Thursday, January 3, 2008

2007 the year we shall not speak of again.....

Everyone is posting about their year in review so I will try and come up with mine. Not feeling particularly inspired but I'm also not motivated to get off the couch and do anything else productive right now.

Jan
- Dictator and I spent New Years Eve with friends at a PARTY, very unusual situation for us who are usually at home in front of the tv. I think we should stick to what we know, the couch and the tv. It doesn't make for a good year.
- I started the runagogo challenge as well as became a leader for the Vancouver learn to run 10km sunrun (we'll hear more about this later)
- I started designing my first show for the artsclub theatre
Feb
- my mom came to visit and we spent WAY TO MUCH MONEY in Seattle. I realized she is the person I shop best with - she taught me everything I know. Doesn't mean she is a good influence on my bank account though.
mom and me at the cactus club
- I started my wearable art project so that I would have it done really early with time to spare. HAHAHAHAHA!
the tea bags - so far
- Birdie and the Dictator started obedience classes. She was not the star student.
- I started work on Tin Man which lastest for months.
- at the end of the month Minou gave us a HUGE SCARE. She became really ill and vomiting blood. It had me in tears for days. But she pulled through (a few thousand dollars later)
minou xray
March
- I designed the worst - well second worst show of my life. I must start saying no to scripts that really are that horrible with no redeeming qualities. (The worst show was a musical about menopause - trust me it was bad)
- gosh don't remember much else in March
- it was the Dictators birthday. He turned 29. This year he says good bye to his 20's - finally!!!!! It's about time he joins the rest of us (yes I'm a cradle robber, cougar, etc....)(P.S. did anyone else see Donna Cherry's Cougars Corner on CBC?)
April
- after months of struggling I ran the Sun Run. barely. The dictator kicked my butt. I was getting severe foot pain. It prevented me from training and prevented me from completing the 100miles in 3 months with runagogo.
Luc at the sunrun finish line
- Minou and Birdie took acting classes. We had alot of fun. They have yet to bring home a paycheck though.
- One of my best buddies Angie came to Vancouver to work. She recently left for Edmonton but we couldn't have made it through the last few months without her.
- somewhere in here started my facebook obsession
- Minou turned 4.
May
- this month saw us decide to buy a house without any downpayment or previous desire to do so in the insane Vancouver market. Let's just spontaneous house purchases aren't as fun as they sound. These kinds of purchases include car accidents and many fights with undeserving loved ones.
- I recovered the couch
Our couch - finished
June
- saw us moving!!!!
me and the girls
Penny starting to paint the kitchen.
- I flew to Calgary to surprise my highschool clothing and textiles teacher at her retirement party. It was great to see her.
- I started dieting.....
- that was about all we had time for in June
July
- I was finally finished working on Tin Man and actually had a bit of time to work on the house for a few weeks
- I started attending Boot Camp three times a week. and started losing weight and gaining injuries
- My sister got married in kaslo - me and the girls had a little tenting vacation.
Me and Jen
- much to the dictator's delight one of the two kwik e marts opened 5 minutes from our house.
Squishee!!!!!
- I started designing my next show at the artsclub, one of my favourites "His Greatness"
playwright act 1scene 1
August
- I finally finished my wearable art dress and my wonderful friend Esme modelled it for me.
- I started working on another film - nothing to write home about.
- I made the BEST purchase of the year. By accident I overheard someone in best buy say "where do you have the wii's" which involved me following them to the counter and asking for the last one they had. The games for 2 - 4 year olds give me the most enjoyment. And yes, I get wii arm and stiff sore muscles whenever I play. And no, the tv is still in one piece and no one has been hurt (by anyone else that is)
- August also saw my dear friend Penny leave for Winnipeg, we all miss her dearly.
- I found out I am hypermobile in ALL my joints as I pulled a muscle in the pelvic area and dealt with daily foot pain. I have the flatest feet that my physiotherapist has ever seen, and the bendiest shoulders.
Sept.
- just kept doing what I was doing.
- started working on a show with many dear friends, it involved many late nights (3:00am) and ended in a terrible flu. However those 3:00am night do involve extra giggles and starbucks.
- I won best in show at the wearable art awards fashion show. It was a surprise and I am still honored!
I WON I WON I WON!!!!!!!!!
Oct.
- I got a little older.
- my next gig slowly started turning into a nightmare. An irresponsible boss with too many excuses and alot of blame. It was only going to get worse.
- Oct. brought Terry Gilliam to Vancouver and a very good friend inches away from designing his show - my DREAM JOB. It would have been a dream come true just to live vicariously through her. Alas no such luck.
November
- I started designing costumes for my fair lady. Another disaster in the making
Eliza Doolittle ball dress
- my other gig got steadily worse. After a particularly brutal screaming at the entire work room I asked what was going on and was immediately treated like I had been trying to bring down the entire department with all kinds of nasty behaviour. Who knew I had such power. I didn't quit but stuck around for a few days only to witness more abuse of other employees. After refusing to sign a suspicious piece of paper I was fired. Never before in my entire LIFE! (Steph this is when I QUIT talking to 2007) Just as a little side note, it was not the end of this situation. I am still in process with the labour board for some 'surprise' deductions and various friends who stayed until the end of the contract are still owed large amounts of money. Horrible horrible situation.
- the girls started going to daycare once a week. Work kept me away to much and I was too exhausted to be able to tucker them out at the end of the day. By the end of the week they were bringing various toys to bed looking to play in the wee hours of them morning. The stress and activities of day care put an end to that.
- I continued to be all consumed with work on the musical spending everyday and every hour working on it.
Dec.
- I brought out the Xmas music early but there was so much to do with My fair Lady I hardly got to think about Xmas. It turned into crisis mode in the middle of the month with me on the phone in tears. Here it is in writing for all who care. I WILL NEVER EVER DESIGN ANOTHER GATEWAY CHRISTMAS SHOW. (I said it last year but this time it is true)
- opening night saw the start of another cold but the arrival of our XMAS TREE and SHOPPING.
The girls with santa
- Dictator's mom spent the entire holiday with us
- I lost 25lbs since June (I haven't weighed myself since Xmas cooking started but let's try and optimistic about something shall we?)

I'm glad 2007 is over. There was some highlights - the house, finally losing some weight
But there was way to many awful things, the car accident (which I am still dealing with as well), plenty of really horrible jobs which have me considering other options in life.

2008 is looking sketchy for work. The writers strike and dollar have everyone more then a little worried. I hope things look up and I am able to work with the people I love and respect. I hope Dictator and I can spend more time together and we can pay off a few debts. (The spontaneous house purchase came with a mortgage that we were less then prepared for.) I also hope I can become much better at wii. Perhaps there is a career in wii? I also hope that my puppy girls stay healthy and happy for they are the two things that are never mad at me, never ask for money, never stress me out, are always happy to see me always are good for a cuddle, etc. etc. etc. etc. (Dictator tries pretty hard too no thanks to me)

I think this novel is over for now. Thanks for bearing with me and my lack of posts over the past few months..... I'll try and be better.
Kisses from Minou and Birdie.

3 comments:

  1. Great to hear what is going on these last twelve months -- much of it I had already gathered from reading, but the review really helped!

    Here's to a better 2008!

    25 lbs is something to celebrate! I'm down 10, but I still want to go for another 20 (25 in my fantasies, but at my advanced age I just don't think it's going to happen).

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  2. Oh goodness - when you put it all down like that, well, it's just a miracle that you survived and aren't bent in 20 different directions and hiding in a makeshift tent under your bed.

    I'm going to set a prompt on my computer to remind you, sometime in August, that you should not agree to taking the Gateway Christmas show.

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  3. I dunno about 2007...was there some sort of astrological snafu? The suckiness seems to be diffuse.

    Hypermobile is not a good thing to have, I hear. Maybe you can rig up some sort of elastic/brace suit to limit your mobility (insert tongue in cheek).

    I hope 2008 is better, because if it was worse, I shudder for you.

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