Day Two Hundred and Thirty-Three - Strangers Have The Best Candy

I've had an exhausting few days with the execution of two different events, working with some very trying individuals, on my feet a lot and busting up my knee a bit - I am quite out of it today and I'm now preparing for two days of volunteering. I was so drained today that I just had to do something out of sheer desperation - I drank a Diet Pepsi. And yet, while that is something quite momentous and entirely brand new - that's not even my official ET for the day. That is how much I love to give. I'm tireless in that respect. For the official record though - Diet Pepsi is vile and I wouldn't serve it to pigs. And yet, I drank the entire can. Wonders never cease.

Today I also had a very trying time with the streetcar down @ the harbourfront. Mainly, it didn't arrive for 20 minutes...arrived...let one passenger on [car was not full @ all]...and then slammed the doors in our faces [about 8 of us waiting]. I may have let out a few expletive deleteds [those who know me know that I did]. Anyway, I had no choice but to wait again for another streetcar when I noticed that the fellow to my left had the same MP3 player as I did. This is quite something. You see, I don't have an iPod like everyone else on the planet. When I went to buy an MP3 player [finally getting on board with the technology in October of this year] I saw that iPods were much more expensive than non-iPods. To me, this seemed crazy - why pay more? So, I bought myself a 4GB Creative Zen MP3 player - I call it the nonPod. I never see fellow TTC riders with this. So, I broke with my longstanding tradition of regarding even eye contact from other passengers as a hostile advance and I started a conversation with a complete stranger on the TTC. See - he had a skin for his nonPod and I didn't buy one when I first got mine and couldn't find one in the stores when I looked last month. So, I asked the guy where he got the skin and complimented his taste in personal and portable electronics. He seemed to think that I wasn't a complete psycho. Score! [and now I know how to get me a fancy red skin for my non-red nonPod - red makes things better]

Day Two Hundred and Thirty-Two - Barbapapa

It's no secret that I enjoy carnival food - cotton candy, candy and caramel apples, funnel cakes, ice creams, hot dogs, fudge, popcorn, big pretzels, those tiny doughnuts, things that are deep fried that perhaps god did not intend to deep fry...it's all very, very good. Except for that one summer when me, Joseph and Rory got drunk on grease @ the CNE and the whole world stopped making sense and I thought a calliope was evil and trying to speak to me [that was bad - very, very bad]. And while I once spent an entire summer working @ Canada's biggest carnival-type location [okay, Adam thought it was a carnival when we took him last year] - I was strictly retail. You should not listen to me if I give you ride safety tips. And you probably shouldn't have let me prepare carnival foods for you...that is until today when I learned how to make cotton candy! Pictures most certainly will follow - they were snapped by our media person @ Geneva Centre and she is now on holiday until after Canada Day.

Here's how this exciting development...developed. Today was our Annual Family Picnic @ Geneva Centre. We hold the event in a local city park and invite all of our families/the community @ large to join us for carnival rides, carnival games, a BBQ, facepainting and etc. The etc. is where I come in with my mad cotton candy making skills. While this is not a fundraising event, the organization of picnic does fell into the hands of a former foundation director, so now my boss heads it up. While we had many lovely volunteers today - our volunteers who were to be man-ing the cotton candy stand did not turn up [I think they were overwhelemed by the pressure of the whole situation]. My boss came up to a group of us @ the registration table and asked - kinda jokingly - does anyone want to learn to make cotton candy? Well, of course I did! Unravelling the mysteries of carnival food is infinitely more interesting than registration, coordination and admin stuff. That belief is probably why I'm such a successful career woman.

So, I learned to make cotton candy. Then I served up dozens and dozens of fluffed up bits of the stuff on sticks to happy [and curious] customers. Apparently, the process of making cotton candy is inherently interesting. I agree. Normally you can't see what they are doing to make it - so it's a bit magical. However, I will let you in on a little secret...cotton candy...is people...IT'S PEOPLE!!! No, just kidding - it's just sugar. Pink-tinted sugar or blue-tinted sugar or whatever...but...just sugar. Sugar goes into a central heating and shaking area - the machine is turned on and that area begins to spin. Then - as if from heaven - suddenly gossamer bits of candied floss begin to appear. You can trap them on the stick and use them to make more...and oh - there will be more and it will be everywhere. Once the cotton candy appears things move really quickly and suddenly you're overrun with the stuff. Without even knowing it I had a film of cotton candy over my glasses, my sweater and my hair. Mmmmm - sticky. And yet, I didn't really mind being sticky - it was for the kids!

[here I am rather slyly and shyly making the cotton candy. fabulous shot of a ttc bus in the background. i had some stiff competition from the popcorn dude to my right - but sugar is always more popular!]



And now I have an amazing skill if I ever want to run off and become a carnie/join the circus [which I would obviously never do as I boycott all circuses]. The carnie part though is a definite possibility. I could perform as the moustached lady as well.

Day Two Hundred and Thirty-One - After School Special

When I was growing up my elementary school was three doors down from my grandparents' house. As a result I spent a lot of time there - before school, after school, on days off, etc. I enjoyed spending time with my grandparents, even though they were never the most active people ever [Joseph's grandparents are quite the contrast]. Perhaps because they were not the most active people. I liked latch-hooking and watching game shows with my grandpa and I liked cross-stitching and gossiping about everyone with my grandma. It's good to see where I get my love of inactivity from - it's clearly inherited. I guess my grandma wasn't the typical grandma as I don't remember her serving me up some freshly baked cookies or really any kind of baked goods [unless it was Christmas because then we got shortbread and that seafoam candy stuff]. What she did serve me as an after-school snack was full cans of Coca-Cola product and freezing cold chips [freezing cold because she kept them in the freezer].

But there's no reason why I can't enjoy a tasty after-school snack the traditional way, even though I'm officially old. So today I had a snack of chocolate milk and cookies - for dunking. Please see below.



I guess this really isn't such a big deal. I'm just not much of a dunker apparently [witness my recent inaugural doughnut dunking operation]. This was shaping up to be a rather tasty experience...however...all of a sudden I smelled something off [with my super powerful nose - it is my super power] - the milk. Out came two "bits" of...something? And yeah, that was that. Milk is pretty gross, to be honest. Joseph assured me that it was just bits of cream, but I couldn't bring myself to finish drinking it. Cookies are always enjoyable though. They are so not a sometimes food.

Day Two Hundred and Thirty - Olde Time-y Villain

As a girl - I am not terribly girlie. Sure, I have long hair [that I used to try to keep dyed in fresh and unnatural colours until I apparently stopped caring], I wear makeup and I wear dresses and high heels a lot. I think I also have what one might describe as a girlish or womanish figure - curves and everything. I have rarely been mistaken for a boy, although I think that androgeny is a really cool look. It's not really one I can pull off successfully [I also can't pull off any other cool looks that I like]. When I had my old, old glasses and I wore them with a baseball hat my friend Claire would tell me that I looked like David Letterman. While I love David Letterman, I don't think that's much of a compliment, although my fragile adolescent self didn't seem to mind [shocking, I know]. Well, today I was inspired by my friend Cristina's little boy who apparently insisted on leaving the house with a drawn in moustache two days in a row a couple of weeks ago. So today - a rare Monday off work I gave myself a moustache. Check it out.



Honestly, I think I look pretty cute [okay, cute for no makeup and unbrushed hair]. Okay, maybe not cute...but...something? I kept it on all day as I was sorting out four loads of laundry in the bedroom and kept catching myself in the big mirrors. Maybe this could be a new look for the summer? Or like, different kinds of moustaches? I must admit, I don't like them very much on men so maybe women are due to have more success with this look.

Day Two Hundred and Twenty-Nine - Junkie

I have been having some exciting stomach problems for pretty much the entire week. So, it's Sunday and it's time to get things back on track. I could do this by being healthy and stuff...but honestly I think I do eat reasonably healthy most of the time [with my indulgences in pizza, french fries and ice cream put aside]...and healthful just doesn't seem to be working. So, throwing caution to the wind I ate junk food all day. Truthfully, I didn't each very much all day due to some stomach issues - but everything I ate was not part of a balanced diet.

This morning I was up and atom @ the Bata Shoe Museum and I was so darn excited about my first-ever weekend shift that I completely forgot to eat breakfast [I did drink coffee]. I starved my way through my shift until Joseph came to meet me to get a treat. He suggested JFL or sushi or even pizza...but I decided to go with my gut and get the ice cream. Mainly because I feared that if I ate sushi or juice or pizza I would not have room for ice cream. That just couldn't be. So we went to Baskin-Robbins and I got a double scoop - world class chocolate and chocolate and peanut butter [of course]. It was so delicious. Then my stomach was full, but also kinda hated me a lot. I went home to play vidya games in an attempt to work off the ice cream. Then, instead of dinner Joseph and I decided to eat a bag of tortilla chips with the tasty guacamole below. It was very garlicky and very citrusy. I think I killed the subtle avocado-ness. Oooops. However, @ the end of the day I was able to get to sleep a little bit easier than in many previous nights [due to bad stomach things a-happening].

[Additionally - I've started sleeping under Japanese robes. not a blanket, sheet or duvet. I find this recent development to be wonderfully pretentious and annoyingly quirky.]

Day Two Hundred and Twenty-Eight - Ole!

I'm not sure that I have sufficiently complained about this fact - but my local grocery store has an absolutely miserable selection of fresh fruits and vegetables. So, when they put items on sale it generally means that they got in some extra large shipment and they just might be good enough to eat [if eaten within 24 hours]. This is what happened this week with the mangoes and shockingly enough...avocadoes. I think avocadoes are my favourite fruit ever. Is it even a fruit? Anyway, I bought two avocadoes and used them both up today when I made guacamole. I even took a photo, even though it does not look particularly appetizing. I can assure you that it was.



I used to really enjoy Mexican food [okay, Tex-Mex] when I was younger and had a stronger stomach. However, these days I am violently allergic to jalapeno peppers so I eat Mexican food very sporadically these days and only @ places that I trust. Therefore, I'm always apprehensive about getting guacamole, even though I love it. Thankfully it's super easy to make - given that you have access to some nice avocadoes. Unfortunately, I got a little overzealous while adding the cayenne pepper and slipped and added way too much. I always underestimate its power and the power of my clumsiness. Dangerous. I was able to correct this by adding lots more lime. Which made it a bit too citrusy, but still highly edible and very addictive.

[I found the picture of the mango. You can't see its cute fat kissing bird shape though. Ataulfo mangoes are smaller than the red/green ones - and should be entirely yellow - just for reference.]

Day Two Hundred and Twenty-Seven - Watch Out Lou Dobbs...

For the Ataulfo mangoes are invading! Hailing from Mexico these fruits are considered the champagne of all mangoes. They are cute as pie and look kinda like plump little animated birds [kissing if you have two mangoes] if you look @ them in the proper fashion. Anyway, after far too long slogging my way through clearly inferior mangoes [although they were always lovingly prepared for me by Joseph - as I don't know how to make mangoes] today I had my first Ataulfo mango. I did have a photo of Joseph's non-alient fingers lovingly preparing our first Ataulfo - however I am an idiot and I deleted all of the photos off of the small memory card [correction - here is the photo!].



So, in the absence of a photo - allow me to explain the Ataulfo. The main thing that sets them apart from the mangoes that are kinda Christmasy [red and green] is that they are less fibrous. Therefore, way less stringy-ness to get stuck into your teeth. In addition, another feature that I enjoyed was less juicy-ness. I know what you're thinking - why, that sounds quite awful, please elaborate. Thank you, I will. The other mangoes are so juicy that the juice gets everywhere - and the juice stains everything. I really enjoyed the Ataulfos - they taste more citrusy than the other mangoes and less sweet [again, I know this mind sound like a bad thing - but the other mangoes are too much like candy for my non-sweet tough]. Dee-licious. I shan't be going back to the other inferior mangoes.

Day Two Hundred and Twenty Six - A-S-S-H-O-L-E

I want to say that today's thing started off when I ripped off a cab driver this morning but that's not entirely true. I think it started when I got dressed and generally a big gussied up. I will be completely honest - I love wearing business suits - whether they are Hillary Clinton pantsuit style or with a cute dress [but not too cute] or with a miniskirt [as part of my ongoing series - a Salute to Miniskirts, of course]. They make me feel badass. I know that most people like a work environment where they don't have to get dressed up - I am quite the opposite. I mean, I'm not enough of a preppy/yuppie [in part due to lack of moneys] to dress this way when I'm not @ work - but then I like to be very casual and often with a healthy amount of decolletage and shirts that say rude and/or clever things on them. But - for work - I like to feel important - like I am more than the sum of all the crummy bits of my life. A business suit is like a mask that I can slip on and instantly become a more confident and badass person [it hides the real me with the lack of real job, house, other material items, other non-material items]. So why not present the best you possible?

This morning I was feeling rather fierce [thanks Tyra] in my pinstripe suit [it has a vest/corset type thing that makes it extra good] and my lovely flat, straight hair and good make-up. I think I let it go to my head because today I was an asshole all day. In addition to ripping off the cabbie [it was his fault - he couldn't change a $20 so I could only give him $10 - I have gone to make change on other days] I also closed an elevator door on someone, I sneaked into line @ a Starbucks ahead of people who were waiting before me, I smushed a bug [normally I set them free or just let them be], I put a cup that still had liquid in it into a public rubbish bin [ewww], I let my bag and Starbucks cup have its own seat on the subway [but had to relent when a couple with a stroller motioned for me to move it] and I left a bunch of items @ Zellers sitting under the price checker thing instead of taking them back to where they belonged. So yeah...I'm an urban a-hole.

In my defence - doing all of these things I was forcing myself to go outside my comfort zone - I would normally never do these things. However, I've worked my share of retail/customer service jobs - I dealt with many-a a-hole in my day. I didn't really get anything out of being an a-hole [like, it didn't improve my life in any way] - which makes me think that most people are blissfully unaware that they are jerks, since it really offers no inherent reward. Realizing that helps me to not take personally all of the crummy things people routinely do. I stand by my previous statement - when I die - on my tombstone I want written - My Name: Surrounded by A-Holes [because @ no point in my life do I see this not being true].

Day Two Hundred and Twenty-Five - The Secret Garden

As much as I don't really like going outside unless absolutely necessary, one of the many things I miss about my old house was the garden. We had full, private use of the backyard and garden for three summers. Although we BBQ-ed rarely due to raccoon attacks and we never had people over - I miss the garden. The flowers I was very "meh" on, but I loved growing my own vegetables. It was a source of fascination and great interest to me. Of course, each year we were overrun by tomatoes and other things - but that was always a great feeling. Especially when contrasted with these days when...I got nothing. Most days I feel like I live in a basement apartment, actually.

However, in the city green spaces tend to happen in the most unusual places. One such space surrounds the entrance/exit to my subway stop. This area has been taken over my community garden people and this week in particular the flowers have been particularly beautiful and fragrant [and not in an allergic way - it's a fine line for me]. Normally I appreciate them while cruising on by, but today I was so taken in by a really lush smell that I just had to - I stopped and smelled the flowers. I'm no good @ identifying flowers, so I can't tell you what it was that smelled so good, although I was able to locate it. The garden has grown really full and tall - it's really spectacular [my camera is still without a protective case so no photo - I will try next week]. So much so that I was moved to send an email of appreciation to the people who maintain the garden. I wanted to let them know that, as someone without their own green space, their garden really brightens my day before and after heading into the un-green subway [although it often has many interesting smells]. I got a quick response from the garden people and they have invited me to join them on a future Sunday...which I just might do, depending on my levels of social anxiety.

Day Two Hundred and Twenty-Four - Peace, Man

I don't regularly wear any kind of jewellery. Nothing that hasn't been punched through me with a piercing needle thing, that is. I find those more difficult to remove, so they stay in forever. I find jewellery to be a bit of a pain and also makes me feel slightly claustrophobic. Even if I were to get married, I probably wouldn't wear a ring everyday. However, today while volunteering @ the Bata Shoe Museum I was struck by the rare beauty of a ring worth all of $2. Yes, I do quite love things that are tacky - it's really my signature style. The price was right and I had to have it so I purchased a mood ring. And I'm still wearing it. Although it is in the shape of one of my most personally disliked form of shoes [the flip flop], I still think it's nifty. Please enjoy my creepy alien fingers below.



During the late 80s/early 90s the whole 60s hippie vibe came back into fashion and all of us cool cats were adorning our NKOTB tshirts with classy peace signs [one of my peace sign necklaces was beyond gigantic - it looked like I ripped it off the hood of a Mercedes] and also wearing mood rings. Mine was a big clunker of a thing [I'm seeing a theme here] and it was always this hideous gray-ish black colour. The ring was too big for my creepy thin alien fingers [so I padded it out with yarn I think - so classy] and as it was "gold" also turned my finger green. While I accept the fact that this ring will also turn my finger green - it changes colour much more easily and is set in silver. Mostly it seems to vary between a deep purple and a pretty teal green. While wearing the ring @ the museum I sold a box and a half of them to visitors. Turns out my creepy alien fingers are attractive enough to turn me into quite the salesgirl!

Peace, man!