I guess I'm still pretty smart! and my favourite things about Saskatoon

Not having been in school or anything really even remotely close for 4 years, I've been pretty nervous the past few weeks about what my first marks in my evening class would be. Had I forgotten how to study? (no) Had I forgotten how to do homework? (no, but I still don't like it). Turns out, I can still do well in school...after 3 assignments and 2 exams I have about a 92 ish % average! I'm pretty pumped because in order to take the Level II of my course (which will enable me to work up to being a paralegal which is my ultimate goal), I have to have an 80% in this class and 2 others which I'll be taking in the summer and fall. I hope I can keep up the good grades!

Speaking of school, I start my full time classes on May 1st - that would be Tuesday, in only 5 days! I am really excited - mostly to get out and apply myself to something again. Its been a long haul since the end of November when I went on stress leave from Carman Mennonite and I am ready to take this step to start another chapter of life. I'm also excited to meet people - don't get me wrong, I love my family but I don't know too many other people in Saskatoon so it'll be good to get to know the people in my program. Here's a picture of what SBC (Saskatoon Business College looks like) :

In the past month and a half I've been in Saskatoon, I've been struck by the beauty of this city. I mean I love Winnipeg, but Saskatoon is just really pretty with all the bridges and the gorgeous scenery at the University. Here are some pictures of my new home city...

<-- Saskatoon at night. I'm trying to figure out which bridge this is...I think its the Broadway Bridge.

<-- The walkway and park with the Bessborough in the background. My mom and I go walking along this walkway about once a week during the summer and then sometimes (for a treat!) stop for ice cream at the Double Decker bus Ice Cream shop that sits by the Bez. The river runs along the walkway.

The beautiful flower gardens that are placed all over the university. I never went to school here a day in my life, but I think it is the most beautiful campus.

I think one of my favourite parts of the whole city is the Agriculture buildings at the U of S. I can't find any good pictures of it, but it is literally an entire farm stuck right in the middle of the city and in the middle of the university grounds. Driving down Preston to go to Old Navy 2 days ago I was struck by how only in Saskatchewan you could be at Old Navy 1 minute and driving past roaming cows the next.

Another thing I like about Saskatoon is how small it is, despite everything it offers. Saskatoon has quite a few famous people living here or born here (for those of you unaware, Joni Mitchell and Gordie Howe are both from here), including some Canadian Idol finalists. So it shouldn't have been strange to me when yesterday afternoon as I was having coffee at a Tim Horton's just a few blocks away from our house, sitting next to me was this person:

OK, so only those of you who are avid summer watchers of the phenomenon that is Canadian Idol will know who this is. This is Josh Palmer (who yes, is from Saskatoon), who was the 6th finalist in Canadian Idol season 3. I just loved him that season and everytime I see an advertisment for CI coming up this summer (I personally like it better than American Idol because I have a few connections to it and it just seems so much less commercialized and well...American!) I wonder what the heck Josh Palmer is up to. I guess now I know, he's at Tim Horton's! So I was a bit flustered for the first few minutes and my mom wants to know why I didn't ask for his number (yes, that would have been CLASSY...reaching across the table and interupting his conversation to ask for his number...good call mom). But I now have motivation to go to see his band if they perform here over the summer!

Other things I am growing to love about my new home city:

~Broadway and 2nd Ave. shops. Very much like Osbourne in Winnipeg

~free parking downtown in the evenings (which means I don't have to pay for parking when I'm at my night class)

~Costa Blanca, my new favourite clothing store in Midtown Mall. I wish Winnipeg had had one of these. Its amazing and fairly cheap.

~Saigon Vietnamese restaurant on 33rd - I've been there with my mom 4 times since I've moved home 6 weeks ago.

~city bus drivers are SO much better than the ones on Winnipeg (at least I haven't been almost hit by one yet which was almost a weekly occurance in Wpg).

~the biggest Walmart in Western Canada just off Circle Dr. East (at least I've heard on more than one occassion that it is). It is literally bigger than the Wheatland Mall in Swift Current.

~how excited people got about the Juno awards being here. There was a HUGE rumour that Justin Timberlake (aka my future husband) was in the city that weekend and was seen at the Midtown Mall by himself. Yes, Justin Timberlake, probably one of the top 10 most famous people in the world, decided to come to Saskatoon for the Canadian Music Awards and walk around the Midtown Mall by himself with no security. People will believe anything these days (I have to admit I believed he was in the city for about 5 minutes, although I think it was mostly hope we would actually meet rather than actual belief he was here).

~construction on Circle Dr. West (oh wait, that belongs in the HATE list). Ugh

One other note - I bought a Dancing with the Stars Cardio Workout DVD this week. I haven't done it yet but it's going to be amazing. Mainly because it is lead by Maksim Chmerkovskiy who would do quite nicely if I don't get a chance to marry Justin...