knew i should have joined the circus

A juggler.

A balloon artist.

A magician.

All walk into a bar…

No, they are all people my staff thought we could use at one of our family/kid orientated events next month.

Guess how much the juggler costs per hour.

As per usual we’ll be doing our own face painting, and are considering renting a cotton candy machine or a popcorn machine. Still really pricey for us, given that the event itself is free. At least we were able to get our refreshments donated. What do you think we’d get more of a return with, selling cotton candy or popcorn?

speaking in tongues

I am so glad that I have this archive of posts to remind me of my life.

I had a conversation last week with one of my friends from Germany, whom I met while I was living in England. She’s one of my musical soul mates. We never have a conversation without a lost in translation moment, yet it’s one of the things that makes the friendship tick. She makes me look at language so specifically, what every syllable means, how words interact with each other, and most notably how sarcasm does not always translate.  We have the greatest talks about lyrics as well, coming at a song from such different perspectives. I knew I had transcribed a few into posts here, and I was able to look them up without too much fuss, which brought a smile to my eye.

I’ve been thinking about visiting her for quite some time, as she lives in the same village as many of my other German friends from Newcastle. It’s hard to plan holidays in my current situation, but I think my travel goal for 2012 will be to visit there, which is just outside of Berlin. Knowing that I have a couch to crash on that I can pay for in mix tapes really helps. One must never underestimate the power of a mix – true currency with some friends.

Plus, I like having a travel goal. Even if it is a bit unattainable.

Do you have any summer goals?

I’m going to try to write more, and go out dancing at least twice.

It’s been too long.

caption this…

what does this one do again?

Over the long weekend the Boy was here for a visit, which coincided with his birthday. Normally I gift him geeky type things – as there are endless possibilities – and this year one of his gifts was 3D chess.

Now, I didn’t really think this through, as the first thing he said after opening it was “You know you’re going to have to play this with me, right?”

Crap.

I can play chess, but it frustrates me, so the thought of 3D chess is not that appealing. “And now that I’ve put it together, it has to stay here in your flat. “

Joy. You can see my excitement as we play a game.

I should have went with the crocheted Futurama dolls.

It’s actually not that bad. I’m just being stubborn. I’m really glad I just got the starter 3D chess though. There were sets on 5 or 6 levels, like the one from Star Trek.

I hope to win at least one game by the end of summer.

currently…

just got home from the cinema and listening to Wilson Philips because ‘Hold On’ was played at the end of Bridesmaids and it’s stuck in my head. the best way to get a bad song out is to play it. there are some hilarious spoofs of that video on YouTube.

extremely happy the rain let up this afternoon. been a while since i’d seen the mountaintops.

thinking tomorrow a trip to Main Street for some record shopping is in order. want to bake some bread too. although i could very well just look at the latest Radiohead for another week or so. you don’t see a lot of clear vinyl.

going for another cup of red tea.

downloading more Food Network shows. i really miss that channel. if you watch it, do you have a favourite show? i was thinking of breaking down and ordering cable and then i got a letter in the mail today that informed me my MSP (medical service plan all BC residents have to pay into) is going to double per month. downloading it is!

keeping my fingers crossed that my computer starts to play nice again. i’ve reformatted and ran every scan i can think of. even cleaned the desktop. it’s normally not that clean, trust me. still need to configure the icon pictures. tomorrow.

currently…you are?

words we don’t say

According to the editor of New York Magazine.

I agree with a few on this list, but I find the concept hilarious.

What words would make your list? What are your favourite words as of late?

Listless and languid are ones I’m using frequently, as its how I’ve been feeling.

7 random pictures that made me smile today

caption one…

tangled up in blue

Given that it’s Zimmerman’s 70th Birthday today, there have been an abundance of his best of lists floating around. Or at least I’ve noticed a few.  There’s also a new Death Cab for Cutie album, new Arcade Fire tracks and Stephen Merritt tunes circling around the web too.  Lots of action for a long weekend, really.

I’m normally a sucker for lists, and new music, but lately I’ve been feeling quite listless and can’t seem to muster any energy for music. However, this is one of my favourite Dylan tunes. So much speculation about this one…

p.s. This “After the Rapture” video made me laugh today.

not a pirates life for me

Last night I went to see Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides, the fourth installment of the film franchise.

Before entering the cinema I had not seen a trailer, or read a review. I was going purely on the fact I had enjoyed all other three films (the first two especially). I shall not make that mistake again. It’s rare I start to nod off in the theatre, and I definitely fell asleep for a little bit last night. Even the previous three films – given their length – all kept a relatively lively pace. This one did not, and it was only 2 hours.

As the story really didn’t keep me interested last night (quest for the fountain of youth), I started to ponder other successful franchises and wondered has there been a solid franchise that’s kept it up after the first three films? Even the Harry Potter series I would argue has been slipping since the fourth film. Star Trek was the only other series that came to mind where my favourite is past the first three.

What about you, what’s your favourite film series? What do you think makes it work? Keeping with the same director? Writer?

oh skycake…

What type of food dish does one bring to a rapture party?

Cupcakes seem fitting.