I don't want a lot this Christmas...

True story, folks. I didn't ask for much this Christmas, but it was still a good one!

I've been in Baltimore for most of it, and have had the great joy of spending it with my little cousins. And let's be honest... the best part of Christmas is spending it with happy and excited (and really cute) little kids.

And yeah, I got my camera and am about to order my brand, shining, new Matt Ryan jersey, so it's nothing to scoff at... it's bee a good Christmas for me!

And did I mention the Falcons made it to the playoffs?

Santa really does exist!

I know I can... be what I wanna be!

For example, a playoff contender... or even, dare I say it:

A Superbowl XLIII contender?

Both are possibilities for my dearly beloved Atlanta Falcons this season.

Here's to Matt Ryan and Michael Turner... the dream duo we've been awaiting for many-a-season! To all the others: just keep on doin' what you're doin' - it's working.

NFC South in the house!

I can't, can't stand your mother...

Or maybe it's your father I can't stand.

Or your brother? Oh wait... maybe it's your other brother.

Either way kids, the moral of the story is that if you're a Manning, Tom Brady is tired of telling you about yourself. Game, after game, after game.

But then there was that whole Superbowl thing... the two Superbowl things, actually, where both pro Mannings actually whooped Brady and the Patriots. lol.

Are you not entertained?

If not, maybe the following will spark your humor plug as much as it did mine. I have no idea whether or not these are real quotes, or just the brilliant love child of a writer and his liquor, but this is the good-good. Keep in mind too, because it actually adds to the funny factor: the following weekend, little Eli took Tommy boy to school at Superbowl XLII, live from Glendale, AZ.

It's old, but I just found it so it's new to me. Pure gold people!

King Midas styles... enjoy: http://www.serioussportsnewsnetwork.com/2008/02/brady-tired-of-beating-mannings.html

You're so vain... I bet you think this blog is about you...

Where's the line between just enough, and T.O.o much?

Yes, yes... I'm back on the football tip, but it’s not to talk about fantasy.

Unless you count that one with me, and T.O. and the shower.... but I digress.

Today's topic at hand is Terrell Owens a.k.a. T.O. You may have recently seen him wearing number 81 for America's Team, The Dallas Cowboys. And if you did, you probably thought "dammmmmn... that's hot." I did. Actually, I still do... every Sunday, and once in a while even on Mondays.

The man is a modern day God.

But then pretty Mr. O opens up wide and says something for the cameras, and like The Hulk, he's transformed from T.O. into Eg-O.

To bring you up to speed, I'd like to take a moment here to run off a few of my personal favourites. And I quote:

"Get your popcorn ready, 'cause I'm gonna put on a show."

"That's right. That's what I bring to the table, in case you somehow forgot."

"I would say no. I'm a competitor, and I want the ball. "

"Everybody recognized that I wasn't really getting the ball in the first half...I'm pretty sure everybody watching the game recognized it, people in the stands recognized it, I think my team recognized it. I didn't quit. I kept fighting and running my routes and trying to get open... There wasn't much more I could do."

So again I ask, where is that line? I mean let's face it - the man is sexy, talented and published (kid-lit and stuff for us grown folks). There's no denying that. But as a fan of both football and T.O. on a personal level, I have to question if all that is worth constantly taking an ego-full? I can't help but imagine that any conversation with him would be stunted with his utterance, "blah blah blah... I love me some T.O... blah blah blah."

No wait… that’s not my imagination. I’m just watching yet another media op…

He may be just enough sexy to get in there (ahem... the end zone that is...), but is he just T.O.o much mouth for my own good?

But it's just a sweet, sweet fantasy baby...

It's the end of week four of the 2008 football season and we've secured our first win in our fantasy league, The Battle of Gotham City.

Yay!

I'm not gonna lie... I don't like losing - who does, really?

But I'm certainly still on a learning curve with this whole fantasy thing. I enjoy playing - especially because we're in a league with old friends form high school. So even though it can get a little heated and competitive sometimes, in the end it's all love.

And money.

Annnnnd of course, bragging rights.

So I'm learning.

This week I learned that I could drop players from the roster and pick up free agents! I know - it's ridiculous how obvious it seems, and even more ridiculous that I didn't know that. To be quite honest, last time we played fantasy (two seasons ago) we ended up with a kickass team and placed second in the league.

Didn't need too much adjustment to that team. So I didn't bother learning what to do in case of injury. Or suspension.

But as I mentioned in a previous post, the luck of the draw (or rather, the draft) wasn't working for us this time, and we found ourselves in a sorry situation with our players.

Brady. Plax. TO. Shockey. Doesn't seem too bad on paper, but the reality of the season proves that real games aren't won or lost on a single player, and generally, neither are fantasy match-ups. So when you factor in Brady's ACL injury, or Plax's attitude... TO's slippery fingers or Shockey's hernia... you realise that we've got some work to do!

And thanks to Isaac's advice, I continue to learn and hopefully build our team for the remainder of the season.

And for the record, Favre - originally our backup QB - had a career high game this week, throwing six (6? who does that?) touchdowns against the Cardinals. Wow! If he can keep that up for the rest of the season it'll be smooth sailing from here on in...

Realistically speaking though, we probably have a couple more adjustments to make to the team and I'm looking forward to an exciting and chair-gripping football season.. especially if my Falcs (God help them) can develop a winning streak ;)

It's the end of the world as we know it, and I feel fine!

25.

Quarter Century.

Dos Cinco, even. (If you're a relative of Chad Ocho Cinco)

Whatever you want to call it, I seem to be one of few in my entourage who are excited about, and looking forward to turning 25.

Being that my birthday is so late in the year, many of my friends have already been there, done that. Some had small outings or get-togethers. But many have passed unnoticed, like any other day of the year.

Now maybe it's because I've always been a big celebrator of birthdays, or maybe it's because I feel like it's the beginning of the rest of my life... but whatever it is, I say 25 BRING IT ON! I've been looking forward to this one since I turned 24, and although I'm no longer able to do the seven day long celebration that I intended, I'm still planning to go three days strong for the big 2-5.

25 signifies the beginning of something new - finishing school, moving out for good, starting a new career and embarking on "real" adulthood. I don't know about you, but all of that is pretty damn exciting to me!

Some people call it getting old, but as far as I'm concerned, I'm just getting started!

Let me take you down, I really wanna take you down...

All sexual references aside, this should be Bernard Pollard's theme song for the season.

I'm not a Pats fan. Anyone who knows me should know this about me.

Tom Brady, however, was supposed to be my knight in shining armour for this fantasy season. It felt good to have him, especially after an unforeseen mishap on draft day that left me on autodraft while my league-mates live drafted. It wasn't pretty folks.

But Tom Brady is. Very pretty.

He's also very injured.
Very torn ACL.
Very needs surgery.
Very out for the season.

But mon dieu, the man is pretty.

And thank God Favre is my backup... it's a pretty good deal as far as backup QBs go, and I'm thankful for that.

I decided to blog this a couple of days after the fact because I've calmed down quite a bit since Sunday afternoon. My initial reaction was: Brady's a bitch, hurry up and get back on the field... 3 points? Following this was any combination of: Effing Brady!; seriously?; you have to be kidding me!; He did this to spite me!

And the list goes on.

And then I heard talk of "ACL". Anyone who has ever played, or even watched a sport in their life knows that when talk of an ACL injury looms in the air, it's never a good thing.

First the depression set in: Man, this was supposed to be the good good.

Next, the reality: Okay, so for next week we'll have to switch in Favre... too bad he was on the bench this week just racking up the points that I can't use.

Finally, the human element: Shit. Tom Brady has a season ending ACL injury. That's actually sad, because he's a great athlete and this may have a lasting effect on his career.

It took me a couple of days, but I finally made it back around.

While many celebrate the accomplishment of Pollard's big take down, I mourn my fantasy team leader, and a damn sexy personification of athleticism!

If there's a camera up in here, throw that right on up to YouTube...

Clearly, these days it's all about being tech-savvy.

For me, it started with AOL messenger back in the day (remember that?) From there it's been a spiral (up, down or however you like it) into ICQ, MSN, Hi5, Facebook, YouTube and the list goes on...

Whatever your social network of choice, it's inevitable. Resistance is futile my friends.

Granted, not everyone will engage in everything. I've never taken to the concept of Second Life, and I was never a huge fan of Hi5. Hell, I created two myspace pages, but neither were for my own use.

I've been hearing about twitter for a few months now. Some classmates and I wrote an article on social and new media, and I first came across Twitter when I interviewed new media guru David Weinberger. He mentioned it in passing, and for the first time in my cyber life, I was at a loss: I actually had no idea what he was talking about. I made a mental note to myself to "google" (this qualifies as a valid verb in my books) it.

Fast forward a few months, and while I did make good on my mental note, I still hadn't pursued becoming a "tweet" (someone who Twitters) any further. Until today.

My dad sent me a text message (he does it fairly often... who would have thought?) asking me to call him. I find this ironic. Annnnnd... we're back. What he wanted was to find out how to do something on twitter. That sparked something in me - my dad was on twitter and I wasn't. In addition, I had to sign up for an account in order to find out what he wanted, so I went for it.

Username: lbholder

I updated my status, and played around with it a bit: reading the "about us", and checking out the official Twitter blog. By far, my favourite feature of this hidden gem is the option to text. That's right kiddos - you can text (with no extra charges) your status updates right to your page... how cool is that?

Facebook needs to jump on that one.

In closing, twitter will, at least momentarily, be my new muse. I hope it has the balls to keep me entertained!

i apologize if I've disappointed you... i got lost in my darkness.. and light hurts my eyes

It’s dark in here
and
I’m feeling worthy
Of less

Less than he
Less than she
Less than they
Expected

Of what was to be
Of what has been
Of what should be

It’s dark in here
and
I’m feeling worthy
of less

than what I expected
of me

Could have been
Should have been
Wanted to be
worth more

And now
It’s dark in here
and
I don’t even feel worthy
Of being worthless.

I out on de road, I deh wit my friends

So it's been a while since my last entry... almost two months... apparently I've been busy!

This weekend just past was Caribana weekend in Toronto.
I love Caribana.... I have since I was a kid, and I'm pretty sure that I'll continue to love it until old age renders me unable to participate in the festivities

This was the first year that I played mas, and my GOD... what an amazing time I had!
I mean, it's hard on your body. You literally go for kilometers... and not just walking, because that's pretty easy... but dancin', jumpin', wavin' and winin'... well that's a whole other story!
It was such an amazing feeling though from start to finish.

We (Amber and myself) got on the subway and streetcar in our costumes and became instant celebrities. People everywhere had their heads turned to see what we were about, and the bolder ones took photos... some with permission, others without. But let me tel you, it sure was a bit of an ego trip to have that much attention.

Then you get to the Ex grounds and into the round-up area and it continues.. photographers everywhere taking pictures of everything for every reason.

Going across the stage was a trip too... we were the second band to cross the stage, and our section - Sea Lilies - was the first section of the band to hit de road. We got on bad for 5 minutes for the judges and then headed out down the parade route where we continued to wine and wuk up... even as it poured rain for probably about 20 minutes to a half hour. There's something about being soaking wet that makes you... or at least made me want to get on bigger and badder!

Me and my girls (Amber and Juanita) even ended up on the Toronto Star online briefly, as we put our all into dancing and celebrating the carnival spirit!


Aside from all the goodness of the parade, there was also Glow on Friday night and Fire Fete on Sunday that added hugely to the overall good times of the weekend. We saw Bunji Garlin, Faye-Ann Lyons, Destra and Shurwayne amongst others... some of my favourite performers all on one stage.. definitely makes for a good weekend.


My Monday bbq also went well... I got to spend some good times limin with my friends in my backyard. The weather was perfect, the food was good, the tunes were feeling nice and everyboy had a good time (I think!)

All in all this may have been my best Caribana weekend yet... and I look forward to many many more over the years!

I'm a model you know what I mean; when I do my little turn on the catwalk...

I participated in a Flash Mob for fashion magazine about a week ago, in conjunction with LuminaTO. A bunch of ppl wore white and got together to freeze on queue in the middle of Young & Dundas Sq.

This pics and video are up online respectively, so enjoy (and see if you can spot me!):

http://www.fashionmagazine.com/fashion-file/slideshowarticle/514/
http://www.fashionmagazine.com/video/June08/FMFlashMob/



















Me, Care, Kendra and Michelle walking out to Dundas Sq.
(Photo credit: Claudia Hung)

Dream a little dream of me...

Thursday June 12, 2008 will forever be know (in my humble books) as the night I saw **literally** the best stage production thus far in my life.

And to top it off, it was a production of A Midsummer Night's Dream. Performed by international South Asian performers. In eight (8!) different languages.

I saw it at the Canon Theatre as part of this year's LuminaTO festivities... and wow... it just blew my mind. Having seen a number of productions of the same over the last... say 7 years or so, I went into it thinking "this will be interesting if nothing else" and wondering if some of the subtle nuances would be lost - being that I don't speak Tamil, Malayalam, Sinhalese, Hindi, Bengali, Marathi or Sanskrit.

But again... wow... I was surprised, delighted, entertained and more! To a tee, all of the characters were perfectly cast, and carried out their duties seamlessly, sometimes switching languages mid-sentence. In fact, it was so well executed, at times I actually forgot that it wasn't fully being performed in English. The parts that were performed in the other languages came across very clearly through the use of appropriate tones, gestures and facial expressions, and still managed to be appropriately stern where required, and incite the audience to laughter where it was appropriate.

The set, combined with the talents of the performers provided a visual and aural buffet on which my senses happily feasted. The cloth covered bamboo backdrop provided a playground for the actors to jump, climb and acrobatically manoeuvre around throughout the course of the show. When combined with the over-the-top ropes and silks which were used to varying degrees for climbing, hanging, swinging and reclining, the set came together to provide a fantastic and dream-like setting in which to carry out the lovers' stories.

Another element that this group successfully contributed to the piece was the overt presence of sex on the stage. I assume that most productions shy away from this because Dream is generally thought to be a "family" viewing experience, and sexual content is generally deemed inappropriate for younger and older people. The element of chemistry and passion between the characters - from Lysander and Hermia to Bottom (the tender ass...lol) and Hippolyta - was a necessary addition to this hot-blooded version of one of Shakespeare's finest.

There was so much more that I could literally go on and on and on if I wanted to. Everything about this production was "spot on"... from the South Asian instrumentation (my favourite being the presence of the tassa drum toward the end of the show), to the costume design which seemed to blend the best of South Asian and Western fashions with a touch of haute couture flamboyance, this version of Dream was THE version of Dream.

Recommendation: It's playing in Toronto until Sunday June 15 - go buy your tickets now!

If I hold you tonight...

I don't do well with temptation.
Sometimes, against my better judgment I need to indulge.
And I did.

So once again, I'm back in my deep, dark happy place.
And I'm there with him.

You make me sick...

Yesterday evening I was enjoying a meal at Spring Rolls (specifically the Mississauga location at the Sussex Centre on Burnhamthorpe)... I was out with some friends for someone's birthday... it was overall and good time, everyone was enjoying themselves.

I had made myself well full from ordering my standard Tango Mango Fish & Shrimp, but decided to split dessert... coconut stick rice with mango... with Kendra because typically when we've ordered this not just from Spring Rolls but from other places, it has always been a delicious and satisfying end to a good meal. Anyways, we had almost made our way through the entire mound of sticky rice when I took my final bite. Pairing it with a piece of mango for what should have been sweet, fruity perfection, I put the combo into my mouth and began chewing. Everything seemed to be going as normal, when I suddenly felt a strange texture mid-chew. Something hard and slightly sharp... quite un-rice or mango-like was inside the food that was presently inside my mouth.

Quite disturbed by this alien texture I was experiencing (and please note, the vast majority of my food consumption habits are based upon texture), I decided to err on the side of poor table manners and remove it from my mouth to examine it.

To my surprise and utter disgust, it was a fingernail. Not my fingernail. Just a fingernail. A stranger's fingernail was in my hand, after previously being in my mouth. I was almost too disgusted for words, but managed to get out an "oh hellllll no.... I did not just find a fingernail in my food." If you're interested, see below for a photo of said fingernail.

From this point forward I will no longer be a patron of Spring Rolls restaurants in Mississauga or elsewhere. The manager tried to comfort me by assuring me that it could not possibly be the fingernail of one of her staff, but that the fingernail must have been in the bag of rice and she would be speaking with her suppliers. But realistically I don't care where the fingernail originated, I am concerned solely with the fact that there was not only a fingernail in my food, but it was in the food inside my mouth. Someone's fingernail was inside my mouth, and I can't help but think that if I wasn't a slow-chewing eater, I may have swallowed that fingernail without ever knowing.

Fortunately I do know. And I also know that I will never again be giving my hard-earned dollars to the Spring Rolls chain or any of their affiliates. And may I recommend the same for you...

... and if anyone cares to know... having experienced both, I would definitely say fingernail trumps hair in the disgusting-factor of interesting bodily food finds.

No need for an attorney, your honour I am guilty...

I'm a soca junkie :)

Unfortunately this past weekend I didn't quite live up to my reputation.

I had to make some last minute adjustments to my long weekend plans as some unforeseen circumstances caused it to become a fiscally conservative weekend.

It was a lot of fun though... girl's/games night, random Irish pub in 'sauga and bowling with a little dominoes thrown in... all in all a good weekend.

But I missed Soca or Die.... "de only fete to last two days" AND I MISSED BOTH! Destra, Faye-Ann, Bunji, Maximus, Tizzy, Nadia, and Kerwin.. I missed them all in order to save some money. I'm a little cheesed... but the situation is out of my hands for now.

But man... this girl [that girl] needs a fix... I have my playlist, my iPod, Soca Therapy... but I'm in need a of a real good fete. My body is aching for blasting soca and no behaviour until 4...5...6am! I'm a soca junkie experiencing withdrawal and it's not pretty.

Tribal Knights had their band launch this weekend @ SOD... While I didn't make it out, I'm really excited because I saw the costume that I'm playing in and it's so pretty! If you're reading this and happen to be interested in playing mas (getting costumed) for Caribana 08 holla in my direction. In the words of Shurwayne: ah cyan wait.

On the real... give me some Machel (that's my one and only true desire) live with a band and I'll be good to go. But until then, any fete will do... like I said, I just need a fix like SLJ in Jungle Fever ;)

the baggy sweatpants and the reeboks with the straps

Okay so it might be more like a pair of tights and rbks without the straps... but either way, in my mind I'm building up a passionate love affair with Madrid and NYC. They come out in July (above left) and November (above right) respectively, and this girl can't wait to get her not-so-grubby little hands on a pair of each. They'll go well with my Queens, and each will get its own special love and affection from moi :)

She used to be the sweetest girl...

I was going through some of my old papers, and I found a poem that I composed for my writing class in OAC (2002)...

Midnight at the Champagne Room

Touches, soft as silk
Feeling like the sound of nails across a chalkboard
Slow, the music flows out of the box
A million thoughts run through your head
Down, down, like the sinking sensation of drowning and
Up again, quicker now
Fan those pretty little legs across his deep, dark face
Uh, uh, uh, that's a forbidden pleasure
Do not enter
Stay sweet, miss the eyes, with your misty eyes
Wrap it up soon, time flies when you're having fun
Feels like it's never done, but
It will be soon, how much more
Can you take
A drink or two, to incinerate the
Filth of the wealth, of the high life
Get high tonight
Burst a vein, it's time
Shit like this would make anyone insane
Feel the burn
Warm, slow pain
Exit downstage left
Cinderella, time to leave the ball
It's the stroke of

Midnight at The Champagne Room

Now's the time for you to make your move to the dancefloor...

I finally made it to Seven Lounge last night (a Friday night... live to air on Flow 93.5)... I've always wanted to go just because every time I've passed there on a Friday night the lineup is always down the street. I've listened to the broadcast many times... and it's always alright.... a lot of older music, but not too bad.

I went to see Simone off to the UK (even though we're hanging again next weekend before she leaves). We were literally the first people in the club.... now tell me why a club whose guest list closes at 11:30 doesn't actually open until after 10:30... does this seem fraudulent to anyone else? Never in my life have I stood outside of a club waiting... FOR IT TO OPEN! Thankfully the weather was pretty nice last night.

I had a pretty good time in spite of the fact that all night I heard a total of about 10 songs that were released in 2005 or later... and that's being generous. I did however, make note of a few crucial tidbits that helped to keep me entertained while I was there:

1. Coed washrooms - I didn't go in myself, but a credible source gave me this information. I think sharing hand-washing facilities is a great idea. Toilets... not so much. Even though most of us hover, the concept of a drunken boy/man shaking his shit all over the toilet seat is so very unappealing.

2. The white girl dip - is one of the world's great tragedies, and needs to be stopped. It's not sexy. But, if it has to keep happening, I hope it continues to happen in my line of vision so I can get a good laugh.

3. Panties - Silly girl and her boyfriend up against the wall right at the entrance to the dance floor area. My girl had on a dress that stopped about 3 inches (or 6.6 cm) below her coochie. This might not have been so bad but since her dancing consisted of her bouncing up and down against her gentleman friend, I had the misfortune of seeing her undergarments multiple times in the span of about 4 minutes.

4. Dance floor Jungle Fever - I have never understood why black men in clubs where black women are present choose to dance with white girls. This said... I have nothing against black men or white women (as a whole group). But it's just so awkward... mostly because it seems to happen most frequently to reggae music, which most white girls can't dance to. They try very hard to make some kind of gyrating movements with their lack of booty, while the men try equally as hard (if not harder) to keep them on the beat (an exercise in futility). Black men need to understand that this isn't the 1800s and dancing with a white chick doesn't give you status. White women - just chill out and know your roll... wait for the house music.

1 & 2 & 3 & 4 and get them sit-ups right and...

Tuck than tummy tight and do your crunches like this....
Yeah I like Kanye.... and I thought it would be an appropriate way to being this entry.

Spring is in the air folks... the snow seems to be gone for the year (I can only keep my fingers crossed on this until about July when we're in the clear for a while), I've seen a cardinal and two robins, and as the days go by I'm getting closer and closer to ridding myself of my winter coats for the season!

I'm also resolved to get back in shape, as of yesterday. All winter I've been in school and working and grabbing naps where I could (because often full sets of REM sleep were just not possible) and I've been a hot lethargic mess. Key word being hot ;)

Yesterday I decided to jump back into it with my Power Yoga with Eoin Finn (courtesy of one Ms. KL Ferris)... 76 minute routine... and all I have to say is that it felt damn good. My body is out of shape and this is just the beginning of getting it back to where it should be.

Today I woke up in massive pain... feeling muscles that I haven't felt in months thanks to Eoin Finn (i like writing the name Eoin) and his 76 minutes of affirming my goals through yoga. I've decided that I'm going to alternate days, and since yesterday was a yoga day, today was a socacise day.

Yup I said it... I put it out there (copyright Lindsay Holder 2007 in case there's any idea snatchers out there) Soca.... as a form of exercise. After many years of feting... I've come to realize that a night spent dancing to soca is just as good if not better than any workout routine Jane Fonda or Marnie Winsor could give me. Therefore, a couple of years ago (and Sara Fung can attest to this) I started combining moves that I would do at a fete to create routines to my favourite soca tunes (and there are many.... keeps it interesting). It's a great workout, and the best part is that it's fun. Maybe it's just me because I love soca so much, but I'd rather do that than a step class any day.

This evening I also had the pleasure of throwing around the football with Kinja.... and while it wasn't a "real" workout per se, it was good to just be outside, taking in the fresh air, and most importantly working on my mess of a left hand... lol... not a pretty sight folks, but I'll be good to go by the end of the summer.

Yesterday - yoga. Today - socacise. Tomorrow - back to yoga. I might switch it up a bit... go with Cyndi Lee instead of Eoin Finn (did I mention I really like writing the name Eoin... cuz I really do!)... and I'm sure that from here on out I won't stick absolutely to this schedule, but it's a good starting point for me.

And for those of you reading this (which might not be anyone because most people don't know about my virgin blog) I want to encourage you all to go out and enjoy the spring and summer. There's so much to do from tossing a ball around with your friends, to biking, rollerblading, and taking classes.... but it's such a great time of year - don't waste it inside!

And for those of you who want to know more about socacise... if you don't know, you better ask somebody (me, specifically!)

And I'll take with me the memories

I'm done school. I don't want to say "forever" just because at this point in time, I still intend to do my masters in the next couple of years. For now though, I'm done school. No more exams (although I guess that really finished with UWO), no more assignments, no more speeches or presentations.... I'm done school.

It feels surreal... it's exciting and horrifying at the same time. Right now I don't think it's completely settled in yet... we don't have any final exams, so school just kind of ended abruptly. Now I get to (have to?) go out into the real world - get a job, move out of my house, and begin the rest of my life - and I'm really looking forward to it!

This was a great year though. It taught me a lot about myself, the way I handle pressure and stress, how I work with others, and how I work by myself. So to my fellow BB-ers... cheers to us for making it through this massively intense year and coming out on top!

I met so many great people this year, and I really hope that I can stay in touch with them. I know it's not realistic to believe that I'll be in touch with everyone from the class (and believe me, it's not to say that I even want to keep in touch with everyone...) but there are a few special someones who I met this year that I'd like to stick around, and I will actually make the effort to keep in touch with.

We went out the Bier Markt on Thursday night to celebrate. I'm not usually one to drink, but I was feeling particularly celebratory and oh boy did I have a great time. This was the only time aside from our Christmas party that everyone, with few exceptions, made it out, and it was just a great way to end the year. Everyone was in high spirits through all the tears and we did a whole lot of living, laughing and loving out on that dance floor.

So to those who came into my life and made such an impression on me in the eight short months that we've had together... here's to us... to you.... and to all the adventures that life has in store for us as we enter the next phase of our lives... show me six!

Take a look... it's in a book... a reading rainbow!

A couple of things...

First, do you remember the show Reading Rainbow that was hosted by LeVar Burton? I really used to love that show.... I was always quite interested to see what other kids were reading, and to see if anyone was reading the same books that I was. When those moments came up, it was like the times on Romper Room when the lady with the mirror say "I see Peter, and Janie, and Liz..." and called your name. I'm sorry to anyone who didn't have a super white name like lindsay... you probably didn't get called. I feel your pain, and I validate it (but only with $20 purchase or more.)

On the reading tip, I went into Indigo today for two items: a) Biz Bash T.O., and b) Tiki
When I left, I had two items - one of which was Tiki (by Tiki Barber) and the other was Holler if You Hear Me (by Michael Eric Dyson), about Tupac. They were out of Biz Bash, but getting a shipment in tomorrow, which really means nothing to me because I won't be there tomorrow to purchase it. Anyhow, I've been looking forward to reading Tiki because he seems like an interesting character, and in my mind, anyone who in fact is an interesting character must project that character into their written work. I can honestly say I don't think I've read a book for pleasure since high school, and approaching the end of my post-secondary career I'm once again excited to pick up a book - in this case, Tiki - and read it not because I have to, but because I want to! I realize this makes me a nerd, but I came to terms with my inner nerd many years ago, and we lead very peaceful and complimentary lives together.

And secondly, on an unrelated note, I thought I'd put it out there: it's so much fun to have a crush. I haven't really allowed myself to have a legit crush in a hot minute, and in the last week, I've gone against my better judgment and decided that I have a crush. And while I'm entirely sure that he: a) has no idea, and b) does not reciprocate the feelings, I'm still having tons of fun with it. And if I can encourage anyone to do the same (pursue an unrequited crush and enjoy every moment of it) then my job is done. Just do something that's good for your soul... and believe me, crushing is one of the best.

Touched for the very first time

As march comes to a close, I've decided to act on this...blogging thing.... I've been thinking about it for some time now. First I wondered if it was something that I wanted to commit to, and then I realized that blogging isn't like parenting. You don't have to attend to its every beck and call, and certainly don't have to sleep tentatively, wondering if it will wake you up before the sun. I can blog when I want and how I want, no questions asked. Next, I wondered "If I blog, will people read it? And better yet will people care?" That was a pretty easy one... am I blogging for other people, or for myself? Most definitely not for others, so I guess it doesn't matter if nobody reads it, and even less if nobody cares. So I've resolved it, and I'm here... blogging to the tune of Machel.

That said.... I guess this is where it begins. To anyone reading this, you may already know me well, and you probably know that my mind can be a pretty crazy place sometimes. Sometimes it's great. Sometimes it's not so great. But all the time, it's me. That will come out here from time to time. And it's all I have to offer... so enjoy.