WINTER GO AWAY

Ok, so really now... why must God taunt us?  Snow at the beginning of April was exaggerated enough, but must we maintain 5 degree weather? My hands are starting to suffer! They're tired of being dry! I thought I'd be able to stop wearing a third layer, but nope! And Georgia is still suffering through the tempests out there in the backyard, while I neglect her and use my Metropass! 

I did go for an absolutely lovely run on Friday, however - that's maybe the most frustrating thing. I love running outside and I was finally able to do so, and then of course come back and spend some time on Map My Run (combining running AND maps!), but the goddamn cold is now back to thwarting my life.

Classes are over, which is awesome (and not awesome). Last class with Rupp was classic - or was it? I don't know, but our photo session à la grad student (Rupp included) and debriefing session brought sunshine into my life once more.

Here's to finishing the year without suicide! Hoo-Rah! 

light!

I love spring!! Yes I do complain that there's no real spring in Canada, and that it's so ugly with the dead grass and absence of leaves on the tree, but I do very much appreciate the greater quantities of light that we've been receiving these last few weeks.  Everyone knows that in the dead of winter here people get depressed from the lack of light, and it's crazy to see how measurable the change is when sunshine starts coming back.

It's still cold out, but somehow everything is different when you realize it's 6.30 pm and the room is still bright.  It's like even if I should be really stressed, I just can't stress with this beautiful sunshine.

I can't wait for summer.

whatevs!

I don't write often and I don't write about much. I know, I know. I think I'm the only one that reads this blog anyway so I just write things to entertain myself. But I know it's a vicious cycle, I don't write anything, there's no reason for anyone to read it, so I don't write anything, etc.

Of course, if I did anything of interest it would make more sense for me to write.

...

I just wanted to make clear that the title of my blog is NOT Vanessa Carlton-inspired.  I don't think she uses this exact phrase, but when it came time to pick a name, I just opened a book I was reading (Daniel Deronda, oh yes) and picked the first adequate phrase I saw. So there you have it.

I kinda want to recap my week, because it was a good one.  First I went out with Anna and Ben (Banna as they will soon be known, thanks to Sumeep) for St. Pattie's, at the Victory Café.  Always a good time with them, which was to be repeated later in the week at Friday night dinner and tax-filing time!  Nothing like pasta, fruit salad and the promise of cold hard cash to make for an enjoyable night. 

On Thursday I got to kick someone's ass at Rockband, both on the drums and guitar, before proceeding to (the?) Tranzac to drink red wine and scare away scuzzies... and oh yeah, watch Brenda's brother play the bass.  

Then Saturday it was nice to hang around the conference for a bit, before pizza and Taboo at Ryan and T(h)eresa's.  And NO I haven't dug myself out of the dark pit made up of my academic duties, but look at me! I'm in the library on a Sunday, listening to the guy in the carrel behind me snoring! 

Number of people in the reading room at Pratt - 17. Of that, number of Asians - 11. Not bad, not bad. People are friggin' dedicated.

I'm annoyed at three things, however: 

1. two of my favourite t-shirts have gone MIA, and as we all know, I pretty much own(ed) three t-shirts.  So I've been wearing the third all week, and will continue to do so until my new shipment from Threadless arrives. (Spring sale still on!)

2. the lack of internet service in my house. The network disappeared ya hace rato, but I survived on free networks, which have now also become unavailable to me.

3. that my card and/or the secret basement door refuses to let me into the basement to get to the Cueva. As a result, I am left without snacks and a comfy couch to read on.

So in case you're waiting for an update on my future, I don't have one. I still haven't looked for a job for the summer, and I don't know where I'm going to be next year. Yes, I would like to travel this summer, but I don't know when would be a good time to do it if I'm supposed to be working.  What the hell, maybe I'll just take the whole summer off and join Anna and Ben in Germany before skipping off to the Middle East.  No worries, right? As Sumeep would say, "yeeeeahhhhhhh."

lo que yo no entiendo

you can't hold it too tight

these matters of security

you don't have to be wound so tight, smoking on the balcony

but it's that sleaze in the park

you women, you have no self-control

the angels remark outside

you were known for insatiable needs

i don't know a thing

i've seen love, and i've followed the speeding of starlight

i've seen love, and i've followed the speeding of starswept night

yeah pace is the trick

Chicag'

Yep, so Sumeep and myself managed to catch a plane over to Illinois to check out what was going down in Chicago.  In February.  So, not much.

Despite the cold that punished us as we walked the streets, I had quite a nice time.  The city looked pretty sketchy from our subway vantage point coming in from O'Hare, but once we walked downtown from our hostel in Greektown (hostel name: The Parthenon) things brightened up.  The buildings are kinda neat, and so is the El, as long as it doesn't kill you with sparks as you pass underneath. I doubt it's possible. ... but, I'll still cringe when it goes overhead.

Basically, our strategy was to see the city in between Starbucks/Dunkin' Donuts stops.  In there, we walked along the shorefront, visited Millenium Park and the bean (best idea EVER making that thing, except for maybe the price of it), did up the Art Institute (yes, I did see Nighthawks, but almost got run over by a rampaging horde of children with their chairs in the process) and the Cultural Center (although I couldn't get Sarabia/Xul Solar off the brain in there), visited the lovely (and wonderfully free) Garfield Conservatory, and went up the Sears Tower, where I was pleasantly greeted by two Obama cut-outs, which I of course took pictures with.  (See Figure A, above.) 

In other excitement, I discovered Sumeep's love of water fountains and gift shops, how utterly ghetto Chicago's subway system is, and REdiscovered the deliciousness of bread and cheese.  I whipped out that particular lunch at the Auto Show amidst the fudge, deep dish pizza and hot dog stands and was promptly stared at.  Well maybe I didn't get stared at, but my food most certainly did. Ah, how good does it feel to stand out.  Cheeeeeeese...

My CS contacts ultimately all flaked out on me, but 'tis the spirit of the surfers, so we just rolled with it and made new ones via skating Thursday night at Millennium Park. Sumeep was a great sport and let me fly around the rink for a couple hours before we feasted on pizza, beer and, in my case, an awesome cookie and ice cream dessert.

We emerged without making any real souvenir purchases outside postcards although I did eye the "Yes We Can" shirts/mugs with the intention of getting Jeannine an inspirational present. :)  

Not real happy with the amount of work (none) gotten done this week, but having seen Joce and Dam, vegging out with banana bread, and going to Chicago, all in all it wasn't too bad. 

Cannot wait till next weekend, when I promise, I'll get ahead on all my schoolwork.... and go to Jonathan's fuck-you-comps party, and have possibly a first date?!?

Bring it on, week. 

question?

Something I wanted to throw out there... what do you do if you witness an act of racism? Do you say something to the person making the comment, or the person being attacked?  The thing is that in both instances that I've seen someone getting yelled at, I'm pretty sure the one doing the yelling was kinda crazy. So I'm thinking it wouldn't do any good talking to them. 

The first instance was in New York on the subway, where some older black guy starting yelling at this white girl for no apparent reason; seems he thought she was looking at him funny.  But like I said, he was crazy, and other passengers told her that after he got off.  The second time was when I got off the bus the other day at the subway station, and as is the case many mornings, there's a veritable crowd of people waiting to get on the bus. I bet if I jumped out and got the right angle, I could crowdsurf my way to the doors. But anyway.  I was just heading into the station when I heard a man at the other end of the bus yell "Get out of my way, ya stupid nigger!"  ..... So, I'm innocent and all, but that's honestly the first time I've ever heard someone get called the n-word.  As for the reaction, everyone turned their heads, but what're you gonna do?  I just wonder if I was there, if I'd have the nerve to say something - not to the crazy guy, but to whoever was on the receiving end.  I wonder if people would assume (I probably would) that it's understood that the guy was crazy, we don't agree with his exclamation, and he doesn't even merit being rebuked.  But I can't imagine how it would feel to be randomly yelled at just because you're black, even if the guy was crazy. I'm sure some solidarity would be appreciated.  If it weren't wrong, I wish somebody had punched that crazy guy in the face.  Or at least tripped him a little.  Anyway, I hope someone said something to whoever had to hear that spit at them.

I know this post is long for being about crazy people, my apologies.  But I am always curious to know what it is the people who talk to themselves talk about; I always found it interesting that even if someone's brain seems not to work correctly, they're still able to speak/swear fluently. Oh, language.  And now racism? Where does that come from? If my brain broke down in whatever way that guy's did, would I start yelling racial slurs and swearing like crazy? 

... Please never let me end up on the street.    

the goodness

Just a small note for all those seeking to obtain TTC services for free (and if you're not drunk and broke, which seems to get you on as well, although if you're homeless I don't know if that still applies), just wait for the northbound streetcar at Spadina and Harbord at about 7pm on a Tuesday night.  When the doors open, you'll see a mass of bodies surrounding the driver, spilling down onto the stairs. Canadians are not familiar with the concept of making room where there is none, so you'll probably be alone in crushing yourself between some guy on the stairs and the doors that will in all probability close on you, but are so flimsy it doesn't even hurt. And of course there's no way you can even get close enough to the driver to give him your fare, so you can get a free ride on the subway!

.....My metropass is pointless.....  

No, but really... they need to start sending more streetcars up at that time. Cee-razy.

A second point for tonight is my discovery that Tim Hortons coffee actually sucks. I'd only ever sipped on one Tim's coffee before today, and that time I thought something was wrong with the coffee, as it seemed to have acquired the taste of the paper cup surrounding it.  However, today I had some that was brewed at the office and became aware that that's just how Tim's coffee tastes. Wow. What a disappointment.  Can I still call myself Canadian if I hate Tim's coffee? 

... i still like the doughnuts... don't hurt me...