This weekend I did a major league super fast cleaning of the apartment because the dust doesn’t show itself until there is company coming over and company was coming over. I can’t remember how it started, I think that we were goofing around and watching Robot Chicken and then we got into the Mickey Mouse club videos on Youtube. Adam loves to make fun of my celebrity crush on Ryan Gosling maybe because he’s Canadian or maybe because The Notebook is the BEST movie EVER and he is jealous. So we all sat in front of the computer and relaxed to the sweet R&B stylings of young Ryan Gosling, JC Chasez, JT, Britney, and Christina Aguilera.

Adam is also obsessed with this video that was posted by Miss604 during her blog-a-thon with John-a-thon, and because of the song we were led to this version of the Dramatic Prairie Dog with an 80’s flavour. It has butt cleave. Not the Prairie Dog, the other one.

Also because I am a HUGE Oz fan we checked out Rita Moreno singing a classic with Animal ripping it up on drums. We basically ended the night with a bunch of Wesley Willis blaring way too loud. Rock out!!

Even though these videos are with a better camera I am still no guitar hero expert but I put some leg kicks and some good facial expressions in this for you and my foot is in it.

Strutter - Kiss Hard Level

Adam and I battle and he wins. - John the Fisherman- Primus Medium Level

My Converse shoes completely fell apart on both inside heels BUT I love them and they are pretty much fine everywhere else and I am NOT a fan of sneakers looking new. I am fine with fancy shoes looking new and am actually anal about keeping them that way but sneakers should look worn. I will run around in dirt to achieve a dirtier more worn in look faster if necessary. With sneakers there is ONE exception and that would be my actual RUNNING shoes those are ONLY worn for running and nothing else and if you are a ‘runner’ you know that you can have a pair of shoes that you have ran through completely that are so clean it is hard to believe you can’t run in them anymore or the complete opposite and they look like a bomb hit them when they are done. But see, running shoes to a runner are like golf clubs to a golfer so trying to keep them pristine is different. But I digress; the rubber on the backs of my Converse shoes was actually cutting into my heels and I did not want to give them up and wearing thicker socks wasn’t helping so I did what any other bred and born Canadian would do and I duct taped them. Or rather Adam duct taped them. Even though I was suspicious of the slipperiness and skeptical of my abilities to handle all the little folds and creases in the taped heel I was desperate. I have worn them twice now since the taping, once with thicker sports socks and once with thinner socks and both times NO slippage and NO heel pain. I am pretty sure that most people know how amazing of an invention duct tape is but this is really my first experience with its full awesomeness it saved a life, even if it was just the life of a pair of shoes it is still life saving shit. Long live my Cons.

And P.S. Would I be able to call myself a true Spock fan if I did not post this? I think not. Just be warned it is set to Nine Inch Nails, ‘Closer’ so don’t be silly and open it at work. It could also be considered a short documentary entitled: Spock and Shatty - An Even Closer Look at Their Love.

In finding this I discovered it isn’t just Crocodiles that Erin Magnopere and I have in common now we have Spock and boob obsession in common too and I didn’t even know it. She posted this video before I even knew it existed, what kind of Spock fan am I? You learn something new about your blogging buddies everyday! Or maybe she likes Shatty? I just assume it is Spock, I hope it’s Spock, please let it be Spock.

Almost everyone in British Columbia that I know is sick. These viruses are getting really insane. I have been sick since last Thursday evening when my throat got scratchy. Adam has been sick since last Wednesday. I picked it up from him fast. Normally I just get the beginnings of things take some Vitamin C and it’s gone, other than having almost daily headaches that can become debilitating with little or no notice, I hardly ever get SICK, sick.

THIS virus is SO FUN because it starts with the flu and NOW we have full blown head colds. AWESOME. My fever was so high Adam had to go out and get a thermometer so we could monitor it; it was into the 100’s. Even Gus is barfing. The other night I was so uncomfortable and my body hurt so badly I was convinced I had RLS [Restless Leg Syndrome] until I remembered that only people on TV get it and that I don’t have enough room in my life right now for anymore ’syndromes’ or ‘disorders’.

The worst thing about this stupid flu/cold other than the fever, sore joints and muscles, wet cough, then dry cough, sore throat, sore ears, ridiculous headache, and all the snot AND the watery red eyes [the watery eyes just set in today but they were already red and hurt to open] WE CAN’T SLEEP. Until the full head cold kicked in and the flu part started to get better neither of us could sleep. Talk about frustrating, all I want to do when I’m sick is sleep. Finally, last night I was able to sleep until I woke hacking up a lung at 5:30am and I get up around 7am so I was not complaining after the previous nights in hell. Not being able to play Guitar Hero is so lame I’m not even going to discuss it because I have 14 songs open on hard now. I am in awe of Riss who left a comment saying she battles on EXPERT. HOLY. [IF you are a 24 fan she writes the best after show comments EVER]

AND I get dinged $140.00 by my therapist for missing last Friday’s session because I didn’t cancel in time. SWEET.

As mentioned, coming Thursday:

So it went from record breaking rain fall and a 12 day boil water advisory for a million or so Vancouverites to a winter wonderland. Or winter hell for those who live here because it ‘never snows’ and because of our guaranteed two season only city with year round mild temperatures, rain, heavy rain and showers with some sunny breaks that CAN last up to weeks at a time. Holy I could SO be Tamara Taggart with that report. It is THAT good. And this is my second weather related post.
I love it when it snows in Vancouver. People seriously lose their minds. LOSE THEM. GONE. And then they get behind the wheel of a car. It is like people who have never seen the mountains and then they see the mountains and they totally flip out and want to be one with the mountain or some shit and don’t realize mountains have danger and get eaten by a Bobcat. Granted those people don’t get behind the wheel of a car again.

Also,
SUN = Sun Hat
RAIN = Umbrella; and
SNOW = TOQUE

The boil water advisory was only an issue for I’m sure the exact same people who lose their minds when it snows here. Now that it is over I’ll say I hope the fuck wads who ‘fought’ over bottled water and displayed other episodes of idiocy are ashamed of themselves. Big deal so we had to boil some water. We still had water. Why not spend a few minutes thinking of places, Countries where a child has never even HEARD of the word ‘bottled’ water and no village for miles even has a fresh water source. As far as natural disasters go it was pretty tame, a mild inconvenience at most.

Today it is cold, the snow has stopped and a cold front has moved in. I feel like a pussy. This is where people never believe me that I really did grow up in the North with snow from October 31st till whenever the ski hill closes because I am totally acclimatized and I’m sorry but -6 when surrounded by ocean feels a shit load colder than a dry -20 or lower in the north.
I need to go to Shoppers Drug Mart and get some stuff but the roads have not been sanded, salted or cleared, the city is very low on plows and it is a sheet of ice out my window. If I hear one more idiots tires spinning out I’m going to scream. Less gas more patience people.

Did I mention I LOVE IT when it snows here?

[b]gack the gripper[/b]

Gus’s best staring role yet. It may be scary for young children and you will need your speakers up and lights down low.

[i]film and film editing by ABC 4 Promotions, sound effects editing also by ABC 4 Promotions, staring Gus Greeper as Gack the Gripper[/i]

In 1998 I went to the Cook Islands. It was still completely un-westernized and the only air lines that had the rights to the air space were Air New Zealand and Polynesian Airlines, the main Island has its own air line Air Rarotonga which makes regular runs to Atitutaki a one hour flight, Atiu a fifty minute flight, Mangaia, Mauke also a fifty minute flight, Mitiaro a one hour and twenty-five minute flight, Penrhyn and Rakahanga. There are fifteen islands in total. The main island whose name and capital is Rarotonga is so small you can ride a motor scooter around it in approximately twenty minutes. I think the Cook Islands are why something is just not right on all vacations I have taken since- as I went there first. Were I not a travel agent at the time and had my parents on their second visit not rented a house for a month and invited me out for a two week paid stay [minus my airfare and dinners] I would NEVER have been able to afford to go. I broke my collar bone a day or two before my flight was to leave, I still won’t even ride a bike ‘cause I have full memory of my non helmeted head [at the time they didn’t have helmets and I never brought one] hitting the pavement, but I’d go back to the Cook Islands today. I think.
When I went to the Cooks you rented the motor scooter first, taught yourself to drive it around which in my case was the worst idea ever because I just decided I liked the front brake best and used it and pretty much only it. I’m lucky I didn’t crash on the first day. After this you THEN take it OVER to the DMV and buy a license. The story of that crash is HERE and the comments have the rest as my Dad added parts.

Except for this Island I am staring out at here and also swam out to, the ONLY Island that Survivor can be using for exile Island [unless they are flying the person which I HIGHLY doubt] you can not paddle around to the Islands you HAVE TO FLY. They are not close, just look at a map.

I am sure Survivor has pulled this shit before it is just now smacking me in the face because I have BEEN THERE and my parents have been there three times. I’ve done the Cross Island hike and between the three of us we have been every where there is to be on Rarotonga. ALL of the tribes are on Rarotonga although they are trying to make it look like they are using multiple islands they are not. Exile Island takes no more than ten minutes to swim out to I don’t remember exactly but I reached it without problem.

[i]Excerpts from a discussion with my dad over email:

[dad] The show is such bullshit this year. The white guys are at the park where I ran the triathlon. They could head over to the ‘Fruits of Rarotonga’ for a fruit smoothie. They give you the impression that they are paddling from island to island for challenges but since the islands are hundreds of miles apart they are obviously flying them in. The one group on aitutaki are in the lagoon where all the nice resorts are. It just kills the illusion that they are out in the wilderness.
And ……. there is a part missing from the idol.

[me] im in total agreement i bet exile island is that one im looking at ‘in that awesome photo’ and swam out to

[dad] forgot to mention that, you are correct. And the reason that they stopped chasing the chicken is they would have run out on the road and been run over. You may have noticed in one shot when they were chasing the chicken that there was a pile of poles lying on the ground, you can’t cut trees in the park so they have supplied them with poles. Plus I think if you check they do not have bamboo in that part of the world. We have been all over that island I have never seen any.[/i]

At first I wasn’t even pissed about the blatant attempt at fooling the viewer because the Cook Islands want tourism. I’m not sure if they fully realized what they were in for, I’d love to see it now and see if it is different if they have allowed more imports if people can stay for longer than the 6 month maximum. It is NOT EASY to even obtain the rights to stay that long. I was extremely pissed off about the immunity idol and went OFF on my parent’s message machine. I had watched it on Eastern Time at 5pm and they weren’t going to get to watch it till 8pm. I have never looked forward to a Survivor like this one being as I’ve never stepped foot on any of their destination sights soil and was really excited to show Adam areas where I’d been. I had wondered what they were going to do with the immunity idol given that as photographed here from the center of the town is the Polynesian fertility God, Tangaroa. I errrrrrrrrrrupted into a RANT. HOW DARE THEY REMOVE THE PENIS!?! THE dick the COCK the essence of their country’s God. God forbid they piss of the Christians but pissing off different races- green light. You couldn’t pay me enough to fly in there on one of the small charter airlines that can now fly in, companies who obviously felt they could not sell the destination with a religious symbol not accepted in Western Society. The show, the network is willing to exploit and FOR SOME [not all people- but the editing makes their attempts pretty obvious] encourage racism which in my opinion they have already done, just look at the tribes already MADE up of ALL the stereotypes and “caricatures” they say they aren’t making but if they happen to fall into a racist stereotype well shit that isn’t she show’s fault it is theirs. Please. Sorry I don’t buy it. I see right through it. It makes me sick. They won’t show the Dick, and the tourism board from reading this article has allowed western society to ‘talk them into’ changing Tangaroa’s appearance. An insult to the whole country but exploiting racism- [again] NO PROBLEM! It is clear from this one article that not all were happy about the change in Tangaroa but obviously had no say.

I haven’t watched The Amazing Race on a week to week basis since Rob and Amber’s loss was fixed and watching how rigged Big Brother All Stars was although the ‘show’ still ruled because all of my favourite characters ended up in the finals and are extremely entertaining personalities, there was nothing ‘reality’ based about it.

On a positive note although the following photos were taken on the day I broke my collar bone my father and I witnessed something so incredible during the Cross Island hike it is one of those key moments in life a moment so beautiful it will remain as one of my best memories.

You hike to Rarotonga’s peak at 2140ft [we did the hike alone and got lost, it was ridiculous fun] it is called Te Manga. We waited for an overcast day so we wouldn’t bake in the thick rain forest. We left a scooter at each end and started our day’s adventure. Near the top you stand on narrow ridges, we don’t know whether we were on areas that only the locals used or the actual path, we were told it was not a hard hike and we scaled rocks, shimmied roots and could have seriously injured ourselves on many occasions, at one point we did lose trail completely and just had to head in what we hoped was the right direction in relation to Te Manga. It rained on and off all day. The rain was fantastic the after rain was hot and stupid humid but thank Tangaroa for the overcast day because it would have been unbearable with no cloud cover. On the ridge we stopped and heard thunder in the distance. I looked out to the left, my dad to the right, like robots programmed by the hand they write with and quickly realized we were seeing the exact same thing. Rain was hitting us but it wasn’t raining yet the wind was blowing it on us from the sheets that headed towards us both from opposite sides. We got to stand right there and watch the sheets of rain connect to form the storm. The sides did not bond at the same time making the experience that much more thrilling. Unfortunately we could not watch it long as we were sitting ducks on that ridge, but it happened too fast anyway the memory thankfully will last forever.