Just staying one day ahead of yesterday

This picture pretty much sums up my feelings about the past 6 months, and how I have come to the terms with the fact that in my recent dating experience, I tend to attract men who are slightly clingy , strange, see my future as having a past, and make me wonder if there really are any normal ones left out there. Now, to be fair a big part of this problem may be me and my inability to be completely and brutally honest, meaning I say yes, when I probably should have said no, I accommodate when I should have stood firm, and close my eyes and pray that the night will end soon when I should have ran for my life. But, to defend myself, there are a lot of strange, strange dudes out there who look at woman like the last smartie in the box and they are all over it like a fat kid, they don't take no for an answer, they are persistant and so you hope that if you just get it over with they will go away. They don't go away. For a while I was thinking this was some kind of punishment,...

Part of being 24 years old means I get to experience that time of life known as awkward Saturday nights stuck talking to someone you really aren't interested in, or making your way to a bathroom in a crowded bar only to be stopped by someone who hopes that in those 30 seconds his first impression will be good enough to have you coming back, that time of life where every weekend out literally feels like a speed dating session! I don't know who ever came up with this first idea of what coining the term a "pick-up line" but I sure wish at that moment in time, before he took a sip of the drink in his left hand and took a step towards that girl on the other end of the room, I wish he had a real friend in that moment in time, and that his real friend decided to tell him that what he is about to do is a bad idea---a really bad idea, and will forever and ever go down in history as a really bad idea! So, to all those poor men out there who have decided to resort to a pick...

These are my parents, Joe and Sandra Lootens . They have been married now for 30+ years, have had 5 children, 9 grandchildren, 1 grand-dog and a life time of memories. I think you never really realize how much your parents taught you until its time to head out into the real world and do it on your own. Here are some of the things I learned from my parents: My parents taught me IRONY -- "keep crying and I'll give you something to cry about" My parents taught me LOGIC --"because I said so, that's why" My parents taught me THE CIRCLE OF LIFE --"I brought you into this world, and I can take you out" My parents taught me STAMINA --"You will sit there until all those vegetables are gone" My parents taught me WISDOM --"When you are my age you will understand" My parents taught me MEDICAL SCIENCE --"If you don't stop crossing your eyes they will stay that way" My parents taught me RELIGION --"You better pray...

You know the saying: Work like you don't need the money Love like you've never been hurt Dance like no one is watching Well I have managed to master one of those thoughts....and it may very well be the best one to master! Just another night out, another time I swore that empty dance floor would not lure me in, and just another time I decided to bust a move...by myself. Its hard to say what I really look like while being consumed by a beat and an empty dance floor, it's not like I've ever seen myself do it, there has been no out of body experience to say to me " Rach , you look retarded. You should consider sitting down and just tapping your foot to the beat like everyone else" No, never once has this happened. In fact, quite the opposite. There is some kind of spell that is cast upon me when I go out for the evening, and all of the sudden I just want to dance. However, based on the evidence I am going to just go out and say it, perhaps someone should just...

Meet Kelly. Kelly is one of my best friends, who I recently had the chance to spend the weekend with in Kelowna . It is a very rare find when you meet a person who, so simply put, is your other half. Every thing done together is fun, all stories become funnier, and memories become that much more memorable. And this one will forever go down in history! The day started with a lovely little walk down Bernard Street in Kelowna where there was a Mardi Gras festival happening, we shopped, had some drinks, felt nauseous as we watched an extremely jiggly belly dancer walk by, you know, just a usual Saturday ! The rest of the afternoon was filled with a poolside backyard (disappointingly no hot tub), a few beverages, and some competitive games of bean bag toss. The afternoon was turning into quite the perfect day, except for the part where Kelly and I ventured into the pool and all of the sudden we both find ourselves so cold, that our fetal instincts kicked in and we were curled up a...

Somewhere between the city lights of Calgary, the construction filled highway towards Banff , the tipped over UPS truck with papers flying every where and in the midst of the Rocky Mountains on my way to my week of serenity.... And somewhere between the flashback bouts of singing to Backstreet Boys and N'SYNC , pretending I was a rockstar as I belted out to Aerosmith and thinking my voice was truly as good as Natalie Maines and the rest of those Dixie Chicks..... And somewhere between imagining that every gorgeous lakeside home was my summer getaway....Somewhere between this all I was given the chance to spend sometime with myself. Now at first glance over 6 hours with myself, an open road and nothing but my thoughts seemed somewhat terrifying! However, lucky me, I was filled with one of my rare moments of brilliance: At 24 years of age I have definitely taken a ride on the rollercoaster of life, of love, of work, school. I have certainly not been perfect, nor will I ever co...

After a lazy Sunday afternoon of entertaining myself with a traditional chick-flick I decided to look up these so called rules of "he's just not that into you". Little did I know that there was 25 rules! This seems absolutely insane to me. As a girl, you really expect me to remember 25 rules to roll threw my brains like the ending credits of a movie as the man I have just ended my date with is giving me some lame excuse as to why he will or will not contact me. That is a lot of pressure. Especially considering the small amount of time we have to respond after. Approximately 35 seconds for 25 rules. No wonder us girls go to crazy town all the time in our heads. Or maybe its because as girls we are taught many things that may or may not be true. Things like that if a boy punches you he likes you; never try to trim your own bangs; don't fall asleep with gum in your mouth; always wash your hands before you eat; if you you continue to pick your nose it will bleed; ...

I live in a country that borders one of many nice people and not so many nice people, some smart people and some idiots, some anorexic freaks and obese people, some bible thumpers and some bible bashers . I live in Canada! With the birthday of this wonderful country approaching I thought I would share some of the things that I think are so great about this 2 nd largest land mass, so listen up! Excuse me Dear Canada, Thank you for giving me country with 10 provinces and 3 territories, not 50 states, geography just got that much easier; I enjoy the fact that we have several colours attached to our papers bills, you always know what your reaching for, my favorite are brown bills, thank you for brown bills; This is a bilingual country, now I do not speak both English and French just English , but I am thankful for the handsome boys that do!; I appreciate that the zipper was invented in Canada, without one I am unsure as to how 90% of my pants would stay up; I have had 24 years to parta...

I've come to the realization that birthdays are a lot like those one dollar surprise bags you used to purchase as a child. Once you first buy the bag there is anticipation, there is excitement, wonder. You really have no idea what is inside. As you begin to dig into this bag of goodies you start to reveal things you never imagined being in that bag. And it seems like some of those goodies you like more than others, some have more flavour, some candy has more colour, some are down right gross and disappointing. The whole idea being that you never know what's going to be in that bag. Every birthday is a surprise. Some better than others. This year I have decided that the theme for my 24 th year will be that of indecision. With this theme comes somewhat of a dilemma as I won't necessarily be able to say no, nor will I really be able to fully commit. Oh the goodies I shall pull out of my bag this year! Because it's often the bend in the road that makes life worth the dri...

This past weekend I took another little getaway up to the Walton Cabin in Windermere , B.C. More lovingly known as Kenny G's childhood home. There were several moments on this trip in which I knew that this little lady and I were intertwined in so many ways, not only were we intertwined, but Kenny G has now officially been inducted into our previously known group "Triad" and from this day forward shall always be known as the "Rhombus". The following are reasons as to why this decision was made (and not to be taken lightly) in no particular order they may be: She too shares a love for sparkly, sequenced jackets that can be doubled as cruise-wear for some, and a good time for others! It's never to early for a bevvy on the golf course That time she decided to come barreling around the golf cart and jab my ribs with her club as a true test to our friendship. She gets SWOOPED. I only once, she multiple times! Her genuine love and concern as I sat behind th...

This weekend much to my surprise, I was informed that I was in the Weekend Post section of the National Post. A Mr. Jason Snider contacted my over facebook , while admitting that we did not know each other, he still wished to tell me that he saw my picture in the paper this week and that I was (and I quote!) "easily the prettiest, most photogenic girl on the Weekend Post (page WP 18) City Life spread." Now lets get a few things straight; 1. He is lying--looking at this photo makes me kind of want to throw up a little. 2. The entire world should know that the wonderful woman beside me is the best shoe salesman in the world and Jason really should have been thanking her! 3. And the prettiest thing about me that day was my beautiful cranberry peep-toe Christian Louboutin shoes. Men, what do they know! The reason I so shockingly made it into the National Post was because of my love of high dollar shoes. Resulting in a little phone call a few weeks ago from Holt Renfrew inviting...

Now I am going to give away some very very deep and personal secrets here. This little girl has helped me ward of the worst of those creepy, weird, obnoxious and embarrassingly arrogant men who think that pick up lines are still cool. My classic line when I start to tell them about myself is that I am a single mother with a 2 year old daughter....Yes she may be 4 legged animal that sheds, and is slightly overweight--the truth is she is still like an infant! I still have to give her baths, take her to the bathroom, make sure she gets out and is socialized, eats properly, put her to bed...the truth she is exactly like a child. So to all those unappealing men out there, if I use the "I have a 2-year old" line on you. Well please do us both a favour and sit down next to someone else. On Friday this little girl turns 2 officially! Now being somewhat familiar with what it is like to be around children in their "terrible 2's" I certainly can't imagine what more Sc...

4 girls. Kelowna . A long weekend. Mad libs. Bieber Fever. 3 hour traffic jams. Dance parties. Cheetahs. Nina Pantazopoulos . Amazing food. High school reunions. Ducks in pools. Police....actually ambulance vehicles . Shopping. Snorting. Stuffy noses and one lost voice. And too many laughing moments to count. The fact of the matter is, I can't even go back and begin to describe to you the moments that were captured over my long weekend. But I can confidently say it was one of the better ones I have ever had. One of those times in your life where you are grateful for everything around you, and more importantly the people you are with. Like the Shop Boys say: We partied like rockstars . And I wouldn't have had it any other way. And in the sound and wise words of Amanda Hooker--"well at least my girlfriends would date me!"

I believe, or at least I hope that I believe that everyone will fall in love at least once. Others may experience it more, some less. I have no idea where I land on this continuum . I imagine somewhere between never wanting to date again, and wanting it all. Bit of a wide range, but you can never be too hasty! However, there have been a few experiences in which I never wish to relive, in fact even better, I have started to compose a list of things I would rather do than have to be left standing alone at the gas station of love using the self-service pump, aka go through that again! Get a hundred thousand paper cuts on my face Contemplate if everything I though was right is wrong (black is white, up is down, short is long...) Slam my fingers in a door (again and again and again! But only 3 times, any more than that is risking permanent damage) Shove an ice pick under my fingernails Wear black leather in the hottest weather Hit a tree, these fender benders aren't really killing me Ju...

Remember when you were a little kid and at the beginning of every school year they would hand out a blank piece of paper and make you write you name vertically down the page and for each letter you had to come up with an adjective that started with each letter of your name? Well to be honest that was always a stressful time of year for me! I felt like the teachers were out to expose us, they were silently judging who were the smart kids and who were the dumb kids. I felt extreme pressure to use words that were long, intelligent sounding, and impressive, however for the most part I feared that I was going to be mocked for my lack of creativity, originality and small vocabulary. That is a lot of pressure. Alas, here I am far past my elementary school days and I am going back to what I learned in school (perhaps we do use the things we learn in school again! But not algebra, nobody should ever use algebra again.) This long weekend I am embarking on an adventure with 3 amazing women to Kel...

This little man is my 3 year old nephew Benson. A perfect little being that I could not say enough good things about. Well let's be honest, he may not be 100% perfect, but I'm the auntie and I get to say whatever I want....so he's perfect! Along with the other 4 nephews and 4 nieces I have. Totally 9 sweet, innocent, smart, beautiful and as I've already covered, PERFECT kids. Benson however did one of the more funnier things I have seen him do at our weekly Sunday dinners at my parents. Dinner was complete, cake had been distributed and devoured and hands were sticky! Benson ventured off to the bathroom to wash his hands, which some how turned into a mini hair styling lesson as he decided to wet his entire head and comb it over to the side. He proudly made his entrance back into the kitchen to show off his handsome new do, while also fee...

Kirsten Anderson. Today she celebrates her birthday and in honour of a very special day I have chosen to dedicate this entry to her. I can't say enough good things about this beautiful girl. And it certainly is a tragedy to all of you who do not know her. You are most certainly missing out. She is the kind of girl that if you go more than 48 hours with out seeing, you will miss her. The kind of girl that is blunt and to the point, 2-3 word answers are her specialty. The only girl I know who wants to inquire what the ingredients to "natural aloe Vera " baby wipes are. Packs pickles, snap peas, strawberries, blackberries, bug spray and sunscreen on a golfing trip. If you are ever hungry and need someone to share food with, she's your gal! She is really good at the Metro crossword puzzles. She really is a woman of many talents. And I am so proud to call her one of my best friends. So in honour of her, I have put this little number together: Kirsten: I pray...

Last night I had a devastating experience. And I mean truly devastating . I was heading out for a night with the girls (and of course my dear soulmate Scott!) and feeling somewhat rushed and not amply prepared for the beauty of these women, I decided to throw on my most favorite pair of jeans. You know the kind, they fit in all the right places, they are worn in and shape your hips perfectly, and no matter what you pair them with you know they are going to look smokin ! Well there was a slight dent in my plan as I pulled on these perfect pair of jeans and soon realized that the zipper was not happy about what I was about to do. The pulling, the squirming, the sucking in....the zipper desperately whispered "you no longer fit into me, please stop trying". After 3 years together, we had seen the best of times, the worst of times, the most embarrassing of times. We had been loyal to each other, relied on one another, and trusted that no matter what they were my go-to. And now...

The lovely lady in this picture and I have embarked on a new motto of life: Adventures that will never be beat! Between the two of us we have committed that we will be there for one another to do the crazy things that seem easier when you have a partner in crime. So, our first adventure occured this week as we took a little trip down 17th Ave to visit our new friend Frank. Frank owns The Art of Tarot. Frank has really long hair, and long fingernails, likes stuffed animals, owns a cat that is tailess and far too skinny, is an admitted chain smoker and holds the key to our deepest, darkest secrets. Life has a funny way of throwing you a curve ball just when you were ready to swing at the change up, and it leaves you striking out and mistified at what went wrong, why you didn't see it coming, how you could have changed it, and more importantly what you are going to do next time you step up to the plate. After a few swings and misses you begin to wonder what you are really playing...