Would You Like It Gift Wrapped?

This December I've spent about 12 hours a week volunteering for the Canadian Cancer Society. Specifically, I've been at their 'Wrapping for Donations' tables in two separate shopping centers. It's been a fun activity (who doesn't love gift wrapping?) and it's given me the opportunity to meet more local Vancouverites, as well as many other people in my position of 'extended vacation.' My last shift was Friday, which I shared with a student from Switzerland. She and I had fun killing time until the lunch rush - antics captured on camera and included below.

Our Kiosk. See the greenery behind us? ...

It contained their Santa display. 

Note that Santa is not real and is instead a very creepy mannequin.

Jesters! There were jesters in the trees above Santa. WTF?!

The mall was running a photo contest -- take your picture with 'Santa' and submit. Whoever was most create wins a prize. We just dragged in our wrapping paper... we thought Santa was weird enough.

My new friend from Switzerland taught me how to make these decorative stars out of wrapping paper. Not too shabby for my first attempt!

We were working the morning shift, so we didn't have many gifts to wrap. Still, the Grandma who stopped by made my day... all gifts for her kids and grandkids - all underwear & socks. Classic grandma.

Also, my many shifts yielded a trend in gift participants... As expected, men were most likely to drop off gifts for wrapping. Women did too, but while doing so they seemed to feel required to give a reason why they wern't doing their own wrapping. Ladies, we're all busy. You don't need an excuse to ask for help.  There's a life lesson here.

One of the points for my current trip was to do more volunteering. I've spent time with a few organizations this fall, but the gift wrapping was most enjoyable. I got to meet a number of new people and spent a few hours a day on a fun activity. Thanks to the CCS for a great experience!

Gift Wrapping Icon

To Boldly Go

My nerdy side got to take over this weekend when I volunteered at a Star Trek convention in Seattle. So much geeky goodness! I also had the opportunity to travel with & get to know some fellow nerdy friends from Vancouver.

Volunteering at the convention also meant I spent the weekend as some semblance of a meeting planner - my former professional life. I enjoyed the opportunity, though I wasn't the person worried about attendee experience & budgetary restrictions. Still, it was a good feeling... like visiting a friend you hadn't seen in a while and picking up right where you left off.

The highlights, though, were nerdy in nature. I finally finished my TNG (Star Trek: The Next Generation) main cast autograph collection with a signature from Denise Crosby, who played Lieutenant Natasha Yar.  (I may have chosen the name Natasha in 7th grade German class because of her character. And by may, I mean that I absolutely did.)

I also purchased a photo op... because, obviously.

I've attended conventions since I was young and the reaction to "I'm going to a Star Trek convention!" is always the same - a snicker, a laugh, or an disbelieving stare. For those not familiar with Trek, us fans do love the shiny starships and big, giant space guns. First and foremost, however, Star Trek is about humanism and social commentary. If you're feeling even a bit philosophical, I encourage you to consider the video linked below. 

If you're not feeling philosophical or just enjoy watching professionals make mistakes, I invite you to enjoy this blooper reel.

Star Trek: The Next Generation Season 2 Blooper Reel

Either way, I encourage all of us to take Captain Picard's words to heart, when he says, "Seize the time. Live now. Make now always the most precious time. Now will never come again."

Boldly Go, my friends.

Santa Claus is Coming to Town

Actually, Santa has arrived!  Sunday afternoon I volunteered as a Parade Marshall (crowd control) in Vancouver's Christmas parade. We were incredibly lucky in receiving a sunny day after a week of rain. And it was the equivalent of 50 degrees... that's still weird.

Parades in the rain forest - they give you ponchos

I was stationed at the start of the parade with the women in the photo. Yes, one painted her face to look like the Grinch. She spent the start of the parade seeing how many kids she could startle. We got along well.

The Rodgers Santa Claus parade featured 55 floats, bands, cars, and of course ended with Santa Claus.  Since I was working I didn't take any pictures, but my favorite entry was the RCMP. The first time I'd seen actual Mounties! They look just like you want them to!

The parade has the tradition of allowing the crowd to follow Santa's "sleigh" down the parade route as a band leads everyone in Christmas songs. It was really nice and a lovely way to end the event. As we were stationed at the start of the parade route, the four of us volunteers had the job of forming a barrier between the band and the ever growing crowd.

My view from behind the band

Crowd control using garland

The ever-growing crowd behind us

The parade ended with the band performing Silent Night as the crowd sang along. All-in-all, the most festive holiday event I've been a part of this year!  Oh, and that garland? It's now in my apartment. Free Christmas decorations, ya'll!

Happy Holidays!

Snow in a Theater

It was a rare evening in Vancouver on Friday - we were graced with a lovely snowfall here in the rain forest.  What made it noteworthy for me, however, was where I was when it happened.

That evening I was volunteering at a theater. Intermission hit and as we turned to open the house doors we saw snow falling gently outside the front entrance. A surprise snowfall! Outside a theater!

I was having my very own White Christmas moment.

Some ran outside to play, others bemoaned the winter weather. I just tried not to jump up and down like a weirdo... had a horse-pulled sleigh gone by, I would've lost that battle.

Let the holiday season begin!

Here Come the Hawks

I bought the ticket the first week I arrived in Vancouver and the night was finally here - my first Blackhawks game! I only had to leave the country to see them play.

Queuing up for entry. Canadians queue for everything.

Practice shots (turns out practice went better than the game)

Blackhawks vs Canucks

 Make some noise! ...and other sporting event cliches

The pre-game also featured a ceremony for Daniel Sedin, who has dressed for 1000 games. He received a an award in the shape of a hockey stick and he & his family were given a free Disney cruise. His daughters were on the ice with him and could not have been more excited & adorable.

Sadly, though, the Blackhawks were not meant to win this round of sports ball. We fought well, but the pressure from the Canucks players was intense and we lost 4 to 1. So while I didn't get to see my home-town-team win during my first game, I did get to chat with a few Chicagoans, drink overpriced beer, and laugh at Canadian accents while shouting in my own native Chicago-eese.

Blackhawks fans represent well on the road and we had a relatively strong showing in Vancouver. I rode the train with a few of them, walked with them on the streets, and inhaled second-hand smoke from one as we waited to cross an intersection. (While I could do without the cancer risk, I admit it was oddly comforting to see someone smoking a real cigarette. Most Vancouverites who smoke use a device that is a cross between an e-cig and a hooka pipe. It's like walking behind someone smoking a Jolly Rancher. Weird.)

I had been hoping to blast Chelsea Dagger from my phone after the game, but it didn't work out. We're sure to win again soon, though. We're the Mighty Blackhawks!

It's Beginning to Look A Lot Like Christmas

Christmas has descended upon Vancouver and my Saturday quickly filled with holiday celebrating.

Market #1: CandyTown

I had my second volunteer shift with craftworks, a Vancouver-based non-profit organization that works with adults with mental & physical disabilities. Our job that day was to sell the holiday-themed crafts the adults had made.

Yes, that's an Advent calendar for cats

So many ornaments to choose from!

Rubber Duckie themed rain poncho.

(I still don't know why that mannequin doesn't have a head.)

After my shift ended I went for a stroll through the market, only to run into some friends who are also new to Vancouver. Mostly, I was simply excited to run into people I knew -- that doesn't happen much when you're new to a city! We spent a while looking at the booths before wandering to the next market in search of mulled wine...

Market #2: Vancouver Christmas Market

The Vancouver Christmas Market is smaller than Chicago's Christkindlmarket, but offers a nice selection of international food & holiday gifts. And beer - so much German beer!

Christmas!

They have a carousel... we didn't ride it. 

Official Tree Lighting

A Night with New Friends

(Germany, Netherlands, & USA, respectively)

The $7 admission grants you a Season Pass, so I'll be back again!  Until then, to my readers in the United States I wish you a Happy Thanksgiving. To my fellow Canadians - legal & honorary - let's start the celebrating.

"It's Beginning to Look A Lot Like Christmas" 

by Bing Crosby

#ThisBlows -- Show & Tell

The result of my glass blowing event has arrived.  It's beautiful! Magnificent! ...it's also unevenly colored and swirled at the top due to my incorrect use of the equipment. But hey, I like it!

Carry On

I'm overdue for an update, I know. It was just one of those weekends that was so full I honestly don't know where to start.

The majority of my weekend was spent here:

Ok, well, not at the soundboard (though that would've been fun too), but in the sound studio. I participated in a weekend-long intensive voice over class. Saturday we focused on commercial, Sunday on animation. I had the pleasure of learning from some exceptionally talented people, one of which was recently nominated for an Emmy. 

It took me all of Monday to digest the experience. This is something I've always wanted to try and I put an excessive amount of pressure on myself during the weekend. Heck, it was at the top of my "Vancouver Bucket List" Therefore, I must be perfect at it right from the start! Obviously that didn't happen. It can't happen. Sunday night I left a bit discouraged and emotional. I failed at the thing I've always wanted to be good at. 

Monday afternoon I received the recordings from our sessions. You know what? It wasn't horrible. I'm not going to win an Emmy, but for the first time out the gate it didn't suck. (No, I'm not posting the recordings.) Still deciding if I'll pursue it more... the feeling changes each day.

When I left the studio Sunday I was so much in my own head that I was nearly home before I realized I didn't have the radio on in the car. Yep, just me driving around Vancouver staring blankly into traffic. Not creepy at all. I love the radio, though, because sometimes it's complete randomness makes perfect sense. So I leave you with the song that came across my car speakers when I flipped them on... the scifi nerd in me smiled so widely that it was like the Grinch's heart growing three sizes.

Supernatural fans get it. 
They also get that I was listening to this while driving in the city the show is filmed in. 
So much nerd goodness!

#ThisBlows

I felt like an adult today. Spending my days doing whatever I want has a big 'summer vacation' feel to it and I often feel like someone in their college years instead of someone in their mid-thirties. But today I woke-up my grown-up brain cells and used my professionals skills to help a friend build her own photography website. I then ran home and changed quickly to attend a networking event. And if that isn't grown-up enough, I spent the morning getting work done on my car. I know, right?! (She's fine, by the way, just some preventative maintenance.)

You're not reading this to hear me bemoan or cheer my day, though. That's what Facebook is for. In this blog I promised to share random stories and absurdity, so below are a few pictures from the networking event I attended. Our program at Terminal City Glass Co-op included the opportunity to blow our own glass Christmas ornaments... That's right, someone trusted me to wield a giant fireplace poker with molten glass on the end. Suckers.

Spinning the glass so it doesn't drop once it's left the kiln.

Rolling the glass in yellow beads to embed the color.

For the glass to form a sphere you need to blow in the air.

Unfortunately I came away a bit injured after a poor wardrobe choice. That purple shirt I'm wearing has metal buttons along the cuffs... not the best shirt around a kiln. (No permanent harm done)  I pick-up my ornament in a week - pictures forthcoming!

Author's Note: As the majority of people I've ever met find glass blowing interesting, I kept the photo captions descriptive instead of sarcastic. The alternatives I considered are listed below.

"Look Ma! No oven mits!"

"Using molten glass to pick-up beads. There wern't any Ziploc bags around."

"I have less hot air than I thought."

Tonight's event hashtag: #thisblows  (No, seriously, this became the event hashtag.  ...there was wine.) 

Good times all around.

Do Something That Scares You

I came across that quote the other day. You know, the one that says "Do one thing everyday that scares you." Well, frankly I think that's a tall order. I mean, everyday? Sometimes we just want to go to work and come home to sit on the couch.

Today, however, I did accomplish two things that scared me. So we can chalk it up to fate or call it subliminal goal setting.

Scary Thing #1: Elliptical Machine 
As someone whose body requires low-impact exercise, I've been eyeing the elliptical machine for years out of the corner of my eye. I like my seat on the bike. I know how to use pedals - I have ever since I had a big wheel. The elliptical? That thing has handles that move even if I don't touch them. WHAT?! Well, I got tired of avoiding, so today I gave it a whirl. (No pun intended)

What Normal People Look Like

What I felt Like

I set the initial goal of 5 minutes. When I reached that and hadn't fallen over or completely embarrassed myself, I set a new goal for 10 minutes. When I hit 10 minutes I was close to completing a mile, so kept going. In the end, I did 1 mile in 15 minutes. Not record-breaking and I didn't feel very comfortable, but I didn't injure myself. I consider it a win!

Upon returning to my car, I noticed that I had parked near these two gentleman. Coincidence or Chicago-fate?

Scary Thing #2: Washing My Sheets
This doesn't sound scary to the normal person, but to those of us with OCD issues the idea of taking sheets off of what is essentially a hotel bed is unnerving. It had been just over a week since I moved in though, and it had to be done. Upon peeling back the layers I didn't find anything I couldn't handle. In reality, the most disturbing part was the reminder of how much hair I loose while I'm sleeping. Am I the only one that happens to?

Conclusion: Scary Things are Scary
...but they're not Mount Everest. And even crazy people climb that thing! So, my advice to you today comes from Garfunkel & Oates. I was successful in my 'scary things' today, but we should remember that we shouldn't be afraid to be a loser.

Sunday Drive

Still tired from a late night out, but not content with staying indoors, I figured it would be the perfect excuse for a Sunday Drive. I grabbed my GPS and headed north on the Sea-to-Sky Highway... it's impossible to truly capture the beauty in photographs, but I did my best for you. Enjoy!

Look close and you'll see divers in the water...

There isn't enough money in the world to get me in there!

Seaplane in the distance

Ferries Dock Here

Go ahead, jump... I dare ya

Bright, sun-shinny day

Boardwalk to ferry docking station

Prius in its natural habitat

Plaque for totem above

Gorgeous, right?! Not bad for a quick trip out of downtown.

This song was in my head for most of the drive. Hit play and it can drive you nuts, too!