Sunshine in the San Juans

 Despite my long silence, I really have been adventuring in the past several weeks! Getting 2 weeks off from work was wonderful. The first was taken over by Christmas and a nasty head cold. The second week, I was lucky enough to be visited by friends from Sweden! Russ and Josefin invited Maria and I over for dinner when I was in Göteborg this summer. They were in the area for Christmas with Russ's family, so we took a day to explore the San Juan Islands.

Me and Josefin, Mt Baker behind us

Il fait froid au Québec!

It's cold in Québec!

Despite my rather lax approach to learning French since I was last in Quebec City, I am certainly enjoying my time here. It's like a grown up version of Erasmus, a gathering of people from all over the world for a common purpose with lots of eating, drinking, learning, and laughter along the way. Last night I finally got a chance to take a walkabout around this beautiful town. With temperatures around -14*c (~5*F), none of my co-workers were interested in joining me!

November Sun

I love the wintry weather of the Pacific Northwest. Last week we had a Northerly wind that brought clear skies and icy temperatures. My new desk looks east to the Cascade Mountains and the sunrise lures me into my office very morning.

Cascade Sunrise

Poäng Chair Makeover

The Ikea Poäng chair is a classic piece of design that I have coveted for years. A high school friend had one in her living room that I claimed every time I was at her house. So as soon as I walked into my new apartment, I saw a perfect spot by the window for a perfect Poäng chair. I wasn't stoked about spending $150+ on a new chair with footstool, so my first stop was Craigslist. There it was: a brown laminated birch chair with  a footrest. A quick trip to Seattle, some dissassembly (it wouldn't fit in my Golf otherwise), a quick re-assembly, and it was mine. Well, sorta. The cusions, though in great condition, were a little... plain.

Okay, it's a rendering... I forgot to take before pictures!

Enter my creative, brilliant, can-do mother. Who is also master of the sewing machine. A bit of canvas, a few late nights, and here's what we came up with:

I'm looking forward to many weekend mornings curled up here with a good book :)

Catchup with Friends in Suburbia

I don't much care for Suburbia, specifically Midwestern suburbia. Novi, Michigan was not my first choice for a training location. It is basically a mass of shopping centers and chain stores off I-96, 30 minutes West of Detroit. To me, though, it has one endearing trait. It is close to several of my Calvin friends!

Morning Run, Québec City

Plains of Abraham, where the British defeated the French
in the French and Indian War

Saturday morning in Québec City dawned clear and sunny over the St Lawrence. I slept in, then put my running shoes on and headed up the hill, into the old city. I would have had better luck with my run had the weather not been so beautiful, as I spent a good chunk of time taking pictures!

Une Soirée au Québec - An Evening in Quebec

Fall is a double edged sword. On one hand, the hills of Quebec are on fire with autumn colour that glows as the sun breaks through the clouds. I woke up to that colour outside my 13th floor hotel room Tuesday morning. On the other hand, it gets dark early. Fortunately, I'm staying at the edge of the tourist district, which means that sundown is not an end to the day!