What was supposed to be a relatively happy, easy day isn't exactly going to plan. I decided to walk in today because it wasn't horrible out, just a light shower that looked like it was moving quickly away. It started raining a little as I was walking down Croxteth rd, but I had my trusty queen umbrella to keep me dry. As I rounded the corner at Princes Park it started hailing. And not just straight down little hail, but sideways straight across your face hail...so out came the queen again. We made it through the hail storm, which eventually subsided, and it was just the wind holding me back, ruining my hair and generally making me feel like I'd just gone for a dose of botox.
I got onto Catharine St and it started raining again. The wind was still pretty strong, but I knew the queen could take it. She did not. One of the spokes bent in half so down she came and I put my head down. It was at this point that I decided the only thing to save the day would be a coffee and a pit stop to see if I could bend her back into shape. As I turned down Bold st the wind and the rain started again, more powerful than before, so to save myself from the appearance of a drowned rat I gingerly put the queen up to protect me and was instantly greeted by about five of her precious arms being mutilated. Almost in tears by this point after coming to the conclusion in front of the Anglican cathedral that my queen umbrella was the only thing keeping my life together at this moment in time, the only thing that made the rain bearable, I walked into Coffee Union, threw my wet things down on a table and went to order my coffee.
The guy that looks like a mini version of Terran looked at me quite meekly and brought me my coffee. It's not a good morning. My brown boots are a mess and will now remain so for the rest of the day, I was an inch away from stepping in horse poop in front of Lime St. station and all I really want to do is go back home. I'm this close to giving up, but hopefully at some point today I'll see the humour in it all.
Oh, and did I mention that as soon as I walked out of the cafe the sky was blue?
So the queen is now sitting, quite blatantly dead, next to the rubbish bin in the kitchen at the Walker.
Hope your day has started better than mine...
1.24.2008
1.23.2008
it stopped raining
thankfully yesterday, i was greeted with a gorgeous sunrise and was able to walk to work. i know that probably doesn't seem too important, but it increased my happiness level ten-fold. even this morning it wasn't raining and quite strong, warm winds were blowing last night's rain clouds towards wales and inland.
i was finally able to pay my fees yesterday at the university, although i have very little faith at the moment in their administrative abilities and departmental communication. not that it's too surprising...i think it was the same when i worked at concordia.
davoud and i drove out to llangollen in north wales on sunday cause we needed to get out of the city for an afternoon. i'm sure he'll delight you with all the facts and figures, but it is very cool. i do have pictures, but they're on my digital camera at home so you'll just have to wait for those ;)
i was finally able to pay my fees yesterday at the university, although i have very little faith at the moment in their administrative abilities and departmental communication. not that it's too surprising...i think it was the same when i worked at concordia.
davoud and i drove out to llangollen in north wales on sunday cause we needed to get out of the city for an afternoon. i'm sure he'll delight you with all the facts and figures, but it is very cool. i do have pictures, but they're on my digital camera at home so you'll just have to wait for those ;)
1.18.2008
so i think i might get a goldfish
i've been debating getting a goldfish for about a week. after re-watching the west wing - yet again - i remembered cj's goldfish and just how much fun it is. yes, i know, goldfish can be perceived as boring, but i need something to brighten up these long dark days.
it's darker for longer in england, it rains more and is generally very grey. soooo...i thought that a goldfish would brighten things up and keep me company. there isn't anything wrong with talking to a fish right?
in other news, i had my first master's lecture on monday night and am already entrenched in the student life of invites for beers on a week night, which i declined. although i did go today to pay my fees and they weren't sure quite what to do with me. hmm, going to see if i can get out of that one completely.
davoud and i are going to go to one of our favourite restaurants for dinner tonight, elif, as another effort to brighten the dark days. i'm working tomorrow and would love to do something fun on sunday, so we'll see what i can come up with.
it's darker for longer in england, it rains more and is generally very grey. soooo...i thought that a goldfish would brighten things up and keep me company. there isn't anything wrong with talking to a fish right?
in other news, i had my first master's lecture on monday night and am already entrenched in the student life of invites for beers on a week night, which i declined. although i did go today to pay my fees and they weren't sure quite what to do with me. hmm, going to see if i can get out of that one completely.
davoud and i are going to go to one of our favourite restaurants for dinner tonight, elif, as another effort to brighten the dark days. i'm working tomorrow and would love to do something fun on sunday, so we'll see what i can come up with.
1.11.2008
occupy every minute
well, i've been back a week now and have slowly adjusted to leaving home again and the jet lag is subsiding. admittedly i have been going into work just a teeny bit later than normal, but no harm done. but i have been trying to keep myself busy for every possible moment in order to distract myself from the post-holiday let down and it seems to be working!
i spent monday at home just hanging out, tuesday was book club, wednesday i went to the movies with sam (saw paranoid park which should be renamed *boring* park), and last night went round to my friend jessica's for dinner. tonight is the people's opening of liverpool's year as european capital of culture, so i think i'll have to pop down to st. george's hall and see what all the fuss is about. i'm not sure how i feel about them theming it around shipping crates, cranes and people playing air guitar, but ringo starr is going to be performing on a roof so it's bound to be a spectacle.
i spent monday at home just hanging out, tuesday was book club, wednesday i went to the movies with sam (saw paranoid park which should be renamed *boring* park), and last night went round to my friend jessica's for dinner. tonight is the people's opening of liverpool's year as european capital of culture, so i think i'll have to pop down to st. george's hall and see what all the fuss is about. i'm not sure how i feel about them theming it around shipping crates, cranes and people playing air guitar, but ringo starr is going to be performing on a roof so it's bound to be a spectacle.
1.07.2008
christmas in colour
darryl and brian and grandma and grandpa's place. brian is the *biggest* daddy's boy ever
melissa and little amy. davoud is madly in love with amy ;)
the invitation for davoud's 30th birthday party
davoud at the bottom of the toboganning hill
davoud in action - wipe out man.i know that davoud will have some more photos on his flickr website soon (see links on the right) as he was the official photographer on this trip.
christmas in canada
so we're back. we were actually back the morning of january 2nd, but a combination of jet lag and not wanting to be back in the uk has kept me from posting. this christmas has officially been crowned as *the best christmas ever.* don't get me wrong, i've always had wonderful holiday seasons, but i was away from home for the last two christmases and there is a reason that frank sinatra is so famous for singing i'll be home for christmas.
our flight with val was uneventful, although i did get a little bored for the last two hours. davoud and i probably laughed a little too much at the stretching video that the airline suggests you participate in. just who on earth thought it was a good idea to put an airline seat in a lovely sunny park and show it to passengers when they're 35,000 feet in the air?
we headed to london first to visit with my dad and christine, which was awesome. made a trip down to niagara falls, which i did many moons ago with my dad. we acclimatised quite well, watched a bit of hockey, ate good food, drank good booze and then set off for my grandma's.
after picking my grandma up and having a quick lunch with my aunty chris and cousins ryan and scott, we made the drive to my mum and ron's house in brighton (i know, i know....london to brighton and i'm not even in england). it was christmas eve so we watched christmas specials and movies and sat by the craackling fire to get in the mood.
christmas day was the beginning of the chaos. my brother darryl, my sister-in-law (SIL) melissa and their very adorable children brian and melissa came over in the afternoon to destroy the family room. it is great fun watching kids open their presents, but i had no idea what i was in for until my two sisters karen and wendy, and their respective husbands glen and terran showed up with all of their kids on the 28th of december. so add jack, abby and jamie (karen and glen's kids) and chloe (wendy and terran's daugher) to the mix and it's bedlam! thankfully, we'd burned off some excitement toboganning in the backyard earlier in the afternoon.
the next day we drove to oka to visit with linda, robert, pierre, johanne and my once-cat dougie. we had a great night celebrating linda's 40th birthday. late the next morning we made our way to montreal and checked into our swanky hotel the st-sulpice for two nights. we didn't go out on nye, but instead got some snacks and booze in and watched a saturday night live special. i was ecstatic. it was nice after so much company to have a bit of a break. montreal is still a great city and one i'm sure i'll visit often when we move.
we drove through a crazy snowstorm the next day to my brother's in peterborough. the drive took 7 1/2 hours, but should normally only take 4! it was nuts and there is some video footage somewhere of the road. but with my cautious and defensive driving skills, we made it there in one piece.
leaving was really hard, much harder than it has been before. partly i guess because i know i'm moving home, but more so because everything that was important to me in the world was in one place. sure, i have my job and friends here, but i could have easily stayed and hired a moving company to pack my things up and send them over. not that i would give up anything i've experienced over the past two and half years and i am looking forward to doing my master's and seeing what liverpool can cook up as european capital of culture this year.
but as my dad said, i'm moving home next year. it may not be early next year, but at least it's next year.
happy 08 everyone. today is officially the last day to wish anyone a happy new year as decreed by me ;)
our flight with val was uneventful, although i did get a little bored for the last two hours. davoud and i probably laughed a little too much at the stretching video that the airline suggests you participate in. just who on earth thought it was a good idea to put an airline seat in a lovely sunny park and show it to passengers when they're 35,000 feet in the air?
we headed to london first to visit with my dad and christine, which was awesome. made a trip down to niagara falls, which i did many moons ago with my dad. we acclimatised quite well, watched a bit of hockey, ate good food, drank good booze and then set off for my grandma's.
after picking my grandma up and having a quick lunch with my aunty chris and cousins ryan and scott, we made the drive to my mum and ron's house in brighton (i know, i know....london to brighton and i'm not even in england). it was christmas eve so we watched christmas specials and movies and sat by the craackling fire to get in the mood.
christmas day was the beginning of the chaos. my brother darryl, my sister-in-law (SIL) melissa and their very adorable children brian and melissa came over in the afternoon to destroy the family room. it is great fun watching kids open their presents, but i had no idea what i was in for until my two sisters karen and wendy, and their respective husbands glen and terran showed up with all of their kids on the 28th of december. so add jack, abby and jamie (karen and glen's kids) and chloe (wendy and terran's daugher) to the mix and it's bedlam! thankfully, we'd burned off some excitement toboganning in the backyard earlier in the afternoon.
the next day we drove to oka to visit with linda, robert, pierre, johanne and my once-cat dougie. we had a great night celebrating linda's 40th birthday. late the next morning we made our way to montreal and checked into our swanky hotel the st-sulpice for two nights. we didn't go out on nye, but instead got some snacks and booze in and watched a saturday night live special. i was ecstatic. it was nice after so much company to have a bit of a break. montreal is still a great city and one i'm sure i'll visit often when we move.
we drove through a crazy snowstorm the next day to my brother's in peterborough. the drive took 7 1/2 hours, but should normally only take 4! it was nuts and there is some video footage somewhere of the road. but with my cautious and defensive driving skills, we made it there in one piece.
leaving was really hard, much harder than it has been before. partly i guess because i know i'm moving home, but more so because everything that was important to me in the world was in one place. sure, i have my job and friends here, but i could have easily stayed and hired a moving company to pack my things up and send them over. not that i would give up anything i've experienced over the past two and half years and i am looking forward to doing my master's and seeing what liverpool can cook up as european capital of culture this year.
but as my dad said, i'm moving home next year. it may not be early next year, but at least it's next year.
happy 08 everyone. today is officially the last day to wish anyone a happy new year as decreed by me ;)
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