We Got Our Backs To The Wall

This morning was another wake n bake morning for my neighbours downstairs. I'm surprised my landlord hasn't put the kibosh on that. I had an early start today, at least in weekend terms. I got up and put some laundry on and did most of my dishes. I followed that up with a full laundry fold and a full rearrangement of my bookshelf. They're in alphabetical order by author, which unfortunately looks atrocious but it will just have to do. I hung my grandma's Bali ink paintings, watched a movie, and finally got back on the stationary bike in my room, it had certainly been long enough. And now I'm going to grocery shop and send out some resumes. Not bad for a lazy Sunday.

It's been a crazy busy week for me, starting with Son's visit from the Loo. She crashed on Sunday. And then on Monday I drove to work with Adam and he borrowed my car during the day. Then I dropped him off downtown and met up with Son for dinner at Friendly Thai in the Junction. Great Chicken Pad Thai. Tuesday I dropped Son off in High Park and took an alternate route into work. Some numbnut couldn't wait 2 seconds for me to make contact with a stopped car and cut me off by taking a left turn from behind me. I leaned on the horn and started to curse like a sailor. It didn't help that my horn was frozen and made more of a mrraaahhh mrrrraahhh noise than a meeep meeep noise. Wednesday I went to see Brian who was in on a visit from Brooklyn. I saw a handful of people from res which was great. Thursday I went to Disgraceland with Son/Tanya/Jess & Christine. I'd never been before but it just another Bloor St indie dive bar, with a bit of an Elvis twist (deep fried mars bars). Following that I went to bid Adam/Matt/Ashley happy trails as they were to be departing for NYC the next day. I took a pass on joining them. It just wasn't the right time for my first trip to NYC. I would need at least 3 full days to get that full travel satiation feeling. Friday was my day off. Saturday was a party at Ed's, and today was today.

I wore a Christmas sweater to work in hopes of lightening the mood a little bit. Most people just avoided eye contact or gave me unsatisfied stares. It was a joke people, a fucking joke. It just reaffirms my belief that I don't belong in that office. I got two laughs from some close coworkers. One of them admitted to me that for a split second he questioned whether or not I was serious, but that second quickly passed. He said that between my halloween costume and my sweater I should be nominated for person of the year at my company. Too bad there is no such designation.

I found another response to a quote on Friday. I think I know who's writing them now. And I'm sure she knows that it's me writing the original ones, as hers is the only office I need to slip past to get into the Conference Room. And she is most often in her office while I unstealthly sneak past. It feels really satisfying that someone is responding to my break out from eternal staledom that permiates from the very soul of the office. The response this time was "42 - DA". And there is one very clear person that quotes Douglas Adams as frequently as possible so I'm being a super detective and putting 2 and 2 together. I am pretty smart. Fairly smart. Kind of smart....I'm not TOO dumb. It's going to be a busy holiday season. It's kind of the time of year that everyone comes out of the woodworks and says, "Hey, I still exist, how about you?"

Murry Crissmas everyone. And by everyone I mean my two and only loyal readers. <3

I've Got Troubles Enough

Adam and I were saved by a van full of TTC workers on Thursday night. In typical fashion we were enjoying a coffee down by lake. I guess normally either we don't stay that long or we don't leave the radio running. By the time it came to leave the battery was almost completely drained. It only adds irony to the situation that earlier we had been joking about knocking on windows, and now we were really going to have to do it. As soon as we got out of the car we saw another one pulling in, so Adam went up to him first. He made something up about his battery not being good, so there went that. Then he realized there was a TTC van sitting in the round about. The van turned out to be jammed full of young guys in TTC jackets, all very willing to help out. I attached the cables to my battery and the driver did his and in no time flat we were up and running. I'm not sure if I mentioned that I recently gave a random guy a jump. Luckily I wasn't alone otherwise him luring me to the back side of the George Brown parking lot might have been a bit frightening. When that happened I quickly declared I had no problem providing a jump as long as he did all the connecting. But this time I was fully confident in being able to connect at least my own cables. Soon after the jump all remaining cars had left the lot. We could have been stranded at Cherry Beach. I really need to renew my CAA membership!

Before Cherry Beach I went to Sheridan College with my mother to see a performance of The Drowsy Chaperone. I'm usually not terribly keen on musicals, but this one was very enjoyable. The musical itself apparently first launched at the Rivoli and then went onto the Fringe Festival and then went to Broadway. I was going to say it has a great Canadian sense of humour to it, but apparently the authors were English. I suppose both are dry.

Tea with my mom last week was nice. We sat and chatted for a while. Had some cut up melon with some amazing yogurt. Good times.

I slept in today, and then after waking up I moved to the living room and took a nap. I am well rested but feeling surprisingly sleepy. I'm just going to bum around the house today, do some light cleaning, laundry, etc. This is the first morning in two weeks that I've been able to sleep in and be lazy so I'm soaking it in.

And last thing - Simona sent me a great link the other day. I've sent my email, and I think it's a very worthy cause. http://action.davidsuzuki.org/C-311.

Chasing The Day Away

My mother is coming for a visit tomorrow. Nothing makes me clean like a visit from a parental unit. They haven't been to my place very often since I moved in and perhaps they are feeling a tinge of guilt. Part of me thinks they are checking up on me but I'm too old for that, I think. I have a lot more to do because the plan is for this place to be spotless. And on top of it all I need to do a grocery shopping. I'm definitely procrastinating. On the bright side - I found an umbrella! To think I came very close to purchasing a new one.

I went into work today. On Wednesday our manager asked us if we would be free for work on the weekend. ONLY the two contract employees (myself included) volunteered their time. It was nice to see people from all sorts of depts coming in to lend a hand. The entire product development team was there. Anyways. Hopefully crisis mode will be over soon.

After work I went out for a coffee with Adam down at Queen & Davenport. That neighbourhood always reminds me of the Queen West Man video. New look, new outlook. Sadly I'm unable to find a link, it's a goodie from almost 5 years ago. I thought everything was supposed to last on the internet forever? After Adam left I sat and read A Moveable Feast for a while. We are gearing up for a Long Book Read in January. Normally that would not warrant capital letters for all words, but at over 1000 pages Atlas Shrugged is going to be a feat worthy of title case. Adam's going to read War and Peace, and if either are any good we might switch. Maybe for Jan 2012.

I was going to put up my tree and decorate it, but the lights seem to be broken. I can't remember if that happened last year or if maybe that happened just now when I plugged it into the space heater outlet and shorted everything. Either way I have to decided what to do with it.

I should get back to it. Grocery shop, laundry fold, sweep, scrub, and then sleep.

And Miles To Go Before I Sleep

I interviewed today for my own position, but permanent. I have to say it may have been my worst interview yet. I'm dumbfounded that there were questions that I was unable to answer. "Rate your knowledge of printers and what print stock is appropriate for each?" I'm sorry, is this an interview for the print room or project coordinator?? Right, thanks. I left the interview wanting to quit my job. I do have a sense that the questions were bullshit. I don't know the code for the SQL queries the data team uses. I ask them for data and I get it. I ask the print room to print, and I let them decide what the most appropriate machine is. I also had a few random bursts of inappropriateness that I would rather not get into. I need to find another job and fast. And that's all I'm going to say about that.

I actually had a talk with my manager about a few of my projects that are going to be disseminated amongst the other PMs when I leave. My manager noted that there's still a chance that I could be renewed, and barely acknowledging the ridiculousness of that statement I said, "I'm not depending on it" and carried on with my thought. If they are going to treat me like I'm disposable I'm going to start acting like I am.

My culture slam experiment has been a complete failure. As far as I know there's no buzz in the office. As far as I can tell no one has even noticed or cares. I almost gave up tonight, but to cheer myself up I slipped into the conference room and wrote, "The impossible often has a kind of integrity which the improbable lacks. - Douglas Adams." Of course I quote it as DA so if anyone actually takes interest they have to investigate further to find out who it's by. I think if the Solutions Manager were to ever notice she'd probably piece that it's me that is always slyly slipping past her office and into the conference room only to emerge a minute later with an unnecessary smirk on my face.

I've had a busy week. Jak came over on the weekend and we drank whiskey and watched Netflix. The free month has ended and the landlord has not indicated that he's going to sign up. I might get my own free month in the meantime. On Monday Adam came over and we watched a movie and then headed down to our possible new hang out, the park just West of Lakeshore and Windermere. The legal turnaround on Lakeshore leads straight into the parking lot if you can manage to drive straight across. It's a nice stretch of lot that faces straight on to the lake, and if you're lucky enough to grab an early parking spot there's a nice view of the tower. And then I met up with a few friends at the Duke of York on Tuesday night. We had a few beers and good laughs. I missed out on a few earlier gatherings and I needed to make up for lost time, so that was good.

Adam and I actually made it back to the new park again tonight. I had high hopes to tackle a few projects around the house but I didn't get back in until about 9:30. I had to stop at the gas station at Bathurst and Dupont. They always have the best gas prices. Tonight it was like 105.9 which is more than 2c cheaper than every other station I passed on the way home. I think I may just buckle down and do some cleaning before I sleep. I want to set up my little xmas tree too. I'll have to take a picture once it's done.

Lastly, I spent Sunday reading and I finished up Gods Behaving Badly. It was "recommended" by an "amazing person who knows all these cool books." I spent the first 200 pages wondering where the heck the story was going, and the final 80 pages wishing for the swift arrival of the last page. I may have entered into that book with more than a slight bias against it, but I'm just reporting the facts.

I think I have sufficiently unloaded. C'est tout.

Good FOR You

I'd like to think I'm a fairly intelligent being. So it doesn't feel good to admit that I only last week realized my space heater had an oscillating option. It's not even hidden. It's a button on the face of the heater that says "Oscillation". Point: Honeywell.

I've taken on a new adventure at work. I have decided to culture slam them by leaving inspiring or thoughtful quotes on the whiteboards in the conference rooms. I started on Friday night, and almost wet myself while I scribbled out the following Frost quote - "Two roads diverged in a wood, and I - I took the one last traveled by, and that has made all the difference." I strolled past the conference room this afternoon and was tickled pink to see that the other PLO material had been erased by my quote proudly remained at the top of the board. Maybe I'll put a new one up each Friday? It may be lame but I'm kind of excited.

The Eastern parking lot at Cherry Beach is officially closed for the season. Maybe they could take this opportunity to fix the horrendous pot holes that riddle the entire stretch of the lot. I doubt it, but it would be nice. Maybe it's time to find a new winter haunt, but it's hard to think of a new place. It's so peaceful at night, and fairly isolated. Plus it's just a stone's throw from the downtown core. It made me think of where I would have gone in Calgary and that's easy - Nose Hill. I wish we had a city hill that overlooked the entire city. It would probably be too congested to ever get a spot. Here I go already dreaming up traffic for a site that doesn't even exist.

I went to see my Great Aunt this weekend. I love her to pieces. She's so tiny and proper, but she has this wicked smirk that shows she also has a great sense of humour. I told her all about my trip East, and we talked about books, and just everything. I told her about my Halloween costume and she knew what I was talking about. Though she may not have found it as hilarious I did.

I'm about to start reading A Moveable Feast by Ernest Hemingway. Adam lent it to me. I want to expand my reading into the classics. I might do Steinbeck next. Onwards!

Woooof

I had a project this weekend that required me to be in our downtown office from 9am-5:30pm on Saturday and 9:30am-7:00pm on Sunday. I'm beat. I actually went to a silent auction with my mother on Saturday night, and followed that up with a trip down to Cherry beach with Adam. The MC at the silent auction was unbearable. After each time she opened her mouth I would turn to my mother in disgust and remark about how terrible she was. That didn't leave much time for rest, but I didn't want my entire weekend to be wasted.

Two of my coworkers and I took the subway home together. One headed to the West end, one to North York, and me to York. As soon as we all sat down I said, "This is where I pretend to ignore everyone else, so there will be no further talking." Funny thing, we all sat in silence until about St. George and the West ender left us. I made some small talk with the last guy. He was the team lead for our Data Specialist team. He should really be the manager but our company decided to eliminate middle management and put all of the pressure on team leads. I like his style so it was nice to spend a weekend getting to know him better. Him and my old manager are both pretty cool. What really upsets me about this weekend is that I probably won't get OT pay. The 18 hrs will be added to my clocked hours, and only when it goes over 88hrs will it turn into pay and a half. Eff that noise, and that is all I have to say about that.

It's been a pretty busy week. Between dinner at home, to coffee with an old friend, I've been busy. Adam came over on Wednesday and we watched a movie. It was nice. There was no spastic cat to lure with nimbly tapping fingers, but that's ok. We had another midweek night trip to Cherry beach. It's kind of where we go when we're not sure what to do. It's not too busy late at night. And it's extra nice in the Summer time when you can walk up and down the beach, maybe blind skip a rock or two.

I have a few places to add to my new things in Toronto list. Next time.

A Freckle on the Nose of Life's Complexion

I wonder what our world will be like when our generation is at the top of the demographic distribution triangle. Will we be toting that we were kids when the internet first became popularized, just as some might have bragged about the first automobiles? I wonder.

I went to see the Toronto Philharmonia play on Thursday night. A coworker's wife is in the orchestra and he scored us some tickets. He playfully mentioned on the ride down that it was a coy plan for him to score a free lift there, and I laughed as I said, "Don't think that didn't cross my mind." But he was of course joking. For someone that commutes into Mississauga from the Toronto East end, he's no stranger to public transit and wouldn't blink twice at finding his way to the Toronto Centre for the Arts. At any rate it was a great show. They have 7 performances this year, and in efforts to find a new conductor they are having a new one for each performance. Looking at some of the photos for the up and coming conductors I was surprised at how young they all were. And to think, if it's difficult to make it as a musician think about how much harder it is for a conductor. Not many orchestras around town. The second song featured this amazing classical guitarist Michael Kolk (in this video on the left: Youtube link).

As promised from earlier I have a photo to share with you. Adam so cleverly clipped this from the Sun several weeks ago. I laughed so hard the first time I saw it, and I laugh every time I see it. The actual article to match the photo was about disaster relief, which is no laughing matter, but that was just too brilliant. Like some sort of editor's Easter egg. I have a lot to do today so I should get to it. Right now I'm just trying to heat my place up to a tolerable heat so that when I step out of the shower I won't freeze. For the record I hate winter at this apartment. Summer (minus the scorchers) is so wonderful. At least I have a space heater now. Last year I waited until Christmas to get one, but I don't know how I survived the cold winter nights that were upon us then.

Autumn Time, and the Living is Easy

I have finally completed my ten new adventures in Toronto. Perhaps it took me longer than it should have, but falling into familiar routines is so easy. Futures, BMV, 7-11, Flip Toss & Thai, coffee at Cherry Beach, a movie from Blockbusters. It feels good to expand my horizons, and I'd like to keep this tradition going for my own sake. I want to know as much as I can about this fine city of ours.

I'll get straight to the point. Yesterday after work I met up with Adam at a Bakery at Dovercourt and Bloor called Nova Era. It's a part of a chain of Portuguese bakeries that spreads across the downtown. It's nice and clean with a delicious selection of baked goods. I had a delicious cream filled donut type thing and was very pleased with it. We just sat and chatted for a while before calling it. The only thing I didn't like was that you paid after you had eaten. Why not just charge me up front? Then I can leave when I need to and not have to worry about flagging someone down or forgetting to pay (not that I would, but everyone is human).

After that we headed to the Comedy Bar for my first time ever seeing a live sketch comedy performance. And also it was my first time at the Comedy Bar. It was a cute little venue with a bar and a small performance area. A friend of Adam's was on the ticket for the Toronto Sketch Fest that was kicking off that night. I cannot believe how funny they were. It's hard to explain it but the content was just hilarious and the execution was just phenomenal. The other two groups on the ticket were alright, but this one set in particular was head and shoulders and pretty much an entire torso above the rest.

Perhaps my next mission will be to get to know my neighbourhood better. I still haven't had Jamaican food and I'm pretty much surrounded by it.

Tonight was the second night in a row that I stayed at the office until 7pm. I'm so busy right now. It might start slowing down for me after mid-November but until then I have 3 major internal projects to prepare for. I'm also coming up on the end of my contract. It feels like just yesterday I switched departments but it's almost a year ago. I have just over 3 months left and then who knows. Maybe they'll extend maybe they won't. They have their priorities so I need to have my own as well.

Halloween 2010

I took the prize at my company this year for the Halloween costume contest. I had been planning this costume for months but only put my plan into action earlier this week. I actually didn't start sewing until 7pm last night after I got home. I went to see Adam at 8 and he helped me make up for lost time by doing one of the arms. That saved me so much time, plus I picked up a waaay faster stitch from him. I actually need to go over the costume again tomorrow and sew up some of the seems that are falling apart. The last time I did anything remotely exciting for Halloween was 5 years ago. And 30 minutes before leaving the house I exclaimed to my mother that I had nothing to wear so she leant me a pair of crutches and a head bandage and I went as a fight victim. But Inflatable Tube Woman still takes the cake.

I'm in the middle of a thing with Elections Ontario right now. If I can't prove my political donation to a friend's campaign was cashed within the campaign fundraiser period they are going to keep the money. I'm 99% certain I gave the cheque well in advance of the cut-off time. Even if I come back with the proof and nothing happens I'm going to my MPP and then I'm going to tell off Elections Ontario. And if I don't like their response I'm going to write a letter to the editor somewhere. B-S.

Weekend Update

I've been remembering a lot more dreams than normal lately. It's strange to wake up and have such a vivid recollection of another world that exists only in my mind. Hopefully this trend won't keep up.

This week got off to a really great start with two tickets to the Leafs/Islanders game. Sim and I had perfect timing with our meet up at Union, and after picking up some snacks that we successfully smuggled into the ACC we took our seats just in time for the national anthems. That's actually one of my favourite parts of any sporting event. The Leafs were in fine form, and if they keep that level of play up they just might make it into the playoffs this year. Their cup record is embarrassing, but more disappointing is the current trend of not even making it to round 1. It was a really close game. With about 3 minutes left we tied it up, but after getting a penalty in OT the Islanders managed an easy victory.

Wednesday was a nice chill games night at Sim's, followed by some drinks at the Fox and Fiddle with a couple of work mates. It's tough working in an office that doesn't really provide me with many friend opportunities. Not many people that live in the city, and even at that most people are married and not looking to hang out with the likes of me. So different from Calgary, but that's ok.

Friday night I went to a late showing of The Social Network with Adam. Our reaction was that it was an ok movie, but the hype is way too high. Maybe it would have been better if it was based on the official story of Mark Zuckerberg. It was definitely rental worthy, but not worth the trip out or the cost of movie ticket. Saturday was a slow day. I finished a book Nik loaned me. It was children's literature, but it was a nice change in pace from the last two 500 pagers I picked up lately. Next on my plate is a book by a Toronto local writer. I read another of his novels that was nominated for the Giller prize a few years back (A Perfect Night to go to China), so I'm looking to this early novel by David Gilmour - Back on Tuesday.

And then there was today. I did some clothes shopping, which I loathe. I picked up some material for my Halloween costume, but I think I might be a metre short. I hope not. And if the construction doesn't work out I'm not going to dress up at all. I was going to buy Nylon but it turns out it's $10 a yard so I went for a more affordable less authentic alternative material. We shall see how it works out. I'm catching up on my laundry and dishes and I'm getting ready to cook up some dinner. I have a photo I want to share, but maybe next time. Adam did some hilarious clipping from a Sun article from a few months ago. The image features Hazel McCallion and another volunteer (an older gentlemen) holding some water bottles and standing in a warehouse of disaster relief goods. The headline from the below article runs along the bottom of the photo and reads, "Scarborough doctors will focus on waterborne diseases." It's really a hoot when you see it.

Googaly Doogaly

I saw something really messed up last night. This kid was trying to get into the show at the Phoenix after the last band was going into their encore (I had stepped outside), and the bouncer was aggressively pushing him back. I understand that they protect the club but it was too much force. I was walking down the exit ramp as it happened and I thought he was going to push this kid into me. I got out just in time as the kid was thrown to the ground with such force that his shoe came off. Yet still he tried to get back up and insist that he had paid $20 and he just wanted to see the show. At this point there was a max of 3 encore song left before the show was over, he fight was fruitless. The kid finally starts to walk away, and I don't know why but as he's 30ft away from the entrance the bouncer walks down the ramp and walks up Sherbourne after him. I didn't see the entire altercation but I saw him pick him up by the scruff of his clothes and shout at him, "Are you scared now? Are you scared now??" And I'm pretty sure after that he pushed him down and walked back to his post. This kid was like maybe 22 and 120lbs at the most. Not a force to be reckoned with by any means, and this guy who was almost 3 times his size was just batting him around like a yarn ball. In the bouncer's defense I heard him repeat a few things the punk kid said. At one point he apparently threatened to stab the bouncer, and at another point he called him the n-word. Both being incredibly stupid and rude. But as soon as the kid had left the property and was no longer a threat to the surrounding patrons I think maybe you should leave your personal feelings aside and let it go. The show itself was fantastic. The Smashers always put on a great show. I think standing and watching music for 5 hours was a bit long, but I had missed my dinner and was cranky. I remember the days with Nik skanking in the pit at Lee's Palace. I should get back into shape so I could do that again.

It's going to be a low key day. I have a book I want to finish, and as always a bunch of cleaning to do, chores to finish, etc.

Lost in Transcendence

Let me just start by saying I do not appreciate being honked at to drive into the oncoming traffic lane to take a left turn. Just because the main street is backed up and everyone else is doing it doesn't mean I don't have the right as a driver to wait until I'm moderately perpendicular to the street in question before I decide to cross traffic. I also apologize to any passenger that is forced to witness my outrageous road rage.

The above incident aside, yesterday was a pretty great day. After a long hour commute home I met up with Adam and we went for pie at Wanda's Pie in the Sky. Probably the best part of the whole thing was being in Kensington. Other than that, I don't think I would ever pay that much money for a slice of coldly serve pie of an average to less than average size. Adam's piece on the other hand was massive, but possibly a fluke as they reached the end his selected pie and couldn't in good conscience serve it as two. I'm usually not underwhelmed by a place that comes so highly recommended, but...meh.

Afterwards we scooted down to Liberty Village to check out an art show I spotted online. It was basically just a small exposition for up and coming talent across Canada, the US, and the UK. Our night was American photographers. The small commercial area we were in was very cute. It was like walking through a hanger, covered ceiling and all, flanked with high end stores and art galleries. We almost missed the boat because I didn't write down the unit number but it wasn't too hard to find. The location was a squarish white room and there were about 6 sets of photos all with their own unique theme. Some were misses but most of them were hits. I especially enjoyed some of the candid shots with their clever titles. Then it was back to Adam's for a movie and an episode of Bored to Death. Great cast, great show. We also watched Lost in Translation the other night, which has shot back up into my all time desert island top 5.

This weekend I'll be spending three days with my family up North. I'm not looking forward to the first few hours before the heat from the space heaters kicks in, but if this weather keeps up maybe it will be alright. I found out my mom is going to butterfly the turkey so it won't take eons to cook. My only response was, "But mama.....the stuffing has to go inside the turkey." I'm pretty sure my childish pleas were willfully ignored.

Time for a quiet night in, accompanied by some clean up time. Al-right.

Monetary Mitosis

I've been rubbing two pennies together all night to see if I could witness the miracle of penny creation, but no such luck. My plans to reign in spending for the rest of 2010 have gotten off to a rough start. I have an especially large challenge since one of my paycheques this month will only be for half time. If I can get by on 75% pay then I know I'll be in a good spot when it goes back up to 100%. I've considered getting a second job, but perhaps I will wait until the new year to see how my cost saving plans work out.

Nuit Blanche was pretty fun. We got off to a late start, but I wouldn't have looked forward to the crowds for the first portion anyhow. Adam and I hit up Yonge & Bloor, and then traveled to Dundas Square and walked the main downtown core. Then back up to finish the night at Casa Loma. Surprisingly, the whole night took 4 hrs. I was put to shame by my colleague who lasted until 5:45am and yet started well before 6:00pm. Good for him. A lot of people have spoken negatively about the night, and perhaps I just don't have a good point of comparison, but I enjoyed myself. I am kicking myself for missing the human clock. We arrived at 4:15am and it wasn't back on until 5:00am so we left. A coworker says it was his favourite of the entire night. I also missed a self mourning experience just south of my house, out of pure laziness. I should have just walked down on my own at some point earlier on.

I finished the book Old City Hall last night. It was written by a top criminal lawyer in Toronto. I did enjoy the city references, which is one reason I picked it up in the first place. But overall it just wasn't my cup of tea. Ending several chapters with, "I can't believe I didn't think of that before, how could I have missed it?!" got annoying after a while. And with a constant multiple narrative running through out the entire book I was happy for it to be over. He also left the ending completely unresolved leaving multiple plausible explanations for how the murder could have happened. With 4-5 main characters all with rich character development, I often found myself flipping to the early chapters of the book to remind myself who was who. In the end it felt like a drawn out 400 page episode of Law and Order. I would suppose maybe mystery just isn't my genre but Alias Grace by Margaret Atwood is one of my favourite books, and it even has a cliffhanger ending. Perhaps because Alias Grace was based on a true story it resonates more with the reader.

As annoyed as I may sound, I feel the fruits of my frugality shall pay off in the near future. I've always had enough money to get by, but I want better for myself now.

Midnight Train to Toronto

It's good to be back in the city. While I was away I missed the comradery of my fellow partners in non-criminal activity. I've been pretty busy since my return, starting with a trip to Oakville, plus some house chilling, and a 90th birthday party in Aurora for the best Great Aunt ever.

Life is back to normal, nothing too exciting to report. I did happen upon Toronto adventure location #5 which is the Corned Beef House. After picking up some tickets at Rotate this I stopped in at Sim's place. We unwound for a bit and then took a walk down Adelaide towards the marvelous house of smoked meat known as the Corned Beef House, conveniently located directly across the street from Hooters. The sandwich was quite good, and for just under $10 (before tax) you get a massive sandwich and a beer. Not bad at all. Then it was back to her place to once again, with the help of Spence, save the planet from unnecessary viral death.

I have a few short term life goals that I need to write down. First and foremost, I'm going on a strict cash diet. Not literally cash only, but either bank ATM cash or my credit card. I've allotted a certain amount of money for bare bone necessities, and then I'm going to budget for $100 additional dollars. I'm not going to cut up my cards but I need to get serious about money. I spent twice as much as planned on my vacation, and as much as I enjoyed it I'm a little disappointed in myself. I need to start living within my means. At least now I'll have some free time to start getting through some of my books. Get it...free?! I'm sure there are plenty of websites to pick up delicious and "on the cheap" recipes. Hopefully I can keep it together for the next few months, be prepared to pay off the winter tires, and then move forward into a world of monetary planning and financial preparedness.

Goal number two is to train myself on meditating. I know I've mentioned that already but it has been on my mind a lot.

There are other such recurring goals such as keeping my apartment cleaner, and shaving off some of this ridiculous baby fat. They're obvious but worthy of mention.

I just found out yesterday that a friend of a friend is moving to London with no one to stay with and no immediate plans. They have a year long visa and they are taking 2 mos worth of money and a whack load of ambition. They just want to mix it up a little bit, and I'm very jealous. What am I even doing with my life? I'll add that to my list of things to meditate on.

It looks like it's going to be a low key and frugal winter, but hopefully fruitful in other ways.

Day 12: Arnprior ON - Cottage

KM Driven: ~480km
Location: The Cottage

Well, my adventure has officially come to an end. I didn't do anything too out of the ordinary today. I stopped into some towns to take pictures of the names to surprise an old friend with. Then in typical Julie fashion I missed my cut off and drove in the wrong direction for at least 40 minutes. Sigh. I stopped into a Foodland to pick up some food for tonight and tomorrow morning. I think if the weather stays as it is now I will leave tomorrow. I've considered a few ways to wrap this up and I think I will do the following. Below are some fast fact recap points:

Total number of provinces: 5
Total KMs driven: 5,971.1
Cities visited: 20
(Cornwall, Trois Rivieres, Edmundston, Fredericton, Moncton, Summerside, Cavendish, Charlottetown, Montague, Georgetown, New Glasgow, Halifax, Mahone Bay, Lunenburg, Miramichi, Bouctouche, Rimouski, Trois Pistoles, Arnprior, Eganville)
Sites visited: 16
(MontMorency Falls, Nackawic Axe, Bay of Fundy, Magnetic Hill, Bottle Houses, Alpaca Farm, Union Corner Park, PEI Provincial Park, Alexander Keiths Brewery, Pizza corner, Peggy's Cove, Citadel Hill, La Dune de Bouctouche, Pokeshaw Park Black Rock Park, Chutes A Picot, Pointe-Au-Pere)
Number of pages that flew out of the window: 2 - the contents of both being unknown.
Cheapest Night: Cornwall
Most Expensive Night: Halifax
Favourite Site: Peggy's Cove
Longest Day: 12 hrs on the road

And finally things I've learned:
1) Canada is more beautiful than can be put into words
2) Cruise control is an essential car feature for all road trips, and the e-brake is not
3) French is alive and well through out the entire East Coast. French is not a second language in NB it's a first.
4) Also, Acadian pride is alive and well in the East, especially in NB.

I thought I'd have more inspiring things to say but this is harder to wrap than I thought. Lived it, loved it, and I'd do it again in a heart beat.

Le Fin.

Day 11: Rimouski QC - Arnprior ON

KM Driven: 844.4
Location: Arnprior Motor Inn

Preface: I can't stay connected long enough to upload photos. They will be added tomorrow.

What can I say about today, other than I'm sore and I'm tired. I've pretty much sat in a car for two days straight. Sure there have been stops along the way, but it's still confining, and after a while it feels like my legs start to atrophy. I stop to use the washroom and it's like I have to learn how to walk all over again.

I started the day with a quick loop up to Pointe-Au-Pere to see the lighthouse and the historical site. It was just a few short KMs up the road fom where I was staying. I read a few placks, took a few photos, and was on the road for the big push through QC. I would have liked to have stayed longer and learned more about the lighthouse and the history of the historical site, but there was definitely too much time pressure for that. Back in the car, the first and only stop I made was in Trois-Pistoles QC. Being such a die hard hip fan I couldn't pass up the opportunity to drive through and take a picture of the welcome sign for the QC Hip namesake city. It has a quaint downtown with a beautiful church in the centre. A quick drive through was all I did and I was back on the road. I wanted to stop in for lunch somewhere but being so ashamed of not knowing French I had picked up a sandwich at a gas station in Rimo and that was that. Then I drove straight through to Ottawa. Pretty uneventful drive. The sun was a nice touch to the trip. Finally, when I have no sights to see it's bloody beautiful out. Still it made for a nice driving day. The Quebec drivers are still among the worst in the country. How can they not realize how stupid tailgating is. And cutting almost directly in front of trucks. Did captain bad idea tell them to do that, because the captain doesn't always give good advice. One turd burglar was tailing me, and I had to squeeze in front of a school bus to get out of his way. He was practically already in my lane by the time I got over. With my window down I flipped my hand out the window in a "shove it" motion. He gave me this really weird look when he passed, like he had no idea why I would have done that. I pulled up to the Econolodge (thew new Ottawa standard stop) and I was all ready to unpack and unwind but they were full. Unfortunately the Econolodge was full. It is the cheapest in Ottawa, and otherwise you might as well not be in downtown unless you want to pay 100+ dollars. The sun was already practically set, but I decided to get back on the road and just truck it towards my next destination. I'm taking the northern route to Haliburton, and making a few stoppies on the way. One potential stop is another waterfalls in QC, just across the way from I think Pembroke. I'll have to see if I'm feeling up for it. Now that I'm within 5-6hrs from home I have to think that anything I do now could be accomplished in a weekend trip if I so chose.

All in all Quebec in an amazingly beautiful province. This morning, and last night I really enjoy driving through what I'm going to call the Northern Appalachians. Whatever they were it was stunning. The towns and villages, the shoreline of the St. Lawrence River. Quebec est une tres tres belle province. I also have resolved that I need to learn how to speak French. I'm going to look into teaching myself and then if it goes well looking into getting formal lessons.

I'm going to attach some photos and head to sleep. The internet connection is very very weak up here so I want to wrap it up. Plus it was a fairly uneventful day, and there's really not much left to say. Oh, but I am less than impressed with where I'm staying. I put the deadbolt on and it was looking kind of suspicious so I gave it a tug from the locked position and it popped out. Good stuff.

Day 10: Miramichi NB - Rimouski QC

KM Driven: 644.7
Location: Le Navigateur Hôtel

I'm wiped. I just spent 12 hours on the road today. From what was supposed to be a leisurely 5 to 5 1/2 hour drive somehow turned into 12. Where to start.

I realized last night as I was flipping through my magical destinations book that I missed a pretty special one an hour back from where I landed. That kind of demonstrates my lack of preparedness these past few days. Anyhow, I decided it was a must see and this morning I booked it South to La Dune de Bouctouche, just a few minutes North of Bouctouche. It's funny I specifically remember passing that city the first time though because I giggled at the name, for no apparent reason. Backtracking was 150% the right way to go, the dune was absolutely breath taking. You had to park across the street and then walk across to the boardwalk. They had a small observation area where you could take a nice picture of the entire area. Then they had a boardwalk that stretches about 2km down the 12km dune. I took about a half click on the sand which proved to be maybe not the best choice. It was interesting watching the blowing sand start to fill in my foot prints just as soon as I had made them. The sun was out, the air was just the right level of cool, and it was a gorgeous walk up and back the boardwalk. At the tip of the boardwalk I spied a few people venturing down the beach. Who knows if they were going to trek to the tip of the Dune. That would be 10km in the sand, good luck to them.

So back and the road and up through Miramichi again, I took the extended route along the shoreline between Miramichi and Bathurst. This was not intentional. I did think it was taking much too long to get there, but once I realized it was far too late to gain any time back by cutting back across. It was a great view anyhow. There are a lot of beautiful shores on the Northern coast of NB. I made one unauthorized stop in Pokeshaw, NB at a tiny Provincial Park that was closed. It was just off the road, and as I drove past I saw this magnificent rock structure just off the shore. I u-ed back and pulled up to the closed gate and hopped the low fence into the park area. It's normally $2 a person, but I guess labour day is off season or something. I've gained free access to a lot of things because of the season. Not a ton, but enough to notice. Anyways, I snapped a few shots and was back in the car.

I almost blew my route at the border because I hadn't made note of a bridge as you cross from NB to QC. I crossed the bridge, got confused and went back, and then realized it had to be right and went back again. It was right, so I carried on. Just a few short moments down the road I saw a sign with a picture of a falls, and an arrow that said 15km. I figured I could spare 45 minutes and take a quick side trip. Turns out the first 10km is almost entirely uphill. My car ramped up to 6000rpm just to maintain the speed limit of 80km/h. I'm not sure I have ever, ever seen it go that high before. It was a mother of a hill. At one point you turned a sharp corner and turned into a continuing steep incline. It was French madness. I pulledup to a shoddy sign that said Chutes A Picot 4.5km so I turned in. It was a one lane dirt road that twisted and turned and went exactly back the way I had just come but on the inside. I finally pulled up to the end of the road where I found an outhouse (thank goodness), and a path with arrows indicating to follow to the falls. Now, the road in already scared me a little seeing that I'm a female travelling alone and if anything were to have happened I could have been in big trouble. I'm pretty sure at that point it was a no cell phone range (I actually couldn't find my cell phone at the time anyways). But to get out of my car and venture down an unknown path with potential unknown visitors was perhaps one of the dumbest things I've done on this trip. I second guessed myself but I thought I had already come too far to turn back. The path itself stretched about 1.5-2 clicks into the woods along a narrow path that sloped down a medium steep hill. And the path was covered in tree roots making it slightly difficult to navigate. I got about half way down the path and even considered returning to my car but once again I thought I had gone too far and needed to finish what I had started. I finally arrived at the falls, and it was really serene. There wasn't a soul in sight, just me and the beauty that is nature. I took a few pictures and then hoofed it back up the path, which by the way was entirely downhill towards the falls and uphill on the way back. Yeah. I really was worried the entire time that something bad was going to happen. I rarely if ever put myself into a situation I'm not comfortable with that I wouldn't consider safe, but I took a chance. In the back of my mind the entire time I kept thinking that maybe someone else would come, and see a lone car with the passenger seat filled with junk and know there was a solo hiker with a lot to lose. BUT, in the end everything turned out fine. And I finally put my own personal mark on this trip with an impromptu off the beaten path adventure. I tried googling Chutes a Picot for more information but apparently there is none. There are two flickr accounts with some photos but that's it.

I circled back the way I came and got back on the 132-O, destination Rimouski. In my direction notes I was to turn onto the 132-O, and then at the traffic circle take the 3rd exit towards Rimouski. I just didn't happen to make note that I had to stay on the 132 for almost 200km. So, as it started to get dark, and rain, and all the signs were for cities I had no recognition of I started to become really uncomfortable. I have always held the position that if I've driven in the wrong direction and it's too late to correct I just need to stop what I'm doing and fix it the next day. Finally I pulled into Mont Joli, and I decided to bring out the Acer and confirm my location. I was less than .5km away from the traffic circle. If I had driven on for 30 more seconds I would have seen it. C'est la vie.

The first hotel I stopped at was full, but luckily they directed me to the one I'm at now. It's pretty posh and not too unreasonable. If it was light out I'd find a dirt hole, but I was here and there was room so I took it. Tomorrow I'm back in Ontario, and then the following night I'll wrap this all up with a few after thoughts. Kind of like Jerry Springer but classier.

Bon nuit mes amis.

Day 9: Halifax NS - Miramichi NB

KM Driven: 596.1
Location: Fundy Line Motel

Check out was 1pm from the Cambridge Suites so I had a nice slow morning. I went down for breakfast at 9:45 but during the week they close at 9:30. That would have been really nice for someone to tell me that when I checked in. No bother. That put me 15 minutes early for visting a few stores I had picked out during my trek home. Which by the way I staggered walking uphill with walking across streets as to avoid having to hike vertically for more than 2 blocks at a time. I'm a big wussy. Anyways, I picked up a mediocre breakfast at a place called Paper Times Cafe, or something like that. Had a nice English Breakfast tea along with my eggs and bacon. It was a pretty alright way to start the day. Then I stopped in at the Blackmarket and picked up a headband. It was more like Kensington in Toronto than the Blackmarket in Toronto. I really loved most of the stuff they were selling but I restrained myself. Then I stopped in at a Yoga store just 2 blocks south of the hotel, just to look around and see if I could get any ideas for meditating. It's something I've wanted to start doing for a very long time but never got around to. I picked up a pocket sized book of Buddhist views on various subjects. And then lastly I stopped in at a comic shop just up the street. I wanted to expand my horizons and pick something up to read, but I just couldn't choose. And I figured I could always branch out at home if I really wanted. Back to the hotel, and all checked out, I went down to my car and left.

My car officially smells like death. I'm not sure if there's something rotting in there, or if maybe I smell like death, but it's bad. It's like paper mill up close all the time. Ok, maybe not that bad, but it's not good. I must eventually find the source and eliminate/remove.

I missed a really beautiful attraction just an hour south of where I am, so I'm going to double back tomorrow morning. I had just said to Sim earlier, "If it's less than an hour I'll consider it." Thanks to google maps I know it's an hour and eight minutes. And I think I will allow for the extra 8 minutes and do it. I really need to get to bed asap so I can get up tomorrow, prepare myself for the world, and get on the road. There's this other AMAZING...A-MAZ-ING looking attraction just 2 minuets down the street from my first destination, but it closed at the end of August. It's like this small island that you walk to on a boardwalk, and it's an old school Acadian town filled with old time actors. And they have authentic Acadian meals, and live music. And I think I would have enjoyed it. Though it does sound super kitch, it also looked wicked cool. They also had an attractive website, that always helps. I also missed an Eco Arts fair, but that's ok. At least it wasn't while I was driving past, but days before I even left Ontario.

Ok, so I got in the car, and literally across the street from my hotel was Citadel Hill. I almost passed thinking it would just give me something to do when I come back, but decided it was too close to pass up. I had a really unfortunate, yet fortunately not too unfortunate driving incident on the hill. I'd rather not get into it because I pride myself on making smart driving decisions and this was not one. Feeling the time pressure because of my leisurely morning I did a quick walking tour, I walked around the top of the fort, I checked out the Army Museum, and it was back in the car. The best part was eavesdropping on some older gentlemen talking about their war experiences. If I'd have had more time I would have pulled up a chair and soaked it all in. It actually piqued my interest in learning more about personal war experiences.

Next up was Mahone Bay and Lunenburg, the resting spot of the Bluenose II. They were both adorable towns. Old styled buildings freshly painted with vibrant colours. They both had adorable harbours, and a ton of interesting looking shops. It would be amazing on a nice summer day to sit by the shore and eat an ice cream and read, or talk (if you're lucky enough to have a friend). But for today it was a drive through situation. I did stop in Lunenburg to see the famous harbour but the Bluenosee II was NOT THERE. I should have done more research rather than just winging it. I think my problem lately on this trip is that I switched into wing it mode and I'm not getting the most of my journey. I've even stopped mapping out directions and just depending on road signs, which is not always advantageous. That's a lie, I did write down directions today but I promptly lost them in my car and then I winged it. Still. Just because my trip is winding down doesn't mean I should.

From Lunenburg I drove back up to Halifax and through Truro onwards to Miramichi, NB. I told NS to peace out as I drove past the borderline. I don't know when I'll be back. That's kind of sad really. I could definitely do this trip again. Though next time I would probably fly into Halifax, drive around, and then fly back from wherever I ended up.

And that brings me to here and now. I'm making some very last minute backtracking plans, and making sure I won't have to drive into Rimouski in the dark. Rimouski then Ottawa then home. Two more sleeps and I'll be back home (at the cottage). I don't want to start reminiscing before it's over, but this trip has been incredible. And although I may have been a little negative from time to time, I'm overall happy with the amount of touring I have accomplished. I've added 8 checks to sites from "Unforgettable Canada - 100 Destinations" bringing my grand total to 25. That leaves plenty more of Canada for me to see. It would take years to get them all, because a handful are seasonal, and at least 25 are either NL, NT, YK, or NU, and I don't see myself getting all four of them any time soon. Some day though :)

Zee end.

Day 8: Halifax NS

KM Driven: 0
Location: Cambridge Suites

It was really nice to wake up and knowing I was staying in the same place. No rush to pack up and ship out for a new location. It was raining this morning so I took it easy in my amazing suite. I finally headed out in the afternoon. I can't say exactly how slowly I walked down the hill of doom but I'm sure it was slower than normal.

There are no pictures from today. I didn't feel like lugging my camera around with me, and I didn't really have anything in mind that I wanted to photograph. You'll just have to take my word for it that Halifax has a really cool downtown core. I was looking for a few bars some colleagues had mentioned but no such luck. I headed down to the Alexander Keiths Brewery for the tour. It was actually quite entertaining. My only criticism is that they broke into song way too often, and there were far too many false promises that Mr. Keith would be joining the tour any moment. If he wasn't going to join the tour (the tour is run by period actors) then why continue to allude to it at every stop? Anyways. Then I headed over to the Maritime Museum of the Atlantic for a quick tour. Then it was over to the historic properties and to the Lower Deck for a pint. I walked in and the place was completely empty, without anyone at the bar. So I took it in and left. It would have been a cool place to go with friends. It had an Octoberfest set up with 3 main tables and bench seats running the length of the place. So I left. Following another recommendation I headed up to the Split Crow, but then moved along Barrington in hopes of finding another place, which I did not. So I stopped into an Irish pub I forget the name of, and with their half price appetizers I bought two and brought one home for dinner. I stopped into a used CD store, but most of the CDs were new. Tomorrow I'm hitting up a comic book shop just down the street, and Citadel hill and on to my next destination.

I think touring larger cities is easier and more fun with more people. It's just like Toronto, I'm more inclined to go out if there's someone to go with. I guess that's something I need to work on anyways. But I need to ramp it up, because I'm starting to bore myself. Maybe I can finish my book tonight though. Yay?

Day 7: New Glasgow NS - Halifax NS

KM Driven: 321.3
Location: Cambridge Suites

I took my time again in the morning, knowing that I didn't have far to drive. I had the most amazing continental breakfast I have ever had. I guess if they are going to charge what they do it better be a good breakfast. After breakfast I was on the road for Peggy's Cove and Halifax.

I have to say, I think Nova Scotia is my new favourite province. The area leading up Peggy's Cove was just gorgeous. It was just cove after cove of beautiful water, filled with the stereotypical fishermen boats. I wanted to stop at each one and take a picture. Pulling up to Peggy's Cove was just stunning. The rock formations leading up to the lighthouse are just unbelievable. And best of all, the whole trip is free. There's no admission, you just drive up and you can walk right out. I could have spent the entire day there just sitting on the rocks and watching the waves break up against the rocks. A coworker had told me about the danger of being swept out to sea if you go too close tothe water, so I was cautious going into it. But it's pretty clear where the water stops. Any rock stained dark from water is off limits.

After that I took the Prospect route back through to Halifax. It was a really gorgeous. I pulled into Halifax, and by winging it I found the hotel I'm staying at with much ease. I checked in, and just unwound in my room. I'm paying out my butt, but the room is amazing. That was the plan all along, to go as cheap as possible and then go all out in Halifax. I've had enough 2 to 2 1/2 star establishments. It will be tough to downgrade on the way home.

So I wanted to do at least one thing tonight, besides laundry, so I headed to an apparently famous location called Pizza Corner. Three of the businesses at the intersection are pizza places and they service people leaving the bars in the early hours of the morning. I was told in advance that walking around Halifax feels like everything is up hill, but that's not entirely true. To get to the pizza place was a sharp incline. As I was walking I thought to myself, "This is so steep I could probably fall", at which point I wiped out. That's right, I fell down while walking down a hill. A taxi driver coming up from behind me actually shouted to me to ask if I was ok. That's just a typical day in the life thing to happen to me. But at least the donair pizza made it somewhat worthwhile.

I've got a few sightseeing plans for tomorrow that I'm looking forward to, including a tour of the Ketihs Brewery. Right now I'm just waiting for my laundry to be done and then I'll hit the hay. From what I can tell I already love the city. There's just so much to do.