Category: Uncategorized

sleeeep was all he wanted

Keith was here last night and I was so happy to see him that we made a lot of noise.  Jeff finally staggered out of his bedroom and said, “Too… loud….” but I didn’t actually STFU until I remembered the magic phrase: “oh, crap, Jeff is WORKING in the morning.”  Then I crept off to bed.  I am now drafting an apology.

Ate really good pesto at Aldo’s last night – it’s a really nice trad Italian pasta joint right next to the Heritage Grill in New West.  Yes it was a date.  We had a pleasant time, thanks.

Had a brief visit with Suzanne and picked up my new glasses, so last night was a real whirlwind of activity.  I felt much better after hanging out with Suzanne, it’s always great to download with a GF.  I LOVE MY NEW GLASSES.  My vision is much improved, especially working with a computer, which was the point, and I’ve got my visual acuity back in my left eye, the lack of which was straining my right eye.  I am also using Systane Ultra for my extremely crunchy and dry right eye, and it’s working great.  Sometimes when they give you a free sample it really is for a good product.  Unlike Delissio pizza, which is the single most heartburn inducing wheaten hubcap of listeria (okay, I didn’t get sick, but it’s got vomitous pepperoni) ever.

NOW, Conflikt, and five days off in a row.  Happiness.  I confirmed my ride with Tom and Peggy (Yay, she’s bringing her bass) and I am going to stuff myself into the Prius and try hard not to babble continuously the entire way.

Big shout out to Jerome for the invite, Brian C for the links, Kim for livening up lunch, whoever the hell it was who put a litter on a Roomba, Jeff for putting up with me, Keith for telling me he was let go without sugar coating it (or being resentful), Katie for hanging around and visiting briefly with me when I went to get my glasses (I was so happy to see her and I felt better), and Tanya and Cris for cracking me up.  Hugs to Jarmo, Mike, Suzanne, Peggy and Cindy, who must be knee deep in con suite prep right about now.  Gosh I’m looking forward to this!  Even more than last year.

Good day so far

So I went to Surrey Central, and met up with a very nice man.  He treated me to hot and sour soup and a steamed bun (which was teh awesome) and we walked around and talked a bit, and I anticipate hearing from him soonish. And meeting his dog, who sounds like a sweetie.

It’s not the best part of town even in broad daylight (I wanted to avoid him having to come across that non existent bridge) and as soon as I got off the train there was a guy….. urinating in public, in broad daylight.  Funny thing, the last time I saw a guy urinate in public was at a Skytrain station.  I am glad to be a girl for a lot of reasons, but needing to plan my life so I don’t have to micturate in the full view of people who might not want to watch is definitely one of them.

Then I went to New West and nobody I know there was answering  the phone and Keith wasn’t either.  I went to the Quay but all the stores are closed, so I went back to the new Sally Ann thrift store building and made a killer haul for less than 20 dollars, and then realized GOSH SAKES IT’S COLD. So back home again.  It was beautiful and sunny this morning, but the weather is increasingly overcast and frigid.  Next up a trip to Mike’s for dinner (me cooking) and Jeff and Keith are coming along.  Something tells me we’ll be watching movies and drinking beer tonight….

I should toss those clothes in the laundry.

the nut shot

Has anybody ever noticed that one of the enduring tropes of humour is the nut shot?  I’ve said before that anything can be explained by ‘following the genes’ and this one is pretty simple.

What makes a nut shot funny?  Well, it’s happening to somebody else. That’s pretty standard for all humour.  But notice the division of humour.  Men almost inevitably find the nut shot more amusing than women do.  Any action which potentially removes a rival from any activities resulting in offspring is going to be a-ok; if it’s accompanied by humiliation and dominance, that makes it even tastier.

I have heard some women remark that a man could use a good swift kick in the ‘nads, but it’s almost inevitably in the context that the guy is an asshole, the guy is abusing his power, or he’s sleeping around on his pregnant wife, an activity which draws a lot of heat even from women with a relaxed attitude towards sex.

Can you tell I’ve been living with Jeff for the best part of a year?  I’m enjoying it, even if it has me meditating on the nut shot at 4 am.  Not because I want him to experience one – I grew out of that 40 years ago – but because he laughs his ass off every time he sees one. Especially on Robot Chicken, which has a high NSPE rating (Nut Shots Per Episode).

This is how everybody uses a cell phone, including me.

Obama was inaugurated.  He’s doing something about Gitmo, and about bloody time.

Interesting housing news

They say that housing prices haven’t dropped much in Vancouver, but I beg to differ.  Three months ago, the last time I did a thorough search for a house which met my price, amenity and location criteria, there was precisely one house – which is still for sale.  There are now nine.

I am even more astonished that one of these houses has three separate suites and $2K rental income.

An open letter to the Israeli embassador

Embassy of Israel
50 O’Connor Street
Ottawa,Ontario K1P 6L2

Dear Embassador Miriam Zim:

Let me preface my comments about the current situation in Gaza with three clear points:

I mean no hatred toward Jews or Israeli citizens;
I have no personal enmity towards you or your family;
I do not advocate the dissolution or destruction of Israel.

1.  I believe that in a misguided attempt to secure its borders, safety and global reputation as no country to trifle with, the state of Israel and IDF is killing Palestinian civilians.

2. I believe that, news reports notwithstanding, Israel is not trying to avoid civilian casualties in Gaza, and given the nature of the military actions and the size of the targets, it would be impossible to avoid them.

3. Israeli news media and their global supporters repeat the question, “What would you do if you were under fire from Hamas rockets in Ashkelon?”, but neglect to voice the corollary, “What would you do if you lived in Gaza?” The people who live there are trapped, starving and desperate, and are not likely to be negotiating in anything like good faith while they are being bombed, or turn into obedient minions afterwards.  The behaviour of the Israeli government and the IDF appears identical to activities for which persons in this century and the last have been tried for war crimes.

4.  I respectfully request that you ask your government to cease bombing Gaza.

5.  I respectfully request that you ask your government and military to cease activities (like ramming aid ships and bombing aid convoys), which prevent neutral third parties from providing aid to victims of Israeli shelling.

6.  It is my intention to boycott all products, cultural and material, produced in Israel or by Israeli citizens, until such time as a just solution is negotiated with the people living in Gaza. 

Israel’s current military actions in Gaza are not going to make Israel more secure.  For the sake of reason and self-preservation, I urge you to convey this message to your government.

With best wishes for your health and safety during your sojourn in Canada,

Allegra Sloman
Vancouver BC