Coves + Capes = Good Times

One of the great things in the world is when things collide to be a good time without having to plan too much. I can sometimes over-plan! I was hoping to go camping - which caused me to cancel on a kayaking invite - but my throat had been bothering me and I was positive that sickness was on the horizon. So no plans were made but then the weekend just gelled together into a full and rewarding use of time. Friday was mellow and full of football which is always good.

Saturday started with work but that turned out to go well and quickly. I often find the office a productive place to be when noone else is around and Saturday allowed me to get some extra tasks completed. Once all the details were done I went down to the local theatre to catch Becoming Jane - a romantic tale based on the life of Jane Austin. Two tear-filled hours of tragic romance later I was back in the sunshine. With clear skies above me I took off to Peggy's Cove with hopes of taking some decent pictures of the sunset. I must confess to loving Peggy's Cove now. It has become my personal retreat when I want to go somewhere to think and just soak up the sea air.

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Fish'n'chips for dinner and an hour of fading sun later left me some great shots and full of energy. What to do with that energy? Time to go for a beer. So a social drink with some co-workers tunred into a 4am-night at the Alehouse (it has been ages!). Needless to say, I was feeling a little bit rough the next morning. But I had a little plan in the back of my brain to finally visit Cape Split and I wasn't going to flake out. So I got my awesome car started and drove the hour to the valley to begin my scenic trek. I began by taking some pictures along the shore because the views were excellent. But that meant that I missed the actual trail head and ended up on a more "rustic" path. This path led me to a convoluted mix of trails through the wilds of the penninsula. I got scratched by raspberry bushes, thrashed through overgrown brush, got stuck on the wrong side of a ravine, and had a genuine "where the hell am I" moment only twice! I think this is the downside of hiking alone - you end up in the middle of nowhere with only the partridges to talk to! Eventually I found the path - and ACTUAL path - and got my way to the point. What an incredible place.

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After my random trekking it was marvelous to walk into the open grass, see the sun sparkles on the sea, listen to the gulls, and try to take pictures of the rock formations without falling off the cliffs! A full and fabulous afternoon. After it all, my body tired and sore (hiking hungover is not recommended) I drove home in time to watch my favourite cheesy show "Instant Star". What a brilliant weekend.

Maebe Motivation

Just to make sure that I don't contribute to the development of a second-child complex for Maebe I thought I would post another pic of my darling neice. This is another chance for me to gush about her awesomeness.

Actually, today is a busy and tiring one for me so I wish I could be sleeping as peacefully as this little pumpkin here. I am really struggling with balance in my life these days. I am feeling completely caged by my work, school, and volunteer obligations and when I get like this I start to get sick and shut down. I have realized that I haven't committed to a job location for more than a year so I think I have itchy-work-feet!

The other stressor is my anxiety over what my "plan" is for the future. I know that I am not satisfied with my current life situation but I am feeling completely overwhelmed about what to do/where to go next. The arrival of Maebe has really made me think about being closer to my family and that requires some planning. I am working towards a May graduation and that requires effort. But I find my motivations depleted these days. I have lost my life inspiration and I am not sure where it is. Of course life is not as gloomy as this post may imply. I am just feeling lost right now (a common theme on this blog is you sift through the archives) but I know it will pass. Good things lay ahead - I just can't see them yet. So I need to remind myself to focus on today. FYI, I am VERY bad at being present-minded! Thus, in moments like this I look to the wonders of children and the warm love that I feel for those in my family and push forward to the bright side of life.

Two Actresses - One Face

I saw the new Transformers this week (review coming soon - I promise) and something really bugged me. The film showcases starlet Megan Fox as the token hot chick/lead love interest and other than her bare midriff and fake lashes her appearance shocked me. It shocked me because she is identical to late-1990s starlet Jodi Lyn O'Keefe. Seriously.

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The girls have more than looks in common.
Both were MAXIM covergirls to promote their recent films :
Megan for Transformers
Jodi for She's All That

Both were noticed for Young Hollywood Achievements:
Jodi won a 2000 Young Hollywood Award
Megan was nominated for a 2005 Young Artist Award

Both guest-starred on "Two and a Half Men" in 2004.

Both played a character named 'Candace' at one point in her career.

And both girls rock heavily-lashed blue eyes with severely sculpted brows:
Megan
Jodi

All of which reminds how completely cookie-cutter and unoriginal Hollywood really is because sometimes I need that reminder!

My Preferred Jessica

From time to time I have to admit to a certain girl crush. Last time it was the efferevescent Mandy Moore. This time it is the stunning Ms. Biel. This confession is actually hard for me as I was so adamantly anti-Biel during her "7th Heaven" days. She was just another little starlet with limited appeal. When she skanked it up to get out of her "family-values"-laden TV show I was less impressed. She came across as kind of desperate and I really thought that she would fade into the shadows of superstar wannabe-ness.

But then Esquire named her the Sexiest Woman Alive and she did a hot bikini scene in Stealth in the summer of 2005 and then she was everywhere. But these incidents did not endear her to me. In truth, I cannot explain exactly why my views have changed but her profliferation has given me time to reflect and I have decided to like her. My positive feelings began with her turn in The Illusionist wherein she held her own with Edward Norton and Rufus Sewell. Next was the emergence of a red-carpet savviness as evidenced here, here and here. Then there is her awesome (I mean, the woman is HOT!) - and wonderfully healthy - body that hints at a well-adjusted mind under all that muscle tone.

But the thing that really convinced me this year was a recent appearance on Letterman to promote I Now Pronounce you Chuck & Larry. In the segment she was cajoled into singing karaoke and it was a fantastically sincere and awkward endeavour. So now I must admit that in the race between the 3 Jessicas (Biel, Simpson & Alba) my choice is the (ok, I admit it) talented and lady-like Biel.

If It Feels Good Do It

Sloan came to Halifax last night. I have been trying to see the band for quite some time but the dates just never gelled with other things in my life. But last night they were here and playing The Marquee. The Marquee is a great music club that is like going to Lee's Palace in Toronto or the Capital in Ottawa. It makes is fine - small - venue to see a band play. So needless to say, I was stoked about the opportunity. But then I had to find someone to see the concert with me. OK - if it had been a real crunch I may have gone alone but that wasn't my preference. So cheers to Anna for accepting my invitation. But then I had a very heavy week at work and got no sleep on Thursday night so when it came time to get ready on Friday I was almost about to bail on the entire plan. What was I thinking!? The concert was EXCELLENT. We go there just as Sloan took the stage and played a rock-fueled 90 minutes of awesomeness before heading home again. All my faves were played. It was so invigorating to be in the crowd. I loved it. It did not disappoint. And now I have one more concert "to-do" to check off my list.

Instant Squee

I have a soft spot for teen drama on TV. I grew up on Degrassi. I was a 90210 fan in highschool. And even though I am well beyond my teen years I still enjoy a good show about young people trying to make their way.

A few years ago I stumbled upon a Canadian show called "Instant Star" created by the team that brought us Degrassi all those years ago. The premise surrounds Jude Harrison, a sparkly girl with a fantastic voice, who wins an American-Idol-esque contest and now must make her way in the big, band music industry. She is supported by her best friend, her sister and her band. She gets all angsty over ex-boyband member-turned-producer Tommey Q. She battles it out with company executive Darius (Maestro Fresh Wes!). I was sucked in from the start primarily because Tommy (Tim Rozon) has perfect cupid's bow lips and Jude (Alexz Johnson - who does all her own singing on the show) is both stunning and - gasp! - likeable.

So last night, in the middle of the 3rd season, these two characters finally committed some kissage. Yay! I really am a sucker for the inevitable character hookups - especially when the characters have chemistry like these two. You can catch up on all the "Instant Star" goodness (and cheesiness - I admit it!) on the CTV broadband network. It is always good to support Canadian talent.

Atlantic Anniversary #2

This week marks my second anniversary in Halifax. I never planned to be here this long but time flies when you are living life in a fantastic city on the coast. In the last year I have managed to get good at my job and still keep my A average at school. I have actually written a few words for my research paper and managed to date more than ever before. These are all good things. Work helped me to travel a good portion of the Atlantic provinces and fun friends added other road trips like this shot from Hopewell Rocks, NB. I have also confirmed some of my favourite things:

- lamb souvlaki dinners from Athens
- italian gelato from Bottecelli's
- chai lattes from Caffe Ristretto
- late night grocery shopping at the 24-hr Sobeys
- quickie trips to Peggy's Cove
- the fantastic student subscription at the Neptune Theatre
- fish'n'chips from Phil's
- Lawrencetown, Crystal Crescent and Clam Harbour
- the Public Gardens on a sunny day
- Shakespeare by the Sea at Point Pleasant Park
- knowing how to avoid the Armdale Rotary
- swimming after work at the lake
- my football guys (they know who they are!)

In all, life here is pretty good. I only wish more of my closest friends were nearby. I have at least one year left on this edge of the country. If you have a desire to visit you better get out here!

... Year 1 ...

Phoenix Time

There is a moment in life when you get blindsided by the fact that the man you believe you could love has, in fact, fallen for someone else. This truth leads to extensive crying where you can feel the tears being squeezed from your eyes while at the same time finding it hard to pinpoint why you feel so much. Then you awake the next day and you realize that you are grieving the loss of possibility. That you are hurt by the re-opening of a rejection wound inflicted many years before. That you are mourning an end of certain things, places, and actions. But if you look deep, in that place you have been ignoring, you realize that you are not lamenting the loss of the man - himself. Part of this is because you know he will never be gone and part of this is the because you know (now) it was never what you imagined. And two days later a friend suggests how good it was to have learned, cried and realized all this while at home. In that place surrounded by those who love you so that you can be reminded of the WHO that you are. The mighty WHO that is the real you and not the unchosen girl you thought yourself to be. And then you remember a lesson from the man about THIS moment. And you repeat it ... this moment. And you pick up the mantra you had left aside weeks ago when you got lost and say it over and over ... "this moment, this moment ..." and with it you jump back into the only sure thing there is - the neverending flux and change of the world.