moving images

Reading Kal's blog these days is a reflection, somewhat, of what's going on around here. Well - maybe only a little bit, as I'm not actually moving house, nor do I have two small children. But I can identify with the spirit of what she's going through.

Here's why: Mum left for a trip to the sunny south, and my brother and I decided to do something she'd been talking about for ages - get the carpets cleaned. (And, even though I'm writing about it on the Internet, it's actually a secret, so don't tell her. I'm banking on her not checking my blog from her vacation. However, you never know, so - hi Mom!) Despite the fact that we've put it off for years, it turned out to be fairly easy - just call the cleaners, set up a date, then move nearly everything so they can get at the carpet. It's the moving stuff BACK that's proving to be a problem.

Well, not a problem, really. I mean, we COULD have just moved it all back to the way it was, and been done with it. But, when 50% of your living and dining rooms are piled up in other rooms, and you can see the floor and the amount of space in the rooms, and you can easily move the furniture, then you can see how things COULD be. You can dream and think about how you might like to change things. I like to change my bedroom around - although not as much as a certain friend of mine, ahem JANICE - and the main, open-plan floor of the house hadn't been changed around since we moved in, pretty much. So we thought, what the hell?

But it turns out that the process of moving things around means going through the piles of papers, and books, and whatever else we've collected over the years (elastics, paper clips, matches, pens that do and do not work, random broken things, et cetera), and culling. And that - takes time. And it ends up getting done in between the other things of life, like work, and seeing friends, and exercising, so that now, a week later, there are still big boxes full of stuff that need going through, piles of things covering the kitchen table, furniture halfway to where it might end up, but no longer in its old spot. It feels like we're moving in to our house, all over again. Which in a way is fun, and exciting, the same way a move is, but in another way is frustrating - "I'm tired of reaching for the (insert whatever here) and not having it be there, or walking upstairs in the middle of the night, thinking the furniture is in its old positions, and bumping into things! I just want a magic wand to wave, so it will all be done!Bibbity bobbity boo, et cetera..."

Poor me, I know. Cry me a river. These things really aren't that big of a deal, and I know that. But still - it can get irritating to have one's "nest" all in disarray.

The camera saga continues... So I called the camera store yesterday, thinking, "Oh, silly me, why am I even doing this? Surely the part is on order and it's just taking a long time. Still, I want to check up on it, see what's going on. It's been a whole month, after all." So the person on the other end of the phone tells me that she thinks the order never even went through, and we'll have to order it again. And in order for us to do that, I should probably bring my camera in again so they can have a look and make sure what part they do have to order. Gah! This is a small store, too, run by local people. I don't want there to be problems. I want to be able to say, "I shop small and local, and it's awesome!"

In other news... I read a post by Kate Harding the other day, entitled "On Productivity and Absorption," and it struck a chord with me. I'm not as technology-based as she is, but I do use it, and I am aware of how the "everyone tweeting and talking and posting all the time" phenomenon in our culture has exhausted me. It's a long-ish piece and I wouldn't blame you for not reading it, but I do recommend it.

A corker of a time... I've been wanting to try some new wines and play around with pairing wines and foods. I started out with a very indulgent home-made macaroni and cheese, and asked the people at the local NSLC what they would pair with it. The match was a success, and so when I went over to another friend's for pizza, I asked the NSLC people for tips again. This picture is from my evening with two good friends, trying out three different wines.

(The picture was taken on my friend's camera, which I nearly went home with. No, not really - but I tell you - being able to take pictures again was a rush! O - M - G I miss it so.)

If you click on the picture you can see it larger, and you can see my handwriting on the envelope, with the names of the wines and what kind of glass we decided to serve it in, so we'd remember which was which. (Being young people without heaps of disposable income, we didn't have proper wine glasses. Oh, well.)

hot hot heat

When the weather report reads like this, you know you're not just imagining it, it's hot:

Today: Sunny. Wind west 20 km/h. High 32 except 28 along parts of the coast. UV index 9 or very high.

32! That's between 90 and 100 Fahrenheit, folks. And it's been like this for, uh, days. And it's going to continue for at least another... few days. OK, I know Cape Breton really doesn't have it all that bad, considering. But I am here, and it is quite hot out, and so like any Maritimer worth her salt, I'm going to complain about it. Hot weather, as Calvin, the man who cuts our lawn even in weather like this, says, "takes the good out of ya."

Here's my simple, step-by-step plan to put the good back in. It doesn't involve alcohol, but if that's how you roll, go right ahead. (And if this is the case, may I suggest Gin and Tonics in moderation. If it's good enough for the Queen Mum, it's good enough for you! Just make sure to drink lots of water too, as hot weather and booze together makes the body susceptible to dehydration). This plan assumes you don't have ready access to a beach for whatever reason (the only car in the household is at work, you live in a stifling hot city, or for some reason you're allergic to sand). It assumes a few other things too, but don't worry, it can be tailored for nearly any situation. Just use your imagination.

1/ Put on your bathing suit. Take a quick shower, ensuring your hair gets wet. Wrap a beach towel around your waist and head for the kitchen.

2/ Make some iced tea. Pour a glass. Drink. (If you're staying away from caffeine, as I am these days, try iced mint tea. It's quite refreshing!)

3/ Watch Dirty Dancing . There is nothing like the 1960's interpreted by the 1980's, some sassy dancing and of course hot, hot Patrick Swayze to confirm it is, indeed, summer. Do a few dance steps in the living room if you're so inclined. And remember: "Nobody puts Baby in a corner." Key to life, my friend.

4/ Drink more iced tea. In fact, go ahead and apply as needed.

5/ Listen to some flamenco. I'm all about shopping locally when possible, so here's a flamenco group from Newfoundland (no, it's not a joke): El Viento Flamenco . Amazing! Check them out. A summery second best is Bob Marley and/or other reggae: Toots and the Maytals, Peter Tosh, etc.

6/ As soon as you find yourself drying off, head back to the shower and repeat. I find the only crucial part of this is the showering, so feel free to substitute any films, music, or drinks, and multiply or divide as needed for the amount of people present.

Before we know it, it will be evil February again, so we might as well make the best of it, right?

on getting on with things

Well, that last post has been up long enough, I think, and even though I haven't got a fantastic one to take its place, this one will have to do.

So it's 2007! My dad says he likes the sound of it better than "2006", and part of me agrees. There's something aesthetically pleasing about 7 that you just don't get with 6. 6 is fair, it's balanced, it's divisible by nearly everything, so you'd think it'd be more likeable, whereas 7 is a little more bad-ass, and to quote Stevie Wonder, "very superstitious". However, when it comes to the year, there's a zingy ring to 7 that pleases the ear. Hard to explain, and highly subjective.

My transition into the new year was a lot of fun, although I paid for that fun the next day by having a hangover that I couldn't quell even with my classic Club Sandwich with Fries Covered in Gravy (no culinary delights there). We partied in Sydney with some friends and made it to several different parties, not really sure where we were at times or whose house we were in (or whose Toblerone bar we were stealing), but that's all part of the fun. The next morning when I woke up there were five kittens to play with, which were the very same ones Kevin tried to eat the night previous. Cuddling with kittens (not eating them) on New Year's Day is a pretty awesome tradition I might just have to start.

And now I'm back in Fredericton, back to school, starting new classes for the semester and jumping back into planning the Film Festival with the rest of "Boost Your Eco!" (Which I'll probably write more about as the weeks progress). The classes are all pretty righteous so far, one of my professors is kind of a mad scientist of Sociology, who mutters and rambles and waves his thin arms and quotes Albert Einstein and trembles a little. Another professor is like a very kindly grandfather who likes to tell us stories about Statistics, and who, when he is taking attendance, says a soft "um" before every person's name, like he is considering whether to offer them tea or juice.

I also like how the further I go into my degree and the more Sociology I take, the more people are familiar to me in my classes; we develop a kind of comradeship. Of course there is the flip side of that, that certain people become infamous from other classes, but that's all par for the course, I suppose. (Pun not intended.)

It's easy for me to get all caught up in the schoolwork, in the readings and things due, and be stressed about it, but I think the most important thing for me to remember is that if you just do the thing, and put as much energy into it as you can at the moment, it will be done. And that's what I mean by getting on with things; like this post, for example.

What are you "getting on" with?

(You can also write about "getting it on" but please be aware that's an entirely different subject.)

thief!

It seems to me that my regular hours and activities have gone missing!

I don't know quite where they went but I think I can attribute the disappearance to Christmas Break, which appears benevolent but is actually a thief in disguise, waiting until you least suspect it to sneak up and grab all schedules you were attached to, all activities which were the backbone of your day, and replace it with those you always wanted to do but never had time. This thief of course thinks you won't suspect, so bedazzled will you be by the sudden opportunity to lie around, watch old episodes of "Sex and the City" and eat lots of chocolate along with dill pickle rice crisps, but then after a few days--alright, let's be honest, more like a few weeks--you realize something is amiss. Something is afoot! Something is a...nother word for wrong. You can no longer reach the old schedules or rely on your body clock to get up at a certain time of day! The horror!

But Christmas Break is not to be feared. It goes away of its own accord, chased off by the bigger and badder Second Semester. Now there's a frightening creature! Trailing papers, schedules and commitments in its wake, it swiftly overpowers Christmas Break and its mamby-pamby thieving ability. Realizing the quick demise of the Christmas Break's reign of terror helps one to enjoy it while it lasts. The positive side is that someone--a birthday girl, in fact, a spring chicken who happens to be Dan's momma--just put a wineglass with Kahlua and milk in front of me, I've only been awake for 5 hours, and I've already walked in the park, climbed in a tree, and done a bit of reading for a paper due next month.

The only thing left to figure out is what to do for New Year's Eve. The last two Eves I spent on the couch due to illness, last year eating Kahlua ice cream and watching a Queen Latifah movie, and the one before that with Janice, who was also sick. This year there is no set party, although one might arise given time and gumption. And gumboots?

To quote Margaret Whiting, "What are you doing New Year's Eve?"

PS I also want to draw my readers' attention (at least, those who know, love or otherwise feel emotion towards one Kevin Lionais) to the latest and greatest link on the left, "Prove It Kevin!" As per Kevin himself, "Merry Crassmas." That is all.

fun activities

Well, if the Internet is going to be here, it might as well make me happy.

I say this because lately I've been struggling with addiction. Not the kind that robs you blind or keeps you from having meaningful relationships--although as Janice, Kate, P-Len and Cameron can attest, today I did begin my gambling addiction with a little "Set for Life" with the girls. So maybe I shouldn't speak so fast, but as far as I can tell right now, my addictions are relatively harmless. But that doesn't stop them from being addictive! I'm talking about Facebook, blogs, emails, and all the other nonsense on this old web that tends to keep me coming back for more, and not always sure why.

So since I didn't win the little friendly stare-eyes competition with the Internet (it always wins! damn automatons that don't blink) I figured I must concede. But that won't stop me from using it for my own fun and indulging in making lists with all y'all, so without further ado...

Pleasant Diversions!

(i.e. procrastination, what you do for fun on a Saturday morning or a Tuesday afternoon, the little joys in life that are free or else under 20 bucks, treats for the self for passing a really hard test or for no real reason at all, et cetera...)

My five favorites:

1. Internet coloring books. Save above image and then print it off. Use crayons or glitter pens or if you're feeling particularly adventurous/messy, finger paint with real hot chocolate. You might want to do that last one in the privacy of your own home, unless you are in fact six years old. This ties in with Janice's latest post about how awesome kids can be, and how we often--we being college students, of course--don't see many little kids, and tend to forget that all the other age groups exist.
2. Fashion magazines, whether sassy or conformist. Just make sure you've got a shaker of salt in your Fendi imitation handbag--and maybe some Gloria Steinem for good measure--and you'll be alright.
3. Hot chocolate. Either mixed at home or topped with whipped cream from your local coffee shop. Nothing better.
4. The Red Room at the library--as Jan said, the sense that you're trespassing in some old rich man's personal library, which besides for the trespassing, is true, since it was Lord Beaverbrook's personal collection.
   
5. Sunny days in November. Rare, and short, so I'm going to get out of the house and into one of them.
   

Now you.

BYOG on the blog

This pumpkin is from an artist named Kat Beyer who I found on Google just now. I think it's splendid.

Also, I'm going to make pumpkin soup today, I think. Mollie Katzen has a recipe for Arizona Pumpkin Soup that takes one can of pureed pumpkin and by God, I have a can! Left over from Thanksgiving two years ago, when I made three pies of pumpkin and one of pecan. Hopefully it won't pull the same nasty trick that the coconut milk pulled the other day at Laura's house (when we opened it, it had turned to the consistency of yogurt, or maybe even really stiff facial cream). Time will tell. I'll also have to doctor the recipe a little and make it Fredericton Pumpkin Soup, maybe leave out a few of the chiles.

I miss Cape Breton a little today. I miss the slow feeling of Fall there, how you can put on your wool socks and gumboots and take a walk down a dirt road and make soups. I'm generalizing a little, of course--there are non-slow days in Cape Breton and it's possible to slow down in other places, too--but still.

I've really got to find myself some gumboots here so I can stop whining about them!

Oh and speaking of gumboots, when Dan gets here and we all get back after Christmas, we're totally having a Gumboot Party and mixing up some of those drinks. Whiskey and Sambuca, people. It's the new black. And if you want to get a little crazy, BYOCS: Bring Your Own Chocolate Syrup. But definitely BYOG.

In other news, today should definitely be International Django Reinhardt Day. There is nothing like a little gypsy guitar to whimsy-fy the chillest of fall days!

"raising the jar and raisin' hell"

We are about to embark on the adventure of our lives. Jimmy Rankin has nothing on us.

"Some were born of true detail and some are purely fiction."

More to come. All I have to say is:

TO GILL!!!!

And..

TO JIMMY RANKIN!!!!

***************

Update:

The evening went splendidly. I'd say Baddeck history was made. The club wasn't exactly happening when we went in, but we nursed our drinks, noted the DJ (who also works at the local Home Hardware), and said hello to fellow party-ers. A party Central meeting was opened and adjourned, and then when people started crowding in we got up to dance. Highlights of the evening:

1. The Mull River Shuffle--played twice.

2. The old couple who danced--and made out!--when many younger people weren't so bold. Here's to Jean MacKenzie and her man for showing us how it's done on the golden side of 60.

3. Dancing like a fool even though I'm starting to feel a little old. All these kids my brother's age! But then again, whatevs.

4. The ambiance: dirty floor, spilled drinks and broken bottles, shady drunk men, silly prep boys straight out of American Eagle who thought they were hot shit, and sort of were, if you consider Baddeck a big place... ah, how much do I love my hometown and its crazy, delightful festivities for the country's birthday.