The Boundary Line

And the award for the worst blogger ever goes to...

2008-01-31T23:10:00.000-05:00

Me!

There have been far too many things happening over the past several months. Finding time to devote to posting here just hasn't been realistic. And to be perfectly honest, I've never been a fan of publishing the personal details of my life on the internet... this was a place for me to share thoughts, experiences and stories that were amusing or interesting. For anyone who is still bothering to check back here every now and then, I'm sorry for being so intermittent in my posting.

So, today I have a brief life lesson to share:

Good idea - getting reading done while sitting in the bath. Productive and relaxing. Think about it.
Bad idea - falling down the stairs to the basement in spectacular fashion. Not recommended.

Huh?

2007-05-10T22:28:00.000-04:00

Do you ever look back, and wonder, "How on earth did I do that?"
Looking back on things today, I can't believe that I managed to:

commute across the city multiple times a week via TTC. How did I have that much time?
do full-time school, work 2 part-time jobs, and volunteer at youth group multiple times a week... even with a car!
live in Belarus for 3 weeks as a 16 year old. The government wanted to deport us, flushing toilets were few and far between, the skinheads wanted to kill me, and the mosquitos were the size of helicopters
work at camp (not city camp!!) for entire summers at a time, where I was constantly tired and getting "paid" with an honorarium
get through life without a cell phone. Sounds sad, but really.
write major papers/assignments on the family computer out in the living room, in front of the TV all through high school and university

It's so funny how things change.

2007-03-19T23:12:00.000-04:00

I know it's been a while. For anyone who's still reading this, I apologize for the unintentional silent treatment! I haven't felt much like writing recently... there IS a life outside of the internet, believe it or not. I highly recommend checking it out.

March Break is over, which meant that I was back at work today. It amazes me every single time just how difficult it is to get back into the swing of things. I've only been away for a week, and I just did NOT want to be anything close to awake and alert this morning. One huge blueberry muffin and large Starbucks coffee later, I was still conscious but nothing close to chipper. Then I went away to teach a class of grade 1s about energy. Let me tell you, there's nothing quite like a bunch of kids sitting on a carpet, listening interestedly while picking their noses. It's funny every single time.

I'm anxious for spring. Lots to look forward to - John Mayer, a wedding, a recital and even a formal! Stay tuned...

Me vs. Winter: Round 25

2007-01-15T15:33:00.000-05:00

This morning, Toronto woke up to its first real wintery day this year.

Steadily falling freezing rain (or maybe wet snow... what's the difference, anyway?) left the city covered in a layer of ice. This included my car, which was encased in about 3mm of solid ice that took more than 20 minutes of vigorous scraping to get off. At 7:45 on a Monday morning, this meant that I was less than pleased, and cursing in my head the entire time. Once I made it out on the road, it was, as AM 680 News put it, "like driving on ball bearings". Combine that with me forgetting my passcard at home, and getting harassed at work by a rent-a-cop because of that, it was shaping up to be a brilliant day.

I tried to be rational in thinking about it. After all, the weather has been so mild that I've had very little to complain about all year. I told myself that many parts of the country deal with weather that is much colder and icier than this all the time. I even went as far as to remind myself that global warming is a huge problem that could leave us all underwater, turning the places I know and love into fabled, wet wastelands like Atlantis. I told myself that I should be thankful that Toronto is even seeing any winter precipitation, because it means that we're not totally doomed to die from our sins against the environment just yet.

But here's what I came to realize: I don't care.

I've never loved winter. I hate being cold. I hate having to wake up a half hour earlier than usual just to be able to see out my car windows. I hate that people forget how to drive as soon as any snow hits the ground. I've never supported -35 as an acceptable temperature for anything to stay alive. I enjoy super hot weather. I don't support destroying the environment. I don't drive a huge gas guzzling car, I don't usually use aerosol products, and I don't think it's awesome that warmer climates are experiencing violent weather patterns. I have no problems with trees, and the saving of trees. But how am I supposed to help if I'm forced to idle my car for 20 minutes as I scrape my windshields, without using a blowtorch or a chainsaw? Does anyone really want to complain when it's a comfortable 7 degrees in the middle of January? I certainly don't.

Everyone chooses their battles. Today, I choose to side with El Nino.

2006 In Review

2007-01-02T23:37:00.000-05:00

We're already 2 days into the new year! Things have been so wonderfully hectic lately that I haven't had a chance to think much about the past year...

Which is why I'm proud to present a special edition of "life lessons learned" :

I have great friends. I feel extremely lucky.
I have a family that butts heads a lot, but we usually act in each other's best interests. That also makes me feel extremely lucky.
Emotional confusion is no fun. But I am able to come out of situations with my head still screwed on properly, thank you very much.
Bad things happen when I'm exhausted and pretend that I'm not. Vacations are absolutely mandatory.
Some people are extremely bad at listening.
When I say that I'm way too full and will never want to eat again, I'm probably lying.
Being a relatively approachable looking woman apparently means garnering unwanted attention from all sorts of weirdos.
Sometimes, good and unexpected things come to those who wait.
You can never have too many pajamas.
You never know what someone else is going through... there's always a story.

That's some of what I've (re)learned.

My resolution? To love and be loved. Sounds horribly cheesy, but hopefully everything else will just come out of that if I can get it right.

Happy new year, everyone!

What I'm looking forward to in the next few weeks...

2006-12-20T17:29:00.000-05:00

time off from work
not setting my alarm before I go to bed
eating, eating, eating
snuggling with my boyfriend
hanging out with my family
seeing friends who are here and coming from far away
Boxing Day shopping
World Junior Hockey!
giving gifts
opening gifts
drinking lots of Joy tea from Starbucks before it goes away for another year
not hearing anymore ridiculous Christmas music coming from the radio
New Year's Eve festivities

I'm so excited!

Sneak Peek

2006-11-25T11:06:00.000-05:00

Harry Potter fans, this one's for you!

Better Than Babysitter's Club!

2006-11-12T21:38:00.000-05:00

Here I am, home after another adventure!

I spent 7 days in Denver with my best friends. We met up after the 4 of us had been scattered in 3 different countries for the past few years - Canada, America, and Northern Ireland. The reason for our reunion: to spend time with Michelle, who is halfway through her chemotherapy in her fight against breast cancer.

You can't get much more movie-like than that. Megs and I joked that a documentary of our week together would be a hit on W Network or some other cheesy network that sells sentimentality.

Day 1:
Megs and I checked our bags and headed to the long line for US Customs. I was praying for a semi-friendly customs officer who would ask few questions (ask me about the last time I went through US Customs at Pearson... NOT COOL!), and that's exactly what I got. We breezed through the security checks, and flew to Detroit. Surprisingly, the airport there wasn't awful at all. There were lots of stores, and even a spa where you could get a 15 minute chair massage for $15. We snacked a little, cursing Northwest airlines for not providing any free food on our flights, and boarded our connecting flight to Denver. This flight was about 3 hours long, and with no food, music, or movies, we were only too happy to get off the plane. To get to baggage claim, we had to take a funny little train through the other concourses. It played weird circus music everytime the doors opened and closed.

We got off the train, and ran towards the smiling faces of Michelle and Deb for big group hugs. It was SO awesome to see them again, and that all of us were together in the same place at the same time. I'd missed this very very much. We waited for our luggage (my suitcase took forever to come out), and headed to the house where Michelle is living. I couldn't help but notice that I couldn't see the mountains as we were driving. Apparently they like to hide at night.

We got to the house and settled in. We met the Warren family, who lives in the house, and their 3 happy animals - Angel and Gabe (cats), and Sadie (puppy). We became friends right away.

Day 2:
After a great sleep in a super comfy bed, we had breakfast together, and slowly got ready for the day. Michelle was working at the YWAM base in the morning, and we met her there for lunch. After lunch, the rest of us headed off to pick up some groceries for the week. Michelle still had to work, which meant that I had to drive the car. This car was awesome - a fully loaded Jetta! But it also meant that I had to drive stick, which I'd sort of only done once before in my entire life. I managed to get us around without pissing any other drivers off (Denver is much kinder than Toronto). I only stalled about 6 times, and got caught on an inclined driveway coming out from a plaza, but Deb and I pulled a Chinese fire drill, and she got us out. The guy behind us was just laughing the entire time.

Michelle's legs were feeling very sore, thanks to her last round of chemo. But she was feeling up to going out in the afternoon, so we got in the car and drove to Red Rocks. It was pretty awesome to look at, but you can only look at big red rocks for so long. We saw the amphitheatre there, where lots of bigtime acts have played. We took lots of pictures, and moved on.

We went for a nice drive through the mountains, and ended up in a tiny little town called Evergreen. Not much to see, but we stopped in at an interesting shop, and had tea and chocolates at a cute little cafe.

The day ended with a nice dinner at home, and some white wine. Perfect.

Day 3:

Destination - Boulder! Michelle said this was the #1 party city in the country, due to the crazy college kids, but all we saw were people wearing Birkenstocks, The North Face gear, and walking dogs. Either way, we ended up at a beautiful Tajik tea house for lunch. I ordered the Green Sea Anemone tea, which "blooms" in the hot water. They served it in a wine glass, and it was really pretty to look at! It tasted like a very strong green tea, which was also nice.

Despite eating all my Thai peanut noodles, I was feeling a bit off that day. Denver is the "mile high city", and the altitude was making me feel a little dehydrated, tired, short of breath and slightly nauseous. All I could do was drink lots of water and keep moving - it was the only thing that helped.

We browsed through a lot of cute little shops, and headed back to the house for dinner and a movie. We made a couple pizzas, and watched Nacho Libre. I definitely laughed a LOT that night!

Day 4:
Wow, was it ever hot outside! It was about 20 degrees, and absolutely sunny. There were zero clouds in the sky, and I was wishing I'd brought some summer clothes along.

Today was doctor day. Michelle had an appointment with her surgeon, and I was glad we were able to go with her. I was even happier that I was asked to come into the examination room with her - it would be good to hear firsthand what her surgeon had to say about her progress. She had great news for us. Michelle's chemo is going very well, and her huge tumor has shrunken very significantly. For safety's sake, Michelle will still be undergoing a double masectomy 5-6 weeks after her last chemo this winter. Her reconstruction might be a little more complicated in terms of timing and funding, so we'll wait to see what options are available to her.

In the afternoon, we headed to the Coors Factory for a brewery tour! None of us are huge fans of Coors beer, but it was fun. Plus, they gave each of us 3 free 8-ounce glasses of beer... free beer for FREE! That sure was a lot of beer, and some of it was actually quite nice. I learned very quickly that beer and altitude are a crazy combination for me!

In the evening, we decided to head out to Indian Springs in the town of Idaho Springs, 30 minutes west of Denver. In all honesty, the place was pretty creepy. I wouldn't have been entirely surprised if zombies popped out of the deserted looking houses and stores. We had dinner at the on-site bar at the resort - the most stereotypically trashy American bar you could possibly imagine. Then it was off to the hot springs to soak in some natural hot spring water. Let me tell you, there's nothing quite like a mandatorily naked bathing experience in a cave full of hot water with 3 of your best friends. But the water was nice, had all sorts of minerals in it that were good for Michelle, and we had fun. The hot water was really relaxing, and we all slept well that night.

Day 5:
Shopping day! There's so much good stuff in the States that we can't get in the great nation of Canada, so we hit up a bunch of stores in particular - Target (so many bargains, so good!), Ross (like Winners on steroids), and Bath and Body Works were great ways for us to stimulate the local economy.

For dinner, we got dressed up to go to a nice Brazilian restaurant in downtown Denver. The Rodizio Grill is an amazing place. Each table gets this little wooden block with a red end and a green end. When you turn the green side up, servers with huge skewers of meat of every kind come to the table to put some on your plate. When you turn the red side up, it means "Please stop, I need a break!" I ate a LOT of meat that night, and every bit of it was delicious. We went to a jazz bar for drinks afterwards. Aren't we classy?!

I definitely had a meat dream that night - I dreamt that I met John Mayer and he fell in love with me.
I wouldn't mind having meat dreams every night, actually.

Day 6:
Deb was going back to Ireland today. We drove her to the airport late in the morning. It was sad to see her go, as usual, but it was nice to know that she'll be home for good in the summer.

The rest of the day was really laid back. We hung out at Starbucks and had some sushi for lunch. Meghan and I went to pick up some groceries to make hot egg sandwich for dinner (a delicious classic!). After dinner, we headed out to the movie theatre to watch Stranger Than Fiction. I definitely recommend seeing it... it was fabulous! It was even better once the stupid kids sitting in front of us left part of the way through. All they did during the movie was text message their friends, with their cell phones flashing in my eyes. Sheesh.

Day 7:
Sadly, we were going home today. After making sure all our things were packed properly (including our many purchases from a few days ago), we loaded up the car and headed out to brunch. The good ol' IHOP did not disappoint - their portions were still huge, and the food was ever greasy.

We said goodbye to Michelle at the airport. Sad that we were leaving her, but glad to know that we'd probably see her again in the spring.

All in all, it was a great week. It meant a lot to us to spend some time together, see how Michelle was doing, and reassurring to see that she was living in a very supportive and comfortable environment with great people. I have high hopes that she's going to come out of this cancer ordeal more than fine. But that's Michelle for you- she rocks. : )

Random facts:

I was shocked that Denver doesn't recycle! At least, the areas that I hung out in didn't have any recycling. Why wouldn't they want to protect the environment, when the one they live in is so cool?
The Rockies in Colorado aren't quite as impressive as I thought they would be. They're rather brown, and the areas all around are pretty flat. I hear that the Canadian Rockies are far more majestic... I'll have to see for myself one day!
The most overplayed song on the radio while we drove: My Love, Justin Timberlake.
Toronto really is the most beautiful city to fly over at night.
DC-9 airplanes are friggin noisy.
I'm pretty sure I saw about 5 black people, and a handful of Asian people if I include the nice people who worked at the sushi restaurant and myself.
It was impossible to find a decent block of Havarti cheese at the local Safeway.
Colorado folk think that our Ontario driver's licenses are "pretty".
Meghan told the Safeway cashier that we didn't need the Safeway card because we lived in Canada. The Safeway lady's response was: "Well, they can be used all over the country..." Classic.

Smart. S-M-R-T?

2006-11-03T18:34:00.000-05:00

I was cleaning out my email inbox today, and I stumbled across this...

Try it out! It took me a long time to get it, but I got it.

Good luck!

* Edit: It's a Japanese intelligence test... so it's not in English. Here are the instructions:

The following rules apply:

* Only 2 persons on the raft at a time.

* The father can not stay with any of the daughters, without their mother's presence.

* The mother can not stay with any of the sons, without their father's presence.

* The thief (striped shirt) can not stay with any family member, if the Policeman is not there

* Only the Father, the Mother and the Policeman know how to operate the raft.

* To start click on the big blue circle on the right.

* To move the people click on them

* To move the raft click on the pole on the opposite side of the
river.

My bad, Parke. Sorry about the confusion! :)

Next up:

2006-11-01T23:24:00.000-05:00

I haven't posted in a couple of weeks, so I thought it was about time to write something. Plus, the collage in the last entry is taking up way too much room, and I hate the way it's overlapping with the links on the right side of the screen. Ugly!

So, it's been an insane week at work already, and it's only Wednesday. Things feel chaotic in my head, even though they probably aren't really that bad. Maybe it's exhaustion, or the fact that it's dark outside when I have to be out of bed, or the thought of having to face several groups of people all day every day. In any case, the weeks seem to go by really slowly these days. And not necessarily in a good way, either.

Translation: I need a vacation.

Luckily, I have one to look forward to! In just 4 days, I will be on a plane headed towards Denver, Colorado for the reunion to end all reunions. It's been years since the 4 of us long-time friends have been in the same country at the same time, let alone in the same room - Deb's been in Ireland, Michelle's been down in Denver, and Meghan and I have been holding down the fort here in the good ol' GTA. I'm incredibly excited to be getting away for a little while. I'm ready for mountains, hot springs, horses, outlet malls, and serious quality time with my girls. It'll be better than any Babysitter's Club reunion, mark my words.

The next obstacle to face: AAMC applications that are due at the end of November.
The exciting event to look forward to during that guaranteed to be stressful time: the Leafs Skills Competition on Dec. 3rd. I got tickets today... hooray for presales!

Impersonators

2006-10-18T23:57:00.001-04:00

A while back, John Mayer posted this hilarious entry on his blog. I became curious too, so I went to this website John mentioned to see who my celebrity look-alikes were. Here's what it came up with:

I was expecting that it would probably just pull up all the Asian celebrities the world knew of, but I was wrong (it came close though!). Either way, I thought the results were pretty funny.

I would just like to take this time to point out that Sandra Oh was NOT one of my matches. I don't want to say that I told you so, but I think I already did...

O Captain, My Captain

2006-10-15T00:10:00.000-04:00

October is turning out to be a heck of a month! Last weekend was the roadtrip adventure, and tonight I was fortunate enough to be at the ACC with my sister. We were there to catch the Toronto Maple Leafs vs. the Calgary Flames in action, and I was very excited for a few reasons:

I am a hockey nerd, and it had been a couple years since my last game.
Being a hockey nerd, I know that the Leafs and Flames hardly ever see each other in a game since they come from different conferences.
Mats Sundin was going into this game 3 goals shy of his 500th career goal. I wanted to be there in case it actually happened.
Having the Calgary flames in town means having Iginla and Kiprusoff in town - it would be cool to see them play.
It was Pink Ribbon Night, in support of breast cancer research.
I got to wear my beloved Leafs jacket for the first time ever.
I was taking my sister with me, and she had never been to a game before.

I'll save you most of the play-by-play. Suffice it to say that I was not disappointed. It was an amazing game. Possibly one of the most exciting I've ever watched.

The Leafs won it in overtime with one magical goal - Sundin scored a shorthanded goal (which means we had one less player on the ice due to a penalty), making it a hat trick (3 in a game by 1 player), winning the game in overtime and also reaching his 500th career goal.

This is the stuff legends are made of. He's not the captain for nothing.

GO LEAFS GO!

Dance Dance

2006-10-10T19:57:00.000-04:00

Ladies and gentlemen, I bring you an itinerary of the craziest roadtrip of my life...

*Disclaimer: Those of you who are not fans of So You Think You Can Dance might find this ridiculous, lame and nerdy. Justifiably so. Those of you who ARE fans, you'll understand completely. And for this, I thank you. :) *

Sunday, Oct.8
12:30 in the afternoon-ish - Departure from Toronto. We're going to the So You Think You Can Dance Tour!!!
2:00pm - Stop at Gateway Niagara for some lunch. Buy Timbits for the road.
2:30pm - Eat Timbits. Finish listening to John Mayer.
3:00pm - Stop for some American cash at an information centre. Wonder why it is that only 2 out of the 3 bridges to the US are always so backed up.
3:30pm - Finally cross the border into Buffalo. Do the roadsigns have to keep emphasizing 911 is a free call?
3:32pm - Decide that Buffalo is still a dirty, ugly city. This time around, it even smelled kinda weird.
4:00pm - Realize that the road signs saying "Albany - 208" is in miles, not kilometres. Crap!
5:00pm - Pull over into a service station for some Starbucks. We might be pressed for time, but this is an absolute necessity.
5:10pm - Okay, seriously. It smells like cows out here. Where are we?
6:20pm - The sun begins to set. I get sad because it means winter is coming soon.
7:00pm - Why are there so many slow moving cars on the interstate on Sunday night? And who decided to name a town Schenectady?!
7:20pm - Devise a plan to make sure that we can make it from the car to the theatre in minimal time. Vow not to panic if we miss the first number.
8:00pm - Drive into Albany, after paying a ridiculous $10.60 highway toll. Ensure Sarah that the world will not end if we do miss the first number. Park the car, and run to the theatre.
8:05pm - Hop the railing just behind our seats, and slide into them. The first number is just starting... we made it!

Intermission - Go down to the merch table to see what we can see. Sarah buys a program, I look at the pictures I've taken so far. My camera is frickin fantastic! Get in the ridiculous line for the washroom, since there only seems to be one for the entire theatre. Watch all the crazy girls run into the men's room so they won't be late for the 2nd half of the show. I expect a bell to ring for a 5 minute warning, but it doesn't happen (what else can you expect from a theatre that only has 1 bathroom?). I hear the music and the cheering... I'm late!!

10:30pm - Show ends. All our favourite dancers from the TV show were there, right in front of us. Amazing. Now, if only we can make it out to the right place to meet them...
11:00pm - Positioned at the top of the stairs leading down to the sidewalk beside the tour buses. I'm busily playing the role of papparazzi as the dancers start coming out and signing autographs. I can't remember the last time I was surrounded by so many screaming girls. There's a 7-year old girl beside me screaming, "I love you, Ivan!" Hilarious!!
11:30pm - The crowd near the railing starts to thin out. Sarah and I make a break for an empty gap. We're in perfect position.
11:45pm - Allison comes out, signs autographs. Sarah even manages to chat with her a little bit and get a picture.
12:00pm- The moment we've been waiting for... BENJI'S HERE! He's taking his time coming down the line, making sure to say hello to every person who's been waiting for him. Finally, it's my turn! I'm delighted to find out that he's as sweet as I expected in person. He comes over, says hi, and I tell him, "Toronto loves you, Benji!". He gives me a big hug. He even smells good! We say our thanks and congratulations. He wishes us a safe trip home.

12:15pm - Get back in the car, feeling giddy.
1:00am - Pull into a service station, praying that something is open and willing to sell us some food. End up getting a box of chicken tenders and curly fries that have been sitting out for who knows how long.
1:20 - 4:00am - Drive back through upstate NY in the pitch black, cramming chicken tenders into our mouths, and singing along to whatever music will keep us awake.
4:45am - I pass out. My recovering-from-a-cold body won't have it anymore, and I drift in and out of sleep. Sarah keeps on driving to the pumping rhythms of Great Big Sea. I have no explanation for this, except that maybe it's her Celtic blood. After all, her parents are from Cape Breton, right?
7:00am - The sun is rising as we pull into my driveway. I feel like I'm melting from exhaustion.
7:30am - Fall into my bed and crash. At this moment, I'm thankful for Thanksgiving... no work today, just a turkey dinner!

Ticket: $50
Food/gas: probably also around $50
Meeting Benji: Priceless. Haha.
Check out all my pictures here...

Hope.

2006-10-04T18:25:00.000-04:00

Meet GTA's Finest.

This was my team of 10 that participated in the CIBC Run For The Cure this past Sunday.

We dedicated our 5k walk to our friend Michelle. You can read about her in this previous post

The turnout was amazing and inspiring. It was both inspiring and sad to see the names that everyone had written on the Wall of Hope, and their "I'm running for..." cards. Many of them (too many) said things such as "My late wife", or "In memory of my mother".

The Run raised millions of dollars across the nation, and set a new record in Toronto. I know that everyone on my team found a new cause to support on a regular basis.

Thank you to all our friends and sponsors!

Static

2006-09-24T22:25:00.000-04:00

Life is moving way too fast right now.

Actually, scratch that - everyone else's lives around me are moving way too fast for me right now. Friends of mine are doing things, going places, settling down into life-long relationships and such... sometimes I feel like I'm completely stuck in comparison.

In this past week, I've said goodbye to a friend who is leaving to go to France for a year, talked to another friend about her relationship with her boyfriend and their potential marriage within the next year or so, and run into a friend from junior high who is now 6 months pregnant. My baby sister will be legal to drink come next week, on the same day that another friend leaves the country to travel many others over the next year.

Apparently, the way I've chosen involves answering very personal yet open ended questions in 700 characters or less. All I can do is hope that it will be good enough for the complete strangers ranking my worthiness. Maybe I'm the only one who finds this entirely ridiculous.

Don't get me wrong - I don't believe that my entire identity or worth is found in my career, my marital/relationship status, or my geographic location. I don't think I define my life by milestones. It's just that it's been so long since I've had one that isn't "first flat tire while driving" or "first pie crust made from scratch".

I'm stuck mid-stride with my foot in the air, just waiting for it to come down on something solid.

Tasty

2006-09-20T00:09:00.000-04:00

I haven't posted in a while. There wasn't a whole lot to talk about, and I wasn't feeling particularly inspired by anything either. This weekend was semi-eventful, so I thought I'd share some things that I learned over the past few days.

I can survive a flat tire on the highway, stay relatively calm, and come out of it happy, safe and NOT completely broke. All within one hour.
I apparently have nice hands.
I can be an extremely messy eater. By eating just one wing, I managed to get sauce all over my new white shirt.
Abercrombie & Fitch is the most ridiculous store in existence. No wonder people in this continent feel bad about themselves. I tried on a small T-shirt and felt like a whale. Plus, when I walked into the store at the Eaton Centre, I was greeted with a huge black and white poster of a naked male torso. You can't even buy one of those there.
John Mayer is still awesome. Even when some people at his free concert are obnoxiously rude.
Med school applications will forever be ridiculous. I hate them.
I am extremely good at spending money, and I actually do talk myself out of buying things quite often... out loud. Once, I caught myself slapping my own hand and saying, "NO, Sabrina!"

Important life-changing lessons to savour until next time. Mmmm.

Timing really is everything.

2006-08-30T01:22:00.000-04:00

So, for those of you who read and commented on this previous post, here's another story for you.

I just came home from the movie theatre. While I was waiting in the lobby for my friend to show up, this short guy in a doo-rag walks towards me, rapping (badly). Then he decides to stand in front of me, still rapping. All I could do was stare in mild shock... 'cause really, what else do you do when there's a random guy standing right in front of you, leaving you no choice but to look at him while he spouts off some weird rhymes about a girl named Samantha, who looks like a belly dance-a?

He then comes and stands beside me (I'm definitely not looking at him now), and the mind-blowingly intelligent conversation goes like this:

" 'Sup?"
(unfriendly voice) "Hi...?"
"What's your name?"
(cell phone rings, purposely taking long time to dig through purse) "Sorry, one sec."
(starts walking away) "I'm comin' back."
"Uh huh, whatever." (cringe, cringe, cringe)

Thank you Sarah, for the amazingly timed text message... even though you had no idea what I was dealing with!

Now, more than ever, I'm convinced that I'm a magnet for complete wackos. Awesome.

Think Pink

2006-08-28T23:21:00.000-04:00

As many of you might already know, my good friend Michelle was diagnosed with breast cancer just a few weeks ago. She is only 26 years old. Right now she is undergoing chemotherapy treatments and preparing for a double masectomy in January 2007. Cancer is something that leaves people with a feeling of helplessness - I now know that from firsthand experience. Unfortunately, it's pretty likely that many of us in the general population have been affected, or will be affected at some point in time, in this way.

I don't like feeling helpless. While I can accept that I have no control over who gets sick and how it happens, I can also choose to be proactive when my laziness doesn't get the best of me. In this case, I have chosen to take part in the CIBC Run For The Cure, for Michelle and for so many others out there whose lives have been affected by breast cancer. While the funds raised won't go directly to Michelle, they will be used for research, education, and early detection/treatment programs. This DOES make a difference. The Run takes place on October 1st, and I am very excited to be a part of it. I am proud to be part of a team of Michelle's friends who are doing something small to make a difference.

For anyone who is interested in supporting me in the fight against breast cancer, donations of any amount are absolutely appreciated. Click here to visit my donation page. Otherwise, for those of you who pray, that variety of support is huge as well. The response I've already received so far has been amazing - thank you all so much!

And to all of YOU... thank you for taking the time to read this "public service announcement".

'Fraidy Cat

2006-08-27T23:47:00.000-04:00

When I was a kid, I absolutely dreaded losing my teeth. I knew it was completely natural and completely necessary, but I didn't like it. My dad was a force to be reckoned with when it came to coercing my baby teeth to come out. He would do whatever was necessary to get those suckers out of there - everything from reaching right in and wiggling the loose tooth (sounds gross, I know) to yanking them out (even worse). All in the name of making sure that I didn't look like a shark with several rows of teeth in my child-sized mouth. I've seen this horrible affliction in a real, live child. Not pleasant.

Just this summer, a great friend of mine told me something that I thought was fantastic. She said that she tries to do something each day that she feels nervous about. I loved the idea. It added to my recurring observation that too many people allow fear to play too large of a role in life. If I think carefully about the phrases I've heard most frequently in the recent past, "I'm scared" or "it's freaking me out" would definitely be right up at the top of the list. I can only think of too many situations where fear has come out on top over and over again. But, really...

What are we so afraid of?

Pain, loss, failure, discomfort, the amount of effort and work it would take to get to where we know we should be, admitting that we're wrong, judgement from others, the past, the present, the future, losing ourselves, being wrong about anything in general... the list would go on for days.

Here's what I've come to understand. There are few things in this world that would make a person more self-centered and narcissistic than fear. We run into something that freaks us out, we run away, focus inwardly and forget to think about things outside of ourselves. Everything becomes distorted when we can't think about things from any perspective other than our own. It affects relationships on every level - fear wrecks friendships, families, dating realtionships, marriages, organizations and society as a whole. How can we hope for the world to change when we're too scared to deal with what's right in front of us?

Maybe we all need to do something each day that makes us a little nervous. Worst case scenario, things might suck as a result, but probably not forever. We might even become stronger because of it. Maybe we'll see in retrospect that it needed to be done to make room for something great to grow, despite how much it hurt at the time.

And besides, who really wants to walk around looking like a shark? Honestly.

Food For Thought

2006-08-13T16:21:00.000-04:00

My understanding of the Scriptures has been made simple by the person of Christ. Christ teaches that God is love. What does that mean? What it means for me: a study of the life of Christ. I don’t let my religious world get too complicated. I just kind of go: Well, I think I know what God is. God is love, and as much as I respond in allowing myself to be transformed by that love and acting in that love, that’s my religion.
~ Bono

Don't you love it when a rock star can summarize your thoughts for you so well? He's SO hired.

In Other Words...

2006-08-08T23:41:00.000-04:00

Life has a funny way
of sneaking up on you when you think everything's okay
and everything's going right

And life has a funny way
of helping you out when you think everything's going wrong
and everything blows up in your face

Alanis said it best.

Tu me manques
You know who you are.
I wish you were here.

"Was your daddy a thief?..."

2006-07-23T00:47:00.000-04:00

Today's random topic: pick-up lines.

Have they ever really worked for anyone?? Jen and I were discussing this after an incident down in Yorkville tonight. We were walking down Bloor street when a guy leaning out of a car window yelled at us, "Hey Mary! There's something about you, Mary!" All we could do was roll our eyes and keep walking. It reminded me of some other ones that I'd been given:

"Hey, ma..." (I was shocked that people use this line in real life, and not just in hip-hop videos)

"Do you come here often?"

"Wherever you're from, it's some place where they have pretty people. 'Cause you're pretty."

"What are you doing, standing here by yourself and not dancing?"

"Didn't I meet you in the Bahamas last summer?" (definitely not), followed by: "You don't have, like, 10 kids or anything , right?"

And my personal favourite attempted pick-up situation: being chased down the 403 by 3 guys in a car who were openly and hilariously gawking at my friends and I through the windows. First, they kept pulling up next to us and staring. Then they motioned for us to pull over. After that, they wrote a phone number down on a sheet of paper, held it up against the window and pointed to a cell phone, asking us to call them.

But seriously, what is the point? During a drive-by situation, it's not as though anything can really come from it. Is it a man pride thing? Is it an amusement thing to just watch the reactions of different women? I don't really get it. Sometimes it's funny, but I don't fully understand it.

So, for discussion: what's the weirdest pick-up line you've ever been given, or that you've ever delivered? This should be fun to read!

Children'd!

2006-07-17T20:00:00.000-04:00

FAC staff: this one's for you!

I realize that I haven't posted in a while, and a lot of that is due to working at camp. Summer is in full swing now. We're 2 weeks into our summer at Fine Arts Camp, and we welcomed a brand new batch of campers today as 2nd session began. Last session, we were fortunate enough to have a group of campers who were pretty great. There were no huge behavioural problems, they did what they were told (for the most part), and listened to their instructors. Today, we realized that we have a tricky bunch on our hands. During a camp wide game, I couldn't help but wonder if these kids were being fed sugar sandwiches multiple times a day. Which brings me to another badge that I found in Courtney's forward that I referred to in my last post:

I really really love kids. But honestly, sometimes, you just have to wonder.

Courage, my staff... here's to a weird and wonderful session 2!!

Um, what?

2006-07-05T17:36:00.000-04:00

In a funny forward from Courtney that I just opened, I found this picture. Part of me wishes I could carry hundreds of these with me at all times:

Highly appropriate, given that I just walked through the door after being screamed at by some psychotic lady in the parking lot. She was illegally parked in MY paid tenant parking spot, and started screaming at me when I honked at her (just once, I might add, and not in a typical road ragey Sabrina way) to move her car. All I could do was sit there, staring and grinning at her, shaking my head. I eventually had to yell at her to just calm down and leave. I'm sorry... who should be mad at who in this situation? Crazy Lady, for parking in a clearly labelled spot, not apologizing when the tenant pulled up, and then being honked at for taking her sweet time leaving while I waited? Completely ridiculous.

You suck big time, lady. Today's idiot stamp is specially dedicated to you.

Precious

2006-07-04T17:11:00.000-04:00

It's a small miracle: I'm sitting in my room with no one else around.

I managed to get home from work today before 5pm, which was another small miracle. As soon as I realized that I was the only one here, that I didn't have any pressing things to attend to, and no one asking me to do things for them, I was excited. It seems so rare to get a moment to myself these days, and it's at times like these that I realize just how much I value my time. I get stressed, anxious and angry when people make demands on my time that I'm not prepared to deal with. I hate when it's assumed that any free time of mine is dead time where I'm "doing nothing". Despite the extrovert that I think I am, I really do treasure moments where I'm alone and free of any pressures. I love being able to sit, unwind, and be allowed to stay silent for a while, but it's more than that. I need it. I covet it.

It's a precious commodity, and I'll treasure as much of it as I'm given.

Better Together

2006-06-18T14:48:00.000-04:00

Congratulations to Andrea Johnson and John Williams!

This was a biggie - I've known Andrea since she was 12, and we were put up in the same house during our crazy trip to Belarus. She and I have seen a lot and done a lot since then, and now she's all grown up and married to a wonderful Englishman. I was also asked to sing during the signing of the registry. I was only too happy to oblige.

The ceremony was beautiful. It was done on a veranda at La Salle Park in Burlington. The bridal party walked down the aisle to Jack Johnson, and Andrea came in to the ukelele version of "Somewhere Over the Rainbow".

After photos and a cocktail hour, we went inside for the dinner reception. The food, the speeches, and the dancing was great. It was an amazing evening.

When the happy couple was ready to call it a night, they walked to the getaway car through a tunnel of guests holding sparklers.

Much love, John and Andie!

Marity!

2006-06-12T21:10:00.000-04:00

Congratulations to Matt Wilkinson and Charity Brooks!

These two got married in a lovely ceremony this past Saturday that included the groomsmen walking in to the Top Gun anthem, a program that looked like a magazine, and a perfect little slip of the tongue that resulted in the title of this post.

Charity looked beautiful.

The life of the party!

The donut and cupcake wedding cake

The happy couple:
Mr. and Mrs. Wilkinson!

.overwhelm.overwhelming.overwhelmed.

2006-06-04T21:18:00.000-04:00

This weekend has felt like a lifetime of happenings packed into 3 days. So much has been going on that I haven't had much of a chance to sit, breathe, and let everything sink in. Take today, for example: I woke up, went to church, went to lunch with my family and family friends, came home for 30 minutes, drove my sister to work, ran errands, did ridiculous amounts of laundry, got caught in an almost inescapable and ridiculous conversion attempt by a crazy religious fanatic (at the laundromat!?), did some cleaning, ate some dinner... and now it's almost 10pm. You get the idea.

Now that I've been able to stop for a minute, I (selfishly) wonder if it was better when I didn't have any time to reflect... to stay at least sort of blissfully semi-ignorant of how much is going on, how tired I am, all the things I still have to think about, and just how much attention I haven't been giving to others (and what could have happened in the meantime)...

It hits like a ton of bricks. And today, it hurts.

Tonight's Life Lesson:

2006-05-29T22:17:00.000-04:00

(Brought to you by your friendly neighbourhood Pemma)

"Once, I was curious about something, so I stuck my hand in it. It was poo."

See what stimulating conversation some hot weather and cold Starbucks can produce?

Jeans allowed, sequins encouraged, sparkles required!

2006-05-27T13:37:00.000-04:00

One bride-to-be, eight friends, nine strings of mardi gras beads, and one surprise limousine.

Mmmhmm.

First stop: Everest. The drive down to the restaurant was awesome. Whenever I see a limo on the road, I always wonder who might be inside. This time, we were the ones people were wondering about! We even had one girl wave at us and then grab her boob... it's hard to say what she thought she was looking at through our tinted windows. The food at the restaurant was decent, despite the fact that we waited a long time for it, and that our flirty waiter wore a weird belt with a huge silver skull-shaped buckle.

We finished dinner, then headed off to our next stop: the Century Room. The walk over to the club was eventful - there was a girl completely passed out on the corner of Queen and John, laying flat on her back, foaming at the mouth. People were standing around and watching, while her friend stood there looking pissed off. Our entourage included two nurses, so they stopped to see if they could help. Fortunately, someone had already called 911 and a fire truck pulled up. It seemed as though someone had slipped something into the poor girl's drink.

We had a VIP booth with bottle service reserved at the Century Room. This place was unlike any other club I've ever been to. You're actually not allowed to sit down unless you've reserved a booth. Being as "swanky" as it was, there was an interesting crowd of people there - a slightly older crowd than your usual Toronto Clubland frequent fliers, and a lot of men who were dressed as though they wanted to be members of The Killers. It was interesting to push through a whole crowd of them as I made my way to the bathroom.

The music wasn't too great until two guys showed up - one with a djembe, and one with a tenor sax. They were obviously hired by the club, and started jamming to the tracks the DJ was spinning. It sounded awesome. Once they were done, we danced to some hip-hop until it was time to head back to the limo.

After a street meat and McDonald's pit stop, we were back at the house. A perfect end to a perfect night - everyone climbed into their own comfy bed and slept like babies.

Cheers, ladies!

Le sigh.

2006-05-22T00:30:00.000-04:00

In a perfect world, airplanes wouldn't cost anything and be available all the time.

Just because.

2006-05-21T00:55:00.000-04:00

I haven't been feeling too inspired to write anything lately, so this is the best I could do for now. Besides, doesn't everyone with a blog make a list like this?

I have travelled to 11 different countries, if you include the US. It sounds way more impressive than it actually is.
I don't like most seafood because it takes too much work to eat.
I've never had a broken bone, bee sting, stitches, or a full-blown nosebleed.
I have had over 30 mosquito bites on my face and neck at one time. I had to take aspirin, lie down, and have my face bathed with a cold, wet cloth to make sure I didn't become delirious.
I wore braces for over 4 years in high school.
I stopped going to Brownies because I wanted to take piano lessons instead. I've never regretted that decision.
In middle school, I slapped a guy because he tried to grab my ass. He cried.
I got my first zit on my 19th birthday.
I have never had a job in retail or in the food industry.
I absolutely hate popping balloons.
I love long weekends, and I'm excited to see how this one turns out!

In honour of the occasion...

2006-05-14T23:53:00.000-04:00

To all mothers, their teeth and mouths included, happy Mother's Day!

She's Only Happy in the Sun

2006-05-08T00:20:00.000-04:00

For those who might have missed the big announcement, Radiohead is coming to Toronto in June. Tickets went on sale yesterday morning at 10. I was online AND on the phone, but of course, it didn't work. First Coldplay, and now this... I'm beginning to think that I'll never be able to see them until I'm old and retired. By that time, they might not be popular anymore, and they'll only be playing in places like Casino Rama. I'll be sitting there, in my big hat, tacky Hawaiian-patterned dress and purchasing some sort of band merch with the change I won at the nickel machines. Sad. Very sad.

It's especially sad since I really want to go to a good concert this summer. Thankfully, Ben Harper is also coming to town, and he's not playing hard to get. I just scored tickets to see him and Bedouin Sound Clash at the Amphitheatre!

Finally!

2006-05-05T00:06:00.000-04:00

Summer is finally close enough that I can almost taste it. Days are warm and sunny, the science centre workshops are sweltering, and the number of icons on my desktop are increasing with the size of my to-do list. Yes, my friends, it's camp time again!

(ahem... we're all a little crazy.)

Ridiculously early mornings, crazy children who are afraid of dirt, complete coffee-induced (and sleep deprived) delirium... Oh, Fine Arts Camp, I can hardly wait!

"I see Joey, and Kelly, and Amanda..."

2006-05-01T22:40:00.000-04:00

I received a cute gift this morning. JS brought me back a small piece of Hawaii! This particular piece happens to be a keychain that looks like a license plate. It says my name on it, not only in English, but in Hawaiian!

Do you remember all those name-bearing trinkets that were around when you were a kid? Were you the kid who could never find your name printed on anything, no matter how hard you looked? To this day, I remember my 5 year-old self longingly searching through every rack of toothbrushes, pencils, combs and keychains in every department store and souvenir shop just to find something, ANYTHING that said "Sabrina". Why did girls named Sarah and Lisa always get to have everything I wanted? It just wasn't fair.

To add insult to injury, my name was never called on Romper Room and Friends when she looked in the magic mirror at the end of every episode. I was one of the tallest kids in my kindergarten class, for crying out loud... and she couldn't even see me! Some magic mirror, lady.

But today, I feel as though the world has righted itself in some (absolutely ridiculous and inconsequential) way. I finally have my keychain - a frickin' bilingual one! Once upon a time, girls named Sabrina couldn't find personalized souvenirs. Now, we can get 2 names for the price of one. Incredible!

Take that, Romper Room. I don't need you anymore.

Interesting.

2006-04-27T23:47:00.000-04:00

Oh my.
How would YOU caption this picture?
I'm sort of at a loss for words... suffice it to say that I smacked my head on a tree out of shock when I turned around to see this in front of me.

Snap, Crackle, Pop!

2006-04-25T23:35:00.000-04:00

As I was leaving work today, I saw a man carrying the world's hugest roll of bubble wrap. It was so big, I don't think my arms could have fit halfway around it. I almost knocked the poor man over just so I could walk down the stairs and to the door (possibly even all the way out to my car) on a bubble wrap carpet.

Alright, I thought about doing more than just walking on it. I probably would have got down on my hands and knees, and squished it around in both fists just to pop all the bubbles I could. I might have even considered rolling across it.

Apparently, this is just a small taste of what would happen if I went through life without ever censoring myself. Yikes.

Late Night Irony

2006-04-22T23:55:00.000-04:00

First of all, there was this from last night:

'Nuff said, I think.

On a more serious note: this afternoon, P and I were sitting in Green Mango, talking about the amazing turns that her friend's mother has taken in her fight against cancer. It's an incredible story - as I've been updated on the situation, it definitely left me marvelling at how much things can change when you least expect them to. Later today, I came home and checked my email. To my surprise, there was a message letting me know that someone I had gone to youth group with several years ago, passed away yesterday after recently being sick with cancer. While I don't know all the details about how long he had been sick for and what type of cancer it was, I do know that he was no more than a few years older than me. I also remember from my past interactions with him (during our brief time of being in the same youth group, and despite the fact that we weren't what I would call close friends) that he was very warm and friendly, well-respected, and that he was a very talented pianist. Tonight, I'm left marvelling again at how much things can change when you least expect them to.

Deepest sympathies to the Quek family
2 Thessalonians 3:16

Today's Lesson:

2006-04-14T23:22:00.000-04:00

When planning to deliver sandwiches to Toronto's homeless, there are a few things that one should keep in mind:

Ensure that you have sufficient sandwich-making supplies already on hand.
If #1 hasn't happened, double check that supermarkets are open on the day when you plan to have your sandwich assembly line up and running.
Listen to the weather forecast beforehand. If it's raining outside, it's unlikely that you'll find many people to help.
If everything falls through and your sandwich run needs to be postponed, make sure you spend that time with good friends, good food, and a good movie.

At least #4 was taken care of...

(many thanks to PE and KG - we'll get it next time!)

Windows and Doors

2006-04-10T00:59:00.000-04:00

Anyone who knows me also knows that it's been a long time ambition of mine to become a doctor. After the last round of applications to several schools, I've decided to broaden my search area for my next round.

An opportunity that sounds pretty amazing has come up in my research - Flinders Medical College in Australia is right within my academic requirement range. Their program offers hands-on clinical experience from year 1, which is very unlikely to happen in North American schools. They also reserve 30 seats for international students (For those of you keeping score at home, that's more than triple the number of seats that Canada's own Dalhousie Medical School reserves for students who are applying from out-of-province).

Their application is also due in the next 2 weeks.

I've been saying for a while now that I'm ready for a change, but I really don't know that I've considered the possibility of a change this big. I mean, this is potentially going to result in my relocating to the opposite side of the planet, quite literally, for a few years. Then again, I've also always said that Australia is a place I'd like to visit for a significant amount of time. I guess 4 years could definitely qualify for that.

Scarily well-timed and very very appealing. Coincidence? Dangling carrot?
Anyone?

Holy Joe's, Batman!

2006-04-07T01:13:00.000-04:00

Non-dreadlocked female performers need not apply.
They could have started that club tonight... it was certainly the coif of choice for all 3 ladies on stage throughout the course of the evening.

Tonight, P and I had the privelege of catching up on some live music. There were 3 bands on the bill at Holy Joe's - your local hole in the wall, complete with torn couches and a disease-infested washroom - and I was definitely impressed.

The first act was Lila Rose & Project Play. The first things that caught my attention were the percussion - with beatboxing, a djembe and congas - and Lila's strong, gutsy voice. Toss in a little violin and acoustic guitar, and you've got yourself a winning combination. I bought their demo CD, and am anxious to give it a close listen.

Next up was my good friend, Michelle Luxon. Her acoustic guitar was brilliant as always, and it was amazing to hear her tunes fleshed out with cleverly layered other-guitar and bass. She also introduced us to her new baritone guitar tonight... an absolute (sparkly) treat.

Finally, The Last True Gentlemen took the stage. After the preceding acoustic/folk acts, the Gentlemen provided a change of pace and volume, and I ate it up. They rocked out, with a screaming drummer, face-melting guitar solos (haha), and strong vocals. A personal thank you goes out to frontman Andrew for bringing the piano back into loud rock music. Frickin' fabulous.

A great night with great talent. It made me miss performing.

And rekindled my semi-secret dream of being the chick singer of an otherwise all-boy rock band.
Ha.

Must be the Advil talking.

2006-04-05T22:38:00.000-04:00

And now, a cliche emo-esque blog moment:

The thought of being too much and/or not enough is completely unnerving.

Thank you for your time.

(Re)discovering

2006-04-03T00:01:00.000-04:00

Some random things I realized (again) this weekend:

My world is incredibly small. My worlds are colliding more than ever before.
Deep fried Mars bars taste pretty darn good.
Elmira REALLY loves maple syrup.
Sunday afternoon naps are delicious and inevitable.
I really can spend an entire day eating.
When I'm out walking in a public place, the first things to grab my attention are cute children and puppies.
It is a fun idea to stop at every single Tim Hortons' you see on a road trip. It is a questionable idea to consume a caffeinated drink at every one of those stops.
Spring is like a flirty, insincere boy. The inconsistency bothers me, and I can't wait for summer.

Every Name Counts.

2006-03-30T23:37:00.000-05:00

I am victim 13045.

www.humanrightsfirst.org/hope.asp

This is a webpage for a campaign against the genocide in Sudan. It has a petition that you can sign, asking the UN to step in and intervene. The goal is to have a signature that represents every person that has been killed. About 200 000 signatures are required.

If you are unaware of the situation, the website has a good summary of what's going on over there. But in brief: men are being killed and women and children are being tortured. Millions of people are displaced from their homes.

Why not take a minute out of your life to put your name on something that could make a difference?

Living, Laughing, Hurting, Growing.

2006-03-29T00:25:00.000-05:00

I once heard it said that resisting peer pressure was to resist the very thing that makes us human. We are intensely relational creatures - designed in such a way that we influence (and ARE influenced by) one another, intentionally or unintentionally. It got me thinking, how different would life be if we all lived out of that awareness?

Sounds omnious, and maybe even condusive to paranoia, but I really think it could be something beautiful. We might realize that focusing on one another's needs would help us to develop healthier relationships of every kind. We might see that some people aren't able to relate in ways that aren't damaging. We might even learn that life isn't just about ourselves all the time, even with all the struggles that each of us go through.

I was reminded of these things today. I hope that I'll be reminded more often. After all, relationships and interactions are the most lasting things that we carry with us, no matter how short-lived or seemingly insignificant. Maybe I can't change all the crummy stuff I notice all the time, but I know I can make a conscious effort to be a positive influence in some way to someone.

... and knowing is half the battle.

There and Back Again

2006-03-26T00:39:00.000-05:00

I'm anxious for another adventure. I wasn't able to go away during March break this year, and it made me realize that it has been well over a year since I've had a proper vacation where I've packed a bag and left the city for a while. When did I start pretending to be a grown-up?

Nostalgia took me back to some pictures from my not-so-recent excursions...

I watched this street actor/mime in Rome for several minutes while he stood completely still, with no expression on his face. Eventually, an adorable little girl ran up to him, gave him a huge grin and reached up to him with her hand. He broke his stony facade for a moment to bend down, shake her hand, and give her a gorgeous smile.

I had never been in a ballroom until I visited this one, at the palace in Prague. Sarah and I attempted to waltz across the floor, until a staff member asked us to stop. Apparently the floor isn't as sturdy as it used to be.

Notting Hill, London, England.
The Grand Canal in Venice was as spectacular as I had expected. It definitely wasn't as stinky as I had been warned it would be. My gondolier's name was Francesco. He didn't' sing.
Michelle and I (plus Sarah, behind the camera) in Fort Lauderdale, FL. I would give almost anything to be sitting on a sunny, sandy beach right now.
Innie or outie?

Coming soon...

2006-03-25T00:45:00.000-05:00

I can't even tell you what to expect, since I have barely any idea of what I'm doing. Just now, it took me a while to get this thing to even post the right time. A sign of things to come? I guess we'll have to stay tuned...