the briars

 In a complete turnabout from where I was the weekend prior, last weekend was spent at The Briars Resort & Spa. It’s a great getaway on the shores of Lake Simcoe, where you can golf, bike, swim, and hike to your heart’s content. I went with three friends (with whom I also happen to work) – I had travelled to Cuba with two of them, so I knew it was going to be a good time.

We got there Friday afternoon, after a leisurely drive up Woodbine Ave. Our ground floor room faced the lake and was conveniently situated across from the indoor hot tub/pool, next door to the bar and about thirty seconds from the restaurant. I recommend the Leacock Wing. Had a good walk about the ground before dinner, which was (and every meal, really) amazing. We wrapped up the evening learning euchre and playing hearts.

Birthday Weekend(tm)

I don't how many times I was asked the same question this past weekend: “what’s so special about this birthday?” And I answered the same way as well: “All my birthdays are equally special.” It’s true. For as long as I can remember, my birthday has been a great excuse for a party. The first party of the summer. Or a joint celebration with my Mom (two days before mine). Or World Cup Finals. Or blockbuster movie releases. So even when my birthday falls on a mundane Wednesday, there’s been a convenient excuse to elongate it to the weekend, at least.

This year is no different. Jadek had already planned to take me to see Beauty and the Beast. Dad wanted to take my Mom and I for a dinner cruise for both our birthdays on Friday. DjDwight is playing his Hybrid set (first Saturday of the month) and all of sudden, we have an itinerary. Nish’s visit home cinched the whole thing together and my birthday became a Birthday Weekend(tm).

Actually, it began on Thursday night, when we went to see a movie. That was a nice treat, watching a late movie on a weeknight. Slept in the next day and moseyed our way downtown to check in. Dinner on a boat that meandered its way through the Toronto Islands, chatting with the family. Had Saturday breakfast at Fran’s before window shopping and heading off to the theatre. Dinner at The Three Brewers (thanks AnCe!) before hotel shenanigans ensued. Yes, I waited until my 32nd birthday to have hotel security come in and try to break up the party. No worries, ten minutes later, we were cabbing it to Neu+ral.

Let’s get it straight, poppets. I was fully inebriated before we even stepped into the club. If there’s one thing us Frenches do right, it is party. And with LilBro around, I had no choice but to keep up. Thankfully, I have a boyfriend who was like a sentinel all night, making sure I was happy, hydrated and generally safe. The next morning, I was in no condition to actually attend our 1pm brunch appointment. So, instead, I nibbled on corn chips while watching the Wimbledon final (so sad, Mr. Murray!).

Best story of the night? There are three:

1. Nish: “do you remember the shots? We lined them up and told you to take yours. You picked one up and downed it. When I said ‘hey, you didn’t wait for the cheers’ you said ‘oh my God, I’m so sorry!’ before picking up another one, saying ‘Cheers!’ and drinking that one too.”
2. AnCe: “I asked you if you wanted some water and you’re like ‘God yes’; I handed it to you, you tipped your head back and attempted to drink. When nothing happened, you got confused and asked me to ‘make it go’ – at which point I simply pointed out that you should try unscrewing the cap.
3. Jadek: “Last call, and I asked what you wanted and you very responsibly, said, ‘water please!’ So I hand you the bottle, you unscrew the cap, lean back on the bar, chug the entire thing in one shot and proceed to toss the empty bottle over your shoulder, behind the bar. Like a Viking with an empty mug.”

Oh dear. I don’t remember any of that happening. I do remember my hair elastic breaking and some stranger giving me hers in the bathroom. And I remember an excellent bartender (Jamie?). The rest… well, that’s what friends are for.

Monday, I shopped and contemplated a piercing before having house food with the family. All in all? Excellent.

AnCe's luggage checklist

Seriously.  This is the handiest thing I've posted in years.

I travel.  It's a thing I do.  My luggage has been on borrowed time.  After coming back from Vegas the last time, some ramp rat tore the top handle (and my cute M&M luggage tag) clean off, ruining my favourite suitcase.  With Japan looming, there is no question that I need a new suitcase.  And since I do travel, it was time to make an investment.  I come from a long line of travellers: I have FIVE aunts who are retired air stewardesses.  Five.  I learned a few things from, but it mostly pertains to actual packing (I can fit a week anywhere into one small carry-on).  When it comes to luggage, I turned to AnCe.

Poppets, I shall now share with you her wisdom.

vicarious loss

Last week, I received a mass-BCC email.  When I opened it, I didn't even understand what I was reading at first.  I must have read it at least four times before it sunk in.  I am not prepared for this, the death of my friend's mother.  I'm just getting used to grandparents dying with alarming frequency; my uncle Len's passing earlier this year broached that invisible generational line.  Upon the fifth reading, it finally sunk in that the funeral was the next day and that, yes, she was only 55.

Honestly, I didn't know what to do.

Route 66

I returned from the Route 66 trip on September 11th and I'm only just getting to post about it now.  Many apologies poppets.  A number of things conspired to keep me from you - Book Fest, Accounting, Work and mundane things like cleaning the bathroom.  Here follows a brief breakdown of the highs and lows that was The Mother Road.

Chicago

Day One: Mississauga to Buffalo to Chicago (by road and then air)
AnCe, Jadek and myself climb into AnCe's car and make our way to Buffalo, where we catch our half-price plane to Chicago.  It's amazing to me that the 40 minute drive has us $300.  Each.  I LOVE my hometown, where if I fly straight home, I'm in my PJ's within 30 minutes of landing (with no connections!) and where, if I'm being cheap, I can cross the US border and catch a plane to anywhere in the States for half the price.  Anyway, we land in Chicago (I marvel at how, really, all airports look exactly the same) and are reunited with Nish, who had landed the day previous, coming from Madagascar (!!).

Day Two: wander around the beautiful Bean Town, with its amazing architecture and yummy food.  Th boat ride is a great way to explore the City.  We pick up our car rental (Nissan Rogue) after almost ninety minutes waiting for it.  At least we get a $250 "discount" (i.e. we're not charged for the extra two drivers).

The Bean (or Cloud Gate)

Day Three: early start to see the Bean (aka Cloud Gate) in Millennium Park.  I absolutely LOVE it.  I want to take it home as a souvenir and plonk it down in the Commons near my house.  Alas.  We pack the car and begin the search for the official beginning of Route 66; after 45 minutes (!!) of driving in circles we find it... barred from access by construction.  I laugh so hard I'm easily crying.  We do find a historical marker as a substitute, so that works out.  Today's final goal is Marshfield, Missouri by way of Lincoln's tomb.  849 kms later, we're there - after 2200 hours.  We also learn the Pontiac lesson today: do not trust any R66 signs that have dates - these are merely senseless detours.

unplanned

How to have an unplanned weekend:

1) Start Early.  I mean, if you can, take Friday off.  I did (having worked a Saturday previously) and so I started my weekend on Thursday night.

2) Watch an excellent movie with a cute Muggle.

3) Spend Saturday afternoon hanging out with good friends planning for your next blowout vacation.  This time, we bought tickets for our Vegas shows, confirmed our hotels and generally got very excited about driving the length of Route 66.


4) Get last-minute tickets to see a show downtown with your bestie.  Afterwards, go to a pub for drinks and confabulation; if the waitress asks for your ID, make a game of it!  Ask her how old she thinks you are and then feel really good about the answer for the rest of night.

5) Wake up early on Sunday, jump in the car and head off for an adventure.  The crazier the better!  If you happen to check off an item on your life to-do list while you're at it?  Bonus!

6) Head home for a shower and a quick nap.  if you get a call from your parents' asking if you want to go to a favourite Aunt's house for BBQ, say yes!  Hang out by the pool, eat heartily and, heck, watch the Women's World Cup final since you're there.  Cheer for the underdog; freak out when they win in OT penalty kicks.

7) Join your LilBro for a pay-per-view Wrestling event at the theatre across the street.  Relish that, for once, you came in after the previews started and still had a kickass seat saved for you.  Totally mark out with the crowd and indulge your secret trailer-trash fantasies.

8) Go home, take a long shower and marvel at your "boring" unplanned weekend.  Decide that life really is what happens while you're planning to live it.

wind beneath my wings

Local adventure seeking brought AnCe and me to a very hot sod farm in St. Jacob's.  This was a spontaneous trip, as it was originally Nish and AnCe going, but what with Nish in Madagascar (more on that later, poppets - it's not that I don't want to blog, it's just that I don't have the time to do it), she needed to offload her ticket asap.  So, there I am!  AnCe and I rock-paper-scissor'ed to see who would go first and I won the honour - so there you see the tiny me!  We climbed quite quickly to two-thousand-feet!  My instructor was pretty awesome, letting me call the turns and even letting me "fly solo" for a bit.  The video is short (we were up there for about 20 mins) but you get the idea. 

I continue to live a charmed life, poppets.  I must have been a very good girl at some point to have built up such good karma.

ringing in 2011

Things I learned during the wee infant hours of 2011:

1) Laotian Bucket Drinks: renamed the Fuck-It Bucket, this ingenious idea requires the following items
- one dollar-store toy bucket, the kind you used to use in the sandbox
- one mickey of your favourite whiskey
- one can of Red Bull
- a splash of coke for taste
- enough ice to fill what's left of the bucket
- plenty of straws
...Apparently, in Laos, these cost $2.50 USD.  Worth every penny.  As Mike said, before you realise it, you're about 25 shots in!  Also: delicious!  So, whenever someone lamented something from 2010, there was a general chorus of "fuck it!  drink from the bucket!"  Good times.

2) The worth of one's pyjamas is directly correlated with how close you are to them.  Case in point: we had a 45-minute walk home that night, in balmy 9-degree weather (Celsius, for my American friends) and two conversations occured.

a) glass v. rock
Me: I think I have a piece of glass in my boot
Nish: Are you sure it's not a pebble or something?
Me: No, it's sharp-ish, like glass.
Nish.  Well, if it's glass, we'd better stop; if it's a rock, suck it up.
Me: Nah, i'll just wiggle it to a place where it doesn't hurt.

b) feet v cab
Me: (after forty minutes of walking) That's it, I'm done.
Nish: what?
Me: I'm done.  This walking thing has lost its novelty.  If we see a cab now, we should just take it.
Nish: We're, like, ten minutes from home.
Me: yes, but in one minute we could in our jammies...
Nish:...*hails cab*

3) No resolutions this year.  As Jadek says, they set us up for failure.  Life changes will be made, including less junk food, more dancing and even more reading.

All the best in 2011, poppets!

Dear 2010,

You've been a good year - a very good year indeed.  I've seen lots of places, done lots of interesting things, indulged in my passions, and been treated like a princess. I'm a firm believer of the five spheres - family, friends, wealth, health and love.  Most everyone and everything in our lives fit on one of these spheres.  I think 2010 was the first year that I felt like my spheres actually clicked together, as opposed to smashing into each other.. 


Family: in a continuing upward trend, my family and I are beginning to enjoy each other's company.  I think my twice-a-week visit helped quite a bit with that.  We've actually chosen to hang out together, play games and just chat.  I know people tell you this will happen, but I didn't really believe them.

Friends: I've been able to actually get this under control - weed out the chaff, as it were. Monthly Book Club meetings are one of my highlights in life and I simply love those ladies.  Finding a new travel buddy that actually jives with Nish and my craziness has been a serious bonus - Ance, you're a gem.  Board games are back on, although with less frequency, and I'm finding that they keep my competitive edge sharp.  Work friends have become real friends (I can't tell you how lovely it is to walk into your office and have roses - or a scarf! - greet you). 


Wealth: it's the first year I didn't feel poor (although, my bank account still does) and I've been afforded the gift of time to enjoy books, movies and mini-crafts.  My job has been extremely satisfying and I feel like I've really made a difference.  My recent promotion, I think, testifies to that.  Speaking of which, in a month or so, I get to go back to a bipedal commute that's under fifteen minutes.  A new challenge and I'm a little excited (though still sad to be leaving where I am now).

Health: any year where I don't contract a fatal disease is a good one. *knock wood* Having gotten over my initial illness early this year, we've had a pretty good run.

Love: ahh, love.  Elusive little minx.  I'm lucky to say I've found someone who will put up with my special brand of crazy and who doesn't seem to mind that I travel without him, have a life outside of him and who loves me despite (because of?) my tendency to be incredibly demanding.  Who knew this was possible?

So!  As I think back to my 2010 resolutions this year, I realise I did almost none of the things I set out to - I think I drank less, read less and crafted almost nothing.  I did get Netflix and began bringing home library DVDs every week, so I guess there's that... but I still watched a LOT of movies this year.  Meh - I don't even feel guilty.  I clearly did something right this year, so why mess with a winning formula...if only I knew what that formula is...

Thanks, 2010, for being kinda awesome.  You've set a bar.

Sincerely,
-Me

[Happy New Years, everyone!  Best of luck for 2011 and, as Elle says, I hope you all make more money than a comatose pigeon!]

the valet kind of life

If you're going to turn 30, you may as well do it with style!  That's what AnCe decided, anyway.  That's how I found myself pulling up to King Edward's Hotel for brunch.  With Pollyanna in the passenger seat, I'm marvelling at the architecture.  And then, a valet pop ups and opens the door.  To my car.  My scratched-up, now-discontinued, plastic Saturn.  Bizarro!  Ignoring all my ghetto twinges of leaving my keys in the hands of some stranger, we walk into King Eddie's lobby with all its early twentieth-century charm.  We are, of course, last to arrive (Pollyanna + Brown Time = inevitable delays).

After the introductions (none of which I remember, really) we dig in.  Brunch is a seven-table affair with some of the most delicious food I've ever had!  Pre-peeled shrimp and made-in-house cocktail sauce, beef Wellington, Latin-style shrimp-and-scallop salad, lamb with mint sauce, four kinds of pate and seven kinds of cheese, cracked-for-convenience crab legs, ... I was in heaven.  And the desserts!  A display case of fudge, tiny muffins, cake, cake, cake, and that mousse-in-a-wineglass.  *faint*

So, yeah, it was expensive, but completely worth it.  If for nothing else but to get a glimpse of how the other half lives.  Happy birthday AnCe!

(sun)day tripper

The next stop in our continuing series of "local adventures" is Petroglyph Provincial Park!  First a little background as to how we ended up here: on our way home from the Yukon, I had commented to Nish and AnCe that we should explore our backyard (i.e. Ontario) like we explore everywhere else.  With little convincing, Nish opened up her Lonely Planet Canada and began a list of places we should do day trips to see.  And so we found ourselves cruising up the 115 to get to the Peterborough area.


The Petroglyphs are the oldest in Canada and are some of the oldest in North America.  They depict various "spirits" and humans and are now protected from the eroding effects of the elements by a pretty cool glass enclosure.  It must have so exciting for the guy how found this site first, trying to figure out if it was sacred or just some 10th-century graffiti.  As it was stands, it was awesome.  There are, of course, no pictures of the glyphs themselves, as the Natives do consider it holy ground and therefore request that pictures are not taken.  As a mere visitor to their ancestral home, I dutifully abide.

But it was only 1330... what to do next?  So we found a hiking trail that looped around Minnow "Lake" and, after only one almost rolled ankle, we were off.  It took about two hours to finish and there was lots of roots, mushrooms and Canadian Shields rocks.  We left the Park in search of new adventures in Warsaw, ON.

Specifically, the Warsaw Caves.  Clearly, we were not dressed for spelunking, but we did walk on some neat cave roofs, crossing many a "hollow" rock and hearing underground streams that we couldn't see.  One family, about ten metres ahead of us just casually dropped into a hole in the ground (seriously , it was only about three square feet) and were it not for their echoing voices, I would not have believed any human beings could have slipped in through such a small crack.  On our way out of Warsaw, we had a great surreal moment where we has a horse-and-buggy pass us on the street while a Ford Mustang growled in our rear-view.  Our cameras just weren't fast enough.  Pity.

Finally: Peterborough and the National Historic Site of the Peterborough Lift Lock.  As I contemplated this structure, I had the following thoughts:
1) engineers are truly mad geniuses;

2) they just pay attention to details in architecture any more;
3) how is one of the largest lift locks in the world in Peterborough!?
Anyway, it was an amazing thing to behold.
Dinner in down-town Peterborough at Karma's Cafe, and it was delicious - if you're ever in the area, go there.

Drive home and park exactly 13 hours after I had left this morning, thinking that these weekend adventures are one of the best ideas I've ever had.

lost boys

Nothing quite like a very long lunch with Elle to bring into focus things that are better left obscured.  We were chatting about a friend with her three-men-and-no-baby situation and it got me thinking.  A dangerous past-time, I know.

Situation:  Jane is juggling three men.  That's right, three.  She has a full social calendar and a good job but can't seem to find one man to satisfy all her needs.  And before we go judging Jane (which I like to do all the time), let's get some facts straight.  Jane is in three mediocre relationships, none of which are whole:

1) Friend-With-Benefits upon whom she can rely for company while shopping for shoes or dinner after work or the occasional hot-and-heavy sex.  He's pretty perfect for her, except she doesn't feel very 'safe' with him, as in, he cannot be depended upon in times of crises.  Her relationship with him is pretty much a physical thing, but can never grow to be more because he doesn't have any interest in growing to be more.

2) Rich-and-Successful certainly can provide for Jane.  He buys her dinner and takes her to the opera.  When he blows into town, he only stays in the nicest hotel rooms and rents the fanciest cars.  He's the kind of guy that found his own path in life early, forged ahead and never looked back.  In many ways, Jane and he are very much alike.  Successful, independent and self-made.  The problem is, of course, that both of them have built these lives without each other in them and neither is willing to make the sacrifices that would have to be made in order live in the same postal code.  They've done everything but have sex and then he leaves for a few months before coming back.  Rinse.  Repeat.

3) Mr. Unattainable is the one Jane emotionally fucks on a regular basis and he does the same back to her.  They spend hours alone over cups of tea, talking about life's problems, strategising over global domination and sleeping in each other's bed (but not at the same time).  They've never so much as held hands, but they get all the sparks with none of the fire.  He's the one who's perfect in theory but whom Jane never experiments with.  Here's the really messed up part: when Jane shows no interest, he's all into her; when she reciprocates, he turns cold; when she's cold in return, he calls to make a date; if she calls first, he won't answer.  See how the name fits?

Jane's pretty happy with her life, except that she's a self-confessed monogamist who is feeling the strain of being someone she's not.  I tell her to stop playing with fire, that it's not so much about all these other men that she may hurt, but that her own self-respect may slowly be eroding.  She insists she's not unfaithful - she only sleeps with one man, after all.  But I wonder, what would FWB think of Jane's 2am conversations with Mr. U?  Is R&S allowed to feel jealous that FWB gets something he wants from Jane, even though he's unwilling to commit?  Is Mr. U an emotional bully or is Jane just a masochist? Why won't FWB just man up?

(Sadly, this would be the perfect time to ask some boys for some answers.  There used to be a time in my life when I was surrounded by boys - and not in the way you're thinking.  Frankly, I get along with males better than I do females.  But somewhere in the transition from young adulthood to where I am today, I lost either my ability to make friends with men or my exposure to them.  This is what working in a female-dominated profession will do to you, ladies.  This is why so many librarians are single.  And the men that I do have are either too personally involved in the Jane situation or are gay.  I miss having straight male friends.  But I digress.)

Sometimes, I think Jane has the best of all worlds.  Most women would tell you it takes roughly 3 boys to equal one perfect man (sexy, rich and smart) and she has her bases covered.  But other times?  I just think she's nuts and is setting herself up for some serious heartache.

a little help

Things I've learned in the last 13 days:

1) Shock is a powerful numbing agent. Also: always go to the hospital if you find yourself in an ambulance.

2) Anti-inflammatories + muscle relaxants = twelve-hour death-like sleep.

3) I do not own enough stretchy-pants.

4) The opposable thumb - you know, the digit that separates us from 99% of the other species that inhabit this planet - is truly the wonder behind our evolution. Try, if you can, to live one day without using one thumb (just one) and marvel at the inability to do the simplest of tasks. Never has a juice bottle seemed so daunting.

5) The measure of your friends is found in your times of need. I cannot tell you how much I appreciate the amount of work and time people have put in for me. Thank you for taking out my garbage, putting away my dishes, making me food, taking me grocery shopping and, most importantly, keeping me company.

6) Mom can still wash my hair and then put it into braids as efficiently as she used to when I was six years old. She can still cook the best "sick" food and never forgets which pills I should take when.

7) Dad always comes through. Always.

ngoma

While I know that the Ex signals the end of Summer, I've never looked upon it with mixed feelings. For me, the summer has always been too long and I liked being headed back to school. In fact, I looked forward to, like dessert after a delicious meal. This year is no exception. In my librarian years, the summer represents a fun, but exhausting, time of year: in July alone, we offered 38 programs with 2,504 kids in attendance.

I've been going to the Ex for fifteen consecutive years and over time, the focus has certainly changed. In my teens, we bought the play-all-day pass and rode the roller coasters until my dad said it was time to go; later, unchaperoned, we stayed as late as Mississauga Transit would allow us. We once rode the Doppel Loopin seven times in a row. Good thing too, as the next year, they had shut it down for safety reasons. There are no more roller coasters at the CNE. As we got a bit older and the exuberance of youth faded, we stated wandering into the buildings. As a kid, I didn't understand why you'd pay to go onto fair grounds and then just shop. As an adult, that's all I do. This year, we only stayed eight hours (as opposed to our usual twelve), but we still hit every outlet in the place. $112 dollars later, I has fifteen new tops, a new skirt, six pairs of earrings and a hair clip. I love this place.

The other thing we discovered upon entering the buildings were the indoor stages. We're no strangers to concerts at the Ex: we had seen I Mother Earth, Econoline Crush, Treble Charger and this wicked Alanis impersonator who made both Nish and I second-guess her identity. In the International Building, they have a small stage as well, where local ethnic groups often perform. one year, we watched our friend's belly-dancing troupe perform.

This year, we watched Ngoma, a dance-and-drum team from the Jane-Finch area. Watching these tiny kids (one couldn't have been a day over six) drum their little hearts out was a little inspirational; I must admit to getting a little verklempt. The "maestro" had some serious patience, often having to give individual direction to the smallest of the bunch. More girls than boys in the group took care of the "girls don’t' drum" mystique too. I kept thinking that this is the sort of activity that our youngest kids need: healthy outlets for creativity and energy. For all the teachers of the world who volunteer their time and talent - thank you.

On a side note: what is it about drums that make my heart beat faster and my breath come a little shorter? I have never been to Africa, and yet I can almost feel the place pulling me there, with wide savannahs providing cool green shade on hot days. The throb of the afternoon sun matching the rhythm of my heart.

ladies night

All I need to reaffirm that I'm exactly where I should be in life is to go out with my girls. See, this is what happens. I stay at work and I get all caught up in being this big work success… you know, senior this and manager that. And suddenly, that becomes this all-consuming force, and I get all down and depressed because I'm still "just" a librarian doing way more work than I should be doing. On Friday, I had the opportunity to hang out with my work mentor and she (the ball-buster that she is) had some choice words for me. Most of them reading something like "you make it too easy for everyone else to succeed - just stop" and "it's your fault no one knows you're bitter - you haven't told them yet" … she's great. With that in mind, I have decided to let it go.

Fast forward a couple of hours and I'm sitting in a bar west of Queen West with my fellow SociaLits. We're talking about boys and trips and work and I'm thinking, you know what? I'm doing well here. I travel lots, I go out lots, I have a good job that affords me my own place and I'm in fairly good health. So, maybe someone two years younger than me (and with a great deal less experience) gets promoted over me - it's probably time I left this sandbox anyway. Currently, I'm doing the job of two librarians and picking up the slack of a senior who hasn't quite grasped the idea that being a senior means doing a lot of the crap that no one else wants to do (that's why she gets paid more than me). It will be interesting to see how the void gets filled when I leave. And it is a when. If I don't get a position as a promotion, I'm willing to go laterally to get away from this insane workload.

All these thoughts swirled about me as I'm getting ready to go out and I had to make a conscious effort to tamp them down. As I'm chatting it up with AnCe, Nish and Senator, I get flashes of what life could be like: I could be working at a way higher-paying job, but then too burned out to actually go out; I could be working at Customs but then be working the 1600 shift and thus processing pax instead of sipping Brazilian cocktails; I could be working at a job that I adore (mmm, Maypole…), but too poor to afford cocktails or condos and be truly miserable. No... employment, in context of life, is pretty good; if I could just stop playing the ranking game, I'd be self-actualised.

Anyway, the evening ended on a bittersweet note: bitter because Nish became ill and had to be escorted home early by Senator; sweet because AnCe and I gorged at a Demetre's. All in all - I love my ladies. I bet they don’t even know the depressing Friday night from which they saved me.

burst

It was quite the long weekend (Victoria Day for my American friends). It shouldn't have been, since I get Mondays off every two weeks, but when everyone you know also has a Monday off, it becomes special.

Started it off with a digital showing of Star Trek. It was the 2140 show on its second weekend, so I didn't expect a line-up. Nevertheless, there were five of us watching it and I wanted us to be able to sit together. Jadek and I got there an hour before showtime and, much to my surprise, they let us go upstairs; further, upon getting to the theatre #10, there are people waiting. What? Anyway, we lined up dutifully, making snarky comments about nerdy trekkers and how early must they gotten there to be first in line on the second weekend. Some guy comes up behind us and asks if "this is the line for Angels and Demons" - oh yeah, I'd totally forgotten that opened this weekend. "Nope" I say at the same time as the guy in front of us says "yep." I go back downstairs to investigate and it turns out all those nerds in front of us weren't Trekkers after all; it also turns out they're all standing in the wrong line. Now, we are the first ones in line. Snarky comments can be heard from those who line up behind us. Good movie; great discussion about time travel and infinite loops and parallel universes follow over nachos and long island iced teas.

Saturday brings us to a party hosted by LilBro while the 'rentals are away. Woohoo! I felt old, trying to keep up with the younguns, but they were good kids. Except that one, but there's a douche at every party. Crawled into bed at 0430, but was disturbed and kept awake until 0600. Birds were clearly chirping and the sun fully risen by the time I got to sleep. I woke up fully expecting to cook breakfast only to find guests already left, sneaky devils. More sausage for me! Spent the day napping and watching snippets of TV. Finally woke up at 1845, drank two Red Bulls and started to get the plan together for that night - HYBRID @ neu+ral. Oh, how I love the Hybrid experience (great music + awesome DJ + cheap drink + fab peeps = fantastic night). Crawled into bed at 0500, after LilBro makes yumtastic breakie.

Monday was hard. Forced self out of bed by 1030. Packed, checked in with the 'rentals in NYC, cleaned up a bit and went home, where I had to cook for the week and do laundry and all those boring adult things. My plan to watch the Survivor finale was foiled by a very slow torrent. Instead, I bundled into a blanket, dragged a chair out on to my balcony, poured a glass of wine and got ready to watch some fireworks. I had expected to a couple. I got a spectacular show, from near and far. Facing northwest, I could see the big shows put on by neighbouring cities and villages which make up mine. I would like to send a special thanks to all the houses that line the 403 between Hurontario and Mavis - you people had some great pyrotechnics! And since I could watch hundreds of houses at once, it was like my own private show! At one point, there were literally dozens of flares happening at the same. It was like that ubiquitous "doomsday" image of many missile silos launching at once (which of course, I can't find anywhere right now - I watched T3 on the weekend, and it had one), except they were flares and chrysanthemums, spiders and kamuros - the entire horizon sparkled fro lose to two hours. It was one of those moments that reminded me just why I moved out.

Happy Vicky Day!

ding

As the year races past me in a dizzying blur, I set out to do one more thing off my NYR checklist: speed dating. In theory, this is something that makes me really nervous: many men, only three minutes to decide which ones deserve a proper date, stopping talking as soon as the bell goes ding… I didn't think I could do it. But AnCe and Nish were going and I thought, what the hell.

AnCe set up our lowered expectations, which Nish confirmed is the key to a successful first date. This, again, goes against everything in me. Why waste my time with mediocrity when I know it's not going to work? Anyway, we showed up and I immediately fortified myself with a drink. Then, I asked the (cute) bartender to pour me a glass of water in my massive wine goblet. He's all "I can just give you a water glass" and I'm all "that would ruin the illusion"… so he pours me a glass of water with a few drops of iced tea to make a perfect replica of rich white wine. I found myself wishing he was part of the speed dating process, but alas.

Anyway, as "G" I found my place in the lounge area. And it began. Now, more than twelve hours after the experience, I will admit that it is mostly a fog. I only have a few highlights…
#4: opened his convo with the usual "what do you do for fun" question, but since he was the fifth person I'd talked to, I was kind of sick of answering, so I said "what do YOU think I do for fun" … his answer? "Hard core porn?" …to which I replied, "it has its time and place. This would normally have been funny, except when he found out I'm a Children's Librarian, he said his favourite book is "superfudge"… all in all? I think he's gay.
#11: moved to Mississauga from Barrie and thought the 'Saug was more boring. I blinked my surprise at him and he says "well, maybe it was the booze and drugs that made it so entertaining"… ooookaaaay.
#8: a Star Trek fan that prefers Kirk to Picard. That killed it.
#2: I liked him - quiet and cute and, when Nish began distracting me, used his jacket as a shield. Charming, really. And I like the geeks - they comfort me.
#7/#8: interchangeable Polish guys who were absolutely hilarious.
#15: aka Alanis. He talked more about his friend Sonia (in Woodbridge) than himself and I thought, "oh dear - you need to ask her on a date."
… All in all, fifteen guys were there and they were all very covnersational. No total freaks or psychos. But dateable? I only checked off six. Now we wait to see if the same six will check me off.

Things I learned from this whole experience:
1) It's hard to answer "what I do for fun" - I read, I watch movies, I play Warcraft and board games, I like to hike in the summer. I travel, but not alone. I like the legitimate theatre (symphony, opera, plays). I want to shark-dive and parachute-drop. But I don't know how to ride a bike or rollerblade or do any cute sporty things. I wish I could have just filled out a card and handed it to them to remember… like a dating resume.
2) 3 minutes is more than enough time for me to judge a person. Thank you, Customs, for teaching me to spot a liar in 13 seconds or less. #13? You are a poseur. Get over your drumming self.
3) I need to ask AnCe what she's wearing before we go out - we have, I swear, identical clothing taste. Either that, or I convince her to room with me so I can raid her closet. Hmm… I wonder what shoe size she wears?
4) I have bad hearing. It was a loud buzzing atmosphere with everyone talking and being gregarious and I had to struggle to hear the quiet ones (the ones I like!), which meant I was watching their lips instead of their eyes and that can't be good. I wonder if a discreet hearing aid would be completely out of the question?

We hear back on Friday. I shall keep you posted, poppets!

single in the city

What's a single girl to do on Valentine's weekend? I don't really put a lot of stock into this demarcated day of love - even when I'm in a relationship - but it's so hard to ignore when you're slapped in the face with it for weeks and then inundated all day. All I wanted to do was hang out with my single ladies, drink a few martinis, eat a little poutine and trash talk all the couples we happened to people-watch. Two out of four isn't bad, I suppose.

It got better the next day, when we had a singles-Timmy's date (though we were foiled by our poutine-for-breakfast plan) and wandered home slowly, stopping in for a little book shopping before settling for home-made perogis, bead-destroying and chat-chat-chatting... holy chatting. At some point, I looked around and said, "why's it so dark" and Nish replied, simply, "the sun went down." Nothing like hangin' with your bestie... you don't have to be "on", you don't have to be more or less of what you are, you don't have to censor your words... because this girl knows you and loves you (not instead, but because). After dinner (mmm, spaghetti and meatballs), and some Disaronno, we and LilBro+one went out out to Neu+ral for a long-anticipated DJ Dwight reunion. God. Was it ever good. We were so sore the next day, but all we did was find out when the next long weekend was and booked that Sunday for another go.

So, the Valentine's weekend came and went. The candy's on half-price at your local store, Easter bunnies have replaced plush hearts and the industry has moved on to their next money-maker. Me? I'm happy to have spent Valentine's weekend with my beloved brethren, reminding myself that family is not just with whom you share your genes but also those with whom you share your life. Next singles event is in April - can't wait!

being cool

Though I have some friends who will attest otherwise, I have always felt that I was never part of the "cool" crowd. All those typical avenues to being cool were totally not open to me (i.e. athletics, music, beauty). Having accepted this shortcoming early in life, I haven't felt the urge to fit in. It wasn't until Friday night that I finally understood why: I have always found a way to surround myself with people who enjoy the same things as myself. Whether it's Hybrid rock or board games or book club, I have people with whom I love hanging out who also like doing these things. Lately, I've been having some trouble juggling all these groups. There used to be a time when all fun things were ignored because I was working so many hours it was impossible to accommodate (though, I did manage to play board games while at work for a few years). Now, I'm finding it hard to fit it all in. I've begun amalgamating friends who like to do many things (Book Clubbers who also like board games? check), but this only leads to hanging out with the same people all the time. This can be good, but I like seeing lots of different people, you know? And I don't have that many dress-up clothes to allow for seeing the same person 4 days in a row socially. I think I finally understand what JC and Jadek mean about me being "cool" - I like people and I find ways to have them like me back. And I don't give a flying fig about who they're wearing or what they do.

Which brings me full circle to Friday night. Leanne (visiting from Cali) insists we dance as much as possible while she's here's, so Friday night finds us (and Nish and Matgician) at Tattoo Rock Parlour along with LilBro, his old friend Gis and his newly-ex-but-trying-to-be-friend DBo.
- First, the club: we were promised Hybrid - we got Pop Rocks; an overpriced $10 cover; hugely overpriced drinks (that I didn't buy, but had plenty bought for me); a way-too-crowded dance floor FULL of rock posers.
- Second, the peeps: the boys in the club were great - laid-back, fun and generous; the girls were trying too hard and were actually kind of bitchy… which is so unusual for rock clubs. I really miss the Funhaus crowd.
- Finally, the drama. LilBro and DBo were "dating" and decided to call it quits. But, at the pre-drinking session, they were getting all cozy. That's fine - DBo seems like a nice enough, if a little flaky. At the club, they get all close and start making out. LilBro goes for a smoke and DBo proceeds to make out with someone else. Of course, LilBro is decidedly unimpressed and I have to step in so he doesn't deck the other guy. This is when my judgemental personality rears her ugly head: I understand making out with complete strangers at clubs; I understand making out with your on-again-off-again at the club; I even understand making out with strangers and your on-again-off-again…what I don't understand is being confused when the on-again-off-again gets mad. What do you mean you don't know what's wrong? Anyway, DBo went home early - at least I think she did because she just disappeared without so much as letting one of us know that she was leaving.

And why did DBo do this? Here are the theories:
1) She was too drunk to know what she was doing;
2) She is stupid and didn't know the consequences of her actions;
3) She is a whore;
4) She was jealous of LilBro and Gis (which is stupid because a) they've been friends for over 15 years and b) Gis is gay).
…it doesn't really matter the reason, because I wasn't about to let her cause enough trouble to get us kicked out so I basically told her to step off. I just didn't care that I may have come off as a prude or a busybody or a killjoy - she was being, in my humble opinion, a total jerk.

I suppose it doesn't matter that it was a clearly uncool thing to do - according to LilBro's status, cool is dead anyway.

falling off

I've been a bad, bad blogtress. I haven't updated in so long - and that too, they were reviews. So here's the Coles notes version of what's been happening lately.

1) ElizaPoppins is having a baby and it's very exciting! Baby Hannah is due in Feb; already I've decided that I will spoil her rotten. Kaylee organised a baby shower. This meant that I was let loose in Babies R Us to buy booties and towels and onesies. All repressed maternal instincts came bursting out, and I totally almost lost it. Everything is just so small and cute - as Nish says, baby socks are my krptonite. I couldn't believe the pile of things I'd amassed when I got to the checkout counter; it was like the beeping register was keeping time with my now-very-loudly-ticking biological clock. The shower itself took care of that: though the baby things made us all "aww" in squeaking levels only canines could register, the bad babies were enough to remind me about why I don't like children. Ahhh, other people's spawn… they are the perfect birth control.

2) Media is accumulating time in my life: on DVD there's Lost and Spaced and The Wire; on actual TV, there's Survivor and Smallville and Stewart/Colbert and (lately) The Hour. This means at least 10 hours are sucked out of my life… 10 hours I could really use. Movies will also be made more prominent soon, as Award Season starts up again. And WoW, of course, has become a personal challenge (ever since they introduced achievements, I feel like I -need- to play). *sigh* what if I had a real hobby? When would that get slotted in?

3) Social Life. There was a time I didn't have one. Then I finished school. Now, I'm back to having several different circles of friends. Not that I'm complaining - they're all wonderful in their own way and I would never give them up. But now, I have the Book Clubbers, the WoW guys, the Board Gamers, the Librarians, the FISees… not to forget my beloveds, Nish, Jadek, JC.. and of course my family… Christ. Something will have to go … but what? Probably Thursday night WoW so I can have one night to myself.

4) Work. Unlike being in Sciences, being at work is … well, work. I have to pay far more attention here than I did over there. I could spend four hours on a desk in Science and answer one question… not so much in Children's. Plus, I'm more involved here. I guess I should just let things go and stop taking on so many responsibilities; on the other hand, when I'm not busy, I'm bored. I have yet to strike a happy medium. What I'd like to do is work extended days and then get an extra day off in the week - that would make for better division between work and play. I always did work better with larger chunks of time.

5) House stuff. Everyday, I go home and feel like a failure. There are empty picture frames which I haven't had time to fill (or even sort through pictures and send to print, for that matter); drawers that aren't organised, things that have no home… I just hate when things aren't in place. I'm not one for change - once I get all homey, I keep things fairly static. But the getting there… I just haven't found the time I'd like to devote to it. Perhaps I need a vacation wherein in which I just stay home and get a project done a day. Like painting the bathroom spots that I missed the first time around or organising the sweaters in my closet or shopping for a bedroom storage bench and a hall chair or … god, there's just so much. I'm not going to think about it. I'm going to watch TV.