Wednesday, February 29, 2012

Video Fun and Writing Joy

Just a little something I filmed today.
I love my cats.

I've been making progress on my novel. I've never gotten this far before. Usually I get stumped by the setting I've chosen, or I get lost in my plot because I've taken it somewhere I don't know how to resolve. This time things are working. It helps I like my character. I decided not to define her in any way, just let her say or think what comes naturally and let her personality unfold the way it wants to.

I've been trying these days to eke out creative fulfillment in my life. And now that I'm rapidly approaching 30, I really feel pressure to end my 20s with something in my hands, a completed manuscript. For once.

And maybe all my previous failures to write have simply been due to inexperience. I've been writing a lot these past few years. Maintaining a blog challenges me to put thoughts, ideas and feelings into words on a regular basis. It's like any muscle. You don't use it, you grow weak.

My drawing muscle, for instance, has softened. I can still do it. The ability doesn't go anywhere, but it's no longer something that is honed and nimble. I struggle a bit more. I used to be able to whip up drawings of any sort of character without a thought, like improv. Now? I have to think. And the finer techniques have grown shoddy. Working on my aunt's children's book has been useful, but it's taken a lot more effort than it would have years ago.

But writing is something I've been working on, and I have far more life experiences to draw on than in years past. I've gotten to a point where I feel so comfortable with the written word that breaking the rules is fun and enjoyable. Sentence fragment. See? Delightful. Heh.

Seriously, though, I suppose what I'm saying is I'm not wrapped up in my head as much as I used to be about the rules and the details and it's flowing a bit more organically. It's enjoyable. It's work, but it's satisfying.

I think about my character a lot, what's going to happen to her, what must've happened to her, how she'll react to the coming challenges, and I feel excited.

2012 is going to be the year I write a book.

Monday, February 27, 2012

Little of this, little of that

Allergies, allergies, I am plagued. Every week, more than once, I am besieged. A runny nose, constant tickles in my sinuses and countless frequent sneezes are taking over too many of my evenings. The next day I am worn out; it's like a nose hangover. I need some sort of allergy test or shot. This cannot go on. It's like an assault on my face.

My no shampoo experiment has yielded new results to share. My old norm was that my hair could go five days before grease would set in and I'd wash it within a day or two. I had my hair coloured last Tuesday, which came with a shampoo. It is now Monday and my hair has not gotten greasy. Oh, a tad bit of oil has set in, but hardly anything worth noting. My hair is still silky and soft. So, I think my scalp has made some adjustments to its oil output. Very encouraging.

It occurs to me that this year I have very little going on. The Dude will be working hard; he's focussed on his career, which is making strides all the time. I'll be saving money to put towards a house, though we're a couple years from that, frankly. We're about a year away from thinking about having a family. 2012 has the potential to be incredibly uneventful.

Rather like this blog entry.

I've been musing over some things, digging back aways in my memory. I'll likely write about my musings when I've organized my thoughts.

Wednesday, February 22, 2012

Dear Vic Toews...

I wrote Vic Toews some time ago to complain about his C-30 bill, and his nonsense about if you don't agree then you side with child molesters. I mean, really? So I signed a petition and sent an email to him. I didn't expect a response, but the one he's having sent out is a load. So I wrote him back, from the heart. Here's my thoughts that I shared with him, for your reading pleasure:

Hello, and thanks for your automated reply, which reads as propaganda and not at all a reasoned response.

However, since you have gone on record admitting you don't know the details about this bill, allow me as a critically thinking person to tell you that I think you are overreaching boundaries in democracy and are showing no respect for the Canadian people or the Charter, for that matter.

Police do have adequate powers already to catch child predators. This bill would invite abuses from police, something that is almost a certainty as large increases in power never prove to result in an increase in responsible behaviour. The average person, or law official, isn't Spider-man, after all.

Now, I would like to point out some matters concerning your recent humiliation via Twitter, regarding your divorce. Seeing as the details are matter of public record, and someone chose to broadcast these public details publicly via a public forum, I don't see what crime has been committed against you. It sucks to be you, certainly, but I can't help but see the karma playing out in this situation.

Truly, I fail to see why the police should be involved. That is hardly an appropriate use of their time. Surely someone as troubled about child molesters as yourself would prefer to see the police use their time for more important matters, like, for example, catching child molesters, not protecting your vanity.

As a side note, to touch further on other personal failings of yours, I am also disturbed that someone who has touted himself as some sort of beacon of "family values" has behaved as you have in your own marriage. If one purports oneself as a committed family man in an effort to deny rights to others who are different than oneself, one should not behave so hypocritically in one's personal life. I mean, come on. Does the special sanctity of heterosexual marriage include the clause, "To have, to hold, to cheat on, till divorce does us part?"

Cheat on your wife and father however many children with other women as you like (Though I and other decent people will judge you for it, sorry. That's just awful. Shame on you) but not if you're trying to sell an image of a devoted family man to win votes and curry favour politically. That is immoral. And it's sneaky. I really don't know how you live with yourself, come to think of it. You're really quite terrible.

Frankly, sir, I think you should resign. I see nothing of value you have to offer this country. You rather stand apart from what a true Canadian is. You're not ethical, you don't play fair and you're unkind, impolite and invasive. Perhaps when you resign, you could take some time for your personal life, which is obviously in sore need of your attention. Don't worry, we'll be just fine without you.

Sincerely,

***Jendra Berri***

Proud Canadian who values privacy and does not support child molesters, thank you very much, you ass.

PS I value living in a society where I can write you such an email without fear of arrest. Somehow I doubt you share this value. Your politics sicken me.

***Obviously I used my real name.

And here's the automated BS reply for your viewing pleasure. I haven't found one person yet who agrees with this clown. Thankfully, I must not know anyone that stupid.


On Wed, Feb 22, 2012 at 12:19 PM, wrote:

Thank you for contacting my office regarding Bill C-30, the Protecting Children from Internet Predators Act.

Canada's laws currently do not adequately protect Canadians from online exploitation and we think there is widespread agreement that this is a problem.

We want to update our laws while striking the right balance between combating crime and protecting privacy.

Let me be very clear: the police will not be able to read emails or view web activity unless they obtain a warrant issued by a judge and we have constructed safeguards to protect the privacy of Canadians, including audits by privacy commissioners.

What's needed most is an open discussion about how to better protect Canadians from online crime. We will therefore send this legislation directly to Parliamentary Committee for a full examination of the best ways to protect Canadians while respecting their privacy.

For your information, I have included some myths and facts below regarding Bill C-30 in its current state.

Sincerely,

Vic Toews

Member of Parliament for Provencher

Myth: Lawful Access legislation infringes on the privacy of Canadians.

Fact: Our Government puts a high priority on protecting the privacy of law-abiding Canadians. Current practices of accessing the actual content of communications with a legal authorization will not change.

Myth: Having access to basic subscriber information means that authorities can monitor personal communications and activities.

Fact: This has nothing to do with monitoring emails or web browsing. Basic subscriber information would be limited to a customer’s name, address, telephone number, email address, Internet Protocol (IP) address, and the name of the telecommunications service provider. It absolutely does not include the content of emails, phones calls or online activities.

Myth: This legislation does not benefit average Canadians and only gives authorities more power.

Fact: As a result of technological innovations, criminals and terrorists have found ways to hide their illegal activities. This legislation will keep Canadians safer by putting police on the same footing as those who seek to harm us.

Myth: Basic subscriber information is way beyond “phone book information”.

Fact: The basic subscriber information described in the proposed legislation is the modern day equivalent of information that is in the phone book. Individuals frequently freely share this information online and in many cases it is searchable and quite public.

Myth: Police and telecommunications service providers will now be required to maintain databases with information collected on Canadians.

Fact: This proposed legislation will not require either police or telecommunications service providers to create databases with information collected on Canadians.

Myth: “Warrantless access” to customer information will give police and government unregulated access to our personal information.

Fact: Federal legislation already allows telecommunications service providers to voluntarily release basic subscriber information to authorities without a warrant. This Bill acts as a counterbalance by adding a number of checks and balances which do not exist today, and clearly lists which basic subscriber identifiers authorities can access.

Tuesday, February 21, 2012

No Shampoo Experiment: Day 47

And then there was shampoo.

I coloured my hair at the salon (It was so very necessary) and now my hair is red, glorious and holy crap is it soft. It's never this soft. Ever.

I'd gotten to a point with my hair where I was washing it using the non-detergent methods of baking soda or Priya Means Love and apple cider vinegar, and it was still oily. A little less oily as time dragged by, sure. But really, my hair was coated in its sebum and stayed that way. It wasn't gross, but it wasn't the best feeling.

It looked clean enough, smelled like nothing and I'd noticed it had grown thicker. It was soooo thick. Thicker-than-tension-in-sex-ed thick. Also, by now, almost three months after a haircut, I'd usually have split ends, crunchy and breaking and looking like ass. But not so this time. In fact, I have no split ends and my hair has a tad more growth than normal.

I made my appointment at the salon when I could no longer tolerate my roots, I got the colour and inevitable shampooing and I'm thinking my month-plus of allowing oils to do their thing, mostly undisturbed, has paid off. My hair has never felt this amazing in my life. It's got this silky softness I'm loving on. I'm also curious to see if my scalp has adjusted its oil output after all this time. That should be very interesting. I averaged about 5 days before oily hair would begin and 7 days before a wash prior to starting this whole thing. If I get a boost of even a few days extra before the oil starts to pile on, it'll be very encouraging.

Also, should I reset my day counter? I mean, I've shampooed. But I suppose it's all part in parsel of the same experiment and I like the chronology of counting the days.

Huzzah!

Sunday, February 19, 2012

Wedding pictures

You know, it occurs to me I never wound up posting pictures of the wedding. I threw in a couple, but not many more. So I'm going to do that now. I have the feeling a lot of people who actually know me read this, and have thus seen the pictures. However! I also know I have readers who don't know me and so this could be new info.

In any case, I know a number of people find me via Google looking for wedding ideas. So here you are. Also, I'm trying to avoid posting pictures of my friends, family and the Dude, as methinks most would prefer not to be featured on the internet. Well, the Dude can be on here a little, but he's sort of a private guy.


My beloved dress, a bargain $700
at Bridal Fashion Fraire.

Getting ready at The Gladstone Hotel.

Walking down the aisle at the Columbus Centre.


There was some really amazing greenery and photo op locations on the grounds,
which was awesome.

We got our flowers at Sweetpea's in Roncesvalles.
Seriously beautiful flowers.

I got a great deal on centrepieces, under $15 per piece. Not flashy, but sweet.
Chalkboard easel table number by Hans Creations on Etsy.

Wood chip flowers in neutral and also pink for the decor around the cake.

I really loved the cake. From Dessert Trends.
Light lemon with strawberry filling and vanilla buttercream icing. Edible flowers.

We had a candy buffet, which is what those boxes are for.
Plus you can see the wedding wands we got from Etsy.
People played with those all night.

Cake toppers from Kikuike on Etsy.

My hair flower is from Silverpencils.

So there you go!

And now, brunch. I love brunch.

Monday, February 13, 2012

Go to Bread. Bed.

I'm, like, just dying to go to bed. But alas, the Dude threw clothes in the dryer. The dryer is right beside our bedroom and it dings incessantly for the last 10 minutes of its cycle. It's loud and maddening. So I wait. And for once my body is aching to sleep at a reasonable hour. Go figure.

Last night I had this massive allergy attack. My sinuses had left me in peace all through my honeymoon and as soon as I got home, WHAMO! Sneezing, wheezing and suffering. Nothing would help. I held off taking an allergy pill all day because they knock me out.

When I was ready for bed, I took a pill, only it wasn't an allergy pill. For some reason, in my stuffy stupor, I took a Gravol. Gravol is quite the sleeping pill for me, but it obviously does nothing to make the nose stop running, so I still had to take an allergy pill.

Both make my mouth dry. So I took a glass of water with me to bed, fell dead asleep and yet awoke every 40 minutes to quench aching, dry thirst. I'm not sure when I woke up this morning, but it was obscenely late. So frankly it's a damn miracle I'm even remotely sleepy.

A few things before I toddle off to bed and brave the loud dings:

- My burn has become a tan. I'm getting compliments on it, but all I can see is skin damage. I may be the one person alive who shuns getting a tan. I like them on other people, but I prefer my own skin milky. Looks nicer with the red hair I love so much.

- My kittens were upset we left them for a week. McPal's fiance came over to feed them while we were gone and on Friday he discovered a shit in the middle of the kitchen. Cats express themselves in very obvious ways.

- We're trying out a new grocery delivery service starting tomorrow. Yes, I work from home and grocery delivery is something we're going to try out. Why? Because. That's why.

- I am in desperate need of a trip to the hair salon. I have almost two inches of roots, and I can't find my tweezers and there's about four gray hairs I really need to pluck out.

That is all. Bed. Goodnight.

Sunday, February 12, 2012

Le Honeymoon

Relaxing at Xel-Ha.

We're home!

What a lovely and relaxing holiday. Great wedding, wonderful honeymoon. Everything's bitchin'. And I'm sunburnt. That part ain't so grand, but otherwise I'm feeling spiffy.

I got burnt the last day I was there. I'm not sure how. I had sunscreen on and I spent most of the time in the shade. But I got crisped all up my thighs and around my armpits. The backs of my hands are also very red. When I got home I made a matcha tea bath and soaked, hoping it would take my burn down. It did cool my skin, which was nice.

But let me describe the week. Every day was something special and fun. Sunday we had a special honeymooners' dinner after spending the day relaxing by the pool.

Monday we went to Tulum and swam in the warm teal waters by the ruins. That was wicked. However, I think I still have sand in my hair. Afterwards we ate some good Mexican food at a nearby restaurant and took the Collectivo home.

Tuesday and Wednesday we went to the spa. We had $1,500 resort credits and spent them all at the resort spa. Massages, facials, wraps, etc. And it was a huge spa experience. Usually with the day spas I go to, you go to the spa, get your service and go home. At this place you can show up an hour early and do the hydrotherapy.

You go in the sauna, then a cool spray in the shower. Then the steam room, cool spray in the shower. Then the hottest hot tub. Then a walk through the cool mineral water. Then the other somewhat cooler hot tub. Then the mineral foot soak.

And after all that, you go in for your service. You leave feeling like a new person.

Thursday we went to Xel-Ha. It's a natural aquarium-type place. You can cliff dive, swim in cenotes, snorkel, zip line and so on. You can eat and drink all day. It's gorgeous and immaculately clean. There were hammocks and beach chairs all over, parrots and lizards, grottos and inlets. There were many walking trails and a bike path. You could ride the river down the park, through this beautiful canopy of vines and tree branches.

I attempted to do the cliff jump. It was 4 metres high and I couldn't do it. I was gung ho, thinking, oh yeah, I got this. See, I thought it'd be like the 3-metre diving board at the pool. But it wasn't. I physically tried to jump, my heart was in it, my brain said yes. My body said no. I felt my body restrain itself against my decision.

So weird. But I think I've reached a point in my life where my ability to take these sorts of risks has passed. Self-preservation has kicked in and leaping from cliffs is not doable. I've never been the person who did extreme things and I'm thinking starting in your 30th year is not really going to work out.

I realized also that bungee jumping and sky diving, thoughts I'd entertained, were definitely now not going to ever happen. If you can't jump 4-metres into water, water that is deemed deep enough and marked for your safety, then anything higher is not gonna fly. Oh well. There's always rollercoasters.

Our last day was Friday. It was the Dude's birthday and he did a spa treatment, and that's when I got burnt, while lounging by the pool, listening to A Game Of Thrones on my iPod. We went out to dinner, had the Mayan coffee,which was a performance in the making of it, and sadly packed our bags. We were being picked up at 7:05 the next morning.

The trip home was a real bummer, not just because we were leaving, but because the transportation was 40 minutes late and when we got there our plane was delayed by two hours.

And now we're home, relaxed and calm. I'm feeling ready to re-tackle my work with renewed energy, the Dude is readying himself for a busy month and we're really mellowed out.

I kept up my no shampoo commitment as well. It was hard, with the sands of Tulum haunting my scalp, but I managed.

And now back to the real world.
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