I've always worked weekends and holidays. Retail, Disney, Princess - it was always a given that I had a very limited social life throughout the years, but I always made it out when it mattered. The nice thing about working an office job is that the weekends are free for you to live your life. This is true for most people - just not me.
I woke up to a text from my boss at 7:00 this morning which I think is a ridiculous time to wake up on a Saturday but c'est la vie - I knew this was a possibility when I was hired so I should really be thankful it's the first time it's happened in the two and a half months I've worked for her. The downside is that it woke me up about 2 hours early for my speaking engagement. This is a fancy way to say my alma mater, The Art Institute of Vancouver, paid me to come in an talk to perspective students at an open house event. This is the second time I've worked an Open House since graduating, and I'm not going to lie - I love it!
One of the things I discovered through working school events like this and New Student Orientation, is that nothing gets me more excited to start a new quarter at school than being with people that are new. It's like shopping for school supplies (which I also love!) - the shiny packaging, crisp sheets of paper, brightly coloured pens and highlighters and empty binders always feel like the start of a clean slate or new adventure. I know it's a silly way to think about it, but I never claimed to be a serious person.
I love showing new people the things I've already learned. Whether it's the best way to maximize the small amount of free printing you get, the names of the tech guys and other staff to know, or how to generally survive the program and come out with a potential job, sharing with them helped me see the school in new ways and gave them someone who could be a mentor. Not to toot my own horn but TOOT! My orientation students/mentees are all doing great in the program and I like to think I had a little bit to do with that. It's the kind of thing I wish I had while I was there and still wish I have now as I try to find my footing in the industry. However, holding contract positions with an Event Planning Company, The Finer Details (I heart this team!), and an Event Staffing Company, BBW International, I'm hopeful someone will take pity and show me the way =)
Saturday, January 15, 2011
Weekend Wonder
Oh Saturday, how I've missed you all week! You're my favourite day to sleep in and relax, closely followed by your twin Sunday.
A lot has happened since I posted last night and I'm inclined to break it into two parts so I don't end up with a post that is so long none of you will want to read it =( I can't really afford to scare off the four people who officially follow this plus the other eleven I actually know are reading =) Yay for the 15 of you! That's more than double my lucky number and about 14 more readers than I thought I'd have so I just want to take a moment to shout out a massive THANK YOU!
From Vancouver to Oslo and someone from Malaysia that's wandered over 5 times, (maybe by accident but that brings us up to 16!), you all have been amazing with your feedback and comments. I have to say it's pushing me to try harder to be interesting and find things to say actually worth reading - look at me grow! So thank you to Shawn, Mel, Sarah, Jen Mac, Marion, Jojo, Avital, Friend...Me, Nicole, Scottie, Jules, Jeet, Char, Kristal, Jamie, and everyone else out there that gave me a chance, even if it was only the one time. I'm glad that the Internet has made the world quite a bit smaller because it gives me a chance to be a part of your lives even when you're half a world away and vice versa.
Now that I've dispensed the mushy stuff on to the second part of yesterday's post "Friday Night Time Travel." If you get to Library Square earlier enough, two amazing things happen. The first is that you miss having to pay cover! Last night's invite was for 8:00 but Jojo and I were running late and got there at 8:30. Perfect timing as there was no line and cover starts at 9 =) The second thing I love watching is the transition from casual dining/pub to drunk tank. The moment the music shifts to all that 90's goodness, the dance floor overflows to surround the nearby tables and people get sloppy. A funny observation is that not everyone there is drunk on alcohol. Some of us, mostly designated drivers, get drunk off the heady combination of good music and even better friends. Although we had a rocky start to the night dealing with one spilled drink which I got to wear, compliments of the bitch standing at the bar, plus a handful of guys that couldn't take a hint, I still had a great time. This next part is for Jojo - one of my favourite partners in crime. She's a dancing fool and we're celebrating her new job with a local event production company MVKA Productions. Click on the link to see her headshot! We had one of those interesting nights that happen when you combine a long work week with a bit of alcohol and paranoia.
Ghosts in the office, early cleaning crews, secret shots (thank you Sarah!), back alley deals, I'm too young to be a witness, pizza b*!c#, I almost Palm Bay-ed you, paper towels = good shoe cushions, sorry doesn't translate into a bigger tip, crazy bartenders, Jersey, Stumpy, little girl nugget, Tarp Party, Betsey Spotlight.
I know this didn't make sense to anyone else but a promise is a promise. If you understood any of the above, congratulations! It's a tiny glimpse into what a night at the Library can produce =) We'll actually be there in a couple of weeks to celebrate the slow trek towards adulthood (and ultimately death) known as my birthday. This year, I'm raising money for Canuck Place so hopefully some of you will make it out to one of the 2 events we're having. If you can't make it but still want to donate (I know this is a shameless plug but I need all the help I can get to reach my $1,000 goal!) send me an email for details!
Off to write part two...go productive me!
A lot has happened since I posted last night and I'm inclined to break it into two parts so I don't end up with a post that is so long none of you will want to read it =( I can't really afford to scare off the four people who officially follow this plus the other eleven I actually know are reading =) Yay for the 15 of you! That's more than double my lucky number and about 14 more readers than I thought I'd have so I just want to take a moment to shout out a massive THANK YOU!
From Vancouver to Oslo and someone from Malaysia that's wandered over 5 times, (maybe by accident but that brings us up to 16!), you all have been amazing with your feedback and comments. I have to say it's pushing me to try harder to be interesting and find things to say actually worth reading - look at me grow! So thank you to Shawn, Mel, Sarah, Jen Mac, Marion, Jojo, Avital, Friend...Me, Nicole, Scottie, Jules, Jeet, Char, Kristal, Jamie, and everyone else out there that gave me a chance, even if it was only the one time. I'm glad that the Internet has made the world quite a bit smaller because it gives me a chance to be a part of your lives even when you're half a world away and vice versa.
Now that I've dispensed the mushy stuff on to the second part of yesterday's post "Friday Night Time Travel." If you get to Library Square earlier enough, two amazing things happen. The first is that you miss having to pay cover! Last night's invite was for 8:00 but Jojo and I were running late and got there at 8:30. Perfect timing as there was no line and cover starts at 9 =) The second thing I love watching is the transition from casual dining/pub to drunk tank. The moment the music shifts to all that 90's goodness, the dance floor overflows to surround the nearby tables and people get sloppy. A funny observation is that not everyone there is drunk on alcohol. Some of us, mostly designated drivers, get drunk off the heady combination of good music and even better friends. Although we had a rocky start to the night dealing with one spilled drink which I got to wear, compliments of the bitch standing at the bar, plus a handful of guys that couldn't take a hint, I still had a great time. This next part is for Jojo - one of my favourite partners in crime. She's a dancing fool and we're celebrating her new job with a local event production company MVKA Productions. Click on the link to see her headshot! We had one of those interesting nights that happen when you combine a long work week with a bit of alcohol and paranoia.
Ghosts in the office, early cleaning crews, secret shots (thank you Sarah!), back alley deals, I'm too young to be a witness, pizza b*!c#, I almost Palm Bay-ed you, paper towels = good shoe cushions, sorry doesn't translate into a bigger tip, crazy bartenders, Jersey, Stumpy, little girl nugget, Tarp Party, Betsey Spotlight.
I know this didn't make sense to anyone else but a promise is a promise. If you understood any of the above, congratulations! It's a tiny glimpse into what a night at the Library can produce =) We'll actually be there in a couple of weeks to celebrate the slow trek towards adulthood (and ultimately death) known as my birthday. This year, I'm raising money for Canuck Place so hopefully some of you will make it out to one of the 2 events we're having. If you can't make it but still want to donate (I know this is a shameless plug but I need all the help I can get to reach my $1,000 goal!) send me an email for details!
Off to write part two...go productive me!
Friday, January 14, 2011
Friday Night Time Travel
The easiest way to go back in time? Friday nights at Library Square (W. Georgia @ Hamilton) for Show Me Love Fridays! It's 90's night and the beats keep going into the wee hours. It can be a bit of a wait if you're there past 9 but that just goes to show how much Vancouver loves rocking to tunes by BSB, N'Sync, Britney Spears, etc. It's the perfect night out with your friends (if they love 90's pop) - even the designated driver for the night will have fun =)
Clearly this is going to be a two part post since I'm off to get ready...I'll be back tomorrow to talk about it more!
Thursday, January 13, 2011
Hump Day
In an effort to remember my topic for today, I recorded myself talking in the car during the ride home. The bonus here is two-fold. One, because of the hands-free law in BC, everyone uses speaker phone or bluetooth headsets in the car so it's no longer strange to look over and see someone talking to no one. Second, it's really funny to listen to the recording hours after the fact. Embarrassing moment - at the end of my recording I actually say, "Yes...I like this. This will be the next post. Good post everyone." This was right before I recorded my struggle to stop the recorder on my iPhone since it auto-locked itself then I couldn't find the stop button. I wasn't sure I'd get this done in time because I was too busy laughing at myself. Really? Who did I think I was congratulating when I said, "good post everyone?" I suppose I can try to blame my slip on today's topic: Hump Day!
Wednesday is Hump Day. Pretty easy to figure out why (once you pull your head out of the gutter) since it falls in the middle of the week, equal distance from past and future weekends. In theory, getting over Hump Day means that the rest of the week will fly by as you coast towards the weekend. Now if this is true, then I would have to say my Hump Day is Thursday. This is the day when everything has to get done because no one really does much on Friday because they're focused on the weekend. Thursday is the day I'm busiest because the meeting reminders have to go out, cheques need to be mailed, and most things get wrapped up.
Breaking down the week, Monday is recovery day. Everyone is still transitioning out of weekend mode and playing catch up. Yes, I have a lot of emails that have accumulated over the two days I was away, but everyone is busy figuring out where everything is at after the weekend, there isn't really anything new going on.
Tuesday is a hybrid day. If needed, you spend part of Tuesday catching up on the Monday overflow and start on new tasks and projects. Usually, if I am scheduling meetings or other similar tasks, this is the day I receive confirmation of details then send out feelers to find out who is available when.
Wednesday, being everyone else's hump day, means everyone else is slow to respond and it's an upward battle to get things done. This is a shame because Wednesday is when I hit my stride. This is a day I try to run errands out of the office so I don't have to sit there waiting for responses while restraining myself from sending out another email.
Then comes Thursday. As explained previously, this is the peak of my week and when things generally need to happen quickly. Like an avalanche crashing down the mountainside, there is no stopping the Thursday work load.
Then you have Friday. With the weekend in sight, I usually start off with a wrap up on anything outstanding from Thursday. Then I move on to office admin stuff like filing, expense reports, stock tracking and getting things ready for the following week. Generally, my boss is out of town or busy with her kids on Friday afternoons so it's never as hectic as the day before.
So there you have it - Hump Day deconstructed. I know when my Hump is, do you?
Wednesday is Hump Day. Pretty easy to figure out why (once you pull your head out of the gutter) since it falls in the middle of the week, equal distance from past and future weekends. In theory, getting over Hump Day means that the rest of the week will fly by as you coast towards the weekend. Now if this is true, then I would have to say my Hump Day is Thursday. This is the day when everything has to get done because no one really does much on Friday because they're focused on the weekend. Thursday is the day I'm busiest because the meeting reminders have to go out, cheques need to be mailed, and most things get wrapped up.
Breaking down the week, Monday is recovery day. Everyone is still transitioning out of weekend mode and playing catch up. Yes, I have a lot of emails that have accumulated over the two days I was away, but everyone is busy figuring out where everything is at after the weekend, there isn't really anything new going on.
Tuesday is a hybrid day. If needed, you spend part of Tuesday catching up on the Monday overflow and start on new tasks and projects. Usually, if I am scheduling meetings or other similar tasks, this is the day I receive confirmation of details then send out feelers to find out who is available when.
Wednesday, being everyone else's hump day, means everyone else is slow to respond and it's an upward battle to get things done. This is a shame because Wednesday is when I hit my stride. This is a day I try to run errands out of the office so I don't have to sit there waiting for responses while restraining myself from sending out another email.
Then comes Thursday. As explained previously, this is the peak of my week and when things generally need to happen quickly. Like an avalanche crashing down the mountainside, there is no stopping the Thursday work load.
Then you have Friday. With the weekend in sight, I usually start off with a wrap up on anything outstanding from Thursday. Then I move on to office admin stuff like filing, expense reports, stock tracking and getting things ready for the following week. Generally, my boss is out of town or busy with her kids on Friday afternoons so it's never as hectic as the day before.
So there you have it - Hump Day deconstructed. I know when my Hump is, do you?
Wednesday, January 12, 2011
Oh the places you will go...
With a jet-set family like mine, it would be easy to assume I've been to quite a few different destinations. Sadly, the opposite is true - I'm the designated house sitter when everyone else is away. The family came home from London today and I'm not going to lie, I was a little green with jealousy. But it passed after I had dinner so maybe it was just hunger...
I feel sad that at 27, I can count the number of places I've visited on my fingers. Though, one of those fingers represents most of the Florida coastline which is pretty cool. I've never been to Europe, South America or Africa and the only places in Asia I've been is the homeland (The Philippines) and Hong Kong. Even my travel throughout North America is quite limited. Here is a map of the world to demonstrate just how little of it I've actually explored:
Note that the Blue areas are places I've been to and Red areas are places I've lived in. I told you it was sad! Now here is a list of places my family members have gone to without me: most of Europe, parts of the Middle East, Australia, Mexico, the Caribbean, Alberta, Quebec, and too many US states for me to even remember.
So, to rectify this situation, I've promised myself 1 big trip every year starting with 2013 - the year I turn 30. The destination? ITALY! I haven't decided on a particular place yet because I want to see it all =) I know this seems like a lengthy wait, but you'd understand if you knew about some of the trips I want to take. Besides, what's another couple of years when you've already waited this long. In the time being, here are 5 trips I will take before 2013, in no particular order:
1. The Philippines - I know I've already been/lived there but it's for my cousin's wedding! She met her husband (they eloped last month in Gibraltar last month) in Istanbul during her very own "Eat, Shop, Love" tour overseas this summer =) *shameless plug* go read all about it at her blog Ladyland Electric in the post "My top 10 of 2010"
2. Vegas - I've been trying to go to Vegas with my girl friends ever since we were legal. It's been a fail so far but I have hope it'll get done this year
3. Orlando - It was home for a year and I didn't have a chance to make it back for a wedding of some dear friends so I owe them one.
4. Massachusetts - I've had a thing for Boston and the Cape Cod area for over a decade without really knowing why...I blame Joshua Jackson and Dawson's Creek
5. Montreal - According to quite a few of my friends (especially S.Dignos), Montreal is the place to be in Canada. I was going to start a road trip from there to Vancouver last Spring but I was planning it with the same friends I've never been to Vegas with. Apparently we just can't vacation together =(
There you have it - my travel plan for future. Now it's your turn...comment with your fave places to visit and the top 3-5 things to do there!
I feel sad that at 27, I can count the number of places I've visited on my fingers. Though, one of those fingers represents most of the Florida coastline which is pretty cool. I've never been to Europe, South America or Africa and the only places in Asia I've been is the homeland (The Philippines) and Hong Kong. Even my travel throughout North America is quite limited. Here is a map of the world to demonstrate just how little of it I've actually explored:
So, to rectify this situation, I've promised myself 1 big trip every year starting with 2013 - the year I turn 30. The destination? ITALY! I haven't decided on a particular place yet because I want to see it all =) I know this seems like a lengthy wait, but you'd understand if you knew about some of the trips I want to take. Besides, what's another couple of years when you've already waited this long. In the time being, here are 5 trips I will take before 2013, in no particular order:
1. The Philippines - I know I've already been/lived there but it's for my cousin's wedding! She met her husband (they eloped last month in Gibraltar last month) in Istanbul during her very own "Eat, Shop, Love" tour overseas this summer =) *shameless plug* go read all about it at her blog Ladyland Electric in the post "My top 10 of 2010"
2. Vegas - I've been trying to go to Vegas with my girl friends ever since we were legal. It's been a fail so far but I have hope it'll get done this year
3. Orlando - It was home for a year and I didn't have a chance to make it back for a wedding of some dear friends so I owe them one.
4. Massachusetts - I've had a thing for Boston and the Cape Cod area for over a decade without really knowing why...I blame Joshua Jackson and Dawson's Creek
5. Montreal - According to quite a few of my friends (especially S.Dignos), Montreal is the place to be in Canada. I was going to start a road trip from there to Vancouver last Spring but I was planning it with the same friends I've never been to Vegas with. Apparently we just can't vacation together =(
There you have it - my travel plan for future. Now it's your turn...comment with your fave places to visit and the top 3-5 things to do there!
Tuesday, January 11, 2011
$5 Footlongs
This is the US version of the current bane of my existence. I can't quite decide if I hate it more or less than the Canadian version which I was unable to find a video of. Either way, I am thankful for our PVR and the ability to skip commercials. Fueled by alcohol at dinner on Friday, we broke down in giggles every time the stupid commercial came on and even developed a line of merchandise that could be a big hit with males between the ages of 15 - 35. I'm sure you can figure out why. This is my plea to Subway - please, please, please, fire your current marketing team and start over because every time I hear this jingle or see that stupid monkey, it makes me hate you just a little bit more.
Monday, January 10, 2011
Blank
It's amazing how quickly the ideas for interesting posts disappear the moment I sit down to actually write. I'm thinking of starting a list to carry around with me because the frustration is mounting. In a bid to write about ANYTHING other than the cleaning that dominated my weekend, I'll explore the over used movie cliche of the underdogs coming back to win it all.
Yesterday's activities included watching television re-runs of D3: The Mighty Ducks (because I can never resist watching Joshua Jackson) and the 1992 hit movie Cutting Edge, staring Moira Kelly as skating diva Kate Moseley and D.B. Sweeney as rough-around the edges Doug Dorsey, a pro-hockey player sidelined with a career ending injury. While both movies are extremely high in the cheese factor, they both explore the trials and tribulations any underdog faces - formidable opponents, the will to better themselves, even the chance for romance.
Underdog characters are those that the common person can relate to. They aren't the popular jock or cheerleader - they are the quiet, nerdy, nobodies that rise up to become somebody. They are characters worth supporting because they are just like you. This is the exact reason we love watching movies about underdogs. We all hope that we can be just as successful with the problems in our own lives.
Yesterday's activities included watching television re-runs of D3: The Mighty Ducks (because I can never resist watching Joshua Jackson) and the 1992 hit movie Cutting Edge, staring Moira Kelly as skating diva Kate Moseley and D.B. Sweeney as rough-around the edges Doug Dorsey, a pro-hockey player sidelined with a career ending injury. While both movies are extremely high in the cheese factor, they both explore the trials and tribulations any underdog faces - formidable opponents, the will to better themselves, even the chance for romance.
Underdog characters are those that the common person can relate to. They aren't the popular jock or cheerleader - they are the quiet, nerdy, nobodies that rise up to become somebody. They are characters worth supporting because they are just like you. This is the exact reason we love watching movies about underdogs. We all hope that we can be just as successful with the problems in our own lives.
Sunday, January 9, 2011
Lines
In a fit of Sunday laziness, I'm cheating myself slightly by opting to post a piece that I wrote months ago by never posted. Originally written in August, while sitting in a PoCo driveway after a night of drinking, this is Lines.
We draw them, we cross them, and we blur them. I know longer know how to tell what is within bounds. People draw their own boundaries that don't necessarily coincide with mine so navigating the lines can be tricky at best. We are defined by the bridges we burn and the lines we cross. But how do you know when you've gone too far when everything is always changing?
I suppose the only thing you can really do is admit where the lines are drawn and be honest about what your intentions are.
We draw them, we cross them, and we blur them. I know longer know how to tell what is within bounds. People draw their own boundaries that don't necessarily coincide with mine so navigating the lines can be tricky at best. We are defined by the bridges we burn and the lines we cross. But how do you know when you've gone too far when everything is always changing?
I suppose the only thing you can really do is admit where the lines are drawn and be honest about what your intentions are.
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