humming chorus

Well first real day at work today. No auntie protectress stomping up and down the hall, swearing and yelling from her corner cubicle. No fun "my aged" people with the ability to laugh. Just Jan and Dan, who speak in gibberish and only to each other. Who want to talk about sandwich toppings for as many hours as shouldn't be legal.
Anyway, note for tomorrow is to come home directly from work in order to eat. And to drink 3x less coffee.

I'm tired and I'm just sitting here drinking water.

I was woken up last night at 3:am last night with the man of my current love affairs telling me that he just fed/donated the money to feed baby seals through an online donation fund. I thought it was funny and cute, but a bit grumpy that my rem cycle was disrupted. life resumes and I woke up to only have to have a rush to my day. 

We played marimba like any other day. The day presented us was groggy, and you noticed the grey skies, and instantly thought to yourself to put a sweater on, but the moment you move ten steps outside, you're sweating and you are regretting putting on another layer. Plus where we played at the Errington Farmer's Market, the sound of our music was just off. I feel like it might have gotten better as the day followed, but that might have been me not caring anymore and just wanting to find somewhere to lay down. Didn't happen. I didn't lay down until I came home. 

I also went to thrifty's today to buy ingredients for "ENERGY BALLS!". I'm excited for the prospects of that. I'm trying out being vegetarian, or trying to find some middle where I feel good about what I'm eating and realizing the choices that I make with eating could be just weirdly make my soul and heart feel a bit more at ease. I'm still eating fish though. I don't know why. For instance, today I had a sesame crusted local lingcod. It was delicious. 

Plus being this new take on what I'm eating, I'm experimenting with what I'm eating and it's kindof fun. 

tallyhojoe.

I smell like carbon monoxide and burning tires.

Hey,

Becoming increasingly irritated by the negligence of people around me. This is the second day in a row that I have come home after a long day, and looked in the mirror to see my teeth full of crap.
Honestly. Today I spent about half an hour stuck behind some stores on Johnson street as a van caught flames and eventually exploded out front. I bonded with the other customers back there, we talked about the weather, about school, about the architecture around us, about how my bike was probably a pool of melted metal on the sidewalk by then, but not once in the smiles exchanged did anyone happen to mention that I had spinach interwoven in every single one of my teeth.
Thursday night I went out for what the Brits call a "hen night" (my cousin's getting married today). So we went to about 5 different places, got kicked out of one, which I've never experienced before. And before I walked home two of my cousin's cornered me and chanted "WE LOVE YOU EMMA" into my face for about 5 minutes straight. So I get home to collapse into bed and realize that I've had the remains of a terrible granola bar stuck in my grin. And the last thing I ate was at least 5 hours earlier.
Can we just agree right now that there is no shame in telling someone that their grill needs a scrub?

And I want to be in Parksville before the ocean gets all weird and cold again, not sure if I will make the street dance, I am very proud of you little lady.

See you soon.

Finally the skies are slowing down.

Did ja get rain too? huh huh huh. I hope so, it's good for everything involved. I'm a mess right now. I've been sick for the past week and now my insides are turning for that once a month guest. I'm guessing my terrors and womanly powers will be back to full strength in the next coming days, until then though- bleh.

Got two movies you should watch eventually (when your life slows down, and you feel like having a lonely, quiet night)

1. "Persopolis", a persian animation film based on the story of a young girl growing up and her reflection of the revolution. I actually really enjoyed the movie, and the art is something I can really admire. It's casual, but I loved how Marjane Satrapi mixes her blacks and whites- it's great. I should also say that Marjane Satrapi writes graphic novels (I read Embroideries a couple months ago and overall enjoyed it and recently just placed the rest of her books on hold at the public library.) I obviously highly recommend checking this out.
 

2- Nader and Simin, A Separation- A modern Iranian film (Farsi with English subtitles, 2011), narrating a situation between of a housekeeper of sorts who is hired to look after the father of Nader. The Father has Alzheimer's and the housekeeper was hired to take care of him until a better person could be found. Problems arise, along side tensions of a already divorce in the mix and you get an intense story that leaves you hanging in the end. Nader reminds me of Mehdi I think.. or someone else, I can't explain it and it was leaving me indescribably uncomfortable for the duration of the film.


Other than all that, "The Parksville Street Dance" has been planned for August 24th (A Saturday Night, starting at 7pm) and so far we have Del Larson Trio and The Fresh Pots.... We're still working on the lineup though. Plus Kumbana is playing too, just because we're the ones arranging it.

Hope you're happy and healthy. I'm craving poutine and beer right now. ARAGGG

Time for a curry

Sup Chiquita.

Got hit on in Spanish by an old guy today. He came through my till and looked deep into my eyes. And I've sort of ditched Dexter, because I have commitment issues, even with TV.
It seems like I've replaced all my TV time with outdoor activities and TWO MORE JOBS.
I've become the disgusting kind of person who runs to work in the morning. It started because I was always at least 5 minutes late, since my bike is out of order. And it continued because it became a habit. People glare me down for being out running at 7 am with a backpack on.
And I went rock climbing with Tyson's gung-ho roomate/ new best friend. It was challenging but fun you know, sun was shining and I was jamming by limbs and fingers into every available crack. New respect for the fad. And got a couple disturbing looking bruises on my upper thighs from sliding off a rock face. Always a win.
Ok about the jobs: One is actually volunteer. Z asked me if I want to be on the programming committee for Open Space, which sounds great to me. I'm going in on Tuesday to meet and greet. I'm a bit nervous actually. I know they are short on volunteers at the moment but I haven't handled actual art for 2 years. Plus I've learned in this past year that what I find interesting and appealing is often the direct opposite of what everyone else thinks. Lucky its a committee thing.
And the other thing is through my Aunt's company. She texted me today to see if I wanted a "banking job," which sounds a bit less customer service- y than "cashier" (I know its a desk job, something with accounts...) So I am considering that too. It's funny when your horoscope comes true.
Plus all of my relatives from all of my families are somehow going to be in Victoria at the same time. Talk about awkward time juggling. 

LV I am going to your house tonight, which is currently empty. To use your/ my scanner. And probably edit some photos and maybe steal some tea if you've got a good stash. Hope you are safe.
SC when is your street dance? I want to come- and which bands did you get? Going to be great.

All I've got left is a sore toe.

Spent this last week in Bamfield. We slept on Brady's, the sand never giving in to our sore backs and listening to the wind rustle up the excuse of the tent tie. It was an adventure for us three girls and it was surprisingly jam punched with fun to the max. Everything from boating around to this adjacent Island, trying to find the "lost finger", exploring the haunted inn/stealing a giant whisk, kayaking across the inlet to ask whether we could use the row boat, playing cards against humanity (can you say kids with ass cancer?) and ending it all with a bonfire with local drugged up fishermen and waking up to search for a wallet for a couple hours. All good, no bad.

Other than that, I've been up to planning a Street Dance in Parksville for the end of August. We've been in cahoots with various bands up and down the island, the Parksville Chamber of Commerce, Mayor and local Businesses. Planning this event has really opened my eyes to how much you really need to think when planning something on this scale. It looks like it's going to work out, which my stress level is excited about. Hopefully the group and I can have a meeting tomorrow at some point to see where everyone is at.

Miss you guys and I hope you're enjoying music fest in Vancouver right now. I'm just busy downloading movies and enjoying the lazy life. It's funny that you're watching Dexter. It's Cyrus' favorite series and a couple months ago I started watching it all. I'm currently up to date and wait every Sunday to watch what's going to happen.

TAAAAAAKE CAAAAAAAAAARE!

not so gleeful

Spent a couple of hours in the darkroom today. Amazing how loose and calm one feels after an afternoon spent in the dark, wrist deep in chemistry. The enlarger has a slightly crooked lens, somehow, so I spent an extra twenty minutes trying to trim the prints to something that resembled a rectangle. Unsuccessfully, as the paper cutter appeared to have an oddly curved blade likely retrieved from the rubble of the Blitz.
Have started watching that show Dexter, which has made the visitation of Aunt Flo a little more queasy than regular. And feel incredible depressed that my summer report involves television at all, but two jobs, man. The laziness is too thick to cut with a butter knife.
At least am going somewhere interesting next weekend, although it is still not camping.
And got the photos from that side of the road cam developed today. Sarah the photo of you is a beaut, minus the overall un-focus. We will try again next time I see you.

Amish Adirondak Holler

So today I made my first sex joke as a cashier, to a guy who was buying condoms. The guy promptly forgot his wallet, or was somehow robbed. I don't think I'll be cracking many more jokes in the future.

On the plus side I hit the Moss Street Market for the first time ever this morning and loaded up with veggies. I also bought a Thai Basil plant and a chocolate mint plant. I walked around most of the morning holding the basil directly under my nose so I could smell its perfection.

Also on the plus side I found a soccer ball on the way home, which brought a wave of nostalgia and not a scrap of sympathy for whatever hooligan stole the thing from Reynolds Soccer Club.

Laying in bed listening to a band whose name was scribbled into my moleskin by the guy who played the keys/ saw. Because I can never catch the name of an opening band at a show- maybe it is slurred or lisped too heavily or maybe I am deaf but a couple of Pabst will give me courage to approach minor members as they lounge against the bar.

I seriously need sleep.

I'm sleepy. I probably look sleepy.

It's 5:52 on a Thursday night and if you didn't get it from the title, I'm sleepy. Today was a weird day where if you stepped outside barefoot, the ground was cold, the sky was gray, but the wind was ridiculously warm. You never felt like you needed a sweater, but you were scared that in case it started raining, you might need one.

Jasmine and I had a meeting with the Mayor of Parksville today (How impressive right?), we were there to discuss some marimba matters. We are going to hopefully be offering free/by donation use of the marimbas not this weekend but next at the beach on a hopefully sunny Sunday afternoon. We wanted to know whether there would be any limitations or city bylaws preventing us from advertising something like that. We also had a question about who and how we would go about starting a street dance/block party for the end of august. He gave us the name of one of the city council members and now I have another phone call to make!

I want this right now.

How are you guys going to be spending your long weekend? My long weekend is going to be spent on Gabriola for a wedding (we're the music) and then Monday we are heading to Richmond to busk and play around the Canada festivities there. I'm excited because they are all cool activities and hopefully I'll be getting paid from all of them :) I'm feeling poor right now and I'm just hopefully going to find opportunities to get paid. If ya know what I mean.

I've been talking to Cyrus about the trip at the end of the summer, and if I go (which in all my heart hopefully i do) I'll be going to Detroit and maybe Cleveland! Sounds too cool to me.

I'll try and keep in touch better, I've felt disconnected to you guys. Cheers! - Sarah

You Should Close The Door

Watching a TV drama in which one of the characters is shot, and her last words while laying in the ambulance holding the hand of someone else's boyfriend are: "I just bought this dress."

Met a real-life stay at home dad last night who was bitching about how his wife comes home cranky and demands to be fed, "like a lumberjack."

And two men who were discussing how their romantic endeavors were "opposite caveman," as in the woman has to hit them over the head and drag them home in order for them to realize that she is interested.

Today at work I saw the back of Cowboy Chris, the new accountant, whose dulcet tones has all the middle aged ladies swooning, even as they are commenting that it is best not to get involved with an accountant. Maybe because they are what the literate call misers and what the literary call scrooges. The idea of being interested in a person just because of the sound of their voice brings me back to  high school, when I fell in love with a boy who bought two cupcakes that I was selling for some cause or other. I swear he only said two or three words but it was a surefire "coup de foudre,"  I was thunderstruck. 

And I asked a girl I work with what she was doing for Canada Day and she said nothing at all. Because the last time she went out for the holiday she was so distraught by the douchebags that she kicked in a nearby Starbucks window and got arrested.