Blog of the Little Bonsai

Personal Blog of Steve Baumber

We had a great Christmas holiday just staying at home and unwinding from a very busy and draining four months. Even saying "staying at home" seems a bit strange as our apartment still feels like one more place to drop our packs and stay for a while. However, I put up the curtain rods yesterday and it's starting to take the shape of a more permanent residence...

We managed to entertain a little over the break with me finally done my courses and Rosemary getting some time off work. Of course we're not fully settled which meant that each dinner was followed by a lot of nodding, concerned looks from our friends and a healthy bout of furniture moving as we begged them to help us try and create "our space", which, when you think about it, is an odd thing to do as it's already our space. I'm sure there's an appropriate equation that allows one to create spaces within space. Maybe there's a webtool. For our space it involves using five pieces of furniture and a small plant.

After buying an armoir off of Craig's List that further complicated the spatial arrangment of our space we escaped to Kamloops for a New Year's celebration with more friends in their spaces. Ev, Ian and the mighty ROM treated us to X-country skiing, snowshoeing and movie nights, and then we carried on to Darren's cabin at Magna Bay in the Shuswap. What do a group of thirty somethings do in a lonely, remote cabin in the Canadian Wilderness?

Play Guitar Ace II of course!! You can tell by Brad's look that he is being trounced not only by my amazing lead playing but also by my ability to "Rock Out". Unbeknownst to me apparently the Sony PS2 doesn't have the ability to measure my "Rocking Out" vibrations, and as Brad is a much better gamer than I am he kicked my ass.

Rosemary got into the action and burned out the licks to such classics as "Surrender", "Cherry Pie" and the eternal Christmas Classic "Sweet Child of Mine". A nativity special if ever there was one...

After two nights of rock and roll, assorted beverages, too much food, and good old fashioned board games we blearily made our way back down the Coquihalla, past a smoldering accident near Hope, through a torrential downpour starting in Langley and finally through our front door.

A New Year is upon us and it's kind of exciting to wonder what 2007 will bring. With bombings in Bangkok and chaotic weather on our doorstep I feel a bit like striving a little harder to live the lessons we've learned on our travels - need less and give more to do the small things that reduce your role as part of the problem. Happy New Year to all, and if you can't be an activist (hello to Pete and Keely in India) at least be active!

Okay, so we look like Hal and Joanne from the Bodybreak-Participaction ads...

posted by Steve @ 9:37 AM

1.03.2007