treasure: whistler summer, activities, love love love

i do realize it has been some time since my last confession.




i've been busy doing activities, all different sorts. those of you who know what's up with me these days will probably snigger at this point. honestly, i haven't been having sex this whole time. i have a job and stuff too.



whistler has managed to provide us with some summer the last month or so, and while it's not like the previous two summers i had the privledge of living through here, i am not one to pass up any sunshine at this point.



ultimate summer activities include:


1) laking. it's a verb now, didn'tya know? alpha lake park is where it's at. you take with you a mat to lay on, a pillow, books, ipod and speakers, sunglasses, swimwear, and as many like-minded friends as you can find (read: those who have the same days off, normally kate, phill and the beautiful swedish ones are the best to take along). the swimwear is predominantly for tanning purposes, as the lakes are glacier fed and, to borrow from the kiwis, a "but chully".



you can picnic, you can sneak beers (not that i have ever done that as it's quite clearly Against The Rules), you can play volleyball (although I'm scared of it since being forced to play and thusly traumatized in highschool), you can frisbee, you can just do what you feel.





2)mountain sightseeing. to be fair, i do prefer being up in the mountains on those winter days where there's snow, and boards what you strap to yer feet, and such. but in summer, despite the stupid amount of snow still aboot, they won't let you shred. so you put on sensible shoes (or sometimes you're australian and you wear flippyfloppys) and you wander about marvelling loudly at how different it looks in summer and how crazy the Harmony Horseshoes are with no pow on them. and then you get homesick for winter.

also, sometimes you can go up and eat insane amounts of seafood, call it a bbq buffet and feel no shame at all in getting 2 full plates and eating them ALL and then pausing for a brief moment and then eating dessert...

3) daydrinking. if you don't understand what i mean by this, i shall not explain it to you, merely shake my head in pity.

i just recently had one of the very best daydrinking days of my life. we came off the back of drinking dustys dry, but we had planned for Labour Day Monday (a long weekend public holiday) to be spent at the Bayshores Bitches mansion drinking Caesars and general whatnot.
we kept an itinerary. it looks like this (thanks Mika for copying it down from the big piece of paper we had stuck to the washroom door):

TIMELINE FOR DAYPARTY AT LABOUR DAY, BAYSHORES BITCHES MANSION


7:59 am: Kate wakes up
8:00 am: Phill texts Kate
8:19 am: Phill, Janice and Andy arrives
8:36 am: Ceasar no 1, made by Karin. Helen Taylor receives voicemail from Phill Mitchell. Aaron puts his clothes on.
9:21 am: Ceasar no 2, also made by Karin. Everybody happy and not hung from last nites drinking Dusties dry. Sucess.
9:26 am: Clamatojuice no 1 finished
9:31 am: Hot sauce no 1 finished
9:32 am: Karin provides shuttlebus service between bayshores mansion and timber ridge mansion.
9:52 am: Helen and Annika gets here and Helen gives Kate a brief lesson in the history of the cup.
10:00 am: Mika reads timeline
10:09 am: Phill attempts shower
10:10: Phill actually has a shower (and a poo)
10:11: Clamatojuice no 2 finished
10:25: Phill, Charlie and Mitch tries to make a vodka watermelon
10:30: Phill, Charlie and Mitch fails (and then asks google)
10:37: Phill tells Mitch about the underwater bridge to Buffys island idea. Mitch is suitably impressed.
10:43: Kate shouts at Phill for being a douche
10:45: The first vodka is nearly finished
10:46: Phill tells Kate to write “Kate tells Phill he is not a douche and is a very good lover'. Kate writes it.
10:57: Boys on the balcony, girls in the kitchen. Where they belong.
11:00: Mika and Strumps doing secret stuff...
11:08: waiting to get in the bathroom
11:09: Still waiting...
11:10: Still waiting...
11:12: Peed my pants
11:14: Mika comes down the stairs wearing a sheet...
11:18: Phill finally realizes he likes men, after playing with a ribbon (also has a wet ass)
11:23: BREAKFAST IS ALMOST READY!!
11:24: Breakfast is ready. Phill skips to get some.
11:29: Phill has the best eggs benny EVER!
11:45: Karin takes a photo of Helen, Phill and Kate.
11:45 and 53 sec: Karin has her first drink of the day!!!
11:50: Janice is impressed by how they put new water in the hot tub.
11:51: Phill wonders if the movie “Hot tub time machine” is based on a true story.
12:09: Everybody takes a nap. Kate washes dishes. Karin showers. Helen updates the timeline.
12:40: Hot tub, nap on the deck. Fighting of paparazzis. Almost sun on the deck!:)
1:05 pm: charlie and Karin leaves. Phill has ruined xmas!!
1:12: Everyone feels slightly uncomfy in Phills company and decides to drink it all away.
1:26: Mika wants to know whats goin on on the timeline.
1:27: Phill tells Mika whats going on on the timeline.
2:24: Karin applies sunblock and Mark hangs his washing.
2:47: Pina colada on the sundeck. Literally ON the sundeck.
2:56: Janice googles “muppets”. Phills face appears.

3:27: Phill did a wee... It lasted 47 sec.
3:30: Mark laughs at Phill for his 47 long wee.
3:41: Alla ska bada!!All bitches off to the lake!
Time not set for next happening: Officer to Kate Mitchell: whats ur name and address?”
Kate Mitchell gives officer false information.
Kate Mitchell: “Bah! 230 dollar fine..My ass! Bahaha!”
Mitch gets a 100 dollar fine for drinking in public.
(Not on timeline, but miss Mitchell ends up in cop car, handcuffed for just a little while. )
4:45 pm: Janice gets re-f###king arrested!

EVENING SHIFT!
Present: Annika, Mika, Karin, Lisa, Charlie, Sierra, Mitch, Phill, Kate J, Kate M, Andy, Helen, Aaron, Brendhan.

7:15 pm: Phill makes Mika change clothes with him. Then jumps in the hot tub. Mika feels used and dirty.
7:20: Bayshores bitches in the kitchen! The bbq is lit!
7:25: Handsome Josh with the best beard arrives.
7:35: Amy comes home...and has a beer. Her life was better. And she had a blue jumper on and everyone knows what that means.
8:46: Helen regales us with tales of Lousie...”ur mum”.
8:48: Everyone gets a sugar high after dessert brownies, ice cream and sugar-ful cones...icecream cones.
8:49: Its getting cold. Karin and Kate both embrace the idea of a jumper/hoodie.
9:00. Mark comes back!
(Wrong in timeline because of Phill misreading his watch) 3:21: SHIT GOT REAL!
9:16: Helen goes home with...relief that she lived! Also, with Aaron. (but he is welcome to stay). ...Actually, without him. Thank you very much!
9:23: Josh takes his awesome beard home boo:(
9:25: Phill realizes that Mark is back!
10:03: Aaron is leaving. Sorry guys:(
11:22: everyone is in bed. Kate appreciates what a respectative time it is.
11:24: Phill remembers how good breakfast was.
11:24: Charlie needs the bathroom.

NEXT DAY

8.30: Mika arrives home says hi to Mitch and Sierra, who is leaving the sinking ship, eats a lovely english muffin and watches Phill and Kate sleep...moaahaha!

10:00: Official timeline reading is complete. Everyone is satisfied.

UPDATE SEPT 6th!

10:20 pm: Bayshores Bitches finally finds out what REALLY happened. Mika was a naughty girl...





so that's what happened with that. more happened, but the important thing to remember is that no-one was hurt, and everyone was the very best of friends.

4) work. yep. it is sometimes an activity.

5) falling in love with new gear and boards for upcoming season. trying not to watch boarding movies, and failing miserably.

to expand: my brother gave me a $600 voucher for a Prior snowboard. Prior is a local company that make a sweet powder board called the Khybers. Because Stu is awesome, he waited until i was 26 and really wanted this board to give me a birthday present. well played, sir. well played.

you get to customize it. the graphics of your choice, and whatnot. i am so stoked, and ordering it monday... then i shall be the happiest gal on the mountain.

i have also decided to grant myself new outerwear this year, which means, ladies and gentlemens, yellow pants. there, i said it. i think yellow pants with lots of pockets will be about right. i have a dark purple jacket that i scored from work. yellow shall set the outfit off nicely. it's not just about the board you know- everything has to look right. pimp.

and as for movies... well... i try not to watch til at least mid october, otherwise i get all wistful and stare sadly out windows wishing it was puking and i was shredding emerald trees listening to some kind of sweet tunes, like maybe this one by awolnation:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-5SC9h6vBa4

stu told me to like this one, but the joke's on him, because it turns out i already liked it but didn't know what it was called.

but thanks stu for telling me what it was called. good one bru.

more to the point, the art of flight is premiering in whis on monday night, and as "that's it that's all" blows my mind whenever i watch it, i am stoked for this one, plus the premiere atmosphere (basically everyone in whis will go, and certainly everyone i know) is going to be pretty decent.

6) that's it, that's all.

peace.

happy birthday: kate and phill

dear kate and phill,

it may be more than a month later, but i want to wish you a very happy birthday.

i started with great intentions. we've all had them.

i think you two are pretty much the best things since sliced bread, or, in a more apt metaphor (as i am in fact intolerant to wheat), the best things since powder days. is that a metaphor?

kate would know, and kate, that's why i love you. well it's not the only reason...

i love you because you have stylish sunglasses, because you plank the shit out of stuff, because you are a rad skier (who is so rad she comes to snowboarding movie premieres)...

i love you because you love tea and because i love tea too and because that one time you brought me some tea and i was happy because it tasted nice.

i love you for that other time when you and i invited poncho mcponcherson and it was quite funny, even if the boys didn't laugh.

i love you for the random quote of yours i found written down in my phone the other day-

on the 25th of july (day after the party, and phill's actual birthday): "Did you say popcorn? You're a fucking legend".

you are generous and funny, nice to everyone but discerning in a way that makes me feel like i'm a little bit more awesome than the general public. it's that general feeling of exclusitivity... how do i spell that?

and as for you phillip.

you are my brother from another mother (and that's the only time we're bringing anyone's mother into this). you're the best voicemail message leaver probably of all time, and then some. i like the way you leave the number twice in a very clear and professional manner.

i like the way you have only 3 tshirts.

i love you for your love of shredding. your enthusiasm shaped my whole season last year, a lot more than you know, for your sheer dedication and excitement for the pow. and what pow it was. i love you for always trying to get me to try new things on a board, even if i ended up a little chickenshit sometimes.

i don't like actually seeing your bum so often, but i can definitely appreciate the sentiment behind the regular/constant bum revelations. it's the devil may care attitude. i can respect that, for sure.

i love you for your unwavering love of beards.

between the two of you i have found friends i know i'll have on into Life, wherever it may end up happening. i know we'll probably have at least 2 drinks together at some trashy Armidale pub in the not-too-distant future.

you inspire me with your general enjoyment of activities, and the excellent camping set up you have in your car. i like that it is ready to go at any time.

you also inspire me with the million small things of every day since i met you which make you not only an awesome couple, but just the best darn individual people i've had the pleasure of meeting in quite a while.

love to you both.

secret: another 10 things to be happy about

1.http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PdFoAr5QdwA&feature=related

2. anticipation

3. cheese

4. tea!!! all kinds! hot and cold, black green and white

5. German boys (well, one German boy)

6. blue shorts

7. voicemail messages from phill at 2.30 am

8. cap'n crunch

9. the awesome moment when your swedish contingent decide to cook you dinner and text you at the end of a huge workday to let you know

10. text message conversations with little brothers.

treasure: other people's poetry

Forgetting always takes space.
Forgotten matters displace
as much anything else as
anything else. We must
skirt unlabeled crates
as though it made sense
and take them when we go
to other states.


"forgetting", kay ryan

i want to ride bicycles with you

secret: 10 things to be happy about

1. to lay in bed with the sun shining in and someone nice laying next to you

2. cold breeze creeping in the window at night time

3. feather earrings

4. clean sheets

5. time to yourself laying on a patchwork quilt

6. movies with friends the old-fashioned way, at the cinema

7. numbered lists

8. full bookshelves

9. favorite perfume

10. pot luck dinners

poem challenge: 3 years of love & summer

i started marking dates to my writing when i moved to Canada, and having been here over 2 years now i have the capacity to put poetry i've written around this time of year side by side.

the first one: 10 August 2009

it occurs to me

i could just stay here

i could fall in love with

someone who wants me in whistler

someone who offers no boundaries

someone who makes "restrictions" a laughable concept

it just now occurs to me
that feeling stifled

is not on my prerequisites list

but i might be drunken

on eye contact.
if i love

the things that you love

will you love me?

it occurs to me

that i am already unfaithful

i am in love with pitchers of beer

and mountains

i think longingly of them, when

i should think of you.

the second one: August 16, 2010

you can mix these scenes in, you can change the order. be sure that between them were glasses of wine, silent nights on a balmy balcony, stolen cigarettes.

be sure and certain that it didn't happen like this.

on my bus winding whister-way, the dark of winter early morning seeping away. i'm coming home. home that way that it's where my snowboard is. where my guitar is. there's a boy there i like.

she spent three weeks, almost, in the states, with her aunt who gave her books to read and let her choose icecream flavors. she got drunk and hit on her cousin's best friend's brother, black-out drunk so she doesn't know how she got home. crazy laughter. forgot to tip at the bar, awkward.

the bus is full of sleepy Vancouverans making their way up for the snow. my prayers have been answered. it's looking to be bluebird. a snowless day, but no powder is ok.

there was another bus ride, 8 months earlier, that brought her to town.

(i'm really fucking angry, i can't concentrate on this bullshit).

the third one: August 5, 2011

summer poetry:

a lazy word and a lost vocabulary

i think a lot less than i used to think

i care in a less specific way, and just

aim for bliss

sparkly pink fingernails and a towel on the

green grass and oh, the lake

i wait for the boy i like to finish his workday

i revel in the simplicity

i revel in my simple summer poetry

i'm hopeless as a romantic

(sometimes i forget to care about others)

i'm nowhere near perfect

(all kinds of thing and parts don't work)

i lay quietly and pretend not to be Australian

(this is a very simple confession)

i confess, motherfuckers, i am one happy camper

and grasping for

happy summer poetry

is a stretch, when

all i want is to tan and look into the eyes

of the boy i like.

treasure: wisdom

there is a singular quality in every person, a thing inside all of us that yearns to be free, to stab the boss in the eye with a pencil, to screw off some pressing obligation and get drunk on the porch, to just take a deep breath and stop worrying for a single afternoon, to say "I live in this skin. I will be me from now on, and I respect your right not to give a shit what I'm doing in here".

from "Tattoo Machine", Jeff Johnson

poem challenge: a gap in the traffic

sometimes it is that
the world just expands with
the weightlessness of possibility,
a gap in the traffic
to step through and gasp at.

i admire the ones who jump out of planes
and assumes shoots/chutes will open, or
make peace with it
-a serene but defiant "meh, fuck it" mantra
to breathe in as you step out of a perfectly good airplane.

i think to myself, i may not have been
much, or significant, or anything
but there are people here that i belong to
and love little holes into
who think i mean something
whos stories i want to hear (and they to tell).

these are the people i'm not trying to
impress, who i love and respect and can
mutter quiet secrets to

(oh god, no-one's ever gonna love me)