He's Good. Maybe Too Good.

J is too good with the birthday/Christmas presents. I'm definitely going to have to step it up this year, especially in light of the fact that my Christmas present to him last year was... a dolly.
Nope, not this:
or this:
...but this:In my defense, he did actually want one. I mean, he asked for one and everything. But still, a dolly? Could I possibly have chosen a present with less romance?

Now that you've seen how bad my present was, let's see what J got me this year for my birthday. On the great day itself, I had the small matter of a trip back from an island, a cd release party, and a stinkin' head cold to take care of, so he saved my present until yesterday. I wanted a surprise, so he didn't tell me what it was. In fact, I didn't figure it out until we got off the skytrain yesterday and arrived here. Yes, in honour of my newly-sparked interest in cooking, he signed us both up for a Knife Skills course. And it was awesome! For over 2 hours, we learned to dice, mince and julienne... and we got to eat the fruits (veggies, actually) of our labour: a smoky bacon-and-clam chowder and a frisky Asian chicken stir-fry. I could get addicted to cooking classes. I mean, I know cooking's all popular and trendy right now, thanks to "Julie and Julia" and countless other bestseller books on the subject, but learning to cook really is fantastic.

But now the pressure is on. Christmas will be here before we know it, and J's birthday (and it's a big one this year) isn't far behind. And I'm gonna have to bring it. Help a girl get some inspiration, will ya?

You Can Learn A Lot About Someone From Looking at Their Google Search Bar:

What's on mine...

• casseroles (cheap recipes)
  
• facebook (haven't bookmarked it yet, although I'm on it everyday. Must be my ambivalence towards Crackbook)
  
• helicopter parents (found a great site about "free-range parenting", which I'm a big fan of. Helicopter parents are so-named because they hover over-protectively over their young all the time.
  
• end of six feet under (we've finally watched all 5 seasons. Now I'm gonna have to get a life again!)
  
• david hasselhoff (don't ask)
  
• jimena (seeing if the hurricane had wreaked much havoc in Baja yet)
• pop music communist russia (upcoming theatre project)
  
• smithsonian folk (ditto)
  

35

Thirty-five started with a bang.

Thirty-five so far has been: a cold in the head at the worst time, traveling to a lovely island to play music, double-accordion jamming on the ferry ride home, a cd release party in a blue taffeta dress watched by family and friends. It's been: getting to play in and play out my birthday, with gigs on either side of it, like a cushion. It's been sleepless nights and stuffy noses and hot sex and being broke and cakechipswinetequilashotsvodkawaterwaterwater.

I've packed more living into the past 48 hours than I often do in a week or more.

I want the whole year to feel like that.

Why I love living on Commercial Drive: reason # 386

(overheard outside Mark's Pet Stop; said in a sexy European accent):
"Do you have anything for a really arrogant cat?"

Taste!

Summer time is the perfect time to really taste life. Scent and taste are heightened by the heat: cheese left on the counter is runny and ripe, not rubbery and boring like it is is if it's straight from the fridge. In honour of this lovely summer day I am trying to savour things, not easy for someone like me, who tends to swallow food-and life- without really chewing sometimes.

Today I am relishing the creamy feel of good Brie on the back of my tongue (a decadent treat, thanks to a couple of babysitting gigs); the sharp bite of Gipsy salami, a hair-ruffling breeze as I walk home, the peace of my empty apartment which I have to myself this afternoon. One thing that hanging out with small children has reminded me: they live almost utterly in the moment.

Not a bad thing to try every once in a while.

Body, give me a break already!

Jane the cat was curled up in her cat-nest in the flower beds by the front door of our building as I returned from grocery shopping this afternoon. Old, half-blind, half-deaf and weighing all of about three pounds, she has taken to snuggling in my arms every time I pick her up after months of running from me as if I had the plague. Owned by one of the apartment's crazy cat ladies (there are quite a few), she'll probably end up as a tasty hors d'oevre for a passing coyote one of these days, but I hope not.
Cuddling Jane was the nicest part of a walk/grocery shop with a low point that included honestly feeling like I was going to pass out in the SuperValu, which would have been embarrassing to say the least. I still feel vaguely nauseous and wrung-out. I'm trying to figure out if my body is protesting:

• the cleanse I'm on
• the fact that I've quit taking the Pill for a while because I figured it was time to give my body a break and maybe this is causing some weirdness as my hormones re-align
• That Time of the Month: the first post-Pill Curse
• all of the above

I'm trying to turn over a new leaf, folks. Trying to focus on the positive, save my money and get healthy. So Body, cut me a break here! I need some energy, some pep to wake up with. Feeling like a limp french fry (white, slightly sweaty, limp) is NOT conducive to Getting Things Done, alright?

point form is all I have the energy for right now.

• Am halfway through a new (but temporary) job, which I thought I wouldn't like but actually I do. Suffice it to say that my child-wrangling skillz are slowly improving.
• Fighting- I don't know what? Mild depression? Lethargy? Merely the onset of a cold/flu-like illness? Not sure. All I know is that it's hard to get out of bed right now (might be something to do with having to get out of bed so early these days!)
• To counter-attack the lethargy and tendency to nest and hermit rather than go out, I am concentrating on improving my budgeting/banking skillz. Realize that I am starting basically from scratch in this area, which is depressing at almost 35. Did you know that I have never made and followed through on a budget? Ever?
  
• I've started a new blog to chronicle my ongoing efforts to gain money and get fit. I'm not going to link to it. Yet. We'll see how it goes for a while. I may want that one to stay more anonymous. No names and locations are mentioned on that blog to protect the not-so-innocent (me) from being rumbled as Financially Foolish and Physically Flabby. Am excited to see if I can follow through on this self-improvement kick. For once.