The One Where I Recap the Craziest Year of my Life.

I started WIM about 5 years ago now and every year I write a post in December recapping what came about in my life that year. 2011 by far was the craziest year with the most extreme highs and extreme lows I have ever gone through.

Lets recap shall we?

January

- Planned on starting 2011 fresh from all the craziness that happened in 2010 and spent most of my time going to the gym and I even started training again to do another triathlon.

- It didn't last long because...

February

- slipped on the ice on a random Monday, broke both bones in my lower left leg. Had to have emergency surgery and have a steel rod and screws put into my leg. Couldn't walk for the next 2 months.

- A week after breaking my leg, I was "let go" from my job. (illegally).

- Lost most of my independence (or at least it felt like I did), at 27 years old I had to have my mom help me in and out of the shower, and I even had to have my roommates help put my socks on for me when I was cold because I couldn't bend my knee. Having one leg broken, the other being used for balance and both arms and hands being used to hold yourself up on crutches is hard. its damn hard.

- Spent the rest of the month on my couch, pretty much depressed and feeling sorry for myself.

- A few weeks after breaking my leg the disastrous Tsunami in Japan happened. Since all I could do was sit at home anyways and watch TV, I watched A LOT of the news coverage. The very next day I got my sorry ass up off the couch and realized that I had only broken my leg. I was going to recover and everything would be fine eventually. I had no reason to be depressed. A million and one worse things could have happened to me. I could lost my entire world around me like the people in Japan. Or worse, my actual life. From that point on I wasn't going to feel sorry for myself and I was going to take advantage of every day.

March

- Spent most of the month recovering. Tried my best to get around on crutches. By the end of the month the doctor told me I could try to walk again.

- Attempted to apply for jobs but it was really hard to apply for jobs when i was having issues getting around and still couldn't drive either.

April

- Still limping around, I started working shifts at my part time job. It worked out well for me as they were short shifts and it made for an easy transition back to working.

- The opportunity to go to Bloggers in Sin City in May came about. I had tried to convince other blogger friends that I know to go with me but there were no takers, so I did what any unemployed smart person would do... I booked a flight and at the very last minute registered myself to go to Vegas with 67 strangers. I didn't know it at the time but it was one of the best decisions I have ever made.

May

- My best friend of 15 years got engaged and I was blessed enough to help her now-fiance plan a big surprise and pull off what was a romantic and extremely sweet proposal/engagement party. (read this for more details).

- A few weeks later I got on a plane, a little scared (okay... more than a little) and went to Vegas to meet some A-MAZING people!! I feel that that trip gave me my spark back. I felt like I had lost a little of myself over the last few years and doing something that spontaneous and kinda crazy gave me my zest for life back.

June

- One of my very close friends told me she decided to move back home to Ontario in a month. I didn't take it very well at first. And then...

- The very next day my other very close friend told me she was leaving her husband and going to move back home to Montreal, THAT DAY. I was torn because I knew she was unhappy here but I was devastated to learn that another person in my close support group was leaving.

July

- I finally got a full time job and things started to look like they were getting back to "normal" for me. Boy was I wrong...

August

- In one weekend, (yes... all in one weekend) a friend of mine who is married confessed that he was in love with me and told me that he wanted to leave his wife and that entire part of his life to be with me. Although I care deeply for this friend I would never do that. Ever. Then later on that exact same night I went out to celebrate a friends birthday and ended up meeting someone that would completely steal my heart.

- I spent the rest of the month falling head over heels for him.

- I also ended up going for coffee with my old roommate/ex-best friend who I really didn't want anything to do with BUT her and I are both in my best friends wedding party together and I needed to clear the air between us. I would say it was semi-successful. Things are civil now which is great but its not like we are friends again.

September

- This new guy who stole my heart... broke it. Then stole it again. Then broke it once more.

- I went to Las Vegas again with my family to celebrate my moms 50th birthday.

- I surprised my dear friend who lives all the way on the other side of the country by showing up for her bachelorette party weekend in Niagra Falls.

October

- I let myself to get over the heartbreak that took over my summer and ended up meeting someone new. Someone wonderful.

November

- Went to Toronto to attend the most beautiful wedding I have ever seen let alone could even imagine on my own.

- I reunited with 3 of the sweetest, most genuinely beautiful and kind souled women I have ever known. (3 lovely ladies that moved across the country from me over the last 2 years).

- Most importantly I learned that no matter the distance between you, true friendships will prevail.

December

- I turned 28 and was blessed by all the love that surrounded me.

- Had what was probably the best Christmas ever.

- Realized that the best part of my year was the last 2 months... and I'm hoping the magic continues on into 2012.

The Online Dating Saga...

Say what? I have blog? Oh right!! I almost forgot. That's perfect because I have a few stories to share.

So remember those blog posts I wrote earlier this summer all about the fantastic guy I met and how I was so head over heels smitten for him? Well he broke my heart. Enough said. Moving on.

So i signed up for online dating. I have gone out with on dates with 3 guys so far.

Bachelor #1 - meh... thats all.

Bachelor #3 - (yes i skipped #2... we will get to him....) he's funny and sweet and has the same sense of humor as me and so far things are moving along just lovely. After the heartbreak this summer I am taking things slowly and as they come and so far things with Bachelor #3 are great. If things continue you will definitely be hearing more from him. (Quick note - I was his date to a halloween party and he went as Craig the Spartan Cheerleader - aka Will Ferrels the perfect cheer character from SNL - and did the cheers all night. How awesome is that, right?)

Bachelor #2 - We talked for about a week and then he asked me out. He got tickets to the football game and it was a great first date idea. I wasn't really feeling like I would date him again though but he was a really nice guy and i didn't want to write him off completely. I mean we have all heard of those couples that are married now who one of them wasn't into the other at first right? (cough, cough, Farah... ). Anyways we talked a lot by email. So Halloween weekend i was super busy. I went on 2 dates with Bachelor #3 including the Halloween party and then on the Sunday I was suffering from the worst hangover known to man-kind. Bachelor #2 had sent me a few texts over the weekend but I either didn't respond or said I was really busy.

Monday morning came around and I was alive again after surviving my jello shooter induced hangover and I sent him an email to see how his weekend went. No response. Didn't phase me one bit actually. Then Tuesday I go into work to an email basically saying how he was mad that I didn't respond to him all weekend and how he thought I was rude at the football game (????) and how he didn't want to talk to me anymore. Well I guess he stayed home sick on Monday and sent that email late Monday night, before he went into work on Tuesday and saw my email. As I was reading his harsh "break up" email another one from him came through apologizing profusely for his previous email and saying how now he DID want to talk to me blah blah freakin blah. And 5 minutes later another email came through... saying the same things all over again.

I was extremely busy at work and was in meetings all morning so when I came back to my desk 2 hours later to see 2 MORE emails from him I was beyond annoyed. I didn't even know what to say really. On my lunch break I started typing out a response and yet again... another email came through from him.

I guess he wasn't listening when I told him flat out prior to our date that I didn't want any pressure.

Moving on...

Unexplainable.

She walked into the bar.

Two friends at her side.

One of them celebrating his birthday.

The reason why they came to this bar in the first place.

He says someone he knows is also at the same bar.

The three of them walk around to find this person she has never met.

She spots a tall, handsome man across the room.

He is wearing a white collared shirt, jeans and dark framed glasses.

Something about him draws her in.

Her friend is still searching for the person he knows.

She prays he's at the same table as the guy in the glasses.

Her friend finally spots his friend...

Her heart skips a beat as he heads over in the direction of the man she's so curious about.

He's at the same table as the guy in glasses.

They get introduced and eyes lock immediately.

She is taken back by the instant attraction.

She puts her purse down on the table and pulls up a chair.

They strike up a conversation.

The rest of world fades away....

This & That Summer Recap (so far...)

Oh hey there...

I've been completely MIA from the blog world over the last 2 months because I have been insanely busy and more importantly soaking up as much summer fun I possibly can.

In short form:

- I finally got a new job and its fantastic!

- I get to walk home everyday from work for about an hour which makes me so ridiculously happy. I get to soak up the sun, I get to work on strengthening my leg (mostly my knee at this point), I get to de-stress and listen to my music in my own world after work everyday. Needless to say its brought my happiness levels up about 20 notches.

- Two of my dear friends moved away to the other side of the country. Two. With in a month. It sucks the big one because they are amazing, wonderful, loving friends and I will miss seeing them as much. But... Love Liberates so I will love them if they are here, or if they are on the other side of the world.



- I have been going to summer festivals, and swimming again, and running, and rafting, and hiking, and enjoying every possible outdoor/physical activity I can do at this point.

- I booked a few trips including one to Vegas with my family for my moms 50th bday next month.

- I fulfilled my teenage dreams but seeing NKOTBSB in concert and it was insanely fun. To the point where I lost my voice the next day from screaming of excitement.

- I've started helping my best friend plan her wedding.

- I have seen Horrible Bosses twice already... its epic. GO SEE IT NOW!!

- I have a million other things I want to blog about but I can't... some days (like today) I wish my blog was still anonymous so I could just spill it all. But in time I will...

- Also, I may have met the most special person I will ever meet in my life... more on that later...

The Dream Love List

A few years back... okay 10 years back (where does the time go??) my best friend and I created a "Dream Love List". It was a list of 50 things that we wanted in a perfect man. We were 17 when we wrote it so of course its written in blue marker and the pages are covered in glittery lips stickers. So. Freakin. Cool.

We made a pact (because thats what you do as best friends, pacts mean you're serious) that we wouldn't look at it until one of us got engaged or considered marrying someone. If they didn't fit the criteria, you couldn't marry them. Okay... maybe that seems a little harsh but we were 17, it was all or nothing.

The list got packed away with all the other old photos and everything else from our pre-adult years and we moved on with our lives.

Flash forward to a few weeks ago when I was going thru some of my things in my parents basement (actually, I was looking for my GOLD pants from an old disco costume to possibly wear to the Black/White/Gold party in Vegas... no luck in finding them though). But I did come across some papers folded together and tucked neatly in my yearbook. It was the Love List.

I had a little squeal of excitement and reminiscing and unfolded the papers. I instantly remembered what it was and knew I couldn't read the list with out my BFF there with me. So I took the list home and called her right away. She of course squealed in the same high pitched voice as me and said "DONT read it with out me!!". Thats why were BFF's, we get each other.

A few days later we were in the same place, at the same time, with THE list.

Now... although I am awesomely single, she is in a very long term relationship. Almost 8 years now. They are not married or engaged (yet...) but she knows for certain that she wants to and will marry him. We went thru the list with him in mind.

Shockingly he got 93%!!

It was like this list was written for him! We couldn't believe it! The things he didn't score full points on were sort of silly things like

- Treats me like a princess (he got 1/2 points because he doesn't quite do that ALL the time)

- Isn't a perfectionist (apparently we thought this was important at 17, i think one of us dated someone who was a bit OCD and we were hella-annoyed by it) (did i just say hella?? this flashback post is making me write like im 17 again too...)

But he got ALL the important ones right!

- Is close with his family

- Can dance (very important!)

- Is okay with acting silly sometimes

- Loves me for me

There are many more items on the list (44 more to be exact) and I am so happy for her that she has found what she has always wanted. It fills my heart with rainbows and unicorns and sugar plum fairies. I love her and it makes me so happy to see her happy.

It got me thinking... maybe I should bring the list with me everywhere I go and use it as an interviewing tool for potential boyfriends.

"So...Are you close with your family?

Yes? Okay good... lets see here...

In your opinion, what is the value of a best friend?

Hmmm.... Interesting...

Would you say you are the type of person who likes to try new things?

Yes? Please give an example of something new you have tried in the past month?

I see, I see.... what about dancing? Please provide a sample of your best dance moves.

That's enough, thank you. Please fill out your name and number on this form. Someone will be in contact you if we are interested in a second interview"

Its pretty much a flawless plan, don't you agree?

A Year in Review - 2010

A lot of things happened to me this year. Lets recap shall we?

January

- Met and instantly became friends with work BFF

- Invited her to a games night with Leah and Natalie and the LeMoNS were formed

- Started my brief "affair" with a coworker I blog-named "Freddy". What a mistake THAT was

February

- Probably sulked because I was single yet again for Valentines Day

- Was a proud Canadian during every moment of the 2010 Winter Olympics

- Spent a lot of time with "D"

- Went to my Great Aunts funeral, she passed away after a long life of 103 years

March

- Was completely shocked when "D" suddenly moved away to Ottawa a month before he was set to leave and didn't even tell me until after he was already there

- Started going to Trivia Tuesdays and was hooked

- Adopted my kitten Maya.

April

- Revamped my bloggity-blog

- Met "Jimmy Fallon"

May

- Ditched the liar that is "Jilly Fallon"

- Met "The Fisherman" the same night that I realized "Jimmy Fallon" was a complete ass

June

- Started dating "The Fisherman" after a bit of hesitation due to the age difference between us

- Spent as much time as possible with the LeMoNS since we knew that sadly we would be separating soon

July

- Stampeded my ass off

- Cried my eyes out when Leah moved away. (It was the epitome of the ugly cry)

August

- Enjoyed every bit of sunshine that I could

- Realized my new found love for rafting on the Bow River and Bud Light Lime

- Travelled to Montreal with the LeMoNS for approximately 46 hours for Work BFF's wedding

- Let myself fall further and further into my relationship with "The Fisherman"

September

- Threw a surprise party for some friends birthdays and made minute-to-win-it games (BEST idea ever!!)

- Cried my eyes out AGAIN when Work BFF and her new hubby moved to New Zealand for 7 months

October

- Participated (and almost fully completed) Sober October

- Had my heart shattered by "The Fisherman"

- Picked my broken heart back up and faced the world again

- Realized just how lucky I am to have Natalie and Leesh as my friends

- Met "Mac" on halloween while dressed as a Greek Goddess

November

- Started seeing "Mac"

- Slowly stopped being vegetarian

- Was there for my best friend when she lost her sister tragically

- Decided that I want to write a book

December

- Had a great birthday!

- Had an even better Christmas

- Relaxed with my first full week off all year (isn't that crazy??)

- Started writing my book

The year was full of extreme highs and lows. Im really hoping that this next year evens out a bit. I don't need a roller coaster again. But what I DO need is a vacation...

Who is this Mac character?

Halloween is an interesting time to meet someone new. Especially someone you may be romantically interested in.

Take my situation for example. I met Mac on halloween. He was dressed as an old man.

He had on a long curly grey wig, slippers (I believe he called them loafers actually), an old man hat and a pillow stuffed in his plaid shirt.

Sexy.

But he was charming. And very funny. We got to talking and by the end of the night he asked for my phone number.

He called me the next day and asked me out for dinner.

A few days later as I was getting ready for our date, I had a slight breakdown. I realized that HE was dressed as a dirty old man, no matter what he wore to our date, he was going to look better than he did when we met.

I on the other hand was dressed as a Greek Goddess... there's no topping that. So no matter what I wore on our date I wasn't going to look near as good as I did when we met.

Awesome.

The date was wonderful though. He's a real gentleman and quiet-funny. (isn't that the best type of funny?). We have gone out quite a few times since then and I'm taking things slowly and seeing where it will go.

ATL... How does he do that?

Anyone remember ATL?

Well, last year he was sort of a big part of my life. He was my kryptonite and even though I knew that he was bad, BAD news I couldn't resist him.

Then his true asshole colors showed and I cut him out of my life. For months afterwards he would randomly text me from numbers I didn't know. Every time he did my heart jumped a little.

Then I met The Fisherman and I knew I had moved on.

Somehow after months and months of no contact he decided to text me a few weeks after The Fisherman and I broke up.

HOW did he know? Seriously how on earth did he just know that I was in a vulnerable state and that if he sent me a text with his BBM pin that I would add him. And how did he know that seeing his picture and talking with him after a year would make me question possibly seeing him again?

Well... I was weak for a bit but after a few days I gave my head a good shake and knew what I would have been getting myself into. So I deleted him and moved on again.

And THEN last weekend I went to my work Christmas party and a group of us decided to head to a bar near by for our own after party. Guess who of ALL people works at said bar. Yep... ATL. Damn it.

I try to break free and the universe starts dangling him in front of me again.

Although he is verrrrrrry tempting, I am staying strong. I don't need to go down roads I've already travelled.

Instead I am moving on to better new things. Like Mac.

(details on Mac coming soon)

Things, things and more things

Things I will never understand: 

- Glee. *shudder* even the thought of it makes me cringe. Sorry to all you "Gleek's" out there, I just don't get how high school students with horrible voices doing their own versions of classic songs could ever be entertaining. 

- Dancing with the Stars. Its not dancing, its washed up celebrities pretending they can dance and a popularity/boob shaking contest. Brutal. 

Things I have learned over the last month: 

- I am awesome. And I don't mean that to be cocky or full of myself. What I mean by it is I went thru a break up with the first person I actually cared about in 5 years, It still hurts but it gets better everyday. But I survived and I truly believe it was his loss. And what's really helping is the "attention" I have been getting lately from the opposite sex. Apparently I'm a hot commodity. And a social butterfly. And confident in myself again. 

- I can do whatever I want, whenever I want. Including put up all my Christmas decorations a month and a half before Christmas. Yeah... that happened. 

- When you leave a kitten home alone all day with a newly put up Christmas tree, you will come home to decorations all over the floor. Fun. 

- I run better with out my Ipod, who knew? 

- Im not good with scary movies. Even lame ones like Paranormal Activity 2. I had to sleep with my lamp on for 2 nights after I watched it. 

- Some songs with never be the same for me again. Like this one. 

- And most importantly... I'm doing all right! 

My favorite things - Canadian Edition

Tomorrow is Canada Day which got me thinking about some of the things I love about this beautiful country.

1 - Our awesome (hot) celebrities. We grow 'em well up here! I could stare at Ryan (both Reynolds and Gosling) all day, and to know that they were born right here on Canadian soil makes them that much hotter.

Kim Cattral - the queen of all things sex (and the city...)

Evangeline Lilly

Both Rachel McAdams & Ryan Gosling (seriously WHY arent they together anymore??)

2 - Poutine - even as a vegetarian, every now and then I give in to the deliciousness that is Poutine.

2 - Nanimo Bars - I dont really know what it is about them that makes me devour them... its probably all the chocolate.

4 - Kelowna/The Okanagan - Its always hot in the summer, there's oodles of fresh fruit (cherries... mmmm) and beaches and lakes everywhere. Definitely my favorite Canadian summer destination.

5 & 6 - This feeling right here...

... and here...

...and here... (Our national anthem always give me chills... especially at hockey games)

7 - How colourful our money is!

8 - Timmies - The most glorious coffee - and a staple for any road trip.

9 - Our beer commercials (and our beer)

10 - And last but not least... the pride that I get when I am able to say "I'm from Canada". There are no pictures to explain that feeling...

So Happy Birthday Canada!! You dont look a day over 125.

Why I will never look at Jimmy Fallon the same way again…

I while back, lets say 2 months-ish ago, I went out to a pub with some friends (including someone who is new to the blog-world – check her out here).On said pub-night-out I happened to meet a boy.

Shocking, I know.

This boy was cute, a little scruffy which is always fun and he resembled a certain celebrity. Not only in looks but in his actions and demeanor too. He was the spitting image of Jimmy Fallon… and I proceeded to tell him that approximately 100 times through out the rest of the night too. We had a blast talking that night and exchanged phone numbers.


We talked a bit over the next week or two and then came May Long weekend. (Also known as May 24 those on the Eastern part of Canada). I decided to host a BBQ and when I host a BBQ I do it big! There was tons of food and drinks and a fire pit and a plethora of amazingly wonderful friends.



I invited Jimmy Fallon (who from this point on will be called Mr. Fallon as I don’t want to confuse you with the other Jimmy I have been mentioning in my blog recently. Completely different people) and he showed up. Not only did he show up but he mingled with ALL of my friends and everyone seemed to love him. And most of them started calling him by his celebrity look-a-like nickname too.

Very important fact – one night during the week leading up to my BBQ, Mr. Fallon and I were talking and I asked him why he was single. He said that technically he wasn’t single, that he had been dating someone who lived in North Carolina but that it was pretty much over, just not officially. He hadn’t seen her in 3 months and had no intentions of moving there. I wasn’t necessarily mad at that fact (even though some of my friends were when I told them) because 1 - the topic hadn’t come up before, 2 - nothing you could categorize as “cheating” happened the night I met him and 3 - the first time I asked him about it he was honest.

So fast forward to about 4 am the night of my BBQ. He stayed over. No “sexin” happened but it almost did…

He left in the morning and everything was great. I talked to him a few days later and everything was still great.

The next Friday night I was out with some friends and went to go send him a BBM. He was missing off my contact list… as in he DELETED me!! Wtf? What could have possibly happened in the 2 days since I talked to him last that would warrant him deleting me? So… as some one who will no longer put up with shit, I sent him a text msg that simply read “Really…?”.

No response. All night.

The next morning I woke up to a reply that read “Hey, no worries, North Carolina Girlfriend is in town for a few day, I’ll hit you up next week”

Hold on just one freakin second… first of all he told me it was over with her and that he hadn’t seen her in months and all of a sudden she’s HERE? Second, he’ll hit me up next week??? Thanks for making me feel like a mistress, Fucker!!! And third, he had to full on delete me from his BBM list? Wow…

Ok all of the above I could deal with (eventually… I’m not gonna lie; meeting “New Jimmy” definitely helped) but what’s got me so weirded out about it is that last week I heard through the grape vine that he hung out with some of the friends, MY FRIENDS, that he met at my BBQ. They had a little jam session…

Mind you, the guys he hung out with didn’t know what happened and when I told them they were all “whoa… dude… WTF?” but still. Who does he think he is? He still hasn’t tried to get a hold of me.

So for now, any reference of Jimmy Fallon makes me cringe a little. Sorry real Mr. Fallon… I had to stop following you on Twitter. I couldn’t take the constant reminders but just so you know, your doppelganger is a great kisser!

I'm impatient... and I ramble on and on...

I am, apparently, very impatient. 

I cant stand being stuck in traffic (probably much like millions of other people out there). Sometimes I wish I didn't care about my car so that I could RAM into the back of the other drivers like a bunch of bumper cars. Not all the time... just sometimes. 

I hate being ready to go and waiting for someone to pick me up. Trust me... if I knew i had an extra 20 minutes I would have used those 20 minutes... 

and I HATE sitting around waiting for a certain boy to call. THIS is why I should have a stash of Ben & Jerry's on hand in my freezer at all times.