A glorious feeling

January has been VERY busy for me. Between the culmination of the holidays and my birthday and us being short-staffed, I have been tired for a good chunk of the month.

So fucking tired.

Most of my time has been going to one project at work, and while the meat of the project doesn't take that long, the background shit takes forever.

FOREVER.

There is a consistent deadline, so I have nothing but my procrastinating ways to blame for having to work till the last minute.

But there is something about a tight deadline that makes me work ... better.

And when the project is done - let me tell ya - yay!

Tonight, I finished the project. There will be minor edits tomorrow, but the painful part is done. I always make a little treat at the end of a busy period. I get silly drunk and not think about work for a couple of days.

It is my own little carrot.

So, that is what I will be doing this weekend. Killing a few brain cells and giggling the stress away.

Who needs massages?

A nice treat.

My parents just left. They came for a weeklong visit and I survived.

Not only that, I had a really fun time. I haven't lived with them in a really long time, and I had forgotten how much fun it was to have them around.

We didn't really do much. I had a bunch of work to do, but we totally hung out. Ate together, watched tv together, talked about shit together.

It was really nice.

It was so nice, in fact, that I almost cried when they left.

This is a brand new world.

You've got to be kidding me

I have said it before, and I will say it again, I have the best friends in the world. For so many reasons.

They put up with me, they are there when I need them, they get why I am dysfunctional and never judge, but this year, my friends blew me away.

Well, they actually flew me away.

As you all know, I am a big fan of birthdays - the only day dedicated to you, yada yada yada. Last year, my birthday was depressing. I had just broken up with P3, I hated Vancouver, I had just gotten some bad news. Life sucked. Hard.

This year, I was kinda looking forward to it, but I was wondering - what the fuck am I going to do and who the fuck am I going to invite?

Then I got a call - it seems Chunk and Ally decided to gather a group of my closet friends and pool together to buy me a ticket to come home. EEEK! Who the fuck does that?!

And not only that, they had arranged to have parties on Friday and Saturday night.

Who the fuck does that?!

Well, my friends do, that's who.

It's ok, be jealous of me. I would be if I were you. These people constantly amaze me. I at no time feel as though I have done anything to warrant this kind of friendship. Believe me, I recognize everday how lucky I am to have people in my life like this.

Being in Vancouver has made me realize this all the more. The one thing this city will never have, no matter how hard it tries, are my nearest and dearest. It will never have the heart that Edmonton does.

Never.

So, thanks guys. I just hope that one day, you will get how much you mean to me. Because seriously, you do.

No, seriously, I wasn't being sarcastic.

You smell like home

I have just finished seasons 1 & 2 of Californication - sooo good. I heart Hank Moody and now want to do dirty things to David Duchovny.


During one of the last episodes, a character said to the love of his life, "You smell like home" and I started to tear up. What the fuck, right?


Well, I think that is such a lovely thought - the idea of another person meaning so much to you and affecting you so deeply, that they are your home. Their smell, their taste, their laugh, their everything.


And I started to think about my home. And how I don't really identify with a home right now. I love my apartment and where I live, but I am hardly here. I sleep and shower here really. Home isn't in Edmonton though either. I just got back, and while I still love it there and am totally connected with the city, it just ain't home.

So, I guess I have to just wait it out until either Vancouver becomes home, or I get to move back to Edmonton.

Either way, this probably wasn't really bloggable, but I haven't posted in a while and felt like I should.

Shut up.

According to the critics

Last year, I did a month-by-month recount. To be totally honest with you, I don't think that is possible this year.

Not because this year wasn't good, but just because it wasn't as monumental as last year. So this year will be a random best-of.

So here it goes, probably a little disjointed, but so am I.

Best activity: Hands down, rock climbing

I love climbing. I never thought I would like it as much as I do, but here
I am, blogging about it.

Geek.

There is something so satisfying about finishing a hard route, or moving
up to the next difficulty. The best part about it? It is the only time in my
day that I am quiet - my head is concentrating on only one thing and my
whole body is pursuing that one thing.

It is incredible.

And, the boys are pretty cute.

Worst activity: Sailing

I came up with this plan this year - to eventually retire on a boat. So, I signed up for sailing lessons and was ready to fall in love with sailing.

That didn't happen.

Maybe it was because there was no wind and it was more tedious than exciting, I just didn't dig it.

Plus, those sails are really heavy.

See, I am not that granola.

Favorite big-ticket purchase: moving my shit to Vancouver

Sure, it wasn't really a purchase, but it was fucking expensive.

I was totally in denial. I didn't REALLY need my furniture out here, really, what was the big deal??

I can't believe I ever thought that way. It was a HUGE deal. The second I got my couch and my bed and my everything, Vancouver started to feel like home. I started to feel like me and life started to improve.

Seriously. I wouldn't have believed it either.

Favorite new shoes: Tie - climbing shoes and black Kenneth Cole Mary Janes

The climbing shoes are ugly, they stink and they hurt my feet a lot of times, but I love them. I took them to China with me and looked at them longingly because I couldn't use them. I just got them re-soled and they are like new! Yay!

The Kenneth Coles, well, they are fucking hot. I get compliments on them all the time and they make my legs look fucking awesome.

I forgot them in Beijing and now have to pay $50 to get them back. THIS is the problem with traveling.

Favorite thing about Vancouver: Walking home from work and the water taxi

During the summer, I discovered the water taxi. It is awesome.

On nice days, when I have my flats with me, I walk home from work and take the water taxi to get across the bay.

When I get to English Bay, I sit on a log, look west to the mountains, ships and Stanley Park and smoke. Ahh.

It is the perfect way to end a day.

The water taxi brings me to Kits beach and the perfect walk home.

It makes me happy like a mo-fo.

Love of the year: Sia
When I lived with P3, I didn't really get it. Sia was his and that was that.

Then, just before my birthday, she had a seizure and I have never been more scared. Not even when I was in hospital.

She couldn't walk and you could see the fear in her eyes. It was devastating.

That is when I finally got it - she is everything a person could ask for and more. And I would be lost without her.

When I couldn't walk, I credit Sia with getting me out there and walking. When I was going through a rough break up, Sia came and sat with me while I cried. Now, all I need is a little Sia love and my day is better and my world is happy.

She is the best thing in the fucking world.

And the love she gives is unconditional. Her happiness to see you is not faked and everything about her is perfect. She is a little damaged, which makes her all the more special. She doesn't like everyone and it takes her a while to really warm up to someone. But now, I am pretty sure, she loves me as much as she loves P3 - he gets jelly, it is both funny and a little sad *for him, not me, I get nothing but joy out of it*.

She is lovely. She is the loveliest brown color. She is my puppy love. She is Sia.