the important thing is we learned something here today

I can haz brrrrrrraaaaaaaaaaainnnnzzzzzzz?

noreply@blogger.com (BadYogi) — Thu, 16 Feb 2012 20:21:00 +0000

day 22: how you judge intelligence

Can I have a conversation with you for more than 30 seconds without wanting to smack you? After five minutes, am I still actively engaged in the discussion? Have I laughed with you (not at you) at least once? (If you’re unsure, the answer might be no). Is your name Homer J. Simpson? Ok, then. There’s your answer.

vomit alert!

noreply@blogger.com (BadYogi) — Thu, 16 Feb 2012 19:59:00 +0000

day 21: everything you wish for in a significant other

Everything about the one I have now! Awwwwwwwwwwwww (puke)!

"she got her looks from her father, he's a plastic surgeon" - Groucho Marx

noreply@blogger.com (BadYogi) — Thu, 16 Feb 2012 19:55:00 +0000

day 20: what you think makes someone beautiful

We’re really doing this? Ok. I’ll play along. I think it’s people who treat other people well, who hold the door for you, who give up their seat on the bus. People who are smart enough not to let the world’s nonsense get to them and mess with their priorities. People who laugh easily, often, at themselves, instead of crying. People who plant flowers on their balconies, in their windows, in the little scrubby patch of dirt in front of their house. People who look out for their neighbours, who bother asking their names, who say hello on the sidewalk. People who try to make your day even a tiny bit better, and to leave things better than they found them.

thank god we don't have light sabres

noreply@blogger.com (BadYogi) — Wed, 25 Jan 2012 17:43:00 +0000

“day 19: your thoughts on your family”

Oh, you know, they’re my family, gotta love them, blablabla. There’s clearly two sides to my family though: The cool, laid-back, more humane side; and the anal, controlling, judgmental side. The interesting thing is that within either group, not all of the members are related by blood, and not all of them necessarily grew up together either, so it’s really neither nature nor nurture (say that six times fast). It’s usually OK, and family gatherings are usually large enough and/or involve enough booze for the two sides to generally avoid unpleasant outcomes, but A) there’s always one who has to completely fucking ruin it for another, and B) by the end of the night, avoiding unpleasantness has become so exhausting that the only solution is to sit in a corner far away from everyone and just drink, which means there’s always a hangover to deal with the next day (and that in turn is more unpleasant if you’ve had to travel to attend the gathering and are staying/expected to brunch with members of the opposing faction the next day). Living very far away from anyone actually makes this much easier to deal with most of the time: It’s pretty easy to let a nasty email go unanswered, duck out of a Skype chat going bad, or check caller ID before answering the phone if you’ve already had a bad day and just aren’t in the fucking mood, and when you’re stuck on-site, the trick is to be vague about your plans while there, so that when it starts to be too much you can fairly easily pick up and go visit someone else. The times that you really miss the side you’re close with it sucks though.

just say no!

noreply@blogger.com (BadYogi) — Wed, 25 Jan 2012 16:54:00 +0000

“day 18: why you made your blog, why you still have it”

I originally made this blog after a bunch of people told me to make one. Weak and lame, but there you have it: Peer pressure made this blog. It’s OK though, it’s been fun to do, and to have something better to do than watch TV at night. Or waste time on Facebook at work (bonus: If you’re just typing into a document of some kind, it still looks like work). I let it slide for a long while though, first for personal reasons, then for lack of time, and I’m kind of hoping this meme will get me back in the habit of writing at least every week, if not every day. I still have it because… it’s free? I still like writing? Because I love when shit like this happens? Yeah, that one. Bingo.

you know, when I was your age...

noreply@blogger.com (BadYogi) — Wed, 25 Jan 2012 16:18:00 +0000

“day 17: your idol and why you look up to them”

It’s kind of dangerous to “idolize” or even “look up to” any one person – people being people, they are fallible, and it’s hard not to let their eventual and inevitable failings affect you in some way if you do happen to idolize that one person. Much better to draw inspiration from a variety of people, whether it’s the lady who just had a lung transplant going into the yoga room and working just as hard as anyone else, your grandparents for walking 6 miles to and from school uphill each way in a snowstorm, a writer whose hit novel came out of a NaNoWriMo challenge, or that cool friend of yours who decides they want to do something to change their life and *actually go out and does it* with a minimum of fuss. Easier to focus only on the things that motivate you to take your own actions and ignore the bad stuff that way.

"in God we trust, all others pay cash"

noreply@blogger.com (BadYogi) — Tue, 17 Jan 2012 19:56:00 +0000

“day 16: someone you trust”

I trust my boyfriend. Which is exactly as it should be. If you don’t, can’t, or won’t trust your partner, then it is time to re-examine your reasons for staying in that relationship.

I trust my friends. The ones who are real friends. A clue: If you’ve been invited to a dinner in my teeny-tiny apartment, odds are, you’re good. If you’ve been invited to bring your knitting along, you’re inner circle.

I trust the cat. Mostly I trust her to not to destroy things or poop in inappropriate locations, and if she can’t do that, then I trust her to at least be funny about it.

I have a very bad habit of trusting authority figures in one-on-one settings: Doctors, dentists, academic advisors, bank managers, lingerie salesladies, airline crew, waiters, baristas, my landlord. Despite my better judgment I force myself to continue to trust my boss, partly because he is someone who needs to learn from repeated mistakes, and mostly because so long as the pay cheques keep clearing who am I to question him too closely?

I trust my body. I just need to remember that I trust it and listen to it more.

I trust the phone to always ring with an “emergency” just when I most need to pee.

I trust the BBC production of “Pride and Prejudice” to make everything better all the time always.

I trust the yoga teachers who take even 30 seconds to think when people report injuries and then help them work over, under, around, or through it, rather than blindly pushing for things to be done one specific way.

I trust my job and my colleagues to give me a headache every single day.

I trust myself to change things when they really get out of hand, even if that requires way more patience than I want it to.

you kids turn that noise down now!

noreply@blogger.com (BadYogi) — Tue, 17 Jan 2012 19:20:00 +0000

“day 15: a song that makes you cry and why”

Oh good lord. Every song on the shitty-ass top 40 radio station the crazies at work insist on, for general crimes against both humanity and art. For real. Especially songs whose sole lyrics appear to be “I’m sexy and I know it”, or “I have a hangover”.

five little easter bunnies standing at the door...

noreply@blogger.com (BadYogi) — Tue, 17 Jan 2012 19:12:00 +0000

“day 14: write about something you believe in, anything at all”

Well. That’s really the question there, isn’t it? There are so many things to believe in: Santa, your choice of god(s), the healing power of a cat’s purr, etc. At the end of the day though I don’t think the most important thing is necessarily what you believe, but whether or not you believe in anything at all. Now, before you all jump down my throat all climate change-Tea Party-Santorum crazy, yes, of course, climate change exists, Tea Party absurd, Santorum crazy, but I’m talking really big picture here. Macro picture. If you can’t believe in anything, if you have nothing left to hold on to to get you through tough times or set your compass by, then that to me is a sign of having completely checked out of everything, of having given up, of just waiting for your time to be up. Even if all you believe in is the absolute infallibility of science at the expense of all else, or that the Easter Bunny is the mutant offspring of Rudolph and Prancer, that’s ok, you’re at least demonstrating the ability to think about and trust something outside yourself, and that potentially lays chocolate eggs in the yard (bonus).

in your own words...

noreply@blogger.com (BadYogi) — Fri, 13 Jan 2012 14:38:00 +0000

"day 13: your favorite quote"

I don’t think I really have one. I mean, there are a bunch I like, and a million more funny things people have said to or in front of me, but it seems kind of pointless to pick one above all others when they’re all equally brilliant in their own way and their own context, and all inspire in different ways. Seriously, why limit yourself like that?

it really is that easy

noreply@blogger.com (BadYogi) — Thu, 12 Jan 2012 19:49:00 +0000

“day 12: the best advice you’ve ever heard, or ever been given”

Just breathe.

leg locked like you have no knee!

noreply@blogger.com (BadYogi) — Thu, 12 Jan 2012 19:18:00 +0000

"day 11: the worst advice you’ve ever heard, or ever been given"

Herewith, a random selection:

The Rules is pretty bad. But I didn’t actually read it, I’m just basing myself on media reports. Which I know is wrong, but really, come on
“Put a little Windex on it” also seems pretty inadvisable
“Use Dr Bronner’s as shampoo”? Nope, not for long, thick hair (baking soda, however, is fantastic for this, and the Bronner’s works great for so many other things)
“You can totally use kool-aid to dye your hair!” (no, you cannot)
“Just call the main 800 number, someone there will help you” (and has this ever been proven?)
“Lock your knee by pushing it back towards the back wall” (NO! A thousand times no! Don’t do this!)
“OMG, you totes have to read The Alchemist/The Da Vinci Code” (also a thousand times no – if you’ve read or seen the first Harry Potter, you can skip The Alchemist, and as for the other one, those five hours of your life would be better spent clearing out closets, volunteering, or doing just about anything else that will actually engage the brain, because that shit does not)
“Ladies, while you’re blowing him, surprise him by just sliding a finger up there, and watch him explode!” (oh helllllllll no – how would you feel if someone did that to you without warning or discussing it first?)
“If you want him to propose, break up with him and wait for him to miss you” (so many things wrong here, but let’s start with this: the only person that has ever possibly maybe worked for is Kate Middleton. You are not Kate Middleton.)
“Tell your mom that if she doesn’t put the plasma TV back in your room, you’re moving out” (wtf?!)

it ain't easy being green

noreply@blogger.com (BadYogi) — Thu, 12 Jan 2012 16:22:00 +0000

day 10: what you think when you hear the words “be yourself”

Honestly? I think of bad online dating profiles, advice columns, and useless clichés. Archie comics, old-school YA novels for girls, and after-school specials. Then I think, goddammit, they’re right – when has pretending to be someone or something you’re not ever, ever worked out for anyone? Seriously, quick, think of your favorite book or movie, and odds are this is a theme in it somehow. Pride and Prejudice? Star Wars? The Godfather? Something else?

warm woolen mittens

noreply@blogger.com (BadYogi) — Mon, 09 Jan 2012 21:40:00 +0000

"day 9: things that make you happy"

Oooh boy, a fun list!

- the first snowfall

- bookstores

- my cat

- my boyfriend

- knitting

- puppies

- coffee

- being back in school

- yoga

- really good vegan, GF cookies

- surprise gifts for no reason (giving and getting)

- all the veggies that grow on my balconies in summer

- having two balconies to grow things on

- my apartment

- my neighbourhood

- my bike

- having taken the time to improve my typing skills over the summer

- tax refunds

- books

- the existence of shows like "Arrested Development", "The Wire", "Breaking Bad", "Parks & Rec", "Community", and so on

- further to that, The Ron Swanson Pyramid of Greatness, despite the fact that I agree with none of it

- washing my hair with only baking soda and apple cider vinegar and having it look and feel better than with regular shampoo

- having a slightly clearer idea of what I'd like to do with my life

- being vegan for four years now and GF for nearly 18 months (and never feeling better, BTW)

- Saturday Afternoon at the Opera

- having a clean house

- Tchaikovsky, Rachmaninoff, Stravinsky, and all the rest of the Russian composers

- the monthly screenings of old movies at the big downtown multiplex

- working walking/biking distance from everything

- knowing my neighbours

- my new travel mug

- dancing in the kitchen, preferably with my boyfriend but the cat will do in a pinch

- falling asleep as soon as my head hits the pillow

- waking up on time

- iPhone airplane mode

- office supplies

- colorful office supplies

- being able to take advantage of grocery staples that are on sale with huge discounts

- living so close to two great thrift shops

- living so close to a library, public market, and swimming pool, and that these things are all in historical buildings

- being able to find my way home during the Olympics by looking for the burning flame at the end of the bike path (especially useful at night in foggy or snowy conditions)

- the fact that someone just turned off the crappy top 40 station we've had on all day

I could go on, but one of the other things that makes me happy is steady employment and a regular paycheque, so...

rule of sanity #23: never read the comments

noreply@blogger.com (BadYogi) — Sun, 08 Jan 2012 16:48:00 +0000

"day 8: things that make you sad"

Yay, a list!

- abandoned, sick, or injured animals

- Christmas trees on the sidewalk in January

- pretty girls with way too much make-up and slutty clothes

- people who turn out to be gigantic assholes

- people whose kids are being raised by the nanny

- waste of any kind

- kids being fed nothing but chips and soft drinks

- puppy mills and backyard breeders

- dogs being trained to fight

- people driving their cars to the gym

- people driving their cars in the city

- the first 20 minutes or so of "Up"

- most of "Wall-E"

- the last third of "E.T."

- people who do nothing but work

- people who have lost someone to cancer but continue to smoke, sunbathe, and eat red meat

- people who watch things like "The Bachelor" and "American Idol"

- the state of TV in general with a few exceptions

- the fact that there is no decent English-language newspaper in this city

- the fact that there is no decent local radio station in any language in this city

- people over the age of 35 who still wear band or message T-shirts on a workday

- people who desperately want to have kids, can't, and refuse to even consider adoption

- the fact that I'm out of peanut butter

- betcheslovethis.com

- generational welfare

- local, used book stores going out of business

- people moving away

- the comments section on almost any online news item

Wow. OK. I need to stop before I get so sad I can't function today.

there's no place like home

noreply@blogger.com (BadYogi) — Sat, 07 Jan 2012 20:06:00 +0000

"day 7: a show or a movie that has changed you, and how"

I assume the creator of this meme wants people to be all "Oooh, 'The Wire' made me want to be a cop", or "'The Biggest Loser' made me get off the couch and lose ten pounds", but honestly, I'm just not like that - I can't even say that Earthlings made me go vegan, since I'm already vegan and refuse to watch it (although I will concede that 'Lost' is what made me agree to go see the last Star Trek movie).

With that said, there is one TV event that changed both how I watch TV and the path my life was on: 9/11 coverage. This was the start of my second screen experience, was three days nonstop with CNN on TV and next to that on the computer the BBC live stream. I had a hard time just doing one thing at a time before, but since, I am thoroughly incapable of just watching something, I have to be reading, browsing, knitting, or talking on the phone at the same time, sometimes all at once.

It was also sitting there for the three days that my workplace was closed, taking in non-stop information on the attacks, that I realized that Toronto could never be my home, and I needed to get back to Montreal where I could breathe and think and be myself and actually build a life. Less than three months later, I was on a one-way ticket home, with everything I owned once again stuffed into a hockey bag. One of the best decisions of my life.

you are getting very sleepy

noreply@blogger.com (BadYogi) — Sat, 07 Jan 2012 04:59:00 +0000

"day 6: something you would like to change about yourself"

So many things. My god. I'd like to be taller, but I'd also like to have an easier time finding pants that are long enough. I'd like to grow my nails, but I'd like to be better at using my iPhone keypad. Mostly though, right now, I'd like to have an easier time ignoring blatantly sexist drivel posted on Facebook (I know!), because what I'd like most to change about myself in this very moment is the fact that I am still awake.

none of the vampire movies ever end well...

noreply@blogger.com (BadYogi) — Fri, 06 Jan 2012 04:31:00 +0000

"day 5: something you would change about the world"

I would perhaps change the world's outer protective layer, maybe fill in some of the holes that have worn through it. I'd also like to clean up its air and its water, and do something about those 7 billion parasites that just keep eating away at it - there has to be a way for this to become a synergistic, mutually beneficial relationship for both the host and the parasite to survive in the long term.

http://www.davidsuzuki.org/what-you-can-do/
http://www.nature.org/greenliving/carboncalculator/index.htm

why stop there?

noreply@blogger.com (BadYogi) — Wed, 04 Jan 2012 20:56:00 +0000

"day 4: how you think your life would change if you achieved your dream"

Well, now. That’d mean I’d picked one dream and stuck with it, which would mean I’d “become a normal individual”. That’s kind of boring. Unless you were born that way and you’re perfectly happy, in which case, huzzah for you, my friend. But honestly, I don’t see myself achieving one dream and then sitting back and counting the ways my life has changed. I’d rather keep chasing them and count all the blessings I stumble over along the way. I just don’t see the point of doing one thing and then spending the rest of your days being a smug, complacent SOB*. Who wants to be that guy?

*Unless that one thing is, like, curing cancer or AIDS or conservatism, in which case a certain amount of smug is certainly justified.

Image on left: Complacent SOBs

Image on right: Klaus Peter Ossenkopp, who, while he appears to be a smug SOB, started with the effects of electromagnetism on lab rats with cancer decades ago and branched out from there, and so while he may have the right to some smugness is certainly far from complacent. His level of SOB-ness I can't testify to though.

another snarky list post!

noreply@blogger.com (BadYogi) — Tue, 03 Jan 2012 21:31:00 +0000

"day 3: what you think your reason for being here is"

My oh my, these are oddly worded, aren’t they?

Taken literally, I assume my parents wanted me, and so here I am. Taken otherwise, it really depends on the day. So far today I have felt like the answer to that includes (but is not limited to):

1 – To act as lookout at the bus stop while everyone else shelters inside a building’s lobby

2 – To be given free daily “newspapers” as violently and aggressively as possible without it actually being illegal (Resistance is Futile! You Will Take a Newspaper! There is No Escaping it!)

3 – To scramble to find shelter for 7 ½ months pregnant ladies on half a days’ notice

4 – To unwittingly evict someone and feel bad about it only to find out later that not only can they afford a better place, they haven’t even been using the place they were removed from

5 – To be stood up and subsequently abused by the Good Karma Cleaning Co.

6 – To manage the day-to-day affairs of people who are otherwise intelligent, capable, and high-functioning

7 – To stand in endless lines with absolutely no result

8 – To catch your cold

9 – To go through an ungodly amount of paper

10 – To feed the cat

snarky list post!

noreply@blogger.com (BadYogi) — Mon, 02 Jan 2012 14:44:00 +0000

Day 2 of this meme reads "Something that's illegal but you think it should be legal". How can anyone write anything in response to this other than either a huge treatise on harm reduction or a snarky list? Obviously I'm going with the list, for the sake of not contributing to the huge amount of over-eager, over-correct blog entries in the world - at a certain point, that stuff wears out its welcome and the message gets lost in the resultant irritation. So herewith, a list of some of the things that are illegal, but I do not think should be, with no mention of drugs:

1 - Punching people in the back of the head for any of the following things:

Public use of any white iProduct
Public wearing of a Canada Goose jacket
Walking or cycling four across
Walking or cycling (or driving) in anything other than a straight line
Stealing seats on airplanes
Refusing to poop & scoop
Asking veg*ns where they get their protein
Any other act of General Douchebaggery

2 - Videotaping or otherwise recording images of police officers on duty

3 - Being in a park after midnight in a non-residential area

4 - Selling alcohol with veg*n food under a restaurant license

5 - Saying anything against The Harper Government™ (if it's not already illegal, give it time, the maniac's got four more years in power)

6 - Topless breakfast diners

7 - Prostitution

8 - OK, fine. The possession of small amounts of marijuana for personal use. However, the public consumption of such when every single person within breathing distance has not given their consent should be subject to a punch in the back of the head, under the General Douchebaggery clause of point 1

9 - Breaking service contracts with wireless providers over shoddy service

I'm sure there are more. I'm just trying not to think too hard about things that upset me today, I don't want the stress on my last day of vacation.

Day 1 - hopes, dreams, plans with a photo? really?

noreply@blogger.com (BadYogi) — Sun, 01 Jan 2012 19:34:00 +0000

Net posted a while back that she was doing this 365 meme thing, and I miss blogging and frankly need the discipline, so here I am. I assume some days will be more interesting than others, and that's just how it goes. Maybe one of my plans ought to be to say as little as possible when I have nothing to say but am forced to "speak" anyhow. Good plan, actually.

OK. Here we go. Day 1: "Hopes, dreams, and plans for the next 365 days with a picture of yourself"

I hope that there will be fewer grammatical errors in the world. I dream of a world with no egregious comma-related offenses. I have no plans that involve a photo of myself in the next 365 days. Ha. Take that, poorly-written meme thing. (Well, I do need to renew my passport, but that's hardly a big exciting plan with a photo of myself.)

Seriously: I hope I will grow the discipline to sit and do this every single day. I dream of waking up early enough to do it first thing so it's over and done with. I plan to sneak it in at my desk at some point during the day, which I refuse to feel guilty about since I haven't taken a lunch break since, oh, 2007? Maybe one time in 2008? I also plan to eventually request that all those untaken lunch breaks henceforth be rolled into a noon finishing time one day a week, so I can take an afternoon class rather than being limited to what's on offer after 6pm, and both hope and dream that this will fly. It's doubtful though; after a year of not setting any boundaries at this job I expect people to be *really* put out about my starting to do it more actively now (rather than just the quiet turning off the phone and pretending later to have been in the metro or at the movies).

Finally, while my plans for the next 365 days with a picture of myself really are limited to renewing my passport and getting a new student ID card, I'm willing to be the bigger person and assume the original writer of this meme meant to write "plans for the next 365 days, with a picture of yourself" (this is why we need the Oxford comma, people!). That said though, I really don't like posting pictures of myself on open internet forums, but I do very much enjoy posting pictures of my cat*, so please enjoy this festive image of Santa Paws.

*The cat is badass enough that I may actually assign her Power of Attorney over my affairs at some point, so in a way she is a representation of me. Kinda. Not in a creepy cat-lady way, though. I have a boyfriend. I don't plan to die alone. Also she is an only cat and it is likely to stay that way. Enough cat talk now.

2011 meme thingy

noreply@blogger.com (BadYogi) — Wed, 21 Dec 2011 17:43:00 +0000

Totally lifted from Net - thanks!

1. What did you do in 2011 that you'd never done before?

Bought an airplane and a boat. Not for me, obvs, but still. Visited the Maritimes. Called the cops on an excessively noisy neighbor. Clearly, became “that girl” who does shit like that. Gave up shampoo (worth it!). Taught myself to knit.

2. Did you keep your new years' resolutions, and will you make more for next year?

I didn’t make any last year, but, again lifted from Net, going to make a stab at the 365 meme for 2012.

3. Did anyone close to you give birth?

Two wonderful old friends made themselves two pretty adorable babies

4. Did anyone close to you die?

Thankfully, no; fingers crossed for the last ten days of the year to be the same!

5. What countries did you visit?

Just Canada, although it’s safe to say that work is on a totally different planet.

6. What would you like to have in 2012 that you lacked in 2011?

A paid vacation somewhere warm, a full sized bathtub, a settled sleep schedule, average levels of physical energy, a greater level of social ease, and a decreased level of general anxiety. A more tangible sense of security. <-- All of this. Stolen from Net. Also, a puppy, a salary that reflects the job I do and how well I do it, and selective hearing.

7. What date from 2011 will remain etched upon your memory, and why?

September 17, two awesome people had the best wedding ever. September 18, biked the biggest damn hills of my life. September 21, walked in the ocean for the first time in adult memory.

8. What was your biggest achievement of the year?

Biking those damn hills! Deciding what I wanted and making it happen – twice. Also, I really cannot overstate the importance of those hills.

9. What was your biggest failure?

All the times I accidentally ate gluten come to mind, but really any fail is a fail. Oh, and failing to negotiate a better salary.

10. Did you suffer illness or injury?

Injured my neck and shoulders so bad I haven’t been on a bike in two months. Heartbreaking.

11. What was the best thing you bought?

Sadly, my iPhone. So douchey, yet so useful.

12. Whose behaviour merited celebration?

The Boyfriend, especially at Thanksgiving. The cat. Warren Buffet. The boss this week. OWS. Net, Nat, TravelJulie, and especially Sarah for going so far above and beyond in September. Jack Layton. James and Marie-Helene.

13. Whose behaviour made you appalled and depressed?

The Harper Government. Those 53% types. The boss the other 51 weeks of the year. Fat Man, always.

14. Where did most of your money go?

Rent, books, a bit of travel, gifts, and the best/creepiest washing machine ever.

15. What did you get really, really, really excited about?

That trip to the Maritimes. Having next week off. Getting a new washing machine.

16. What song will always remind you of 2011?

In a bad way, that piece of shit thing that just says “I have a hangover” over and over and plays alllllll day long on the work radio station. In a good way, “Bad Romance” and "Home" – Sarah’s wedding was the best fucking dance party EVER.

17. Compared to this time last year, are you:

i. happier or sadder? Mostly happier, but miss working from home some days.

ii. thinner or fatter? The same, but actually able to absorb nutrients the normal way now, so I feel a million times better.

iii. richer or poorer? Richer. Which feels poorer, because when you don’t have any money, then suddenly do, all the things you’ve been depriving yourself of become urgent necessities, despite the fact that really in the grand scheme of things you’re still poor, just less poor than before.

18. What do you wish you'd done more of?

Writing. Sleeping. Yoga. General art-making. Reading. Knitting. Judging from the state of my kitchen, I guess I should include dishwashing here.

19. What do you wish you'd done less of?

Letting jerks that don't deserve my time and attention monopolize my thoughts. ß This. Also: Working, duh.

20. How will you be spending Christmas?

Sleeping, getting The Boyfriend more and more into “Lost”, going to yoga, reading, knitting, making art, and having a little party.

21. At any point in the past year did you do something that you consider completely out of your usual character?

I got an iPhone. And scheduled regular haircuts. And more or less stuck to a budget.

22. Did you fall in love in 2011?

With so many people, places, and things…

23. How many one-night stands?

Nada, cf. The Boyfriend.

24. What was your favourite TV program?

Parks and Rec, 30 Rock, Community, Breaking Bad, and a whole bunch of things that are no longer on the air. Also this is maybe not a popular opinion, but I kind of like The Office without Michael..

25. Do you hate anyone now that you didn't hate this time last year?

Everyone who pisses me off does so with their behavior rather than who they are. Except maybe Harper, but I’ve had a hate-on for him for years now.

26. What was the best book you read?

Beatrice & Virgil. Bel Canto. Run. There’s probably a lot more, but I’d need to look through the pile, and it’s pretty high…

27. What was your greatest musical discovery?

The Cinematic Orchestra, and Russian composers.

28. What did you want and get?

A massage or six, although not for fun reasons. So many books. A new wallet with elephants on it. A Charlie Brown tree. A yearly yoga membership.

29. What did you want and not get?

A full sized bathtub. A puppy. All the other books. This one pair of boots that is ridiculously expensive.

30. What was your favourite film of this year?

I don’t even remember seeing any. Is that bad? I mostly get DVDs so I end up seeing things long after they’re in theatres…

31. What did you do on your birthday, and how old were you?

I turned 34, and we went for a bike ride to the bookstore and the candy store, then we played Monopoly. Yeah, 34.

32. What one thing would have made your year immeasurably more satisfying?

Slightly more money, and clearer personal boundaries. Hey, look, I found another resolution for 2012!

33. How would you describe your personal fashion concept in 2011?

Is it clean? Is it warm? Do I feel like it today?

34. What kept you sane?

The Boyfriend. Yoga. Knitting. Biking. Walking.

35. Which celebrity/public figure did you fancy the most?

I miss Jack. <-- Ditto.

36. What political issue stirred you the most?

OWS, and the NDP’s rise in Quebec.

37. Who did you miss?

See #35, plus all the people who live in other places (and the ones who live here but I never manage to see).

38. Who was the best new person you met?

That’d be two of my new co-workers.

39. Tell us a valuable life lesson you learned in 2011.

Nova Scotia has some hills.

An emergency fund should ideally have three months’ expenses in it, but really at minimum it needs to be enough to buy a new appliance on a moment’s notice.

If the phone rings and the little voice in your head says not to answer it, listen to that voice.

40. Quote a song lyric that sums up your year.

“Passenger Number 24
I've got a bag of cocaine and I cut my hair short…”

Ha. No, really, it’d be more like:

“Who made up all the rules?
We follow them like fools,
Believe them to be true,
Don't care to think them through”

With a shot of "I need a dollar, dollar, a dollar is what I need" on the side.

from the photojournal of Captain Obvious:

noreply@blogger.com (BadYogi) — Tue, 02 Nov 2010 01:35:00 +0000

("Bench")

reasons to move: #136

noreply@blogger.com (BadYogi) — Fri, 04 Dec 2009 17:51:00 +0000

I'm working from home today, which means it's totally OK to answer my phone. I should have gone into the office:

(Ring, ring)

Me: Hello?

Landlady: Sorry to bother you, but I'm really constipated, and it hurt, so I used a suppository, and now my ass hurts so much I can't walk, sit, or stand. Has this ever happened to you?

Me: Uh, no. Have you gone to the doctor?

LL: No.

Me: Maybe you should.

LL: Maybe. And maybe one day, this will happen to you.

Me: Frankly, I hope not. You take care now. (Hangs up).

Thank god I'm seeing five, if not seven, places tomorrow.