Happy Birthday to ME!...

Hey shorty, it's my birthday!  Whoooop whoooooop!

So.... I know I was supposed to post yesterday, but hey, it's my birthday, so y'all  -  check out my southern drawl  -  can't be mad. :)

Also, I spent the evening having a "discussion" with my HOT BF, so, as you can imagine, my evening was a bundle of fun. LOL

NOTE to SELF:  Start new blog on How to .... Your Boyfriend. Yes, I know, very cryptic; but practical once I launch it.
So many fabulous ideas, so little time. Also, I need a butler.

Okay, back to business: First and foremost, thank you SO much to all my peeps in T-dot, Vancouver, Miami, Switzerland, Singapore and the Big D for all of their thoughtful birthday wishes.  Also, a shout out to my Dallas colleagues who brought in donuts and fruit in celebration of my birthday; nice combination of healthy and unhealthy to balance the palate and the guilt. 
I appreciate you all (back to proper English) very much and feel so lucky to have such amazing friends and family in my life.


What am I doing for my birthday, you ask?

Good question.
Well, I wanted to start my day with some action - if you know what I mean-, but given my Sunday evening activity, I settled on getting excited that the elevator in my building was already waiting for me, when I walked up. This may sound silly, but this is pretty darn close to a miracle in my apartment building.

Ok, seriously, I'm heading in the direction of a Palla- bana; LOL! I can't say that with a straight face. (For those of you not from T-Dot, please see http://www.caribanatoronto.com/ .) The party starts today, nice and slow, ease into it... until we get into full fledge debauchery by the end of the week. 

Also, given it's Monday and I have to work today (don't they know it's my birthday?!?), I thought I would keep it low key. I'm heading for some happy hour drinks at Reunion Tower (one of my favorite Dallas hot spots; #Dallas) with my HOT BF and then to a cigar lounge where one of my Texan besties works.
 

 
Ok kids, it's back to work for me! Wishing everyone as wonderful a day as I have been having! Thanks again for all of your love and well wishes! Hopefully, you can join in the Palla-bana, wherever you are... "hey shorty it's your birthday..." 

The "Why I Didn't Post" Post...

...Blame in on the A-a-a-a-a-a-alcohol.   :)

Heading out to Austin y'all...  I pinky swear to catch up on Sunday!

I am BACK baby! or... BABY's got back! or...both? YAY!

Hi Everyone!!!!!

I know that it has been an incredibly long time since I have posted. Two years have passed since I moved to Dallas and there have been so many adventures and stories to tell and never enough time to get them down.  I have thought about coming back to this blog so many times, it is shameful that it has taken me so long.  You should see the number of blog posts that are sitting in my drafts. Okay, okay, there are only 5 drafts, but it's the thought that counts right?

So, it's a new year...

                       HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!!  

                                                           ...and a time for change.

Not a new year's resolution, not an "I need to be better at...", not an "I promise to..."...but real, tangible, happening right here, right now, change.


... I am on the brink of something so BIG for me, that I absolutely need to share it. Share it with friends, share it with family and share it with other women (in case it can help them too). I got your back ladies!

I am going through a period of rediscovery in my life; a getting to know me again, a figuring out my purpose, my wants, my needs and trying to find the path to life fulfillment. I am bursting with excitement to put time into thinking, not about work, not about other people, but all about ME.

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***Please note: This is not going to be the journey of my spiritual awakening. Anyone who knows me, knows that I am as fact based as the encyclopedia. ***

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Okay, not to be too cryptic, but I will absolutely give you the 411 within the next 48 hours. I'm at work right now, and well, I have to get a few things done... (sound familiar?). LOL

Before, I sign off...

PS.  I have Junior League of Dallas (http://www.jld.net/?nd=home) to thank for this period of transition that I am going through. For those of you who don't know Junior League, I will absolutely update you on this amazing organization. This actually means I have my awesome friend Shivangi to thank for this transformation. She introduced me to the league...thank you so much girl.

PSS. I promise to get you caught up on the last two years; if for nothing else, but to provide you a few laughs. My BF (yes, I have a BF now...and he is HOT!!!) told me that I am funny recently; so I'm going to test those waters with my writing.

PSSS.  Here's a pic, in case you forgot what I look like!  Duckface selfie baby! LOL!

I'm Baaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaack...

Okay, I know I was on hiatus for an extended period of time, but I am now back in business!

Most of you know, that my move to Dallas was delayed until now, as there were many challenges with the visa and SSN process. BUT, now I am here baby and ready to ROAR!

So, I arrived in town on Monday night and found that my empty apartment (except for my inflatable bed and bottles of Belvedere in the freezer) has actually been inhabited by a new neighbour.
Whom, you may ask?  See for yourself...

Okay, so maybe they are are not living "in" my apartment, but they have taken over the balcony! And, these aren't just Central Park pigeons. These are Texas-Sized-I'll-Eat-The-Steak-Right-Off-Of-Your-Plate pigeons. Seriously, I was scared.  They looked pissed when I turned the balcony light on.

The good news, is that I am slowly filling the apartment. Mostly with cardboard boxes from furniture I have purchased from Overstock.com, that I am struggling to assemble.  Sigh...sometimes you just need a man around.

So, I also have a new home away from home...aka -The Office. But now, I actually have an office! Yah baby, I'm in the big leagues now. :) 

It's a little messy, but I'll make it my own soon. I already have the essentials: l'Occitane lavender hand cream, Cadbury egg bunny that makes chicken noises (aka stress reliever) and my box of Honey Nut Cheerios -to start the day right!

Today, I'll keep this short and sweet. But you can expect to hear from me more often!

Po-Po in Disguise

Being back in Toronto for the past week, has really made me appreciate the Canadian Po-Po.

GLOSSARY: Po-Po refers to Police Officer.

This might sound like an unusual statement, so let me back up...

I like to think of myself as a "defensive driver".  In my world, this means: I am a very careful driver. I check my blind spot, my rear view mirror, and signal with every turn and lane change. I am aware of the cars around me and will move out of the way if someone is trying to pass.

My only (driving) vice...Speeding.

I love to speed. I don't mean joyride at 160km per hour speeding; after all I drive a Toyota Yaris. The doors would fly off if I hit 130km per hour. 

But my sweet spot is 120km/hr or for those USA readers 75 mph. Or generally 15 to 20 km (9-12 mph) over the posted speed limit. If you are in front of me, you better move out of the way!

Nonetheless, being a speeder means you need to know how and where to look out for the Po-Po; which I am VERY good at in Toronto. Firstly, the Po-Po always hide in the same place. Secondly, normally they have the big rectangular (flashing) lights at the top of the vehicle, which makes them easy to spot. Thirdly, sometimes they try to do the all black "POLICE" sign on the all black vehicle, but I am on to that as well. ;) 

BUT, in Dallas the Po-Po are in disguise. No joke. Their lights are really compact and in your rear view mirror almost look like the luggage rack on any vehicle.

This is very disturbing. In addition, they also come in black or white or both; very common colours in vehicles. And don't think the grill is a give away. In Dallas, with all the BIG suvs and pick-up trucks, everything starts to look the same. Almost any vehicle could potnetially be the Po-Po.Sigh. My road runner days are over.

Thank you Canadian Po-Po. I didn't appreciate your predictability, until now.

So much more love, than the love I thought I had...

If there is one thing that I have walked away with from this terrible break-up experience, it's that I have so much more love in my life than I knew.

My friends and family have been INCREDIBLE through this experience. I am the luckiest person ever to have such a loving and caring group of people surrounding me. 

This is a shout out to my friends and family to say thank you for all the texts, emails, voice messages, weekends in NYC, trips to Dallas, late night and early morning phone calls, girls nights, brunches, movie nights, coffee breaks and hugs.

I love you...         

Deja vu...

Have you ever noticed that when one is newly single, one tends to drink a lot more alcohol?

I mean, not alcoholic-styles (yet), but a significant amount of my spare time activity has had alcohol playing the "best supporting actor".

For instance, on Friday night, I continued to work on Priority #2 - Find my peeps.
I met with a friend of a friend at my hotel for a quick after work drink - Cocktail #1. She was running a little late and I had a friend picking me up for dinner soon, which means that by the time pleasantries were exchanged and drinks were served, I had to down my martini in 3 minutes. 3, 2, 1... bottoms up!

I'm warming up.

My friend picks me up and we head to Sushi Zushi for dinner with a group. When we get there, his peeps are ahead of us re. cocktail hour and it's time to catch up. Cocktail #2.

I really like these new people I'm meeting.

Being a huge sushi fan, i'm always excited to try new sushi places. I ordered the spicy sushi salad. It was sort of loud in there, hmmmmm, or maybe it was just our table, but I received the "sushi sampler" instead. Easy mistake. No problem.  BUT, it seems that an even BIGGER mistake was made...  It seems that I failed to order the best drink on the menu; which was also the drink that everyone at the table was sucking back sipping on. Cocktail #3. Or was it #4? No matter... by this time, more cocktails had been served than sushi. Did I mention that I am little?

I'm glowing. No wait... I'm radiant... And funny too.  Hmmmm, that waiter is looking very sexy tonight.

I swear this picture was not blurry when I took it...


Time to bounce and head to the paaaaaaarty!  

Off we go to the next venue, but the alcoholics friends I was with were starting to fade. But NOT me. Oh no, not me. I was ready for more.

To West Village it is! My friend and I head to a bar called Union Bear. Hmmm, that sounds very E-squared.

GLOSSARY: For this blog, we will refer to all things Eastern European as E-squared. This term includes hot Eastern European men, vodka, and all things Eastern European that I have "a thing" for.

This bar has a great vibe; a  patio for people watching, good tunes and an energetic atmosphere. In addition, it has a interesting selection of cocktails. One cocktail, Moscow Mule, is particularily refreshing; sobeiski vodka + lime juice + ginger syrup = LOVE

The outdoor bar is a bit funny, because the bar seating is right in front of the taps; making it difficult for the bartender to see that you are thirsty. No worries, I got his attention and our thirst was quenched. Cocktail #5.

An order of french fries sounds like a good idea right about now.

On the other had, the bartender was not as friendly as the Moscow Mule. He had the look of a Queen Street (Toronto reference) lumberjack hipster, with an air of arrogant coolness, that you don't normally see in Dallas. Cool enough to make a drink, but too cool to serve up the fries we ordered 30 minutes ago. Still waiting for fries...Cocktail #6.

Deja vu...

Needless to say, I woke up from my drunken stupor very early on Saturday morning. To my surprise, guess what was in my bed?

a) The waiter from Sushi Zushi.
b) Cracker Jacks.
c) The too cool for school lumberjack/bartender.
d) SunChips.



Answer: d) SunChips.             (You seem disappointed...)

SunChips everywhere.
Remember those Sesame Street episodes of Bert and Ernie, where Ernie would eat crackers in bed, can't sleep because the crumbs were bothering him and then try to crawl into bed with Bert?

That was me...minus Bert.

Score: SunChips 1: Cracker Jacks 1

It really sucks...

TIME OUT: I wasn't going to post this, as I thought that it was a bit raw and it could be easily misconstrued and exagerated into something bigger than it is; a window into how I feel in a short moment in time.

But I really like the picture below, soooooo. Continue. "It really sucks..."

...working with my ex. 

I have to be cordial and friendly and treat him like I would treat any other colleague; with respect and kindness and a smile. NONE of which he deserves.

What I feel like doing is punching him in the face.

BAM!!! or POW!!! Like in the old Batman shows I watched when I was a kid.

I would really enjoy that. I am aware that it would only give me temporary pleasure.

Unless, of course, I did it everyday... Ha ha ha ha!

Canadians in the Hoooooooooouse

Priority #1 - Find a home.  COMPLETE
Priority #2 - Find my peeps. TO DO

Last night, I had my first official meet-up with the Canadian Club of North Texas. Just as it sournds, it's a group of Canadians who were drawn to and are living in Texas.

It's great to meet with people who have similar experiences to yourself and, of course, who share a love for The Great White North. Who else would you be able to roast a turkey with on the REAL Thanksgiving? ;)

There was a lot of "I work for..." and "I am from...", which I haven't done in a really long time. And there was mention of a couple of cities in Manitoba that I have never heard of and can't remember now...

However, I am very proud of the fact that I can remember everyone's name that I met; all 4 of them.

Not too shabby for Day 5 in Texas, eh?

Priority #2 - Find my peeps. WIP

Are those girls still rollin'...?

As I mentioned before, my girl Mene, aka "the Rock", came to Dallas this weekend to help me with the tough moments in life. The part that I didn't mention is that whenever Mene and I get together, we get up to our old antics!

"What kind of antics?", you ask.  Let's just say, the kind of antics that began in 2nd year university and that resurface a couple of times a year ever since. The kind of antics that if our old uni buddies saw us today, they would ask themselves in disbelief, "Are those girls still rollin'?".

Well...... WE ARE!!!

So, this takes me to Saturday night. I was a little worried at first because we were drinking wine in bed and I could tell that Mene would have been very happy to watch Chelsea Lately and knock out for the night. No F%&*ing way was I going to let that happen!

I gave her a timeline, that was extended twice, but finally we dolled up and made it out the door. We didn't have to go far though. We were staying at hotel ZaZa and were headed downstairs to the oh so swanky ZaZa pool bar. Regardless, the adventures started the moment we left the hotel room.

ZaZa pool bar in daylight

Picture this...

We are closing our hotel room door and we hear a "caaaaaawwwww", like the cry of a bird, from a man turning the corner to the elevator. When we arrived at the elevator, he was still there waiting, as if nothing had ever happened. In the elevator, Mene had to call him out. "Did you "picaw" like a bird?"
The man proceeded to cry out and gesture like a bird. I'm talking about arms flailing and the works.
"I'm scared Mene", said Small P to "the Rock".

Earlier within the 24 hours that we were in Dallas, Mene was convinced that we had "no game" in the Big D. Apparently, we didn't get enough cat calls, sexy looks or obscene gestures to confirm our desirability in this market. Could it be that exotic beauty has no place in the "everything BIG" market?
Not so...

The ZaZa pool bar was a scene to be reckoned with; there was something for everyone. Literally. Apparently, the exotic beauty is of particular interest to two types of men:

#1 Dapper Dan - The African American decked out in the cream suit from head to toe; hat and shoes included. His pastime is to follow girls around the bar that are trying to avoid eye contact with him.

#2 The Married Man Who Steals Your Drink -

TIME OUT:  Can you believe that I am even writing this?!? LOL! Continue...

#2 The Married Man Who Steals Your Drink - The married man with teddy bear charm who is so drunk his friends have to check on him. He approaches with a smile and looks harmless to talk to. When he pulls out his phone, you notice that there is a picture of him and a beautiful woman as the screen saver. You ask him about her. He doesn't deny it. Then he steals your drink.

Actually, he stole both our drinks. Literally. He took them, held them close to his chest and smiled.

It was time to go.

Thank goodness, my Dallas BFF, Rhi was out on the town and we headed to meet her at Dram (bar/lounge). I have to say that Rhi is one of the sweetest people I have ever met. I feel lucky to have her in my life and I am excited to share in many Dallas adventures with her.

We get to Dram and I notice that Mene is slowing down on the drinking. I had to put a stop to that right away. I put a straw in her drink and told her to buck up. That did the trick. Now the night really begins...

...except I only remember excerpts of it. This is what I remember:

• Hanging with Rhi's friends; who are also as awesome as Rhi.
• Saying "Happy Birthday" to the wrong girl. (In my defence, their dresses were very similar.)
• Drinking a lot of booze.
• Talking to some guy who I think gave me his number (I found somebody's number in my purse...).
• Getting into "Adman's" cab. (I think.)
• Ending up at Rocco Pizza at 2:30am.

The pizza was not my idea. But somehow Mene was convinced that this would soak up all the alcohol in our stomachs.

Next thing I know, I woke up with Cracker Jacks in my hair and pizza stained bed sheets. Seriously?!? Cracker Jacks? In my hair? YES.

Thanks for a great night Mene!

Everything fits in a box...

I've always wanted to be the kind of person that can pack up her life in 1 suitcase and away I go to the next adventure...until now.

On Saturday afternoon, I had to do something I never thought I would have to do...go into my ex's apartment and pack up my things in a box...or 4 boxes...well actually it was 1 suitcase, 2 sweater bags, 1 duffel bag and a shopping bag. (Ha!)

Luckily, my BFF Mene, came to Dallas for the weekend to support me in this process. She was my rock. It was somber, to say the least. All I wanted to do is get out of there as quickly as possible; which is exactly what I did.

It's funny how so many things can be carefully folded and squeezed into a small space. How an apartment full of memories can be boxed, zipped up and stored for another day.

The question is, where do you put the things in life that can't be packed away? Where do you put the love?...

A home in my new home...

Okay, so first things first...where am I going to live?

Based on my experiences in Dallas, I knew exactly where I wanted to live; West Village.  This is an awesome area of Dallas full of restaurants, shops, a movie theatre and grocery store; all in walking distance! That is a luxury in Dallas; a city where valet parking is as common and affordable as coat check in a night club. West Village is a little like Liberty Village for those Torontonians reading. 
Knowing the area really helped narrow the search. Even more helpful was Rich, from Dallas Apartment Finders. He set up all the appointments and gave me the low down on each of the buildings.  High five to Rich!

Through this search, I learned a few things that other apartment hunters should know:

1. The floor plans are not always accurate.
2. Anything less than 700 sq. ft. is TOO small; even for me, and I'm little.
3. If you are used to certain luxuries in life, you will never be able to settle for less. Don't even bother trying.

I found a place that I really like, that is "sort of" in my budget; but it's worth it! Hello hardwood floors and granite countertops! Hello "Melrose Place"-like swimming pool! Hello cowboys! (Did I just say that?!?)

Paying tribute...

I should note that I was inspired to write this blog by my dear friend Kristy. She is a fantastic writer and her blog was a great way of expressing her adventures in love and life. Check out her blog; it's a good one!

How I got here...

Ok, this could be a very long story and for most of you reading this, you probably already know it. So, for any new readers, I am a Canadian girl moving to Dallas at the end of September-ish. The relocation  to Dallas is was for two reasons: #1 Work and #2 Love. My current employer's head office is in Texas and it's a great opportunity to advance my career. The people in our Texas office are amazing; smart, friendly and warm and they always make you feel welcome. It's going to be great.

So as for the love part, I was moving to Dallas to join my boyfriend of 4 years, who lives in Dallas. We had been long distance for a long time and we were finally going to be able to live together and share our lives together in the same city. In August, he gave me a big surprise...
...He decided to call it quits a month before my move to Dallas.

Yup, you heard me right.

In July, there was talk of engagement and a future together and in August there was no love. 
Pissed off anyone? Yah, ME. 

Oh wait, did I mention that we also work together at the same company?

Needless to say, reason #2 is no longer existent.

So, here I am, a small Canadian girl, trying to find her way in the land of everything big. And when I say big, I mean BIG. Think super size cola big.
I should note, that I really enjoy the Dallas lifestyle. With all the time that I have spent here over the past few years, I love the hot hot hot summers, the outdoor activities, the convenience oriented lifestyle and I even love the rodeo!

Hang on to your saddles my friends, because I'm bringing you along for my wild ride!