Eastern Promises

Rattlesnake Choir, Dakota Tavern, Toronto, ON, September 2009

I’m writing this from a dying computer. Despite an internet connection, the Quick Shuttle from the SeaTac Airport lacks plug-ins, so after traveling for over 12 hours, my computer is low on juice.

I left over a week ago – flying to Toronto, busing to Buffalo, flying to New York, flying to Seattle and now busing back to Vancouver. The only thing standing in my way is the wait at the Peace Arch – which could be excruciatingly long considering it is Sunday evening.

The trip was great. Really. But… the first half significantly overshadowed the second half. Toronto better than New York City? How could that be?

28!

I am in no condition to write a blog post. But write I will.

I’m just so happy. Sometimes you need reminders that friends are out there. From the text messages, to the phone calls to the facebook posts, I am blessed.

It was a great day, start to finish. It’s funny, I am sure I could think of ways it which it could’ve been better – okay, like not getting an estimate of over $800 dollars to fix my car – but all in all, I got to see or hear from the people I love most in this world. Thank you friends.

Now I need to compile a list of 28 things I want to do this year.

1. Go to sleep so that my 3am wakeup call does not destroy me.

Summer slipping away

My birthday tends to mark the end of summer. The official end is a few days later, but the last of the good weather usually happens around my day of birth.

(It’s the big 2-8 this year.)

With a little help from my friends

…There are those who are far, those who are near, those who are sympathetic, those who don’t treat me any differently, those who are only 5 weeks old, those who have re-emerged and those who have walked away…

Thank you.  Really.  I don’t know what I would do without all of you.  Wish me luck.

Ten.

Next weekend is my ten year high school reunion.

Will I be flying back to Edmonton for the event? (Which according to my facebook sleuthing seems to be two events – one for the so-called cool kids which I *wasn’t* invited to, and one for the rest of us.)

The answer, of course, is no.

Had my grandmother died two weeks later, maybe I’d be going. But even by being in Edmonton the same weekend as the event(s), I still don’t know if my sense of curiosity would be enough to draw me out.

“You look happy.”

Is this the face of a happy person?

I had a birthday lunch with a friend today.  (His, not mine.) We went to Denny’s where you get a free meal with the purchase of two drinks and an entree.  For the price of an orange juice, I bought him lunch. (His idea, not mine.)

We’ve been friends for a couple years now with pretty significant ups and downs, culminating in the reason I never see him for more than a brief lunch… a baby.  (His, not mine!) The child has been a blessing in disguise – The drama which surrounded our lives when we were close is now over and he’s just a doting dad. While our friendship will never be what it was, maybe that’s a good thing.

As we sat there over his breakfast slam and my giant burger (which prompted many “that’s what she said jokes” as I tried to stuff it in my mouth), he looked at me and said, “You look happy.”

El sleepo

These are my friends from work.  They are here to symbolize the sacrifices I make in my day to day life.  Tomorrow is day 5 of 6 in a row at work.  While that’s not so bad, I have to wake up at 3am tomorrow and be at work by 4am.  I’ve taken a sleeping pill that is very much kicking in.  At this point, my typing is frustratingly slow – just one of many failing motor skills.

I was hoping to think of topics I need to write, but instead I got pulled into an episode of Gossip Girl. It didn’t have the “WHAT!?” ending I expect from it.  But it was pretty good, as usual.

And now I should just let this pill do it’s job.  Otherwise, I know what happens when I don’t let myself sleep – things go a little crazy.