Christmas came early for me this year. I love these crazy mitts.
Saturday, December 24, 2005
Sunday, December 18, 2005
December Rage
December is a cruel, cruel month. It starts out okay...and then you realize you have some type of holiday shindig every single night, no time to do your Christmas shopping, you haven't even thought about mailing out cards, your workload is insane, and oh yeah, it's fucking cold out there. And everyone is in such a hurry all the time, because they're all just trying to keep up.
I catch myself getting absolutely enraged if someone brushes by me on the sidewalk. Things that normally only slightly annoy me (like bikes on the sidewalk, or the Dufferin bus) are becoming all-out infuriating. I caught myself muttering something not very nice in someone's general direction at the mall yesterday. A tiny ball of rage is welling within me, and it's starting to freak me out. I momentarily considered changing the name of this blog to surly-girl.
I haven't even hit the family time portion of December yet. Received a card in the mail from my parents last week that said "Hope to see you on the 25th. Will call." "Hope?" Where else am I going to be on Christmas Day?
Although, I set an all-time record for Most Efficient Holiday Shopping yesterday - all gifts, 3 hours. My tips? Giant headphones, loud music, and a very brisk paced walk. I'm an expert crowd weaver. No hemming and hawing over gifts - if you initially think the recipient might like it, go with it - they will (and if they don't, they can always return it.) And also, smile a lot, or someone might kill you. Because everyone else out there is feeling the same thing, but if you flash them a smile, they realize maybe they're overreacting.
Everything's wrapped, the holiday parties are mostly done - presents await you - you're almost in the clear. Get through the work-crazyness and you're home free.
Is it January yet?
I catch myself getting absolutely enraged if someone brushes by me on the sidewalk. Things that normally only slightly annoy me (like bikes on the sidewalk, or the Dufferin bus) are becoming all-out infuriating. I caught myself muttering something not very nice in someone's general direction at the mall yesterday. A tiny ball of rage is welling within me, and it's starting to freak me out. I momentarily considered changing the name of this blog to surly-girl.
I haven't even hit the family time portion of December yet. Received a card in the mail from my parents last week that said "Hope to see you on the 25th. Will call." "Hope?" Where else am I going to be on Christmas Day?
Although, I set an all-time record for Most Efficient Holiday Shopping yesterday - all gifts, 3 hours. My tips? Giant headphones, loud music, and a very brisk paced walk. I'm an expert crowd weaver. No hemming and hawing over gifts - if you initially think the recipient might like it, go with it - they will (and if they don't, they can always return it.) And also, smile a lot, or someone might kill you. Because everyone else out there is feeling the same thing, but if you flash them a smile, they realize maybe they're overreacting.
Everything's wrapped, the holiday parties are mostly done - presents await you - you're almost in the clear. Get through the work-crazyness and you're home free.
Is it January yet?
Sunday, December 04, 2005
I Heart Toronto
Really. Sometimes I can't imagine not living here. And I've decided that I simply need to have my digital camera with me at all times. All times. Or I'm going to miss something amazing.
Like yesterday, when on my way down to the subway platform at Bloor Station, I saw the best buskers ever. Two guys dressed up in convict jumpsuits, with army boots and actual balls and chains around their ankles, one playing a banjo, one playing a guitar; both singing Bluegrass tunes. They had a crowd around them and people clapping and cheering, and little kids dancing, and everyone tapping their feet, and I thought, "Holy crap, how lucky am I that I get to see this?"
A co-worker of mine was in the crowd watching, and said he'd been standing there for the past twenty minutes just watching and listening and feeding them money and requesting Johnny Cash songs. And I was rushing, and really should have just hurried along on my way, but then they busted out some Hank Williams Sr, and I was just a goner.
It's amazing how much of an impact something as simple as two buskers playing songs on a subway platform can have on you. I'm just sad about two things -- I didn't have my camera with me to forever capture the experience, and I got there too late to hear I Got Stripes.
Like yesterday, when on my way down to the subway platform at Bloor Station, I saw the best buskers ever. Two guys dressed up in convict jumpsuits, with army boots and actual balls and chains around their ankles, one playing a banjo, one playing a guitar; both singing Bluegrass tunes. They had a crowd around them and people clapping and cheering, and little kids dancing, and everyone tapping their feet, and I thought, "Holy crap, how lucky am I that I get to see this?"
A co-worker of mine was in the crowd watching, and said he'd been standing there for the past twenty minutes just watching and listening and feeding them money and requesting Johnny Cash songs. And I was rushing, and really should have just hurried along on my way, but then they busted out some Hank Williams Sr, and I was just a goner.
It's amazing how much of an impact something as simple as two buskers playing songs on a subway platform can have on you. I'm just sad about two things -- I didn't have my camera with me to forever capture the experience, and I got there too late to hear I Got Stripes.
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