Tank Top Count

The numbers are 99% tallied.  Drum roll somebody?.. and the number is!

39

With Love,
Ann-Marie's arms.

Born Lippy

Let it known that yes, it is possible, you can have some fun while packing crap into boxes.  I present the following findings of the giant box(es) of Ann-Marie's room that has not been touched since the last time it was moved.  Life as I knew it was made up of:

• Lots of mardi gras beads
• Lots of music/photo CDs
• Raspberry lipgloss from the Body Shop, mostly finished and probably 5-7yrs old.  If you're wondering if I gleefully put some on when I found it... you betcha! 
• Diaries about my hard knock life as a white girl.. surprisingly like FIVE of them
• Cards, Cards, Cards!  Birthday, Easter, Christmas, Kwanza .. so many cards
• Bike Helmet
• Power cords to god knows what
  
• My Sweet 16 giant signed card from my friends/classmates
• Andrea's creepy photocopied hand print from grade 8
• Loose jewelry, belts, purses, shoes and photos
• University English papers in a Strawberry Shortcake folder
  

Oddly enough I remember packing that, and my Dad asking if he could help me.  I said I totally had it covered: one box was for LITTLE STUFF and other boxes were for BIGGER STUFF... or something like that.  He thought that meant 'mystery boxes' of teddy bears and shoelaces... and I suppose now I looked into it, he was not far off at all!  I guess I figured if I ever needed any of it that I'd at least have it, and that was a in some kind of controlled mess, not knowing that you never ever do need any of that stuff really.  I enjoyed finding it but I will admit that I did part with much of the loot..  I just couldn't live knowing I was harboring beads.  lol. 

Somehow the old lip gloss though, ya that's a keeper.  I make no sense, hurray!

Tomorrow.. the ceremonious counting of the tank tops.  How many will I find?  I promise to post the unusually embarassing number next time.. whenever that will be!  Also, to keep you on edge, will I have the willpower to donate my Roxy clothes or simply sneak them into the "seasonal" box?  ONLY TIME WILL TELL.

The extra in ordinary

Gmail finally gets interesting.... with themes!

Normally I would find this really annoying and look for the "go back to normal" button about as fast as people were joining GRR bring back the old facebook!!! groups.  I'm adventurous though, I gave it a look and wouldn't you know it's pretty cool!  For the record I think new facebook is fantastic because I dispise having to scroll down for 4 minutes through Apps on the page to write a message to anyone.  Why would people voluntarily spam themselves, I have no idea.  Anyhow the new Gmail is much easier on the eyes as well.  I had no idea just how boring it was to look at until yesterday ...and Google did a great job of getting well designed themes.  UNLIKE BLOGGER.  But that's another subject for another day.. a day that will hopefully never come lest my life be so boring I literally have nothing to do except threaten Google to design some new free templates.  Yes so let us never come to that day, shall we?  We'll stick to my opinons about stuff I like and the over abundance of situations I describe I was involved in where you really had to be there.. but I make you suffer through hearing about it anyway.  Like yesterday, this "learn the steps to this dance" for cool kids thing was going on.  I found that superduper cute, because inevitably the kids on the other end are too young to follow and make up new steps.  This was the uninterrupted action/dialogue sequence...

I jump *jump* I jump *jump*! Close eyes, open eyes, close eyes, open eyes. I need money. 
*takes my $20 bill off the desk and runs away laughing*

I happen to have re-injured my neck ..injury and I hurt myself A LOT laughing at that.  God that was fucking adorable.  I even kept laughing as I heard the words "break money" .. perhaps at the situation, or myself, being so injured a 3rd old just stole $20 from me and I couldn't do anything about it!

Also, since it will beThanksgiving for the lower 48 the first weekend we're moved in our new house, which I am thankful for.. here is a list of the top 5 things I am also thankful for.

- Memory foam pillows
- Coffee
- Amy's Organic Medium Chili
- my $20 bill is still intact
- ae Eagle First Edition Fleece Peacoat in Grey being officially on my xmas list!


One thing I am not thankful for? Mental retardation.

Do you even KNOW how much Roots is charging for their new furniture line???? It is  absolutely ludicris!  And I hate using the word ludicris, so you must trust that it absolutely IS ludicris.  $13,000 for a sectional???  Are you out of your damn minds?????!!!!!!

Confession

I'm not normally a religious person, but if you're up there, save me, Superman!.. from all this packing!!

So there's a little bit of snow falling outside.. looks a little like a miniature ticker-tape parade of icy death.  Gathering in numbers and waiting to strike down it's holiday vengeance on me, probably while trying to shop last minute for something. By the way, I disabled comments but now would be a really good time for someone to tell me if they or anyone they know actually finds use out of the Jack LaLanne Juicer?  They just came out with a new stainless looking one, I'm sure it still juices the same, but I basically always want to buy it for someone and then think well maybe they're like me and instead of buying massive amounts of fruit.. they'd like to go to Booster Juice and fughedaboudit.  Mostly because the fruit might go bad.  Who knows if the juice is really why Jack LaLanne is so awesome, but I am in disbelief there are any other 94 year old men work out 2 hours a day and swim 20 miles.  I really, really doubt it actually.. no offense to the elderly.  My maternal grandfather's mother Maria was in fantastic heath her whole life, and lived to the fruitful old age of 94 herself.  She was just in a wheelchair when she did it, and had some senile moments now and again.  Or as my grandma calls it "old timers". 

Ok I think I just realized I actually want someone to buy me one of these juicers OR bring me a vial of that man's blood.  Which one will I drink... ?  Guess you'll have to wait and find out.  Just kidding, I don't think the juice would do anything.

Actually it's funny because I made up some of the Vega smoothies for me and Brooke Sunday morning and I felt instantly better.  Usually I prefer to down about a gallon of ice cold OJ; so cold that ice chunks are still floating in it.  I don't know why but that's just a must for me to feel better after a bunch of wine+staying up till 3:30 in the morning. No ice, no dice.  The way I make the smoothie though, there is OJ in it and also the frozen berries keep it ridiculously cold, especially if you put it into a thermal metal tumbler.  Uh.. why am I still talking about this.  Oh, right, I don't want to go back to packing....... I thought Superman would have been here by now.

Sharing is caring

Don't let it ever be said that I don't share, because today you are about to learn the secret to making the perfect Mojito.  After talking to Ryan I realized that some people really appreciate the true art of tending bar, apparently he makes his own sweet water and everything which I will have to insist he make during our Christmas party at the new house.  Me though, I buy the mix!  If I've learned anything about drinking it is only make the drink as complicated as you're able to accomplish after enjoying 5 or so of whatever it is.  That also goes with feeding drinking people .. and why Sean does a pretty hilarious impersonation of me trying to cook everybody eggs.  It's easy and I make good eggs, what can I say.  Contrast that to the night in Toronto Brooke and I went bar hopping and I later tried to duplicate a really great recipe of Ann's Awesome Encheladas.  Except I didn't have the recipe and while Brooke was applying lipstick badly, I was making burriots with refried bean and meat in them and that is all.  It didn't taste good. 

So back to tending bar easily, if anyone has tried Smirnoffs already mixed Mojito I am sorry for you.. that is not what it's supposed to taste like.  After Sean and I came to this realization that something was seriously missing, I thought back to our second trip to the Olive Press.. and my perfectly mixed Mojito.  So what is it?  Fresh Basil, my friends.  Not crushed, just stirred in with a mountain of ice and fresh lime slice.. and possibly a little tonic water or if you're feeling sweet.. a sugar cube/sugar cane juice.

That little discovery .. plus some strawberries and rose wine fuled our Rockband "the too spookies" on it's way to stardom Saturday night.  Thanks to Wes and Brooke's skillz we now have about 4 million points!  I also don't think I will be able to ever listen to Down with the Sickness with a straight face ever again.  With my obsession with us playing things that progress the game, as of last night our band totally has a plane and I'm on Medium guitar now that the game announced we were "too awesome" on Easy.  Being too awesome was fun though ;)

Green

On a rare trip to Ikea a few weeks ago I found a cute, lovable, lonely little potted plant just sitting there atop some boxes in the warehouse.  For whatever reason I decided I needed to have it.  I thought well, little plant, if you can survive here.. I suppose my house wouldn't be all that more horrible.  I doubted, even with my unsurpassed talent for killing plants and flowers, that Ikea employed plant waterers to seek out lost and thirsty plants.. so this thing was basically on its own anyways.  I suppose I chose to completely forget about the Living Holiday Tree last year... because honestly, I think that thing would have chosen death next to being cared for by me.  In the end, it was a rotting stinking mess.  DYING WITH SPARKLES.  I think that may have even made the whole thing worse.. especially since I refused to believe it had expired.  What can I say, a person can only have so many amazing skills.. so unfortunately while I'm pretty awesome, I don't think gardening will ever become my old age hobby.

I am happy to report though that it's not just alive, but super alive!  I have managed not to over water it, or I dunno, look at it to death or whatever it is I do that kills these things.  (note: yeah so probably the over watering... it's not a cat, I should not feed it everyday).

So with the upcoming move I decided I really wanted to keep this not killing it thing going - call it a winning streak even - and wanted to identify just what type of plant this was so that I can see if I need to do anything special when we move to the new house.. without having to ask my grandma to do it for me.  i.e. accidentally kill it, because let's face it, I really rather not ask my grandma for help on anything.  I get enough of her opinion as it is.

Initially I was surprised to learn that Ikea just sells these things, really just selling you the terracotta pot with something alive in it for decoration.. and for all I know this could be an asbestos tree.

My pot is the one in the middle.  Nice pot but really, keeping terracotta live is not as much of a problem for me.  I'm not sure how responsible that is of Ikea, but either way I googled "identify my Ikea plant" and you would not believe how many people are in the same mystery-plant situation as me! (only their plants are dying....... suckas.) So after a lot of searching actually I finally identify that my plant is a Crassula Ovata (or Jade Plant).  It's a succulent and that means it is apparently totally fine with never getting watered.. and actually will start to flower if you make sure you withhold water from it at a certain point.

A plant that loves punishment? You have no idea how encouraging this is.  If this plant wants to be deprived, well then I can do that!  Apparently it doesn't even technically need soil!!!  Just a dish of water and a negelctful attitude.  Perfect!

Rockband, Quantum Leap and Charlie Brown

Nothing makes you feel like a failure at taking fun seriously like having a random person join your band as EXPERT BASE and blow your mind with the flurry.. nay.. a seizure of notes. Just saying: when you're that good, trolling at midnight for virtual bands, I think you need to just go ahead and invest that time into playing an actual instrument. Much more impressive at parties, which you will now be invited to probably.

So I am now the lead guitar in the indie-n00b Rockband called "the too spookies" .. coined from the most lovable 3yr olds constant association with all things Halloween and/or night related.

Speaking of fun.

So Andrea called me this afternoon to tell me about landing herself in the hospital in Banff with a concussion from skiing yesterday.  I'd like to think that's because she went without me, and I would have prevented it somehow but I am very glad she is ok.  Her description of a concussion was great though:  you have no idea how you got where you are, and why you're there.. like quantum leap.  Also everyone sounds like the teacher from Charlie Brown.  Wah wahh wah wahh.  Oh I love Charlie Brown.. so prolific it can be applied to anything in life.  Especially accidents.  Uhh, have a great day everyone, stay out of trouble and away from snow and ice :)

There are three things in life that people like to stare at: a flowing stream, a crackling fire and a Zamboni clearing the ice.

- Charlie Brown

You know, just Blogsense

The blogs I read are either just for fun, self-ish, editorial-ish or zine-ish... especially anything I talk about here, I hope it's clear that I in no way paint a clear picture of what life is all about - this "blog" is absolutely just all about me.  And I also should mention I don't know why anyone reads it.. it's not even well written! I mentioned the other day that was one of the qualities 100% necessary to my own reading enjoyment.  I'd hate reading this.

I do like reading content that makes me feel like somebody out there is really interested in doing something positive for someone else.  This whole week and some I've been keeping up with my usually recipe-only website material on Pioneer Woman.  Well, other than the black heels chapters.. I really can't help myself but read those while I'm there.  Instead of cooking up some of her stuff for dinner, I got to see and hear all about her husband and two girls visiting the Dominican Republic as part of a child sponsorship blogger project.  I thought that was a great experience for her daughters but it was only after hearing about how much of a difference being sponsored makes... knowing someone cares about you and wants to make sure that you recieve proper care and learning opportunities.  It just sounded like such a positive chance to make sure at the very least one child there will never feel forgotten about, to feel as if they don't matter, even if their actual conditions will not likely make any major change that their spirits inside could improve so much. 

Even though I do not personally associate myself to the church, or Jesus, I don't feel I need to reconcile that with my decision to sponsor a child.  There is nothing wrong with a little faith, no matter where it comes from sometimes.  I like to think I'm always interested in doing positive things someone else, I spend so much of my time around children but this is a little different.  I have yet to really understand that all children aren't as privileged in even the little things. I'm really looking forward to getting to know the 5yr old boy I sponsor, from the Philippines. I can't wait to write to him and get letters back all about the hopefully fun things he'll get to do in the community because of the program. Maybe I'll even blog about it :)



If you'd like to read about Compassion International, click here.

Bandaid

Had a lot of fun last night celebrating Sean's birthday by goofing off with rockband and drinking beers.. which was his present ;)  I was actually the lead singer for our undisputed number one - Maps by the yeah yeah yeahs. 

Update:  rocked until Act4.. then put the world tour on hold around midnight because the band totally had to work tomorrow.

Discovery of the year.. our new house = huge rockband basement :)

shake yer head; it's empty

I'm up a little late this evening.. watching CNN and reading Chictopia.  I forget that some people actually pay attention to what they wear all the time and it reminds me of dressing up and swapping barbie doll clothes with your friends.  I can't help but find that fascinating. 

Then ultimately I realize it's all headbands and tights and I think well fuck that, then.

Anyway I was reminded of these huge glasses my mother used to wear in the 90s - or insist on wearing if only to emphasize that she needed glasses but that truly she hated glasses.  Apparently the style is making a geek chic comeback, whatever that means. 

It's really an interesting memory because in reality her glasses were weaker than anything you could pick up at the pharmacy, just above simple GLASS, and my Dad insisted on me knowing this but I didn't care.  I was about 8 and thought her glasses were the coolest things on earth, and that it was totally awesome that she hated wearing them.  Since she did not need them, or wear them, I got my hands on them a bunch.. trying it on in the mirror.. being super dramatic about it and soon I was insisting that I needed glasses too.  I'd sneak them out of the house in my backpack and take them to school with me and wear them in class, like oh you know, these are just my ULTRA COOL GLASSES I TOTALLY HAVE TO WEAR BUT HATE THEM!  I got tons of attention from it and I have no idea why or what possessed me to do that other than imitating my mother.  I felt like a total grown up or something less lame than being 8 which was totally not interesting.  When I had the glasses on at home my Dad let me know that I looked absolutely ridiculous and I think that hurt my little tiny feelings or something - but soon I realized they did look stupid!  Huge buggy glasses on a tiny kid face.. just who did I think I was anyway?  Not my mother, that's for sure!  Nobody could be her, she was an absolute grown up who insisted on owning a pair of glasses that she didn't need... or wear.. but had just to make a big deal about how she had them but hated wearing them.  What a big deal it was, she was/is, she even has a fake accent now you know?

It's a wonder I ever felt being dramatic was as necessary as breathing air.

If you don't make a big deal about you, who will make a big deal about you?  Well turns out I'm not crazy, my mother actually is, which probably dawned on me the times she and I would drive around town (back when she still had a license) listening to Wilson Phillips and she'd insist that her and I could both read other people's thoughts.  Oh and then I realized I actually don't like being a big deal and 8 year old wearing freaky bug glasses was lame .. so I had to make up a story about getting contacts to explain why I stopped wearing them to all my suddenly curious classmates.  After that I got a bunch of comments all the time, mostly from boys, about how I must have gotten coloured contacts and that's why my eyes were so blue with this darker blue outline to them.  Because they weren't real.   I thought that was funny since they are real and I have my Dads eyes, which meant later on in life I really did need glasses.. and I currently wear them every flippin' day.  When I first got them I really did hate them though.  I felt ultra ugly, and not a big deal, and not super cool at all.  Instead I chose to squint as much as I could which was less cool looking than probably just wearing my damn glasses.  Then I got a pair of nicer glasses the next year and I changed my mind since it felt like they belonged on my face... and I forgot totally about this silly story.  lol.  How fantastically weird.

Chictopia maybe makes me think of older kids who play dress up though, and how I don't want to play - as fun as it looks.

Is it just me?

If I ever see this fucking guy make this perma-lemonsucking face ever again I am going to punch my brain.

YOU KNOW YOU LOOK LIKE AN IDIOT RIGHT?

He has to know.

Is it just me or are the unfortunate times I get to see this fucking guy, whatever his name is, he looks and sounds like a narcoleptic drunk .. then when finally he stops speaking he goes with THIS face?

It blows me away that at no time am I not bothered by looking at him. I will put up with a lot, but apparently, this kind of stuff is what really puts me over the edge. 

Spotless

Since Christmas is around the corner (thanks Sears and The Bay for making that super clear!) I decided to get my Dad a regular "useful" gift for his birthday a few days ago so I could save my really good idea for later.  So I went right into Coles/Indigo and got him a big gift card so he can go book shopping since he mentioned he has not bought a book in a long time, which is odd for him.  While I was there I offhandedly picked something up for myself.

I am having fun reading it when I get a chance.  It's exactly the sort of book I like, and if you're wondering what sort of book that is.. it's well written stories.  I don't hate on anything but I sure will put it down fast if it's not well written as well as an honest and cohesive story, whatever it may be.. even if it's technically interesting as hell.  Like the DaVinci Code for instance, I am not really sure if I could read that.  Maybe if I were trapped somewhere. I should also mention for some reason my enjoyment of reading also comes from if I have selected the book myself, or if it was recommended.  I have no idea why!  Don't let that keep you from giving me a recommendation though if you have one, but I am pretty happy with what I am currently reading!

On another note I have done nothing today but drink coffee and clean my house because I had to show it at 3:00pm.  And by that I mean my entire house and pretty much an entire pot of coffee.  All I have to say about that is it sucked and I would not recommend it, and I had to take a shower after that because the coffee made me sweat.  After today I never thought I would be freaking glad the new house does not have 3 bathrooms.  With how lazy I am I cannot have 3 bathrooms.  It's just 3 opportunities to not clean a different bathroom and use another instead.  Yes that's really how the lazy mind works! 2 bathrooms is even pushing it.  It's like having 2 master bedrooms.. tell me you even make the bed in the one you have now.  If you're "other" bedroom were untidy I'm sure you'd just close the door.  Unless you're my grandma, in which case the sight of my 2 bathrooms I never let her use would have KILLED HER.  Literally she would just stop living if she saw it, or even heard about it.  Thank god she has no idea how to use the internet we got her in order to read this right now - aka refuses to use. 

Tonight I am tired as hell, sure, but I'll be drinking wine in my spotless house and I suppose that's alright too.  Spotless that is, if you don't open the linen closet :)

Freaky Friday

The freaky friday halloween party was pretty packed with booze and costumes. Like Venom, trying on my glasses, and decidedly my favourite is the girl beside him who was a character from a Tim Burton movie.

Countess B and me, a Living Doll.

The ladies I was hanging with being super drunk and awesome. I'd say my costume is less living dolly here and more specifically maybe Barbie's funner sister Tipsy Skipper.

I mentioned my current obsession being anything drink related and I will just say that I did have two interesting drinks that night.  The first was basically the swedish berry shot you can order at bars... and I was told how to make it and of course forgot.  It was exactly it though.  The other drink was blueberry flavoured vodka and soda.  When I say soda I don't mean American soda.. we all had different interpretations when Josh asked for "soda" and mine was Coke, Brooke thought it was Sprite and his mom had no idea so just bought Sprite.  Apparently what he wanted was actual soda, as in tonic water to most of you.  Not a bad drink at all though.

I also had the BEST Mojito last night when we took my dad out for his birthday at the Olive Press.  I will be going back basically for another Mojito.  You know that one item people usually order in every resturant to see how good it is, that is the thing I order, and yes I'm aware it's no longer summer.  It's seasonless as far as I'm concered!

Speaking of food.  Nobody really ate that much of Brooke's kitty litter cake... I don't know why.

It looks pleanty delicious.

;)