Lydia exploding from her carrier at the shelter

On Wednesday my husband and I visited a shelter run by Toronto Animal Services to look at the kittens available for adoption.

The closest, the South Region centre, was difficult to reach due to blockades set up for the Indy races which were happening that weekend. After circling the centre for close to half an hour, we approached some service people who let us walk across the track, dodging giant beer trucks, trucks with construction and other dubious materials.

We eventually made it of course.

We’d checked online to see what was available, and to me this little kitten looked like the cutest thing ever, and in person she turned out to be even sweeter, climbing on my shoulder, nuzzling and licking my ear. How could I not fall in love? Continue reading »

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I’m still struggling to get into a routine. How do proper writers do this?

Last week my available working hours were reduced due to recovery time required by my surgery. However, I did send out a short story submission, and submitted three poems to another literary magazine.

Friday I felt most productive. Partially inspired by a dream,⁽¹⁾ I woke up early and wrote. I managed 1100 words before I even thought of coffee. I’m immensely and unreasonably proud of this.

I wrote a little more during coffee (another 400 words), and I’m continuing to work on it and shape it into something proper. So far, I like it.

For the pseudo long weekend myself, my husband and another friend made the trek up north to my parents’ cabin, Wild Wood, in the North Kawarthas Friday night. I thought I’d get more done there, but mostly we read, drank, and generally hung out in the heat. Bit of a swim in the lake.

I had a good time, and came away from it with plenty of mosquito bites, but I didn’t write a word while I was there.

Today’s my birthday. Celebrations won’t be as frivolous as last year, we’re on a smaller budget now, but it’s been a good day. I haven’t yet decided where we’ll be going for dinner, but I’m guessing it will be somewhere Italian.⁽²⁾

I’m proud that I’ve committed myself to doing something that I love, but I don’t feel like I’m getting enough done. I’m still learning what it means to be self-employed, still working on what it means to be a grownup, and making it up as I go along.

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Footnotes:

1. A high tech toilet, of all things. It doesn’t feature heavily in the story, but it kind of inspired it. [↩]
2. We live in the Corso Italia neighbourhood in Toronto. [↩]

CIBC's Run for the Cure in Toronto, 2009

Each year I participate in CIBC’s Run for the Cure to raise money for breast cancer research and prevention. It’s an important charity to me, my Grandmother died if cancer in 2001. She was the most amazing woman and it was heartbreaking to watch.

For the uninitiated, the runners in pink shirts are breast cancer survivors, those in red are lead sponsor CIBC’s employees, and average Janes and Joes run in white. Most sport various accoutrements in pink – hats, wigs, scarves, tutus, leg warmers, temporary tattoos – anything and everything you can think of is somewhere represented. It’s the only day of the year I wear any real pink.

Runners passing the ROM

The run took place on Sunday, October 4th across Canada, and I of course ran in my home city of Toronto. I took a few shots as I was running, most of which are up on Facebook.

If you haven’t donated yet, but are able to spare even a few bucks, it would mean a lot to me. You can still donate as late as Hallowe’en, October 31st. All donations of at least twenty dollars are eligible for a tax receipt.

Knowing that even the paltry sum I’m able to raise helps fund research that can raise awareness for prevention and find a cure is important to me.

Please click here to donate to a great cause.

Thanks, and it would be great to see you running with me next year!

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Drew & Nico

August 4th, 2009 was our eighth wedding anniversary.

This year we decided our gift to each other would be to finally frame the picture we bought while in Montreal for our fifth anniversary. It certainly seemed reasonable.

So, on Tuesday we went out for dinner at a local place we both enjoy.

It’s ten years ago this summer (July 8th, to be exact) that Drew and I met properly for the first time and eight years ago since we were married. It’s a long time, but it doesn’t feel like a long time ago.

A few years ago I asked Drew why he thought our relationship worked. His response: “Because I’m cool”. I told him that was funny, as I was going to say it was because I was awesome. He nodded and cheerily replied something to the effect of “That’s right, we’re both awesome”.

There’s a lesson in here: successful relationships work because each partner is individually awesome and cool. If one of the pair isn’t supremely nifty, it’s probably not going to last. (Love can only carry you so far.)

Cheers to all the awesome people out there.

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Wild Wood

Once upon a time my (great) uncle bought a hundred acres of woodland in the middle of nowhere. He built a (hunting) cabin and named it Wild Wood.

My uncle died, and my (great) aunt of course was extremely sad and she missed him.

I didn’t know my uncle well. While my aunt was friendly and sociable, I didn’t see him much. He preferred to keep to himself. The cabin reflects that: remote, strong, independent.

The cabin was a strong reminder, and four and a half years ago my parents bought the property from my aunt. The August long weekend was the first time I’d ever been up there. I’m very sorry it took me so long. Continue reading »

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