TB - October 2006

Throwback Thursday - Scroll to the bottom of the month and read up. Or click on the earliest post in the month (to view the post and the comments) then keep clicking Newer Post until you finish the month.

OCTOBER 2006

Oh my, it was a packed month! It is a slow start, but Always Standing in October of 2006 features a really old picture of a long-haired Mike, my 100th blog post, friend introductions of Kristen and Kristin, a couple of posts about a visit from Amanda, my break-up with W, a cancelled party at Le Manoir, a trip home to party with Teri instead, and Halloween.

Noted Post: I really like the strange one that compares passion to horseback riding. It isn't written perfectly, but there are parts that I still really like.

TB - July 2006

Throwback Thursday - I still haven't figured out a good way to read these old months from Always Standing. Ideally, it would be easy to scroll through, chronologically, see comments, and add new ones; however, there isn't an easy way so just try whatever works for you.

JULY 2006

From the looks of these post, the summer of 2006 was hot and busy for me in Ottawa. It was the summer that I worked at both Subway and Second Cup, while living at Le Manoir and dating W. The reason the blog was called Always Standing is that a summer working two food service jobs literally meant I was always standing.

Noted Post: There are lots of good posts in July 2006, but I like the little poem I wrote called Today about summer rain.

TB - June 2006

Throwback Thursday - I started writing Always Standing in June 2006. Here is a look back at a previous month of my life. To read in chronological order, scroll to the bottom of the page and read up. Suggestion: Click on the first post of the month and use the Newer Post to view the posts with comments.

JUNE 2006

Let's start at the beginning! Almost 8 years ago I started Always Standing on June 12, 2006. I don't even really understand my very first post or the reason that it gives for starting the blog. However, I think I remember that I had planned to review movies here - something I rarely, if ever, do. The rest of the posts are mainly about working at Subway and Second Cup, it was a really busy summer but a fun one.

Noted Post: The Story Of My Heart is a cute little recap of my relationships up to dating W.

Relationship Status

One of the features on everyone's Facebook Profile is listing your 'Relationship Status', this should never be done. It is a huge ordeal to change your relationship status and whenever you do, a notification goes out on all your friends Facebook News Feed. If you change a 'In a Relationship' to 'Single' or even choose no longer to show any status, a little broken heart image occurs. When W. and I broke up, changing this on my profile was the first thing I did. I thought it would be an easy little step before taking down pictures and telling friends, it was not. The morning after a break-up having an entire online network of people know what happened is not a very subtle way to start moving apart. I discussed this with Ter on the phone today and she claims listing a relationship status is 'a rookie Facebook mistake'.

Random Night

I had to close the store tonight. I spent most of the time talking on the phone and catching up with my parents, Ter, and Steph. Afterwards I surprised Ami by taking her down to Winterlude. I could not believe how many ice sculptures there are this year. Some of them are so incredible it is almost unbelievable that they are done in ice. It was so cold, we didn't realise at the time but Environment Canada had issued a Wind Chill warning since it was -28 degrees Celsius, -41 with wind chill. After freezing our asses off looking at the ice we headed to Oz for late night Hot Chocolate and Baileys, alas Oz had already called Last Call. W. was there and the three of us went to go and grab a bite to eat at the diner. Mid conversation I find out that my skates, which have been missing, are at his house. I'm furious, but laughing cause it is so a W. thing, especially since he has known for over a month and keeps forgetting to call me about it. After the diner we walked there to pick them up. It was such a fun night and the best part was finding my pretty white figure skates!

The Break Up Card

I feel this concept needs to be better defined, and the rules written out. A Break Up Card can be used to get your friends to pretty much do what ever you want, go where ever you want, talk whenever you want, deal with late night phone calls, take you on trips for distraction etc. The line "I just went through a break up" just needs to be said, otherwise known as "Pulling The Break Up Card". Any time it is used the only rule is it shouldn't financially cost the friend much money. It last for:
1 Week - A peaceful break up, either mutual or self induced
2 Weeks - An upsetting break up, usually being dumped
4 Weeks- If being cheating on is a factor at all
(My card ran out today, W. and I got our 1 Week. This doesn't mean you are over the person or relationship at all, just my friends are no longer at my beck and call.)

W&C 1.5

Happy Anniversary to us. Year and a half.

Super Geeky Adorable

This is so cute! And Fitting! I tend to always fall in love with dorks. I don't feel bad about saying this because 1 - W. knows he is nerdy and 2 - I found out yesterday that W. doesn't even read my blog, jerk. As usual I found this on one of his bookmarks. It is from XKCD, "a webcomic of romance, sarcasm, math, and language" made by Randall Munroe.

Mouse Crisis

I was setting the table for Thanksgiving dinner in Le Manoir. A cute little grey baby mouse walked into my sight in the sunroom. It seemed calm and just walking around when I noticed Binx was stalking it. I started screaming at her, but she just kept following the mouse about 3 inches behind it. The little mouse really didn't seem to mind and popped down a hole. I was still screaming at Binx to get away from the hole when the mouse popped up again (this is a very dumb mouse, according to Darwin it should probably die.) The mouse started walking around again with Binx following it. I ran to the phone to call W. in screaming crying hysterics, all the while I could hear squeaky little mouse screams. Convinced Binx had killed the mouse and it was lying somewhere in the dining or sunrooms disemboweled I called everyone I could think of to come rescue me. Steph, My Cool Boss, W., everyone just laughed at me. I snuck back to the area on total edge only to find no dead mouse and another (or the same) little grey mouse wandering around.

One Sentence

"(My mother called me to do a chore and i responded, "What you need, Woman," to which my father chided, "Your mother is NOT a woman!")"[sic] This is a "story" from a website I found in W.'s bookmarks. W. has some really good links on his computer. It is simular to PostSecret (see Links to the right) most are pretty moving and sad. People submit true stories but only a sentence long. Check it out, I have also added it to the Links to the right.

Home Sweet Home

With working at The Cup over and done with, I can now actually live in Le Manoir with my pets, my girls, my huge stock pile of food, my bed, my computer, and my clothes. I will finally truly live in this beautiful house and hang out in my wicked huge room. It is true that the home is where the heart is, in that case my heart is still with W. in his tiny room downtown. So many people, pets and things that I love are here though, so my heart is going to have to move. W. can come visit me here for a change!

Food? Maybe Not Yet

I think I am on the other side of this bug that has been attacking me for the past few days. I just finished eating some oatmeal and hopefully it is a step in a healthier direction. Mind you I had a bowl of soup last night with some disastrous results, and this oatmeal isn't sitting all that well. I had thought I had food poisoning, but since Ami and now W. seem to be also sick I think it might have been a flu thing. I haven't heard of any bug being passed around, so I guess I started it. Go me for starting something, too bad it is something that is so very bad. It is also unfair since even though I hate needles I am always a good flu shot getting girl. This flu got me early though, they haven't even started with the shots yet. Man I'm ahead of the curve and starting a trend, who know I was so cool. Well, like all the 'cool' girls, I have to go throw up.

Very Sick

I'm more than a little ill. I don't know what came over me, I was a little cold and my body ached a lot yesterday, but what ever this is it just totally hit me. I was walking downtown, after browsing a used book store with W. and had to run to a nearby sub shop, where I was sick. I have never been that violently ill in my life, it was awful. Now I'm just at home, resting and whimpering.

Off Kilter

I have only been back in town for less then 10 hours, but something feels weird. The world of my life in the city seems to have shifted on its axis. I arrived at W.'s at 5:00, so there would be time for a quick shower and e-mail check before work at 6:00, also that is where my uniform was. Although his bike was on the porch and his computer screen was on, W. wasn't home and I have been really looking forward to seeing him. I called his cell and he is across three provinces visiting his brother for his birthday. (I'm sure he did tell me this, but it had slipped my mind.) I quickly caught up on Ami's blog and got all irrationally jealous and confused by who she went to Oz with this week. Work was dreadful and The Owner was much more negative, annoying, criticizing, and mean then I remember. All my friends seem to be behaving weird with me, not in a bad or good way just differently in some miniscule way. People say they can feel when there is a full moon, well it feels like there was one all week while I was gone and now I'm returning to everything being a tiny bit screwed up and I don't quite fit in anywhere.

An Oz Widow

W. got a second job. He seems to have fit it perfectly and really enjoys it. He is the night chef at the local chic bar/restaurant "Oz Kafe". He still has his old day job which means he sometimes works from 10am to 4am straight. We rarely saw each other before but now both of us are holding down two jobs, I start school in a few weeks and he is going back to Cordon Bleu in the winter. We will have to make adjustments to fit this relationship into our now even busier schedule, and I will have to get used to crashing at his house when it is convinient but not expecting him to be there. So, yes, it is after 3am and I was waiting up for him to come home, but bed his looking very inviting, even if it is empty right now.

I Should Never Go Hungry

I'm staying at W.'s this evening, since I open tomorrow morning. I wondered what we were doing for dinner, to which W.'s response was "What do you want to do for dinner?" After explaining that I was broke and up for anything he could afford, he told me he had pasta, flour, water, and maybe butter, and could I go put on a pot of water for "Pasta with Butter." In shock I responded with "I'm dating a chef, dammit, I should never go hungry."

A Week At Home

This is my schedule for the next week, I will be at home every night. So in case someone is looking for me... parents, Crazy T., Ami, W., My Cool Boss (who now calls The Cup when trying to reach me which is unnerving)... you can call me in the evenings or stop by, cause the house is wicked and I always enjoy company.

Monday (24) - Sub 11-3
Tuesday (25) - Cup 6-11
- Sub 12-3
Wednesday (26) - Cup 6-12
Thursday (27) - Cup 6-2
Friday (28) - Cup 7-2
Saturday (29) - Cup 7-close

Early mornings, but that leaves me the afternoon for fun, I just have to be disciplined and get myself to sleep early each night.

Escher

M. C. Escher was a Dutch graphic designer in the early 1900's. His work is so interesting, detailed and mathematical. This is "Drawing Hands" 1948. I sketched this piece for a Grade Nine art drawing once, where we had to draw hands, I remember getting a good grade even though I was totally copying a master. I gave Escher credit though, so it wasn't plagiarism. W. also has a shirt with this picture on it. It is one of my favorite pieces, another great one is of a pond where you can see, the fish under the water, the reflection of the trees in the water and the floating leaves sitting on the water, impossible for the human eye. For more about Escher, Wikipedia is always good.

Heat Wave

"In this heat, it takes conscious effort to breath" W.

I have been sleeping at W. on the first floor, on couch cushions, with a fan on my face and it has still be boiling. Ottawa is suffering through a serious Heat Wave.

July 12 was 23 Degrees Celsius
July 13 was 30 Degrees Celsius
July 14 was 32 Degrees Celsius
July 15 was 28 Degrees Celsius
July 16 was 32 Degrees Celsius
Right now it is 32 AGAIN.

Normally for July it is 26 is an average high
The record high for July is 36 in 1955, we had better not get to that.

Best Weather Info

Better

A facial mask and new shoes make everything better. Also not wearing a bra!! Ok I know I have little tiny boobs that really don't ever need a bra, but I always wear one cause it just makes me feel more comfortable. Well, I was doing my laundry at W.'s last night, cause as we all know I pretty much live there, and I feel asleep. As I was falling asleep I asked him to pull out my clothes from the washer and hang them up so they would be dry. Well he forgot my bra, so I had to go commando all morning. I'm defiantly not ready to switch but it was an enjoyable experience. Ami, her friends from the "other" P-Dot, and I went shopping. I got shoes, beautiful beautiful blue shoes. Now I'm sitting here in a peel-away face mask, life is good!