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Archive for the ‘the city’ Category

It’s been a hectic few weeks lately. So hectic I didn’t even manage to write my annual birthday post about how old I’m getting and how things never change – yada, yada, yada. This year, my birthday had me in the greatest mood. Usually, in my teenage angst-y past, I’d been wallowing at feeling lonesome and sad because I was one year older. However, it’s funny, now that I’ve officially turned into the mid-to-late twenties age group (I have to check a whole new box when filling out informational forms) I feel more empowered and at ease with life. I guess that’s what’s supposed to happen as we get older.

This year itself has presented a lot of changes in my life. It was a year that I decided to quit my job in Calgary, pack up, ship my cat via Air Canada Cargo, and drive across country to move back in with my parents; leave a relationship that I knew was going nowhere and basically – start over – again. I did and ended up quitting that job too, starting my own business and diving head deep into freelance designing and programming. How much has changed in a year? Basically everything – right down to my hair colour and style (I’ve got the “ombre” hair look made famous and popular via Sarah Jessica Parker and Lily Aldrige). And I feel great.

I sit in front of my current vision board in my office and smile every time I see it. Mostly because focusing on the things, feelings and experiences I’ve put out there and on that vision board have been coming true. It’s not surprising because that’s what’s supposed to happen, after all! Just exciting, which keeps my mood up – which is always a good thing.

I’ve been attending a lot of events, missing out on some other ones and wishing I knew about even more. Lately, I went to Boobyball Flash 2010 – a fundraiser that helped to create awareness for breast cancer in younger women, with a whole lotta drag; the 2nd anniversary of Lush & Lavish Salon and Spa at 200 Ossington in the Queen West area – where I purchased a couple of new anti-aging face products (I have to deal with the fact that the age is creeping up there at some point) from http://www.eminenceorganics.com/ and a facial package from Carol at Lush. I can’t wait. Okay – so many I haven’t been to so many events, but I’ve been thinking about them.

Somehow, in the midst of all this work and networking, I do need to sleep.

I love nights like tonight. It wasn’t the site of the first snowfall, but it was the first time this season I had experienced it. I walked home from work with a coworker and while we chatted about our significant others and their respective Christmas gifts, I loved the feeling that it was blissfully cold outside and the light snow was barely hitting my cheeks before melting. It was one of those walks that I would have never been on if it wasn’t for the fact that I had to, but I was entirely glad I did.

I came home to an empty house, K having gone out for the evening, and looked around as the warmth overcame me as I was still bundled up in my winter coat and three scarves. It was nice for once, to know that I could sit at home and do nothing and not be procrastinating and not have to worry about getting up early for work tomorrow. But all I could do was wish I were at home at the very same moment. Maybe it’s the fact that Christmas is only a month away and I feel like I haven’t seem my family in forever, but something had me today. Something had me wishing I could see the CN Tower through the white snowy fog. Or the empty space in our front hallway that my mom told me she cleaned out, getting ready for the Christmas tree we plan on buying together next week. I wished that I could see my small white Suzuki Swift that’s somehow still running after 6 years of ownership, or my cats, freezing their bums off in the backyard. But I will get to see them all, next week, when I go home for a little vacation before exams. For now, all I can do is picture next week when I get to do that.

The beginning of winter always makes me realize just how quickly the year’s gone by, and I can’t believe a whole twelve months have gone by since the last time I thought about it.

It’s kind of sweet, because as much as things change and I grow older with each year, each Christmas, the feeling of the first snowfall on my face never changes and somehow, I don’t think it ever will. And that’s what I love about it.

It’s funny how fast the time is flying this summer. The weeks seem so long, but then all of a sudden it’s Friday again and another has finished. It’s almost time for me to register for the Fall semester at school and I’m actually excited about it. I have all my courses mapped out and chosen and it seems like I’m going to have a full and interesting year.

Every morning when I’m driving with my dad to work, I can’t help but notice the people who are waiting for the bus or TTC. The other day, this woman carrying this huge, and I mean huge, Louis Vuitton carry bag. Now this was a particularily long light and I couldn’t help but wonder what the hell this woman was thinking. The bag didn’t match anything she had on and was definitely too big for her body. But the part I was really puzzled by, was the fact that there’s no way the thing could be real. For one, it was one of the designs that are at least $2000 US and she’s bringing it on the bus with her. So it led me to believe that obviously it was fake because why the hell would a woman who has enough money to blow on a $2000 US bag be taking the bus? Which then led me to think why the woman would purchase a fake for the fact that it would be obvious that it were fake due to the fact that she’s taking the bus?

Confusing, yes. But it’s enough to keep me up in the morning on the way to work.

The things I think would show up on here if I start bringing my journal with me to work.

I came home today and while I was on the subway on the way to meet my dad for lunch, I couldn’t help but notice the people sitting around me. It’s something I do every time I come home while taking the subway. The people are just so interesting. And by interesting I mean weird.

Take for instance this older woman. When I first began to watch her, I was descrete, because I didn’t want to be the one who was viewed as weird. So there are three seats in a row in this particular cart, and someone was sitting on the far left seat, and this woman comes in, carrying two huge bags, wearing too much makeup and a look of utter disgust. She sits on the far right seat and positions herself in many different ways. Putting herself sideways then repositioning her bags so they take up the whole row of chairs that are free. The next stop the lady in the far left seat got off and the woman moved to the middle. This time, I watched in amusement as the woman now moved her body in a non-chalant way so she could successfully take over the whole row without making it obvious that she was doing so. She must have moved her bags a hundred times before settling on one on the floor in front of the right seat and one on the seat of the far left chair. She looked pretty satisfied with herself in making sure that no one was going to want to sit next to her.

At the next stop a younger woman came onboard and along with the russling of all the passengers, she managed to snag a seat in the far right seat of the woman’s territory.

Needless to say, the older woman looked pretty pissed off that she had to move her things. And she blatantly got up and moved from beside the younger girl to the far left seat and spent the next five minutes rearranging her bags again. This time, she didn’t even put a bag on the seat separating the two women. She did for a second, thought about it, and prompty put it on the floor again.

At the next stop, another woman got on and sat in between the two ladies. She pulled out a palm pilot and started checking off stuff. As she did this, I couldn’t help but watch the annoyed woman on the left and her disapproving stares. She would look over to the palm pilot, then look away and then do the whole thing over again.

I don’t know why this whole thing amused me, but it did. But I think that I wasn’t the only one who sensed this woman’s troubles. I mean, I think I was the only one watching, but I think the palm pilot woman sensed something was weird.

At the next stop, admist all the hussle of people getting on and off, she switched seats from in between those two women and came across to the row of seats where I was sitting. She squeezed herself in between me (and my backpack full of textbooks and a suitcase in front of my legs) and an older gentleman (who had a very wide bottom) and I couldn’t fathom as to why.

She pulled out a book and started reading and I noticed that her book had a stamp on it that said “Victoria University Library” and then I started to wonder if this woman was from British Columbia, if she taught at the University or if she had a kid there until I realized that I had now become this weird person, paying attention to the stupid little things and adding my own little assumptions as to why they were the way they were.

I looked back over to the woman across from me, who now had this faint little smirk on her face.

And I couldn’t tell if it was because the woman moved, leaving her in peace with her row of seats or if it was because she was noticing what I was doing and gawking at me the same way I had done to her.

I’ve had such a horrible day. I honestly felt horrible today, like I really felt like crying at every new bad thing that happened. But I don’t want to write about it here because it’s over and done with and I don’t want to concentrate on it anymore (wow, that’s something new).

But what made me feel better is the feeling of really hot water surrounding my body while I was in the bath once I had finally gotten home. I had the CD I made for my trip home from Windsor playing in the background and was reading Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire.

I settled in for my evening alone and enjoyed the peace. I felt much better but something was still missing. R called to tell me about the plans for meeting O at the airport tomorrow and that made me smile and remember that she’s finally coming home. Then L called me to make sure I was okay because I called her in a bit of a panic this afternoon, so we talked for a bit. Then E called and made my night because I’ve missed him so and he’s finally back from Amsterdam so we chatted for a while. Then I finally got to finish my movie, Elf. It’s funny, I enjoyed it. Then S called from work and we talked for a bit and proceeded to make plans for coffee when he was finished. So we did.

With the lack of sleep and annoyances I’ve had over the past week, it’s been hard for me to really appreciate being home. But as I sat across from S at Tim Horton’s tonight (or I should say this morning) I realized that I really do love being here. No matter how busy the highways are during rush hour. Or how inconsiderate people are when turning a corner and splash you with gross, slushy, melting snow while they spin their tires.

The whole evening completely contradicted the whole day, which was awesome. And with all this chatting, I really didn’t feel like I stayed home alone at all. But it was nice. Little dosages of most of my friends combined with an evening at home was the perfect way to end my horrible day. And it made me realize how much power a friendship can actually have. Because without it, I would have spent the evening being pissed off about my day instead of laughing about with my friends.