Flowers and Frills

It's my first wedding of the season with The Finer Details =)  It's a busy 12 hour (minimum) day so I'm posting on the fly but I'll be back tomorrow with thoughts, theme and photos!

Under Pressure

There's a lot of pressure to succeed and sometimes we let that take over our lives.  Whenever I feel the pressure building, I try to take a step back and remind myself to breathe.  Sometimes I need to take multiple steps back or get out of town altogether and there really isn't any shame in that as long as you come back and face the issues head-on.  Losing one battle doesn't mean you've lost the war - sometimes you have to give up a bit to really get anywhere.  Even after all is said and done, sometimes all you need is to know that someone has your back and believes you can get it done.  So just in case anyone out there is feeling like they might break, I want you to know that I believe in you.

Finale

Spring means longer days, warmer temperatures, and the end of television as we know it.  Writers are killing off our favourite characters, story lines are wrapping up, viewers are left on the edge of their seats, and some shows are ending forever.

I'm not sure if it's because I've watched way too much television over the years, but I can't really say I'm impressed with the dramatic shows this season.  Too many shows have become predictable with recycled plot lines that are spotted easily by someone who has seen it all before.  Keep in mind that I don't really watch reality television (other than So You Think You Can Dance) which I suspect might not be as easy to predict.

Other than Fringe, which consistently pushes the envelope (as it should, being a sci-fi show!) while simultaneously blowing my mind, I haven't really been surprised by any of the finales I've seen so far.  Yes, they have given me something to ponder once September rolls around, but nothing (other than Fringe) causes my mind to wander into the realm of possibilities at random moments.  Is it too much to ask for quality television?  Apparently so, but at least with nothing but hockey gluing me to the screen, I've got time for more important things.

Anyone have a favourite show they were blown away by this year?  Let me know...it might be something I need to start watching this fall =)

Distractions

Do you think it's easier to get distracted when the sun is shining or when it's rainy out?  Oddly enough, I get more distracted when the weather is bad.  During the winter, it makes me want to crawl back under the warm covers with a good book or classic movie.  I'm also more prone to watching ridiculous YouTube videos about keyboard cats, old man light saber duels, dancing Stormtroopers, lip syncing kids, Russian Idol, fat kids on roller coasters and guilty animals.  On Sunday, with the rain coming down and with time to kill before Game One of the Western Conference Finals, I lost an hour and a half to the Dorkly and College Humour channels.

Summertime is a different story.  Sure I get distracted by the sunlight streaming through the office windows, but that's what actually keeps me focused in the end.  I know the sooner I can wrap up whatever I'm doing, the sooner I can get outside and actually enjoy it.  Living in Vancouver, you learn how to make the most of those gorgeous summer days.  The flip side?  Living in Vancouver means high expenses, which translates into more work.  It's a bit of a double edged sword but I honestly wouldn't have it any other way.

Richie Rich



I wonder if the other dogs made fun
of Dollar's weird spots...

When I think about the comic books I used to read as a kid, Archie and his friends were always a crowd favourite.  However, I always had a soft spot for Richie Rich and his dog Dollar.  Having everything at your fingertips was pretty much the dream for a kid that sold lemonade, washed cars, and saved up her allowance to buy the latest copies of the Baby-sitter's Club series.  I'm a geek and not afraid to hide it anymore!

Getting back to the point, as much as I wondered what being rich would be like, I have no idea what I wanted to do with all that money.  As an adult with bill payments, rising gas prices, and big dreams, I have no problem figuring out what to do with a few million dollars should I ever win the lottery; real estate, travel, and paying off my debts to start!

Now it's your turn readers: give me your best ideas and wildest dreams for spending your own lotto winnings.  I'm pretty curious to see how my dreams stack up against yours...

The Book of Awesome

This is a book you can
judge by it's cover

Some things are just too great to keep to yourself.  After taking time to appreciate the simple things in life last week, I'm keeping the love fest going by flipping through The Book of Awesome.  This book was compiled by Neil Pasricha after his website, 1000 Awesome Things exploded online.  The site, launched in 2008 was a collection of the different things in our lives that make it great.  I could try to explain exactly why this is such an amazingly awesome idea but it's really something you should experience yourself so hit up the website or track down a copy of the book - I promise you won't regret it!

For those that need a bit more background, here is some info straight from the 1000 Awesome Things site - enjoy!

ABOUT THE BOOK
From neighbors with pools to ordering off the menu at fast-food restaurants to fixing electronics by smacking them, The Book of Awesome takes on life’s sweet feats with all the honest humor and winning enthusiasm that has earned Pasricha’s blog its millions of followers. But while powered along by Pasricha’s distinctive, fresh, and hilarious voice, The Book of Awesome isn’t about one man’s favorite things, but rather a catalog of the universal little pleasures we all share. With its focus on the many things that bring us together rather than the few things that split us apart, it’s a book that will appeal to people from all walks of life — housewives and college kids, children and senior citizens alike. Arising out of Pasricha’s riffs on popping bubble wrap and getting a trucker to blow his horn is an unexpected, genuine sort of inspiration, as The Book of Awesome offers up a hearty cheer for all the little things we take for granted.

 

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Neil Pasricha never imagined that writing about the smell of gasoline, thinking it’s Thursday when it’s really Friday, or wearing underwear just out of the dryer would amount to anything. A self-described “average guy” with a typical 9-to-5 job in the suburbs, Neil started his blog 1000 Awesome Things, as a small reminder — in a world of rising sea levels, global conflict, and a troubled economy — of the free, easy little joys that make life sweet. He certainly didn’t anticipate that his site would gain a readership of millions of people, win two Webby Awards (“the Internet’s highest honor” according to The New York Times), be named one of PC Magazine’s Top 100 Sites, or become a place where people from around the world would come to celebrate the simple pleasures of daily life.

Questions?

In school, I was always told that no question is stupid.  After seeing some of the ridiculous questions posed online, I'm positive people are trying to prove teachers around the world wrong.

Searching "stupid questions" on Google results in 24.5 million hits but it was the first page listed after I searched "ridiculous questions" that drove me to tears.  In 2009, the website 11 Points compiled a list of the best stupid questions posted on Yahoo Answers.  They weren't listed in any particular order, but I think the following would rank as number one on any list.

"Why are the holes in cats fur always in the right places for their eyes?"

Aside from that gem, here are a few more questions, some of which I've asked before...

 - Meatloaf has said he'd do anything for love, but he won't do that. What is 'that' and why won't he do it?

 - If people from Poland are called Poles, why aren't people from Holland called Holes?

 - Phil Collins, what exactly is coming in the air tonight? Cause I can't quite figure it out...

 - Why is it called Alcoholics Anonymous when the first thing you do is stand up and say, "My name is [insert name here], and I'm an alcoholic"?

 - Why do people point to their wrist when asking for the time, but don't point to their crotch when they ask where the bathroom is?

 - If corn oil is made from corn, and vegetable oil is made from vegetables, then what is baby oil made from?

 - If a man is talking in the forest and no woman is there to hear him, is he still wrong?

 - Why isn't there mouse flavoured cat food?

 - Why doesn't glue stick to the inside of the bottle?

 - If knees were backwards, what would chairs look like?

 - How do you know when it's time to tune your bagpipes?

Happy pondering!