Keira-anne.com

Tonight me and Becky went to the hockey game.

It was the Canucks’ first pre-season game.

We played against the Anaheim Ducks.

We lost 3-2. In overtime.

Before the game, we had beers and chicken wings with the birthday boy, Darren.

He’s awesome.

I bought Darren a Muff Diver.

Then we went to the game.

I spent the first period in the handicapped bathroom stall alternating between tears and vomit.

Then Becky bought me a churro and another beer.

Then I finally got into the game.

Sometimes life sucks a lot.

I’m drunk righ tnow.

Plus I am feeling sad.

Love sucks.

We lost the hockey game.

Yes, I admit - I haven’t blogged since Wednesday and I do feel badly about that. However, sometimes life keeps you busy.

My last post included a link to a Port Hardy tourism website. Being the curious lady that she is, my mom checked out their virtual tours section and stumbled upon something rather interesting.

Click on to this link and select the virtual tour of Rotary Park. Once the camera pans from the park, left towards an apartment building complex, there is a little yellow house next to the complex behind a fence. That was my first home when I was brought home from the hospital in December of 1980! We lived on Douglas Street, which also happened to be my father’s middle name. Up the street lived Jim and Dianne, who happen to still be my family’s closest friends to this day.

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Speaking of my father, yesterday would have been his 56th birthday. He gave me a wonderful childhood, filled with colourful memories of being his “princess.” Our relations were somewhat strained through my teens years, but I know much of that can be attributed to just that - the fact that I was a teenager. When he passed away shortly before my 18th birthday, it was tragic to some degree, but also a blessing in disguise in many ways. What I know I will always have with me are the times when I knew I was his “princess” and brought a lot of joy into his life, and vice versa.

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This chica has been on the Island visiting with her family and Charley since last night after work, and let me tell you…Charley’s certainly gotten bigger in the last two weeks since I last saw her. Her personality has really emerged and it’s certainly a playful one. I’ll try and get some pictures today and tomorrow.

The coming week is a busy one for sure, so I’m hoping to actually have the time to blog and tell you all about what’s going on. Monday is the day that Miss604 and I are meeting right after work for copious amounts of chicken wings and beer at Wings on Granville street before watching the Canucks square off against the Ducks in the pre-season at GM Place.

The day after, watch my blog for something super sweet, special and delicious that her and I are getting up to, courtesy of T.P. This super sweet, special and delicious blogalicious entry will, of course, be accompanied by tasty photos.

Last, but certainly not least, Matt’s playing his third show here in Vancouver. To see the final step of a long process will, I’m sure, be somewhat overwhelming. To see first-hand the events that led to H.M., to see the carefully crafted steps that were taken to make H.M. and now to finally see the fruits of his labour shared with those that admire him will only serve to make me prouder still of my dear friend.

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I must offer my appy-polly-logies for such a scatter-brained blog post. I’m hoping to write something a little more interesting and coherent post soon enough, rather than when first waking up to realize that I hadn’t blogged in days.

Love-love.

I think I was born on a Tuesday. Quite obviously, there’s nothing about that day that I remember, but I can surprisingly recall a lot of the imagery that accounted for my first two years in Port Hardy, British Columbia. I remember the marina, I remember the strip mall and I remember our little yellow house which contained my wood-paneled bedroom. I had red curtains in my nursery that cast an orange light on everything.

What I don’t recall is the natural beauty of the town in which I was born. I have not been back to visit Port Hardy since I was five years old.

The remainder of my youth was spent in the Comox Valley. It was home and it was the place that I constantly saw, day in and day out. When our family took vacation time, the furthest reaches we ever made were to Hornby Island or Vancouver. My world was contained to Vancouver Island.

By the time I was old enough to realize that life after graduation means having your own life, I’d made up my mind that I couldn’t leave the Island soon enough. Many parts of my youth were somewhat turbulent, no doubt, and a lot of the remnants of that seemed to be everywhere I looked in the Comox Valley. To me, the Island wasn’t “classy enough” and I was by far above it.

In June of 2004, I picked up my pieces and moved to downtown Vancouver. I couldn’t wait to be immersed in the bright lights and the night life and the culture and what I thought was “class.” I started seeing a downtown yuppie with a dot com career who loved the club scene. “Yes! This is so me…” I told myself.

Guess what? It wasn’t me.

I can’t possibly convey to any of you how ridiculously lucky and blessed that I am to have the people in my life that I do. There’s a solid fistful of beautiful souls that have supported me and loved me from Day 1. I hesitate to name names because I fear forgetting someone, but aside from my mom, her sister, their parents, my brother and my father, I also have an adoring secondary family in affecting friends. Jim and Dianne have been a part of my life since before I even had life. And through the years, I have matured from girl to woman. And in that process, even more friends have come (and some gone) and almost all have brought to me valuable lessons that will never be forgotten.

One friend, very in particular, taught me perhaps one of my greatest personal life lessons, a lesson with which I can’t imagine conducting my life without. He taught me to be me.

He and I met a few years ago, back while my itch to leave the Island wasn’t yet scratched. He was cute, charming and totally sweet on me. I treated him horribly. Or, at the very least, in a way that was much less than he deserved. Second chances are a rarity in life, but our days gave us one more opportunity to converge paths for another brief period.

It’s so apparent to me today that our paths were never, ever on the same track and never will be. But the times in which they ran parallel have helped shaped me in ways that still overwhelm me. He taught me to be proud of who I was, to be proud of where I was from and what my family stood for. He never put up with my bullshit or any city-fied pretenses I tried to pass off. He only wanted to see the real me and would not settle for anything less.

None of this was ever conveyed to me through his words, but only through the way in which he acted, interacted and treated me. We laughed together and smiled together. More than anything, we were so real with each other in those few brief moments of congruent existence.

I wouldn’t go so far as to saying that today he is still my friend. I wish that I could and I’ve tried but like I said, our paths are destined to travel in directions opposite of each other. Stones such as those can’t be repaved.

Today, I love me. I love what I know. I know what I value. I value what is real.

“If you want to be given everything, give everything up.”

What does that mean to me? It’s what I live my life by now, mostly because of him. If you want to be given everything in life that truly matters, give up everything that you think matters.

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Post Edit: My mom read this post and corrected me on something. She said that my bedroom in Port Hardy was wallpapered in yellow with matching yellow curtains. It was the spare bedroom that was paneled with red curtains. Why do I remember this instead? When my Opa would come up to visit, I’d go into the spare room early in the morning as a toddler and cuddle with him and play in the morning’s first sunrays. He was my best friend and he was speechlessly amazing.

Photo of Chesterman Beach in Tofino courtesy of Dave Mantel on Flickr
All other photos author’s own on Flickr

Last week I managed to snag Oasis’ freshman effort, “Definitely Maybe,” at one of the used record shops on Granville street and have been reliving my high school days ever since. There are tons of charming little details to the record that I am in love with, one in particular on a song called Rock ‘n’ Roll Star. Due to a very strong Manchester accent, Liam Gallagher pronounces the word “sunshine” more like “sune-shine,” and it causes my ears to giggle in sheer delight every single time. Don’t believe me? Go buy the record.

Photo courtesy of Paperback Writer on Flickr

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I have a question for you: how could anyone not love dogs?

Family dinners at Chris and Chloe’s always turn into Dogstocks, with the human to dog ratio being 8:5. That’s more than 50%. However, no one can say that dogs don’t make something great even greater. As much as having Benji glued to my hip can sometimes induce eye-rolling, having him constantly craving cuddles makes me equally happy too.

For as long as I can remember, our family has always had dogs. When I was a little girl, it was Suki. After she passed from old age, we got Brady. Brady lived to be well over 14 years old until we finally had to put her down.

Last week, after being dog-less for more than five years, we adopted Charley. Being a puppy, she’s thus far into everything and a whole lot more. She’s taken to chewing on anything she can get her tiny teeth into. Perhaps the cutest thing so far happens when she’s outside. My mom or aunt will water the hanging baskets on our patio, and Charley likes to perch herself underneath to catch the water droplets on her little pink tongue. However, most of the drops end up hitting her on her forhead. This weekend I’ll be bathing her for the first time myself (my aunt and mom attempted on Sunday), so that should be a photo-riffic experience.

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A couple of weeks ago that little hottie biscotti, Miss604, attended the launch party for the new Vancouver Canucks team logo. In true Miss604 fashion, she soon after shared with the online world what the new logo looks like and, more specifically, what the new logo looks like plastered across the Junior 604s.

Next Monday, the Canucks are taking on the Anaheim Ducks at GM Place during a pre-season game. Becky and I snagged tickets from my friend Craig (who’s a season ticket holder), and I do believe this game promises to be a good one. It’s the first time our hometown heroes will square off against Todd Bertuzzi since his trade to California. Regardless if we win or lose, you can be assured that both my blog and Becky’s will be plastered with not only a re-cap, but also photos of two hot girls drinking beer and rockin’ the new logo.

How can anyone lose with that combination?

Photo courtesy of Miss604 on Flickr

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Looks like I got a bit of my mojo back, kids. But for now, I’ve got a tummy to fill and a kitchen to clean and a body to shower.

I’ve had little to no enthusiasm or inclination to blog as of late, but my friend Tony wrote a piece with regards to September 11. Before you moan and groan, it’s anything but typical and probably isn’t at all what you expect it might be.

Take a couple minutes to click here and read what he has to say. It’s eye-opening at the very least.

Update: My friend Matt has also just posted a piece this morning. It is, as always, written in his true form. It’s a spectacular article, so follow this link to read it.

Preliminary reports are emerging that five men of the Neah Bay, WA- based Makah tribe killed a California grey whale in the Straight of Juan de Fuca off the coast of Sooke, BC. Because the incident was based in American waters, the U.S. Coast Guard were the first to respond.

“We allow native hunts for cultural purposes. However, this does not appear to be of that nature so far,” said Mark Oswell, a law enforcement spokesperson for the National Marine Fisheries Service.

Though the five Makah men claimed they were hunting for traditional purposes, as the tribe has been fighting for rights to do so, it was apparent that they had carried out this hunt without any acknowledgment from their tribe.

Shawn Eggert of the Coast Guard confirmed “As far as we know these men didn’t have any kind of permission from the tribe.“

What has incensed me most in the method in which the whale was butchered. The whale was first harpooned but didn’t succumb to those injuries. If you can actually believe it, it’s speculated that the men used a machine gun (yes, an automatic weapon), to riddle the whale’s body with bullet holes.

The U.S. Coast Guard has since turned the five men over to the Makah tribal police and this matter is pending further investigation. I will keep you updated as more information with regards to this story is released.

Photos courtesy of Komo TV News

Having long, straight hair doesn’t require a lot of maintenance. All that’s really required is the use of a great shampoo and conditioner combo. I recommend New York City-based Bumble & Bumble - their products are all I ever use for washing, conditioning and styling.

The only problem with long, straight hair, however, is that one day you wake up and look in the mirror only to find that there’s a mop sitting on top of your head. Bad hair finds you totally unaware and one day - BAM! - it’s there and not going anywhere until you do something about it.

That’s where haircuts come in.

I finally got mine chopped yesterday and it feels amazing again. It’s light and not heavy, and now it actually looks like I want it to look instead of taking on a mind of its own.

If you’re in Vancouver, I recommend The Lounge Hair Studio on Richards street. My usual stylist is tripping around the world so I got hooked up with an uber cute Japanese girl, Mari, who gave my hair a nice cut and a little edge. And, of course, The Lounge sells the complete line of Bumble & Bumble products, so you know a girl like me is in heaven there.

P.S. I’m listening to Definitely Maybe by Oasis right now and I can’t tell you how great it feels to do that on a sunny day like today. I’m off to Davie Day, so expect a report tomorrow or later today.

* Update: Davie Day sucked. Lots of vendors, cheaply-made wares for sale and more BBQ booths than is really necessary. I stayed for maybe 20 minutes.

…I wanna dance with my baby.”

Like most people, music has always and will always be an integral part of my life and my development. Quite obviously, my love for a good record started very early with LPs on the family turntable. I can’t even begin to tell you how completely rad I felt wearing those headphones. For some reason, it made me feel important and alive - as though I was doing something worthwhile simply by listening.

Good records have carried me through some of the highest and lowest points of my life. For every single memory I can recall, I can most definitely give you the name of a song that’s connected. However, there are some significant times in my life that can be recalled through entire records.

These are those records…

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1. Bruce Springsteen - Born in the U.S.A. (1984)

Somewhere in my mom’s record collection is a copy of Springsteen’s 1984 release, complete with an “autographed cover.” There isn’t much I remember pre-kindergarten other than being enamoured with the fact that I had Bruce Springsteen’s autograph (which looked suspiciously like my mother’s handwriting). I was also convinced that I’d marry Ponch from CHiPs and I remember that my second or third birthday cake was in the shape of Strawberry Shortcake. Born in the U.S.A. was the very first record that I ever owned, and even still today, hearing the title track induces little giggles.

Photo courtesy of CBS Records

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2. U2 - The Joshua Tree (1987)

“Moooooooooooooom! That band you like is on TV!” I yelled from the guest bedroom in Port Hardy. “I Still Haven’t Found What I’m Looking For” was playing on the very early days of MuchMusic (when it was still good) and I recognized it as a song we’d been listening to on the drive up-Island. My true appreciation for U2 wouldn’t develop until years later, and despite the significance of The Joshua Tree in my early years, I still hold to the belief that The Unforgettable Fire is U2’s greatest record.

Photo courtesy of Island Records

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3. New Kids on the Block - Hangin’ Tough (1988)

The first time I ever purchased a copy of Bop, Big Bopper, Teen Beat or any other “teen dream” magazine was solely due to the “fab five” from Boston. I can’t remember the first time I ever heard the title track or where I heard it. What I do know is that in no time flat, I had an NKOTB pillow, every tape they came out with and, after a short stint of crushin’ on Donnie Whalberg, a nice big poster of cheek-pinchin’-cute Joey MacIntyre tacked directly above my bed. Eventually my dreams of being a New Wife on the Block subsided around the same time that the pandemonium caused by these guys died off.

Photo courtesy of Columbia Records

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4. Nirvana - Nevermind (1991)

I’m not sure if I was into Nirvana because, at the time, it was the cool thing to be into Nirvana or whether it was due to the fact that my junior high and high school years were, for the most part, depressive. I felt awkward, out of place and unpopular, so it only makes sense that Nevermind’s biggest hit, “Smells Like Teen Spirit,” was my anthem of sorts. Looking back, it’s much easier to now see how truly gifted Nirvana was in many ways and how tragic Kurt Cobain’s story was. His untimely demise was the first sense of death I’d ever experienced, and all I can remember is crying in my mom’s arms at how sad and how unfair it was. This is one record that will undoubtedly live on in the annals of music history.

Photo courtesy of DGC/Geffen Records

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5. Pink Floyd - Dark Side of the Moon (1973)

This record was gifted to me around the time of my 12th birthday by my “uncle” Steve. I remember because he’d just returned from Japan and had wrapped it in beautiful black and blue paper he’d bought while overseas. My sneaking suspicion at the time was that my father had rather conveniently suggested this idea to my uncle, but I am forever grateful that my ears were opened to Pink Floyd at such a young age. I have great fond memories of listening to this record with my father…just sitting in the living room and listening. Not long after, I experienced Pink Floyd at the Vancouver Planetarium through the laser medium, and it’s a wonder I will always cherish.

Photo courtesy of Harvest/Capitol Records

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6. U2 - Achtung Baby (1991)

Soon after my Pink Floyd planetarium experience, my dad took us to see The Joshua Tree there also. “I remember this record!” was my first thought. At the time I was so excited to discover music I used to love again that I went in search for more of U2’s stuff. Low and behold, I found Achtung Baby. The infatuation began. For some reason, I’ve normally always seemed to crush on older guys, and Bono was no exception. I snapped up every U2 record released to date at the time and still looked for more in store even though I knew I had all the cassette tapes. In November of 1992, my dad surprised me for my birthday with two floor seat tickets to their Zoo TV tour at BC Place Stadium. If I think about that day, I can still feel the butterflies, still remember the thrill of seeing Bono’s black silhouette rising from the stage and still remember how surreal it all felt while falling asleep reading my program that night.

Photo courtesy of Island Records

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7. Smashing Pumpkins - Siamese Dream (1993)

First came tapes, then came CDs. Siamese Dream was my first CD. “Today” was playing in heavy rotation on MuchMusic (again, when it was still good) and the melodious guitar hooked me in right away. I saved up some of my money and purchased it from the Zellers entertainment department on a dark and stormy night, quite literally. My mom, brother and I arrived home before his karate class and I forced them to sit through a listen with me. Whether we made it to the end or not I don’t know, but this is one record that helped me maintain that delightful sense of angst first created by Nevermind (see number 4).

Photo courtesy of Virgin Records

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8. Duran Duran - Duran Duran (unofficially known as The Wedding Album) (1993)

Somewhere between my infatuation with Bono and the beginning of high school, I discovered Duran Duran. It was around this time that they’d made somewhat of a comeback with “Come Undone.” I’d heard of them before because my older cousin, Lisa, had a huge crush on Simon LeBon in the 80s. I’d decided now it was my turn. Upon further listening, and though I still listen to them quite a bit today, I’ve concluded that it’s Duran Duran’s older stuff (particularly their self-titled debut record) that’s mint. I might also point out that, back in eighth grade, I was convinced that not only could Simon and I one day marry since when I’d be 20, he’d only be 42 (which wasn’t that big of a difference in my juvenile mind). I was further convinced that I was going to lose my virginity on my wedding night by candlelight with “Come Undone” playing in the background. How wrong was I on both those counts?

Photo courtesy of Capitol/EMI Records

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9. Beastie Boys - Check Your Head (1992)

My only saving grace from complete junior high-aged musical geekdom was Check Your Head. A friend of mine brought it along on a three-day kayak field trip and it was all over from there. To this day, their innovation and creativity still blows me away, as do their passion and solid effort put behind everything they do. My mom has long resented my love for the Beasties because, to be honest, she really doesn’t like them. Her face twists up in disgust whenever I play their stuff. However, even she can be quick to admit that they’re true pioneers in what they do. There was no one like them before they hit the scene, and though many have tried to do what they do since, I highly doubt you can name one artist that would cause me to say “hey, yah they kinda sound like the Beastie Boys.” No one does.

Photo courtesy of Capital/Grand Royal Records

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10. Oasis - (What’s the Story) Morning Glory? (1995)

It’s apparent to me that there was some sort of a void in my early high school years. I think I mostly listened to Top 40 (in the words of Mr. Lodge, “egads!”) with some of the MuchMusic Countdown sprinkled in. And then “Wonderwall” hit the airwaves. Everyone loved “Wonderwall.” Everyone remembers “Wonderwall.” But the best part of it was that the entire record from which it came was brilliant! And the record before that, Definitely Maybe, was brilliant too. This record defines high school for me; the joy and the sorrow. I remember listening to “Champagne Supernova” at the time I was told my Opa had passed away. It’s amazing what I physically feel when I hear this record again. Sometimes I wish I could go back and walk home from high school in the sunshine with this on my Walkman just one more time.

Photo courtesy of Epic Records

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11. Hanson - Middle of Nowhere (1997)

I already know what you’re thinking, but I’ve justified Hanson enough times on my blog that I’m not doing it again. The lead single that caught North America’s attention, “MmmBop,” is a lot more than you might think in every way. Go look it up if you need convincing. This record inspired me, made me feel like it was okay at the end of horrendous days and never failed to put a smile on my face. It reminded me of good friends, lost loved ones and times that were yet to come. Though oddly enough, at the time, I was pretty sure they’d be “one hit wonders…”

Photo courtesy of Mercury/Universal Records

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12. Rilo Kiley - The Execution of All Things (2002)

You’ll notice the jump between the last record and this one. Much of my early 20s were an oppressive blur, one that I’d rather not define (though that’s not to say that I don’t still appreciate a listen of something from Jars of Clay once in a while). Rilo Kiley’s sophomore effort epitomizes my personal redemption and transition into living a life that feels more myself and less of someone else’s. Jenny Lewis is, simply put, a kick-ass chick. She’s vulnerable and insecure and at the same time, independent and self-assured. I found that really, really encouraging, and all of what she seemingly embodies is undoubtedly conveyed by Rilo Kiley’s music. This is one to go down in my history books. It gave me the kick-in-the-pants I needed to stand up for me.

Photo courtesy of Saddle Creek Records

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13. Led Zeppelin - II (1969)

“What? You’re saving this one until almost the end?” is what I’m sure you’re asking me. Sure I’ve always been a Led fan - for as long as I can remember. Last year I spent a very special day with a very special person in a very special place. “Whole Lotta Love” will forever remind me of that day, and anytime I want to revisit it, I spin II in my stereo. Enough said.

Photo courtesy of Atlantic Records

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14. Hanson - The Walk (2007)

This album is 2007 for me. Truth be told, it’s been a year for the toilet drain in personal terms. As I said above, Hanson’s music has always given inspiration, so I was elated to find out at the end of July that they’d released something new. I didn’t hesitate in purchasing The Walk and knew that it’d be something amazing. This record, for me, has managed to pick up the shattered pieces of this year and let me feel my heart beat once again. I mean that in the most literal of ways…some chords, some lyrics - they strike something within in a very real and physical way. I think those three brothers have been blessed with a talent that perhaps they can’t even understand. Either way, this record has been a gift to me.

Photo courtesy of 3CG/Cooking Vinyl Records

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So there you have it, kids. I could write forever and ever on this topic. I remember listening to Del Shannon in the car with my aunt on our shopping trips or Fine Young Cannibals and Simply Red with my parents and camping adventures. I remember swooning the first time I heard John Mayer. Those are all glimpses into this life that is my own.

I’d be stoked if you’d comment with one or two of your all-time important records and why.

I have been a resident of the West End for a little over three years, and am pretty thankful to have found such a tight-knit and quiet community within a city such as Vancouver. The neighbourhood is as colourful as it is diverse, and no one could argue that one of the West End’s main arteries, Davie Street, is certainly the sequins and feathers on the neighbourhood’s crown.

Photo courtesy of l’oeil ouvert on Flickr

To celebrate the diversity and culture of this unique section of the West End, the 4th annual Davie Day is happening this Saturday, September 8th, between 11am and 8pm on - you guessed it - Davie Street. The entire street is blocked off between Broughton Street and Burrard Street to make room for vendors, entertainers, giveaways and even a special section just for kids. The West End’s Liberal MLA, Lorne Mayencourt, will be out serving up hot BBQ, along with an artist’s showcase and community concert stage. The entire event is being primarily sponsored by TD Bank with the support of the West End Business Improvement Association.

My first experience at Davie Day was two years ago when I was fortunate enough to meet a handful of really great people. If anything, come out for the bright colours, deliciously fluffy cotton candy and countless photo opportunities. Being that it’s cause for celebration in arguably the city’s most interesting neighbourhood, I’ll be shakin’ my tail at Celebrities that night so come and chase me if you want.

Planning on attending? Here’s what you need to know:

When: Saturday, September 8, 2007 from 11am until 8pm
Where: Davie Street, between Broughton and Burrard Streets (click here for a map)
Why: Why not?

Visit the Davie Day information page at the West End Business Improvement Association’s website.

I hope to see some familiar faces out there!

Charley has offically spent more than 24 hours at her new home and I am pleased as punch to report that she’s adapting very, very well. She only woke up twice during the night and actually went quite nicely into her kennel when it was bedtime. I imagine that yesterday was her first real time being outside much, so it was a little bit intimidating.

However, today she’s getting more and more used to being out in the open and had a blast playing in the grass. She’s sniffing and exploring and nipping at the grass. She’s also realized her love for chasing feet and burrowing herself in my cascading golden hair. I recorded the little videoclip below (it’s only about a minute and a half) of her playing outside in the yard. She’s a fast little monkey!