I'm a self professed winter-hater. I hate winter the minute the snow flies until the second it's gone. Today, in lieu of a crazy winter blizzard in MARCH, I'm even hearing deliriously optimistic winter-lovers rage against it. Then you know it's bad.
It's so bad, that when Jian Ghomeshi's "Happy Monday" came to me over the airwaves this morning, I wanted to scream, "You think so, Jian?". Usually the immediate sound of Jian's voice brings me peace and solitude but today it took until his opening essay was finished. It's that bad.
In case you still aren't sure how I feel about today's weather, let me tell you that seeing friends from BC posting pictures of trees heavy with pink cherry blossoms, luscious green grass, and tulips and daffodils in bloom only add insult to injury. I miss BC. I miss it for reasons that are more varied and complex than the weather. I'd do just about anything to be going for a run today, around the track in Confederation Park, in just a tshirt, looking over at the North Shore mountains and smelling life and newness in every breath.
Let's move on, shall we?
In the interest of bragging just a little:
I'm more than a little proud of Ellie. Her Heritage Fair project on Indian Residential Schools was chosen to go on to the Provincial Heritage Fair happening at the U of M in May.
Hannah rocked her Science Fair project on Fonts and memory. She put in hours and hours and hours of work and challenged her comfort zone boundaries by administering a test to over 70 grade 7 students at her school. It's the comfort zone barrier crossing that makes me the happiest.
I'm nearly finished my second semester of my Master's program. I've got one more term paper due on my last class, which is next week Tuesday. I've registered for two courses for the Spring term in an effort to get a few more of my requirements complete so that I can apply for my first practicum which would begin in January. I'm whittling away at it, a few credit hours at a time. It's an exercise in patience.
Most people don't recognize the difference between gender and sex. I'm convinced of this.
Mike really wanted me to watch The Godfather with him. We finished it last week. I'll admit to loving it. It makes me want to watch the entire Sopranos series from beginning to end.
I really want Mike to watch Terms of Endearment with me. I can't believe we've been together so long and he's never watched it. It's in my top 5 of favorite movies of all time.
I've got two great nights to look forward to this week. One is the chance to be in the stands for my very first Winnipeg Jets game on Thursday night. Can't wait.
The second is a concert at the West End Cultural Centre on Friday night. I've loved The Duhks for years - their music has played through my life like a soundtrack. The band has gone through some transitions and changes over the past decade or so, but the original band members have just recently reunited and they're kicking things off with a reunion show. What a way to kick off spring break.
Our family soundtrack is always changing and evolving. Mike and I feel strongly about music exposure and appreciation. Lately it's been "All Elton John, All the Time" in our van on the drive to and from school. And no, I'm not talking about new Elton John. We're talking old-school classics like "Crocodile Rock" and "Tiny Dancer" and "Rocketman". The girls love it. The biggest surprise has been how much Ellie loves it. Her favorite song is "I'm Still Standing". She knows every word and belts it out like it's her life anthem. Not a bad choice for a life anthem, actually.
At home it's a different story. Mike has fallen hard for Rush in the past year. Every Saturday it's "Rush Day". It starts early and goes all day long. I've listened to more Rush in the past year than in the time I dated the world's biggest Rush fan EVER back in grade nine. That's a lot of Rush.
The bookshelf is sagging under the weight of all of the books I'm waiting to read right now. My book club is meeting on Wednesday night and discussing Richard C. Morais', The Hundred Food Journey. I just finished reading Patricia Harman's second book, Arms Wide Open. It's the background story to her first book called Blue Cotton Gown. I adored that book. This one, I liked. Just before that one I finished Paul Coelho's Veronika Decides to Die. That book impacted me greatly. It's described as a story of redemption and I agree. I can't believe I waited so long to read it.
I wish I could read books for a living. Read books and nap intermittently.
Mike recently discovered how much he loves raw broccoli. This is profound considering he's been convincing me and the rest of the world how much he hates raw broccoli since the beginning of time.
I will have more to write and say about Bill 18 this week. I can't stop.
We're going to BC this summer. I cannot wait. I'm not looking forward to the drive (again), but the people waiting at the other end will make it worth it.
All of my girls are going to camp the SAME week! First time ever. We're all excited.
We've got a shed renovation project to deal with this summer. It seems some squirrels and other rodents chewed most of it apart while we were gone those two years. Mike did a rough and tumble patch job in fall, but it needs some serious work. I wonder if it will get done before the snow flies next winter?
I still haven't had Ellie's friend's birthday party. We just had Sasha's this last weekend. One month late. Poor kid. The mother guilt is killing me.
The lineup for the 2013 Winnipeg Folk Festival came out this weekend. Looks like a good one. I've got lots of research to do. I've missed FF the last two summers and I can't wait to feel the sun on my face and close my eyes while listening to amazing music at Bird's Hill Park. I'm sure the snow will have melted before then.
I've only been to IKEA once since it opened.
Hannah is participating in the World Vision 30 Hour Famine this week. She starts at 1:30am on Tuesday morning. I'm thankful her school gives her this kind of exposure and opportunity.
Hannah has been obsessed of late with the documentary The Story Of Stuff. She watched it as part of her Social Studies class and is very passionate about the message. I love seeing passion seep out of her.
I don't fit "in" very many places. Parts of me do, but not all of me.
"Fitting" might be over-rated.
The world is made for people who "fit".
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