Alrighty… so today is New Year's Eve. Radio stations are counting down the chart-toppers of 2010, blogs are reviewing their favourite posts of the year and everyone else is making lists of their New Year's resolutions— lose weight, stop smoking, get out of debt. So, I guess it's an appropriate time for me to look back on this year.
I faced some challenges this year, to be sure… and although they were pretty unpleasant at the time (and when I relive them in my head), I think that those obstacles and difficulties have definitely helped me to learn a lot about myself.
I have also been so blessed to have had some amazing experiences this year!
For example, I was able to explore 5 different countries! In January, I visited Shona in Swansea, Wales and my friends Gail and Little in Milton Keynes. In February, I made a return trip to Wales and in May, I went to Paris to see my Mom and Dad! In June, I made a trip to Chatsworth House (home of the Duke and Duchess of Devonshire), visited Warwick Castle and took a fabulous road-trip through Devon. In July and August, I visited London, Bath, Birmingham, Bangor, York, Glasgow, Edinburgh and the Highlands with Meg, Jay and Mel AND I went on a tour of Ireland with Aussie.
Also, I read a heck of a lot of books (especially when I was in England), including Affluenza, Peter Pan, Anne of Green Gables, the whole of the Chronicles of Narnia, 'The Mitford Girls'… the list goes on.
I was also on BBC Radio 1 twice (here and here), took tap-dancing classes, attended a weekly quiz, joined the University of Birmingham Choir, volunteered at the local Oxfam, became part of a lovely church family at Oasis (including a wonderful small group). I fell in love with a host of UK bands, including Stornoway (whom I later saw in concert in Toronto). I even tried eHarmony… without success.
When I returned home to Canada, I reunited with friends! I found myself a job and then I found myself a different job! I visited my cousins in Ottawa, rediscovered the CBC, enjoyed 3 parades, and donned a moustache for Movember! I joined a running clinic and ran my first 5k race and I attended the One of A Kind Show in Toronto. I even decided to sponsor a child with WorldVision.
It has been quite a year. I finished it off in style— with my family.
On Christmas Eve, Mom, Dad, Jordan and I went down to the Kitchener/Waterloo area to do the Christmas thing with my Mom's side of the family. It is always great to see my aunts and uncles and my cousins and there is always good food. But this year, there were 3 babies to play with! This year, we had a 7 month old little girl, a 1.5 year old cutie ginger boy and an adorable (and rambunctious) 3-year-old. There were also two puppies in attendance— I didn't know what to play with first!
Christmas day— after we unwrapped gifts— we headed up to the Ottawa Valley to do Christmas with my Dad's side. Boxing Day was the big celebration. After church, we headed to my Aunt Karen's house, where I hung out all day with my cousins. I really have missed them! They are all so much fun! I really do thank God for giving me so many awesome people in my family.
Although I do have quite a few things I want to accomplish in 2011 floating around in my head at the moment, I think the only 'resolution' I want to make is to post more on this here blog!
Happy New Year!
12/31/10
12/8/10
Winter Reading
P.S. I am currently reading worldwide phenomenon 'Eat Pray Love', by Elizabeth Gilbert. So far, I have finished the first third of the book, which introduces the depressed, heart-broken heroine and takes us on the first leg of her journey of recovery… through the pleasure she finds in the language and food of Italy.
I am trying to read this book with an open mind, pushing away the skepticism I usually have when approaching something that has acquired world-wide acclaim and a spot at the top of some kind of 'best' list. Like my baby Brother, I'm not usually one to jump on the bandwagon… on second thought, I usually DO jump on the band wagon… just far too late (I started wearing Ugg-like boots years after they first graced the cover of People Magazine, on the feet of some off-duty celebrity).
I am trying to read this book with an open mind, pushing away the skepticism I usually have when approaching something that has acquired world-wide acclaim and a spot at the top of some kind of 'best' list. Like my baby Brother, I'm not usually one to jump on the bandwagon… on second thought, I usually DO jump on the band wagon… just far too late (I started wearing Ugg-like boots years after they first graced the cover of People Magazine, on the feet of some off-duty celebrity).
One of a Kind New Music
Hey there.
So, last Wednesday, I went with my Mom to the One of a Kind Show and Sale, where we wandered around looking at beautiful, useful, weird and mostly hand-made, unique objects. I saw many pieces of gorgeous jewelery that I truly admired… I declined to purchase any of it, however, when I a) saw the price-tag and b) remembered that apart from earrings and the odd ring, I'm not really a jewelery kind of girl. There were also some cozy hand-knit sweaters, elegant one-off dresses and many, many stylish hats that caught my eye as we browsed the goods. I had already finished my Christmas shopping by this point, however, so I didn't really have much motivation to drop my hard-earned cash on expensive clothing, either. But there were some items that I couldn't pass up.
I stopped at the stall for 'Pietersma Tinworks', where I saw some stunning items created with tin. In particular, I found a punched-tin lantern that just sparkled! I reminded me of the many simple, yet festive decorations that I saw when I visited Sweden at Christmas time— the star pattern is a subtle reminder of the season, without being too obvious, like many North American fluorescent Santas. When I got home, I put a little red Christmas light inside. Also at Pietersma Tinworks, I found some great little tea-light holders that transform any Mason Jar into a simple lantern. I bought 3! Finally, my Mom got some 'tin tinsel'— which are really like little silver icicles.
The only other item I bought at the One of a Kind Show is really just the most useful thing for someone who likes to travel as much as I do. It's a fanny pack… but it's not ugly. Nor does it scream 'tourist!'. In fact, I have seen similar purses at one of my favourite leather goods retailers: Roots… except this one cost approximately $30.00 less. You may say 'it's still a fanny pack', but I love it.
Anyways, the rest of my week has been much less interesting… I've been doing lots of errands to get ready for Christmas, a bunch of Christmas baking (2 batched of gingerbread and 2 batched of sugar cookies), and such.
Although, I did run my first ever race! I ran the Santa Shuffle 5km. My hip was a bit sore, but other than that, it went pretty well— especially considering we had quite the hill to climb at one point. I ran it in about 36 mins and 30 seconds. Pretty good for my first try!
Other than that, I've just been working and listening to good music (as always). I have been listening to Stornoway a lot, especially that video that Frank sent along, but I have also been hearing some awesome new (and not so new) stuff on BBC Radio 1 and CBC Radio 3.
Here's some British Music:
Adele's 'Rolling in the Deep'
Here's some Canadian Music:
Bedouin Soundclash and Coeur de Pirate with 'Brutal Hearts'
And here is a highly enjoyable British cover of a Canadian song:
This is James Blake covering Feist's 'Limit to your Love'.
So, last Wednesday, I went with my Mom to the One of a Kind Show and Sale, where we wandered around looking at beautiful, useful, weird and mostly hand-made, unique objects. I saw many pieces of gorgeous jewelery that I truly admired… I declined to purchase any of it, however, when I a) saw the price-tag and b) remembered that apart from earrings and the odd ring, I'm not really a jewelery kind of girl. There were also some cozy hand-knit sweaters, elegant one-off dresses and many, many stylish hats that caught my eye as we browsed the goods. I had already finished my Christmas shopping by this point, however, so I didn't really have much motivation to drop my hard-earned cash on expensive clothing, either. But there were some items that I couldn't pass up.
I stopped at the stall for 'Pietersma Tinworks', where I saw some stunning items created with tin. In particular, I found a punched-tin lantern that just sparkled! I reminded me of the many simple, yet festive decorations that I saw when I visited Sweden at Christmas time— the star pattern is a subtle reminder of the season, without being too obvious, like many North American fluorescent Santas. When I got home, I put a little red Christmas light inside. Also at Pietersma Tinworks, I found some great little tea-light holders that transform any Mason Jar into a simple lantern. I bought 3! Finally, my Mom got some 'tin tinsel'— which are really like little silver icicles.
The only other item I bought at the One of a Kind Show is really just the most useful thing for someone who likes to travel as much as I do. It's a fanny pack… but it's not ugly. Nor does it scream 'tourist!'. In fact, I have seen similar purses at one of my favourite leather goods retailers: Roots… except this one cost approximately $30.00 less. You may say 'it's still a fanny pack', but I love it.
Anyways, the rest of my week has been much less interesting… I've been doing lots of errands to get ready for Christmas, a bunch of Christmas baking (2 batched of gingerbread and 2 batched of sugar cookies), and such.
Although, I did run my first ever race! I ran the Santa Shuffle 5km. My hip was a bit sore, but other than that, it went pretty well— especially considering we had quite the hill to climb at one point. I ran it in about 36 mins and 30 seconds. Pretty good for my first try!
Other than that, I've just been working and listening to good music (as always). I have been listening to Stornoway a lot, especially that video that Frank sent along, but I have also been hearing some awesome new (and not so new) stuff on BBC Radio 1 and CBC Radio 3.
Here's some British Music:
Adele's 'Rolling in the Deep'
Here's some Canadian Music:
Bedouin Soundclash and Coeur de Pirate with 'Brutal Hearts'
And here is a highly enjoyable British cover of a Canadian song:
This is James Blake covering Feist's 'Limit to your Love'.
12/2/10
Success!
So, I was on the Stornoway fan page on facebook and I noticed that one of the Orangevillians had commented. Now, I didn't know any of their names, so it was only by his comment that I recognized him. He said: 'Incredible show in Toronto. Thanks for signing our shoes.' Luckily, I remembered the whole group (except Lisa), showing off their autographed footwear when we were on the subway. I sent him a quick message, introducing myself and requesting that he send me some of the videos he took on Tuesday night.
We exchanged emails and photos and he sent me this video of the first encore, 'End of the Movie'. It's unplugged! Enjoy!
Video courtesy of Frank Myrland! Thanks, Frank!
We exchanged emails and photos and he sent me this video of the first encore, 'End of the Movie'. It's unplugged! Enjoy!
Video courtesy of Frank Myrland! Thanks, Frank!
12/1/10
What you Missed
Now, this video isn't from Tuesday night, but it's a great example of what these guys sound like unplugged! They played this song, 'We Are The Battery Human', unplugged for us on Tuesday:
We Are the Battery Human-- An Evening with Stornoway!
A few weeks ago, I discovered that one of my favourite bands from England—Stornoway— would be playing the El Mocambo in Toronto. I was so excited— especially since I was supposed to see them at Glastonbury in June (but I never made it). I quickly recruited a friend to attend the show with me and i made sure I had the next day off, since I knew it would be a late night. Unfortunately, it's cold season, and my dear friend was unable to join me as she was stuck at home in bed, feeling very ill. But I would not let this minor setback keep me from seeing the band whose beautiful melodies and story-telling lyrics I had so often sang aloud in my tiny Renault Clio on the windy, one-way streets of Birmingham, Devon and the rest of Britain.
Why do I love this band so much? Their music is just so beautiful! Some of their music is thoughtful and sensitive, like their folksy ballad 'Fuel Up', which comments on our journeys through life and our perception of how much control we have in our fates. Some of their other songs are perfect for running— with a lively rhythmic beat that gets my heart pounding. And having grown up on my Dad's Rock and Roll, I really love the electric sound of 'Watching Birds', which really hearkens back to the classic rock of the 1960's in England. But besides the catchy melodies of their music and undeniable talent of every musician on that stage, Stornoway's songs also catch hold of me with the poetry of their lyrics. Just look at the lyrics for 'Boats and Trains'! I especially like the last phrase of the song: 'Destined to go nowhere by the fear of unrequited love.' I also love the commentary offered by 'We Are The Battery Human':
'Cause we need to fix out loose connection.
Out in natural World Wide Web.
Where humans evolved in three-dimention.
We were tuned in by natural selection.
And we need to go online each day.
But inside we don't get no reception.
So join the new revolution, revolution!
To free the battery human.'
Gorgeous.
Anyways…
After several fruitless attempts to rustle up some company for the evening, I made my way downtown, first by car, then by subway. I had read online that the venue opened at 8:00… but when I arrived, at 7:50, the street was still deserted. I wasted some time by enjoying a coffee and wandering up and down quite a sketchy stretch of Spadina… only to discover that the venue didn't open until 8:30… at which point they still weren't letting anyone in. I gathered with some fellow Stornoway fans behind a velvet rope and we watched the members of the band congregate on the sidewalk, gazing up at the CN Tower. They soon went off to find some dinner, while we filed into the bar, paid our cover and had our hands stamped.
Originally, I was under the impression that Stornoway was the opening band at this gig, but it turns out, they were the headliner! So unfortunately, I had to stand through an hour or so of another act that wasn't really to my taste. When the first band finished, I quickly grabbed a spot right at the front of the stage, before the crowd pushed in behind me. Band members began setting up their stage, tuning guitars and testing mikes and pedals and such. A couple of them looked surprised at the size of the crowd.
The show began with a lone violinist, who played a haunting intro before the rest of the band joined him for 'Coldharbour Road'. After the second song in the set (I think it was 'Long Distance Lullabye'), Brian Briggs, the lead singer, seemed confused that so many of their fans were singing along. He asked 'How did you hear about us?' I shouted back 'I lived in England!', while the rest of the crowd offered their own explanations. He went on to mention that their last gig was a little lacking.
I stood, dancing and clapping along to every song. It was such a treat to see these talented musicians perform live! They were note-perfect! They played all their big hits, including 'Here Comes the Blackout' and 'I Saw You Blink'. One of my favourite moments of the night was when the band began to play 'Zorbing' and the crowd sang along to every word. I stole a glance at bass player Ollie Steadman, who seemed to be a little overwhelmed that this Canadian crowd (who was supposed to not have heard of them) was singing along so enthusiastically. He was a bit teary-eyed.
We were also treated to two tracks that aren't on the band's album, 'Beachcomber's Window Sill', including a song called 'Beachcomber's Window Sill' and a Welsh folk ballad.
When Stornoway left the stage, the crowd continued to scream, shouting 'Encore! Encore!', creating a deafening din. Eventually, Brian, Ollie, Rob, Jon, Adam (the trumpeter) and Rahul (the violinist) filed back on the stage to play two songs unplugged! I couldn't believe how quiet the crowd was during 'End of the Movie'! We all joined in on the chorus to 'We Are The Battery Human', applauding and cheering loudly at the end.
I made my way to the edge of the stage to meet the band. I was able get my picture taken with Brian, Jon, Rob and Ollie! I chatted to Brian a bit about how the tour was going. He told me that they had had some similar crowds in other cities, but he was very surprised that they had a fan base in Canada. I got to chat to Ollie too (he's the tall, blonde, cute one). We talked about England and how Birmingham and Coventry aren't the country's most beautiful cities. We talked about festivals, too. Ollie told me that another band that are similar to them in style are 'The Villagers', who I checked out (actually, I unknowingly already had this band's 'Becoming a Jackal' on my iTunes… must have been one of those free iTunes songs). They were both so humble and lovely to chat too. I hope they come back and play Toronto again!
In addition to meeting the band, I also met a group of fellow music lovers from near Orangeville. Unfortunately, I had to make a hasty exit from the subway, so I neglected to get any of their names (except for Brad and… Lisa, I think) or email addresses . So, if you are in that group of Orangevillians, and you would like to share some of your videos from that night, please contact me! In an effort to reach these guys, I have tagged this post with anything I can think of that they might one day google.
Why do I love this band so much? Their music is just so beautiful! Some of their music is thoughtful and sensitive, like their folksy ballad 'Fuel Up', which comments on our journeys through life and our perception of how much control we have in our fates. Some of their other songs are perfect for running— with a lively rhythmic beat that gets my heart pounding. And having grown up on my Dad's Rock and Roll, I really love the electric sound of 'Watching Birds', which really hearkens back to the classic rock of the 1960's in England. But besides the catchy melodies of their music and undeniable talent of every musician on that stage, Stornoway's songs also catch hold of me with the poetry of their lyrics. Just look at the lyrics for 'Boats and Trains'! I especially like the last phrase of the song: 'Destined to go nowhere by the fear of unrequited love.' I also love the commentary offered by 'We Are The Battery Human':
'Cause we need to fix out loose connection.
Out in natural World Wide Web.
Where humans evolved in three-dimention.
We were tuned in by natural selection.
And we need to go online each day.
But inside we don't get no reception.
So join the new revolution, revolution!
To free the battery human.'
Gorgeous.
Anyways…
After several fruitless attempts to rustle up some company for the evening, I made my way downtown, first by car, then by subway. I had read online that the venue opened at 8:00… but when I arrived, at 7:50, the street was still deserted. I wasted some time by enjoying a coffee and wandering up and down quite a sketchy stretch of Spadina… only to discover that the venue didn't open until 8:30… at which point they still weren't letting anyone in. I gathered with some fellow Stornoway fans behind a velvet rope and we watched the members of the band congregate on the sidewalk, gazing up at the CN Tower. They soon went off to find some dinner, while we filed into the bar, paid our cover and had our hands stamped.
Originally, I was under the impression that Stornoway was the opening band at this gig, but it turns out, they were the headliner! So unfortunately, I had to stand through an hour or so of another act that wasn't really to my taste. When the first band finished, I quickly grabbed a spot right at the front of the stage, before the crowd pushed in behind me. Band members began setting up their stage, tuning guitars and testing mikes and pedals and such. A couple of them looked surprised at the size of the crowd.
The show began with a lone violinist, who played a haunting intro before the rest of the band joined him for 'Coldharbour Road'. After the second song in the set (I think it was 'Long Distance Lullabye'), Brian Briggs, the lead singer, seemed confused that so many of their fans were singing along. He asked 'How did you hear about us?' I shouted back 'I lived in England!', while the rest of the crowd offered their own explanations. He went on to mention that their last gig was a little lacking.
I stood, dancing and clapping along to every song. It was such a treat to see these talented musicians perform live! They were note-perfect! They played all their big hits, including 'Here Comes the Blackout' and 'I Saw You Blink'. One of my favourite moments of the night was when the band began to play 'Zorbing' and the crowd sang along to every word. I stole a glance at bass player Ollie Steadman, who seemed to be a little overwhelmed that this Canadian crowd (who was supposed to not have heard of them) was singing along so enthusiastically. He was a bit teary-eyed.
We were also treated to two tracks that aren't on the band's album, 'Beachcomber's Window Sill', including a song called 'Beachcomber's Window Sill' and a Welsh folk ballad.
When Stornoway left the stage, the crowd continued to scream, shouting 'Encore! Encore!', creating a deafening din. Eventually, Brian, Ollie, Rob, Jon, Adam (the trumpeter) and Rahul (the violinist) filed back on the stage to play two songs unplugged! I couldn't believe how quiet the crowd was during 'End of the Movie'! We all joined in on the chorus to 'We Are The Battery Human', applauding and cheering loudly at the end.
In addition to meeting the band, I also met a group of fellow music lovers from near Orangeville. Unfortunately, I had to make a hasty exit from the subway, so I neglected to get any of their names (except for Brad and… Lisa, I think) or email addresses . So, if you are in that group of Orangevillians, and you would like to share some of your videos from that night, please contact me! In an effort to reach these guys, I have tagged this post with anything I can think of that they might one day google.
11/29/10
Decking the Halls and my Mo
…and now that production is over for yet another month, I have been able to do some of the things that have become Christmas traditions in our family. I helped my Mom decorate the house, including her Santa shelf and our beautiful nativity set. I also did a couple batches of gingerbread…mmmmm… I'm going to do sugar cookies with icing as well, but these gingerbread men took me a while, so I need a bit of a baking break.
—ooh, I really gotta find my camera… these BBerry shots are awful.
Also, one of my coworkers held a Movember party at his house this weekend. Kayla and I got all dressed up for the occasion— check us out at Vintage Redheads.
Also, one of my coworkers held a Movember party at his house this weekend. Kayla and I got all dressed up for the occasion— check us out at Vintage Redheads.
Movember and More
Happy Monday! (Extra happy for me, since I have the day off!)
So, as aforementioned, here the the account of what I did on my 24 hr. break before production began!
When I got to work on Friday, I noticed that it was Tricia's birthday. Not because there was a birthday banner or cake or anything, but because her desk had been wrapped in cling-wrap and stuffed with newspaper. Yes, this is how SNAPers celebrate birthdays, by rendering the birthday girl or boy's desk unworkable. This is pretty funny, but also a bit frustrating, so I decided to lighten the mood with some balloons. I made Tricia an amazing fishing-rod hat before I went on my break at 3pm.
When I arrive home from work on Friday afternoon, I tidied my room a bit (since I knew that over the following week it would rapidly become just a large pile of dirty laundry). When my Mom finished work, we headed up to the mall— which is a zoo these days, in the lead-up to Christmas. On our way in, we passed a stall that was promoting WorldVision, asking people to take on the honour and responsibility of supporting a sponsor child. We rushed past quickly, since we were in a hurry to pick up a gift for my Aunt, but the man at the stall shouted afterwards that it would be the easiest life we'd ever save. I have actually wanted to support a sponsor child for a while, and I know that WorldVision is legit, so on our way back through that hallway, I stopped and signed myself up. The child I picked is a HopeChild, which means that he lives in a community affected by AIDs. The money I supply each month (only $40— less than 2% of my monthly income) will go towards providing "…providing access to things like education, skills training, improved nutrition, agricultural assistance, safe water, and health care so families can meet their children’s basic needs and give them a brighter future." I rushed home to write him a Christmas card— hopefully it reaches him by the 25th!
Later that evening, I met Kayla for some coffee and we picked up some snacks for… Harry Potter and the Dealthy Hallows Part 1! We had pre-purchased our tickets earlier that week— and it was a good thing, because I'm pretty sure the show we saw was sold out. We also arrived about 2 hours before the movie started, thinking we'd look like losers at the front of the line— but we were about 30 people from the front! Some people had even brought lawn chairs to sit on while they waited. Crazy! But our early arrival was worth it— we had great seats, right in the centre of the row. The movie was pretty good, actually. It was a little different from the other HPs, because it doesn't follow the same format— there is no school year to base the plot on, since Harry, Ron and Hermione are out in the wilderness, trying to keep away from Voldemort's Death Eaters and trying to find the remaining Horcruxes (these are objects in which Voldemort has hidden pieces of his soul, making him immortal, unless they, too, are destroyed). It was very dark, though. There is a scene where they are torturing Hermione that made me cringe! But I think I'd like to see it again on the big screen!
The next morning, I got bundled up, picked up some Timmie's and headed out to meet Kayla at the Newmarket Santa Clause Parade. Now, since I had recently been to Kitchener-Waterloo's Oktoberfest parade (a very professional, televised parade), Newmarket's Christmas effort did appear slightly shabby in comparison. But it was still pretty adorable. There were a few marching bands, a steel-drum float, little baton-twirlers, beavers and scouts and an awesome Viking float (I think that was the Kiwanis club). It was also a bit hunky. There were a number of cops, paramedics and firefighters handing out candy and Christmas Greetings. And although the parade was overrun with Santas, elves, reindeer and other 'holiday' characters, there were a few churches that helped to 'keep Christ in Christmas'. There were some great Nativity scenes and even a scene from CS Lewis's 'The Lion the Witch and the Wardrobe'. It really got me feeling festive! But I didn't have much time to do anything else festive, so I headed home for a quick nap before I went back to the office.
So, as aforementioned, here the the account of what I did on my 24 hr. break before production began!
When I got to work on Friday, I noticed that it was Tricia's birthday. Not because there was a birthday banner or cake or anything, but because her desk had been wrapped in cling-wrap and stuffed with newspaper. Yes, this is how SNAPers celebrate birthdays, by rendering the birthday girl or boy's desk unworkable. This is pretty funny, but also a bit frustrating, so I decided to lighten the mood with some balloons. I made Tricia an amazing fishing-rod hat before I went on my break at 3pm.
When I arrive home from work on Friday afternoon, I tidied my room a bit (since I knew that over the following week it would rapidly become just a large pile of dirty laundry). When my Mom finished work, we headed up to the mall— which is a zoo these days, in the lead-up to Christmas. On our way in, we passed a stall that was promoting WorldVision, asking people to take on the honour and responsibility of supporting a sponsor child. We rushed past quickly, since we were in a hurry to pick up a gift for my Aunt, but the man at the stall shouted afterwards that it would be the easiest life we'd ever save. I have actually wanted to support a sponsor child for a while, and I know that WorldVision is legit, so on our way back through that hallway, I stopped and signed myself up. The child I picked is a HopeChild, which means that he lives in a community affected by AIDs. The money I supply each month (only $40— less than 2% of my monthly income) will go towards providing "…providing access to things like education, skills training, improved nutrition, agricultural assistance, safe water, and health care so families can meet their children’s basic needs and give them a brighter future." I rushed home to write him a Christmas card— hopefully it reaches him by the 25th!
Later that evening, I met Kayla for some coffee and we picked up some snacks for… Harry Potter and the Dealthy Hallows Part 1! We had pre-purchased our tickets earlier that week— and it was a good thing, because I'm pretty sure the show we saw was sold out. We also arrived about 2 hours before the movie started, thinking we'd look like losers at the front of the line— but we were about 30 people from the front! Some people had even brought lawn chairs to sit on while they waited. Crazy! But our early arrival was worth it— we had great seats, right in the centre of the row. The movie was pretty good, actually. It was a little different from the other HPs, because it doesn't follow the same format— there is no school year to base the plot on, since Harry, Ron and Hermione are out in the wilderness, trying to keep away from Voldemort's Death Eaters and trying to find the remaining Horcruxes (these are objects in which Voldemort has hidden pieces of his soul, making him immortal, unless they, too, are destroyed). It was very dark, though. There is a scene where they are torturing Hermione that made me cringe! But I think I'd like to see it again on the big screen!
The next morning, I got bundled up, picked up some Timmie's and headed out to meet Kayla at the Newmarket Santa Clause Parade. Now, since I had recently been to Kitchener-Waterloo's Oktoberfest parade (a very professional, televised parade), Newmarket's Christmas effort did appear slightly shabby in comparison. But it was still pretty adorable. There were a few marching bands, a steel-drum float, little baton-twirlers, beavers and scouts and an awesome Viking float (I think that was the Kiwanis club). It was also a bit hunky. There were a number of cops, paramedics and firefighters handing out candy and Christmas Greetings. And although the parade was overrun with Santas, elves, reindeer and other 'holiday' characters, there were a few churches that helped to 'keep Christ in Christmas'. There were some great Nativity scenes and even a scene from CS Lewis's 'The Lion the Witch and the Wardrobe'. It really got me feeling festive! But I didn't have much time to do anything else festive, so I headed home for a quick nap before I went back to the office.
11/21/10
Late Night Update
Holler!
So, hopefully in the next week or so I will have time to post about my 24 hrs off that I had on Friday. (We get 24 hrs off before our production week begins… which is pretty much 7 16 hr days…). Just to tease you: I adopted a World Vision sponsor child, I saw Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 1, I went to the Santa Claus Parade! I will eventually get to telling you about my plans to go see STORNOWAY! woot.
But since it's already 1 am and I have to be at work again in about 8 hrs, I'll just say "sweet dreams" and hopefully post sooon!
So, hopefully in the next week or so I will have time to post about my 24 hrs off that I had on Friday. (We get 24 hrs off before our production week begins… which is pretty much 7 16 hr days…). Just to tease you: I adopted a World Vision sponsor child, I saw Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 1, I went to the Santa Claus Parade! I will eventually get to telling you about my plans to go see STORNOWAY! woot.
But since it's already 1 am and I have to be at work again in about 8 hrs, I'll just say "sweet dreams" and hopefully post sooon!
11/17/10
Funny Money and Re-discovered Music Love
So… am I still very much getting used to this whole full-time job business. Especially since my particular job requires a certain amount of overtime— which I was warned about before I signed on and therefor I have been prepared for (kind of). The upside to the overtime is that I get time off in lieu! The only problem here is that I have yet to figure out how to spend my time off in a way that helps me to feel fulfilled. Other than having some much-needed visits with certain well-loved friends of mine, I spent my days off this month sleeping in, running and shopping… not exactly activities that satisfy my creative personality. And so, here is a short list of things I plan to do on any future free days:
Also, even though I'm back in Canada, I continue to listen to my beloved BBC Radio 1. My favourite DJ, Greg James, is on when I arrive at work and, thanks to the BBC iPlayer, I can listen to the morning's Fearne Cotton when Greg signs off. Although I'm not a massive fan of dancey-pop music, my craving for good tunage is always satisfied with an array of UK rock and hip hop… and, these days, folk music, too. Some bands I am really liking these days are:
The Script
Cheryl Cole
And… I know you've heard them before, but I've just re-discovered my old friends Biffy Clyro! So good.
Enjoy!
- I plan to knit. First— a pair of socks.
- I plan to write. Writing has always been an incredibly therapeutic activity for me. I relish the thought of sitting down to reflect on my day, remembering each interaction that made me smile (or frown) and sharing any poignant thoughts or funny stories with my dedicated readership. Plus— if I don't write down my life, how will I be able to refer back to it in my old age, when I write my memoirs? :P
- I plan to pray. I mean, I do pray, even when I'm strapped for time and patience. But my busy-day prayers usually consist of 'Thank you God for all the blessings you've given me— now here are all the things I want from you.' What about what God wants from me? I really need to hear from Him. And so, I plan to sit and wait and listen and pray and confess and spend time with my God.
- I plan to SING! I love to sing. So more of that, please. (Oh— and guitar and piano, too… even though I kinda suck at both)
- I plan to read. Like, seriously I have a list of books that are waiting for me! A couple of weeks ago, my brother took me along to this sweet charity book sale where I bought some great books! But I can't even start those until I get through Driscoll's 'Vintage Jesus', which has been sitting on my bookshelf for I don't know how long.
- I plan to be a fashionista. When is the last time I made an appearance on Vintage Redheads? (Although I did lose my camera a while back… is that a valid excuse?
Also, even though I'm back in Canada, I continue to listen to my beloved BBC Radio 1. My favourite DJ, Greg James, is on when I arrive at work and, thanks to the BBC iPlayer, I can listen to the morning's Fearne Cotton when Greg signs off. Although I'm not a massive fan of dancey-pop music, my craving for good tunage is always satisfied with an array of UK rock and hip hop… and, these days, folk music, too. Some bands I am really liking these days are:
The Script
Cheryl Cole
And… I know you've heard them before, but I've just re-discovered my old friends Biffy Clyro! So good.
Enjoy!
11/15/10
October Part 2
Oh my goodness! I really need to get caught up!
Hmmm… let me think back a few weeks…
Okay, okay. So the next big event in my life after Thanksgiving was Kayla's big race. She had been training since June for the Toronto Goodlife Marathon. She had been dedicating hours and hours each week to training her body to run the incredibly long distance of 42.2 kilometres! Now that I have started running myself, I can appreciate what a difficult feat it is to push your body to work so hard for so long!
Meg, Jay and I were right there with Kayla to support her on her race. We drove up to Young and Sheppard to catch her at the 1k mark. We had made two signs, one reading 'Posse Love Kayla' (bahaha Arrested D inside joke) and one that read 'Run Kayla Run!' She looked so excited to see us! After she passed us, we tried, to no avail, to find a MacDonalds for breakfast. We stupidly drove all the way down to Queen's Quay in an attempt to catch Kayla on her big lollipop loop— but the traffic was so bad that Meg and I hopped out to pursue the marathoners on foot while Jason tried to drive back to their house. Meg and I caught Kay at Front St. before we scramble to Starbucks to buy a banana (to help Kayla with her Lactic Acid build-up) before booking it down to the Ex. We caught Kayla close to the end of her epic race, near the 34k mark. To be honest, she looked a little rough— she must have been so exhausted by that point! She looked a little cheered after she saw her girls rooting for her, though. It was just before this point that I realized that the majority of the runners had their names printed in bold under their numbers on their bibs. Naturally, I began cheering for each runner by name, shouting out 'Wooooo! Go Jennifer! Go Michael! Go Enrique!' Most runners seemed very encouraged by this! I received many grateful smiles and even a few hoarse 'Thank yous'. Later, Kayla's running buddies told me that most runners really appreciate the encouragement.
Meghan and I raced back to Spadina and hopped on a streetcar in an effort to make it up to Queen's Park before Kayla. And although we ran from the streetcar stop right to the finish line, we just missed her! Jason caught her, though. He even ran alongside the race to the very end! Kayla finished her 42.2k at a very admirable 4 hours and 28 minutes! We are all so proud of her! She received a medal the size of a plate, which she had engraved with her name and race time. What an inspiration! A couple of years ago, she didn't run at all and now she has a marathon under her belt! *sigh* when I grow up, I want to run a marathon like Kayla!
The next week started to get really busy at work, as we prepared for production. I knew that I'd be at work late, and I was definitely preparing myself for long hours… but I had thought that my coworkers were exaggerating when they said that we'd be there until 2 or 3 am. They weren't. I worked seven 16 hour days in a row that week (including my weekend). Now, you may be thinking 'gosh— stop whining!' or 'oh man, now she's going to complain about her job', but in reality, I kinda like working those long hours. Although they are stressful and busy, I enjoy my work and I work with a bunch of people who are just fun to be around. I don't really know them that well, yet, but I am always giggling at something they say. Production also reminds me of being back at school in the labs with Kyle and Tom, listening to 'Home for a Rest' by Spirit of the West every hour on the hour… *sigh* good times.
After Production, I had a couple days off in lieu of the overtime I worked, which I spent catching up on sleep and preparing for the upcoming SNAP Halloween party. Unfortunately, attending my work party meant that I'd miss out on Meg and Jay's Housewarming/Halloween bash down at the Euc. I was pretty disappointed that my work party was scheduled on the same day, but I decided that it would probably be a good idea to hang out with my work colleagues in a more relaxed context. I ended up having a pretty good time! There were some great costumes: Rhett and Scarlet O'Hara, Ronnie from Jersey Shore, The Mad Hatter, Scott Hamilton, the Terminator and— my favourite— a Double Rainbow!
I got to know my coworkers a little better and I met some new people too… one attractive young gentleman even asked for my number! I was having a good time, but things started getting a little messy around 12:30, so I went home to my nice, warm (and quiet) bed. Oh yeah— I forgot to tell you about MY costume! I was Medusa. I looked GREAT! I got a bunch of plastic snakes, which I painted gold. Then, I made a crown out of floral wire and I wired my snakes to the crown. I curled my hair with a small-barrel curling iron. When I put the crown on, I covered the wire bits with my hair. I wrapped myself in a toga, strapped on my gladiator sandals, a gold chain belt and lined my eyes with black and gold before heading over to the party! It was another awesome Halloween costume.
OMG, something clearly went wrong with the uploading of these photos… oops!
Also, these are my amazing parents on Halloween night, getting ready for the Trick or Treaters:
Hmmm… let me think back a few weeks…
Okay, okay. So the next big event in my life after Thanksgiving was Kayla's big race. She had been training since June for the Toronto Goodlife Marathon. She had been dedicating hours and hours each week to training her body to run the incredibly long distance of 42.2 kilometres! Now that I have started running myself, I can appreciate what a difficult feat it is to push your body to work so hard for so long!
Meg, Jay and I were right there with Kayla to support her on her race. We drove up to Young and Sheppard to catch her at the 1k mark. We had made two signs, one reading 'Posse Love Kayla' (bahaha Arrested D inside joke) and one that read 'Run Kayla Run!' She looked so excited to see us! After she passed us, we tried, to no avail, to find a MacDonalds for breakfast. We stupidly drove all the way down to Queen's Quay in an attempt to catch Kayla on her big lollipop loop— but the traffic was so bad that Meg and I hopped out to pursue the marathoners on foot while Jason tried to drive back to their house. Meg and I caught Kay at Front St. before we scramble to Starbucks to buy a banana (to help Kayla with her Lactic Acid build-up) before booking it down to the Ex. We caught Kayla close to the end of her epic race, near the 34k mark. To be honest, she looked a little rough— she must have been so exhausted by that point! She looked a little cheered after she saw her girls rooting for her, though. It was just before this point that I realized that the majority of the runners had their names printed in bold under their numbers on their bibs. Naturally, I began cheering for each runner by name, shouting out 'Wooooo! Go Jennifer! Go Michael! Go Enrique!' Most runners seemed very encouraged by this! I received many grateful smiles and even a few hoarse 'Thank yous'. Later, Kayla's running buddies told me that most runners really appreciate the encouragement.
Meghan and I raced back to Spadina and hopped on a streetcar in an effort to make it up to Queen's Park before Kayla. And although we ran from the streetcar stop right to the finish line, we just missed her! Jason caught her, though. He even ran alongside the race to the very end! Kayla finished her 42.2k at a very admirable 4 hours and 28 minutes! We are all so proud of her! She received a medal the size of a plate, which she had engraved with her name and race time. What an inspiration! A couple of years ago, she didn't run at all and now she has a marathon under her belt! *sigh* when I grow up, I want to run a marathon like Kayla!
The next week started to get really busy at work, as we prepared for production. I knew that I'd be at work late, and I was definitely preparing myself for long hours… but I had thought that my coworkers were exaggerating when they said that we'd be there until 2 or 3 am. They weren't. I worked seven 16 hour days in a row that week (including my weekend). Now, you may be thinking 'gosh— stop whining!' or 'oh man, now she's going to complain about her job', but in reality, I kinda like working those long hours. Although they are stressful and busy, I enjoy my work and I work with a bunch of people who are just fun to be around. I don't really know them that well, yet, but I am always giggling at something they say. Production also reminds me of being back at school in the labs with Kyle and Tom, listening to 'Home for a Rest' by Spirit of the West every hour on the hour… *sigh* good times.
After Production, I had a couple days off in lieu of the overtime I worked, which I spent catching up on sleep and preparing for the upcoming SNAP Halloween party. Unfortunately, attending my work party meant that I'd miss out on Meg and Jay's Housewarming/Halloween bash down at the Euc. I was pretty disappointed that my work party was scheduled on the same day, but I decided that it would probably be a good idea to hang out with my work colleagues in a more relaxed context. I ended up having a pretty good time! There were some great costumes: Rhett and Scarlet O'Hara, Ronnie from Jersey Shore, The Mad Hatter, Scott Hamilton, the Terminator and— my favourite— a Double Rainbow!
I got to know my coworkers a little better and I met some new people too… one attractive young gentleman even asked for my number! I was having a good time, but things started getting a little messy around 12:30, so I went home to my nice, warm (and quiet) bed. Oh yeah— I forgot to tell you about MY costume! I was Medusa. I looked GREAT! I got a bunch of plastic snakes, which I painted gold. Then, I made a crown out of floral wire and I wired my snakes to the crown. I curled my hair with a small-barrel curling iron. When I put the crown on, I covered the wire bits with my hair. I wrapped myself in a toga, strapped on my gladiator sandals, a gold chain belt and lined my eyes with black and gold before heading over to the party! It was another awesome Halloween costume.
OMG, something clearly went wrong with the uploading of these photos… oops!
Also, these are my amazing parents on Halloween night, getting ready for the Trick or Treaters:
11/1/10
The Month of October Part 1
Oh, man. I gotta quit these monthly posts and start updating more frequently. My sincere apologies for my prolonged absence from this blog! In my defense, I have only recently began my new job, which does have some crazy hours sometimes. So, here I am to bring you up to speed.
I started my job at SNAP on Wednesday, October 6. SNAP produces around sixty community-based publications across Canada, the US and even one in Italy. Each paper reports on local events and provides ample ad space for small local businesses and national chains alike. Anyway, my job is to take care of the creative end of one of the papers. I do all the page layout and ad design for one of the franchises. So far, I like my job quite a bit! I work with a bunch of fun, outgoing people and I get to design ads for most of the day. We do get into some pretty long hours the week before the paper goes to press, but those times remind me of being back in school, so I don't mind it so much.
In addition to my new job, October also ushered in Canada's most beautiful season. While I love to see glittering snow carpeting the ski hill in the Winter and the hot sun shining on a lake in summer, I really do think Canada shows it's true colours (aren't I punny, Tom?) in Autumn. By mid-October, every deciduous tree was on fire with bright, warm colour and there was a distinct crispness in every breath of fine, fresh air. I was able to enjoy the season fully on Thanksgiving weekend.
My little brother (who is actually about a foot taller than me) arrived home late Thursday night and was available to be picked on for a whole 3 days. We celebrated our little family reunion by going apple-picking… except we didn't. We all piled into the car and drove out to Stouffville to the apple orchard, only to be greeted with a large sign that read 'Pick-Your-Own Sold Out for the Season'. Ridiculous! I guess we should have gone earlier. We stopped in at another farm to purchase a few apples and headed home. Luckily, my Dad spotted another orchard and we were able to pull over and take a stroll through the trees. However, I think this farm needed one of those signs, too— there were barely any apples left on the branches (there were quite a few on the ground, rotten and stepped on). But we were quite happy to take a walk in the warm autumn sun and enjoy the scenery. And I did purchase a candy apple on my way out!
On Sunday, we drove down to Innerkip to my Aunt Donna's house for Thanksgiving dinner. It was much warmer down there, despite the fact that it was only about a 2 hour drive from Newmarket. We sat on the wide front porch, catching up while enjoying some bevies and we played some new-fangled version of lawn darts. Soon, the rest of my family started to arrive, including most of my Aunts and Uncles and my cousins Jordan and Spencer. Jordan is 19 and a bit of a tough guy. He showed me his new tattoo and chatted a bit about school. Spencer is 3 and VERY rambunctious. At first, he was too shy to talk to me, but it didn't take long for him to warm up to me. We played hide and seek and all kinds of games. He's a cutie.
The dinner was fantastic! I can always count on my Aunts to make an amazing meal. We had turkey and mashed potatoes and stuffing and turnip and bean salad and— a German tradition— delicious red cabbage. I barely had room for pumpkin pie! We ended the evening with coffee and my new favourite Canadian TV program: Battle of the Blades. After everyone left, my Dad drove Jordan (my brother, not my cousin) back down to Western. Then it was bedtime for all of us, we had an early morning the next day.
Monday morning, we bundled up and drove into Kitchener-Waterloo to see the Oktoberfest parade. I haven't been in YEARS, but I remember going almost every-other year as a kid. The parade seems a lot longer than it used to be. There were marching bands (my favourite), giant balloons, horse-pulled beer wagons, cultural heritage dancers, women in dirndls and men in lederhosen and, of course, the obligatory local celebrities. It was a good time!
Tomorrow: the rest of the Octomonth!
I started my job at SNAP on Wednesday, October 6. SNAP produces around sixty community-based publications across Canada, the US and even one in Italy. Each paper reports on local events and provides ample ad space for small local businesses and national chains alike. Anyway, my job is to take care of the creative end of one of the papers. I do all the page layout and ad design for one of the franchises. So far, I like my job quite a bit! I work with a bunch of fun, outgoing people and I get to design ads for most of the day. We do get into some pretty long hours the week before the paper goes to press, but those times remind me of being back in school, so I don't mind it so much.
In addition to my new job, October also ushered in Canada's most beautiful season. While I love to see glittering snow carpeting the ski hill in the Winter and the hot sun shining on a lake in summer, I really do think Canada shows it's true colours (aren't I punny, Tom?) in Autumn. By mid-October, every deciduous tree was on fire with bright, warm colour and there was a distinct crispness in every breath of fine, fresh air. I was able to enjoy the season fully on Thanksgiving weekend.
My little brother (who is actually about a foot taller than me) arrived home late Thursday night and was available to be picked on for a whole 3 days. We celebrated our little family reunion by going apple-picking… except we didn't. We all piled into the car and drove out to Stouffville to the apple orchard, only to be greeted with a large sign that read 'Pick-Your-Own Sold Out for the Season'. Ridiculous! I guess we should have gone earlier. We stopped in at another farm to purchase a few apples and headed home. Luckily, my Dad spotted another orchard and we were able to pull over and take a stroll through the trees. However, I think this farm needed one of those signs, too— there were barely any apples left on the branches (there were quite a few on the ground, rotten and stepped on). But we were quite happy to take a walk in the warm autumn sun and enjoy the scenery. And I did purchase a candy apple on my way out!
On Sunday, we drove down to Innerkip to my Aunt Donna's house for Thanksgiving dinner. It was much warmer down there, despite the fact that it was only about a 2 hour drive from Newmarket. We sat on the wide front porch, catching up while enjoying some bevies and we played some new-fangled version of lawn darts. Soon, the rest of my family started to arrive, including most of my Aunts and Uncles and my cousins Jordan and Spencer. Jordan is 19 and a bit of a tough guy. He showed me his new tattoo and chatted a bit about school. Spencer is 3 and VERY rambunctious. At first, he was too shy to talk to me, but it didn't take long for him to warm up to me. We played hide and seek and all kinds of games. He's a cutie.
The dinner was fantastic! I can always count on my Aunts to make an amazing meal. We had turkey and mashed potatoes and stuffing and turnip and bean salad and— a German tradition— delicious red cabbage. I barely had room for pumpkin pie! We ended the evening with coffee and my new favourite Canadian TV program: Battle of the Blades. After everyone left, my Dad drove Jordan (my brother, not my cousin) back down to Western. Then it was bedtime for all of us, we had an early morning the next day.
Monday morning, we bundled up and drove into Kitchener-Waterloo to see the Oktoberfest parade. I haven't been in YEARS, but I remember going almost every-other year as a kid. The parade seems a lot longer than it used to be. There were marching bands (my favourite), giant balloons, horse-pulled beer wagons, cultural heritage dancers, women in dirndls and men in lederhosen and, of course, the obligatory local celebrities. It was a good time!
Tomorrow: the rest of the Octomonth!
10/5/10
Last Day of Freedom
Hey! So much has been happening lately!
I had a very full weekend. Friday, I visited lovely Laura (who just got hired, congrats!). We did a quick little photo shoot for VR— OG I look so much better when Laura photographs me, haha. We watched a bit of 'Idiot Abroad', Ricky Gervais's latest project. We had a great night— Thomas came down for a visit! It has been ages we hung out, just the three of us. We caught up on eachothers' lives and had some laughs. We had delicious sushi for dinner and headed over to the Cannon Theatre to see Cirque du Soleil's latest endeavour: Banana Shpeel.
Banana Shpeel is Cirque's take on a vaudeville show. It has some great moments, for sure! There is an incredibly talented foot-juggler, a few mind-boggling acrobats and three very talented contortionists. All three of us laughed hysterically at three farcically funny clowns. There were some dancers that were pretty talented… but a little boring. It was so great to spend a night laughing with two of my very best friends!
Saturday night, my Mom and I headed downtown to check out this year's Nuit Blanche. We saw some interesting stuff. There was a great sound/video exhibit by Daniel Lanois and 'Allegory for a Rock Opera' by Derek Liddington in Yongue/Dundas Sq. Our favourite was 'Monument to Smile' by Agnes Winter— probably not the most legitimate installation by an artist's standards, but I loved seeing the beautiful portraits of hundreds of Torontonians projected on the side of Holt Renfrew, sychronized to Michael Jackon's rendition of 'Smile'. It was nice to spend time with my Mom, but I don't think we'll be going again next year… it just seemed to be a whole lot of walking, a whole lot of people… and a whole lot of food vendors. Ironically, our favourite part of Nuit Blanche… wasn't really supposed to be a part of the night (I don't think). Outside the Eaton Centre, in a little park, someone had hung hundreds of small paper cranes from some trees. They were waving in the breeze, casting soft shadows in the light of the street lamps.
Sunday, Kayla and I headed out on a shopping trip in search of our Glee costumes. All I need for my costume is a brown wig, but that seems to be the only kind of wig missing from every costume shop in Newmarket. Also, we didn't see ANY cheerleader costumes for Kay. *sigh* I guess we'll have to check online.
The most exciting thing that has happened is— that I got a job! I can't believe I've been home for less than 6 weeks and I've got myself a bona-fide salary-paying full-time job (with benefits)— and it's in my field, too! I start tomorrow morning! My Dad asked me this morning: 'How are your going to spend your last day of freedom?'
I slept in until about 9 am (I was hitting 'snooze' for about an hour before I finally got out of bed.) I had a long, leisurely breakfast of a cheese and pickle sandwich and orange juice, while reading the morning paper and 'Equal Rites', the third book in Terry Pratchett's Discworld Series. Then, I went for a little run. — Sorry, little interruption here. I've signed up for a running clinic with 'The Running Room', so I'm just building up a little bit of endurance so I can keep up with my running group.— Later, I took a stroll around IKEA with Kayla before meeting up with Andrew, Meg and Jay to see 'Catfish'— a film we've been really excited to see since Kayla saw the filmmakers being interviewed on Ellen.View the trailer here. I wont say anything about the movie (because I'll probably give away the ending— which is really good, by the way). But go see it!
I had a very full weekend. Friday, I visited lovely Laura (who just got hired, congrats!). We did a quick little photo shoot for VR— OG I look so much better when Laura photographs me, haha. We watched a bit of 'Idiot Abroad', Ricky Gervais's latest project. We had a great night— Thomas came down for a visit! It has been ages we hung out, just the three of us. We caught up on eachothers' lives and had some laughs. We had delicious sushi for dinner and headed over to the Cannon Theatre to see Cirque du Soleil's latest endeavour: Banana Shpeel.
Banana Shpeel is Cirque's take on a vaudeville show. It has some great moments, for sure! There is an incredibly talented foot-juggler, a few mind-boggling acrobats and three very talented contortionists. All three of us laughed hysterically at three farcically funny clowns. There were some dancers that were pretty talented… but a little boring. It was so great to spend a night laughing with two of my very best friends!
Saturday night, my Mom and I headed downtown to check out this year's Nuit Blanche. We saw some interesting stuff. There was a great sound/video exhibit by Daniel Lanois and 'Allegory for a Rock Opera' by Derek Liddington in Yongue/Dundas Sq. Our favourite was 'Monument to Smile' by Agnes Winter— probably not the most legitimate installation by an artist's standards, but I loved seeing the beautiful portraits of hundreds of Torontonians projected on the side of Holt Renfrew, sychronized to Michael Jackon's rendition of 'Smile'. It was nice to spend time with my Mom, but I don't think we'll be going again next year… it just seemed to be a whole lot of walking, a whole lot of people… and a whole lot of food vendors. Ironically, our favourite part of Nuit Blanche… wasn't really supposed to be a part of the night (I don't think). Outside the Eaton Centre, in a little park, someone had hung hundreds of small paper cranes from some trees. They were waving in the breeze, casting soft shadows in the light of the street lamps.
Sunday, Kayla and I headed out on a shopping trip in search of our Glee costumes. All I need for my costume is a brown wig, but that seems to be the only kind of wig missing from every costume shop in Newmarket. Also, we didn't see ANY cheerleader costumes for Kay. *sigh* I guess we'll have to check online.
The most exciting thing that has happened is— that I got a job! I can't believe I've been home for less than 6 weeks and I've got myself a bona-fide salary-paying full-time job (with benefits)— and it's in my field, too! I start tomorrow morning! My Dad asked me this morning: 'How are your going to spend your last day of freedom?'
I slept in until about 9 am (I was hitting 'snooze' for about an hour before I finally got out of bed.) I had a long, leisurely breakfast of a cheese and pickle sandwich and orange juice, while reading the morning paper and 'Equal Rites', the third book in Terry Pratchett's Discworld Series. Then, I went for a little run. — Sorry, little interruption here. I've signed up for a running clinic with 'The Running Room', so I'm just building up a little bit of endurance so I can keep up with my running group.— Later, I took a stroll around IKEA with Kayla before meeting up with Andrew, Meg and Jay to see 'Catfish'— a film we've been really excited to see since Kayla saw the filmmakers being interviewed on Ellen.View the trailer here. I wont say anything about the movie (because I'll probably give away the ending— which is really good, by the way). But go see it!
9/23/10
Look what I made!
There is a fish fry at my parents church tomorrow night, so my Dad and I made some decorations! My favourite parts are the turtles and the bubbles.
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