Happy Harroween!

Tonight I will be sitting on the front porch handing out candy to little ghouls and goblins. I haven't done that in years. Last year I was living in Dublin and although no one goes trick-or-treating, the sky is full of flashes of light from fireworks. Apparently Halloween is a big day for fireworks in Ireland. You can't buy them in the Repulic of Ireland so most people drive to Northern Ireland and buy them there. I remember standing in the windows of my livingroom last year and watching as the sky was lit up like the bombing of Baghdad, with loud
cracks pounding every other second. The previous year I was living in Osaka, Japan. They don't do the Halloween thing there but there are plenty of decorations which go up around the beginning of September. I saw a lot of Snoopy dolls dressed up in costumes. It was strange. It was fun talking to students about the holiday but they just couldn't grasp the concept. It's definitely a difficult one to explain. This photo is from my last Halloween in Canada, circa 2003. My friends and I went bowling and then out for drinks. From left to right we have Chuck as a box of cereal, Sarah as a sexy cat, Laura as a hipster, Hance is Clint Eastwood from one of his numerous westerns, I'm a cowgirl (which co-incidentally was what I wanted to be when I grew up when asked at school at age 3), and Katy on the end is a sheriff. We went cosmic bowling and I managed to bowl at least twice before the tight jean skirt I was wearing split up the middle to about an inch from my...I had to sit down for the rest of the night. Wicked. Boo!

Bollywood

So this is the result of my weekend. A henna covered hand. I went to the 25th Anniversary Indian Festival in downtown Richmond yesterday to take in the sights and sounds. I love multi cultural festivals and events and after going to several highland games including the games in Braemar, Scotland, along with the Greek Fest in Halifax and Multi Cultural Festival in Dartmouth, I was really pumped to go to the Indian Festival. The convention center wall packed full of gorgeous people dressed in the most colourful saris, the air was warm and swimming with delicious aromas and I was entertained by dance groups on stage. I really like Indian food but I always manage to order something I don't like. I worked at a station this year that always brought in food for the night staff and we had Indian food quite often. They always had some gross coconut flavoured dish and I don't like anything coconut flavoured, yet I love coconut cream pie. Hmmmm...anyway, bizarre tangent. This time I decided on goat curry. That's right, I ATE GOAT CURRY. And it was effin' awesome! The curry was incredibly hot and I ended up chugging a massive glass of lemondae but I highly, highly recommend trying goat curry the next time you're in an Indian restuarant. The dance groups were amazing. Especially the little kids in their saris, dancing around, swinging their arms while looking terrified yet trying to stay with the beat. There was always one that was looking in the complete wrong direction and ahead by at least a second, but he was always the best. I'd never had a henna tatoo before so I spent $7 to get my hand done. The result is the photo above. It looks really cool but I couldn't move my hand for hours and had to be extremely careful and for most of you who know me, that's pretty much impossible but somehow I managed to pull it off. Apparently one of the finalists from Indian Idol was going to perform but I missed him. Shame. Now that would have made a good story.

Life List

My friend Katy is toiling away on a rather large project for the production company she's working for. She needs people to write Life Lists of things they'd like to accomplish or have in their lifetime whether or not they're achievable. With a lot of careful thought and consideration, I put together the following list. No laughing.

Be given an EU passport
Learn Italian
Live and work in London, England, preferrably for the BBC
Go to Mardi Gras in Rio and dance with hot Brazilian men
Take dance lessons with someone who loves me and wants to
Learn how to scuba dive
Go sky diving
Learn how to snowboard
Be best friends with a really cool, famous celebrity and go to celebrity parties
See Madonna in concert
See Motley Crue in concert
Own a green Volkswagon Golf
Play golf
Go sailing
Have my soulmate find me and finally be truly loved the way I deserve
Make enough money so that I don't have to worry about money
Learn how to confidently drive a standard
Visit all the countries in the world I'm interested in for as long as I want
Punch someone in the face without consequences
Throw a drink in someone's face without consequences

I guess it's kind of a dream list, but whatever. I could possibly achieve some of these things. I know the last two are kind of violent, but haven't you ever thought about doing it?

It Is So Choice

Because it's Friday, it's raining and I have no new photos, I thought I'd fill you in on my latest addiction. If you haven't guessed it already from previous entries, it's YouTube. It's a fantastic way to spend hours searching for obscure music videos from the '80s. I particularly enjoyed finding New Order's 'Blue Monday'. Classic. As for the video below, I love Conan O'Brien and The Office so I was quite excited when I found Steve Carrell on Late Night. It's not that long but it's pretty funny. Please remember to leave comments on my blog. I'd love to hear from you.

Because I Think I'm Funny...

I managed to somehow successfully set up my webcam today. This is the result. A ridiculous photo, highlighting my short hair and immature sense of humor. Nothing changes people.

Routine

Since I'm not working at the moment but am keeping busy in other ways, I thought I'd document how a typical day for me rolls out. It's not exactly the most riveting schedule or exciting set of circumstances, however my routine keeps me fairly occupied.

9:00 Wake up.

9:00-10:00 Work on my computer, Internet, writing, etc, making my cup of tea in my Kermit the Frog mug from Japan and putting together my bowl of cereal (usually granola, plain yogurt and bananas or if I'm feeling really crazy, raisin bran).

10:00-10:20 Watching the beginning of Live with Regis and Kelly while eating breakfast. I have no idea why I watch this except for the fact that Regis makes me laugh. Can't stand Kelly. I never watch the interviews.

10:30-11:00 Shower and get ready for the day.

11:00-2:00 Tackling whatever needs to be done around the house, ie. painting, raking leaves, reorganizing the playhouse in the backyard with boxes of my belongings, etc.

2:00-3:00 I generally try to hide from Mom so I don't have to do any more work. The house isn't exactly that huge so she usually finds me.

3:00-3:30 Go for a walk.

4:00-5:30 Reading, listening to music.

5:30-6:00 Supper. General conversation about what we each did during the day which of course I completely blank on because (insert sarcasm), I've been ever so busy.

6:00-11:00 I use this time to either watch TV, do more reading or writing.

Like I said, it's not exactly that interesting, but some days I like to mix it up and do things in a different order, just for kicks. Help.

What I Did This Weekend

My parents are pumped on American history now that they live in Virginia. As a visitor in their home, I've been forced to learn more about the Civil War and the War of Independence. Yesterday we drove to Yorktown, Virginia to watch the re-enactment of the British surrender to the Americans at the end of the War of Independence, celebrating it's 225th anniversary. There were thousands of re-enactors marching to Surrender Field. We watched as the British laid down their muskets and surrendered to the Americans. There was a lot of marching music, colourful costumes, pro-American sentiments and rain. Lots of rain. Of course I brought an umbrella and left it in the car. Everyone walked alongside the soldiers to the field, a distance of several miles, in the pouring rain. I held it together pretty well until a woman holding an umbrella in front of me kept swinging it around, thereby pouring buckets of water on everyone around her, and a big 'ol river of rain directly into my face. I managed to snap at her and tell her to watch it just as the narration of the event had stopped and everything was totally quiet. Great. Just another typical day out with Meag. I think I'll stay home next time. Maybe next time the Brits will win. Maybe not.

Life on Mars

This is my favourite all time David Bowie song. I have to thank Robb from the audio department at Global Television for introducing me to his music. I used to kill this song on my iPod last year when walking home from work after dark. I love David's eyes in this video, one pupil being smaller than the other. It's actually pretty creepy and he doesn't do that much in the video but sway around, but it's sooooo worth watching or at least listening to.

Happy B-Day

Here are a couple of photos from my sister's 26th birthday on September 10. I met her and her boyfriend Ray and some of their friends at a bar called Saltlick, then went to the worst club I've ever been to in my entire life called Aurora. Check out the look on my face. It's as if I know what's coming...Oh and my sister is wearing her new wig. Wigger.

Dear Madam or Sir

As a new member of the unemployed, I've started to look back at my past work history, or more directly, the jobs I almost immediately quit or ran from. Here's the list of the ones I can remember:

Telemarketer selling newspaper subscriptions for the Chronicle Herald. When I couldn't even get through the fake run through with a customer without panicking, stuttering and sweating, I knew sales wasn't the job for me.

Coffee shop girl at Cafe Amadeus. My boss was an angry German who said he wasn't going to pay me for my three training shifts. I didn't know where anything was or how to make any of the sandwiches or fancy coffee drinks but he'd continue to yell at me to work faster. He then said he wanted to hire me permanently because I asked questions. Huh? I called in on the day of my shift, a few minutes before I was supposed to start, and said I wasn't coming back. I kept the apron.

Counter staff at Video Difference. This job was unique because I was fired for, as the assistant manager put it, "having a bad attitude and not fitting in". Jackass. Too bad, I liked the staff discounts.

Soup ladle girl at The Great Canadian Soup Restaurant in Calgary. I was the smallest person behind the counter and had to carry massive pots of steaming hot soup. I pulled my back, burned my arms and ended up on the first plane home and in physio. Good times.

Temp office help at the Irish Centre for Continuing Pharmaceutical Education. I was supposed to help with data entry but within five minutes of meeting my manager and being pre-accused of looking at her personal files, and being screamed at for not labeling envelopes properly and having them ripped up about an inch from my face, I called the agency and hauled ass outta there.

Temp bank help at the Bank of Ireland Mortgage Department. I knew and still know nothing about mortgages. When you move from apartment to apartment, sometimes living in several during the span of one year like I have, a mortgage or the concept of one never gets your attention. I had to answer calls from customers who wanted to know about fixed variable rates, rising insurance costs and something about locking in for a ten year plan. I panicked and threw the receiver at the desk during one call. Not a good sign. Plus, I had to wear a headset.

Live-in nanny for two children. I was offered a nanny job by a woman who was a consultant for my former landlord. What was supposed to be an interview over coffee became a job proposal. The kids were present and I learned that I'd be picking them up from soccer, band practice, Brownies, Scouts, along with taking them to school, meeting them at the bus stop, cooking food and cleaning her house. And in case that wasn't enough, she then decided she wanted me to move in and help her out from home so she could always have me on hand. Oh yeah, and she wanted to pay me $6 an hour! I knew I was in for a wild ride when she asked me how much minimum wage was. The next morning she called me at 8 am, asking me to immediately come to her house and take care of her sick kid. Uh uh. I had her meet me for coffee and over a nervous sugar rush and jitters, told her I wasn't the Mary Poppins she was lookin' for.

Cater-waiter at a harbour front restaurant. I thought this would be a great way to make extra cash. That was until I went to the first training session where I was the oldest person there by at least five years, the warehouse was very cold, I would have to buy my own uniform and wouldn't get tips. Buh bye.

Front Desk Agent at the Banff Springs Hotel. The uniforms. Talking to strangers. Having a perma-grin on my face at all times. Nope. Couldn't do it.

So, what have I learned from these experiences in employment? I should just stick with what I know.

So very, very good...

Lack of Personal Space

The front page of the Richmond Times Dispatch yesterday had a huge full front page photo of the earth from space bearing the news that the population of the United States of America has reached 300 million. Holy crap. Canada has something like 35-36 million? In 2004 Japan had 127.5 million. Don't really get the .5 but ok. My Mom later own showed me an article from the same paper about a KKK rally that's going to take place in the southern part of the state. The article began, "It's that time of year again...". It's that time of year again? What? How messed up is it that this is an annual event, let alone something that still happens. How very sad. I know this picture isn't of the states, it's of Tokyo, but it's the biggest city I've ever been in with a population of 12 million. Think about it. That's a lot of rice people.

The Wonder Years

Someone this summer told me that he envied my childhood. I think he referred to it as my innocent, clean, regular childhood. I have to admit, I have nothing to complain about. I have great memories of growing up across Canada, camping, swimming, bike riding, skiing, etc. It's all so wholesome, kind of like a Hallmark movie. Yikes. Anyhow, part of my routine when visiting my parents has always included going through old photo albums and reminiscing. I was delighted to find on arriving here that many of my childhood photos are now digitized, so lucky you, I thought I'd share some of my "innocent, vanilla, etc" upbringing. Don't I look pumped?

Ok, so this photo does make my early years look fairytale-esque and innocent. I was a flower girl for my cousin's wedding and my sister Sarah was the bride's attendant, whatever that means. I remember having to smile for photos, eating cake, and dancing. My Mom still has that dress somewhere. Couldn't quite alter it to turn into my wedding dress. Oh well, maybe next marriage...

Baa Ram Ewe

During the summer we stayed at my Mom's childhood home, a large farm property with apple trees lining the driveway, tall grass in the field to run through, tonnes of trees to climb, and there were always animals around. This little lamb came from my uncles property across the street. It was only tied up at our place for maybe a day or two. I'm not sure what he was doing there or what happened to him. I don't remember eating veal...




I'm pretty sure this photo was staged and it was probably the last time Sarah and I held hands but doesn't it make a charming photo? I'm sure I either shoved her after the shutter clicked or put her in a headlock. Maybe I rubbed one of those buttercups on her face. Either way, I'm sure I got in trouble. Again.

Coppertone Memories

My Grandfather on my Mom's side made fiddles. He made a bunch. I have a childsize one he made me. I was given a bow, resin and a music book but all I managed to learn was "O clara da luna...". I remember this photo clearly, Grampie playing the fiddle and Sarah and I just dancing around. We weren't taking any dance lessons at the time but we were having fun. I like how we're in dresses. I remember a lot of dresses. Homemade ones.



We used to spend our summers in outside Pugwash, Nova Scotia. We'd go to Heather's Beach, have BBQ's, roast hotdogs and marshmallows on bonfires, swim and search for shells. The sand was very fine and red, which isn't that common in Nova Scotia. You could literally swim out for a mile and the water would still be up to your waist. My Dad taught me to swim and I remember him dragging me around in the water at this beach. Sarah of course, never put her head under the water because she didn't like getting her hair wet. What a surprise. J'ai fini.

Me Casa...

This is my current home. The trees are at least 50 feet tall if not taller. Everything is green. The birds are always chirping. The sun is almost always shining. See that rail on the front porch? I painted all of that today. I'm awesome.

Nemo

I'm not sure exactly why I've been thinking about Japan recently. It seems like I lived there so long ago, but I clearly remember while being there that I felt like I'd been there for years instead of months and that I thought I'd never get out. I truly wish my time there had been different. As much as the culture and I didn't exactly mesh, there were things I found amusing, even interesting. Brian and I went to the Osaka Aquarium, or Kayukan, on February 14, 2005. It was full of couples. Typically we were arguing and I went home alone. Good times. The aquarium was very peaceful though. It was full of couples kissing, holding hands and whispering to each other, but all I could do was imagine how peaceful it must be to just float around like one of the fish in this picture. Sure, they're not out in the ocean, frolicking with other species. But they do get to sit in tanks and taunt the Japanese that they can't eat them. Fish are funny.

Sanrio's Sweet Happy News

Sweet mother of crap, how much money would I have paid to have flown out of Japan on this baby! It's so pretty, I want to cry! I could have sat in my j-Seat eating sushi served by Hello Kitty, Pochaco and maybe that angry looking peguin. I would have been j-happy while I flew away from Japan into the great unknown. Maybe another j-time. I know someone who would call the flight attendants j-marves. I wouldn't. I think you know my j-opinion on that.

My Nemesis-Acorns

I'm really loving this place. Beautiful scenery, warm weather, and lots and lots of relaxation. I'm not exactly sitting on my ass doing nothing, then again I'm not exactly working my ass off either. I'm actually getting a lot of exercise doing something I haven't helped out with in years...yardwork.

It's bizzare. I remember when we lived in Fall River having to help out with the raking of the leaves every fall. We were surrounded by trees, apple, pear, cherry, not to mention the maples, popular, ash, etc. Just when you thought you'd conquered the forest, the forest on your neighbour's property settled onto your front lawn because of a shift in the wind. You'd curse the wind, your neighbour and threaten to cut down the trees, but you kept on raking. Oh yeah, and it was always wet and cold. Flippin' Canada.

We're not exactly into the height of leaf raking season at the moment, however it is the apex of acorn raking. I have a new nemesis. Acorns. I freaking hate acorns. I hate Oak trees. Yes, they're tall and majestic and a wonder to take in, but they produce millions of acorns that get stuck in your grass and have to be raked out. Every five minutes about 20 of them drop onto the ground from a shift in the wind, squirrels running on a branch or the heat of the sun. Occassionally one will hit me on the head producing harshly muttered expletives and violent hand gestures directed at the suspecting tree. Without exaggeration, there are literally millions of acorns in the backyard. Now how hard could it possibly be to rake up little acorns? Un-frickin-believeably hard!!

This place is full of wildlife like squirrels and chipmunks but for some reason, these little rodents don't dig the 'corns. They want the seeds on the deck, but are adverse to doing what generations and generations of flying rodents before them have done and EAT THE ACORNS! What is with them? My sister reminded me of a quote from Sex and the City. I don't usually quote from that show because in my experience, most girls who use its quotes, talk about which character they're like or take advice and base their entire dating plan on that show are incredibly sad. It's fiction! Judging aside however, Carried Bradshaw did say that a squirrel was a rat with a cuter outfit. I'm inclined to believe that. Anyhow, I'm trying to think up ways to make money off these tree droppings. Too bad they're inedible. God, I'd make a fortune!

However, there is a positive side to this dilemma. I have the acorns to thank for my growing muscles in my upper arms. My stick-like frame is developing um, what's it called again...oh yes, strength! Something I don't think I've ever possessed. I was always the one with the note for the gym teacher saying that I was sick so I could sit on the stage and not have to play dodgeball or soccer baseball (those unfamiliar, don't ask). I'd watch my classmates run around and wonder how they could get hot and sweaty. So much pressure in junior high. It was disgusting.

Not only am I spending my days raking useless tiny acorns, I'm also helping my Dad paint the exterior of the house. I don't mind doing this, actually it's fun. I can only reach up about seven slats high, which doesn't exactly give me that much work to do, but I have developed hand crippling pain from holding the brush. It's a little reminiscent of Grounds Keeper Willie and the crippling arthritus in his thumbs from Space Invaders, but minus the Atari. Anyhow, I'm outside breathing in fresh air, not sitting in front of a computer, answering phones or running around a newsroom. It's kind of refreshing.

I'm also going through boxes and boxes of stuff I haven't seen since I left for Japan circa 2004. I'm finding boxes of old letters, toys, videos, and tonnes of ridiculous crap that I have no idea why I held on to. I've found some truly embarrassing letters and journals, but I'll fill you in on anything truly amusing and not too shameful shows up.

Acorn soup anyone?

Prepare for Landing

I'm supposed to be staying in Virginia for roughly six months. Time to myself, visit my parents, take a breather. I've had a lot of time to think on planes recently and while flying to Richmond I counted how many times I've flown these past few years. I know that this year I've flown the most in my life but here's a breakdown.
August 2004-3

June 2005-3
September-3
December-2

January 2006-2
February-3
June-2
July-2
August-3

September-2

So let's see...I've flown 14 times this year, 8 times the previous year and 3 the time before that. What does that mean? Is this a trend in my life, will each passing year include more and more airborne travel for me? I know these numbers are nothing compared to what some people fly in a month, but it's pretty huge for me. Since I started my cross-continent Odyssey this past summer, I've discovered that I'm a magnet for B-list pop culture figures. Observe--when flying back to Canada through Heathrow, I saw Scottish comedian Billy Connelly. Ok, he's not exactly B-list in the UK but he's not exactly that well known in Canada. Flying back to London, I saw that Canadian blind guitar player, what's his name? Jeff Buckley? Anyway, I saw him. When I flew back to Canada and was in Montreal, I saw David Suzuki. I know I've probably spelled his name wrong but I haven't exactly watched The Nature of Things in a while, if ever. And finally, when going through Chicago's O'Hare Airport a couple of days ago, while trying to find a currency exchange, I saw the lead singer of The Barenaked Ladies sitting on a chair in security, lacing up his boots after having to take them off. "Oh Enid, we never really knew each other anyway." Wow, if you're not Canadian and didn't absorb Gordon in 1993, then that quote was just wasted. I don't particularly know what this means for my future travels. The Barenaked Ladies guy is a little higher up the ladder from David Suzuki, but not much. Does this mean that each successive flight, adventure or sojourn will result in celebrities of higher and more reknowned status? I'll let you know when I'm sitting next to George Clooney in first-class, discussing Darfur and how to solve the problem of increased globalization.