Last day of 2011

Since my post yesterday was a bit of a downer, tonight I am not gonna go on about cancer or crazy dreams or anything depressing! I am up late and figured since it is now the last day of the year, I would list the best things about this year.

 MY WEDDING DAY! Aka the royal wedding. HEHE just kidding. But seriously, it was the best of the year for me. I married the sweetest man and my soul mate, and then we celebrated all night and did the party our way. It was so fun and magical it is my "happy place" because it was everything I had ever dreamed of!

GETTING MY DRIVERS LICENSE! As you know, I took my time getting my drivers license. Honestly I didn't get it in BC cause there was no point. Public transport is how you get around. I like that about that city. I come back here and the transit system sucks so badly it's not a reliable way to get around, and in the last year before I finally got my license I took cabs everywhere, yes that's expensive. So getting my drivers was really a great thing about this year. FREEEEDOM!!!

HALLOWEEN! Halloween was a blast this year cause my BFF KT married her lobster. It was a spooky and joyous occasion and I danced my ass off in my witches costume.

DALEY AND ALICIA'S WEDDING! Ok, this was a great wedding on October 1st, my brother married his lobster and I cried several times. It was very sweet. The wine was delicious, and they had sliders with bags of garlic fries at midnight - Nice touch guys, that helped me power through three more hours of drinking. The hangover was brutal. LOVE YOU TWO!!!

GOING BACK TO WORK! I took almost 4 months off and was going batty by the end of it. The surgery had my foot and ankle swelling and I could barely walk, so I couldn't work. I spent my days making chain maille and reading, watching lots of garbage television (except for my FRIENDS marathons, love that show) watching lots of movies and drinking ginseng tea. Even though I am not working full time I still enjoy my job and look forward to coming in 3 days a week. Going back helped me feel like things were getting more normal.

BECOMING A RED HEAD! Hahaha ok so really though, this is up there with the wedding, it was perhaps the best decision I made this year- when it comes to my extreme vanity. Who says blondes have more fun?

GIRLS NIGHTS! So this year KT, Jess and I have had some great hangouts painting each others nails (I paint their nails) and we bitch and cackle and eat chips. Very good times ladies.

GETTIN' THE MESSAGE OUT! Working with Indoor Tanning is out- Alberta as a spokesperson was really exciting for me. I wished I had seen someone like me going through melanoma years back when I was using a tanning bed. Things could have been different. But my chance to tell my story was so cool and I plan to stay involved with this coalition!

THIS RAINBOW CHIP COOKIE I AM EATING RIGHT NOW! Omg omg Angie (my token asian) made me some delicious cookies for Christmas, and gawdamn! These Rainbow chip cookies rule so hard. I feel bad cause I have nothing for that sweet girl, and she made me these magical cookies. This is the last cookie I will eat this year, and it is fuckin' tasty!!! MMM MMM!

So I am up past my bedtime, I better get to bed cause I have the new years wedding of my cousin Francesca and her lobster Ryan. We will be doing the countdown and celebrating their LOVE! Whoop! As I imagine I will be falling into the wine, so I anticipate a good time. There will be photos.

For now, check out a few hilarious photos that come up when you google 2012.

Apparantly a bunch of nut cases think tomorrow these images will come to life. Yup.... we'll see about that.

SEE YOU GUYS NEXT YEAR!!!

-E.

A speech and a bottle of wine

So I wasn't going to post this on here, but lately this dream has been haunting me somewhat and I have been telling friends and family about it. A few weeks back I had a biopsy on a couple of lumps I had on my lymph removal scar. This raises alarm because cancer will often come back in the lymph nodes around the one that was cancerous, so any lumps or bumps need to be analyzed. I waited six long days before finding out that it was just scar tissue and a reaction to the dissolvable stitches I had back in March. FEEE-EWWW!!! I let out a sigh of relief.

Interesting how this scare helped me to accept my mortality because I realized that if there was more cancer, this could have been my last Christmas. I went to bed the night before I got my results and had a feeling I'd never have in my life- I felt peaceful about it. I said to myself, so this could be it, and of course I'll fight, but this is the situation and you have to ride the ride till the end. I went to sleep thinking this, and here is the dream I had that night.  I wrote it down the next afternoon.


I am dressed like Daisy Duke, with horrible cut off shorts and crop top on a chilly day. I decide to go to the highlevel diner alone to get myself a bottle of wine and for some reason I bring leftovers from my fridge for them to warm and serve me. Chicken and potatoes, a meal I had prepared in real life that week. I enter the diner, and I am greeted by the applause and warm faces of my closest friends, family and even faces from random times of my life who seemed to matter. Someone in the crowd hands me a microphone and this crowd chants      

  " speech speech speech!"
Of course I appear coy and uncertain about the idea before I grab the mic and begin my speech by saying "hello friends family and loved ones, I am of course the legendary Erin Welsh, which you already know, and I have lived on this earth the last 28 years to blow your mind, rock your socks, and shake up the world around us, and make society a prettier place to be. Some people just need my help, and I am happy to provide it. I do what I want and look good doing whatever I please. Though I may be vain and live for indulgence, I still love you all better than all of it, and the best happiness I've felt in my lifetime wouldn't be close to tangible without the most amazing spirits that surround me. Thank you friends, my heart explodes with the love I have for you all."
Or something like that.
I am blown out of my seat onto the floor by the applause, happy laughter and cheers from this crowd. I've never felt such joy and completion than in this moment, in my whole life.

As I am sitting at my table alone, my leftovers make their way to me with a bottle of Chardonnay and I begin my meal. As I am eating I hear servers saying "lock the doors, we are closed." all the waiters near by are looking right at me with a room full of customers all dining. I know inside I'll have to leave first. Even though I wasn't being forced to leave an outside force was pulling me out. I look down at the reheated meal I brought and decided I wasn't at all hungry. I grab the bottle of wine and I down the whole thing, I down it in two big swigs, and I walk out of the restaurant with everyone smilling and laughing and cheering and my heart swelling and I walk out to 109st and take in all the places I had already seen so many times, but today, it was the most beautiful city I'd ever seen. I walk to a corner and hop in a cab, and I watch myself roll away.

When I woke up from this dream, and I know this sounds kinda cheesy- but I felt like I had just said goodbye to my life, and I had tears in my eyes but a smile on my face. I realized that if this was the beginning of the end today, I could die knowing I have had a great life with so many wonderful people by my side. To me that is all that matters.

I went to work and was thinking about the dream, but also was overwhelmed with a need to know the results of this biopsy. I had a deep feeling that my results were in so I called the doctors office. A reception girl said, yes, the results were in but I would have to wait for a nurse to call me later on. My nerves shot through the roof at this point. Luckily they didn't keep me waiting long and a few minutes later a nurse called me and told me the good news- I'm not dying. I can't even tell you how important this dream is and how much more I love and appreciate every single second of everyday. There is a new magic in my life that faded with childhood. Life means so much more when you face losing it.

-E.

Rockabilly Riot, Chicken and CATS CATS CATS!

So! I went to Brian Setzer (Stray Cats) tonight with Hubby, Charlen, Oakland and Charlen's brother Markus. It was amazing to see legends on stage, and see my husband so happy. I would have taken photos but they confiscate cameras at Reds. Bastards!

Opening was a band called Cousin Harley, with a guy named Paul Pigat who's fingers move like lightning on the Git-tar. That's how you have to say it in Rockabilly music, GIT- Tar. My lovely husband is actually quite the musician himself, and while we were watching Cousin Harley's set he told me about all the licks and riffs he had taught Paul Pigat. That's my man. He rules on the GIT-Tar. There was crazy painted stand up basses and dudes slapping the shit out of em. I personally enjoy the bass in rockabilly the most, the music would be boring without that slappin'! I was the designated driver so I didn't partake in the boozin' which is actually a good thing cause you miss half the show when you're drunk and going for a million drinks. Even my usually lush hubby only had a couple, but a good time was had by all.

HERE'S A RECIPE! YUM YUM YOU BET!!!

BRUSCHETTA CHICKEN

This is a random recipe I made up when I had a bunch of chicken breast, but limited ingredients. You can make this when you're poor but very hungry, and it will make you smile and say- See, I can eat delicious healthy food for cheap! No more microwave dinners! HUZZAHH!

3-5 chicken breasts 

4 roma tomatoes (or so. You can add more or less, it's whatevs.)

5-10 cloves of garlic, depending on how romantic you wanna get later

3/4 cup of balsamic vinegar

1/4 cup of olive oil, extra virgin or slutty

fresh basil if ya got it

or parsley, that's good too

Slap everything in the blender (except the chicken) and set it to a low chop. Place chicken breasts in a deep corning ware- I find this works best- and bake with the lid on on 375 for half an hour, and you can turn it over for another 30 mins or so, I sometimes get paranoid that it won't get cooked and I'll poison myself, so sometimes I'll give it another ten minutes. That's ok cause they are sitting in the liquid, I'd turn the oven up to 400 for the last twenty minutes or so. 

I'd serve this deliciousness up with a few roasted garlic cloves and a glass of wine, and you are good to go. 

BOOYAH!

CAT MADNESS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

SABBIE!!!!!! Don't you just love her milk mustache?! This is an XCU from last year sometime. MEOW!

 SALEM! What a prince. He loves me and cuddles the shit outta me. He cuddles hardcore. He also loves his chow. Especially wet chow.

 KITTY TRAIN!!!!

 My yellow eyed boy! Eeeeee I love him!

Katie's cat Miso (also known as demon cat)

Well I am up past my bedtime! I need to sleep so that I can be dynamic and productive at work tomorrow.

heheheheh.

-E.

Boxing Day Madness on Planet Moron

Ok, so I promised I'd go shopping for a good deal today. I totally did. Here are my purchases from the boxing day madness.

 I AM SO IN LOVE with this door knocker from Sanctuary. I don't really have a door I can put this on right now, I will save it for when Matt and I buy our own home. I will probably put it on the wall for now.

 I am a dirty whore for cool tights- and these ones rule. They're called mummy wraps and I love them. I hope I can get a few wears out of them before I snag them on something. Again from Sanctuary aka Goth General store.

 WICKED BAD ASS TOP from Mars and Venus. This screamed "ERIN" So loudly I had to pick it up. Cute-ness.

 BACK

So this isn't something I would normally pick for myself, but I quite like the pretty and romantic feel about it. It's something I could wear on a date with my husband, or just whenever I need to look less funeral-ly. Quite happy with this purchase.

This is all I bought today, I had my eye on a couple of items at Rowena but the line was too long I'd blow my brains out. So I put those back on the rack and dipped out on the double. Left KT and Charlen in the dust. See ya guys!

So I rush home from shopping to do lash extensions for my mom and my uncles wife. I spend the evening lashing ladies and making the world a more lovely place to look at, then I head over to Oakland and Charlen's for some Boxing Day canoodling.

 Charlen with Moronian the cat. Oakland says he's from planet moron. I think he's a pretty boy. He isn't their cat but he sneaks over for a free meal and some tummy rubs. Meow!

 Oakland had this vintage Iron Maiden pin kicking around. I saw it and loved it so he gave it to me. It's authentic and even has a cigarette burn on it. That is real metal shit bitches.

What??? It's just a bag of powdered sugar and oregano!
Ok, it's weed. But that is definitely powdered sugar don't worry.
Whoever would keep this amount of drugs in a clear box is a moron.

Now I am hanging out watching "To catch a predator" On dateline, and it's getting good, so I gotta go. Some sad sorry ass child predator is on his knees begging Chris Hansen to not ruin his career. Oh ho ho ho sicko, this TV appearance is the least of your problems now I would imagine.

-E.

Make the Yuletide Gay

Merry Christmas everyone!

What a fun Christmas this year! I ate, drank and was merry. Last night was the real party at my parents place, every year we have a wild party on Christmas eve. My brain is still sitting in a bucket of wine, so I apologize if I seem slow in this entry.

We had a great turnout this year! The house was full to the brim with people. This year my husbands mom and her boyfriend came from Calgary which is new, it was their first Christmas Eve at the Welsh household. So glad we finally got them over. My brother and his wife also came from Calgary, like they do every year, and we had a blast together! The Karpetz Family came over, KT and Sandy have been over before but not the whole family. So that brought up the party factor. The rest of the family was there of course, all a merry time was had by all!

Since my family wasn't doing presents this year, there wasn't a big haul this year but I did make wedding albums for the parents and my Grandma Frannie. I think they were very happy with that. 

I also made Matt a photo album, but instead of wedding photos I gave him boudoir photos I had done a few weeks ago, I also gave him "Love coupons" and a gift certificate for Edmonton's Best Tattoo shop Capital Tattoo. Matt gave me a beautiful leather bracelet that wraps around the arm, really cool. He also gave me a gift certificate to Nightshade Corsets! I was really excited about that one cause I have been wanting a new corset and nightshade has some of the best in town. 

Today was pretty much a write off for me. Since I am "not supposed to drink" I took it "easy" but still wound up with a hangover. Really I was more tired than hungover. My brother Daley and I stayed up late - like 5 am kinda late, we kept that party rockin' till dawn. I definitely pay for drinking and staying up late because of the interferon, so my booze intake was about half of the usual. Usually I get so hammered that I have my face in the toilet by noon the next day. Not this year but I still found a way to wreck myself. When I finally went to bed, I slept on a futon that was pretty much folded in half with my parents cat Mittsy under my blanket. Perfect. 

Woke up by eleven for brunch with the family before my bro and his wife had to take off for her family celebration, and promptly got back into bed and slept till four. Then we had dinner which temporarily brought me back to life. By dessert though that triptofan or however you spell that, hit me, and I had to go lie down again! So yeah, that was home time. Well, that's Christmas for another year! 

Tomorrow is Boxing Day, and I of course am a good little consumer during sale time. So yes, I will be shopping! KT and I will be hitting up stores like Mars and Venus, I like accessories from that store, Sanctuary- Edmonton's Witchery and Goth General store, which over the years I have spent many dollars in, and a friends subculture store Redemption Boutique. I am quite sure I will find a few items for myself and perhaps the husband as well. I may decide to get the hell out of there if it's really bonkers, like I think it's gonna be....we will see.  I have been know to soldier through the crowds to get a good deal. 

HERE'S SOME PICS!!!!

 WEDDING ALBUMS!!!!! So I spent 4 hours putting together albums then a couple more making cards and making them look purdy. I felt like it was appropriate to give all the parents one and they waited long enough! So yeah, that was by far my most crafty christmas in years!

 The sweet ass bracelet my kick ass hubby got me! He's got incredible taste when it comes to picking me out accessories for me. This bracelet is special and unique. Just like me HEHEHEH

 NIGHTSHADE!!!!! So excited. I love corsets but I haven't bought one in a few years. I have my eye on a beautiful black under bust there. I dropped a few hints to Matt a while back, and reminded him again recently. He says he feels intimidated when he walks in there so he got me the GC so I could pick out what I want. Now that's a good guy.

MY CHRISTMAS PRESENT TO MYSELF (Or one of them) OMG OMG OMG my oils came early! KT and I figured they'd arrive after Christmas, but to our delight they arrived on the 23rd! This was a pretty large order, I got Midnight Mass 2011, which smells like traditional roman catholic incense burned at midnight mass, The Gorobble, smells like burnt marshmallows, yum, Yule 2011, which has red holly berry, mistletoe, juniper, frankincense and myrrh. I also got Diable en Boîte which means Jack in the box, which is a seriously spicy and intense fragrance, which just didn't smell right on me, but it smelled great on my man! So that one is for him. I also ordered another for Matt, John Barleycorn, with beer, blood and whisky, but he thought it smelled "girly" on him. So I kept John Barleycorn and gave him Diable en Boîte. BPAL OBSESSION! 

Good times this year, I enjoy celebrating with the finest. Next party is NYE at my cousin Francesca's wedding. I bought a very pretty dress for the evening I am excited to wear! You will of course see it later on in pics! Now I am going to cuddle with Salem the kitty and watch a Christmas movie with the hubs. I might even smoke a Christmas doobie too. Heheheh. MERRRRRRY CHRISTMAS! HOHOHO! <3

-E.

Purple slippers and Chicken Tacos

So Christmas shopping is done. Not like I had much to do anyways, and really ended up doing more for myself than anyone else, this happens because there are so many good deals these days! I got up at my usual time the day after my shot, which is late, like 230 or so, and got on the road to buy a few things for others I shouldn't mention on here... but I can tell you what I  got myself!

So these are my favourite purchase today. I am so in love with these slippers. You are jealous I can feel it. I will be wearing these all winter long and taking them camping in the spring. Love em. 20 bucks.

New MAC Lipstick. It's called Rebel and is a purplish red. I think they made it for me. Swooooooooonnnnn.

So this dress doesn't look fabulous on the hanger, and I know, it's not my usual black but it's actually quite cute! Not exactly sure what I want to wear it for yet, but I am sure I'll find an excuse.

Well I HAD to get these tights, for obvious reasons. No words.

So that's my haul to myself this year, maybe I'll wrap it all and open it Christmas day. Or I could just enjoy them now. Heheheh

AFTER A LONG DAY OF SHOPPING FOR MYSELF... THIS GIRL IS MAKING A DELICIOUS DIN-DIN!

I promised recipes in the first blog post. 

I haven't forgotten about that.

Here's what I made tonight. 

It's healthy but really tasty, I promise.

CHICKEN SOFT TACOS

3-5 chicken breasts

1 red onion, sliced
1 Lime

1 Yellow bell pepper

Cherries tomatoes

Mushrooms

3-10 cloves of garlic

Cayenne pepper

Cilantro

Flax seed tortilla wraps

All you gotta do is brown the onion and garlic in a tablespoon of oil, add the yellow bell pepper. Add the chicken on a medium high heat with some water and the juice of a whole lime. You can use two limes if you like it really limey then sprinkle with cayenne pepper- add more for extra spice- and season with salt and pepper to taste. Add the mushrooms I usually add the tomatoes at the end so they aren't too mushy, but you can add those as early as you'd like. Then I garnish it with fresh cilantro ( I like lots) and slap it all on a flax seed tortilla wraps with cheese if you'd like. Delish, and totally cheap. Try it out.

It's Mexilicious!

-E.

These are a few of my favourite things

In the spirit of... well, me, I'd like to list a few of my favourite things! It just feels like a Christmassy thing to do. Be selfish. Ah yes, so in no particular order, heres are some of the best things in life to me.

1. Black clothes.
If you know me this one needs no explanation, I love black clothes. I am always in the mood to wear black. I have bought the same clothes over and over again in different cuts and fabrics since I was 14 years old. I always look like I am in mourning. I do identify with a goth style but I have always done it in my own simple way.

2. Candles.
I would fill my place with all candelabras and keep them lit all the time if my husband wasn't so afraid I'd burn the building down. I love candles and the look the smell and the glow. I have been obsessed with candles since Jr. High, when I used to light 100 of them while my parents slept and then my mother would wake up to the smell of burning and confiscate them all. I would of course replace them later on. My poor parents lived in fear of waking up in the middle of the night to a raging inferno, cause by their pyro 13 year old. I don't think my parents liked me much during that time.

3. Boxes.
Nothing quite like a pretty box. I love boxes, I have many ranging from tiny boxes to put jewellery and trinkets in to larger boxes I keep a variety of things in I have somehow collected quite a few pretty and unique boxes. My boxes hold all my special little things and things that hold meaning.

4. My Violin.
My violin is precious to me. Sometimes she loves me and sings perfectly and bewitches me, where I feel an energy flow into my fingertips, where I feel the soul of the music is coming from the instrument. Other times I feel like she is punishing me for neglecting her and she sings sadly and with difficulty. No matter what, this will be my most prized possession, I am lucky to have her.

5. My weeping Buddha.
This one got on my list of favourite things because it was a lovely present from my dear friend John. When I was lying in a hospital bed after having major surgery, John was one of my only friends who was by my side most of the time. One morning he came in with a wooden weeping Buddha and said "he weeps for you so you don't have to". I love you John, thank you.

6. My uncle Bertie's paintings.
My uncle Bertie was an amazing artist. My parents house is full of them, and my folks passed a few on to me. I feel comfort being surrounded by his art. I miss him all the time and wish the world still had him.

7. Boots.
I love boots. I prefer winter style over summer because I love to wear boots. I am a Canadian girl through and through. I always buy black boots and I tend to pick favourites and wear them out. There are a few pairs of black boots I have kept in decent condition for a few years, and nothing is nicer than thick socks in comfy boots in the winter!

8. Makeup.
Oh man I am a whore for makeup. Dirty I tells ya. You might even say I have a huge problem with makeup. I love it too much. I have been obsessed with makeup since 7th grade, and fancy myself quite the collector and connoisseur! The staff at Sephora and MAC know me by name and I drool over the latest Urban Decay, M.A.C., Benefit, Two Faced and Makeup Forever. How girly of me.

9. BPAL.
I have already mentioned this earlier in the blog, BPAL stands for Black Phoenix Alchemy Lab. These guys sell gothic/romantic/victorian inspired perfume oils. I love every one of them and they invoke strong feelings depending on the oil I wear and when I wear it. They are a part of my day, I match the smells with my outfit, and they make me feel pretty. I would say I have quite the collection and will continue to buy them!

10. Nail Polish.
 I suppose this could go in the makeup category but I feel nail polish is in a category of it's own, I own and wear all the colours of the rainbow, since I am a beauty professional my career requires me to buy them. My favourite colours I paint my nails are reds, blood red, cherry red, bright red, black, purple and sparkle.

11. My Car.
Last but not least! I love my car! If you know me, you know it took me a few extra years to getting around to getting my drivers licence. I bought a car a couple of weeks before I started intense chemo and didn't have my licence, and "shitbox express" sat parked for months until I finally got my licence! Since then I have been in love with my beautiful blue 1994 Pontiac Firefly. It's mini and takes corners nice and you can park crooked in a spot and still be in the lines. Love ya shitbox!

So since I couldn't just do ten things, those are 11 of my favourite things. Of course I love my family and friends more than any of these things, but these things make me- me! Hahah I am such a cheese ball.

MERRY!

-E.

Festivus 2011

What an amazing Festivus.

So last night was Festivus Celebration at John and Jer's and we had a merry old time. As you can see I've got a cider and a cigarette (holding it for KT) and my friends KT and Charlene and The Christmas Cowboy are getting holiday wild with me while I pose strangely. As soon as we were walking up the path you could hear the buzz of a party, and the house was full of familiar faces and a couple new ones, warm with booze and holiday cheer. Very festive I must say. These people are my chosen family, and all of us together in one room is where I want to be the week before xmas day.

We did a Chinese gift exchange- don't ask me why it's chinese, but you get to pick a present and then the next person gets to pick one or steal yours. First I got a candle holder with a coven of dogs around it, and I loved it right away, and of course that was KT'S gift, but it got stolen from John! Then I got riot gear and a cap gun and I think Matt left these items all over the house before we left. There was a puker, won't say this poor fellows name on here as I doubt he'd appreciate it, I'll just call him Pukey Mgee, and Pukey Mgee was already three sheets when I arrived. He then grabbed my wine and proceeded to pour most of the bottle in his cup and smashed that shit back fast and ended up painting Seth and Seth's bed with Merlot red. Beautiful. Hey, I remember those days... but I've never puked all over someone. That's pretty pukey dude. Pukey Mcgee locked himself in the bathroom and puked up a storm and then took a long long shower. Poor  guy. Good luck with that hangover dude.

I remember a snakes and ladders game with shot glasses instead of game pieces, having a sip out of a bottle then someone saying Erin you're bleeding! I look at the bottle and I had chipped it by vigorous cheering and being overly jolly. Silly me.

We carried on with this merriment until the wee hours, and here's where it gets fuzzy. We are all piling into Lucas's car, who is stone cold sober and putting up with the tomfoolishness of a bunch of drunk-asses, and someone suggests we go to Oakland The Christmas Cowboy's and Charlene. We should have probably just gone home cause we go back there but I fell asleep on the bathroom floor and then my lovely husband took me to a bed, and I didn't wake up till one, when Matt went and got the truck and let me sleep. What a sweetie. So yeah, there was the real holiday piss up of the year. Good times for sure. I love all of you that were there with me. We sure are a rowdy bunch of crazy people,  I am lucky to have such fun friends.

So here are a couple shots from the party! Now everyone don't get all upset about the cigarette, I'm not back to smoking I just had a couple in the name of festivus. No biggie K?

 Me and my lady Charlene- girl you are a great friend and I am so happy we have become close pals! I am so glad you got the awesome glasses I picked out cause you rock those so hard. Fuck yeah my girl!

Showing off my riot gear 

From Left: Charlene the rockstar, Miss Kt Kat, and Oakland The Christmas Cowboy. Love you all!

So as you can imagine, I am nursing quite the hangover today and feeling that guilt for the over indulgence, as lately I have been super sober. I woke up in pain at one and went back to bed for the rest of the day. It did remind me why I shouldn't drink. Ah, tis the season.

Anyways, I am so compeletly wrecked and will need more sleep in order to work tomorrow, so I am off to bed. That's my weekend. I have a whole 7 days ahead of me full of more festive adventures.

-E.

Stolichanya and zombie golden girls

So one year ago today I was diagnosed with Melanoma. I can't believe the year I've had, surgery, chemo, needles and blood tests, X-rays and biopsies, it has been difficult. But I thank Lucifer I am still alive and cancer free. I remember last year when I found out at nine am the feeling of shock and disbelief hit and a few hours later a feeling of fear set in. I went the next day to see if there was metastases in my organs. I remember a feeling of dread washing over me and thinking, if there is cancer in my organs I am going to die. That is the scariest feeling you can imagine. It hadn't and thats why I am still alive. I must say I do appreciate living day to day now a lot. So this next year will be one of the best ever, I am certain of it!

Anyways enough about cancer! ON TO THE RANDOM NONSENSE THAT IS MY BLOG!

                                            ZOMBIE GOLDEN GIRLS                                                

 A pic from a messy evening from summer 2010 at John's place. Yes my belt is open cause I was bloated with PFK otherwise known as KFC. I believe I even drank that whole bottle of Stolichanya. I used to love that shit. It's poison but it will get ya drunk. If you are looking for a party, grab a bottle of Stoli and it will start. Give me a bottle of Stoli and you may have to call the cops. Just kidding, I'll probably slur your ear off and open my belt. Back in these drunken days I'd say I could drink full grown men under the table on a good night. Ok, on a Saturday night.

 An old ass photo from high school. This came out of Katie's archives. This is at the arts barns in Old Strathcona. I am on the left laughing so hard that I am peeing my pants I am sure, and then there is Katie and Jenn and Jenn is biting Kt's ear. That was good times.

Me and my attendants. Jess is coping a feel and Katie is touching me in a creepy way. Weddings are fun.

Ok, I'm obsessed with this band. They are an electro-industrial band, which is a genre I used to listen to more of but in the last few years I have been more of a rock and metal girl. These guys are still heavy but they have a really haunting keyboard guy that makes it really melodic and also lots of fun to drive fast to! If you are into industrial or even if you aren't check out this band!

So that was a little random... seems to be a theme here. I think I am gonna go to bed! I am about to have a busy weekend so I doubt I'll update for a few days, but you will hear all about my adventures next week!

-E.

Lemon Drop Down Ho Down and other random musings

So after a busy last couple of days I am super tired today. I had my fifteen minutes yesterday doing all those interviews, and I was super wired after all of that last night and was awake late. Woke up exhausted then went to work for a couple of hours, but left early to see my dermatologist. I went to see him because I have spent the last few weeks in an itchy hell covered in excema! It is just getting worse. Normally I'd just deal but I can't anymore. I tried every natural remedy and drugstore cream you can imagine, and everything stopped working. I had to start the steroids. It already feels much better. This horrid rash started on my neck and is now all the down my chest and up to my chin and on my eyes. Yucky I know. It itches so bad I scratch it in the night and I go batty in the day. My doc promised me I'd be clear by Christmas. Thank zombie jesus. I'll keep my fingers crossed about that one.

This week has been a whole bag of craziness, and it's only Wednesday! On tap for the rest of the week: Tomorrow I'll be doing my soon-to-be-bride cousin Francesca's lashes for her wedding on new years eve, and Friday I am going with Katie to a private shopping event at Holt Renfrew... which is totally something I'd normally never do but since it is the christmas season I should buy myself a present I think. Then Saturday I am going to my Grandmas bday celebration and after that going to the Chinese Gift Exchange and potluck at John's. Wow, I hope I feel ok the next few days cause it's gonna be a doozy!

I had my shot tonight and I expect the side effects to hit by 4 am, it seems to happen like clockwork. I wake up to my toes aching and a wave of feverish pain washing across my body. I hate that part of my week.

In other news I had a Vietnamese sub for dinner, watched a few episodes of one of my favourite shows of all time- Friends, (I know, corny but so hilarious!) Also, my Black Phoenix Alchemy Lab oils are on their way! For those of you who don't know what BPAL is they are an online gothic perfumery, heres a link:

http://www.blackphoenixalchemylab.com/

Katie introduced me to these oils. She told me one day that she bought a few of these goth perfumes, and I am usually funny about buying any beauty products online because I can't smell them so I pish poshed KT and forgot about it. Then I am over at her place- skyview  RV storage and trailer park- and she shows me her goth oils. I am instantly enchanted and decide I need a few of my own.

Well a year later I have thirty oils and always have a couple in the mail. They are precious to me and I find myself obsessing over them. It's like they now have a power over me. I even have my husband wearing them. Please check out their site!

Wow, that was random news, this entry is so "diary"!

How about I end this random newsflash with some random pictures!

 WITH FEAR I KISS THE BURNING DARKNESS

 OHHH MAN THIS WAS A FUN EVENING. Summer 2010, Raygun Cowboys 10th anniversary show. I started the night doing lemon drop shots with a lesbian, danced my ass ragged, partying hard with some of my besties. I had so much fun, I don't even remember getting home. Once I somehow got back to my apartment, I believe the party continued until I woke up on the living room floor at seven am with a very big headache and thirsty as hell. The next day I lay in bed with the taste of vodka lemon and sugar in the back of my throat and I truly wanted to die. Good Times. From Left: Elaine! This girl is givin' er in this pic. I love it cause she's actually fairly mellow lady, she's a mommy with the mostest, but when she parties she gets wild and I love it! Love ya lady! Next is me of course, full of vodka, causing a righteous ruckus. The guy next to me is my best gay John. He was a walking party that night. Look behind me at the creeper with the glowing eyes- that's Lucas! He is my non-biological little brother. I love my Lucas to pieces! Anyways, this evening shall be known as the Lemon Drop Down Ho Down. That was a once in a lifetime party.

 I love these creepy windmills in Southern Alberta. Matt and I broke up once and when he courted me back to him he took me on a trip to Nelson and we drove the scenic route. These were scattered all the way down the highway and they look so cool, so haunting. Something romantic about them...

I had to post this. My husband is so lovely. After I had a major surgery for my melanoma I was sad cause I sat in a recliner for two months and couldn't reach my toes. I felt so wrong not wearing nail polish. My sweet husband offered to paint my toes. Of course I said yes but I thought "this is going to be a mess" but he did a great job! What a sweetie. Love ya honey!

I am sorry, I am not anti vegetarian, but I believe I need meat to survive. I am a carnivore. Without animal flesh I simply will not live. I find with my blood sugar issues if I don't get protein every four hours I faint. It is a curse passed down to me by my lovely mother. So yeah, this girl is a meat eater. Monkeys, koalas toucans- you name it. Deeeeeelishhh.

-E.

Daily Random pics

A nice pic of Matt and I with some of our best friends at our rehearsal dinner the night before our Wedding. One of the bestest days of my life. From Left: Charlene, Me, my handsome but blurry faced husband, Oakland the pervert, (love ya man), Elaine, and of course the Best man, Slimbo Limbo! That's my new nickname for you Slim. I just decided. 

 A shot from the only camping trip we got in this summer. It was also my birthday weekend. We had a blast. I got wasted. Erin had a weeee bit too much Cider. That shit hit me like a brick after being sober for months. It just tasted so good! I shouldn't even say on this blog how many ciders I drank cause my mother may read this, but lets just say it was A LOT. The night ended with Matt passing out and me wandering around the campground alone with a couple ciders and a lantern, going towards the sound of coyotes and owls. Amazing. That is how I am happiest, wandering in the woods at night.

Me in the bleach days covered in kitties! Framboise was quite the promiscuous puss, she ended up knocked up with a couple toms babies, and was very protective of them! Love those kittens!!

I think I may make this a thing and post randoms daily, or often. Enjoy!!!

-E.

Getting the message out to the masses

Wow, what a day! My "agent"- a lady from the coalition I am working with- hooked me up with several interviews today, CTV news was first, then 24 hours magazine, Edmonton Sun, Calgary Sun, Calgary herald, and Breakfast Television on City TV. My message is out there and I couldn't be happier. Here are links to a couple of the interviews:

http://www.edmontonsun.com/2011/12/13/tanning-bed-ban-wanted-for-those-under-18

http://www.calgarysun.com/2011/12/13/alberta-coalition-takes-aim-at-tanning-beds

I wasn't as nervous as I thought I'd be, and managed to get my point across clearly. One thing was my hair looked like crap. That I wasn't happy about. Goes to show you how vain I really am I suppose.

I am still not quite done the day yet, another photographer is coming by to take pics of me for the Calgary Herald. I truly will never know the full impact that this has on the people that read it, but it is reaching more people than I ever thought it would when I wrote that article last summer. Super cool I do say.

It's amazing though how ignorant people can be about this disease though. One thing I have encountered is idiots who actually think melanoma isn't a "real" cancer. These people are morons, I am sorry. How can you say to someone who is going through chemo that their cancer isn't a big deal? Some people need to get their heads out of their own asses. Another unfortunate thing is I know several people who STILL use tanning beds, even people close enough to me to know the living HELL I have been through this last year. I will never get this year back, and I will spend the next few years seeing doctors to make sure my cancer isn't coming back. I can't believe my experience isn't enough for these people to stop tanning. It is a real testament to the addictive nature of these beds, it's just like smoking, nobody can tell you to quit, you have to make the decision for yourself.

On the bright side, I have had many people show their support for my cause and have heard from several people that my story got them into a dermatologist to remove suspicious moles and even stopped a few young people from using tanning beds. This pleases me. I expect that with all this exposure I will have more young people thinking about their choices, that is my hope.

Anyways, thanks for reading, and please feel free to repost those links or send to someone that needs to know my story. Melanoma is CANCER and it can kill you. If it doesn't, it can destroy your life as you know it.

-E.

December 12th, 2011

So I am a little nervous tonight because tomorrow I will be waiting by the phone to be interviewed by various forms of media because of an article I wrote in the summer about my skin cancer journey. I can't believe all the attention I am getting for it, and feel excited to be a spokesperson against underage tanning. There needs to be some kind of regulation, if you can't buy cigarettes until you're 18 the law should be the same for other known human carcinogens, which tanning is. I know my decision to use a tanning bed at 18 raised my chances significantly of having Melanoma. Looking back that was the hugest mistake I ever made, going to tanning beds, and even as I was using them I did think once or twice: How will I pay for this later? Still, I was naive enough to believe the worst would never happen. This is the problem with young people, when you are that naive you never think the worst could happen. There is a reason why this disease is the top cancer killer for people under 30. Using a tanning bed is like playing russian roulette. When it spreads to your organs you have a death sentence. It scares me to see how many young girls and guys are in tanning salons, and to think that one in six of these kids will get melanoma? How frightening. So I am doing something I never thought I would do- speaking up about my story so people can put a face to the disease, and hopefully that will help some people stop using those cancer causing beds of death! I will of course update you all tomorrow on how the interviews go! EEEEEP!

Now for some unrelated photos.

                                                     ... WHAT A SKANK

                                                      MY MAN!!!!!!!!

                                           CHIEF WANNASNEAKAPEEPEE

                                                  NOT MY CAT BUT ISN'T HE PRECIOUS!!!!

-E.