Happy Birthday Dear Canada!

Yes, it's almost Canada Day! Let's all celebrate our kick-ass country! Awwww Yeah! I'll post some pics over the weekend to celebrate! I plan to get up to a LOT of mischief. Here are a few pics from last weekend at Bow Lake to start... not very good pictures because the sun was bright and glarey, but I can still celebrate the prettiness of Canada!

These are fun pine needles... I have no idea why some are red and some are green!

I, uh, just thought this log looked cool :)

Bow Lake. Blue, blue, blue!

~g~

Why I Don't Care About Flat Lake, Alberta...

Honestly, my life has turned into some surreal jumble of absolute nonsense, and frankly, I'm sick of it. WHAT A STUPID WEEK! I'm going to bring a hockey stick to work one day, and y'all better stay away if you don't want to be chased down the hall.
Things have been SO strange, and SO busy, and SO unpleasant... I won't even get into it, because it's so dumb that it's not even important anymore.... So I'm writing off work and I'm going to just think about the nice things in life.... For example:
1. It's hot outside
2. It's almost the long weekend
3. I'm having my hair coloured some arrogant, unprofessional colour tomorrow
4. I'm going to play outside all weekend... unless I go to Claresholm... which I probably will... but still
5. It's almost Stampede time! Normally this wouldn't excite me, but this year I'm SO in the spirit of letting loose that I even bought a cowboy hat... oh yes... and I'm determined to have a helluvatime!!!! I may even flirt with guys and everything.... I'll keep you posted.
Alright, time to get out of the office for a bit.
~g~

When Pigs Fly!

This charming illustration is by Michael Sowa, whose pictures I love beyond all measure.
As you may note, there are sheep using computers... we aren't sure how effectively these sheep are typing, and the black sheep of the crowd has retired to watch daytime television (who can blame him?). It's a nice picture. No one seems very concerned that the pig is coming in for a landing.
If you work in an office, the sheep on computers probably look familiar to you.
I had an interesting phone call today about a position opening up at the Old Job. It's not an exciting position, but the important part is that it isn't HERE, at the Deplorable Job. I left a message with Old HR and then lapse into a fantasy about going back to Old Job. I imagined everyone being sooooo happy to see me, however inaccurate it might be. I imagined suffering at New Job... "why did we yell at that wonderful person for stuff that wasn't even her fault?" Oh, such bliss.
I've been thinking about the Pros and Cons of each job. The only Pro I could come up with about New Job is that I get to wear Jeans on Friday... oh boy. I tried to remember the Cons about Old Job, and didn't remember a darn thing. I miss them. That's all.
I'm hoping that Old HR calls me back this afternoon and says "come pick up a formal offer TONIGHT!" Haha. That would never happen, but a girl can dream ;) It would be so nice to tell New Job to shove it.... mwahahahaha.
Love,
~g~

Lunch Blogger

Ah, more lunch-break blogging.

I had every intention of working through lunch today since I have an afternoon meeting that will likely take far longer than the anticipated hour. But as I sat at my desk, tersely avoiding the tomatoes in my salad, my thoughts turned to sleepiness and hockey and people and places and things, and anything EXCEPT enthusiasm for the task at hand.

I realize that I am very tired, overwhelmed with the grandparents and the job that I hate. I've decided to take a new approach to the deplorable job, which is basically to shock them with my enthusiastic pestering about streamlining, which gives me more work, but which (hopefully) demands acknowledgement and will lead to efficiency. As you all know, I'm a big fan of efficiency. I've decided to be obnoxious about this. I will keep you all updated.

I have also been thinking how this obnoxious efficiency could be potentially beneficial in my "real life" as well. I think I need chore schedules, meal plans, budgets! Martha Stewart gets a bad rap, but I think maybe she just got sick of coming home after a long day at work and staring at the fridge for 45 minutes, praying for a miraculous dinner to appear in front of her, and then giving up and eating crackers in front of the TV. If I plan my cooking and shopping, if I budget, if I have a night set aside to do laundry, etc. then that should technically eliminate the fridge-stare-down and the sleepless nights wondering how I can afford to buy a house on my own or if I have clothes for work the next day. I can lose sleep over far more complex things... heh heh.... or maybe learn to relax.

Happy, Efficient Wishes!
~g~

Every Minute, Every Hour....

This weekend has had such ups and downs. My grandparents continue to deteriorate, so my brother Josh decided to come up from the states this weekend to see them, to say goodbye, just in case. What we didn't know was that he was bringing my little nephew! When I found him at my parent's house Friday night it was such a lovely surprise!
We all went to Claresholm on Saturday, which was so upsetting. It's been about a month since I've seen them (because of the chicken pox) and I was shocked at how thin and broken they both looked. It was so horrible going between the hospital and the care facility, my heart broke a hundred times over each time I looked at them, each time my grandpa said he was ready to go, each time my grandma looked confused or hurt, every minute I could feel it, with each hug and kiss goodbye. My heart broke with love for them, it broke for my mother, it broke because they were both so sick, and had to live apart from each other. I thought in my last days, last hours, last minutes, the only thing I would want is to be with the people I love. Their health has denied them that.
When we were getting ready to leave and drive gramps back to the hospital the car was full, so I offered to walk from the senior's home and meet everyone downtown. As I walked my mind was just burning and a storm was rolling in with a huge dark sky and thunder everywhere... that's how I felt inside, too. As we started back on the highway home the sky broke and poured torrential rain, I felt a bump on my shoulder and looked down to find the little guy had fallen asleep leaning against me. The sky opened up, my heart burst with frustration and love for the little guy and my family and I took a picture with my camera phone for a little perspective. I have to keep it together. I have to keep my family alright.
I guess I just wanted to say "tell your family that you love them." They need to know. They deserve to know.
Love,
~g~

Boredom Breeds Memes

I am hopelessly, incredibly, terribly, toxically bored. Bored Bored BORED! Do you know what that means? It means it's meme time....
HA! So THERE!
~g~

Three names you go by:
1. Gilly (by people who have known me my whole life)
2. Gill-o (by my brother Nathan)
3. Anime Babe (apparently I look like an Anime character)

Three physical things you like about yourself:
1. My lips
2. My neck/shoulders
3. My eyes

Three physical things you don’t like about yourself:
1. My disproportionately long legs that earned me the “Anime Babe” name
2. MY FRECKLES! GAH!
3. My hands

Three parts of your heritage:
1. Scottish
2. Irish
3. French

Three things that scare you:
1. The thought of becoming a crazy cat lady
2. Driving
3. Disappointing people

Three of your everyday essentials:
1. Mascara
2. Cell phone
3. Deodorant

Three of your favorite musical artists:
1. Billie Holiday
2. Sheryl Crow
3. Aqualung

Three of your favorite songs:
1. “Hide and Seek” by Imogen Heap
2. “Goodbye My Lover” by James Blunt
3. “Thanks for the Memory" by Mildred Bailey

Three things you want in a relationship:
1. Passion
2. Understanding
3. Compromise

Three lies and truths in no particular order:
LIES:
1. The earth is FLAT!
2. Fairies are pretend
3. An Apple a day keeps the Doctor away

TRUTH:
1. True Love is real
2. What goes around comes around
3. Beauty is in everything

Three physical things about the opposite sex that appeal to you:
1. Genuine smile
2. Dark hair
3. Smiley eyes

Three of your favorite hobbies:
1. Reading
2. Photography
3. Writing

Three things you want to do really badly now:
1. Have fun with someone special
2. Go see my brother, sister-in-law and nephew
3. Hang out on a beach somewhere warm

Three careers you’re considering/you’ve considered:
1. Freelance grant writer
2. Fashion designer
3. Fiction writer

Three places you want to go on vacation:
1. France
2. San Francisco
3. Italy

Three kid’s names you like:
1. Audrey Rose
2. Ethan Christopher
3. Alexandra Grace

Three things you want to do before you die:
1. Find “The One”
2. Have babies
3. Go Whale Watching again

Three ways that you are stereotypically a boy:
1. I think most women are catty and irritating
2. I like tools and building things
3. I LOVE climbing trees

Three ways that you are stereotypically a girl:
1. I get such pleasure out of getting all dolled up
2. I cry every five minutes at commercials, etc
3. I get all choked up over babies

Three celeb crushes:
1. Cary Grant (back in the day)
2. Ralph Fiennes
3. Jude Law

Three people that I would like to see take this quiz… (but who probably won’t)
1. Kirsten
2. Josh
3. Sheila

Tragically Un-Hip

I'm blogging at work, which probably I'm not supposed to do, but I'm on my lunch break... If this irritates them, they can just deal with it. Nyah-Nyah.

I realised today that I'm a grown up and hideously uncool. I can't really say that I've lost my coolness, because I don't think I was ever really cool. I had followers, yes. Friends who thought I was cool, and the occasional young kid who allegedly looked up to me. I still have friends who say I'm cool, but they're weird like me, so who really knows?

Anyway, let me get to the point. My summer student. My summer student is probably in her first year at university, because she's still young and chipper and not dead inside, which happens in the 3rd year. She started working here after I did, and has managed to become friends with the other chipper girls in the office who don't really like me. I wasn't sure why they didn't like me, but I think now it's because I'm old and not cool and I over-compensate for this by being really friendly, which comes off as needy, which is even less cool than before. Oh dear.

For example, this morning I had a few very important things that needed to be done. So I asked her "when you have a second can I get your help?" and she said "sure, but I might be slow today cuz, you know, it's Friday. I can't work too hard." The rage started to bubble in the pit of my grown-up stomach at this, and as usual, I over-compensated by saying "No kidding! Well, if you could get this done as soon as possible, that would be awesome. Then relax, by all means." and then I swear to you, I flounced out of the office.... and I don't flounce. And did I just say "awesome"? Do people even say that anymore?

Am I either
a) dating myself as an Eighties Child by using prehistoric slang, or
b) becoming an old person who tries to be cool by staying on top of young people's slang, in spite of the fact that it's completely inappropriate because you aren't 19?
Either way, this isn't good. I think 26 is a difficult age. It's a little hard to see where you fit when half of your friends are married and half of them are still binge-drinking party animals. I don't fit into either category, and I can't seem to bridge the gap. I can't, because I don't "get it" because I'm not "at that point" in my life, as they say. Maybe that's why nobody seems to get me either... none of them are 26 and single and shy.

It's a little hard to think of myself as grown-up, and even worse to think of myself becoming so focused on work that the "young adult, fun-and-games" attitude makes me want to shout "OH, GROW UP!" I still feel like a kid, I still text my friends "Cya l8r, GMTA, LOL!", but then I come home at night and am in bed by 9 because I'm exhausted.

Where do I fit??? WHERE?!?
~g~

Where did THAT come from???

I had the strangest dreams last night... one was that my mum decided to redecorate the posts for the power lines outside of their house, and she chose chrome ones that were only 6 feet tall, so we all had to duck when we walked in the yard or we'd be electrocuted. ... something is really wrong with me.... This girl ain't right in the head. I'm scared to find out what tonight will bring. Let's hope it involves pirates that look like Johnny Depp with anchor tattoos.... Yo-Ho, Yo-Ho.

~g~