Monday, August 28, 2006

Off to camp!

Gill and I are off to camp in about half an hour... four days of cold-cabin fun! At least we'll know most of the girls there as we went to the same one last year, too...
Anyway, I'll be back on Thursday, and (depending on how tired I am) will probably be back to blogging then. So, you know, if I don't answer your comments for a few days, don't think I hate ya... cause I don't :P (that was a wonderful sentence)
Anywho, better go get dressed and such :)

Sunday, August 27, 2006

Teehee...


Ok, I know this video is everywhere, but I just couldn't resist putting it on my blog... Now I want to go to Zellers or IKEA or something and shop in slow motion!

Check out more about Slo-Mo Home Depot and other Improv Everywhere jobs here!

Saturday, August 26, 2006

The many binders of Becky

So on Thursday after the LIT wrap-up party was cancelled :( we went to hang out at Gill's house where we decorated her folder avec a very funky collage. This reminded me of my binder I decorated last year, and it inspired me to make another...

Last year's
(the inside was decorated, too)
Binder # 1
...
This year's
(I only decorated the front so I could add on throughout the year)
Binder # 2
...
They're so much fun to make!
---
Anyway, better get going, time for supper. Global has 'Train 48' on for three or four hours in a row tonight... we're making popcorn and seeing if we can watch them all :P

Thursday, August 24, 2006

Am I my own enemy?

Hawkeye
Hawkeye eating a greenie ("the original green smart-treat!")...
he's such a little goof :)
---
Anyway...
Special features on Syriana were awesome! They had an interview with George Clooney and a feature about what we can do to stop the corruption in the oil business and the huge problem with our wasting such a valuable resource. It was really effective (and Matt Damon looked like Anderson Cooper, with his hair done for the movie and talking about current events. Freaky). The deleted scenes also added a new context to the movie, show more of Bob's personal life. All in all, a thumbs up!
...
All The President's Men's features are so far so good. Each feature is quite long, so we only watched two of the five last night.
The one, 'Woodward and Bernstein: Lighting The Fire' was really interesting, as it talked about how the movie inspired and still inspires many young people to become investigative journalists (cough, cough, Becky!) and how my generation of journalists will have to adapt to the great pressures of all the bloggers (therefore the title of this post) and the internet, etc.
They said that if Woodstein was around today they would be asked to reveal their sources, of course they wouldn't, so they'd go to jail, and Watergate would have never been broken.
One more piece of evidence showing I was born a generation too late :P
---
Shoe eating baby
Gabi eating her shoe when we went camping...
she's a little goof, too :)

Wednesday, August 23, 2006

I really hope he reads this...

"Vegetarians are nice people, like you. Anyway, you live longer."
Funny how someone saying something so small but kind can change everything... and all you can do is be a complete jerk (but not on purpose, you just realize it two years too late).
By the way, you were right, it was Toni Tortillini, not Tinotoni :P
But enough with the personal stuff I've been dealing with lately...

There was a huge thunderstorm last night, and there was a thunderstorm warning for the whole of central and southern Alberta... the sheet lightning made the sky light up like the sun was out, it was crazy! I stayed up reading old stories and journals I've written in, thinking... stuff like that. I guess one of the results is the paragraph above this one :) another is the fact that I didn't get to sleep until about two in the morning, so I'm about to fall over from exhaustion.

Made some pretty awesome buttons today! Some of the ones with the nicest designs on them broke though, so once I fix them up I'll take a picture of them all so y'all can see them... the button making "machine" on campus is an older one, so it sometimes works and sometimes doesn't. It was fun anyway, though! My dad and I figured out that we could make a killer profit from selling them (we are also constantly figured out the newest and most ingenious products for infomercials... watch out Miracle Blade! We'll show chef Tony and his drywall-cutting, shoe-sawing sidekicks :D). Anyway, I say we start a business!

Better get going, I think we're going to watch the special features from Syriana and All The President's Men tonight... Woohoo! Nothing like George Clooney, Deep Throat (the guy, not the movie) and popcorn... all rolled into one enjoyable evening!
See ya!

Tuesday, August 22, 2006

Syriana

Just watched 'Syriana'... man, it's moving.
I started watching it thinking that it would be a confusing movie, just like the critics said.
I did find it confusing- to a point. It wasn't like you didn't know who was doing what, it was just difficult, in my opinion, figuring out who worked for who.
And I had to skip the end of the torture scene (the one in which George Clooney hurt his back).

...
I have to say, the most powerful scene was where Bob (Clooney) is trying to tell Prince Nasir that he's about to be assassinated, and Nasir realizes, and just says "You're the Canadian"-and then the missile hits.
I'm sure it didn't help that there's a huge thunderstorm outside while all this is going on...
...
Anyway, I just think it's one of those really influential movies that changes you perspective on things. I've always been a big fan of George Clooney, and good for him for doing such a great movie. He definitely deserved the Oscar he won for it.

Fringe, much?

Hey there! Typing this at Scona library, just got in from the Fringe (I do believe it is the biggest one in North America). I usually check out a couple plays, but I'm not really one to plan ahead. My eldest sister writes for a local magazine reviewing the plays, so she usually gives me a heads up if there's a good one. This year one of her reviewees (is that a word? Oh well, it is now) was called "A Road Less Gravelled"... ouch.

It's crazy hot out, and my youngest older sister (only ten years older than me) and I were looking for booth that one of her friend runs, when this creepy guy comes up and gives us these small rocks that say "Cute Women Rock Edmonton". He then goes into this small speech about how someday we should introduce him to his mother. We thought he was just off his rocker, but then when we did find my sister's friend's booth, we found out she and another girl she knows had gotten them. Eew! I am going to take a picture of the aforementioned pebble and upload it when I get home. If you see this man, kindly hurt him for us. Thanks :)

Here it is... *shudder*
...
Anyway, this booth I'm talking about is awesome possum. They have homemade purses, wallets, ties, pillows, etc. The girl who sells them handmakes them all and types all the tags out on her typewriter. I was very tempted to get a brown corduroy one with turquoise flowers, but my bag collection is big enough already (at least that's what I keep telling myself). If you're here, check it out, it's right by the bus barns. Go now!

Right next to where creepy-pebble-man was sitting is a super cool booth that sells any kind of button (not shirt buttons, the kind that have band names of sayings on them) you could think of. Unfortunately, they are crazy expensive, but my sister volunteers at APIRG, where they happen to have a button making machine. We plan to go sometime, I'm really looking forward to it! I have this one button that I got at Earth's General Store (Go there, too) that has a cartoon cow on his back saying "You'd be mad too, if your destiny was burgers and jello!"
Aww, I love that pin :)

Well, my sister finished working on her laptop, back into extremely-hot-where-anything-that-will-cool-you-down-is-ridiculously-expensive-land!
See ya later!

Monday, August 21, 2006

A post-birthday post

The post I wrote on my birthday (yesterday) was put on The Hour's blogtracker! I couldn't ask for a better blogger birthday surprise!

---
Yesterday my sisters- boyfriends and niece in tow, came over for a smallish birthday party... lots of fun!
My dad 'baked' (aka got a cake from Save-On-Foods and hid it in the oven) a delicious cake and we ordered in some Panago pizza. I opened up the awesome gifts (including stuff to decorate t-shirts with, a framed copy of the American Apparel-esque pic I took of Gabi, 'All The President's Men: Special Edition' and 'Syriana' (I can't wait to see it!)) from my dad and sisters. We sat on our porch ("like hippies", according to our neighbour's son) talking and then I went to listen to The Strombo Show.
The guy who's filling in for George et Bob was talking about the Edmonton police protocol with cops swearing. Personally, since they tasered (and killed) a guy for no reason right by my house, I think that cops swearing should be the least important issue on their minds.
So, to make my birthday less depressing, I went and watched Monty Python on PBS with my dad and my sister's boyfriend.
All in all, I had a pretty Jim Dandy birthday! It was sad not having my mom and my one sister there, but my family travels enough that I've learned to get used to it :)
---
Today I've just been hanging out, watching Comedy Now!, the usual. I plan to watch a movie with Gill later on (she just got back from vacation and has yet to tell me all the details of her cliff-diving adventures in the mountains)- should be fun!
See ya later!

Sunday, August 20, 2006

I am so strange :)

"It's a frickin tiger! That's what they do, they attack people. That's why we don't have them as pets."
Teehee :) I've missed Georgie.

How are my favorite bloggers this fine and lovely day? Just watched the season 1 highlights Barbara posted on Not Paid By The Hour... I've been meaning to watch it all year, but, as most of your know, I'm lazy and impatient. But I have now, and I lurved every minute of it! I've missed the last few Strombo Shows due to Folk Fest and other unfortunate scheduling... it was nice to actually hear his voice for a change :)

Little known fact: when I signed up for CBC shop when I purchased a The Hour t-shirt and a CBC duffle bag earlier this year, I was automatically signed up for a $5 coupon on my birthday. Hmmm... what to choose, what to choose.

Teehee, just taped George's eyes over Daniel Radcliffe's (Harry Potter) face in the paper. I shall show it to you...
Harry et George
Oh dear, the article's about Radcliffe's nude scene in a play he's doing. Hmmm... Shelly's birthday is in a few months, we'll have to get her tickets :P

Saturday, August 19, 2006

Ahhh! Must... tear... eyes... from... television!

So, while my Mother's away in Alaska, my father (the soap opera expert, rivaled only by Shelly) has exposed me to Train 48. Did you know Global has about 3 hours (if not more) in a row of re-runs? And not even recent ones, I'm sitting there watching old Christmas '04 episodes... it's addictive! Ahhh!
Anyway... HAPPY BIRTHDAY BARBARA! I know I've said it about a thousand times everywhere else, but I felt bad not putting it on my blog.
Ok, must go watch more of the wife-just-got-out-of-a-coma guy and Johnny (the stereotypical Canuck) fight over who was supposed to dress up as Santa. Fun fun!

Selfishness and sisters: a rant (kind of)

You know what I hate? Selfishness. I'm really quite bad at dealing with it. It always seems like people are always getting one step closer to my goals than I am myself. I always get jealous, though I know it's not their fault, it's my own. If I wasn't so shy I could get places. Places that I'm not going right now.

---
I also hate it when people assume that because I'm young that I'm incapable of understanding things. Like when the Stroumboulopouli got started up my one sister assumed it was a "fan club" with other girls at my school, something "cutesy" or whatever. My sisters are still always saying things like "so has George ever heard of you guys?". Or if I try to explain to them a bit from the Daily Show they'll be "That's nice."
Argh. So, you know, if finding out how young I am changes how you think of me, whatever, I'm used to it :P
---
Anyway, that's my rant (yes, I know, it's a little short, oh well) for today, I'm going to find some M*A*S*H re-runs or something.

Thursday, August 17, 2006

Ok, last post today, I promise!

I just need to get all caught up.
So, now I shall talk about my life other than EFMF and George's birthday.
Today I got a magazine from Earth's General Store called 'Shameless', it's a really cool mag for teen girls who are sick of the celebrity-centered-gotta-be-skinny magazines...
It talks about how to start up your own podcast... hmmm. Something to think about, perhaps?

My sister headed back up to Alaska today (she goes to the UAF there) and my mom went with her to help out with all the driving... it's just me and my dad in the house, can you say Panago? We've already planned our eat-out route down Whyte ave... yum.

Ok, I'll stop making your eyes into little squares... go watch TV or something :)
See ya!

Happy (belated) birthday, Georgie!

How appropriate that my sister's cat George (named after Curious George, the cat's a girl... gender warrior!) came home after being accidentally locked into a neighbours house for three days on Georgie S's birthday yesterday!
See, I do know his b-day was yesterday, but I wasn't feeling well and the Stroumboulopouli put up the awesome-possum pic that Alana created (gotta lurve the paint program!).
Anyway, if you're reading Georgie (which I know you're not... a) you're somewhere in the south U.S., and b) you've probably never looked at my blog :P), just wanted to say thanks, you're awesome. (And to Bob, I don't know when your birthday is, but you're awesome too :))
Ok then, better go type that one last post!

Folk fest: remembering day 4

I plan to post three times today, so bear with me, please!
Ok, so I've been lazy lately, but I've finally decided to post the pictures of Sunday...

---
First of all we saw an awesome guitar duo from Mexico, Rodrigo y Gabriella. I would have gotten a photo of them, but I was too busy dancing with my own Gabriela, my niece Gabi. (Here she's eating the cup that held my chocolate chiller... awww!)

Sunday was a pretty slow day, we mostly saw people we'd already seen... so let's skip to the evening :)

Here are the Blind Boys Of Alabama on mainstage, as I said a last post, they had everyone moving to the beat, including me, who inherited the family-I-can't-dance gene. (The awesome Journal photographer was there taking random pics of people madly dancing.)

Blind Boys Of Alabama

Below is the photo that I sacrificed certain innocence for. As I said, at the end of Folk Fest it's a tradition to join hands and sway while singing 'Four Strong Winds' (am I the only person on the planet who doesn't know how that song goes? Oh yeah, they had the lyrics in the program). Hardcore folkies take it really seriously, crying and such. Anywho, I had almost made it out on time but, because I love y'all, I had to stop to take a photo. That's when the crazed lady grabbed my shoulder and started making me sway with her and her friends. Yuck. I escaped unharmed, but it was certainly traumatic... and the photo didn't even turn out :P
Four Strong Winds
The next day I just went and worked my regular shift cleaning up the concession area (and scoring some free kettle popcorn)!
---
Whew! Ok, so now that I've finished Folk Fest stuff, I'm on to bigger and (maybe) better posts. See ya there (perhaps)!

Monday, August 14, 2006

Folk fest: A recollection of day 3

Well, it's all over with now. So sad.
Last night there was a big finale on the mainstage... The Blind Boys Of Alabama rocked the place, they had everyone dancing (even me, and I can't dance!). Sarah Harmer calmed us all down, and then there was the grand finale where everyone sways and sings 'Four Strong Winds'. I almost made it out in time, but then I made the mistake of stopping to take a photo long enough that some random (probably drunk) woman could grab my shoulder and start making sway with her. Eww.
But anyway, enough of my late night horror stories, here are some of my pictures from Saturday (blogger won't let me post any more. It hates me when it comes to pictures).
---
Saturday

Hawksley Workman with Geoff Berner, Feist and The Waifs... all in one workshop!
When Geoff played 'Light Enough To Travel', Hawksley joined in and they rocked! Workman was doing this wicked guitar solo while Geoff was singing his heart out! Amazing. Luckily I had waited for 2 hours by the stage, so we got really good seats (a lot of people showed up for that performance!)...

Bruce Cockburn, Jason Collett and Sarah Harmer all on one stage... Cancon overload! (They all put on wonderful shows, but I preferred the other workshop... it was more laid back.)

Here's Feist on the mainstage. The guy we knew with the bronze tarp slept in that day, so we didn't get the best seats for her main show, but we did get good seats for the small stage, so it was ok :)
--
"And that's when my shirt burst into flames."
-Jason Collett on getting some ash from a joint in his velvet shirt at a high school dance.

Saturday, August 12, 2006

Ah, gotta love folk fest performers!

Ok, so today was fabulous (apart from the 5 minute hail storm...)! I saw Feist, Bruce Cockburn, Sarah Harmer, Hawksley Workman, Jason Collett, to name a few. It was crazy!
Since it's getting late and I have to get up early tomorrow to work (have to be there at 8:30- Yuck.) I have decided to put down a few quotes from the artists that I found humourous.

"My father always said 'Son, it doesn't matter who you vote for, the government always gets in'... After living in Alberta for most of my life, I've had to change that to 'It doesn't matter who I vote for, the damn Tories always get in!'"
-David Ross MacDonald

*Hawksley Workman starts to play his guitar, rainwater off the speaker spills all over a guy in the audience*
Hawksley: "Oh no! Look at that... Sorry guy and his water... Shower time!"

Feist: "So I really cut my teeth in Edmonton."
Guitarist:"I lost my virginity in Edmonton..."

I liked Feist's guitarist :P
Anyway, better get going! See y'all tomorrow, perhaps?

Friday, August 11, 2006

Folk Fest: Day 1 1/2

Oh hello there!

Day 1
Last night I hung out at le folk de fest and had a ton of fun (even though it was raining like crazy and I was soaked to the bone)! The whole hill was covered. One guy put it so well, saying that it reminded him "of a giant recycling centre" because of all the tarps. So true, so true (and you can't even see the whole hill in this pic). Unfortunately, I missed K'Naan while eating my volunteer supper, but he's on again tonight at 7:30. Bedouin Soundclash was on and they were fantastic. We were right to one side of the stage (if you sat on the volunteer tarp you created a puddle), and we had a pretty good view (you can't really see it in the picture, though. So sad.)... They had really awesome bags for the band in the music and merch tent, but the girl infront of me got the last one... c'est dommage.
We later discovered that my sister's friend's brother had gotten the bronze tarp (meaning they get the third pick of where to put their tarp), and were sitting right infront of the stage. Apparently they're going to set it up by the sound booth tonight (out of the rain, good view and good sound) and they said we could sit with them. It's too bad that I didn't know that last night, but at least I get good seats for Feist.
Day 1/2
So after all that soaking and dancing we did yesterday, I wasn't very happy to have to get there at 9:30 (8:30 tomorrow) to pick up all the cigarette butts and gum wrappers from the hill. But once I got there and started to hang out with one of my friends who's also volunteering, it was ok. I got picked up at one, and now I'm at home, in dry clothes, talking to y'all... I'll have to keep ya posted on all the upcoming mayhem. Anyway, I'm tired...
See ya!

Thursday, August 10, 2006

More nonsense about yours truly (I need to find something new to post about)

Just woke up... I really do enjoy sleep :)

Last night I stayed up and watched the documentary 'Comedian', following Jerry Seinfeld and (the rather conceded) Orny Adams around. It was pretty good, but since half of it was filmed in various bars and comedy clubs, with people talking in the background, the fact that you could hardly hear them got kind of annoying.

Going with the kids from the park to see 'Tallaganda nights' this morning. The movie looks horrible, but I haven't gone to the movies in forever, so I guess I'll suck it up and go. Hanging out with all the kids from the park will be fun, though.

After I go to the movie I'm heading over to the folk fest (quite the switch, eh?). K'Naan and Bedouin Soundclash are going to be there tonight, I'm very excited. Yesterday I found that, because I'm a volunteer, I get to go to the after parties with the musicians! Ahhh!
Ok, breathing.

So, now that you know my entire schedule (I have nothing else to post) I shall now leave you to get ready to go.

Have a good day! (I don't say that enough. Hmm... I'll have to make a habit of that :))

Wednesday, August 09, 2006

A poorly written post. Hey, I'm tired!

Had a party in celebration of my upcoming birthday yesterday/today. Just hanging out, my friends are waiting to be picked up from my Aunt's house, where we had a sleep over.
Yesterday we (Gill, Sheilagh and I) went 5 pin bowling (we also killed terrorists in the arcade... guess who the video game was by. Fox, correct). We then rented and later watched 'Confessions Of A Sociopathic Social Climber' (not the best movie I've ever seen), watched 'Lazy Ramadi' (which I now regret) and had a dance party (we had the viking wedding disco inferno dance down!).
They got me awesome gifts- pickles, a best buy gift card, Almost Famous soundtrack and a zip-it purse (not to mention Smarties and a joke book on perfect hair from my sister), they all now me too well :)
Anyway, after that we basically stayed up until 3:00 AM and talked.
This morning we had a pleasant breakfast and went to the park (where I discovered Nic has a crush on Jo, the leader (weird much)) and found a friends house after much confusion of the back alleys (when we did find it we shouted 'Hanks house!' and then realized that all the windows and doors were wide open, Oops).
After a while we all got sick of eachother (we're all tired and grumpy and it's really hot out), and now everyone's going home (I plan to sit on the couch in a vegatative state and watch old episodes of 'Friends').
I shall do that now, see ya!

Monday, August 07, 2006

Heritage days

Yesterday I went down to Heritage days at Hawrelak park with two of my sisters and my one niece. Due to the heat, it ended up being just my one sister and I exploring what is apparently the largest Heritage festival yet.

I've always found Heritage days a bit odd. The way I see it, if I lived in a different country and was asked to make a booth about Canada for their version of Heritage days, I wouldn't make it all Mounties and beavers and maple syrup. It's not that I think that these things aren't a part of Canadian history, I have deep roots with things like the fur trade and the RCMP. I just think that I would want to show people something new and different about our country, instead of reinforcing the stereotype they probably already have.
The festival was fun, though, don't get me wrong... just a little awkward.

Above: The Scandinavian Viking ship, the Hawaiian hut and its dancers and an adorable little boy from the Ecuador tent (reminded me of the book 'Startled By His Furry Shorts')...

Wednesday, August 02, 2006

My new favorite movie...

Just finished watching the movie at my aunt's. We started watching a British film called 'Wonderland', but after about half an hour we discovered that was crap, so we surfed my uncle's DVD database and discovered 'Almost Famous'. Gill had lent it to me about a month ago, but I'd never gotten around to watching it... I knew she adored it (and I lent her the soundtrack I found for her at the library... good music), but we don't always like the same type of movies, so I didn't think too much of missing it.
My God was I wrong! This is definitely one of my new favorite movies! Not only does it deal with the 70's, rock and roll and a slightly mad family, but also with a kid trying to find the right balance between being a journalist and being a friend... if you haven't already seen it, watch it now, I'm not kidding.
By the way, if William Miller ever existed, I would marry him in a moment. He is the sweetest guy ever! I think I can really relate to him because his goals and my goals are the same, and we both are a bit unsure of how to reach them... I think Will's character has about ten times the courage I have though :)
I now have 'Tiny Dancer' stuck in my head! I don't even like that song! Argh.
Okay, it's after midnight... gotta sleep! Can you tell I haven't slept in a while? :)

Tuesday, August 01, 2006

I'm baaack! Oh, stop groaning!

So I got back last night, and started to blog, but my computer (as usual) hated me. I tried again this morning, but the photos aren't uploading properly... I'll get to it eventually, promise.

Went to the park today, luckily it was nice weather. I hung out with all the regular kids while enjoying my non-LITingness (no more oversized t-shirts and sneakers for me, oh no! Indie rockers tees and flip-flops all the way!). I once again attempted to figure out how 'Magic' worked, but I think that I'm not really capable of willingly joining something so cultish...

Anyway, I'm at my Aunt's house now (well, my sister's house sitting), and we're having a barbeque (vegetarian, of course). After supper I'm staying over to watch a movie (sisters night out... er, in!).
Better go, See ya!

PETA2.com