It's all in the Hook

perfect, mellow, ambiet, cheerful, sentimental; fitting for a sunday...

AAden: Aw Hells No Photo

Today I spent an actual-factual full day working my buns off doing finance stuff, so when I got home naturally I wanted to denumb my brain by looking on my trashy gossip websites. And what do I find?! These unintentionally hilarious shots of all the Gosselins playing nice .... well almost all. No surprise, the resident sourpuss, too-cool-for-school, all around "bitch, please" member of the troupe, AAden, was doing his best "I am NOT here" poses for the cameras. But you can't fool me AAden - I've used green, sorry: apple, coloured arrows to point this little him (trying to get out of the shots) out.

I'll give him props for his craftiness though .... examples:

AAden's Hat:

You know he's hiding a makeshift shank under that thing...

AAden's version of Eff Off


AAden's ability to play it cool with strangers:
Helps him make connections to the criminal underground of Pennsylvania or wherever the hell he lives.


He Know's how to get what he wants:
I'm pretty sure this is how he spends most of his days - lying on the couch, feigning illness to incite fights between his sisters.

Phrazes of Excitement

EEEEEEEE - okay have to state this now: SOOOOOOOO excited for the new Julian Casablancas solo album (Phrazes for the Young) coming out this fall. I am literally on pins and needles waiting! I can't seem to figure out when exactly it's coming out but I will not be deterred! A couple of months ago I saw the official teaser preview and got amped and now THIS interview with some samples of what I assume are tracks from the new album has got me all hot and bothered for some more!

I love the Strokes - unhealthily. I hadn't felt the way about a band as I had about the Strokes until Kings of Leon and now that I've

had a chance to settle down a little with them - I'm antsy for new, or something old made new, and Mr. Casablancas is just what the doctor ordered!

What got me on this train of thought today in particular? Well, I had this realization that Julian and Ryan Jarman look soooooooo alike, am I wrong? doubtful. .... maybe it's their voices - they have the same voice ... with different accents ....

Also, discovered that Julian and I have similar tastes in music, surpising? No. His favourite song is A Change is

Gonna Come, which also happens to reside on my favourites list on my ipod! IT WAS MEANT TO BEEEEE

My Life as a Mad (wo)Man

I inteded for this post to be a somewhat researched and thoughtful look at the show Mad Men. I just finished watching the first season and I'm not nearly as enthralled by it as the rest of the world seems to be. In fact, I find much of the show quite dull. Yet, for whatever reason (probably sheer boredom) I continue to watch it. So I googled a bit and found this most amusing Mad Men Yourself setup on their website.

I'd bet the the show would be a helluva lot more interesting if I was on it! And I am ready to prove it. The following is a list of reasons I'd be the perfect addition to the Mad Men cast:

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I would not stand for sexist judgements on my fashion choice:
"WHAT is everyone laughing at?! What is it? Is it my awkward houndstooth getup?! - Okay, well I'll have you know it's fashionable and lets people know I'm serious about work. No, not that? ohhhh - my actual-factual bee hive hat is blocking the projector again? oh how hilarious .... NOT - grow up boys."

I would drink martinis with Don Draper while wearing a mink stole:

Nothing says progressive-thinking, career-oriented lady like martinis and a mink stole. That and painting the town with your friends husband.

I would be selectively "honest" with my Frenemies, a much undervalued trait:

"Ugh. Betty, this coffee is foul. Good thing I've got my cigarette to cure that awful taste. And by the way, who did you're kitchen ... It's so ... so ... well so interesting" *snicker* (like the chocolate)

I would show the other office ladies (Miss Hollaway I'm looking at you) how it's done in the workplace:

Bee's Hive hair, conservative green dress with a not so conservative fit, newspaper for cred and a thumbs up for myself and my self-esteem.

In fact ... I would be the Boss Lady offering challenging projects and positive encouragement to my underlings:

"Type, Peggy, tyyyyyyyppppeeee! What? You've got nothing to type? Here - transpose this day old newspaper .... I said TRANSPOSE Peggy, trasnposeeeeeeee as if you life depended on it. ...And stop fooling around with that pansy, gross, richboy Campbell - vom."

I would be OK with picnicing in central park on my own:

*sings* Saturday! In the park, I think it was the fourth of Julyyyyy! Oh. That song hasn't been made yet? Oh, okay, that's cool, that's cool. .... MAN I HATE THE 60s!!!! (And by the by, how awful is this picture?!: a) apparently I don't have friends to picnic with b) I'm totally not wearing proper attire c) I am the messiest eater everrrr and d) I play chess by myself for fun - sad.)

And finally, I would be down with being my true self behind closed doors ...

i.e. chainsmoking - cigarette in mouth 'n hand, champagne for one and no I don't have my weave in - deal.

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Must Share

This is one of the loveliest and touching articles I have ever read. It is beautifully written and made me smile, please read ...

I did try to interest Madeleine in the Jeremy Irons version of Brideshead Revisited, but it annoyed her so much that she went to her room and quietly closed the door. We eventually learnt how to compromise our movie nights with films starring Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers — though we may be watching them too often, as Madeleine has started “dressing” for dinner, and in mid-meal extending her hand to me for a dance.

An excerpt from The Trials of Being a Single Father by Simon Van Booy

... cue me falling in lurv.

Wear is that post?

Working on a longer more thoughtful post I swear, but I've been sidelined by a 89 pg. debrief that's going to be my main companion for the rest of the evening - so instead of delivering that promised post, here is a short one with a link to my new favourite website (honestly this shiz changes weekly)

WHO WHAT WEAR.com

Love. Love.Love. It's like opening up the trends page of InStyle, and we all now how much fun that is!

Totally, unapologetically all about fashion and the fashionistas who love it, their manifesto proudly states:

"We don't care who you date or if you eat. We only care about what you are wearing."

Now go frolic in this trendy and fashionable wonderland while I work on, well... work.

*ticklish*

Today, I went to get a pedicure for the first time. My feet are VERY ticklish. I reflexively kicked the poor lady in the face, as I wet my pants. FML

Well who hasn't had this happen, am I right?
- Joking!-
But actually my feet are also very ticklish and sometimes the lady giving me a pedicure will giggle as I focus on trying to keep my knee-jerk reaction under control.

Pearl & Frankie

EPISODE 3: Pearl and Frankie discuss Child Protective Services as it relates to their own lives, but not before Pearl admits the pressure from work is leading her towards alcoholism, or alcoolism as Frankie likes to call it ...

Pearl: (edited for racism) If this whore doesn’t stop talking beside me I am gonna choke a bitch, just fyi

Frankie: …So… what are you up to?

Pearl: At work, finished a project …finally some sleep slash drinking alone and passing out in my vomit.

Frankie: Can I watch?

Pearl: It would depress you I pretty much chug bottled wine while reciting old socialist era Slavic hymns …begins to sing oh socialist Yugoslavia tito our brother now… so anyway …. Man in front of me is letting his 2 month old chug a frappuccino – what’s the number for child protective services? Your kids must have that number on speed dial.

Frankie: Well, if you must know, Aaden has yet to take that step … although one night he fell asleep while in his study and I saw some paperwork he’s been working on, listing “incidents of interest” and “unlawful conduct by parent/guardian” … I just assumed those pertained to you though.

Pearl: Yeah I wrote those up. I had him spell check; apparently “I h8 ma wife 4 lyphe” is “not permissible in a court of law”. Ugh Aaden and his snobbery – we know who he gets that from. Peace and one love, PearLLL

Frankie: ….

Pearl: … Why aren’t you answering? This better not be some lovely bones shit.

Mirror, Mirror on the Wall ... and all that nonsense

Are these really making a comeback? Part of me hopes so because I've always thought that when done tastefully, a mirrored wall could be wonderfull. A while back I posted a shot of a kitchen with a mirrored backsplash which I loved and now here is a shot with the whole wall. I still have so apprehension though. A year or two ago I was watching Moving Up and one house had mirrored walls and there seemed to be a concesus that the very idea was gross, passe and had to go first. I felt I had been personally put in my place since I kinda like the old way ... maybe people are starting to see things my way. also look out for scrunchies. I swear those things are gonna make a major comeback and when they do ... I will be there! Not because I like them, just becuase of the I-Told-You-So factor.

Alice in WaterLand

Love these shots Alice in WaterLand ... maybe because I think Alice in this particular picture looks like my fellow bloggette ... Don't deny it....

Top 3 ... Special Top 8 Ed. PEI Moments

Instead of taking my few faithful followers through my trip in excrutiating detail i thought I'd recall my holiday Top 3 style. Only, instead of Top 3, it's going to be more like Top 8 - Top 3's cool and dangerous older cousin.

Firstly, a little background info. My family and my Aunt and Uncle's family stayed at this cottage, Queen's Landing on the north shore of PEI at Seaview. We were right on the cliff by the water and it was gorgeous. Only a small red clay dirt road led to our place (a bit trecherous, especially after rain). We were only 20 minutes from Cavendish (tourist trap!) and an easy distance from Charlottetown and the Confederation Bridge - but I guess the whole island kinda is, right? We stayed there for a week making stops in Bathurst and Edmonston New Brunswick and my Uncle's farm in Lachute, Quebec during the 3 day (each way) car trip to and from.

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... and now for the list...

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1) Waking up to fresh, homemade tea biscuits with blueberry and homemade raspberry jam.

2) Telling stories to my sister and youner cousins – leaving them with cliffhangers each night before we all tucked into bed in our respective bunks, trundle and otherwise. *silly girls - anyone who knows me, will know that the mess of our room is not due to me

3) Having Anne Shirley brush past me on my way out of Province House (the birthplace of confederation!) then watching her pose up the street for pictures with Japanese tourists *okay, so the picture I got of her is a little where's waldoish because my brother kept walking in front just as I'd snap a photo - but I drew a red arrow to point her out

4) Playing volleyball, badminton, soccer, etc. on top of a cliff overlooking the Atlantic Ocean.

5) Singing/yelling along to the Ting Tings' That's Not My Name while driving through Charlottetown

6) Eating Brit-style Fish and chips, fresh caught mackerel, homemade seafood chowder, home cooked Lobster (at least I tried that one). *notice my father's worried expression ...*

7) Organizing my younger siblings and cousins to prepare a grand feast for the parents with great success.

8) Beaching the day away, all while avoiding the many different sized jellyfish aka. Medusas!.

Honourable Mentions:

My uncle tricking just about everyone into listening to the hollowed out shell of a Lobster head ... he it sounded like an ocean, just like shells. It was LIES and we all fell for it...

Approaching this burst water drain thing in the middle of a street in Charlottetown and the group of us being confused ... "is that a fountain!? ... or maybe that's not supposed to be like that .... can I still throw a penny and make a wish?"

Worst Moment:

Well moments - the excrutiatingly long 3 day long car trip both ways. Coming home was worse because at the end of a week in paradise all I wanted to do was get home and organized - not chill in the car or a chalet in New Brunswick ...

The picture below is me (and my bike!) peeking my head 'round the back of the car outside our hotel room at the end of our second day on the road to P.E.I - still smiling .... not for long

What I was listening to on Holiday:

in the car ...

The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars - David Bowie
Fear of Music - Talking Heads
Day and Age - The Killers
Challengers - The New Pornographers
on the pod ...
I discovered Strange Overtones by David Byrne and Brian Eno and I LOVES it! I might even buy their album Everything That Happens Will Happen Today, listen below:

Laugh-in!

My fellow blogette posted about this boy yesterday and I've been smitten ever since. He is absolutely hilarious. I love when something is funny enough to make me laugh out loud while by myself - it is a rareity in comedy for me. oh Bo Burnham - you done good.

Guess Who?

"I've always liked motorcycles and cars and fast things and I have four tattoos. This is who I'm gonna be. "

No need to guess really. I think those of us living on the continent of North America have become all too familiar with the douchtastic utterances of the poster boy for midlife crises. This is just another one of his jems I happened upon while browsing Jez. see post HERE

As one clever commenter remarked: "Denial is not just a river in Egypt, Jon."

My favourite part of the video from that post: When Jon addresses one of his daughters as "Hey tan girl..."

ohhhh jonny boy. for any other father I might let this slip as an endearing remark on the golden brown tone of her skin after holiday - not a quick cover for an oft repeated inner dialogue that probably goes something like this:

dum dee dum ... taking suitcase out of trunk - phew that is heavy - mental note: reward self with beer later

okay, kid 1 getting out of the car - shiz which one's this now? mmmm??? eff.

okay jon, think fast, what would Christian Audigier do? WWCAD?!?!? okay play it cool - play it cool...

"Hey! TAN Girl!"

phew - that was a close one - mental note: consult children face-name chart after beer.

And WOAH! He's only 32? hollllllyyyyy shiz - He needs to go on that awful TLC show 10 years younger... stat.

Pearl & Frankie

EPISODE 2: Having mentioned the use of a "friendship tally", Frankie is now forced by Pearl to divulge some of its contents ....

Frankie: I can't believe you can't meet with me until Monday! That'll go in the CON column of my ultimate friendship checklist...

Pearl: ha ha - i need to see that hypothetical list, even though it'd be disasterous for my self-esteem.

Frankie: A sample ...

con: unavailablie, jon-sympathizer, wears Ed Hardy

pro: pretty face, sasafrass, hot bod

con: too pretty (attracts attention)

pro: smart

con: too smart (knew I was lying when I said I wasn't drunk)

pro: held my hair back when I puked later that night ...

Pearl: ... ha-ha

Frankie: Well, I have to have some way of measuring the successfullness of our friendship ... or courtship - depending on who you ask

Pearl: ...

Frankie: ooh no snippy comeback --> Frankie:1 Pearl:0

Pearl: No, my phone is flashing ... I have to call Rogers ...

Frankie: con: cannot admit even most obvious defeat.

Hello World!

Back from holiday on P.E.I. Had a blast but am definitely hungover from the last 10 days. Will report in full with pictures and all shortly...