Tales from The Cup: Crazy Jack

Okay, I didn't want to expose you guys to Crazy Jack yet - I was saving him for a rainy day - but his triumpant return to The Cup couldn't go unrecognized.

If you thought Creepy George was scary...oh boy...maybe don't read this.

Nickname: Crazy Jack and Halo

Reason for nickname: Jack is homeless. Jack has no front teeth. Jack has untreated schizophrenia. Jack talks nonsense most of the time. Jack stole a plate of cookies once and screamed "my mom is dead." Jack has been banned from The Cup.

Occupation: Well, he's homeless - but he once played guitar and sang out front of our store with a guitar case open.

His circle of friends: The suckers who let him couch surf. Also, himself....as sometimes he's been seen talking to his "friend."

Reason why he's annoying: He self-medicates (was once caught sniffing gas caps at the gas station down the street.) He talks nonsense and asks us for free stuff. He started stripping once and ran around our patio freaking people out. The police were called.

My reaction when I see him come through the door of the cafe is: Quick, lock the door.

Now today we saw him on our patio, but he didn't come in. I think a quote from my co-worker will help paint the picture:

"Oh God, his ass is falling out of his pants. He's not fixing it. He is fully mooning our entire patio!"

Oh shit, Jack is back!

Also, Jack is on YouTube.

iTunes Playlist Tuesday! #38

British Music + Birthday Playlist Dedication Rules & Regulations!

Here is some British music that has really influenced me and my musical tastes. I’m sticking to music produced within the last 20 years. I don’t want to turn this list into a “Who would you rather be, The Beatles or The Rolling Stones?” debate.

Here are some songs that I think just ooze Britishness:

1. Supersonic by Oasis - I just had to kick this list off with a song by the band that defined the term Brit Pop in the 90s. Read my blog about The Beatles and Oasis here. This song is about the “Lad” culture that emerged 1990s Britain. “I'm feeling supersonic / Give me gin and tonic.”

2. Saturday Night by Kaiser Chiefs - My very favourite line in this song is: “Pe-pe-pe-pneumothorax is a word that is long. / They're just trying to put the punk back into punctured lung. / Pe-pe-pe-panic over party off party on / 'Cause we are birds of a feather and you can be the fat one.”

3. Common People by Pulp - In third year I took an elective history class called “20th Century British History and Film.” In this class we watched documentary called “Live Forever: The Rise and Fall of Brit Pop.” I highly recommend this if you’re interested in British politics and Brit Pop. There’s a huge correlation between the end of Thatcherism and the music that was created around that time. The first election of Tony Blair etc. Anyways - Common People is a song about working class Brits, and it comes from a true story about Jarvis Cocker in art school. He met a rich girl who wanted him to teach her how to live like common people.

4. You Got the Style by Athlete - Just a fun Brit song: "Oh, it's getting hot in here / there must be something in the atmosphere. / Oh, I could be laughing about it / and making the most of the true British climate.”

5. Country House by Blur - This song was part of that whole chart war that went on between Blur and Oasis in 1995. Both bands put out singles the same day and the media went crazy. Roll with It by Oasis vs. Country House by Blur. Blur won the battle, but lost overall because What’s the Story (Morning Glory) sold more than Blur’s The Great Escape. Controvercial British artist Damien Hirst directed this video.


6. Fit But You Know It by The Streets - This song is ridiculous, but reminds me of a really fun summer I spent with a group of British boys.

7. Stutter by Elastica - Whatever happened to Elastica? The singer of this band dated Daman Albarn of Blur for a while - I remember that. I also like the song “Connection” by them.

8. Street Spirit (Fade Out) by Radiohead - Radiohead’s always been a band that’s sidestepped the Brit Pop definition just by being slightly weird. I decided against picking an obvious song by them, but still wanted an old school Radiohead track. I think this song is beautiful.

9. LDN by Lily Allen - Oh Lily Allen. I picked this song because it’s about London (LDN) and how the city isn’t as beautiful as everyone might believe.

10. Alright by Supergrass - This one seems to be about Lad culture as well. Just a bunch of guys being young and having fun.

Next week’s list:

My birthday is coming up (April 12th, mark your calendars!) so next week I’d like to do a pre-birthday list. The thing is that I don’t want to write it, I want you to.

EMAIL me 2-3 songs that you’d like to dedicate to me on my 26th birthday. I will pick ONE of the songs you picked for me.

Things to consider:

• Are we friends in real life? Great, pick a song that makes you think of me or a specific time in our friendship.
• Okay, so we’re just blog friends, that’s okay. Pick songs that you think I’d like based on what you’ve gathered about me through my blog.
• It’s my birthday, not my funeral. I’d like fun songs for my birthday playlist.
• Write a little blurb about why you chose each song.

SAMPLE:

Super Awesome Song by Wicked Cool Band - I’m dedicating this song to Allison on her birthday because she is old and needs to have fun.

• Don’t post the songs as a comment - email them, so that the list is a surprise. But please comment on this week's list :)
• Email me by Monday, April 5th to make the Birthday Playlist

Etsy Success!

Okay, so I know I haven't been one for quality blogging lately...I've been going for quantity it seems - but I have to add one more mini post!

I SOLD SOMETHING ON ETSY!!!!

Last night I was in my friend's car and I thought I'd check my email on my phone. I opened my Gmail and saw two messages - one from Etsy and one from Pay Pal - both informing me of my very first sale!

I've had my shop for just a little over a month now and this was my first sale. I added a few new things and some new photos a couple days ago - maybe that was the trick?

This sale has given me a new confidence about my stuff - while my friends might tell me it's cool and they like it, it's totally different when a complete stranger gives me the hugest compliment by purchasing something. Just like this blog - for almost a year I was relying on my friends to tell me my writing was interesting, and while I believe them and wish them to continue reading and commenting - I can't help but be excited when I see a stranger's comment on one of my entries. Even comments on my new hair cut! I feel like I've made some new internet friends through this whole experience. Thanks guys!

Anyways, here is a photo of the clip I sold last night:

Anyways - if you're interested and haven't yet checked out my Etsy Shop, here it is: Quarter-Life Crafts

Weekend (Postcrossing) Update #17

1) This postcard comes from Bangkok City, Thailand. The sender likes how busy the city is.

2) This card is from Norway - my first from there!  The sender, Annette, was reading Slumdog Millionaire.

3) This postcard was sent with an ID # from Portugal, but it was sent from Gran Canaria (The Canary Islands). Looks like a beautiful place to visit.

4) This card comes from Germany and the picture is of a famous bridge with houses on it.

5) I must say, this card is probably one of my favourites to date. (Next to the Yoga Cat, of course). The sender owns a used/antique bookshop in Amsterdam, The Netherlands. I love the message on this card. "To Read is to Empower. To Empower is to Write. To Write is to Influence. To Influence is to Change. To Change is to Live." Thank you!

[Blank] never fails to cheer my readers up - Poll Results

Upbeat music
5 (62%)

Funny movies
3 (37%)

Talking to a friend
2 (25%)

Reading a good book
5 (62%)

Internet humour
4 (50%)

A warm cup of coffee or tea or hot chocolate
2 (25%)

A home cooked meal
1 (12%)

A sunny day
6 (75%)

A hug
3 (37%)

Chocolate
3 (37%)

A drink
1 (12%)

Playing video games
1 (12%)

I believe this is some sort of record! 8 votes (hahaha, I know). Sunny days seem to cheer people the most, followed by good books and upbeat music. When I wrote this poll I was feeling a bit down - but I am back to feeling good!

Sorry for Bombarding you with Posts - Haircut day!

So, you might recall that a couple of weeks ago I was contemplating a somewhat drastic hair change. I did it today and I'm very happy with the results. So I made a lame collage about it:

And I have to post this one, because this was the last time in my life that I had straight across bangs! My mom used to cut them herself and they were awful. Sorry Jacq for posting this photo of us - but hey, we were kids!

Welcome to Burlington, Ontario

Not much happens here, in my little suburban city, but my friend sent me a link on Facebook (she's an ex-citizen of Burlington, who lives in Belleville, Ontario - where everyone seems to be getting murdered lately - just kidding, I'm sure it's very safe.)

Anyways, here's the link: http://ca.news.yahoo.com/s/capress/100322/national/vulnerable_pcs_list

It appears we've put our little city on the map (at least in Canada) for being the most vulnerable place in Canada to hacking and viruses and such. Yay us. I blame the fact that everyone here is spoiled and there are like 2-3 computers in each household alone...maybe more.

Anyways, since I have a few American and out-of-province readers, here are some cool things about Burlington, Ontario that might impress an outsider (sorta):

1) Canadian born actor and comedian Jim Carrey lived here. Yes, he attended Aldershot High School for grade 9. His older sister Rita still lives here and drives the city bus (I'm not kidding - she is a local bus driver or was last I heard.)

2) Actor Ryan Gosling went to high school here before dropping out to pursue acting. He's been sighted several times visiting.

3) Barack Obama's half-sister Maya Soetoro-ng married a man from Burlington. Before Obama was president he visited here with his family. I did not know this then, but seems pretty cool now.

4) Author of the acclaimed novel "The Book of Negros" or as it's titled in the US "Someone Knows my Name," Lawrence Hill lives here with his family. This book got a lot of press in Canada last year. Won several awards and such.

5) The band Finger 11 got their start here calling themselves The Rainbow Butt Monkeys. The band all attended high school here.

6) Scenes from the first X-Men film (2000) were filmed on the waterfront in Burlington. I never saw it, but my friends saw a huge Statue of Liberty erected near Spencer Smith Park, on Lake Ontario.

Anyways, there's not much else I can think of - so that's that. My few claims to fame.

Tales from The Cup: Creepy George

I work in a coffee shop - these are my customers.

Nickname: Creepy George

Reason for nickname: George is Lebonese - but that is not why he's creepy. His English is broken at best, so he gestures and grunts instead. Sometimes he makes kissy faces at girls. Sometimes he walks around with prayer beads and chants to himself. He falls asleep in the cafe often, and moves to various chairs and tables around the store. Sometimes he just wanders. Last week he scratched his balls for a while. And the other day he clipped his finger nails. Sometimes he gets a bagel. He points and grunts at the bagels - so I can only assume.

Occupation: Retired? I have no idea what George may have done in his former life.

His circle of friends: His family (who should really keep better tabs on him), his one Lebanese friend who comes to collect him from the cafe when he's been there too long, and he has a thing for young girls. He once tried to give two girls five dollars for no reason.

Reason why he's annoying: His singing/chanting can get a bit loud and his gestures can get annoying and inappropriate. He is crazy and doesn't know it. He seems to have no social skills either. Um, don't clip your fingernails in a coffee shop!

My reaction when I see him come through the door of the cafe is: This is going to be a lonnnnnng shift.

iTunes Playlist Tuesday! #37

I was walking to work, listening to my iPod and I wanted to listen to a specific song. So I went to the song section and scrolled. If you do this fast enough it goes through the entire alphabet rather quickly. In doing so I landed near the end, past Z - I was in the numbers section. Hmm, I have several songs that begin with numbers. This prompted me to make a list of 10 songs with the numbers 1 to 10. Some are the numbers written out, some are the numerical version. Some begin with the number, some have the number somewhere in the title. All are awesome...I think.

1. One More Astronaut by I Mother Earth - This song makes me think of grade 7.

2. 2 15/16 by Ubiquitous Synergy Seeker - My favourite line in this song "You're like a tack in a paperclip factory."


3. 3's and 7's by Queens of the Stone Age - I remember my brother playing this on guitar hero.

4. 4 String by Wil - This song is wicked live. After Wil breaks guitar strings he plays this song. When I saw it he just played it instrumental - sounds like a sitar.

5. Mr. 5 Minutes by Holly McNarland - This song is a bit naughty.

6. Deep Six by Matthew Good Band - Not to be confused with the song Deep 6ix by Matthew Good Band - in fact, I can't remember which is which. Download both.

7. 7/4 Shoreline by Broken Social Scene - LOVE

8. Eight Days a Week by The Beatles - An obvious choice, but why not? Can't go wrong with this one.

9. 9 Crimes by Damien Rice - Last week I said Damien Rice makes me teary eyed - oy - this song gets me. So beautiful.

10. Ten by Jimmy Eat World - Not many songs with ten in the title.

Any number songs that you love?

Next week: British Music!

The Etsy Challenge!

Since starting my own Etsy shop a few weeks ago I've decided to support fellow shops by trying to buy gifts for my friend's birthdays from there.

If I'm going to succeed at this I'm going to have to plan ahead - as I can't know when and how I'll receive things from Etsy sellers. Tonight I found a really nice pendant that I think I'll buy and put away for a friend who's birthday is in May.

What's fantastic about Etsy is that there's always something new to choose from. Sellers are constantly joining and adding new products to their shops - so I think this won't be a difficult challenge.

I think there's something special about giving a homemade gift - even if it wasn't made by me.

MY ETSY SHOP: http://www.etsy.com/shop/alliweb

Diary of an Insomniac 6 (Thinking too much)

Lately, I've been thinking too much late at night. My mind is too active, too busy, and when the house is dark and quiet I have nothing to do but think.

I feel like I must over think things. I think about my day - my week - my year. I think about what I have to do in the coming days. I think about work, I think about my online course that I'm taking and how I've been slacking.

I think about things that went wrong.

i think about things that went right.

I need to read more - to calm my mind. I've been on my laptop too much lately and my brain is over stimulated, So, on this cold Saturday night I plan on staying in and resting.

I started reading The Piano Man's Daughter by Timothy Findley - and I can tell it will be good, but I'm not hooked yet.

I hope not to see 4 A.M. blinking on my clock tonight.

Weekend (Postcrossing) Update #16

Another batch of postcards this week and none were brought over by my neighbour. Perhaps my complaint to Canada Post worked!

1) I got excited when I saw this one. I love the Mona Lisa! I thought maybe it had come from France, but it's actually from someone in Taiwan.


2) From Snowy Finland.


3) Okay, now you can't tell by this scan, but this postcard is actually laminated. I'm lucky to have received it, as the stamp had fallen off. Just says "Greetings from Belgium." Very strange, but the photo is nice.


4) I like this image sent to me from Finland. The sender says the artist of this drawing does children's books. She also wrote that she was busy watching the Olympics!


5) This postcard of Moscow's Kremlin came from Anya and she likes photography and drawing.


In other news, I also receieved my first Etsy purchase in the mail this week. Nothing too exciting, just some little flower thingys for my feather hair clips. I haven't sold anything yet - I still have more stuff to put up on my site, I just need to take better photos of them. Check out my Etsy

How did I get these postcards? Click Me

I Splurge on...Poll Results!

I'll confess now what prompted this poll last week...I did my taxes. And because I did my taxes and because I am so fortunate, I'll be receiving a generous return in a week or two. Some of the money will pay off my credit card (which is almost paid off anyways), some will go against my student loan debt, some will pay for a much needed dental appointment, and the rest will go to fun things I'd like to splurge on.

Clothes
4 (66%)

This is a definite for me. I already have a jacket picked out that I want.

Shoes
2 (33%)

I need some new shoes for work.

Meals out
6 (100%)

I'd like to go for a nice dinner for my birthday next month.

Cars
0 (0%)

I'm with ya here.

Desserts
3 (50%)

Mmmm....maybe some desserts after my nice dinner?

Cosmetics
4 (66%)

Makeup is expensive. I must admit I have a thing for buying eyeshadows and nail polish.

Home decor
0 (0%)

I wish.

Drinks out
2 (33%)

I'm surprised so few of you do this. Drinks out would be on my splurge list.

Coffee (and or tea)
4 (66%)

I generally drink coffee etc. free at work.

Junk food
2 (33%)

I bought a Kinder Egg last night cause I was feeling down.

Other
0 (0%)

Nothing eh?

Also, to my American or foreign readers: The photo I used for this post is a stock image of a stack of Toonies. What's a Toonie, you ask? Well it's a two dollar coin. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Canadian_2_dollar_coin

Have you ever been hungover for four years? AKA My St. Paddy's Day of forgiveness, redemption and letting go of anger

I don't often write about personal things about myself - but I feel like this is something that just has to pour out of me.

Does anything ever go as planned? Well, had I planned my night, I doubt it would have gone as it did last night. I won't bore you with the details - lots of green things, drunk people yadda yadda yadda.

I went to a local pub with a group of people, most of whom I did not know. I was sober and grumpy and they were all pretty toasted. I was upset feeling - felt like it just wasn't my scene. Something to add to my Murtaugh List (How I Met Your Mother reference). I ordered my gin & tonic, which is something the group I was with found hilarious. "Get a beer!" The lime in my drink was green enough!

I drank half a beer and then got up with a friend to get another G&T because I was in a bad mood. To save time we decided to order all three (one for me, and the other two for the girls I was out with) on one tab because it was St. Patrick's Day and the bar was really busy. I'm standing there and a familiar face rushes by me: "Hi Allison."

It was a person I hadn't spoken to in nearly four years. Things were left pretty badly and our friendship was never repaired. I spent years hiding from him whenever I saw him in public. I would duck my head and scurry off.

Anyways, so he walks by me. I respond with a loud "Oh, Fuck!"

Needless to say, the girl I was standing with was completely taken aback. Anyways - we order our drinks and I give the bartender a twenty and he comes back to give it to me to say that the drinks have been paid for. He paid for them. Bugger.

So I return to my friends and tell them I got them free drinks because of my issues. They were happy. Hurray for baggage!

Later, I decide to go look for him - I figure I at least owed him a thank you. I was confused, I didn't know how to take his generosity. Was it out of guilt? Kindness? A white flag?

So I find him in a smaller room with a group of familiar people. I quietly say, "You didn't have to do that you know."

"I know."

For the rest of the night I decided it was time to take the high road - to show him that I'm still the girl I was before - the girl he was once good friends with. I laughed, I drank - and I gave him a few friendly jabs. He told me he would allow me to punch him in the face and kick him in the balls - dump my drink on him if I wanted to. I settled for throwing ice cubes at him.

I left with my friends and we ate chips at the gas station while waiting for our cab home.

My laptop was still turned on when I got home and when I opened it I checked my email. I had one Facebook alert - a friend request. It was him.

I accepted his request for digital friendship, and noticed he was online when I added him. I quickly messaged him to say that Facebook friendships didn't mean real life friendships. Then I just said everything. Everything I'd wanted to say to him for the past four-ish years. How he'd hurt me, how I wasn't blameless, how angry I was, how disappointed I was.

This was the conversation he and I never had - the conversation we should have been able to have before but couldn't.

Hindsight is 20/20 and we have learned our lesson.

It feels good to take him off my list of people who I don't care to see. He's off the hook. St. Patrick's Day 2010 became a New Year's of sorts - a day of renewal, redemption, forgiveness.

Tales from The Cup: The Coif

Since I'm currently a barista who is supposed to work in publishing (if everything had gone as planned) I'm going to start sharing with you my customer experiences, past and present.

Each profile will be titled after the nicknames I've given them. I've decided to start off with "The Coif" because he came in last night and he's probably the most annoying regular I have currently (the former being "Rat Face," tune in for that story later.)

Nickname: The Coif

Reason for nickname: Imagine a chubby little nerd who wears a trench coat. Only imagine that this chubby little nerd has well styled, silver hair that is parted on the side and with a asymmetrical side-bang. It's almost flock of seagulls like.

Occupation: Something involving math and computers and being an arrogant prick.

His circle of friends: Us. No, I'm not kidding, I think he thinks he's our friend. Now, he often talks about his "friends" but I don't really think he has any. My 19 year old co-worker jokingly invited him out to the pub with us on a Saturday night and buddy showed up! He's probably 15-20 years older than my co-worker, at least 10-15 years older than me. He has no friends, and that is why he came.

Reason why he's annoying: He never shuts up, and he's always right. He likes creating controversy and tension. He's a right wing gun nut with bizarro hair. Or he just says these things to stir me up. Last night he tried to start an argument about poverty with me. I told him I had better things to do with my time than fight with a guy who's not going to change his mind.

He also stands at the counter the whole time - and waits till we close to leave. I once gave him the 10 minute warning that we were closing and he said, "and what are you going to do about it?" He laughed. I just said, with a serious face, "Well I am leaving at 11, I suggest you do the same."

I once saw The Coif on the street on my night off. I made my friend stand with me on the other side of the street until he passed. I didn't want him to talk to me - I'm not paid to talk to him on my days off.

My reaction when I see him come through the door of the cafe is: FML.

iTunes Playlist Tuesday! #36

So tomorrow is St. Patrick's Day and for most people it's a day to wear green and drink beer. I have no immediate plans, but I do have a green shirt to wear and a list of songs to play!

1. Sinead O’Conner - Nothing Compares 2 U: My parents had this on cassette tape and I used to rewind and play this song over and over and over. Sinead is very Irish and she’s famous for tearing up a photo of the pope once. How typical of the 80s and early 90s to spell song titles like this.

2. U2 - With or Without You: I had to pick something from an older U2 album, as their newer stuff just doesn’t do it for me. U2 is probably the most well-known Irish band right now. I just wish they’d put out some some better albums now.

3. The Cranberries - Ode to my Family: You thought I’d go for the obvious choice and pick Zombie. Yeah, I wanted to, but opted for this. An ode to my Irish ancestors.

4. Van Morrison - Wild Night: So many songs I could have selected by Van Morrison! Chose this one because for some St. Paddy’s will be a “Wild Night.”

5. Damien Rice - Volcano: I chose this song by Damien Rice because it might not make you cry, like his other songs. If you feel like crying on St. Paddy’s day, listen to nothing but Damien Rice.

6. Snow Patrol - Chocolate: I’ve exhausted most of my Snow Patrol songs in past playlists, so went for this one.

7. The Pogues - Love You Till the End: The Pogues make me think of Christmas because of “Fairy Tale of New York.” Maybe use this song to serenade someone after a few green beers.

8. The Thrills - The Irish Keep Gate Crashing: This is a fun song and it features the word “Irish” in the title, so that’s extra festive.

9. Hey Rosetta! - Red Heart: I’ve exhausted my knowledge of “cool” Irish music and am switching to the east coast of Canada. Hey Rosetta! is from Newfoundland (and Labrador) which is basically like Ireland. They speak different there - it almost sounds Irish. Yes, B’y.

10. Wintersleep - Weighty Ghost: Again, exhausted myself of Irish bands - so here’s a song I love by Wintersleep. They’re from Prince Edward Island (P.E.I.) which is also very Irish. P.E.I. is famous for growing excellent potatoes as well.

Who would have made your list? How do you plan on celebrating this fine holiday?

Also - suggestions for next week's list?

Rain, Rain, Bring me Spring!

I opened today's Hamilton Spectator to see a series of numbers on the front in large print. My first thought was the show LOST. I'm such a geek...The Numbers.

No, they weren't the LOST numbers but: 150 41 65 12 7

What do they mean? Well anyone in Southern Ontario can tell you that this past weekend we had rain, a lot of rain. As my dad once said, "building an ark, gathering two of everything." (My dad isn't Noah, he just thought it was funny.)

Anyways, what were these numbers?

150 - This was how many calls the City of Hamilton received regarding flooding yesterday morning.

41 - Millimetres of rain on Saturday. This broke the record of 35.9 mm - from March, 1991!

65 - Millimetres of rain in total over the whole weekend.

12 - Calls regarding sewers backing up in basements - ew!

7 - Pumps running at the Woodward Avenue Water Treatment plant yesterday morning (I don't know much about water treatment plants, but I guess that is a lot.)

This made me:

A) Wish I'd bought those rain boots in Montreal last April.

B) Regret not getting my "good" umbrella out of my room, instead I settled for taking a cheap one to work.

C) Not want to leave my house except when I had to go to work.

D) Happy to see the snow wash away.

Anyways - that's my post about the rain.

In other news, I am seeing Alice in Wonderland this Thursday with my parents, my cousin and her two kids. They are off school this week for March Break.

Tomorrow I'll be posting my St. Paddy's Day Playlist - which I've finalized.

Weekend (Postcrossing) Update #15

So tonight we "Spring Forward" and lose an hour - fantastic. As I type this, rain is tap-tap-tapping on my window and it's really annoying. Not at all romantic like in a 19th century novel. I don't have a candle, but an ikea lamp, no typewriter, but a macbook, and I'm not wearing silk or velvet, but cotton sweats.

Anyways - so the postal workers in my neighbourhood are a bit lazy and have been delievering my mail to my neighour around the corner. Though we live on different streets, we have the same house number. Today a lady dropped off three postcards to my house that had been put in her mailbox. She was a bit pissy about it. Um, not our fault - and P.S. We get their mail sometimes too, and we just walk it over there and put it in the box, no bitching necessary. But I did send a complaint to Canada Post about it.

Onward to this week's mail:

1) From Little Rock, Arkansas, USA. Kelley wrote to say that it had snowed a few times in Arkansas, and that it was very strange for them. Maybe she thought I'd know a thing or two about snow, being Canadian and all.


2) This postcard from Finland arrived with my stack from the bitchy neigbour. It's from a 17 year old girl named Helena. She likes the movies Titanic, Love Actually and Valentine's Day. She likes some Finnish bands, and Enrique Iglasias and Ke$ha.


3) From Anaheim, California, USA...Disneyland. Julia lives so close to Disney that she can see the fireworks.


4) This card came from Latvia and is a painting by a Latvian artist Peteris Rozenbergs.


Well, hope you enjoyed by cards from the week. Let's hope my neighbour doesn't receive any more.

St. Paddy's Day Poll Results!

THINGS TO DO ON ST. PADDY'S DAY:

Drink green beer
3 (50%)

(It's gross yes, but you do it one day a year.)

Wear green (or green and orange)
6 (100%)

(I happen to look fabulous in green. Matches my eyes. I just got a new green shirt actually.)

Drink Irish whiskey
3 (50%)

(This is for the tough St. Paddy's Day patron.)

Listen to U2
2 (33%)

(Old U2 albums are good - kick it old school with some Achtung Baby! or The Joshua Tree)

Go to your local pub
4 (66%)

(Every city and town has at least one - be there!)

Eat Potatoes
3 (50%)

(Fried, baked, mashed, scalloped...)

Eat corned beef and cabbage
1 (16%)

(Um, no thanks. Maybe the beef, forget the cabbage.)

Have a Guinness
1 (16%)

(If you skipped the potatoes, beef and cabbage, you might have room for a Guinness.)

I'm not Irish, so I don't care
1 (16%)

(Party pooper.)

I'm not Irish, but it's fun to celebrate
0 (0%)

(No one, eh?)

I'm Irish enough
1 (16%)

(You're Irish-ish and that's all that matters!)

Tune in Tuesday for my iTunes Playlist featuring songs for St. Patrick's Day!

This post may offend you - some words that annoy me

Here are just a few terms I came up with off the top of my head that bug the crap out of me:

1) Preggers - This is someone’s idea of a cute way of saying pregnant. I say, there’s nothing cute about the word pregnancy. That is a terrifying word as it is.

2) Hubby - I hate it when people refer to their husbands like this. Um, does he have a name? “Oh the hubby gave me a wicked back-rub last night, he’s the best.” Oh shut up.

3) Hun (Hon?) - I hate it when other girls call me hun. “Thanks hun!” It’s cutesy and demeaning.

4) Honey - I’m not talking about the delicious syrup manufactured by bees, I’m talking about a word couples use. “Honey, will you vacuum the living room?”

5) Wifey - When a women uses this in reference to herself, I feel sorry for her: “I baked cookies for my honey cause I’m such a good little wifey.” When a man uses it in reference to his girlfriend or wife, he’s a dick.

6) Boobies - I have no problem with words for private parts - boobs, breasts - whatever. Boobies sounds silly to me. It’s a word little boys who still want to breast-feed use.

What colloquialisms do you find annoying?

I used to hate the term "Chick" but I feel like women have reclaimed that word, and it's less demeaning than it used to be.
Good example of the word: "She's one cool chick."
Bad example: "I bought that chick drinks all night and she still wouldn't go home with me."

iTunes Playlist Tuesday! #35

Okay, I'm not sure what it's like where you live, but here, in Southern Ontario, it feels as though spring has sprung early! We've had several days of sunny warm weather - almost t-shirt weather.

In honour of this, I have pulled together a list of songs that make me think of spring!

1) The First Day of Spring by The Gandharvas - When I was in my last year of high school (many Springs ago) my family and I took a trip to the UK for March Break. It was my first time on a plane! I listened to the in-flight music, and one "station' had this song on it. The songs were on a loop, so I heard it more than once during our six-hour flight.

2) Sundress by Ben Kweller - I love it when I can pull out my sun dresses, honestly I like them more than shorts in the summer. Nothing beats sitting outside in a cotton dress reading a good book - maybe with some wine or iced tea.

3) Here Comes the Sun by The Beatles - You've got to love this song by George Harrison. I can feel the sun on my face just listening to it.

4) Bright as Yellow by Mazzy Star - This tune is from the Empire Records soundtrack and I otherwise don't know who Mazzy Star is or was.

5) Dance Anthem of the 80s by Regina Spektor - I know this song isn't about spring, but I always imagine a couple having a picnic when I hear it.

6) Around this Corner by Sarah Harmer - This song makes me think of those days when you hope you'll see the cute guy you like - and you serendipitously do! Makes me think of spring because people come out of hibernation and start walking around just for fun.

7) Parachutes by Jenn Grant - Not sure why, but this song makes me think of the parachutes you play with as a kid in school - the ones that everyone holds and you lift it and lower it. Reminds me of having gym class outside. These memories have nothing to do with this song.

8) Today by Smashing Pumpkins - I think it's the video for this song that makes me think of spring. The song too, though.

9) Sweet Thing by Van Morrison - This song makes me think of being young and enjoying life and love.

10) All I Wanna Do by Sheryl Crow - This song is about feeling unburdened by the stresses of life and just doing what you want. Spring is the beginning of patio season, and I love patio season.

I hope you enjoyed this list! Next week: St. Paddy's Day list!

Painting the Roses Red

I really want to see Tim Burton's Alice in Wonderland soon. The Disney version was always a favourite of mine, as for the longest time I believed it to be called, "Allison Wonderland." Though I always hated how the pansies made fun of Alice.

Anyways...

One year my friends threw me a an Alice in Wonderland themed "Unbirthday" birthday party - my cake even said "Eat Me' and all the cups said "Drink Me." I miss those days - we even had party hats! I always had my "unbirthday" at York at the end of March - because in April (when my birthday actual is) exams started and we'd all be stressed to the max, or back home for the summer. I'll be 26 this April and I still wish I could have a theme party! Seems like getting drunk at the pub will probably be the theme again.

I had some great theme parties when I was a kid. One year my mom bought T-shirts and fabric paint and we all decorated shirts. My mom made me cakes that looked like t-shirts and my friends fought over who got to eat a sleeve. I also had a sleepover party and my mom made a cake in the shape of a bed. Again, my friends all wanted "the pillow." I miss those days for sure!

Anyways, if anyone has seen Alice in Wonderland (the new one) - did you like it? Don't spoil it though

Weekend (Postcrossing) Update #14

1) This girl from The Netherlands sent me this postcard of fried eggs. She thinks the artist must have been drunk or stoned. Ha ha ha!


2) This person from China saw the movie Sherlock Holmes and asked if I had. Yes I have.


3) This card came from a 16 year old girl from Latvia. Her favourite book is "Montana Sky" by Nora Roberts and her favourite movie is "He's Just Not that Into You."

How I Write

Right now, I am struggling to write an article. This isn't a new struggle for me - as I often find it difficult to write. I'm supposed to have an outline completed for next week for an online course I'm taking called "Introduction to Freelance Writing" through Humber College. I'm trying to write a profile on an individual that I interviewed last week.

Anyways, this got me thinking about how I write - my process. Everyone has a process they use when they write something, and I'm sure I'm not unique with mine - but I do feel like I tend to kick it old school - good old pen & paper.

Allison's Nonsensical guide to writing something that might not suck:

* Buy a notebook and use it for notes and ideas and NEVER, I repeat, NEVER tear out a page. You know that scene from that movie about that writer who has writer's block? You know how he sits at his desk and toils away, but nothing is good enough. He has a pile of bad ideas crumpled at his feet. Don't do this - your bad ideas might lead to better ones, or they'll make you laugh later.

* Don't try too hard to sound like someone else - just try to sound like the best version of yourself.

* Consider your audience. While I might write my blog for me, I might have to write an article for a magazine that targets a specific audience. Even with my blog I try to write things that I think my few readers might be into. Sometimes I fail.

* Don't be afraid to let someone else read it before you submit it. A fresh pair of eyes can't hurt - the person you entrust your work with should be good with basic grammar and spelling, but also have a firm grasp on literary style. Don't give your work to someone who will just tell you it's perfect and awesome, but also don't give it to someone who will just tell you it sucks and needs to be rewritten. Choose someone you trust.

* Organize your thoughts. You can't just jam in everything you want to write - it has to be ordered. You might have to leave out something that you like. But if it doesn't fit, be brave and scrap it (but save it, you might be able to use it later).

Anyways, those are just a few things that I try to do when I'm writing something. It's been awhile since I've had to write something substantial, so this list is helpful - to remind myself what I'm capable of.

How do you write?

Congrats to My Olympic Boyfriends! Poll Results!

Who are your Canadian Olympic Boyfriends? (Past/Present, Winter/Summer):

Jon Montgomery (Skeleton)
1 (25%)

Allison's note: Jon is my #1 Olympic boyfriend...I may have voted in my own poll.
Watch this video to see why: CLICK ME IF YOU HEART JON

Olivier Jean (Short track)
1 (25%)

Allison's note: I love athletes that don't look like athletes - breaks the stereotypes. Not all athletes look like high school jocks and not all guys with dreads are lazy stoners. He's French-Canadian, he has dreads and he's an Olympic gold medalist.

Jeremy Wotherspoon (Long track)
1 (25%)

Allison's Note: Oh Jeremy - congrats on your final Olympic appearance. You will be missed.

Charles Hamelin (Short Track)
1 (25%)

Alexandre Bilodeau (Moguls)
0 (0%)

Allison's Note: No one voted for you as their Olympic Boyfriend, but you are awesome and you will be forever remembered as the first Canadian to get a gold medal on home soil.

Sidney Crosby (Hockey)
2 (50%)

Allison's Note: Because of that "golden goal" you will forever be everyone in Canada's Olympic Boyfriend.

Adam van Koeverden (Kayak)
1 (25%)

Allison's Note: The pressure was on in Beijing and you did what you could.

Alexandre Despatie (Diving)
3 (75%)

Allison's Note: Gotta love a French man in a speedo.

Ross Rebagliati (Snowboard)
1 (25%)

Allison's Note: Famous for losing his medal for having marijuana in his system, but also famous for getting it back.

Donovan Bailey (100 metre sprints)
0 (0%)

Allison's Note: No love for the once fastest man in the world?

Elvis Stojko (Figure skating)
1 (25%)

Allison's Note: I only included him for my friend Amanda. She's probably his only vote.

12 Letters, 12 People - March

I've written my 6th letter - which means I'm halfway there!

October: Lauren, Vancouver, BC
November: Amanda, Belleville, ON
December: Laura, Toronto, ON
January: Megan, Salford, ON
February: Leanne, Toronto, ON
March: ?
April:
May:
June:
July:
August:
September:

For those of you who might be new to this blog, back in October I decided to write a letter to someone I know each month for a year. CLICK HERE TO READ THE FIRST BLOG ABOUT IT.

Most of my recipients have responded - either by mail or by text or facebook - all positive of course. It's been an interesting social experiment of sorts - how people react to a letter in the mail.

The Kind of Change I Can (somewhat) Control!

I've been itching to change my hair drastically since early winter. Every so often I do something "extreme" - at least for me - to my hair. The kind of cut and colour that turns heads - the kind of change that is really noticeable. The trouble is that I've been attempting to grow my hair out a bit, and this process is making my hair boring.

In the past I've gotten myself out of this rut by cutting it really short on a whim, dying it florescent red, and getting side bangs cut.

This time I want straight bangs - a la Zooey Deschanel. Granted my hair isn't that long still, but the idea is that I can still do something fun and different, but maintain the length. I don't buy into the whole "girls should have long hair" stigma, but I do like being able to put my hair up every once and a while.

I bought a hair magazine (they are expensive, wow) and have some ideas - now I just have to decide when. It's not that I'm afraid, 'cause I've never been afraid to do things to my hair, but my birthday is coming up in a month, so I'm trying to wait.

Anyways, I'm sure no one cares what I do with my hair - but for me it's one of those things I can somewhat control about myself. My skin might break out, or maybe I gained a little too much winter weight this year, but I can easily fix my hair. My fantastic hair guy, Pablo, is just a text away. If only I could get a new job that way.

iTunes Playlist Tuesday! #34

This week I'm kickin' it old school, playlist style - meaning I'm back to writing the lists myself. I hope you all enjoyed the three weeks of guest playlists. This week, since I have an ipod dock alarm clock, I thought it would be cool to make a list of songs to wake up to. Here we go!

1. Wake Up Bomb by R.E.M. - This is the type of song to wake up to if you fear sleeping through your alarm. This one will get you up with a jolt.

2. Sleep Awake by Mother Mother - This one is good if you don't actually HAVE to get up just then. It's a fairly quiet song, but I think it serves its purpose on this list. It's sung by one of the girls in Mother Mother (not to be confused by the lead singer, who is actually a guy).

3. I'm Only Sleeping by The Beatles - Similar idea to the Mother Mother song - good for waking up to on days you don't have to get up. This song is about not wanting to get up, a feeling I have most days.

4. Wake Up by The Walkmen - This is a pretty slow song, but the opening guitar and drums would be enough to get you out of bed - or at least long enough to hit snooze.

5. Dream Brother by Jeff Buckley - This song might enter your dreams while you sleep if it happens to come on as an alarm. Perhaps set this to play near the end of the song when it really picks up. I chose this mostly because of the name.

6. Twilight Omens by Franz Ferdinand - This song is pretty funny actually. It's about a guy waking up early after a night out where he got a phone number from a girl. He first wakes up to see that he's slept on his hand, and her name is now on his forehead backwards, then puts her number into a calculator and it spells a dirty word upside down - taking these things as signs. It's a pretty great song to wake up to as well, very upbeat.

7. Morning Glory by Oasis - Like the R.E.M. song, this one should give you the kick in the ass necessary to get out of bed. Even if you “need a little time to wake up.”

8. Reach for the Sun by The Polyphonic Spree - This song just makes me think of waking up with the sun shining in your window. Just feels nice.

9. This Mourning by Wide Mouth Mason - This isn’t a typo, this is how the song title is spelled. The song begins: “This mourning, came a little early today.” I’m sure it has a double meaning - it has an upbeat tempo, so good to wake up to.

10. Only in Dreams by Weezer - This is a fairly long song, but really, you only need to listen to the first 30 seconds to wake up. It’s fairly slow though.

Okay - so that's that. Any suggestions for next week's theme? I'm going to do Irish singers and bands the week of the 17th, but have no clue what to do for next week.