Nope....

It's not another announcement of me taking off travelling....I AM settling into the big girl world.

AND it's not anything too settling like a new condo or ring around the finger....

It's that I have officially closed down this website and moved to MSN Spaces!

To find me now go to: http://spaces.msn.com/mellymelalvares/

Good to be back in the tdot for a few days. I officially do not like business travel at all. I like being in different cities....its just the getting there and back that sucks. Softchoice needs to get a private jet.

The Seattle trip continued to multiply in its insaneness. Wed was the Sake Bar opening, and with unlimited sake, japanese beer, sushi and sashimi we were all uber happy all night. The bar is really nice too and will have to for sure keep hitting it up whenever we are in town. Eric and Edwin landed a bit too late to join the opening, but we made sure to continue the party till the wee hours of the morning somewhere else. The next day was the big Softchoice event....(and not to toot my own horn or anything)....but it was spectacular! Great food...the racecar ice martini luge...loads of people...and an amazing real race car out front. The softchoice peeps and vendors then headed to a bar next door for the after-party and in typical style vendors placed down their credit cards and "forced" us to partake in more drinks. Friday was a bit harsh to wake up and pack, but i made it into the office to say bye to everyone and finish up some last minute things, before meeting lu and karen downtown to say bye to them and then grab my flight home.

It was a great mixture of business and pleasure i must say. I do feel like I need to go on a 1 week health detox now, but I hardly ever get to see karen so "I had to" party like a rockstar with her. (some more funny pics: http://www.flickr.com/photos/tags/erikbenson30/ I'm going to download all of mine on Monday)

So we pulled out of Vancity at about 11am yesterday, picked up Jordan from the airport and then put the pedal to the medal to get to the outlets with enough time to execute our plan (we actually downloaded the PDF map of the outlets and planned a route...yes...we have a sickness!). Frigging memorial day meant a long back-up at the border, and then we got grilled since we said we were going to seattle for "work" and we should have said that we were going for "meetings" since we are not legal to work there. blah...blah...blah. I guess the truth is that we weren't really planning to do much work anyhoo!

The outlets were pretty busy. Ended up hitting BCBG for some work clothes (which you never have to feel guity about!), quicksilver for some bikinis, puma for shoes....i better stop now. I have no clue how im going to get stuff back to Toronto. I may need to ship them from our office!

We then rolled into Seattle around 6ish and met up with Karen at her place. That's when we transformed into our new alter egos.....Cocoa (since Lu wore a chocolate brown dress), Noir (since Karen had a black dress) and Ice (since I wore white) We all had different red wigs and boas...and headed out to Erik's bday party. Our oddness was nothing compared to the rest of the party. There was a singing polar bear, everyone had to do 1-minute speeches on various pre-determined topics, and then we all had to eat a piece of the Bacon Bday cake (yes...Bacon...it was sliced and put on top of the icing...and in a middle layer too...salty and sweet not so bad together!) Ended up being WAY too late for a school night and i'm sure we are all having pretty rough days at work today. Photos: http://pg.photos.yahoo.com/ph/mellymel_alvares/album?.dir=/f477scd&.src=ph&.tok=phQV38EB0bYXKZQ_

Today the sun is shining and our office overlooks the mountains and water. sooo nice. Heading home to Karen's soon and we may hit up a friends patio BBQ. This business trip sure is rough!

So last week in Vancouver was sunny and amazing...and then we show up here and its misrable rain and cold....while everyone back in the Tdot has sun and heat! urrgh. Weather aside its been AMAZING! We got in pretty late on Friday and for some reason me thinking that we could drop off stuff and hit the town after a full day of work, a 5 hr flight and a 3hr time difference...was a bit too ambitious. We ended up getting the car and then chilling at my aunts house (with come BC sushi..yum!)

Saturday morning i headed to watch my cousin in the BC Provincial finals. They ended up winning 1st place. Whoohoo! My cousin is totally Agassi...slamming down the racket when things dont work out. I love her competitiveness!

Then we rushed home to get all dressed up for Grad. It was fun to be in higschool again! Prom dresses, awkward boys, sneaking in the alcohol...There was a fancy schmancy cocktail party (with only non-alcoholic punch!) in this huge house's tented backyard. Then off to the Pan Pacific hotel for the dinner/dance. Luckily we got there early and me and the rest of the parents were able to hit up the hotel bar for a few martinis to help get us through the night. Its funny to sit down and have an amazing dinner and the waitstaff keep topping up your wine glass of JUICE! The food was amazing though and the evening was full of cute speeches and baby photo slide shows. Then we all busted a move on the dancefloor for a couple hours before the grads heading out to their post-parties.

I ended changing into some jeans and meeting up with Luen, Rob and Craig downtown. We did some bar hopping, the infamous $1 post bar Vancity pizza and then to craigs new bachelor pad for some Tiger beer and guitar playing. Its great coming back here and being able to chill with old friends.

Today we're probably meeting up with craig and rob for some dinner (and hopefully my bestest UBC buddy Greg if he gets over his hangover) and then maybe grab some beers and a movie and chill out for the evening.

Lu and I are trying our hardest not to end up shopping on Robson. We'll see how that goes.

Photos from the 90's party for your viewing pleasure:

http://pg.photos.yahoo.com/ph/mellymel_alvares/album?.dir=48ccre2&.src=ph

Leaving on a jet-plane in the next couple hours. So excited to hit up the west coast and we have quite the jam-packed schedule. My poor liver.

Yes. I went on a slight blogging hiatus for a while there. It’s amazing that if you miss a week or two…it just seems way to overwhelming to go back in time and remember everything. So this is going to be an Über quick May update.

May 7^th:

Completed my 2^nd Sporting Life 10K. It actually was my 2^nd 10K ever…..actually my 2^nd time really doing any kind of long distance running. I actually managed to run for the entire time (‘cept for when you grab those cups of gatorade…I can’t manage to run and drink at the same time yet) and finished the race at 1:06 which is almost the exact same time as last year. I guess you need to practice to improve your time!

May 8^th:

Realized running 10Ks when you don’t train isn’t a good idea. For sure felt the pain.

Tuesdays/Wednesdays:

Spring Outdoor Ultimate has begun! For sure wasn’t physically ready for the WAY longer games and WAY bigger fields. We should be in top shape by the time the summer season kicks in. We’re on a bit of a losing streak which is getting me a bit mad, but we’re still adjusting. The biggest pain is not playing downtown anymore and having to drive during rush hour all over the city to random fields but I guess the sun and fresh air makes up for it.

Bacardi Breezer Party:

Belizean dancers, rainforest décor, swimsuit fashion show (co-ed!)….and well….free Bacardi breezers. How could you go wrong? I guess I didn’t manage to convince FTs Glen Baxter to bring me into the professional MC circuit…but I did get to see Luen read a male model’s chest tattoo as if it was written in Braille….so it was a successful night.

May13/14:

Toronto Ultimate Festival. Two days….Six 1.5hr games…no wins…and way too many bananas and bagels. I ended up playing on a friends tournament team. It’s amazing since every player was really good….but since we had never played together the team dynamics were lacking. We had some good sun though and I’m finally starting to lose my winter pastiness.

May 13^th:

Birdie’s Surprise Bday Rooftop BBQ…..and like Lu said….there was no surprise or BBQ…but considering my body was pretty much shut down already from the tournament it was good it was a chill night.

May 14^th:

Mother’s Day Sushi Dinner. An all-you-can-eat place never wins when it comes to my family!

May 18^th:

How hot can you go? Edwin being on his recent Sri Lankan obsession got the crew to head to what supposed to be the hottest food in Toronto. It surprisingly sat pretty good in the tummy and even though I thought I was done in going with Edwin, Dean and Eric I managed to leave still feeling “comfortable”

So that’s the quick update. Last weekend started off with Da Vinci code on Friday…which I have to say the post-movie pictionary was a lot more entertaining than the movie itself. Tyler’s got to work on making his cakes not look like factories though. On Saturday I was a suck…and bailed on the Toronto island outing. It was so windy and chilly and I had to work on our TLC costume for the 90’s party. Pretty lame. The 90’s party…well…the photos explain it all so I’ll have to get those posted somewhere. Sunday was Alicia’s Bridal shower…so loads of finger sandwiches…giggling ladies…and sexy lingerie. Monday rounded out the long weekend with some shopping and Pho in Kensington followed by an ice-cream social and light film.

This week is going to be a quickie….since on Friday I’m off to Vancouver!! So excited to visit the old hood. Meeting up with Greg and Craig for some bzzr, Rachel’s Grad Family Ball, Grouse Grind, Salmon & Granville Island Lager….mmmmm. Then Lu and I drive down to Seattle (hitting up choice outlet malls on the way!) to meet up with Karen for the week. (and do some business!) Got a big memorial day party on the Monday and then interspersing some spa time….shopping….chatting….kayaking….between all the “work” meetings we have. It’s all fun and games until I have to take the red eye flight back on Friday night and be ready to go to Alicia’s wedding on the Saturday!

So San Fran and Seattle were both sunny and beautiful. I got into San Fran at about 5pm and headed to my hotel when....Vanessa called me! So Vanessa is this girl that I backpacked Patagonia, Chile with. We actually met each other on the trail and went ice-climbing/hiking in the day and partied like rockstars by night. We've emailed back and forth a bit, and when I found out i was going to SanFran I emailed her my number...but never heard back from her until right then. So within 2 hours we were sitting on her couch drinking red wine (from a bottle...not a carton like in Chile!) and catching up. She took me on a night tour of the city and we managed to find a small lounge which was the only place serving foor after 11pm. When I head back there in the fall I promised to spend an entire weekend with her!

The next morning Jud (the event planner i was interviewing) picked me up in a sweet Z3 BMW convertible which we sped around town with the wind in our hair and sun beating down on us. It was so tempting to forget about checking out venues and sit on a patio on the wharf but we did manage to see a ton of great spaces before I had to jump on my flight to Seattle. He's also the owner of some sailboats and told me i can be First Mate next time I'm there!

I landed in Seattle at around 5ish and check in. Then met up with Karen for a great seafood dinner as the sun set over the ocean. She's been trying to convince us to move out there and moments like that make quite a good case for it. We then ended up meet up her Microsoft crew at a great bar. Man...they had the BEST blueberry martinis...and with an early morning meeting I really shouldnt have had as many. BUT it was the first time that I ever got to visit Karen since she moved out there...and there were celebrations in order!

The next day was more venues and event planners and then back on a plane to Chicago. I rented a car and headed to my aunts house. The weekend there was great, just the relaxation I needed after such a crazy week. Checked out more venues on Saturday and then was officially done thinking about work. Did some amazing Chicago dining, bonding with the cousins and even checked out Katie's regatta.

I must say if I don't see a plane in a while i will be very very happy. It's good getting back to Toronto life. Mon and Tues we finally started playing outdoor Ultimate again!! Season starts next week and then i'm in a tournament all weekend. Thursday was a night at Schmooze and Friday movie night with my sister. Today I just got back from Fencing. Damn is that a tiring sport. I had no idea. Tomorrow I'm attempting the Sporting Life 10K. Should be interesting since I haven't ran outside since last years Sporting Life 10K. I finished last year at 1hr 6mins...I'm trying for 1hr. I don't know why I'd improve if I haven't trained. I should aim to be alive.

So things have been going kick-ass lately in all areas of life.

Ultimate: (I had to start with that first!) WE WON!!!!! Yup, we are the Intermediate division champions. Not bad for first time team eh? We ended off regular season in 3rd place....barely beat the 2nd place team in order to get us into the finals AND then BLEW away the 1st place un-defeated team in the finals by 17-11. Woohoo. It was quite the game and I'm sooo proud of the team and we all now have 1 more championship shirt to add to our collection! Winning team pic: http://www.tcssc.com/players/photo_galleries/photo_gallery_winter_06.shtml

Softchoice: We won Best Workplaces in Canada! It's even better, since we've applied for it for years and never one...and this is the first year that I worked on the application....and we won it! We came in 8th place over companies like TD and Deloitte. We also won #1 IT solution provider in Canada at the Channel awards that i went to on Thursday so that was even more icing on the cake. I'm now on a whirlwind business trip trying to set up some customer appreciation events. Started off in Houston yesterday (where I got to do 10 laps at a Motorspeedway sitting in the passenger seat of a racecar with a pro driver that's driven with Scott Goodyear!...going around the turns at over 150km per hour for sure gets your heart going!) today I'm in LA and then heading to SanFran tomorrow and then Seattle (where I'll be partying it up with Karen!) and then rounding off the weekend in Chicago. So it's a perfect mix of business, seeing Softchoice friends, university friends, new cities, and visiting the fam in Chicago.

Bombay Bling: So this was the big party that I planned for the movie premiere of my cousin's film. It was a HUGE success (yes....i'm patting myself on the back for this one) We had over 140 people there including loads of people from the press and entertainment industry. I even got interviewed by OMNI TV !(I have no clue when it's going to be on though...) The pre-party worked out well and with a FLOW MC and great performers it really set the stage for the screening. The movie was really funny and it was fun to be in a theatre full of people you know. Then the after party. Well...we consumed all 17 bottles and ended up in Chinatown. So I don't need to say more about that....it was a great night. Pics are up here: http://pg.photos.yahoo.com/ph/mellymel_alvares/album?.dir=/1161re2&.src=ph&.tok=phZL_wEBlVpLPIA

Life sometimes feels too busy and hectic to even breathe and you forget to appreciate how amazing you really have it. It's kind of the reason why I have this. To remind myself.

PS. Easter pics are up . I love NY! http://www.snapfish.com/share/p=627181145422698322/l=92763291/otsc=SYE/otsi=SALB AND

http://www.snapfish.com/share/p=836251146001418150/l=94072358/otsc=SYE/otsi=SALB  

yes. I've been slacking with this. So busy with life that there isnt really time to write about it. So I'm probably off the "rotation" now of regular readers....but then again I write this thing more for myself as a way to reflect and remember...so i better get to it.

What was the last entry? March...man. So St.Patty's was insane. Our "offsite" afternoon brainstorming was key to getting us in the bar. But now we have a full-proof way to get everyone in the bar next year. Thanks to some random guy who shared the most brilliant line scam ever.

Man....i don't remember what else i did in March. Went to Atlanta for a couple days for work stuff. I need to get out of event planning...the wining and dining is getting excessive. Harleen's Martini party kicked off the beginning of April...that girl makes a killer drink and it was so fun chilling with the marketing girls and chatting about work. The best part was figuring out the new scam to get into the Brant House. There was a 1hr line-up.....just to get into the 1hr line-up. Insane. I don't believe in waiting to be someone's customer....so we ended up going to West. But I don't believe in not getting what I want either....so we had to figure out a way to get in...and we did. The following weekend was the Birthday Collabo...Chet's, Mjak's,pwee's and jigna's. We had the VIP area at the Fifth Social club. One thing is for sure, Softchoice should not be getting bottle service....as we need a trained professional to ensure proper shot measurements.....since things got REALLY messy!

Just got back from my DC/NYC road trip. Thought visiting my DC boys on a Wednesday would mean for a chill night. Think again. Wednesdays are "happy hour" $1 beer nights at their local bar. Need I say more. So it was pretty rough getting up and to the airport Thursday morning, if it wasn't for Andy taking me there i probably wouldn't have made it.

New York City was AMAZING. It's now my new favourite city. Went around town with my event planner checking out venues and caterers which was amazing. Then Maria and her friend met up at my hotel at night and we had a "Sex in the City" night. Dinner and lychee martinis at "Tao" (the Asian fusion bar/lounge with a big bhudda in the middle from the TV show) Then off to "Cafe Noir" in Soho....and some other bar that didn't have liquour...just beer and wine. We met so many different people....people say New York is snobby...but I find the people there WAY more friendly in the bars then here. Friday I had some meetings in the morning and then we headed to New Jersey to meet up with the rest of the family. Went to church and then the mall. Eeek....is it bad to go shopping on Good Friday? I got a great pair of heels and a much needed pedicure. I'm going to hell.

Saturday it was back to the city. Hit up the Macy's Flower festival, some shopping on Fifth Ave., the FUNNIEST musical of all time on Broadway called "The Drowsy Chaperone", bumped into Julia Roberts on the street, got Paul Rudd's autograph (Pheobe from Friends' husband), walked by Tim Daly (from Wings), window-shopping in Greenwich Village, and burgers at Cafe Bistro (Sarah Jessica's fav place) You know....typical NYC stuff.

The rest of the weekend was all about food, family and fun. We can for sure eat and drink and make a lot of noise. An entire baked ham, 3 racks of lamb, 2 salmons, 8 dozen croissants, 50 eggs.....i could keep on going but there's a size limit on this blog. Pics will come soon. You will understand.

Now its back to life. HUGE ultimate frisbee championship game tomorrow night. Going to the IT Channel Awards to represent Softchoice, seeing the new Toronto play "HAIR", my cousin's big movie premiere of "Quarter Life Crisis"at the ReelWorld Film Festival (Let me know if you want tickets!!) and then I'm off again for my even more insane trip to Houston-LA-SanFran-Seattle-Chicago.

I think things should slow down a bit in May......at least im hoping....

So early Saturday morning (Ok…closer to noon….but I was aiming for an early start but had a late Friday night) I picked up my new car! It’s pretty much the exact same car that I had pre-accident except for a few upgrades. I opted for power windows….since for the 4 months I had my previous car I was already sick of rolling the windows! And considering those 4 months were mostly over the winter…I’m sure when it’s nice outside I’m really going to hate manual windows. So when you upgrade to power…..you have to go up to the deluxe model. So apparently I have a better sound system, fancier tire rims, and some other details I can’t really remember. I also got my arm twisted into getting a sunroof. I’m embarrassed as to how much of a chick I am since I only care about frivolous features rather than anything important. (like Horsepower or something…)

Good thing for the power windows and sunroof, since Saturday was an absolutely gorgeous day. I met Luen on King West and then we cruised around in the new wheels. OK, we weren’t really cruising…we were mostly just looking for parking which is impossible on a nice day downtown. We had a manicure and pedicure date which was much needed. I baked some Banana Walnut Chocolate Chip muffins….and we sat in the spa….got pampered…ate muffins and gossiped about boys. Wow…I really had the chick afternoon with chocolate, spa, gossip and a new girly car! Next Saturday beer, sports and steak.

Saturday night we headed to Waterloo for this Science & Business Alumni networking thingy. It was a dinner and schmooze event to “bridge the gap between undergraduate students and successful alumni” It was fun seeing the new students and filling them in on how things were back in our day. Important stuff like why we started the Student Association (since we used to hang out all together anyways…might as well get the school to pay for our social activities!) nicknames of the professors (Neil “Gladman” Richardson and Profeckle) and our strategies of taking every assignment and splitting it up among everyone to get it done. I’m sure those are not the things we were supposed to be enlightening them about! Best part of the night was chatting with Dr. Globus who was the person who designed our program. He’s creating a new program for waterloo. Get this: Science & Aviation. Not only do you graduate with a BSc. But you also get a commercial pilot license, a recreational pilot license AND an pilot instructor license. All I have to say about that one is….Whaaaa?