I am a morning person.

I wake up early, and happy. It is incredibly rare for me to sleep past 8am. Maybe if I don’t get into bed until after midnight I might sleep-in until 9am.

I’m pretty sure I get it from my mom. She sucks at sleeping, as funny as that sounds. She tosses and turns all night, checks the clock incessantly and wakes up around 4am. This is highly annoying for my father who shares a bed with her, as she is often quite chatty when she wakes up. Usually she tries to stay in bed until 6am. But after 6? She obviously sees that as fair game, and I am quite used to be woken up by her at an early hour to “keep her company.” Not that I really have a choice, because even if I say no, she just goes downstairs and blast music.

Once I am awake, I am awake. So, the blasting of such music causes me to wake up, and stay in such a state until bed time. But, it doesn’t bother me, because once I am awake, I am happy, cheerful and spunky– until about mid-afternoon when I become slightly worn out, but not too badly!

Obviously, since my mom is the same way, it’s never been a big issue at my house. Upon living with other people last year, I realized that it can be a big deal with those out there who need their beauty sleep (because ‘dey so ugliezz, heh heh). It’s not too bad when it’s your house as well, but what about at sleepovers? It’s awful! Lying there, wide awake, at 7.30am, and you know your friends won’t wake up until approaching-noon! It’s torture!

Why can’t everyone just be morning people, like me?

How about you? Are you a morning person? Or do you like to sleep-in just to spite your early-rising friends?

Last year, I spent 3 months living in the city of Kelowna, British Columbia, Canada. It’s a tourist-orientated city, that has recently boomed. As such, this creates an odd mixture of a small-town dealing with the atmosphere of a big city. It’s a really nice, close community, but still has a few downfalls, including creepy druggies who grab little 18 year old Katimavik participants (me).

Other quirky things include Welk Mart (Its website is boring, but it is AMAZING!), and my current topic of choice: the Kelowna Jedi Guy.

I’ve only seen the Jedi Guy once, and I didn’t even quite realize what I was seeing. I suppose that shows how odd I am, hardly thinking a second thought upon seeing a Jedi-clad man in the street, all Star Wars conventions quite far off. Later on, I decided to do a bit of research, which is how I came across the Facebook group I linked above.

The Kelowna Jedi Guy is legend. He is masked in mystery.

Or, he was. On Sunday, Kelowna Capital News managed to interview the Kelowna Jedi Guy! And all was revealed! Well, maybe not all, but we do now know that the Jedi Guy is homeless by choice. He lives in a tent in an undisclosed location (you would think the people of Kelowna would notice a tent somewhere, but the Jedi Guy is stealthy). His Jedi outfit isn’t really a Jedi outfit at all, but rather a practical outfit designed to keep his legs clean and dry, and shirts that keep him cool in the summer.

When I saw the Jedi Guy, he wasn’t on his bike. Because it was winter. And in the winter, he buries his bike. In the spring, he digs it out. Such is the way of the Jedi. He is also very spiritual, behaving much like a monk in the way he discards possessions and embraces discipline.

Sadly, the Jedi Guy has finished his mission to bring a never-ending sense of curiosity and puzzlement to the city of Kelowna. This summer, he plans to return to his home in Ontario, to stay with his parents– who have no idea that he is, in fact, the Jedi Guy. Thus, is the end of an era, which is why I chose to write about the Jedi Guy today. I hope his story made you smile, giggle, roll your eyes, or anything. I hope it will teach you tolerance toward any other Jedi Guys you may encounter in your days. And who knows, maybe one day you will see a somewhat “normal,” looking guy walking down a street in Ontario — and never know he’s actually the Jedi Guy.

So, bon voyage Jedi Guy!

P.S. The Jedi Guy’s name is actually Nick!

I don’t know about yours, but my parents, particularly my mom, is always going on about people on the Internet. I’m sure she doesn’t mean to be harsh, but according to her, you are all 50 year old perverted men, pleasuring yourselves to my cute little words and pictures.

What she doesn’t consider is, what if I am the pervert? What if I am the one out praying on twenty year old girls?

I’m NOT. Just to keep things clear.

I guess what my point is, is that so many people use the Internet, that it is downright impossible for all of them to be perverts or predators. In fact, chances are most of them are not! So, why is there such a stigma attached to having “Internet friends?”

Do any of you ever mention your “Internet friends,” to your other friends and family in real life? Or are they completely separate entities from your day-to-day goings on?

I just think it’s interesting, because I am quite open on the Internet. I am much quicker to spill information on myself, to share details that I haven’t shared with my friends, and all that. It’s not that I don’t trust my real life friends, but some things are just easier to share with strangers who are more likely to give impartial advice, and less likely to judge. And yet, I never mention any of these people to my real life friends. I’m sorry, really! But it’s just still a bit of an awkward topic to get into, especially when trying to prove that someone you’ve never spoken directly to isn’t an oddball.