This is for Tanya!

30 years...


15 years!

The reunion...

was amazing. It was over a month ago, but I've been too lazy, or busy, or something and haven't been blogging in a while! Here are 3 of us from the previous picture... Janet, you should have been in that other picture, where were you?
It was a colossal party. Seriously, one that will go down in the books. It was the first time in a looong time that I crawled home at 5:30 in the morning! It's been so long that I didn't actually realise that it would take me a full week to recover. Ha ha! It was well worth it!

Grad '89!

It's my high school reunion this weekend.... oh it's going to be a walk down memory lane, that's for sure! I can't wait to see how people have changed, what they wound up doing with their lives and just having fun like we used to in the old days. Our 10 year was a great time, it was like we all reverted instantaneously to what we were like in high school... it was hilarious! I'll post next week with the party wrap up!

Busy busy!

Wow! I haven't posted in a while! I guess I've been busy dong summer-y stuff and frankly, hot and unmotivated. We're having a very hot sticky summer here in Van this year. I like it hot, but not humid. We've had a bit of a reprieve this past couple of weeks, but the hot is coming back next week for round two. Oh how I wish I had AC!Here are a couple of things that I'm a bit sad about...

and


I loved them both... I was going to write about Michael Jacksons death weeks ago but I was so sick to death of it all by the media junk that I just let it rest. I loved Michael Jackson from the time I was a little girl. The Jackson Five concert at BC Place was the very first show I'd ever been to. I was 11, and I went with my mom and two sisters. It was great. I got a baseball style shirt with baby blue sleeves and the Jackson Five on the front. Loved it, wish I still had it! Thriller was one of those albums that truly was the soundtrack to my teen years. Prince and George Michael are another couple that spring to mind, but Thriller was the best. The dancing, the white glove, the red coat! He was so cool back then, and so cute! It's a shame how it all ended up, but he was obviously an unhappy camper.

John Hughes was another icon who I think wrote the best teen movies ever. Period. Sixteen Candles, Pretty in Pink, The Breakfast Club, even Uncle Buck! I loved Uncle Buck, but I think that was because of my love of John Candy, who also died too young. The teen movies of today won't have the staying power that these films had. It's a shame he stopped making movies, but he was one of those guys that had his priorities straight. He had obviously made a gazillion dollars over the years, so he decided to get away from the crappy Hollywood life to raise his family. He stood up to say that he thought the beast that is Hollywood killed his friend John Candy and he couldn't be part of that machine any longer. Hopefully his movies will be seen by teens in the years to come and achieve the "classic" status they deserve.

Glo-worm

I was on a hike the other day when I came across this adorable little worm just hanging out on the railing. I was seriously considering having a pet worm for a minute there... how cute is he?
I used to have a pet string named Jimmy when I was a kid. He was basically a thick piece of string with a knot tied at the end which was his head. I loved him and played with him in the bathtub, but one day he went down the drain and Jimmy was no more. It didn't occur to me to just make another Jimmy, I guess he was irreplaceable. RIP Jimmy!

Farmers Market Finds and a hosed down Henry

We have a lovely little farmers market just a couple of blocks from the apartment every Saturday morning, and it's just getting better and better! I bought these beautiful orange beets just because they're beautiful, I don't even like to eat beets! I will try cooking them though and see if I like them. I love the greens, so that's half of it anyways! The yellow things are called Lemon Cucumber. They are so fresh and clean and delicious! Unlike any regular cuke I've ever tasted. The Easter Egg Radishes are also so lovely and tasty. Crisp and peppery, a must in any salad! It was so hot that day that I gave the boy a good spray down with the hose. He loves it!

Have your cake...

and eat it too! Or, should I say pie! Lemon Meringue to be precise. We've had our fill of cake at my nephews birthday, so we decided it may be unconventional, but why not have a lemon meringue birthday pie! It is to die for. Home made by my mom. What could be better?
The bottom picture was the Sat. night pre-birthday celebration. Warren bought a couple of beautiful crabs and we had quite the feast! I think I consumed my full years quota of butter in one sitting, but so worth it.

Car Free Vancouver

It was Car Free Vancouver a couple of weeks ago, and was it ever cool! 4 streets in 4 different neighborhoods shut down to car traffic for the day, so we decided the most colourful would definitely be on Commercial Drive. There were drum circles, a roller rink, food kiosks, a music stage, a healing garden and all sorts of street performance artists. For those not in the know, Commercial Drive used to be Vancouver's "Little Italy", and it still has that flavour, but it's also kind of the bohemian/hippie district with a neighborhood of all types, from yuppies to hippies. My parents almost bought a house there in the 1970's, but chose West Vancouver instead (which is Commercial Drives polar opposite!) I would have been a lot cooler if I grew up near The Drive I think! Oh, not that I'm not cool... hee hee.

A Place to Bark

If I was independently wealthy, I would be throwing money at this wonderful shelter. Bernie Berlin is an artist and animal lover. She's been running the shelter since 2001, and she takes in numerous dogs and cats from other shelters and puppies rescued from puppy mills. She is a true inspiration, and I wish there were more people like her in the world!
Check out her website, it's linked to the right at "A Place to Bark".
This photo is one I grabbed from her Facebook photos. It's a litter she has recently rescued probably from a puppy mill. The caption below was "Spay and neuter your pets!"
Really, why wouldn't you? You can buy those neuticles now if you're worried your dog (or husband) might develop an insecurity about the lack of balls, right?
Hee...

A Tribute...

to one of my favourite movies of my teens, White Nights. Dancing, Gregory Hines, Mikhail Baryshnikov, what more could you ask for? Both beautiful dancers and beautiful men.
I also happened to love Phil Collins and Lionel Ritchie way back when too... ah, the 80's! It's my era and I'm proud of it!

For the joy of swimming.

Well, here is the boy doing what he loves best. I swear, way back when he must have been a water dog! He absolutely loves every minute of it! Even when he's shivering uncontrollably, he still wants more. The photo where he has the stick sticking straight out of his mouth just cracked me up! It looks like he's smoking a stogie! Goofy dog...

Jumping off a waterfall in Jamaica!

These pics are a little blurry, but Mere was taking them from afar and had the zoom on. This was so much fun, and I can't believe I did it! You could go right under the waterfall and have the water thunder down on your head. You could cannonball from one fall to the next, as you can see me doing, AND you can rope swing into one of the pools. I felt like a kid again!

Total Eclipse of the Heart *literal version*

This is one of the most hysterical things I've seen in a while... it really shows what an idiotic video it truly is! It's a little long, but worth it!

Childhood Crush #2

Han Solo was definitely the man for me when I was 8. He was so macho and so cute, plus he had the best sidekick ever! I know that Chewbaka wasn't a dog, but what the heck was he? I know technically he was a Wookie, but that just means nothing to me... I'm not a Star Wars aficionado, that's for certain.
We watched the newest Indiana Jones movie tonight, which is what got me thinking about my childhood love for Harrison Ford. Sigh...

Sebastian Horsley

I heard this guy interviewed by Jian Ghomeshi on the Q Podcast, and oh my god... I was laughing out loud! He has written a book called Dandy in the Underworld. What's a dandy, you ask? Well, according to Wikipedia...
A dandy(also known as a beau, gallant or flamboyant person) is a man who places particular importance upon physical appearance, refined language, and leisurely hobbies. Historically, especially in late 18th- and early 19th-century Britain, a dandy, who was self-made, often strove to imitate an aristocratic style of life despite coming from a middle-class background.
Sebastian Horsley is famous for staging his own crucification in the Phillipines in the name of art. He asked for no pain killers, passed out soon after the first nail was driven in and fell off the cross. Suffice it to say it was not a success. He's pompous, subversive and morally questionable, but very, very entertaining!

Gran Torino

I went and saw this last night with some girlfriends. What a great film! It was widely dissed at the Oscars this year, and didn't really get all that much attention in general. Maybe it hits too close to home for a lot of people?
Clint Eastwood plays such an interesting character in this movie. It's really a story of salvation, redemption and sacrifice, all on his part.
Two thumbs up for me!

Twilight

Oh my... I think I'm going through a teenage regression of sorts... I LOVED Twilight! It was one of those books that I could barely put down. I was looking forward to going to bed so I could read read read! I don't know what it is. I just love a tortured love story, which is exactly what this is. The book delves much deeper into the relationship between Bella and Edward. The tension, the intimacy, the emotions and feeling of first love. Stephenie Meyer has a knack for putting those feelings on paper, and making you, the reader, feel them right along with the characters. I've put New Moon on hold at the library and I'm picking it up tomorrow - yippee!

April showers...

I'm not sure what this tree is called, but isn't it beautiful? If anyone knows, let me know! I'm thinking maybe a Magnolia of some sort... It's still so cold, good thing I'm going to Jamaica in two weeks! So excited!

La Connor

We went to the tulip festival in La Connor, Washington last weekend. It's such a lovely spot, and the tulips were just beautiful! Overwhelming colour that made my heart sing!
The first field we found was a joint called "Tulip Town." There was a big parking lot with free parking, but $5 each to get in? Plus, there was this poster on the way in so we were so out of there... I don't need any propoganda with my tulips, thank you very much! We drove down the street for a while and found a free field to wander through, and no religious message to be seen, yay!
We had lunch in La Connor, which is a lovely little seaside town, then Trader Joe's for groceries. I didn't know you can bring groceries over the border and not have to pay duties! Trader Joe's is amazing. The prices, the quality of the products... I'm going to start working a trip in every couple of months... even with our dollar being a bit down, still worth it!

Henry 3 months old

The cuteness! I came across these old photos today and just had to post this one. He was such an incredibly cute puppy. And his personality shone through from the minute we met him, it was love at first sight!

Doing the Pigeon

It's nesting season, and the wildlife is trying to get in... That's if you can call pigeons wild. I think they must be one of the most well adapted birds in the world. Rats with wings, right?
To be honest, I kind of like pigeons. I like their tenacity, their brute survival skills... We left a window open overnight at the studio last Tuesday (by accident),and my employee phones me in a panic to tell me there were 2 pigeons flying around the studio. My reply was what did she want me to do about it? Cheeky, I know. She managed to herd them out the window, but it reminded me of a story from a few years back. The guy across the hall left his window open over the weekend, and when he came in on Monday, he found a nest with eggs in it. The pigeons had found a Jaycloth in his studio and shredded it to make a nest. They were gone when he got there, and he had no choice but to throw the eggs away. It was so sad, but was HE going to sit on the nest?

This guys likes pigeons too...

This Womans Work

This is such a beautiful song. I'm not generally a huge Kate Bush fan, but this one makes me cry! It doesn't hurt that it was in this movie that I loved loved loved when I was 15. Me thinks it might have been for Kevin Bacon??? Yes, I did adore him thanks to Footloose.
This was another one of those John Hughes movies that were so huge in the 80's. Is it just me or are teen movies not as good as they used to be? Maybe I'm just getting old...or maybe its the TRUTH! Hannah Montana? No thank you!

Sigur Ros

We watched this wonderful movie last night on our brand spanking new 42" flast screen! Sigur Ros are such a creative and inspiring band. They're Icelandic, and this documentary follows them as they return home to do a series of free concerts. Iceland is a country I'd love to visit. It's so barren, wild and beautiful. I was having second thoughts though when I saw the feast they were eating at one of the shows... sheep heads and jellied meats of all sorts. Not my cup of tea, but when in Iceland, I guess!
I also noticed an abundance of these sweaters, called Lopapeysa, or Lopi for short.

Yes, I had to google it... and yes, now I really have to go to Iceland to buy one! Perfect for camping!

The Garden of Last Days

I didn't like this book. I didn't hate it either, but it was just a disappointment. I loved The House of Sand and Fog, and was really excited when I saw this one at the library, but it just didn't live up.
The thing I liked about Sand and Fog was the way he told the story from both characters points of view, and the way he expressed The Colonels voice with the Iranian accent. He had a similar character in this book who was Arab,but it felt old to me, like since it worked so well with the other book, why not do it it with this one too?
This book just didn't feel authentic to me. It was mildly entertaining, but I found I was skimming towards the end just to get through it.

Eagles in the City

I love this city. I ask you... where else in North America can you be downtown, look up, and see a Bald Eagle soaring through the air? They are such majestic creatures. Every few years we'll go up to Brackendale for the eagle count. It's in early January when the eagles are in their greatest numbers at the local rivers, gorging on the spawning salmon. Brackendale also has a great little art gallery and tea house that's worth the trip. The food is awesome, and they sometimes have a live eagle in the house (usually an injured one waiting to be rehabilitated)
Click on the post title to look at their website!

***I'll also add that I didn't take these pictures, I found them on google images. If you are the photographer, please take it as a compliment that I liked them the best to be on my blog!

Childhood Crush #1 ... Fred Astaire.

Oh Fred. I remember from the time I was a very little girl I have always loved him! I've always loved to dance, but never realized how much until I was in my 20's. I took about 2 years of West Coast Swing, it was such a ball! One day I would absolutely love to learn how to tap dance. I envision heaps of humiliation and falling on my ass, but it looks like so much fun! And I could pretend I was dancing cheek to cheek with my Fred...

My silly boy.

I went for a walk with a couple of girlfriends today and took this wild and crazy mutt with us. There was still some snow on the ground a little higher up, so Henry started getting cold and doing his crazy ass running back and forth, running in circles, barking up a storm etc. etc. etc. He really has quite a distinct personality. My father in law insists that Henry smells the most bums at the dog park, and is the biggest humper as well. I unfortunately really can't dispute that...

Easter Cupcakes!

yumyumyumyumyumyumyum!
These cupcakes were so delish! Yes, they were made from a cake mix... every now and then I like a good old fashioned Betty Crocker and I'm not ashamed!

I love Ricky

The Fourth Hand

John Irving. A strange fellow, no doubt. I find I either absolutely love his books, or I'm rather indifferent.
A Widow for one Year. This was a fabulous example of his brilliance but I hated the movie version.(The Door in the Floor.)
A Prayer for Owen Meany. I thought I was going to love it but was just... indifferent. Haven't seen the big screen version yet.
Son of the Circus. Don't even get me started on this one! It took me over a year to slog through this bad boy! To be fair, I had it at work and was reading it during lunch, but man was it hard to get through. And long! I did start to like it towards the end, but it didn't make up for the hours sent toiling in the beginning.
The 158 lb Marriage was certainly interesting! It was one of his earliest books, and is about wife swapping... very interesting indeed!
The Fourth Hand. It was an easy read and kept my interest, but there was just something missing for me. The characters were not very sympathetic, and I found I wasn't very invested in them. The basic story is that this CNN type of news guys has his hand eaten by a lion while doing a story in India. He gets a hand transplant and the widow of the donor wants visitation rights with the hand. An interesting concept yes, but for some reason left me feeling a little empty. Still worth reading though, and I will continue my quest to read all of John Irving's work.