Expectations

One would think, from my existing viewing habits, that I would enjoy “Relic Hunter”. After all, I enjoy “Xena: Warrior Princess” and that was a slightly campy show that wreaked merry havoc with the timeline in order to get their shows. “Relic Hunter” has a strong female lead who also uses her feminine wiles to kick butt and save her bungling male assistant. Oh yah, and mythology is real in both – although Xena often wound up taking centre stage in those same myths (surprising that Sydney hasn’t discovered that in her research). Yet Sydney is not the gal for me.

Whiter Shade of Pale

White may symbolize purity but for me all it means is an opportunity to irreparably damage something. Forgetting for the moment that colors and patterns are delightful, exuberant and fun – white is just a tease. It inevitably shows your underwear, even if it too is white, and there is no way to win against a battle of the visible panty line. Within minutes of donning an article of white clothing I am almost assured of disaster. Then there is the use of white on furniture or other objects – the white just showcases every whisper of dust or scuff. No good.

Doctor in the house

I don’t think that my grasp on reality ever really slips but there are times when I deliberately set it aside to throw myself into something. A book, a movie, a TV series. I’m not someone who thinks that the events in these mediums are real but I think it sure would be fantastic if they were. I threw myself onto the TARDIS this weekend; hitching a ride alongside Captain Jack to end of time. I get swept up into a dance that I don’t know the steps to but am graced with a partner who knows how to lead.

Betty Crocker & Fannie Farmer

I enjoy feeding people. My natural inclination is to cook enough food for four even when I’m cooking for only myself. It was easiest when I was living with two other people and I could sit them down with steaming food when they got home from work. It’s nice to sit down and chat with friends as they partake of a meal that I have prepared. I feel more connected with my friends and take pride in the fact that they enjoy my cooking. I would have liked that aspect of the 1950s; the frequent dinner parties and hosting events.

Fangirling

I love the people that you meet running. Today, through an off-the-cuff remark about the Stargate movie marathon Space is broadcasting on Canada Day, I met the former assistant to Richard Dean Anderson while he was on Stargate SG1. I managed to keep the fangirling down to a respectable level, I was the pace group leader, and after chatting he mentioned that he had many signed photos. I expect I cooed. So he offered to bring me one next week! I really hope to see him next Sunday because that would be the niftiest thing ever. Short of meeting RDA.

Insecurity

Overall I think that I have made great strides in the way that I feel about myself and my level of confidence. And yet, just two days ago I found myself falling back to the awkward making fun of myself routine. There was no reason to, the person I was with does not know me all that well yet but it was as if because I was unsure of where I stood I had to make sure the ground gave way beneath my feet. It’s a difficult habit to break and change into something that is more respectful of myself.

Just one post in the fence....

Last year I planned a surprise birthday party for a friend and in the process of renting a karaoke machine, well the event occurred subsequent to the rental, I started myself on a path that I continue to walk now. I have to say it was not one of my most shining moments. Essentially, it was a case of mistaken identity. I went out to Main & 16th to pick up the karaoke machine for the party but due to leaving work later than planned and serious issues with Translink, I just walked out of the store shortly after 5pm. This was when I had hoped to meet the amazing!C* at my apartment to pick up all the food and drinks and continue on to pick up the ice cream cake and then proceed on to the party venue. (I had also hoped to get a stop in at the nearby Safeway for chips and pop.)

Amazing!C had emailed that she had to pick up amazing!T before coming over to my house so I called her to see where she was at when I got out of the karaoke place. Fortunately, she was just at Cambie & 16th after picking up amazing!T! A great stroke of luck I thought, she can just pick me up and I’ll coordinate with others to pickup the stuff we didn’t have time for anymore. I arranged to meet amazing!C just in the loading zone on 16th after she crossed through the Main intersection and then I called amazing!P to have her pick up the ice cream cake. Although the traffic on 16th was horrible, I was coordinating with amazing!P (and spazzing slightly due to the ever greater time crunch) when I saw a black SUV with a tinted windshield and an Asian woman driving.

“Ah,” I thought, “Amazing!C must be driving her DH’s car for some reason.” Why she would be doing this when she was coming directly from work, I have no idea but that was my brain’s logic as the SUV came to a stop right next to me. Still talking on the phone with amazing!P, I went up to the back passenger door and tried to open it. It was locked so I tapped on the front passenger window to try to get amazing!C’s attention. I finally succeeded in opening the door and shoved the karaoke machine onto the seat when I saw amazing!C getting out of the car to help. I stepped back to the curb to tell amazing!C that I didn’t need her help, we should just get going when I saw that this was a completely unknown to me Asian woman – with very short hair no less! (Amazing!C has gorgeous long hair.)

She was just heading to the crosswalk and I started babbling apologies, yanking the karaoke machine out of the car and shut the door. “I’m so sorry, I really wasn’t trying to steal anything – I thought you were someone else!” She didn’t say anything, merely got out the alarm clicker and secured her vehicle and ran her errand! I was very sure to stand far back away from the car as amazing!P tried to make me feel better about the whole situation. The woman came back, didn’t appear too frightened of me, and drove off. A short while later amazing!C and amazing!T came up in amazing!C’s car, her bright red car, and I was able to continue on my way.

There you have it! *sighs at self* Hope it made you laugh, it’s probably better with hand gestures. Since that day back in August 2008 there have been other incidents of me getting into the wrong car under awkward circumstances but I’ll relate those some other time.

*all friends will be identified with amazing! and then the first letter of their name to provide better living through internet privacy.

Il pleut

I do not like umbrellas; umbrellas do not like me. I nearly get my eyes poked out by oblivious people and my legs still get wet. Then there is the fact that the maximum lifespan for an umbrella is a year and that’s being generous. Between the wind, poor craftsmanship and the inevitable fact that I will forget it somewhere I really see no point to use umbrellas. Besides which there are too many assholes with GOLF umbrellas taking up the entire sidewalk, unable to negotiate with the other people with umbrellas and the poor bastards caught in the middle.

Sailor Scouts!

I’ve always maintained that inside I am both 80 and 8 years-old. The 8 year-old in me loves Sailor Moon. Oh yah, I’ll say it. Not everything has to be mountain high and river deep folks and I have always enjoyed Sailor Moon. I’ve been on a long hiatus mostly because finding dvds of the show in Japanese with subtitles is very difficult and very expensive. I want to see the uncut versions that didn’t make it to my US TV screen. More importantly, I want to see more of this:



Sailor Neptune and Sailor Uranus, the lovely lesbian scouts.

Timelines

I have met one or two people that, because I have an overactive imagination, I could see as future iterations of myself. (Would I announce myself as such? Probably not.) I met one such woman my first year of university – she was my creative writing professor. Her office was overflowing with books, she had lovely long silver hair that she wore with tied into a loose bun, Birkenstock clogs and linen clothing. She was very intelligent and supportive of all her students and had a good sense of humor. In short, someone I would love to grow up to be.

Cinema time

I’ve got “Down With Love” playing in the background while I pretend to clean my apartment. (At least I’ve got the laundry started.) Anyway, I love this movie – the costumes, the music and the tongue in cheek send up of the classic Doris Day movies. This is a nice cap to the tail-end viewing of “The Long, Long Trailer” with Lucille Ball and Desi Arnez. I remember watching that movie in the theatres with my family when we went to a double feature. I oddly don’t remember what the other movie we saw was. I just love these classic movies.

Like a da-rink?

Every now and again I have to remind myself that I can’t go out and drink as much as I did when I was in university. It was a lesson I learned when I first started drinking with my male friends and repeatedly fell under the table trying to keep up. I reached a point when I could hold my own with the gents and then I graduated from university, started working full time and working out regularly. All of which reduced my tolerance for booze in my body but not in my own mind. Oh the pain of learning.

Personal preference

I like stories, tv shows or movies that show the characters involved in the small every day activities that everyone participates in. Getting up in the morning, going to the bathroom, shower rituals or the preparation of the morning’s coffee. Or tea. Whatever the character prefers – it could even be a straight up whiskey. Most times one is left to wonder just where the bathroom is on an intergalactic space cruiser. Perhaps that necessity was removed through the process of evolution. Be that as it may, I like the humanization that small moments of routine or tedium grant a character.

On a merry jaunt

She opened the gate to the cool patio garden and strode through talking, “So my love, I have decided. You must buy one of these gorgeous houses in your neighbourhood, be rid of this apartment and the crazy neighbours and I shall come live with you and be a house elf. I’ll clean and tidy, bake and make sure that the tea is always fresh.”

The woman sitting at the patio table smiled as her friend whirled around the greenery, setting down some baked goods and prattling with animation. She sipped her wine and when it seemed that a pause might be approaching, she raised an eyebrow and her glass to her friend. “Did you want some wine?”

Snacktime

Raisins are not the snack of choice for adults. I’m sure they’re great for kids since they’re a quick burst of calories without refined sugar – with plenty of the natural variety. That makes raisins a less optimal choice for me, seeing as how I have to make all my calories work for me. The deciding factor, as ever, is the fact that I already have the raisins and they are easy to transport. So my midmorning snack is made up of a generous handful of almonds and raisins – which roughly equates to twenty-four almonds and a quarter cup of raisins.

Details

So far the game plan for the body of an Amazon is proving to be a bit difficult. I am proceeding apace however, on the game plan for growing the hair of an Amazon.



Well, one Amazon and one warrior woman.



Okay, so actually two warrior women but only one Amazon princess. I’ve been trying to decide if I actually want to color my hair to match or if I should just go with a wig. If I go with a wig, then I’m wondering if I should be Xena instead as my height is closer to hers than Gabrielle’s.

Fashion Forward

I don’t often follow fashion trends for various reasons; the clothes are ugly, poorly made, not my style in the first place or would look horrendous on someone larger than a size 6. There are some fashion trends that I do really like but don’t think that I can pull off well. I always sit on the fence when it comes to bangles. Most of the time my choice is made for me as the bangles rarely are large enough to fit over my man-hands. I do like the little jingle that the bangles make and the variety of colours.

L'il this, l'il that

Last week
Monday: Soccer practice
Tuesday: Soccer game
Wednesday: Gym
Thursday: Rest
Friday: Rest
Saturday: Run 7km (should’ve done gym as well)
Sunday: Run 20km

This week
Monday: Soccer practice
Tuesday: Bootcamp
Wednesday: Run 5km (should do gym as well)
Thursday: Soccer game
Friday: Rest
Saturday: Gym
Sunday: Run 6km (should do 4km add-on)

My mom says that “should” is a bad word and one ought to remove it from the vocabulary. Most often “should” is used to feed into bouts of self-pity or overly harsh judgments against yourself or others.

Cheer up emo kid, the sun should shine tomorrow.

WRT: Vive le Stargate

It occurs to me that people may spend as much time as I do surfing the internet regarding items of interest and as a result may somehow stumble upon this crazy blog. My self-imposed context of one hundred words is constraining and so my post regarding a hypothetical reality show based around Stargate fans may seem a bit scanty.

For your interest, my sources were the following Stargate Solutions blog posts:

June 8, 2009
The item that initially informed me of said reality show.

and

June 12, 2009
The item that indicated that the project was not by any means greenlit and full steam ahead.

For the most part, I am not a fan of reality television. I think that by and large it is incredibly exploitive and lacking in entertainment or informative value. I have been proved wrong by such shows as "The Biggest Loser" and "The Amazing Race" but given the fact that there is an entire channel dedicated to reality television I'm not exactly holding my breath.

All of my experiences with Stargate fandom and those directly involved with the production of Stargate in all its conceptions have been positive and showed only respect for the fans. My original post might indicate that I think otherwise of the folks over at Bridge Studios and that is not the case. I recently attended the Stargate Convention held here in Burnaby, B.C. and from the tour to answering questions and some blush-raising propositions everyone involved was courteous and made the event a real pleasure.

It's also possible that from my initial post you might think that the folks manning the helm of Stargate were involved with this hypothetical endeavour. Such, again, is not the case. The full details pretty much amount to a casting call for fans. The rest is airy meanderings on my part. Apparently I'm a closet pessimist!

I enjoyed the Trekkie movies and were one to be made about Stargate I'm sure I would be interested in checking it out. (As I said in the original post, if I lived in LA maybe I would've gone to the hypothetical filming call! I am, in fact, a huge Stargate keener.) From the looks of things, this project is not going to be Stargate's "Trekkies". I'll keep tuned to my RSS feed.

Indeed

There are some episodes of Stargate SG-1 that I can just watch over and over. One of the episodes that I love is a two-parter that just breaks my heart and makes me cry every time – when Janet Frasier dies. It’s more than just an amazing character being thrown away; it’s more than the grief portrayed by the other actors. It’s the way that the framework of the episodes reminds viewers of the humanity and loss that should be felt when any woman or man dies in the line of duty. Respect and honor are owed to those sacrificed individuals.

Blah

I was going to post about how I went to the gym today, worked hard and wanted to die as I struggled my way through more chin-ups than I ever managed in high school, and then got on the scale to discover I now weigh 190. That, for those playing at home, means that I’ve gained an additional two pounds during last week’s hiatus from everything but soccer and some horseplay in the pool on Saturday. I can’t climb on that high horse however, when I actively participate in continuing my cycle of self-sabotage in my diet. So, there’s that.

Soccer

Tonight, my soccer team recovered from our losses to win 3-1. I left soccer practice last night feeling frustrated with myself and my playing level when compared to the team we have become over the past three years. I rely overly on brute force to often neutral effect or the soccer equivalent of “icing”. My commitment to developing myself on the field, as in the gym, lacks follow-through. That is perhaps my greatest weakness on (or off) the field – I play a defensive, reticent game and don’t chase the ball once I have possession. I panic; I defer the decision.

Vive le Stargate!

There is going to be a reality show pitched along the lines of the “Trekkies” movies but for Stargate fans. I’d want to go but for the fact that it’s in LA and the inevitable fact that those on the show will look like freaks. Thus far there is no indication that the host will be someone as kind and dedicated to the show as Denise Crosby (a.k.a. Tasha Yar). Even with Denise hosting the general viewership outside of fandom thought that here was evidence that those Trekkies really are crazy. It’s all fun and games…unless you’re a red shirt.

Walking - left, right, left, right

Walking in heels is a delicate art and for someone like myself, who strides everywhere, it can be quite an adjustment. The quality of the shoes comes into play here as well because if the heel isn’t well centered then they will bow more than anything that has shot an arrow. You can see it all too often: women walking with their ankles rolling slightly out as the heel below does the same. Heels are bad enough for the physique but when it comes down to it I have to draw the line – no matter how cute the shoes are.

My brain is melted

Okay, I think I’ve spent enough time today messing around with the picture function of blogger to say that while initially enamored with the ease of uploading images it all comes crashing down with the crap html employed. I’m sure that much of it has to do with the way that blogger hosts the photos for you, which was my initial wow factor, but the amount of junk spacing is ridiculous. I can’t help but feel that it could all be done in a neater fashion. So says the woman so brain-numbed that all she can write are run-on sentences.

This Little Piggy ...

I couldn’t walk in high heels until 2003; I was physically unable to walk without my ankles bending to the sides. This may have been in part because of my penchant for severely spraining said ankles repeatedly. For whatever reason, in 2003 as I was picking out an outfit for a wedding I was able to wear high heels – not platforms, or wedges, or stilettos.












It was an exciting addition to my existing shoe addiction: to find a well-centered heel with the toe slightly build up and rounded to avoid pinching nerves. I finally understood the jokes about Barbie’s feet.

Movie Going

There are some commercials that aren’t annoying but actually amusing. And of course, we process commercials subconsciously with jingles popping up at the most inappropriate times. The one place that fills me with rage to view commercials is after I’ve paid $12.50 for my movie and sit down to watch trailers…and have to sit through ten minutes of commercials first. You can’t tell me the movie theatres aren’t making enough money on ticket prices and popcorn – not with weekend box office draws numbering in the amounts greater than some countries GNP. I’m there to see a movie, not to shop.

Work It

Last week I went to the gym to do my workout without my trainer and it was a bit daunting. He was there with another client and so as I began my workout I felt incredibly self-conscious, as if he would be judging my attempts. He and his client finished their sets before me and I wondered if I would be performing in tandem for the full workout. The thought did not thrill me. I headed over to the weights room and suffered a crisis halfway there, turning away and towards, weighing options with shame and desire. Finally, I stayed.

Dan Bern - Tiger Woods

If certain girls don't look at you
It means that they like you a lot
If other girls don't look at you
It just means they're ignoring you
How can you know, how can you know?
Which is which, who's doing what?
I guess that you can ask 'em
Which one are you baby?
Do you like me or are you ignoring me?

Friends and family are the only reason why I discover new music – one roommate in university was particularly wonderful at providing interesting and innovative singers. The above were excerpted from one such song that we both loved.

Hobbits!

Whoops, I totally thought that I had posted an entry for yesterday. Oh the mind is a tricksy hobbit and all ideas are precious.

Like the idea that I should watch all three extended editions of the Lord of the Rings movies. The main stumbling block is that I don’t have the Fellowship of the Ring as yet, just the Two Towers and the Return of the King. I love the extended footage and would like to spend some time watching the other extras. The fan-made “Hunt for Gollum” and “Taking the Hobbits to Isengard” are to blame.

My precious.