CITY OF ROSES

I’ve been so lazy lately, haven’t accomplished anything with my condo.  I haven’t put up any photo’s, decorated (in any way), taken any bins down to my locker, nothing.  I just kinda stare at the mess that is my den right now.  I’m not sure why I’m in this state of…….um…….non-activity, but I am.  Actually, maybe I’m just still burnt out from all the purging, packing, purging, packing and more purging I went through to move……I’m not sure.  But, I am sure that I need to get out of this funk.

I came back recently from a trip to Portland, Oregon.  It’s probably one of my favourite cities in the U.S.  And, the tax-free shopping helps too.  I’ve been to Portland many times, but usually either went with someone or visiting someone who would take me around.  This time I was on my own, so I decided to do a walking tour, I wanted to do something different and I read some great reviews about these walking tours.  I went on an Epicurean walking tour, so basically I walked around downtown and the Pearl district and sampled food along the way.  It was a terrific tour and definitely worth the money spent.  I learned a lot more about the city then I already knew so that was good.

I didn’t do as much shopping as I had anticipated that I would, but since I’m not a big shopper to begin with, I wasn’t surprised.  I did get to see the Rose Garden, which was so pretty.  Everything was in bloom and I took a few photo’s (as you see above) and smelled a few roses.  I had not anticipated going up there, but glad to have gone because Portland is the “City of Roses” so how can I visit without even stepping foot into the Rose Garden?

It was good to get away it renewed my itch to travel.  Unfortunately, I don’t have a lot of vacation days leftover for the year (thanks to my move) so I need to spread them out.  I really enjoyed my time in Portland, so much so that I want to go back again!  Anyways, I’ll see how things go….I don’t like to plan too far ahead, I’d rather just be spontaneous.

DIRECTIONALLY CHALLENGED

Late nights render me directionally challenged.

So, on Friday night I went out with my sister-in-law’s youngest and oldest sister (visiting from out of town).  We hit the Drake hotel, which has a lounge/restaurant on the ground level, a patio outside/upstairs and a little club down in the basement.  We tried to get into the patio, but that didn’t work after waiting for 45 minutes.  So, we went to the “Underground” in the basement where our names were on a list…I know, I felt really special.

The music was pumping.  I didn’t quite realize how pumping until I sat down about 8 feet from the speakers and my whole body started to shake from the bass.  I couldn’t hear myself think, and I had to shout when I talked. 

The music was great, we danced up a storm.  The DJ is a friend of the youngest sister, but it was just too loud and so we stayed for an hour and a half – we couldn’t take much more.  Once we left, we went down the street and stopped at a bar.  After the bar, we ended up at “Poutini’s House of Poutine” where we indulged in some, what else, poutine (for me, just fries and gravy hold the cheese) as our after 1am snack.

After eating we walked a bit and then we finally left for good.  I was pretty tired by then – haven’t had this much activity nor have I stayed up this late in a long time.  I’m used to quiet, chilled evenings with friends, this was not one of those nights.  Maybe this explains what happened next.

After dropping off one of the girls, I ended up..and I swear I drank only water….going the wrong direction on the Lakeshore trying to get onto the expressway.   That’s right – I went east on the westbound lanes.  A bit dangerous, but thankfully it was about 2am so there was no traffic (there was one car who graciously did not honk at me for being a dumbass)…otherwise I’m sure I’d be telling a different story.  I can only say in my defense that it was dark, it was late, I was tired, I only went a few meters east before realizing I was going the wrong way (I wasn’t that out of it) and I….was damn lucky there were no cops.

There is a reason why I don’t let myself out late at night. 😐

HOT WALKS

Courtesy of Globe and Mail

There’s a heat wave going on right now in Toronto.  After months of mediocre weather, we are now finally experiencing summer weather.  Oh, and of course we’re also in the middle of a garbage strike, so we have a hot, smelly city right now.  The last time there was a garbage strike, I believe it lasted for over a month and it was while the Pope was visiting.  Toronto city workers have great timing I tell ya.

Despite this hot weather, I’ve been taking a walk during lunch everyday this week.  I was a bit hesitant since I am not a fan of hot weather and don’t want to go back to work covered in sweat.  Not that I sweat like a pig, as the saying goes, but feeling hot and sticky is not at the top of my list.

Yesterday was super hot, reaching about 30c, but feeling like 40c instead.  I still went for my walk, but I walked slowly with my co-worker.  There are some people who can totally function in humid weather, I’m not one of them and I’m not ashamed to admit it, I know my limitations, but I still went out.  I put on my fishing hat, that I love, and slathered on lots of sunscreen.

The nice thing about these walks is that it gets me out of the office.  And, I’m guaranteed that I get my exercise for the day and some fresh air as well.  I hate being cooped up in the office all day with my ass stuck on a chair, so this is a good way to get myself out and use my lunch hour productively.

Walking with my co-worker is hilarious.  She cannot walk a straight line.  So, we’ll be walking on the sidewalk and as she keeps yapping she starts migrating towards my side of the sidewalk until I’m practically walking on the grass cause I don’t want her leaning all over me.  I’ve had to gently push her to her side many times telling her she’s crowding me.  But, I’ll take a crooked walking companion anyday if it gets me out of the office for an hour.

BLOGGING

I’ve been blogging for a long time.  I was thinking about this last week.  I started blogging on Xanga back in 2001.  I don’t remember how I found the site.  But, I do remember why I started blogging.  Blogging has always been a great outlet for me to express how I feel.  Lately though, its been harder for me to blog because everything I’m going through right now is too personal to blog about in such a public forum.

I’ve met some very interesting and nice people from blogging.  Some I keep in contact with, some I’ve lost touch with and some I will probably never speak to again.  I got to thinking about all this because I still log into my Xanga account periodically to see if the people I use to read on a daily basis still write.  One or two of them still do but the majority of them have stopped blogging.  But, the last time I logged in I got a message from one of my favourite reads from back then.  He started a new blog and wanted to let me know his new website address.

I was glad to know he was still blogging, as he had stopped for awhile, because I always enjoyed reading his old blog.  He has this great writing style and no spelling mistakes, my biggest pet peeve.  When I met up with him a few years ago when I was still living in Vancouver and he was living in Seattle, I could understand why I liked his blog.  He was warm (he gave me a big hug when we met!), very intelligent, funny guy with a serious streak who was really thoughtful.  I think that’s why I liked his blogging, his personality was brought out in his writing style.  A lot of people don’t write the way they talk or convey their true selves in their blogging, but he was not one of them.

Anyways, his current blog is the same way.  Warm, funny and interspersed with video’s and great music picks.  I don’t read a lot of blogs, because who has the time, but his will be one that I try to read as regularly as I can.

GASSY FRIEND

This is what happens when you have a gassy friend:

I was at the jewellery counter at Target (spontaneous Buffalo trip this weekend) and as I was staring at this necklace, my friend, who was leaning against the counter a few feet away, suddenly let one rip…not once, not twice, that’s right, three times in succession.  Startled, I stopped looking at the necklace, quickly processed what just happened thinking “no way, she did not just fart while there’s another women a few feet from me!”. 

I slowly turned to her with this look of “what the hell, are you !$%^(&**# serious, you just farted in public, have you no shame?!!!”.  She looked totally nonchalant, like nothing happened, but then caught my look and knew she was busted.  It was when she looked at me I knew that if I didn’t walk away we’d be rolling on the floor laughing our asses off.  Thinking quickly, I looked over at the women beside me, noticed she was oblivious to what just happened and I started casually walking away.  My friend took my lead and went to the clothing section trying not to lose it.  I was by the cosmetics stifling my urge to laugh.  The women who was beside me walked by me and looked at me strangely (my stifling resulted in splutters of choked laughter).  When the coast was clear, I went over to my friend and we started laughing hysterically for minutes.  The type where you can’t breath, you start to cry and your stomach hurts.  People were looking at us like we’d gone insane.

So, my friend was laughing cause of the look on my face – apparently it was priceless (she didn’t realize there was a women beside me, therefore the farting – like that makes it any better), I was laughing cause, well, it was hilarious (I mean she looked so damn calm for a women who just farted in public!!).  She thought it was quiet enough that I wouldn’t notice therefore the calm demeanor (so as not to draw attention to herself…right).  Well, it wasn’t quiet (unless they’re the silent and deadly type, farts are rarely ever quiet) and the fact that she thought she could get away with it made me laugh harder.  She’s lucky there was a women beside me because I would have called her out big time – I saved her from public embarrassment.

Such unladylike behaviour.  But, she’s not known to hold in her gassy stomach.  She farted in a book store awhile back, thinking no one heard (why she would think in a quiet bookstore no one would hear her fart is beyond my comprehension) and my other friend, a couple aisles away, yelled out to her “don’t think I didn’t hear that” as a girl walked into the aisle my gassy friend was in.  You’d think she learn, eh?  I guess once a public farter, always a public farter.  😀

IT’S COLD

Outside my place...lovely white snow

Holy crap its cold.  Its the wear a wool sweater over a few shirts, a pair of long johns underneath your pants, a scarf, gloves, a hat, thick socks, boots with lining and a big bomber jacket kinda of cold.  Brrrrrr!!!!

Yesterday, I was out grabbing lunch, and made a detour to the bookstore.  I’ve been reading books like a madwomen and was running out so I needed to replenish..no, really!  So, anyways, it didn’t seem so cold, probably cause I was only in and out, but also because there wasn’t a breeze, so I couldn’t feel the nip as much.

When I got home and finished my lunch, I was restless, I needed some fresh air.  Now, a normal person wouldn’t venture out on such a cold day for a walk, but apparently I am not a normal person and bundled myself up, plugged in the iPod and off I went.  Well, 15 minutes into my walk, I couldn’t feel my cheeks, they had frozen.  My feet were following close behind because again, not a normal person, my boots didn’t have a lining in them.  So, I detoured into the mall to get some warmth, and buy some chapstick cause the lips were feeling a bit dry, and ventured back out to finish my walk.  My usual 45 minute walk was reduced to just 30 minutes yesterday.  I think I would have frozen if I hadn’t cut it short.

The forecast is saying it’ll be cold for a few more days.  I won’t be going for a walk today or tomorrow cause I’ll be busy, but it won’t deter me from taking my walks in the future.  Yeah, I froze my ass off, but it just means I’ll have to bundle up better.  You can’t let a little cold weather stop you from doing stuff.  Its like the obstacles you face in life, either you let them get you down, or you keep on trudging along.  I’d rather keep on going, its the challenges you face in life that make you stronger.  (how has a blog about the cold become so philosophical?  LOL)

OVER MY HEAD?

My sister-in-law’s youngest sister is turning 30 this weekend.  I told her sister, impulsively, that I wanted to go to her party.  After I did that, my sister-in-law said to me “do you know what you’re getting into?”.  Hm…um…no.

So, that’s what I do, I often just plunge into things quite impulsively.  Not all the time, but a majority of the time.  Now, having said that, after I decided to party with her, my sister-in-law told me how she parties.  It involves sex, drugs and rock n’roll.  I laughed, she told me she wasn’t kidding – it was going to be hard core partying.  So, I told her I could do the rock n’roll, but no sex and drugs and I’d be fine.  She laughed and just looked at me sadly with that “oh, you’re so in for it”.

And now, with the party approaching, I’m getting a bit nervous.  Why?  Not because I’m afraid of what’s going to happen during the party, nah, that doesn’t bother me.  I’m nervous that I won’t be able to stay awake during the whole party!  The reason I stopped clubbing was because I fell asleep at a club once back in my mid-twenties and that was the day I stopped.  But, I plan on taking a nap, cause the party doesn’t start until 10:30pm.  It’s a late party, but with a nap I should be ready for anything…right.

It’s going to be an interesting, and I’m sure, fun night.  I haven’t been in a club in a long time.  I prefer quieter nights than the pounding sound of a club, and the deafness that follows afterwards, but in the spirit of her 30th birthday I will endear it.  Funny thing is the last time I was at a club was when I was with her in Vancouver.  I went with her and her older sister to this place at the Plaza of Nations and I remember thinking to myself “shit, I’m way too old for this”.

I may be too old for clubbing, but I refuse to fall asleep and embarrass myself again.  😀