I love my job. I have talked about it a lot, but I really do. When I walked in for my interview two years ago, I had no idea that this job, with these crazy people, would be such a great fit.
After my first Friday cocktails I came home and bragged about how we had cocktails in the office! P3 said 'You feel like you're home don't you?' And I kinda did.
My job pushes me, stresses me out and kicks my ass most weeks, but it's fucking awesome.
But, one thing about my job is that it's a tough environment. Compliments and niceties aren't doled out willy nilly.
In fact, it has been compared, somewhat appropriately, to a boyfriend that doesn't say 'I love you'. Sure, you know he loves you and that's why you stick with him, but sometimes, you just want to hear those words.
Well, yesterday, after two years, my job told me that it loves me too. My job, said, 'Iris, we think you are pretty AND smart.'
And I couldn't be happier than if it were a real-life boy was saying it.
Although it feels oddly similar - the relief that you didn't make all those things up in your head or that he was just an ass or, well, you get my drift. And the warm fuzzy feeling you get, well it's pretty nice. Plus, it's always nice to know the feelings are mutual.
My first real-life, big-girl promotion, new title and all. YAY ME!
But, is it normal that my palms have started to sweat just thinking about what this ACTUALLY means?
Oye vay.
Wednesday, September 23, 2009
Sunday, September 20, 2009
Let's play catch up!
Edmonton last weekend:
I love my visits home. They are busy as hell, but I love my visits home.
Friday night I got to pseudo-win Catan - it was a pseudo-win only because the game was called-off due to distraction. But I would have won. It was inevitable.
Saturday I met one of my oldest friend's new, fucking adorable, baby boy. His name is Luca. He lives in Slave Lake. He is adorable. I also got to see her being a mom, and a really good mom. She's glowing and it's weird, but awesome. And well, Luca's eyes are this crazy blue colour I didn't know existed.
Saturday night I got to see why Smelly has been busy all the time. His renovations are done - and they look amazing. It doesn't even look like the same house. I can't believe that he, in all his nerdy glory, was able to execute what he did. He is surprisingly competent, although I can only imagine what his wife had to go through to get it there.
After Smelly's we went to a backyard bbq my friends were hosting. Those girls throw good parties. How good? So good, it got a group of thirty-somethings (and me) to stay out until 5am. What is that?! The first thing my ma said when I woke up: "5AM. That's when you come home?"
Apparently.
Sunday was brunch with Chunk, Lis & Jarod. Chunk is about to pop. Seriously, that is one big Korean. After, we checked out her new, huge, digs.
It's weird to see your friends moving into different life phases. New homes, renovations, new babies, pregnancy. It is weird mainly because I am living the same life I was at 22. Other than my job and a new city, nothing has really changed. Still single. Still renting. Still doing ridiculous things. *sigh*
Sorry, tangent.
So, That was last weekend. I need a nap just thinking about it. I didn't get really any time to spend with my parents. I did get some good girl time with mom on the drive to and from Slave Lake and I did see my pa's new place of employment.
Ok, so I did get to hangout with them. Nevermind. This is why I write about it. Because otherwise, I would forget about it.
I love my visits home. They are busy as hell, but I love my visits home.
Friday night I got to pseudo-win Catan - it was a pseudo-win only because the game was called-off due to distraction. But I would have won. It was inevitable.
Saturday I met one of my oldest friend's new, fucking adorable, baby boy. His name is Luca. He lives in Slave Lake. He is adorable. I also got to see her being a mom, and a really good mom. She's glowing and it's weird, but awesome. And well, Luca's eyes are this crazy blue colour I didn't know existed.
Saturday night I got to see why Smelly has been busy all the time. His renovations are done - and they look amazing. It doesn't even look like the same house. I can't believe that he, in all his nerdy glory, was able to execute what he did. He is surprisingly competent, although I can only imagine what his wife had to go through to get it there.
After Smelly's we went to a backyard bbq my friends were hosting. Those girls throw good parties. How good? So good, it got a group of thirty-somethings (and me) to stay out until 5am. What is that?! The first thing my ma said when I woke up: "5AM. That's when you come home?"
Apparently.
Sunday was brunch with Chunk, Lis & Jarod. Chunk is about to pop. Seriously, that is one big Korean. After, we checked out her new, huge, digs.
It's weird to see your friends moving into different life phases. New homes, renovations, new babies, pregnancy. It is weird mainly because I am living the same life I was at 22. Other than my job and a new city, nothing has really changed. Still single. Still renting. Still doing ridiculous things. *sigh*
Sorry, tangent.
So, That was last weekend. I need a nap just thinking about it. I didn't get really any time to spend with my parents. I did get some good girl time with mom on the drive to and from Slave Lake and I did see my pa's new place of employment.
Ok, so I did get to hangout with them. Nevermind. This is why I write about it. Because otherwise, I would forget about it.
Tuesday, September 08, 2009
The Big Finish
After the awesome-sauce that was the YYYs, Sarin and I drove like mad to make it home for Franz Ferdinand.
Well, I drove, but she was a great co-pilot.
SHAMELESS BOAST: We made it from Seattle to Vancouver in under 3 hours. We were in Surrey at 2.5 hours. I drove the shit out of that car bitches!
We pulled into Vancouver, with plenty of time for show #2 in country #2. Franz Ferdinand at the Malkin Bowl in Stanley Park.
Have I mentioned how cool Sarin and I are? Because we are. Really fucking cool.
All of my concert-cohorts had been to Malkin Bowl before and told me how great it was, but seriously, that shit is amazing. An outside concert venue in the forest.
Say what?!
The show was super good. Only the second best show I had seen that day, but the competition was unbeatable.
It was a very fun little dance party - made kinda magical by the rain.
After the show, we got lost in Stanley Park, and then I went to the Cambie with Josh and some of his friends. We drank, we laughed, good times all around.
The really strange part of the night comes after we leave and are heading home.
I have seen a live porn before, in Coquitlam on a pubcrawl. And last night, I saw another one.
There, on the sidewalk, in front of the whole world to see, a girl was laying down, spread eagle (pants still on) as her considerably larger boy / girl (we couldn't really tell which) partner layed on her, thrusting (pants on).
Then larger one apparently decided it was time to go home and proceeds to stop traffic to hail a cab. And the poof, they were gone.
Weirdest shit ever!
I got dropped off at home, in safe Kits, and as I am walking to my building, some dude starts making random conversation. As we're walking, I turn to go to my building and he makes the same turn.We live in the same building, and on the same floor. So we had a smoke in front of the building and talked about yoga.
Random.
And that is the second part of my Sunday.
holy fuck, that was a good weekend.
Well, I drove, but she was a great co-pilot.
SHAMELESS BOAST: We made it from Seattle to Vancouver in under 3 hours. We were in Surrey at 2.5 hours. I drove the shit out of that car bitches!
We pulled into Vancouver, with plenty of time for show #2 in country #2. Franz Ferdinand at the Malkin Bowl in Stanley Park.
Have I mentioned how cool Sarin and I are? Because we are. Really fucking cool.
All of my concert-cohorts had been to Malkin Bowl before and told me how great it was, but seriously, that shit is amazing. An outside concert venue in the forest.
Say what?!
The show was super good. Only the second best show I had seen that day, but the competition was unbeatable.
It was a very fun little dance party - made kinda magical by the rain.
After the show, we got lost in Stanley Park, and then I went to the Cambie with Josh and some of his friends. We drank, we laughed, good times all around.
The really strange part of the night comes after we leave and are heading home.
I have seen a live porn before, in Coquitlam on a pubcrawl. And last night, I saw another one.
There, on the sidewalk, in front of the whole world to see, a girl was laying down, spread eagle (pants still on) as her considerably larger boy / girl (we couldn't really tell which) partner layed on her, thrusting (pants on).
Then larger one apparently decided it was time to go home and proceeds to stop traffic to hail a cab. And the poof, they were gone.
Weirdest shit ever!
I got dropped off at home, in safe Kits, and as I am walking to my building, some dude starts making random conversation. As we're walking, I turn to go to my building and he makes the same turn.We live in the same building, and on the same floor. So we had a smoke in front of the building and talked about yoga.
Random.
And that is the second part of my Sunday.
holy fuck, that was a good weekend.
Monday, September 07, 2009
yes yes yes!
I mentioned previously how I had been THISCLOSE to seeing the Yeah Yeah Yeahs twice before.
As someone who has no patience, or tolerance for not getting my way, the fact that Karen, Nick and Brian had eluded me this long was torture.
My over-active imagination had built their shows up to something ... almost religious.
Through the interweb and the vastness of YouTube, their performances were, in my mind, legendary. As Sarin and I were driving to SEA, I said: "I worry they won't live up to my expectations."
Um, yeah, I'mretarded leotarded. They totally blew me away.
I have never seen a performer command a stage and control an audience like that. Karen O., my longtime girl crush, was incomparable. She was theatrical, but unpretentious. Engaging, but effortless. Grateful, but authentic.
After Maps, she said "I love you guys - and I don't say that to every crowd." And you believed her, because she's Karen O and well, she wouldn't lie.
She would drink water, then spit it in the air and on herself. She put the mike in her mouth and held it there. She fucking rocked Maps semi-acoustically.
One of the things I was most excited for were her costumes. Karen is legendary for dramatic and over-the-top costumes. Again, she didn't disappoint. Her opening outfit was this crazy string-like thing. From there out she added and subtracted elements, making her costumes part of the show.
Officially, the Yeah Yeah Yeahs were ... perfect. And lived up to every expectation I had put on them.
It was shorter than I would have wanted, although no length of time would have satisfied me. Regardless, I was glued to the stage. Even those big inflatable eyeballs couldn't distract me. I was angry when I was pushed, out of sheer irritation that my attention was being diverted. It was needed elsewhere - straight ahead.
In summary - best. show. ever.
I took a few pics. Here they are. *Note: I am not a photog, nor do I claim to be.
As someone who has no patience, or tolerance for not getting my way, the fact that Karen, Nick and Brian had eluded me this long was torture.
My over-active imagination had built their shows up to something ... almost religious.
Through the interweb and the vastness of YouTube, their performances were, in my mind, legendary. As Sarin and I were driving to SEA, I said: "I worry they won't live up to my expectations."
Um, yeah, I'm
I have never seen a performer command a stage and control an audience like that. Karen O., my longtime girl crush, was incomparable. She was theatrical, but unpretentious. Engaging, but effortless. Grateful, but authentic.
After Maps, she said "I love you guys - and I don't say that to every crowd." And you believed her, because she's Karen O and well, she wouldn't lie.
She would drink water, then spit it in the air and on herself. She put the mike in her mouth and held it there. She fucking rocked Maps semi-acoustically.
One of the things I was most excited for were her costumes. Karen is legendary for dramatic and over-the-top costumes. Again, she didn't disappoint. Her opening outfit was this crazy string-like thing. From there out she added and subtracted elements, making her costumes part of the show.
Officially, the Yeah Yeah Yeahs were ... perfect. And lived up to every expectation I had put on them.
It was shorter than I would have wanted, although no length of time would have satisfied me. Regardless, I was glued to the stage. Even those big inflatable eyeballs couldn't distract me. I was angry when I was pushed, out of sheer irritation that my attention was being diverted. It was needed elsewhere - straight ahead.
In summary - best. show. ever.
I took a few pics. Here they are. *Note: I am not a photog, nor do I claim to be.
Seattle Saturday
So, Sarin and I came up with the BRILLIANT idea of driving to Seattle, spending the night, going out, seeing the Yeah Yeah Yeahs and coming home for Franz Ferdinand.
We are the fucking coolest chicks alive.
Saturday, we drove to Seattle - which is, in our minds, bizarro Vancouver. We did a bit of shopping, went to the Experience Music Project and went out.
This was our night out:
Walk outside to smoke. A boy talks to us and asks us where we're going. He tells us of a different place, we go, and continue to get ridiculously intoxicated.
Sarin was a pimp and totally got us drinks all night. It was pretty sweet, I'm not going to lie.
As the bar is closing, some hot dude starts chatting with us, and from there on, the details are fuzzy.
What we know:
We got home ok.
So, really, all the fuzzy doesn't matter. We didn't lose each other. Yes, some questionable life choices were made, but in the end, all is well.
Sunday morning, however, was ridiculously painful.
We are the fucking coolest chicks alive.
Saturday, we drove to Seattle - which is, in our minds, bizarro Vancouver. We did a bit of shopping, went to the Experience Music Project and went out.
This was our night out:
Walk outside to smoke. A boy talks to us and asks us where we're going. He tells us of a different place, we go, and continue to get ridiculously intoxicated.
Sarin was a pimp and totally got us drinks all night. It was pretty sweet, I'm not going to lie.
As the bar is closing, some hot dude starts chatting with us, and from there on, the details are fuzzy.
What we know:
We got home ok.
So, really, all the fuzzy doesn't matter. We didn't lose each other. Yes, some questionable life choices were made, but in the end, all is well.
Sunday morning, however, was ridiculously painful.
Friday, September 04, 2009
Art Star
This weekend, something I never thought would happen, is happening.
Sarin and I are heading to Seattle. And we are going for a very specific reason:
The Yeah Yeah Yeahs are playing the Bumbershoot Music Festival.
I have loved the YYYs since Big Daddy downloaded Fever To Tell on my computer. It was the first full album I had liked in a really long time. I put it on heavy rotation and kept it there. I became infatuated with Karen O. There is no other way to say it. She is the fucking coolest chick alive - easily.
This weekend is all the more sweet because seeing them perform has been in my grasp twice before, tickets in hand and everything. sigh.
My first solo trip to NYC I bought tickets for the second of two sold-out shows they were doing at the Bowery Ballroom. Unfortunately, a few days before the show, I realized that the show was on the evening I was leaving. I couldn't go and my heart was sad. I even made an attempt to buy tickets from scalpers, but alas, there were none.
The next time was the summer I interned in New York. I had tickets for a show they were doing at the McCarren Park Pool. Turns out, after working my ass off, impressing enough people and being offered a job there, I had to move the week of their show. I thought at the time, no worries, I am getting my dream, I can give up my tickets.
How naive was I?
Well, all that 'close but no cigar' business is over this weekend. This Sunday, I will be getting to finally see them.
I honestly don't think I have ever been this excited for a show before.
Other than Jarod's shumka dancing of course.
Sarin and I are heading to Seattle. And we are going for a very specific reason:
The Yeah Yeah Yeahs are playing the Bumbershoot Music Festival.
I have loved the YYYs since Big Daddy downloaded Fever To Tell on my computer. It was the first full album I had liked in a really long time. I put it on heavy rotation and kept it there. I became infatuated with Karen O. There is no other way to say it. She is the fucking coolest chick alive - easily.
This weekend is all the more sweet because seeing them perform has been in my grasp twice before, tickets in hand and everything. sigh.
My first solo trip to NYC I bought tickets for the second of two sold-out shows they were doing at the Bowery Ballroom. Unfortunately, a few days before the show, I realized that the show was on the evening I was leaving. I couldn't go and my heart was sad. I even made an attempt to buy tickets from scalpers, but alas, there were none.
The next time was the summer I interned in New York. I had tickets for a show they were doing at the McCarren Park Pool. Turns out, after working my ass off, impressing enough people and being offered a job there, I had to move the week of their show. I thought at the time, no worries, I am getting my dream, I can give up my tickets.
How naive was I?
Well, all that 'close but no cigar' business is over this weekend. This Sunday, I will be getting to finally see them.
I honestly don't think I have ever been this excited for a show before.
Other than Jarod's shumka dancing of course.
Tuesday, September 01, 2009
Stereotypes Galore!
Tonight, my evening consisted of meeting some friends, walking around the West End, going to yoga and then for cheap Thai food.
Plus, I'm a visible minority.
I think Vancouver is seeping in, and I am not so sure that I like it.
Seriously? Yoga? What the fuck?
I don't know what has happened to me. First climbing, now this.
If anyone knows where 'normal' Iris is, please let me know.
Plus, I'm a visible minority.
I think Vancouver is seeping in, and I am not so sure that I like it.
Seriously? Yoga? What the fuck?
I don't know what has happened to me. First climbing, now this.
If anyone knows where 'normal' Iris is, please let me know.
I'm Wide Awake, It's Morning
Well I am. So I will write.
This week has been busy. All of a sudden, out of nowhere, I am a busy bee, with people to see and things to do.
Ok, well, more just sitting around with Sarin, hanging out.
First, let me properly introduce you all to Sarin. She is, like so many of my favorite people, from Edmonton. And to best sum it up, she is my bizarro. We share many of the same thoughts and interests and well, kinda everything. She has her own versions of Smelly, Priscilla and confusing boys, that she makes my life feel less alone.
Anyways, my social weekend consisted of two houseparties and one amazing concert.
Friday night, Sarin and I went to a houseparty I was invited to by a friend, with the promise of boys.
And boys there were. Ladies, if you have been wondering (like I have been) where all the single straight men are, well, there was a house in Kits the all apparently lived.
The boy-to-girl ratio was ridiculous, but alas, none of them struck my fancy - well, to be fair, between the dancing to Jizz in My Pants to building a torch, they didn't have time to do much else. After watching one stand on a car, with no shirt and said torch in the middle of the street, we were confident the police would be arriving and darted out of there.
We grabbed some latenight (gasp) healthy eats at The Naam and headed home.
Saturday I met a friend for lunch at a Mexican joint by my place, hit the beach with another friend and then headed to the show with Ash and Sarin.
Phew, I'm tired just thinking about it.
After the show, Sarin and I went to another houseparty. I stayed for a little while, but then headed home.
The lesson from this weekend is that I am not a houseparty person. I have to be incredibly drunk to find any sort of pleasure from random, non-coherent interactions with strangers. I don't know how people find this enjoyable.
HOW?
Most people are stupid. Most drunk people are intolerable. So why, as a semi-sober person, do I want to interact with them en masse?
Sorry, that went a little ranty. My apologies.
Sidenote - the real issue with sleep problems is that I am now ready for a nap, but instead, I have to jump in the shower and head to work, where I am expected to be bright, and creative and presentable.
This is going to be a really long day.
sigh
This week has been busy. All of a sudden, out of nowhere, I am a busy bee, with people to see and things to do.
Ok, well, more just sitting around with Sarin, hanging out.
First, let me properly introduce you all to Sarin. She is, like so many of my favorite people, from Edmonton. And to best sum it up, she is my bizarro. We share many of the same thoughts and interests and well, kinda everything. She has her own versions of Smelly, Priscilla and confusing boys, that she makes my life feel less alone.
Anyways, my social weekend consisted of two houseparties and one amazing concert.
Friday night, Sarin and I went to a houseparty I was invited to by a friend, with the promise of boys.
And boys there were. Ladies, if you have been wondering (like I have been) where all the single straight men are, well, there was a house in Kits the all apparently lived.
The boy-to-girl ratio was ridiculous, but alas, none of them struck my fancy - well, to be fair, between the dancing to Jizz in My Pants to building a torch, they didn't have time to do much else. After watching one stand on a car, with no shirt and said torch in the middle of the street, we were confident the police would be arriving and darted out of there.
We grabbed some latenight (gasp) healthy eats at The Naam and headed home.
Saturday I met a friend for lunch at a Mexican joint by my place, hit the beach with another friend and then headed to the show with Ash and Sarin.
Phew, I'm tired just thinking about it.
After the show, Sarin and I went to another houseparty. I stayed for a little while, but then headed home.
The lesson from this weekend is that I am not a houseparty person. I have to be incredibly drunk to find any sort of pleasure from random, non-coherent interactions with strangers. I don't know how people find this enjoyable.
HOW?
Most people are stupid. Most drunk people are intolerable. So why, as a semi-sober person, do I want to interact with them en masse?
Sorry, that went a little ranty. My apologies.
Sidenote - the real issue with sleep problems is that I am now ready for a nap, but instead, I have to jump in the shower and head to work, where I am expected to be bright, and creative and presentable.
This is going to be a really long day.
sigh
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