January's end

Over about the last week or so (which is, I think, where we're up to)...

- Saying goodbye to Alix for just over a week. Spending most of the next day in a bit of a weird headspace.
+ Taking about 2 hours with a really nice guy at Empire (snowboards, not records) to find the perfect snowboard boots at heavy discount and some neat gloves too.
+ Then meeting a bunch of Michel's studio mates who are all pretty awesome, it would seem.
- Not really wanting to drink due to previous blinding snow/hangover experiences.
+ Not embarassing myself (I think) too much by speaking broken French.
- Waking up at 5.50am to get the bus to Owl's head.
+ Walking through Montreal as the sun comes up.
- Being too excited on the bus to keep sleeping.
+ Beautiful, beautiful scenery
- Mountains that just keep on getting bigger (and thus more terrifying) the further out from MTL you go.
+ Instantly meeting an awesome bunch of people to spend the day with, including someone else who's just starting out.
- Finding my left toe strap snapped before I even step on my (rented) board.
+ Finding out that toe straps really aren't all that important anyway.
- Realising that having a 5' long board strapped to your feet is actually pretty damned awkward.
+ Having a magical set of circumstances lead to pretty much the best first lesson I could have hoped for.
- Not being able to turn left.
+ Jenny realising that part of this problem is that not only is the snowboard partially busted, but also set up in switch. And then fixing it, half way up a mountain.
- Essentially- I've been shafted from the get go.
+ But screw it, because while we're chatting I have one of the best views I've ever seen.
- Continuing to fall over more often that I can get up, and getting frustrated with the slow progress of left.
+ But then slowly gaining confidence, and speed, and turning ability.
- Actually having my first proper, board windmilling, face planting, snow spraying, bail.
+ Not actually caring, seeing as I haven't broken, pulled, or gouged anything at all, and I'm rushing my tits off.
- Falling asleep on the bus-ride home, and thus missing the sunset and all the nice views on the way back.
+ Managing to get to Thai Express and home before my entire body siezes up.
- My entire body siezing up.
+ This giving me a good excuse for not leaving the house for most of Sunday, and *cough* spending far too much time playing wow with Jay and Kaz for an awesome race to 70.
- Shortly realising that lvl 70 is actually quite dull and 'the worst part of the game', possibly 'enhanced' by the minging headache I've developed due either to all the falling over, all the screen gazing, or the unbelievable amount of light the previous day that I'm frankly not used to.
+ Realising that I'm back to pretty much full strength by sunday evening and that I can therefore go over to Jon's for video games and then pub
- 'Video games' being Rock Band, at which I am universally dire.
+ Although I do know the lyrics to half the songs and, strangely, Courtney Love's contributions are perfectly within my feeble range.
- Again, not wanting to drink due to still being a bit broken and having work the next day.
+ Finally meeting Summer (Jon's girlfriend, not the season) properly, only to discover a fellow cheese fiend.
- Being beaten quite a lot at pool.
+ because the guy I'm mostly playing is -awesome-.
- Accidentally staying up until 2am.
+ But walking out of the pub with 'Sad But True' echoing behind me on the jukebox.
- All my bruises coming up on Monday morning.
+ Not going to Victoria, as planned, and therefore not having to take a cross-continental flight.
- Not being in Victoria, and therefore not being able to surprise Jhayne with a phone call from the ferry.
+ Going out to the Cinema on Tuesday with Adri and his brother.
- Nothing on but Rambo being retarded
+ To the point of absolute hilarity.
- Really really missing Alix by this point.
+ Getting hold of the new Robyn album, which is surprisingly good pop, and has her sounding very very Welsh at the start of Handle Me. 'Alright!' boyo!.
- The fact that this will probably be yet another embarassing addition to my record collection, right next to Esthero and Bananarama. *sigh*.
+ Chatting to Mole properly for the first time in aaages.Finding out about some neat new server-side tech, generally catching up a bit.
- Realising that despite the fact that he goes to a 'soggy doormat' in Norfolk, and I have proper mountains at my disposal, he's probably much much better at snowboarding than I am. Also, completely failing to remember until afterwards that he lives with Jess now.
+ Yoga night. Not quite as hardcore as previous sessions, but with some random new stuff.
- That I can't quite get my back around yet. Still surprisingly difficult.
+ Spending the rest of Thursday night finishing two different books.
- The fact that I've therefore finished 'Eleanor Rigby' by Douglas Coupland, which is a wonderfully uplifting read.
+ Deciding that I can't be arsed to do the washing up the next evening, and that I'm going out for poutine instead.
- taking me about an hour to get the energy up for that even.
+ During which time I chat to Nic, who is being almost unbearably lovely. Also, I make the stupidest quiz evar, to weed out stalkers.
- Once I have got the right head on, having to wade through snow that's about 2 ft deep to get to the aforementioned poutine. Falling over twice on the way because it's been raining solidly all morning, and it's frozen into two inches of ice, before being covered by aforementioned snow.
+ But being treated really well by the staff of Reubens. Solitary dining is weird anywhere, because the more confident you are about it, the better you're treated. If you're having a shoddy day, you get shunted to the crappest spot and dealt with in cursory fashion. Head held high and leathers slung back you get the most attentive guy at the bar, who supplies you with more JD and coke if you just look at him the right way.
- Possibly eating and drinking a little too much.
+ But having a really good walk home anyway.
- Deciding that potential American border hassles because of work permit processing, 6 storm warnings in a week, still having a snapped toe strap, only really having had 4 hours sleep, and wanting to be able to get to the airport in one piece are probably enough to make me roll over and go back to sleep.
+ Rolling over and going back to sleep.
- Enjoying the combined wonder that is SoC and SFK. This is a minus point because it's -unbelievably- geeky, and a little bit tragic, even for self-confessed geeks such as myself.
+ 26-19. Cymru am byth!
- Realising that I can't actually watch the bloody thing!
+ Wandering around downtown for some random shopping of appliances and food stuffs.
- Falling over again. I swear, by the time I leave this town I will be rooted to the earth in perfect zen balance.
+ Finding out that Robyn's Crash And Burn Girl and Scorn's Stripped Back Hinge fade into each other almost perfectly, and that some kind of twisted scando-pop noisecore remix is not only feasible but would probably be amaaaazing.
- Remembering that I haven't eaten in quite some time and that I should probably do something about that before I pass out.
+ There being something deeply pleasurable in a very very wrong way about layers of fillet steak and mozarella in a brie and mushroom sauce. I won't go into details, but I will post up the recipe and you'll just -have- to try it for yourself.
- Not going to the nu-rave thing at the S.A.T. as planned.
+ because I've been derailed into semi-abortive excursions to the St. Sulpice, Baloo's, and finally Biftek. Which is an ace bar, full of entertaining punters, good music, and decent pool tables. Also, more JD+coke.
- all the cabs home for my partners in crime being stolen.
+ practically living on Sherbrooke and therefore being able to get a taxi anyway.
- St. Urbain and St. Hubert being too close together in terms of pronunciation, and too far apart in terms of distance.
+ long rambling chats in Santropol about pretty much everything.
- not being able to do both this -and- go for dim sum.
+++ Grabbing Alix from the airport.

and apart fom being ill this morning, and what I suspect to be the slow development of one of the best wow groups evar, I shall leave it there.