A****y E*e

I think it can be really great to receive compliments, it's just often in the way you give them that makes a difference. I think the best way is to be clear that you're not looking for anything in return, and to pay attention to the person's body language. I think it's unfortunate, but I am harassed on the street so often (and by harassed I mean someone follows me, or continually tries to touch me, or won't back down even when I clearly state that I'm not interested), that anytime a man talks to me on the street and I don't know them, my initial reaction is that my guard goes up a little.I don't want to speak for everyone, but I definitely know other women who feel the same way. Which I find really sad, because sometimes conversations with people you don't know are the most interesting and engaging moments, and I feel like there's something so incredible and just human about sharing a moment with someone you wouldn't have otherwise met. But, when someone is clearly giving a thoughtful and genuine compliment, and I feel respected, I think it's lovely to receive a "you look great today" comment, and I definitely appreciate them! Plus, when I feel like someone is being respectful, I'm way more likely to continue a conversation with them. I was once at a bar where a guy had started talking to me, and I guess I had my guard up, and he said "you look uncomfortable, do you want me to stop talking to you?". It instantly put me at ease, and we ended up having a great conversation.

I would buy a really nice bottle of scotch and then be on the first plane to Costa Rica! And then I would invest, buy a house, and donate a lot to some non-profits that are dear to me. After that, I think I'd continue on life as usual, although with nicer shoes and a giant closet.

I never expect it, but it's always a nice gesture when someone brings a bottle of wine to share, especially for longer visits. I don't think of it being about loosening up so much as a nice way to start an evening, but I'd be just as happy to sit down over a cup of coffee. I think it's often more about the act of sitting down, having a conversation, taking your time and building anticipation than what we're actually drinking. A few years ago, I had a close friend who also loved wine and we both wanted to learn more about it, but didn't necessarily have the time or budget for a formal tasting class. So we would read the weekly wine section in the Globe & Mail, pick out one that was under fifteen dollars (we were on student budgets!), and sit down together and drink it. It was a great way to explore, and we discovered some delicious wines. If you're at a loss, that's a great place to find inspiration. I still check there often when I want something new!

Happy Birthday Berlin!! I hope it's amazing! xo

Joan from Mad Men! I spend hours dreaming of her wardrobe...

Hehe those are awesome. I also love this one:

I don't offer oral without condoms, because I'm not comfortable with the risk level. But I think as long as everyone knows the risks involved and is fine with taking them, it's all good. We take risks every day all the time, and weigh on which ones are worth the potential pay-off and which ones aren't, and to me, sex isn't any different! It's also possible to contract some STIs even with a condom, especially those that are transferred through skin-to-skin contact like herpes and HPV. It's true when they say that the only safe-sex is no sex, but where's the fun in that? ;)

Heh I saw that yesterday and also googled it, and apparently it stems from traditional Eastern medicine. I have heard that it can help prevent post-partum depression, and if I was worried about post-partum I think I'd consider it! It made me feel a little less squeamish that they turn it in to capsules, and you don't just, you know, turn it in to a smoothie or something... :s

I'm terrified of bugs, especially when they're indoors. I'm also pretty afraid of Ouiji boards. Growing up, my mother used to tell me that when you use them, they open the door to the spirit world inside your house, and as silly as that may seem it definitely stuck with me heh.

I learned how to take a screen shot today! I know I'm about 5 years behind, but it was a big day for me.

Pesto linguine with salmon, mushrooms and pine nuts... Mmmm comfort food!

I think I've been using the "Thanks" button in the same way I would use the "Like" button on Facebook, and I really appreciate it for that purpose! Sometimes I don't feel strongly enough about something to nominate it, and I don't have a particular comment, but I do want to show some appreciation. I definitely like the new feature, and use it pretty often.

I think the story of the original/first pink shirt day is really lovely and powerful. For anyone who hasn't heard it, a boy went to his first day of high school in a pink shirt and was bullied and harassed because of it, so two older boys decided to buy a bunch of pink shirts and get a lot of people to wear them to school the next day in order to show solidarity with the boy. (More info here:http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/nova-scotia/story/2007/09/18/pink-tshirts-students.html). I think it worked really well because it addressed a specific problem in a really positive way, and it made sense in the context of that situation. I love the idea of a bigger Pink Shirt Day, but the critic in me wonders how much impact these events actually have when they become a big thing. I definitely don't think they should stop, and I'm sure there are stories of how they've helped and made progress, which is great! But I do believe that we need to do that plus other things to get to a solution. I also think that bullying is sort of a catch-all word for things like racism and homophobia when that happens in high school. In order to create lasting change, there need to be conversations about why people are bullied along with conversations about how to stop it from happening.

Is a great glass of red wine, delivered to my bed!

I don't get many pop-ups, but lately there have been a lot of women in Ottawa who want to be my fuckbuddy... lucky me! ;)

Happy Birthday! xo

Happy Valentine's Day everyone! I think this year, I've decided to celebrate "Generosity Day," where the idea is to do random acts of kindness for people in your life, or people you don't know but happen to cross paths with: http://www.ordinarycourage.com/my-blog/2013/2/13/i-heart-generosity-day-with-a-giveaway-of-course.html I think small acts like this can bring so much love in to out lives, and all of that is worth celebrating!

I would say that I'm spiritual but I'm not religious. Although I believe that a lot of good does come from religious communities, I think that the sects and the people that are very rigid in their thinking can also do a lot of harm, especially around sexuality. I am definitely not an expert on religion, but it seems like a lot of religious texts were written to uphold certain societal norms, and that obviously conflicts with the things that we value now, thousands of years later. Part of the reason that I don't subscribe to any particular religion is that I find it difficult to believe that an all-knowing God would be against people doing things that bring them pleasure, happiness and increase their well-being. Aside from the importance of individual happiness, we're all much better friends, family members, and partners when we're happy and that's good for any community. I have to believe that if there is some sort of higher power, that it wouldn't want me to be unhappy for the sake of upholding some standard that doesn't really make sense for the society we currently live in. So if I am a sinner, I'm happy to wear that label knowing that I'm doing what's right and what feels good for me.

Brand new blog! First post is titled "A Wealth of Sexual Experience...". http://www.audrey-eve.com/#!blogger-feed/c5d1

This sounds like a great plot for a porn or an HBO show, but a very bad real life decision! That being said, if you decide to go through with it and find someone who's willing, it's a good idea to have a lot of very clear conversations about your expectations! Like: how many times a month do you expect to have sex? If it stops working, how long do they have to find a new place? Can they have sex with other people in your condo (partners, lovers, etc.)? If they get sick and are in bed with the flu for three weeks and can't have sex, will they still be allowed to live there? And so on...

Like many others have said, I think it's much more rare for people to try and scam the system than most people think. I'm sure it happens, but I find it hard to feel any anger or disdain even for those people. There's a lot of shame and stigma put on people on social assistance, and your life is scrutinized by social service agencies. Even if it's unfair and dishonest to scam government agencies, that seems like an awfully hard and minimally rewarding way to live. I can't imagine that anyone dreams of growing up to scam the system for an extra few hundred dollars a month. And I'm sure most of us have been in situations where we felt like we were stuck and couldn't get out, and it took something extraordinary to happen to make a change. I feel lucky and grateful that I had people around me who were supportive and helped me through those periods, because I know not everyone has that, and sometimes even the tiniest bit of support can make a difference. As much as I believe in taking individual responsibility for our actions, I also believe that we all have a collective responsibility to our community. I really am interested in the question of why people make decisions that they know will hurt themselves and others, but I think the solution lies in asking how we can play a part in helping each other to make better decisions, because that will surely benefit us all.

This is a cute sex ed video I thought some of you might enjoy, even though it's mostly made for teenager I think. It thinks of sex as being like musical jam sessions, and I thought it was a really awesome and refreshing way to conceptualize sexuality. It's about five minutes, but definitely worth watching. Hope you like it!

Good luck with the operation, I hope everything goes the smoothest possible. Sending you warm wishes, and I'll be keeping you in my thoughts all day Tuesday! xo

An interview done with the woman who was the inspiration for the movie "The Sessions". I find it interesting that there is such a distinction made between sex surrogates and escorts. In a lot of senses the description given seems pretty close to some dates that I've had, and I'm sure that many others have had with clients. Regardless, it's an interesting interview, and I hope to see the movie soon! http://www.huffingtonpost.com/lois-alter-mark/cheryl-cohen-greene_b_2570634.html

It might be related to my current obsession with Mad Men, but I love the idea of the late 50's and the 60's, especially when it comes to fashion. Men in suits, women in gorgeous curve-hugging dresses, and everyone with classic drinks. I also love that there was so much change in that time in the West - the civil rights movement, the women's movement, the beginning of the sex-positive/free-love movement. I think it would have been amazing to be able to play a part in those. But I don't think I would have been in to being barred from university and many jobs,among other things, so I'm happy to continue in this era with my nostalgic longing fully intact, able to wear "pin-up" style dresses whenever I want ;).