I picked up my camera tonight for the first time in ages. I had this idea for a headshot a few weeks ago so it was fun to try it out tonight.

350 Days Later...

It's been almost a year since my last entry so I think it's definately time to give a bit of an update. Perhaps, the best way to do this is to give you a short update for each month.

June 2007
I had an incredible trip out West with my parents. I got the chance to see so many wild animals, including bears, elk, caribou and mountain sheep. I went on some great hikes and saw many beautiful mountains and glaciers. My two weeks out West were amazing and I'm so happy that I got to share that experience with my parents.

July 2007
I went to Los Angeles in July to present my research at the ASME Solar Energy Conference. The conference was good, although the morning of my talk, the HVAC system in my hotel room broke down and starting seeping out ammonia into my room. Apart from that little mishap, I had a really good time. :) I tried surfing for the first time which was an absoluate blast! I also went Canyoneering in the mountains nearby and paragliding near Malibu, which were both sensational! I went to Hollywood to check out the Hollywood Walk of Fame and also checked out the Warner Brothers Studio which was really cool. There was also a Animation Conference near my hotel so there were lots of colourful characters walking the streets. I made a video (my third showreel for Pilot Guides) when I was down there. I posted it below if you would like to check it out. :)

August 2007 - May 2008 Coming soon!


My parents and I at the top of Whistlers mountain in Jasper.


A short video that I made on the Canadian Rockies.


A short video that I made on La La Land...

Trip to Canadian Rockies

Sixteen hours from now, I will be boarding a plane heading to Calgary, Alberta. Yipee! I have yet to pack my suitcase or figure out what to bring. Mitts, check, tuque, check, camera, check, plane ticket, check. Looks like rain is in the forecast for this week (rainjacket, check) but that certainly won't spoil my fun. I'm meeting up with my parents in Calgary tomorrow night. We will be heading up to Jasper the next morning via the Icefields Parkway. I can't wait to see the Rocky Mountains! I've only ever seen them from an airplane window when I was flying to Vancouver and that was only for a few minutes. What I'm looking forward to most is seeing this part of Canada for the first time with my parents - a full week spent hiking mountains, visiting glaciers and hot springs, and hopefully seeing lots of wildlife. Wow.

On Thursday night, we will be returning to Banff. I will be attending a research meeting over the weekend while my parents explore Banff. On Sunday, we will be traveling back to Calgary. I will be attending the SESCI Conference for the remaining of the week while my parents continue their trip out West.

Will be a great trip. See you when I get back. Take care,

Cynthia

Happy Birthday Tommy!

Hey Tommy,

Wish I could be with you to celebrate your birthday! Have a great weekend and best birthday wishes! Keep smiling always!

Your little sister who loves you,

Cindy xox

Geocache Marathon

My dad, sister and brother came up to visit me last weekend. What a treat! My dad brought his new GPS with him so we spent a large part of the weekend looking for geocaches in the Kingston area. It was so much fun! Finding a geocache was one of the activities listed in my 43 Things List so I was happy to be able to cross it off my list. I was looking forward to geocaching for a long time. The best part - not only did we find 1 geocache but 17 of them!! With the help of David and Matt on Saturday and Sunday, we found more geocaches and got to explore parts of Kingston we hadn't seen before.

Here are a few photos from our geocaching weekend. To see more photos, go to my Flickr Page or David's Flickr Page.

Comprehensive Exams (Part A) Are Over!

As many of you know, I've been very busy these last couple months studying for my Ph.D. comprehensive exams. I don't think I've ever been so exhausted and so stressed out in my entire life! Thanks to the help of my family, my friends and my supervisor, I pulled through and came out alive and smiling for the first time in weeks.

Thank you to everyone who came out to celebrate with me over the weekend. It was really great to see you all.

Have You Seen Campus Lately?

Construction began last month on University Avenue and Union Street (see right). The University Avenue reconstruction project is intended to provide a more accessible and more beautiful public street for pedestrians, cyclists and vehicles. The roadway will be replaced, the sidewalk will be widened, and a new line of street trees in spacious lawns will re-establish. The project also includes the replacement of water and sewer services and tie-ins to buildings along the street. The tentative completion date is December 2007.

The photo shown below is an artist's rendering of University Avenue south from the corner of Union Street following revitalisation.