Someone got a new camera for her birthday

This means I can blog pictorially again when words just won't do or I am short on time, like tonight.

I'll also share with you my birthday roses:

Thanks Mom and Dad.

Born this day

Last weekend when it was looking like I was safely in the lead in a Facebook Words With Friends (knock-off Scrabble) match with NAF I smugly asked if he was going to let me win for my birthday. This was before I got stuck with the point heavy (if you can find a place for it) QUEEN. I was not happy about the loss in my near future.

Yesterday, after he played his last letter and left me holding 15 unplayable points he wrote me: Happy Birthday and challenged me to another game.

I laughed. "Every year you try to age me earlier. Or this is you ending that game so as to spare me the blemish of a loss on the actual special day?"

"Aargh dammit you ought to be born on the third."

I emailed him a note with the subject line: Facebook is good for two things: playing Scrabble and keeping track of birthdays.

Last year NAF thought I ought to be bore on the fourth of the month. Do I mind? No, it makes me laugh and even though he would never admit it, his heart is in a good place for trying to get it right. There are only 31 days in the month of December, maybe by my 60th birthday he'll have it figured out. I kind of hope he never does, it's just more fun this way.

I went out with five of my girlfriends last night. Got dressed up and ate some cheesecake.

Today I got a message that my mom and dad had posted on my Facebook wall.

"Happy Birthday Dear Daughter!"


I can only suspect that my dad saw "Jill's Birthday" in the upcoming events section of FB and without thinking decided to click and post, because I know my parents know when I was born. Or maybe they are in cahoots with NAF to drive me crazy. I did check a calendar first to make sure I hadn't lost a day before I emailed NAF with this image attached.

"I stand corrected" I wrote.

"So there." he wrote back.

I know tomorrow, my real birthday there will be many well wishes--in person, by email and on my wall, and I will be grateful for the good thoughts, but they will not be able to make me laugh as hard as I did today and yesterday.

Now holding 29

On Friday OAF emailed me.

Subject: Happy Birthday

Need I say more?

OAF

I laughed and then wrote back to thank him but also let him know he was two days early.

Gah! I was so excited I got ahead of myself.
Happy you're-young day!

OAF

Today I woke up and leaned over to turn on my beside Ikea lamp that doesn't really match my room at all but provides the exact right amount of ambient, wake up/wind down glow.  Upon clicking the switch It flashed, popped and burned out, like a shooting star. If I'd known that was going to happen I'd have made a wish.

I got up and had a chocolate mint soy protein bar for breakfast because it was nutritious but it also tasted like cake. I opened some birthday cards and read all my text messages and Facebook birthday wishes. I danced around in my pajamas. I then put on my new favourite exercise attire and headed to the gym to listen to the songs that make me go twice as hard and fast, and broke a good sweat. This is what I call a marvelous start to the day these days.

I came home and ate Superstore sushi solo--in retrospect, perhaps the lowest part of the day. After killing the afternoon with mostly nothing, I got dressed in a party outfit and went to my mom's and dad's for family dinner.

I received many lovely gifts to keep me warm and cozy--warm scarves, gloves, warm pjs, warm sheets, hot drinks and more. Truly, the best gifts were the heartwarming cards. People have big wishes for me. I like to believe that if everyone is wishing the same thing, then it has a better chance of coming true.

Tired, I took my party-self home and unloaded my loot before opening up Mac to check in with the rest of the world. I had one more birthday greeting waiting for me in my mailbox:

Subject: Happy Birthday!

...for real this time.

OAF

I smiled and replied.

That officially makes you the first and last person to wish me a happy birthday this year. Nicely played.

I remember being in New York for my birthday with OAF (then NYF) two years ago. I almost didn't have cake, I "blew out" an unlit birthday candle and I gave myself something approximating a stress fracture in my foot from walking around town in inappropriate footwear. It was a fun day and a fun trip, but I missed being with my group of pals and family.

I always thought birthday were about the wishes, but today everything is exactly as it should be and I have everything I need.

(okay, except for that wish that I made on my birthday cake, I can wait a bit longer for that, but can you at least deliver it this month sometime? Or just tell me it's out of stock and I'll have to make do without for a while yet. Either way, just lemme know. Thanks.)

28.5 years of service with Humanity

Last weekend after my house sprung a leak my dad came over with his ShopVac and sucked up the puddle in my basement. He took a section of paneling off the wall and didn't find rotting wood or moldy insulation. Mike Holmes wouldn't have been satisfied but we decided that the puddle was likely not to be seen again for another 50 years.

I packed up all my books and took them to my parents' where my mom let them bake in the sun on the deck for a day. Dry basement, dry books, everything is as it was again, although for a while there I still got pretty nervous whenever rain was in the forecast.

I am 28.5 years old (oh boo, I missed my half birthday yesterday) and to date I've:

• had my one and only snow day off from school due to the '97 Blizzard of the Century
• missed classes again to help sand bag during the '97 Flood of the Century
• waited for a bus during the coldest temperatures in 25 years ( −41.7 °C [−43 °F] on February 5, 2007)
• sweat it out during the hottest temperatures in 25 years (38.7 °C [102 °F] on August 6, 1988 and again on August 1, 1989. The highest humidex reading was 48 on July 25, 2007, although just 64 km [40 mi] southwest of the city, the town of Carman, Manitoba broke Canada's all time humidex record, with a high of 53)
• been 40km west of the worst tornado ever recorded in Canada (F5 in Elie, MB on June 22, 2007)

 and now I've also experienced the city's worst rain storm in 50 years. Good golly, what could possibly come to us now? (Did I just poke a stick at Mother Nature? Whoops. Guess those mosquitoes are coming...)

During my research I also found this interesting: according to Environment Canada, Winnipeg is the coldest city in the world with a population of over 600,000 (and don't forget, the world's Slurpee capital). We Winnipeggers like a good challenge. Not just anyone can live here, y'know.

Last Monday I had an important meeting I wanted to look extra stylish for. I chose my outfit carefully and the shoes to match. As on most days, I packed those shoes in my bag and walked out of my house in shoes more appropriate for riding the bus. When I got to work I pulled out my shoes only to find that I had packed two different shoes for the right foot. I had a spare pair of neutral coloured shoes in my desk drawer (a good fashionista is always prepared). They worked, but it just wasn't the same. So I called my mom, who was going over to my house anyway to check on the basement, and asked her if she would bring me my other shoe. Sometime around 10:30 I met her in the parking lot and she handed to me a single shoe: my left black heel with white top-stitching. In a span of four days I had my dad ShopVac-ing my basement and my mom delivering me a shoe. If I am not a Disney Princess I don't know who is. Is there really a Prince C. who will fix my castle and deliver me my shoe upon request? I don't know, but I do have some wonderful people in my life who already do this. Only thing is, I think they want to retire soon. It's been 28 years already and they'd like to go travelling.

I am using this weekend to be mostly lazy. Last week was a bit stressful and this week coming up is stupendously busy. Hopefully it will be bloggable when I have a moment to spare again.

Black and Gold

I had been planning this party since before I had a house to hold it in. Finally, I did it. I had my black and gold birthday party.

The living room was painted and I even got some pictures hung on the wall. The cake was fabulous as I had imagined it would be. The spread of party food was plentiful. I put on my little black dress, brought out the Betseys and then the friends came and made my 28th birthday golden.

A Long December

On Friday night I got together with some of my Winnipeg pals--Lisa, Rob, Vince and Chris. We went to see the Cannes Lions commercials at the Winnipeg Art Gallery and then grabbed some food at Carlos and Murphy's. Since I started celebrating my birthday on December 2, this was my Grand Finale Celebration.

After eating we headed back to my place for cake and drinks. I had baked and decorated a cake for the occasion, which was apparently inconceivable to my friends. In fact, all week at work too people were shaking their heads at the concept. Well I ask you, just what was I supposed to do? I was celebrating my birthday. Birthdays call for cake and candles. I much prefer a homemade cake to a store bought one, so I baked one myself. I look after me. That's what I do.

I wasn't especially proud of the cake actually. I didn't really feel up to baking something from scratch so I used a box of Betty Crocker Rainbow Chip cake mix--my favourite. I also bought a can of icing, which I never ever do, but again, I wasn't feeling up to going through the whole production of making icing. I had to buy sprinkles so I went with the heart shaped ones. I had a vision of a very lovely cake but unfortunately, it turned out not nearly as pretty as it looked in my head. It worked.

Lisa told me I couldn't put the candles on myself so she did that. Then they were supposed to sing, but no one really wanted to start, so I think I started and then they joined in. I made my wish. It was a bad wish but it was the first thing that came to mind. And then I cut and served my cake.

Can I just comment here that I think I look especially happy here? And that is definitely a good hair day.

My friends were also reeling from my story about the piece of cake I took with me on my trip.

"I can't believe you brought your own cake, and a candle, with you to New York. Why didn't you bring matches too?" someone said.

"Well I wasn't really sure what the rules were for packing lighters and stuff so I just assumed that NYF would have something there or that I'd find something to use."

In the end, if you recall, it was a good thing I did have that piece of cake with me or I would not have had any cake, presents or cards on my actual birthday, and that would have been a little sad.

All said and done, it was good to be home with my pals again. Mostly the guys just teased me mercilessly about one thing or another (it's because they love you, Jillian). Thank goodness Lisa was there. In total, during my week of birthday celebrations I had six pieces of birthday cake and ate pizza five times (in a row!). I love my birthday, but I think I'm done with it for a while now. Thanks to everyone who was a part of it or who sent their best wishes. Please come back next year!

And its been a long December and there's reason to believe
Maybe this year will be better than the last
I can't remember all the times I tried to tell my myself
To hold on to these moments as they pass
--Counting Crows, A Long December

Fairytale of New York

Just because Sunday was my last full day in New York, did not mean it was any more relaxed or less action-packed. NYF and I started the day with a brisk walk through Central Park to the zoo where we made it just in time to see the feeding of the penguins.

The night before NYF was telling me about how much he enjoys museums and architecture because he loves the amazing history of it all. I get inspired by nature, whether that is when I am lost in a forest or staring into the eyes of another creature. I watched the penguins hop around and swim by. Sometimes they would swim right up to me and I'd just stand there completely captivated. NYF knew the penguins were something I'd want to do, but I don't know if he understood or could understand how much I love to watch animals.

We saw sea lions, monkeys and polar bears--oh my! I wish that I had had batteries for my camera to take pictures. The bears were beautiful and the sea lions were playful and smart. Had it been a lazy and sunny afternoon I could have stayed all day.

After leaving the park, NYF lead us to 5th Ave. We passed the Apple store and then NYF headed for the line up to get into FAO Schwartz.

Stuffed animals of all shapes, sizes and kinds lined the floor-to-ceiling windows.

"Your birthday present is in there," NYF said.

The line moved quickly and so we soon found ourselves inside the over-sized toy box. I put my hands out to touch everything soft and furry.

Somewhere in the middle of the store, NYF guided me to the left. He pointed to a small, red beaked, stuffed penguin and said, "that."

I picked it up and immediately checked the tag to see if it said what kind of penguin it was (I had never heard of a red-beaked one before). It didn't say, but it did give a name, "Peggy." I loved it.

"You want it?" NYF asked.

With my eyes wide open I nodded and gave an emphatic, "yes." I carried the little bird close to me all around the rest of the store.

We went upstairs where they had the Lego and Playmobile sections and then found ourselves in the crowd around the big floor piano. A petite and perky blonde girl, and a much taller guy were preparing to give a performance.

They girl addressed the crowd to get everyone in a cheering and shouting mood. She asked everyone who was proud of where they were from to put their hands up. I put mine up. Then she went around asking where those people were from.

"Winnipeg!" I said when she got to me.

"Connecticut's here! That's awesome!" she said back.

NYF and I immediately looked at each other and laughed.

After the toy store we decided to check out POP Burger. I was immediately enticed by it because it was emitting loud music. Inside the small store, the walls are covered in wood paneling and Andy Warhol prints. I placed my order for the two, bite sized POP burgers, a large cup of onion rings, and a Diet Coke.

Don't be fooled, just because this is a swanky burger place does not mean they have an elite level of staff. The guy taking my order was a bit of a space case.

"Name?" he asked me.

"Jill."

I guess I have some serious kind of accent because apparently New York was not understanding me that day. When I got my receipt the name printed at the top was "GIL".

I laughed and turned to NYF. "Look, I'm Gil from Connecticut!" I came to New York only for a weekend, but I was leaving with a whole new identity.

I asked NYF if this is where posh parents took their kids for lunch after shopping with them at FAO Schwartz.

"No, this is for tourists."

I looked over at an expensive-looking family in the back. I had just assumed they were locals, but I suppose it was entirely possible they were just in for the weekend and showing their kids the local hot spots. Who knows. That's New York.

After lunch we made our way down 5th Ave. The sidewalks were packed with masses of people who all seemed to be moving against us. After having spent a few days negotiating the crowds I was finding I enjoyed the sport of getting through them. I'd search out a clear path and zip to the front at the intersections to gain a few positions. I didn't even look to make sure I hadn't lost NYF because I knew he was close by, and sure enough, at the few clearings we'd meet up again and then the race was back on.

We walked to Bryant Park, which we had checked out the day before, where we were hopefully going to go skating. I was super excited about this.

When we finally got inside, we rented skates and a cubby to put our stuff in. The guy handed NYF and I the same blue plastic skates. I looked at mine and then looked at his. Yup, figure skates.

"What are these?" NYF asked, looking at the spikes coming out of his blades.

"These are figure skates," I said. I looked around and noticed that most men were wearing the same thing, and even some men were wearing authentic men's figure skates that they had actually gone to the store and purchased.

NYF had a lot of questions. "What do you use these for?"

"Jumps and spins and stuff."

"How do you skate with these things?"

"I don't know, I just do."

The rink was small to begin with. I mean, it had to be smaller than an outdoor hockey rink at a community centre. And it was packed with tourists and New Yorkers and one Maple Leafs fan (much to the chagrin of NYF, a true Habs fan) who, on the whole, didn't really know how to skate. Now, I'm not much of a skater myself. I can only go in one direction and I cannot stop. At home I would stick out as a beginner, but here, I like to think I looked pretty darn good.

Truly, as soon as I took my first glide on the ice, I felt at home. Do you ever find yourself in one of those perfect moments when you feel both at total peace and yet totally full of glowing joy? That's about the best I can do to describe what I felt like out there. I don't know why or what it was, but that was my favourite New York moment that I want to relive again and again.

It wasn't too long after we first hit the ice that NYF fell. My first reaction was to call out, "Tooooooe Piiiick!" a la Moira Kelly in The Cutting Edge. But I cut myself off quickly when I remembered that NYF had never seen that movie before, and that he was probably really hurting and not finding the humour in the scene at all.

Once he picked himself up and we started going again I did my best to make him feel better by pointing out all the other guys he was better skater than. I pointed to this one burly black fellow who was clinging dearly to the girls he had propping him up under each arm.

We had to clear the ice for ten minutes or so while they ran the Zamboni over it. I had noticed a few guys wearing what had to be rental hockey skates and asked NYF if he wanted to see if he could trade his skates in for a pair. But he declined. I had to respect his determination and sense of adventure. Or maybe it was a twisted sense of pride. Regardless, it was admirable. Or dumb. One of those.

While we waited for the ice to be cleaned we sat, people watched and cleaned the snow off our our blades. I told NYF about the scene from The Cutting Edge and the whole premise of the movie. (If you are unfamiliar with it, a fault I will overlook, it's a movie about a prissy pairs figure skater who teams up with a former hockey player to get to the Olympics. Hilarity and romance ensue.)

"They start off hating each other," I explain to NYF.

"And then they fall in love?" NYF said.

"Yeah,"I nodded with a hopeless romantic sigh.

A tiny snowball hit my sleeve. I looked over at NYF who was busy looking everywhere but at me.

"Some punk-ass kids are throwing snowballs around here," I said with mock disdain.

"I know!" NYF played along. And right then I saw it, a little flicker of the wide-eyed, playful spirit I had met two years ago. That was probably my second favourite New York moment.

We skated around for a bit longer. It was just like being on the sidewalks--dodging the crowds and losing and finding each other again. Honestly, I was amazed I didn't fall down myself or take out any kids. It was probably the first time in the last two years that I didn't fall at least once.

Eventually, NYF admitted he was getting blisters and sounded like he was ready to move along. After a few more laps I took one last look at the park and the sky scrapers around me and left the ice. I could have stayed out there all day.

"Where are we going now?" I asked.

"The Empire State Building."

NYF suggested I stop in at the Walgreen's to pick up batteries for my camera. I figured I had already missed pictures of the penguins, polar bears, sea lions and skating, so what difference would it make that I'd miss out on a few shots of the city. I bought a pack anyway and we headed up.

The Empire State Building had two surprises for me. The first was the level of security. It was like going through the airport all over again. I had to take off my belt and toss my glass bottle of orange juice.

The second surprise was, I guess I didn't really have a concept of what you come to see at the Empire State Building. The last tall tower I went up was in Calgary and the viewing level was all closed in. I was not expecting that we would be able to step outside to take in the view. So when we got up there, NYF went right outside while I hurried to put my scarf, mitts and jacket back on.

The view was spectacular and I caught it just as the sun was going down. Sad as I am that I don't have pictures from the rest of the day, I am pretty happy with the ones I got that evening.

While on my trip I have to say that I noticed a lot of love around me. There were always people canoodling and getting lost in each other. I'm sure they miss out on a lot of great sights, so it's kind of a shame, really. You just can't go to New York distracted.

While taking some shots of the city and experiencing a windchill that really made me feel at home, I happened to glance behind me and witness a couple get engaged. Figuring that they were not really noticing anything going on around them at that point, I took a picture of them too. This is what love looks like:

I told NYF about it.

"Surrounded by all these tourists out in the cold?" He did not see the appeal. I imagine when he and the future Mrs. NYF get engaged, they will be riding elephants across the Serengeti or something and he will present her with an earth- and socially-friendly bamboo ring. I only hope that should I find myself agreeing to spend the rest of my natural life with someone, I will be some place where we are not so cold that there is a high risk of shaking fingers dropping the ring and watching it roll down a drain or something. That would be unfortunate.

We stood inside for a while, not saying anything and just looking out. This was my last official New York moment, my last night in New York. That weighed heavily on my mind for a bit. NYF was apparently caught up in watching a carabiner attached to a net getting whipped around by the wind. Well that's what he told me anyway.

NYF wanted to grab some Indian take-out food. He asked me what I like and how spicy I liked it. I had to admit that I had never had Indian food before. He ordered some chicken, some rice and some green soupy stuff that he told me was cheese and spinach.

When we got back to his place we ate picnic style on his bed. The food was good, but it made my stomach gurgle.

"Do you want to watch a movie?"

"Sounds good," I said.

We had watched my copy of Elf on Friday night (I think it was Friday), so he asked what else I had. I looked. I had Serendipity. Serendipity is one of my all time favourites but I had only bought a copy of it the week before. I was standing in line at Shoppers Drug Mart buying some hair product when something on the DVD carousel caught my eye. At first I thought it was The Cutting Edge, which I only have a VHS copy of, but it was even more perfect, dare I say, serendipitous, that it was not. It was only $9.99. I grabbed it and went to the next till to pay for it.

"I don't get this movie," the girl at the till said. "Everyone loves it, but I don't get it."

"Oh, it's really good. It's one of my favourites," I said.

"Well, what's it about?"

"It's about the idea that people are meant to be together and it shows all the things they go through and the path they take to get to that moment."

The girl was still not convinced. "But doesn't that happen to everyone?"

I suppose she had a point, but I was not happy to stand there any longer and let this naive and unaware young thing ruin my serendipity. I finished paying and quickly left.

While I had brought Serendipity along to watch on the plane or between planes, I did not think that it was the kind of thing that NYF would have any interest in watching.

"Do you want to watch it?" he asked.

"Do you want to watch it?

"Sure."

So we did. And we tried to pick out all the New York locations. NYF even laughed. Oddly, I enjoyed it less this time than I usually do.

After it ended I said, "I can't believe you didn't eject it after the first ten minutes."

"Guys have a certain level of tolerance for these things."

Then we watched his pick, When Harry Met Sally, which is of course a classic New York movie. I had never seen it all from start to finish and I always wanted to know if Harry and Sally ended up together. When they did, I wanted to throw my socks at the screen.

After that, NYF helped me figure out my bus and subway plans for my return to the airport. It looked easy enough but I was not excited about lugging that suitcase around again. Especially not down NYF's steep stairs.

The next morning I got up before NYF did. I tried to be quiet but every time I do that it seems that I am even more noisy. He woke up at one point and said good morning.

I had to leave his place by eight and I knew he usually got up around 7:30 to get ready for work. But he seemed to be sleeping in this morning so I lugged all my stuff out into the living room and did a double check to ensure I had everything. While going through the pockets of my bag I found my full package of batteries that I had packed. Of course.

I also saw the two other roommates that I had not met when I arrived on Thursday night. I nodded or said hello, but I didn't see the point in getting into introducing myself at this juncture of the trip. At about quarter to I was feeling antsy so I went and peeked into NYF's room.

He was sitting at his piano keyboard, playing something, and looked up with a surprised face. He stood up and we hugged in a courteous manner.

"Thanks for everything," I said.

"Thank you for coming," he said. "Have a safe voyage home."

In the moment, I nearly choked. No, good seeing you again? Hope you had fun? Hope you had a great birthday, this was great? Nope, just all the warmth and sentimentality of a border security guard, like he was reciting from a book titled Common Polite English Expressions to Use with People You Don't Really Like. All I could think was, wow, this must have been an awful five days for him. I must have been an absolutely dreadful pain for him to have around. This must be the end to a beautiful friendship. But later, when I was back home and far away from the magical, sparkly city, I thought about it again and saw it differently. As my grandmother would say, "it's sad, really", but it is what it is.

New York was a fabulous adventure. I am so happy I went and so happy about all the things I saw and did. I am proud that I rode the subway with only a few troubles and that I didn't fail trapeze school. I'd love to go back. I've been bitten.

This also marks the end of my story about NYF (All along I wished I could some how add in a T at the end and call him NYF-T, you know, like NIFF-TY. He would have hated that.) Somewhere around the last post I started to wonder if I should have made him such a feature character in the story, but it's really kind of hard to tell the whole adventure without including him. My impression of him is that he keeps things pretty close inside, which I understand and respect. At the same time though, this is my story and I have a journalist's view of things--nothing is off the record. That goes for me too. I believe that NYF has a caring heart and a beautiful spirit. I hope he did have some fun over the weekend (I'm pretty sure he did). I wish him all the best for his own New York adventure.

Thank you for reading. I hope you have a safe voyage through the Internet.

;)

The only living boy in New York--Simon and Garfunkel

I was reading my last post this morning and realised it could have used a good proof-reading before I hit publish. I'm sorry readers, you deserve better. I can't promise this is it though.

I've been haunted by New York today. At the restaurant where we had lunch there were big prints of the Brooklyn Bridge hanging on the wall. Later, when I was watching Oprah at my mom's and dad's, she was interviewing the cast of Sex and the City. Sigh, I was just starting my adventure there a whole week ago. I wish it would call me or send flowers.

Anywho, back to my story.

Since we did not get cake on my birthday, NYF decided we would have cake for breakfast on Saturday morning. So we walked and found a place, although I insisted on having something with some nutritional value before digging into my triple layer chocolate mousse cake.

We then made our way to the financial district because I wanted to see the bull I always see on TV and in movies. It was hard to find and a bit of a disappointment. But I saw it.



We took the ferry across to Staten Island, passing the Statue of Liberty along the way. I don't really get Staten Island. It's like the less interesting sibling of Manhattan that seems to have lost its sense of purpose. While waiting for the ferry back I noticed the island was having a town hall style meeting that day to discuss a new vision for the island and ways to make it better. The ferry station had two very nice fish tanks. Maybe they were a result of the last meeting.


After the ferry we wandered over to the Brooklyn bridge. NYF had already crossed it but I think it must be one of his favourite sites. He told me the story of how the bridge was built, and I really thought he was making it all up at first.

"...and then the builder rode a rope across to the other side," NYF carried on.

"And the bridge was dedicated to the people of Brooklyn," I added, thinking it sounded like a fitting detail for the tale.

"Really?"

"I don't know, I was just adding to the story," I said. "I'm sure when we get up there, there will be a sign saying the bridge is dedicated to someone."

But there wasn't.

We crossed over into Brooklyn, found a subway station and rode back to Times Square with the mission to find tickets to a Broadway show.

At this point, my foot was feeling pretty broken again. I managed to keep pace with NYF as we made our way though the crowds but my spirit was fading. I truly wasn't excited about the Broadway show thing. I know, I know, it's the thing to do in New York, but shows just aren't my thing. I'm not into jazz hands and over dramatic sing-songs. We tried to get tickets to a play but they were sold out, save for the really expensive seats. So I was pretty much dragging myself around and giving pretty listless answers. I was waiting for NYF to get frustrated with me, but he didn't.

We headed home without any tickets but NYF wasn't ready to give up. He continued to research online and presented me with three options, one of them being the Nutcracker Ballet. That sounded good to me, and, bonus, a reasonable price.

At NYF's suggestion, I had brought a black, ruffled skirt and pink dressy top (the one in my picture on my blog actually). My left leg was a terrible mess of bruises from falling down the escalator stairs at Best Buy, not to mention the Band Aids stylishly wrapping my toes. My hair was a bit limp from wearing my hat all day. I felt like leftovers.

I left the bathroom and went into NYF's room to put on my shoes.

"You look pretty, " he said.

"Thanks," I replied shyly. I figured he only offered the compliment because it was the appropriate thing to say in the situation. I mention this because I don't want you to start thinking that this is one of those kind of stories that will go in a particular direction. It's not, I assure you.

He gestured to his suit so I said, "You look very nice too," because he did. I wish I had a picture of us from that night, but the batteries in my camera died at the Brooklyn Bridge so there is a large chunk of my trip that did not get visually captured.

"Your hair looks good." NYF said as we headed out.

"You are being too kind."

We got to the street corner and he asked, "Which way do we go?"

"NYF!" I rolled my head back in protest. I was in heels and bare legs. I was not up for playing the "left/right" game. But he insisted, so I picked a direction, which ended up being the right one.

Surprisingly, no, shockingly, I wasn't cold and my feet didn't hurt. Well, they did a bit, but in new places, which was refreshing. Finally, in four inch heels I felt very much in the mood for strolling New York streets. This must be what it feels like to be a New York woman.

"Are you cold?" he asked, at least twice.

"No," I replied honestly. I was reminded of a favourite memory of mine, and almost started into telling him a boy story. NYF seems to enjoy my boy stories and asks for them often. The one that came to mind was about the time when I was 14 and on a camping trip with my family. I met this sweetheart of a guy and we went for a walk on the trails. He kept asking me if I was cold and I kept saying "no", because I wasn't, but I kind of think he kept hoping I'd say yes, so he could fix that.

I had never seen the Nutcracker ballet before. Actually, I had never seen a full ballet before, only the student performances at Ballet in the Park.

"Have you seen the Nutcracker before?" I asked NYF.

He nodded. "Yeah, we used to go every year."

"Have you seen the New York Ballet before?"

"Yes, I saw the Nutcracker here."

"Awww!" I said, feeling bad that I had chosen something he had already experienced.

"It's okay, I wanted to see this," he said.

At intermission we wandered around the top floor of Lincoln Center. NYF was quiet. I walked ahead of him on my own and admired the beautiful pearl curtains. it was like wandering around in a lady's jewelery box. I had one of those moments where it felt like I was in a very poignant scene from a movie, right before the heroine looks up and sees her handsome soon-to-be lover. I looked across the room and only saw other young women. Oh well.

When we stepped outside after the ballet, soft, fluffy snow was falling. People were oohing and ahhing over it. I laughed and said to NYF, "at home, people would be saying aw man, it's snowing! Now I have to shovel!"

We walked uptown to check out this little French restaurant NYF had found online. We weren't sure if it would still be open, and in fact weren't completely sure of its status until we were right at the door.

"Are you coming in to eat?" the hostess asked.

"We were hoping to," NYF said.

"We were just about to close the kitchen for the night, but come in, if you can order quickly it should be fine."

The restaurant was dark and cozy. The food was the best I'd ever tasted and the service was pleasing even though we had just extended their evening.

Finally I felt like NYF and I had some time to catch up. I asked him about his plans for New York, for life. His answers were, no surprise, worldly.

"Do you think you'll ever live anywhere other than Winnipeg?" He asked me.

"Maybe, I'm not sure."

"Is there anywhere else you want to live?"

"I'm not sure." A while ago I had a dream of moving west and getting a job with The Agency out there. Mostly when I think of moving it's to escape something though, which doesn't seem like a good reason to do something. As the conversation continued I realised that I'm much more of a "one day at a time, see what comes about" kind of girl, but he is a"make a plan to do everything you possibly can and go out to create your own destiny" kind of guy. Until that night I never truly appreciated how our backgrounds, philosophies and perspectives are so different. All I could think was, how did we ever end up sitting at the same table again?

After the late dinner we headed out into the night and made our way home. I could feel new wounds opening up where the straps of my shoes rubbed into my ankles. It seemed that I would be leaving Manhattan with many different scars. It hurt. A lot.

Eleanor Put Your Boots On. Jillian take yours off.

I forgot to mention in the last post that all along my travels from Winnipeg to Toronto to NY I was texting my friends and family to tell them things like, "I'm in Toronto!" and "I've landed in New York!" I was sure that I had texted my dad when I met up with NYF. We were at the bank and NYF was taking out money so I took the moment to send a message. But apparently it didn't get through because later that night NYF was checking his e-mail and had a note from my parents asking him to tell me to send them a message to let them know that I was okay and not roaming the subways lost and alone (they had his e-mail because I sent them both my itinerary when I booked my flight).

How old was I turning again?

NYF said it was "sweet" but I think he was just being polite. Later that weekend he asked me if I ever wanted to live somewhere other than Winnipeg. How could I explain to NYF (who had previously been San Francisco Friend and East Africa Friend) that I would have no problem moving away, anywhere, for a period of time, if it were not for the fact that it would certainly kill my parents.

On to day two: my birthday.

We got up early and headed to a place (I should remember the name, but I don't right now) for authentic New York bagels. Mine had sesame seeds on it. It was good, but I was disappointed with the lack of options. I like the multi-grain-type of bread products, which seem to be kind of rare in New York. After giving my jaw a good workout with the chewy (in a good way) breakfast, NYF and I parted so he could go to work and I could start my solo adventure on the island of Manhattan.

I started walking, with no particular destination in mind, down Amsterdam until it seemed to get less populated and less interesting. I stopped to buy a copy of the New York Times and the New York Post so I could check my birthday horoscope. At a random corner I turned left and followed behind a mother and her three children until I got to Columbus. I soon found a Starbucks where I grabbed a latte and pulled out my maps.

I knew I wanted to go to Steve and Barry's in the Manhattan Mall to check out Sarah Jessica Parker's clothing line, Bitten. So I found a subway route that seemed appropriate and took the plunge.

I got off a stop too far. I think I ended up at the corner of 8Av and 6th. So I walked. And soon enough I started to shuffle because blisters were forming on my feet and making their painful presence known loud and clear. I stopped in at CO Bigelow's on 6th Av and made my first purchase: a box of Band Aids. I sat right down on a chair in the store, took off my boots and taped up my toes.

I enjoyed my mosey down 6th and stopped every once in a while to take some pictures. I also stopped in at a stationery store to buy postcards for what seemed like a standard 69 cents each. Later I would see them as cheap as 15 for a buck. I carried on and soon found the mall I was looking for.

By this time though, my feet were really bad. Not only were the blisters bad, but the arch of my left foot felt like I had ripped it in two. I was almost limping. I stopped first in a few discount stores and then Journeys to try to find some cheap runners I could wear instead of my evil boots. I had resigned to the fact that my special purchase birthday shoes were going to be some funky coloured sneakers. However, I spotted Macy's next door and decided to check it out since I have often had good luck with finding a good deal on shoes there.

Lucky me, Macy's was having a one day major shoe sale! It was crazy busy in there and I didn't see a single runner, but I did spot a prize winning pair.


Black satin trimmed with gold, four-inch Betsey Johnson heel with a cute ribbon tie. The sole is bright pink and features the signature print of Betsey's winking face. I was in love. All pain melted away as I lifted the pieces of art out of their bright pink box and slipped them onto my feet. Yes, these would be my New York Birthday Shoes.

I happily limped out of Macy's and asked for directions to the nearest Payless Shoe Store where I then purchased my second gift to myself--plain black $27 runners. The boots went right into the shopping bag and I carried on with my journey.

I literally next wandered into Times Square. I had no idea it was on my route. I don't think I even realized right away what it was. I think I was expecting a sign or something.
My favourite part of the square was the Charmin Restrooms. I don't know how to explain this place. It's really a high energy space with 20 private stalls. People line up Disneyland-style and wait for the announcer to point them to the next empty room. All around you there are Charmin staff smiling and dancing. The facilities look like your bathroom at home, possibly nicer, and feature six different rolls of Charmin bathroom tissue products.

I eventually wandered out of Times Square and found myself back at Central Park. NYF was going to be at work until 6:30 so I had the choice to either meet him down there or wait for him to come back uptown. I was feeling pretty confident with my subway skills, so I decided to try meeting up with him. I texted him as I was going into the subway. Little did I know, the message did not go through and he had no idea I was on my way.

I took a B train with the intention to get off around 14 St. But I gambled with the stops, and lost, and ended up a good eight or nine blocks too far. So then I tried to come back, but took the wrong train and ended up only at 9th Av with NYF already making his way back uptown to the apartment. I started to panic because I had to be home in time for us to head out for the trapeze lessons. It was my birthday and I was cold and lost in New York. This was starting to feel awful. NYF texted me with simple directions that made me feel better. However, to make sure I made it in time I ran, shopping bags in tow, all the way up 6th AV to Penn Station. The mercy shoes became miracle shoes as there is no way I would have been able to do that in my boots.

When I emerged from the subway, back in NYF's neighbourhood, someone stopped me to ask for directions. Somewhat ironically, I actually knew what to tell them.

And then we went trapezing. I am tempted to skim this part because it didn't turn out to be as amazing as I thought it would be. It was fun, and I am happy I did it, but I don't feel passionate about the memory.

The instructors were friendly and enthusiastic. NYF was jumping up and down with excitement. I probably looked nervous, but I wasn't, I was just focused on trying to envision how I was going to do the swing. Trapezing is a bit technical--there is a stance you have to adopt and a series of positions to take before you will find yourself hanging by your knees. I learn best when I can check myself out in a mirror and see where I need to adjust my position. Basically I learn by figuring things out for myself. Having the instructors tell me each time that I need to hug my knees before wrapping my legs over the bar just wasn't helpful. NYF was a natural though and he was invited to attempt a catch, which he made (he was the one being caught). I was happy for him. I was also happy for myself just for being able to get into the knee hang and then do the back flip dismount (even though I did it wrong, but I imagine it looked cooler that way).

NYF and I headed home and kept our eyes open for places with cake. Unfortunately, (and somewhat oddly) most places were closed right up (I suppose it was somewhere between 11:00 p.m. and midnight, but still, what happened to "The city that never sleeps?). Fortunately, my mom had sent a piece of cake with me. I also packed a candle, but no lighter or match. I stuck the candle in the cake anyway and NYF shone his beside lamp on it while singing "Happy Birthday". At the end I blew on the candle and NYF flicked off the light. It was perfect.

Many people kindly sent me birthday greetings through Facebook, text messages and e-mails. I didn't have time to acknowledge them then, so I am thanking you all now. It was a lovely New York birthday.

No sleep till Brooklyn

In about eight hours I will be at the airport on my way to New York.

I'm going to New York.

For my birthday.

And I'm going to swing on a trapeze.

(I thought I should summarize, in case you are a new reader or have not been here in a while.)

My 27th birthday celebrations officially kicked off yesterday when I went to dinner with a friend in town from Vancouver. I ordered the New York Style Pizza. I hope to compare to the authentic stuff later.

From December 3-08 Pre-New York

Today, my teammates celebrated me with cookies and a card. There was also coincidental cake, and Amara kicked my morning off with a Jelly Belly Juicy Pear jar candle. It's green like the wall in my bedroom and the face plate on my phone and about ten other things I own and love.

New York Friend has suggested we take in a Broadway show or the opera.

"Bring nice clothing," he said when I agreed that it sounded like a good idea. "And (I'm sure you'll be glad to hear me ask) nice shoes."

From December 3-08 Pre-New York

I was late getting out of the office and I missed my bus home by a New York minute. But I eventually made it to my party with my family--more pizza, the good stuff at Casa Grande.

Back at my parents' place we had Jeannie's cake and I opened gifts. All were lovely, but I must specifically mention the glass shoe my mom and dad gave me. I had seen it in Urban Barn last year and fell in love with it.

"You have the glass slipper, now you just need the prince," my mom said.

"Between my upcoming trip to New York and the year-long vacation from my current job, how can this possibly get better? Should I make a new wish? I am so excited to see what happens next. I hope it involves shoes. Or boys. Or boys with shoes. Oooohh!"

--After a few birthday candles, Jillian gets her wish

Let me just say, bippity boppity boo!

If you need an excuse to go out and get drunk...

I realize you at home are all keeping track of the days left before I fly away to New York, so I really don't need to point out here that I will be departing one month from this date. Additionally, it is also my New York friend's birthday today, so it's really just a special day all around.

Adding to the specialness, someone at the office brought in leftover Halloween treats today. More specifically, they brought in small bags of Old Dutch potato chips. I grabbed a bag of the sour cream and onion ones. As I was eating them, I happened to notice the best before date. Look carefully:




That's right, it's a bag of birthday chips! I can now cross off "eat 32 grams of sour cream and onion Old Dutch potato chips before turning 27" from my to-do list. Whoo!

Natch-yo-Cheese

On Saturday, December 8, to wrap up my Alphabet Birthday Week I headed out with a few close friends in search of a good plate of nachos. George gave me this fun idea to pick three restaurants to visit and share one plate of nachos with my buddies. Everyone liked the idea and said they were ready for the challenge.

The first place we tried was the new Academy Eatery location in Osborne Village. It was most recently known as Freehouse. Not much has changed it seems. The place was dead and service was spotty. The nachos were $10 for what turned out to be a small and uninspiring plate. The cheese was not evenly distributed and in general the dish was bland.

Our next stop was the Confusion Corner Bar and Grill. At first the hostess told us we couldn't get in as a 60 person Christmas party was supposed to arrive in an hour. After I stood there for a bit trying to figure out a plan B she let us in anyway. The 60 person party looked more like 16 at best, when it did show up.

Service inside the restaurant was good. We ordered the large nachos and added "spicy beef". Chris also added a plate of sweet potato fries.

The plate was larger and overall the quality much better. The salsa was sweet but tasty. The spicy beef didn't seem to be spicy at all though. I rated them a 7 out of 10. I wouldn't go there again specifically for nachos and in fact I probably wouldn't order them again.

After we finished that plate, we were pretty full of nachos. We couldn't fathom going somewhere else and getting another order. Well, Chris said he could have done more, but Lisa, Rob and I were nacho'd out. So we finished the night off at Basil's with cake. It was good cake.

Can you believe I forgot my camera that night? I was pretty mad at myself so we made a detour to Chris' place where he picked up his. I haven't (ahem) received the pictures yet from him so you'll have to use your imagination as to the antics we got up to. Basil's has a weird mural on the wall that I had my hands all over in a most immature manner.

Many people have asked me why this was my Alphabet birthday. In response I would first remind them that I was turning 26. Then I would point out that there are 26 letters in the alphabet. As Michael pointed out, that makes this my Z year, which sounds a little final and unpleasant I suppose.

J day

This day is brought to you by the letter J

J, making joy wherever she goes.

Paint and boxes

It has been almost a week since I first turned the key in the door to my little house. The last few days have been a blur of paint and boxes.

My room is pretty much complete while the spare room, or the room my sister has claimed (which makes me smile because she keeps telling me we can't live together. And we won't, but there will always be a place for her when she wants it) has a coat of primer on it. The Atomic Orange colour is still trying to break through.

Elmo loves going over there. We can't leave him behind. He likes the back yard a lot which is well fenced to keep the little wanderer from getting away. While we work he is content to flop down on the floor and sleep.

The house has been busy and full since I took possession. Finally, on Saturday night my parents were out and we weren't working. I grabbed my journal, printed off a few e-mails I had been meaning to read, leashed up Elmo and headed over for some alone time. Once inside I opened up all the windows to let the place breath and enjoy the sounds of the neighbourhood.

Tonight I had my first dinner party. It was my mom's birthday so I hosted a small family gathering. I tried to keep notes of all the things I realized I still needed--oven mitts, salad tongs, note paper to write lists on. I'm not there yet, but I'm amazed at how close I am.

Here's my favourite part of the night. I walked into my room where my sister was wrapping presents. I noticed the card she was signing looked familiar. I asked her to hold it up for me.

I could hardly believe it. I had gone into the village at lunch to pick a card up at Shoppers' Drug Mart. After reading every Happy Birthday Mom card in the collection and finding they read more like mother's day verses, I decided to hit one of the other shops. There were many different pretty cards to choose from and I again laboured over the decision to pick the right one. The one I picked featured an image of a painting of a lady with a hat. Inside it simply read, "Happy Birthday". I just thought the picture was pretty. Apparently, so did my sister as only two hours after me, she went into the same store and picked out the exact same card. Stuff like that has happened before--like the time we bought each other the same obscure DVD movie for Christmas or how we'll get ready to go to a family function only to find we've picked matching outfits. So this time, all I could do was laugh and say, "oh Tracy, I love you."

I'm old, don't interrupt me during my programs

I was watching The Hour tonight and near the end of a commercial break the phone rang. I answered it.

"Hello, I'm calling from the Prairie Research Institute on behalf of MPI, is there anyone available in the household who is between the ages of 18 and 24?"

Ever since my 25th birthday I've been a little sad that I'm not longer in the coveted 18-24 youth market but today, it finally paid off.

"Nope, sorry, " I said and happily returned to George.


In other news, I'm going to pick up my house keys in about half an hour.

Oh yeah, and Prairie Research? You don't care about my opinion, but I think MPI are fear mongering socialists who can pitch their immobilizer program right next to the gun registration debacle.

Wow, I think I just saw the last moments of my youth fly by.

Not really, I'm still afraid of thunderstorms ;)

Wait, I've done this before, I know what to do!

Last night my purpose for the trip was fulfilled as I joined Vince in his birthday celebration. The evening started out with Vince, Chris and I taking the subway to Eaton Centre for dinner. We were meeting Jon there, a guy Vince worked with at Google last summer. I also remembered him a bit from when I was visiting San Francisco. I decided that he seemed taller than I remembered. Like all those Google boys he's smart, sweet and funny--a great addition to our evening.

Vince had suggested that we eat at Richtree Market (formerly known as Marche). It's a different kind of restaurant, kind of fancy cafeteria style. There are a bunch of different stations--a pizza station, seafood station, grilled meats, sushi--where you place your request and then carry your selection(s) back to your table. Your order is kept track by way of a swipe card you hand to the chef at each station. The place reminded me of Google, except that it wasn't free. It even had colourful flags and with Jon and Vince there it was a weird little sense of deja vu. Actually, the more that I think about the night, the more similarities and parallels I find, but that's not important right now...

After a great meal and fun conversation we walked to the club where Vince's party was at. I took some pictures of the BMO buildings along with the Canada Life building for some good people back home. I remember laughing, but I don't remember why. Ah well, it was just the warm up to a fun night.

Vince was actually only part of the reason for the party. The party was actually a fundraiser for his volleyball team as they're going to a tournament this summer in San Francisco. They rented out a room in a club, hired a DJ and charged a $10 cover. They expected about 300 people.

Vince was a pretty popular guy. It was great seeing him having such a good time. I also had a blast dancing the night away. I felt short in my plain ballet flats but I knew my feet would thank me later for not wearing the heels.

We left around 3:00 a.m. and met up with the rest of Vince's team for some late night Chinese food and then stumbled back into Vince's apartment around 4:00. I wasn't sleepy at all really so I downloaded some pictures and sent some e-mails. I stepped outside just before turning out the light at 5:30 to grab a picture of the city. There was already a glow on the eastern horizon. The cold pavement of the balcony felt so good on my tired feet. I remember doing the same thing two years ago when I was last here. I wore the heels that time. I've learn a lot since then.

Saturday was probably my favourite day so far. The experiences were the perfect mix of the new and the familiar.

More pictures here

Day 2 of AWOL in T.O.

Okay, so while it seemed like a cool idea at the time to do the photo journal thing, it turned out to be way more work than just blogging. So here's today's journal entry:

Friday, April 27-07 Happy Birthday Vince!

8:25 am--Brain is running at full speed, can't sleep any more. Let's go take a peak outside. Boo. It's wet and grey. So far the plan today is Vince and I are supposed to go for lunch at 11 and then meet up with some of his friends for sushi at 5:30. I'd like to explore Bloor a little more today. Tomorrow I'll have Chris with me to walk around. Sunday, well, we'll see how lively we feel on Sunday. Monday I want to explore around the harbour. At the very least I'll hit the Abercrombie before the show. I think today and tomorrow will be "shop for everyone else" time. Oh, I just heard the people across the hall head out with their dog. I miss Schmo.


10:41 am-- Oh crap! I've been looking at the laptop clock all this time and it's still on Winnipeg time. I'm supposed to be doing lunch @ 11 and I'm still in my glasses and PJs. Noticed this morning as I was looking at my journal pics that I wrote I was drinking "Strombo". Clearly I have George on the brain (wait till Monday, Jill) because it was actually Strongbow. Anyway, better go get ready.


5:05 pm--walked up and down Bloor today in search of stuff to bring home for the people who requested it. Didn't find anything for myself but I wasn't really in the mood. Did stop in a shoe store. Everything was 80% off. Tried on a beautiful pair of boots for $89 but they didn't quite fit right (good thing anyway). It was drizzling mostly and I didn't have an umbrella (forgot to pack it). Got an e-mail from dad telling me he missed my happy face this morning. Aw, Dad. He must have been being sarcastic though. My face isn't that happy at 5:45am.

ajillstory skips town

Today I got on a plane, left sunny Winnipeg behind and touched down in Toronto for a six day escape. What possessed me to get up and go? I present to you a few different theories:

a. Job interview with The Agency, Toronto office.

b. Secret internet love rendez-vous.

c. Plan to meet up with Vince and elope.

The answer is of course d, none of the above (although Vince has given me a key to his apartment, heh. That one was for you Rob, beat you to it). About two weeks ago I mentioned to Vince that his birthday party was looking very tempting. He wrote back that it would be cool if I came out. So I checked flights, booked the time off, and well, here I am. I was feeling very jet-setter that I decided on a whim to fly out for my friend's 26th birthday party until I found out Chris was coming out too in even more of a jet-setter fashion--he's flying in Saturday morning and heads back Sunday evening. It should be fun!

Summary of the day:

Got up early. Couldn't sleep in. Assembled a flying outfit. On Amara's advice I wanted to pick out something impressive so I would look like I was someone important with some place to go. I decided on dark jeans, white t-shirt, black jacket and my favourite floral heels.

The rest of the day I kept notes in my journal. Instead of typing them out, I'll just post them here.

Got an e-mail from Abby today. Apparently someone in the department left rather abruptly. I swear, every time I have this weird effect on work places. Last time I went away someone on my team resigned. It's happened with other places too.

Anyway, stay tuned for more jillstory adventures in T.O.

Birthday, Drinks, Guys with hair, Sleepy Jill

Rob picks me up. It's about -7/-14 with the windchill and I am wearing my cropped denim pants and black ballet flats. A little cool. I remember when we were 18/19 going to the bar, standing outside in line with our jackets left in the car because we didn't want to put them in coat-check (hated the smell of cigarettes on our clothes). When you're young you just don't feel the cold I guess.

We head to pick up the married couple. I was in her bridal party, signed the register for her as a wittiness, but don't really talk to her anymore. I guess I was just a body for a baby blue dress. Weird how things change.

Arrive at Dylan O'Connor's on Pembina just before nine. Birthday girl and her entourage were supposed to meet us there around 9:30. Not long after we sat down some guy comes around collecting $10 for the privilege to watch the fight. I don't know anything about fights and I don't really care to become a fan but it was her birthday after all, and she would be arriving soon.

Lisa arrives after nine, which helps me lose my tough skin and relax a little. We try to amuse ourselves by picking winners of the fights based on telling factors such as colour of shorts and level of scariness in appearance. I think we had a 66% rate of accuracy. People cheered and applauded when one guy sat on the other. What a bizarre sport. I wonder to myself how much it hurts when they get punched in the head. I have no concept of this kind of pain.

At 10:40 the last fight has just begun and the birthday girl has called to say she won't be meeting us at Dylan's but has opted for The Tavern across the street instead. I was feeling cold and tired already but went along with the gang.

Tavern is much more happening. Birthday girl greets us all with hugs and smiles and I instantly forgive her for the mediocre night I was having. We line up some shots, the music hits me, and when I look around I see way fewer baseball caps and jeans (my biggest turn off). Good times.

"You should have come to Fargo with me last weekend, Jill," Birthday girl tells me. "You were right about the guys down there." I nod and find the shot on my camera of me and my favourite local. My treasured moment of anonymity. "That's what I'm talking about," Birthday girl says. I promise her next time I'm there.

Lisa and I talk about going to New York, the girls play with my hair. "It's so soft!" Birthday girl gushes. I don't even use conditioner.

A Saturday night that starts off rocky and ends on a smile. We should do this again sometime.

Back to your regularly scheduled programming

Random Acts of Kindness Week is pretty much over so go ahead and go back to being randomly unkind.

I think I pretty much did my last RAK deed on Thursday. I had my grandma over for dinner. After I got back from taking her home my sister announced that she should have come with me so we could have gone for dessert.

"Well I still have one shoe on and the truck is still warm," I replied.

"Okay, but I'm not changing out of my pajamas."

So we got into Truck and she directed me out of the driveway, down the street and westward via left/right instructions with no other hints as to where we were actually going.

We ended up at the McDonald's drive-thru, a first for Truck I believe, where she treated me to a hot cherry pie. Yes, my sister does love me, not that there was ever any doubt.

I don't think I did any good deeds on Friday. Well, I did take Elmo for a walk that he was pretty happy about, but that doesn't really count. Or does it? I kept getting caught up in what does and does not count. Who's really counting anyway?

I knew back in November that I wanted to do something for RAK week but I didn't think I'd find anyone other than Joanna to join me. Some people did get into it though once they saw how committed I was to it, which was pretty cool. If anything, I enjoyed the week for the challenge and the new experiences I picked up. It was encouraging knowing that sometimes even the smallest gestures could yield big results. On the other hand, there were some gestures requiring more effort, time, or other sacrifices which were not met with much perceivable response. I found this very interesting. I have a tendency to over do things in a few aspects of my life and it's true, bigger is not always better.

***

It's early Saturday morning and I just got home from Tavern downtown where I joined Tracy (designer, not sister) in celebrating her birthday. I did the acid green drinks tonight instead of the pretty blue. The group was mostly work people, which was a fun change because we don't usually go out after work together. It's weird because we're a pretty close and fun group but all socializing seems to stop at 4:00.

Truthfully, I'm only blogging tonight because I'm tired of opening my blog and seeing the "la la la la" picture. I think I'm getting a craving for some anonymity again. I hear Fargo calling too.