Cuba. Is. Booked.

We have been planning on going to Cuba this year and last weekend we booked it! Woo! Hoo! We're leaving December 5th and returning on December 13th.

After working 13 days straight (more to come on that, which is why I haven't been posting lately) it's really great to have something to look forward to.

We're staying at Sandals. I just hope we don't run into this couple. (Click on the image - do it.)

Book Review #3

Well, it's been a while since I did one of these, as you can tell by my book pile. Click here and here for my first two book reviews. I've also been veering off the book sale pile because I wasn't having much luck - none of these are from the book sale.

Plus, I really need a break from novels.

1. The Glass Lake - Maeve Binchy
Maeve is a good bet for an easy summer book - interesting story and light reading. She delivers with this one and at first the story is really good, almost a "page-turner". But after a while, it just goes on and on and it's too long. I'm glad I read it though.

2. Guns, Germs and Steel - Jared Diamond
This is one of Brad's favourite books, he reads non-fiction almost exclusively and this one is fantastic! I learned so much in this book, and the way it's written is really easy to understand. The theories make you think "Well, of course? Why haven't we thought this before?" I strongly recommend this one.

3. Naked - David Sedaris
This book starts off really well and had me laughing for sure. The antics of this family, especially the over-protective dad are classic and hilarious. But about halfway through it just became silly and unbelievable. I lost interest in the character and started thinking about what I was going to read next.

4. Stumbling on Happiness - Daniel Gilbert
This book is awesome in a Blink and Freakonomics way. I love books that take a more in-depth look at things we all experience but don't think twice about. Did you know that we have a blind spot right in front of us (where the optic nerve at the back of our eye is) and our brains fill in the blanks? Read this, do it.

5. Weathered Bones - Michele Powles
This is a book by a New Zealand author - my friend V. had it when she was here. At first the book is really great, then it takes a weird turn and the story isn't what I was hoping.
*Spoiler alert*
I don't know why the ghost had to be so angry? She didn't seem that way when she was alive....and why did Grace lose her mind when she was haunted? Was it just to prove that people deal things in different ways?



I have to share this with you guys. This is what I normally put up with from The Bad Room Mate almost every time I'm on the computer. Sorry, about the crappy photo, but it's hard to do when your arm is pinned down. He rolls on the keyboard, puts his legs on my arm, then gets mad when I type because he's trying to sleep.

Anyway, I'm working tons of overtime these days so I barely have time to get some pages in before I crash into bed these days. I'm also wanting to read more non-fiction. Any recommendations?

Necklaces

A couple weeks ago I lost my favourite necklace. I was so upset. It was this really great subtle silver chain with a small pendant on it that Brad had given me years ago. In fact, it was probably the first piece of jewellery he ever gave me.

It was 11:30 at night when I realized it was missing. We ended up in the park with flashlights. Early the next morning I was back out scouring the grass in earnest, and to no avail. I was/am devastated.

On Friday I came home from work and there was a package in the mail. I am expecting a couple of Etsy packages and thought it was one of them, although it was coming to the wrong address. I glanced at the return address - the UK? That's weird.....I was sure the shops were in the States.....total confusion.

I opened the package and pulled out a slip of paper:

....and encountered Brad grinning away. Right away the tears came and I asked him "What did you do?!"

What he did was buy me two amazing pieces of jewellery from my favourite Etsy shop of all - Owl on the Sill.

(photo by Steph at Owl on the Sill)

I've had my eye on this necklace for ages. (Seriously I marked it on January 10th and have coveted it, and the rest of her shop ever since.)

(photo by Steph at Owl on the Sill)

I've wanted a pair of wire wrapped earrings for a long time, and hers are the best. She always seems to have the proportion of wire to stone just right and the stones she uses are so pretty. These deliver, they are gorgeous!!

Now I'm finding myself choosing what to wear based on what will match my new jewellery.

I have the best husband ever.

15 Albums

The list of 15 Albums has been completed by Christielli and Galapagos and now it's my turn!

Here are the rules:
Don't take too long to think about it. Fifteen albums you've heard that will always stick with you. List the first fifteen you can recall in no more than fifteen minutes. Remember: List records in no particular order.

1. Tori Amos - Little Earthquakes

The first time I heard of Tori Amos...yeah it was 1994. It was an album review in a reader produced issue of Sassy magazine (which was another big part of my life). I was living in Regina, I headed out right away in -40C (-40F) to walk to the record store to buy it. It was love at first listen and I was hooked.

2. The Tragically Hip - Day for Night

This album takes me back to 1993, the first Another Roadside Attraction concert. First row with my friend Dustin, we stood there for hours in the baking sun, squished in the mosh pit. It was so worth it. I was a huge Hip fan. I love every song on this album.

3. Sonny Stitt sits in with The Oscar Peterson Trio

I dated a jazz musician for a little while in Regina, he introduced me to this album. It's amazing.

4. The Tragically Hip - Full Completely

I grew up on the prairies, so it's like I was pre-programmed to love The Hip. This album is epic. Every song is stunning, belted out perfectly, amazing poetry.....it is a classic and will always be one of my favourite albums.

5. Tom Waits - Nighthawks at the Diner

This is the first Tom Waits album I got my hands on and it delivers. I don't even know where this concert was performed (I should look it up, I mean really....) but I like to imagine it actually takes place in a run down diner. Tom Waits is my all time, all time favourite musician. This album brought me into his world and I'm still amazed at what he produces.

6. Operation IvyI remember driving around the city when I was in high school with my friend Sam with this album cranked. And singing top volume of course. I'm surprised we weren't in an accident.
This album was hard to find where I was growing up. There was a super cool 'alternative' record store in Regina that I would haunt and I found it there.

7. David Bowie - Hunky Dory

Hunky Dory and Ziggy Stardust go hand-in-hand for me. I grew up listening to this stuff. My mom had the vinyls. I remember running around the house dancing to this album. This is one of my favourite albums of all time. (Next to Ziggy Stardust.)

8. Alanis Morissette - Bitter Little Pill

I was in college when this album came out and my boyfriend had just dumped me for one of my friends. This was JUST what I needed: a good album full of bitter songs, obviously it spoke to me at the time.

9. Smashing Pumpkins - Pisces Iscariot

I love, love, love this album. I was a big Smashing Pumpkins fan, but this album spoke to me more than the others for some reason. When I listen to it I remember taking the Oak bus to work in downtown Vancouver.....I was 21. Frail and Bedazzled and Plume especially take me back.....

10. Pink Floyd - The Final Cut

Again, most people would choose The Wall or another album as their favourite Pink Floyd album, but not me. I like this one, there is such a great storyline here and the message is super powerful. I listened to it over and over when I was drawing millwork for the yacht place I worked at when I 'discovered' this album.

11. Bob Dylan - Highway 61 Revisited

In 1994 I was living in Regina and I had a crush on my neighbour. He had really dark hair, sweet eyes and wore a black feather boa. I was at his place one time and he put this on, I was hooked from the first listen. I love Dylan and this is my favourite album of his.

12. The Presets - Beams

This is one of the first Electronica groups that Rawbean introduced me to. I knew there was another type of music out there that I would love, but I needed someone to show me the way. This album reminds me of my wedding (I choose a couple songs to play at the party) but it reminds me more of flying back and forth to Vancouver on the float planes for work.

13. Tori Amos - To Venus and Back

Like I said, Tori Amos stuck with me for years. I saw her in concert for the first time during the tour for this album, and it was intense. I love the song 'Liquid Diamonds' and it still remains one of my favourites of hers to this day.

14. David Bowie - Ziggy Stardust & the Spider from Mars

One of the best albums ever made. Hands down. Like Hunky Dory, this album has been in my life since I can remember. Only once I got to Vancouver did I really develop my serious love of this music. It never leaves my ipod. Never. It's comforting just to know it's close by.

15. Nirvana - Nevermind

Yeah, as if. When this came out, it was so crazy. While growing up on the prairies limited me to seeing these groups in concert, I still felt like I was part of something new and interesting.

Grouch

I just ate some of the best ice cream ever.


Organic. Gluten, soy, dairy and sugar free. We have the straight up Chocolate flavour and it's amazing. Dana - seriously girl, you need this.

In other news, I've been a serious grouch this week. I don't know what's wrong, but I can't shake my sordid mood. So rather than posting about all the crap that has gotten me down, I thought I would do another random post.

I did a post a thousand years ago about how I put this guy into my Revit models as a sort of signature. I made sure that he wouldn't show up anywhere in the model that would end up on paper. (ie: only in 3D views, no elevations, plans etc.)

Well, he showed up.

We printed our drawings for a 50% pricing/review and he was there in one of the elevations!!! I still don't totally understand how he showed up.....but there he was. At least he wasn't in colour.

Look at how cute my blog looks on an android phone!

I'm bringing more music into work tomorrow to lift my spirits. What music cheers you guys up? Usually Chromeo, Prince and George Michael do the trick for me. I'm going to try Beastie Boys, some jazz (Oscar Peterson and Sonny Stitt) and other randomness.

More Sailing

We went sailing again! Same place - Portland Island which is one of my favourite places. We arrived, anchored and had lunch - here is a picture!


Then we set up the tent where Brad and I camped. The exact same spot as last time!

We hung out on the boat and played Killer Bunnies until it was dark, so that meant another scary walk through the forest to our tent. So we're walking along, I'm feeling nervous but not too bad and I'm negotiating myself down a little hilly section and *click*.....

Mother f*#!er!!!!

My Maglite bulb burned out again. *

Which meant that at our stop at the outhouse I had to wait in the dark again. It was partly cloudy this time though so the UFOs couldn't get a good beam on me. To distract myself I looked straight up at the stars through a super narrow opening in the trees and saw a satellite! What are the chances?!

That night I woke up to a scratching sound on the side of the tent. In my sleepy state I thought "Stop it Ziggy!" but then realized....it wasn't Ziggy. I laid in the tent wide eyed....(there are no bears on the island so I wasn't scared)....then saw a little mouse-shaped shadow scurry off the top of the tent, slide down the front and run off...

There were also the usual noises - seals slapping and splashing, raccoons coo-ing, herons making dinosaur noises, then seriously annoying people up at 6:30am not making a single attempt to be quiet. I guess we're all on their schedule.

We sat around in the sun and read (me: David Sedaris, Brad - The History of Cuba, C. - The Old Curiosity Shop - Dickens), napped on the boat, had dinner (veggie stir fry) and had tons of laughs.

*This is interesting since last time the bulb died I was using Brad's Maglite, this time I was using my own.

Free Furniture and New Sneaks

Last Saturday we laid around the house like slugs for most of the afternoon. Finally we decided to get outside and go get a coffee.

On our way to the parkade we pass by this area where sometimes people leave stuff they don't want for other people to take. Usually there are lots of books, puzzles, random household stuff....but today there was a pretty nice bookshelf there!

We hauled it up in the elevator and put it in the bedroom. The books from the book sale almost fill it already - but at least now they have a home.

We also visited a great store that a friend of ours told us about called Baggins. Basically they only sell Converse and Vans. Yes, those are dark purple Converse.

Oh. Yes. They. Are.

More books in the mail!

I got another book in the mail!!!

This time I knew who it was from though - my good friend V. from New Zealand. She was visiting a couple weeks ago and was reading an interesting book by a NZ author. So she sent it to me! It's next up on my list.

Last week I was getting close to finishing Guns,Germs and Steel (which is really good by the way) and I didn't have anything lined up afterwards. The reason for this was that I was waiting for a book from the library to come up on a hold and it wasn't happening.


We were over at a friend's house for dinner last week and I mentioned that I wasn't reading anything at that moment and suddenly I found myself with 5 books stacked in front of me to take home. I've already finished one of them (Stumbling on Happiness - Daniel Gilbert) and I'm starting the next one tonight.

I've found myself needing to get away from emotionally-heavy-novels lately which is why I've been reading non-fiction. I'll work my way back into my usual reading material eventually. For now, the books from the book sale are on hold.

Stuff on my Ipod V

It's that time again, cause I know you're just dying to know. Here are links to my other four Ipod posts.
I
II
III
IV

Stars - The Five Ghosts

I've talked to a couple people who aren't totally impressed with this album, but I like it more than their old stuff. It's edgier, but as Rawbean says it's likely because they added one more synthesizer.

New Young Pony Club - The Optimist

Holy crap is this album ever good. As is the norm for me, it took 2-3 listens before I realized it. I love Chaos and We Want To the most so far.

Faded Paper Figures - New Medium

These guys are one of my favourite bands and their new album delivers. Although there are a couple moments of "Why am I listening to video game music?" overall it's a great purchase. Small Talk is the best example of this, but it mellows out after a minute or so. My favourite song is When the Book Ends.

Nneka - Concrete Jungle

And now for something completely different! My workmate D suggested this, almost forced it down my throat actually and am I glad she did. The song Walking gets in your head and won't leave and you won't complain about it either.

Holy Random

So.....gooood....I've got nothin' so I'm going to do a random post about stuff we've been up to.

We went to Qualicum Beach on the weekend for the day. Remember the post about the road trip with Chip to Parksville? Well, this was about a 10 minute drive further north than that.

The beaches there are amazing. We will go back another time but earlier in the day and take advantage of the low tides.

On the way back we took the 'shortcut ferry' to Brentwood Bay. Here is a shot of the ferry.

The weather has been amazing, so my beach bag has gotten some use! This was taken a few weekends ago on Willows Beach.

There is a little film festival here called The Free B Film Festival. The Victoria Film Festival sets up a big screen in the park and you can take your blankets and popcorn and go lay in the park and watch movies. We went last weekend and saw the original War of the Worlds. I love stuff like this.

I bought these earrings off Etsy a few weeks ago, I love them.