Mom's visit

Back at the coffee shop. I suppose this will go on for several more days or weeks until D and I sort out how we're going to live in the internet world.

Today is glorious and sunny. Did we ever need it after all the torrential rain and flooding etc etc. Okay we weren't flooded, but others were and it's just another mess after a series of messes that the weather has created this past winter. Today gives me hope and it is an indication of what is to come with the summer. It's very uplifting.

So my mom was here for a week. We had a great time. He flight was delayed because of the bad weather "back east" (everyone refers to central Canada and east of as "back east" and I can't help but find it funny. It's as funny as those in the east calling our location "out west" -- I'm sure I've mentioned this before so I'll move on). Anywho...she made it and we had a good week. We went to Nanaimo to see P. and even though I was fighting the flu I had a good time. We mostly ate food with P. He's such an awesome cook. He made vegan BAGELS! Yes, vegan bagels and they were Montreal style bagels with sesame seed and they were chewy and delicious. I took my Tofutti cream cheese and I was in heaven. He gave us some to take home as well. I still have one left that I put in the freezer because I'm waiting for that perfect Sunday when I have lots of time and can sit and enjoy every bite with my morning coffee.

We went to see the "From Totems to Turquoise" exhibit at the Vancouver Museum. It was an incredible exhibit of past and contemporary jewelry from the Southwest First Nations and the Northwest First Nations artists. It was engaging and very educational. The jewelry was stunning and inspiring. I'm glad I went. I can't wait to get to the Museum of Anthropology. Everyone speaks so highly of it.


The week flew by and despite the rainy weather we went for walks and enjoyed ourselves. Mom didn't seem to mind the rain at all. We had a great walk along the inlet. It was beautiful.

And on that note. I'm going to get out in that sunshine before it's gone.

Just hi

So much to write and so little time. I just stopped into that dreaded coffee shop for a tea and some free internet. I should make the trip to the Cornerstone, but hey this is just down the hill.

I just stopped in to say hi and let you know that I haven't disappeared nor did I go to fluville, but I'll return tomorrow with something more interesting.

Safe Arrival

No, not the shoes. I didn't get them that quickly. My mom is visiting and she arrived after a bit of journey from Mtl via Toronto through some nasty weather, but she's here and already sound asleep.

We're going to visit P. tomorrow and take some garden seeds and spend the day with him.

I'll have to post a picture of the picture he and his daughter B. gave us for a housewarming gift. She's a very talented photographer and I loved her work the minute I saw it. She's a bit of a natural.

more later...

They're on their way!

The shoes are in the mail! D. has been watching ebay for my running shoe. He missed out on a couple because the bids were getting beyond pricey, but then...last night he went to the cornerstone cafe while I was at work and bid on a pair of shoes and won. So we're getting them for less than half price (D. said he has to count the price of the soy latte he ordered so that makes it exactly half price). They're coming from another province so we won't have to pay duty on them either. They're also the colour of my Kayanos that I wore for my first half marathon so it's fitting that I should have them for my first marathon.
Can't wait to start breaking them in.

Knit one run two. Repeat this pattern until end.

I've been thinking about yarn a lot lately. I just can't help myself. There are so many beautiful strands out there that I never need to think about wool again. My recent success with the cardigan has inspired me. Also my sis mentioned that a friend of hers was looking for wool alternatives and was amazed at the bamboo silk, soy silk, organic cottons and hemp yarns (like the ones pictured here) that are a pleasure to knit with.

Outside of that my free-thinking time is taken up with running and running related topics. I'm searching for last years model of shoes again and D and I are hopeful to find my shoe at a discount. After all "my shoe" has gone up another 10 dollars this year bringing it to $210 before taxes. Um...yeah...not possible especially clocking the kilometers I am these days.


Now I'm trying to figure out a way to hydrate on the long runs so that I don't have to carry that stupid RR belt I bought. The water bottle sticks up into my spine and if I put it on my hip, it bumps my arm. There's got to be a better way. I was so lucky in the big city with my High Park to Lakeshore route where there was enough water fountains to get me through the toughest run. I've been spoiled.

So combining two of my passions, I'm crocheting a running hat in hemp which is warm and breathable as far as fibers go and I can custom make it to suit my needs. I should have it done once it's warm enough to run without a hat. Oh well, there's next season and it'll be here before I know it.

The Good, the Bad and the Ugly

Conversely, I do miss the uniqueness of our neighbourhood. For all of its problems, I miss the corner lot house we lived in. As you may or may not have heard I have boasted many times about our garden. I became a gardner in that yard. My sister, D. and I spent many hours working that garden, shaping it and re-shaping it until it developed into something we were quite proud of. We had a balance of perennials, trees, rocks and veggies that provided food and pleasure from spring to winter. I only wish I had more time to develop a pleasing winter garden as well, but i've only just learned about that.

One of the most flattering moments was when our neighbour's eldest child, whose bedroom window faced the alley and our garden and who was always fairly quiet and shy whenever we met, told me that she loved our garden and had always admired it. It didn't even occur to me that she was aware of it. Of course if my bedroom window looked down into a garden, I would spend much time looking at it too. So I'm glad we gave her a nice view for the years we were there.

At one point we talked about buying the house from my sister with those neighbours who wanted it as a rental property. Joe and I talked about how the other apartment could go to another artist and we'd have a little film community going between these two houses. Dreaming, we also talked about making that section of the alley pedestrian only and expanding our gardens out over the concrete. Robin wanted more rose bushes of course. She loves roses. We had a few cocktail parties with them either on our patio or up on my sister's deck which had a fabulous view and yet it felt so secluded up there.

Another neighbour had this great dog that I saw grow up from a puppy. He was the happiest dog and I think that reflected the attitude of our neighbour who was always friendly when we met. We often only met while going to and from, but occasionally we'd talk over the fence while one of us was picking raspberries or something. He always dressed up at Halloween as we did as well and we all sat out front and gave candy out to the kids who were completely unphased by our appearances for the most part. There was one year that my sister (remember she's an actor) was so frigtening as a vampire and our house was so scary looking because we had this gnarly vine all over the front (that later we took down) that the younger kids wouldn't come up the walkway. We'd have to shut off the music from the Shining and turn up the lights, putting on smiley faces to get the wee ones to meet us half way for candy. The next year my sister dressed up as a cowgirl so there were no problems with kids approaching that year. D. has this very real looking Frankenstein mask and does a great impression. The kids loved him. They weren't frightened at all. One girl waved to him as she walked away from the house and said "Bye Frankie." They had no idea that I was Bride of Frankenstein (too obscure at that age I guess).

That's only part of the fun.

I couldn't believe my luck. When I woke up this morning it wasn't raining! The forecast had promised a very wet weekend. I was all geared up last night, mentally prepared to wake up Sunday morning and go out for my run in the rain, telling myself that it's the tough runs that will get me through the finish line on race day. I was actually looking forward to being positive about running in the rain. Then I woke up and no rain. Huh? There was even some blue sky patches. So I got ready as quickly as possible just in case the clouds got darker. The rain can move in so quickly here, you have to take advantage of the good weather when you can.

My run started out okay. It wasn't even that chilly. I felt overdressed so I peeled off a layer. It was my first long run with a water bottle on my hip -- the first time ever and it was a pain. I fought with that stupid water bottle belt for the first half (or 40 minutes) of my run. It was really slowing me down and frustrating me because I wasn't thinking about running or the beautiful morning, but rather this stupid water bottle I had to carry. I enjoyed the benefits of having the water on hand and even a spot to put my carb snacks, but overall it ruined my run.

When I headed towards the inlet and ran along the water near the end of my run, the sun came out and it was really quite warm out. The water was perfectly still and the mountains rose up behind. It was very picturesque. At that point I just tried to enjoy my run on the off road trail through what I think is a really lovely part of BC. I also thought about how much I like living where we are. We could have ended up in a condo or some crappy apartment building out this way, but we didn't. We have a great little garden suite.


* * *

We went to Chinatown the other day just to get some rice paper and I was so glad to come home at the end of the day and be away from the city noise. I like visiting the city, but I prefer to live outside of it. I think that's how I really envision whoville. It's a bit quieter. Maybe it's my age and my need to write. I like having a quiet room to write in. Granted I can always find distractions anywhere, but at least I'm not calling the cops in the middle of the day like I use to when the teenagers got out of hand and were gathering in the alley next to our house.

Here are the things I miss about our old city home that we moved away from just four months ago:

There were the gummos across the street. We called them gummos because of the movie Gummo. Anyway, they were always making a racket, having 24/7 garage sales with stolen goods. They stole the wooden fence from the school to put up around their "garage sale." There was a lot of coming and going of suspicious looking characters in that time. They moved or were evicted or something.

The young mum with her teen boys moved in. That was when our Italian flag was stolen during the world cup.

I heard gun shots one night and the police came the next day to look through our yard to see if a weapon had been dumped there and ask us if we'd seen anything. There were at least two other shooting related deaths within a block of our house in the 7 years we lived there.

Then there was the "saw man" who was a carpenter and decided that he needed a workshop on his front lawn across the street from us. This went on while I was trying to write my second thesis so that was fun.

One of the tenants next door had a lot of kids. The young boys use to hang off our fence and watch us while we tried to sit peacefully in the backyard. They always wanted to talk to us and we just wanted some quiet.

After they moved out another family moved in. The father was nice enough, but he cooked these huge chunks of meat on this miniature barbecue and the smoke would force us indoors and we'd have to shut the windows just to keep the smells of cooking flesh out of the house. Yuck. It really did smoke up more than any barbecue I've ever seen.

Another neighbour across the street we called "toenails" because my sister saw him walking on his heels one time and realized he'd had a pedicure. He must have been up at 4 every morning and on garbage day he often would bring his garbage and leave it with ours. He didn't like to have garbage in front of his house. My sister caught him one time and told him if it happened again she'd empty the bag all over the street. One morning we even watched from our windows to try and catch him in the act. We didn't. He did stop for a while, but occasionally we'd still find bags in front of our place.

Someone drove into our fence and took part of it out. D., sis and I replaced the boards, and re-painted the whole fence only to have it graffitied not long after.

Somone also came through the alley and pruned branches off our mulberry tree. I suspect they didn't like how low the branches hung down and grazed the roof of their vehicle. That was our intention. We wanted to slow people down in the alley so we let the branches hang a little more.

The neighbour on the other side chopped off the tops of the lilacs to let more light in on his veggie garden. He never asked. I assumed this is why he did it. He also use to spray his lawn with some chemical so ugh that wasn't good.

There are lots of other stories and incidents that occurred, but I can't get it all in. I'll just save them for another time. I'll try and include stories about our good neighbours too. Fortunately we did have several great neighbours who were always nice to see and gave us a sense of some community in our small space.

Familia

Another film festival night. We saw Familia directed by Louise Archambault. Not a big crowd for a Saturday night, but it was a 9:30 show and I expect it may have been a bit late for some people. No, I'm not kidding.

The story revolves around Michele and her daughter Margot. Michele is a gambling addict who leaves her boyfriend and is then penniless and homeless. While hoping to start a new life in California with a friend who is her daughter's godmother, she starts by imposing on Janine, another friend (and family member by former marriage) whom she hasn't seen in over a year. Janine lives outside of Montreal in a upper middle class home. She buys Michele's sob story and agrees to let Michele and Margot stay the night. However, Michele becomes the guest that won't leave and she manoeuvres her way into Janine's life. This seems to be the only way Michele knows how to survive. Both women suffer and benefit from this arrangement. All of their lives are affected dramatically.

While the title suggests a larger theme about family, the film really focuses on mothers and daughters of different classes. We see three generations of two families and how those two families are intertwined through marriage even after divorce. The film does try to suggest almost every kind of familial combination and dysfunction. While a same sex marriage is not overtly depicted in the film, there is the suggestion of a same sex coupling between Michele and Janine. Michele and her daughter, Margot, are staying with Janine and her daughter, Gaby, (albeit somewhat unwelcome). There is an impromptu small family gathering where Michele and Janine suggest that they are the parented couple in this family because the "father figures" are absent and it really is a household trying to function while these two women work out their friendship/relationship to each other. In essence though the film is about single mothers.

The men in the film are quite pathetic really. I'm not sure if this is a problem with the film or an important point in the film. I'll have to give it more thought. The women in the film are no saints that's for sure, but they do drive the action of the story and as I said it is really their stories that are being told. Each one of them is being "screwed over" literally and figuratively by a man or boy. However once again the film isn't about this and the men are merely obstacles for the women. The film directs our attention to the inner conflicts of each of the women and how that shapes their inter-personal conflicts with each other. The mother/daughter bond forces these women to attempt to find resolution with each other.

By the end of the film we suppose Michele and Margot will have become closer while Janine and Gaby may be further apart than ever. However, the film doesn't suggest it will always be this way, but rather reveals that such a relationship is an on-going process that will always be re-negotiated as new problems arise and get resolved (or not).

What I did not like about the film was the repetition of anonymous faces flashing on the screen at the end. It seemed intrusive of the filmmaker breaking the narrative cohesion in a unproductive way. It added nothing to the film, but rather took away from the strong narrative ending. While D. did not care for the final image of the foetus that was a repetition of the opening image, I did like the final sequence, but not the music that went over it. Again, it took away from the cohesion of the narrative.

Familia is a film worth seeing. Here again is another Canadian film I recommend. Too bad we worry so much about Americans coming here to keep the industry alive instead of pushing harder to build our own stronger national cinema. We have the resources and talent why don't we have a thriving national cinema?

Eve and the Firehorse

Thursday night D and I bought two memberships to the local film society. This gives us access to weekly films at the theatre for a discounted price (although I didn't see a non-member price listed) and perhaps we get the occasional newsletter or something if we ask for it. It's all very exciting. I've been missing the luxury of being able to walk to my local theatre and see independently made films, or go to a place like camera and see some classic horror films as julia and I did occasionally. In this small corner of whoville, the accessibility to such films seemed unlikely because apparently if it isn't playing at Silvercity, it's not worth seeing.
Anywho...

When I saw the poster for a film festival here in whoville I thought, "wow, this is a great chance to see something a little more interesting and in a film festival friendly crowd." Eve and the Firehorse was playing and I have wanted to see this film ever since I heard the filmmaker interviewed on CBC. I heard the filmmaker mention that Lea Pool was on set and I swooned at that (if you haven't seen Emporte-moi you should).

D. and I walked down to the theatre at the town centre and managed to get tickets. It was good to see a full house for the film. The ticket seller said there was free popcorn freshly popped, but we'd have to hurry because we couldn't take it into the theatre. Someone piped in "there's a short before the film so you could stay out a little longer." Uh...I'd like to see the short. Isn't that the point of a film festival, to see the films? Also, in these brief encounters I tend not to get into "no thanks I can't eat the popcorn because I'm vegan" because it opens the can and I just can't get into having to explain what a vegan is etc etc.

Because we were late we ended up in row 1. A nice elderly couple in row 2 directed us to two seats available. We thanked them and took our row #2 seats and settled in. Then it started. I'm not going to be nice here. I'm usually quite forgiving, but naw, I can't be bothered. This geezer behind us starts yakking through the trailers in his normal "outside" voice. "Oh I saw this. It's really good. Just my kind of thing." This was his comments to a cop drama. D. and I are laughing to ourselves at this point because it's funny. It's the trailers. Everybody talks in trailers. Then there's a trailer for the film 3 Needles, which is three narratives set on different continents with subject matter such as AIDS in Africa, and a youth in Montreal in the porn industry. Geezer is silent because he's probably startled at the images. At the end of the trailer he says "I don't think that's my thing. It doesn't look very good." Then the short film starts.
Geezer: Is this the main movie?
Companion (slightly younger): I don't know (pause). I think so. Oh yes, it is.
Geezer: Okay then.

The short film is about a young Chinese boy reluctantly visiting his grandfather on his birthday. In the climactic moment of the film when a photo drops of the grandfather's wife who has long since passed, there's a silent moment in the film.
Geezer: (loudly) Is that his wife?
Companion: Yes it is.
When the film ends.
Companion: Oh I guess that's not the movie.
Geezer: Is it next?

The production house logos start going.

Geezer: I don't like all of that stuff they put before the movie.
Companion: Oh the advertising. Yes, there is an awful lot of it now.
Geezer: Ads everywhere. It's ridiculous.

His voice cuts into the opening shot of the film. He calms down as the film begins to roll. There's a brief moment when the picture jumps. It lasts two, maybe three seconds.

Geezer: They don't know what they're doing up there. (He's referring to the projectionist -- I think).

The film continues. For the most part he's quiet. I think because he has to concentrate on reading the subtitles.

Thank god it was subtitled.



About a young Chinese girl struggling with faith and tradition, Eve and the Firehorse moves along quite well. The death of her grandmother and her mother's miscarriage sends Eve's world into confusion as she blames herself for her grandmother's death and does not understand why the efforts she makes does not help her mother in her pregnancy. While her father is in China to return the dead grandmother to her homeland, Eve's older sister takes an interest in Catholicism while her mother becomes a practicing Buddhist. Eve is led along by the stories in both religions but feels no affinity with one or the other. She exists in the film with one foot in Catholicism and one foot in Buddhism, but for Eve none of it is very serious as she imagines goddesses dancing in the night and even Jesus and Buddha dancing together in the living room while she laughs and then is invited to dance with them. While her main concern is trying to be good, underneath Eve is really trying to cover her grief for the loss of her grandmother.

There are some beautiful moments in the film that are simple, understated and very cinematic. Following Eve through her childhood world, knowing she is different from everyone else is what really keeps one interested in the story. The scenes when we watch Eve say nothing to what is going on around her reminds us of how confusing and alienating the adult world can be to a child. Eve's voice narrates the film which acts to also remind us that we are witnessing the world from her point of view. While Eve shows no overt signs of distress in her confusion, it is her dreams, imaginings and wild story telling that reveals how Eve is trying to negotiate the world around her. It is also those scenes that are the strongest in the film.

I recommend this film not only because there are some wonderful and creative scenes in this film, but also because I encourage everyone to see Canadian film whenever they can.

Don't go by Geezer's reading of the film because in the last shot of the film before the credits rolled, Geezer said "Is that the ending?" Yes it was and it was the right ending.

Supreemavera

This was going to be a picture of the Freya pattern I've knitted but a friend always seems to turn up on my lap, keeping me in one place and slowing down my typing at the same time. I took several pictures of Primavera, but this one caught her off guard and I managed to get one of us with her looking at the "camera". I am wearing the sweater I knit not that it really matters in this picture.

Virgos

I have to put this in. Following a link from Wandering Coyote, I found this quiz. Having a very special virgo in my life and a parent and brother who are virgos I wanted to see if I had been influenced by any of them at all.

You are 67% Virgo

How Virgo Are You?

Solar Powered

The soleil broke through. I waited out the morning drizzle and just as I had hoped, the sky lightened. By the time I laced up my running shoes, the sun was shining through the windows. I couldn't wait to get outside.

At the beginning of my run, just half way down the hill from my house, I saw a coyote standing in one lane of the roadway. Traffic was approaching so the coyote turned around and trotted back to the sidewalk. S/he saw me coming down the hill and hugged closer to the bushes, sniffing about, but s/he was definitely waiting to cross the road. I crossed to the other sidewalk. I thought it would be better to pass the coyote with at least two lanes between us. As I ran past, there it stood waiting for the traffic to go by so it could cross. The coyote seemed to barely take notice of me, perhaps too focused on its mission. I got a good look at it with its one ear bent over like Wile E. Coyote. It was quite scruffy looking like it had just gotten up and was heading to Fivebucks for the morning coffee. It just seemed confused. I suppose traffic is confusing. All of us have to learn the rules of crossing the road. Anywho...after I ran past I stopped and watched to make sure s/he had a safe crossing and s/he did. Down the hill s/he went.

The run went well. The sun kept me very positive and charged. I really enjoy running along the inlet with the beautiful view of the mountains beyond the water. It was completely spring-like today. It didn't take me long before I had to peel off a layer and then continue on in my short sleeves. I even saw crocuses in the neighbour's garden, little yellow and purple ones sticking out of the mulch (Sis, when did it become about the cedar mulch?). I have to keep reminding myself that it is spring here. No more snowfalls or frost on the sidewalks in the morning.

I know 10 k is completely doable for me, but I still can't get over the fact that it still takes all my energy just to do 10 right now, and I'm gearing up for 42! The race is in June! Huh? One run at a time, right? I just have to try and stay hydrated, well fed with good vegan foods, and injury free.

I just noticed that Van City (I know all you Van cityites hate that term but I like it) has a perfectly timed race so that I can do my 21k "training run" on that Sunday in the half marathon race. This is motivation for me and afterall, the joy of racing is what it is all about for me. I'm not sure if the route that typically goes through Stanley Park will be re-routed or not. There's no indication yet that that will be the case. I'll have to wait and see.

I think I have to get outside again and take in a little more sun. Perhaps I'll see Wile E. again. S/he was probably just as eager to be in the sun like the rest of us, having also waited out the morning drizzle before venturing out.

Chidren of Men

A dark dystopian film, the Children of Men stunned me. I loved the book when I read it several years ago as part of my thesis research. I was very eager to see the film since the book left such a strong impression upon me. The film has had the same effect, but as I said it is very dark. Of course PD James' book also depicts a chaotic world, but the film really brings it to the forefront by taking us directly into the middle of the battle quite literally.

Set in Britain in 2027, the Children of Men depicts a world where no children have been born in almost twenty years. As the world mourns the death of the youngest living person on earth, Theo (Clive Owen) gets caught up in the political struggles between government (depicted as a police state with a totalitarian approach to immigration -- immigrants being anyone who is not British since the rest of the world is in complete ruins) and a "terrorist group".

When Theo discovers that Kee, the woman he is helping, is actually pregnant, the stakes are raised and so begins his journey to help her reach the "human project" a supposed safe haven for those who risk getting to them. No one has actually spoken to anyone from the human project since they do not communicate with the rest of the world directly. Theo and Kee must rely on "faith and chance" to complete their journey. And this is what the film is really about.

I won't tell you how it ends, but I will tell you to see it. It is a hopeful ending without wrapping things up too neatly. It's a powerful film. It is very violent and yet has very touching moments within such chaos. I couldn't help but think of places in the world where such violence exists and while people suffer and die they also survive and somehow find hope.

I recommend the film and/or the book. Both were well worth my time.

D. phoned me from work this morning.

D: I saw two coyotes across from our house.
Me: What?
D: I saw one crossing the road and then another one followed.
Me: Hey, I was looking out the window. I didn't see anything.
D: Well not right across from the house. Just down a bit. That little street that's really steep.
Me: Steeple.
D: Yeah there.
Me: Holy.
D: At first I thought it was a dog. It was running across and it stopped to look at me. It just stood there looking at me. Then another ran across the street. Then they went up Steeple.
Me: It was a bit lighter this morning.
D: No, it was dark when I left.
Me: Yeah but it was lighter this morning than usual.
D: Yeah I guess the sun was just starting to come up.
Me: I guess they were heading home.
D: Probably.
Me: How big were they?
D: Um.
Me: Like a Shepherd? Or taller.
D: They weren't that big. They look wolf like, but smaller. (pause) They're not dangerous are they?
Me: They're more afraid of you.
D: Okay.
Me: They won't bother you. They're probably afraid. They're after small stuff. Gigi sized animals.
D: Poor Gigi.
Me: The cats are definitely staying in now.
D: Yeah.

If that kid can do it...

Whoville's local library has a small selection of English dvds. I popped in there the other day because it's next to the Cornerstone Cafe (free wireless -- no strings attached) and I wanted to pick up a copy of the first Harry Potter book. On my way out I scanned over the dvds and didn't see much except for this Canadian film, Saint Ralph. My intentions are always to try and see Canadian films in their first weekend of release since so much is based on how the film does in its first weekend. However, Saint Ralph got missed and then put off etc etc.

The second reason I picked up this film is because I was looking for inspiration for running. A minor hip injury has slowed my training and D. (the coach) has been telling me I've got nothing to worry about, but I still wanted to watch a movie about running that would inevitably situate the hero in a story where he would have to overcome many obstacles in order to achieve his running goal. And that is essentially what Saint Ralph is about.

Set in the 1950s, Ralph (Adam Butcher) is a teenager in a Catholic boys school and is not doing well as a student. As punishment for his many transgressions, he's forced to join the running club, coached by Father Hibbert (Cambell Scott). Ralph lives alone in his house, pretending that his grandparents are taking care of him while his mother is in the hospital. She has either undergone surgery to remove a tumor or is sick from some sort of cancer. It's never explained. When she slips into a coma, Ralph is told it will take a miracle to bring her out of it. He decides that the miracle will be his winning the Boston marathon. He then attempts to enlist the athletic and the holy to help him train and pray for his goal.

The film gets a little too sappy at the end, but it is effective and doesn't feel too fake in its efforts. The story is a little thin and much is left out of the plot that could have been put in to fill in some of the gaps. At times it feels very amateur in its performances, and sometimes it's the younger actors and sometimes its the awkwardness of the writing itself. There is one very good scene between Campbell Scott (Father Hibbert) and Gordon Pinsent (Father Fitzpatrick) that is a discussion about Ralph going to Boston, but is really about the struggle between the younger and older generation and the radical and traditional in Catholicism. Furthermore, it's a scene with two very fine actors really giving it all for the scene. While it's not the biggest moment in the film or the most relevant, it is very strong and it is fully played out while other scenes in the film aren't always completely realized. I often try to apply the "get into the scene as late as possible and get out as early as possible" to my writing and Saint Ralph often misses the mark.

Okay, now no one is going to see it after what I've just written. I do recommend it though because it is a "small" film, and there are some genuinely funny moments. Furthermore, as a runner, I appreciated the training and the differing ideas about preparing for a race. And finally, If that kid can do it...

Free stuff

Free internet.
Free software upgrade.
Free soy chai latte.
I can't believe I'm at Fivebucks and all this is free.
I couldn't connect at home so I walked down the hill on this gloriously beautiful spring-like day and parked myself at Fivebucks hoping to pick up a freebie connection and avoid their "hotspot" fee. Success.
I registered my trial screenwriting software (after getting some tech advice) and got the free upgrade and now ... success (true, I paid for the initial software at the start, but it feels like it's free).
Then, one of the Fivebucks employees carried around a tray of new flavour samples, but when I told him I don't venture into dairyland...five minutes later he brought me a FULL sized soy version (not the little sample shot, but a tall one.
Phew, the caffeine is swimming through the system now. I had a green tea before and now more caf.
I love free stuff.

From wood to synth wool

I made this on Saturday. This is my first ever woodworking project. I took a "Women in the Workshop" course at good ol' LV and had a great time. Women were there for all sorts of reasons. It was a pretty talented bunch. Many of them were very crafty in other areas and some had taken the course before and wanted to make another step stool. The great thing about it was I got to use all the power tools from a table saw to a drill press. I can tell you that I'm hooked. I'm hoping to sign up for the next project and build something else. Now I want my own table saw -- well not quite, but there's this handheld version that the instructor brought in and it was just so cute.

My co-workers were so cute. They kept coming in and would check on my progress, encouraging me, giving me tips. I was a bit slow in my progress compared to the rest of the class, but I am a bit of a perfectionist (as some of you know) and I wanted to understand the why we were putting things together the way we were before putting it together. Afterall, I want to be able to do this again.

At the end of the class we did have the choice of finishing the project with Danish oil, but I thought I'd bring mine home and apply an analine dye (that's a water based stain) that we have a good supply of here since it's D's finish of choice. The picture here is the plain unfinished pine just sanded down. I'll try to remember to post the finished project photos later.

The project may have jump started my crafty side. The next day I picked up some synthetic wool and jumped into a new knitting project. just like that. I haven't knit in ages and frankly I've been concerned about having dangly bits of faux wool around Gigi, but so far so good.

Who knows what tomorrow will bring?

Stranger than Fiction

No Oscar nominations for this film. D. and I went to see it at the local second run theatre down the hill (isn't everything down the hill now?). It's a great theatre by the way. It was a great film as well. I really enjoyed the film as a story and in the way it made me think about how story is shaped and how it shapes itself.

I can't help but think of A. Buchbinder's idea that a "story is a living thing." This film is an example of how this is so. A woman is writing a novel while facing "writer's block." She's quite desperate to find a way to unblock herself as she searches for the method to kill off her main character. She knows he must die, but how? As the film demonstrates, the story will offer the right path if you listen to what it is telling you. Wonderfully, in this film the novel being written really is a living thing.



The main character, Harold Crick, exists and comes to realize that he is part of a narrative when he hears a narrators voice describing him and his actions. After disagreeing with the diagnosis that he's schizophrenic, he seeks the advice of a Literary scholar and the plot unfolds from there (or as in one point of the film, Harold forces himself to do nothing to see if the plot will come to him). Harold journey is to determine what type of character he is in the story, what type of story it is and ultimately can he change the outcome of the story? In his search for answers Harold uncovers who he really is and is able to experience life in a a new way.

Most entertaining for me was the question raised if Harold is in a comedy or tragedy. Not only does the character have to figure out what type of story he is living, but as the viewer we can also ask ourselves what type of story is this and does it fulfill the generic expections? This is where the writer (the writer of the film that is) plays again and successfully demonstrates that there can be a fine line between tragedy and comedy. Perhaps something similar is going on when we are able to laugh hysterically or sob with as much emotion. For the film it fluctuates between both, but has definite comedic leanings because it remains fairly light. Ultimately, on a more universal level, the film seems to say that we are not fully living if we do not let ourselves take risks. We must experience both the comedic and tragic aspects of life.



This film is definitely worth seeing. I know it's the time of year to rush out and try and see as many of the Oscar nominated films as possible (if you missed any or all), but I'd say skip one or two and try and see this while it's still in cinemas. I'm glad we did.

ABC Tag

I've been tagged by red jane so here goes.


A - Available/Single or Taken? Taken.
B - Best Friend? The one who I'm taken with.
C - Cake or pie? Cake.
D - Drink Of Choice? Smoothie in the day and a beer at night.
E – Essential Item You Use Everyday? Coffee cup.
F - Favourite Color? Today it is blue.
G - Gummy Bears Or Worms? Ugh.
H - Hometown? Whoville (I've also been know to come from Saint John New Brunswick)
I - Indulgence? divine fine wines, mostly reds and preferably something D. has chosen.
J - January Or February? January. I love the "j" months. I love New Year's day.
K - Kids & Their Names? Three. Primavera, Svetlana, Gigi Buffon.
L - Life Is Incomplete Without? Supportive family and loved ones, the one I am taken with (D.) and, coffee.
M - Marriage date? April 19, 1999.
N - Number Of Siblings? Two. An older brother and an older sister.
O - Oranges Or Apples? Pears.
P - Phobias/Fears? spiders and those millipedey things back in T.O., tomato hornworms. Fears? Fire, losing one of our cats, insomnia.
Q - Favourite Quote? "The animals of the world exist for their own reasons. They were not made for humans any more than black people were made for white, or women created for men." - Alice Walker
AND "Men seldom make passes at girls who wear glasses." - Dorothy Parker (this has stuck with me my whole life and I don't know why)
R - Reason to Smile? The trees, the sky and the ocean.
S - Season? Spring or Fall? Fresh ground pepper. Spring.
T - Tag 3 or 4 people? mister anchovy, julia and sis. (Julia and sis will have to use my comments space for the tag).
U - Unknown Fact About Me? I'm stumped. there's so much to not reveal. I'll get back to you on this one.
V - Vegetable you don’t like? I'm stumped. I'm not crazy about okra. I guess that's an "unknown fact about me" as well (sorry D.)
W - Worst Habit? t.v. watching, getting down on myself (there could be a link. No?)
X-rays You’ve Had? teeth, knees, wrist, ankle, arm.
Y - Your Favorite Food? vegan bolognese with whole wheat spaghetti, to be specific. Salad is also a favorite since it can be so many things.
Z – Zodiac sign? Cancer.

The Senior

This innocent looking creature is 18 and a half years old. If you've been reading in the past, you'll know that this is our dear sweet Svetlana. She is a strong old girl. She made it across the country with us on the plane. She's on two kinds of medicine, one for her kidneys and one for her thyroid. She has been chased by many cats over the years when D. had roommates with other cats. These roommates came and went and so did their cats. Svetlana has outlived them all. A year ago we realized she had lost her hearing (which isn't always easy to notice when cats can be so aloof) and the poor old girl will sometimes jump if you don't let her her know you're coming up beside her (my favorite indicators are waving my hand before her to get her attention or tapping my foot on the floor or surface she is lying on).

The important thing to remember is that she is a strong old girl. Over the last couple of months, she's been howling like a deaf siamese in the middle of the night. It's a blood-curdling bellow that she musters up with all of her strength and it is relentless. Nothing seems to stop it. We've tried ignoring it, getting up and sitting with her, feeding her, getting her water, fluffing up a nice fleecey blanket. Nothing works! So, I'm now accepting that our dear sweet Sveetie is senile. She's a senile senior and I just have to let her howl. She does stop when I sit with her and watch her pace the room, pause, look around and then begin to pace again. However, I can't really spend my nights up watching the cat (who's crazy then? the one with no sleep), but I will have to get up with her. There are people living upstairs with a small child who must be having nightmares with howling cats. Oh well, she'll talk about it in therapy in later years I'm sure.

So, farewell cozy sleep filled nights. Welcome to Svetlana's senior days.

p.s. photo courtesy of red jane

A few things got lost when I messed around with my page, but I'll slowly rebuild and add things again.

I'm off for my run.

I watched the sky clear this morning and then cloud over. By the afternoon a thick mist turned to light rain. The snow has become a thick slush, which makes walking on the sidewalks like walking on a sandy beach, my feet slid and struggled as the slushy snow gave way underfoot. The tree boughs and roofs still look lovely, but I can tell that the snow is weighty from the damp weather. I suspect in the morning much of the rest will have melted and washed away.

The day was a series of menial chores and bouts of play with the cats. Cozy at home, it took all of my strength to go out and make my way to one of whoville's fitness centres. While it felt good to run, I did not want to be chasing time and distance on a treadmill.

Something has definitely shifted in me over the past few days. A run outside usually helps clear my mind. Thoughts are jostled around and turned over again and again until I come up with a polished idea or problem solved. At least this is what I hope to achieve when I run with thoughts that need sorting. The treadmill really sorted nothing and I became anxious to return home and see my kitties again.

My sis has left the Haida Gwaii. Her plans haven't turned out as she had hoped. She's "back east" (as people say here -- surely we're not all from "back east" are we?). She's gone eastward now and is in Montreal where she is much wanted as an actress. She was recently voted best actress by one of the local papers (did I mention this already? Can I boast about it again?). Anywho...the travel south and then east brought her here and she stayed with us a couple of nights again. I got to see the cast of characters. As always it's great to see her and the cats, but i was still saddened by it all. I'd hoped she'd find the life she wanted on the islands, but I guess it wasn't meant to be.

The whole turn of events has me considering my own life and its direction (or lack thereof) and thinking about what's really important in my life. I'm grateful that D. has the patience and wisdom I need in a partner. I suspect my desire to come home from the fitness centre to see the cats was part of that need to feel secure and certain of some things in my life. The next few days, I suspect, will continue like this as I try to figure out my own direction in life.

Snow of the Lower Mainland

The snow quieted the city. Every sound was muffled by the layers of snow and it continued to fall all day long.

The commute to work caused me to be an hour and a half late. The showroom never had more than seven people and a dog in it at any one time. On the way home I took a different route since I thought the regular small bus wouldn't show. I stood at the front of the bus since it filled up at the sky train station before picking me up en route on the highway. We were low to the ground and the snow was still falling, the traffic still crawling along the icy road. In one particular spot, I looked out the door at the creek between two highways with just a patch of dark water showing between snow covered shallow banks. A blue heron completely still in the water, it's neck jutted forward, stood without moving while snow collected on its feathers. It seemed frozen in the creek, unable to continue any further. I wanted to look away, but couldn't because by then I was uncertain of what I was seeing. It was so close, so still, and so alone. The bus inched foward. I had to crane my neck back to see the bird. It's head pulled back, went forward and pulled back again. The movement startled me. I looked around at the other passengers, but no one noticed the heron. Then it stepped back slowly and extended it's long neck upward as if trying to make itself look bigger to us. The bus driver pulled forward and we were moving again.

Thirty minutes late, but at least I made it to the bus depot.

On the subject of birds

I just saw an eagle on my way up the hill during my run. This gave me a good excuse to stop running up that crazy hill, but I also try to remember to stop and take in my surroundings when I run. There was no time to jog the extra steps to the house to grab the binoculars so I watched the eagle soar above me, circling, moving it's way down the ridge. I know s/he saw me too.
Now I've seen evidence of why the area is called "Eagle Ridge."

A wind warning is in effect and it seems to have just kicked up here so I'm going to lay low on my day off and get some things done around here.

I also wanted to add a link for anyone to check out. This page of info contains a video depicting turkey factory farming and will give you an idea of why I'm vegan. I've decided to add these links for anyone to go to since what I encounter most when in conversation with people is their lack of information about how animals end up as meat in the grocery store. Everyone seems to have a general sense of slaughter houses and that it might not be very nice, but the more concrete details really aren't available. So, please take a moment to read. I admit that I can never watch the videos since being permanently scarred by a couple of films on fur and the meat industry so I tend to read the text and that conjures up enough for me to keep me in touch with what is going on in the human/animal relationship in this world.

Sunday we went to Delta which was wide open and flat with a big sky above us. As we wound along the river I saw one farm field with just one turkey sitting out in the middle of it. It was such a strange sight for me and I almost thought maybe s/he was lost or had wandered away from the rest. Who knows. Anyway, I was amazed at the size of the creature and even though I only caught a quick glimpse I felt joy knowing that there was this one turkey out in the open (not too far from the barn) just doing his/her thing.

An Inconvenient Truth

"For every action there is an equal and opposite reaction."

I've had this Newtonian quote in my head for years now. It seems applicable to more than just the laws of motion. I've used it for story telling and for making choices in my own life. I also see how it applies to the Environment.

You've probably already noticed my sidebar.
We watched An Inconvenient Truth a couple of nights ago and were both impressed with it. D., having recently read the Weathermakers was particulary moved.

Before seeing the film, I've always been listening with interest to what information is presented in the media on the topic of "global warming" and how it is presented. Obviously a CNN newscast has a different approach than a CBC newscast or a Fox newscast. What I have noticed is the growing frequency of this topic being included into newscasts. However, it is coupled with a good dose of skeptical "scientific proof" to conclude the newsbite of info so that we can all feel relatively safe again. In other words, the media is covering it's ass by addressing the fact that global warming may be a significant factor, while at the same time it suggests that there is no real proof since that oh-so-large group called "scientists" cannot agree 100%. Instead we are told there is also a "natural progression" of climate change and global warming is just another "trend". The choice of words make something that is quite catastrophic seem to be a benign phase that we somehow must put up with until it passes.

Since seeing the film, I've been wondering how long it is going to take for people to change and to believe in change? How many floods, hurricanes and tsunamis do we need in a year to realize our human impact on this one small planet?

Gore's argument is very convincing and he addresses the antithetical viewpoints and what "science" generates such viewpoints and why. Even if you can't fully swallow the entire argument (unlike me I bought the whole package as you can see by my sidebar) there must be some acknowledgement of responsibility for our actions.

Cat & Christmas Photos

Stop the Insanity!






Snowflake cookies courtesy of the LV Snowflake Mold.

Vegan Pear Torte 2007!

After my three days off, I had to return to work. We all do right? It was difficult because D. had an extra day off and I thought of the fun we could be having if only I had had the extra day off too. I came home from work, walked into the kitchen and was astounding to find this beautiful creation



Even after all the food from the holidays I somehow found room for this. D. adapted it from a recipe his mother sent him. She had made it over Christmas. I think we should do the same next year. The shapes on the top are made from marzipan. I had a little whipped soy on the side and it was divine.

Maybe we should post the recipe, D?

New Year's Eve Vegan Feast

Menu and Miso Soup


Oyster Mushroom Calamari with Wasabi Cream


Miso Eggplant discs, Edamame, and marinated, sesame crusted tofu (you can't really see the tofu though)



For dessert we had lemon sorbet with fresh raspberries. We toasted the New Year twice with Lanson Black Label Champagne I acquired in lieu of a tip from a past catering gig. We toasted once for the central Canada New Year's, where much of our families are and once again at midnight for our new west coast New Year's.

I know it seems like a lot of food, but we did it in stages through the night (a bit of a New Year's tradition for us). We prepared a dish, enjoyed, had a little wine and then moved on to the next dish. It was a feast.

Happy New Year!

Now for something completely different...

Can the screwball comedy still be done today? I've been thinking about my favorite screwball comedies of the 30s and 40s (The Awful Truth, Love Affair, Bringing Up Baby (except for the leopard of course), My Man Godfrey and The Philadelphia Story -- Cary Grant seems to be in an awful lot of them doesn't he?) and wondering if the style can be duplicated and still be contemporary.
Outside of horror this is my favorite genre, this is my favorite sub-genre of a genre. I know I might be reaching, but so-be-it. The wish is to strive to write something along those lines that tries to remain as truthful to the genre as possible. I suppose the reason why I love the film Hudsucker Proxy so much is because it recalls the screwball era.

After all the research and writing I did for one area of my studies, everyone anticipated that I would write a horror script. I wrote sci-fi. I went back to thinking about horror and now...the screwball comedy? I've got nothing to lose right?

Vegan Christmas Feast!

Christmas Eve
We snacked on homemade hummus, a veggie pate, fresh olives, pickled eggplant, and D's homemade best ever caponata. Our main course consisted of:
-al dente steamed asparagus with a dill vinaigrette
-sauteed garlic mushrooms with mint and oregano
-Imam Bayadi (I think that is how it's spelled) is a stuffed eggplant that D stuffed with pine nuts, peppers and fennel as the main ingredients.

D. selected a bourdeaux and a Chateauneuf de Pape from his collection. Later, we were too stuffed to think about dessert, but I did bring out the grand marnier and green tea truffles I had made.

Christmas Day

It's all about the food for us. P. had made some panettone style bread with nuts, fruit and chocolate that we enjoyed for breakfast. It tasted very Christmassy.

The dinner:
Chestnut croquettes (I couldn't find the recipe I had used last year so I kind of had to wing it and I'm not sure it was totally successful, but it gave me ideas for what to do next time. Much of my cooking involves ideas for next time.)
P's marinated veg (one of my all time favorites)
Freshly made canneloni crepes stuffed with squash and wild mushrooms. The tomato sauce included jarred tomatoes from P's garden. It was delicious.
I had planned on doing a fennel and orange salad, but there was so much other food I didn't even think of it until well after the meal.

Our wine was a Amarone di Valpolicella.

We did have dessert later. I made vegan cannoli (from the Artful Vegan) that I filled with an almond "ricotta" (from Nonna's Kitchen) and dusted with powdered sugar and chocolate.

After red jane and P left, D and I watched "It's a Wonderful Life." It surprised me every year. I find something new in it each year. I then watched "Going My Way" (the Leo McCarey film), but fell asleep before it ended. Red jane had given us candied pecans and almonds that were polished off during one or both of the films.

Now we can begin planning our new year's dinner. I can't wait!

Merry Christmas every one. I hope everyone had a peaceful holiday and a festive time.

It's a wonderful...

Life?

We'll watch that at a later date.
Being apart from our usual family Christmas with D's parents, I realize that D. and I have Christmas traditions of our own that include:
Trim the tree on winter solstice
Plan a big feast that involves a new vegan dish we haven't done before and share it with people who are special to us.
Watch:
A Charlie Brown Christmas
How the Grinch Stole Christmas
It's a Wonderful Life
and...
I think that's it. I also try to add Hudsucker Proxy for New Years since that film is one of my favorites ever, but that's next week.

Merry Christmas everyone!

"Trim up the tree with Christmas stuff, like bingel balls and Who floo fluff!"

We hunted for a tree that would satisfy our nostaligic cravings for a warm and festive Christmas. Being on foot, there wasn't as much choice as others with cars, but we did find a lovely tree that we carried several blocks and then up the hill, halfway up grinch mountain.

Gigi is very excited. After we placed the tree in the stand and anchored it to the wall, we could see Gigi sizing it up, perhaps planning her next move. Prima has started using it as a place to hide behind before pouncing out.

D. and I let wanted it to sit for a day or two before stringing up "bingel balls and Who floo fluff." I have a tradition of decorating on Christmas eve, but since D. and I have rarely been home for Christmas eve, we've often decorated for winter solstice which I may be more inclined to do again this year. Anywho...we've got the tree up and will put the lights on in a couple of days and then decorate. Gigi won't believe it when she sees that she has a tree covered in toys!


* * *

On another note I brought in a dish for our potluck at work on Saturday. I made a pasta salad since I knew that I would have to make something of some substance since there would be little for me to eat amongst the cheese casseroles, devilled eggs and chicken dishes. I picked out this recipe from the fat free vegan blog. I added a few more ingredients like red peppers, snow peas and olives. It was a success. I also made my pesto with a spinach basil mix since basil is hard to come by this time of year in this part of whoville. The spinach gave it a lovely fresh green colour. Yummy. I was going to add hemp seeds, but I thought that might be a little to funky for my co-workers. I didn't want to overwhelm them too much. Afterall, some are still trying to get their heads around the vegan thing. And I thought being out west would be more vegan sympathetic. Yet another myth about the wet (oops!) coast dispelled.

Trim up the tree

It's that time of year. I've hardly had time to think about Christmas outside of work and the Christmas rush of shoppers that I've been trying to help on a daily basis.

We did get our tree today and we're planning our menu. No who-hash or roast beast, but I think we're going with some Turkish dishes for Christmas eve (stuffed eggplant, P's marinated veg (I think), garlic mushrooms, and asparagus with lemon and dill. Christmas day we're going with a simple Italian meal for Christmas day.

Okay D. is bugging me and we have to order our groceries from our delivery box service so I'd better go.

Weather

I've never been a fan of weather talk. It's banal. It's actually beyond banal because I really kind of like banal and think it can be quite beautiful. There's a conversation that people slip into when they're not sure of what to talk about next or they slip into this dialogue when they're uncomfortable in a social setting. It's filler, it's weather filler talk. "We can't possibily have anything else to say to one another so let's talk about the weather."

At some point in recent years I became aware when people slipped into such dialogues and I think it was right around the time news weather forecasters began saying things like "we're going to see a lot of weather today." What does that mean? What is a day with a "little weather?" That's like saying, "we're going to see a lot of news today." Have you witnessed this? Have you been at a small gathering when talk has turned to the weather? Uh-oh that's a bad sign. I've done it. We've all done it, sometimes aware and sometimes unaware, but we can't help ourselves.

Now (of course) I'm going to talk about the weather. I have been all along though haven't I? We've had a lot of it! (Ha!) I expected days and days of rain. I've lived on the wet coast before and I expected high winds, lots of rain and all that fun wintery stuff that swirls around here. However, I did not expect excessive rains causing a water advisory, snow that shut businesses down and now more high winds and rain that toppled trees all across the south west coast. This most recent bout of stormy weather left us unscathed. We were lucky in that we didn't lose power and our house was fine. The only problem for me today was the commute. With all the traffic lights not working it backlogged traffic for miles. With a little patience and a good book I waited it out.

During the night I did hear sirens and could see the tree shadows on the wall flickering as the wind howled. I lay awake for a bit wondering if we'd be okay. (D. slept through it all. He can sleep through anything.) In the morning, the wind subsided and the sky cleared. I saw the mountains and some blue sky and by the time I reached work the sun was shining. When I left work the temperature had dropped dramatically and now people are talking about snow again. Huh? I can't keep up. Each morning at the door it's a challenge trying to decide what coat to put on. I layer a fleece for sure, but then rain or something thicker for a fall temperature? Faux-woolly scarf or thinner cotton? Gloves? Umbrella? Rain boots? Hat? Who knows what the day will bring? Gortex I understand. It makes sense. It's warm and wind and waterproof. I don't have gortex nor can I afford gortex, but I get it.

So tomorrow as I head for the door I've decided I'm dressing for cold weather and there's no turning back. If it's raining, my puny little umbrella will have to suffice. If it snows, so be it. Go with the flow of the wind, go with the current. After everything so many are going through I have much to be grateful for and little to complain about as I adjust to the west coast winter.

Now, I'm feeling a little weathered so I'm going to get some sleep and look forward to what surprise tomorrow will bring.

Departure

Sis leaves today. She arrived on Thursday with her four kitties and they've all been staying with us. We've been lucky to have them. Originally she was going to fly directly through, but circumstances changed and I think it was best for everyone. It's been so nice to see the cast of characters. They did amazingly well on the flight and I have to say that they are well travelled cats. For kitties who have been through so much starting out their lives, they are very strong indeed.

We'll be driving them all to the airport in a few hours and then they'll be off to start their new life on the Queen Charlottes. I can't wait to visit.

Everyone I've met here who has been there has done nothing but rave about how fabulous the islands are. One woman I work with goes every year for vacation and she and her family camp on different beaches. She tells me that each beach has different sea shells. Apparently the area has some of the most diverse sea life compared to anywhere. Another person told me of a man who lives completely off the grid there and people often sea kayak to his remote place just to visit the possibilities.


I'll admit that initially I was freaked out about her moving so so so far away and to a place so remote. However, now that I've moved and am on the coast (or near the coast) I am so excited for her and I can't wait to hear how her life progresses and what she discovers. We both talked about this a few days ago, asking how many people talk about doing things and never do them? Here she has an incredible desire to be in a place and explore a whole new area of her life and herself and she's going for it.
She's opening up a whole new book in her life with nothing but blank pages. Some would be terrified, but I have to admire her for diving in, packing up her life and her cats and going for the dream. Would I be able to do the same?

* * *

Dutch elect first animal rights MP

P. emailed this article to me about the first animal rights MPs to be elected to parliament. It makes me hopeful.

Photos from the power crunch

We walked the "power crunch." It was quite sunny at one point. There were lots of kids sliding on one hill. We even found part of a broken plastic sled and took our own turn ourselves.

So here's some photos from the power crunch walk.

What Classic Move Are You.

From Red Jane who got it from Wandering Coyote.
T. in N.B. should appreciate this one!

What Classic Movie Are You?
personality tests by similarminds.com

A sleepy Sunday. Today is the first day that I really feel settled. I'm back into the old routine (not rut but routine) of having time to sleep in on Sunday and enjoy my morning coffee.

D. makes a brilliant Noel Nog latte. Did I mention that he works for an espresso machinecompany? We have this beautiful machine that makes delicious coffee.

Working as much as I have been as of late, I find that I rely on coffee much more. I have my two shots of espresso in the morning and go. The people I work with drink this awful stuff made in the standard drip coffee machine. It's diner coffee which is another drink all together. Some people drink it all day at work. I couldn't do it. I'm an addict but I'm not that desperate. When they found out where D worked they all suggested that the company bring a machine in for the day and I could spend my time making lattes for everyone. Hmm. Not possible or probable to happen.

Back to Sunday...
we're heading out for a walk up the hill/mountain to see where it takes us. We may try the "power crunch", I'm told it's called, which is a trail that follows the power lines up the hill. It's also a park so the trail is fairly well maintained. It's a "crunch" because they covered the trail in gravel so you get the picture.

Well, here's some pictures I took earlier in the week of the big snowfall we had. It's very whovillian I think. Now, the snow is pretty much gone and the trees are back to being green again. I love evergreens and they are in abundance here.

Victory

HA! I found a wireless source that doesn't cost anything and I don't have to be in a Fivebucks and support that crazy corporate-coffee shop-gobbling company.

How can this be?

We got a MAC (environmentally evil and corporate...you get the picture). Hmm. So I guess I'm supposed to feel better for being at my local coffee shop that supports fair trade organic tea and coffee growers and yet...environmentally evil computer made of PVC (a product I stopped buying ages ago) and if you check out Greenpeace's campaign against apple you can learn more for yourself.

All right...anywho...I feel victorious to have found a great cafe with great teas and free wireless. We just need to figure out what we'll do at home for a connection. All in good time. Last night we were picking up a signal, but today...nothing. We also had no satellite connection for a while because of all the snow.

It's been crazy here. We arrived in summer like conditions in October and then it started raining and flooding, we had a water advisory and then the temperature dropped considerably and I had to dig out the extra heavy winter boots and the big winter coat. Not only did we get snow, we got dumped on! Yesterday I was even sent home early from work because no one was in the store and everyone was leaving early to beat the new round of flurries that was about to descend.

I have to say it's been quite beautiful and we've been lucky so far with power etc (our lights flickered a bit last night). I took photos that I'll try and post, but for those of you who live in a full east coast or prairie winter it won't astound you since "snow, big deal." However, nothing really gets cleared so the snow just sat and people dealt with it and struggled along. After the initial storm, the sun came out the next day and there was an incredible view of the mountains.

I heard via D. that my stepdad, P., is not faring as well as we are. He's on the island and they got a lot more snow. He and a neighbour have been shovelling their road! The road is not a little street but rather quite a hill and a long one to boot. Anywho...I hope he's doing okay.

My sis is on her way to BC., to the Haida Gwaii to be more exact. She's having a bit of a time getting herself and four cats across the country and then north to the Queen Charlottes. She's managed to make all her plans and it looks like she'll be staying a couple of days with us so that will be great.

Next visitor red jane? I'm not sure if her apartment will be ready by her landing date so we may have her visiting too. I'm sure her place with be ready by then though. I'll have to check in on her blog and see what's up.

It's so great to have access to the world wide web again! It does feel like a victory.

More to come sooner than I've been posting as of late.

Back at the library

This is not my preferred way of communicating. I cram computer time into my busy day off so I can catch up on things on line.

We were supposed to have our computer by now. We went on Sunday to pick it up but alas sold out and that's not the first time we've been told that. However, the teenage sales clerk offered us a whopping five percent off the display model. Well I was overwhelmed by the generous offer of the much played with display model, but turned it down after thinking about it for uh...two seconds. So then...the very clever and resourceful D. did a little research and discovered that the updated version of our computer is about to be released. The store failed to inform us of this (how else will they sell that display model even with the generous discount?). We're now waiting for the new version to arrive and then we'll pounce. It's basically the same computer for the same price but with a few modifications and more life to it and something about an improved battery life (at least that's what D discovered). Our old computer's battery lasted four years and I was happy with that. I really wish I didn't have to go back to that store and buy it though.

anywho...patience. I'm trying to find my patience today. I did spend the better part of my morning writing which is much success for me, but I can't help but feel anxious about what's not getting done. Have you experienced this? What is that about? It's absurd because writing is exactly what should get done. D would probably tell me that I put too much pressure on myself. Maybe. However, there is only three minutes remaining in my half hour session, the warning signal at the bottom of the screen is flashing red (it's very annoying) so I'm signing off before I lose everything to time. Now warning signals are popping up on screen. I'm really pushing it so I'd better press "publish post" before all is lost....

Roaming

I'm moving around. Red jane has kindly loaned me her computer and I'm parked at Fivebucks (Starbucks), as a friend of ours calls it, and I'm using up my precious time trying to figure out what is going on in film out here on the very very wet coast.

...and it is wet today. The ferries stopped running because of the stormy conditions and that's always a bad sign. However, being further inland we haven't been hit too hard with high winds, just a lot of rain. So, i've invested in some rain boots and my feet are staying dry (finally!).

Film? Well, I'll find my way. I'll work my way into this industry one way or another. I can't apply for internships until I have so many credited hours (this isn't uncommon). I can at least become a "friend" of the women in film and t.v. out here. Since I'm not working in the industry I can't become a member. There doesn't seem to be a LIFT type place (see my sidebar if you're not sure what that is). Victoria has a co-op that I use to belong to, but I don't think that commute is realistic nor desireable.

Writing? Not much lately as is evident here on my blog. I'm desperate to get at it though. Stupid work gets in the way. Don't you hate that?

There are still little things nagging me about our apartment that I would like to finish because the longer we put stuff off the more involved we get in our day to day and the less likely those things are to get done. D. achieved a lot when he had Remembrance day off. I'm the master procrastinator though so...you know how that goes.

Red jane and I did hit the gym pretty early this a.m. at the local aquatic centre. It was nice to be in a gym today. There was a treadmill nazi who was managing who was getting on what machine and when. She actually stopped her own treadmill at one point to directly talk to someone who had stepped out of turn. Whew. Is it worth putting your energy into that? She doesn't work there. Really? Worth it? I'd rather get my work out done. Tomorrow we're going to check out the local "ladies fitness" and see what that has to offer.

Sis got a great review in the Mirror as did the play at the Centaur. I'm so proud of her and I cannot believe how far away she is right now and the impossibility of me seeing her play. C'est la vie.

I just realized that my connection has stopped identifying how long I've been on line which means I'm probably way over so I'd better go. There's a free connection at the fivebucks down the street so I'll head over there. Gotta keep moving.

Quick notes

I'm at an internet cafe in London Drugs and time is running out. I have to eat too!

red jane is visiting and has found a place to live! She'll be living nearby soon. Yay! She's off meeting agents right now.

It's been rainy yes, but not unbearable. I'm adjusting and plan on buying rain boots today. I ran in the rain and it was totally fine in my new running waterproof jacket. If you've got the right gear, go for it.

The cats are doing well. I've been emailing for the last hour so if this sounds more letter or email like then my apologies. i'm not in blog writing mode. or am I? Anywho...i want to write more, but we've been computerless still. However, P. is helping us to upgrade to something flashy and fast so I'll be bag to blogging in no time.

Work is work. I can't even begin to go into the commuting. It's a challenge. Love the short bus though.

Food glorious food. We went to the Mt. Pleasant area which is all veg friendly places, great film rental places and Italian groceries and bars. Shouldn't D. and I be living in that neighbourhood? I think so. We'll see what the year brings.

More later. i've got to meet red jane at the library.

The library wouldn't accept my whoville library card. Hrumph!

Adjustments

The clocks changed this past Saturday. We shifted back one hour which meant I was up an hour earlier in the morning because my physical clock doesn't not shift as easily and it takes a few days for me to adjust to dark at five o'clock and bright in the morning when I get up.
The past two weeks have been a series of adjustments for me. I don't think I've ever taken the time to really consider how much moving takes out of you emotionally and physically. I've moved 20 times in my life and i've always just rolled with it I suppose, but they've been smaller moves to new apartments in the same city often. The big move as in when I moved west in the 90s and moved back east in 99 and now I'm west again are much more dramatic, life altering changes. I really need time to think about how it feels. I'm like that though, I can't just jump in and here we go, i have to over think many things.
The move feels like a delayed jet lag that keeps prodding at me during some point in the day reminding me that it's time to...oh no wait we're in another city and you're not walking to the corner for the paper because the corner is now a ten minute walk. Where am I? I know I'm still at LV, but this building has no windows and my sarcasm is being taken too literally. I've stopped being sarcastic which is probably a good thing in the end.
It's all a period of adjustment until eventually I'll roll with it again and a bus schedule with feel natural to me as opposed to something restricting my movements. After all when you go from a city of millions to one of the "tri-cities" of hundreds of thousands you can't expect everything to be so easily to come by.
Every morning when I get up i look out our bedroom window at the view of the valley and the houses rising up the mountain opposite us. It's really a hill compared to the mountains that exist out here, but to speak to those more easterly reading this blog, it's a mountain. I marvel at having this view every day and every day it is different in some way (the sky is pink and clear, there's a light strip of cloud hovering over the valley, the lights are still on because it's gray or the sun casts shadows as it rises). I hope I always marvel at the view. i hope I never adjust to it becoming merely the background scenery. Of course that never happened to me when I lived in Victoria so why should it here?
Anywho...my library visits continue as far as computer availability is concerned so this is a brief post and there will probably be another gap of time before i post again. i haven't made any blog rounds so I can't wait to catch up with you all. I also haven't been in touch with any friends I said good-bye to before i left so hello everyone and I'll be in touch soon.

Until next time.