My First Successful Event

I held my FIRST EVER Writer's Retreat this past weekend in Canmore. Check out this awesome video. It's only 2 minutes and I laughed out loud at least three times. And yes, that is a bag of sex toys I was opening.

Me too! Me too!

I started this yesterday...This is mostly to get Mr. Aitch off my back.

From: Evangeline via: Angels in the Architecture.

1. How old will you be in five years? Gah! 39!

2. Who did you spend at least two hours with today? 20 Grade 3 students.

3. How tall are you? 5’9”

4. What do you look forward to most in the next six weeks? These days, I got nuttin to look forward to.

5. What’s the last movie you saw? "Avatar".

6. Who was the last person you called? My mechanic

7. Who was the last person to call you? My mechanic.

8. What was the last text message you received? From my friend, who shall remain nameless to protect her identity: "Had a pap...the doctor was in and out of my vagina faster than an 18 year-old virgin."

9. Who was the last person to leave you a voicemail? Again, my mechanic.

10. Do you prefer to call or text? Depends on the situation. I generally prefer a call, but sometimes texts are easier, quieter, faster and more appropriate.

11. What were you doing at 12am last night? Hittin' the sack.

12. Are your parents married/separated/divorced? Still married after 41 years.

13. When is the last time you saw your mom? December 2007

14. What color are your eyes? Hazel

15. What time did you wake up today? 6:25

16. What are you wearing right now? Work clothes: black pants, caramel top.

17. What is your favorite Christmas song? This year it was Sting's "Soul Cake"

18. Where is your favorite place to be? It depends. Love travelling, love trying new adventures and being spontaneous, but also really enjoy my home.

19. Where is your least favorite place to be? Anywhere where I don't belong, or with anyone who lowers my vibration.

20. Where would you go if you could go anywhere? Right now, I need me some TLC. Get me a beach, some sunshine and a margarita. Get me some good friends, lots of laughs and a carefree existence.

21. Where do you think you’ll be in 10 years? God help me. I have no idea. I hope I'll be married. Happy. Travelling lots. Doing what I love.

22. Do you tan or burn? Mostly tan, as long as I am careful.

23. What did you fear was going to get you at night as a child?I don't ever remember being afraid of anything as a child.

24. What was the last thing that really made you laugh? Modern Family. God that show is hilarious. Full-on guffaws everytime. SO clever.

25. How many TVs do you have in your house? 2

26. How big is your bed? Queen size

27. Do you have a laptop or desktop computer? Desktop

29. What color are your sheets? Navy and cream paisley. Really pretty.

30. How many pillows do you sleep with? Four, baby. And every single one of them is strategically placed for maximum comfort.

31. What is your favorite season? Summer, most definitely!

32. What do you like about Autumn? Shifting gears, slowing down, breath-taking, fleeting colour, crisp air.

33. What do you like about winter? Christmas; feeling cozy; candlelight; long, hot baths.

34. What do you like about the summer? Freedom, travelling, flip-flops, cold beer on a hot deck, carefree togetherness, BBQs, longer days, sunshine, heat, the feeling that it's the only time all year that I really do any living. Sucking every last ounce of heat and sunshine from each and every day. A whole lot less responsibility.

35. What do you like about spring? The sense of being able to start all over. Pressing the reset button.

36. How many states/provinces have you lived in? 2

37. What cities/towns have you lived in? Lloydminster, Edmonton, Calgary, Quebec City, Saint-Remy-sur-Avre, France and Treon, France.

38. Do you prefer shoes, socks, or bare feet? Can flip-flops be an answer? Shoes and socks have their place, though.

39. Are you a social person? You betcha!

40. What was the last thing you ate? Vanilla yogurt with All Bran buds and grapes.

41. What is your favorite restaurant? Brava Bistro. Great food, good service, stumbling distance from my house.

42. What is your favorite ice cream? It varies, although you can never go wrong with anything from Dairy Queen...Blizzard, Pecan Mudslide, Peanut Buster Parfait...I'm an equal opportunity ice cream appreciator.

43. What is your favorite dessert? Anything Chocolate

44. What is your favorite kind of soup? James Barber curry and dill Clam Chowder

45. What kind of jelly do you like on your PB & J sandwich? I don't generally tend to eat PB & J.

46. Do you like Chinese food? Yeah, but it's never my first choice.

47. Do you like coffee?So much that I wrote a book on it.

48. How many glasses of water, a day, do you drink on average? I drink at least 2 litres of water a day, sometimes as much as 5. I'm a camel. And an Earth sign, which means I need to be watered frequently.

49. What do you drink in the morning? Gin & tonic

50. What non-banking related card in your wallet is the most valuable to you? Driver’s license seems an obvious choice.

51. Do you sleep on a certain side of the bed? Yes if I'm in a relationship. If I'm single, I take up as much of the bed as possible.

52. Do you know how to play poker? Not really

53. Do you like to cuddle? Always

54. Have you ever been to Canada? I am Canadian

55. Do you have an addictive personality? It has taken me 2 days to finish this questionnaire, you tell me.

56. Do you eat out or at home more often? At home.

57. What do you miss about high school, if anything? I miss the insouciance and the possibility. In Grade 12, a whole new world was opened up to me. I had new friends and a new lifestyle (read: I discovered alcohol.) There was no greater feeling on Earth than the last day of Grade 12. Done forever. Satisfying.

58. Do you know anyone with the same birthday as you? No

59. Do you want kids? No. I think I've actually just recently decided definitively. Just a great man will do.

60. Do you speak any other languages? Oui, oui.

61. Have you ever gotten stitches? Actually, no. Just staples.

62. Have you ever ridden in an ambulance? No.

63. Do you prefer an ocean or a pool? Ocean.

64. Do you prefer a window seat or an aisle seat? Aisle for long trips...easier to move about the cabin.

65. Do you know how to drive stick? As my good friend Craig says "I don't need all four limbs to feel like I'm driving."

66. What is your favorite thing to spend money on? Travelling, experiences.

This is Fun!

My Life (As Told By Tori Amos)

1. Are you a male or female:
Cornflake Girl

2. Describe yourself:
Hoochie Woman (almost went with Fat Slut here. Cheeky. Tempting.)

3. How do you feel about yourself:
Almost Rosey

4. Describe your ex boyfriend/girlfriend:
Mr. Bad Man

5. Describe your current boy/girl situation:
Code Red

6. Describe your current location:
Pandora’s Aquarium

7. Describe where you want to be:
Jamaica Inn

8. Your best friend(s) is:
Mrs. Jesus

9. Your favourite colour is:
Gold Dust

10. You know that:
You Can Bring Your Dog

11. If your life was a television show what would it be called:
Little Earthquakes/Another Girl’s Paradise

12. What is life to you:

Cloud on my Tongue

13. What is the best advice you have to give:
Don’t Look Back in Anger ( I know this is a cover, but I am counting it anyway!)

My Life (As Told By Annie Lennox)

Got this idea from Fire Eater via Sunset Over Slawit.

Pick an artist, and using ONLY SONG TITLES from only that artist, cleverly (preferably) answer these questions.

1. Are you a male or female:
Wide Eyed Girl

2. Describe yourself:
17 Again

3. How do you feel about yourself:
Lifted/ Something So Right

4. Describe your ex boyfriend/girlfriend:
No more “I love you’s”/Sex Crime/The Hurting Time

5. Describe your current boy/girl situation:
I Need A Man

6. Describe your current location:
Downtown Lights

7. Describe where you want to be:
Right By Your Side

8. Your best friend(s) is:
Womankind

9. Your favourite colour is:
Coloured Bedspread

10. You know that:
I Want It All

11. If your life was a television show what would it be called:
Legend in my Living Room

12. What is life to you:
A Thousand Beautiful Things

13. What is the best advice you have to give:
Don’t Let it Bring You Down

Twenty-Five Things

This is all over Facebook. Twenty-five random facts, habits or things about you. I held out as long as I could:

1. I grew up in Indonesia and lived there until I was six. We had servants. I am convinced that it has turned me into a person who loves being waited on hand and foot and is lazy around the kitchen.

2. I love working from home, even if that means I am always working.

3. I am embarrassed by my stubby fingernails, but not as much as I am embarrassed by fake ones.

4. I think I have a great laugh.

5. I spend more money than I probably should on makeup and hair products.

6. It is hard for me to go out in public without make-up. I feel like people are judging me and reeling at my hideousness. I do it anyway.

7. I don’t like repeating myself, which is probably why I never really made it as a teacher.

8. I absolutely love and adore the show Coronation Street and would secretly love to make a cameo appearance as a stranded Canadian traveller in need of a brew. Mostly, I am fascinated by how much all the ugly, poor people get laid on that show.

9. I enjoy judging people, but will only say it out loud if I know you won’t judge me for it.

10. Someday, I would like to go to a Fashion Show during Fashion Week in New York City.

11. I love making you laugh and spend time, thought and energy figuring out how to do that.

12. I love late nights. It makes me feel like I am getting away with something.

13. I have never gotten over moving away from Edmonton and still wonder what my life would be like if I had stayed.

14. I will always believe in love.

15. I think men are the cat’s meow. No matter how often they do me wrong, say stupid things, hurt my feelings or how much time they spend fulfilling their primal destinies, I will always think there is nothing greater on this planet than to be in love with one of them, and have that love returned.

16. I am a shameless flirt.

17. I enjoy shocking people.

18. I love swearing. It makes me smile on the inside.

19. There is nothing better than a good belly laugh. Except remembering how funny it was later on.

20. Patience is not my strongest virtue. And I’m alright with that.

21. I forgive, but not easily.

22. I see absolutely nothing funny about bodily functions.

23. I don’t miss the town I grew up in one single bit.

24. I am annoyed by people who take things literally.

25. My dad is the greatest person I know.