I logged into my blog the other day to find it totally effed up. Apparently, the photo-hosting site for all of the graphics on my fun, fancy blog got clogged up and so I was going to have to copy them all over to a NEW site and go from there. And then I got lazy and just deleted the whole template. Which I now regret. So now I hate my blog again. I have to find a new template to use but I'm too lazy at the moment, so this boring blue is going to have to do. For now. Give me a few days.

In other news, I am going to be spending at least one day of my upcoming trip recovering from an emergency root canal, to be performed on a tooth that has ALREADY HAD A ROOT CANAL. WTF. Why me? FML. I hate teeth. I am lucky to have a few hygienist friends, one of whom made it not seem like the worst effin' thing ever (which is what I equate everything to do with teeth with), and the other...did. I think she even used the word "disastrous". I'm not sure whose bedside manner I prefer but between the two, I got a pretty graphic depiction of what I'm in for over the next few weeks. I should know more tomorrow. Fan-freakin-tastic. At least I'm going to have the opportunity to have the dentist who actually did the original work get back in there and fix me up. After I punch him in the face.

I'm starting to think about packing and our upcoming move and as my eyes drifted over the ridiculous amount of stuff that we have accumulated during our nearly two years in this apartment, they came to rest on my bookshelf. Formerly the home of 8 books. Now the home of many, many books. And, after my last trip to Canada, many, many more.

What is with my obsession with books?

Even before moving to the Rock, I was an Amazon junkie. I'd buy books constantly, anxiously await their arrival, devour them, and then put them on the shelf. Like art. I love the way books look, all lined up in neat rows. And if you ever set foot in my parents' house, you'd see that I come by it honestly. They actually have an entire room devoted to books, along with built-in bookshelves all over the house, all of which are filled with just about every type of book you could think of. Every time I go home, I do a tour and grab whatever I want...it's awesome.

So, after lugging another 11 books home, here is what my "to read" list currently looks like:

- Revolutionary Road, Richard Yates
- A Reliable Wife, Robert Goolrick
- The Time Traveler's Wife, Audrey Niffenegger
- Canadians, Roy MacGregor
- Daughter of Fortune, Isabel Allende
- My Life in France, Julia Child
- Julie & Julia, Julie Powell
- Making a Literary Life, Carolyn See
- The Food Revolution, John Robbins
- Possession, A.S.Byatt
- The Tenth Gift, Jane Johnson
- The Post Office Girl, Stefan Zweig
- Hey Nostradamus, Douglas Coupland
- After the Crash, Garth Turner
- Europe Through the Back Door, Rick Steves
- The Hotel New Hampshire, John Irving
- Life is a Verb, Patti Digh
- 12 Secrets of Highly Creative Women, Gail McMeekin

And still, my virtual Amazon shopping cart is full and ready to be checked out. I'm doing everything within my power not to give in, since I've got an expensive few months ahead of me but seriously...it's hard. I crave new books almost as much as I crave Baskin Robbins peanut butter and chocolate ice cream.

Books make me happy. I'll let you know which of the above are worth checking out.

We're home from work, safe and sound. The ferries stopped running mid-day, so my co-worker gave us a ride. I'm glad, because the backup "plan" was to ride the scooter home. Terrible plan, actually. So far, the Rock is getting lots of rain, lots of dark clouds and the air feels very electrified, like something is coming. The waves are gigantic, splashing up over the roads in some areas already, and Bill is still hours and hours away. However, we're safe inside, shutters closed, supplies handy, ready to take this on...whether it's just a lot of wind, a lot of rain, a lot of both, or - worst case scenario - a full on hurricane. They suspect that the storm will pass us in the wee hours of Saturday - somewhere between 4:00 and 7:00 a.m.

Bill is still rated a Category 3 hurricane, which means that he hasn't regained the speed that they thought he would. I suppose anything can happen, but I'm taking this as good news.

I'll keep you posted if things get interesting.

DEFINITELY should have stayed in Canada for an extra week because I'm back just in time for...MY FIRST HURRICANE! Did that sound excited? Because it should have had some serious FML undertones.

Category 3 is serious. Category 4 is extreme. Category 5 is catastrophic. Bill was a 4 yesterday, downgraded to a 3 today, and expected to be back up at a 4 again overnight. And expected to pass by these parts in the next 48 hours. Unimpressed. We've bought all of the supplies on the list (including chips) and we're closing our shutters tonight and I guess all we can do is hope for the best? Sure am glad I don't own a boat...it would get tossed around for sure.

Wish us luck! Eff tiny islands in the middle of the Atlantic. EFF THEM ALL.

When I was in Grade 7, our class had to fundraise so that we could go on a class trip to Strathcona Park. It was a big deal because it was a SLEEPOVER trip, which meant that most of us were hoping to do some sneaking around and making out in the bushes when our teachers and chaperones weren't looking. Because, when you are 13 (12 in my case), planning to sneak around and make out in the bushes is as good as it gets. Besides cherry-flavoured LipSmackers and getting to dance with the guy you like to Stairway to Heaven at the school dance.

My friend and I decided that instead of doing a lame car wash or bake sale, we were going to make jewelry and sell it at school. I had a stash of beads and we pooled our meager savings to purchase all of the necessary supplies and we got to work. We effin' cleaned up. Two lunch hours selling our wares and we were $230.00 richer. Which, by the way, is a FORTUNE when you are 12 (in 1994). And far more than we were making with our after-school paper route, which netted approximately $0.02/paper. We made (and shared) about $4.00 a week delivering those stupid papers. What a gargantuan waste of precious worry-free pre-teen time.



Unfortunately for our bank accounts, our venture as entrepreneurs was short-lived. We made enough to get ourselves on the bus and into the room above the boy's room and enjoyed a week of PG fun and jewelry hit the backburner. In fact, my bead box of tools and supplies was sold at a garage sale a few years later and I forgot how much fun it all was until I moved to the Rock and met a VERY talented jewelry-making Australian named V, whose fabulous, sparkly creations I wear almost daily. She's inspired me over the past few years and on this last trip home, I took a course with my Mom and my sister. I have to say...I got into it. Very into it. And while the course was more about the techniques, I got a chance to do some designing and found a new love in wire wrapping and gemstones. So. Much. Fun.


I think I'm going to claim a corner of our new apartment and do some playing around. I'm going to have to order supplies from the States because (surprise!) there isn't any kind of supply store on the Rock, but I'm kind of pumped to start fiddling around and to see what I can come up with.

Half-order of salmon sashimi, expertly prepared by Tamami. Amazing.

What I AM having for dinner tonight? Whatever I can put together with whatever is in our cupboards, since we haven't gone grocery shopping yet. Do artichokes and KD go together?