Larocque and Roll

Is she dead yet? Nope - here she is! June 30, 2005

1. Although I was lucky enough to have internet access in North Bay, I wasn’t so lucky in Timmins. I was also unlucky enough to time my arrival at my hotel with a power outage caused by a lightning strike. Eegads!

Other than that, the trip was good. I’ll have more details once I get the pictures uploaded, which may not be until next week. I’ll leave you with these images: a giant cow, a giant truck, and mysterious moose.

2. So gay marriage is now a reality in Canada. Go us! I have many insightful things to say about the columnist in the National Post the other day who was writing against gay marriage. Except that I can’t remember his name or what I did with the paper - he was a priest, though.

3. Everyone who read the Toronto Star on Monday may have seen the article about the cuts to library funding in Ontario. I know - most people can barely remember what they had for supper last night and now I’m asking you to think back to Monday and to an article you may not have seen. (However, if you saw the picture of the guys in speedos from the Toronto Gay Pride Parade, the article about library funding was next to it.)

I work for one of the two organizations that just had our funding slashed drastically, so it’s been a really tough month for us. We work with public libraries in Northern Ontario, which are mostly rural and/or remote and who rely on us for support. Now, it’s going to be even more difficult for them to offer services to their library users, and it’s going to be more difficult for us to help them. If you live in Ontario and want to tell your MPP how important library services are to you, you can find their contact information here (by riding, or here by last name). If you live in another province or country, make sure your elected official knows how much you value library services in your area.

4. Tomorrow is Canada Day, so go out and hug a Canadian!

5. Our book club finally met last weekend and got around to talking about The Eyre Affair (after oohing and aahing over our newest member, Samantha. She’s the reason we haven’t met since early spring, but oh what a sweet little excuse!). I’ve posted our new book on the left, and will post our review of the book at some point.

And, she’s off! June 27, 2005

Okay, so where was I?

Right.

I did eventually make it out for a walk last night, around 10pm. I kept going out onto my balcony and saying, “It’s still light enough! Just let me finish…” every ten minutes. Finally, I had to say to myself, “Oh, to hell with this. Just go already!” And so I did. I’m glad I did because I was restless and unsettled, and felt less so afterwards.

And the packing got done and the dishes got done (eventually) and some of the tidying got done. The fridge - well, let’s just say that at around 8:45am, I swore loudly.

And my hotel room here in North Bay has high speed internet access - and it doesn’t require wireless! Woo-hoo!

Oh, also? I don’t think I should drink really strong coffee - any caffeine, really - early in the morning, especially if I’m driving somewhere. I’m wide awake, but I’m also “opinionated” after a cup of extra-strong dark roast. It’s a choice between me being awake and hostile or dopey and docile, really.

FOCUS, damn it! June 26, 2005

This weekend has been one long waste of time. I have been completely unable to focus, and I’m not sure what to blame it on. It’s not like I lack things to do - quite the contrary. I should have spent the weekend running around like a chicken sans head, but instead, I’ve lolled about doing as little as possible. And the heat doesn’t have much to do with it.

I’m going on part two of my adventure this week. But have I packed? NOOOOOOOO.

My parents are coming next weekend. But I have I done any cleaning? Sort of - except that I made another mess in the process of cleaning up the first mess, so I’m basically back at square one.

A co-worker who’s having a week far worse than mine asked me to make her a mixed CD. That’s finished. But have I finished the liner notes of the booklet? NOOOOOO.

Have I gone for a walk yet today? NOOOOOOOO. And not likely to happen, given how late it’s getting and how much I have yet to accomplish.

Have I finished washing the dishes and cleaning the fridge? NOOOOOOOO.

(Am I totally grooving to The White Stripe’s “My Doorbell”? Oh yes.)

Did I finish the sock I’ve been working on for the past month. Yes. But I frogged it because it was too big. Now I have to restart it for the FOURTH time.

And for everyone who’s going to suggest I make a list, rest assured that I already have a list. The first item on that list? “Make a better list!”

So, we’ll see if I manage to get out the door at 7am tomorrow.

Overheard in Sudbury June 25, 2005

“He’s gone with this group and they do fun things like hang gliding and flying and looking at airplanes. They do a lot of things with air. Because it’s the Air Cadets, after all.”

Hodgepodge II: Electric Podge-a-loo June 24, 2005

I suddenly remember that I had started posting Alien-esque titles to blog posts I didn’t have a good title for. Now I’ve started with the whole “Hodgepodge” thing. My bad. I’ll switch back next time.

This week - hell, the last month - has been spectacularly horrible. Craptacular, as my brother-in-law would put it. It’s not even been one thing after another - it’s been several things at the same time, and then several more things on top of that. I’m overwhelmed and emotionally drained.

Needless to say, there is a carton of ice cream in my freezer and I’m not afraid to eat it in one sitting. (Mom - put down the phone! Just because I want to doesn’t mean I will. But that bottle of tequila is looking mighty good right now.)

Things I saw on my walk the other night:

• A huge bug on its back. I would have flipped it over, but the thing was the size of my hand, and I figured it would probably attack me if I did. So I just moved it over to the side, where there was a chance it could flip itself over after I had gone on my merry way and not attack me.
• A loon.
• Someone flying one of those glider things. Like in Fly Away Home? I can’t remember what they’re called.

I forgot to mention in my adventure post that the dragonflies in Dryden were super-huge. Like, they were the Hercules of the dragonfly word. When normal dragonflies dive-bomb you, it’s like “Tee hee! That tickles!” When those monsters dive-bomb you (as they did to me), it’s more like “OW! #$%&*! That HURT!” Nor would the little bastards sit still long enough for me to take their picture.

Why is it that I can go on stage and dance in front of 200+ people in a gold bra, but I can’t walk across my parking lot wearing my spandex yoga pants in front of maybe ten people who happen to be looking in the right direction at the right time? I usually end up wearing my nylon splash pants over them, and it’s too warm at this time of year to do that, really. (The yoga pants are what I wear to dance class.)

Last night after bellydancing, I went out with the rest of the Lame White Girl Posse (Karen, Kris, Marty, and Andrea, who is representing the Kitchener chapter) to the Laughing Buddha, a cafe downtown, to celebrate Marty’s graduation.

For my mother who asked (and the two of you who are still interested), the singer I made reference to the other day was Rufus Wainwright. That boy has a set of pipes on him, but I really didn’t like that song. (I watched the extras DVD - turns out his father and sister were also in the movie as singers in the Coconut Club during different eras. Cool.)

Speaking of Wainwright, I found possibly the best cover of a George Michael song EVER yesterday - Wainwright and Ben Folds covering “Careless Whisper” (why can’t I find the link anymore?) Does anyone want to go to their concert in Toronto in August with me?

Six more months until Christmas Eve!

Adventures in Northwestern Ontario June 23, 2005

Last week was spent traveling around northwestern Ontario, which is somewhere I don’t get to go nearly often enough. Seriously. I love Dryden, which is small and charming, and reminds me of my hometown, Fenwick. Thunder Bay is also lovely, nestled on the shores of Lake Superior (motto: “I’m not just a Great Lake, I’m Superior!”)

The first few days were spent in Dryden. This is a picture of the cabin I stayed in.

I was met by a welcoming committee of spiders. They probably heard about my phobia on the “web” (hahaha! I’m so clever!). Thanks guys - not!

George and Charlotte

Stinky

Frederich, my concierge/valet

There was no phone in the cabin, which bothered me some, since I was in the cabin furthest from the main building. But it did have funky lamps - in fact, I think my parents have one similar to this in the basement somewhere.

I did get to do a little shopping, and got my Mom a birthday present (which she’ll probably get when she comes to visit next weekend). I also got to see the World’s Largest Moose.

And, in honour of the Yarn Harlot, here’s a picture of my sock with the moose.

On Wednesday, I flew to Thunder Bay, where it was sunny and warm. Thanks to Marylynn, I had a list of places to check out while I was there. But because of time restraints, I made it to exactly none of them. Except the Sleeping Giant, which I did gape at for a while (it really *does* look like a giant laying down with his arms folded across his chest!) None of my pictures turned out very well, though.

Thursday after my workshop, I was getting into my car, and I saw something running towards me. I though it was a bird, but as it got closer I realized it was a chipmunk, and I was pretty sure it was going to try to get into my car!

I flew back Friday to much cooler weather in Sudbury, which was refreshing. Next week, I’m off to North Bay and Timmins, so expect more pictures and about the same number of adventures.

Well, depending on whether or not I decide to take the 144 from Timmins to Sudbury, which takes 4 hours to drive and passes through exactly two towns. The rest is wilderness, punctuated by logging camps and a sign marking the watershed line, where water ceases to flow south to the Great Lakes and flows north to Hudson’s Bay and the Arctic. Coolness. (Oh, and the Giant Cow in New Liskeard. I’m bringing my sock just for that!)

This just in… June 22, 2005

Rick Mercer’s Blog

The Internet has just become a more fun place to play!

Surprised by Leo June 20, 2005

Normally, I wouldn’t spend a lot of time and effort going into the details of a movie I’d watched over the weekend. But yesterday I rented a movie I swore up and down I would never see because it was so praised and panned and generally hyped - I’m usually disappointed by movies like that so I tend to avoid them. But I caved in yesterday afternoon, after hearing yet another review by an average movie watcher who said it was worth watching, at least once.

So I picked up The Aviator after my walk yesterday, and watched it last night. And I honestly thought it was pretty good.

I’m not a huge Leonard DiCaprio fan - I’m not one of the throngs of people who think he’s the hottest thing since boiled water. I find him kind of scrawny and washed-out, and I can’t say that I think much of his acting. But occasionally he’ll surprise me, like in What’s Eating Gilbert Grape (I didn’t much like Titanic, though.)

Ten minutes into the movie, I forgot who it was I was watching - instead, I was watching the story of a ambitious man fighting against a disorder that threatened to take over his life (man, I should get a job writing these things!) DiCaprio did an excellent job in this role, capturing all the nervous tics and behaviors of someone with Obsessive Compulsive Disorder.

(My only - and I feel like a traitor admitting this - complaint? In the first scene in the Coconut Grove, I don’t much care for the singer’s voice. I’ve watched the scene four times, and in his defense, it’s mostly the song and style I don’t care for because I find his voice ill-suited for it. Normally, I think he’s phenomenal and I have three of his four CDs in heavy rotation on my iPod. I just don’t care for the piece in the movie.)

I’m still not dead yet…. June 17, 2005

I have many stories and tons of pictures, mostly taken during the flights. I did lots of reading, also.

I will leave you with these pictures.

This is the cabin I stayed in when I was in Dryden. Tres rustic.

This little guy tried to get into my car in Thunder Bay. Tres cute.

Heat wave June 11, 2005

Not only is it far too humid to be clever, but I think I used up all my funny earlier this week.

And yes, I realize there are places that are far more hot and humid than it is in Sudbury right now, and I shouldn’t complain - except that Sudbury isn’t supposed to get weather like this, at least not this early in the season. Or at all, if I am to believe the locals (who haven’t steered me wrong with their weather predictions yet - “You think it’s cold now? It’s going to get colder before you know it.” And hot damn - they were right!) The Herb Tarleks aren’t liking this weather, and are starting to wilt in protest, despite the fact I’ve been watering them every other day because of the heat (am I possibly overwatering them?)

Surprisingly, I’ve been busy today, getting the recycling ready to take downstairs and tidying my linen closet, both things which I’d let go too long. I got a new shower curtain, and an extra set of keys made, plus getting a new purse/briefcase thing and a cute little makeup bag for Gretchen and her accessories.

I’ll be on the road next week, and have re-psyched myself up for it. There will be pictures - oh yes, you’d better believe that I’m getting a picture of the giant moose in Dryden with the sock I’m knitting à la the Yarn Harlot and her traveling sock - which I’ll try and post from the road, but more likely when I get back.

Now, if you’ll excuse me, I intend to spend the rest of the afternoon in quiet contemplation of my navel and the torn blister on the bottom of my big toe*.

*I tore it Thursday night at bellydancing. We were learning a new step called the “Marilyn Monroe” because our instructor couldn’t think of any other way to describe the move. It’s kind of a sashay with a twist.