But something's different...

Maybe it's just cause I haven't spent an entire summer in Canada for years, but I feel like I've been getting a long weekend every other week (which is totally not true, but it feels like it). This one, however, is way better than a regular long weekend, because it is a 4-day long weekend. After what I'm sure will be an absolute shit-show at Hifi this evening, Amy and I am peacing out of the city tomorrow morning and going up north to search for sasquatches. It is going to be a good time.

See you Tuesday, friends!

~sarah p.


p.s. Business in Calgary is seriously the worst magazine ever. Not entertaining in the least. The cover price is $3.50, but I don't think anyone has ever actually bought it ever. The mailman at work drops it off every month or so. I think he just drops it off because he doesn't want to carry around crap magazines that suck. They weigh him down.
(on the other hand, I totally like Calgary Inc.... Like, a lot).

...and now for something a little less crazy.

Go make yourself some toast, and take 10 minutes out of your awful day to watch this fantastic photo-essay, shot by Simon Wheatley, on the London grime scene.
I don't love grime as much as I used to, but this is really well done (I promise).

~sarah p.

In anticipation of Giant Panda Club (yes, it's really happening).

Giant Panda Club myspace.... Coming soon! (we like pandas, just not as much as you'd think)

(seriously, you guys. This 4-day vacation can not come soon enough... I think I am actually going insane. I considered having some bourbon before walking to work this morning.)

~sarah p.

p.s. I apologize for this post being all over the place. I've just been a little confused since I saw Killah Priest repping P!nk on myspace this morning.....Confused and kind-of sad.

A Plan.

Really, more than anything, I have to start working at becoming a better person.
I think there's only one way of doing this:
Download all of these Walken clips, and play them on a continuous loop while I sleep. That way, I'll wake up, and feel like being super amazing (all day, every day), just like Walken.
It's foolproof.

~sarah p.

p.s. After reading this article, and deciding that I totally need a Sobe bottle if I'm going to make my own booze like Lady Cooper, I went and grabbed a bottle of wacky-juice from the store. Long story short, I am having significant problems with sitting still, and think I may be freaking out a little bit. Guarana? I don't even know what that is, but it makes me have heart palpitations. At least it's not coffee, right?

This self-promotion has got to stop.

http://www.stripcreator.com/comics/sarahdianna
(be sure to turn off the obscenity filter in the top right-hand corner...Keep it raw, son.)

I know this is shameless and stupid. That being said, I have to promote my shit. That way, when Bill Keane, the creator of Family Circus, is on his death bed, he'll tell me I can take over the comic and "just go with it, it'll be cool". Then, Family Circus will become the best comic ever.
First order of business? The family gets rid of Jeffy. That kid is a whiny asshole.


Laugh now, but it'll totally happen.

~sarah p.

My favorite letter to the editor ever:

From yesterday's Herald:

Is-s-s-n't for him
Movie -
Re: "Plane full of snakes slithers to top," Aug. 21.

There has been a lot of hype about this movie. The late night shows have featured Samuel L. Jackson and clips from the movie.
I'm a bit squeamish when it comes to snakes, but I realize that there are good ones (garter snakes) and bad ones (asps). So I thought I may want to go see this movie and see how one can handle snakes in a crisis situation.
Then, a clip had one of the main characters proclaim that all of these snakes were sexual perverts, for they had sex with their mothers.
I will not be going to the movie, for it doesn't seem to give one any insight into dealing with normal snakes.

Len Skowronski, Calgary


I didn't realize how easy it was to get into the 'letters to the editor' section. I think I've got a new project on the horizon....

~sarah p.

p.s. Marco has some new shows uploaded on his site. Go check them out.

Throw away my phone number, I'm now officially too busy to hang out.

http://www.stripcreator.com/comics/sarahdianna/
Now that I figured out how to make comics, I don't think I'll have time for anything else.

~sarah p.

Gourds and Sausages are better than your airbrushed canvas. Sorry, it's true.

If you've ever been around me when I was drunk, and asked me about my art-school experiences ( I know, I'm ashamed, too), or artists, then you'd know how I feel about the art-world in general (better yet, get both Dylan and I drunk and ask us... Entertaining).

Look, you guys, on the whole, it's all been done. You're not an amazing person because you threw together some supposed avant-guard piece and had it shown in someone's basement. You're not a genius, and what you don't realize is that, for the most part, you look like a pretentious asshole.

That being said, if you didn't know, shaping food like other stuff is the new hotness.
Have you seen this shit? See that sculpture of a man's chest? Yep, it's a gourd. Instead of throwing the gourd in the oven and serving it to his unhappy family like your average fella, this guy totally made it into a bust of a guy. I'll be a son of a bitch.
....And other people are doing it, too! (if someone finds and buys me the beer-bottle sausage, it is akin to a marriage proposal)
If you want to get a little respect around here, then go get some mashed potatoes and get to work.

~sarah p.

Recovery week.

What's that? I'm in my mid-twenties?
Totally forgot that this weekend.
(and now I'm sore and tired)

~sarah p.

p.s. Kool Herc was amazing.

(bad idea)

The ladies and I hit the frigging town on Tuesday (and a little on Wednesday, too). Going out on a work night always seems like a good idea at the time. However, the next morning, as I pop a few advil and curse the day I was born, I tend to think that maybe, just maybe, going out on a Tuesday is not such a good idea afterall (just joking, it still is).

We started at the Drum, and things went from there.
"Don't make me turn this car around. I'm being serious. We will stop right now, and there will be no beer for anyone."

Apparently, I have no authority.

Even Amy came out!

Allison kept touching my beer, so I had to keep a close guard.

Have you ever seen this before? I thought it would lose it's allure after I sobered up, but nope, it's still funny.

Out tonight and again tomorrow, so there'll be more to come.

~sarah p.

You're my boy, Al.

Al Franken, please run for high-office.

p.s. pics later. promise. xoxox

Get it right, asshole.

Like the average Canadian takes some time every evening to catch Family Guy in syndication ,the entire country of Japan probably takes a little time out each evening to laugh at North Americans trying to eat their food. Turns out, everything I've ever known about eating sushi was wrong. Except the digesting part.... I've got that down pat.

~sarah p.

p.s. When will you learn, Sarah Dianna? I went out again last night, and am not feeling too well, let me assure you. I do have some photos I'll post within the next few days.

Who are you, Lady Cooper? (and why I already may be giving up my bourbon habit)

You wouldn't know it by the way I throw back cheap beer at the bar, but I know my booze (not a good day to be writing about liquor, you guys).
The other day, I stumbled on a fellow Calgarian's blog. Her name is Lady Cooper, she runs three different (and equally entertaining) blogs, one of which is a booze-review site (and seriously, that's all I know about her). Totally worth a look.

In other news, no more bourbon early in the evenings, because things get way out of control way too quickly. I was going to draw something and post it, but instead I went to the Drum and drank jugs of beer with the ladies. Work is mildly rough this morning.
For. Shame.

~sarah p.

Bourbon.... Shit is for real.

Get the intervention ready, because I have a brand new addiction (along with my many others).

I don't know how I got into it, but bourbon is the most delicious beverage this week. I know it conjures up images of an old southerner with a beard that sits on his porch all day making semi-racist comments and complaining of the heat, but have you actually sat down and drank a shot of this stuff? I don't think it matters who you are, bourbon is colorblind, and doesn't believe in a class-system.

(plus there's totally a bourbon called 'Knob Creek', and that's funny no matter how you look at it.)

~sarah p.

Thanks, Calgary Herald.

Not that I'm totally into astrology, but have you seen my weekly horoscope (from the Sunday Herald)?


CAPRICORN - Matters connected with the media, publishing, foreign countries, other cultures, higher education, medicine, and the law could be blowing up in your face right now. This is not what the doctor ordered. (And a spoonful of sugar ain't going to help this medicine go down).

Basically, what the crazy lady in the paper is saying is that everything is going to be wrong with everything this week.

Hmmm....

Thanks, Calgary Herald.

Fridays are made for shenanigans.

Allison had the camera at the Drum.

Kristen & Breanne (awww!).

Two wonderful members of the Giant Panda Club (GPC blog and myspace... Coming soon!) at Hifi.

Give. Me. The. Camera.

Jessica (awwww!) and Chris.


Now, due to the fact that I have some standards and decency, I will be stopping commentary on the evening at this point.
All I can say is that adorable 15-year-old emo kids are amazingly good at breaking into cars.

~sarah p.

Mouse.

Thought it would be nice to draw (it had been a while).

~sarah p.

Join my club! (punch and pie)

Yesterday, when I skimmed the title of this story, I accidentally saw the title as 'Giant Panda Club', and I got pretty excited. Then, I got too busy to read the article, and forgot about it until this morning. I'm not going to lie, when I actually read it properly, I was a little disappointed. I was totally going to join!

It'd be better than your stupid Babysitter's Club.

~sarah p.

The Sophisticate.

The company that pays me has been taken over by a huge American corporation (don't even ask me how I feel about this).
Last night, I had to go to an evening meet-and-greet with the head honchos at the Sheraton. I walked into the conference room, and there was a guy with a tray of appetizers. Score!
So there I was, eating mini egg-rolls like it was going out of style, when I saw that one of the bigwigs was holding a glass with a familiar stalk of celery poking out of the top.... A Caesar.
I looked up, and knew I was in trouble. Uh-oh. An evening meeting with people I don't even like, and an open bar.
I started chugging wine like it was my job. I didn't care that it was some shitty jug-wine, it was making the meeting a lot more interesting. Then, when we were served dinner (not great food, by the way, and I know the difference), they started going around the table and actually directly serving me wine, which means I didn't even have to get up.
Before I knew it, it was harder and harder for me to keep my mouth shut. The tough part about being an adult is that sometimes you have to play it cool when you don't want to. It's not easy to discuss optometrics with a bunch of 40-year-olds when you're a little sauced, but I think I handled myself pretty well, considering. Or did I?



This is what I thought I looked like (except for with a way funner outfit, and you know.... Not asian).

This is probably more like how I actually looked:

Maybe from now on, I'll be a little more careful at meetings (or get a job where it's a little more acceptable to be wasted at a meeting. Perhaps something in the oil field?).

~sarah p.

saturdays are the new fridays.

It's been a bit since I've posted photos, so here's a double dose. Please excuse my lack of grammar this eve, as I have just returned from an evening meeting, and there was an open bar (more on this tomorrow) *hic*.

Holy crap, have you guys ever been to Amsterdam Rhino on a Saturday? It's amazing music, spun by the wonderful DJ's Disoriental and Reese, but the crowd is strange. It's full of guidos like this dude (who totally wanted to be in a photo with us for some reason), and then peppered by some of the coolest people I know in the city, and a bunch of graff kids. I don't get it.

We were seriously the only people dancing, but with the music that was spinning, and the cheap doubles we were drinking, how could we stay still?

Can I tell you guys a secret? I seriously have a hard time typing Allison's name. Every time I type it, it comes out like 'Alliosn', and then I have to change it. Dyslexic much?


General interests: hugging.


As always, a big thanks to Marco at Broken City for getting out night started out right.

~sarah p.

I know it's like a week old now...

....but here are a few pics from the Diplo/CSS/Bonde Do Role show (most didn't look too amazing, because my flash was being a tard).


Diplo on the decks.

BFFs?

A little male Bonde action, with Carolina of CSS on the drums.


Good show.

Nachos and Long Weekends.

Someone wrote a book on how to make nachos, and I hate to admit it, but I think it'd probably be worth the read.


I forgot that summers in Canada have two long weekends. I don't have any big plans (besides some totally extreme napping, a little advanced sunbathing and a dance-a-thon) but I couldn't be more excited.

Happy Civic Holiday! Hope it's an amazing one.

~sarah p.

itwasalladreamiusedtoreadwordupmagazine.

I keep having this recurring dream where I give myself a haircut, and it looks amazingly great for about 30 seconds before I realize that I butchered it. I had it again last night in the little sleep I had.
What do you think it means?

In other news, Crystal and I have adopted Pedro and Rodrigo from Bonde Do Role as our new best friends. Seriously. Pictures to follow in a day or two.

Props to any of my injured peeps that showed up last night, including Marina from Bonde Do Role (I broke my fuck-eeng arm) , and Marco Primo (who you guys really should be listening to tonight... 90.0FM, 10:30PM). Re-Pre-Sent.

Diplo's show was amazing (crowd was far better then MSTRKRFT), and although I really shouldn't have been dancing, it wasn't like I could help it. From now on, however, I will be avoiding the all-you-can-eat sushi bar before heading into Hifi's sweltering heat. Big mistake.

~sarah p.

10 things that need to get in my mouth right now.

When I was a child, my mom always said I was a "good little eater".
I sit in an office all day and read about food. Therefore, I've picked up some pretty awesome tidbits on the way:

Sticky Personalized Candy. This is what I will get in mine.

When I was younger, I had a goat named Jody. he danced on the car, and chased some dogs, but he didn't ever make me any ice cream.

Do I love licorice? Don't mind it, but not really. Do I love the thought of eating little piglets? Yes, yes, yes. (wait.... maybe that came out wrong)

Elizabeth Hickok's Jello-O Masterpiece. Too pretty to eat? Doubt it.

Make-Your-Own Chewing Gum Kit. One time I tried to make my own gum, but it didn't work out very well (ask the fire department about that one). Maybe all I needed was a kit.

Dry Soda. Flavors like Kumquat and Rhubarb... Nuff said.

100x100 In-N-Out Burger. If you've never been to In-N-Out, then run the border and get the hell down there. Go big or go home.

Chocolate Brad Pitt. I'm not even a Pitt fan, but that's all the more reason for me to slowly consume him.

World's largest burrito. For someone that patiently waits every single week for Taco Tuesdays, this is like having all of my dreams come true at once.

$100 Burger. Those who think I wouldn't drop a c-note on a burger don't know me very well.


Hungry yet? Me too.

~sarah p.

Summer.... It's what I'm talking 'bout.

Despite the fact that I didn't get to go back to my Connecticut dream-job this summer, my first Calgary summer in 6 years has been really, really good.

Since it's a little over halfway over, here are my top 5 favorite things so far about this summer, and summer in general:

5. No coats.
4. The ODB cassette we found in Amy's car.
3. Peacing on work half-an-hour early to go home and make salads because it's too hot to cook.
2. Reading the newspaper and eating popsicles on the stoop.
1. Hot babes, less clothes. 'Nuff said.

(if anyone knows what that last line is actually from, then I consider it a marriage proposal).

~sarah p.