i'm on day two of *bed* rest, which has morphed into couch rest so that i can actually watch dvd's, surf the net, be somewhat close to the kitchen...
i just watched holmes on homes (god bless the obscene amount of channels that davoud has, which has brought the discovery channel back into my life), but to be honest i haven't been bound to the television. i did watch a great hitchcock movie yesterday afternoon called i confess from about 1950 that was filmed in quebec city. it really didn't look too much different from now to be honest.
i have brought some work along and will aim to do some of it everyday instead of doing it all on day one and then being completely bored. almost finished the blind assassin (sorry val!) and wrote some letters home this morning.
i have to say the highlight so far was listening to the canadian songwriter's hall of fame on cbc radio one from victoria last night. joni mitchell was being inducted and i was quite keen to hear herbie hancock and chaka khan's version of "help me"...awesome. james taylor speaking french was charming and he did a great folksy version of "woodstock."
best band name ever: the hurtin' albertans. how did we not come up with that at the cottage years ago when we were trying to name ellie's new band?
1.30.2007
1.22.2007
wintery weekend
there wasn't any snow, but the temperature here has certainly dropped following the gales of last week. fortunately this has also brought on sunshine...lots of it.
i went down to coventry this weekend. on saturday, davoud and i ventured out to the cathedral (so i could light some candles) and then onwards to a national trust site charlecote park. the building was closed, but we walked around the grounds, which were beautiful and very muddy. scared a few sheep, saw some deer, and experienced possibly the cleanest outdoor bathrooms in the world. it was really nice and we'll definitely have to go back in the summer when it's actually open!
sunday was pretty chilled. dinner with davoud's mum and brother, a nap for me, and a gig at taylor john's house. it was a very cool venue and we were treated to some canadian tunes by devon sproule and a few by the legendary richie havens before i just got too tired.
apparently my broadband is ready to be hooked up at home tonight so i should be properly back in action and only 7 weeks after moving!
i went down to coventry this weekend. on saturday, davoud and i ventured out to the cathedral (so i could light some candles) and then onwards to a national trust site charlecote park. the building was closed, but we walked around the grounds, which were beautiful and very muddy. scared a few sheep, saw some deer, and experienced possibly the cleanest outdoor bathrooms in the world. it was really nice and we'll definitely have to go back in the summer when it's actually open!
sunday was pretty chilled. dinner with davoud's mum and brother, a nap for me, and a gig at taylor john's house. it was a very cool venue and we were treated to some canadian tunes by devon sproule and a few by the legendary richie havens before i just got too tired.
apparently my broadband is ready to be hooked up at home tonight so i should be properly back in action and only 7 weeks after moving!
1.19.2007
a very blustery day indeed
britain was in chaos yesterday.
i'm not sure if the news made it across the atlantic, but it was nutty here yesterday. train services cancelled, large sections of motorway closed (envision the 401 being shut down for a day), airplanes doin all sorts of crazy stuff, chimneys falling on cars, trees toppling over...you name it and it probably happened.
i suppose that's what happens when there at 99 mph winds in a country that's just not designed for extreme weather. as much as i take the piss out of brits for not being able to deal with a milimetre of snow, i'd never seen wind like this in my life. and i was stupid enough to be wearing a skirt!
you can check out the bbc story and some pictures from around liverpool.
i'm not sure if the news made it across the atlantic, but it was nutty here yesterday. train services cancelled, large sections of motorway closed (envision the 401 being shut down for a day), airplanes doin all sorts of crazy stuff, chimneys falling on cars, trees toppling over...you name it and it probably happened.
i suppose that's what happens when there at 99 mph winds in a country that's just not designed for extreme weather. as much as i take the piss out of brits for not being able to deal with a milimetre of snow, i'd never seen wind like this in my life. and i was stupid enough to be wearing a skirt!
you can check out the bbc story and some pictures from around liverpool.
1.18.2007
the gravis bag
many montreal folk will remember my gravis bag. it was perfect in winter because i could fit my lunch, book, discman, wallet, keys, chapstick, hand lotion, bandaids, kleenex, journal...and any other manner of sins i needed for the day in one place.
*and* no matter how much snow or freezing rain the sky chucked down everything in there remained bone dry.
somewhere across the atlantic ocean, i lost sight of how useful this bag truly was and started becoming slowly obsessed with the handbag revolution. i think there is just too much importance placed on this accessory. i was forever traipsing around a tesco plastic bag with my lunch or dropping papers for work on the bus as i struggled to sit down juggling all my junk that wouldn't fit in my impractical, yet stylish, purse.
but now i'm back to the gravis bag. everything in one place and protected from the elements. it even frees up my hands so they can go in pockets, carry shopping, or hold the ever dreaded umbrella.
*and* no matter how much snow or freezing rain the sky chucked down everything in there remained bone dry.
somewhere across the atlantic ocean, i lost sight of how useful this bag truly was and started becoming slowly obsessed with the handbag revolution. i think there is just too much importance placed on this accessory. i was forever traipsing around a tesco plastic bag with my lunch or dropping papers for work on the bus as i struggled to sit down juggling all my junk that wouldn't fit in my impractical, yet stylish, purse.
but now i'm back to the gravis bag. everything in one place and protected from the elements. it even frees up my hands so they can go in pockets, carry shopping, or hold the ever dreaded umbrella.
1.17.2007
only one sunny day
the clouds are bringing me down.
but it was actually *sunny* on sunday. blue skies and piercing light kind of sunny. thankfully we had already planned a trip to wales with val and paul in frank the van. we didn't do much other than have lunch in the pub, a few drinks in the pub next door, and then a mini walk up to the little waterfall. you can check out some of davoud's photos by clicking http://www.flickr.com/photos/sony_boy/sets/72157594483793680/detail/ here (sorry, tried to do the hyperlink, but everytime i did blogger decided to delete the rest of the post).
on monday afternoon, we skipped out of work early to go the manchester for lunch, the ferris wheel, a few bevvies, and the joanna newsom gig. *amazing* acoustics in bridgewater hall and i now want to learn how to play the harp.
i need more sun. the clouds are bringing me down! i miss crisp snow, bright blue skies and sun so bright that it blinds you with its reflections of the white stuff. not to mention the bitter cold of montreal. i miss my scarf freezing to my lips as it's become moist with my breath and then crystalised with little ice particles. i miss putting my mittens on the radiator to warm up for the next trip out of the house.
but it was actually *sunny* on sunday. blue skies and piercing light kind of sunny. thankfully we had already planned a trip to wales with val and paul in frank the van. we didn't do much other than have lunch in the pub, a few drinks in the pub next door, and then a mini walk up to the little waterfall. you can check out some of davoud's photos by clicking http://www.flickr.com/photos/sony_boy/sets/72157594483793680/detail/ here (sorry, tried to do the hyperlink, but everytime i did blogger decided to delete the rest of the post).
on monday afternoon, we skipped out of work early to go the manchester for lunch, the ferris wheel, a few bevvies, and the joanna newsom gig. *amazing* acoustics in bridgewater hall and i now want to learn how to play the harp.
i need more sun. the clouds are bringing me down! i miss crisp snow, bright blue skies and sun so bright that it blinds you with its reflections of the white stuff. not to mention the bitter cold of montreal. i miss my scarf freezing to my lips as it's become moist with my breath and then crystalised with little ice particles. i miss putting my mittens on the radiator to warm up for the next trip out of the house.
1.12.2007
something fierce
the wind is blowing up something i'm sure of it. it seems like it's been incredibly windy for weeks. and raining...did i mention the rain? i lost my very first umbrella yesterday as a casualty of wind and rain. thank goodness i had my toque.
just had two days of training: the first a diversity training course where someone actually used the word - i'm embarrassed to even type it - *retard* and was completely serious. the second was the fourth management development training module on managing effective relationships where they referred to both our personal and professional lives. apparently it's good when i tell davoud that i haven't been listening to him give me what is probably a very good explanation of something scientific for the last five minutes.
managed to get tickets for the arcade fire gig in march...they sold out within five minutes. craziness if i ever did see it.
a fairly quiet weekend on the cards. it's supposed to rain all day tomorrow so i'm going to suggest movies, groceries and the west wing. davoud and i are going to wales with val and paul for the day in frank. monday night going to see joanna newsom in manchester. i do love a gig.
just had two days of training: the first a diversity training course where someone actually used the word - i'm embarrassed to even type it - *retard* and was completely serious. the second was the fourth management development training module on managing effective relationships where they referred to both our personal and professional lives. apparently it's good when i tell davoud that i haven't been listening to him give me what is probably a very good explanation of something scientific for the last five minutes.
managed to get tickets for the arcade fire gig in march...they sold out within five minutes. craziness if i ever did see it.
a fairly quiet weekend on the cards. it's supposed to rain all day tomorrow so i'm going to suggest movies, groceries and the west wing. davoud and i are going to wales with val and paul for the day in frank. monday night going to see joanna newsom in manchester. i do love a gig.
1.09.2007
what in god's name were they thinking?
due to the high winds all of the uk seemed to be experiencing on new year's eve, the fireworks in liverpool - which were also celebrating the city's 800th birthday - were postponed to this past friday.
after a nice meal at the blackburne arms with sam, val and davoud, we headed towards the walker to watch the spectacle from just in front of lime street station. i always like big public events like this that bring the whole community together for one purpose that has nothing to do with politics, religion, or even opinion for that matter.
*everyone* loves a good fireworks display and i was looking forward to be suitably impressed after the bismal display last bonfire night at sefton park.
the fireworks were great, but they made one colossal mistake. about half way through the show some brainless idiot thought it would be a good idea to sound an air raid siren and start setting off fireworks like bombs. not to mention the light sheets on front of the gallery that were illuminated with cartoon-like images of warheads falling to the earth.
i know the war years are a significant part of the city's history, but so is the transatlantic slave trade, the toxteth riots, the largest workhouse in the uk, and the most orange people this side of willy wonka's chocolate factory.
the night was a celebration, not a commemoration, and the mood of the crowd afterwards marked it as perhaps the worst decision so far this year by any event organiser.
after a nice meal at the blackburne arms with sam, val and davoud, we headed towards the walker to watch the spectacle from just in front of lime street station. i always like big public events like this that bring the whole community together for one purpose that has nothing to do with politics, religion, or even opinion for that matter.
*everyone* loves a good fireworks display and i was looking forward to be suitably impressed after the bismal display last bonfire night at sefton park.
the fireworks were great, but they made one colossal mistake. about half way through the show some brainless idiot thought it would be a good idea to sound an air raid siren and start setting off fireworks like bombs. not to mention the light sheets on front of the gallery that were illuminated with cartoon-like images of warheads falling to the earth.
i know the war years are a significant part of the city's history, but so is the transatlantic slave trade, the toxteth riots, the largest workhouse in the uk, and the most orange people this side of willy wonka's chocolate factory.
the night was a celebration, not a commemoration, and the mood of the crowd afterwards marked it as perhaps the worst decision so far this year by any event organiser.
1.03.2007
holiday photies
wax that looked kind of like snow in the window at the boathouse
the welsh hills just outside on conwy taking the *slightly dangerously curvy* route to the fairy glen
davoud lookin quite happy on top of the city walls in conwy...check out that scarf!
some serious drink mixing on new year's eve. god bless old fashioneds.
happy feet. traditional christmas presents of socks and slippers ;)back to *real* life
...not that the past two weeks have been anything but incredibly real.
there's a danger when i only post so often that the fun little details of day to day life get missed out on, so for this i apologise. now that i'm back in the vicinity of an internet connection i promise to post more regularly.
also, my BT line was *finally* installed yesterday with much excitement, which also means that i should have broadband hooked up at home within a couple of weeks so i'll be back on msn and hotmail!
new year's eve was a quiet one. davoud and i stayed in at my flat, made really good food, had some cheesecake, popped the champagne (cam-pag-neee) and then proceeded to watch a group of my neighbours huddle in the street singing auld lang syne. heartwarming i assure you.
chris came by for a visit on new year's day, but i have to admit i was feeling pretty, pretty tired so he didn't stay long and we ended up watching a film and getting into bed fairly early to try and reprogramme the body clocks. yesterday we ventured into wales to visit conwy and find the fairy glen (with great success!). on the way back we stopped in at the boathouse pub in parkgate, which has always been a favourite of mine, but even more so now that they've refurbished the place and added much needed backgammon boards. it overlooks the river dee and the welsh hills...i do love that spot.
...back to work.
there's a danger when i only post so often that the fun little details of day to day life get missed out on, so for this i apologise. now that i'm back in the vicinity of an internet connection i promise to post more regularly.
also, my BT line was *finally* installed yesterday with much excitement, which also means that i should have broadband hooked up at home within a couple of weeks so i'll be back on msn and hotmail!
new year's eve was a quiet one. davoud and i stayed in at my flat, made really good food, had some cheesecake, popped the champagne (cam-pag-neee) and then proceeded to watch a group of my neighbours huddle in the street singing auld lang syne. heartwarming i assure you.
chris came by for a visit on new year's day, but i have to admit i was feeling pretty, pretty tired so he didn't stay long and we ended up watching a film and getting into bed fairly early to try and reprogramme the body clocks. yesterday we ventured into wales to visit conwy and find the fairy glen (with great success!). on the way back we stopped in at the boathouse pub in parkgate, which has always been a favourite of mine, but even more so now that they've refurbished the place and added much needed backgammon boards. it overlooks the river dee and the welsh hills...i do love that spot.
...back to work.
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