Monthly Archives: July 2009

Girl Friends*

Posted on July 22, 2009 by Shop Girl| 32 Comments

Sometimes I feel like I missed the boat.

Every time I open my Facebook my homepage is filled with photos of my girlfriends and their girlfriends. Pictures of cottage weekends, fabulous dinners, or even just hanging out together in someone’s kitchen or backyard… and I can’t help feeling immensely jealous. I don’t have that.

Don’t get me wrong–I have lots of girlfriends, and they are all amazing people. I love them to death, but I haven’t felt like I was really “in” a group in years. You know, the ones you can call about anything at any time of day, the ones always ready to get together for a good time, the ones who have been with you through thick and thin. Girls have this uncanny ability to meet and group together and form tight bonds that are stronger than anything I know. Mind you, sometimes this bonds break as quickly as they form, but really, if you’ve got a group of best girlfriends behind you then it’s like having a constant support system.

I feel like I’ve been moving all my life. When I was 16 I transferred high schools to take a better drama program (at the time I wanted to be an actor… ha) and left all my childhood girlfriends behind. Oh, I stayed in touch, but I was so focused on fitting in at my new school that it was difficult to stay close with my old girlfriends while I was trying to make new ones.

After only one semester at my new school my family moved 7 hours south to B-Town and I had to start over all over again. This time the change was almost too much for me to handle–when I transferred high schools the first time my friends were still all close by to support me as I transitioned. Then I left everything I’d ever known, my friends, my boyfriend and began again… in grade 12. If anyone else out there has also started in a new high school in their last year, then you know how hard it is. Think back to your final year of high school… it was full of the future! Plans for University and College were in full force and most people already had established friendships by then. Sure, people were very nice and I did make a few close friends, but it wasn’t the same as having a group of girlfriends that you start with and finish with. I was there, but always on the outside. I lost so much of who I was that year, it’s taken me years to recoup the confidence I had before we moved.

When I left for university I was sure I’d finally find my group of friends… and I did… but they were all guys. Haha! I’ve always found it “easier” to be friends with guys–before I got married nearly all my best friends were male. Don’t get me wrong, I became close with Star* while I was there and we still keep in touch, but in first year I didn’t find my group.

…then I moved again.

When the Hubster and I got engaged we decided we wanted to move somewhere together where we could start fresh, so I transferred to Hippie U and we moved to Senior’s City. For the duration of my undergrad I never felt like I really fit in there. It was a completely different scene from Ghetto U, and although I met some wonderful people there whom I love dearly, I still never found that group.

Teacher’s college was another experience altogether… I loved that year more than life itself. Sure, it was busy, intense and stressful, but I made amazing friends… then placements happened, and graduation, and somehow things just seemed to fall by the wayside. We all live in different areas of the province and everyone is reconnecting with their old groups in their hometowns.

So here I am again. I’m not unhappy with the friendships I have by any means. I have wonderful friends… Material Girl* has stuck by me for 12 years and even through we really don’t get to see each other very often, the minute we see each other it’s like I never left. Gene* was my other half for years, and although we drifted for a while, we’re becoming close again and I am really happy about that.

But these are all individual friendships, and sometimes I just wish that I was in those Facebook photos, or part of those blog stories.

Sometimes it’s hard to be the one looking in.

Posted in My thoughts*

Shop Girl Shares Fail Blog & The Search For Happiness*

Posted on July 20, 2009 by Shop Girl| Leave a comment

I just got back from the strangest job interview I’ve ever been to.

I arrived a little early (just the right amount of early, not crazy I-really-this-this-job-so-give-it-to-me-NOW early) and was greeted by a girl in the hallway who brought me into a room for my interview. I assumed she was some kind of assistant because she wasn’t the same person I handed my resume to and she looked pretty young… but she escorted me to a room with a mini-table and chairs designed for toddlers (you know, the ones that fit ONE of your bum cheeks at a time) and began the interview (as it turns out, she was a teacher at the school). I suppose I’ll have to get used to people younger than I am interviewing me now that I am an old woman of 24, but it wasn’t even really an interview… the interviewer is supposed to ask the interviewee questions, no? I think I answered two in the twenty minutes I was there.

ANYWAY, it was just a preliminary interview and I find out later this week if I come back for a real interview with the big boss. Let’s move on to the real reason you are here today–it’s Shop Girl Shares Day! HOO HAH! I’m SUPER excited to share my finds with you today… one is not so new love of mine, the other is a new find that I am definitely hearting.

#1 – FAIL Blog

(image found at: http://www.flickr.com/photos/ncc_badiey/3095099782/)

If you are ever having a bad day, this website will make your day magical again. I spent entirely too much time on it Saturday night and was laughing in hysterics by the time I forced myself to walk away. The FAIL Blog is a collection photos, videos and articles that “fail” in some way… be it poor word choice, unfortunate accidents, or just stupid people. I swear, there are HOURS of endless entertainment here, people. LOVE it.

(image found at: http://failblog.org/page/4/)

#2 – The Search For Happiness

The Search for Happiness is a relatively new blog, but it is quickly winning my heart. The author is an anonymous male chronicling his fabulously hilarious / tragic dating experiences over the years. In his own words, “…I have been on so many crazy and ridiculous dates that I felt that I was doing the world a disservice by not sharing”. Awww, how thoughtful. Seriously though, it’s a good read… check’er out.

That’s it for today, lovelies… enjoy!

Posted in Shop Girl Shares*

Tales of a Runaway Wedding Ring*

Posted on July 18, 2009 by Shop Girl| 2 Comments


Many moons ago, in the days before I became the Wifester, the Hubster asked me to marry him and gave me a big beautiful diamond ring. It was so sparkly and beautiful and pretty that I swore that I would never lose it. Now, in those days, I was a scatterbrained 19-year-old student (with near professional procrastinating skills… ha) who lost everything. I could never find my phone unless it was ringing, and had a notorious record for losing my inexpensive jewelry. The Hubster often not-so jokingly told me he was going to secretly replace my pretty sparkly diamond with a hunk of cubic zirconia so that when I lost it he’d still have the real one for me.

I am also notorious for not wearing my jewelry in my house. I am a total weirdo–I hate the feeling of anything on my hands or wrists when I am in my house. The second I walk through the door my watch, bracelet and rings all come off and stay off for the entire duration I am home. Then again, I cannot leave my house without them on. I feel completely naked if I don’t have them on when I leave… to the point that I will actually go back and put them on, even if I’m just running across the street. I know, I know. I’m nuts. haha!

So, when we first got married I would just take my jewelry off and leave it all over the house when we’d come home. I think I freaked the Hubs out a bit that a) I must not actually like my pretty sparkly ring as I refused to wear it at home; or b) I was going to put it in one of those REALLY good storage places and then completely forget where I left them (you know the ones I mean… they always seem like such a good idea at the time… *sigh*). I finally convinced the Hubs that I do, in fact, love my engagement ring and take it off so that I don’t destroy it while I’m at home. I am not always …delicate… as ladies should be and have nightmares of my diamond falling out and disappearing into a floor crack or waving goodbye to me as it spirals down the sink drain.

As to his second fear, in the four years (okay, okay… 3 years, 11 months) that we have been married I have never lost my engagement OR wedding ring (which I also love).


Sidebar: It may be a little difficult to see in the photo as I am the worst photographer ever, but I chose to have my wedding band engraved on the exterior, instead of the traditional interior messages. This way I can see it all the time and it’s a little different! It was terrible trying to find a jeweler who would do it (apparently it’s difficult to do on gold?) but we finally did and I love love love how it turned out. It has our names written on the top, and “Eternity” written on the bottom (what you see in the photo) as the circle is symbol for eternity.

Anyway, I digress. I love my rings and in our 4 years of marriage I have never lost them. Not once. Now here comes the best part–remember how I told you that the Hubs was convinced that I’d lose MY rings? Haaaaaa….. guess who has misplaced his wedding band at LEAST two times? (you’d almost think he was trying to send me a subliminal message or something… HA I kid, I kid. He loves me. :))

The first time wasn’t SO bad… a couple of years ago we had dinner at a friend’s home on a VERY cold day. His ring has always been a bit loose on him, so while drying his freezing hands in their washroom it slipped off his finger into their trash basket directly below the towel. Somehow he made it through the entire evening and back to our apartment before he realized his ring was missing. We tore apart the apartment before we thought to call our friends who quickly located his ring.

The second time was slightly more challenging. As university students it was often impossible to avoid taking evening classes, so it was not uncommon for the Hubs or I to be on our way home from school after 9pm. During the summer the Hubs would often take his super speedy bike to school. One night the Hubster was off at school while I was hanging out at home waiting for him to get back. At around 9:15pm the phone rang. It was the Hubster… this was our conversation:

Me: Hello?

Hubs: Hi… what are you up to?

Me: Hi love! Mmm not much, just waiting for you to get home! Why?

Hubs: Do you think you could come meet me at {insert intersection a 10-minute walk away} and bring a flashlight?

Me: …umm, are you serious? Why?

Hubs: (very hesitantly) I, uh, seemed to have dropped my wedding ring on the ground… and can’t seem to find it.

(What the Hubs DIDN’T tell me that the ring actually slipped off while he was bicycling down a steep hill–again, cold night, loose ring… we need to get that baby sized–and he couldn’t find it in the dark)

Me: …oh, love. It’s reeeeeeeally dark out. I’m not sure I’m comfortable walking that far by myself. (insert fear of wild rapists)

Hubs: Oh, okay. (sounds of heavy breathing and movement in the background) WAIT, I think I see it! Yup, I’ve got it. Never mind babe, I’ll see you soon!

My very logically thinking Hubster actually heard the ring slip off his finger and hit the pavement while he was biking. While I would have started panicking / screaming at this point, he listened as the ring rolled down the hill to try and calculate how far it would go. (He’s telling me that speed x time = distance, but that sounds like math to me so… I’m lost. haha) ANYWAY, he was able to estimate the speed the ring would go based on the speed on his little bike computer and after a few minutes of searching (and a phone call to me) he spotted the ring lying in the middle of the intersection, unharmed except for a few “love dents”.

So lovelies, the moral of the story is: size your wedding ring, or wear gloves. All the time. haha

P.s. If you haven’t already, take a peek at the post below and leave me your “Ask Me Anything!” question for my upcoming posts. :)

Posted in My Wedding*, SMRT*

Ask Me Anything*

Posted on July 16, 2009 by Shop Girl| Leave a comment

Well, I finally did it. It only took me like a month (ducks head in shame) but I finally put up my About the Author page and created my Contact Me one as well (see top right corner). When my Crazy Egg test ended last week I realized that nearly 20 people had clicked on the links, which until tonight went no where (Crazy Egg is AWESOME, people. Get it). So, I finally put something there for your reading pleasure / you scary secret blog-stalkers can know more about me. haha! So, check’er out and lemme know what you think. :)

Anyway, all this forced self-reflection / realization that my 500th post is just around the corner, I thought I’d bring back something I did nearly a year ago that I really loved. I borrowed it from a friend’s blog, and please feel free to steal it from me if you’d like:

Ask me anything*

Everyone has things they blog about. Everyone has things they don’t blog about. Challenge me out of my comfort zone by telling me something I don’t blog about, but you’d like to hear about, and I’ll write a post about it. Ask for anything: latest movie watched, last book read, political leanings, thoughts on slash, favourite type of underwear, writing techniques etc. If you’d like, repost in your own blog so that we can all learn more about each other.

So, there you have it. If there is something you’ve been curious about for a while but didn’t think I’d ever write about it, here’s your chance! So go on, ask me anything!

Posted in Ask Me Anything*

Shop Girl Shares United Breaks Guitars and Joel Plaskett*

Posted on July 14, 2009 by Shop Girl| Leave a comment

Hi lovelies!

I’m so sorry for being such a terrible blogger this week–life was busy, busy, busy! As you know I was in B-Town last weekend for Peeah’s baby shower, then I was only home for 3 days before hitting the road again! At 6:30am on Thursday I was on the road heading up to the Great White North (which is actually looking pretty green this time of year, but Great Green North just doesn’t do it for me. haha!). I had a wonderful weekend with the family as we got together to celebrate my Aunt & Uncle’s 50th wedding anniversary. Some of the highlights include:

*Bowling–I rocked a high score of 111.
*Midnight poutine… at 8:30pm.
*Great conversation
*Seeing my fabulous cousins
*Raiding my 93 year old Grammy’s underwear drawer for a slip to avoid a major wardrobe malfunction. haha

All in all, it was a great trip. I had hoped to write about it last night but didn’t get until after 10pm… after 11 hours on the road. Needless to say, I was just a little bit tuckered out.

SO, here I am today with another installation of Shop Girl Shares! I had a great response to last week’s post, so as this is just week two I’ve decided to share TWO things with you again! Aren’t I just so thoughtful, and caring, and nice… and humble? Ha. I’m feeling very musical today so I am sharing two things I love.

#1: United Song 1 (United Breaks Guitars)

At some point during our long, long road trip this weekend Spart shared a marvelous story with Peeah and I. I have to be honest–I’m not really a big country / folk fan, so I don’t follow country news or music. I don’t mind some of the newer stuff and Taylor Swift and Carrie Underwood don’t make me want to claw my eyes out, but it’s one genre that I’ve never really connected with. So, I didn’t feel terrible when I admitted to her that I didn’t know who the Sons of Maxwell well were and hadn’t heard why they had attracted international attention. She was quick to fill me in… and as she isn’t here to retell the story, I thought Dave Carroll (lead singer of the Sons of Maxwell) could tell you better than I could:

In the spring of 2008, Sons of Maxwell were traveling to Nebraska for a one-week tour and my Taylor guitar was witnessed being thrown by United Airlines baggage handlers in Chicago. I discovered later that the $3500 guitar was severely damaged. They didn’t deny the experience occurred but for nine months the various people I communicated with put the responsibility for dealing with the damage on everyone other than themselves and finally said they would do nothing to compensate me for my loss. So I promised the last person to finally say “no” to compensation (Ms. Irlweg) that I would write and produce three songs about my experience with United Airlines and make videos for each to be viewed online by anyone in the world. United: Song 1 is the first of those songs. United: Song 2 has been written and video production is underway. United: Song 3 is coming. I promise.

You can read all the gory details here, but you get the gist of it. So, they did what they do best and made a glorious song detailing the tragic story of the death of Dave Carroll’s Taylor guitar. (*moment of silence please*) Anyway, I thought the video was a riot and has already had more than 3,000,000 hits! Watch, and love:

I love when musicians use their talent to tell stories and garner attention for certain issues. LOVE. The Dixie Chicks’ “Not Ready to Make Nice” is fabulous.

#2: Joel Plaskett

I also want to leave you with one of my most favourite artists who is slowing becoming more well known (and also happens to be Canadian! WOO!): Joel Plaskett.

(image found at: http://farm1.static.flickr.com/50/156905796_f063c9c9d3.jpg?v=0)

I love this man and his sweater vest (see video below). In any case, he is very tall and makes glorious music. If you haven’t heard of him, take a listen below… seriously. He’s very creative and just, well, awesome. LOVE IT.

Shop Girl*

P.s. I am like THIS close to my 500th post… is there anything you reeeally wanna know about me that I might be coerced into writing about for said post? Lemme know, I’m open to suggestions. ;)

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Posted in Shop Girl Shares*