Let's Start at the Very Beginning (It's a very good place to start!)

I'm taking a class right now called Theory of Knowledge--basically a philosophy class for high school students. It got me thinking--why am I the way I am? Why am I so obsessed with school? Why do I love airheaded things like pop culture and chick lit and romantic comedies? And then I stumbled across the greatest question of all: why do I love lists?

Hint: The answer involves the land of sun and sand

and Arnold Schwarzenegger

I thought about it, and I traced it back to a trip I took one summer with my father to California. We rented a car and went to Disneyland and Giants games, and Monterey Bay Aquarium. At some point during the trip I wanted to annoy my father so I created a list of favourite states and screamed at the top of my lungs, on loop (I was such a charming child!). I can still recite that list from memory...

Alabama, Mississippi, New Hampshire, Arizona, Indiana, Tennessee, North Dakota, South Dakota, Kansas, Illinois, Louisiana

For some reason I called those last two "twin states" (I cannot for the life of me remember why I did this...). In the years since I have added South Carolina, Alaska, Hawaii, and New York to the list (along with the phrase "and don't forget" to make the song flow better). I thinks this proves that I was a truly insane child...

Why is the list like this? Why these states? Why this order? Why make a list at all? These are all great questions, most of which I can't answer. I can tell you though, that it pays to have memorized fifteen random states in a bizarre order. Like when playing the name the states game, like in Friends:

Or when someone randomly asks you to name a state (and yes, this has happened. Once.)

So, anyway, I think that explains a little bit of my crazy. I'm sure if you keep reading, there will be much more to add (like why I must reorder all the out of place books I see at the bookstore). I'm sorry, in advance. But as they say, Blame Canada. Or, in this case, blame California (I just googled it, and this is actually a thing people do! See, I'm not SOOO crazy!).

Oh Canada, my home and native land...

This is the last weekend of the Vancouver Olympics, which is extremely exciting because it means we finally get to crush the Americans in hockey and get ourselves yet another gold medal (yes, you saw that correctly. Canada has more gold than the little old USA!). But it also a very sad weekend because it means the Olympics are over. And there won't be another Olympics for two more years, another winter Olympics for four years, and another Canadian Olympics for who-knows-how-long. We've been building up to Vancouver for so long, and now it's almost over...

But this also means it is time for the closing ceremonies. They better be good, that's all I have to say, after the disaster which was the opening ceremonies (and I'm not even talking about the stupid internal torch thing breaking). Because seriously, if I have have to see more native stuff and hear more french, I am going to go crazy.

Now, let me start by saying that I recognize that First Nations people are an important part of Canada, past and present, just like the French. But I also recognize that they are only ONE PART of our vast nation. One TINY part, who got one GIANT piece of the opening ceremonies.

And, on top of that, we have to play to EVERY SINGLE STEREOTYPE IN THE BOOK (can you tell that I'm mad about this?). Mounties. Igloos. Prairies. I mean what's going to happen at the closing ceremonies? We have no stereotypes left! (except possibly the whole maple syrup thing).

So, as the famous beer commercial goes--I AM CANADIAN!

(and I really want this t-shirt. Or this one, just to prove it!).

P.S. Want to feel some Canadian pride? Go to this link or this one.

OH CANADA!!!

Best Blogs 2010

So, as I mentioned my love of all things blog, I thought I would do a little tribute to the author blogs which I read on a regular basis. Also, if you're bored of my blog already, this list might give you something more entertaining. So, without further ado...

1) Meg Cabot's blog

Oh, how I love Meg Cabot. I love her books (Princess Diaries, anyone?), and I love her blog. She's such a cool person. I mean, I think this photo explains it all:

Meg's blog is everything an author's blog should be: well-written, entertaining, and smart. Plus, she makes TONS of pop culture references (any Gossip Girl fans should see this post). She also makes great book recommendations for anything and everything chick lit. Meg is absolutely hilarious, making her blog one of the best.

2) Sarah Dessen's blog

Sarah Dessen is an young adult author too (The Truth About Forever, This Lullaby, etc), but her blog is very different from Meg's. Sarah talks about more about her day to day life and her family. She does include a fair number of pop culture references, but they are all generally tied to a few topics--Friday Night Lights and Good Morning America, for example. Now, I don't watch either of these programs (do they show GMA in Canada?), but I still enjoy Sarah's blog. It's very relatable and refreshingly real. Plus, I like that she writes every monday, wednesday, and friday--I have something to look forward to when I log on to my computer! (What? It's not like anyone ever emails me!).

3) Jen Lancaster's blog

This is a relatively new blog for me (the others I have been following since middle school). I started reading it after I finished Jen's first two memoirs--Bitter is the New Black and Bright Lights, Big Ass. Jen's blog is very funny and honest, just like her books. I really enjoyed this recent post.

4) Jennifer Weiner's blog

I think I actually prefer Jennifer Weiner's blog to her books (Goodnight Nobody, Little Earthquakes, etc), except, of course:

(and for those of you who gasped at that title, the book is not nearly as naughty as it sounds). She's entertaining and she raises interesting issues. Her blogging is sporadic, but it's good when you can get it.

I'm trying to think if there are anymore, but I think that's it. I hope you found at least one of them interesting (of course, if you hate chick lit, you probably won't like any of these...).

Good night and good blogging. 'Til later.

Welcome to my little corner of the world

I'm nervous, writing this first blog post. I want it to be positively perfect (forgive my alliteration)--witty, cute, and absolutely hilarious. If only I was any of those things...

SO, who am I? (This would be more fun as a game of 20 questions, but there's no one to play!).

Well, there are a few things to know about me: I am a teenager, I am a Canadian, I am a pop culture junkie and I am a chick lit lover. I love to read things and write things in lists. I love to read blogs--authors blogs, relatives blogs, industry blogs. I'm a little addicted to the internet (but really, who isn't by this point?).

I don't know how long this blog will last. I hope I can keep it up, but knowing me, it will end up being another one of the million dead blogs buried in the sad graveyard of the blogosphere. But, you never know...

Anyways, thanks for listening. See you soon.