Rebel L

Hey,

I'm supposed to get up at like... oh, I dunno, 9am and shower and proceed working on my macadamia academic assignment thing, but man. It's just not feeling like bedtime yet. Sure, my eyelids are like 10 pound weights (and in eyelid weight, that's like benching a small elephant), but I feel like there's just so much to catch up on. Like uploading some new photos for once, and linking you to Miklos.ca because we got to try out a 20mm lens his friend Bob graciously allowed him to borrow (all of those pictures are on Miki's site, none are on mine; sry!). So much fun.

I officially 'launched' this blog last week after 2 years, in accordance with the "Who Gives a F&#$ Anymore" law I recently passed with regards to who reads my writing. It was a struggle getting royal assent on that proposition, but once I read it over and gave it some good thought, I quickly decided the timing was right. What with the economy and the dollar sign in its name, et al.

The people would want this.

So guess what. I got a ukulele, as mentioned yesterday. What I did not say was that I decided to premiere it to one of my sisters while she was passed out in her bed, 'recovering' from the previous night's events (I imagine). I stood in the door, in a hunched-over-the-ukulele pose, strumming gently with a big smile plastered on. This went on for about a minute until she began to stir, opened her eyes in a daze, and then mumbled, "oh my god... I thought I was dreaming that." I gave a big grin, and she roared, "GET OUT!!!!!!" Obediently, I ran out of her room giggling.

It's my favourite thing I've done lately. You know, other than working every weekend.

So welcome, welcome all. I hope you like it.

I'm off to bed. Goodnighty.

Spilling Mistake

The Local Rabbits will always be a good springtime band for me. Spring of 2006 in Toronto, Spring of 2009 in St. Catharines.

There were some college years in between but we'll just repress all those memories, excluding of course the influential people I met during that time. A few surprisingly great teachers, a few cool people, a few good friends, one of whom I knew only for just over a year but who touched my life in a lot of ways with our common ground, some silly situations, and our fail-proof intriguing conversations.

Sometimes I think of my times with Ellie and imagine what they would've been like if she weren't there. I'd certainly have looked silly setting up a tripod in the Brock courtyard at midnight, light-painting a long-exposure with my little flashlight, doing somersaults on the goose-poop-covered ground just to see what the light in the photos would turn out like. I'm sure it looked silly then too, but when paired with maniacal girl-laughter and some shots of her spinning around with a flashlight in her hand, it was called 'fun'.

Or the time when she asked a server at the Merchant Ale House for a glass of water with seven lemon wedges in it. I will always remember seeing her from across the loud, bastardized-local rock 'n roll-filled room, mouthing only the word "lemons" at the server. I sat smiling to myself that she actually went and asked for it as a result of our conversation about how great lemons were, thinking about what adorable idiots we were. Always discussing smart things, then topping them off with lemon- or Spoon-appreciation.

Anyway, all I'm thinking is: School is over, and Ellie would've been feeling just as relieved as I am this day (probably more so).

And though Ellie left me with a paranoia about all the things I love in my life could be gone in about 17 seconds, she also left me remembering to appreciate everything and bother to make the effort, because there'll always be a few minutes a day available for fun to make up for all that.

Good things right now:

• School's done.
• The majority of dysfunctional stress in my life is gone, as a result of decision-making.
• It's the most beautiful day outside (we'll forget for now that I have to work all weekend).
• Everyone got drunk before the last exam except for the three of us who just sat there smiling about how much we'll miss those nutjobs when they're gone from our daily lives.

I'm not going to bother to balance that out with bad things. This entry's heavy enough.

Hey, the Habs are out... or something.

Fame went to the painting elephant's head

When I was a wee little dame of about 16, one of my night-dweller friends (sometimes two) and I would spend summer nights on the back porch, usually at my house, and look up at the navy blue above our heads and watching for lights that twinkled just a little too quickly. We saw some strange things, but I think they may have just been strange by comparison, because no one looks up at the sky when they get older. (Unless they're unemployed, which I sometimes kind of wouldn't mind, until the bank account got below the buffer zone. That shit really sends me into a panic.)

Summer's almost here. Time to look up at the sky again, on those short nights in between workdays.

Speaking of, what a good forecast.

Personal Memo

Although seemingly impossible, I heard "Magic Man" by Heart for the first time in probably 10 years on TWO separate radio stations at different times last night. I also heard "Roxanne" by the Police. Songs with those kind of falsettos are perfect for driving alone.

Well, I guess 2008's over as of tonight at midnight, so here's a list of things I liked from the past year:

• Sam. Coolest girl ever.
• Watching my niece grow so much in her first year
  
• Getting so genuinely interested in politics for the first time, even if every single Canadian candidate is a horrible hack.
  
• OBAMA. I will probably never again be so moved by a new president's acceptance speech
  
• Matthew Good: Live at Massey Hall
• A few songs off the new Eagles of Death Metal album
• Seeing a flying hawk with a snake dangling from its beak up north
• Seeing bears up north, and that tree full of vultures that was near them
  
• Being up north in general
• Seeing moose at Algonquin
• Andrew getting his kayak
  
• Not being at school for eight months
• Building on the friendships I have with people at work
• Spending time with new friends and old friends again
• Finding the perfect pair of winter boots for cheap in Toronto of all places
  
• Getting my new camera, which has furthered my obsession with taking pictures... I want an even newer camera already!
• Another year of Rico being my best model
• Having a car (albeit a scary one to drive in)
• Miklos's dad fixing the heat in said car! Best, ever!
• African Lion Safari
  
• The Dark Knight
• Iron Man
• "Yer a hell of a package, Kid." Crazy Joe and his close-talking ways.
  
• The new apartment. What a great place, and what great roommates!
• Christmas. Possibly the best ever. Catopoly for the win!
  
• Having bangs for the first time since I was eight
  
• The (eventual) recession. Gas prices are so beautifully low.
• Of course, all the Sarah Palin moments
• And much, much more
  

This actually was a pretty good year, if you look at it as just that, (12 months in time wherein a bunch of different things happen) which I usually don't. Time usually kind of just blurs together for me. 2009 is sure to be a pivotal time in my life. Finishing up with college, possibly starting a new program in the fall, maybe even getting a good job at last!

And of course, it wouldn't be a New Year's Eve without the cliche resolution to work out more. So there, I said it, and that is that.

Happy New Year to you and your family!

Oh.

And if you haven't yet, you must listen and re-listen to Modern Guilt (the album, as well as the title track) by Beck. Listening to it while driving is preferred.

I remember albums and songs by certain environments was in at the time I over-listened them. For instance, I remember two Interpol albums as the ones I listened to on the subway to work a couple of years ago. I remember Ashtray Rock by the Joel Plaskett Emergency, and especially as the album I kept making Andrew listen to in his car a year ago, and specifically I remember driving through a tunnel (seymour! I don't like you driving through tunnels! you know what that symbolizes!) during "Cruisin'". I remember "Autobiography" by Sloan as the song that always came on on Brown Road in Welland on my way to work at the mall. "You Shook Me All Night Long" is when I drove my dad's ancient Z24 the summer I came home from Toronto to start school and there was no cd player, and bad reception on everything but the classic rock station. "Roxanne" is a song my dad used to sing mockingly, but secretly enjoy. I already know how I'll remember Modern Guilt. On the long, long drive home from up north, just after I dropped Andrew off in Toronto and got on the packed-house highway, it began to pour. I mean pour. I was driving through the goddam ocean, on a highway. No one could see anything, and that included me: Perfect-Vision Girl. I was certain someone was going to slam into the car at any second. And for some reason, through all this, all I can remember is the driving beat of "Gamma Ray" suggesting a hint of fun in this terrifying ordeal.

Hey, I didn't die! Listen to it!

Click the picture to see my old bedroom window!

Found it on Virtualcity.ca: The old Bathurst/Dupont dump down the alleyway. $1050 a month plus water, phone, cable & internet, split between three people in a two-bedroom place that was originally a one-bedroom, which was smaller than many or most bachelor pads.

Just why did Toronto give me anxiety again?

Cole threw a bloodied pillowcase behind that chain link fence once. I wonder when they're going to start building the condos they were going to put there.

Okay so I rule

Shine

Click on "Canada's Flair for Diverse Hair", zoom in and take a look-see who's second from the bottom-left.

That's right. Famous. Online nameless famous. I win.