I have officially gone insane. After thinking I was going to enjoy a quiet night to myself on Thursday I received a personal invitation from one of my improv friends to attend the come-back of the monthly stand-up shows at Second Storey Theatre. I pondered for a bit then realized that I've been wanting to see one of these shows for a while, and what better time than a night when I had nothing else planned. So after work I made my way out to Port Coquitlam for a night of comedy.
As I was watching the show, I kept thinking to myself "I wonder if I could do this. I think I could. I have some hilarious stories. I can be funny sometimes. Maybe I should give it a shot." Then at intermission I talked with one of my friends who did his set in the first act and rocked it. It was at that point that I made the mistake of voicing my thoughts about possibly doing stand-up in the future aloud. The rest was kind of a blur, but I remember a mention of next month, the challenge to a friend of "I'll do it if you do it", followed by the shaking of hands.
. . .
What the heck have I gotten myself into? Okay - this is awesome. Ever since I was accepted into Humber's comedy program I had always wondered if I could do stand-up, often resulting in my definitive answer of No. But now ... I guess I have the confidence? No, that's not right. I guess it's more that I no longer have the fear. I am extremely nervous, and well aware that failure is absolutely an option. But at least I'm finally going to give it a try. I might bomb ... but I might succeed. Only time will tell.
Either way, this current state of extreme nervousness and excitement is quite exhilirating. I just hope that it carries into the routine. So I guess this means I should start thinking up some material. Anyone have any suggestions?
Sunday, April 29, 2012
Thursday, April 26, 2012
Apr. 25th: Taking Cats for a Walk!
It's been a long time since I have celebrated the random awesomisms of life. So I would like to thank the two awesome and silly girls who made me smile tonight.
As I was making my way to the bus stop, I passed by these girls who were waiting for an animal at the corner. The kept calling out "Come here, Syl. ... Come on. ... Don't go into the street." I couldn't really see the animal but saw that it was there, and noticed there was no leash. Like any normal person, I figured that their dog had become distracted and was ignoring them for a bit to sniff something, but had they just kept walking it would catch up eventually. But no. They continued to call out the animals name waiting for something change. Then I walked by and looked to see what was going on and realized "That dog's a cat." Apparently Syl was short for Sylvester. Had I been more on the ball I probably could have picked up on the fact that it was a cat earlier.
There are dog people and there are cat people. As a dog person, I would have thought that one of the perks to being a cat person is that you are not obligated to take your cat on a walk. That being said, I'm also aware of how much it sucks that cat people can't really take their pets for walks (one of those reasons I'm a dog person). I admire these girls so much for at least giving it a shot. But it was pretty hilarious and awesome to hear them calling incessantly for this cat that seemed completely aware of the fact it was being called, but quite obviously didn't care. It stopped and stared at them for awhile then made a choice to turn away and keep walking down the middle of the street away from them. The cat went along with his own agenda knowing that they would follow him, which of course they did. What else can one expect from a cat named Sylvester? At least there were no birds around at the time.
I give these ladies a solid "A" for effort. But if I may, I might suggest that next time they stay home to let their cat manipulate them in a confined space. I can't help but wonder how far Sylvester led them out of their way.
As I was making my way to the bus stop, I passed by these girls who were waiting for an animal at the corner. The kept calling out "Come here, Syl. ... Come on. ... Don't go into the street." I couldn't really see the animal but saw that it was there, and noticed there was no leash. Like any normal person, I figured that their dog had become distracted and was ignoring them for a bit to sniff something, but had they just kept walking it would catch up eventually. But no. They continued to call out the animals name waiting for something change. Then I walked by and looked to see what was going on and realized "That dog's a cat." Apparently Syl was short for Sylvester. Had I been more on the ball I probably could have picked up on the fact that it was a cat earlier.
There are dog people and there are cat people. As a dog person, I would have thought that one of the perks to being a cat person is that you are not obligated to take your cat on a walk. That being said, I'm also aware of how much it sucks that cat people can't really take their pets for walks (one of those reasons I'm a dog person). I admire these girls so much for at least giving it a shot. But it was pretty hilarious and awesome to hear them calling incessantly for this cat that seemed completely aware of the fact it was being called, but quite obviously didn't care. It stopped and stared at them for awhile then made a choice to turn away and keep walking down the middle of the street away from them. The cat went along with his own agenda knowing that they would follow him, which of course they did. What else can one expect from a cat named Sylvester? At least there were no birds around at the time.
I give these ladies a solid "A" for effort. But if I may, I might suggest that next time they stay home to let their cat manipulate them in a confined space. I can't help but wonder how far Sylvester led them out of their way.
Apr. 24th: Shaking Hands
So often I run into the same people over and over again, and yet somehow I have no idea who they are. I know I should. We generally exchange glances indicating that we recognize each other, but never actually take the time to stop what we're doing to actually introduce ourselves. I have this situation occur at almost every opening night. Which is why it's handy to attend with other theatre people who actually know these people who I have yet to meet.
It's so rewarding to finally shake someone's hand and learn their name (or at the very least have them learn yours) so that you can officially say that you know each other. It's amazing how small Vancouver's industry can be where we can constantly run into the same group of people, but still be so big that I feel like it will be another 6 years at least before I shake hands with all of the people I kind of know but have never officially met.
But I'm on my way. Because with every handshake there are a few more handshakes around the corner. I'm looking forward to them!
Tuesday, April 24, 2012
Apr. 23rd: Birthdays and Break-throughs!
The awesome came on strong today. First of all (and most importantly) it is my niece's 2nd Birthday. I can't believe it, but Isla is already 2 years old. .... How the heck did that happen? I'm missing so much of this beautiful girl's life. I cannot wait to get to home so I can spend more time with her and finally give her the gift I made. I hope she likes it. On a side note, I need to give props to my brother's girlfriend for taking the mandatory high chair, topless, cake-eating picture and then sending it to me. It's one of those photos that every child needs to have taken of them on their first few birthdays. Unfortunately it reminded me so much of some of my old photos. It's quite possible that Isla got her hair from her Auntie Ali. Don't worry Isla, it will be long and beautiful soon enough!
In addition to it being Isla's birthday - I went through a major break-through today. Confession time: I have been intimidated by personal income tax filing for years! Since being in Vancouver I've been getting my taxes done professionally. My taxes are perhaps a bit more complicated than the average T4 submission so when I get them done professionally I tend to really pay for it, but it was always worth it to me so that the stress would be off of me. But last year when I took my papers in, the accountant told me that I really should be doing it on my own as I seemed to know everything I needed to. So - today I tried it out. And I think ... I THINK ... I got it done. I'm probably going to make some calls to make sure I didn't completely screw up and make sure that I file everything properly, but I included all of my paperwork and filled in all of the boxes - what else is left? Everything seems comparable to my previous years which implies that I likely did everything right. I don't want to get too ahead of myself, but if indeed I did everything correctly than I have just gone through a major breakthrough. It's not just a matter of handling my own taxes, but more a matter of getting over a HUGE hurdle and gaining a sort of confidence that I've been lacking significantly. When the only things we can guarantee in life are death and taxes - it seems only appropriate that I at least know how to handle one of those things.
What an awesome day of growing up!
Monday, April 23, 2012
Apr. 22nd: Earth Day!!!
What a beautiful day in Vancouver! And a great day to celebrate the Earth and life in general. I'll be honest. I didn't do a whole lot to be all environmental, but I absolutely took the time to enjoy the beauty of this planet. Luke and I went for a gorgeous walk along the beach to take in the beauty of our city and the world.
It had been nearly a year since I walked along Jericho Beach. I used to walk to and from the beach all the time when I was living in the area. But since being in East Van my trips to Kits have been far less frequent. It was so nice to walk along the trail and take in the beauty around us, and remember that time two years ago when we went for a walk that quite honestly sealed the fate of our relationship. At the time that we met, I had committed to spending a certain amount of time being single. Also there were a few comments made during the times when I had first met Luke which implied that this was likely to be a walk when we would determine that we were really very different people with opposing views on life. Boy was I wrong. It turned out that we were WAY more similar than I had anticipated. I actually went away thinking "Crap. I think I might be falling in love with this guy." ... What a weird feeling. I digress.
So Earth Day! I can't imagine a better way to celebrate our planet than by reliving a moment when I truly understood just how beautiful this world is. I guess I could have made more of an effort to pick up some trash and taking part in some other great environmental causes - but I'll just have to trust that I'll make up for it later.
It had been nearly a year since I walked along Jericho Beach. I used to walk to and from the beach all the time when I was living in the area. But since being in East Van my trips to Kits have been far less frequent. It was so nice to walk along the trail and take in the beauty around us, and remember that time two years ago when we went for a walk that quite honestly sealed the fate of our relationship. At the time that we met, I had committed to spending a certain amount of time being single. Also there were a few comments made during the times when I had first met Luke which implied that this was likely to be a walk when we would determine that we were really very different people with opposing views on life. Boy was I wrong. It turned out that we were WAY more similar than I had anticipated. I actually went away thinking "Crap. I think I might be falling in love with this guy." ... What a weird feeling. I digress.
So Earth Day! I can't imagine a better way to celebrate our planet than by reliving a moment when I truly understood just how beautiful this world is. I guess I could have made more of an effort to pick up some trash and taking part in some other great environmental causes - but I'll just have to trust that I'll make up for it later.
Apr. 21st: Fan Expo 2012!
Like I said - I have some pretty awesome friends. Included in that group is my friend Nick who was in town this weekend for Vancouver's first ever Fan Expo! He was there to promote The Anthology Project, which is an awesome compilation of comics put together by a bunch of amazing artists. Do yourself a favour and look into it, and maybe even get yourself a copy! The quality of the work is phenomenal. But as I was saying ... Fan Expo!
So obviously I wanted to hang out with Nick and the gang at their table, and I knew that Luke would undoubtedly want to be a part of this Nerd Fest so I got us some tickets and we made our way there. It was so awesome to see all of the costumes, and nerdlingerdom. While making our way through the Expo and checking out the market, I passed by this guy who I recognized who was sitting at a table along the perimeter. I said Hello and he said Hi back. That's right - Alan Ruck, aka. Cameron from Ferris Bueller's Day Off, said Hi to me. And of course the celebrities continued. Kevin Sorbo, Lou Ferrigno, Nicolas Brendon from Buffy who had a Q & A session we were able to attend.
We were also privileged enough to sit in on a session with the incomparable Adam West and Burt Ward - the original (and dare I say most awesome) Batman & Robin. What was amazing to find out was that Adam West is pretty much the exact same as Mayor West on Family Guy. You'd think that Mayor West would be an over exaggerated caricature. Well - not so much! And the combination of Adam West and Burt Ward together ... well, let's just say that there's a reason why the original Batman Series was as awesome as it was. Satire at it's best!
Man - what a great time. I definitely feel like I was quite nerdy enough for it, but Luke helped me out by keeping me informed. Hopefully by next year I'll improve on my nerdiness to fit in a bit better. Maybe I'll even break out into costume with the rest of them!
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| Celebrity Row! |
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| R2D2 controlled by Captain Hammer! |
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| Game of Thrones!!! |
Apr. 20th: My Tricities Family!
Every once in a while I have these moments when I cannot believe how fortunate I am to have the friends I have. I have a great group of friends in Vancouver who I know I can count on for pretty well anything. I still have an amazing group of friends from growing up in Ontario who, despite our distance our scattering around the continent, still remain some of the best friends I will ever have. And in only a short year of doing improv in Port Coquitlam, I now have this group of people in the Tricities area who I really consider to be a family.
It's amazing. As I was sitting around the table celebrating another great show, the thought crossed my mind that our cast has only been together since October, but I seriously cannot remember my life without these people. Some of them I've known since I was first introduced to Second Storey Theatre (January 2011), but most of them I only came to know since the beginning of Sudden Death Improv. It's crazy to think that I've become so close with these people in such a short time, even though I'm still learning so much about each of them. But when you think about it it makes complete sense.
What's the one thing that is required above all else in improv? TRUST! Trust in your partners that they will accept your offers, just as you accept theirs. Trust that if a scene needs help that someone will be there to help you out. Trust that you are all there to help each other succeed! Where else can you ever find so much trust? I'm sure there are actual families out there who do not have as much trust in their relationships as we do as fellow improv cast members.
I don't know what I did to be so lucky to have so many amazing, hilarious, intelligent, and caring people in my life. I've probably mentioned before just how great the Sudden Death Improv Cast is and how much I love them all - but it's worth repeating! Thank you all for including me in the family. I look forward to welcoming new members to fam after the next round of auditions.
Apr. 19th: OLP - the same, yet different!
When a friend asks you if you want to go to the OLP concert in town, your answer should always be YES!!!
Our Lady Peace will forever be one of those big nostalgic bands for me. Ever since we went to see them in high school in a big outdoor concert when we were essentially crushed against a chain link fence as we tried to get just a few feet closer to get a decent picture Raine Maida in his infinite glory, the band has solidified a place in my memory of one of the more epic experiences I have had in my lifetime. The last time I saw them was at the Olympics while my bro was in town (another epic experience), but at that time I was hanging with my friend (same one who invited me to this OLP concert) who was touring with the Arkells at the time.
I often get to see this friend when he comes in town for tours, but rarely do I actually get to watch a show with him. He's usually too busy working the show to really watch it with me (though really - how much talking can one do at a rock concert). So it was awesome to finally hang out with him as another audience member. We were still hanging with the peeps who were working the show, but neither of us had to worry or stress about anything, except for trying not to melt from the heat that was coming off of the massive projector. I know, I know. Life is hard.
One of the more awesome parts of the night (aside from the concert of course) was meeting and chatting with the lighting guy. I know I'm not in the music business and especially not in the technical side of the business - but it was amazing how much I could at least understand what was being said in the techy and music biz conversations that were going on around me. Really - theatre is not too far a stretch from the music world. We also work a lot with Christie Lites. We deal with venue and front-of-house issues. No I didn't pick up on everything that was being mentioned, but I wasn't completely ignorant to it either - which was pretty darn sweet.
It's amazing how some things can be SO similar, and yet still have vast differences. Our Lady Peace was still as awesome as epic as I ever remember, but I have to admit that at least 10 years have past since that epic concert in high school. People grow up. The flailing and crazy head movements that most folks would recall from Superman's Dead have been subdued over the years. Does that make it worse? Absolutely not. But it does make it different! The passion is the same. Only the execution is different. Interesting.
What an awesome night! Thanks again Brad and Ryan for a spectacular evening. I owe you both a drink or two.
Our Lady Peace will forever be one of those big nostalgic bands for me. Ever since we went to see them in high school in a big outdoor concert when we were essentially crushed against a chain link fence as we tried to get just a few feet closer to get a decent picture Raine Maida in his infinite glory, the band has solidified a place in my memory of one of the more epic experiences I have had in my lifetime. The last time I saw them was at the Olympics while my bro was in town (another epic experience), but at that time I was hanging with my friend (same one who invited me to this OLP concert) who was touring with the Arkells at the time.
I often get to see this friend when he comes in town for tours, but rarely do I actually get to watch a show with him. He's usually too busy working the show to really watch it with me (though really - how much talking can one do at a rock concert). So it was awesome to finally hang out with him as another audience member. We were still hanging with the peeps who were working the show, but neither of us had to worry or stress about anything, except for trying not to melt from the heat that was coming off of the massive projector. I know, I know. Life is hard.
One of the more awesome parts of the night (aside from the concert of course) was meeting and chatting with the lighting guy. I know I'm not in the music business and especially not in the technical side of the business - but it was amazing how much I could at least understand what was being said in the techy and music biz conversations that were going on around me. Really - theatre is not too far a stretch from the music world. We also work a lot with Christie Lites. We deal with venue and front-of-house issues. No I didn't pick up on everything that was being mentioned, but I wasn't completely ignorant to it either - which was pretty darn sweet.
It's amazing how some things can be SO similar, and yet still have vast differences. Our Lady Peace was still as awesome as epic as I ever remember, but I have to admit that at least 10 years have past since that epic concert in high school. People grow up. The flailing and crazy head movements that most folks would recall from Superman's Dead have been subdued over the years. Does that make it worse? Absolutely not. But it does make it different! The passion is the same. Only the execution is different. Interesting.
What an awesome night! Thanks again Brad and Ryan for a spectacular evening. I owe you both a drink or two.
Apr. 18th: Pinning Party!
I have discussed at length about how addicted I am to Pinterest. I have spent a lot more time on it than I probably should be, but it's only because there are so many great DIY projects or recipes on it that I would love to get to at some point in time. But considering how often I like to put projects off, I really needed some motivation to get started on a few things. Hence - THE PINNING PARTY!
What's a Pinning Party, you ask? Well I don't know what other people do at these, but at my party we focused on 3 aspects of Pinterest: 1) Style 2) Food 3) Crafts!
STYLE: Everyone was asked to go through their clothes and bring along anything they no longer wear and want to get rid of. We then set up all of the clothes and accessories in their various categories (ie. shirts, pants, dresses, etc.) and then collectively went through everything to see if there was anything there that we wanted to keep and take home with us. This might sound a lot like a clothing swap, because that's exactly what it was! But for the sake of the Pinning Party - it was the 'style' portion of the evening.
FOOD: Because we all had a bunch of recipes that we had pinned and wanted to try out, everyone was asked to try out one of their pinned recipes and bring it to the party. Based on where people were coming from and their schedules, not everyone was able to bring something but the things that were made were:
Not everything was an absolute win. Some of them had flaws. But I can say that it was all very tasty.
CRAFTS: Like the food, I encouraged everyone to bring a craft project that they had pinned on their Pinterest profiles. It was awesome to see the variety of crafts. We had some string art being prepared, some crafty vases being made (kinda), a braid scarf being sewn up, some paper flowers being sewn together, a camera case being crafted, and I was working on a piece of personalized art work to give as a gift. Not everyone was able to get their craft done that evening but a few were accomplished and looked awesome. I ended up staying up late to finish mine. Again - I'd love to post the photo, but since it's being given as a gift, I don't think it's right for me to post it at this time.
What I can say is that it was an AWESOME night, and that photos were taken to document the Pinterest Trials. Oh - by the way - did you know that I'm soon going to be contributing to a new blog? Yes indeed. I need to keep this motivation up to complete these projects that I've expressed interest in doing, and what better way to do that than by blogging. So starting May - expect to see some new contributions to THE PINTEREST TRIALS by yours truly. The pins that I tried at this party will likely be the first to go up there, so keep your eyes peeled!
What an awesome, awesome night! I can't wait for the next party!
Sunday, April 22, 2012
Apr. 17th: Very Belated Christmas Gift
This past Christmas I had made a plan to give a bunch of handcrafted gifts, whether by me or other local artists. I really liked the idea of supporting the local crafters, and sending personalized gifts. The one I was really looking forward to was making a gift for my beautiful niece. Unfortunately, time ran out as it usually does, and I didn't get it done in time. I figured I'd give myself a break. She was only 20 months at the time. What would she know about the fact that I hadn't given her gift in time. But I had every intention of getting it to her within only a couple of weeks.
And of course a couple of weeks turned into several months, and here we are approaching her 2nd birthday and she still didn't have her gift. AND on top of that, I was planning a party that required me to take on a new craft project when I wasn't even done one that I had started 4 months ago??? Well that was all sorts of wrong. So, I did the only logical thing and got that thing done. Perhaps I shouldn't post this picture until she gets the gift. ... But what the heck!
I don't know why it took me so long. It wasn't an insane project. Just a few squares of fabric sewn together. The only complicated part was the family motto. Had I organized the process better, I would have sewn the family motto onto the square before sewing all of the squares together. But apparently I like to make things more complicated than they need to be. No matter. It's on their now and Isla has a quite and cozy quilt (if you can call it that) coming her way.
She still won't get it for her birthday. She could have if I chose to put it in the mail right away. But since I'm planning a trip back to Ontario very soon, I figured I'd rather enjoy the moment of her opening the gift while I'm there. Sorry Isla - looks like you're going to have to wait a couple more weeks. But at least it's one more thing off of that To Do list!
And of course a couple of weeks turned into several months, and here we are approaching her 2nd birthday and she still didn't have her gift. AND on top of that, I was planning a party that required me to take on a new craft project when I wasn't even done one that I had started 4 months ago??? Well that was all sorts of wrong. So, I did the only logical thing and got that thing done. Perhaps I shouldn't post this picture until she gets the gift. ... But what the heck!
I don't know why it took me so long. It wasn't an insane project. Just a few squares of fabric sewn together. The only complicated part was the family motto. Had I organized the process better, I would have sewn the family motto onto the square before sewing all of the squares together. But apparently I like to make things more complicated than they need to be. No matter. It's on their now and Isla has a quite and cozy quilt (if you can call it that) coming her way.
She still won't get it for her birthday. She could have if I chose to put it in the mail right away. But since I'm planning a trip back to Ontario very soon, I figured I'd rather enjoy the moment of her opening the gift while I'm there. Sorry Isla - looks like you're going to have to wait a couple more weeks. But at least it's one more thing off of that To Do list!
Apr. 16th: Spring Cleaning 2.0
In my first round of spring cleaning I made myself a list of the things I wanted to get to finish up my spring cleaning. Since I had a party coming up on Wednesday it seemed to only make sense that I make my way through that list so that I could a) have a clean house for my guests; and b) not have a bunch of unchecked accomplishments on a list that all of my guests would be seeing. ... Yes, I am absolutely that petty.
So - clean I did. It was so great to FINALLY reorganize a bunch of drawers and cupboards that hadn't really been looked at since I moved in a few years ago. Now they are all cleaned and more or less organized (nothing's in alphabetical order, but at least things are put away neatly ... ish). To be quite honest, things still aren't perfect. But since when have I ever been a perfectionist when it's come to the cleanliness and organization of my home? It's been given attention and been fixed up, and makes perfect sense to me. That's all that matters!
Considering last spring I kind of skipped over the spring cleaning bit, it's nice knowing that I'm making up for lost time now. And that's a few more things off my "To Do" list. Life's good!
So - clean I did. It was so great to FINALLY reorganize a bunch of drawers and cupboards that hadn't really been looked at since I moved in a few years ago. Now they are all cleaned and more or less organized (nothing's in alphabetical order, but at least things are put away neatly ... ish). To be quite honest, things still aren't perfect. But since when have I ever been a perfectionist when it's come to the cleanliness and organization of my home? It's been given attention and been fixed up, and makes perfect sense to me. That's all that matters!
Considering last spring I kind of skipped over the spring cleaning bit, it's nice knowing that I'm making up for lost time now. And that's a few more things off my "To Do" list. Life's good!
Apr. 15th: Only human!
It's amazing feeling to know to come to realize that one of those people that you have put on a pedestal turns out to just like everyone else. Checo was one of those people that I held up very high. The man is amazing. He's so passionate, so talented, so kind and caring (and I mean actually caring ... he means it when he asks 'how are you'), and just one of those unbelievable people. I mean he toured with a bunch of classic Motown folks. He even performed at Barack Obama's high school dance. And he still performs everywhere even now, while managing at least two massive choirs (one in Vancouver, another in Victoria).
Well when I went to choir practice and found out that he had lost his voice, instead of feeling outrageous concern for a man who quite literally lives off his voice - the horrible side of me thought "Well, thank goodness!" I was not grateful that he lost his voice. I was actually saddened and concerned about it. What I was grateful for was that Checo was indeed only human. If you use your voice as often as he does (and as powerfully as he does) it's only a matter of time before it gets worn out. I know Checo was going to do everything in his power to get his voice back again. In fact one of his methods was to avoid singing in rehearsal, which meant that all of his solo parts were softly spoken instead of sung. It was hilarious and awesome!
I sincerely hope that by now Checo has his voice back. But I will take pleasure in knowing that at least briefly, Checo - like the rest of us - was fallible.
Thursday, April 19, 2012
Apr. 14th: Still in love with Judas
A couple of years ago Pacific Theatre co-produced a staged reading of one of my favourite plays - The Last Days of Judas Iscariot by Stephen Adly Guirgis. It ran for two weeks to sold out audiences, and provoked most who attended to ask "When is there going to be the full production?" We chuckled to ourselves because we knew that based on our ticket prices, audience size and annual budget that there was no way that we could stage a full production requiring 13 (I believe) Equity actors. ... Well it turns out that when 5 theatre companies pull their resources together that the possibility exists. And so I spent my Saturday afternoon at the full production.
GREAT SHOW!!! Very interesting to see it in a new and larger space with the full set, lights, costumes, and the whole shebang. I am so grateful to have had the opportunity to see the show and give Luke the chance to check it out too. ...
To summarize, the show is about the case of Judas Iscariot vs. the Kingdom of Heaven and Earth taking place in a courtroom somewhere between heaven and hell. A lawyer presents the case for Judas to be allowed in Heaven, and to help with the case historical figures like Mother Teresa, Sigmund Freud, Pontius Pilate, and others take the stand. Crass, beautiful, human and hilarious, the show is a great beginning of a theological debate. Just wait to hear what Satan has to say when he takes the stand!
Great show! Followed up by some awesome apartment party hopping in the evening. Awesome!
GREAT SHOW!!! Very interesting to see it in a new and larger space with the full set, lights, costumes, and the whole shebang. I am so grateful to have had the opportunity to see the show and give Luke the chance to check it out too. ...
To summarize, the show is about the case of Judas Iscariot vs. the Kingdom of Heaven and Earth taking place in a courtroom somewhere between heaven and hell. A lawyer presents the case for Judas to be allowed in Heaven, and to help with the case historical figures like Mother Teresa, Sigmund Freud, Pontius Pilate, and others take the stand. Crass, beautiful, human and hilarious, the show is a great beginning of a theological debate. Just wait to hear what Satan has to say when he takes the stand!
Great show! Followed up by some awesome apartment party hopping in the evening. Awesome!
Monday, April 16, 2012
Apr. 13th: Lucky Friday the 13th!
Is it just me or has this year had a lot of Friday the 13ths so far? Well I think I've said it before, but I'll say it again. I don't believe in the superstition of Friday the 13th. Or many other superstitions. Though I do always say "Bless You" after a sneeze and I almost always knock on wood when applicable. But since knowing my Dad was born on Friday the 13th, that day has always seemed like a lucky day to me. And today was no different.
I was able to finish catching up on a bunch of work. We had a beautiful sun shiney day. And I went to see a show! That right there is an AWESOME day. I don't know if it was luck that made Friday so great, but I do know that there was no bad luck coming in to ruin my day. So whether good luck, or just a continuation of the awesomeness, this Friday was fantastic.
... Fun Fact: I just found out that one of the theories of why Friday the 13th is unlucky is actually a reference to Judas being the 13 member at the table for the Last Supper supposedly happening on Good Friday. Now that I think about it, I'm not sure how that timing works out but it's still really interesting. Especially since there were two shows taking place in Vancouver this Friday the 13th that were about Judas. ... Coincidence?
Apr. 12th: On the other side of the Table!
So we made it. The director flew in at around 9:15 and made it to the theatre around 9:45. Auditions started at 10am. It was a relaxing morning, with a generous lunch break, and then a tightly packed afternoon with auditions going until 6:30pm. Two shows needed to be cast, so there wasn't any time to waste. We got down to business right away.
I LOVE audition days. It is such an awesome experience being on the other side of the table for auditions. Perhaps my love of these has something to do with the fact that I do not have to be the one to make the decisions. All I have to do is make sure the schedule is adhered to, and then sit back and enjoy the performances. And when it comes to auditions you are generally seeing some of the best parts of scripts, being performed by some of the best actors in town. How is that not awesome?
The fact that we were auditioning for two shows, and one of those shows needed all roles to be filled with actors who need to aged differently from the characters they portray - yeah, that was a bit crazy. It's also what resulted in an insanely long day of auditions and led to a rushed clean up to make our theatre look like a performance space again, and not an audition room. But it was so great to see SO many amazing actors come in to audition for a brilliant director and a genius playwright.
Again ... this is my job??? Yes, yes it is. This is what I do to make my living. And I love it! I think this is one of those moments when Andrea would say "Life Is A Gift." And she'd be right!
I LOVE audition days. It is such an awesome experience being on the other side of the table for auditions. Perhaps my love of these has something to do with the fact that I do not have to be the one to make the decisions. All I have to do is make sure the schedule is adhered to, and then sit back and enjoy the performances. And when it comes to auditions you are generally seeing some of the best parts of scripts, being performed by some of the best actors in town. How is that not awesome?
The fact that we were auditioning for two shows, and one of those shows needed all roles to be filled with actors who need to aged differently from the characters they portray - yeah, that was a bit crazy. It's also what resulted in an insanely long day of auditions and led to a rushed clean up to make our theatre look like a performance space again, and not an audition room. But it was so great to see SO many amazing actors come in to audition for a brilliant director and a genius playwright.
Again ... this is my job??? Yes, yes it is. This is what I do to make my living. And I love it! I think this is one of those moments when Andrea would say "Life Is A Gift." And she'd be right!
Apr. 11th: The Meal!
We had the opening night of The Lost Gospel Ensemble's performance of The Meal last Wednesday. It was one of those times when I sat in the seat, watched the performance, and thought to myself 'I'm at work right now?' I cannot believe how fortunate I am to have a career that not only allows me, but requires me to meet a bunch of new artists year after year who continue to surprise me when it comes to the extent of people's talents.
Rick Maddocks is the genius behind The Meal. Well there are several geniuses behind this show, but Rick is the composer who was commissioned by the PuSh Festival to create a show for the 2011 Festival. The director of the show had worked with us in our 2010-11 season prior to that original concert. He was wise enough to make sure our Artistic Director went to see their one and only performance in the festival to see if there was a chance that we might remount it as a guest production in our 2011-12 season. And I cannot express just how thrilled I am that he did.
It's not exactly a theatre show, and it's not exactly a concert. It's what they've called a theatrical song cycle. The show is inspired by the gospels of John, Thomas, Judas, and Mary Magdalene and the film The Exterminating Angel. The music is so beautiful and moving ... I'm really without the words to explain just how good it was. I made sure to buy my CD that night because I needed to keep that music with me beyond that one evening.
I love these moments of being so moved by something that I had some kind of part of. In this case I really didn't do much other than sign a contract and write a few emails to make sure everything was set. But knowing that creating these moments in other people is essentially my job ... well that's a pretty darn awesome feeling. Thank you Rick, Richard, Ron, and the entire cast and crew of The Meal!
Rick Maddocks is the genius behind The Meal. Well there are several geniuses behind this show, but Rick is the composer who was commissioned by the PuSh Festival to create a show for the 2011 Festival. The director of the show had worked with us in our 2010-11 season prior to that original concert. He was wise enough to make sure our Artistic Director went to see their one and only performance in the festival to see if there was a chance that we might remount it as a guest production in our 2011-12 season. And I cannot express just how thrilled I am that he did.
It's not exactly a theatre show, and it's not exactly a concert. It's what they've called a theatrical song cycle. The show is inspired by the gospels of John, Thomas, Judas, and Mary Magdalene and the film The Exterminating Angel. The music is so beautiful and moving ... I'm really without the words to explain just how good it was. I made sure to buy my CD that night because I needed to keep that music with me beyond that one evening.
I love these moments of being so moved by something that I had some kind of part of. In this case I really didn't do much other than sign a contract and write a few emails to make sure everything was set. But knowing that creating these moments in other people is essentially my job ... well that's a pretty darn awesome feeling. Thank you Rick, Richard, Ron, and the entire cast and crew of The Meal!
Apr. 10th: Handling the Crazy!
After an extra long weekend, I had to get back to work to get some serious work done. In two days we had our director of two of next season's shows coming in from Rosebud, and needed to audition for both of the shows. The last I left things before the long weekend was collecting availability for everyone for the audition date, then once I received the sides from the director and a few more notices of people's availabilities then I'd send out the final details first thing on Tuesday. Oh my thinking that I can get things done in less time than it realistically takes can be so adorable sometimes.
Pretty much as soon as I stepped into the office and turned on my computer all of my focus was turned to the scheduling of the auditions. My goal was to have my emails sent off to those who were auditioning by noon. Turns out it took me until 3pm. But hey - I got it done. It took a while but I put that puzzle together and fit everyone in and in all of the roles they were supposed to be reading for.
Oddly I didn't get the same satisfaction as what comes from writing an exam. I think it's because my brain was working full steam for so long that it wasn't quite ready to shut down yet. Fortunately I had bellydancing shortly afterward to help shake it off (literally). All I can say is that it was a huge relief to get it done! Crazy days are often a pain in the butt, but they can be pretty awesome when you make it out unscathed!
Pretty much as soon as I stepped into the office and turned on my computer all of my focus was turned to the scheduling of the auditions. My goal was to have my emails sent off to those who were auditioning by noon. Turns out it took me until 3pm. But hey - I got it done. It took a while but I put that puzzle together and fit everyone in and in all of the roles they were supposed to be reading for.
Oddly I didn't get the same satisfaction as what comes from writing an exam. I think it's because my brain was working full steam for so long that it wasn't quite ready to shut down yet. Fortunately I had bellydancing shortly afterward to help shake it off (literally). All I can say is that it was a huge relief to get it done! Crazy days are often a pain in the butt, but they can be pretty awesome when you make it out unscathed!
Friday, April 13, 2012
Apr. 9th: A Leisurely Drive Home
It really seems weird posting about the lesisurely drive home without the pictures, but I guess I have no choice.
Basically, it comes down to this: if you have not had the chance to travel along the Oregon coast, I highly recommend you take the time to do it if at all possible. Even when it's grey outside it is still absolutely beautiful. After a relaxing morning with one last campfire, we packed up the tent and everything and started the drive back home, making sure to take in the sights on the way. The first stop on our way back was the Devil's Punch Bowl. It's a little trail just off of Highway 101. We were curious about the name, but as soon as you got to the park it made complete sense. You really need a photo to get the idea of it and I don't have mine uploaded yet, so here's a photo I found online.
Basically, it comes down to this: if you have not had the chance to travel along the Oregon coast, I highly recommend you take the time to do it if at all possible. Even when it's grey outside it is still absolutely beautiful. After a relaxing morning with one last campfire, we packed up the tent and everything and started the drive back home, making sure to take in the sights on the way. The first stop on our way back was the Devil's Punch Bowl. It's a little trail just off of Highway 101. We were curious about the name, but as soon as you got to the park it made complete sense. You really need a photo to get the idea of it and I don't have mine uploaded yet, so here's a photo I found online.
This photo of Devil's Punch Bowl State Park is courtesy of TripAdvisor
I don't know if you get the full idea of the depth of it in this picture, but this is pretty much the same picture I took. It was very low tide when we saw it, but when the tide rises all of those rocks are covered by swirling water. Apparently there is a trail that can take you inside of it when the tide is low, but we had no idea where it started so we just enjoyed the view from above, and continued along the trail to enjoy some more of the coast line.
After that we drove back to Portland to take advantage of the no sales tax one last time. We walked around some of the districts we didn't get to explore as much on our one day there, and even enjoyed a pit stop to a public washroom right at the city corner. Weird experience, but awesome! Then back in the car to head home.
It was a great trip and I am sure we will do it again at some point. Maybe try out another campground when their tent campsites are open. Southbeach perhaps? It's actually not that long of a drive. But hopefully by the next trip I'll know how to drive manual so that Luke doesn't have to take care of all of the driving.
Apr. 8th: A Happy Nostalgic Easter
After a rainy night spent sleeping in a nice dry new tent, we woke up fairly late to a nice dry morning. We enjoyed a leisurely breakfast then made our way back to the bay front to enjoy in some of Luke's childhood funtimes. What you might not expect is that New Port has a Ripley's Believe It Or Not, Wax Museum, and Undersea Gardens in the bay front area. So obviously we needed to check these places out. It's pretty funny hearing a 6'5" man saying "I remember things being a lot bigger and more epic when I was a kid." ... ya think? I knew what he meant, but it didn't change the fact that it still sounded hilarious and awesome. Especially since all of those places were still epic and awesome!
Then it was time to enjoy some more of the coast line before making a fire to make up for the previous evening's error. I took a little walk to the beach right next to our campsite while Luke took a little nap. (Again - I promise to put the photos up once I find/replace my cable.) Once Luke woke up we took a bit of a drive down to Moolack Beach. Beautiful and awesome.
After enjoying the beach we went back to the campsite, made our fire, and cooked our Easter dinner. I definitely missed the classic turkey dinner with the whole family. But if I couldn't have the big family meal, I was more than happy to replace it with the spider dogs cooked over a fire, and roasted marshmallows for dessert. For the record, if you have not made spider dogs while camping then you have been missing out. Get on that, would ya! Just quarter the ends of your dog, roast it, and enjoy the awesomeness!
What a great way to spend Easter. No easter egg hunt, or big family gathering. But there was still a lot of love and the enjoyment of celebrating the end of a fairly successful lent. Welcome back sweets! I've missed you.
Thursday, April 12, 2012
Apr. 7th: The beauty of New Port!
So after a wonderful and peaceful night of sleep at an epically awesome hotel in Portland, we enjoyed a nice breakfast with a quick trip downtown before we headed on our way to New Port.
Before I get into the awesomeness of New Port, I want to make a side note and mention that I freaking love 3 - 3.5 star hotels. I have NEVER had any issues with any hotel with this middle of the line rating. The stay almost always includes free wifi, a fridge and sometimes microwave, great sizable rooms, a pool and sauna (most of the time), and occasionally you'll get fantastic little extras like earplugs (which is handy when you're staying with a snorer). I've found that the moment I get into the higher stars, the decor of the hotel gets a little bit fancier, but everything else (including the use of a fridge) requires extra payment on top of your already ridiculously expensive room. If you've got the money and love to spend it on silly things like decor and internet - then go for those greater stars. But I'll stick to my awesome middle of the line hotels.
Okay - New Port! Awesome little town. It kind of reminded me of some weird combination of Cape Cod and Sauble Beach. Cute and quiet quaintness of Cape Cod, with the awesome random waterside shops like Sauble. Granted I haven't been to the Cape or Sauble in a very long time so perhaps my mind was playing tricks on me, but I can safely wrap things up by saying that it was awesome. And the food. Oh the food. While walking along the bayfront we asked the locals where was a good place to stop for good seafood and everyone mentioned this place called Local Ocean. I'm not the biggest fan of seafood but everything we ate at this place was gosh darn delicious. We decided to forego the alcoholic beverages to fit in some crab cakes. Followed by delicious fish tacos and fried oysters. I'm salivating just thinking about it.
And of course one of the best things about the trip were our accommodations. A cute little campsite right on the coast of Oregon. Even though lack of supplies and rain kept us from having a campfire the first night, we still had an awesome time hanging out in the tent, drinking some local Mead, and falling asleep early after a long day.
I'm sorry I don't have pictures. I took some but I've misplaced my cord. Do I smell a bonus blog post coming up?
Before I get into the awesomeness of New Port, I want to make a side note and mention that I freaking love 3 - 3.5 star hotels. I have NEVER had any issues with any hotel with this middle of the line rating. The stay almost always includes free wifi, a fridge and sometimes microwave, great sizable rooms, a pool and sauna (most of the time), and occasionally you'll get fantastic little extras like earplugs (which is handy when you're staying with a snorer). I've found that the moment I get into the higher stars, the decor of the hotel gets a little bit fancier, but everything else (including the use of a fridge) requires extra payment on top of your already ridiculously expensive room. If you've got the money and love to spend it on silly things like decor and internet - then go for those greater stars. But I'll stick to my awesome middle of the line hotels.
Okay - New Port! Awesome little town. It kind of reminded me of some weird combination of Cape Cod and Sauble Beach. Cute and quiet quaintness of Cape Cod, with the awesome random waterside shops like Sauble. Granted I haven't been to the Cape or Sauble in a very long time so perhaps my mind was playing tricks on me, but I can safely wrap things up by saying that it was awesome. And the food. Oh the food. While walking along the bayfront we asked the locals where was a good place to stop for good seafood and everyone mentioned this place called Local Ocean. I'm not the biggest fan of seafood but everything we ate at this place was gosh darn delicious. We decided to forego the alcoholic beverages to fit in some crab cakes. Followed by delicious fish tacos and fried oysters. I'm salivating just thinking about it.
And of course one of the best things about the trip were our accommodations. A cute little campsite right on the coast of Oregon. Even though lack of supplies and rain kept us from having a campfire the first night, we still had an awesome time hanging out in the tent, drinking some local Mead, and falling asleep early after a long day.
I'm sorry I don't have pictures. I took some but I've misplaced my cord. Do I smell a bonus blog post coming up?
Wednesday, April 11, 2012
Apr: 6th: Portland!
Slowly but surely I am acquainting myself with some of the major cities in the U.S. I am no stranger to the U.S.A. I spent my childhood heading to the States at least once a year to go visit family. But for the longest time I hadn't really made it beyond Cape Cod, Florida, and Brule, Wisconsin. Eventually we added Washington DC to that list ... and of course there were all of those states we drove through, but those don't really count.
Heading to New York City and Myrtle Beach with the high school choir was pretty awesome, but it wasn't until I moved to Vancouver that I started checking out some of the more western states. It helped when I had to drive a car from Wisconsin to Vancouver and had the chance to scope out the states along our Canadian border. And of course since being in Vancouver I've made it down to Seattle and even made it down for a quick trip to Gig Harbour. But that was as south as I had been on the west coast. Until now!
Hello Portland! I've been hearing for a long time that I should check out this city and thanks to a very eager and awesome boyfriend who loves adventure and nostalgia, I was finally able to. Apparently while I was spending my summers in Cape Cod and Wisconsin, he was spending his summers on the Oregon coast. I know Portland is not on the Oregon coast, but it's kind of on the way. And it's adorable! Very eclectic, and relaxed. At first I didn't really know what to make of it, but the more time I spent in Old Town, Downtown, and the Pearl District, the more it really grew on me. It also helped that the first place we happened about was Old Town Pizza. Here's a hint: if you see a sandwich board for a food joint that has "as featured on Rachael Ray's Tasty Travels", do yourself a favour and eat there. The show is dedicated to finding great food that the locals love that is extremely affordable. How can we go wrong?
One of the best decisions ever. For a moment we had forgotten that we were in the States and thus the portion sizes were much larger. We probably didn't need to order all the food that we did, but it just meant more deliciousness for us. We got the garlic knots, and the pesto pizza. Another fun fact: apparently the place is haunted. If you want to read up on that history, follow this link! It's really interesting.
After Old Town we enjoyed a little bit of shopping, TAX FREE (always awesome) then it was back to the ridiculously awesome and low-priced hotel and dip in the pool and spa. Portland - you're awesome! I've enjoyed our time together while it's lasted. But we can't be together forever, because eventually I have a coast to get to.
Heading to New York City and Myrtle Beach with the high school choir was pretty awesome, but it wasn't until I moved to Vancouver that I started checking out some of the more western states. It helped when I had to drive a car from Wisconsin to Vancouver and had the chance to scope out the states along our Canadian border. And of course since being in Vancouver I've made it down to Seattle and even made it down for a quick trip to Gig Harbour. But that was as south as I had been on the west coast. Until now!
Hello Portland! I've been hearing for a long time that I should check out this city and thanks to a very eager and awesome boyfriend who loves adventure and nostalgia, I was finally able to. Apparently while I was spending my summers in Cape Cod and Wisconsin, he was spending his summers on the Oregon coast. I know Portland is not on the Oregon coast, but it's kind of on the way. And it's adorable! Very eclectic, and relaxed. At first I didn't really know what to make of it, but the more time I spent in Old Town, Downtown, and the Pearl District, the more it really grew on me. It also helped that the first place we happened about was Old Town Pizza. Here's a hint: if you see a sandwich board for a food joint that has "as featured on Rachael Ray's Tasty Travels", do yourself a favour and eat there. The show is dedicated to finding great food that the locals love that is extremely affordable. How can we go wrong?
One of the best decisions ever. For a moment we had forgotten that we were in the States and thus the portion sizes were much larger. We probably didn't need to order all the food that we did, but it just meant more deliciousness for us. We got the garlic knots, and the pesto pizza. Another fun fact: apparently the place is haunted. If you want to read up on that history, follow this link! It's really interesting.
After Old Town we enjoyed a little bit of shopping, TAX FREE (always awesome) then it was back to the ridiculously awesome and low-priced hotel and dip in the pool and spa. Portland - you're awesome! I've enjoyed our time together while it's lasted. But we can't be together forever, because eventually I have a coast to get to.
Apr. 5th: One more sleep!
Oh countdowns. The need to mark the passing time before a delightful event. We spend our December's counting down. Why not all of those other pivotal moments in our lives. And what better part of the count down than the "One more sleep."
Oh yes. That glorious feeling of knowing that you can rest easily that evening and wake up to awesomeness. It doesn't matter how busy the day is (and mine was quite), because once it's over you know you're going to get one of the best sleeps of your life. Who cares if you only sleep for a few hours? Who cares if it's on an air mattress with your jeans still on? Who cares if you're in Abbotsford? The fact is - you can close your eyes and the next time they open they will be seeing pure awesome!
Truly - the only thing better than the sleep before the big event, is the big event! And depending on how tired you are, even that is debatable!
Tuesday, April 10, 2012
Apr. 4th: Packing up!
I used to dislike packing for a trip. There used to be so much pressure in making sure I brought everything, and not leaving anything crucial behind. But after travelling so much I've actually come to enjoy the packing experience. It feels so satisfying to prepare for something really fun that is right around the corner. And now that I can almost always guarantee that I'll forget something (just hopefully nothing too essential) I've become so much more relaxed. Plus - with packing comes cleaning.
I cannot even begin to describe how awesome it was to pack up last week for my weekend trip. As I gathered clothes for the weekend I also managed to get all of my laundry done, and do a lot of other cleaning around the apartment. As I opened some cabinets that hadn't been opened in a while, I caught up on a bit of organizing. It's amazing how rarely camping supplies come out to play.
It felt SO good to pull out the sleeping bags and tent, and all of the camping pans and the little burner and pile it up ready to go out the door the next night. If you thought packing one suitcase was satisfying, just imagine a whole pile of fun waiting to head out on an adventure. Everything clean with a big pile of awesome - now THAT's a WOW!
Apr. 3rd: Anniversaries and Automobiles!
Wow - so much catching up to do. Can't say I'm surprised based on all of the awesome I've been experiencing. So April 3rd? Hmmmm. What on earth happened that day??? I don't recall anything that important really. Just a regular two-year anniversary filled with automobiles.
Yeah - so Luke and I have been together two years! Wow - has the time ever flown by. April 3rd is one of those days now where I will always think of it with a bit of an "Ew" quickly followed by a very long "Awwwwwww". If you are wondering why the 'ew' then I might refresh your memory by directing you to my blog post about bad smells and fond memories. The one thing I can guarantee is that neither Luke or I will ever forget our anniversary.
So what do you do for a two-year anniversary? Well according to Luke, you send your girlfriend a funny 'test the waters' text asking her if she might be interested in going on a nice romantic trip to the autoshow. He's charming enough and I'm awesome enough that his water testing worked. Luke comes with me to so many plays, that I had recently been thinking that I need to make more time to go with him to the things he loves. I knew the autoshow was coming up but I thought it was only on during the weekend when we were planning on being away. But it turned out that the opening night was on our anniversary. Do I know much if anything about cars? Nope. But I was really excited to learn. So I was actually excited to spend our anniversary at the autoshow. I know what you're thinking ... and yes, I am an awesome girlfriend.
To his credit, Luke still brought me a dozen roses before we headed out. Hey - he's not completely unromantic. And then it was off to the show! And you know what? It was pretty darn awesome. I know about so many different engines now, curb weights, fuel-efficiencies, handling, and some other things Luke was talking about with the sellers. I sat myself down behind the wheels of some nice cars, and as always my eyes lit up as soon as I got behind the wheel of the Fiat. Even more than when I sat in the Mazda MX5 (aka. Miata) which was my favourite car. Turns out that there might be a new favourite!
What a great night! What a great two years! Who knew walking around and being sold about cars from all of the major dealers could be so much fun? Luke apparently.
Yeah - so Luke and I have been together two years! Wow - has the time ever flown by. April 3rd is one of those days now where I will always think of it with a bit of an "Ew" quickly followed by a very long "Awwwwwww". If you are wondering why the 'ew' then I might refresh your memory by directing you to my blog post about bad smells and fond memories. The one thing I can guarantee is that neither Luke or I will ever forget our anniversary.
So what do you do for a two-year anniversary? Well according to Luke, you send your girlfriend a funny 'test the waters' text asking her if she might be interested in going on a nice romantic trip to the autoshow. He's charming enough and I'm awesome enough that his water testing worked. Luke comes with me to so many plays, that I had recently been thinking that I need to make more time to go with him to the things he loves. I knew the autoshow was coming up but I thought it was only on during the weekend when we were planning on being away. But it turned out that the opening night was on our anniversary. Do I know much if anything about cars? Nope. But I was really excited to learn. So I was actually excited to spend our anniversary at the autoshow. I know what you're thinking ... and yes, I am an awesome girlfriend.
To his credit, Luke still brought me a dozen roses before we headed out. Hey - he's not completely unromantic. And then it was off to the show! And you know what? It was pretty darn awesome. I know about so many different engines now, curb weights, fuel-efficiencies, handling, and some other things Luke was talking about with the sellers. I sat myself down behind the wheels of some nice cars, and as always my eyes lit up as soon as I got behind the wheel of the Fiat. Even more than when I sat in the Mazda MX5 (aka. Miata) which was my favourite car. Turns out that there might be a new favourite!
What a great night! What a great two years! Who knew walking around and being sold about cars from all of the major dealers could be so much fun? Luke apparently.
Monday, April 02, 2012
Bonus #7: Past Crafting
Inspired by the upcoming Pinterest Party, I wanted to show off some of my awesome crafting ideas that I surround myself with every day.
The first thing I'd like to show off is the result of my painting party. Normally a painting party involves a bunch of friends coming over to take out the rollers and repaint the walls. I wan't sure how long I'd be here so I didn't really want to do that. What I did want to was cover my walls with love from my friends. So I purchased a bunch of 9 x 9 canvases and four paint colours. They could put whatever they wanted on the canvas. The only rule was that they needed to use the paint colours I provided. Here are some of the paintings.
The first thing I'd like to show off is the result of my painting party. Normally a painting party involves a bunch of friends coming over to take out the rollers and repaint the walls. I wan't sure how long I'd be here so I didn't really want to do that. What I did want to was cover my walls with love from my friends. So I purchased a bunch of 9 x 9 canvases and four paint colours. They could put whatever they wanted on the canvas. The only rule was that they needed to use the paint colours I provided. Here are some of the paintings.
Another thing I did involved figuring out how to store my jewellery. I was inspired by something my friend Shay had at her place which she had put together. I thought to myself, "I can make that". So I did. I took an old scarf and some frames I had purchased at IKEA thinking I would use them for something. And here's what happened!
But that wasn't enough. No. I wanted some organization (or art) by my desk so I put together a few frames: two with a push bin board in them, and two still with the glass for white board messages. Right now they're mostly filled with pictures or things I need to have on hand and accessible, but I did make sure to at least leave one of the white boards free.
So there you go. Some of my crafting! Sorry the pictures are crappy. I've lost the cord to upload pictures from my camera. Maybe I should put finding it on my to do list.
Apr. 2nd: Accountability!
It's a little ironic that my awesomism for today is about accountability when I did not hold myself accountable to one of my plans for the evening. But hey - the tired, hungry, and lazier part of me held me accountable to my need to relax and not overdo things. So that's a win, right???
Okay - well maybe I wasn't good to myself today. But that's why having friends to hold you accountable is so awesome. Today happened to be one of those days when Andrea and I had to do the parts of our jobs that we hate most. Generally we procrastinate until the end of the day (and sometimes the following day) before we actually get it done. But not today. We held each other accountable and so the jobs got done and in a timely manner. AWESOME! Now we have and updated voicemail and some sweet new signs on our Marquee.
There was one more issue of accountability that needed to happen. You know how I became addicted to Pinterest? Well, I'm still addicted, but I have yet to actually follow through on any of the ideas I've pinned. That needed to change. Fortunately friend Natalie was smart enough to hold us accountable to our pins by starting a new blog. And yes - I am going to be contributor.
Welcome to THE PINTEREST TRIALS! The idea is that a couple of times a month we will be required to follow through on some of our pinterest plans and record the process of trying to recreate the pin. What was the level of difficulty? How long did it take? How much did it cost? How did the end result compare to what was originally pinned? I can't wait. It will be good to be held accountable for my crafting and organization and all that jazz.
And what better way to get the trials going than by having a party. You want to be held accountable for something? Host a party that requires it of you. In doing so I am being held accountable for having a clean apartment, to make a recipe I haven't tried yet, to make a craft I've been dying to get to, and purge and update my wardrobe (which isn't necessary - but I always love a good clothing swap).
Hooray accountability! Sorry body for not giving you the intense workout you should have received tonight. But congratulations for the relaxation and planning for future accountability! I won't let you down again.
Okay - well maybe I wasn't good to myself today. But that's why having friends to hold you accountable is so awesome. Today happened to be one of those days when Andrea and I had to do the parts of our jobs that we hate most. Generally we procrastinate until the end of the day (and sometimes the following day) before we actually get it done. But not today. We held each other accountable and so the jobs got done and in a timely manner. AWESOME! Now we have and updated voicemail and some sweet new signs on our Marquee.
There was one more issue of accountability that needed to happen. You know how I became addicted to Pinterest? Well, I'm still addicted, but I have yet to actually follow through on any of the ideas I've pinned. That needed to change. Fortunately friend Natalie was smart enough to hold us accountable to our pins by starting a new blog. And yes - I am going to be contributor.
Welcome to THE PINTEREST TRIALS! The idea is that a couple of times a month we will be required to follow through on some of our pinterest plans and record the process of trying to recreate the pin. What was the level of difficulty? How long did it take? How much did it cost? How did the end result compare to what was originally pinned? I can't wait. It will be good to be held accountable for my crafting and organization and all that jazz.
And what better way to get the trials going than by having a party. You want to be held accountable for something? Host a party that requires it of you. In doing so I am being held accountable for having a clean apartment, to make a recipe I haven't tried yet, to make a craft I've been dying to get to, and purge and update my wardrobe (which isn't necessary - but I always love a good clothing swap).
Hooray accountability! Sorry body for not giving you the intense workout you should have received tonight. But congratulations for the relaxation and planning for future accountability! I won't let you down again.
Apr. 1st: April Fools!
I had a great idea for April Fools today, but the only way it would have worked is if a bunch of other people did it at the same time. Fortunately for my boss, we did not get organized enough to give him 2 minutes of panic (ideally followed by laughter). It's also probably best for us that we didn't get organized. Stressing out your boss is probably never a good idea. But I still think the idea of having our entire staff send Ron texts of resignation at the same time (or even just requesting a month off) would have been hilarious. But who knows if he would have thought it was funny?
What was funny, was IKEA's April Fools prank. I can't help but wonder how many silly right-handers fell for it.
What was funny, was IKEA's April Fools prank. I can't help but wonder how many silly right-handers fell for it.
Mar. 31st: Hashing It Out!
Confrontation sucks! But sometimes it just has to happen. I know I touched on this in my communication is key blog post, but I want to talk about it a bit more.
One of the most important rules of improv, is to stay out of your head. Well - Saturday I spent almost the entire day in my head, which did not bode well for an improv performance in the evening. For each of our shows we give ourselves goals to help us push ourselves a little pit out of our comfort zone. But for me I just really had to make an effort to remember what my comfort zone was and stick to it! So that became my goal. And you know what? I thought I did it. Until I heard comments after the show which indicated that I might not have been as successful as I thought.
Here's where the awesome thing comes in. I'm not afraid of a little confrontation. If I have a problem with something, I can almost promise you that you will hear about it. Not in an aggressive manor, but in a "hey, I didn't like that - let's talk about it" way. I don't do it because I'm trying to change people, but I want them to have a better understanding of how I operate and so they can hopefully use the information to better respect me, and I them.
I don't know if this is actually an awesome thing, because it's quite possible that I have these conversations about petty things that don't need to be discussed. But when it comes to big issues, I'm quite glad to have this skill. And last night was no different. When I could have walked away from an evening feeling even more down on myself than I already was, I talked it out, and both of us walked away feeling way better about the resolution we came to.
You know that classic piece of marital advice: "Never go to bed angry." Well I think it's great advice and should be applied to all relationships. If you have a major issue with someone, hash it out! I'm so grateful to have friends I can do that with, and who I can rely on to hash things out with me whenever they have issues. Thanks guys - for making confrontation suck a little less.
One of the most important rules of improv, is to stay out of your head. Well - Saturday I spent almost the entire day in my head, which did not bode well for an improv performance in the evening. For each of our shows we give ourselves goals to help us push ourselves a little pit out of our comfort zone. But for me I just really had to make an effort to remember what my comfort zone was and stick to it! So that became my goal. And you know what? I thought I did it. Until I heard comments after the show which indicated that I might not have been as successful as I thought.
Here's where the awesome thing comes in. I'm not afraid of a little confrontation. If I have a problem with something, I can almost promise you that you will hear about it. Not in an aggressive manor, but in a "hey, I didn't like that - let's talk about it" way. I don't do it because I'm trying to change people, but I want them to have a better understanding of how I operate and so they can hopefully use the information to better respect me, and I them.
I don't know if this is actually an awesome thing, because it's quite possible that I have these conversations about petty things that don't need to be discussed. But when it comes to big issues, I'm quite glad to have this skill. And last night was no different. When I could have walked away from an evening feeling even more down on myself than I already was, I talked it out, and both of us walked away feeling way better about the resolution we came to.
You know that classic piece of marital advice: "Never go to bed angry." Well I think it's great advice and should be applied to all relationships. If you have a major issue with someone, hash it out! I'm so grateful to have friends I can do that with, and who I can rely on to hash things out with me whenever they have issues. Thanks guys - for making confrontation suck a little less.
Mar. 30th: Abby Party
So 3 months into Luke's 4 month co-op he decided to finally have a party to introduce people to his Abbotsford home. Not much of a housewarming party, but better late than never. It was a quiet party. Only a few of us from Vancouver (transportation was limited) and one of Luke's Abbotsford buddies - who just so happened to be his boss. ... So obviously we were on our best behaviour, right? Ha - that's funny. Seriously though, we were pretty good.
To put things into perspective - imagine living in Toronto and going to Brantford for a party. That's pretty much what happened. Yet somehow, the party was still awesome. Yummy snacks, a fully stocked bar, and fun times, and random (sometimes tense) conversations. Plus, it was cool to finally spend a bit of time in Luke's neck of the woods, rather than making him spend all of his time in Vancouver.
It's still one heck of a commute, but Abbotsford really isn't all that bad. In fact, I'm kind of looking forward to hanging out there again soon. ... What is wrong with me? I've changed.
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