-40 C with windchill

*warning: rant may ensue*

Today is cold. Not the coldest I've ever experienced, but with windchill it was supposed to be -40. sorry, -39.3. Let's round it off to -40, shall we?
Truthfully, while it is definitely biting cold out, it does not feel like -40. Thankfully.

The thing about Calgary is they don't have snowplows. Well, I have seen one, maybe two. But they do not plow the road, let alone the sidewalks. I have to wonder how a province with such a massive surplus in their budget again cannot afford to plow their streets when it snows.
The Calgarians claim it's because all their money goes "out east", referring to Ontario. They believe that because the federal government is located in Ottawa, all their money therefore goes to Ontario. That is an excellent explanation for how our municipal taxes pay for our local snowplows.
My theory is that because Calgary experiences such strange, drastic weather they decided not to invest in snowplows. If they stick it out a few days without dying a chinook is bound to come and it will all melt. So why waste the energy and money on plowing when in a week or so it could all be gone naturally?
I would also like to say that if I were truly from "out east" I would be saying "It's some cold out here!" with a strong Maritime accent. Ontario is not "out east". Granted it is east of here. But I don't refer to Manitoba as "out west" even though it's west of where I grew up. So let's change the diction, shall we?
Also, while I know I'll have great love for chinooks, there's just something comforting about having 4 distinct seasons which are predictable. Maybe one of these years I'll be back in Ontario where I can experience that again...

Holy Love

Many waters cannot quench your love

Rivers cannot overwhelm it

Oceans of fear cannot conceal your love for me

Your love for me

Holy love, flow in me, fill me up like the deepest sea

Like a crashing wave pouring over me

Holy love, flow in me

Many sorrows cannot quench your love

Darkness cannot overwhelm it

I will not fear, your love is here to comfort me

You comfort me

When I find you I find healing

When I find you I find peace

And I know that there's no river so wide

No mountain so high, no ocean so deep

That you can't part the sea

~Andy Park

Wow. I was reminded tonight of how much this song has meant to me in the past and how powerful it still is to me today.

This counselling program is ridiculous...in a good way. We are being so incredibly challenged daily to grow in every aspect of our lives.
I have so many struggles and it is impossible to run away from them anymore.
And it's good.
And I love it.
And I hate it.
It is so exhausting!
I'm learning to be more emotional...but I can't take the time to feel when I have homework up the wazoo.
So this is a big struggle for me right now...dealing with my academic life as well as the rest of me and finding the balance. Because with my counselling homework I can do them both because I need to talk about what's going on in me. But with my Bible classes I need to be more academic (more for NT than for OT) and I am so broken emotionally that I'm too exhausted to do school work. And this is a bad situation.
So please pray for me that I have strength to do it all. It's hard when I have to say "Sorry God, I can't sit and meditate right now. I can't just be. I know we were just getting somewhere, but Paul Spilsbury isn't going to accept that as an excuse for me not having his homework done."
And I know that God will provide time for me to get everything done...but still. It is difficult. And really hard to switch modes. I used to be able to do it no problem, but this stinkin' emotional stuff keeps getting in the way, haha.
Ok, that's my little rant, I'm going to finish a bit more work and get to bed.

jip en janneke

So I was reading Jip and Janneke: Oe! Een koe! met Merissa tonight...so cute!
Seriously, we were laughing so hard at their antics.
Thank you Nynke for the book; I love it!

busy

I haven't written a "real" post in a while...but my life is just so dang busy! haha
Basically I'm a loser and I stay home and do homework...but this past week I was also sick so home was just nice.
Friday I went out and watched the game (the Flames won again if you were wondering) and watched V for Vendetta which I enjoyed...
Last night was Merissa and Dan's birthday party at Marley's. That was fun...I talked to Amanda which was nice because we hadn't ever really talked before. And we sang in the stairwell which was beautiful. I think I got a bit on video so I'll post it sometime on my other blog. Adam sang bass sometimes and it resonated amazingly in there. Beautiful.
Oh! And the best part was when I got Darcy back! A while ago (on mission day at school) Adam tossed an orange at Darcy, and I knew that since I was sitting next to Adam Darcy would accidentally hit me instead. Which is of course what happened. He was very apologetic, but I happily informed him that I would pay him back when he least expected it, when he had completely forgotten that I was going to get him back. True to my word, that is exactly what happened. (Maybe the moral of this story is that I'm good at predicting things?) Last night Nicole didn't want the rest of her cake, so I asked her if I could have it. Darcy was sitting next to me on the couch and I pretended to eat it as I waited for an opportune moment. There it was! Amy was taking a picture of Darcy! Oh yes, I smashed that cake into his face and it stuck, napkin and all. Such a beautiful moment. I also have a picture of the after effects which I shall post on my other blog sometime soon. So basically I overdid it in my getting him back and we are now in an ongoing prank war. Anyways...it should be fun. Oh, Freek, feel free to give me some advice on pranking since we never did team up on others like we said we would...
Um, today...I went to church with Thora! and Ashley was there too. I really liked it; I think I'll go back next week also. Maybe I'll get involved with the youth group there or something.
And now...because my life is oh-so-interesting...I'm going to do some more homework.
Wow...the wind is SO LOUD right now. Howling is definitely an accurate description.
There's your update on the eventful life of Meghan Thomson.
cheers!

curious

Merissa told me I should write this blog, so I am.
Who in New Zealand around the Christchurch vicinity is reading my blog?
haha, I'm just curious.

on a completely different note, my feet really smell today.

today

Calgary was beautiful today, all white and floating in fog.

I discovered (again) how unskilled I am at foosball. You're supposed to score on the other team. Right. Actually, I did better than I expected and it was a lot of fun, so I am pleased.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY NYNKE!

worldwide communication

Canada connected to Portugal and Germany today. Good day, this. And I'm definitely a fan of the internet. And Skype. And msn for that matter. Inventions that make my life a little brighter.