I really feel bad for people who have to celebrate this day without this beauty.
The Heathers
My parents had their 40th anniversary last month and I did NOTHING! Why? Not because I'm a terrible daughter (in my opinion), but moreso because I don't believe in celebrating other people's anniversaries. Am I only one who finds it weird? It's their day, let them celebrate it their way, without interference from anyone else. Maybe I'm abnormal, but it also seems like such an intimate and personal thing to celebrate, so why on earth would anyone ever be expected to horn in on that? I'm not opposed to expressing a simple "Happy Anniversary, guys" - but anything more than that I find odd.
In any case, 40 years is a crazy amazing amount of time to be with someone. And since I stayed out of their celebration, I thought I'd post some of my favourite photos of them here as a way of saying, "Yeah! Good work."
Lastly, my parents are the kind of parents everyone should be envious of. I know how lucky I am to be in this family and I'll forever understand that. Maybe I should apologize for how often I talk about my family, but, yeah, that ain't never gonna happen.
(Also, if you haven't called your parents in the last few days, maybe give them a ring. You kind of owe them everything you have, so it bodes well to say a small "What's going on?" every now and then.)
The Man Who Is Dave Grohl
You know what's weird? You don't know how much I love Dave Grohl. This is the first time I'm mentioning him on the blog since its inception two years earlier, and that seems kind of fucked up to me. I used to adore this man. And it's not as though I don't anymore - it's more of a silent "Ahh yes. Dave Grohl" kind of feeling now. Just a buried love affair that once was. I don't want to get into too much detail about being in my late teens & early twenties and fully believing that I would marry this man.
I mean, look at him.
And I was too young to like Nirvana when they were around, so I boarded the Grohl train in the early Foo Fighters years. They were at the first concert I went to (Summersault 2000) and that was when I fully knew how I felt. I mean, someone hurled a water bottle at his face and he casually caught it mid-air and then took a sip. Can you comprehend how cool that looked?
In any case, does this post have a point? Not really. It just felt weird to write on here for so long and not mention his name. Oh, and also - if you're not in love with this man's voice after the acoustic version of Everlong, then you, my dear, are dead inside.
I don't get nuts when I see celebrities, but him and Martin Short are the only two people I think I would convulse at seeing in the flesh.
All right, that's all.
Sidenote: Happy Birthday to one of the best humans I know, my brother Gary. You're in my top three of people I couldn't live without and I hope you're aware of how much I sing your praises to everyone I know. (And also, you kind of introduced me to the magic of Dave Grohl, so I kind of am in debt to you forever for that.) Thank you for being everything that you are. I love you enough to temporarily give up my Perfect Strangers collection.
Palm Beach, Florida
My vivacious friend Jenn and I decided to celebrate turning 30 by going on vacation. When deciding where this little jaunt would be, we agreed that we would have just as good a time as Sigourney Weaver and Jennifer Love Hewitt if we decided on Palm Beach in Florida. (It's normal to choose your vacation spots based on semi-popular movies from the early aughts, yes? YES!)
Here were our highlights:
This was one of the very best hotels I've ever stayed at - providing you get a good room. The first room we stayed in had one bed, so we changed that to one with two beds and the second room was EONS more nice (and on a higher floor). The hotel also had direct access to the beach and an outdoor infinity pool. What the hell else could I possibly need? OH! And they made this drink (a Coffee Colada, a coffee version of a pina colada) that I will dream about for the rest of my life. Such a great hotel experience. And it's located right in the heart of Palm Beach, amongst all the ridiculously wealthy homes that line the shore.
We went here solely because of the list of sauces they had on their menu. If that seems like a dumb reason to choose a steakhouse, I don't think you know very much about how to properly eat a piece of meat. The meal was, as expected, amazing.
We had dinner here on our only night spent in West Palm Beach and the food was ridiculously good. West Palm Beach itself was, well, way livelier than Palm Beach. And by that I mean that it was filled with a younger crowd, a bit rowdier and a completely different experience. I'm happy we stayed where we did since it was a quieter/generally-nicer area where we were, so I'm glad we lucked out in staying at The Tideline. (Did I ever say the word rowdy in my twenties? I can't remember now.)
This French place gave us the best meal of the trip. I had their rock shrimp linguini with a Pernod saffron cream sauce and I'll never forget it. I know a detail like that really doesn't affect you in any way, but I'm noting it here incase I ever find myself in this restaurant again some day. I thought I hated saffron-anything, so you can see why I won't shut up about how good this all was.
Is it acceptable that most of these highlights are food based? Of course, you beast! Great vacations don't exist without exceptional food.
Fury of the Day - Rain Boot Rage
No one wants wet feet. That's a universal truth, right? So by this logic, we all need to own a pair of rain boots. (Small sidenote: do men buy rain boots? Is that a thing? I've never seen them wearing them, if I really think about it. Is it 'cause they don't look manly? Fishermen wear them and they're a pretty manly type of man. Where the hell are all the men in rain boots? Does being a man mean that you just have a to endure bad weather with disgustingly wet feet all the time? Ugh. Well, I'm not a man, so I can't speak on this further. But if that is the case, men need to unite and make that not a thing. Dry feet for all!)
Worst Attributes of Rain Boots
- They look childish. All of them. And it doesn't matter if the brand is Hunter or Dirty Laundry, they all look like you're on your way to a school bus. And there's no way to create an upscale boot since you're always going to have to work with rubber. Fucking rubber.
- Blisters. Everyone gets blisters from rain boots since your feet slide around so much inside of them. And I know what you're going to say, but maybe I don't want to wear two pairs of socks with grips on them! Next to wet feet, hot feet are absolutely disgusting.
- Unless you have an umbrella, rain still falls into the top of the boot when you're walking! Why the hell am I working so hard to keep my feet dry from the puddles on the ground when all of this is going to go to hell anyway since the sky rain is going to flood my boots and screw me?!
Not a rain boot, but I still feel her rage.
Why the hell has the rain boot design not changed in the last hundred years? Why is no one working on a better boot? SOMEONE WORK ON A BETTER BOOT!
Birthday Gift Idea
If someone close to you has an important birthday coming up, you know what you should do? This.
My friend Marla started sending me notes in the mail a month before my actual birthday (30 notes for my 30th birthday). What kind of notes, you ask? SWEET-ASS THINGS THAT SHE THINKS ABOUT ME! Compliment notes, if you will.
Is this the nicest thing in the world to receive? Why yes, yes it was. And some of them included gift-gifts too (like Urban Outfitters clothes & face masks!). Am I bragging? Fuck yeah! 'Cause this is one of the nicest things that anyone has ever done for me and I'm almost mad that I hadn't thought of it myself to do for someone else! You know what a fan I am of correspondence.
Anyway, definitely keep this in mind as a gift idea for a special birthday. Marla, you're the kindest person in the world and I'm lucky as FUCK to know you.
30th Birthday Photos
I know it's a Saturday and I don't post on the weekends, but I just wanted to quickly share some of the photos from today.
Celebrating 29
Tomorrow I turn 30.
I know, I know - how could this youthful, ageless beauty be turning a fully functioning adult age? Beats me, but it's happening. And I think I'm kind of pumped about it. Why, you ask? 'Cause these past 29 years have been some of the most fortunate ones that any human could have asked for. Really. And I want to list some of the greatest things that I've experienced thus far.
(If you judge me for making this list and/or being proud of it, then I think you might be missing my point here. In which case, skip the list altogether and proceed to the final two paragraphs.)
Highlights Of The Past 29 Years
- I was a co-lead in my fifth grade musical production of Newsies (or the more accurately titled "Extra! Extra! Read All About It!")
- I've learned to play the piano, alto saxophone and bass guitar.
- I've never smoked a cigarette.
- I'm bendy.
- In London, I ate the worst fish and chips known to man.
- In Portugal, I discovered Steak Diane in the Algarve and listened to Fado music in Lisbon.
- A stuffed poodle has slept atop my bed for over 25 years.
- In Spain, my mother and I were chased by gypsies. (Is that a racial slur? I Googled it and opinions are mixed. I don't mean to be derogatory.)
- In North Carolina, I saw a crab bite my dad and as a result - I stayed out of the ocean for the following 15 years.
- In New Brunswick, I saw the tides change.
- In California, I didn't trust how perfect it all seemed.
- In New Hampshire, I flew a glider plane as a teenager.
- I went to a performing arts high school for vocal music.
- I had the perfect childhood dog experience.
- In Grenada, I witnessed some baby turtles hatch in the sand in the early morning sun.
- In Belize, I innertubed through the jungle rivers.
- I've been to Disney Land and to Disney World. (World's better.)
- I've road-tripped to Detroit solely for a concert.
- I've waded in a hotel fountain in New Jersey.
- In The Cayman Islands, I went down into the sea in a submarine.
- In The Bahamas, I was eaten alive by bugs and first saw a pink sand beach.
- In Trinidad, I slept in my mom's childhood home.
- In Tobago, I understood why someone would want to come to Trinidad & Tobago.
- In Barbados, I watched my brother get married on a beach.
- I've hitchhiked in Lake George.
- One time I ate a mustard so spicy that my contact lens popped right out of my face and landed on the sidewalk.
- I interned with my favourite childhood band The Strokes.
- I've seen Bob Dylan in concert.
- I lost my virginity because of the outcome of a World Cup final soccer match.
- I've skydived.
- I've seen a baby's birth firsthand.
- I've undergone a successful cornea transplant surgery.
- I've learned never to take my brothers for granted.
- I met Mike Myers once and he was very nice.
- I met someone who lives in Ireland in a Foo Fighters chatroom about 15 years ago and we still mail letters to keep in touch.
- In Amsterdam, I fell hard for a Frenchman and followed him to Paris.
- In Paris, I celebrated New Year's, ate crepes outside the Eiffel Tower, learned cooking techniques from a master French chef, walked to the top of the Arc de Triomphe, sailed across the river Seine and kissed Oscar Wilde's grave.
- In Venice, I stole wine, rode in a gondola and had a brief (but memorable) Italian romance.
- Acquired the entire Perfect Strangers series as Russian bootleg DVDs.
- In New York City, I've had many midnight rooftop picnics on the Lower East Side, bench-side champagne dalliances in the rain under an umbrella in Central Park, met one of my best friends by picking her up at a bar, had a short play produced and performed in Hell's Kitchen, swam in freezing temperatures in a rooftop hotel pool, saw Woody Allen in his jazz band at The Carlyle, attended Derek Jeter's last Yankee home game and I've been inside the Statue of Liberty's crown.
- In Terrytown, I've had the most luxurious meal of my life at Blue Hill Stone Barns.
- In Cape Cod, I exclusively ate red meat for five straight days.
- In Chicago, I saw great art.
- In Miami, I ate the finest steak of my life at (the now closed) Emeril's.
- In St. Maarten, I went to a nude beach with my parents.
- In Niagara Falls, I stayed in a vice presidential suite and won a ton at the casino.
- In Las Vegas, I rode that roller coaster that Grissom loved.
- In Costa Rica, I went canyoneering, ziplined through the rainforest and saw some sloths.
- I've seen The Phantom of the Opera on Broadway over 10 times and will see it again.
- I have buried time capsules with loved ones.
- In Aruba, I experienced my first all-inclusive vacation and vowed to never go all-inclusive again.
- I have broken both of my feet on separate occasions.
- I've become proficient in pilates.
- In Atlantic City, I saw Lady Gaga perform and roamed the gorgeous boardwalk.
- In Montreal, I listened to more jazz than ever before.
- I have dined and dashed.
- I have never dyed my hair.
- In Ontario, I've made out with strangers on dance floors, had hundreds of sleepovers at my brother's apartment, ate an abnormal amount of poutine, blown bubbles off balconies, learned how to play poker and swam in an infinity pool overlooking the city.
- In Jamaica, I parasailed, helped Nathan learn how to swim and experienced the clearest sea water in the history of mankind.
- I've maintained a daily blog for two full years with some degree of success.
- I'm a (magazine) published writer.
- I became the type of person who enters a dog in a costume contest.
- I've found work as an editor, greeting card store cashier, HMV seasonal employee, video store clerk, management assistant, daycare worker and part time nanny.
- In Florida, I had numerous memorable family vacations.
- I became a godmother.
- For almost six years, I've been in love with a man who treats me so well and happens to be handsome as hell.
If this post seems boastful, I sincerely don't mean it to. I'm so proud of what's happened thus far - and don't think that I don't know for a goddam minute how lucky I am. Everything on this list was possible because of my family and friends. I know how fortunate I am. So what reason is there not to be excited about whatever happens after 30?
If you're to take anything away from this post, I hope that you start to compile your own list, at whatever age you currently are. The bullet points won't all come to you at once, but they'll trickle in over weeks and you'll slowly start to see how fortunate you are in your own life, if you don't already know. It's important to look back on these things and realize we're all immensely lucky in more ways than we realize, I think.
Simpsons Birthday Episodes
With my 30th birthday coming up, this was the first birthday card I'd received (and to be honest, the absolute best one). Other than the sweet written sentiments, the main reason I loved it so much was for the list of Simpsons-themed birthday episodes that I was recommended to re-watch. Is it just me or is that the nicest idea to list these episodes out? I hadn't seen a few of these in years and loved the hell out of being reminded to. Greg and Katie, you're the best. I hope you don't mind me scanning that card to post it here. SUCH a great idea and I absolutely loved it.
Holiday Decorations Box
Other than teachers, I never knew who bought holiday decorations. Little did I know that it would be ADULT ME!
I'm currently in the process of obtaining the contents for my first year-round holiday box, since this is technically the first year I've lived without roommates (I don't consider Nathan a roommate since I love him) and once you no longer have roommates - you can decorate the hell out of your home with no concern for others.
Just incase this somehow isn't clear, a holiday box is a box full of holiday decorations for all the holidays of the year. AND WE ALL SHOULD HAVE ONE IN OUR HOMES! I don't think we need to go nuts with excessive decorations, but there are such simple things you can do to make your home look more festive and warm. And the Dollaramas these days have stuff that don't necessarily look like they came from Dollarama!
The decorations don't always have to be lame signs (like the one I have above). Subtly allude to the oncoming holiday with colours or accoutrements! Look at this Easter piece I just got for $2 that I intend to put in a vase in mid-March.
You're telling me that's not gorgeous? Get out of here.
Get on this, everyone!