christmas schmistmas

Christmas this year had been green, great, and odd.
First off, there's not a speck of snow to be found for love or ready money.

During last night's Christmas service at church, I was alarmed when - for the first time ever - one of the attendants in long white robe whipped out a squirt bottle of hand sanitizer right before Communion. I guess cleanliness is still next to godliness. (sorry)

I got my dad and sister gifts that officially qualify my for the best.daughter/sister.ever sweepstakes. It was a great Christmas morning, my heart felt so full I thought I would cry. And we named the turkey "Stew".

The queen's message was, more than ever, jarring and weird. First of all, she was wearing my favourite colour of lime green; second, that surreal moment when her "friendly subjects of colour" kind of froze in a tableau around her and she addressed the camera directly. Third, the smile she cracked in closing when wishing everyone a merry christmas was sweet but kind of a ghastly surprise.

And then, there was the joke: yes, the queen cracked a joke. "I was reminded of a woman about my age who was asked by her grandson "granny, do you remember the stone age?" You could HEAR some of the camera people tittering!! She looked away from the camera for a moment, as if to ask them "why are you laughing?" and then got back on track about how old people have lots to teach their youngers. It was WEIRD! she cracked a Joke! and the crew laughed! And she reacted! And they didn't edit any of this out! (What must have happened on the other takes?!)

Does this mean she's hipper than us (gentle reader) - or that her PR machine has it in for her? In either case, god save the queen!

p.s. update on Helga: talked to her on the phone today. She's home from the hospital already, without having her fractures repaired, and -- even though her physiotherapist nephew warned her it might take a year to recover -- she's vowed it will only take 6 months and she'll be back on the golf course by summer. Sheesh. :D She totally rocks.

trapped in the bathroom

I just got out of the bathroom at work. I was trapped there for half an hour (the door lock jammed). It was kind of fun. Ultimately though, I didn't have to McGyver my way out through the ceiling tiles. Slightly disappointed by that. They hammered on the lock until it broke, that's all.
Definitely only the kind of thing that happens on the last day of work before the holidays.
Definitely only the kind of thing that happens to me. :)

I knew I should have brought my climbing harness to work today!

Helga the Great

If you were my great-aunt Helga, you would:

* be 86 years old, of hearty Norwegian stock, and living near Seattle
* be the matriarch of your husband's extended clan
* beat breast cancer in your 80s
* kick the ass of anyone who took your golf tee time
* have your car totaled in an accident (not your fault), walk away unscathed, and use the insurance money to buy a 2-seater red sports car

You would also:
* during a full-on regional blackout, attempt to get down to the parking garage, and fall, breaking 2 ribs, your shoulder in 2 places, and puncturing a lung, lying there until the super found you
* insist upon not getting an ambulance; insist your son come pick you up, despite the hour-long impediment of traffic during a blackout
* still insist on not calling an ambulance
* wait for hours in the hospital (because you didn't arrive in an ambulance)
* bounce back within an alarmingly small number of days (she's almost out of the ICU! She's 86!!)

She's amazing, she's incredible, she's Helga. She's my mom's aunt and one of my favourite people on earth. Just wish i could visit more often.

casa del popolo

Tonight at Casa, we met for xmas goodbye drinks at 8. At 9, a "show" started. Loud, screechy, isolated sounds, both electronic and organic. And by organic, I mean: the guys was playing his housekeys. Then we were asked to contribute (monetarily) to the making, so that we could continue to talk amongst ourselves.

So we moved to the couches in the back and giggled our stifled asses off. Cathy actually said "this music is making me aggressive", which is astonishing coming from her. Most precious was the second artist, who used his grandfather's synthesizers (recently inherited) to shake out a slow, then unrecognizably fast, then slow, rendition of "Girl from Ipanema". wow, intense. Genevieve nearly died.

Best of all, I got to ask the night's money man (the guy asking us to contribute) if he knew how much the brownies were selling for. He replied "I love being mistaken for someone who works here." To which I said "No, I know you don't work here. I just wanted to know about the brownies."

They must have hated us. I may get stopped the next time I cross over into Mile End.

in attendance (in order of exit): Mike, Beni, Gen, Janius, Cathy, Saya & friend Ken.

my hair smells like hotdogs

Random mutterings:
The kids at the Creepy Christmas Themepark were roasting wieners over the fire.
"hair scent: roast pork" was never on my life's to-do list.

Today was officially the most depressing day of the year to go to a mall. Somehow I thought a visit to H&M would be worth the agony. For the first time ever, it wasn't. That's why it's called "Hit&Miss". Just stay away from the malls, people.

It has been a highly entertaining few weeks. Starting with the 1400km, 4-day odyssey Sarah and I took along the historic trails of Quebec. Seeing waterfalls in November does the soul good.

And then came the Christmas parties: 2 for work, and more at friends' houses. Last night was the official office Christmas party. Much fun was had in various forms, and I've been working through a mild hangover on 4 hours sleep for the rest of today. I'm not drinking again for another week.

So tonight I had an impromptu comfort night -- I ran into my neighbour Ali and she ended up making me dinner, after which we watched the Sound of Music over candy cane ice cream. Evenings like this make me feel special indeed.

But on the other hand, my dear Aunt Helga lies fractured since yesterday in a hospital bed near Seattle. Send up a few prayers for the greatest, most awesome 86-year-old matriarch, will you?

jesus murphy

ok, i have a lot more important recent things to talk about. but i feel the need to say this right now...

Anyone watch Newsworld tonight at 10:40pm? Rex Murphy had a serious hard-on for Stephane Dion! My god: "The party chose the one man who has been there through tough times" and "the Liberals showed that courage counts, tenacity counts, and... Character Counts". Alleluia.

p.s. This was not the almost-universal reaction Saturday night in the wake of the Liberal leadership convention. At the party I was at, I mean. It was: "oh god, how disappointing. Another Conservative minority government."