Not a Staycation

 Richmond Summer Night Market

This is beautiful, and so is this. I want to crawl up into a bunch and read poetry under an HBC blanket. Once I get home, that is.

I've been down in the greater Vancouver area for several days now. I got to go through a full-body scanner at the airport due to my metal belt. I got lost on Commercial Drive and spent most of my time in Stanley Park trying to figure out how to get out. I've walked my relatives' wild dog, met my cousin's son who is 2.5 and often repeats "But why?". I've gone to thrift stores in Delta and visited my 88-year-old granny.  I've made mistakes even during these holidays, and wasted time, and I am slowly coming to accept that. At least I am still in the moment even when I'm riding a bus back and forth or just making dinner with my aunt. Not every vacation has to be full of tourist expeditions, and I'm glad this one isn't. This weekend I hope to hit up a museum or art gallery and see another relative or two.


If you're reading this, remember that you can breathe and do everything imperfectly and most of the time it will still be all right.

A Quiet Day at Home

 

 

Finally, Canada Post is catching up with the mail! Today I received two parcels:

 

the “Kill All Your Friends” zine from Jessica Sea and my Lucy B lip balm I won in a giveaway at Bailey’s blog!

Decluttering & Crafting

This past week or so I’ve really taken action on becoming less of a pack rat. Not quite a “lack rat”, but I’m downsizing by getting rid of the clothes I don’t wear, the books I don’t read, and the general paper piles that are never sorted through.

This isn’t my bedroom, but maybe someday… (davidyates@tumblr)

Here are some links that have been helping so far:

• Declutter a room in 30 minutes
• Feeling guilty about parting with sentimental items
• 3 Easy Steps for Beginners to Minimalism

I’ve also been fixing up ripped and broken clothes I have, taking in dresses and -
I made this super cute felt squirrel finger-puppet!

Yes, my walls are super ugly. 
See the tutorial at Sotosofties here.

Help Japan

I’m very lucky and happy that my former host family from Japan lives south of the earthquake/tsunami zone, so are safe and fine right now. Thank goodness for the power of the internet to let me email Ayumi on her phone with my halted panicking message. Japan has a soft spot in my heart – my trip there after high school really did change me for the better, for the wiser.
You might be tired of hearing about this. But if you can, please give to the Red Cross to help relief in Japan. You can click here (Canadian site) or here (American site).

I’ve Been a Bad, Bad Blogger

I really have been. This semester is exhausting to say the least, and I’m not on solid footing for any of my classes so far. I didn't even manage to finish Twilight Princess over 'Reading Week'. I am though, hopefully going to be doing research for my summer job this year. More to come on that. Oh, and I'll be seeing Rammstein in May. Here are some photos of my photogenic animals. I'm also going to try take more (quality) pictures of my life, some of which will be posted here but others at my Flickr.

And you say Nicki And I say who me

Here are some pictures of what I’ve been up to during the last week or two. They aren’t edited, I’m too lazy right now.








So much snow – the lawn is under at least a foot and a half.

December is a double-edged sword

It always is. December – the time for holidays, my own birthday, presents, parties, and a break from classes.
However, there’s another part. December – the time for writing 11 page papers in a weekend, cramming for exams, hurriedly trying to get the courses you want for next semester. Then, finally, feeling a big hole in your day where classes were – even if you’ve been productive in the last week, not sitting in a lecture makes it feel a bit less so. And realizing there’s another year over and you’ve accomplished not-so-much.

Another thing – I’m not sure what to think of it, but there’s always Mercury Retrograde. December is interesting, exciting, productive, but always different and not what it seems.

I’m nearly ready for January. New starts, new goals, refreshed, and most of all straightforward and clear January.

Here are some things that could brighten your January, when it arrives:

Amy Marcella 2011 Wall Calendar


Moleskine 12-month Mini Weekly Planner


Essential Art House: 50 Years of Janus Films


Snowdrop Sterling Silver Handmade Earrings


I will, however, try and make the best of things and enjoy what’s left of this month as much as I can. No Scrooges allowed!

Procrastinating Papers

Finals time isn’t too much test-taking for me, but papers to hell and back. In the midst of that, I dumped hot water on my arm and got some second degree burns.

 

Here’s my cat being adorable.

Snapshots of My Week: Project Roughly 365

A few days ago I decided I wanted to start doing Project 365, the infamous one, to finally get to learn how to use ISO/Aperture/Shutter speed on my camera. I’m learning slowly but surely, and missed a day, but here’s what I’ve (successfully) taken so far. Thanks to Unicorn Parade’s Tanie for being an inspiration of good photos with a point and shoot and to Kris Atomic for some tips!

 

 

 

long overdue – not just my library books

Why, fancy seeing you around! Though I had fully dispersed into the stacks? Not quite.
This is something of a funny-anecdotes-to-tide-you-over-and-gosh-I-hope-you’re-still-reading post. I’m not sure what that means.

Recent Activity:

• Alot of homework
• Attended the Canadian Society for Continental Philosophy’s annual conference – saw four talks in total! My first conference.
• Read my first Stephen King novel as well.
• Listening to many mash-ups – a taste. And revisiting Britney Spears’ singles.
• Trying to get involved with Voices for Choices on campus
• Nearly breaking my back and knees in a yoga class.
• Voted in the Municipal Elections … and both the mayor and councillor I chose succeeded! Goodbye, so long, won’t miss you City-Center Airport.
• Yearning for Etsy treasures

After my mid-semester papers and exams, I’ll be back with a serious business post or two. In the meantime, I don’t know, have some popcorn.

Learning to Blow Bubbles

This weekend I did have some small victory in the world. Yes, I spent a lot of it wading through dregs of homework assignments and readings. But I learned one valuable thing, something I’d given up on years ago -
Blowing a bubble with (bubble) gum.

(image from tumblr)

I can’t do a variety of things – notably, I can’t roll my R’s and I can’t whistle. And, I’ve never been able to blow bubbles in gum. I was the kid who would try for a couple of minutes, end up making a raspberry noise and no discernable shape at all with the gum, and resign myself to chewing it until the flavour was lost. More recently, I haven’t bought ‘bubble gum’ specifically for years.

This weekend I was using up some that I’d bought on a whim at Dollarama – and, to my fascination, my SO was kind enough to sit me down and show me how exactly to blow a bubble. I at various time took it out of my mouth and stretched it, just to make sure I was doing it right.

And the result – I now have the ability to blow bubbles. Mind you, I can’t make very big bubbles yet – I think I’m holding my breath a bit too much – but I can consistently, and well, blow bubbles in my damned bubble gum.

The 5-10 year old inside of me is hyper-fière.  And for what my $0.02 are worth, Bubblicious is far superior to Hubba-Bubba.

Anna Tsuchiya – BUBBLE TRIP

Lady Gaga / Metal

 

 

I’m seeing this free bitch on Thursday night.

Select Photos from my Montréal trip

I’m exhausted, have just finished my first week of work at my summer job. But here are some pictures from Montreal for your time!

The view from our hotel room.

 
Notre Dame on the outside


Notre Dame on the inside


A square in Old Montreal




McGill
 
Graffiti at McGill Humanities Library


They were shooting a movie in the Quartier Chinois.


Delicious, delicious pizza.


behind Place des Arts

 




Please don’t take any of these photos without my permission! I took over 600 photos in the week we were there, so this is barely a taste.
To come very soon on this blog:
+ Montreal Musts
+ Why Don’t You Love Beyonce?

Brief Personal Life update

I’ve begun to do some sewing lately – plush toys, tote bags, a skirt, and a top so far. Do any of you followers sew? I think I’m going to pick up some fabric, elastic, and patterns in the next couple of weeks.


I’m ordering the Fujifilm Finepix S1600! Midway between a point-&-shoot and a DSLR. I’ve needed a new camera for several months or maybe a year now.

And what’s the reason I’m getting this new camera at this moment?


I’LL BE IN MONTREAL FOR A WEEK AT THE END OF THE MONTH. YAY.
No really, mes amis, je n’ai pas encore visite la belle ville Montréal. Ou même le Québec en général !

SO, do you have any suggestions for Montreal? I will be completely without internet during my time there (except for perhaps some internet cafes). I am looking for anything and everything to see there!

Is This Real Life? A Murder Suspect Cut my hair

So, this is the kind of thing that only happens on television, in movies,  or in quirky-chick-lit-type novels.

I went to get my hair cut today, at one of those cheapo places that come in chains, because it’s been driving me up the wall lately. No big deal. Brought in some pictures of asymmetricals and plunked down in the chair to wait.
Anyhow, the hairdresser I get is named Jurgen *(changed just for good measure), he looks 50+, but apparently he’s been working there forever. Weird guy, but cuts my hair.
Midway through another customer is leaving, stops to grab his coat, and the following conversation ensues:

Customer: “Jurgen, you’re out of jail then?”

Jurgen: “hmm?”

Customer: “The murder case thing, right?”

Jurgen: “Oh yeah, they dropped the charges because they never found the body.”

Customer: “Well, I guess they can’t do much without a body. See you around.”

WHILE JURGEN HAD A PAIR OF SCISSORS INCHES AWAY FROM MY HEAD. UHHHH. I kept silent for the rest of the cut. Paid, and left.

So he was definitely a murder suspect at least.
To top it all off: I got home and realized he didn’t cut my hair AT ALL like I wanted it, so I had to go to another hair salon and get it fixed. Or risk being mushroom-headed forever.

But anyhow, the moral of the story is:
1. Listen to your intuitions. The guy was a potential murderer AND screwed up my hair!
2. I am now, fortunately, rocking an asymmetrical cut for the first time. Thanks to Katelyn at Great Clips!

New Years’ Eve, and why Resolutions ARE and AREN’T bunk

Happy 2010 everyone! I wore:

Twill dress from Dot’s, $7.00
with black sheer tights, a black blazer,  and the boots from this entry
(it was too snowy for heels!)

Why New Years’ Resolutions are bunk:

• People make outrageous goals they can never accomplish, but it’s excusable because they’re ‘resolutions’
• Goal-setting can be done any time of year. So if you want to quick drinking, don’t drink your face off until January 1st, but stop right now!

Why New Year’s Resolutions aren’t bunk:

• If you can make less outrageous resolutions and structure your goals (ie. ‘go to the gym twice a week’ rather than ‘exercise more’ or ‘become a bodybuilder’), they’re more likely to be accomplished!
• Having time off from school/work is an excellent opportunity for reflecting and gathering goals in our minds.

I have a number of goals to work on this year! What are yours?

Halloween

Happy Halloween Everyone!

I don't do a ton for Halloween, since I'm not much of a party animal. This year I began last night with my SO, watching

and

 

The first is tacky and hilarious, the second suspenseful and quite good!

Then tonight I joined one of my dearest friends and went collecting non-perishables for the Campus Food Bank. I dressed as a doll:

 

It was a lot of fun! I put it together last moment, next year I'd like to make a scarier costume. I'm going to spend the rest of the night munching on candy.

Dreaming

I'm going to tell you about the crazy dream I had last Monday night.

fwiw, I'm on some sleep meds right now where I remember my dreams most nights.

It began with me in a high-school like building, and I was going to check on a French class that I'd transferred out of (to another class). I got there and the class was super small but the prof had been replaced by HUGH LAURIE. So of course I skipped what I had going on and sat in on the class. He was pretty good, and complimented some girl because she had a copy of L'etranger (Camus) on her desk, said that's a big challenge but impressive. After the class, I was going to go and try find my locker, which I forgot where it was in the building, as well as forgot the combination. But Hugh Laurie was still there so, duh, I hung around to try and impress him. I told him about my having read Camus, and was hitting on him. All of the sudden he whips out a huge soccer ball and some other soccer equipment, which apparently was from my locker. I recognized it and my jaw dropped, then he ran off with it rather jauntily.

Notes: 

I haven't transferred french classes this year

I don't play/don't watch soccer

But I did in fact read the Stranger this summer 

Teach me French, Hugh, teach me French.