Find your own pose!

It says I can't be without contact for mmore than 8-10 hours without going squirrelly - this weekend will be a fun weekend for Jen-watching I guess. I'm off to tax-land followed by wonder-land, but my Mark will be fending for himself.

Another mid-week post

I've been thinking about this blog today, mostly because of Sarah's musings on how permanent the internet is. How, for example, my post on how I'm going to die because kittens are so cute is going to be around when I'm actually dead, cached somewhere in interland. BUT - even knowing that people do stumble across this and read it, and knowing that every utterance here will outlast me, I doubt I'm going to change. I'm still going to write about buying shoes and kittens and Jack Bauer.

And speaking of his Jackness, House name-drops him in next week's episode. My brain almost exploded when I saw the preview.

Also, I want to go check out the Knit Cafe very badly, but probably won't because summer is almost here, and who wants to think about heavy wool when the sun is shining and shoulders are bared? Why did I not find out about this till the end of April?

Mid-week update.

This morning I thought it was Wednesday, but am actually releived to find it's only Tuesday and I still have lots of week left for doing stuff. This is good, since I've spent the rest of the weekend and the first part of the week submerged in pictures of kittens (I still feel like dying from their cuteness). The weekend was awesome: Saturday was daderday, and mom took me out for shoe-shopping and lunch on Sunday. Loads of quality time with both of them led to the best weekend I've had in a while.

Mark and I watched Water Saturday, which I highly recommend for anyone and everyone. Then I thanked whoever there was to thank that I was born in Canada.

Now I'm at work, trying to scrounge up people with migraines so that I can get out of here by August, and thoroughly enjoying me some Neko Case. She's my favourite.

Do your ears a favour, get them some Neko Case at Insound.

Death by Cuteness

I CAN'T HANDLE THE CUTENESS.

I'M SERIOUSLY GOING TO DIE FROM THIS!

Kitten Wars

Cute Overload

Islands made of Sushi

So much sushi.

Megan will probably not want to read this post, as it may turn her stomach, but last night marked the occasion of me finally converting one of my friends into a sushi-lover. Mark and I went with Andrea and Maggie to Sushi Island on College St., which turned out to be one of the best all-you-can-eats ever. Everyone except for mark had to basically be rolled out of there like overstuffed maki. I think between the four of us, we ordered 15 different types of rolls, from the normal (caterpillar roll, spicy tuna) to the adventurous (fire and ice, black dragon) to the "what the hell is this?! (chinchin = beef & cream cheese, orange fever with CHEDDAR). Conclusions brown rice rolls are the awesome, rolls that are clearly for novelty's sake should be avoided, and Maggie + eel or wasabi = puke face. Also, Andrea's stories are entertaining enough that we really should have paid for her dinner.

Afterwards, Mark and I stopped by the Pour House for Kurt's birthday, ran into Dave King, and told everyone in earshot how mark wondered if parrots came from eggs. Good times indeed!

The Anonymous M.E.K.

Ok, I know I haven't posted much this week. Theres nothing much to talk about other than the sunshine.

BUT. I will give you this until tomorrow, when I rave (hopefully) about all-you-can-eat sushi.


saskatchemark says:
after being suspicious about how easily the camp gave me an interview i sent them an email asking about how much they pay

saskatchemark says:
i tried to make it anonymous

saskatchemark says:
but she totally figured out it was me

saskatchemark says:
so im in a very wierd position with the daycamp

Jen says:
you could just let them know you were asking because of how many camps string you along and let you know way later that it's for like $4/hour

saskatchemark says:
i kind of wrote that in the email

Jen says:
I'm sure they'd understand - I mean, it's not like you're 14 - you're an adult and need a somewhat decent job because you have bills to pay

saskatchemark says:
she wrote back in a really wierd passive agressive email

saskatchemark says:
"know we already spoke this morning and set up an interview, but I just
wanted to tell you that if you have any more questions before then, feel
free to email or call. Otherwise, see you on Tuesday."

saskatchemark says:
but she never answers my question about the pay

Jen says:
did you send it through hotmail? because you do know that your name is attached to that, right?

saskatchemark says: (3:32:41 PM)
HAHAHA.

Jen says: (3:32:47 PM)
FUNNY MARK

Jen says: (3:33:00 PM)
so did you?

saskatchemark says: (3:33:08 PM)
yeah.


All bunnied out.

Woo - I did the whirlwind again!

Mark and I went to London on Thursday, since we had the honour of being invited to Megan's first ever book reading - for her first ever book!!! I'm wishing I'd brought my camera, cause it's not everyday you get to see Miss M wearing a skirt, although I'm sure the 'seeing her in front of a spellbound audience' thing will happen with increasing frequency. Thursday was also the first super-nice day of the year, which I was almost completely unprepared for. For the first time ever, I walked (with Mr M) from the greyhound station to Western and let the first rays of sun get down and cancerous with my arms. We were just in time for Megs' reading, which was fantastic - spellbound was not at all an exaggeration. I also (finally) got to meet her mom and sister (hi!), who were every bit as great as they come across in Megan's stories.

I missed out on the patio relaxing with the thesis bunch downtown, but I had a very nice Grad Club patio experience with my former advisor and his Friday buddies (Last Friday being a holiday, drinking Friday was moved to Thursday so that no festivities would be missed). I then caught a (free!) bus downtown, meeting up with Megan's bunch as they headed to a dress shop for martinis, although the 'plying us with alcohol' didn't really convince us to make any purchases. We then had my favourite kind of night: sitting around eating thai takeout, drinking wine, chatting, and watching dvds.

Friday brought Marka nd I back to Richmond Hill, and the greyhound let us do some intensive reading (Megan - I finished Vernon God Little and was in tears by the end. I found it to be a really difficult book to read just because I felt my stomach twisting the entire way through, but I'm really glad I read it, and found myself thoroughly rewarded by the end). I had a really nce time with Mark's family - I feel so included :) Best surprise ever: sushi! My streak continues, hotter than ever. Then: played some poker, watched some violence. Went shopping with Mark's mom (and Mark) on Saturday, and he's going to be the hottest guy in Cuba (but will remain nice and cool in his linens).

Then Whitby for TWO Easter dinners (on two different nights), featuring hckey (saturday) and Poker/Narnia (Sunday). On a side note that is actually pretty relevant and not side at all, my mom is awesome. Best Easter dinner EVER. All of this leaved me with enough chocolate to gain 2978196 pounds and be hyper till next Easter. Today, I go running.

PS- driving back from Whitby this morning, Mark and I caved and listened to the Edge. It was HORRIBLE. But then they played Death Cab for Cutie (soul meets body). Fine. And then the announcer comes back on, and gives me my quote of the day:

"yeah.... so... that's pretty much the gayest song we play." LOL. So true. Except for that Nickelback shite.

All My Friends are Superheroes

What a cute book. I picked it up last week while I was book-shopping with Ainaz, and started reading it this morning. By the time I got to school, I was more than halfway through it. It's full of short, concise sentences like these. I really do wish it was longer though - I read a bit more at lunch and I know that it won't even last me to Downsview on my way home. I think that's maybe why I'm writing this now, because I'm in that mid-book glow where it could just go anywhere, and I'm loving it and can't wait to find out what happens. Damn you Kaufman, why is this so short and sweet?

This weekend has been brought to you by the letter W.

Waiting: For mom, who locked her keys in the van. It would have been much easier for us if I hadn't forgotten my spare set of keys in Montreal. However, the upside was learning that riding public transit with my mom can be fun.

Words in Whitby: The purpose of the bus trip, and good times. There was a reception before the main event (David Gilmour and Guy Gavriel Kay interviews/readings) that featured wine and a non-functional chocolate fountain. Don't cry for me though - the chocolate fountain wasn't fountaining because the chocolate was too thick! That's the best kind of problem, since non-functioning = a tiered fondue, which reminds me of that great Mitch Hedberg joke about the escalater being out of service. "An escalator can never break. It can only become stairs. You would never see an "Escalator Temporarily Out Of Order" sign, just "Escalator Temporarily Stairs. Sorry for the convenience." HAHAHAHAHA. And RIGHT THERE, that joke made me go to a Hedberg quotes page and I've been reading and laughing for about 5 minutes now. But back to the book thing- It was very good (Mitch Hedberg made me lose my enthusiasm for writing about it though).

Wayson Choy: Unexpectedly, he was at Words in Whitby! I got to meet him, and tell him about how the chocolate fountain wasn't working but was awesome anyways. I talked to him about Megan (he said something along the lines of her being destined for greatness!!), his next book, and bought his most recent one, 'All That Matters.' It now bears the inscription: 'To Jen, who matters." That gets a WOW, and it is now my very favourite book. I also did a gushing fan thing, where I was nervous and blurted out thoughs, and now he knows that I was so drawn into reading 'The Jade Peony' that I read it in the tub till the water was cold and I was shivering. Now you know that too. The whole world knows too much about me!

Nothing else about the weekend starts with W, but Mark and I also celebrated his getting into Teacher's College! A W after all - WOOHOO!

A Less Cryptic Post

Last night was great. I got to wander around, but some things for Cuba, and continue my once-a-week sushi streak. Ainaz and I had coffee and a generally awesome time wandering around Bloor street gossiping and book-buying. I felt perky and refreshed afterwards.

And so far, today's been great too. I'd actually been dreading it for a while, since so many things could have happened to make it tedious and frustrating. Yes folks, today is International "Jen gets a Passport" Day. So begrudgingly, I set my alarm lats night for 6:50am, and mentally prepared myself to wait for hours in a muggy room full of unsmiling people clutching their important documents and unsmiling photos. Instead, I woke up full of energy at 6am, got up and leisurely got ready, and was out the door bright and early. On my way to the passport office, I was given multiple samples of skin cream (random, but awesome nonetheless), and was queued (what a crazy word!) up by 7:50. Watched the cutest & nicest security person ever address the group already waiting ahead of me: "Good moooorning ladies and gentlemen..." (and then waited for the grade-school-esque response) "And how are you all doing this morning? ... Ok, I'll take numbers 1 through 15 now," all of this done with the warmest attitude I've ever seen in a government office.

BUT THEN!

I go hand my forms to the form-checker (who may have another title, but I'm sure this one is far more accurate). He looks over my documents, scrawls something on my application, and calls the security guard over: "This one's a G!" Uh-oh... what's a G? Nobody will answer this question for me as I'm led away from the group waiting to get into line, and away from the actual line too - WHAT'S A G?!

BUT THEN!

I get put ahead of everone else and I'm out of the office by 8:03, happy as can be and with plenty of time to grab a coffee and show up at school and see Deborah and just generally be in a great mood. Thanks world, you rule. And G, for the record, probably stands for Grrrrrreat!

AND NOW!

This should clear things up for Sar... People :) This is what yesterday's post should have looked like (please note the dramatic increase of male models):

A parcel arrives! Addressed to me! (and since I don't want the world to know my address, I'll let you conjure up that image yourself)

Unwrapping the outer layers, I notice a cryptic message:


Lo, what treasures are found!


Megan, toasting herself months in advance because she knows what an awesome friend she is!



Long story short: A completely unexpected parcel full of love & chocolate and the best shirt ever (Kurt pointed out that it's odd that shirts have started to be designed just for me!) has completely brightened my week. So once again, thank you!

Improv a la blog.

Dammit.

This was supposed to be a photo post, and then I forgot my camera; it's sitting somewhere at home with some great photos on it, some of which may be posted here later (Megan, was that proper semi-colon use? Beause I looove semicolons). I've decided that I'll improvise but searching for accurate descriptors in Google Images, and maybe you'll figure it out:

A Parcel? For ME?!:


Open Here?!


Teasures!!

What Einstein was searching for, but failed to discover:


Megan is the best friend ever!

(I swear, typing that phrase in yields a racecar. Megan, you rock, and you roll (at high speeds, apparently).

THANK YOU!!!!!

Haywood (ya like to dance with me?)

Wonderful news today: In my daily music blog searching, I saw that a song from Haywood's 7" had been posted [here]. From there, I found Haywood's [Myspace page] which has even MORE songs, including a song from a NEW Haywood cd, which is supposedly out sometime this year. For some reason, any Haywood-related find makes me feel like it's Christmas. I have such a huge spot in my heart for this band - they're part of the reason I fell for Mark, since he put "Six Stars" on the Sad Mix that won my heart (even though it isn't really very sad, it's more of a heart-brimming with love song to my ears). I hadn't been able to find them anywhere, until one day I found "We are Amateurs, You and I" at Deja Vu in Oshawa - which was the best used music find ever (followed closely by the Dismemberment Plan/Juno Split that had my favouite songs from each of the bands). So I was elated today to add FOUR new Haywood songs to my collection, and to have the hope of a new album by the band. SOO EXCITED!

Haywood - A Pair of Tragic Paper Kites (upcoming release!!)
Get Haywood on iTunes


Three wonderful additions to Jen: I've rediscovered my hairdryer, I'm wearing the lovely shawl Seema's mom brough back for me from Pakistan (awww), and my mom's loaning me one of her rings. Hooray for stylish Jen, available for a limited time only.

I'm amazed by people's addictions to cell phones. I understand that they're necessary sometimes, but seriously? do you need to have conversations when you're out for dinner in a restaurant? Do you need to blare ringtunes when you're cooped up on a bus with 20 other people who really don't want to hear your ganster rap? Do you need to have conversations in the BATHROOM?! Seriously, I'm very tempted half the time to throw those phones out of a window, or in the case of the latter, into the toilet. Geez.

An Annie Post.

Man - did I ever wake up grumpy today. Despite loving Annie to bits, there are few things that upset me so much as being rudely awakened 10 minutes before my alarm goes off - I mean, I'll never get back to sleep in that time, especially after having to fully get out of bed, catch a cat, and put her outside of my room. Man.

Things are a bit better now, I'm calm, I've had my lifesaving coffee/hot chocolate blend, and I've got someone coming for testing. I get to see my mom tonight, get my cuba dress, and hopefully I'll have a really good sleep for the first time in days. I'll also get to hear House say something funny & obnoxious, which never fails to cheer me up.

Also, Annie and I are friends again. I glared at her a bit this morning, but then she flopped on me and coerced me into belly-rubs - what a manipulative little gal. I would have updated over the past few days, but Annie convinced me that I should pay more attention to her, and less to the computer: