Vancouver Is Waking Up!

Ok, so I may have just slept the entire day away, but my thoughts today are centered on the unusually lively spirits of Vancouver locals.  When I responded to the ‘Team Head Up Grouse In The Middle Of The Night Outing’ call from Emme, I thought we would be struggling to find anyone interested in having fun with us.  That was not the case!  At 3:00am, there were close to 100 people at the base of the mountain waiting in a long line, and despite the fact that the coffee shop was closed, none of them were grumpy!  People were even smiling and cheering loudly for the drunk party mountaineers as they watched them unload from the gondola.  Usually, I can’t even get a smile from Vancouverites when I say hello on the street!  I was amused by the different outfits I saw that would normally be considered too silly to wear in public.

Loving the Outfits!

Our experience on the top was even better.  Spontaneous kisses for Emme, stories from unknown great athletes, Canadian flag cape-wearing skaters, and free expert snow tips for our own novice Mario were some of our most pleasant surprises. We even got our snowshoe guide to do ridiculous yoga poses on top of the mountain (Well, our ‘top’ was only half way since Emme kept slipping and giggling, my water bottle kept falling out of my pocket and rolling way back down, and Mario was just trying to breath.)  Everyone we met was more than willing to participate in our shenanigans and held back nothing in the quest for a good time.

An Unexpected Kiss

I’ve noticed this new Vancouver spirit spilling over to my regular daily interactions at the kids’ school, stores, banks and the lines I’ve been standing in to party at the different Olympic houses.  I’ve made more instant friends this week than in my entire time living here.  Perhaps  it’s the infectious attitudes of our international visitors, or maybe it’s because we all feel united as Canadians fired up to win, but whatever it is, I hope it lasts.  Please keep the love alive Vancouver, and don’t go back to sleep!

Namaste

Finding My Way Home

Occasionally we all get a little lost. I’ve been lost for the past few months. I’ve been overwhelmed and for some reason I felt the need to reinvent myself, my look, my stories….

Photo by Lola May

I ‘ve felt like I was in a bit of a holding pattern, in which I’d been told we were being watched, in which people told me they had big expectations for me and some started telling me what they thought I should stand for, how they thought I should look.  Generally, I’ve always gone with my gut and listened to my heart, but after a bad break up swept the carpet out from under my feet, I was left feeling totally lost.  Not really sure who I was or who I wanted to be. Horrified at myself for having let myself fall into what clearly was an unhealthy and emotionally abusive relationship.  How could I let myself do that again? Was there something wrong with me?  Was there something I needed to fix about myself? Should I really trust myself and my own instincts? And admittedly, my writing poised a huge factor in our break up, so I started making it less of my personal story and more about the events whirling around me.  And with that I started getting a little fluffy in my writing and occasionally a little tartish in my attire.  In my mind, my writing has become a little flat and artificial and I’ve felt more than a little flat and artificial.

There are moments when I might get a little carried away

I get asked all the time, how I am going to make money with my writing?  Where is my funding model?  Well, I started writing for fun, to process my thoughts, and to grow as a person.  When I moved it online, it was for inspiration and drive to finish my first novel.  It was not to become a marketing tool or an advertisement, and while no one is paying me to write about this product or that, I do fear that that is what I am becoming.

Feeling especially like this with the Olympics, as Brie and Mario and I decided to let as many people as possible know about the fun and free of the Olympics.  So we’ve been trying to collect as much content as possible and firing it up as quickly as possible.  I’ve gotten tired and the story has really suffered.  Has it been a complete waste?  No.  It has been a good training ground for Mario and an extremely good reminder to Brie and I on what it is that we are doing. So I think we are going to regroup tonight on our 3 am team building trip to Grouse Mountain and remind ourselves of what this is really about.  Having some fun and telling the story of the people we meet that help us to process our own stories in this wacky world.  While yes, we may still mention the odd event at the Olympics, I don’t that our guide will be quite so full.  Now the Olympic language guide on the other hand ….

Moon Cherub & Emme

And a huge thank you to my wonderful family and friends that are not afraid to tell me when they think I’ve lost my path (or, in the case of my family, are concerned that I have started to have dressing like a tramp).

Kisses,

Emme xoxo

One Hell of a Great Party at Saxony House

Apologies about my singing in this vid from last night, but I couldn’t help myself.  I was having such a great time!

Here’s the usual schedule at Saxony House:

  • 12 – 6 pm    Saxon Food & the Olympics on the Tele
  • 6 pm – 11 pm   Saxon Grub (kitchen closes at 10 pm), Live Folk & Rock Band & Saxon Films
  • 11 pm – 2 am Saxon DJ Club Dance Party

My 2010 Winter Games Team

Just like an athlete, I seem to have a have a whole slew of coaches in my life.  There’s Head Coach and then my naggie nellies, including Steven, Raul and Rob. This lot can be a pain in the ass, as usually they’re right (but please don’t tell them that, because they remind me of that often enough and they are really nauseating about….well the men are at any rate). Their recent natterings have been over concern of me getting too busy again and not taking enough time to myself. It’s the Olympics people !!!!  What do you expect?  How am I supposed to slow down now???

Well, as I mentioned before, they are unfortunately usually right.  And this time is no different.  After week one of my playing my part as socialite at all the pre-Olympic Parties, I’m racing to keep up to the content I’ve been gathering.  They’re right. If the Olympics are going to be fun for me, I need comradery and a team.

So what’s a girl to do?  Take a page out of the old play book.  If athletes can have teams to support them, then bloody well, why shouldn’t I?  So that’s what I’ve done.  After some grueling winter games trials of my own, two contenders rose from the pack and are ready to sign on to the podium with me, or more aptly into whatever jail cell my hair brain schemes get us into.

This two, let’s face it, incredibly lucky (I mean they do get to hang out with after all) champions are none other than Mario the Intern (stolen from the Ahimsa Media office, as somebodies got to teach this boy a thing or two about the real word, as opposed to whatever do gooder crap Erica is filling his head with) and one time shy gal turned sassy Momma, Brie Mason.  Stay tuned for more from the two of them.

Let the Games begin!