G10 Fantastico

Let it not be said I've given up on adding photos to posts.  I cleaned my car today.  It was a lot dirtier than I had originally thought.  I was unable to get the sap off my windshield, that shall require a second go.  While I was out back I took a quick snap of the most unused garage in Toronto.    It has been a learning experience having to use a back alley way for parking.  Sometimes it's nice, sometimes sucks hard.  I wish I had this nice big spot to pull into and not worry about a having someone park so close I can only access the car through the back passenger door.  But I digress.  Plenty more photos to come, hopefully.

The Long and Overdue Post

Not a whole heck of a lot has changed since I updated last, except I am now gainfully employed!! I've never wanted anything given to me without me having to try, but my dad set me up with a sweet offer with a wicked recommendation such that they couldn't refuse offering me the job. I work at a company that imports and distributes fire safety equipment (what whaaat). My hours are 7:30-3:30 with Friday afternoons off. I spend most of my spare time these days sleeping to catch up on what little sleep I get each night. Though I am getting better and going to bed at a reasonable time. I'm being trained to take over multiple responsibilities relating to the financial side of the business. Money in, money out, give me money now, you pay now, etc. It's a teeny tiny company, with just 5 other employees, and so far I love it. I actually thought I would die waking up at 6am every morning. Week one was a complete success. Week 2 I faltered to snoozing until 6:30, but this week I've been back on track so far. A huge huge huge huge huge weight has been lifted off my shoulders. I can spend money again, on things I've wanted for a while but have had to do without. I finally got a replacement antenna for my tv and it's total sick-boss-wicked. I just need to mount it on the wall and it picks up like 10+ channels. Not bad for NoBlo.

So what else did I buy. I just bought a new camera off of Sim for a ridiculously good price. I've been meaning to take it out and take some photos, but I've been le-tired. I went to Shoppers and dropped like 2 fiddies on stuff I wanted. Actually most of it was stuff I needed but I picked up some Veet waxing strips. OMG, awesome. They hurt like a mother, and my legs went bright red and itched like an expletive, but the end result was fantastic. Of course I missed some spots cause I'm a buffoon, but next time I get all the hairs! I tend to let myself go for about 9 out of 12 months when I can wear pants and not be judged, but maybe this way is better. Actually I'm pretty sure it is better.

I was just watching The Girl That Player With Fire on Netflix. I kind of stopped half way through. As good as the movies are they make my stomach churn in a really uncomfortable and unnecessary fashion. Rape and torture are really just disgusting, and they aren't even alluded to, it's flat out in your face sexual abuse and physical assault. BARF. Next.

I've been sick for a few weeks now. I don't really want to admit it but I've been feeling worse lately and not better. So hopefully that is about to change, fingers crossed.

OH, and how could I forget, I've been summoned for jury duty. Great timing gov't. I've been sitting on my ass doing nothing for months dying for income and as soon as I get a job you summon me away. I'm hoping that because they had my address wrong I won't qualify for the pool they are pulling for. Here's hoping.

And lastly, a moment of silence for the old blogger layout format thing.

Ciaos.

AMAZING!!!

Straight from Newfoundland. Thank you Adam!

Book Review: Baghdad Express

Baghdad Express, by Joel Turnipseed, was the first Gulf War Memoir I've read. There seem to be mixed reviews. I enjoyed this book. I didn't love it, but it was a solidly acceptable read. I'm not really selling it am I? Joel provided a really interesting perspective to the war. As a part of the Sixth Motor Transport Battalion Turnipseed wasn't in a heavy combat zone and admits to struggling with being considered a hero. The story follows his journey from the US to Saudi Arabia and back to the US. His keen interest in philosophy has his nicknamed Professor, and he adds snippets from philosophy texts he spends most of his spare time reading.

If I took anything from this book, I think I finally understand the ending to Full Metal Jacket. Perhaps there's no connection, but I have a feeling there's a link.

To Sleep, Perchance To Dream

I'm exhausted. I just want to put my head down and sleep, and not be soaked in sweat in a matter of seconds. Without my fan I can't cool down enough to sleep. And with my fan it's too noisy. So I'm screwed. I thought I might as well blog.

Adam is in Newfoundland right now and I'm jealous. Although I don't have the motive or the money to trip out East, a part of me pines for the adventure. I'd want to go back to the Bay of Fundy, and take the hwy through the middle of NB, and tour Southern NS, and Cape Breton, and of course spend more time on PEI. But most of all, I want to visit the Rock. The last province on my list, and the toughest one to get to. My time will come.

My Jackie is leaving me, and I've been mentally avoiding the matter. Now that it's less than a month away, shit is starting to get real. I can only hope that some day we find ourselves living in the same city together. I promise if we do I'll make you as much grilled cheese as you want (for one day).

Hot diggity it's been hot out lately. Today I think it reached a high of "feels like 42/43." I took some recycling down and took a seat outside and I was sweating from doing nothing. NOTHING! It really truly helps to have a fan pointed at your face all day. I don't know what I would do without this fan. Surely surviving would not be it.

I have an interview next week, second round. It's kind of my last hope. If I'm not employed by the end of the month I'm giving my two months notice. My parents have promised me the two adjoined rooms downstairs. One for a living room and one for a bedroom. And I could even use the back door as a private entrance if I wanted. But having slept on the first floor while I lived there previously I know that I'd be waking at least my dad up if I came rolling in after 11. Or to be honest, some nights 9.

So what's new. Took another mother sponsored trip to the Wychwood Barns Farmer's Market. We walked down which was nice. Momma got me some veggies and coffee and paid for a nice lunch at The Rushton. I got stuck on the 401 in dead-stop traffic last week for over 3 hrs because a tractor trailer exploded at Bathurst and 401. Coming from the hwy I chose express thinking I'd flip back over. That decision sealed my fate for the night. The 409 skips the Kipling express-collectors off-ramp, and the Keele off-ramp was closed. Anyone lucky enough to be in collectors was forced to exit at Keele, but that's what I wanted!!! To make matters worse the express lanes closed after the Allen and we all had to bottleneck into the empty collectors, and then bottleneck again into the furthest right lane and pass the fire in a single lane. I say single lane, but some very lovely respectable people thought the paved shoulder was a second lane for their own personal use. I should have rammed them, I really should have. I also wish they had "opened" the Keele offramp and allowed us to exit into the collectors and onto Keele. There was no point to the closure. It wasn't under construction at the time, and the only thing stopping us was a parallel cop car and a few pylons. I'm surprised more people didn't go for it. In the end I had to go all the way to Avenue and double back. Rawr. While we sat and waited I did see a few collector side pickups for family members that for whatever reason couldn't last. And the passenger to the guy ahead of us waited about 2hrs and then grabbed his shoulder bag, hopped the barrier, ran across collectors, hopped that barrier and disappeared into the darkness. I can only imagine he was met by several large fences, but I guess a guy's gotta do. An 11pm airpot pick-up, with a quick McDs stop at the end had me home at 4:30am. I was dead tired, but I knew I needed something in the tummy so I could sleep. The final bit of icing was the fact that McDs was out of fries so we had to have a side salad. It was ok, but not really the point of fast food. Ironically, the pick-up was planned for 7:30pm but the first flight was missed. All that for nothing. Thank goodness I peed before I left my parents' house, though that didn't stop me from thinking about having to go for 5hrs straight.

I spent a good amount of time cleaning up today. Tomorrow I put away an eternity of unfolded but washed clothes, clean out my closet (not very messy), put away my last moving box from the Nemesis shoot (I know), a more thorough desk tidy up and we're done. I did a surface cleaning for when my mom dropped by last weekend, but now it's time for a thorough one. And if by the end of the month it's time to go, it will be all the easier to pack up. And if I get to stay it will be much nicer to live with.

That's about all. I am kind of wired now. Hoping reading a few more chapters will help me slip into dreamland.

Book Review: Mister Pip

I've been posting the books I've read on the side bar for a while now, but I thought perhaps it was time I try my hand at a review or two. I just finished reading Mister Pip by Lloyd Jones. I've noticed lately it takes me a few chapters to get invested in a book, and this novel was no different. Eventually something clicked and it was like I wanted to know more and couldn't help but to pick it up and dig through 50 or 100 pages a sitting.

Young Matilda is growing up an a small war torn island in the South Pacific. Everything seems to be collapsing around her but she finds something to hold on to when "the only white man left on the island" steps in as the teacher and introduces the class to Great Expectations. Perhaps it was because I read Great Expectations in high school, I caught most of the references. And I'm not going to lie, having watched the Ethan Hawke version of the movie helped some too.

It was nice for a change to read a novel with a single narrative. It seems like a lot of writers require telling the story from multiple points of view, which can be alright but also can grow tiresome. It shows commitment to have a single voice, because when you pick that voice it has to be the right one to draw readers in. As I mentioned I wasn't sold off the bat, but I can be like that. TV shows I now consider favourites got a resounding "meh" after the first show or two.

The book took some interesting twists. There was some gruesome behaviour which I could have done without. And also the last 20 pages should have been summarized into one page and been done with.

In looking up the publisher's link for this book I noticed it's been made into a movie, which should be coming out this year. If Hugh Laurie wasn't starring in it I may not have considered watching it, as I'm not sure what a movie could bring to the table that the novel didn't already provide. And there are some scenes I would rather not have a visual for. I'm sure they would be discreet, but still.

Perhaps this has been a lackluster review, but the process needs to start somewhere.

I Am a Rocket Ship, I'm Out of Control

I've been kind of quiet with posting lately. Not much new is going on. I have a phone interview on Wednesday, so I'm keeping my fingers crossed for that. If it's the one then I can stay in my apt. Otherwise I need to get over it already and give my notice. I'm just not ready yet. I know I'm somewhat of a broken record on the matter, but I just can't get over it.

I got back from a nice solo trip up North. I do get nervous sleeping alone there by myself. I guess it all depends on the situation. I can hear noises outside my window here and not sure if someone is in our "backyard". I use that term extremely loosely. But I got over it. I sat on the deck and took in the breeze, feed the chipmunks, and took the occasional dip in the lake. The water was magnificent. I ate mostly food that was already there, which was nice. I also vegged out on some tv. I should get a new antenna for my tv here. It's such a waste for it to sit in my living room unused. I also use the word living room loosely. Because really, how could you define this space? On Sunday when I had to make a meal, clean all of my dishes and then sweep and vacuum I was missing having a second pair of hands there. But being able to just melt into the deck chairs and not worry about what anyone else thought was pretty brilliant. Lemonade on a hot day is pretty brilliant too.

I wasted almost all of my phone battery taking videos and little photos of the chipmunks. And I liked one of the videos enough that I uploaded my first youtube video ever:

I wanted to name the chipmunks but I only got around to one of them. I called him scarface because he had scarring from a gash on his head, about 1cm long, which was most of his head. Nikki and I had named the stubby tailed chipmunk Quoi de Neuf from that time we were there and the only channel available on tv was an ad for a French quiz show called Quoi de Neuf. What of nine?

I just finished rereading Alias Grace. I heard it was being adapted into a movie and I wanted a refresher. And I just read that Sarah Polley is directing. I am very much looking forward to this. Since the time Jackie pointed it out in a bookstore and I read through it like butter I have been in love with this novel. I even tried to get my mom to pitch it to her book club. They said no, but she's going to read it anyways and try again for next year if she likes it well enough.

Anyhow. That's it for now.

Not Going To Stop

I'm at my parents' house right now. I am for the first time in a VERY LONG time, gainfully employed. I should hold onto this feeling because it will be over on Friday. A week of work is a week of work, so I can't complain. It's something to put on my resume to interrupt this seemingly endless gap. Just in time it seems, as my EI claim has just ended. I guess it's officially do or die time. Unless I want to make this cold lonely basement room my new home. Since I was running out of daytime minutes I thought I would come home so I could take advantage of unlimited minutes (and I'm not complaining about the AC).

What else. I just had 3 cavities filled. Luckily I have a dental insurance program. 100% coverage. It's called "My parents are paying for it." I struggle to accept handouts (except from the gov't), but for dental health I'll take it. Otherwise I wouldn't go twice a year, and I'd have found myself in even more of a mess. Also my dentist gave me a hardcore good deal for his time. And I passed all of the savings onto my insurance providers.

I almost took a walking tour down Oakwood Rd on Saturday for an outdoor arts festival, but the rain kept me inside. I was also going to trip up North this weekend with a few extra days tagged onto the end, but this gig kept me in town. I'm going to try to get away next week for a few days during the week. The one and only thing I detest about tripping up there alone is being alone at night. I know I have neighbours on each side that are always around, but I'm so paranoid. It doesn't help I have been overindulging in crime shows on Youtube for the past few months. One time last year when I was alone up there I was kept up by what I'm going to call hooligans. ATVing off the hwy close to our road. Every rev made my heart flutter, like a gang of 20-somethings were going to know I was alone and come attack. Truth: I left the tv on low all night to keep me company. Moving on.

It's been a while, so I thought I would update. Not too much new going on. Life is still slowly crumbling. The new same old.

If You Can Hear This Say "Heyyy"

I got back yesterday from a nice relaxing 4 day weekend up North with Nikki and her bf. As per the usual routine, on the way up we stopped into Fisher's food store, and then after making a food plan, replenished at a local grocery store. Nikki's bf had brought up some meat from M&Ms shop which was super yummy. I should try stopping in there more often. One night we had butter chicken but BBQed the chicken first. Cooked up some basmati rice. Delish!

When we got there the water hadn't been turned on just yet, so I called up the local contractor that takes care of the property. He came the next morning, and just in time too. I can't say we did much all weekend but lay out, relax and drink. Marc and I even got up the nerve to take a quick dip in the lake. It was fun, but I do look forward to the water warming up in the months to come. We had a fire on Sunday night, and played with taking pictures of ourselves writing our names with Sparklers. The next morning we cooked up some French toast (w/ gluten free bread), and then got ready to clean up. When Nikki and Marc went to the dump to drop off garbage and recyclables I finished the vacuuming and drying the rest of the dishes. With what time I had left before they returned, I baited one of the chipmunks to pose for a photo. Not much baiting required, just a peanut really. One of the chipmunks was significantly more brave than the rest. One afternoon after handing out a handful of peanuts the little guy crawled up my leg and right up the front of my shirt looking for more. Any sudden movement would have caused him to abort immediately but we all got good at staying very still.

It was a bit cold when we got there, but overall one of the warmer Vic weekends we've had in the past few years. I had fun with my camera. I really need to get it fixed though. It's nice when the black dot falls on something inconspicuous, but when it doesn't it's reaaally annoying. Anyhow, here are some of the photos from the weekend:

Neighbourhood #5: Queen West

I'm under a bit of time pressure right now. My ride for a weekend trip up North is on its way, but I didn't want to leave this hanging until Monday. Feeling right back into the exploration grove, and being granted beautiful Spring weather, Sim and I ventured around her hood last Friday. Queen West.

Normally a neighbourhood takes at least an effort of preparation, but QW is so chock-full of great stores we didn't even need to. All I knew was that I wanted to try out Tequila Bookworm, and go into the paper store by Trinity Bellwoods. A lot of what came to follow was req'd by Sim.

First stop was Americo Yarns. If I had a million dollars, I would buy their entire stock of soft yarn and roll around in it all day. But I don't, so it was a nice look around and a quick chat with the owner and we were on our way. Tequila Bookworm was our first stop. We each had trouble understanding what brand the server had recommended to me. If it wasn't local to the region of Sim's cabin we'd still be trying to figure it out. Sim had the Cheshire Red Irish Ale. All together now, Che-shire. ;) Due to our late start we didn't dally too long in case some of the stores were early closers.

Next we found ourselves at Romni Wools. I could have gotten lost in that store. I think on top of picking up crochet I'd like to learn to knit. But I'll definitely leave that one until the money is coming in again. We went downstairs to the discount section and I picked up this cute multi-coloured ball. Based on the size it wasn't a total steal. But I'm sort of just becoming accustomed to the actual price of yarn, so maybe I shouldn't speak to that just yet. I've made several attempts on that baby cap, but I know I'm not counting properly. And extra stitches just wreak havoc as you continue on. This might end up just being a test cap. I might pitch for some super soft yarn for the final. But I am definitely digging the colouration. Next we popped into KolKids. I checked the price on the first little onesie, $75. So we quickly retreated.

On we went to the paper store. I feel sometimes I'm morally against paper because it's so destructive to the environment. But I was in heaven. I could have just stayed and stared at the paper all day. I have no use for decorative paper, but hot damn it was pretty. I also spied a little fabric button maker kit. It got me thinking about the button press Sim linked me to a while back. I still think of that press often. One day. They also had a bunch of cute little toys (ie. Sim's mustache). On the way back we popped into Rotate This. If I was into Vinyl that would be a dream stop. I probably could have looked through a little more thoroughly but Sim is past physical CDs so I thought we should move it along. The last three stops were a ditch effort to find something for my mom for mother's day. We went into Valhalla, Ten Thousand Villages, and Outer Layer. I finally picked up a cute hand drawn card with two little penguins and a heart. And I filled it with a secret note for my mom.

It was really an effortless afternoon. Queen West is really a superior neighbourhood for hanging out and having fun. Cameron House, Shanghai Cowgirl, Tortilla Flats, Java House, Dog's Bullocks, and that's just on the West side of Spadina. We finished up the night with a meal grilled by Spence, and some board/video games w/ Spence and Mike. A great day! And a day with one major revelation. Some things never change:

Sim 2012:

Sim 1998:

Until next time Toronto.

Unionville: Run for Women

My mom and I walked the 5km in a recent Starbucks women's marathon. Most of the 10km runners got in before us. And very few came in after us. But it was still fun, and a nice walk. Unionville is really really cute. I was the only person not decked out in exercise gear. Luckily no one commented on my beer t-shirt.

Neighbourhood #4: Leslieville

We're back! And with a bit of a vengeance. An unfortunate amount of time has passed since our last trip, but we are back. And our most recent conquest: Leslieville!

Leslieville has long been a neighbourhood I've been interested in visiting. Just past the somewhat questionable intersection of Queen & Broadview and before the Beaches (don't even try to call it the Beach), Leslieville is one of the next up and coming neighbourhoods. Sim mentioned it was noticeable how the cityscape was lacking condos. It was nice, to say the least. I even mentioned it would be a place I could see myself living. The only problem I have with gentrifying neighbourhoods is that suddenly the boutique upper class quality of all the stores is beyond my position in life.

We pulled up just past Carlaw and parked the Sebring in an awesome pull-in parking spot. We threw in money for the maximum time (3hrs) and were on our way. First stop was Roy Public House for some good eatin'. Sim and I each decided to order a new-to-us beer. For me that was the Waupoos Cider, and for Sim that was Tennents Lager. I forgot to ask how the lager was, but the cider was yummy. I ordered the Cornbeef sandwich, and Sim went for the Fish & Chips. And surprise surprise she modified the side to be sweet potato fries and garlic aioli dip. I was moderately satisfied with the sandwich. Maybe wouldn't try it again but no real complaints. Sim on the other hand was not satisfied with a key component to her meal. And I'm not talking about the Fish, and I'm not talking about the Chips, I am talking about the garlic aioli. Once again I potentially embarrassed myself by bad talking the meal in ear shot of the server. I'm entitled to my opinion but I'm not the type to intentionally embarrass anyone. The dip had curry powder in it! And I said to Sim, it's not a bad dip by any means, but it's not what you ordered. Regardless of that mini-rant, it was an enjoyable lunch. And if we had been able to keep all of the money the lady beside us kept dropping on the ground it would have been a really enjoyable lunch.

Looking out the front window of the pub we noticed it had started to rain over lunch. We had felt spitting earlier, but it felt like sun rain that wasn't going anywhere. We decided to feel it out and continue on our journey. Next stop was the River Rock Cafe. We dodged around some construction trucks only to find the Cafe was closed. No time to mourn, it was on to the next. We swung into the Leslieville Cheese Market just because I had jotted the name down as a place of interest. To be honest there wasn't much cheese and it was a quick swing.

A friend of mine had mentioned that L-ville was a hot spot for furniture stores. Zenporium was the only one we made it into. There was a lot of hand beaded gift items, and a mixture of wood furniture. It was pleasant enough. A nice break from the continuing rain as well. Deciding that our day was not going to work out, we chose the last few spots to hit up. Six Shooter Records was no longer there. I foolishly forgot to keep going to check out the Yarn store. I don't know when I'll be back out that way so darn. And that is NOT a pun. Darn it (that was). As we realized the store was no longer we also happened to be standing right in front of an awesome artisan barn type store. It was set up to display a variety of different local artisans, specializing in a wide variety of crafts. From photography to leathercraft. Sim could definitely have a setup in that shop, a big setup. And in a small corner I would sell crochet coasters for $2 a pop. I had actually read up on that store previously, probably on BlogTO, so that was a pleasant surprise to happen upon its doorstep.

We crossed the street to stop into another crafty boutique. I wanted to check out to see if they had any cute baby clothes for my soon to be nephew-once-removed (my cousin is preggers). That was the third strike as we were greeted with a "back in 10". Maybe if it had been a pleasant sunny day we could have waited it out. But frustrated and starting to get uncomfortably wet we kept on. We stopped into a promising looking cafe, Te Aro, but it was full so we called it a day. We both had plans for the evening, but there was still a few hours left. And we knew what we had to do. It was time to save the world from complete destruction, care of viral epidemics. We lost the game in a record 2 turns. Go us.

That's it. 4 down, so many to go. Looking forward to many more. And also, for your viewing pleasure, here is a fish smoking a pipe:

On To The Next

I will take better care of my next Moleskin notebook. And I will try not to wash it too.

Le Poulet de Beurre

After years of wanting to do so, I finally accomplished home made butter chicken! Is it a bad thing that I enjoy the PC brand sauce better? Mine was still pretty bitchin. The best part was the chicken. The recipe called for the chicken to be marinated in a yogurt mix for 24 hours. The minced ginger was perhaps the best touch of all. It was mad tasty. The sauce was based with onions and a can of tomatoes with various spices, mixed with whipping cream and butter before serving.

I haven't been up to much lately. I did invite my mom down last weekend for a trip to the Wychwood Barns Farmer's Market. She treated me to a ton of stuff. From fresh veggies, to lime basil seeds, to natural spun yarn. Then we stopped into the Eco store on St. Clair, and came back to my house to meet up with an accessories artist. She only did home visits in Toronto so my mom made use of the visit to use my address for that visit.

And also, last Thursday I helped my neighbour who had thrown out his back. When I was leaving the house he was laying beside his car screaming in pain. I couldn't do much to help him. Luckily he had some back pills in his car, so I fetched them for him. And I cleaned up what he was working on and locked up his garage. I unfortunately had to leave him but told him to call the EMS if it didn't get better. A few days later I came home to find a box of chocolates outside my inside front door. My downstairs neighbour told me later that he had dropped them off to thank me. Made me feel more like a part of this neighbourhood. As little as that might be it still feels nice.

And lastly, in most amazing news, Pepsi has brought back Pepsi Lime. And I'm having one right now. And it's awesome.

Talk Just To The Stars

I'm in a relatively good mood today. I'm not sure if it's because I've started to work out again, or if I'm just getting a lucky break. When I say I've started again I've biked for two days. I'll be getting on again today, and tomorrow my mom and I are going to walk to the farmer's market in my hood. This is all leading up to a 5km charity walk up in Unionville in May. If I can up my fitness level even a touch before that time then I'll be happy.

I tried another crochet project. I'm almost out of green yarn. I tried to do this in the purple, but I was getting lost in how the stitch was supposed to look, it's harder to read on darker yarn, so I ditched it after two rows. I had an idea of making it long enough to be a head wrap. It doesn't suit me so well, but it was fun to make.


I want to attempt homemade butter chicken tonight. I just realized I don't have any butter, but that's what convenient stores are for right? I'm excited to see how this turns out.

Crochet!

I spoiled myself today and picked up a crochet needle and some yarn. More $$ than I would normally want to spend, but it will be nice to use my hands again on something crafty. I used to do cross-stitch and make bracelets with embroidery floss, so it seems crochet (pronounced: krow-shet) would be an appropriate next step. I also went to Wychwood Barns for the first time. The gourmetness of it all is above my pay-grade ($0/hr), but when I'm making money again maybe I"ll give it a real shot. At any rate, here's a photo of my first attempt at practicing my stitches. I found a really cool tutorial for a weave stitch. Once I get comfortable enough I'm totally going to try it out!



Update: So I have a bit of honing to do. But I'll get there eventually. I'm actually thinking it will be nice to make my nephew-to-be a baby cap :D

Best Only

I found my notebook, and I feel like some sort of natural balance has been restored. I also finally shimmied the rest of my furniture back into place. While cleaning my desk I found some felt stoppers so I felted the wheels on the chest and pushed it gently across the floor. Just a little at first to make sure it wasn't leaving any marks. Now I can access my drinking glasses, and start to unload the last box into it's rightful place. Won't mean much if I'm shortly to be leaving, but it feels better.

The hat party was a lot of fun. Most everyone brought a hat of sorts. Danielle took first place, apparently by a landslide, but she deserved it. She affixed a game of travel connect4 to a wool beret type hat, and actually set up the pieces so she could play it. And she even doubled it for a chip bowl at one point too. Although I started out loving my hat, I think next time I'll just take whatever reject leftovers the host has to offer.

The following night I was volunteering at the 15th Annual Comedy Cabaret for Raising the Roof. It was held down at Second City, and I was helping to run the coat check. My friend Arthur ended up helping me hang the coats, which worked out well for me because it would have been a real challenge on my own. We had runners going up to guests and bringing their coats back two at a time. Leaving them on the table as they ran off to get more coats. The show had a pretty impressive line up. There were a few faces that I recognized but that I didn't know did stand up comedy. Like, the guy from Cash Cab? Though part of his sketch was running a little charity quiz with a random guest. I should have been up there. Some of them were so obvious but they needed a hint so they won less money. For example, if you were to be dialing 867-5309 who would you be calling. And then a Beach Boys question, and the couple on stage didn't even wager a guess.

I finished Blind Assassin a few days ago. Atwood is a master of her craft, but I struggled to finish the book while I faded in and out of having my interest kept. Still, it had been on my must-read list for a while. Since it took me so long (starting in January), I've kicked myself into reading gear. I still have a load of books piled up to get through. That makes it sound like a chore, but it's not.

I'm going to take a walk to my local knit shop soon. I'd like to take on my first knitting project. With some encouragement from Sim I'm going to do it! And I've join Ravelry so I can keep track of what I've been up to. When I get to the store I'll have to look to see if I want to start a knit project or a crochet project. Opportunities are endless! (Depending on the cost of course).

And also, my mom has signed us up for a charity walk in Unionville in May. So I need to start getting into better shape. It's only 5km, but I still need to work up to it.

That is all.

Silly Hat Party

I made this for a silly hat party tonight. I'm pretty happy with it.

And So It Goes

I really hate the new blogger layout. Given the notice that it was going to change in April regardless I thought I would throw myself into it. If I could make that choice again I would hang on for dear life to the old UI. Maybe I just don't like change, but I also don't think it needed any change. And not a complete and utter face lift. End rant.

I pulled a shoulder muscle on Friday. It wasn't excruciating but still rather painful. And then you start to realize how much your entire body is connected and how one bad part can spoil the lot. Sleeping has been interesting, but each night has gotten better. I'm almost back to 100% now.My place is still a bit jumbled. It really just illuminates how little I use anything in my apartment besides my desk kitchen and bed. I broke my HD antenna when I moved my tv, but I haven't even thought twice about it. I do like my new tv, but it's very clear to me that I barely use it. Though I have been thinking about hooking up my 64 or game cube and getting my Nintendo on. I've also been trying to conceptualize a new layout for my furniture. I'm thinking perhaps of tucking both couches up against walls and having the middle be wide open. It's something to think about.

I have a few things coming up. This Sunday is the Annual Comedy Cabaret for Raising the Roof. It's being held at Second City. It's more of a corporate fundraiser because the cost is $150 a plate. I'll be selling raffle tickets and my new volunteer counterpart will be doing coat check. I've really enjoyed getting to know the new guy from France. He's really a very interesting person. I'm going North with my dad on Monday. I don't know what he wants to do up there, but he asked so I thought I would keep him company. We're really lucky it was only a mini-stroke that he had. I've never truly understood the devastation a stroke can cause, and I don't think you do until it happens to someone close. Adam's dad just had a stroke bundled with several major health issues, but I didn't really get it. You can live a long normal life and then within minutes you can be permanently disabled. It's a total blessing that he's expected to have a full recovery. Now I just need to think of 6 hrs of car conversation...yikes. I love him, but not that much. My record for hours spent in a car with one person in one day is 15, so I can do this.

I'm having Dom over for dinner next Wednesday, we'll have to think up something great to cook. And then maybe find something fun (read: free) to do in the city. And most importantly I'm going to see Sim and Spence tonight to cook them dinner! I picked up these delicious looking steaks, and since they always cook for me when I visit I thought I would return the favour. Plus getting to eat bbq steak will be a total bonus. Though I must say I timed my last steak bake perfectly and it was oh so delicious.

I realized a day or two ago that Sim and I missed doing a neighbourhood in March. We'll have to get back on track for April. Maybe Little India or the Danforth? My complete list is in my notebook but I've put it somewhere and I can't remember just where. Hopefully it will turn up soon, I feel almost lost without it. Like I wrote stuff down so I wouldn't have to remember as much. And as soon as pen hit paper my mind tossed the thoughts in the waste bin. And then hit "empty bin." No good.That's it I guess. Still unemployed. Still on a countdown to move back home if no job comes. Dreading that, but I'll live either way. As Sonia's dad would say, at least I have both of my legs. Ciaos.

That's a Wrap

Ok, so I was up today at 6am, which is really 5am by yesterday's standards. The only way that I possibly managed this was because a) I was prevented an extra hour of sleep due to unpleasant gassy stomach pains (TMI) and b) I went to bed at 9pm last night (m-f). I didn't have much choice in the matter. I needed to do a grocery shopping but instead I ate pizza and collapsed into bed. Yesterday was the first day of a two day shoot that will wrap up the shooting for Spence's film (Nemesis - an independent film). I somehow only managed 3hrs of sleep on Friday night, so by the end of the day I was just poopered.

The shot yesterday was in my living room so my life was moved into my bedroom. The shot today is in the bedroom (....no) and so everything had to be moved into the living room. Before the cast & crew left, two manly men moved the two pieces of heavy furniture. And as Spence gave a crowd of people a ride home I shimmied my big blue tupperware boxes filled with my earthly possessions back into the living room. By the time he got back the place was almost ready to be mopped and staged.

Working on this film production has been a really special experience. I had a really emotionaly discussion with Spence last night. I`ve been having trouble fully composing myself since then, but I think once there is a buzz of people it will be easy enough. It`s time for me to get started. I need to fold the last of the clean clothes and go pick up some groceries before the first to arrive shows up.

Also, one huge benefit of shooting here, my place is now SPOTLESS. And in fear of looking like a huge slob I even cleaned out the microwave. To give you an idea of how bad it was, I think it took me about 10 minutes to get all of the grime off. Seriously though, what can`t baking soda do. I`d ask that as a question but that key seems to only want to give me an É, and yes my keyboard is set to US.

I`m going to post some snaps later. And promise to update more often. I`ve actually done a few fun/exciting things that I`m depriving my audience the pleasure of hearing. Anywho, toodles.

Neighbourhood #3: Forest Hill (Fail)

New month = new neighbourhood so Sim and I once again set out to a new neighbourhood to see what wonders await us in this great city. We met up at the main intersection in Forest Hill (the only intersection) and started from there. I was starving so we tried to find a place to hit. There was an interesting Mediterranean grill called Mashu Mashu. I wasn't much in the mood for an an hour sit down and a $20 bill so we moved on. I must say it did smell rather delicious. We scooted back down to a sushi joint Sim had spied. Unfortunately they weren't open until later in the day. Then we went across the street to the only bar on the strip, and it was closed. It seems Sundays in Forest Hill are only good for brand chain coffee shops and banks. Because there are three of one and four of the other, respectively. We did get to check out the Type Book store. Nothing caught my fancy right, other than some really neat moleskin booklets. But I'd definitely go back to check it out again. Our last ditch hope was to check out the Aroma that took over the old Blockbuster location. I was ready to order a sandwich and a coffee, but when we looked around and there wasn't a free pair of seats in the place, we left, and we promptly left Forest Hill.

Being so close to my place we opted for a mini-beer tasting adventure instead.
Dead Elephant: ☺☺☺☺☺☺☺☺☺ (9)
Maple Bock: ☺☺☺☺☺☺☺ (7/7.5)
Cameron Cream Ale: ☺☺☺☺☺☺☺ (7)
Cameron Auburn Ale: ☺☺☺☺☺☺☺☺ (8)
Früli: ☺☺☺☺☺☺☺☺☺☺ (10!)

I can't do half a happy face, but let it be noted that Sim liked the Maple Bock slightly more than I did. And the Früli gained an automatic ten for being absolutely delicious. Two of the Cameron's didn't make it to the table due to lack of time. Sim and I sat and had a great talk and sampled our hearts out.

We got to talking about belt buckles, a new found interest of Sim's. And I remembered my dad gave me a buckle years ago. I don't know why he gave it to me, but I've carried it around with me every place I've been. Sim popped it on and we snapped a cool shot. And that's that. Forest Hill was a bit of a bust, but I looked forward to the next go around.

A Day In My Life

Neighbourhood #2: St. Clair West

Since the new month is upon us, and despite of the cold weather warning, Sim and I bundled up on Saturday to explore St. Clair West. It wasn't on our original brainstorming list, but I've been building up such a list of places I need to visit, that I knew we could make an afternoon of it. My house is close to a few neighbourhoods, but St. Clair West is by far the coolest. And I think in 15 years or so that strip is going to have some real potential!

Sim and Spence showed up at my house slightly after 12:30pm to see if my living space would be appropriate for an upcoming project. Unofficially it's a yes, so I'm excited about that. Then Spence dropped us down at the McDs across from our first target, The Stockyards. It's funny how St. Clair works now with the U-turns at every set of lights. We ran into Spence twice between him dropping us off and him taking the turn to go back East. So there we were at the Stockyards. Going in revealed a waitlist of about 4 couples ahead of us. Luckily we jumped onto a waiting to be seated list which probably didn't take too much more than 10 or 15 minutes. The seating was a bit limited as for what I expected. I was later recalling the story to my mom and mentioning that it's bar stool seating only, and because of her knees (double replacement) she doesn't think she'll ever be able to go there. But she had actually heard of them when I mentioned the place by name. So that's too bad. We gave our order right away and not too much later our Pulled Pork sandwiches and Black Cherry sodas were delivered in cute black skillet plates. I found the food to be a bit luke warm. The meat was seasoned nicely and tender enough, but I wasn't as floored as I was expecting to be. Sim got some fries for us to share. They were also ok. With full bellies it was time for us to move on.

Lucky for us the next destination was literally next door. Noir Coffee & Tea. It was really really gorgeous inside. It was warm and cozy and clean, and really both Sim and I agreed it was a perfect 10, and exactly to our liking. We both ordered a coffee, and busted out the BG board. I don't think I won a game. But I didn't make any moves that were too foolish, so it's a win for me. I brought my travel cribbage board too but I don't seem to have a full deck of cards at home. Which is insane because I love cards. I took notice of some of the bags of coffee for sale at the front counter. We returned at the end of the night to pick up a bag, and I had to wait about 5 minutes while the lady at the counter found a gluten free dairy free snack for the girl in front of me. Don't get me wrong, it's anyone's perogative to search out foods that fit your dietary needs. But I challenge anyone to spend more than 2 minutes at a counter in a coffee shop, you will feel like a giant turd. They took so long the lady at the counter actually called me patient. Anyways, I digress, I can't wait to try the new blend out.

We bundled up and headed West-ward towards Oakwood. This was my moment to finally FINALLY get a picture of the Domo graffiti outside the school there. I think that school is Oakwood Collegiate, but I'm not positive. First we stopped into The Cupcakery. I'm not an aficionado when it comes to cupcakes, but I think if you are going to have a business that is dedicated solely to cupcakes, and you're going to charge $2.50 for each one, they should be good enough that I want to come back tomorrow to try another one. I remember this amazing cupcake restaurant from Calgary called Crave Cupcakes. I will forever compare every cupcake boutique I visit to this place. Maybe no one will ever live up, but the standard has been set. I feel like Sim could have whipped up a tastier batch in her kitchen. It was a cute enough store though, I will give them that. On the way back we snapped a shot of the Domo. Wrraaaaahhhh.

Our last scheduled stop was at Ellington's Cafe. I thought it was really cute inside. It was laid back in a way that I really appreciate. The place was kind of crickets, and I think perhaps there was a pool table in the back in a secret room that seemed to quietly absorb everyone that entered. We got some cheap coffees and just chatted for a while before heading to our final impromptu destinations. I suggested that Sim and I drop into the Salvation Army and Goodwill to hunt for some props Spence might be interested in. It was a bust, but I did pick up a Big Wreck CD which I will have to transfer over. Then it was back to square one where Spence picked us up (ty Spence) and graciously gave me a drive home as well.

To me this neighbourhood was really different from Ossington Village. OV was just a really super hip, super cool place to be. With tons of galleries and an independent bookstore. I think if I wasn't local to St. Clair West I might not be bothered to choose it as a destination. Granted there are some really great places. Wychwood Barns farmers market is still a place I really want to visit (and slept through this weekend). Dave's Bar is a really chill little bar too that I've enjoyed visiting. And I still love living in the area. Maybe it was the weather or maybe it was the overall lack of coolness, but for the purposes of this project I give it a final rating of "meh." Now off to Mississauga to go pick up my cell phone. :/

Don't Be A Coconut

I went to Yorkdale mall this morning to pick up some tickets at Jean Machine. I bought my dad and brother some Rock Lacrosse tickets for Christmas. There was like a $9 service charge each and then $5 processing fee. They made $23 dollars on my single transaction. What in the hell???? How can our system allow for such a monopoly to exist. I hope the refund situation they're going through right now damn near bankrupts them. They are absolute crooks. Also, I hate malls. I tried to find parking near my store, but I was confused by the underground "Valet" parking so I just avoided it. I ended up, in true Julie form, parking at the exact opposite end of the mall. I made my way to Jean Machine, and then stopped in to HMV to see if there was anything I wanted. I picked up a few cheap CDs. I'll consider it an early xmas gift to myself. I hate malls in general. The idea of ultra-consumption drives me nuts. That was my first ever trip to Yorkdale, and I can say with most certainty it will be my last. At least I can hope.

Last night I went to Sim's for some beers. In lieu of going to the Brewery Market at Wychwood Barns, we opted for the cheaper option of buying a fine selection of imported beers to try out. This morning I was admiring Spence's photo of the beers lined up, and it occured to me that we missed a beer! I texted Sim right away, fearing we had left that bottle in the freezer by mistake. Thank goodness that wasn't the case, and it was just missed. At any rate, I'm going to share our beer ratings. Any differing votes appear with a "/". For the most part we all agreed, but in some cases I didn't agree with S&S. And any variance less than .05 as given by Spence will not be shown below... o_O



From left to right, as graded with happy faces up to 10:
Fruli: ☺☺☺☺☺☺☺☺☺☺ (10!)
Traquir Jacobite Ale: ☺☺☺☺☺☺☺☺☺ (9)
Lava Smoked Imperial Stout: (0) - seriously
Erdinger Weissbier: TBD ;)
Amsterdam Oranje Weisse: ☺☺☺☺☺/☺☺☺☺☺☺☺☺ (5/8)- I'm not a fan of the wheat beers
Christoffel Blond (double hops): ☺☺☺☺/☺☺☺☺☺ (4/5)
Mort Subite Framboise: ☺☺☺☺☺☺☺☺☺☺ (10!)
Lezajsk: ☺☺☺☺☺☺☺☺ (8)

As you may be able to ascertain, all three of us were quite fond of the raspberry brews. All in all a great night!

This Is Not A Blog Post

In an attempt to get back to keeping this site current, I am forcing myself on this lovely Sunday to write. I went out yesterday in the morning with Sim. I picked up some McD bagel combos on the way to her place, and we headed to the Distillery for the outdoor Christmas festival. The plan was to get there for 10am to beat the parking rush. Mission accomplished if I do say so myself. The lot right off Mill street was practically half empty. And by the time we were leaving cars were stalking outgoing parties vying for free spots. I waved a car to follow me knowing how much I would wish fellow parkers would extend that courtesy to me. Anyways, the festival was enjoyable. The weather was perfect for a nice stroll outside. Cute identical booths were set up all along the pathways. The distillery is cool enough, so to turn it into an outdoor market is just the coolest. Sim commented that it might be slightly more enjoyable in the summer sun, which is true, but I still had a great time. Didn't find anything that really caught my fancy. I was taken by a small carved owl, but I've lost my taste for impractical purchases being broke and all.

I've been meaning to take a walk down to Oakwood and St. Clair to grab a shot of an electrical box that has been ingeniusly turned into a Domo. It gave me quite the chuckle when I first passed it, and again when I drove passed to verify it was still there. I think when I do make it down, I'll stop into a cupcake shop in the neighbourhood called The Cupcakery. I'll just consider it a grocery purchase, shhh.

I'm going to Sim's tomorrow for a make shift brew fest. Since the $5 samples at the Brewery Market at Wychwood seemed a bit steep we decided to launch our own sampling party. On a fixed budget that will triple our consumption.

I'm still keeping up with the exercising, but not seeing much of a change yet. I guess if it takes 3000 calories to burn off a pound it could take up to two weeks to burn each pound. If that's what it takes, I'm ready to commit and be patient.

I also saw an old high school friend for dinner the other night. Sarah had me over for a really delicious sausage and gnocchi dinner. Her fiance Pete hooked me up with the company he's using to find a job. And I'm also going to contact an agency that was recommended by another friend. Maybe that will result in something in the new year. Here's hoping. We played a dice game called Zombie Dice. The point is to roll as many brains as possible without rolling 3 shot guns. I totally owned. Just saying.

I've got a busy week coming up. I'm trying to decide how much to spend at my parents' house. Without having an actual bed to stay in, it's tough to stay for longer than a night or two. Before I do go, I plan to use up some thawed chicken by making this: Chef Michael's Chicken Stew. And I'm planning making some of these for my mom for Christmas: DIY Mason Jar Candle Holders.

That's all. Happy holidays.

Neighbourhood #1: Ossington Village

And so it begins. I met up with Sim yesterday at 1pm at the corner of Dundas and Ossington. Our first stop was at Pizzeria Libretto for some lunchies. We share a fixed price lunch which started with a really tasty Arugula, Pear & Walnut salad. Next was a yummy thin sliced Marghertia pizza, and a few biscotti to finish. I felt like I was going to break a tooth, and they weren't Sim's thing so I wrapped them up for later. I may or may not have embarrassed myself with the waitress by saying "I'm never coming back here again until I have a job." It wasn't meant as an insult, more as compliment I suppose. I can't afford places that add $5 to the menu for ambiance. I'll take the cheap meal or a nice home cooked meal instead.

I had spotted a store with a closing business sale so we stopped by Tibet Touch on Dundas. It was mostly clothes. At first I thought it was going to be more like the that eclectic store on Bloor in the Annex, but it was a bit of a bust. The cafe I had seen during my internet research phase was not available so we took a walk down the West side of Ossington. We stopped at first cafe we passed which was Goet Eten. Sim pointed out that it was German for good eats. Good deal. [edit: not the actual translation, as later discovered] I ordered the Mocha, and Sim got the Latte. I know mine was delicious. Perhaps a tad more than I would usually spend on a caffeinated beverage, but it was good enough to make me forget. We sat and drank our coffees and played a few games of backgammon. Sim has that extra talent in BG that I'll never quite obtain. I think it comes from learning a game as a child and playing through to adulthood. But I do put up a good fight.

Next we stopped into a vintage clothing store called Vintage1. There were some cute clothes, and Sim inspected some of the hand crafted belts. They had some wild 70s blazers. They were all so wonderfully tacky. Next we hopped across the street to Frantic City. I was really hoping to find something to buy. I did pick up a Steinbeck, but at $9 it was between getting the book or buying a beer later. And the beer won out. I really loved that bookstore. They had all sorts of really interesting books on display, and then the rest neatly organized on the walls. On we went. We were in search of a gallery we wanted to stop in on. Unable to find it we took a walk down to Queen and into a small park beside CAMH to read up on the CAMH Heritage wall. We even called the number to listen to a recorded piece describing the creation of the wall and a bit about the inhabitants of the asylum at the time. Eventually the electronic voices became too much and I had to hang up. I meant to write down the number and extension but alas I forgot. After a quick check on Sim's smart phone we were off to Gallery TPW. The gallery was exhibiting one of the major annual shows, Photorama. It was all contemporary photography, with a lot of creative editing. The exhibit actually first caught my eye online because the lead photo strongly reminded me of Sim's personal work. Staged photos with a bit of cheeky editing. We had a nice walk around the gallery, commenting on the ones we were taken by, and the ones we weren't. We also stopped in on the AWOL Gallery for a much smaller showing. Interesting graph paper-esque paintings. I think I liked the cloud one best.

At this point it was nearing 4:30 and we knew we had 30 minutes to kill before some of the evening establishments opened their doors. We were thinking about stopping at a particular Tequila Bar Sim was interested in, but when we found the doors still closed we moved on. We walked passed a side street with a really interesting piece of graffiti. I took this wide picture and then Sim grabbed a shot of me (which I might post up later). We kept on from there until we were back up at Dundas and we went on the hunt for The Communist's Daughter. I had called it Communist's Sister all day, but finally by the end I had it right. We got there at about 20-to and needed to kill some time. We took another walk west, past Tibet Touch in search for...anything. I spotted a Nova Era, which seem to be popping up all over the city. Or perhaps I'm travelling around more and noticing just how many locations they have. Our small walk was a bust, and by the time we got back we still had 15 minutes to go until doors opened. I spotted a Beading store across the street, Soo Ling Beads & Beading Co. so we hopped over to check it out. It was a lot smaller inside than I had pictured. If I was a handy crafter it might be a place I'd consider getting my beads & beading accessories. Maybe if I decide to try hemp bracelets again I could pick up a few add-ons. At any rate. We still had 10 minutes left after that so we just poked our heads in and asked if we could sit down. The nice bar tender gave us the nod. We picked a table at the back and both ordered a pint of Maclean's Pale Ale. At first sip I liked the beer, but found there to be an acrid aftertaste. That dissipated and it was fairly enjoyable. I think Sim gave it the thumbs up. The place was Sim's recommendation, and I'm glad we stuck around for it because it was super cute. Perhaps a bit dark, but not too dark for a few more games of BG! At about 6:30 we called our first neighbourhood adventure to an end. Sim headed back East and I waited for the 63 to come. There was actually a bus there when I first crossed but it was out of service. The next to come as an S loop which turned back South at Bloor. The next regular bus was PACKED. Some people with passes hopped on at the back, but there was no more room at the front. I think I was the only person, perhaps with one other, that didn't make it on. And that just meant all the more room for me on the half empty bus that arrived 2 minutes later. Boom.

I'm not sure what's neighbourhood is next. Somewhere that we won't regret missing out on the summer time experience. And perhaps for next time I'll prebandage my heels so I don't have to whine about blisters. I miss sandal weather already. The end!

Backity Back Back

I didn't intend for my hiatus to be quite so long. I actually didn't intend on a hiatus at all, it just sort of happened. I just deleted a few drafts I had written up but failed to post. But this one is definitely going to happen.

The depression of being unemployed has been wearing on my spirit for quite some time now. The drain on my bank account is sometimes unbearable. I quibble over spending $2 here, and $3 there. I've never been a big spender but this is almost unbearable. Soon I will have to give up and move home. I dread the day I need to make that decision. I'm also not doing so well on moving forward with my correspondence course, but that's an entirely different issue.

One thing that has definitely brought me back is my new volunteer position. I was out every day last week helping with a mail out, but now I'm down to a manageable one day a week. Although it's not bringing in any money, it has given me a bit of purpose.

This weekend I'm starting a great new project with Sim. We're going to adventure across Toronto getting to know all of the neighbourhoods a bit more intimately. It's something I've been wanting to do for a long time. I started by tracking new places I'd been to, and this is my next step. This coming weekend will be the inaugural adventure, and up first is Ossington Village. We've jotted down a few key places to visit and the rest will roll out!

Also, I've been hitting the stationary bike 5 or 6 days a week. I'm hoping to start seeing some results soon. And next, I get a job.

Hey There Coffee Girl

I am still batting 000 for this whole "finding a job" thing. I'm getting more anxious, and I feel myself submitting to the idea of moving home. I still want to know how high my insurance is, and if it can sustain me. I've been meaning to jot a few things down here lately but I suppose encouragement from a friend is really the best motivator.

A lot has been happening in my relatively uneventful life. My car was sent to the junk yard, by my hand. Every time I thought I was making a mistake I flashed back to the handful of terror-inducing episodes on the hwy where I thought I was going to not live. I got $150 from the whole deal, which is a lot more than what I got from the Voyager. I've noticed a pattern with the cars I own and how long they last. It started in 2000 when I got a 1992. I drove that for almost 6 years, and then got a 1998. I drove that one for 6 years and then got a 2004. So I'm always 8 years behind the times, and they last for 6 years.

Also in the news I cut my hair. Lobbed off a good 10 inches. I have a pony tail somewhere around the house that I need to mail out to a place that makes wigs for cancer patients. Hopefully there is enough good hair that they can make something.

I almost had a fit last night when I arrived home and the downstair's neighbour's car was so close to the half mark that I could barely fit my car in. I had to back it up far enough passed the other car so I could hop into the back seat and exit that way. This is all after I knocked on their door and they rudely ignored me. So all bets are off. No more walking around on tippy toes, it's time to walk with my heels again. No more creeping up the stairs (unless it's late, I don't want to be that rude). Result: the landlord is finally going to clear away the dirt pile that has been obstructing the second parking spot for well over a year. And lastly, neighbours are on my bad side until they choose to redeem themselves. I told them when they moved in that the dirt pile made it tough to park two cars, but instead of DOING SOMETHING ABOUT IT, they made their problem my problem. Not a good time to do that to me.

I've been keeping up with my resolutions, moderately well. I'm hoping to notice an improvement across all fronts. While doing some studying today I tried to short-hand Stock Exchange and ended up with SExchange. So much for time savers.

Also, I think my calculator is on crack:


I'm currently cooking a Butternut squash. Since when? Also yesterday I marinated my cheap steaks in soy sauce and brown sugar with diced onions. Not too shabby. Am I...growing up? Now all I need is a JOB.

Be It Resolved

I am at a bit of a crossroads in my life. Being unemployed has really affected me in a way I did not expect. I'm also having issues with my car that are really upseting me. My dad is pressuring me to get a new car, but that will mean I need to get collision on my insurance, and rates will obviously go up. I'm not ready for that. I've also always driven a beater so it will be a difficult adjustment.

I'm going to see my aunt tomorrow. She has moved to the rehab wing of her hospital and they are going to push her until she has physically recovered from her injury. If she does well she'll be able to go back to her current retirement home and carry on with her life as usual. I hope she can recover because that is the life I want for her. She's a smart cookie, and needs the intellectual stimulation.

I'd like to start setting some new goals for myself. I have so much free time (obviously), but I'm not being productive enough. I'd like to see myself:
1) Work out for at least 15 minutes every day. Even if it's just going for a walk around my neighbourhood.
2) Complete at least 10 pages from my correspondence course.
3) Read at least 30 pages from any leisure book.
4) Apply to at least 3 jobs a day.
5) Clean at least one area of my house, or complete one cleaning task.

If I don't get my act in gear I'm going to lose my apartment and my independent lifestyle. Moving back home would be crushing but I'm running out of choices. This is actually the longest I have ever stayed in one place. Just two years, but it has grown on me, a lot.

Oh no I didn't

Nikki: I'm going to go fishing for a little bit.
Julie: Are you going to use Master Bait? No wait...what's it called?
Nikki: Power Bait...it's called Power Bait.
Julie: Ummm, right, that stuff.

Get Your Stinking Paws Off Of Me

I went to the movies yesterday with Adam to see the new Planet of the Apes movie. I'm so out of touch, I hadn't even heard of it. I quite liked it. I don't think I've seen the Wahlberg version, but either way this one was good. I said to Adam it was probably even better since it was free. Before I left my last job I got a little thank you card for a really long project being wrapped up and with the card came a movies for 2 + drinks + popcorn coupon. That's pretty decent, because all in that would be $40-$50 and we got it for free.

I've been applying to jobs like mad but not hearing anything back. I need to change something because how this is right now isn't working out for me, not one bit.

I'm going up north with Nik this weekend. I might stop into the hospital to visit my Great Aunt. She's been having some health problems, and then on top of that she took a fall and busted her hip and wrist. Then it's a nice long weekend at the cottage. Hopefully the weather holds up for some nice outdoor enjoyment. I want to finish up the Atwood book I'm into now, and then I also picked up Anthem by Ayn Rand. I think it's supposed to be a prequel to Atlas Shrugged. It's a quick 100 page read, compared to the brutal 1050 page read that was Atlas Shrugged. Maybe next January I'll do the same thing and pick a really long book that would otherwise be slightly too intimidating.

I've been keeping busy. Coffee at Cherry Beach, drinks at Jaks, dinner at Futures. I'm trying my best to keep money outtake to a minimum, but it's tough. Once summer is up, I think I might go into hertmitude until I have an income again. Wahn. I'm also going to focus on the best possible way to go on the cheap for food. I'll just have rice every day. 3 times a day. Yum.

TV is officially gone. I watched tv earlier this week for the first time in months. I can't be too upset about the switch to HD. I could imagine I still have free-to-air and there would be no difference. I am upset that my tv which says "HDTV" on it doesn't have a tuner. But again, I'm not too bothered.

Anyways, toodles.

Fill In This Blank: F--- --U

http://www.torontotaxpayer.ca/Contests/Fill-In-The-Blanks

Tell The Toronto Tax Payers Coalition why you support Tax Cuts, and win a chance to have lunch with Doug Ford of Sun Media journalist Sue-Ann Levy.

My Submission
The only reason I would want to win would be to embarrass Councillor Ford by not showing up.

With a 774 million dollar shortfall for next year's budget how could tax cuts even be up for consideration. Maybe before you start down this road you guys should all get together and count out how many libraries you will need to close to support any more cuts.

I left a good job in Calgary and came back to Toronto because I love this city. And now I am considering leaving again because you are tearing out its heart and soul. Tax cuts might as well translate directly into services cuts, because that is what is going to happen.

Doug Ford makes me sick. Sun Media makes me sick. And this is a gross attempt to measure up to the free lunch with Margaret Atwood or Michael Ondaatje. Guess what, the library's lunch offer is way better.

Ten Bucks And A Headstart

I just got back earlier this week from a trip up north. Dom and I started with a long weekend at the cottage, and then headed north from there. Destination: Kenora, ON. I have a friend from Calgary that lives there, and another gf from Calgary was having a small family reunion so I took the opportunity to turn it into a reunion of our own.

Monday we headed towards Wawa, stopping only at the Big Nickel in Sudbury (and for gas and food). We actually brought a small cooler of food to start and save on money. But after the first day our use of pre-bought food dropped. I had a sandwich on day two, but it was pretty nasty. By day three the whole cooler and all of its contents smelled of rotting sandwich meat. We defaulted back to crackers and licorice for on-the-road sustinance. The second night we stayed in Ignace which was no big todo. They had not much to do, and a place with overpriced burgers. Who charges $6 for a burger, and then $4 for fries and coleslaw, and then another $2 for a soda. A place that should be considered a big old boony rip-off is who.

Wednesday morning we headed towards the Manitoba border. I mistakenly thought the border entrance had a big old Manitoba province cut-out, but that was at the MB-SK border. We stopped at the two tourist centres. I asked the Ontario guides if there were any cool falls along the way. They pointed out Kakabeka Falls, but we had already caught a glimpse from the hwy on the way through. They said no, but the answer should have been "I don't know." I found out a day or so ago there was a falls right next to a town we stopped to eat in. http://gowaterfalling.com/waterfalls/aguasabon.shtml Nothing earth shattering, but I would have liked to have seen it. Oh well. Don't know if I'll be up there again any time soon, or ever again.

Kenora was a blast. I went out for dinner with Jenn on Wednesdsay, and then the three girls got together on Thursday night, and Dom came with. We stopped at DQ and then hung out in Jenn's basement for a while. She's staying with a friend in a really nice house. She also gave us a quick driving tour of Kenora, including the "Bermuda Triangle" which turned out to be a small patch of grass maybe 10-12 feet on each side of the triangle. A supposedly very troubled patch of grass.

On the drive back Dom and I stopped again in Wawa and on the way down made a few stops at some pretty lake side parks. Old Woman Bay, and Katherin's Cove were the two stops we made. I had taken notice of Katherine's Cove on the way up and noted the name for a Southern stop. The rock beaches were just gorgeous, and we happened across this neat inukshuk. There were actually two, but this one was just perfectly proportionate, and stunning (in my opinion). Then it was back into the car just in time to miss the start of the rain. And it rained almost all the way back to the cottage. It felt good to do almost nothing on Sunday. I even took a mid-afternoon nap while Dom prepared a delicious pasta sauce from scratch for us.

And that was that. Back to life. And really, it's time to get a job.

Turn And Face The Strange

Where does the time go? First it was week one of unemployment, and then week 2, and then I stopped counting and here we are. I just got back last Friday from a great 5 day Muskoka experience. Adam had 5 friends come up from NY (1 American & 4 Germans) to stay at a cottage on Mary Lake. In the end there were 10 people staying there. We had to keep going into town because we needed at least two 2-4s of beer each day. And of course top ups of liquor for shots in drinking Jenga. We even turned the innocent game of Uno into a drinking game. Good times. And I've connected with some old friends and made some new ones!

I forgot to mention last time that I hit up the Eric Bachmann show with Sim & Spence and two of their friends. It was back at the beginning of July at the Horseshoe. We got there nice and early and got a great front row seat. The crowd was a bit smaller than I anticipated. I thought it would be jam packed sold out, because EB is absolutely phenomenal.

I'm leaving tomorrow for another small journey. Dom and I are going up north to the cottage, and then taking a roadtrip up to Kenora. It's going to be a heck of a drive but it's doable. If we push for Marathon like my last trip maybe we can make a go of it. I think this would be a prime chance to use my new GPS!

Also, I took a snap of an old photo. I thought for a while about which social media medium to use and blogger won.

I've also been working on cleaning up around here. I feel like I've accomplished a lot but when I turn around it's still overwhelming. I sent my great aunt a picture of my place today, but from several months ago. I was inspired by the clear surfaces from that image to get my act in gear. Maybe when I'm done, and back from tripping around, I'll have a little party? That's always a better idea than turns out in practice.