formerly the bus blog: June 2006

Thursday, June 22, 2006

mad mad mad

I think one of the drawbacks of living alone is that when you want to have a doozy of a tantrum there's no one there to see it. As in on your back kicking and screaming and yelping at the unfairness of it all. Kinda like when a tree falls in the forest, does anybody...

Today was frustrating, to say the least. Unfortunately it didn't involve any buses.

Tuesday, June 20, 2006

summer strep

Ahhh. Regression. Don't you love it? How it sneaks up on you so quickly? So stealthly. So pus-ily. I have a wicked case of strep throat thanks to given'r a little too hard last week. I was out every single night last week. Not unusual for a lot of people. Not unusual for me - 5 years ago, 3 years ago, maybe even 2 years ago. But not now.

The given'r highlights that ruined me:

Monday - MG pre-summer staff party. Free drinks. Free chicken thighs and pizza (wheat = evil) and greasy bus tubs. After a few too many bellinis, I ran to the top of the stairs with a bus tub, popped it under my ass and launched myself down the stairs. A few seconds later I was using my upper thigh/hip area as a brake. The bruise is still there. Thank god I don't have a digital camera yet.

Tuesday - African chowfest with fellow wannabe foodies at Nyala. Not too much wine, but definitely too much food.

Wednesday - My 'retirement' party from my day job. My last chance for free bevvies on the company bill. You betcha I was going to drink breadth of the menu. Plus I deal with goodbyes/emotions better drunk. Allegedly. Then I cabbed to my sweetie over in Kits for comfort and more gin. He made me feel better, the gin unfortunately did not.

Thursday - John Digweed. Crazy MG coworker Django. One sweaty Austrailian. Two strippers (of the No. 5 Orange ilk). 10 Kootenay kids. Not much sleep and probably a little too much progressive house.

Friday - some tables waited. Considerable tips made. Beers drank. Sleep not had.

Saturday - Karoake at Fantacity. Highlights: Ellie's rendition of Abba. Katie and Dani's prostar voices. Yours truly having all fun and no tune to Dolly Parton and John Cougar Mellancamp.

And now folks, this is my throat.

PS Bus related note. I was supposed to attend the World Urban Forum this week. Thanks to my strep I've been mainly sleeping off my first week of 'retirement' from the day job. I have managed to use my WUF bus pass to go to the Doc's and to grab some groceries. Yay free bus pass. Boo bad conference attender. Thursday I'll be going full bore.

PPS Elaine Corden's summer playlist is out. It's a gooder and includes my lovely ex-roomie's band Cadeux.

Friday, June 09, 2006

lazy girl

Does anyone know anyone from Ontario who things that Toronto time is the centre of the world? One of these people called me at 6:30 this morning. I was sleeping peacefully when someone from Time Magazine in Toronto called. I had left them a message the other day wanting to contact their ed and the office assistant called me at 9:30 their time. When she realized what ungodly hour it was for me she apologized, saying, "I hope this isn't too early." Of course it is honey, do you think I'm a farmer? Grrrr.

Friday finds:

Shepherd Pairey's new mural in LA. Check it out here. Love it. I'm not that much of a brand whore but I do love most of Obey's art. Especially my commandante Marcos bag.
#5 Robson. I was late this morning because I slept in after the early call so I took the bus to work. Lovely. Lots of Davie Street eye candy. For the most part it was a very civil (save for the over- cuddly German tourists).
Ever wonder why lazy boys weren't called lazy girls? Cause there aren't a lot of lazy girls out there. Most girls can out multi-task any guy.
Le chat Noir. I went there for lunch today. I had their eggs benny topped with hollandaise that was perfectly citrusy and fluffy. It's a slightly stodgy counter-service cafe but what broke things up was the Premier Gaou blasting on the sound system. One of the girls working the counter seemed to be West African. We were equally impressed with each other: me because she was playing one of my fave African bands, she because I knew who Premier Gaou was. It was a very Joburg/Montreal moment.

Thursday, June 08, 2006

walking

To keep on with the love schlep...on my walk to work this morning it seemed to take forever. Maybe it was because I was up late last night talking to a girlfriend over red wine, but the last 3 blocks felt like 3 miles. Then I remembered what its like for my mom to do lots of walking. Then I remembered that a lot of my friends and family supported her during last weeks MS Walk in Calgary. There were 9 people and 1 dog on her team. They raised over $2700 for MS research and support. Thanks guys.

PS I've inserted a photo of Teri Hatcher because she looks like my mom in this photo. Yes my mom is a yummy mummy.

Wednesday, June 07, 2006

neighbour; dinner; #17

Tonite was my 3rd to last food and travel class. We had to do some fun exercises like write instructions on how to peel an apple. We were also given a mystery ingredient that we had to write a descriptive paragraph about (using all the senses). But we couldn't name the ingredient. We then had to read it out to the class and they guessed what it was. So fun. Guess what mine was:

"Like miniature, hard raisins this taste is essential to many foods. It's course, tiny shape is often not much bigger than a pin head but smaller than a thumbtack. Probably the second most used seasoning in the English-speaking world this hot pebble is everywhere. Freshly ground its burning pungence is instant - often sending those in the vicinity into sneezing fits. Preground and shaken it sprinkles black and light grey. The adventurous will eat it whole in bubbly stews, pilafs or jambayalas."

On the way home I took the #17 with two class mates. Turns out one of them, Paola from Colombia, is my neighbour. Lives right across the street. She wants to join our international dinner club after the course is over. We're all wannabe foodies now so she wants to continue our own little foodie gatherings. Warm fuzzies. WestEnd lurv.

Tuesday, June 06, 2006

lurv is in the air

People are falling in lurv or proclaiming their lurv left, right and centre of me. I am in the vortex of a cushy movement of kisses, hugs, weddings, babies and fly-across-BC visits. Luckily one of us (ie. me) has her feet planted on the terra firma and am able to think rationally during this whirlwind of l-o-v-e. Rather than regale you with tales of how someone knew she was in love after one day or how love still persists after the birth of a baby, lactating boobs and years of togetherness, I'll spare you - us. Instead I thought I'd reflect on some of the kinds of love - bus or non-bus dependent- I've encountered in the last few months.

Robert Indiana's sculpture on Georgia Street. Now that I am a WestEnder I get to stroll to work in the morning. While the glorious sun showers me with UVs and the traffic puffs by I get to see the LOVE sculpture on Georgia Street (er or maybe its Pender?). It's modelled after the one I saw on my way to the MOMA in NYC (pictured).
Retail love. Contrary to the typical Vancouver shopping experience I've received some fantastico retail help lately. One girl even offered to help me put dress on at Dream during GoGastown. To bad my back is as wide as a football player's. Mind you she was tottering a bit with a glass of chardonnay slooshing around in her hand. Maybe she was just one of thos 'nice' drunk people. Then there are the Victoria boys at Complex on Abbott. They are truly the nicest hip hop boys around. Then my old party hound girlfriend at Paradise Cove in Victoria who sold me my new fave long shirt.
Belly love. My girlfriend had her annual birthday extravaganza in Victoria the last weekend of May. The birthday girl invited her belly dance instructor to come over and give us all lessons. They really work your, ahem, love muscles. I think I'm going to take some more lessons. My past experience as a wannabe bhangra dancer should come in handy.
Cell phone love. I love my cell phone. It's now my only link to the outside world since my move into my pink kitchened-bathroomed bachelorette pad. Lots of others like their cellphones too. In fact I've seen countless 15-30 year olds be on the bus, in restaurants and at the bar together and do nothing but hold hands, neck and text or talk on their cell phones but never to each other. Romantic huh?
Crack love. Refer to Commercial and Broadway or Hastings and Carrol around the middle of the month for more info.
Food love. Each Tuesday I take the #44 out to UBC for my Food and Travel writing class. I lurv it. Our instructor loves food. He's very passionate about artisan foods and travel and it makes me just want to pick up and take off. Or instead I could start an international dinner club. I used to know someone who was in one. Takers?
Video blog lurv. My fellow recent car owner friend Mel features some pretty funny videos on her blog. Check it out. Makes me want to get a life.
Bus driver love. Nothing spells compassion more when you have to run for the bus, pushing people out of the way, to catch the bus as its pulling away and the driver slams on the brakes. Opens the door. Score.
Birthday love. I had one recently. Cards, gifts, kisses, red wine (lots and lots) and food came my way. Thanks.
Adult contempo love. I discovered an Eric Clapton CD last night unpacking. Listened to it, drinking my beer alone in my new place. Felt very grownup, if not a little alcoholic.
Fug love. I am a bitch. I'm glad I'm not alone. Thanks for the hookup Elly.

That's all the love for now.

Friday, June 02, 2006

so long sucka

Last night I had my last ride home from work on the skybus and the #9. It was a little bitter sweet. There were the usual smells, junkies, pushy senior citizens, drunken youths. As one close to my heart says, "the folks at Commerical and Broadway are people of distinction." As of Saturday I'll be living in trolley bus land - the West End. I finally found a sweet, mini-abode to rest my laurels until I figure out what to do with my life (ie. Vancouver: should I stay or should I go?) I'm excited, but of course a little tense. Who likes moving anyway? Luckily I've got two great Merritt exports to help me.

I'll miss East Van. I fully intend to hop in the Fox on the weekends to venture east of Ontario Street for my produce (Donald's) and moule frites (Stella's). I'll definitely be coming this way for the Commercial Drive Car Free Festival via transit, of course. Maybe then I can live my glory days on the #9. I'm wondering what to do with the bus blog. I'll be walking every where or driving since I'll be leaving spitting distance from work, friends, etc. Not much fuel for blogging.

Sorry this almost final post couldn't be more inspiring.

formerly the bus blog