Marie's truck.

Marie is so much happier in Canmore. she describes the feeling of being in Banff with no job, and no money, as a "horrible cycle, a death trap";
if she was by herself, having arrived in Banff she would have left in the first 2 weeks when it became obvious there were not enough jobs for the many young people hoping to attain the dream of living in the Canadian mountain ski town and working to sustain a snowboarding way of life. she would have seen it was not working, and have moved to Vancouver, maybe Vancouver Island, which she has heard is very nice, and come back to Banff in the summer. but, there was Sophie, and Aaron, Brett's brother, and Brett himself, so there was a lot of pressure.
She felt she had applied for 500 jobs, and had been rejected every time. All the money they had managed to save in Melbourne was vanishing. She would wake up in the morning, and feel that she was making the wrong decision, every day, in staying.
Then she decided to apply for a job in Canmore. When she was going there, she told me they would have to buy car, because Canmore is 25km away from Banff. She applied for a cafe job, She gave them her CV but they said they were not hiring at the moment, would not be hiring for a couple of months, but would keep her CV.
Marie and Brett thought they might have to move to Calgary. I think they must have made an ad for a car, because when I talked to her on Sunday (10/1/10) and she told me the story about the Truck she said there had been only one person who called them back. -
Marie and Brett were in Calgary, they were not going to be able to go away and think about it, and then come back, it was too far, and so they had to make a snap decision.
Marie said "I felt sick - it was the worst thing, I said we don't need this, its so much money.

But, Brett wanted it, and they were thinking of being there for over a year, they couldn't keep on hitching, its so cold.
So they bought the Truck
paid $650 for it, and it was arranged it would be brought to Banff the following week.
This happened, but Marie and Brett hadn't done much investigating. You have to have the car checked by the insurance company, if it is over 10 years old. This truck was parked on the side of the road in Banff. They had to wait until they had sorted out the insurance, and until then, Brett couldn't drive it.

Before she had left for her job interview in Canmore, a week earlier, Marie felt really down, and told SOph that she had made up her mind that she was leaving Canada, going back to NZ, she had had enough. SOphie told her not to be such a psycho, and she said well that's fine, but I can't take it any more.
She went to the interview
and the guy said "You've got a job, you can start tomorrow or Monday"
she nearly cried!

the Father of a person A person who worked there had a heart attack, and she had to leave

which was how Marie got the job! Marie got a job!!!
And a week later on boxing day the person at the gas station who had taken Bretts CV and said they were not hiring rang him and said come for an interview,
at the gas station - Marie and Brett had to hitch as they had sepnt Christmas at SOphie and Aaron'a place in Banff, and noone picked them up, so she had to go back in and borrow money from Soph, $60. (This turned out to be quite hard for SOph,because she had bought new snowboarding boots that month, so now had $12 to survive for a week - but that's another story)
Brett went for the interview, and - crazy, again someone had had to leave becasue of msfortune - one of the employees had hurt his knee, = and Brett was given the job, to start immediately! and he got the job to start straight away as well!!.
Marie was so relieved, because its amn amazing feeling.
she has been snowboarding (tho she is realy stiff especially he thighs) - the truck got towed, and they had to pay $400 to get it back (The guys Brett works for also work for the towing company which towed Marie and Bretts truck away) They had to pay for a new battery because it got left out in the paddock at the to place where it was towed, and this stuffs the battery, in the extreme cold. and it costs $90 for an insurance check, you don't have a WOF or rego, but when the vehicle changes hands you have to pay $20. Marie had to hitch hike to Banff to get the tools to get the battery out. Tehn they were too small, so she had to buy a tool to undo the bolts. But Aaron Brett's brother is a mechanic, so he will do the work of replacing gthe bulb - Aaron and Brett's father is a collector of army vehicles and knows a lot about mechanics and so Aaron know s a bit about trucks, having picked it up over the years. So he may be able to help with the headlights which are too dim, and the indicator light, which is not working at present.
At the moment Brett and Marie are under 25 - it is cheaper to get insurance with these ages and they are on kiwi licenses. With different licenses it gets complicated: say Brett was over 25 and Marie was under 25 it would cost more. At the moment insurance costs $125 a month, but, that is all you pay, no WOF and no REGO.
They can put all 4 boards in the back and go up the mountain with SOph and Aaron. They are going to do this someday. But not this week -
Marie's day pass costs $25 and you get a bus pass included. SOphie will hitchhike because that is what she does. They are going on Thursday 14/1/10.
The truck is so huge - when Marie and Brett are on each side with their seatbelts on there is a half meter between them! and you can't lean over and open the other door, you have to take off your seatbelt and shuffle over. Brett loves the truck. A red Ford f1-50. Classic American.

Marie is planning to stay on in Canmore in their apartment after the snowboarding season.
And not go to Australia to save money as planned at first.
They will have their debts paid off in March, and then can start saving. They will stay for the snowboarding season in winter 10, and in April next year come back to Dunedin and Brett finish his degree. Marie will work and think about what she wants to do in 2012.
Cam is so happy to hear that Marie is coming back to Dunedin. Soph wants to do her masters, but, I don't think she will do it in Dunedin.