In the spirit of Gemutlichkeit my husband and I decided to try and wrassle up some friends for some good old Oktoberfest fun. Problem is - we were dealing with a few roadblocks.
We live in Cambridge. This year is the first year where Cambridge would be hosting our very own Oktoberfest. The more we talked about it, the more excited we became. We started talking to others through one of our favourite forms of dialogue, twitter. And all we heard was a handful of people interested in going. They didn't know anything about it however - and were looking to my hubby and myself to organize everything.
As anyone living in the Kitchener-Waterloo area is aware - tickets are a very hot commodity - especially when the event has already started. People really love their Polka around this time of year, and really enjoy getting out and getting as drunk as humanly possible without hopefully vomiting on someones shoes. Any of the Kitchener-Waterloo festhalls will sell out well before Oktoberfest starts so our plan to go at this late in the game was a little behind.
We started searching online and although we did find that the www.oktoberfest.ca website was selling tickets, we were disappointed to find out that the tickets involved not only taxes - but service charges as well. This brought the price much higher than the $12 they would be charging at the door. In the day in age where you want to sell tickets in advance, wouldn't you think the tickets should be cheaper?
We kept searching around and other than find a phone number for a person with the Rotary, we couldn't find any other way that we could buy tickets. And heaven knows - if there are phones involved, me and my husband are just not interested. We are tech savvy, you would think a world class event like Oktoberfest would be tech savvy too. We were even willing to drive somewhere in town if we could, but there was no where to be found unless it was during the day. We work and telling the boss that we were leaving for an hour to go get tickets to Oktoberfest just wouldn't fly.
I sent a tweet to @kw_oktoberfest - the official twitter name for Oktoberfest and nearly a week later had not had a reply. My simple little question about how the tickets were selling in Cambridge and if any were left were ignored. It seems that Cambridge is small potatoes when compared to their big Kitchener-Waterloo cousins. But I wasn't completely put off. I wanted some good smooth beer and was really hoping I could get some.
It was with excitement that we found an article about the new Cambridge Festhall in the Cambridge Times this week. We were hoping for more information about where and when we can get tickets. Unfortunately it really didn't reveal much other than getting them at the door or potentially buying them from City Hall. We know from experience that you can drive into the Oktoberfest headquarters and pick them up - but that means heading into Kitchener. A lot of driving for us considering we really are within walking distance of the mall where the Cambridge Oktoberfest is being held.
Now folks - wouldn't it be nice to buy them from City Hall in advance of the event? Oh yeah - that's right - City Hall didn't get their tickets until Wednesday - the very first day that they were opening the Festhall. I have an inside source - don't ask me how - but they told me that the tickets just weren't available yet and they had no idea how we could get some in advance.
So here we are - wanting to support our community getting Oktoberfest but with no idea if it was worth trying to get in. We start talking to our peeps about the situation and when all of them found out the tickets weren't just $10.62 as advertised on the Oktoberfest website and were instead over $12 - they all started bowing out. It seems they had heard the rumors of high beer prices. When you couple that with a high door price per person and so much red tape that you didn't even know if you could get in - they just decided they weren't going to go.
The hubby and myself would love to be able to go out and support our community. So we've decided instead of taking our chances you will now find us on a patio, possibly in Preston, drinking some beers at a regular rate - not paying a huge door price - and enjoying what Cambridge has to offer.
For those of you in the Cambridge Rotary, I hope you enjoy your event. I also hope that you learn a few lessons for next year on how to better a) promote and b) sell tickets to the working stiffs like me.
Thursday, 7 October 2010
Saturday, 2 October 2010
Ah the theatre!
Last night the hubby and I were able to partake in local theatre. Not everyone knows that Cambridge is home to Ontarios longest running community theatre. Otherwise they might be all clammouring to go see shows at the Galt Little Theatre.
When I called the box office two weeks ago she asked where I wanted to sit. Every seat in the house has a good view she said. Having never been there I asked her to pick a good spot for us. She selected Row H. Appropriate as our last name starts with that letter and this was an anniversary gift. How could I have expected that Row H, the 8th row from the stage was only a few rows from the back. When they say little theatre-they are right.
The funny thing about a small theatre, is that you feel more a part of the show. You are connected to the other audience members and as a collective the mood of the audience can be felt on stage. The seats are a little small for plus sized girls like me (or guys for that matter) but it was completely worth it. The price was very reasonable at $17 a ticket. This is a fraction of the cost for shows in the larger cities and venues. Also, each play only runs for two weeks which makes it even more valuable. The glimpse you have of the show is only for a limited time and for a limited audience. Small town theatre is completely worth it.
The hubs and I went to see a comedy-Moon Over Buffalo. It had a great cast of 7 characters acting out the roles of a group of people involved in the theatre around the golden age of television. The play had a fun concept to play with. Aging actors trying to keep their theatre troupe alive with dwindling ticket sales while striving to break into the silver screen. Suddenly they are faced with one last chance to break into movies and all sorts of outside factors break in to bumble things. The actors were comfortable in their roles and played them well. The many closings and openings of doors had the audience in stitches.
The character of George Hay, played by Gord Cameron was by far my favourite. He fell into character as the patriarch and 2nd biggest star of the company. He gets into mischief and brings a lovable feel to his role. Everyone else was strong as well. If there were slip ups, they hid them well. The actors projected well, stayed in character and were believable. It was quite enjoyable.
I do recommend that you check out this gem of a theatre if you don't have time for the play.
For more about the play, visit the Galt Little Theatre Website at the link.
When I called the box office two weeks ago she asked where I wanted to sit. Every seat in the house has a good view she said. Having never been there I asked her to pick a good spot for us. She selected Row H. Appropriate as our last name starts with that letter and this was an anniversary gift. How could I have expected that Row H, the 8th row from the stage was only a few rows from the back. When they say little theatre-they are right.
The funny thing about a small theatre, is that you feel more a part of the show. You are connected to the other audience members and as a collective the mood of the audience can be felt on stage. The seats are a little small for plus sized girls like me (or guys for that matter) but it was completely worth it. The price was very reasonable at $17 a ticket. This is a fraction of the cost for shows in the larger cities and venues. Also, each play only runs for two weeks which makes it even more valuable. The glimpse you have of the show is only for a limited time and for a limited audience. Small town theatre is completely worth it.
The hubs and I went to see a comedy-Moon Over Buffalo. It had a great cast of 7 characters acting out the roles of a group of people involved in the theatre around the golden age of television. The play had a fun concept to play with. Aging actors trying to keep their theatre troupe alive with dwindling ticket sales while striving to break into the silver screen. Suddenly they are faced with one last chance to break into movies and all sorts of outside factors break in to bumble things. The actors were comfortable in their roles and played them well. The many closings and openings of doors had the audience in stitches.
The character of George Hay, played by Gord Cameron was by far my favourite. He fell into character as the patriarch and 2nd biggest star of the company. He gets into mischief and brings a lovable feel to his role. Everyone else was strong as well. If there were slip ups, they hid them well. The actors projected well, stayed in character and were believable. It was quite enjoyable.
I do recommend that you check out this gem of a theatre if you don't have time for the play.
For more about the play, visit the Galt Little Theatre Website at the link.
Saturday, 25 September 2010
Ah... Young Love
Some things have been happening around me that have been reminding me of something that I haven't had for awhile - new romance.
Even though it's been a few years, okay it's been 7 years, but I remember how amazing it is to be in those beginning stages of a relationship. When everything is exciting and new. I remember wondering if the person I liked was liking me back. I remember being with them and just smiling. Heck I remember thinking of them and just smiling.
I have been with my husband for 7 years and I still get a little smile when I think back to the beginning stages of our courtship. And yes - I do think it was a courtship. This was when we got to know each other. I was impressed by his memory and his listening skills. I told him that I really liked yellow flowers and he showed up with them. I told him that I liked the letter Q and he made an entire CD titled the Quiet Quotient. It was filled with songs that made him think of me. My heart swooned in his creativity and basic simple caring.
I also remember how our relationship was built on friendship. That we would write and write each other email after email about ourselves, our families, our likes and our dislikes. Getting emails from him made my heart soar, and thinking about him made my mind race.
It was all so exciting and so new and I remember thinking that someday my bubble is going to burst. There is no way that this witty, charming, adorable dork of a man could really like me. Who am I? I'm just some overweight formerly athletic girl with a low paying job and no real passion for any one thing. Here was someone who was passionate about sports and music and computers. What would we ever find to talk about?
But that was the wonderous thing. We could talk about anything. No topic was off limits. We were open and honest with each other about our lives. I felt things building and I wondered if he felt the same way. But there was something there in his eyes when he talked to me - and I'll be honest, it's a look I've never seen him give any other woman. He looked at me like I was the only woman on the planet. He held my hand through everything and never shied away from being with me when around other people.
I promised myself that I would try and remember the rubber band theory - something my old roommate Bridgit and I obsessed over for a period of time and has always stuck with me as a great key to a relationship. It essentially means that relationships are like a rubber band. Initially you are really close and both in the same band. After a period of time, one of you will want to spread out and see friends and do things without you. If you chase after them, the band falls off because you are holding too close. If you stay where you are and remember that they will still come back, the band will stretch but not break. If instead you decide that you also want to spread your wings in retaliation, you might actually end up breaking the band. Either way, stay cool, stay calm and remember how you feel about the other person and the relationship should be fine. The book also talked about picking battles - but that's for another day.
Back to the point of this post - young love. I don't care how old you are, when your relationship is new you are experiencing everything as a young person. You get butterflies and you get nervous. You wonder if you should take the lead, or if you should let them. You worry that if you take the lead the other person may not feel the same way. Every young relationship seems like a risk. You are putting your heart out there.
It could be great - or it could be absolutely horrible. You could put your hand out there and touch them and they could recoil. You could pour your heart out and they could tell you the worst thing in the world "I only want to be your friend." It will be in that instant that your heart will break in two and you will do one of two things - you will go away and never forgive yourself for getting all the signals wrong - or you will go away and hate them for leading you on. You never know how it's going to go and you really hope and pray that there will be some way you can stay friends, or you can move on. You always will, you know. If it doesn't work out you will still go on living. You will still be able to breathe. You will love again.
When I met my husband, I had lived through the heart ripping. I was scared because lets face it - I couldn't believe that I was falling in lvoe again. But boy was I ever. I was falling hard and fast with every keystroke he sent. My heart was beating fast and my mind was racing. After a week of dating, I thought he liked me, but the big kiss hadn't happened yet. (Can't believe I'm admitting this - I was 22 not 17 for god's sake) I wanted to push things along just to make sure so I lightly rubbed the side of his leg with my finger. In my experience, this will mean the person I am interested in will grab my hand and start holding it. Or if he doesn't like it, he will pick up my hand and politely move it away and then gently inch the other way. Lucky for me - my hubby grabbed my hand and actually started to rub my leg in the same spot. Score one for the home team.
Remembering this makes me smile. Because I still do this with him from time to time and it never fails - he grabs my hand every time. Now we are 7 years on, married for almost 3 and I still get butterflies thinking of him and the wonderful times we've shared. Of course that may not have been the case had I not had my heart broken and ripped out. Through that I've come to appreciate just how special things really can be.
And I hope, that for all my readers, friends and family, that you also find that special someone to hold your hand - always.
Even though it's been a few years, okay it's been 7 years, but I remember how amazing it is to be in those beginning stages of a relationship. When everything is exciting and new. I remember wondering if the person I liked was liking me back. I remember being with them and just smiling. Heck I remember thinking of them and just smiling.
I have been with my husband for 7 years and I still get a little smile when I think back to the beginning stages of our courtship. And yes - I do think it was a courtship. This was when we got to know each other. I was impressed by his memory and his listening skills. I told him that I really liked yellow flowers and he showed up with them. I told him that I liked the letter Q and he made an entire CD titled the Quiet Quotient. It was filled with songs that made him think of me. My heart swooned in his creativity and basic simple caring.
I also remember how our relationship was built on friendship. That we would write and write each other email after email about ourselves, our families, our likes and our dislikes. Getting emails from him made my heart soar, and thinking about him made my mind race.
It was all so exciting and so new and I remember thinking that someday my bubble is going to burst. There is no way that this witty, charming, adorable dork of a man could really like me. Who am I? I'm just some overweight formerly athletic girl with a low paying job and no real passion for any one thing. Here was someone who was passionate about sports and music and computers. What would we ever find to talk about?
But that was the wonderous thing. We could talk about anything. No topic was off limits. We were open and honest with each other about our lives. I felt things building and I wondered if he felt the same way. But there was something there in his eyes when he talked to me - and I'll be honest, it's a look I've never seen him give any other woman. He looked at me like I was the only woman on the planet. He held my hand through everything and never shied away from being with me when around other people.
I promised myself that I would try and remember the rubber band theory - something my old roommate Bridgit and I obsessed over for a period of time and has always stuck with me as a great key to a relationship. It essentially means that relationships are like a rubber band. Initially you are really close and both in the same band. After a period of time, one of you will want to spread out and see friends and do things without you. If you chase after them, the band falls off because you are holding too close. If you stay where you are and remember that they will still come back, the band will stretch but not break. If instead you decide that you also want to spread your wings in retaliation, you might actually end up breaking the band. Either way, stay cool, stay calm and remember how you feel about the other person and the relationship should be fine. The book also talked about picking battles - but that's for another day.
Back to the point of this post - young love. I don't care how old you are, when your relationship is new you are experiencing everything as a young person. You get butterflies and you get nervous. You wonder if you should take the lead, or if you should let them. You worry that if you take the lead the other person may not feel the same way. Every young relationship seems like a risk. You are putting your heart out there.
It could be great - or it could be absolutely horrible. You could put your hand out there and touch them and they could recoil. You could pour your heart out and they could tell you the worst thing in the world "I only want to be your friend." It will be in that instant that your heart will break in two and you will do one of two things - you will go away and never forgive yourself for getting all the signals wrong - or you will go away and hate them for leading you on. You never know how it's going to go and you really hope and pray that there will be some way you can stay friends, or you can move on. You always will, you know. If it doesn't work out you will still go on living. You will still be able to breathe. You will love again.
When I met my husband, I had lived through the heart ripping. I was scared because lets face it - I couldn't believe that I was falling in lvoe again. But boy was I ever. I was falling hard and fast with every keystroke he sent. My heart was beating fast and my mind was racing. After a week of dating, I thought he liked me, but the big kiss hadn't happened yet. (Can't believe I'm admitting this - I was 22 not 17 for god's sake) I wanted to push things along just to make sure so I lightly rubbed the side of his leg with my finger. In my experience, this will mean the person I am interested in will grab my hand and start holding it. Or if he doesn't like it, he will pick up my hand and politely move it away and then gently inch the other way. Lucky for me - my hubby grabbed my hand and actually started to rub my leg in the same spot. Score one for the home team.
Remembering this makes me smile. Because I still do this with him from time to time and it never fails - he grabs my hand every time. Now we are 7 years on, married for almost 3 and I still get butterflies thinking of him and the wonderful times we've shared. Of course that may not have been the case had I not had my heart broken and ripped out. Through that I've come to appreciate just how special things really can be.
And I hope, that for all my readers, friends and family, that you also find that special someone to hold your hand - always.
Sunday, 19 September 2010
My Sundays with HGTV
I'm going to let you in on a little secret about how I like to spend my Sundays. In my pj's, in my basement watching home renovating shows. Oddly, the basement is the cleanest area of the house and tends to stay that way because we rarely use it. The other aspects of the house are used every other day of the week, but Sundays are basement times.
As we don't have cable, I've had to learn to rely on HGTV for my shows. Have to say, I love the fact there are very few commercials and I can watch whatever I want. Must say I wasn't sure what to think about not having cable but this is pretty nice.I don't know if this is just a bi-product of being older, but I absolutely love house hunting shows and real estate shows.
Until we bought our townhouse, I was a Property Virgin. I had gone house shopping with my sister when she was looking, but her price range, and my price range was completely different. Plus she and her husband were more willing to take on areas of a house that needed work. My husband and I, well we just aren't that handy. Also, my sister's budget was about $200,000 more than mine so I really couldn't gauge anything by what she and her husband were looking for.
After a few years of living with my husband, we decided that the time was right to get a place together. That started the whole process of us really sitting down to figure out what we could afford and mutually decide what we liked. We set ourselves a wishlist and kept getting distracted by different things. We even contemplated real pieces of work because the price was right. We could see the value in it - but we also lost sight of our goal.
And that's where shows like Property Virgins come in handy. Sandra (the shows host) really helps put things in perspective and draws people back to where they wanted to be in the beginning. She asks questions, gives options and helps you to narrow down the right property. Our agent Mary was really good in this respect too - but as our tastes changed near daily when we were out with her, she kept showing us anything that was in our price range in our preferred neighbourhoods.
It's amazing that we've made it on this journey and I have to thank HGTV for bringing the kind of programming needed to newbies like my husband and I were on the property ladder. They have continued through multiple other shows, such as Agent vs Agent, to help people buying or selling what to look out for and how to stay on target. I also have to thank HGTV for putting their awesome shows online for the rest of us without cable to catch up on the latest and greatest.
And now back to my regular Sunday programming.
As we don't have cable, I've had to learn to rely on HGTV for my shows. Have to say, I love the fact there are very few commercials and I can watch whatever I want. Must say I wasn't sure what to think about not having cable but this is pretty nice.I don't know if this is just a bi-product of being older, but I absolutely love house hunting shows and real estate shows.
Until we bought our townhouse, I was a Property Virgin. I had gone house shopping with my sister when she was looking, but her price range, and my price range was completely different. Plus she and her husband were more willing to take on areas of a house that needed work. My husband and I, well we just aren't that handy. Also, my sister's budget was about $200,000 more than mine so I really couldn't gauge anything by what she and her husband were looking for.
After a few years of living with my husband, we decided that the time was right to get a place together. That started the whole process of us really sitting down to figure out what we could afford and mutually decide what we liked. We set ourselves a wishlist and kept getting distracted by different things. We even contemplated real pieces of work because the price was right. We could see the value in it - but we also lost sight of our goal.
And that's where shows like Property Virgins come in handy. Sandra (the shows host) really helps put things in perspective and draws people back to where they wanted to be in the beginning. She asks questions, gives options and helps you to narrow down the right property. Our agent Mary was really good in this respect too - but as our tastes changed near daily when we were out with her, she kept showing us anything that was in our price range in our preferred neighbourhoods.
It's amazing that we've made it on this journey and I have to thank HGTV for bringing the kind of programming needed to newbies like my husband and I were on the property ladder. They have continued through multiple other shows, such as Agent vs Agent, to help people buying or selling what to look out for and how to stay on target. I also have to thank HGTV for putting their awesome shows online for the rest of us without cable to catch up on the latest and greatest.
And now back to my regular Sunday programming.
Monday, 6 September 2010
Taking my life into my own hands
I am one of those people that actually really liked going to school. It was always an opportunity for me to have a new start. New friends, new classes and teachers. It would lead to new adventures. So with all those back to school sales and advertisements I couldn't help but feel the need for change this year.
About a month ago I reached one of those lowest of low points in my life. I felt alone and I felt disgusted with who I was. I haven't been that low in a VERY long time. After a night and day full of tears and sadness, my sister, husband and closest friend helped me to come back to this world. They helped me see my value and that I was loved. Showed me that they are just three people of many who would notice if I wasn't on this earth before. It wasn't that I was dying or even thinking of ending things, but I was at an incredibly low point. I really owe them my life after being there for me.
I've been feeling depressed for months. I felt like I had no control over my life and part of that was because I internalized everything. I didn't want to burden anyone with what was going on inside me. I didn't want to ask for help. But then I did. And now I feel loved and supported. I've learned to let go of those holding me down and I've been thinking outside the box as to how I can overcome the obstacles in my way.
First I dyed my hair red. Well it's red-brown with blonde hi-lites underneath. That lifted my spirits and soon I was spending time with my sexy lady friends. I started exercising and laughing at myself. My laptop died and that freed me from having technological chains attached to me at all times. To help me still be connected, the hubs let me use the iPad and I've now been able to be anywhere in the house and be connected. One of my biggest worries came from the laptop and how hot it ran all the time. Now that it's gone I'm not as sad, worried or hot!
I'm looking forward to seeing the fruits of my labors realized. I've already seen some changes by losing a few pounds, laughing more and it's been really nice having people want to make time with me.
I am blessed to have a wonderful family behind me, great friends supporting me and a whole lot of love coming from an amazing man that I have had the pleasure of being married to for nearly 3 years.
About a month ago I reached one of those lowest of low points in my life. I felt alone and I felt disgusted with who I was. I haven't been that low in a VERY long time. After a night and day full of tears and sadness, my sister, husband and closest friend helped me to come back to this world. They helped me see my value and that I was loved. Showed me that they are just three people of many who would notice if I wasn't on this earth before. It wasn't that I was dying or even thinking of ending things, but I was at an incredibly low point. I really owe them my life after being there for me.
I've been feeling depressed for months. I felt like I had no control over my life and part of that was because I internalized everything. I didn't want to burden anyone with what was going on inside me. I didn't want to ask for help. But then I did. And now I feel loved and supported. I've learned to let go of those holding me down and I've been thinking outside the box as to how I can overcome the obstacles in my way.
First I dyed my hair red. Well it's red-brown with blonde hi-lites underneath. That lifted my spirits and soon I was spending time with my sexy lady friends. I started exercising and laughing at myself. My laptop died and that freed me from having technological chains attached to me at all times. To help me still be connected, the hubs let me use the iPad and I've now been able to be anywhere in the house and be connected. One of my biggest worries came from the laptop and how hot it ran all the time. Now that it's gone I'm not as sad, worried or hot!
I'm looking forward to seeing the fruits of my labors realized. I've already seen some changes by losing a few pounds, laughing more and it's been really nice having people want to make time with me.
I am blessed to have a wonderful family behind me, great friends supporting me and a whole lot of love coming from an amazing man that I have had the pleasure of being married to for nearly 3 years.
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