i crocheted some rocks this weekend

Last weekend, my boy and I went to Rügen Island on the Baltic Sea. On our first day, we walked along a beach and I noticed how many pretty rocks there were.

A few years ago I had a friend that collected rocks from all of her trips. Inspired by her, I picked one and decided it was going home with me. But then I found a prettier rock, so it replaced the earlier one. I also had my boy pick a rock for himself. And then we found some that were prettier - white on the outside, black on the inside - so he gave me one as a rock from him. And then I found a bigger rock of the same type and said "Wouldn't it be great to crack this open?" and my boy spent half an hour doing just that, as we kept finding better rocks/ruining the earlier ones. At the end of the day, we discarded all of the first rocks and kept these:

He cracked open all of these and has the other half of the smaller rocks.
You can either say "awwwww" or gag at the sweetness at this point.

The next day, we climbed down 412 steps to view this from the beach:

Of course, there were more rocks on that beach, and I picked up another for myself, one for him and a large chunk of chalk (that's what those cliffs are made of) for each of us.

The one on the right looks like a seal, right?

But - and this is where it gets interesting - there were also some really nice, smooth, large rocks. And I picked one up and said I was going to crochet it into a paper weight. My boy said something like "You're crazy - what do you need a paper weight for?" As if that would stop me. I also had him pick a rock for himself. He was wise and chose a smaller rock.

Well, we then had to climb back up those stairs. I had some rocks in my bag and he had some in his (okay, just another bag of mine that he was carrying). After the first thirty or so steps he realized that I'm the weaker female and need to be cared for and he should carry all of the bags. But that also meant that he was carrying about five pounds of rocks, if not more, just for me. He's so sweet.

Anyway, I finally started to crochet the rocks yesterday. There is no pattern as each rock is special and unique, so it's basically a case of start it, expand it, contract it, close it.

This was the easy bit.

And the more difficult bit.

After a certain point, I just had to crochet while the pattern was on the rock. The bamboo needle might not have been the best choice as I was afraid of snapping it at times.

And look, it's sealed and finished. Pretty paper weight memory complete!

i'm not selfish; i can share

Brownies. Everyone likes brownie, but finding The Recipe can be difficult. I was lucky enough to find it a few years ago somewhere on the interwebs. If I didn't make these for you, I'm sorry. There is no excuse. I hope you can forgive me.

I used to bake for the people at work in Toronto, and one day I said would make brownies. My friend from New Zealand said she didn't really like brownies, and possibly even requested something else. Brownies are very North American because they are so ridiculously sweet/chocolaty and over the top. Now that I live in Germany, it's hard to go to the bakery sometimes because everything is delicious, but in an understated, less sweet way. Anyway, I brought these babies in, and she said they were delicious. A convert to brownie fandom.

A few weeks ago I made them for the boys at work. I first mentioned that I can bake in early November, but it took until December for me to bring something in. I wanted to do it when I was on the floor, not in training, so I could share them with only my friends (otherwise I would need to make three batches - I'm generous with my baking but not a fool about it!). I cut them into small squares so they could be stretched further. They went down very well. Those who tried them, loved them. I offered P. a brownie, but he said he would come back later. There would be no later.

My phone rang. I was helping a customer and I saw a head pop up next to my desk. Then an arm. Then my box of brownies was disappearing. But I was on the phone and could do nothing. When the box was retuned to my desk there was one lone brownie remaining. Selfish boys. P. asked me for a brownie. I had to say he needed talk to S. and J. because they stole and devoured half of the box.

I made the brownies back in mid-December. At least twice a week since then, if not twice a day, I have heard "When are you making brownies? Tonight? You'll bring them in tomorrow?" "We need brownies." "Sparkles! Brownies?" "Will there be brownies on Monday?"

I keep thinking of making them, but the boys were particularly offensive on the train this week and I said no more brownies until they treat me like a lady. However, I have one friend that does treat me like a lady. So, I made brownies just for him. And as I was making them, I realized you girls need the recipe so you can be heroes as well.

I have no idea where I found this recipe, but here it is:

Alice Medrich’s Classic Fudge Brownies

1/4 cup (1 stick) butter
4 ounces unsweetened chocolate
1-1/4 cups sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup flour
2 eggs

1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Prepare an 8-inch square metal baking pan. Line the pan with aluminum foil.
2. Melt the butter and chocolate in a double boiler until smooth.
3. Mix in the sugar, vanilla and salt. Add the eggs one at a time. Mix in the flour. Stir for at least one minute until the batter is smooth and begins to come away from the sides.
4. Bake for 20 minutes at 400 degrees or until the brownies begin to come away from the sides of the pan.
5. While the brownies are baking, prepare an ice bath. Fill a roasting pan or larger baking pan (or even your sink) with cold water and ice cubes. When you take the brownies out of the oven, put them immediately into the ice bath and cool completely. (Had you used a glass pan, it would now shatter.)

Wrapped up my friend. I didn't even eat one. I'm a nice person.

things i love thursday

the boys at work  ʈ  having the apartment to myself  ʈ  possibilities  ʈ  chivalry  ʈ  payday  ʈ  8am texts from friends just arriving home, too drunk for morning plans  ʈ  a tidy bedroom  ʈ  snuggling with Tilly  ʈ  Sparkles

crafty corner

This blog has been pathetically defunct for approximately six months. On the one hand, I've thought that I have just had nothing to post and my life is boring. On the other, I've had the busiest six months of my life full of amazing things and people. And I definitely have so many things that I've loved over that time, so I really should have been keeping up at least that part of the blog. And yet I never wrote a single post.

So, new year, new goals. I'm going to bring this thing back to life. And the thing I've decided to start with is my crocheting. Back in November my friend K. and I went to a Finnish Christmas market. There were a bunch of stands selling wrist warmers, as I call them, or fingerless gloves. They are basically mittens that have a hole for the thumb but stop before the fingers begin. She really wanted a pair, but they were all expensive and none were the colour she wanted. I said I could make her a pair, if she bought the yarn. So, we headed out to the yarn shop and got some purple yarn, enough to make a pair of wrist warmers and a scarf.

K. is smaller than I am, with small hands too boot, so I decided that I needed her there while I made the wrist warmers. A three hour train ride to Dresden was perfect. So, with the two of us and our two male friends there, I pulled out the yarn and started to crochet. Every few rows, I'd pass it across the aisle for her to try on. When it was finished, we decided it was too tight. So, I started again. I didn't finish before we arrived and the return train was late and we decided to try to sleep instead of crochet (it's Berlin, we obviously went out until 3:00 am the night before and had similar plans that night as well).

She was only staying in Berlin for two more weeks, so I had to get finished with the wrist warmers and the matching scarf before she flew home. I started crocheting on the train to work. I have a 75 minute commute, so there is a lot of time each day to be productive. In the morning, I ride alone, so that time was devoted to crochet. The return train is full of loud coworkers that are not afraid to make a joke at someone's expense. Trust me, I love these boys, but I had no desire to pull out my crocheting for mocking. However, one night, for the connecting train, I was with two of the guys I consider to be friends, A. and S., so I pulled out my crochet and said I was ready for the mocking.

They made a few comments about grandma being on the train, but then they both asked for scarves themselves. Sure, once this one was finished. S. decided the next day that he wasn't sure if he could afford the yarn, but A. said he was still in.

I finished the scarf for K. on the day I last saw her. She called me to go to our last Christmas market and I said "I need about half an hour to finish your scarf and then I can leave." It was super last minute. We didn't even think this would be the last time we saw each other, but fate had different plans. Anyway, I was so rushed I didn't get a photo. But, she was happy and has received compliments on them since returning home.

And then I had to start on the scarf for A. He said he wanted "white trees on a burgundy background." Done. One night after work I went to chose the yarn. He said it was perfect - the exact shades he requested. Great! And then I gave him two pattern options. and he picked the one that looked like a line of trees in a field. I designed a pattern, put it on my phone for reference and got to work. I can't even begin to count the hours I spent on this scarf. Maybe 25? 30? I did it on the train for so many days, sometimes in both directions, and then also at work, while 'waiting for work'. I work at a call centre, so if I don't have an email to send and my phone isn't ringing, it's fine to surf the internet or chat with neighbours. I pull out my crocheting. And, yes, this leads to some playful jesting.

Anyway, A. was leaving to go home on December 22 and needed the scarf before the end of work so he could bring it home to show to his family. I finished it and ran out of wool at 14:00 that afternoon. Again, right down to the last minute. But, I managed to run into the lunch room and take some photos. They are a bit washed out, but I think you can see what was going on.

This scarf contains two metres of pine trees wrapped around the neck.

As I was working on the scarf for A, another friend, H. came over and said he wanted one. Sure thing. He came with me to choose the wool. That was a mistake. Boys have no patience for shopping, and didn't understand that it's not as simple as picking a few balls and going to the cash register. You need to make sure the colours are complementary and that the yarn is the same thickness, if you're mixing brands.

Anyway, he said he wanted a scarf with his last name, Shah. A normal person would put the word in there at the bottom of each end, or maybe going up the scarf once each side and call it a day. I do things in a ridiculous manner, and asked him to write the word out for me in Arabic. I made a pattern, he reviewed it, and then I started to crochet. I made a repeating pattern of English and Arabic.

I had a quiet Christmas. A friend came over for the entire weekend and we spent our time cooking, baking and watching movies. And movie time is a perfect partner for crochet time. I had to follow a pattern for this entire scarf. I realized at some point that I would need to reverse the pattern in the middle, if I wanted it readable on both ends. I decided to put an A in the middle (the H. is his middle name). You'd think an A would be easy to make, but I somehow made two mistakes and had to redo the entire panel twice. I think the A took me almost the entire movie Religulous to crochet. (Yes, my friend and I watched religious-holiday-appropriate movies during Christmas).

When I was a few panels past the A, I began to worry that I put it in the wrong direction and the scarf would  need to be redone. This involved about twenty minutes of freaking out and laughing as I tried to figure out a way to tie the scarf so the Shah and A were both upright. Luckily, I found a way and saved myself three hours of correction. And here's the final product:

Yeah, I crocheted in Arabic.

I think this is the scarf I'm most proud of, ever. It was crazy difficult, and there were quite a few panels where I somehow added a stitch, but I couldn't tell until the end and then had to undo and redo. And, I mean, look at it: words! And not always in English!

Anyway, after the scarf for H., it was time for me. Before Christmas, I went shopping with S. and J. from work to look for presents for S.'s girlfriend. We went into a scarf shop and I saw a gorgeous, massive, puffy, soft scarf, but it was grey, which washed me out, and 20€, which is expensive. I decided to make my own, naturally! It took quite a few stores to find the right yarn, but I managed to find it.

That's 5€ of yarn right there.

This way covers all the ketchup stains from Christmas Market sausages.

So, there we go. I've spent the last two months crocheting. I have also bought a bunch of yarn, and happened upon the greatest wool shop ever last week while walking with a friend, so I expect the crocheting adventure to continue. And I'll post pictures as I complete new items. The boys at work have requested "willy warmers". I'm still trying to decide if that's a good idea.

things i love thursday

pretzel sticks  ʈ  calling boys bad names  ʈ  reading near the river  ʈ  swans that appear out of nowhere  ʈ  not breaking down at the bank  ʈ  schnitzel  ʈ  late night rain storms  ʈ  taking chances  ʈ  using Tilly as a pillow  ʈ  reading three great books simultaneously  ʈ  still having hope

things i love thursday

chatting at the park  ʈ  learning  ʈ  questions  ʈ  that burger  ʈ  talent  ʈ  compliments  ʈ  cake disasters  ʈ  crackle nail polish

things i love monday

surprise Russian things  ʈ  Planker  ʈ  afternoon train drinking  ʈ  stolen not returned glasses  ʈ  triathletes  ʈ kebabs  ʈ smiling Norwegians  ʈ  finding a manwich at the last minute  ʈ  gummy bear kid  ʈ  student cards  ʈ  buoy buoy buoy  ʈ  spontaneous laser tag  ʈ   Berliner Kindl Rot  ʈ  the wrong washroom  ʈ  head out the window  ʈ  park drinking  ʈ  use of the term 'socratic'  ʈ  that white van  ʈ  Barcelona  ʈ  a second arrival scene  ʈ  Currywurst taste test  ʈ  sounds like a monster  ʈ  20% chance of rain  ʈ  observations of height  ʈ  people watching  ʈ  staying outside during a deluge  ʈ Potsdam  ʈ  the cool kids  ʈ  Crobag  ʈ the sound of a silent table  ʈ  Charlie Brown  ʈ  Sausagefest  ʈ  "Are they skinheads?"  ʈ  finally finding that book

online dating is a bitch

I am trying to end my life of singledom. This has involved opening and closing online dating profiles on many sites, messaging a lot of guys and waiting for responses but never receiving them, and getting message notices and then being depressed at the message that is awaiting me.

I receive very few messages worth reading, but I receive a lot that make me contemplate entering a nunnery. I'm convinced that most of the guys that message me believe that I'm hard up and will take the first offer. So, I'm going to share the worst messages.

While reading, you need to remember than many of these guys are not in Berlin - or Germany - or Europe. They are also ALL completely unviable as partners, friends or penpals. And not just to me - you would reject them as well.  Some have a 30% match rating. Many have clearly not even read my profile.  

So, lean back and prepare to get depressed at my prospects. These are all first messages. I haven't included anything that got depressing at message two or ten. 

21.-)

20 hi princess

19 Hello pretty, how are you?

18 hi I'm toni

Those were all just too boring for words. I wouldn't even respond to Bradley Cooper if he messaged me like that. Okay, maybe I would, but I would hate myself for doing so.

17 hi .. desire for an attractive man:) am 189 big blue eyes, dark hair, :)  

This guy needed to describe himself because he didn't have a picture. As if I'm going to take his word that he's an attractive man. Because he's just too beautiful to post a picture.

16 Hi pretty girl 

I would love to hear you say "yes"

This guy's a Canadian in Berlin, so I called him out as he should know better. And then he asked why I sexualized what he said. NO - he sexualized what I said.

15 Hello dearie, 

How are you chilling today?,... well, just flipped through your profile it seems we both have the same attributes, so I decided to make myself known to you. Without wasting time, I will like to know if I'm right in time to extend my hand of friendship to a special one like you, yo don't need to be perfect to meet my heart desire... My heart desire is simple; seeking for the right one, not to bore you with too much talks I will like if we could exchange mails apart from this platform 

Your Admirer, 

Thanks!

This guy is well over 40 and lives in Alaska. Because that's what I'm looking for when I say "near me".

14 Hallo ,am interested,will like us to chat so as to know each other.

13 hello!how are you honest girl????can i know you more if you want nice girl...plz???i hope to be good and funny...take care pretty girl 

12 You look good. 

How are you doing?

11 hi - your immensely immaculate & enigmatic smile,charming looks coupled with your candid profile has fascinated me and this fascination has coaxed me to ask this decent lady with all candidness at my command---can we be acquainted ? 

10 that smile has an innocence of a child and that face has the sweet freshness of a rose.so,can i have a little bit of SUNSHINE called YOU?

Can you believe this is the same guy as #11?  Two months apart. Because I'm now so much more desperate that I'll actually respond.

9 I can read your mind! 

Yes, I can, and just to prove it, I will tell you what you are thinking about right now: 

"He can read my mind? hmmm, let me open this email and see what he means by that!" 

See? told you! lol! 

You also can learn how to read my mind, look deep in my eyes, really deeeeep, now you will hear my thoughts: 

"She has a nice smile , open, awesome and selective! (or at least she says so), I will say Hi to her, and see what happens next " 

See? pretty easy :) 

Hi ! 

8 Your smile makes my heart blossom, that's why here and now, so I 

thought I send lovely greetings to you :-)

7 Hey, whats up? 

I don't think we would fit very well together, but your profile looks interesting. 

Looks like you have been hurt before, I don't wanna do so and which you the best of luck. 

And do it, meet in person! I just did and its great. 

I visited this guy twice - a day apart. The second time was mostly to remind myself why I didn't message him the first time. He rejected me proactively. That's a fail. And why did it look like I'd been hurt? Because I asked for non-douches to message me and said I liked actually meeting in person. This guy was a winner.

6 Hey who are you beautiful? I just noticed that you're very adventurous, so I would not be averse! grin

This was before I knew what adventure meant to the Germans (a one night stand). The issue is that he's not averse to an adventure. That's not exactly a ringing endorsement for me. He'll sleep with me, but only because he's bored and I'm apparently willing.

5 (google translate) Hi, what beautiful eyes. I like women with curves. 

I write the beginning first in general, if interested, it will be more personal. 

I am looking for sooner or later, real contacts, which results from it then so we'll see. Even if you look at each other sensually (!) The single time try, that's ok and if we were just talking and just time to get to know too .. 

Single period need not yet mean a life in the monastery as :-) Everything can not be! I also like good conversation but also, of course, have both sexual and other normal varied interests. Sometimes even the great relationship or a really great friendship out of it, often when you least expect it the same :-) 

I know I have curves. I know he knows I have curves. It shouldn't be mentioned it in a message. Just like I won't mention if he's short, old, or balding. By this point 'adventure' was unchecked, so he really should not have mentioned sexuality and sensuality in a first message. Also, in general, mentioning anything - even positive - about my physical appearance means I won't respond.

4 How come you are single :( , Isn't it boring ? ;)

3 hello, If you like to say Yes so much, how come you are not married yet? :) Maybe it sounds stupid, but it was the first thing coming to mind. I am not so familiar with the dating scene in Berlin...but is it really worse than anywhere else? 

You know what's nice? Being reminded that I'm single, and alone, and not marriageable. Thanks.

2 i have a question to do. 

maybe a hard question. 

may i do it to you?

1 nice squirt all over the face and breasts ...

I have no words.

rathaus schöneberg park

I've decided to make a series of posts on my favourite parks. There are oh, so many, and I should not be the only one to appreciate them.

I don't even know if this park has a name, but the Rathaus Schöneberg U-Bahn station cuts through it - in fact, it's the building in this picture.

Hello, most beautiful subway station ever?

I love this park because there is a patch of grass in the middle and it is surrounded on both sides by shaded woody areas running its length, which are perfect for running (others, obviously not me), or sitting on a bench reading (me, when I forget to bring my blanket). There is also a basketball court, a dog-play area, and who knows what else because I've only walked through half of it.

This park is luckily a five minute walk from two of my bus routes, so when I want to be lazy (daily) and yet feel like I've done something by getting out of my neighbourhood (daily), this park is perfect!

The weeping willow is on my Top Two Favourite Trees list.

There is a bunny in this picture!

things i love thursday

Western flavoured chips  ʈ  exclamation marks  ʈ  mini ice creams  ʈ  getting gum out of my jeans  ʈ  Tilly's morning visits  ʈ  surprise references to Canada

things i love thursday

cute boys  ʈ  new dating strategies  ʈ  breakfast for dinner  ʈ  seriously, eggs à la me  ʈ  when Tilly walks slowly while hunting  ʈ  a new message from a boy  ʈ the anticipation before a first date   ʈ  new tic-tac flavours

intro to bollywood

Okay, you're in Toronto. You're surrounded by Bollywood right now. I'm in Berlin. I am not. To allow you to appreciate what you are able to experience, I've decided to introduce you to some great songs.

Jaane Kyun - Dostana
All you need to know: This movie is about two men pretending to be gay to get American Green Cards. It's hilarious. And this song is my ringtone.

Love Mera Hit Hit - Billu Barber
All you need to know: This movie wasn't that good. But the soundtrack was amazing. Shah Rukh Khan (King Khan) basically plays himself - a superstar. And all of the songs feature ridiculous videos.

Nach Baliye - Bunty aur Babli
All you need to know: I know every word to this song. I could do it at karaoke without subtitles.

Bum Bum Bole - Taara Zameen Par
All you need to know: I disliked this movie. But... look at that hip movement... just look at it... it's worth the wait... and a full screen view. Pay extreme attention between 2:30 and 3:00. Seriously.

Dard E Disco - Om Shanti Om
All you need to know: This movie was amaaaazing. The soundtrack is fabulous, and this isn't even the greatest song (although it's damn good). BUT, it shows that the men in Bollywood are expected to be as hot as the women. Do you have to do some laundry? Use Shah Rukh's abs. He's 42 here.

Dastaan-E-Om Shanti Om - Om Shanti Om
All you need to know: This is one of my all-time favourite songs. It's just haunting and beautiful. Arjan Rampal is artificially aged here. Normally, he's sex on a stick.

Mauja Hi Mauja - Jab We Met
All you need to know:This movie is a quintessential sappy love story. And it's GREAT! I have danced around my apartment many a time to this song.

Jhoom - Jhoom Barabar Jhoom
All you need to know: This movie is fun. It requires a complete suspension of belief. And in return, you are rewarded with greatness and songs that make you want to dance in a train station. BEFORE than wannabe Bollywood movie Slumdog whatever.

Mere Haath Mein - Fanaa
All you need to know: This song is heartbreakingly beautiful. And the movie is amazing. It honestly has everything you need in a film.

Chaiyya Chaiyya - Dil Se

All you need to know: Yes, it's Shah Rukh again. This is the most traditional of the songs on the list (if you've made it this far, you'll know that). If you've seen Inside Man, you've heard this song. Now see the video!

things i love thursday

the smell of fresh cut grass  ʈ  discovering new parks  ʈ  being myself  ʈ  nice people

my list

Reading: Bride of New France by Suzanne Desrochers

Listening: Birds chirping outside, silence inside.  That might be a first.

Feeling: Happy with the possibilities  

Planning: An afternoon nap!

things i love thursday

"hey babe!"  ʈ  noodles from the Hauptbahnhof  ʈ  hearing Ron MacLean's voice  ʈ  a great year of hockey fandom  ʈ  napping with Tilly  ʈ  watching Hockey Night in Canada for the first time in five months

why did i even debate it?

Bryan Adams is my favourite concert. All and sundry should know that. A few years ago (concert #2 maybe?) I decided I would see him every time he came to town, because he is just that good. And before I moved to Berlin, I discovered that he was playing here. I debated buying a ticket back then - you know, when I had money - but I don't like standing room concerts, so I just spent 6 months debating with myself instead.

The last two times I saw him were like this. They were solo acoustic tours - just him and a guitar. And they were amazing. He told an anecdote about almost every song. I think the concerts were over a year apart and yet he managed to tell completely different stories each time. So good! (Note: I last saw him at Massey Hall, where the video for Run To You was filmed. Awesome!)

So, solo acoustic is great, but sometimes you need Keith Scott and the rest of the band to rock out with. You need long guitar solos. You need running around on stage. You need drums. You need the volume to reach 11. You need a rock concert, dammit!!

And that's what I got last night.

Concerts here involve REALLY BIG ASS TICKETS. Seriously, that thing barely fit in my purse.

Now, I will save you all a description of my attempt to access the U-Bahn during the Carnival of Cultures celebration five minutes from my house, which I conveniently forgot about. Needless to say: HELL. So, I arrived about an hour later than planned. No stage-side spot for me!

The concert venue was the Spandau Citadel, built in 1594. The coolest venue I've seen a concert in, by a long shot

Yes, the Citadel is on an island and we had to cross a bridge to get there.

There was a twitter wall on stage, which I tried to get on. I did not succeed. Instead, they just repeated about 40 tweets that barely related to the show. Including this gem, by a girl retweeting the wrong tweet from her friend, who asked to be retweeted. A guy behind me asked "What's RT?" every time it appeared.

The opening act was a Berlin-based Scottish duo, Martin and James. They were really good. And adorable. Which is always a nice bonus.

The crowd here was very different than what we often have at home. They cheered enthusiastically for the openers, actually calling out "nooo!" when they said they were doing their last song. And in the ten minute wait before Bryan came out, everyone was calm and waited patiently. No chanting or applause to get the concert started.

At home, every time there is movement on stage, the entire arena will often erupt into applause. Here, not so much. The crowd ignored everything until the band and Bryan actually appeared.

The show was great - nay, amazing - and the audience knew the words to every song, just as they do at home. But, with some fun twists. For example, I had never consciously noted that Germans have trouble saying words ending in -er. Until I heard them sing this line:

Let's make a night to remember, from January to December

as

Let's make a night to remembah, from January to Decembah

And of course Summah of '69. I actually found it really adorable. 

The audience sang along to absolutely every song, which was great. EXCEPT that I had a completely tone deaf woman behind me croaking the words to every song right into my ear.

Martin and James sang All I Have to Do is Dream by the Everly Brothers. It's a really sweet, soft song. Or it was until I heard a frog croaking along to it.

Imagine the deepest voice you've heard. Take it down an octave. Make every note flat. And do not allow any inflection. That's what I had to listen to. And if she sang along to Dream, I knew she would do some damage to Bryan. She exceeded my expectations.

As I always do, I teared up at the first notes of Heaven. It is My Song. I love it more than almost anything and hearing it live just melts my heart. Luckily, the tears-in-public thing stopped when the frog tried to sing along. I don't think I really understood the meaning of 'tone deaf' until I heard it in action.

The set list:
1. House Arrest
2. Somebody
3. Here I Am
4. Can't Stop This Thing We Started
5. I'm Ready
6. Thought I'd Died and Gone to Heaven
7. Hearts On Fire
8. Let's Make A Night To Remember
9. 18 'til I Die
10. Back to You
11. Summer of '69
12. (Everything I Do) I Do It for You
13. Cuts Like a Knife
14. It's Only Love
15. Please Forgive Me
16. When You're Gone
17. Heaven
18. The Only Thing That Looks Good on Me Is You

Encore:
19. Run to You
20. You've Been a Friend To Me
21. Cloud #9
22. The Way You Make Me Feel

He played all of the songs I expected to hear, except Straight From The Heart, which I'm pretty sure he has used as the final song at most of the shows I've seen. Which leads me to wonder: Is that song only big in Canada? Hmmm.

things i love thursday

the pop of a cork of himbeergeist  ʈ  ebullient lip-synching to Total Eclipse of the Heart on deserted streets  ʈ  hugging it out  ʈ  long afternoons in the park  ʈ  unlocking the door to the first boom of thunder  ʈ  when Tilly lets me rub her belly  ʈ    the 1955 hamburger  ʈ  misspellings of himbeergeist

weekly wtf

You know what?  I have nothing!  I am having a pretty good week/month/year.  Yeah, sure, boys are still fucking with my head and I'm unemployed in a foreign land, but in general, I am the happiest I've been in a really long time.

So, no complaints!

bruce lee

I came across a great list of quotes by Bruce Lee.  They are so great, I need to share a few:

Cease negative mental chattering. — If you think a thing is impossible, you'll make it impossible.

Make at least one definite move daily toward your goal.

Balance your thoughts with action. — If you spend too much time thinking about a thing, you'll never get it done.

Use only that which works, and take it from any place you can find it.

A goal is not always meant to be reached, it often serves simply as something to aim at.

As you think, so shall you become.

It’s not the daily increase but daily decrease. Hack away at the unessential.

I’m not in this world to live up to your expectations and you’re not in this world to live up to mine.

Always be yourself, express yourself, have faith in yourself, do not go out and look for a successful personality and duplicate it.

Instead of dedicating your life to actualize a concept of what you should be like, ACTUALIZE YOURSELF.

For it is easy to criticise and break down the spirit of others, but to know yourself takes a lifetime.

source   

things i love thursday

salami, straight from the package  ʈ  party rock anthem  ʈ  a pile of sexy, sweaty soccer players  ʈ  for the first time in years, listening to my teenage self's favourite CD   ʈ  reading at the park  ʈ  boarding the bus ten seconds before a downpour  ʈ  machine-washed laundry  ʈ  letting the real me out