How Is It?
Am the only person on earth whose toddler seems to need less sleep than his mother? Lucky he's so darn cute.
Personal
Journally updates on what I've, well, been up to.
April 10, 2009
March 13, 2009
Cellphone Conversation Overheard in an Elevator
5:30 pm: "Just stepping on the bus. Yep, stepping on. Well I'm not on the bus, but I can see the bus."
-- Post From My iPhone
February 24, 2009
Pondering
I was wondering this today - why do all lawyers have initials? John J. Smith. T. Robert Evans. Samira R. Ibrahim. You don't see that in other professions. I don't think my doctor's prescription pad has her middle initial, and when I worked for the government, nobody's e-mail signature did either. So what's with that?
February 7, 2009
Toddler iphone
I am loving my new iPhone. One of the greatest features is the kid-friendly apps. This morning p was enterteained by peekaboo barn for a good half an hour. Other greal apps for him are doodlekids, koi pond, isteam, and rubber duck. Most were free or 99 cents. Peekaboo barn is worth purchasing although there is a free "lite" version.
Now I need to figure out mobile blogging.au
October 12, 2008
Public Transit Makes Me Hostile
What is it about a packed skytrain that brings out the worst in people? Crammed up against each other, someone's breath steaming up your glasses, someone's hand grazing your back - it's just not conducive to friendliness. You see a lot of arguments on the skytrain and even more on the bus.
Strollers - I have very mixed feelings about strollers on public transit. In some cases, it's unavoidable and I absolutely think that public transit should be family-friendly. But there is one woman on the number 8 in the morning who growls at all of "STROLLER!!! YOU HAVE TO GET OFF!" Then we all meekly file off the bus so she can leave - if you don't watch out! She'll take the wheels right over your feet. The thing is, her kid is like five years old and obviously bright and chatty. Seems to me that in rush hour the polite thing to do might be to fold up your stroller and have your perfectly able-bodied child walk onto the bus.
Another pet peeve is lines. Vancouverites don't seem to be able to form lines or stick to them. They all just glop together on the sidewalk. As a result, when the bus arrives it's pandemonium, with lots of pushing and shoving. Lots of times the bus doesn't halt right at the stop because another bus is parked there, so then the whole crowd has to push and shove each other and dash to where the bus does stop. Some bus drivers will pick you up there, and others will close the door and nod indicating you should go back to the original standing spot. It leads to massive frustration.
September 21, 2008
Groceries
For approximately the last three months, I have been gently asking Julian to do something with the growing pile of change in our home. Julian has a wallet which does not have a change compartment, so he just brings home the change and leaves it various piles around the house. Sometimes I dip into it for a coffee, or bus fare, but I can't keep up with the growth. So today he repaid me for three months of "gentle reminders" - by paying for our groceries with $61 worth of change including several hundred pennies. Peter and I will be waiting at least a week before we show our faces there again!
March 27, 2008
Training
Well, I've fallen off the training wagon this weekend due to some really bad sleeps and accidentally locking the jogging stroller in the car and then leaving my car keys elsewhere. But onwards and upwards! We start again.
Just had a neighbour drop by with cake - LOVE my building! But of course I felt a little guilty, so I did what any self-respecting Vancouverite does in that situations - madly ripped the Capers sticker off a bag of cookies and repackaged them in wax paper. Eek! I think having cookies and cake around is far too tempting given my training needs.
March 8, 2008
A Goal
I had a great 40 minute run this afternoon on the beach - despite the fact that I have only run one other time in the past three months. I don't do well without a goal. But since I am running the Sun Run in a few weeks, I guess I better get at 'er. So buoyed was I after my run that I registered for this. Egads! What have I done??? I think Peter's going to be logging lots of hours in the B.O.B.
P.S. Oh, and thank you B.O.B. website for reminding me that "I am strong, I am invincible, I am Mom." :-P
February 28, 2008
Letters
Dear Man Driving A Green Car in the Grocery Store Parking Lot,
It is never okay to roll down your window , gesture aggressively and scream "SUCK MY C*CK!!!" at a mother and her baby EVEN if she did tap her horn at you. That is what is called a disproportionate reaction.
Yours sincerely,
Hilary
Dear Sandra Oh,
Thanks for being so friendly and saying hi to me at the playground. The only reason I walked away and didn't tell you how much I love your character is because I think that celebrities and their kids should be left alone... I realise now they probably weren't your kids, but they were pretty cute.
Oh and sorry for staring,
Hilary
Dear Dude in the Blue Car,
Please do not park in the driveway to my building. And you're right, it's not a BIG deal, but it is inconsiderate, especially when there are multiple free parking spots only metres away.
All the best,
Hilary.
Dear Peter,
Pretty please - do you think you could sleep until about 6 tomorrow? Maybe 6:30? Mama just is not at her best at quarter-to-five, and Daddy isn't either. Remember how you used to sleep until 7 or 8? Those were good days. I can handle the night wakings, but I really, really need a bit more shut-eye in the morning.
Love
Mama
January 5, 2008
New Year's Resolutions
1. Live in the present
2. Make time to exercise at least twice a week
3. Try a new recipe on average, once a week
4. Worry (a little) less (relates to #1)
5. Spend more time playing with Peter and less time cleaning my messy house (okay, if you've been over recently you might have noticed I spend very little time doing that anyway; but I spend a lot of time WISHING it were done. So maybe the resolution should be spend less time fretting that your house isn't clean.)
6. Blog more
November 23, 2007
Buy Something Day
Woops - I violated Buy Nothing Day. I had the best of intentions, but with friends in town, I ended up going out to lunch. And buying Christmas socks. Although I could see a wee exception for food in the Buy-Nothing philosophy, I don't think there's an exception for $15 coffee. It was served in a silver jug, with a small glass of warm water to "cleanse the palette" before tasting. The coffee was supposed to have a hint of "floral" flavours. No milk or sugar to be added, as it affects the flavour.
It did have a nice flavour, sweet, slightly floral, and piquante but without a bitter aftertaste. But I'm not sure it was the best I've ever had... that honour goes to a cup I had in Italy at age 17 at a small cafe that was open to the street. I'm pretty sure it had milk in it - but it was amazing.
September 4, 2007
Sad Shell
I was just reading through some of this old site and realising, hey, it used to be pretty funny! Now, just a sad shell of it's former self, it gets updated maybe monthly, and only a tenacious few family members are still reading. Okay, well maybe there were only ever a tenacious few family members reading, but still. Now it's just the really, really tenacious ones.
As you might imagine, at this stage most of my energy is focussed on my pregnancy, which is why the pregnancy blog is getting updates a little more often. I have officially finished work and am waiting for the government dollars to start flowing in! I managed to make the cut-off for eligibility of 600 hours. Of course the EI web application (aka the fourth circle of hell) then started to tell me if I had worked less than 900 hours I needed to account for the past two years of employment. Egads. Thank God for Julian's filing system as I was able to track down a few ROEs (records of employment for the uninitiated) from eons ago.
August 20, 2007
Geni
I discovered this great little website called geni.com, which makes it super-easy to make family tree. It's quite addictive! I would link to my tree, except that I don't know how you set it to public, or if you can. However, you can invite your friends and family to join it and then presumably they can view it and add ancestors of their own. Anyway, I have learned a few things - for example I have an ancestor who was a perfumer and one who was a tailor/hatter! The one kinda weird thing is that Geni keeps asking me if I want birthday reminders for people who died circa 1857.
Now I'm off to roll on the birth ball (yes, when you're pregnant, exercise balls become "birth balls") for a while to help baby stay in the best possible position.
May 25, 2007
Graduation
Wow - six semesters, 90-odd credits, at least one all-nighter, and it's all done. Sad, yet happy.
April 22, 2007
2 Papers Due = Multiple Blog Posts
Blame it on my genetic disposition towards expensive gadgetry, or my pregnancy nesting syndrome, but for weeks I have been cajoling, hinting, nudging, perhaps even begging my husband to agree that we need a new and shiny Dyson. It's not that I need his permission to buy things, but an investment of this magnitude is a decision that needs to be made jointly. The Dyson, if you don't know, is a ridiculously expensive vacuum that claims never to lose its suction.
My husband is a patient man, and a stubborn one - but even he can only take so much. The trick was to wait until it was his turn to do the vacuuming, and he pulled out our crappy three-year-old glorified dustbuster. It doesn't really suck so much as move things around on the floor. We also had a Swiffer Vac, left behind by the previous owners, but it doesn't really do much either and I am opposed to the diposable nature of the thingies you have to buy to make them work properly. Even then, it's no substitute for a real vac, especially if, like us, you have a cat and it's shedding season.
Faced with the dilemma of having to use one of these two machines to sweep up two weeks of dust, he finally caved - "If you want the Dyson, we should get it." I did a somersault with joy.
We headed off to Future Shop where a salesperson, clearly on commission, tried to sell us on the "pet hair" model, which was $200 more than the one we eventually bought. We stood firm on that and settled on the "Slim", which actually isn't really all that slim, but is a lot slimmer than the other models (most of them are HUGE!)
On the way home, Julian said, "Listen, if this doesn't work exactly as we want it, we should return it." I panicked for a moment, but I reminded myself to have faith. We brought it in - and he ran it over the jute Ikea carpet in our living area. Within a moment, he was sold.
This is what the canister collected in our 700 square foot apartment - it hadn't been swept in 10 days, which is a lot longer than we usually go, but not long enough to be considered truly vile, I don't think.
Welcome home, baby.
Sun Run
A gorgeous April tradition in Vancouver - we took it very slow this year, but there's still something exhilerating about crossing that finish line.
April 8, 2007
Saturday in Vancouver
We had a wonderful weekend - Easter showed off Vancouver at its best. The cherry blossoms are out in full force and the sun was out for two wonderful days. It is raining now, but still warmish and lovely.
Yesterday I woke up and went for a run - then returned to plant lovely things in planters outside our home. We made a huge brunch of bacon and pancakes and cinnamon buns. Then we went to test drive cars; we have decided it's time to upgrade, since our car is rusting to bits. After that, we meandered over to Granville Island and wandered through the market - we bought loads of rooibos tea and pizza and narrowly missed getting sprayed by seagulls as we stared over the water. I dropped Julian off for a massage - his birthday gift, and came home. The evening was topped off by a lovely meal at a pseudo-French brasserie nearby.
Today I've got a headache - a recurring theme recently, so not much is getting done.
March 29, 2007
Things That Annoy Me: "To Gift"
Can I just say for once and for all that, that the word "gift" is not a verb? In the past five years or so people have started "gifting" each other all kinds of items. Christmas and birthdays are particularly bad for this. But there's really no need to "gift" something to anyone since the appropriate verb associated with the NOUN gift is "give."
Besides, even if you think it makes the present sound all new-agey, you should know that this word has now been co-opted. I even noticed "Gift It!" as a slogan at a Dairy Queen on Fourth. So let's all just quit gifting and get back to giving.
March 17, 2007
Rest in Peace
Blixen, 2000-2007
died March 17 after a short battle with feline lymphoma
March 13, 2007
An Actual Conversation I Had Today
Tech Support: Hello, tech support.
Me: Hi, I'm having trouble logging in to my account.
TS: What's your name?
Me: Hilary Th0ms0n - T-H-0-M-S-0-N
TS: Hm... I can't seem to find you.
Me: Well I know my username if that helps...
TS: What's that?
Me: H-T-H-0-M-S-0-N
TS: Hmm... I still can't find you in here.
Me: Hmm.
[A pause]
TS: Aha! I found it. Seems someone forgot to put a P in your name when they typed it in here.
Me: There is no P in my name
TS: So your name is Thhh-0ms0n?
Me: Sort of.
March 11, 2007
Where I've Been
I've been a bad, bad blogger lately. But no apologies since I have had another little site under my sleeve since January... since the cat is now out of the bag, here goes. I admit, there's not a whole lot that's profound there yet, but perhaps soon!
November 8, 2006 (One Year Ago Today)
Countries Map
Found a neat little tool over at my brother's site, which may have been resurrected after long hiatus...
create your own visited countries map
or vertaling Duits Nederlands
October 5, 2006
Absolut Vancouver
Every once in a while I have this moment where I totally fall in love with this city. Last Sunday was one of those days. I was downtown early in the morning, watching the Yaletown mummies push their strollers along the sea wall. A cormorant was standing on top of some public art with its wings extended, triumphant against the sea wall. I went for a run through the closed-off streets of the city with a whole bunch of people wearing pink. Then I walked back slowly along the sea wall. The cormorants were now gathered together on the sea, and a friendly game of soccer was happening in a jewel-green park.
July 25, 2006 (One Year Ago Today)
Wondering
There's a show known lovingly around here as the oh-chay. In the past few weeks I have watched every episode of the season. I loved it - wonder why the ratings suffered? Taylor Townsend is the best.
But damn - do I seriously have to wait until November to know whether Marissa lives or dies? My take? It's actually Ryan in the coma and eventually, the last scene will be determined to have been a hallucination. Now why aren't I working in Hollywood when I have ideas as brilliant as that one?
July 23, 2006
Unjust Deserts
Ever wonder what they do when your apartment has a flood? Not the visible, on the floor kind, but the kinda that comes through walls and seeps down into the ceiling from an errant toilet tank up above?
They hook up all kinds of dehumidifying machines and try to replicate a desert in your place so that it dries up.
What does this mean when you're in the worst heat wave the province has seen in several years?
It means you spend a lot of time at the beach.
July 20, 2006
What's wrong with this picture?
No one comments anymore because of the registration thing. It's really not that bad people! I know you're lurking. One day I'll try and change it so instead of registering it's one of those weird messed up letter things that you have to type in. But I've got to do something to stop the spammers; otherwise I spend hours deleting messages advertising penile growth hormones from my archives. Why does it take hours? They only let you delete 50 messages at a time.
Anyway, a little quiz to inspire you to write. This is not a showerhead - it's a light fixture. So what's wrong with this picture? And have any of you taken Insurance Law?
July 18, 2006
Starstruck
Two and a half years ago, I forced Julian to see The Notebook with me in the theatres. While some might argue that was something done in the first bloom of love, I can only say - the honeymoon continues. Recently, we went to see The Lakehouse.
Anyway, even I can admit that the Notebook was, well, overly sentimental. But now, two years later I know there was a reason behind that fateful date. It was so that when they walked into the restaurant we were eating at, and sat down at a nearby table, he knew who they were.
Yeah - it was them. My brain pretty much exploded. As others at my table will no doubt attest, my thought pattern was something like this: OMG!!!! LOL! They r so cute!!! :-) ;-) craZ kc :-0 they r 4-evah >;-0 ajsdfh!! xoxo i heart ryan and rachel @-->-- so c%l!!! sjkdfkaljsdhflabkjlkajbsdfkjasbdfaksjbdfjkasdf
July 12, 2006 (One Year Ago Today)
Abdominal Pain
Turns out they couldn't take out the stones - there were no stones; just inexplicable gallbladder inflammation. From what I've read on Dr. Google, that's not such a good thing, but then the gallbladder is one of those unvital organs, so it's not a terrible thing.
So now I have to wait for an MRI, and/or a HIDA scan; the HIDA scan I'm familiar with from my adventures with abdominal pain in 2004. Results at that point were normal. But the MRI will be a new test for me. Unless they're the same thing - I'm not really sure. I was a little sedated when I was receiving my instructions and have been playing unsuccessful phone tag, i.e. phone wait, with the doctor.
Would you believe I actually carried my cell phone to the photocopier so as not to miss his call, but when he eventually did call I had flipped open the phone to check the time, and then mistakenly hung up on him? How's that for dumb luck? Naturally, no one picked up when I called back. But maybe that's a good thing since I just had a brilliant idea - I should ask him to try and get my records from 2004.
July 9, 2006
Paging Dr. House
I was sidelined earlier this week with a bout of intense stomach pain - the hurts to breathe kind. After a day in the ER at UBC Hospital (and being told my an ultrasound tech AND the radiologist that I had pretty innards) I was sent home with a copy of my chart and some painkillers to bring to Vancouver General on Monday so they can do a procedure which will hopefully resolve things, or might leave me in excruciating pain. Since the alternative was waiting 2 months for tests while being in excruciating pain, I opted for the former and hope to be back on my feet faster; especially since they only gave me a day's worth of painkillers.
So I used to think it would be good if we were routinely given copies of our charts, but now that I've been Googling all my test results and have diagnosed myself with at least 4 different diseases, I'm not so sure. I've become my own personal episode of House.
June 24, 2006
Check It Out
A new and improved thomsonwhike.com complete with wedding photos; if it's not done by the time you check this, it will be in 10 or 15 minutes as I am just uploading now! Can I say I heart iWeb? If you're using iPhoto, it's an easy way to publish your photos!
April 24, 2006
The Race Is Over
Five exams... two papers, all completed. Not perfectly perhaps, but done. Also, I ran in the annual Sun Run this year - 1 hour and 2 minutes! It might have only been 10K, but the last few weeks I've felt like I was prepping for a marathon.
April 21, 2006
Why Hello Again
It's been a while hasn't it? Nice to see you all here - those that are left. Five exams and two papers will do that to you - they will suck up time and drain you of original thought so that your blog entries become intermittent and uninteresting. Oh well!
May should a good month for at least three reasons:
1. I will not have to write 5 exams and 2 papers. No no no - that's a terrible reason. They are two MUUUUUUUCH better reasons why May will be good. Unfortunately I still have one exam left and so my mind is a little preoccupied with that - currently reading abut the exception to solicitor-client privilege.
1. I am getting married!!! Yay. Today I made a hair appointment with my amazing hairdresser Colin, who just might be able to make me look like Ashley Judd did in that movie... my mind is mush. Colin is fully aware of my hair's eccentricities and I am sure will be able to manage it in some way. I should probably have something more profound to say about getting married, other than just "my hair will look awesome" but unfortunately my mind can only handle so many things at a time right now, and calling Colin was my most recent wedding related activity. Hopefully I can think up something better to expound upon in my speech on the big day.
2. I am starting a new job! Yes this should be exciting for me - as much I have been adoring the student lifestyle - I think it will be nice to get back in the working world for a couple of months. Plus, it gives me the excuse to buy some new clothes, since I can't very well roll into work wearing my natty blue sweatshirt and a pair of flats with striped socks - though I did show up at my firm in that very ensemble a few weeks ago when I went in to sign some documents. But in that case I took the opportunity of being downtown to enjoy a run along the sea wall. I later found out from a friend that she wore a suit when she dropped by her new firm. Ooops.
3. Honeymoon - lots of fishin' hikin' and maybe a few spa treatments for moi?
Okay so there are still a few reasons why April might be delightful:
1. As of Monday I will have finished 5 exams and 2 papers. (Are you sensing a theme here?) I will celebrate by brushing my hair, which hasn't been done in ooooh, I'd say a good five and three-quarters weeks.
2. Sun run! I am still a little hesitant about this one given that I nearly keeled over from a stomach cramp a few days ago in my last pre-race run, but I think I'll be able to pull it together for Sunday - my first real 10K! What's next boys and girls... do I hear a half-marathon calling my name? Well maybe not right now, but never say never... summer 2007 - hmmm. Baby steps folks, baby steps.
February 28, 2006
Gloating, just a little
I've been mulling over an entry on the J.D. versus LLB designations, as UBC students recently voted in favour of a switch to the former in a referendum. But I am a little behind on my work and not prepared for such academic rigour, so instead I leave you with a picture of a hike we took a few days ago in the glorious winter snow. This picture shows yet another reason to love this province, winter is never more than an hour and a half away, at least, er, in the winter. It was a cloudy day, but the mountains were spectacular nonetheless.
So that was my Saturday. Oh, and Sunday I went for a walk on the beach. Jealous yet?
P.S. Surprisingly, this picture was taken with my new cell phone... the quality is actually quite impressive considering. Only the inside ones come out a bit blurry, because of the lack of flash.
January 2, 2006
Time Flies...
when you're swigging eggnog, and relaxing on the sofa, and having tea served in pretty little cups. Also when you're gorging on Christmas cookies, opening presents, playing with nieces and going for long walks in the snow. Sadly, reality beckons.
December 10, 2005
A Movie...
Click here to watch a short film directed, produced and edited by me.
If you have a slow connection, try right-clicking (CTRL-click on a Mac) on the movie and then choose "save as." You can then watch it when it downloads instead of streaming it. Requires Quicktime.
December 1, 2005
X-Mas Party
Procrastinating again - it's funny how frequent my blog entries get during exams. Anyway I got the invite to my summer firm's swank Christmas party today! It's at the aquarium with belugas. There are also door prizes and apparently a DJ, so I can request songs... so far the private sector's lookin' good!
I'm trying to think of the most inappropriate songs a not-yet employee could ask for...
Groove Armada's I See You Baby, (shaking that ass)
Prodigy's Smack My Bitch Up
Outkast's We Luv Deez Hoez
I'm sure you guys have better suggestions that I do...
November 30, 2005
Franken-finger
Yes, just in times for exams, I nearly cut off my thumb. Thank goodness it's my left hand. Or so I thought until I accidentally poured scalding hot water on my right hand today.
November 28, 2005
I Study Best on a Reward System
I couldn't wait for Christmas. Now, this will be here mere days after my exams are done (at least assuming Amazon.ca can pull it together.)
November 16, 2005
Problem-Solving
I've been having this problem lately with my cat. She won't finish her meal. I put her away with her food bowl and then open the door an hour later to find her curled up on whatever article of clothing is lying around, her delicious veterinarian-only food still half uneaten. I certainly don't overfeed her, so I couldn't figure out what the problem was.
But then yesterday I shivered as I lay down her bowl in its usual spot and realised there was a draft there. I turned up the heat and sure enough, she ate every bite. This is kind of strange considering that the cat has more hair than most musk-oxes, and that's just what ends up on the chair between de-lintings. However, I guess having never spent much (read: any) time outside, she's become a bit of a heat 'ho. Still, kinda strange that it's more important to her than basic sustinence.
October 19, 2005
Omens
I wouldn't say I'm a superstitious person, but I do work on instinct to a certain degree. And when I'm making some big life-changing decisions, everything becomes an omen. So sitting in the Pacific Centre food court, eating a sandwich, I was fretting over life choices (or the lack thereof?) And looking for symbols. And who should I spot (well I should say my dining companion spotted him first) but Alice Cooper... Alice Cooper in a ball cap, noshing on some good old food court chow. I'm thinking now that Alice was a good omen.
20/20 Hindsight
You know how if you look at something one way, your perspective can totally change? Like a really tough job can seem great if you get some good praise afterwards. Or your opinion of your once favourite class plummets when you get a lower-than-expected mark. There's always more than one way to look at things... this week has been tough, but I hope when I look back on it, I have some good memories. Anyway speaking of changed perspectives, check this out, it's pretty funny. It takes a while to load, but it's worth it.
October 16, 2005
Oh Yeah!
I almost forgot the most important part of my last entry - does anyone have any movie recommendations?
October 14, 2005
Videos on Demand
So I recently signed up for Zip.ca which is a Netflix equivalent. For those unfamiliar with Netflix, it's a US-based DVD rental service which mails the DVDs directly to your door. You can have a few at a time and can keep them for as long as you like. When you want to watch a new one, you simply mail back your DVD and get the next one on the list. Zip.ca is pretty similar. It has a few different packages, starting at 10.95 and moving on up. I signed up for the 18.95 which allows me 2 DVDs at a time and up to 4 a month.
There are a few benefits to the service - the main one being that I can never remember what I want to see when I go the video store and inevitably end up compromising on something that I'm only sort of in the mood for. This service allows me to keep a list of all the movies I want to see. And for CAN$18.95 a month, it's cheaper than renting 4 new releases, and saves me the time of walking to a video store.
While obviously a huge improvement over Blockbuster, there are a few disadvantages compared to Netflix. The most annoying thing is that I can't have unlimited DVDs unless I pay $6 more a month. Realistically, I think there will be few months when I watch more than one movie a week, but I still wish the "basic" service included unlimited DVDs. On Netflix the exact same plan as I have is only U$11.99 (CAN$14.22) and for U$14.99 (CAN$17.77) I'd get unlimited DVDs with two out at a time. So I hope that as Zip grows their pricing improves. The other disadvantage is that I don't get to list the order I want the movies in. I do get an "ASAP" slot, which allows me to request the movie "as soon as possible." I can also "park" some, meaning that I want them, but not right away. It's not really an issue for me since I don't have a particular order I want to see them in, but if I were desperately trying to work my way through a TV series or something, I can imagine it might be a little irritating.
Anyway my first two DVDs arrived today, which is pretty exciting. The service allows me to note when I've returned them, meaning that they won't necessarily wait until it arrives back before they mail me another one, which is also a good deal since they don't have a distribution centre in Vancouver - they're coming from Calgary I think. Anyhow, if anyone's interested in trying it, I'll certainly let you know how it goes. And let me know, as I think I can get some points towards an extra rental if I "refer a friend." I also get points for writing reviews - not sure I can beat Tony's 900 Netflix reviews, but still - a good way to spend some procrastination time.
October 13, 2005
Some updates
As a follow-up on my last entry on the Run for the Cure - check this out. It's a place where you can order a free shower card to remind you to do monthly breast exams.
I also added some photos to the gallery of our recent, wonderful trip to San Francisco. That city truly is amazing. And of course we had a wonderful tour guide.
October 2, 2005
I'm Running for My Mum!
I did the Run for the Cure today in honour of my dear mum - breast cancer survivor.
My brother is running for my Dad!!
Speaking of which, here is a gentle reminder that you too can register for the bone marrow registry. All it takes is a simple blood test, and one day your marrow could be used to save someone's life. Even if you are not eligible to give blood, you may be eligible to be on the bone marrow registry.
September 22, 2005
Health Care
Why is that my cat only has to wait a week to get an ultrasound, and yet I'm on a waitlist until December 1st for a simple dental check-up? Seems a little skewed.
Oh and I got the cat microchipped; it looked like it hurt. Guess we'll do the other when her appointment comes up.
September 9, 2005
Craziness
Moving and the ensuing lack of telephone/Internet (for a WEEK!) has put a serious crimp in my blogging. But a quick note to say, I really love second year so far. All the classes I've taken have been interesting... and there isn't that overwhelming feeling I had last year when everything was so new. I come across cases I've actually read before and know. All those base concepts are now fitting in with the more advanced stuff and that's fun to see. Also, I love the freedom of my schedule. Case in point - I am here blogging on at 11 on a weekday! At home. Not to say that all those free spaces aren't filling up fast - they are. Lots of activities and so on. But there's the flexibility, and I love that.
August 1, 2005
Trip to Provence 2
For more photos and a more detailed, entertaining account of our trip to Provence, S.V.P. visitez notre site de mariage. Julian wrote up a detailed account and I added more photos (and 1 or 2 editorial comments...)
For all our photos check out the gallery.
July 25, 2005
Back in Town
Well, can't write for long as I am EXHAUSTED, but our trip was wonderful and I will post photos soon. A variety of events, including misinformation about how long it took to get to the airport, our shuttle getting pulled over by the police, a misprinted terminal on the itinerary and the zoo that is Charles de Gaulle airport, caused us to miss our flight. Well, personally I think it was a scam because they were overbooked - we still made it there an hour before our flight. But it meant another night in Paris, or rather in a surreal hotel complex on the edge of the city. But we got to head back into town just in time to watch Lance cross the finish line on his final Tour. Literally, we were right there on the Champs Elysée. And on the later flight home we ended up on business class, plied with wine and cheese.
But despite this silver lining, Paris was overwhelming; we were wary of big cities. We did have a nice stay with some friends and saw some fun shops. But Versailles was garish and overdone after the gorgeous week we had in Provence - sort of like Pamela Anderson standing next to Audrey Hepburn. It was expensive and laden with tourists and they nickel and dime you for every single thing, from a walk in the garden to a ride on the shuttle. (But I did fulfill my curiousity in seeing Marie Antoinette's bizarre village where she used to dress up like a shepherdess - 18th century Disney World!)
We had been so graciously treated, so plied with baguettes and chocolat and camembert and rosé wine. We had such wonderful company in our hosts who took us everywhere. We had long lazy evenings by the pool overlooking olive fields. We had late mornings traipsing up medieval paths. Anything else was bound to pale in comparison. I know we just became homeowners, but we are already dreaming of a second residence in Provence. (I like the the second picture there below.) More photos to follow, but here are some to start.
July 16, 2005
Conversation with Air Canada
Me: J'était sur vol 882.
Him: Ouai?
Me: Ils ont perdu nos bagages.
Him: Ouai?
Me: Alors, je voulais savoir où sont les bagages?
Him: On les cherche.
Me: Vous les cherchez?
Him: Yes, we are looking for them
Me: So they're not in Paris.
Him: No. We are looking for them.
P.S. Don't worry about us - with all the wine and cheese, we're not feeling too stressed about it. And if you're going to be forced to buy clothes somewhere, it might as well be France!
July 13, 2005 (One Year Ago Today)
We're Homeowners!
Well I won't be writing for awhile, as I am travelling to France to visit a friend for 10 days. But the big news is, we're homeowners! It's official! We'll be moving at the end of August to a gorgeous little condo in Dunbar. We have our own patch of dirt! Well, not dirt really but a little air space parcel somewhere. With stainless steel appliances and a soaker tub! (What is a soaker tub anyway. Aren't they all soakers? Isn't that the definition of a tub?)
Anyway it's all been remarkably easy, and I'm still kind of amazed by the speed of it all when you consider all the "rogue agent" cases we learn in Property Law.
In other great news, I got a Prize in Property Law! I always get a twinge of anxiety when I get a letter from UBC... more money already? But in this case they actually gave ME money! (With a disclaimer that it would be used against any unpaid fees if I was overdue.) Let me say, no one was more amazed than I was - especially since I screwed up my future interests problem! I normally wouldn't talk about that stuff here, but it was all so perfect - isn't it fitting that a Property Law Prize can go to pay for my new little piece of property?
The next challenge, registering for courses from France!
June 25, 2005
Around the Bend
Well, I think I've "turned the corner" with the ulcer, as they used to say in Lucy Maud Montgomery books. I'm feeling a lot better and it's really just a bit of dull ache when I eat something crunchy or something acidic, and not the constant, searing pain of a red-hot poker burning from my chest through to my back.
In Lucy Maud books, when the protaganist turned the corner after an illness something extraordinary inevitably happened. For example, when Emily of New Moon recovers from a delirium she also solves a long-lost disappearance, thereby repairing a father's relationship with his daughter. Or, my personal favourite, when Pat (of Mistress Pat, or did it happen in Pat of Silverbush?) gets over scarlet fever, her previously thin hair grows in thick and curly. I've always wanted curly hair, but I guess ulcers don't get you that. All I've noticed so far is some decreased muscle tone.
June 22, 2005
Isn't It...
Okay, so Alanis might not have known much about what was ironic, but I do... I made it through all of law school with nary a stress-related illness and now I have an ulcer. Yes, my malaria pills gave me an ulcer. It hurts and sadly forced us to cut our Okanagan wine-tasting weekend short. Owww...
But it might all be worth it so that I can tell people my summer vacation gave me an ulcer. And of course, it's a good weight loss tool. Not that I was looking to, but I have to find some positive somewhere here people!
May 4, 2005
Meet Pedro
Well, there's been a request for Blixie updates, but I have to first introduce you to our other new pet.
Any music recommendations?
April 27, 2005
Winning at Winners
I just had to share that I got a pair of Seven jeans this weekend at Winners for FORTY DOLLARS!!!!! I am so excited. (For those not in the know, these jeans retail for around $200, though these were capris and might have been less, like maybe $125.) I've also discovered that the secret to shopping at Winners is checking out the area near the dressing rooms to find the good stuff that hasn't yet been put back on the rack. Naturally there were no Sevens in my size out on the floor, but sure enough there were TWO pairs back by the dressing area.
Good for those on a student budget!
Note: Actually I was wrong, this particular pair is retailing at around $176 US, though actually I think they're cheaper in Canada as the prices on this site seem a little inflated. (Or maybe I'm just superamazing at finding deals...)
April 22, 2005
It's over!!!
I can't quite believe that it's over. All of the year... my endless studying, the hours of cases, all boiled down to five, two to three hour exams. It's a weird feeling. So much done... and yet over so fast. I'm still reeling. I'm still thinking about all the stupid mistakes I made... damn that future interests problem!
I haven't got my grades yet, so perhaps this is the best time to give me real opinions. First year law school is hard work. It's hard on the personal relationships in your life, it eats up every moment of your time, it's intensely challenging and yet oddly unstimulating in some ways. And by that I mean, sometimes there just isn't even time to THINK about everything that you're learning. It can be kind of ego-crushing too. I'll admit it, I'm used to doing okay in school even when I didn't work that hard. But this year I have worked as hard as I possibly could, and I haven't always done as well as I hoped.
But it's been a great year. A happy, challenging year. I've been elated and proud at times, and dismayed at times. But despite the roller coaster, this has been one of the greatest years of my life, in (VERY LARGE) part because of my wonderful boyfriend fiancé . He has put up with my hectic schedule, grinned through my terrible law jokes, and today when I came home, he had bleached the entire bathroom. He knows me well and he knows that truly made me happy (I swear... on the way home I was thinking how wonderful it would be if someone had just vacuumed...). I love cleanliness and the past two weeks of insanity have allows me to let this places fester into a cat-hair covered mess. It's all gone now thanks to you-know-who.
Law school is hard on relationships - it takes up all your time and destroys your (normal) sense of humour replacing it with a series of bad puns about "invitations to treat." But I survived, and we survived, and we thrived despite it all!
For those of you who hadn't heard yet (forgive me, it's been an insane two weeks) PLEASE check out our site.
April 1, 2005
Where There's Smoke, There Must Be Fire
February 2, 2005
Little. Yellow. Different.
A newer, fresher look for 2005 in order to celebrate our first January in Vancouver.
What direction should this site go in? More personal stuff? Humour? Poems? Photos of the cats? Now's your chance to input.
January 7, 2005
My World is Crumbling
How could they do this to me when they know how much I rely on them as my model for a healthy, committed relationship? Who next??? Nicole and Tom? Oh wait, Bruce and Demi, oh wait... there's NO ONE LEFT! Am I really supposed to look up to Nick and Jessica as my model of marital bliss?
I really, really didn't think the rumours were true...
Crushed = me, right now.
December 31, 2004
Happy New Year!
November 29, 2004
The Winter of My Discontent
(For those who are wondering: this is the screen when G-mail doesn't load, which happens far too often, though it is still Beta so I guess I shouldn't gripe.)
October 8, 2004
We Are Aware of the Maggots
I had heard about some of the shortcomings of the George F. Curtis Law Building before I got to UBC. Mainly it seemed to me that the problem was just that it was a rather ugly building, built in the time when a bunker seemed like an appropriate model for a university campus building.
There were some plusses to the building - a few of the classrooms have nice panorama windows, it has a cute little courtyard and a rather large "interaction area" where students mingle. There are also some minusses, namely that there are no women's bathrooms on the main floor except in the library and that the vast majority of the classrooms aren't of the panorama-window variety, but are rather have an underground bomb shelter sort of feel.
And as the semester progresses even my positive thoughts about the building are starting to vanish. First there was the horrible stench in the basement. Then there was the sign warning us not to keep food in our lockers. "It is attracting rodents!" it warned. But none of that prepared me for today's helpful notice. "The Law Faculty wishes you to know that we are aware of the maggots. We have contacted plant operations and pest control but nothing will be done until after the long weekend." Sure enough, as I continued downstairs I saw hundreds of long, worm-like maggots lying on the floor outside our lockers.
I'm trying not to think about the fact that I pay $10,000 to go to school and they can't find someone with a goddamn broom to control the situation until Tuesday.
September 24, 2004
Public Transit Ups and Downs
In the last three weeks I've ridden the bus more often than I ever did in Ottawa. I think in 4 years in Ottawa I rode the bus exactly twice. Once was to a friend's party on Bronson because I was too cheap to get a cap (it took forever on the bus!) and another time was home from Banks St one Saturday morning.
But now I have the privilege of riding the transit system at least twice a day. It's actually not that bad. There are lots of parts of it I enjoy. For one thing, it's this window into other people's lives. You hear lots of interesting conversations. Like this one, heard this Tuesday.
Girl 1: I heard there were lots of problems last year at the Grade 8 to 12 dance.
Girl 2: That's because the Grade 8s were skanky and the Grade 12s were horny.
Or this:
Girl 1: [Speaking Chinese] first degree murder! [Speaking Chinese]
Girl 2: [Speaking Chinese]
Girl 1: Yeah! Twenty years to life!
I quite enjoy eavesdropping onto people's lives for the half hour or so I'm riding. But unfortunately there are lots of drawbacks on public transit too. Like, I don't know how I missed this, but there are lots of really gross people in the world. Guys trade gum with their girlfriends. To me that's just a little sicko. Think about it, would you want a chewed up piece of meat that someone else, even someone you loved, had just spit out? Gum's no different - it's saturated with saliva and digestive enzymes. Besides, it would be devoid of any flavour by the time it makes it to the second mouth anyway.
Also people cough a lot. I was sitting across from this guy who cleared his through about 18 times a minutes.
But the absolute worst was the teenage boy who sat next to me and kept putting his hands to his nostrils and sniffing in a most liquid kind of way. He sniffed, I kept count, about every four seconds. Try to imagine how annoying that would be. Just practice sniffing every four seconds for a minute or two and you'll probably even annoy yourself. Since he was beside me for at least 10 minutes, that's about 2400 sniffs (--okay, more like 150, but it felt like 2400). I had to get off the bus a stop early and be careful not to brush up against him or any of the railings he had touched, lest I get his evil SARS virus.
September 3, 2004
Homesickness
We arrived in Vancouver yesterday, cats intact. I sedated both of them, one with a veterinary-prescribed concoction and the other with half a baby Gravol (veterinary endorsed). Neither seemed much affected by the sedation and remained awake for the entire trip. Luckily we were seated next to a very understanding woman who was clearly a 'cat person.'
We quickly tooled over to our new apartment, which was gorgeous, as promised. But on the way back to where we're staying I was suddenly overwhelmed with the fact that we have actually moved here. We don't know anyone, we don't know how to rent a video or where to get drycleaning done. And everyone here is so much more fashionable than I am. Suddenly the many thousands of miles between me and home seemed like a gaping chasm. No more evenings at Mum's house or quick weekend trips to Julian's parents. No more spur-of-the-moment journeys to Montreal, or skating on the canal. I was kind of stunned all evening, realising I was time zones away from friends and family.
This morning we woke up early (jetlag) and decided to take a trip to the UBC campus where we mapped out how I will walk to the law school. Pulling up in our car, I was reminded of how lush and green the campus is. There just seem to be more types of plants here. There are huge twenty-foot high holly bushes and all kinds of evergreens and pansies grow in window boxes all year-round.
We grabbed a quick and delicious lunch on Main Street and then returned to our apartment to plan out how we will arrange all of our furniture.
This evening we walked down to Kitsilano Beach with Julian's friend Mike Ross (photographer extraordinaire.) We enjoyed coffee sitting on a huge weathered log and then we walked along the beach watching the sunset reflect across the skyscrapers downtown. We watched fisherman pull in long lines of smelt on nets. We dipped our feet in the Pacific Ocean and watched a seal cavort in the bay in the distance. And I remembered that I didn't actually skate on the canal last year anyway.
August 24, 2004
Last Day of Work
Today is my final day of work before beginning school. Almost every morning for the last 4 years I've wandered through the dark brown lobby, checked my messages on the the familiar black phone, punched my password into the SIGNET system. The big brown building is sort of a comfortable second home, where I spend a huge portion of my waking hours and recognise most of the people in the cafeteria.
But as much as I will miss the familiarity and all of the people that I've met, I'm excited to start my new adventure and to get to know a new city. Still, it's sort of bittersweet to think this morning will be last time wandering in and next time I'm here there will be a sea of new faces.
August 18, 2004
Dishwasher Mould
Has this ever happened to anyone else? You leave your dishes undone, but in the dishwasher, for a few days and next thing you know there's a green fungus living off the remains of three-day old your smoothie? That doesn't seem like it should be allowed.
July 30, 2004
Our New Home
A picture of our new 'apartment building' in Vancouver. We will be on the entire third floor. Haven't seen the inside yet, but I'm led to believe that the upstairs deck is ours.
June 13, 2004
Weekend in Wilmington, New York
Me playing with my recently received birthday present. Unfortunately the present itself is completely invisible in this low-resolution picture, but I assure you it was there!
Julian and I had an amazing time getting to know the Ausable region. With the help of our awesome and knowledgeable guide, Bill Stahl, I learned to cast and managed to catch two fish on our first day and three the following day! (Well, 2.5 as I managed to pull the last one in, but s/he got off the hook himherself...) J caught a couple too, but not quite as many as I did!
R.I.P. 1994-2004 (m.2000)
Because I could not stop for Death-- He kindly stopped for me--- The Carriage held but just Ourselves--- And Immortality.We slowly drove---He knew no haste
And I had put away
My labour and my leisure too,
For His Civility---We passed the School, where Children strove
At Recess---in the Ring---
We passed the Fields of Gazing Grain---
We passed the Setting Sun---Or rather---He passed Us---
The Dews drew quivering and chill---
For only Gossamer, my Gown---
My Tippet---Only Tulle---We paused before a House that seemed
A Swelling of the Ground---
The Roof scarcely visible---
The Cornice---in the Ground---Since then---tis Centuries---and yet
Feels shorter than the Day
I first surmised the Horses Heads
Were toward Eternity----E. Dickinson
June 3, 2004
Back in the Black
I have very exciting news today. For the first time since 1998 I am completely debt-free. That's right folks, for a brief period at 11:48 this morning I owe nothing to either Visa or Mastercard, or even to the bank. I'm pretty sure I even remembered to pay the cable bill on time! I haven't been debt-free since my first credit card, except for a brief three-second period in early 2001 when I paid off my Mastercard and then promptly went on a shopping spree in Montreal.
Credit has been my downfall. I still remember walking through the dusty corridors of the Hall Building and seeing that guy under the Mastercard sign. "Build your credit rating," he said. How could building something be a bad thing? He was giving away free pens, and more than that he was offering me a path into a life I'd never known. I'd be able to order Columbia Video House club! Online retail was just beginning to burgeon but I was eager to browse on Amazon.com. And when signing up for a new phone line I would no longer have to recite my social insurance number, my driver's license, my mother's maiden name and the estimated due date of my still unconceived first born. Those magic 16 digits from Mastercard were my key to the Emerald City.
Unfortunately it got out of hand. A vacation or two to the US, six unemployed weeks in 2002, a few drunken evenings on E-Bay, they all combined with an already unhealthy habit of shopping to drown my sorrows and a penchant for expensive pants (At one point I had 40 pairs). And no, I didn't bother to collect Air Miles or anything sensible like that. Yes, I was willing to pay the bank interest, but not annual fees.
In September 2004 I was at least $7000 in debt, and the interest was accruing. Even my attempts to get out of debt seemed designed to fail! When I went to the bank to try and consolidate my debts I ended up with a $40 parking ticket!
I finally realised, staring at my interest charges which were nearing the triple digits, that I needed to do something. It's been a long hard road, but I've been steadily paying it off. And as of today I am debt free. I am paying off my Visa every month. I am retiring my Mastercard. My line of credit has a balance of $0. And I even have $150 in an ING direct account - the beginning of my savings for school.
Now bring on the mortgage and student debt! I may not be debt free for long, but it is a sweet, sweet nectar for as long as it lasts.
June 1, 2004
SuperStar USA
If you're not watching Superstar USA, you should be. This show takes the worst singers and makes them think they are competing for an American Idol style glory. These kids have loads of charisma but the most atrocious singing voices ever. The self-named 'Nina Diva' sings the theme song from 'Beyond Thunderdome' in a voice that evokes a trumpet being played by a cat.
After her performance one judge ask her "Have you ever been to a Thunderdome?"
The contestant, shakes her head, smiles and sheepishly admits she has in fact never been to a Thunderdome. "Not yet!"
"'Cause I have," the judge continues. "And the Thunderdome is like the superstar industry. It's not a place for someone who's emotionally weak. I don't see you fighting for you life out there."
The contestants never hear each other sing, which explains how the show gets away with the hoax for so long. During the performance before a live audience the producers even went as far as telling the audience that the singers were terminally ill so as to prevent them from booing. It's still pretty funny.
February 5, 2004
Wedding Songs
You You You You You - The 6ths
Love Is - Kate and Anna McGarrigle
It all Depends on You - Maybe the Judy Garland version?
First Date - Blink 182
I Get Weak - Belinda Carlisle
Drive - The Cars
Wouldn't It Be Nice (If We Were Older?) - Beach Boys
You Like Me Too Much by the Beatles
Is This It? - The Strokes
Safe and Sound - Hawksley Workman
Roses and Roses - Astrud Gilberto
I Love How You Love Me - Beth Orton
Think About Love - Dolly Parton
Never Gonna Give You Up - Barry White
You and Me - Splendid
Your Song - the Ewan McGregor version from Moulin Rouge
In Your Arms Tonight - Hedwig and the Angry Inch
You and Me Song - The Wannadies
Open Window by Sarah Harmer
February 3, 2004
Kindness of Strangers
Last night I fell asleep with a headache.
So I slept a full eight hours.
But I still woke up the the headache.
So I thought I might feel better going to the gym.
But I didn't feel better.
So I kept working out until I did.
But I suddenly got too nauseous.
So I decided to call it quits.
But I realised I was going to be sick.
So I tried to run to the bathroom.
But I didn't make it in time.
So I puked all over the floor.
But I was shaking and ill.
So a stranger helped clean me up.
But I can never go back to the gym again.
So I guess I learned my lesson.