permanence

"I promised myself that when I moved to Toronto I wasn't going to be one of those people who bragged about their neighbourhood, like, oh, I love my neighbourhood, everything's so convenient, blah blah blah. I'm from the coast, and I don't believe it. But I've lived in the Bloor West Village for three years now and you know what? I love my neighbourhood! Everything is so convenient!"

Words of wisdom.

I love discovering Toronto's neighbourhoods. I live on the Danny, and even though some people think the nightlife is creepy (I argue it's not as creepy as the nightlife at Yonge & Gerrard) it would be tough to convince me to live anywhere else. First of all, and probably most importantly, the east side is dirt cheap!* Big old houses are plentiful! Bookstore, 24 hour grocery, coffee and a wide, wide selection of gyros available 10 minutes from my doorstep! The subway's right there! When Lola comes I can walk her at Withrow Park! I went for a run the other day and accidentally found Riverdale farm! If I had time, which I absolutely do not, I could sign up for yoga or improv just down the block! Everything is so convenient!

It's missing a movie theatre, though. So it's not perfect. I cannot be close enough to the Bloor Cinema. That place... makes me happy.

But I'm working at Queen and Ossington, and I am falling in love with West Queen West. The food! (Cafe Bernate serves mean f'ing sandwiches filled with brie and artichokes and everything delicious.) The clothes! The mental patients! The artists! It's a mishmash of awesome. And I have independent espresso bars to choose from any direction I walk. (T.A.N. serves an Avoccino - which I think is composed of avacado, espresso, cocoa, milk and sounds basically like the best thing in a cup ever.)

The point of the story is that... I've only ever had co-op jobs / internships before, which were awesome but I knew they would only last 4 months. And now I have a real job that I want to stay at, and I'm going to move into an office-space with more permanence than I ever have before, and maybe I'll bring the ficus and my branding textbook and my MLS book and some pictures, and I'm really excited about that. And maybe, okay, the first two nights in my new house I felt so lonely that I had to sleep with Trogdor wrapped around me, but now things are coming together and I think I can do it. I think I can be a grown-up.

*i.e. I can afford to not live in a box and occasionally spend $10 on used orange polyester dance wear.

good idea / bad idea

I would like to announce that I sing the least showtunes out of anyone at the office. If my boss tells me to do something that I don't feel like doing, it is acceptable to break into song:

Why did I listen to that man?
Why did I listen to the nature of his plan?
And when he talked, I should have balked, I should have walked, I should have ran!
Why did I listen to that man?

Someone might even join in. But then I have to go ahead and do whatever work it is that I have to do. Showtunes just make it easier.

These things used to be mine
I guess they still are
I want them back

(
This is a sad song.
Why?
The lyrics.
)

I know we don't live here anymore
We bought an old house on the Danforth

I play hard; I play hard

You'll turn me into a workaholic yet!
Join the club!
I just can't wait until the bar opens downstairs and we can start drinking absinthe at 3pm, like real artists.
We'll turn you into a bohemian yet!

This little convo absolutely defines my past week. I have been working 12 hour days. My 12 hour day today included watching our Mackers, our R&J, writing marketing materials, herding kids around in the rain, darting between theatres via taxi with permanent light roast coffee in tow, and discussing youth theatre over dinner at a french bistro. Tomorrow I attend a conference about marketing theatre. Next week I do it all over again.

To be one of those people that loves their work? I know it's only been a week but I feel like the luckiest gal outta town. Give me confidence! Give me arrogance! I want to be a producer!

4x exciting news

1. The 10k did not defeat us! We breezed through the first practice run last night. In fact, I'm pretty sure I was less sweaty than at the Dance Cave on Friday. Because that was just gross. Er, sorry everyone dancing in the vicinity: you just got hair-sweat-sprayed.

2. I'm moving back to the city! As soon as I can find a place to live. Yes! That means -- I am once again employed! Goodbye, housework sabbatical! Hello, career beginnings! I got the job based not only on my cutting, pasting, and marketing presentation experience, but on sheer love for Agamemnon and Danny MacIvor.

3. So... if you've got a cheap place on West Queen West, Little Italy or Roncesvalles... let me live with you. It is my intention to infect Queen West with my yuppieness. I love jogging! I love profits! Business students vs. hipsters: WHO WILL WIN?!?!

4. Cute With Chris Live! Kittens! Puppies! DRUNK CHICKS IN BRAS!

spring away the blues

The freckles on my nose are back. It must be spring!

I am basically excited for life, because I get to go see Cute With Chris on Friday, then it's my birthday, the Kids in the Hall at Massey Hall in June, then the new X-Files movie, then run some race or something, then Hillside, then camping and then the Virgin Festival!

I not excited about the fact that for the last two days I felt like someone has kicked me in the "sitting bone" with a pair of steel-toe boots. That is not a metaphor and is most unpleasant.

dialogue of the day

You must be rich!
Yeah, you'd think.
Is your wife hot?
Uh, you'd think. You'd think she would...
Have you won any Oscars?
No, never won an Oscar. Won Geminis.
What are those?
Yeah. Exactly.

goals are for babies

Exhibit One: Superfast Runners Team 2008





















It's nice to have goals. I have lots of goals in life like,

- get a job
- write that book
- appear in an X-Files movie
- lose 5 pounds before the Cute With Chris show, thus increasing the chances that he will make out with me back in the Canadiana suite of the Gladstone Hotel.

These are all reasonable goals. Reasonable goals are good. Take the eternal wisdom of Vince Vaughn:

I found that if you have a goal, that you might not reach it. But if you don't have one, then you are never disappointed. And I gotta tell ya... it feels phenomenal.

Some people decided that my goals are for babies, specifically the reasonable goal of running a 7k race in the late summer or fall. Some people decided that I should run the Waterloo 10k Classic. In June. Look, some people. I'll have you know that the last race I ran (which was in 2003), I came in 2nd place. Well, actually I came in 3rd place. But the 2nd place girl got disqualified because she was drunk. So, don't go around challenging me lightly with races. Because I am a competitive gal. Sure, I'm somewhat terrified of the prospect of having to run ten kilometers in a row. But I've been challenged, so you're on.

Plus I hear you get free hot dogs at the end.

Hey, you!

Come see Oasis with me. And thousands of the unwashed masses!

It'll be fun! I'll make you a picnic. With sandwiches!