Actually, as I live in Calgary, winter has been here for awhile. Seriously, the snow has been on the ground for a solid month. Seeing as we never had an actual fall season, I won't dwell on that but let's discuss what I miss most about summer. It will also give you an idea of what I've been doing since my last post, which I recognize was basically 4 months ago. It's a short list - one thing for every month that I've been gone. Here you go:
1. Topsiders: I know this is a random one, but I love that they made a comeback this year. I love preppy boys, so the summer uniform of long shorts, cardigans and topsiders made me very happy. I do love a good peacoat and scarf combo too, so now that it's winter I can't complain too much, but I will miss the boat shoes that were all over town this summer.
2. Orcas: I went to a wedding this summer on beautiful Galiano island. On Friday afternoon we went for a sail and came across a few pods of orcas. While it was not quite this close, if you want to see how many there were and how awesome they are, check out this video from Outside Mag - it was in the same area and the same time. Oh and the wedding was fun too. CG married her man Bill on a beautiful day overlooking the ocean. We drank, we danced, we made wished on Thai lanterns and there was a risque photo shoot that is still being talked about.
3. Patios: It really goes without saying, but I had quite a few great afternoons on the various patios around town this summer. A special shoutout to National, the Ship and Local 510. Great places to drink beer and watch the world go by.
4. Bronze medals: I spent a lot of time watching the London Olympics. Not a surprise really if you look back at some of my posts from February 2010 (here, here and here). Canadians didn't do quite as well as expected and there were a lot of jokes about how many bronzes we won. The bronze we lost in the men's 4X100 was particularly heartbreaking. Listening to my father explain the rules of tae-kwon-do was particularly hilarious. Watching the Brits cheer on that Mo guy to the 5,000 and 10,000 was awesome. But most of all, watching the Canadian women lose so unfairly to the Americans in the soccer semi-finals and then squeak out a victory in the bronze medal game was amazing. I played soccer all summer on an absolutely horrible team - we barely ever scored, but when we did, this is the face I was making.
Ok, so Stampede is almost officially over. I say almost, because it's currently 5:32 am MST on Sunday July 15th and technically Stampede doesn't end until after the fireworks tonight at 11 PM MST. Why am I awake at 5:32 on this summer sunday morning you ask? It's not because I'm an early riser - it's because I have not yet slept after a night out. That's right, the sun is coming up, it's not Vegas and I'm still awake. I made the mistake of having 2 "shafts" which is some kind of concoction at the Living Room that involves espresso. Did I mention that it was my birthday last night? I'm now 36 - the crisis that this event is bringing about will have to be explored in another post. Instead, I will just make a list of all the things that happened during this, the 100th anniversary of the Calgary Stampede:
We crashed one party.
I ripped 2 pairs of jeans.
I went out 7 of 11 nights.
AZ found out that "Scott" is not actually divorced (he is separated, but she lives here, not in another country as he previously stated). Oh and he has a child that he passed off as his nephew. It's a long involved story, but needless to say that relationship is over. And now the Chanel bag has new meaning - trust your gut. When you think someone might have a wife, they just might.
We got kicked out of our infield rodeo seats - we were squatters, but still, it was embarassing.
I didn't eat any beef on a bun (this is a rare feat, let me tell you).
I spotted 2 CBC personalities (Strombo and Brett Wilson).
I relived my high school days watching the Tragically Hip at a massive outdoor concert.
Apparently this scene from last year happened again - I wasn't there so didn't witness it, but SS won stampede again this year as there may have been another YHG hookup.
While "Cory" didn't puke on the street, he did turn on his sprinkler when he got home from the bar and had a quick 45 minute nap on the front porch while he drowned his lawn.
We went to Nashville North and partied with people who could legitimately have been our children.
I didn't wear plaid once (another rare feat).
On one of the nights that I didn't go out my soccer team actually scored a goal. We still lost the game. Badly.
We have been forever spoiled by the fact that courtesy cars exist for Stampede sponsors and that they are often driven by age appropriate successful men who ask you if the air conditioning is comfortable. I may never take public transit again.
I had really good cab karma.
HC and her boyfriend J broke up. This had nothing to do with Stampede and more to do with the fact that she's moving to Toronto. Like next week. My go-to plus one and emergency contact is leaving. It's kind of a big deal. But far too emotionally impactful to get into at 5:30 am on a serious lack of sleep.
Wearing a sheriff's badge is a great conversation starter. Too bad it's only really acceptable to do during Stampede. So 'til next year my official badge will just stay with Buddha here on my bookshelf, as pictured above.
So that's it - I think that's all the happened. At least that's all that I remember. Another year done. My liver worked hard and I survived. Thanks Stampede.
Once again I have totally blanked on my blogging duties. I do have a few reasonable excuses – I spent much of February traveling. And then quite a bit of March sitting on my ass doing nothing. But what else is new? So here it goes – another list counting of things I’ve been doing whilst not updating my blog:
A trip to NYC - really, you ask? That seems like kind of a big deal, why haven’t you mentioned it until now? See excuse number two above. Went with the guy mentioned in my 1997-1998 journal – the boy in question who I planned to break up with even though we weren’t actually dating. We’re still not dating, so why would we go to NY together you wonder? Not sure really, except that for some reason we are still friends and seem to see each other every 4 years, in kind of awesome locales – Chicago, Banff, Paris, St. Moritz and NYC. Was a super fun trip – not much to report really. Hit up some good restaurants, wandered the streets of Soho, walked across the Brooklyn Bridge (pictured here in blurry instagram glory), went to the Met, watched the skaters of Central Park, etc. It's still not clear to me how we've managed to stay friends these past 15 years, whilst living in 10 different cities on 2 different continents, but we have, and it's pretty cool.
A few days of skiing – not enough really, but still good. Two of the days were with the bride who prompted the ultimate wedding dos & don’ts list (and yes, I'm going to hell for continuing to bash it almost 2 years later). At any rate, there have been a few snowstorms in the past month and so I’ve had a couple of powder days which were fab. Hope to get a few more days in before the end of the season.
Work trips – to really exciting places like Wallaceburg, ON, Fort Nelson, BC and Wetaskiwin, AB. On the first one I had some angry farmers question my integrity. On the second one I went for drinks at a Boston Pizza where we were the only women in the bar. On the third one, one of the SWAG items was a little case holding mints and toothpicks. Those really are the highlights.
A drag show – self-explanatory.
Watching Friday Night Lights – I’m a late convert to the show, which means I’m watching all 5 seasons on itunes and on my PVR. AH has been talking about it for years, but I never managed to watch it live, which is probably a good thing. Watching all episodes back to back to back is awesome. I’m slightly obsessed really. I almost feel like I live in Dillon, TX. And it makes me sad that I could never date Tim Riggins. It also makes me sad that Taylor Kitsch’s John Carter movie was so horrible. He still looks good though. And because he looks so good, I will forgive him for choosing another stupid movie to star in (Battleship) and go see it, if only because both Landry and Eric happen to be in it.
Wine – a few weeks ago we had an impromptu gathering for post-work bevies that went completely off the rails. I met a Dutch guy who had just moved to 4 weeks previous and I’m pretty sure I impressed him with my ability to answer his skill testing question – how many Hollands fit into Alberta. My answer was 20. Everyone else guessed 4-6. The real answer is 16. So I won. If I hadn’t had 5+ glasses of wine by that point, I’m pretty sure that I would have answered exactly 16. SS met a guy who seems like a good guy, but he was uber-drunk and so when exchanging numbers, he gave her the wrong one. Luckily they have a few friends in common. One of the being Rat Guy (see – this blog always comes full circle)and so Drunk Jeff (also known as New Jeff and Good Jeff) emailed him to get SS’s contact info. Rat Guy then had to swallow his pride and send her an email inquiring if it was ok for him to pass along her number. They’ve had one date – the jury is still out, but it could be promising.
Research – AZ is going to NYC this week for work but whilst there is going to a “housewarming/birthday/magazine cover celebration” party. It is being hosted by the mother a famous gentleman, who happens to be both single and a billionaire. Sadly said gentleman won’t be there, but I still looked into his history and it’s a shame that he’s unavailable because AZ is already blonde and so could potentially have become the next Mrs. Musk. Plus he’s building a spaceship to Mars (because that's a totally normal thing to do) and if she did some interplanetary travel, that would make a really great blog entry. One that wouldn't take me two months to update.
I have been known to post a variety of lists - lists of things I've done, things not to do, things to be thankful for, books to read, music to listen to, and top moments from various events. This time I'm gonna post somebody else's list. It comes from the Lists of Note blog. It's taken from a letter that F. Scott Fitzgerald wrote to his 11 year old daughter in 1933. Here's an excerpts - I gotta say, I think it's a pretty good list of things to consider when going through life.
Things to worry about: Worry about courage Worry about cleanliness Worry about efficiency Worry about horsemanship Things not to worry about: Don’t worry about popular opinion Don’t worry about dolls Don’t worry about the past Don’t worry about the future Don’t worry about growing up Don’t worry about anybody getting ahead of you Don’t worry about triumph Don’t worry about failure unless it comes through your own fault Don’t worry about mosquitoes Don’t worry about flies Don’t worry about insects in general Don’t worry about parents Don’t worry about boys Don’t worry about disappointments Don’t worry about pleasures Don’t worry about satisfactions
I'm not sure why it struck me at this particular moment in time ... but it's a beautiful sunny Sunday morning in February, I'm packing to go away for a week of work and friend time, and I'm feeling somewhat reflective. I don't know that I'll ever worry about horsemanship or not worry about boys, but I feel like this is a good list to remind me what's important in life.
So look at that - I vowed to blog twice a week and now a month has gone by without an update. Shocker. I blame my dirty condo. Not because I've spent all my writing time actually cleaning mind you, but because I think to myself that if I have enough time to write a post, I could spend that time cleaning. So in order to avoid the dreaded vacuum cleaner and organizing the guest room, aka "the place where things go to die" I also avoid hitting up the old blogger website. Instead I do important things like bake banana chocolate chip muffins and watch Gossip Girl. So even though it's November, I think it's about time I went over all the fun things I did this summer. I feel it's appropriate because now that we've "fallen back" and there is snow on the ground, I'm pretty confident that summer is officially over and I can make a full and complete tally of all the things I did. Here it is, in no particular order and with no particular explanation as to why these were important things:
Wakeboarding - and not only did I learn how to wakeboard, I got up my second try. My history as waterskiier might have helped, but I was pretty impressed with myself. I also had good instructors (thank you AH and TS). But I will say that the next day my forearms were so sore I could barely squeeze the shampoo out of the bottle.
Biking - I biked to work almost every single day. You would too if you had the awesome red cruiser pictured above (yes that is my actual bike).
Zumbaing - I Learned to zumba. Okay, "learn" might be a bit of a stretch. But I went to a zumba class, danced my ass off and had one of the best laughs I've ever had.
Getting old - I turned 35. The less said about that the better.
I only went to one wedding! This really is exciting. And it was a fun one too. Extra points for the fact that butter chicken was the main course.
I went home to Ottawa for 10 days. SS and HC came with me. We played croquet. Bet you didn't know that official croquet has over 30 rules. Needless to say we didn't follow any of them.
Vegas! Now, normally this type of trip would garner it's very own blog post, but it really did happen a long time ago (September long weekend) and I have no photographic evidence as I lost my camera (while totally sober I might add), so it's almost like it didn't happen. Luckily I have my credit card statement to remind me about the trip. One thing I do remember is that I stayed up past 5 am two nights in a row, which really is shocking when you consider my age (as noted above). It was an impromptu trip, celebrating, among other things, the fact that Christie quit her job and AH's son turned one. While he was at home celebrating with grandma, AH was wearing a tie on her head chatting up a former Saskatchewan Roughrider named Big Earl.
Running - Like an idiot, I went ahead and signed up for this stupid run again. And this year they changed the route to make it even more hilly and more difficult. But I finished. And once again it was a beautiful day, with great friends, and post-run burgers and beer. No hat stealing this year though. Although it should be noted that this past Sunday, HC, SS and the acquaintance who threw that post-bar party last year all ran the NYC marathon. I cheered HC and SS on from my couch and then went and ran 4.2 kms in honour of the fact that they were running 42 kms. Pretty much the same thing, right?
Superhero - I rescued an 8 month old from a locked car. With my own two hands. Oh, and my phone. It was quite funny - I went to Gabe for Thanksgiving (you know, with the usual suspects, KM & Lily) to visit BB and TT. On Saturday afternoon, TT and I were out touring the galleries on the island, and TT accidentally locked her adorable infant in the minivan. Yep, they have a minivan - don't worry, we mocked them endlessly. Luckily I had the foresight not to leave my phone in the car, we called BB and he arrived from the other side of the island with the other set of keys to let the poor child out. I could not stop laughing. TT was somewhat frantic. Needless to say, we teased the poor woman for the rest of the weekend. Mother of the year that one.
Ryan Gosling - well I didn't actually "do" the Gos, but I did see 2 of the 3 movies he was in this summer. You know I have a love for Dirty Dancing, so was a total sucker for the scene in "Crazy Stupid Love" where he shows off his "move." And ever since seeing Drive I have been somewhat obsessed with '80s synthesizer euro-pop. My two current faves are "A Real Hero" which is on the soundtrack and M83's "Midnight City" which I'm super bummed is now in a Victoria's Secret ad. Boo. As I basically wrote this whole post to this type of music, let's end on the video shall we? Because while I'm sure I did other stuff this summer worth noting, I think this list about covers all you need to know.
I’ve been to a lot of weddings in my day, as both guest and member of the bridal party. I’m 34 years old and I really feel like I’ve seen it all. One year I was invited to 7. That’s my highest tally so far (I think I went to 5 of them). This year it has been only two. So I think I can make an educated list on things that work and don’t work - a quick hit of things that can potentially make or break a wedding. I recognize that we all can't be super creative, but there is a fine line between tradition and cliches. I suggest you avoid the cliches. It's not that hard. I just urge you to consider the following observations. Take ‘em or leave ‘em, but remember, I am very wise.
Unless you get married on a beach, there should be no sand. I don’t know who invented the sand ceremony, but it seems to me, the symbolism is completely made up.
A live singer for the ceremony is not a bad idea, but please make sure he or she is on key.
When choosing music for the ceremony, might I recommend that it be a new take on an old classic or a cool song that is reinterpreted for wedding purposes. Kelly Clarkson’s “A Moment Like This” is not appropriate processional material.
Unless it’s dark outside, may I suggest no candles. The unity candle is up there with the sand ceremony as something that makes no sense. Why do you need a candle or sand to represent the pledge of unity between the bride and groom. Isn't just saying your vows enough to indicate that you are united? Lighting a candle in a church to represent those loved ones who have passed away is the exception to this rule. But only in a church.
Flowers need to be real. (You would think this would go without saying, but surprisingly I’ve seen it).
Corinthians? Really? You couldn’t find anything else about love and what it means?
A ceremony that lasts less than 15 minutes is encouraged. While your guests may be happy to watch you declare your love in front of god, man and the state, we’re really here for the party.
If you insist on getting married outside, and it's not June, July or August,might I suggest that you allow your bridesmaids to wear fur. Faux or not, it’s up to you. But really, setting them up for pneumonia will not encourage a life long friendship.
There is a a time and a place for 22 stories about the happy couple’s many adventures. It’s called a rehearsal dinner.
Five speeches tops - bride’s family, groom’s family, best man, maid of honour, couple. Exceptions can be made if the speeches are short and extremely clever. Only in this case can more people step up to the microphone.
Space the speeches appropriately. When dinner starts at 6, the last speech being completed by 10:40 is unacceptable. There are no exceptions to this rule.
Remember to provide good/plentiful food for your bridal party all day - from the morning hair appointment through to the 800 photos. There is nothing worse than a ravenous, drunken bridesmaid in a bad dress who resents the bride. Recipe for disaster. And a ridiculously high bar bill.
I understand that head tables are tradition and that you want your wedding party to feel important, but sitting on a pedestal so that everyone can watch you eat, stuck talking to the same people you’ve been hanging out with all day, is really not fun. A table dedicated to the wedding party is totally fine, just let it be amongst the guests, not isolated from the party.
Do not stick more than two single girls at the wedding at the same table, surrounded by couples. Get ready for some resentful single friends, getting ridiculously drunk. Luckily they will be wearing dresses they actually picked out so will not be as resentful as the aforementioned underfed and pneumatic bridesmaids.
Open bar. We’re in our 30s. We should not be paying for our drinks. Invite fewer people if necessary. Your great uncle does not need to come. I do however need a free gin and tonic.
Slideshows are totally acceptable. That said, they can’t go on for longer than 10 minutes. Especially if you’ve been together for less than a year. Repeated pictures are not allowed. Embarrassing photos are encouraged. Also, please include pictures of your friends. Four minutes of the bride and groom is too much - we’ve been staring at you all day, seeing how we fit into your life makes us feel like we’re actually engaged in the process.
A good live band is always welcome.
Invite friends who can do the worm or will at least attempt the manoevre. A breakdance circle is also strongly encouraged.
Final rule. Return of the Mack needs to be on the playlist.
I recognize that this list might come back to haunt me should I ever get married. But I stick to it for now, and I reserve the right to edit as needed. Besides, someday it could make for great speech material!
Today is Thanksgiving Monday. I could not be happier to have the day off. For that I am thankful. I am thankful for many other things too ... here is an incomplete list of other things I am happy for, right now, Monday October 11th at approximately 3:30 in the afternoon (I specify the time and date, because what I am thankful for changes at an alarmingly fast pace):
my parents (obvious, but true) - they live far away and I get annoyed with them on the phone, but they are the most generous, well meaning people in the world and I could not have asked for a better mother and father.
my friends (another obvious statement) - both near and far. I have been lucky enough to have travelled and lived in various cities and I have friends in all of these places. And I got to spend some quality time with a few of them, both new and old, this weekend, so that is wonderful.
alcohol - this might seem weird, and mean that I have a drinking problem, but it's true. I'm thankful for the great bottle of pinot noir that SS and I shared last night over a pork loin dinner (no turkey for us), and while I was super hungover on Saturday, I'm thankful for the vodka sodas on Friday night (and from a few weeks ago at the Drake) that allowed my friends to get ridiculously drunk and provide hours of entertainment and great stories to last for years. But I promise that I don't drink alone (well not excessively) and I know when to stop. So please don't be freaked out that it's listed third here.
BBM - I've mentioned this before, but really I think it's my favourite new technology.
music - a soundtrack to my life makes things much more interesting.
photography - along with the music, the images of my life that I wouldn't otherwise remember, remind me of all the good times I've had.
the pathway system - I love that there are pathways dedicated to walkers, runners, cyclists, rollerbladers, etc that run through some of the most beautiful places in the city and that on sunny fall days like this past Saturday, people take full advantage of them.
the Saturday newspaper - I do love the interweb and all the things you can find online, but there is still so much to be said for reading an actual paper full of stories from all around the world. Ideally with multiple cups of coffee.
There are obviously many more things that I am thankful for ... this is a list that could never end. But sometimes it's nice to stop and highlight a few.
Continuing on with the lake and lists theme, last week I spent most of my time sitting on the dock at the family cottage, reading. 7 days, 4.5 books. Herewith are my thoughts on said books:
One Day by Alex Nicholls. One of the reviews on the cover was from Nick Hornby's blog, stating that it is a perfect beach read for people who don't do beach reads. Awesome, because this is me. Great book. Immensely readable as they say. It tells the story of a close friendship between a guy (Dexter) and girl (Emma) who meet on the last day of university in 1988 and it revisits them every July 15th for 20 odd years. It was smart, funny, timely, sad, etc ... everything you want in good fiction. Great characters, although I do think that the way Emma pines after the bad boy shows that she was written by a man and Dexter's feelings for her a bit too predictable. Still loved the book though. This story about it made me laugh, as I did read it in humid weather and now the cover is permanently curled up. Also, it's being made into a movie - starring Anne Hathaway and Jim Sturgess.
Plague of Secrets by John Lescroart. Paperback mysteries are a guilty pleasure of mine. I have always read them ... especially ones with recurring characters. They are great for a rainy afternoon, a day on the dock or an airplane ride. I figure the fact that I read actual literature makes these flimsy paperbacks acceptable. My go-too authors are people like Michael Connelly, Deborah Crombie, Elizabeth George, etc. This one was pretty good ... I particularly like Lescroart's website which promises "real people ... real suspense."
Game Change by John Heilemann and Mark Halperin. Subtitled "Obama and the Clintons, McCain and Palin, and the Race of a Lifetime," this book was fascinating. It is a pretty serious book - 400+ pages on politics, but I raced through it like it was an US Weekly. Which I guess is not that surprising, seeing as it has been criticized for veering into gossip (incidentally this review is from Michiko Kakutani, the real life person who reviewed the fictional Carrie Bradshaw's first book on Sex and the City). There are no footnotes, as the book is based on over 300 interviews and rather than naming their contacts, the authors fall back on "deep sources." As a quasi-historian, I appreciate sourcing material when necessary, but this book reads like fiction, and I think footnotes would have gotten in the way. It was a great read. Also makes me wonder if anyone would ever bother writing a book this interesting about Canadian politics. In the era of Harper, I'm thinking not.
Family Album by Penelope Lively. I'd never read anything by Lively, but she has written 16 books, including a Booker prize winner (Moon Tiger, which I will now go out and buy). This book was also quite good ... the story of a family of 6 children, as told at various times by various people in the family, not at all linear, slightly chaotic, kind of like the family. At one point it seems like the family secret is going to be much worse than it actually is - the false suspense is kind of a cheap trick, but that is the book's only flaw really. She's a lovely writer and I recommend it for sure.
The End of Energy Obesity by Peter Tertzakian. I'm reading this book for both work and because I have a personal interest in how to create a more sustainable energy framework. I haven't finished this book yet ... I would read 2 chapters after completing every other book I read during my holiday. It's a pretty interesting read - the whole point of the book is to figure out how societies can continue to maintain their quality of life while at the same time reducing their dependence on traditional fossil fuels. I've heard Tertzakian speak at a few events and I think he is a very smart man, not to mention a great speaker. The book is not overly academic or dry ... instead it's full of metaphors and examples that apply to everyday life. Makes it much easier to "get." Here's a cool video that summarizes the book.
I realized that this blog was named after a list, but since then I have not really provided any additional lists. Today is the day I remedy that situation. Last weekend I went to Lake Windermere (pictured at right ... this is the actual sunset on Saturday night) with a group of people - some of whom I had met, some of whom I didn't know - and it was quite the interesting little getaway. Herewith is my top 5 list of memorable moments from the weekend (in no particular order):
walking into the cabin after having spent Saturday afternoon at the beach to find our living room had been invaded by 4 random girls in full makeup and onesies drinking our sangria. no explanation as to who they were or where they had come from. the boys tried to tell us they were 29. we disagreed. they were 23. tops.
playing pictionary and hearing Braeden guess "it's the bug that blends into the tree. goddamn it, what is it called?" the answer of course was praying mantis.
HC distinguishing between two songs both named "crazy" - one by Britney Spears, the other sung by Patsy Cline.
when the boys played this song for the millionth time, I realized that it's the perfect step aerobics song ... luckily HC used to be an aerobics instructor, so she was able to guide my routine perfectly! grapevine, repeater knees, and around the world were performed to perfection.
girls sangria = 3 bottles of red wine, 12 ounces of cointreau, the juice from 4 oranges, 1 cup of orange juice, 3 sliced oranges, 3 sliced lemons, 2 sliced limes, frozen strawberries as ice cubes, and ginger ale as mix. boys sangria = 12 cans of beer, a bottle 1.1L bottle of absolut vodka, 1 can of pink lemonade concentrate mix, garnished with lemons and blueberries. surprisingly, they were both really good.
Please find below a few notes on the dos and don'ts of our relationship:
Never, ever, refer to me as a butterfly. In person or off camera.
My heart does not need to be guarded or protected. Saying it over and over again won't help your cause.
Please don't spontaneously break into song - with or without guitar. But if you must sing (i.e. we're auditioning for a Broadway show), please sing directly into my eyes. They are the window to the soul after all.
Don't ask me to jump into your heart. And definitely don't ask me to stay there awhile.
If I am sick and surrounded by other men who I obviously don't want to talk to, please take me out of my misery, walk me to my hotel room and tell me a bedtime story (preferably a dirty one).
If it's your birthday, and I had planned a great date, but then I get sick, the right thing to do is bring me flowers and soup. This kind gesture will pay off for you eventually (i.e. you will get a hometown date).
If you are a weatherman, stop using your meteorological knowledge in pun-form. It does not make you seem clever, it just reinforces the fact that you are an idiot.
Don't get a tattoo with a heart, a sword, a rose, a medieval knight, a dagger, a horse or any other ugly image that symbolizes your attempt to protect me. Getting permanent ink does not make you genuine, it just makes you creepy. One that has 11 diamonds to represent the random 11 men that ABC selected to make a TV show is not touching, it's frightening.
If you insist on getting a tattoo, please get one of your recently passed mother's signature across your chest. Now that is genuine. Telling me that you see her in rainbows will also melt my heart.
So there you have it - it is not a complete list, but it should get you started. By following the simple rules posted above, we will be well on our way to making a connection ... I can't wait to go on this amazing journey with you.
My mother called my on Wednesday night to tell me that should I ever be competing at the Olympics and she should die, I should continue on, a la Joannie Rochette. Without a word of a lie, she said "put me on ice, I'll keep." Thanks mom, happy to know that you still have hope that one day I could be an Olympian. But I'm fairly certain the jig is up ... as a 33 year old occasional runner/skier/hiker/snowshoer/group power goer, I'm fairly certain I won't make it. Although there were +40 types competing at the 2010 games - am thinking here mostly of curlers (as previously discussed, my fave sport), but apparently there is a 43 year old ski crosser ... as DG put it, she apparently has no name or country as the announcers regularly refer to her as "the 43 year old."
So the Olympics have come to a close and there are many more best of moments that I don't remember right now, mainly because I'm too depressed that the 17 days of competition are over. But here are a few good ones, along with some bad ones too, because let's admit it, the closing ceremony was pretty bad: 1) Hockey gold for Canada ... both men's and women's. To be honest, the men winning was more of a relief than anything else. Had they lost, it would have put a damper on all the other celebrations. But thank god for Iggy and Sid. 2) The post-game celebration of the women's hockey team. Smoking cigars, drinking beer and champagne, and driving a zamboni? Awesome. 3) Marianne St. Gelais watching her boyfriend Charles Hamelin win gold in the 500 metre short track competition ... I'm pretty sure she exerted as much energy as he did. So great. 4) Bob Costas deadpanning: "here come the always-popular giant inflatable beavers," at the closing ceremony. 5) Once again, watching the closing ceremony while BB messaging with peeps in far flung places. Too bad the ceremony itself was god-awful. Nickelback, really? Avril, come on. What happened to The Hip, Arcade Fire, Feist, Knaan, etc, etc. Also, how bad was that "Let's have a party" song. How about, let's write a better song? 6) Being interviewed by Shaw TV about women kicking ass at the Olympics this year. It's supposed to air today and apparently I made some comment about being sad that I was past my prime ... it's true though. Were I 15 years younger, I could potentially have become a mogul skier or something. Probably not, but maybe! 7) Other people joining me in my love for John Morris. The third for the Canadian men's curling squad is hot. Plus he's a volunteer firefighter. Yum. Oh and he played really well.
On that note, I will end this entry. More Olympic thoughts to come I'm sure.
So the Olympics have arrived and I am firmly on my couch, in luge position, watching everything and anything. I know I've already mentioned my love of curling, but the Olympics brings this obessession to a whole new level. It helps that our Canadian teams are both doing so well. Even Gretzky was impressed (they interviewed him at one of the round robin matches this week ... he's a big fan apparently. Randomly so is Carl Lewis. Yes, the sprinter). Moving on from curling, I am equally obessesed with snowboard cross, ski cross, moguls, skeleton, bobsleigh, xcountry skiing, downhill skiing, the list goes on and on. It also helps that I got to go to Olympics this year as they are just a hop skip and a jump from Calgary. Last week I was lucky enough to see the cauldron and take in a few hockey games ... plus I got to see some of my fave people in the world so that helped to. So, below a list of my favourite Olympic moments thus far - both official game moments and just me and my friends hanging out during the Olympics. We are at day 12 already and I haven't posted anything yet, so this is an incomplete list, in no particular order and will be added to in the next few days): 1) Jenn Heil wins silver ... she was expected to win gold, but I don't care, silver is still amazing ... the speed, the steepness and the size of the bumps is insane and the fact that she is so good, is so incredible 2) Alex Bilodeau wins gold ... the big story is about his brother, but my favourite moment was on the NBC feed when right after they finished interviewing him, his girlfriend arrived, they started making out and Bob Costas deadpans "I think it goes without saying that it will be a great Valentine's Day for Bilodeau" 3) the orcas at the opening ceremony 4) while I think it was a bit ridiculous that Wayne Gretzky rode in the back of a pick up truck to light the outside cauldron, I loved the crazy waiters running beside him 5) watching the Opening Ceremony while BB messaging with KM in Fredericton ... sometimes technology is just awesome 6) the hug between Clara Hughes and Kristina Groves when they realized she had won the bronze medal 7) the fact that Jon Montgomery has a turtle on his helmet 8) Jon Montgomery drinking a pitcher of beer walking through Whistler village 9) Tore Vikingstad's hat trick at the Switzerland - Norway game (it helped that I was there to enjoy it in person!) 10) our awesome seats at the US - Norway hockey game 11) my friend MM hailing us a limo to get us home after dinner at Chambar last Friday night ... oh and the fact that there was a limo traffic jam in front of her house. 12) Anja Parson of Sweden winning a bronze in the super combined after a horrific fall at the women's downhil.. 13) the pants of the Norwegian curling team 14) my new Norges Ishockeyforbund (Norwegian ice hockey federation) hat 15) sitting in the sun on the steps of the art gallery watching people zip line through downtown Vancouver 16) high fiving the random American at Hub in Yaletown after Sid scored the winning shoot-out goal against Switzerland
17) MM saying "the russians are coming" when a group of russians took our table at Yoji's sushi 18) Virtue and Moir's free and original dances ... both were beautiful 19) any type of slow motion montage put to music 20) Tom Brokaw explains Canada to Americans
And finally, not really a favourite moment, but a memorable one - the fact that Joannie Rochette skated a clean short program 3 days after her mother died. She's in 3rd place right now. Amazing. That girl has guts ... the expression on her face as she finished made me bawl.
And I can't believe it, but I am not sick of the CTV "I believe" theme song yet ... in fact, I seem to hum it all the time. Who knew it would be catchy instead of annoying? Here is a picture I took of the cauldron - just to prove I was actually there.
