Last few days have been super busy and filled with good news overall.
My mom made it home today. Yay! I was thinking of going home this weekend, but my parents want a bit of time to settle into new routines, so I'll head home in a couple of weeks. Glad that she's home finally.
Yesterday, I got a "wardrobe makeover" at a cool clothing shop in Kensington Market. Basically, I got to bring in some item from home and try them with other items in the store to find new combinations. It was really fun: mainly two hours of trying on clothes with someone giving advice. I ended up buying two really cute dresses and a new pair of shoes. Will post pictures because they are amazing.
Tonight I got to spend a few hours with friends from university because my friend Gloria, who is living in Sweden, is in town. It was fun and I had lots of laughs.
This weekend I have very few plans. I plan on getting caught up on some stuff around the house, and watching Anchorman while knitting a scarf for a Halloween costume. And not waking up early nor being any place at any specific time.
Friday, October 25, 2013
Sunday, October 20, 2013
There is no blues that could sound quite as heartfelt as mine.
Don't worry from the title of this post... I'm not feeling emo these days. However, my favourite emo-ish band, Los Campesinos!, sent me an email with an early download of their new album NO BLUES because I'd pre-ordered the LP.
Unsurprisingly, I love the album. My favourite song so far is "As Lucerne/The Low" from which I lifted the title of this post, because even though it's grammatically questionable, I love singing it. I can't wait to get the *pink* record in the mail.
The last three days have been, hmmm, I guess a mixed bag would be the best way to describe it. Multicultural Day was great! It was a super-fun day and the kids loved it so much. It was a bit chaotic, but the fun overrode the chaos for sure. There was so much food, and spirit, and fun, and you could tell that student council was very proud that their hard work brought this to the student body. Well done to them!
I got to walk around in a Nigerian dress that one of the African students brought in. A few students commented that I looked like a princess in it, which was kind of cool. There was a matching headwrap with the dress, but I missed when the student's mom came in to do head-wrappings so I didn't get to wear it. Also, my Eritrean student brought in a lot of food and proudly served it to me and the student body. It was delicious.
After we cleaned up after the day, I headed out to Exhibition grounds to pick up my race kit for the Scotiabank Waterfront 5K race that I ran today. Then, I went downtown to meet up with my friend Elaine for dinner. Friday was such a nice day, although I beat by the end of it.
On Saturday, I had the memorial service for my colleague who passed away last month. It was really nicely put together, and needless to say it was quite emotional saying goodbye to someone who passed away at a rather young age. He was the first person to show me around my school when I was hired there about nine years ago, and was so kind and welcoming to me. All the students loved him.
Even though it was a sad occasion, it was quite nice to see former colleagues, some of which have retired or moved to other schools. In addition, a good number of former students turned out for the service. One of my former colleagues said it best when I said that it was really nice to see her, but the circumstances were unfortunate. She replied "he brought us together."
Saturday was rainy and yucky, so by the time I got home, I felt like doing absolutely nothing, other than getting some sushi and wine for dinner, and watching the baseball game with captions on as I listened to my new LC! album. I had to go to bed early, because I had an early wake up call.
This morning I had to be up at 5:30 am to run in my race. I'd done this same race in 2011, and that year, I think they had the 5K go later in the day which I preferred. Since it was so early on a Sunday morning, the subway wasn't running, so I was crammed onto a night bus to get downtown. From downtown, there were many shuttle buses that drove us out to the start of the race at the Exhibition grounds. The last shuttle bus ran at 7 am, and that's why I had to be up so early. It was chilly morning, perhaps about three degrees Celsius. I was pretty glad to get running at 8 am.
It was a really nice run, and I was very happy with my time. I shaved more than two minutes from my official personal best in a 5K race, which was this same race in 2011. This year, I clocked in at 31:29.9. I feel like with a bit more training, I could get under the 30 minute mark for 5K, but I really want to try a half marathon in the spring. I think I'll wait for the calendar to hit 2014, and then I'll sign up for the Toronto Half Marathon. I'm excited.
It was a bit warmer after the race, so I hung around Nathan Phillips Square (where the race ended) to pick up free food, warm up a bit, and take some pictures of a couple of Nuit Blanche projects that are still there. It was good that I was happy killing time, because I actually had to wait for doors of Osgoode station to open so that I could get home. The TTC's late subway opening on Sunday mornings is ridiculously antiquated.
The rest of the day I spent relaxing and getting some chores done. I also had an epic Skype conversation with Becca T. I miss her.
I took some cool pictures over the weekend too. I'm too lazy to transfer them here, but feel free to check out my instagram feed. Happy Monday!
Unsurprisingly, I love the album. My favourite song so far is "As Lucerne/The Low" from which I lifted the title of this post, because even though it's grammatically questionable, I love singing it. I can't wait to get the *pink* record in the mail.
The last three days have been, hmmm, I guess a mixed bag would be the best way to describe it. Multicultural Day was great! It was a super-fun day and the kids loved it so much. It was a bit chaotic, but the fun overrode the chaos for sure. There was so much food, and spirit, and fun, and you could tell that student council was very proud that their hard work brought this to the student body. Well done to them!
I got to walk around in a Nigerian dress that one of the African students brought in. A few students commented that I looked like a princess in it, which was kind of cool. There was a matching headwrap with the dress, but I missed when the student's mom came in to do head-wrappings so I didn't get to wear it. Also, my Eritrean student brought in a lot of food and proudly served it to me and the student body. It was delicious.
After we cleaned up after the day, I headed out to Exhibition grounds to pick up my race kit for the Scotiabank Waterfront 5K race that I ran today. Then, I went downtown to meet up with my friend Elaine for dinner. Friday was such a nice day, although I beat by the end of it.
On Saturday, I had the memorial service for my colleague who passed away last month. It was really nicely put together, and needless to say it was quite emotional saying goodbye to someone who passed away at a rather young age. He was the first person to show me around my school when I was hired there about nine years ago, and was so kind and welcoming to me. All the students loved him.
Even though it was a sad occasion, it was quite nice to see former colleagues, some of which have retired or moved to other schools. In addition, a good number of former students turned out for the service. One of my former colleagues said it best when I said that it was really nice to see her, but the circumstances were unfortunate. She replied "he brought us together."
Saturday was rainy and yucky, so by the time I got home, I felt like doing absolutely nothing, other than getting some sushi and wine for dinner, and watching the baseball game with captions on as I listened to my new LC! album. I had to go to bed early, because I had an early wake up call.
This morning I had to be up at 5:30 am to run in my race. I'd done this same race in 2011, and that year, I think they had the 5K go later in the day which I preferred. Since it was so early on a Sunday morning, the subway wasn't running, so I was crammed onto a night bus to get downtown. From downtown, there were many shuttle buses that drove us out to the start of the race at the Exhibition grounds. The last shuttle bus ran at 7 am, and that's why I had to be up so early. It was chilly morning, perhaps about three degrees Celsius. I was pretty glad to get running at 8 am.
It was a really nice run, and I was very happy with my time. I shaved more than two minutes from my official personal best in a 5K race, which was this same race in 2011. This year, I clocked in at 31:29.9. I feel like with a bit more training, I could get under the 30 minute mark for 5K, but I really want to try a half marathon in the spring. I think I'll wait for the calendar to hit 2014, and then I'll sign up for the Toronto Half Marathon. I'm excited.
It was a bit warmer after the race, so I hung around Nathan Phillips Square (where the race ended) to pick up free food, warm up a bit, and take some pictures of a couple of Nuit Blanche projects that are still there. It was good that I was happy killing time, because I actually had to wait for doors of Osgoode station to open so that I could get home. The TTC's late subway opening on Sunday mornings is ridiculously antiquated.
The rest of the day I spent relaxing and getting some chores done. I also had an epic Skype conversation with Becca T. I miss her.
I took some cool pictures over the weekend too. I'm too lazy to transfer them here, but feel free to check out my instagram feed. Happy Monday!
Thursday, October 17, 2013
Aww.
I feel like I've been consumed for the past two weeks with organizing my school's biennial Multicultural Day. This is my third time around in the organizer's chair, and it's kind of getting easier: the first time, I organized single-handedly, then my friend Fea co-organized the second time, and this time my buddy Nadine has jumped on board. It's made things go more smoothly, and we keeping trying to make the day bigger and better. In addition, our awesome student council team has been great in helping with organization. However, it's still a lot of work, and I'm decompressing after a 12-hour day at school.
We've sold about 550 tickets to the student body (which is about 720 in total). We've organized a showcase with different groups of student performers (the Filipino dance team is amazing), a parade of flags, and we've even hired a troupe of Chinese lion dancers to perform. After the showcase, students go up to the second floor of the school, where sixteen classrooms have been transformed into pavilions that are decorated and have food and activities to represent different countries/continents/cultures.
It's taken pretty much our entire staff to make this day happen. But all of the work is entirely worth it when you see all of the energy and student engagement that happens in the process.
One of my favourite moments happened last week when we were planning the African pavilion. We always have to group the entire continent together because we have a scattering of African students: a couple from Ethiopia, a few from Nigeria, one from Angola, etc, etc. As we were planning, I remembered an Eritrean boy that I'd taught last year. I told student council to buy a flag for Eritrea. I was certain that he'd carry it into the flag parade, and that he and his brothers would help us with the pavilion.
I tracked him down and asked if he wanted to participate. I think at first he didn't understand the details. His first response was "Miss, we don't have time to go the embassy to get a flag!"
"No, we already bought you a flag! You just will have to carry it."
He looked incredulous. "Where did you find an Eritrean flag?"
"One of the flag store on Spadina. They sell every flag there."
That's when his eyes lit up and he offered to bring in food and promised to be at the dress rehearsal.
Tonight we pulled together the African pavilion and his brother went all the way home in the rain and back to bring in pictures from home. It was really sweet.
Oh, and as an aside, the man at the flag store knows me well. This year our Multicultural Rep on student council (a new position we created for years with multicultural days) went to the flag store. "$8 a flag!" I told her. "That's how much we always pay."
She returned telling me that the man at the flag store remembers me well, and said that I'm tough and drive a hard bargain. I love that I have a rep in Toronto's flag district.
Here's hoping that they day goes super well!
We've sold about 550 tickets to the student body (which is about 720 in total). We've organized a showcase with different groups of student performers (the Filipino dance team is amazing), a parade of flags, and we've even hired a troupe of Chinese lion dancers to perform. After the showcase, students go up to the second floor of the school, where sixteen classrooms have been transformed into pavilions that are decorated and have food and activities to represent different countries/continents/cultures.
It's taken pretty much our entire staff to make this day happen. But all of the work is entirely worth it when you see all of the energy and student engagement that happens in the process.
One of my favourite moments happened last week when we were planning the African pavilion. We always have to group the entire continent together because we have a scattering of African students: a couple from Ethiopia, a few from Nigeria, one from Angola, etc, etc. As we were planning, I remembered an Eritrean boy that I'd taught last year. I told student council to buy a flag for Eritrea. I was certain that he'd carry it into the flag parade, and that he and his brothers would help us with the pavilion.
I tracked him down and asked if he wanted to participate. I think at first he didn't understand the details. His first response was "Miss, we don't have time to go the embassy to get a flag!"
"No, we already bought you a flag! You just will have to carry it."
He looked incredulous. "Where did you find an Eritrean flag?"
"One of the flag store on Spadina. They sell every flag there."
That's when his eyes lit up and he offered to bring in food and promised to be at the dress rehearsal.
Tonight we pulled together the African pavilion and his brother went all the way home in the rain and back to bring in pictures from home. It was really sweet.
Oh, and as an aside, the man at the flag store knows me well. This year our Multicultural Rep on student council (a new position we created for years with multicultural days) went to the flag store. "$8 a flag!" I told her. "That's how much we always pay."
She returned telling me that the man at the flag store remembers me well, and said that I'm tough and drive a hard bargain. I love that I have a rep in Toronto's flag district.
Here's hoping that they day goes super well!
Wednesday, October 16, 2013
I'm kind of older than I was when I revelled without a care.
I must admit it. The album that is most relevant to my life is by a 16-year old.
Lorde. Pure Heroine. Pure audio heroin. It's awesome.
"I’m kind of over getting told to throw my hands up in the air
So there
I’m kinda older than I was when I revelled without a care
So there"
How is a 16-year old singing this? I'm 33 and this is my life.
My goal tonight is to be in bed by 10 pm.
I horrified student council when I told them I love this album. "But Miss! Lorde is 16! Did you know that? I don't have her whole album though."
Me: "Get it. We will discuss it at our next meeting."
I love horrifying teenagers. Yet I listen to them.
Oh well.
Lorde. Pure Heroine. Pure audio heroin. It's awesome.
"I’m kind of over getting told to throw my hands up in the air
So there
I’m kinda older than I was when I revelled without a care
So there"
How is a 16-year old singing this? I'm 33 and this is my life.
My goal tonight is to be in bed by 10 pm.
I horrified student council when I told them I love this album. "But Miss! Lorde is 16! Did you know that? I don't have her whole album though."
Me: "Get it. We will discuss it at our next meeting."
I love horrifying teenagers. Yet I listen to them.
Oh well.
Monday, October 14, 2013
Tell Miss Lucy better pray for rain.
The best part of the PD day on Friday was when my former colleague/still great friend texted me because Hawksley Workman is playing in the small town that she moved to. I will drive there at the end of November and we will go to the show and it will be awesome. I love things to look forward to, especially when they are roadtrips to visit friends and see shows.
My long weekend started off with post-PD day beers with my work spouse, followed by a delicious nap. Then I met up with my friend Karen for Korean food before we headed off to the Polish Combatants Hall for a concert. I bet if my Polish Grandpa was still alive and lived in Toronto he could be a member of that place! I had my first-ever Polish beer there too, so it was pretty fun.
Casey Mecija, formerly of the band Ohbijou, was the opener and was amazing. I forgot how much I loved her lovely voice. Her set included some Ohbijou songs, some great new material, and this Nathan Lawr cover which I adore.
Karen invited me to the show, and I was unfamiliar with Basia Bulat, but Karen is a kindred spirit in indie music, so I trusted that I'd love the show. And I did. So much that I had to borrow $20 from Karen to buy Basia's new LP "Tall Tall Shadow" which I've been listening to all weekend. Anyway, since I was going to Stratford this weekend, and Karen wanted more mint smoothies from Rheo Thompson in Stratford (these are pretty much the best chocolates ever), I am paying her back in chocolate. Which are now sitting in my house but I will not eat them.
Saturday morning I hopped the train to Stratford and got to visit my mom. She's doing pretty well and just doing lots of physiotherapy at the hospital. She thinks she should be home sometime next week. Yay!
My time in Stratford consisted of lots of knitting, watching baseball with my dad, and going on a couple of runs. It was pretty relaxing and low key and I needed it.
My dad and I decided just to out for Thanksgiving dinner, as opposed to cooking for two, and after reviewing options, my dad selected Boston Pizza. No turkey there, but I'll have turkey at Christmas, I'm sure. At the restaurant my dad made me laugh because he was able to use his sweet old man charm to get a free beer. He'd drank 7/8ths of his beer and noticed a fruit fly in it. He decided to tell the waitress, and pretended like he wasn't aiming for a free beer, but of course he got one. It was rather hilarious and he hatched a bizarre plan: "people should just bring in fruit flies in Petri dishes in their pockets into restaurants and drink for free all night."
This morning I got to the train station with a large coffee (should have gotten extra large in retrospect) and it turned out that my train was running more than an hour late. Oh good. More sitting time. But then, it turned out that the train was facing mechanical difficulties so they ordered buses for us instead. I was lucky enough to get on the express bus to Toronto (as opposed to the one that would make stops) and arrived in the city twenty minutes early!
After I arrived I had brunch and then saw Gravity in IMAX 3D. It's an excellent film, and really does warrant IMAX 3D.
And I've spent the rest of the day napping and wasting time at home with Miss Rilo. Wish I could have more long weekend.
My long weekend started off with post-PD day beers with my work spouse, followed by a delicious nap. Then I met up with my friend Karen for Korean food before we headed off to the Polish Combatants Hall for a concert. I bet if my Polish Grandpa was still alive and lived in Toronto he could be a member of that place! I had my first-ever Polish beer there too, so it was pretty fun.
Casey Mecija, formerly of the band Ohbijou, was the opener and was amazing. I forgot how much I loved her lovely voice. Her set included some Ohbijou songs, some great new material, and this Nathan Lawr cover which I adore.
Karen invited me to the show, and I was unfamiliar with Basia Bulat, but Karen is a kindred spirit in indie music, so I trusted that I'd love the show. And I did. So much that I had to borrow $20 from Karen to buy Basia's new LP "Tall Tall Shadow" which I've been listening to all weekend. Anyway, since I was going to Stratford this weekend, and Karen wanted more mint smoothies from Rheo Thompson in Stratford (these are pretty much the best chocolates ever), I am paying her back in chocolate. Which are now sitting in my house but I will not eat them.
Saturday morning I hopped the train to Stratford and got to visit my mom. She's doing pretty well and just doing lots of physiotherapy at the hospital. She thinks she should be home sometime next week. Yay!
My time in Stratford consisted of lots of knitting, watching baseball with my dad, and going on a couple of runs. It was pretty relaxing and low key and I needed it.
My dad and I decided just to out for Thanksgiving dinner, as opposed to cooking for two, and after reviewing options, my dad selected Boston Pizza. No turkey there, but I'll have turkey at Christmas, I'm sure. At the restaurant my dad made me laugh because he was able to use his sweet old man charm to get a free beer. He'd drank 7/8ths of his beer and noticed a fruit fly in it. He decided to tell the waitress, and pretended like he wasn't aiming for a free beer, but of course he got one. It was rather hilarious and he hatched a bizarre plan: "people should just bring in fruit flies in Petri dishes in their pockets into restaurants and drink for free all night."
This morning I got to the train station with a large coffee (should have gotten extra large in retrospect) and it turned out that my train was running more than an hour late. Oh good. More sitting time. But then, it turned out that the train was facing mechanical difficulties so they ordered buses for us instead. I was lucky enough to get on the express bus to Toronto (as opposed to the one that would make stops) and arrived in the city twenty minutes early!
After I arrived I had brunch and then saw Gravity in IMAX 3D. It's an excellent film, and really does warrant IMAX 3D.
And I've spent the rest of the day napping and wasting time at home with Miss Rilo. Wish I could have more long weekend.
Thursday, October 10, 2013
Thankful.
Oh man, the long weekend is almost here, and not a moment too soon. Also, tomorrow is a PD day, so that makes the weekend feel a little bit extra long. I still do have to go to work tomorrow, and PD days aren't as they are on the Simpsons; we teachers will most certainly not be riding roller coasters while drinking beer. However, it's nice to have a day where I don't have to plan for anything, nor prepare any lessons, nor expend the amount of energy required to teach.
It is Thanksgiving weekend, and although my life is far from perfect these days, I've been really happy as of late, and I'm thankful for a lot.
1) My school community. I love my students and colleagues, especially those who are my close friends. I've been super busy the past couple of weeks planning our school's biennial Multicultural Day, which is next Friday. It's a lot of work, but it really raises spirit and promises to be lots of fun. I'm excited. It's brought so many people together; so many students are staying after school practicing performances, decorating classrooms, etc. The energy around this event is amazing.
2) My parents. So, my mom is still in the hospital recovering from her hip surgery. My dad tells me that she's getting stronger every day, and I'm really looking forward to spending time with her this weekend. Because my mom's in the hospital, I've been talking to my dad way more than I usually do, which is rather nice. Today he told me about how Alice Munro won the Nobel Prize for Literature, and he said "I'm really happy for her!" and he truly did sound happy for her, and for whatever reason, it really warmed my heart. It's always weird about how really random moments in life can do this.
Also, he told about how he's attending my mom's daily physical therapy sessions so that he can learn how to better care for her. This almost brought me to tears; there's something incredibly moving about when one person in a couple has to dedicate so much effort to caring for the other because of illness. It's love in its truest form, and it's incredibly moving, especially when it's in your family.
3) My health. I have so much energy these days and I feel so strong. I am so glad that I've worked so hard on myself this year. Well done me. I'm also thankful that I have the time and resources to do this.
There's much much more that I am thankful for, but these are the three particular things that I'm most thankful for this Thanksgiving.
I hope that all of my Canadian readers have a great Thanksgiving, and hey, those of you who aren't Canadian should use it as an excuse to be thankful, eat turkey, and have some pumpkin pie (or pumpkin something). :D
It is Thanksgiving weekend, and although my life is far from perfect these days, I've been really happy as of late, and I'm thankful for a lot.
1) My school community. I love my students and colleagues, especially those who are my close friends. I've been super busy the past couple of weeks planning our school's biennial Multicultural Day, which is next Friday. It's a lot of work, but it really raises spirit and promises to be lots of fun. I'm excited. It's brought so many people together; so many students are staying after school practicing performances, decorating classrooms, etc. The energy around this event is amazing.
2) My parents. So, my mom is still in the hospital recovering from her hip surgery. My dad tells me that she's getting stronger every day, and I'm really looking forward to spending time with her this weekend. Because my mom's in the hospital, I've been talking to my dad way more than I usually do, which is rather nice. Today he told me about how Alice Munro won the Nobel Prize for Literature, and he said "I'm really happy for her!" and he truly did sound happy for her, and for whatever reason, it really warmed my heart. It's always weird about how really random moments in life can do this.
Also, he told about how he's attending my mom's daily physical therapy sessions so that he can learn how to better care for her. This almost brought me to tears; there's something incredibly moving about when one person in a couple has to dedicate so much effort to caring for the other because of illness. It's love in its truest form, and it's incredibly moving, especially when it's in your family.
3) My health. I have so much energy these days and I feel so strong. I am so glad that I've worked so hard on myself this year. Well done me. I'm also thankful that I have the time and resources to do this.
There's much much more that I am thankful for, but these are the three particular things that I'm most thankful for this Thanksgiving.
I hope that all of my Canadian readers have a great Thanksgiving, and hey, those of you who aren't Canadian should use it as an excuse to be thankful, eat turkey, and have some pumpkin pie (or pumpkin something). :D
Tuesday, October 08, 2013
Choosing a name for a stranger.
So, I'm on my third personal trainer. My last one, who was pretty hardcore, decided to move back to Saudi Arabia, and I just found out last week. I liked him overall, but sometimes it's kind of cool experiencing a new style, so I'm okay with the change over.
Anyway, so I thought that my first proper workout with my new new trainer was this evening. I thought it was a 7 pm, but it turned out he'd written 8 pm in his book, and 7 pm on note for me. The confusion was okay, 'cuz I could use the time to go to Starbucks and read a book. No big hardship.
As I was in Starbucks, a woman politely interrupted me from reading to ask my opinion on something. Oh boy, I thought, I do enjoy being asked my opinion. She was Korean, and decided she wanted an English name to put on her resume*. She was torn between Sophia and Michelle. My first impulse was to go with Sophia, and we had a good twenty minute discussion about the names, how they sounded with her last name, and the pros and cons of each.
I think I may have been accidentally using my teacher voice while chatting with her, 'cuz some dude came over to ask us to "lower our sound by a decibel". Seriously, I don't think it was that loud... Perhaps I was sitting in an echo-y part. But honestly, since when is Starbucks an effing library! Gah. One should be able to have an animated conversation.
Oh well, it was still fun helping someone choose a name. :)
Oh, and the first workout was pretty good. I'm kind of sore. It's been a couple weeks since I did any strength training due to being out of town, then trainer turnover. I feel pretty great.
*It's actually kind of unfortunate that people in this day in age feel like they need to change their names on their resumes to get a job. It's 2013, and Canada is supposed to be a multicultural country!
Anyway, so I thought that my first proper workout with my new new trainer was this evening. I thought it was a 7 pm, but it turned out he'd written 8 pm in his book, and 7 pm on note for me. The confusion was okay, 'cuz I could use the time to go to Starbucks and read a book. No big hardship.
As I was in Starbucks, a woman politely interrupted me from reading to ask my opinion on something. Oh boy, I thought, I do enjoy being asked my opinion. She was Korean, and decided she wanted an English name to put on her resume*. She was torn between Sophia and Michelle. My first impulse was to go with Sophia, and we had a good twenty minute discussion about the names, how they sounded with her last name, and the pros and cons of each.
I think I may have been accidentally using my teacher voice while chatting with her, 'cuz some dude came over to ask us to "lower our sound by a decibel". Seriously, I don't think it was that loud... Perhaps I was sitting in an echo-y part. But honestly, since when is Starbucks an effing library! Gah. One should be able to have an animated conversation.
Oh well, it was still fun helping someone choose a name. :)
Oh, and the first workout was pretty good. I'm kind of sore. It's been a couple weeks since I did any strength training due to being out of town, then trainer turnover. I feel pretty great.
*It's actually kind of unfortunate that people in this day in age feel like they need to change their names on their resumes to get a job. It's 2013, and Canada is supposed to be a multicultural country!
Monday, October 07, 2013
Let's go down to the tennis court and talk it up like yah.
Have you ever had one of those weekends that goes by in a blur because it was so busy, but at the same time, seems like it was about two weeks long because you fit in so many things?
On Friday night, I headed over to a pub after school with some colleagues for some drinks, and then came home and had a great nap. At about 11 pm I headed out to pick up my good buddy AlieMalie from Union station. She's living in Missouri these days, but was in Detroit for a week for work, so took the VIA train from Windsor to Toronto for the weekend!
Her train was about an hour late. I like to joke that VIA stands for Very Inconsistent Arrival, and it consistently lives up to its inconsistency. She arrived an hour late, and I took her to a Golden Griddle (I know, I know) for late night noms and they we stayed up past 3 am catching up.
We started our epic Saturday in Toronto by taking the ferry out to Toronto Island since who doesn't love a boat ride, and it offers great views of the skyline. While waiting for the ferry, we hammed it up by taking goofy pictures with paintings at the terminal. I'm just posting this 'cuz I love the outfit I pulled together for the day: my new aubergine Hunters, black leggings, my gray cat-reading-a-book sweater, skull scarf, and black vest. I LOVE FALL FASHION. (And yes, I had to yell that.)
Here's a panorama shot I took from the island:
We walked from Centre Island to Ward's Island, and then took the ferry back and headed over to Kensington Market to get grilled cheese sandwiches from The Grilled Cheese, which always live up to the hype that I give them. We wandered around Kensington, and headed to the Eaton Centre for some shopping. As usual, I ended up splurging. I got new legging jeans from the Gap (30% coupon) and a new *plum* raincoat from Lululemon. It was on sale. :)
We returned to my place to chill for a bit, and then went to my local pub for beer and food before starting out for an epic Nuit Blanche night. We started at the light installations at the Bata Shoe Museum at about 10 pm and kept going until about 3:30 am. We met up with one of the Alans from work, and had a great Nuit Blanche. I tend to do Nuit Blanche every second year, and this one turned out to be my favourite ever, probably because of the company and the fact most of the projects were simply illuminated, and weren't video installations. (When I went in 2011 it seemed like 2/3 projects were video installations.)
Lights at the Bata Shoe Museum:
This is a shot from "A Quack Cure", which was like a stationary float with lots of trees covered in lights and performers dressed up as extinct animals. I like this shot I got of a dodo and an extinct frog (?) having a moment in conversation.
Here's the line up for "Shrine" which was a gothic cathedral made from garbage bins. Below is the inside of the cathedral which let light in an absolutely breath-taking manner. Awesome.
"Tanks, 2013" was by Roy Thompson Hall, and looked really pretty in the night.
This is Burrman, a performance artist covered in burrs. He eats organic dark chocolate BTW. We saw his handlers pass him a square through his mouth hole.
Here are a couple views of my favourite project: Ai Wei Wei's "Forever Bicycles, 2013" that was installed in front of City Hall (and will be there for the rest of the month... I def want to pass by in the light). It's fashioned from 3000+ bicycles by the Chinese bicycled maker Forever. The bottom picture was taken when it started to rain at about 3 a.m. and the crowds started to thin out.
The last project we sought out was "Plastic Bags, 2013" which is a giant sculpture made from plastic bags. It definitely spoke to my environmentalist sensibilities.
We made it back to my apartment by 4:30 am thanks to the subway running all night for the event. Next year, I think I'll tag along with my friend Alan for Nuit Blanche since he's pretty hardcore. (He started before us and kept going after we left.) I'd like to see if I can survive it from dusk to dawn, or at the very least, enjoy it from 3 am to 7 am when the crowds thin out.
We went to a French restaurant in my neighbourhood for brunch on Sunday morning, and then I drove AlieMalie to the airport in a Zipcar: the Mini Cooper that lives next door to me! What a great visit!
Today was kind of funny, because I felt that some of the themes from the weekend replayed themselves. I took my environmental science class on a field study, and I wore my Hunters again, and they came in very handy since it was a wet day. As did my new raincoat. Also, I kept getting covered in burrs, and that made me think of Burrman.
Anyway, it was a pretty epic weekend. Three more days until a long weekend! Friday is a PD day, so I'll be at work, but slower pace than usual so thankful for that.
Tuesday, October 01, 2013
Up in thin air we lie in wait.
Things I like these days:
1) The song "Arrows of Desire" from the album of the same name by Matthew Good.
2) New midnight blue nails (with sparkle).
3) My bright yellow scarf paired with my denim jacket.
4) My new aubergine Hunters. Let it rain.
5) Looking forward to my friend AlieMalie's (super brief) visit to Toronto just in time for Nuit Blanche.
6) I plowed through the book "The Silent Wife" by A.S.A. Harrison in less than twenty-four hours. It was a dark psychological thriller about a crumbling marriage. Kind of like "Gone Girl". I recommend it if you're looking for a good page-turner. I really like dark books about effed-up marriages.
7) I really love stripes. Today I'm wearing my striped dress. I wore a striped shirt yesterday. I have to stop myself from buying striped item after striped item.
8) I love getting vinyl in the mail. Today my red 45 single from Stars arrived (Wishful/The Light). This month, the new Matthew Good LP will arrive, and *hopefully* the new PINK Los Campesinos! LP will also arrive. I love mail.
9) I also love that it's October. It's my favourite month.
10) I love running in fall weather. I went for an after-school run yesterday with a friend to Trinity Bellwoods Park. It was really nice.
1) The song "Arrows of Desire" from the album of the same name by Matthew Good.
2) New midnight blue nails (with sparkle).
3) My bright yellow scarf paired with my denim jacket.
4) My new aubergine Hunters. Let it rain.
5) Looking forward to my friend AlieMalie's (super brief) visit to Toronto just in time for Nuit Blanche.
6) I plowed through the book "The Silent Wife" by A.S.A. Harrison in less than twenty-four hours. It was a dark psychological thriller about a crumbling marriage. Kind of like "Gone Girl". I recommend it if you're looking for a good page-turner. I really like dark books about effed-up marriages.
7) I really love stripes. Today I'm wearing my striped dress. I wore a striped shirt yesterday. I have to stop myself from buying striped item after striped item.
8) I love getting vinyl in the mail. Today my red 45 single from Stars arrived (Wishful/The Light). This month, the new Matthew Good LP will arrive, and *hopefully* the new PINK Los Campesinos! LP will also arrive. I love mail.
9) I also love that it's October. It's my favourite month.
10) I love running in fall weather. I went for an after-school run yesterday with a friend to Trinity Bellwoods Park. It was really nice.
Monday, September 30, 2013
Today I got the news about a former colleague's passing. It was someone who taught at my school at the beginning of my career there, yet whom I always have spoken highly of long since they left my school, and who I truly enjoyed having as a colleague. I felt really sad when I heard of it this morning, and it was tough to get through the day pretending everything was okay.
I realize it's amazing the number of people whose lives will intersect with mine throughout my career. I feel like I've been so lucky to work with so many amazing people, even if it is only for a few weeks, months, or years. I guess it's important to let everyone know how much they mean to you, because you never know when or if you'll get that chance again.
I realize it's amazing the number of people whose lives will intersect with mine throughout my career. I feel like I've been so lucky to work with so many amazing people, even if it is only for a few weeks, months, or years. I guess it's important to let everyone know how much they mean to you, because you never know when or if you'll get that chance again.
Tuesday, September 24, 2013
I'll reveal myself invincible soon.
This.
And this.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/kate-bartolotta/happiness-tips_b_3956114.html
That's it for now. My bag is packed and I'm off to camp tomorrow. See ya on the flipside.
And this.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/kate-bartolotta/happiness-tips_b_3956114.html
That's it for now. My bag is packed and I'm off to camp tomorrow. See ya on the flipside.
Sunday, September 22, 2013
I think that ghosts like the cooler weather.
Happy autumnal equinox everyone! Now I can listen to this song on heavy rotation:
I had a really nice weekend as I suspected. Drinks, brunch, and the Junction Music Festival all happened. I had to stand out in the rain to see my pal Nigel's band play, but a rain jacket and umbrella made it OK. I'm in the market to splurge on a pair of Hunter rainboots because I've been coveting them for years now, and I wish I'd done it already because my feet got soaked in my Chucks.
This morning brought the end of an era somewhat for me. For a year now, I've been going to meetings with my Kenya group once a month on a Sunday morning and today was the very last. It was very bittersweet. It was great seeing everyone again, and it was nice to celebrate such an amazing experience, but it's weird to think that that part of my life is over, and that we won't meet again for awhile (unless we plan a reunion... which I'm sure we will). Endings in life are weird things in that they are often quiet in practice, but have a big impact on your heart.
Speaking of Kenya, I cannot believe the news from there. I went to an upscale mall in Nairobi on our last day in Kenya, but not that one that the shooting happened at, although I was in the same area of the city. When awful things like this happen in the world, I always feel horrible and confused at how hateful and violent humans can be, but it's especially disheartening when it happens to a place that I just visited about a month ago. Travel definitely connects us to other places in the world, and you end up wanting the best for those places, and when senseless tragedy strikes, it's pretty dark.
Anyway, that was my weekend. Next week will be busy. I'm heading off to supervise my school's students leaders at a camp from Wednesday to Friday, so it's kind of like a vacation from work, but I'll still be working. But really, supervising a bunch of nice kids isn't much work.
I had a really nice weekend as I suspected. Drinks, brunch, and the Junction Music Festival all happened. I had to stand out in the rain to see my pal Nigel's band play, but a rain jacket and umbrella made it OK. I'm in the market to splurge on a pair of Hunter rainboots because I've been coveting them for years now, and I wish I'd done it already because my feet got soaked in my Chucks.
This morning brought the end of an era somewhat for me. For a year now, I've been going to meetings with my Kenya group once a month on a Sunday morning and today was the very last. It was very bittersweet. It was great seeing everyone again, and it was nice to celebrate such an amazing experience, but it's weird to think that that part of my life is over, and that we won't meet again for awhile (unless we plan a reunion... which I'm sure we will). Endings in life are weird things in that they are often quiet in practice, but have a big impact on your heart.
Speaking of Kenya, I cannot believe the news from there. I went to an upscale mall in Nairobi on our last day in Kenya, but not that one that the shooting happened at, although I was in the same area of the city. When awful things like this happen in the world, I always feel horrible and confused at how hateful and violent humans can be, but it's especially disheartening when it happens to a place that I just visited about a month ago. Travel definitely connects us to other places in the world, and you end up wanting the best for those places, and when senseless tragedy strikes, it's pretty dark.
Anyway, that was my weekend. Next week will be busy. I'm heading off to supervise my school's students leaders at a camp from Wednesday to Friday, so it's kind of like a vacation from work, but I'll still be working. But really, supervising a bunch of nice kids isn't much work.
Thursday, September 19, 2013
Shut us like a portmanteau.
List of autumn-y things that I'm digging right now.
1) The ULTIMATE Pumpkin Chai recipe from David's Tea. I love this tea when steeped normally with a bit of milk and stevia. However, making it traditionally on the stove with one part milk, one part water is amazing and it smells so good.
2) The new Los Campesinos! song. Songs about death are great for the autumn.
3) I got some clothing that I ordered online in the mail today! I've spend many hours browsing the cute clothing on ModCloth.com, but have never bought anything because I am always apprehensive about buying clothing without trying it on, especially things like dresses. But then, I saw this really cute sweatshirt that sums up two of my biggest loves in one comfy looking shirt and I decided to take the plunge. I'm going to spend hours curled up on my sofa reading while wearing this sucker.
I decided to try a dress since I'd might as well get the most out of the shipping I was going to pay. I got the Coach Tour Dress in violet, and it fits really well! I'm super happy with my first ModCloth purchases!
1) The ULTIMATE Pumpkin Chai recipe from David's Tea. I love this tea when steeped normally with a bit of milk and stevia. However, making it traditionally on the stove with one part milk, one part water is amazing and it smells so good.
2) The new Los Campesinos! song. Songs about death are great for the autumn.
I decided to try a dress since I'd might as well get the most out of the shipping I was going to pay. I got the Coach Tour Dress in violet, and it fits really well! I'm super happy with my first ModCloth purchases!
4) Speaking of reading, I've got a pile of spooky fall-type books to get through. I've been slogging through Kelley Armstrong's "Omens" because it was highly advertised on the subway and looked interesting. I'm not loving it but will get through it. Next I have "The Silent Wife" by A.S.A. Harrison to read. It's advertised as being for people going through "Gone Girl" withdrawal, and since I loved that book, I picked up "The Silent Wife". After that, I have the new Neil Gaiman.
5) My weekend plans look like fun. Drinks on West Queen West, and then the Junction Music Fest to see a friend's band play. That will be followed by more drinks.
5) My weekend plans look like fun. Drinks on West Queen West, and then the Junction Music Fest to see a friend's band play. That will be followed by more drinks.
Yay autumn!
Tuesday, September 17, 2013
Blurry Nights
I wish there were more hours in the evening. Once I'm done with work, and then the gym, and then making dinner/lunch for next day/getting my shit together for next day, the evening slips away so quickly as I drink tea and catch up on other stuff. I want more evening hours for reading and watching Netflix and sourcing out new music stuff.
More evening hours please! This school week is going well so far. My classes are good, and I have so much on the go the days fly by. I wish I could clone myself because I often need to be in several places at once, like today at lunch when I had a meeting and I had to set up for a lab.
One of my favourite songs of 2013, hands down, is "Blurry Nights" by my perennial crush, Hayden. He just released a video for it last week (I think), and it's nice eye candy, for sure. That man ages well.
The new Matt Good album is streaming in full over at CBC Music. Loving it so far. I hope I can find it on vinyl next Tuesday.
I had a really great run last night. I love cool fall weather for running. I signed up for the Scotiabank Waterfront 5K race on October 20th. I'm thinking it will be a great race for me to break my old personal best. :)
All for now. Weekend is shaping up to be fun. More on that later.
p.s. Thanks to everyone for well wishes etc when it comes to my mom. It's much appreciated. I can't wait 'til she's home though.
More evening hours please! This school week is going well so far. My classes are good, and I have so much on the go the days fly by. I wish I could clone myself because I often need to be in several places at once, like today at lunch when I had a meeting and I had to set up for a lab.
One of my favourite songs of 2013, hands down, is "Blurry Nights" by my perennial crush, Hayden. He just released a video for it last week (I think), and it's nice eye candy, for sure. That man ages well.
The new Matt Good album is streaming in full over at CBC Music. Loving it so far. I hope I can find it on vinyl next Tuesday.
I had a really great run last night. I love cool fall weather for running. I signed up for the Scotiabank Waterfront 5K race on October 20th. I'm thinking it will be a great race for me to break my old personal best. :)
All for now. Weekend is shaping up to be fun. More on that later.
p.s. Thanks to everyone for well wishes etc when it comes to my mom. It's much appreciated. I can't wait 'til she's home though.
Sunday, September 15, 2013
Had a good trip home. My mom had her surgery on Friday and is in good spirits after it. I'm not sure how long she'll be in the hospital undergoing rehabilitation, but she's comfortable and out of pain so that's great. I was able to help my dad out around the house, do some grocery shopping and run errands so that was good. He usually does all those things himself, but he doesn't do as well without my mom around.
Other than hospital visits and driving around town, I didn't do much this weekend. I was able to combine exercise with some socializing though. My Toronto friend Karen was in town for the Dragonboat festival. I ran to the river to watch her race and say hi, then ran back home. I also went to a yoga class this morning too. I feel good that I took care of myself as well this weekend.
Now I sit waiting for the accursed always-delayed 9 pm train. Taking this thing always makes for a rough Monday. The other train is at 8:30 am, so that's why I am always stuck with my nemesis. Yes, I've decided that my nemesis is a train.
Happy Monday!
Wednesday, September 11, 2013
Yesterday evening I was sitting at my dining room table, marking quizzes, drinking tea, and listening to vinyl in the background. I was in a great mood because I'd had a good workout that evening, and had come home and spent time cleaning my kitchen, and preparing food so I'd have healthy lunches for the week.
As I sat at the table, working, I thought that, hey, this may not be glamourous but it's a pretty awesome life. I'm drinking tea out of a mug from one of the many places to which I've traveled. Yes, I'm doing work, but it's pretty awesome that I make a good wage for doing something that's valuable and not back-breaking. I'm listening to music. I have a pleasant cat friend to keep me company. Life is good.
I took a break to phone my parents. I'd phoned them earlier in the day to see what was up, and they hadn't answered, which had worried me because they are always home at the time. Perhaps one of them had knocked the phone off the hook and hadn't noticed. Anyway, after waiting a while and attempting again, my dad picked up. My first thought was that this was not a good sign and I was right.
My mother had fallen earlier in the day and was in a lot of pain after the fall. She went to the hospital and it turns out that she'd broken her hip. She was in the hospital awaiting a visit from a specialist and would have to have surgery. That's pretty much all my dad could tell me. No idea of what recovery would be like, how long she'd be in there, etc. Not much info.
I spent the rest of the night feeling really down, and worried, and fearing the worst. I felt helpless and completely frustrated that there was nothing I could do to control the situation or figure things out or anything. I wanted to talk to my mom so badly to hear how she was doing, but my parents are technological dinosaurs without cell phones, hence there was no way to reach her. I hate knowing that she's in the hospital, and she hates hospitals, and is in an immense amount of pain right now. I'm pretty sure that being a worrywart is a trait that has been passed down from her side of the family, and I'm sure she's worrying about the outcome of this injury too.
I had a hard time getting to sleep. I thought back at how just a couple of hours ago, I was feeling so great, and then, BLAM, total turnaround. At one point, I wondered why life would tease me like that, but I guess it's better to get bad news when you're OK as opposed to when you're miserable about something. At about 1 am, I decided to take something to help me sleep. This morning I went to school, and pretended like nothing had happened. When I talk about things, I get emotional, and I didn't want to break down, so it was easier to stay composed and pretend that nothing happened.
During my prep period, my friend who also went to Kenya came to visit me in my office. I had messaged him the night before because I knew that I'd be going home this weekend, and could not make our second last Kenya meeting on Sunday morning. He and I were supposed to provide snacks for the meeting, so I'd messaged him the night before to let him know that he'd be in charge of snacks, and I'd throw in some money.
Last night, he'd been working on figuring out how to make mandazi, which is a Kenyan fried dough treat which we'd had there, for snack. He had a trial batch and wanted to me try one. All I can say is that that was definitely the best part of my day. Eating something that reminded me of a place and time so dear to me, as I was sifting through life's next challenge.
The rest of the day was tolerable. Work takes my mind off of things. I got to talk to my dad and my aunt (better with details) tonight and found out more. My mom's still waiting for surgery, and I'm going to head down there on Friday to see her. I could go earlier, but they feel that there is no point in that, there's not a lot I could do, and there are my responsibilities here.
Oddly enough, I felt a little bit better this evening. I appreciated small things, like how my fluffy shower mat feels on my feet, and how good my shower gel smells. I made an amazing cup of pumkin chai tea, using the traditional way where you simmer milk, water, sugar, and tea on the stove. My friend Mathew called me and we had a great long phone conversation. I booked my ticket home using my VIA Preference points, so the trip is free.
I know the next while is going to be tough, but I'll handle it somehow.
As I sat at the table, working, I thought that, hey, this may not be glamourous but it's a pretty awesome life. I'm drinking tea out of a mug from one of the many places to which I've traveled. Yes, I'm doing work, but it's pretty awesome that I make a good wage for doing something that's valuable and not back-breaking. I'm listening to music. I have a pleasant cat friend to keep me company. Life is good.
I took a break to phone my parents. I'd phoned them earlier in the day to see what was up, and they hadn't answered, which had worried me because they are always home at the time. Perhaps one of them had knocked the phone off the hook and hadn't noticed. Anyway, after waiting a while and attempting again, my dad picked up. My first thought was that this was not a good sign and I was right.
My mother had fallen earlier in the day and was in a lot of pain after the fall. She went to the hospital and it turns out that she'd broken her hip. She was in the hospital awaiting a visit from a specialist and would have to have surgery. That's pretty much all my dad could tell me. No idea of what recovery would be like, how long she'd be in there, etc. Not much info.
I spent the rest of the night feeling really down, and worried, and fearing the worst. I felt helpless and completely frustrated that there was nothing I could do to control the situation or figure things out or anything. I wanted to talk to my mom so badly to hear how she was doing, but my parents are technological dinosaurs without cell phones, hence there was no way to reach her. I hate knowing that she's in the hospital, and she hates hospitals, and is in an immense amount of pain right now. I'm pretty sure that being a worrywart is a trait that has been passed down from her side of the family, and I'm sure she's worrying about the outcome of this injury too.
I had a hard time getting to sleep. I thought back at how just a couple of hours ago, I was feeling so great, and then, BLAM, total turnaround. At one point, I wondered why life would tease me like that, but I guess it's better to get bad news when you're OK as opposed to when you're miserable about something. At about 1 am, I decided to take something to help me sleep. This morning I went to school, and pretended like nothing had happened. When I talk about things, I get emotional, and I didn't want to break down, so it was easier to stay composed and pretend that nothing happened.
During my prep period, my friend who also went to Kenya came to visit me in my office. I had messaged him the night before because I knew that I'd be going home this weekend, and could not make our second last Kenya meeting on Sunday morning. He and I were supposed to provide snacks for the meeting, so I'd messaged him the night before to let him know that he'd be in charge of snacks, and I'd throw in some money.
Last night, he'd been working on figuring out how to make mandazi, which is a Kenyan fried dough treat which we'd had there, for snack. He had a trial batch and wanted to me try one. All I can say is that that was definitely the best part of my day. Eating something that reminded me of a place and time so dear to me, as I was sifting through life's next challenge.
The rest of the day was tolerable. Work takes my mind off of things. I got to talk to my dad and my aunt (better with details) tonight and found out more. My mom's still waiting for surgery, and I'm going to head down there on Friday to see her. I could go earlier, but they feel that there is no point in that, there's not a lot I could do, and there are my responsibilities here.
Oddly enough, I felt a little bit better this evening. I appreciated small things, like how my fluffy shower mat feels on my feet, and how good my shower gel smells. I made an amazing cup of pumkin chai tea, using the traditional way where you simmer milk, water, sugar, and tea on the stove. My friend Mathew called me and we had a great long phone conversation. I booked my ticket home using my VIA Preference points, so the trip is free.
I know the next while is going to be tough, but I'll handle it somehow.
Sunday, September 08, 2013
I read my stars last night, they told me I might end up in your hands.
It was a good first weekend of the school year. On Friday night, after a killer workout mind you, I met up with some friends to wish arrivederci to a friend who is headed to Italy to teach for a semester. It was great to catch up, eat pizza, drink wine, and eat the biggest slice of tiramisu I ever did see.
I spent about half of Saturday hiding inside from the rain, but then headed out for more gym, and a bunch of errand-running. It was one of those weekend days that's vital to make your week okay: you know, getting all of the laundry, housework, and paperwork that's necessary to get through the next week.
Today I had good sleep-in, and then headed to the AGO for the Ai Weiwei exhibit. The AGO always has some great stuff going on. This exhibit was illuminating and had some really large pieces of sculpture that I wonder how they managed to ship to here from China. Anyway, it was definitely a must-see.
The Toronto International Film Festival is in full swing, and I've managed to avoid it thus far. I've gone plenty of times in other years, but I didn't go last year, and this year looks like a no-go too. One of my pals from work is a heavy-TIFF goer, so maybe I'll see if I can get a ticket to one of the movies he's got on his agenda.
That was the weekend, now onto the week!
I spent about half of Saturday hiding inside from the rain, but then headed out for more gym, and a bunch of errand-running. It was one of those weekend days that's vital to make your week okay: you know, getting all of the laundry, housework, and paperwork that's necessary to get through the next week.
Today I had good sleep-in, and then headed to the AGO for the Ai Weiwei exhibit. The AGO always has some great stuff going on. This exhibit was illuminating and had some really large pieces of sculpture that I wonder how they managed to ship to here from China. Anyway, it was definitely a must-see.
The Toronto International Film Festival is in full swing, and I've managed to avoid it thus far. I've gone plenty of times in other years, but I didn't go last year, and this year looks like a no-go too. One of my pals from work is a heavy-TIFF goer, so maybe I'll see if I can get a ticket to one of the movies he's got on his agenda.
That was the weekend, now onto the week!
Friday, September 06, 2013
Don't you worry kid, we'll be seeing you.
I had quite the commute to work this morning. There was a delay at Chester station, so I couldn't change trains at Bloor station to get to work. Instead, I had to go all the way around the loop, and switch to a westbound train at St. George station. What this means is that I had an extra twenty minutes to sit, play Candy Crush Saga (how did I get addicted to that game?), listen to the new Neko Case album, and drink my coffee. Glad I made my coffee stop before I got on the train.
Anyway, of course, by the time I got to St. George, the delay was cleared and trains were running regularly again. I made it to work on time, thankfully, but it wasn't even that stressful because this semester my prep period is first thing, so mornings are less hectic.
Of course, being that it's the first Friday of the school year, I'm not struggling with a million things to do yet. My classes are actually prepped for the next week, so I'm just chilling a bit.
And listening to the amazing new Neko Case album. It's so good it makes me want to cry. I love that woman. I hope she comes back to Toronto soon.
I wish I had more coffee. Hmmm, this is something I could take care of right now.
Next Friday I'm sure I'll be scrambling yet again. I should enjoy these quiet moments.
Tuesday, September 03, 2013
Fall Music
I loved that today, being the first day of school, also felt like the first day of fall. Who wants to wear their summer clothes when they spent their last weekend of summer picking up a few new pieces for fall? Not me, and I was happy to wear a new dress today. The best was that since it was rather cool, I could wear a new(ish) jean jacket on the way to/from school.
Anyway, I'm also getting super excited for music that's being released this fall and I'm glad that the weather is co-operating.
Of course, today was the big release of Neko Case's new, and VERY EXCELLENT album "The Worse It Gets, The Harder I Fight, The Harder I Fight, The More I Love You" and I picked up the deluxe edition on vinyl today and I'm listening to it now on my little record player and loving it. It's such an amazing album. This is my favourite song.
One of my musical guilty pleasures is emo pop-punk sounding music. I have always had a huge crush on the lead singer of the band Dashboard Confessional, and I was happy to stumble across his new side project, Twin Forks, who is coming out with a new EP on Sept. 17th. This song is adorable.
On Sept 24th, Matthew Good is coming out with a new album that I'm looking forward to.
And, lastly, my beloved Los Campesinos! are coming out with a new album soon. They posted this trailer, and I've already pre-ordered the (pink!) LP.
Yay fall!
Anyway, I'm also getting super excited for music that's being released this fall and I'm glad that the weather is co-operating.
Of course, today was the big release of Neko Case's new, and VERY EXCELLENT album "The Worse It Gets, The Harder I Fight, The Harder I Fight, The More I Love You" and I picked up the deluxe edition on vinyl today and I'm listening to it now on my little record player and loving it. It's such an amazing album. This is my favourite song.
One of my musical guilty pleasures is emo pop-punk sounding music. I have always had a huge crush on the lead singer of the band Dashboard Confessional, and I was happy to stumble across his new side project, Twin Forks, who is coming out with a new EP on Sept. 17th. This song is adorable.
On Sept 24th, Matthew Good is coming out with a new album that I'm looking forward to.
And, lastly, my beloved Los Campesinos! are coming out with a new album soon. They posted this trailer, and I've already pre-ordered the (pink!) LP.
Yay fall!
Monday, September 02, 2013
And it's over.
I always hate this night. Yes, yes, I know, I just had two months off, so I should quit complaining and griping. But, it's always nerve-wracking going back. I know that I'm not going to get a good night's sleep tonight, even though I've been doing this for ten years. Gah. Also, what time do I have to leave the house? I always forget.
The last weekend of summer was pretty sweet. I hung out with my pals Mathew & Luke on Friday night and we watched Dateline and made fun of Keith Morrison. This is a hobby of mine and Mathew's, and Luke just joined in because he lives across the street from Mathew. Keith Morrison is so creepy and Bill Hader's SNL impersonation is spot-on (sad that Hader is gone from SNL this year).
On Saturday, I ran the Color Me Rad 5K race at Downsview Park. It was really fun. You wear a white Tshirt, and then as you run 5K you get pelted with colour bombs of dyed cornstarch and sprayed with liquid colour. It's pretty fun. I ran it with a friend who did a beginner's running clinic at the Running Room, and a couple of friends she met at the clinic. At the end of the race, I found out that her friends were the instructors, and I was able to keep up with them, so woo-hoo to me! I have no idea of my time for the race because it wasn't timed. Oh well.
On Sunday, I went to check out Stars play at Nathan Phillips Square. It was just a one-hour show in the evening in the rain. It was great.
Today I did some back-to-school fashion shopping at the mall and then read a bit. I've got my lunch made and now I'm going to go pack my gym bag. It's crazy that I'm back to the grind tomorrow.
Seriously, last September feels just like yesterday. How does time go by so quickly?
The last weekend of summer was pretty sweet. I hung out with my pals Mathew & Luke on Friday night and we watched Dateline and made fun of Keith Morrison. This is a hobby of mine and Mathew's, and Luke just joined in because he lives across the street from Mathew. Keith Morrison is so creepy and Bill Hader's SNL impersonation is spot-on (sad that Hader is gone from SNL this year).
On Saturday, I ran the Color Me Rad 5K race at Downsview Park. It was really fun. You wear a white Tshirt, and then as you run 5K you get pelted with colour bombs of dyed cornstarch and sprayed with liquid colour. It's pretty fun. I ran it with a friend who did a beginner's running clinic at the Running Room, and a couple of friends she met at the clinic. At the end of the race, I found out that her friends were the instructors, and I was able to keep up with them, so woo-hoo to me! I have no idea of my time for the race because it wasn't timed. Oh well.
On Sunday, I went to check out Stars play at Nathan Phillips Square. It was just a one-hour show in the evening in the rain. It was great.
Today I did some back-to-school fashion shopping at the mall and then read a bit. I've got my lunch made and now I'm going to go pack my gym bag. It's crazy that I'm back to the grind tomorrow.
Seriously, last September feels just like yesterday. How does time go by so quickly?
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