Of note today (at least in my mind):
Just saw a commercial about... something (I wasn't paying attention)... but it involved Ellen DeGeneres interacting with a bunch of animals around her set. The thing that killed me was that a raccoon held up a makeup brush and then the shot panned to Ellen. Her eyes were black-rimmed. This was hilarious.
Lately I've been feeling wacked out at work. It has felt weird that I'm there so often, especially since the whole place is chaos right now because people are changing schedules and leaving for other divisions. It is not the comforting, easy job it was just 6 months ago, and I mourn the loss of that old feeling. Thank goodness I get a couple days off to host my family in a confined space. So relaxing.
Dawn from "The Office" (UK) is on the new Matthew Perry show. It has made me laugh out loud. It is weird to see Dawn using a different name and not making out with Tim. This show is going to get cancelled and it will make me sad.
I was going to tell you something else. What was it? Crap, I can't remember. It was amusing, though.
A week before Christmas and I still haven't started my Christmas cards. I suspect I'll be aiming for New Years. Sorry in advance for not sending a card sooner. Or at all.
Just 6 days to clear out my storage closet of all the empties piled up in there. I suspect it would concern my parents to see that many empty alcohol bottles in my possession. And I might have to just accept that I can't drink all the beer in my fridge and just declare it off limits to those taking over my home.
One of my blog subscriptions includes Chris, drummer of Paper Moon and generally hilarious guy. Today's entry? Bril. Read about Chris' new job and get 911 ready on speed dial to deal with the exploding side issue you will soon have.
Currently reading :
Holidays on Ice: Stories
By David Sedaris
Release date: 01 November, 1998
Monday, December 18, 2006
Wednesday, December 13, 2006
mistaken identity
Today I got an email in my junk mail of an old email account that I check with some regularity. I was interested in it because it suggested the name K.A. Denike. I immediately thought of my first year of university, when one of my only friends (for the first couple months, at least) was one Kari Denike from Cochran, Alberta.
Kari stayed at university just one year and we stayed in touch for a couple of years after that. Sometime in my third or fourth year we sort of stopped writing. She had gone to Australia for a year and met "the one" or something, and later decided to go to University of Calgary for a nursing degree. I would see her sister every so often around campus, but eventually stopped seeing her, too. You know, things happen.
Nothing for 10 years.
Then two emails in my junk mail in the old email account I check every so often. With the other recent reconnections I thought it's possible she found me somehow. I mean, my sister's ex-boyfriend from New Zealand tracked down this same email account when I was living in Japan. Stranger things could happen.
Then I opened the first email. It was at that time I realised that it wasn't Kari Denike from Cochran, Alberta. It was someone from the Collingwood Elvis Fan Club in Ontario, home of the biggest Elvis tribute concerts in North America. My disappointment was great, I assure you, for a variety of reasons. Sigh.
Anyway, I'm back to worrying about Christmas and getting "things" done for it. I'm not entirely sure what things I'm thinking of, but there are things to be done. Cards. Uh... baking? Parties to attend. Drinking to do. Things.
Kari stayed at university just one year and we stayed in touch for a couple of years after that. Sometime in my third or fourth year we sort of stopped writing. She had gone to Australia for a year and met "the one" or something, and later decided to go to University of Calgary for a nursing degree. I would see her sister every so often around campus, but eventually stopped seeing her, too. You know, things happen.
Nothing for 10 years.
Then two emails in my junk mail in the old email account I check every so often. With the other recent reconnections I thought it's possible she found me somehow. I mean, my sister's ex-boyfriend from New Zealand tracked down this same email account when I was living in Japan. Stranger things could happen.
Then I opened the first email. It was at that time I realised that it wasn't Kari Denike from Cochran, Alberta. It was someone from the Collingwood Elvis Fan Club in Ontario, home of the biggest Elvis tribute concerts in North America. My disappointment was great, I assure you, for a variety of reasons. Sigh.
Anyway, I'm back to worrying about Christmas and getting "things" done for it. I'm not entirely sure what things I'm thinking of, but there are things to be done. Cards. Uh... baking? Parties to attend. Drinking to do. Things.
Monday, December 11, 2006
christmas means giving
I found out last night that my family is coming to stay at my house for Christmas. My mom is sort of funny about these things because she called and asked what was happening for Christmas. I said I hadn't talked to my sister (the car-owner, meaning my ride home) so wasn't sure. Then Mom launches into the plan.
Actually, she precursors it by telling me that my friend's mom called to see if I needed a ride home because her son is coming home and could give me a ride. (I decided long ago that that would not be happening for a number of reasons, none of which I can go into now, but let's just say 4.5 hours in a car with him will not happen.) Then she says she talked to my sister and Anita asked if they could come down because her husband is working on Christmas Eve and Day, and wants to be able to have both Christmas traditions. It didn't even sound like it was a hard sell.
What all this means is a few things:
1) My parents and my older brother are staying at my house for a few days, apparently because my house is "bigger" than my sister's, which is surprising since she lives in the suburbs and I, well, don't.
2) I get a traditional Christmas Eve with perogies and pokousel (we could never figure out how to spell it, but it is all kinds of awesome) without the 4.5 hour car ride over the scary mountain highway. And I get leftovers!
3) In theory, I could pull out the china I've been trying to collect, though I might have only five place settings and there could be 6 of us. I don't care; I'm eating on it if we use it. There is one that isn't like the others (I'm mixing the sets so they aren't all matchy-matchy), so that one is mine.
4) I can use the china because I suspect we will be doing all the cooking and eating here, since I now own and have set up my grandparents' dining table set and have about a million chairs scattered around the house (14 that could be used for table seating, I believe). My sister is doing Christmas Day at her inlaws and I think my parents are reluctant to spend another Christmas Day with them because they are a fairly (let's say) graphic family.
5) I have to finish unpacking or figure out how to readjust the stuff stored in my closets to make it look like I'm not avoiding the contents because my parents enjoy telling me how messy I am, even though this home is significantly better maintained than the last, where I was miserable because it was like living in a cellar.
6) I'm going to have to go to confession because we're going to the cathedral downtown for Christmas Eve (my mom was really excited when I asked if she wanted to go there), so no more being naughty this month once I haul my bum in to pour out my recent sins to a virgin.
I am not a huge fan of the holiday season in general, so this is the best-case scenario, having Christmas come to me. In all honesty, I was ready to stay home and eat Chinese take-out alone this year, but this means I get to see my parents and pick up a couple of presents instead. This is a better plan than bellyaches.
I just realised I have to hide my beer or have my brother drink it all. Guh. There's no way I'm going to drink it all before Christmas. My liver needs a break.
Currently listening :
69 Love Songs, Pt. 1
By Magnetic Fields
Release date: 07 September, 1999
Actually, she precursors it by telling me that my friend's mom called to see if I needed a ride home because her son is coming home and could give me a ride. (I decided long ago that that would not be happening for a number of reasons, none of which I can go into now, but let's just say 4.5 hours in a car with him will not happen.) Then she says she talked to my sister and Anita asked if they could come down because her husband is working on Christmas Eve and Day, and wants to be able to have both Christmas traditions. It didn't even sound like it was a hard sell.
What all this means is a few things:
1) My parents and my older brother are staying at my house for a few days, apparently because my house is "bigger" than my sister's, which is surprising since she lives in the suburbs and I, well, don't.
2) I get a traditional Christmas Eve with perogies and pokousel (we could never figure out how to spell it, but it is all kinds of awesome) without the 4.5 hour car ride over the scary mountain highway. And I get leftovers!
3) In theory, I could pull out the china I've been trying to collect, though I might have only five place settings and there could be 6 of us. I don't care; I'm eating on it if we use it. There is one that isn't like the others (I'm mixing the sets so they aren't all matchy-matchy), so that one is mine.
4) I can use the china because I suspect we will be doing all the cooking and eating here, since I now own and have set up my grandparents' dining table set and have about a million chairs scattered around the house (14 that could be used for table seating, I believe). My sister is doing Christmas Day at her inlaws and I think my parents are reluctant to spend another Christmas Day with them because they are a fairly (let's say) graphic family.
5) I have to finish unpacking or figure out how to readjust the stuff stored in my closets to make it look like I'm not avoiding the contents because my parents enjoy telling me how messy I am, even though this home is significantly better maintained than the last, where I was miserable because it was like living in a cellar.
6) I'm going to have to go to confession because we're going to the cathedral downtown for Christmas Eve (my mom was really excited when I asked if she wanted to go there), so no more being naughty this month once I haul my bum in to pour out my recent sins to a virgin.
I am not a huge fan of the holiday season in general, so this is the best-case scenario, having Christmas come to me. In all honesty, I was ready to stay home and eat Chinese take-out alone this year, but this means I get to see my parents and pick up a couple of presents instead. This is a better plan than bellyaches.
I just realised I have to hide my beer or have my brother drink it all. Guh. There's no way I'm going to drink it all before Christmas. My liver needs a break.
Currently listening :
69 Love Songs, Pt. 1
By Magnetic Fields
Release date: 07 September, 1999
Friday, December 8, 2006
i heart beer
Seriously, what are the signs of an alcoholic?
My Secret Santa at work gave me three bottles of delicious ('cause I've had it before) cherry Belgian beer, and later informed me that he meant to get me the raspberry one because it is gorgeous, but the store of liquor was all out. And I immediately thought about searching where I could get it online (because that's a feature on the BC Liquor Store website).
After work I went to Six Acres for beer to celebrate being done school and to celebrate my friend's second-last day at work. I started with a Leffe (a yummy Belgian blonde I had for my birthday) and progressed to a Demon (Czech and so easy to drink). Feeling tipsy, I caught the bus to the store of liquor to buy some beer for a party I'm about to go to. I bought an enormous bottle of La Fin du Monde (a Quebec beer in an enormous corked bottle) and another Demon (economical at $2.24 a 500ml bottle). I think I'll leave the Demon at home, along with the crisper full of local microbrew that I like to keep on hand, just in case. (The regular supply of Strongbow was consumed on Wednesday when my friend came over to watch a video. I didn't feel like replacing it this evening.)
Tomorrow I'll be drinking because it's my friend's last day of work. And I had made tenative plans with various people to drink next week. Seriously, I shouldn't be as much of a lightweight as I seem to be. Like, after 1.5L of beer I shouldn't be feeling this tipsy. I've been practicing and everything.
Currently listening :
My Way or the Highway
By Tuscadero
Release date: 14 April, 1998
My Secret Santa at work gave me three bottles of delicious ('cause I've had it before) cherry Belgian beer, and later informed me that he meant to get me the raspberry one because it is gorgeous, but the store of liquor was all out. And I immediately thought about searching where I could get it online (because that's a feature on the BC Liquor Store website).
After work I went to Six Acres for beer to celebrate being done school and to celebrate my friend's second-last day at work. I started with a Leffe (a yummy Belgian blonde I had for my birthday) and progressed to a Demon (Czech and so easy to drink). Feeling tipsy, I caught the bus to the store of liquor to buy some beer for a party I'm about to go to. I bought an enormous bottle of La Fin du Monde (a Quebec beer in an enormous corked bottle) and another Demon (economical at $2.24 a 500ml bottle). I think I'll leave the Demon at home, along with the crisper full of local microbrew that I like to keep on hand, just in case. (The regular supply of Strongbow was consumed on Wednesday when my friend came over to watch a video. I didn't feel like replacing it this evening.)
Tomorrow I'll be drinking because it's my friend's last day of work. And I had made tenative plans with various people to drink next week. Seriously, I shouldn't be as much of a lightweight as I seem to be. Like, after 1.5L of beer I shouldn't be feeling this tipsy. I've been practicing and everything.
Currently listening :
My Way or the Highway
By Tuscadero
Release date: 14 April, 1998
Thursday, December 7, 2006
put a fork in it
In my hands right now I am holding my last assignment for this semester. It's a CD-RW with cover art, a brochure design and a database burned on it. Just have to take a trip out to campus and it will be out of my hands. Yea.
Truthfully, I'm not as excited as I thought I'd be. I actually kind of liked this assignment once I started working on it (which was actually Tuesday night), and I could have easily gotten it done last week if I hadn't whined about it for so long. It's still going to be submitted a day early, so that's something. And it means I could, technically, go see my friends' band play tonight and have some booze, as per their requests. Will see how the day goes.
I have to admit, though: I did drink some last night. Friend was over to watch a crappy video and I drank some Strongbow. MMMmmmm...Strongbow. I wonder if being done with it all this semester will make me drink more or less. What else am I going to do with all this extra time?
Oh, right. Get ready for Christmas.
Which reminds me... Today is the holiday tea at work. I'm going in with Tupperware (you think I'm kidding; I'm not) and will steal away treats when people aren't looking. I meant to bake some cookies, but will maybe see how things go on my way back from campus, since I have to go to the shop either way. I wanted to make chewy chocolate bites; still might. I could also just go shopping for stuff, like some pants or shoes, as a reward for finally getting through this semester. That sounds like a good plan.
Sneeze attack.
Also wanted to say thank you to all of you who have been so supportive these last few months, even though I've been a farily negligent friend in return. I've got a month to make it up to you. I really appreciated all the kind comments and messages.
My counter suggests my page has been viewed 3000 times. That's nuts. Who are you people? How did you find me?
Currently listening :
The Coast Is Never Clear
By Beulah
Release date: 11 September, 2001
Truthfully, I'm not as excited as I thought I'd be. I actually kind of liked this assignment once I started working on it (which was actually Tuesday night), and I could have easily gotten it done last week if I hadn't whined about it for so long. It's still going to be submitted a day early, so that's something. And it means I could, technically, go see my friends' band play tonight and have some booze, as per their requests. Will see how the day goes.
I have to admit, though: I did drink some last night. Friend was over to watch a crappy video and I drank some Strongbow. MMMmmmm...Strongbow. I wonder if being done with it all this semester will make me drink more or less. What else am I going to do with all this extra time?
Oh, right. Get ready for Christmas.
Which reminds me... Today is the holiday tea at work. I'm going in with Tupperware (you think I'm kidding; I'm not) and will steal away treats when people aren't looking. I meant to bake some cookies, but will maybe see how things go on my way back from campus, since I have to go to the shop either way. I wanted to make chewy chocolate bites; still might. I could also just go shopping for stuff, like some pants or shoes, as a reward for finally getting through this semester. That sounds like a good plan.
Sneeze attack.
Also wanted to say thank you to all of you who have been so supportive these last few months, even though I've been a farily negligent friend in return. I've got a month to make it up to you. I really appreciated all the kind comments and messages.
My counter suggests my page has been viewed 3000 times. That's nuts. Who are you people? How did you find me?
Currently listening :
The Coast Is Never Clear
By Beulah
Release date: 11 September, 2001
Tuesday, December 5, 2006
let's go, oilers
Last night Darcy mentioned that the Oilers were playing the Canucks. I suggested we try to get scalped tickets in the second or third period if he really wanted to go. So we made our way to GM Place and saw one guy there selling tickets. The guy started off at $40 each for upper, upper nosebleeds. After humming and hawing and my almost walking away, the guy dropped it to $30 each. Darcy thought that was worth it, so we got the tickets and went in.
It was at the end of the second period, so I surveyed the lower reds to see if there were empty seats. I talked him into going to a row with a few empty seats, but he was a bit uncomfortable. What's the worst that can happen? We have to move? So I took off my coat, got comfortable, and waited for the third period.
Did anyone see the game last night? It wasn't the most exciting game, largely because the Oilers played and the Canucks didn't. It was 3-0 for the Oilers going into the third, so it wasn't like we could be disappointed. But the Oilers scored another goal and we got to cheer and it was pretty darn fun to be there and watch scores of people walk out with 5 minutes left in the third.
I think it's time to check out the UBC T-Birds schedule to see when the University of Alberta Golden Bears are playing. It's guaranteed to be a fast game. And in the winter I kind of miss Edmonton.
Next up for the rest of the week: seriously work on that fricking database that I keep talking about and not working on. Frick.
Currently listening :
Owl & the Pussycat
By Owl & the Pussycat
Release date: 18 February, 2003
It was at the end of the second period, so I surveyed the lower reds to see if there were empty seats. I talked him into going to a row with a few empty seats, but he was a bit uncomfortable. What's the worst that can happen? We have to move? So I took off my coat, got comfortable, and waited for the third period.
Did anyone see the game last night? It wasn't the most exciting game, largely because the Oilers played and the Canucks didn't. It was 3-0 for the Oilers going into the third, so it wasn't like we could be disappointed. But the Oilers scored another goal and we got to cheer and it was pretty darn fun to be there and watch scores of people walk out with 5 minutes left in the third.
I think it's time to check out the UBC T-Birds schedule to see when the University of Alberta Golden Bears are playing. It's guaranteed to be a fast game. And in the winter I kind of miss Edmonton.
Next up for the rest of the week: seriously work on that fricking database that I keep talking about and not working on. Frick.
Currently listening :
Owl & the Pussycat
By Owl & the Pussycat
Release date: 18 February, 2003
Friday, December 1, 2006
totally crushed out
The cute boy at Blenz was very nice to me yesterday. I waited in line with my friend and he called around a woman at the counter to ask what I wanted. Then he made small talk, asking how my day was going, giving me some quality smiling/eye time. I caught him semi-staring at me while I waited for my hot chocolate. He is barely past the embryonic state (likely around 19, if that) and not at all interested in me, but it was my crush for the day. The green of his shirt illuminated him.
I left an unfortunate message on my friend's answering service last evening after feeling the weight of my world crashing around me. This self-sabotage frustrates me because I know I'm setting myself up to be rejected by someone I care about and, yet, want to know where I stand. I haven't heard back, but am pretty sure I've fucked up another friendship with my neuroses. Why can't my stupid brain stop trying to ruin my life for one minute?
"So I'll take the pins out of the doll. I'll take the darts out of the wall. I'm just so nice now, I'm not like before. I don't think of hurting you much anymore."
Rose Melberg is my patron saint of heartbreak.
Currently listening :
Go Sailor EP
By Go Sailor
Release date: 13 August, 1996
I left an unfortunate message on my friend's answering service last evening after feeling the weight of my world crashing around me. This self-sabotage frustrates me because I know I'm setting myself up to be rejected by someone I care about and, yet, want to know where I stand. I haven't heard back, but am pretty sure I've fucked up another friendship with my neuroses. Why can't my stupid brain stop trying to ruin my life for one minute?
"So I'll take the pins out of the doll. I'll take the darts out of the wall. I'm just so nice now, I'm not like before. I don't think of hurting you much anymore."
Rose Melberg is my patron saint of heartbreak.
Currently listening :
Go Sailor EP
By Go Sailor
Release date: 13 August, 1996
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