One of those weeks

It's been a long week. I've been slammed by so many people on so many issues of which very few are in my control or my pay range. And it just keeps coming.

After responding to one blasting email this afternoon with a lengthy and detailed rebuttal, I realized it took me 2 HOURS to write the email. Once I breathed deeply a few times and mentally gave myself a pep talk, I hit 'send'. I then turned to Gback and said...

'I'm going for a drink'

It was 3:30. I meant to say, 'I'm going for a coffee.'

There were quite a few chuckles but it summarizes well the week I've had.

One more day...

Payback's a beyotch

It's 6:28 am and I'm awake. Not because I want to be and not because my alarm clock went off, although it should have but I turned it off for the weekend and forgot to turn it back on last night.

No, I'm up because I was awoken by my next door neighbour and his new girlfriend. For the 3rd time this weekend they have made the noisy case for me to buy a single family home.

And here I thought I was done with this when I moved out of the apartment building. *le sigh*

Epilogue: So on my way out of the driveway this morning I wanted a good look at the unknown vehicle sitting in the double driveway I share with the neighbour because I wanted to see what this operatic singer drove. One of the things my neighbour is notable for is the fact that he has a vanity plate. As in his license plate says his first name and his ex had one that said her first name. Sure enough, he somehow has found someone with a vanity plate that's her last name. Good god. And she also has a beaded rosary hanging from her rearview mirror. Lemme tell ya, a good catholic wouldn't have been making those kinda noises ;o)

Wow, I'm nosey. ;0)

I can't believe I'm going to admit to this...

...but that douchebag John Mayer has finally said something that didn't make my hair curl and my teeth clench.

In a January interview for Rolling Stone, when asked about America's sweetheart Jennifer Aniston, he had this to say:

'What would I be saying to Jen, who I think is fucking fantastic, if I said to her, ‘I don’t dislike you. In fact, I like you extremely well. But I have to back out of this because it doesn’t arc over the horizon. This is not where I see myself for the rest of my life, this is not my ideal destiny.’ '

Okay, seriously, I gotta give the man props for this one. He was with someone fantastic but at one point in time said, whoa, this isn't what I want for me in the long run. So he ends it, breaks our poor Jenni A's heart, and is villainized for it. I feel pity for him. However, he's still said some pretty douchey things after that which he SHOULD be villainized for. (How the hell do you spell villainized?)

But he goes on to say this and this is what is striking a chord with me today...

'I’ll be happy when I close out this life-partner thing. It’s been a long time since I’ve felt attached. Think of how much mental capacity I’m using to meet the right person so I can stop giving a fuck about it.'

I feel like saying, 'amen, brother, amen.' Lately, I've been doing a lot of thinking about how much effort I put into dating and meeting someone. And I'm not even necessarily looking for a 'life partner' or 'baby daddy' - imagine what that time involvement would be like? And lemme tell ya, I'm getting pretty tired of it...not giving up, just thinking perhaps it's time to focus on something else...hmmm...

BTW, John Mayer is STILL a douchebag.

Walk with me

I had the strangest thing happened to me last week.

I was out walking somewhere and could sense that someone was coming up on my rear to overtake me on the sidewalk. I did what was nice, move over so they could. But instead of doing it, they fell in step with me and walked with me for a good 20 paces or so.

When I realized this was the case, not that I could really hear them (I was listening to my 'slit my wrists' playlist on my iPod) but more I could sense them there, I turned to see if I knew the person. He turned and looked back at me, we were both a little startled to see someone we didn't know, exchanged silent smiles (he too was on his iPod), and he quickly picked up his pace and carried on.

The strange thing about it was, it was nice to just walk with someone without saying something. I know it sounds weird but it was nice to share a moment with someone you didn't know. Kinda one of those reaching out to humanity kinda moments. You know, like when you see momma ducks and baby ducks out together (I love ducks) and you look up to see someone else watching them and you share a 'wasn't that cute?' smile with each other. It was kinda like that.

Anyways...moving on.

The things we say

So I have friends who like to document what their kids say because it's either just so darned cute or because they can't believe some of the things that come out of their mouths. I've shared some of my 'phews finer moments with you but I got to thinking, after a few Facebook status updates that perhaps I should share with you my favourite quotes of the day, said by whomever, so you could just laugh with me...or, as the case may be, shake your head with me - kinda like an overheard in L's life. So, without further adieu, some of my favs as of late.

After an evening playing the Princess of Finland, the $1.50 dollar store tiara was affectionately stroked:

'I love this tiara. And it's not even tacky.'

After discussing the use of paper versus online thesauruses and the fact that you end up singing the alphabet to remember that m comes before q:

'That's why I use an online thesaurus. Then I don't need to know the alphabet.'

During a meeting where tasks were being overly assigned to one person (ie. me):

'I only have one L'

There will be more to come, I'm certain...

I like shiny things

After my little car accident back in January, I needed to take it in to get fixed. And, being the procrastinator I am, I figured now was as good a time as any to get my car repainted where I whacked it against the garage door (whoops) and where someone keyed it (asshole).

Although I gulped just a little when I got the quote - as in here's my paycheque for this pay period - I knew it had to be done. The car is leased after all, and I haven't decided if I'll buy it or not, so I do need to keep it in pretty good shape.

I got to pick it up this am and upon entering the parking lot of the body shop, there she sat, like a beautiful ruby against the white snow banks, shinier than the day I got her.

I went into the body shop and was talking with the manager and he gave me the low down on washing my car - all touchless wash and no waxing for 3 months. The convo went something like this:

Autoshop Manager: So, no brush washing or waxing for 90 days.
L: Which is like....
AM: (insert hard look over his glasses at me) 3 months
L: Right, which is like...what are we, February?
AM: Oh! I'd say by end of May you can wash it with a brush again.

I think this is where he finally got that I was trying to figure out what month 90 days from now would be, not that 90 days = 3 months, but this certainly didn't help my case for what came next out of my mouth...

AM: Yeah, the paint needs time to set. I know it sounds odd but it does.
L: Oh, like nail polish needs time to set before you do anything so you don't get scratches or marks in it?
AM: (insert furrowed brow) Ugh, yeah, I guess.

In my defence, I had yet to have my morning cuppa joe. I guess I channel the inner girly-girl in me when I haven't had enough caffeine.

Even Little Miss Naughty blushes

For Xmas, Gback gave me a new key chain he had bought while en route to Africa. Apparently I was the first that came to mind in Heathrow when he saw it with this on it:

Alright, I admit, it's not completely uncharacteristic of me (save for the purpleness of it) so I put my keys on it and called it a day. Sure, it makes me chuckle when I see it every day but well, isn't that part of its charm?

Today I had to go in for an oil change and to get my car looked at after my accident. The dealership called to let me know that the guy who does the estimates would actually not be available and that I could still come in for the oil change. When I hung up the phone, I mentioned to GBack that I would have to give them my keys on the ring. We had a giggle and then I didn't think much about it after that.

Fast forward a few hours and I arrived at the dealership and got to chatting with the guy who I had rebooked my appointment with. It was quite friendly and then as I handed over my keys, I know I must have blushed but neither of us said anything. However, upon me getting my keys back, and in front of the cashier no less, this same service manager decided to give me a little lecture on the weight of my keys.

Yes, the weight of my keys. Apparently, over time (like a decade), additional weight puts pressure on the ignition and then you can be driving along and BAM, your car stops working. Scary stuff. I think I must have looked like someone just shot me because he reassured me that it was something that takes years to happen. He pointed out that it's mostly the 'A' cube letter that weighs the most but when it's just that, the keys and Little Miss Naughty, you KNOW he looked at all of the items on that key ring.

I have to go back on Monday.

I'm still/already blushing.

Prepping for memory lane

I just posted about my upcoming trip home for my highschool reunion. Couldn't go home to a sweeter song. This one's for the TBay peeps...

Because apparently 14 years is noteworthy?

I had always said I wouldn't go back to TBay for my highschool reunion. I dunno - there was something about going back to that place in time that felt, fake to me. I guess, because my parents went through a nasty separation when I was a teenager and I grew up faster than I wanted to in some instances, that by the time I got to university I felt I really got to grow and 'come into myself'.

When I went home my first Christmas I remember being double-fisted in the bar at 8:00 p.m.* and trying to make small talk with people from my graduating class that I realized, 'you know, I never really even LIKED you, I was just polite and nice to you because of my position at the school**.' I decided then and there that there was no way I could go back to that every summer and pretty much from that point on, I had left TBay for good.

A few weeks ago, a message showed up in my Facebook inbox from a former classmate checking dates on what would work for us 'out of towners' for a highschool reunion.

But instead of running for the hills screaming in pain, I took a minute to reflect on the opportunity. And as so happens so often these days, I surprised myself, and I'm sure IS and JF who I always proclaimed I would 'never go to one of those things', and replied back with a 'you know what? I'm in.'

July 24, 2010. 14 years + a few weeks after my highschool graduation, I'm heading back for a little trip down memory lane. If anything, it'll be a good few days on the road as I plan to do the trek solo across the province. I need it to clear my head, gain my composure and figure out just where I'm headed next. I fully expect to come home with some perspective if it's nothing other than to remark on the fact that...

You've come a long way, baby.



* In TBay, unlike Ottawa, you go to the bar at 8pm or you'll never get in as EVERYONE in the city goes to just one bar each night. I like to call it 'the circuit.' What that means though is that you're in by 8 or 9 and there until closing time. Best get drunk ASAP and then the night's a blur ;o)

** I was co-president of our HS for two years in a row.

My business is to create

I've been feeling a little stressed and overwhelmed lately and well, just general malaise and restlessness as well. So I did last night what I do when I need to find my happy place: I did laundry and cooked.

I'm not very good with exact cooking. I'm more of a sauce/random spicing/throw it all together and see what happens kinda cook. Baking and I do not get along. At. All. But turn me loose to make a sauce or a soup and I'm all good.

It had been nagging at me that I had 3 containers of turkey leftovers and bones that needed to go into a soup. So I started with the lobster pot I have last night and got cooking. 3 hours later, I was finally done and had 41 cups (my new Tupperware that I bought for the occasion had volume measurements on it) of more of a turkey stew than soup. One of these days I'll learn to cook for less of an army and to stop adding in more of this and a little more of that.

As a result, last night was the first night in weeks I've slept through the night. No anxiety about work, no other 'what's the meaning of life and where am I headed' thoughts, no nothing. I felt like a gal without a care in the world this am. It never ceases to amaze me how you can find release in some of the smaller mundane things in life.