5 years ago
Sunday, February 28, 2010
Thursday, February 25, 2010
And we're off!
I've only just started reading A Heartbreaking Work of Staggering Genius, but already I can't recommend it enough. The sentences are beautiful and flow seamlessly into one another. The voice is so distinguishable, even from the first few lines. It's packed with humour and emotion and, dare I say...it's compulsively readable. Here's a great quote:
"...for aesthetically disenfranchised furnishings we are like the families that adopt troubled children and refugees from around the world - we see beauty within and cannot say no."
"...for aesthetically disenfranchised furnishings we are like the families that adopt troubled children and refugees from around the world - we see beauty within and cannot say no."
Wednesday, February 24, 2010
What we've been missing
While driving our new car for the first time this afternoon, I got the same feeling as when I first got glasses. Looking through the panoramic, crystal clear windshield, I thought to myself, "holy shit, this is what the world is really supposed to look like!" At last, we're no longer constrained by bus schedules. The next time we go to the grocery store, we don't have to consider how much we can carry without breaking our fingers off. Welcome back into my life, 4 litre jugs of milk! I don't have to resent squash anymore for being so delicious, but so heavy.
I'll be the first to admit that all these years I've taken for granted the freedom of having our own vehicle. You don't know what you've got 'til its gone has to be one of the most poignantly observant cliches that I don't mind using. It goes across the board for everything - for example, I've been going 2 weeks with some dietary restrictions, and I don't think I'll ever appreciate the taste, texture, and sweet loving that cheese has to give until I eat it again on Monday when this madness is over. You can really tell how dearly I miss it because I started off talking about our car and somehow directed this post towards obsessing over succulent, oozy cheese. I saw a funny "tweet" the other day, where someone asked, "what if cheese couldn't melt?" I wouldn't want to live in a world like that. A world without pizza is a world to be forsaken.
I'll be the first to admit that all these years I've taken for granted the freedom of having our own vehicle. You don't know what you've got 'til its gone has to be one of the most poignantly observant cliches that I don't mind using. It goes across the board for everything - for example, I've been going 2 weeks with some dietary restrictions, and I don't think I'll ever appreciate the taste, texture, and sweet loving that cheese has to give until I eat it again on Monday when this madness is over. You can really tell how dearly I miss it because I started off talking about our car and somehow directed this post towards obsessing over succulent, oozy cheese. I saw a funny "tweet" the other day, where someone asked, "what if cheese couldn't melt?" I wouldn't want to live in a world like that. A world without pizza is a world to be forsaken.
Tuesday, February 23, 2010
Getting all Olympic
Before our gift registry meeting at the Bay this afternoon, Luc and I sifted through the Olympic gear and found ourselves some matching t-shirts.......to wear to the quarterfinal hockey game we're going to tomorrow night! It should be Finland vs. Czech (depending on tonight's results) and it's going to be awesome. This is our first and only official Olympic event and we're both hitting the roof with excitement. I also picked up a super cute vintage Bay toque. And my t-shirt is technically for 12 year old boys (so says the tag), but it fits like a dream, so I'm OK with that.
Friday, February 19, 2010
Thoughts
I have a queer talent for requiring books that are always located on the very bottom shelves in the library.
Wedding overload!
After yesterday's appointment with the florist, I was feeling a bit defeated. I already have another appointment (with a different florist) scheduled for Monday, and I'm hoping that this time around I won't feel so bad for not spending an inordinate sum of money on my centrepieces and not wanting a giant bridal bouquet. I have been working out more lately, but I'm not keen on hauling some 10lb wad of flowers down the aisle.
We've got lots of wedding things lined up for next week - music meeting with the church organist, gift registry at the Bay, the aforementioned florist appointment, and a meeting with the seamstress that will take the enormous bag of fabric I bought and turn it into bridesmaid dresses. According to some reliable sources, this seamstress is something of a wizard; you bring the fabric, show her a picture of a dress you like from a magazine and, voila! Perfection!
This is the dress (minus that flashy little broach) that we're having made for the bridesmaids. I'm kind of jealous that I don't get to wear one! Because as cliche as I know it sounds (and truly is), this is definitely something the girls could wear again.
Another appointment that's sure to be a blast - the gift registry. To quote my friend Liz, "it's like shopping without spending any money!" Really though, I just want to use that little beeping gun - they look like so much fun. I have a feeling Luc will get carried away with it and we're going to end up with strange items like ceramic ducks and vibrating foot massagers.
We've got lots of wedding things lined up for next week - music meeting with the church organist, gift registry at the Bay, the aforementioned florist appointment, and a meeting with the seamstress that will take the enormous bag of fabric I bought and turn it into bridesmaid dresses. According to some reliable sources, this seamstress is something of a wizard; you bring the fabric, show her a picture of a dress you like from a magazine and, voila! Perfection!
This is the dress (minus that flashy little broach) that we're having made for the bridesmaids. I'm kind of jealous that I don't get to wear one! Because as cliche as I know it sounds (and truly is), this is definitely something the girls could wear again.
Another appointment that's sure to be a blast - the gift registry. To quote my friend Liz, "it's like shopping without spending any money!" Really though, I just want to use that little beeping gun - they look like so much fun. I have a feeling Luc will get carried away with it and we're going to end up with strange items like ceramic ducks and vibrating foot massagers.
Wednesday, February 17, 2010
Tuesday, February 16, 2010
Really?!?!
This afternoon Luc and I headed downtown to check out the various Olympic pavilions and festivities. But the real great part of the afternoon....running into Seth Meyers from Saturday Night Live!! I'm pretty sure I've been quoting SNL since I was five years old (my parents have various stories of me doing reprisals of Mike Meyers skits in front of groups of adults), so actually meeting a cast member was pretty amazing. My life-long dream has been to be on SNL (the last line of my high school grad quote actually says "look for me on SNL one day"....ha!), and as much as I hate to admit it, I'm pretty positive that's never going to happen! Unless.....I become a famous writer first, my novel is published to worldwide acclaim and then I'm cast in the film version and then I host SNL....or I get hired as a writer for SNL....so as I was saying, never going to happen!
I look like a massive tool in the picture, but that hasn't stopped me from posting it here and on Twitter. So anyway, Olympics, what Olympics? I just met Seth Meyers!
Monday, February 15, 2010
Thoughts
It's funny seeing Sidney Crosby and Jarome Iginla sitting next to each other on the bench in their Team Canada jerseys after seeing them beak each other off in an NHL game just a few weeks ago. If I remember correctly, Iginla called Crosby a "f___ baby." Go Canada!
Sunday, February 14, 2010
Saturday, February 13, 2010
I wasn't going to talk about this, but....
I'm so disappointed with the nonsensical protesting going on in downtown Vancouver. I say nonsensical because I don't respect their mode of operation. These people are opposed to the money being spent on the Olympics, and now they're stomping through the streets destroying public property. They're tainting the spirit of the Olympics in the city and contradicting themselves in the process. Where is the money going to come from to fix their vandalism? Probably tax payer dollars that could have been spent on something better.
They're dressed in black and wearing balaclavas, spray-painting anarchy signs on buildings and mailboxes. They've lost sight of their protesting goals and they're acting like a group of petulant children, leaving minor destruction in their wake throughout the city.
Everyone has a right to be be heard, but how is their collective voice supposed to be taken seriously when they're acting like this?
They're dressed in black and wearing balaclavas, spray-painting anarchy signs on buildings and mailboxes. They've lost sight of their protesting goals and they're acting like a group of petulant children, leaving minor destruction in their wake throughout the city.
Everyone has a right to be be heard, but how is their collective voice supposed to be taken seriously when they're acting like this?
Bienvenue tout le monde!
The Olmypics are here! Canadians across the country held back their drunken tears of pride (because honestly, how many drinks had you finished by the end of the Opening Ceremony?) when Gretzky cruised through downtown Vancouver with the Olympic torch. People ran through the rain beside the truck, some it appeared had ran out of hotels and restaurants, mid-shift, still in full uniform...it was a great moment that almost made me wish I had fought the crowds and stood through the pouring rain for three hours just to catch a glimpse of the Great One. Last night we decided to forgo the nutty crowds downtown and check out the Opening Ceremony from a bar. And without a doubt, I thought the coolest part was when the orcas were swimming across the stadium - quintessentially West Coast and shockingly realistic.
After the ceremony was finished, we headed to a friend's place for a few drinks and to watch the Ski Jumping qualifiers from earlier that day. This led to arguments about whether or not they have rules about how tight their suits have to be (they do have regulations) and a unanimous decision that they should have Flying Squirrel Ski Jumping where the jumpers have suits with arm and leg flaps.
After the ceremony was finished, we headed to a friend's place for a few drinks and to watch the Ski Jumping qualifiers from earlier that day. This led to arguments about whether or not they have rules about how tight their suits have to be (they do have regulations) and a unanimous decision that they should have Flying Squirrel Ski Jumping where the jumpers have suits with arm and leg flaps.
Wednesday, February 10, 2010
Monday, February 8, 2010
Cinnamon: use it wisely
But don't you DARE use it in an apple tart...or on a latte....don't you DARE.
Sunday, February 7, 2010
Distinctly 21st Century
A while back I told a friend that every time I bring my laptop charger to school, I forget it there. Every time. I really don't think I'm that absent-minded, though. I think it's become some sort of strange, self-fulfilling prophecy. Subconsciously I want to leave my charger at school to validate that comment I made months ago. Weird, right? Nothing is ever not weird when you try to psychoanalyze your own actions.
So there I was, a weekend's worth of schoolwork to do in one Sunday afternoon, battery power in the single digits, and Luc's friend arriving within the hour to watch the Superbowl. I had to leave the apartment if I was going to get anything done, but I needed a computer. It wasn't until I got in the shower (where I do all my best thinking) that I thought to ask the neighbours. And it makes sense; neighbours have always been the outside support network for household emergencies. Cup of sugar, couple of eggs, ladder to get the cat out of a tree. Neighbours are the quintessential go-to people, so why should my technological conundrum be treated any differently?
A wander across the hall, and a minute later my laptop was formatting presentation slides and scanning library databases. It also got me thinking - even just five years ago, how likely would it have been that my neighbours had an Apple laptop charger to lend out? It says a lot for the prevalence, and even the homogenization of technology. But it's later now and I've returned the charger, so I'd better not waste any more power bars on a blog post!
So there I was, a weekend's worth of schoolwork to do in one Sunday afternoon, battery power in the single digits, and Luc's friend arriving within the hour to watch the Superbowl. I had to leave the apartment if I was going to get anything done, but I needed a computer. It wasn't until I got in the shower (where I do all my best thinking) that I thought to ask the neighbours. And it makes sense; neighbours have always been the outside support network for household emergencies. Cup of sugar, couple of eggs, ladder to get the cat out of a tree. Neighbours are the quintessential go-to people, so why should my technological conundrum be treated any differently?
A wander across the hall, and a minute later my laptop was formatting presentation slides and scanning library databases. It also got me thinking - even just five years ago, how likely would it have been that my neighbours had an Apple laptop charger to lend out? It says a lot for the prevalence, and even the homogenization of technology. But it's later now and I've returned the charger, so I'd better not waste any more power bars on a blog post!
Saturday, February 6, 2010
Have I mentioned that I'm getting married?
A few pieces of news on the wedding front! Because I don't talk about my wedding enough...
After deciding that I wanted the flower girls to carry fake flowers (less chances of them getting destroyed and something fun for the girls to keep), I found two really cute oversized spider daisies in purple. Right now the stems are about as long as the flower girls are tall, so I’m going to trim them and partially wrap them in satin. I still want to keep them quite long though - I enjoy the idea of a novelty-sized flower with tiny little four year olds. There's something clumsy and cute about it.
I also made a design that I’m going to have made into a rubber stamp. We’re going to use it to stamp stationery, cocktail napkins, and anything else that needs a bit of love.
The next DIY plan is invitations. I’ve been putting this off because I know how much work it’s going to be. I also haven’t come up with a good enough design yet. Most likely something incorporating our bird theme, but I don’t want it to replicate our save the dates. IAnd school has been intense this term, so there hasn’t been much time to think about invitations. I’m hoping for one of those 4am revelations...I leave all of the hard work to night time Kristen.
After deciding that I wanted the flower girls to carry fake flowers (less chances of them getting destroyed and something fun for the girls to keep), I found two really cute oversized spider daisies in purple. Right now the stems are about as long as the flower girls are tall, so I’m going to trim them and partially wrap them in satin. I still want to keep them quite long though - I enjoy the idea of a novelty-sized flower with tiny little four year olds. There's something clumsy and cute about it.
I also made a design that I’m going to have made into a rubber stamp. We’re going to use it to stamp stationery, cocktail napkins, and anything else that needs a bit of love.
The next DIY plan is invitations. I’ve been putting this off because I know how much work it’s going to be. I also haven’t come up with a good enough design yet. Most likely something incorporating our bird theme, but I don’t want it to replicate our save the dates. IAnd school has been intense this term, so there hasn’t been much time to think about invitations. I’m hoping for one of those 4am revelations...I leave all of the hard work to night time Kristen.
Thursday, February 4, 2010
Thanks?
I've been getting a bit delirious lately working a big school project. When this happens, I generally turn to things that make me laugh. Like lolcats. And since DIY wedding projects have also been at the front of my mind...I was thinking, what about this for a thank you card?
Tuesday, February 2, 2010
What did I get myself into?
When I made the first 20-page colouring book mock-up, I was under the impression that we had about three or four little people coming to the wedding. After glancing at the guest list, I realized that it's more in the ballpark of up to fifteen. It's too late though, I've fallen in love with the colouring book idea. It must be done.
Here are a few photos of the mockup. The real ones will all be sewn (saddle stitched) with cream-coloured, heavy card-stock covers; either black or eggplant linen book tape on the spines; the little kiddy's name and a different animal on each cover.
And yes, I purposefully chose the quirkiest animals that I could find. I scanned the caricature that Luc and I had done at the wedding soiree in January and tooled it around a bit in photoshop. I'm happy with the way that it turned out - it matches the line-drawing style of the strange looking animals.
Here are a few photos of the mockup. The real ones will all be sewn (saddle stitched) with cream-coloured, heavy card-stock covers; either black or eggplant linen book tape on the spines; the little kiddy's name and a different animal on each cover.
And yes, I purposefully chose the quirkiest animals that I could find. I scanned the caricature that Luc and I had done at the wedding soiree in January and tooled it around a bit in photoshop. I'm happy with the way that it turned out - it matches the line-drawing style of the strange looking animals.
Monday, February 1, 2010
Desperate times
It's feeling like a hot bath and hot chocolate kinda night. When did it get cold again in Vancouver? It's always the same - snow at the end of the year, everyone freaks out, then it warms up again. I'm a creature of habit and I don't appreciate this chill-you-to-the-bone dampness going on here. When I got home this evening, I was so cold that I actually reached my bare, vulnerable, fleshy little hand under the radiator to turn up the heat. It's a cavernous den of evil. Who knows what kinds of beasts take residence under there. And I'm not just talking about spiders - I mean horrible little creatures that could bite your hand off in one go. I never reach under the radiator. It's a no-fly zone, kind of like the bottom of a lunch bag you left in the trunk for three months. Do not enter. I emerged unscathed, but I'll probably never do it again.
The O-Word
People have been jesting for months now about the Olympics coming to town, calling it "the sporting event that shall not be named"....maybe for a legitimate fear of using the official name without being an official sponsor. I don't want to get into the political and social debates over the money being spent and the homeless people all of a sudden being given these convenient little tents, but I do want to note the change in atmosphere downtown. It's getting kind of exciting. Tourists are slowly starting to trickle in. Just this afternoon in class, a couple of wide-eyed tourists were staring into our classroom in amazement. One side of the class is all windows and they were pressed against the glass, looking at us expectantly.
"Look honey, it's a school of Canadians! How fascinating. They look so still..."
"Don't tap on the glass Herb! It disturbs them..."
The downtown campus (which I attend) of Simon Fraser University has been rented out to Germany for the duration of the winter games. The Olympic committee has been making plenty of cosmetic changes over the past couple of weeks. Stainless steel recycling bins....new laminate flooring...strange track lighting hanging in the entrance of the main building...repainting....it's like when you clean your house and put on a cocktail dress when some special new friends are coming over. "This old thing? I just threw it on. Yeah, our place always looks like this...I generally have about 5 different arrangements of fresh flowers in the apartment at all times." Vancouver is dressing to impress, and why shouldn't it? The whole world is coming over for dinner!
"Look honey, it's a school of Canadians! How fascinating. They look so still..."
"Don't tap on the glass Herb! It disturbs them..."
The downtown campus (which I attend) of Simon Fraser University has been rented out to Germany for the duration of the winter games. The Olympic committee has been making plenty of cosmetic changes over the past couple of weeks. Stainless steel recycling bins....new laminate flooring...strange track lighting hanging in the entrance of the main building...repainting....it's like when you clean your house and put on a cocktail dress when some special new friends are coming over. "This old thing? I just threw it on. Yeah, our place always looks like this...I generally have about 5 different arrangements of fresh flowers in the apartment at all times." Vancouver is dressing to impress, and why shouldn't it? The whole world is coming over for dinner!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
