Mar. 29th: Celebration Lunch

Wow!  After an epic free dinner, I was lucky enough to get a free lunch today.  Only the lunch today was actually free and did not require a sales pitch.  In fact, it was a lunch celebrating some free money! ... Well not quite, but almost.  Celebrating money we had never received before, never budgeted for, and it just showed up in our bank account.

Remember a couple of years back, when BC pretty much cuts its funding by approximately 90%.  They quickly realized that they had went a little too far so they increased the funding (meaning that the original cut was only about 60% or so).  I might be approximating a bit, but basically Arts & Culture got screwed. But somehow a miracle occurred and the government admitted that they had made a mistake in cutting the funding at all.  So they reinstated all of the funding to the same level it was at during the time it was cut.  This gave companies a month or two to get their applications in for the special intake grant for the remainder of the season.  We had never officially received the funding yet, but at the time that the grants were cut, we had just submitted our application that would have almost guaranteed us some funding had the grants not been cut.

Well here we are, and for the first time ever we have received Gaming funding.  As the one who manages our cash flow, this is one heck of a relief.  We weren't in dire straits before, but it's great knowing that we've got lots of wiggle room.  Things are going so well at the theatre right now.  Maybe a little too well.  Season launched, subscriptions coming in, monthly donations coming in.  I'm starting to feel uncomfortable. Maybe a random donation pitch will make me feel awkward enough to balance things out.

If anyone wants to donate to the theatre you can make a one-time donation here, or sign up for our monthly donations here. Even just $5-10 a month can really help our sustainability.  Remember, every little bit helps!

... much better.

Mar. 28th: Dancing with Wayne

What a weird, awesome, awkward, and epic night.  I'm going to let you in on a little secret.  If you 'win' a prize at a big event, and the organization you won the prize from calls you incessantly to try to book you in for your prize - the only thing you've won is a sales trap.  But hey - I like a challenge and a 'free' meal.  Sign me up.

So Luke and I decided to take advantage of my 'prize' Wednesday night. It was a free cooking show and 3 course meal, and one heck of a sales pitch.  The minute we walked through the door, they were on us like vultures.  We were a little early so no one was awaiting us right away (a disappointment to corporate I'm sure) but they got to us as soon as possible, sat us down front and centre and treated us like gold ... hoping of course that we were made of it and willing to share.  Such was not the case, but we enjoy a little pampering so we let them continue.

Sure - crouch down at the table I'm sitting at to make sure I'm above you.  Keep getting me to say positive things to make me think that your products are the best things ever.  Put me on an exercise machine that requires no exercise and try to convince me that the strange feeling in my legs is from working out and not the onset of nerve damage.  I'm a performer, I'll play along.  In fact not only will I play along, I'll give all of your other guests the opportunity to sit back and not have to do anything except enjoy their free meal and a bit of entertainment.  ... Now that's a WOW!

So we got to enjoy the marvel of this amazing cookware, guaranteed for life, enjoyed our free meal of Chicken Cacciatore, veggies, and a pineapple upside-down cake (I said good-bye to lent for the night ... well I didn't want to be rude).  Then it was time for the awkward, "Let's-try-to-get-you-to-commit-to-$2400-cookware-in-one-night" conversation.  We knew what was coming and we didn't want to be a-holes so we listened to the pitch a bit longer and gave our polite declines preparing for a bit of a battle.  We enjoyed the meal and the entertainment.  The least we could do was give the sales rep a bit of a chance to fight through the obstacles we were putting up, but in the end our answer stayed the same.  All while this battle of the sale continued, one of the chefs was skulking the halls looking for a troubled salesperson in need of a little help.  Enter CHEF WAYNE!

Back story: There were two chefs (and I use that term loosely) running the cooking the show.  Chef Ziad - AWESOME.  Chef Wayne - SALESMAN.  Everything that came out of Chef Wayne's mouth was so disingenuous it just went to show that stereotypes come from somewhere.  Throughout the show the Chef's had a competition to see who could get the most "Wow's" as a result of showing off the features of their products.  And all of the wow's that Chef Wayne received came after a long pause and were extremely condescending ... I doubt he noticed.  On the other hand, Chef Ziad was amazing. Sure he was a salesman too, but he was selling because he believed in the product and its value and the way it could help all of us.  Even if he was full of crap, he believed it and therefore made us believe it.  He deserved all of his Wows!  But Chef Wayne was from Corporate, so this was his territory.  We presumed he was there to train all the new staff at the new location on how to sell.  Looks like he could use some lessons from Ziad.  Ziad would have been hard to say no to.  But fortunately for us - ENTER CHEF WAYNE.

Again - crouched down to make us feel more superior, he begins to ask us what our reservations are.  We tell him.  He asks about our current cookware situation.  We tell him (mentioning that a lot of it comes from a competitive source of theirs - partially true but not entirely).  He tries to make the competition look bad.  We mention it's a personal connection.  He backs off a bit.  He does his pitch again reminding us of the amazing deals we'd be turning down if we didn't purchase that night.  Luke goes into this schpiel about how as a mechanical engineer he needs to put due diligence into making decisions, because if he didn't then there could be major repercussions - and this situation was no different.  ... Wayne turns to me.  He asks if we liked the products.  We said Yes (we actually did, because Ziad did a good job of showing us why they were so great).  He asks, "If you could take something home right now for free, would you?"  I give him the cockeyed glance and say "If it were absolutely free, sure.  But -"  "No buts, you just said that if you could take something home for free you would" ... PAUSE My response: "Except that I know it's going to cost me something." The dance continues.  A few more back and forths, then finally Wayne says, "I don't want to be rude, but do you two live together?" Pinnacle of the battle right here.  "No!"  GAME OVER!  Wayne stands up to regain some superiority, reminds us about their referral program, and walks out joking "just don't bring any mechanical engineers."  Good try, Wayne!  Valiant effort but you're just no match for us.  But at least you heard someone else's bell ring meaning that someone bought something.  So congratulations - the brainwashing sales tactics worked on someone.

Great night!  Good food!  Cool products.  Seriously - if they weren't so overpriced, and you needed to buy the whole set at once, I actually may have bought something.  But the sales pitch was a bit much.  If I could give them any words of advice, I would tell them to leave Ziad in charge of everything.  Seriously - that dude was awesome.

So - if anyone reading this wants a chance at a free cooking show, free 3 course meal, a free $100 gift certificate just for showing up (covering a whopping 10%, if that) and you can even get the biggest sales pitch of your life - well then "Great.  I'll have them give you call."

Mar. 27th: Athletics!

I am not an athlete.  Everyone who knows me knows that I'm not an athlete.  I am an artist.  My brothers are athletes.  While I was in choir and drama club, they were at football practice (or rugby, basketball, water polo, soccer, or whatever sport was going on at the time).  We clearly had our differing interests, but we were all very supportive of one another.  They came to my plays, I went to their games.  Not all of them.  But enough to be supportive.  Because even though we had different interests, it was still really awesome to see each other perform in the things we were passionate about.  It's with thanks to my brothers and my family that I have such high respects for athletics even if I do not share their same level of enthusiasm.

Since I've grown up and 'matured' I have realized that fitness is actually an important thing for everyone to incorporate into their lives, even if just a little bit.  So in my best effort to stay somewhat active I signed up for a couple of fitness classes at BCIT.  Today on my way out of the class, I sat down in the waiting area before heading off with Andrea to a friends house, and on the TV were the Olympic qualifying swimming races (specifically the breast stroke).  A past partner of mine had some cousins who were swimmers who I knew were competing for the Olympics, so I was curious if they would be in this race.  Sure enough their names did not appear, but they did keep mentioning this other name - "Scott Dickens".

This is how stupid I am - even though I know a Scott Dickens who is a swimmer, and even though I heard he was racing to be in the Olympics, and even though I know what he looks like - I still had a hard time believing it was actually him.  Even so - I made sure Andrea and I stuck around long enough to see the race.  The race started and the entire time he was doing the breast stroke they just kept talking about him and repeating his name and all the while I kept thinking "Is this actually him?"  What the heck were the chances that in the brief couple of minutes that I was watching sports on TV that I would see someone I know and went to high school, who played on teams with my brothers, racing to get into the Olympics?  Well, it happened.  As soon as the race was over and he took his goggles off - it was confirmed!

Congratulations Scott for your well deserved qualification!  Your race was absolutely the highlight of my day (and let me tell you that today was already pretty fantastic).  Can't wait to see you representing Canada in London!

Mar. 26th: Judas Iscariot!

Weird title for a blog post, right?  Judas Iscariot?  What's so awesome about him?  Well - there are several answers to that question.  For instance, the Stephen Adly Guirgis' play about him entitled, The Last Days of Judas Iscariot.  Also the fact that this play will be performed by a stellar cast in Vancouver in just a few weeks.  The fact that Pacific Theatre is an associate producer (having co-produced a staged reading of the script a couple of years ago, thereby launching this production), and therefore the fact that I was able to attend the first read-through this morning.

I LOVE this play.  I loved it when I first read it, and I loved the staged reading we produced a couple of seasons ago, and I loved it as I was walking into the reading today.  But somehow I had forgotten just how much I loved the show.  The hilarity of the script, the theological discussions that arise from the content, and the heartfelt moments created by so many of the characters.  The play is an absolute masterpiece.  And it's going to be happening here, as a full production, in just a couple of weeks.

This is one of those shows that define my reason for working in theatre.  Great entertainment with a great story, inspiring great conversation.  It only took five of Vancouver's theatre companies to get this show off the ground.  To all of them I say thank you!  I can't wait.  If this show doesn't sell out in the two weeks it's on, then I'll be shocked and sad.  Sad for all of the people who missed out on a magnificent piece of theatre.  

Mar. 25th: Spring Cleaning!

Oh gravy the weather has be GORGEOUS out here in Vancouver.  And what better to get a person motivated then a bright sunny day.

So after improv and some postering, I picked up a few groceries, headed home, made a nice lunch and got cracking on some serious spring cleaning.  I made sure to add in some time relax, but it was pretty darn awesome productive day.  I had two really awesome meals for myself.  Did a thorough clean of some areas of my apartment that had been neglected for quite some time, and made a To Do list for those other things that I know I have to get to.

It feels SOOOOO good to start moving on this stuff.  I know there's still a lot to do, but even just getting this head start has got me motivated to keep going.  Because the sooner I get this place good and clean, the sooner I can start messing it up again with awesome craft projects.  I'm getting giddy just thinking about it.

Hooray Spring!  Thanks for getting my butt in gear and making me get stuff done, while still giving me a nice relaxing day off with a good dose of Vitamin D!!!  Keep it coming.

Mar. 24th: "I've heard so much about you!"

Know what's weird???  When you've been dating someone for almost two years and you have still not met all of his good friends ... even though they live fairly close by.

I get it.  Life is busy.  We all have crazy schedules.  But it was shocking to me that this past Saturday was the first time I had met friends whom Luke had been talking about for ages.  I had heard plenty about them but it was pretty awesome to extend that hand for the first time and look them in the eye and say "Hi. I'm Alison.  Nice to meet you."  I felt like I had finally caught up on a part of Luke's life that meant a lot to him.  In getting to finally meet them, I feel like I know Luke a lot better now.  And I know two new awesome people as well!

I also have a number of friends who Luke still hasn't met, but most of these friends are in Ontario.  And yes, I think's it's outrageous that Luke hasn't met some of my cousins who are essentially an extension of my immediate family (I mean their kids are all of my fridge), but he has managed to be introduced to some of my Dad's old high school buddies.  I guess that's just a reflection on how important timing, and proximity are when planning these get togethers.  When I think about it, I'm grateful that he has met as many of my friends as he has, considering how widely dispersed we all are.  I can't wait until the University reunion takes place summer, when he might actually get to meet Noush.  That will be one big piece of the Alison puzzle falling into place.

There are still lots more people that I know I have yet to meet, and while I don't know exactly when that time will come, I really look forward to it.  I already know they're going to be awesome people, because they're friends with an awesome guy!

Mar. 23rd: Communication is Key!

I hear that communication can be a good thing for relationships.  I know - it's a crazy idea.  But I think it makes some sense.  

Okay seriously.  We all know how important communication is in any and all relationships.  Be it a spouse, lover, sibling, friend, coworker, whomever, it's important to be able to share ones thoughts and feelings and equally important to hear and listen to the thoughts and feelings of those around you.  No, you don't have to agree.  But you have to be able to engage in a healthy discussion that encourages trust, understanding, and respect - even if not agreeable.

We all know this, but after a few conversations on Friday I was reminded of just how essential this life skill is.  We all know we need to communicate, but it's amazing how difficult it can be to actually do it.  So here's to communication - and all of the challenges and rewards that come with it!

Mar. 22nd: Season Launched!

It has happened.  It has actually happened.  Our theatre has launched our season around the same time as our fellow theatres in the area ... and in some cases even before!

This is such a weird and awesome feeling.  Something we would normally be working on in April/May/June is now DONE!!!  The season has launched.  Subscriptions are being sold and soon to be packaged.  All while we're still selling away for the rest of the shows this season.

To clarify why this is so incredibly awesome, it is because the main part of my job that usually takes place at the end of the season and at the beginning of summer, is already well on its way.  Which means that when July hits and the theatre quiets down and the staff start taking time off ... I can actually join them.  OR when I do work, I can actually focus on those summer projects like reorganizing all of my files, cleaning up the office, or working out details to improve some basic operations.  I can use my summer for what it is intended for: time off, and getting back to neutral!

And really - the best part about all of this is that we have another awesome season ahead of us!  Great shows, great artists, and soon to be another awesome artistic brochure.  Can't wait!

Mar. 21st: Old-Timers Hockey

This might seem like a weird post, because I'm not what you would call a huge hockey fan.  At best I'm a bandwagoner when I find out that the Canucks are in a good position to take home the cup, but otherwise I'm not paying a whole lot of attention to what's going. 

HOWEVER - I do love awesome things, one of which being a combination of Hockey and Song.  I might be the biggest fan of the movie Score: A Hockey Musical!  In that movie, there were some awesome cameos involving some NHL Hall-of-Famers, including Theoren Fleury.  In fact Theo Fleury even sang in one of the songs which prompted the lyrics "Theo Fleury's singing! What can't he do dammit!"  And after seeing him play hockey AND sing tonight, I absolutely share that sentiment.  It was also awesome seeing him ride his hockey stick across the ice while wearing a fedora and using his stick as a rudder allowing him to turn around.  The guy is amazing.

Alright - so it wasn't really a fair game.  You've got a lot of old NHL players vs. the local police department's hockey team - who would you expect to win?  What I can say is that they did a good job of making it entertaining.  They brought the local pee-wee hockey team (that's what they're called, right?) and put them up against the NHL players and it was awesome.  They added in some synchronized figure skating, and some other random fun moments with the old timers.  All-in-all good times!

Mar. 20th: Welcome Spring!!!

First day of Spring. Well - it's about time! We are saving our daylight now, there are plenty of robins out and about, and even some flowers are finding their way out of the ground to add some splash of colour to our lives.

So I figured the best way to celebrate the official arrival of this lovely season, was to retire the previous season's outerwear.  That's right.  The winter coat made it's way back to the closet and the spring jackets are now making an appearance.  And with some proper layering and added scarves, I am prepared to handle any freak snowfalls that are almost guaranteed to happen at some point in the next month or so.  And of course I still have my rain jacket for the classic west coast weather.

I'm just glad to be rid of winter.  And with spring here, and the sun shining more frequently it's a nice reminder that summer is just around the next corner.  In not too long we'll be into the no jacket weather. Looking forward to it!

Mar. 19th: Ontari-ari-ari-o!

It's actually happening!  I've booked my tickets which means it's confirmed.  I'm heading home in May!  And by home I mean Ontario.

It's a little weird still calling Ontario home, considering that I haven't actually lived in Ontario for at least 6 years.  But home is where the heart is, which means mine is split equally between Vancouver and Hamilton.  Vancouver is the home I created for myself, Hamilton is the home that created me.  It will be so good to get back to the Foundations and be with Family again.  It will have been nearly 7 months since the last time I saw my whole family, brothers included.  What will be amazing is if the timing works out then I might be in town just in time to welcome a new Chisholm into the world, and that is an experience I have yet to have!

I have known for a while that I would likely be back in Ontario for May, but it is awesome knowing that it is actually confirmed.  Looking at my flight itinerary fills me with so much joy.  I get to do the job I love and see family at the same time - all at a fantastic rate!!! ... what could be better than that?

Mar. 18th: The luxury of time!

Lately I've been spoiled with the luxury of added time in my life.  Having a boyfriend with a car on the mainland has resulted in being driven to a lot of places I would have otherwise taken transit to.  I have no problem continuing to take transit to these places, but the fact that he is happy, able, and willing to drive me is something I'm happy to have him do.  But it is rather weird to have so much time now.

Generally on Sundays I am leaving my house by 9:30, rushing to choir practice (leaving improv early to get there on time, or staying at improv to the end just to be late for choir) and then getting home close to 6.  With the car though, I don't need to leave home until 11 and then I can actually have a good amount of time in between improv and choir to prepare a light lunch at home.

Again - I don't mind taking transit.  I actually kind of like the ability to take that travel time to read.  But it's amazing how protective I have been of my time lately.  I absolutely do not want to take advantage of Luke's kindness.  But I do want to thank him for gifting me with this added time to my life.  It's a rare gift and I plan to enjoy it as much as possible.

Mar. 17th: Kermit's favourite holiday!

Kermit may have said, "It's not easy being green!"  But I can almost guarantee that he didn't say it on March 17th.  Because anything green on St. Patrick's Day is awesome!

I love St. Patrick's Day.  And not just because it's a day when Lenten restrictions are lifted (though that is awesome too), but more because I have so many great memories surrounding the day.  I can remember some fond celebrations of the day in Montreal, and one in particular when I was able to introduce my friend 'Mona' to the true extent of the Chisholm craziness.  And of course I remember exactly two years ago on St. Patrick's Day I first learned about Weird Al's movie, UHF (how on earth I lived so long without knowing about it, is beyond me).  It might be weird to remember the moment one heard about a movie so distinctly, except that it was at that exact moment that I gave Luke the first impression that I was overbearing.  Unfortunately for him I can also be quite sweet and hilarious, which he found out on a second impression when the Chisholm charm took hold of him.

So yeah, that was two years ago!  Wow - how time flies.  Now, don't get confused.  We are not celebrating our 2 year anniversary yet.  That is yet to come.  But the fact that we have now known each other for two years is pretty crazy, and pretty darn awesome.  To think of how much my life has changed in these past two years, is amazing.  Cheers to the past two years, and to the days ahead!

.... and on a side note I will add in that another really awesome thing is when buses line up just right when you're heading home late at night and are very very tired.  That's what we call a transit win!

Mar. 16th: "Just go out there and have fun!"

Friday night I was reminded of some lessons my parents gave me when I was younger. ... Well, really one lesson in particular.  I used to play some T-ball when I was younger.  In fact, so did my brothers.  We spent a good amount of time at the ball park when we were younger.  My brothers were pretty darn good.  I was ... well suffice it to say that there's a reason why the boys are all athletic and I'm in the arts.  That being said, I still really enjoyed T-ball.  And I think I have my parents to thank for that.  Because when they said "It doesn't matter whether you win or lose, so long as you have fun!"  I took it to heart. 

It's amazing how much "having fun" can vastly improve your ability to do a thing.  On Friday night I had another improv gig, and on my way to the theatre I was feeling really tired and unmotivated and just in a bad state of mind considering I was about to do a show that required me to be funny and witty.  So - I chose to get myself out of my funk by remembering to have fun and stay positive, and it ended up being one of my best shows.  In fact, the last great show I did I also made positivity and fun my main goals.  Coincidence?  I think not.

It's amazing how something so simple as "Having Fun" can lead to such great success.  Now maybe I should mention that my 'having fun' was combined with good listening, and restraint to not just do things because it was fun but because I could actually help with a scene.  Still - I think there's a lot to be said about the correlation between fun and success.  Really, what's more awesome than successful fun?

Mar. 15th: The Pitter Patter of Heavy Feet

I live in a basement apartment, with my landlords living on the floor above me.  My landlords have young kids.  Young kids who run around, scream, jump up and down, and generally make a lot of noise.  I am well aware that living underneath all of this noise is not the ideal living situation for a most people.  Well, fortunately most people do not live in my apartment.  I do.  And I freaking LOVE the noise.

Today they were playing a singing game on their gaming console, and it almost brought me to tears.  These 6 - 9 year old girls were rocking out to some epic pop songs and it was one of the most awesome things I've heard.  Their pitch may have been a little off, but man were they ever giving it.  It sounded like so much fun that a part of me was tempted to knock on their door and ask if I could join.  But I had the decency to restrain myself.  Instead I just sat with a huge smile on my face thinking about how much fun they must be having.  ... Did anyone hear a ticking just then?  No?  Must be my imagination.

I feel like I must have written about this before because every time the kids make noise, a huge smile comes to my face and I realize how awesome it is and how it would make for a great blog post.  I can specifically remember a morning when Luke and I woke up and within 15 minutes or so of us waking up, out of no where we hear a resounding "Yaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaay" coming from upstairs.  Well - if that's not an awesome way to start your day then I don't know what is.  All I can say, is that even if I have written about these noises before, it's worth repeating.

All of those people out there who like their peace and quiet, good for you.  But I'll take fun, crazy, loud obnoxious kid noises over deafening silence any day. ... Seriously, what is that noise? There must be a dripping faucet around here somewhere.

Mar. 14th: Busy Lazy Days

Ever have those days when there's a lot scheduled but all of it is really fun and relaxing, so even though you're accomplishing a lot it still feels like a lazy day? ... Aren't those days AWESOME?!!

Yup - that was yesterday for me.  Tuesday was a crazy busy day and a bit stressful to the point that it reminded me of those days back in University when I had a bunch of midterm papers due on the same day, and I needed to get my timing just right in order to get them all done well and on time.  But right after getting everything done comes that relaxation period, which I called Wednesday.

I still had a lot of work to do, but it was all the crazy fun part of my job: lining up artists, confirming season dates, ensuring rights have been confirmed - all that jazz.  And while a lot of it was urgent, I still had a lot of room to breathe.  So I actually took a lunch break and went out to lunch with a friend.  And because I have a bunch of overtime hours, I left early even after coming in late.  How can I get away with it?  Because my workplace is awesome.

And after leaving work early, I went back to a friends house to help with some baking to prepare for an opening night we were going to that evening.  We chose to make fritters.  I don't know about her, but I had never made fritters before, so I wasn't aware that less than 2 hours was a tight timeline in which to make fritters.  We got 'er done as best as we could - but lost some fritters in the process.  Apparently the temperature of the oil matters.  Weird.  But we still had some good ones in there and then it was time to get out of time and enjoy opening night.

Even though lots happened, I still look upon the day as one of my lazy ones.  I would love to recreate that level of relaxation again ... without having to deal with all of the stress that lead to it.

Mar. 13th: Witty Banter

Today I honour a perfectly awesome random part of life: Witty Banter.

Life can be so serious sometimes.  This evening I spent three hours in a Board Meeting talking about strategic planning.  What we were talking about was very serious, and had we focused purely on the task at hand we may have been able to get out of there earlier.  But instead we chose to litter the meeting with random comments and laughter from peanut gallery.  Of course these moments of witty banter would sidetrack the conversation and we would have to refocus in order to move the meeting along and get the work done.  But it almost seemed that the peanut gallery was necessary.  We all wanted the break from the work and a chance to relax and let loose.  In a way, the banter created a bond between all of us and ensured that we were all a team looking to achieve a goal, while having fun in the process.

In addition to being a way to bond with a group, or an individual, a good round of bantering can be a great exercise for the mind.  Like any good volley, a back-and-forth of clever words and thoughts can be extremely rewarding and leave you feeling a bit exhausted after laying down a whole bunch of wit.  I am convinced that everyone should have a good banter partner to play off of to keep their wits sharp and keep conversations lighthearted.

I am lucky enough to be dating my banter partner.  Apparently our bantering can be so epic that it can exhaust people in the surrounding area before ever exhausting us.  And as far as I'm concerned - that just means we're doing our job.  Physical exercise might exhaust me, but at least I know that my mental fitness up to snuff.  If anyone wants to banter with me, I'll be ready!  Bring on the fun!

Mar.12th: Delayed Inspiration

It's amazing how long it can take me to catch up with trends.  I didn't get a cell phone until 2008.  I signed onto facebook at least a couple of years after I found out about it.  And even though I have a twitter account,  I still have yet to use it properly.  And now - I have only just decided to become involved with another internet phenomenon: Pinterest.

Again - I don't know why it has taken me this long to sign up.  The whole point of the website is right up my alley.  I love crafting, and coming up with new projects for around the house, and I've been wanting to collect a bunch of new recipes for a while - but it's hard keeping track of all of the things I want to do.  Not anymore.  I signed up late last night and since then I have been absolutely addicted (which is apparently a common condition for new pinterest peeps).  

I now have a huge list of craft projects that I want to complete, and recipes I want to try out, and organizational systems I know could really help me out.  And best of all - after seeing everything I am now totally motivated to start making things happen.  

It may have taken me a while to get here, but now that I'm here, there's no turning back!  Look out home - you're about to get crafted!

Check out my Pinterest Account HERE.

Mar. 11th: Shifting to first!

For anyone who remembers, I absolutely hated learning how to drive.  If there was ever anything in my life that I knew I had to do and absolutely dreaded doing both out of fear and hatred - it was driving.  And this was even with my father as a teacher, who is one of the most patient, calm, and relaxed people you will ever meet.  Unfortunately I knew him well enough to understand his little idiosyncrasies that indicated that he wasn't quite as calm or relaxed as he would have you believe.  So it took me a little longer to feel comfortable behind the wheel.

Well - apparently I've become exponentially more comfortable with driving over the years (even with transit being my primary method of transportation these past three years), because today I had my first driving lesson in a standard vehicle.  (Dad, if you're reading this, I hope you're smiling.)

After getting my license I was heartily convinced that I would never drive standard.  Having to drive at all was an issue for me, so thinking that I would voluntarily allow myself to work hard to do something I already didn't like, was not something I was prepared to do. But as years wore on, and confidence built, and friends assured me that I could do it, and even have fun driving standard - I was convinced to give it a try.  So today, Luke took advantage of our being out of the city and took me to a parking lot in Port Coquitlam to teach me how to drive standard.

It was mostly a lesson in the understanding of a standard transmission and how it all works, followed by some practical lessons of how to get things started.  I really just practiced how to go from a stopped position to first, and then how to stop again.  But considering that the parking lot we were in was far more active than I would have liked, and that I am already a nervous learner when it comes to driving - I am pretty darn proud of myself.  I conquered a fear, learned something new, and am on my way to developing a new skill.  And best of all - Luke's car is still fine and I'm still in a relationship!  Actually I should give Luke some credit, because the lesson was quite encouraging and didn't involve any tears, gripping onto the door handles, or raised voices of any kind.  All in all, it was a success.

Now I think the next thing to do is find a completely empty parking lot and maybe try shifting from first to  second and perhaps back down again.  ... Let's see if I can handle it!

Mar. 10th: Drexoll Board Games

So my post for Friday was maybe a little less awesome than some of my others.  Honouring a beloved theatre company is awesome, but I do need to put aside the grieving for a bit to remember all of the other really awesome things that took place on Saturday.

First I started off the day enjoying some fun lady time at brunch, then working on some wedding planning ideas.  I love talking shop about weddings.  Any excuse to discuss diy party planning ideas, is a good one to me.  But then after planning it was date time.

Luke and I both love board games, so often when Luke and I have some time off together we will of head to Drexoll Games, just to scan the titles and figure out what the next board game purchase might be.  But Saturday was the first time that we ever made our trip to Drexoll a true date experience.  We have known for a while that Drexoll has an area in the store where you sit and relax and play one of the many opened games that they have at the store.  So on Saturday when we were trying to figure out what we wanted to do, Drexoll came up and we realized that we actually had enough time to sit down and play a game together.

As we scanned the shelf looking for a good two-person game, we came across Ticket To Ride, which Luke had been talking about for a while.  I had played the game once before in Wisconsin but couldn't remember the details too well and whether we could play with just the two of us and have it be a worthwhile game.  Turns out - it definitely is.  I had put it in my mind that the game was more like Catan (thinking along the lines of building roads), but it's actually more like a strategic game of Risk where you accomplishment cards to earn you points.  Only instead of taking over countries, you occupy train tracks.  It's actually the perfect game for two people who like strategic games.  So we set up the game, read the rules and played.  It was so much fun.  I laid down the last track that gave us each one last turn before the game ended, and then it was time to count the points.  Much to my dismay - we tied!

I know I should be happy about the tie, thinking of it as a huge romantic gesture of fate.  But that was not the case.  There are two tie breakers for the game and even after both of those, we still tied.  I can deal with losing.  But ending with a tie?  It just seems so ... disappointing.

Anyway - if there are any board gamers out there who have a Drexoll Board Games store somewhere in their vicinity, then I highly encourage you to take advantage of this opportunity to try out some new board games for free.  Talk about a great date day!

Mar. 9th: Kismet!

Do you believe in fate?  I don't know if I do.  I'm one of those that has this idea that if I believe in fate and destiny then I must believe that our lives are predetermined and we do not actually have any control over what happens to us.  That being said, I have had moments in my life that struggle to claim as just coincidence.  In which case - what caused them if not fate?

Last season, The Chop Theatre premiered their production of KISMET One To One Hundred.  I heard great things about the show but was not able to attend at that time.  Fortunately the Gateway Theatre in Richmond picked the show up and opened its remount production this past Friday, which I had the pleasure of attending.  The show was written and performed by this small theatre group who travelled across Canada interviewing individuals aged 1 to 100 about their experiences and beliefs of fate and destiny.  The show was fun, lively, and extremely enlightening.  It was also a fantastic way of getting to know my fellow audience members better when asked to confess to our shared experiences.  I couldn't help but walk away from the show wondering about my own beliefs and experiences with fate - which quite frankly was interesting timing, considering that earlier in the day I received some absolutely shocking news that I still have yet to wrap my head around.

A mere six hours before the curtain call for Kismet, Vancouver was informed that the Vancouver Playhouse Theatre Company (our civic theatre) was to close its doors after its final performance on Saturday night.  After 49 years of making theatre for the City of Vancouver, we were informed of its closure a mere one day before the closure would take place.  Not a whole lot of time offered for the standard grieving process.  ... To put things in perspective for family and friends back home, imagine if you will that come Friday, Theatre Aquarius informed the public that they would be closing their doors and that they would no longer have any performances of their productions come the following Monday.  It doesn't really matter how often you go to see the shows at the theatre, the fact remains that they are the theatre representatives of your city ... and they just shut down.  How does that reflect on your city?

Well, that's what we are experiencing here.  Yes - Vancouver still has other theatre companies who can hopefully carry the artistic load, but we have just lost our regional theatre company ... what does this mean for the rest of us?  Interesting question especially after watching a show all about fate and destiny.

There are no answers of course.  Just postulations and choices.  If this closure is in fact the fate of the Playhouse, then we can grieve, bid farewell, continue with business as usual and pray that this is not a symptom of a disease that would lead to the demise of all of Vancouver's theatres and arts organizations.  Or we can stand up and fight and let this serve as a reminder to everyone why theatre and the arts matter!  My choice is made!  And perhaps if we are lucky, some day the Playhouse will rise from its ashes and take flight anew.  If not - then thank you for your 49 years of inspiration, enlightenment, and entertainment!

Mar. 8th: International Women's Day!

Women are awesome.  To think of how much things have changed in the last century and how hard women had to fight for the rights we have today, is unbelievable.  Even just thinking of my own grandmother and how different things must have been for her growing up, just because she was a woman.  Yes - we still struggle with gender equality today, but I can be grateful for the vast improvements that have been made by my grandmother and her mother and their generations for initiating the movements that brought us to today.  Thanks to them I am able to exercise my right to vote, enjoy having a career after a university education, embrace my 'single' status without fear of judgment, and if/when I desire - I can successfully maintain the career I love, while being a fantastic mother and wife.

I'd like to dedicate this day to all of the women in my life whose strength encouraged me to find my own.  A big thanks to my Grandma, Mom, Aunts, Cousins, Second cousins, my sister-in-law, all of my amazing lady friends, and my beautiful niece.  It's because of you that I know what it is to be a girl, a lady, a female and, of course, a woman!  Happy International Women's Day!

Mar. 7th: A whole lot of nothing!

I know it's 1am and I should have finished all my blog posting a while ago, but I have an awesome reason.  I was DOING NOTHING!!!  That's right.  I was sitting on my butt relaxing.  And did it ever feel good.  I love doing stuff, but because I'm so often doing stuff I forget just how much I love doing nothing.  This is an awesome awesome feeling.  Don't you dare take this away from me!

In fact, I'm going to stop typing and continue to do nothing.  Ain't life grand?!

Mar. 6th: Friendly reminders!

Ever have those days when you are just not as on top of your schedule as you really should be?  Yup that was my Tuesday.  Now - not being on top of your schedule is not exactly what I would call awesome.  What is awesome is when you have those days and yet things just seemingly fall into place.

My day started out with me waking up at the time that I was supposed to be at work because I had not properly set my alarm clock.  Fortunately a slight delay in others schedules meant that my delay did not have any major consequence.  I still had time to catch up on emails, calls, have a quick pow-wow regarding next season stuff, and get to the major meeting of the day.  That major meeting went a little longer than it should have which meant that I missed my ride to my evening class by mere minutes and ended up having to take transit.  Fortunately the transit times lined up in such a way that I was not nearly as late for my class as I expected to be.

Then after class I had this expectation/hope that I could just head straight home, only to be reminded that I had a show to go to that night.  Fortunately this reminder came from my date who just so happened to be coming from and going to the same location - making travel time easy!  AWESOME!  Productive day at work, bellydancing, and a show.  Not bad for a poor scheduling day!

Mar. 5th: Muscles vs. Pride

Will power is a weird thing.  I totally get that it is their to make you get off your butt and motivate you.  But what if you have different motivations that conflict with each other?  Which should the will power follow?

For instance, Monday night I had a meeting and then a kickboxing class.  I've been pretty exhausted lately and have been trying to stick with my New Years resolution of sleep, so a relaxing night to myself would have been great.  However, I had already made a commitment of going to my kickboxing class.  I need the fitness for the sake of my health, but I also need the sleep and relaxation for the sake of my health.  What to do?

Well I don't know if it was the will power or the overwhelming pride I tend to have, but somehow I made it to kickboxing and it ended up being a great class.  I was so exhausted beforehand that I was afraid that I wouldn't be able to handle it, but as soon as it all started I was fine.  Was it the right thing to do?  I don't know.  But I'm glad that I did something for my health.  And if nothing else, the feeling of not being a quitter is a pretty awesome one.

Mar. 4th: Hey Alison, meet Alison!

You know how most people have those moments when they ask themselves "Who am I?" ... For some reason I don't really ever remember having that moment.  Perhaps because my parents helped me answer the question before I even knew I should be asking it.  As soon as they noticed that I was not enjoying the athletic extracurriculars that my brothers so often enjoyed, they decided to totally switch things up for me and put me into acting classes.  And almost as soon as they made their adjustment, I felt like I had found my calling.  Theatre was a great way to celebrate my inherent awkwardness and play with it in such a way that I could be goofy, immature, and nerdy and become absolutely confident about being those things.  Obviously I've grown up over the years and have 'matured' to some extent, but for some reason I thought that the major soul-searching questions were over.  Turns out, I was completely wrong.

In my improv workshop we had one-on-ones and it had come to my attention that I need to be more confident and positive about my performances.  ... Anyone else seeing the irony here?  Yes, I was actually told that I need to be able to see the silver lining after a bad performance.  And I couldn't have received better advice.  In the end it kind of boils down to "Don't be so hard on yourself" which on its own is actually terrible advice.  You might as well say "Don't be sad." ... Thanks tips!  But to hear that I needed to acknowledge the positive was the advice I needed to hear, and yet feel like I abide by in most areas of my life.  Just not my own personal endeavours it seems.  Lesson learned!

Then in the afternoon it was proven once again that I am actually far more Christian than I let on to be.  I still have a lot of issues with religion and the idea of labeling myself as anything, but I have to say that the more I sing gospel songs, the more I get it.  I AM a believer.  I DO love Jesus.  And I WANT to be the person we sing about.  I want to be the person who still has their joy, who holds on when they can't get up, who needs the shackles of their feet so they can dance and praise.  If Checo were a pastor I'd be at church every Sunday, because it is through him that I feel the presence of the Lord.  And I can honestly say that I never thought I'd say that!  

Who the heck am I?  Well clearly I still have some work to do to actually figure that out.  But I'm sure that I look forward knowing a bit more about this person, because what I know already is pretty darn awesome!

Mar. 3rd: Back on the Horse

So I can occasionally be a little hard on myself.  Alright - I can often be VERY hard on myself.  I wouldn't claim that I'm a perfectionist.  It have never had a notion of needing to do things perfectly.  However - I do hold myself to the standard of being the best that I can be.  So when I feel like I don't meet those qualifications, I get really hung up about them.  The perfect example of this was at my last improv show.

The show was good ... or so Luke tells me.  But because I was not meeting my own standard I had a hard time seeing it from an outside perspective.  Especially when it came to my own performance.  I knew I was better than what I performed but for some reason I just couldn't get out of my own head - which in improv almost always makes for a difficult night.  After that performance I really felt like I needed another try to prove to myself that I wasn't a complete failure (that's not even an exaggeration - that's actually how I felt.  Yup . . .  I be crazy).

Fortunately this Saturday I was able to get back up on that horse and try again, and it was a GREAT show.  There's certainly room for improvement (as there always is) but in general I felt like I met all of my goals for the evening which included using varied characters, making it clear who I was in almost all of my scenes, and keeping things positive.  And the fact that I was able to have a good show in front of the boyfriend's boss - well make that an extra dose of awesome!  Great night!  Good to feel like I'm back.

Mar. 2nd: DOUBT

I sometimes forget how lucky I am to have the career I have.  Tuesday I spent my night at the theatre seeing a beautifully stylized new Canadian musical, Thursday I enjoyed watching a play by one of my favourite playwright's ever and set in my hometown, and Friday I attended the theatre I work at to enjoy the opening night of one of (if not) the best scripts I have ever read.

Some people may have seen the movie DOUBT featuring Meryl Streep, Philip Seymour Hoffman, and Amy Adams, and written and directed by John Patrick Shanley.  It was a great film, as one might expect with it having been nominated for several Academy Awards and all.  However - I do not know how many people realize that the story was originally written as a play.  And with all due respect to the screenwriter and director of the film, I actually think it works best on stage.  The beauty of the stage is the stage is that even in the most truthful storytelling, a certain amount of suspension of disbelief is required.  But to make a film feel honest and true, it requires extras.  For a script like Doubt, I feel like so much of the story lies in what you don't see.  Hearing about a student you never see, a relationship you never witness, and characters who are vital but only exist in words.  THAT is the essence of the story, and played right, that is what allows someone to tread the line to experience what they came to see: DOUBT.

Congratulations cast and crew for treading that line and reminding me why I love this play and my job as much as I do.  You are all awesome!

Mar. 1st: Hamilton On Stage

I love Morris Panych.  It was his play Lawrence and Holloman that made me realize that I wanted theatre to be my career, and since then he has been one of those playwrights whose work I just cannot get enough of.  So - when I found out that his play Gordon was playing at the Arts Club, I reserved my tickets without learning a single thing about the show.  The fact that it was written and directed by Morris Panych was all that I needed to know.

So when I arrived to the theatre and opened up the show program to find out that some of my favourite actors were in the show, my enthusiasm grew exponentially.  But then I continued down the page to read the words: "Setting: Hamilton, Ontario.  Present Day."  .... WHAT?!?!  A play set in my hometown, featuring some of my favourite actors, written and directed by one of my favourite playwrights!  At this point, the word awesome just doesn't seem to cut it.

As expected, the play was amazing.  Gritty, hilarious, uncomfortable, and astounding!  Everything that Morris Panych excels at.  And watching Andrew Wheeler perform beautifully in yet another totally different role this year, and this time as a Hamiltonian???  Be still, my heart!  The cast was stellar.  The set was gorgeous in the grimiest way.  It beautifully captured the essence of the rundown, blue-collar, steeltown home.  And the play itself as a whole?  Okay - I might be a little biased, because it is not very often that I see a show that makes references to Brantford, Oshawa, and Highway 6, and being reminded of my times spent in those areas while enjoying my favourite art form, definitely puts me into a euphoric state of mind.  But truthfully, this play was superb and I highly recommend it for anyone who even remotely enjoys dark comedies.

Congratulations to the Arts Club, Morris Panych, and the whole cast and crew for making a great piece of theatre!  Thanks for bringing me home!