Future-nicity

Ok, instead of a giant long update as to what's happened over the past... oh... almost 2 months since I last blogged, I'm giving a quick update and a look into the future. So... Update!

1) I have 20/20 vision now. Actually, better in 1 eye. It's amazing, but the full implication of never having to take out contacts again hasn't quite hit me yet.

2) Mike Nickel didn't get elected. hooray! I never knew so many people read my blog. hahaha.

3) I finished my job at municipal affairs and now know more about municipal elections than is really necessary. They also gave me a delicious assortment of second cup goodies on my last day. Deliceux.

4) I have a fancy new 8800 blackberry and a shmancy new laptop. So I now have 2 blackberries. One for personal and one for work. I'm completely aware that it's the dorkiest thing ever and might change things if I feel like having both is tremendously excessive.

5) I work from home now most of the time. I heart pyjamas.

6) Leah is into her last month-ish of her pregnancy with my future neice(s)/nephew(s). So exciting!

 

Now.... Future!

1) We're planning girls night and this year looks like it could be pretty epic. A one night stay at the River Cree Casino should make for a memorable night.

2) I'm looking forward to more time at home in my pyjamas, while sipping my warm coffee in the morning and, of course, working. Best set up ever!

3) Christmas is coming, the goose is getting fat. It's time to put a penny in the old man's hat. If you haven't got a penny, a hay penny will do. If you haven't got a hay penny then god bless you.

4) Heroes and the office are some of the best shows ever, but I'm more than happy to go without them during this writer's strike so that they're treated more fairly.

That's all for now! I think I'm going to try to make more random postings on here with fun things that I find on the internet. Why? Because fun things are fun to share.

I'm Right in My Element

Well, nomination day has passed and the municipal elections are officially upon us. I’m much, much, much closer to the issues this election and I understand more than one side an argument. I’m also lucky enough to be in Ward 5. The reason that I’m happy to be here is that this means I get a deciding vote on whether Mike Nichol is voted back onto council. I’m a one woman anti-Mike Nichol campaign. He is the councilor that administration and the rest of council cannot stand. The one where, if you know the way he operates, you wonder how on earth people could possibly ever vote him into office.

I don’t believe he’s out there for Edmonton – I think he’s doing this for himself. It’s for the power and future political possibilities. He managed to get the LRT extension, the 23 Ave interchange and a giant rec centre for his ward over the term. He may have worked hard for them, but when it came time to make the tough call and vote on the budget, he voted against passing the budget. It means that politically he can say he never voted for a tax increase, or for any unreasonable expenditures, when in fact his ward is responsible for close to a billion dollars worth of amjor capital projects in the next 1-3 years. Voting against the budget also means that he voted against everything the city would do; including those major projects within his ward. As you can imagine, the other councilors are not thrilled with the man that cheapens their tough decisions in an effort to publicize his easy one.

It’s also no secret that it’s likely he will run for mayor in 2010 if he gets onto council once more. Would I want a person so divisive in a chair where you need to be able to ensure council can work together and build consensus? Would I want that kind of person being an elected leader of my city at all? Nope. That’s why I’d much rather have Don Iveson replace him. Vote for Don!

As for other wards:
Ward 6 – Chin Wei Okelu is a great candidate who knows his stuff. He works at municipal affairs doing municipal dispute resolution and is fully aware of what being on council entails.

Ward 4 – Everyone wants Michael Phair’s seat and they have 15 people vying for it. Have fun with that!

Ward 2 – Kim Krushell is amazing and takes the job for the good of the city. If they vote her out, they’ll be sorry.

For all your Edmonton voting needs, check out edmontonelection.ca

Hardisty – My Dad was acclaimed as councilor in Hardisty!!! I’m the proud daughter of a town councilor.

Bad Blogger! Bad!

Ok, So I’ve been ignoring my blog a bit lately. Since I haven’t been blogging for all that long, I think I’m learning that my attention to it goes in waves. I’m conscious of it. I’m sure I’ll write more often again soon enough.

Anyway, I have some big updates!

1) I’ve had my anniversary of being in my apartment by myself. Woohoo! I love my apartment. Though it lacks a balcony, I love that everything in it is mine and I don’t have to share it with anyone. It’s the 4th child syndrome; I’m NOT going to share anymore!!!

2) I have some wicked job opportunities that I’m looking at. More on that once I know something for certain and I have a contract in my anxious little hands.

3) I bought myself a shiny new gym pass. The YMCA is reasonably priced, especially considering a pool comes with the deal and it’s a new building. I only wish I could afford a premium membership, because then I would get a child-free locker room, a tv and newspaper in the locker room, towel service, hot tub and all the products that one could ever need to get ready. $80 is a bit too steep for me at this point, but it would be so nice to have all that!

4) MY SISTER IS HAVING TWINS!!!! Very very exciting. I’m going to be a double auntie, not just a single auntie. I’m even more excited that Leah is having the twins and not me. Genetics pays attention to whether or not your siblings have had twins when it figures out if you will, right? Haha… riiiiight. At this stage of my life, being over the moon about babies is awesome when it’s my sister, not so awesome when it’s about me. So YAY for Leah and Chris!

Anyway, that's all for now. If you'd like to reminisce about good old Ralph and remember the days where, even if the policy sucked, at least he was entertaining, HERE is a great article to inspire you to do so.

Grown-Up Goodness

It’s always funny how your things change as you get a bit older. There are the shifts from Barbie to Babysitter’s Club; from popular to indie and my current one, from young adult to actual adult.
An actual adult, in my mind, is self-sustaining. My rent, my car, my apartment, my insurance (my stuff is worth insuring?), my job, my decisions and my time are all my own. I control all of them and am completely responsible if one/all gets screwed up. Thinking about this when I was still in the protective cocoon of parent-subsidized living during university, I remember being slightly freaked out at having that much responsibility for my own life. What do you mean I have to pay ALL of my bills EVERY month? I’ll never make enough money for that! I have to cook ALL of my food? I have to use a Laundromat to do my laundry? I thought that came built in with any living arrangement.

However, it turns out that it’s great! Those questions that seemed scary five years ago are a non-issue. In fact, I kind of like the Laundromat. I have a nice TV, I like all the stuff that surrounds me and I get to make my own decisions.

Which brings me to the inspiration for this post: I am about to make the single largest purchase in my life so far and I made the decision without needing to consult with anyone on it. I talked to a couple of people about it, sure, but I didn’t need anyone to talk me into or out of it. On Nov. 1, Stephanie Betts will be able to see without glasses for the first time since grade one. Not being a candidate for lasik, I will be getting Implantable Contact Lenses (ICL) put into my eyes, below my cornea, and right on top of my own lens. I’ll be able to see!!! My brain has yet to fully comprehend what it will be like to not have to keep track of contacts, glasses and keeping prescriptions filled. Awesome will probably be what it is like.

It’s a biiiig expense; it’s my responsibility and I’m really excited about my decision. Being a grown up rulez! I’m going to be able to see!

PS. Everybody should check out the article Ed wrote about my friend Andy. This journalist is so in love with Andy and Aaron that I think he wants to have their babies. That’s how cool Andy is.

The Week's Recap

Well, It’s been a fairly eventful week!

Last weekend, Brett and I headed out to Jasper to do some hiking and camping for a night. We arrived in Jasper and found our great campsite, except for all of the mosquitoes. It was a walk-in site for tenting, so it wasn’t crowded at all and it backed onto a path leading straight to a river bed. After setting up camp, we were off to the Valley of the Five Lakes, a 9km hike just south of Jasper townsite. It was a perfect afternoon to go, with it being sunny, but never too hot that we were uncomfortable. After hotdogs, an epic card game of War, an uncomfortable sleep and pancakes made on the fire, we headed back towards Edmonton and more specifically, showers.

Upon returning from camping, I was filled with anticipation for Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows to be waiting at my door. I was ready to sequester myself away and finish it as soon as possible. However, the only thing I returned to was a message from Amazon saying that they had shipped my book on Sunday. I went a little cooky during the week as my friends all finished it before I had even received my copy, but then Wednesday came and at long last, it was mine. My own… My precioussssss…..

Ahem… anyway….

24 hours and 400 pages later, my mind was starting to fry and I decided that it would be good for me to put it down for a while. So when Brett suggested heading to Capital Ex, I thought “perfect!” However, before I went to bed on Friday, it was totally finished.

Anyway, that brings me to Capital Ex, CapEx, K-Days, CapE, Capitex, whatever you feel like calling it. It’s close to the same old thing it’s ever been, but here are the rules I have gathered for myself over the years, with a new addition this year:


1) Watch the people. You have no clue how many unattractive people live in Edmonton until you attend this thing. I even contemplated starting a tally of how many people I saw that I couldn’t tell what sex they actually were.
2)Watch the fashion. I saw everything from see-through pants, to fanny packs, to hordes of sluttily-dressed teenagers.
3)The games are always a rip-off. Who wants a 4 foot tall stuffed spiderman that smells like carnie, anyway?
4)*NEW* Anything can be deep fried. Just because it can, doesn’t mean that it should. The deep fried coke seemed nothing more than deep fried dough with coke poured on top. Cheesecake is rich and good on its own. Why deep fry it? That’s my main question with this trend: Why?

Anyway, that’s all for this week, folks. I’ll see you on the flip side!

1991 Toyota Corolla

It’s the end of an era. Tuesday evening rolled around and I returned home after a long day at work and some drinks with the girls. As I walk out my back door to leave again, there is a car missing from a spot that is always full. It takes me only a half second to realize that the corolla, the car that symbolized my teenage years, is gone. I had scheduled for the Kidney Association to come and pick it up, so it wasn’t any kind of surprise, but there was still a little strain on my heart when I realized it was no longer in my life.

The car was never that great; it was never that bad. It gave me freedom in high school and reliability all the way through university (not to mention a few fights over sharing it with a certain sister. Haha!). It saw me through so many events and trips that I can’t help but be sad to see it gone. It’s kind of like losing a friend; a friend that you never actually liked all that much, but you got so used to having around that you feel a little empty when they are no longer there.

Goodbye old car. Trusty old corolla. Thanks for getting me out of that ditch and all the good times. I’ll miss you and I’ll always remember to ‘Mind the Gap’.

Birthdays and Laziness

Okay, so I've been a little lazy with the blog lately, as one or two people may have noticed. I blame it on a combination of it's too hot to do anything, my life isn't very exciting right now, facebook taking over the planet (and my mind) and lack of inspiration as of late.

But my life hasn't been all that boring lately. Last weekend was my birthday and I had a really good weekend. My birthday party was nothing if not memorable as we went and played at the space and science center before going to see Lazer Floyd. That's right, Pink Floyd's The Wall set to a laser show in the star theatre. Imagine the Window's Media Player graphics taken to epic proportions. That's what it made me think of. A little odd, but a one of a kind experience.

Anyway, after learning about dinosaurs, the human body and space travel, playing a floor piano and developing a slight case of ADD, we all headed out to Burger Delux. You should all go there. Like now. Stella Artois battered onion rings. Served in mini shopping carts. The thickest burger you'll be able to find in the city. Cotton Candy served instead of an after dinner mint. It's fantastic and delicious and my mouth is drooling just thinking of it.

Oh and we also solved a mystery that night. Remeber the ball machines that used to be strategically placed around West Edmonton Mall? The ball moved through a giant glass box hitting xylophones, going for loop-da-loops, setting off wind chimes, teeter totters and a hundred other things some bored mechanical engineer came up with. They were things of wonder and a kid could stand there for a half hour entranced by the motions of a small little ball. One day they were no longer present at the mall. What happened to them? Well, there is one located at the front entrance to the Telus World of Science. It wasn't running when we saw it, but it made me happy just to see it again and to know that it did, indeed, still exist.

Wow.

What an awesome weekend crammed full of great music. So much happened that this entry would be pretty damned long if I told it all, so here are the highlights in bullet form:

- We drove to Calgary on Friday afternoon, talked guitars and White Stripes the entire way and were picking songs that we all wanted to hear live. We heard almost ALL of them over the course of the 3 shows I saw.

- The show in Calgary kicked ass with one song that has never been recorded and that they rarely play live. We had met up with Camille before the show so she and I rocked out dancing behind the main crowd on the floor to all of the songs. We were able to hear Meg on vocals for A Cold, Cold Night and I was pleasantly surprised by a set list that included a balance of songs off of all of their albums, not just the more recent ones.

- The drive home was epic as we listened to all 6 white stripes CD's in a row. That was some serious dedication. We drove through the craziest freaking rainstorm I've ever seen then came within inches of hitting a deer. Sean literally got out of the car to check if there was any hair caught on the light.

- After all that, I would never have guessed that Friday would only be the warmup to Saturday. What a day! With Sean being the super-sleuth that he is, we were some of the first in the city to catch wind of the Free Secret Surprise Show that they were playing at a youth centre down in Beverley. We had less than an hour's warning, so we busted it there as fast as possible. 100 people, 2 performers, 10 feet from Jack White. The image of how fast his fingers were moving during the guitar solo in You Don't Know What Love Is, You Just Do as You're Told will be permanently etched into my brain.

- By this point, I had seen 2 WS concerts in about 16 hours. And I was about to make it 3 in 24.

- The Edmonton evening show rocked my socks off then kicked my ass all over the room. If I remember correctly, they played 5 songs off teir first self-titled album. And they played 7 songs off of the White Blood Cells album. That might be crappy for a casual listener, but it's freaking kick-ass for a hardcore fan. They played a version of a cute little song called Little Room that they have, but turned it into the most Led Zeppelin experience I've ever had live. Their encore was 9 songs long. 9!!!

- The crowd in Edmonton was amazing compared to the Calgary show. In fact, Jack thought the crowd was so great that he let us sing an entire verse of I Can Tell That We are Going to be Friends. In Calgary all he did was let us yell out the main line.

A little exhausting and a tonne of fun. This long weekend is one for the books.

Sweetest of the Sweet

I have one exciting weekend coming up and I am getting so excited!

Thursday: Advanced screening of the new Transformers movie.
Friday: Taking off work and driving to Calgary for the White Stripes show in the evening.
Saturday: Seeing the White Stripes here in Edmonton.
Then I still have Sunday and Monday to enjoy before I am forced back into my cube for another week.

Talk about sweet! I’ll put together a report on the sweetness of the upcoming weekend next week.

Have a Happy Canada Day!

PS. It’s my quarter century birthday on the 8th. I haven’t figured out what I’m doing for a celebration, but keep in mind that I should be doing something Friday or Saturday next week.

He Man Sings

Pure Gold. Just wait for it and around 1:25 it gets even more awesome.

WOW!

Results After Four Listens

As some of you may have been informed by constant updates on Sean's blog, Icky Thump, the White Stripes' 6th Album was released on Tuesday.

I had arranged for Brett to buy me the album during the day so that I could get in maximum listening time during the evening. Currently I am finishing up my fourth full listen of the album and my opinions are starting to form.

I am completely loving this album. It is exactly what I needed to follow up a less rocking 5th album, Get Behind Me Satan.

This album is one of the most creative that I have listened to in a long while. There are some hard rocking, guitar heavy songs that I love seeing live balanced by some softer ones that have astounding lyrics, which I will love singing along with. I would name songs that I think really stand out as the best on the album, but I tried and ended up listing most of the album. Let's just say there are a number of rocking blues tracks that will really get you going.

The biggest surprise for me on the album is a few songs, namely Conquest, Prickly Thorn But Sweetly Worn and St. Andrew, that are practically caricatures of their genres. These songs are what I like about the White Stripes taken to the next level. They take a genre or certain sound, add some modern flare and wailing guitars and turn it into something completely their own and new sounding. Honestly, the first time I heard these songs I giggled and thought they were damn near bizarre, but after a few more listens they are really growing on me. I'm really appreciating the extra creativity that went into those songs and this album in general.

I highly recommend a listen or a purchase of this album. My picks/guesses for future singles are A Martyr for my Love for You and Little Cream Soda. Possibly Catch Hell Blues, but that might be a little too left of main stream for people.

Mini-Rant

This one is pretty random.

You know what bugs me? People who require a 3 foot radius while standing in lines. If there are 5-10 people behind this 3'R person, it is entirely possible that people will be standing outside the door while he or she refuses to take the extra two steps forward. I realize we're in Canada and we're all used to our boundless space, but other people want in the freaking door.

It bugs me. Especially when all I want is my delicious food.

Service? Has Anyone Seen Any Service Around Here?

I feel as though I am past the point of feeling like some kind of second-class citizen in a nice restaurant. No, my parents aren’t here, and yes, I have the money to pay you and leave a healthy tip. I think that I’m starting to look old enough that people don’t question why I would choose to go there either, especially when I’m in my work clothes.

You know why I get worse service now? Because I’m not a middle-aged powerful looking man who will leave a gigantic tip if the waitress flirts a little with me. More and more I’m finding that I get average service in nice restaurants. Ok, so it could just be a sign of the times, but I see other tables getting better service; tables with a couple of guys in expensive suits.

If I got great service, I would tip great. I am able to tip larger amounts now, but I’m only going to do it when someone deserves it. Those servers who immediately associate me with a small tip and give me average service get an average tip. They create their own self-fulfilling prophecy.

Good service tip #1: If you’re working Happy Hour, know exactly which food and drinks are included, which aren’t and notify the customer of it. Even if people can afford it, they’re going to be a little miffed when the bill doesn’t match their expectations. No one likes feeling over-charged.

Cloud Nine

Interesting Fact.

The first 'Cloud Atlas' that was published in 1896, identified the different types of clouds in the sky and had only 10 types of clouds. Cumulonimbus clouds, the pretty, poofy, cushiony clouds that are so pretty on a summer day, were among one of the ten identified.

What number do you think it was identified as? Number nine. That's right. That is the origin of the saying 'to be on cloud nine'.

"Cause I don't want to come back down from this cloud. It's taken me all this time to find out what I'm here for." Bush X

I Found a New Form of Politeness!

I have stumbled upon a gentlemanly phenomenon that I had not been aware of at my new building. I work at Commerce Place now, so I ride the elevator up 17 floors everyday. It is within these elevators that said phenomenon was observed.

All of the men in my building ‘hold’ the door open for all of the other people on the elevator, especially women. Even if a man is the last person to enter the elevator and is standing in front of everyone who needs to exist, he shifts to the side, places his arm or briefcase in front of the door sensors and allows everyone to go ahead of him. I’ve even seen it happen where two or three guys all make the attempt to hold open the door or be the last to exit and it makes for a rather entertaining little dance of ‘who goes first?’

This brings up a few questions to me, but my main question is why? Elevator sensors will sense the people exiting and not shut the door. The briefcase/arm is not really required. Where did this originate? Is this isolated to my building or is this societal? It seems like a very polite thing to do, but at the same time it has misogynistic undertones. I’m not saying that I would ever get upset at someone for holding a door for me, but it is an example of women being treated differently at the workplace. Could it be the guys like the ‘view’ that the situation provides? Maybe I should challenge the role and do it to the men in the elevator, to show them the same politeness they have afforded me.

Or perhaps I’m taking a polite gesture made by people who want to make the world feel a little more civilized and over-analyzing it. Either way, it’s still interesting to witness.

They Call it "F...Ff..Fr..Free.." Time?

I had the oddest realization the other day. It's odd in the fact that it was so obvious and simple that I had not even seen it. So ready? Here it is.

I'm not busy anymore.

Weeeeeeeiiiiird. I spent the last year prioritizing my internship above everything. My evenings were not my own half the time because I had meetings to be at. It was a fact of life that I got used to. I was so busy that I forgot to cut my hair for 6 months. It felt like I had cut it recently and then all of the sudden it's 6 months later and I have ridiculous amounts of hair.

But now I have my evenings free. I have to come up with ways to fill them for myself. I suppose one suggestion would be to get a hair cut.

You want to know what the tragic part is? I'm sad that I'm not busy. I love being busy. I like not having all that much time to myself at home because when I do find that time, I truly appreciate it. If I'm not busy all the time then I get bored quickly, what with having no TV to constantly entertain me. And you know what I hate? Being bored. It's definitely the worst.

Anyway, in a nutshell: I have free time and it's kind of freakin' me out.

It's The Force!

You know what is a tremendously interesting book? A Short History of Nearly Everything by Bill Bryson. It's just awesome. I'm only 150 pages in and I can't stop thinking and talking about it.

It explains the most complex ideas in science in a form that regular people can understand. He uses fantastic metaphors and regales you with tales of drama from scientists' lives through the centuries. What inspired me to write this post is at the subatomic level. First of all, the subatomic level is a pretty crazy place that is pretty much as hard to comprehend as the vastness of the universe. But yet somehow Bryson made it accessible. So...

Ok. Think back. At some point in school we learned about what makes up an atom. There are neutrons and protons in the nucleus of the atom with electrons somehow floating/orbiting/they aren't even sure what to call it around the nucleus. There are always the same number of protons as electrons, and scientists have determined that each is partnered. If one electron is affected, it's partner proton is affected in the opposite manner. Here's the kicker that they haven't been able to explain; honestly it's so incomprehensible that scientists just ignore the 'why' and accept that it is the way it is.

If you spin an electron in one direction, the partner proton instantly spins the opposite way. They tested this when each was 7 miles apart from one another. 7 miles might as well be across the galaxy when you think about how small an electron is. Instantly the proton spun in the opposite direction. Instantly. Here's an example that allowed my brain to comprehend it. 2 Scientists. One is at Southgate and the other is at City Centre Airport. In front of each of them is a miraculous floating ping pong ball that is spinning. The scientist at Southgate spins hers in the opposite direction and at that same nanosecond, the ball at the city centre airport starts spinning in the opposite direction with no explanation but its relationship with the other ball. Of course the problem with this example is scale. If we're blowing up electrons and protons to the size of pingpong balls then the scientists would have to be... hmmm... uhhh... carry the one... really far apart.

Anyway, this occurence completely violates Einstein's Theory of Relativity whereby nothing can travel faster than the speed of light. This is the theory we use to currently define our universe!There is some force that allows for electrons and protons to share a connection across the relative distance of a galaxy. It's a miraculous connection that our meagre minds have yet been able to begin to comprehend. Could it be that it surrounds us and penetrates us? That it binds the galaxy together? Perhaps the only person smart enough to comprehend it is George Lucas.

One physicist has even said that scientists have dealt with this problem so far by 'not thinking about it.' Can you think of what it would be like to be the person with the brainpower to prove The Force exists? This person, like Einstein, will change the way that we understand our universe. Was your mind just blown? Mine was.

I'm totally nerding out over here.

And just for funzies...

Since I was talking about Tyra, I figured I should add this one in.

Damn Girl!

Ok, so we've all heard it a hundred times over the past few years. A ridiculous number of us ladies have the wrong size bra on. Oprah says it. Tyra says it. And if Oprah and Tyra say it, I don't think it could be any more true. Honestly, you'd think it was some kind of epidemic the way people talk about it.

However, I discovered today why they make such a big deal out of it. It's because when you put on the correct size, it's like your entire wardrobe and body changes. I tried on a size I never thought I was and BAM! My underclothing paradigm was forever changed. All I could think to myself was Damn Girl! (like in the Justin Timberlake song, not like in a cheezy Tyra kind of way)

Ladies? Go try a new size.

Oh and what's my new size?

Wouldn't you just like to know.

Where the Hell is Matt?

That Darn Travel Bug

This video just made my skin itch. It's so itchy and the only way it can be scratched is by travelling. Darn those expensive travel bugs. Darn them all to heck.

I should be going to Newfoundland in October, and I'm actually really excited for that. The NL is far enough that it is almost another country, but you know what? Watching this video just made me think how not far enough it is and how many places I haven't seen.

The guy who made this video was sponsored to go around the world for 6 months and dance badly. They paid for all of his expenses therefore his only limitation was time. Talk about the sweetest job ever created.

Anyway, pick your favorite scene out of the dozens there. My personal favorite is the one with the Rwandan children dancing around him - they're all so happy!

The Passing of the Torch

Here I sit on Tuesday afternoon, barely able to get my mind to focus. Bright and early tomorrow I leave to Kananaskis for my last intern-related conference. That's right. It's one more post about internship nostalgia. I promise it will stop eventually :)

It should be legendary good times as it starts with a road trip listening to cheezy 80's dance tapes and it can only get better from there. I get to freak out the new interns with tales of presenting to council, reviewing Economic Development Plans and overhauling 5 Year Business plans just because I felt like it. These are people who have yet to learn what the difference is between the MGA and MR. Just like me one year ago. Mwahahaha. New interns are already standing around like deer in headlights; I may actually feel bad if I freak them out anymore.

Then I will pass the alcohol torch onto them. This is the conference where all the interns are told that they should be a bunch of drunkards whenever they are together. This is a stereotype that my group rebelled against eventually due to the fact that we didn't like getting drunk every night we were together. What's wrong with being sober anyhow? However, it still seems like tradition that the new interns need to think that they should drink together. Maybe it's a bonding thing, maybe I want them to seem more inept than myself or maybe it's because there are CAO's and lawyers buying all of us free shots of tequila, but I think the tradition will be passed down.

Also, I have a loft suite to myself. So rad! Oh man, I'm so excited.

It's The Little Things That Getcha

Seriously.

Ok, so I know I'm no expert when it comes to vehicles, but I'm also not the most hopeless person. I'm not too afraid to try to fix the simple stuff ie. things I can read how to do on the internet.

However, when one gives up trying to work on the car for any longer because one has become convinced that the wire to pop the hood has broken, one walks away in defeat... for now. Bitter, bitter defeat. I was convinced that the engine of the corolla would be locked away forever in one final gigantic quirk that defined that car through the years.

Now, I was going over this incident after it happened and picturing it in my mind. I was pulling the lever and nothing was happening. Pulled lever... nothing. oh.....no.....I'm an idiot.

That's right. After the fact I realized I was pulling the trunk release, not the hood release.

No wonder the hood wouldn't open!

2007 Worlds synchronised swimming Team Free Final CHN(4th)

Back to my Roots

So I found this on YouTube today. I haven't really seen any synchro in years and sometimes I wish I had kept up on it more. I mean, I used to know people on the national team and everything! I didn't really have the drive for it, but if I had then it's possible that I could have competed on a more national basis, and possibly internationally to a degree.

Anyway, when I see this, I am amazed at how far synchro has come in the past few years. This routine would have been good enough to win hands down 7 years ago, but China here came in 4th this year. Canada used to be leading edge and a competitor for gold; now we place 6th at worlds.

The athleticism continues to amaze me. You may not be able to tell, but this routine travels a 25 metre pool 3.5 times, plus heading sideways and at angles, over the span of a 4 minute routine. There is one leg sequence (where they are upside kicking their legs around) that is 20 seconds and another 15 second one right at the end of their routine. Ever tried sprinting as hard as you can while holding your breath for 15 seconds? How about after you've been sprinting for 3.5 minutes already?

Call it a sport. Call it not a sport. I really don't care. But I guarantee none of us can do what they just did in that video.

Honestly. I can feel their lungs burning from here. Holy Cow.

2 Things

hmmm... rant or happy news first? hmmm....

Happy News
It's turning green outside! After months of white and brown and grey, I drove home today and saw color! Take a peek - it's been a while since we've seen it.

Rant!
I found out from the job I am supposed to be starting on Thursday (6 days from now) that I can't start working until I have a criminal record check, which is currently taking 10 days, plus time to receive it in the mail.

I challenge anyone to walk into a police station, no matter how prepared you think you are, and walk out having completed a criminal record check form. Twice in the past year I've tried, and twice I have failed. The info and requirements on the internet apply only to the downtown location, not the neighborhood locations. Ensuring proper ID and proper payment methods are harder than you think. The website also led me to believe that I had to drop it off before 4:00. Also untrue because the neighborhood locations have their own hours. Tremendously, tremendously frustrating. The amount of gas I have wasted on these people boggles my mind.

Grrr....

Well, on the bright side, it looks like I may have a longer vacation inbetween positions after all!

Icky Thump

So Excited!!!!

As Sean has also pointed out on his blog, the White Stripes are releasing a new album and are going on a full tour of Canada. Actually, they're also touring all of the states they have never been to as well.

When they toured for Get Behind Me Satan, Sean, Scott, Alex, Aaron and myself travelled to Vancouver and attended both shows they played there. Thanks to Sean's mad pre-buying skillz I spent one night in the second row and one night in the 8th row of the theatre. The 2nd row show earned the White Stripes the title of My Favorite Band. It was PHENOMENAL. And I don't use all caps lightly, people.

Somehow the White Stripes encapsulate all of the modern parts of rock that I adore as well as some very strong influences from chicago, delta blues, and some strong country influences at times. It creates a mix that resonates with me. Many people like to instantly refer to the lack of mad skillz in Meg's drumming, but the White Stripes are about more than that. Jack White is amazingly creative and talented and I give him quite a bit of respect for making music that is meaningful, rather than over-produced and over-constructed to sell to the masses.

I'm very curious to hear this album. It's their first ever in a modern recording studio.

And Sean? I'll make Calgary and Edmonton work. I'll find a way. As for the others, that has yet to be decided.

Waxing Nostalgia

Well, my new position title at Municipal Affairs will officially be 'Municipal Analyst.' WooOOOooo. Fancy sounding.

Anyway, I am now officially in my last week of my internship and I find myself very nostalgic. All the things I've done! All the people I met! All the things I learned! What's a girl to do with all this information collected and stored away?

This is a pretty exciting time for me as I get settled in the next few months into what will eventually be a permanent position. New places to tackle. New people to meet, things to learn, blah blah blah. But I'm a little sad still.

This past year has been really good to me. A little dramatic at times, but my life is finally taking shape as a whole. I'm on my own, a complete adult with a career, apartment, car and student loan payments of my own. I've been finding new people to care about me and appreciating the ones who have been doing so for a long time. I've learned amazing things about myself and have realized that I have a tremendously strong faith in myself and those around me. It's almost like with the ending of this internship, it ends one of the most eventful and defining years in my life to date. And who would want that to end, really?

I spent all day today putting together a presentation for council on what I've been doing for the past 12 months. It's crazy! I'm telling them the tip of the iceberg and it's probably going to take 15 minutes straight of me talking.

I'll move onwards and upwards and cleave to the line, but this year is one for the record books.

P.S. I'm also putting the Community Economic Development Plan that I reviewed in front of Council for acceptance tonight. I may be put through the ringer, so wish me luck!

Oh, The Possible Addiction

So, after being hounded by about a dozen people to join facebook, on Friday afternoon I finally joined. It is now Sunday morning and I have 97 friends. I know that many people?

So basically, because there's just so much activity on there, it forces you to check it all the time. I leave the house and when I come back I have 6 emails from Facebook. I find people that I haven't talked to in years who I don't really have anything to say to, but it's neat to know they're still alive!

Not to mention that because I got this many friends this quickly that it is a little overwhelming. I'm not going to try to talk to all of them. I don't want to. I also don't want to spend ALL of my time on Facebook keeping up on everyone's updates.

In conclusion, while it is really cool to be able to see people that I haven't seen in years, it's getting a little annoying. We'll see how much I really jump onto the bandwagon.

Aaaah....

Ok, the period after all the waiting and decisions is a very calm and happy time. A certain peace comes over me when something is finally dealt with.

I have been stressing for 4 months now about getting a job for when my internship ends. With a week and a half left, I actually now have one!

My new job is with Municipal Affairs, working with their Municipal Advisory Unit. I get to present and advise on Legislation affecting municipalities. It should be a completely new perspective and should definitely be challenging. I'm excited as this could mean some travel to do presentations in different areas of the province and it could open a number of very interesting doors for me. It's only a three month position, but it should prove to be a crazy 3 months!

High Five to me! Woo! WooWoo!

Waiting and Decisions

Why do waiting and decisions seem to go hand in hand so often? You need to wait for information before you make a decision. You make a decision, then you have to wait to see what the response is. You wait to make a decision just because you're kind of afraid of making the decision.

The worst part of decision making is the waiting. And the worst part of waiting is knowing that you have to make a decision at the end of it.

Inseparable, and frustrating. Grrr....

Updates on what the heck I'm talking about to come after the waiting period is finished.

Musical Bigotry

I have a personal pet peeve I need to share. It's when people decide that they hate an entire genre of music. "I hate country music. I can't stand it. All of it is terrible." Oh, that's good, and do you also hate black people?

Ooh, the sarcasm is so thick I can't see.

Admit it. You do it. Almost everyone does. What's your hated genre? Country? Rap? R&B? (yes, they're different) Dance? 80's? Oldies? Or for the uber-pretentious, do you hate all mainstream music as a whole?

Have you heard all the songs in the genre? Or have you painted the entire genre by what companies decide is crap enough to go on the radio? There could be some quality artists and songs out there that suit your taste, but you just don't know about them. Songs, regardless of the genre, became popular because millions of people could identify with them. You're such an individual that you can't identify with the masses in any situation at any time? Not to be blunt, but... Get over yourself.

I used to say I hated country music, partially due to brainwashing by certain sisters. (Love You!) But guess what? I don't hate it at all! I don't particularly like the majority of the new popular stuff, but the Dixie Chicks are great! And most of the classic country songs are just that - classic. I'm So Lonesome I Could Cry is a really emotional song and I don't think you could even begin to count the number of people who derive their own music from the influence of Hank Williams. Patsy Cline is awesome! And it's now completely unhip to say that you don't like Johnny Cash.

I found my way to like a genre. I challenge you to the same. Need some suggestions? Ask anyone who their favorite artists are in the genre and then check them out. If someone found worth in that music, it's possible for you to find it as well. I'm not trying to say that you should force yourself to like a genre, but step out of your box. Cross the line that is the boundary to your proverbial comfort zone. You just might find some music that really inspires you.

P.S. This was inspired because I bought a new Dixie Chicks album today and it's great!

The Magical World of Calorie Counting

Over the past month or so, I've taken a real turn in taking care of my body. In other words, I'm paying attention to it, rather than just being annoyed with certain superficial occurrences. I've really started to enjoy heading to the gym 4-6 times a week and love walking away knowing that I just burned 500 calories. Now, knowing approximately how much I'm burning is great, but I have yet to see much of a physical change start, (except for the downgrade on the belt loop this morning! WOOHOO!) so naturally, it turned me to keep track of the other side of the calorie equation. If I know what's going in, I can figure out how much to put out.

This is when I discovered how much a wonder the internet really is. At calorie-count.com you very quickly start an account and you're on your way. You can find almost any food in their database, add it to your log, and it tracks and calculates your calories for you. You put everything in it, from the 2 sugars you had in your coffee, to the milk you had with your cereal. Also, it recommends a goal weight, a daily calorie intake recommendation and how long it would take you to reach that goal weight based on those factors.

Does it stop there? oh no. You also have an activity log so that it can take into account how many extra calories you are burning a day. There's also a weight log that graphs out your progress. Then you can hit the analysis button and it gives you a letter grade on your nutrition, activities, etc. A few minutes to update the logs daily and you have a full mathematical record of why you are or are not succeeding.

I like it because I like someone telling me that I'm doing well. Positive reinforcement. If the numbers are saying that my body should be changing, then that change is on its way. And for those days where I don't pay as much attention to the exercise or diet, it holds me accountable.

Someone sign up for it with me and then I can talk about it with somebody! hehe.

Happy Counting!

How bizarre! How bizarre!

Hey all,

So I just read the oddest little news story. There's a man who was just arrested for randomly grabbing women's buttocks in LRT stations around the city. He wears a red scarf around his face and a black hood and follows a girl. You know what he does then? Sneaks up behind her and grabs her ass.

Here's my imagination: ok... so I am being followed by a creepy guy who is hiding his face. I'd get pretty freaked out and my imagination would start running wild. When all of the sudden he swoops in on me, grabs my butt then runs away. WHAT? Beyond feeling violated, I would feel tremendously confused.

What a truly bizarre habit to have formed. Granted, it could lead to larger unwelcome advances and no one wants that, but could it be some bizarre spin off of frottage?

I thought you'd all might enjoy the story. Oh, and if you're being followed by a creepy guy in the LRT stations who has a red scarf around his neck, you might want to cover your ass and cover your ass.

Ha! Zing!

What is going on?

So, I've become more aware lately of some of the very strange things happening within our culture. It started slowly with wondering why Paris Hilton is so famous. And then why her sex tape made her even more famous. Then a few months ago I read 'Female Chauvinist Pigs' by Ariel Levy. I recommend you all go read it. Now. ready? Go!

Anyway, that book set me on a course of seeing societal phenomena regarding sex, women and success differently. Slutty as empowerment. Where did this come from? And where is it going to lead us? The main message I found from that book was that the vast majority of women in North America aren't defining their own sexuality, but they're letting pop culture define it for them.

There are 2 recent events that have sparked this posting. One is the Grade Fivers in the states who apparently had sex in an unsupervised classroom and could possibly be criminially charged with obscene behavior and the other is this Pussycat Dolls video that MSN is advertising in the messenger window. Do you hear all of the pre-pubescent girls screaming at these overtly sexy, girating women who are singing about men 'loosening up their buttons?' Can you see the absolute disconnect that is happening with some children today?

We allow our young girls to idolize sexy role models without giving them a way in which to interpret the sexiness. Parents take their girls to a concert where they get excited and scream at the top of their lungs at what is quite obviously a male produced and controlled fantasy. We let them do all this, then when they make bad choices around sex at younger ages, we can't figure out what has gone wrong. In fact, with holding them criminally accountable for their actions, all of the sudden we try to tell them that sexy behavior is bad. We are encouraging that kind of behaviour in them as a society, then punishing it.

Now, do I think that all this sexy, slutty garbage is going anywhere soon? No, and it shouldn't have to. It has a right to be there as much as I have a right to think it's feeble-minded. All the power to them. But we need to make sure that these kind of images are put into context. Girls need to know that sex is not the only way to make guys like them, and have enough confidence in who they are to know they are worth more than their bodies. I fully support a sex education class that tackles more than anatomy and abstinence. I fully support parents to interpret and limit the amount of sexual images that gets thrown at children. These images aren't going away. We better figure out a way to prepare our kids to deal with them.

Whoo... okay, *steps down*. You can have your soapbox back. I'm finished with it... for now.

Fun with Personality Tests

You know what I have always found really cool and they never cease to entertain me? Personality tests. The fact that I can answer a few questions and a generic description gives me actual insight into the way I see myself is pretty cool.

This new dating site a few of us are trying just added on a personality search onto their engine. (which is the best idea I've heard of in a while, actually) You do a quick myers-briggs test and it tells you your personality. I'm an ENTJ! 'The World's Natural Leader' Only 1.8% of the population falls into it but all of my close friends who have taken the test happen to all be the same. We all like to be challenged in our arguments and apparently we're one of the only types that will do that. It's pretty cool that we all found eachother, actually.

And what do I find when I get home this afternoon? Well, while trying to figure out when the next new Grey's Anatomy will be on, I found THIS. It takes about 2 minutes for them to tell you which Grey's Anatomy character you are most like. woooOOOOoooo. Not quite as insightful, but entertaining nonetheless.

I'm Callie. Who are you?

Do it for the poor planners!

You know why you should go to those open houses, focus groups and information sessions held by the town or city wherever you live? Because someone went to stupid amounts of work to plan it. For you. They didn't do it for fun, or because they just love it so much. They did it for you and the least you can do is go and say that you like it or you hate it. Because you know what? It's really embarassing if 4 council members show up and a grand 2 of 42 people invited have shown up.

You know what? Not attending is just being rude. Rude. rude. rude.

You're all rude, and of course I'm not bitter!

Rude!

Mediocrity Part Deux

Okay, so I bring it on myself. When mediocre boy from Wednesday seemed enthused to meet a second time, I told myself that I should give it another chance. If he saw something there, maybe I just missed it or something.

You know what's worse than a mediocre first date? When you go on a second date and realize you're in the middle of a bad date. Why does it turn bad? Because you've already asked your rolodex of small talk questions. "So did you grow up in Edmonton?" "any siblings?" "So, you said that you travelled alot - how was that?" "So... how long have you been on lavalife?" "So! Do you ever get excited or like to talk about anything ever!?"

ok, so the last one isn't so standard. And if it ever becomes standard, that is the day I need to give up this dating thing entirely.

And I am going to try from now on to not talk about specific instances in the melodramatic dating life of this single girl. If I keep doing it, I'm going to have to try to keep this blog a secret from my dates. I've never been all that good at keeping my own secrets. Though most likely entertaining to my faithful readers :P, it's not so good for the cause that I like to call 'Get Stephanie a Boyfriend'

Lata!

Environmania!

So Alberta Environment is looking for public input as to the future stance and policy it will have towards environmental legislation. Wow! Alberta is acknowledging the environment! This is an amazing day.

Rob Renner is the Environment Minister right now, and I got to meet him a number of times over the past year because he used to be the minister of Municipal Affairs. (Yeah, I’m kind of a big deal – I even have a picture with him) He’s a great guy and the fact that he is taking a stand and believing the research reinforces to me that he is a politician I respect.

Okay, time for that advocate for the devil to rear his head. The research is there. He believes it. Regular Albertans don’t know the research. Why are they consulting us on this? Even if a bunch of redneck Albertans who don’t know what they’re talking about come to these open houses and scream and holler about the recession in the 80’s, it shouldn’t matter. If Rob is truly concerned about Fort Mcmurray having the climate of Medicine Hat by the year 2080, then he shouldn’t listen to the people who got their information from the farmer down the road who got their information from a cbc radio news report that they kind of remember from 4 years ago.

Even though I don’t think they are moving as fast as they should, the fact that there is progress happening at all is great news to me and I am encouraged by Minister Renner. I hope everyone can go to these sessions, get information and give some feedback.

The one in Edmonton is on April 18 at the Westin from 6-9. I’ll be there and you should come too. All the cool kids are doing it. You know you want to. And there are sessions all around the province. It doesn’t matter where you are, there will be one in your neck of the woods.

Click here to find out where your closest session will be!

Mediocrity

There are alot of people who you can have a mediocre date with. I am shocked sometimes at the percentage of mediocrity in the population.

I just got back from a date. Was it great? No. Was it bad? No. It was mediocre. I have been on so many of these things that it's getting kind of annoying. I don't want to stop trying - I'm not a quitter! - but they can start to zap your energy.

Seriously, what happened to the funny, intelligent, analytical men in this world? I'm pretty sure they exist.

Oh, and if anyone has a pack of matches they could lend me that would be awesome because right now I'm in desperate lack of a spark.

Dream Homes... so Dreamy

Today Mandy and I took a trip to Cameron Heights to see the dream homes in the Full House Lottery. These homes are worth $1,000,000 dollars each and they are huge, like 4138 square feet huge. Mandy and I walked around them saying "My kitchen could fit in half of this closet. My apartment could fit in this bathroom." No exaggerating. They actually could. I could probably fit 8 of my apartment into one house. Actually I just did the math and I could actually fit 7.8 apartments into the house. Mandy could fit 11.5 of her apartments into the one house. HUGE.

I like my apartment. I don't need anymore space than this but when you see those houses it makes you think that's what you want. Bigger! Fancier! More Superfluous! Do I need an office, a four seasons room, a theatre room, a games room and a great room? No. Are they pretty? Yeeeesssss. Okay, one concession. I REALLY want a kitchen that looks like I could host a cooking show in.

I keep asking myself why people decide they need that much space. One of the houses was a 2 bedroom - they expect 3 people to live in that amount of space! So much of it adds up to the consumptive lives that we lead. Personally, I'd rather spend a million dollars on a penthouse loft near Whyte or Dowtown because it would be so convenient. Nothing about those houses says convenient. There's more to clean, more to mow, more space to try to use, more to buy in order to fill the cupboard space, more distance to get to a grocery store (or anykind of store for that matter), more ways to avoid your neighbor, more furniture.....MORE!

Okay, so I still bought a ticket. But if I want that convenient loft downtown, then selling one of those houses and getting all that free furniture is a great way to do it!

Here's hoping I don't win a Grand Piano!

Maybe I'm a good luck charm...

I went to the Oiler game tonight. After 12 straight losses, I wasn't sure how great it would be to be there, but the tickets were free so I couldn't go wrong.

After a pretty dismal 1st period, the Oilers managed to find some energy that they had lost for the past month and pulled it together. Lupul, though he played like crap for most of the year, scored a tying goal with under 2 minutes left in the third period. It goes to overtime! Nothing! It goes to a shootout! After 4 rounds, not one team has scored a goal! Finally on the 5th round we get it in and the Avs don't. By the end of the game, it felt like a real hockey stadium again. I'm really happy for the Oilers right now - they really needed this and Edmonton needed to believe they could still do it.

I think they won because I was there. Do you think they'd give me free season tickets next year because I'm a good luck charm?

It Is Your Destiny - I Have Foreseen It

The older I get, the more aware I become of how in control of my life I am. The world takes care of me? That's crap. Everything I do is in some way a choice made by me and I take full responsibility for it. People who play the victim and say "Well, I could be happy if ____ happened." or "Why does the world hate me? If only the world didn't hate me, I would be happy." Complete bullshit.

I've been grumpy, annoyed and not as happy as I should be for the past few weeks. I kept waiting for something exterior to myself to break me out of my funk and let me figure out where my life is heading after my internship finishes.

Yesterday and today, I took my power back. First, that negative dialogue that started in my head when I wasn't getting along with my boss is out the window. Everytime I catch myself thinking those negative thoughts about factors in my life I can't change (and I was thinking alot of them), I stop, tell myself to stop thinking it and try to think of something positive instead. Second, all that second guessing I've been doing to myself about getting a new job/relationship, I did the same thing I did with #1.

Third, I went for a pep talk run. It's the opposite of my patented angry run. During a pep talk run, all you do is talk to yourself about how awesome you are and how no one else in this world should ever be able to get you down on yourself. "How dare they try to do that? Do they even know who I am? I am strong and capable and awesome, and nobody puts baby in the corner! I'm going to go psychologically kick their ass all over the office tomorrow, proving how awesome I am!"

Ok, so it sounds a little bit schizophrenic, but I guarantee results!

In conclusion, I am the master of my own destiny. Happiness comes to me if I want it to. Not if this happens, or this date passes, or once I have it figured out. I am the only one who cares if I have a good day, and you better believe that I care.

Do yourself a favor: No matter what happens to you tomorrow, have a great day. I know I will.

D.O.M.S.

I just learned a new term today. Good ol' Wikipedia teaches me that Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness or D.O.M.S. (ie. ow, my muscles hurt alot 2 days after I exercise hard) is not caused by lactic acid.

I always thought that lactic acid was the damned chemical that caused my muscles so much pain, which led me to believe that if I keep exercising, that the acid will work its way out of my muscles and I"ll feel better. Not true.

Apparently, the burning sensation that is causing me to avoid straightening my arms due to pain is caused by many small little tears in my muscle. Or the pain could be caused by my muscles responding to the tears by swelling, becoming stronger and putting pressure on my nerves.

That ripping and swelling process? It's entirely possible that exercising more has no effect on it. ie. if I work out alot over the next couple days my pain will go away faster. Not true.

I'm a little more educated, but my arms still hurt. Somehow, it doesn't help. Harumph.

St. Paddy

Who is this St. Patrick anyway? And why does everybody seem to think he's so great?

As far as I can tell, most people here in Canada tend not to care. All they know is that it's boozin' time! Woo! WooWOO!

But guess what? I stood in the beautiful sunshine in front of O'Byrne's for about a half hour today, got in, snagged a great table, had a beer with Ms. Fitz (the real Irish one) and watched some 5 year olds perform Irish Dancing. Soooo Cute!

So what did this old guy do that was so important? I don't care. But it's a great excuse to hang out in the sunshine, at a bar over a pint with friends and take in some culture.

New Toy

Oh yeah, I forgot to tell you. I won the newest top of the line, $700 Blackberry while I was at a conference this week. It's the raddest thing EVER!

Beginnings, Endings and other 'Circle of Life' Crap

So I have had one of the most amazing years of my life. My life is finally starting to take a shape and I found a career that really suits me. It keeps me challenged, it makes me feel like I'm making a difference and the people are pretty amazing.

The hard part is that this internship is ending. I'll be out from the protective wing of municipal affairs and will now have to convince people to place their trust in me. I'm pretty sad that the internship is ending, but as a wise songstress wrote, "The hardest part of a broken heart isn't the ending as much as the start." (It's Feist, by the way). I'm starting my career and figuring out which direction to choose. I have to convince people they should hire me; even create a position for me.

I am most interested in policy planning/analysis, community and economic development. These positions are NOT the ones being created right now. In an economy where organizations are struggling just to keep their heads above water, they hire the people that will continue to keep them afloat. In municipalities, this translates to planners, development officers, admin staff and public works. All that other stuff that I want to do falls into the 'would be nice to have' category. If I wanted to do other people's typing or process building permits all day, I could have a job tomorrow, but it doesn't really further ummmm... ANY of my career goals.

I'm young, unjaded, and want to make a community better. I'm a hard worker and an overachiever at most stuff that I really care about. I want to buy into an organization and pour my enthusiasm into the job. You'd think people would try to have the foresight to realize the injection of energy that a young person, such as myself, can bring to an organization, especially with all this talk of succession planning everywhere I go.

Do I just say that to people? "As long as I'm engaged, and feel like I'm affecting a community, I don't need don't care what I'm doing. But I'm fun to have around the office, want to learn everything I can and will want to take on more tasks and responsibilities as time goes on. Hire me!" That doesn't sell well to alot of HR people, which displays the unfortunate lack of foresight on their part.

Okay, so this post has really moved away from the introspective beginnings and endings and has turned into a bitch session about me trying to find a job, but whatever! I'm frustrated and kind of hungover, so a bitch session it is.

In conclusion, if one more person tells me how many jobs there are out there, I'm going to punch them in the face.

Choose Your Own Adventure

Remember how awesome reading Choose Your Own Adventure books were? Wouldn't it be awesome if you could have that same enjoyment in TV form? About a year ago Mandy and I thought it would be a great idea for a tv show. Have a giant cliffhanger ending every week then allow the audience to vote as to which way it would end. LOST meets American Idol: It's a recipe for success.

Car jumps off of bridge!!! What Happens now?!

1) Car makes it to the land on the other side and lets the bad guy escape
2) Car lands in river with bad guy trapped inside with the lost treasure of Atlantis

I was talking about this idea at a book store today when some stranger comes up and asks me what I was planning on doing with this idea. Having no plan, I had little to say. However, he happens to be a director/producer looking for an idea to take to this Pitching Festival in Banff in a few months. He thought this idea sounded like something people would really go for nowadays, gave me his email and asked me to write down the idea and send it to him to be developed and pitched.

So, it looks like Mandy and I are about to make wheelbarrows full of money.... well, ok. It's a crazy long shot, but still pretty freaking cool.

Here's where you come in: Mandy and I are pretty good at coming up with crazy ideas, but do you have any extra? We're going to hash it out next weekend and put some things on paper, but do any of you have ideas? Plot lines? Characters we need to have? Suggestions for awesome cliffhangers?

Ready.... GO!

Drums!

I just had the most interesting Friday night. After hitting up Falafel Fridays with Andy at Cafe Mosaics, we cruised down Whyte Ave to find ourselves at a Djembe Drumming session.

What is a djembe drumming session? Well, this peppy girl who markets herself to companies as an Enthusiasm Expert teaches you 4 different corresponding parts to a West Indian or African drum line. As you learn the parts the group splits up and by the end of an hour you're all playing a different part, sounding like one complicated rhythm (hence the corporate team building spin).

It's really fun and if you ever have the chance to do it, I highly recommend it. Jammin' with a room of strangers and just findin' your groove or messin' with the beat is a pretty memorable way to spend a Friday night.

Highly enjoyable, and kudos to Andy for finding that session.

Andy and Steph say "Be happy kids! If you're not happy, you're the only one who can change it."

Later Dudes,

Steph!

Economic Development

Have you ever made the assumption that the Canadian Tires and Tim Hortons close to you just happen because they decided to move into the city? That all the businesses that exist where you are happen to be there by chance?

I've learned otherwise over the past few months. There are people hired by cities and towns just to attract and retain the businesses and services that a community wants or needs. So why does business and government working together always seem so seedy? Abuse of the system is obviously bad, but what is wrong with the government advocating on behalf of its citizens to create a commuinity that has the services it needs?

Business is not an entity that we need to suck up to, nor is it the great evil that many make it out to be. It is the workhorse that allows us the quality of life we expect. You get your pay from business. Even if you work for the government, you are being paid with tax dollars from business or from private citizens, who got their money from business.

So next time you make a generalist comment on the evils of business or profits, think of that money in your bank account, where you got it and where you actually spend it. The answer is business.

PS. WalMart is evil.

Blogging? Wow

So here I am, figuring out how to express my thoughts to the world. I have no roomate anymore, so I think the need to share my inane thoughts and updates has taken a new form. Now absolute strangers can know what is happening in my life. Aren't you all so lucky!

So where do I start? Well, I'll begin with a general state of the union of my life. That way you have the proper background to continue reading my blog.

1) I am trying to find a job that matches my career goals. It sucks and is easier said than done. Also, entering the real world with real responsibility is a little scary.

2) I'm trying to sell my car but am having little luck due to the fact that I'm currently working 60 hours weeks. I have a prospective buyer and have no time to actually phone him back or meet with him.

3) I'm working 60 hour weeks. Sux!

4) I'm rereading 1984. So awesome and still one of my favorite books.

5) Still on lavalife. I somehow doubt my ideal mate will be found on the internet, but I'll never know if I don't try! Plus it generally makes my life more interesting.

So there's some things that I may be writing about in the future. Should be interesting to see what I end up writing on here. I know you're all waiting with bated breath.