So DID YA MISS MEEEEE???
I took a summer off of life, in general. Mostly off at least. And it has been just fucking wonderful. I needed it. I didn't bother getting a job (well, I do work two days a week but if EI calls I do fuck all but look for jobs, nope can't find one.)
I went to Clearwater BC with my best friend, we had a good buzz going that whole week of beaching, beach drinking, bbq's, bbq drinking, you get the picture. I tried to upload 1000 instagram pictures of this kind of activity but am having some issue there, so I gave up cause really, it's mostly selfies and shots of John and I with beer in our hands, shots of the beach and us in bathing suits.
The best part of that trip was swimming in a nice lake, can't remember the last time I could do handstands on the bottom of a lake, or even wanted to swim in a lake for that matter.
The rest of this summer was spent fishing with my boyfriend, yard work, impromptu house parties, part time dog bathing and general waste of skin activities, getting up early to start my day with candy crush saga and then more fuck all.
I am almost ready to get a job.
Almost.
The summer began with some scary shit, my dad Brian had a tumour in his lung.
Cancer, my worst enemy. I was full of anger and fear, the same fear and uncertainty I had more than two years ago from my own battle with that fucker, cancer. Well my dad is doing amazingly well. He came home from the hospital and healed up and is golfing now. He got lucky and that thing was removed before it could start a little party or get too comfortable. He doesn't need chemo or radiation. We are all very happy about this, and needless to say I am most happy about the no chemo. Chemo is a soul sucking bitch, surgery is just one part of the cancer treatment when there is chemo involved and once you have chemo you would go back to being in a hospital bed fresh out of surgery any day before you go back to those drips, just awful. I didn't want to see my dad suffer chemo only to develop more problems and delay his recovery by months.
I myself took a whole summer off of doctors and oncology, I almost got to forget about my melanoma completely for the very first time in almost 3 years.
My mom and aunt and cousin Ella went for a fun girls trip to Banff, where there was sangria and shopping and laughter. We went up the gondola and I nearly pissed my pants on the way up.
My niece came for a visit a few weeks ago, and looking at her I feel a love I have never felt in my life, she is so precious and brings so much love to the family!
I sound like a cheese ball, but I will be cheesy for that little girl and that little girl only, she has my heart. It's hard not being able to see her whenever I want but I will take what I can get!
So this summer I had plenty of time to think. One of the first times I have had this kind of time to think about life, and when you think too much you can develop new pet peeves but also solidify beliefs and change things, work on being a better person.
Yeah I said it, work on being better.
Well describing how I am thinking to become a better person is fucking boring so lets go through a few new pet peeves.
1- Social media "over-sharers".
OK. So I have a blog where I do not censor myself and prehaps over share often but here's the deal: It's not Facebook. I am not posting this info in my status to bomb your newsfeed with TMI. You can make the choice to read my TMI or NOT. If you over share on Facebook don't take it personally but I hate you. Over sharing includes statuses like "Feeling sad :(" and everyone asks "what's wrong?" and then this person goes to one person "call me."
Shut up. Facebook isn't a pity pond where you can go fishing. Go punch a pillow.
I also don't enjoy people who upload photos one by one, again bombing my newsfeed. All it is when people do that is JUST them and their shitty photos taken from their car or their children in action. Who are you doing this for, because I can't imagine anyone needs to see your kids 300 times a day, no matter how precious they are. Pictures of the new baby all day kind of ruins it for me, thats my harsh opinion but it's what most people actually think, I just say it. I also hate when people just overuse Facebook to where theres a new status every 15 minutes, "Taking a shit!" or "Eating! Yummy! Heres a pic! Jealous?" or anything too personal like screenshots of loving texts with a boyfriend or husband to try and prove to someone (probably yourself) that you still love the guy, or all 800 engagement photos. And we allllll know how much I HATE engagement photos!
So because of this new pet peeve I am limiting my Facebook access. I am just as bad as those over-sharers if I am on it several times a day liking 30 statuses in one shot. Forget it. I didn't delete Facebook, I do use it for my own shameless self promotion myself, but now in a much more controlled way, being more choosy about what I say on there, and not having it on my phone anymore helps accidental over-sharing after a few beers, and prevents me from going on it while I am hanging out with friends. So I feel much more clear headed without everyone else's current events running through my mind all the time.
That was long.
2- Email.
Yup, somehow email is now a huge pet peeve for me. I had to check email all day at my career with Ruth's Chris and didn't realize how much I hate feeling like I need to look at it 300 times a day only to find 99% of the time a Costco flyer or some spam, an update from iTunes, if you need to get a hold of me just call me. I just hate email now and with all these other ways we get a hold of each other like texts all day, and of course ol' Facebook, where people who would never have a reason to have your phone number message you on there perhaps out of some social media obligation though you may have only met them once or haven't seen or spoken for 10 years. ???
Yeah so you have to FORCE me to check my email now. I check it for school grades and that would be it. As far as I am concerned it is a waste of time otherwise. I just feel email phobic these days, it may be strange but I like life better without email now.
Before I used to email people and never get a response, and it seemed to me that everyone had email and never checked it anyways and THAT was a pet peeve of mine, so forget it I give up. If you know where I live you are welcome to visit, that is if you have my phone number of course.
3- Neighbours.
There's a simple explanation for this one- my boyfriend lives out of the city. I've been spending tons of time here, and getting quite used to the no neighbours up in your business thing. The rules are totally different out here- if you don't disturb your neighbour half a mile down the road nobody gives one fuck about what you are up to on your own property. If you're bored you can set up beer cans and shoot em, have raging infernos and music as loud as you want past 11pm.
Not to say I hate my neighbours, just their presence. It kind of sucks to have to say hello to your neighbour every damn time you step out of the house in the summer. The lady to the left of us is crusty old and is always asking you to mow her lawn without a please could you, she said "You mow this lawn?" I think she's italian and didn't bother to learn any manners in English since she got off the boat 50 years ago. Anyways she asked me abruptly while I was sitting outside with hair dye in my hair. Another time she came to the front and waved her arms at me. Now I sound like a horrible old person hating bitch but sorry, do basic manners disappear with old age? She can still garden all day and keeps one old eye on your comings and goings.
So yeah, I am not so much of a fan of people peering out of the window at you and making your business theirs, kindly fuck off.
I am teetering on the edge of being a country recluse with a house full of cats sitting on a porch with a shotgun.
Ok that's three, any more will make me look like I just sat around developing pet peeves all summer. Like I said if you can believe it or not there has been positive thinking happening, though I will always develop new pet peeves as I go along in life I also learn how to avoid most of it as well. I really don't have any complaints about life otherwise at the moment, things are sweet and I am turning thirty in 2 days.
All summer people have asked me if it bothers me that I am getting so old as some people actually say, and no, in fact, FUCK NO it doesn't!
There was a time I feared I wouldn't even see 30. I get to wake up and live a normal life. I don't mind being bored or broke or even having a shitty day. I am alive and that's all that fuckin' matters to me. I smile more and let more things go. I notice I don't look 20 anymore but that's fine. I am happy to turn 30 and look forward to 40.
Since my birthday will be a serious dirty 30 throwdown white trash party, I won't be having even one beer till next weekend. Then after the hangover I will have I will need a few weeks off the booze completely I am sure. There is no such thing as moderation at one of our parties.
So I will be a good blogger and post any pictures that happen that night. Like I said, this isn't Facebook, you made the choice to read this.
-E.
