Jordan

Yesterday Jordan and I celebrated three years together. Since he always complains that I never blog about him, I thought that in honour of this milestone I would dedicate a blog to him.

Most of you know Jordan as either the shy boy who never talks if you are in my family, or the goof ball who never seems to shut up if you are his friend. But Jordan also has a side that most of you never see and so today, I am going to illuminate for you all the sweet side of Jordan.

Jordan loves to buy me flowers. My mom says that Jordan has bought me more flowers in three years than she has been given in 26 years ( I think this is a hint Dad). He usually picks out beautiful roses - red, pink or white. Sometimes they are for special occasions and other times they are for no reason at all. He doesn't like to give them to me in person, but puts them in places where they will surprise me. He has left them on my gym bag during basketball practice and has even snuck into my house to leave them on my bed.

Jordan also buys me a lot of candy and food. Every time he gets gas he always comes back with a chocolate bar for me. In high school, I would often open my locker to find Starbucks or Orange Julius waiting for me. When I am feeling sad, he comes by to cheer me up with some chocolate.

Jordan can also be pretty crafty. He has written me many notes and made me some pretty nice cards. Most impressive is the bulletin board he made me for our first year together with hearts, roses, stickers and photoshopped pictures. You can tell that there was a full utilization of girly scrapbooking supplies.

Jordan knows how to plan special dates. He took me to a fancy restaurant on our first date, and even though I only ordered cheese toast, it was pretty wonderful. The day before we left Redeemer to come home, he and James cooked a fantastic dinner for me and Ree, complete with candlelight and romantic music (Rod Stewart anyone?) The best part was that it was a surprise.

The sweetest thing about Jordan is not in what he does for me, but in how he treats me. He tells me I am beautiful and never does anything to disrespect me. He treats me like a princess even when I act like a witch. He listens to me and gives me great advice. He is the best friend I could ever ask for.

Now that you are probably all gagging at this overload sentiment, I hope you feel enlightened. Beneath Jordan's oft-shaggy hair and unshaved visage lies a very loving man. I guess he doesn't show off this part of himself very much because then everyone would want to date him and we couldn't have that now could we?

Ontario vs. Alberta

I have been neglecting my blog as of late and I am sorry that I have disappointed those of you who have been expecting the highlight of their day to be on the other side of a mouse click, only to be greeted by the same familiar words. I know how interesting my life is and I feel bad for not letting you all share in it.

Truth be told, I actually wasn't feeling bad at all, until someone (better known as Ryan) told me that by starting a blog, I had an obligation to update it faithfully. That is easy to say, but it is hard to think of clever, profound or interesting things to say all the time. Because of my current lack of creativity, Ryan told me to blog on Ontario vs Alberta.

I don't know if living in Ontario for three and a half months really qualifies me to compare it accurately and thoroughy to the place I have lived my whole life (minus three and a half months) but I will do my best to be partial in comparing this polluted, dismal province to beautiful, glorious Alberta.

In all seriousness, there are many wonderful things about Ontario that I have never realized I was missing until now. Here are my top 5, in no specific order.

5.There is an abundance of interesting places and events - Niagara Falls, Hockey Hall of Fame, Parliament, Rideau Canal...and music groups and other touring acts don't skip over the entire province.

4. It is evident that people are proud to be Canadian.

3. The rich history - you can literally stand on the same ground as the famous explorers and Canada's founding fathers. (I know not everyone thinks this is as fascinating as me, but hey, I'm a history major)

2. The beatiful colours of fall - thousands of reds, oranges and yellows all combining to create a sense of warmth amid the cooling weather.

1. There are some pretty fantastic people here who make life pretty fun and exciting.

That being said, Alberta is still tops in my books. First of all, we actually have milk in jugs instead of bags and we don't have PST. There aren't as many people there so the whole pace of life is more relaxed. We have beautiful moutains and we have wonderful prairies....my list could go on and on, but the real reason I love Alberta the most is far more important than these superficial ones.

Alberta is my home and the home of those that I love the most. I have spent my whole life there, growing, learning and laughing. I value Alberta not because of the way we package milk, but for the thousands of memories I have made there. When I think of Alberta I don't think about it as a geographical place, but as my home filled with my family, friends and a sense of belonging. They say that home is where the heart is, but I also think that the heart is where the home is.

Ontario is still quite a wonderful place. Even though I miss home, I am enjoying myself more than I ever thought I would. When my time at Redeemer is done, whenever that may be, I know I will value Ontario for all the memories currently in the making. After all, Ontario is a home to most of the people I have met, and they are welcoming me into it with open arms.

Ontario vs. Alberta? The winner is really up to you.