Advent, Day Seven

(NB: Days Five and Six were celebrated with mulled wine and carols. Again. Oh yeah, and with that music video.)

Onto Day Seven:

'Nuff said.

The Best Christmas Music Video Yet

Funny AND heartwarming.

Click the title of the post for the original story.

And here's a word from Mariah Carey: 

At home for the fourth day of Advent

You're a mean one, Mr Grinch. You really are a heel. You're as cuddly as a cactus, you're as charming as an eel, Mr Grinch. You're a bad banana with a greasy black peel! (How the Grinch Stole Christmas, 2001)

Today I didn't get as much done as I wanted (when is that not true?). However, I have managed to clean most of my kitchen, and once clean, I made pumpkin bread with leftover pumpkin from the Thanksgiving muffins. I mulled wine (hello, winter comfort!), and have started roasting chestnuts for the first time ever. I hope they turn out well. None of them look like they're going to explode, which is a bonus. While I've been cleaning and baking and roasting, I've been listening to my Christmas music playlist.

For a late dinner, following a late lunch, I plan to have whatever is left of the wine, a slice or two of pumpkin bread, and a few chestnuts.

Next weekend I hope to get down to the Christmas Market (see this post and this one for details on last year's market trip).

This year for Christmas, there's something I'd really like. So if you're up there somewhere, Santa, please don't bring me another bike. I don't need any ugly sweaters, and I don't play much basketball. There's something kind of special that I want most of all... I want an alien for Christmas! Bring me an alien this year! I want a little green guy about three feet high, with seventeen eyes who knows how to fly... (Fountains of Wayne)

It's a Wonderful Life: Advent Days Two and Three

Dear George: Remember, no man is a failure who has friends. Thanks for the wings, Love Clarence

 Image of the movie poster believed to be from RKO pictures, found on Wikipedia

 
I had grander plans for today, but life and work intervened. However, I did manage to steal some well-spent time on a walk to the library* this afternoon, where I picked up It's a Wonderful Life, my favorite Christmas movie, probably ever. It's been my favorite since I was a child and we first watched it as a family when it was aired on one of the TV holiday specials. I finally cooked dinner (vegetarian 3-bean chili and whole wheat corn muffins), and I sat down to watch the film. The quote above may be my favorite quote, although it is never actually spoken by any of the characters. This movie always puts me in the best frame of mind for the holidays.

Yesterday, nothing special: I listened to some carols by Lionheart and Nat King Cole.



*I have just discovered how convenient it can be to borrow DVDs from the library (of course, they don't have everything, but it's much cheaper than buying when I have no TV to watch the specials!)

My Advent Calendar Begins!

It's becoming a tradition, now... For anyone who is not familiar with the back story behind the tradition, please feel free to read this post.

Yesterday I was having a bad time concentrating on anything. Plagued by the blue devils. So I started listening to the classical podcast I have in iTunes. After a couple episodes, I serendipitously found one:

So I tried to listen to carols in between having a very difficult day. It would have been better if I could have listened to the whole thing without any interruptions, but I'll do that another time.

The podcast covers earlier Christmas music by the male choir "Lionheart." I really like it, but then I enjoy listening to medieval (i.e. historical) carols.

Highlights from the St Andrews Anniversary Ball, Macbeth, and Thanksgiving Dinner

Last weekend was a busy one for yours truly.

Thursday night involved a lot of meetings and work, per usual.

Friday I spent baking an apple pie and pumpkin muffins for the holiday (Thanksgiving) season. I went to dinner with another American in Canada, a friend of mine with whom I celebrated last year. We had yummy yummy food, chicken, and stuffing, and green bean casserole, and gravy... and then apple pie. I wish I had more apple pie.

After dinner, my friend and I went to see the Hart House performance of Macbeth, which was pretty amazing. It's been ages (high school) since I read or watched Shakespeare, so the language took some getting used to, but the play is a powerful one, and was well acted and very well staged at Hart House. My favorite part might have been the way the witches were displayed behind black cheesecloth/mesh screens, and light would shine above them at strategic times so they were hidden and then foggily revealed. Lady Macbeth was fun to hate, and Macbeth was played very convincingly. We dressed up to see it, which just adds to the fun.

Saturday night I went to the St Andrews Anniversary Ball, which was great. Great food, really fun dancing, lots of kilts and sgian dhus, and bagpipes.

Ceilidh Practice, and Wine and Cheese: A Scottish Week

Whew. I have been drowning in schoolwork, supervisor duties, and stress.

Last night I took a brief break from all the craziness, and went to a practice ceilidh dance to prepare for the St Andrews Anniversary Ball that I'm going to on Saturday night (I'm really looking forward to it!!).

I was late due to the schoolwork craziness, but managed to practice four dances, and remembered how fun it is! I also saw some friends I've made in the St Andrews Alumni Club of Toronto, who are some of the most kind people I know.

Last Saturday night the aforementioned Club held a wine and cheese. This was kind of the anniversary for me, since the first event I ever attended was last year's wine and cheese. And I had a great time both nights. This year, one of the men I worked with on the St Andrews Dinner in Honour of the President and Vice-Chancellor, etc. gave me a lot of good advice about networking and getting a job. Getting a career. I really enjoyed listening, and that conversation motivated me to actually start asking people for informational interviews and the like. Anyway, I also had a great time talking to other people, some new, some I remembered from the year before.

It's definitely been fun getting away from the work and stress, but it sure didn't lessen the overall amount of either. Which means I should probably get started on the next thing...

November Resolutions Update:
I just remembered I posted about my November resolutions, and in going back through them I discovered that I have, indeed, managed to follow at least three of them (grad school does not equal life; I will get out more; I will spend less time in front of my computer). Unfortunately, I have hardly eaten five meals at home this month.

C.J. Cherryh's Invader: A Book Review

Invader by C.J. Cherryh

My rating: 3 of 5 stars


This is a really good "savour" book. The author brings attention to issues such as cultural/biological differences, attitudes, diplomacy, and loneliness. The plot moves at a comfortable pace, not fast, not too slow in most places. The characters are intriguing, especially the protagonist, who is an intelligent man in a complicated and sometimes desperate situation.

The second in the series, this book covers the narrator's post as translator/negotiator/intermediary between two biologically incompatible species, as a human starship returns to the planet they colonized and left 200 years previously. Tensions between the two species escalate as positions of power are negotiated around the growing probability of space travel.

The reason I couldn't put it down: Not for any fault of the book's, but my own - the loneliness and estrangement felt by the narrator as the only human on a continent of this other species got to be too much. I may pick it back up again at another time, to finish it.



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November Resolutions.

I've been neglecting this blog. I feel vaguely guilty, but only vaguely, because I don't actually have time for concentrated guilt. If you've been waiting for a post, my sincerest apologies.

I know most people write down their resolutions on New Year's Eve (or Day), but as I've never really felt a connection with that "holiday", I decided a couple of years back that resolutions were better made during periods of change in my life. So, I made resolutions in February, after I quit my job and applied to grad school. And I made new resolutions when I got to grad school. And now, I'm going to re-do them again, because I'm burning out, and I need a new perspective like tuna need deep water.

I'm not alone, either - a lot of my fellow second years are also struggling with motivation, workload, expectations, and the bleak career future. Lots of us are also struggling to juggle the other brightly colored balls labeled "student jobs" and "volunteering." So. Here are my resolutions, which should last throughout the rest of the academic year, and maybe beyond, but I sort of expect to be making new ones as I furiously hunt for a career-related job after graduation.

1. Grad school does not equal life. This also falls under Keeping Perspective. I will work toward an even work-life balance that includes twice-weekly exercise (soccer and swimming, for now), solitude, recreation with friends, eight hours of sleep, time outside, and household chores, in addition to schoolwork and volunteering responsibilities.

2. I will eat healthily, and at home. For many reasons, most importantly a shortage of disposable funds, and health and comfort.

3. I will get out more. I have a habit of staying home, but that never leads to adventures. I require time outdoors and in the company of others in order to be happy.

4. I used to work only when I could focus 100% on the work I was doing. Meaning, if I was hopping on and off Facebook, Gmail, and Google Reader, I wasn't working efficiently, and I might as well take a break and come back to the work later. This works when I don't have more work than I do focus, which is sometimes the case, but does wonders when I have time for focused work and relaxed breaks.

5. Do you find that music alters your mood? I do. Sometimes, I think it makes focusing more challenging. Thus, I will try to listen only to productivity-enhancing music, such as classical music, when I am working. The latest Florence + the Machine album is reserved for strictly non-working hours.

6. I will prioritize my responsibilities to other people, over responsibilities to classes and assignments.

7. I will spend less time in front of my computer. 

The underlying foundation for all these resolutions? I only have this one life to live.

Primary Inversion: A Book Review

Primary Inversion by Catherine Asaro

My rating: 3.5 of 5 stars


Very heavy emphasis on science and technology in this one - neuroscience and the math and physics of interstellar, faster-than-light travel. At times, I had to continue reading without more than a vague understanding of the technology. However, these descriptions, by and large, add to the atmosphere and world-building underlying the story. (Yes, sometimes I also got bogged down in the detail.)

It's a fun, complex, fast-paced, thought-provoking space opera with dynamic and believable characters. Based on racial/species conflict as well as potential uses/dangers of AI and bioengineering, with romantic conflict, family and imperial politics, and really exciting space battles to liven things up.

Recommended for science and science fiction (space opera) fans.







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Why Am I Not Freaking Out? A Short Story.

Why am I not freaking out about the cockroach I found at the bottom of my steps, right out side my front door?  Right. Outside. My. Home? Practically in my home?

You might ask, if you know me well enough to know I hate bugs. All bugs. But spiders, cockroaches, and earwigs most. (Bedbugs terrify me, but that's another story. Oh, and I'm no fan of silverfish or house centipedes, either). That's not in any particular order, by the way, when it comes to finding them in my house.

The answer is, that I'm drinking. A nice, tart margarita with extra triple sec. I'm not freaking out because I'm concentrating real hard on that floaty feeling I have right now, that just erases the creepiness of finding that cockroach on. my. turf.

A toast! To getting over bugs by drinking a cocktail!

The End.

Epilogue
I committed murder on that cockroach, in case you were wondering. I broke a small tree plant pot on it, and then I stabbed it repeatedly with a shard. I admit it. I stabbed a cockroach.

Thank god these aren't the kind you find in Georgia, or Florida. Fixing that situation would have required at least two margaritas. And a cockroach dance, no doubt similar to this one. And a much longer story.

Book History

The Last of the Peaches

On the first Thursday of September, I bought the last peaches of the season at my local (sustainable/organic) farmers' market. Two days later, a friend came over (with her digital camera) so we could bake some of those delicious peaches in a pie. Here's what happened:

photo credit: Sam

 

Although there is no picture of it, then we ate it.

Compass of Pleasure: A Book Review

The Compass of Pleasure: How Our Brains Make Fatty Foods, Orgasm, Exercise, Marijuana, Generosity, Vodka, Learning, and Gambling Feel So Good by David J. Linden

My rating: 3 of 5 stars


I learned a lot from this text. In fact, the neuroscience basics I learned in this book are now helping me with a very neuroscience-y science fiction book I've just picked up by Catharine Asaro.

This book is actually about more than addictions. It's about brain chemistry and how naturally humans interact with substances and experiences, before the introduction of addiction into the equation. The author writes in a very accessible style - I only got lost in the acronyms and neuron-specific verbs a few times. Most of the time, the author uses very simplified explanations. Illustrations helped me imagine some of the situations he described, while the case studies enhanced the arguments and my understanding of the text. The author's sense of humor adds to the approachability of the text, which is by no means dry or boring. I didn't find all the chapters equally interesting, but they all made some intriguing and thought-provoking arguments.

Things I found difficult about the text included the case studies performed on rats and mice. Normally, I don't care for either of the species, but reading about the lab experiments that are performed on these animals because no ethics advisory/oversight board would ever allow them to be performed on humans, was uncomfortable. Sometimes, the author's sense of humor is jarring, though often I found it funny. Lastly, whether it is this book or neuroscience in general, I found personally challenging the idea that an individual's personality and identity is entirely contained in the chemical, electrical and physical elements of the body.

There was some overlap between the orgasm section of this book and the book by Jared Diamond on the evolution of human sex practices, which I found interesting - they provide slightly different approaches to ultimately similar conclusions concerning the evolution of sex and reproduction in humans and other mammals.

Overall this book seems a very good introduction to neuroscience, pleasure, and addiction. The idea that addiction (to anything, including food, sex, and exercise, among others) is a disease, a sort of chemical imbalance in the brain, is a compelling argument for a different approach to treatment and judgment of addicts and addiction.



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Mission: Wedding Accessories: Accomplished

Yesterday I finally got around to enjoying some of the secondhand and vintage offerings in Toronto, and it turned out to be a smashing success! I have a wedding to go to next weekend, and wanted a clutch to complete my outfit. Since I have to fly to get to the wedding venue, and even with my long history of traveling and moving, I somehow haven't managed to keep a carry-on in my possession, I was also on the hunt for an inexpensive tote or satchel to act as a carry-on for the things I can't do without on a long weekend away.

At 69 Vintage Collective (new website coming soon, apparently), I managed to find both a unique clutch and a very suitable satchel! The clutch, which wasn't what I originally planned on looking for, is embroidered with flowers, has a small, old chain, and was made in W. Germany. The satchel has no provenance, but it's almost exactly what I've been looking for, in terms of caramel leather (faux or real), cavernous capacity, and sturdiness. I'm in love with both, and they're both perfect, no matter what I thought I wanted originally.

Both were much less than I had expected to spend if I found what I wanted, which is always a bonus. Another bonus? Buying secondhand, which I have missed. Knowing that I'm giving an item a second chance, and not adding to the endless consumer-driven cycle of creation and trashing of material objects, always gives me a pleasant little rush.

Here's an image of the clutch, at least (with the rest of what I'll be wearing to the wedding):

 photo credit: Sam

Finally! A Re-purpose worthy of last year's Christmas cards!

It all started with a little plan I had for a little get-together. The setting: my (landlords') back garden. The character: originally Mexican-themed, with tortilla chips, guacamole, and salsa complementing summery margaritas. The change: Instead of margaritas, the event is now planned around peaches.

Peaches, which have become my most favorite fruit in the world. Grocery store peaches, given time to ripen, are delightful, but already ripe peaches from the farmer's market are just about heavenly. I think Ontario must be a better region for them than Virginia, since I don't remember them ever tasting this good back home.

So, since the star of the show is now a little more sophisticated, I decided to edit the invitations, as well. Requiring, at first, fancy stationary. Circumstances, however, have prevented my purchasing fancy stationary. Luckily, in a hunt for already-owned fancy stationary (unsuccessful), I found just enough old Christmas cards to use instead. The second ingredient: Last year, I bought certain antique magazine pages on Etsy (gotta love that site), and haven't found an appropriate purpose for them.

The equation, then, is this: Last year's Christmas cards, plus an antique magazine page with marvelous images of hats and dresses and art nouveau flowers and vines, plus scissors and glue, equals home made cards! Sort of.

Anyway, I love the results (pictures up here as soon as I develop my latest film role, a la 2000), and am utterly chuffed that I found a way to re-purpose two un-purposed items just sitting around my apartment!

Historical Architecture in the Colonial Period - A Book Review

Where We Lived: Discovering the Places We Once Called Home by Jack Larkin

My rating: 3.5 of 5 stars


A fascinating picture of early houses and their regional characteristics. I've frequently been surprised by how humble the more common varieties were. Unfortunately, many of the houses mentioned in the text are unaccompanied by photographs, plans, or other images. The photographs that are included are invaluable to understand what these houses looked like, when a reader does not have the background to understand terminology such as "gables" and .

I would be interested to know how the American Indians fit into the landscape of early housing and architecture. Descriptions of slavery and slave quarters interesting - especially to note the careful line trod by the author when discussing the varying quality of slave quarters. I would also have enjoyed learning more about the distinctions between early English-style houses and other European styles.

Some of the photographs do not seem to be located on the most relevant pages - some photos of churches are placed on pages that discuss houses, instead of on those that discuss churches.

Overall this book was incredibly interesting and a very good resource for a beginner to learn about early colonial architecture. The images are fascinating and essential. The language was very accessible, though occasionally overly simplified. The quotes from travelers are well-integrated. I found them to be some of the most interesting sections in the book. Primary sources are invaluable in understanding "how things were." Furthermore, the author provides backgrounds, assumptions, and biases for the sources.

Hot Yam! That Gazpacho Was Good!

Yesterday I finally left my apartment to see people, after several days of limiting my experiences to my apartment, my friend's Netflix account (I've recently become hooked on MI-5, known in the UK by its more appealing title, Spooks), the library, and of course, the grocery store.

I meant to get up early, as I always mean to, but when I finally dragged my lazy self out of bed, I had just enough time to get ready for lunch, at the Hot Yam "lunch party" on campus, which operates every Thursday around (you guessed it!) lunchtime. For $4 guests receive an intimidatingly full plate of all-vegan lunch. Sadly, having had breakfast less than two hours before I got there, I didn't have the appetite to do justice to all that food. However, I really did enjoy the gazpacho. A perfect, very well-done complement to a hot, humid afternoon, indeed. We sat on the lawn in front of the building to eat, fending off ants and other small, many-legged critters while catching up on each others' exciting (or not-so-exciting, in my case) summers.

Today, it's back to work, this time drafting a proposal for the student conference.

In other news, it turns out that too many silly people voted for The Tourist at next week's Harbourfront Center Free Flick, so I won't be attending - instead, I'm scrounging around trying to find a place to watch Cairo Time, and in a last-ditch effort to see it sometime in the near future, will no doubt eventually put a "Cairo Time" post-it note on my computer monitor.

Amal, Outdoor Movies, and Lakeside Breezes

I went to the Harbourfront Centre again tonight, this time to see a free movie! The sun was beginning to set as I got there, and the breezes off the lake felt wonderful. There were a few sailboats and canoes out on the water, and the ubiquitous ducks (I hate ducks. Ask me to tell that story another time, though). The islands looked beautiful. Just before the film started, the sun set, with puffy pink and blue clouds hanging over the water.

There are two weeks left - free showings at the WestJet stage, on Tuesdays at 9pm (sundown). The emcee was loquacious, but in the end he did get to presenting the movie.

Next week: Lost in Translation
August 9: Audience Choice (Vote for Cairo Time!!)

Tonight's movie was called Amal. It's a film I'd never heard about until I watched the trailer before deciding to go out tonight. The film is a bittersweet (mostly sweet) story about a poor autorickshaw driver, content with his life, and always looking out for others. He unknowingly gets offered a windfall - an inheritance from one of his customers. The plot follows the customer's lawyers as they try to find the main character, and of the family members as they try to prevent the Will from being realized. The film is about the main character, but New Delhi also plays a role, as he drives his rickshaw around the city. The ending is perfect. I repeat, perfect. It could not end better.

I love this film. I'm no critic, but I highly recommend it. Go see it. Do.

Rooftop Garden at UofT

Once more, blogTO.com has delightful news. This time, it's about a student-run rooftop garden at the university. They even have a beehive on the roof to polinate the plants!

Even better, they give tours:

Interested in visiting the Sky Garden? Bi-monthly tours start at 5:00 p.m. in the main lobby of the Galbraith Building located at 35 St. George Street. RSVP to urbanagriculturesociety@gmail.com to reserve your spot or view the tour schedule here.

Click this post's subject link for the full article.

Sekanjabin

I found the minty drink so delightful that I've decided to re-create it, at home. I plan to drink it as is, and also to add rum to it, as the occasion demands.

The link in the title leads you to the recipe I decided to try out, first time around, to make the minty syrup that is the basis of the drink. In case you don't care to click the link, here's the recipe (slightly altered) in the post:

Ingredients:
4 cups sugar
2 cups water
1 cup white vinegar*
1 cup fresh mint leaves
1 sprig mint per glass, and shredded/grated cucumber to add to the pitcher or the glass

In a large pan over medium heat, bring the sugar and water to a boil. Boil for five minutes, then add the (correct amount!) of vinegar. Boil until the syrup drips slowly from the end of a cold spoon. Lower the heat, add the mint, and simmer for three minutes. Strain the syrup into a jar and let cool. Add three tbsp of syrup to each glass, fill with water, stir. Serve with mint, shredded cucumber, ice, rum, et cetera.


*I've just now realized that I doubled the vinegar without knowing, and nothing else. So, I guess I'll see if this batch turns out. Shame if it doesn't, given the amount of sugar required. Sigh. 

Finally, a Festival!

Ever since I returned from backpacking, I've been hiding out in my apartment, resting my knee (and shoulder, after I wrenched it filling a watering can) and getting quite a bit of work done. I finally got bored yesterday, so I checked out blogTO, which I remember every now and then, as a good place to find out about happenings in Toronto. I ended up reading about the Tirgan Iranian Festival, taking place this weekend at the Harbourfront Centre.

Today, I biked downtown, and after eventually finding my way out of random parks and parking lots between Front St and Queens Quay W., I reached the Centre, and the festival.

Wandered around a bit, looking at the wares (I didn't spend much time browsing, since I easily succumb to the temptation of pretty things, and have no money to buy said pretty things). Decided I was hungry, so I walked around the "World Cafe", a little box of vendors from Iranian restaurants in the city, and bought a koobi-something wrap from one of them. Having no idea what anything was, I just asked the cashier for his recommendation. It was really tasty! Mm.

After awhile (I don't know how long, since I forgot to bring any kind of time-telling device), I noticed one of the stages was occupied. Seated on a little hill covered in hot, fake turf, I watched a few minutes of demonstrations on the Daf, a wide-framed drum, and then made my way (past the tea house) to another stage, where the Silk Road dance company was scheduled to perform at 3pm. At the tea house, I bought a minty drink, called sekanjabin, that was delicious, sweet and refreshing and summery. Got to the stage a bit late, and ended up sitting half in the sun (one quarter of my back, almost exactly square-shaped, is the only unburned section of my upper back and shoulders - don't ask me how that happened). The performance was incredible! They performed dances from all over the Persian Empire and Silk Road, including the Azerbaijan Tea Dance; Tajikistan Tulip Dance; one from Afghanistan that had been taught by a woman who had lived there during the Soviet period; and a dance that, before Christianity arrived in the region, celebrated the birth of the firstborn girl in a family. The costumes were gorgeous, and handmade. One set, for an Uzbekistan dance, was made from Samarkand silk in an Ikat pattern, that had been donated by a woman who saw the company's performance there. The dances themselves were beautiful, but I must admit, my favorite part was imagining the history of the region and the dances and the peoples. I highly recommend the performance.

Overall, a very good day.

Four Days in the Wilderness

Having found myself stressed by big-city living over the past several months, I recently took a small vacation to get out of the city. For the first time in my life, I went backpacking. My brother came up to visit for a week, and we spent four days in Algonquin Provincial Park, walking the Western Highlands Route.

One of the most stressful aspects of going backpacking? Buying and renting equipment. Yes, if one is an experienced and frequent backpacker, one is less likely to require renting and buying equipment. However, with my brother flying in, and with me being the least experienced, we had a lot of this to do. We rented from two different places, since the first place we went was out of tents, backpacks, and sleeping pads, but luckily the second place was right across the street. We did a lot of dodging traffic and jaywalking that day.

We had everything planned, we were going to get up early and leave the next morning after picking up the rental car for the drive north, but realized that night (before our departure) that the tent we'd been given had no poles. Yes, the tent was missing poles. How that happened... shrug. However, we thankfully discovered it before we left, and therefore did have a tent to sleep in for three nights.

Got lost on our way north, in part due to bad directions (at a Shoppers, an employee suggested we take King's Way to Highway 11, which was the continuation north of Yonge St. Found out when we got there that really, Yonge St. turns into Highway ONE. Sigh).

Anyway, we did make it to the park on time, thanks to some speedy driving and Google's overestimation of the time it takes to get there. We started out that evening, hiking for just under two hours before reaching our first camp, next "door" to some very nice, helpful campers. We camped right in front of a pretty lake, Maple Leaf, it was called, and had our first freeze-dried (my first ever) dinner. Beef stroganoff. Not my favorite, but still edible. I learned the bear-bagging process that night, which involved lots of wandering around and staring at trees, and then some good (and bad) rope-throwing. My main tasks seemed to be to throw accurately when my brother got tired, and to tug on the rope once we got the food hooked onto it. We also discovered the mosquitoes that day. Which turned out to be a key theme and motivating factor throughout our hike.

Day Two involved a pretty early wake-up time, but a late start, given trouble finding moving water to zap with UV rays. After packing everything up and doing some waiting, I heard a ferocious barking across the lake, and then my brother's voice asking politely, if somewhat hesitantly, if he could use the water the dog's owners were using. They happily agreed, as far as I could tell, and I spent some more time waiting around. We hiked like we were running away from Sasquatch the next day, and without stopping for lunch, made it to our next campsite in half a day, just after lunch time. We spent that afternoon hanging around down by the next lake (Maggie, I think), and wading in it, and watching leeches and loons and frogs, and swatting at horse flies. We must have had a whole section of the lakeside camping grounds to ourselves - never heard or saw anyone. That night, we were treated to a chorus of frog song, which I like less than cricket noises. We heard the most amazing bird-calls, but couldn't identify it - one sounded almost like a scream, while another sounded like a high-pitched chuckle.

We got up rather late that morning, having figured we had time to spare, given our early arrival at this campsite. Walked another half-day's hike up and down and up and down hills, but that day we did stop for lunch. Thank goodness. We spent a relaxing hour by yet another lake, watching loons and butterflies this time, and not wading. Followed a canoe portage out of the campsite, and continued on our way. I think this is the day we started seeing moose tracks, although we never saw the moose, which was slightly disappointing (or more than slightly, if you ask my brother). Our third campsite had two levels, though we just used the first one - it was high above the lake (Ramona), so we could see over the water. Saw a loon fly back and forth, fish in the water, and more frogs (and a tadpole-frog!). Endured more mosquitoes and horse flies, and had the most trouble ever trying to find appropriate trees to use to hang the food. We ended up, after much frustration, tramping around in decaying and mossy leaves, clambering up onto and over a fallen tree, and getting the rope caught on the rough bark, before finally getting the bag high enough. We should have had a hilarious picture of my brother doing a poor imitation of a bear under the bag, but had forgotten the camera. Next morning, when we'd planned to take it, events intervened.

I woke up around 5:45 in the morning because the sky was just light, and I heard a loud, booming noise. And then it came again. And I woke my brother up, asking, Did you hear that? He stared at me, uncomprehending, before he heard it, too. I asked the obvious, Was that thunder? And he agreed. So I asked, Should we get going? And we both leaped up (or some variation on the theme) and started running around, trying to get all our stuff out of the tent and the tent rolled up and the food down and our bags packed and rain gear on... we made it about halfway through all our preparations (not including breakfast) before the sky opened. We spent the first half of that morning's hike walking in the rain, and the whole morning trudging through mud and muck. I almost preferred the first part of the morning to the second, because the mosquitoes came back (I guess that implies they left us alone, which they never did) swarmed with a vengeance. Horrid things. We had our rain gear on, so the only things they could reach were faces, necks, and hands... when we finally, finally, reached the last information sign that informed us we had about ten minutes walk to the car, we picked up the pace and practically ran to get away from them. Not that it helped.

We survived, and had fun, and those are the important things, although, in addition to looking like a pincushion or a person with a really bad rash, I busted my knee. Found out about that a day after we got back, trying to get ready to go out for what appeared to be a fun evening (I didn't get to go, because the walking thing wasn't happening). We learned a few things about backpacking, for instance: avoiding mosquito season is a really good idea. Also, I have never appreciated a shower as much as I did the evening we got back.

On Sadness

Is it truly a feeling of loss? A lack? Ten years have passed. Do I still know what I'd be missing? Do I understand what life would be like, otherwise? Am I missing what-might-have-been?

Or is it merely a memory of how I felt ten years ago?

Summer Fun and Rum Punches

Well, it hasn't really been that fun. I won't go into details, but there are lots of things I should be doing, which I'm not always on top of. This tends to ruin the fun I have when I am doing things that are supposed to be fun.

So far, I've been doing a lot of reading, and a lot of biking (I'm changing routes en-route now, and making directions up as I go along, which is cozy - thank goodness I have an excellent sense of direction!). I have also been going to Moth Up's with a friend of mine. These are events at pubs, where a few people from the "audience" get up to the mic and tell stories. Some have been prepared in advance, while some are off-the-cuff. Some are better than others, but they're definitely fun events to go to.

I'm in the process of burying (deeply) memories of the summer course I took, that ended earlier this month. Those things I'm supposed to be doing include my research assistant research, my volunteer curator supervisory responsibilities, and planning the next student conference. Oh, and making money.

Anyway, to get down to business: My friend from home introduced me to her family's traditional Barbados Rum Punch recipe, which we used to drink while watching The Tudors and eating Trader Joe's frozen foods (I miss TJ's.) The original recipe, (from memory, so it's probably not exact) goes like this:

1 shot dark rum
2 shots pineapple juice
2 shots orange juice
dash of bitters.

Mix/Stir, Serve. (If you want it fancy I'd add an orange slice or a pineapple slice, or both!)

I don't buy pineapple or orange juice, because I find I just never drink them.

I do drink Ceres' Fruit Medley mix (with tropical fruits like passionfruit, guava, pineapple). Well, I haven't been making rum punches, because I figured it would be better with the original ingredients. Until today. I tried the Fruit Medley, added a half-shot of Triple Sec for orange flavor. So my new Rum Punch - Canadian Variation:

1 shot dark rum
4 shots Ceres Fruit Medley
1/2 shot Triple Sec
2-3 dashes bitters

Mix/Stir, Serve. (If you want it fancy I'd add an orange slice or a pineapple slice, or both!)

It's marvelously tasty. I dare you to try it! Or, try both, and tell me which one you like better. 

My Granola Life

I'm still learning from the whole bike-commuting experience. For example, I've discovered I hate being out in the rain when I'm not prepared (i.e. dancing, or splashing in puddles, or hiking) even more than I thought I did. I'm also re-discovering the meaning (the real meaning) of the terms "cardio" and "muscle-tone." Unsurprisingly, I'm happier about the second than the first.

In other news, I'm living more like a granola* every day. Although I've always been interested in living cheaply, reducing my carbon footprint, et cetera, I'm not sure I ever imagined I would be biking everywhere (not even taking public transportation as a usual, quotidian thing) and going to the farmer's market (where, for the first time at a farmer's market, I bought yogurt. And eggs. And smoked whitefish^, among other things) and composting and recycling and baking my own bread, making my own spaghetti sauce and pizzas and smoothies and not buying clothes things.** It's kind of fun, really. I feel more self-sufficient than ever. I haven't started planting vegetables and herbs, yet, but that's also on the list of things to do. I'm thinking tomatoes and basil to start... I'll discover whether or not my thumb is green. In the past, I've had very inconsistent success with gardening.




*I use this term with utmost respect, affection and admiration.


^Usually I just go for the veggies. The yogurt is excellent, as is the fish. Next on the list is good chicken. Free range and organic chicken, like the eggs.


**Okay, this last one has nothing to do with personal preferences. If I had my druthers, I'd still be buying pretty clothes things. It's just not in the cards at this point in my life. Sigh.

Two Wheels and a Helmet

I started biking to campus this week. It's been an adventure, a fun one so far. Here's the summary:

About three weeks ago, I went secondhand bike shopping with a friend of mine. We went to two places to find the right bike, in terms of fit, comfort (although I'm having second thoughts about that*) and price. Not only that, but the owner of the shop was really helpful, honest and friendly. Which is important, when buying a used something-or-other. Also, his shop didn't smell like weed.

The fixie I decided on wasn't finished, so I waited a week and a half for the fixing of it. When I came back, Hasan raised the seat again, and the handlebars, advised me on a lock purchase, and his employee even put on the lights. The next day I bought my helmet, which, sadly, is black, grey.... and pink. I've decided I can live it down, but pink would definitely not have been my first choice. Only, my head is too small for a uni-sex helmet, so I had to get a women's helmet.**

Luckily, I did all this bike and bike accessory purchasing before the 1st of May, so I have not yet had to spend money on public transportation this month. Which is why I got the bike in the first place. Today makes the third day I've taken my bike out, and although the seat isn't getting any comfy-er, I'm getting more comfortable on the road (and am I the only biker in Toronto obeying the laws?). I have even - get this - gone a different way home. Still getting used to seeing like a vehicle-conductor on the road (oh, wait! That's a crosswalk!). I take the back roads, the quiet ones, and the few with bike lanes, because I have a low opinion of drivers I've got plenty of sore muscles - some, even, that I'd conveniently forgotten I had. This might be in part because I have a single-speed. Tough going on those hills.

Anyways, that's the story. I plan on having lots more (safe) adventures on my bike this summer. I am now powering my own transportation!! I wonder if houses with solar panels are this proud to be green...





* I'd sort of forgotten how uncomfortable biking can be. I remembered, in that vague "I-remember-this-used-to-be-uncomfortable-in-some-way" way, but not really. Now, after riding my bike six times in the past four days, I remember quite clearly.

**It still puzzles me that things labeled "for women" are quite frequently pink. Haven't we gotten over the pink-is-female thing?

An Earth Day Assignment: Donations for Trees

My cousin just kindly reminded me that today is Earth Day (of course, so did Google, with it's very cute interactive logo - in Canada, you can make the panda laugh and the salmon swim up the stream before it gets eaten by the grizzly bear).

His ulterior motive for the reminder: He wants to donate, but doesn't know where to begin. The criteria: an organization that takes donations with a low overhead percentage; an organization that will plant a tree for donations.

I told him I'd take up the hunt, since it fits my blog theme and purpose, and I'd also share my process, in the proverbial teaching-a-man-to-fish way.

1. First, there's always Google. American Forests allows donations to plant trees where they are needed most, and for specific causes (see the drop-down menu). According to the second option, every dollar donated plants one tree. Each option has a brief description of the project. Their 2007 report, found here, states that they give grants to 35 partners to restore forest ecosystems by planting millions of trees. They do other neat things, too, but my guess would be the "tree donation" money goes to the grants. So not only do you know that your money is going to tree-planting, you know specifically for which project the tree will be planted. If you're worried about your rights as a donor, look here for their Donor Bill of Rights.

2. Here's another option (that doesn't necessarily fit the criteria but might be interesting nonetheless): Volunteer to plant trees in your area. Like Denver. If you plant a tree by yourself, instead of with the Mile High Million (see previous link), you can still register your tree, and make it count towards the million trees that make up the organization's goal. An organization that includes tree planting as part of a different range of activities is Boulder Mountainbike Alliance.

3. Googling a "city" with "tree planting charities" leads to an interesting notion - look up charities in the local yellow pages or online equivalent, and contact a local tree-planting organization. I know Washington, D.C. hosts an organization called Casey Trees, where volunteers plant trees in the city, to restore the city's tree canopy. They gratefully accept donations, and although unlike American Forests, do not plant specific trees for your donation, you will know that your money supports tree-planting. You can also donate a large amount ($550) to have a commemorative tree planted specially.

In Canada, you can donate to Tree Canada, where you can designate which program you want your money to assist, and Trees Ontario, where your donation will support the tree-planting infrastructure. With the second, your money may not be used specifically for planting a tree, but you'll know you're supporting tree-planting in general, and it won't be difficult to imagine that special tree your money planted.

To conclude, the first option is probably easiest, with the others requiring slightly more investigation and hands-on action, but they're all viable options for donating trees and money for tree-planting. It should go without saying that the closer you are to the tree-planting or the organization that is doing the planting, the more input and feedback you'll have about what your money achieved.

Summertime: Gin and Tonic Upgrade

Today I want to write about the color green.

But I'm going to start with a little history.

Back in Scotland, one of the "summer" drinks was Pimm's. It's pretty ubiquitous, and you don't need to know what it is to enjoy it properly - the recipe's on the bottle. Basically, take Pimm's, add lemon-lime soda (tonic might work, too), and fruit. Cut up strawberries and cucumbers especially, but citrus and other fruits work as well. Stir, and enjoy. We used to drink these every summer, at garden parties, in beer gardens, any pretty outside location, really.

Returning to the present, today is the first legitimately warm day in Scotland since October (says the woman from south of the M-D). In celebration, I've opened my door to let the sunshine in - early evening, fortuitously, is the best part of the day for this - and I'm having a gin and tonic. You thought I was going to say Pimm's, didn't you? :) I don't actually have any, but gin works almost as well.

In fact, the reason I told the story about Pimm's and Scotland is because I've upgraded my gin and tonic (with lime). It now includes cucumber. And it makes a very pleasantly, noticeable difference. First, cucumber just smells fresh and sunny. Secondly, it adds a really light high note on the palate of aforementioned fresh and sunny qualities.

Try it. Tell me if you like it.

"The Last Free People"

I found this today on my Twitter feed. Some interesting ideas I can't quite comprehend, like "uncontacted" and "last free people." It's incredible. Watch for yourself, and find the entire article here.

Earth Hour 2011 - Go Beyond the Hour

First notice I had of this year's Earth Hour (and I haven't thought about it in at least a year, maybe more) was a glimpse I caught on a posted ad on the subway going home today.

The second was a tweet on Twitter by NatGeo, leading to this article.

I don't think I've every participated in an Earth Hour, in all the years it's been organized, but I like the idea (and check out the image of Hong Kong in the article - find 10 things that are different in the second photo...see more pictures).

I like to think I've been living greener than ever here in Toronto, partly because the city composts, partly because I have no access to a car, and due to a few other little things: having a bona fide thermos to take my coffee to school in; being too poor to afford ziploc bags or new leftover dishes; not having a dishwasher or laundry in my apartment. Of course, not all of these things automatically reduce my carbon footprint, but I re-use glass jars, wash my dishes without running the water except to fill the sink; and I avoid doing laundry until it is absolutely necessary.

Turning off lights is harder, but right now, for instance, the only light I have on is the one by my bed. I've unplugged all non-essential electronics, too.

So if I participate in Earth Hour this year, I'm sure it will be exciting worthwhile. If I don't, well, I won't feel too badly about it. I'll just remember to keep turning off lights I'm not using, for the rest of the year.

Details:
Saturday, March 26, 8:30pm - 9:30pm (local time)
The only rule? No lights!
See my new widget!

Party like it's... 1413? Happy Anniversary, St Andrews!

Last night the St Andrews Alumni Club of Toronto hosted the Principal and Vice Chancellor of St Andrews University, Louise Richardson, for a black-tie dinner at the Royal York in celebration of the 600th anniversary of the university.

Aside from a few minor glitches, and in planning anything, there will always be one or two, the event went off without a hitch. Approximately 85 guests showed up, everyone dressed snazzily, and mingled with refreshments before the dining room opened. I spent most of this time handing out name cards and answering the question, "where is the coat room?"

If I had a digital camera, this post would include pictures, but sadly, such is not the case.

At any rate, we sat down to dinner with a slide show of Googled images of St Andrews (and Kate Middleton posing in her underwear - a picture that just sold for an obscene amount of money in London) and beautiful live harp music in the background. The salad was the best part of the dinner, except for the rolls. Having worked a few weddings last summer, I wasn't really surprised.

Between the main course and dessert, Doug Gibson traveled around the room with a mic, gathering stories from anyone interested in sharing their St Andrews experiences with the rest of the room. The first speaker was a woman who graduated in 1944!!

After dinner Louise Richardson addressed the guests, and did a wonderful job. I was very impressed with what she had to say and with her plans for the university. I hope she achieves the things she's set out to do. Recent graduates might be interested to know that the new library project had to be scrapped due to little to no financial support from the government, and instead the less-costly renovation plans have focused on increasing seating ... and books. The university has bought land out by Guardbridge in order to house graduate students and unused library stores, among other things - and I believe some of that acreage has been earmarked for a bio-mass plant. She mentioned other interesting projects, but sadly I didn't take notes and can't remember any more. She fielded several questions about tuition (no mention of the outrageous hikes in England), the library, student demographics, and the Prince and soon-to-be-Princess's visit to the campus last month. Apparently the couple has fond memories of their experiences there. Who doesn't, I would like to know?

Which reminds me. Of course the biggest piece of news surrounding the university at this time is not, as you might think (but you probably know better), the university's anniversary, but rather the university's status as top matchmaking university in the [world]. Taking advantage of this were GlobalTV, who attended the event in order to interview any guests who met and fell in love with their partners while at St Andrews. Somewhat unflatteringly, the Principal and Vice Chancellor gave half the credit for this status to "isolation." Hmm. Making the best of a small selection, perhaps? I kid.

Door prizes were awarded, I stood up to be acknowledged for my role in the planning of the event, and walked home with the centerpiece, a small bush of Scottish heather - but that completes the surfeit of interesting news about the event.

The Proper Way to Remove a Staple...

... Involves a spatula.

Seriously, that's what the tool is called. It looks like a miniature spatula, and although it makes the staple-removing process cleaner, it also makes it more arduous.

This, among other things, I learned at a special "crash course" that took place this past Saturday on the conservation and preservation of rare materials and museum artifacts. The two instructors gave very interesting presentations, one of which was on "conservation concerns," meaning things like insect poo, vermin and pest management, disaster plans, the hazards posed by visitors, moving giant ceramic Chinese horses so they can be transported to the next city on their world tour, and safe lighting for artwork. The other focused on rare books and paper conservation. We learned a bit of the history of paper (for example tumors that grow on trees, called "galls," cause discoloration and deterioration of paper) and the proper techniques to use in ordering and organizing archival material. These included removing both metal and plastic paper clips, unfolding folded sheets, and as I mentioned, staple-removal. Then we got to practice these on as-yet unprocessed archival files.

Overall, a very fun and unique way to spend a Saturday afternoon.

Take Coffee, Add Indie Music...

... and you have a great evening in store. Or at least, that's how last night went for me. 

The line-up at my neighborhood coffee shop last night included two of my new favorites (I'd never heard either before): Emily Spiller and the Jessica Stuart Two, a temporary derivative of the Jessica Stuart Few. I know what I like in music, but I'm not a music critic, nor do I know much about describing music, so you won't find any details here, but check out these links to their websites, where you can sample some songs and buy CDs if you're so inclined.

One of my near and dear Toronto friends and I arrived a little late, sadly missing the opening numbers, but we did get to hear awesome music for the greater portion of three hours. Being late, we got front-row seats on the staple cozy vintage couch, about three to four feet away from the "stage." For the first time, I watched how a one woman manages to sound like a five-piece band and heard/saw a koto (a traditional Japanese instrument that is longer than I am tall, looks amazingly complicated to play, and sounds great with a bass).

So now I'm a huge fan of coffeehouse concerts, and can't wait to see more at the local hub!

King James and Gutenberg are Together at the Fisher Library!

Somehow I never arrive at these things directly. I suppose it's more fun to find out about them indirectly...

Went to the opening of the exhibit on the King James Bible that is currently on display at the Thomas Fisher Rare Book Library, and have seen the amazing variations in form that the Bible has taken over the centuries. In the context of research for another project, I came across this:





On a side note, very proud of my computer skills, since I just figured out which part of the embedding code creates the green color of the play bar on the bottom of the video! Okay, so it was cutting and pasting, but reading coding languages is like reading Greek for me.

Anyway, if you're in Toronto, and you haven't checked it out yet, go see the exhibit at the Fisher - they have the really big Bibles (and a page from the Gutenberg press, ask to see that one) and really really little Bibles, pop-ups, cartoons, ancient languages and more!

If you can't get to Toronto before June 3, listen to PJ Carefoote talk about it here:

Zen and the Art of Baking [and the honey bar recipe]

Two nights ago I had a craving for Sweet. This happens frequently in my life, so I'm quite used to it, and usually have chocolate chips on hand. Only, I decided last week not to buy more because I bake chocolate chip cookies (and eat them) way too often.

So instead, I turned to my favorite baking cookbook In. The. World: the Tassajara Bread Book, by Edward Espe Brown. The author, who has a very zen outlook on life (perhaps because he is an ordained Zen priest), is simply amazing. He's a genius. His introduction to the copy my mom has, which I don't think made the cut for the 25th anniversary edition, and which I own, states that you cannot make a "bad" loaf of bread. Each loaf is different.If you enjoy baking, or want to start baking, I suggest you try the Tassajara. It's not all bread, either, but breakfasts and desserts, muffins and butters and pastries.


To get back to my craving, I found a recipe at the back, in the desserts section, called "Honey Bars." To cut a long, boring story short, these are what I made. I didn't have enough honey, so I added a bit of maple syrup instead, and they still tasted great (maybe next time I'll learn how they're really supposed to taste).

I shared them around because initially I didn't like them (now I think they're the best), and I know a few people asked for the recipe. So after that long written perambulation, here it is, with a few notes of my own:

I have always loved the soft but chewy texture of these bars and the exquisite bouquet of spices, honey and fruit peel. They can be kept for several weeks in a tightly closed tin. 

1 1/2 cups honey [I added maple syrup]
3 tablespoons butter OR margarine
2 cups whole wheat flour, sifted with 1 tablespoon baking powder [I used unbleached white here]
2 tablespoons chopped lemon or orange peel OR 1 tablespoon of each
2 teaspoons cinnamon [I never really measure the spices]
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground cardamom
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
1/4 teaspoon mace OR allspice OR ground coriander (optional) [I don't have these]
1/2 cup chopped almonds or other nuts [almonds are perfect]
1 1/2-2 cups whole wheat flour [my dough looked really thick, so I ended up only adding about a half cup of whole wheat flour here]

[Makes about 24 large bars. Preheat oven to 350F]

Have all the ingredients ready to mix quickly before the mixture stiffens with cooling. 
Heat the honey in a saucepan slowly [this doesn't take very long] just until liquidy; remove from the heat. Stir in the butter or margarine and then the sifted flour with baking powder to make a thick batter. Add the fruit peel, spices, and nuts, and then add the additional flour until a dough forms.  [I ended up using much less than 1 cup extra flour]
Pat the dough into a buttered pan until you have a layer 3/8 inch thick. Bake at 350F for about 20-25 minutes. Be careful not to overbake or the cookies will be quite hard. When done, the bottoms will be lightly browned and the tops dry but not browned. 
Remove from the pan while still warm and slice into bars. Then cool before storing.  

Enjoy! I'd love to hear about variations, too, so let me know how it turns out!

Green Drinking - Water, That Is.

There's information out there (Green Guides from two years ago was my source; but I'm sure elsewhere, too) that drinking bottled water is awfully hard on the environment. Here's another article, from 2010, with some quick facts (like this one: "The bottled-water industry is so successful, it has outpaced milk, coffee, and juice in number of gallons of drinks sold—putting it behind only beer and soda" about water bottle pollution.

Read down to the health section and you may never re-use a plastic water bottle again.

But, to get personal about this issue, I've had some interesting conversations about the "water bottles" I use. Everyone knows there are SIGGs and other aluminum bottles, which have become popular over the past few years... but when you carry around an old jar that used to have salsa in it (and still has the label on it, and a pepper on the lid) you get funny looks, raised eyebrows, and amused comments. Some of my friends have even laughed at my salsa water jar.

Yes, they're heavy, and yes, you get all those reactions from incredulous friends and acquaintances - but, I don't have to buy aluminum water bottles, and I get to re-use the glass jars that I buy at the grocery store, when they're not holding nuts or cream of wheat or other dry goods.

And, frankly, I like their uniqueness, their quirkiness. To all those with the raised eyebrows and incredulous looks - Yes. I proudly drink water out of salsa jars.

An Informal Book Review

I recently started a new book, one which I found at the library where I volunteer. You may remember it from this post. One day, as I was putting books back on the shelves where they belonged, I straightened up some of the books already on the shelves, and came across a title I'd found (serendipitously) on The Great Internet. Which I almost immediately put on my To-Read List. Here it is, in its lovely hardcover jacket.

I haven't finished the book yet (as I should, before I post a review, but does anyone mind?)

This book reminds me of The Historian by Elizabeth Kostova (a favorite of mine). The narrative travels through time, and follows several individuals who play a role in the rescue of the Sarajevo Haggadah over the past 6 centuries. It opens with the main protagonist, a young Australian book conservator in 1996, who gets asked to recently war-torn, tense Sarajevo to conserve the text. She finds an insect's wings and other anomalies in the book. Her search for the history of the book itself, and how it has survived over the centuries, leads to the other narratives, the first of which takes place in (again) war-torn Sarajevo, this time the Second World War. This second narrative follows a young, poor Jewish girl in Sarajevo, fighting to survive. Her trials lead her to the kustos of the National Museum, a Muslim with a passion for history and diversity and the kindhearted motivation to save a young Jewish girl.


That's as far as I've gotten, but the writing is beautifully evocative, the plot suspenseful and quick-moving, and the stories engaging.

An Afternoon at the Coffee Shop

I had a moment of procrastination yesterday at my neighborhood coffee shop. These are the results, in a mostly un-edited stream of consciousness.

Sitting in a coffee shop - the local - by myself, but not alone, because there are other customers here as well. Hands loosely wrapped around a steaming mug of new coffee - my refill, for which I paid in cash - exactly, which is a rare occurrence. The sun is not bright, but the sky is blue and the windows are floor-to-ceiling, the kind that open in warm weather to extend the seating to a patio on the corner. My neighbor at the next table seems to be one of those who needs to attract attention by everything he does - making noises, bouncing around, listening to noises presented through the speakers of his laptop, fiercely punching the keys on the keyboard. He has also flipped through his book, which sent cool drafts of book and coffee-scented air my way - something I don't care for, as it invades the personal space bubble I have constructed around myself and which I carry with me everywhere I go. The second cup is not as delicious as the first, but at least it is warm. I have been distracted from reading about book history - after so many pages I need a break, lose concentration, find myself reading paragraphs without understanding or remembering the contents. Two others, on the other side of my irritating neighbor, have been discussing scripts and theaters and props. They seem to have been discussing the development of a play. Both are dressed snazzily, with wool coats and hats and patterned scarves. They left just now, sending cold air from outside drifting back around the shop, bringing goosebumps to my arms and face and shivers to my spine. So I wrap my hands around my coffee mug again and stare into space. 

I'll Leave Hibernation to the Bears, And the Snakes

No matter how hard I try to entertain myself in my warm, cozy apartment, it just never works for longer than a day. I might have a short attention span. Or I might have a serious aversion to doing things like chores, and mending, and ... other things "around the house."

Today is the second day I've been at home, and although I spent an entertaining forty minutes working out, and some productive time (read: one hour) working, I've been watching t.v. shows that, frankly, I'm not that interested in, and napping.

I'm getting stir-crazy. Cabin fever. Restless.

Tomorrow I'm going out. At least for a little while. Break up the monotony. Apparently, even though daydreaming and surfing the internet aimlessly is supposed to start the creative juices flowing, it's not something I've mastered. Yet.

Sugar High

It's more like a Sugar Crash at this point, but I still remember the giddiness of the high! The library just had a special event that was all about cupcakes. Just cupcakes! I had three. I needed to celebrate turning in four essays in the past week. (Rationalization is key to living a guilt-free life... sometimes).

Having turned in those essays, I have a few days to relax. Not everything this past week was about the essays, though. I've been doing a lot of volunteering and projects with the alumni club and the library.

Yesterday I finally got my first look at the rare books in the library! I wrote useful (I hope they're useful) notes about them, such as their condition, the binding, whether or not anybody had written marginalia in them... Fun stuff, really. Nerdy stuff, too, I guess.

Because I have a big mouth (read: I love sharing and talking about the exciting things I'm doing), I also orientated a friend today, who will be helping me out with the rare books project now, and probably doing some reference desk seat-warming, as well. While I was demonstrating website functions and other such important details, we decided to have another look at the rare books, and pick one out that we thought a likely candidate for some special treatment. Found one in a box that said "fragile" or words to that effect, and, opening it, discovered a text from 1854 (I can't remember the subject) with marginalia. Marginalia! My new obsession. Okay, so there weren't a lot of notes, but the front cover and first blank page did contain a note from the editor to the recipient, who happened to be the editor's father-in-law, or some other in-law, as well as a mark of ownership. Thrilling.

Confrontational Skills

An awkwardly-named life skill, but useful all the same. Learning how to have difficult conversations is one of those things no one really wants to think about. Many people I know (myself included) would prefer to never have difficult conversations, if at all possible. However, holding one's frustration close to the vest and muttering for months about how inconsiderate people are is much more disruptive to internal peace and balance. Trust me, I know.

(Okay, I admit, I've read some advice columns that I've come across in my daily internet-trawling. But just because they're advice columns, doesn't mean they don't have good advice. In fact, you'd hope they would have better advice than some others, paid as they are to give it.)

I thought I wouldn't have to worry about these conversations concerning my living situation, since I am paying for a single-person apartment. Except, I'm living in a basement. In a house with thin walls. And a door from my bedroom to the rest of the basement. The rest of the basement, which apparently contains my landlords' washer/dryer and broom/utility closet.

This state of affairs has resulted in many frustrating mornings, with me trying to sleep in to the comfortably late hours of 8 or 9, and my landlords getting up purposefully and regularly around 7, walking around, getting breakfast, sweeping, cleaning, vacuuming, doing laundry... So I get woken up several times between those two sets of hours. Incidentally, I end up sleeping later to try to make up for the lost time between 7 and 8 or 9am.

Leading me to my next difficult conversation, which I mean to have on my way to campus to finish and start my essays due this week.

Update: I spoke confidently and without hesitation, and thus the conversation went remarkably well. Practice makes perfect? Readiness is all?

Don't Ask Me to Juggle

By now you know all about my extra-curricular activities, which mostly involve volunteering at fun places, and you're quite possibly also aware that I really am gaining valuable (and fun!) learning and work experience while volunteering.

I'm enjoying those activities (and the soccer games and swim appointments) so much, in fact, that I would much rather concentrate on them, than on my schooling. Which is when I start barely-catching that blue-colored ball that has "essays" written all over it. If I hadn't already decided that I'm in school for more than the marks I receive on essays and exams, I'd be feeling pretty low right about now. For the first time in my life (yes, I've been privileged) I'm paying my own insanely expensive tuition fees, and to not be taking advantage of all the, err, advantages of being at school, well... you can see where I'm going.

So it's a good thing I'm also doing my best to make connections, to network, and to build up my work experience. By juggling the bright, orange and green balls labeled "Hart House Library" and "event planning." Also known as procrastination. Which is, in fact, what I'm doing right now, instead of pulling together my notes for one of the two essays due on Monday.

Volunteering Update

Today at Hart House was incredibly busy. Unfortunately, not all of the busywork qualifies as truly productive. I spent the first half of my two hours fighting with Zotero, trying to figure out how to share my library with the Library's library. In the end, I won the fight, but it's frustrating to spend time fussing with technology when I could be cataloging books or hiding them away (that might give you the wrong impression: keep reading for a more detailed description of "hiding them away").

The curator, who tried helping me with my Zotero issues, also asked me to put certain books in a cabinet, in preparation for a forthcoming display in front of the library doors. Evidently the collection includes a host of plays and other drama works donated by the family that brought this library into being in the first half of the twentieth century. So I tripped down to the Hub, or the Information center downstairs, to exchange my life, my ID and other details for a "Harry Potter" key. Never underestimate the pleasure of using an antique key, to open whatever. It's so much more fun than using modern keys!

Also had my first ever interaction with a patron at this library. Not that I was really needed, but sometimes I like to feel helpful, as well as useful.

Before I go, I think I'll add one more un-catalogued book to the short list I've been trying diligently to create.

In future, I hope to finally get started on the rare books project (identifying which are rare, which are not) and possibly train a friend to volunteer! Turns out this volunteering thing has been a much more lucrative and rewarding experience than I anticipated, and I've only worked four shifts!

That's all for now.

Best. Saturday. Lunch. EVAR!

I might have mentioned I'm on a party-planning subcommittee for the Toronto St Andrews Alumni Club. If I haven't, consider it mentioned.

I'm still thinking it might have been a rash decision, but I'm sure it was also a "right" decision. As in, the right decision. Not only do I get to experience the ins and outs of planning a black-tie affair, but I get to go to said black-tie affair, and it turns out I get to attend free Saturday lunches - with menus that include white wine (who else loves pairing white wine and lunch? Raise your hand.), quiche lorraine, turkey t-something-French (made of ground turkey and what tasted like cloves, in pie pastry. mmmmm), salad, beets, fruit and shortbread. Being a grad student, I never eat as well as this! So I told my hosts I'd be happy to make it a weekly event. (Yes, I was joking).

It turns out that I'm responsible for online ticketing liaising, and I get to attend meetings with the hotel's (the black-tie affair is being held at the Royal York) party planning representative, among no doubt various other little things.

The catch? I also have to write four papers in the next two weeks. Ask me how many of those I've started. Wait. Don't.

We Lost, but that was Fun, too.

Tonight I went to the first intramural indoor soccer game of the semester. And my first intramural anything game. Ever. And the first time I can recall that I've been inside a huge air-supported, heated dome. We played in a virtual bubble. Maybe a real bubble, at that.

Originally, I'd signed up for the recreational level of play, thinking that five years of not-playing is long enough that I might look a tad foolish out there. However, it looks as though we got dumped into the intermediate level, probably because there weren't enough women who signed up to play indoor soccer (the men have four teams).

The important part is that I played soccer for the first time in five years. I discovered it's kind of like riding a bike. Before I realized it, I was calling "man on" and "time" and all those other phrases used in soccer (or am I out of date? I don't know...), and remembering not to reach (that one took a few mistakes to re-learn, in fact). I also found out how out of shape I really am, when I got all out of breath after a few minutes' play. It's kind of comforting, and gratifying, to realize that I haven't lost all skill, just familiarity.

As I started playing, all my memories of five years ago and the last time I'd played five-on-five on fake turf suddenly crowded up to the front of my mind, and the time faded away like I'd just played last week. For a moment or three, I really felt like I was back in undergrad, playing on one of the three outdoor mini-fields on Tuesday evenings, which were our "optional" practices (in fact, I rarely went). Wearing layers against the cold, running across other playing fields to get the out-of-bounds balls, smelling of turf and wind and sweat, walking back through the gym and climbing in my window so I wouldn't have to walk all the way 'round to the front door. It felt odd, though that's a bit of an understatement.

Now if only I could attach muscle memory to the remaining Italian in my brain, maybe I could re-learn that just as quickly...

Notes on Libraries

Recently, I started volunteering at one of the university's public libraries, in Hart House. A little confusing, that description: to clarify, it's a university-affiliated library that is open to the public.

Two hours a week isn't much time, but I have already remembered how soothing re-shelving, straightening, and re-organizing books can be. In addition, the library itself (atmosphere, architecture, temperature) helps refresh my attitude and de-stress. For those who have never been, this is where I volunteer:

I've just realized I never put up an image of where I had class last semester - another beautiful library at U of T. Belatedly, here's an image of the Fisher: 

To get back to this library, it's kind of a hidden spot where many come to nap, study and read. 

I wouldn't want you to think that all library work is re-shelving, organizing and straightening, though. I've been given several projects that are much more interesting, if not as relaxing. I've the opportunity to practice my newly-learned cataloging skills, and to work with rare books (determining whether or not they're rare, and if so, deaccessioning them and sending them to the Fisher above. It's all very exciting. 

I just spent a half an hour reading a section of a book I never would have picked up, had it not been waiting for classification and cataloging, and which I fully intend to investigate further. Enter contentment.

Burns Night Supper

To sum up the last few weeks, I've been getting back into the swing of grad school, and avoiding reading, studying and writing. They haven't been very productive weeks...

But that's not what this post is about. This is another post about the wonderful people of the St Andrews Alumni Club in Toronto. And Robbie Burns Night.

Last night was Robbie Burns night. And the first time I'd celebrated the "holiday" since I was a young, impressionable first-year at university. At the time, I had no idea what I was getting into, when I was volunteered to stab the haggis after the reading of "Address to a Haggis." Last night, one of the alumni demonstrated the talent it takes to do it properly. A friend of mine has a video - I'll see if I can't get him to send it to me so I can add it later.

The haggis was delicious, the neeps and tatties, too; the company delightful, and the AGM short and witty. I somewhat rashly volunteered to help prepare for a high-profile dinner and event happening in March. This should light a fire under me to get started and finished with my work, but I've a feeling the influence of the cold, snowy winter weather is just too strong...

Speaking of which, I should get back to it. (Work, that is, not winter.)

Happy New Year!! And a "Suspicious Incident."

I had the most adrenaline-inducing trip home tonight, between 2-3am.

Actually, before I get to that... Happy New Year! Auld Lang Syne and all that. Bring it on, 2011. Also, I had a really nice time at the dinner party put on by a friend and her family. Cheers!

Back to the scheduled programming. I hitched a ride in the Hall family taxi to the metro, and had approximately 15 stops on the subway (Thank you, TTC, for free and almost-all-night subway rides on Dec 31/Jan 1!). That part was easy. Uneventful, aside from the leftover, pungent evidence that some people had been having too much fun tonight. Yuck.

Then I got off the metro, and the short version is, had to deal with a strange, totally dodgy man following me home. I did the whole cross-the-street thing, the "back off" thing, but didn't get very far before I decided to turn around and walk back to the subway station, where the supervisor had someone else at the TTC call the cops. Then I waited.

Then the third-party TTC person arrived, and the cops almost immediately afterwards. And the very kind police officers gave me an escort all the way to my house. Actually, that makes the first time I've ever been in a police car. A very heartfelt thanks to the Toronto Police Service.

There's nothing like actually experiencing something like this to drive home the importance of knowing how to be safe. Most importantly, finding a place with bright lights, lots of people, and someone who can help.