OK - I've been back to desk sitting at lunch since last week. This is why you may (or may not) have recieved an email from me :) Helene is off on holidays, leaving me with an excuse ot sit on my behind and surf rather than go for a walk..

Anyways, this is why, yesterday, I decided to google my name. Anyways, it turns out there is another Shannon COurtney (go figure) and she has been ambitious enough to by OUR domain name. I checked out her site and her blog and was rather miffed to find it could very easily have been me writing the entries she'd made..from the weakness for a boy who had broken her heart to the leftist tendencies/disgust with the right wing. Maybe there is something in a name after all Mr Shakespeare. Hmm?

(SIDENOTE: you may notice some really loose and nonsensical linkages between occurences in this blog, I am trying to find a reason for everything and am coming up with nothing!)

I am going to Belfast in less than two weeks! A last minute plan that Ailbhe and I concocted over drinks. One last fling with the Irish necessary to rid myself of all future desires. Oh, who amI kidding..I am SO over the whole Irish affliction. Have moved on to the 'Decent, Intelligent, Creative and Kind Male from Whatever Nation' affliction and am currently very afflicted. More afflicted than I have been in a very, very, very long time. And yes, my age does justify those many verys!

Here's your laugh for the day: I have given up all sweets, candies, chocolate, baked goods, etc. for ONE WHOLE month. I know, I know - you are thinking 'Impossible'. Well, to be honest, so am I, but I have done it before so I know I am capable. Its just with all the leaving dos and visitors and parties I am going to have a hard time of it I think. In an attempt to lessen my cravings I absolutely stuffed myself with chocolate over the the last week and went into OD on the weekend. And it kind of worked because even the thought of a piece of chocolate turns me off right now. Unfortunately the thought of gummi cola bottles does not turn me off :( OK must stop writing and thinking about candy or will begin drooling.

This weekend past is kind of a blur. I know we did a lot of bus riding on Saturday and only ended up stopping at ASDA (yuck!) for some food and pizza. I bought two CDs - the Moulin Rouge soundtrack and Frank Sinatra (?????). Saturday night was my big Birthday night out - a crew of Canadians joined forces with Helene and a few Scottish to celebrate. I can't recall the highlight of the night, but I do know I broke a record 3 wine glasses (luckily only one was filled with wine and that was kind of/partialyl KElly's fault..but not really). The night ended at the Walkie and with my lsat chance to talk to Old Guy and show Jen I have some guts....well I blew it. Ah well, what can ya do?

Sunday was free Fringe shows on the Meadows! It was awesome to go out and see some showcases of the talent in Ediburgh this month. I also enjoyed my last gorge of chocolate/candy. It was fun, but also kind of sickening.

Hmm..OK, that's all the news I can recall at the moment. This week involves a haggis meal, cleaning the flat, last drinks with Jen, the CUmmunity BBQ (YUM!!!!!!!) and Grand's 27th birthday! Gah - too much too fast. Jen leaves in a week :(

Thank you so much to everyone for the birthday wishes, presents and cards.

Dear Sister Sahra - I am glad you are of the same mind as I - never too old to drag one's birthday out for months on end :)

Schemida - I plan to put your gift to pracitcal use in the very enar future - be warned! ALso, I am SO sorry I haven't been as, er, punctual about sending a parcel your way. I swear it's been sitting here for ages.. Gah, I suck, I am sorry :(

Father/Daddy -I have decided that indeed I do like the colour pink very much when it is in certain forms. Next time I call you, I'll try not to mistake Greg for you..whoops! Anyways, I gave him a wee update about life over here. .. hope you are enjoying Halifax!

Rana - Thanks so much! I hope your summer is going well..keep me updated and we'll catch up when I get home :)


Hmm..so that's that. I am now officially 25 years of age. I am a quarter of a century. Wow. I like ot imagine that the next 25 years of my life will pass by at a slower pace and be filled with more adventures and experiences than I can even fathom at the moment. I mean really, when you think about it, its not as though the past 25 years have been 25 ADULT years. Here's my crazy Shannon Logic:

The first 5 years of my life were namely involved with learning how to talk and walk (it should be noted that I still haven't mastered the art of walking and am quite sure I will sprain my ankle one of these days as a result. I need REmedial Walking 101 classes please!)

Then the next 12 years of my life I was thrown, quite against my will, into the public school system where I learned some things, but can't remember most of them. I do receall spending most of my spare time reading, biking around N Granville, abhorring Barbie Dolls and collecting My Little Ponies. These were, evidently, development years.

So really, I've only been living the adult life for the past 7 years. For some reason I felt it necessary to spend a further 5 of these years developing my mind (and, unfortunately, expanding my body). So - yeah it's been a long journey to the 'freedom' of adulthood. Phew. I'm tired just thinking of it!!

Given this mathematically unchallengable logic, I'd say I am only about 7 years old, which really means I have about 3x over this until I am half a century.

Some goals & aspirations for the next two and a half decades:

- Stay Alive & Healthy
- Find and Hang Onto the Love of my Life
- Discover my True Calling and Be Brave Enough to Follow It
- Wear Clothes that I Fit into When I was 20. Ahem. ANything is possible!
- See 3 or 4 more continents
- Find out how they get the caramel in the Caramilk Bar (OK, sorry I already know this)
- Write and Publish something that Informs & Inspires Change
-Wear Orange & Purple together and Look Good Doing It!


OK, think I'd better stop there. That's enough for now. Note the rather haphazard use of Capitals :)

Tonight I am gorging...again. We are going out for dinner in celebration of my aging. Dinner for 8 at Bar Italia. Funnily enough, I've only been to this restaurant once before and it was when I lived in Dublin and came here on holiday. Pam & I had dinner while rather inebriated so I can't really recall whether it was good, but the Italian waiters were entertaining to say the least.

Last night I went to see two musicals - Aida & Footloose, performed by American high school students. I much preferred Footloose but the acting was superb in Aida. How wonderful to be able to showcase one's talents at such a young age!

Um..ok one month from tomorrow. is DE day (Depart Edinburgh). The countdown begins. I am excited and just a little bit apprehensive. I mean - what am I doing next?? I don't know! COuld I ask a favour? Could people avoid asking me this question unitl I have a light bulb burning brightly over my head. I need some time to sort through it all - my head and heart are all confuzzled at the moment and I really hate answering a question with 'I don't know', it makes me feel kind of stupid! Thank you in advance for your patience and understanding :)

Mesmerizing, spectacular, entrancing, brilliant, fascinating, inspirational. Nope, sorry, none of these words is quite enough to describe last night. I spent it with Kelly... Ahem. We went to see Tao - Martial Art of the Drum. I'd been advised that it was a spectacular show but nothing could have prepared me for the visual and audial extravagnaza we were treatd to. The choreography, the physicality and the power. I do believe I witnessed the best show at the Fringe. Its a rare thing to leave a show feeling inspired, but that was exactly how I felt after an hour watching these Japanese drummers/athletes performing. Not that I want to be the next Starr or anything - but it reinforced my belief that if one follows one's heart and does something that makes them feel alive, then they can only succeed. There is no failure where passion rests.

A compilation of dos & don'ts from the weekend.

Do not waste your time watching 'White Noise'.
Do take a Sunday every once and awhile and just veg. Don't leave the house before dinnertime.
Do go see Craig Hill's Got the Ballroom if you want to hear some risque comdey from a man in a leather kilt.
Don't take every flyer you get handed during the Festival. Its a waste of paper & ink. You already know what you want to see.
Don't try to give directions via text - evidently texts are skimmed and misread on a disproportionately high rate
Do spend Sunday night out on the town - it makes the weekend seem much, much longer.


Well, back to work again :) Fun fun fun. That's 'Fun Cubed' for the mathematics fans out there