Also, I had a very, very good weekend -- Here's hoping for repeats

In Praise of the Weather

Dear Weather,
You F-ing rock. Here's to you and me not being so goddamned pasty anymore. I know this is a lot to ask in the context of this being March still, and, uh, Canada, but do you think you could see your way to holding out like this until summer? I don't mind rain, but warmth! Warmth! That's what I'm talking about. You're curing my cold, and I love you. On Friday, if you keep your forecast steady, I'll wear a skirt in your honour, and trust me, I won't be the only one thanking you. Just think about it, about all the good you could do.
I love waking up in the morning with the sun shining in my window. I love lying there another two hours and feeling it heat up the room until I don't need all the three blankets I've been using this winter in this forsakenly-cold house. I love walking to school with my jacket open and my sunglasses on (they are pretty good sunglasses). I love that the baseball field in the park is slowly turning green and that there were clusters of dark red buds on a tree I passed yesterday afternoon on my way home. I love that soon I'll be able to open up my repertoire of shoes! I love that buzz of contented excitement I get from people on campus -- spring fever baby! I love it.
I don't mind that my hair is frizzing with the sudden humidity, or that when I walk across the park my shoes squish in the mud. I don't even mind that my winter freckles will soon become summer freckles. It's like you're kissing me all over my face.
Keep it up.

Love A.

SoftheD Compilation?

Song of the day:
Undone -- Martina Sorbara

So I've been doing this SoD thing for a while now, and was thinking yesterday that once I got enough of them for a cd I could make a compilation. Shout out if you want one.

One thing this whole entirely weird facebook thing has demonstrated to me is actually how many people actually read this -- some I never expected. So if you're interested in the first M&C music offer, let me know. I know you're reading, even if you're all so silent.

In this house, we have Happy Thursdays

I started a tradition in our house sometime in January of putting a weekly comic up on the fridge. I try to find something relevant, funny, and usually just a little dirty. It's called a Happy Thursday, because by that time in the week, everyone needs a little pick-me-up. Of course, me being me, they don't always go up on THURSDAY per se (the one this week is entitled "Happy this day" so that it works every day, because it didn't make it up there till Saturday), and I sometimes don't bother finding a new webcomic, I just use new funny stuff from one I've already found. But whatever, no one has volunteered to take over for me, although they complain when I'm late, or unoriginal.
Anyway, because of this researching, and because I've always had a bit of a thing for cartoons, and a little because ZLA bought me Pedigree Girls for my birthday, I've started getting into reading a lot of webcomics.

Here are some which I've found amusing and which I think are good places to start:
FAIL!
(this one and this one are on the fridge right now)
Whispered Apologies (a concerted effort)
White Ninja Comics (peculiar, but worth sticking with to get the good stuff)
The Perry Bible Fellowship (pretty f-ing spectacular)

Also, I have a song of the day today:
Ai Du -- Ali Farka Toure with Ry Cooder

I found Ali a while ago messing around on All Music. Pretty chill West African guitarist.

Song of the Day

A return to the classics:

Sick -- Sneaker Pimps

Right now it's pumping me out of my space-cadet-edness. Today at work the girls laughed and laughed at my slouchy slumped drag-footed walk around the bakery.
They laughed that is until I cut myself while washing dishes and swore loudly infront of the customers and started dripping blood on the floor. Then they got concerned, and got bandaids.

So now I'm typing this with the middle finger of my right hand wrapped in bandaid and tape. It's frickin' annoying. There goes my 45 wpm.

Anyway this kid understands my pain. But I don't think I would be nearly as cute if I tried to pull it off. Plus I don't even OWN chainmail.

don't have too much fun

because then you'll feel lethargic, kind of ill, and really, really won't want to leave your bed to go to work.
like, really.
you will also feel a cumpulsion to flout the laws and type only in lower case.
and write boring web posts.
i apologize...

at least i won't feel like eating anything at work today.

Song of the Day

10 dollar - M.I.A.

Check this chick out, she's pretty hot.

Book my face

So after copious encouragement, nagging, and cajoling, and after spending an entirely too entertaining evening with MD and his crew, I made a profile on facebook this morning. Then I was trolling through the profiles, seeing all these people I know here at school, and feeling like a COMPLETE STALKER. I'm no stranger to the semi-stalk (object not subject), and this is why I resisted putting it up there in the first place, but as MD has said repeatedly in trying to convince me, it's yet another useful tool of procrastination. I'm not sure how much I'll use it. For one thing I've only got one friend right now -- which makes me feel like a facebook loser -- and I feel like adding people to your friends list makes presumptuous use of the term friend. I know. I'm insane.

FB aside, do I have a funny story for you.
So last night, when it was clear that no amount of begging would get me a female escort, I decided to go by myself to MD's friend's house to meet up with him and then go to the bar. Before we left our screening last night he gave me a rough description of where the house was (on Earl near University, right at the mouth of that alley that leads from the back of the JDUC) and an address: 207 Earl.
So I put up my hair, put on my make up, and set out intrepidly by myself at 9:45. I was feeling a little nervy about showing up at a stranger's house toute seule, especially a stranger's house filled with men, but I thought nah, you live with men, you're used to being with groups of them on your own. No problem.
Well imagine my growing discomfort when, looking at the house numbers, it became apparent that 207 would be nowhere near University. I went on to discover that there actually is no 207 on Earl AT ALL. Neither is there a 270, just in case MD was slightly dyslexic. When I got to 277, a house which does actually face the opening of ONE OF the alleys that leads from the back of the JDUC, and a surreptitious peek in the window told me there was a group of guys sitting drinking in the window, I gulped and knocked on the door.
Unfortunately they were having such a good time that they couldn't hear me knocking. On my third attempt, a guy came up the walk behind me with a large bottle of liquor in his hand and walked in the front door.
"Hi, you can just walk in here you know," he said.
"Umm..." I said. "You wouldn't happen to know MD would you?"
"M who?"
"Oh my god."
"Hey!" he said to the guys in the house. "Anyone here know a MD?"
The reply came: "M who?"
I started to back away from the door.
"Okay," I said. "Sorry, never mind then."
The guy in the entry way gestured expansively with his bottle. "You're welcome to come in and hang out with these fine gentlemen."
"Uh," I said. "I don't think so."
"There's six of them!"
"And there's that crazy kid with no shirt on in the kitchen!" someone put in from the living room.
"Thanks, but no." I said, laughing, and walked away.

I went and got some cash, and tried to decide what to do. I have a friend who lives on Earl, but I knew she was doing work and didn't want to bug her unnecessarily. I could go home for half an hour and try to meet them at the bar.
Finally I decided to walk up to University and check out another alley that leads from the JDUC.
And LO, at the entrance to that one was a house marked 307!
I again peeked in the door, and sitting there was a guy I was pretty sure MD had shown me pictures of on Facebook (See? says TM. It IS useful after all). I knocked tentatively, he opened, and I asked again:
"Um... is MD here?"
"M who?" he said, looking at me confused.
"Oh holy shit."
But then a voice from inside said, "Dude, he's sitting right here."
"Oh," said the guy. "Right."
I walked in and there he was sitting on the couch with a beer in his hand.
"Hey," he said. "I didn't think you were going to make it."
"You totally told me 207 Earl."
"Isn't this 207?"
"This is 307."
"Oh man, sorry A."
"It's okay. Luckily for you there is no 207 Earl. There is however a 277 and THOSE guys think I'm crazy."

Hawksley, man, you let me down.

So the Hawksley Workman concert we were going to on Thursday night was postponed until MAY, which, okay I'm still going to be in town, but deal with the suck for a moment... *sigh*
What's up with the illness ripping through musicians lately? I heard on the radio this morning that Steve Tyler is combating some throat ailments of his own and cancelling tour dates left right and centre. Not that, you know, I give a shit about HIM, but when the musical epidemic starts affecting talent I care about? Jump back.

Song of the day is The Future Language of Slaves, by the lowly gentleman himself, because I'm listening to it right now to make myself feel better. It always makes me thankful, and a little thoughtful. What WOULD we do?

Song of the Day

This is my new club anthem:

Cold Fusion -- Roisin

St. Patrick can bite my yoga-sore ass

Yesterday, rather than drinking myself off my ass, I hot-yoga'd my ass off. It was pretty intense, and left me with a headache, and very little will to do anything else but eat and lie in bed, I suppose much the same as the drinking would have done -- but with none of the calories!
Much as I do enjoy yoga (and this was incredible), I haven't done it in a while because it's hard to find people to come with me, and it's hard to get into the classes at the PEC. In between times I always forget, while it is relaxing, just how FLAKY yoga is, and just how too cynical I am to take it seriously. When yesterday the instructor had us lying on our mats, she started out with a "now just imagine in the heat that you're lying on a beach" and I thought, oh good, that I can do. But inevitably she went into that "free your mind, feel your internal organs detoxing, feel the energy suffusing your being" bullshit, and then I was staring at the ceiling, far far away from anything REMOTELY resembling a beach thinking, the only thing I feel is hot and there is an olympic-sized pool of sweat forming in the hollow of my solar plexus. Please, please can we stop trying to feel our beings and get on with the floor set.
I know. I'm such a bitch.

Song of the Day (What another one?)

Nur Ein Wort -- Wir Sind Helden

Yeah, since I'm working on my iTunes volume, there may be a lot of these to come. But I promise only once a day.
These guys are German. It's so funny to listen to Germans sing! Also their music is awesome.

Song of the Day

Everybody Loves the Sunshine -- Cibo Matto

Fantasizing about being able to wear skirts and lie on a blanket in the park like DE and I did in September.

This is why I lock my bedroom door at night

I was walking down my street just now, on my way home when the man in front of me (wearing a pink hat, big reflective sunglasses and a coat done up to his chin -- ID that) looked over his shoulder at me, turned back, looked again, stopped, moved off the sidewalk and waited for me to pass him. I thought maybe he was stopping there, but no, when I had passed he started to follow me. I sped up, got my keys out and booted it in my front door, locking it behind me. I was praying that TM had made it back from his meeting, but alas, the house was (is still) empty. I looked out the window on the front door and could see him lingering beside the hedge on our neighbours lawn. I pressed up against the wall next to the door and waited for him to pass. It took him WAY longer than it should have. OMG creepy. It's great having three strapping lads to defend you 24/7 but it would be even better IF ONE OF THEM WAS HOME RIGHT NOW. *sniff*

5 Things I can't ask my housemates and 5 things I can (that I PROBABLY couldn't otherwise)

1. "What do you think, bra with or without push-up? Or no bra?"
2. "Can I steal a tampon?"
3. "How's my butt?"
4. "It's girl's night out, wanna come?"
5. "Dance movie marathon?"

1. "Will you come and get me?"
2. "Can you open this for me?"
3. "Will you take out the trash?"
4. "Can I borrow your drill?"
5. "I can't finish this, will you eat it?"

My Hottest Date This Weekend (also possibly ever)

A couple weekends ago I was into guys. But last weekend changed everything. And who could blame me:



I know it's a bit small -- so as not to screw up my layout -- but if you click on it, you can join the many who have been lately blown away by the hotness of JHR.
I went home this weekend to accompany her to the College Royal formal in the G-spot. Because... well, honestly, no one else was really worthy of the task. I may have fallen asleep on a couch for a couple hours at one point (and I apologize about the sparkles I left in my wake) but I did make it all the way to 6:30 am with my date, and was admirably NOT SICK the next day. This is admirable because:



The reason I'm smiling like a rabbit is because it's 8:30 pm, and I'm already trashed. WOOOO.
Maybe this weekend should be a bit quieter than the last two have been...
Maybe not.

Skylark

I walked home alone in the fog tonight, and turned a corner to come upon a couple who had put their bags down on a lawn and were dancing in slow circles on the sidewalk. The streetlights reflecting through the mist made the street glow, and in this light I could see their faces turned towards eachother. They smiled and laughed, and didn't turn at the sound of my footsteps. Feeling unwillingly voyeuristic I hurried away down the street. I wish now I could have stopped and marvelled, but as usual I'll just share my moment of amazement with the internet.
Have faith, these things still happen.

My Imaginary Conversation with Mr. Lives Next Door

(This is what I did in class on Tuesday *shrug*)

Me: Dude, your music is driving me F-ing insane.
Mr. LND: Look, I don't know what you want me to do -- I CAN'T move my computer and it's not my fault my landlord knocked out the insulation.
Me: Yeah like that half-foot of space is going to make this dump a dream-home.
LND: Whatever. Are you done?
Me: Yes. No! Look, if you're not going to be reasonable and turn it down, could you at least lay off the Audioslave? I mean... seriously.
LND: Oh yeah, I'll turn that off to listen to you spin your folky chick music.
Me: Excuse me? I am SO not folky. And can I just say, BRAN VAN 3000?
LND: I was doing a cover for my band! I had to listen to it.
Me: On repeat? Jesus, it made me feel like I was in the twilight zone for transvestites and b-movie actors. And don't even get me STARTED on your "band."
LND: Did you just use sarcastic quote marks?
Me: You BET I did.
LND: What are you trying to say?
Me: Oh nothing. You're OBVIOUSLY the next big thing.
LND: Shut the hell up!
Me: No seriously. Soon Ford Windstars will be coming off the assembly line with t-shirts painted on their sides.
LND: YOU LEAVE THE VAN OUT OF THIS!
Me: Well hey, if you're that sensitive about it, maybe you shouldn't put it on your posters. Just a thought.
LND: I love that van *sniff*
Me: Then why won't you JUST LET IT DIE? Put it out of it's misery for God's sake.
LND: Wha-at?
Me: Dude, the thing needs to be scrapped.
LND: You listen to me, I'm not going to take this shit from some, Buffy-watching, early-rising, emo-bitch.
Me: EMO??
LND: You heard me.
Me: Are you SERIOUS? Man, you need to double check your genres. You are TOTALLY throwing down with that one.
LND: Maybe I am.
(We stare at eachother cautiously for a moment)
Me: Well... at LEAST I don't watch South Park by myself at 3 am.
LND: Oh yeah? Two words: Gilmore Girls.
Me: Sixth season!!
(he pauses)
LND: Okay I'll give you that one.
Me: Damn right.

Dear Mr. Every Man Ever

Just so you know, just for your future reference, women do not give as big of a shit as you think they do. Everything is not as big a deal to them as you think it is. I've been having this conversation with several of my girls lately, and we've all come to a consensus that you do not know this, AND REALLY NEED TO. The only thing that makes it into a big deal is you making a big deal about it because you think that's what we're going to do. And then it just escalates. And everything gets awkward, and out of control and is just... bad. It all just explodes in your face (or not at all, as JHR has so helpfully pointed out -- sorry, inside joke).
I'm really tired of all of this. So much so that I'm getting wreckless on the main blog. My mom and dad may just want to close the browser at this point (Hi guys!). I've been threatening to take the "Easy" (see below) route lately, but V says I'm too young to do that and that I'm only young once (and hey, she's got a reliable inside source to that information, haha oh the InS-Jks are just coming out all over the place, she may kill me later).
ANYWAY -- next time you think you're going to irretrievably traumatize a chick, give her some F-ING CREDIT. We're made of stronger stuff.

If you haven't seen this, you should. If I haven't told you before now, I'm sorry your days haven't been quite as good as they could be.

a softer world posts awesome, funny, disturbing comics every Friday. They're f-ing hilarious, and they're CANADIAN.

Movie of the day

Easy:
In which a girl takes a vow of celibacy for 90 days.

Song of the Day

Emasculate the Masculine by the Unicorns

Because it suits my mood today.
(JHR did you know that there's a band called the UNICORNS?)

Work did not work

I tried, I did, but it would not be done, and now I think I've got to detox for a while from texts about television and suburbia before I sleep. How boring are academic texts written about a technology designed to BORE the population in to submission while living in a plastic community designed to BORE them into heterogeneity? EVEN MORE BORING. If that's possible.
Actually... maybe I just found my thesis.

Journal Response, by me:

This week's texts sucked. As did the ones from the two weeks before that.
Stick a fork in me. Please.
The end.


Crap.


Sigh.

Support the Reconstruction

Little by little, I'm formatting my new comp to recreate the little bible of ARDH that the old one had become over the past 4 years. It's a big job (I've got so many layers), and there's no way that this version will ever be what the old one was. It is after all... the new testament. My written pieces can be retyped if need be, and I've got some electronic copies of things stashed away on the web, and other places. But I'll never have all the pictures back, nor will I get back all my music. I'm not sure I'd even remember all the songs I had on there. It all has to be redone from scratch.
Right now, thanks to my brother's recommendations, I have 5 songs on circulation in iTunes:
The Skin of My Yellow Country Teeth, and Is This Love? by Clap Your Hands Say Yeah!
Oh My God by the Kaiser Chiefs
A Track and a Train, and Very Loud by the Shout Out Louds

So how can you help the reconstruction effort? I want your pictures and your mp3s. Email me pictures! Send me discs full of your favourite songs! My libraries need your input.

Cheers.