Today I...

Returned my library books.
Watched Newsradio.
Biked around the neighbourhood.
Talked with friends.
Found out that Tom Cruise is an arrogant, weird little man who thinks himself an authority on psychiatric medicine (the fact that I have three different links illustrating this is sad).
Painted my toenails.
Played WEBoggle.
Tutored.

As you can see, I was extremely productive. My messages of the day? Play WEBoggle. Buy Newsradio. Tom Cruise is a crank. Don't go biking when it's eighty-six thousand degrees outside.

Poem

I know I just posted, but this poem was on the back of the paper given out at K's funeral service, and I just wanted to post it.

Her Journey's Just Begun
- Ellen Brenneman

Don't think of her as gone away-
her journey's just begun
life holds many facets
the Earth is only one

Just think of her as resting
from the sorrows and the tears
in a place of warmth and comfort
where there are no days and years

Think how she must be wishing
that we could know today
how nothing but our sadness
can really pass away

And think of her as living
In the hearts of those she touched
For nothing loved is ever lost-
And she was loved so much.

Return to the Blog

It odd; since two Saturdays ago, it feels shallow to write about the little things in life. As if it's disrespectful. But that doesn't seem right, somehow. I mean, those are the things that make up the important parts of life, aren't they?

Today, I saw Girly, who's moving to Montreal in about two weeks. She's excited, but stressed, and I'm happy for her, and sad for me, because the selfish part of me wants her to stay here, so we can hang out. But she wants to go, and it'll make her happy, so she should.

I also saw Tessa, who kindly picked me up, and we went first to Future Shop, where I bought the Newsradio DVD, and then to Benny's Bagels for dinner, which was nice. It was ludicrously hot out today, and I just about overheated on our walk to Benny's, but it was nice to see her again (it seems like it had been awhile. My sense of time has been thrown off completely).

It was a good day, really.

A Week Later

Well, life is starting to resemble normal again, which is just making me scared of the upcoming storm; I really didn't react to all this nearly as badly as I know I need to, so I'm guessing it'll all come rushing back when I least expect it.

Anyhow, I've babysat, seen movies, worked, and that's about it. It's been a weird week, which I guess is to be expected. Sorry I'm not very articulate; that must be part of how it all works out.

Front Page

They were really sweet about you, K. And the picture isn't on the web, but rest assured, you looked hot.

K.

K.

She's my friend, my sister. She was all brightness and pointed energy, with the kind of red hair that dyes can only try to imitate. She could make anyone and everyone laugh. She would listen to you when you were upset, and tell you that you were right, it did suck, but that it'd be okay, and you'd believe her. She owned a shirt that said "I use boys for sex" across the front, and she wore it. She was beautiful and sweet, but she could hold her own in any fight or argument, and would. It took twenty minutes to go 100 feet on campus with her; she knew everyone, and would stop to talk with each and every one of them that crossed her path, because that's how she was; everyone loved her.

She was driving home last night, with a friend, when an SUV T-Boned her car, her tiny old Toyota. She was killed instantly, so was her passenger. So now she can only make us laugh when we remember the crazy things she did, she can only fight for what she wants through us doing it for her. "She will be missed" seems like a stupid thing to say; she's already missed, so much it hurts.

Bye, K.

More Than One Grind

So...did the Grouse Grind today. Have to say, while I have never claimed to be the at all physically fit, I'm pretty sure the entire ordeal would have been far less strenuous had I not SPRAINED MY ANKLE a little bit after the quarter mark. And this is not to say that it would've been a piece of cake. My lungs were wheezing "mercy". Thankfully, with help and lots of resting, I managed to make it up the mountain, and I iced it at work. It seems pretty good, not really swollen or anything. The only worrisome aspect is the throbbing. In my experience throbbing is bad.

In other news, I've been working. A lot. I picked up two night shifts (yesterday and today), will be working my usual shifts (ie. tomorrow and Sunday), and then picked up two day shifts next week, on top of the weekend. I've also realized that everyone else's weekend is basically my workweek. This seems flawed, somehow. But work means money, and money means less "My god, how bloody expensive was Mexico, how is it that I've suddenly run out of EVERY necessity and why the hell can I not stop buying books?"

Anyhow, it's bedtime. I've got work for tomorrow, people!

Addiction and Detox

So...last night I ordered six books (six!) from Bookcloseouts (best but most dangerous site ever). Now, since I (ie. my bank account) clearly cannot withstand this sort of thing on a regular basis, and since I will forever love reading, I went to the library today and got myself a library card. "Who doesn't have a library card?!", you ask? Well, truth be told, sometime way back (we're talking high school) I foolishly left my wallet on a bus (ah, the responsible youth), and with it, my library card. And never got a new one. But now, several years later, I have. A whole new world has opened up to me, and trust me, once my probationary period (for a library. Who knew?) has passed, it won't know what hit it.

Book Reviews

Divine Secrets of the Ya-Ya Sisterhood, by Rebecca Wells
Synopsis can be found here

It was alright. I have to say, I don't see what all the fuss was about; I enjoyed it, sort of, but it wasn't a book that made me delay sleep so I could finish it. I couldn't really get into it, and none of the characters really captivated me. Of course, it may have been spoiled for me by a) the movie, or b) the fact that I was trying to read it after not sleeping for ever 36 hours.

The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants, by Ann Brashares
Synopsis can be found here

Now this book I (unexpectedly) really liked. I got it for Mexico, because I'd seen the preview for the movie and it looked sufficiently inane for holiday reading. As a result of my incredibly low expectations, I was very pleasantly surprised upon finding it to be well-written, interesting, and actually kind of realistic in its portrayal of teenagers (not of some of the events, however, but I can overlook that). After I read it, three of my traveling buddies read it, and all enjoyed it. It definitely kicked the other "sisterhood" book's ass (ie the one reviewed above).

The Wee Free Men, by Terry Pratchett
Synopsis can be found here

Love Terry Pratchett's books, and this one was no exception. Just got it from Girly (thanks!), and read it today, and as ever, he did not disappoint. It's a Discworld book, but geared at a younger audience, much like The Amazing Maurice and Hid Intelligent Rodents. If you like Pratchett's sense of humour, I recommend it highly.

Today is the Eighth

Heard last night:

"Yeah, so the bouncers took a bunch of stuff from us; my baseball cap, my buddy's knife..."

"There's this magazine I really like...have you ever heard of the Economist?"

In other news, I'm exhausted, Tessa is pretty, my subconscious is back to hating me, Mother's Day at the cafe is insane, and I got paid this weekend. Twice. All in all, pretty much same old.

Back, Baby

Hey all! Back from Mexico, and I'm...like, a smidgen tan. Unlike my co-travelers, who were sunworshippers, I am a sun[I]screen[/I] worshipper, so that's not a huge surprise. It's gorgeous there, and I would try to put up pictures, except that last time I did that our computer died for two weeks and needed a re-haul, so...maybe later.

It would take forver to actually recap the trip, so here're the bare elements; early flight, pretty hotel, big shower, gorgeous pool, postcard outside, gross men, good food, dancing, sunning, reading, swimming, tours, flaming boat of seafood, cliff diver, coconut, dolphins, horseback riding, banana boat, shopping, violently ill (just for one night), aquarium, spa, long flight home.

I'm sure I missed stuff, but it'll come back to me.

How was that only a week?