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With all that Banff talk last week, I missed out on two very important features on my blog: "Things I don't understand" and "Thankful Tuesdays." But since I'm better at being confused than thankful, I thought I'd share with you some of the things that have had me scratching my head this past week. I'm sure you can wait 'til Tuesday for me to get my thank on, right?

So, here are some things I just don't understand:

1. Slow walkers. Words cannot even describe how much I despise slow walkers. I am a fast walker. I don't drag my feet. I don't doddle. I don't just go for a leisurely stroll. Even when I don't have a destination in mind, I walk with a purpose. So, people who walk at a snails pace make me want to FLIP OUT. Honest to goodness, while we were in Banff, I was at my wits end. I easily could have punched someone in the back of the head. EASILY. I'm proud to say I didn't, but I could have.

2. Tourist t-shirts. So we went to Banff. Have I mentioned that yet? And while we were there, Ian went on the hunt for tacky tourist t-shirts that misrepresent Canada. Usually that entails putting Jasper, Alberta under a photo of a polar bear. If you're not from Canada, polar bears don't live in the southern provinces, nor do they live in the southern part of the Northwest Territories. So putting a polar bear on a shirt from a Jasper is just ridiculous and stupid. Not quite as stupid, though, as the above shirt. You see that shirt depicts lions and beneath it it says, "Banff Canada". Yup. That's right, lions... in Banff. I JUST DON'T UNDERSTAND!!

3. Hoarders. Not the television show. I totally get why people watch it. It's quality entertainment. What I don't understand is how people can live as hoarders. If there is one thing out of place in my living room, I have to put it back or I'll dwell on it. If the garbage is full, I have to take it out. If my laundry basket is full, I have to do laundry. And on top of all that, I hate having tons of stuff. It weighs you down. It's more to sell or throw out or give away before you move. Who wants that extra work and responsibility? Not this girl. Clean and simplistic is the way to go!

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4. Dirty glasses. Wearing glasses has made me realize just how much I touch my face. I would never have known before, but now, I have smudges to prove it. I seriously clean my lenses like five times a day. I think that's a lot. Is it? Either way, it's gross and I don't understand why there's so much face touching going on.

5. Over posters. You know the people who post 30,000 articles, videos and statuses on Facebook each day. Why can't they just get Twitter? That way, I don't have to be a jerk and un-friend them.
A message to over-sharers:
"I'm sick of reading your opinion, Man. Just quit it. Stop taking up my entire news feed and start spamming Twitter. I have other friends too, you know, and they might have important things going on, like pregnancy and wedding updates. Goodness knows those are my favourite! Missing one could totally ruin my day. So, please, keep your Facebooking to a minimum and let me enjoy the weekly belly-bump photos. Thanks a bunch."

That's all for now, folks. I hope you enjoyed this week's edition. And if you didn't, I'll assume you're a slow walking hoarder who over-shares on Facebook. Amiright?

**I'm off on a spontaneous road trip to Kelowna. See all of you again on Tuesday. If you're Canadian, I hope you have a wonderful long weekend, and if you're not, have fun at work on Monday!**

Embarrassing blogger fail

As a writer, there is nothing worse than having an error go to print. It can be something as small as a typo or a misused comma. No matter what it is, it hurts. Those mistakes stick with you all day or even all week. They just straight up suck.

So, with that in mind, let me share with you a silly, embarrassing, facepalm mistake I've made as a blogger.

For the last two months, I've been sponsoring Love, Elycia and for the last two months, my button has said "Gyspy in Jasper." Do you see the error? I didn't the first time or the second time or the third or fourth or fifth or hundredth time I saw my button. It actually took an email from a reader for me to finally see it. To be honest, even after she pointed it out, I still couldn't see it, so she had to break it down for me. You see, the 's' and 'p' are in reverse. *Face meet palm*

So... yeah, I'm a doofus, and I might just need a copy editor outside of work. My dad generally plays that role, but I don't think he reads many lifestyle blogs outside of this one, so the chances of him seeing my ridiculously embarrassing mistake are pretty slim. Had he seen it, he would have sent me a one line email pointing out the error. He would then sign it, "Your loving editor" and I would be embarrassed for a moment, then quickly fix it and move on.

Where were you on this one, Dad? Just kidding! My fault, all my fault. I guess it's time to start using my trusty friend Miss Spell Check. I can't expect Dad to catch everything!

So ladies, tell me you've made similar errors in the past and I'm not all alone on this one. (If you haven't made a similar error, I'd appreciate it if you lie and just tell me you have.)

What to wear: to a BBQ

What up, ladies? Can I assume you all know about my What to Wear series? Or do I need to do another quick recap? Just in case, here's the deal. Every two weeks, Jill from Jilly BeansTALK and I show all of you what to wear for a certain occasion. This week, it's what to wear to a barbecue. In previous weeks, we've done what to wear to an outdoor wedding, what to wear on a first date, what to wear to a rock concert, and many, many more.

For me, a barbecue is usually a super casual gathering of friends, so I chose a comfortable, summery look. I just bought this t-shirt last weekend for $5 and I'm super happy with it. The colour is perfect for the season and the material is super lightweight, which is awesome for the hot days I assume are on their way. The skirt was another sale find ($20) and has been a super versatile item in my closet. I love that it has pockets and that it has a high waistline, perfect for tucking in all kinds of tops.

The piece de resistance in this outfit is my new purse. I've talked about it a couple of times on the blog already, but this is your first real glimpse at its beauty. It was worth every penny, all 400 of them.

These last two photos are just an opportunity to again show off my fantastic new specs. Everyone has been saying things along the lines of, "Your glasses suit you so much, it's like you've always had them." Isn't that awesome? I'm so happy to have picked out a pair that match my personality and style. Ian even told me earlier this week that I look weird without them. I thought that was pretty crazy considering I've only had them for a week!

 Head to toe:

Shirt: Ardene

Skirt: WeSC

Purse: Thirfted

Apple core necklace: Etsy

Are there any ladies out there who want to join in on the what to wear fun? Jill and I do these posts every second Thursday and we're happy to extend the invitation to anyone and everyone to join us on our style adventure. Next time it's what to wear to meet the parents. Leave a comment or send me an email if you're interested.

What's your favourite barbecue outfit? Do you have a checkered picnic blanket dress? I'm dying to get my hands on one of those!

Canadian Gothic

I must give Ian all of the credit for this photo. He thought of it and he executed it (although my friend Cynthia was actually the one pressing the button). If you're not yet putting two and two together, let me help you. In this photo we are reenacting the above Grant Wood painting, American Gothic.

In retrospect, we wish we had stepped further away from the cabin and stood closer together. But for our first kick at the can, it's a pretty hilarious.

Behind us is the inspiration for the photo, the cabin we stayed in on Saturday night while we were in Banff.

On an unrelated note, for the sake of saving you from ANOTHER Banff related post, I will leave you with this amazing photo of Ian and me in a tourist shop being stern RCMP officers. 

Have you ever tried to recreate a famous painting or photo?

Rainy day in the park

I don't know that I've ever been as thankful for an umbrella as I was on Saturday. It poured, and when I say poured, I mean there were full-on torrential downpours.

I swear, the four hours I spent in the park watching Dan Mangan and Sam Roberts perform, was the longest stretch of time I've ever spent outside in the rain. The day was made for a couch, a cup of tea and a movie, not an outdoor festival, ponchos and umbrellas. BUT, and that's a but worthy of caps, despite the rain, it was an amazing concert.

This moment alone made the risk of trench foot totally worth it. Danny-boy is at this moment singing Robots, one of my favourite tunes, ever. I sang along to every word and danced while sitting cross-legged, trying to keep dry.

Sam Roberts was good, too, and I was actually surprised by how many of his songs I actually know.

Side note: the turquoise purse holding my poncho is the thrift find I was talking about on Saturday. You'll be seeing much more of that bag in the near future. I promise you that!

In the end, we were all smiles and we were relatively dry, albeit cold. And, strangely enough, by the time Sam Roberts returned to the stage for his encore, Mother Nature had backed off to let us enjoy the two remaining songs without umbrellas.

Have you ever been to an outdoor concert with uncooperative weather?

Unveiling the double monocle

That's right folks, my long-awaited glasses have arrived. I wore them all weekend and, I'm happy to report, they're not that annoying and they actually improve my eye sight. Shocker, I know. Because that's totally not what they're made for or anything. Oh! And they're obviously the cutest thing since that ground squirrel I posted about on Saturday!

Now, you might be wondering, what the hell I'm doing in these photos and why they're the ones I chose for the unveiling of my new specs. Well, as you might recall, I was in Banff over the weekend to see Dan Mangan and Sam Roberts (I'll tell you more about that adventure tomorrow. And, let me tell you, it was an adventure with a capital A.). Well, as part of the show, there was a little booth where you could dress up as a mountaineer. So, of course, I did! I mean, who can resist a helmet, some heavy rope and a Canadian flag when they're just sitting there in a tickle trunk waiting to be photographed. I sure can't.

So there you have it folks, I'm officially a member of the very exclusive four-eyes club and I'm also a all-star mountaineer. Pretty amazing, right?

Stay tuned for more photos and stories from my weekend in the next couple of days. (On Wednesday you will see the most magical of all magical photos, so be sure to pop in for that. Oh! And tomorrow's post will be good, too, so don't count that one out on account of Wednesday's. Basically, what I'm trying to say here is, come back on a daily basis, won't you?)

How was your weekend? Did you get a double monocle or become a mountaineer, or was that just me?

Thrift finds, ponchos and Canadian tunes

Isn't he the cutest? On Thursday night, I was walking to my car after a volunteer shift at this awesome little thrift shop in Jasper, when I saw something scurry across the road. Then, as I got closer, I saw this little dude poke his head out. He was looking across the road at his buddy. Then, before he could hide behind the log, I snuck a bit closer and snapped a photo.

That same night, I also found an amazing turquoise purse for $4. I'll show you photos soon, I promise. But for now, a picture of my new little buddy will have to do, because I'm just heading out the door to Banff!! It's Dan Mangan and Sam Roberts time, friends.

And even though it's supposed to rain all day, I don't care. I'm still going to have an awesome time wearing my poncho, drinking coffee from a travel mug and rocking out to some good Canadian tunes.

Happy weekend!

What are you-all up to?

Broccoli: up close and personal

I don't care how you feel about broccoli, like it or hate it, today is a day to celebrate the tasty green veggie. Why, you ask? Well my friends, only because it's the first plant in my garden to show me the goodies. That's right folks, what you're looking at is the beginning of a broccoli floret that will eventually be in my belly.

I went to check on the garden on my lunch break yesterday and realized something absolutely wonderful was happening. Not only was my broccoli plant being a bro, other things I assumed were dead were popping up too! That's right, ladies and gents, I'm not such a brown thumb after all.

See! There are some bean plants growing now. I think there's about six so far. I'm hoping for a few more to show their little faces in the next few days, but we'll see.

We have six Brussels sprout plants because they are the most delicious vegetable in the whole wide world, obviously! I can't wait to see some "green balls" growing from them. And I also can't wait to eat them all.

This is one of our six or seven pea plants. They seem to be digging our garden. They get bigger every day.

These little beauties were the first to sprout up. Soon they will become delicious spinach for salads and homemade spanakopita. Yummy!

I'm so pleased with my garden. I was feeling pretty discouraged for awhile there, but things are looking up. Our herb garden is another story. We haven't had anything sprout up, so I replanted everything today with hopes of seeing some growth in a couple of weeks. Here's hoping the second try is the charm.

How are your gardens doing?

At this time last year: June

If you're new around these parts, "at this time last year" is a looking back series that I do once a month. I started it two months ago after I found myself continuously wondering about my past. And then, after the first go-round, I decided that this had to be a regular Gypsy in Jasper feature, because there are just so many photos and adventures that I never did share.

Like my trip to the Okanagan to introduce Ian to my big sista and my brother-in-law. It was an awesome trip. We did a little hiking, went to my favourite restaurants and saw some of my favourite people.

Aren't the Veerman sisters just the cutest? ;)

And then there was Ian's birthday when I surprised him with a lawn full of pink flamingos and balloons. (I did blog about this one, but it's too epic not to mention it again.)

June was also the first time I experienced the midnight sun in Yellowknife. I remember walking home from Boston Pizza one night and I could very well have been wearing my sunglasses without looking weird. That was the first time it really sunk in, and all I could do was hum the tune to Corey Hart's Sunglasses at Night, while texting my "Southern" friends photographic evidence that the midnight sun truly does exist.

This photo was taken late into the evening while my friends and I were having a fish fry at Yellowknife River.

And while we're on the topic of long summer days, of course, I must share with you a photo from the summer solstice, which was absolutely glorious! My friends and I spent it cliff jumping (off small cliffs) and swimming. The best part of the evening/early morning was when a floatplane took off across the lake and flew right over top of us as we were swimming. AH. MAZING!

I went to the fair! I love fairs. In fact, I feel a huge urge to make a trip to Edmonton just to go to West Edmonton Mall (which I have never visited!). The only challenge is that Ian hates that place. Womp womp. Party pooper. I might have to play the pretty-please-with-a-cherry-on-top card to make that dream come true. Wish me luck!

Now here comes the best/worst part of June. It was the best because it makes for an amazing story. Like, one of the absolute best. It was the worst because it was pretty scary and could have ended badly. Curious? Well, here's the deal, Ian was attacked by a great horned owl. No joke, it happened. I even wrote a column about it for the paper in Yellowknife, which you can find here. So anyway, here's the culprit.

Before I leave you, I just want to mention that at this time two years ago, I graduated with my master's degree!! Hooray for me.

So what were you doing last year? Anything fun and exciting? Did you witness any owl attacks?

Skirts, skirts, skirts

Oh my gosh. Oh my gosh. Oh my gosh. (And yes, this deserves three 'oh my goshes'.)

So I was reading my friend Trisha's blog the other day and she did a feature on the most amazing artisan on the planet. She makes these brilliant, and I mean BRILLIANT, skirts. So of course, after searching her shop, I purchased three. Oops, sorry bank account.

Here are my selections:

As you can probably tell from the arrows, I selected the green skirt in the first picture, the straight skirt in the second and the green skirt in the third.

The reasons behind my selections are as follows: The first green skirt has a snail on it, enough said. The Dutch skirt is, well, a Dutch skirt and it has everything stereotypically Dutch on it, which makes it the most amazing thing in the world. (Did I mention my parents are Dutch immigrants?) And finally, the green mushroom skirt is a) green, my favourite colour, and b) has mushrooms on it that remind me of Super Mario.

Now, I have to admit that at one point while shopping for these, I had six skirts in my cart. Eeeeep. I have to say, it took a lot of willpower to cut it down to three.

These are the three I also want in my closet (and will likely end up there in the not so distant future).

Have you found any amazing new clothes lately?

Thankful Tuesday

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Are you sick of me being thankful yet? Would you prefer that I was always a grumpus writing about the things I don't understand? If yes, you'll just have to deal with my happy-thankful side too, because, you know what? I have one of those. I'm a multidimensional lady, dontcha know? So some days I'm thankful and other days I'm all, what the hell were you thinking? I think it's a good balance. It's been working for me so far, so I figure I'll stick with it. So, without further ado, it's time for me to get my thank on.

So this week, I'm thankful for...

1. The fact that my glasses, which I picked out two weeks ago, will be arriving today. Or at least they are supposed to be arriving today. If they don't arrive today, I will no longer be thankful. Thankfulness will go right out the window and I will be all like, "I don't understand!".

2. Soda water. Could there be a better beverage? I swear I go through at least three cans a day, and when I'm feeling a little less lazy than I am right now, I even put it in a mason jar glass with some ice and lime, which totally kicks it up a notch. You know what else soda water is good for? Mojitos! Totally thankful for those, too.

3. Birthdays. Not my own, but other people's, because I get to eat delicious food. Ian's was on Thursday and yesterday was my friend Melissa's, so basically I ate a lot and it was glorious. (Ian hates cake, so I bought one for his friends and me and got him a block of double gloucester cheese. He was quite pleased, as was I. Red velvet cake, yes please!)

4. Productive work days. Sometimes I don't have enough to do, so I get bored and then tired and then grumpy. So I end up sitting at my desk glaring at a computer screen. Yesterday, I didn't have a moment to glare. I had to work and boy did it feel good.

5. Friends and family who travel. I have received three postcards in the last couple of weeks!  I love it. We all know how I feel about snail mail, but can you really beat snail mail from far off lands? No. You can't. It's the best. So keep 'em coming friends!

What are you thankful for this week?

Things I don't understand revisited

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1. Women's magazines. I could write an essay on everything that is wrong with women's mags. Actually, come to think of it, I have. But I won't bore you with 2,000 words. Instead I will just say, they are all the same and they are all evil. Every issue they regurgitate the same stories in a slightly different form and most of those stories do more damage to a woman's self-esteem than good. They tell you which celebrities have gotten fat, only for you to realize what they consider fat is actually four sizes below what is considered remotely healthy. Or they tell you which celebrities are too thin. And then they tell you how you can achieve that perfect level of stick thin that you're taught to aspire to by all of their content. Oh! And don't forget the very informative "how to please your man" feature that pops up in every issue, because, of course, you aren't doing that already, nor could you figure out how to without the help of Cosmo. It amazes me that so many of these magazines still exist. I'm just left to wonder, who's still buying them?

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2. Flight of the Conchords. The songs. The guys. The one guy's lips. I hate everything. I don't know if the show is even relevant anymore, but it came to mind recently and I thought it was more than worthy of this list... especially since a lot of my friends literally laugh out loud when they watch it. I just don't get it.

3. Rude people. (I was going to put a picture of Stephanie from Full House saying, "How Rude" here, but the quality wasn't up to snuff. *Sad face*) But photo or no photo, I still hate rude people. I hate people that talk on their cell phone while going through a till or people who don't say thank you or people who don't move out of the way when they're walking right for you. It makes no sense to me why people are like that. I have bad days, but I'm still polite and considerate. So why the heck can't other people be? Some days it seems like we're living in a world full of jerks. Present company excluded, of course.

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4. Twilight. I knew from the moment the books became a big deal I would absolutely hate everything about this series. Not because it was a big deal, but because I read one sentence out of the first book. In that sentence, Bella was the most obnoxious, pathetic and helpless character that could possibly grace the pages of a novel. For me, that was enough. I hate weak female characters, especially when a book is targeted at youth. That is definitely not what little girls need to be reading. They don't need to think they're helpless and lost without some sparkling vampire dude. We need some empowered female characters to be role models for all the young ladies out there. So down with the Bellas of the world.

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5. Music snobs. Why can't people just like the music they like? Who cares if the band is famous? Who cares if they're not? All I want is to just listen to my reggae rock. No one has heard of my music and most people don't like it, but that's fine with me. I listen to what I like. I don't preach about it. I don't take pride in the fact that a lot of the bands are unknown. I just listen to what appeals to me and I think everyone should have that freedom. Don't judge me and I won't judge you. Deal?

Well there you have it, round two of things I just don't understand.

Last week, I had tons of comments from people who had their own things to add, so I thought I would end this post with those additions.

Things I don't understand: make-up, shopping malls, brand name anything, playing games on Facebook, people wearing headphones while out with other people, people who carry their cellphone like it's precious cargo, fake nails and rude strangers (which made it on my list this week).

What would you add?

Feeling the love

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You guyyyyys! You're all too damn kind.

This morning I woke up to find I had 100 followers, which is totally surreal considering two months ago I had 15. I remember losing my mind when I reached 50 last month and I never even thought I'd get up to 100. I gotta say, I really appreciate all of you sticking around for all of my goofy ramblings. You-all are the best! Like the best of the best. I'm seriously so thrilled right now. I love sharing with all of you and hearing from you and I love checking out your blogs, so that I can get to know you too. Blogging has become such a great hobby for me. There is such a fun community of fantastic bloggers out there and I'm really thankful to be a part of it.

To show my utmost appreciation, I leave you with this:

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A summer of music

It's the middle of June! I know. I know. That's not news to anyone, but I'm excited! Not just because June 15 is always payday. I'm excited because in one week my summer of music begins. First stop: Banff National Park for Music in the Park, where Dan Mangan and Sam Roberts will be playing an outdoor show. For all of the non-Canadians, these guys are two of our better musicians. (Please don't judge our music scene on Nickleback, Celine Dion, Avril Lavigne and Shania Twain alone. I promise you we have more to offer.)

Is it just me or does Dan Mangan look a bit like Seth Rogan?
Also, isn't that song the best?

I'm so excited to go on a little adventure to see these guys perform. It's the perfect way to prepare me for my next big musical adventure: Folk on the Rocks. Folk is an annual festival in Yellowknife. Last year it fell on my last weekend in YK before I hopped on a plane to Nunavut for a seven week placement. It was the perfect send off. There are a bunch of stages and tons of fantastic musicians. The highlights last year were Rae Spoon, Luke Doucet, and Fred Penner. (If you're not Canadian, you probably don't get what a big deal it was to see Fred sing Sandwiches. If you are Canadian and you've never seen him sing Sandwiches, you're probably GREEEEEEEEN with envy, and you should be. It was awesome!)

At this year's festival, I'm soooo excited to see Ron Sexsmith, Timber Timbre, Said the Whale, Indo Saravanja, Ohbijou and Bruce Cockburn.

What musical adventures are you going on this summer?

What to Wear: to an outdoor wedding

Heyyyyy! It's What to Wear time and today we're dressing for an outdoor wedding. Jill picked this one, and I gotta be honest with you, it was tough. First of all, I don't go to many weddings and, second of all, I'm not a super dressy person. So, as you'll see, I picked an outfit that would go well with a laid back, backyard-style wedding, not a shindig at a fancy-smancy five star resort.

This was actually the dress I bought for my last graduation, which means it's been in my closet for two years now. But two years or two days, I still love it like the day I brought it home from the mall. The pattern's perfect. It is so totally me! And I adore the fit. As for the tights, it was too cold in Jasper to go bare-legged, so I decided to spice things up with my FAVOURITE tights of all time. Are they not the best?



OK, ladies. Now for some advice. There is one key accessory you MUST have for an outdoor wedding: sunglasses. You'll hate your life without them, so make sure they're on your head or in your purse before you run out the door. The other thing you'll want, which I haven't photographed, is a cardigan or wrap. Mother nature can be pretty unpredictable, so you want to be prepared for anything.

Head to toe:
Earrings: Craft fair

Sunglasses: Ardene

Necklace: Saan (YEARS ago)

Dress: Suzy Shier

Tights: Modcloth

Shoes: American Eagle

Well there you have it, what to wear to an outdoor wedding. Be sure to check out what Jill selected. I'm dying to know if she went all fancy-shmancy or if she went the casual route like me.

Are there any ladies out there who want to join in on the what to wear fun? Jill and I do these posts every second Thursday and we're happy to extend the invitation to anyone and everyone to join us on our style adventure. Next time we'll be dressing for a barbecue. Leave a comment or send me an email if you're interested.

(P.S. If you've been wanting to do outfit posts, but you're too shy, this is the perfect opportunity. You only have to pick two outfits a month, so you can ease yourself into the awkwardness of being in front of the camera, and the occasion is organized ahead of time, so you have time to plan an outfit. You can do it!)

To see my previous what to wear outfits, click here, here, here, here, here and here. And to see all of my outfit posts, click the tab at the top.

So tell me, what would you wear to an outdoor wedding? Am I way off the mark?

Garden update #1

I have some good news and some bad news. And as most people generally want bad news first, that's what I'll give you.

The ol' garden took a beating. We planted too early, frost penetrated the soil and most, if not all, of the growing power was squeezed out of our teeny-tiny seeds. Womp womp.

The good news is that a few hearty souls fought the cold and have started sprouting. I'm not totally sure what they are, though, because Ian did the seed planting and didn't label anything!

These little gaffers are either spinach or salad greens. I know that much.

And this is either a pea plant or a bean plant. Only time will tell.

OK, now that you've seen what little growth we have, I have a confession for you. This is embarrassing, but I'm going to tell you-all anyway.

Here it goes...

There are other things growing in our garden, and I don't know if they are weeds or plants. *Hangs head in shame.* But, like, for real. I don't know. So I have kind of just been leaving some stuff to grow that could be plants, but are likely weeds. And I've also pulled some things that are likely plants, but look like weeds.

This gardening business is stressful! I wish my garden was looking more like Amanda's right now. Her little greenhouse is GORGEOUS and luscious. I wanna be all up in that.

Anyway, what I've decided is, once the rain stops, I'm going to give the garden a good once-over. Then, I'm going to replant whatever hasn't grown and hope for the best. Fingers crossed the second time's a charm.

Does anyone have an extra green thumb to send my way?

Committing to thankfulness

Last week I joined in on the thankful party started by the always lovely Felicity, and this week I've decided to commit myself to this weekly bandwagon of thankfulness. I've buttoned-up and everything. This is the real deal, my friends. You can expect many more Thankful Tuesdays in my future. So let's get our thank on, shall we?

This week I'm thankful for:

1. Monday's break from the rain. Seeing the birds and the sun and the flowers without raindrops on their pedals was exactly what I needed after 12 straight days of rain. Holy man was it nice to leave my raincoat and car behind yesterday. I was so happy to pedal my way to work and to just wear a light sweater. Looking at the forecast, that was our only break from downpours for another week, so I'm glad I took the time to savour it.

2. Nineties girl bands/solo artists. I just listened to Meredith Brooks' I'm a Bitch and then Merril Bainbridge's Mouth. So, so good. Next I'm onto Garbage and maybe a little Hole and then for the finale I'll be playing some Ani DiFranco and Erykah Badu. Time for a girly singalong!! Love it.

3. My crochet needle. My blanket is coming along so, so well. I'm dying for it to be finished. It's probably a quarter of the way there at this point. I think I'm actually going to run out of wool before it's finished, so I might be making a run to the next city to get more. Fingers crossed they're not sold out. I bought every last ball when I was there last.

4. The blog community. I've been feeling mad love the last week. I had Elycia feature my blog on Sunday and now I have a bunch of new followers and commenters who have been absolutely lovely. So thanks to all of you for giving me something to be thankful for! I'm so happy to have you around.

5. Single-serving friends. (I totally stole that from Fight Club.) On Friday night, Ian and I met a guy who's biking across Canada. He had arrived in Jasper that night and had nowhere to stay, so, of course, we took him in for the night, and he turned out to be a really fun addition to our weekend.

6. Craft parties. I had my girlfriend over on Sunday afternoon to do some arts and crafts. It was her first time getting crafty in, according to her, "decades" (she's in her early 20s, so you figure that one out!). It was a great way to spend a rainy Sunday. I was so thrilled to give her a little direction and then see what she came up with. I look forward to many more crafting adventures with her in the near future.

7. Safe travels. My sister and brother-in-law were in Europe for a couple of weeks and just arrived safely back in Canada. When my family and close friends travel, I find they're constantly on my mind until I know they've made it home in one piece. So, of course, I was thrilled to receive a call from my big sis late last week saying she was back on solid ground.

Well my friends, that's all from me this week. But, tell me, what are you thankful for?

Things I don't understand

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1. Video games. Why anyone chooses to spend hours yelling at a computer screen while shooting at things is totally beyond me. I'll admit I was totally into the original Mario games and Sonic the Hedgehog, but ever since games went all 3D back in the late 90s, they've been way beyond my nerd abilities. So basically anything past the Super Nintendo is out.

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2. Jersey Shore. There is so much to say about how awful this show is. It's not even awful in a good way that makes me want to watch it. It's awful in a way that makes me question society and people's life decisions. The nicknames, the outfits, the personalities, the way the men treat women and the women treat men. It's all wrong. The fact that it exists and has a loyal following hurts my brain.

3. Spicy food. In my world, eating anything beyond a medium salsa is just asking for tears and endless misery. So I just don't understand why someone would make a delicious dinner and then ruin it by adding hot sauce? Where's the satisfaction in that? Did they not want to taste the food? Then why not save time and just douse celery in hot sauce?

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4. Littering. Now this one really pisses me off. The other things on this list are avoidable. I don't have to play video games, watch Jersey Shore or eat spicy food, but I do have to see litter and it does have the ability to ruin my day. First of all, it's totally unnecessary. If you brought your garbage with you, then you are damn well capable of taking it to a trash can. And second of all, it's just straight-up irresponsible and inconsiderate. So pick up after yourself, won't you? It's the right thing to do, and you don't want me to catch you doing otherwise. I'm not above scolding you in public.

5. People who complain about a blog, yet continue to frequent it. Hey you, if you don't like what you're seeing, don't look, don't comment and definitely don't write an entire blog post about your hate for another blogger. That just makes you look petty, jealous and rude. A blog is a person's own space to post what they want. They don't need to conform to what you like, so quit being a douche and just read the blogs that make you happy.

6. People who don't like Brussel sprouts. In my family we call them green balls and they are a staple at any turkey dinner. They're so delicious with a forkful of stuffing and turkey. Yum! I think most people have just been saying they don't like green balls since childhood and they're just too stubborn to try them again. So now they're missing out on a delicious and nutritious vegetable that could spice up their usual routine. Try one, I dare you!

7. Nail polish. It chips and once chipped it looks tacky and cheap. So why spend an hour making your nail polish look perfect when you know you'll only have one solid day of wear? Seems like a ginormous waste of time to me.

Anywho, that's my non-exhaustive list of things I don't understand.

What would you put on your list?