Camping, Long-Johns and The Dumb Laws "They" Think Up

In Calgary there's this great little tradition that happens every May long weekend. Almost everyone young and lots of people who aren't, go camping.

I'm sure this is a common theme pretty much everywhere.

The difference is that in Calgary, for May-long, it snows. It is pretty much almost guaranteed to snow or at least rain. Not the pretty sunshiny frolicking in the fields and weaving daisies in your hair rain.

No, it's wet, heavy, gross rain. The kind that makes you wonder if maybe the apocalypse is coming and then you thank the sweet baby jebus that you said grace that one time when Aunt Mildred had the bubonic plague or laryngitis or whatever and so couldn't say it herself and forced you to think of stuff to say although you're pretty sure your family already thinks you're the anti-christ so really what does it matter if you botch up saying thank-you?

Amen

Most people are prepared for this and bring all their best winter-preparation tools: hats, gloves, down-filled sleeping bags, matches, long-johns (ladies, you're going to want to click that link - that dude makes even something as dorky as long wool underpants look hot), wool socks (one for the boys), flares, a portable generator, 6 gallons of whiskey and a few flashlights. You know, standard camping gear.

I've for sure gone camping with girls who have been all "ohemgee, look at my adorable little pink sleeping bag - it rolls into a neat little ball and fits in my pocket! Let me just put it in my teensy suitcase beside my tiny string bikini!" only to have her ending up zippering my sleeping bag together with hers so she could get a modicum of heat.

Guys? Where were you on that trip?!

Apparently the Provincial and National parks here - like Banff National Park, Kootenay Park, Castle Mountain, Yoho, Tunnel Mountain, basically all the good places to go camping - have banned liquor this year.

BANNED LIQUOR

\%W^*@^T$@!)(F*&%%$?!!

Seriously, what the shit? I'm not even sure that's legal. How can you take away something as life-sustaining, especially during cold days, as booze?

I mean sure, it's all sunny and good now but just you wait People-Who-Made-This-Dumb-Law, when that snow inevitably falls on May long this year, when those people out enjoying hooliganism and tom-foolery realize that they can't have a beer while camping?!

You'll all be in big trouble. I mean, that's like outlawing winter tires.

Getting Rid of Junk

So, for some reason I started to feel all Spring-cleany yesterday, which is a really good thing because I haven't done a thorough clean since I moved in, in January. Meaning I've been living out of suitcases - one with shirts, one with skirts and one with random junk all thrown in together.

Because I'm organized like that

Then I realized I need my suitcase next week, and thus began my maniacal cleaning. I think I did at least 8 loads of laundry - the plus side being that I finally cleaned out my closet and the clothes that I never wear will finally get a new home.

Of course I still have entirely too many clothes but I went from having two normal sized closets at my old place, to having one small-ish closet here so I had to be creative with where I put my clothes.

My main closet holds my dresses and the jeans/pants that I opted to keep.

I have skirts in the front entrance closet and all my jackets and blouses, skirt suits and blazers at the back door, like where guests are supposed to hang their shiz.


Luckily I found this wire rack that manages to hold my sweaters well (note my makeshift bookshelf beside it - that's because I use my actual bookshelves for an entirely different purpose):

I'm going to have to either give these all away or plan on letting them collect dust, I don't think I'll need a hundred sweaters in Costa Rica.

Do you ever go through your closet and have a conversation that goes somewhat like this?:

"Self, do you really need to keep this {random article of clothing} that you haven't worn since {like seriously sometimes High School which is 8 YEARS ago}"

"But self! Wouldn't it be perfect for {some dumb thing that happens once a year}?!"

Then you throw it back in the closet, never to be worn or even thought of until the next time you try to clean your closet. Well this time I said "Eff it! If I haven't worn it in a year, I'm giving it away."

And this is what I ended up putting in the donation pile:

Well actually, these are just the jeans and pants.

I also threw out 12 pairs of old shoes, they were all old and in a state of disrepair, but it was still sad.

And speaking of shoes, here's what I use my bookshelves for:


I love me some shoes

Kinky Turkey Sex, Live Eels and The Reason(s) I'm Still Single

I have a tendency to put my foot in my mouth.

A lot.

I also say completely inappropriate things at totally inappropriate times.

For example, at a hauty- toity wine tasting at the Petroleum Club here the other day, the wine rep at one of the fancy wine booths said "this one will hit you hard..." and before he even finished I said (louder than intended) "that's what he said!"

As the rep finished:"...with jammy raspberry and plum"

And everyone looked at me awkwardly while I swallowed a huge gulp of wine. Mmm jammy. The end.

So I started texting this boy recently and we were talking about our respective jobs:

Alice: "bla bla something about security guards"
Boy: "Actually I'm undercover, like a secret shopper"
Alice: "So you follow people around all non-chalantly making sure they don't shove a turkey in their pants?"
Boy: "Haha ya exactly, you sound like an expert"
Alice: "No, I just try to get away with shoving turkey in my pants every now and then"

Wait, what!?

Alice: "I mean in a not sexual way. I'm not into that kinky turkey sex"
Boy: "...just the regular kind?"

Yes. I enjoy regular turkey sex. Good lord I'm an idiot.

I won't even get into how I managed to send him a message that said:

"Please never put a live eel in my bum"

How Travel Agents Get Their Rocks Off

Ahhh!! I never Squee but I feel like squeee-ing because I did it! I booked my flight to Bloggers in Sin City! I had to change my travel dates (I arrive on Wednesday - anyone else be there yet? I also don't leave until Monday night - after the party there's the AFTER party baby) because I'm broke/cheap.

I want as much cash for being there as possible and for the extra 2 nights I can stay at my Dad's place down there for free so it just saves me money all around.

The other problem is the crazy, fly around the entire US of A flight path that these people put me on.

I'm pretty sure they were laughing at me as they booked it.

See, the way there isn't SO bad. I mean Calgary to Salt Lake City to San Francisco to Vegas.

Huh?

Ok, it takes about 7 hours total travel time and 3 plane changes:


Can we say large carry-on and no checked baggage?

On the way home?

Yeah, this is priceless. I mean Wow.

Just Wow:

Yep, they have me flying from Las Vegas to Fort Lauderdale to Houston and back to Calgary.

14 hours travel time and 3 MORE plane changes in the most random places ever!

It cost me less then $500 and NOW? Now I know why.

Oh well, the extra $400 I would have spent on direct or less ridiculous flights is now going towards booze.

You're Welcome!

I Need Some Talavera Too

I was featured on the Bloggers in Sin-City page yesterday!



Now if I can find a fantastic deal on a flight I'll be thrilled, any suggestions?!

I'll have to visit my favorite souvenir shop while I'm down there...I'm getting low on dead cows

New Job, Boobs, Red Wine, and Gettin' Ma Hair Did

I've been looking for a new job for a few weeks. My work has been slow and I dislike my female manager (who does the scheduling) because, well, she's one of those girls who is super nicey-nice fakey-fake to your face and actually not really very nice when you aren't around.

I had an interview today at a busy place on the Red Mile (the strip in Calgary made famous by the ultra non-violent party atmosphere of upwards of 55,000 fans during the Flames 2004 run to the cup).

Green means Go, bitches!

It basically got famous because lots of girls flashed their boobs. "Flames in six, show your t*ts!!"

We're all class, all the time.

At least we're happy drunks.

After the interview (I start Sunday, what's up now bitches?!), I was supposed to meet a couple of friends at a wine tasting.

It was pouring rain so I ran in my stupid sundress (it was SO warm this morning!) to the liquor store and, being 15 minutes late, expected my friends to be there. And be all like "where have you beeeeeen" but alas, no sign of them.

I had forgotten my phone at home and being the terrible awesome friend that I am, I know approximately 3 people's numbers (unfortunately one of those people happens to be my pseudo-ex so that even when I leave my phone at home if I know I'm getting drunk, guess who gets a call?)

So I drank wine by myself. It was delicious.

(I found out when I got home that one friend had to go to Saskatchewan that morning and the other had texted me like 6 times to figure out the plans. Whoops)

On my way home, it was still freezing so while I waited at the bus stop I decided to duck in the nearest building for shelter. It turns out it's a Spanish-English school and they are looking for English teachers! Coincidence??

Either way I'm supposed to go there next Wednesday to talk to the operations guy. I told them I don't care about money I just want experience and maybe some Spanish lessons.

WIN!

Also, I got my hair did and settled on this:


In a few months I'll go back and get lots more blonde put in, to make it all summery and such.

Hair Help!?

Every few months I get this nagging voice every time I look in the mirror. I have this issue where I can't keep the same hair color for longer than a few months.

Today was my birthday, and being sick I went for a low-key brunch with my girlfriends then spent the rest of the day considering different options.

I've been blonde:

I've been strawberry:

I've been brunette:
I think what I'm going for next is dark red:


I have to keep in mind that summer is coming up, and my sisters wedding (where we will be wearing pink) is this summer as well...

Help?

Blog Swap!

She sews! She cooks! She makes beautiful quilts!

Today is the 20sb Blog-swap so my post will be at Pamela's page, My Domestic Life, and hers is below!

The best thing about being a blogger.

Hi to everyone reading Alice’s blog!

I’m Pamela and I’m swapping blogs with Alice today. A little bit about me…I live in Southern Arizona where it is nice and warm right now, unlike the picture in Alice’s last post! I am 24 years old and I’m getting married in 17 days!

I started blogging on livejournal when I first went to college in 2003. I was pretty regular about posting and I pretty much just wrote whatever came to my mind. I just went back and read some of my earliest entries and I don’t really remember much of what was going on at the time. My first post ever was a link to a two carat platinum diamond ring and I say I feel sorry for whoever marries me. That pretty much sums me up! I like sparkalies!

In the last couple of years, I haven’t been very regular about posting and “real life” has gotten in the way of things, but this year, I decided I was going to get into it again. I enjoy writing about the mundane events of daily life and I like seeing that there are other people who are going through the same things I’m going through.

The best thing about being a blogger is that there is no pressure to write anything in particular. People can read it or not and it doesn’t make a difference to me. I enjoy being able to post a little update about my garden or singing my arm hair off while using the stove. The fun thing is that there are other people out there—sometimes on the other side of the world who are struggling with finding purpose in life, finding a career after college, getting married and figuring out who they are. I enjoy reading their blogs and I hope to put together a blog that other people enjoy reading and can relate to.

I have “met” some interesting people through my blog who have opened my eyes to different locations and cultures than I am exposed to here. When I post regularly, they are there and when I take a break and come back, they are still there. Other bloggers are always supportive and the community is always friendly.

So, the best thing about being a blogger is that the online community is always there and I can come and go as a please. I get to know people from all over the world and it is just fun!

So Does April Snow Bring May Bordeaux?

Oh hai! Remember when April was all "hey April showers bring May flowers" and May was all like "Flowers! Yay! I love me some flowers" and remember how I live in Calgary so even when it's supposed to be APRIL it looks like this outside my window?


Hey! Weather! Are we for effing real right now?

Luckily that was last night and today the sun is shining, the snow is melting and people who suffer migraines are all like "what the shit?" you know, because changing weather hurts peoples heads.

I was planning on going around to apply for new jobs today. See, my job isn't exactly busting out the hours lately. I had 4 days off in a row this week and momma needs some money. The irony is that people are looking for summer-employees (with patio season coming and all) and it decides to snow! Ya, that'll get the boss in a hiring-for-summer mood. Not.

Thanks a lot.

Lastly, that cake I was intent on destroying making? I made my mom ice it for me. Because if you suck at something, make someone else do it for you.


I drank a whole pot of coffee this morning. Can you tell?

It'll Be A Work Of (Interpretive) Art

So if you've read my blog for a while you may remember me saying that I'm a great cook but a terrible baker. All that measuring and exactness and precision. I'm way better at throwing a bunch of junk in a pan or pot or BBQ or grilling up some deliciousness.

Seriously.

Remember when I made baked mac n cheese and used a very wrong ingredient? How about that time I screwed up meringue by thinking cream of tartar and tartar sauce were the same thing (they're really not)?

And then there was the time after my first niece was born. I tried to make this delicious and adorable baby block cake for the surprise baby shower:



Adorable! It looked easy in the instructions - one sheet cake, a bunch of different icings, a piping bag and some little sugar candy animals, how hard can that be, right?



Wrong.




There are approximately 3 different WRONG icings in this picture, not to mention the deformed, crumbly, fingerprinted mess of cubes that literally fell apart as I tried to ice them. I think that empty glass probably had some Vodka to dull the pain of FAILure.



Yup, here's my lovely masterpiece:





I threw it in the garbage.


So, I'm planning on making a cake for a birthday dinner I'm going to on Wednesday. There are 6 of us celebrating our birthdays in April (mine's April 18th - now you have enough time to make me something extra especially awesome by then kthxbai)

25 of us are going for a nice dinner to a restaurant with free corkage, that's right FREE. Meaning we will each bring a bottle of wine and get extra especially drunk, so that when it comes time to present my cake, everyone will be too drunk to care what it looks like.


Hopefully.

Turn Left at the Alter

So lately I've been thinking about weddings a lot. No, I'm not getting married but one of my baby sisters is. SL got engaged a month ago and already has the church, the reception hall, the bridesmaids dresses and yes, the wedding gown.

Anyhow, I was talking with a couple of friends about it and Boobie McGee says: "I really haven't thought about my wedding too much except..." and goes on to talk about how many bridesmaids she'll have, the colors, the centerpieces, the location, pretty much everything except for who the groom will be.

My mom loves weddings. Not like "hey neat-o I can help plan a bit" but more like she's taking a three part, 12 week cake decorating class so she can make the cupcakes for the wedding. She has ordered a bazillion yards of organza to make pew-bows and centre-pieces and chair-slips and ninja-ties or something.

I have been to approximately 789,000 weddings in my life. I used to work at a hoity-toity (shuddup spell check) private members-only, your-first-born-son-must-be-given-up-as-payment-club so there were weddings there practically every weekend. Plus my friends seem to enjoy getting married apparently.

I'm going to start feeling like that chick with the 27 bridesmaids dresses and no man pretty soon.

This post is all over the map. It's a wedding map but good lord, where was I going with this?

Oh right, I think when/if I ever get married I'm going to send invitations that say: "Come party in (insert awesome vacation spot here)".

Planning? Done.

A Few More Reasons

Okay so I think we're all pretty much aware of the fact that if there's a hell I'm going there. Asshole party of one? Your table is ready. This is first evidenced here, and probably in numerous other places in this here weblog of mine but I'm far too lazy to go digging for examples.

In case you need a few more reasons, I present to you:

Reasons I'm Going to Hell, Part II

1. When I'm feeling particularly cheap, I tell the bartender wherever we happen to be that I'm the designated driver. This generally scores me a free soda for which I tip largely to ensure free refills all night.

I then proceed to top up the soda all night with the Vodka that I've managed to sneak in thanks to my ridiculously large purse.

2. I like to watch Biggest Loser sometimes. It's inspiring to watch those poor people have to shed hundreds of pounds...Even more inspiring while eating ice cream and chocolate chip cookies.

3. This?


Made me laugh.

A lot.

4. Two Words: Online Dating

It's not that these guys don't seem nice. It's mostly that they seem like complete and utter morons half of the time. Or maybe it's my Judgey McJudgerson personality.

Here's me, online dating: "ugh he spelled 'your' wrong, NEXT; too old, NEXT; What's with the hair? NEXT; too skinny, NEXT; Hmm...potential...potential (as I skim his profile)...ew whiny! NEXT"

And I wonder why I'm single*


*False. I don't wonder that.

My New Hometown?

So I went to Vegas once when I was like ten, with my older sister, my uncle, his girlfriend and her daughter. We had a great time and all but ya, remember the part about how I was ten?

Then last May Tits McGee and I had to change our travel plans from Mexico to Vegas (remember the whole swine flu thing? Ya, our flights were canceled). We had a ridiculously awesome time the whole 8 days that we were there. We're crazy like that.

Okay, so then my dad bought a place there after my parents got divorced last year. Real Estate is cheap. He bought my sisters and I tickets to come visit him in February and we had a really amazing time being touristy (Hoover Dam) and acting like locals ("psshhh the strip") down there.

Now, there's a blog-meet-up in Vegas in May and I'm pretty sure I'm going. I know it'll be a fan-freaking-tastic time, and although I haven't been blogging lately, this gives me as good a reason as any to start again, get reacquainted with the old crew and meet some new ones.

This means I'll have gone to Vegas 3 times in ONE year though. Am I that crazy?

I think we all know the answer to that.

Fanmail

I get excited when I see that I have a new comment, (as I'm sure you all do) so imagine my disappointment when I realized that half of them were from "Hello Baby". Don't get me wrong, she seems very nice. It's just that you know, say what you gotta say once and then maybe stop.

So we can all thank our new friend "Hello Baby" for the fact that I am now moderating comments. Also, because I'm curious (read: nosy) I had to check out this persons website and I probably have some sort of computer-herpes now. On the plus side, I found out that 爱丽丝 means Alice in Chinese, so there's that. Also, the fact that it's a Chinese website written in Spanish (what??) kind of made my day.

I'm an Idiot

Like we needed more proof right?

So I come to this here neglected weblog, and sigh a sigh of discontentment. Still 5 comments?? I know I haven't written in a while but after 6 months you'd think a few measly people would have had at least something to say, right?

Ya turns out they did. I'm just dumb and somehow missed the part where you have to approve new comments?! And sitting patiently, waiting to be approved, were over 50 comments. Most of them pertained to how to make money quick, some sort of Chinese-type writing and how to buy the best blue cheese (what?) but there were a few from actual IRL readers. So anyway, you're approved!

Not nearly as excited (or wallet-draining) as being approved for a mortgage but hey, it's something.

In more exciting news I'm in the very last week of my CELTA program. Yes, I actually have moved back home (yeah, there's a few stories I'll be saving for Slit-Your-Wrist-Sundays) but it's been mostly not too bad. I have become a hermit living sequestered in the dark confines of my room.

Kidding.

Sort of.

The course itself is amazing. Amazing, hard, fun, interesting, stressful, informative and nerve-racking.

I'm really not looking forward to going back to being a waitress. Le Sigh. Although, seeing as how I saved the $2500 for the course in about a month, I'm pretty sure I'll be able to save a ton of money before I leave for Central America in the fall.

PS - who lives along the West coast? You'll be getting a visit from me. I'm planning on driving down so get those couches ready.

I'm fun, I swear!

Anyhow, I'm done my course at the end of the week and am planning a big trip to Edmonton to celebrate (for those of you who don't know, going to Edmonton to celebrate is like doing something really un-fun to...uh...celebrate. I suck at analogies today. My brain hurts.)

I'll have lots of time and lots of stories once I get back...

Shaping the Future

If this blog was a child, the Child Protection Services people would be all over my ass like white on rice. Thank gawd it's not and the only thing I have to answer to is the guilt, sadness and feelings of inadequacy in my own heart.

I lose.

I do however have a new goal for myself (new as in I've been thinking about it for over six months now, and finally have a plan of action). I'm going to teach English overseas. After months of researching and (FAILing) at trying to save money for the CELTA course I have decided I'm going to move back in with my mother (cue death march music).

My lease expires at the end of this year and the course starts mid-February so I figure that gives me enough time to save the money necessary for the course. It will also give me ample time to remember why I moved out 7 years ago in the first place.

I'm really hoping the course is worth the $2500 price tag. Oh, and the emotional scarring I'll be sure to endure.*

There are some really important unresolved issues that I'll have to deal with in the upcoming months. Things such as: Where do I want to go teach? Will I survive 6 months to a year in a strange country? What am I going to do with all my shoes while I'm gone? I guess I'll just have to tackle these as they come.

I wonder if I can work: "How to Make the Perfect Dirty Martini" into a lesson plan...


*I'm mostly kidding. My mum can be fabulous - when she isn't stark raving mad

Lesson Learned: Don't Be A Drunktard

I seem to have been having "one of those days" for the last few days. For example; I left my wallet in a cab on Thursday, the day before I was supposed to go do some important banking. I figured I would just use my passport as ID at the bank, but my passport seems to have taken a long trip somewhere without me.

Saturday I was resigned to the fact that I had lost my drivers license, my bank card, my passport, and more importantly my Shoe-aholic Spending card. That's a free pair of shoes right there bitches!

I got home from work to find a taxi drivers card and a note telling me if I ever wanted to see my wallet intact again, bring $500 G's in unmarked bills to the top of the Calgary Tower at midnight. Actually, it may have only said to call him, but it could read either way really.

They ended up calling me the next day with directions to their headquarters to pick the wallet up. Thank the sweet baby Jebus. That wallet is my life.

Yesterday I finally had a chance to head up to the place to grab my wallet with the intention of going to see my financial adviser and get that banking done afterward. Of course when I get there they can't find my wallet anywhere and they insist that the driver must still have it.

Finally after fifteen painful minutes (my cab's meter was still running outside!) they managed to track it down and finally I could say I win at life.

Until I got to the bank and realized I was 10 minutes too late for their 4 o'clock closing, only to walk to the next branch to get there 5 minutes after they closed at 4:30.

Banking FAIL

Here's another example of the kind of week I'm having:

This video is pretty self-explanatory





Party Dress FAIL

The "L" Word

The last few weeks have been tumultuous to say the least, hence the blog-slackery. I'll start with the men (of which there seem to be many - my psychic told me I surround myself with men as a sort of protection. Living, breathing emergency hand rails).

The guy who was all needy (before I went to Vegas)? Well he came into my work last week and now he's been texting me saying how good it was to see me and that we should do lunch or grab a drink. Remember how I told you you were needy?? Ya, you're not helping yourself here.

Then there's a guy I'll call Tiger (he's a golfer) we've been out several times and he finally kissed me a few weeks ago (after I lost a game of pool). He's really sweet and I've actually known him since I was 15 or 16. We used to work together as cooks (I flashed him some bra one time for extra chicken fingers), and he'd drive me home from work but we were always just friends.

Anyway, it's been almost two months that we've been "dating" and he still hasn't tried anything. It makes me wonder - is it because he had a religious upbringing? (His parents are Jehovah's Witness' but he's pulled away from that and deems himself "unsure religiously". Still you have to wonder what he retained from that), so is he maybe unsure how to proceed? Is he just a gentleman? Do those exist?

Then there's Pseudo. I saw him again last week. We went for a walk and then back to my place and while we were doing stuff that doesn't involve sleeping* he said "I love you, Alice" just like that.

So I obviously ignored him, since I suck at life. Well and he'd had a few drinks and I was stone-cold sober so it really wouldn't be fair for me to take advantage of a weak moment.

Needless to say I've been thinking about it all week. I'm visiting my sister and her family in Victoria until next Tuesday which has been a welcome and much needed vacation. I have no idea what I'll do when I get back, but I'll worry about that when the time comes...



*Thanks D for the right way to word that eloquently

There's A Snake in Ma Boot!

So Stampede is half over and it's been quite an interesting week so far.

Somehow even though I've been working for ten days straight (my next day off is Sunday - thank the sweet baby Jebus), I've still managed to get myself in a fair amount of trouble. So far, from what I remember, here's a summary of the week:

Saturday:

• After work went to my "Cheers" and ended up at Pseudo's

Sunday:

• Worked all day, went to Blondie's boyfriends birthday BBQ (try saying that 5 times fast) where we ate a fabulous spread that included flat-bread appetizers, grilled steak that had been marinated for 12 hours (yum!), an incredible reduced balsamic dip and tons of other delicious food
• We then proceeded to have a flippy cup tournament. There were 13 of us so we had a 3 team Round Robin - best of 7. We obviously got drunk.
• The limo showed up, we all piled in and drank copious amounts of champagne...and beer (Klassy)
  
• We went to the first bar where the ten guys bought each of us 3 girls at least 3 shots
• Next stop? Our "Cheers" - obviously more shots followed
• Last stop on the Limo train was the bar affectionately nicknamed "The WhoreHouse". Obviously we had more shots. I don't think I bought a single drink - it was a shooter night
• I lost my purse with everything in it - phone, camera, money, wallet, keys
• Found said purse sitting casually on the dance floor an hour later. With everything still in it.
  
• Lost all of my friends except for one. We eventually found one other friend who had jumped over an overpass to the street below trying to chase after half of our group. Giant FAIL as he was now limping.
  
• Took jumper to friends house and put a bag of peas on his foot. Woke up in the morning to him puking from the pain. His foot was black and blue and swollen like a football. Um ya turns out he broke it...

Wednesday:

• Frenchie came and met me after I was done work, we consumed at least a bottle of wine and headed to "Cheers" (where else?) where we played drunken darts and drank a lot of vodka
  
• Two dumb guys were running their mouths, trying to act like they were a really big deal (RBD). After last call they bet me $20 I couldn't get another beer. Have I mentioned that this is the bar I frequent and always tip really well? They didn't stand a chance. I even warned them that they were being idiots. I told the bartender I'd give him $20 for a Kokanee and he looked at me like I was nuts. He would have given it to me for free but whatever. I went back up to the guys, beer in hand.
  
• The guy who bet me handed over the $20 and said: "whatever, bottled beer is easy. There's no way he'd pour you a draft beer..." I just laughed. RBD says: "I'll bet you $50 you couldn't get a draft beer"
• I went back to the bar and told Bartender I'd give him $25 for a draft beer. Again he thought I was nuts but handed me a Keith's.
• As soon as I went back upstairs with the beer the 2 guys just shook their heads and handed me the $50 bucks. Don't make stupid bets with me boys.
  

• I'm kind of a big deal.
  

I still have the last weekend to go, and I'm sure even with my hectic work schedule I'll manage to get a few more crazy nights in.

Sometimes I just love Stampede.

The One In Which I'm Emotional

(For the full Pseudo story - click here and scroll down)

Ex-Pseudo called me last night. I was at my "Cheers" playing Buck Hunter after work. The phone rang and everything else ceased to matter. My heart stopped, I felt my breath catch in my throat.

I haven't spoken with him in months, I haven't seen him in over a year and yet the same old feelings came crashing down around me. Last time he called in October, I didn't answer the phone - this time I did.

As soon as I saw it was him calling I knew it was over for me. I didn't think about the great guy I've been on two dates with recently and who sends me sweet random texts; I didn't think about what was going to happen when I saw Pseudo; I didn't think logically or take the time to think about the ramifications of what may or may not happen. I answered and I knew I would see him.

"B saved you some pizza, come to B's house," as if we had spoken an hour ago. I laughed and told him I wasn't sure, knowing full well I'd be over there shortly.

When I got there he said: "I guess you know me and T-Bone broke up?" to which I replied (honestly) "umm...no actually I didn't".

I couldn't believe I was there. I berated myself but yet felt happy. I can't begin to explain, I don't even understand it myself.

I woke up in his arms

And now I'm lost again