I went down to Calgary from Tuesday evening til Thursday to visit some friends and look at the possibility of working there (or for a company based in Calgary remote from my home office) and after completing the drive twice have decided that while some people commute long ways for a job – and I did it previously to go to school when I lived in Ontario – the idea of making that drive every day while I was also working just wasn’t for me. Back to the drawing board.

Feast Number One Hundred & Fourty One

Appetizer: How fast can you type?

• Last time I was tested I was at 83 wpm. I think it depends on the keyboard I’m using though.

Soup: What is your favorite online game?

• I don’t play any. I am, however, addicted to the many versions of Ratchet & Clank and Resident Evil

Salad: On a scale of 1 to 10 (with 10 as highest), how intelligent do you think you are?

• Uh oh! I’ll probably rank myself far higher than I should. I’d say about an 8.5, since my last IQ test tells me I’m a lazy genius.

Main Course: Name three of your best teachers from your school years.

• I’m assuming this is for grades 1-12 only. Mr. Horgan (3 years Advanced English and Canadian Literature), Mr. Theriault (French, History, Spanish, Entrepreneurship – what can I say, it was a small school), and Ms. Prescott (the only one who could help me understand basic math concepts).

Dessert: What are your plans for this upcoming weekend?

• Friday night Karaoke of course. Saturday and Sunday I need to work in the garden, clean the house, and will likely meet with a “client” about his Web site design project.

Condiments:

1. What is your favorite outdoor activity?
   Camping and all it entails (hiking, canoeing, fishing, rambling with the dogs, etc.).
2. Are you outdoors not often enough, too often, or just often enough?
   Not often enough, but in Winter and early Spring it’s just too cold to spend much time outdoors. Try to make up for it in Summer and Fall.
3. When was the last time you slept in a tent?
   Hmm, how long have we owned the RV? I think it was probably 5 or 6 years ago. We tried tenting for a year until we ended up waking up in a lake after a torrential downpour. A few weeks later we were negotiating the purchase of our (used) RV.
4. Where is your favorite beach?
   Mispec Beach, Saint John, NB. There’s something to be said for swimming in the Bay of Fundy and being home.
5. In what social, academic, or professional group are you on the outer fringes of? In what social, academic, or professional group are you right in the middle of?
   I refuse to answer on the grounds that I may incriminate myself. This is Canada, I don’t get to “plead the Fifth”.

h/t to Caylynn’s Contemplations for the FF graphic. I shamelessly swiped it from her site.

Technorati Tags: Friday’s Feast, condiments

Welcome to the 24th edition of the screaming pages Thursday Thirteen.

I’ve mentioned a few times that I’m a Karaoke junkie and figured now is as good as any time to explain why.

On a trip to Manila I headed up to Antipolo with a group of friends – Eula, MJ, Chas, Bon and Val – for an afternoon of videoke, food, beer and fun. One thing I’ve learned from my many trips to Manila is that a lot of Filipino’s love to sing. Their joy in song is infectious and before long (although with quite a bit of prodding) I joined in.

When I returned to Canada, I started joining in when my friends were singing. Since I’d only be home for a few weeks before flying back out to Manila, each trip home would always include a trip to the bar and at least one rendition of my soon to be named traveling songs.

What I hadn’t realized before Manila was what a social event heading out to Karaoke can be. As many of my work friends have also run away from the evil empire (most long before I finally quit), Friday nights at Karaoke is often the only time we manage to get together as a group. Sure, about once every few months we gather for dinner out at a restaurant, but Karaoke is always fun because you never know who is going to show up or what they’ll be singing. Sometimes, there’s only a small handful of us, 4 or 5 at the most. Other nights, over 20 people might show up to share stories and sing.

Now, I’m the one dragging newcomers out to Karaoke. Mom and the hubby have even trotted up to the mike to belt out a song or two.

Thirteen songs I’ve sung at Karaoke. Leaving on a Jet Plane – Peter, Paul & Mary Daniel – Elton John Desperado – Eagles People are Strange – The Doors The Dance – Garth Brooks Closing Time – Semisonic Bitch – Meredith Brooks Crazy – Patsy Cline Walking in Memphis – Marc Cohn I don’t want to miss a thing – Areosmith Friends in Low Places – Garth Brooks Have You Ever Seen the Rain? – CCR Proud Mary – CCR Get the Thursday Thirteen code here! The purpose of the meme is to get to know everyone who participates a little bit better every Thursday. Visiting fellow Thirteeners is encouraged! If you participate, leave the link to your Thirteen in others comments. It’s easy, and fun! Be sure to update your Thirteen with links that are left for you, as well! I will link to everyone who participates and leaves a link to their 13 things. Trackbacks, pings, comment links accepted! View More Thursday Thirteen Participants

Technorati Tags: thursday thirteen, t13, meme, karaoke, Manila

In the past year, I’ve written just under 290 posts and have received 1021 comments. In this time, I’ve also managed to collect up over 10,000 pieces of spam (and no, this isn’t a reference to the SpamJam restaurant in Manila). Perhaps I should have joined the “will exercise for spam” group instead of the “will exercise for comments” blog roll. I’d likely be very svelt and muscular by now. On the downside, I’d likely never have left my poor treadmill for months!

Technorati Tags: spam

The black tie dinner I attended a two weekends ago (when the license was misplaced) was quite the experience and not just because the hubby dressed up in his newly purchased tux. Men have it so easy when it comes to finding the proper clothing for these types of events. Slap on a tux and away you go.

Women, on the other hand, first must understand if the event is black tie, formal, semi-formal, or casual just to pick the proper dress length, shoes, degree of make-up, and hairstyle. Of course, being a Levi’s, t-shirt and sandals wearing hippie type who rarely wears make-up or does more to my hair than wash and brush it – I was way out of my league. So yes, I did traipse around town visiting all the swanky stores to determine what length the dress needed to be, what colours were appropriate, etc. What can I say? When other people dress me I can clean up quite nice.

aside: My visiting (Scots) aunt helped me pick out the pant suit I often wear on interviews and a helpful store clerk helped me pick out the skirt suit. Blouse, shoes, accessories and all…

I was originally planning to wear the black dress my mom had given me for Christmas, but was hoping that I’d find something a bit fancier within my budget. While I wouldn’t completely embarass anyone if I wore the black dress, it was a little too short and plain for a black tie affair.

That said, I didn’t manage to find a dress until 72 hours before the big event. I chose a floor length navy blue satin number with sparkly stuff on the top that ended up all over my plate and anyone I wandered within 100 feet of. On the bright side, my sparkles were silver and less noticable when on skin than my friend Amber’s. Her dress was decked out in blue sparkles and by the end of the night they were everywhere – including her drink and her nose!

Once the dress was purchased, I had to find shoes. After trying on 3+ inch heels that were more likely to bring about my death than prompt me to wander aimlessly between the gathering groups of people, I settled on a strappy pair of sandals that were just as likely to land me face first into a potted plant.

At least I’d fit in, the even was being held at the Muttart Conservatory, so I expected lots of other things to land in the plants – like mosquitos.

Dress and shoes sorted out, I needed a haircut. Prior to sitting down in the stylists chair, I had a (just past) shoulder length blonde bob with bangs. After she did her magic, I had a layered cut that looked great at the time. She fluffed and added goop and it all looked so simple at the time. Of course, one wash later and I was left looking like I’d hacked at it myself with a pair of rusty scissors and a blindfold on. The hubby calls it my country music star look. I think I look like a member of an 80’s hair band – and they were ALL male!

The cab arrived early so all plans of make-up were abandoned. Probably a good thing since I don’t really have the first clue how to apply it properly. Since I didn’t have an appropriate clutch or evening purse, my license was handed over to the hubby for safe keeping (just in case I needed ID) and off we went.

We had a fabulous night. The hubby belongs to an all male organization and the black tie event was the annual ball celebrating the wives. I met lots of new people, most of whom I’ve promptly forgotten, and was reuinted with some women I’d met on previous night out. It ended at a decent hour so getting a cab home was easy and the party clothes were hung up with care – swapped for jeans, t-shirts and sandals of course.

Technorati Tags: black tie, dress, shoes, clothes