Pole Position

Today was Pole Painting Day in Fernwood! There have been odd poles painted through Fernwood (the artsy-fartsy community of Victoria) but as the poles aged and needed touching up the Fernwood NRG decided to make a community event out it.

Due to previous commitments in the morning and throughout the day, I wasn't able to do commit to any painting but I wanted to share in the community spirit. After a mid-day beer and bite with friends at the Fernwood Inn, I grabbed my camera and wandered the streets.

We're Going to the Finals!

I had a blog post composed in my head for this evening but then something happened: the Canucks game when into double sudden-death overtime. My evening plans were shot as I spent four hours watching the game.

And it was a good, close game. There was no multitasking during this game (unlike a certain 7-3 blowout during which I started doing dishes) so instead of a blog post, you get this:

WOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!

Canucks are going to the Stanley Cup Finals for the first time in 17 years!

But for right now, I'm going to bed because I'm tired.

PS.

I also went to see Bridesmaids. I laughed until my sides hurt and then I cried a little before I laughed some more.

I may have snorted.

Go see it.

Book, I mean, Blog Update.

I wish I could tell you I haven't been posting because I've been epically busy but I haven't really. As the weather gets nicer, I've just been spending more time away from the computer. Oh, and I just finished a 1000 page book in two weeks while still working full time, doing some writing for a friend and socializing. Right, it's not the nice weather, it's the 'ohmigawdthisseriesissoooooooooooogoodIcantstopreading' that's keeping me away from posting.

Some of these items I will mention in future posts, but for now:

I went to see Thor with 'the boys' and I really, really enjoyed it. Having to stare at Chris Hemsworth in 3D didn't hurt either.

I attended an adoption information session. My mom came with me. It's safe to say that a lot has changed in the world of adoption in the last 30 years (namely, the cost).

I've watched a lot of hockey. I even watched hockey while Big Bro and I treated mom to a belated Mother's Day dinner. My mom has very little interest in hockey beyond asking us how the Canucks are doing. This is the second Mother's Day in a row that she's let her special day take a back seat to a Canucks game. She is a good, good lady.

I've talked a lot of hockey. I've also made fun of people who don't know hockey but insist on talking like they do. I love the Canucks but we have a lot of bandwagon jumpers. It's almost enough to make 'bleed green and blue' fans want to support another team. Almost.

I went on a date. It was bad. I may do a post dedicated to exactly how bad it was. He punched my boob, managed to infer that I was a creepy because I'd willing go to a Comic Con, and is allergic to cats. It's the trifecta of "there is no way in hell I am ever going out with you again".

I attended the inaugural meeting of the Reynold's Alumni Band Steering Committee. Feel free to openly mock me in the comments.

I am displaying three of my photos at work. Only one is up right now as they were unsure of their total space at the time we discussed my pieces but the other two go up tomorrow. The first one has received a lot of compliments so I'm really happy with my decision to submit my work for showing. It's like I'm a real artist (and I've got the bank account to prove it)!

There's more but, um, book three in the series isn't going to read itself so... yeah. Till next time!

Dancing Queen

I am known to randomly burst out in song and dance routines. Hanging out with friends, in the middle of a staff meeting (yes, I have burst out in song in staff meetings), if something reminds me of a song then I sing it. If I feel that dance moves are appropriate at that time, then I'll bust them out to.

About eight years ago, when I first started my current job, I busted out the running man for a bit of fun. (For those unfamiliar with the running man, here's an educational video.) It became my 'thing'. When I asked for help from certain coworkers, they asked for me to do the running man first. When we headed out for social nights, the running man always made an appearance. It was just the natural (drunken) order of things.

But then we grow up. The coworkers that would request it moved on to other jobs. I matured into someone who stopped going to Wednesday retro nights because I had a respectable job. Slowly, the running man faded from my usual arsenal of dance moves. I still busted it out from time-to-time, but never with the same vigour and willingness that I had in days past.

Then Saturday night happened. I was at a wedding reception and while the amazing soul band took a break, someone popped on an iPod so our little group of crazy dancers could keep going. Tired and thoroughly drunk thanks to the unexpected open bar, I sat down on the edge of the dance floor to consume another beer and chat with a few friends. In amidst our chatter, I heard the word "busted" and then the beginning of a familiar tune.

Dun-dun-oh! Tck-tck-dun dun-ah!

Before I had a chance to excuse myself from the conversation, I was back on the dance floor doing the running man. The people around me stopped dancing and for a moment they were all silent. Then the cheers began. I was in my element. This is why I had practiced the running man 20 years earlier. And it was glorious.

When I finished my tribute to 80's hip-hop dance, I received high fives and adulation from those around me and applause from those not close enough for high fives. It was a wonderful feeling.

Now, if you'll excuse me, I'm going to blast a little Young MC and practice my running man. I feel it may be making appearances much more often now.

GBC Book Review: A Game of Thrones

This book was recommended to me by Ross with whom I share a common love of Battlestar Galactica, Firefly, ROME, and Sherlock. We had been chatting about books we both enjoyed when he asked if I enjoyed fantasy novels. I was honest; once upon a time I loved fantasy novels but I hadn't read any in about eight years. He raved about A Game of Thrones and then sent me the link to 'Inside' for the HBO mini-series which was about to be released.

Given that Ross has never steered me wrong with movie, TV or book recommendations in the past, I picked up a copy of the book that afternoon. It then promptly sat around my apartment waiting for me to finish two other books. Once I started reading it, however, I couldn't put it down.

In the first book of A Song of Ice and Fire series, George R. R. Martin introduces us to the world of Westeros where summer and winter are not annual seasons but events that can last years, even decades, and after a long summer, winter is coming. The story moves between three main stories: the happenings at the court at King's Landing where intrigue and backstabbing rule the day; the struggle at the Wall, a giant structure at the far north of Westeros built to keep out wildings and the Others, where signs of trouble are brewing; and the plotings of the Targaryen's, offspring of the former king who was murdered, who have taken refugee in the free cities across the sea in the east.

Unlike many fantasy novels which have either good or bad characters, Martin creates a cast of characters with lots of grey and not every bad deed is done for bad reason. I constantly found my opinions of characters shifting, and was pleasantly surprised by the unexpected twists the plot took.

Written in such a way that it doesn't feel like a fantasy novel but more a historical fiction, I found A Game of Thrones to be a fantastic read, one I'm sure I'll come back to again, and would definitely recommend to anyone who just enjoys a well written book, fantasy or otherwise.

Also, the HBO series is proving to be a very good adaptation of the book so far (although I do have issues with a few changes) and if you're interested in watching it, watch it first before you start the book. Please keep in mind that these are definitely adult books and the series is staying true to that. Oh, what the heck, while I'm going on about the TV series, I might as well link to my favourite trailer.

A Real Mom

Do you think you'll ever want to find your real mom?

It is the most common question I get asked when people learn that I'm adopted.

Your real mom?

When I was younger I hated those words. Like the mom I had was a fake. An impostor. A pod person sent here to destroy mankind by infiltrating our every day lives. I would get angry. Sometimes I would yell at the person for using that word, this person who honestly didn't understand that they had said anything wrong.

Real.

I grew up and realised that the best thing was to respond with the words I preferred to use: "I don't know if I'll ever look for my biological mom; my real mom is still a part of my life." It gets the point across much better than yelling.

My biological mom gave me life and for that I will be forever grateful.

My real mom stayed up with me when I was sick, she gave me hugs when I was sad, she was my biggest cheerleader, she bore the brunt of my temper tantrums, she got angry at me when I needed it, she drove me to ballet, soccer, and band, she taught me how to sew, she tended to the flowers in my window box, she played the piano so I could dance to it, and she still loves me unconditionally because, biological or not, that`s what real moms do.

There are so many types of moms in this world--too many to list here--and I wish each and every one of you a wonderful Mother`s Day.

Rights and Responsibilities

For those who are unaware, there was a federal election in Canada today. I try to keep my politics out of my daily life and especially off my blog. I love to discuss politics with open-minded people but at the end of the day, my politics are my politics and although I know that I'm always right, I'm not in the job of pushing them on anyone without them wanting my opinion. I do such a good job at keeping my politics to myself that after our last election, six different coworkers discussed the results with me and only one of them figured out what party I voted for. I attribute this to my need to be a political devil's advocate, even for the party I (usually) support. I do this because I want people to think about why they're voting the way they are.

There is, however, one point in politics that I feel so passionate about that I actually got into a facebook fight about it today: voting.

We live in a democracy. We get to vote for our Members of Parliament. They are usually members of a party (although we did recently have two Independents). We get to voice our opinion in who shapes the future of our country. This is an amazing and wonderful and fantastic right to have. We are so lucky that we have this right. The least we can do is take the time to educate ourselves and vote.

Voting is not just a right, in my opinion, it is also a responsibility. If we want to enjoy the democracy we live in, we have to keep it alive by following the democratic process. You have a choice to vote.

If you choose not to exercise that right because you don't believe in the democratic process, I will defend your right to make that choice. I really will.

If you choose not to vote because you feel there is no candidate or party that represents you, I will defend your right to make that choice.

But when you choose not to vote because you can't be assed to read up on the parties or candidates, I will tell you exactly what I think of you. And it won't be pretty.

We live in a day and age when information on every party is available online. Canadians average over 13 hours a week online. Do you honestly expect me to believe that somewhere in that 13+ hours, you couldn't take 15 minutes to read up about the platforms?

All across North Africa and the Middle East, people have risen up and risked death (and in many cases, have died) for the right to choose their government because that right had been taken away from them. And you can't get off of LOLcats to long enough to read about our options?

It's your right and it's your responsibility. So next time an election comes around, take 15 minutes out of your daily facebook trolling and read about your candidates then get out there and vote.