My Life As I Know It

For Those Who Follow Or Enjoy This Blog...

2009-08-10T20:19:00.001-04:00

...please join me at my new blogging adventure:

www.twentythreeyearsandcounting.blogspot.com

Finally! A Post!

2009-01-19T11:46:00.002-05:00

It's quite obvious I have majorly been neglecting my poor little blog. I guess since I've fallen into a painfully boring routine, there's been very little to write about.

I want to start something new, but it has to be interesting (so clearly it can't be about me), but I don't know what topic(s) I want to pursue.

Any ideas?

Climbing The Stairway To Heaven: Pt. 2

2008-05-12T16:01:00.006-04:00

So after climbing the CN Tower, I was so tired that I fell asleep for almost three weeks and am only waking up just now to write this post.

If you don't buy that, here's the truth.

The week after the climb I had my wisdom teeth removed, and had a pretty ugly go of it (if I'm being honest.) All four teeth had to go, all impacted. They cut them out and sent me home (high as a kite, might I add) where I promptly swelled up like a balloon, bruised the colour of Lipton chicken soup, and dropped 10 pounds eating Jell-o and Ginger Ale. Since then (although the recovery continues), I've been so preoccupied with my vacation (4 sleeps!) that I haven't put much thought into telling you about my journey to the top. Here goes.

I went to bed at 9:30 the Friday before and slept surprisingly well considering how excited I was. I awoke at 5:30, ate a quick breakfast and walked to the CN Tower (one of the reasons I love living downtown!)

The morning was beautifully brisk, and the sun was just starting to peek over the horizon. As someone who is typically never awake to see the sun rise, it was a momentous occasion, especially coupled with what I was about to. The moment I crossed the street to the entrance of the registration point, the energy level quickly spiked and the combined adrenaline of the other climbers created a buzz of excitement at the base of the tower. It wasn't even 6:00 in the morning, but as soon as I joined the crowd I completely forgot what time it was.

I wandered towards registration and was shocked to find hundreds of people already there, in various stages of registration, a few people doing some warm-up stretches and some groups chanting and cheering to build excitement.

I registered, checked my coat, and decided not to put it off any longer. I walked towards the tower.

As I went through the security check-points (as rigorous as airport security, I kid you not), I passed a girl throwing up into a garbage can. If I wasn't already shaking with nerves, I definitely was after seeing that. Throwing up before even starting? Yeeeeee...

Finally, I arrived at the base of the stairs where an incredibly cheerful woman looked me straight in the eye and asked, "Are you ready?"

"I sure hope so" was my reply.

"Well there's no looking back now" she said as she stamped my time card.

And so I began. I knew beforehand that the CN Tower had 144 flights, and was quickly grateful to find that flights are different than floors in that fact that each floor (using my building as an example) is made up of two flights. Get it? Moving on...

I was also pleased to find three things on the landing of each flight:

a) a number telling you which flight you were on (the countdown begins),
b) enough space to stop and breathe (much needed!) and
c) a picture, painted by a grade school student reminding us to save the environment (definitely a morale booster, especially the one that said "Save the Turtles!")

Surprisingly busy for 6:30 in the morning, what I thought would be a solitary climb to the top was hardly that. The whole time I could people cheering (and in many cases gasping for breath) and there were always people around, whether a few flights above or a few flights below.

Immediately a group of guys raced beside me, determined, no doubt, to run their way to the top. I was content, however, with going at my happy little pace and making it (to my free bottle of water at the top) alive.

Quite quickly, I felt myself get into a good rhythm. Noting that a lot of people stopped on the 10's, I stopped on the 2's. 12, 22, 32...etc each time I needed to catch a breather. I would stop, inhale deeply through my nose, curse the CN staff for not allowing water bottles during the trip to the top, and then continue on my way.

One thing that came as a bit of a surprise was that my legs didn't hurt as much as I had expected. Yes, they were tired by the time all was said and done, but they weren't as sore as I had anticipated.

My lungs, however, were another story. With no need to ventilate the stairs on a regular basis, I quickly became aware of how hot and stuffy the stairwell was. Halfway through the climb, I had to laugh, as I remembered that we were all climbing to fight global warming. I don't know about any of the other climbers, but this small "reminder" was enough motivation for me to keep going.

The climb definitely isn't for everyone. If you suffer from panic attacks or vertigo, I suggest you discontinue reading this post now right, as you might not make it.

The stairs are grated, and aren't solid, like the stairs on a fire escape. If that isn't trippy enough, along the whole one side is a wire cage...standing right next to this cage reveals a chilling look of the interior of the concrete support, all the way to the very top of the tower...and all the way to the very bottom. Needless to say, as I climbed farther and farther up, I stayed farther and farther away from the cage. I was not prepared to remind myself exactly how high I was...

As you start nearing the top, it becomes REALLY clear exactly why they don't allow liquids into the stairwells. As you hit and descend further than about 100 flights, the stairs started to become slippery and slick, coated with the sweat of climbers before you. And I was one of the first up the tower! Ew. I feel bad for the end of the morning climbers!

About every 10-15 flights a paramedic is present, most of them looking bored, though some appearing slightly amused watching people throw themselves at the mercy of the tower. I was lucky I never required their services, but I can't say as much for "the person on flight 75" I heard some other climbers talking about as I hit flight 80.

Finally, as I rested on flight 132, I decided to not stop until I reached the top, flight 144. As I clamored on to flight 142 I could hear the cheering start: "You're almost there...we can see you...two more flights...woooo!" I hit flight 144 and handed off my time-card, and was ready to greet a cool bottle of water...and then realized that there were an additional 10 flights to the actual look-out point of the tower.

Finally, after staggering up the additional and unexpected stairs, I reached the top to cheers of volunteers and strangers. I may not have known anyone, but it was nice to get to the top and have someone cheer about your accomplishment.

I was finally united with a bottle water, and went to enjoy the early morning view. I wandered out on the south side, took in the breeze (a G0d-send), looked down and saw my apartment building. In an exhausted state of delirium, I vaguely remember saying "Hello Home!" before wandering back inside and getting in line to take the significantly shorter elevator trip back down.

After exerting myself so completely, it was all I could do to stay standing, and I became dizzy and had to close my eyes for part of the trip down. At the bottom there were more people waiting to cheer, and I wandered back to registration to claim my climb t-shirt and register my time.

At this point there the atrium was PACKED with people waiting to register, and I decided to take a breather and took advantage of the free massage booth, where a massage student stretched out my legs and massaged my calve muscles leaving scarcely a reminder of what I had just done.

After grabbing my t-shirt and coat, I headed home, and was back at my apartment by 8:00 - wired and bounding around my apartment with an energy that is not typical of my Saturday morning personality. My roommates were just waking up and I shared the experience with them, and then crawled back into bed realizing it would be a few hours until I could share my experiences with the rest of the world.

Waking up at 11:00, I still felt wonderful (there must be something about climbing that many stairs at 6:30 in the morning, I think), with the exception of a nagging cough that lingered for the rest of the day.

I took the rest of the weekend easy, walking along the waterfront with my roommate and relaxing with a couple movies.

It's funny, now when I pass the CN Tower, or sit at my desk at work and see it rising over the skyline, I can't help but smile and remember that I conquered it. One more thing off my list. One more thing to proudly claim that I have accomplished.

For those who care, my offical time was 32:53, which was (apparently) actually kind of slow. The fastest male did it in just over 11 minutes, and the fastest female in just under 14! I don't really care to share my placing (you can find it if you really care), because I realized that it doesn't matter to me whether I came first or last. I am so proud of simply finishing. It makes me want to keep picking through my list and making all of my wishes and dreams, even the tougher or more difficult ones, happen.

To check out pictures from the climb (I don't think I'm in any and I didn't bother to take my camera as you can't take it up the tower anyway), visit the WWF CN Tower Climb Flickr page. I may not be in any of them, but I think they accurately show the excitement of the experience and the scale of this event! Apparently there were 6300 climbers! And we raised over $1000000 to fight climate change!

I can't wait to train a bit more and do it again next year. Perhaps I'll do it in less than 30 minutes? Who wants to join me?

Climbing The Stairway To Heaven

2008-04-19T08:12:00.001-04:00

I did it!

I have completed my CN Tower climb in 32 minutes and 53 seconds! Whoooooooo! I was aiming for about 35 minutes, so I couldn't be happier!

I'll write about the experience a bit later when my fingers stop shaking and I come off this adrenaline high!

Watch this space!

Oh Horror Of Horrors

2008-04-17T10:36:00.005-04:00

At this point, two sleeps away from my CN Tower stair climb, I *should* be posting my incredibly awesome, inspirational playlist that I will be listening to as I venture up all 144 flights.

But I'm not.

There is no playlist.

There will be no playlist.

They don't allow mp3 players in the stairwell.

I learned this a few days ago as I was reading one of the newsletters that the WWF send us via e-mail to keep us motivated and share last-minute reminders.

There, in huge letters was a link - REMINDER, THIS IS A HANDS-FREE CLIMB.

Curious, I hit it.

There are no mp3 players of any kind allowed in the stairwell. You can't take your cell phone. No water bottles. NOTHING.

The most you can have is a fanny pack to hold keys and ID (I have a pocket in my shirt that will probably do the trick.)

Needless to say I was a bit devastated. Not only am I climbing more stairs (in one go) then I have in my whole life, I have to do it while listening to the mind-numbingness of my own thoughts and the sound of my lungs gasping for air. Great.

Anyway, I'm still doing it, and after watching An Inconvenient Truth this past weekend, I'm even more inspired to climb to save our deteriorating planet. Thanks to all who have supported me along the way - financially and with your words of encouragement.

More to come, post-climb.

CN Tower: The Playlist

2008-04-06T23:31:00.005-04:00

It is now less than two weeks until I make my attempt to climb the CN Tower (if you want to sponsor me or learn more about the cause, again, here is the link.)

I can tell that the day is getting close, because every time I walk past the tower on my way to work, I get butterflies in my stomach - knowing that I am venturing out to accomplish one of my goals fills me with a bizarre cocktail of anxiety and pride.

Things are going well training wise...I still need to cut down on my Pepsi intake (an uphill battle I am constantly fighting), but I have been getting to gym more often and working my legs as much as possible (running, elliptical, Stairmaster, lunges, squats, jump rope, etc.) As much training as I do, however, I know the hardest part is yet to come.

Yes my friends, I have to make a playlist for my climb.

It's a lot harder than you think, really. I have to find songs that will motivate me to take step after step, for all 1776 of them. I have to find words that will keep me upbeat and strong at 6:00 in the morning when I start my climb. I have to find melodies to keep me on pace and powerful to the very end.

This is where you come in.

What songs do you think I should put on my playlist. I'm open to ANY suggestion whatsoever. Whether it be the theme from Rocky to set the tone right from the start, or a crazy upbeat metal head-banger to get my blood pumping and my legs moving, I'll take it. I'm looking for what songs motivate YOU, and in turn, you think will motivate me.

The message board is open. A few days before my climb, I'll post the final playlist.

You can actually see my condo in this picture (for the sake of security, I'm not going to highlight which one.) However, I WOULD like to highlight that the tower is soooooooooo much taller than any of the condos nearby. So much.

Shameless Self Promotion

2008-02-19T21:08:00.008-05:00

I haven't blogged in awhile...I guess I haven't had much to write...UNTIL NOW!

My life has become really routine and void of any major news, but just a few minutes ago I made a decision that I am VERY excited about, and hope that you can share in my excitement, and if possible, support me through this!

Some of you might remember my "Life List" that I wrote down way back in October of 2006. Since then, I've managed to complete a few of them (Skydive, get a tattoo, etc.) and I've come pretty close on a few others (Guitar Hero has prompted me to do #4, I've done a lot of research in #30 and hope to get it done before 2008 is over, and I'm so close to #32...I'm just not consistent yet.)

Back to my point, in two months time, I am going to accomplish my #45: Climb The Stairs of the CN Tower.

That's right, friends. I am going to brave all 1776 steps (or 144 flights) in order to be able to cross another goal off my list.

I can't even tell you how excited I am...since I began consistently working out in August of last year, I've lost nearly 25 pounds, so being able to do this will not only mean meeting a life goal, but it will be meeting a health goal as well...it will have the strength and ability to take on a daunting task such as this.

(This is where the shameless self promotion comes in.)

While I think they used to let you pay a fee and climb the stairs, as far as I know that opportunity no longer exists, so you have to wait for a charitable opportunity arises to have the opportunity to climb the tower.

In April, the climb is for the WWF (World Wildlife Fund), which strives to take on the daunting task of educating and encouraging the inhabitants of our beautiful planet to conserve our resources and take care of our world. It is a great cause that benefits everyone who has ever called planet earth home.

So if you feel so inclined help see me meet my goal (or if you just want to do it for all the pandas and turtles and monkeys and hippos (etc) in the world), please click on THIS LINK to support me in my climb up the tower.

Please do not feel obligated to provide financial backing. I also accept hugs, words of encouragement, funny jokes, and training tips to help me make this a possibility.

If you are able to help, the creatures of the world thank you, as do I.

This turtle wants you to support Kyla...

As does this baby panda.

Bon Appétit?

2008-01-22T20:09:00.000-05:00

If I ate fish (which I don't), I don't think I could ever eat a Blobfish.

It just looks way too much like Kilroy.

Happy 2008 Everyone!

2008-01-03T15:28:00.000-05:00

I love this comic too much for words...

Cyanide & Happiness @ Explosm.net

To Get Me Through My Day

2007-12-18T11:21:00.000-05:00

I don't know about the rest of you, but I am finding it REALLY hard to get through this week with a smile on my face. The weather (or at the very least, the aftermath of the weather) has got me down...I'm ready to get out of the city and enjoy a quieter pace for a while, and I'm soooooooooo ready to not answer the company phones for about a week and a half!

Anyway, to get me through the week I've been trying to find various ways to either a) keep me occupied or b) make me laugh. This involves a) a lot of exercise and b) a lot of "stumbling" for funny videos online.

During my stumbling, I've come across a few videos that I felt the need to share, and just *might* help me make it through this week with at least a small amount of sanity still intact.

First off, we have an Xbox ad which was supposedly banned from ever being aired. It's unfortunate, because it is a compelling, funny, and beautifully shot ad. However, with the current state of world politics, it's probably safer for a company to NOT tread on toes or blatantly ask for controversy.

Secondly, I've discovered the joy of Derren Brown. Derren Brown is (according to my good friend Wikipedia), a "British psychological illusionist, mentalist, and skeptic of paranormal phenomena." The bits of his shows that I've caught on YouTube are amazing...he uses little mind tricks to disprove ideas of psychic power, along the way, and prove that the mind is a powerful powerful tool. My favourite clips features the hilarious Simon Pegg receiving a gift from Derren. Too good...

Video number three is yet another ad. This one cracks me up every single time I watch it. Visually, there is not a lot special going on, and the point would be lost if played without audio. However, the deadpan delivery of the police officer (my favourite part is when he gives the "picture" back) is way, WAY too funny.

Fourth is the amazing Eddie Izzard doing an absolutely side-splitting routine about the Death Star. Only, instead of watching Eddie Izzard do his stand-up (have you ever seen it?...scary!), someone has taken the time to animate it with Lego. As if this sketch wasn't funny enough! (WARNING (for those of you with gentle ears) - Some NSFW language present.)

Lastly, I found something to melt your heart a little. I found this comic who does a dead-on Elmo impression. The first part makes me melt, the second is just downright funny. (Again, some NSFW language.)

So...there you have it! Those 5 videos are going to help me get through the rest of the week. When I'm not watching these five videos, I will try to exercise, and the company Christmas party is tomorrow evening, not to mention I'm having a gift exchange with the roomies on Thursday. So hopefully this week flies by and there are no weather-related hitches to deal with when I go to the airport on Friday evening.

If I don't get a chance to post before next Tuesday, have a very Merry Christmas and a wonderful start to the new year. See you in 2008!

Dear City Of Toronto...

2007-12-18T09:12:00.000-05:00

Dear City of Toronto,

Thank you very much for plowing the roads as quickly as you could. We truly appreciate it.

How about doing the sidewalks now? You know...the place where people walk?

Love,
Kyla

P.S. You owe me a new pair of blue jeans.

Destroying My Quality Of Life...

2007-12-12T11:36:00.000-05:00

I wasn't aware that Scott Adams had a camera planted in my office...

I have no doubt that this comic was written about me, for me.

Phones

2007-11-22T14:04:00.000-05:00

I answer the phones at work. It is probably the main part of my job. Despite the number of calls I receive, we don't have an automated switchboard in an effort to give the company a small-business feel (even though, in the 5 months I have been here, I have seen us expand to five offices in three different buildings, and nearly double in employees.)

A few weeks back, I kept count of the number of calls I was receiving. I did this for two weeks straight. The lowest, in a 10-day span was 475 calls. The highest went all the way up to 600. That's a lot of phone calls.

Now, I have nearly all of the 250+ extensions memorized, so I can move pretty fast. I like to think I'm pretty good at managing the phones, and direct nearly all the calls to the right place in a very short amount of time.

That being said, there are a few things that people do on the phone that annoy me:

1) Are impatient. As fast as I try to move, sometimes the lines get tied up. Sometimes our printer is painfully jammed, and since I am the receptionist, this of course also means that I must be a printer expert. When you finally do get through to me (whether the lines were busy or I had stepped away for a moment), please don't say something like, "What's wrong with your phone?" It's very rare that you will call a place and get a live receptionist who is willing to help you if you have a problem, so a little gratitude and patience is always appreciated. I realize that this is a production house where things naturally move at a faster pace, but please show a little understanding.

2) Talk really quietly. Hey Dude, your phone sucks, and every time you call I can barely hear you. Please don't get annoyed with me when I ask you to repeat who you are looking for. My office is busy and noisy and I think I may have hearing problems, so give a girl a break!

3) Mumble. If you can't annunciate the name of the person you are looking for, please do not get upset with me if I ask you to repeat yourself. I don't want to put you to the wrong person and force you to call back. I want to get it right the first time. See #2 for further reference.

4) Don't know who they are looking for. When you call, it's nice if you know who it is you are trying to reach. As my office assistant says, it's not pleasant to hear a loud "uhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh" in your ear while on the phone.

5) Feel the need to tell their life story. I guess I've gotten to a point where I know enough extensions and names that I don't want to wait to hear both told to me. When I have to sit through "Hi. This is so and so from some random place name. I am looking for this person on this production at extension whatever." Really, you can just tell me the extension. I can't think of many reasons why I need to know who you are. Oh, I also have all my other lines lit up, two people waiting for office supplies and someone walking in my door for an audition and a courier who wants me to sign for something. I don't have the time!

6) Assume I am the person they are looking for. The amount of times someone starts into a conversation with me is too numerous to count. Sometimes people talk so long, I almost feel bad going "I'm sorry who can I transfer you to?" It just means they have to start talking all over again when they reach the person!

7) Call back. No matter which phone you pick up in my office, it is the one number. It doesn't matter which office you are calling from, it is the one number. What I'm trying to say is that at my office, 250 SOME-ODD PEOPLE HAVE THE SAME NUMBER. I hate it when people call back and say, "I just got a call from this number" or "Hey. You just called me." At this point I launch into my speech about who we are and could they possibly know anyone who works here? 90% of the time they either know who it might of been or hang up to wait for a message to come through. 10% of the time, they want me to figure it out, and I'm stuck trying to piece clues together to get their call to someone who may have called them.

8) Call back (part II). If I put you to someone and it goes through to their voice-mail, it probably means that they are on the phone. It is useless to call back right away looking for them again, simply because I can't force them to get off the phone. And no, I don't want to take a message for you. That is what their voice-mail is for in the first place.

9) Make me look for someone. This mostly happens with people I work with, who are on set or away from the office. Listen, I want to help you. I really really do. But sometimes, actually physically tracking down a person is difficult. I mean, people move. They go to the bathroom. They disappear into an edit suite. It's not always possible for me to find them in a timely manner, and even if I do, I don't want to interrupt them in the middle of a meeting or phone call they are currently on. And think about it...if even 10% of the people who call make me get up and find who they are looking for, that's upwards of 60 people a day. I have important things to do at my desk. Like answer the phone.

10) Have bad phone etiquette. Chewing, drinking, coughing, and yelling (directly into the phone in most cases) is not pleasant to hear. Even worse is when I have to listen to you finish up a conversation and sit there waiting for you to turn your attention back to me. Gee, I'm sorry, don't let me interrupt whatever you were doing.

Don't get me wrong. I love my job...the people I work with are fantastic (and could make even the worst jobs enjoyable to go to each day.) And a lot of the phone calls I get are perfect. Short, to-the-point, and without problems. It's just the few here and there that, after 600 calls a day, start to grind on my nerves (it's gotten to a point where the amount of times I have almost answered my home phone the way I do at work is too numerous to mention.)

So if you call me on a regular basis, and you happen read this, take this into consideration. I am but a receptionist, who will happily do her best to help you and your phone needs, but also has her pet peeves. Let's work together and make the phone world a happy place to be.

The Romanticist

2007-11-12T13:24:00.000-05:00

They closed down the shortcut where I live.

There used to be this hole in the fence that I could use to get to the streetcar stop in record time in the morning, or sneak through on the days that I make the conscious decision to not be lazy and walk to work.

The shortcut was great.

The shortcut literally was the difference between me catching the streetcar and me seeing it motor on by with no hope of making it. The day I walked out of my apartment to find that they had locked up the fence was a sad day indeed.

You see, now that the fence is closed, I have to walk down the length of the fence, past a dry cleaner's, a convenience store, and a pedicure shop, and then cross the street to catch the streetcar, or walk around another apartment building to get to the crosswalk to begin my walking adventure. As well as taking longer, it's just annoying, especially if I'm already running late.

You're probably wondering where I am going with this.

Well, in a vain attempt to cut down the time it takes to go around, I usually end cutting through the courtyard of the apartment next to mine. Nobody cares...it's an open, public walkway, and it IS a shorter walk, rather than strolling to the corner of the sidewalk, turning right, and walking up to the same point where the courtyard ends. I mean, everyone knows that the hypotenuse of a right triangle is shorter than the combined distance of it's two opposite sides.

Wait.........what was that again?

It's the Pythagorean theorem. We all learn it in middle school math.

It's funny, because I remember sitting in classes throughout junior high and high school, cursing the heavens for homework, and wondering what practical application I would ever have for these ridiculous theorems. It amuses me that as I as cutting through this courtyard, I starting thinking about hypotenuses and mathematical equations.

But that's not my point.

My point is, it's funny the things that stick with you. Of all the lessons I learned from Kindergarten to Grade 12...of all the lessons that added to my growing knowledge over the years...of all the lessons that were on tests, homework assignments and worked towards moulding who I am now as an adult, it's funny the ones we remember.

One lesson that sticks out hugely happened during 9th grade English class. My teacher, Mrs. McKay was teaching us about themes in various plays and novels, but we primarily focused on the theme of the realist vs. the romanticist in the play The Fantasticks.

Now I only remember bits and pieces of the play, though I remember finding it quite enjoyable and probably should read it again (I have no doubt that it'll be worth a second look now that I'm a bit older and maybe slightly more worldly.)

I remember that it was a simple play, with a long scene of tableau that would stretch through the intermission. The main characters were Matt and Luisa, and, in the simplest terms, the play was a love story.

The main theme we focused on was the difference between these two characters. Matt was a realist, and saw the world the way it was, nothing more, nothing less. Luisa, on the other hand, was a romanticist, who as I remember wished to be "kissed upon the eyes." (*sigh...*)

Luisa was also under the impression that the weather reacted to her moods. Now, you may be thinking, "Sure, I get bummed when the weather is lousy."

That's not what she was like.

Rather, if she was feeling lousy, then the weather must also be lousy as well. If she cheered up, then the sun was to shine. As a hardcore romanticist, she literally thought that the weather should conform to how she felt, and not the other way around.

Since that day in 9th grade English class, I have considered myself to be a romanticist. When I look at the world, I see it in terms of song lyrics, movie quotes, and poetic stanzas. And if I'm going to be honest, yes, on the rare occasion I think that the weather is the way it is to reflect exactly how I'm feeling inside.

Take today for example.

I had to wake up early and it was misty. After a rough workout, it was drizzling, and as the events of the day got worse and worse (a temperamental coffee machine, the "let's blame the receptionist" game, and a canker sore that hurts when I talk), the heavens opened and rained all the tears that refused to cry. As vain as it makes me, I couldn't help but think that it was raining just for me. And as crazy as it seems, that thought almost lifted my mood, made the rain a little more bearable, and gave the torrential downpour a little more beauty...a little more light through the dull and dark. Talk about romantic!

I understand if you're calling me a narcissist right now. Us romantics have to deal with that accusation all the time. We feel the world is a reflection of our souls, and therefore, revolves around us (no...not really...but sometimes it's a comforting thought :) )

So 9th grade English may have turned me into even more of a romantic, but gave me warning to let the realist in sometimes, or I may become disillusioned and forget about what is really going on, and what the world really is about. Another lesson applied to my practical every day life thanks to public school.

But hey, we can all use a little more romance in our lives, right?

Now all I need to do is find an every-day use for organic chemistry and I am set!

UPDATE: Tuesday, November 13, 2007!

The shortcut is back! I don't know how long it will be before they replace the fence that has seemingly been ripped out (apparently other people missed the shortcut as well), but until then, I can go a few days without the presence of a² + b² = c²in my life!

Some Days...

2007-11-01T10:57:00.000-04:00

Some days I wish I wrote this blog anonymously.

There is so much I want to write about, but so much I don't want anyone to know.

Updates from kylainthebigcity

2007-10-04T14:11:00.000-04:00

While I highlighted the joy that was my skydiving trip (see the two posts before this), I haven't really done a personal blog post in awhile. Lately I've gotten questions from friends that lead me to believe that nobody REALLY knows what is going on in my life. So without further ado, here is what is going on with me, so you can all come back up to date.

As of May, I "officially" moved out of my home in New Brunswick, and took up permanent residence in Toronto, in a beautiful waterfront condo in the southern part of the city. I know I promised pictures awhile ago, but I have either a) lacked the motivation to take the pictures when the condo is clean or b) the condo isn't clean. I'm sure I will get around to posting pictures some day.

My room in my condo is tiny, because I share the condo with two other roommates (such lovely condos are QUITE expensive), but it's cozy, and affordable, not to mention within walking distance of everything I need/love.

My roommates are named Amanda and Kayla. I was an RA with Amanda for one year during my second year of college, and I went to school with Kayla for three years. I also live with a cat named Tycho, who has effectively destroyed my curtains, my carpet, and my screen. I am secretly hoping that one day, as it scratches yet another hole into my screen, that it will fall from the window. This is obviously no longer a secret, and I have told Kayla this (she owns him) many times. She usually yells at me and tells me to stay away from her cat, but what else am I to do? That cat really has the tendency to piss me off.

My permanency in Toronto became official when I finally, last week, received my Ontario health card in the mail. Now all I need to do is register to vote, and I am an official Ontarian.

In July I marked my 21st year on this planet by...going to work. Yes, ladies and gentlemen, I have joined the world of the working. With my schooling finished last May this happy graduate joined the adult world of working for a living, 9-6, Monday through Friday.

I work at a television production company called NextFilm (Kayla actually works there too!) We have all different kinds of shows, ranging from hour-long docu-dramas to Canadian-based reality, do-it yourself style shows. I work at reception for now...I haven't figured out exactly what I want with my future as of yet, but I know that I meet awesome people every single day, and can see myself going places within the company at some point.

In addition to going to work on my birthday, I managed put back a number of $3.50 martini's at Hey Lucy's with friends, and received some beautiful gifts from my loved ones.

The days following my 21st birthday also marked the point where I decided to get my butt in gear. Less than a week after the 18th of July, I joined a gym and signed up for personal training. Since then, I have lost 15 pounds of fat, gained two pounds of muscle, and am still going (the goal is about another 20 pounds.) The next time a lot of you see me, I will hopefully be a lot less of the person that I was (body wise.)

I have very much gotten myself into a routine. Wake up, exercise, work, go home, relax, sleep, wash, rinse, repeat. My college-inspired 3:00 AM bedtimes have become 10:30 PM, and I feel quite content going home, watching a movie, spending time with my roomies, and generally being lazy. I go out a couple times here and there, but I've always been a quiet person, preferring to keep things simple.

Since skydiving, I have been inspired to try to complete more items on my list. I have an idea of what I want to try next, but I'm going to keep that to myself for awhile. Skydiving, more than anything, made me realize that I have to do these things for myself, not because I think someone might be impressed with me or I'm trying to prove anything to the world. I'm also considering another tattoo, and I know what and where, but that's another thing that I'm going to keep to myself until it comes to fruition.

So although my life isn't brimming with excitement and mystery, I find myself very content right now, looking forward to whatever the future brings, and finding balance between work and doing the things I love.

When I was 14, and moving to Toronto for the first time, I made my MSN handle 'kylainthebigcity.' After moving to Quispamsis in New Brunswick, I kept it around for the irony, and now, it has come full circle, back to a place where it makes sense. Though, this time around, it feels right. I have become a full-fledged city girl...and I couldn't be happier.

Skydiving Video

2007-09-18T13:40:00.000-04:00

As promised, here is (FINALLY!) my skydiving video.

They had it edited to Linkin' Park music, and all the editing was done in camera (meaning there were obvious cuts between scenes.)

I re-edited it to Queen music (what else?) and put some nice transitions between the scenes, cut some boring stuff...you know the drill.

The interviews are kind of funny...especially the ones beforehand. When I get nervous my voice gets a tad squeaky, and I giggle...a lot. If you want to jump to the good stuff, however, check out 3:15 where they open the door at 10500 feet...take a look at my reaction.

Without further ado, I'll let the video speak for itself...

Let me know what you think...

Another One To Cross Off The List

2007-08-18T21:22:00.000-04:00

Some of you may remember my life list...

You'll be interested to know that as of 3:30 PM today, August 18, 2007, I have crossed another one off my life.

~~1) Skydive.~~

Pictures and video to follow in the next week.

I Just D'ohn't Know...

2007-07-28T13:50:00.000-04:00

I'm not sure if I'm going to see The Simpsons Movie.

I'm sure you all have reasons why I should go and see it (and a quick peek on IMDB already has it rated at #75 of their top 250 user rated movies.)

I just have one BIG problem with The Simpsons, that I will admit here for the first time ever.

I don't get it.

For those of you who don't know, The Simpsons were banned in my household as a kid. My mom watched an episode where Bart tries to sneak into a movie theatre, and decided that The Simpsons were a negative influence on positive morals and values, and told my sister and I (and this held true for my father too) that we could not watch this show. Eventually the violence in The Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles and The Power Rangers made it so that they were added to the banned list as well, but The Simpsons was the one that stood out the most.

As the years went by, I didn't feel myself missing The Simpsons...I mean, if fair is fair, I didn't know what I was missing. Having never watched a single episode, I didn't have a clue what was going on. Eventually, FOX came out with a cutting edge show called Family Guy, and my sister and I took to that and were hooked quickly. Mom saw what we were watching, and I guess realized that there were worse things on television than The Simpsons, and the ban was silently lifted.

But did I rush out to watch The Simpsons after that? No. I think the first time I sat down and watched a full episode was when I was sick, at 18 years old, during a weekend in residence. Someone had the DVD's and lent them to me in my time of need and boredom (I later watched the episode that had prompted the ban, and realized that my mom must have stopped watching before realizing that Bart does learn his lesson in the end.)

So I guess I just don't understand the hype behind this movie. As someone who didn't grow up with Lisa, Bart and Maggie (although they didn't age like I did), I don't see myself rushing out to see the film. Maybe I'll see it one day...maybe I won't. Part of me does want to see it in the big screen...I guess the intrigue is driving me towards it, but I have other movies on my list to see first.

In any case, I do respect to a movie that is based on a television show that has been running as long as this one has. In our changing world, it's really neat to see something that has held on so strongly. And I have no doubt that this movie will be number one at the box office this weekend. I was at the theatre last night, and the line-ups to get in were unbelievable. I hold no hard feelings towards my mom for not letting me watch the show, and hope the movie does do well...it does look like a fun, movie-going experience. To prove this, I present you with a clip, featuring what I think is the best celebrity Simpsons appearance that there can possible be.

So enjoy your movie...let me know how it is. But no spoilers...you never know...

Brilliant Songs Used Brilliantly In Brilliant Movie Scenes, Pt. 2

2007-07-14T15:24:00.000-04:00

When I started this little feature on my blog, I was jobless, and quite bored. Now, over a month later, I have a job and a) way too much to do in the evenings or b) I'm way to tired to DO anything in the evenings. However, I've wanted to do a feature on this song for awhile

Song: Stuck In The Middle With You
Artist: Stealers Wheel
Film: Reservoir Dogs

Explanation: When I first started film school, you wouldn't catch me watching Reservoir Dogs. Looking back, when I started film school, I don't think I really appreciated film the way I do now. To me a movie was something you saw on the weekend. You went, bought your tub of popcorn, escaped for an hour or two, and continued on with your life for the rest of the week.

As my years at college went on, I started to see film as something more, and began to find myself appreciating different genres, different languages, and different themes through the beauty of film. Now you would be hard pressed to find a movie I won't watch. I'll even watch a bad movie, just to add it to my movie vocabulary.

I think Reservoir Dogs was the beginning of a major change for me with regards to the movies I watch. After falling in love with Steve Buscemi, I simply had to get my hands on everything he had ever been in. Living in residence, with no way to go out and rent movies (in an easy capacity) I started asking around to see if any of my floormates had movies featuring the love of my life. One of them happened to have Reservoir Dogs.

Not only is Steve Buscemi brilliant as the slimy Mr. Pink, the entire script is flawless. Although the idea of the film is clearly one of Tarantino's imagination, the movie has a certain reality to it. The conversations seem real; I mean, there are scenes where the characters talk too fast...you can't understand them. They flub a word or two. Instead of spending take after take to make sure the everything is "perfect", the scenes come across as legitimate. It feels as though, even though we know we are watching a film, maybe, just maybe, someone out there could be having the same conversation with their friends about why they don't tip, or the meaning behind Madonna's Like A Virgin.

I think the reason that I never watched this film before was because it scared me. It scared me that I didn't know if there was going to be a happy ending. Now I'm not afraid of stuff like that. Tarantino's writing shows that yes, there sometimes isn't a happy ending, but that doesn't make the ride any less exciting or interesting.

With a unique soundtrack, Stuck In The Middle With You, is placed in a dynamic scene, that will change the way you hear that song for years to come. A combination of great writing, mounting tension, and pure horror (all to a boppy soundtrack), this scene stands out as brilliant, solely due to the juxtaposition of good vs. evil, innocent vs. guilty.

The Scene: (potential spoiler alert) After Nice Guy Eddie, Mr. White, and Mr. Pink go to retrieve the stashed loot that Mr. Pink made off with during the heist gone wrong, Mr. Blonde is left alone with a dying Mr. Orange, and Marv the cop (who he kidnapped and brought to the meeting point.) Once all the others are gone, he turns on the radio just as Stuck In The Middle With You starts to play, and proceeds to torture the cop in the worst ways imaginable.

Why It's Brilliant: Although having some really great scenes paired with really great songs, I chose what I believe is the defining song of this film. There is something about the pairing of a 70's, upbeat tune, with a brutal and heartless act that really stands out and makes this film better than a lot of films I have seen. As disgusting and frightening the things that Mr. Blonde is doing to an innocent man, you find yourself riveted. Tarantino's directing (pushing the camera away from the gore) gives the scene that much more punch, because the audience is left to imagine what is going on.

The Scene: (For those of you with delicate ears who frequent my blog, be aware that the following scene contains some coarse language or violent imagery that may not be suitable for all viewers.)

Brilliant Songs Used Brilliantly In Brilliant Movie Scenes, Pt. 1

2007-06-13T00:00:00.000-04:00

So I realize that I've been neglecting my blog as of late. I'd like to say that I'm busy, but with no full-time job secured yet, I haven't exactly been overloaded with work. However, I have been finding ways to fill my days, which don't usually include blogging. I have some good posts coming over the next little while though, so stay tuned.

This new series that I am doing for my blog is what I lovingly call "Brilliant Songs Used Brilliantly In Brilliant Movie Scenes."

I feel I need to explain.

Recently, I've been paying more attention to the use of music in films, especially ones I've seen over again, and one thing that I've started to love is when a song becomes part of the actual movie. Basically, I think it's fun when the filmmaker takes a well known song, and puts it in the movie, not simply as background music, but lets the song push the story forward, or tie together an integral scene. This of course, doesn't happen in "serious" movies (well, sometimes, but I'm going to go with rarely...in any case, most of my examples can not really be considered "serious".) Basically, I wanted to showcase some of my favourite scenes that do this. I don't know how many parts this series will be, or how long I'll be able to go for, but I welcome any suggestions! Here are some guidelines:

1) The song can't simply be heard in the background (ie: in a bar scene, or from a radio.) The song has to become part of the story, and the characters have to some how react to the song (this will make more sense when you see my first example.)

2) Brilliant is all a matter of personal opinion. I don't care if you don't think the song isn't brilliant or the scene isn't brilliant. It's my blog and I'll do what I want (and if you want to see something you think is brilliant, leave a message and maybe it'll get posted.)

3) Musicals don't count. Yes, the moment Tony starts singing Maria in West Side Story is agreeably brilliant, but that song was written for that film. I want music that has been used effectively in a film that it was not designed to be in.

I think that about covers it, so without further ado, here is BSUBIBMS, Pt. 1:

Song: Don't Stop Me Now
Artist: Queen
Film: Shaun Of The Dead

Explanation: Some of you may know that lately I have been somewhat obsessed with Queen. I have also started to appreciate films that at this point last year, I would have not been interested in seeing. Shaun Of The Dead is one of these films.

I became really sick mid-March, and a co-worker brought me this movie and told me that it would make me feel better. I took it to be polite, and when I started watching, I was amazed at how much I enjoyed it. It really, REALLY is a great film.

Fast forward to a few months later when I'm going through my Queen phase, and all of a sudden the song "Don't Stop Me Now" starts playing. Now, I'm confused because I like this song, it's funky, AMAZING to dance to, but I can't place where I've heard it before.

Lucky for us, we have a beautiful tool called "The Internet", and a quick Wikipedia search revealed that it had been used in the film that I had fallen for but a few months earlier.

The Scene: (potential spoiler alert) When the group makes their way to the bar for shelter, the jukebox is accidentally bumped and Don't Stop Me Now starts playing, which riles up the zombies. Deciding that the only way to save themselves is get the music turned off, one of the group runs to find the fuse box, while the others beat the zombies senseless with pool cues.

Why It's Brilliant: I can't remember who (it may have been Bryan), but somebody described this scene as "Jazzercize with zombies." Not only is it staged brilliantly, with everything from the movement of the characters to the flicking of the lights matching the song, but there is a lot of unexpected stuff that happens during the scene. It is so exciting and impossible to turn away.

The Scene: (For those of you with delicate ears who frequent my blog, be aware that the following scene contains some coarse language or violent imagery that may not be suitable for all viewers.)

So that concludes the first episode of this new feature. I hope you enjoyed it, and start thinking about those scenes. I have a few more to go, but I look forward to hearing your suggestions!

What Will The Movie Of Your Life Be Called?

2007-06-09T21:11:00.000-04:00

I know this is a lame first post after all my Hawaii ones, but it pretty much made my day.

What Will The Movie Of Your Life Be Called?

Hawaii 2007 - Day 1: Welcome To The Maui Sunset

2007-05-11T11:08:00.000-04:00

I don't like waking up in the mornings. Afternoon wake ups I can deal with, but it is a common fact that I am NOT a morning person.

Waking up to go to Hawaii wasn't so difficult.

Dad picked me up, and we went for breakfast. I remember it being hard to eat because I was so excited! After a quick bite, we headed towards the car park, and finally to the airport to take us to our tropical destination.

While waiting in the the airport, my nerves tingling with excitement, they were also tingling with worry that someone would go wrong with my sister's passport.

We all had passport problems; I didn't send mine in soon enough so had to go downtown to get it processed, and then the picture was rejected. Dad filled out his form wrong AND sent it in during crunch time. Kristyn's form was fine, but was lost in passport hell. Dad and I got ours processed in person, no problem, but Kristyn's had to be sped up in order for her to get it on time - but just barely. She was due to pick it up from the office at 9:00 the morning of her flight. Talk about cutting it close! After a quick, reassuring phone call, we were able to sit back and relax in the knowledge that we would all be making the journey to Hawaii.

For some reason, we didn't end up getting on our flight to Vancouver until an hour after our departure time. They never told us why...they never really do. I think that's one thing I really hate about airports (coughcoughAirCanadacoughcough.) They do whatever they want, and there is nothing you can do about it. I mean, what are you going to do, get up and storm out of the airport indignantly? Probably not.

We boarded, and made ourselves comfortable. We had to switch seats with someone in order to sit together, but considering that I had an emergency exit seat, and the man I asked to switch with me was 6 feet or taller, it wasn't much of a hassle. For the rest of the trip, Dad and I played crib, watched some Arrested Development, and just chatted about how excited we were to be going to Hawaii. Oh, and we also hoped that when my sister got to Vancouver, she wouldn't freak out that we were an hour late.

We arrived in Vancouver, and went through customs. I don't like customs. They always make you feel like a criminal. She was asking me questions like "Where do you go to school?" "What do you study?" Now, I don't mind answering those questions, but she wasn't asking them in a friendly 'I-just-met-you-and-want-to-get-to-know-you-better' kind of way. Apparently Dad had no issues with the same lady and had to answer no probing questions about areas of study. Why is it always me?

We wandered through the catacombs that is the Vancouver airport until we found my sister...and no one else. Confused, because our connecting flight was to take off within an hour or so, we wondered where all the other paradise-bound people were.

You guessed it. Another delay. This one for a good six hours.

Have you ever seen the Steven Spielberg - Tom Hanks movie The Terminal? If you have, you'll know how much waiting in airports BLOWS. There is food to eat, but it's all overpriced, and you can shop in one of the many stores filled with junk you don't really need. The souvenir shops are the worst. Really...I know I was in Vancouver for 7 hours of my life, but I really don't need to buy a keychain to commemorate my visit. Not to mention, you are sitting there, just knowing that your destination is waiting for you, somewhere in this world. All you need to do is get there.

After making calls to the appropriate parties, we hunkered down to find something to do for the next six hours.

After endless episodes of Family Guy, I was so glad when they finally boarded us. Exhausted from doing nothing, I ate the meal that was provided, and fell asleep for a good portion of the trip.

After touching down and deboarding, I was greeted with something that I didn't have in Canada - heat. We hurried down to get our luggage, meet my Grandmother (who showered us with leis), and make our way to the place we would lay our heads for the next 10 days - The Maui Sunset.

With the exception of a few years where they decided to do something different, for (I think!) 30 years my Grandparents have gone to Maui for six weeks in February and March and have stayed in their time share condo at the Maui Sunset, a simple but beautiful set of condos right on the water. Although tiny when you get 5 or more people living in it, the condo has a pool, hot tub, tennis courts, mini-golf, barbeque's, and as much Hawaiian beauty as you can ask for at a condo.

As well as the amenities provided, they take really good care of the grounds. I saw gardeners out there often, mowing and cleaning the grass, pruning the plants, and generally making the scenery of our stay beautiful.

And, as I'm sure you figured out, there is a reason that they call it the Maui Sunset. Day after day we were treated to breathtaking views as the sun fell from the sky right before our eyes.

Knowing the next day would be a long one, we went to bed right away, but awoke to the beauty that is Hawaii. As my eyes slowly opened and I felt the warmth of the morning sun, and listened to the sounds around me, I knew were in were for a spectacular trip.

Hawaii 2007 - Day 2: A Long And Winding Road

2007-05-04T21:35:00.000-04:00

Although I didn't get very much sleep (a combination of jet lag and unadulterated excitement), I awoke to chaos. Having gotten in very late, I didn't get a chance to see my cousins, or my aunt, or my Grandfather. I awoke to them all, and they all wanted me out of bed.

Within moments of opening my eyes (and I discovered this to be a pattern during our trip) everyone immediately went into full swing - packing bags for the day, applying the much needed sunscreen, and chowing down on breakfast (usually featuring fresh Hawaiian fruit.)

Sometime during the chaos Dad went out to exchange the rented car for a van, as to accommodate all of us on our trip to the legendary Hāna.

Now I didn't know much about Hana before taking this trip. I had been told by both Mom and Dad (who had made the trip before) that it was beautiful, and well worth checking out. Little did I know what an adventure Hāna would truly be.

To get to Hāna you have to take the Hāna Highway, which is a 68 mile stretch of road leading from the normal highway to the town of Hāna. Of this, it is only 52 miles from Kahului to the heart of Hāna.

The one-way trip is well over 3 hours long.

The Hāna Highway is the most treacherous highway I have ever been on. I commend my father for being able to drive it and remain sane, because I know that sitting in the back seat I was about to lose my mind.

There are supposedly over 600 hairpin turns along the highway, and countless numbers of one-lane bridges (note: you can travel in both directions on the highway.) Unfortunately for us, a recent earthquake closed one part of the highway, so once we got to Hāna, we had to turn around and brave the journey again, rather than take the highway out going in the opposite direction.

Lucky for us, Hāna IS without a doubt, a beautiful trip. If I thought the rest of Maui was lush, Hāna is ten times that.

I've always been good with car trips. I'm the kind of person who can read in the car and be fine. I can sleep (and Dad can attest to this) for hours on end sitting straight up in the passenger seat without budging.

I felt ill.

The combination of the repetitiveness of the road, the road itself, and the length of the trip was enough to turn the stomach (and it did turn the stomach of my cousin on the way back.) And I couldn't sleep because even with my eyes closed I could feel the van lurching one way and then the other. Then it would stop to let a car from the opposite direction by. And then it would start again. Brutal.

Reaching our destination was so welcome! We went a little bit beyond the town of Hāna (which mostly features spas and hotels) to a second portion of the Haleakalā National Park to visit the infamous "Seven Sacred Pools."

Now the "Seven Sacred Pools" aren't really sacred. And there aren't really seven of them. Rather, there are about 24 little pools that go up the mountain and drain into each other. You can go swimming in the pools, but they say that when it rains you have to get out of the water as fast as your legs will take you due to flash flooding.

Walking down to the pools is an adventure in and of itself.

Check out the storm approaching, because we sure didn't (keep reading...)

So after our walk down to the pools, like any other tourist destination in Hawaii, there were tons of other people who had the same idea for a day trip that we had!

Still, even with all the other people there, it's still quite beautiful. Seeing the water flow from one pool to the next and then to the ocean is very tranquil.

And then came the rains.

Have you ever seen in a tropical storm as portrayed in the movies? I assure you, no liberties are taken. One second we're gazing to the sky asking whether or not we did indeed feel a rain drop, and the next second we are drenched. I climbed a tree to gain some shelter, and watched all the other tourists grab towels, and each other and race from the pools for their lives. Definitely entertaining.

Afterwards, soaked and cold, we decided to cut our visit at the pools short, and head back to the van, taking the scenic (although slightly slippery) path back to parking lot.

Our cousins were disappointed. They're still quite young, and after a 3-hour long, exhausting car trip, they expected something a little more exciting. With them being tired, upset, and sick (we bought ice cream and Brandon didn't keep his down for long), the car ride back felt longer than the car ride there. However, we did manage to appease them with a few cool stops.

One of the neat things about the Hāna Highway is the little stops along the way. You can wander through eucalyptus groves or bamboo forests. Dad even had a CD from when he and David did the trip last year. It narrates various points to stop along the highway based on highway markers.

One of the places we stopped at was a beautiful waterfall. To this point I cannot remember the name of the fall, but according to the CD, it was featured in such movies as Mutiny On The Bounty (yes Lindsay, a Clarke Gable movie.)

However, the next stop was definitely the coolest:

Ok, I will admit, even though I DID see a tourist who got too close get soaked by the blow hole, that was not the highlight of this stop. Check it out:

Black sand! How cool is that? Created by lava, the black sand is heavier, but just as soft as regular sand. It was such a unique sight to see! Kristyn and I took some sand, and put it in rum shooter bottles to remember being there.

The beach also had a neat cave, leading into the ocean. The floor the cave was full of black lava rocks, softened by years of salt water.

So even though there were some down points during the journey, I had to look on the bright side. I got trapped in a tropical storm (not something a lot of people can lay claim to), I got to collect some funky black sand, and I tried my first (of many during the trip) ever shave ice treat on the way home. So even though I crashed at about 7:00 (much to the chagrin of people who wanted to actually use the living room for, oh I don't know, living), it was a good day, and gave us a good idea of what the rest of our Hawaiian adventure would have in store.

Hawaii 2007 - Day 3: A Feeding Frenzy

2007-04-27T23:37:00.000-04:00

Saturday morning, after the long, LONG trip we took yesterday, I wanted nothing more than to do what I do best...shop. Every Saturday in Kahului the locals open what is called the "Swap Meet" where vendors sell everything from fruit, freshly cut flowers and Hawaiian treasures (or junk as Dad would call it.) Dad even went so far as to rename the market the "Feeding Frenzy" after seeing the way Grandma, Kristyn, and myself launched ourselves at the wares available.

I bought some cool things at the market (including most of the gifts that I picked up for my loverly friends back home.)

Afterwards, we continued on our shopping adventure to the local mall.

Notice anything unique about this mall (other than the blatant palm tree right in the middle?) That's right...it has an open roof! Definitely a very cool feature, although I don't think it would go over too well in Canada.

We hung around, I spent more money that I should of, and we headed back to the condo with smiles on our faces and arms overloaded with trophies (trophies = shopping bags to you shopping impaired.)

After relaxing for a bit in the afternoon, we headed out for a family trip to take in a sunset whale-watching adventure, and a fancy dinner afterwards. This year is my Grandparent's 50th wedding anniversary, so as a treat they offered to take the whole family out for this day trip.

Cool fact: this is the first time, ever, that my Grandparents have had both of their children and all four of their grandchildren in the same place at the same time. There is a 10 year gap between me (the oldest child on my father's side) and Megan (the oldest on my Aunt's side), so by the time she was born, it was already becoming difficult to get everyone together in the same province (we lived in Alberta, they in British Columbia.) Then when Brandon was born, we had started the process of moving (for the first time), so until Hawaii, we had never brought everyone together.

We all boarded the Quick Silver, and got ready for our trip to see the whales. Now, I may be assuming things, but I know that when I throw the terms "Hawaii" and "Whale-Watching" and "Sunset" together, some people tend to get a bit jealous. If you fall into the category of "some people" I urge you to not hate me, and continue reading.

I am not one to get seasick.

I have never been so seasick in my entire life.

The water was so choppy and so violent that we bobbed around like a cork. Or at least that's what I've been told. I spent a majority of the trip curled into the fetal position on a mat on the inside of the boat (a small blessing...with the way the water was coming up over the sides, I don't know how the people on the outside survived.)

And worst of all, no whales. I mean, there were a few, but the water was so choppy, it was hard to spot them before they were submerging again. And in my present state I managed to get a small glimpse of a tail or a splash before I closed my eyes and prayed for the trip to be over.

I managed to get a couple pictures of the sun as it started it's journey to the horizon, but nothing spectacular. Let me tell you, when we docked, I was pretty near the first one off the boat, cold, wet, and ready to be warm and fed.

We changed into nicer clothes in the van, and headed to the nearby Buzz's Wharf for what promised to be a great dinner.

My night started out with a drink (virgin...I'm not 21 yet :( ) that, despite no alcohol in it, was the greatest thing I have ever drank ever. It was called a lava flow and I have no other description for it other than "it tasted like heaven." Apparently it is like my two favourite girly drinks (strawberry daiquiri and pina colada) mixed together. Heaven is right!

Onto the entree. Buzz's Wharf, as I'm sure you can guess, specializes in seafood. As most of you know, I am allergic to seafood, so my choices were somewhat limited. I ended up ordering a pasta dish, which wasn't as great as I had hoped, and if the sounds coming from the rest of my family were any indication, it wasn't as great as what they were eating either.

Luckily for me, dessert came around and Buzz got his chance to make it up to me.

This, my friends, is the beauty that I devoured:

Not only was it a spectacular presentation (so spectacular in fact, I pulled out my camera), it was the greatest tiramisu I had ever eaten in my life. And the little mug? Chocolate mousse. It was simply dreamy, and truly made the seasickness and mediocre entree worth it all in the end.

This was probably one of the more negative days in Hawaii, and it's unfortunate it ended up that way, considering the amount of work the Grandparents put into arranging the events of the evening. However, the rest of the trip went along without a hitch, and after a long soak in the hot tub and a beautiful night's rest, all was forgotten and I was ready to enjoy the rest of my vacation in paradise.

Hawaii 2007 - Day 4 and 5: Practice and The Real Thing

2007-04-22T00:23:00.000-04:00

Sunday morning we awoke and headed out to rent some snorkel gear. Snorkel shops are as common in Hawaii as Tim Hortons stores are in Canada, so needless to say there is plenty of choice. However, Dad had a place he went to last year that had pretty good service and prices, so we headed there.

After picking up the gear, we headed to Ulua beach to give snorkeling some practice. I've talked to people who don't like to snorkel, because it's really claustrophobic (especially given the fact that when people learn to swim, they are taught to breath out through their nose, and snorkels inhibit that natural action.)

Ulua is a tinier beach, but it has some great snorkeling, and remains pretty shallow for a good portion of the beach, so it was a good place to practice for a future snorkeling location.

I had to make sure the snorkel gear fit before going into the water. Too bad you can't see the flippers!

I think Ulua is where I first went snorkeling the last time I went to Hawaii. It's a good beginner place, as the fish aren't very far out, and the coral isn't so far down you can't see it, but is far enough down that you don't slice up your knees!

Still, I think I had the same reaction to the fish as I did when I was 6. Yes, ladies and gentleman, I squealed.

There is something magical and graceful about the underwater world. It's hard to explain. It's just so peaceful when you get under there! Kind of freaky too, because every so often, you hear these loud pitch squeaks...coming from the humpback whales! It really makes you realize that you are not alone in the ocean, and you're definitely not the biggest creature out there.

We bought a bag of frozen peas and as I fed the fish I again dissolved into peals of squeals, highly amused at watching the fish dart around for the peas. The little ones were especially cute, because the peas were about half the size of them! They would bite into the veggie, and then swim around with a pea sticking out of their mouths as they tried to take a few substantial bites.

It took awhile to get used to snorkeling again, but once you get going, it's amazing. Except when you accidentally breathe in a whole mouthful of salt water...ew.

Afterwards I did some boogie boarding and sun worshiping, before heading back to the condo to do pretty much the same thing all afternoon.

On Monday, Dad, Kristyn and I headed out in the morning to go snorkeling in a spot that Dad had been introduced to during his trip last year. Beyond all the public beaches, there is a little rocky lava cove (no sand), that has a brilliant amount of fish, as well as the hope of seeing turtles!

As soon as you put your head into the water, there are fish EVERYWHERE! Schools of them, all brilliant colours and moving with such ease. The coral is magical and so intricate. Unfortunately, unlike Ulua, you have to be really careful. The coral isn't that far down (until get get much further out), and your movements are really restricted as you try not to bash your limbs against the sharp edges. Still it's hard not to appreciate the beauty of it all. I find that we get so swept up in the world on earth, it's easy to forget that there is a whole other one under the water.

We swam for a good long time, and only saw fish, fish, and more fish. We were about to give up hope and head in, when all of a sudden, I saw a unique shape appear down below us...

TURTLE! It was so exciting...my first Hawaiian turtle. Watching this one definitely reaffirmed why they are my favourite animals. So beautiful, graceful and peaceful. The Hawaiians use the turtle to remind them to keep calm, and be easy-going. How can you not love that?

As Dad was swimming down to get this shot, our turtle friend (who at this point we had lost track of) was swimming right up behind him. Dad couldn't figure out why Kristyn and I were laughing until he turned around and the turtle was in his face.

I kept trying to swim as close as I could get to the turtle, without touching it (I didn't want to hurt it, nor wanted it to hurt me.) Kristyn made fun of me, telling me that I was swimming in it's poop. I didn't really care, though. I mean, how many people can claim to have swam in the excrement of their favourite animal. Ok, I know...that's gross. Actually I don't know if I actually swam in it's poop. Kris was probably just saying that to bug me, weren't you Kristyn?

We went home and said goodbye to Auntie Cindy and Megan and Brandon who were heading out that afternoon, and lounged around for awhile. When Grandma got back from the airport, we headed to the mall, where I discovered true love (AKA Wet Seal.)

I bought a brilliant 50's inspired dress, shoes, and jewelry for our residence formal, which was said to be held with a 50's Hollywood glamour theme. When I got home, the formal had been cancelled, but I was still happy to have such a funky dress.

It's funny...I have never gone to bed so early in my life as I did while on vacation. Our days began to develop a very similar pattern in a short little while.

We would wake up at 7 or 8 o'clock, eat breakfast and go do something in the morning. In the afternoon we would come back, be lazy at the condo or by the pool and then eat dinner around time for sunset, and then Dad and I would go to the hot tub and schmooze with other people who were staying at the condo for their Hawaiian vacation. When we returned from that, I would change, crawl into bed, and be out by about 9:15. I NEVER go to bed that early. I guess that's the beautiful thing about vacation - there are no rules or norms...everything gets thrown to the wind and it becomes all about what makes you happy! And take a look at the picture above...in case you can't tell, I was happy!

Hawaii 2007 - Day 6: Bigger Is Always Better

2007-04-17T02:36:00.000-04:00

Today was dedicated to the joy that is Big Beach.

Big Beach (AKA Makena State Park) is the biggest beach we went to during our vacation to Hawaii, and it is certainly given it's name for a reason. The moment you step foot on it, you are greeted by a sprawling landscape of sand, sand, and more sand.

It was a quiet day at the beach. Cloudy days are great in Hawaii, because it is still warm, and you can get a great tan without melting in the smoldering sun.

Living up to its name, the waves at Big Beach are also huge. If you are not careful, one of these things will take you out. We were hit by a couple of waves that were definitely over our heads. There have been shark attacks on this beach, which kind of freaked me out, until I was given reason as to why I shouldn't be worried. Apparently, surfers are more apt to get attacked, because the turtle (eep!) is the shark's natural food source, and when a surfer is paddling through the water, they resemble a turtle (in the way that they swim.) As well, sharks really only come to feast at dawn and dusk, so a mid-day attack is very, VERY rare.

The next 10 pictures are a 360 shot that Dad tried, in order to try and show the vastness that is Big Beach. Facebook users can check out a rough and dirty merge I did of these photos in my photo album section. One day I might get around to actually cleaning up the merge, but that day is not today.

The chunk of land to the left is Kahoʻolawe (uninhabited due to being used as target practice by the US Army.) The chunk on the right is Molokini, where we went snorkeling. (More on both of these places in a later post.)

Beyond that hill (over the little hill on the left of the big hill) is Little Beach. Little Beach is a renowned nude beach. I considered going over there, but it's frowned upon to hang around fully clothed...and I'm not that brave...yet.

It was a bit cloudier today, so we had a HUGE amount of beach all to ourselves.

Look how much more tan I am then Kristyn! Going tanning beforehand REALLY paid off. I tanned so fast and so richly, and people were still commenting about it over a month later. Poor Kristyn though got such severe heat rash...she had to go to the emergency medical clinic and get checked out...and then they told her to stay out of the sun...IN HAWAII! Do they forget where they are? Needless to say, Kristyn did not end up going home as bronze as Dad and I did.

Me doing what I do best...nothing. But if I say it once, I'll say it a million times...isn't that why I went on vacation?

Hawaii 2007 - Day 7: On Top Of The World

2007-04-10T13:27:00.000-04:00

We awoke early, and by 6:45 I was sitting on the curb outside the condo, waiting for a van to pick us up to take us to today's adventure. It arrived shortly, as the sun started to rise over our destination, and we joined two guides and two other families on a trip to the top of the world.

I'm not going to bore you with the details of getting there, because really, they're not that fun. Essentially we drove, stopped and ate breakfast, and then started to drive 37 miles...upwards.

Yes, my friends, early this fine morning, we were making our way to the top of the Haleakalā AKA The East Maui Volcano.

About three-quarters of the way to the top, we saw a sight we didn't want to see. Paramedics were attending to a biker who had inadvertently missed a curve in the road, and took a nasty tumble. And considering that within minutes WE were going to be biking down the same path, it wasn't exactly doing much to reassure me about the safety of the trip.

We got to the top, and upon stepping out of the van, I noticed how cold it was at the top. But at the elevation we were at, it wasn't much of a surprise.

If you look closely at the sign, you'll see that our elevation is 9740 feet above sea level! We were even above the clouds!

There isn't a whole lot to see when you get to the top. The earth is so far away (and covered by clouds) by this point that it's impossible to pick out any major landmarks), and save for a gift shop (of course), and some space surveillance equipment, there isn't too much going on.

Despite there not being too much to see, looking at the crater is pretty cool. I mean, you have to remember that the Hawaiian Islands were created by volcanoes, so looking into the crater is kind of like looking into the past.

The volcano hasn't erupted for hundreds of years, but it is classified as dormant. We were given fair warning that during our trip, if the volcano decided to come out of resting, the tour would no longer be considered a guided tour. I'm only somewhat sure our guide was kidding.

We started gearing up at this point for our trek down the volcano. After suiting up in a windbreaker, a helmet, gloves, and sunglasses, it was time for me to put the old saying about not being able to forget how to ride a bicycle to the test.

It was the weirdest bike I had ever been on. The bike is very basic (no gears or anything), and very well used, obviously having seen many trips down the very same path we were about to take.

We didn't waste much time getting ready, and before I had the chance to get overly nervous, we started our way down the windy roads that lead us to the top of Maui.

It's hard to describe the sensation of biking down the volcano. I mean, despite the inherent risks, you feel kind of safe doing it. There is a leader who bikes down at the front of the group, and you are arranged by size from smallest to largest. You all bike it a row, and have to have 3 meters of space between you and the biker in front of you at all times. As well, the van that took us to the top, follows us down, so we are protected from the cars behind us. We still have to watch out for cars coming up the hill, but we bike in the very centre of the road, so crossing the middle line usually isn't too much of a big deal. Even so, the roads are very curvy, so you have to be on your guard at all times. However, biking down is oddly peaceful. There is a neat combination of knowing you are in Hawaii, doing a once-in-a-lifetime kind of thing, and the constant rush of wind in your ears that makes you feel like you're so powerful, so on-top-of-the world...so independent. I mean, even though I'm biking down with an entire group, the ride is very solo - you are in charge of your own destiny, and the trip is what you make it. For safety reasons, you never look behind you...you're always looking towards what lies ahead. And as the road grows steeper and you start moving faster, it's simply a battle between you and the gravel beneath your tires.

I don't really have any pictures of me physically biking down the hill. I mean, 1) You can't even really call it biking, because for the whole 37 miles you pedal about 500 yards and 2) For safety, you can't exactly have someone stop to take an 'in-action' shot of you. We did stop, however, at one point to get some shots of the scenery below.

This is the south coast of Maui. We stayed in Kihei, along this coast.

Along the way we saw some cool things (even though focusing on the road doesn't leave a lot of time for sightseeing.) We saw people biking UP the volcano. I personally think they're crazy, but it's definitely a feat of strength to be able to do that. It's probably even more rewarding to bike down after that. As well, we went through a grove of eucalyptus trees, which gave off a strong, minty scent that was out of this world. As we got lower and lower towards the base, we started seeing some really unique plants and flowers, dotting the countryside.

We stopped for lunch, and brought our adrenaline pumped hearts back to normal. During lunch, our tour guide found a Jackson chameleon in a tree, and we all got to hold it. It is such a cool creature. It has these weird claws that cling to you (or whatever it is trying to hold on to), and three horns on the top of it's head. Now, I'll openly admit to being one of those people who, despite the bones, doubt the existence of prehistoric creatures (ie: dinosaurs), but this thing reminded me so much of a triceratops, I'm tempted to believe. It seriously looked like a mini dinosaur. Though, I will say, after telling me it was called a Jackson, I definitely had the song stuck in my head for the rest of the day (and was probably guilty of belting out a few words here and there.)

There were also these really cool looking flowers called protea. I've never seen anything like them before.

After lunch, we got to take off the windbreakers, and finish the bike ride to our final stop. This, believe it or not, was slightly more dangerous, because since we were now in residential territory, the van wouldn't follow behind us, and we had to bike on the shoulder of the road.

For posterity's sake, I took a picture of the top from the bottom, just so I could say I had a picture of the bottom from the top and vice versa.

We all made it down safely, and dropped off our bikes and were taken back to our condo in one piece. For the rest of the day we did what became custom for us in the afternoon - we were lazy. Whether we went swimming, sat by the pool, or did some shopping (damn you American stores for getting me addicted and then forcing me to painfully discover that you don't ship to Canada!), we always took some time each day to enjoy doing nothing (or in my case, spending lots and LOTS of hard-earned cash.) To quote Shannon Hamilton, "I love the smell of commerce in the morning." Or afternoon. Whatever.

Hawaii 2007 - Day 8 and 9: Banyan Trees and Laziness

2007-03-27T14:39:00.000-04:00

The first time I went to Hawaii was forever and a day ago. I was 6 or 7 (I want to go with 7, but I'm probably wrong...but for arguments sake from here on in I am going to say 7) and I was a flower girl at my aunt's wedding. I have pictures somewhere. They will never find life on this blog.

Anyway, although I don't remember much of that initial trip, I remember that we went to a town to go out on (what turned out to be) a very memorable whale watching trip, but before we went on the boat, we saw a GIANT tree. I'm talking HUGE! Well, not only did my Grandparents and father tell me all about it, they endured the trip to Lāhainā to take me to see it.

Now, Lāhainā is a nice place. It's also the most popular tourist destination on Maui, so 'crowded' isn't exactly the best term. Packed is more like it, with cars bumper to bumper and people everywhere you turn. Vendors are all over the place trying to take your money and people are selling vacation tours like the world was going to end. And we were there on a weekday.

Overall though, it has it's charms. I mean, they even had a Bubba Gump shrimp shop, which, despite my seafood allergy, totally made my day.

I almost bought a shirt that says "Stupid Is As Stupid Does." Oh Forrest Gump. You make me smile.

Anyway, we shopped for a bit, and wandered around along the boardwalk alongside the water. I also managed to buy a hilarious miniature license plate that says "I GOT LEI'D" on it. Original, I know.

If you look down to the rocks, behind where Kristyn and Grandpa are sitting one picture up (and you can kind of see them behind Dad in the picture above me), you can see dozens (though there are probably hundreds) of little black crabs that scurry along top of the black rocks.

Now, I don't have a problem with crabs in general (I'm sure you remember this post a few weeks back.) I mean, they're kind of gross to start with, but you get used to them.

Not these ones though. Because they were black in colour, they just reminded me of big, ugly spiders. It sends shivers down my spine just remembering it.

I mean, look at that thing lazing around on the rock! Ugh!

Anyway, as we walk down the street we suddenly come to this HUGE courtyard with one of the most amazing trees you will ever see in your life.

This, my friends, is a banyan tree.

This particular banyan was planted in 1873 to mark the 50th anniversary of the arrival of the missionaries.

Now, what makes a banyan particularly unique is that it not only grows up and out (like regular trees), but it also grows down.

Essentially, as the tree grows branches, these branches grow down and root themselves into the ground, thus creating the effect of multiples trees being present. There were so many "tree trunks" around, but when you followed them along for a ways (quite a ways, may I add), you realized that they are all connected to the original sprouting in the center.

If you look closely, you can see various points where the branches have grown into the ground and thickened up like actual trunks.

I got Dad to take a couple pictures of me by the tree, so you can get an idea of how HUGE this monster of a tree was. The shade it provides from the afternoon Hawaii sun is phenomenal!

While on the way back, I really started to notice how, despite the tourism, the island is still preserved. I mean, part of it is it's natural geography, but the locals have made sure that you go around everything to get anywhere. Rather than clearcut through tropical rainforests and beautiful scenery, they have found the least environmentally damaging way to get to various points in the island (at least from my perspective.) It's funny though, because even though the island is so small, because of the way the roads are built it sometimes feels like it takes ages to get anywhere, because you're also going around and around rather than straight through. I kind of like it that way though. It means that the Hawaii I fell in love with on this trip will still be around when I choose to go back again.

Day 9 was just like the title above states: Laziness.

I recall that on this day we went to Charlie Young beach (where we would later go on our "extra" day) and worked on our tans, waded in the water, and wondered what "the people back home were doing in the snow." Yes, we thought of you all. We might have snickered a bit, but not much, I swear.

I don't mind that I don't have much to tell you about this day. I don't even mind that I don't have any pictures to share from this day. Some of the greatest times spent in Hawaii were moments where I was doing absolutely nothing. No stress. No worries...

Hang loose.

Hawaii 2007 - Day 10: Yeowwww!

2007-03-20T21:22:00.000-04:00

As was becoming typical, we awoke bright and early to take advantage of the entire day, and the lovely 12 hours of sunshine a day Hawaii has to offer. I think one of the coolest things about Hawaii is how warm it gets even in the early hours of the morning. At 8:00 when we would awake it would still be somewhat brisk outside, but by 9:00, the sun starts beating down and you just know that it's going to be another fabulous day in paradise!

We started the day by heading to the market, a place Dad had (by now) affectionately termed "The Feeding Frenzy", mostly due to the barrage of tourists looking to get little Hawaiian trinkets. Unlike the last time we went to the market, today I was all business. I had a list of people to by for, and damn it, I was going to buy for them!

I love the market. You can buy everything from Hawaiian picture frames and albums, to seashell jewelry, to art, to fruit and vegetables (and a whole ton more!) I found gifts for most the people I was shopping for, but since the market is only open on Saturdays, we decided to hit up a couple other actual stores later to make sure I was completely set for returning to the cold white north.

Afterwards, we headed up for a quick trip to the ‘Īao Valley. Now, when you pronounce ‘Īao, it sounds an awful lot like "Yeowww!" I remember visiting this as a child of 7, and seriously thinking that is what they called it. I mean, think about it, the ‘Īao Valley is home to the ‘Īao Needle. Now imagine you're 7. Don't "Yeowww!" and "Needle" go hand in hand? I think so.

Anyway, the ‘Īao Valley is the second wettest spot on earth, second to only Mount Waiʻaleʻale on Kauaʻi (another island in Hawaii.) It is said that the valley receives up to 400 inches of rain a year! You do the math.

Of course, due to this, the valley is very lush, and tropical. It's so surreal to go from the dry barren Kahului into a rich, green rainforest within minutes.

It's kind of cool, because to get to the valley, you have to drive through the mountains, and when you turn around, you see that you've driven through a 'V' shaped path. It was a very Sesame Street moment...

The letter of the day is 'V'! 'V' is for Valley!

Anyway, there are these beautiful, Filipino, Japanese, and Portuguese inspired gardens with really unique flora everywhere you turn! It's like plant overload!

Now, as mentioned, the highlight of the ‘Īao Valley is the ‘Īao Needle, a lava remnant that stands 2250 feet above sea level (1200 feet of that visible.) The needle itself is a bit of an optical illusion, because it looks to be really short due to the fact that there is nothing next to it (ie: a person, a house, etc.) to provide a comparison to how tall it actually is!

It was kind of fitting, that as we were leaving, it started raining. I guess with 400 inches of rainfall a year, you're bound to experience some rain no matter what day you go!

Afterwards, we ran some errands, and went to a couple "Hawaiian Junk Stores" as Dad termed them. (Come to think of it, Dad has a lot of cynical terms for a lot of funky things...hmmm.)

Anyway, we hit up an ABC store, where Kristyn (and later I followed in suit) bought shooters of Hana Bay Rum to empty and use the bottles to put the sand in that we collected earlier that week. Of course, I helped in ensuring that none of the rum was put to waste when taking on the delicate task of emptying these bottles.

Afterwards, we hit up Hilo Hatties, which, (junk or not, Dad) I LOVE! This place is so cool!

As soon as you walk in, they adorn you with a totally cheapo seashell necklace and there are refreshments by the door. As you wander around, you are treated to the finest Hawaiian "junk" money can buy.

Over by the jewelry counter, they had oysters that you could pay to break open and then keep whatever pearls you found inside. As people would open them, they would ring these bells and should "Alo-HA!" for the entire store to hear. I witnessed a woman open an oyster with two beautiful black pearls in them. I REALLY wanted to open an oyster, but the setting for the pearls were so pricey, and really, what am I going to do with settingless pearls?

Anyway, I found some cool Hawaiian trinkets and art to take back for the friends back home, and after spending nearly every last dollar I had, went back to the pool to be lazy. I mean, what else is vacation for?

Hawaii 2007 - Day 11: Something Out Of A Dream

2007-03-13T00:35:00.000-04:00

So after saying goodbye to Kristyn last night, I stayed up later than normal, neglecting to think about the fact that I had to be up at about 5:45 the next morning.

So after THAT startling awakening, Dad and I headed off to the pier where we were loaded on the Quick Silver (again!) for our snorkel cruise to Molokini and Turtle Town (and just in time to watch the sun rise over Haleakala!)

Even that early in the morning, we could tell that it was going to be a great day, with not a cloud in the sky, and the ocean resting unusually calm.

Our first stop was Turtle Town, a little area in front of some really swanky resorts, where there are supposedly supposed to be a surplus of turtles.

Entering the water from the boat is one of the best parts of the trip. As they said on the boat, there is the Type A Personality way (jumping off the side of the boat) or the Type B Personality way (a SLIDE (!) into the water.) I, of course, had to try both.

The water is great around Turtle Town, and within minutes, I had spotted something VERY exciting, an eagle ray (a member of the manta ray family!)

Anyway, I am swimming along, and I am not seeing any turtles (which, I assure you, is disappointing when in Turtle Town.) I am about to call it a day, when I swim over a large piece of coral and there is a turtle, happily resting on the top.

Have I mentioned how much I love these creatures? They are so peaceful, even when their home is being invaded by a whole ton of adequate swimmers in funny masks.

In any case, I was treated to a rare treat. Almost as soon as I spotted it, the turtle started to surface for air, moving so close to me I had to get out of the way (the sea turtle in Hawaii is a protected species, so there would have been a $10,000 fine had I touched it!)

While we were waiting for everyone to get back into the boat and be counted, we saw something moving not too far in the distance. As it approached us, we were stunned to discover that a group of spinner dolphins were heading our way!

Unfortunately anchored, we couldn't get any close to these amazing creatures. The cameraman on board even tried swimming closer to them, but they moved too fast for him to get a good shot.

After everyone was safely back in the boat, we headed for Molokini (which, if you hit the above link, you would now know is a bird sanctuary with protected waters.)

However, the captain decided to see if he could find the group of dolphins.

I sat anxiously on the edge of the boat (we had secured seats in the front by getting there REALLY early in the morning.)

All of a sudden, before I could even realize what was happening, dolphins started appearing from nowhere on all sides of the boat. They wanted to play!

I think at one point, we could see at least 25 in front of us. Even the crew hadn't seen anything like this. They were mesmerizing. They were totally putting on a show for us too; one was swimming upside down, and every so often, one would jump with a funky little spin (where they got their name.) Apparently, spinner dolphins often travel in large groups, even numbering in the 100's! There could have been dozens of more dolphins below the surface of the water where we couldn't see them!

I took some (soundless, and not the best quality) video with my digital camera to give you a perspective of how close I was to these creatures, and how many there were (the second video even features them playing around a bit!)

According to the captain, the dolphins were being lazy, and swimming along with the boat to avoid doing any work. When we started to speed up, they caught the current of the boat and road along with us, breeching the surface, and peeling away from the boat as we finally reached maximum speed. Brilliant!

After that amazing experience, we headed off to Molokini (beautiful, but not as exciting after what we had just seen...I could have stayed with the dolphins all day.) Like my title implies, it was very much something out of a dream. Even to this day, I have to look at my photos to remember that it happened, it was so surreal!

I think, it was at this moment, I realized that I truly was in paradise...and I was so happy.

Molokini is beautiful for snorkeling, and there is a surplus of amazing fish and coral. However, after snorkeling in Turtle Town (and at other various points throughout the week) I was ready to finish early, and head to the boat for lunch (and $1 Mai-Tai's...a drink sent down from God for me to enjoy!)

Afterwards we headed on to do some whale watching, and learned more about the islands in the area. For example, Kaho'olawe was used for many years by the U.S. Army (after the bombing of Pearl Harbour) to set off practice bombs for military training. You still can't get within 2 miles of the shore, because there are still active bombs in the waters surrounding. Lānaʻi, on the other hand, is very lush and has an amazing ability to grow 5-star hotels (I think I want to get married on Lānaʻi...)

Not too long into our whale watching journey, we started seeing some whales. We were treated to a calf whale breeching the surface and smacking his head on the water (in imitation of the adults, and eventually a few adult whales who came to the surface of the water.)

This was a definite improvement over the last whale watch I went on, and at this point, I was quite content to go home and lie by the pool for an afternoon of relaxation and peace before leaving to go home.

After eating dinner and finishing packing in the evening, my Grandmother drove my father and I to the airport, and left us to catch our flight to LA and then on to Toronto.

I remember, driving along, wishing for more time. It hurts to leave something that so special. What I didn't know, is I was about to get my wish.

The airport was a zoo! There were so many people, and for each person, there was probably at least 3 bags of luggage! It was a madhouse!

The odd thing was, when we got there, they relegated us to this line and made us stand there, with no information as to why we were in this line in the first place.

After some rumblings, it was discovered that our flight was delayed until the morning (due to the weather out east earlier that day), and they were currently trying to reroute people (or at least help them find a place to stay for the evening.) Eventually, after trying to put all the pieces together on our own, an agent came up and told us that if we had a place to stay for the evening, to go stay there, and arrive for our flight in the morning. Luckily, our Grandparents were staying in Hawaii for another week, so we called up Grandma and had her come back to pick us up, to enjoy one more sleep under the Hawaiian sky.

Now, at this point, I'm thinking:

1) I missed the Academy Awards for no good reason.

and

2) If we get back shortly, I can go in the hot tub again. Yes!

Long story short, we got back with enough time to enjoy a good solid half hour of hot tub happiness, and I crawled into bed, content with the fact that I partially got my wish. I could enjoy Maui a little more...

Hawaii 2007 - Day 12 and 13: Stranded and The Journey Home

2007-03-11T21:09:00.000-04:00

So I awake to hear Dad on the phone with Air Canada. The conversation goes something like this:

Dad: Our flight out of Kahului, Maui to Las Angeles didn't leave last night.

Air Canada Agent: (Indecipherable)

Dad: Well, they told us last night to return at 9:00 this morning for the same flight. I'm just curious as to what our connections to Toronto would be.

Air Canada Agent: (Indecipherable)

Dad: There are no connections? Well how am I getting back to Toronto?

Air Canada Agent: (Indecipherable)

Dad: So we can go through Vancouver, but we can't leave until this evening?

Air Canada Agent: (Indecipherable)

Dad: Yeah, I guess the weather out east caused the delay. No complaints here. We'll take another day in Maui. How's the weather where you are?

Air Canada Agent: (Indecipherable)

Dad: You're in Tampa?

So there you have it. I hadn't even opened my eyes and I learned that:

a) The Air Canada call centre is in Tampa.

and

b) I am "stranded" in Hawaii for at least another day.

Now, at this point, I'm not sure whether to be panicked, or happy. I mean, last night while driving to the airport I distinctly remember thinking, "I wish I could have just one more day in Maui." Except, now that I HAVE another day in Hawaii, I don't know what to do with it!

Dad was kind of worried about the whole flight situation, so, trying to remain positive (I mean, we're stranded in paradise!) I told him it was a sign that he had to enjoy at least one more cup of authentic Kona coffee before we left.

So, with that being said, Dad and I made our way to a Bad Ass Coffee cafe, which conveniently had an Internet cafe in it. Both of us had to fire off a few e-mails, informing work, school, and friends that we "unfortunately" weren't going to be home for another day.

After that, we returned to the condo to discover the Grandparents had gone for a walk. We went down and sat by the pool, but discovered that it didn't feel right. Essentially, our minds had "checked-out" of Maui, and it was odd to be spending another morning, basking in the heat (which felt especially hot today.)

After preparing a small lunch, we hit Charlie Young beach for the second time in the week. Words cannot even describe how hot the sun was by this point. In the entire week of being in Hawaii, I had not been this warm.

Charlie Young beach has amazing water - the warmest I felt in all the beaches I had visited. There is also a nice amount of wave, which is perfect for boogie boarding.

After only a few runs, it was clear in my mind: this is my future. Yes, ladies and gentlemen, I am going to become a world professional boogie boarder, touring anywhere with waves and a willing audience.

I mean, look at me ride that wave!

Dad (sorry Dad) wasn't nearly as graceful.

I mean, how could I NOT pursue this professionally? Look at the smile on my face. That, my friends, is happiness.

I even picked up the subtle nuances of the sport very fast. See how ignored that wave? It wasn't the perfect wave.

Anyway, I enjoyed a very successful morning featuring career self-discovery and salt water enemas (not literally, people), and got to see some more whales breech the surface of the water (big ones this time...not like the little baby yesterday!) I think they might have been fighting over a female. It was a pretty cool sight to see!

Anyway, after all the sand and sun, however, I was ready to head back to the condo for the afternoon...

...where I promptly collapsed on the daybed for 2 hours. When I awoke, I was ridiculously woozy, and couldn't stomach my food. Apparently, since my mind had left Hawaii, my body thought it had too! I was suffering from a bit of sunstroke and dehydration (as well as a sunburn across my face!)

By this point, it was time to say goodbye to Hawaii (again!) and we left for the airport. This time, we were through the check-out counter in record time, and moved on to be frisked by security (why is it ALWAYS me?)

On the plane I slept the entire way...my body definitely wasn't happy with me by this point. I even was conked out through the landing. I didn't even know we had landed! I felt something funny, looked up, and we were on the ground. I turned to Dad, who said that I looked so peaceful, he couldn't bear to wake me up!

We had to race through customs (in Vancouver) to catch our next flight, and again, I slept through the entire thing. Upon landing in Toronto, I was greeted in the worst possible way (with snow), and was definitely wishing to be back in Hawaii. Some of that disdain melted away, however, when I got back to rez to comments of "You look so good," and "You have an awesome tan." Plus, it is nice to come home to a bit of familiarity after being away for so long!

So that was my vacation to Hawaii. It is definitely one of the more memorable trips I've ever taken, and will certainly hold a special place in my heart for years to come (at least, until I go back again!...Cookie? You in?) I'm even considering (and I dare you to try and stop me, Dad) getting a Hawaiian inspired tattoo, but that is still awhile down the road.

I hope you've enjoyed my postings, and I hope that, for those of you who have been to Hawaii, I have reminded you of how amazing it is, and for those of you who haven't, I have inspired you to visit this paradise on earth.

Aloha, my friends.

Swing Of Things

2007-03-06T00:01:00.000-05:00

So getting back into the swing of things has been ANYTHING but easy, but I'm chugging along. I'll get reoriented by, I don't know, time to graduate.

Anyway, I have collected all my sexy Hawaii photos from my Dad and my sister, and I'm working on organizing them into groups (no easy feat, let me tell you.) So when I get that done, I'll aim to start putting up a blog or so every day highlighting a day from my trip (in backwards order, so when I'm done, it'll read forwards...oh yeah...I thought this through.)

Anyway, until then, all you Facebookers can see the photos on my Facebook page (minus the hilarious anecdotes that my blogs will eventually add.)

Because, Yes, If Everyone Else Was Jumping Off A Bridge, I Would Too!

2007-03-01T00:28:00.000-05:00

Not too bad...I'm particularly pleased to resemble (in some way, shape, or form) my girl-crush Scarlett Johansson.

Back From Paradise

2007-02-27T23:27:00.000-05:00

Well I have returned, safely, and only a day late.

Over the next little while I promise to get all my pictures together, as well as pictures that my father and my sister took, and write the blog (or blogs) to end all blogs.

So, I promise, soon you will be able to hear about all the highlights, from the tropical storm in Hana, to the spinner dolphin show, to the tropical sunsets, to the exhilarating trip down the volcano (and MUCH more of course!)

Until then, I leave you with this:

Aloha!

2007-02-22T14:25:00.000-05:00

As I sit in a Hawaiian condo, looking out to the palm trees, lush green grass, and the beautiful ocean, I decided to update my blog. I mean, SOMEONE has to point out how tough my life is.

Here are a couple pictures of our (thus far) amazing trip to paradise. More will (obviously) be posted when I return to the cold Canadian north. Ugh.

This picture was taking during lunch of our bike trip down the volcano. The creature that Dad is holding is called a Jackson. When they told me that, I was humming Johnny Cash for the rest of the day.

The condo we are staying at is called the "Maui Sunset." Can you figure out why?

I'm Leaving On A Jet Plane...

2007-02-15T00:42:00.000-05:00

...and will probably wish that I DON'T come back again.

Catch you all on the flip side...

Sweet Deal!

2007-02-12T04:54:00.000-05:00

It is now nearing 5:00 in the morning. I have class at 9:00.

I am going to get about 3-1/2 hours of sleep.

That's three more hours than I had planned!

Yes!

Oh, Horror Of Horrors

2007-02-07T12:04:00.000-05:00

This is unlike anything I've ever seen before.

Seriously, it's like something out of a bad horror movie.

If this place was ever on my vacation list, it has been officially crossed off.

*shiver*

Degrees Of Difference

2007-02-05T23:27:00.000-05:00

Monday, February 5, 2007

11:27 PM

Current temperature in Toronto:

-12°C (feels like -23°C)
10°F (feels like -9°F)

Current temperature in Honolulu:

24°C (feels like 30°C)
75°F (feels like 86°F)

Guess where I'm NOT going to be in 10 sleeps.

If you guessed that I'm NOT going to be in Honolulu, you'd be wrong.

Suckers.

UPDATE: OK. So I have been informed, "You will not be in Honolulu in 10 sleeps - you will be in Kihei on the island of Maui. Honolulu is on the Island of O'aho."

Woopdeeflippindoo. Honolulu...Kihei...same difference.

My point still stands. I will be somewhere warmer than all of you.

And I'm still going to call you all suckers.

Love,

Kyla

It's OK...I'm Sure He'll Regret His Missed Opportunity To Makeout With Me

2007-02-02T00:35:00.000-05:00

I'd like you to all close your eyes and imagine.

Well...close your eyes after I tell you what you're supposed to imagine, otherwise you'll close your eyes and imagine away without ever having known what you are supposed to be imagining about, right?

Ok.

So imagine you are a young, aspiring filmmaker who has been invited to an after-party for the opening of a Canadian film.

You spend hours getting ready, get your makeup done downtown, and dredge through the slush and snow in 3 inch stilletos so you still look fab when you arrive.

You show up at the red carpet for the event, and are ushered through by the bouncer. Your name is on the guest list.

You get your tickets for free drinks. They take your coat, for free.

Then you sit and wait. And wait. And wait.

What are you waiting for?

The celebrities of course...

But they don't show. Something about not feeling up to it, I guess. How embarrassing to the organizers.

So, my friends, continue using your imagination and imagine this:

(Insert picture of Kyla, Michael Buble, and Emily Blunt here)

Yes my friends, on Tuesday night I was supposed to be hobnobbing with Michael Buble and Emily Blunt (of The Devil Wears Prada fame), but they decided not to show.

I mean, it was no big deal. I spent an amazing night with my friend Amanda, looked hot, and drank free drinks all night. I even got to check out some members of the Canadian film industry.

But still...I really wanted to meet Michael Buble...

Difficult Times...

2007-01-22T04:45:00.000-05:00

It's hard to be wittier in '07 when you're SAD.

Posting will resume as soon as my normality does.

Hawaii can't come soon enough.

Kyla's Movie Guide - 2007

2007-01-14T18:06:00.001-05:00

During a (now) common night of boredom coupled with insomnia, I decided to go through a list of films being released this year, and make my choices for ones I want to see and why. Be forewarned that these are my personal choices based on my (sometimes eclectic) tastes, so you can choose to ignore them (though I would like to point out that I have been right about these things from time to time.) By the way, the dates above the films are the dates that they are set to be released in North America (and are typically subject to change.)

I have put each one in one of the following categories:

Must-See: I will go out of my way to make sure I can get to a theatre and see this movie on the big screen.
See: If I get a chance, I will spend $10 to see this movie on the big screen.
Rent: I want to see this movie, but will wait until it's available for renting.

Now, without further ado...

January 12, 2007
Home Laberinto del Fauno (Pan's Labyrinth) I have heard WAY too much good about this movie to ignore it. Plus, I've really started getting more and more into foreign films.	See
Miss Potter My reasoning behind this one is two words: Ewan McGregor. (But as a side note, I grew up with Beatrix Potter stories and am kind of interested in seeing the story behind the stories.)	Rent
Letters From Iwo Jima This one was getting a lot of Oscar buzz even before it's release date, and I like to keep on top of movies that are deemed "Oscar-Worthy."	See
January 19, 2007
The Good German There is just too much good about this movie (director, cast, concept) for it to go terribly wrong.	Must-See
January 26, 2007
Catch And Release I enjoy a good girlie movie from time to time, and the addition of director Kevin Smith to the mix is going to guarantee some great laughs.	Must-See
February 2, 2007
Factory Girl After having Sienna Miller and her antics shoved down my throat for the past year, I'm anxious to see if she's actually a performer or just another pretty Hollywood face. But mostly I'll probably go to watch Hayden Christensen in action.	See
February 9, 2007
Breaking And Entering After finally seeing proof that Jude Law CAN act, I'm interested to see him strut his stuff in this thriller. However, playing an adulterer in a movie and actually being one in real life might ruin him for me again.	Rent
February 16, 2006
Bridge To Terabithia Having studied this novel (Ok, Grade 6 novel study), I want to see how the director visually shares Terabithia with the audience.	Rent
February 23, 2007
The Number 23 With a concept that sounds like a dark version of 2006's Stranger Than Fiction, and a spooky poster of none other than Jim Carrey, this movie seems oddly compelling. Plus, I'm one of the few who enjoy Carrey's dramatic ventures over his early comedic work.	See
March 2, 2007
Zodiac David Fincher directed Fight Club. This movie could blow and I'd still go see it.	Must-See
I Could Never Be Your Woman Yet again, another chick-flick is sneaking into the mix. This one just sounds fun, with a highly talented cast.	Rent
Full Of It I'm judging this one solely on concept; in the same stream as Weird Science, it kind of sounds like an 'everything-goes-right-for-a-nerdy-kind-of-kid' all around, good time (albeit highly cliche) movie.	Rent
March 9, 2007
Reign Over Me Adam Sandler + 9/11 Drama = Curiosity? I think so.	See
Fast Track If the trailer for this film starring the lovable duo of Zach Braff and Jason Bateman is anything like the actual movie, this movie guaranteed to produce many laughs.	Must-See
Fido The concept of this zombie movie is unlike any I have ever heard of, and is therefore good enough for me to try.	See
March 16, 2007
Premonition Although taking a break from the indie scene which has been doing her good, Sandra Bullock's latest flick looks like it will be a good thriller, even if the plot ends up seeming canned.	Rent
Lucky You I just want to see how they make a feature film out of a game of poker.	Rent
The Pleasure Of Your Company Early reviews of this film are promising that Jason Biggs is taking a positive turn from the American Pie franchise with this hopefully sweet romantic comedy.	See
March 23, 2007
The Lookout Written by the man who brought us Minority Report I am excited to see Joseph Gordon-Levitt in this darker film, with hopefully a lot of twists and turns along the way	See
Superhero! Yes, it may be another spoof film, but it is spoofing a kind of film that I am particularly fond of. That's good enough for me.	Rent
March 30, 2007
Meet The Robinsons Already being hailed as potentially "the best-looking animated film of 2007", I am psyched to see what Disney has to offer us with this family-oriented film.	See
Blades Of Glory I feel like Will Ferrell should take every competitive sport or event and make it into a movie mocking it's existence. Like the hilarious Talledega Nights this movie should shine on the big screen with comedic genius Ferrell being supported by the amazing Jon Heder (of Napoleon Dynamite fame) and Amy Poehler.	Must-See
April 6, 2007
Grindhouse The combined genius of Quentin Tarantino and Robert Rodriguez is sure to create one of the most memorable films that 2007 will see.	Must-See
The Hoax I don't know too much about this film, other than the fact that it stars Richard Gere, and that any movie where the audience knows more than the characters on screen is always perfect for a good movie-going time.	See
April 13, 2007
Spring Breakdown The ridiculous concept behind this film (I mean, really...30 somethings acting as college coed? I don't think so!) is enough for me to eventually spend a couple hours of my life watching it.	Rent
Disturbia Shia LeBoef certainly has come a long way since his family-oriented television days. I can wait to see him do something gritty.	Rent
Year Of The Dog I've always been fond of the writings of Mike White, and want to support his directorial debut. Besides that, a cast featuring John C. Reilly and Peter Sarsgaard are bound to make this movie great.	See
April 20, 2007
The Nanny Diaries My girl-crush on Scarlett Johansson isn't the only reason behind me wanting to see this film. Ok, it's the main reason, but the rest of the cast is great and the concept behind the film sounds like it'll be an enjoying view (and I wasn't talking about Scarlett that time.)	See
April 27, 2007
Balls Of Fury First a comedy about figure skating and now one about ping pong. 2007 appears to be the year of making fun of random sports that no one really watches. Maybe it's all a guise to actually make us appreciate the real sport behind the movie? Time will tell on that one...	See
Fracture Sounds like Silence Of The Lambs except with Ryan Gosling instead of Jodie Foster. Good enough for me!	See
May 4, 2007
Spider-Man 3 This movie (as far as I'm concerned) will mark the beginning of an excellent summer of HUGE blockbuster movies. While I am the first to complain about producers overworking movie franchises, the Spider-Man franchise is one that I am happy to see is continuing to thrive.	Must-See
May 11, 2007
Georgia Rule As much as I speak with disdain when referring to Lindsay Lohan, I must grudgingly admit that she has some talent. It'll be nice to see her in something more age appropriate. Now if she could only learn to handle her personal life...	See
May 18, 2007
Shrek The Third I love a good dose of animated pop-culture. I have no doubt that enough work was put into the story that Shrek The Third will live up to it's precursors.	Must-See
1408 I have a warm spot in my heart for John Cusack. It's pretty much as big as the warm spot in my heart for mysterious and psychologically thrilling movies.	See
May 25, 2007
Pirates Of The Caribbean: At Worlds End Finally! Answers to all the questions the second Pirates movie left unanswered. I'm so excited to see how they wrap up this amazing trilogy!	Must-See
I Want Someone To Eat Cheese With For the same reason I saw Snakes On A Plane, I will see this movie. The title rocks! I don't even know what it's about. All I know is that I want to see it!	Rent
June 1, 2007
Knocked Up Judd Apatow is one of the funniest men making movies these days, and if his follow-up to The 40-Year Old Virgin is even close to being as funny or well-constructed, this is a good way to kick off June.	Must-See
June 8, 2007
Ocean's Thirteen I love the Ocean's franchise. I will probably go see this movie 6 times in theatres, just to see the beauty that is combined sex-appeal of Brad Pitt, George Clooney and Matt Damon. Oh, the stories are usually good too as well. Yay heist movies!	Must-See
Surf's Up What is it with people and penguins lately? I just don't get it. Oh well. The fact that this is an animated movie with talented voices means I will probably give it a chance.	See
June 15, 2007
Fantastic Four: Rise Of The Silver Surfer Ok, so the first Fantastic Four blows. I know that. You know that. But it does have some fantastic special effect. I'll probably see it simply to watch the special features on the DVD release.	Rent
June 22, 2007
Evan Almighty It's good to finally see Steve Carell get the attention that was stolen from him by Jim Carrey in the first Almighty movie. Bonus points for securing Morgan Freeman as God again.	Must-See
June 29, 2007
Ratatouille I started seeing trailers for this years ago, and think I got it mixed up with the other animated rat movie, Flushed Away. This one looks a whole ton better though, and will probably be the rat movie I choose to spend money on.	See
July 6, 2007
Transformers This is one of those movies where the hype building up to it will be the reason I go see it right away. I mean, when other movies talk about your movie in their script (coughcoughClerksIIcoughcough), you know that it's kind of a big deal.	Must-See
License To Wed Robin Williams has been stooping pretty low lately with his movie choices. Despite that, however, he is still a ridiculously funny man, and will make this movie worthwhile in the end.	Rent
July 13, 2007
Harry Potter And The Order Of The Phoenix This movie is a gift from the movie gods to me for my 21st birthday. Finally, we've hit the point where our favourite wizard is really starting to see the dark side of the wizarding world, and starts having to make some serious choices about his future at Hogwarts.	Must-See
July 20, 2007
I Now Pronounce You Chuck And Larry What if Adam Sandler and Kevin James were to get married? I know I wonder that a lot. At least this movie will be released in July and that pressing question can finally be answered.	Must-See
Hairspray I am not going to sit idly and let the many pictures of John Travolta and Christopher Walken in drag pass me by. I am going to see this movie!	Must-See
July 27, 2007
The Simpsons Movie Having been banned from The Simpsons as a child, I'm not sure if this movie will be as important to me as it will to other people (ie: fans of the show.) I fear it'll be a bit like The Trailer Park Boys Movie where the only people who enjoy it are the ones who have followed the show since the beginning. I'll give it a chance though.	See
Stardust I don't know much about this movie, but some still show it to have a really romantic and mystical look about it, which is always enjoyable for a great visual trip.	See
No Reservations At first I wasn't going to put this one on the list, the but perpetual adorableness of Abigail Breslin won out in the end.	See
August 3, 2007
The Bourne Ultimatum Here is another franchise that I really value and thank my lucky stars regularly that it was made. I have goosebumps in anticipation for the twists and turns that this movie will take me on.	Must-See
Charlie Bartlett The logline won me out. I mean, how do you resist "Initially failing to fit in at his new public school, Charlie Bartlett (Yelchin) appoints himself as the new resident therapist, where he doles out advice, and the occasional prescription or two..."	See
August 17, 2007
Super Bad Michael Cera of Arrested Development fame is headlining this movie, and my crush on his character George Michael is enough for me to venture out and see him on the big screen for the first time (first time for me at least.)	Must-See
Fanboys Any movie that has anything to do with Star Wars is to be placed on a pedestal and revered above all others.	Must-See
August 31, 2007
The Brothers Solomon First Jason Bateman, then Michael Cera, and now Will Arnett (all of Arrested Development fame) all have movies coming out this year. The previous television work of theirs is probably the only reason I will see most of their movies, but I sincerely hope for good things.	See
September 28, 2007
Mr. Bean's Holiday Another Mr. Bean movie? It's been what? 10 years? I don't care what people think or what anyone says...I will see this movie and I will enjoy it and laugh...a lot (besides...it's the only thing that even sounds remotely good to me that September has to offer.)	See
October 5, 2007
The Golden Age This one is being hyped as a sequel to Elizabeth, and I believe that a strong, time-driven piece is a good change from the rest of the movies on this list.	See
October 12, 2007
The Martian Child Once again. There is a warm spot in my heart for John Cusack. I can only image that John Cusack starring alongside a kid will bring cute results.	Rent
October 26, 2007
Mr. Woodcock Unlike I Want Someone To Eat Cheese With (mentioned earlier) I think this wins for the worst title for a movie. However, all is explained in the trailer, and I think that this is going to be a dorky, but enjoyable stupid movie.	Rent
November 2, 2007
Bee Movie I am baffled by the teaser trailer for this (which features actors dressed up as bugs trying to survive on an oversized windshield being showered with water and tossed in the wind.) The jury is still out on this one, but it looks like it might be fun.	See
November 9, 2007
Fred Claus I find there are a lot of really lousy holiday movies with a few gems (like Elf) thrown into the mix. I'm hoping this one is a diamond in the rough.	See
November 16, 2007
Beowulf The story of Beowulf is going to be motion-capture animated? By Zemeckis? I'm intrigued.	See
November 23, 2007
Enchanted I'm pretty sure I've run out of things to say now. This one is animated. If you've been reading, you'll know that animation pretty much wins for me.	See
December 28, 2007
Charlie Wilson's War I don't know much about this one yet, but it will be nice to see perennial favourite, Tom Hanks appear as the title role in another movie.	See

There you have it folks...my list for 2007. I'm sure some of these will be bombs, while others will be pleasant surprises. Some I have no doubt will blow my mind, while I'm sure there are movies that aren't on this list (and haven't even been announced for release) yet that will be extraordinary and very much worth mentioning. That's the great thing about film though - there is a whole world of options waiting for you!

Happy movie-going!

And People Wonder Why I Don't Want To Have Children...

2007-01-13T02:43:00.000-05:00

...they grow up into teenagers.

Oh gosh...I think I just threw up a bit in my mouth.

Save yourself.

Karaoke Kyla

2007-01-08T22:07:00.000-05:00

I can't sing. Everyone knows this. Yet I love karaoke. Go figure.

I am a joyful noisemaker. What I severely lack in talent, I make up for with pure, unadulterated enthusiasm.

I sang for you, Cookie, like I said I would (it's a song I thought you could appreciate):

"But you always really knew/
I just wanna be with you/

And I’m in so deep/
You know I’m such a fool for you/
You got me wrapped around your finger/
Do you have to let it linger/
Do you have to do you have to/
Do you have to let it linger"

In other news, I think I just lost a lot of respect for Gwen Stefani after hearing a couple girls singing her new song in the elevator:

They got all offended when I asked them why they were singing the yodeling song from The Sound Of Music.

They didn't even REALIZE that Gwen Stefani totally ripped off the classic movie.

Why Gwen...why?

Airport Apathy

2007-01-05T22:59:00.000-05:00

"You have been randomly selected for additionally checking," she exclaimed heartily. Wow, either I won something amazing, or lady, you love your job. Considering you're working for Air Canada, I'm going to place all my money on the former.

All my bags are lined up - 2 carry-ons, a purse, 2 jackets. I wait expectantly, awaiting the hell that is repacking after they tear all my worldly possessions apart.

"Witness this for me?" she asks a colleague. Hello? I'm right here. I can witness you going through my bags.

The latex gloves go on, like delving into my bags is akin to open heart surgery. I make no fuss - the only grimy hands allowed to touch my stuff are my own.

She walks past my luggage.

"I need you to spread your legs and open your arms wide" she says, looking me straight in the eye.

I beg your pardon!

I comply. Up the right leg. Down the right leg. Up the left leg. Down the left leg.

Across the stomach. Up the right arm. Down the right arm. Up the left arm. Down the left arm.

Across the back. Through the hair.

On the butt. Wait? Repeat that? On the butt?

She's more fresh than most teenage boys I've encountered. I just lost all my money on my first bet. She loves her job.

"Security at the airport groped me" I texted, anxious to share with anyone who would listen.

"Oh, you liked it" my cell phone chimed.

No comment.

9C is a jerk. I hope the drink cart hits him in the elbow and dislocates his shoulder. He's obviously not from around here. Lucky us.

The ride is bumpy. The man behind me snores. Rain falls in sleets. At least James Blunt keeps me company.

Pearson is bigger than most shopping malls I've been in. I've done my share of shopping, I assure you.

$2 gets deposited into a machine for a cart. If said cart is returned, a reward is given. A $0.25 reward. Can't really figure out how a quarter is a reward when I spent a $1.75 to borrow a hunk of metal on wheels, but I was never very good at math.

The carousel goes around and around endlessly. Had I been 6, and at an amusement park, this might be a good thing. But I'm not 6. And I'm not amused.

How does an airline lose a piece of luggage? On a direct flight...

Kill me now.

They promise to return my luggage when they find it.

"Do you have enough toiletries at home to last you for the next day?"

"No, everything I have is in that bag."

He wasn't really paying attention. I hope, for his sake, his shift is over.

"Ok, have a great evening." Airline personnel apathy will eventually be the death of us all.

At least my movies were in my carry-on.

Wittier In '07

2007-01-04T23:44:00.000-05:00

I started writing a corny opening sentence about 'another year gone by...' but then I decided that was entirely against what I wanted this post to be about.

I guess, for the new year, I kind of want this blog to go in a different direction. I haven't decided what direction that is yet...I kind of decided all this on a whim.

All I know is that I am bored with writing "I woke up, went to school and did 'this' (fill in whatever you want 'this' to be) today." I want my posts to be wittier, more clever...more thought out. I've also enjoyed posting YouTube movies and other odds and ends I find while surfing the net, so I might throw more of those posts into the mix.

Until, however, I can figure out what new direction I want for this blog in 2007, you are all stuck with a typical 2006 kind of entry.

Coming home this Christmas was good for me (and not only to catch up on my sleep.)

For those of you who know me well, it's been a year since I've last been home, since I opted to stay in Toronto and work for the summer.

While a lot has changed, it's refreshing to know that some things stay the same. Cookie (Lindsay) and I still amuse ourselves with our inside jokes, and all of us girls (adding Kelley and Jocelyn into the mix) still enjoy posing in front of cameras for endless glamour shots. Andrew still hits on anything that moves despite now having a girlfriend, and Bryan and I still get into our outrageous sarcasm battles which typically get both of us into trouble. Despite having not seen Andy for well over a year (longer than the others), he's still as I remember him, but maybe with more direction. Ricky is still Ricky, but impressed me this Christmas with his independence and drive, and Nick is still Nick, offering me a quarter to ride the pony and almost losing gracefully at bowling (and he would have lost gracefully had he not beat me by 3 measly points.)

Even though it's hard to tell what the future holds with this group of friends I know that these constants are what will keep them forever etched in my heart. See...I'm reverting back to 2006 corniness!

I'd comment more on the changes that have taken place, but some of them are still too painful to really deal with (not to mention that I don't entirely know my audience and there are certain things that I refuse to tell certain people.)

Now, this wouldn't be a 2006-esque post if I did not quote some song that reminded me of these changes. Well, my friends, that song is "How To Save A Life" by The Fray (and not The Phrase as I thought my sister had said.)

I would post the music video, but I read somewhere that there are like 3 music videos for this song, so I'll simply the matter and just post the song. Now, if it doesn't work, don't blame me. The speakers on my computer at home aren't working, so I won't be able to test this until I get back to school tomorrow:

Anyway, the chorus goes something like this:

"Where did I go wrong, I lost a friend/
Somewhere along in the bitterness/
And I would have stayed with you all night/
Had I known how to save a life."

For so long, I listened to those lyrics and believed them. For some reason, I believed, that the things that have changed in my life were some how my doing, and the reason I felt I had lost must have been my fault.

Yet, and I'm not sure when, I came to this realization:

What happened, and what transpired is not my fault. I did nothing wrong. As much as I like to control things, I can't take the blame for what was lost. I have washed my hands of it, and finally now, in 2007, can take a deep breath and know that I have (FINALLY!) moved on.

(I had something to say at this point, but no matter how I reworded it, I couldn't fix it to not bring back that bitterness that I just talked about, and that would defeat the purpose of my post. If you're curious, ask, but I may choose not to tell you. So nyah nyah nyah!)

As a side note, I wouldn't recommend listening to that song in the car. It's kind of one of those songs that a show like The O.C. or Grey's Anatomy would play to show something really terrible happening, like a car crash. For all I know, they already have. I don't know...I don't watch those shows. But really, don't do it. I listened to it in the car and was all freaked out that I was going to crash, and I was going to be found in a pile of burning twisted metal, and as a muscular fireman pulled me from the wreckage, that song started magically playing for all to hear, as he dragged my limp body away, the car exploding in the background, lighting up the starry sky.

Ok, so I watch a lot of movies.

In other news, Arrested Development is the best thing that has ever happened to me. Music World was having a sale so on a whim I bought the first and second seasons, having never watched a single episode. Now, in the past week I've watched 2 entire seasons (or 40 lovely episodes) and now have the strong craving for more. So strong, in fact, that I'm willing to sacrifice everything I own and love just to get my hands on the 3rd season. (Ok, that's a lie. I couldn't give up most of the things I own, and definitely not anything I love, but that does not negate the fact that I need the next season and I need it SOON!)

Moving on, I made some solid resolutions this year:

1) Eat more junk food
2) Sleep past noon more often
3) Spend exorbitant amounts of money on things I don't need
4) Watch more movies

and

5) Find new and exciting ways to bring up Steve Buscemi in normal everyday conversations.

I feel they are good resolutions...ones I can actually keep.

Actually no, I didn't really make any resolutions. I find people do and then get frustrated when they realize they are failures...I mean, realize that they failed...their resolutions. Yeah...

Rather, I'd just like to work on making myself a better person, in mind body and spirit. At the same time, however, I'd like to think I didn't need a fancy schmancy changing of the year to be a better human.

Anyway, I'm going to bed. I promised Cookie I would arise before noon so we can chill before I catch my evening plane back to TO, and sadly leave one of the things I couldn't give up for Season 3 of Arrested Development - a sense of home.

I'll miss you guys.

So let's see what direction this blog takes...your guess is as good as mine.

I look forward to blogging with you in '07!

Tears With A Cherry On Top

2006-12-29T20:56:00.000-05:00

Sometimes, being a girl can suck.

Because sometimes, as a girl, all you want to do is bawl your eyes out and people just don't understand why.

The reason they don't get it is because usually you're crying over something stupid.

But you can't help it.

You're a girl.

But sometimes it's good to be a girl.

Because sometimes, a good cry is be better than ice cream.

Only without the hot fudge.

Dear Consumers Who Can't Go More Than One Day Without Shopping...

2006-12-26T18:23:00.000-05:00

Kindly remove your head from your butt and learn how to read.

Best Holiday Wishes!

Kyla

I'll Be Home For Christmas...

2006-12-14T08:12:00.000-05:00

...You can count on me.

Friday, December 15, 1006.

11:05 AM.

Can't wait to see you all!

Your Head A Splode

2006-12-07T02:30:00.000-05:00

This video made my mind implode. No lie.

Really, if you get the chance, take the time to watch the entire thing. It starts off cool, and then you'll think you've figured out his tricks, but you haven't. Sorry to disappoint you, but you haven't. I could add that you're just not that smart, but that would be mean.

In other news, I want the weather to make up it's mind. One minute snow, the next torrential downpour, the next bright and sunny. I have lived in Canada long enough to know how to live happily in all three conditions...I just can't deal with all three happening in the same day. Let's choose a weather pattern and stick with it for longer than 30 seconds, OK? Because really, the fact I've had to up my typical two outfit changes per day to three or four is starting to do unhappy things to my patience for doing laundry...

UPDATE: As an afterthought, I decided to tell you all about my nocturnalness. Not a word? It is now!

Basically, I can't call it insomnia, because I DO sleep, and when I sleep, I sleep like I've never slept before. However, I usually don't get that sleep until 3, maybe 4 (though it has hit 5) in the morning. It's not that my mind is wandering or anything...I'm just not tired. Lying there with my eyes open seems pointless, so I do work until 3, maybe 4 (though it has hit 5) in the morning.

Here comes the nocturnal part. When I do have classes, they start at 9, which means I have to get up at 8 to get there on time. 3 or 4 hours of sleep never cuts it, so when I'm done classes, and if I have no other obligations, I sleep in the afternoon. I am a power napper, let me tell you. I don't do those measly 30-minute naps. Nope, I'm a 3, maybe 4 (though it has hit 5) hour napper. And when I nap this long, even if my nap starts at 11:00 in the morning, I can't sleep at night. As so begins the cycle.

Here's hoping that the Christmas holiday puts me back to normal, because I am tired of falling asleep mere minutes before the sun starts to rise.

My Christmas Wish...

2006-12-04T20:06:00.000-05:00

Dear Santa,

I only have one request this year (well, it's a two-parter, but sometimes things end up that way.)

Santa, all I want for Christmas is a better metabolism.

I know a lot of people probably don't ask for this, so it might be hard to procure, but if you can manage it, I'd like one. I'd like to enjoy a piece of cheesecake every now and then without have to work out for two weeks to remove it from my thighs.

So if you can manage that for me, I would be forever grateful.

Here is the second part of that request:

If you have trouble finding a brand new metabolism for me, please take Jennifer Garner's and give it to me. I want her to stop her complaining and know what it is really like to be a disaster.

Thanks Santa! See you on Christmas Eve!

Love,

Kyla

P.S. Please make sure my parents know that you are covering this request for me and that this request in no way negates them from buying me lots and lots of lovely presents.

24K Kyla

2006-12-01T03:02:00.000-05:00

A totally random, yet fun quiz. And I liked the results, so what the heck...

Yup...that's me...super star cuddler.

I'm Beatrice McBrady For Bee News...

2006-11-28T03:12:00.000-05:00

I'm feeling ridiculously bored, but don't have anything of any interest to blog about today.

Oh wait...maybe I do.

I had one of the best times I've ever had on set this weekend. We were filming a mockumentary about Hollywood actors and producers and directors, and one of the scenes involved a glitzy movie premiere. We filmed the movie premiere at a theatre in Oakville. (As a bit of trivia, this theatre became a church for a short while before reverting back to being a theatre. Before I moved to New Brunswick, I used to lead the drama program for my youth group on Sunday nights when it was held at the theatre. It was very surreal to be back again.) Anyway, we pulled out all the stops for this scene. We had them change the marquee to read "Sweet Melissa: World Premiere", and there was a red carpet, and a moving spotlight...there was even a stretch limo! We got a whole ton of people to act as die hard fans of the actors, and we had about 8 "paparazzi" present, flashing cameras the entire time.

What was my role? Well, no red carpet would be complete without the red carpet journalist. I got to dress up and do my hair and makeup, and was handed a microphone for the "Bee News" station. From there I improvised myself a character (Beatrice McBrady for Bee News, with the buzz on what is happening at the world premiere of "Sweet Melissa"), and I got to improvise interviews with the actors as they emerged from the stretch limo.

It was a lot of fun (albeit cold...we had to pretend it was Hollywood, so I stood outside in a minidress in the middle of a Canadian November), and I am really looking forward to seeing the final product in the new year.

Anyway, before I remembered that story, I was going to post one of the funniest things I have seen in a long time, featuring one of my favourite actors, Peter Sarsgaard. For any of you who watched the news at all a couple years ago, you should get a kick out of this.

Aphthous Stomatitis

2006-11-26T04:12:00.000-05:00

I have diagnosed myself with the condition.

It is when you have multiple or reoccurring canker sores in your mouth.

I have never been in this much pain from canker sores in my life. My lymph nodes are swollen from them, and my jaw is so tight, that it hurts to lie down because my back is all knotted up in tension.

I thought my stress was over. Now the stress of having canker sores is making more canker sores appear.

Kill me now.

My Childhood Has Been Rediscovered And It Smells Like Wonderful

2006-11-22T22:44:00.000-05:00

I cannot tell you how excited I am today.

I had a bit of spare time (a rarity, I assure you), and suddenly, I felt myself in the mood to do a little bit of research ala Wikipedia.

For years, I have tried to tell people about my favourite game show that I watched all the time as a kid. The problem was, I couldn't remember what it was called, and my description of it always came across as a little bit vague.

Essentially, this is what I remember:

Two teams would compete against each other by moving a character around different spaces on a video screen. Sometimes he would run into obstacles (such as the neighborhood bully), and different squares brought up different challenges. Then, at the very end the team with the most points would win the chance to be a character in an arcade game. They would go into this foggy back room and (using what I MUCH later learned to be bluescreen technology) try and collect coins and dodge danger before beating the last character and winning some sweet prizes.

Well, after doing some research, I came across a show called "Nick Arcade", which in fact turned out to be my missing game show!

But it gets better! While the description was more than enough proof that I had found my missing childhood, I decided to YouTube it.

Here are some choice clips from what is (or at least I though so back then) the greatest television game show. Ever.

Ok, here is the introduction to one of the shows (and the introduction of the host, Phil Moore.)

I love the line "...a guy who once busted a move so bad, he had to pay to get it fixed." You gotta love early 90's comedy.

Now, here is some more information on something I could only ever dream of entering, the 'Video Zone.'

Here is a 'Face Off' between the two teams to earn control of 'Mikey, The Video Adventurer.'

I KNEW I remembered something about a little character that would get moved around the board. His name was Mikey. Who would have known?

I can't find any videos of anyone actually winning, so you're going to have to settle for two people really sucking.

Wow...what a fun trip down the good 'ol memory lane. Tune in for another blog when I write about "Masters Of The Maze" and "Kidstreet."

Saying Goodbye To A Legend...

2006-11-21T12:09:00.000-05:00

The filmmaking world has lost one of the greats...

Rest In Peace, Robert Altman. You will be sorely missed...

Soundtrack To My Life

2006-11-15T14:48:00.000-05:00

I stole this from Andy. Basically you follow these instructions:

1. Open your library (iTunes, Winamp, Media Player, iPod, etc)
2. Put it on shuffle/random.
3. Press play.
4. For every question, type the song that's playing.
5. When you go to a new question, press the next button.

Some of mine kind of work. Actually, some of them work so well, it's freaky (see the dance sequence one! Thanks itunes! ) I will admit, I was kind of hoping for "Grade 9" by BNL for the "First Day Of School" category, but with 4000 songs on my itunes, this list turned out pretty well. Some of the randomness is downright funny. This also goes to show that I have a very eclectic taste in music.

So if any of you ever want to make a movie about my life (heck, if I ever want to make a movie about my life), the soundtrack is already chosen for you. Enjoy!

Opening Credits:
"What About Love" - Heart

Waking Up:
"Cry" - Mandy Moore

First Day At School:
"Take Me To Your Leader" - Newsboys

Falling In Love:
"My Funny Valentine" - Constantine Maroulis

Breaking Up:
"Crocodile Rock" - Elton John

Prom:
"All In All" - Lifehouse

Life's OK:
"Hallelujah" - Rufus Wainwright

Breakdown:
"Come Together" - Aerosmith

Driving:
"The Boys In The Bright White Sports Car" - Trooper

Flashback:
"The Impression That I Get" - The Mighty Mighty Bosstones

Getting Back Together:
"I Can't Ever Get Enough Of You" - Darren Hayes

Wedding:
"Wherever You Will Go" - The Calling

Sex Scene:
"To The Moon And Back" - Savage Garden

Birth of Child:
"Lost Without Each Other" - Hanson

Final Battle:
"I Got A Name" - Jim Croce

Death Scene:
"Spirit In The Sky" - Norman Greenbaum

Funeral Song:
"Good Riddance (Time Of Your Life)" - Green Day

Dance Sequence:
"Dancing Queen" - ABBA

End Credits:
"Who'll Stop The Rain" - Creedance Clearwater Revival

Hey McFly!

2006-11-14T02:29:00.000-05:00

What does the best boy do? Why don't you listen to his song, buttheads? (Teehee...oh I'm so clever. Ok...just watch the clip.)

P.S. For those who just didn't get it, this is the guy who played Biff in the Back To The Future trilogy. If you haven't seen it, you need to get out more.

Requiem For A Theme

2006-11-09T00:20:00.000-05:00

Thanks to my "fountain of totally useless trivia" I now know the answer to something that has been bothering me for at least 5 (years now.)

What the heck is this song?

Well ladies and gentlemen, as you can see it is from Requiem For A Dream. The only thing is, I've never seen Requiem For A Dream. The only time I've ever heard this song is in movie re-cuts where the editor is trying to be dramatic (succeeding, but evidentially being totally cliche along the way.)

So now I know. If I die tonight, my life is complete.

A Halloween Post-Mortem

2006-11-02T00:59:00.000-05:00

I hope you all had a bloody Happy Halloween.

And for those of you who DON'T like my sad, forlorn photos, here is a happy one:

I'm not sure how much better this one is, but at least it'll make all sides happy!

Happy Belated Halloween, one and all! Coming up next: Christmas!

Life List

2006-10-28T17:30:00.002-04:00

I'm a big fan of the Ellen DeGeneres Show and watch it when I get a chance (which isn't often, but I try.)

Anyway, she has what she calls a life list, which is essentially a list of things that she wishes to do at some point in her life. I thought I would start my own, with 50 items that I want to do at some point in my life (whether that be 5 days from down, 5 years from now, or 50 years from now.) They say writing down your goals makes them easier to achieve, so without further ado, here is my life list:

(Actually, I have a bit more ado. Some of these items are post-dated, such as "get a tattoo." I mean, I already got a tattoo, but had I started my life list back in May, it would have been on it, so it's only fair to count it. Oh, and these aren't in any particular order.)

1) ~~Skydive.~~
2) Watch all the films on the "AFI Top 100 Films Of All Time" list.
3) Attend an internationally broadcasted awards show.
4) Learn to play the guitar.
5) Ride a camel.
6) Meet Steve Buscemi.
7) ~~Get a tattoo.~~
8) Gamble in Las Vegas.
9) Travel to Australia.
10) ~~Get a piercing somewhere other than my ears.~~
11) Learn another language.
12) Waterski.
13) Visit the United Arab Emirates.
14) Downhill ski in the mountains.
15) Fly in a private jet.
16) Take ballroom dance lessons.
17) Pose nude for an art class.
18) Get married.
19) Take a road trip through the USA.
20) Learn to cook a full turkey dinner with all the trimmings.
21) Maintain a scriptwriting journal for a full year.
22) Sing in public.
23) Ride in a hot air balloon.
24) Get my name on imdb.com.
25) Shop on Rodeo Drive.
26) Start a collection of film reels.
27) Learn to sail a sailboat.
28) Fire a gun.
29) Take a photography course.
30) Get scuba diving certification.
31) Buy a new car.
32) Learn to whistle with my fingers.
33) Go on a safari.
34) Spend a Christmas someplace without snow.
35) Meet the Newsboys.
36) Own at least 3 pieces of expensive designer clothing.
37) Have something I wrote published.
38) Pay off my student loans.
39) Learn to drink and appreciate wine.
40) Travel through Europe.
41) Spend a day at a spa.
42) See a show on Broadway.
43) Ride a roller coaster in a continent other than North America.
44) Learn how to properly swing a golf club.
45) ~~Climb the stairs of the CN tower.~~
46) See the Great Pyramid.
47) Stay in a 5-star hotel.
48) Go to a comic or sci-fi convention.
49) Ride a bicycle built for two.
50) Finish writing a feature length script.

Attention World:

2006-10-24T21:55:00.000-04:00

I am going to leap from a plane on Friday. It shall be awesome.

That is all.

Update:

Here is a sentence from the e-mail that I received from the group that is organizing the trip:

"Thanks for signing up for 35 seconds of freefall at 120mph during a mile long skydive..."

Wow...

I'm glad the trip was so cheap, because it appears the video is going to cost a small fortune. But how else am I supposed to prove to you all that I actually did it?

For no other reason than the word "freefall," this song comes to mind:

I'll talk to you all the next time I come down to earth.

If You Need Me...

2006-10-19T23:37:00.000-04:00

...I won't be here. I will be gone. Gone ALL weekend.

(and before you start going 'yay', please be informed that I am away ON SET all weekend...actually, I'm on set every weekend until I come home for Christmas.)

So yeah...gone...away...missing...whatever.

Later.

P.S. If you're bored without me, fell free to watch my favourite movie in 30-seconds...reinacted by bunnies.

I'm So Hollow, Baby

2006-10-16T19:32:00.000-04:00

So I'm gonna pull a Lindsay on this blog (sorry, Lindsay...but you know it's true!) and talk about a song I recently heard that struck me like a load of bricks.

This song has been a part of my MSN name for the past couple days, and I fear that people are getting the wrong impression about what it means (a common problem on MSN.)

Anyway, listen, read along, and I'll explain following this.

Here is the song:

And the lyrics:

Did I disappoint you or let you down?
Should I be feeling guilty or let the judges frown?
'Cause I saw the end before we'd begun,
Yes I saw you were blinded and I knew I had won.

So I took what's mine by eternal right.
Took your sould into the night.
It may be over but it won't stop there,
I am here for you if you'd only care.

You touched my heart you touched my soul
You changed my life and all my goals.
And love is blind and that I knew when,
My heart was blinded by you.

I've kissed your lips and held your hand.
Shared your dreams and shared your bed.
I know you well, I know your smell.
I've been addicted to you.

(Chorus)
(x2)

Goodbye my lover
Goodbye my friend.
You have been the one.
You have been the one for me.

I am a dreamer and when I wake,
You can't break my spirit - it's my dreams you take.
And as you move on, remember me,
Remember us and all we used to be.

I've seen you cry, I've seen you smile.
I've watched you sleeping for awhile.
I'd be the father of your child.
I'd spend a lifetime with you.

I know your fears and you know mine.
We've had our doubts but now we're fine,
And I love you, I swear that's true.
I cannot live without you.

(Chorus)
(x2)

And I still hold your hand in mine,
In mine when I'm asleep.
And I will bare my soul in time,
When I'm kneeling at your feet.

(Chorus)
(x2)

I'm so hollow, baby, I'm so hollow.
I'm so, I'm so, I'm so hollow.
I'm so hollow, baby, I'm so hollow.
I'm so, I'm so, I'm so hollow.

The thing I love about music is that it is so subjective. What means one thing to one person is entirely different to another person. I mean, in this song, it seems obvious that James Blunt is talking about a lover - a person he has been intimate with and changed his life during the course of their intimacy. However, if it was solely about a lover, why is it currently the most requested funeral song (at British funerals?)

To be honest, I can't figure out what I think of James Blunt. On one hand, his voice is kinda whiny and he can grind on your nerves after while. Yet at the same time there is something very compelling about his sound, as well as the words he shares through music. In any case, I heard this song on the way back from an RA field trip to the Drysdale Tree Farm yesterday, and it really stuck with me for the entirety of yesterday, and most of today.

To me, this is about the friends that have made an impact on my life. No, I'm not saying goodbye to them per se, but having moved and uprooted myself my whole life, I know what it is to say goodbye, and to promise to keep in touch and then fail on that promise.

The song starts moving me right from the first verse. Those who know me the best know that one of my greatest fears is not living up to what others expect of me. My whole life I have had an intense fear of failing - of letting the ones I love down or not succeeding when it comes to my dreams and passions. I even fear failing stupid things. When I failed my driving test (the written part), I bawled my eyes out right in the DMV because I was so ashamed at not being perfect.

Fast forward to the third verse. I have been blessed with many people in my life who have changed me in some way or another. The 10 for example: You guys have helped me grow into the person I am today, and you continue to amaze me with your constant support and genuine care even though I am a couple thousand kilometres away from you and all we can typically manage is a quick MSN conversation. You listen when you need to listen, and share when you need to share, which for me is definitely the mark of a true friend. At the same time, however, even though I am still close with a majority of the 10, this verse makes me think back to the people I've "lost." Everyone has someone like that in their life. They are the person you forget to call one birthday, and then you don't respond to their most recent e-mail (or they don't respond to yours), and then you stop chatting on MSN, and the phone calls become few and far between......relationships are hard and take a lot of work. I think that's part of what James Blunt is trying to say.

I especially love the part that says "and as you move on, remember me/remember us and all we used to be." Even though the word goodbye is so finalizing, to me this line doesn't refer to saying goodbye to a person, but rather a time in your life. I have said goodbye to the "Middle-School Kyla" and recently to the "High-School Kyla" and I've started embracing "Adult Kyla" and "Dreamer Kyla" and "Career-Oriented Kyla." But at the same time, even though I've said goodbye to those past beings, I still remember who they are, and I cherish how they played their part in leading me to where I am today...I cherish the people who played a role in the story of my life, and have been a part of my awesome journey. To me, this line reminds me to remember those chapters that we've closed the book on, and that even though we continue to mature and grow and you may not be able to edit the story, the chapters can be re-read and re-enjoyed.

Perfect example of this. The other day, Lindsay (I'm talking about you again, Cookie) introduced me to Facebook. At first I thought the idea was dumb. I mean, I already have a MySpace (which I really never look at anymore) so I figured I didn't need to go on Facebook. On a whim, however, I signed up.

In the last two days, I have reconnected with people I haven't talked to in over 6 years. It's crazy, but all these memories of my early teenage years have come flooding back with the click of a mouse. The memories are overwhelming sometimes, but it's so catharic to remember.

Last, in my breakdown of this song, is the verse that ends with "I cannot live without you." A truer line has never been spoken. I currently cannot live without the 10. Even the ones I haven't chatted to in awhile, and will maybe only engage in small talk on an occasional basis, I cannot live without. These people have been such a vital part in defining who I am, that even just saying "hello" and "how are you" and "I am fine" has so much more meaning that I ever thought possible.

So to those of you who have changed me, embraced me, loved me, cried with me, and "have been the one for me," I thank you. I apologize for the sappy post, but I wanted to thank everyone for being there, for being loyal to me, and most importantly, for accepting me for who I am. With friendship like this, I don't think we can truly ever say goodbye...

P.S. On a separate note, Happy Birthday to my blog, who turned 2 yesterday! Time has a way of going by unnoticed, doesn't it?

For The Lack Of Anything Else To Post...

2006-10-11T22:27:00.000-04:00

For some reason, this video cracks me up like nothing else...

"Hey...Charlieeeeee! Hey Charlieeeeee wake up! Yeah Charlieeeeee! You silly sleepyhead! Wake up! ... No Charlieeeeee! We found a map to Candy Mountain! Candy Mountain, Charlieeeeee! Yeah Charlieeeeee! We're going to Caaandy Mouuuntain!"

Dedicated To: My Love For Cookie

2006-10-08T14:54:00.000-04:00

This one is for you. You know why. We're gonna bring down the house this Christmas, aren't we?

P.S. I know referencing you in posts makes you feel special, so hopefully this makes your day!

UPDATE: I found the video for the song. Have you seen it yet, Cook? It doesn't live up to how good the song it. Visually, quite nice, but really has nothing to do with what the song is about. At least, that's how I felt.

Odds And Ends

2006-10-04T21:28:00.000-04:00

I figured I'd throw a little update your way before I went to my father's house for the Thanksgiving weekend. This will, as the title suggests, be a random compiling of odds and ends from my life over the past little while. To help your reading experience, I have put BOLD titles at the top of each paragraph so you can choose what you want to read, and what you don't want to read. Happy? I should think so...

The Big Bang

No...this isn't a paragraph about some theory relating about how the earth came into existence. This relates to what I woke up to at 6:15 this morning.

I have woken up to the sound of rain for the past couple days. We've been having really weird weather lately, from below 0°C freezing, to hot and humid, to rain, to my absolute favourite at 6:15 AM - earth-shattering, ground-moving thunder and lightning.

At the peak of the storm, there was lightening every 5 seconds or less (yes, I counted.) There were a couple mind-numbing thunder booms as well. Literally, it sounded like a jet had crashed outside my window and exploded. My windows rattled, and the stuff in my room shook. It was pretty freakin' awesome. I've been waiting for a storm like that all summer, and when I didn't get one (or at least, didn't get one like the ones I grew up with in the prairies), I was pretty disappointed, but this totally made up for it.

Drunken Injuries

I sure hope you're reading this paragraph, because I don't want you to assume the wrong thing based solely on the title. Read the story, THEN feel free to judge.

So yesterday was the 19th birthday of a friend of mine that I work with (for those of you who don't know, the legal drinking age in Ontario is 19...please save me the trouble and put two and two together for yourself.)

Anyway, all of us who weren't on call decided to go to the bar and make sure he celebrated the right way (I think we succeeded.) I had a few drinks while I was there, and when he was on the verge of being kicked out we all left to save ourselves the embarassment (and make life easier for the bouncer.) Anyway, we're walking back when all of a sudden the drunken birthday kid throws his arms around me for support on the way home. So, being the good friend I am (and having drank nothing CLOSE to what he drank), I helped him walk back to the residence. Please keep in mind that I am wearing heels, and am out of practice wearing my heels considering that I bought a pair of Crocs two weeks ago and have fallen in love with them, and wear them everywhere (even the bar most of the time, but they didn't go with my outfit last night.)

Anyway, we are almost back to the residence (and I am looking at the ground, concentrating very strongly on my feet, making sure I am walking in a straight line because I am supporting someone who clearly isn't.) He says something out of nowhere (to be honest, I don't remember what it was, not because of the alcohol but because of the events following his statement), and I look up to look at him as though to say "you've got to be kidding me."

That one quick glance ruined me. As I did that, his feet stumbled in front of mine and he went down onto the gravel, taking me with him. He rolled...I managed to get away with just a sliced up kneecap. I must admit though, even though I was oozing blood (and at that point wasn't sure if he had hit his head when he went down) my first thought was "Oh my gosh, I hope none of those people standing outside the residence saw us! How embarassing!"

And unfortunately, since everyone else had been drinking, I had to bandage myself up. It was amusing.

Rah Rah Sis Boom Bah

As if I haven't been busy enough with school lately (my Bud commercial went spectacularly by the way...I'll find a way to show it to you when it's done) and my 24-hour a day job, I've decided to do extracurricular activities. Yesterday I checked out the Christian Fellowship group on campus, which was cool because I got to sing my heart out to some of my favourite songs, and no one judged me on how bad my voice is (yay for being a joyful noisemaker!)

Today, I played intramural volleyball. We put together a team of RA's (coed) to play volleyball against other teams in the school on Wednesdays and Thursdays. Our team is called Cranked (apparently in honour of the latest Jason Statham movie.) We lost our first game, but it's cool because we still have a lot of game play left.)

The Sexy Voice Of Camp Choice

I did a voice over for a promotional video this past summer at work for an educational camp that is just getting started at my college. You can check it out online (Cookie, I recommend this for you because I know you miss the sultry sound of my voice.)

I'm not gonna lie, I'm a little bit proud. I think I sound pretty darn good, and normally I don't think that about my own voice. The video is 8 1/2 minutes long, and I don't expect you to watch the entire thing because the subject matter is of no interest to you, but if you just check out the beginning, it's pretty cool.

(As a sidebar, I also wrote the script...just in case you were interested.)

Rediscoveries Rock

This summer I bought some plastic drawers for storage in my dorm room. I folded all my t-shirts and put them in one of the drawers...and then promptly forgot about them. I just rediscovered them today and feel like I have a whole new wardrobe. Oh the excitement of it all.

That's All, Folks

I think that's all I can think of from the last little while. School is school, work is work. Here is a random song AND a random YouTube to keep you entertained until my next post.

Why this song? Because it currently rocks my world.

Why this movie? Same reason...oh and because I have just discovered comedian Dane Cook and think he is a funny, albeit slightly rude, guy. And he has a new movie coming out this week that looks like it will be a riot.

(As yet another sidebar, I considered not putting up this video because it is DEFINITELY not for all audiences. Dane Cook swears like a mofo, and has some not so nice themes, but at the same time, this is my blog, and you don't have to watch the video if you're not into that kind of thing. So yeah...this is a rude video...you have a choice. Don't shoot the blogger.)

When I Get Bored...

2006-09-29T20:44:00.000-04:00

...crazy things happen.

So I decided to change my hair. It's less permanent than getting another tattoo, and mom won't kill me for this.

Most people seem to like it. My sister said it was pretty, and my coworkers think I'm hot...no...sorry...hawt. A few said it made me look more my age, which is cool.

I've only had one negative comment...apparently someone thinks it makes me look older...a LOT older...like I'm 40. I'm cool with that, though. I love it enough to not care.

UPDATE: In response to people thinking I look too "forlorn" or "sad" in the other photograph, I've added one of me smiling to prove that a) yes, I do smile and b) I don't resemble anyone's mom (P.S. Thanks for retracting the 40-year-old comment, Bryan.)

Personally?

2006-09-27T18:48:00.000-04:00

I'm sure you're all tired of me shirking my blogging duties by posting clever movie/music clips and call them posts. I know I haven't really posted anything related to my personal life lately, but my personal life has been so devoid of personal time, I don't have the energy to sort it out and put it down here for your enjoyment (not that I don't value your enjoyment, but you know what I mean.)

Anyway, this is gonna be as personal as it gets. A friend of mine told me about a website called Radio.Blog.Club where you can search for and blog songs. Without further ado, here is my theme for the next, oh, forever.

Oh, and I'm not sure if anyone cares, but I am directing a commercial (for festival use) on the weekend. It is for Budweiser beer...and yes, it has girls in bikinis in it. And no, I'm not lying.

That's all for now! Get some sleep!

This Man Is My Hero...

2006-09-25T22:40:00.000-04:00

This man is an absolute genius. Here are some hilarious things to look out for in this music video:

- Pac-man shaped candles
- a Seth Green cameo
- his "Top 8" on MySpace (featuring Bill Gates, Napoleon Dynamite, Mr. Peabody, Albert Einstein, Screech, Frodo, Pee Wee Herman, and of course, Tom.)
- the trivial pursuit questions (G: In what city is the largest ball of twine built by one man?, E: What's the deal with Lindsay Lohan? I mean, seriously?, H: FDR - was he faking it?, AL: On what page does Harry Potter die in the next book?, SN: What is the melting point of a gorilla's head?, (obscured): How many Wicket Men are there on a 43-Man Squamish team?)
- a "White&Nerdy" hoodie
- a return of the Star Wars kid?
- a very upbeat Donny Osmond
- a dig on Atlantic Records
- the ever elusive Star Wars Holiday Special
- his sign off

See anything else clever that I missed? Let me know...

Hey Ya Cover

2006-09-17T02:13:00.000-04:00

Someone finally made this song bearable. Enough said.

Does The Dazed Look In My Eyes Say Anything...?

2006-09-11T20:42:00.000-04:00

My life is a blur right now...make time stop...or at least go slower.

(For those of you who didn't understand the cryptic message above, I am more busy than I have ever been in my life. I am healthy (now...I had a throat infection for the last week of training and the first week of Frosh), having a great time, and working my butt off.

I will update as much as possible, however much possible is.

Dear Diary...Love Kyla (Oh...Inside Jokes...How I Love Thee)

2006-08-19T22:33:00.000-04:00

Dear Neglected World,

For those of you who have messaged me and I haven't responded (or those of you who call all the time and I'm never around...Dad), no I have not died. Just busy. Abnormally busy.

Tomorrow will be my tenth day in a row of RA training (keep in mind I finished my summer job at 3:00 last Thursday and started training/RA work at 3:05 that same day.) Each day starts with 8:00 AM breakfast (mandatory) and continues on from there, most often until 8:00 PM, but sometimes until later, even up to midnight (depending on the activities.)

I am working with such an amazing group of people this year. Any free time I have had I spend with them, playing magnetic "Around-The-World" darts, Guitar Hero (quite possibly the best video game ever...it rocks...literally!), holding spoons (a good story for a later post), seeing Snakes On A Plane (so bad it's awesome), and generally just having a good time being with people (my own age and with the same interests.)

I will continue to not be around for awhile. Camp (yay for leaving the rez!) is coming up soon (VERY excited) and after that is yet another move (the third one of the summer...yay renovations!) and then Welcome Week for the students. Hope everyone is doing well, and feel free to drop me an e-mail if you want to get ahold of me. It's usually easier for me to answer my e-mails then respond to instant messages 4 hours after the fact.

Have a great week (and as I told my staff team, never forget that you are brilliant, gorgeous, talented, fabulous.)

Love,

Kyla

RA Training

2006-08-13T23:41:00.000-04:00

Oh my gosh...I forgot how much I love being an RA...

...and making a fool of myself (can you tell my team colour is red?)

I'm going to try and post pictures and ramblings from my RA 06/07 training experience (I am, after all, a senior RA this year), but I might get too busy/tired to be able to update all that often. We'll see.

Here is my RA quote of the day.

Kyla: (To a group of RA's dressed in their team colour, green.) Oh my gosh, you guys look like leprechauns!
Matt: This coming from the girl dressed as a ladybug.

That's all for now. Hope you find lots of reasons to smile this week!

F You Spike Jonze! F You!

2006-08-06T02:27:00.000-04:00

Oh, I am so angry right now I could spit nails.

Spike Jonze...someday, somewhere, somehow, I will exact my revenge.

I guess some of you want to know why (out of nowhere) I have the sudden hatred and need to destroy the seemingly innocent Spike Jonze.

That (expletive deleted) stole my project.

Back story:

My floor (as I will be an RA again) for next year has a bit of a reputation for being rowdy, rambunctious, and generally out of control. While working on a theme, I decided to play off these factors, in a subtle yet joking way, without actually encouraging them to go crazy.

I chose, for my theme, "Where The Wild Things Are."

Most of you should remember this book. It was published in 1963 and was written by Maurice Sendak. Here is the plot of the story (as copied from about.com):

"The plot of the book is based on the fantasy (and real) consequences of a little boy's mischief. One night Max dresses up in his wolf suit and does all kinds of things he shouldn't, like chasing the dog with a fork. His mother scolds him and calls him a "WILD THING!" Max is so mad he shouts back, "I'LL EAT YOU UP!" As a result, his mother sends him to his bedroom without any supper.

Max's imagination transforms his bedroom into an extraordinary setting, with a forest and an ocean and a little boat that Max sails in until he comes to a land full of "wild things." Although they look and sound very fierce, Max is able to tame them with a single glance. They all realize Max is "...the most wild thing of all" and make him their king. Max and the wild things have a fine time creating a rumpus until Max begins to want to be "…where someone loved him best of all." Max's fantasy ends when he smells his dinner. Despite the wild things' protests, Max sails back to his own room where he finds his supper waiting for him."

The floor theme will feature monster name-tags, and murals on the wall depicting the beautiful boat and palm image that made the cover so famous.

As I started preparing for that, I started thinking about what a cute story it is. Not only is it very visual, it has a good ending (that teaches kids a lesson), and has withstood the test of time, being as important to kids today as it was back then. I mean, I just ordered my own personal copy on Amazon.ca, which means it's still being printed to this day.

With all this in mind, I started thinking about what a great movie it would make. I mean, they've adapated other children's books (The Cat In The Hat, The Polar Express) and made them feature length films. What greater exercise for me to challenge myself with in scriptwriting class next year (where we are allowed to do adapations) than to take a 20 or so page childrens book and turn it into a 80-90 page script?

Spike Jonze has destroyed my dream!

As I was browsing around on IMDB (which I do, very often), I came across this.

THAT WAS MY PROJECT! MY IDEA! MY DREAM!

Don't get me wrong - I love(d) Spike Jonze. Being John Malkovich is one of the greatest films I have ever seen. But now, after destroying my hopes and crushing my brilliance...well...it's becoming pretty hard to forgive and forget.

Anyway, it's 2:30 in the morning, and I work at 7:00, so I should probably consider getting some sleep. Goodnight one. Goodnight all.

Except you Spike Jonze. No goodnight for you.

A Bet Contract

2006-08-04T12:39:00.000-04:00

I, Kyla S., do hereby recognize that on this 4th day of August, 2006, I entered a verbal (MSN) agreement with Bryan T.

The details of the agreement are as follows:

- If, by the year end of the year 2010, a new installment of Indiana Jones HAS NOT been made (with no set date for release), I, Kyla S., owe Bryan T. a total of ten (10) dollars and zero (0) cents, Canadian funds.

- If, however, Indiana Jones HAS been made by the year end of the year 2010 (or a set date for release), Bryan T. owes Kyla S. a total of ten (10) dollars and zero (0) cents, Canadian funds.

The party who wins is also entitled to five (5) years of bragging rights without the complaint of the opposing party until 2015. After the year end of the year 2015, all bragging is to cease, or face an onslaught of complaints and arguments from the opposing party.

Signed,

Kyla R. Springall
Movie-Fanatic and Future Filmmaker
Friday, August 4, 2006

Summertime Blues

2006-07-28T12:58:00.000-04:00

I wish words could describe how happy I am going to be when I am done this summer job and go back to being an RA. Don't get me wrong, it's been a good experience and the money has been great for the summer. It's just not anything I expected.

When I went in for my interview, they read me off a seemingly never-ending list of tasks and responsibilities that I would be taking care of if I was offered the position, and, while some tasks were less than desirable, I accepted the fact that it all pays the same, I would have something to do for the summer.

I started on May 1 with high hopes and looking forward to getting a new kind of job experience under my belt (up to this point, really only working either a. in retail (in store, or over the phone through a call-centre) or b. as a RA.)

It is now July 28, and I have yet to be trained. The only thing I really know about my job, is this (and I was only able to come to this conclusion based on past film-school experiences): Being assistant in an office is kind of similar to be an assistant on a film set: you do whatever the important people ask you to do without asking questions - you just do it.

My bosses (or the people I answer) to are great. They're good people, and most of the time are fun to work around. But they should have taken the needs of the two Conference Assistants into account before hiring us.

Just today I got a call about someone wanting to book a room for a conference. I gave her all the information I knew (which, without training, isn't much), and took down all her contact info and informed her that someone would call within the next week or so.

When I passed off the message (which I thought was an adequate message), I was apparently missing a whole ton of information about what the woman wanted and was made to feel like an idiot for adding a whole ton of unneccessary work to the coordinators workload.

I'm quite frustrated right now, but part of me knows I shouldn't be, because my lack of knowledge isn't my fault. For weeks this one coordinator keeps saying "When I finish up with this work, I'll sit down with you guys (the Conference Assistants) and train you."

My question is this: when?

I go back to being an RA in less than 2 weeks now. When am I getting this so-called training?

I should not be made to feel like I'm doing my job inadequately because the people who hired me haven't taken the time to teach me everything I need to know to do my job to the best of my ability. I mean, right now (with the exception of quickly typing this blog while at work...I had to get it off my chest while I still felt something) I give 100%. Except, 100% is never good enough. I remember once I went to go check on a room. I unlocked the door, tidyed up, pushed in chairs, booted up the AV system. When I got back to the office, my coordinator came in a bit later, and I was apparently in trouble because I didn't empty the garbage. It makes me want to scream! I mean, if you had taught me at the beginning of the year what I should do every time I check a room, instead of just saying "Go check the room", I would know exactly what you're expectations are! I can't meet your expectations (or heaven forbid, exceed them) if I don't know where they are set!

ARGH!

And get this - I have been put in charge of putting together a training manual for whoever is the Conference Assistant for next year. Right...it's like the blind leading the blind with that one. I'm basically just documenting everything I know, and mentioning that they *should* be taught more about the conference services operations (or hopefully more than I had been taught) when time permits.

Have you seen The Devil Wears Prada yet? If not, I would recommend it. I can totally relate to Andy. While the people I answer to aren't she-devils like Miranda Priestly, I'm exactly like the assistant in that movie: expected to know not only what you're talking about, but also what you're thinking, made to feel small when things go wrong, but yet I am still the first one that gets turned to when things need done. In the movie, Andy steps up and makes a change in her life to fit in. I don't feel I should have to do that. I mean, I already can't wear my typical jeans and running shoes because I'm in an office environment and I need to look professional. Plus, there is only so much of this that a person can take:

Kyla: Is there anything you'd like me to do?
Boss A: Go ask Boss B.
Kyla: Is there anything you'd like me to do?
Boss B: Go ask Boss C.
Kyla: Is there anything you'd like me to do?
Boss C: Go ask Boss A.

At least I can take comfort in knowing that I have at least made a few people happy; a bunch of the thank you e-mails from clients have included my name and the name of the other conference assistant, or have made reference to me and the work I have done for them. But as I said, I can't wait to finish - right now I just feel like I'm basically serving my time until I go back to school, graduate, and work towards my hopefully super-awesome career as a filmmaker.

Anyway, thanks for listening to my rant. Maybe next time I'll rant about how some people in this office are so arrogant that they don't even notice me, and turn off the lights and lock the doors when they leave for the evening, even when I'm in for another 3 hours.

Or maybe not...

20

2006-07-20T09:03:00.000-04:00

The other day I turned 20.

Wow.

20.

It's funny...I remember turning 10, and being so proud to finally be in the double-digits. After expressing this pride to my mother, I remarked that it took a really, REALLY long time to turn 10, and I could only imagine what the rest of growing up would be like. She, in all her motherly wisdom, informed me that every decade after that goes by faster and faster.

Of course, at 10 years old, I never believed her. But now, I sit here, another decade behind me since then, and I wonder where the time went.

Not that I don't have strong memories from the past 10 years - I remember all the pleasant and unpleasant things that happened. I remember all the new friends, the broken hearts, the first kisses, and the goodbyes. It just feels so odd that after waiting (for what seemed like forever to a 12 year-old) to become a teenager, it's now over.

I know I'm totally corny and cliche, but at 11:55 on July 17, I sat there watching the clock tick down to midnight, and suddenly felt worried that I only had 5 minutes left as a teenager, and I hadn't done everything I wanted to do while being in my teens.

I guess 20 is a big step for me. When I started school, I always said that I would graduate from college and start pursuing my career when I was 20. Turning 20 means that time is here. I also started making plans to completely move out of my house, start paying rent, bills, and cooking for myself. Turning 20 means that time is here, as well.

I know that the little kid inside of me will never go away - and I don't want it to. I look forward to this new period in my life, and will embrace whatever is brought before me. I guess that time has become a very surreal idea to me, and it's bound to become more and more confusing as life goes on.

At least I can take comfort in the fact that I will probably be I.D.ed until I'm 40. No word of a lie, the other day I was I.D.ed...at the movie theatre! Here's how the conversation went.

Kyla: Hi! I'd like one ticket for Cars at 12:40, and one for Pirates at 3:20.

Girl At The Box Office: Sure. Can I just ask how old you are?

Kyla: Uhhh...20. (laughs nervously)

GATBO: (awkward laugh) Oh...ok. I like your shirt. (referring to Kyla's Curious George shirt)

Pirates of the Caribbean is rated what? PG-13? So apparently I look 12? Oh well...at least the other people in the box office laughed at her for being stupid, so I guess that's all that matters.

Anyway, thanks to all who sent me a birthday message, or wished me a happy birthday when I was online. Your warm thoughts and friendship mean so much to me while I am so far away from home. I don't know what I'd do without you all.

Anyway, here's to having a blast while 20, and to looking forward to 21 when I can party everywhere! Cheers!

Product Of The 80's

2006-07-16T11:42:00.000-04:00

*Before you read this blog, please note that there are a few movie spoilers. I don't know if you care or not, but I just thought I should warn you because I am not being held accountable for ruining a movie for you. Ok, on with the show.*

I wish someone had told me years ago how good movies (and music) from the 80's are. I just find it kind of unfortunate that I am but days away from entering my 20th year, and I am only just discovering what a genius John Hughes is. The movies he wrote about teenagers (for teenagers) are funny, full of life and energy, and stand up to the test of time.

But...holy frig I hate the endings.

I mean, is being a teenager immediately equated to ambiguity? Because none of his movies seem to have solid, set-in-stone endings. I mean, I don't mind ambiguity every now and then (because, true, none of us really know where life is going to lead us from day to day), but I am certain that I would sleep better if, in some situations, I know for certain what happens.

I mean, does Ferris marry Sloane? How much trouble does Cameron get in after destroying his father's car? I mean, these are valid questions that need to know the answer to!

In The Breakfast Club, John hooks up with Claire, and Andrew hooks up with Allison, which is all just fine and dandy...but what happens on Monday? Is the reason John Hughes left it ambiguous because he knows for a FACT that it would never work (in high school) between these couples, and he wants to audience to be happy living in the belief that love will somehow find a way? Maybe it's just me, but I'd rather know. I mean, as nice as it is to see Judd Nelson immortalized forever, frozen, outstretched fist forever rocking out to "Don't You (Forget About Me)", I'd rather know if by Monday he was suddenly single again, because to be honest, I'd like a piece of that (Andrew, I see you rolling your eyes and you can stop now - Judd Nelson was hot.)

My biggest beef is with Pretty In Pink. Not only does Andie choose the WRONG guy (as far as I'm concerned), but you don't know what happens after the prom. I mean, do things actually work out with Blane, or does it fizzle when Andie goes away to school? Does Duckie actually find another girl, or is his heart forever broken from Andie's rejection, and ends up in a mental institute living in his own unrequited love hell?

While we're on the topic, how could Andie go for Blane when Duckie is so much more adorable? I mean, would Blane dance into the store where you work and lip sync to "Try A Little Tenderness" for her? Probably not.

Duckie Dancing to Try A Little Tenderness (Pretty In Pink)

I mean, how adorable is Jon Cryer? Seriously, any guy does that for me, and I'd melt into a little puddle on the ground - it's just too cute.

So that's my issue with 80's movies. I have yet to watch Sixteen Candles and Weird Science (although both have been sent to me from zip.ca), and I'm hoping that they have slightly better endings, because I'm not sure how much more I can deal with.

P.S. Speaking of "Try A Little Tenderness", I found this great video of my future husband and hottest bachelor, Taylor Hicks singing that very song. The only reason I mention this is because while I was typing this blog, I heard his single on the radio for the first time (I don't listen to the radio very much, so this was a big deal.) Enjoy, and feel free to comment with your own personal movie annoyances - ambiguous 80's endings is only just the beginning of things that bother me about movies. But I'll stop complaining now and let you enjoy the sultry sound of Taylor's voice.

Taylor Hicks - Try A Little Tenderness

Who Am I Not To Be?

2006-07-07T14:54:00.000-04:00

I apologize for not updating in over a month - apparently I sucked up all my creativity with my Pepsi Blue post and had none left for anything else.

Truth is, as cliche as it is, I've actually been quite busy with work, school (an online course), and family stuff. My sister came to visit me for a week and a bit, and she's leaving tonight, so I've been spending more time with her going to baseball games, Canada's Wonderland, and various movies than I have spent updating my blog. Hopefully, as my to-do list gets shorter and shorter I'll be able to update this on a more regular (whatever that means) basis.

I don't really have much to say. I guess I wanted to share a quote. It's overquoted (I heard it in not one, but two different movies during one week of my movie watching), but it's really quite powerful, and I challenge you to really read it, and try to see where it applies to your life (cue the sappy music.) It definitely holds a significant amount of meaning in my life lately (especially as I turn 20 in less than two weeks, and am graduating from college next year), and for some reason today I was inspired to quote it here. Enjoy. (Oh, and for those of you who aren't really into thinking right now, or can't deal with anything deep, scroll down further for a photo break! I think that should cover all the bases - I just aim to please my audience!)

"Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness that most frightens us. We ask ourselves, Who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented, fabulous? Actually, who are you not to be? You are a child of God. Your playing small does not serve the world. There is nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other people won't feel insecure around you. We are all meant to shine, as children do. We were born to make manifest the glory of God that is within us. It is not just in some of us; it is in everyone. And as we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same. As we are liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates others."

(Our Deepest Fear by Marianne Williamson from A Return To Love: Reflections On The Principles Of A Course In Miracles)

And now onto the promised photos!

My sister, Kristyn, at the Blue Jays game (note the reflection of the photographer (yours truly!) and the CN tower in her glasses.)

Kyla in her brand new face-eater sunglasses.

My father, me, and my sister - the happy family at the baseball game. Yay for Canada Day long weekends! (And if you're curious, that's Curious George on my shirt.)

The happy family at my cousin David's house for a BBQ the next day (and no, it's not my sisters big hair that makes her that tall...she's actually taller than all of us.)

I saved the best for last. Dad told me to pose, so I started "Vogue"-ing it up (not knowing he had actually turned the camera on by that point.) My sister looks impressed. The two shirts I'm wearing are new; I got the black one on sale, half off, appropriate (according to my cousin), because it's half a shirt. He's so clever.

The Pepsi Blues

2006-06-04T00:25:00.000-04:00

So I had a bit of spare time on my hands tonight (I know...dangerous...hide the sharp objects) and I got to thinking...

What was up with Pepsi Blue?

Does anybody remember that stuff? It was from like, 6 years ago. The only reason I remember that is because at that point in time I worked at a grocery store that had a unique policy. Basically, if you found something in the store that wasn't fresh, you got a fresh one (of whatever that object was) for free. Apparently we were "fresh obsessed" (or so our nametags said):

(My old nametag...yes I keep weird mementos from my past. And in case you're wondering, I don't want the company coming after me or something, hence the logo being all blurred...as though "I'm Fresh Obsessed" doesn't give anything away...)

Anyway, some people don't realize this, but pop has an expiry date. So if someone brought us a bottle of pop that they found on the shelf that was one day past the expiry date (it couldn't be the day of, it had to be PAST the day of expiration), they would get an identical pop for free. Although, on a side note, this whole past the date of expiration was definitely taken advantage of by some cheap free-loaders who would come into our 24-hour store about at about 11:00 at night, load up their carts with any 'soon to expire' items they could get their grubby hands on, and wait until midnight so they could get it all for free (you're only allowed one of any particular item for free, but they would search through everything so they had like 50 different items in their cart for us to ring through and then void while they sat there so smug and proud of themselves.) Let's just say that fantasies of them "accidentally" being crushed under a pile of heavy soup cans were not rare occurances.

Anyway, back to Pepsi Blue. What I'm getting at is that we would end up giving away boatloads of this stuff, because no one would buy it.

I mean, what was it supposed to be? It hid behind the name Pepsi, but didn't resemble Pepsi at all, in either taste or colour. And it tasted like overly sweet Cream Soda, but the name "Cream Soda" is already taken so they couldn't call it that. So what does that leave us with?

I don't know who Pepsi Blue was trying to kid, but I didn't fall for it, and I'm glad that I don't see it on the shelf anymore. I'm also glad I don't work at a grocery store anymore, but that's a different story. Actually, truth be told, I liked working at the grocery store, I just usually wasn't a fan of the customers. But hey, you win some, you lose some, right?

On that note, I am off to bed. This post was oddly fun to write. Perhaps there shall be more like this in the future...hmmm...

Tattoodles!

2006-05-22T01:54:00.000-04:00

As I'm sure most of you already know (mostly because I won't stop talking about it), on Friday, May 19, 2006, I got a tattoo.

I am very proud of my tattoo. The entire thing took 1 1/2 hours to complete (and trust me, it wasn't a walk through the park either), and I now I sport a beautiful and original tattoo. For those who have yet to see a picture (or have yet to see a close-up picture), here it is in all it's glory.

Any of the red you see won't be there. It'll be a very light gray when my back has finished healing. The only red that'll still be there will be that funny blob below the heart, which I can't get ride of due to the fact it's a birthmark.

Right now, my tattoo is on the bumpy stage (where my tattoo is 3-D and needs constant moisture to heal.) It is bordering on the itchy stage, which I am not looking forward to, and am sure I will not enjoy.

The picture doesn't really do justice either. It's hard to get a good sense of size and really what a work of art it is until you see it up close and on my back. But, since most of my readers are many many kilometers away, this is going to have to do for now.

Any questions about my tattoo or the process? Feel free to ask!

My Lastest Obsession Or How I Bought And Attempted To Assemble The Shelf From Hell

2006-04-26T16:03:00.000-04:00

You guys are in for a real treat today. The sun is shining, most of my work is done, and I am just plain happy. For once, even if it's just for a few split seconds here on a Wednesday afternoon, I am stress free.

With that in mind, I am going to talk about not one, not three, but two exciting things about my life. Yippee!

Let's start with my latest obsession: zip.ca.

What is zip.ca? I'm so glad you asked. (P.S. I don't care whether or not you actually asked, because I'm going to tell you anyway.)

Zip.ca is this amazing online DVD rental service. Basically you sign up for a plan (I personally chose the 4-DVD at a time, 11 DVD a month $25 plan), make a list of all the movies you want to see, and then they send you movies! You watch them, put them in the prepaid envelope, and send them back! How cool is that?

I signed up on Sunday night, and made my 'zip-list' (a list about 500 movies strong of films I want to see but haven't yet.) On Monday (mid-day) they sent me my my first 4 (completely random choices, so I never know what I'm going to get!), and I had them in my hands by Tuesday. That's fast service! I'm 110% impressed. So if any of you (Canadians) are interested, ask me for more details and let me refer you. That way I get points towards free stuff. Woohoo!

Oh and what movies did I get, you ask? (Once again I don't care if you asked.) I got Boogie Nights, Coach Carter, and Back To The Future (Parts II & III.)

Now that I'm done talking about my worthwhile investment, let's talk about my less-worthwhile money waster: my shelf from hell.

So I'm searching the Sears website on Easter weekend and I find a DVD tower shelf that I really like. I read specs, do some more research, price compare with other stores, and finally decide to order it (in the maple option in case you were wondering.) I ordered it on a Saturday, and I got an e-mail by that Wednesday telling me it was at the Sears about a kilometer from my residence, and was ready for pick up.

So I take a friend with me, and we wander around the mall, and I buy some movies (go figure) and we finally decide to go to Sears and pick up my tower. So I go to the catalogue pick up area and fill out some stuff and then the lady there sends me to receiving. So we wander around for a bit until we find receiving (which is apparently outside.) So I hand them my forms, fill out more stuff, and the guy goes to get my shelf. He comes out a few minutes later, and he has this thing on a dolly, and he's looking around as though to say 'Ok...so where is your car.'

I sheepishly said that we were going to call a taxi, and ask him to just lean it against the wall. He does so (giving me awkward looks the whole time) and goes back in.

This is when I discover that my shelf weighs 100 pounds.

Ok...nowhere in the description does it say that this shelf weighs 100 pounds. I mean...it doesn't even look like it could weigh 100 pounds.

So we call a cab, who barely finds us because we're standing at this really remote entrance to the mall. Now, I've always had really good service (back and forth from the airport) with this particular cab company, especially when it comes to carrying luggage and loading groceries into the trunk and stuff. This guy wasn't so helpful. He just sat there and watched as me and my petite friend tried to get this 100 pound monstrocity into the cab. Eventually I get it into the backseat of the (very sketchy and disgusting) cab, and we take off. So I get it back to rez, and once again the guy is little to no help in removing it from the cab. I mean, I realize these guys are on time limits, but really! So my friend gets a cart (which I nearly break when I put the shelf on it) and I get it up to my room (which I must remind you is 8 1/2 feet by 11 feet.) Not exactly prime space for assembling a monster shelf.

So I take out the instructions which make NO sense. Not even joking - even IKEA instructions are easier, and that's not saying a lot considering some things I've gotten from IKEA come instructionless.

The first time I assemble this thing (which, if you checked out the pictures is 4 sided, with a swivel) I put it together backwards. The little holes that the shelves hook into were sticking out. At this point I'm still in a good mood, so I patiently take it apart and put it all back together again.

Second time around, what could go wrong? Yep...upside down.

So I move all my stuff around and flip this thing and attach the bottom of the shelf along with the swivel and everything (oh, and meanwhile I've discovered that they put in a bogus piece of wood along with everything that I won't be needing...but by the time I discover this I've already accidentally nailed the leveling feet to this instead of the correct base...so I have to dig them out and nail them onto the right piece of wood. Also note that I'm doing all this with no tools) and the instructions call for the thing to be turned back over at this point so the top can be attached (last step! Woo!)

Well during construction I noticed that one board wasn't lining up quite correctly, but I didn't think much about it. Well, as I'm turning this over I hear a very large and unhappy 'crack.' Yep, my shelf snapped in half. My freakin' $230 shelf snapped right in half. I figure the piece was warped to being with, and all the strain of putting it together like 10 times weakened it.

So in a panic, I call the generic 1-800 Sears number, only to be told I called the wrong number and should of called the parts number. So I get that number and call them, sit through an abnormally long switchboard, and finally get through to a real person. Here's how the conversation went:

"Hi. I bought a shelf from Sears, and a piece is broken and I need to see about ording a replacement part."
"Our systems are currently down for maintenance, so I will be unable to order you a replacement piece until 7:00 EST."
"Ok...fair enough. Can you make sure that this piece for my shelf is available so I don't waste my time calling back again in the morning?"
"Our systems are currently down for maintenance, so I will be unable to order you a replacement piece until 7:00 EST."
"Whatever."
"Thank you for calling Sears. Have an excellent evening."

I hope I wasn't such a robotic snob when I worked at a call center, because this particular call-center chick was driving me nuts.

So at this point I go and see my friend, and she gave me comfort chocolate (like in Harry Potter!) and I went to bed.

I wake up at 7:00 the next day and called Sears again. And I swear I got the exact same person:

"Hi. I bought a shelf from Sears, and a piece is broken and I need to see about ording a replacement part."
"We only have replacement parts for our appliances."

I almost exploded. Why the hell could they not tell me that yesterday?

Anyway, I'm feeling totally out of options when I check out the instructions and see a 1-800 number for the manufacturer. So, as a last resort, I give them a call:

"Hi. I bought a shelf from Sears, and a piece is broken and I need to see about ording a replacement part."
"What is the series number?"
"(Kyla gives her the series number.)"
"What piece do you need replaced."
"The 'right side' piece. I'm not sure if something was wrong with it in the first place, but it snapped in half while I was assembling it."
"Ok, well we'll send you the replacement piece for free. It should go out on UPS in a day."

I have never had a more pleasant dealing with a company than I did with the manufacturer.

Anyway, that is my story about my shelf from hell. I haven't received the replacement yet, but if the dates she told me are accurate, it should show up tomorrow or Friday.

Now it's just a matter of figuring out how I'm moving this monster when it comes time to switch rooms for the summer. Stay tuned for my next installment: "The Shelf From Hell II: Moving Day."

Anyway, I have to get ready for my screening tonight (I'm so nervous I could hurl), so I'll leave you with some pictures. Have a good one!

Nice, huh? Shift your eyes to the left of the picture.

Welcome to my nightmare.

My Psychic Tendencies

2006-04-23T00:57:00.000-04:00

I don't know if it's from being in overdrive these past few weeks (so much work, so little time) but I am starting to have frightening psychic experiences.

Now, before I go off and tell you my weird experiences, I want you to know that I don't REALLY believe in psychicism (is that even a word?) I think the people who write those books about speaking to the dead, and the ones that read palms and the others that derive fortunes from tarot cards are full of crap. Now, I realize I just totally stereotyped and judged the "psychic industry" and I apologize to anyone who actually believes that they, in some way shape or form, can tell the future. I don't mean anything against you as a person, I just don't agree with what you do.

That being said, my experiences are weirder than just plain old coincidence. One day I was sitting in my editing class, and I was on a movie website and I was reading reviews about movies, both new and old. And every time I would look at a new movie, my teacher would somehow mention it in his lecture. He couldn't see my computer screen so he could have no idea what I was actually looking at, so it freaked me out. This happened at least 5 or 6 times throughout the course of a 3 hour class.

Other occurances? I'll randomly think of a song, and it'll be the next thing that plays on my itunes/ipod (which, by the way, is set to shuffle.) I'll think of a person and they'll be the next person to walk by my door. I'll think of someone totally random, and they'll be equally randomly mentioned in a phone call with my mother. I have constant deja-vu's - it's like I've already done this life once and am suddenly doing it over again.

I guess I can attribute it to stress and to lack of sleep. My brain is obviously playing games with me. Either that or God is. Maybe they've teamed up and are just waiting to go in for the kill. Who knows?

Though, can someone promise me that if I start claiming to have moved things with my mind, or tell you about the great conversation over dinner with Elvis and Marilyn Monroe, that I will be promptly checked into a mental ward? Thanks.

Kyla The Monstrous Android Love Machine

2006-04-11T21:27:00.000-04:00

And You All Said...

2006-04-02T15:18:00.000-04:00

...that nobody would notice me if I disappeared.

Your results: You are An Expendable Character (Redshirt)
Since your accomplishments are seldom noticed,
and you are rarely thought of, you are expendable.
That doesn't mean your job isn't important but if you
were in Star Trek you would be killed off in the first
episode you appeared in.

Click here to take the "Which Star Trek character are you?" quiz...

"You're making me angry. You wouldn't like me when I'm angry."

2006-03-30T19:56:00.000-05:00

My Grandfather used to say that a day was never complete without learning something. I learned two things today:

1) I am a bitter, angry, and cynical person.

2) For some reason, this is only on the inside. For some reason, I put on a brave, smiley face for the world to see, and let my true feelings remain hidden and unknown to those around me. When they are made known, I frighten people. Therefore, I've learned that as much as I would love to be that angry person, it doesn't fit with who I'm apparently supposed to be. I just wish I wasn't so tired of being that person.

To lighten the mood, I will now name two things I am very thankful for:

1) Lifehouse

2) Newsboys

With out them, I would have already done and continue to do irrational things.

Now, excuse me while I go scream my lungs out.

And no, I did not take that picture simply for this post. I've had it sitting around for awhile. I've only just found the opportunity to use it.