I am finally updating, since I finally have a job! :-) I had to wait quite a long time to get the confirmation, because after I had the interview, there was some restructuring of the department and they weren't sure if the role was going to still be there, but luckily it is, and they wanted me to do it!

So, as of yesterday, I'm officially working for the Olympic Organizing Committee! I'm so happy, it's exactly what I wanted. This week has been stressful, which is typical of a new job, but everyone is so nice, and there's such a tremendous air of excitement around the place, and the Games are still 16 months away! I can't imagine what it will be like as they get closer.

This good news came right before my birthday, which made the best present I could have asked for. Not that I didn't get some other fabulous presents too. :-) Todd got me a DVD recorder, which I have been wanting, since it will save a lot of time to record things directly onto the hard drive, rather than taping them on VHS and then having to transfer to DVD. Zorana sent me a beautiful bouquet of flowers and balloons, Laurie and Jeremy sent a very yummy chocolate-covered fruit bouquet, and Krista sent a cool DVD and a beautiful handmade set of jewellery. My mom also sent me a maple leaf pendant, to replace the one I left in a hostel in Europe a few years ago.

Todd and I also went for dinner to a lovely little Spanish tapas restaurant just down the street from our place. Todd even had some Sangria, the first time I have ever seen him drink! :-)

Earlier this month we had a great visit from my friend Jen and her family - the kids carved pumpkins and played video games while the rest of us chatted for hours. We also went for a fabulous buffet lunch at the Hotel Vancouver. All the weekends in Vancouver this month have been gorgeous, so we've explored some of the beautiful parks, including Stanley Park and Lynn Canyon - links to pictures are below.

Todd is currently temping at the Lush warehouse, which means he comes home every night smelling like Lush - which can be good or bad, depending on how you feel about Lush. :-) He says it's the only job he's ever had where he comes home cleaner than when he left! He's supposed to be starting a longer contract with a federal government department in the next few days - they're just waiting for his security clearance to go through.

So things are definitely coming together for us here, and we're looking forward to the next few months and getting ourselves into a bit of a routine. Happy Halloween to everyone, and I'll try to update sooner next month!