Clarity...

This makes me sad...

2007-04-15T00:50:00.000-05:00

.....nothing kills me more than this right now.......I'd give anything to be there for this show. Those are my boys and they are so completely a part of who I am today. If it hadn't been for those nights going to see them play and meeting new people I don't think I'd be where I'm at right now. I was such a shy person until I started going out and seeing these guys play. They were instrumental in making my life better and making me like myself. Probably no other band has had such a profound affect on my life. As both musicians and as friends. They always encouraged me to take more photos and always loved what I did, I'm not sure I would've kept doing what I was doing if it wasn't for them.

I wish them love and luck and I wish to no end that I wasn't so far away from them right now so I could be there for this show and to say 'goodbye'.

Miss you boys.

St. Paddy's Day!!

2007-03-25T00:41:00.000-05:00

Here's a bit of a photo blog for our fantastic weekend in Victoria for St. Pattrick's Day. Our good friends The Town Pants were playing Legends nightclub and the 9 of us (Me, Christine, Rob, Amy, Greg, Katie, Jason, Andrea and Katya) made the trek out to spend the weekend together. It was a much needed weekend away with all my favourite people. TTP had been away for 3 or 4 weeks on tour and it for me it was a much needed reunion with them as well. Good times...here are the pics...

The cutest liquor store around...

Back at the condo...

Jay's tower 'o Lucky Beer...

Greg & Jay in their kilts...oh yeah.

Naughty girls...

It rained. Alot. But the flowers are out!

Time for drinks!

The Town Pants...

The view of all the cop cars from Dave's window...haha. We had nothing to do with it...

The late nite walk back to the condo...good times.

The ferry ride home...what a beautiful day...

A Shot of Spring

2007-03-15T02:05:00.000-05:00

March 14th, 2007.

Here's what it looked like around here today....

More from today...................tomorrow.

Birthday Pictures!!!

2007-01-07T23:18:00.000-06:00

Soo here are some piccies from my birthday partay! I had a ton of fun out at the Pub for the Smiling Politely show with all my fabulous friends!! Check it out...

Me and Amsy!!!

My friend (and co-worker) Christa!

Christina & Ella (my other awesome co-worker!) Thanks for aiding in my drunkeness ladies! LOL
Zee Sistahs! Thanks for embarassing the hell out of me!

Gettin CRAZY with Amy and Katya...

Making faces with Chrissi...hehehe....

Aw....thanks for a great b-day show, boys!!! U rock!

And then this happened.....

....and well that....(ooo salty necked Dave)...

And then this......haha....

(Nice face...)

Me and the lady...awwwww...

Matt & Katie...

The lady & the new boy in town...Rob. Awwww....

Uh oh. Time to go home! I'm raisin the roof! Hahaha...

The car ride home with the Sisters & Matt...

Back at the after-party-party...

Rob's a tool...

You crrrazzzzyyy, Casey!

Such dirty thoughts, Amy...

BIRTHDAY CAKE!!!! YAYYYY!!!!!

Yesssss...dairy queen ice cream cake!! My favourite! Hehe.

"Awww look at him! He's actually trying!"

Casey tries to kick Kat's arse in arm wrestling...but she barely even breaks a sweat...you go lady!

That's right I tied your socks together!! Wa hahahaha....

Okaayyy...party's over...Casey's tired of havin his pic taken....hahaha....

Thanks for such a fun night everyone!!! I love you all and another great birthday seems to have come and gone....but we all know the celebration has only just begun!!! CHEERS!

OMG! It's my BIRTHDAY!!!!!!!!!

2007-01-06T22:33:00.000-06:00

Thats right!!!! It's just about my birthday and last night was my freakin fun birfday partay!!!

All my friends came out in full force last night and damn was it fun! Thanks guys!!!! You all rock. The boys made my night with a show that seemed like it was all mine (Duane you rocked my song baby!) and my ladies spoiled me rotten with embarassing drinks all around. Not to mention. Hello. Dick-in-a-box. Best. Birthday. Song. Ever!

There's a plethora of pictures to be posted....but right now The Katie and I are off to a movie and I have to eat some supper!!! So pictures will be posted lattterrrrsssss...........hehehe.

And tomorrow is my BIRTHDAY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Look at me! I'm urban!

2006-12-22T01:37:00.000-06:00

Well tonight I decided that a.) I'm officially totally urbanized and 2.) I'm probably manic, hahaha.

Last night I was all emo and crying...making late night phone calls to Russia and breaking stuff. Wishing Christmas would go fuck itself and telling the phone to jump off a cliff. Hoping, wishing, praying that Friday would come and the end would be near. (God I can't wait for work to be done tomorrow!!!!) We're having a potluck lunch tomorrow at work and I'm so stressed about what to bring. Damn I hate it when shit like this is thrust upon me. Just because I'm working I have to bring some food for everyone?? I hate that. I'm too poor for this shit. I work for a store that can make 50,000 on a good day (in just ONE DAY) and they can't even spring for a store thrown staff Christmas party? Instead we have to bring it all ourselves? It's sweet and all but shit. You don't fucking pay me enough for that crap, man. Nonetheless, my sweet and sour pork things are in the fridge as we speak. Though it doesn't look like enough for however many people are on tomorrow, so I think I'll stop and get a dip thing tomorrow on the way to work too.

Then just Christmas and not being with my family was making me all sad. I'm missing my little nephew opening his presents for the SECOND time and he'll be so damn cute this year because he's so big now and can run around and stuff. And worse yet, I don't even have money to send him something awesome. I know he's totally spoiled, but I figured if I can't be there I could at least be the totally cool Aunt that sends him awesome shit from out West. Oh well. Maybe I'll have more money when he's bigger and then he'll remember the cool presents I send him, haha. Not having much money to get people what I want to get them really blows. We're trying to be more inventive this year, and I think we have done a good job...but even being inventive apparently adds up.

But tonight I'm much happier. Though, admittedly, I've just depressed myself a bit again by recounting my emotional rollercoaster that was last evening, haha. But moving on........

Tonight....I've become so urban it hurts. I can feel my Starbucks hot chocolate burning a hole thru my mittens and the mp3 player I won't go on a walk without ripping through my pocket. I've become one of them. Though I love it. It feels like a neighbourhood around here now. I have neighbours. (And the majority, if not all of them, are boys. Ahhhh. Excellent. Just the way I likes it, hehe.) On a regular Thursday night, I can walk just up the street to where my lady is working and visit her for a few minutes, then walk across the street to another coffee shop where my friends are playing a show. WHERE, one of my best friends in the world is sitting, having coffee with her Mum WATCHING said show....and low and behold, the aforementioned cute neighbour boys walk in with their friends and family to sit, have a cuppa and watch the show too. Because we're all friends and this is where we live and what we do. We can sit and talk and hug and laugh and have a great time for half an hour, then all part ways knowing we'll all see each other really soon (like tomorrow, haha) because we live just blocks from each other. Then I can hug everyone good bye, wish them a very Merry Christmas, walk back to the roomies store, get a hot chocolate (the only time I can ever get her to make me something to eat, hehe) and walk home listening to my tunes and sipping sweet liquid chocolatey glory.

That's what Christmas is all about. I needed that. I love my friends, my new family and my old family.

I love my life.

Merry Christmas.

My FRIDAY Night...

2006-12-11T01:27:00.000-06:00

So Friday night was a ton of fun too. Katie, Andrea and I went to see the Brothers Keogh (aka Smiling Politely) play at the TC Lions Club, as they have started doing every Friday night. As usual they were joined by the one and only Johnny Leroux as well as everyone's favourite one man band, Dino DiNicolo. The crazy friends/fans were out in full force as was the silliness........all of which is the main reason we go see the boys play. And we love them, of course. They keep me amused and entertained. The hip hop/R&B version of Sweet Home, Alabama was awesome. It rocked my world. I want to make love to it, haha. Wait. What?

Then we met up with C-spot at the Railway to see which of our favourite bartenders won the bet...there was much ado and it was agreed on (by Aaron) that Aaron won, haha. Though I still think Keith's K-fed look was pretty pimpin. But Aaron's pinstripes took the prize I think. Hehe.

Here's the downlo on the ridiculousness for that night...as promise...the photos...

Opps. How'd that get in there?? Oh riiiiight....I had a photo shoot while waiting for Katie and Andrea. LOL Er...

Katie, Andrea & I at the Lions Club

Ridin' Dirtay with the A'drea haha

Katie pretending she's not naughty...

At the Railway...

Hot nuts anyone?

Unimpressed by lady C's affection....

C with her crazy eyes....haha

I'm an idiot.

Awww...I really love this pic!

K-Fed in the hizzouse...haha. You be the judge...(though I do lovvvve Aaron's hat....)

So that's my weekend. Saturday played it tired, p'oh and safe. In otherwords...I was a total gamekiller and actually stayed at home, haha. Though I managed to spend nothing any of the other two nights miraculously, except 2 dollars on a tip and 2 dollars on parking...I couldn't handle another night on the town. It was sweet none the less though as Kat came and crashed and I forgot to give her her silly birthday present AGAIN, haha. Opps! Mind like a steel trap, I tells ya.

Tonight we had a fake Christmas tree delivered care of Beth, Christine's Mom...and now it sits naked and alone where the rat and the foot collage called home. (The rat, ie Rosie the hamster, has returned along with her bar to its original corner under the window and the foot collage is now in an even more central viewing location in the hallway with its own light. Oooo. I likes it there.) Tomorrow. We decorate and roll out Christmas! Yay!

We may even bake.......

My Thursday night...

2006-12-11T01:05:00.000-06:00

So right now I could answer alot of those Stereophonics questions from the previous post...but one in particular stands out right now and the answer is yes. I do miss someone special I don't see any more....but he made my day today by telling me I'll see him next weekend. Didn't realize just how much I missed the bastard until he wasn't around any more and even more so...til he told me he was coming back. Though it is temporary and I feel this is how our friendship will continue for quite awhile. I'm ok with that. Just can't wait to see him. I have a smile on my face now because of him. It's like your birthday and Christmas just popping up totally randomly whenever they want. Hehe.

Now on to my Thursday & Friday nights. Hmmm...lets see. The Kamakazi Night show was awesome. The now named "Blonde Squad" (with everyone's favourite little brunette tossed into the mix) hit the town to see my friend Kev play PUNK 340 on Thursday and they rocked the house. Better show than last time...mainly because I was drunk, all my favourite ladies in the world were there and I got to see my cute little freak who I've grown strangely attached to. Love it. Here are the goods...

Amsy and I!

The Blonde Squad: Katya, Moi, Amy & Katie get all freeeakay!

Kevin doing his thing and looking hot doing it....love it!

Tastey!

Rarrrrr! Katie just always looks too sweet.

Bathroom shenanigans...

Hehe...next up...Friday...

REWIND

2006-12-11T01:02:00.000-06:00

One of my favorite Stereophonics songs:

"Rewind"

It's your time
It's your day
It's never too late
To change lanes
How's your life?
How's your place?
Was it where you wanted
Your head to lay?

But wait, you can breathe
You can see what I can see
Don't waste your time
You can't make back

If you could rewind your time
Would you change your life?

Do you like you?
Do you love your wife?
Or did you pick what
You're told was right?

Dream and be
What you feel
Don't you compromise
What you wanna be

'Cause change is okay
What's the point in staying the same
Regrets, forget what's dead and gone

If you could rewind your time
Would you change your life?

If Jesus rode in on a camel today
With your cross on his shoulder
Time to take you away
Have you done all you wanted?
Are you happy and warm?
Do you miss someone special
You don't see anymore?
Have you blood on your hands?
Do you dream of white sands?
Can you sleep well at night?
Have you done all you can?
The place I was born in
Stays crooked and straight
I see innocent blue eyes
Go blind everyday

Rewind your time
Would you change your life
Today?

I just about burned the pasta....daaaamn.

2006-12-06T01:36:00.000-06:00

So C's been blogging alot lately and I feel like I've been a let down to all who may ACTUALLY read this. I don't know who that is, but hey...

Christine hung her stocking by the chimney with care, waiting for M-peg's sock to join it there...I really must dig out my stocking(s) so I can hang it too. I'm starting to get excited for Christmas. I want the tree and the decorations and the cookies and the people. Games night it is. I have a hankering for my best friends to come over and do what we do best. Be silly. I miss those times when just the girls came over and we did stupid things like burn cookies, haha. So we must set it up soon. Cookies and decorations...then the boys can come over for games night and wine and to eat said cookies (and decorations?? Prolly. Haha. Ya'll haven't met the boys...)

Last year...man, I can't believe there's a "last year" already. When did that happen?? But LAST YEAR...we had these big plans to take Christmas pics and to send out Christmas cards. It didn't happen. This year, we shall make it happen!! I really want to and if we don't we'll have to wait a whoollllle other year! Can't have that. I want to take that pic. Maybe we'll do that this week. Yes.

Watching the Strombo. Now on the main CBC network...the best time slot for me really, 11pm. Right when I should be going to bed, but just can't bring myself to do so because I'm too restless. Right when I COULD be watching Jon Stewart (and sometimes do), but would rather be watching George because he informs me of all the things I never pay attention to...and he makes me laugh while doing so. Not to mention I'm always the eager beaver to see how many combinations of black and red one man can pull off. Love it.

I'm too lazy to post photos like C-spot. But I will post this:

http://www.thevancouverobserver.com/cgi-bin/show_topic.cgi?TOPIC=19

My friend Mat's article(s)...which I believe is a new weekly occurance. The boy cracks me up and is a wealth of both useless and useful knowledge. He's an adventure guide with a wicked sense of humor and strange taste in collectibles...but he'll make sure you don't get eaten out on the trail. Check it out.

I just added a weird array of music to my new Sandisk Sansa. (Thanks, Santa! You came early this year, and unlike most girls...I'm not offended by that.) The list includes the Dixie Chicks (Travelling Soldier), a punk band fronted by my creepy friend Kevin named Kamakazinight (Roses Over Me), Carbon Leaf (the whole of disc 1 from 5 Alive!) and some Feist (cause I'm alllll about Inside and Out right now.) I think I have a pretty electic taste in music and I wouldn't have it any other way. I believe in giving everyone a chance and seeing the musical talent in those that deserve it, even if you aren't really "into" the type of music they produce. I like it loud somedays, celtic and bouncy others and lame and girlie yet another day. Or all in the same day.

So it's time to shit or get off of here...I mean. Get off the pot. Isn't that the saying? I say 2007 is the year to get my shit together and actually try to make something. Whether it be unrecognized art that I really believe in and at least put my heart into, or rockin photos of boys playing music that people actually get to see. It's time to get in there and do something I at least feel strongly about. I feel like the year that I set out to just "be" here has come and gone and now it's time to ask myself why I'm here at all and what am I going to do about it? I thought I needed a partner, and maybe that would make it easier and more fun (and for once I'm not talking about someone to cuddle with...I mean a "business" partner)...but maybe I need to make this happen for myself. I just wish I didn't feel like I was jumping off the mountain face first without a parachute.

What does the adventure guide say about that in his article?

Prob wouldn't say don't jump......just make do with what you've got and be prepared.

Pinhole camera here I come.

This weekend on the agenda, assuming I'm actually well and this isn't a 'non-sick' phase....the aforementioned Kamakazinight is playing PUNK 340 and my favorite pair of brothers is doing their thing down at the Lions Club...not to mention there's a bet to be settled at our favorite hang out and we're dying to see who wins. The players have multiplied and the stakes are high. Hehe...there will be photos. I promise.

Honey! I'm hommmmmmmee!

2006-11-08T18:44:00.000-06:00

That's right. I'm back in the 'Toba for a week! You know what that means....long walks with goats, biscuits, kitties, my puppy dogs, old friends, boy bands, irish pubs and good times. Oh. Hell yeah. More soon!

Check out c-spot's blog for some recent pics though: http://ceck.blogspot.com

Sooo...it's been a year....now what?

2006-09-25T00:51:00.000-05:00

So I've officially been in Vancouver a year now. It's September 24th and this day last year Christine and I did the AIDS Walk for Life around Stanley Park. We decided to do it again this year to help raise money and awareness about HIV/AIDS and to mark my year of being here. Thanks to all who donated!

Almost an even bigger thank you to everyone that has made me being here for a year possible. I couldn't have done it without all of you and I'm proud to say I've done it. I'm not sure where I'll go from here, but I do know I love living in this city by the sea.

C-spot, my roomie and best friend...wouldn't have been able to do it without you, lady. We've made this little apartment a home and I love it. It's beautiful and I can't imagine having done it with anyone else at this point. We have our moments, but in the end we've done it, babe. Our shoes are by the door and our coats are in the closet. This is our home and we're living life. Thanks.

To my family...my parents, brother, sister-in-law and though I'm sure he doesn't know it, my little nephew. Your love and support has helped me get through being so far away and I couldn't have done it without your help. I miss you all so much and I don't know how I will stay living so far away, but I do know this is the place for me right now. Come visit soon. And to my Uncle and Corey...I wouldn't have been so quick to move out here if it weren't for you guys. Thanks for being here for me and supporting me when I need it!

Beth, Heather, Cathy, Michael, Rob, and Eric...my adopted family...you've given me so much and I would not have been able to stay here without your help. You've helped us move, decorate, stay sane and make this place a home. You've given me a bed to sleep in, fed me pumpkin pie, made me laugh and made it possible for me to feel at home here and I can't thank you all enough for that.

And last but most certainly not least in any way, shape or form....to my unbelieveable friends who I've met out here. You've made this life out here worth living. Katie, Amy....you are my sisters and I love you. I don't know where I'd be without you. I couldn't even start to list all the amazing times we've had together. Thanks for being my friends.

Katya, Sarah, Mat, Ella, Mike, Farshid, Rob, Dave, Duane, Aaron, Virginia....Doyle (hehe)...and everyone I've met out here. I love you all and thanks for being there to laugh with me, cry with me, drink with me, entertain me and sometimes just be plain crazzzzzy with me. Thank you for showing me around this beautiful city and taking care of me. You guys are amazing.

To my new little creatures here...Rosie, Foster (the fallen Glenn) and our newest little addition, Molly. I love you my babies! You make me smile. And you'll make me smile even more if you are reading this, haha. To my goatee, Mavy, Cruise, Tigger, my kitty who has passed, Weasel, and Capri, Sam and all my babies back home. I miss you like crazy. Be good.

And now onwards and upwards. Another fall is upon us and the colors in this city are incredible! I will be taking more pictures about town again soon and I hope to post them. But here are few from today and a year ago today...

2005...

And 2006...

(with Laural and Kim)

And a few other sights from today...the gorgeous Lost Lagoon in Stanley Park that we walked around...

The swans in the pond and some turtles and ducks...

The view from the seawall...

Annnnd...possibly THE cutest puppy I've ever seen. Her name was Lucy, the 9 week old Bassett Hound, and she was a huge flirt...

And we got Foster a little friend!! Her name is Molly and she's a gold and white fantail. I didn't realize how huge Foster had gotten though! Molly looks half his size! I also bought them a new new fancy tank that has a nicer water pump, another plant and a cool light! Check it out...

Molly...

Foster enjoying their new tank...which has taken up residence beside Rosie. (Much to Rosie's disgust.)

And a picture of Rosie just because she's so cute...

Cheers!

Where the hell have I been - Part 2

2006-08-02T00:55:00.000-05:00

Next up...been spending a lot of time at the beach lately...just a few lovely shots of Kits beach while Katya and I waste away the day lying in the sun...

Good times, baby....goooood times.

Where in the HELL have I been!???

2006-08-02T00:26:00.000-05:00

Well...I'll tell you!!

This post is going to be FULL of pics, so sit your arse down with a nice cup of tea and be prepared to feast your eyes on the gorgeous places this lassie has been hitting up lately. I've fallen in love with this countryside and I can't believe I live here. It's truly breathtaking at times.

But without further adieu...where shall we start?? Obviously the beginning, or what I see as the beginning of the summer really...

For one night in June...(June 6th to be exact, haha)...Katie & Christine decided to camp at Porteau Cove. They were the only ones with the time off from work to sleep over night, but Amy & Dino, Sarah and myself all drove up the night they stayed over for a little hot dog action and to watch the sunset over the mountains. It was gorgeous! C & Sarah took a few of these before I got there...

The campsite is set in amongst the island and mountains as you drive up the sea to sky highway...it's friggin gorgeous...

And of course there were roasted marshmellows and general tomfoolery...

But there was also an amazing sunset and a cute boy to chop our wood....who could complain about that??? Not me.

And a view of the crazy sea to sky highway that Christine some how managed to make me navigate...probably only because I had no clue what I was in for, haha.

Lola - pre-haircut

2006-06-13T00:46:00.000-05:00

Lola - pre-haircut
Originally uploaded by Kilt-ed.

Before the haircut...lookin pretty shaggy and disgusting! Looks like I showed up at just the right time. She looks so much better now with her haircut....

Lola - post-haircut

2006-06-13T00:45:00.000-05:00

Lola - post-haircut
Originally uploaded by Kilt-ed.

...and goatee loves her new 'do! It's nice to not be all shaggy any more...I just hope she doesn't get sunburned!

The new garage

2006-06-13T00:44:00.001-05:00

The new garage
Originally uploaded by Kilt-ed.

The new garage...which is prob as big as the whole rest of the frickin house! It's going to have an office in it though as well as a dining sorta area. Can't wait til it's done!

home!

2006-06-13T00:44:00.000-05:00

home!
Originally uploaded by Kilt-ed.

The view from the goat pen...the water in the creek was pretty high. Look how gorgeous and green it is though! Sigh...

The dogs

2006-06-13T00:43:00.000-05:00

The dogs
Originally uploaded by Kilt-ed.

Cruise & Maverick playing on the lawn...

Weasel

2006-06-13T00:41:00.001-05:00

Weasel
Originally uploaded by Kilt-ed.

One of our house cats lurking on the deck...

Sam & Capri

2006-06-13T00:41:00.000-05:00

Sam & Capri
Originally uploaded by Kilt-ed.

This has become one of my favorite photos. The light was gorgeous and so were the horses. They love it at the 'beach'!

A few of the cats....

2006-06-13T00:40:00.001-05:00

A few of the cats....
Originally uploaded by Kilt-ed.

...yeah these are just a COUPLE of the cats. Look how cute they are though!

The cutest nephew ever!

2006-06-13T00:40:00.000-05:00

The cutest nephew ever!
Originally uploaded by Kilt-ed.

Such blue eyes!!

It's feedin time! hehe

2006-06-13T00:39:00.001-05:00

It's feedin time! hehe
Originally uploaded by Kilt-ed.

My sis-in-law, bro and my cute little nephew at home. Not sure he's a fan of the carrots...

Maverick

2006-06-13T00:39:00.000-05:00

Maverick
Originally uploaded by Kilt-ed.

...usually the camera hog, Mavy was being unusually shy while I was home. He's looking pretty grey around the edges too and going a bit deaf...poor old doggie! But he's still as cute as can be and loved going for all those walks while I was home!

Back at home, where the sun always shines

2006-05-25T01:00:00.000-05:00

Hey! Guess where in the world I am!?

HOME!

Dat's right! The MacDaddy, baby....good old sunny Manitoba! Where it's hotter than hell and the sun will bake you alive. No. It will fight you. It will fight you to the death. And not that shit ass fighting either, like dirty back alley type fighting with biting and knees to the groin. Oh yeah. It's sunny and hotter than all get out, baby! Neener, neener to my West Coast homies and their rainy days. I got me a tan, fuckers!!!

So I decided to come home and not tell anyone...oh yeah. The only person that really knew I was coming was my sister-in-law, because I needed a partner in crime to help arrange everything on this end. Two of my friends knew too, but only really so we could hang when I got here...my fantabulous sis-in-law helped be the master mind in this devious little plan to give my Mother a heartattack. It was her birthday/mother's day last week, but Victoria Day this week, so it was way easier for me to take work off for this week, as I would've gotten two days off anyway. So here I am. Not to mention it worked out just finnnne with the cd release partay for Men in Kilts. Who I love and adore and haven't seen for MONTHS. I've been waiting for their cd to come out for over a year now I think and I may piss my pants when I finally see them again and get a hold of that album. Yay!

But the plan went off without much of a hitch. First my bro's best friend and his fiancee picked me up at the airport...unbeknownst to my brother. Then we went back and hung out at my bro's house with my sis-in-law and her family and my nephew while he was at work...then we went to the mall and the plan was to beat him home from work, but we forgot it was a holiday and so he got home from work earlier. Bugger! None the less, it was still rockin...Michelle, her mom and her cousin all walked in first with the baby stroller but no baby...and Chris was all confused...then I walked in carrying the baby. So good! THEN my parents were on their way in, as Michelle had arranged a family movie night, which they didn't know included me. Hehe. So they came in and my Mom screwed it up by coming up without my Dad...the plan again, was for me to hide in the baby's room with him and they'd come in and be like, where's the baby? And then I'd walk out with him. Instead, my Mom comes in first while my Dad is parking the car and has to go to the bathroom....so I took the baby and hid in his room, but he was being too noisey so Michelle came and got him while my Mom was in the bathroom. (Otherwise my Mom would've come in to see him and messed it up.) So she oggled the baby for awhile while we waited for my Dad to come up...then when he did my brother was like...look! GRANDPA IS HERE NOW! YAY! GRANDPA IS HERE!!!! And I couldn't decide when to make my entrance, so they were just saying something stupid to the baby and I walked out...and my brother got it all on tape. SO GOOD. (Can't wait to see the tape! He forgot to bring it with him of course...tool!) So it all worked out awesome...my Mom just stared at me for like 10 minutes....neither of them seemed to be able to grasp the concept that I was standing in front of them, haha. It was great!! I love surprising people!!! Hehehe.

And now I'm out on the farm...yesterday I shaved my goat. It was a bit of a sad return home, because not 5 days ago my other goat passed away. 3 days before I'm set to come home, she died. She was getting old for a goat though..she was my first goat and the mother of the one I still have...she was prob 10 or so, which is pretty old for a goat. But none the less, she was still my baby and it really upset me that I missed seeing her by like 3 days. Sigh. I was so happy to come home and see Lola thuogh...my lone goat that we have left now, my sweetie. She's always been different than the others. More personable. More like a family dog. She's part angora though and was looking pretty sad in her half on, half off wooly coat...so yesterday I shaved her. She looks so purty now!! She needs her feet trimmed tomorrow, which we will do...but today we went for a walk. Just me, her, Maverick (our dog) and April (one of the barn cats.) It was great. Nothing like walking down the dirt road, sun in your face, wind blwing through the trees...dog running in front of you, goat walking so close to my side that her fat belly touched my leg at all times and a cat bringing up the rear. I wouldn't have it any other way. That right there, is pure bliss. That very moment. No where else I'd rather be.

But alas, you can't walk down dirt roads with goats, dogs and cats your whole life, so I'm forced to live it up while I can here and then return to the big city to try to make something of myself. I'm still not sure what that is, but I've been inspired for some art. I've been feeling it lately and I hope I can do it now. Just trying to marry the things I like to do the most together is the hardest part and I think it always will be. Ever since I left I've felt the pull in both directions. I love home so much and I don't ever want to leave when I'm here...yet I miss the hustle and bustle of my every day life back in Vancouver...I miss my friends and my apartment...my very first place to call my own. My new babies there too, Rosie and Foster. (Our hamster and fish.) And my roomie...who I've managed to talk to every day still like she's a husband I've left behind that can't remember where we keep the peanut butter or the dish towels. (We're not lesbians, I swear.) But when your roommate is also your best friend, I think you end up having this weird relationship that starts to feel like a common law marriage of sorts. It's odd, but I wouldn't have it any other way. I think the best part of life is having someone to share it with...and that doesn't always mean a husband or boyfriend. I love my girls so much and I don't know what I'd do without them. And I love my family so much....my girls, my family, my animals...they all understand different parts of my life and together it makes it whole. I love that and I just hope I can some day have the means and the life that will support being able to come back and forth as often as I'd like....

...I could use a walk down a dirt road with a goat, a dog and a cat a little more often. Maybe we all could.

Til later suckers.......(I love you.)

After these messages we'll be riiiiiight back!

2006-04-28T01:30:00.000-05:00

In lieu of continuing on with the GBS story, I feel the need to post about a gorgeous day. Today was not that day. Today was a pretty shitty day in fact and tomorrow will be too, but will (I have faith) have a good ending. Then it's a time for a new beginning and who knows what that will bring...but I feel it will be something great.

Monday felt that way. Monday was gorgeous. Not a word I'd normally choose to describe a Monday...but not only was Monday gorgeous...it was brilliant...it was glorious in fact.

C & I both had the day off..so after a short jaunt up the hill to London Drugs...we gathered some blankets, some snacks, music and reading material and headed to the park. See...Monday was the first absolutely sunny and hot day we've had this year and we had to take advantage since it's not often we get to have the same day off either. So we lay in the park for a few hours, taking photos, listening to music and just hanging out. Sigh...

Then after a brief conference with the Sisters, they were on their way to our apartment, picnic in the boot (hehe) and a surprise in the back seat...unbeknownst to me...

DOYLE!!!!!!!

No...not THAT Doyle...but better yet, THE DOYLE. SWEET!!!! It made my day that the girls brought Doyle AND did such a good job of making it a surprise. Lovely, lovely. We tossed our contribution to the picnic in the boot as well and we were off to the beach!

It seemed that dogs weren't allowed on the beach at first, so we were forced to leave Doyle in the car while we ate, then we were going to take him for a walk. So we broke out the picnic and feasted in the sand...yay!!!

But then we saw some people with their dog on the beach and even some crazy ass mofo's with a CAT on the beach. (They tried to throw it in the ocean...oh yeah, I know. THEY'S CRAZY!) So Katie went and got Doyle, who had convienently turned on the 4-way flashers on the car, in case we forgot where he was...hahaha.

And then we frolicked...

And Doyle dug...

Couldn't have been more perfect really...I had a dog, if only for the day, and my 3 best friends around me on a fuckin amazing day on the frickin BEACH. Looking out into the ocean as far as you can see. It was awesome in every sense of the word.

Then we decided to take Doyle up to C's Starbucks up the street and get a drink...yay! And met some of the really cool cherry trees along the way...they are EVERY WHERE here!

Doyle at the 'bucks...

And Amy had an obsession with knocking the petals off the cherry trees...so on the way back we decided to see who could reach the high branches...it was a smart plan. Especially outside the cop shop...

Me, Doyle & the Sisters in front of the paddy wagon, er...cherry tree...

By that time it was getting a bit chilly...so it was back to the homestead for us all...to gather 'round the 'puter and show the girls some pics...

It was a great end to a great day...can't wait to do it again ALLLLL SUMMER LONG, BABY!!!!!

And now....here's one of my favorite pics from the day...

Me with my new boyfriend...hehe...

Then Christine showed us some of her porn and the show was over...

And the GBS Adventure Continues - Vancouver!

2006-03-15T01:44:00.000-06:00

Back now to our regularly scheduled programming...

So after Di and I landed in Vancouver we took the scenic bus tour downtown from the airport and then the scenic luggage drag tour down the sidewalk from Canada Place to Waterfront Station...and we took the seabus across to North Van to introduce Di to our purty new apartment!

C met us...well...at the apartment...and we showed Di around for most of the early afternoon with a walk through the park and around down our usual walkin streets. It's quite the scenic little walk and it's become our workout walk, so it's quite fun. Then we took her for milkshakes and sandwiches at my favorite new little soda fountain place on Lonsdale and met up with our friend from Victoria, Steph! Yay!! Reunion time!!! It was such a glorious day too. Far from the snowy -20C weather we'd left behind in Winterpeg...the sun was shining and it was damn near balmy out. We strode down the beautiful hills of North Van in hoodies and vests and sunnies...and ran into our friends that live nearby, which was a pleasant surprise as Di wouldn't have gotten to meet them otherwise! Then almost got mowed down by the Elvidge Sisters as we walked back up the hill. Hehe. Kidding! But it was funny how we saw damn near everyone on our walk!

But after meeting with Steph we took a quick trip to C's Starbucks so D/S could visit there and it also happened to be right near the beach. Awww. So sweet! Di got to touch the ocean and sit and bask in the sun on the rocks for a few moments. Sigh. (Note: S has all the pics from the early part of the day as she was the only one who had a camera!) After frolicking on the beach for a bit we headed back to the apartment to freshen up and get ready for the show!

We took the seabus over again...

And met up with the Elvidges briefly before the show (what the HELL was up with the whole weekend and no matter what city, no matter where we were, we always got back to our seats RIGHT before the band hit the stage...???)

We said a quick hi to Glenn (hehe), found out seats and were just taking off our coats and seated nicely when the gorgeous intro of Sean's recorded voice singing the GBS song comes over the speakers and the lights go out. Pefect timing! Which really could've been the motto for the whole weekend. It may not have felt to be that true at first, but in the end...it most certainly was. Our seats for Vancouver totally kicked ass though as the 4 of us were together and the Sisters were on the other side right near the front. We had a walkway/access way right in front of us so there was TONS of dancing room. It was so great!

The Vancouver show was probably the best show of the four for me, though the Seattle show was a VERY close second or tie even. Seattle all around was the best, but the Vancouver SHOW was probabbly still the best. I love having dancing room but not having to worry about jackasses pushing from behind or drunken losers trying to work their way to the front. It was great. The band was awesome and Sean did a spectacular rendition of Feel it Turn...

And for an encore, they did something they didn't do in Winnipeg, which was totally and utterly brilliant. They did for all the West Coast shows and I was in pure awe every time. All five of them came back out onto the stage, right up as close to the edge of the front of the stage as possible. No instruments, no earpieces, no microphones. They asked the crowd to be quiet, which took damn hear half an hour, and as soon as they felt they had everyone's attention Alan broke out into Old Brown's Daughter. A song that we'd all wanted to hear sung live so very, very, very badly. Not only were they doing it live, they were doing it a capella. And it was stunningly beautiful. Alan's voice carried throughout the hushed crowd brilliantly and I've never been more completely in awe. In the brief quiet gaps when he'd pause for air, you could've heard a pin drop in the big theatre. Never have I heard a crowd so totally enveloped in a performance.

I got some better pics of the beautiful a capella versions of Old Brown's Daughter later on at the other shows, but that was the first time I'd heard it done that way and I won't ever forget it.

After the show we took off in search of something to eat at a little hole in the wall down the street and then checked out one of our favorite haunts, the Railway Club.

Of course our new mascot had to come along too...

Don't worry though...I don't like seafood.......

We love the Railway Club and we love how it always reveals something new to us every time. This time we sat in the back like we never had before and had tons of fun. Met up with some old friends and lovely musicians alike, had a few drinks, a few laughs, a few scares and called it a long and glorious night. Only to do it all again tomorrow...

The Latest Addition to the Smith-Knight Family...

2006-03-14T00:59:00.000-06:00

Last time, dear readers, you met our lovely fish Foster. Well now I'd like to introduce you to the latest adorable member of the family...

Rosie!

Rosie is the awesomest hamster around. She was born December 31st, 2005 and she is a baby Black Bear Hamster. How FRIGGIN cute is she???

She has all the latest in hamster habitats...we've outfitted her with the kickass Safari Habitrail, complete with bunkhouse and cool exercise wheel. Not to mention a wicked little ducky water bottle. Auntie Katie set her up with some yummy gummy treats and Auntie Amy spoiled her with some wooden vegetables to knaw on. So far she likes neither. Haha.

She's all black except her feet are white/pink and she has a white little chin and stripe down her neck.

She's pretty cuddly already too, which is good as far as hamsters go! Christine is like Lenny over here though and keeps waking up the poor little dude while she's trying to sleep. Can't really blame her though when the little bugger is this cute!!

We also got her one of those balls to run around in and after about 10 minutes of trying it out in a few different directions she now motors around the apartment at lightning speed and bounces off the heat registers and the door to my room about a billion times a night. And we thought she'd be a QUIET option as a pet. Jebus.

I think our little household is complete for now. Foster is our new mascot and looks awesome with his little mohawk and Rosie is so soft and cuddly you can't help but make squeaky "oooh she's so cuuuuttteeeeee!!!" noises every time you see her. So much for not being allowed pets in our apartment!

Hopefully we never have to fix anything around here or we'll both have a fish or a hamster in our closet. I think it will be alright though, our new building manager isn't nearly as odd and intrusive as the old one...I think it's cleaner around here too. Yay!

And best yet...so far no one has complained about all the times our friends moon the security camera at the front door....SCORE!

I may post another photo post later, continuing on with the incredible story of the GBS Weekend O' Fun. Stay tuned!

Introducing.....Glenn. Um. And...Foster...

2006-03-05T03:12:00.000-06:00

Lets take a moment on the story train here for a story of a different kind...

Monday Katie and I hung out with C, but then she had to go to a work meeting. So Katie and I decided we'd go to the pet store and get a little fishbowl for our fake glass fish that hang from wires. C and I thought it'd be cute...

While there Katie and I decided to look at the real fish (and puppies...sadly, they had no puppies...) and for some reason Katie decided I should get a real fish. The even bigger question is why I thought this was a great idea. Next thing I know we're buying fish food, water purifier and a little orange and black goldfish with a mustache. Yeah.

We were pretty excited about it though...except we hadn't actually BOUGHT a fish bowl whild at the Pet store. We figured they were all pretty small and/or ugly and we'd find a better one somewhere else. Well we got back to the apt and let the newly named, Glenn, hang out in his plastic bag while we went and found him a bowl. We found a $2 bowl at the dollar store...which was rather small but we were running out of options! SO we went home and got Glenn settled into his new habitat, which was, again, rather small. But it was to be just temporary as we planned on getting him a new, bigger, bowl...

C didn't know about the real fish, so it was all a big surprise when she got home. Yay! Here's our Glenn...awww...our first pet!

But sadly...the next day Glenn showed signs that his health was waning...though we didn't really figure that out til well, it was too late. I think the bowl was just too small and he wasn't getting the air circulation he needed. Poor little dude. We're sorry!! R.I.P Glenn!!!

We were pretty torn up about our first attempt at keeping another little being here alive going sour. But we really loved the idea of having a little fish or something in the apt...so we decided to get another one...

I didn't have the opportunity to go back to the pet store til Friday, and well, luckily Glenn came with a 30 day warranty...though in his case apparently a 10 or even 5 day warranty would've been plenty, haha. Oh Glenn...we hardly knew yee...

Enter, Foster.

When Katie and I were picking out a fish I saw one with black on his tail and fins and thought he was cool, then we saw another with even MORE black on his tail and fins and a little black mustache. Aka, Glenn. So when I went back to the store and they still had the little dude with less black on him that I had originally spotted first, I knew I had to get him. Even though he bares a striking resemblance to Glenn, it seemed only right. And now...our darling Foster...who, is now the child of over proctective parents. If he were our toddler, he'd be wearing a helmet. He's got a bigger fish tank, rocks, a plant and an air filter. Yay! And he seems to be liking his new digs...I think he's the coolest fish in town...

Foster the Fish......Welcome Home.

Fun in the...er...snow!?

2006-02-28T03:02:00.000-06:00

So thought I'd post some pics of my trip home and our GBS adventure...yay! Lets just start out with some pics from home...

The day I got there my family met me at the airport...so sweet! It was such a surreal experience. I never thought I'd be the member of the family that everyone came to meet at the airport. How I did I become Lil' C's Auntie that when he's older maybe he'll remember me as the auntie they always went and met at the airport. I remember that from when I was younger and we'd go meet my Dad at the airport...and moreso when we'd go meet my Grandma when she came home from England or my Aunt Mare who would come visit from Toronto. How did I become that Aunt that my nephew will have memories from way back when of going to meet at the airport? I haven't decided if I like it or not yet. None the less...it was so awesome coming down the escalator and looking in the crowd for them and finally spotting my little dude being held by my Mom. I thought I was going to cry, but I didn't...manage to hold it together (just barely.) I was afraid he was going to freak out when he saw me, but he didn't, he actuallly giggled and smiled.

After a quick stop off at my Aunt's and a change, I met up with Di and our friends to see Great Big Sea! Suweeet. What a great show...

They did two sets this show, almost like it was a pub show and I LOVED it. They just released an all traditional album called The Hard and The Easy back in the fall...so they did the first set where it was all traditional Newfoundland folk songs and then the second set was more like a 'regular' GBS show where they sing "all the hit", as Alan would say...it was really great and I loved the little break. The only that sorta sucked, was that all the shows on this tour basically were seated venues and they were basically all theatres. It sucked in a way because we're all used to jumping around like hooligans at GBS shows...but at the same time it was SO nice not to have to line up 5 hours ahead of time for the show or to have to battle idiots trying to get to the front row. They were pretty big photo nazis at all the shows (except Seattle...where I got the best shots)...so there aren't many pics and not many GOOD pics from most of the shows. I'll just post a few from each though. But the show was awesome and I was SO excited that I got to fly home to be with Di and my Mom and everyone for the first GBS show since I'd left. I was so torn as to what was going to happen after I left and a GBS show came up...since Di and I met we'd always gone to GBS shows together and they are what brought us closer together as friends...it was totalllllly going to suck if we now had to spend that apart. I don't know that it's always going to work out so well when the b'ys come to town, but it certainly was amazing this time around!

After the show we met up with my other good friend from back home, Reanne, and Di, Reanne and I went out for a drink and dessert at one of our favorite pubs! Then I crashed at D's and woke up the next morning (bright and early as far as I'm concerned, haha) to hang out with her and her cute little dude and her hubby. All of whom I've missed so much! Then I went over and chilled with my bro, sis-in-law and my cutie patootie little nephew, did some errands and off we were to the farm! Yay!

My little nephew in his winter gear in the car...

Ahh...it may have been freakin cold...but at least there was sun!

It was so great to visit my goatees!!! I miss them so much...they were rather disgruntled with the coldness though...as was I.

Lola

And her Mommy, Harriet..

Mmmm...bread....

And my puppies....

Maverick...who could've sworn I left yesterday...but was pretty damn excited I'd decided to return...

And Cruise...who could've cared less when I left, and seemed only slightly amused that I was back...

The older cats were happy to see me...even if I was greeted with a raspberry...

And the ones who were kittens weren't too sure, but they sure were cute!

Mittens...

...and his mittens...

And Tigger...

...and Weasel...

...lacked opinion on the whole thing.

Got to visit my beautiful horses too. Capri was in her winter whites and well hidden amongst the snowbanks...

Back to my little nephew though...

He's just to frickin cute...

Couldn't get enough of the little bugger...my little rockstar...

I spent the rest of the few short days I was home hanging out on the farm with my whole family and playing with my animals. I wish I could've played with them more but it was just too cold and I've become such a wimp already when it comes to the cold apparently. I wish I didn't have to live so far away from them all now, it's not fair to be so torn between my two lives. I wish I could afford to fly home at least once a month. One day I will be able too...maybe when I'm a pilot...

But alas, after a far too short visit...my kind bro drove me too the airport at far too early in the morning and I met up with Di to begin our adventure out West...

WestJet and Westward, ho'! Haha...

...til Vancouver...

Home, where my music's playing....Home.

2006-02-08T00:59:00.000-06:00

So I'm home for a rest...albeit very briefly........

I came home Saturday afternoon and my family all met me at the airport...yay! It was so sweet to finally see them all again and my little nephew is not so little any more. I've been cuddling him almost non-stop since I stepped off the plane and I'm not sure what I'm going to do when I leave. Who's baby will I cuddle then!? It's just not the same if its not the cutest baby in the world though anyway (ie. my nephew.) I never thought I'd fall in love this weekend, but I did...well I fell in love this past summer really, but I didn't think it was possible to fall in love all over again like that. Alas, I did though. His huge blue eyes, his crazy curly brown hair and the softest skin known to mankind. It's true though, they are made cute so you'll keep them, cause the little bugger really can wail when he wants to. But who am I kidding? He's cute even when he's crying and pissed right off.

The night I arrived though I met up with my friends from home and we went and saw our favorite band play...Great Big Sea. Seriously, those guys rock more and more every time. They switched their show up a bit, bringing in some more traditional tunes and it was frickin awesome. Went for drinks afterwards with two of my good friends and we filled our faces with brownie & ice cream, and of course a Long Island or two. Mmmm. Then it was early (riiight) to bed, early to rise, as I camped out in the basement of my friends house and she had a toddler who is POSSIBLY the second cutest baby I know. Ok. He is. And equally as capable of wailing on command...but still, just as cute doing it. None the less it made for an early morning, which was fine because I've been known to sleep for days on end if given the chance. My time here is horribly brief and I figure I shouldn't waste TOO much of it sleeping. (But I put forth the arguement that I am also on vacation and to me, vacation means doing whatever the fuck I want. Which includes sleeping.)

I hung out with my girl Di and her hubby and son for the morning and then went over to my bro's. My sis-in-law (who's humor and wit I'd missed while away...) and I ran an errand or two and then the 4 of us (baby included here) were off to the farm, where I now sit at my Dad's laptop in his office at 1am. (MacGregor time.)

All of this is fine and wonderful and I'm so happy to be home.

Yet it feels like I never left and some how it's hard for me to believe I have another home and friends (who feel like a new family) waiting for me a couple hundred miles away on the Left Coast. I now feel like no matter where I am, which home I'm at, I'll always be missing something. It's a hard thing to come to terms with. If only I could clone myself. I mostly just wish both places were closer together I guess. That would solve most of my issues. I love the quietness and familiarity of the farm and Winnipeg. My family is here, my animals are here and the huge blue, never ending sky that I've known my whole life is here. I miss it. I miss going out and taking the goats the left over apples and cuddling cats and seeing the dog get so excited that we're going for a walk that he JUST might turn himself inside out. But at the same time I find myself almost missing the mountains, and all the water that surrounds my life out west. I miss the feeling of "so what are we doing tonight, girls??" and my roomate's crazy antics. The Downtown nightlife, the dancing and the insanity of the never ending boy hunt that seems to have taken over our lives. I wish I could be in both places and have more free choice of which I want to be a part of any given moment. I hate that I will now til who knows when, will always have to spend at least $500 to see my nephew, and my bro and sis-in-law and my parents and goats. My dog. Who should have to pay $500 to see their dog? It's some cruel trick having now fallen in love with two vastly different worlds.

I feel it's a phase however. I had no idea going out there how long I would stay, and I still have no idea how long I will. I know now it will be for awhile, perhaps longer than I had first antiscipated but I think some day if my family doesn't come to me, then I will prob come home to them. (How I will deal with the -30C weather I will not know.) I will always be a Prairie girl at heart.

Til then though, I know where I need to be to find my own life. To find out where I'm supposed to be headed and who I'm headed there with.

I just wish a goat could live comfortably in an apartment in North Van.....

So tomorrow I head back to the city with my bro and his family...hang out with them and Thursday morning my friend Di and I fly back to Vancouver. It will be harsh as I don't completely know when I'm coming back. The plan is for the summer as I have a wedding or two to attend, I just hope I can afford it. Next I can't wait for when my family comes to visit me and we get to show them around!

This weekend is going to be such a blast though...all my girls together and we'll be partying it up West Coast style with GBS again...3 more shows! Are we nutso??? I THINKSO! We're headed to see them in Vancouver Thursday when we arrive, then Victoria on Friday and then we leave Di behind in Vic with our other good friend Steph and C, and the Sisters head to Seattle for my 4th and final show. Wow. It's going to be one hell of an unbelievable week/weekend and I'm not sure what we'll do when it's all said and done. But I can't wait for it to happen. I just hope it all lives up to our expectations. Nothing is ever how we plan it, and nothing is ever how it seems...but it always happens and when I'm with my favorite people in the world doing what we love to do the most...we can't go wrong.

Cheers til next time...

Christmas and beyond...the brink of craziness!

2006-01-18T00:43:00.000-06:00

So I know it's been wayyyy too long since I updated here! I don't even know reallly where to start and I don't think I CAN start just yet. There will be photos (oh, there WILL be photos...) and there will be stories. But it's become an overwhelming well, almost month, basically and so much has happened! Too many weekends of nonsense and fun!

Christmas was weird but went well, I think. I was very strange not waking up at home on Christmas morning. The first time in 23 years (my whole life!) that I hadn't woken up at the farm and opened presents with my brother and my parents. This year was an even harder year for that to happen too because of my gorgeous little nephew and it being his first ever Christmas. I hated missing him opening his presents so much. Unfortunately it couldn't be helped though, as I just couldn't get time off work at that time of the year to fly home. I get to go home in less than a MONTH now though and I can't friggin wait!

Christmas morning was fun though...we went to Surrey to hang out with C's Mom and sister and open presents with them that morning. I was spoiled far more than I had expected and it was sweet to open presents from my family back home which I had saved since my Mom had sent them to me weeks before. Then we all got ready and went for dinner at C's Aunt and Uncle's house in North Van. I met all the cousins and other family members I had yet to meet, and we played fooseball and pool and had tons of fun. C (and Heather) & I made the dessert that looked funny but was a hit with the Church family. It was so nice to be welcomed into a family and I was well taken care of. So big thanks to all of C's family for making me feel so welcome. :)

I worked a ton during the holiday season and finally had a few days off after Christmas so I could go up and visit my uncle who lives up the Sunshine Coast. It's so gorgeous up there and I'd been wanting to go since I moved here, but I rarely get two days off in a row from work. But I was so happy to finally make it and I had a blast just getting to kick back in his gorgeous house and hang out with his family. It's just such a relaxing place to visit away from the city....and it reminded me of home because he's so like my Dad in so many ways (they are brothers after all, haha) and it was quiet. Nice and quiet. Not to mention dark. I had apparently forgotten just how dark it gets out in the bush! I love it. So I had a great time out there and can't wait til the summer comes and C and I can go out and visit again. It'll be so great to go suntan on the deck and frolic on the beaches there. Hehe.

After that there was the Town Pants New Year's Eve EVE show and that's where the craziness begins.........

....which will have to wait for a new entry, which will in fact include pics!

Cheers.

Merry Christmas!

2005-12-24T19:12:00.000-06:00

You can always depend on the kindness of strangers...

Ok. Maybe not. But today was a heartwarming sorta day. Which was sweet because it's Christmas Eve. I'm finding it very hard to make it feel Christmas-y being so far from home and my family. It just doesn't feel like Christmas to me really, but at the same time it's still sweet. We have our tree up and we even have a bunch of Christmas cards from friends on our entertainment unit. (Thank you everyone! You've made it feel like a home around here!) There's a good supply of presents under the tree, which is really cool...and there's freshly baked cookies and more presents to be wrapped. There's stockings hanging on our fire place and we have a fire going. (Ok they're candles.) It smells yummy in here and there's not much more we could ask for really. I wish I was home, but not every year can be the same for the rest of my life, right? We'll video tape, we'll take pics and I know they'll do the same at home. We'll have Christmas in February! It'll be awesome.

But back to today...I made some cookies and told the guys at work I'd bring them some today since they had to work and I didn't. Hehe. I had to get a few photos printed anyway and needed to buy a few more little things for people. So I took the seabus across the pond and went downtown to drop off the cookies. They all loved them and were so sweet. One of the guys even though he wasn't there had left me a present! Aw! So sweet. I dunno what it is yet though, apparently I'm not supposed to open it til tomorrow! He wasn't there so I'll take him some more cookies on Boxing Day. The guys were all so sweet, so that was fun. I went and got all the things I needed/wanted and some extra. Found some cute presents for others I had trouble deciding on before. Perfect! I went back and wished everyone at the store Merry Christmas and picked up my photos...then headed backed to the seabus and I had some time so I stopped at Starbucks to get a hot chocolate. But I had next to no cash on me and they weren't taking debit! So I turned around and asked the lady behind me if she knew if there was a cash machine in the Station, she didn't know and suggested some of the stores in Gastown but said they charge like so much to take cash out that way. So I said thanks and was like, Oh well, I guess I don't need a drink that badly! And sorta laughed (because I really didn't, lol.) But much to my surprise she gave me two dollars and some change and told me to buy a drink!! I couldn't believe how sweet she was. I told her she really didn't have to do that and she said sometimes we do things we don't have to and have a Merry Christmas. So sweet! I couldn't say thank you enough, it was just so touching. What a nice lady. I felt bad though because I'm carrying all this shopping and really not looking like I shouldn't have money, haha.

I decided (although I was really going to do it anyway) to pay it forward and do C's laundry for her...and I was going to give the guy playing violin on the walkway some money, but I still didn't have any other change, haha. So I will next time.

So to that lady and everyone else...

The Tree is UP!!!

2005-12-14T02:11:00.000-06:00

Awww...we put up our very first ever Christmas tree in our very first ever home away from home! So sweet!

It still needs something on the top of it though...hmmmm...

And I hung icicle lights in the blinds! Yay!

Of course there were the shiney balls for the tree too! Hehe...

And my family sent us cute decorations...I *heart* my Lucky Bear! And C was equally as impressed with her SpongeBob decoration! Hehe...

But I'm feeling rather sick today...so I better get to bed I think...tomorrow.....

WE BAKE!!!! Yay!!!!

Slainte.

Final LWR

2005-12-12T01:06:00.000-06:00

So tonight I caught the final episode of that Ewan McGregor show I've been obsessed with...The Long Way Round. They finally made it to North America and they showed them going through Alaska and into Canada...all the way down through Calgary where Ewan almost got killed. Can you imagine? He makes it all the way through the fuckin Road of Bones and Mongolia and everything...then some snot nosed kid rear-ends him on the TransCanada Hwy and damn near kills Ewan McFuckingregor. If it had been me (though that would never happen, I'm a good driver...ahem) I prob would've been crying. "Ohmygodohmygodohmygodohmygod...I almost killed Ewan McGregor!!!!!!!!!!!" I'd prob be more upset than he was. None the less, he didn't die and they made it down into Montana and all the way to NYC.

The part of the show that's always gotten me is their honesty with each other and the whole thing. Both of them were always so candid. Then when they got closer to home they were so sweet about seeing "the girls" (their wives)...it was just so cute. The producer ends up playing a bit of a joke on them when they are staying at this B&B sorta place for their last night before going to into NYC and the wives and Charley's girls are actually there. (Ewan won't let his kids be shown on tv.) And the producer is interviewing them in this little porch swing set outside and Ewan is all like...they aren't here are they? And the Producer is like..no, no no, they're not. And he's like...that would be great, but I figured they wouldn't be. They aren't here are they???? The producer...NO, no, no...they're not. Then they go on to talk about something else and you hear one of Charley's girls squeal behind them and come running out and Ewan's head just WHIPS around and they freak out and run to their wives. Omg. It's one of the sweetest things I've ever seen on tv. Just so touching. To say nothing of the way he kissed her....haha. Ahem.

Anyway....the part that made me cry though (yes, I cried, ALRIGHT!?) was when they finally rode into NYC together and they'd been joined by all their buddies and the OC Chopper guys all on their bikes....and Charley and Ewan popped two big ass bottles of champagne and then they are hugging each other and crying...sigh. Cute boys hugging each other and crying, it'll get me every time. Haha.

On that note...check out the site and see Charley do the Race to Dakar! Can't for that show to air!!!

New GBS Podcast!

2005-12-10T01:08:00.000-06:00

So I'm being tortured right now because I'm a good roomate and waiting for Christine to get home before I listen to the new GBS Podcast but it says they talk about Rock Star INXS! OMG. They better be nice to my JD, cause I wuv him! I wonder when they did the podcast though, as Alan is in Oz right now playing with his posse and Russell Crowe....hmmmmm....

ARGH! I WANT TO LISTEN TO IT...maybe I will anyway...

I'm not good at coming up with titles...

2005-12-06T02:52:00.000-06:00

Really. I'm not. So I'll just jump right in...

Here are some completely random photos for you! Like I said, I dunno where to start so I'm just going to start where I feel like. Hey. It's my blog, baby.

So wednesday, as reported in the last installment of M's Blog...we went and saw George's show, The Hour! Yay! And I think we took one of our cutest pics yet with the Stroumbo...oooh yeah...

We also learned that he does a talk show every Sunday night that were NOT aware of! I actually remembered to listen online this week and it was great! Two hours of George and his The Hour producer chatting about whatever they feel like! Awesome. Go to www.cfrb.com and check out the Stroumbo Show every Sunday night. It's well worth waiting the whole week for...

The same day we were downtown for George we took a bit of a walk around and I had to take a pic of this building:

Which is really just the library, but it looks awesome. What city has a library like that??? VANCITY baby!!!

So back a few weeks now, we went and saw Mraz. Jason Mraz. It was my first Mraz show and he did NOT disapoint. He was hilarious and I do love some humor with my music. He put on such a great show and the Commodore Ballroom is amazing! One of the coolest venues I've been to so far here for sure. They have these crazy blinds that come down from the ceiling to cover all the windows during the show. Sorta creepy, but pretty cool none the less. The only odd thing about the Mraz show was that he didn't sing his big single from his new album. Who does that? He ended with the second single from his new album but never sang the first single AT ALL. WTF? Anyway...he was great all the same and we didn't actually notice he didn't do that song til we were walking down the street afterwards, haha.

We both also bought shirts there...mostly just for the bag though...

Some where in there I also got my hair cut and I turned blonde again by magic. Magic. Yes. Magic, I says! I'm much more of a photographer than a photographee though...

And then back to NOW...cause we must live in the now, right? Christine's friend from Surrey came out to visit us and see our apartment the other night! Yay, Serge! We went on a little bus adventure to C's 'Bucks and got some hot chocolate and had some creepy drunk guy follow us for awhile...then we took another little bus adventure and saw all the christmas lights...and finally we made it back home and attempted to watch Anchorman. Which didn't work cause our TV SUCKS and shuts off at random. But needless to say, we took the camera with us!!!

It was tres fun!!! I love it when we have people come just to see us and hang out. So much fun. I can't wait til this crazy holiday season is over so I can have a normal work schedule again and everyone isn't so busy. Normally I'm super excited for Christmas but this year I'm not that excited. It's like February is Christmas month for me because I get to go home and my good friend Di gets to come visit me here and everything happens in February man! So I'm a bit bummed about this holiday season, but we'll make it our own and have fun anyway. I think it'll be better once we get our tree and it feels more Christmasey here. We got an awesome little Xmas care package from home the other day though, so that helped cheer us up! Yay for real mail!!!

And the last photo of the day...just because I think it's the cutest thing ever...my bro and his son...miss you guys!!!!

GEORGE!

2005-11-30T03:42:00.000-06:00

So there are really ALOT of things I could be posting about right now. We've been so many places and a few things have happened of importance but I just can't talk about it right now. I feel like just posting some fluff and so I bring you....

Stroumboupoulosa!!!!!!!!!!!!

THAT'S RIGHT.

George is in the Van city right now, did a show here last night and we're going to the taping of the show tomorrow!!! WOOHOOO!!! It actually worked out perfectly that by some miracle we BOTH have the day off tomorrow. Wow. He's only here for two days and then he's in Whistler on Thursday for some film contest thing. It will be the 3rd time for us meeting George and we're so excited. We very much enjoy that boy...they just called an election too so he will most definitely have something to chat about. Should be a good show. I'm also just excited because I've never been to the taping of a tv show before! So that will be cool!

And other than that.....it SNOWED here last night!!!!!!!!!! ACK!!!! It was crrrazy! I was like 20 minutes late for work today because my bus just DIDN'T COME. Holy shit. I ended up taking a different bus because the other one just never came, but that one was late too and I missed both possible seabuses that would get me to work at a reasonable time. Argh! People in this city have no clue what to do when it snows, it's ridiculous! OI vey. None the less, it meant work was DEAD today and sadly....I was fine with that. I don't mind right now when it's slow because I know it's about to get so busy for Christmas and there's still so much I don't know it seems. Every day someone asks me something stupid that I don't know the answer too...or something I do know the answer to but because I have to learn the answer to so many inane questions I think I've started forgetting some of the answers to earlier questions. It's like my brain can only hold the answer to so many questions and then it starts having to boot some out the other end to make room for new ones, haha. Oh well. Maybe one of these days I will get a clue. I do know some of the skus off the top of my head already though! yay me! I should though by now, as I've only typed some of them in about eleventy billion times.

Anyway...I'm off to read my book and sleep in tomorrow cause I have the day off and we're going to see GEORGE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Oh, and one more thing...

2005-11-11T19:13:00.000-06:00

Ok...so I have to add one more thing to my list of things I'm in love with right now...

The GBS Podcast.

Oh my crap is it hilarious! They just did another one and I could hardly breathe I was laughing so hard. Those guys just friggin kill me. I'm so glad they've embraced technology and got on the podcast train. It's such a fun idea and they seem to have an endless supply of pointless crap to discuss, which I most thoroughly enjoy! I really hope they continue to do them...I think they should do some from the road/tour bus on the next tour!! That would friggin ROCK. They said they get bored...so why not??

Check out the lastest...discussions include: all the words you should't say on a podcast (but Alan does anyway), Sean's Bob Marley shoes, David Lee Roth and how Sean though Van Halen was a dutch folk band, Bob having to pee during a show and so much more! I have to give it another listen, but I do love: "Can you spill beer on a podcast?" and "Arsehole of the week".

It's the Highballs tonight...so I'm off...gotta make some dinner!

The Long Way Round and All Stops in Between

2005-11-07T02:48:00.000-06:00

Ok...so just a short update today cause I'm getting tired of sitting at this computer! Not that I'm complaining. I'm SO happy to finally have it! But it seems like I've been sitting at it organizing photos ALL DAY today! So I think it's bed time.

I just had to say that my new favorite things right now are:

- The Long Way Round: Omg...so I had read about this mini-series that Ewan McGregor had done a year or more ago, but it was only shown on British Bravo channel. Well now they are showing it on Canadian OLN and I'm LOVING it. Ewan and his friend Charley ride around the world on their motorbikes and it's awesome. They start in London and aim to end up in New York...taking the Long Way 'Round. They are going through France, Belgium, Germany, Ukraine, Kasikstan, Russia, Mongolia, Alaska, Canada, the US and a ton of other places in between. It's insane! It's just the two of them and one other guy on a bike that's also a camera guy. Both Ewan and Charley have little camcorders that they interview each other with and most of the footage on the actual trip are from their own handheld cameras. It's so awesome. I've only seen the first two episodes so far...in the first one they are just doing their planning and getting ready. There's SO much planning and shit that goes into it, it's insane! They take first aid courses (which included learning how far your femoral artery will shoot blood...ew!), lessons in Russian, an fitness course (where much to Ewan's surprise they mostly exercise their 'arses'), some course about what to do if you're in hostile territory and getting shot at, try out different bikes to use, talk to a ton of different people from all the countries they will be going through to see if it's a smart idea (it's probably not...lol) and countless hours of paper work getting visas and border crossing papers in order. It's total insanity but it looks so amazing. They finally leave London at the end of the very first episode and it's so sweet and heartwarming seeing them set out on this journey. The second episode they make it all the way to the Russian border and spend alot of time in Kiev in the Ukraine. Craziness ensues! I just love it (can't you tell???) and can't wait for Tuesday and the next episode!!! YAY!!!

- Next up; my chubby little nephew: My sis in law has been sending me 'daily' updates of my cute little boy and tonight she sent me the cutest little video!!! He grinned and wiggled and smiled and was just good enough to eat. What a darling. I miss him and everyone so much...I can't believe he's so big now!!!! All his curls and dark, dark hair too that's prob so baby soft. Sigh. Miss you my boy!!!!

- Grey's Anatomy: Omg. One of the best shows since sliced bread!!! We just wish it was on every night like a soap opera. Though we know it wouldn't be as good then and we wouldn't have something to look forward too alllll week. But we LOVE this show!!!! Tonight it was so hilarious....it always manages to some how be hysterical and touching and heartwrenching at the same time. LOVE IT. Not to mention...who can resist Dr. McDreamy????

- Neopolitan ice cream: Cause we're poor we buy the cheap ice cream and we figured if we gotta buy the cheap stuff, at least get 3 flavours in one, right???? RIGHT! It's actually delicious though and I'm enjoying it VERY much. YUM!!!!

- And lastly; The Hard and The Easy: I just LOVE the new GBS cd so much I could eat it for dinner every night. I get River Driver stuck in my head every minute of the day and Sean just seems to be having SO much fun with this album you can't help but love it yourself. I heart everything about it. The fact that they seem to be embracing the internet more with their newsletters and the online early pre-orders and the new OKP, iTunes, the new dvd that came with the cd...all of it. It's amazing and I love it!!!

Ok...I also love to sleep...so I shall be off to do that now!!! Pics soon, I promise. Though maybe not tomorrow as tomorrow I work til 7pm and then it's off to the Railway Club for the monthly Singalong! Yay! I can't believe this will be my SECOND singalong already!! Where has the time gone????

NITE!

Ahhhh.....sigh.

2005-11-05T16:29:00.000-06:00

So.

We finally have a computer (thanks to my brother) and it's all connected and online (thanks to the lovely Dave)!!! Yay!!! This all makes me more happy than I can express in an online blog. Haha. Its so nice to be finally connected to the outside world again and be able to talk to my friends and family back home again, and get my daily updates about the cutest little nephew a girl could have! Hehe.

We have a TON of photos to share, which I will do this weekend for sure, but we have some cleaning to do currently...not to mention laundry and grocery shopping. So the photos will prob be posted tomorrow!

Last night we trekked out to Surrey for a Pants show at Central City Brewing Co. Yay! We do love our Pants, that's for sure. Seemed to be some odd confessional night though...which is surprising because C wasn't drinking, haha. Ahem. The rest of us were though...oh yes. I'd told Dave we'd keep him well stocked up on drinks for being so kind as to set up our computer for us...which of course meant keeping myself well stocked on drinks as well. The Sisters also were kind enough to part take as well...and I do love drunk K!! Hehehe. We finally (or I should say C finally) found out from Dave what his lovely cologne is...as makes all our hearts go a flutter when ever we smell someone wearing it, haha. It's definitely enjoyable, so we will have to make sure he stays well stocked in it.

What else? There was much crazy dancing last night too....that was very fun. I do love the drunken crazy dancing! Annnnd...nothing like drinking beer from a pitcher through a straw! Not to mention having A spit half of it at you...thanks, A! (Kidding! I'm alright. Really. My sweater just smells, but that's ok....its laundry day anyway, haha.) Man...Bowen is going to be fun...I feel like such a Bowen virgin though. Eek. I can't wait!! 2 more weeks!!!!!

Yay for the weekend off! Tonight we get to celebrate Kat's b-day...maybe some frolicking on the beach in the icey rain? No? I think so. That would be fun, though freezing cold...but C and I were discussing how little we've been down to the beach since I got here though! Wtf?? But we didn't have much time while it was nice and now it's too damn cold and rainy to really go down there...not to mention we're always working. Ugh! Work! But it's all good...we'll party it up tonight with Kat and see what's up...the Sisters are partying it up at the Coppertank, so if we're nearby and Kat wants to, we may stop by there. But it's her day so its allll up to her!!! Par-tay.

Works been pretty good. I feel a bit more comfortable there now with the computers and stuff. It seems every day someone comes in with some weird question that I have no answer for though, haha. At least it's like one of the slowest months though there right now, so it's a good time to learn everything. It can be pretty long and boring though in the evening when there's only two of us on and like NO customers. But I have this whole weekend off, and then coming up for the Rememberance Day weekend I have 3 days off!! WOOHOOO!!!! So awesome.

Well we have to get organized here to go out tonight...so I better run!!!

More updates tomorrow...I swear!!!

North Shore Girl Now, Baby!!!!

2005-09-28T03:03:00.000-05:00

WOOHOOO!

So, I made it to Vancouver. Whaddya know!? I'm pretty sure there were a fair amount of family and friends back home who didn't think I'd ever reeeeeallly do it. But here I am!!! Pbbbt!!!

C (my soon to be roomie!) and I just got home to her place in Surrey from the Green Day concert a GM Place tonight. SO awesome! We were on the floor this time and it was so great. Those guys put on such an amazing show and it's just so cool hearing the songs I went through highschool knowing and now all their new stuff that I constantly listen to live. They were awesome in The Peg and they were freakin awesome here!!!! Have to check out the local paper here (whatever that may be, haha!) and see if there's any good pics. Their stage show they put on with all the fire and lights is incredible and the music is just so infectious. Love it.

Tomorrow I get to bum around C's house while she goes to work, then we are going to scoot downtown so we can check out the Thrift Stores for our Halloween constumes, hehe, and then I have a job interview! Yep! 4th day here and I have a job interview!!! Yay me! It's even for a freakin CAMERA STORE. How damn amazing am I? Unfortunately it's for their downtown store, not the North Van/West Van one (not technically sure if Park Royal Mall is west van or north van.....) but all the same, as long as they will give me some decent hours, at least for now it's a friggin job! The head guy I talked to said there may be a chance for me to move to the Park Royal store later on too. I also applied for a job at the Art Supply store that's only 12 blocks from our future apt (next week, woohoo!) soooo...if I get that one and they give me comparable hours, then I may quit the other. Or at least reduce the hours there, as it will cost me alot more to get there. At least a job's a job right now, and even if it costs me like $4 a day to get there and back, it's better than nothing! So I have to go meet the manager of that store tomorrow and hopefully he'll like me and give me a job! Yay!

Thursday we're gonna see if we can go and see the apt, since I haven't actually seen the inside yet! And dunno what else we'll do...Friday its the Mirage for C's Last Day in Surrey Party...which K and I will prob be getting started extra early.....hehe. Saturday is the Proclaimers, which will be super fun! And then next week is The Town Pants and moving day!!!!!

Today we went to West Van to check out the new 'bucks that C will be working at and go to the beach...the rocky side of the beach, but beach none the less! It was GORGEOUS. It's gonna take me a while to get used to the seabus horn and having big ships and water smell around...but its so amazing. I can't believe I'm actually here!!!! I feel so lucky to get this oportunity to be living here, no matter how long I end up staying...it's gorgeous here and to be so near the ocean ALL THE TIME is unreal to me. As soon as we are in our apartment and my computer arrives from home, there will be tons of pics!!!!

Now...it's like 1am and that makes it like 3am Manitoba time, which I'm still sorta on...that's gonna take a bit....and my feet are about ready to fall off...I gotta hit my bed tonight...ie. the couch in C's living room. (I can't wait to have my OWN BED!!!!!!!!!!!!!!)

Til next time...........

So much to say, so much to say....

2005-09-14T21:38:00.000-05:00

Well Jebus, Mary and Joseph...where to begin??

The new arrival is two weeks old now. Whew! He's gotten so big already I can't believe it! His name is Constantine...what a cutie pie! I will refrain from posting his photo though. I assure you all though, he is cute as a button. Hehe. Finally got to hold him and everything...it's just so unreal for me. It was crazy enough when my brother (who is my only sibling) got married. Now he's a Dad?! That's craziness to me. But he's going to be such a great Dad. He already is. I see how much he loves that little guy and it's just so sweet. Makes me realize that I'm just not ready to be that completely selfless yet, but I now know that some day, I will be and will want kids. To be honest, I really wasn't sure for a long time there, but after all this...when the time is finally right, I will definitely want them. Seeing my husband with our baby would just be so damn adorable! Hehe. But until then...I will be very content with being the awesome Auntie who brings Lil C wicked presents.

In other news....omgomgomgomg. I MOVE to friggin VANCOUVER next Saturday. To sit here and say I'm not totally losing my mind over that thought would be a complete and udder lie, haha. But at the same time, I have never been this excited and exhilerated in all my life. This is going to be a huge step, but it's going to be so amazing. I seriously can not wait. C got us what sounds like a friggin wicked apartment and sounds like we may even have some furniture and everything, it's going to be amazing. It's going to be super hard to leave it all behind, but what I could gain could be the rest of my life.

Here goes nothing, people!!!!!!!

I'm an AUNTIE!!!!!!!!!!!

2005-08-31T23:22:00.000-05:00

This week has been complete ridiculousness........buuut......he's finally here!!!!!!

I'm an auntie!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! YAYYYYYYYYY!!!!!!

More info and pics to follow....but I had to express my excitement to the world!!!!!!!!!!

CHEERS EVERYONE!!!!

New job, new stuff...all that jazz...

2005-08-23T19:10:00.000-05:00

So, long time no postie dealie, eh?

I just started a new job, today I completed my second day of training! Yay me! It's just a weekday type job so I can make some more moola on top of my photography job on the weekend. I think it'll be good. It's at a call centre and it seems like a pretty easy campaign...I haven't actually made any calls yet, but I sat and listened to a guy make calls today. It was really slow actually but seemed fairly easy even if it weren't. It's only for a month and as my very wise friend told me...you can do anything for a month!! I hope she's right!

I've been finding it fairly frustrating lately because I really want to buy stuff for the new apartment in Vancouver, but I can't because that would be stupid. And because I don't have much money...but mostly because it would be stupid to buy something here and then have to ship it or take it with me to Vancouver. It's going to be hard enough to get the crap I already own there! So I can't wait to get there so C and I can hit up Ikea and all the good stores and buy some more house stuff! Yay! I think we should get the essentials at Ikea cause it's awesome and cheap...but I think it'd be cool to not get everything there and wait and shop around the little funky, lesser known stores and get some awesome pieces to make the apartment really different and awesome! Cause we're awesome! Right? Awesome. haha.

I was thinking that I've never been able to just have a blank slate really and actually decide on say, a real theme or decor. It will be so fun! I mean I will be poor so I can't be too picky...but I can still at least work toward stuff that actually goes together and that I like. I'm thinking a very beachy feel...at least for my room if C's not into that for the whole house.....buuuut I have a feeling she won't mind the beach! My S-I-L has a really cool sand/shells/bamboo thing going on that I enjoy and I think I'd like to take that and run with it...except for the kitchen. Which will in fact be the coffee BAR. Bar being the main ingredient here. Not that we drink that much......~cough.~ But I think just a very cafe/funky bar look would be cool. We'll see what bartending paraphenalia C already has though....ahem. I think we may already be fairly well stocked in that department! hehe.

Speaking of kitchen...I'm getting just a little hungry here...so I better go whip something up before my two favorite unreality reality show obsessions come on...Big Brother 6 and Rock Star:INXS. Go J.D!!!

Ciao!

p.s. Just as an aside...my kilt-ed.com site is offline because I suck and forgot to renew it! LOL! It should be back up annnnny day now though...so if some of the photos on the blog here aren't working, that's why, some of the pics are hosted there.

Ooooh...The Hard and Easy...teehee...

2005-08-05T23:18:00.000-05:00

Yay! Finally we get a date!

Great Big Sea's new album, which will be allllllll traditional songs, is going to be released October 11th! WOOHOO!!!! So excited!!!!

Love this pic...mmmm...

Now....one can only hope for a rockin CD Release partay up in The 'Couver....cause dat's where I'll be, baby!!!!!

~crosses fingers AND toes~

Some of my favorite images right now...

2005-08-03T00:57:00.000-05:00

Just a few of my favorite pics from right now that I feel like sharing...

Keith's new GAP ad......oh. my. GOD....

I have a wayyyy bigger version that is currently my computer wallpaper. GORGEOUS.

A few cute pics of Russell Crowe and his 18-month-old son, Charlie, playing in the park...

So cute! The little bugger just has the curliest hair! And sooo looks like Russell. Love the one of after Charlie fell and Russell is like...Heyyyy! What happened??? LOL! Too cute!

And I dunno what it is, he hasn't done that much stuff yet, but I just love this guy...there's something about him...(can you tell there's totally a trend in the kind of guys I like?? All rough and tumble, haha...even though Ben's fairly well shaven in these pics...he usually looks a little rough around the edges and I find that damn sexy!)

Ben McKenzie...he has a new indie-type movie out shortly too called Junebug. Apparently it did really well at Sundance, I hope it'll be playing here soon...

And a great new one from the Junebug promos...

And I'd say he needs a haircut, but I just saw him on Conan tonight and he got one, hehe. His hair prob looks the best in the first one, but he also looks all polished and fancy in that one, like some prissy girl came in and primped him. I sorta like the last two for their more natural look. Sigh. Ok...fantasy time over...now it's time for bed...oooo, nevermind...more fantasy time!

Canada Day in Regina

2005-07-29T01:35:00.000-05:00

So I know, I know...it's damn near August and I'm only JUST updating about the roadtrip to Regina! Sorry! Life got the better of me...

The trip was great though! Di and I had a great time and I'm glad we went. The weather has been so iffy here this summer that we turned out to be pretty lucky. I'm sure we were a sight to be seen trying to walk down the street in Regina under the same umbrella though. That is, had there actually been people in Regina...haha.

The 6 hour drive to Regina was fairly uneventful...we had good weather most of the way there except a little strip that Di had to drive on the two-way highway, which wasn't much fun. It threatened to pour again once we arrived in Regina but it ended up only showering a few times, as I mentioned, while were walking down the street to get to the park. Then the sun came out and it was hot and gorgeous! Prob couldn't have asked for a better day actually.

So after circling the block prob at least 3 times just to figure out how to get into our hotel so we could check in...(damn one-way streets in Regina!)...we finally got in and parked in the unloading zone so we could get our bags to our room, etc. We both grumbled about the hotel being a bitch to find the entrance to but in the end a very nice surprise wouldn't have occured had we gotten in the door the first time around! As we were walking towards the main doors I saw a rather attractive looking young lad walking towards us and smacked Di (because I'm ohhh so smooth), whispering "I think we know that guy..." She nodded and grinned. Maybe we didn't KNOW him, but oh, we knew him, haha. T'was the McCann returning from his run, I figure. Looking damn cute too, if I don't say so myself!

I don't know what it is, but I can get excited as I want about going to see GBS, but I can never get REALLY excited about it til I see one of them. Like then suddenly it's actually happening! My stomach just fell to my feet and suddenly it occured to me....We get to see Great Big Sea!!! Hehe. Because we're cool, we didn't say anything to Sean and we hadn't checked in yet so we went to the front desk and he went to the elevator. Damn. Not to be a stalker, but I wish we'd just pretended we already knew where we were going and gotten on the elevator with him, haha. Oh well. We were good girls and checked in instead...good thing D was running the show on that one cause my brain had ceased to function. Desk clerk: "What kind of car is it?" Me: "grey." Haha. Ok, so sue me. Sean's the only one I haven't met and I've never even seen him off stage before...from day one he was always my 'favorite' too so I still have yet to really get passed the "omg it's Sean" thing with him. One day. Ahem. One day.....hehe.

SO anyway...we get checked in and take the elevator up to our room, deposit our stuff and check out our lovely view....of the main post office........haha....

After going back down to move the car into the parking garage...which we had opted to pay prob double for, just so we wouldn't have to drive out onto the street again, haha, we went back up to the room to purty ourselves up a bit and then figure out how to get to the Wascana Park for the festivities!

Some of our junk...note the yummy cookies from Sobey's that D's lovely hubby, Jay so kindly packed for us!

We headed it down to the lobby to ask the desk clerk where the park was, and she kindly gave us a map that made no sense. So me being the map reader (insert hysterical laughter here) took it and continued to inspect it intently as we walked out the front door...so intently that I didn't manage to notice the tiny cement step down. Suddenly I found myself on my ass on the ground having pulled quite the Christine. ie. tripping for no real reason. Haha. The map swirled around me in a sort of tornado like fashion and as Di couldn't decide whether to help me or catch the map, a kind man laughed at us both. Thanks, asshole. Though granted, I'm sure we looked pretty ridiculous. I just thanked God that no one of real 'importance' had witnessed such a utterly moronic spill. However had they, I'm sure the would've been far more helpful and sympathetic than that jackass.

After attempting to collect my dignity, we continued on our misdirected way. Then it started to rain. Yay! We popped the tiny umbrella that at least Di had remembered to bring and tried to fit both of us under it, fairly unsuccessfully, though I don't think either of us got TOO wet. About what seemed like 40 blocks later, we reached the park. I think it was more like 10, but Regina is retarded. After having reached the park however, we realized why we hadn't met a single soul on the street on the way to the show. Litterally everyone in Regina and possibly all of Saskatchewan, was at the park. I think afterwards I heard there was some where between 35 - 40,000 people there. It was insane.

So we surveyed the crowd that was mainly gathered around the main stage in lawnchairs and on blankets...and then decided to check out the lake and get something to eat. We wandered lakeside, which was gorgeous, and met these very friendly and VERY cute guys...

I can only assume that those were the evil birds that Sean later recounted he had been chased by on his run. They were terrifying alright!!! Hehe.

A view across the lake...

After resting and checking my battle scars from the earlier fall, we made our way back to the main stage and the food area to get some water and french fries. After standing in line for what seemed like a good portion of our lives, we got our fries and iced tea instead as water had run out. DUH, people! It's summer! Buy lots of water! They had just gotten some more in but it was warm. Ew. So we sat in the shade and ate our fries, then braved the line at the museum so we could take one last trip to the bathroom and wash our hands, etc. As D would say...that stall was so small you had to go outside to change your mind. Haha. Smallest, stall, ever.

Back into the hord we went and tried to make our way to the front of the stage. We did so very successfully and found ourselves approx 3rd row, behind some short children which rocked because we are both tall. Perfect! Yet, we had about 3 hours to go before GBS hit the stage. Damn. Luckily we had missed most of Canadian Idol Finalist, Terysay Sokyrka (sp) and her off key singing, and made it there just in time for the Waltons. Who neither of knew, but thought they sounded entertaining. Turned out we did recognize a few of their songs and we quite enjoyed them. Apparently it was a one time reunion deal or something for them. Then out came Streetheart (I think that was the order of go)...whom I had never heard of but Di knew quite well as they were big in the 80's, I guess. I pretended I was a huge fan and sang along because a cute camera man kept pointing his camera at me. So if you watch it on Saturday...I'm the one looking like I'm a hardcore Streetheart fan. Which...I am not. Though they were amusing and had some catchy stuff. Pretty 80s though.

Then out came K-OS. Though it should be noted that during Streetheart and then more so right befor K-OS, there was a severe influx of idiots in the crowd. Who turned into plain old morons and soon progressed into flat out gigantic assholes. By the time K-OS hit the stage they had been worked into a frenzy and I had all but restrained myself from killing them all. I would have liked to. Many of them got the bitch end of my elbow to their necks, I'll say that much, along with a few choice words. I hope thats not on tv. Haha. Be pretty funny if it is though. K-OS was awesome though and before the crowd got really out of hand, I got a pretty cool shot of him...

Soon the crowd was too much for us to handle though. I have never in my life been in a crowd like that. I never imagined that many people would be there, and when half of them are all pushing against you, it gets pretty damn scary. Di decided she was out and I was trying to play it cool at first and stay, but about 3 seconds after she left that attempt went out the window and it got scary. She had apparently been holding some serious ground and when she bailed the jerks surged forward and I felt completely trapped. Couldn't breathe and I almost panicked...finally I managed to turn around and get the hell out. It was so weird though. The park was so poorly set up that it was like a funnell going towards the stage and so everyone was so completely packed in there it took me forever to get to a spot where I could breathe and not be completely surrounded by people. It was so freaky! I couldn't find D anywhere and K-OS was almost over. I didn't want to watch GBS from 40 miles away and definitely not by myself. But just as I got back to the chip truck we'd been at earlier, I thought to send D a text message...and she'd already sent me one! Stating her coordinates at Stage Murray, haha, and after much difficulty in working my way back closer to the stage and searching for her I finally found her a bit in front of the crane camera. Yay! About 5 minutes later, GBS hit the stage! Whew!!

The show seemed a bit hurried, not much talking...but dancey Sean was in the house and that always makes my day. It was still a great show and the boys sounded fantastic as usual. Joked around a bit but not the usual amount as it seemed they wanted to get in as many songs as they could.

A few pics...

The coolest part of the whole show though was the encore. The guys finished their main set and then did their first encore as they do. There were supposed to be fireworks right after their show, which had already gone long though so the two guys hosting the event came onto the stage and said as great as GBS was they weren't going to be back because everyone had to get over to the fireworks. We all chanted for them anyway. Much to the amusement of the two hosts, GBS took the stage again for one last song...Alan strode back out as the guy was in mid-sentence and everyone cheered. Not really realizing what was going on, the hosts kept talking and urging everyone to start walking to the bridge for the fireworks. Alan would have none of it. The whole band came back on the stage and picked up their instruments...finally the hosts got the picture and left the stage. Neener, neener! Alan thanked the crowd and welcomed the dude from the Waltons and that Terysa chick back on stage for an awesome encore song...Bruce Cockburn's, Lovers in a Dangerous Time. So awesome! A verse or two into the song the crowd roared as K-OS surprisingly took the stage as well to sing along side Alan. Alan seemed as surprised as everyone else for K-OS to be out there too. It was awesome though! Alan was so great singing that song, its one of my favorites ever. I love the way BNL do it and I actually think it's more of a song that Sean could have sung better, but Alan did a great job. Loved it!

A few pics from the finale...

And my favorite pic from the whole show...

Despite the frenzied crowd of jerks at the front, causing us to lose our amazing spots...the show was still great and we still had tons of fun. We had lots of room to dance where we were and we weren't being squished the whole time. It was great and sorta cool to see the show from a different perspective, as we are almost always front row. I'd rather be front row...but not willing to die to be there!

Instead of seeing the fireworks, some of which we did see anyway, we decided to high tail it back to the hotel, change and go to the bar to beat the crowd of people leaving. We'd been standing for too long and did not feel like watching fireworks! After theat ordeal we more than needed a drink. The walk back to the hotel didn't seem as far, though we were half-dead...we changed fairly quickly and freshened up and headed to the bar we thought was the best place to go. Strangely the front desk clerk had no idea where it was. Funny, Jay had said it was only a few blocks over. Oh well, maybe she was new. So following Jay's wonderful map, we walked to where this bar should be. Hmmm...funny. I don't see any bars at all, D. Yeah, her either. Let's look in the telephone book for the exact address. Wow. That's funny, its not in the telephone book either. Well lets just keep walking anyway, there must be something. It must be down here. Hmm...this is a cool little bar, a few people there, but not the right one. Lets just walk around the block...ok we are back at the hotel. Wtf? Lets call 411 and find out where this place is. Hmm...funny she says there's a bar by that name in SASKATOON.

SON OF A BITCH!!!

Yes, Jay got slapped a few times when we arrived home. SOMEONE forgot that he'd also been to Saskatoon a few times. DAMMIT. Ugh. We were so tired but we were starving and desperately needed a drink by this time, so we staggered back to the original bar we had passed in our search and got a table. It wasn't too busy and was actually a pretty cool bar...catwalks and all, no live band or anything which was disappointing. Oh well. Cute/funny waiters though! Not to mention hot flyboys who made themselves at home at our table and tried to pick us up. Yay us! Hehe. That was entertaining and I more than enjoyed that part of the evening. One flash o' the ring and they were gone though. Dammit. I will really have to encourage Di to keep her hands under the table next time...or to wear mittens. Haha. Our waiter was pretty damn funny though after the airforce guys left us and I almost enjoyed his flirty banter even more. Too cute.

We finally staggered back to our hotel and fell into bed. Jay was right about one thing though...they certainly do roll up the sidewalks at 9pm there!! The only living soul we saw on the way back to the hotel from the show was a bunny. I figured we didn't even really need to worry about being mugged because prob all the muggers were still at the park or already in bed too. What a city. Oi vey.

The next morning we checked out and left Regina behind without much pomp or circumstance, and sadly no entertaining encounters.

T'was a fun trip though! And after arriving home from the 6 hour trek back...I showered, changed, grabbed more clothes and food and drove another 2 1/12 hours to Winnipeg Beach to see those boys in skirts play! What I won't do for good music...hehe.

Regina here we come!

2005-06-26T01:42:00.000-05:00

WOOHOO!!!

So in less than a week my good friend, D & I will be taking a little roadtrip to good ole Regina, Saskatchewan to seeeee.....

.............these guys!

Yeah!!! So excited!!!! We haven't seen them since October! Well, that's not entirely true...D and I got to see Alan perform at the Songwriter's Circle for the Juno Awards that were held here in Winnipeg in April. That was friggin awesome. We also got to see Alan and Sean play hockey! And well, we got to see Bob walk the red carpet...it was good times. But no Murray. No Kris. There's just nothing like a Great Big Sea concert, so I can't friggin wait! It's part of Regina's Canada Day celebrations and supposedly its going to be televised or at least partly, so that will be wicked!

The roadtrip part of it will be fun too. We've never done a roadtrip just the two of us, so I think that'll be awesome. It's 6 hours there...so 12 hours roundtrip. We're staying over night though (we're not that insane!)...so it'll be fun. Pretty easy road to Regina too, half of it I've already driven quite a few times, so it'll be fine. Got my Mom's car cause it's wayyyy nicer than mine. It'll be so great to see the b'ys again. Hopefully some debautchery will ensue...though nothing will top the debautchery that was Winnipeg October 2004. A meeting of the minds, as it were. Teehee. But it'll be a great sorta last hurrah for us Prairie girls before this Prairie girl joins the West Coast sector and becomes and Ocean girl! Yeah!

After we get back from Regina it's toss the bags and grab some new clothes and fresh digs, drop off D and pick up R so we can take a mini roadtrip to Winnipeg Beach to see my favorite boys in Kilts! Kilts on the beach, that will be wicked! Then we're going to cruise on over to my Aunt's cabin in Gimli and crash there for the night...supposing of course that I can actually get us there, as I have YET to drive to Gimli by myself, much less find my Aunt's/Uncle's cabin in the dark! It's one of the original ones too and not one of the newer monstrosities that have taken over the island out there, so it's sorta tricky to find. We'll find it though, I'm sure! Or I'll just drive all the way to the end of the island to my cousin's house and ask him to tell me how the hell to get to his Dad's cabin, haha. Then spend the better part of the next day in Gimli....cause I loooves da Gimli...hopefully I'll still have room on my camera, which I only just thought of and that could be interesting. Hmmmmm....crap. Cause I presume there will be plenty 'o photo taken in Regina. Dammit. How can 1G of memory not be enough??? I have the 32mb card too though, so hopefully I won't run out of room for the weekend. I managed to make it through almost a week in Van and ran out of space on just the last day. But that was because we didn't go see GBS and C also had a camera! I imagine there will be some video taking as well and that takes up alot of room. I'll do my best not to get carried away. Haven't seen MIK for awhile and I'd like to take some pics there, so I better leave SOME room. And did I mention I LOVE Gimli?? So definetely will need room for pics there. D will have her camera in Regina though, so we can take silly pics with it. Yeah!

And on entirely sort of different note...

I read in the Tab the other day (local entertainment section in the paper that comes only on Thursdays) how this local band was jamming one night at one of the guy's place and after they'd all gone to sleep some people broke in and stole like 9 instruments! What kind of bs is that??? How awful! The band that it happened too is really great too. During the Juno weekend here MIK played CBC radio and R & I went to check that out and this band, The D. Rangers, were on before MIK. They play this crazy bluegrass sorta I dunno what sorta roots/hick music, haha. I seriously don't know how to describe it. Mainly bluegrass, I guess. One of the guys plays the saw and one of the other guys plays the muck bucket as an upright bass. It's insane. But they were so awesome! So when I read that about them getting their instruments stolen I felt so bad! What a fuckin shitty thing to do. Perhaps they should've locked their doors better, haha, but still...no one has the right to come steal your shit whether you leave it lying on the front lawn or locked in a safe! So to help the band out, the Times Change(d) club on Main is making the D. Rangers show a fundraiser/benefit show for them this coming Wednesday. (Apparently they still have some instruments left to do a show with!) It's a $10 cover charge basically and they are donating not only that 10 bucks but all the drink sales from the nite to the band. I thought that was awesome. I really hope to go, but not sure if it'll work out...too many other things to coordinate this week! But if you're from the Peg and you're reading this...I highly recommend you go and help the guys out, they are a great band and deserve some help.

Cheers.

Hehe

2005-06-24T23:46:00.000-05:00

My kitty is sooo going to kick George's kitty's ass!

Biebe Tucker

Can you say "AWWWWW"?

2005-06-16T01:56:00.000-05:00

Cause George is just too damn cute...

Saw this on his show just now (wednesday night edition of The Hour)...he said he's a sucker for animals but he doesn't have a life style that works for having a dog any more (I know he said before he used to have a pitbull)...but he said he was working on his car out front of his house one day and this little white kitty came up to him and wouldn't leave him alone and then followed him to the house so he kept him. He named him (I think it's a him) Snake because he acts like a snake George once had, haha. Then he decided Snake was lonely so he went to the shelter to get him a friend and got this little kitten that would flop around like a fish so he called him Minnow. (So cute!) Sooo...all of this story because of this website...

http://www.kittenwars.com

So funny and cute!! It's totally pointless and a good time waster, but it's SO cute!

And of course...George entered Minnow....hehe...how cute is he??

Minnow

I have soooooooooo many pics of my new baby kitty, Biebe, on my camera right now. And he is seriously the cutest thing going, hehe, so once I get them downloaded I'm TOTALLY entering him! I know he'll kick some major ass. Wa hahahaha. There is also:

http://www.puppywars.com

And I have some VERY cute pics of Maverick I could post too. My camera is so full of cute animals pics right now! Going to d/l them and burn them to a cd tomorrow when I get to my Aunt's better computer. Yeah! Then I'll share some and totally enter them in kitty and puppy wars. Hehe. If you don't go to the site, then you won't know what it's really about and just saying "kitty wars" sounds bad, haha. They don't fight or anything!!! LOL Check it out! MAJOR "AWWWW" factor!

Who??

2005-06-13T01:42:00.000-05:00

K, I don't get it.

I thought Mariah Carey was a JOKE. She went all looney not long ago and everyone thought she was off her rocker. Granted, losing your mind maybe isn't a nice/good reason to not like someone's music any more...but her music was crap (though in my opinion it always was). Now she's all over the place again and everyone is swooning saying how wonderful she is and her album killed Fiddy the week it was released...now she's the #1 chart topping woman of all time? (Something like 14 #1 singles or something...) WTF???

I don't get it. I officially announce that I just don't fucking get it. Who buys her albums? Who requests her music? There are seriously that many little girls out there that really love her so completely that she can be at the top again just like "that"?? I officially have no clue how the World works. Either someone has a helluva lot of money and is paying someone off or doing something to boost her career (which I don't doubt could be happening at all)...or the world is off IT'S rocker and the listening public are the ones who have gone totally looney.

When I went to see George a few weeks ago he mentioned interviewing Mariah, but it was about another topic, about his interviewing style and about not asking personal questions...about going for the kill and when not to. (He was saying he interviewed her right when she was cracking and he could see her about to cry so he just stopped the interview. He's a good man. He said it was just insane, he wasn't about to interview someone and make an ass out of them or make them cry when they were obviously going through some problems.) But my actual point of interest in this instance is another discussion he had that was about the singer/songwriter types (he didn't mention names, but I presume he means the likes of John Mayer, etc, as that's who I attach "singer/songwriter" to anyway) and how they were big because record companies biggest drive is to aim for the 20-34 female audience. While I love George's opinion, I find that hard to believe. Granted, John and many of the so called singer-songwriter types have done well and there was soon an over abundance of such S-S, most of which were/are horribly untalented and no where near John's league...maybe that group BUYS more or something, but it seems the even younger girls would be more the prime subject of media hype. The 13-18 age group. Maybe it's been worked out in the figures they actually don't buy as much....but I'm sure that's the age group that made the likes of Britney, NSync, The BSB, Mariah (the first time around), Christina and all those successful and I'm sure its the next generation of that age group that is buying Mariah's stuff now. Mainly because I don't know who the hell else would be buying it. I'm in the 20-34 age group that George mentioned and quite obviously the singer-songwriter type works in that age group, haha, cause I know alot of us love him...but there's no way any one of us would be caught dead with a Mariah Carey cd. It would just never happen. So maybe we go to more concerts because we can do what we want supposedly because we are self-sustaining...but I still don't believe that. Those young kids are crazy...they buy more into the CRAP that Mariah can sell...I don't just mean her music (haha) I mean allllll the merch. And I'm sure their parents buy them alot of that crap and send them to just as many (if not more) concerts than us working class students and young adults can afford to go to. We're too busy trying to figure out how to make it to the $60 U2 or Green Day concert that comes up every 5 years, haha. Ok, so I bought some $5 stickers, but I don't think they can sustain themselves on sticker sales alone. So George, I love you...but I don't believe you. (This time, lol.)

If someone can find me 5 people who bought this new Mariah Carey album that are over the age of 20, I will be VERY amazed. (Then I may go shoot myself.)

And on a less bitchy note, haha....watching tv and U2 were just on talking about various things but the interviewer asked them about iPods and gave them the U2 themed iPod. SO funny. He was like...do you guys even know how to work it?? LMAO. Bono took it and started mocking him by poking it randomly and yelling at it "uhhh do you hit this? or this? Maybe this?" (in a really stupid "hick" voice) and Edge grabbed it away from him and held it up to his ear like a cell phone and was like "helllooo? Are you in there? I KNOW YOU'RE IN THERE!!" Haha. So funny! Bono looked at it for a bit though and decided that "it was the sexiest thing since the electric guitar"......sadly...I'd have to agree. How a little silver (in my case anyway) electronic box can be "sexy" is beyond me...yet...it is. Hehe. Mine's only the iPod mini, but I like it more than the bigger ones. Which only proves one of my friend's greatest points (he full of ridiculous ones too, like how he smokes Player's because his Dad looks likes the Player's guy and always smoked them himself, haha).............

** To make something cuter, just make a smaller version of it. **

SO TRUE! Case in point...babies. Puppies, bunnies, kittens, calves, baby goats...any babies are just damn cute. Tiny purses....tiny shoes...baby carrots...mini skirts....(ahem)...really....if you want to make it cuter, just make it smaller. Ok....so maybe that's not ALWAYS true, haha. Cough. Ahem. ;) Bigger can be better in instances, there is always the exception to any rule. But I think the majority is true here, smaller = cuter.

So that post started out in left field and ended up in the parking lot. Sorry bout that.

Just to keep it real though....check out the latest from BNL co-frontman, Steven Page, a side project...

www.thevanityproject.com

The first single, if there is one and you want to call it that, Wilted Rose is currently the weeks free download at iTunes Canada and I got it the other day. Definitely enjoying that one alot. Which reminds me...speaking of insanity in the world of music. Now I'm not a huge Coldplay fan, but they are decent...I read that the latest Coldplay single got booted from the top of the charts in the UK by a song inspired by a RING TONE. A song that was nothing, made from crap-ass ringtone??? The sky is falling.

Which also reminds me...check out Zach Braff's blog....love the boy, but he can't find anything to do in Montreal?? I've never been, but I hear it most certainly has no shortage of things to do. But his blog his hysterical. And I say "that reminds me" because I believe Zach is linked to the new Chicken Little movie...or maybe he's just looking forward to it, haha.

But aren't we all?

This week...

2005-06-10T02:23:00.000-05:00

So first, well I guess it was actually last week...I get to see Russell Crowe put on the most amazing performance as Depression Era boxer James J. Braddock in Cinderella Man...

Brilliant performance. More on that later...

Then I get to see him do this...

Yep. Get arrested.

I love the man dearly, I've been a huge fan for about 4 or 5 years now. I think he is an amazing actor and truly a genuinely good hearted man. But man is he stupid sometimes, haha. Once you've read a bit about him and seen some of interviews it doesn't take long to see that he's actually a great guy and not at all who the media portrays him to be. He's funny and charming and sweet. But he has made some dumb moves in the past and this seems to be the last straw as it landed him in a Manhattan jail. I won't go in to detail, but he had arrived after a whirlwind trip to Manchester, UK and back and was trying to call his wife and son in Australia and the phones weren't working and hadn't been all week, I guess. So he took the phone from his room down to the desk clerk in the lobby and threw it against a wall, which resulted in the clerk also getting hit. The police were called and RC was hauled off to the slammer for the night, only to be released to a feeding frenzy of media in the morning. Oh it was fun. Russ has since apologized for his unbelievably foolish behaviour and it's quite clear it was never his intention to hurt anyone, he was just frustrated. (No excuse for losing it like that, but still.)

Personally I think it's kinda funny. I mean of all the stupid things to get arrested for...throwing a phone?? Haha. But someone got hurt, so I suppose it's not something that should be made light of. Whatever. It sure was an uncessary chink in the armor though, especially since this current press tour he's been on for CM was going so well and was so far very entertaining and funny. Luckily, leave it to Conan, he was on Late Night tonight and Conan and he had a good laugh and it seems his humor has returned. Hopefully he can forgive himself for his assinine behaviour, move on, settle this thing with the hotel clerk and go home so his wife can kick his ass.

The one cute thing about it all is this guy...

...who has been with RC since the L.A Premiere. It has been some what of a dream partnership that one of my favorite musicians, Alan Doyle (of Great Big Sea) and my favorite actor got together to make such a fantastic album. www.myhandmyheart.com Alan, being the sweet little innocent Canadian boy that he is has prob had quite the eye opener of a tour of duty with Rusty on this trek across the countryside to promote the movie...but I can't even imagine what it's been like since RC got arrested. Wow. But it seems Alan has hung in there cause he went with him to Letterman the other night when RC spoke for the first time about the incident. Good on him for being a great new friend for Russell and hopefully a voice of reason and calm now.

So on to the film...

The film is awesome. One of Russell's best and so it's sad that it may get over shadowed by the arrest hype. Hopefully it can win people over because it is fantastic and so great I think I'll prob end up seeing it again in the theatre. Something I have only ever done once before...I saw Austin Powers 3 in the theatre twice, but the second time was really mostly because it was cheap and not too many other options...and it is a damn funny movie. I would definitely pay full price again to go see this movie though. It's that good. Russell is so amazing in it, Paul Giamatti plays his manager/coach and Renne Zellwegger plays his wife. The whole thing is just fantastic, I highly recommend it. If you're not big on the boxing...there is quite alot of boxing in it, but its more about how the man overcame the serious downfalls he and his family suffered during the depression after having been so successful and having it all. It's inspiring and heartwrenching. It's the epitomy of the "you'll laugh, you'll cry, you'll cheer" movie. It's all that and so much more.

Now if Russ would just stop throwing phones at people, he'd do alright.

G-Day Part Two - GREEN Day!

2005-05-24T01:44:00.000-05:00

Tuesday:

So part two of my two awesome G-days, haha, was Tuesday, May 17th, when I got to go see Green Day play the brand spankin new MTS Centre.

MTS Centre.ca

I've been to quite a few concerts in recent years, but nothing like this. Most of the shows I go to aren't big rock/punk shows and this was one helluva big rock/punk show! I said it first, it was like a circus and that cute little loveable perv, Billie Joe was the ring master. He also was at times, like a little dictator up there.

(Photos care of: The MTS Centre Green Day story and there are more photos over there too!)

We were a pretty decent ways away, but could see perfectly...but still far enough away that it was pretty crazy to watch the whole rink and the going ons. The stage setting was awesome and tiny as he may be, Billie came out and just took over the crowd. Though it was very much a crowd that was begging to be lead. He had us doing the wave, singing along, pumping our fists in the air and booing George Dubya. "This is Tre Cool....this is Mike...and I, ladies and gentlemen am George W. Bush!!!" **BOOOOO** "No, no, really...my name is ASSHOLE!!!" Haha. True or not, it was still funny.

The stage set up was freakin awesome. If anyone has been to my Kilt-ed.com site or my Pant-ed-not.kilt-ed.com site...or in my bedroom (sadly not too many have been there, haha)...you know I seem to have an affinity for the red, black and white scheme. Well it was like I'd fuckin died and gone to Heaven at this concert. It was nothing BUT red, black and white (the colors of their new album, not unlike the new U2 album, I also have to add)...and I was appropriately dressed in my black capris, black flip flops, black, red and white "FREE NFLD" shirt, whore red painted toes and a red and black striped sweater. Hells yeah.

They did a great arrangement of mostly new stuff from American Idiot to begin with and then moved into some older classics and mixed it up with new and old. I won't claim to be a huge GD fan or anything, but I am a "fan" in the more general term and have been listening to them since I was in like grade 8, I think. (I just graduated University for those that don't know!) Don't own all their cds or anything though...so for me they played a really awesome array of new and old stuff, and prob only one song I didn't recognize. Really great.

One pretty awesome moment, and I hear it's the norm for GD shows, they got 3 guys out of the audience to play their instruments for them. First the drummer dude...who was pretty good....then the bass player guy who was pretty hot and seemed to actually know what he was doing (but hell, I could play bass...haha)...and was a bit too cocky for his own good as at one point he was (jokingly) told to "get the hell back [to the main stage]!!!" by Billie. Haha. Finally Billie pulled a lead guitarist out of the audience and the kid was like 15 I think...but he could play man, it was pretty wicked. Did a leap off the drum riser and then ran out along the sorta catwalk extension of the stage and slid on his knees. Then....and what I think is the fuckin coolest bit of it all...Billie rather uncermoniously told him to "get the fuck off the stage, you're making me look bad...." BUT..."nice guitar? Hell. Keep it." VERY COOL.

I'd never seen these guys live before and I think I'm glad I waited to see them on this tour. I liked them before but now I love them...they've matured and are really amazing now. They put on such an entertaining show that was awesome to hear and watch and fun to attend. Really made you feel like you had come there to be a part of something, not just attend something, which is something Great Big Sea has always done and it's one of the best parts of their shows. One of the funniest/weirdest moments of the show was when Billie came out for King For a Day wearing....yes, a crown. He's so little and the crown was so big, it was just fuckin hysterical. Later he also had a robe and everything too...so funny. King For a Day turned into "SHOUT" which ended up with Billie lying flat out on the stage face down singing "a little big softer now". And I say Billie the perv because at one point he had us all repeating whatever he said, which eventually turned into "uhs" and "ahs" and a hand down the pants. But I gotta say....it was pretty hot (and again, funny, haha). But he is a dirty little boy and you can't help but love him for it.

And now thanks to my awesome West Coast girlies, I get to see them again in September at GM Place when I move to Vancouver!!! AND we're on the FLOOR!!!!!! WOOOOOHOOOOOOOO!!!! Good work girls!!!!

To keep with the swearing that has come to be so prevalent in damn near any conversation I have at the moment since George Day and Green Day....

I CAN'T FUCKING WAIT!

G-Day is the BEST day!

2005-05-18T19:19:00.000-05:00

Saturday:

After paying $3.75 for 2 hours of parking downtown, which isn't bad really I guess, I walked down Smith in the icy wind to the Ramada Marlborough. It really is true what they say about the corner of Portage and Main. I was a couple blocks from Main, but crossing Portage Avenue even on Smith was unbelievably windy. It's like the buildings there create an insane wind tunnel. It's unreal.

So I managed to not lose any ears, cause not only was it windy but it was a cold wind, and made it into the hotel. There was a large group of people there in the lobby and I was told that if I wanted to join the murder mystery I was welcome to, just go and sit down. Ah, no, thanks...I'm here to see George. A kind lady that was part of the historical tour of the city showed us (myself and this guy I met in the lobby that was also looking for George) that you had to use the 'special' elevator to get to the 9th floor, where the workshop was. Interesting.

We get to the 9th floor and are shown to the only room there, a small conference type room that had about 4 other people in it already. Tables and chairs and glasses set neatly on each table. Free coffee and donuts too. A main table set up at the front with microphones and everything special like that, felt like a press conference. I find a seat dead center, second table from the front. Yeah! The room slowly started to fill a bit more, but only ended up being maybe 25 people. Very small and cozy.

Right around noon George walks in with Bartley Kives from the Free Press who moderated and kept the discussion rolling. All very calm and cool, he walks up to the front and puts his coat on the chair. Quick test of the microphones and George decides the table is too far away and that we don't need the microphones. ("I paid $150 for those microphones!" LOL!) So he and Bartley pull up chairs right in front of the first table, say hello and off we go.

Way too much discussed to recount. But it was awesome. Bartley asked about George's life and his beginnings as a forklift operator, haha, and on to Humber and radio and tv. As we went along it was all very informal and questions were asked and we went off topic many a time. In the end we got to ask questions and have our say and hear George's and everyone else's. It was fantastic. He shared some insight into how music gets selected to be played on the radio and how videos got selected for play on MuchMusic...talked about what it meant to get your music played on the radio and if it even mattered any more. We spent quite awhile discussing internet radio and getting your music out there via various other sources than the main stream radio. Really interesting stuff. He was charming, candid, honest, insightful, hilarious and everything else you want in a boyfriend...I mean, host, speaker person. Ahem.

He was very genuine and friendly to talk to afterwards too and he didn't leave til he'd talk to everyone in that room that wanted to talk to him and even some that seemed too shy to approach him, he approached them. He was amazing. Myself and another chatty lady talked to him for awhile and she took my photo with him. Yeah! Now I have a slightly less retarded photo of myself with George! Haha. No, it is alot better than the other one, though I do still have a ridiculous grin on my face. He was very sweet and obliging. And just when you thought he couldn't be possibly more endearing, he tells me that after the show wraps on Thursdays he flies to another part of the country to do stuff like this, speak to people...for free. Just about always for free, he says. What a great guy.

It was a truly awesome day. He was such a great speaker and it felt so casual and intimate. It was an amazing experience. Dunno why he'd be reading this, but thanks George for your generosity, time and insight. And big thanks to MARIA for putting the workshop on.
Visit: http://www.manitobamusic.com

Don't forget to check out George on The Hour, Mon-Thurs on CBC Newsworld. http://www.cbc.ca/thehour

And as if that wasn't all awesome enough. What was supposed to be a 2 hour workshop ended up being 3 hours by the time we'd all finished asking questions and chatting with George...my parking had expired an hour before I actually got back to my car and I didn't get a ticket! There is a parking God!

G-Day Part Two - GREEN DAY! - coming soon!

Saturday & Tuesday...Other wise known as G-Day!

2005-05-12T23:30:00.000-05:00

Both of them really.

Saturday is George Day! WOOHOO!

I get to go see George Stroumboulopoulos speak for a MARIA Workshop at the Ramada. Oooh. A hotel. No seriously...haha....should be awesome. It's a two hour workshop with George about the music industry, put on by...the music industry. Well, the Manitoba Music industry, so it should be wicked. I've met George once before, but it was retarded. It was in 2003 when 3 of us met up in Toronto on holiday/to see Great Big Sea play at the Molsen Amphitheatre. It also happened to be the same weekend that the MuchMusic Video Music Awards were on...we really wanted to meet George too (well 2 of us did, haha)...didn't really know it'd be that easy though! It was craziness out on the street, a few bands were doing sound check and the VJs were doing the same/practicing. George was out and about so we held up a (crappy) sign that just said "Hi George!" and he waved to us and everything, then we managed to go over and "talk" to him VERY briefly and I got my picture taken with him. (I look like a moron.) I totally couldn't understand what he was saying and I felt like a 'tard. So it's redemption time! LOL I'm really interested to hear what he has to say about everything right now. I've always appreciated his views on the music industry and you just don't get to hear enough of it any more on his new show. Politics, politics, politics! He's compelling anyway, but I love hearing him talk about music the most. Should be great!

Then Tuesday is Green Day!!

YEAH ME! That's going to be so awesome. It's the sold out American Idiot tour at the MTS Centre. We got to go to the Juno Awards at the MTS Centre and we were waaaaay far away, but it was still so fuckin wicked. We are much closer this time around so it's just going to be so great. I've been a fan for awhile, but I'm really enjoying this new album. I think the guys will put on a great show!

Then on top of that...C and K get us FLOOR tix to see Green Day AGAIN at GM Place when I get to Vancouver in the fall!! OMG!!! That is going to fuckin rock!!!! Great job girls!!

But now...I must go attend to my....ehm.......well I'm sure there's something to do.

I was informed that I need to update

2005-05-09T01:22:00.000-05:00

Apparently I need to add to this thing...I hope this doesn't turn into the ramble I think it might.

So I've been thinking alot about when I move to Vancouver and how it will be great to meet some new people and how it'd be awesome to meet a guy out there. The only thing that concerns me is that it means I won't want to come back, haha. I think that's one of my biggest fears though, that I'll have no reason to come home. I never planned on moving to Vancouver for forever, but at the same time...aside from family and my animals (which I will miss soooo incredibly much), I don't know what real reason I have to be here any more. I love the job I have right now, it's fun and great experience, but not the sort of thing I want/could do much longer. The entertainment industry here is growing, but I just can't see the sort of photography I want to do being that easy to do here. Though it would help if I had a clearer idea of what I actually wanted to do, I suppose...

But back to the point or what may have been the point at one point. Ahem.

I think that's my Mom's biggest 'fear' too, is that I'll go and meet someone from Vancouver and then not want to come back. Ya never know though I guess...maybe he'll be up for moving! Who knows.

What I do know though is that I don't have much time left here right now...I plan on heading West around the middle/end of September after my brother and his wife have their baby in August. I didn't want to miss that for anything. But my time here is limited and it's just one of those things...like now would be when I'd meet some guy and not be able to have a relationship because I'm leaving. It's something that would happen to me though. I'm not sure if it's because I'm so excited or if it's some sort of defense against that happen, but I seem to tell guys I meet lately, like within the first 10 minutes of talking to them, that I'm moving, haha.

I keep thinking of this guy though that has been coming in and out of my life for the past 6 years now basically. It drives me nuts! I've always liked him, since the moment I met him...but it has just never worked. We've been friends though, off and on. It's been a strange trip, I have to say. Finally I'm to that stage where I just don't want to like him any more and I thought I'd managed that...then I fall for it all over again. What's up with that? It seems to happen to me alot though...it's happened with others. Those I've always gotten over in the end though and don't think about them much any more...except one. But he's another story, haha. But this one...right now I think it's pure attraction, not really thinking about a future or anything. I see him and he's gorgeous and nothing else matters at that moment...I look at him and it feels like he's looking at me differently than he has in the past and my stomach flutters even though I've told myself 3000 times I can't think of him like that any more.

Really.

It's not fair what one look can do to you.

10+1 - A new take....

2005-04-29T01:04:00.000-05:00

So this is a different kind of 10+1....whereas in the old 10+1, it was 10 guys you'd sleep with and 1 girl....(in my case anyway, since I fancy men....)....well this 10+1 is far less scandilous...(I already covered the other 10+1 on another blog anyway...)

In this particular episode of 10+1 I give you...

10 Things That I Know For Certain + 1 I most definitely don't...

10. George Stroumboulopoulos is one of the most intriguing hosts on television right now.

9. It was still fuckin snowing here today.

8. I love my new iPod mini.

7. Keith Urban put on one of the best concerts I've ever seen. The man is a God.

6. I no longer care about alot of things and people that used to matter to me a few years ago...and I'm alright with that.

5. I couldn't be more excited to step out on my own when I move to Vancouver this fall.

4. This summer is going to rock! I have a fun job, a car, great music, a cute lil' guy to hang out with and who celebrates his 1st birthday this summer (his mom's pretty cool too), and sooner or later this summer I'll be an aunt!

3. If the dog keeps bringing up dead fish from last summer and leaving them all over the lawn then my Dad will in fact bury him in the hole underneath the kitchen window he keeps digging.

2. Seeing George Stroumboulopoulos in 2 weeks is going to friggin rock!

And the #1 thing I know for certain...

1. Becoming an Aunt in August is going to be unbelievable and I can't wait!

+1 thing I don't know for certain (though that's really impossible to narrow down actually)...

How I'm going to get the piles and piles of crap I own to Vancouver...

Well looky here!

2005-04-25T21:07:00.000-05:00

Seems as though I got George-mail today....and there's not much better than George-mail! What better way to start off a brand spankin new blog, that's in large part Christine's fault anyway....but to post about something the ever-thoughtful Christine sent me! The only better way to wake up this morning would've been if George himself was in my bed...

Since that hasn't happened yet, this was the next best thing....

Thanks, C! You rock.

Oh yeah...and thanks, George. Hehe.