Category: Friends

Laff Riot Girls

Jeff and I went to see the finals in the Funniest New Female Comic contest at Lafflines in New West.  I was expecting at very least to have a good time but the calibre of the comics – given that they are all amateurs – was astounding.  Best line of the evening from Shay – “Canada is gay friendly – look at the nickel!  Beaver on one side, Queen on the other….”  Got to see daughter Katie briefly, as well as Suzanne.

We went on the transit.  It’s a bit of a hike to Joyce Station but it was quite doable, and then Lafflines is spitting distance from Columbia Station.

Got home before 11 and listened to about an hour of Godley Creme Consequences. I’ve always liked the album but I’d forgotten how berloody amazing it was.  My ex-husband was the first person to play it for me and I remember being blown away.  Chipper’s auld acquaintance Pat is a big fan too as I recollect.  And the wind said, “Let …. me…. in!”  Maybe it’s the most self-indulgent concept album of all time, I still like it.

LMB writes a traditional ballad

And fails gallantly.

I got to the end and thought – gonna have to learn that one.  That will make a nice companion piece to Judith Hayman’s song about signing your donor card. Or maybe we can start a thread of public health messages…
Last night helped Kopper orgalize and shove furniture around.  It took me 20 minutes to get home from her place!  Amazing what making your connection will do for your timing.  For my pains I received a spice rack, which I needed.

As predicted, the furniture was assembled and in place when I got home, and the barbeque was set up.  I am going to learn to char meat!  That is if I can touch it, we all know about the keepers of the sacred flame…. Guys and Q’s.

Continue reading LMB writes a traditional ballad

various

  1. The Willie P Bennet Memorial event went off hitchless, magnificent, and a credit to the participants.  Goddess bless the James Bay Coffee House and all who frequent it! Paul and I got through the set without embarrassing ourselves and Paul received praise for his fingerpicking.
  2. Peggy showed up the second we cleared the door of the coffee house.  I hugged her twice, I was so happy to see her.  And she crashed her at my folks’ and then I got her to the ferry for the 7 am (which was the reason she crashed here, because if she’d stayed at Pondside that would have been somewhat harder logistically).
  3. Yesterday after we made town I saw the Pondside crew and met a small horde of Devon Rex cats.  I didn’t understand their charm until I met them.  I nearly kidnapped Spice; what a cat!  Suki recognized me and sucked up to me something fierce.
  4. I gave Juliana a copy of the Interfilk auction video I took in January.  w))t!  No, you may not see it.  Private. Also screechingly hilarious.  Ha.
  5. John introduced us to the Blue Nile, an Ethiopian Buffet restaurant on Head Street in Esquimalt.  Man, the food was AWESOME and I am so glad to have had njera again. That is some seriously great bread.
  6. My folks are doing famously and we and Paul are going to head to Granny’s place and have lunch with her today, and then leave for the ferry from there.
  7. All in all so far this weekend has been a spectacular success and I wish I could put the feeling I got when I saw Peggy in a bottle and uncork it whenever I feel sad.  I thought my heart would burst with joy when I turned and saw her with her best mischievous expression. 
  8. Peggy brought Tom’s blackberry jelly, two jars.  Loki pronounces himself well satisfied with a house guest who only appears to deposit blackberry jelly on his kitchen table (he didn’t see her as we were in late and out so early).
  9. Did I mention the Willie P memorial was a rousing success?  That was, after all, the point of the exercise.  But it seems that we may weave extra happiness into our days by availing ourselves of the fleeting opportunities as they pass, and by feeling grateful.  I know that I’m very, very grateful right now.  For my health, my family, my job, my friends…. and frankly, screw the weather.  You can’t have everything.

butterflies

I’m going to go perform in public so of course I have butterflies…  Peggy has decided to come as well (separate conveyances) and so I asked my folks if she could crash there rather than at Pondside and my folks said yes.  (Lots of room at Pondside, but I volunteered to crawl out of bed early to get her to the bus.)  Pondside, in case you need to know, is where Dr Filk and his madly filking&recording landpeers live.

Last night I went to Superstore and did a small shop.  Forgot bread and cheese.  Duh.  Jeff picked me up and then I cooked salmon steaks, corn and bok choi, with strawberries, bananas and cream for dessert.  Yeah, I got my cooking mojo back after a slack couple of days.  Jeff has acquired a barbeque (Paul has kindly agreed to help him fetch it as the MR2 is a tad parsimonious of cartage room) and we are now looking forward to seared meat on the back deck in the hottest days of the year when you don’t want to be cooking indoors anyway – and believe me Vancouver gets smoking hot in the summertime.

I have just finished the first bake and slice of the biscotti I have been requested to bring to Victoria.  The ones on the top rack are almost but not burnt – the bottom rack biscuits are pretty close to perfect. I guess I am still not one hundred percent with this stove.

Neglected to mention that Jeff and Mike were much amused, last Friday, that they both liked the MR2 and were making tentative plans for a car swap and drive up to Pemberton or some such place…. hope I can come for the ride!  It’s such beautiful country up there.

I was supposed to go with Katie and Suzanne to a comedy show last night in New West, but I was bagged from an emotionally draining day at work (good emotions are draining, too) and knew I had to do a shop and some cooking.  Alas that I canna be in three places at once – I wouldn’t have minded seeing Glenn, either.

Watched a good chunk of Movies 101 last night which is essentially a very long and extremely sympathetic interview with Martin Scorcese.  Jeff and I kept looking at each other and saying, “Scorcese directed that??” or mentioning the Scorcese movies we’d seen that the other hadn’t.  I LOVED the Last Temptation of Christ and Raging Bull.  Jeff hasn’t seen either of them, but he has seen New York New York and Gangs of New York.  I haven’t seen Taxi Driver.  Okay, I guess I have a lot of those movies in my future.  Boxcar Bertha is inbound from zip…..   Barbara Hershey and David Carradine???  mmmm’kay.

Then some Deadwood.  We got up to the part where Woolcott does his nasty deed and Cy bails him out.

Time to get biscotti out of the oven…

the house smells heavenly.

Time to pack…. and feed some butterflies.

Trying times

There are occasions when being a writer and having a blog is a curse. An event will occur, or happen as a consequence of matters I am party to, and nothing would suit me better than to give a full account of it. I would have liked nothing better than to have given a full accounting to the exact reasons for and the beastly behaviour of other people during my marriage breaking up – fine, let it stand that I was self-willed and I’ll leave the name calling and cruelty and bald faced f*cking lies other people subjected me to out of the picture. To protect innocent people, and to prevent myself from looking like a goddamned asshole, more to the point, I guess, that’s what I have had to do. Nor am I complaining about the results. I am clearly happier and better off for having moved out of that house. I just wish I could tell the truth about it. I’m still on good speaking terms with my ex and kids, so no harm done, right?
I would like nothing better than to describe in gory detail what it’s been like to stop being a member of a couple and to have many of favourite activities curtailed and destroyed. Yes, I had to go there, yes, it was my idea when I was no longer psychically safe, but I really really haven’t liked it, and I haven’t talked about the times I’ve spent a day or two, here and there, crying for reasons I can’t describe. Yeah, I could definitely go on at length there. Into the memory hole with it. I’m not even keeping a private journal of those events, it’s not worth it, as in the end it’s living well that counts, not keeping a tally of every grievance. If I wrote it all out it would become impossible to forgive, and even now I haven’t forgiven… into the memory hole. There is no good outcome in setting it all out, whether for myself or others.
I would like to render a full account of yesterday evening’s events – how an entire panoply of human cruelty, stupidity, waste and denial played out as a consequence of the death of a companion animal and how I had to sit with it, and be companionable with that parade of nastiness, and deal in practical terms with it (ie, help move the body of a large Rottie cross onto a board and then a truck, and clean the inevitable leakage off the floor). When Scooter died, it was an opportunity to show family solidarity when we all went to the Lodge to say goodbye to her, in the dark midwinter; when Bounce died we were all together and had each other for one of those uniquely horrible and sad days families go through. Last night wasn’t like that. I have no beef with Mike, he lost his dog, and I am honoured he called on me to help. I have no beef for the icky factual stuff, and I now know that eating a pizza pocket and then cleaning up after a dead dog is a great way to remind yourself your gag reflex is set way high. I am angry, hurt, bewildered and rendered half daft by how mean some people are. Fifty years old almost and I still think people should be nice to each other, and here’s me upset when they aren’t. What am I, a child still?
I intend to give a donation to the SPCA in Vancouver and say a brace of prayers for the animal control staffer, who was an angel of mercy, dignity and punctuality.

I thank my mother for being a civilized human being unlike some others whose behaviour I am shielding as a result of my mother’s teachings, and my brother for his material aid yesterday in conveying me to Mike’s after work.

Chores

Practicing for the gig on Friday went very well; one of the cats, presumably Eddie, had an accident requiring additional laundry but you can ALWAYS wash your bathroom rugs anyway so what the heck; I learned how to play back prerecorded video from Shaw thanks to Jeff’s fabulous instructions (he wrote a BROCHURE); the weather was six kinds of gorgeous; church was great thanks to a really great service and I really didn’t mind doing chairs; my back doesn’t hurt for the first time in about three weeks; all my laundry is done and hung up (remarkable) except one load which I intend to go deal with right now; saw Keith briefly yesterday and he brought a Useful Object into the house, namely something to catch his immense nest of hair in the shower; cleaned various kitchen and household objects; I renewed the server account for this site and paid some other bills; more yelling downstairs but much more subdued than Friday night; ran into Heather at the Nanaimo skytrain and things don’t sound too good in her world right now.  Dunno. I guess I’m happy to be me.
The Luddite took a day off work to play with trains which involved him and a bunch of other guys moving track onto a new setup…. we’re talking about something the size of a basement.  He also mentioned something about strawberries in pots for me; I look forward to this with interest and yumminess.  Container gardening is about all we’ll be able to do here.

Fun evening

I am up rather earlier than I want to be, but I suppose it’s better than sleeping til two and then cursing the absence of daylight in which to run errands…

The mighty Lunch Bunch was reconstituted – Mike, me, Tom and Jerome.  Happy happy sigh. We watched 3:10 to Yuma and otherwise ate and talked and drank beers.  Brian and Chari turned up and added their brand of conviviality and rude remarks to the mix.  Keith turned up as well.  Jeff and the gang seemed to get along – it’s really hard to imagine that they wouldn’t; it felt kinda strange that after all these years my work family hadn’t met my kin.
I have one other piece of happy news – daughter Katie has been to the VCC and picked out what course she wants to take in September.

I am some contented kitty-cat this morning.  I’m going to laze around for a while and then clean up after the party and then go to the Spit… and a Spit is a Dorothy Dunnett Readers Association meetup, usually including food, books and alcohol.  Then, practicing some more.

party

was success….. music, v. little alcohol, and the pleasure of the company of Tom Peggy Barry Keith Dr Filk Rob Mike Heather Patricia & Nicholas.  So all in all a nice blend of friends family and coworkers.
I must say, the biscotti were a success, and I’m glad I deked over to the cheese aisle for some brie….  This morning picked my way round the sleepers to load the dishwasher, then made coffee, then retired to the second volume of Quentin Bell’s bio of his aunty Virginia Woolf, then passed out again until about 10:30 am. Keith’s off home to do a laundry (today is not one of our days) and I just trimmed Dr. Filk’s scalp, something I haven’t done for a year.  He was describing, in amusing terms, his current job situation, which is reasonably secure but quite unhindered by management.
The Willie P Memorial concert is two Fridays hence.  I will try to get over there to sing and play but that means dreadful things like picking tunes and practicing.  Which reminds me, I have to get Dr. Filk’s arrangement of Step Away …. that’s one I’ll do for sure.  Oh god, it sounds like I’m committing myself.

more later….

Sundry & Various

I came home from work last night and Jeff had moved all of the boxes we moved on Sunday into the spare bedroom. I was a little off colour yesterday, I’m not precisely sure why, and I was very grateful not to have to physically move anything.  I’m still feeling ‘strange’ today but I think it’s yet another one of my ‘atypical’ migraines. Nothing like being told by a neurologist that you’re ‘atypical’…. as if I could be anything else.

In an explosion of efficiency and organization (his response when I said this, Ha!) Jeff has prepared a list of everything that needs to be done around here. We find the taps in the bathroom, both sets, to be a trial; the bathtub taps have a really unpleasant mushy feel as if you can never get them entirely open or shut; the vanity taps squeak in an astonishing way. He’s already fixed the kitchen tap, and he moved the freezer downstairs on the weekend and it’s now running (the landpeers said we could have a freezer in the laundry room and the downstairs neighbours can use it too if they like). Earlier in the week I finally passed along the box of coloured pencils to the little girl downstairs (whom I have heard but never seen…I gave them to her parents.) It felt weird to have hung on to some stuff of Katie’s for years after she’d stopped using it, and really good to give it to somebody who would use it. Now if I can just get rid of the rest of my crap, life would be a glorious thing.

Scratch made meatloaf and tater tots for dinner. Jeff bought commercial biscotti earlier this week and I laughed at him.

Spoke to Tom and Peggy last night. They will be coming early and leaving early for the party on Friday as they have another event to attend, but even seeing Peggy for two minutes would be lovely (mind you I am going to church for the next two Sundays to help with set up and take down so I’ll see her again soon). I also spoke to the Luddite and assured him that my friends and family would consider his sitting in a corner and reading a book for the entire duration of the party to be unworthy of comment or criticism, but I don’t think I managed to sell him on the idea of coming on Friday, and given that I haven’t laid eyes on him in the best part of a month… oh well. Saturday’s out as he has another engagement and I have to be out the door at hours ongodly for church on Sunday morning. Grr.

My mOm has FINALLY received the results of her followup tests, and everything looks fine. Having braced herself for bad news she’s feeling a little blah. Granny is now well enough to do her own shopping although she fatigues easily. When you’re pushing a century with a broom you’re allowed to get tired; I’m just amazed after her last horrid illness that she’s made the recovery she has, and I am thankful beyond words that my parents are doing such a great job of looking after her while she preserves what independence she can.

At some point I’m going to imitate Jeff and start making a list of the stuff I want to do around here, but I’m still in confusion and error mode, so it may be a while before I’m back on track.

I have a HUGE bolus of work to digest today after many weeks of prep, so I should get off this thing and go deal with it. Have a great day, everybody.

One last thing. I just read a restaurant review which contained the line “If I didn’t know better, I would have thought I’d ordered thin slices of mole poached in Ovaltine.” Bleaugh!

An ongoing education

It’s the damnedest thing, but living with Jeff is proving to be quite educational.  The dishwasher started groaning like the dog that guards the gates of hell, and Jeff said, “I think it’s the sensor.  Let’s clean it.”  I was dubious, but it worked fine after that.  I thought there’s not even 2 thou of soap scum on it, what difference would that make?  Amazing.

Gizmo sat on me for the first time on the weekend…. I forgot to mention that.  I didn’t even notice when he sat down, but that might have had something to do with just getting the moving finished and being slightly brain dead.

Every day I come home on the bus thinking foodlike thoughts – what shall I make us for dinner? …. tonight I’m thinking I want to stop off at Brentwood and get some salad fixin’s and taters to pair up with pork chops.  Then if I simply must start the box shifting magick.

 

Bad nooz…. Jarmo and the family is going to Whistler, so no fries.  I’m almost tempted to go buy a deep fryer, but maybe I’ll just find something equally dripping with fat.

My brain hurts

Rotating 4D hypercube.

I’m out of the old apartment and have turned in my keys.  I am getting my whole deposit back – less the carpet cleaning – so I am really happy and I called Katie to split it with her because it simply wouldn’t have happened without her. 

Now I have four evenings to entirely bust ass on unpacking, dejunking, orgalizing, and making canapés for Friday.  Yee haw!

faw down go boom

it ain’t all bad news

Somebody left a set of red figured velour drapes – like stage curtains – sitting in the square next to where I used to live.  I walked through them and thought of Chipper, as they sort of reminded me of puppet theater curtains….

Aw gone

So I’m out of the old place completely, and apart from swimming in a sea of crap – Jeff is being patient, because I know I have to disappear the crap before the party on Friday – I am feeling pretty good about it.

My good feelings are grounded in three events of yesterday – Katie’s efficient and tireless assistance in the packing, cleaning & moving, and the unpacking when I got here because of course I couldn’t hang around, I had to take the truck back instantly – watching this movie (highly recommended) as the three of us collapsed after I sponsored a meal over at the James Street Cafe – and Mike dropping by.  Supportive friends and family are part of what makes life worth living.

Anyway I’ve got half an hour to fetch laundry from downstairs and get clean and clothed, but at least me and all my clothes are in one place now!  Ack, down one person at work – can’t be late.

I don’t even feel too rough this morning, although I had a hard time getting off the couch last night!

Unpacking

Unpacked 1 kitchen box, hung up some clothes and then back to BGs3 and Ds1.

Keith was here.  I texted Paul to let him know he was here overnight.

My life is a long list of people who won’t pick up their phones. This won’t last, I’m just peevish.
Recently learned that the ‘professional’ painters left an open can of pain thinner at their place of work, which happens to be Kopper’s house, thank you very much, thus nearly killing the fume-sensitive occupants.  Bad word connoting bad manners and stupidity.

Cooked halibut, tater tots and corn last night, with crunchy veggies on the side.  Mind you, Jeff had to say something like, “Wanna order in?” before I got off my butt and started doing like Ah promised.  I am now officially a BG fan but I want to kill Baltar and slap the Colonel around some too.  At least I have a fighting chance of understanding the BG filk now!

Got home in exactly 55 minutes last night.  This is not the transit time – this is the time it takes me to walk up to the bus stop, wait for the bus, get to the Skytrain, transfer, get on another bus, and walk through my back door. This is half an hour faster than it used to take me to get home to 2nd St.  I am not displeased.
Seems like some boys at work shaved head over Easter.  Fanboy (a guy in my department) showed up with an extreme load of stubble, RobofNine took it down to his dome, practically.  All that shiny pink skin, disturbing somehow.

More happy Easter

Deb sent this and I cannot resist posting it.

colouredchicks1.jpg

I dunno what kind of dyes they used but it’s certainly striking.

Yes, I have kind of fallen off the face of the earth of late. Let me see if I can make it up. As it turns out, it’s just as well the Luddite and I didn’t get together; he is feeling poorly and while I would love to quote the email he sent me I am not sure we all equally appreciate the humour of mild stomach flu. The Loonie Awards Show I am volunteering for is going fabulously well; hopefully I will be able to see it tonight as I was minding the door last night. Doug and Elly, the cast and the volunteers have all done an amazing job, and it’s always fun to go to the St James Hall.

The unpacking goes well. I know it seems sometimes that I have carted an unholy amount of paper junk with me over the last 30 years, but sometimes I find stuff that makes me smile. I hadn’t seen the promo for Puzzle Factory, one of Elly’s theatre projects in Toronto, for at least ten years, and the day I am helping her it turns up out of the great dusty pile. I volunteered and performed in that too, and god help us all, my performance is recorded somewhere on VHS.

I am sitting at the desk my grandfather studied at when he was upgrading his education and working for the Saskatoon waterworks. It’s a very pleasant feeling, and it’s a really nice desk. I’m glad Jeff hung on to it for me. I have promised him that he’ll never have to move my bureau again. Paul and I bought it from a second hand store in Toronto – it was solid wood junk then and it’s junk now. But it’s capacious and holds my folding clothes so I should just stfu. I can more or less fit everything except my books in my room. I don’t have an unreasonable amount of clothing but I do have too much for the closet. More dejunking? More dejunking.