Sunday was my last choir performance on top of Grouse Mountain this year and what a way to end the season. It was a pretty grey and miserable day as Mom, Dad, and I made our way to the skyride to get on top of the mountain. We knew that there were some openings in the cloud, but we didn't really know what that meant in terms of what the conditions would be on top of the mountain. Fortunately as we emerged from the deep fog, we were blinded by the sun reflecting of the sea of cloud. Breathtakingly beautiful does not even begin to describe how beautiful it was.
I have pictures (which will be posted soon) but even they do not do the sky justice. While we were finishing our post choir show dinner in the Grouse Mountains bistro, Altitudes, we were over looking the gorgeous sky and were floored at how angelic the whole thing looked. Seriously - there's a reason why heaven is often depicted with sunshine and clouds.
One of the best parts of having my parents in town is showing them a day (or few) in the life of their daughter. What that usually means is they end up spending some time going to different shows. This weekend the total came to 3 shows, 2 of which were PT shows that took place on Dec. 17th.
After a DELICIOUS meal at the Omelettery, we did a wee bit of shopping in the South Granville area right before starting the weekend of shows. They went to see the matinee of A Christmas Carol first, then right after the matinee we made our way into Abbotsford for the Christmas Presence event that I've been wanting them to see for years.
It was a very VERY busy day - but we got everything done that we needed to and Mom and Dad enjoyed both of the shows. But all knew what was coming up the next day ... so no matter how good Saturday was, we were still really looking forward to a Sunday spent on the mountain.
It is rare that my Mom and Dad collectively come to visit. They have both come to see me on separate occasions - but it's rare that they come to see me together. But when they do it is quite the treat. And fortunately they were coming at a time when I really REALLY wanted to see family.
This is the second Christmas in my entire life when I won't be with my family and it has really affected me (even today I got a little teary-eyed thinking about it). So to have Mom and Dad here the weekend before Christmas was pretty darn special. So special that I had to take half a day off just to straighten out my brain and prepare for the awesomeness that was to ensue.
With my little bit of extra time off - I was able to catch up with my Christmas shopping, and come pretty darn close to finishing a sewing project for a gift. Then it was off to meet the parents at the airport!
Now I know that Vancouver is my home - but it's hard to see those faces and not feel at home no matter where I am. Whether it's Ancaster, Brule, Vancouver, or Edmonton (possibly even Regina - though I haven't tried) wherever my parents are will always feel like home to me, even if Vancouver is the place I choose to live.
So much for catching up a while ago - huh? I blame my parents and Luke for distracting me. But it's about time I catch up on some awesome.
So as for last Thursday I would like to make mention of how awesome it is to prepare for guests. It's fun because you get to prepare for your guests (which, based on the assumption that you want the guests staying in your place, is in and of itself awesome) and you are forced to catch up on some long delayed chores. Like laundry, dishes, a general tidying of the place. Maybe normal people stay on top of this stuff all of the time, but this single-dweller sometimes let's that stuff go (particularly when more than 12 hours a day are spent somewhere other than the apartment).
I definitely didn't get everything done that I had hoped (especially since I was also trying to get some sewing done at the same time), but considering my guests already fully understood the level of tidiness that I was accustomed to, I think I did okay. After all - they were the ones who raised me, so really there's only so much judgment they can give.
It seems like I have fallen a little behind in my blogging. This means I will have to put up some serious bonus featuring. Hopefully I can get to that this weekend at some point. But for now let's catch up, shall we?
So Wednesday ... GREAT day! It was really productive while still being tonnes of fun because it was a day of Christmas Parties. First was our staff Christmas Party with our silly gift exchange and epic game playing. This year Shay brought in the game SAY ANYTHING which I think is my favourite social gathering game of all time. I love it because it gives you a great insight into the people you are playing with, while competing to determine who knows each other best. It's just plain awesome!
Then time was up and people had to get on their way - at which time I went back to work for a few hours before heading to another Christmas Party with some close friends. We had another gift exchange and I think I scored! I was the proud recipient of a calendar entitled 12 Months of Awesome featuring pictures from my facebook page. Also, did you know that January is now call Jawsuary? Yup - apparently all of the months have a new name to fit the word awesome into them somehow. For instance, December is now Dawesomeber! Now THAT is a full year of awesome.
Though as awesome as the gift was, the best part of the party was staying up until the wee hours of the night and not caring too much because I had already previously planned to stay the night. And so began the Christmas Slumber Party which was followed by pancakes in the morning. That Lois sure knows how to host a party.
It was yet another long day today, but it was capped off in one of the most delightful ways that the many hours spent at work did not even matter. Because I was fortunate to smell the glorious scent of a cozy fire as I walked towards my apartment door.
I think there are a number of distinct smells that are clear reminders of the winter season. For instance: pine, spruce, fir or any other kind of Christmas tree out there, mulled cider or wine, freshly fallen snow (yes it somehow has a scent), hot chocolate, damp clothes (after making snow angels in the freshly fallen snow), candy canes, and holiday baking - to name a few. But one of my favourites is the smell of a fire burning in the fireplace. You can practically smell the comfort.
Now, I knew coming home that the fire was not coming from my house, but it really didn't matter. It just made me happy enough to know that someone nearby was taking full advantage of their fireplace. As they should. I happen to think that wood burning fireplaces are one of the best features a house can have. Electric fireplaces are neat but they will never offer that same homey feeling that comes from putting another log on the fire.
Yes - a word burning fireplace is on definitely my list of wants when it comes time to ever being a homeowner. I understand that I might have to negotiate some of my desires which means I might not get my fireplace right away - but a girl can dream, can't she?
I realized something today. When you work every day on the weekend - you really don't run into that problem of the Monday blues. Because it ends up feeling like any other day of the week. And in my crazy world that's more or less what it was. It was just the average run of the mill AWESOME day.
I went to work to sort out the details of the weekends events and do my usual Monday activities, but because I worked 7 days in a row last week (and will be pulling some more overtime this week) I treated myself to half a day off. But before doing that we had to have our usual office antics. Check out this video of Andrea in her Monday state (and then give it context by watching this video HERE).
Obviously as you can it was a really rough day in the office, so I was eager to get out of there and settle my problems with some retail therapy. I'm actually quite impressed with how much shopping I was able to accomplish. I didn't get everything I wanted, but most of my list got checked off with this afternoon's trip (and I even managed to treat myself to a couple little things).
Then it was off to the Evergreen House to sing for a residential care unit of Lions Gate Hospital in North Vancouver. It was a small intimate show, but it was very powerful. Everyone seemed to enjoy themselves and as per usual we ended the show by taking them to church. It was a great performance and it became a little emotional when one of the seniors offered some thanks at the end of the show.
After the show I was prepared to take the long ride home on the bus, before I was intercepted by other choir members who were heading in my direction. I'm always perfectly content to take the bus, because I enjoy taking the time read - and in general I have too much pride and feel weird about asking people I barely know to take me somewhere. But it was a great reminder that people genuinely want to help, so I should get over myself and accept the generous offer. Plus it gave me a great opportunity to get to know some of my fellow choir members more. It's amazing that I have spent so much time with these people, but I still know so little about them. It was nice to finally fix that, even if just a little bit.
Yup - so that was my Monday! Not bad for the start of a new week. Hopefully the rest of the week goes as well. OH YEAH - and I also got a bit of extra news today but because I have yet to determine whether it's officially good news or not, I'll have to wait to report on it another time. Fingers crossed that it becomes blog worthy at some point!
Since moving to Vancouver I have developed a Christmas tradition that I don't think I can ever let go of now. That tradition is Pacific Theatre's annual show - Christmas Presence. Since 2006 when I first saw the show all I could think about was "This - THIS - is what Christmas is all about" quickly followed by the thought "I wish my parents were here to see this."
It's funny because the format of the show is soooooo informal, but that's what adds to the charm of the show. It's really just some musicians getting together to jam with their Christmas tunes, while we throw the odd reading of a Christmas related story in there. The artists arrive at 4pm to do some jamming, and by the time the starts at 8pm we have a set list. A tentative set list that almost always changes slightly at some point in the night - but a set list nonetheless.
The show is particularly powerful when it is held in Pacific Theatre's intimate venue because you truly get the feeling that you are in someone's living room at a Christmas Party. At least that's what it felt like to me because it's very similar to some of the parties that my parents went to when I was younger. The parties would mostly be about the parents getting together and catching up, while the kids went off to play. But at some point in the evening my Dad and his friends would pull out their instruments and start jamming - at which point I would often abandon the other kids in order to listen to the music. Sometimes the jamming would start a little late in the evening when I should have been in bed, but I still managed to be present at the concert despite how tired I was. Sure - I was curled up in a chair sleeping while they played - but at least I was there!
I digress! The point is that the intentionality of Christmas Presence to keep the show friendly and casual while still taking the time to share some fun, hilarious, and so often moving stories about this time of year is what makes this event so special and so very nostalgic for me. We had the first showing tonight which was fantastic. But it's next Saturdays show that I am particularly excited about. Not because it will be better than all the rest - but because I'll finally get my wish of having my parents there to see it with me. Who wants to guess what the awesomism will be for that day?
Here's a little taste of the event! One of our musicians, Laurell, has a song called All Wrapped Up In You that is quite lovely, and this is her original video for the song. Enjoy!
It was a jam packed day yesterday. I spent the day working and was able to catch up with some old friends who abandoned Vancouver to live in England for a year (apparently it's kind of nice over there). They just came back recently so this was one of the few times I was able to chat with them since they got back. And the whole experience was made all the better by the delicious food that was being served while we were chatting.
After work I met up with my good high school pal, Adriana for some drinks before going to see a friend perform in the Vancouver Men's Chorus in their Christmas Show - Making Spirits Bright. I had never been to any of their performances but after watching their sneak peek video, I knew it was going to be nothing short of fabulous. And was I ever right!
I'm still trying to figure out what my favourite moment of the show was. The Sound of Music medley sing along (especially considering that it was right on the heels of watching the show), the Hippopotamus caps, the amazing blending of the a cappella songs, the overall choirography and showmanship, the powerful performance of Merry Christmas Darling - or perhaps it was the ingenious way in which they turned a medley of Star Wars, Indiana Jones, Jurassic Park, Jaws, and a few other John Williams scores into a Christmas song. YUP! I think that might have been it. That and running into friend of Pacific Theatre - Brian Mix of the Pacific Rim String Quartet - who happened to be playing in the band that evening. Small world!
We topped off the night with a mad dash back to Pacific to support friends in their late night apprentice project, followed by a late LATE night at Karl's place where worlds collided as friends from different social circles got together to have some great conversation, over some delicious food and drinks. It was actually one of the best nights I have had in a while - and if you've read any of my blog then you know that's saying something! Awesome is actually an understated description of yesterday. Fabulous might be the more appropriate word.
Alright - so tonight I went to support a good friend in Gateway Theatre's production of The Sound of Music. Because this was yet another day of me going to see a theatre show, I had to look into my calendar this past year to figure out how many shows I have seen in 2011. I know that my calendar did not include every single show I went to see but I don't think I've missed too many. Based on numbers, i t turns out that I have kept an average of seeing about one show a week this past year. That's including some of the shows that I was in and/or involved with (including some improv shows), but it does not include the times that I went to see shows more than once (and there are a number of those).
I'm pretty proud of the one show a week. I'm glad to know that I have made a good effort this year to make theatre a priority in my life, while still making room for my other passions (ie. choir, concerts, trips to the island and back home, etc.). Here's the list of all of the theatre/improv/dance shows I saw this year - as far as my schedule is concerned. Anything italicized were the shows that I was involved with and therefore may have attended more than once.
I'm not going to lie. I have had a lot of crushes in my day. I think my first crush started in Grade 2 (yes fathers of daughters out there - it can happen that early). And since then I pretty consistently always had a crush on someone. HOWEVER - that whole "Oooooo - he's cute. I kinda like him" kind of crush has nothing to do with the 'Actor Crushes' I'm talking about.
Actor crushes are when I find the talent of someone soooo overwhelming that I cannot help but be thoroughly impressed and want to spend all of my theatre going experiences watching them perform. Since being in Vancouver I have developed a few of these crushes, and tonight I developed a brand new one. Thanks to my good friend Lois Dawson, I was invited to attend After Jerusalem which happened to feature one of the actors who performed in the award-winning show Jesus Hopped the 'A' Train at Pacific Theatre last year. I was excited to see him in something else, but I was shocked at just how captivated I was with his performance. I already knew he was a great actor, but something about his performance tonight just left me wanting so much more. So he now goes on my list of actors that I need to see perform whenever the opportunity arises. Thank you Andrew for an amazing performance! I hope the rest of the run goes well.
On a side note: Has anyone noticed how many of blog posts have been about theatre shows? Clearly I think theatre is awesome - but this post has made me realize how often I write about theatre and therefore how much I go to attend theatre. There are certainly times when I have gone to see three plays in one week (this week being one of them). Clearly one of these coming posts needs to include a list of all of the shows I've seen this past year. I'm kind of nervous to find out what the final number will be.
You know those times when you have this impulse to start singing, humming, or dancing to yourself because you think no one is watching you - and then all of the sudden you realize that someone was actually watching you the entire time? And for some reason upon being caught there's that slight hint of embarrassment because you never intended your actions to be seen or heard by anybody. Well that embarrassment has got to stop, because as an audience member I can tell you that there are few things better than seeing someone be really passionate and silly when they think that no one is looking.
In the office today we had some Christmas music going when all of a sudden Mariah Carey comes on with "All I Want for Christmas Is You." This song is one of the most epic Christmas songs around (made more so by its presence in the movie Love Actually), so it was not a surprise that the lovely Andrea Loewen felt so moved to sing along to it. What was a little surprising was the fact that she tried to do it silently (Yes Andrea, I am outing you - DEAL WITH IT!) Unbeknownst to Andrea, I had just picked up the phone to listen to some phone messages when I caught her lip syncing in my peripheral vision. I just sat and stared for a few seconds, wondering if she would ever realize that I was watching her. Finally I had to giggle aloud just so she could know that I could see her. She didn't seem too phased by the fact that she had an audience (she is a performer after all) but it was pretty clear that she didn't think anyone was watching her.
Well - Andrea's little lip syncing performance is my clear awesomism for the day. It was such a pleasure to catch her in the act. I now feel like I have a little glimpse into the all of other things she probably does when she thinks no one can see her. And it makes me feel pretty good - because it means that I'm not the only one doing those thing. Andrea, I know I don't need to tell you this - but you are awesome! Thank you for thinking that I couldn't see you. It made my day.
So the day started of stressfully and a little discouraging, but somehow I got through it and the evening turned out to be a whole lot better. I was able to enjoy my last bellydancing class for this term, before heading downtown to enjoy the Christmas Market again with Vashti, before seeing her new place. But because I've already talked about the awesomeness of bellydancing, Vashti, the Christmas Market, and downtown living - I think it's time for something random.
Tonight as Vashti and I were heading out to the Sushi place to pick up our food - we saw a pug walking around in circles a number of times, to the point where we actually had to look back to figure out what it was doing. It wasn't like he was chasing his tail, because he was sniffing the ground the whole time - and the circles were way too wide for that anyway. So what on earth could the dog be doing. Sure enough, after a few more times around the circle the dog eventually crouched down a bit so that it could do its business. I am now tempted to spin around in a few circles before I ever sit on a toilet again.
So here's to the general awesomeness of dogs - and their bathroom rituals! May you forever be adorable!
Tonight was another holiday craft party night - which meant that it was the perfect opportunity for me to get some of my gift making done. I don't really know how much other people like getting homemade gifts - but I know that I love them, and fortunately I happen to know a few other people in my life who love them too.
Throughout high school our group of friends would always make each other gifts, and they were always the best gifts ever. Some of the gifts made included illustrated stories of our friendships, a co-created painting of a hilarious camping trip, a life-sized cookie replica of the birthday girl, a box of fun for an 18th birthday (filled with 18 things all to do with the new things you can do when you turn 18), and a homemade Zagat's Guide - to something other than restaurants. I actually still have a number of the gifts that were made fore me, because they are just that awesome. I have also accumulated a lot of new homemade gifts, including the all of the paintings on my wall, Alistair the whale (for my earphones), my new mug, and countless others!
I think I really like receiving homemade gifts because I love being surrounded in reminders of all of the people I love, and the talent and creativity that they all possess. I am forever inspired by all of their gifts and the time they put in to making something for me. I couldn't ask for anything better. So hopefully my dear friend Jenn will feel the same way when she opens, the lovely gift that I have made for her upcoming wedding! The gift might not be as epic as some of our high school gifts - but the sentiment is still the same.
Since I joined the VOC (now Sweet) Soul Gospel choir in 2008, December has become my favourite month - because it is the month when we spend all of our Sundays on top of Grouse Mountain singing Christmas music to the skiers and snowboarders who have come inside looking for a break from the cold. A few years ago, when it all began, my Mom came to visit me to watch the choir sing on top of the mountain. She had such a great time watching me sing again, listening to some great music, and enjoying the atmosphere. Unfortunately, all of her good spirits led her to generously take me out to lunch - a lunch that would eventually reveal that her daughter was not going to be returning to Ontario. We ate at Altitudes on top of Grouse Mountain in the same building where I had just sung. At one point during the meal, she watched me while I looked out of the restaurant window from the top of the mountain to see the beautiful city of Vancouver surrounded by glistening water and distant mountains. I made a comment about how beautiful the view was and I guess that comment was what affirmed what both of us were thinking. Ontario could never live up to the life I had in Vancouver.
I love my family deeply, but when I get to spend my time doing what I love in beautiful surroundings such as these - it really isn't any wonder why I am still out here six years later! There is only word to describe my situation here . . . and we all know what that word is.
From the top of Grouse Mountain! That's Vancouver Island in the distance.
View of Vancouver from the ride down the Gondola.
City Sunset from Lonsdale Quay! Right before getting on the seabus.
I love weekends. Having a full day off allows for a lot of awesome, and I packed in a bunch today. Trip downtown, started some Christmas shopping, ran into friends, opening night of The Wizard of Oz, followed by the first Christmas Party of the season. All in all - an awesome day! But one of the best things that happened today was the trip to the Vancouver Christmas Market.
I had my first choir gig of the Christmas Season and it happened to take place at the annual German Christmas Market. Every year the Queen Elizabeth Plaza turns into one of the classic German Christmas villages, with the wooden homemade crafts shacks, and food and beverage stands. It is so lovely and quaint and really puts you in the Christmas mood. Last year our gig at the market was a lot of fun, but considering that it was extremely cold and rainy that night, it was really nice to have warmer whether for our afternoon show this year. Though a part of me really missed seeing Dad is his very attractive rain hat. (Wait ... does a blog pick up sarcasm? ... Love you Dad!) I felt like this year I had time to wander around at the different shops without worrying about getting soaked. As I walked past all of the stands, I noticed one that I absolutely had to go to. They were serving fresh warm pretzels - for only $1.50! Obviously I had to get one. It was sooooooo good. No - let me rephrase that. It was sooooooo awesome!
If you get a chance to check out an old German Christmas Market in your general area - I strongly encourage you to do so. But you might want to go with an empty stomach. You'll want to make sure there's room for a bratwurst and beer too. Don't make the same mistake I did!
BONUS FEATURE:
Okay so because I was delayed in my blog post a few days ago here is a BONUS VIDEO for you. It's not of me (but if you want to imagine that it's me doing everything in the video then I'm cool with that)! It's actually a video of a pole dance that will knock your socks off. To anyone wondering why I would post a video of a pole dance on my blog - just watch it! You will quickly understand. Make sure you get to 3:21, because that's when it gets serious. ENJOY!
I love opening nights! Whenever I attend an opening night I actually put a little bit of thought into the theme of the show and try to pull items from my wardrobe that would like nice and hopefully touch on some theme of the show. For our opening of A Christmas Carol I wanted to wear something vintage and maybe European - so I decided on the following attire - which included my new anthropologie skirt, the houndstooth coat I bought for over 90% off at the end of winter last year in Victoria, and my Grandmother's old gloves.
I was quite content with the wardrobe selection, and I received a lot of compliments today. However, I was not expecting it to be the conversation piece that it turned out to be. As we left the after party an intoxicated gentleman started yelling things out of a taxicab window inspired by my attire. It started with him commenting on the warmth of my jacket and hat, followed by a rather emphatic "Dammit!" then eventually punctuated with his ... insult?? (you be the judge): "The 20s called, they want WWII back!" I still don't know whether to be flattered by the fact that he thought that I fit into the 20s fashion, saddened by the fact that this person clearly never graduated from middle school, or angered for .... whatever reason he had intended. Eventually trying to figure out what to feel broke my brain and made me delirious - which turned out to be pretty funny and infectious once we got on the bus. We ended up running into a really sweet personable guy named Jared, who had a question about my gloves. Unfortunately he ended up getting a way longer response than he ever expected. I blame the broken brain caused by Taxi guy.
But all in all it was a great day and a fantastic night. I should dress up more often to create more conversation pieces. Hopefully by next time I'll have my brain back!
I used to think that I was the type of girl that never needed flowers, because let's face it - they can be expensive and they serve no functional purpose other than to make a room look a little prettier. But boy, do they make a person feel good!
Today I walked into the office and found a beautiful vase of pink roses. The first thing that went through my mind was "Who are these for?" - because there was no way that they were for me. I had not done any to deserve such a lovely bouquet. But they were for me! Apparently watching someone's adorable and loveable child for a couple of hours while they are working warrants getting flowers.
And as if that weren't enough - when I came back into the office after running an errand I found another bouquet of flowers on my desk. Again I thought "Well THESE definitely aren't for me!" Wrong again! Another beautiful woman sent me some flowers for helping put a grant together.
While I still question whether I deserved these flowers, it was absolutely fantastic to receive them. I still believe that no one ever NEEDS flowers, but that's exactly why it feels so good to get them. Leave it to some amazing women to remind me of that! Thanks so much Sarah and Lucia!
P.S. BONUS FEATURE TO COME!!! Sorry for the delay.
Know what I love? BATHS! I know there are a lot of naysayers out there that who do not like baths because they are disgusting are the equivalent to sitting in a pool of their own filth. But to them I say "You be crazy." I happen to think that my filth is awesome, and I'm happy to bathe in it so long as it smells like flowers and/or fruit, and is filled with bubbles.
In fact I love baths so much that every time I have moved into a new apartment, I immediately recognized the potential for baths or not, and if I ever settled on a place with just a shower stall, I cried a little bit inside. (Fortunately the heated towel rack made up for it.) I don't take baths all of the time - far from it. But a nice bath every month or so is just enough to make me feel like I am doing something to spoil myself. And I think that's pretty awesome - because heck - I DESERVE IT!
So here's to that beautiful pool of filth that is so good at making me feel so relaxed. The only thing that might make my bath time a little better, is a rubber duckie! Maybe someday,
Since I have gotten back into improv, I have taken a lot of pride in considering myself as someone who is into comedy. Yet, I very rarely spend time out at comedy shows. I feel like I was living in Montreal, I actually went to see stand-up comedy shows fairly frequently. And there have been a few times since living in Vancouver that I went to a couple of shows at Yuk Yuk's with friends, and every time was absolutely awesome - so why do I not go to see more comedy? One quick answer could be that I might not actually have the time, but that's a silly excuse. If it's something that I really love then I should be making the time, right? Well that's what I did about a month ago when I found out that one of my favourite comedians, Jon Lajoie, was going to be performing in Vancouver.
I wasn't sure what kind of show it was going to be. Was it a comedy routine, a concert, some sort of combination of the two? Would they be showing his YouTube videos? What the heck was the night going to be? The answer: AWESOME! He did an awesome job. The songs were great, the stand-up comedy was hilarious, and the handling of the hecklers was down-right impressive! As always I walked away wondering why the heck I don't go to more live stand-up shows. Clearly I need to make it a priority again.
Generally I would say that Jon Lajoie's type of humour might not be suited to some of the readers of this blog (Hi Mom and Gramma!), but I think I found a song of Jon's that everyone can enjoy. There's still some language in it, but it's fleeting - so if anyone wants to avoid the language then you can just stop listening as soon as the rap starts!
I don't know why I keep being so lazy with these blogs. Somehow I convinced myself that if I missed a post one day that it wasn't so bad because I could always post it later. But then that ended up meaning that I'd have days like this when I would have to catch up on four days with of awesome. Which is fun - but it defeats the point of me acknowledging the good in each day as it happens. So - I am providing myself with a new challenge. And this challenge is inspired by this evening's events.
We had another improv musical workshop tonight. And as expected - it was awesome, because it gives me the chance to do some of the things that I love to do - but in a challenging and sometimes embarrassing way. SO - if ever I do NOT post daily again I will have to add to the final post, by including a Bonus Feature of some sort. It could be a video of me doing something silly and/or embarrassing (ie. doing a silly dance, making up a song, trying to play ukulele again), or it could be an additional story or poem, or who knows.
Remember those Birthday Dares I did for my Champagne Birthdays? Well if anyone had extra dares that they wanted to send my way to be included as possible Bonus Features then this is the time to send them.
It's time I be held accountable for my actions. All I ask is that because I often don't come home until after midnight that I at least be given until 2am. That's fair, right?
Here's hoping that this new challenge isn't an invitation for further insomnia. Bring on the silliness!
Because this project is about staying positive, I am going to spin a rather embarrassing experience into an awesomism. On Sunday I had planned on getting some groceries after my improv workshop, because I would be passing by a grocery store on my way home. The store I was passing by was not the usual store I shop at, and it also tended to be a little more expensive - but it had most everything I needed/wanted so I stopped off to get some groceries.
I made the mistake of going in without a list, so I spent a little more time at the store than I had wanted but after a good chunk of time I made it to the check out. There was a very sweet family ahead of me while I was putting all of my groceries on the conveyor belt. They were just in the process of paying for their groceries as I went to reach for my wallet so that I would be ready to pay when it was my turn. Unfortunately, when I reached into my purse, guess what was missing!
As the family was packing up their stuff I had to confess that I had no way of paying for my groceries. I eagerly offered to take everything back to their original places, but the cashier assured me that they would handle everything. And the mother in front of me said "Oh no. That's horrible." Almost as if she was trying to figure out if there was anything they could do. Before they even had a chance to offer help, I just shrugged it off and thanked the cashier profusely for taking care of it.
I then took the bus home - grabbed my wallet and then ended up walking to my usual store where I was able to get everything I had originally wanted, and even ended up spending a little less for everything.
I feel really bad for the store for having to return everything, but it was a really great to know that they were understanding of the situation and able to take care of it on their own. And hearing from the person in front that they empathized for the situation was also quite comforting. I sometimes wonder what I would have done had they offered. I'm sure I would not have made their generosity easy on them. I can be a overly proud and stubborn at times. But I also know that if I were in their position I would also want to offer as well. But would I? Am I that philanthropic person I've always wanted to be? Or am I a coward. Hmmmm - I sense a challenge for myself for the month of December.
Do you remember when you were younger and your parents read to you before going to bed? . . . Well I do. It was one of my favourite times of the day. It was the time of day when we would get ready for bed by putting our pajamas on, brushing our teeth, then huddling onto someone's bed to listen to my Dad's epic story time. One of the stories he read to us was THE HOBBIT. It was the huge text book sized version with the illustrations - and it was awesome. We got the chance to hear an awesome story while having some family bonding time. What could be better?
Unfortunately at some point between elementary school and high school the whole idea of reading aloud became scary and uncool. But this weekend I became reacquainted with awesomeness of being read to, and reading to someone else.
Seriously - if any couples out there are looking for a fun romantic way to spend time together, I'd like to suggest reading to each other. If you already do read to each other - then good for you! But if you don't and you think it's a silly thing to do, well get over yourselves and try it out. You might be surprised.
This Friday I went down to visit Luke for the first time in a month. As usual, it was great to see him, but it became even better when he shared some great news with me.
Since trying out my friend Natalie's Kinect last month, I have been wanting one of my own. In fact it was pretty much the only thing that was going on my Christmas wish list. However - Luke informed me that Black Friday had made its way to Canada and that Future Shop had a major sale on, and that one of their major deals was the XBOX/Kinect Bundle for $100 off. So he proposed that we go in for our first 'couple purchase' and split the costs so that we could both own it, but it could live at my apartment.
This was a HUGE step. Co-ownership? What's next? A Dog? Well despite the fears that come from co-ownership, I decided that it was actually a good investment, a good arrangement, and great deal that would be crazy to turn down. So I said yes to the whole idea - but then reality set in.
$100 off? That a big savings - and we're talking about Future Shop. My understanding of their big sales is that they do not last very long. So I suggested that if we were going to go through with the purchase that we do it as soon as possible if we expect to get one. And that's when Luke confessed that he thought about that - which is why he went into the store as soon as it opened to purchase one!
WHAT?!?!?! So apparently Luke and I are the proud new owners of a new Kinect. We have named it Kinecules! We took it out for a walk this weekend, and it seemed to have a good time. It is now home safely in Vancouver. If anyone ever wants to come and see it - feel free to come visit anytime! It always enjoys company.
Thursday I finally finished the advent calendar that I made for Luke, and it felt really REALLY good to be done. In my mind it was supposed to be an fun and easy project. But what made it fun and easy was that I knew exactly what I wanted to do and how to do it. What I hesitated to acknowledge was exactly how long it would take for me to do it. But I finally finished with plenty of time before Dec. 1st, and in time to give it to him for my last visit until Christmas. Let the season of giving commence!
So Wednesday was a great day. Work was good, and I spent the evening at the opening night of Blood Brothers at the Arts Club Theatre. The show was fantastic, and it was great to be able to hang out one-on-one with fellow music lover Josh McFaul - husband of good friend Shay and brofriend of Luke (and link to how Luke and I met). It was an awesome night, an awesome show, and awesome company. But there was one more awesome thing that happened that I wanted to mention.
Earlier in the day I was informed by the beautiful Kim MacEachern, that something that I had been waiting for for a while was finally in existence. Long before I had my laptop, but work computer was my main computer so I had purchased a few things to my iTunes account that had only ever resided on that computer. Then when I got my new computer I purchased more things to my iTunes account, expecting that anything purchased on my account could show up on any computer. But such was not the case - or at least not as far as I could tell. I eventually gave up on trying to figure it out and just settled with listening to everything through my iPod.
But yesterday all of that changed. Because apparently iTunes has a 'New' feature. I don't know how new it is, but it was new to me yesterday and it changed my life, because I was finally able to upload all of the songs that I had purchased on my laptop onto my work computer - and vice versa. Finding this out made me very excited to the point where I eventually slid off my chair.
Don't believe? Here's the proof.
I love the fact that an assumption I made a few years ago is now in existence. I know I had nothing to do with it, but it was pretty awesome to know that I was thinking of the improvement at the same time that it was being created.
After a very long and exhausting day involving number crunching and our Annual General Meeting, by the time I got home I found myself to be highly irritable, impatient, and generally unhappy. Upon receiving an instant message online it hit me at just how miserable I was and how I really should not have been socializing with anyone at that time. So I knew enough to take a few minutes to myself to find some things that cheered me up.
Maybe I should have watched the seal video right away, but I didn't feel like it was the right way to get me out of my funk. So instead I decided to check out a video that was introduced to me by a fellow choir member this weekend. This video was a great reminder that music is the way to heal my soul. Check it out!
Well it was the perfect segue from my bad mood to finally being able to talk with another human being. Another human being who was extremely understanding and patient with my mood, making it all the easier to get out of it.
Even though I didn't write this blog that night, I can guarantee that I went to bed happy that night - which is the whole point. And that's pretty awesome I think.
Okay - it's been a loooooong week. Lots to catch up on. Let's start with Monday. Regular day at work. Nothing special. Another late night spent crafting. But I was able to take a little break and have a chat. Maybe it wasn't chatting so much as laughing uncontrollably. Not long ago I was introduced to some YouTube clips of Animals that sounded like people. They were all pretty cute and funny - but one in particular brought out the cackle. Usually I can control the cackle but when something is absolutely hilarious, it somehow finds a way to break out.
This is the video that did it for me.
I don't even know if other people will find it as hilarious as I did. But even watching it again earlier today as well as just now - the cackle came out again. I guess it's just one of those things that will get me every time. So I think that's good enough reason to make it Monday's awesomism.
I know I have blogged about choir A LOT, but it's awesomeness never ceases to amaze me. This weekend one particular thing happened that does not happen all of the time, but when it does it is always AWESOME. And that's when we are taken to church!
I do not mean taken to a church service. What I mean is when the singing gets so epic that you cannot help but feel touched by something. You know those classic stereotypical images of gospel choirs in southern churches? With the fast paced music, the singing at the top of your lungs, with the hands up, and dancing around. That's exactly what I'm talking about! I cannot say whether it is God, the Holy Spirit, or just the overwhelming joy that comes from clapping, dancing, and singing together. But I can say with certainty that it is a feeling that I only ever get at choir and is one that I love and crave constantly. It is the kind of feeling that makes me really glad that choir rehearsals are on Sundays!
I am a girl who loves her crafting. I blame/thank my mother for my crafting abilities. She always had some craft project going on - whether it was smocking, knitting, sewing, something else entirely, or some combination of any of these. She was also the one who made sure every single one of my birthday parties involved the creation of some sort of craft. So it didn't take long for me to catch the bug. Also, I feel like there is nothing better than the sentimentality that comes from giving or getting a homemade gift. So when my friend invited me to an advent calendar making party, I made sure that I would be there.
One of my favourite Christmas traditions growing up was my Mom's homemade advent calendar. She made these decent sized bags that she filled with four baggies in each bag. Each bag would have a new treat in them and the treats got progressively better as we approached the 24th when we finally got our Laura Secord chocolate marshmallow santa. In some ways I am sure my Mom hated making the calendar because she would painstakingly count out each candy in every bag (sometimes even the colours of the m&m's) to make sure there would be no chance of any of us complaining of inequality. ... And then true to form someone would find a reason to be convinced that their baggie was better than everyone else's - thereby diminishing any and all efforts Mom had made. We thought it was funny. Understandably - she did not. (Sorry Mom!) But the fact remained that we all LOVED that advent calendar, so it was my goal to make one that came close to being as good as hers.
I actually cheated and did a little pre-crafting because I wanted all of the bags sewn by the time I got to the party so that I had the party to cut out and sew on all of the numbers. I got all of the numbers cut out, but even over the duration of watching White Christmas and Step Up 2, I was not able to get all of the numbers sewn on. I finished all of the bags today though, and I think they look pretty good if I do say so myself. They aren't as big as Mom's were, but they will do. I am sure Luke won't complain.
Yup - all that work and I won't even be the one to enjoy it! Though I will take great pleasure in giving it as a gift. And fortunately I will be the one getting the candy to fill the calendar - so if I just happen to get a little more than needed, well then I guess I'll just have to find some way to deal with it. :D
What a great night! I actually contemplated staying home after finding out that the friend I had made plans with had gotten sick. But because I'm stubborn and still really wanted to see some friends perform in concert, I decided to suck it up and go. Some people might think it is a little weird to go out on a Friday night by yourself. But I braved it and I am so glad I did, because the little random bits of awesome that happened last night completely blew my mind.
First - it all started with a bit of shopping for some things that I have been eyeing for a long time. Fortunately for me I was able to get two things off of my wish list for the same amount of money that I was willing to pay for just one. SCORE! On top of that high - I ended up running into one of the girls who was in my flamenco class on Thursday who recognized me. We chatted for a bit about the class and then she offered me an unprovoked compliment (awesome) and asked if I had a dance background. ... Does tap class at age 5 count? ... It was a great way to start my evening before heading to see some friends from The Left perform at Joe's Apartment. Then the fun really kicked in!
As soon as I arrived at the venue the awesomeness continued when I was asked for my ID. What made it so special, you may ask? The bouncers name was Zack Morris. Any other people reading this who grew up watching Saved By The Bell will appreciate the awesomeness of that bouncer. I was smiling so much as I got inside that it almost hurt. I grabbed a seat near the front so I made sure I would be able to see the band. I arrived really early for the purposes of getting a seat, and apparently some other people had that idea as well because not long after I sat down, a group of three gentlemen came near the front also looking for seats. I had grabbed a seat near the end of the bank leaving room between me and the group in front leaving room for these gentlemen to sit there. As they were chatting, I was watching the stage but it must have looked like I was looking at or through them because they apologized if they were getting in my way. They weren't so I made sure to tell them that. But as I was talking to them, I recognized one of the gentleman as the father of the bassist (the resemblance was uncanny) - so we got to talking. It turns out that we knew a lot of the same people (not surprising since the bassist and I also know a lot of the same people), and one of the other gentlemen with him had actually performed at Pacific Theatre in a Fringe show a number of years ago and also went to school in Montreal.
It was such a great evening! It might have been nice to have stuck with the original plans, but it was kind of nice to get to know these new people. It just goes to show that when one friend closes a door, another few friends are waiting for you outside your window .... or something like that.
A big thanks to all of the guys in The Left for being the cause of last night's happenings! You guys rocked it out as always. I can't wait to see what happens at the next concert.
Thursday was such a great day. After work I headed to my flamenco class where my worlds collided a bit when I ran into my bellydancing teacher (a bit of random awesomeness for the day). And then after class I had some deliciously cheap sushi (also awesome) and went to see my friend Chris in a show.
Chris is the one who wrote and performed in the show Compassion For Killers that we did this past summer. But since doing the show, life has been so busy that we haven't really had the chance to hang out. So it was nice to finally get the chance to sit down and catch up - and we had a LOT of catching up to do. And what better way to do it than over some cosmopolitans and chocolate lava cake!
Suffice it to say that the evening was great! I keep being overwhelmed with the all of the amazing people I have in my life. I just wish I didn't have to take so much time in between hanging out with each one - but so long as I still get to see them, I'm a happy girl. And when delicious food and drinks are involved - all the better.
I was excited all day today to have a night off to completely clean my apartment and get it ready for the Holiday Season. To put me in the mood I put on some of my favourite holiday music and got started. My apartment is among the cleanest it has ever been now and best of all, I've got my adorable 1-foot glistening blue tree up on my desk. Just enough Christmas to put me in the mood!
And because I was in the holiday spirit, I even got started on a project that I'm working on for the Holiday season. Details of that to come. But I can tell you that I am super excited for it! It is reminiscent of an old family tradition we had for the Holiday season. No - it's not kringle. Kringle is also for another time!
Here's my adorable little tree! Isn't it just awesome? .... you know - once you look past the crappy photography. What can I say - it's late at night and I settled for photobooth. But look how adorable it is!!!
I am fairly certain that everyone on this planet has a celebrity boyfriend or girlfriend. Mine has changed a bit over the years. High school I had a thing for Adam Sandler, and in more recent years I had a thing for Ryan Gosling - but for some reason that crush kind of faded away. He is still one of my favourite actors, but the level of attraction I used to have towards him just isn't quite there anymore. Recently I had a long discussion with the actual boyfriend, through which I decided on an awesome celebrity boyfriend that I am totally happy with. His name is Jason Segel!
You know that really tall guy from How I Met Your Mother? Well he's my new celebrity crush. And tonight while doing laundry I had myself a marathon of a couple of his movies. When I turned the TV on tonight the movie I Love You, Man came on. I had seen it a long time ago and LOVED it, but hadn't seen it since, so obviously I watched it. And because I enjoyed it so much, I decided to continue the Jason Segel love fest and watched my brand new copy of Forgetting Sarah Marshall.
It was quite nice to spend the night with my new celebrity boyfriend. I guess this is what happens when in long-distance relationships. When the tall, sweet, hilarious guy I am used to is not around to hang out with, at least I know where I can find another one. Thank you Jason for being a great back-up and for helping me out with my chores! You're awesome!
We all now that I love music. We also now that I love improv. So just imagine what happens when you put the two together . . . AWESOMENESS - that's what happens.
Tonight I attended my first ever musical improv workshop and it was even better than I imagined - and I set the expectation bar pretty darn high for this class. Ever since I saw the Improv Musical show earlier this year, I have been dying to take a workshop and I am SO glad that I did. Even though I was still feeling a little tired tonight, I am so glad that I made the trip out to PoCo, because I feel like I learned so much. Now when I make up songs at work about what I'm doing - the might actually be decent songs.
It's sad thinking that we've only scheduled one more of these workshops, but I am going to keep my fingers crossed that we will add more later and possibly even produce and improv musical again in the near future. I'll just have to make sure that I attend that audition this time around!
Ever heard of this thing called a 'personal day'? It's essentially when someone takes a day off, not because they are sick or had an emergency, or had a conflicting commitment - but because they just want a moment to shut down, take a break from all commitments, and have a day to themselves.
I took my first one of those on Sunday! Weird that my 'day off' was taken on a Sunday when you might assume I'd already have the day off. But considering how packed I've made my schedule lately, Sunday happened to be the day when exhaustion set in and I needed the time to just relax and not worry about any prior commitments.
So I did just that. I am not usually one to play hookie and I don't think I will ever become one - but for one day it was a nice relief. And I definitely felt prepared to take on all of the tasks of Monday. So I guess it was totally worth it!
If you've never had a personal day - I highly recommend it! Trust the workaholic - a little time off to get back to neutral can be a great thing.
I had what I am pretty sure was the hardest improv gig of my life on Saturday. Very difficult, but still very rewarding. First the support of my fellow players was absolutely awesome. And then we also had a lot of kids in the audience who ended up giving off this amazing energy that was occasionally a little distracting. And extra special was that I had some serious support in the audience including one of the first people to ever get me into improv - Mr. Hugh MacLeod.
I have performed for kids before but usually only one or two kids in an audience of around 100 people. Not 10 kids in an audience of no more than 50. While it was distracting, it was really awesome seeing how excited they got with some of the scenes. They were all over "Moving People" and they seemed to be excited when I did my "Monologue" - which was a new game we came up with for the night. I asked one of the boys what he did that day and he said soccer, so I did a monologue about playing soccer and scoring from the other side of the field (which I'm pretty sure is an illegal move - but that's irrelevant). Apparently I painted a pretty good picture because once I scored the goal, a bunch of the kids got up an cheered with me. I didn't actually notice because I was too busy jumping around in a circle, but the kids seemed to love it - and that's the important part.
It was also awesome seeing Hugh in the audience and chatting with him at the end of the show. I can be really hard on myself but having him there was just as encouraging as always. If I could have him at all of my improv gigs I would be the happiest improviser in the world! Unfortunately it's a little hard with him living in Hamilton.
The next time I head home I NEED to stop by The Staircase. Returning to those roots could do nothing but good things for me. All of those people helped me realize who I was and who I wanted to be. Without Hugh and the rest of them - who knows what I would have done? When improv became a regular part of my life again at the beginning of this year, I remember thinking that I finally felt like my true self again. I'm so grateful that I found that person to begin with! Thank you Hugh for all of your encouragement and positivity!
11am on the 11th day on the 11th month of the 11th year was a very memorable moment in time for me. I commemorated Remembrance Day by attending the downtown service at Victory Square in Vancouver. Last year was the first year that I had ever attended an actual Remembrance Day Service and it immediately became a tradition for me.
Standing in a park with hundreds of other people, listening the poems, songs, speeches and then seeing the planes fly overhead while the guns were saluting - was a powerful experience to say the least. This year in particular was an emotional year as it came shortly after Grampa's passing. Seeing the planes fly by this year (even though they were further away due to weather conditions), caused me to become so emotional that I found myself breathless a few times as I fought to restrain the tears.
I still think back to that Remembrance Day a few years ago when I slept past 11am feeling among the guiltiest I have ever been in my life - and then later going to see Jake's Gift for the first time ever. The play changed my life at that moment and made me realize just how much I have taken for granted not just the actions of all veterans, but of my own family. I remember heading straight home and writing my grandparents an email thanking them for everything for me and my country. Fortunately I felt like I was able to make up for some of my mistakes by taking them to see the show in Hamilton at my Grampa's alma mater, where they were treated like stars. Because really - they are. One day to honour them truly is not enough. So maybe this blog being written late isn't such a bad thing.
SO MUCH TO CATCH UP ON! Clearly the awesomeness of a bit of time off has put me a little behind in my blogging. But it's time to stop goofing around and finally report on the awesomeness of the last five days - starting with last Thursday.
It started out like any other day. Some work, some sassy flamenco dancing, and then getting ready for a night at the theatre. The key difference was that my theatre date for the evening was one that I was really looking forward to and for some reason a little nervous about.
Over a year ago this amazing lady came into my life. She is tall, gorgeous, fit, healthy, talented, ridiculously smart, and one of the nicest people I have ever met. She also happens to be one of the most intimidating people I have ever met. Not because she is actually intimidating (far from it), but because she is just so cool and awesome that I always feel slightly inferior around her. The fact that she also happens to be my boyfriend's sister does not help relieve any of the intimidation either. But because I was not going to get a ridiculous fear get in the way of my spending time with her and becoming (hopefully good) friends, I sent her a cop-out text message to invite her to drinks and a show, which she graciously accepted.
Fortunately it was a busy night, so I didn't really have time to panic. But once again I felt like a bit of a tool a few times throughout the night. I'm sure she didn't think so - because she is AWESOME - but I couldn't help but feel self-conscious - and I don't even know why. Also, I ended up having to ditch her a couple of times to handle some work things as they came up, so that didn't make me feel any better. But being the amazing person she is, she was extremely understanding about the situation and even surprised me at the end of the night with a belated Birthday gift. ... WHO DOES THAT?!?!?
And as if getting a gift wasn't enough, it just so happened to be a homemade gift of some of her pottery (the same pottery that I've been coveting at Luke's place every time I visit him). The awesome homemade mug now has a permanent home on my desk at work where it gets filled with delicious lemon ginger tea nearly every day.
So here's to that lovely lady who I will probably always feel slightly intimidated by, and I'm okay with that. If you want a hint at all of her awesomeness, check out her website and youtube channel for some healthy eating tips. Here's her most recent video.
Have I ever mentioned how much I love my brothers??? Because I absolutely LOVE them. They are quite possibly the funniest people I know and will ever know, because - let's face it - this bias is not going away any time soon. I like to think I get my sense of humour from them, but I am also acutely aware that they are all 10 times funnier than I will ever be - and when you combine them together, their humour grows exponentially. Suffice it to say that there were rarely any dull moments in the Chisholm household. And like a fine wine, their hilarity has ripened with age. At least that's the story I'm sticking to.
The fact of the matter is that when I get a random message from any one of my brothers it makes me SOOO happy. So when I started off my day with a whole string of texts from my eldest brother, I was beyond thrilled - even though it could have had the potential to turn ugly (as conversations between us can when we talk about the arts). Fortunately for both of us, I'm not a douchenozzle.
In order to do this story justice, I have to offer the first string of texts that I got and my reaction to each of them as they came in. Reactions are bolded and italicized. Here we go!
(9:20) JAMIE: Alison... I want you to know how much I love you... Even though you didn't respond to my happy birthday message. What?! I thought I responded. Oh well at least he still loves me. What a nice random message.
(9:21) JAMIE: Also... I think you're a very gifted theatre actress and comedian... However, if you want to know why I hate "performance artists" Oh crap!
(9:21) JAMIE: Just look up "the birth of baby x"... It's people like her that ruin it for all you other talented folk. ??????
So as you may have guessed, I looked the birth of baby x and came across this article. Upon reading it, his frustrations made a LOT more sense. I responded by letting him know that I looked up the story and confirmed that any rationalization that may have given for her giving birth as part of an art exhibit, went out the window upon realizing that her other performance arts pieces involved the re-enactments of losing her virginity, and her grandfather's funeral. Call me old fashioned - but I believe that there's a reason why all of these events are generally kept private.
After a little bit of back and forthing, Jamie then confessed that he didn't really know why he originally contacted me. The only explanation he could give me was that he had been so enraged by the article that he needed to talk to someone in the art business who wasn't "a total douchenozzle".
Well Jamie - happy to be of service! What an awesome way to start the day. Thanks big brother!
Being a transit junkie, I have gotten used to planning well ahead to make sure that I can be at a certain location on time. As I have voluntarily chosen to travel to such places as Burnaby and Port Coquitlam fairly frequently, which often means that I have to prepare for over an hours worth (sometimes up to two hours worth) of travel time just to get from A to B. So when an unexpected ride is offered to cut that travel time in half, it is freaking AWESOME!
Yes - working with someone else who regularly takes the trek out to Burnaby to teach yoga classes where I take belly dancing lessons can have some serious perks. Especially when said friend/colleague has a vehicle and happens to be subbing for a yoga class that takes place at the exact same time as my belly dancing class. While I really do not mind taking transit because it gives me a chance to catch up on some reading, an unsolicited ride which provides the chance to socialize more (and learn about all of the different styles of yoga) is sweet and will always be appreciated!
I am not culinary at all! I love food. I am a big fan of eating and I am even a fan of conceptualizing a meal. But when it comes to me preparing a decent meal, it becomes quite an operation and one that I would generally prefer to not be a part of. So it comes as no surprise when I stick to the same basic meals every night, which require the same basic ingredients. But for some reason on my last trip to the grocery store I decided to get a little creative and bought some produce that I have always enjoyed but never bothered to incorporate it into my own dishes. Beets!
It wasn't that long ago that beets would actually be the key ingredients in one of favourite meals: Borscht (served hot or cold)! But I was never the one to cook the borscht. And while I know that roasting a beet isn't difficult, I've really never taken the time to do it. I hadn't even taken the time to purchase a beet and grate it onto a salad. Well - that all ended today when I scrubbed the beet I purchased and pulled out my cheese grater to add a little more personality to my salad.
I know it's not a huge accomplishment, but even just grating that little bit of beet into my salad felt really good. I'm hoping to eventually get to a point where I am comfortable in the kitchen - no matter what ingredients I'm working with. So even just this baby step in learning how I can prepare one of my favourite 'healthy choice' foods was pretty darn awesome. Next time I'll try roasting one!
Okay - so it's not really Christmas time - but as far as I am concerned it is. Today was the first choir rehearsal in which we started preparing for our Christmas gigs. So having spent two hours today singing Christmas songs, I now have the mindset that the Holiday season is in full swing and I couldn't be happier about it.
This is an awesome season with awesome songs attached to it. And when those songs are sung in the awesome style of soul and gospel - well you cannot help but feel the Christmas spirit. I think that was evident at last year's Christmas concert when over 2000 people were each standing up and dancing to our performance because they were so moved by the music. I've said it before, and I'll say it again . . . when you are performing and watch over 2000 people 'lean back' with you, it is unbelievably moving experience!
For a little taste of what I am talking about, check out this video from last year's concert. You might notice that everyone's standing up which explains the camera view. (And yes - I'm there, but I'm off to the side and not seen on camera.) If this song doesn't get you in the Christmas Spirit then you are CRAZY. Or maybe just not the biggest fan of Christmas. As for me - I cannot wait for next Sunday when we sing these songs again. Hooray Christmas!
Saturday was the final day of the Making a Scene Conference and it was another fantastic day. Very inspirational! A lot of great ideas came out of it and I really look forward to going back into work on Monday with all of these great new thoughts. Fortunately my inspiration from the conference made me change my evening plans which ended up working out for the better.
I had originally planned to attend the CD Release party of an acquaintance of mine (who just so happens to be one of my favourite artists) but as an emergency came up and a position needed to be filled in the evening, I felt that it only made sense for me to take it - despite the very generous offer of another friend to take it. In then end it was a good thing that I worked the shift. Because it gave me a chance to help out the theatre, and still hopefully make it to the CD release afterparty (had I decided to stay out extra late). In the process of waiting for the afterparty to begin, I went to hang out with some of the artists involved in the show and decided that I would only stay for a short while so that I could actually get to bed at a somewhat reasonable hour.
What was awesome was that in the process of hanging out, I ended up becoming enthralled with the conversation and chose to stick around much later than expected (thanks to the very kind offer of a ride home from one of the artists) and I ended up learning so much more about these theatre artists and their experiences in the business - which was invaluable. I actually got chills a few times just through talking about the art form, and the creative process for the actor, and the general story making experience.
It's amazing how some things just work out! Plans are great and I know that I would have had a great time at the CD release party, but I am glad that I had the flexibility and dedication to take on that extra shift because the way things worked out seemed to make more sense to me. I feel that at the end of the day these people are no longer just colleagues, but legitimately friends - and that is FRIGGIN AWESOME!
After an awesome day spent at the Greater Vancouver Professional Theatre Alliance's "Making a Scene" conference, socializing, brainstorming, and visioning with our fellow theatre practitioners, I was looking forward to a night off. Unfortunately a night off for me does not necessarily involve a night at home. Sometimes it involves hanging with friends at a swank downtown condo with a pool and hot tub, enjoying some homemade pizza and wine.
I have often wondered what it would be like to live downtown. In Montreal I found myself being envious of my brothers and friends sweet downtown apartments, and now again in Vancouver I find myself wanting to be closer to downtown. I used to LOVE being on the outskirts of town. Still in the city and with easy transit routes to downtown, but being in a quieter more residential area - pretty much the area I'm in now. But recently I've been craving the hustle and bustle of downtown, and apartment living (rather than the duplex living I've always lived in).
I don't know if this is a realistic goal, and I already know that it would never be a permanent one, but it is certainly one that I would like to see happen at some point. This is not the time for it, but who know what might happen in the next few years. Maybe I can truly become a city girl. But even just pretending to be a city girl from time to time is pretty darn awesome!
Okay - I know I've already posted about Flameco dancing but because Thursday's class was SO good I felt like I needed to post about it again.
Thursday was our first time really focusing on the footwork, so it was a good thing I had my flamenco shoes on. The sound of the nails on the floor is so awesome, and the feeling that comes from stomping you foot down, digging your heel into the floor, and lifting and slamming your heel back into the floor is indescribable. The whole reason why I wanted to do flamenco dancing was because it was such a sensual yet powerful dance - and that is EXACTLY what I am getting. I have a feeling that I will be keeping this up for as long as I can afford it, because just being in these classes makes me feel so good about myself and makes me want to dance even more.
I feel a little weird right now. I have never been a dancer, but rather someone who really enjoys dancing. The only training I've had were some tap classes when I was 5, and then a brief recap with a friend a couple of years ago. But now that I'm taking two dance classes a week, with the intention of continuing my training in both of them - am I allowed to deny being a dancer anymore? I don't know. I guess we'll have to see where I'm at once I've completed my beginner classes.
You know those times when girls are talking with their boyfriends and somehow pull out a question that the boyfriend cannot answer without getting into trouble? Well - thankfully Luke Timmermans has found a way of getting himself out of those terrifying situations by coming up with the best response EVER.
On Wednesday I made a comment about a mutual friend being really cute and did the really mean girlfriend thing of asking Luke if he agreed (duh duh duh). Fortunately for Luke he used the force, and remembered the insightful words that Admiral Ackbar from Star Wars spoke and merely uttered the words "IT'S A TRAP!"
Well it was the most hilarious thing I have ever heard. AND it was also good at pointing out how completely unfair my question was. I'd like to think that I wouldn't have been upset had he answered the question, but I know how mischievous I can be and how I can hold things over people's head even if just as a joke. Suffice it say - Luke made the right choice. He saved himself from trouble, made me laugh hysterically, and even managed to politely point out my mistakes. What a guy!
And now for the video that he sent to me after he made his hilarious comment. Good ol' Admiral Ackbar!
