Manchild's Choice

Manchild is in the process of applying to university. He went to a university fair today in TO, and I just sat down with him to get his thoughts. His top 3 picks are .... Ottawa, Guelph, and Waterloo. In that order. It hit me hard when he told me that he wants to go to Ottawa - I never figured that he'd be so far away. I should be happy (and I am) because he is doing his research - when I asked him why he chose Ottawa as his 1st choice he mentioned things like they have a lot of bursaries and scholarships; he can continue his studies in french so he doesn't lose the language; it's a great city. He doesn't know anybody who is applying there, and I'm proud of him for doing that. I know that a lot of his friends are making decisions based on where everybody else is applying, or where their boyfriend goes to university.

So I've read the booklets that he brought home, and OMG - it's going to cost about $15,000 A YEAR for him to study! I can't afford that - I'm trying to put myself through school right now! I think that I'm in denial .... I don't have a grip on the reality of the university bills that are going to be coming in. I've saved some money in a RESP, and I know that his dad has been diligent about that as well (especially all those years that he wasn't paying child support ... I'm just sayin'). So now he's got to rely on the scholarships and OSAP. I've applied for a scholarship as well, and I'm crossing my fingers that I'll get it.

It's times like these that I wish that I had a man around who would figure all of this out. I'm overwhelmed.

Analyze this ....

I started my Masters in Counseling Psychology this month - yes, on top of being a single mom, commuting, teaching 3 courses this semester, developing 1 course, training for my cycling, and trying to have a life. The first course that I'm taking is an introduction to personality theories and counseling techniques. Really, really interesting ... and a great review for someone who hasn't taken a psychology course in about 20 years!

We just did a section on Freud and his psychoanalytic theory. I can see what I'm going to be doing for the next few months - I'm going to analyze the shit out of myself. I can't help it. It helps me to learn the theory if I apply it to something that I know. And I like to think that I really know me and that I have the power of insight. As a mother, psychoanalytic theory is scary. Freud puts a huge emphasis on the first 6 years of life and the bulk of the responsibility lies with the mother's relationship with the child. Now that my kids are older (12 and 17) I wonder about how functional they will be in the real world and in relationships. How did I screw them up? Everybody is bound to have screwed up their kids in one way or another - I know that I am completely messed up from my childhood (and sadly, most has to do with the mother issues that I have). But the work that I've done, and the insight, have allowed me to fix a lot of things.

My friend L told me that a guy friend of ours once said to her "It is freaky how Marta can see right through me and know exactly what my issues are and where I'm always coming from." Uh huh. I am good at that, hence the interest in counseling. I also know that it can scare the shit out of people .... mostly men. I think that Sparky totally caught on to the fact that I could see right through him and his "woe is me, feel sorry for me" stories weren't working anymore. So he has to go out and find new people (read: women) to keep the cycle of sympathy going. He also wasn't (isn't) ready to face up to the truth behind his choices and actions. A pivotal moment in counseling is determining when the client is ready to face their "stuff".

A little analysis is fun. It's not like I sit there and completely break down and interpret everything that a guy is saying to me on the first date. I usually wait until the 4th or 5th date for that ....

The Challenge

Did you hear about that guy who started a blog called "Find me a Wife?" Well, it worked for him - he's getting married. This guy started a blog a while back and he displayed his phone number and promised to meet women if they contacted him and he would fly anywhere in the world to meet them! Sounds like he had quite the adventures .... I think that he visited about 6 different countries on his search. And he found his future wife in his own hometown of Montreal.

This whole searching for a partner thing takes a lot of work. I'm exhausted from online dating and keeping track of the people who contact me, and having to email them, and deciding which ones to MSN, and which ones to Facebook, and who actually gets my number, and who will I meet in person. Whew. I wish the ideal guy would just knock on my door. And I have to wade through the nutjobs, and the damaged ones, and the guys who smother their children with "single dad guilty syndrome".

I want a similar challenge - find me a man. Maybe if I post my blog website on my Facebook page then people will read it and spread the word. Maybe my friends know someone, and if that guy isn't right for me then maybe Mr. Wrong knows Mr. Right. I'm ready ... boy am I ever ready.

Sex addiction my ass

Is it just me or have we created all sorts of new syndromes and addictions to explain away poor behaviour on the part of some individuals? The one that really gets me - the sex addict. A man (or woman) can now have an excuse for why he watches 4 hours of internet porn everyday, and/or masturbates his day away, and/or cheats on his partner, and/or has to have one-night stands with as many women as he can get.

A true addiction has a physiologic component to it. An alcoholic or drug addict goes through extreme withdrawal symptoms if they don't feed their addiction. I suppose that a person who engages in the activities listed above has a problem if this interferes with their everyday life, but who's to say that a guy can't masturbate 10 times a day and still function properly at work and at home.

Somebody who cheats constantly on their partner, continually surfs for porn, or beds multiple partners has poor impulse control. And some sort of underlying sadness or "stuff" that needs to be dealt with. Putting a label on the guy .... where is the incentive to take ownership and smarten up? David Duchovney is probably laughing his ass off in "sex addict rehab" because now he is not to blame for cheating on his wife for years. It was his "addiction".

Please explain ....

A few of life's mysteries:

1. Yo yo weight. I'm up, I'm down. I realize that I've had far too much beer and dessert this past summer, but the clothes that I had put away a few months ago are now starting to fit again. How can inches be lost and found that rapidly?
2. Why is it that when I tell my (single) friends to try online dating they find somebody in like a week, when I've been looking ... and looking ... and looking for what seems like forever?
3. Insomnia - every Sunday before another work week.
4. Can somebody please explain the whole liquid restriction thing for flights? Why can we carry liquids in small containers, and then multiple containers in small baggies, but as soon as you're one handcream over the limit - no way.
5. Why is it that when I show male friends the same sort of affection that I show my female friends they get all weird and don't know what to do? I'm just being nice - I don't want you! Stop it!
6. I get so excited when I have plans to go out on the weekend. Doesn't matter what I'm doing - a party, drinks with a friend, dinner .... anything social. So I make myself look pretty, strap on a pair of killer shoes, have a drink, and then yawn. Yawn! What the - I can't be tired! I want to party like it's 1999! I want to meet new people! Why am I yawning?!?
7. While we're on the subject of shoes, why is there a direct relationship between killer shoes and the number of blisters that will develop on your feet from wearing them?
8. Still speaking of shoes ..... crocs ..... why?
9. Why is it that when older males (like 40 +) drink in a public venue they all of a sudden think that acting like they're 20 again is attractive? Wrestling with your fellow gray-hairs is not cool. Nor is ogling the teenage girls.
10. Acne is your 40's. Life is cruel.

Dumb and Dumber

I went to B's summer hockey tournament yesterday evening - his team was in the finals. I love that B has been so dedicated and passionate about hockey since he started playing at the age of 4. And with both parents being former skaters, I figure that there's a lot of natural talent in the kid. Anyhow, they lost the game which has never been a big deal to B, myself, or his dad ... in fact, we have been blessed by the fact that B has usually been on a team coached by the same guy who stresses fair play and fun above everything else. But this summer - different coach. And lots of yelling at the kids on the bench. And the parents in the stands were unbelievable last night. One guy yelled for the entire game at top volume. (Dumb.) And the goalies mom and grandmother were sitting right across from me and yelled at their kid to "get your ass up" after he missed a save and the other team scored. (Dumber.) I don't think that the beer tent outside the arena was such a good idea - it just made the obnoxious idiots even louder. What are these kids exposed to at home? Why do parents enforce their own dreams and (lack of) self-esteem on these poor kids? It's summer hockey people! It's supposed to be fun for the kids!

The Hill

Today I conquered The Hill. The BIG hill. Sydenham hill.

If you're not familiar with this area then you have no idea what I'm talking about. Sydenham hill is a huge hill in Dundas that was built in the 70's that climbs the north side of the escarpment. It is a Dundas landmark. And it's huge. The Canadian cycling team practices on this hill. In cycling circles, there are people who will ask you if you have climbed "The Hill" yet. Up until now, the only route I had taken was down the hill ... which is a rush! (Imagine going 60km/hr on those incredibly skinny tires - crazy, but exhilarating!) My cycling group kept telling me that I could do the hill, but I was terrified and had convinced myself that they were exaggerating my cycling skills.

But today, my friend M talked me into it. Or more like, he wore me out until I said yes. You see, ever since my big amazing bike riding fundraiser in June, I have been slacking off. Then there was a couple vacations thrown in (like this past weekend I was in Wisconsin drinking American beer ... far too much American beer). So I've been putting on weight and haven't been nearly as active as I should be. Anyhow, I finally told M that I would do it. It was a beautiful day ... why not?

So we started up the hill and after about 20 seconds I was sucking wind. And my hips were hurting (bad sign-out of shape). But instead of panicking, I put my head down and took a very slow but steady pace up the hill. It was easy to distract myself from the pain - the view was amazing, the air was clear (for a change), and I had a song in my head. And before I knew it - I had reached the top where M was waiting with a big cheer for me.

Cycling is such a mental game. And I do the worst thing possible with hills - I am scared of them. But today I conquered The Hill and I feel great!

The trip

Latvia was an experience. I really had no idea what to expect, and many times my sister and I just looked at each other and couldn't believe that we were there. We had heard so much about this country when we were growing up, but I never figured that I would actually visit the place let alone with my entire family! Here are some of my personal highlights and observations from my trip:
- I have a better understanding of what my mother went through. I didn't have a good idea about the Soviet/German occupations that she lived through. And why it was so important for her to escape. But I received a sobering lesson in Latvian history at the Occupation Museum.
- It was great to see my kids so interested in all the history of the places we visited. Not once did I hear "I'm bored".
- My mother was so happy to have all of her kids and grandkids there. I haven't seen her that happy in ... well ... I don't think that I've ever seen her that happy.
- The Latvian women were gorgeous! Blond, blue-eyed, tanned, skinny. They all dressed to the nines in skimpy little summer dresses and walked those cobblestone streets in 4-inch heels. I felt like frumpy central around these women.
- But .... not friendly people. Not mean, just not warm people. Most do not like English-speaking people (and unlike other countries in Europe, it wasn't because they thought we were American - they just don't like English-speaking people).
- Our daily Double Coffee ritual. And "chocolate" sprinkles for my double cappuccino (funny story I'll save for later).
- The Baltic beaches were beautiful. Soft, white sand that stretched forever along the coast.
- Remnants of the Soviet occupation were everywhere. Abandoned military-style buildings, checkpoint towers at road intersections - eye-opening. Karosta was an area in Liepaja that was built for the Soviet military and their families. Most of the buildings sit empty now so it was like a ghost town driving through it. But then you'd come across areas where people were still living - sometimes there would be a huge apartment building and half of the building would be boarded up and run down, and then the other half of the same building would be lived in. It was a strange feeling driving through there.
- Riga is a hidden gem of a city. Like any old European city that I've visited, it had an old town with cobblestone streets (and no vehicles but delivery trucks and some taxis allowed), museums galore, lots of cafes, great restaurants, pretty decent shopping, and lots of history. The central market was housed in 4 old zeppelin hangars - massive! Although on the day we visited, we didn't see the tanks of eels that we had heard so much about.
- The Russians kinda scared me (make up almost 50% of the population). They just always sounded so harsh and mobster-like. Even the women.
- They need screens on their windows. I was devoured by mosquitos every night ... in my hotel room!
- I saw the house that my mother was living in right before her family had to run from yet another Soviet invasion in 1944. Can you imagine having to leave everything behind and starting over from nothing?
- On a happy note, we stayed in an inn in Liepaja that used to be my great-grandfather's house. When Latvia became independent again, residents were given a small timeframe to regain property if they had the necessary paperwork, deeds, etc. My mother convinced her cousin to try for this house, and he got it so they took over what was now an inn and turned it into a really nice place.

I don't know if I'll ever make it back, and I'd like to see the other Baltic countries (Estonia and Lithuania) ... but I am so thankful that I was able to make this trip.

Chairman of the Bored ...

Geez - I'm bored today. It drives me crazy when my kids tell me that they're bored, but man I am feeling it today. My kids are away this week, and I'm on vacation. I want fun. I want exciting places to go, people to meet. So far ... nuthin'.

OK, so it's not exactly nothing. I did meet a guy last night for a "date" (I prefer to call it a meeting). It was the first time I was meeting this guy after more than a month of emails and talking on the phone. He looked nothing like his picture. I hope the disappointment didn't show (too much) on my face. Meanwhile, he's looking at me like he just hit the freaking jackpot. Anyhow, I broke one of my rules and met this guy for dinner. It's usually coffee or a drink - something quick so I can hightail it out of there if I need to. But this guy drove all the way from London and I felt obligated to give him more than just an hour over coffee. Nice enough guy, but I found myself tuning him out ... story after story about all the drunkfests that he's had. Buddy - wouldn't brag about your drinking problem. And we were complete opposites - if he had it his way he'd pave over all of nature; I'm a tree-hugger in his eyes (he actually called me that). He hates vegetables; I love them. You get the picture. Couldn't wait to get out of there.

Problem is that I'm feeling rather frisky these days if ya know what I'm sayin'. I've seen this other guy a couple times now ... 44, lives about 1/2 hour away. Nice guy. Don't think he's long-term material but we have established that we can have a lot of fun together. Is it wrong to want late night booty calls from him? Why do I feel like Samantha from SATC lately? Another guy that I'm currently talking to (but haven't met in person) looks like a keeper. Problem is that he lives in TO and now that I'm off work for a month, meeting him isn't convenient. He's European, 5 years younger, and looks like a cross between Ben Affleck and Ethan Hawke. Yummy.

So what have I done today? Cleaning. And took my cats to the vets. And did some organizing for my trip. Yawn.

Vacay heaven

I officially started my 1-month vacation today. But do you think that I slept in? I was actually up at about 4am because I had a really bad dream about my kids. I dreamt that we were taking the train across country, and just before Calgary I had to get off the train because my ticket didn't cover me any further. So I hauled my luggage off the train and left E and B to fend for themselves. But then E caught up with me - he left B all alone on the train to Vancouver! Should I even bother analyzing this ... perhaps a bit of pre-travel worries?

We're leaving for Latvia (and hopefully Estonia) on Sunday. I'm not going to even think about packing until Saturday. I'm a list writer so I'll just write a bunch of lists for what I should bring. We've been planning this trip for almost a year - I can't believe that I'm only a few days away from finally seeing the country that I've heard so much about from my mother. She is so thrilled about this trip - my kids are coming, as well as my sister, my brother, and my sister-in-law.

A big Happy Birthday to my little B who turns 12 today!

What I love ..... this week's version

- I love getting up in the morning and reading the paper with my morning coffee
- I love watching movies with my little B because he still likes to snuggle
- I love my bed
- I love planning for big trips (Latvia in 1 week!)
- I love meeting new people
- I love flirting ... on the phone, over email, in person ... all fun!
- I love having a cool house to come home to on a hot, muggy day
- I love discovering new restaurants, especially ones that have sorts of yummy veggie fare
- I love the taste of cold beer while sitting on a patio on a warm summer night (especially nice when you can combine it with some flirting ...)
- I love it when I have really productive days at work
- I love hearing good news from my friends ... especially if it's something that was a long time coming
- I love finding new friends on Facebook
- I love spending time by myself with a good book

Happy weekend everybody!

I must be crazy .....

I'm actually thinking of jumping out of a plane. While it's in the air. Really, really high up in the air.

Sky-diving is something that I always wanted to try when I was younger. But then I had kids and it just lost its appeal. (Or maybe I was just too lazy to write my will.) But now I've been talking to somebody who took his first jump a couple years ago and he has since done 160 jumps! He told me what a rush it was. He said that you don't really have the sensation of falling because there is a constant strong wind on you - kinda like what it would feel like if you stuck your entire body out of your car window as it travelled down the highway at 120km/hr. (Although he did say "don't look down - look at the horizon!") For first timers, there are 2 instructors holding on to your harness, and once you deploy your parachute, they let go. And then there's a guy on the ground who is communicating with you through an earpiece who tells you how to steer the parachute so you land in the right place.

Sounds easy, right? I think that the hardest part would be sitting in the airplane as you wait to reach altitude for the jump. I might need a diaper for this! My kids think I should try it (but to put that in perspective, they'd also think it was cool if I climbed Mt Everest). Stay tuned ... I have a few more weeks of summer to think about it ...

How to Make a Woman Happy

It's not difficult to make a woman happy. A man only needs to be:

1. a friend
2. a companion
3. a lover
4. a brother
5. a father
6. a master
7. a chef
8. an electrician
9. a carpenter
10. a plumber
11. a mechanic
12. a decorator
13. a stylist
14. a sexologist
15. a gynaecologist
16. a psychologist
17. a pest exterminator
18. a psychiatrist
19. a healer
20. a good listener
21. an organizer
22. a good father
23. very clean
24. sympathetic
25. athletic
26. warm
27. attentive
28. gallant
29. intelligent
30. funny
31. creative
32. tender
33. strong
34. understanding
35. tolerant
36. prudent
37. ambitious
38. capable
39. courageous
40. determined
41. true
42. dependable
43. passionate
44. compassionate
WITHOUT FORGETTING TO:
45. give her compliments regularly
46. love shopping
47. be honest
48. be very rich
49. not stress her out
50. not look at other girls
AND AT THE SAME TIME, YOU MUST ALSO:
51. give her lots of attention, but expect little yourself
52. give her lots of time, especially time for herself
53. give her lots of space, never worrying about where she goes
IT IS VERY IMPORTANT:
54. Never to forget:* birthdays* anniversaries * arrangements she makes

HOW TO MAKE A MAN HAPPY
1. Show up naked
2. Bring food

Disclaimer: We're not really that high-maintenance, are we?

Natural highs

1. Falling in love.
2. Laughing so hard your face hurts.
3. A hot shower.
4. No lines at the supermarket .
5. A special glance.
6. Getting mail (like real snail-mail).
7. Hearing your favorite song on the radio.
8. Lying in bed listening to the rain outside.
9. Hot towels fresh out of the dryer.
10. A bubble bath.
11. Giggling.
12. Finding a 20-dollar bill in your coat from last winter.
13. Laughing at yourself.
14. Running through sprinklers.
15. Having someone tell you that you're beautiful.
16. Accidentally overhearing someone say something nice about you.
17. Waking up and realizing you still have a few hours left to sleep.
18. Your first kiss (either the very first or with a new partner).
19. Having someone play with your hair.
20. Road trips with friends.
21. Swinging on swings.
22. Making chocolate chip cookies.
23. Holding hands with someone you care about.
24. Running into an old friend and realizing that some things (good or bad) never change.
25. Watching the expression on someone's face as they open a much desired present from you.
26. Watching the sunrise.
27. Knowing that somebody misses you.
28. The beach.
29. Getting a hug from someone you care about deeply.
30. Knowing you've done the right thing, no matter what other people think.

Did I miss any?

(With thanks to my friend V for sending me this wonderful email to remind me of all that I should be thankful for.)

Adventure of a Lifetime

On the weekend of June 21-22, I took part in the inaugural Ride to Conquer Cancer for Princess Margaret Hospital. I originally signed on for the ride back in July 2007 when I was convinced to join a team of riders from PMH - that's us in the picture ... the RMP SoBs (not what you think - Staff on Bikes). I had no idea what a truly inspiring and amazing event it would be.

We started on the Friday (day 0) where we had to check in our bikes, pick up our jerseys, etc. at the CNE. Wow - what a sight! A gigantic warehouse filled with bikes and people. I found out that there were 2,850 riders! It took me more than an hour to weave through all of the different lines to get my check-in completed. Our team met for a heavy carb-loading dinner afterwards ... first time I was meeting some of the people on my team. What a great group - 4 cancer survivors amongst us (ranging in age from 26 to 45).

Day 1 was crazy! I barely slept the night before and couldn't really stomach much to eat that morning. I made my way to the start line before the other members of my team and managed to get fairly close to the start of all the riders. (If you have access to my Facebook, check out the pictures and what the start looked like with almost 3000 bikes!) Anyhow, the start went off without a hitch - I was worried about starting with this many people especially since my cycling shoes clip into the pedals and wipeouts happen easily. Anyhow, the organization and support on the route out of Toronto was amazing - roads closed, people directing traffic, pit stops - unbelievable. There were groups of people that we would encounter along the way who would be cheering us on, and yelling "thank you for doing this!". I had tears in my eyes at times. After one particularly gruelling hill outside of Milton, there was a group of people standing outside their house holding a sign that said "A cancer survivor lives here - Thank you!" And a little girl was cheering for us and running with the bikes - it was amazing.

After 110km (the last 10km in the pouring rain), I made it to camp. We had a 2km hill right at the end of the ride to get up the Hamilton mountain (not so easy after you've just done 100km!). We were treated to an amazing dinner, a band - everything that we needed we had for us. Massages, food, drink (beer - free beer!), pain killers (needed a few of those) - it was absolutely incredible. At about 7pm they interrupted the ceremony that they were doing to announce that the last rider had just come in (to put this in perspective ... I finished at 12:40 and it was now 7). When we found out that this rider had done the 110km WITH ONE LEG we all stood and gave her a standing ovation. She tearfully told us that she had lost her leg (at the hip) to cancer when she was 9 and she was doing this ride for all of the friends that she has lost to cancer. She also said "I wasn't expecting this reception when I got here ... I was just trying to finish the damn ride!" Anyhow, day 1 ended in tent city (picture over a 1000 tents in a field - somebody described it as looking like the civil war!)

Day 2 started off a bit rainy as we left Hamilton. The ride to Niagara Falls was a lot harder than I thought because they took us on a lot of hilly country roads. My legs were a bit sore, but I managed. Again - people cheering, pit stops galore - and I discovered that gummy bears make a good snack when you're on the bike (must be the sugar). Anyhow, 105km to NF for a grand total of 215km in 2 days. The finish area was lined with people cheering and clapping, cow bells going off, the announcer going nuts when riders were coming in - it was the perfect way to end things. You got off your bike and people were congratulating you, and thanking you - complete strangers. Thousands of people there, and again - food, drink, support. My team hung around waiting for everyone to finish (last on our team finished about 3 hours after I did) and waiting for the bus/train home.

Here's the stats for the event:
- we raised $14 million for cancer research!
- I personally raised almost $4000 (surpassing the required amount of $2500)
- somebody actually raised $250,000 on their own, and one team raised almost 1/2 million!
- 2,850 riders
- I rode 110km in just over 4 hours on day 1; 105km in just under 4 hours on day 2

I've already signed up for next year ... so yes, I'll be hitting y'all up for some more money!

Happy 2008!

Wow, it's been a while! I'm still alive ... I know that I had some people worried. No excuse other than life got extremely busy, and competing interests (ie. the man) put blogging at the bottom of the priority list. Just to let you know that life is good - glad that the holidays are over - but life is good.

We had a snowstorm last night and everything looks so beautiful. It's still snowing outside. What a great start to 2008!

Should I even bother with the resolutions? I usually don't. But I try to set some goals so maybe I should do that. Here goes:

- keep traveling (shouldn't be hard as I'm going to Latvia, Estonia, and Lithuania this summer)
- stay motivated with work, and hopefully have another excellent term
- stay in touch with my boys and what they're up to in life ... they're growing up too fast! And they sometimes feel like strangers (especially Manchild) 'cause who wants to converse with boring old mom?
- try one new adventure every month .... already planning a dog-sledding trip in February!
- finally figure out where I want to go back to school - I applied to 2 Master's programs for next year ... oops, this year .... but I'm not sure if they're what I really want to do
- plan more visits with K ... cause I love her and always have a great time with her! And I feel bad that I've never been to visit her in Wisconsin
- keep working hard on the Sparky-relationship thing

Happy New Year!

Three for Me

My friend Sal posed a question on her blog this week: What will the people in your life think are your 3 most stand-out qualities? So I've been thinking about this. I've had various people make comments over the years, so I think that I have a pretty good idea about how others see me. Now the question is - do I want to be seen that way? Anyhow, here are my 3 most stand-out qualities:

1. I'm strong. Yet soft at the same time.
2. I'm a good mother.
3. I'm an inspiration.

What do you think? I can think of some other qualities that I might possess: I'm different, I'm fair, I try to make a difference in this world, I'm kind and I'm generous.

And on a final note, I've been thinking of my friend C all day and sending positive thoughts and love her way. C is having a brain tumour removed today, and the operation is a major 6-12 hour ordeal. They started operating on her at 9 this morning, and I haven't heard an update.

Head rubs and Cheese

I am in no shape for a night of drinking. Make that 2 nights of drinking. My friend K was visiting this weekend, and we checked into the Hyatt in TO on Friday for an evening of excess. Fabulous dinner, great company, interesting conversations, and booze baby booze. I'm a lightweight to begin with, but I'm also smart. I pace myself. But the road to recovery the next morning is slow. K rubbed my head for about 1/2 hour (she gives the BEST head rubs) which seemed to do the trick.

And then we did the same thing again on Saturday night. K had the chance to meet Sparky and my best male buddy M - we sat around my place for a few drinks and K did up a cheese plate to end all cheese plates. $35 worth of cheese my friend .... and I don't eat cheese. So of course, the 3 of them couldn't manage to finish the enormous bricks of cheese before it was time to leave for our dinner reservation, and I've been trying to pawn the cheese off on anybody who will take it. Anyhow, evening #2 of fabulous dinner, great company, interesting conversations, and booze baby booze. Another head rub in the morning, but the cumulative effect of 2 nights of drinking had me moving slowly and gingerly. I just don't bounce back from these things like I did in my younger days.

Update. And sleep deprivation.

So here's the Sparky update. Miracle upon miracles - Sparky is digging me. And shows it. He calls me and we end up talking for hours on the phone (and I HATE talking on the phone), he plans for the next time that he can see me, he tells me how he feels and what he's thinking, he's interested in getting to know me and it shows .... I didn't think that I would ever find a guy who was willing to take chances like this. To top it off, he's the rare breed of guy who opens doors for me, and helps me to put my coat on, and walks me to my door when he drops me off - I should thank his mother for doing such a great job. No dating others for Sparky - he wants to take the time to get to know me. Well. All's good in dateland my friends. (And I can hear a whole bunch of sighs of relief and "Finally!" from y'all right now.) As dear old Sally-gal said - if you put it out there as to what you deserve and how you should be treated by a guy, then the universe will deliver the goods.

This week has been riddled by end of term hell and major insomnia. Some nights I only get 2 hours of sleep - and when I'm getting up at 4:30am to make my 8am lecture in Toronto - well let's just say that I'm a big mess. The other night I was walking to Union Stn and the number of times that I caught my toe on the sidewalk and stumbled was unbelievable. I just started giggling after the 10th time .... people must have wondered if I was high or drunk, stumbling and giggling. Today I took a vacation day, and I'm heading to TO for a day of shopping and an evening in a nice hotel with my best friend K who is visiting for the weekend. I can't wait.

Plane Stupid

I read an article in the paper today about some Saudi prince who is buying one of those new big ass jumbo jets for his own personal use. He is going to completely refurbish it with a gym, a movie theatre (yes, in a plane), private bedrooms - his own flying palace! At the mere cost of only $325 million. Ya, that's a lot of zeros.

Anybody else just cringing right now at the stupidity of this wealthy excess? I'm thinking $325 million could go a long way towards .... oh maybe curbing poverty. Or disease. Or how about putting that money (or even some of it) towards saving our planet?

What a waste. But I guess I can't expect anything else from a guy who probably made most of his money off of oil. I'm usually not a nasty person, but I hope his luxery liner crashes.