Xmas - the final stretch!

Tomorrow is December, and I can really feel it. Everything has become so busy this month I can hardly breathe!

Okay, let me just back up a bit.

DesignThinkers 2009 was a-ma-zing, the speakers were really cool. I’ve asked pretty much everyone I saw if I could have a copy of their slide presentation, most of them answered with ‘well, no because I’ve just published a book that covers it and my publishers wouldn’t like that,’ but I took copious notes. And the most important one did give me her slides, so *thphth*. Work seemed to go smoothly while I was gone, I only got a couple of calls and they weren’t emergencies. Also, discovered that Lettieri makes a really excellent London Fog, no sugar needed, mmm…

My friend Graeme (follow him at gem, geek or rare bug) had a fabulous Bond-themed birthday party, so most of us got dressed up in our fanciest finery (I had nothing Bond-y so I went more Emma Peel, went over well) and helped him celebrate. Lesson: if you’re gonna have candles on a cake – you know, to blow out – don’t put a dusting of anything on top of the cake, like cocoa or icing sugar or anything like that. You’re just asking for a mess.

Went on a minor camera safari out in the Beaches with an old work friend (and I still need to send her the pix, which are still languishing on my camera!), it was a great day and we decided to do sort of a travelogue of Toronto. Let’s see how far we get with that *grin*

What else… oh, created a new Blackadder devotee. Watched Waters Of Mars (you locals will get your chance on the 19th of December!). Went to two info sessions for a new condo (decided to wait a bit). Joined some friends to celebrate Dr Who’s 46th anniversary. Went to see 2012 (shit blew up, statues fell down, mountains got drowned, and John Cusack needed comforting – so that was fun). Did a trip around the One Of A Kind Show (another trip coming this week). Did lots of overtime at work. Started my Xmas shopping…

And speaking of Xmas, I’ve had the question a few times – please see the links to the right. Can’t see them? Visit my Amazon.ca or wishlist.com pages to see some suggestions. BUT, and I can’t stress this enough, do NOT go crazy! This year has been really tight for a lot of people and I don’t want to add to that stress!

Mum & Dad, THIS MEANS YOU TOO! I know we usually go crazy-ass shopping for each other, but please don’t this year, I know what the year’s been like for you guys!

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Okay, so now, what’s been on my mind these days? Not a whole lot, I’ve been far too busy! It’s really odd that tomorrow will be December, we haven’t seen any snow downtown at all. In fact, if we get to midnight today without seeing snow, it’ll be a record – Environment Canada’s been recording the weather since 1937 and has never recorded a year where there hasn’t been any snow, not even a trace, before December 1st. In fact, some downtown stations have records that go back as far as 1847 and they haven’t recorded this either. So we’re understandably a little weirded-out by it all. Don’t tell me you still think Global Warming’s a myth!

Another weird thing – the city had to knock out a deer wandering around the downtown core, coyotes have been spotted in the city, and a bear was close to escaping from the zoo last week.

Concrete jungle, indeed.

Life skills fail.

I just want to get this off my chest.

I’m a talkative person. Ask anyone who knows me, they’ll confirm it. It’s not something I can change about myself – on the occasions when I try, everyone thinks there’s something wrong because I’m not my usual, cheerful, chatty self.

This is not something I’m proud of, in fact it’s something I seriously dislike about myself. Maybe it’s because I was the baby of the family? Constantly trying to get the attention of my big brothers, whom I idolized? I dunno, I got plenty of attention, I’m just thinking via the keyboard here.

I also take everything personally. Everything. If someone, for example, hates the movie I just told them I love, I know rationally it’s just a difference of opinion, but that doesn’t stop me from feeling like they’re personally attacking me.

Add the taking things personally to the chattiness and you get a girl who doesn’t like to be stifled. Seriously, the worst thing you can say to me is ‘shut up’ – there are nicer ways to say the same thing, but that particular phrase makes me incredibly upset. Maybe I heard it from the aforementioned brothers in my youth? Can’t recall, again just thinking.

I also empathize with people a lot. I mean, a lot. Cry at sad movies, wear a goofy grin when watching silly movies, it’s all out in the open there and it all affects me directly.

Okay, so combine all of these things.

Tonight at darts we played a team we’ve played many times before, a pretty laid-back bunch who are jovial and chatty and we all get along. So I’m chalking a singles game, and chatting a bit with the two players – not a mile a minute, and not making huge distracting movements, and not talking to them while they’re actually throwing. Adding up scores, asking them to check my math, you know. Commiserating with them about unfortunate throws.

The player for the other team has been smiling the entire time, and saying ‘thank you’ when I say things like ‘oh, that’s unfortunate’ when he just misses a double he needs (which is something I do for the other player as well, it’s not just this guy). Then it turns out he’s actually quite angry and thinks I’ve been distracting him. He doesn’t blow up or anything though, it’s all very calm and just sort of comes out, he has it out (calmly and smilingly) with the other player (who even comments to him that we can’t tell he’s upset because he’s been smiling, we thought he was joking around with us like we’ve been doing). Of course, whatever, if I’m too distracting I’ll stop chatting, no problem, and told him so, as does the other player, and they continue the game and I only speak to confirm scores. At the end of the game he apologizes and I say no no no, I’m sorry, of course different people find different things distracting, it’s totally fine.

Done, right?

Well, it should be done. Except I’m really angry about this. I’m feeling persecuted. (Who’s persecuting me? No one, I’m sure – I’m just taking it hugely personally.) I mean, this was a couple of hours ago and it’s still churning around in my stomach.

I’m also thinking that these things wouldn’t happen if I didn’t have such a big mouth and would shut up every once in a while.

What the hell’s wrong with me?

Alternative Toronto

And no, that’s not Toronto people who are into alternative lifestyles.

I think I’ve spoken before about ‘Alternative Toronto’ – I dream about it every once in a while, usually in different areas of the city but always consistent with the last time I dreamed about it. I keep planning on mapping it out but I never get around to it. There’s a subway station on a platform hanging over the Don Valley, a beach-and-cliff combo downtown, the financial district buildings shift and change size… Anyway, in the past nine days I’ve had two AT dreams, which seems to be an increase in frequency to me.

The first was last week, no doubt, triggered by Steve Roberts’ visit to Regular Toronto for the Restoration Team Q&A – I dreamed that Tavern Night just happened to also be the night all the rich people along Bathurst south of Bloor (in AT of course) had their garbage night, but they tended to put out large items of gorgeous furniture (I’ve dreamed that before too), and commented that next Tavern we really needed to come with a truck so we could get some of it. Steve appeared briefly in a sort of cameo appearance, helping me sort things into boxes, long nails in small wooden boxes, strange. I’m sure that says something about me.

The second was just lastnight – Greg Proops was in town, I ran into him around Yonge and Wellesley in the wide stairwell of a restaurant that was more like a record store or something, and we got to talking and wandered a bit, then he told me he needed to get to 11 Wellington Street East (why I remember that so specifically I don’t know), so we took a streetcar there and met another comedian in a very small bar. I’m not sure who that other person was, but part of me feels like it might have been Nick Frost, though it only sort of looked like him. This one’s new, by the way, never dreamed of that area before.

So what’s up with the AT dreams with special guest stars? What does this say about me? Maybe I feel I’m living in a dreamworld?

Unrelated but also new – I finished Margaret Atwood’s The Edible Woman (strange but entertaining), revived an ELO appreciation, and have two new oracle card sets (which I’ll write up on my next Tarot update).

Hallowe’en’s coming, are you ready?

So my life is suddenly quite hectic.

This week I have limited access to my own bathroom, while the office tears out my old tub and bathroom flooring and replaces them (the water damage caused by tubliners must be seen to be believed, don’t be sucked in by the hype folks!). For me, showers are for getting clean and baths are for relaxing – and then you have a shower after to be clean. It’s killing me to be stuck with only baths for the whole week. But at least I don’t have the worry in the back of my head that the floor is going to finally collapse. Anyway, as a result my home is an even worse disaster area than usual, tarps down and plaster dust in everything. Can’t wait until this is done.

Tuesday night Darts is back on for the season, and I’m doing rather well with my new Cyclones. Not fabulously of course, I mean I still suck, but in the past three weeks I’ve won three games, one of them my singles 401, so there’s improvement there! We’re in a new home pub, Maverick’s, and they treat us well and serve good food. Big change there! We have a new member too, he’s pretty cool.

I’ve also got two standing Dr Who dates every week – one with S who comes over for Series 2 (finally managed to convince her on Tennant) and one with T who comes over for Series 3 (which he’s loving too).

So this leaves me two weekdays to accomplish things. But wait, they’re not really all that accomplish-y, ’cos things keep coming up. Such as Thanksgiving. Well, that’s really not a bad thing, I love going to my parents’ place and just hanging out with them, but that kept me out of the city until the following Tuesday.

(That trip home for Thanksgiving was on the GO Train. Love the option. Unfortunately, they’re not calling it a commuter train but an ‘excursion’ train, so it’s only seasonal and it’s done for the season now, and only ran on the weekends when it was in season anyway. Why? There are a lot of people who live in the Niagara region who come to Toronto to work every day. I’d love to have the GO option. Well, there is a GO bus, but its stop in St Catharines is not at the bus station – it’s at the side of a mall. Don’t like that. Oh, and I met a lovely young man on the Greyhound on the way back who was in from New York for Toronto Fashion Week, I hope he had a good time!)

Another distraction was the Creativ Festival, which I had to go to after work on the Friday in order to see at all. Didn’t buy much, a few doily books (yes, I’m going to try doilies now), a kit for my purse, just little stuff. But glad I went anyway. The weather’s been crappy, but the next day was gorgeous, so my friend Ss and I met at F’Coffee (highly recommended) and then went up to the Rosedale Valley to take some pix of the leaves changing. Nice shots. All still on my camera of course. Someday I’ll get ’em loaded up. Then the Boy and I drove up to Staynor the next day to visit with friends, long drive but we wouldn’t see them otherwise. And I started a doily while I was there, which I’m now almost done.

So then I thought I’d have some more free time, you know, besides Darts and the two Dr Who nights. Not so.

We had a special Tavern around a visit from Restoration Team member Steve Roberts, who I was delighted to find remembered me from Gally! He talked about the new releases coming out and the process they go through when bringing these sad old copies of Dr Who back up to snuff. It’s magic, by the way. Chroma Dot Recovery is my new favourite thing. Steve is a lovely person, as is his good lady wife Sue (it’s Sue, right? I suck...). And Taza, who finally came out too. *grin*

Also had a three-day loss of internet access last week. The technician finally traced the problem to a cut phone line – apparently my downstairs neighbour had phone problems, and the technician (a different guy, I should point out) decided that cutting the other good line (i.e., mine) and attaching the neighbour’s phone to it would be a good idea. Idiot.

This past weekend was my anniversary with the Boy, so we had homemade mac & cheese – which rocked, just saying. Also listened to a lot of Queen and the new Flight of the Conchords. Oh, and I went to Jersey Boys with TFTL, which totally rocked as well. Everyone should go.

Best news this month: I’m going to DesignThinkers09! RGD puts it on every year, and I’m always invited but never get to go. This time I’ll be there! Two days of seminars and roundtables on graphic design and marketing and suchlike. Very excited…

Louis CK and Nuit Blech

So wow, Louis CK is one funny bastard, let me tell you. Thought I was gonna wet myself. And, surprisingly, a nice guy – at least he seemed that way when I met him.

Oh, didn’t I tell you? I went to see Louis CK lastnight, at the Winter Garden Theatre (by the way? most gorgeous theatre I’ve ever been in). Saw him sort of by myself, as I couldn’t get two seats together for a friend and I, but I knew someone else going *waves to Xef* and we were in the same row, so yay! Great seats, second row back in the Mezzanine, excellent view. Anyway, bought his latest DVD, he signed it after the show, all good.

Oh, but that wasn’t the end of the evening’s hijinks, oh no. See, lastnight was Nuit Blanche. Now, I had no actual plans to visit any of the installations or events, as I’ve been incredibly disappointed both times I’ve gone, and I didn’t even go last year for that reason. But Xognya was going to wander, and I figured what the hell, it’ll be midnight already when I get out of the show, why not? So we wandered, with Xef for a bit too.

What did we see? Lessee. A giant silver bunny floating in the Eaton Centre, complete with giant silver carrot. A strange group of people in sheets (‘ghosts’ apparently) moaning in a circle. An awesome suspended light ever-changing word at Nathan Philips’ Square. A story told through dance. A constantly-updating visual representation of world debt levels. A giant ‘NO’ (that was more than a bit lame). Amusement park rides staffed by out-of-work suits on Bay Street (the best allegory ever!). A giant reflecting pool of vodka. A film about the Kensington Market community. An interactive music-making courtyard at my office. And, lastly, an all-night dance class at the Toronto Reference Library, which we stayed at through Salsa and Swing. This year it was no Nuit Blech!

I didn’t get to bed until after 6am, was suddenly wide awake at 7:30am, went back to sleep and woke again at 8:30am and haven’t slept since. Probably had maybe a total of two hours of sleep. But man, what a night.

And no, I didn’t visit the Distillery, right next door.

Autumn has arrived

Yeah, okay, so I suck. I haven’t been posting much, no. Part has been me just generally sucking, but part has also been me being VERY busy.

First, I knew I was going up to Killarney for a week and a half, so there was a lot of preparing at work to do. Really, I feel quite good about my job some days, when I see what kind of work has to be done just to be sure I can go away for a bit. The girl we had come in to cover me was sharp and fun, felt good about leaving stuff with her.

My last day I was wanting to leave around noon. I ended up leaving around 3:30, with no lunch, ’cos there was just too much going on (yep, that’s my job) but I went to the CNE and met up with J*&P and Mr Pants. Got a pretzel dog, some DVDs, damned good pierogies, and just a lot of fun with some of my favourite people.

Then there was Canada’s Wonderland. Yep, T and I went to Wonderland again this year, last minute decision – we had planned to be on our way up to his cottage on Sept 28, but we couldn’t go until the next day anyway so we decided to trek up to the park instead. The Behemoth, by the way, will not disappoint, that first drop is absolutely terrifying! Yes, it’s about the angle and the height of that first drop, but also there’s the fact that there’s nothing across your chest as you go down, no belts, nothing – well, there’s a contraption that holds on to your legs, which is perfectly safe and all coasters should have them, but you feel like you’re gonna die.

So then there was the cottage. The weather was really crappy all morning on our way up, just like most of the summer had been. Rainclouds and such, grey and windy and rainy. But a funny thing happened – the moment we stepped out of the SUV in Killarney, the rain stopped. We got everything into the boat (she’s the Agonde, if there’s any curiosity there) and the wind calmed down. By the time we got to the cottage itself (Mor-On-De-“A” – don’t ask) it was actually clearing up. And so we began a week and a half of AMAZING weather, the best weather of the entire summer! Lazy days of doing puzzle books and crocheting, attempting to read Tristram Shandy (I’ve given up), practising my Tarot, taking pix of the flora/fauna and watching DVDs with T (oh, don’t forget the copious amounts of alcohol, please) made for, I think, our best trip yet. No swimming this time, but I don’t feel I missed out.

I’m pondering going to Chicago Tardis in November. Not like I can afford it, but I’m still tempted. What do you think?

Anyway, what else? Oh, I’ve addicted my coworker to Torchwood by showing her Children Of Earth. Wasn’t difficult really, but I admit to being surprised that she liked it – I mean, it was amazing, yes, but I didn’t think it was something she’d appreciate. Doesn’t hurt that Captain Jack is lovely on the eyes, of course.

T and I went to see Whiteout. While the dialogue is not very strong – downright weak in places – I enjoyed the story itself. If you take away the setting, it’s a pretty straightforward whodunnit. Nice.

The Clothing Show. Well, I had told myself that I would not be buying any clothes for the month of September, you know, just to see if I could do it, but I’d allow myself to for a special circumstance. I’m proud to say I met my personal challenge – because The Clothing Show constitutes a special circumstance! I bought a dress, a jumper and a coat, plus a homemade lip balm made right in front of me. I look fabulous in all of it. So there.

What else? Oh, Tavern was this week, and it was really good, huge turnout, yay!

So tonight is Nuit Blanche. Louis CK is playing tonight as well, and that’s what I’m looking forward to – I’ll stop at some Nuit Blanche stuff if it appeals, but that’s it – too disappointed in previous years to make a special trip out.

I’ll keep you posted!

...Oh, and I think the quote at the bottom of the page has been there long enough, so I’m replacing it. For posterity’s sake, though, here’s what it was before:

“The very powerful and the very stupid have one thing in common. They don't alter their views to fit the facts. They alter the facts to fit their views, which can be very uncomfortable if you happen to be one of the facts that need altering.” – the 4th Doctor (Face Of Evil)

They are... wed.

Sorry if that sounds anticlimactic, but I was composing a beat poem at the wedding lastnight and that was the last line. Yep, just like Mike Myers in So I Married An Axe Murderer. I didn’t have the guts to get up and read it though, I suck. Perhaps I shall record myself performing it and post it on YouTube...

So yes, Andrea and Joe were married yesterday, it was a lovely ceremony performed by her Uncle (very conversational in tone, I like that) in a beautiful modern church with stunning stained glass, and a singer who could easily join the Canadian Opera Company, and the reception was pretty cool too – L and I sat with the family who weren’t part of the wedding party, we were all very silly. Everyone looked smashing – see, there was a theme (which I only found out on Friday night), and that was Hollywood Glam. Luckily, what I chose to wear was kind of retro 50s so at least sort of went with the theme, but it meant there were a LOT of gorgeously-clad folks! Oh, and I did my nails between the wedding and the reception, in the car on the highway. I sort of rock.

Guess what? I danced! This may not seem like a big deal, but none of them (except L) had ever seen me dance before, I just have never really felt like it, but this time I did. What got me up? Michael Jackson’s Don’t Stop ’Til You Get Enough. And then Play That Funky Music White Boy and Superstitious. And then a slow song, dunno what it was, the first one we’ve ever danced to in our almost three years together. So yeah, great night.

Wait a minute, you’re saying, you danced to MJ? What’s up with that???

Okay, here’s my thing. When MJ died, I refused to gloss over what a whack job he was, just on principle. I mean, let’s face it, we all know how nuts the guy was, and it only got worse every year, but the moment he passed away everyone sort of conveniently forgot about the hyperbaric chambers and the Elephant Man’s remains and the monkeys and never-ending plastic surgery, and went ‘oh, oh, I really did love him, I did, I did, none of that ever happened, blah blah blah’. So I felt it was my duty to NOT do that.

Funny thing though, the more I’ve thought about him, the more I’ve had to own up to the fact that yes, he was incredibly talented. I wasn’t a fan, but I could completely recognize the talent, I mean the boy had magic, didn’t he?

And this week while looking for a dress to wear to the reception (yes, I found one and no, I didn’t wear it, I ended up wearing something I already had, thank you) I heard Don’t Stop in a store and found myself singing along quietly, and realized that I had, in fact, always liked this particular song, and had been in denial about it. So this is me sharing that.

Also, lastnight I decided that the real Michael Jackson isn’t actually dead – much like Elvis in Bubba Ho-Tep (watch it, it’s awesome), MJ traded places with an impersonator, maybe just after Thriller came out, you know, when he was still relatively normal, and went on to lead a normal life, while the impersonator when totally nuts. That’s what I’m choosing to believe now, it makes me happy.

Oh, on a side note, how insane was that storm on Thursday? I mean it, how insane was it? ’Cos I missed the whole damned thing, I was inside the Bay downtown the whole time (yes, dresses) and you can’t see outside from in there. That was Mother Nature’s happy birthday message for my Dad I guess? Anyone have pictures?