I was inspired to write this post from Amy's post, which is from here. So instead of things I miss about being single, it's the things I miss about being in a relationship, which is convenient since I just went on a second date with someone (the third is tomorrow).
I'll keep my list as light as possible. So here goes nothing... 10 things I miss about being in a relationship:
1. Massages. I even tweeted about it the other day. I miss having someone take care of me when you have a sore back, you're sick, whatever. Not that my last boyfriend really did that, but I imagine my next one will be nicer.
2. Cuddling. I really miss spooning haha. I'm the big spoon and I love cuddling. It's the best.
3. Company. Okay sappy a bit, but I'm alone a lot and having a person around is such a great feeling. I like my alone time... but it's getting old.
4. The Obvious. I mean, it's probably the worst part. Sorry Mom.
5. Comfortable Dates. I mean I go on dates, but when you're in a relationship going out and doing stuff is fun and comfortable and just a good time. You don't stress about what you're saying or doing or wearing, it's just enjoying the time out.
6. Having it Figured Out. Now on one hand, not having it figured out is one of my favourite parts about being single, but having it figured out in a relationship is really nice too. That security of having your person is so great.
7. Boy stuff. Carrying, lifting, drilling, fixing, doing, muscles. I miss that.
8. Support. I miss the support when I'm sad and need consoling. Having to console yourself when you live alone sucks, sometimes you just need a man hug, a boy to kiss your forehead and then some cuddles.
9. The Laughing. Seeing couples laughing and having a great time together is something I really miss. That's usually what pangs me to seek dates.
10. Unconditional Love. Well, in my previous case it ended up being conditional, but I love that feeling of just being loved no matter what by someone. It's the best feeling.
So what do you miss about relationships? What do you miss about being single?
Happy Sunday friends :)
Sunday, April 29, 2012
Wednesday, April 25, 2012
Bad Momma
So Vada's approximate birthday is April 9th. Whoops.
It's kind of crazy to me... and just because I'm a terrible momma and forgot about her birthday... doesn't mean I'm not the craziest of cat ladies still!
She's been with me a lot lately which has been nice, considering I'm about to ditch her for 3 weeks at my parents, and then again when I go to Europe.
She doesn't like when I travel and it takes her about 2-3 days to forgive me. Seriously.
She's the best cat. She's hilariously spunky and so cuddly. She loves strangers and company. My bestie used to hate cats and she actually told me last week that if she could get a cat EXACTLY like Vada she would get one. Huge compliment to a kitty-momma.
Elastics are still her favourite toy, her new obsession is the birdies on the bird feeder and she sleeps approximately 90% of the time.
She's even helped with some of my DrawSomething pictures.
Anyway, here are a bunch of Instagram pictures of her!
{my Instagram is missamysmiles for the record}
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| what's this thing? |
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| this just kills me. Her sleepy eyes. Death. |
Happy Birthday Vada!
I'm only...16 days late!
Tuesday, April 24, 2012
First Dates
I'm in the business of jinxing myself. Totally.
In the past year and a bit...okay actually if we're counting from when I actually started to date again... in a little less than a year I have been on a lot of first dates.
A lot.
I've kind of lost count... but let's break it down shall we? I'm kind of fun like that. And then you can count.
Dave*: Also known as the umbrella guy. This was my first date after the break-up. My first online dating experience. We talked for a couple of weeks and sent about five bajillion emails back and forth prior to moving to texting, then we met for a date. It was the day after the frisbee tournament in early June that I got the worst sunburn of my life and I was a lobster in a lot of pain. I remember how sunny it was because I felt like I was melting outside waiting for the guy that was pretty late. I texted him wondering where he was while I waited outside the restaurant. He told me the cab took him about 5 blocks away from the restaurant (which he asked it to do) and then he started walking the wrong way. We live in a transit city, why didn't he bus? Why didn't he walk, he supposedly lived around the corner? Why didn't he ask the cab to drop him off AT the restaurant? When I saw him walking towards me I knew I was in trouble. Big trouble. He was like negative 1000 my type and remember that sunny day? Welp, the man had a huge wood handled black umbrella that you only see in the movies. The meal was painful. He ordered bacon and didn't even eat any of it (major deal breaker). That was when I decided no first date (first encounter anyway) would ever be a meal again. He apparently thought the date went great and I had to let him down easy.
I was quite turned off dating after this encounter. Not ready. No more online pursuing again until the Fall.
Grant: We met at a bar. I went out for a few drinks with my friend, and he came up to me to buy me a drink. We talked all night (totally ditched my friend, whoops) and he kept telling me how into me he was and how he wanted to take me on a date. We text all the next day, added each other to Facebook and decided we'd go on a date. Then I never heard from him. Confused after our amazing night at the bar talking and all his talk about a date, a couple weeks later I text him asking what happened. He told me work got crazy and asked me on a date. We went to dinner and the movies. The date went great. We talked every day after and decided to make plans for the following Wednesday (a week and a half later, I went away the weekend after that date). That Saturday we spoke our last texts and I never heard from him again. I was totally fine cause I was pretty sure we weren't a good match. This is also when I decided Facebook friends does not make sense until after you've established a dating situation.
Adam: Bad blind date guy. My friend set this up. My parents met on a blind date and I was optimistic. We met outside a bar and he hugged me. Um, no. He was wearing Ed Hardy type sparkly jeans. He was 30 and lived with his parents. Apparently my friend didn't think too highly of me. It was a painful date.
Steve: The travel guy. This guy had travelled the world. We met for a drink in the Fall after chatting online for a week or so, had great conversation but I think neither of us were feeling the vibe of it. We said we'd hang out again knowing neither of us would ever speak again. We didn't.
Matt: The guy I went crazy over. This was my true test of not being ready. We went on the most fantastic first date ever. We talked for a couple weeks, made plans, he went MIA on the day of. A couple weeks later I asked him what happened. Work went crazy, we made plans again on the spur of a moment random texting conversation. It was Movember, he had a dirty stache but in a super cool way. He drove a Mercedes. He showed up and I felt at ease immediately. We met probably around 6pm and around 11pm I invited him back to my place to chill for a bit because we wanted to keep talking. We were already talking about running races together. We were the Match.com commercial. It was going so well. He came back to my place to talk, we listened to music and at around 3am I had to kick him out. We never kissed. That weekend he barely talked to me. I started to go insane, we used to talk all day every day. I kept messaging him and he kept being dodgy. The date went so well, he said he wanted to see me again. Why wasn't he asking me out? By the end of the next week, the (excuse my language) guy had mindfucked me so much that I screwed it all up. I ended up texting him drunk one night and we saw each other one more time. He definitely thought I was insane. I was definitely his dating story gone bad. That was my Amy you're not ready to date you can't handle it story. Never heard from him again, obviously.
Jake: The tattoo guy. I love tattoos. They're hot. This guy had sleeves and from the online photo it seemed they were hot from afar. He was a self-proclaimed artist. Sounds cool in theory, except he painted bad alien paintings. We met for coffee and had a decent conversation, but this guy was shady, his tattoos were gross, dark and creepy and I could tell he was a complete liar. I went to Florida the week after and never talked to him again.
Mike: Cold sore. Mike and I met online and went on a great first date coffee that turned to dinner in January. Our second date (the first second) we went snowboarding. The third we went to the movies. The fourth we hung out at his place. The conversations were amazing, and I'm pretty sure he was the boy version of me. The problem? Date 2 he had a cold sore, so by date 5 we hadn't even kissed. I had no idea if we had chemistry or not. On the 5th date I went to his parents house (they were on vacation and he was house-sitting) and made plans to spend the night. He was taking the next day off work for me and I was flying out west the following day. At some point in the night he told me he no longer talked to his brother and the reason was about the stupidest, most selfish story I've ever heard. It was clear we weren't boy girl version of each other because this guy was so cocky, that it would make chicken pie, not humble pie. We went for a hot tub, and when we came inside he kissed me. Except he still had remnants of a cold sore and it was the most shocking aggressive kiss of my life. I was deeply offended. I didn't sleep one wink that night and needed to get out of there. By early afternoon the next day I made up some excuse and left. He kept texting me like crazy, and while I was in Alberta I ended it, told him I wasn't ready, and was going through personal stuff. This is also when I met BC boy. You know... the cliche.
Rick: City boy. This guy and I had nothing in common, an awkward drink one night after many emails and texting for a week or so. He talked a lot. He was too city boy. My profile has a clause now that says I'm attracted to down to earth small town boys.
Owen: The virgin. Now I don't know if he was a virgin... but this guy was the most socially awkward person I've ever met, I don't think he's ever had a girlfriend or...had sex ever. He was unemployed which quickly made sense. He lived with his parents, probably because he couldn't socially live alone or with roommates. He had no ambition and created the worst awkward silences of my life. The date was under an hour.
After this date I decided it was time to stop dating. Then I got bored and made a profile on Plenty of Fish. Known for being the hook-up site, I knew I wasn't looking for anything serious right now and I liked that you can make your profile say that you were looking to date, but not looking to get married tomorrow. All of a sudden I was being bombarded by the most amazing sincere emails by hot, smart and great guys. I also was getting a ton of creepy, can I pay you to touch your feet emails (true story).
Turns out I had it wrong all along. Guys don't pay for online dating. This was where all the guys were at. The guys! I couldn't keep up with the emails. I had too many to choose from. Too much. Too little time before busy season. Too much. Ahhhhh the options.
Martin: The first guy that I got a great email from. We emailed a lot. He had tattoos (sleeves), he owned his house, a great job, played guitar, just sounded really cool, and he was hilarious! The day before our date I panicked and decided I couldn't date someone (especially while I was talking to BC boy). He convinced me that he was open to just making friends too so it wouldn't hurt to grab a drink. Wrong. Waste of my time. This guy swore incessantly. If your date says fucknut more than 3 times you have a problem. He was very clearly a huge asshole. When the waitress came to bring the bill, he yelled, "separate!". Never talked to him again.
After this I decided my time was up and that I should retire from dating until September... but...
J**: He emailed me the cutest email. I wrote him back and he wrote back an amazing reply. This was right before I went out with Martin, and then I went out with Martin and decided no more. I kept thinking about J because his email was so amazing. He was MY TYPE. He was hot. He was everything I actually was looking for and well... I kept thinking about him, but I told myself no more dating. I had BC boy coming up and Europe, and moving home. So I never replied to his last email. Then about a week ago he emailed me again, asking me what was up and said he was still really hoping to meet me. Since I hadn't stopped thinking about him I sent him my number (and apologized and explained the whole situation). I never heard anything and couldn't stop thinking about him. So I texted him (he gave me his number in the email I never replied to). I told him that if he was interested in meeting me he had know I was going to be travelling a ton between now and August. He was. I had a funny feeling about this one. A good funny. A... will this fuck everything up for me? feeling. We met, and I think I might be right. We're going to hang out again this weekend.
I know I just wrote this whole post about my BC boy, but he is in Vancouver and I do know that beyond how much we care about each other and how much fun we'll probably have in Vancouver, it doesn't have much staying power. So dating other people is a must with us (and been clear from the get-go). I feel like I was (am) setting myself up for emotional chaos, putting all of my heart eggs in one basket at this point.
I'm a bit concerned about balancing the feelings of two people... and what this might do to my whole plan... but all I can do is take it one day at a time, one feeling at a time. It's all exciting and all good stuff anyway.
And as sad as it is... a great date, and a great convo with my BC boy was just what I needed to turn my entire crap mood around :)
*Names have not been changed because I think there is a lot in a name and I'm not going to talk to any of these guys again.
**Except this guy and that's why his name remains anon for now.
Update: J and I went on 3 dates, and unfortunately he didn't think we had chemistry to make it work. He's the first guy I actually had reject me non-mutually. It stung a bit but at least it allows me to continue on with my original Europe and summer plans.
In the past year and a bit...okay actually if we're counting from when I actually started to date again... in a little less than a year I have been on a lot of first dates.
A lot.
I've kind of lost count... but let's break it down shall we? I'm kind of fun like that. And then you can count.
Dave*: Also known as the umbrella guy. This was my first date after the break-up. My first online dating experience. We talked for a couple of weeks and sent about five bajillion emails back and forth prior to moving to texting, then we met for a date. It was the day after the frisbee tournament in early June that I got the worst sunburn of my life and I was a lobster in a lot of pain. I remember how sunny it was because I felt like I was melting outside waiting for the guy that was pretty late. I texted him wondering where he was while I waited outside the restaurant. He told me the cab took him about 5 blocks away from the restaurant (which he asked it to do) and then he started walking the wrong way. We live in a transit city, why didn't he bus? Why didn't he walk, he supposedly lived around the corner? Why didn't he ask the cab to drop him off AT the restaurant? When I saw him walking towards me I knew I was in trouble. Big trouble. He was like negative 1000 my type and remember that sunny day? Welp, the man had a huge wood handled black umbrella that you only see in the movies. The meal was painful. He ordered bacon and didn't even eat any of it (major deal breaker). That was when I decided no first date (first encounter anyway) would ever be a meal again. He apparently thought the date went great and I had to let him down easy.
I was quite turned off dating after this encounter. Not ready. No more online pursuing again until the Fall.
Grant: We met at a bar. I went out for a few drinks with my friend, and he came up to me to buy me a drink. We talked all night (totally ditched my friend, whoops) and he kept telling me how into me he was and how he wanted to take me on a date. We text all the next day, added each other to Facebook and decided we'd go on a date. Then I never heard from him. Confused after our amazing night at the bar talking and all his talk about a date, a couple weeks later I text him asking what happened. He told me work got crazy and asked me on a date. We went to dinner and the movies. The date went great. We talked every day after and decided to make plans for the following Wednesday (a week and a half later, I went away the weekend after that date). That Saturday we spoke our last texts and I never heard from him again. I was totally fine cause I was pretty sure we weren't a good match. This is also when I decided Facebook friends does not make sense until after you've established a dating situation.
Adam: Bad blind date guy. My friend set this up. My parents met on a blind date and I was optimistic. We met outside a bar and he hugged me. Um, no. He was wearing Ed Hardy type sparkly jeans. He was 30 and lived with his parents. Apparently my friend didn't think too highly of me. It was a painful date.
Steve: The travel guy. This guy had travelled the world. We met for a drink in the Fall after chatting online for a week or so, had great conversation but I think neither of us were feeling the vibe of it. We said we'd hang out again knowing neither of us would ever speak again. We didn't.
Matt: The guy I went crazy over. This was my true test of not being ready. We went on the most fantastic first date ever. We talked for a couple weeks, made plans, he went MIA on the day of. A couple weeks later I asked him what happened. Work went crazy, we made plans again on the spur of a moment random texting conversation. It was Movember, he had a dirty stache but in a super cool way. He drove a Mercedes. He showed up and I felt at ease immediately. We met probably around 6pm and around 11pm I invited him back to my place to chill for a bit because we wanted to keep talking. We were already talking about running races together. We were the Match.com commercial. It was going so well. He came back to my place to talk, we listened to music and at around 3am I had to kick him out. We never kissed. That weekend he barely talked to me. I started to go insane, we used to talk all day every day. I kept messaging him and he kept being dodgy. The date went so well, he said he wanted to see me again. Why wasn't he asking me out? By the end of the next week, the (excuse my language) guy had mindfucked me so much that I screwed it all up. I ended up texting him drunk one night and we saw each other one more time. He definitely thought I was insane. I was definitely his dating story gone bad. That was my Amy you're not ready to date you can't handle it story. Never heard from him again, obviously.
Jake: The tattoo guy. I love tattoos. They're hot. This guy had sleeves and from the online photo it seemed they were hot from afar. He was a self-proclaimed artist. Sounds cool in theory, except he painted bad alien paintings. We met for coffee and had a decent conversation, but this guy was shady, his tattoos were gross, dark and creepy and I could tell he was a complete liar. I went to Florida the week after and never talked to him again.
Mike: Cold sore. Mike and I met online and went on a great first date coffee that turned to dinner in January. Our second date (the first second) we went snowboarding. The third we went to the movies. The fourth we hung out at his place. The conversations were amazing, and I'm pretty sure he was the boy version of me. The problem? Date 2 he had a cold sore, so by date 5 we hadn't even kissed. I had no idea if we had chemistry or not. On the 5th date I went to his parents house (they were on vacation and he was house-sitting) and made plans to spend the night. He was taking the next day off work for me and I was flying out west the following day. At some point in the night he told me he no longer talked to his brother and the reason was about the stupidest, most selfish story I've ever heard. It was clear we weren't boy girl version of each other because this guy was so cocky, that it would make chicken pie, not humble pie. We went for a hot tub, and when we came inside he kissed me. Except he still had remnants of a cold sore and it was the most shocking aggressive kiss of my life. I was deeply offended. I didn't sleep one wink that night and needed to get out of there. By early afternoon the next day I made up some excuse and left. He kept texting me like crazy, and while I was in Alberta I ended it, told him I wasn't ready, and was going through personal stuff. This is also when I met BC boy. You know... the cliche.
Rick: City boy. This guy and I had nothing in common, an awkward drink one night after many emails and texting for a week or so. He talked a lot. He was too city boy. My profile has a clause now that says I'm attracted to down to earth small town boys.
Owen: The virgin. Now I don't know if he was a virgin... but this guy was the most socially awkward person I've ever met, I don't think he's ever had a girlfriend or...had sex ever. He was unemployed which quickly made sense. He lived with his parents, probably because he couldn't socially live alone or with roommates. He had no ambition and created the worst awkward silences of my life. The date was under an hour.
After this date I decided it was time to stop dating. Then I got bored and made a profile on Plenty of Fish. Known for being the hook-up site, I knew I wasn't looking for anything serious right now and I liked that you can make your profile say that you were looking to date, but not looking to get married tomorrow. All of a sudden I was being bombarded by the most amazing sincere emails by hot, smart and great guys. I also was getting a ton of creepy, can I pay you to touch your feet emails (true story).
Turns out I had it wrong all along. Guys don't pay for online dating. This was where all the guys were at. The guys! I couldn't keep up with the emails. I had too many to choose from. Too much. Too little time before busy season. Too much. Ahhhhh the options.
Martin: The first guy that I got a great email from. We emailed a lot. He had tattoos (sleeves), he owned his house, a great job, played guitar, just sounded really cool, and he was hilarious! The day before our date I panicked and decided I couldn't date someone (especially while I was talking to BC boy). He convinced me that he was open to just making friends too so it wouldn't hurt to grab a drink. Wrong. Waste of my time. This guy swore incessantly. If your date says fucknut more than 3 times you have a problem. He was very clearly a huge asshole. When the waitress came to bring the bill, he yelled, "separate!". Never talked to him again.
After this I decided my time was up and that I should retire from dating until September... but...
J**: He emailed me the cutest email. I wrote him back and he wrote back an amazing reply. This was right before I went out with Martin, and then I went out with Martin and decided no more. I kept thinking about J because his email was so amazing. He was MY TYPE. He was hot. He was everything I actually was looking for and well... I kept thinking about him, but I told myself no more dating. I had BC boy coming up and Europe, and moving home. So I never replied to his last email. Then about a week ago he emailed me again, asking me what was up and said he was still really hoping to meet me. Since I hadn't stopped thinking about him I sent him my number (and apologized and explained the whole situation). I never heard anything and couldn't stop thinking about him. So I texted him (he gave me his number in the email I never replied to). I told him that if he was interested in meeting me he had know I was going to be travelling a ton between now and August. He was. I had a funny feeling about this one. A good funny. A... will this fuck everything up for me? feeling. We met, and I think I might be right. We're going to hang out again this weekend.
I know I just wrote this whole post about my BC boy, but he is in Vancouver and I do know that beyond how much we care about each other and how much fun we'll probably have in Vancouver, it doesn't have much staying power. So dating other people is a must with us (and been clear from the get-go). I feel like I was (am) setting myself up for emotional chaos, putting all of my heart eggs in one basket at this point.
I'm a bit concerned about balancing the feelings of two people... and what this might do to my whole plan... but all I can do is take it one day at a time, one feeling at a time. It's all exciting and all good stuff anyway.
And as sad as it is... a great date, and a great convo with my BC boy was just what I needed to turn my entire crap mood around :)
*Names have not been changed because I think there is a lot in a name and I'm not going to talk to any of these guys again.
**Except this guy and that's why his name remains anon for now.
Update: J and I went on 3 dates, and unfortunately he didn't think we had chemistry to make it work. He's the first guy I actually had reject me non-mutually. It stung a bit but at least it allows me to continue on with my original Europe and summer plans.
Monday, April 23, 2012
2nd Blogoversary
Well I'll be. Today is my second blogoversary.
Since it's kind of like a birthday, I'm going to wish for a better mood.
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| yah I was cute. |
Hopefully it's not like a birthday in the sense that sharing my wish will mean it's not going to come true, because man oh man I'm stuck in a doozie of a bad mood.
I don't really have anything to be upset about... but instead I am just bumming. I can't even blame it on lady biznass so I just am a downer for no reason. Vads doesn't even want to chill with me. Ha, apparently that's not true though because as soon as I finished that sentence she just started mauling me. Animals just know.
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| it's been awhile since I shared a crazy cute Vada picture! |
Next week is the beginning of everything I've been looking forward to. I am so excited, but yet worried (see my last post). I know it probably has a lot to do with that, and I've just worked all weekend and could really go for a day off right about now.
Instead I'm chilling on a Monday after a 12 hour day thinking some How I Met Your Mother and a bubble bath will hopefully do the trick to fix my mood (cuddling with the kitty has certainly helped!).
Anyway, what a better way to write about my blogversary than sharing some mundane details of a bad mood? To me that's what it's about, that's what blogging has been to me. It's the everything and anything and the sharing and chronicling of my life here.
I love this space. It holds a piece of my heart and after two years, I seriously can't imagine my life without my blog to come to and capture my random, sometimes boring, sometimes mundane thoughts.
Also, in other news, this post is coming to you from my new Macbook pro I got from work on the weekend! Seriously... I know I have no excuse for a bad mood.
So look at that, my wish is already coming true!
Happy Blogoversary to me :)
Sunday, April 15, 2012
Eurotrip Planning - Help!
Let the planning begin.
The ticket is booked.
This blog is about to come a lot about planning for my epic adventure with the BFF.
June 3-21.
The ticket is booked.
This blog is about to come a lot about planning for my epic adventure with the BFF.
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| favourite pic of us circa 2006 |
Within this time we intend on seeing 6 countries, 8 cities and taking about six million photographs.
Oh the budgeting.
Oh the planning.
Oh the packing.
Oh the everything.
Insanity.
I think I just took on a part-time job.
So I must ask...
to all my fellow bloggers!
Have any of you ever done the backpacking hostel Eurotrip?
What are some good resources? Books? Tips? Websites?
Budgeting advice?
PACKING ADVICE PLEASE!!
Budgeting advice?
PACKING ADVICE PLEASE!!
All help is greatly appreciated!
Eurotrip.com and Eurail.com are definitely on the list!
Saturday, April 14, 2012
Technology
I kind of hate that we're slaves to technology, but on the other had, if we weren't we wouldn't be able to keep in touch with people afar, we wouldn't make friends across the globe via blogging/twitter what have you's and we would probably live a much slower paced life.
On one hand I love being a slave technology, I mean, we love our computers, we love our phones and all the other gadgets that come along with life now.
But on the other hand, I hate it. Mainly because when it fails on us it really really really really sucks.
I'm a Blackberry user, mainly for the buttons, amazing email and BBM. A couple of days ago a little icon showed up on my phone saying that I needed to update it. I clicked on it and it said to set aside two hours to download.
So... last night before bed I hit the install button.
Not really thinking anything of it... I went to bed.
This morning, I woke up and the phone was frozen at 8%. I tried everything I could to get it to stop downloading and turn back on but notta.
After a painful call with Telus they told me it had to be sent away and that I likely lost all of my photos. All of my contacts. All of my texts. Everything.
Good thing I backed my phone up, right? Wrong. Nope. Notta. Nothing.
So I went to the mall and they handed me an ancient loaner phone and I wanted to cry.
Not only am I frustrated that I have to rebuild my cell contacts that nobody ever seems to respond to when you update your Facebook status, but I work in a community where I have been building up phone numbers for MONTHS.
It probably would have made sense that I would back up my phone regularly, but I really only cared about my contacts and I honestly thought that the new SIM cards kept your contacts safe. Wrong again.
So here I am stuck with an old Blackberry waiting for my friends to readd me loading up my really old Blackberry hoping to restore maybe half of my contacts...sulking.
Well at least on the positive side of things, work just bought me an iPad last week (my name for Draw Something, Words with Friends and Instagram is missamysmiles) and I'm getting a Macbook Pro next week as well (from work).
Once the iPhone 5 comes out I think I'll be making the final switch over to be the Apple person I should be. Damn you autocorrect already.
Until then... I'm sulking over my Blackberry fail of the month.
Now go back up your phone.
On one hand I love being a slave technology, I mean, we love our computers, we love our phones and all the other gadgets that come along with life now.
But on the other hand, I hate it. Mainly because when it fails on us it really really really really sucks.
I'm a Blackberry user, mainly for the buttons, amazing email and BBM. A couple of days ago a little icon showed up on my phone saying that I needed to update it. I clicked on it and it said to set aside two hours to download.
So... last night before bed I hit the install button.
Not really thinking anything of it... I went to bed.
This morning, I woke up and the phone was frozen at 8%. I tried everything I could to get it to stop downloading and turn back on but notta.
After a painful call with Telus they told me it had to be sent away and that I likely lost all of my photos. All of my contacts. All of my texts. Everything.
Good thing I backed my phone up, right? Wrong. Nope. Notta. Nothing.
So I went to the mall and they handed me an ancient loaner phone and I wanted to cry.
Not only am I frustrated that I have to rebuild my cell contacts that nobody ever seems to respond to when you update your Facebook status, but I work in a community where I have been building up phone numbers for MONTHS.
It probably would have made sense that I would back up my phone regularly, but I really only cared about my contacts and I honestly thought that the new SIM cards kept your contacts safe. Wrong again.
So here I am stuck with an old Blackberry waiting for my friends to readd me loading up my really old Blackberry hoping to restore maybe half of my contacts...sulking.
Well at least on the positive side of things, work just bought me an iPad last week (my name for Draw Something, Words with Friends and Instagram is missamysmiles) and I'm getting a Macbook Pro next week as well (from work).
Once the iPhone 5 comes out I think I'll be making the final switch over to be the Apple person I should be. Damn you autocorrect already.
Until then... I'm sulking over my Blackberry fail of the month.
Now go back up your phone.
Friday, April 13, 2012
The Header
For those of you that may be wondering about the story behind my wicked awesome new header from Jess at IROCKSOWHAT, I thought that a post about the details would be a good idea!
First of all, I decided to use Jess because I love her style and some of her drawn busy headers really appealed to me. I knew that I wanted something with a lot going on, because, well, let's face it, that's kind of what the inside of my head looks like.
So how about we break down the beautiful image she ended up sending me! I highly recommend working with Jess if you're looking for the hand drawn header! She's extremely talented and you'll be shocked (in a good way) with what she comes up with!
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The tree: So let's start with the focal point. Awhile back when I wrote a post about planning for my next tattoo (which is officially scheduled for May 15 now). Miss Mandee then pointed out that what I was envisioning my head looked a whole lot like the pretty fantastic tattoo below.
The moment I saw this tattoo it was love at first sight. I know that it was pretty much what I was going for, except instead of the peace sign, it would be the symbol for gratitude. Since this tattoo I am getting is a huge inspiration of my current life and path I am on, I really wanted my header to reflect that! I sent this picture to Jess and asked for it to be the focal point.
Gratitude Symbol: That's that green circle thingie up there (and will also be the shape of the trunk in my tattoo). Gratitude is pretty much my marching anthem and mantra in life. I think it's important to count our blessings every day. There is always something to be grateful for, even on the gloomiest of days.
Dreamcatcher/Antlers: The dreamcatcher and antlers are a representation of my work with Native culture. My job has transformed my life and put me on the most incredible path and journey. It highly influences who I am today and paying homage to that fact was crucial. I loveeee the dreamcatcher. It also plays in nicely to the fact that I'm the definition of a dreamer.
The plane: For those of you that don't know, the plane is a representation of my brother. He was killed in a plane crash close to 5 years ago, and the plane soaring above my life is a tribute to him always making his mark on my life. Losing him is a huge piece of me and I'm always factoring him into my life in a what would he say or do kind of way.
The flowers: This is all Jess, and I LOVE them. I am a huge flower freak, and really hope my next boyfriend will actually catch on to this and actually do something about it. When I wrote my dream boy list in grade 10 cooking/food class the number one thing on the list said "It's all about the flowers". I kid you not. Good call on Jess's part :)
First of all, I decided to use Jess because I love her style and some of her drawn busy headers really appealed to me. I knew that I wanted something with a lot going on, because, well, let's face it, that's kind of what the inside of my head looks like.
So how about we break down the beautiful image she ended up sending me! I highly recommend working with Jess if you're looking for the hand drawn header! She's extremely talented and you'll be shocked (in a good way) with what she comes up with!
The tree: So let's start with the focal point. Awhile back when I wrote a post about planning for my next tattoo (which is officially scheduled for May 15 now). Miss Mandee then pointed out that what I was envisioning my head looked a whole lot like the pretty fantastic tattoo below.
The moment I saw this tattoo it was love at first sight. I know that it was pretty much what I was going for, except instead of the peace sign, it would be the symbol for gratitude. Since this tattoo I am getting is a huge inspiration of my current life and path I am on, I really wanted my header to reflect that! I sent this picture to Jess and asked for it to be the focal point.
Gratitude Symbol: That's that green circle thingie up there (and will also be the shape of the trunk in my tattoo). Gratitude is pretty much my marching anthem and mantra in life. I think it's important to count our blessings every day. There is always something to be grateful for, even on the gloomiest of days.
Dreamcatcher/Antlers: The dreamcatcher and antlers are a representation of my work with Native culture. My job has transformed my life and put me on the most incredible path and journey. It highly influences who I am today and paying homage to that fact was crucial. I loveeee the dreamcatcher. It also plays in nicely to the fact that I'm the definition of a dreamer.
The plane: For those of you that don't know, the plane is a representation of my brother. He was killed in a plane crash close to 5 years ago, and the plane soaring above my life is a tribute to him always making his mark on my life. Losing him is a huge piece of me and I'm always factoring him into my life in a what would he say or do kind of way.
The flowers: This is all Jess, and I LOVE them. I am a huge flower freak, and really hope my next boyfriend will actually catch on to this and actually do something about it. When I wrote my dream boy list in grade 10 cooking/food class the number one thing on the list said "It's all about the flowers". I kid you not. Good call on Jess's part :)
And there you have it! I've also asked for some new social media buttons, and I'm excited to see what those end up looking like!
Wednesday, April 11, 2012
Coming Up
Sorry! I suck. I don't think I'm the only one lately either. Not saying you suck or anything, but I feel like a lot of people are on blogging hiatus quite a bit lately.
I keep opening the tab and trying, but then nothing. Or a drafted post. Ohhhh the drafts I have sitting around in there. So what's a girl to do when this keeps happening? Just type and go.
I have a lot going on right now. Okay maybe not so much right this second. Right this second I'm watching old episodes of How I Met Your Mother thinking about the work I need to do before going to bed thinking about how I wish there was such thing as teleportation.
But going on right now? So much. Coming up? So very much.
Shall we lay it all out? Probably not because I'll either die from anticipation or from anxiety from how much I have to do.
I just got home to Ottawa from being back home for a week and a half with a trip out west in between. Might I mention that this was one of the best trips I've ever had. I feel like such a big deal at work, and well, everyone likes feeling like a big deal.
I got really sad while I was back home thinking about coming back to Ottawa... so I boycotted going home, slept in on Monday and stayed until today (Wednesday). Did I mention I'm excited to move home for the summer? Because I am... but we'll get to that.
I think the thing I'm struggling with the most right now (well it's about the only struggle) is that I don't really feel connected to Ottawa any more. In all of the personal changes I've gone through and the moving of my cousin... I just feel disconnected to the city that once felt so homelike to me. I don't really know what to do with this, because technically my job is based here. If I was to move somewhere logically other than here it would probably have to be out West, and as of right now I really don't want to do that.
Anywho... moving on. We're talking about what's coming up. I think.
Next week my cousin is visiting (yay!) and then the following week my other half at work is supposed to be coming to Ottawa for the week.
Then it starts (Sega Lion King voice).
April 30. Red Hot Chili Peppers Concert. Eff. Yes.
May 1-4. Alberta, Alberta! This will be a week of meetings and they're likely going to be a ton of fun. I'm really looking forward to these even though they'll be long days.
May 4-6. I have a weekend to kill and have finally put my Aeroplan miles to good use and scored a ticket to Vancouver for $35. I may or may not be going to visit a very handsome boy that I'm mad crushing over (don't worry it's mutual). On the plus side a lot of my brothers (and my) friends live in Van and on the Friday is party time with them. I seriously cannot freakin' wait.
May 6-13. Community time in Alberta. This is a week I am really looking forward to. This is a continuation of the Body Talk stuff I've been talking all about probably too much for your liking and said boy up there will be there all week long. Time cannot tick by fast enough.
May 15. Tattoo numero three. I am SO excited for this. I am sooooo ready to FINALLY get my third tattoo. Have you noticed my wicked awesome amazing new shiny header being designed by the one and only Jess from IROCKSOWHAT. It seriously has blown my mind, and has a lot of my tattoospiration involved in it.
May 17. This isn't exactly a date I'm looking forward to, but this will have been 5 years since my brother passed away. I was driving to Ottawa today and the concept of 5 years kind of hit me like a ton of bricks. I haven't really given myself time to process this yet (and I will).
May 19. Cabin Bash time. May 17th is never an easy day, but it's always followed by a killer weekend when we party and celebrate my brother's life. I also plan on making the move home this weekend.
May 22. Back to Alberta, how long still up for grabs.
June 3-19...or 21. Europe. Europe. Europe. OMG. Cannot. Contain. Excitement. We've added four cities and two countries to the mix. The plan? Amsterdam, Paris, Munich, Vienna, Prague, Krakow, Warsaw, Berlin, Amsterdam. Holy mother of a craziness. I am booking my flight this week after I ask my boss how much time I can actually take off. OMG OMG OMG. CANNOT CONTAIN SELF. Breathe Amy.
And then it's summer... and summer is awesomesauce and just the best most wonderful time of the year. Seriously.
Did I also mention there is talk of Australia (for work) in September and plans for Costa Rica late Fall/early Winter and Christmas mayhaps in Florida again.
I don't have time for a boyfriend, I'll probably be an old maid until I decide life is not exciting any more... but for now I'm riding the training of amazingness. Maybe the universe will pop in my soul mate along the way (preferably not in Australia or Europe please). The boy in Van is beyond cute and makes my heart smile, my face blush, and my soul happy, but I don't think it has much potential beyond that. For now anyway.
So there you have it, an update.
I keep opening the tab and trying, but then nothing. Or a drafted post. Ohhhh the drafts I have sitting around in there. So what's a girl to do when this keeps happening? Just type and go.
I have a lot going on right now. Okay maybe not so much right this second. Right this second I'm watching old episodes of How I Met Your Mother thinking about the work I need to do before going to bed thinking about how I wish there was such thing as teleportation.
But going on right now? So much. Coming up? So very much.
Shall we lay it all out? Probably not because I'll either die from anticipation or from anxiety from how much I have to do.
I just got home to Ottawa from being back home for a week and a half with a trip out west in between. Might I mention that this was one of the best trips I've ever had. I feel like such a big deal at work, and well, everyone likes feeling like a big deal.
I got really sad while I was back home thinking about coming back to Ottawa... so I boycotted going home, slept in on Monday and stayed until today (Wednesday). Did I mention I'm excited to move home for the summer? Because I am... but we'll get to that.
I think the thing I'm struggling with the most right now (well it's about the only struggle) is that I don't really feel connected to Ottawa any more. In all of the personal changes I've gone through and the moving of my cousin... I just feel disconnected to the city that once felt so homelike to me. I don't really know what to do with this, because technically my job is based here. If I was to move somewhere logically other than here it would probably have to be out West, and as of right now I really don't want to do that.
Anywho... moving on. We're talking about what's coming up. I think.
Next week my cousin is visiting (yay!) and then the following week my other half at work is supposed to be coming to Ottawa for the week.
Then it starts (Sega Lion King voice).
April 30. Red Hot Chili Peppers Concert. Eff. Yes.
May 1-4. Alberta, Alberta! This will be a week of meetings and they're likely going to be a ton of fun. I'm really looking forward to these even though they'll be long days.
May 4-6. I have a weekend to kill and have finally put my Aeroplan miles to good use and scored a ticket to Vancouver for $35. I may or may not be going to visit a very handsome boy that I'm mad crushing over (don't worry it's mutual). On the plus side a lot of my brothers (and my) friends live in Van and on the Friday is party time with them. I seriously cannot freakin' wait.
May 6-13. Community time in Alberta. This is a week I am really looking forward to. This is a continuation of the Body Talk stuff I've been talking all about probably too much for your liking and said boy up there will be there all week long. Time cannot tick by fast enough.
May 15. Tattoo numero three. I am SO excited for this. I am sooooo ready to FINALLY get my third tattoo. Have you noticed my wicked awesome amazing new shiny header being designed by the one and only Jess from IROCKSOWHAT. It seriously has blown my mind, and has a lot of my tattoospiration involved in it.
May 17. This isn't exactly a date I'm looking forward to, but this will have been 5 years since my brother passed away. I was driving to Ottawa today and the concept of 5 years kind of hit me like a ton of bricks. I haven't really given myself time to process this yet (and I will).
May 19. Cabin Bash time. May 17th is never an easy day, but it's always followed by a killer weekend when we party and celebrate my brother's life. I also plan on making the move home this weekend.
May 22. Back to Alberta, how long still up for grabs.
June 3-19...or 21. Europe. Europe. Europe. OMG. Cannot. Contain. Excitement. We've added four cities and two countries to the mix. The plan? Amsterdam, Paris, Munich, Vienna, Prague, Krakow, Warsaw, Berlin, Amsterdam. Holy mother of a craziness. I am booking my flight this week after I ask my boss how much time I can actually take off. OMG OMG OMG. CANNOT CONTAIN SELF. Breathe Amy.
And then it's summer... and summer is awesomesauce and just the best most wonderful time of the year. Seriously.
Did I also mention there is talk of Australia (for work) in September and plans for Costa Rica late Fall/early Winter and Christmas mayhaps in Florida again.
I don't have time for a boyfriend, I'll probably be an old maid until I decide life is not exciting any more... but for now I'm riding the training of amazingness. Maybe the universe will pop in my soul mate along the way (preferably not in Australia or Europe please). The boy in Van is beyond cute and makes my heart smile, my face blush, and my soul happy, but I don't think it has much potential beyond that. For now anyway.
So there you have it, an update.
Sunday, April 1, 2012
Travel Travel
Welp, I'm off again. This time for four days.
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| like my paint skillz? |
I've been working round the clock for weeks getting ready for this trip.
And it's made me realize something... (other than the fact that I'm turning into my mother more and more each day), but that I'm happy and that I love my job.
Honestly, I've always been pretty lazy and don't really do my work until the last possible second (I still procrastinate), but I care so much about what I'm doing that I give it everything I have.
Last night we had a family(ish) party at a bowling alley (I know right?!) and everyone kept telling me how good I look, and how happy I seem.
And it's true.
I'm so happy.
And it's all because of my job and how awesome and rewarding it is (even if I work as much as I do!).
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| love my family! |
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