my "weekend"

So somehow my five hundredth post just snuck right by me, unnoticed. I have written Five. Hundred. Posts. I should do a giveaway or something hey? Uh yeah...let me think on that. For now, here's lucky thirteen photos from my "weekend" (Tuesday and Wednesday) with Ryan, Tank, and a couple library books.

Have a nice (real) weekend!

Things I Love Thursday

This week I love...

The 'Forever Alone' meme. Every single time I see it I think it's funnier than before. It's out of control. And for you aficionados, here's the ultimate Forever Alone cartoon.

These fifty photos of basset hounds running. I'm sure you've seen these before but um...they're still great.

This very important thing for all bloggers to know. Credit your photos!  I'm really trying to do better at this, both by using my own photos as much as possible, linkbacks, being careful to never mislead the readers into thinking I created something I didn't, and putting credits in visible legible font. 

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This powerful collection of photos by James Mollison, entitled "Where Children Sleep". Here are a couple that really contrast...follow the links for more.  What an interesting project!

And check out his "James and Other Apes"  portraits too, they're beautiful!

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Things organized neatly. But who doesn't like that?

This video of French kids trying to figure out what older technologies were used for. (A record player, a floppy disk, that kind of thing.) It's really cute. And for more cute French kid, watch this video of a little girl telling a story. Cutest. Kid. Ever.

These photos of 100 Abandoned Houses.

Benjamin Franklin's daily schedule. I love his morning and evening questions!

Elsie (of A Beautiful Mess)'s story of how she created her first dress collection. Normally fashion stuff and business stuff are super dull to me, but she is such an inspiring person.

This USB hub that looks like pretty tulips, sold at Fred Flare.

Here's another one that's all over the internet but is a must see; the Pirate Ship Bedroom. Seriously, to die for.

Maybe it's just because I have literally worked at 8 different grocery stores*, but I find the stories of how they came to be quite interesting. Groceteria.com has tons of info on all things supermarket.

This story about the wallet that was found after 40 years and returned to its owner.

And last but not least....

via The Whoa!

*About the grocery stores...

It all started when I was a kid. My grandma was the owner of an IGA. My dad worked there, and that's where him and my mom met! When I grew up I was sure this would be an easy job, you know, because it runs in the family, and so my first job ever was as a cashier at an Extra Foods in the town I grew up in. 

Over the years I also worked as a cashier at Superstore, a "meal solutions" clerk at Sobeys, a deli clerk/fish counter person/cashier at three different Safeway stores, a deli clerk at two different Planet Organic locations, a deli clerk at Russel Farms Market, and a cashier (for two weeks) at the Market on Millstream. Some of these positions lasted over two years. If you think about it, basically 1/3 of my life I've been working in grocery stores.

It's one of those jobs you know you can always fall back on, because when they hire they basically just check to see if you have any experience at all...that last cashier job, after two weeks they were already on me to become a manager. I was like "I am so out of here." It's too easy to become a 'lifer' in a supermarket, and there's nothing wrong with that for those people who enjoy the weird subculture. They always turn into big incestuous families full of weird cliques after a while though and I am sincerely hoping those days are behind me for good. 

Have any of you worked in supermarkets before? What was your experience?

I know I already wrote about bananas today but...

...I just found the game 'bananagrams' underneath a pile of laundry I was meaning to wash for some time.It's a sign. Bananas...bananagrams...I need to play bananagrams!

 image via...

It's a word game...sort of Scrabble-esque in nature. Why haven't I played it yet? WHY? Ryan and I have the day off together tomorrow. It's like the first time in a hundred years where he doesn't work tonight, tomorrow night, or have to go pick up his kids across the island half-way through the day. I'm going to maybe put in a request to play this game with him tomorrow. We'll see...there's quite a lot of rum and diet cola* going around this evening...maybe my brain not work so good tomorrow.

*Coke or Pepsi, I'll never tell! 

Image via...

Another blog update:

I changed the name to Four-Eyes Rella. In case you hadn't noticed. Everything else is the same, I just like that name better.

That is all.

-Nova

I'm going bananas!

For some reason I've had a ton of creepy banana related links on my computer lately. Enjoy! (?)

What the?

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via Cheeky Raven

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Banana carvings.

via

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See the whole Nannerpuss video here.

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Zombie Banana?

About the new header.

I came home early yesterday from work due to a ridiculous headache. I was thinking "migraine" until I researched migraines on the internet. I wasn't that sensitive to light, and although I felt a little bit nauseous it wasn't anything like the way people who suffered migraines described it. And I could still function, albeit totally in a daze and grouchy. I think it was more of a tension headache.

Anyway enough of the self-diagnosis. I'm writing about something SO COOL! After lying around in the dark at home while Ryan watched hockey all day, reading the book "The Birth House" by Ami McKay (awesome book, by the way), I started to feel better and went on Facebook, where I found a wonderful surprise from 'chelle (from Coffee and Zombie Movies)... she drew a picture of me!

She claims she doesn't have a shrine built in my honor or anything yet, and was just sketching the first person who happened to show up on her Facebook feed. Whatever. I love it. Isn't it so great? So I opened it in the paint program and made me have four eyes instead of two and made it my header. What do you think?

Today...

...I will try this camera for the first time. Wish me luck!

fisheye, snowman edition

 There hasn't been snow around here for months now, just rain rain rain. And wind. And a little bit of sunshine here and there. The last time it snowed, the kids went out with their neighborhood friends and made this snow man. Not only is it creepy as fuck, it also was made to...poop. They dug a hole through the mouth and out the back and "fed" it pinecones. And named it "doo dude". I believe that's its baby (or perhaps dog) beside it.

You can't make this shit up.

These were taken in February, shared today.

Presenting: my sister! v.3

 ***note: this post was scheduled for the 15th but for some reason insists on posting today...

so here it is, two days early! ***

This is Lyndon. You may remember her from previous posts. What am I saying, "may"? How could you forget this girl?

 

Anyway, she lives far far away, in a small town on the prairies of Alberta, Canada. And she takes a ton of beautiful photos of the town and its surroundings. Here's a few pictures of hers I stole off facebook. (With her permission, of course.) The chandelier was taken in Boston I believe. The rest are Alberta.

 I asked Lyndon a few interview questions, which I will be posting here and in the next few sister sister posts.

1. Hi Lyndon. yo yo yo what it is?

2. What's up? Drinking coffee and "working".

3. What camera(s) do you use to take your pictures with? I recently got a Canon Rebel XS, its a good starting out camera and it takes really nice pictures, can't wait to get something bigger and better though where I can try out more variety of lens.

4. Tell us about yourself. Where do you live? How old are you? What do you do for work? I are 23 years old, living in the biggest flyest town called Stettler, AB. Its not the most exciting place but if you go out and look for things to do there is lots! And its not so bad, no paying for parking, no commute to work, family and friends are always near by. Work at the Co-operators selling insurance by day, hobby photorapher/bowler/pool player/drinker by night. Though I have made money doing all those at one time or another ;)

5. What's your daily routine? Mostly I work 9-5 and have weekends off so that's pretty rad but can also get super repetative, one of my favorite quotes is "why is it we crave routine but loathe repitition?" very true for me.

6. When do you usually take your photos? I do take a lot of country cruises after work or on the weekends (which isn't far to go where I live) and love to sit out there and rock some tunes and watch a beautiful sunrise or sunset while taking pictures and just enjoying the scenery. One thing photography has made me is appreciative for beauty in everything! I can always see a cool picture and always find im kicking myself when I'm without my camera.

Thanks Lyndon, for answering my kind of random interview questions and sharing your photos. 

Do you guys have any questions for my sister?

Things I Love Thursday

Oh boy, you guys. Have I got some cool junk to share with you this week! Here we go. 

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These 25 greatest "that's what she said" moments in comic book panels. I love things taken out of context like this, hahaha! For example: 

The impossible project. Oh, polaroids!

This stationary of horror. Hahah! So awesome and gross. 

These Die Antwoord t-shirts. Man I love those guys.

This list of ten important pictures that shaped America.

101 rad pin-up post cards.  Maybe not safe for work. 

This super weird picture of a boy and a fish. 

Lomography.com's tips for the amateur street photographer.

These "quirky" coloring books. I still love coloring.

Bento boxes. Pretty food always wins in my opinion. Check out this Flickr pool.

This is a fantastic idea, what to do when you're not sure whether or not you can throw something out.

This Tumblog full of interesting letterheads.

Rock Paper Scissors: you vs the computer.

Dear blank please blank. A series of really short funny open letters. 

This bathroom. Oh my goodness, how terrifying it would be to pee in there! 

This video of my friend Sam getting ready to go on a 2-year-ish bicycle trip...the "what to pack" edition.

See part 1 here.

And last but not least, CAPOW's  map prints. These things are so great!

OW, my feelings!

Print of the day. Nay, the year.

"The Pit" by Ryan Coleman. Found via Laughing Squid. AMAZING! And the best part? You can buy a print of this on his Etsy Store here.

Six Confessions:

(This photo is of my boss' new license plate, awesome huh?)

1. I have a crazy fear of my house catching fire while I'm sleeping at night. I triple check anything I think could start a fire, I sleep with the bedroom door closed tight so the smoke can't get me, and I refuse to sleep in the nude for fear that I'll have to be outside with the firemen naked and cold.

2. My new favorite snack is peanut butter and dill pickles. Like, just dip the pickles into the peanut butter and eat it. Probably because it's salty on top of salty. Salt is my favorite.

3. I just drank a pot and a half of coffee to myself and don't feel crazy. This is how I know I need to cut back on my caffeine intake.

4. I read the "missed connections" posts on Craigslist at least once a week. Not to look for myself in the ads, but to look for Ryan. He's always being hit on by ladies, and I feel like if I keep looking I'll find some desperate single mom who saw him at the pool with his kids or working with the disabled teenagers at his day job.

5. I am in love with Mexico. And I can't stop. I'm like, obsessed with the damn country. I want to go back.

6. Ask any of my friends, I am literally the hardest person to get onto the phone unless you call me at work.  I don't think I'm alone in this, but I hate the phone. To death. It's stressful and awkward to use.

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On another topic, I got kind of a hateful/nonsensical-swearwords-filled comment recently, and just wanted to let all the haters out there know that I delete those comments and forget them forever. You can't hurt me via the internet.

You're not even a real person to me. 

That is all.

All fisheye, all the time.

Music Monday, ranting and recanting?

For those of you who don't follow me on Twitter...well honestly you're not really missing much.Once in a while I'll retweet something hilarious a celebrity said, or I'll write that my bus hasn't arrived yet, or have a prolonged conversation about reading material with Erin. Riveting. Anyway, yesterday I was zooming through my bloglovin' queue of 167 blog posts I had to read, and I noticed something...

That's right, I am a skimmer. Unless you're wearing a dinosaur costume or holding a kitten I think your clothes are boring. But here's the shitty thing that I noticed. You know what else is boring? Music Monday.

At least I know when I'm wrong. Goodbye Music Monday. You were a chore anyway.

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Update: I do like things, I swear. A few people were all like "So uh, do you like anything, jerk?"
YES! I love blogs! LOOOOOVVVVE YOU GUYS.

I also like seeing your collections, passions, hearing how you met your significant other, funny things your kids or neighbors do, your dreams, wishes, rants about school, travel pictures and stories, your trouble with coworkers, what inspires you, your scariest moments, your saddest moments, your happiest moments, crafts, nature, grammar, dating stories, irrational fears ...

ETCETERA.

So, to recap, you are all interesting people. But...I don't like looking at clothes and song lyrics. The end.

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Update part 2: I forgot that I do like to know what Kaylah at the Dainty Squid is wearing for some reason. It's probably all the colors...and cats in the pictures! :)