family day

happy family day to those in BC. i worked today, and was able to spend time with the people i consider maybe my third family - my colleagues in BC. watching the olympics (my fave charles hamelin winning gold - amazing). prepping for a huge event tomorrow night. it's all going well.

i love my family. so, shout out to them. there are no words for what my family means to me... all i can say is that i get to spend 2 weeks with them, starting saturday. so happy family day to me.
also, this song. if you're not on this tip, get on it.

those nostalgic moments.

today I miss my uncle Howard. last night I worked, and we hosted a workshop in which our lead designer taught shibori method of dying. we all spent our time wrapping elastic bands around cotton and using small pieces of wood to create elaborate designs on scarves that we would proudly wear. while indigo was the only colour we used, I couldn't help but remember that the last time I had dyed fabric was in memory of a man I was lucky to not only know, but who I was also blessed to be related to. a man who relished in the swirling colours of an oversized tshirt decorated with anything front and centre - as long as it bore the signature circular patterns of a well loved tie-dye. my family members and I painstakingly dyed shirts for everyone - and proudly wore them throughout the day of his funeral. we wore them like badges of honour, with stories of his eternal love for music, dancing, and - most of all - family, recounted through the service and then the remainder of the day. 

and then, the sun set in the most spectacular sunset I've ever seen... a natural tie-dye of sorts.

today - among many other people - I miss my uncle.

home for a blink

it's stuff like this that makes me miss home.

(and yes - that is my mug at the freeze frame of the video). 

my weekend in summary

this weekend was lots of things with lots of people, and lots of food. i'm finally starting to settle in a groove where i get MY kind of weekends out of this city. and that's a great thing.

 thursday night celebration dinners with work friends - for getting through (on of) the busiest stretch(es) of the year at Cuchillo; birthday churros for megan; a long walk after dinner for handmixed cocktails at jean's place; the view of our apartment building from the park - towering over everything; outdoor bbq's are unparalleled; the boys walking wilbur down to the water; oh right - i stand up paddle boarded. standing up, no falling, no lessons or anything. nailed it; i wish i could describe the amount of balance it took to take this photo; jeff has a lot more paddle muscle than i do - but look at that city!; dinner before a double horror feature with cole - dinner at la casita, and then a long night of being scared. the conjouring (great movie), and you're next (not great movie); some goal setting on a sunday morning - i've never been good at goals, and always set them too high, with no realistic way to attain them. needless to say, i've had a lot more practice lately... and i think i'm liking it; sushi dinner with a ton of friends, planned without my knowledge, when my sister flew into town and surprised me at work. there was screaming. and crying. elated.

hope everyone has an amazing week - mine will be packed with fun stuff in and around work, while my sister is visiting for the next 10 days!

NYC vacation part 2

the remainder of new york was a lot of incidental sight seeing - things we found along the way, while seeking larger things (like the brooklyn bridge). it's really my favourite way to sight see... the small things that no one notices. the things that we overlook in the quest for a photo of the grand _____ (insert landmark here).
anyone who travels with me knows i'm totally ok with sitting in an unknown bar for hours on end, talking to someone i just met, and reading a book while eating the best meal ever. i don't feel like i'm missing out on what's around me - instead, i feel like i'm getting to know the things that matter most to a place.
that's what the second half of our trip felt a little more like.
oh. and then i got to go home. and play with little munchkins. and it made me so homesick i can't even stand it. another blog entry (maybe finally?) coming on that.
oh new york. i love you. you and your cockroaches, and graffiti, and finely dressed men and women alongside your fashion faux pas turned haute couture (ok i don't actually love the cockroaches). your sun and your rain, and the way your people handle it. i just wish you had less tourists (i hate tourists).

the brooklyn bridge was a last minute decision - and i have to say, it's beautiful. next time i'd like to venture into brooklyn (despite what all my sex and the city watching has to say about that) - tons to see and do, and lots of recommendations from friends makes me sad i missed it this time around; this sticker on the wood walkway onto the bridge - i love graffiti style sticker bombing; the fountain in union square park - we made wishes with coins; the little cupcake bake shop, recommended by my friend. in the circles we walked in to find this place, i discovered what i think is my favourite part of NYC - somewhere in between SOHO and nolita - or even just east of little italy. we also saw sebastian stan, and he was handsome, and that was nice; this little dingy hole in the wall is actually the bar they use to film chuck bass' burlesque club scenes - turns out (according to my NYC friend), it's more of the sex club variety. pretty happy we didn't end up in here accidentally; the met. in all it's glory; breakfast on the steps of the met; this little bird - trying to get some of our crumbs; it's just so beautiful; the train ride from NYC to pennsilvania was beautiful, and not as long as i thought it would feel; the grandstands outside of the JT and jayZ concert. with the sun setting, it seemed like a really perfect setting; the stage; munchkins en route to the park - perfect at home visit; little rock piles (so much munchkin visiting not pictured here - it's too much for my fragile heart); i miss my parents house - especially this oasis; so lucky to spend a night with all 5 of us celebrating my sister and dad's bdays. they were really amped about the free desert; travelling to the airport at the crack of dawn - and not very happy about it; airport things; the mountains must mean i'm back... 

ps. air b'n'b? anyone? anyone? we lucked out huge - i highly recommend it, ESPECIALLY to those travelling to places where accommodations are typically hugely expensive. it was awesome.