I love my friends.

I had some vague, outlandish ideas for some pictures I wanted to incorporate into my Northern Voice presentation, so I asked the best photographer I know if he would donate some of his time to help me with my project. Reilly had a free Saturday afternoon, and one Facebook invite begging my favourite people to come out for a few hours and see if the images in my head would translate to real life (or if I would just have to Photoshop that unicorn in) later, we had a date.

I don’t know whether it was because they love me or because I promised beer afterward, but every person I asked (except Gina, but even I would ditch me for Vegas so that’s okay) came out to the rooftop of a rainy, pee-soaked parkade in Gastown on a Saturday afternoon to do my bidding. I haven’t seen the aftermath yet, but I have it on good authority that the pictures in my head translated perfectly onto (digital) film – I cannot WAIT to see them. All the props and planning and worrying that I did seems to have paid off, and I am so excited to put my presentation together (if still terrified to deliver it).

The photoshoot wasn’t without some issues, though – for example, I forgot that it’s good form to have the keys to the handcuffs before you slap them on someone in the name of art:

i used to be able to unlock these with a fork, but i didn't bring one of those either - it took brute force to get them open. oops.

When we had shot everything I could think of, we packed up and headed to the Black Frog where I thanked everyone with a round of beer. I really should have bought Dave several rounds for the handcuff fiasco, but I will just have to owe him more beer later.

I’ll ask Reilly to post the pictures after Northern Voice, because there were some hilarious things going on. In the meantime though, thank you SO MUCH to Reilly, Miranda, Josh, Shan, Heather, Chris, Renee, Yunn, Barry, Darren, Dave and Ed – in addition to doing me a huge favour, you all made me feel loved and junk!