Every bloody muscle hurts. It hurts when I walk, it hurts when I lie down, it hurts when I lift my arms and when my feet touch the ground. My muscles are in muscle hell. Somehow, I got roped into playing Dodgeball on Saturday. Yup, you know that game played by grade school kids and then made popular by the Ben Stiller-Vince Vaughn movie of the same name. We went and played 6 hours of adult dodgeball.
I was testing out a new knit stitch and had knitted about 4 inches when I decided that I wasn't sure about it. Stefan, who can never bear for me to knit and unravel decided he would try to sell the product to me.
Stefan: Sweetie! Don't unravel it! Here, let me look at it....
He looks at it and started pointing out the "selling points"
Stefan: Well, it's got a nice V pattern. Lots of great texture. AND LOOK! When you lay it flat, it looks like little ski moguls.
I started unravelling the thing pretty darn quickly after that.
What does one do with a mouse in the house after it's been caught? That has been the question of the weekend. I guess the dip in the temperature caused the little critters to come out of their hiding places, as many reports have been made of various mouse trappings and killings. The most common suggestion has been killing by drowning, letting it out just to die in the elements. A friend, who is an environmentalist and animal lover, said that using a trap is the kindest way because it usually kills them instantly. Well, we did none of the above. And before anyone protests too much or sends PETA up our asses, I just wanted to say that we are mouse catching virgins and truly had no idea what to do.
As you know, we live in an apartment in a rather old building. There are all sorts of weird cracks in the walls and sometimes you can even hear the wind between the buildings. Today, when Stefan came home from the gym, he noticed that Mindy was in her "hunting mode" near the fridge. I usually ignore this because it very easily could be the wind but Stefan is more proactive than I, offered to hunt with Mindy.
Last night, in order to avoid any encounter with the cleaning lady, I decided to meander to the Winners near my place. It's always such a great way to kill free time as there is so much to see and browse through. As always, I spend more time in the home section than in the clothing section. I am surrounded by clothes all the time, so why surround myself with more? I was enamored by all the pillow choices (those of you who know me, know very well that I LOVE tons of pillows on the bed) when a very confused and well dressed young man approached me.
I have finally finished the scarf that I have been working on. It's almost completely flawless OTHER THAN THE FACT THAT IT IS TOO SHORT!!!
I tend to like my scarves super long. This one does wrap around the neck but just barely and they do not have any of the yarn left to make it longer.
I am about to start developing high blood pressure over this. I should probably pick up another hobby that has less stress. Like stamp collecting.
I've been obsessing over Madonna's ass lately. I finally watched the video of her first new single, Hung Up.
Is anyone else as in awe as I am? The woman is 47 years old for Pete's sake and she still has an ass of a twenty something year old. I actually think that her ass is better now than it ever has been. I was first blown away by her physique when Stefan and I had caught her Reinvention tour in Toronto last year. Everyone had assumed we had shitty seats as they were quite high up. There really is no such thing at the ACC though, luckily enough and our seats gave us a tremendous vantage point to her backstage antics.
I seem to be expiring like rotten milk. At least all my government papers (passport, driver's license, health card) seem to be expiring at the same time. I've been running around trying to go to all the various different agencies. You would think they would all be at the same place. But no, that would be far too efficient for the government to operate that way. There is some unwritten law where if you need to ever get anything done, it has to at least take half an hour. Then there is the weird fact that for some reason, the parking meters near these agencies seem to be way more expensive than anywhere else in the city.
I wonder whether this is just some cosmic coincidence.
I think not.
I know I've stated before that I don't really watch movies. I should clarify to say that I don't really watch a lot of movies in the theatre but I do tend to watch a lot of rented DVD's. Anyway, we finally watched the latest instalment of the Batman series, Batman Begins. I was a little hesitant to watch it simply because I am a big fan of comics. I grew up reading them and I often find the adaptation from paper to screen usually pretty disappointing. And let's be honest, the last few Batman movies, how shall we put this nicely? SUCKED SHITTY ASS.
Me: (flipping through the new Vanity Fair) Holy Crap! It says here Kate Moss weighs 100 pounds at 5 feet 7. Does that make me fat?
Stefan: I don't know.
Me: Are you just saying that because there is no right answer?
Silence.
Moments later.
Me: I think I'm the right size for my height. What do you think?
Stefan: I think I love you?
Me: That is the biggest cop out answer ever.
Lately, I haven't had the time to smell the roses. It's been a really busy time for me, and honestly, all this mild weather has had me internally freaking. Global warming! Impending Doom!
Today, I noticed the Fall colours for the first time and by golly, nature is pretty damn beautiful when you take the time to notice it. We had been walking along Yorkville and people already seemed so caught up in the whole holiday shopping season. I wanted to say,"Don't you feel the warmth? Do you not see the afternoon sun shining through the leaves?"
But I am just as guilty for not taking life for what it can offer. I am always so caught up in the moments of work and stress. I have to remind myself that life will always have those moments and there are some moments that you can never get back.
Fall is actually one of my favourite seasons. I love the changing colours of the leaves. I love only being able to wear only a jean jacket and a scarf. We often don't get a real Fall here in Ontario. Things too quickly turns to cold and snow. The leaves just become a soggy muck that you wish were gone, and you secretly curse those people who couldn't be bothered to rake them up.
But today, Stefan and I strolled along the university campus, enjoying the weather, ran around the park, kicking up the leaves (me, not Stef) and just loving life. A perfect Fall afternoon.
It's not what you think, I did not forget my brother's birthday. I simply haven't had a chance to post his birthday greeting. Kelvin is my middle brother and many times I refer to him as my "little" brother (which he doesn't like) or my "little koko" - little big brother(which he dislikes even more). He is only three years older than me so he really was my companion and friend, more than anything when we were growing up.
I pity the world. Now there is not just one forum for my insanity but two! I am going to be a regular fashion contributor on this blog about living in Toronto, blogTO. I guess this isn't such a huge stretch from me since I tend to be fascinated by all aspects of style and like things.
So, check the site out once in awhile...
Stefan: Please don't be mad.
Me: What happened?
Stefan: They only had one car left at the rental place.
Me: NO!!! Don't tell me...
Stefan: I'm sorry! I asked four times.
Me: Oh My God! I'll take anything else. A minivan, anything....
Later on that day.
Sometimes certain people read my blog when I don't really expect them to. For instance, my parents, my brothers, my girlfriend's sixteen year old sister!
Anyway, I do realize that sometimes I talk about things that perhaps the people listed above should not really be exposed to but at the same time, this is blog is about me. I need to be able to speak about whatever I want without any fear of serious censorship.
However, I do admit that the last entry about acronyms was not really kid or parent friendly. So, I apologize to my brothers (who had a heart attack thinking about their mama reading about blow jobs) and to Marie (whose delicious little kid sister got exposed to what Marie didn't really want her to be exposed to. Please! Jenna is SIXTEEN! She already knows this happens) Maybe they should not have gotten the info from me, but that is neither here nor there.
So, all I can say is that the next time there is a warning or disclaimer, just do your best and use your discretion.
Do you sometimes feel that some parts of your body don't really fit your body? It's as if when God was making you, he wasn't quite paying attention because he had other things to worry about like famine, world wars etc.
Anyway, these are two feautures of myself that I never feel really fits my body.
My feet I know small feet are common but I have size 5.5 size feet. All my friends my height have at least size 7 feet. Whenever I wear running shoes, people just point and say,"Look how tiny they are!" Why do I have to look? I've had them virtually all my life so wouldn't you think I know? Doesn't help that I am Asian and we have that feet-binding tradition...
My bottom lip My lip never really seems to fit. Especially the bottom one. I am forever biting on them and it drives me mad. Last week, I accidentally bit it really hard and now I have a sore. Plus, it's a little bigger than it usually is on the side that I bit it. It hurts to eat and you all know how much I love food. Very upsetting.
I was a little hesitant at picking up this book at the library. First of all, the pink cover simply screams "Frivolous Chick Lit! Summer Reading! Piece Of Fluff!" I was due for a brain-dead read anyway so I picked it up.
Playing House is about a woman named Frannie Mackenzie, a Canadian girl who finally manages to make it big in the Big Apple, only to have her dreams thwarted by an unexpected pregnancy. Unfortunately, the father is a struggling jazz musician named Calvin Puddie or is it Pudhie? Hence lies the dilemna. Frannie is a thirty something woman who has been living her fabulous life as a writer in NY, sleeping with someone that she doesn't quite know and now she is about to bring forth another human being. She is quite unsure of herself and her future.
Frannie evetually goes back home to Toronto for a quick medical check up, and is then rejected from the US border due to incomplete Visa paperwork. She is forced to reconcile the fact that she will no longer be living the big city life in the near future, but in Toronto, among her family and friends. Calvin subsequently shows up (after she confesses her pregnancy) and they try to juggle a burgeoning romance during the uncomfortable phases of pregnancy and delivery.
I loved the fact that the main story line is based in Toronto. I don't read that many Canadian authors (I know, so bad) and it was nice to be able to picture distinctly in one's mind the places being described. I wouldn't really call it "Chick Lit" per se because although it was eventually a love story, it definitely did not start off as one. It was really witty and laugh out loud funny. (Trust me. I got berated for laughing out loud in the middle of the night by a boy who has a cold but thinks he is suffering from pneumonia) The characters are both so individual and different. Often cantakerous and at odds with one another, Frannie and Calvin find a mutual peace in their love for their child. Definitely light reading but certainly not fluff, this book is like a glass of pink lemonade on a dark, winter afternoon.
Looks like Sienna Miller and Jude Law have been doing the old slide back. The on again, off again couple were seen cavorting at dinner together lately despite their infidelities to one another. (him with the nanny, her with his supposed bud, Daniel Craig, the new James Bond) Although according to People magazine, there was a third wheel at the table, Sienna's mother. Maybe Jude is doing her instead? Despite all this cuddling and googly-eyeing, both parties PR people are saying that the relationship is definitely OFF, not on. Who would go back to Jude? He slept with the nanny, for pete's sake. If that isn't one sacred relationship, I don't know what is.
It feels like it's been such a long time since I posted one of these that I thought it was time. Especially since it's gotten fairly good response to the people that I sent it to earlier.
I finally managed to go to this much spoken of restaurant, The Korean Grill House on Queen Street. Why I did not venture here earlier, I am not quite sure since it is so close to my natural roaming habitat. I am always a little wary of places or anything that has too much hype simply because when the thing being hyped up doesn't live up to expectations, there is always that empty feeling of wanting more.
MF - Mother Fucker
How could I possibly forget my all time favourite?
BATT - Booty All The Time
A good response when someone is ignoring your emails or IM, you can ask whether they are getting BATT.
With the emergence of Instant Messaging, acronyms have become very common. They're very handy things especially when you are in a pinch for time. Over time, I've even created some of my own for when I've felt "Big Brother is watching" via email. I thought I would share my favourite ones. WARNING: Some content might be x-rated so Mothers and family in general should stop reading now.
LOL - Laughing Out Loud
Everyone knows this. A good electronic way to describe glee.
OMG - Oh My God
Comes particularly handy when you need to exclaim shock.
WTF? - What The Fuck?
One of my all time favourites. Can be used for almost every circumstance.
CG - Catholic Guilt
I am not actually Catholic, but a girlfriend of mine who grew up Catholic says I got it bad. All I can say is that I went to Catholic school so it must count somehow.
SBJ - Steak and a Blow Job
When it comes down to it, you know this is truly what every man wants more than anything in the world. This is a suggested solution to a girl/guyfriend who is in the proverbial Dog House and needs a Get Out of House ticket quick.
DLB - Double Licking Balls
This is the ultimate suggestion thrown in with SBJ if said friend looks like they might be in the Dog House permanently.
Every so often I envy the young their youth. I think it's because we live so close to the University of Toronto campus and many times, people mistake me to be a student. There are many things I miss about being college age like; not paying taxes, being able to drink like a fish with the mildest hangover the morning after, making dating mistakes and having a very carefree attitude to the world at large.
Tonight, I am reminded how much I like being the age I am. I am helping my friend Grace with her homework. I offered because she's attending the same program that I did. As she works on her fashion storyboard, I am grateful that I will never have to work on another story board or smell the sickening, toxic, scent of rubber cement after this night.
So you see? There are always benefits in whatever age you are.
My girlfriend Jen has been telling me all about her adventures of young motherhood. Before I start off on my story, I just have to say that I think Jen is such an amazing mum and she simply makes being a parent so do-able. That, and being smaller AFTER the pregnancy can almost make you want to hate her.
Anyway, she was talking about how there are so many funny things that kids do, that you so would NOT do if you were an adult.
Jen was talking about how she had gotten to know the kids and their caregivers in her neighbourhood park quite well. One day, there was this little girl that she recognized playing by herself in the sandbox. The girl had her hands up her skirt and was fiddling around. Jen didn't really want to say anything since the girl wasn't her own child. Moments later, the little girl went up to Jen and stuck her pointing finger really close to Jen's face and said, "Sometimes when you stick your finger up your bum, it smells funny."
Jen blanched and then hurriedly went to tell the girl's nanny to make sure that the girl washed her hands before she ate anything.
Oh, kids.....