It's just different

Zemanta suggested the photo, so I included it. (Photo credit: Amanda M Hatfield)

I've moved several times in my life. Some might even call me a bit of a gypsy, and that's fine by me. I like that one day I'll be able to tell stories of life in Slave Lake, Toronto, Edmonton, Tampa Bay, New York City, Vancouver and soon, Dubai.

If you ask me, it makes me colourful.

This move, however, feels bigger. Each emotion feels heightened, each moment feels more significant.

I don't know if it's because I'll be leaving behind a man I've been waiting a very long time for, or if it's the considerable distance and cultural differences that await me on January 14th.

Regardless, this move feels bigger.

As excited as I am, I get a pit in my stomach when I think about not seeing my friends, family and the boy I love for many months. I can't say two words about how much I'm going to miss everyone and everything without breaking into tears.

Now, this doesn't mean I'm questioning my decision - you don't say no to your dream - but it does mean that this move comes with more sadness than I originally expected. And I think we're all aware of how bad I am at emotions.

I'm becoming a bit of a mess.

14 days and counting.

Wanted: Displaced Oilers fans in need of friendly faces #stilloilfans

The last game of a long season is almost upon us. You've been suffering alone long enough - mosey on down to the Black Frog as YOUR Edmonton Oilers end their season against the Avs and spend a Sunday with people who get you.

Date: Sunday, April 10
Where: Black Frog Eatery
Time: Black Frog opens at 11:30am. Game starts at 12:00pm.


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Be there or be square.

Tweeting not required, though encouraged. (#stilloilfans is the hashtag. Use it. A lot.)

If you just feel like getting tipsy on a Sunday, feel free to stop by, but no mocking or jerky comments about the season, the Oilers or Edmonton.

Tell your friends!

I'm camping this weekend

The goal is to turn everything off - no BBM, no Facebook, no Twitter, no nothing.

Well, there will still be texting and calling, but going without those would be ludacris!

Tonight, Jarod, Steve & I are hitting Elk Island Park for a little overnight trip. Me, two gays and a big dog in one tent. I'm so excited.

Jarod and I get to set up the site soon.

I'm pretty sure it will go something like this:



I'll talk to you all in a few days.

The tale of two lives

I live in Vancouver. I miss Edmonton all the time. Sometimes, like now, I miss it more than others.

You see, magically, I have been blessed with two really awesome lives. Two lives that I can live fairly regularly thanks to the magic of flight.

Vancouver and Edmonton served very different purposes when I first moved. The two didn't overlap, and I was ok with that.

But they are starting to overlap. Vancouver is starting to become a 'home' to me. A place that I don't hate and one that is gaining in the friend department. But it's still no Edmonton.

This week here has been fucking awesome. I have had enough time to see almost everyone and spend some time with them. And good god do I miss these people and this city.

I honestly feel so lucky - I didn't go out searching for the most awesome friends in the world, but somehow, I got them. No seriously, try to out friend me. I'll win. I promise.

I come to Edmo and these people not only want to see me, but they make my trip and my time here so freaking great. And they make me wonder, would my life be better in Edmonton?

But then there's The Couve. I really do have the best job in the world. One that fits me and I fit it. I don't discredit how rare it is to want to go to work everyday. I look forward to seeing my co-workers and whatever challenges the days may bring - and they are always different - believe me, I fully appreciate how lucky I am.

Like I said, Vancouver is definitely gaining in the friends department. For the first time, I am thinking about having an actual birthday party in Vancouver. Mainly because I have more than two people to hang out with.

I just kinda wish my job was in Edmo. Like a lot. Unlike others, I don't love Vancouver enough to wish everyone moved out there. But I do love Edmo enough to wish I could find as awesome a job here as I have in Van.

That would make life pretty freaking great.

Jussayin'

Howdy Pardner!

Ok, so the second edition of baby bump is happening this week and I realized, I haven't really told you about baby bump or about my business partner, Lis.

Lis and I worked at the Crowne Plaza together. We were friends, mainly because her parents paid me and she wanted to be just like me.

So, Lis and I go WAY back.

Last winter I was in Edmo to visit my ma. Chunk and I went to Lis' for dinner, where we came up with the idea of a maternity consignment sale, over dinner and wine. Cool right?

Why am I involved in a maternity clothing consignment sale?

Well, because I think it's a really smart idea. Why the hell would you spend a ton of money on maternity clothes - you're only going to wear them for 8 months MAYBE. And then seriously, do you want to be reminded of how big you were when you're not prego anymore? I don't understand!

Anyways, I also kinda wanted to see an idea from idea to execution. You know, to see if a couple of trouble makers could make something useful.

Before I go any further, you gotta know how awesome Lis has been as a business partner. There have been very few bumps, the only one I can think of being when I was being cheap about a tagging gun. Yes, I'm retarded leotarded. Whatevs.

But Lis has been kick-ass awesome. She has let me run wild with the stuff I want to run wild with. I mean, I built a website in a weekend. Yes, I'm badass.

And here's another thing I dig about Lis:

Tonight, while we were prepping for a TV spot tomorrow, we spent a good chunk of the time laughing at ourselves and having fun. We get our shit done, but we get to have a gay old time while doing it - me likey.

She has been understanding of when my life is crazy and I can't concentrate on baby bump stuff, and pushes me when she knows I SHOULD be concentrating on it. We have been each other's reality checks, and a lovely support system.

After the last sale was over and we realized that we didn't bomb, we took our exhausted asses to the park by the condo and drank publicly. It was awesome.

It's kinda cool - she's a partner in crime AND in business.

Awesome right?

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.

Edmonton

This might be lengthy, I am just going to warn you.

I get it, I live in Vancouver. I don't hate it anymore, so whatever.

But, regardless of where I live, Edmonton will always be my home.

For me, there is nothing like landing in Edmonton. I just feel like I am home.

Regardless of where I stay or who I see or if I even get to see anyone, Edmonton is and always will be, home.

The thing about this city that I love is the small town vibe of it.

Sure Edmonton has its drawbacks - the urban sprawl and reliance on cars comes to mind - but all-in-all, I think it is the best city in the freaking province.

I will never understand why Calgary gets all the love. Just because they are almost close to the mountains?

Proximity to beauty does not inherently make you beautiful - FYI.

I don't think I could explain what I love about the city, and granted, so much of it is tied to the people that are still here (see nickname post, most of those nicknames have Edmonton addresses)

One of the things is that Edmonton has the friendliest people ever. I will never understand why it is so hard for Vancouverites to smile at other human beings.

I loved Edmo even when I was in NYC. And we all know how much I loved NYC - if that couldn't get me to stop missing my Northern Alberta outpost, nothing will.

Moms, moms everywhere.

No, I am not pregnant. There is, in fact, no way for me to be pregnant.

sigh

But, my friend Lis and I have joined forces to present baby bump consignment boutique.

It is a pretty cool idea - a one-day maternity consignment sale. New moms can earn back some of the money they spent on those maternity clothes and soon-to-be-moms can save some money on the clothes they have to buy.

Although I might just buy all of the elastic pants, just so I don't have to undo any buttons. That would be great. Restaurant relief.

Sorry, tangent.

Ok, so yeah, check it out. I did the website and I feel REALLY cool about it. And smart.

So far the coolest things about this project are:

• Lis and I are having a freaking BLAST! We are chatting all the time, getting stuff done, but having fun at the same time.
• It is cool to see what I know. During my workdays, the only thing I know for sure is what I don't know - but with this, I know stuff, and I get to remember that. It's a nice feeling.

So, yes, if you have any maternity clothes you want to get rid of ... holla!

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.

Maybe it's an inner-ear thing

Most people would agree, a balance is necessary in every aspect of your life. I have believd this for a while, too much of anything is a bad thing.

Well, I have very little balance lately and I am totally sober ... most of the time.

You see, I have two really great aspects of my life, amazing friends and a killer job. It just so happens that they don't exist in the same city. So I figure I will overload with work whilst in Vancouver and overload on friends when I get to go to Edmonton.

I just got back from the City of Champions and again, it did not disappoint. I got to see everyone, got to chat with everyone and I was reminded that social interactions don't always have to be awkward and unsettling, they can actually be comforting and relaxed.

And again, it was a little disappointing to return to Vancouver, but what can you do??