Ewwwwwww

As I'm typing this I'm slurping back Buckley's like it's going out of style. Or more, like a rare fine scotch.
The sniffles are overwhelming, and my ears have a slight buzzing.

Welcome to winter.

Yes, if you've been a reader of my blog since day one you may say...
"This blog has gone down hill"
"WTF MERRY SOMERS!?!" (pretty common one)
"THIS BLOG IS DEAD!!"

Well, suck it up. Cause it is. MUAHAHAHAHAHAHA
I actually forgot that this blog existed, as I'm sure most of you have.

If you'd like an update, and want to continue reading then here:

Alcohol: DRINKING EVERYDAY IS NOT A GOOD IDEA!!
That's how I've started my New Year. Sound familiar? Let's re cap to 11 months ago..... OH YEA!!! I REMEMBER NOW!!
Maybe it's a winter depression thing? in anycase, shit happens.

I have a great mix tape that you all should download - I've listened to it on repeat for like 4 days straight.... Yes, I even listen to it when I'm sleeping... it's that good.

http://shinenightclub.com/music/super-deluxe-volume-1-mixed-by-four-color-zack-u-tern-illo-sam-demoe/


This past weekend I went back to Toronto. Why? Because I was bored with Vancouver. Obviously.
So during my time I thought it'd be a good idea to so multiple shots of tequila.

(To recap, I used to drink tequila like water... when I was 17...... Now I CAN'T DO THAT!!!)

So I drink a bottle of wine, couple tequila shots.... go to the club, a couple other random shots.... double vodka diet coke.

Same thing the next night.....

Now you understand why I've resorted to a Buckley's high?

ANYWAY, It's difficult to keep up a blog when you don't remember anything. So I'll keep these post for more spastic and more sober moments.

Thanks for reading,

Merry Somers

(PS I'm publishing 2 of my previous posts that just sat in my drafts folder.... so here you go: http://merrysomers.blogspot.com/2010/12/i-just-dont-like-you.html anndddd http://merrysomers.blogspot.com/2010/04/life-lessons-pt-10-conclusion.html

I Just Don't Like You.

Judgement.

It's something we all do. No matter what religion we believe in, no matter how strong your morals are. We all do it.
Well, I always knew I did this more than the average person. Just because, as much as I am positive, I am often negative in certain surrounds.

Words POP into my head, which I wish I could control. Judging someone so fast, and keeping that dislike... Only until talking to them and realizing how right I was.

Yes, I am right. But so wrong to keep that against such a stranger.

The other day, I talked to a person who I'd been mocking for a couple months. Their behaviour is still the same, but really, they're a lot cooler when you get to know them. They have ideas that you've never thought of before!

WOA! Weeeeiiirrddd... They have minds too??? These people I judge, that i'm realistically way more similar to then ever expected?

But I still just don't like you.

(The t-shirt in the picture is from a gift shop in Maui, Hawaii - thought it was funny)

Flip Over the Pillow

A couple weeks ago I was talking and walking to the club with a friend, and we came across the topic of "Flipping Over The Pillow".

You know like when you're trying to sleep... you're restless, you can't stop thinking, you try your side, your back, your front... but NOTHING seems to work? BUT THEN... you FLIP OVER YOUR PILLOW to the new FRESH, COOL side you've always been looking for... you rest your head back on it... and you PASS OUT!?? Oh glorious cooled down sided pillow.

After having this exhilarating conversation I started thinking about it in another way.

It reminded me of flipping over situations.

You're so sure you're right - your way or the highway - there can't POSSIBLY be any other side to the situation because you're SO RIGHT!

Well no. There are always two sides, and maybe if you were to just... FLIP OVER THAT PILLOW... you might just realize that the other side just makes so much more sense. You enjoy it, you learn to understand it, and soon enough you become an open minded person.

I for one, have always had a problem with this... What is this "OTHER SIDE" thing you're talking about? That's not possible! Why? ...Because I'm ALWAYS RIGHT! SO HA!

But really no... you're so wrong. Just try flipping that pillow every now and then... you may come to like it - and maybe even realize that that other side might be even more enjoyable than the other. You might just acknowledge it.

Embrace it, it's nothing to be afraid of. Just flip over the pillow.

(The reason why I chose these photos is to show the evolution of my water mark over the course of the year. I first started off with having HUGE "merrysomers" text taking up 1/3 of the picture. I later moved onto it only taking up the bottom left corner. and now.... just simple and white - There are more sides than just one)

Remember When You.. "Once Had That"?

Remember those days... long ago... those days that seem like a dream? They weren't all that fantastic at the time, but OH MY GOD they seem like heaven now? OOOOHHH if only I took advantage of that situation at that time... When I once had that!!!

Not like right now is bad at all, actually it's pretty fucking great. BUT THEN!! OOOOH THEN!!

Once when I had that, things were better, life was perfect, I was happy as can be, they were amazing, I was a better person, I was healthy..... BLAH BLAH BLAH

Oh Then!!
I can list all thee amazing things:

Oh back then, when I once had it like this:

1) Waking up at 8:30 and feeling well rested and eager to start my day at my exhilarating school!
2) Present to my wonderful class and teachers my well thought up work!
3) Eat a healthy Tuna Melt, and talk with my stimulating class mates!
4) Study in the library and feel accomplished!
5) Pick up a healthy, fresh, dinner, with FRESH VEGGIES!! OH MY!!
6) Cook up a new meal and watch your favourite soap
7) Get a cutie - tutie - frutie - lootie call from your super-duper-making-me-blush-crush
8) Go out in the town! Oh how fun!
9) Goodnight world!

I bet you remember your precious way back when days like this? Similar? A little Brady Bunch like? YEAH YOU DO.

BECAUSE: In REALITY they were like this:

1) Waking up at 8:30 and cursing to the world wondering what crack you were on when you picked an 8:30AM FRIGIN CLASS!!!!
2) It's friggin pouring rain and your umbrella sucks and you need to lug at 10 pound board
3) Your presentation is only half done and you get ridiculed by the class and your teacher EYE KILLS YOU
4) Eat half a Tuna Melt and chain smoke by yourself, glaring at people, glued to your iPod for the rest of your lunch break
5) Go home and microwave a pizza pop while wishing you got more than 10 channels
6) Stare at your phone for 3 hours wishing that someone would just give in!!
7) Procrastinate until 3AM and eventually bore yourself to sleep


WELL HELLLOOOOO!!! LOOK AT WHERE YOU ARE NOW!! Is this not the time that in the future will be the "OH THEN! If only I was back at THEN when I... Once Had That"......???

NOW will b a then, and THEN you can look back on the NOW and b like "WOOAAA THAT WAS ACTUALLY FREAKIN AWESOME CAUSE I DID SOMETHING GREAT!!!"

Do it. Make you're "NOW" an AWESOME "THEN"

DONE! HAPPY REMEMBRANCE DAY!

(I chose these photos cause when you tend to reflect, it's hard to remember the details... like these people's faces)

Sharing is Caring: HAPPY THANKSGIVING!

I have problems with sharing. Maybe it's just the only child syndrome, but I believe it's much more than that.
I find this hard on a day to day basis, trying to hold back my snarl when one might ask to use a pen... but I do find it the hardest around this time. This time of thanksGIVING.

Last night my friends and I made a feast, truly, a massive feast, feeding 12 vertically growing people. In order to make the space, we had to completely rearrange the apartment, turn a work desk into a dining room table, and turn my home into a Holiday Inn. Effort that I had always seen families commit to, but never realizing how much work it really is.

Waking up before 1pm on a WEEK DAY is hard enough for me, let alone waking up at 9am on a SUNDAY to be a slave to my kitchen and a defrosting foreign corpse. But somehow, with mass amounts of help (slash me standing in awe, getting exhausted just watching everyone cook) we were able to not burn down the building, and make vegetables and turkey into dishes Hell's Kitchen could never even prefect.

What does this have to do with sharing? MANY, MANY, MANY THINGS:

1) SPACE: I'm kinda the worst for this. Instead of cooking (which is completely useless, except for my masterful potato peeling skills) I just like to hover over the chefs... To pretend I'm cooking with them. With so many people doing different things in the kitchen I feel bad if I'm not right there in the action. Maybe they'll need a spatchula!?! I CAN GET THAT!

2) FOOD: One person may want to make a root vegetable dish with that yam, what if someone else wants to make yam FRIES, OR EVEN.... marshmallow yams?!?!? WHAT DO YOU DO!?! you share... and yes, sharing those yams can be quite hectic, but somehow, we were all able to not show our teeth and bare some bountiful yams.

3) TIME: In order for everyone's special dish to be cooked to perfection, and for the big bird to get roasted all the way to the neck, there's some sharing of appliances to be done.

OVERALL, Thanksgiving is not appreciated fully without going thru the occassionally painful suffering of SHARING. Giving of YOURSELF to SHARE with everyone. Now THAT is Thanksgiving.

And it's worth it.

HAPPY (PRE) THANKSGIVING AMERICANS!!! HAPPY (POST) THANKSGIVING CANADIANS!!!

October Has COME!!??

Well folks,

In three days it'll be October. OCTOBER!?!?!??????? WTF????
Well I never thought this would come, but it basically has. Where has the time gone? I'd love someone to tell me cause I really have no idea... I don't even know what I did this morning. werd.

I just looked at my "STATS" progress on my blog. This month of September was one of my most prosperous viewing months. There has been more readers than ever before.

WHY? One might ask... well because of procrastination... Like I'm doing right now.

Somehow, this month of September has flown by so fast because of it. Getting back into routine, end of summer depression, getting that last drop of Stolis down your throat, wondering if your roommate will ever turn the dishwasher on, and yes, indeed, my most common time spender, day dreaming about what you SHOULD be doing and what you'd RATHER be doing.

Today, I just read in a course book (not my own... because that would mean I'd actually be doing something productive), but my roommates, since it wasn't a necessity - about the different types of procrastinators.



Basically, in my way of saying it, there's 4 different types:

Type 1: You don't do shit all ever and you're guna fail life and live off of heroine shot up in dirty rat pissed needles... on East Hastings - obvs

Type 2: You know you need to do something but you don't (aka ME) and instead day dream about what you should be doing and/or rather be doing (like I said above)... Even though you may be given 4 months to do something you'll wait until 5 hours before it's due to actually lift a finger (aka like my project that's due tomorrow that I've got 1/10th done... and I am now here blogging at 2:30am)

Type 3: You know what you have to do, but you agree to way too many things and can't finish them all. (That's something I do too, but only if it's fun... like agreeing to see who can chug the most red headed sluts (THAT'S THE NAME OF A SHOT FYI..... I asked someone if they wanted to do a red headed slut with me... and the answer was not what I was expecting) ANYWAY, so then the person can't complete all tasks at hand

Type 4: I didn't read that far... I started playing Bejewelled on my phone.



ANYWAY, my point is... there's many different types of us that enjoy spending our time differently. Apparently this month, the cool way to procrastinate from handing in an essay, taking photos for class, making a presentation for your boss, or researching which horse has the most steroids on the track.... was reading online blogs.

So now, October has come. As much as I'm not a fan of New Years resolutions I feel as if we all should make one every month. I'm not quite sure if that would lead into complete depression of adding another goal onto your long list of which hangs over your head like dream catcher... OR if it will actually encourage you to take a step into completing a short term goal which could motivate you into a more prosperous month.

Every year the most common resolutions are "Quit Smoking", "Go to the Gym", "Be a Better Person", "Be Wiser With Spending", "Stop Starving the Dog".... which clearly are all completely unrealistic and just make you hate yourself that much more for not adding another goal, but adding another burden which makes yourself because that you're incapable of completing anything other than opening a bag of Miss Vickey's chips.

BUT for every month maybe try something like "Wash Your Face Before Going to Bed", "Wake Up Before 2pm Four Days a Week", "Cook Food Instead of Microwaving It", "Get a Designated Someone To Punch You Every Time You Say Something Negative" (I've actually done that, not on my own will tho)....

You know, things that you might actually be able to achieve that might make you feel better about yourself that might make you start using your time a little bit better: equalling less procrastination and more accomplishment.

HOWEVER, don't stop reading my blog. That is all for now.

ATTENTION ALL ART GOERS AND BEER DRINKERS!

THIS SATURDAY SEPTEMBER 18TH Vancouver will never be the same…



Heineken Canada is coming to Vancouver like never before. Heineken Canada is creating the ULTIMATE ARTS & CULTURE experience just for *YOU!

*You: Defines: the art student, art interest, blog writer, blog reader, film maker, film viewer, photographers, friends of, critic, fan, reader, seller, buyer, internet junkie, Biltmore goer, Grey’s Anatomy watcher, psychology major, Spanish minor, motorcycle rider, bicycle wheeler, treadmill runner, Converse wearer, Vintage sale scrounger, OR even Biggie Smalls best karaoke impersonator.

YES YOU! ALL OF YOU! WE WANT YOU!

So come join us on Saturday September 18th at 3PM at Beau-XI Art Gallery aka 3045 Granville St (south of W14th Avenue).
This is an amazing opportunity to branch out into Vancouver’s field of artistic treasures, and get that first step to motivating your ever longing passion in the arts.

Heineken Canada CARES and wants to bring YOU to Beau-XI Art Gallery along with three other South Granville art galleries, AND get the opportunity to hear from either the owner(s) of the gallery and/or artist.

This is like no other field trip your high school made you pack shitty lunches for…. THIS includes FREE HEINEKEN for ALL of YOU at the end of the tour at THE ACADEMIC for a relaxing time to ponder with friends over this life changing event.

BUT WAIT! Spaces are LIMITED!!!!

EMAIL: maddie_ross21@hotmail.com TO ENSURE YOUR SPOT! ONLY HAVE ROOM FOR THE FIRST FIVE RESPONDERS!

Popular questions asked:

Q: Do we need to pay? A: NO IT’S FREE BECAUSE WE LOVE YOU!
Q: When do we get the beer? A: NOT UNTIL THE END WE WANT TO REWARD YOU WITH YOUR ENLIGHTENED SOBER THOUGHTS!
Q: When does it start? A: 3PM SHARPE!



COME OUT!!!!

Here's To You TIFF!

Entertainment Guide for the TIFF Tourists: Essentials: Food, Drinks, Clubs.

FOOD:

Breakfast/ Brunch/ Hangover:

Over Easy (Bloor & St. George - across from the ROM)

Fran's Diner (BEST MILKSHAKE - on College st..... by spadina i think?)

Cafe/ Lunch/ Sandwiches/ Sushi:
Aromas (Bloor & Bath - Near Honest Eds)

Black Camel (best sandwiches - Yonge & Crescent - across from Rosedale subway station)

Last Temptations (Kensington & Dundas - Great for getting day drunk too)

New Generation Sushi (BEST SUSHI IN TORONTO - Bloor & Bath)

Dinner/ Burger:
W Burger (I personally haven't been there, but I hear it's the best - Yonge & College)

La Palette (I duno if you like french food- I usually don't, but this place is BOMB - and has great wine and is cheap..... Augusta Ave & Oxford (near College)

Tony Bulloni's (Amazing Italian - Cumberland & Ave)

Pure Spirit's (My fave resturant in toronto ... before I became allergic to oysters... but they still have amazing dishes besides oysters--- Distillery District)

Dessert:
Moroco (BEST CHOCOLATE ANYTHING: also great breakfast/lunch/dinner- Yorkville & Bay)

DRINKS:

Nirvana (My fave place to go to get drunk before going out - cheap, awesome people, service, and amazing selection - College & Bath across from Sneaky Dees)

Last Temp (Used to be my hangout way back when I was underaged, it's still a dope place with a dope patio, but it's usually pretty packed when it's warm)

Ronnie's Local 069 (Another one of my old fave local hangouts with an outdoor patio - Nassau Street & Augusta)

Fomo (It's cool I guess, a lot of "cool" people go there- i've seen Fritz Helder & The Phantoms chill there, but I think it's pretty frigin lame if you aren't there with at least 5 other people and you don't have a "booth"- It's a "Champaign" bar - 270 Adelaide St. W.)

Sultra Tiki bar (I like this place- you GOTTA get the Volcano It's massive, one will get you drunk forsure - with a decent hangover - College & Clinton)

Gorilla Monsoon (is an OLDSCHOOL place I used to go to when I first started going out aka 15. Haven't been there in a while but they gota dope patio, it's great for people watching, and they usually got awesome live bands that are about to make their big break - Queen & Spadina..... NEVERMIND just read that it's been closed for a year.... the place beside it isn't bad either)

Ultra Supper Club (Go right to the roof top, it's a great place to get drunk before going out for a rager, it reminds me of a weak miami trying to be ritzy hotel roof top club - but it's pretty great - Queen & Peter)

Drake Hotel (Obviously)

CLUBS:

Nyood Supper Club (-Upstairs-My favourite 2010 Summer Find! Awesome club to get bottle service, fantastic music, small and intimate, better than the Social - Queen & Dovercourt)

The Thompson Hotel (Amazing basement and roof top, classy place to go anytime - Guarantee there's guna b something special going on there for TIFF - Bathurst & Wellington)

Wrongbar (As much as I hate this place, it's probably the place i go to the most when I'm back - brings in the best Djs to toronto - Queen & Brock)

MOD Club (DUH. I actually love this place, and they bring in the best shows - next to Wrongbar- but everything about this place is just better - College & Crawford)

The Social (It's the Social. It's good, everyone's been there at least 3 times, and somehow everyone still goes there. They still got special events going on and good music. - Queen & Dovercourt)

The Pilot (I've only been there once, but I did enjoy myself. Right in Yorkville, usually +21, fun roof top - Cumberland & Yonge)

Shallow Groove (Pretty cool club, they can be a little bit off the music sometimes, but it's generally fun - kinda reminds me of Strange Love - College & Manning)



That's all I can think of for now! ENJOY ALL YOU TIFF TRAVELLERS! I WISH I WAS YOU!

( I took this photo during the Vancouver Film Fest - outside of an art gallery for the VIFF SPOKED! party)

You're SO VAIN, You Probably Think This BLOG is About You

Well today was my first day back to school.... as it was for most everyone who goes to school.
Everyone's usually pretty pumped because they actually get to socialize for once in there work place for the first time in 4 months. Back to school, back to school, to prove to Dad I'm not a fool...... Pretty much.

Anyway, I see most people getting eager to class, sometimes 15 minutes early just to bite their nails. They wear there most prized outfit which they will probably wear for the first 5 consecutive days just because.... well just because. They got there hairs n nails did like a pro, but on some extra bronzer to prove they actually had a summer, and are raising their hands and asking questions to get a head.

Well my first day of school went along the lines of "FML" the attitude in which I ended the previous semester. I rightfully so, did think that this new start would be a fresh and exhilarating one, but only to find myself suck in the situation in which I had drunkenly left it. With a bad attitude and re-duing all those classes which I unfortunately was too licked and hungover to attend.

Attitude..... does change everything. Even though todays class was a re-due of last semester I still could have gone in there with the mind frame of "YAAAYYYY SECOND CHANCE! NEW PEOPLE! NEW STUDENTS! I'M GUNA GET AN A!!!"........ but instead I continued to slum the negative energy into "HOLY FUCK WHY ARE THERE SO MANY HIPSTERS AND WHY AM I RE-DUING THIS CLASS WHEN I'M ALREADY GETTING PAID!!!!!!"

Well, if you can relate, and really do think this post is about you..... then I believe you. So continue.

This semester my goal is to be positive and excited like i was exactly 12 months ago and put positive energy into the task at hand.. which includes my life style to be:

1) SOBER
2) Rested
3) Open minded
4) Determined
5) Positive

WHY?? Because those are all great things........ and because I'm on academic probation and this is the only way I can get a degree in ART SCHOOL. Holy hell. Have no idea what I'd be doing if I went to a normal university.

But really, attitude makes the difference between a fail and a pass, not to mention enjoying your life, AND even maybe making a friend or two.

Who knew.

That is all for now, my head is pounding from all this work.

What's In A Name?

Well hello there Vancity. I'm back in the blogger world, and bigger and better than before.
I was on a sailing trip last week to get my yachting license and I came across a topic that I'd never seriously talked about before.

Identity.

I've heard n know of people who've had to deal with the weirdest most messed up 21 century crime, identity theft... But I never thought of it being a problem that one can bring upon them self.

I'm not talking about some stupid fuck leaving their bank info in an illegal underground poker game, or cock fight. But about information that people give out willingly, almost forwardly, into anyone's face.

For example, in the above sentence where I just GAVE you information about my past week being on a boat.

Another example is google. I google my alias as one word, as two words, my birth name, and my nick name with surname, fairly often to see what comes up... Yeah, I may like myself a little too much, but it can actually be very interesting.

GOOGLE has even picked up on the fact that my birth name and my alias are THE SAME PERSON. How? My own giving of information, almost unconsciously.

Even though right now it may not be a huge issue that it's pretty obvious these two names are ME. the most obvious of them all is thru FACEBOOK.

Holy hell where do i begin. As I'm typing this I am on facebook changing my name to solely just my alias. Why?

Because I WANT MY OWN LIFE BACK!!!!

Think about all those slutty ass highschool girls who's NAMES have been ruined not only from the sack but also on facebook, what are they supposed to do when they go to an interview?

I'm not saying that I was the slutty ass highschool girl, but I'm saying that my life should be a private one. What if later on I want a job with the FBI and they're like "HAY you can't do that cause we know about that one time at band camp!"

FML.

I am Merry Somers the blogger, photographer, alcoholic, and socialite.

But I am me. And all this information is coming from me.

There's a lot to a name, and I don't want to get to two mixed up or conjoined.

Another reason why: The information of one name should not be carried on to the next.

Merry Somers maybe the party picture girl. But I am the aspiring press / war photojournalist adventure travel soloist.

Wrecking the identity of one name may lead into the next.

What my point is, is doing bring that upon yourself and keep your identity safe. The internet is MASSIVE children.

(I took this pic in NYC in Apirl 09.... I think it still speaks to a lot of people... Even if you haven't been laid off.)

(PS. This picture -along with 2 others- are being published in BURNER MAGAZINE september edition CHECK IT!)