stupid human party trick

We're about to head to the Vancouver Aquarium so that we can see all the "kittens of the sea"...which is the strangely affectionate name Cornelius calls the sea otters. But during our morning coffee, I had mentioned to Cornelius a stupid human party trick that I had read about here. We tried it out and it didn't have the dramatic outcome of "ooohs" and "ahhhs" that we expected. So C decided to one-up the article and shared an old trick he tried out as a kid. It totally freaked me out and I'll share it here so that you can freak out your own friends and family. A stunt truely worthy of the stupid human trick genre.

1. Stand in a doorway and press your arms out so that the back of your hand is pressing against the doorway. Now press really firmly using all of your biceps and arm muscles for about 30 seconds or so (longer if you can).

2. Step away from the doorway and loosely drop your arms to your sides. Relax your arms completely.

3. Now, let the magic happen.

Your arms will slowly rise away from your body. It's freaky and makes you feel like some kind of zombie. Crazy Saturday morning fun.

not my thrift

My good friend is leaving at the end of the month so that she can ride her bike from Vancouver to Mexico. It's a six month trip and I'm excited for her because I know she'll take part in plenty of amazing experiences and return a stronger, more worldly person. Yup, I'm totally jealous! She is clearing house and has given away most of her possessions and because I'm her oldest and dearest friend (or at least I like to think so!), she's passed on a few items for safe keeping until she returns home. Ooohhh, I'm very pleased!!

Take a look at these vintage kitchen cannisters. I remember being very jealous when she picked up the whole lot for $3 at a garage sale.

And I've been coveting this print ever since she bought it at Value Village back when we were roommates. And now it's MINE...kinda.

Hmmmm, maybe she won't want these items when she returns.....

just lookin'

It's raining outside and there's a definite coolness in the air...even inside. I made sure I had a nice soup for lunch and I've got some minty tea to keep me company for the rest of the afternoon. While slurping up soup noodles, I peeked at anh-minh.com and saw some nice finds. I'm trying to be good and not buy anything unnecessary, but man, these things are nice!

From Egg Press, I am totally digging this little tree zippered pouch.



As well, much has been written about Working Class Studio and The Savannah College of Art & Designs shop. Boy, do I like these melamine plates! So colourful and pretty to look at. I want all four!



Enough browsing! Back to work. That's an order. See, I'm such a good boss to myself.

junebug

There are movies that I fall in love with right from the get-go. Junebug is one of them. A small and understated film that doesn't fall prey to grand gestures or posturing. In Junebug you can gain more into each character by a glance or an off-hand remark than by complicated plotlines. I don't want to say too much except that it's wonderful and made me smile, laugh and cry all at once. Plus, where else can you find The South, Will Oldham, Yo La Tengo, and Outsider Art all in one smart movie?

a sweet not

I like to use this journal to keep track of things I treasure or value or just want to keep close to me. But this post is anything but...except maybe a reminder to stay the hell away! After reading poco-cocoa's top 5 food list, I figured that I should actually give kettle corn a chance and when I spotted some at the Gourmet Warehouse, I immediately picked some up. True, I'm sure fresh kettle corn is a heavenly thing, but yikes, this was a big $3.99 mistake. From what little I know of kettle corn, it should be sweet & salty...but this bag of SweetPops is only sweet...despite any claims to being salty on the bag. Too sweet in fact. I feel like I have to brush my teeth and eat a whole bag of salty pretzels to counteract the sugar rush I got from this popcorn. SweetPops is a sweet not in my book.

seattle bound

I'm pretty excited when road trips rear their heads. There's not much more that I love than visiting new places. True, I've been to Seattle more times than I can count on both hands, but it's still a trip and it's a trip with a purpose. We've got tickets to see Lambchop at The Triple Door at the end of September! I've been waiting years and years to see Lambchop's eleven (maybe more?!) band members...and even better, they are touring with a full string section! I've never been to The Triple Door, but it looks fancy and lovely at least according to the venue's photos. Plus, this road trip guarantees a great breakfast at my favorite Seattle joint, The Dish. Biscuits n' gravy, here I come!

I should also point out that I'm also looking for any interesting shops, restaurants or galleries that we should poke our heads into while in Seattle. Basically, what's there to do in Seattle that I don't already know about? Probably lots! So lets hear about it!

kigurumi - tarako tarako tarako

This won't leave my head. Too cute!

time to craft

I'm not a very handy at sewing, but I do have a sewing machine that I rather like using once I work up the nerve to try a new project. My original plan was to create a wee bunny for a friend that just had a baby...but my crafting nerves got the better of me and I walked away from the pattern in terror. Instead I decided to create a little bear of my own making and I think he turned out alright. He's a little bit messy (my embroidery skillz aren't that hot), but I think his imperfections make him all the more adorable! At least that will be the enthusiasm in which I will present the lil' bear to the intended new baby. Hmph.

i *heart* the library

My next door library was closed for the month of August. It's the only branch in the whole Vancouver system that takes a long break like that and it's probably the only library that sits within an elementary school. So when Tuesday, September 5th rolled around I was so pleased to receive my huge bounty of holds that had been waiting around just for me! What's in my library goody bag? Let's take a peek inside:

• Murderball (dvd)
• Munich (dvd)
• Rollercoaster (dvd)
• The Man with the Golden Arm (dvd)
• North Country (dvd)
• Bad Dirt: Wyoming Stories 2 (short stories)
• Toast: The Story of a Boy's Hunger (non-fiction)

As you can see, I'm putting my new tote to good use!

riding the red wave

Whooo, menstruating sure can be fun! Ummmm, not. But things are much better now that I'm all signed on to using the Diva Cup. True! It's way better than using pads or 'pons and way better for the environment. The first 2 months I used it I was away camping and I found it to be perfect as I didn't have to worry about leaks or anything. Life was easy-peasy and I couldn't belive that I hadn't used it sooner. Now I'm on my third month and I've actually experienced leakage...not much, but I definitely have to use panty liners. Too much information? Too bad! But leaks and all, I still have to recommend the Diva Cup. There's an initial investment, but it's way cheaper than buying pricey pads & tampons every few months, since it lasts for years. I'm not going to wear the silly pin that came with my menstrual cup, but I'll declare my love in a public forum! Whoooo!