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

Calgary Blogger Meet-Up

Ok kids, time to do something a little crazy - meet each other.

Mich at Who is Mich is organizing a Calgary area blogger meet-up so anyone in the area who wants to come out of their hypothetical closet...wait, I mean shell...? (That's Nutshell to you Carmen) should come down for some drinks and all that good stuff.

Here are the details:

Sunday June 21st at 12:30
Earls on Stephen Avenue
Drinks and Appies

Pretty sure Earls is somewhere around here...

(Erm...Circa 1912)

For you Calgary peeps, I have long hair that's not really blonde or red or brown and wear high heels. Look for me there.

Seriously what color would you call it?

I'm not making any promises to be showered though. It's Sunday morning for gawdssakes

Does Running Late Count As Excercise?

I've never been what you would call "athletic". My older sister won various metals for High School wrestling and I'm pretty sure she played soccer for a while too.

My younger sisters were both on their High School Rugby team, which went on to win the City Championship the year they graduated, thanks in large part to the two of them (they are tiny girls - but tough). They are both still on a soccer team and play Ultimate Frisbee and Dodgeball a few times a week.

The closest to sports in High School I got, on the other hand, was taking Sports Medicine so I could flirt with the football players. Oh and I was a cheerleader (although we called it a Dance Squad).

Don't judge me.

My first foray into real sports was when I was 5 - I was put on a soccer team where I could consistently be found picking flowers on the sidelines while I was supposed to be defending the goal.

Or kicking the ball.

Or something.

Don't get me wrong, I'm not a huge klutz or super lazy - I took dance for 16 years and was a pro-star bowler when I was 8 (ya, I'm awesome, I know). You can also laugh at my first foray into having a Personal Trainer here.

I have no brothers so my poor father, with 4 daughters, taught us all how to throw a mean spiral, made sure we know how hockey works and took us to all kinds of games. I just never got into the strict structure of actually playing a competitive team sport.

This summer I've decided I'm going to get my shit together and be more active. I played soccer with my sisters (and I actually wasn't bad if I do say so myself), I played tennis with some friends last weekend, I started boot camp this morning and I'm about to strap on my roller blades so I can practice not looking like an idiot.

As of right now my stopping consists of flailing my arms, stepping on the grass and hoping there is a pole/tree/fence that I can grab onto or just falling on my ass.

If anybody knows a fail-proof method for stopping - Please for the love of all that is good let me in on your secret

Hopefully my new found enthusiasm for "being active" and "eating less shitty food" can last all summer.

After all summer is only, like, 2 months long here.

Marry This

The sweet sounds of summer are in the air; BBQ's grilling, neighbors mowing their lawns (finally), birds chirping, the shrill shrieks of Bride-to-be's yelling at their wedding planners...

Yes, summer means that wedding season is fast approaching. That's right, don your party gown and say a little prayer that your friends groom has at least some hot single friends/relatives/ex-jail-cell-roomies that you can bat your pretty little eyelashes at because this night is going to be long. I should know - I went to seven weddings last year.

Don't get me wrong, I'm happy for all you marrieds/about-to-be-marrieds (mostly because now I don't have to listen to you whining about how that guy from last night never called you today - hello, give it a few days*) but weddings do come with their own set of problems for us single folk.

Firstly, I have a name and a "plus one". Most of the time I choose to forgo the date and just go as my fabulous single self but when all your friends are bringing their boyfriends, it changes things a bit.

See, now I have to scramble to figure out which of my single guy friends will fit in best with each crowd. I have to make sure said Plus One is attractive, witty and charming and mostly that he will be attentive to me so as not to embarrass me and/or the bride. I have to choose wisely because if the aforementioned hot single friends/relatives/ex-jail-cell-roomies actually exist, my Plus One better not stand in my way.

There's also a problem with going at it alone. As much as I like the bride's Uncle Jimbo trying to feel me up on the dance floor and then tell me he thought I was his wife (oh you mean the chick with dark hair that is 4 inches shorter than me and 20 years older? Ya I'd totally get us confused too), I've had my share of it. And your share too for that matter.

Then there's the barrage of "Grandma-means-well" questions about our own marital history and future, or lack thereof. Why is it your business (worse when it's a complete stranger), to ask me WHY I'm not married? Why are you married? What if I told you it was because I prefer emotionless, meaningless sex with no strings, huh Grandma - happy now?

You asked.

Also: I'm not allowed to wear white, I'm not allowed to wear black, I'm not allowed to wear anything sexy, I'm not allowed to wear too much makeup, I'm not allowed to wear anything too short and my shoes aren't allowed to be too high.

Good thing I don't follow directions well, we just eliminated the majority of my wardrobe.

All I'm really saying here is if I ever get married I'll make sure to stock the bar with hot single people so my friends have someone to drool at talk to.

Ya, I'm generous like that



* kidding - well maybe not really

Las Vegas - I Love You

We got back from Las Vegas late last night and I have a golf tournament early tomorrow morning so this will be a brief pictorial essay of the trip only - more to come!

Can I first just say that I freaking adore Vegas: bottle-service, free champagne, open bars, stretch Escalade Limousines, hot NYC Firefighters (um AND cops), New York and New Jersey accents ("Ya he's my cuz! Fuggedaboudit!"), delicious food, Vodka and the beach at Mandalay Bay?

Alright, now for some pictures:

Our view of the "beach";
so-called because they trucked in 14 acres of sand



Beach + Hot Lifeguards + Beer + Sunshine
= Alice in Heaven


Delicious Pannacotta at Wolfgang Puck's Restaurant
Trattoria de Lupo


Self Portrait

Our ride to Rain at the Palms
No big deal

I have lots of stories to tell and about a mess-zillion (see what I did there?) pictures were taken but for now I'm heading to my own bed for the first time since surviving a week in Vegas

Still (not) Kissing Frogs

I think it's about that time for me to make fun of people again. I miss it.

The best place to start is the jungle they call Online Dating. Here are a few of my latest emails received. Oh how I love seeing the English language being slaughtered. Le Sigh.

Bachelor #1: YOU SEEM NICE GET BACK IF YOUR INTERERSTED

A quick glance at his profile reveals that as a career: "I work about 60 hours about in concrete. im happy with my life". That's all he says and the only answer to the typical "About Me" stuff he gave was his salary.

First of all I'd like to know how I seem nice when you've never spoken to me. You can't really judge niceness based on a written profile, especially not one that's to the point, like mine is. That would be like me telling him that he seems loud. Which he does, what with all the yelling and such.

Also what the hell does "about 60 hours about in concrete" mean? You work close to 60 hours kind of with a material resembling concrete? You work 60 hours a week? A month? A pay-period? Who the hell cares how many hours you work?

NEXT!

Bachelor #2: do u have msn?

While I'm at it, can I just give you my address? We haven't exchanged 5 words and you want me to give you my msn? What kind of girl sees this message and thinks; "gosh he sure did put in a lot of effort to obtain a personal bit of information from me, I should definitely give him a chance."

So, giving him a chance, I look at his profile and find these tantalizing tidbits:

I am sexxy, energetic, and easy going. I am 33 male 5'9 well built and looking for friends and more. i am adventurious and always lookingto try new things.

Good thing you're sexxy and not just sexy because I never date guys who are "only one x" sexy.

Moving on!

Bachelor #3: HI! I am nice good looking east indian guy who is looking for some fun.

If you're so good-looking why don't you have a picture up? Also, telling a normal girl you're looking for some fun = telling a whore you just want to talk. Or something along those lines.

My backwards analogies make sense in my mind.

On the positive side of life, I met a very nice, good-looking guy at a party last weekend. We hung out all night, dancing and chatting. Unfortunately at the end of the night a guy I knew got into a fight (I know, right? How old are we boys?) with some other guy and I was dragged out of the party before getting the chance to exchange numbers with my hot guy.

I should have left a shoe like Cinderella...

♦♣♥♠ Vegas Baby ♦♣♥♠

As I said last post, I'm heading to Vegas in exactly 2 weeks and am uber thrilled about it. My girlfriend recently broke up with her boyfriend and needs a vacation like nobodies business. I just need a vacation in general!

We are staying at Mandalay Bay and planning to take it easy a few days - just beaching it and being water babies. I really want to do a Grand Canyon tour but haven't found anything reasonably priced yet. We also want to do some shopping (hello outlet stores? I want some choos!)

We're also trying to figure out what else to do (probably a Cirque du Soliel - maybe O?) and what clubs are fab down there.

I'd really like to play poker as well. O was thinking of entering in a tourny but one of my friends (who plays down there all the time) says that they are loose tourists playing and it turns into shitty luck-only poker. I would want to play with people who are a bit more serious but not lose major coin with the high-rollers. Maybe cash games instead?

Does anyone have extensive Vegas experience or tips/advice based on your travels?

In other exciting news, I have lost 11 pound in just under three weeks - I'm tracking it on my other blog: Alice's Appetence along with recipes etc. if anyone is interested!

Danger! Been So Long (sing it!)

Wow so I've been away from this here blogosphere for a million and a half years. Sorry for not reading/writing anything in the past mmm...2 months?! It's been busy and crazy and I feel like all I do lately is work. Not a whole lot of inspiration for posts there right now, unfortunately.

Let's see...updates?

• My father has settled onto his new place with his bro and fam. It's actually been really nice because when I see either of my parents they are both in much better moods then when they were together. As strange as it all still is, I just know it's best this way for EVERYONE involved. Thank baby Jebus for small miracles

• I was supposed to go to Mexico (Puerto Vallarta) for a week at the end of this month. Ya so that's not gonna happen. Even if we still wanted to go all of the flights are canceled and we're SOL. I feel really sorry for anyone who was planning a wedding down there at this time - yikes!

• Two of my very good friends have gone through major relationship trauma lately. One of them found out that her fiance had been dating another girl for a few months. Awesome.
  

• Another of my good friends' boyfriends decided to break up with her after NINE years, on her birthday, via text message. Yup, that's as scummy as they come. Oh wait, he also called her a cunt and told her to move all her "shit" out in a nice voicemail he left her that day. She can't even get half the house because he hadn't gotten around to switching it into his name from his Aunt.
  

• All of which pretty much makes me glad I'm single right now. That guy I was seeing for a bit? Ya, he turned weird. He got kind of needy and expected me to just go wherever he was. He would get really whiny if I was tired and just wanted to stay home or if I was working and didn't feel like going out afterwards. Especially when the text messages I'd get were simply: "@ Melrose[bar]" when we had never discussed meeting that night. Sorry, not giving up my life to tag along with you or just coming when you text like a little puppy.
  

• I had my 25th birthday a few weeks ago. I'm not really sure why this birthday feels the worst so far but I actually feel like I have no excuse to get drunk and make bad decisions. Le sigh. Doesn't mean I won't still do that but hey, now I get to feel guilty about it! Cheers!
  

• Instead of Mexico, my girlfriend and I are heading to Vegas! I haven't actually ever been there (unless you count when I was 8 - which I don't really) so I'm very excited. We're staying at Mandalay Bay for 5 nights - it's going to be a Gong show!

So there's my life in a nutshell - hopefully I'll get my act together here soon and be able to write more. All this working and making money is really starting to hinder my artistic side.

Because We Needed Another Reason to Dislike Nickleback

It's been a celebrity filled year up here in Average-Land. First we had the Trailer Park Boys in January, then Tori and Dean, later that same week we had the choreographer from Dancing With the Stars - Jean Luc Godard and yesterday we had two of the members of Nickleback.


Do you people in the States get subjected to these guys? If so, I'm very sorry - they actually stemmed from Alberta (in a small town butt-f*ck nowhere, but still Alberta) so I do apologize and I promise not all bands here are that repetitive or shitty.

Sure they had a good start, a few catchy tunes, but then their music started going downhill faster then my last relationship (and that's fast). There's a radio station in Calgary that actually has a No Nickleback Guarantee, and they stand by it proudly.

Last night after they played in Calgary, two of the guys came in and were sitting at the bar. I don't know if they expected special treatment (they did) but we were super busy with the post concert and post music society concert rush. I got about 8 large tables in all at once and my bartender probably got 5 and he had to make all the drinks.

The two Nickleback guys were with another guy who has been into our restaurant before. He's the one who told us who these guys were. After Bartender served them each a few drinks it was dying down and we were thinking about doing last call. Most of my tables were finishing up. Nickleback dudes asked Bartender for a couple more drinks and because they were friendly enough, Bartender gave them each a shot as well.

So last call is over, these guys have three double rye Pepsi's each in front of them and they go outside for a smoke. We see them go into the hotel lobby across the street and head into the lobby bar. Bartender heads over there to see what they're doing and tells them they've still have to come back and pay their tab. They promise they'll be right back over.

We leave their drinks at the bar and finish everything else up. By now it's been over half an hour and Bartender sees them outside smoking by the hotel (none of these guys was the lead singer btw - apparently he's not a douche says our friend who has partied with him before). Bartender heads over to the tallest one and says:

BT: "Listen man I need to do my cashout and close up here"
NB: "Oh ya for sure man, you need to get shit done. How much is the tab?"
BT: "it's at $115 bucks"
NB (as he pulls out a wad of cash): "Here you go man, thanks a lot" (hands BT $120)
BT: "Really?"
NB: "Ya man it's all yours. Great job man"
BT: "Really?! 5 bucks, really?" he shakes his head and comes back to the restaurant. Right before he gets inside he says to the guy "I hooked you guys up and you're giving me five dollars? Really?"

Basically Bartender had to serve them past last call, gave them free shots, had to chase them down twice, and got a super shitty tip when they finally paid.

So we drank their untouched rye's.

Breaking News!

Well, more like an update - it's been two weeks since I've written anything. I feel like I've been so busy but at the same time, I haven't really even been. More like lazy. Anyway, it's about time for a recap, bullet point style

• I hung out with Bro a few weeks ago; a couple of us went over to his place after going out. It was there that I realized maybe he isn't actually my type. He has over 1,000 porn movies in his collection. Now I have no issue with guys having some porn: magazines, a few DVDs, whatever. When you have two ginormous CD cases full of every porn imaginable, you might have a problem. And I might get an inferiority complex...NEXT!
  
• Remember when I burnt my arm? I have this scar on my arm that I wish I could get rid of. Does anyone know the best way to get rid of a scar? I've head of using Vitamin E among other things, any success stories?
• I met a new dude that I've been on a couple dates with. He's cute though ten years older then me, he has a good job and actually calls when he says he will. I'm not going to say too much since I always jinx things like this!
  
• I helped my dad pack and move a bunch of stuff this morning. My parents have lived there since I was a baby so it was strange to be pulling out all his stuff from the crawl-space and taking down the paintings that are his. It'll be a weird week.
  
• I had an interview last week that I thought went really well, but the girl I'd be working closely with is actually my friend PartyGirl. Maybe the interviewer thought it was a negative that we're friends? I'm not sure what went wrong.

That pretty much sums up my last two weeks, hopefully as soon as all this snow melts I'll be in better spirits and writing more!

A Story of Coincidence

I love when strange things happen that can't really be explained. Take for example the story of King Umberto I:

In Monza, Italy, King Umberto I, went to a small restaurant for dinner, accompanied by his aide-de-camp, General Emilio Ponzia-Vaglia. When the owner took King Umberto's order, the King noticed that he and the restaurant owner were virtual doubles, in face and in build. Both men began discussing the striking resemblances between each other and found many more similarities.

a) Both men were born on the same day, of the same year, (March 14th, 1844).
b) Both men had been born in the same town.
c) Both men married a woman with same name, Margherita.
d) The restaurateur opened his restaurant on the same day that King Umberto was crowned King of Italy.

Strange as that was, on the 29th of July 1900, King Umberto was informed that the restaurateur had died that day in a mysterious shooting accident, and as he expressed his regret, he was then assassinated by an anarchist in the crowd.

While my story isn't quite that epic, I still find it pretty entertaining.

One night this week a bunch of us headed to the local "Cheers" watering hole for a brewsky after work. We were talking about Tori Spelling (who was going to be shooting scenes at the Restaurant) when one of the guys brought up the fact that Aaron Spelling is her dad and that's the only reason she got famous.

I made some comment about nepotism (the showing of favoritism toward relatives or friends based upon that relationship, rather than on an objective evaluation of ability or suitability) and how it happens often. One of the guys laughed and told me that he had heard that word for the first time earlier in the day.

There was a comedian, Gerry Dee, who has done a few stories on TSN. While they were playing the hockey game in our lounge that night, Gerry Dee was on talking about the Sutters (hockey family) and said: "Can you say nepotism?" when asking Darryl Sutter about his son (who plays hockey).

We had a whole discussion about coincidence and how once you hear a new word, all of a sudden it's everywhere.

The next day I head into work, sit down at the bar to have a bite before starting work and look at the television - which is playing the nepotism clip from the night before. The bartender says to a table behind me: "does that ever stop being strange?"

I turn around to see Gerry Dee sitting at the table behind me.

My New BFF

While Calgary isn't exactly an international mecca of film making and success, we do get a fair number of celebrities to this here city. The Restaurant where I work is sort of attached to one of the hotels where a large portion of them stay and directly across from another very upscale hotel.

We usually have all the football players in whenever there's a game in Calgary (Roughriders, BC Lions, Alouettes etc. - for you Americans this means nothing), we've had Jane Seymour in (all the guys fell in love with her), Mila Kunis, Keisha Shante, LeAnne Rimes, Jason Preistly was in, Dean Cain, The Trailor Park Boys have been in twice (they are actually so funny in person). We've also had bands, musicians and dancers.

Some of the big names roll with an entourage but most of them just have a friend or two. Generally they come in, hang out and everyone leaves them alone.

Tori Spelling and Dean McDermott have been spotted in and around town the last week or so. A few days ago they came into the Restaurant with their kids and a woman who was most likely the nanny. Of course everyone was like "omg it's Tori Spelling" but no one really approached them.

Last night while I was working, I realized that they were sitting at one of my tables in the lounge, (sans kids of course). He is gorgeous; she is tiny and even with no makeup still really pretty. I went up to them and we started chatting about our wines and then Sushi (she had a craving). I was trying to act like they were just any other table.

After I poured their wine (Amarone - my favorite), he asked me what my name was. I introduced myself and he shook my hand and said "I'm Dean," then she shook my hand and said "I'm Tori". I felt like saying "Obviously!" but I just said "nice to meet you!"

They had a glass of wine each and were going to eat but decided to get some sushi. They had half a bottle left so I just left it behind the bar and told them they could pay when they got back.

Three hours later, they show up again. They remembered my name and started telling me how bad the sushi was. I joked that they should have just stuck with our soup like they had originally planned.

As they were leaving I told them to have a good time here and I overheard her say "that was really nice, we should come back here". I couldn't believe how nice and down to earth they were; she almost seemed shy introducing herself, and they were so obviously in love (he kept calling her "mama") it was absolutely adorable.

Who says celebrities have to be snobs?