AMAZING!
Know what word I hate? “AMAZING.”
It has become one of the most overused words in the English language and, that being said, it has lost it’s meaning and emphasis for things that are actually amazing.
It’s used in everyday, common sentences: “That sandwich was amazing” and “Your hair looks amazing” and “OMG, his eyes are amazing.”
Y’know people, there are things that are actually amazing. That dude that got stuck in a cavern (Aron Rolston, “127 Hours“) and cut off his own hand so that he could climb out and survive…that was amazing. That meteor that fell to the earth a few weeks ago and part of it clocked a guy in the face and he survived, that too was amazing. Your eyeliner….not amazing. The cappuccino you just had from Starbucks…not amazing. The song playing on the radio….great, but not amazing.
I also really, really hate the phrases “I know, right?” and “Just’ sayin.'” Grrrr! These all make me want to bang my head on a wall. I don’t know what it is that irks me so much…the fact that everyone and their dog seem to be using these “catch phrases” (now, a dog speaking a catch phrase…that would be amazing) or perhaps it’s that they’re semi-redundant (i.e. You don’t have to say “Just sayin'” because you just said).
Anyway, moving on, I know I am anal when it comes to grammar and spelling and all that jazz but if I don’t stand up and support proper English and the death to random OVERUSED words and phrases, then who will? I think my ability to make it thru each day without using any of the above mentioned words/phrases is, in itself, pretty amazing.
Cheers!
OSCAR
It’s Oscar night!!
It’s one of my favorite nights of the year. Back in the day I hosted my annual Oscar party (which included friends, lotsa good food and crazy evening gowns (rejects from past proms or hand me downs)) but the last couple of years things have come up so I’ve forgone my regular party and had annual Oscar date night with my cousin, Tanya, via text messaging.
She and I are all set and ready to go. Luckily, Blair went to see comedian Jeremy Hotz with my dad and brother so I don’t have to worry about him flipping the channels constantly trying to find a hockey game. Grrrrrr!! O Canada, eh?
Anyway, I’m 30 seconds away from the live broadcast.
Cheers!
MY 300th POST!!
Isn’t it grand that my 300th blog post is celebrated on the same day that my dear friend (to be) Drew Barrymore celebrates her birthday?
It’s been a long week. I’ve been two days ahead all week and now, Friday has finally arrived. Hell-to-the-yeah!!
This last week has been filled with the good, the bad and the ugly.
The highlights of the week aka The Good:
– My friend, Flasha is now mommy to twins.
– I got to spend a great weekend with The Man.
– I got to spend some quality time with two little blonde monkeys I refer to as my nephews. (Thank goodness for McDonald’s Playland!)
– I ran into an old friend…probably the friend I’ve had the longest We were BFFs from Primary all thru elementary school. I love her.
– It’s Drew Barrymore’s birthday and I feel like I should celebrate because I feel like if she met me she’d wanna be friends.
The Bad:
– Mark Clarke is still missing. There are no leads. No search and rescue has been set in order (tho, many of us are vounteering for a search tomorrow).
– I have to have more testing done on my heart.\
– I cut my finger helping Angie Whoreface peel vegetables. I bled all over her house. Then reopened the cut at the gym last night and bled all over the place there. It looked liked someone had been slaughtered. Gross.
– My friends Jaime and Steve are heading out for vacation for 18 days. Yay for them. But she makes me laugh….a lot. So bad for me.
The Ugly:
– The ugly: Someone started a horrendous rumor that poor Mark’s body was found in a ditch sending me to flood tears of sadness and frustration and anger and resulting in his family having to visit the local RCMP detachment to find out if he was dead. Awful!! Fortunately, it was just a rumor (who DOES that??) and the “search” continues.
Things to come for next week:
– Big Brother Canada starts! This is likely going to be semi-lame but I hope not. Here’s hoping that BBC is just as good as the regular (American) BB and it’s actually watchable and enjoyable.
– Girls’ night with Angie Whoreface. Whomp!!
– I get to have a wee date with The Man Sunday before he’s off to a comedy show (Jeremy Hotz) with my dad and brother (that should be an interesting trip)
– The Man and I celebrate our four and a half (because I’m all about half years) year anniversary on Monday
– I have a cat scan scheduled for my eye and will find out the status of my returning vision.
– February is almost over which means we’re closer to March which means we’re getting closer to Spring which means we’re getting closer to sun and warmth.
– I am blessed with work, loving friends and family, pretty good help, capabilities and abilities and faith.
Cheers to you all!
City Sundays
This weekend The Man and I hit the City to spend some time with Emma-Roo. We headed in Sunday morning and after picking up E.R. we stopped at the Starbucks/Chapters. We don’t have a Starbucks (or a Chapters) outside the City (oh, we’re all Tim Horton’s folk up here) so it’s nice to go in on occasion and have a treat. My favorite drink is the Peppermint Frappe made with non-fat milk. It is so yummy and I only get it like, maybe once a month (if that) so I figure, why not indulge. It was delicious.
Mmmm….and Sundays means it’s calorie free.
After scoping out several books in Chapters I came out with a few goodies. Andrew Pyper is an author that I thoroughly enjoyed, even tho I’ve only read one of his books. It was called Lost Girls and I pined after this book for the longest time until I finally received it as a Christmas gift from my wonderful S-I-L and brother more than 10 years ago. It scared the shizz outta me (that’s what I get for reading a scary book at midnight) but it was a really good read and I’ve always wanted to read more of his work. Thankfully, I saw his book The Guardians was on the discount shelf so I snatched it up. Way to go, me!
Looking forward to reading this…during the day…with the lights on….with tons of people around.
I also picked up this healthy food book, which I’ve flipped thru but am looking forward to exploring.
And on the way out the door, after paying for my items, I spotted Bazaar with my girl Drew on the cover so I grabbed it and ran back to the line. I am a Drew Barrymore fanatic and usually pick up any magazine with her beautiful face featured on it.
My BFF, Drew
After hounding sweet-talking The Man into detouring to the mall so I could hit H&M I was finally able to pick up the top I’ve been thinking about the last couple of weeks (https://welcometosandyland.wordpress.com/2013/01/28/here-kitty-kitty/). I wore it today with a pair of black un-cut cords I bought in, like 1998 (they’re the closest thing I’ll ever get to skinny jeans), a black tuxedo jacket and the black stiletto booties The Man bought me for Christmas. My hair was a little unruly with its curls this morning so I’m in full-on Rock Star mode. My co-worker even commented that I look pretty sharp today. And then she gushed over the kitty face on my shirt. I mean, let’s be realistic….it’s adorable.
After our book and coffee shop stop and our detour to the mall we took Emma-Roo to a movie. We saw Warm Bodies which was pretty funny. E.R. and I laughed a lot and Blair didn’t fall asleep so he must have liked it too.
All-in-all it was a good Sunday spent in the City. I always love these days…the travel, the different scenery, the many options that aren’t always available outside the City (I saw that like we’re a bunch of hicks…we’re not. I promise.), and of course, it’s always great to spend time with the family.
Cheers!
PHAT with a P.H.!!
“Is It Ever Okay to Comment on Someone’s Weight?” I saw this article recently and thought I’d “weigh” in on the subject.
So, is it ever okay to comment on someone’s weight? Well, that depends. Are YOU a doctor? No? Then mind your own business!!
I grew up kinda chubby. Not really fat but definitely not thin. In high school I had several eating disorders (see: https://welcometosandyland.wordpress.com/2012/01/16/my-secret-obsession/) and slimmed down. After high school I maintained my weight for a while, then gained some and in college lost some. But it was after college that I “ballooned” up. In college I had a little accident and spent 14 weeks on crutches and then a few weeks with a cane. This, of course, hindered my exercise regime. After college, when I started dating my now ex-boyfriend and he moved in, my weight started going up. In part because I was eating differently with him. I was never a meat and potatoes type of girl, but he was so I began eating meals with him. That definitely affected my weight. Also, I was on a medication that, aside from some crazy-ass night terrors, a side affect was weight gain. It took me years, however, to realize that this medication was a factor in me packing on the pounds. I knew I had put on a ton (pun!) of weight, I just didn’t completely know why.
But here’s the thing – and it’s important – I knew I was fat. I didn’t need anyone else to point it out to me. I knew I had grown out of my college clothes. I knew I didn’t look or feel my best. I knew that my jiggly parts shouldn’t be that jiggly. Was I proud of being fat? No. Was I embarrassed of being fat? Yes. Would it have been mortifying to have someone point out the obvious, that I was overweight? You’re friggin’ right! I would like to believe that I would have been a strong enough person, emotionally, to punch a person in the face had he or she addressed my weight issue. But, the truth is I would have cried for days and days. I would have been ashamed and embarrassed.
I know people judged me. I know they still judge me. We all judge each other. It’s an unfortunate part of human nature. But, we should, as often as we can, try to put ourselves in the shoes of other people and try not to be assholes. Fat people know they’re fat. But whose business is it to comment on it? Aside from a medical professional, it’s no one’s business. It’d be like telling a person with a lisp that he/she had a lisp. You think that person doesn’t already know? Now, you’re an asshole and that person feels like a big bag of nothing because you pointed out that he/she talks funny. Dick.
Just to be clear on this….commenting on someone’s weight is different than addressing a health concern with a loved one. When I was overweight my dad would often (and kindly) tell me that I should do what I can to try and get my weight down because it’d be “harder to do when you get to be my age.”
The article I read which prompted this post (http://www.chatelaine.com/health/wellness/is-it-wrong-to-call-melissa-mccarthy-fat-or-simply-stating-the-obvious/) has film critic, Rex Reed calling actress Melissa McCarthy “tractor-sized” and a “humongous creep”. To add insult to injury, this isn’t the first time McCarthy’s weight has been the topic of discussion. But I’m not going to address that at all because I refuse to give that writer any more “celebrity.” The issue at hand for Mr. Reed should be whether or not the movie sucked (I can’t comment because I haven’t seen it – tho I want to…and I will. Up yours, Reed!) and whether or not Melissa McCarthy can act…and she can. In fact, she’s a great actress. I enjoy her. I think she’s funny and I also think she’s beautiful. Do I think she’s overweight? Who cares? I’m sure she has addressed this issue to death. Do I feel the need to make comment on her weight when discussing her performances? No. I don’t. At all. A) Because it doesn’t matter. It doesn’t affect her ability to say her lines or hit her mark. She’s a believable actress. B) Because it’s none of my business.
Phat! With a P.H., bitches!!
It’s also unfortunate that it seems to be “overweight” women who are targeted for this ridicule. It’s never “Pencil-thin” Gwyneth Paltrow or “nearly-invisible” Claire Danes (LOVE AND KISSES TO YOU BOTH!!!). And men never seem to have the same weight-watchers that their female counterparts have: Chris Farley (RIP), John Candy (RIP), John Goodman (OMG YOU RULE!).
If I weren’t already gonna marry Cole Hauser, I’d ask YOU to marry me!
These dudes ruled the roost. Their performances funny and dramatic and right on cue…and (rarely) (n)ever did a critic seem to be concerned with their weight or that they were “tractor-sized.”
Regardless of the gender, tho, it is never right to comment on someone’s weight. That person could be suffering from an eating disorder or the loss of a loved one or could have a medical condition or could be overweight from a condition not yet diagnosed. Or that person could just be fat because he or she is fat. And guess what. He/she is well aware of it! So, be a good person and keep your trap shut.
Cheers.
Crappy Valentine’s
In honor of this day of love and romance and all the garbage that goes with it I thought I would adorn you with my list of “Worst Romance Movies”.
1) The Object of My Affection
Jennifer Aniston and Paul Rudd….what could go wrong? Um, she’s knocked up and he’s her gay best friend whom she’s falling for. I just really wanted these two crazy kids to make it work.
2) Random Hearts
I love me some Harrison Ford (LOVE HIM!). He is always awesome but this movie sucked. Harrison and Kristin Scott Thomas had zero chemistry. Boring.
3) She’s All That
Because Freddie Prince, Jr. didn’t like Rachel Leigh Cook until she got a makeover and deemed “cool enough” to hang with. Lame.
4) Pretty Woman
Because Julia Roberts played a hooker, y’all. A hooker. That’s not very romantic.
5) Untamed Heart
I loved Christian Slater (I still love you, Christian) when I was growing up. And I was so excited to see this movie. But then Christian Slater dies and it ruined my life night. I cried all the way home from the theater. It was traumatizing. No movie is good if Christian Slater dies!
6) Mr. Wrong
Seriously??? Any guy you put in this movie with Ellen would have been “Mr. Wrong.” Big Duh!!
7) Remember Me
Okay, I loved this movie. But the crazy-ass M. Night Shymalan twist at the end will leave you stunned and uncontrollably sobbing and in awe and feeling like you just got punched in the stomach and really remembering.
8) Titanic
Again, I love this movie. It’s a classic and it was brilliant. But I hate it too because Jack and Rose are so wonderful together and you’re really pulling for those two kids and then that damn boat sinks and all those people die and Rose loses Jack but then she starts a new life and then that heartbreaking song is playing and the whole time you’re weeping……it’s so stressful. No movie should leave you feeling like you’re broken. I cried for days.
Well there you have it! My list of dreadful “romance” movies. Fortunately, The Man is working this evening and I have a 3 hour date with the gym.
Happy Valentine’s Day!
My Worst Nightmare
Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!! <- that there is me screaming.
This morning my worst nightmare came true.
We had a blizzard here in Nova Scotia this past weekend. And Monday night we had a crapload of more snow (which, BTW Mother Nature if you’re paying attention, was totally unnecessary). But yesterday is was warmer and mild and rainy. Sooo…..this morning was a slippery one.
As I was leaving the public parking lot with Angie Whoreface, heading to our respective offices, we walked onto the sidewalk about to hop onto the crosswalk. And then it happened. I slipped. I slipped and I fell and I completely wiped out. In Town. In Public. In front of early morning traffic.
aww….bummer. Now this is a pickle.
In my attempt to avoid making concrete I grabbed at Angie. Partly to protest my fall and partly to bring her down with me because it seems only fair that I share my misery. But, instead ended up with my hand in her shirt. AWKWARD! At least we have the type of relationship that is based on awkward happenings.
Though Angie and I laughed thru this entire ordeal (because, in all honesty, it was pretty funny), the worst part was that it occurred in front of a beast I know from a former life. I can just imagine the kind of field day she had with this “gossip”.
Alas, I’m happy that my misfortune could provide not only them, the ‘townfolk’ a good laugh and some entertainment, you too, dear readers.
Cheers.
