morning however...

 ultra dehydration for we drank the night before and spent a ton of time in the sunshine.. 

our breakfast was minimal.. 

we raced out the door.. this time... unprepared...

we ended up going to the wrong location.. and wrong location again..

only to discover the school of which we were giving blood at.. was the school in fact.. RIGHT beside where I went to Highschool (I had not had a clue)

we went in.. I had anxiety like I was confessing to a murder of which I was non guilty too, I did not realise that giving blood was more than a minute type thing... apparently it is over 10.. which is quite a giant leap from my imagination.. Oh boy.. thats... thats lengthy! for I'm not good with giving blood.. I'm fine with needles and all.. and I think I'm fine.. but my face always seems to go Pale and they always make me stay and rest after for a while before they let me leave the room.

Paperwork and Iron tests first. "you have such small hands! you have such small fingers! I am scared i am going to hurt you because your fingers are just so small!!" "oh.. uhmm.. I'm okay.. you just pretty much poked my hand with a pin.. I'm alright.." . Much to my excitement.... 

I passed my Iron test! 

which was my main concern.. for everyone that knew I was about to go give blood informed me I probably wouldn't be accepted  because they all think my iron would be low (I do not eat meat..) (expect 2 of the weddings I went to this summer.. I had small portions.. and it was worth it) but I passed! 

wahoo! smooth sailing! 

then all these nurses were handing me juice boxes "drink up, you are so skinny! you are so skinny!" so I guzzled down many juice boxes
sat in my confidential booth.. convinced the nurse that YES I am over 110 pounds! "oh common! I want to save lives here!!"  I answered all the questions with the answers with a"no". "No, I was not born in Africa" "No, I am not a male that has had anal sex with another male anytime since after 1970" "No I do not have aids" "No, I have not seen the doctor in the last 3 months. well.. I have.. but that was a 'hi my medication works, okay bye'" I got in trouble for saying no to that one.. we had to cross it out and initial that indeed yes I have. But.. but? I didn't go because I was SICK or anything was wrong with me! anyways... 

I passed in flying colours (of course)

but..

my heart rate was too high.. it was checked twice.. it has to be at 100... first it was 108.. then 102 after she had informed me to imagine I was on a beach..

denied.

no more tries..

kicked out.

no giving blood for Kristen.

my blood not given to someone in need..

Aryk did though... in record time for himself at 5 minutes or so.. 

AND got a cookie.

so jealous..

so embarrassed.. 

for if I saw someone denied.. I'd think its from one of those yes or no questions.. and had a STD or something.. 
so sad.. so so sad
next time.. no drinking the night before.. a full nights sleep the night before..
and lots of water for up to 3 days before! (this I did not know)

anyways... 
this sticker they gave me is

 false.

tid bits of some folkfest

When I drive home

I always see these things.

stormy weather

Today... a big giant storm hit.
luckily I was inside.                      my car was outside.

no hail!

(thank goodness)

my windows however..

were open.

and my sunroof..

also open.

pink has a joyful stink

one of the reasons why I love our landlady..

is because of her beautiful garden!

from a glance it doesn't look that impressive.. almost jungle like.. but with a mowed lawn most of the time. (thats because she has a very on the go life and is never around)

but I swear every day I look at the gardens I see new flowers and can't find the old!

it amazes me how all these flowers all make their appearances at different times through the summer.. its incredibly enjoyable!
so.. that being said.. 
I marched around the yard just now and snapped some photos on my phone... I would think most people like looking at flowers.. and if you don't.. well then..

scroll down 

or

quit reading my blog!!

(just lying please don't stop.)

p.s... after putting up these photos.. i decided.. "wow.. that a lot of pink!" so I decided to take a bunch of photos down so you won't get pinky girly flower overload.   Your welcome.

OH!  and due to little bumbles appearing while I was taking flower pictures.. I dedicate this blog to all the bees and their hard work. Thanks bees! keep it up!

first blood donation

I woke up thrilled this morning. Why? for today I give blood!! first time ever! and ABOUT TIME! I mean common people.. IT SAVES LIVES! liking needles or not.. lets help each other out!! I jump on the internet and start doing research to make sure I have the best preparation ever for this blood exam.
I get out fruit juice, decaffeinated tea (caffeine dehydrates you) strawberries, yogurt, mini wheats, banana... I AM READY FOR THIS!! 
Aryk is also prepared.. he wants to leave early. WE ARE READY FOR THIS!!!
I do a quick check on the confrontation email..
WHAT?!! 08?!!
THAT WAS YESTERDAY!! WE MISSED IT!!
why the heck would they send a confrontation email on the DAY OF?!!
i show Aryk, he informs me 08 is the month.. and really our blood giving is on Saturday.

A Kristen Kinda Morning?
"poor Aryk" says all the blog readers "poor Aryk..."

part 2

rapids here.. rapids there. soaked in seconds!stuck on giant rocks

crashing into tree branches

having all the paddles break..

it was fun!!

At one point Tyler crashed into the side stuck in tree branches.. then no matter how hard Aryk and I tried to paddle out of our way.. we ended up crashing into Tyler and creating more of a 'stuckness'. Aryk grabbed the branches and started pulling us out (muscle man) FREEDOM!! now.. OFF WE GO!! to more rafting!!

APPARENTLY just before our stuckness.. Sean and Cole (of whom which were strangely for the first time ever ahead of everyone else) POPPED THEIR RAFT ON THE SAME BRANCHES!! they are standing on the land to the side hollering at us to join them (huff, again?!) Aryk jumped out of the speeding rapids to go help Tyler.. I'm still in the raft and Sean is pulling me to shore but POPPED open the air thingy and this raft I am sitting in the back of.. is deflating.. eventually I'm yanked out of the raft only to see that Tyler was in need of more help.. Tyler was holding Aryk's arm.. Cole was holding Aryk's arm.. Sean is now holding Cole's arm.. THE RAPIDS ALMOST TOOK THEM ALL! but after some heave hoe team work.. Tyler was rescued too shore

we look down the river.. to see.. if this HAD NOT happened to Sean and Cole's raft.. we would have ran into trees of which that had fallen down and had created whirlpool suction pockets (Aryk's incredible description.. geez.. why doesn't HE have a blog??!)

So decision was made that we had to cross the river so we could a move around the fallen down trees and continue on our rafting journey. minus a raft
Cole jumps in the water. in the most rapid spot. 
of which of course.. the water takes Cole for a ride
next thing we know.. The raft Cole was on.. was caught in the trees 
he was stuck under the raft, water still pushing him around, I'm sure the time under that thing was taking forever
but through my eyes it all happened in such a quick flash and in seconds i saw Cole's head pop up as he climbs over the log to wave that he is okay
at some point during this.. Aryk had raced across the river to help save Cole

the rest of us.. had to cross the river

Sean suggests we hook arms

i agree

MAN this water is fast..

so fast..

that when I move my legs the water swoops up my feet, I cling to Sean's arm for dear life..

no such luck

I'm swooped up! I'm dragging my feet on the ground TRYING to get a grip! no luck. I'm going so fast I try grabbing for whatever I could but no matter what the strength of the water was too much!

I decide the only thing that can give me hope is if I swim.. for I'm a strong swimmer. WHY AM I NOT MOVING! this is hopeless.. and I'm terrified and trying with all my might. Strangely enough.. I'm laughing incredibly hard.. I wanted everyone to know I'd be okay... but I'm starting to doubt it.. 

next thing I know Aryk's right there reaching out his hand..

and somehow.. I am saved

shaking.. laughing.. terrified

the more I think of it the more I realize how much I do NOT want to go back into that water! I have no chance with a fight against it.

 
we decide.. instead of going back to the car..

we would seize the day, the gorgeous weather.. this wilderness.. and hangout in this spot :)

we gather wood for a fire

Tyler and I gather rocks for the fire pit...

the other boys are off .. trying to catch fish.. Tyler makes a super cool spear ready to go attack the fish

eventually that died off and it turned into using sticks as baseball bats and rocks as baseballs.. rocketing them across the water into the trees

then it turned into puddle sitting

which then turned into boys attacking the deflated raft.. to then throwing rocks at the raft.. to then throwing rocks at Sean, to then throwing rocks at Cole.. 

Sean dropping me in a shallow end of rocks

to running off to drown the raft

throwing big giant rocks at it

to... pretending they are drowning in the water and then being rescue life guards..

ohhh.. to be a boy...

in their mid twenties..

i'm incredibly jealous.. and incredibly in love with the guys being themselves! such cuteness I get to witness! whoops I mean.. Manly times

eventually I had to face my fears..  we NEEDED to cross that water again. Aryk... my kind caring boyfriend.. somehow helped me across the water

I'd describe it.. but to be honest I was so scared I don't have a clue how I got there..

we trekked through the trees.. or should I say thorns.. branches in the eyes...

wearing bathing suits.. scratches by anything that can give you scratches! mosquitos getting thrilled about some easy to get human blood

unfortunately . seeing no moose

and yes.. I did get moody at one point when i fell into a bush of thorns..

But we did it!!

we made it out alive!

only to find out.. we barely even rafted just outside this neighbourhood we parked in!!

What a day..

photos taken by Tyler H

on his iPhone which amazingly survived the day! 

in your mark... get set.... off we go?

who: Tyler, Cole, Sean, Aryk, Kristen

what: a relaxing float down the elbow river

the story?

Sunday: Aryk gets a text message saying that if we want to go rafting we should be ready in HALF A HOUR! we race around. quick showers, quick breakfast. 
OFF WE GO!!

arrive at the house containing Cole, Sean AND Tyler

they all have JUST gotten out of bed..

Aryk and I play some CRAZY games of ping pong, while the rest of the boys enjoy a leisurely breakfast (SEAN MADE COFFEE!! yay Sean!) 

and in time..

OFF WE GO!!!

to the river?

no silly!

to Canadian Tire! for we need

 life jackets AND RAFTS

oh the decisions..

"the picture on this box has a girl with big boobies" "this raft looks bigger" "but the boobies..." 

eventually it figured out

we paid.. and..

OFF WE GO!!

but first to our ending spot!

drop off the car?

well no.. because there is a reserve here.. the roads are blocked here.. there is a cliff there.. oh and a bike competition bike thingy going on..

but eventually it was figured out

OFF WE GO!!

but first... we are hungry.

lets grab some grub! chips.. drinks.. sandwiches.. 

NOW we are ready!

we drive out to a place outside of bragg creek named Lotsofhorses or something like that.

we drove around and round 

long story short.. we found a parking spot!

yeuuuussss!!

OFF WE GO!!!

hmm.. maybe we need a pump for our rafts to be inflated...

Sean and Tyler run off to Bragg Creek to grab more beer, as well as buying a pump!

while waiting.. my Aryk that boyfriend of mine full of hot air.. filled up ALL THE RAFTS!

Sean and Tyler eventually came back.. and apparently NONE of the stores had a pump! so they ran around and around checking out all the store.. and finally found a pump! only to come back.. to see the boats were already pumped! blown! 

NOW WE RAFT!! OFF WE GO!!

now is that what you really think?  that really everything else would go perfectly as planned? Did we even get on the boat? did we forget our paddles? did the wildlife people come before we took off and stopped us? Did we get arrested? did we nap on the rafts all day and end up with terrible sunburns?!

come back later! to read the rest of this maybe thrilling.. or maybe bland blogpost! PART TWO!!

peck

I was taking a picture of a chicken...

and it .. stuck its head through the cage and attacked 

good grief! 

I wish the photo quality turned out better.. but this is chicken in attack AS IT HAPPENED!!

sketch

so... I don't think I've ever sketched ever in my life before. so these likely are the only two that have ever happened. I realized I have lots of sketch books.. so maybe I'll try to draw something once in a while.. thought I'd share them and think about how I feel about them... so far I think they are just creepy..