Noel

I've been up to soo much lately. So much that I'm too exhausted to blog, but as far as I can tell so is everyone else who blogs. Ha. Every blog I follow has been quiet. So I don't feel too bad.

A few highlights from my last two weeks include:

My dear friend Mary Turri was in Calgary for a visit, we had an awesome couple of days hanging out! It was absolutely lovely.

I went to Market Collective, TWICE. It was great both times.

I got to experience the River Cafe in Prince's Island Park, downtown Calgary for another good friend's birthday brunch. It included adorable outfits, champagne, and delicious eggs. On the expensive side it is definitely worth a trip downtown and a walk through the park.

I spent a couple days Christmas shopping and I even had a couple of sick days.

Tomorrow is my last day of work before Christmas holidays and my last day of my coop work term and the last day of my coop experience. Feels good to be done.

Merry Christmas :)

Christmas Christmas Christmas!

I know I posted a Christmas song yesterday but I can't help myself - and it is such an easy blog post! ha.

This is Jason Maraz's version of Winter Wonderland and I love it. It seems like there are soo many versions of Christmas songs that sound exactly alike, I find this version fresh and new. Hope you enjoy :)

If I have time tonight I might post again about one Sir John Lennon but that might have to wait.

((°J°))

Maybe this Christmas ❄

I love this Christmas song. I hope you enjoy it.

Please ignore the Gossip Girl clips, I couldn't find a basic version of the song I could embed without the clips.

delicious in yyc

This weekend I spent a large portion of my time working on my coop report, sitting down writing about whether or not I achieved my goals, what I learned, and what I hope to do to get a great career in the future. BORING! ha. Well although it is good to look back and reflect it is really the last thing I want to do during the first weekend in December. I will say that I have enjoyed working but most of all I've enjoyed not having to spend all my weekends and free time in the university library or cooped up in my room studying. I do love studying but the constant lack of freedom to do what you really want is tiring.

That said I still had a great weekend!

Among other things I went to brunch with my brothers plus one at the Lazy Loaf and Kettle. If you haven't been there you should go. I've been a few times but it has been quite a while since I last went and I had never had breakfast there, always lunch. This time I had breakfast, an omelet to be exact. It came with wonderful hash browns and toast. It was delicious. And the great thing is - they are great at lunch too. They have awesome breads (for delicious sandwiches) and soups - which both change daily. They also do an excellent job at coffees and teas.

It is a fun place to go. When you go in you find a table, put yourself down and head up to the cash register. Along the way you pick up a little order slip, highlight your order and hand it to the cashier, and pick up any delicious muffins or cookies you want along the way. After the moderately priced transaction is complete you are given a number and head back to your own table. On the walls hangs local art that you can purchase. You can get your own water and waitresses never bug you at your table. It is a nice change of pace. When you are done you bus your own table and head on your way.

It is a lovely little restaurant and one I never feel bad about eating at. You should go!

I didn't take this picture, but it is really accurate. You can sense the deliciousness.

thirteen (days of work remain)

Happy first weekend of December! I hope it includes Christmas Cheer and the like. If you are heading to the malls I wish you well, have patience and take deep breaths.

This weekend I am doing homework - believe it or not - as a coop student you have to write a report at the end of it all. So I'm going to spend some time this weekend doing that. I also have a dentist check up, a soccer game, and a massage. Yesterday I went down to the Festival of Crafts for some perusing. It was lovely. I didn't purchase anything, but there was lots of great stuff to look at.

I'm also hoping to squeeze in a viewing of the Grinch this weekend.

Merry Christmas!

Rebecca Sullivan

Rebecca Sullivan is a prof at the UofC who terrifies me. She terrifies me because she is so intelligent, so well spoken, and such a hard core feminist who expects the world from her students. So she terrifies me because I think she is amazing. I've avoided her courses but the more I hear her talk the more I wish she was my supervisor for a masters. Over a month ago she was on Q debating the Glee casts scantily clad GQ cover. I liked it because she didn't damn the girls for doing it, she damned society for making such behaviour the norm and then punishing the actresses when they bent to societies demands. It is an interesting listen and one that stayed with me for a long time.

Find it here.

Keurig. Invest.

Recently it was my big brother's birthday. He received a Keurig coffee brewer as a present. I haven't used it much, but the more I use it the more I think it is genius - except of course for pang of guilt I get every time for feeling wasteful for needing so many little prepackaged containers that I throw away.

Moving past that, this brews the perfect cup of coffee every time and because I'm not in charge of how much water or how much grounds are used it is never too strong, too weak, or too bitter. Another added bonus is that it takes less than a minute to brew, is insanely simple to use, and comes out at the perfect temperature.

The only real set back seems to be finding the K-cups in stores - they do seem to be easy to find online though. They also have tea, but something about brewing a cup of tea in under a minute makes me feel like it misses the point of tea - again technicalities I suppose.

CBC is fun

Today on Q with Jian Ghomeshi, Jian interviewed Jennifer Posner (a media critic). I found it quite interesting. It reminded me a great deal of some of my comms classes and although I didn't agree entirely with what she had to say. I don't really feel like stereotypes are so clearly projected, well at least not entirely. I guess you'll have to take a listen and see for yourself.

The reason I pass this along is because so often I feel like we too uncritically think about what we do, consume, and mindlessly accept from popular media. If we demanded intelligent programing, or even just demanded that stereotypes and images that are harmful be removed we could do a world of good.

Find it here.

Enjoy!

I'd love to apologize but I feel no need

Winter has made me lethargic and as such I have lost my motivation to do anything other than sleep and watch movies.

I'll see you on the other side of this cold snap.

On a positive note, Christmas Holidays are less than a month away.

Also I saw Harry Potter opening weekend and it was fabulous.

I also bowled by myself. I guess people are doing it now a days. For me it was unintentional. I'll let you ponder that.

Also, bowling is more fun with beer in hand. "Donny you are out of your element"

Hope you are all staying warm.

I Love...

When the city seems like a ski resort!

It doesn't happen often but it seems something like this:

Everything is covered in fresh snow, it is lightly snowing so the sky is overcast but just enough so that the sun still peaks through just a little. There isn't wind and the snow falls ever so lightly. It is chilly enough that you need to bundle but that is a good thing because it feels real.

I love that.

Ski resorts seem like a magical place.

I wish skiing was more affordable so I could go all the time. Maybe one day.

Weekends are for living.

Over this past weekend I took some time to relax which I will use as my main excuse for a serious lack of blogging.

Thursday was Remembrance Day. I started the day with my Brother, we went out to breakfast at a wonderful little restaurant in town, you may have heard of it, Dairy Lane Cafe. I would have to say that bar none it was the best breakfast I have ever had.

In an attempt to avoid any lines we woke up early and headed down. Dairy Lane Cafe sits about 20 people and there is no waiting area.

While they had us wait they handed us a cup of delicious coffee and we waited outside. So now you are thinking, like I initially did, waiting outside in the cold? That sounds awful. But in addition to the delicious coffee they hand out blanket and have a huge heating lamp. All in all the wait could even be described as enjoyable. Check out that sweet pic - you can even see the steam coming off the coffee!

When we did get inside it did take a while to decide what to order, you see a great deal of the food they serve is locally grown and produced so this is the real deal. I ordered stuffed french toast with cinnamon spread and berry compote - it was so good!

Anyways you should go try it out, the wait is well worth the food and service!

We arrived home in time to take in the Remembrance Day ceremony from Ottawa which is something I think we should all do; we must take time to remember.

I headed down to Vulcan for a few days and then back to Calgary to play a game of soccer Saturday night. It was great, we tied 5-5 which for us is a great accomplishment. As most of us had never played together before and many of us had never played indoor before it took some time for us to meld. I was never much of a soccer player, but then they never offered it as a school sport so really I didn't have many opportunities. Right now we are playing in an indoor league which is considerably different than the outdoor soccer we play in the summer. Both are fun but indoor is way more intense. I like it. We have blue jerseys.

I spent Sunday at the movies. I went to see "Nowhere Boy" which is a biopic about John Lennon's adolescents. Think right before The Quarrymen to right before Hamburg. It really spotlights his family life and the troubles with him Mom. It was very good, but of course I would love it.

Dream. Boat.

The only thing I didn't like about the movie really has nothing to do with the movie, well the film itself. I think I read this a few years ago when the film was being made, but I relearned that the star (as seen above) was 19 at the time and was in a relationship with the director who was something like 41 at the time. Creepy. They are engaged and have a daughter. It weirds me out.

I spent the rest of my Sunday doing your average weekend things, groceries, laundry, etc.

Hope you had a good weekend!

I Love...

Taking Friday Off!

As a student I rarely ever had class on Friday. I made it my scheduling goal that should I have class it would always be done before noon. I would relish the feeling of walking off campus at 11am when everyone was walking on. I have to say that one of the hardest things to get used to with full time work is full days on Fridays. Usually when I was in school I spent my Fridays catching up on tv shows I'd missed during the week, napping, etc. it was my day to rest before I spent the weekend studying. It was a good system. Now however I spend most of the day at work and the rest of my evening wishing I wasn't quite so exhausted. Because I'm on a coop work term taking days off isn't really a thing one can do, at least not often. I'm only there for four months.

Lately, in an attempt to maximize my profits before I leave, I've been working weekends at the pool lifeguarding. I've been working 6-12 day work weeks and it really makes you appreciate unscheduled time.

I took Friday off so I get a four day weekend! I am so excited for the break.

I Love...

Movember

Who doesn't love an ironic mustache from time to time? Especially when it is for a good cause.

If you haven't heard the month of November is Movember - men stop shaving their mustaches and start raising money for Prostate Cancer. It is great and hilarious. I don't know if I could support mustaches all year round, at least not on all men, but for the month of November, Let it grow!

More Markets!

I spent most of my weekend working, working or sleeping. On Friday I made my way to Flight Centre to check out some details on booking flights - something I should have done a long time ago but whatever. While at the mall my friend crashed my mall trip and we spent the rest of the evening pursuing the mall, it was lots of fun.

On Saturday morning we (Meghan and I) met up at the Chinese Cultural Centre for Make It! Calgary another local market that brings in crafters and creators from farther away than Market Collective and it only happens once a year.

The ceiling inside the Chinese Cultural Centre, very cool.

The market, it was quite busy (photo by Meghan)

Check out these awesome headbands! The lady freaked, and I mean freaked when she saw my hair and then insisted on finding me the exact perfect headband. Although I wanted two and stood there with Meghan as we each hummed and hawed for nearly half an hour we both walked away with one each - we are trying to save money you see. (Photo by Meghan)

This is the one I didn't buy. I took a picture so I would remember what it looked like so one day I will be able to buy it. She uses all real feathers! So cool.

We also both got these awesome pendants. It is a scrabble piece on one side and a cute picture on the other! (Photos by Meghan)

Oh and last but not least I went back and bought my plane tickets today! I stopped by AMA first to see if they could get me a better deal. Their price = $1700 one way, Flight Centre = $700 one way, the decision was easy. I leave January 26th!

It weirds me out...

When my socks don't match. Or when they don't match what I am wearing. I think about it all day. Can not handle it.

and,

when the toilet paper in a public stall is pulled out almost to the ground. Why is it so long? What was the last person doing? Did they re-pull it out after they tore their piece off? How could it be that long?

Things to ponder I suppose.

Happy Weekend Friends.

Holland

3 months away.

So much to do, so little time... I think.

I Love...

The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson

If you don't watch it you should. In fact you should watch it just for his monologue. The guests are often great but it is usually because Ferguson is so insanely ridiculous. He rarely follows directions of a regular late night show and continually lets you know that the show is somewhat a farce. He doesn't take well to complements and is continually self-deprecating. It is great. Because he is great.

But back to his monologue, it almost always has me laughing out loud. By far best late night man out there right now. Sorry Jimmy, I love you and I think your show is tons of fun but Ferguson has you beat. He is hysterical. And he has a robot that speaks.

You should watch.

I just wish it was on earlier at night so I could stay up and watch it more often.

I Love...

Markets!

I love the community feel of a market, any kind of market. I especially love artistry markets where people are dealing things that they personally make by hand. I of course love a good farmers market but there seems to be less things that captivate me at a farmers market - although that should not discredit the sheer magic of a farmers market. The atmosphere is perfect and the food is delicious. I also love christmas markets or fairs and all the like but they often seem to have so much more manufactured stuff and more expensive stuff. However I still love to wander around them even if I leave with nothing in hand.

My favorite market around here is Market Collective. I think I love it because it is young at heart, it just started a few years ago, and everyone who comes to see their goods are so genuine. They make creative, new, lovely things and they stand behind them 100%. I always tell myself to go and buy nothing but I always leave with something. I think I found one of my favorite photographers there too, I love everything she does and I've even bought a few of her prints. They have live music, awesome artists, art installations (many of which are often interactive), and free coffee!

Here are some pictures from my morning:

These are pins made out of bottle caps. This booth had such great bracelets!! (Bottles Decapitated) It looks like they don't have an etsy page.

These are magnets that I bought from Amy Victoria Wakefield, the photographer I mentioned before. Her photos make me smile. Etsy page here!

They have live music from local artists all day and they are usually really great. It adds to the atmosphere in the building.

Last but definitely not least is one of my favorite things about MC, they bring in local photographers to set up a photo booth and each time it is weird and creative. It is tons of fun to go in and get a crazy picture done. Here is my friend Meghan and I getting ready. This weekend's theme was "Chess in a hay field" It was awesome!

I Love...

The C of Red!!

The good old hockey game,

its the best game you can name;

And the best game you can name,

is the good old hockey game!

Hockey is so fun to watch, about as good as curling but I'm sure I'll get into that when the spiels start up, ha. I don't often get to go down to the Dome to watch a game but when I do it is always so much fun. Tickets are expensive and such a luxury. Luckily for me my brother occasionally gets tickets and sometimes takes me along with him. I love sporting the flaming C on my jersey and enjoying some unreasonably priced beer.

Nothing quite like being at the dome chillin' with Jarome. GO FLAMES GO!!

I Love...

Glee!

I was definitely not a regular viewer when this show came out, which wasn't because I didn't like it, it was just because I hadn't had a chance to see it. As a student I worked during my nights and often that meant forfeiting tv shows. I had heard the buzz and I love musicals but I just never really found the time to get into it. I even had a coworker who would weekly tell me how awesome the show was and how I had to watch it because I would love it. I was sure I would love it.

And then one day while waltzing through my local HMV to see what was new I spotted the first season for some ridiculous cheap price, I'm talking $30 here which for tv on dvd is pretty stellar. I snapped that up and fell in love immediately! It is endearing, witty, funny, happy, and touches on some pretty decent subject matter and it always leaves me with a smile. No matter what if I throw in an ep I'll be gleaming by the end.

I think I watched that first season (of half season if we want to get technical) 3 times all the way through before the next season (ok the second half of the first season) came out.

Not trying to be a dorky superfan I didn't want to buy the cds and geek out too hard but then I figured why not? ha. I listen to it all the time and even it brings a smile to my face.

Glee = Ray of Sunshine from my TV = Happy Tuesday nights!

Goodnight Gleeks!

I Love...

Vegetables!

I don't understand or comprehend why people don't like veggies, or refuse to eat them. I've never really been a sweet tooth - I rarely every crave sweets or chocolate - but when I go too long without some great veggies I know exactly what to do. Yum! I love (almost) all of them. Give me a little ranch dip and some fresh chopped veggies - perfection. I love eating a variety of veggies as well - not sticking just to one.

I could also go on a rampage telling you about how I HATE "baby carrots" they don't even taste like anything other than watery chemicals. I love going to the Farmer's Market to pick up real carrots that actually taste like real carrots. Takes me back to growing up with a huge vegetable garden in the back yard of my house. We had all sorts of veggies, carrots, peas, potatoes, different varieties of lettuce, etc! It was great. When we played in the back yard and we wanted a snack we would grab a carrot out of the ground, wash it off under the hose and keep right on playing. Fabulous!

I just recently starting eating peppers - they are pretty tasty - and definitely something I didn't really have a taste for a few years ago. One things I'll never have a taste for is celery! the worst of all vegetables and not just because it is stringy and has a taste that overpowers all other tastes - no matter how small the bits - it is practically all water. Nonsense.

So go grab a bottle of ranch and a mushroom - it is delicious!

I'm Obsessed With...

I love nail polish (specifically OPI for Sephora)

What a girl thing to say, but hey, I do love it.

A year or two ago I was in the mall and something wasn't going my way, at times like this I usually try and buy something little to brighten my day. On that day I bought the my first bottle of OPI for Sephora nail polish (in Ocean Love Potion); the nail polish that started it all.

It isn't like I didn't have nail polish before, and it isn't like I wasn't a fan, but it wasn't until I bought this nail polish that I really fell in love with it. Unlike most brands of nail polish this one actually stays on your nails for upwards of a week without chips. Considering how long nail polish takes to put on (if you want to do a stand up job) it is crucial to have it last.

The second reason I love it is the amazing colours! Sephora stocks a huge variety of colour and now I do to! I have reds, purples, greens, yellow, pinks, black, and variations of all of the above. Recently, trends in nail colour shifted from the usual reds and pinks, to a huge variety of pastels, and bright, bold colours. It is way more fun to play around with!

Lastly the reason I love this nail polish is the wonderful names, you are never painting your nails with "red" nail polish. They always have the best names. Some of my favorite colours are Ocean Love Potion, Havana Dreams, Don't Go There, And a Cherry on Top, and Dark Room. How fun is that!

Oh and they are almost always coming out with four or five new colours in sets which means that there is always something new to buy - which is pretty much the perfect marketing campaign for an addict.

Hope I haven't bored you with my undying love for this nail polish.

Things I Love

Clearly, my long-winded, somewhat insightful (at least into my head) posts just can't keep coming. I'd love to but when I draft one I either feel pretentious or rude or whatever. And I just don't have the energy to do it right now, or perhaps it isn't the energy, it is the motivation. I have grown complaisant.

So for now (until motivation arises) I am going to do something a little different. I think I should be able to keep up with this (although I do feel like I am cheapening the point of this blog).

Things I Love.

I Love the smell of my yoga mat.

Mostly my yoga mat just smells like rubber, but it is a little different kind of rubber that takes my mind directly back to the hot yoga studio on 14th The Bodhi Tree. I can literally see and sense the yoga studio around me. It is such a calming thing. Hot yoga makes you feel amazing and there is something so clarifying about it that makes you want to be a healthier person. If my back wasn't in such dire straights lately I'd be down there every weekend. It was an excellent way to start a weekend or end a long day of work. They say that scent is the strongest sense tied to memory and the smell of my yoga mat is no exception. Namaste.

Gobble Freaking Gobble!

Happy Thanksgiving Canadians!

What better way to celebrate than a festive meal, a bottle or two of wine, and watching the Canucks lose the hockey game?!

Hope your respective weekends are off to a great start. I am finally able to enjoy a Thanksgiving without feeling guilty for not studying for some midterm/writing some paper that would be due next week, and for the I am thankful!

So pour yourself a glass of red, kick your feet up, and enjoy the lulling effects of the Tryptophan.

And heck a long weekend after my second 12 day work week in a row isn't bad either. :)

In these bodies we live, In these bodies we die, Where you invest your love, You invest your life

Today I was going to write you a well overdo criticism of the GAPs jeans/pants department but upon writing it almost entirely out I said to myself, who in their right mind cares that I think GAP jeans (although nice looking) always disappoint.

On an entirely different note - today I went to Chapters and purchased Lonely Planet - Europe on a Shoestring.

Up until now, well still even now, it has (does) felt like this trip is eons away and it does feel like it is something that isn't for real. Probably because it is too amazing to be true, and also probably because I applied on a whim, chose the city somewhat by random, and it seemed oh so easy to be accepted. It might also feel like it is so far off because I feel like I hardly have time to do my laundry and get to bed at a reasonable hour let alone plan and prepare myself to go to school in another country. Well it will happen and it will be amazing.

On another note I decided to take my hail insurance off my car and take the $2400 for the damage that the scariest hail storm I ever drove through did to Jemaine - hope he forgives me. That money is going straight to Europe with me. Hope I made the right call.

Finally, yesterday night (Tuesday) while out at dinner with my fam (Globefish SUSHI yumm yumm) I fully appreciated being a working adult and didn't really want to go back to school next fall. I think this is a great thing because most of the time when I think about graduating I am beyond excited but also beyond scared. Now I am mostly beyond excited. Evenings and weekends free and a real pay check - and I am really enjoying reading books of my choice for my own pleasure - not textbooks in the library on a Saturday night for 5 hours at a time. Oh life outside of school has never looked so good. Just give me 15 months, one trip to Europe, and a final haul and I'll be out of the crazy - wonderful - sleep lacking - world of post secondary education. Can't wait.

Mondays are rough.

Sometimes I wish life was all popsicles, motorboats, suntan lines, and laughs. But then again skin cancer is a bitch and the amount of sugar in popsicles could lead to diabetes. I guess you've got to take what you can get and enjoy it while you can.

Happy Monday ;)

Look (Megs) I cooked!

I used to live with a close friend of mine and she was always really great at making dinner. Really good at it in the sense that not only did she consistently make dinner, she consistently made delicious smelling (and I can imagine delicious tasting) dinner. I on the other hand rarely made dinner and when I did they were simple, quick, and not overly amazing. I think this happened for a few years. First I don't really like making dinner, mostly I do it so that I can eat and in the long run not starve to death but I think Meghan really enjoys cooking. Also last year I worked a lot of evenings which had me getting home anywhere between 10 and 11 pm so making dinner at that point is just silly. Lastly, there is something about making dinner by yourself for yourself seem less exciting then when you either cook together or cook for others.

That being said, I still love a delicious meal and tonight while both my brothers were out of the house to watch some pre-season hockey down at the dome I decided it was the perfect evening for pita pizzas. Quick, easy, delicious, and so satisfying.

Here's my proof:

Left is essentially a veggie pizza with some ham and the right is hawaiian.

These have to be my two favorite pizzas. I love lots of veggies but I kind of feel cheated if there is no meat so I often order veggie pizzas and add some meat and I think I've loved hawaiian pizza since I was allowed to eat ham. Delicious!

The only thing that was missing was Arizona Blueberry Green Tea - this stuff has been harder to find than water in the desert lately and I love it so much! Bar none it is my favorite of all drinks, if I could buy it in 4L jugs I would stock my house with it at all times. So if you ever find it on the shelves you should let me know where I can get it because as far as I can tell there is nothing else like it out there.

Couldn't find a better picture :(

Who knows.

Some days (mostly when I am so tired I want to punch the guy infront of me on the bus in the back of the head because I was hungry and I could hear his shitty music blaring from his ear buds) I try to update my blog but it just doesn't work.

I'd like to think that is because I hold this blog to such a high standard that unless my witticism and zany insights are tip top I can't post them.

Well today I started and deleted about three posts before this one so clearly I am having one of those days, which is likely a result of a weekend spent not resting - but what can you do I'm trying to keep my eye on the prize and push though the pain. (the prize being less debt so moving to Holland doesn't end me, and the pain of course being working two jobs)

So instead of a real blog update, I will leave you with this short video for a couple of reasons.

1) It makes me happy

2) Upon seeing it as a child I was convinced that there was nothing better than having a bed in the ground AND a house that has two doors that go into the same house

3) John Lennon is still my #1 love and close ups of George acting jealous are funny

Ok, one more for good measure. This one is awesome for a different reason. He'll kill you.

Weekends hold such possibility.

At least more weekends holds such possibility. Not this one, this one holds two (full) days of work at my second job, but I'm not complaining, I'm just saying that I have yet to figure out when I will have time to do my laundry - and I desperately need to do my laundry.

One of my favorite ways to spend my weekends is by doing nothing. Well not nothing nothing. I'm talking do everything at a leisurely pace, don't really make any plans, watch movies, sleep in, and relax because I spend enough time during the week running around that the weekend should be for calm.

Sadly there seems to be some sort of stigma against the 'no plan' weekend. People look at you like 'really? you have no friends to see? no exciting event to attend? what a life you must lead' and to those people I say pish-posh. The art of slowing down and relaxing is not one that should be taken for granted, and one that I think more and more requires practice. So here is to a weekend of doing nothing - I hope you can enjoy it while I go to work all day ;)

Don't worry about me though, I'll take next weekend to do absolutely nothing, and love it.

You know what I love...

I love that I was forced to learn how to drive a standard. Because not only does driving a standard seem way more badass than driving an automatic transmission it is more fun (after you get past the stressful part that is).

The funny thing is, although I have been driving manual transmission since I was probably 17 it wasn't until recently that I felt like I actually knew what I was doing. And tonight I drove home from Kensington - which involves things like hills, decelerating, stopping, starting (speedily). It was great. I only screwed up a little pulling into the parking lot because I got lost in the gear shift. But whatever, you can't be perfect at things.

See here's the thing. It occurs to me that so many things in life are just so much easier if you just look at it, analyze it, rationalize it, and go full speed ahead fearless. That is a tall order but amazingly enough more often than not it is fear that stops you from doing things that you could if you would just move past it. And then you get to experience things that you may have never thought you could.

This reminds me of my good old days at the Vulcan Lions Swimming Pool teaching bratty (horrible) junior high kids how to do back dives (ok ok, I taught some pretty awesome kids to do back dives too). You see back dives are essentially very very simple, you just have to not be afraid. You have to commit 100% or you will fall on your back and regret the day you tried. Now trying and failing always makes trying again that much harder. Anyways, back to the back dives. I am convinced that if people trust me I can teach anyone to back dive. There are simple steps that guarantee results, but if you chicken out on any of them it is likely it won't work, you will quit, and I will think you are a sissy - one girl may have cried - but in all honesty she was such a girly girl couldn't try anything that I may have enjoyed those tears. (Can't stand the 'too weak to play' kinda girls).

The key element to a back dive is to arch your back, pushing your stomach up, and look as far back as you can until your eyes find the water. If you follow those few steps you will do it; it is beyond simple, a 100% sure fire thing. But here-in lies the issue, you have to commit whole heartedly all the way. The flip side is, if you do chicken out at the last minute and tuck your chin to your chest (as so many people do causing laughter from me) you will suffer the consequences of a harsh back flop.

So in summary, face those fears, drive a standard in the city at the end of the night, and for goodness sake look backwards for that water!

You know what I love...

I love when someone writes something that is just so them that you can literally hear their voice as you read whatever it is they wrote. I find that this happens from time to time on places like facebook with little comments people make. I think it is fantastic. I love it.

Living is easy with eyes closed, misunderstanding all you see.

I feel like time has run away from me. But maybe that is how one always feels.

Recently I started a new job, applied for housing in Holland for when I move there in 5 months or less, had a lovely long weekend at home, and watched a very very dear friend from High School be totally, perfectly, unconditionally happy on her wedding day.

Life is good and really busy, sometimes stressful, but I get by.

Don't mean to be neglectful. I think about blogging often but I'm having trouble following through. Hopefully more this week or this weekend, but that might just be wishful thinking because my 'to do' list keeps getting longer and I (for some reason) am starting to rely more heavily on caffeine to keep me awake during the day (exhaustion sets in).

Keep Smiling and surrounding yourself with wonderful people who will help you laugh once a day and try not to take things to seriously.

Optimism and Pessimism isn't my style. Realism is the best of both worlds.

So today I got a job. I got a job I didn't think I'd get. Although that being said, I stopped believing I would ever get a job that I had to apply and interview for. Call it behavioural programing, or whatever the term is they use in Psych201 when the mouse stops trying to get the cheese because s/he always get shocked.

Prior to last summer I spent about 4 months searching for a coop position. I applied to everything, I interviewed for tons of jobs, at least once a week I was called. Not all went well, but some did. I heard wonderful things like "only two people were selected to be interviewed," "you have amazing references," and upon turning me down for positions I had people asking me to apply after I graduate because they wanted to hire me then, but not now. I had one employer say this was a very difficult decision and if the other person isn't absolutely perfect they would be kicking themselves. Although I am sure they think these things are comforting they were in fact more biting than anything. "You are almost perfect, and we really like you, but..." and there was always a but.

So when I received the message on my phone that someone wanted to offer me a position of course a smile came across my face, followed quickly but the need to wipe it off immediately. It seems I've been programed to believe that good things do not in fact happen to good people. But instead good things happen to those who are willing to break, stab, and steal their way to it. Of course this is not for everything but in a university setting you see people who don't try get better grades than you, you see yourself try and struggle. Who needs it sometimes. It is easier it seems to disenfranchise yourself from the possibility of hope and simply always get what is given to you. Suck it up and accept that at all times there are those who are better. Depressing? Possibly. Less likely to leave you feeling disappointed? Absolutely.

The only problem becomes when good things do happen to good people (read: myself) I ensure that the full effect I could feel is dumbed down so that should it be taken away I am not left in the dust. It can be easier if there are no expectations right.

So I guess I'm supposed to say that this just proves that hard work can pay off and one should never stop trying. But who needs to hear that. How about this; sometimes things work, and sometimes they don't. When they don't you are likely to build more character and appreciate things when they do work that much more.

Maybe age has turned me into too much of a cynic. I know this isn't the best of qualities and I know it will likely turn one into an "old bitty" but here is hoping I have enough moments that'll prove me wrong and too few that'll shock me away from grabbing my piece of cheese. I suppose the most important thing a mouse can do in this big world is keep going for the cheese no matter how many times you've been told no.

I am excited about this job, don't get me wrong, I guess I'm just not that good at showing it.

As an aside I finally (almost) completed my photo wall. I love walls that are covered in pictures and art - they have a kind of collage feel but a dressed up collage. It makes me happy.

Today I learned:

• Latex paint > Oil based paint
• Engineers not only make money, they pay it generously. Sweet.

I am grateful for:

• The Princess Bride - one of my all time faves
• Banana Bread
• People who make me laugh
• The Beatles blaring at work
• Tim Horton's XL Steeped Tea w/ 2 milks. Delish.

I never much liked reading as a kid

I thought I'd try and keep it simple. Keep it short. Or more properly known as keep it secret, keep it safe... oh wait, no that's not right.

I enjoy reading. I enjoy it a lot. The problem is I feel like I am a very picky reader. I feel like if I am spending the time to sit down and read a book for a number of hours it better be good, well it better be great. I need books that tell a great story and keep me interested, wondering what is going to happen until the very end. Because I set my standards so high I find I am from time to time disappointed. I also have a strong distaste for books about the war which I think can be traced back to reading "I Am Fifteen-and I Don't Want to Die." This book should have been of interest to me as a child but it was just awful, perhaps that is because it is depressing. I should also say I don't like depressing books - I hated every moment of "The Catcher in the Rye" (this isn't surprising as angsty teens annoy me in real life let alone in a 276 page novel).

Seeing as I find books so hard to like I have turned to books of a more... academic? nature. Lately I spend my time in the Communication and Culture section of Chapters. It isn't that I don't like a good fiction I just feel like I have a much better understanding of what I am getting out of books about culture and feminism. It is something I am expected to critically analyze and use my brain with. I'm officially done with "easy reads" for the sake of fun. Maybe I could like them but I often find them dull because they lack depth.

Most recently, on my nightstand sits three books with another eagerly waiting on the wings to make its way down.

The first, which I have been reading for some time (not because it is not of interest to me but because final exams, Mexico, and Moncton ate a lot of my time this summer) is In Praise of Slow: How a Worldwide Movement is Changing the World by Carl Honore. It has been great. It makes you look at what you value and asks if we are really getting the most out of life by rushing through it. It helps justify doing important things like taking time to yourself, taking a holiday, working fewer hours all for the sake of a happier life. Interesting and simple.

The second book on my stack is a past book club book I've yet to finish. I raced through it in an attempt to complete it for the meeting but I fell a few chapters short. Since then I haven't picked it back up again. Don't let this fool you, Three Day Road by Joseph Boyden was a very interesting read. A little slow going it told a tale of war - a tale I thoroughly enjoyed. Boyden is an excellent storyteller, he shifts from one perspective to the next, one character to another all seamlessly while leaving you wondering exactly how it all comes together in the end. The main reason I've yet to pick it up again is because I'm trying to finish In Praise of Slow first.

Third book and my most recent purchase is Enlightened Sexism: The Seductive Message That Feminism's Work is Done by Susan Douglas. I won't lie, I am a sucker for any book that is critical of the lack of feminism in the hearts of young women today. I can't help it. I haven't even cracked this yet but I am very eager to see what it says. Seeing as I'm on this track I thought I'd mention a great book I read a few years ago along the same lines - and a book I feel some girls should be forced to read; Female Chauvinist Pigs: Women and the Rise of Raunch Culture by Ariel Levy. It takes women to task for achieving "empowerment" by turning into super feminine versions of themselves where they actually treat women disrespectfully. Good read.

The book that resides on my shelf awaiting my attention is Sex, Drugs, and Cocoa Puffs: A Low Culture Manifesto by Chuck Klosterman. I feel like he is one of the quintessential writers that a good modern day comms student should read. The book is a compilation of essays so I hope to read a few intermittently.

Now that I've laid that all out for you I will say that I of course love fiction, especially the Harry Potter series (can't wait for the next films).

I'll close by saying that my favorite book, the biggest book I've ever read, and likely the book I read the fastest was Gone With the Wind by Margaret Mitchell. Because I had never seen the movie this book swept me away with a powerful story of survival, love found and lost, and amazing characters. Looking back I know that reading it fast helped me get through it because some of the sections were long. I suggest you try it out I think it has something for everyone but I can definitely see it being more of a "chick" book with the underlying love story. I've tried many times to convince many people so maybe I can convince you to try it! But promise me if you hate it don't tell me. I still swoon at the thought of Rhett Butler being such a bad ass.

So friends, what are you reading? And what is your favorite book?

Today I learned:

• Thunderstorms are great - until they keep flooding your basement
• To stop waiting and just do. Sometimes it is necessary.

I am grateful for:

• In the movie When Harry Met Sally... I am happy that they included all the cute couples throughout
• Living with my brothers because sometimes they cook for me! I love that.

Summer seems to slip away so easily

Lately inspiration has been running high but motivation has been running low. Sorry for my exhaustion but I've been spending a lot of my off time napping. Last week I hurt my back and was fairly out of commission so hopefully I'll have more time this week to do something here.

My cousin - who has been living across the pond (England to be exact) is home for a visit, she just got in on Sunday. I am very excited to see her because although we didn't get to see each other on a super regular basis we always found ways to meet up throughout the year. I miss that.

Today I learned:

• Doing something you dislike with people you adore makes whatever you dislike seem pretty awesome
• A bag of BC Cherries is never a bad idea
• A day trip to Vulcan can be phenom - you just need the right playlist
• Lights acoustic album is really awesome
• I miss the view of the prairies in my daily life

I am grateful for:

• BC Fruit, on the weekend I raided the Calgary Farmer's Market and then tonight I went and bought some more fruit from the grocery store. Nectarines are my favorite but blueberries are pretty high up there as well. I love summer time because even though it is a little more expensive it is so delicious!
• My dear friends (whom I was lucky enough to meet in 1st year) who are starting the next chapters of their lives and moving away from Calgary. I'm going to miss them very much.
• Music.

These are the hangover days

Funny thing, isn't it, how fast time flies.

I love team sports. I love them. I tried the whole working out thing and although I liked the challenge and I liked getting stronger it never fulfilled my missing desire for team sports. I don't know if this love of sport started young when I was first enrolled in T-ball or what. I do know that I've always been competitive, hopefully not to a fault.

For my junior and senior years of high school (grade 7-12 for those of you from different systems) I played nearly every school sport offered to me. I even played sports I wasn't that good at (basketball) just to play. I should say that I don't consider myself good at basketball because it is a game where you need to be good at both offense and defense. I've got mad defense skills but my offense is weak, very weak. I've always been okay with this though. I feel tremendous amounts of pride knowing that when we were up against hard competition in basketball I was usually placed on the most skilled opponent, I could defense my way right around them. Until I got the ball then I was kind of a mess.

Anyways back to my story. I spent years playing volleyball, followed by basketball, which sometimes overlapped with badminton (another sport I lack skills at), which also overlapped with curling, and finally my pride and glory: rugby. All of these, with the exception of badminton were played in a team. I loved these sports that I often played them into the summer attending volleyball camps and playing in the Alberta games for rugby two years in a row (took gold one year too!)

The thing is, as I get older (and I know I'm not old) team sports are harder to come by. Unless of course you are really good. Well I should mention that I could have easily played rugby at the university level right out of high school but working and classes easily step in the way of those extra-curricular things. I am so happy to be playing rec soccer in the summer, even if it is just for rec and just once a week, and even if we don't get to practice (practices were sometimes more fun than games). I love the team mentality, working together, and working hard. I never could get used to running - which seems to be the sport of choice for many people my age and older now a days. I guess it is the easy thing to get into, all you really need is a pair of shorts and some runners but I love the team aspect far too much. It also helps that we won our game last Wednesday 4-2 but I won't brag.

As many of you already know I'd been ranting about the Calgary Folk Music Festival and my need to go to it this year. It started on Thursday night and one of my favorite bands (Stars) was playing the mainstage. Although I was unable to convince anyone to come with me I was determined to go. Feeling a little sheepish about going alone I walked to my car and drove down to the grounds.

As an aside: I'd say I have a manic need to be able to do things independently. It isn't like I prefer to go alone to things, quite the contrary, I just feel like not doing something because I am alone is cheating myself out of many wonderful experiences. I try hard to conquer any fear and do things my myself. I figure not going because you can't find a friend is way worse than going by ones self. You should try it. Although I've never gone to a sit down concert alone before I've ventured to movies, restaurants, and now even a festival.

Back to it then. I arrived at the grounds a little late and worried that I would be stuck to the back. I made my way decently to a fairly reasonable place to stand. Stars were great but after seeing someone I only knew a little and in an attempt to avoid our awkward conversation I made my way to the Tim Horton's booth for some tea (I was also chilly). At this time I ran into some friends of a friend shall we say, ok, really it was a friend of my brother's who I know. Either way he spotted me and said hello. The great thing was I was invited along to where they had friends sitting almost at the front. The concert was great, but the concert that followed (The Avett Brothers) was even better. After leaving I was very glad I had not let my fear of standing alone stand in my way. Seems like often times my fears are much bigger in my head than in reality. I felt like it really paid off.

On Friday I attended my cousin's wedding. As I mentioned before I love my family and I love weddings so family weddings are the ultimate for me. It is rare now-a-days that my whole family can get together. When I was growing up I was lucky enough to have an extended family that hung out all the time. Often on weekends everyone would go to the lake to go waterskiing and have a bbq. We also always and I mean always go camping on July Long weekend, which I often don't even consider Canada Day (sorry Canada). It is just that it has always been a family event more than a "fireworks and flags" kind of day for me.

Well back to the wedding. It was a gorgeous day for an outdoor wedding and although it was a cousin of mine who I rarely get the privilege to see anymore it was lovely. Everyone who could be there was and boy did we have a party. Red wine and my family are a dangerous combination. Because he was marrying a girl whose family is traditional Dutch Reform we had to put the dancing off until after the grandparents left - because get this, they aren't allowed to dance (and I thought that was just a crazy concept from Footloose where Kevin Bacon causes a stir). You see, with my family weddings dancing is as much of an integral part as the red wine and the white dress. It was beyond fun and I cannot wait for the next family wedding, whoever that is, no pressure.

The following day required many hours of movie watching and many naps on the couch. In total I believe we watched four movies - none of which I saw in their entirety due to ill planned naps. I started the day with Monsters vs Aliens, followed by Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs, 2012, and Public Enemies. Although I was supposed to be at Folk Fest and then even at a friend's bbq that evening I could have cared less. Sometimes we just need a hangover day - which makes me think of one thing (thank you Jason Collet).

I spent Sunday under a shady tree at folk fest with a good book. I bought a new purse and some fire grilled pizza. It was perfect.

However when I returned home I found my home at a staggering 31℃. It was mind numbingly hot.

I was depressed to go back to work today - the pool is officially closed today and we are in "Shutdown" or more affectionately known as "Shitdown" or "The worst time to work at the UCAC." It shouldn't be that bad we just have to clean many things and we are often required to use harsh chemicals and acids which require us to be wrapped in PPE (personal protective equipment) which for us means being covered head to toe in rubber rain gear. This equals a lot of sweat and exhaustion. The thing is, it pays well and the hours are decent. This will not stop me from hating it though.

Please tell me if this is too long, I mean to keep them shorter and update more often but when you are a busy girl it is tough to force yourself to update when there are episodes of True Blood you could be watching.

Today I learned:

• Team sports beat individual sports any day, at least in my books
• I have great eyebrows - thanks Amanda! ha.
• Waiting in line for half an hour for an expensive flame grilled pizza is totally worth it
• Driving around long enough downtown will reward you with free street parking near where you are going (on a Sunday of course)

I am grateful for:

• A free night
• This great thunderstorm
• Shady trees
• Friendly people
• My car and the roof over my head
• Fans
• I could say my family every time so I think from now on you should assume that it is implied that my family kicks ass
• More like I am happy - that my cousin is coming home soon! I can't wait to see her (safe travels)

In Summary

I feel like I'm one step behind my life, playing catch up constantly. I was certain that by mid-July I'd have things back in order, or at least feel like I had things under control. It isn't even as though I have that much I need control of, it is just that I feel like life is running me instead of me running my life.

So I'd like to apologize for the hiatus but as mentioned above I feel like I don't have time for anything, let alone blogging. I had drafted and completed a post but sadly when I returned to my computer (as previously mentioned) it was gone. In an attempt to avoid your boredom I'll try to be concise.

I spent the last few weeks visiting friends I hadn't seen since my departure in May and some whom are new friends from Mexico. The thing is, this kept me on a steady nightly schedule of visits, by the time Thursday rolled around I was exhausted from working early and being out every night. It isn't that many of these things were exceptionally time consuming, a dinner here, a soccer game there, but it was the constant running around that kept me tired. I ended up avoiding any and all activity this weekend that was lovely but did little for reorganizing and getting me back on track for feeling on top of life.

The thing about being busy is it is what I am used to. When school is on I am crazy busy all the time and right now I just happen to be booked up until next Monday. My weeks turn into hectic schedules of visits, dinners, and movies. Don't get me wrong I love these things but I feel like doing all these things makes me lazier in my down time. ha. I guess you just can't win right? When you aren't busy you complain that you need to do more but when you are busy you complain there isn't enough time. I'll try and keep my sorrows to myself because the prospect of being out and about with people I adore every night is very encouraging.

As many of you know I moved into the condo my Mom owns in Calgary. This condo was a purchase to help us kids out with a place to stay while we were going to school but amazingly in my five years of University I had never lived here. I had, however, always considered it a second home. It was the place I went when I wanted a change of scenery, a big tv, some very chill company, perhaps a free meal, and maybe even a couch to crash on after one too many glasses of wine. This made moving in weird. I am hesitant to use the word weird, but I think it fits. For the first week or so I certainly felt like a house guest because that is all I had ever been here, and I had in fact stayed for a week at a time.

Once I was able to better organize my room and settled in it felt like home. It is nice to live with family again. It just seems so easy. My brothers are pretty great guys. I've really enjoyed the two plus weeks I've been here.

Now I should mention that setting up my room has been a challenge - I don't know why it was so difficult, but it sure was. I basically have my bedroom done and I am lucky enough to get an office which I think will prove to be very beneficial during the school season. The office however is in ruins. I need shelves, lots of shelves. I love to be organized. Organization is key. As much as I can survive with a disorganized place and disorganized schedule it drives me to near insanity. So while I can be at peace with a room that was organized and is just out of order a room that has never had any order is frustrating to no end. I've made peace with the office for now though because there is not much that can be done about it right now.

Since returning I've been lucky enough to start back up with my soccer team from last summer, well really it is the team my brother put together that I was sucked into and found that I really loved. My first game back was last Wednesday, we were short on subs and only had two girls (both of us had to be on the field the whole time). Although it was fun it was also punishing. With a new set of cleats and severely underused legs I found myself exhausted with some huge blisters and two cramping calf muscles. It was great though. Due to being low on subs we lacked the back up required to grasp the win but we played really well.

Last night I saw Inception, it was great, you should go see it.

This week I am excited to see Stars, they are a Canadian band with some great music. I've seen them live three or four times now and I swear they get better every time. They are playing the Calgary folk festival on Thursday night and I can not wait. Also this weekend my cousin is getting married! I love weddings and I love my family and I especially love family weddings! Basically what I am saying is that I am very excited.

If you've read my brother's blog A Dynamic Commotion you may be familiar with a post of his (The Sport of TV) where he discusses the wonder/dilemma that is TV on DVD and a new-ish show True Blood. Well many people I know have been raving about True Blood for quite some time so I finally committed to watching it. It is fabulous and as my brother says, they are only on the 3rd season so catching up is quite manageable. In the last two days I've made my way half way through season one and I'm hooked.

Lately I've learned:

• Naps are necessary for surviving early morning jobs
• Vampire shows that do not include a vampire named Edward can be awesome

I am grateful for:

• Pictures people keep posting from my two trips - thanks for the memories friends
• Old friends
• My favorite movies
• Being a total geek
• Being able to make my coworker laugh so hard every morning that she glares at me. ha. And her ability to make me laugh until I spit out water.