The Social Network! (Poll Results)

What social media site is your biggest time sucker?

Facebook
6 (100%)

Blogger
3 (50%)

Wordpress
0 (0%)

YouTube
2 (33%)

Myspace
0 (0%)

Twitter
2 (33%)

20 Something Bloggers
2 (33%)

Other
0 (0%)

Bonus question: Who plans on seeing the film The Social Network?

iTunes Playlist Tuesday! #64

It's after midnight, so it's technically Tuesday here (Eastern Standard Time!). And since I was a slacker last week and basically forgot about my playlist until 10 minutes before I had to leave for work, I decided to do this up early for this week's!

The theme is musical comedy. I love me a good funny/nerdy/goofy song!

Enjoy!

1. Flight of the Conchords - Fashion is Danger: This song is in the episode where Murrey gives them hair gel and they become addicted.

2. Demetri Martin - Sames and Opposites: “Saying I apologize is the same as saying I’m sorry - they’re the same...unless you’re at a funeral.”

3. ALL CAPS - World of Warcraft Ruined My Life: I don’t play WoW, nor do I really know anyone who does, but I imagine it sucks. They're a YouTube band I've discovered and I love them.

4. Tenacious D - Tribute: A tribute to the greatest song in the world...that they can’t remember.

5. Adam Sandler - Somebody Kill Me Please: Really this song is by his character Robbie Hart, inspired by The Cure.

6. Jimmy Fallon - Halloween Songs - Jimmy’s SNL song parodies are awesome.

7. Barney Stinson (NPH) - Nothing Suits Me Like a Suit: Neil Patrick Harris is awesome. This song was nominated for an Emmy!

8. Garfunkle and Oates - Sex with Ducks : This song was a response to a ridiculous comment some idiot made regarding gay marriage.

9. The Lonely Island - Lazy Sunday: This song is old news, but it’s still pretty great. “Google Maps is the best, yeah true, double true.”

10. Dr. Horrible’s Sing-a-long Blog (Ensemble) - So They Say: My favourite line is “This is so nice / I might get to sleep with the same girl twice. / They say it’s better the second time. / They say you get to do the weird stuff. (We do the weird stuff).” This was sung by Captain Hammer and the lyrics in brackets is the Captain Hammer fangirls (and boy).

What songs make you LOL for real?

Next week I'm thinking of making the soundtrack to my Quarter-life Crisis. 10 songs that will get ya through it!

101 Before 1001: Let's Toronto it Up!

So I went to Toronto on Saturday and I took a lot of photos...

Here are some:

CN Tower!

There are moose all over Toronto.

Jays game was going on. A lot of empty seats :(

View

You can mail something from the CN Tower!

BMO Field (Where TFC plays) and Exhibition Place.

Toronto Island

I'm on a glass floor!

Glass flooring it up!

Outside - it was cold.

On the subway - CN Tower was awesome!

Getting punched in the face...not awesome "Oh no you didn't?"

Dinosauring it up!

What are we?

Big Fish.

T-Rex

Honest Ed's!

Some stuff I bought :)

Weekend (Postcrossing) Update #43

I only got one Postcrossing postcard this week and it was from Australia:

Here's how my week went:

Sunday - You guys (hopefully) read my post about Terry Fox. I didn't get to take a real camera with me because I was alone, so I took a couple photos when I got home.

The ribbon all Terry Fox participants were given to wear .

My running shoes!

Monday - Worked, watched How I Met Your Mother and House.

Tuesday - Went to the movies after work - saw The Town with Ben Affleck and Jon Hamm...and The Man in Black (Lost fans are the only people who will get this). I also went to Joe Fresh after and bought these:

Rain boots!

Wednesday - Got the new Weezer album and took this photo:

How does Hurley make you feel?

Because of this I was inspired to start a DailyBooth account. Also, I started planning a super-fantastic blog project with two other bloggers. I'll post more once more has been decided.

Thursday: I met Canadian Idol's Brian Melo, almost died when a woman almost hit me with her car and watched The Big Bang Theory.

Friday: Worked the early shift - which was awful! Afterwards I helped my friend and her mom do flowers for a wedding. Passed out on my bed with my laptop open.

Tomorrow: Going to the CN Tower & The Royal Ontario Museum!

iTunes Playlist Tuesday! #63

Okay guys, I kinda forgot that today is Tuesday (my bad) - so I'm gonna just put in the songs with no commentary because I am leaving for work soon, and then going to the movies after work - so not much time. I'll leave my thoughts in the comment section later so you guys don't feel ripped off.

My T.Dot playlist:

1) Chase Scene by Broken Social Scene

2) Tom Sawyer by Rush

3) If I Had a $1,000,000 by The Barenaked Ladies

4) The Place Where We Lived by Hayden

5) Crabbuckit by K-OS

6) The CN Tower Belongs to the Dead by Final Fantasy

7) Informer by Snow

8) St. Andrews by Bedouin Soundclash

9) Dead Honey by Die Mannequin

10) Gold Guns Girls by Metric

K - Bye!

Terry Fox & Crossing 5k off of the 101 in 1001 list!

"Even though I die of cancer, 
my spirit didn't die and that should influence a lot of people."

- Terry Fox

The Terry Fox story has been one that's stuck with me since I was a little kid. The annual run at my first public school was a big deal each year. We collected pledges and ran around our school in the name of a man who died trying to cure cancer. We also got two cups of orange drink during our run, but kids always tried to sneak more (that's a flavour of my childhood right there, McDonald's orange drink). I remember watching films about Terry and his Marathon of Hope and feeling scared. There he was, a man with one leg running (but it was more of a quick hop) across Canada (which at the age of seven I had no concept of how big that was) to help cure cancer. My grade one teacher had a daughter who had survived cancer and lost her eye. Every year that teacher would bring her daughter to school the day of the run. She had a glass eye and was healthy and cute - an easy way for us to relate to cancer on a personal level - that kids like ourselves could be effected as well.

Later, when I was 11 I would witness, for the first time ever, cancer taking someone's life - a family friend. He was a victim of the old, "Oops, guess we didn't get it all" thing. Lucky for us this doesn't happen nearly as much as it used to, and for that, I think we have Terry Fox to thank.

Before Terry's run across Canada (which sadly ended on September 2, 1980 due to his cancer returning) no one had ever done something so grand in the name of cancer research. Because of his efforts, and the efforts of Canadians who have continued his legacy, cancer research continues to get better and better every year. Survival rates have gone up significantly! I read that in today's world Terry would not have died and he probably wouldn't have lost his leg even. 

Is this why I signed up for the Terry Fox Run? Well, honestly, no. I was looking for a non-serious 5k to run to cross something off of my 101 before 1001 list. But, I felt like The Terry Fox Foundation was an amazing cause and it would be something I'd like to be part of. I read more about Terry after signing up and it made me glad I chose this particular charity run.

I gathered pledges from my friends and family and I raised $255 for cancer research. Terry wanted a dollar from every Canadian - so 255 Canadians are covered because of my awesome supporters. 

The run was Sunday morning (yesterday). I was dropped off at the beach front park where I was to register and start my run. After registration I still had an hour to kill before my start time, so I wandered around the beachfront pavilion and saw the gorgeous view of Lake Ontario. The sun was shining over the water and I was reminded of how beautiful it is where I live. I walked around and saw people signing a dedications board and am not ashamed to say I got a little emotional. Seeing people with t-shirts dedicated to a lost loved one made my heart ache, but also made me realize why I was there.

View of Lake Ontario before my run.

Before the run The Terry Fox Foundation posted Facebook messages asking participants who they were running for. I thought about it, but didn't really have a straight answer. Now that the race is over, I think I can better articulate it here. Because of Terry Fox my father is still alive, my uncle is still alive, my neighbour is still alive...so many people who have come in and out of my life have been effected by cancer. Many of them are still with us today because of people like Terry Fox. So while my initial reason for running was because I just wanted to do a 5k, I ended up running because I was inspired by the story and legacy of Terry Fox.

Okay, so how did my actual run go? Amazing! My best run ever. I ran the whole 5k and only stopped once to tie my shoelace (safety first!). It was a beautiful day - warm, but not too hot.

Songs that I remember running to as part of my Terry Fox playlist:

The Northern by Alexisonfire

Clap Hands by Beck

Chase Scene by Broken Social Scene

Search and Destroy by Peaches (cover)

Wait Up (Boots of Danger) by Tokyo Police Club

I put the Broken Social Scene song in bold because I remember thinking it was a great song to run to.

Oh, and if you are like me and you like to learn things I suggest you read Terry by Douglas Coupland. Also a documentary just came out called Into The Wind and it was co-directed by Steve Nash (yes, the basketball player - but he's Canadian).

I just wanted to share this experience with you guys. I'm going to do this run again next year and maybe even another 5k race. 

Canada is Cooler Than You (West Coast Edition)

Allison here! Today I'm running in the 30th anniversary of the Terry Fox Run. I'll write more about this tomorrow, but in relation to this post, Terry Fox was an amazing Canadian from British Columbia. He tried to run across Canada with one artificial leg to raise money for cancer research. His run sadly ended in Thunder Bay, Ontario when he discovered his cancer had returned. Like I said, I'll talk more about Terry Fox and my own run tomorrow. Right now I'd like to introduce you to another fantastic Canadian from British Columbia - Kris who writes @ Because or Why Not? 

Here she is:

“Never mistake a Canadian for an American.”

Thus states the guidelines London has issued in order to prepare their infamously brusque citizens for the upcoming Olympics. It is supplemented by such other gems as, “Hold off from hugging an Indian, don't be alarmed if the French are rude... Don't go around asking Brazilians personal questions and never be bossy with visitors from the Middle East.”

These tips, written by agency staff about their own countries, provide an amusing glimpse into national culture. How interesting that Canada's deals solely with ensuring we are taken for ourselves.

“Canadians have been so busy explaining to the Americans that we aren't British, and to the British that we aren't Americans that we haven't had time to become Canadians.” - Helen Gordon McPherson

At 34 million we have 0.5 percent of the world's population. Approximately a tenth of the people residing directly below us. Our national identity is, essentially, that we struggle to define our national identity. Something that most develop naturally is something we have a bit of a national fixation on.

“We're different people from you and we're different people because of you. Living next to you is in some ways like sleeping with an elephant. No matter how friendly and even-tempered is the beast, if I can call it that, one is effected by every twitch and grunt.” - Pierre Trudeau

Consequently, we grasp to every difference we can. We'll brag about our beer, our health care, our multiculturalism. But, not without reason. They may be little things. We may supplement Corner Gas with Sex and The City. I will always, however, hold tight to the things that make me feel proud when I see crisp red and white fluttering against a blue sky.

I've grown to treasure our minute population and the sheer size of our land mass. When I travel I have to get over the feeling of claustrophobia. I love the wild untamed beauty surrounding me here. I'm a mountain girl, craving soft blue peaks when I'm away from them. Our seasons are an integral part of my life. White Christmases, and Boxing Day spent on a snowboard. Summer's diving off rocks into refreshing crisp water, and the sharp smell of a fresh spring day or the comforting feel of an autumn harvest.

Yes, we have wonderful metropolitan centres where so many of us congregate. We have culture spread widely from west to east. I love these things, too. I love scallops in Nova Scotia and standing in the middle of a prairie field. I love Montreal's joie de vivre, and Ontario's rocks, trees, and mining towns. One day I will make it to the territories, and then I will appreciate those too.

I travel, a lot. And, yes. I do so with a maple leaf on my backpack and a sense of pride when I tell people where I'm from. Our London correspondent got that one right. And, fortunately, we have a fighting chance on that one thanks to the sheer number of Canadians who are determined to see other cultures.
Maybe I'll be telling people what makes us different. I'll be explaining why I'm not American, and not British. I'll hope that an appreciation for my country will show through that all. I may need to experience other cultures, understand where others come from. But Canada will always be home.

“It is wonderful to feel the grandness of Canada in the raw, not because she is Canada but because she's something sublime that you were born into, some great rugged power that you are a part of.” - Emily Carr

This is where I'm from. So this is who I am.

Allison again! That was a great post Kris! Thank you so much for contributing to this series. I'd also like to thank Kim again for her wonderful post from last week. That's it for these posts folks, unless of course there are some Canadians reading who have something to say about this great country of ours. Email me if you're into it. Also, my post can be found HERE.


Take off, eh?

Weekend (Postcrossing) Update #42

This week has been up and down for me. As some of you have gathered from some things I posted earlier that I'm having a bit of a "what am I doing with my life?" type crisis right now. It's quite stressful and I'm pretty sure it's the source of my emotionally crippling insomnia.

This is why I've chosen this postcard to represent the awesome stack I received this week:

It's from Germany and translates to: "Sometimes only chocolate helps." So very, very true.

Anyways...what have I been up to this week?

Monday: I met up with an old co-worker/friend for lunch. I think sometimes it's good to have someone to bounce ideas and plans off of who isn't your family or close friend. I talked about things I'd like to do in the near future and how I have no clue how to get out of my current situation. It was good. Also, I had a delicious Thai chicken salad.

Tuesday: I was supposed to go see Scott Pilgram vs. The World, but it didn't work out. Will try again this Tuesday. I worked all day alone and it was quite stressful.

Wednesday: Went for a really intense run. Those of you who know me in real life might know or recall that I have a Lance Armstrong running workout for my iRun system. I decided that since I'm running a 5k on Sunday I should do the Lance workout. I nearly died...seriously...so...so..much...running.

Thursday: Rain, rain, go away...Anyways, after work I hung out with my friend who I hadn't seen since July. Our schedules kept not matching up and we finally got to hang out last night. We drank tea and watched some Special Features on my LOST season 6 dvd set. We also watched some YouTube videos on my new phone because I felt like showing off.

Today: Today I went for a fantastic run! I think the painful run on Wednesday tricked my body and today I felt awesome. I didn't do The Lance (I'm just gonna call it The Lance from now on, okay?) I just ran my usual pace and route. I also went to the mall and bought a coat for running because I need something for cooler weather. Actually, confession time...I actually bought one last week but didn't try it on. When I got home I discovered it was a girl's size coat. I am dumb and need to try things on before I buy them...and pay attention to what department I am in when I'm shopping!

Oh, last week I said I was going to see Tomi Swick play a festival in Hamilton? Yeah, that didn't happen. It ended up raining and my friend didn't want to risk it.

But next week...Terry Fox Run on Sunday (I will write about the experience and The Terry Fox Foundation on Monday). I work solid Monday to Friday because I booked off Saturday the 25th to visit my friends in Toronto. We're going to the CN Tower and The Royal Ontario Museum (The ROM) and I'm so excited.

OH! I almost forgot...I got two postcards this week from the scavenger hunt that I'm running as part of my 101 before 1001 list. From who? I won't say now...but on October 1 expect a post about it. I hope to have all the cards in by then.

Also, my friend Amanda gave me an excellent running song suggestion today...so please comment with a song you think would be good to run to.

Cheers!

Favourite Beatles Song from Playlist #61 Plus some QLC Announcements!

I'm not going to talk about these songs because there really isn't a clear winner or loser here...all these songs are awesome!

Hey Jude
2 (28%)

Strawberry Fields
2 (28%)

While My Guitar Gently Weeps
2 (28%)

Yellow Submarine
1 (14%)

Let it Be
2 (28%)

Helter Skelter
1 (14%)

Tomorrow Never Knows
2 (28%)

I Saw Her Standing There
3 (42%)

Across the Universe
3 (42%)

Norwegian Wood (This Bird has Flown)
3 (42%)

Bonus: Gimme Sympathy by Metric
0 (0%)

Bonus: John Lennon by Arkells
0 (0%)

ANNOUNCEMENTS!

1. I've decided to make polls bi-weekly. I decided to do this for two reasons:
A) I feel like a lot of you don't realize there's a poll on the side until after it's closed, so I'll be giving more time for people to see them and vote.
B) While I enjoy making these polls, I feel by doing them weekly I'm forcing myself into too many gimmicky weekly blog things and that isn't the sort of blogger I want to be. I want to spend more time writing about my life and things I find interesting. I'm going for a more substance, less filler approach to blogging!

2. TODAY IS THE DAY....that my scavenger hunt participants should have their postcards mailed to me. I set a deadline because I feel like if I just said, "yeah, mail them whenever," no one would do it for a really, really, really long time. That said, please still mail them to me even if you can't do it by the end of today - but I'd rather not receive them in January. So here's the thing - I will make an official post about them on October 1 (to give them time to travel through the postal system). That's not to say I won't acknowledge any received after that date, but in the interest of fairness I have to put some sort of deadline on it - you understand, right? I'm trying not to be a hardass about this...it's supposed to be fun. I will mail you something back even :)

Maybe you're the type of person who works well under pressure...in that case, here is the list of things to find again:

1) Buy (or make) a postcard with a landmark or famous site from the place you live in. It could be something from your state or province, city or town.
2) Write down the date, time of day and temperature.
3) Write down a song by a well-known or semi-famous local musician or band (make sure it’s someone I can easily find online).
4) Write down your favourite menu item from a local (preferably a non-chain) restaurant, bar or cafe.
5) Write down an independent record store, bookstore, or specialty shop etc. from your area.
6) Write anything else you want - make me smile. Creativity counts!

3) I'm running in the 30th Anniversary of The Terry Fox Run this Sunday. I need to make a sweet Terry Fox playlist for my ipod - any suggestions?
Also, if you're Canadian, please pledge me! 

4) Here is a photo of some geese I took using my cellphone:

iTunes Playlist Tuesday! #62

Last week I was having a hard time coming up with a good idea for my next playlist, so I messaged my blog friend Matt Mr.O and told him to throw out an idea over Facebook. He told me to find 10 songs and artists that have to do with food.

So here's some yummy music:

1. Cigarettes and Chocolate Milk by Rufus Wainwright - Okay, so cigarettes are not yummy, but chocolate milk sure is. I realize that it's a drink not a food - but you consume it, so I say it counts.

2. Sugar High by Coyote Shivers - I love this song from Empire Records and sugar is in food.

3. Dreaming my Dreams by The Cranberries - The Cranberries are a band that is also a food. I once read that they were once known as The Cranberry Saw Us - get it? Cranberry Sauce!

4. Brain Stew by Green Day - This would be delicious, if you're a zombie.

5. Raspberry by I Mother Earth - I loved this band when I was in grade 7! And raspberries are pretty awesome.

6. Cookie Jar by Jack Johnson - No, this song isn't about cookies - but the word is in the title. I love cookies!

7. Milk by Kings of Leon - This is one of my favourite KOL songs (oh, have you heard the new track? Radioactive? So good). Anyways - this song is about a girl who's lactose intolerant. So glad I'm not, because I freakin' love milk.

8. Give it Away by Red Hot Chili Peppers - This band was actually Mr. O's inspiration when he gave me the topic suggestion. I thought I'd kick it old school with a song off of Blood Sugar Sex Magik.

9. First Taste by Fiona Apple - This one is sort of a 2 for 1 - "Taste" = you taste food, "Apple" = a food.

10. Pork and Beans by Weezer - A silly song by Weezer, but it does have food in the title, even if it doesn't sound appetizing at all.

Next Tuesday: I will be gearing up for a super-fantastic day-trip to the T.DOT (Toronto) with my friends from university so I will be posting 10 songs by bands and musicians from Toronto.

"This quote describes EXACTLY how I feel at this moment" and stuff like that #4

"I'm making this documentary about my friends, but it's really about people who are trying to find their own identity without having any real role models or heroes or anything."

- Lelaina Pierce, Realty Bites


[I haven't done one of these in a while, but today I've been thinking a lot about my life right now and how very lost I feel and how I don't really know what I'm doing or where I'm headed.  Plus I love this movie and thought about this line from it. - Allison]

Canada is Cooler Than You (East Coast Edition)

Hi, Allison here to introduce you to the lovely and talented Kim Humes from Halifax, Nova Scotia. She writes at Gathers No Moss and you should for sure check out her blog. Kim, I've never been to Nova Scotia (except for a stop over at the airport) but I can't wait to visit! Thank you so much for contributing to this project. You are awesome!

Here she is:

Let me just get a few things straight right off the bat – YES I live in Canada. NO I don’t live in an igloo. NO I don’t eat beaver and seal meat for dinner. YES we have WalMart (and even Starbucks!). YES the Queen is on our money but NO she doesn’t run our country.

I not only live in Canada, but I live on the East Coast of Canada, which means I’m what they call a “Maritimer” (the Maritimes are defined as “the Canadian provinces of Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, and Prince Edward Island, bordering on the Atlantic Ocean. “). So, NO I don’t live in Toronto, Vancouver or Montreal (we do have other cities, believe it or not). And just to straighten out a couple of other things: NO I’m not a fisherman. Or a miner. Or a farmer. NO I don’t play the fiddle (though I wish I did) or the bagpipes. And just for the record, I HATE DONAIRS.

There I said it.

Some of you reading this probably wondering what the eff I’m talking about. To clarify for those of you that fall into that category, the above are just some of the stereotypes that tend to float around out there about we Canadians, and more specifically those of us that live on the East Coast. I felt I had to clear them up because it can be frustrating hearing people lump you into the same categories all the time. And it’s not only people in other countries that do this, but our fellow countrymen (and women) in other provinces!

The East Coast has traditionally been the “sleepy” end of Canada. We have the smallest provinces in terms of size and population, and have therefore (traditionally) received less support from the government and have had a larger “working class” population. As larger more cosmopolitan cities sprung up in larger provinces like Ontario, Quebec, Alberta and British Columbia, huge numbers of our youth and blue collar working men have left our shores in mass exoduses for better pay and more stable job opportunities. Generally speaking there is, and always has been, an undercurrent of conservativism and traditionalism amongst our citizenry and a large proportion of our population resides in rural areas (most of the land in our provinces is rural, in fact; for example, the population of Nova Scotia is about 1 million and 400,000 of that is in the Halifax Regional Municipality alone).

However, (and I should point out that I’m mainly talking about Nova Scotia here, since that’s where I live and can therefore provide the most accurate commentary on) these stereotypes are slowly being turned around. Our cities are becoming more populated every year with many of the pilgrims who went searching for better things returning home and more and more immigrants deciding to settle here instead of moving on. We are attracting more creative people, more world-class events and more big business than ever. Halifax, the city that I live in (the largest east of Montreal), is becoming a major centre for business, shopping, and entertainment. I can go out any night of the week here and attend concerts, gallery openings, lectures, classes, and festivals, eat at amazing restaurants (that serve food from dozens of different countries ), dance my butt off at great (classy, or not) clubs and bars, and shop at great stores. And did you know that at least 10 of the best Universities in Canada are located in the Maritimes?! Look it up!

So, other Canadians and people that live in other countries can stereotype us all they want. I know different. I know that I love my city and my province. I know that I love how people hold doors open for you and wave at you when you let them out into traffic. I know that I love that my city is just teeming with artists and musicians and fashion designers who could stand up tall against any compatriot from Toronto and blow their mind. I know that I have hundreds of picturesque, quiet, and unspoilt towns, villages, beaches, parks and trails just a quick drive away and that I can quickly and easily hop on a train or plane and be in Toronto, Montreal, New York, or even Europe within a few hours. I know that I love how green everything is – we have so many trees you can fly over Nova Scotia and see huge swaths of forest for miles.

(On a side note, to give you an idea of how small our population density is, consider this: England is about the same size as Nova Scotia. Population of England: 51 million. Population of Nova Scotia: 1 million. The population of the entire country of Canada is only about 30 million, and in case you haven’t looked at a map, or EVER, our country is pretty large. Amazing, eh? {YES I do say EH occasionally}).

I know that I’m not going anywhere anytime soon because everything I could want is right here.

So, as they say in the NS Tourism commercials, when are you coming?!

(PS: If you really want a sense of the Maritime attitude and way of life, check out Halifax rapper Classified’ song “Maritimes." Listen here. The video is sort of weird, but couldn’t find an official one)

Allison again, hopefully next week there will be a post by the awesome Kris of Because or Why Not?. If any other Canucks (or wannabe Canucks) want to contribute to this series feel free to comment here or on last week's post. I'd like to thank Kim again for this amazing post. Also, she sent this graphic and told me to caption it. Enjoy!

I should explain this map to non-Canadians. This is a map of Canada
showing regionally who supports which hockey teams. British Columbia supports
the Vancouver Canucks, Alberta is split into Calgary Flames and Edmonton
Oilers fans. The prairie provinces of Saskatchewan and Manitoba
still aren't over the fact that the Winnipeg Jets were moved to Phoenix (we
all know how that's going.) Basically most of Ontario supports the Ottawa Senators
except for Southern Ontario (except my family, we are Hab fans). Quebec supports
Les Canadiens de Montreal, while the whole of the East Coast supports Alexander
Keith's Indian Pale Ale. Gotta love the East Coast! Alexander Keith's is a beer if you
don't get the reference.

The Nerdy Half-Dozen

I've had some bad bouts of insomnia lately and one of the ways that I pass the time in the wee hours is I write stuff in my notebook - stuff I want to write about on this very blog. Quite often I make lists - and this list is of six nerdy things that I do/like.

I took photos of my actual nerdy things to go with each item:

LOST

Yep, that is my Season 6 DVD sitting on top of my Threadless Lost t-shirt called "108 Objects from Flght 815." I was and am obsessed with this show.

THE GUILD

I know the above photo is of the Dr. Horrible's Sing-a-long Blog DVD, but this is how I found out about The Guild. In the special features Felicia Day talks about her internet show called The Guild. I checked it out and thought it was hilarious. I've never been a gamer, but I think this show about six gamers (who play a World's of Warcraft type game) is hilarious. It's in its fourth season now, but if you haven't seen it, you can find the first three seasons on YouTube.

BLOGGING

I take this blog way too seriously, I know. I feel like sometimes I care more about my little blog universe than I do my real life! I do weekly themes, I comment back on EVERYTHING people write to me, I make little graphics to go with each entry. I need help.

POSTCROSSING

Postcrossing is something I discovered through blogging. Basically you sign up and you mail random strangers postcards all over the world, then other random strangers mail me postcards from all over the world. Each card has a ID number written on it and you register it with the website.

CRAFTING

In February of this year I opened an Etsy shop. So now I have a place to try and sell my nerdy little crafts, which include feathered hair clips, paper art, and other miscellaneous items. I've been doing arts and crafts ever since I was a kid and I definitely didn't grow out of it.

SOCIAL LURKING & OBSESSING 

This is like social networking, only you don't actually network with the person. I have recently begun watching several people's YouTube channels and it's weird because I feel like I'm part of their lives - but I'm totally not. I do this with some blogs as well - I read, but don't comment or connect in a meaningful way. I could honestly talk about some of these people as if they were my friends! I know they put their lives on the internet on purpose, but I can't help but feel like a bit of a loser doing it.

Anyways - what are your nerdy tendencies? I'm sure I have loads more, but those are the ones I wrote down at 2 A.M. the other night.

Weekend (Postcrossing) Update #41

Hi guys! It's not Friday anymore - but I never said these post had to be Friday. This week I only got one Postcrossing postcard. It came from Colorado, USA and here it is:

In other news:

Monday: My brother visited and we had waffles for breakfast. It was a cloudy and cold Labour Day here in Southern Ontario - which was disappointing. I went to work that night and was supposed to go out after, but that ended up cancelled. I even straightened my hair (sorry for that girly moment, but I have curly hair and it takes time to tame it!)

Tuesday: Sweet Jesus, I worked again and was probably super grumpy about it. Oh yeah, corporate visited the cafe so I had to behave. I think I watched Lost on DVD in bed and tried to sleep - but no, insomnia had other plans. Hello 3 AM!

Wednesday: I woke up and 5 AM. You'll recall from my Tuesday, that I didn't fall asleep until after three, so I had like 2 hours of sleep. Holy shit, right? I went to work and was basically a zombie. I went home and took a 3 hour nap. I felt like I was drugged!

Thursday: I finally had a day off...so I slept in until 12:30 PM! I know, I'm a lazy ass - but I needed it so badly. Also, Jeanette received my September letter, which was exciting. Then later on at night I finally went for drinks with my friends to celebrate one of the girl's belated birthday. Doubles for the price of singles = happy Allison.

Friday: I woke up feeling kinda gross - but survived. Worked and then went over to my friend's house and got a manicure and my eyebrows waxed!  I also saw Jersey Shore for the first time and I can probably live without ever seeing it again. Seriously? These people are famous and they're stupid and mean!

I took this photo using my new sweet cellphone!
My eyebrows look good, no? Sorry about the crazy
eyes!

This weekend:

Saturday: Hopefully seeing Tomi Swick play a festival in Hamilton after work.

Sunday: After work I plan to OD on HBO. Entourage and Hung have their season finals. Also Mad Men on AMC. I also need to get ready for Terry Fox - need to really up my training this week. It's a week from Sunday! Dear Canadian Readers: Pledge me! Also, there should be a guest post for my "Canada is Cooler than You" series by the lovely Kim Humes from Nova Scotia. I'd like to thank the blogosphere for embracing this idea. According to my stats, Canada is Cooler than You (Ontario Edition) got more hits than any other post in the past few months (since Blogger added stats basically). The following Sunday's post should feature a west coast perspective by the talented Kris.

Also another reminder that my Scavenger Hunt is underway - and the deadline is fast approaching. September 15 is this coming Wednesday. So for those participating, here is the link (once again). I received one last week - can't wait for the rest!

Mad for It (Poll Results)

Last week I had no ideas for a poll - so I went with an unpopular idea: Favourite Mad Men characters (2 votes, woo). So I'd like to thank Amanda (and myself) for being the only people to vote. Yay for us.

If you haven't seen Mad Men, I suggest you give it a chance. The show follows the lives of employees of Stirling-Cooper (later Stirling Cooper Draper Pryce) - an ad agency in 1960s New York.

Don Draper (aka Dick Whitman)
2 (100%)
Don, at first, seems like your typical egotistical Ad man, but his dark and tragic backstory is gradually revealed. Sometimes you hate him, but most of the time you can't help but love him.

Betty (Draper) Francis
0 (0%)
Betty is probably the most unsympathetic character on TV right now. Though Don's cheating ways shouldn't be commended, Betty's selfishness seems to trump any sort of sympathy she might otherwise be entitled to. Also, in the words of a guy on my Facebook: "Worst TV mom ever."

Peggy Olson
2 (100%)
I go back and forth when it comes to Peggy - but this week's episode made me love her again. She's a woman in a man's world (in the 1960s). In season one we are introduced to her as Don's new secretary - but her creativity lands her a job as a copywriter for the agency. Peggy also has her secrets...but I won't spoil it if you haven't seen it.

Roger Stirling
2 (100%)
Roger is a man of privilege. He inherited the business from his father and seems to attract business using his name, not his skills. He's a charming man who enjoys oysters and martinis. Roger is the silver-fox of Mad Men.

Joan (Holloway) Harris
2 (100%)
Joan comes off as cold and a bit snobby early in the series, but trust me, she grows on you. Stirling-Cooper (and it's later incarnations) would fall apart without her knowledge and guidance. She's also a style icon for curvy girls everywhere.

Lane Pryce
0 (0%)
Lane is introduced in Season 3 when a British firm buys Stirling-Cooper. He is the type of man who lets the numbers speak for themselves, and runs a tight ship financially. He's kind of dull, but he plays an integral role in the formation of the new agency.

Pete Campbell
0 (0%)
Pete is a bit of a slim-ball early on - but that doesn't seem to stop Peggy from letting him in her apartment after hours. He blackmails Don, he constantly cheats on his wife Trudy, and is a bit of a whiner. I will say this though, he's actually pretty good at his job.

Bert Cooper
1 (50%)
I love Bert Cooper! Bert started Stirling-Cooper with Roger's father back in the day. Bert has a no shoes policy in his office and has an affinity for Asian decor. In one episode he buys a Mark Rothko painting. For the most senior member of the staff, Bert seems to be the most worldly and open-minded.

Ken Cosgrove
0 (0%)
I could take or leave Cosgrove, but I will say the episodes with him and Sal Romano were pretty great. He's also Peter Campbell's nemesis.

Harry Crane
0 (0%)
Harry runs the TV department at the agency and seems to think himself pretty special for it. He's kind of a dork, but lovable I suppose.

Paul Kinsey
1 (50%)
Kinsey is the hipster of the Stirling-Cooper staff. He is a copywriter, like Peggy, and often competed with her over ideas. He is something of an intellectual and fights for causes, such as civil rights. He also had a pre-show relationship with Joan. He's disappeared from the show, but I hope he comes back.

Sal Romano
1 (50%)
Sal was the art director at Stirling-Cooper for several seasons. He is a closeted gay man who is married to a clueless woman. He had a bit of a crush on Ken.

Trudy Campbell
0 (0%)
Trudy is Pete Campbell's wife. Trudy is actually a pretty decent person, her only fault is that she's married to Pete and hasn't a clue how many times he's been unfaithful to her. She is also a bit spoiled and is used to a certain way of life.

Freddy Rumsen
0 (0%)
Freddy works for Stirling-Cooper (later SCDP) and is the first person to recognize Peggy's talents in Season 1. He's also an alcoholic, which leads to him taking a prolonged absence in Season 2.

Sally Draper
0 (0%)
Don and Betty's daughter - she's opinionated and sassy.

Bobby Draper
0 (0%)
Don and Betty's son. Gets in trouble for doing normal kid things.

Other
0 (0%)
Ms. Blankenship perhaps? Duck Philips?

Also, I've Mad Men'd myself for your enjoyment:

iTunes Playlist Tuesday! #61

RollingStone magazine recently put out a special edition of what they consider to be the 100 best Beatles songs. Say what you will, but I love The Beatles. Please note that it was extremely hard for me to choose each song - and I’m not even sure of some of my picks, but it’s Tuesday and I just went with it.

Here are my choices for my favourite Fab Four tunes:

Side 1:

My favourite Paul song: Hey Jude

My favourite John song: Strawberry Fields

My favourite George song: While My Guitar Gently Weeps

My favourite Ringo song: Yellow Submarine

My favourite ballad: Let it Be

Side 2:

My favourite rock-out Beatles song: Helter Skelter

My favourite psychedelic song: Tomorrow Never Knows

My favourite early Beatles song: I Saw Her Standing There

My favourite later Beatles song: Across the Universe

Random Pick: Norwegian Wood (This Bird has Flown)

I didn’t justify my choices because it’s The Beatles and most people know these songs and they mean different things to different people. I personally got really into The Beatles in Grade 6 when the Anthology was on TV.

Bonus Tracks:

Songs that reference the Beatles:

Gimme Sympathy by Metric

John Lennon by Arkells:

“She tells me her favourite song,
And I say, ‘Yeah, that's a good one...’
She says it follows her around.
No shit, it's by the Beatles.”

Canada is Cooler Than You (Ontario Edition)

“Everything moves real slow when it’s 40 below.”

 - Sam Roberts, “The Canadian Dream”

In January 2010, I visited Ottawa, Ontario for my cousin’s wedding. The day after the wedding my family and I walked around snowy Ottawa. I saw priceless works of art at The National Gallery of Canada, I bought a Beaver Tail, and I stood in front of Parliament at night in what felt like -40℃ weather. I’d never felt more Canadian.

A friendly RCMP officer was driving around, and he stopped and asked us where we were from. We told him southern Ontario. He then said, “Well take a good look around, you own this place.”

I stood at looked at The Peace Tower, decorated with projected lights for the holidays, and thought about how lucky we were. And then I ran the fuck back to my hotel, because it was forty below with the wind chill.

That is just one moment that made me feel super Canadian, here are a few more:

The 2002 and 2010 Men’s Olympic Hockey Gold Metal games

In Salt Lake we made it happen and we didn’t do it again until we hosted our own games in Vancouver this past February. In the post 9-11 world I couldn’t help but feel that we, Canadians, were losing more and more of our national identity each day. The Salt Lake victory against the US seemed to restore our national pride - and reminded us that it was okay to beat the States in sport. It was okay to fly our own flag. People, my brother included, jumped into backs of random pick-up trucks and waved flags and celebrated in the street - not because we beat the Americans, but because we, Canada, had won. It wasn’t an “in your face” type celebration - just a moment of pure jubilation. That same feeling x 1000 happened when we won in Vancouver on home soil.

Honourable mention - Our ladies team always kicks ass and takes names - so I have to give credit to them as well. But watching women’s hockey almost seems unfair to the other countries besides the US.

Travelling to the UK in 2003

This was my first experience travelling with Americans. There were three guys from California on the tour and they were freezing in weather I would consider pleasant for March. They were nice guys - but I had to laugh at their shivering. There was also a couple from Louisiana who had an old home on the Bayou (I actually thought about them after Katrina - I hope they’re okay). The woman had very long, silky hair. I asked her what she did to keep it so shiny and she answered: “Do you have Walmart in Canada?” Me: “Yeah.” Her: “They have this shampoo called Pantene.” I think I blacked out after that exchange. Like I said, they were a very sweet couple, just a little clueless.

P.S. In my igloo we wash our hair with seal’s blood and fish eyes.

Being in Northern Ontario

Stop at any store called “The Trading Post” (so many Northern Ontario stores named that!) and you’ll find every stereotypical Canadian knick knack ever made. I bought moccasins there before they were in fashion. Also, I know people canoe all over the world, but for some reason when I paddle the lake where my cottage is I feel like I’m part of the scenery. I love looking up at the sky on a clear night and seeing more stars than I thought possible. A campfire with smores, the sound of bullfrogs in the night, the hum of motorboats, and if you’re lucky, you might see a real live moose.

Ordering poutine in Quebec and pronouncing it correctly

Puh-tin not Poo-teen. Fries, gravy, cheese curds (not shredded cheese) = delicious and artery clogging. This is a Quebec specialty that has pretty much spread across Canada.

Watching or listening to The CBC

I just feel like a better Canadian when I do this. I love The Hour with George Stroumboulopoulos - yes, that is a real last name. I also love his radio show on CBC Radio - The Strombo Show. Rich Terfry (Buck 65) does an awesome afternoon show on Radio 2 called Drive. I’ve been introduced to some amazing indie music through these stations.

Going public skating

Who knew that gliding in circles on what are essentially boots with blades on the bottoms could be so relaxing and fun. I taught myself how to skate when I was a kid because I was too scared to try it at first and used to just slide around in my boots. But as I got older I wanted to be out there on the ice with the rest of the kids, so I taught myself to skate. My grandparents met at a skating rink - which I think is a very Canadian way to meet.

Shopping at The Bay

The flagship Bay store in downtown Toronto has a section that just sells Hudson’s Bay Company products. Only Canadians would be able to identify the blankets, jackets and scarves in the signature green, red, yellow and blue striped design. Though the Hudson’s Bay Company is now owned by an American company, it remains a fixture in most Canadian’s lives.

Eating real maple syrup

My great aunt and uncle own a sugar bush and make their own syrup. I’ll never use Aunt Jemima’s again.

Listening to The Tragically Hip

Love ‘um or hate ‘um, their music speaks to the Canadian experience. Fifty Mission Cap, Wheat Kings, and Fireworks are just a few examples of songs.

Reading most of Douglas Coupland’s books

The later fiction (and non-fiction) of Douglas Coupland captures something about being Canadian in a post-modern world that just feels so real. Coupland often says that what’s unique about Canada and Canadians is that we all live very far away from each other. Technology is what brings us together.

Recommended Reading:
Hey Nostradamus!
Eleanor Rigby
JPod
The Gum Thief
Terry
Souvenirs of Canada
Souvenirs of Canada II

Using Canadian Spelling

I’ll give you a short lesson:

Colour = Color
Favourite = Favorite
Neighbour = Neighbor
Cheque = Check
Jewellery = Jewelry
Grey = Gray (I always mess this up though)
Metre = Meter

Canadian English is somewhere between American and British English in terms of spelling and I quite like it. I simply cannot imagine writing colour without the ‘u’ - it would just feel wrong. Interesting fact, the American band Foo Fighters called their second album The Colour and the Shape - spelled the British/Canadian way because the man who produced it was British.

Also, we use the word ‘tuque’ (or toque) for a winter hat – pronounced Touk.

Not understanding Imperial Measurements (for the most part)

I actually feel good about being Canadian when someone tells me the temperature in Fahrenheit and I have no clue what that means. I wouldn’t know how fast I should drive in terms of miles per hour, or how many miles away something is. I’ll take kilometres over that shit any day. I do, however, know my height in feet and inches. And I do know my weight in pound – but I’ll never tell.

Anyways, thank you for reading and I hope I didn’t offend anyone too badly. This was meant to be lighthearted and a bit funny, so please don’t write me comments using all caps to convey your anger. I’m writing to you from Southern Ontario, which means I could drive south for 45 minutes to an hour and be in Niagara Falls, New York or Buffalo. I live closer to the United States than I do to Manitoba or Quebec. What’s weird is that I feel more connected and more at home in the French speaking Belle Province than I do in America. I love US TV and movies - but sometimes I just need to put on some red and white plaid and watch Hockey Night in Canada.

I’ve asked two fellow bloggers to contribute to this series of mine. One from the West coast, and one from the East - it just worked out nicely like that. I hope you enjoy what they have to say about this fine country of ours over the next few weeks.

Cheers,

Allison

I screen captured the Word file where I typed this post.

Weekend (Postcrossing) Update #40

This week hasn't been too eventful, but I did accomplish a few things...

But first, my favourite postcard from this week's Poscrossing haul:

From Finland - This is my first Moomins card. I learned about Moomins from joining Postcrossing because so many postcrossers are from Finland. Moomins is a cartoon from Finland and is hugely popular there.

I have news regarding my own postcard mailing project - the scavenger hunt I organized through this blog as part of my 101 in 1001 list. The news? I received my first card today. I've decided to wait until the end of September to present them all - but as they come in I'm scanning and taking photos of them and making note of when I got them etc. September 15th is fast approaching!

Okay, so what have I been up to this week?

Monday: I worked at night, and after work I got together with a couple girls from work for drinks. It was supposed to be a big goodbye night of drinks with some of the summer students, but they didn't end up coming. Had a few drinks (doubles for the price of singles) and went home. Funny thing happened, my friend drove us and we walked to the parking lot and couldn't find her car. It was only I who remembered that we parked in a different lot. Seriously, the other girls were ready to report the car as stolen.

Tuesday: Was my first day off since my holidays and I didn't do anything but sleep and relax.

Wednesday: I made the mistake of going for a run in really, really hot and humid weather. I thought I was going to die.

Thursday: Last night I had to clean up a mess at work that could have been featured in an episode of Dirty Jobs. Why couldn't I have a rugged TV host do it for me? Mike Rowe, where were you?

Today: Ribfest started today - but it was my day off. I slept late and woke up at 12:30 PM! I know, I felt like I was drugged. I went to bed at like 3 am though. It was storming, so my room was dark, which I believe to be a factor. I did some errands - which involved buying wine and beer for the weekend. I will be working all weekend, but due to the fact that Ribfest is happening across the street, it will be crazy busy. I hope to enjoy some delicious ribs and/or pulled pork Monday. My favourite rib stand is back this year - they use a Jack Daniel's sauce and they actually have a spray bottle of JD that they'll spritz your food with! It's fantastic. I want to try this at home. Mr. O: There's also a stand from Alabama that's really good - Camp 31.

Also, I added a new item to my Etsy Shop: Quarter-Life Crafts.

Also, thinking of changing my blog name a bit. Maybe "Ms. W's Quarter-Life Crisis" or "Lost in the 'Burbs." I might just leave it though...

AND - This Sunday I will be posting a very special tribute to Canada blog - and hopefully for the next few Sundays there will be guest blogs by some fantastic fellow Canuck bloggers!

Next week: Out for a friend's birthday and maybe seeing Scott Pilgram vs. The World.

Anyways, this isn't a fashion blog, but I felt like sharing the 60s inspired outfit I wore today, just 'cause:

Summer is almost over, so I felt like wearing
something fun today.

And my pretty toes and cute (and cheap) shoes. 

Lastly, I bought a bag of Hershey's Kisses.
I noticed this at Christmas, but why did they change
the way they make them? Has anyone else noticed this?
Hersey's Kisses are not the same as they used to be.