Rejected.ReUsed.ReWorn.

Ever since I was young, I aspired to be arsty and crafty and creative. Well, I guess I have always been moderatly artsy, crafty and creative, but I have never really done anything with my half-ass talents. I love writing, but I'm a lazy writer. I used to play musical instruments, but in my adult years, I have basically given them up, for no particular reason. To my dismay, I cannot draw anything but stick figures and doodles on scraps of paper. I long to be a good amateur photographer, but I really just don't have the equipment, or the eye for it. However, there have been a couple hobbies of mine that I have kept up with over the years, and it has always been in the back of my head, that one day I was going to use them to make some of my money back that I have spent on supplies. But, I never actually followed through on any of my plans to cash in on something I'm good at, due to time constraints, my job, and my embarrassingly low self-esteem and sense of self-confidence. Until now.

Last fall, I decided that I was going to get back to my hobbies, and spend the winter making jewellery, bags, and clothing. Just as I had hundreds of times before, I thought, if I could get enough product together, I would apply to be in one of the many summer festivals in The City as a craft vendor, and see what I could do. If nothing else, I was doing something creative that I enjoyed, and that would be good for my mental health.

Shortly after I started my project, I got to talking to FilmStar's girlfriend Katie, and she informed me that she too really liked to sew, and that her and a friend also made jewellery and were having some success selling it. We decided to partner up, and our little hippie clothing and accessory business was born.

Katie and I spent loads of time this winter sitting in the living room at the House of Pain, making jewellery, taking turns at my old sewing machine, and making a mess of the main floor with scraps of material, patterns, thread and broken needles. With her as a partner, I gained enough self-confidence to truly be excited about applying to be a vendor at the festivals, and when I found out that we were chosen, I was fucking ecstatic. FINALLY...I had followed through on something. We had to get organized. We had to do this. I had to put myself, and my crafts out there for all to see. And all I can do is hope for the best. If I sell something, that's fantastic. If I don't, at least I jumped a personal hurdle, and tried my best...and had tons of fun doing it.

This coming Saturday is our first festival. I'm not quite ready, I'm a bit nervous, we still need a few odds and ends in order to have a nice set-up, and I have a few bags and more jewellery that I need to finish up, but other than that, we are ready to go...and we're both really excited and can't wait to see how it turns out. Since it's an outdoor street fair, all that we (and all the other vendors) need is a nice warm day, with no rain to do OK in sales...which isn't in the forecast, but hey, it's Saskatchewan, and weather predictions really mean diddly squat.

So wish me luck, and if you're going to be there, stop on by and say howdy-do.

UPDATE: Although the weather was not nice to us festival people today, we did do quite well at our little booth! We both turned a profit, people were very nice, all of our friends and then some came to visit throughout the day, and we had many people ask for our contact information....so they can track us down and buy more stuff! YAY! (mental note....get those business cards done pronto!) So ya, all was well, other than some frigid toes! Thanks to everyone who came by to say 'hi' and look around! Smootches for all!

My Most Favoritest Things About Summer (Part One)

Well, it's still technically Spring, but the weather tells me that Summer is officially here. I see no more snow in the forecast, and according to the local paper this weekend, official weather people are predicting a hot, dry summer. As long as there are a few fantastic thunderstorms tucked in there somewhere, I'll be happy as a dirty old man at Hooters for the next few months. There are so many wonderful and beautiful things about this particular Summer that I am looking forward to, and so many things that I love to look back on, that I got the over-whelming urge to write a list of my most favorite things about this season. And you know how much I love lists.

#1. The Sunshine. Ok, sure there are sunny days all year round....but waking up to sun pouring in the windows, watching the sun set late at night, and catching the great rays of Vitamin D all day long, is absolutely super fantastic.

#2. The Clothes. Tanks tops, skirts, 'home-made' capri pants, sandals. These are the items of clothing I dream about wearing from September to March. And yes, I am aware that you can wear skirts in the winter as well....but come on now, who the heck actually enjoys wearing pantyhose or tights? Not this cowgirl.

#3. The People. There are certain individuals in my life, that disappear without a trace, the second the days become shorter and the temperature starts to drop, and I don't see them until everything is summer-y again. On any given day in the warmer weather though, I will run into one or all of these individuals, at the pub, in the park, at a festival.....and we get on like we saw each other yesterday. This is also the season that brings new fabulous friends and accquaintances into my life...I think that all the sunshine makes us more willing to engage in conversations and shenanigans with strangers. Or at least that's the way it is with me.

#4. Outdoor Festivals and Concerts. No matter what type of festival it is, or what kind of music is being played, I can't think of a better way to spend a day, a night or a weekend, than wandering around aimlessly, hopping from craft/food vendor, to beer garden to musical main stage, just taking it all in. And of course having a few too many drinks, just enough laughs, and hopefully coming away with a new favorite band, a new favorite food, or a new summer friend.

#5. Thunderstorms and Rainshowers. Of course, if there is too much of this kind of weather, it throws me into 'Eeyore' mode, and all I can do is whine about how much I need and miss Sunshine in my life. However, a good hardore thunderstorm in the late afternoon or early evening, after a hot, humid day full of sweat and B.O. is magnificent. Watching the sky turn from blue to that orangy grey, I get all excited and head to the windows, just waiting for that first "Crash!!!Clap!!!Bang!!!" of thunder...and feel like a little kid on Xmas morning, watching all the rain splash down on us while lightening threatens to zap us. And oh boy, don't get me started on how excited I get when I hear there are tornado warnings.....I know, it's horrible, and can be quite possibly devastating......but the adrenaline rush a good Summer storm gives me, is like no other.

Well, that's all for today, I've got to get ready for work. Stay tuned for more listy goodness.

UPDATE: Knowing me, I will never finish the second part of this entry, but I will try, as I sure would like to tell y'all about the Canada Day camping trip!

Weighing In on Weight Gain

So, I gained about 20 pounds of blubber over the winter. I'm not impressed. Actually, I'm not impressed with myself at the moment, as I know I could have started doing something about it a long time ago, and now, I am basically behind on my goal weight that I wanted for summer. I wanted to be as svelt as possible, because I'm sick of worrying about what I look like at friends weddings, family functions and so on. It's probably all in my head, but I really have to wonder what these people think ,who haven't seen me since I was skinny, when they see me now. I imagine, that after whatever function, some aunt/cousin/long lost friend, are driving in their car, turn to their passenger and say "What a nice wedding/reunion/funeral that was. But, wowzee, has Abigail gotten a bit rotund!". OK, nobody talks like that. But you get my point.

Growing up, we were a fairly healthy family, and I think I really need to thank my parents for not pumping us full of fast food, junk food, and the like. Chips and sweets were for Xmas and birthdays. If we went on a trip to a city, we might stop at a fast food joint for lunch. Pop was not allowed, unless it was a special occasion and there were other kids around, as it was 'mix' for the adults, and was not to be touched. We were constantly ushered outside to ride bikes, play in the creek, go swimming, skiiing, tobogganning, play sports, and everything else. We ate healthy, home-cooked meals every single day. It's because of this, that to this day I couldn't give a good god damn about chocolate or Coca Cola,and I am able to keep my salt addiction under control if I put my mind to it. However, even though I was raised to eat well, and be active, over the past few years, I have turned into a lazy city person, who orders out, and takes cabs, because of laziness or time constraints. Yuck.

I realize that the extreme lack of exercise, and eating too many carbs, (I'm sorry, I'm poor. Pasta and rice are definatly in my budget) and drinking too much beer are the reason I'm turning into a whale. I also know that I could very easily drop about 15 pounds pronto, if I just got my ass in gear, maybe had a nagging friend or two who could assist me in getting my ass in gear. But mostly, it's all on my shoulders, and dagnabbit, today's the day. It's time to stop fucking around. Or maybe start fucking around....according to Cosmo, hard-core lovin' can burn a heap of calories.

I woke up yesterday, and the first thing I thought of was my bicycle.* My car was almost out of gas, and at that time, payday was 2 days away. (Now it's 22 hours and counting) I realized that I bought the car for the sole purpose of being able to get to work and back, getting groceries, and the odd road trip. However, since buying it, I have become lazier than ever. I used to walk downtown. Now I drive. I used to have to walk to the bus. I don't take the bus anymore. And so on. I sicken myself. I decided that the first thing I was going to do when I cashed my paycheck, was head to Canadian Tire, and by myself a bike lock, so I can use my bike and only my bike on the weekends, and whenever I am not doing the aformentioned activities that the car is supposed to be for. I was so pumped, that I went to the Petro Can, filled the tires with air, and bicycled over to Delores' place. I felt great. Once I do it a couple times, I'll be addicted. It's my personality. I also remembered my ecstacy only a couple months ago, when the snow and ice started to melt, and how I was so happy that I would be able to go for walks, and just plain walk everywhere I needed to go. B-Rock lent me his discman, I filled discs full of MP3's, and walked my ass off for 2 weeks.....and then I got this evil car. I love walking, I love biking, and I think I just needed to weigh myself yesterday, so I could get my excitement for simple exercise back.

I must stick up for myself though, when I am berating myself. I have been playing frisbee in the park every weekend, as often as possible. I eat as healthy as my bank account will allow. I count the 4 hours of hardcore dancing I do every Saturday night as exercise, because I usually push myself so hard I'm sweating like a mofo and last week, I even thought I was going to keel over and die, if The DJ didn't play a shitty song, so I could sit down and take a break. And hey, I brought the bike out yesterday.

I can do it. Right??

* Every single time I say the word 'bicycle', that Queen song runs through my head. "I want to ride my bicycle, I want to ride my bike...."

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Ladies, check this site out. Gentlemen, it's not what you think, you dirty boys. :) CheckOutMyBreasts.Com

I love this fantastic music-related blog I stumbled across. It's called Mocking Music, and is chalk-full of reviews, suggested downloads, rants, concert listings......all the good stuff.

Apparently, we're going to be peace-keeping it up for quite awhile. Why not drop a line to one or all of our Canadian troops abroad.

My Adventures With A Space Alien

I have been 'tagged' by the Almighty Schmutzie to tell y'all "Six Weird Things About Me". However, I have thought about it, and I figure, my friends and my regular readers probably already know more than six things about me that are just plain weird, so I'm going to take this opportunity to tell you Six Weird and/or Surprising Things about The Pub crew's new mascot and friend E.T. (Yup, that E.T.!)....who was introduced to us by Red, who was introduced to E.T. via our Hot Toronto Friend.

But before we get to that, I just want to send out two super duper, bigger than life, thank you's to Schmutzie and Film Star for helping me figure out how to post images on my site. Still not exactly what I was going for, but I'm slowly but surely figuring everything out..because you cats rock.

1. E.T. has a bit of a drinking problem. But don't we all like to occasionally indulge a bit too much on a Friday afternoon?

2. Believe it or not, E.T. is quite the daredevil, and regularily participates in competitive skateboarding. However, at the moment he is suspended from all competition, due to the fact that he was caught cheating. No flying allowed buddy, no flying allowed!


3. He's quite the ladies man (or is that alien?), and has a bad habit of pulling the ol' wham bam, thank you ma'am when he's feeling randy. Ladies, beware of his charming ways!


4. He's got a gambling problem that he just won't deal with. He swears he wins back more than he puts in, but somehow, I just don't quite believe him anymore.


5. E.T. likes to play Hide and Seek. He also likes to pose for silly pictures....but don't we all. Just look at that innocent looking face! Hey, wait a minute....what were you doing in the bathroom E.T.??? You sicko.


6. Small alien = small bladder. Once that Guinness kicks in, and he breaks that seal, he's in and out of that bathroom every half pint it seems. I swear, he should just get some adult diapers and wear them out to the bar....it's be easier to carry on a conversation if he wasn't having to run away to take a leak every 2 seconds!