The Final Countdown

As 2009 comes to a close, I am once again faced with my ever increasing skill talent folly of not finishing things I start.
I wanted to jump back into the blogging life and thought that Gwen Bell's Best of 09 Challenge would be a perfect way to do that.
Apparently, perfection only lasts eleven days.

So, on this last day of 2009...amidst party preparations and snowfall and contemplating my life in it's entirety, I have resolved to FINISH THIS DAMN LIST.

I know....you are quivering in anticipation.

Day 12: New Food - Having lived in small towns most of my life I have been relegated to limited food choices...that being A&W or McDonalds. Finally living in civilization has brought me many culinary delights and the favourite has to be Vietnamese. Mmmm....Spicy Satay Chicken Noodle Soup. Thank you for burning by lips, making my eyebrows sweat and causing me to roll out of the restaurant like a big fat Buddha ball.

Day 13: Best change to the place I live - Unpacking my boxes....finally. Seeing familiar things in this house that is now "ours" not "his".

Day 14: Rush - Really haven't done anything that brought out the adrenaline this year...must rectify.

Day 15: Best packaging: Juice packaging designed by naoto fukasawa

Day 16: Tea of the Year - For me, simple...Peppermint Green Tea. Nothing fancy, just good old AHHHHHH

Day 17: Word or Phrase that encapsulates the year: Floundering

Day 18: Shop: This year was a year of non-spending...in theory. But where did the mad money go? What little of it there was went to books and craft supplies. So Chapters and Michaels are the winners.

Day 19: Car Ride: As previously mentioned, best car ride of 09 was a spontaneous trip to Montana.

Day 20: New Person - She's not really new to me as I have known her "online" for four years. We only met in person for the first time this summer, but Miss D has changed my life in the biggest way possible. From the far off sunshine of Florida, this matchmaker set me up with the man, the myth, the legend, Rico. And for that, she's not only the best new person of 09, she's pretty much the best person for life.

Day 21: Project - a project I started this year that I'm proud of? Well there are many many MANY failed, attempted, thought about and forgot projects...so...ya. Ask me again when I finish this damn list.

Day 22: Startup: What's a business that you found this year that you love? Hmmm...ya....blank. when you only leave the house twice a week you don't really find to many new businesses. Does Wok Box count?

Day 23: Web Tool: Something that has helped my online experience? I finally joined the decade and got myself a Blackberry. Now I can waste time WHEREVER I may be.

Day 24: Learning Experience: It's been a tough year of learning for me. Learning that I still am way too impulsive, learning that I really don't have any marketable skills, learning that I let myself wallow WAY TOO MUCH, learning that I really don't know what I want to be when I grow up....but most of all learning that I am truly blessed in so many ways despite how I feel about myself.

Day 25: Gift. What's the gift you gave yourself that keeps on giving? - Allowing myself to take the time to figure it all out. It's been interesting, and I can't help but feel I've wasted most of it and that this time to reflect is going to come to a crashing halt and that I better get it together....fast. (because Jesus is coming and he looks pissed)

Day 26: Insight or a-ha moment. My biggest epiphany of the year was that I wasn't doing anyone any good by staying at a job that made me (and consequently anyone around me) miserable. Jumping out of it to ensure my vacation plans stayed intact wasn't the best move of 09...but it made for a beautiful summer.

Day 27: Social Web Moment: Meeting Miss D after talking to her through blogs, flickr and facebook was the social web moment of the century for me.

Day 28: Stationery - I hold an irrational reverence for all things stationery. Paper, pens, staplers, glue....these are the things that make me pee in my pants a little bit. Rediscovering my long packed paper stash was a stellar moment. (Yes, I realize how positively loser-ish that is to some people, but I KNOW that there are plenty of others who share my orgasmic love for these things.)

Day 29: Laugh: Biggest Belly laugh of 09? Still waiting for it. It may just happen tonight.

Day 30: Ad - What advertisement made you think this year?  Hockey, coffee, generational differences, multiculturalism...What could be more Canadian? This advertisement caused some debate for me. Many people thought it was endearing and honestly....it just PISSED ME OFF.Watch...discuss. Let me know what you thought of it.

Never show your child that you care about what's important to them? Let them think you are a total dickhead? 20 years later lovingly show up at the grandchilds game and finally tell your own kid that you were there all along? Grab a cup of coffee and all is well and forgiven? Canadian? No. Asian? Yes. Totally. Trust me....lived it.

Day 31: Resolution you wish you'd stuck with - .....ALL OF THEM.

Blog lyric title brought to you by Europe. 

Da da da da....da da da da da

Bloggitus interruptus

This blog has been interrupted by snotticus phlegmican.
Once I arise from my Nyquil induced writers block I shall resume.

I know...

you're waiting with bated breath.

Be brave.

This Must Be The Place

Day 11 of Best09 Challenge is The Best Place.

The best place for me in 09? Anywhere near this guy.

Blog title lyric courtesy of Talking Heads (but here is MGMT cover version for kicks)

Something Infinitely Interesting

Day 10 of the Best09 Challenge is Album. What's rocking your world?

I like my mindless music as much as the next pop radio listener, I bop along with the pop tunes and dance tracks whilst driving through traffic. (did I really just type whilst?) When I want to really LISTEN to music however, I turn to one band....Incubus. 2009 was a fantastic year for me because Brandon and the boys released Monuments and Melodies. I am not such a snob that I cannot appreciate and SQUEE to the point of annoyance about a greatest hits compilation.

The night that my cousin Beanaz and I saw Incubus a few years ago was epic.  On the drive there we were rocking out to Prince's "Let's Go Crazy". Fast forward through beer gardens, getting as close to the stage as possible, being squished to near oblivion, dancing my legs off and in all likelihood having the guy behind me masturbate during AnnaMolly (I SWEAR TO GOD!!)

Beanaz and I apres beer, pre-dancing and pre-masturbation debacle:


The lights suddenly went dim, and ominous organ music started. I frantically looked around for Beanaz and rejoiced as I heard Brandon bellow "Dearly beloved, we are gathered here today to get through this thing called life...."

I was thrilled when I saw that Incubus had included their version of Let's Go Crazy on Monuments and Melodies. For your listening pleasure:





 I cannot possibly pick a favourite Incubus song, but here is a sampling in all their Brandon glory

Warning



Pardon Me - Acoustic at Much Music




Blog title lyric courtesy of  Incubus - Echo

Imagine the Sensation of a Teenage Occupation

Day 9 of Best of 09 Blog Challenge is Challenge. Something that really made you grow this year. That made you go to your edge.

Something that made me go to my edge?
Easiest.Choice.EVER...

This one.
Fifteen years old.
The fact that she made through 2009 without being:

1. sent to a military school for girls
   
2. sent to a convent
3. sent to an early grave by her mother

was more like a miracle rather than a challenge. The challenge was for me not to drown away in the tears that I shed trying to figure out where I lost the chubby faced cherub and was suddenly saddled with this....teenage nightmare who was in essence ME twenty some years ago. Karma, she's a bitch indeed.

* Blog Title lyric courtesy of Sweet

More Than Words

Day 8 of the Best of 2009 Blog Challenge is Moment of Peace.

Blog title lyric brought to you by cheesy hairband Extreme

Let The Word Out

Day 7 of the Best of 2009 Blog Challenge is Blog find of the year. That gem of a blog you can't believe you didn't know about until this year.

Three years ago, this list would have been long and exhausting. I had my own blog, read hundreds and had formed a group of BIFFs (best internet friends forever!!) that I talked to more than I talked to the person in the office next to me.
Life changed, jobs changed, and the biggest roadblock to blog overload was that my new boss sat three feet away from me and actually gave me work to do....the nerve!

So until quite recently, my blogroll consisted of celebrity gossip and photography sites. Now that I have a plethora of blog time I have discovered many gems...and I can't believe that I didn't know about Kristen until now.
I feel so many familiar emotions when I read her posts. Her life as a single mom, her love for her kid, her struggles with her ex, and the love she didn't even think was possible just showing up one day and changing her life forever. It's like she's a taller, athletic, eloquent version of myself.
The only thing I don't feel familiar with is her love for running...maybe someday...probably never, but I enjoy watching her journey nonetheless.

* Blog Post lyric title brought to you by Collective Soul - Better Now

The Job That Ate My Brain

Day 6 of  Gwen Bell's Best of 2009 Blog Challenge is Best Workshop or Conference.

Deciding to give up the corporate life doesn't lend itself to attending many conferences or workshops. Or Christmas parties for that matter.
*sidenote: Rico and I decided that our evening out last night at the dinner theatre was our designated Staff Party for the incorporated biz of two unemployed bums looking for a life lightening bolt. The people beside us looked at us with a mixture of envy and pity when they asked what both of us did and we replied "Nothing...we hang out"

Before I quit my day job I did attend a few investor relations conferences (YAWWWWWN) for the oil and gas industry where my presence was required solely for the purpose of plugging the PPT memory stick into the computer for my boss and snag a free meal.
The extent of my conversations at these events went something like this:

"Which way is the bathroom?"

"Why hello chicken with baby asparagus, I'm a keyboard monkey who enjoys her gel mousepad and multi coloured post it notes. My dislikes are transit peeps who eat raw onions for breakfast and conferences with no Diet Coke ...what is it you do?"

Shocking that I left that life.

I digress....my favourite workshop or conference....will have to wait for 2010 when I plan my own.


So far most of my blog titles have been song titles or lyrics. I think I shall try and stay faithful to that.
* Day 1 blog title "Redemption Has a Story to Tell" brought to you by Switchfoot
* Day 2 - Life's a Trippy Thing - Nancy Sinatra
* Day 3 - Love Soup - some weird song I used to sing as a kid, no clue
* Day 4 - Be Awesome - no song, just damn good advice
* Day 5 - Now I'm Pounding the Ouzo with Mario Puzo - Moxy Fruvous
* Day 6 - Feel It Again - Honeymoon Suite
* Day 7 - The Job That Ate My Brain - The Ramones

Feel It Again

I just now returned home from a great night at dinner theatre. Disco, detectives and dinner. What more could you ask for?
While Rico and I have many nights that could easily vie for Best of '09, one in particular stands out.
21 years ago six of my girlfriends and I drove into the big city for a Honeymoon Suite concert. (any Canadian past the age of 20 will know who these guys are)
Two months ago, Rico and I went with D & L (nicknames yet to be determined) to see Honeymoon Suite once again.
When I was seventeen and standing in the front row, these dudes were GODS. They were at the height of their fame, and the soundtrack of my life was infused with their songs.
This time around, standing in the front row again, they were less than god-like, and more like watching my uncles jamming in the garage. Some things were still the same however:

1. They still are awesome live.
2. I still remembered every lyric.
3. There are still those girls in the front row who love to show off their cleavage in hopes of snagging a rock star (even if they are 20 years past their prime)

My favourite moment of the evening was when aforementioned cleavage barer was put in her place by lead singer, Jonnie Dee when he sang New Girl Now. Instead of singing "And she's a lot like you...." he replaced it with a pointed "And she's a slut like you..."  Classic.

In 1988, at the height of Honeymoon Suite fame I paid $22 for my front row stadium ticket. 2009, dive bar in sketchy part of town.....$25.
In 1988, there was questionable hotel room parties, a car window smashed and public urination (not mine). 2009, some pub food, a few drinks and home in bed by midnight.
Looks like the band members aren't the only ones past their prime.

Now I'm poundin' the Ouzo - with Mario Puzo

Best Book 09

Best Book of 09....seriously? I have to pick just one? Practically impossible.
So instead I shall categorize and decide from there.

Best Vacation Read: The Chronicles of Narnia - C. S. Lewis - no better place to read tales of ice and snow and fantasy worlds than a sandy beach in Mexico


Best Re-read of 2009: The Beach by Alex Garland - read in my bathtub...I just had to pretend it was a lagoon in Thailand.

Best Guilty Pleasure Read: The Sookie Stackhouse Books - devoured at the cabin this summer

Best Work Related Read:  slideology - Nancy Duarte - getting paid to read at work? I'm in!

Best Creative Inspiration Read: Good Mail Day - Jennie Hinchcliff and Carolee Gilligan Wheeler


Most Repeated Author in a year Read: Chuck Palahniuk - Snuff, Choke, Haunted and I scored an AUTOGRAPHED copy of Fugitives and Refugees - A Walk in Portland, Oregon. Read on C-Train, front porch, various other locations, but most likely the bathtub.

Best Book Deal of 2009: I hit upon the greatest find of the year (IMO) quite by accident. I went to a thrift store looking for a used Pictionary Game to entertain a group of us while we "sampled" some wine on the weekend. Alas, no game.  Instead I had stumbled upon nirvana. They were renovating the store and needed to clear out their book section. Rows upon rows upon rows of books.....for TEN CENTS each. As I gathered up anything that looked remotely interesting (which was pretty much everything save the Harlequins) I sighed and said to myself "Bliss is found at the Sally Ann...who knew?"

Best Book Related Song EVER: My Baby Loves a Bunch of Authors. I just adore this fantastic ode to authors by the Canadian Band Moxy Fruvous and wanted to share.

Be Awesome

Best Article of 09

I read everything. And I mean everything.
From blogs to books, magazines to newspapers, junk mail to cereal boxes. I used to practice my french pronounciation skills by reading the shampoo bottle out loud while I was in the bathtub.
Rincez et reprise.

So for me to pick a favourite article of 2009 is a daunting task. Was it the in depth look at the intricacies of Jon Gosselin's douchebaggery? Was it the article I read about the H1N1 vaccine and its pros and cons or perhaps one of the thousand articles I had to read for my last job regarding the financial crisis? (YAWWWWWWN)

Scouring the internet like I do and jumping from link to link to link eventually led me to Chris Guillebeau. His website The Art of Non-Conformity had me from the word "unconventional". I've always imagined that I would live an unconventional life when the reality is, I'm pretty damn conventional. Middle class upbringing, two kids, live in the burbs, wake up, commute, work, commute, dinner, tv, sleep, rincez et reprise.

Chris's article titled " Why You Should Quit Your Job and Travel Around the World" sucked me in. I was fascinated. At the bottom of the article he promised more to come that caused me to bookmark, sign up and become a member of his "Small Army" immediately.

• How to earn money without a job

• How to achieve great things for yourself while also making a difference in the lives of others

• How to align your values with your life, reducing stress and ensuring that you are doing the right things the right way

• How to change the world by rising above the norm of mediocrity

While I don't plan on traveling around the world anytime soon (2 kids, and 2 step-kids tend to hamper that impulse, however strong it may be) I have taken every tidbit that Chris offers and am slowly (sooooooo slowly) formulating a plan to live an unconventional life. It's not just about travel. It's about doing what you love, and ways to support that goal. It's making a difference in your life and in others. It's about How To Be Awesome.

While I can't say that Chris was directly responsible for the following steps I have taken, his article and website have definitely been referenced, read and pondered in the midst of my million personal epiphanies a day.

• I no longer commute two hours a day.
• I'm no longer employed at a job that I wasn't passionate about.
• I have reinvigorated my passion for all things creative.
• I am formulating a plan. (when I'm not playing bejeweled)
• I want to be awesome. (or awesomer really....yes it's a word)
  

 Don't you?

Love Soup #best09

Day 2 of Gwen Bell’s Best of 2009 Blog Challenge. Best Restaurant Moment

There I sat, enclosed between four walls of gunmetal grey, perched atop a white throne. Fiddling with the zipper of my newly acquired weird ass bra, I was silently hoping that no one would come in and guess what I was doing.
His contented sighs conveyed that maybe, just maybe, I was getting the hang of this whole breastfeeding thing.
He was nine days old and out for a first date with his family at Japanese Village. We spent most of the meal in the bathroom as a Teppan chef entertained my family by flinging tiny pieces of meat in the air and making jokes in Japanese to my grandmother, who actually understood him.
That was seventeen years ago.

Two weeks ago, the very same buddha baby walked towered behind me into the exact building to celebrate his 17th birthday dinner.
The baby who once slept through the meal on my lap, now sat across from me raising his eyebrow while pointing to the steak and lobster on the menu...and ordered it.
That same tiny wonder who was content with breastmilk seventeen years ago probably could have ordered a beer this time around and gotten away with it...but didn't.

Surrounded by our newly blended family and the friends who made it possible for us to meet, I was in awe at how far life has brought us.

And then I looked down into the bowl.

Love Soup indeed.

#best09 Life's A Trippy Thing

I thought that Gwen Bell's Best of 2009 Blog Challenge was a perfect way to kick my butt into blogging bliss once again. Ever the starter, rarely the finisher, (can you say 365, Year 2 = FAIL?) I plan to do my best.
 
What was your best trip of 09?

This one is a difficult choice as 2009 saw us tripping around quite a bit.

#3 - Sicamous, B.C.
There were numerous road trips to the cabin at the lake via a convertible Mustang. I have to say that not much can top the sun on your neck, the breeze in your hair and the music cranked while you look forward to days of sun, sand and devouring trashy vampire novels. 

 

# 2 - Quintana Roo, Mexico

We started off the year with a return to living in a Corona commercial.

We headed back to the Gran Bahia Principe for a week of straight out wicked bliss. I packed a swimsuit, flip flops and 12 books. Managed to read every single one in between insane guacamole, mojito madness, snorkeling and swimming. This year we actually even left the pearly gates of our resort and toured the ruins.

It wasn't all beach chairs, books and bars though, (there are many many hours in a day for that.) Our active selves...haha, well Ricochet's active self dragging my lazy self along, partook in snorkeling, taking scuba lessons and an afternoon at Xel-ha which can only be described as Disneyland for snorkelers.

Then there was the incident of the missing locker key.

View said key (red string) around Ricochet's neck here:

Note red string around his neck below? Didn't think so...

After a back track to the rope swing pool, waiting for annoying Italians to stop splashing around, many dives later and a bemused lifeguard who stood by and did nothing but watch our lame attempts at treasure diving, Rico manged to retrieve the key. In a celebratory mood over his triumph we headed....back to our tour bus that was leaving soon? Oh no....must toast the occasion with a Margarita. Right? Seemed like the right thing to do until we stood dejected in the parking lot watching our bus drive away without us.

All in all I loved the week. Who wouldn't? It was as eventful as last year's visit, minus the lost rum punch afternoon on the catamaran (thank god)

But, as great as it was, it's not my number one trip of '09. (DEAR GOD WOMAN, there's MORE?)

(Apologies, I haven't written a blog for three years, I'm a little verbose)

#1 - Montana (with no Hannah preceding)

Spur of the moment, planned one evening, left the next day. Once again a sun filled, iPod charged road trip in the Mustang.

 

We decided to take the long way and experienced the Going-to-the-Sun Road. Amazing views, crazy traffic amid a fleet of 1930s red tour buses, and a plethora of chances for Rico to drive by weeping walls; soaking the car, my camera and much to his delight; my shirt.

 

The drive, the scenery, the company, and the spontaneous nature of it all made this my favourite trip of 2009.  The fact that beer was cheaper than water down there didn't hurt either.

 

*Six Degrees of Separation sidenote: My world has always been the size of a pinhead. Kevin Bacon has nothing on me. Things like this happen to me ALL THE TIME. So much so, I think I shall start a "Six Degrees Saturday" or something...)

1. I was sitting on a beach chair reading in Mexico while Rico was in the gym (big shock there) and could feel someone staring at me. Lo and behold, I look up and see a good friend that I worked with a few years ago. He was there with a few other peeps from the small town I had moved from. Of all the resorts in Mexico...and out of the 3000 people that stayed in our resort...crazy.
   
2. I have a friend I hadn't seen in a few years who always requests Ro-Tel whenever anyone she knows travels to the States. So while cruising Target in Montana I happened upon the Ro-Tel aisle and picked some up for her. The next day we are shopping again (yay strong Canadian Dollar!!!) and someone grabs me from behind and kisses me. Thinking I am being accosted, I turn to see none other than Ro-Tel Girl who happened to be in Kalispell. She was there for a ball tourney with a whole group of my friends who were apparently discussing me around the campfire at probably the same time I was purchasing Ro-Tel.

Details, moments, and memories are what make the journey. And I for one am enjoying the ride.

Redemption has stories to tell

Thus begins the reinvention of what was once an important part of my daily existence. In my other blog life I was a newly single mom who was trying to navigate her way through parenthood, working three jobs, raising two crazy tweens and tentatively dipping my toe in the shark infested dating pool.
After many misadventures (which caused me to hit DELETE on aforementioned blog) I have finally found the balance I have looked for my entire life. (sort of, kind of....merhaps...working on it anyway)

I've gone through some ever so slight changes since last hitting publish on blogger.

• from singledom to nauseatingly happy coupledom
• from having three jobs to having NO JOB
• from having two crazy tweens to having two INSANE teenagers (one of whom graduates this year) and add in two slightly crazy, going crazier by the day, stepdaughters (7 and 11...YIKES)
  
• from having eleven dogs and zero cats to having zero dogs and two cats.
  
• from living in a small town where I literally knew EVERYONE to living in a huge city where no one knows my name (part relief, part sob)
• from being unsure of everything  including my own self worth, to being sure that I am right where I supposed to be and everything else is just gravy.
  

While I still tread water once in awhile, I breathe, I float, I live.