gray cats

More on Winter Drinking

A very important observation I made this week to follow up on the winter drinking theme:

It's really important to stay hydrated during these winter months. Don't forget to drink WATER. It's dry. Heating systems are sucking the life right out of us. And if you do any kind of physical movement at all (skating, skiing, shagging), rehydrate yourself, folks! You may think you are suffering from seasonal affective disorder (SAD), but you probably just aren't drinking enough water.

And, while you're drinking your water, you can watch this.

Winter Drinking

For economical winter drinking, I highly recommend investing in a bottle of port. It's fun to drink it out of a special port glass. So you might need to buy one of those, too. Makes you feel classy. You can get a cheap bottle and drink it all week. It helps.

Books/Inspiration needed

I asked for inspirational reading from my blog readership last year and got all kinds of wonderful suggestions.

I'm looking again, folks!

Here are the categories I'm looking for (and the bloggers who might be able to help me out)

environment/environmental justice (Milan? -- can you help me out with this one?)

crafting (Zoom? But please don't make it a knitting book!)

kitten training (Mintyfresh? Please?)

self-help (any of the Irregulars)

general inspiration (XUP? Megan? Stella? Also a Talker? Man of Science? Better Half? Skylark? Tiana? Bob?)

I'm a little bit desperate here folks.

Two New Blogs I'm Reading

Happy New Year! I'll bring in the new year with two new blogs. One I discovered at the One of a Kind Craft Sale at Lansdowne Park. I was working there for a friend, Erik Tardif, an incredible artist and craftsman, who just moved to the region. The blog I discovered is not Erik's, though; he doesn't blog. The blog I am recommending belongs to a sharp Quebecoise named France Arsenault who does crazy things with felting and wool. I loved her work and bought two items from her which I will post later. She doesn't blog regularly, but I hope she will. She has great links off of her blog, too, which have provided me with lots of inspiration.
The second blog I'm enjoying belongs to this California mom. You all know how I don't usually enjoy mommy blogs, but this one is pleasant. And the great thing is that she provides warnings if she feels the need to talk about poop.

My life is rich with blogworthy material, but....

I can't. The blogworthiness is all happening in the work realm. I can't afford to get dooced.
Woodsy has suggested I write the stuff down in a private notebook, and then blog about it later....like in two years or so.
In my crafting life, I am busy making potholders. Everyone is getting potholders for Christmas this year. Everyone needs potholders, right?

This one goes out to the knitters....

What does one do with unfinished knitting projects? I am a shitty knitter. It is not my medium. I need a sewing machine or something with a motor to drive me to the finish line. The meditative click click of the knitting needles doesn't work for me. I get fed up and throw the whole project to the side. I have a large box in my basement labelled "Unfinished knitting projects to do in your retirement"...A friend of mine wrote that on the box when I was moving.

Here are some of the unfinished projects:
1) A baby blanket in lovely white and yellow cotton yarn. The "baby" this blanket was intended for is now a smoking/swearing teenager.
2) A throw in autumn colours, also in cotton yarn. This one is almost finished. One of the problems is I lost the pattern. I have no idea how to finish the thing. I worked many many hours on this project, one dark and desperate winter years ago.
3) A red mohair scarf. This one was intended for a former mother-in-law. It never got cast off, unlike the relationship.
4) A brownish orange sweater. I didn't get very far on this one. Nice pattern, though. I think I still have it.
5) A blue wool sock. I never managed to turn the heel. This was the obstacle.

Despite all of these failures, I've started a new scarf. Already, I'm hating it! The wool is beautiful alpaca. There is no reason why I should be hating this so much. Why do I keep coming back to knitting when I hate it? What do I do with all of these unfinished projects?

Sunday Update

I haven't completely given up blogging. Clearly, this is because I'm still getting something out of it. I love getting comments from you readers. After some reflection, I thought in this weekly update, I'd be a little more directive with you about my current needs, so that I could optimize on your inspirational and supportive comments. Here goes:

1) The internet is still destroying my brain. I'm now playing Scramble with XUP which is fun because she is not as skilled as Zoom who continues to kick my ass. What I'm trying to say is - XUP, please continue to support me by losing in Scramble. Zoom, I'm not going to play with you anymore, because it is damaging to my self-esteem.
2) My workplace is completely dysfunctional, and I can't blog about this. Let's just say I'm not empowered. I do need your encouragement, though. Generic workplace encouragement required. Refer to the motivational literature if necessary. I'm open to anything right now.
3) I'm not as stressed out this week thanks to the bucketfuls of St. John's Wort I've been ingesting. The stuff works, folks. No need for comments on this one.
5) I attended a Quaker wedding this week. It was beautiful in its non-ceremony, and interesting, but I discovered I couldn't be a Quaker because a) all the silence makes me uncomfortable; b) I like a bit more structure; c) I don't like the idea of opening the floor to just anyone. No need to comment on this one. I like the Quakers and my opinion here really means shit.
6) I'm getting another cat in the new year, and I'm looking for a really bloggable one, but not one that will pee in my bed. Suggestions?
7) I want to win a trip somewhere warm, and I would like people to send me contests I could participate in. Thanks.

Ok. That's the weekly update with directions for comments. Thank you in advance.

I think the internet wrecked my brain

I'm convinced that I'm more scattered and fragmented since the internet took over my brain. Today I sat down to "work" on the computer. The "work" part lasted about 30 minutes (if that). The rest of the time was spent doing things like ....

1) playing Scramble. Zoom continues to kick my ass. I think I'm getting better, though. No wonder. I'm a fucking addict!
2) reading all the blogs of those who attended the Blogger Brunch. Interesting reading.
3) checking out the FlicKr sites of random people I don't know or care about. Not even worth commenting on.
4) reading news from 4 news sources. The financial outlook is still grim. There is snow in certain areas.
5) googling slow cooker chili con carne recipes. There are tons.
6) checking into the YMCA membership rates. Not bad.
7) checking out the Ottawa Humane Society website to see if there is a little brother or sister available for my cat. None that I really really like at the moment.
8) trying to find the 5th Muse's new blog. No luck.
9) looking up "feline irritable bowel syndrome". The experts don't have much to offer.
10) doing the "what kind of board game are you test" on Zoom's blog. I'm chess.

Anyway, you get the idea. None of this random surfing is very enriching. I wish I had spent a very focussed time "working". Then, I wish I had done more meaningful things like exercise, reading, crafting, shagging. Any of these activities would have been better for my brain. How are the rest of you dealing with the mind suck of the internet? Help!

Rock On

Have any of you seen these "Zen Garden" rocks that you write on? I went to a women's party last night because one of my friends is getting married (again). We were asked to write something inspirational on one of the rocks to put in her Zen garden. People wrote all kinds of wise and inspirational stuff, including "resilience", which I think is a good attitude to take towards life, love and marriage. I started obsessing a bit about my own lack of resilience. Then, I had a horrible case of writer's block, and started to freak out because I had nothing to write on the rock. I'm lacking inspiration these days in a serious way. I came up with a few inappropriate things to write, like "Don't let your atavar get caught with her pants down."
One of the women in the group talked about a research study she read about successful marriages vs. non-successful marriages. The finding was that the folks in successful marriages engaged more even in the most banal conversation. For example - She says, "I really like this blueberry jam". He says, "Oh, really? What do you like about it, honey?" The non-successful marriage exchange would go more like this: She says, "I really like this raspberry jam". He says...absolutely nothing. Sorry, I don't have a source for this study. If I find it, I'll let you know.
Anyway, finally, after several gulps of red wine, it came to me what to write. I found a small, smooth round rock and wrote -- "rock on!". And I'm giving that little nugget of inspiration to myself as well.

Newsflash: I went to church!

I grew up in a religious home. Like a lot of lapsed Christians, I figure I have had enough religion for a lifetime. On Sunday mornings, I prefer to do other things: sleep, shag, read, go for brunch, crafts, a walk in the woods, you name it.
Yesterday, I went to church for the first time in a long, long time. I went because my parents were visiting, and they wanted to go to church. They asked me to recommend a church - either Catholic or Anglican. I had no idea where to send them -- because I don't go to church. Then, I decided to send them to the gay-friendly Anglican church on Elgin St.: St. John the Evangelist. Since I was sending them there, I decided I would check it out myself -- mainly so that I could blog about it!

I recommend this place if you are looking for a spiritual home in the city. Here is what I liked about it:

1) The minister Dana Fisher is really great. She stands out on the street wearing a cape and greets people. She's funny and a bit edgy.
2) The music Director, Gordon Johnstone, kicks ass. He gets beautiful sounds out of the choir, he plays the organ like the devil himself, and he plays the harp like an angel.
3) There's an interesting mix of folks at this church -- some look like standard WASPS. Others look more rock n' roll.
4) They do good community work at this church.
5) Congregation members were invited to stand up to make announcements at the end of the service. One guy stood up and talked about setting up a worm composter in the basement. There were a lot of wacky announcements and eccentricity happening there. Great stuff!

Reasons I'm not planning to attend regularly:

1) The service is too long. I can't sit on a hard bench that long.
2) The common cup kind of freaks me out.
3) The Children's Sermon annoys the shit out of me.
4) I have other things I like to do at 10:15 a.m. on Sunday mornings.
5) Did I mention that I had enough religion in my childhood for an entire lifetime?

Black Wardrobe

Some easy halloween costume ideas

1) go as the Green Shift. Easy. Just wear a green shift.

2) go as "up shit creek without a paddle". Easy. Wear brown clothing, a life jacket, and don't carry a paddle.

3) go as Todd Palin. (Everyone is going to be Sarah). Easy. Wear a skidoo suit and any hoser gear you have lying around the house.

4) go as a "work-in-progress". Easy. Different options here. Stick an empty frame around your head. Or, wrap yourself in one of your unfinished art projects.

5) no fifth costume idea.

Margaret Cho at the NAC + Liam Sullivan

I had the privilege of seeing Margaret Cho at the NAC last night. She's really something. Lots of sex talk which I discovered is a really positive way to start your week. And, the woman can do anything...I mean ANYTHING with a microphone. I was impressed.
Some highlights of the evening:
1) Her rant about Sarah Palin: How much she hates her, and yet how much she'd like to f- her. Nice. I guess we've all thought this? This is what comedians do, right? Tell us what we we've already thought... I hadn't actually thought about bedding Sarah Palin until she put it in my mind. It's now in my fantasy repertoire. Thanks, Margaret!
2) Her key to a successful marriage: F* as many people as you can. It takes a village to.... You get the picture. I'm not married, but I'm not convinced. I agree with the village part, but do we really need to screw them all? But, again, thanks for putting the ideas in my head!
3) Her declaration: "I'm not a lesbian; I'm not BI; I'm 'I'" This reminded me of how important Margaret Cho is breaking down some of those limiting identity politics. Thanks again, Margaret, for the liberation.

What I missed in the show was the subtlety and depth of Canada's own, Sandra Shamas. I missed her storytelling ability. Margaret Cho's show is more of an ADD manic sex show. Sandra Shamas somehow balances things off. She may be more on the depressive side of comedy, which makes her more appealing to me. I hope she comes back.

Back to the highlights, though. Kelly Liam Sullivan was the opening act, and he is just brilliant. Definitely inspiration for Astronaut Love Triangle. Apparently, this video has gone viral. I thought I was in touch with everything viral, but I guess not. Kelly Liam Sullivan is a genius. This one is worth checking out, too. Am I the only one who hasn't seen these?

Rose quilt

Lucinda in Montreal

Lucinda Williams is one of my idols, and I got the chance to see her at the Metropolis in Montreal on Thursday night. Lucinda could do pretty much anything and I would think she's wonderful. She is a rough, raw, edgy woman, and I love her for that. But, I have to admit, I was a little worried about her on Thursday. The chemical enhancement seemed a bit too...enhanced. I appreciated that she decided to scramble her set list. However, when she had to have a band huddle between each song, had to call the technician out on stage about ten times, and had to constantly turn her back to the audience to get grounded, I worried for her. I still love her, though. We regretted not being more stoned in solidarity. A highlight of the show was this song. "Hey my little honey bee, I'm so glad you stung me.".....Great stuff. She ended the whole show with an AC/DC cover: "It's a long way to the top (If ya wanna rock n' roll!)" Rock on, Lucinda!

Good news and bad news

The good news is Harper is on the downward slide.
The bad news is the stock market is on the downward slide.
The good news is the team of "Mavericks" seem to be also heading south.
The bad news is the Weltangst that follows me around despite all this positive political news.
The good news is I'm spending less time on line -- ie. not blogging.
The bad news is I'm not using all this wonderful non-blogging time to do fun and interesting things.
The good news is at least I'm aware of this.
The bad news is I'm not doing anything about it.
The good news is I'm thinking of getting a second cat.
The bad news is that I'm not planning to start cat blogging.

Manifestos

Reporting on the topic of non-blogging has grown old, so I'm going to write about something else.
Saw an interesting play at the NAC called Manifestes. I'm a big fan of Manifestos. The play had everything from the Communist Manifesto-- "Workers of the World Unite!" to the Manifesto of the FLQ to my personal favourite, the Dadaist Manifesto. Then, the Lieutenant Governor of New Brunswick, Hermenegilde Chiasson (who I am in love with) arrived on the stage at the end of the play to read his own manifesto, which was a kind of manifesto against manifestos. Very post-modern.
I love manifestos and plan to write my own, too. In fact, I think a good idea for the ESIs would be to have a Manifesto competition. Not sure what the prize would be.

Not Blogging So Far

So far not blogging has sent me into a downward spiral. I want to continue with this non-blogging experiment a bit longer, however. In the meantime, I've compiled a list of some advantages of blogging:

1) Blogging offers you an opportunity to rant about life's struggles. When you bottle it all up inside, you end up with back pain.
2) Blogging creates levity and tempers obsessive thoughts. Once you put your obsessive crap out there, you can laugh at it.
3) Blogging makes you look for funny bloggable moments. This leads to optimism.
4) Blogging keeps you out of trouble. If you are blogging, how much trouble can you get in, really?
5) There is no fifth.

Here are some things I've done instead of blogging:

1) I have canoed on the Rideau River. That was a good thing to do -- although I resented the fact that I can't swim in the river, and the swans piss me off.
2) I have worried about all the shit that's happening in the world: Sarah Palin (holy fuck!), Stephen Harper (holy fuck!), etc...
3) I have gone for a massage for a seized up back.
4) I have had some extended hypochondriac moments.
5) There is no fifth.

Blogging about not blogging

Dear blog readers,
I'm writing to let you know that in the upcoming weeks and months I will not be posting regularly. This is not a this-blog-is-coming-to-an-end posting. I will still be alive and well in the blogosphere.
However, I am experimenting with the idea of more off-line living. And, I intend to blog about this! So, please stay tuned.

Yours truly,

Aggie