Winter in Calgary

Well, winter has finally arrived in Calgary. We finally have snow and the temperature has remained below zero degrees for a few days now. It's towards the end of February now, but it has finally happened.

As many people are aware, although some many not be, I have been working on the process of applying for entrance to the Salvation Army's College for Officer Training. CFOT is located in Winnipeg, Manitoba and is the main centre for the training of Officers in Canada and Bermuda. Just a bit of background for my non-Army friends: Officers are the ordained clergy of the Salvation Army and serve as pastors, administrators, chaplains, etc. They are the principle leaders of the Salvation Army. Before a person is ordained and commissioned as an officer they normally (depending on experience and education) undergo two years of residential training at the Training College. During that time they are a Cadet. Before they can beginning training they are known as candidates. Candidates must complete several levels of testing, interviews, and applications to determine their suitability for service as an Officer.

Anyhow, I have been working on the process of applying. I have completed the preliminary papers and most of the health tests. But lately I've been very restless and I'm beginning to wonder if I'm ready to go to CFOT yet. I am working my second job since returning home and already I have the urge to look at other jobs. I've lived in Calgary longer than any other place I've called home, although I have only been back in the city for a few months and I can't help but dream about going somewhere else now (nothing against Calgary or my friends here). I just can't help but think that I'm not ready to commit to something like training college yet.

Of course then I think, if I'm not going to do that, what am I going to do? I certainly don't want to work in a warehouse for another year...it's a struggle some nights to finish out the night...it just isn't my thing. Should I save up and travel some more? Do a mission trip? Look at a working visa somewhere? A course somewhere like SAIT (Southern Alberta Institute of Technology) to acquire some new skills? I had started planning a backpacking trip to the UK a few years ago...maybe look at something like that again?

Don't worry, I'm not abandoning my application for training college...just re-thinking my timing...maybe I need to wait a bit longer...learn a few more things, mature a bit more, gain some experience...

Lots of maybes. Lots of questions.

Rambling born out of boredom!!

Well, I finally got this picture off my camera. I had made a Toblerone Cheesecake for my small group a few weeks ago. I got the recipe from Myrtle, one of my Australian friends. It was a big hit with the group...very easy to make too!!

So mostly I'm blogging because it's 3am, I'm bored and wanted something to do.

It was very fun to get to play in the Divisional Youth Band again. I haven't played with the group for over a year now. The DYB is a brass band made up of young people (aged 13-30 is the rule) from different Salvation Army churches in Alberta (our Division includes Alberta, the Yukon, the Northwest Territories and Nunavut). Right now we have members from Edmonton, Calgary, Lethbridge and Grande Prairie. See the map below for locations. For my Aussie and American friends, if you want to see what Canada looks like, Google "map of Canada" or something and check it out (You'll need a newer map to see where Nunavut is...it was created when the NWT was divided a few years ago).

Okay, this is kind of fun. I couldn't decide what music to listen to, so I set MediaPlayer to "shuffle" and then told it to play all the tracks in my library...so I've got Gregorian Chant, Christmas Music, Classical, Rock, Christian Contemorary, Newfoundland-Celtic, and more going...oh, and VEGGIE TALES!!

Anyways, back to DYB, it was a fun time. I'm playing cornet (kind of like a trumpet, but slightly different in appearance, design and sound). I originally learned to play on a cornet, but switched to trombone at the request of my music teacher when I was 14. We have a new interm leader for the band. The band has been without a leader since the fall, but now we have someone to take us at least up to the summer. I'm not necessarily all that big on playing my instrument, but I do enjoy spending time with the other members. We have some good times!! This month we were missing a lot of members though...everyone from Edmonton and Grande Prairie. It was a pretty sad sight, but we still had a good time.

Starting tonight I am working 4, 10 hour shifts at work instead of 5, 8 hour shifts. So from now on I work Sunday, Monday, Wednesday and Thursday starting at 8pm. Of course we never finish until around 7:30am, so it's actually closer to a 12 hour shift.

Saturday it was something like 13 degrees Celsius out (55.4 degrees Fahrenheit for my American friends)!! Our winter has been increadibly warm this year!! I jogged to band practice this morning...although it wasn't quite that warm at that time of day. It was beautiful!! I love that I can go running or cycling in Calgary and be completely surrounded by park and woods and not be able to see any of the signs that I live in a large city. The sky was so clear and the mountains looked magnificant. I'm going to have to back out and take my camera with me sometime...not sure when. I would today if I didn't have to wear uniform...although I suppose I could get my parents to take that over with them and I could get changed at the church...I'll think about it. But I will get pictures posted somtime.

Okay, well, I didn't really have much to say to start with and I've rambled long enough now.

Take care everyone!!