Camping - the good, bad and the ugly

Here's some photos of Beautiful BC on the August long weekend (top-beachfire, middle-the lake off Kilby beach campsite, bottom-Chehalis River: all in and around Harrison) when me and 2 of my galpals went camping. There was languishing in the sun, eggs made in pots, coffee brewed on propane (thank god for my Italian stove-top espresso maker), loads of laughter, sexual secrets revealed, friendly individuals who gave us directions, campsites, and firewood...and even a singalong!

There was also a crapload of mosquitos, girl-on-girl bickering over lost sleep and little patience, and the fact that we all feared for our lives on the Friday night when we were treated to a full-on onslaught of adolecent testosterone. They were really more like chained primates who for the first time were being let out of their cage - yelping and screaming until 3am - chainsaws giving way to illegal and dangerously large fires...sounds of retching vomit and loud indiscernable thumping bass coming out of their honky-tonk vehicles. I kept having visions of our ax being used against us to chop us up into little pieces and I'm sure everyone else in the campsite felt much the same - as no one, not one grown man or worried mother said anything to any of these kids - except my brave friend who went to try to reason with those on our side of the river to get them to quiet down and not egg on the more crazy ones across the river at the illegal site with the illegal fire. They were reasonable but continued to play their music for what seemed like an eternity - thank god I was a bit sedated with the bottle of wine that I had consumed.

This of course incited a mantra of hatred towards said individuals (needless to say we promptly left the campsite the next morning) and we had many messages we would have loved to give them and to whoever raised these children (actually in their early 20s I'm sure, but who clearly should not be allowed to actually go out and co-habitate in public, so therefore, children) ...something like:

'We're sorry your son did not make it home from his camping trip this weekend - we murdered him...rest assured that it was totally justifiable and we would recommend that if you have any other children exhibiting the same behaviour, that you cut their life short by doing the same'. That's not very Buddhist of me, is it? Well...it's probably best that karma get them in the end - karma is a bitch.

Rouge - really?

SOOOOO....apparently I was at Vancouver's premier event of the year (last years invite is the image as I could find no suitable pics available on the net and as we know, no pics of myself at the event will be posted) - the place to see and be seen....be treated like a VIP and experience a very unique event experience - "better than in years before" - the 6th annual Rouge party at Robson Square- an event that gets out the film industry glitterati and wanna-be's strutting their stuff for the Malcolm Perry's of this world.

The Straight published this blurb about the event on Thursday:

Industry types paint the town rouge
Movie Notes By Craig Takeuchi
Publish Date: July 19, 2007
A who's who of the local film industry will transform the Robson Square skating rink into a major networking event. The fifth annual installment of Rouge will feature a bevy of hosts, including actors Babz Chula, Jay Brazeau, Joely Collins, Suleka Mathew, and Gabrielle Miller; creative director Helen duToit and Canadian Images programmer Terry McEvoy from the Vancouver International Film Festival; Whistler Film Festival director Shauna Hardy Mishaw; Brightlight Pictures producers Stephen Hegyes and Shawn Williamson; BC Film Commissioner Susan Croome; Insight Film Studios CEO Kirk Shaw; Leo Awards president Walter Daroshin; media personality Terry David Mulligan; Urban Rush hosts Michael Eckford and Fiona Forbes; and numerous other producers, directors, writers, and industry figures.

I wonder where the press get their attendee lists? Not that I was really looking, but I did not see over half of the people mentioned above....I know for a fact Babz was at her soon to be daughter-in-laws/my good friends engagement party in Montreal...although Gabrielle did look fetching in her gold mini dress and Joely looked equally fab in her new bob and engagement ring...my "date" who was there to network, see and be seen, introduced us.

Now don't get me wrong, I was a teeny bit excited to see Will from Will and Grace, but really - does a Eric McCormack sighting make up for the fact that the dj was worse than a MuchMusic highschool dance party circa 1988, (Please lord, tell me there was some mix up or last minute replacement because no self-respecting Celebrities dj -as advertised-would have spun out the schlock we had to hear before the final hour when a tired but danceable top 40 line-up finally hit the airwaves) the balloon arches reminded my friend of a 1980s wedding he attended and the canapes looked as tired as the bar staff? They were generally overwhelmed and unable to deal with the meandering undulating line-up of desperate party-goers hungry for something to make their surroundings look better - myself included. And those teeny-tiny plastic wine cups? Seriously???? come on...this is the creme de la creme of the Vancouver film scene right? and we can't rent glassware??? or at least have nice throw-away cups? There may be people here from elsewhere - LA....or gasp! - Toronto! and this is what we got to give? That....and a really lame slide show of Rouge years past flashing before us on giant screens in the corners...the couches looked old...and the bathrooms - I suppose those could not be helped due to venue...but more could have been done...Although I love, love, loved the hoola-hoop girl - she was working it - shout out!!!!

Gotta say for $10 less, the All-White Party I attended in June had better food, better music, a better venue and better glassware!!! http://www.jetsetcrew.com/ and they didn't start out as real career-minded party planners...some of those organizers were there - wonder what they thought?

Thing is, I have heard nothing but great things about the event planners Richards and Chan - http://www.richardsandchan.com/ who certainly look they they put on good parties, are respected in their field and I am all about the fellow sistahs as entrepreneurs....so I blame the rain....something must have short circuited the party...lines were crossed, colour combos were replaced...dj's were temporarily 'auditorally' challenged....and noone was told that they should not show up to the party as they would otherwise show up to set --- i.e. in runners, dirty t-shirt and jeans - really - would it kill you to dress up once - it is night time-huh?

Thank god for being there with a group of people I enjoy most heartilly as that can make any situation fun...even the one that begins with "So?....what are you doing now?"...at times a painful and soul-searching question for the used to be full-time, now very part-time actor....but I had an A-list comeback...."Actually, soon I'm opening my own gallery - hope to see you there!" (insert giant Hollywood smile here ;-)

The Summer Party

What smells of summer more than tennis and polo?

Granted I am not enamoured of either pastime, but I'm willing to see who is and pay $50 to do so...especailly if there's a free drink and plenty of food included, not to mention entertainment - and I'm not talking about the music roster...but the parade of skin and bronzer that will no doubt accompany this event. Not as cool as spying Hollywood stars at the Vanity Fair party as I did earlier this year...but just as cheesy.

If there's something I admire its original party planning in the City of Vancouver - http://www.blogger.com/www.jetsetcrew.com where you usually have to be in the know or be part of some niche group in order to experience any real cool event in the City. While Toronto basks in the glory of hosting the largest arts festival in North America this summer, www.luminato.com/ and already boasts a litany of multi-day festivals that block major streets and bring out the mulit-cultural masses, Vancouver tries to decide whether or not it should hold the Fireworks Festival again. All the while making sure noone should dare compliment the experience with a bottle of white - things might get out of hand. I remember marvelling at the mixture of precision and laissez-faire attitude that Toronto's summer festivals were run by - major streets for blocks on end closed to traffic for days...with nary a complaint - enjoyment for the whole family! And here we're applauding the addition of one more day to the Car-Free Festival on Commercial Drive! :-O Wooohooo! http://www.blogger.com/www.thedrive.ca/eventdrivefest.shtm

How the hell are we going to hold the Olympics? While New Yokers encourage the picnic-going public to bring their best bottle of pinot to the park http://www.blogger.com/www.bryantpark.org - Vancouverites are strip searched at the skytrain station before heading down to our internationally-enviable beachfront. In case you have not noticed - I like a nice beverage - and yes, my event doesn't really compare to a festival in a park...but it all relates back to summer...the freedom to enjoy your socializing outdoors - and what accompanies that better than a festive spritzer?

So, yes it is technically behind a gated archway on a manicured lawn at Gabriola Mansion on Davie Street but I am excited for my private party being held on public - or in this case a semi-public venue where you can sip cocktails to your hearts content...no one is going to 'throw one down' and if they do I'd love to see the tennis rackets swinging out against the cricket mallets!

What I want for my birthday...gift certificate please!

Here it is ladies....make it happen - the Miraj Hammam Spa...Victoria day weekend, preferably the Friday. Take me back to La Mosque in Paris and that hole in the wall in Rabat...not to mention the Russain Banyas in North York, Ontario...nothing like a good scrub down in nothing but your birthday suit.

this weekend

So after a glorious, yet cold sunny week, we are in for rain on the weekend, well that's fine with me cause I got a lots planned and much like Katie over here who is my visual (not cerebral, lord knows what she's thinking) inspiration for the weekend- I am all business...

-1 baby-shower for twins, check
-1 accompanying soon-to-be-bride for 1st dress shopping excursion, check
-1 possible BOD meeting to determine new salary of Executive Director, check
-1 drop-off of clothes at consignment store, check -1 leaving work early cause worked overtime this week to get to several warehouse sales, check
-1 possible attendance at new movie this week, check
-1 attending artist party accompanied by my ladies, check
-1 contact with family and senior loved one in ill health, check
-1 Audition for independant theatre - check...I am back on the trail for fame...

"I am sooooooo busy"

the weekend

- ah yes, Loverboy I am working for it! My first official full weekend in 7 weeks!!! I am sooooo excited! My to-do list overflows....happy days!