She gonna stalk you like a feline...

I know it's kind of shameful of me, working in radio and all, but I have to admit - I kind of love talking to famous people. I'm from a small town, what can I say? I've met some pretty cool people through radio, and after concerts, and once at a grocery store I worked at, but my new favourite thing is Twitter.

I finally figured out its use. For so long I felt like I was talking into space, into a void, so I deleted my account and moved on. It kept getting spammed anyways, so no great loss. I got a new one again a few years ago and let it sit covered in dust for a while until this year I decided to actually give it a try. 

Let me regale you with my Twitter exploits. 

For a while I was using it as just another place to post Instagram pictures. And then this happened:

Looks amazing RT @hollygoblightly: Everything will flow <3 #tattoo #suede #wordsofwisdom #inked #inspiration http://t.co/IVisCpciXD
— Neil Codling (@neilcodling) March 2, 2014

THE Neil Codling. From Suede. Told me that my newly done Suede tattoo looked amazing, and then RETWEETED the picture. Completely unprecedented. I didn't even know that was a thing that could happen.

I'm completely shameless about how much I love this. I bring it up every few #tbt's or so, just because.

Then part two:

Me and my favourite member of Suede just having a chat on the internet. I'm pretty sure I texted my Mom when this happened. 

I had been scouring their CD booklets in some bid for amateur handwriting analysis (Brett Anderson has written the titles and liner notes for nearly everything) and looking for any mention online about the artwork for the albums - besides that most were done by Peter Saville. Obviously there wasn't a whole lot about this single, so finding out for sure, from a pretty reputable source, who's handwriting was on me for the rest of my life was pretty fortuitous. Should I have done that first? Maybe.

Moving on... 

It's like @mothermother are the Pixies but somehow even MORE amazing. Best of 2014 so far. Cannot wait for #LPV!! http://t.co/rpW07x3jBL
— melissa. (@hollygoblightly) July 12, 2014

That one favourite on there? That's Mother Mother. They read my comment and apparently they liked it. That's awesome! I've been wanting to say things like this to bands for years, let them know how much I appreciate their music. And apparently this is a thing I can do.


Then I got the chance to get involved in something bigger, and let my (somewhat) local aquarium know how much I supported them when they were on the brink of a somewhat potentially disastrous ruling thanks to that contentious Blackfish documentary

TY RT @hollygoblightly: @BobKronbauer @VIAwesome It would be a shame to see ignorant bndwgn-jumpng result in closure an importnt facility
— Vancouver Aquarium (@VancouverAqua) July 25, 2014

There was more, but that was the first RT from them. There's not a lot I could do from where I live besides be a slacktivist, but I am pretty passionate about the issue and have been ceaselessly arguing in their favour. Having them know they have support against the wave of ridiculousness they were forced to deal with, even if I was just a little drop in the bucket, made me happy. It's such a little thing, but it's inspiring to know that maybe I'm really not just talking into a void after all!

And then I talked with Hawksley Workman about cats.

@hollygoblightly i know!!! grrrrrrr...
— Hawksley Workman (@HawksleyWorkman) August 15, 2014

I got a bit of good news about a film that I've been dying to see:

@hollygoblightly actually we're coming much closer! Canada release is being planned now, details soon!
— Pulp The Film (@PulpTheFilm) September 11, 2014

Which brings me to this afternoon, when I got to have a good, real-talk conversation about a topical current event issue with my favourite artist:

This is completely real life. I love Twitter. I love being able to connect with some people who mean a lot in my life and be able to make an impact on theirs in some tiny way. There's no longer that feeling of insignificance. One of my favourite bands, who lives half a world away and probably has no clue about the place where I live, has seen the tattoo I got based on one of their songs (and apparently in their lead singer's handwriting!). 

That's really rad.  

the car is on fire but we still have the radio...

Huh. My blog disappeared! My account was suspended due to suspicious activity! I had to go through and verify a few things to try & get it back.

What the heck happened?

we gonna take it, oh we gonna take it easy, once we feel the sea breeze...

i wish i could find where my camera USB cord is so i can upload some pictures. we've taken so many from the move so far, and i'm really excited to put them up.

unfortunately, like most of my things right now, it's still packed up in a box in the basement :(

we've been staying at my in-laws since moving here, until we're able to move into our new place downtown on april 1st. the new little place is really lovely - it's dated, but in an awesome vintage kind of way. it also has an entire wall in the living room that's floor to ceiling windows, with a door that opens out to the balcony. the best part? it has an amazing view of the georgia strait! it's right on the ocean, across from maffeo sutton/swy-a-lana park, and the view is breathtaking. we look right out over the strait, and can see ships as far as the eye can see, as well as the ferries going to newcastle island provincial park and protection island. i absolutely love nanaimo, i love the harbour, i love the ocean, and i know i'm going to love our new place!

i need to find a job still though, and that's been a bit stressful. where we're staying right now is quite out of the way, a 20 min drive from nanaimo with no bus stop in site. most of the job postings on craigslist [the few & far between] require that i apply in person, which means i need to either bum a ride, or wait until the days when paul's off work. hopefully one of the places i've applied to call me back soon - i've dropped off so many resumes, and have filled out so many online applications, that SOMEBODY'S going to have to want to hire me!

also good news - i'm going to derby practice tomorrow night! the harbour city rollers have been nice enough to allow me to come skate with them and i can't wait! it feels like it's been forever since i put my skates on last, and i'm getting excited like a little schoolgirl.

in the interim though, until i find all my technological devices, here's a little cellphone picture of our fish friend zissou in his temporary home, and the view from our current bedroom window. welcome to vancouver island!



PS- new mother mother is out now. go buy!!

we've got to getaway from all the silly things that haunt us...

these are things that i'd like to do while living in nanaimo:

-take up yoga again, at least on a semi-regular basis
-learn how to silkscreen
-start up a show on CHLY
-start collaging/making things again
-maybe learn how to paint
-this
-meet new people who inspire me
-learn how to drive
-take at least 300 pictures of the ocean
-eat healthier on a regular basis
-relax, de-stress, and become a more positive person
-figure out what i want to do with my life

let's go back to the coast, baby, westward to the ocean...

two things really quickly:

1] i have put in my notice at the radio station, and am moving at the end of the month. so, in less than two weeks.

paul got a job at a station in nanaimo as an announcer/producer, so we're moving to the island on march 1st! i don't know what i'm going to do yet, but i'm okay with that. i'm done with industry radio for now though, and welcome a change. i feel like this is what i've needed for a few years now, and i'm glad it came along at a good time.


2] i found mother mother's new album online, leaked a few weeks before it's supposed to come out. i'm conflicted. i've been listening to it on repeat since i found it this afternoon, but i feel terrible about it. should i ask the site to remove it until it comes out? or just keep it a secret?

truth be told though, i'm not in love with it. which breaks my heart. i feel like they've lost their magic. there are a couple of amazing songs, but overall, it can't hold a candle to the first two. maybe a few more listens will make me fall for it... i hope...

you won't believe just how good it can get...

had such a wonderful day at work yesterday! i am so happy i've stayed on at lush - it's not even work! it's just lovely getting to hang out with neat people, and talk to customers about products and things i adore. and sometimes, sell them something that may change their lives!

i also found out that i'm on the roster for the dustbowl invitational in bakersfield, CA. it's not a league sanctioned event, but hey, these are my only chances to bout, so fuck yeah i'm going to take them when they come up! plus i get a trip out to california to play against some really badass ladies? i'm super excited! hopefully we can make it work. it's at the end of march, so time to clean up the skates and pull out the gold bouting shorts!

also, a lovely lady who was heavily involved in derby and the burlesque scene in prince george just moved here and joined the tarts - and she wants to start up a spring burlesque show. a bunch of us from the team have signed up to go to the meeting this coming weekend. i'm still trying to decide if it's something i for sure want to do, but i think it's really fascinating and would love to learn more and get involved with it in some way.

i have another thing i'm hoping for too that could be potentially amazing, but i won't divulge until it comes true. don't want to jinx it of course!

i know this tunnel will end in light, but i can't see it...

i am officially denouncing the roller derby workout challenge.

i wasn't even really doing the workouts as it was [i was doing my own butt-kicking program through EA sports active], and i was trying to follow the diet plan as best as possible without breaking the bank [new list of stuff every week? seriously?]

but after a week of horrible practices, a lacklustre weigh-in, and just generally feeling miserable, i've had it. this diet doesn't contain enough iron, and it seems to be lacking in some vital elements that i apparently have come to depend on to function normally. plus i'm depriving myself of a lot of the food i like, and am afraid of building a negative association to food & eating.

i also only apparently lost 1.1 Lbs in the past week, regardless of the fact that i did two major hardcore EA workouts and 3 derby practices, on top of restricting my diet. that was the catalyst - i'm not losing any weight, and i'm still not feeling like i'm ready to take on the world.

i think from now on, i'm going to use the meal plan as a basic set of principles, and try to centre my eating habits around it. i'm going to bring red meat back in, i'm going to have pizza once in a while, and i'm going to make sure i'm eating enough before & after i work out. enough of this "a quarter cup of almonds is a snack and i have to ration it on days when i have practice" business. i'm going to continue to try and have complete meals for breakfast, but i'm also going to take advantage of wine & dine. overall, it'll still be a lifestyle change, and that's really what i wanted to get out of this.

i also just got a email full of medical website links from my dad yesterday. he's finally found a name for the condition we both suffer from and have for years - the list of symptoms is extraordinarily familiar and in our conversations, we've realized that this could be life-changing for both of us if we could get it properly treated. apparently i'm not just lazy, and i'm not alone. we're both going to see our respective doctors today, and hopefully be able to make a change for the better. i feel i'd enjoy my job more, and enjoy LIFE more, if this is actually what it is.

if only mental conditions were also like broken arms - easily visible and easily fixable.

onwards.