Starting December 2, 2011 (today) and going on until December 4, 2011 the 4th Annual West Coast Christmas Show and Marketplace takes place in Abbotsford at the TRADEX Trade & Exhibition Centre.

With only a few short days left until Christmas, the West Coast Christmas Show will be a great place to pick up some unique gifts, get some decorating ideas and learn a few delicious recipies for the holidays.

This year will feature a Dale McKay, Top Chef Canada winner on stage (December 3rd 12 noon) sharing some holiday food ideas as well as Brian Misko sharing some holiday grill ideas. You can read more on the stage scheduled.

Tonight they will also be having their charity Christmas Tree decorating challenge where charities will compete for a $500 prize. The following charities will be competing this year:

• Abbotsford Agrifair: www.agrifair.ca
• Abbotsford Food Bank & Christmas Bureau: www.abbotsfordcommunityservices.com
• The Arthritis Society: www.arthritis.ca
• BC SPCA Abbotsford Branch: www.spca.bc.ca/branches/Abbotsford
• Cassidy Briggs Foundation: www.cassidybriggsfoundation.com
• Children’s Wish Foundation, BC & Yukon Chapter: www.childrenswish.ca
• Focus Foundation of BC: www.focusbc.org
• Fraser Valley Brain Injury Association: www.fvbia.org
• Fraser Valley Child Development Centre: www.fvcdc.org
• Job’s Daughters International, Bethel 20: https://sites.google.com/site/bethel20abbotsford
• Posabilities – New Transitions: www.posabilities.ca
• St. John Ambulance Therapy Dog Services: www.sja.ca
• United Way of the Fraser Valley: www.uwfv.bc.ca
• Yale Secondary School Key Club (Kiwanic Club of Abbotsford): www.yalesecondary.com

I will be heading out there on Saturday and hope to report back some awesome photos and hopefully pick up a few gifts along the way.

What could be better than reliving your 80′s prom? Fighting Chance Productions wants to offer one of my lucky readers two tickets to experience just that with the production of The Awesome 80′s Prom on Friday March 19th at the Vancouver Alpen Club.

The Awesome 80s Prom is a brand new blast-from-the-past party in the style of Tony ‘n Tina’s Wedding set at Wanaget High’s Senior Prom… in 1989! All your favorite characters from your favorite ’80s movies are at THE PROM, from the Captain of the Football Team to the Asian Exchange Student, from the Geek to the hottie Head Cheerleader, and they’re all competing for Prom King and Queen. And just like on “American Idol”, the audience decides who wins! Come back in time and join the breakdance circle or just sit back and watch the ’80s drama unfold.

So how do you win the tickets? Well leave a comment on this post or tweet this and tell me about your high school prom. Was it in the 80′s like mine? Did you have the mullet or teased out hair? Did you dance to Madonna, Dead or Alive or OMD? I’ll be drawing the winner this Thursday at 3pm.

If you don’t win you can also buy tickets for the March 19th or March 20th performance.

I’m looking forward to attending myself and reliving some of those moments in time. I was hoping to have some of my old ’87 prom photos scanned, but alas my computer wasn’t cooperating with me when writing this post.

Update: Some of my prom photos. Yup that’s me in the hat.

Updated:

Congrats to Rich Patterson who was the lucky winner of the draw! Enjoy the your prom!

Tonight Russ and I will be joining a couple of our friends to experience “Theatre Under the Stars”. We’ll be going to see Irving Berlin’s Annie Get Your Gun.

Theatre Under the Stars (TUTS) produced operettas and musicals 1940-63 at the Malkin Bowl. The original TUTS was founded under the auspices of the Vancouver Park Board by board superintendent A.S. Wootten, conductor Basil Horsfall and actor E.V. Young, with advice from Gordon Hilker, to provide entertainment in Stanley Park in Malkin Bowl, which was a band shell for summer concerts. – Source

Built in 1934, the band shell is a two thirds replica of the Hollywood Bowl and was created to honor W.H. Malkin’s wife.

Malkin Bowl

I’ve never experienced outdoor theatre before so this will be a treat indeed.

After a rough work week, all I wanted this weekend was just to relax and not be bothered about anything. I do have to say it was accomplished!

Friday night I managed to leave work on time and Russ and I headed out for dinner to and met up a couple of friends at The Majestic Lounge on Davie Street for a Drag Show. Now I have paid to see one before, but since we were also having dinner there, I was alittle disappointed that we had to pay $5 to get in, just to eat and drink there. At any rate the show was fantastic and I laughed historically at Simone and guest. Simone’s Symone’s opening number included running outside the restaurant and into running traffic all the while performing her number. The look of people on the street seeing this 6 foot drag queen running at them. Her closing number included her roller blading around the restaurant…priceless. One of her guest was a burlesque performer and she actually stripped down only to reveal her pasties. I ended up having 3 Killer Koolaides and Russ had 5 Lemon Martinis and was feeling no pain.

Saturday we both pretty much had to recover from our night out and just vegged for most of the day. Of course I got to take Junior out for his walks and he had his fun as well. Not to mention having some more cupcakes from Cupcakes. YUM. We later watched the movie “There Will Be Blood“. I am still trying to understand the full meaning of that movie. Was Elijah actually Paul with a split personality or was he a twin? Oh well I guess I will never know.

Sunday with the day being so nice we headed to Steveston to enjoy the weather. This is a nice bedroom community with lots of fish and chip shops everywhere. Though I have to admit the fish and chips are more expensive than downtown. We walked around enjoying the First Annual Steveston Farmers and Artisian Market and boardwalk.

Over fifty vendors will come together in the charming waterfront community of Steveston, B.C. for the first annual outdoor Steveston Farmers and Artisans Market. Offering fresh local produce, healthy foods, flowers, plants, and unique works by local artisans, the Market opens weekly on Sundays from 11am- 4pm from May 4 – September 28, 2008. Located in the parking lot of the Gulf of Georgia Cannery National Historic Site*, the Market promises to be a lively and memorable home grown event.

I of course didn’t wear any sunscreen so my face is nice and red and I look like a raccoon. Ahhh the joys. I hope I won’t look too bad come Monday morning.

You can view more of my photos from Steveston on my Flickr Page.

My weekend of just relaxing was accomplished! Now bring on next weekend!

Yesterday I attend the Massive Technology Show at Canada Place. The show had your usual companies selling their wears and services. I did find it entertaining that in the middle of the floor there was an “Activity Area” which included Rock Band, a mechanical bull riding machine, and Dance, Dance Revolution. I started to wonder if techies do anything but play

I did run into an old colleague of mine, Rebecca, who was also a speaker for the “New Media – Collaboration in Business“. Since everyone else is using the photo I took of the panel I thought I’d share it here as well.

You can find more details about the show from Rebecca at her blog [post 1] [post 2].

After the show I attended the Networking Reception held at Republic and had a good time mingling with techies and their like. It almost makes me wish I had more of tech job than I currently do. Hmmm some food for thought.