There was an "Extreme Cold Weather Alert" in Toronto today. -20 or so...a day in the park for a Saskatchewan girl, but it is a "wet cold" involving humid winds coming up off the lake directly towards my streetcar stop. I can complain a little.
I usually try to do the 25-30 minute walk to his daycare, but on these really cold mornings we jump on the streetcar (two actually, I have to transfer to the 506 at Howard Park). Toronto streetcars weren't designed for parents traveling solo with strollers. The busses aren't bad, but the streetcars have 4 steep steps and then an immediate corner to get around. I have figured out how to get him up onto the streetcar, but it does take careful manoevering...getting down the back exit steps is easier.
The amazing thing, though, is that I almost always get the help of a stranger. There has only been one or two times that I have had to do it myself. Usually the streetcar driver jumps up to help me if there is no one else at the stop. Strangers, young and old, male and female always offer to help me pick up the stroller.
Thank you friendly, helpful Torontonians. You really aren't as nasty as us Westerners make you out to be.
Monday, January 31, 2011
Thursday, January 27, 2011
Happy 255 / 0
Today's a big birthday day. Having spent the last oh...8 years working for Orchestras, Mozart's birthday is a pretty big deal. It involves having cake and playing the great tunes of some dead Austrian prodigy.
It's also the birthday of one of Canada's biggest stars, violinist James Ehnes.
It's also the birthday of my work spouse's other husband, Chris. Happy Birthday, Chris!
So many great Aquarians!!
And today it became the birthday of little Andréanne, daughter of our dear friends Nicole & Eric. Congratulations! xoxo
It's also the birthday of one of Canada's biggest stars, violinist James Ehnes.
It's also the birthday of my work spouse's other husband, Chris. Happy Birthday, Chris!
So many great Aquarians!!
And today it became the birthday of little Andréanne, daughter of our dear friends Nicole & Eric. Congratulations! xoxo
Monday, January 24, 2011
Netflix
It's time to rave about my newest love, Netflix. I love it so so much and we've only had it for a couple of weeks. We've been watching so many fun movies, new and old each night.
In the last few nights we've enjoyed a varied selection including An Education, Shawn of the Dead, Brewster's Millions, and Rendition.
I love not having to walk down the street to pick one up, no late fees, everything is available, the rating system...it's true love.
In the last few nights we've enjoyed a varied selection including An Education, Shawn of the Dead, Brewster's Millions, and Rendition.
I love not having to walk down the street to pick one up, no late fees, everything is available, the rating system...it's true love.
Thursday, January 6, 2011
9 Years, 363 Days
Nine years, 363 days ago I was still a 21 year old kid. I was entering my last semester of University, living with three other girls in the student ghetto, and was having so much fun. We went outside and had a snowball fight with our neighbours that day. We spent our evenings at the campus bar. We worried about things like boyfriends, final papers, and who wasn't doing their share of the dishes.
Everything changed two days later when I got that horrible phone call. On Saturday, it will be ten years since I became an S.O.S. Ten years since my Dad made a really stupid decision. Ten years since I learned that sudden traumatic grief can actually make your guts physically ache; the kind of grief that has been said to be equivalent or greater to losing a family member in a murder or violent crime...except you can't blame some villain, only the person you loved so much.
I've tried pretty successfully to understand and forgive his actions and try to use this horrific loss to make sure I live every moment to its fullest. The anniversaries are still hard and big happy events always have a moment of bittersweetness to them because he isn't there to share in them. He has missed so many big moments of my life and my sibling's lives...by choice. He never got to enjoy being a grandfather, or know that his first grandson's middle name is Abraham.
Over the years, some neat things have happened around the anniversary of this dreaded day. The first anniversary, I was in Turkey and I couldn't hack being in the outside world so I spent it inside a hostel room reading a novel I'd found in the common area. I told my brother about it later and he couldn't believe it...because that was the last book my Dad was reading and they had talked about it in their last conversation.
The next year, I'd decided that I really needed to find some apple pie as that was Dad's favourite dessert. I was heading to my Arts Admin classes at Humber and at 8am, there was an apple pie sitting in the cafeteria...never seen before or after at that time of day...so of course I had some for breakfast.
Yeah, I know...simple and explainable as a weird coincidence...but still weird, yes?
I keep a little photo album of snapshots of Dad that I put together the week after he died in my nightstand. This morning as I was dressing for work and Felix was playing with his toys, I noticed that he became quiet. I turned around and saw that he was systematically removing books from my nightstand. He had the photo album out, had taken a photo out of its sleeve, and started carrying it towards me.
"That's Opa" I said.
"OPA!!!" Felix said...just like that. We'd been trying to get him to say Grandma or "Gamma" for the last few weeks.
Somehow that little moment made this anniversary I'd been dreading so much better...and a hopeful part of me wants to take it as a sign that he is somewhere around me, keeping an eye out. I know how silly this may sound, and I did just finish reading The Lovely Bones...but it does make me feel better.
Everything changed two days later when I got that horrible phone call. On Saturday, it will be ten years since I became an S.O.S. Ten years since my Dad made a really stupid decision. Ten years since I learned that sudden traumatic grief can actually make your guts physically ache; the kind of grief that has been said to be equivalent or greater to losing a family member in a murder or violent crime...except you can't blame some villain, only the person you loved so much.
I've tried pretty successfully to understand and forgive his actions and try to use this horrific loss to make sure I live every moment to its fullest. The anniversaries are still hard and big happy events always have a moment of bittersweetness to them because he isn't there to share in them. He has missed so many big moments of my life and my sibling's lives...by choice. He never got to enjoy being a grandfather, or know that his first grandson's middle name is Abraham.
Over the years, some neat things have happened around the anniversary of this dreaded day. The first anniversary, I was in Turkey and I couldn't hack being in the outside world so I spent it inside a hostel room reading a novel I'd found in the common area. I told my brother about it later and he couldn't believe it...because that was the last book my Dad was reading and they had talked about it in their last conversation.
The next year, I'd decided that I really needed to find some apple pie as that was Dad's favourite dessert. I was heading to my Arts Admin classes at Humber and at 8am, there was an apple pie sitting in the cafeteria...never seen before or after at that time of day...so of course I had some for breakfast.
Yeah, I know...simple and explainable as a weird coincidence...but still weird, yes?
I keep a little photo album of snapshots of Dad that I put together the week after he died in my nightstand. This morning as I was dressing for work and Felix was playing with his toys, I noticed that he became quiet. I turned around and saw that he was systematically removing books from my nightstand. He had the photo album out, had taken a photo out of its sleeve, and started carrying it towards me.
"That's Opa" I said.
"OPA!!!" Felix said...just like that. We'd been trying to get him to say Grandma or "Gamma" for the last few weeks.
Somehow that little moment made this anniversary I'd been dreading so much better...and a hopeful part of me wants to take it as a sign that he is somewhere around me, keeping an eye out. I know how silly this may sound, and I did just finish reading The Lovely Bones...but it does make me feel better.
Tuesday, January 4, 2011
Three Word Sentence?
Do you think this counts? Yesterday morning Felix woke up and was whining a bit in his room, waiting for us to rescue him from the crib. Stephen went inside the door and Felix said:
HI! DADDY! HI! UPpa!
Seriously...how cool is that? I know I know...almost everyone can talk, it's not really that extraordinary...but this creature that grew in my gut is starting to get the hang of it, and it is so incredible to witness.
HI! DADDY! HI! UPpa!
Seriously...how cool is that? I know I know...almost everyone can talk, it's not really that extraordinary...but this creature that grew in my gut is starting to get the hang of it, and it is so incredible to witness.
Sunday, January 2, 2011
New Year
Sorry, these are in reverse order. Stephen becomes one with the couch at 3:49am.
The entire gang on the 1st annual Grafton Avenue NYE parade. 
Moi.
The mask makes a creeptastic return.
2011: Making up for lost time with our crazy and wonderful friends. Happy New Year!!Christmas
Wow, a real phone from auntie!
Just helping Dad move this tv around.
Climbing through the presents on Christmas Eve
The perfect age for Christmas...there is nothing interesting inside these boxes...they are merely for climbing. 
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