Dirty Dancing

One of my favourite parts about going out is watching people drunk dance.  For some people, the consumption of alcohol equals confidence in dancing abilities that they don't actually posses.  Case in point, Elaine Benes from Seinfeld.

When Elaine drank that glass of champagne, she also inhaled misplaced confidence in a skill that she didn't have.  While this is sad for the person who is the subject of ridicule, it provides endless entertainment for the rest of us.  Now before you shake your fingers in disapproval, I'll ask, how is this any different from watching a reality show like American Idol and laughing at people who can't sing?  Does it feel different because you're watching it on television?  While you may not be laughing directly in their face, that person knows they were aired for that very reason.  At least when I'm laughing at someone dancing nearby, I make a point to laugh in private.

This may be a small consolation but really, if you're friends don't care enough to stop you from looking ridiculous (or if you're past the point of reason or caring), does it really matter if I'm laughing with them?

Thank you Library Square for giving me another night of dancing fools and spilt drinks (courtesy of the fools) and happy Saturday (or Happy Hangover Day) to all those that partied hard last night.  Nobody puts Baby in the corner, but since you're not Jennifer Grey, maybe you should consider sitting there for a while and enjoy the entertainment.

Quotes N Smiles

I like collecting quotes.  It's nice to be reminded that even though I can't find the right words to explain something like how I feel, someone else has probably already put them together better than I ever could.  Some might think this is a bit demoralizing, admitting that your own efforts are no where near where you wish they were, but I think it's inspiring.  It's a reminder of what I could be like sometime in the future if I keep trying every day.

One of my new favourite quote sources is Quotes N Smiles on Twitter.  They've had some really good ones lately that fit quite well with our ongoing theme of friendship, truth, and honesty this week.  I'll list them below for you to think about this weekend - I know I will...when I'm not out enjoying the sunshine that is!  Happy Friday everyone =)

"Knowledge is knowing a tomato is a fruit, wisdom is not putting it in a fruit salad" (just because it made me smile)

"If someone wants to be a part of your life, they'll be there.  Don't bother saving a spot for someone who won't make an effort to stay."

"Sometimes it's better to be kind than to be right.  We do not need an intelligent mind that speaks, but a patient heart that listens."

"Respect the emotions in someone's heart rather than the expression on their face.  Expression is just a formality but emotions are reality."

"True words are not always pretty and pretty words are not always true."

"Give, but don't allow yourself to be used.  Love, but don't allow your heart to be abused.  Listen to others, but don't lose your own voice."

"If you're not happy about how someone treats you, maybe it's not their fault...maybe you taught them it was 'okay' by allowing it to continue."

Engaging

Spring has sprung in Vancouver and it's brought with it the annual influx of weddings and engagements.  As a single girl with quite a few friends in long term relationships, it was only a matter of time before these couples decided to make things a bit more official.  While the Fall/Winter saw only three weddings, the warmer weather blooms more than just flowers.  Today alone, two engagements were announced (via Facebook of course) bringing my wedding total (just people I know are getting married, not actual weddings I'll be attending!) to five.

In love with this outdoor circus themed wedding!
Check out the pics at JL Designs

I have to ask, do people tend to pop the BIG question in the Spring/Summer months because we all suffer from SAD during the Fall/Winter?  Or maybe it's because most wedding venues book up to a year in advance so it just happens to be good timing?  All I know is that I'm ridiculously happy (as if there's a better way to be happy) for all the newly engaged and about-to-be-wed.  Fair warning to all my not-so-single ladies out there...you could be next!

VanCity Love

Vancouver turned 125 today and after a week of rain I can honestly say I don't think I've ever seen it look better!  Some people might think we're pretty full of ourselves out here on the West coast but here's a little list of things (in no particular order other than alphabetical!) that make Vancouver so freaking great...

Granville St during the Olympics

1. 2010 Winter Olympics
2. The Arts Scene (concerts, shows, galleries, etc.)
3. Bard on the Beach
4. BC Bud (so I've been told)
5. BC Lions
6. BC Place
7. BC Sports Hall of Fame
8. Belief in Comebacks (i.e the great Vancouver Fire of 1886 that wiped out the entire city!) 
9. Bike lanes
10. Bif Naked
11. Big Bus Tours

    

    Harbour Centre view from
    Canada Place

    
12. Brewery Tours (Granville Island, Yaletown)
13. Bright Nights & The Christmas Train (in Stanley Park)
14. Bryan Adams
15. Cambie Village
16. Canada Place
17. Capilano Suspension Bridge
18. Cherry Blossom Festival
19. Chinatown (2nd largest in the world behind San Fran!)
20. Chinese New Year Parade
21. Coal Harbour
22. Cobie Smulders (aka Robyn Scherbatsky on How I Met Your Mother)
23. Coffee on every block
24. Commercial Drive
25. Cypress Mountain
26. David Suzuki

    

    Just a typical rainy day in Gastown

    
27. Davie Street
28. Dine Out Vancouver
29. Diversity
30. Downtown Eastside Revitalization
31. Dr. Sun Yat-Sen Gardens
32. Electronic Arts
33. English Bay
34. Expo '86
35. False Creek
36. Food!
37. Gastown



Snowy nigh on Grouse Mt.

38. Ghost Train (in Stanley Park)
39. Commitment to Going Green
40. The Commodore Ballroom
41. Granville Island 
42. Granville Street Downtown
43. Granville Street South
44. Greenpeace's Birthplace
45. Grouse Mountain
46. Harbour Centre
47. Harbour Cruises
48. Healthy Living
49. Helijet



Up close & personal in the plaza

50. Historic Buildings (i.e. the Marine Building)
51. Hollywood North
52. HootSuite's Birthplace
53. Hotels
54. HR Macmillan Space Centre
55. Jack Poole Plaza/Olympic Cauldron
56. Japa dog
57. Jazz Fest
58. Joshua Jackson
59. Kitsilano
60. La Casa Gelato



One of my fave VanCity Products

61. Lion's Gate Bridge
62. Livability Rating (we're #!1!)
63. Lonsdale Quay
64. Lululemon
65. Lynn Canyon
66. Main Street
67. Museum of Anthropology
68. Museum of Vancouver
69. Music (everywhere!)
70. Night Market
71. Nightlife
72. Non-Profit/Charity Organizations (Covenant House & Canuck Place just to name a couple)
73. The Orpheum
74. Pacific Spirit Regional Park



Best Playland ride!

75. Parade of Lost Souls (Commercial Drive Halloween Parade)
76. Playland
77. PNE
78. Ports of Vancouver
79. Pretty People (we're a pretty good looking town!)
80. Pride Parade
81. Punjabi Market
82. Queen Elizabeth Park
83. Real Estate (it costs an arm and a leg but most of the properties are amazing!)
84. Rob Feenie
85. Robson Square
86. Robson Street



Science World a glow

87. Rogers Arena
88. Ryan Reynolds
89. Sarah McLachlan
90. Science World
91. Sea Walls
92. Seth Rogan
93. Shopping
94. Social Media Junkies (i.e. all the awesome bloggers in town!)
95. Spanish Banks
96. Spas
97. Stanley Park
98. Steam Clock
99. The View

    

    The Art Gallery all dressed up

    
100. Tourism Vancouver
101. Transit
102. Trevor Linden (We adopted him once he was drafted!)
103. UBC
104. Vaisakhi Parade
105. Van Dusen Festival of Lights
106. Vancouver Aquarium
107. Vancouver Art Gallery
108. Vancouver Canadians
109. Vancouver Canucks
110. Vancouver City Hall



2011 President's Trophy Winners!

111. Vancouver Convention Centre West
112. Vancouver Fashion Week
113. Vancouver Food Carts
114. Vancouver Giants
115. Vancouver Grizzlies (even though they're gone the memory of Big Country lives on)
116. Vancouver International Film Fest
117. Vancouver Symphony Orchestra
118. Vancouver Whitecaps



Coming home to YVR

119. Water Taxis
120. West 4th Ave
121. West End
122. Whale Watching
123. Wreck Beach
124. Yaletown
125. YVR

Did I say little?  Really, this is just the tip of the iceberg so do me a favour - if you're from here, get out and show Vancouver some love!  And if you're from out of town, what are you waiting for?  Come see it for yourself  =)

Special thanks to the following sites used for inspiration:

Globosapiens | Things to do in Vancouver | Tourism Vancouver | VanCity Buzz | Vancouver is Awesome

Honestly

Honesty and the truth are hot topics these days and listening to people try to figure their problems out makes me wonder, why is it so hard to get to the truth? Then I remembered I've already written about this once before and things haven't really changed in the almost two years since I wrote the original piece. This is a happy coincidence since my laptop is acting up and refuses to connect to the Internet! Here is "Subject to Interpretation:"

I sometimes wonder if the truth is really a foreign concept that we've failed to interpret properly.  Truth changes with time, as quickly as sunlight cuts through shadows.  But everyone has their own truths, so when is something really the truth or simply masquerading lies?

We lie to keep people close or to push them away.  We lie to protect, to deceive, to hide, but in reality, we lie to save ourselves.  We try to prevent others from discovering our truths because we aren't quite sure who would be able to stick it out.  Skeletons in the closet aren't always easy to forget or forgive so most people don't really get around to revealing them until they have to.

We thrive on broken dreams, letting the lies bleed into the fabric of our days, until they become part of our truth.  Some live their lives trusting that truth is beauty and lies carry dark bitter evils better left un-named.  But this belief itself is a lie to most others. What hurts more, a lie that makes you smile or a truth that brings you to tears?

I don’t profess to always speak the truth, in fact I’m a little too good at dealing with lies.  But that’s my truth whether you believe it or not.

Message in a Bottle - Letting Go

Messages come in many forms but my favourite are those anonymous notes that brave the seas (or the web).  There's something cathartic about releasing those words into the great unknown, hoping they might reach the person they were meant for.  The Message in a Bottle series gives readers (and myself) that chance.  I am so proud of everyone that is brave enough to give it a try, and am equally humbled by the fact you trust me to deliver your message.

Have you ever found yourself in a difficult situation where you want to tell your friend what an idiot they are?  Well one reader has and they wanted to share a letter they wrote but never had the courage to send.  I`m sure this was written with love...

Dear Friend,


I'm sorry to say it's just not working anymore.  We're both different people now and I can't really say I like who you've become lately.  It's hard for me to say but for such a nice person, you're really an awful friend =(


I hope that one day soon you won't be so clueless and lost.  I know you don't really understand why or how this happened but I'm really done putting up with your crap.  I can finally admit I deserve much better.  One day, when you've pulled your head out of your ass, maybe we can be friends again but until then, good luck.


Best wishes,
Your Ex-Friend

Maybe this will give you inspiration to write your own letter (and hopefully send it) or maybe it will make you stop and think about how you've been treating your own friends lately.  Either way, hopefully something good can come out of this.

Nightmare

Since Sunday is the designated "sleep in" day of the week, it only makes sense that I have a nightmare and can't get back to sleep at 7 am.  I don't even get up that early for work but here we are, two loads of laundry in, getting a leg up on the day for once instead of running to catch up.

It doesn't take a genius to figure out that I have a lot on my mind right now which would explain why all I can remember of this dream was that I was running for my life, away from something I couldn't even see.  I'd love to insert some sort of monster or crazed psychopath as the thing I was running away from but I seriously have no idea.  All I can remember was the fear of not running fast enough because that's what always happens in nightmares; your legs feel like lead and you're slowing down instead of speeding up.  If only it was a funny running away like Zombieland or Shaun of the Dead since I tend to assume that Zombies would be the easiest to run away from for some reason.

With all this talk about Zombies, I think I'll go watch some while the rest of you sleep away this Sunday morning for me =)