And another day...

Disaster narrowly adverted. Moral of the story: eat all chocolate before it melts into a puddle on your desk... especially at work.

I'm not sure what happened, but sometime yesterday afternoon it felt as though a switch had gone off in my head. Things were all of a sudden, better, brighter, endurable. Rationally I could see very little (if any) of the “facts” had changed, but a heaviness had lifted from the limbs, and impending doom wasn’t so impending. I even ate a doughnut guilt free! Wish I could figure out the secret formula that made it so. Was it listening to Diana Krall’s “Love Scenes”? Finishing a project?

Yesterday morning was also our first staff meeting. No eating of underpants as originally hinted at, but Michael’s boss did make an announcement at the beginning that everyone should behave - they didn’t want me to think they were all nutters. Amid the staff turnover announcements and way too many acronyms, I found out that my shared office is located in *dramatic pause* the Back Corridor. Certainly this must be capitalized and italicised. Makes the work sound so much more intriguing, maybe even a little bit shady… again, a girl can dream.

Went home for dinner and saw a jackrabbit in our yard. I’m used to seeing them at the University, but rarely at home. Told Dad about it and in a flash he bounded out of the house in his slippers to chase it away. Minutes later, it comes back and Dad's out there again. I’m sure this would have continued a few more times (with me giggling in the background) if Mom hadn’t said to leave it alone, since it was doing no harm and just eating the grass. I guess I should have piped up and said that this is an honour, and we have a achieved a special status. The rabbit has obviously decided that we have the best lawn in the neighbourhood.

Small obsession with dust at the moment... it's everywhere! More sunlight / better lighting = more dust seen?

Big treat this morning. I got my ergonomic assessment! ...*puzzled* My workplace got an ergonomic assessment... I guess that would be the proper use of the words? ... (despite better mood, still very tired). The assessor (?) came in and started adjusting a little of this, a little of that, scolded me for sandwiching the phone between my shoulder and ear, and then stuck a phone book under my feet. Felt an instant difference in my body. :D Happily worked away for the rest of the day thinking - wow, I'm not in as much pain as usual, this is great!

Only one more month away from Andrea & Bob's big day. Bridesmaid fever is high - I'm helping to plan a bridal shower... hints, clues, ideas?

It looks like another lovely day outside. Hope you're all enjoying it. Oh, and it's that time of year again: Happy Office Goddess Day!

Short Attentions

What have Carebears really taught us?
"... to solve our social problems, all we need to do is stare at them..." ~ Malcolm
"... LOVE and FRIENDSHIP! LOVE and FRIENDSHIP!" ~ Catherine

Cold, cold, cold... after much warning from everyone that the office boils up during the summer, I was dreaming of bikini weather for the office today. What a disappointment - I have my sweater on, and I'm nursing a hot mug of water (ran out of tea bags). I'm actually looking forward to doing a reconciliation - It's an easy way to get excited over a couple cents.

But it's too quiet. Everything seems too quiet. This "break from dance" might end up breaking me. Moments of inactivity driving me into near panic...

Good thing there were still things to keep me busy. Friday Feast was again a great refuge. Darren came by for a short visit (we'll keep you next time), and Malcolm helped me finish off the food (thank-you muchly). Visited with Chris on Saturday when soccer plans were cancelled -it never did rain, but it was nice to just talk (followed by much unhealthy eating). In the evening I met up with Anne and Catherine at the SideTrack Cafe for their grand opening weekend. The new owners did many renovations to the old Mezza Luna site - no more cracked tile, much more raw wood and wrought iron. Hard to imagine the whole place smokey and filled with latin dancing - as how I last remember it. Catherine imparted some wisdom including how "huggy" people get when drunk - and I had a first hand experience when a student from dance class gave me an embrace. Akward... yet funny.

Sunday, ah yes... Sunday. Busy morning and afternoon (Thank you Anne and Steph)... followed by nothing. Panicking nothing. Nothing that seemed like it would not end (though closer to being 2 hours and rationally was not that bad). But it brought home how time will pass whether I'm doing something or not... such a scary proposition. Wandered the campus / Garneau theatre area and tried to relax, breathe deep, enjoy the warm weather. For a while there, actually thought I was somewhere else. The houses were from fairytales... Closer to movie time - Tuned into the graffiti near the Garneau theatre. A crow tells me to listen, a stenciled Ralph Klein (complete with beer bottle) bids "Adieu!", and a declaration: "I spent my $ 400 on spray paint".

I cha-cha to the beat in my head while I waited at the entrance. Ben and Anne showed up and we went in. It's my first time there to see a show and something about it made me think "lovely" and "different". The walls were a peach-coloured corduroy that begged to be touched, and the seats were bouncy and reclinable. The show was great. The Hottest Commercials of 2005 were fun and witty. And it was tough to pick out favourites. On until Thursday - almost gone - catch it now! Left the theatre feeling exhausted... and sometime in between, spring had gone, and it felt like fall.

Blue Skies?

I wake up to a man's voice at my ear. The feeling is divine... so what if he's just telling me "Next Station Grandin"? A girl can dream...

It's been that kind of week - falling asleep on the LRT on my way to work, and then not being able to sleep at night. Definitely not helping the career side of things, but thankfully Michael's been good natured about it. So when I attached a blank piece of paper to a journal voucher as backup *blush* he says I obviously was just testing to see if he was paying attention... right... exactly...

There was a nice little work meet and greet on Wednesday. Lisa, who is my contact with the Science Faculty contact (yes, there's at least 2 steps there), made me feel comfortable in this setting. She is very close to being my sole mate - we both have strange feet...

After eating much sushi and chocolate cake was still not feeling better about the day. So I wimped out on the World's Hottest Commericials 2005 playing at the Garneau theatre. Clara, Catherine, and guests enjoyed it though. And they recommend it!

It's crazy how fast the days are going by now that dance is not here. Body is definitely going through withdrawal. It's so quiet today I keep thinking they need to play some music so I can dance!!! Music did not come, but we did get an email that caused a buzz. There's been changes in accounting procedures here for over 2 years now, and I guess my boss's boss had said that if the department still has to do "X" by April 2006 - he'd eat his shorts. This afternoon, Lidia searches for edible underwear online. I bet you know what she found.

At last the weekend - Off to Friday Feast with me. It's also Delphine's birthday today, but feeling muchly anti-social for her party. Lucky Rem and Steph get to deal with me :P Space Cadet signing out.

Hard Heads, Bribes, and So long for now...

"Avril is evil... Evil Avril... she swears a lot so she must be a monster..." ~ Kevin (age 6) on the importance of not swearing so much.

Blood Donations: 25 (lifetime total)
Tax Returns completed: Almost, kindof... 3
Bribes to leave home: 2

It was a feat in trying to finish those tax returns. I found out exactly how hard Kevin's head is, as he decided he was going to sit on my lap, bang his forehead against mine, and as Celina flipped through videos on the computer I was supposed to be working on. Sanity not very strong at this moment. Chris told me that Kevin's head doesn't hurt when he does that... it only hurts if you're the one not expecting it... which leads to the question: Should I be the one initiating the head bumping? At least we can call that quality time, right?

Went home almost right after so that I could sleep things off. So tired. I blamed the freakish snow - one knows how the air pressure affects my head. But it was probably for the best since one needs a good night of rest before donating blood. I hit 25! Yay! So the gatekeeper at Urban Lounge Thursday didn't ask for my ID, but the people at the CBS blood donor clinic thought I was young :P

Darren very nicely picked me up to head over to Brad's for Dianna's farewell. We ate lots great food (Dianna made fudge... yum... fudge), headed outside for some good lounging by the firepit (with hits of rosemary and lavendar), and then back inside to watch Deno's slide show DVD of Sorefeet since it's inception. My things have changed.

Bribes to move out: Original painting done by Simony... couch at Steph's. I think I'm holding out for more bids.

So in the meantime - off to home.

Taxes and Tamagotchi Fever

Days to May 1st: 15

Celina turned nine yesterday. She was more than a little excited to go to West Edmonton Mall for some ice skating with her Auntie. I guess that's her latest thing... oh, and of course Tamagotchi. The virtual pet is back! And it's a lot more sophisticated than the original two button chick that would beep when it needed something. Celina fed "Adam" sushi, played games with him, and earned points. We'd do one lap around the rink, and then she would head to the rest area to check on him. It was endearing. It also meant that Auntie Lana, who was barely coherent enough to make a sentence, didn't get too tired on the ice. It's been a while since I'd done any skating, and she's been taking lessons. I fell less than she did! Triumphant go I! :P So I'm competitive with a nine-year-old... pathetic maybe... but sometimes you just got to pick the right battles.

After close to 3 hours of skating it felt sooooo good to take off the skates and head over to Rem and Steph's for Friday Feast. I collapsed on the couch and cuddled up with the pillow Steph offered. Rem had made lamb with apricot stuffing. We contemplated whether Chinese buns should be consumed hot or cold, and then had a taste test. Steph's been riding her bike to work (good job girl!) and showed off her muscles.

Steph: I have my helmet, gloves, and chickens for riding.
Simony: Gloves?!

While we ate Rem also gave us the Coles Notes version of "Jonah and the Whale" and "Passover". Us being a little bit more religiously educated, went on to enjoy the other part of Easter - chocolate, and cupcakes with chick and bunny candy confetti. And we capped off the night with Napoleon Dynamite (I think we should get together and all do that dance number).

Today woke up early again (well... less sleeping-in than what I wanted) to go with Dad to buy a television. And surprisingly we weren't only the ones. Seeing those other people in line made me puzzled. But what do I know, maybe Saturday morning is the prime time for television sales...

Anyway, back to taxes. Very glad that I don't have more than 3 returns this year. Sympathies to the tax people. Two more lovely days before going back to work. *sigh* Hope the weather holds out and all of you enjoy. Space Cadet signing out.

Where the sidewalk ends...

Dominic's band "Line of Sight" played last night at the Urban Lounge. A whole lot of us went down to watch him. We were the groupies, paparazzi, and crazy screaming girls that every rock group needs. But the whole night only confirmed that I don't do the bar scene. Theoretically I should have enjoyed this - friends dancing together, beautiful men and women in a version of their finest... But it was too loud (Ben laughed that my makeshift napkin earplugs glowed in the black light), too crowded, and I was just the right height for elbows to the jaw. Despite this, we danced and danced. Midnight came and went. The group trickled away from the club just as the regulars were lining up to get in. And it probably would have still been a pretty good night... if it hadn't ended with sitting cold on the curb, wondering why love had to be so complicated.

La Vie Boheme

The past week... really?

Top Hat and Tails - Formal Masquerade

With the centre pieces barely half done, and TAs busy going through a last-minute rehearsal, I was having a very big moment of "What the heck am I doing here instead of hiding in a hole?!" The moment passed, people came and went with their tickets and masks, and finally Anne and I settled down in the quiet area (just outside the doors) to enjoy the meal. A lot of food later, with mixed reviews on the wasabi potatoes, we were off again. TAs to the first waltz, and then to the dressing room for make-up. After what seemed like forever of tanning, stretching, and nervous giggles, we were finally going to do it! A big group cheer and on to the floor. The performance went well! Or so they say. Everything was a blur of lights and sound and I find it hard to remember any of the details. What I do remember were the hugs off stage and all the pictures that came after. Thanks guys for all your support and putting up with the crabby behaviour.

The Team in the end pose. From Betty's Camera.

So what happened next? It was time to enjoy the night - and that meant letting my jell-o body (finally free of tension) do what it wanted, namely sit down. And then back to ballroom dancing! With a good bit of bar dancing too :D The last waltz came too soon. It was such a fun night.

As expected the next 2 days were blue days. So much excitement and then, so quiet. But the weather was great and there were still lots of time before Monday.

Stephanie and I went to the library booksale on Sunday. Filling fill our bags with mostly junk (the best kind of course), we were pretty content. And then a surreal moment... Neil Gaiman describes in Anansi Boys a theory on how small the world is: there are "thousands upon thousands of groups of about five hundred people, all of whom will spend their lives bumping into each other, trying to avoid each other, and discovering each other in the same unlikely teashop in Vancouver." In our case, make that Edmonton. We had put down our bags at the Second Cup attached to the library, started sipping our hot drinks when Stephanie looks out the window and exclaims "Ben!" She runs out and brings him in. Not 10 minutes later, Stephanie is looking out the window again and, "Malcolm!" We had a little party at Second Cup.

And then it was off to Catherine's, and together with Clara we finally, finally watched Rent. Very cool tango scene. I think we all liked the alternate ending better.

So far the work week has been kind of stressful. Meetings, and much too many email requests. I had to escape today because things were just not working out. South Lab has been turned into a installation art gallery (until the end of week), so I went over to try and find Malcolm and Rem at their new office. Thanks guys for cheering me up again - math is great!

Anyway - should head home for dinner like a good girl. More adventures to come with the long weekend ;)

Quando, quando, quando...

"It's o.k. you're not part of the problem." ~ Co-worker

The dress rehearsal was easily not good. But South lab party was. Anne took pictures documenting our beloved South Lab and the party. Another "didn't want to leave" moment, but it did get late, and the gummy bears were gone (though still plenty of Talisker). I was still finding unexpected mustard stains on me the day after (yes, I am a messy eater).

Albert has requested "sordid details" on the blog (poor guy came to here thinking it would be like a soap opera :P). I guess I've been quiet on that front... because there are no "sordid details" to speak of! *disappointed sigh* Instead I've started back on reading. Currently, A Million Little Pieces by James Frey. Yep, this is the guy that Oprah chewed out because this supposed biography is fiction. But it's good fiction. I'm feeding my "addiction" with a book about addiction... and there's more of that to come if I have my way at this weekend's Library Book Sale.

Wednesday already and still so much to do. I'm glad I'm not part of the problems at work (or rather specifically that problem we were talking about), but I'm not exactly the solution either. And so many bloody files with one complication after another. ARGH! The only reprieve was getting out of the office and meeting with Lindsey and Clara for lunch. The Gypsy Cafe is a few blocks away and it was nice to walk out of the office into the sunlight (with a guilty thought of not coming back). The next hour was spent giggling and eating and asking questions like: How does one describe Lindsey’s reputation? (Thanks ladies – you really made a difference.) It also turns out the cafe hosts an Argentine Tango night...

Last dance of the term only an hour away. Must head out!

A Million Ways to be Cruel

"Behold the great Lan-dini! If you examine the clasps, they are tight... and in a flash - she is free!" - So Malcolm's leather bracelett can easily turn into handcuffs...

Here at the library again waiting for Formation Team practice. The time change definitely did something to my brain - feeling so sleepy. But still fairly bright in spirits... and of course nervous. Looking forward to performing in front of people (this is our test night) and it's also the South Lab send off party... (the people are going, not the building).

Again it's been another busy week, but it was tempered by occassional wonderful, lazy moments sitting in the sun. It felt so good to leave work on Friday that I pratically skipped my way to Friday Feast. Rem made pizza, Stephanie made chocolate cake, and as we ate we watched Spirited Away. The two stained-glass "tiles" made rainbows on the walls. Everyone was exhausted it seemed, but that didn't stop Anne, Malcolm and I from having a tickle fight. My long bus ride home was also nicely entertained - some days you have to love cell phones.

Saturday was a lot less social. No April Fool's jokes and the house was quiet - only one call from the outside world: Steph stating ransom for my daytimer. I finally made my way to those craft store / party store suggestions (thanks Simony, though Pretty Party Place was not on the list) to pick up supplies for the centre pieces (even as far as braving the Whitemud). I brought home bags and bags of greenery - Dad ran to the door asking, "Why did you buy vegetables?!". Well... I guess that means they look realistic enough :) Hm... may have to think about incorporating salad as a centre piece next time ;)

Oh, should be heading off - hope there will be no big spills at the performance... even better if in 5 days time to look as good as OK GO in their "A Million Ways Video" www.okgo.net/video.asp The song is stuck in my head.