two and a half months in two and a half hundred words

return from Texas/to work impromptu party for James falls flat ok more cake* for us two-week countdown begins Dave & Shirley come for Sunday dinner (i.e. lunch in cityspeak) they’re expecting, yay! new student two more classes (other student dropped two) purchase bedding stock groceries short gig for RCMP sis-in-law & family arrive a 10-day visit sights and sites seen Museum of Civ, Byward, Sparks, been there done that bye-bye mailing left-behinds Marcie departs amidst farewell sambuzas classes end summer work lands in my lap Easter Sunrise Service @ Peace Tower Summerhays brunch with Dave, Ci, Nicole transcribing obgyn lectures the whole bump pregnancy contraception infertility NICU menopause oh my tmi glued to Facebook friends & family posting flood water updates watching Better Off Ted in denial of House’s Kutner’s demise fruitless search of White House Office of Public Liaison for “Kalpen Suresh Modi” PCH conference grey is my new black Adrienne Clarkson at writers’ fest articulate feisty purple skirt paired with purple sequined runners (Ron White) the woman knows a thing about bling Tim Horton’s coffee with Dennis M. spring cleaning washing windows Norwex does the trick overnighter in “Hogtown” aka Toronto unlike Atwood persona would welcome a night in ROM she had no Repose light emanating throughout his nude sculpted quartz physique complete with 18-karat coverlet mmmm back to frantic laundry thornless rosebush not dead yet Seamus recommends new Star Trek movie on AM Madonna wearing retro ’80s find “Frankie Says Relax” T’s in neon at Wal-Mart

*a friend cleverly suggested the car represented Top Gear

Winter Texan Report

This past Friday, it was a month ago since we left for Reading Week break in Texas. I managed to post an album on Facebook, which sounds pretentious--it was only a handful of pictures--except that my point is I didn't totally blow off reporting responsibilities.

Friday, Feb 13th

• We had breakfast at Ottawa Int'l Airport after clearing customs. We confirmed, once again, that airport restaurants serve food that is expensive and substandard in taste, accompanied by tableware and utensils that we're pretty certain is not recyclable. They should pursue the potato starch-based options, like the UofM.
  
• Flew Ottawa to Philadelphia. Our flight from Philly to Houston was to depart around 12:30pm; however, the plane coming from Houston suffered a setback, so our flight was delayed for 2 hours. Consequently, we had to reschedule our Houston to McAllen flight. We were confirmed for flights at 9:30pm, but put on standby for 7:30pm.
  
• Spent the extra hours in Philadelphia Airport having lunch, purchasing and working on a book of Sudoku puzzles, people-watching, and pretending to read.
  
• Flight finally left for Houston around 3pm. Fortunately for us, some people didn't make it to the gate, so we got on the earlier flight and were in McAllen by 8:45pm. From there it was only a half-hour drive to Weslaco.

home, home on the range...minus deer & antelope...plus Shih Tzu

Saturday, Feb 14th

• Dad C. prepared a gourmet breakfast on the outdoor grill. Then Mom C. took James and me to the outlet mall in Mercedes. Over a buffet lunch at Lin's, we decided to drive across the border to Nuevo Progresso.
  
• Progresso: Unlike Dec 2004, this time I wasn't battling a cold virus, so the smells of vanilla, cinnamon, and chocolate mingling with those of refried beans and jalapeño peppers didn't overwhelm me; in fact, they made hardly an impression at all. Didn't see any mangy dog this time, either. The street vendors are very persuasive: "Dentist? Manicure? Pedicure? Botox?" Hmm, guess I am beginning to look my age. Not sure I'd feel comfortable undergoing medical procedures there, but that doesn't deter a number of individuals (presumably because they don't enjoy health care coverage in their own native land). It was still just as heart-breaking to hear the kids calling out for "pesos, pesos," and see their hands thrust through openings on the side of the bridge.
  

Sunday, Feb 15th

• I finally learned firsthand what IHOP stands for (International House of Pancakes). The pancakes there were even better than the frozen Eggo kind. In the afternoon, James and his dad played a round of 9-hole golf. I tagged along to enjoy the pleasant, if windy and overcast, outdoors. We returned for a delicious supper of chicken cacciatore, rice, veggies, and salad.

Monday, Feb 16th

• In the morning, the parents C. took us to old McAllen for some browsing. Lunch at the Olive Garden was splendid. We made a run to Wal-Mart in the afternoon. A leisurely paced day that ended out on the patio with fistfuls of popcorn in front of the chiminea.

Tuesday, Feb 17th

• Dad C. MC'd the opening ceremonies of the shuffle tournament. Then he and James humored me by stopping at the Weslaco Post Office to allow me to send off a few postcards and buy more U.S. stamps. Then the three of us trucked off to South Padre Island. This was the first of only two really sunny days that we experienced.
• Lunch at Dirty Al's was a one-of-a-kind experience. (The reviews on TripAdvisor run the gamut.) It's very popular with snowbirds; however, with the money he's theoretically pulling in, Dirty Al might want to consider upgrading his décor (the tables are the plastic kind you'd get from Superstore for extra seating at Christmas) and adding more washrooms (the line to use the women's facilities was longer than the line waiting to be seated in the mess hall).
• Bay fishing was next on the agenda. One couple in the party brought the youngest puppy in the county with them; it looked as though its eyes could have opened just that morning. I was so glad when they went to sit inside (what's the equivalent of an airplane's cockpit on a boat?); it was really windy, and I was beginning to think the little critter might die of hypothermia. The men fished; I observed. I sat on the top deck with two other wives of fishermen, and got some sun. I looked ridiculous in my EarthTech baseball cap, but it was a necessary evil, since pelicans and seagulls were hovering over us, making the most of every opportunity to swoop down and snatch shrimp out of the boat's bait trays. We caught glimpses of dolphins in the distance, but they eluded my itchy camera finger.

The Indiana Jones & Son of Dolphin Docks' Bay Fishing

Wednesday, Feb 18th

• Happy Birthday to my husband! On our second day of sunshine, the two of us returned to Port Isabel and South Padre Island. We toured the lighthouse and two museums at the Port, and then went to Blackbeard's for lunch. We spent a few hours on the beach at Isla Blanca Park on the south end, then drove up to where the highway ends on the north end. We returned to our home away from home to find that Mom C. had baked her "baby" a chocolate cake. Mmm, chocolate.

Port Isabel lighthouse

The Queen Isabella Memorial Causeway, built in 1974. The "Memorial" part of the name was added after a barge hit the causeway in 2001, resulting in the loss of 8 lives due to the collapse of a section of the bridge.
(photo taken from top of lighthouse)

South Padre shoreline

Thursday, Feb 19th

• Slow day. James did a disappearing act. (Technically, he was playing the good son and restoring his parents laptop to functioning order.) Mom C. and I walked over to the shuffle courts to watch some of the action. Bought groceries at Wal-Mart (one of those huge, Texas super-sized Wal-Marts). Indulged in enchiladas and burritos for supper. (They were not authentic, but who cares? they were good.)

Friday, Feb 20th

• Mom C.'s birthday! James & I squeezed in a second breakfast at the IHOP before making a last-ditch effort to hunt down some souvenirs. Returned to Wal-Mart for more groceries for the BBQ party Mom C. had organized for about 40 people. The BBQ was a success; good food, good company.

Saturday, Feb 21st

• Back to the airport. We were supposed to fly McAllen → Houston → Washington → Ottawa. We got to McAllen by 7:45am, and made it to Houston just fine. However, in light of a delay in Houston, our plans changed. Thanks not to the woman behind the counter, but the man whose name I vowed I would remember to my dying day and promptly forgot, we--and our luggage, no less!--were re-routed to Chicago → Ottawa. The moving sidewalks in the O'Hare airport are the coolest things. We arrived in Ottawa a little after midnight.

Other than a few too many close encounters with airports, it was all good. Even if the sun didn't shine brightly, it was still a week of shorts weather.

Happy Valentine's Day

Sometimes, after the fur flies, you just know it's time to make up.
Hope your Valentine's Day is purrrrfect!

chocolate vaginas

There are a great many interesting things one learns if one works on a university campus. It's not all about academia, folks, no sirree.

The Women's Resource Centre was selling chocolate vaginas at a table in the hallway between Morriset Library and Montpetit Hall, near the Tim Horton's outlet. They looked like chocolate cupcakes to me. There might have been a cherry or cinnamon heart on the top of a few. It was some sort of fundraiser, either for the Women's Resource Centre or for a production of The Vagina Monologues, which either has been performed or will be performed here at uOttawa. That whole desription sounds vague, but the truth is, I didn't pay all that much attention: I didn't want to be standing there looking interested in chocolate vaginas that cost $3 a piece. It would have been different if I was a guy. Or a lesbian. Interesting concept though. I think the whole thing is tied in to opposing violence against women, a worthy cause.

At the other end of the hallway was Braids for Aids. There I did stop, because two young women approached me and explained, very articulately I might add, the purpose of their booth. (It's summarized in the poster you'll find if you follow the link.) It's partially in conjunction with Black History Month, and partially because it's international week at UO. Braids for Aids was asking for a loonie donation, I gave a toonie, and one of the women handed me three beads. She offered to put a braid in my hair, but since I feel it's way too short, they suggested I donate the beads to a sister, daughter, friend, etc. Anybody want some beads?

Well, it's time to go and see what else is out there on my way to working the next class.

Two more days and I'll be in heat--I mean the sun down in Texas, of course, silly!

if it's not WWOOFing, maybe it's tweeting

~ This post has been a work-in-progress for five days; I began writing it on Monday, Jan 26 ~

First off, belated Happy Birthday wishes to Duane, who turned thirtysomething on Saturday! We sent you a card, Duane, but I was too cheap to use Xpresspost (≈$10 for a card!!!), so look for it in the next day or three. (Update: Apparently the card showed up Wednesday. Maybe it's time to buy another scratch'n'win.)

Day 48 of the Ottawa Transit strike, although it's really affected me, personally, for only 21 days...it's long enough already. Stop the insanity. (Update: OK, so threatened with back-to-work legislation by the Feds the day after they brought forth the "budgie" - nod to Air Farce's Chrétien-inspired skits - the city and the union agreed to binding arbitration at day 51. The good news is that buses will return to the roads in a week or so; the bad news is that there will be service on select routes only. Transpo's site says it may take up to 14 weeks for full service to return. I try not to utter obscenities as a rule, but to that news my response can be nothing other than wtf?!)

It hasn't helped morale any that we've been getting some decidedly Manitoba-like temperatures, albeit not quite as cold. It just makes one want to run away. (Update: it's warmed up, but we've received snow which makes running, not to mention walking, a challenge.)

Speaking of running away, we are. We spent some time with a travel agent a few Saturday mornings ago (Jan 10), but ultimately decided that we're a little leery of the economic situation - yes, despite the skeptic in me that thinks the downturn operates analogously to a self-fulfilling prophecy that someone in the upper echelons dreams up. Realistically, we're not in a position to spend a week at a posh resort.

The Ottawa Citizen's Reb Stevenson captured our dilemma in the introductory sentence of his article, "Wwhat in the wworld is WWOOFing?" To recap, World Wide Opportunities on Organic Farms is an organization whereby travellers enjoy free food and lodging in exchange for their help with chores, which can be "anything from weeding to harvesting to tending animals."

Enter Plan B: a telephone to James's snowbird parents in Texas. We actually booked our flights Jan 13, before the article appeared. I toss in that trivia to show how shrewd we are, how attuned to the collective unconscious.

Not sure about the weeding and harvesting--when we visited in Dec 2004 our chores consisted primarily of dishes and refilling jugs of water from the dispenser at the community hall--but tending animals is a possibility. My parents-in-law own a rambunctious male Shi Tzu puppy named Sasha (or possible Sacha, after Trudeau's son's nickname), and Sam, a gorgeous, aloof, ferocious, declawed cat, who is exceedingly discriminating in her affections (she loves brother-in-law Brian, who used to feed her, and my father-in-law, who feeds her now).

I'm not crazy about the pup, but I'm going to suck it up. What's a little woofing in exchange for some fun in the sun? And this time around, I am fortifying myself with vitamins, because there are few things less miserable than descending upon one's in-laws, 3000 km from home, with a raging sinus cold.

So while present circumstances may leave something to be desired, I'm content 'cause the countdown's on. We're "tweatin'" ourselves to a mini vacation. Two more weeks...and that's something to make a little noise about.

no soup for me

It felt like a really, really, really long day.

I'm extremely thankful for my morning carpooling buddies who pick me up at 6am, but getting up at 5 is beginning to wear me down. This morning we got to the downtown parking lot at 6:35, and I reached the university by about 7:10. I don't mind the walk; it's rather refreshing. I had to wait for the Tim Horton's to open at 7:30. Met the student and a TA at 8am, then worked through a busy lab (i.e., lots of conversation) and a steady-paced lecture. With another 3-hour lab still ahead of me, I tell you, I was ready for lunch.

All I wanted was a simple bowl of soup--maybe cream of mushroom, broccoli, or leek & potato (mmm, that's my fave). I would have settled for what they call "garden vegetable medley," which is probably concocted from the leftover side dishes of the week before. (Right, Celina?) However, Le Snack in Marion Hall was serving something that looked like mostly watered-down beef consommé. So I girded up my loins and struck out for Faire Alimentaire at SITE. FA had two, count them, two chicken soups. Chicken Chowder and Chicken Rice or something like that. The point is they were both chicken broth based. The UO food service meatatarian soup nazis were obviously out to get me today. I didn't have the gumption to try my luck at the other Faire Alimentaire. (Fair indeed! I suppose the translation would be "to make food" or "to do food.") Good thing I had the foresight to get a Tim's donut and pack a few snacks.

I won't get into the details of the really, really, really long carpool ride home with a bunch of strangers (all university students), other than to say that fresh snow was falling as the driver-whose-first-language-is-definitely-not-English observed the posted speed limit and tailgated. And I was in the front passenger seat. Hitchhiking home is looking more and more like a viable option.

now that's class

Scoping out MetroNews, hoping for some confirmation on which way the striking bus drivers voted yesterday, I came across this gem (third paragraph from the bottom):

"I just want to thank the president for hosting us," Obama said. When a reporter asked Obama what he could learn from the mistakes of the four presidents surrounding him, he smiled and said he planned to learn from their successes. (emphasis mine)

Smooth.

I wanted to link to the SNL "Obama: I keep it cool" sketch, but at some point Hulu took over the world and won't let anyone outside the U.S. download it (grumble, grumble). It's been removed from YouTube. It seems the Tinkernut has a work-around. I can't be bothered, however, because I don't want to download anything (a) that may interfere with my current access all over the place, and (b) I'm not certain that I can undo. The only alternative is to sit through Britethorn's commentary on the sketch for a non-copyright-infringing excerpt (at 0:50-1:28).