July 22, 2006

"all i can do is love you to pieces..."

Wow, two days in a row I'm posting... go me, hahaha. This time I'm on here to do a little Chantal Kreviazuk & self promoting.


I was very fortunate and lucky to land a role in Chantal Kreviazuk's music video for her newest single "All I Can Do". Chantal happens to be my all time favourite singer/songwriter and role model since I was 14, so this really was a dream come true for me.

You can watch the world premiere of the video, as well as exclusive behind-the-scene footage this coming Monday, July 24th at 7:30pm & 11:30pm on
Much More Music. Look out for me in a white apron as a florist, hahaha.

To see some pics from the shoot, visit the On Key Studios website, as a few other On Key students also appeared in the video.

You can also check out her new single on her
MySpace (seems to be the cool place to be now hahahha), or just tune into any radio station in the city.

Have a great weekend everyone and stay safe!

July 21, 2006

good music, baby.

It’s been a while since I posted, but it’s summer so I’m sure everyone’s blogs are suffering from some serious lack of attention, and I don’t feel as bad, hahaha.

But I wanted to jump on here and introduce all my lovely readers to a wickedly talented musician in Toronto – Justin Nozuka. A friend of mine introduced me to his music a little while back (thanks Danny) and I’ve already been to two of his live shows. Both times I was blown away by the quality of his writing, and his deeply soulful voice. It’s creepy how good this guy is, really. Have a listen to his songs on MySpace. I would highly recommend you check out one of his shows too, which are listed on his MySpace – you will not be disappointed.
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And since you probably already fell in love with his music by the time you're finished reading this, and if you are wondering what you can do to show your support, well then it's your lucky day! You can vote for him on BMI Podcast at http://music.bmi.com/podcast/200607/ . You can vote daily, and make me, him and anyone else who loves his music very very happy, hahaha. THANKS!

Happy Friday!

June 06, 2006

supersticious?

Can someone please tell me, which major league baseball smartass thought it would be funny to schedule the Anaheim Angels to play the Tampa Bay Devil Rays on such a day as today, when all anyone can talk about is the date: 6-6-6 aka the day the world comes to an end, huh?! I want answers dammit...answers!!! hahaha.

And the second, but scarier question is....who's gonna
win?! Mommy... !!!

May 17, 2006

parking test


I have a really bad parking buddy, and I mean, she annoys the hell out of me, hahaha. The way she parks her van beside my zoom-zoom takes up all the freakin' space in the world and sometimes parking beside that huge thing in the middle can get quite stressful, if not annoying.

But as stressful as parking my zoom-zoom can be, parking
this car in 60 seconds or less is nearly impossible. Each time that I get closer, I am either cut short by a second, or I forget to break in my excitement that I actually made it in the spot, and I hit the car infront of me, sigh.

You try!



May 06, 2006

yay, for spring.


Looks beautiful, doesn't it?
Makes you want to look up, and spin like a little kid.
Makes you happy to be alive and able to breath in fresh new air. Ahhhhhhhhhhhh.
Makes you feel safe being surrounded and comforted, as if you were being hugged.
Makes you miserable during the month of May.



Anyone with seasonal allergies will tell you all the not-so-nice things about our days getting warmer and sunnier. It also means that everything is blooming at an amazing rate, and while some of us can't wait to wake up and smell the spring in the air, I am often rudely awakened by the spring in the air.

I'm talking about the beautiful blooming of trees, particularly Birch - my enemy as of late.


These lovely little buds are growing like there's no tomorrow, and I have proof to back it up. According to The Weather Network's Pollen Report, anything above 80 grains per square meter is considered high. Imagine how how high the concentration of Birch is, if it listed as 200 grains per square meter - that's extremely extremely high - skyrocketing - and ohhhhh, I can most certainly feel it. To get a feel of how not normal this number really is, compare it to the other pollen sources, such as Oak, Maple and Adler, being 66, 30 and 2, respectively. Birch has definitely pulled a number on us this year.

So how am I affected and why am I still whining?

Well, this year, my eyes are so itchy that for the first time in my life, I am actually using eye drops, nasal spray, and still take allergy pills, only to bring minimal temporary relief. I give my eyes cold compresses all the time, and my nose hurts from sneezing and blowing 50 times a day. Yesterday, I actually looked like I beat myself up at night, as I was unintentionally rubbing my eyes in my sleep, and woke up with a red big patch under my eye. I have been woken up everyday at 5am this past week, and I'm lucky if I can go back to sleep (often times, I don't), as that is the peak time for Birch to be producing pollen.

Remind me again why I love spring so much?

April 25, 2006

greedy much?

A woman in my office building won $5 million playing 6/49 earlier this month. She obviously quit her job with notice, and she's still in the process of training her replacement.
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Earlier today, two of my co-workers saw the woman coming up on the elevator while scratching her Bingo card, and I have a few problems with this. Then again, don't I always? hahhaha.
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My first and instant reaction is: Ohhhh I'm sorry.... was $5 million not enough for you that you must play to win even more? I mean, really? Why don't you win another $500,000 while you're at it? hahaha.
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Then smaller things come into play. Ok, so let's agree that she's greedy and thinks she has some luck in her to win again - must she do it in an elevator when everyone knows she already won a big sum?!? It's like she's trying to rub it in our faces that she's won, and we haven't, and she'll soon be on her way to doing nothing for the rest of her life except dine at exquisit restaurants, travelling the world and living in a villa somewhere with a huge pool in her huge backyard. Yes, I'll have some of that rub please. Now please and go scratch your $5 million worth of Bingo cards at your villa, please. Thank you.
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So why am I annoyed by this enough to post it on my blog? First and foremost, this reminds me how much of a gap there is between the rich and the poor, and while any plain bloke would be happy and settled with $5 million (I know I would), she must go and spend those precious bingo cards that might have a winner, which a family working hard to make a living could very well use? Leave it for someone else to be happy and change their lives like it's changed hers, sheeesh.
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When I first found out that she had won, I was actually happy because she works for a non-profit organization, which shall remain unnamed, so I thought that a cause was more important to her than money. But it's funny (in a sad way) how a large sum of money can suddenly change you to thinking about even more money, and want more and more.
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And I'm not gonna lie, yes, this is also my jelousy that I wasn't the one to win the big bucks, hahahha, considering I played that night too and my parents believed that having it been my birthday, that I would have had luck and we would be saved of the everyday money stressors. I mean, I'm not gonna lie that I wouldn't want to win that kind of money. However, if I ever do win, you won't be seeing me playing to get more, that's for sure. I'd invest some, donate some, and make sure that my dearest friends and family are without money problems. I don't want to be rich, I just want to be financially secure and happy, thankyouverymuch.
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Oh yeah, and I'm venting cause I'm sick and miserable too, hahaha. Dammit!! Wasn't I just sick not too long ago? Stupid changing weather... but that's another post for another day, hahaha.
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Now back to bed so I can rest and watch American Idol and House, whoohooo.

April 22, 2006

"bad boys, bad boys..."

Well I had an interesting morning yesterday, hahaha. I was running late for being early for work so I decided to call a cab, which shall remain unnamed, to drive me to Kennedy Station. This was the second time that I had encountered this particular driver and I remember him being very aggressive the first time around, but I couldn't wait for another cab, so I got in. What a mistake that was, hahaha... I ended up in the backseat of a Toronto Police squad car.
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The cab driver started out in heavy traffic, like a mad man, speeding and attempting to cross the lanes, even if it meant cutting various moving vehicles while in motion. One of the irritated drivers couldn't take it anymore and decided to do something about it.
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The cab driver didn't end up making the turn he wanted, as drivers weren't letting him in, so he had to make his left turn at the next set of lights, which he was NOT happy about. After he made the turn, we started pulling into a small residential street... not the route that would lead me to Kennedy Station. I became alert and annoyed, and started interrogating him as to where he's taking me and why. As it turns out, one of the lady drivers that my driver tried to cut off, noticed cops right behind us and hand motioned for them to do something about it.
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I called the cab company and asked to send another cab since the one I was in was a maniac, being pulled over by Police, and gave them his badge number. I refusd to pay for the ride and after I got out, the officer approached me to apologize for the delay. I told him not to apologize and said he had every right to stop him because he knows very well that he was cutting people off and he even swore at them after not being let in.
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About 5 minutes later, the cop approached me again, inquiring where I was headed, and said that because I was very straight forward and told him the truth about what went on in the vehicle at the time, (the driver totally denied all allegations, claiming he's a professional driver and 'knows what he's doing') the officer then offered me a ride to Kennedy Station.
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At first I refused, and said I was already waiting for another cab. The officer insisted as he felt bad for making me late for work, so I looked at him and the car, and said "you know... I've never been in the back seat of a squad car before" so he smiled and said "well, here's your chance...", and agreed to take him up on the offer.
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I got in and the first thing I said to the driver of the vehicle was "this is so cool, I've never been back here before" to which he laughed, hahahha. The entire ride they were letting me enjoy the moment. They stopped so people could see me, and in fact, the shipping and receiving guys at Canada Post were pointing and laughing that a young girl like me was escorted by cops yet I was still smiling and laughing, hahahhahah... and so were the cops.
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I asked to be let out by one of the entrances, so I can run down the stairs and get in, but they insisted to drive right into the Kennedy Station platform, where only buses are allowed, and so I wouldn't have to pay (eventhough I have a metropass).
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They parked the car infront of lots of people waiting at the 43 Kennedy Bus platform, and I reached for the handle in an attempt to get out. But no, no, no... the door is disabled from inside, so criminals don't get out by themselves, ahhaha. The cop had to get out of the squad car, let me out, and escort me into Kennedy Station.
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I smiled as I got out and turned around to thank the cops for their deed, trying to show the public staring at me, that I wasn't some criminal getting a ride to Kennedy Station because I just left jail or something, ahhaha. The cops laughed with me and thanked me for being honest with them, and said "go on now and tell everyone what a morning you've had" hahhaha. So here I am, just following orders. :)
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April 16, 2006

Happy Easter.

I haven't been posting much because of presentations, exams, preparations for easter, and working on my MySpace site, (www.myspace.com/agnesszpara), but I promise to be back to my posting-happy self very soon, so beware hahahha. I might even post some pics from my birthday a few days ago, if you all be good.
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In the mean time, I hope everyone has a very Happy and Cheerful Easter, and a Happy Birthday to my friend Radek! :)

Now, where did I put those eggs...?

April 05, 2006

Happy Birthday To Me!

So, I don't know about you, but I really don't see a difference over the years. I look the same today, as I looked in 1984 on my 1st birthday. Hmmmm, maybe I've even gotten younger, actually... I think I finally got rid of those wrinkles I had on my 1st birthday.


April 03, 2006

April 5, 2006.


Did you know, that tomorrow, April 5th, at 2 minutes and 3 seconds past 1am, it will be 01:02:03 04/05/06, and that will never happen again?

April 01, 2006

little old, cute roger.

Today I went to a songwriters' workshop, which is put on once a month by Songwriter's Assocation of Canada, and I met the cutest little senior man there by the name of Roger Zbigniew Zuraw. I thought I would share with you all my story and of how adorable this man is.
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The first hour we had a workshop on songwriting, where a group of us had to write a story based on lyrics from a song. Just like most songs are written based on a story, we now had to try the reverse and write a story from the song. We all went around and told our stories and well, little Roger was the only one that simply described the song, as opposed to writing a story about it, hahaha. But the best part is that he didn't even realize it, even when we told him, hahahha, ohhh Roger.
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Anyway, the remainder of the time we all got an opportunity to perform the songs we've written. Roger's first song was called "My Timmins Baby" and added that "no, it's not about Shania Twain," hahaha. Roger writes simple story lines but fills his songs with such incredible detail that it doesn't matter how he sings the song, but you can really get into it, hahaha.
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The last song he played before I left was "My Home Toronto". This song is a dedication to Toronto, as he's lived here for 46 years. Listen to the lyrics, and imagine this cute little old cheesy man having the time of his life, and so optimistic about everything, even Toronto, the city, hahahhahha. When he performed this song, I could NOT stop laughing, and I know, I know....I realize that it might sound rude to be laughing at this man's piece of art, but he was laughing with me too, hahaha...plus, I couldn't control myself. I just about lost it when he sang "out on Roncevalles, there's the finest kielbasa, another part of town, my amigo, as que pasa", hahahhahahahahahhahhaha, ahem.
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Anyway, as I was leaving I happened to bump into him and he walked me down to the coffee shop where he invited me to other workshops he's a part of in the city and wanted to exchange contact info. This cute little old man doesn't even know how to use a computer so he said his nephew will be emailing me, and gave me his business card, which has a picture of the Toronto skyline on it - I mean, how cute is that? Little old roger.... you just wanna squeeze his cheeks, hahahah.
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As it turns out, little Roger was born in Wroclaw, Poland and has been writing songs since he moved to Canada in 1960. He has two CDs out, which can be purchased at the Chapters on Bloor West Village and often even performs there live. I was curious to see if Chapters would have it available online, and happened to found this site: http://www.cdbaby.com/cd/rogerzuraw
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I would recommend you have a listen if you want to lift up your spirits. You might react at first by doing what I did, which is laugh, but isn't that what it's all about? Isn't it all about entertaining and making us smile? Shouldn't songs make us feel good? Well his songs do just that. I hope most of you get this from the songs as well, not having met him, like I did, which is why I thought you might want to get to know him through my little story.
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Roger is one of those people that's had a great life, has a great sense of humour, never takes himself seriously, and can make you seriously smile, even if he is a little naive. Roger has such positive energy around him, that when his nephew emails me about the workshop, I will actually go.
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For those who speak Polish, check out song number 3: O Tobie, and listen for this: "daj mi cukier...cukier do kawy," hahhaha, made my day.
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Oh, and the tiltle of his CD couldn't have been more perfect - The Perfect Imperfect - he does "imperfect" so damn well.
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Have a great weekend everyone!

March 30, 2006

life is good.

March 28, 2006

going up?


So here's a little story for you all, which very much amused me. Upon returning home from work, I watched a man in my building today press the UP button to call the elevator to the main floor, where you can see which floor each elevator is.

He was obviously in a hurry because he went up a couple of times and pressed the UP button each time... though, emm, buddy, pressing UP 5 times won't make it come any faster, sorry.

But anyway, one of the elevators was on the 3rd floor, approaching us at the ground floor, when in a complete rush, the same guy went up and started frantically pressing both UP and DOWN buttons because he couldn't wait 2 seconds for the elevator to travel 2 floors.

The elevator door started opening and he was practically on top of the door before they even opened. Lucky for him, there was no one getting off because if someone on the other side was just as willing to get off, they would walk right into each other, and that would have just made my day, hahaha. Ohh, yes it would.

So anyway, we got on the empty elevator and we all pressed our designated floors, while he started pressing the 10th floor frantically. More people got on and with each person that got on, he sighed that the elevator is not moving yet, holding his finger on the Door Close button.

Finally, the doors closed and we started moving, but uh-oh, we're going down, not up, hahaha. The guy just started freaking out because he's obviously wasting precious time, and frantically pressing the Door Close button, still sighing like a mad-man.

In the mean time, I'm in the corner smiling, nearly laughing, because the reason why we went down in the first place, and not up, is because of his frantic pressing of the DOWN button when calling the elevator, hahaha. But I kept it to myself because I wouldn't want to be a smartass - that would be so unlike me, ahem.

Now, to top it all off, once we finally started moving up, we suddenly stopped on the 2nd floor, with no one to even get on the elevator. I was holding back laughter at this point as I could just imagine the guy burning up inside and cursing whoever did this to him.

So we finally made it to the 10th floor, and as he ran off the elevator, I held back my need to applaud the dude, that he might actually make it home in time to sit his ass down on that toilet and not soil his GAP jeans, or at least that's the only reason I could imagine someone hurrying this much for.

Lesson learned? Only press the UP button if you're in a hurry to go up, or otherwise risk looking like a goof and have me write about you on my blog upon my calm return home.

Happy Riding!

March 23, 2006

House: Episode 54


On the next episode of HOUSE:

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Dr. Gregory House gets called to clinic duty where a female patient awaits him with a persistant cough, sore and painful throat, fever, fatigue and loss of vocals.
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Dr. House examines the patient, asks a billion of unrelated embarrassing questions, such as why is her one toe longer than the other, and when was the last time she's had sex, and then diagnoses the patient as having bronchitis.
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Patient: W-w-what is that?
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House (poking fun at patient): I-i-it's an inflammation of the lower respiratory passages or bronchi.
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Patient: What does that mean?
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House (annoyed): Well... let's see how 'bronchitis for dummies' explains it, shall we? *picks up any book off the shelf* Wow, fascinating... it says here that the tubes that carry air into your lungs are inflamed, and when you cough, *slowly imitates cough* you are trying to get the mucus ... you know, the nice yellow stuff? ...out of there to clear the passage, so you can breaaaaaaaathe, OK? Now go home and take these for 10 days *throws a prescription at patient* while you stay away from the world and try not to infect anyone. In the mean time, put some socks on... your toes freak me out.
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The End.

March 21, 2006

live entertainment.

So James Blunt is having a show tonight at Massey Hall which I am unfortunately missing. I have tried all possible ways of getting these tickets (big thanks to Radek, Lisa, Michelle, Elissa and Eva for trying, hahaha), but damn it James, you're just so damn popular that you're going to have to come back again soon so you can perform for me, because your tickets are the hardest to get, and your performance on Much Music rocked, but it wasn't enough.


I was, however, lucky to attend a great show last weekend which my friend Radek was a part of, at the Winchester Theatre in Toronto. The show, put on by Green Tea, a collective of Japanese contemporary dancers in Toronto, has received great public reviews and if my opinion matters any, I absolutely loved it (and was not paid to say this, ahem).

Radek worked closely with Dancer Keiko Kitano, Costume Designer Shingo Tokihiro, and Multimedia Artist Rick Thomson to create a piece which explored the delicate topic of gender inequality in Japanese culture. The performance will soon be available to view on Radek's
website, so check back often. Big thanks to Ewa, Karol, Daniela and Corinna for attending the show. If only I could dance like that...haha.

I am currently looking forward to seeing my friend Kim in a show which is happening this weekend, March 25th at 8pm, at the Staircase Caf­e Theatre in Hamilton. The show, entitled Improv Jam, is put on by a collective of really funny people from Ha-ha-hamilton. They are putting on an evening of improv comedy where the audience gets to participate and we all laugh our asses off....hahahahah, I can hardly wait.

March 14, 2006

j-e-l-l-ohhhhhh.


Last night I dreamt that small pieces of orange, red and yellow jello were moving around on their own in an attempt to form some sort of an image for me. After much moving around, and once the "puzzle" was done, I found myself infront of a colourfull jello playboy bunny.
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Today at work, I received this month's edition of Maclean's Magazine, and happened to notice its small front page dedication to Hugh Hefner, as "playboy is still energizing bunnies". I found it quite interesting that the same night that I dream of this man's invention, I also happen to come across an article about him.
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So according to the article, little old Hef will be celebrating his 80th birthday next month. See, I too will be celebrating my birthday next month and was interested to find out his exact date of birth - April 9th, 1926.
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Interestingly enough, did you know that in 1926 the League of Nations set a rule that in order to simplify Easter calculations, they should fall somewhere between April 9th and 15th, inclusive? And did you know that this year using the "1926 Rule" calculations, Easter happens to fall on April 9th, 2006? Hugh Hefner's 80th Birthday.
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Easter? Bunnies? April 9, 1926? Playboy Bunnies? Hmmmmmmmm.
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Now, there's probably no real correlation whatsoever between Easter and Playboy Bunnies, but for my sake (and for my excellent use of time), let's assume there is, ok?! Happy Tuesday!

March 13, 2006

I la-la-la-la-like you.

For a Monday 'pick-me-up', click here. Turn your speakers up and get ready to smiiiiiiiile.

March 10, 2006

shameless self promotion.

So why wouldn't I use this space, that's available to so many lovely people on the internet, to promote my upcoming performance, right?!?! Well I asked myself this question today and rushed over here to tell you these exciting news - you can watch me on Canadian TV!.


Can you sense the excitement?! hahaha.

I have been singing since the age of "little", and thanks to my wonderful vocal teacher, Elissa (you rule, mamma), I got the opportunity to perform on TLN's Viva Domenica. With the help of my musically talented friend Paul Godfrey, who could play guitar in his sleep and still sound a hundred times better than me, we put on an acoustic performance that will hopefully please many.

Tune in to TLN's Viva Domenica this Sunday, March 12, 2006, at 6pm to watch Paul and I perform A Lover's Plea (Lyrics & Melody by me, Music by Paul Godfrey).

To find out what channel TLN is in your area, click here.

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Also, keep checking the On Key Studios' website for an upcoming release of my new song, A Beautiful Life.

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Thanks, and I hope you enjoy the show!

March 04, 2006

you did WHAT?!?

Here's an example of a moron with a towing truck that doesn't know how to properly load and secure a van, and manage to successfully rear-end himself while breaking too hard at a red light with someone else's van.
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Anyone else have a big urge to go up to him, poke his head and go "what on earth were you thinking?!?!". Talk about embarrassing, I never knew it was possible to rear-end yourself.
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A big thanks goes out to my brother-in-law for being at the right place at the right time with a camera-phone, and to my sister for sending it to me.

February 28, 2006

ohh, ooops.

Ever been embarrassed?


Chances are you have and you either loved it or hated it. I say that because we either laughed at ourselves (and with others) when it happened, or we really just wished we had never got out of bed that morning because it was that bad. Let me share with you my story.

Did I fall off a bike? No. Did I fall off a chair? No. I fell off a bus.

I was a high school student coming home on the TTC with my bestfriend Agata on an early summer day, wearing my kilt and stockings. As our bus reached the station, we noticed a few friends from our old elementary school, which we haven't seen for about 2 years, sitting on the bus platform. The bus stopped at that same platform, and opened its doors for all the people to get off. I attempted to do the same, but my light jacket string got caught on the seat, so I was forced back down and struggled to release my string.

By the time I released my string, I was the only person left on the bus and I felt the bus driver and Agata (already on the platform) waiting for me to get off the damn bus. I hurriedly grabbed my backpack, m
y flute and I charged for the door.

As I was coming down the steps, I heard someone yell "Hey Agnes!", so I looked up to see who it was, and not paying attention to my steps but to the person calling my name, I missed one step and I flew off the bus with my arms up, and slid on my stomach like a baseball player going for homerun, right under someone's feet. I can't remember how long I was air-bourne for but it was enough to cause severe bruising on my knees and elbows as it scraped against the pavement.

As I laid there on my stomach, face down, backpack over the back of my head and a flute in one hand, I looked up to see who's feet I was at - it was infact my friend that I hadn't seen in 2 years, laughing his ass off saying: "all I said was 'hey!'". I looked to Agata and she was laughing so hard she couldn't even sound the words "are you OK?" Hahahaha, good times.

I am inviting all of you to post your embarrassing stories - not your most embarrassing stories (because I'm sure you don't want to re-live that again, hahaha), but your funniest embarrassing stories, whether you said something inappropriate, did something stupid, despite whether you were drunk or sober. Share your funny stories by posting in the comments section. Thanks!

Oh, and I just remembered another one: this one time, at band camp... err, sorry... nevermind that one, hahaha.

Happy sharing!

February 27, 2006

blunt & rock'n'roll.

James Blunt offers 5 tips he picked up in the U.S. Army on how to survive in the business of rock'n'roll. Courtesy of Paste Magazine.
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1. Don’t get nervous:

“People always ask if I get nervous performing, but I don’t find it nerve-wracking at all,” Blunt says. “It’s just singing. No one’s in danger if I forget the words, so what’s to worry about?”

2. Always act like you’re in charge:

“When I was in the army, I used to stand up on a platform and convince soldiers I knew what the hell was going on,” he says. “Now, I do that onstage.”

3. Keep your space clean:

“For years, I traveled around in a tank with all of my life possessions; now that tank is called a tour bus,” Blunt says with a laugh. “But in either one you have to keep things neat, so I have daily morning inspections. If any band member fails, they give me 50 push-ups.”

4. Think clearly at all times:

“People think the army is very regimented, but you actually have a lot of freedom as to how you get a mission done, so you have to be self-motivated,” he says. “In that sense, it’s not that different from being a musician. You have to always keep pushing yourself to reach your goals.”

5. Learn how to escape:

“I used to work in reconnaissance, so I got very good at hiding in bushes,” Blunt says. “That can be very useful when dealing with overzealous fans. The Army also teaches you discretion, which comes in handy on the road.”


So I heard Jason Mraz is sharing a tour bus with James Blunt right now. Do you think James makes Jason do 50 push-ups if Jason doesn't keep his bikini briefs in his underwear drawers?

Play nice now, boys.

February 25, 2006

szczerbaty zajaczek.

We made cookies last night, and made poor bunny miss some of his teeth.
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Cookie anyone?


February 23, 2006

why i stopped going to ryerson.

My friend Radek, who according to his site is a media technologist, artist and visual designer, who holds a Bachelor of Arts (with honours BTW) from Ryerson University, and has worked in numerous areas of the media industry for almost 10 years, decided to draw me a little picture today of a rocket in space. Here's why I think Ryerson ripped him off:
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The following is an actual MSN conversation.
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WARNING:
Some images may be disturbing.
Parental discretion strongly advised.

radek says:

agooska says:
wow, your arts degree really paid off!

radek says:
I know eh?!

agooska says:
I'm gonna show it to my mom, hahaha hold on

agooska says:
uhhh, no comment hahahhaha

agooska says:
I think that means she loves it hahaha

radek says:
uhgmm yaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah

agooska says:
what are the blue dots?

radek says:
they're stars

agooska says:
the stars and the sun? my gosh, what on earth are you drinking?

radek says:
what do you want, child?! And the sun is where if not in SPACE, huh!?!

radek says:
pshss, she think she’s an astronaut!

agooska says:
Yah but if you have stars, you should have the moon too, riiiiight? At least that’s how my mom always taught me.

radek says:
yah but the sun and the moon are BOTH in space!!

radek says:
my god, child = go back to SCHOOL!

agooska says:
well then why do you have one and not the other, huh?

agooska says:
revise it please! ...sheesh, no wonder my mom had no comment ... she was thinking: “what an idiot - the stars and the sun.”

radek writes:
agooska says:
ok, so now where did your stars go?


radek says:
to hell!!

agooska says:
hahahaha, to hell with your arts degree!! You got ripped off, go get your money back!


And that, my friends, is why I stopped going to Ryerson.

UPDATE:

I was eating lunch today with a few friends from work in the boardroom, and Janice, who read this post this morning, said to me: Isn't that Radek's sun and moon? Referring to the following piece of art.


I wonder if the artist of this piece had a Bachelor of FINE Arts from Ryerson University.

February 21, 2006

happy happy!

Last year today, for Ewa's birthday, I decided to surprise her and call her at the office. A woman answered the phone: "Hello?", so I started singing "sto lat, sto lat, niech zyje, zyje nam..." (equivalent to happy birthday). What I didn't know was that Ewa took that day off, and I had infact sang the polish birthday song to her boss!
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So this year I thought I'd post her birthday on my blog to save me that embarrasment again.
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We are also celebrating Karol's birthday which is this Friday, February 24th, though I haven't done anything embarrasing on his birthday yet. Unless you'd consider a "blowjob" drink exploding in my face, on their birthday 3 years ago, as embarrasing...otherwise, I've got a lot of work to do this year ;)
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Happy Birthday You Two!

February 20, 2006

i'm so proud of you, jason.

Here's why Jason Mraz started wearing underwear again:

"I started wearing underwear again as well. After six years going commando, I decided it was time to try something new. I basically came across a brand and style that appealed to me enough to try it. The idea of commando is based on one’s discomfort due to excess material beneath the pant. Such as boxer shorts, they get bunched and aggravate me.

Then there’s Tightee Whitees that seem to serve a purpose but are so dull and also tend to get bunchy above the butt at the belt line. Plus, they’ve gotten a bad rep over the years and make you a prime candidate for a wedgie at all times. I only knew of those two kinds and I wasn’t having either.

But then I grew concerned for the well being of my reproductive organs as well my seat. Could I go the rest of my life with nothing but denim against my bares? Is that safe? Is that comfortable? Is there a product that could keep my package warm and snuggly and provide a slipcover between my cheeks and Levis? Hell yes there is. And unfortunately they get the worst rep of all in the locker room. But since I stay out of locker rooms altogether, I figured there’s no harm done. And "I don’t care what you think about me" is supposed to be my mantra, right? Then I don’t care what y’all think about bikini briefs. I’m quite comfortable now thank you. "


Oh no, Jason, thank you.

February 19, 2006

everybody loves jasiu.

I love my sister's two cats, Jas i Malgosia, but only Jasiu likes to have his picture taken (maybe because Malgosia is a black cat and you don't see anything, hahaha).

Here are Jasiu's best shots. purrrr.


UPDATE:

Ok, so my sister sent me a few more pics and I thought I'd share with you all just how much Jasiu loves himself.


And as you can tell, Jasiu also loves me and chats with me on MSN. I know, I know, Jasiu, I miss you too.

February 18, 2006

nice legs... sir?!?

In order for me to not get shot on the subways and buses, by looking intently at someone for an hour giving them the impression that "I got a problem, yo", I often focus my attention on people's shoes, pants, and purses, with the occasional upward glance at their faces...unless, of course, their asses are nicer, in which case I won't actually make it all the way up top to their faces, I'll just settle for their asses down low. Or I read, which I know sounds simpler and solves all of my life's problems, but I'm complicated, so what can you do?

Yesterday morning was no different and I focused mainly on one pair of s
hoes that were really nice, paired with a pair of tight bell-bottom jeans, which looked really nice as well. It just so happens that I am currently looking to buy a new pair of jeans, so these really caught my eye. They had that nice colour, fade and shape to them, and it made the person look like they had really nice legs (whoohoo), so I thought "hmmmm, I wonder where she got them from?" (because any woman would love for her legs to look great in jeans, whoohoo), but I didn't think of asking her where she got them - she was standing too far.

But out of pure curiosity, once the crowd loosened up a little bit, I decided to try to put a face to the legs... well, what a surprise.... it was a 50 to 60-year-old man, very much tanned (obvious case of fake'n'bake), with an earring in his right ear, trying to be really cool and hip by fitting into his daughter's jeans. I wanted to laugh, but then for sure I'd get shot.
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A plea to all my friend's fathers and grandfathers:
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Please don't wear tight bell-bollom jeans anymore. You're just much too old to be wearing anything that revealing and people like me might mistake you for an attractive young lady with great legs. There are other ways for you to show off that you're nearly senior and working out everyday - good for you, but at the least save me that embarrassment, if for no other reason.

Then again, maybe he was on his way to audition to be Britney Spear's backup dancer? In which case I wish him luck on his endeavors.

February 17, 2006

I'm so excited, and I just can't hide it.

Whoohooo, today I got my Songwriters Association of Canada package in the mail, and I even have my own card and everything, hahah, this is so cool!!
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So now I can go right up to someone, pull out my songwriter badge at them and say "STOP! I am a songwriter. That's right... do not attempt to move.. this is a very dangerous situation" Yes, that should scare them alright, hahah.
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And that was only the start to my day... I had a great day at work, then I went shopping and if you can imagine this, everything I wanted to find, I found!!! Even the shoes I've been searching for for 3 months, and they were on sale!!!!!
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Anyway, happy friday everyone, and have a great weekend :)

February 16, 2006

oh, the weather outside is frightful.

Snow? Rain? Freezing Rain? I'm not quite sure, but it's creating a mess for some reason. Or at least my mom makes me believe so because she woke me up at 6 this morning to leave early for work, when I start at 9 today - sigh, overkill.
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Current Conditions:
Temp. -2'C, Feels like -7'C. Overcast, light snow.
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Doesn't sound that bad, right? But the weather today calls for a bit of both, rain and snow, and depending on the temperatures, we might either be looking at really wet roads if the temperature rises, or black ice if it decreases.
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Looking at the pictures, it really doesn't look that bad - I mean, we've seen much worse, but once I get out, I'm sure I'll be eating my own words because CP24 claims some schools even closed down - my gosh, REALLY?!??! Can I stay home too?
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Anyway, if the news reporters are saying it's that bad, please drive and walk carefully today and adjust to road conditions.
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For Road Conditions updates, check here, and for Toronto Weather updates, check here.
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Happy Thursday.
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1 more day 'till the weekend, whoohoo. Who else is excited?

February 15, 2006

mmmm, latté.

There is this one little amazing no-name coffee shop by my work, which is also connected to a sushi restaurant, that makes the best café latté ever.
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Since these lattés are pretty fattening I can only treat myself every once in a while, but when I do, I am stress-free for the rest of the day. But it's not just the latté that makes my day, it's the whole experience.
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I either bundle up or put on some sunglasses (depending on the weather), put on some peaceful music, and slowly stroll my way over, without a care in the world - it's just me, my feet and my music.
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I am always greeted with a smile when I get there, whether it's one of the two ladies or the one gentleman, they always have a smile on their face and it spreads like magic. While I wait for my latté, sometimes the server and I will make small chat about the weather, or I will stand by the window, consumed by the peacefulness while people read their morning paper, or favourite book, enjoying the jazz playing in the background and looking out the window.
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I was once lucky to be there at a time when an older lady, around 70 years old, was sitting by herself drinking tea and admiring everyone. She then started talking to everyone in the shop about how she used to live at that exact corner 50 years ago, and told us about all the things that have changed and how much. It was an incredible story to hear, and you can only imagine what she felt like being where she grew up, 50 years later.
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Often times, by the time I get back, whatever consumed me before I left, no longer matters, and my mind is so peaceful and happy that nothing can disrupt it.
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mmmm, latté.

February 14, 2006

muah.

It's Valentine's Day, a day to celebrate the ones we love. Well it just so happens that I happen to have a great bunch of friends that I love very much. So to all my friends and family, a great big bear hug and a big kiss - muah. Happy Valentine's Day!

lots of love, me.

...but who's counting?
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