I haven't been dreaming lately, so last night's dream took me by surprise. It was a very vivid dream, and super intense. Kind of felt like a Malarone dream (post-apocalyptic, everything is ruined).
I dreamt I was on a cruise ship with friends, enjoying a relaxing time. The cruise ship started sinking and general chaos ensued, things flying around, everything tipping on its side and we started sliding into our watery doom. Then the ship righted itself, and we were in the cafe enjoying a cappuccino, discussing the almost-sinking, and then the ship started sinking again. We flew sideways down to the water, tables and coffees crashing into us. There was no saving us and we sank, ship and all.
I woke up with my face absolutely mashed into my pillow, groggy as hell.
Now I'm wondering what the dream means. My amateur interpretation would say it reveals a general uneasiness with how life is going, echoing my displeasure at my house not being sold yet (after it was sold, and the financing fell through and it was yanked back on the market) and this feeling of general malaise and despair.
It's odd, and makes me feel uneasy.
Wednesday, December 8, 2010
Math for real life
Because if I wasn't ranting, I'd be moping--here's something else that bugs me.
High school math.
Yes, that's right. I was a horrible math student, and even now would probably be barely math literate. I saw a drawing of long division yesterday and wondered how it worked, because it looked confusing as hell...Yep, pretty much math retarded.
And did taking trigonometry or advanced algebra help? Nope. It led to intense screaming matches with my dear mom, who was quite good at math but not so good at helping people who are bad at math. I had countless math tutors who were very helpful but still, I struggled. With a math tutor I got 60% on tests--a mark I rarely saw, because my other classes never dropped that low. It was a nightmare, I had extreme anxiety because of math, my test scores haunted my dreams.
I finally quit math in Grade 11, and halleleujah, the heavens opened up. My average went way up, and I was so much happier. I also think I may have dyscalcula, as I mix up phone number frequently and once wrote an entire trig test with each formula reversed. But, that's no excuse for struggling and being terrible at math apparently.
My solution to this? Turn basic-level math into a less-stigmatized course, called Math for Real Life. Balancing a household budget? Taxes? Having an employee? Being a contractor? All things that could REALLY be helpful when trying to live ''like an adult.'' Calculate your mortgage payments? How much of a downpayment should you put down? What is the amortization rate? What will the strata fees add to your mortgage and can you afford it?
Why don't we turn math into something ACTUALLY useful, instead of a living nightmare for us poor math-challenged folks. I would have taken a course like that and USED IT. Instead I whip out my calculator (suck that math teachers--I have never NOT used a calculator in real life) and pore of the details of my mortgage or what I should charge for my freelance writing per hour. And it works for me, but it would have been so much easier had someone taught me the basics of this.
Unstigmatize math and you'll make it way more user-friendly. Bonus: students who can calculate their timesheets at work, and figure out what wages they need in the workplace. Aspirations people!
High school math.
Yes, that's right. I was a horrible math student, and even now would probably be barely math literate. I saw a drawing of long division yesterday and wondered how it worked, because it looked confusing as hell...Yep, pretty much math retarded.
And did taking trigonometry or advanced algebra help? Nope. It led to intense screaming matches with my dear mom, who was quite good at math but not so good at helping people who are bad at math. I had countless math tutors who were very helpful but still, I struggled. With a math tutor I got 60% on tests--a mark I rarely saw, because my other classes never dropped that low. It was a nightmare, I had extreme anxiety because of math, my test scores haunted my dreams.
I finally quit math in Grade 11, and halleleujah, the heavens opened up. My average went way up, and I was so much happier. I also think I may have dyscalcula, as I mix up phone number frequently and once wrote an entire trig test with each formula reversed. But, that's no excuse for struggling and being terrible at math apparently.
My solution to this? Turn basic-level math into a less-stigmatized course, called Math for Real Life. Balancing a household budget? Taxes? Having an employee? Being a contractor? All things that could REALLY be helpful when trying to live ''like an adult.'' Calculate your mortgage payments? How much of a downpayment should you put down? What is the amortization rate? What will the strata fees add to your mortgage and can you afford it?
Why don't we turn math into something ACTUALLY useful, instead of a living nightmare for us poor math-challenged folks. I would have taken a course like that and USED IT. Instead I whip out my calculator (suck that math teachers--I have never NOT used a calculator in real life) and pore of the details of my mortgage or what I should charge for my freelance writing per hour. And it works for me, but it would have been so much easier had someone taught me the basics of this.
Unstigmatize math and you'll make it way more user-friendly. Bonus: students who can calculate their timesheets at work, and figure out what wages they need in the workplace. Aspirations people!
Today's rant on junk food blogging
I read a ton of other blogs for my own self-interest. They range from candy blogs, to horse blogs, to lifestyle blogs (exercise, weight loss, travel).
One thing I noticed, for those who wrote about active lifestyle blogs were often on a journey of weight-loss as well--and they all wrote about fast food. They proclaimed their (former or current) love of it, spoke about eating out at restaurants or fast-food joints 3X a week at least. They ate out for breakfast, lunch or dinner. They would visit one drive-thru (and oddly, a ton of them went through drive-thrus, never walk-ins. peculiar) and pick up a hamburger, fries and a coke, and then go to the Taco Hell and pick up a taco meal. They would consume all this food for one meal. Or, they'd have lunch at home, go to McDonald's for a 'snack' in the mid-afternoon consisting of a hamburger and fries and a pie--and then proceed to go home and eat a full dinner. ???? Do people really rely on fast food this much? How is this sane?
They ate in their car, not sitting down at a table. They would make special trips out to buy fast food junk, even if they had a perfectly good amount of food at home. Commercials triggered these impulse trips to get fries or a burger, apparently (it does--more on this below).
Also, eating out, whether it's junk or a good restaurant, is almost always unhealthy, and incredibly expensive. Two fast-food meals for dinner really adds up! Not to mention the toll you're paying on your body.
I even read some pretty silly entries, like how one person, in an attempt to curtail snacking while baking, was going to stop baking. But she would first make some holiday sugar cookies for a party--except, she bypassed the sugar cookie dough in the freezer section at the grocery store accidentally, so now she couldn't make the cookies. First of all, you buy dough to make sugar cookies? There's practically nothing in them. How lazy can you get to buy dough to make the cookies, and if you can't buy it, throw your hands up in helplessness 'oh, can't make them, too bad.' If you are this helpless at making holiday cookies, how does it translate to your real life? Take some ownership, people!
This, dear readers, is how people end up huge.
Also, I was watching TV yesterday (a novelty, since I don't have cable) and was astounded at how many fast-food joints commercials there were--yeah, it's been awhile since I watched TV. Wendy's "sea-salt natural fries" Pizza Hut ''full-family meal deals" McDonalds--everything, "KFC's ''crispy bucket meals'' Dairy Queen's flame-broiled burgers. It.never.ends. And these would run all together, so it's like a never-ending swarm of junk food on parade (MuchMusic channel, yeah I know, my first mistake).
Jeebus. No wonder people are fat.
One thing I noticed, for those who wrote about active lifestyle blogs were often on a journey of weight-loss as well--and they all wrote about fast food. They proclaimed their (former or current) love of it, spoke about eating out at restaurants or fast-food joints 3X a week at least. They ate out for breakfast, lunch or dinner. They would visit one drive-thru (and oddly, a ton of them went through drive-thrus, never walk-ins. peculiar) and pick up a hamburger, fries and a coke, and then go to the Taco Hell and pick up a taco meal. They would consume all this food for one meal. Or, they'd have lunch at home, go to McDonald's for a 'snack' in the mid-afternoon consisting of a hamburger and fries and a pie--and then proceed to go home and eat a full dinner. ???? Do people really rely on fast food this much? How is this sane?
They ate in their car, not sitting down at a table. They would make special trips out to buy fast food junk, even if they had a perfectly good amount of food at home. Commercials triggered these impulse trips to get fries or a burger, apparently (it does--more on this below).
Also, eating out, whether it's junk or a good restaurant, is almost always unhealthy, and incredibly expensive. Two fast-food meals for dinner really adds up! Not to mention the toll you're paying on your body.
I even read some pretty silly entries, like how one person, in an attempt to curtail snacking while baking, was going to stop baking. But she would first make some holiday sugar cookies for a party--except, she bypassed the sugar cookie dough in the freezer section at the grocery store accidentally, so now she couldn't make the cookies. First of all, you buy dough to make sugar cookies? There's practically nothing in them. How lazy can you get to buy dough to make the cookies, and if you can't buy it, throw your hands up in helplessness 'oh, can't make them, too bad.' If you are this helpless at making holiday cookies, how does it translate to your real life? Take some ownership, people!
This, dear readers, is how people end up huge.
Also, I was watching TV yesterday (a novelty, since I don't have cable) and was astounded at how many fast-food joints commercials there were--yeah, it's been awhile since I watched TV. Wendy's "sea-salt natural fries" Pizza Hut ''full-family meal deals" McDonalds--everything, "KFC's ''crispy bucket meals'' Dairy Queen's flame-broiled burgers. It.never.ends. And these would run all together, so it's like a never-ending swarm of junk food on parade (MuchMusic channel, yeah I know, my first mistake).
Jeebus. No wonder people are fat.
Friday, December 3, 2010
Picky eaters=disordered?
In a break from my current moping, I found an article that links picky eating or historically picky eating to eating disorders.
Now, I think picky eating is different from restricted eating, due to gluten allergies or a host of other allergies (I have some allergies and yes, they do mildly restrict what I eat ...not enough to stop me from eating everything though!). From what I'm seeing, picky eating is primarily a first-world problem-obviously-and picky eaters predominantly love and/or require solely food that is bad for you, ie- junk food, fast food. They hate vegetables, fruit, whole grains, etc. They love overprocessed junk food; doughnuts, fries, hamburgers, grilled cheese sandwiches, pop-tarts, eggos, etc.
Now, my question is; if picky eating is an eating disorder, why does it take the form of ridiculously juvenile eating patterns? Afraid of vegetables? Hates fruit? WTF how does this mean eating disorder? And why do they *only* eat the greasy, fatty, sugar-laden junk foods that children like. And how does a person pick up this silly, childlike eating habit?
I admit, it would be nice to eat junk food all the time, but at a certain point, don't they feel like they're going to get rickets or scurvy? Jeebus, I feel terrible after a weekend chocolate binge. I also hate to say it, but my respect for people that refuse to eat anything adventurous or are 'afraid' to eat veggies/fruit totally dwindles to nothing. Grow up. Do you think other countries (save Americans, where this is most likely rampant) have this issue?
We're adults here, so get a life and learn to eat well. You don't have to eat bugs or fried scorpions or anything weird-but if we go out to dinner and you turn up your nose at stir-fries or currys or anything 'different' and order chicken tenders with fries, I'm not going to be impressed.
I have a friend who refuses to eat pasta with anything but red sauce, who threw out a doughnut because it was contaminated with powdered sugar from brushing next to another powdered-sugar doughnut (it was chocolate glazed), and who thought grain was a vegetable. It isn't. Trust me, that's also how many vegetables she ate (pasta).
Sidenote: People tend to get really annoyed with restrictive eaters (allergies) b/c they are an inconvenience, but the only annoyances I actually agree with are the 'holier than thou' types who give you the stare-down if they are eating tempeh and you are eating steak. Really people? Can't we all get along? (except those with baby-food tastes. Puh-leeze. Put down the McNuggets and grow up.)
Now, I think picky eating is different from restricted eating, due to gluten allergies or a host of other allergies (I have some allergies and yes, they do mildly restrict what I eat ...not enough to stop me from eating everything though!). From what I'm seeing, picky eating is primarily a first-world problem-obviously-and picky eaters predominantly love and/or require solely food that is bad for you, ie- junk food, fast food. They hate vegetables, fruit, whole grains, etc. They love overprocessed junk food; doughnuts, fries, hamburgers, grilled cheese sandwiches, pop-tarts, eggos, etc.
Now, my question is; if picky eating is an eating disorder, why does it take the form of ridiculously juvenile eating patterns? Afraid of vegetables? Hates fruit? WTF how does this mean eating disorder? And why do they *only* eat the greasy, fatty, sugar-laden junk foods that children like. And how does a person pick up this silly, childlike eating habit?
I admit, it would be nice to eat junk food all the time, but at a certain point, don't they feel like they're going to get rickets or scurvy? Jeebus, I feel terrible after a weekend chocolate binge. I also hate to say it, but my respect for people that refuse to eat anything adventurous or are 'afraid' to eat veggies/fruit totally dwindles to nothing. Grow up. Do you think other countries (save Americans, where this is most likely rampant) have this issue?
We're adults here, so get a life and learn to eat well. You don't have to eat bugs or fried scorpions or anything weird-but if we go out to dinner and you turn up your nose at stir-fries or currys or anything 'different' and order chicken tenders with fries, I'm not going to be impressed.
I have a friend who refuses to eat pasta with anything but red sauce, who threw out a doughnut because it was contaminated with powdered sugar from brushing next to another powdered-sugar doughnut (it was chocolate glazed), and who thought grain was a vegetable. It isn't. Trust me, that's also how many vegetables she ate (pasta).
Sidenote: People tend to get really annoyed with restrictive eaters (allergies) b/c they are an inconvenience, but the only annoyances I actually agree with are the 'holier than thou' types who give you the stare-down if they are eating tempeh and you are eating steak. Really people? Can't we all get along? (except those with baby-food tastes. Puh-leeze. Put down the McNuggets and grow up.)
Tuesday, November 30, 2010
Hell would be cold Part deux
Yes, I'm issuing my usual refrain, and it's going to take on a particularly screechy note today. I'm stuck (oh and the other day I used mired, my I am feeling crazy today!) in the 'I no longer want to be here/doing this/living this/being me' feeling. And in no small part due to the weather. Something interesting I've learned: snow, particularly snow that limits my mobility by car or walking, and that I have to shovel in increasingly alarming large increments, makes me HATE THE WORLD.
Yep, I'm afraid it has to be that emphatic. I joke-threatened the other day that if it snows any more, there is going to be a real toss-up as to whether I shovel it, or behead someone with my shovel. (note: shovel is plastic).
So, with the darkening days and piles of snow surrounding me, the insidious crazy is creeping ever closer. Bright light ahead? Christmas in Costa Rica (again, oh spoiled me!) and a MOVE!~ Yes, yours truly has a chance to escape and is taking it.
But, in the meantime, I feel like I'm stuck in a snow globe of dismal days and I have this self defeating mindset that keeps ricocheting in my brain. It's fucking freezing, I feel vaguely psychotic and you know? I don't want to go to work. I don't want to feed myself. I don't want to workout. I don't want to write. I don't want to drive. I don't want to work on school. I don't want to clean.
Yeah, Susan is done. Done. Done. Done.
Monday, November 29, 2010
People work for money. Want loyalty? Hire a dog.
I'm currently mired in another class for school, and it's about organizational culture. It's sort of interesting, in a horribly academic and dry way, but when I or others can relate it to our lives, it becomes FAR more interesting.
This quote amused me, because honestly, how many of us have worked for places that subtly required employee loyalty? Yes, and the inferences can be very insidiuous, from wearing 'flair' buttons to having full-out employer required dress codes. My professor was insistent that companies are only as stringent as the market will bear and employees will take, and otherwise they go bankrupt. But, in my experience, this subjugation of employees happens all the time, and no, those places don't go bankrupt all the time...
Case in point, I was employed at a terrible toxic workplace. There was some sort of assumed loyalty, and the employer was indeed a dog of some sort...well, the bitch variety anyways. The extreme turnover and rumor-mongering should have been my first clue--duh, but it wasn't. I learned that an employee left in a screaming match, and that was the first time they had to change the locks. Another employee was fired for 'sexual harassment' and subsequently threatened to come back and wreak havoc--2nd time the locks were changed, in a year!
Another employee quit, the employee that was originally hired in my position before I was offered the job lasted ONE day, then quit, another employee quit, and then myself and one last employee quit.
Yeah, stellar eh? Well, now the place has some loyal, dog-lovely employees who settle the boss's scum-sucking ways, and apparently can live up to the corporate culture of being put-down and subjugated to the employer's whims day to day.
Anytime I hear the words 'corporate' or corporate policies, I shudder. Never has this been a good thing, and all they really seem to achieve are zombie workers, mindless of all other than 'corporate' needs/gains. Ugh.
Yep, I'm pro-being public servants. Hey, it works for a lot of us!
This quote amused me, because honestly, how many of us have worked for places that subtly required employee loyalty? Yes, and the inferences can be very insidiuous, from wearing 'flair' buttons to having full-out employer required dress codes. My professor was insistent that companies are only as stringent as the market will bear and employees will take, and otherwise they go bankrupt. But, in my experience, this subjugation of employees happens all the time, and no, those places don't go bankrupt all the time...
Case in point, I was employed at a terrible toxic workplace. There was some sort of assumed loyalty, and the employer was indeed a dog of some sort...well, the bitch variety anyways. The extreme turnover and rumor-mongering should have been my first clue--duh, but it wasn't. I learned that an employee left in a screaming match, and that was the first time they had to change the locks. Another employee was fired for 'sexual harassment' and subsequently threatened to come back and wreak havoc--2nd time the locks were changed, in a year!
Another employee quit, the employee that was originally hired in my position before I was offered the job lasted ONE day, then quit, another employee quit, and then myself and one last employee quit.
Yeah, stellar eh? Well, now the place has some loyal, dog-lovely employees who settle the boss's scum-sucking ways, and apparently can live up to the corporate culture of being put-down and subjugated to the employer's whims day to day.
Anytime I hear the words 'corporate' or corporate policies, I shudder. Never has this been a good thing, and all they really seem to achieve are zombie workers, mindless of all other than 'corporate' needs/gains. Ugh.
Yep, I'm pro-being public servants. Hey, it works for a lot of us!
Friday, November 12, 2010
We've confused 'you can do anything' with 'you have to do everything'
Yep, third-waver here.
And I happen to think this is true, in my instance anyways. So guess what? I'm taking a step back. I'm stopping one of my writing gigs (no, not this one. one that actually pays!) and focusing on a different freelance gig. More free time for me? Debatable...
Oh, and this might not be a Yukon rant blog any longer. Yes that's right Susan is moving to the big city of the south. When? Oh, soon, soon.
Not this month, and not in December. But you'll know. Also in that vein, I was thinking about checking out this new vegetarian restaurant that opened up next to Antoinette's, I think it is called Ruby's. (Almost wrote Ribby's. ha...)
Except I got scared away by the price. $25 for each dinner option? For VEGETARIAN meals>?? WTF. I would pay that for a good lobster, or steak. Or hell, lobster/steak surf'n'turf style. NOT for a veggie meal. Huh, that is just ridiculous.
I wish them well, but they've got me scared away and off to much cheap-ass sushi (comparatively, not really that cheap here either, but still).
Small Sins
Yesterday was Rememberance Day, and I spent it doing homework, baking scones (more so than homework) and in a nod to the day, looking up a fellow colleague's project The Guinea Pig Club, a documentary about WWII veterans horribly burned & in a very exclusive club, one of burgeoning plastic surgery.
I'm also still reconciling my trip to India, my insane jet-lag, my general malaise with writing, busyness with work and loneliness.
It's a lot to think about (sidenote: wandering minds can wander to depression, according to a Globe & Mail article this morning. hm...).
The jet lag? Well it pretty much ended Sunday, when I had been back for 1 week total. I felt bad though, because my dear partner ended up the victim of most of my crazy outbursts, emotional meltdowns and general snarliness.
Case in point: First full day back, I went to work--generally ill advised. Came home, went to a friend's birthday party, came home to sleep. Husband was telling me about how I was snoring the night before (LIES!) and I started laughing. Except I wasn't laughing, I was crying. It was still funny, but for some reason my brain couldn't make the 'laugh' signal work, just the cry one. It was so strange.
The next day we watched a movie (sort-of horror, Left Bank, pretty good) really early, so I could be in bed by 8pm. Husband went to bed with me, read for a bit then went to watch TV in the living room. I got up at some point to use the washroom, and saw him on the couch watching TV. I stood there and just stared at him. He thought I was sleepwalking. I thought he was a ghost.
All I could think about was, if here's here, then WHO is in the bed???
Yeah...nobody.
I was also quite terribly behaved, snapping at the slightest provocation, forgetting sentences/words, being generally rather surly. Ugh.
And now he's gone, and I'm all alone. Sigh. Well, not totally alone. I have work, friends, school committments (I couldn't read that first week, at all!) and my fuzzy bunny, for companionship.
But that strange 'twinning' feeling, of being in two places at once, like part of me was left in India, is slowly leaving, and all I'm left with is a vague idea that I lost a month somewhere in an eternal summer.
I'm also still reconciling my trip to India, my insane jet-lag, my general malaise with writing, busyness with work and loneliness.
It's a lot to think about (sidenote: wandering minds can wander to depression, according to a Globe & Mail article this morning. hm...).
The jet lag? Well it pretty much ended Sunday, when I had been back for 1 week total. I felt bad though, because my dear partner ended up the victim of most of my crazy outbursts, emotional meltdowns and general snarliness.
Case in point: First full day back, I went to work--generally ill advised. Came home, went to a friend's birthday party, came home to sleep. Husband was telling me about how I was snoring the night before (LIES!) and I started laughing. Except I wasn't laughing, I was crying. It was still funny, but for some reason my brain couldn't make the 'laugh' signal work, just the cry one. It was so strange.
The next day we watched a movie (sort-of horror, Left Bank, pretty good) really early, so I could be in bed by 8pm. Husband went to bed with me, read for a bit then went to watch TV in the living room. I got up at some point to use the washroom, and saw him on the couch watching TV. I stood there and just stared at him. He thought I was sleepwalking. I thought he was a ghost.
All I could think about was, if here's here, then WHO is in the bed???
Yeah...nobody.
I was also quite terribly behaved, snapping at the slightest provocation, forgetting sentences/words, being generally rather surly. Ugh.
And now he's gone, and I'm all alone. Sigh. Well, not totally alone. I have work, friends, school committments (I couldn't read that first week, at all!) and my fuzzy bunny, for companionship.
But that strange 'twinning' feeling, of being in two places at once, like part of me was left in India, is slowly leaving, and all I'm left with is a vague idea that I lost a month somewhere in an eternal summer.
Monday, November 8, 2010
Republic of Bacon part deux
Yes here it is folks...drumroll please...
Bacon soda?
Those crazy kooks at Jones Soda, makers of the delicious Fu-Fu Berry or Blue Rasperry, and the strange Thanksgiving sodas (Gravy or Mashed Potato soda anyone?) are at it again!
They are looking into creating the Frankenstein of all Bacon products, yes I think this tops Bakon vodka too...Bacon soda.
Would you try it? Hell, I'm not sure if I would.
Bacon soda?
Those crazy kooks at Jones Soda, makers of the delicious Fu-Fu Berry or Blue Rasperry, and the strange Thanksgiving sodas (Gravy or Mashed Potato soda anyone?) are at it again!
They are looking into creating the Frankenstein of all Bacon products, yes I think this tops Bakon vodka too...Bacon soda.
Would you try it? Hell, I'm not sure if I would.
Tuesday, November 2, 2010
Our Halcyion Days
I'm back from India, day 2 of some serious jet lag.
How would I describe India? Insanity, visceral, crazy, dangerous, hot, exotic, sweat, pollution, (now this is just the Ahmedabad side of it). The Goa part is jungle, steam, pollution, beach, hawkers, hassels, cows.
India is not a time for a relaxing holiday--well, the Goan part maybe, but even that has the propensity to smack you in the face with Indian-ness. Ahmedabad (Gudjarat region) food is not that great...certainly edible but I wouldn't seek it out. Goan food, oh hell yes, the food is excellent. Huge prawns, cheap cheap cheap! I didn't get sick, nothing horrible happened, life goes on.
My hotels were fine, the Ahmedabad one was clean and nice, good air conditioning but you can't sit out in the city, no swimming pools, so loud with endless honks and smothering pollution. The Goan hotel, Goa Riviera, was slimy with subservience. I got 500 Rs stolen from my room, feared I gained a potential stalker.
The toilets are what you would expect for a burgeoning Industrialized nation. Kind of hell-hole ish, we judged restaurants on the conditions of the washrooms.
Things were tense with our group situation, in no small part caused by our teacher behaving in an interesting fashion. Let's just say some lines were crossed that we all saw.
Back to reality (but it feels like those days were reality, I'm just waiting to wake up from a Malarone dream in a hot country, leaving cold days behind)...
Back to work, the daily grind. Did I leave a part of me in India? Would I return?
How would I describe India? Insanity, visceral, crazy, dangerous, hot, exotic, sweat, pollution, (now this is just the Ahmedabad side of it). The Goa part is jungle, steam, pollution, beach, hawkers, hassels, cows.
India is not a time for a relaxing holiday--well, the Goan part maybe, but even that has the propensity to smack you in the face with Indian-ness. Ahmedabad (Gudjarat region) food is not that great...certainly edible but I wouldn't seek it out. Goan food, oh hell yes, the food is excellent. Huge prawns, cheap cheap cheap! I didn't get sick, nothing horrible happened, life goes on.
My hotels were fine, the Ahmedabad one was clean and nice, good air conditioning but you can't sit out in the city, no swimming pools, so loud with endless honks and smothering pollution. The Goan hotel, Goa Riviera, was slimy with subservience. I got 500 Rs stolen from my room, feared I gained a potential stalker.
The toilets are what you would expect for a burgeoning Industrialized nation. Kind of hell-hole ish, we judged restaurants on the conditions of the washrooms.
Things were tense with our group situation, in no small part caused by our teacher behaving in an interesting fashion. Let's just say some lines were crossed that we all saw.
Back to reality (but it feels like those days were reality, I'm just waiting to wake up from a Malarone dream in a hot country, leaving cold days behind)...
Back to work, the daily grind. Did I leave a part of me in India? Would I return?
Monday, October 4, 2010
Republic of Bacon
Due to life being insanely busy at the moment, here is a fluffy post.
I have eaten maple-bacon ice cream and yes, it was kind of weird. It tasted sort of like smoky chewy bits, instead of walnuts. Would I try it again? Maybe not...
I have seen maple-bacon longjohns at dougnut emporiums. Yumm! (but I'm not going there, haha. Cholesterol city!)
I have seen neon bacon, 'bakon' vodka (ew) bacon-flavoured mints (yeah no thanks Mr. Oinkers) and bacon bandages.
Oh and a lot of this stuff was in Portland, which is a very cool city. Kind of a decaying downtown core but oh so trendy. A big foodie culture, with lots of record shops, the biggest bookstore I have ever been in (Powell's books) and great coffee at Stumptown grinders. Love it!
I have eaten maple-bacon ice cream and yes, it was kind of weird. It tasted sort of like smoky chewy bits, instead of walnuts. Would I try it again? Maybe not...
I have seen maple-bacon longjohns at dougnut emporiums. Yumm! (but I'm not going there, haha. Cholesterol city!)
I have seen neon bacon, 'bakon' vodka (ew) bacon-flavoured mints (yeah no thanks Mr. Oinkers) and bacon bandages.
Oh and a lot of this stuff was in Portland, which is a very cool city. Kind of a decaying downtown core but oh so trendy. A big foodie culture, with lots of record shops, the biggest bookstore I have ever been in (Powell's books) and great coffee at Stumptown grinders. Love it!
Sunday, September 19, 2010
Until recently, I was unaware that Oprah and God were two different people
(Not mine, found it on a very amusing website...)
But it does bring to mind the ever-existing struggle between religious people, other religions and, well, everyone.
As an atheist myself, I find it very difficult to listen, understand or care about other people's religions. Fine, go ahead and worship, pray or burn black candles while dripping chicken heads over them, but don't involve me. Also, I figure that Jeebus is a proper substitute for Jeezus.
And what do atheists do? Well, first let's dispense with a popular misconception--they don't 'hate' God. For that to happen, they would have to believe in a god. And that just ain't happening.
I like to tell people I am polytheist, and into 'many' gods. I have a god for money, a god for health, a god for luck, a god for love...etc etc etc. People love this. It takes away that horrible ''pious, unholy'' feeling they get whenever they talk religion with anyone. Tell them you're an atheist and screeeechh...record skids off the A-track.
Atheists also don't act immorally because they have no 'god' watching over them. They act like decent, kind respectful people because, *gasp* they are! They are not accountable to an imaginary patriarchal figure in the sky. They are good people, simply because they are. They do not act charitable with hopes of great rewards in an afterlife, or act in fear of some supposed hell. Bad people are christians, agnostics, atheists, humans and anything under the moon. Religion does not preclude you from being an asshole.
I also like to joke that I avoid churches because I'm afraid I'll burst into flames upon entrance. (Yeah it goes over well with certain audiences...but it's a tricky one...)
Finally, I can't help but think that hell isn't the horrible place it's said to be. As I live in a climate that can be extremely cold and treacherous, and frequented hot climates that I loved...well...If it existed, and this is a big if...
Hell would be cold.
Wednesday, September 15, 2010
Come on, feel the noise
So, anyone tried to read 8 textbooks in two weeks? Cuz I'm gonna have to!
Yes, another thinly-veiled reference to school. (why god why)
Bonus: Two take-home exams before we leave on our residency to India. At least we are going to India!
So, apologies in advance, but the blog may take a bit of a literary hit these next few months...How long did I predict this frenetic pace would last? A year you say? Oh jeebus.
Off topic: My little fluff bunny is being very cute, he has learned not only how to hop into planters in the backyard and wreak havoc on the dying plants, but he licks the living room carpet where he once ate crackers. As if he could scrape up a little cracker flavour off the fibres, if he is desperate. As long as he isn't tearing up the carpet, all is well. Oh and we had a few episodes of bunny gas, yes apparently they are prone to it. The only thing that solves it is baby anti-gas droppered into his mouth! Cute but kind of scary when you don't know what it is.
Yes, another thinly-veiled reference to school. (why god why)
Bonus: Two take-home exams before we leave on our residency to India. At least we are going to India!
So, apologies in advance, but the blog may take a bit of a literary hit these next few months...How long did I predict this frenetic pace would last? A year you say? Oh jeebus.
Off topic: My little fluff bunny is being very cute, he has learned not only how to hop into planters in the backyard and wreak havoc on the dying plants, but he licks the living room carpet where he once ate crackers. As if he could scrape up a little cracker flavour off the fibres, if he is desperate. As long as he isn't tearing up the carpet, all is well. Oh and we had a few episodes of bunny gas, yes apparently they are prone to it. The only thing that solves it is baby anti-gas droppered into his mouth! Cute but kind of scary when you don't know what it is.
Remember when you were young, you shone like the sun
I'm at an in-between stage.
Young enough to be irresponsible, old enough to own two properties, be married for a year, finished a BA, working on an MA, own a horse and freelance write professionally.
I got in a debate (ok, argument) last week with my partner about defining 'responsibility.' He claimed that if you never have to be responsible, you are therefore allowed to embrace it, continue on in that life and never, ever have to be responsible. You can travel, endlessly. You can run home when you run out of money. You have many fleeting relationships, you don't need to own property, you don't have a mortgage circling your neck like a financial chain.
Honestly, it sort of sounds great. But at some point responsiblity creeps up on you (unless you're a drug addict or rich or something...) and then whap--you have property, a marriage, a family...house in the 'burb's or something equally horrible.
Again, I know I'm too young for a lot of things like that/don't want them. But this responsibility crept up on me. It is very insidious. Also can be seductive. Who doesn't want to own a house? A horse? Oh but wait, now you have to work full time. And to get ahead full time, you need a better education. And why don't you write more? Yes, write more. Do more school. Work more. More.More.More.
Partly, I love it. I want people to look up, not down at me. I want to be in control, have power, have things, have relationships, hold good jobs, be an accomplished writer, equestrian, everything. Who doesn't? It's that tricky responsibility thing, and sometimes I find myself lameting how did I get here at my age? How long do I have to stay here? When does this train stop and let me out?
I will be here, in this mindset, for 1 more year--I think.
I'm falling into a power trap, and it's completely of my own doing (undoing?).
Young enough to be irresponsible, old enough to own two properties, be married for a year, finished a BA, working on an MA, own a horse and freelance write professionally.
I got in a debate (ok, argument) last week with my partner about defining 'responsibility.' He claimed that if you never have to be responsible, you are therefore allowed to embrace it, continue on in that life and never, ever have to be responsible. You can travel, endlessly. You can run home when you run out of money. You have many fleeting relationships, you don't need to own property, you don't have a mortgage circling your neck like a financial chain.
Honestly, it sort of sounds great. But at some point responsiblity creeps up on you (unless you're a drug addict or rich or something...) and then whap--you have property, a marriage, a family...house in the 'burb's or something equally horrible.
Again, I know I'm too young for a lot of things like that/don't want them. But this responsibility crept up on me. It is very insidious. Also can be seductive. Who doesn't want to own a house? A horse? Oh but wait, now you have to work full time. And to get ahead full time, you need a better education. And why don't you write more? Yes, write more. Do more school. Work more. More.More.More.
Partly, I love it. I want people to look up, not down at me. I want to be in control, have power, have things, have relationships, hold good jobs, be an accomplished writer, equestrian, everything. Who doesn't? It's that tricky responsibility thing, and sometimes I find myself lameting how did I get here at my age? How long do I have to stay here? When does this train stop and let me out?
I will be here, in this mindset, for 1 more year--I think.
I'm falling into a power trap, and it's completely of my own doing (undoing?).
Friday, September 10, 2010
Home truths
If there’s one belief that drives social conservatism with regard to female sexuality, it’s that women can’t make good choices, and so their choices have to be made for them. That’s the argument underlying the panic over the hook-up culture (read: girls are too dumb to say no when they want to, so we have to say it for them), the hostility toward comprehensive sex education (if girls know their options, they may make choices we disapprove of), the move toward restricting abortion and contraception, the hostility toward single mothers, and all the knee-jerk anger—like Bill O’Reilly’s—over any hint that women might have choices.
Courtesy of STFUConservatives.
Definitely food for thought!
Wednesday, September 8, 2010
Sam & Andy's is not worth it
Ok, so I had a lousy meal there recently.
I was surprised. I don't eat there a lot, but have enjoyed meals there in the past. This meal just...sucked. Sucked so hard, it tasted like I was eating nothing (but lots of calories, of course).
I had a Chillotta, and it was the most miserable, flavourless piece of shit I have ever eaten. It was a steak and veggie wrap in a tortilla with jalapeno cheese. Honestly, I asked the waitress about it, because it was supposed to be Jalapeno-flavoured and everything, and even the cheese tasted like styrofoam.
???
She was surprised, and mentioned it was normally a popular menu item. I don't doubt it, really... But it was horrible. Flavourless, all it had going for it was some sort of texture with zero spice and zero anything. I was very disappointed. I will not be going back. I had to drown that awful meal in Tabasco to choke it down. Ugh.
Sorry Sam & Andy's, you had your chance. You can now join the Copper Ridge Pub, Tokyo Sushi, the lousy Indian place, and the Edgewater in 'places I will never pay to eat at again'.
Hope you're happy! * man that list is starting to grow... to be fair, I'm not a picky eater. I just have issues with cost, terrible service, terrible food, hair in my food. (all of which have happened at least once with the places above)
I was surprised. I don't eat there a lot, but have enjoyed meals there in the past. This meal just...sucked. Sucked so hard, it tasted like I was eating nothing (but lots of calories, of course).
I had a Chillotta, and it was the most miserable, flavourless piece of shit I have ever eaten. It was a steak and veggie wrap in a tortilla with jalapeno cheese. Honestly, I asked the waitress about it, because it was supposed to be Jalapeno-flavoured and everything, and even the cheese tasted like styrofoam.
???
She was surprised, and mentioned it was normally a popular menu item. I don't doubt it, really... But it was horrible. Flavourless, all it had going for it was some sort of texture with zero spice and zero anything. I was very disappointed. I will not be going back. I had to drown that awful meal in Tabasco to choke it down. Ugh.
Sorry Sam & Andy's, you had your chance. You can now join the Copper Ridge Pub, Tokyo Sushi, the lousy Indian place, and the Edgewater in 'places I will never pay to eat at again'.
Hope you're happy! * man that list is starting to grow... to be fair, I'm not a picky eater. I just have issues with cost, terrible service, terrible food, hair in my food. (all of which have happened at least once with the places above)
What happened to August?
Interesting, what did happen to August?
So far this past few months;
So far this past few months;
- Bought a horse
- Working on research proposal for Masters (argh)
- Work (argh)
- Parents visited
- Husband visited
- Took time off work
- Writing a ton (like it, but man...lots of work!)
- Ate out a lot (more on that later. Have one restaurant rant)
- School trip to India in October
- Trip to Ottawa this month
Yep things have been busy! I am going to try to hop back on the bandwagon.
Wow, it has been awhile
Let's see, what's been going on recently...
My computer died, in the middle of writing an essay. I had to buy a new computer, which sucked ass (note to everyone: do not buy HP computers), the speakers didn't work, so my Skype group meetings for school didn't happen, I kept going back to Staples (note to everyone: do not buy computers from Staples) and they kept saying there was something wrong with Skype, rather than my computer...
WRONG!
Man, they were wrong. So wrong.
So I marched that computer back to their store and returned it on their asses. Yeah, take that!
Also this update is turning into a 'lousy Whitehorse businesses rant' which is ok...
I marched right over to The Source by Circuit City (Radioshack) and asked about a few computers, yep no problem I have them right here...and the dude comes back with no computer. ''Oh sorry we don't have any in stock." Okkkayyy...What about these computers? "Yep definitely one minute." Comes back, "oh, we don't have any of those either..." WTF?
So I end up with a floor model (yeah I know) and ask what kind of deal I could get on it. "We don't do that." >!!!
Ok, well I'm walking. Sorry, you could have made at least $500 on this sale, but now your sale is walking out the door and to Wal-Mart (yeah I was that desperate) and buying a computer from them. Suck it, Radioshack!
And I did just that. Walked right over to Wal-Mart and couldn't find their laptops. Turns out some wit had covered them up completely (display and all) with copies of shitty Microsoft 2010. The fabulously-mulleted store clerk was having a total meltdown when he saw it, cue "frigging..grumble...assholes..one day I'm going to...grrrrr...arghhhh..."
He pulled a Toshiba out of the boxes and voila! My new computer! Also it was $100 cheaper than freaking Staples, and I even saw the same shit-HP computer that I had previously bought that was also $100 cheaper than Staples. Man....
(Not that I remotely condone buying anything at Wal-Mart, but desperate times call for desperate measures...)
And it works perfectly, Skype and all!
My computer died, in the middle of writing an essay. I had to buy a new computer, which sucked ass (note to everyone: do not buy HP computers), the speakers didn't work, so my Skype group meetings for school didn't happen, I kept going back to Staples (note to everyone: do not buy computers from Staples) and they kept saying there was something wrong with Skype, rather than my computer...
WRONG!
Man, they were wrong. So wrong.
So I marched that computer back to their store and returned it on their asses. Yeah, take that!
Also this update is turning into a 'lousy Whitehorse businesses rant' which is ok...
I marched right over to The Source by Circuit City (Radioshack) and asked about a few computers, yep no problem I have them right here...and the dude comes back with no computer. ''Oh sorry we don't have any in stock." Okkkayyy...What about these computers? "Yep definitely one minute." Comes back, "oh, we don't have any of those either..." WTF?
So I end up with a floor model (yeah I know) and ask what kind of deal I could get on it. "We don't do that." >!!!
Ok, well I'm walking. Sorry, you could have made at least $500 on this sale, but now your sale is walking out the door and to Wal-Mart (yeah I was that desperate) and buying a computer from them. Suck it, Radioshack!
And I did just that. Walked right over to Wal-Mart and couldn't find their laptops. Turns out some wit had covered them up completely (display and all) with copies of shitty Microsoft 2010. The fabulously-mulleted store clerk was having a total meltdown when he saw it, cue "frigging..grumble...assholes..one day I'm going to...grrrrr...arghhhh..."
He pulled a Toshiba out of the boxes and voila! My new computer! Also it was $100 cheaper than freaking Staples, and I even saw the same shit-HP computer that I had previously bought that was also $100 cheaper than Staples. Man....
(Not that I remotely condone buying anything at Wal-Mart, but desperate times call for desperate measures...)
And it works perfectly, Skype and all!
Tuesday, July 20, 2010
Taking the plunge
So, earlier this spring I mentioned that I was dithering back and forth about this horse I was going to buy. Well, after backing out at the last second I pretty much consigned myself to remaining horse-less in the Yukon.
Let's face it: the horse situation up here just isn't what I want. People like it and they love saddling up and trail riding to their heart's content, but that just isn't me. I enjoy a good trail ride once a week or so, but when your horse is going lame becuase she needs shoes to deal with the rock-hard ground, sour as fuck about cantering because of the endless kiddie rides, and you never have anyone to ride with (adult) in a slippery, rock hard outdoor ring? Yeah, I am taking a sabbatical from *that* situation.
It's just no fun. I am too competitive to endlessly wander down life-threating trails, to be frightened by the crazy crap that pops up here. I want to jump, lesson with a GOOD trainer, have a decent ring to jump in, ride with adults who are nice, ride my own horse and go to horse shows in the summer. Apparently here that is just too much to ask.
So, I backed out of my previous potential horse. And promptly found a new one.
He's not perfect. He's actually a total jerk, can be difficult to handle and likes to try a few tricks to get you off when you're riding and scared.
He has a big buck/crow hop thing that he pulled with me, while I was riding without stirrups! I stayed on. He is also a pony...Not that scary, haha.
His owner says he needs someone to 'kick his butt in gear' and you know? I'm that someone.
I can handle attitude on a pony. I can't handle nasty on a bigger horse. He doesn't bite, but does pitch hissy fits--hence the handling with a chain. He's also very talented, and an incredible jumper. I did a cross rail and he popped me out of the saddle, a remarkable bascule. He also has a slow and easy to sit canter, it is just gorgeous. His trot is lousy, but ahh you can't win 'em all.
He's cute, a bit evil but I think we will make a good partnership. I am signing papers this week--a pony for my birthday! Who would have thought of it!!
(I also wish I had photos, but for some reason, my darling husband took closeups of my butt and thighs instead of the horse. GRrrrrr)
Let's face it: the horse situation up here just isn't what I want. People like it and they love saddling up and trail riding to their heart's content, but that just isn't me. I enjoy a good trail ride once a week or so, but when your horse is going lame becuase she needs shoes to deal with the rock-hard ground, sour as fuck about cantering because of the endless kiddie rides, and you never have anyone to ride with (adult) in a slippery, rock hard outdoor ring? Yeah, I am taking a sabbatical from *that* situation.
It's just no fun. I am too competitive to endlessly wander down life-threating trails, to be frightened by the crazy crap that pops up here. I want to jump, lesson with a GOOD trainer, have a decent ring to jump in, ride with adults who are nice, ride my own horse and go to horse shows in the summer. Apparently here that is just too much to ask.
So, I backed out of my previous potential horse. And promptly found a new one.
He's not perfect. He's actually a total jerk, can be difficult to handle and likes to try a few tricks to get you off when you're riding and scared.
He has a big buck/crow hop thing that he pulled with me, while I was riding without stirrups! I stayed on. He is also a pony...Not that scary, haha.
His owner says he needs someone to 'kick his butt in gear' and you know? I'm that someone.
I can handle attitude on a pony. I can't handle nasty on a bigger horse. He doesn't bite, but does pitch hissy fits--hence the handling with a chain. He's also very talented, and an incredible jumper. I did a cross rail and he popped me out of the saddle, a remarkable bascule. He also has a slow and easy to sit canter, it is just gorgeous. His trot is lousy, but ahh you can't win 'em all.
He's cute, a bit evil but I think we will make a good partnership. I am signing papers this week--a pony for my birthday! Who would have thought of it!!
(I also wish I had photos, but for some reason, my darling husband took closeups of my butt and thighs instead of the horse. GRrrrrr)
Birthdays!!
Yup it's that time of year...my birthday!
I helped celebrate a friend's birthday this past weekend (July is a gooood month!) and I baked and iced a cake. With my mom's extra-special marshmallow icing. Yum.
Turns out cake mixes from a box aren't as easy as they make out to be... The vanilla layer behaved fine but was so flat. Crepes or pancake flat. Ugh.
The chocolate layer was as flat, but that's where the similarities ended. I had to scrape it out of the freaking pan, and then flop the mostly crumb-cake onto a cooling rack. I then came home a few hours later and prepared to ice them with the fabulous icing. The chocolate cake was stuck to the cooling rack! It dissolved into a pile of crumbs, so the cake ended up being vanilla-icing-chocolate-crumb-icing cake. Ugh
It looked pretty sad and silly, but oh well. I got my tube of purple icing for the '28' as he was turning 28, and guess what? The icicng splatted all over the cake, so it was more like *2*8 and everyone thought there was just an '8' on it's side, like a mobius or something. ARGH
I thought, well this is great. The only best thing that could happen is my hand going through the cake, or me dropping it on the gravel outside.
The sadly misshapen cake made it to the party unscathed, where it was enjoyed by everyone.
Phew.
I helped celebrate a friend's birthday this past weekend (July is a gooood month!) and I baked and iced a cake. With my mom's extra-special marshmallow icing. Yum.
Turns out cake mixes from a box aren't as easy as they make out to be... The vanilla layer behaved fine but was so flat. Crepes or pancake flat. Ugh.
The chocolate layer was as flat, but that's where the similarities ended. I had to scrape it out of the freaking pan, and then flop the mostly crumb-cake onto a cooling rack. I then came home a few hours later and prepared to ice them with the fabulous icing. The chocolate cake was stuck to the cooling rack! It dissolved into a pile of crumbs, so the cake ended up being vanilla-icing-chocolate-crumb-icing cake. Ugh
It looked pretty sad and silly, but oh well. I got my tube of purple icing for the '28' as he was turning 28, and guess what? The icicng splatted all over the cake, so it was more like *2*8 and everyone thought there was just an '8' on it's side, like a mobius or something. ARGH
I thought, well this is great. The only best thing that could happen is my hand going through the cake, or me dropping it on the gravel outside.
The sadly misshapen cake made it to the party unscathed, where it was enjoyed by everyone.
Phew.
Gosh, it's been awhile
I found this quote I thought was awesome: "Yet more proof that octopi will soon rule the world. Do not fight it, my friends. Embrace your cephalopod overlords warmly."
Also, on the 'railroad' talkers vein of conversation:
"If you are talking to people, and they know you have a kid, and they ask (out of politeness) "how is johnny doing?" and you say "oh good. he's in 3rd grade and enjoying playing chess now.. How was you trip to panama?" it's cool.
If your response is "oh he's great. He is playing chess now. I think he's got the talent to go professional. But he's also so athletic, he'll have his choice of being in the NFL, MBA or NBA in a few years. And he's so smart. I know he'll be doogie howser and have Harvard, yale and duke courting him for college before he's done with 5th grade. He'll probably get a dual degree.. I'm thinking Lawyer and doctor.. he's just so smart. And kind. Just last week he raised .33 for the oil spill. Such a kind heart. Yup Yup. he's going to be the president someday, I just know it. And so artistic. I mean, Picasso couldn't paint like he does. Just yesterday, he took his crayons, and made a masterpiece on the walls. When we sell the house, that is going to raise our resale value so much. And he'll have his black belt in Karate soon. He's got his white belt now, but i know he has so much natural talent.. it's just incredible"... yeah, by then people are bored, eyes glazed over, and you're pretty much a raving lunatic."
Yeah. I only WISH I never met these people.
Although, I would like to meet Paul the Octopus. Yummm
Also, on the 'railroad' talkers vein of conversation:
"If you are talking to people, and they know you have a kid, and they ask (out of politeness) "how is johnny doing?" and you say "oh good. he's in 3rd grade and enjoying playing chess now.. How was you trip to panama?" it's cool.
If your response is "oh he's great. He is playing chess now. I think he's got the talent to go professional. But he's also so athletic, he'll have his choice of being in the NFL, MBA or NBA in a few years. And he's so smart. I know he'll be doogie howser and have Harvard, yale and duke courting him for college before he's done with 5th grade. He'll probably get a dual degree.. I'm thinking Lawyer and doctor.. he's just so smart. And kind. Just last week he raised .33 for the oil spill. Such a kind heart. Yup Yup. he's going to be the president someday, I just know it. And so artistic. I mean, Picasso couldn't paint like he does. Just yesterday, he took his crayons, and made a masterpiece on the walls. When we sell the house, that is going to raise our resale value so much. And he'll have his black belt in Karate soon. He's got his white belt now, but i know he has so much natural talent.. it's just incredible"... yeah, by then people are bored, eyes glazed over, and you're pretty much a raving lunatic."
Yeah. I only WISH I never met these people.
Although, I would like to meet Paul the Octopus. Yummm
Thursday, June 24, 2010
Amusing Events of Today
Random amusing events of today:
Meeting #2 in the boardroom this morning, someone almost sat on a banana. It was apparently left on one of the boardroom chairs…she pulled it out and was like whoah, almost sat on it! Then someone was like, hey Lauren was looking for that. Yes, someone was asking around if anyone had ‘seen her banana’…which was left in the boardroom on a chair. HAHAAH
Then, I went to do stairs at lunch and some punk spraypainted orange on the green stairs. Ugly but whatever… I run into an acquiantence, who doesn’t usually do stair Thu. I was like, oh why are you doing stairs today?
Turns out their friend, who also does stairs, happens to be a vigilante citizen graffiti cover-upper, who was out spray-painting over the orange with gold spraypaint…And she is like over 50 years old, granny type. Haha. She tells me she had problems with graffiti on a shed, so she put a magnet of a saint on the shed. Lasted two yrs until someone stole the magnet. She replaced that magnet with one of the Virgin Mary.
Nobody has messed with that. Ever.
Meeting #2 in the boardroom this morning, someone almost sat on a banana. It was apparently left on one of the boardroom chairs…she pulled it out and was like whoah, almost sat on it! Then someone was like, hey Lauren was looking for that. Yes, someone was asking around if anyone had ‘seen her banana’…which was left in the boardroom on a chair. HAHAAH
Then, I went to do stairs at lunch and some punk spraypainted orange on the green stairs. Ugly but whatever… I run into an acquiantence, who doesn’t usually do stair Thu. I was like, oh why are you doing stairs today?
Turns out their friend, who also does stairs, happens to be a vigilante citizen graffiti cover-upper, who was out spray-painting over the orange with gold spraypaint…And she is like over 50 years old, granny type. Haha. She tells me she had problems with graffiti on a shed, so she put a magnet of a saint on the shed. Lasted two yrs until someone stole the magnet. She replaced that magnet with one of the Virgin Mary.
Nobody has messed with that. Ever.
Monday, June 21, 2010
What's with girls named Summer?
I have been watching the O.C. (so sue me, I don't have any cable and need something to watch!) and Summer, one of the main characters, is a flighty little witchy woman. She's super cute and awesome, and it made me wonder two things:
Why are flighty, capricious, beautiful women always named "Summer"? Eg 500 days of Summer, Summer Wheatley in Napoleon Dynamite, Summer in the OC...
Also, why does everyone always sing about California? Eg Hotel California, California, by Phantom Planet, even that duo 'Wave' sang about California...
Those are my musings of the moment...I actually had a few things I wanted to write about but got ran over by a series of unfortunate Tuesdays, of which I am still recovering from. Until next time...
Why are flighty, capricious, beautiful women always named "Summer"? Eg 500 days of Summer, Summer Wheatley in Napoleon Dynamite, Summer in the OC...
Also, why does everyone always sing about California? Eg Hotel California, California, by Phantom Planet, even that duo 'Wave' sang about California...
Those are my musings of the moment...I actually had a few things I wanted to write about but got ran over by a series of unfortunate Tuesdays, of which I am still recovering from. Until next time...
Monday, June 7, 2010
Cosmos sending a message
So, I have kept a running tally of the strange coincidences (existential investigators, are you hearing this??) that have occurred to me over the past two years. Now, these may sound mundane and ordinary, but I have a feeling these are no ordinary coincidences! Yes, it is clearly the cosmos sending me a message, of what I have yet to interpret/decipher but I will get there one day...
To tally up the coincidences:
I found a clipboard written with "property of (persons name)" ...and I had just gotten an email from my then-new job, sadly telling of the death of that very same person that day! I put the clipboard back, I didn't want to tempt fates.
The second is more mundane and less dangerous. I was taking the bus, on a route I never usually take because I drive to work. I was carrying my gym clothes to and from work, and one day found my gym socks lying on the side of the path I was walking to the bus. Odd, they must have fallen out. I picked them up a bit abashedly and continued on the way. When I got home, I found my actual gym socks--they'd never even left the house! I had picked up a pair of socks that looked exactly the same, and these weren't white gym socks, they were bizarre blue fuzzy pink and white argyle socks. One of a kind.
The third coincidence was a book. This past weekend I was talking up a book, The Glass Castle,by Jeanette Walls (great book, by the way. So powerful!), and I mentioned that a friend had it, and maybe I could borrow it to lend to her. I was looking forward to sharing thoughts about the book with my friend. We set out downtown that afternoon to do some shopping, and stopped by to drop off recycling at Raven Recycling. I browsed the free store for books, and lo and behold, there sat The Glass Castle. It was fate! I snatched it up and gave it to my friend. But still, this isn't the type of book that is just everywhere, like say, A Million Little Pieces or something. It is hard to find, and you have to seek it out. And there it was, waiting for me to give to my friend, who I'd been talking to about it.
Clearly there is a larger message in the works here. What can these coincidences mean?
To tally up the coincidences:
I found a clipboard written with "property of (persons name)" ...and I had just gotten an email from my then-new job, sadly telling of the death of that very same person that day! I put the clipboard back, I didn't want to tempt fates.
The second is more mundane and less dangerous. I was taking the bus, on a route I never usually take because I drive to work. I was carrying my gym clothes to and from work, and one day found my gym socks lying on the side of the path I was walking to the bus. Odd, they must have fallen out. I picked them up a bit abashedly and continued on the way. When I got home, I found my actual gym socks--they'd never even left the house! I had picked up a pair of socks that looked exactly the same, and these weren't white gym socks, they were bizarre blue fuzzy pink and white argyle socks. One of a kind.
The third coincidence was a book. This past weekend I was talking up a book, The Glass Castle,by Jeanette Walls (great book, by the way. So powerful!), and I mentioned that a friend had it, and maybe I could borrow it to lend to her. I was looking forward to sharing thoughts about the book with my friend. We set out downtown that afternoon to do some shopping, and stopped by to drop off recycling at Raven Recycling. I browsed the free store for books, and lo and behold, there sat The Glass Castle. It was fate! I snatched it up and gave it to my friend. But still, this isn't the type of book that is just everywhere, like say, A Million Little Pieces or something. It is hard to find, and you have to seek it out. And there it was, waiting for me to give to my friend, who I'd been talking to about it.
Clearly there is a larger message in the works here. What can these coincidences mean?
The Most Unhealthy/Awesome/Gross Desserts Money Can Buy
I found this one on Jezebel, who found it on The Daily Beast. I kind of want to do a tour of these fantastically fattening desserts. Whoever coined the term 'just desserts' really meant what they were talking about...
http://www.thedailybeast.com/blogs-and-stories/2010-06-07/40-desserts-that-can-kill-you/
These desserts make Dairy Queen milkshakes look like diet food at 700+ calories. Eeep.
http://www.thedailybeast.com/blogs-and-stories/2010-06-07/40-desserts-that-can-kill-you/
These desserts make Dairy Queen milkshakes look like diet food at 700+ calories. Eeep.
Thursday, June 3, 2010
Gasp Splutter Intelligible Choking noises
This has not been my week. I actually had quite the inner dialogue leading up to this blog post, that went something like, should I label this blog St. Susan, Martyr of the World? Or maybe, the Existential Struggle of Susan, something really dramatic to capture the essence of my emotions.\
Yes, this has been a heavy week indeed. Existential struggle, choking rage, oh they all go together so well, don't they. I can divide this week into two struggles: job, and life. Let's start with job.
Job: Tuesday I decided I hated what I do. More specifically, I hate the assistant part of what I do. The communication part I really quite enjoy. I rather enjoyed the 'ass'istant part until it dawned on me in a big hurry Tuesday that I NEVER WANT TO BE AN ASSISANT AGAIN. It may have been the 'helpful' snarky email from some co-irker who rescheduled a meeting three times, and then politely declined my 4th rescheduling with a suggestion to 'use Outlook' to see when their schedule was open. Ohh...right. Oh, thank you. My goodness, and here I'd been using an abacus and fucking magic ball to divine your ever-changing availability. Oh riiighht...
And then another request from another person (they are all nice people, not assholes) who had some things that needed to be created RIGHT THIS INSTANT!!! And was not taking my ''well, I have to be at -comm job--this afternoon, and am away at at 2 day meeting this week'' very well at all. It has to be done by this Friday!!!
So, guess who pulls time out of her ass to juggle this, the more important job, and oh, the printer's not working, call IT and ask them to fix it, explain what is happening to my print job, print stuff for them even though it wasn't MY print job that was screwing up, and by the way, I still need those things for FRIDAY!!!
Cue emphatic sigh. Actually, I thought I was going to grab my monitor and smash it into the ground. Normally these sort of things, in what is a usually respectful workplace, don't phase me. I can't figure out why I am SO FUCKING IRRITATED by it currently.
My pet theory; I am achingly ambitious, need/want/desire to be recognized for my skillset rather than having two hands, sort-of brain and eyeballs. Jobs that do not fulfill this need get resented very quickly...
Whatever happened to eternal sunshine of the spotless mind? Why can't I be happy printing labels? Photocopying? Opening mail? Creating binders? Buying supplies? Why do I want to scream an endless ranting scream when I think of a lifetime of that. It feels like hell & purgatory combined. I know people who are what I am and are relatively happy, sure they get pissed off, but not the bottomless pit of despair I get when I realize: is this all? We've been sold a cheap bill of sale, and I want to be needed for my smarts, not my 'good work ethic'.
A piece of my soul dies whenever I am referred to as an administrative assistant. I never want this said about me, "Oh, Susan? Yes she's our go-to girl. Works at the front desk in reception." Yes in the beginning this was fine, until I was beginning to claw my way up. But every time I hear this, I hear good worker going nowhere not sharp thinker, ambitious,
Ok, moving on to the life conundrum. Can I sum it up?
Husband absent, horse life sucks, school work getting increasingly edgy, computer crashed and I am fighting with a new one with an imminent paper due, two freelance writing jobs. Oh, and I have begun stress eating and stress running. I hope they balance each other out.
Sometimes it's hard to breathe under the crushing weight of (my?) expectations.
Yes, this has been a heavy week indeed. Existential struggle, choking rage, oh they all go together so well, don't they. I can divide this week into two struggles: job, and life. Let's start with job.
Job: Tuesday I decided I hated what I do. More specifically, I hate the assistant part of what I do. The communication part I really quite enjoy. I rather enjoyed the 'ass'istant part until it dawned on me in a big hurry Tuesday that I NEVER WANT TO BE AN ASSISANT AGAIN. It may have been the 'helpful' snarky email from some co-irker who rescheduled a meeting three times, and then politely declined my 4th rescheduling with a suggestion to 'use Outlook' to see when their schedule was open. Ohh...right. Oh, thank you. My goodness, and here I'd been using an abacus and fucking magic ball to divine your ever-changing availability. Oh riiighht...
And then another request from another person (they are all nice people, not assholes) who had some things that needed to be created RIGHT THIS INSTANT!!! And was not taking my ''well, I have to be at -comm job--this afternoon, and am away at at 2 day meeting this week'' very well at all. It has to be done by this Friday!!!
So, guess who pulls time out of her ass to juggle this, the more important job, and oh, the printer's not working, call IT and ask them to fix it, explain what is happening to my print job, print stuff for them even though it wasn't MY print job that was screwing up, and by the way, I still need those things for FRIDAY!!!
Cue emphatic sigh. Actually, I thought I was going to grab my monitor and smash it into the ground. Normally these sort of things, in what is a usually respectful workplace, don't phase me. I can't figure out why I am SO FUCKING IRRITATED by it currently.
My pet theory; I am achingly ambitious, need/want/desire to be recognized for my skillset rather than having two hands, sort-of brain and eyeballs. Jobs that do not fulfill this need get resented very quickly...
Whatever happened to eternal sunshine of the spotless mind? Why can't I be happy printing labels? Photocopying? Opening mail? Creating binders? Buying supplies? Why do I want to scream an endless ranting scream when I think of a lifetime of that. It feels like hell & purgatory combined. I know people who are what I am and are relatively happy, sure they get pissed off, but not the bottomless pit of despair I get when I realize: is this all? We've been sold a cheap bill of sale, and I want to be needed for my smarts, not my 'good work ethic'.
A piece of my soul dies whenever I am referred to as an administrative assistant. I never want this said about me, "Oh, Susan? Yes she's our go-to girl. Works at the front desk in reception." Yes in the beginning this was fine, until I was beginning to claw my way up. But every time I hear this, I hear good worker going nowhere not sharp thinker, ambitious,
Ok, moving on to the life conundrum. Can I sum it up?
Husband absent, horse life sucks, school work getting increasingly edgy, computer crashed and I am fighting with a new one with an imminent paper due, two freelance writing jobs. Oh, and I have begun stress eating and stress running. I hope they balance each other out.
Sometimes it's hard to breathe under the crushing weight of (my?) expectations.
Monday, May 31, 2010
The Perfect Pony
I backed out. The offer I referred to earlier? Too many red flags, and people saying I should wait. I guess it's like marrying the first boy who proposes...Oops. Well, this is different! haha.
In all honesty, I was not sure. I sure don't want to make a big-dollar mistake!
I'm on the prowl again, and this time I'm willing to take my time.
In all honesty, I was not sure. I sure don't want to make a big-dollar mistake!
I'm on the prowl again, and this time I'm willing to take my time.
Friday, May 28, 2010
Offer insulting?
I'm currently horse-shopping, as you may know. I put an offer in on a horse, who I thought may be a tad overpriced at $5000, they originally wanted $6500 and the horse didn't move for a year!
I offered $3500 and am waiting for an answer. This horse isn't a make-or-break, but I am pretty excited.
Now the general consensus seems to be that that kind of offer isn't insulting, but do some people think it is? I feel that owners are always free to say no, or counter-offer with a price of their choosing. It is a two-way thing, a back and forth conversation. I don't want to rip anyone off but at the same time, I can easily walk away from this one without a second glance. If I was the owner, I'd really consider my offer! (easy for me to say) haha.
Also this was one of the better horses I tried. Let's just say photos, owners and videos can be extremely misleading... I got the 'beginner-safe' horses with mouths of iron, can't stop, can't go in a straight line, and they want $5000?? Yikes.
No thank you!
If this one doesn't work out, c'est la vie. There are more fish in the sea, and horses for sale on the internet.
I offered $3500 and am waiting for an answer. This horse isn't a make-or-break, but I am pretty excited.
Now the general consensus seems to be that that kind of offer isn't insulting, but do some people think it is? I feel that owners are always free to say no, or counter-offer with a price of their choosing. It is a two-way thing, a back and forth conversation. I don't want to rip anyone off but at the same time, I can easily walk away from this one without a second glance. If I was the owner, I'd really consider my offer! (easy for me to say) haha.
Also this was one of the better horses I tried. Let's just say photos, owners and videos can be extremely misleading... I got the 'beginner-safe' horses with mouths of iron, can't stop, can't go in a straight line, and they want $5000?? Yikes.
No thank you!
If this one doesn't work out, c'est la vie. There are more fish in the sea, and horses for sale on the internet.
Portland & More
Yes, it has been awhile, hasn't it?
I have a good excuse. I have travelled to Vancouver, Skagway, Vancouver, Portland and Vancouver again in the past 3 weeks. I have also worked on homework, writing articles, work and contract work. Yike!
Portland was really cool. It is quite the indie/hip city, with record shops, charcuterie platters, artisan cheeses, indie ground coffee and microbrews galore. It also rained a lot. And was freezing. I was rather unprepared for that, as it was +18 in frosty ol' Whitehorse so I figured if it is warm here, it must be warm everywhere else! Not so...
We stayed at the Ace hotel: www.acehotel.com/portland
And it was very hip. Very cool. I loved it! You do have to be pretty intimate with your travel buddy/room share person, as our room's shower was right in the room. The toilet, mercifully, was in a room of it's own.
We ate at so many restaurants, I wanted to eat everywhere! They had the coolest food (popcorn with pimentio appys? Roasted almonds with olives? Paninis with proscuitto and apple? yes please!)
The beer was good too, and you can't miss Powell's books, it takes up an entire city block!! We also visited the zoo, where my allergies went absolutely insane and I was overcome with pounding sinus pain (stupid rhododendrons), and it was freezing and raining. The zoo was quaint, small but nice. The animals were rambunctions, we saw a tortoise attempt to snatch at broccoli without moving it's body, and an elephant ponderously back itself into it's elephant cave. hahaha.
The train is a good way to go but takes forever (6+hrs) and the customs agents are serious pain in the asses--we had to go through customs TWICE leaving Vancouver, we were also 30 mins late leaving Van b/c of the incredible ineptitute of pretty much everyone there. JEebus.
Train is also cheap ($100 return).
Go, enjoy Portland! City of roses, good food and good beer. Stay at the ACE hotel, you won't regret it! Good shopping too, but we didn't have much time for that.
I have a good excuse. I have travelled to Vancouver, Skagway, Vancouver, Portland and Vancouver again in the past 3 weeks. I have also worked on homework, writing articles, work and contract work. Yike!
Portland was really cool. It is quite the indie/hip city, with record shops, charcuterie platters, artisan cheeses, indie ground coffee and microbrews galore. It also rained a lot. And was freezing. I was rather unprepared for that, as it was +18 in frosty ol' Whitehorse so I figured if it is warm here, it must be warm everywhere else! Not so...
We stayed at the Ace hotel: www.acehotel.com/portland
And it was very hip. Very cool. I loved it! You do have to be pretty intimate with your travel buddy/room share person, as our room's shower was right in the room. The toilet, mercifully, was in a room of it's own.
We ate at so many restaurants, I wanted to eat everywhere! They had the coolest food (popcorn with pimentio appys? Roasted almonds with olives? Paninis with proscuitto and apple? yes please!)
The beer was good too, and you can't miss Powell's books, it takes up an entire city block!! We also visited the zoo, where my allergies went absolutely insane and I was overcome with pounding sinus pain (stupid rhododendrons), and it was freezing and raining. The zoo was quaint, small but nice. The animals were rambunctions, we saw a tortoise attempt to snatch at broccoli without moving it's body, and an elephant ponderously back itself into it's elephant cave. hahaha.
The train is a good way to go but takes forever (6+hrs) and the customs agents are serious pain in the asses--we had to go through customs TWICE leaving Vancouver, we were also 30 mins late leaving Van b/c of the incredible ineptitute of pretty much everyone there. JEebus.
Train is also cheap ($100 return).
Go, enjoy Portland! City of roses, good food and good beer. Stay at the ACE hotel, you won't regret it! Good shopping too, but we didn't have much time for that.
Thursday, May 13, 2010
Chocolate Mousse!
I made the most interesting dessert yesterday--vegan chocolate mousse. How did I make it? Well, I had 3 little avocados going funny on my windowsill, the result of buying the sack of 5 rock-hard ones and then getting sick of them after eating two...
So, I looked online and found a vegan recipe for making avocado chocolate mousse! I made it, it's pretty simple. Just look for recipes that don't have bizarre or ridiculous demands, or substitute your own for those silly ones that ask for 'vanilla pods' or 'pure organic maple syrup and carob'...
All you need are 2 or 3 very ripe avocados, some vanilla extract, 1/4 cup of cocoa, water and 100 mls of maple syrup. Blend and voila! Dark bittersweet chocolate mousse. There is a hint of avocado and the texture is fluffy with a bit of grain to it, but it's quite nice. It is extremely filling, trust me, so you don't need to eat a lot to feel very full. I ate mine with sliced strawberries. Keep it chilled in the fridge and enjoy with fruit of your choice~ a healthy dessert!
So, I looked online and found a vegan recipe for making avocado chocolate mousse! I made it, it's pretty simple. Just look for recipes that don't have bizarre or ridiculous demands, or substitute your own for those silly ones that ask for 'vanilla pods' or 'pure organic maple syrup and carob'...
All you need are 2 or 3 very ripe avocados, some vanilla extract, 1/4 cup of cocoa, water and 100 mls of maple syrup. Blend and voila! Dark bittersweet chocolate mousse. There is a hint of avocado and the texture is fluffy with a bit of grain to it, but it's quite nice. It is extremely filling, trust me, so you don't need to eat a lot to feel very full. I ate mine with sliced strawberries. Keep it chilled in the fridge and enjoy with fruit of your choice~ a healthy dessert!
Wednesday, May 12, 2010
Horse-shopping results
I haven't found 'the one' quite yet. It's ok, I am in the early stages of looking. I'm just a bit surprised by what passes for broke these days, and I am wondering if I should re-negotiate my budget... Oh, it's so tempting to say 'what the hell' and buy the $12,000 do-everything-but-tie your shoes horse. Of course, I don't have that kind of budget anyways, but hey pipe dreams and all!
Some surprises: Ads can be extremely misleading, and although none of the horses were seriously misrepresented, there were definitely some surprising moments. Even more surprising was what happened with a horse I tried out. I tried the horse out, he was gorgeous. Petite, fine-boned and so shiny. A real beauty. His trainer rode him beautifully, and I was itching to get on. I rode him and he was a bit of a tough ride, not a horse you could get on and 'just ride' he was a thinking ride. I had to be aware of how my legs were, my seat, if my shoulders were tipping, getting tense, breathing, eyes up, etc etc. A bit of work, all in all. He shot off at the canter, which was a bit alarming.
My friend got on, a bit more of a novice rider but not inexperienced by any means. She trotted for a bit and the horse took off with her, she circled around and managed to get under control. We regrouped, she trotted off again, and the horse ran off with her like a bat out of hell. It was incredibly frightening, they whipped around the corners of the arena almost falling over and she bailed in the corner. The horse continued galloping and smashed into the metal gate at the end of the arena. If my friend has stayed on, that might have been her running full-tilt into the gate. I shudder to think of it. You could tell the horse had no brain in his head at all. He looked crazed and scared out of his freaking mind.
She was fine, the horse was fine. My mind, however, was not. I was not getting this horse, no way.
The trainer was stunned. She had never seen this kind of reaction with this horse, and with horses, unfortunately, there is a first time for everything.
We moved on, and I tried another horse. This horse had a great advertisement, was beautiful in person with no obvious issues. A really flashy animal, I had dreams of us showing up in the hunter ring. My trainer tried the horse and had some issues, and she is quite talented. I got on and man.... Let's just say I'm super glad I don't buy sight-unseen.
The horse rode like a drunk giraffe. I couldn't keep him between my legs and hands, iron-mouth, no stop, weaving all over the place. Safe as heck but riding was an exercise in serious frustration. The horse was not as trained as I was led to believe, and man, it was just a ridiculous ride. Forget it!
Fingers crossed I find something I like! I did try a pony that I quite enjoyed, it jumped nicely, was incredibly fat and out of shape though. It hadn't had a lot of miles out of the home ground, which is a red flag, and has been for sale for at least a year. Jury's still out on that one.
Some surprises: Ads can be extremely misleading, and although none of the horses were seriously misrepresented, there were definitely some surprising moments. Even more surprising was what happened with a horse I tried out. I tried the horse out, he was gorgeous. Petite, fine-boned and so shiny. A real beauty. His trainer rode him beautifully, and I was itching to get on. I rode him and he was a bit of a tough ride, not a horse you could get on and 'just ride' he was a thinking ride. I had to be aware of how my legs were, my seat, if my shoulders were tipping, getting tense, breathing, eyes up, etc etc. A bit of work, all in all. He shot off at the canter, which was a bit alarming.
My friend got on, a bit more of a novice rider but not inexperienced by any means. She trotted for a bit and the horse took off with her, she circled around and managed to get under control. We regrouped, she trotted off again, and the horse ran off with her like a bat out of hell. It was incredibly frightening, they whipped around the corners of the arena almost falling over and she bailed in the corner. The horse continued galloping and smashed into the metal gate at the end of the arena. If my friend has stayed on, that might have been her running full-tilt into the gate. I shudder to think of it. You could tell the horse had no brain in his head at all. He looked crazed and scared out of his freaking mind.
She was fine, the horse was fine. My mind, however, was not. I was not getting this horse, no way.
The trainer was stunned. She had never seen this kind of reaction with this horse, and with horses, unfortunately, there is a first time for everything.
We moved on, and I tried another horse. This horse had a great advertisement, was beautiful in person with no obvious issues. A really flashy animal, I had dreams of us showing up in the hunter ring. My trainer tried the horse and had some issues, and she is quite talented. I got on and man.... Let's just say I'm super glad I don't buy sight-unseen.
The horse rode like a drunk giraffe. I couldn't keep him between my legs and hands, iron-mouth, no stop, weaving all over the place. Safe as heck but riding was an exercise in serious frustration. The horse was not as trained as I was led to believe, and man, it was just a ridiculous ride. Forget it!
Fingers crossed I find something I like! I did try a pony that I quite enjoyed, it jumped nicely, was incredibly fat and out of shape though. It hadn't had a lot of miles out of the home ground, which is a red flag, and has been for sale for at least a year. Jury's still out on that one.
Sunday, May 2, 2010
Hair in my food restaurants
I just got back from a weekend of extremely disappointing dining out (almost wrote 'dinging' yes that would be the right word for it).
Tokyo Sushi on Main Street, YT. I had lunch there this past Friday and found a lush, thick black hair stretched luxuriously across my bed of gyozas. Those gyozas cost $6.50 pls tax, and I got a paltry six of them. The hair was absolutely disgusting.
I noticed it right away and had the poor over-worked server take it away, and replace it with was probably the original six gyozas, I figured. Oh well. I then had the misfortune to forget my wallet and have someone else pay, and then I paid them back later. That little hairy lunch (gyozas, special roll of the day and tuna roll, paltry four each in the roll) cost me a cool $20! WTF? Ok, am I the only one thinking a hair in one's meal should result in a comp or a free drink or something?
It's ok, that's in the past.
Today however, is not the past. I went to Copper Ridge's newest pub, The Ridge. I have enjoyed drafts there and had a meal there once that was acceptable, not great but not bad either. I ordered a chicken club and a beer, hold the mayo. My order came with yet another thick black hair resting insolently against my bed of fries. YUCK/
I got the server to take it back, and had some of my friend's fries, where were good but salty. The order came back sans hair, and had MAYO. I am allergic.
I picked it up after asking the server if it did indeed have mayo, and did this look like mayo to you? She shrugged and asked if I thought it looked like mayo. Hmm...well, YES.
Order #2 goes back.
Finally my order attempt #3 happens, w/o hair and w/o mayo. It is ok, fries are good, club sandwich is ok too. I finished the beer, ate the sandwich and some fries. Of course, by that time the friends I had dinner with were finished with their meals, by a long shot and were sitting around waiting for me. ARGH
And when the bill came, was my meal or drink comped or a percentage taken off? Why, of course not this is cheap ass Whitehorse we're talking about. No knowledge of social niceties at all!
So, I did what was natural. I tipped a healthy $0.00 and wrote: no tip because my order went back twice and no offer to comp or a drink comped was made. Bite it!
So yeah, I have had terrible service and hair in my food twice in three days. I am officially boycotting Whitehorse shit restaurants.
(I did have Boston Pizza yesterday and it was great. I have also eaten out at too many restaurants lately for my own good!)
Tokyo Sushi on Main Street, YT. I had lunch there this past Friday and found a lush, thick black hair stretched luxuriously across my bed of gyozas. Those gyozas cost $6.50 pls tax, and I got a paltry six of them. The hair was absolutely disgusting.
I noticed it right away and had the poor over-worked server take it away, and replace it with was probably the original six gyozas, I figured. Oh well. I then had the misfortune to forget my wallet and have someone else pay, and then I paid them back later. That little hairy lunch (gyozas, special roll of the day and tuna roll, paltry four each in the roll) cost me a cool $20! WTF? Ok, am I the only one thinking a hair in one's meal should result in a comp or a free drink or something?
It's ok, that's in the past.
Today however, is not the past. I went to Copper Ridge's newest pub, The Ridge. I have enjoyed drafts there and had a meal there once that was acceptable, not great but not bad either. I ordered a chicken club and a beer, hold the mayo. My order came with yet another thick black hair resting insolently against my bed of fries. YUCK/
I got the server to take it back, and had some of my friend's fries, where were good but salty. The order came back sans hair, and had MAYO. I am allergic.
I picked it up after asking the server if it did indeed have mayo, and did this look like mayo to you? She shrugged and asked if I thought it looked like mayo. Hmm...well, YES.
Order #2 goes back.
Finally my order attempt #3 happens, w/o hair and w/o mayo. It is ok, fries are good, club sandwich is ok too. I finished the beer, ate the sandwich and some fries. Of course, by that time the friends I had dinner with were finished with their meals, by a long shot and were sitting around waiting for me. ARGH
And when the bill came, was my meal or drink comped or a percentage taken off? Why, of course not this is cheap ass Whitehorse we're talking about. No knowledge of social niceties at all!
So, I did what was natural. I tipped a healthy $0.00 and wrote: no tip because my order went back twice and no offer to comp or a drink comped was made. Bite it!
So yeah, I have had terrible service and hair in my food twice in three days. I am officially boycotting Whitehorse shit restaurants.
(I did have Boston Pizza yesterday and it was great. I have also eaten out at too many restaurants lately for my own good!)
Thursday, April 29, 2010
Big News!
Well, it seems like big news for me. On par with smug couples proudly announcing ''we're pregnant'' (side snark: no 'you're' not, she is.) I have been annoucing, that I am ready to start looking!!
For a horse, that is. And again, to horse people, this sort of thing is akin to couples announcing they are ready to start 'trying' (ugh, has that ever meant anything more than them saying to everyone they are going to have sex more?).
But anyways, yes it's true. I am ready and excited to welcome a new, money-hungry addition to my family of a husband and a rabbit. And I couldn't be happier! Yes it's a huge committment of time, energy and money, but I feel like it is finally time. I am sick and tired of riding other people's horses, although I have been greatful for the years I have done so. I am done in with ruined horses, sour horses, tired horses and their owners blaming it on me, despite the fact they have a zillion kiddies ruining the horses.
It is time.
Be ready for bizarre horse-hunting stories shortly! I am in the e-mail, flight planning phase. Fingers crossed I meet my horse of a lifetime!
For a horse, that is. And again, to horse people, this sort of thing is akin to couples announcing they are ready to start 'trying' (ugh, has that ever meant anything more than them saying to everyone they are going to have sex more?).
But anyways, yes it's true. I am ready and excited to welcome a new, money-hungry addition to my family of a husband and a rabbit. And I couldn't be happier! Yes it's a huge committment of time, energy and money, but I feel like it is finally time. I am sick and tired of riding other people's horses, although I have been greatful for the years I have done so. I am done in with ruined horses, sour horses, tired horses and their owners blaming it on me, despite the fact they have a zillion kiddies ruining the horses.
It is time.
Be ready for bizarre horse-hunting stories shortly! I am in the e-mail, flight planning phase. Fingers crossed I meet my horse of a lifetime!
Tuesday, April 20, 2010
Flow: The Cultural Story of Menstruation
I borrowed this book (by Elissa Stein and Susan Kim) from a friend, who said she enjoyed it, I might enjoy it but I also might take umbrage at some things written in it.
It's true. I enjoyed the history, quirky cheesecake ads from the 1930's onwards, but I really took issue with the sneering, "Well, for some women periods are a big deal. For us, world peace is a big deal." tone. The book is well written with a ton of pop culture references, and an exhaustively researched history. The layout was a little confusing as the headings seemed to be a bit arbitrary--history, wacky things you didn't know, dangerous things about tampons, wacky people and their menstrual-obssesions at the end. They also seemed extremely dismissive about women who just don't want periods. gasp! How unnatural! What about the environment, the moons and Mother Earth? She would want you to have periods!
Yeah I am exaggerating a bit, but seriously? There are women out there (present company included) who do.not.need.them. Ever. Since the switch to Seasonale (Thank you big Pharma, you saved my life!) I have been the happiest girl around. That time of the month? Nope, more like maybe that time of the year! Making the switch was the single most empowering thing I could have ever done, not harness myself to the extreme pain and misery of the 'being a woman' bullshit. I would have rather been a man, but I digress...
Also, they ramble on about homeopathic cures, natural cures, the cure-all of 'exercise' (yeah, tell that to the woman who vomits she is in so much pain. huh.) and then alienate the period-less woman by saying, ''oh yeah, they have it bad sometimes." Dismissive much?
And they also manage to alienate the 'Earth Mother' types that write menstrual poetry, or paint pictures of uterii, or create uterus pincusions or whatever. They consider them over the top and odd...
In conclusion: Ads and text of the historical contexts are awesome. Fun book to read on that pretext, and very very interesting. Women have been prejudiced against and oppressed because of their bodies forever.
Not so good: Holier-than-thou about women who simply refuse to be taken hostage by their bodies, by the Nature Woman expectations. Some of us didn't ask for this and won't put up for it. If a man had to deal with this, the world would stand still.
It's true. I enjoyed the history, quirky cheesecake ads from the 1930's onwards, but I really took issue with the sneering, "Well, for some women periods are a big deal. For us, world peace is a big deal." tone. The book is well written with a ton of pop culture references, and an exhaustively researched history. The layout was a little confusing as the headings seemed to be a bit arbitrary--history, wacky things you didn't know, dangerous things about tampons, wacky people and their menstrual-obssesions at the end. They also seemed extremely dismissive about women who just don't want periods. gasp! How unnatural! What about the environment, the moons and Mother Earth? She would want you to have periods!
Yeah I am exaggerating a bit, but seriously? There are women out there (present company included) who do.not.need.them. Ever. Since the switch to Seasonale (Thank you big Pharma, you saved my life!) I have been the happiest girl around. That time of the month? Nope, more like maybe that time of the year! Making the switch was the single most empowering thing I could have ever done, not harness myself to the extreme pain and misery of the 'being a woman' bullshit. I would have rather been a man, but I digress...
Also, they ramble on about homeopathic cures, natural cures, the cure-all of 'exercise' (yeah, tell that to the woman who vomits she is in so much pain. huh.) and then alienate the period-less woman by saying, ''oh yeah, they have it bad sometimes." Dismissive much?
And they also manage to alienate the 'Earth Mother' types that write menstrual poetry, or paint pictures of uterii, or create uterus pincusions or whatever. They consider them over the top and odd...
In conclusion: Ads and text of the historical contexts are awesome. Fun book to read on that pretext, and very very interesting. Women have been prejudiced against and oppressed because of their bodies forever.
Not so good: Holier-than-thou about women who simply refuse to be taken hostage by their bodies, by the Nature Woman expectations. Some of us didn't ask for this and won't put up for it. If a man had to deal with this, the world would stand still.
Thursday, April 15, 2010
NYC Series: Shopping on Canal St.
Ah Canal Street, home of the hawkers, the counterfeits, the policemen riding horses, random subway/sewer stink, people, fast-food restaurants...
We went hunting for knock-off bags on Canal Street our first day in NYC. Ambitious? Perhaps. I was insanely sleep-deprived and on the verge of losing it to laughter (hysterical laughing) so Canal Street seemed to be a rather hilarious if shady adventure at the time. Where else could you go from petting a policeman's horse and asking if the horse was 'bombproof' and then go running down a set of secret stairs in the back of a shop, in search of knock-off bags?
We said 'yes~' when a shady dude on the street was muttering 'Coach' 'Gucci' 'Prada' and he showed us to the store. The store owner was ready. He hustled us to a wall that opened up, which we ran through and down a set of stairs to the basement. We went across the basement to another set of stairs leading to a secret room, packed to the gills with bags and women.
I have to say I was seriously thinking we were going to get hustled or mugged. But no, the women in the secret room could vouch for the knock off dudes. We made off with Coach bags, my mom with a Jimmy Choo, and my mom's cousin with a Gucci. The bags were originally $45, but my mom, the consummate grifter, got them for around $40 each. My Coach bag has a crooked horse & carriage, but it's a pretty sweet bag anyways. A lady at Tim Horton's complimented me on it a few days later.
Mission accomplished!!
We went hunting for knock-off bags on Canal Street our first day in NYC. Ambitious? Perhaps. I was insanely sleep-deprived and on the verge of losing it to laughter (hysterical laughing) so Canal Street seemed to be a rather hilarious if shady adventure at the time. Where else could you go from petting a policeman's horse and asking if the horse was 'bombproof' and then go running down a set of secret stairs in the back of a shop, in search of knock-off bags?
We said 'yes~' when a shady dude on the street was muttering 'Coach' 'Gucci' 'Prada' and he showed us to the store. The store owner was ready. He hustled us to a wall that opened up, which we ran through and down a set of stairs to the basement. We went across the basement to another set of stairs leading to a secret room, packed to the gills with bags and women.
I have to say I was seriously thinking we were going to get hustled or mugged. But no, the women in the secret room could vouch for the knock off dudes. We made off with Coach bags, my mom with a Jimmy Choo, and my mom's cousin with a Gucci. The bags were originally $45, but my mom, the consummate grifter, got them for around $40 each. My Coach bag has a crooked horse & carriage, but it's a pretty sweet bag anyways. A lady at Tim Horton's complimented me on it a few days later.
Mission accomplished!!
Involuntary Celibacy Club (ICC)
My friends and I have joined together to create a new club--it's the Involuntary Celibacy Club (ICC) for short. Care to join? We meet on Sundays around 5:30, watch Glee and eat tacos.
Why involuntary? Well, we're all celibate for various reasons of our own accord--myself because of a long distance marriage, friends due to a serious lack of decent looking & behaving males in the Yukon territory.
A friend questioned why I was in the ICC if I was already married. I was ready for that one. "Jesus doesn't judge!"
Membership is booming. We are up to three members, including myself. If we gain any more, we might have to start getting choosy...
Why involuntary? Well, we're all celibate for various reasons of our own accord--myself because of a long distance marriage, friends due to a serious lack of decent looking & behaving males in the Yukon territory.
A friend questioned why I was in the ICC if I was already married. I was ready for that one. "Jesus doesn't judge!"
Membership is booming. We are up to three members, including myself. If we gain any more, we might have to start getting choosy...
Tuesday, April 13, 2010
NYC Series: A show on Broadway
We went to go see 'The Jersey Boys' on Broadway when we were in NYC. We had nosebleed seat tickets (seriously, way in the back row) and they still cost over $130. Was it worth it? YES. If you go to NY, go see a show, you will not regret it.
The music was fun, the show wasn't too short or too long, and the vibe was upbeat and hip. There were actually a lot of old people, turns out the music of the Four Seasons really resonates with their youth or something...But I still recognized all of the music, so if you're a young'un it still applies!
After the show we darted out to go use the washroom (the theatre was packed, washrooms totally unaccessible) and I ran into Nikki, from the show. I got his autograph!
Things to note: buy tickets early, sneak booze in, they don't check bags for it. Keep your programs, as performers might be wandering outside the theatre just after.
I saw many very wealthy patrons, carrying Manolo Blahnik bags, stepping out of a limo. Woooooo...
Go see a show, apparently they are doing one for Green Day?!! and Wicked is always a hot choice too, that's the one I want to see next.
The music was fun, the show wasn't too short or too long, and the vibe was upbeat and hip. There were actually a lot of old people, turns out the music of the Four Seasons really resonates with their youth or something...But I still recognized all of the music, so if you're a young'un it still applies!
After the show we darted out to go use the washroom (the theatre was packed, washrooms totally unaccessible) and I ran into Nikki, from the show. I got his autograph!
Things to note: buy tickets early, sneak booze in, they don't check bags for it. Keep your programs, as performers might be wandering outside the theatre just after.
I saw many very wealthy patrons, carrying Manolo Blahnik bags, stepping out of a limo. Woooooo...
Go see a show, apparently they are doing one for Green Day?!! and Wicked is always a hot choice too, that's the one I want to see next.
NYC Series: Century 21
Shopping at Century 21 is like entering a wolf's den with dripping steaks. Shop at your own risk!
That aside, if you are into fantastic deals in a crazy, 'must-grab-everything' atmosphere, it is an amazing place to shop. I loved shopping there but after, I was like, woah...I don't want to go back! It is definitely a once a year type of deal. Their slogan is ''fashion worth fighting for'' and they're really not kidding.
It is a big building, first floor is mens/cosmetics/sunglasses/wallets, basement is housewares/gifts, 2nd floor is women's and 3rd floor is women's. We spent a lot of time on the 2nd and 3rd floor, and here's what we bought.
Tulle brand poplin jacket for $30.00
Tulle brand shirt dress in plaid for $16.99
Roxy brand flip flops for $6.97
Seven jeans for $40
Seven jeans for $40
Godiva chocolate coffee for $7.99
''Jeggings'' jean leggings for $6.99 (sidenote: looked absolutely terrible on me, gave them to my sister. Not meant for short people with muscular legs.)
And thanks to my dear Aunt, who financed a bit of this shopping extravaganza with a cool $100.00. Thanks! Much appreciated!
Futher observations: First floor is a freaking zoo. Changing rooms also. Bring a mom to hold your clothes, you will need her, she can also stand in line for you at the changing rooms, as the lineups are legendary. Be aware that you can only bring in 8 items at the changing room, and there aren't doors, just blousy curtains that tend to blow open when a customer walks by, therefore exposing your bare ass stuck getting out of a pair of 'skinny jeans' for all the world to see. I was seriously sweating coming out of the changerooms.
Happy Shopping!
That aside, if you are into fantastic deals in a crazy, 'must-grab-everything' atmosphere, it is an amazing place to shop. I loved shopping there but after, I was like, woah...I don't want to go back! It is definitely a once a year type of deal. Their slogan is ''fashion worth fighting for'' and they're really not kidding.
It is a big building, first floor is mens/cosmetics/sunglasses/wallets, basement is housewares/gifts, 2nd floor is women's and 3rd floor is women's. We spent a lot of time on the 2nd and 3rd floor, and here's what we bought.
Tulle brand poplin jacket for $30.00
Tulle brand shirt dress in plaid for $16.99
Roxy brand flip flops for $6.97
Seven jeans for $40
Seven jeans for $40
Godiva chocolate coffee for $7.99
''Jeggings'' jean leggings for $6.99 (sidenote: looked absolutely terrible on me, gave them to my sister. Not meant for short people with muscular legs.)
And thanks to my dear Aunt, who financed a bit of this shopping extravaganza with a cool $100.00. Thanks! Much appreciated!
Futher observations: First floor is a freaking zoo. Changing rooms also. Bring a mom to hold your clothes, you will need her, she can also stand in line for you at the changing rooms, as the lineups are legendary. Be aware that you can only bring in 8 items at the changing room, and there aren't doors, just blousy curtains that tend to blow open when a customer walks by, therefore exposing your bare ass stuck getting out of a pair of 'skinny jeans' for all the world to see. I was seriously sweating coming out of the changerooms.
Happy Shopping!
NYC Series: Easter in Central Park
Inspired by my recent and fabulous trip to cosmopolitan NYC, I will do a short blog series on the city, to hopefully spread the wonder and fun I had there to everyone suffering a miserable April in the Yukon!
Easter in Central Park is gorgeous. The weather was hot (about 27 deg) and it was very busy with many people. The grass wasn't too wet or mushy, so we spread our jackets and had ourselves a little sunbathe. Many people were doing this out on the grass by the entrance near the Plaza hotel. Vendors of hotdogs, ubitquitous pretzels, ice cream, horse-drawn carriage rides, portraits and more lined the entrance to the park. It was incredibly busy just outside, but in the park it is less chaotic.
After our sunbathe, we wandered and watched the skaters, looking rather incongruous skating on ice on such a hot day. We went to the gift shop (boring and very stuffy) and were going to visit the dairy but it was closed. The chess gazebo looked very nice, even though it was mostly vines right now. Buds were starting to bloom on trees. We picked up an icecream and decided on a horse-drawn carriage. The carriages do a short 20-minute loop of the park, pointing out famous sights or famous people, depending on who is out and about. Our driver pointed out Yoko Ono, who was wearing sunglasses and a top hat. It was very relaxing, and nice to rest our feet in the sunshine. Carriage rides cost $35, but you know, it's pretty worth it.
We didn't even get too far into the park after our ride, but it was luxurious and wonderful out. Hot, sunny and full of happy people celebrating Easter. And for a completely man-made park, it is still nice and feels close to nature in the middle of the city.
Easter in Central Park is gorgeous. The weather was hot (about 27 deg) and it was very busy with many people. The grass wasn't too wet or mushy, so we spread our jackets and had ourselves a little sunbathe. Many people were doing this out on the grass by the entrance near the Plaza hotel. Vendors of hotdogs, ubitquitous pretzels, ice cream, horse-drawn carriage rides, portraits and more lined the entrance to the park. It was incredibly busy just outside, but in the park it is less chaotic.
After our sunbathe, we wandered and watched the skaters, looking rather incongruous skating on ice on such a hot day. We went to the gift shop (boring and very stuffy) and were going to visit the dairy but it was closed. The chess gazebo looked very nice, even though it was mostly vines right now. Buds were starting to bloom on trees. We picked up an icecream and decided on a horse-drawn carriage. The carriages do a short 20-minute loop of the park, pointing out famous sights or famous people, depending on who is out and about. Our driver pointed out Yoko Ono, who was wearing sunglasses and a top hat. It was very relaxing, and nice to rest our feet in the sunshine. Carriage rides cost $35, but you know, it's pretty worth it.
We didn't even get too far into the park after our ride, but it was luxurious and wonderful out. Hot, sunny and full of happy people celebrating Easter. And for a completely man-made park, it is still nice and feels close to nature in the middle of the city.
Sunday, April 11, 2010
Brother, Don't Force My Hand
You know that tired saying, "This hurts me more than it hurts you?" Usually by a parent enforcing some sort of draconian punishment with glee...Well, sometimes it's true.
After a fabulous NYC Easter, life has come crashing back ontop of me. Things that were supposed to go swimmingly, well, didn't. Issues that were supposed to be long past resolved came rearing into the forefront. I guess it's more like, issues that are happening to my family re-surfaced, and this time I'm not sad, I'm angry.
When someone says they want a divorce asap, and then sends the rest of the family a happy-go-lucky email about how they are going to give you an Easter gift, well, what would you write? I wrote, and am consequently not proud of it, "Don't even try. As far as I am concerned, you are not in my life now."
Petty and horrible? Yes.
After a fabulous NYC Easter, life has come crashing back ontop of me. Things that were supposed to go swimmingly, well, didn't. Issues that were supposed to be long past resolved came rearing into the forefront. I guess it's more like, issues that are happening to my family re-surfaced, and this time I'm not sad, I'm angry.
When someone says they want a divorce asap, and then sends the rest of the family a happy-go-lucky email about how they are going to give you an Easter gift, well, what would you write? I wrote, and am consequently not proud of it, "Don't even try. As far as I am concerned, you are not in my life now."
Petty and horrible? Yes.
Wednesday, March 31, 2010
Henriette's Fresh Food
Went there for lunch today with a dear friend...
I had heard the dinners were very expensive, but we thought lunch would be a good compromise, and boy, was it ever!
I had the grilled sandwich (pork and roasted vegetables with grain mustard and olive oil, they usually do aioli but I don’t eat egg, so nice substitution) and the salad on the side, which was AMAZING.
Everything was really fresh and great tasting, it felt like a really ‘healthy’ meal while being super filling at the same time. The salad was one of the best I’ve ever eaten, it was flavoured perfectly, salts, cracked peppers, fennel, avocado, roasted pepper…SO good. The sandwich was really nice too, I might try the salami next time for variety.
The menu for lunch is limited, only a few lunch/brunch type items (egg casseroles, sandwiches, salad, crepes (no price listed, says ‘market price’ and French toast). Each item for lunch appeared to be $15, except for the crepes. The portion sizing was generous and filling, and the service was impeccable—our water glasses got filled promptly, the server was a really nice guy who seemed to genuinely care about how happy we were with the food.
I would definitely go back for lunch! It was well worth it. Don’t buy wine though, it was $10 a glass! Wooo…
Also the décor is something I would describe as ‘sumptuous’ and jewel toned. Very classy.
I had heard the dinners were very expensive, but we thought lunch would be a good compromise, and boy, was it ever!
I had the grilled sandwich (pork and roasted vegetables with grain mustard and olive oil, they usually do aioli but I don’t eat egg, so nice substitution) and the salad on the side, which was AMAZING.
Everything was really fresh and great tasting, it felt like a really ‘healthy’ meal while being super filling at the same time. The salad was one of the best I’ve ever eaten, it was flavoured perfectly, salts, cracked peppers, fennel, avocado, roasted pepper…SO good. The sandwich was really nice too, I might try the salami next time for variety.
The menu for lunch is limited, only a few lunch/brunch type items (egg casseroles, sandwiches, salad, crepes (no price listed, says ‘market price’ and French toast). Each item for lunch appeared to be $15, except for the crepes. The portion sizing was generous and filling, and the service was impeccable—our water glasses got filled promptly, the server was a really nice guy who seemed to genuinely care about how happy we were with the food.
I would definitely go back for lunch! It was well worth it. Don’t buy wine though, it was $10 a glass! Wooo…
Also the décor is something I would describe as ‘sumptuous’ and jewel toned. Very classy.
Tuesday, March 30, 2010
Childfreedom!
http://childfreedom.blogspot.com/search?updated-min=2009-01-01T00%3A00%3A00-08%3A00&updated-max=2010-01-01T00%3A00%3A00-08%3A00&max-results=50
I found this blog (above) and I am inspired. Truly, it is a blog after my own heart. I am a childfree child-hater who unconsciously scowls at children in public. When I carry heavy, sharp books in my bag and the ragamuffins run into me, I secretly hope they will run into the sharp corners. Unlike this author, I do not like or welcome children near me or in my viscinity, but I really like what she has to say and it is super interesting!
Also, if I had a buck for every person that says, "oh, you'll change your mind" I'd be able to pay for my husband's vasectomy now, instead of in a few years! Hee! Take that parentals, just you wait until you find out we're definitely not having children, and if an 'oops' happens?
Yeah, the next day that 'oops' would be ...gone.
I found this blog (above) and I am inspired. Truly, it is a blog after my own heart. I am a childfree child-hater who unconsciously scowls at children in public. When I carry heavy, sharp books in my bag and the ragamuffins run into me, I secretly hope they will run into the sharp corners. Unlike this author, I do not like or welcome children near me or in my viscinity, but I really like what she has to say and it is super interesting!
Also, if I had a buck for every person that says, "oh, you'll change your mind" I'd be able to pay for my husband's vasectomy now, instead of in a few years! Hee! Take that parentals, just you wait until you find out we're definitely not having children, and if an 'oops' happens?
Yeah, the next day that 'oops' would be ...gone.
Monday, March 29, 2010
Fast Food is Addicting: More at 11 o'clock!
In this study, rats are compelled to chow down on junk food even after they get shocked repeatedly for eating it, showing how their brains change to crave the junk food despite the small pain it causes. Extra extra, read all about it, junk food is extremely addictive and we (humans, rats) will go to almost any measure to continue eating it, even when it is causing us extreme harm (health/obesity).
http://www.cbc.ca/canada/british-columbia/story/2010/03/29/junk-food-addiction-brain.html#socialcomments
http://www.cbc.ca/canada/british-columbia/story/2010/03/29/junk-food-addiction-brain.html#socialcomments
Monday: Shut-Ins Go Shopping
I made the trek through the alleway of Doom from work to inspect the offerings at Liquidation World and pick up a few bulk items from Extra Foods for my trip. Through the alleway of Doom, I encountered several down-on-their luck First Nations people, either smoking, bumming a smoke or staggering along the ice.
Nevertheless, I made my way unaccosted, which was nice and very courteous. I then finished at Liquidation World and went to Extra Foods. Now, I kind of expect unusual clientele at LW. It's practically a given... Suspect location, scruffy alleway abuts it, etc etc but surprisingly it was Extra Foods that gave me trouble.
Some loud and obnoxious people were investigating the bulk buns (grossly overweight and complaining about the lack of cheesy stix, and then selecting cheese buns while proclaiming they would be ''good for a snack at night'' while straining their sweatpants.
I assiduously avoided them, and landed in a checkout with some worse candidates. They were ponderously counting out change to the obviously frustrated checkout woman, and then this terrible, pungent stench rose from the obese woman in front of me. For a moment, I couldn't place the smell. At all.
Then, as I got another whiff, it came to me. Rancid urine. Maybe festering wounds and urine. I tried to mask my incredible disdain and backpedalling steps, but I think the checkout clerk knew it. She said ''excuse me'' and ran away from her till. She returned when they waddled their way out of the checkout line. The smell followed her and her partner down to the exit of the store, where I passed them. They staggered so slowly that I blew by them and practically ran out.
EUGH!
Nevertheless, I made my way unaccosted, which was nice and very courteous. I then finished at Liquidation World and went to Extra Foods. Now, I kind of expect unusual clientele at LW. It's practically a given... Suspect location, scruffy alleway abuts it, etc etc but surprisingly it was Extra Foods that gave me trouble.
Some loud and obnoxious people were investigating the bulk buns (grossly overweight and complaining about the lack of cheesy stix, and then selecting cheese buns while proclaiming they would be ''good for a snack at night'' while straining their sweatpants.
I assiduously avoided them, and landed in a checkout with some worse candidates. They were ponderously counting out change to the obviously frustrated checkout woman, and then this terrible, pungent stench rose from the obese woman in front of me. For a moment, I couldn't place the smell. At all.
Then, as I got another whiff, it came to me. Rancid urine. Maybe festering wounds and urine. I tried to mask my incredible disdain and backpedalling steps, but I think the checkout clerk knew it. She said ''excuse me'' and ran away from her till. She returned when they waddled their way out of the checkout line. The smell followed her and her partner down to the exit of the store, where I passed them. They staggered so slowly that I blew by them and practically ran out.
EUGH!
Friday, March 26, 2010
The Erotic Anguish of Don Juan
Went to see this puppet show on Wednesday this week, and man, it is AMAZING!
It follows the sad story of historic womanizer Don Juan, as an old man being tormented by demons in hell. He has to wear some sort of spout encapsulating his penis, as punishment. He plays this up a lot, tapping it and waggling it to the audience's delight!
He starts with his birth, to a cold woman who was seduced by a horny bullfighter who then disappeared. He goes to become 'a man of the cloth' but falls in love. He then cheats on that love with a local showgirl, rationalizing it the entire time. He declares that the best thing is to love, and love many (rather than love one) and in the end, he shows that he cannot change, and the demons herd him back to hell.
The puppetry was astounding. They had four puppeteers, and they acted as well as performed with puppets. The set cut down, was climbed on, shifted, was a bedroom, hell, a burlesque, a church and a town square. There was a minotaur riding a tricycle, glowing red eyes, a 'golden calf' representing the father getting 'jiggy' with the bastard son in the town square, womanizing. It was fabulous and hilarious.
One of my favourite scenes was a pair of dogs (actors with dog heads) acting out dog courtship while Don Juan was watching. So funny and reflective. Also, they had three actors acting out the dancer Don Juan cheats on his wife with. One was boobs (wearing boobs on their head) one was legs (walking with a pair of legs on his arms) and one was a mask and arms, waving them about and holding them above boob-head and leg-man. It was soooo good!
I highly recommend this puppet show. Erotic and fun, light and yet meaningful.
It follows the sad story of historic womanizer Don Juan, as an old man being tormented by demons in hell. He has to wear some sort of spout encapsulating his penis, as punishment. He plays this up a lot, tapping it and waggling it to the audience's delight!
He starts with his birth, to a cold woman who was seduced by a horny bullfighter who then disappeared. He goes to become 'a man of the cloth' but falls in love. He then cheats on that love with a local showgirl, rationalizing it the entire time. He declares that the best thing is to love, and love many (rather than love one) and in the end, he shows that he cannot change, and the demons herd him back to hell.
The puppetry was astounding. They had four puppeteers, and they acted as well as performed with puppets. The set cut down, was climbed on, shifted, was a bedroom, hell, a burlesque, a church and a town square. There was a minotaur riding a tricycle, glowing red eyes, a 'golden calf' representing the father getting 'jiggy' with the bastard son in the town square, womanizing. It was fabulous and hilarious.
One of my favourite scenes was a pair of dogs (actors with dog heads) acting out dog courtship while Don Juan was watching. So funny and reflective. Also, they had three actors acting out the dancer Don Juan cheats on his wife with. One was boobs (wearing boobs on their head) one was legs (walking with a pair of legs on his arms) and one was a mask and arms, waving them about and holding them above boob-head and leg-man. It was soooo good!
I highly recommend this puppet show. Erotic and fun, light and yet meaningful.
Wednesday, March 24, 2010
Review: Cupcake from Urban Cakes
Yes, after maligning it for cost, I decided it was time to put my money where my mouth is. I swung by today and picked up a cupcake ($3.00) to eat and review.
The cupcake was pear-lime on vanilla buttercream icing, on a chocolate cupcake. The cupcake was physically gorgeous, two pieces of pear with a twist of lime zest. Unusual but delicious combo.
The cupcake itself was moist, and smelled a bit funny, like cocoa but with a bitter undertone. It tasted like cocoa but wasn't very sweet at all. It was kind of disappointing. The icicng on the other hand was delicious, sweet but not achingly so, and paired very nicely with the lime zest and canned pears. The chocolate cupcake left a funny aftertaste, but the icing and toppers were delicious.
Would I buy these again? Debatable. I sure wouldn't refuse a cupcake if offered, but the cupcake itself, devoid of icing, was definitely not thrilling.
The cupcake was pear-lime on vanilla buttercream icing, on a chocolate cupcake. The cupcake was physically gorgeous, two pieces of pear with a twist of lime zest. Unusual but delicious combo.
The cupcake itself was moist, and smelled a bit funny, like cocoa but with a bitter undertone. It tasted like cocoa but wasn't very sweet at all. It was kind of disappointing. The icicng on the other hand was delicious, sweet but not achingly so, and paired very nicely with the lime zest and canned pears. The chocolate cupcake left a funny aftertaste, but the icing and toppers were delicious.
Would I buy these again? Debatable. I sure wouldn't refuse a cupcake if offered, but the cupcake itself, devoid of icing, was definitely not thrilling.
Tuesday, March 23, 2010
Candy Review: Sorbee Chocolate Lovers Peppermint Patties
Yeah yeah, I know everyone's going to be freaking out about eating NSA--candies. But I'm here to tell you, it's not the 'shitstorm' everyone thinks they are going to be.
I bought Sorbee chocolate peppermint patties on a whim (50% off at Superstore) and decided once and for all, I am going to see how these things are. Using myself as a human guinea pig, as it were.
And? Well, the are wafer thin little chocolate and mint discs. Kind of like a York peppermint pattie that got sliced about 10 times thinner. The taste is not too bad actually, a little on the bloomed & stale side, but chocolately and minty. They don't melt very well in the mouth, so they are more of a chew than savour chocolate.
And side affects? None. I ate 6 of them with no issues whatsoever. The calorie content is 6= 180 calories, so they aren't really a low cal food, but not high cal either. Due to my terrible teeth and assorted fillings, I enjoyed knowing these chocolates weren't going to destroy them anew with it's appreciable lack of sugar.
At 50% off, they cost $1.24. Not bad, not great either. I will consider them in the future, when my teeth are giving me heck for my chocolate addiction.
I bought Sorbee chocolate peppermint patties on a whim (50% off at Superstore) and decided once and for all, I am going to see how these things are. Using myself as a human guinea pig, as it were.
And? Well, the are wafer thin little chocolate and mint discs. Kind of like a York peppermint pattie that got sliced about 10 times thinner. The taste is not too bad actually, a little on the bloomed & stale side, but chocolately and minty. They don't melt very well in the mouth, so they are more of a chew than savour chocolate.
And side affects? None. I ate 6 of them with no issues whatsoever. The calorie content is 6= 180 calories, so they aren't really a low cal food, but not high cal either. Due to my terrible teeth and assorted fillings, I enjoyed knowing these chocolates weren't going to destroy them anew with it's appreciable lack of sugar.
At 50% off, they cost $1.24. Not bad, not great either. I will consider them in the future, when my teeth are giving me heck for my chocolate addiction.
Monday, March 22, 2010
A Cleansing Fire
We took part in the annual 'Burning Away the Winter Blues' festival on Saturday, and man, all that pagan ritualism really gets the blood flowing! (metaphorically, not physically).
We gathered torches, flags, pennants and drums. We marched from the Paddlewheeler to Robert Service, sharing three well fortified thermoses of mulled wine, thanks to dear friend's apt foresight! It was actually quite chilly, even though this winter has been remarkably mild. My legs froze until we got to the fire.
The turnout was great, as usual! The effigy was this bizarre face with reaching hands, and it was quite spooky looking. I think I liked last year's effigy of the dragon a bit better, this one reminded me of fall strawmen set on fire in some witch-burning town festival.
The fire was crazy hot, I loved it until I swore I smelled something burning, like my jacket... And the next day my face felt kind of funny, like I burned it? We celebrated by writing down our 'blues' and putting them in Arlin's paper bag to burn. My blues felt rather mundane, and I'll be extra-daring and share a few:
Secret nemesii
Distance apart
Parental problems
Allergies
Bad marks on my master's papers
So, all in all, I hope those things get resolved or at least I can stop thinking about them!
We gathered torches, flags, pennants and drums. We marched from the Paddlewheeler to Robert Service, sharing three well fortified thermoses of mulled wine, thanks to dear friend's apt foresight! It was actually quite chilly, even though this winter has been remarkably mild. My legs froze until we got to the fire.
The turnout was great, as usual! The effigy was this bizarre face with reaching hands, and it was quite spooky looking. I think I liked last year's effigy of the dragon a bit better, this one reminded me of fall strawmen set on fire in some witch-burning town festival.
The fire was crazy hot, I loved it until I swore I smelled something burning, like my jacket... And the next day my face felt kind of funny, like I burned it? We celebrated by writing down our 'blues' and putting them in Arlin's paper bag to burn. My blues felt rather mundane, and I'll be extra-daring and share a few:
Secret nemesii
Distance apart
Parental problems
Allergies
Bad marks on my master's papers
So, all in all, I hope those things get resolved or at least I can stop thinking about them!
Friday, March 19, 2010
Allergic to Whitehorse?
Lately I've been suffering from a variety of allergy-related symptoms, and they are giving me a devil of a time.
I've scheduled a Dr's appt to get this figured out, but in the meantime I'm trying to sort out what exactly I am allergic to, and this is far more complicated than I initially imagined...
First I have a bizarre run-in with something at the Kebabery, enjoyed the food but didn't enjoy the crazy mouth itching that came with it... Then I had that same unpleasant reaction to a chicken wing coated in mild sauce at an art show. A muffin (delicious) from the Chocolate Claim also made my heart beat at what seemed to be an alarmingly fast rate, my face flushed and I felt dizzy and hot. ??? This reocurred again this Thursday with another muffin from the Chocolate Claim (history repeats itself) and I took a Reactine and got some fresh air right away, after I noticed my heart beating too rapidly. Still, what the devil is in these foods that I am allergic to??
These are all brand-new reactions and are happening suddenly and often. That in itself is quite startling, and has prompted me into action quicker than I normally move. I average one episode a week, and I still can't figure out what the triggering food item is. I am also a bit wary of green tea, as I think that may have triggered a reaction last week as well, but again...can't be too sure. Hmmm.
Maybe I am allergic to work? Stress? School?
I've scheduled a Dr's appt to get this figured out, but in the meantime I'm trying to sort out what exactly I am allergic to, and this is far more complicated than I initially imagined...
First I have a bizarre run-in with something at the Kebabery, enjoyed the food but didn't enjoy the crazy mouth itching that came with it... Then I had that same unpleasant reaction to a chicken wing coated in mild sauce at an art show. A muffin (delicious) from the Chocolate Claim also made my heart beat at what seemed to be an alarmingly fast rate, my face flushed and I felt dizzy and hot. ??? This reocurred again this Thursday with another muffin from the Chocolate Claim (history repeats itself) and I took a Reactine and got some fresh air right away, after I noticed my heart beating too rapidly. Still, what the devil is in these foods that I am allergic to??
These are all brand-new reactions and are happening suddenly and often. That in itself is quite startling, and has prompted me into action quicker than I normally move. I average one episode a week, and I still can't figure out what the triggering food item is. I am also a bit wary of green tea, as I think that may have triggered a reaction last week as well, but again...can't be too sure. Hmmm.
Maybe I am allergic to work? Stress? School?
Friday, March 12, 2010
Alice & Other Heroes??
I attended this show last night, expecting something entirely...different.
It was definitely avant-garde and edgy. So edgy that I felt like crawling out of my skin by the end of it. With music by The Longest Night Ensemble, the show was basically the full band playing onstage to film shorts. The shorts were book-ended by a whacked-out Alice in Wonderland story, so it went like, Alice, short, short, Alice, short short, Alice.
Let me tell you, the music was all very high-toned and on the thin side of register, so it was very eerie. The film shorts were nothing short of the creepiest interpretation of Alice in Wonderland that I have ever seen. I felt edgy and incredibly tense watching it. The sounds in the shorts are over-emphasized, so the taxidermied rabbit that dons a waist-coat and top hat 'screeeekkss' across the screen with every stiff artificial hop. He has creepy fake eyes and snaps his taxidermied teeth together at little Alice. Eugh.
Alice also gets chased by various animal skulls of every description wearing santa-type hats and eyeballs. Miniature coyote skulls pop out of chicken eggs as if hatching. It is all so insanely creepy that I just felt very unsettled the whole time.
It is bizarre and disturbing. There was also a short that echoed some very disturbing themes, like God=Dog that had a woman writhing in a bed, then clutching a doorframe frantically watching some bored looking huskies on a dog tie. I got some bad vibes off that short, that's for sure.
We came out of the theatre feeling like we were ready to jump out of our skin, and I told my friend, "I'm glad I was a little buzzed, and not high. My skin would be crawling if I was!" (Note: I do not smoke pot, and I was not driving that night. Hence the allowable buzz)
It was just... well. Eerie.
It was definitely avant-garde and edgy. So edgy that I felt like crawling out of my skin by the end of it. With music by The Longest Night Ensemble, the show was basically the full band playing onstage to film shorts. The shorts were book-ended by a whacked-out Alice in Wonderland story, so it went like, Alice, short, short, Alice, short short, Alice.
Let me tell you, the music was all very high-toned and on the thin side of register, so it was very eerie. The film shorts were nothing short of the creepiest interpretation of Alice in Wonderland that I have ever seen. I felt edgy and incredibly tense watching it. The sounds in the shorts are over-emphasized, so the taxidermied rabbit that dons a waist-coat and top hat 'screeeekkss' across the screen with every stiff artificial hop. He has creepy fake eyes and snaps his taxidermied teeth together at little Alice. Eugh.
Alice also gets chased by various animal skulls of every description wearing santa-type hats and eyeballs. Miniature coyote skulls pop out of chicken eggs as if hatching. It is all so insanely creepy that I just felt very unsettled the whole time.
It is bizarre and disturbing. There was also a short that echoed some very disturbing themes, like God=Dog that had a woman writhing in a bed, then clutching a doorframe frantically watching some bored looking huskies on a dog tie. I got some bad vibes off that short, that's for sure.
We came out of the theatre feeling like we were ready to jump out of our skin, and I told my friend, "I'm glad I was a little buzzed, and not high. My skin would be crawling if I was!" (Note: I do not smoke pot, and I was not driving that night. Hence the allowable buzz)
It was just... well. Eerie.
Wednesday, March 10, 2010
Review of Brand New's "Daisy"
My husband is a Brand New fan and introduced me to them when we were dating. I like them a fair bit and have an appreciation for their early stuff "I believe you but my Tommy gun don't" and "Me vs. Maradonna" are all really good genuine songs that I can get behind, as a fan.
Their newest album, "Daisy" is a marked depart. There remain elements of the original Brand New (low whispery sullen tones, bitter lyrics, strong vocal and instruments, crazy rising vocals) but it just seems...forced. For example, they could start the CD a bit off easier than having an interesting intro and then have it segue into a crazy scream, which almost made me drive off the road in the throes of a simultaneous deafness attack/heart attack. Jesus it was bad!
I was a bit soured for the rest of the CD, which has it's moments, but like the other great albums, just doesn't compare. At all. Interestingly, my husband who purchased the CD mentioned that I probably wouldn't like it, to which I went, "pfft what are you talking about, I like Brand New and their last album was really good." Yeah, he was right. I do not like this one at all.
I wouldn't recommend it to anyone, unless you like being shocked by insane screaming early on in a CD. Boo.
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