kirinkirin G-raff funknation

kirinkirin @ 2007-04-13T15:57:00

2007-04-13T22:57:29Z

Whee - going to NAB in Las Vegas tonight!

Happy Easter!

2007-04-09T00:52:09Z

Joyeux Paques! In Amerika (CA) there is no statutory Good Friday holiday. Boo. In Lima there's a whole week off for Semana Santa. But I got off at 3 pm - yay! If I had the Friday - Monday MTL holiday plan I'd be working all weekend anyway to get ready for NAB so no matter.

Let's go photo post to help catch up on recent events!

I hear it snowed - twice - in Montreal this week. At least it was cloudy here all week(end), so I can post this pic of last weekend's laundry rollerblading extravaganza:

And lo!

Serendipitously, we ran into Michel K and his wife Karen Saturday while vegging out at Real Food Daily in Santa Monica.

And then again on Easter Sunday! Small town.

Vince and I in the sunny bliss.

Me and 'Manders were having a chop stick duel at Bite.

My best Edna Moe face waiting outside El Capitan, the Disney theatre in downtown Hollywood. We saw Meet the Robinsons. Very good, especially the Tom Selleck parts. A go see.

Short clip of Hollywood and Highland from the waiting line.

Boys at Easter Sunday Champagne Brunch, Chaya Venice.

Ladies all bubbled up!

Bright Button

2007-04-04T03:56:00Z

Day Two at new job life. Good dear, good. So little time for FaceBook and LJ. Le sigh. At least I have my very own office now!

We saw Blades of Glory on the weekend and Meet the Robinsons. 3D movie good, Blades, not so much. And there was a secret meeting of secretness that I cannot reveal at this time. Let it be known, however, that I have been called "a bright button" by someone famous. I hope that doesn't give it away to the one person I am trying to hide it from!

SNN Makes Me CRAZY

2007-03-30T18:04:10Z

Getting into USA is one thing. Getting legal is another.

My lovely American friends tell me that since illegal immigration is so outta hand here, LEGAL immigration is controlled to a T.

I applied for my Social Security Number early Monday morning. No number will be issued until USA checks with Canadia to ensure I am really Shannon Maureen McPhee. No SSN = no Cali driving permit. No permit = no insurance on Vince's car, so no wheels for me. No SSN = no bank account, which means no USA credit card. No credit card and no SSN = no new cell phone. ARGGHHHHHHHHHHHHH.

No cell phone, no car, no bank account = crazy Shannie. The best part of not getting the phone was this:

S: But yesterday I talked to your service rep. She said I could get a phone with a Canadian credit card and passport number.

Rep: I'm sorry ma'am, but I need your SSN number.

S: I just moved on Monday. I've applied for a number but it will take two weeks. I can't get an SSN before then.

Rep: Well then, do you have state ID?

S (incredulous): I DON'T HAVE STATE ID CAUSE I DON'T HAVE AN SSN NUMBER BECAUSE I JUST MOVED HERE FROM CANADA.

Rep: Then how about a US passport?

At least I know it will get better. Today we are going to Griffith's Park and maybe to see David Lynch and will watch Blades of Glory or Meet the Robinsons or both. AND I am currently addicted to Jerhico.

AMERIKA

2007-03-26T17:26:54Z

I MADE IT IN!

WOO HOO!!! Happy times. Today is social insurance, bank account, driver's licence day. It seems odd that I will do my test in a Mercedes. This place is crazy. Good home for a bunny!

So now I have succumbed to the million facebook requests and gotten on there too. I wonder about the sustainability of two sites.

Two Days to Departure

2007-03-22T21:49:13Z

I went to the land border for trial one of the TN visa. Of course the application didn't meet their needs. So it's fix-up crunch time before Saturday's departure. Good times!

Moving, Round One

2007-03-21T14:09:49Z

Last week we moved from the 10 Duke building back to 90 Queen. It was round one in moving for me! This Saturday is the big show. So things have been busy lately.

Today is Laurent's B-day! We're having a birthday/sayonara party at Caro's place tonight.

Random

2007-03-16T03:21:36Z

Cruising on quizgalazy.com, I checked what Shannon would be defined as in a dictonary: "Similar in likeness to a Kangaroo." Hopping around a lot, a menace to farmers, carrying around a kid named "Joey" in a pouch? Why not?

Shannon McPhee: "One who falls into an outhouse and dies." Gah. Good thing I got away from the east coast of Canadia.

Which in turn prompted me to check "Shannon Brisebois" reconsidering if I should change my name once married after all. Lady B = "One who is good at making ravioli".

Since I haven't quite got the knack for pasta, I'd better avoid those crecent-mooned doors in the backyard. City life it is for me!

Cho Hisashiburi Pic Post

2007-03-05T04:08:36Z

OK, so I said I'd get around to it and here we go.

Momma Morgan and Baby Mia

Me and Kelly. Some of you might have met her in Japan in 2004. Strange that we have the same haircut, we haven't seen each other in a while!

Mia is so cute!

Here she comes...

...and here she is!

Baby chill.

Back in Montreal, we got a crazy blizzard!

Zoodle and I went out trudging around in it on Saturday. That's one thing I like about Montrealers. Snow doesn't really stop us at all.

Crazy dragon of Parc Lafontaine. You never know what you'll find out there. It was Nuits Blanche this Saturday, I was at the nuit blanche in Paris in October as well.

This was an engagement party leftover. Laurent and Luc gave me the crown, sunglasses and rock. I was loving it. Vincent looks on super cutely at my silly antics!

To Lurk or Not to Lurk

2007-03-04T03:08:19Z

Hey LJ buddies, I'm just wondering if political lurkers ever post anonymously in yer blog, cowering behind anonymity instead of engaging in dialogue?
(Note - scattered worldwide friend lurkers - I LOVE YOU!)]

Hope things don't get wierd, I would hate to have to disable anonymous posting for all my non-LJ friends. :(

Ack.

2007-03-02T04:06:35Z

I need to update but really need some time away from a computer. I was in Toronto yesterday for some meetings and saw Morgan, Mia and Kelly! Good times. Pics to come. In the meantime, I reccomend Porter Airlines if you need to fly between the Toronto-Ottawa-MTL triangle. They make it glam to travel again!

Back in MTL today and crazy crazy crazy getting ready for the Game Developer's Conference (GDC) in San Francisco next week. Wheee! And a blizzard on the way!

kirinkirin @ 2007-02-23T17:27:00

2007-02-23T22:35:38Z

Britt gave me my xmas present (February 20). I feel the joy of a Wednesday gift.

Feel the PacLuv!

Dave has the Knack burning in his eyes. He is the zen of retro gamer.
[Ed. note - I tried to PhotoShop the yearning out of his eyes, but it looked worse, not better. More lessons please, Mr. B!}]

Darren likes to work the stick. He has the reigning high score in Ms. PacMan. Vivien (the cat) takes a break from blogging as she is marginally amused with the humans' latest antics.

Fun party!

2007-02-20T23:28:27Z

Leo and I are loving the good times. Me more than Leo I think.

I didn't take enough pictures.

Angela got the party started. I helped out!

Me and Lucos. He was all emotional about his "petite fille".

Me and Laurent

You're invited!

2007-02-14T00:03:38Z

If you can come, please do!

Glamourama!

2007-02-13T23:31:36Z

The Autodesk crew at the 2007 Visual Effects Society awards gala.

George Lucas gives Dennis Muren a lifetime achievement award.
Don't know Dennis' work? Bet you do - and love it. Try here: http://imdb.com/name/nm0613830/

And Masi Oka, of Heroes. He used to work at Industrial Light and Magic before stepping over to the other side of the cameras. "Oka-sama! Issho ni sashin tote mo iin desu ka?" He's from Tokyo so I broke the ice with that.

Back to the commoners, then. Here's Karen Raz, of RazPR, me, and Julie from our client relations team.

And me and my boo.

Busy Week

2007-02-12T00:38:20Z

I haven't been posting while out here but that doesn't mean things haven't been busy. In fact, that usually means the opposite.

#1. I GOT ENGAGED! Holy crapola!

I've had some big smile photos in my life but that one might just be the smiliest. And I love that flash diamond glitter on our sunglasses

He asked while we were walking around the Venice canals. I had no idea.

On Monday we went to the first Google Santa Monica speaker series. It was an event that screamed, "WE'RE HIRING!" Plush white carpets, open bar, then over to 3rd St for the actual panel discussion. Good times. But no photos.

Last night was our friend JFP's 40th birthday party. Photos.

Shannon and Vince and Kirk.

Shannon and Michelle and Melanie

Mmmm, sushi! Shannon loves food!

This is baby Daphne and her mom Violet. Her daddy Bruno works in the LA office. Everyone came over for dindins on Friday night.

And I had some good job interviews leading to offers and visas and moving, oh my! More on that once things firm up.

I am posting in a gala gown, waiting to go to the Visual Effects Society awards over in H'wood. Love the blogging diva! More champagne, please. Vueve Cliquot! Vueve Cliquot!

Fly Away Again

2007-02-05T20:02:59Z

No surprise, as I was getting ready to fly back to LA on Saturday morning, we got another snowstorm. Laurent and I went for a walk in the snow.

Love that neige! And that scarf-mitt set! Merci Arabella!

I got my Air Canada prestiege card & upgrade certificates just before departing. I wasn't able to go first class though. Poopies!

Only one suitcase! A monumental acheivement!

It was 85 degrees and sunny in LA yesterday. And -20 C in Montreal today. Ahhhh....

kirinkirin @ 2007-02-02T16:29:00

2007-02-02T21:31:16Z

It's after 4pm on Friday so I'm drinking wine at work. There was no Stella beer today so wine it is. And I'm drinking it out of an Alias glass! Vince hates Monkeys and Maya wine.

I am so going to this:

If you're in Montreal, feel free to join!
Off to La La Land tomorrow.

Rabbids!

2007-01-29T20:23:58Z

Wheeeeeeeeeeee! My Ubisoft pal Cedric kept his promise and sent me the bunnies! I am in rabbid heaven!

Sunday Brunch

2007-01-28T22:24:07Z

Today we were all going to Cafe Republique for brunch to celebrate Angela's birthday... and then Angela cancelled! So sad. Caro, Luc, Laurent and I still made a date of it though. Out of the house in the -20 C weather by 10 am Sunday morning means that someone is going to serve me coffee!

Les filles

Les gars

And this one just cause it's cute. It's so blue that it looks like a Montreal winter shot, but this was taken under the San Fran bridge on the way from San Fran to LA with Vince.

IGDA Chapter Meeting

2007-01-27T15:23:54Z

Last night I went to the Montreal chapter meeting of the International Game Developers Association (IGDA) with Leo Teo. A Wii was raffled! But I didn't win. Alas! It's so an evil fact of life that Fred B would win.... damn him! Even more heartbreaking was that I didn't win the Rayman Raving Rabbids character set either. Whining pays off though - I think I will get a set from my Ubisoft PR friend Ced next week. *fingers crossed!* I will post pics of my soon-to-arrive amigos when I get my fix.

In the meantime, bunnies can't crash game conferences. But they can dance. Luckily, I am scheduled to attend the Game Developers Conference in San Fran this March so I don't have to bust in with a friend in a box. As long as it's not a dick in a box... but that's another story, right Dave? Chotto. FADE TO BLACK!!!

Click through to watch the bunny luv.

kirinkirin @ 2007-01-21T21:28:00

2007-01-22T02:29:06Z

Ow Absenthe makes my head hurt. But not as badly as wine could. Go figure. Last night I saw Ryan Paulson's (www.ryanpaulson.com) show, Pentecostal Wisconson with my friend Dave. It's a semi-biographical comedy about his life growing up, well, Petecostal in Wisconsin. So funny! Ryan's been staying at my place during the Montreal Wild Side festival.

My cousin Bernard was also in town this weekend. We eventually had a nice brunch after freezing for a long while while trying to find a place still serving at 3pm. Jeez.

Take back my life!

2007-01-20T18:03:22Z

... for an evening. On Thursday Caro and I went to Luc's place for a fun dinner. Caro is channeling trojan warriors to battle the Montreal Gods of Winter:

And last night I finished reading Love in the Time Of Cholera. Bless the hopeless romantics and their tragedies, it's up there with Casablanca. Here's looking at you, kid - thanks for the reading suggestion.

I am the Snow Queen!

2007-01-16T23:12:05Z

I think my snowflake tattoo has marked me . I arrived in LA and brought unseasonably cold weather that persisted through much of my stay and lingers there now. I returned to la belle ville on Sunday night and then we got a crazy blizzard.

Me and Britt bundled up out in the snow.

Roohi and Britt take refuge from the wintry blasts.

Now it is -14C, going to go down to -23C overnight, without the windchill. Canadia is taking its revenge on me for living in exile for four winters!

Northern girl

2007-01-15T04:47:13Z

I am back in Montreal. Very tired. Can sleep now, even though it's only 9 pm in LA. ZZZZZZZZzzzzzzz.