Accompanied by "Nothing's Impossible" by the late great Solomon Burke. Cheesy video but the lyrics are great :)
HELLUUUUUUUU!!!
Some exciting new stuff coming your way throughout the course of the year. I have made an intention to interview some of my fabulous friends that have made their dreams become a reality!! The idea of finding your passion and living the life you've always dreamed of has been something I have always been so fascinated by, and being the naturally curious person I am (who also strives to make my dreams a reality), it's naturally fitting I find out how they did it! I love a good life story, so why not include some life stories in my blog :)
I hope you enjoy the interviews and I hope you find yourself inspired and uplifted by their stories as much as I will be!!!
Since it is Bell Let's Talk Day today I thought I'd revisit the subject of mental illness once again. I have been meaning to write this blog for the last few weeks upon hearing some horrible news regarding a 16 year old boy who committed suicide due to depression. It saddened me that he felt that desperate to end his life. He was suffering from depression for quite a while, but feelings were never discussed in his household which kept them bottled.
Having suffered from anxiety, and bouts of depression throughout my life, and diagnosed with ADHD when I was 18, I am no stranger to the world of mental health disorders. There are days when you slap a smile on your face and try to stay positive, but inside you feel empty, dark, and hopeless. Many people walk through life with these mental health disorders trying to look strong so to not expose their perceived dark secret, but in reality they are suffering big time on the inside. I know I have done that numerous times and it is not the way to live. This need to hide feelings and suffer alone is due largely to the unnecessary stigma related to mental illness - that you must be defective in some way, weak and or crazy if you have a mental disorder. In reality it is quite opposite - it takes a large amount of strength and courage to battle through each day with issues you feel are out of your control. It takes a large amount of strength to deal with feelings of being "different" from others, being deemed as having an "illness", feeling unlovable, and or trying to be what is defined as "normal" in societal terms. Portrayals of people with mental illnesses throughout time within different media/creative outlets generally paint pictures of people screaming their heads off, wearing straight jackets at hospital psychiatric wards, talking to themselves incoherently, or even hurting others. These images have created a stereotype regarding people who suffer from mental illnesses, which in turn has caused many people dealing with mental illness to keep their mouths shut so to not endure the judgment and ridicule themselves. Although these types of behaviours do occur with certain mental disorders, there are many high functioning people that you wouldn't guess are even dealing with anything at all. Mental health is not a black or white subject and there is not just one picture to paint.
We should not feel ashamed to talk about our struggles. We should not feel the need to hide a part of ourselves. We should not feel ashamed to seek help for anything - and this goes for anything in life. To feel like you have no where to turn or no one to express your feelings to is a horrible feeling. To not be acknowledged and or feel understood or supported; to be seen as a monster; or to not be taken seriously because someone feels you can just think positively and be done with it (or that you are overreacting and or are oversensitive) - is complete ignorance. It's a lack of education. It's lack of compassion. It's a lack of understanding. It's not always that easy for everyone. Imagine how tough it would be to be trapped in a mind of a schizophrenic, or a severely autistic child? Or have to deal with Bipolar Disorder? People need to walk a mile in someone's shoes before they can judge another. It's an old saying but a true one. Acceptance is key to people feeling safe to come forward and admit needing help. It is not a sign of weakness to seek help. People with any sort of disorder (whether severe or not) should not be the butt of people's jokes - they should be seen as an opportunity to open our hearts and send compassion and understanding even if we don't understand fully. This way of thinking should be applied to all people really - with or without disorders of any kind.
For those that are capable of taking responsibility for their own mental health, there are many great treatments out there - social workers, medication, cognitive behavioural therapists, psychiatrists, psychologists, doctors, nurses, mental health hospitals - that people can turn to in times of need whether short or long term. We can create our own happiness and take control of your lives and live a more stable life. It takes work and commitment, and there are many challenges to face, but it is worth it in the end.
Here is to even more positive change in years to come regarding stigmas and mental health!!! We are getting there and #BellLetsTalk is just one great step forward to helping create that change. Bell is donating 5 cents for every text, tweet, Facebook post, and or long distance call so join the movement!!
Accompanied by "Breaking Free" - High School Musical (don't judge!)
Hey Y'aaaallll!!
HAPPPPPPY NEW YEAR!!!! It is now 2013 - another year to manifest some amazing adventures and experience some great opportunities (and lots of love and happiness of course!!!) It is also the year to break free from any limitations you may be putting on yourself! Personally I want to start living the life I've always dreamed of. The year 2013 is gonna be my freakin' year I say!!!
This blog was inspired by a video I saw on my friends Facebook page asking the question "What If Money Didn't Matter?"
"What makes you itch? What sort of a situation would you like?...What would you like to do if money were no object? How would you really enjoy spending your life?"
So many questions!!!! AH! What WOULD I do if money were no object?? and how would I spend my time?? Think! Think!!! After watching this video my head was spinning with all the different options I could experience. There is so much of the world I haven't seen yet and I want to see it all!!!! I WANT TO SEE IT ALLLLLLLLL!!! I couldn't shake, however, the underlying thought of "PSHHHHH that kind of life can't happen to you.You have debt; that's not your destiny; only lucky people get that chance...". Uh yah it can negative thoughts in my head. Did you not see - money is no object so suck it.
We are all lucky. We are alive and breathing which is lucky in itself. There is nothing stopping me but myself (and perhaps all the negative subliminal conditioning our brains are exposed to each day - but that can be fought against :p). The world really is our oyster. We just have to believe it and know we deserve the kind of life we want. Personally, over the years disappointments, struggles, financial strain and a run of bad luck have overshadowed that spark and optimism I once had, and left me feeling stuck - stuck with a clear vision but no clear direction on how to move forward! I have been in survival mode for so long and have become a bit lost. I've always held this thought pattern that making money and living the life you want involves struggling for it and working endless hours to get ahead. Well...yes...part of that is true. You do need to take action and earn your keep in ways, and do the research it takes to move yourself forward in life, but struggling does not have to be the majority of the equation. We can actually enjoy the journey as we go. There are always challenges to face but they can be seen as learning opportunities and ways to grow as a person. I need to start taking my own advice.
I've laid in bed many nights thinking about what a limitless life would feel like. "How would it feel to be free of all the worries and struggles and have complete freedom to do whatever you want??? BLISS I TELL YOU!!! TOTAL BLISS!" This CAN be everyone's life.Our dreams can be our reality! Obviously money is in existence still and is required for our survival, so at this point until money is of no value, we need to make it. BUT with that said, life can be lived even if you are strapped for cash. Dreams can still come into fruition - perhaps with a little more creative thinking involved if certain goals require more money than you have. Every obstacle can be overcome - maybe some a bit slower than others but they can be resolved!
Here are a few ways I would spend my time if I had the luxury of living a limitless life. Remember your dreams don't have to be censored!!
1) Travel the world making music - with my band y'all!
2) Travel the world exploring different cultures - snapping photos along the way. Explore the different architecture, environments, ways of living, food, drink, entertainment!!!
3) Travel the world volunteering with different organizations. Go to Fiji to build a house! Help build a school! Help with Right To Play!
4) Attend all the music festivals around the world!! Coachella for sure!
5) Finish my Graphic Design and Advertising diploma!!
6) Become a groupie for my favourite band - on a bus like the movie Almost Famous.
7) Buy a cottage, a boat, and a badass Seadoo.
8) Go back to school to take up journalism or creative writing to become a children's author.
9) Buy an Ipod finally.
10) Bike across Canada (....buy a gym pass first).
11) Travel across North America in an RV!
12) Buy a whole new wardrobe to look cooler.
13) Buy a good camera - and glue it to my body. And buy five back-ups. And hire a detective to find the other two cameras I seemed to have lost in my move.
14) Go to the Olympic games!
15) Attend all the major sporting events - Superbowl, Stanley Cup finals, World Series, FIFA World Cup, Wimbledon - whatever else there is.
16) Go to Hawaii to attend a Yoga and artist retreat.
17) Go to India to attend a yoga and spiritual education retreat.
18) Start my own positive media company!!! Bring along Monika Platek and Todd Cooney with me! Power of 52 yo (check out their website - http://powerof52.wordpress.com/!!).
19) Road trip from Arizona to California! In a convertible! Like Thelma and Louise - minus all the killing and...driving their car off the canyon...
20) I'd have a full tank of gas all the time! How glorious!
21) I would travel and write about every spa/resort out there in this lovely world. Live a luxurious life for some of my life.
22) Train to become an Olympic squash player. Or perhaps a "table tennis" player. Put my third year university experience to good use.
23) I would go to Bouctouche, NB every summer - the magic of the East Coast is like no other.
24) I would stop war - and obliterate all weapons. We aren't a video game people. Actual people are dying over stupid shit.
25) I would build my first house completely environmentally friendly. And dust resistant.
26) I would start my own TV show and interview all of the people that have inspired me.
27) Travel back in time in the Delorean and actually attend dance classes when I was a kid - not run out of them!
28) Attend more singing lessons.
29) Go to a Red Sox game against the Blue Jays.
30) Purchase a good pair of running shoes.
31) Invent a fashionable boot that fits muscular calves so I too can wear skinny jeans and boots.
32) Spend copious amounts of time in nature - hiking, admiring the sights and sounds of all that is around me - the wind, the rain, the rustling of the trees and leaves. Feel the sunlight on my face. Hug a tree!! Feel the grass on my feet - hopefully grass that hasn't been blessed by bowel movements of our beloved pets.
33) Burn all the cubicles in the world. And fluorescent lighting. No more living each day as caged animals in the corporate world!!!! Unless that is your dream - then so be it.
34) Create tons of farms for animals that can't find proper homes. It saddens me how many innocent little lives are euthanized.
35) Become more involved in the community and with causes I feel passionate about (which I need to start doing now!) - the environment, child abuse, etc.
36) I would restore Maple Leaf Gardens to its original state. Miss the magic of that building. How insulting that they put a freakin' Loblaws there!!!! Pshaw!
37) I would walk 500 miles.
38) I would become a motivational speaker!!!!
39) I would go to Yoga more often! My goal is to touch my toes - at one point in my life.
40) Become a vegetarian - and purchase discipline so my hair doesn't fall out due to lack of nutrition.
41) I would eat clean! and eat the best food out there! I LOVE FOOD!!
42) Purchase the best vibrator ever - I mean....errrr....nope....I really would. How glorious would that be?
43) Attend all the concerts of the aging legends in music - before they die.
If anyone would like to share their own versions of a limitless life please don't be afraid to comment or share your dreams!!!!
I hope you all have an amazing week!!!! Here is to a happy 2013!!
Accompanied by the "New Year Song 2013: HA HA HA HA HAPPY NEW YEAR!"
Hellooooo Everyone!
I can't believe it is already the end of 2012! I remember writing the first blog of 2012 like it was yesterday! It is crazy how fast so many months have passed!
Looking back on this year and the intentions I had set at the beginning of the year, I can definitely say I fulfilled some of my desired goals. My main goal was to be able to challenge my fears and become more vulnerable in my life, and boy did I do that! I jumped into that intention feet first and did not look back. As I wrote in a few of my previous blogs, I started singing this year and although it has been a terrifying experience it has also been very fulfilling! Singing really relates to being comfortable expressing who you are. You are baring your soul on stage and learning to become comfortable in your skin while doing it. Singing relates to being confident in having a voice at all (expressing opinions, thoughts, worries, fears - expressing it all!!) My singing experience has been similar to writing this blog, however I am now expressing myself in public, where people can potentially criticize and judge me to my face! GAH! It is definitely still a challenge for me to this day to go up and perform some nights but I fight through the anxiety and do it anyways! I am a people pleaser and care far too much about what people think of me, so the fear of failing in front of people has been present many times over! However with that said, it has been an incredible experience performing my brother's songs with him and being able to share his talents with others together. I am very proud of him and honestly am impressed each night by his quick wit and his writing abilities! You go brother!!! Can't wait to see where 2013 takes us!
WHAT I HAVE LEARNED THIS YEAR:
1) I have learned that it is OK to be where I am in my life. I had a moment this summer that had me finally feeling that much desired contentment with life. The only one who is judging my life is me! The pressure I was putting on myself to be someone and something in this lifetime disappeared and I felt FREEEEE as a bird! A weight was lifted off my shoulders and I had a spring in my step that week. The unknown is a scary thing but life is far too precious to waste worrying about things that you can't force to happen. Life really is a journey that has to be appreciated and cherished along the way and looking into the future so much has taken my focus off of that appreciation. I have said it many times before - being present in the moment is where it's at!!! It is one of my goals for 2013 and onward! I need to take my own advice.
2) I have learned that my self-worth needs to be worked on. I settle for crumbs and give less deserving people the benefit of the doubt for far too long. I need to become an advocate for myself more often and not settle for shit or accept minimum effort.
3) I have learned that I really want to travel!!! For the love of God!
4) I have learned I need to have more patience (still)! I have been reminded many times this year that the baby steps are necessary in life to build a solid foundation. I tend to see the end first and get discouraged and move onto something new if it does not happen the way I want right away. Anything in life worth pursuing needs effort, nurturing and patience put forth in order to have it grow into something spectacular in the end!!
5) I have learned I'm still a commitment phobe *sigh* BUT 2013 will be different gosh darnit.
6) I am still learning the art of sitting down for five minutes. Perhaps super glue will help with that.
7) I have learned that I have amazing friends and family. They have helped me through some dark times during my lifetime and I cannot thank them enough :) It is funny how people come out of the woodwork to give you information you really need to hear when needed. I need to feel more gratitude when times of loneliness hits. I'm not alone.
8) I have learned that I have 10,000 KMS left on my car to last me until December 2013. Ummmmmm....anyone want to come to my house...every weekend? Anyone?
9) I have learned that comparing myself to others gets me nowhere. Their journey is their own. Mine is mine. It is has been a hard train of thought to get out of my head. I need to drill this into my thoughts every day.
10) I have found that doing laundry is very relaxing. Dusting and vacuuming not so much.
11) I have learned that there really IS a use for Twitter - when you figure out what that use is.
12) I have learned that I've become a raging bitch lately. I need to control my emotions and temper!
13) I have learned that the F word is being overused in my everyday vocabulary. However... it is a great word.
14) I have learned that I'm afraid of childbirth. It's going to hurt. Really bad. I'll be the crazy aunt for a bit longer.
15) I need snow tires before I die. 16) I have learned that I do have the capacity to connect with someone or something - in any sort of way - romantic or otherwise.
17) I have an anxiety problem! Something I'm going to work on this year :)
All in all it was a year of changes and struggles with some fun along the way :) I moved into a new apartment, went on a bike excursion to Toronto from Oakville, went on a wonderful trip to Calgary this year for my friends wedding, was treated like a queen at The Moonshine Cafe for my birthday, enrolled myself into a singing course with the infamous Elaine Overholt (and took a few lessons with the very talented Brooke Harris), played many amazing shows with Whiskey Epiphany, had an incredible long weekend with my great friend Lianne in Muskoka, went to some sweet concerts, started taking Ukulele lessons, went to court for the first time (unpleasant experience), and experienced great times with awesome friends and family. I also witnessed a million and one of my friends getting engaged. It gives me hope that love is real!
This year I want to focus on becoming more disciplined and focused in my life and to really take into action all the tools I've learned throughout the years to be able to do that! I am constantly on the run and need to spend more time relaxing. I'd like to contain my emotions better and open my heart up wider. I need to take better care of my health and be less impulsive!!! I also need to just be me and give myself a break when I do stupid shit in life :)
I hope everyone has an amazing New Year's Eve and that all of your dreams come true in the upcoming year! I look forward to seeing what enfolds!!
Accompanied by "You Keep Me Hanging On" by Kim Wilde (cover) and Maroon 5's "One More Night" - thought this song was kind of perfect when I actually listened to the lyrics!
YOOOO-YO
(hardy harr).
How is
everyone doin'?? Two blogs in a week! How exciting!!!
So kids...I've
decided to chat to you about yo-yo's (and/or boomerangs) today. Now...these yo-yos are
not the old school wooden kind, or the plastic ones that sparkle and shine
with colourful blinking lights when you set them free. Those are the fun kind
of yo-yos; the innocent kinds of yo-yos that bring you back to when you were a
carefree child. No folks...I am not talking about those. What I'm talking about
are human yo-yos or boomerangs. The type of human being that you set free for
good but end up coming back into your life over and over and over and over andover and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and overagain. The ones that create constant heartache, and stress, and uncertainty in your life. Or more specifically, the
ones that you ALLOW to create those types of feelings and scenarios in your
life, because really it's our own responsibility to not let these people return
into our lives to create the chaos in the first place. When these yo-yo’s enter
your life they bring you on the roller coaster ride of your lifetime...kind of
like the Mind Buster at Canada's Wonderland...where your head and body bounce
around giving you the biggest headache at the end of it all. I'm sure some of
you reading this can relate and can vouch for how unpleasant these types of
relationships can be. I unfortunately have been involved in a few boomerang
"relationships/friendships" throughout my short time here on earth. Stupidly, while in the midst of one of
these relationships, I held out for the slim chance of something real coming
out of it because gosh darn it they threw a crumb of attention my way (enough
to keep me connected). However, with that said, I generally tried to fool myself
and everyone around me by saying that I wasn't holding out for anything with
these guys, that I'm just having fun, while simultaneously sabotaging potential
chances with the people who actually gave a shit. It's not that I do not want a real companion either. I truly do want one, however the challenge, excitement and
drama related to the situation have been subconsciously more attractive then actually
attaining the prize at the end. That small amount of attention you
suddenly get feels like a victory and is a natural high. They have chosen you,
or there is a potential to be chosen. Thennnnnn they disappear and the victory
is lost *tear*.
"OOOOH...you're not really into wanting to date me right now? Ok. Well
let me try and change your mind. Here...here's all my time. My money. My car.
My emotions...my year. Take it."
I decided to write this blog because throughout this past year especially, I have met so many other women and men
going through similar situations and started to wonder - WHY ARE WE DOING THIS TO OURSELVES??!
We are all strong, smart, capable, independent girls/guys with a lot to offer someone.
Why are we falling privy to these people who have nothing to give back to us?
Who only think of themselves? Having an emotionally unavailable/yo-yo companion is hard
because you end up blaming yourself in the end when things go awry. You ask
yourself questions like, what am I doing wrong? What is wrong with me that they
can't commit to me and or cannot stick around? What is so great about the 500 other girls he has on the
side most likely? You stew and wonder and analyze and then let go of the
situation only to get caught up in it 2, 5, 6, 9 months later when they make
contact with you again. Once again you feel they finally realize the person you are and you try your best
not to be available to this person's needs or requests because as soon as you
do the game is over. How ridiculous, RIGHT?!??! If you show any sort of emotion,
they think they've won and the attention is lost. It's a vicious, VICIOUS cycle; a cycle that has
you looking deep into yourself to see why you accept this in your life. Is it a lack
of self-worth? Is it that you're emotionally unavailable yourself? Commitment phobic? What
is stopping us from wanting something stable? Something secure? Something more
"normal" that won't leave our hearts aching? I have concluded that we are gluttons for punishment
and it is a journey and pattern that I know needs to stop for myself. It's not that I am searching for these kinds of people or relationships. I just attract someone and or are attracted to guys who mirror the energy I'm putting out there at the moment. SO the hard part now is breaking the cycle; breaking from the addiction to the stimulation, the temptation, the challenge, and pain
that comes along with the constant yo-yoing. Shifting our own thoughts and energy will help
attract what we’ve always hoped for. It really does start with us. Perhaps I've never
been clear in what I want as that would actually bring
about what I want and I haven't been ready for it. I am ready now - well getting there :) I am ready to receive love and I am also ready to give it back wholeheartedly to people who appreciate it. I hope everyone has a fabulous weekend! A beautiful day it is :) Love, Lovely Lianne XO
Accompanied by "Look Out Any Window" by Bruce Hornsby.
"I think my job is to observe people and the world, and not to judge them. I always hope to position myself away from so-called conclusions. I would like to leave everything wide open to all the possibilities in the world." ~ Haruki Murakami
Heeeeeey!
Yep...I know...I know. Brutal. It's been almost two months!!!! AH!
So...have you ever observed people and thought about what their lives are like? Is that a creepy thought?? Maybe it's stalkerish and I shouldn't be admitting I do this...but I do do this!! So there!!! I was on a bike ride the other day downtown Oakville and as I was peddling along I was watching people as I was passing them. I saw a man in his car looking like he was upset (or perhaps constipated...which is pretty upsetting I suppose) and suddenly thought "he has a life of his own that he is dealing with just as I am." Who would have thought?! When I'm out and about I generally observe people - couples holding hands down the street, janitors cleaning the toilets, business men in their suits (OK that's mainly for my own personal enjoyment) and wonder how they got to where they are in life, and why, and what kind of people are in their own lives. I know it goes without saying, but all these people have relationships, friends, jobs, and journey's of their own. They are trying to make a life for themselves, and live life period. Observing this makes me realize how many people there are in this world doing their own thing, trying to figure it all out (or maybe they are not). They have sad days, happy days, deaths, births, and lost loves in their lives and have important people that get them through a hard day. They have people that look up to them or they have people that they themselves admire...that makes a difference in their life. I think of how lucky I am for the people in my own life and how crazy it is that these people I observe don't know the wonderful people in my life that have changed me and helped me grow. They have their own people to help them through their life!! I start to wonder why I have the specific people in my life and look at all the lessons those people have taught me. It is a strange train of thought but I suppose I'm really stepping out of my own existence to see that there is in fact others around me - that we are all interconnected.
Observing people helps ground me and helps give myself a reality check. Everyone is important and is serving a purpose in this world. There is no one person that is more important than the other. Whether you are celebrity or not, whether you are homeless, whether you are a CEO of a huge company, whether you are shoveling shit off the sidewalk, or whether you are living in suburbia with two cats and a dog and 500 kids, we are all here to contribute to this world and have our own journey's to experience and lessons to learn and things to do. We all contribute to the state of this world whether good or bad. It's just crazy to know that there are billions of people out there living and growing and learning. There are everyday heros that aren't being recognized but have changed someones life forever. There are people out there falling in love with the man or woman of their dreams, making a family, and contributing to society in so many beautiful ways. There are people bustling about late for work with coffee in hand and their head racing with thoughts you don't know about. Some are connected to the world and some are on an island to themselves thinking that they are in control of it all. Each person is here for a reason just as I am...just as we all are. Realizing this puts things in perspective for me when I come across a negative situation or when I myself create a negative situation due to my own perceptions. Knowing that we all are here going through whatever we are going through for a reason helps detach myself from the situation and display more compassion than anything. It helps me not take things so personally (something I'm working on and have certainly not mastered yet). Some of us may never learn our lessons in this lifetime but it's not up to me to judge that person. We ourselves would not want to be judged when we are going through similar situations or our own trials and tribulations.
Anywho...perhaps I'm just a weirdo thinking about all this but it's something that comes about often in my many thoughts throughout the day!
Once again...I haven't written in what feels like FOREVER!! It's been a busy month and I cannot believe it's almost the end of freakin July??! What zeeee helllll?!
SO...why we are all here. Speed dating!!!!!! What an interesting experience it was! I have never been before but have always been curious, so when my friend presented the idea to me in FEBRUARY (yah...we took a while to actually do it) we signed up for some Group On deal and off to the races we went (five...months...later). I didn't know what to expect and was kind of nervous about the idea of having to figure out what to talk about with 10 to 15 different guys in a span of 2 hours. The situation in general felt like a pressure situation. I'm not good with pressure. At all. Especially when it has to do with conversations with boys that I could potentially go on a date with. HOWEVER, with that said, rule number 5 of FastLife speed dating states that you need to just go with the freaking flow and do not plan on what you are going to talk about (or something like that). I am not a particularly good planner to begin with so that wasn't hard to achieve. Nevertheless, I was happy that I was going with someone I knew, who funnily enough was also named Lianne, so double the fun! Yeehaw!
We arrived downtown Toronto at 7:30 p.m. on a fine Saturday night as people were starting to trickle into the venue. I tried not to talk to any guy beforehand at the bar OR look them in the eye OR look inviting in any way shape or form just in case we exhausted all we could talk about before the event even started. Staying incognito was my goal, which promptly ended when my drink straw flung out and hit me. *Sigh* You can't bring me anywhere. Lianne and I chatted with each other for a bit, admired the hot bartender and went into the main room with our drinks. The main room had numbered tables where the ladies had to sit, while the guys had to walk around to each of those tables in order. Suckas!! Lianne sat behind me which became the best ice breaker in history for the guys. You are welcome speed dating men! We seriously made it so easy for them!!! Literally every single guy started off their conversation by mentioning that "OH! Her name was Lianne too" and asked if I knew her. I should have told them "Yes. We know each other VERY well...if you know what I mean. Rarr." I sat at my table number 16 and took a glance at the match card on the table. The match card had blank spaces for every guys name with a YES or NO check box beside their name. Pretty easy to understand. Just make sure you check them off as you go in case you do not remember their names by the end of the night and end up checking off someone you didn't really like.
At around 8 p.m. the host banged his gong and our first conversations started. Guy number one for me was named David W. and he did something in some sort of field. He had gone speed dating before and wasn't entirely successful but had fun. He also liked to look past me at other people when he was talking about himself so a big NO TO YOU mister. NEXT!!! Beyond the first guy all other conversations went really well and it was surprisingly more fun than I expected. There were some really nice guys in our group and it was cool to hear each person's story. It felt more natural after a while and there was a good flow of conversation. Obviously there were some people that I didn't click with - bad breath boys, younger than me boys, "people I couldn't understand if I tried" boys - but all in all it was a good group. Towards the end of the night things got tiring as the process is literally a whirlwind of energy and talking (and that's coming from me!!!). When the last guy of the night came around I was excited for it to be done. When he started talking I was even more excited for it to end. What a douchebag he was. His name was also David and he proceeded to tell me during part of our conversation that I needed to lose weight around the top and middle (he said he was a personal trainer) and it was probably related to diet. He also told Lianne this and there is nothing she needs to lose! He brought up his dead girlfriend three times (the fact that she died period) and brought up his depression and that all the other girls he saw that night drained him of his energy. Holy mother of God make it stop. It would not be surprising if he was baffled why he did not get any matches.
Anywho, that's really all I have to report. The next day I received four out of five of the matches which is kind of fun. I did it mainly for fun but who knows...maybe something will come out of it :)
Hopefully everyone is enjoying their summer!!!! I'm off to Alberta soon for a wedding which will be a nice break!
