The rebel in me

Wants to go shopping on the way home. Of course, the sensible girl in me knows that she better not spend any money.

It's stifling hot in this city. It has become apparent that we need to move away from Toronto. The hot hazy humid smog days are just insane this summer. I guess if it was only us, it would not matter that much, but I find the thought that Alex suffers under the heat unbearable. The poor little one gets so hot and sweaty and he gets a bad heat rash on the back of his neck, which does not go away with just kissing it. Don't know what's up with that. :( I pile zinc cream on it and that helps a little.

Been feeling slightly blue lately, for no particular reason other than I have no time whatsoever for anything. I wrote a letter to my aunt and uncle and it's been waiting to be posted for a week. I just don't have the time or the energy to put it into an envelope and send it out. And I have been meaning to write to Lorena since Easter and still have not done so. I got no money and no time. Sux.

TTC stories

Let me just say a few words about the TTC (that's the Toronto Transit Comission, for all you non Torontonians). The more money seems to be thrown at it, the more service sucks. Yesterday, two buses in the schedule on my route home did not show. They just didn't come at all. Then two came at once. One of which promptly short turned. I was on that one.
Lately, in the mornings my regular bus that comes at 7:15, has been showing up at 7:25. That's quite a change. Since there were no announcements of service change, I thought they were just late. On a hunch however, I checked their site. Sure enough, they changed the schedule without telling anyone. I ask you: is that good customer service? If you were running a business and your hours of operation changed, would you not tell your customers? Sigh. And this is a company that has the temerity to threaten a strike every few years. I say there should be a rival transit comission, one that offered better service at lower prices. See if they went on strike then!

Not a newlywed...

Arthur and I have been married two years now! It's crazy how fast that went. I remember when we were just married two months and thinking wow, six months that's a milestone. Meanwhile, it's been two years and feels like five minutes.

I am just in a Thursday afternoon slump now. Brain is fried. I am working on yet another project and I'm starting to burn out a little.

Still hoping I might go away to Europe for work for a few days, though the guilt connected with that would be humongous. As it is, I hate leaving every morning and waving bye-bye to my little angel. Sigh. But Europe! And alone time. I would love some of that. There, I am a selfish beast, but I am dying for a day just for me. A day to sit idly at Chapters and leaf through books. To get my hair done and have a coffee at Starbucks. To window shop leasurely. To just wander around the city, sit on a bench somewhere and not hurry. Ahhh, the luxury.

Been a long, long time

Yes, I know, but have been busy like a little bee. Work is goooood! I had to attend a three day tanning session (oh, yeah, poor me!) and have a course to go to this week at U of T. Ah, to relive those good 'ol student days! It's at FIS, where I never had classes, so kind of not reliving, but I did have class at Robarts my MA year, so that's close enough.

We are baptizing the little guy in early July. He is super cute and has two teeth! The teeth came in rather unexpectedly and he fussed very little so we were clueless that it was happening until I felt a sharp point poking through his gum! And lo and behold, he has two lower front teeth. He still bites everyone, so it's kind of painful.

Crap with this hot weather! I hate it. Can't wait for the cooler days. I resolved to finish my sweater in time for fall and when it's so hot, there's just no knitting. I miss it. Now of course, I keep seeing designs for cute little cotton tops and want to knit or crochet one for myself, but who am I kidding. By the time I get Alex to sleep, it's nine and then Arthur and I have an hour to ourselves before our bedtime. Sigh. Where does all the time go?

I like my job!

OK, so the new place is gooooood! These people actually care what I think and they want innovation. Rock on! And I get to do some instructional design! Rock on and on!

On the flip side, the commute is really getting to me. We need a car. We need it now. Today we had to take Alex to the doc for his six month visit with shots and all (sniff, sniff) and now I need to make up the time at work and the thought of being home so late... OK, it breaks my heart. I just want to be with my husband and baby! All you stay at home moms, you have it so good! At least in that respect. When I leave here, it's an hour and a half commute. :( Speaking of which, I better pack up.

Back to work!

I can't believe it's been six months. Leaving Alex at home all day will be the hardest thing in the world. Luckily, he will be with Arthur. I wonder how many times a day I will call home that first week.

Also luckily I will work shorter hours at my new job. Now here is the downer. We are all sick, sneezing and coughing and I can't even take anything for it because I am still feeding Alex. Also, must go to work Monday no matter what because it's my first day at new job. And Wednesday is my birthday. There, I said it. And it's got a five in it, so I suppose it's kind of important. And because of new job and everything, I can't take a day off or anything. I might buy myself a piece of cake at lunch though. Chocolate. So there.

Je le savais!

Your Inner European is French!

Smart and sophisticated. You have the best of everything - at least, *you* think so.

Who's Your Inner European?

Got a new job!

Woohooohooo! I don't have to go back to Evil, who frankly lay people off every quarter and generally treat them like slaves. I will still be in the same geographic area though, the ends of the earth.

How appropriate is this!

I knew there was a reason I came here!

You're Canada!

People make fun of you a lot, but they're stupid because you've
got a much better life than they do. In fact, they're probably just jealous.
You believe in crazy things like human rights and health care and not
dying in the streets, and you end up securing these rights for yourself and
others. If it weren't for your weird affection for ice hockey, you'd be
the perfect person.
Take
the Country Quiz at the Blue Pyramid

Hmm, not quite sure I agree...

You're Anne of Green Gables!

by L.M. Montgomery

Bright, chipper, vivid, but with the emotional fortitude of cottage
cheese, you make quite an impression on everyone you meet. You're impulsive, rash,
honest, and probably don't have a great relationship with your parents. People hurt
your feelings constantly, but your brazen honestly doesn't exactly treat others with
kid gloves. Ultimately, though, you win the hearts and minds of everyone that matters.
You spell your name with an E and you want everyone to know about it.


Take the Book Quiz
at the Blue Pyramid.

A sad day

The Pope is dying. What sadness.

Goodnight sweet prince,
There is no sweetness in the sorrow of this parting.

Oh, no, they're on to me


congratulations. you are the kiss my ass happy
bunny. You don't care about anyone or anything.
You must be so proud


which happy bunny are you?
brought to you by Quizilla

I know, I know!

Yes, where have I been? My son had his second round of immunizations and cried very little, though in my heart I cried a lot. Then a couple of days later, he had a very bad day, was unable to nap and as a consequence super tired, so much so that he cried and cried and my heart almost broke. So, am now bleary eyed after having emerged from that little treat. It turns out that four hours of sleep a night is not enough after all.

Saw the "Truman Show" for the first time a couple of days ago. LOVED it! OK, I know that the rest of the world has seen it many times before, but my natural aversion to Jim Carrey has prevented me from seeing it hitherto. My husband praised it though and knowing his good taste, I gave it a shot and rightly so! Of course, I really do like JC now, after seeing "Eternal Sunshine of a Spotless Mind" and "The Mask", but I did not for a long time before.

Made arrangements today to stop my maternity benefits when I go back to work. SIGH! This will be hard. I am already dreading it. Wish Evil was closer so I did not have to spend so long on the TTC, 'cause every minute out of the house is a minute away from my little boy! Who would have thought I'd be such a mommy!

Once again, with feeling

OK, now this time I did follow the rules.

I am from the bookshelf, from Cheerios and Vim.
I am from the second floor, from laughter and tickles.
I am from the tulip bed, from roses warmed by the afternoon sun, from the sleepy buzzing of bees.
I am from cupcakes for holidays and brown hair, from Seweryna and Krystyna and the Ebels.
I am from praising one's own cooking at parties and folding hands on your lap.
From your face will freeze that way and a cherry tree will grow in your stomach.
I am from crowded churches and shouted amens. From the smell of incense and the chink of money on the collection tray.
I'm from Warsaw and Toronto, from potato pancakes and red wine.
From the young mother leaving a suitcase with almost all she had in the world on a streetcar that goes round and round the town, the suitcase that came back with the driver on the next pass, and the cousin who dumped a whole bathtub of water on the kitchen floor in an effort to clean up.
I am from faded sepia photographs of ladies in stiff necked gowns artfully arranged on chairs in a suburban wood, precious pictures and mementos lost in two wars and countless moves until all that was left were words.

I am from

Thanks once again to glacia for the inspiration. Here is my feeble attempt. Now, I did not follow instructions, rather just went with the flow.


I am from snow and ice
I am from empty store shelves and line ups,
from grey crowds with expresioneless faces
who push ahead and dare not look behind.

I am from storks and larks and nightingales
From Slav melancholy and delirious happiness
I am from black eyes and piano plonaises
From floor polish and the smell of baking on a Christmas morning.

I am from rainy summers and cold sea waves, from sharp rugged mountains and fertile valleys
I am from veined hands and the clicking of knitting needles in front of incessant newscasts of party aparatchiks
I am from white bark of trees and sandy soils and cold river currents
I am from hard wood of train seats and sobs of streetcars on cold days.

I am the salt of the earth and the wind in the air
I am the bubble of the water playing in the fountain
I am the whisper of the leaf on the tree.

She chose Jerry!

Reminds me of a line in the movie Labirynth. These huge tree roots catch Jennifer Connelly as she falls through a hole and ask her which way she wants to go. She says down and they say "She chose DOWN?" "Is that wrong?" asks Jennifer. "Too late now!" the roots reply. That about sums it up for this season of the Bachelorette.

Abby's household is a stressful place these days. Arthur is sick, very much so and I am freaking out both about that and that he might make the baby sick too. Also am taking care of them both and just running ragged. My idea of a great time right now is to sit down with nothing to do.

Let my hockey go!

Enough already! I am not a hockey enthusiast, but even I am sick of the constant cancelled/not cancelled talk. Real fans must be really suffering. And absolutely have no sympathy for the players. A bunch of multimillionaires! Yeah, I know that your hockey careers are short, but when they are over, you can get jobs like the rest of us. Really, it won't kill you.

Bugs Bunny Anime?

I saw the proposal for the new, crime fighting Bugs of the future. He looks like a character from a Japanese cartoon. Please, please, leave Bugs alone! We love him the way he is!

Weird

So here is my take on the whole governor general issue. They better bloody apologize for throwing that kid out of the mansion! All he did was question her spending, which in a democracy he has every right to do! After all, she is spending our money, not her own! OK, maybe a bit rude to criticize her in her own house, but that's another matter and it certain;y did not merit a three day suspension from school. If I were the school's principal, I'd be pretty proud that my student is interested enough in his own country's politics to know about the issue in the first place. You go, kid!

Missed it!

I missed the Bachelorette. I got bored. I am not a reality TV junkie after all, so I cannot regale anyone with my impressions of Jen frolicking with her three guys. I am quite curious though which one she cut. My prediction is that John Paul and Jerry are still in the game. The funny thing is that I don't think she's really serious about either of them.

Instead of the B, I watched Cutting Edge, a really cute movie about a hockey player turned figure skater. Well, that might happen more often what with the NHL lockout and all. Heh, heh. Interestingly enough, the movie was directed by Paul Michael Glaser. Good ol Starsky, or was it Hutch. I confess, I don't remember which one was which. Sorry Jacquie. Anyway, the movie starred D.B. Sweeney, who I saw just recently in a sci fi thing. Never saw him in anything else other than that.

Tonight another movie is on that I really liked, Only You with Marisa Tomei and Robert Downey Jr. That was back in the days when he was not in jail for drugs. I saw that movie on a very mediocre date way back in university days. I have long since lost touch with the guy, but I still like the movie!

Valentine's Day!

Aww, yes the love fest. My hubby and I ecxhanged pressies this morning. We both got each other Ferrero Rocher chocolates. Great minds, what can I say. Besides that my honey bear got me a gorgeous locket in the shape of a heart. Ah, he knows me so well. I got him a Stargate SG-1 t-shirt and keychain. Thank God for shopping online or I don't know where I could have gotten them. He liked. :) So, life is pretty good and we'd have a night of hot amour if he didn't have to work. :(

Happy Valentine's Day, all you lovebirds out there. And you single folk, don't forget to treat yourselves to something fabulous!