Happy New Year's Eve!
It's my favourite holiday of the year because it's a time for looking back and letting go, as well as a time for looking to the future and what the year to come could bring.
So to you all, I hope 2012 was kind to you, and I wish you all the best for 2013.
A brand new year...
...Wish you were here.
Monday, December 31, 2012
Sunday, December 30, 2012
December 30/12
After a lazy day yesterday, Etienne wanted to get out of the house today, but I took one look outside at the frigid winter winds, blowing snow around, and I would say a snowball had a better chance in hell than I did of going out and about in town. However I could see he was getting a little bored and I decided to bite the bullet and suggest a dinner out. He went for the idea, partly because we are running low on grocery components to make full, proper suppers, partly because he could get a gluten-free beer, and I sort of think a small part was that I hadn't really left the house (except for a 20 minute run to the market for milk and bread) since...Boxing Day? Did I really not leave the house after then?
I admit that I become a total hermit in the winter. While it's true that I am a sufferer of seasonal affective depression, an isolating condition in and of itself, to be honest, I don't go out in the winter because I hate winter with a passion. I hate being cold all the time, I hate trying to walk in the snow and ice, and I really, really, really hate the wind. So it happens that I could be quite content to stay in as much as possible during these awful winter months.
Summer...
...Wish you were here.
I admit that I become a total hermit in the winter. While it's true that I am a sufferer of seasonal affective depression, an isolating condition in and of itself, to be honest, I don't go out in the winter because I hate winter with a passion. I hate being cold all the time, I hate trying to walk in the snow and ice, and I really, really, really hate the wind. So it happens that I could be quite content to stay in as much as possible during these awful winter months.
Summer...
...Wish you were here.
Saturday, December 29, 2012
December 29/12
Sometimes, it's better to leave things to fate.
Tonight, as winter blustered outside, Etienne and I were bored inside. There is only so much European football and junior/spengler cup hockey that can be consumed before something else really needs to happen, lest we lose our minds. We clearly weren't going out, and there wasn't anything on TV. No interest in board games or video games, movies became our only option, but neither of us knew what to watch. We have easily more than 300 movies of DVD and Blu-ray, but we weren't inspired by anything because there was too much choice.
So we left it up to the roll of the dice.
For Birthmas, I gave Etienne a couple of party games, including a game of dice with pictograms on them. The idea is to roll the dice and tell or create a story based on the pictogram. A die was cast, and the pictogram was a flashlight. We had a theme!
From there, I went about selecting 8 or 9 films based on the theme of the flashlight: the choices were dark or suspenseful or heavily featured the actual use of flashlights. At least one selection had to be a movie Etienne hadn't seen before (a lot of my collection fits that criteria), and one of the films was ruled out because it needed a Region two player, which was in the bedroom, so we whittled the choice down to Hot Fuzz, Dark City, and Cloverfield. Etienne hadn't seen either Dark City or Cloverfield, so check and check!
The movie choices aside, we've discovered a fantastic way to break the deadlock or find inspiration.
Pictogram dice...
...Wish you were here.
Tonight, as winter blustered outside, Etienne and I were bored inside. There is only so much European football and junior/spengler cup hockey that can be consumed before something else really needs to happen, lest we lose our minds. We clearly weren't going out, and there wasn't anything on TV. No interest in board games or video games, movies became our only option, but neither of us knew what to watch. We have easily more than 300 movies of DVD and Blu-ray, but we weren't inspired by anything because there was too much choice.
So we left it up to the roll of the dice.
For Birthmas, I gave Etienne a couple of party games, including a game of dice with pictograms on them. The idea is to roll the dice and tell or create a story based on the pictogram. A die was cast, and the pictogram was a flashlight. We had a theme!
From there, I went about selecting 8 or 9 films based on the theme of the flashlight: the choices were dark or suspenseful or heavily featured the actual use of flashlights. At least one selection had to be a movie Etienne hadn't seen before (a lot of my collection fits that criteria), and one of the films was ruled out because it needed a Region two player, which was in the bedroom, so we whittled the choice down to Hot Fuzz, Dark City, and Cloverfield. Etienne hadn't seen either Dark City or Cloverfield, so check and check!
The movie choices aside, we've discovered a fantastic way to break the deadlock or find inspiration.
Pictogram dice...
...Wish you were here.
Friday, December 28, 2012
December 28/12
This is going to be a strange one to read because it's going to lack details. This one's entirely about feelings.
About 15 years ago, something happened that threw the world I knew into a tailspin. I felt betrayed, angry, confused, uncertain, heartbroken, and I needed a lifeline. It took months to get over the shock, and years to recover from this event and the resulting fallout. Life had changed, people in my life had changed, and I grew to accept certain realities and facts, even becoming fairly nonchalant about things.
Then tonight, like some bad replay, the same circumstances appeared to arise once more, and I fell to pieces again, though not as dramatically as I did as a sheltered 19 year old. Now 34 and more experienced at living with the fallout from 15 years ago, I didn't feel confused or uncertain, but the feeling of betrayal was so overwhelming this time.
Within a short time, things changed for the better, but residuals feelings have me seriously questioning the concept of trust. My feeling of betrayal has largely given way to worry. I worry about the future.
Facing uncertainty...
...Wish you were here.
About 15 years ago, something happened that threw the world I knew into a tailspin. I felt betrayed, angry, confused, uncertain, heartbroken, and I needed a lifeline. It took months to get over the shock, and years to recover from this event and the resulting fallout. Life had changed, people in my life had changed, and I grew to accept certain realities and facts, even becoming fairly nonchalant about things.
Then tonight, like some bad replay, the same circumstances appeared to arise once more, and I fell to pieces again, though not as dramatically as I did as a sheltered 19 year old. Now 34 and more experienced at living with the fallout from 15 years ago, I didn't feel confused or uncertain, but the feeling of betrayal was so overwhelming this time.
Within a short time, things changed for the better, but residuals feelings have me seriously questioning the concept of trust. My feeling of betrayal has largely given way to worry. I worry about the future.
Facing uncertainty...
...Wish you were here.
Thursday, December 27, 2012
December 27/12
Tonight, someone started a rumor that Chief Theresa Spence went into cardiac arrest and was rushed to the hospital. This is not true.
The First Nations chief currently on a hunger strike to protest the Harper Government™ Aboriginal agenda is fine, she is still on Victoria Island, and all is well.
For a few moments as I tried to verify the claim on any news source, I pondered the consequences of the claim being true. Should Chief Spence suffer seriously or die without having been acknowledged by Stephen Harper himself, I don't know what will happen, but I have a feeling it will not be good. While the Idle No More movement has been largely peaceful and law-abiding, there are definitely elements of the movement that would spark for sure should she be totally ignored and come to harm.
Instead of thinking of such things, I continue to encourage my fellow Canadians to support Idle No More and Chief Spence, as the issues they are protesting affect all Canadians, particularly regarding the waterways protections being dropped.
An end to the madness of Bill C-45...
...Wish you were here.
The First Nations chief currently on a hunger strike to protest the Harper Government™ Aboriginal agenda is fine, she is still on Victoria Island, and all is well.
For a few moments as I tried to verify the claim on any news source, I pondered the consequences of the claim being true. Should Chief Spence suffer seriously or die without having been acknowledged by Stephen Harper himself, I don't know what will happen, but I have a feeling it will not be good. While the Idle No More movement has been largely peaceful and law-abiding, there are definitely elements of the movement that would spark for sure should she be totally ignored and come to harm.
Instead of thinking of such things, I continue to encourage my fellow Canadians to support Idle No More and Chief Spence, as the issues they are protesting affect all Canadians, particularly regarding the waterways protections being dropped.
An end to the madness of Bill C-45...
...Wish you were here.
Wednesday, December 26, 2012
December 26/12
New Year's Eve is my favourite day of the year. I know it's dead in the middle of winter, and that it quite often ends in a hangover the next day, but I like new beginnings, as well as the one opportunity a year to get all dressed up and play at being sophisticated adults.
But after New Year's Eve, my second favourite day of the year is Boxing Day. I'm *so good* at this day. I always have a plan, I'm usually there just after 8 am and usually done by noon. I know what stores I prefer, what I'm looking for, and I know what stores to avoid (poor "deals", price point issues). I have snacks, and I wear clothes/shoes that are easier to get into and out of in order to cut down on fitting room time. Hell, even my choice of under garments is chosen according to the type of clothing I plan to try on. When it comes to Boxing Day shopping, I'm a strategic mastermind executing a well-planned campaign.
I admit I have a shopping problem, though in the last year and a half, a precarious financial situation has deprived me of most opportunities to practice my craft (a cruel irony, given that I am, umm..."growing as an individual", and can't properly fit into much of my current wardrobe). Well, this time out, circumstances have been more fortunate, and I was successful; I made it out of Rideau Centre before the crowds even arrived, conquered The Bay with ease and aplomb, and with the help of gift certificates to two of the best stores in Ottawa (Victoire and Wolf & Zed), I walked away with those signature pieces that people always notice and compliment. Fancy will remain fancy for another year. That's right people...Boxing Day got PWNED.
More money...
...Wish you were here.
But after New Year's Eve, my second favourite day of the year is Boxing Day. I'm *so good* at this day. I always have a plan, I'm usually there just after 8 am and usually done by noon. I know what stores I prefer, what I'm looking for, and I know what stores to avoid (poor "deals", price point issues). I have snacks, and I wear clothes/shoes that are easier to get into and out of in order to cut down on fitting room time. Hell, even my choice of under garments is chosen according to the type of clothing I plan to try on. When it comes to Boxing Day shopping, I'm a strategic mastermind executing a well-planned campaign.
I admit I have a shopping problem, though in the last year and a half, a precarious financial situation has deprived me of most opportunities to practice my craft (a cruel irony, given that I am, umm..."growing as an individual", and can't properly fit into much of my current wardrobe). Well, this time out, circumstances have been more fortunate, and I was successful; I made it out of Rideau Centre before the crowds even arrived, conquered The Bay with ease and aplomb, and with the help of gift certificates to two of the best stores in Ottawa (Victoire and Wolf & Zed), I walked away with those signature pieces that people always notice and compliment. Fancy will remain fancy for another year. That's right people...Boxing Day got PWNED.
More money...
...Wish you were here.
December 25/12
Man, when Ottawa shuts down for xmas, it doesn't screw around. Unfortunately, that means when you are out walking around downtown on a freezing xmas day, there is nowhere to step in and warm up. Etienne's uncle came in from Montreal last night to spend the night, and today, out of both boredom and good-hosting, it was decided that we'd walk around and show him some of the sights of Ottawa. Yeah, that's doesn't work out well when the sights are closed; at best, we showed him the outside of a bunch of sights.
I find Ottawa is a boring city as it is. Once you've seen the main sights (National Gallery of Canada, Museum of Civilization, Bytown Market, Parliament Hill, the Canal), there's really not much else to do. If you love hiking and biking and outdoor pursuits, there is plenty to enjoy, and if you're a family-oriented person, the small-city feeling with safe suburbs is right up your alley. But if a bicycle is lost on you, and settling down isn't in the immediate future (or distant future, for that matter), well, Ottawa's probably not for you.
Between the cold and the closed-down city, I trudged on, desperately wishing I could move back to Vancouver, or move on to somewhere bigger, more urban, and maybe not so bloody cold!
A chance to escape...
...Wish you were here.
I find Ottawa is a boring city as it is. Once you've seen the main sights (National Gallery of Canada, Museum of Civilization, Bytown Market, Parliament Hill, the Canal), there's really not much else to do. If you love hiking and biking and outdoor pursuits, there is plenty to enjoy, and if you're a family-oriented person, the small-city feeling with safe suburbs is right up your alley. But if a bicycle is lost on you, and settling down isn't in the immediate future (or distant future, for that matter), well, Ottawa's probably not for you.
Between the cold and the closed-down city, I trudged on, desperately wishing I could move back to Vancouver, or move on to somewhere bigger, more urban, and maybe not so bloody cold!
A chance to escape...
...Wish you were here.
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