Who doesn't love narcissism?

I can't get enough of Colbert lately.
Hilarious quote right around the 1:38 mark.

The Colbert Report	Mon - Thurs 11:30pm / 10:30c
Narcissistic Personality Disorder - Emily Yoffe
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Your annoying

So I'll admit it- I'm not perfect (I know-its hard to believe). But I HATE it when people can't distinguish between "Your" and "You're." Its to the point where if I see someone do it on their Facebook status, I seriously ponder removing them. I grew up going to a French Immersion school, so I like to pretend that I never really even learned English properly. I was too busy learning that a computer is masculine, and that mice are feminine. I mean is it really necessary to give every object/thing a gender? Anyways, when I wasn't learning French I was learning Canadian. MUCH different than American with their "colour" and "eh?" and "what's that aboot?"
Just today I have already run into two different instances where my Canadian speech impediment came into play. First of all, while unpacking the new office, I was asking where the "cutlery" was. When I say cutlery, I don't just mean the knives. I mean all types of "flatware" or "silverware," whatever you people call it. After 13 years here, I still can't seem to get that one down. A short while later, I was then exploring the Dunkin Donuts downstairs where I was talking about getting a "French Crueller" pronouncing it like "crewler". Apparently I was WAY off and its pronounced "cruhller". Michael and I were arguing over it and the Dunkin lady totally put me in my place.
Long story short, if I can learn the difference between "your" and "you're," you can too.

(Thanks Michael)

A look back at my 2008

A few highlights from my ultra exciting 2008.

One year ago today!

Kitty reunion in LA/San Diego Jan. '08

Reuniting with Bridget and Cunty Cat in DC for St. Paddy's day

Costume birthday party for Carrie's boyfriend

Cubs game this summer!

Jamie's bachelorette party and then wedding June/July

North Ave. Beach

Iowa vs. Iowa State game

Canada for my grandpa's 80th

"I die" Halloween
Back to Canada for Yola's wedding

TBox barcrawl

And last but not least: Wedding and Christmas 2008!

Belated Feliz Navidad

Well the holidays were a blast! First to Canada for a night to see one side of the family. Travelling was a giant bitch, but we did see Dan Aykroyd at the Hertz counter in Toronto. So that counts for something. And then we were off to a little tropical getaway for my Cousin's wedding. It was a great week of beach, hanging out with the family and maybe one or two cervezas!

Me and Ashley on the beach

Coconut cabs to the wedding

Little Evan

Me and Jay on Christmas Day

The bride and groom!

"Playing" volleyball...and yes I posted this picture because I look tan
Me and Dad downtown

My uncle Ray choking me in the airport

Jay and I

GUANTANAMERA!

Maya and I in the "Discotheque"

The fam at the wedding

Cousins on the beach

Most of the family

I bid you adieu...for a week

Well I take off early tomorrow morning (depending on the weather) for the great land of Canada. I will then be pretty much M.I.A. until I return on the 28th. I know, you're devastated. I hope that everyone has a safe and fantastic holiday! I leave you with another gem of a video.

Wedding

So this past weekend I headed back to the homeland for my cousin Yola's wedding. We flew in Friday and immediately went for dinner at Swiss Chalet. Swiss Chalet is basically a casual family dining restaurant that specializes in roasted chicken. I go for the gravy. Yes that's right- more fries and gravy.

Saturday morning my Dad and I ran a couple errands and then got food at San Franos. Now, San Franos is a little hole in the wall that my Dad loves, but his cholesterol doesn't need. I decided to go the healty route and have more poutine. Then it was off to the wedding!

The wedding took place in Hamilton at a Polish Catholic church. It was a really cute church and the ceremony wasn't too long (you know those Catholics!) Afterwards we went to a classy bar called the Honest Lawyer to kill time before the reception. The reception took place at a renovated train station and was awesome. There was another (larger) wedding going on in another room. So, in true K fashion we ended up trying to sabotage them by the end of the night. And by sabotage I mean we wrote in their guest book and drank from their open bar. What? We're rebels! The speeches were great and my cousin's band played. I colored with my little cousin Evan (he did not like my artistic talent).

Americadian

I have officially lived in the United States for 12 years now. This means that I spent exactly half my life in Canada, and the other half here in the US. Most people are generally confused when I tell them, and most of my friends actually forget that I am Canadian. I've already received a few people today asking me who I voted for.

Being a Canadian living in the US means that I have a Canadian passport, an American "green card" and I cannot vote in the US. No I am not an "illegal immigrant" but I do have a green card with maybe one of the most hideous pictures of all time. I guess I could vote in the Canadian election, but I really have no idea whats going on politically over there.

The past few elections that I have been here for really didn't interest me. I have only been of age for the last election and this one. And then I look at it in the sense of whats the point? I live in Illinois, the entire state is obsessed with Obama. Pretend for a second that I actually wanted to vote for McCain, it really wouldn't matter.

I try to stay out of all political arguments because I (and most people I think) don't know exactly what the views are and even what their own opinions are. I don't think people educate themselves enough on the subject and make decisions based on the snippets of information they take in. That's just how it is these days.

I let the superficial, and trivial things affect my opinion. For instance, I can't listen to McCain's ideas because I'm too busy staring at his excessive blinking and not being able to lift his arms up. I can't listen to Palin because...I mean that accent is beyond awful. Get rid of that shit! Obama's deep voice usually just calms me into a trance. And I actually have NO idea what Biden even looks like. (What? No one does!)

Anyway today is a very exciting day, expecially around here! I am excited to see what's going to happen and glad that I'm in Chicago for it!

Oh Canada!

So this weekend was my Opa's 80th birthday so we made the trek up to the homeland. Ever since we moved to the US 12 years ago, we have really only been able to make it back once a year at Christmas time. We have driven every time which can take anywhere from 8-12 hours depending on weather. My parents discovered what I think is a MUCH better plan. We now fly into Buffalo and drive another hour or so to our hometown. This is much easier to swallow than a 10 hour drive sitting in cramped quarters.

We stopped in Niagara Falls for a quick photo op.

This is also a mandatory stop as soon as we get into Canada. For those of you who don't know what Poutine is, it is the most delicious fat person food ever! Its fries with cheese curds, and gravy smeared over top. Aka delicious in every way. I inhaled it.

So after travelling all day, stopping by to see Babci (my dad's mom) we surprised my Opa by taking him to a CFL game: the Hamilton Tigercats vs. the Calgary Stampeders. The Tigercats (or Ticats is what the cool people call them) gave my Opa a jersey with his name and the #80. I was of course busy shoving hot dogs and caramel corn in my mouth. Oh, and the cheerleaders wear parkas? It really wasn't that cold out...

We even got to sit near Walter Gretzky, who is actually just as big a celebrity as his son, Wayne Gretzky. He lives in our hometown, Brantford so we saw him often growing up and I swam my whole life in the Gretzky Center. He is a cute little nugget.

Saturday we were headed out to dinner and got the entire Van Dongen side of the family to stop by my Babci's apartment to say hi. She could not have been more excited, but then she cries and then I cry. It definitely made her day!

Dinner to celebrate the family all being together and my Opa's 80th bday was at the Old School House. We celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary here, so it was nice to get back. This is the entire side of my mom's family. So it was a great weekend, had an awesome time catching up with the family! I will be heading back to Canada in 2 weeks for my cousin's wedding on the other side of the family! This will maybe be the first year since we moved that we will actually get to see everyone.

This is what I have to deal with people-

So I'm going to the homeland this weekend (aka Canada) for my Grandpa's 80th birthday. And THIS is the text I get from Michael just a few minutes ago:

"Better bring me back something Canadian! Oooh! Like a sexy hockey player! One of those real rough ones that'd call u a bitch while they f*ck you!"

"Yeah! Bring me that!!"

I will be WAY too busy making maple syrup and riding around via sled dogs to do any hockey player recruiting.