An ode to some pants

A couple of years back I bought two pairs of jeans. Glorious jeans. They became my every day jeans. My, wear-them-to-breakfast-class-dinner-library jeans. I read textbooks in those jeans, went to parties and bars in those jeans, and on more than one occasion, slept in those jeans. Those two pairs of jeans have seen me through the last year of school, from the summer before it, straight through to two years after it. I wore a pair of them to drop off my resignation letter at Canadian Tire, and I wore a pair to my first day at work (I chagned when I got there) . These jeans have been on dates, been to exams, graduation parties and house warming parties. I moved into my apartment wearing one of these hardworking jeans. These were some damn good jeans.

About three months after I owned them I walked through the bottom of them, the cuffs were frayed beyoned repair. Over time the jeans started to fade, even some of the belt loops tore. But still we soldiered on my jeans and I. A month ago the zipper broke on one of them, one of the teeth fell off, stopping the zipper in its tracks. Two weeks after that I noticed that a hole had worn through the butt on the other pair. It appears my jeans knew my weak point, they claimed retirement because of their willingness to expose my underwear.

So two weekends ago, with my Mom's awesome help, I bought two new pairs of everyday jeans. They are the right size and length and colour. they have already been worn to work, out to dinner and to two house parties. They watched as our fencing team swept the OUA finals. I was wearing the boot cut version when I got some awesome news from a very good friend of mine. These jeans will see me through the next little while, they will go on dates, be worn to parties, concerts and movies. They will be worn to move into my new apartment, and they will be what I put on after my first day at work when I get my new job. I will change into a pair of them after my brothers' weddings. There will be a lot of good that will be seen in these two new pairs of jeans.

Dear Winter

Dear Winter,

We have had good times. I am not going to deny that. Like the calm that washes over everything with that first evening snowfall. The hilarious snowmen. The chance to bring out the winter wardrobe of hats and scarves, so long unworn that they feel new. Good times.

But sweetheart... it's over. I just don't feel the same way anymore. Your fresh white snow trick is no longer cute, it's just another inch on our overburdened roads. And yes it has been nice that your mercury dropping temperatures have deadened that weird ass smell that always comes in off the lake, but it's also deadened all the nerve endings in my fingers.

I know you think if we just try harder we can work this out, but I just can't do it anymore. I'm tired of compromising to you all the time. You just don't give winter, you always have to have it your way. I'm tired of wearing four layers okay?

Please don't cry though, you'll find someone new. Someone who hasn't heard all your jokes, someone who thinks slush is a cute 'quirk' . I wouldn't look at Africa though, she's pretty committed to summer, those two are very long term. But I hear Austrailia is back on the market.

See you around,

Christine

Not as much blood, but a lot more vitamins.

Today I ate a tangelo. It is a fruit I had never heard of, and certainly had never eaten. This week, as established spur of the moment yesterday while grocery shopping, is "Interesting Fruits Week". While not as edge of your seat as "Shark Week", it is, hopefully, much more delicious. Unless you like chum.

I have bought, a tangelo, plum tomatoes (I hear you nay sayers, saying they are vegetables, well they look like a fruit so they qualify to me), a peach, and a tangerine. These are fruits that I do not normally hang out with, but you know what, I have had all my stock in apples for a number of years, and as a result of this unpredictable economy I felt it was high time that I diversify.

Future Me

I wonder sometimes if me and friends will look back on these times with great fondness. If we will sit and reminise about all the layers we used to wear to go to sleep because none of our apartments could hold heat. Or that time one of us had a cockroach problem. Times when things were simpler.

So many mysteries solved

So I have spent the past few days trying to figure out where my punch bowl, with remnants of sour cream and salsa dip, went after the party. Our apartment is not that big, and I had looked in all the logical places.

Recently another mystery developed, why in the hell did our fridge smell funky?

Turns out the two mysteries were very related, and in solving them I also found the answer to a third question that I had never asked! Is the fruit crisper big enough to throughly hide a large punch bowl filled with dip detrius? YES! Is this a good idea? HELL NO.

I can only blame the drinking.

Party and such

I am having a lazy day today. Watching a lot of Charmed, a show I was totally addicted to in high school. It's soundtrack is filled with songs from the first few years in high school, it's a bit odd, hearing these songs, that were hip enough at the time to qualify for appearing on a tv show, but most really have not survived well over time. But it does give me unusual flashbacks where I realize that I am lot further from high school than I realized, which makes me both happy and feel startilingly old.

My party was a sucess, it was nice and cozy, and everyone seemed to have a good time. I relaxed after the food was prepared, and after I drank a couple inches of vodka.

New Years

I am hosting a New Year's Party again this year, mostly because I always freak out about not having plans for New Year's. I always freak out a little before hosting a party, well to be honest I am just always freaking out about something. Today's something is, what will I serve at the party??? I am thinking Brushetta..... some chips... some salsa... and some popcorn. And then that is it. I am out of ideas. I guess I could do a veggie platter. Damn it this is the part of party hosting that I hate, the food part.... and the making sure everyone has fun part.

Tragic

Today I needed to say 'seven' in Spainish. Can only count to 6. Damn you "Pretty Fly For a White Guy"

Living in Excess

I am currently struggiling with the feelings of having too much. Which I have to say is a nice change from my usual complaining of having too little. I believe that this current moral crisis is stemming from two books I recently read; "Not Buying it", about a woman who stopped buying things for a year, and "The Poisonwood Bible", a fictional novel based in Africa, a running theme being the excess of America versus what is considered neccessary in some parts of Africa. Compounding this is the fact that I went Christmas shopping over the weekend, and I was overwhelmed by the amount of things, and people at the mall. HOw can we need so many things? I realized that the whole mall, every square inch of it could be torn down over night (this is assuming an intentional tearing down, wherein everyone who may have been inside exited), and we would all survive. Because everything in there is not a neccessity.

I have at least twice in my life, eaten to the point of throwing up. How can I argue that I do not have enough, when I routinely get told by my body that I have had more than enough? How can I argue that I go without when I am running out of places to put all the things that I am with? One of my professors provided an andecote on the topic that I have never quite forgotten; "a foreign leader was invited to visit Toronto, this man was from a country that was commonly reffered to as a third world country, and he was flown in to see how ties with Canada would help his developing nation. To impress him he was taken down the main street, past the skyscrapers, the billboards, the speedy moving cars, the high powered people, to the main square, a true pulse point of people with it's tv screens, and flashing lights. The intent was to impress him, to show him how advanced our country was. His response was only to ask, "What sadness, what hole exists in all these people, that they are trying so desperatley to fill it with all of these things?" "

Office Gift Exchange

I need to purchase some fun and interesting baking and cooking things for my friend at work for the office gift exchange. I have decided to go to Kitchen Stuff Plus. The problem is I don't know much about baking and what someone would enjoy. If only I knew someone who lived near a Kitchen Stuff plus and enjoyed cooking and could give me advice. And if perhaps they were available on Thursday... If only

What I haven't quite been able to put into words.

On Saturday morning my Grandfather passed away. My cousin sent out a request via Facebook (and maybe other ways I don't know) that we share with her our thoughts and memories about Grandpa because she will be speaking at the funeral. I have copied my response to her request below, mostly because it is the best way I have of explaining where I am coming from right now.


The thing I remember most about Grandpa was his strength. He was a strong man who took pride in what he did, and found joy in his family. He was always ready to laugh and to play along with a joke. He brought joy with his music and loved participating in events and being a part of clubs and committees. He was kind, he was loving and he was gentle. To me he never aged a day, he seemed just as capable and just as strong this year as he did when he was living on the farm twenty years ago. He could make things work without seeming to try, he could make a harmonica sing and make it look easy. I never doubted his abilities in anything, and he made me feel like he never doubted mine.

Grandpa was a joiner, a do-er and a fun-haver, I believe those three are made up words, but I don't think he would have minded, because they are honest, and genuine, like him. He was a good man, and I think I am blessed that he was a part of my life for as long as he was. If I can live to be half the person he was, have just a quarter of the friends he did I would have lived a full life.


There are a million more things I could say about Grandpa, but that is where my words ran out, other than the obvious: he will be missed.

Birthday!

Tomorrow is my birthday!!!! I will be turning 24, and eating crepes.

I have some birthday resolutions:

1. Smile because it happened, don't cry because it is over: I have trouble with this old addage, I tend to sob over the ending of eras, and the leaving of old stages. and really this isn't helping me. I am going to get older, and move on from things, so I might as well start finding joy in it.

2. Monthly check in: I am going to set a time aside once a month for me to sit down with me. It will be a time to stop and reflect on the past month, and a time to plan the month ahead, with a focus on things to do to achieve my goals. I have been finding for the past little while that it does not feel like I keep up with time. I'll be thinking it is the 7th and it will turn out it's the 25th, of October, when really, I still thought it was August. I want a time to touch base with myself, to take some time to appreciate what I am doing, and to plan what I will do.

3. Don't compare my insides to other people's outsides: I constantly feel inferior to others, because everyone else seems to get through life with such ease and grace. Recently I have been told by a few people that I always come across as confident, which to me is odd, because I usually feel like a giant ball of awkward. This makes me think that the ease and gracey people, are really just as terrified as I am on the inside.


I am now going to shower, as I just fenced for 3 hours. I would prefer to enter my new life year, not being smelly and gross.

Booky things

I got to head home to my hometown last weekend, and got to make a glorious stop at the library. I took out, at the recommendation of my cousin 'Love in the time of Cholera' and a few other books. Including 'Odd Hours' by Dean Koontz. It is the fourth book he has written about the same character, andI really enjoy how he writes for this character, so I am always pleasently surprised when there is another book about him, especially since I believe it was originally intended as a stand alone novel.

I am reading 'Love in the Time of Cholera' right now, it has a bit of a slow start, but it's mostly because the writer is clearly creating an entire world, down to the smallest detail. I find that when authors do I don't always get into the book right away but about halfway through I hit the 'can't put it down, not even when I am walking' phase. What was weird though was that I was at page 60 and a co-worker asked if it was a good book, and I had absolutely no idea yet.

Fencing and Brunching

I fenced on Saturday at a team tournament. It was a lot of fun and we went farther than we thought we would. We thought we would get kicked out pretty early because our team wasn't very good. Realistically if I am the second best fencer on the team, it's not a good thing. But we fenced and we had fun and we learned things. I also go to eat Pizza Hut, which is always good.

I had brunch today downtown, we squished seven people into a table for four. Condiments ended up being stored on the floor and any unneccesary plates were immediatly jettionsed. It was a squishy, but a friendly, good squishy. I then wandered in Indigo with one of my book friends. Her and I like a lot of the same types of books and she is very good at recommending new books. I didn't buy anything but I got lots of ideas for new books to get at the library. But now I am sad because I just realized I don't have any books to read tonight.

I met up with Heather while I was downtown and came out to my place together. We had a very good night, it's fun to relax with Heather. She doesn't mind if I am scatterbrained and my room's a mess. We also ate ice cream.... just try to pretend you're not jealous.


I was supposed to get a lot of things done today, but I didn't because of the impromptu all after noon brunch and book browsing. But I am happy. I went with the flow instead of thinking about all the things I had to do. I was good.

Helpful Info

So usually I wak up at 6:00 am. My alarm did not go off this morning, I did not wake up until 6:20. I got everything done that I usually do in the morning... and I have time to blog.... I am thinking I do have time to do yoga in the mornings.

Fencing Practice

My awesome fencing streak continued at tonight's practice. I was able to apply during a match a couple new skills I have been working on! That is huge for me. A couple people commented that my fencing was coming along. It was also great to be able to wear almost entirely my own equipment. It was nice to know that all the sweat was mine.

Message to cousin..... You should go back to work now!

Fencing Tournament

I had an awesome time at my fencing tournament yesterday. I had not really been looking forward to it because I have been struggiling so much in fencing lately. In fact I didn't win a single match in my last tournament.

At this past tournament I won two matches! And I actually won them with a plan, not just mindless flailing. In the second round (the furthest I have ever made it, because everyone makes it that far) I did the best that I have ever done. I was neck and neck with my opponent to continue to the next round.

I also got to spend some great quality time with my Dad because he drove me to and from the tournament.

All in all it was a very good day.

Yeesh. Cousin. Harsh. And yet I post,

Fencing was frustrating. the drills went well and I was fine doing the footwork. But when it came to actual free fencing, it was like I had never fenced before. Actually beginners are often hard to beat. But I was very easy to beat. all I seemed capable of doing was sticking my blade out maybe wiggiling it a little. No parrying. No reposting. Just panic. Very frustrating.

Mission Accomplished

As of Friday the 10th, at right about the time that I wrote the post just below this one, I successfully managed to blog everyday for a whole month! Yay! I found that setting such a goal was a great way to get me back to blogging. I mean they weren't all great, if you post every day they won't all be gems you see. But I actually blogged more than twice in one month, which is like a record for the past year.

So yippee for my bloggery.

Tragedy

So today I got some life altering information. For my whole life I thought the dishwasher filled up completly, like the washing machine does. Apparently it's more of a shower like situation. I don't think I can adequately describe how dissappointed I am by this turn of events.