Unemployment Chronicles, Continued.

Being around during the day, I've been discovering things about my neighbourhood that I never found during my back-and-forth walks to the office. I found out this week that the nondescript office building across the street is a beauty and hair school and they have a spa! Joy of joys! I booked myself in for a one-hour spa manicure, for the whopping cost of $15. My esthetician was maybe 19 years old, a cute little blonde girl with glasses in a black smock. She gave me the manicure of my life, chattering away about her course as she worked on my hands, consulting a checklist as she went. She told me about her upcoming trip to Hawaii, and told me that it would be her first time on a plane. She asked lots of questions about my time in Maui, and I reassured her about the safety of flying. She also proudly showed me her term project, a binder she had put together on aromatherapy, flipping through the pages and pointing out the research she had done. I was touched that she had decided to show this to me, and asked questions and made exclamations as we made our way through the binder.

When my esthetician had finished the manicure - which included paraffin treatment and massage - she carefully wrote down for me the name of the nail colour she had used on my hands, and gave me a card with her name on it and asked if I would come back for another treatment with her. And I will - sure, because it's cheap, but also because I felt so, well, honoured by how hard this little girl was working at what she was doing. I aspire to have that level of dedication in whatever I do, and hope it shines through in me the way it did in this girl. I left with beautiful nails and a smile on my face.

The Unemployment Diaries: Week One

Well, it's officially been a week since I found myself jobless, and it's been a bit of a whirlwind.

I spoke to a few colleagues and clients to inform them of my decision on Tuesday last week, and it turned out some of my clients wanted to come with me, wherever I was going. Problem is, I don't know where that will be - but these clients need and deserve to have someone ready to assist them in the meantime. And so, without very little fanfare and little second-guessing on my part, the Danielle Lemon Law Group was born.

It started innocently enough, with my cousin and IT whiz Adam helping me register the domain name. Then all of a sudden I was applying to the Law Society for permission to operate as a sole practitioner out of my home, getting my business registration from the Corporate Registry, obtaining my insurance, and setting up business bank accounts. Business cards were ordered, filing cabinets bought, and I was ready to go.

Socially it was a great week too. My friends and family have been absolutely fabulous and have rallied around me in this time of upheaval and change, and my social calendar for the next few weeks is full with people I finally have time to catch up with. This whole working-for-myself thing is awesome. Now - if only I could make some money!

The only downside is that I'm so wound up (in a good way) that I can't sleep. I run around all day, making lists, coming up with new ideas - and then when I lay down to go to sleep, my mind is still racing. New ideas wait for no one. I keep trying to pack my days even more in the hopes of exhausting myself, but I still find myself wide awake in the middle of the night, scribbling things in my notebook or writing a sticky to remind myself to do something in the morning.

So - yes - I'm still extremely busy. But it's a different kind of busy - it's energizing as opposed to draining. My time is devoted solely to doing what I want to do. And if I want to go see a matinee tomorrow? I'm going to do it. Or maybe I'll go for a manicure...the possibilities are endless!

I Wished On A Whale.

On my last day in Hawaii last week, I was bobbing up in down in the sea, surrounded by paradise, and feeling utterly despondent at the thought of returning to my life in Vancouver. Something has to change, I thought. I was tired of feeling tired, tired of feeling stressed, and tired of spending most of my day wishing I was someone else or somewhere else. As I floated, I looked out to the horizon and saw a beautiful grey whale breeching - so close to shore, jumping out of the ocean with such joy that it brought tears to my eyes.

I wished on that whale. "Please," I said, to God, or somebody. "I need to change. I don't want to be disappointed in my life."

And by Monday, I had that change. I have parted ways with my company and now find myself unemployed. I have given myself half a year or so of financial security in which I can really spend time searching for that change and joy that I wished on the whale for. I am working with a fabulous coach on finding a joyful and fulfilling way to fill my days. It's amazing to feel for the first time in several years that the possibilities are endless, and that they are all fantastic. And that I have time to really think about what I want and gain back some confidence in my own choices.

Watch this space. I hope to have many exciting things to share with you all as I start on this new adventure.


I heart Adele.

I'm super in love with Adele, and have been since I first heard her in 2008. The love affair was cemented when I saw her perform live here in Vancouver at the Red Room - this powerful voice and emotion erupting from this girl who would giggle and chatter between songs. Her talent is awe inspiring. I've covered a few of her songs on my MySpace page, including a new one-take cover of her song, "Someone Like You." You can have a listen here. And then go buy Adele's "21."

Island Living.

Back from a blissfully lazy two weeks in Maui. I swore off social media for the trip and had no laptop, no Facebook, no Twitter, nothing, for the entire 14 days. I felt no withdrawal whatsoever. I had time to read books (8 in fact - including 3 Diana Gabaldon trashy novels, which are big mothers) scribble things in my journal, swim in the ocean every morning, sit on the beach watching whales breach, lounge at the pool listening to music on my iPod (trip highlights: Adele, of course, and the Black Keys) and nap every afternoon.

I was worried about being alone with my thoughts for so long, frankly, being my own worst enemy at times. And there were moments of work anxiety, it's true. And sadness too, remembering the last time I was in Maui, with my Annie. But mostly, it was restful. I smiled walking by the surf shop where Edy and I took surf lessons. I laughed padding over the grass where my brother and I once ran into a toad and promptly ran screaming in the other direction. I thought about my aunt at every sunset. Even the sad and scary thoughts were easy to digest. I was able to make peace with them, carry them comfortably. So I guess this is what "refreshed" feels like.

When my parents dropped me off at the airport yesterday afternoon, my mom whispered to me, "Fill your memory bank, kid." I guess she meant to hold on to this feeling when I plunge back into the race this Monday. I'll do my best. I bought a vintage Hawaiian art print, of a beach, that says "A Trip to Hawaii," and hung it in a place of prominence in my house. I also brought back a little bottle of sand, with shells in it, to keep on my desk at work. Hopefully these daily reminders will keep that memory bank full.

Roadside hibiscus.

Lounging, poolside.

Our beach.
Maui bus stop on South Kihei.

Poolside essentials.

Our garden.

Missing the palms already.

"Downtown" Makawao, up country.

A message from Tahrir Square.

Since the revolution started in Egypt I've been worried about my Pearson College friends who might be there and in the middle of it all. Last night I received this note from my friend Rime who has been in Tahrir Square since almost the beginning. I am relieved to know she is safe (for now) and promised to pass on this Facebook message. Please circulate this widely, as Rime has requested.

this is the first time i use the internet since our revolution started. i have been in tahrir square for almost a week now. i just came up this apartment to shower and to tell all of you out there PLEASE HELP expose the Egyptian regime's brutality and lies. mubarak has given a speech full of lies and simultaneously has used all his regime's money and power to control the media. since his speech the day before yesterday, we have lost many sympathizers, and just as he was succeeding in fooling everyone his regime waged war against us civilians, by sending the plainclothes thugs yesterday, they shot and threw molotov and rocks at us for 5-6 hours, and came back at dawn and used gunshots to scare us, killing 4 people. 1500 people were injured, only to feel more determined. last friday, more than 200 people were killed by the security forces, and after the police apparatus was defeated and cowardly retreated from all its posts, mubarak sent the same police yesterday in plainclothes and labelled them 'mubarak sympathizers'. don't be fooled. mubarak and his regime will not concede power without bloodshed and atrocity... but it's not over yet. we want him out and prosecuted along with his minister of interior.

The Joy of the Routine.

For the past several years, there has been absolutely no routine to my life. Bedtime? Whenever I get to it, and wherever I happen to be for work at the time. I'll wake up depending on what's going on at the office. What's for dinner? Ask me at 7 p.m. For the most part, this lack of of routine has been work-inflicted, but I take some responsibility, for letting the various tides of my workday bash me against the rocks.

As part of my resolution to live quietly and for myself, I notice myself slipping into small daily and weekly rituals and...well, maybe I'm getting old, but I find it downright comforting. For instance, in the morning, I get up now and make myself a cup of coffee, which I drink at my kitchen table while listening to CBC, rather than rushing into JJ Bean or Starbucks on my way to work, if I have time. When I get home, I know I'm either just back from the gym, or on my way upstairs to the gym, and I like the routine of coming home, feeding Currie, and jumping in the shower post-workout while dinner's cooking. I enjoy knowing I'm going to spend 30 minutes at the end of my day in peace and quiet, reading or scribbling in my journal, in my jammies, with my cat on my lap and the fireplace on. I like heading to the Roundhouse every Wednesday to meet my friends for Zumba. I look forward to my Sunday night visits to Acme Cafe to gab with the staff and enjoy whatever the day's pie is. The predictability of it brings me comfort.

These may sound like no-brainers to you, and these routines basic and pedestrian, but my life has been chaotic and hectic for as long as I can remember, and I'm revelling in these comfortable little ruts I'm settling into. The only stress for me is when work interferes (which happens, of course, and more often than I'd like) and I miss out on one of my little rituals. Next up: learning to go with the flow.

Come see me in "A Funny Thing Happened On The Way To The Forum," May 4 - 7, 2011

This hit musical is inspired by the farces of ancient Rome and tells the bawdy story of a slave named Pseudolus and his attempts to win his freedom by helping his young master woo the girl next door. A hilarious comedy, the show features many classic elements of farce - disguise, mistaken identity and of course a lot of door slamming! Stephen Sondheim's hummable songs pepper the action with witty social satire. Forum is an ensemble play that is sure to please!

The Lawyer Show is one of Vancouver's most important legal events and a valued tradition. It is a fundraiser for two of Vancouver's most cherished theatre institutions, Carousel Theatre for Young People and Touchstone Theatre, both registered charities. Every year, twenty or so lawyers take to the boards to prove that acting and the practice of law have way too much in common. Lines are learned, songs are sung, audiences applaud, money is raised and fun and friendship abound along the way.

I'll be playing one of the Geminae, twin courtesans (who keep being referred to, worryingly, as "scantily clad.")

While I'm up in the gym getting ready for this costume, why don't you buy a ticket to support our show?

Contact the Carousel Theatre Box Office for tickets and info at 604.685.6217, and don't forget to mention me. All shows will be at the Waterfront Theatre on Granville Island, at 8 pm.

Early Bird Tickets (before February 28, 2011): $60 (with $30 tax receipt)
Regular Tickets: $75 (with $45 tax receipt)

Your ticket also gets you a glass of wine and a chance to mingle with the cast, including moi, plus you'll be supporting the arts in Vancouver.

On New Years' Resolutions.

I've never been very good at sticking to resolutions. I try, I really do. Every year I try to set achievable, quantifiable resolutions whose progress I can easily measure; and every year, at least for the past few years, I find myself on December 31 feeling like I've accomplished nothing, learned nothing in the previous year. This is probably unfair - I have ridiculously high standards for myself and also only let significant accomplishments onto my radar. Little victories, small sea changes - they don't register with me. I'm always aiming higher, looking for the next hill to climb.

So, that's my resolution for this year: for this to be the year of insignificant wonders. I have set no ambitious goals for myself: this is not the year to lose 8,000 pounds, sign a 3 book deal, host a TV show, get married to my soul mate, pay off all my student loans. This is the year to spend time being quiet, to be healthier, to take things slower, and make every day count. How? By realizing that each day counts, no matter what I think. That spending an evening singing with friends, or cooking at home, or playing with a friend's kid, or sitting at the kitchen table with a cup of coffee doing nothing, even taking the time to work late and finish some work for a client (regardless of whether that work is fulfilling or not), heck, just putting in a good Monday to Friday at work, which will take all of my focus and drive to accomplish - these are all victories. These are all measures of success. And perhaps recognizing these successes will mean I will look back on 2011 with appreciation rather than disappointment, a new kinder, gentler way of perceiving myself and my life - which will actually be the greatest gift I can give myself, if I can stick to it.

Happy 2011, everyone. Make every day count.