Day 20 in "30 Days of Blogging"

Day 20: write a letter to someone

Dear Nick Hornby,

So I have just finished "How to Be Good". Excellent work, as always. I am not sure why it has taken me this long to read it, since I seem to read just about everything else you put out within days. It had so many truisms, and so much look-you-in-the-face honesty about what it means to be good, and how we attempt to answer those questions for ourselves. Thanks for being willing to take that on, and doing it with humor.

I've always wondered - what is the genesis for these characters? Are they people you know, made into a fictional form? Are they aspects of your character, or those around you, put into a more understandable and readable context? I always feel that they are so bang-on, and that makes me wonder how you develop them. I guess that is the age old question to the author isn't it? Yet, I still wonder.

About a year ago, I heard you speak in Seattle. Someone asked you if you were an optimist, and you talked about how you think redemption is in the little things - the situation doesn't necessarily change, but maybe the way we react to it can. You said that sometimes people criticize you for having that kind of "hope" in your art, but that you'd rather be criticized than be hopeless. Maybe it's weird for me to summarize your own words back to you, but they stuck with me.

I think about those words often, and especially as I read this book. Moments of hope are sometimes hard to come by - so we need to hold on to them when they do, even if our circumstances don't change. Sometimes I feel like it's impossible to beat back the cynic inside me, and it seems like that is true for a lot of your characters too. Cynicism is usually "first nature" and often pretty funny. But, sometimes they also realize that the cynicism is kind of poisonous to themselves and their communities.

Thanks for putting that all into words, and into characters. I doubt I need to say it after a letter like this, but I really appreciate your work. Thanks for doing it.

Sharelle

*For some context, and the reasons why I love Nick, and the time I met him, check out this post.

Day 19 in "30 Days of Blogging"

Day 19: write a sweet memory from your past

I am writing this post, whilst looking at this:

So I hope that explains the lack of posting for the past couple of days. I'm not really expecting sympathy exactly, but there you have it. We are with my family in Hawaii at the Marriott Vacation Club. Yup, life's pretty good.

To be honest, it's also been this post subject that's been stumping me. Partly for the ambiguity of "sweet". By this, do we mean something really fantastic, and super cool (that car is sweet)? Or something sentimental (ahh, that was really sweet of you)? Tough to say. I think I am going to go with the former. And I am in travel zone right now, so it'll be a travel story:

Matthew and I were in Munich. I wanted him see the classic "Hofbrauhaus". It is a beautiful classic beer hall where many historic events (including Hitler's Beer Hall Putsch of 1923) took place. The place is pretty touristy, but you have to see while you are there. So we agree to just go for a beer, and then grab dinner after.

We sit next to two younger guys, but don't talk to them for a while. One of them gets out to go the bathroom and tries speaking in German to us (this happened a lot). Then the other one did the same thing. They say something more substantial in German, to which we have to say we don't understand (shoot!). And then they do the customary "where are you from?" thing. (Nice guys).

We say we are from Canada, and one of the guys says: "You are kidding me! Let me introduce you to my friend Guenter!" And it all began.

Turns out Guenter - a graphic designer from Cologne - was in love with Canada, and he had just recently returned from a trip to Vancouver for which he had saved his pennies for years to go on. He was pretty certain Vancouver was one of the best places on earth, and he went on to show us his drawings which were inspired by his visit (see below). We continued to talk of Canadian music that he loved (Emily Haines) and so much more. Patrick, Guenter's old friend, was very similar to Matt and they had lots to talk about because he ran a hotel. After about a hour of talking, they asked if we wanted to go for dinner, so we went, and they took to us to a fantastic authentic German restaurant where Matt and Patrick ate Pork Knuckle. It was pretty much the best night of our whole trip, but it was such an unexpected delight.

Even now, Guenter and Patrick keep in touch (through the ol' facebook). They said we need to come visit again, and we invited them to come here too. A pretty great night which started at the most touristy place you can imagine. And that is why I love travelling.

"Maple Man" - credit to Guenter.

He also created "Maple Cat". Awesome.

Mother Mother

Last Friday I went out to West Vancouver to catch a free Mother Mother concert. I was pretty tired when Friday night came around, and part of me thought it was crazy to go stand outside in the rain for a concert. But I had a few people crazy enough to do it with me (Shout out to Robby P, Kira and Gagnon).

So we went anyway, and arrived at a woodstock-esque mudpit filled with excitable concert goers.

And the show rocked. The rain held up for about 40 minutes while they played their set, and the sound was killer. I even discovered a new favourite song of theirs thanks to Rob Peacock.

So now, I send this one out to you. I am seriously considering going to their show again in May - this time indoors. Nothing quite like being in love with Canadian artists. It brings joy to my heart.

(Can you tell I just learned how to embed videos? Whaaaat a keener. ha)

Day 18 in "30 Days of Blogging"

Day 18: plans/ goals/ dreams you have

That is a pretty vague assignment right there. I think I am going to match the vague assignment with a vague answer:

I'm a little unsure of the plans these days.

Not the plans about how I want to live, or what kind of wife/family member/friend I want to be. Those goals are always very clear to me.

The thing is, I've always been a planner. I made plans leading up to university to get there. I made plans when I was in university for what was after. I made plans about teaching. Now I'm not really sure what plans to make.

I feel like I need to sign up for some more courses, do some more training, get myself onto another path. But luckily my husband slows me down a little sometimes, and asks me to stop for a little while before I rush into my third degree (yikes).

I'm not sure how long this season will last - this one without trying to make a million plans. But I am going to attempt to rest in it for a while.

Portlandia: Have You Read It?

Have you seen this show? It's a pretty funny commentary on hipster culture. Probably at least three times in the past two weeks, something has happened and I have said: "Have you seen Portlandia?" because it is so relevant. The one below is my favourite so far. I have totally been satirized. And I love it.

Day 17 in "30 Days of Blogging"

Day 17: someone you want to switch lives with for one day and why

I debated long and hard about this one. So much so that I got another day behind. Oh shoot!

Seriously, I think my most truthful answer would be:

First Year University Student

I know, that is maybe the dumbest thing you've ever seen. Why wouldn't I choose someone famous, or fabulously rich, or extremely talented?

I've been thinking about it a lot this week for some reason (a talk with Laura, a visit to TWU) and I just loved that time. The time where I was at the start of it all. There wasn't really career pressure yet, because you were only 18. You had so many choices for classes, and so many yet to take. Some days you didn't wake up until 10 AM. Then when I did wake up, I would read novels and poetry, and then go discuss it in a group.

I know, a highly romanticized portrait of university life - but that really was my day sometimes. And then other days I had 4 papers due, and had to stay up until 4 am to finish them. So I realize that not every day in the life of a freshman would be magical, but I am just saying:

some days truly were.

Day 16 in "30 Days of Blogging"

Day 16: a picture of yourself

This picture is on the coast of Ireland in a town called Doolin. We went exploring and found all these beautiful rocks with etchings and crevices. It's amazing what the ocean can do to solid rock.

Matt wanted me to pick a picture where I was "trotting away from him" as I was prone to do on our travels. Often I would start trucking off in a certain direction so fast, or weaving through a crowd, and it would take him a few minutes to figure out where I'd gone, and he'd have to scramble to catch up. A bit of a metaphor for our relationship in some ways :)

And see, there I am, only a few minutes later.

Day 15 in "30 Days of Blogging"

Day 15: put your ipod on shuffle - first 10 songs that play

Okay, I did it again. I posted twice in a day. It's difficult sometimes okay? My excuse this time is that yesterday I was at a (free!) Mother Mother show in West Vancouver and I got back late. It was a pretty fantastic night, and deserves a post of it's now. But for now, it will serve as a fantastic lead-in for today's assignment.

I don't have an ipod. I have an iphone (c'mon blog assignments, get with the times), so I'll use that. And I'm going to do it on "Recently Played" and not the whole iphone. This gives you a better idea of what I'm actually listening to these days.

1. "Weighty Ghost" - Wintersleep

2. "Emerald Lake, AB" - Said the Whale

3. "Vagabond" - Wolfmother

4. "Here Comes Your Man" - Meaghan Smith

5. "Out of the Shield" - Said the Whale

6. "One Day Like This" - Elbow (shout out to Mel, that one is thanks to your mix)

7. "40 Day Dream" - Edward Sharpe & The Magnetic Zeros

8. "Quelqu'un M'a Dit" - Carla Bruni

9. "America" - Simon & Garfunkel

10. "Heart" - Stars

And there you have it.

Day 14 in "30 Days of Blogging"

Day 14: a picture of your family

.The Drewlos.

Well it turns out having a wedding was pretty useful for these blogging assignment photos. There is my family - looking pretty good I might add. I'm not sure how I got so fortunate - I have parents I can talk to, and a brother and sister-in-law who are also my friends. How great is that?

I'm pretty lucky because I get to see four out five people in this picture every day (wish I could see you every day too Lindsay!). I love working with my family because it's amazing to see what they can accomplish with each of their unique skills.

.The Daycos.

As if I wasn't lucky enough already, I married into this fantastic family. It's really a gift to feel so welcomed into a family, without pressure of having to be one thing or another. I feel very grateful for them and how they have supported us every step of the way.

And that's my family.

Day 13 in "30 Days of Blogging"

Day 13: your five favourite books and why

This assignment is fantastic and difficult at the same time. I'm supposed to narrow it down to five? What if I miss one? I feel an immense amount of pressure.

So I am going to do my best. And it's likely I'll miss something good - sort of like when I didn't have a John Donne table at my wedding. It happens right? It's hard to make a list.

Here we go.

Top Five Favourite Books (not necessarily in order)

1. Catcher in the Rye - J.D. Salinger

The first time I read this novel, it was a communal copy read by the CP's at Capernwray. I don't know what I loved most - Holden Caulfield's sass, or the notes in the margins. Either way, it was one of my favourite reading experiences. Ever.

"What really knocks me out is a book that when you're all done reading it, you wish the author that wrote it was a terrific friend of yours, and you could call him up on the phone whenever you felt like it. That doesn't happen much though"

2. The Picture of Dorian Gray - Oscar Wilde

This book made me fall in love with Oscar Wilde. From the very first quote on artists, I knew it was going to be love. I read this book on the trains of Europe, and it dazzled me. Such wit, so well executed.

"You are a wonderful creation. You know more than you think you know, just as you know less than you want to know"

3. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows - J.K Rowling

Did I just put HP on my top 5? You bet I did. This book represents the culmination of a beautiful journey back into reading. After graduating, I didn't read for almost a year. I think my degree had brought on reading "overload" Then J.K. Rowling brought me back. And it was a beautiful thing.

"That which Voldemort does not value, he takes no trouble to understand. Of house-elves, and children's tales, of love, loyalty and innocence. Voldemort knows and understands nothing. Nothing. That they all have a power beyond his own, a power beyond the reach of any magic, is a truth he has never grasped"

4. Pride and Prejudice - Jane Austen

It might seem like an obvious choice, but I put it on here because it represents the beginning of this world for me. It was my first, and probably still my best. Ohh Mr. Darcy.

"I cannot fix on the hour, or the look, or the words, which laid the foundation. It is too long ago. I was in the middle before I knew that I had begun"

5. High Fidelity - Nick Hornby

I'm a little unsure about this choice. But Nick had to be represented. I love that I am putting this book on a Top 5. Rob Gordon would be proud.

"I'm tired of the fantasy, because it doesn't really exist. And there are never really any surprises, and it never really....'Delivers'. And I'm tired of it. And I'm tired of everything else for that matter. But I don't ever seem to get tired of you"

Day 12 in "30 Days of Blogging"

Day 12: write a poem to someone you love*

(a haiku to Matt)

My computer screen

glares onto your sleeping face

Wow, you must love me.

*Seriously? Two ridiculous assignments like this in a row? And in one day? Oh boy.

Day 11 in "30 Days of Blogging"

Day 11: write a bucket list of things you want to do before you die

Oh my readership. I have let you down. I missed my post yesterday.

Here's the thing - its probably okay to miss one post- if you are out living your life right? We had the lovely Jenny Whims over to eat Swiss Chalet and watch Glee, and the night ran away with me.


So, now today I have to make up for it, and unfortunately I might have the two worst assignments possible. Why did I decide to do this again.

Warning: this bucket list is going to be a feeble "It's 10:51 pm and I still have another post to write" type list okay? I may add to it more later...

The (Very Brief) Bucket List

1. Live abroad with Matthew - it doesn't have to be for long, but I probably want it to be in Europe.
2. Teach Something I Love to People Who Love it Too - this one is kind of vague, but I realized again yesterday how much I love teaching when I taught a seminar at work. What I don't love is marking, and nagging, and beating something over people's heads. I don't know when or how this goal can be achieved. But nevertheless, its on the list. I'll probably have to get creative. And I'll probably have to do it for free.
3. Own a House - I have to tell you, if you had asked me even a year ago for my bucket list, this item would not have been on it. But in the past few months, I have realized the delight of having a space to call "ours" with Matt. One day, I'd love to have a whole house to share with our family and our community.
4. Travel Eastern Europe - I've traveled a lot in Western Europe, but I have yet to take on Eastern Europe and I've heard great things.
5. Learn how to cook/bake - Let's face it, I mostly mean bake, because I live with a pretty excellent cook.

I think that's all I've got for now my friends. I'll think of more I'm sure, but its late and I'm done for now.


I think I might have already done some things on my bucket list without realizing it though. That's pretty great right?

Day 10 in "30 Days of Blogging"

Day 10: songs you listen to when you are happy, sad, bored, hyped.

.Happy.

-"Time to Pretend" - MGMT

- "You Make My Dreams" - Hall & Oates

- "Wouldn't It Be Nice" - The Beach Boys

- "Here Comes Your Man" - The Pixies

- "The Ghost Inside" - Broken Bells

- "Dog Days are Over" - Florence and the Machines

.Sad.

- "Flightless Bird, American Mouth" - Iron & Wine
- "Falling Awake" - Gary Jules

- "Skinny Love" - Bon Iver

- "Quelqu'un M'a Dit" - Carla Bruni

- "Cant Get it Right Today" - Joe Purdy

.Bored.

- "Human of the Year" - Regina Spektor

- "Help I'm Alive" - Metric

- "Don't Stop Believin'" - Journey

- "Find Me a Place" - Jupiter One

.Hyped.

- "Here It Goes Again" - OK Go

- "Home" - Edward Sharpe & The Magnetic Zeros

- "O My Heart" - Mother Mother

- "F...orget You" - C-Lo Green

- "Marry You" - Bruno Mars (it had to be done)

1/3 done!

Day 9 in "30 Days of Blogging"

Day 9: something you are proud of in the past few days

I think I am going to do a little list.

1. Going to water running on Thursday (by myself even!) when I really didn't feel like it.
2. Driving a big Novacom truck on Friday - even though it was only around the corner.
3. Getting the courage to talk to someone about an idea at church this week.
4. Cleaning the storage room with Matt today.

I thought this one was going to be pretty hard, but it turns out I had a couple once I got going. Now if I could only get going on Biggest Loser instead of eating Chinese food. Hmm...

Day 8 in "30 Days of Blogging"

Day 8: short term goals for this month and why

1. Find some good books to read - We are going to Hawaii in two weeks (!) and I want some quality reading for vacation time. I always seem to mess it up, and bring books I don't actually want to read. I love having an excellent book when you have time to read it. Any suggestions?

2. Get ahead on "The Biggest Loser" - Novacom started doing a "Biggest Loser" a couple weeks ago, and I was doing really good at the start, and had a great steady pace. I want to get that pace back, even though the loss was slow, I was getting somewhere. Right now, I am stalled and I want to change that.

3. Blog for 30 Days - I know it is kind of silly, because you are reading my 30 day post right now, but this is quite a commitment, and I want to stick to it.

4. Condo Cleaning Overhaul - two rooms in our condo need a serious cleaning overhaul (again) - the storage room and the spare room. It's killing me.

5. Thank You Cards - I am slowly making my way down the list, but you probably haven't gotten yours yet, so please accept my sincere apologies. We had quite a few setbacks in this household the fall, but we are getting back on track, and I am finally getting these out.

I feel a little bit daunted by seeing those all in print, and then showing them to all of you. But I suppose that is probably the point - "exterior" motivation and all that.

Day 7 in "30 Days of Blogging"

Day 7: a picture of someone/something that has had a big impact on you

Okay kind of an obvious choice* I realize. I thought about other things I could choose, but let's face it, this is the right choice.

This man has given me something very rare. He has helped me learn how to love in a space filled with acceptance, grace and kindness. He has given me space to try, to fail and to try again and then learn from that process.

I am very, very grateful for him. I'm often in awe of the gift I have been given in the form of Matthew Fraser Dayco.

*Just for the record, this kind of unabashed relationship gushing is a little difficult for me to do in public settings for fear of sounding overly confident and just plain irritating. But I figure once in a while I just need to go for it right?

Day 6 in "30 Days of Blogging"

Day 6: favourite superhero and why

Google-Image Searched for Superman and found this. Superman in a 70's Photobooth. Amazing.

Superman has always been my favourite. I think it's the whole Clark Kent transformation thing. I love the quiet newspaper man saving the world.

I was also pretty obsessed with Lois & Clark as a 12-year-old. I watched every episode and was in love with Dean Cain.

Somewhere around that time, I came to love superman kitsch - vintage Superman in particular. I have water bottles, vintage postcards, journals, pens and keychains. I don't really go for it too much these days, but I can't say the sight of a superman themed toy doesn't still make me stop in my tracks.

Word on the street is - there is going to be a 2012 Superman movie, with a young British actor. Hey, it worked for Batman. Sounds good to me.

Day 5 in "30 Days of Blogging"

Day 5: a picture of somewhere you have been

I couldn't pick one place, so I picked 5. Just figured, I'd go for it.

Describing the pictures from left to right. Click on the collage to see it bigger.

1. Capernwray Hall - England - what is there to say? One of the best years of my life was spent here. I learned so much, and made friends that still enrich my life to this day.

2. Wallenstein Gardens - Prague - Brenda and I stumbled upon these gardens one day while walking through Prague, and they filled me with that unparalleled travel joy of discovering something delightful around an unexpected corner.

3.Tintern Abbey - Wales - visiting the site of one my favourite Wordsworth poems was a dream come true. We sat on the lawn and read the poem, and it was perfect.

4. London - England - London with Matt. One of the best cities in the world with my British-loving husband. Can it get better than that?

5. Cliffs of Moher - Ireland - Matt and I came around the corner to see the cliffs and I shrieked. It didn't even seem real it was so beautiful.

Okay, maybe a little over the top, but who can resist a trip down travel memory lane.

Day 4 in "30 Days of Blogging"

Day 4: a habit you wish you didn't have

I am always late.

When I think of how long it will take me to get somewhere, I always go on the absolute quickest time I have ever achieved, as opposed to the longest (which would make much more logical sense). So my time estimates are usually pretty off. GPS has helped this problem a bit, because its hard to fight with "Jane" when she tells you it'll be 30 minutes, not 15. But I still think "nah, I'll beat that".

This year I told a friend, who is always very punctual that my New Years resolution was to be on time for her specifically. I thought I'd start small and then extend outward once I mastered it. So far, its only kind of working.

Since being with Matt, I have improved slightly at this bad habit when we attend events together, mostly because he loathes being late. And I must admit, life is much less stressful when you haven't alloted the minimum amount of time to something. And let's face it - we could all use a little less stress.

The funny part is - I really don't like being early. And when I try to be on time, I tend to be really early. It's extreme either way for some reason. To me, its always such an awkward time that I don't know how to manage. I suppose I've never had to learn how because I'm always late. Yikes. Maybe I'll just start aiming for that optimum 5-10 minutes before time.

So, let this be my apology to you, for all the times you have sat waiting for me, and know that I am aware of it, recognize it's a problem, and I'm slowly getting there.

Day 3 in "30 Days of Blogging"

Day 3: a picture of you as a child

It was a bit of a difficult assignment today, because I don't have too many digital photos of myself as a kid. This photo may have been featured on the blog before, but it was a long time ago.

That picture is pretty classic Kid-Sharelle in a lot of ways. First of all, I have my pigtails, which was one of my favourite hairstyles. I often got referred to as "Pippy Longstocking" when I was a little girl. My hair was so red then, I had lots of freckles and I was always wearing pigtails.

The other thing that characterizes me in that picture is my bear Scotty. I think that is Scotty 1.0, and now I am on about 4.0. Yes, I still have a teddy bear. Poor Matt. It actually really affects how well I sleep, which is bizarre but true. My current Scotty is falling apart at the seams (literally) so it might be time for me to finally move on.

And that's about it for today.