accidental vacation ...

I have been absent, but not by choice. I came home last Wednesday and discovered that my computer monitor had decided that it did not work anymore. After trying everything I could think of, I called the company where we bought it to determine if
a. it was still under warranty
b. if not under warranty should we get it repaired or replaced.

To my great relief it was still under warranty and they would replace it, in two* business days. (*two business days on Pluto)

This meant that I waited at home Thursday, Friday and Monday, at 4 pm on Tuesday I called back to enquire as to the whereabouts of my monitor. I was told it was ready for pick-up at the UPS depot. I said "Wow, that's great, too bad no one told me and I'd asked for it to be delivered."
Fortunately it arrived today and my forced technology withdrawal is over. Waiting for couriers is not my favourite activity. I can't leave the apartment because Murphy's law states that I will miss them in the 5 minutes it takes for me to go and get coffee, have a shower, buy a newspaper ... I have been very very bored for the last 5 weekdays. Not to mention the fact that I couldn't work because I had no computer and couldn't go to the archives to work because I had to wait for the courier.
Daytime TV sucks and I re-read three books and napped a lot (right next to the door buzzer, just in case)

Had a nice weekend though, visited my husband's parents at their camp near Lake Simcoe. We don't see them as often as we'd like so it was really nice to see them and just hang out.

Sunday Shopping Rocks

You may remember my previous post where I lamented that I could not afford to spend a very large amount of money on shoes for my sister's wedding. Well look what I found today for a reasonable amount of money. So pretty and yet so elegant. Can't wait to find a pair of brown pants to wear with them! I think they'll look great with Jeans too! I was going to buy a home foot spa but got distracted by the shoes ... So a bathtub pedicure it is tonight instead of a relaxing foot soak with jets and massage. Maybe I can beg my husband into rubbing my feet.

On other, less foot related topics, I just started to read Wideacre by Philippa Gregory. I know this book was published originally in the 80s, but I hadn't realized that I'd read it before until I reached page 175. It's ok but nowhere near as good as The Other Boleyn Girl or Earthy Joys. I'm excited though because I think I have a real winner in the cue. Tipping the Velvet by Sarah Waters.

Also, had the best steak for dinner last night - seared quickly on both sides (no more than 30 seconds) then let it sit and cook on the second side, add a cup of balsamic to the pan to reduce for about 8 minutes then remove the steak and let the balsamic reduce a little more. AMAZING, gives the steak a sweetness and it just melts in you mouth. (the bottom will look black but it isn't burned it's just the balsamic). We served it on a bed of arugula with carmelized onions on top. I love www.foodtv.ca. I am going to use the leftover arugula to make pesto.

sweet smell of the city

I love the city, I can't imagine living anywhere else and being as happy as I am (obvious exceptions of course being other cities). I love the diversity, the fast pace and the constant change. There are one or two things that I could live without though.

Todays ride on the 511 Street Car down Dundas St. was one of them. Whilst trying to avoid standing next to the man who had already urinated in his pants I ended up standing between Insulting Self-Talker, who took every opportunity to make rude comments about those seated around him but did not offer him a seat and Man Carrying Purse, not a "Man Bag" but a PURSE. I know this because he opened the bag and there was a mirror on the inside of the flap.

On the return ride, I was surprisingly refreshed to end up seated next to a woman, who had bathed recently, didn't talk to herself, and to all outward appearances seemed to be quite pleasant. I wondered if perhaps I had gotten on the wrong car.

flowers

just because I felt like sharing some pretty.

weekend

What a great time was had this weekend at RER and BM's wedding. Not only did my very good friend get married and I've never seen her happier, but I got to spend good quality time with some friends that I haven't seen in years and may not see again for a number of years ...

Seeing everyone and falling right back into our banter, although a little older, a little wiser and with slightly less energy at midnight than we used to have, made me thankful for my friends and hopeful that in 20 years we will still be in touch and be able to gather around a couple of pitchers of beer and be as comfortable as we were at 22.

To the Crew that couldn't make it: you were missed but we did our best to do justice to home for a rest.

mmm... Friday

So another week has come and almost gone. I have to say that the happiest I have been this week was the time I spent yesterday surfing for shoes I cannot afford on the internet.

Now when I say I cannot afford these shoes, I mean that they are in the realm of dreams. However, I have a plan to add one pair of ridiculously expensive shoes to my wardrobe. 12 short months from now my student loans will be paid off, and in homage to this momentous occasion, I am taking my loan payment the first month I don't need to use it to repay the government for my emminently unemployable degrees and buying shoes. Just a simple pair of Manolo's or Christian Louboutin's or maybe even Rene Caovilla (although the Caovilla's would have to be on sale). I have dubbed these shoes my End of Student Loan Celebratory Shoes. So to get a start on the exhaustive process of turning my fantasy shoes into reality I have begun looking at what's new to try and detect the trends for next fall. If it was next year right now, these
are the ones I would buy (they would look gorgeous with my bridesmaid dress for my sister's wedding at Thanksgiving).

I have been lucky enough to have been spoiled by my husband and the best outlet mall in the world to have in my custody one pair of Chanel (bought at 31 Rue Cambon, Paris), one pair of DiSandro (bought for my wedding, although I don't recommend 4" heels, no matter that they're the prettiest wedding shoes ever, for such a long day, I ended up in my sandals for most of the reception) and two pair of YSL bought at 70% off at The Mall just outside Florence. Unfortunately it's hard to go back to Payless when you've had your feet in the good stuff ....

things that make me smile

Receiving a text message
My husband when he laughs so hard he gives himself the hiccups (which are nice normal hiccups, unlike mine)
Mail that isn't a bill
Unexpectedly hearing a song you'd forgotten but still know all the words to
Deloitte and Touche (invert the first letters, yes it's juvenile but I laugh every time)
My wedding ring - I did not change my last name so had Mrs. C------ engraved in my wedding band.
Puppies learning how to swim - Congratulations Scooby!

with a bang and a whimper

Worst ways to wake up:
fire alarm
loud "fire alarm-like" alarm clock
horror at thinking you've slept in but really it's only 4 am
dog or cat sitting on your face until you start to twitch from suffocation

but today was brilliant. I fell out of bed. yup, fell, onto my ass, on the floor beside the bed. I think it went something like this:

I'm asleep, soundly, wearing my earplugs, I hear a humming noise that I assume is the radio telling me to get out of bed. I roll over to the other side and hit the snooze button, immediately falling right back into my very sound sleep. The radio goes off again and not realizing that I've already made the initial move and that this action is actually "snooze #2" I rolled again. Right off the bed. I scraped my ankle and knee. Not an auspicious start to the day.

AND I have somehow gotten the hiccups. If you are one of those people for whom the hiccups are a minor nuisance, go away. My hiccups are full body, loud, painful and usually end with vomit. They upset my stomach that much. Must go drink sugar/salty water from the wrong side of the glass.

books of my times

So, I have recently finished re-reading the Josephine B. Trilogy by Sandra Gulland. I had read it before a couple of times, but now that I have actually been to Paris, it seemed to be calling me as I could put images besides the descriptions of various buildings, like the Tuilleries, the Louvre and Palais Royal (the Metro stop closest to our hotel). It was so enjoyable. I love the style of the book, built as a journal with extracts from actual letters and other historical documents as context. Such an amazing story, a well known story, but perspective really makes it original and compelling.

I have also recently finished The Deptford Trilogy by Robertson Davies. This is my friend NJ's favourite book and I was really hoping to enjoy it. Admittedly there were passages that blew me away with the narrative and writing, unfortunately it fell often into the pedantic rhythm that - in my opinion - so often plagues Canadian writers, writing about Canada. My favourite of the three was the final book but without the context of the previous two it would have been like drinking a fine wine on an empty stomach.

The third of my recently finished is The Undomestic Goddess by Sophie Kinsella. I really enjoy her writing. The characters make me smile, I easily identify with them (especially some of the wedding dilemmas in Shopaholic Gets Married as I was planning my own wedding.) It's not destined to become a "classic", but a lovely way to spend a couple of hours, occasionally laughing out loud. And her books will always have a space on my shelf.

another thing about bathing

we were on an island in the St. Lawrence River this weekend - thanks CA for an amazing time - but there was only a little shower and I just decided that since I was swimming there was no need to wash my hair. I actually didn't brush it either.
sometime's it's nice not to bathe.

bathing ...

I am starting to have some serious Shampoo issues. I decided to switch conditioners because I was getting far too much build-up. Unfortunately, I am still working through the matching shampoo. I go through conditioner three times more quickly than I go through shampoo and my husband's need to have an "inventory" of everything we use on a regular basis means that I still have one bottle of shampoo to go. I readily acknowledge that I use three to five times as much conditioner as shampoo when washing my hair. I know you are not supposed to use a lot of shampoo, but conditioner just feels so good and if I don't use a lot I get nasty tangles. What this means is that I won't be able to try a new shampoo and conditioner brand pairing for about another 6 or 7 weeks. Since I don't dye my hair anymore (until the grey becomes noticeable from more than 12 inches away) I like to try new shampoos and conditioners. I like the feeling of order when they match, it's a nice way to start the day - if that part of your life is in order why can't everything else?