Something for the holidays

I love the holidays and being with friends and family! There's something particulary magical about watching kids at Christmas. From the 5 year old who is so excited about everything he gets to the 6 month old who can't get enough of that shiny paper she's allowed to rip.

My mom kept calling our Christmas boring so I kept telling my mom that we are NOT boring... just cause we're old (all 20-somethings), doesn't make us boring. However, Christmas is so much more exciting with kids. I'll never admit this anywhere else, but if I'm being honest, I can't wait to experience Christmas with kids of my own.

Anyway, the holidays are over now. Which in a way is sad because I now must face the task of losing the 15lbs I've gained over the past few weeks. Me and the treadmill are going to start dating and mmmmmmm 3 times a day is how much I love egg whites and broccoli!

Torture starts in the morning.

What I miss most

Okay so I was just on facebook and my friend Emily, has posted a list of her favorite shows of 2008 which got me thinking about my favorite shows of 2008. I am without a doubt a live music junkie and one of the best things about living in Vancouver is the endless talent and entertainment available. It hasn't quite set in yet but I'm really going to miss that.

So here are my picks... Top 10 performances of 2008

10)SHAWN HLOOKOFF
9)STONE TEMPLE PILOTS
8)MATISYAHU
7)IRON MAIDEN
6)EXCLUSIVE BRYAN ADAMS PERFORMANCE
5)JANET JACKSON
4)FOO FIGHTERS
3)MICHAEL BUBLE
2)SATURDAY AT PEMBERTON (Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers, The Hip, My Morning Jacket, Sam Roberts)
1) WHISTLER MUSIC FEST: THE ROOTS AND THE INCREDIBLE ELVIS COSTELLO (the rest of it was pretty swell too)

There were another 5 or so shows that could have made this list but for various reasons did not. I saw about 25-30 shows over the past year and it was a fabulous year for music.

I'm not going to have that same opportunity in 2009 but I figure I'll maximize my time by hitting festivals: Whistler, Pemberton and maybe Bumbershoot... that's if my festival buddy is up for it. Can't wait!!!!

Toe pick

I'm a clumsy old lady. At least that's what I felt like on the ice tonight. It was a last minute decision we made as a team to perform at the Annual Christmas Skate. I wasn't ready. I didn't make a complete fool of myself but it was pretty close.

About 4 weeks back, I ran into a girl I used to skate with 12 years ago. She mentioned to me that the synchro team was looking for more members and if I was interested I should come out.

It sounded like a great idea, so I dug out my trusty skates and laced up. Little did I know that synchro has become just a wee bit more complicated than it once was, with tricky formations and intricate footwork. The team had already been skating together for a number of weeks when I started, so I had a program to learn and some serious catching up to do. Add that to the fact that my skates haven't seen the outside of box in 5 years and you begin to understand my challenge.

Oh and it's also worth mentioning that the girls on my team range in age from 12 to 22, I'm 29.

Even though, I'm a clumsy old lady, I'm a clumsy old lady who LOVES to skate. Why else would I put myself through such ego deflating torture?

Next up is a big competition in Kelowna in mid-January. I'm determined to work my ass off to drop the clumsy from my current title. Unfortunately there's nothing I can do about being old.

Brrrrrr

It's effing cold! Nope, it's fucking cold... there's no sugar coating that. There were times over the weekend where the temperatures hit below -35 celcius with the wind chill. Not cool mother nature, not cool. Actually too cool, waaay too cool.

My friend, Tara, from Vancouver will probably never come back here because her insides froze solid in mere seconds each time she stepped outside. Our activities were limited to indoors and it's Dawson Creek so there are not many to begin with.

We did manage to get up to a few shenanigans - especially on friday, where the night was to say the least - memorable. The highlight, a rousing game of scrabble we played before retiring just after midnight. Yes that really happened, but no that wasn't really the highlight. I know how to have a good time - really I do!

Yippeeeeeeeeeeee

Tara is coming, Tara is coming!!! Tomorrow I drive to Grande Prarie to pick Tara up from the airport! She's coming all the way from Vancouver to visit me in Dawson Creek in the middle of winter! Now that's a friend!!!

In preparation for her arrival, I've been busy racking my brain for things to do while she's here.

We are going to go out on friday night... I'll show her all the local dives and we'll have some fun. Saturday is the Jann Arden concert and Sunday we have Breakfast with Santa. Somewhere in there, I'll probably take her to the farm - cause city people like to look at horses, right? If the weather's right, we can go sledding or something.

No matter what, I'm excited for this weekend.

LET THE SHENANNIGAN'S BEGIN!!!

Open the door for me

This morning I woke in hell, only it had frozen over. I got up, got dressed, brushed a foot of snow off my car, went to skating practice, brushed another foot of snow off my car, went home, got ready for work and yet again cleared the car of snow. I get to work and someone has parked in my spot. ARRRGGGGHHH! So I find a spot, and trudge ALL THE WAY across the parking lot through 3 feet of snow (in stylish but completely inappropiate footwear) to grab my morning coffee at the gas bar AND, I have to open my own door - twice WHA???? YOU'VE GOT TO BE FRIGGIN KIDDING ME!!!!

Snow on my car, someone in my spot, my feet: cold and wet, that I could handle, but the door... The door is supposed to be opened for me as I come and leave... They started it, I did not ask for the special treatment, so how dare they take it away. Apparently its VERY important.

who knew



My car actually looked like this on 3 occasions this morning!

Today I'm a ramblin man...

Last night I wanted to go out, drink and people watch, something I used to do 2-3 times a week in Vancouver. Just for the record - alcohol wasn't always involved. Anyway, I couldn't find any company and by the time 10pm rolled around the urge to try it on my own went away.

What I'd really like to find in Dawson Creek are some people like me. They'd be guys or gals around my age who are single, career driven, like to socialize and enjoy a good time. The question is, do those kind of people exist here?

Come to think of it, I probably have an option or two with the "younger crowd" but how young is too young? The kid who comes to mind is maybe 21 tops and is so unbelievably sweet. I'll bet he has no idea I'm as old as I am. HA! To be honest, I really really like him. Not in the same way I'd like him if he was about 4-5 years older (if you know what i mean) but he's a pretty awesome kid. When I was 20 boys weren't like that.

Oh wait, wait...

They may have been if only I'd given them a chance. Man, thinking back I was a super bitch... I stood guys up, avoided phone calls and was just downright mean.

Anyway, back to the point, I'm sure I had one, oh right... where's my crowd? I guess I'm still looking for it, but maybe I need to broaden my search? Perhaps I'll try taking friendship where I can get it, without an age, career or marital prejudice. After all I'm not in Kansas anymore.



Friends :)