Things Thursday!

1. This week has many an up & down

2. Living at home is starting to take its toll on my sanity.
I've been arguing with my parents much more than usual and generally the level of tension around the house is reminiscent of my highschool days.
Things I've learned from this: getting out is necessary.
I've been trying to keep busy with friends, but a job would be amazing right now. I'd be much less stressed and I'd be out of the house for much longer periods of time.
KEY FACTORS HERE PPL.

3. Speaking of jobs, I have 2 interviews tomorrow.

Fingers are crossed!
You too, please!

4. My knee is giving me a really hard time.
I rested it for a full week last week, taking a break from the gym and general strain.
Yesterday I hit the elliptical for 15min and walked off limping.
You know there's an issue when the machine that's recommended by doctors (because of low-impact) leaves you hobbling with a cripwalk.

5. I've eaten nothing but junk this week.

I've got a separate blog that I use specifically for health and fitness, but I figure if I put it out in public here, it will count more.
Bottom line:
This week is a no-bread/low-carb week. That counts cereal/potatoes/rice/pasta etc.
Hold me to it folks!

6. I'm now all caught up on Real Housewives of New Jersey.
Laugh and a half, yo.
Favourite quote of the series:
"You'll be a sad old lady with your fake'n square tits!!!"

Well said, Kim G, well said. 

The Experiment (MM)

I've been terrible at keeping on schedule these days.

Just know that every week you'll get a media-based post (typically mondays) and a list of 'things' (typically thursdays). That's all I can say for sure aha.

This week I watched a few different movies!
-The Princess Bride
-Serenity
-The Experiment.

To quickly summarize...
Princess Bride is just always going to be awesome, no question. It's Cary Elwes before 'Saw', Robin Wright before 'Forrest Gump' and Wallace Shawn before... Gossip Girl? Whatever aha, it's just awesome and I love it. As you wish!

Serenity was my favourite addition to the week. If you haven't watched Firefly (TV series) you should do that. Even if it is sci-fi, and got cancelled after one season, it's still Joss Whedon and it deserves your attention. Serenity came after the show because of all the demands from fans who wanted more. So there's your motivation to watch both!

The Experiment was watched at Michelle's for our girlsnight extravaganza. It's not your usual girls' night movie, but it was entertaining. Based off a german novel (Das Experiment), which was loosely based off the Stanford Prison Experiment, I watched it as almost a true story. Obviously when certain events happened I became aware that it was not the truth, but still, having studied the real experiment back in my Psych Major days, I couldn't help but see how things could escalate and become as gruesome as they did. Good watch. Plus Adrian Brody is beautiful.

rwarrr.

Also to note...
I've started watching Real Housewives of New Jersey (I'm all caught up on New York and needed an extra dose of junk-tv this weekend). Danielle is a nutjob, I love it. The fact that they can make a show about real women into an actual soap opera all comes back to her.
I also spend every episode gawking at their choice of E-sized (more?) implants.
Sorry I'm not sorry.

Happy Watching!!

x

Sugar High!

--Beware the coming photo-spam!--

So this Friday, my friend Michelle and I had a girls night.

Plans kept changing, first it had been a baking day, then it had been a movie night. 

We had planned to have a classy soirée the following night as well.

But when everything got swapped and plans were being adjusted, we decided on one, go-big-or-go-home girlsnight extravaganza.

To cover our removal of the 'classy' saturday we had to cancel, I brought over my favourite wine & cheese combo.

Dinner! Cran/port goatcheese with our respective wine choices. 

This picture may or may not have been tweeted. 

For baking, we searched online and found the most mouth-watering, nostalgia-driving, summer-fun-feeling recipe: S'mores Bars.

Before

After

We then saw a flyer for cheaper-than-cheap Haagen Dazs, and figured that our night was already filled with ridiculous amounts of rich & delicious calories treats, & that one more couldn't hurt.
(Upon arriving at the store though, the choices got harder... so in reality I should say '3 more couldn't hurt'...).

Strawberry Cheesecake, Green Tea & Honey Vanilla, Vanilla Caramel Latte
(omggggg)

Obviously we didn't finish them. But they were all sampled lovingly.
Please take a second to acknowledge that both Michelle and I had gone to the gym earlier in the day.
And were planning to workout at night as well.
And in the morning....
lol I'm just sayin, don't judge!
(but lets be honest.. these are the rationalizations I'm using to stop from judging myself).
Though, if you saw the faces we made while consuming all of the above, you would know it was well worth it.
For a movie, Michelle had recently gotten hold of The Experiment, which sent me into an empathetic-sadfest, but that is for tomorrow, of course.

Girlsnight finished off with a sleepover, as they often do.
Waking up, we got our fit on, feeling the effects of the prior night's terribl(y delicious) choices.
I vote overall success.

The weather Friday & Saturday was phenomenal.
I watched a few of the fireworks from my balcony last night  (countries not under british rule, this weekend is Victoria-Day Weekend, giving us Saturday's fireworks & Monday's stat holiday) while my dog cowered in fear in the corner/under chairs/at my feet/etc.
I sat with him and watched the Princess Bride until they finally died down and I was left with this little ball on the couch....

Weekend well-spent.

Trivial Things Thursday

1. There are no new developments in my life

2. I plan on watching The Princess Bride this weekend and it is what I am most excited for.

3. I just caught up on my guiltiest of pleasures, Make it or Break it. 

You WILL love us, no matter how bad our script is. 

4. I have called everywhere I can think of for a job (except for Timmies/McDonalds).
Even the SuperStore didn't want me. OMGGG.
Is it hard to file for unemployment?

5.  This cheered me up this morning.

samurai!

6. I've decided that I will sign up for a TEFLcourse this week.
I need to feel like I'm accomplishing something, rather than attempting to win the employment game.
No matter how productive I try to be, if I'm not actively doing something that's progressing my life somehow (and no, failed job applications don't count), then I'm bored and frustrated.
TEFL certification here I come!

7. I've seriously been loving the blogosphere lately.

x

Unemployment.

What am I doing with my life??
I've been home for three weeks now, and though my days seem busy and productive, I look back and feel like I've accomplished close to nothing.

A typical day

• I do a few chores. 
• I send out a few more resumes.
• Watch an episode or two of Modern Family/Community/The Office.
• Talk to some Conversation-Exchange friends (para mejorar mi español).
• Read some blogs.
• I hand out a few more resumes. 
• Clean another footxfoot disaster of my room. 
• I get to the gym (or complain about not going when my knee is making a fuss).
• Oscillate between refreshing my email inbox and staring at my cellphone in hopes of offers of employment
• I mope and watch whatever I missed the night before (à la: GossipGirl, Greys, Glee)
• Skype & Tumbl the night away

Yeah, I waste a lot of time. But I also try to get stuff done!
I think the main reason I'm struggling with this so much is because the longest I've ever gone without a job is 3 months, and that was while I was getting settled in France.
I feel so irrelevant without a job, I'm antisocial (relying on my overdraft every time I leave my house) and boring.
I keep thinking 'I could get a job abroad so easily!' and then start plotting out how to get my visas and I can feel a happy dance starting somewhere deep in my bones.
And then remember that they require bank statements proving that you can survive financially in a foreign country.
Or you know, pay for the flight.

Of course, that would be the main bullet point that I seem to have missed..
I think about traveling. And then laugh at myself because how can I dream about getting away if I haven't even started repaying my school bills, let alone paying for a trip?
I then read travel blogs and get either jealous or inspired.
Rinse & Repeat.


Video via La Fille Américaine that gets me grinning.

This n' That

Things that caught my attention this week...

Think you're young? Think again.
Click here for your reality check!

sci-fi Ikea instructions.
my favourite is the Tardis =P

The New Girl. 

My feelings are very scattered on this. I've never seen Zooey Deschanel in (what seems like) such a forced role. I feel like it could definitely be good and I know  that I'll watch it, but I'm nervous that it will ruin Zooey for me... 

omnomnommm (click for recipes!)

Hyperbole & a half has been my blog of choice lately.

Rant - Chuck Palahniuk
Added to the lineup of Chuck novels for summer reading.
Have I mentioned I love him?

Hope you can enjoy some of the links I've added!

Happy Tuesday =]

Media Monday =]

Music
A free release of the latest from Bon Iver is available for download!!!
Listening to it at the moment and definitely enjoying it.
Picks up pace half-way through.
Download 'Calgary', the first track from the new Bon Iver album here - http://boniver.org/

Television
I didn't watch any movies this week! Who am I these days??
Anyways, basically I've been working on catching up with some series, as I sometimes let myself fall behind while blasting through other shows (like 5 seasons of Doctor Who in April...). 
I'm up to...
Season 5 of The Office
Season 2 of Community
and I've got 6 episodes left of Modern Family.

It seems I'm in a 20-min-comedy mood these days. 

Does that make me weird?

Let's be honest though. The Office has a lot to do with my Jim+Pam fangirl-ing.

Not much else for today.

I've been groggy and anti-social since I woke up.

Whoooo knows.

Case of the Mondays?

Tomorrow will involve a compilation of this n' thats that I've been saving throughout the week =]

xx

(Belated) Things Thursday

So after a day and a half of procrastination on writing a post, Blogger decided to shut me out for like 3 days. Apologies to anyone who actually noticed lol.

1. This comes to you a week after the fact, but I am going to break down the makings of a centennial birthday party

a) the halls should be lined with pictures of you and your family through the ages. Your golf accomplishments and wedding pictures will get the most attention.
b) you will proudly display your birthday wishes from Queen Elizabeth and the Governor General of Canada.

c) there will be a room full of people to watch you cut the cake, to listen to the speeches given, and to give standing ovations.
d) you will lead a conga line.

e) your dance with your 80year old son will be a mix of heartwarming and absolutely adorable.
f) we will all be humbled by the fact that you claim to have led an 'uneventful' life, knowing full well that you lived through "both World Wars, two depressions, the development of the telephone, television, motor cars, aeroplanes, washing machines, advancements of medicine... etc etc ".
g) you'll be 100years old, and everyone will think that that makes you pretty badass. 

2. I'm still job hunting and it's getting seriously frustrating.

3. I found a new website for any of you language fanatics!
It's called Conversation Exchange, and you basically find a match by entering your native language, and the language you're interested in learning. It essentially gives you free tutoring!
I now have 5 spanish-speaking friends from all over, who are helping me improve my Spanish while I help them with their English =]. Check it out!
Skype is a wonderful thing.

4. I am loving the weather lately.
I spent some time out in the sun with my dear Amanda and her dog.
I got a bit of a burn.
He got a tad slobbery.
I called Brianna's dog a bear last week. In comparison to Bentley, however, she is more of a horse.

Bentley <33

All in all, I've had a very good week.
Now comes the rain and the R&R.
Soon comes the mental breakdown from lack of income.
I suppose this too shall pass....
x

Multi-Media Monday!

I couldn't choose what to cover today so I'm going broad-spectrum.
Movie.
Music.
(Social)Media.
This could have to do with the fact that I spent the majority of yesterday afternoon in bed, nursing a hangover.
Centennial birthdays apparently include open bars.
And wedged between my brother's 20th, and my mother's Day, many a glass of wine, followed by many a vodka-cran were swiftly downed.

Have you ever danced a conga led by a 100yr old birthday girl?
More on that tomorrow.

Movie of the Week
I've Loved You So Long (Il y a Longtemps que Je T'aime)

As you may have noticed in my previous posts, I've had a French itch to scratch.
I haven't been at school for 3 weeks now, so my only foreign communication is textual rather than spoken. I miss my french classes (and my favourite prof who added me to facebook this weekend!) and I needed a fix.
The movie has won many an award, though I hadn't heard of it until a Social Deviance lecture.
It's subtitled  and features Kristen Scott Thomas. 
Definitely an interesting plot, but a little slow-moving.
I just loved being reminded of my experiences in France.
The rendez-vous at the cafés, the quiche served up for dinner, the subtle way the women can wear rags and still pull off femininity (I really was confused about the drab fashion but it's an older movie and of course they're french so they know better than I do...)
A good watch if you don't mind subtitles!

Music of the the Week
Laid, by James

This came on shuffle while I was driving home from Muskoka yesterday.
I don't know how I let myself forget about it.
Anyways, I got a good laugh because let's be honest - brilliant song.
But mainly because it brings up all the nostalgia and memories of being an RA at UoG.
I'm not sure how many of my old staff are reading this now, but I definitely miss you all to pieces... but you know how it is.
my therapist said not to see you no more. 

Media of the Week (blogs!)
I've found a huge number of new blogs to follow over the last week and these are a few of my favourites. Literally Laughing-Out-Loud throughout some of them, or smiling knowingly though others - I have to ask you to please give them a chance!

Alert The Audience:
Tim is Witty. Tim lives in China. Tim teaches children. Hilarity ensues.

Childhood Trama: the books that ruined us for life:
Goosebumps, Sweet Valley High, Nancy Drew and The Babysitters Club as you've never read them before. Dialogue between some over-the-top obnoxious girls makes it slightly more than entertaining.

Lor: Elsewhere, Eliza-stalker is watching as Jess and Bruce get out of the lake. Liz ditches her totally hot, popularboyfriend at a party in favor of peeping her sister in the woods. Dammit Liz. You SUCK. Somewhere Todd is thinking, "I wish she did."

Liz finds them and then the book describes a ton of heavy breathing and it's pretty uncomfortable. I mean... is this sex? Are they having sex? DOES SEX EXIST??? Liz is super creepy and watches them for a while and then is all *cough, cough, cough* but that doesn't really stop Jess and Bruce so she just walks right up to them.

Sara: Does Elizabeth have a fucking masters degree in Cock Blocking? What a creep, yo.

Lor: Minor in stalking, for sure. 

La Fille Americaine:
Courtney is adorable and very much dedicated to her passion for all things travel.
She writes the blog I wish I could write, but alas, my life is very lacklustre at the moment and so I shall live vicariously through her soon-to-be Parisien Life.
If you're even slightly inclined to francophilia, do take a look.
Also, I like her shoes.

Ok lady-gents and gentle-bros, I'm going to assume that you have now decided to take my advice on any of the above and are happily enjoying China or France or 80s teen fiction.
Or maybe you're dancing in the mirror singing about kitchen knives & skewers.
As usual, I'm always looking for more, so share your own favourites if you wish, and have yourself some lovely browsing =]
x

Mall Rats meets Parks&Rec.

Today I spent some time with the lovely Brianna.
Mother's day is coming up, of course, so we moseyed on over to the mall.
We both spent far too much money -but such is the case when we get together, so I was prepared.
Brianna and I are good at browsing. That way, you can't help but find exactly what you're looking for.
Always a good time, just never easy to leave a store.
Queens of 'oh but this one's nice TOO!'
I appreciate her slow-and-steady technique and she appreciates my honest critiques.
A good match.

"look! it has a BIRD on it!"
(click!)

Anyways, Bri is one of those friends that I don't see all school year, and maintain minimal contact with until the end of exams, but we recap and catch-up and it's like we were never apart.
It's been this way since we were 15yrs old.
Today was the first of many a summer plan.
I'm already plotting trips to the city to harass her in her Toronto abode.

She thinks I make the trek because she's special.
Really I just love her dog bear.

And her ironic swagger on hillsides

And the way she cuts me off in all of our pictures.

"What?? This post is about me anyways!"

I realize this post is completely pointless. I just feel weird going away for the weekend without blogging - I've become so attached!
Felt like a good chat about mall adventures and rekindled flames reunited friends.
Now go follow our example & buy your mother something lovely.
We both know you put her through enough growing up - she deserves something nice!
x

Things Thursday

1.I just saw Gaga's new video.
mixed feelings, but I know the song is going to be stuck in my head so I suppose she's done her part successfully.

2. My puppy, Toby (fine, he's 9. Young at heart!) has an infected something-or-other on his shoulder.
He's not happy about it and keeps biting at it.
We've had to get him a cone.
I think he looks ridiculously adorable (or adorably ridiculous?).
He hates my guts.

D'awwww

Tell me I'm wrong. 

3. I've been to the gym almost everyday this week.
This semester I lost any muscle I had fought for last year.
My cardio is pathetic & I start spinning again next week, so that'll definitely be a test of my willpower.
Separate note: I go to a No Frills-esque gym, so the equipment is very basic. I miss my AMT dearly.

4. Photos I'm loving of this n' that.

Food porn?

so.much.want. 

light & summery & lovely

5.  I'm looking into TESOL/TEFL classes. I think I'll be choosing TEFL, but I was wondering if anyone had any knowledge of the programs that I wouldn't? Or if you've had experience teaching abroad?

6. Carley, a fashion blogger and fellow Canadian I met living in France last year, has returned this week to work in Paris. Reading her recent entries and browsing through the posted photos, I can't help but feel slightly homesick. What's hit me more are the the travel photos.
Airports & luggage & plane food - it just became so frequent (and annoying at the time) - that I didn't appreciate what a ritual it was before & after each trip. The excitement and curiosity before hand, and the  closure and replay of memories on the way back. <33
The thought of terminals warms my heart, who knew?

7.  I've been packing my own bags this week, in preparation for a 100th birthday party this weekend.
A first, but I'd hope not a last. I find aging lovely, to be honest.
The nice part is that it's up in Muskoka!

 It'll be my first time back up since August and I can't wait to see the lakes.

=] I hope you all have lovely weekends ahead
x

On coming home.

It's strange.
2nd year spent at school
summer at the cottage
3rd year spent in france
summer in spain
4th year spent again at school.
but here I am.
Home again, after 2.5 years.

I find things extremely familiar, but far too different to feel comfortable just yet.
Like when did the kids on my street become teenagers?
And why don't I recognize everyone at the grocery store?
Also my high school seems small. And going to the gym and being greeted by the staff I remember so perfectly & somehow they have no idea who I am.
I WORKED IN THIS GYM DAMNIT.
K pool. fine. moving on.

Anyways, my house is still a disaster and my room is midway between storage room and hurricane. I've decided that there will be big projects this summer. I'm determined to paint and make it mine. Being gone so long my parents seem to have forgotten that I need a pathway to my bed. And that the 7 paintings leaning on top of all their other discarded items aren't helping to warm the atmosphere.
The book case does the job,  filled with memories and children's books, photos and stuffed animals.
However, that too is currently hidden by garbage bags of who knows what.

Renovations are in order.
As are reunions.
So far my only reunion has been with this crazy lady.

I have friends of the highest caliber.
Also, I'm good at finding the least flattering pictures of myself...

But I'm sure there will be many more to come.

In fact, most of my To-Do's are R-words.
Renovate
Reunite
Resume write
Read the list of chores my parents leave for me every morning...

Still adapting though aha, one thing at a time.
Oh. and a final, separate, more bitter R-pill to swallow: Rant about election results

Music Monday - Thao Nguyen

Haven't watched any movies this week!
Music it is.

I figured I could use today to support one of my favourite artists that I feel deserves some more attention.  A few years ago I went to see Rilo Kiley with some girlfriends and the opening band blew me away.
Thao Nguyen has solo work but also collaborations and her collab with The Get Down Stay Down always brings me right back to the concert. I constantly find myself with her songs stuck in my head even after going months without listening to her.

Today specifically I've had Bag of Hammers on replay.
But her better known song is Swimming Pools.
I've included both!
Enjoy =]




Also to note, a real 'update' post will be coming tomorrow =]
Let me know what you think and I'm always open for recommendations!
x