Tomorrow night, my dream comes true. Le sigh.....swoon....insert giggle here.
I'll be FINALLY seeing Mr. Leonard Cohen, live in concert. He'll be wearing a hat and a nice suit and he'll be singing some songs and I'll be swooning from a far. Ah, I've waited so long for this moment! I always cursed myself for getting into him shortly after he played his last show in Winnipeg, a good 15 or more years ago. (eek, how time flies). Now, I'll be seeing him in his hometown - does it get any better than that!? - on his last night of performing here.
My sources tell me that he will be somewhere tomorrow morning, roughly around eight a.m. If only I looked perky at eight in the morning...I can barely hold a conversation in the morning with my partner, let alone Leonard Cohen, so I think I will sadly sit that stalking moment out. Heh. Anyway, I've always imagined running into him on a quiet winter street in Montreal anyhow. Ok, that makes me some like big weirdo. Can you tell I'm excited????
I remember the days when shows used to make me SO excited. It rarely happens these days. This is different. This is what I've been waiting for for years. I admit to feeling anxious about going out tomorrow night but I swear nothing will ruin this night!
A few days ago, I was poking around online and saw some recent concert footage from his shows. I'm elated to discovered that it is really bare boned - no synthesizers. It's just him singing and a simple band, which I know I will appreciate a lot more. The show will last roughly three hours long, which is pretty good for a man his age. I'm dragging the boyfriend with me, who will be insane by the time Cohen wraps up (he's not really a fan). Heh, pay back time for when he accidentally spilled wine or beer in Mr. Cohen's lap years ago.
Anyway, I'm so excited that this blog looks like it's been written by a thirteen year old. I'll let you know how the show goes.
Moving Day in QC - What about the animals?
Current mood: frustrated
Category: Pets and Animals
Montreal lagging in animal care policy
Laws toothless. 'People here think of pets as disposable'
MAX HARROLD, The Gazette
Published: 4 hours ago
MONTREAL - She held up the squirming black kitten like a delicate ornament, but Francine Adler knew it was also proof of Montrealers' hardy tradition of animal neglect.
"We found six kittens under a cabana near my work," Adler, an environmental recycling adviser in Lachine, said last month as she dropped five kittens off at the city's main animal shelter, the Canadian Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals.
"The mother was still under there with one kitten," she added. "We'll go back and get them. I'll get the mother spayed, but I won't bring her back here," said Adler, 36."I'm a catch-spay-and-release kind of person," she explained. "She'll have a better chance on the streets" than of being adopted from the shelter.
As local shelters brace for the annual influx of abandoned pets around the July 1 moving day, Montrealers' shabby record on animal welfare stands in stark contrast to those in other cities, animal rights advocates say.
"People here think of pets as a disposable product," said Johanne Tassé, head of the Companion Animal Adoption Centres of Quebec, a coalition of five animal rescue groups. "They react only to pictures of horrible animal abuse on TV."
Yet each time a pet owner does not sterilize an animal, others will need to be put down at the shelter, she said. "They say they want their kids to see the miracle of birth, but it's actually signing the death warrant of more animals in the shelters."
Every year, the Montreal area's two largest animal shelters, the Montreal SPCA and Berger Blanc, admit about 48,000 cats and dogs and euthanize about 25 per cent of them - 12,000 animals - for lack of space and too few people willing to adopt.
That's about the same euthanasia rate as Los Angeles - which has more than twice the population of Montreal and Laval combined. This year, Los Angeles enacted a tough sterilization bylaw with fines and community service for repeat offenders.
Tassé said Quebec's animal cruelty law does nothing to encourage pet sterilization. Instead, puppy mills and pet stores only aggravate pet overpopulation.
Montreal city councillor Marvin Rotrand has long supported municipally funded spay and neuter programs - his proposal to fund one here was rejected by city council in 1994. Animal control is now handled by the boroughs, but Rotrand said they could co-fund low-cost spay and neuter clinics located in different parts of the city.
"These programs do work," Rotrand said. "Just look at what's going on elsewhere."
In Toronto, there are waiting lists of people wanting to adopt dogs from Quebec, Tassé said. She has organized shuttles for 130 dogs from here to Toronto since January, including 40 dogs recently, with the help of the CSPCA. Both Toronto's city-run pound and the Toronto Humane Society sterilize and vaccinate animals before making them available for adoption. Awareness campaigns on the benefits of pet sterilization have worked, said Leo Oliver, a spokesperson for the Toronto Humane Society.
In Calgary, the city stipulates that all cats and dogs be licensed. Licences cost between $10 (for a cat) and $31 (for a dog), but the fees rise to $30 and $52, respectively, if the animal is not sterilized. Claiming one's unlicensed pet at the pound costs a whopping $250.
Licensing, adoption fees and fines generate the department's $4.3 million yearly funding. The euthanasia rate last year was 17 per cent for cats, six for dogs.
In New York State, since 1995, people adopting a dog or cat from an approved SPCA, humane society, municipal shelter or dog or cat rescue group can have their animal spayed or neutered for only $30. New York City also requires that cats and dogs bought in pet stores be sterilized before purchase.
In Los Angeles, a bylaw that will take effect in October will require that all dogs and cats older than 4 months be sterilized, with some exceptions. Repeat offenders can be fined $2,000 or ordered to do 40 hours of community service.
In New Hampshire, since 1993, municipally funded pet sterilization programs have reduced the number of dogs and cats ending up in pet shelters by one-third and cut the euthanasia rate by 75 per cent. Families on welfare can get up to six pets per year sterilized for $25 each.
So! I finally uploaded my pics on here from summer and Christmas 2007. I didn't realize MySpace changed their way of uploading photos. It's much easier than before. If you wish, take a look and I hope you like what I saw - all three of you that still read my blog and didn't jump ship to Facebook! Keep in mind, a lot of the photos I did take were of family and friend who do not wish to leave their internet footprint lying around. What you get is a lot of prairie skies and photos of my cat.
I hope to be adding more photos soon, especially of Montreal. Enjoy!
Snow and snowballs.
Current mood: amused
Category: sick of winter Pets and Animals
This was our latest snowstorm on March the 8th. I took it while Zak was walking the dog. Lucky him, ha ha. ..
Taken today, this is yet another Toshio dance that demands more snowballs. At least he has fun in the winter. What will happen when spring in gets here? No more snowballs? *sad puppy dog face* ..
Another video taken today. You can’t really tell but Toshio’s back legs were shaking in anticipation. More snowballs! ..
This is one of my favorite songs, despite the mention about having babies. It was a song that kept playing during a certain time in my life (during a shitty break-up) unintentionally. There's a long story behind the song which I don't really feel like going into (since it's such old news). Let's just say, this song used to make me teary-eyed every time I heard it. And I would hear it often - it was like oldies radio was playing a cruel and twisted joke on my state of emotional well-being. Eventually, the heart healed and I can listen to this song without having raccoon eyes.
New Year Catch-up
Current mood: crunk
Category: Blogging
It's been a while since I've written - once again! It's already the middle of January. I have the place to myself this evening and I thought it would be a good chance to catch up on everything I have wanted to do - namely work on a new blog idea I have about conquering goals. Heh, all I conquered tonight, it seems, was the fine art of curling up on the couch and napping. Ah, I think I deserve it.
I've been okay, thanks for asking.
January has been a busy one so far, especially concerning work. And I don't know if it's for all the right reasons. Things, I must say, have been a bit confusing and chaotic as far as work goes. Not necessarily the work itself, just the people working there. I wish I could go into details but that wouldn't be fair or cool of me. Let's just say it's been a little too dramatic for my liking. I've tried to stay away from it and distance myself from it. Things have come to a head - not concerning me - and I hope that it will eventually smooth itself over. Basically, all I want is to go to work, do my job, and come home at the end of the night. I don't think it's too much to ask for. Due to this issue, work has been canceled for five days. And that sucks. Though I was scheduled for over fifty hours this week, my pay cheque is now cut short and it hurts. I have bills just like everyone else.
I have to admit, I did need this "me-time". This so-called issue has been draining and I have been putting in a lot of hours. It's been a little rough on me and my health.
Speaking of which, my health is alright. I've been dizzy since the middle of December - or since I started working a lot of overtime. I'm getting another series of blood tests come Tuesday so check my thyroid and anemia. As well, what I thought was an allergic reaction to something turned out to be a wicked case of acid reflux. Sexy, huh? I've discovered the triggers of it though. And it's all the tasty things - beer, wine, and - gasp, my favorite! - lemon tea.
I haven't had much of a social life since starting work again. My days off have been booked solid with appointments to see doctors and dentists and more doctors. I had coffee with Toly the other day, which was nice. I ran into him as I was coming out of the pharmacy near work. That's what I miss about Winnipeg. You can walk around the village or downtown and simply run into someone which eventually leads to going for coffee. I hope to see some friends soon. Timing has been bad - my days off don't corresponde with theirs, people have been sick, etc.
I had a very quiet New Year's Eve at home. We had Zak's parents over for dinner. I cleaned up the place. Zak cooked a fantastic meal. That's that. No pressure and relaxed - just how I like my New Year's Eves to be.
Christmas was lovely. I went back home for the holidays from the 18th to the 28th, I believe. My flight was canceled for the 16th due to a massive snow storm, which was disappointing. I spent a lot of time at home, when I went home, and I didn't really mind. Maybe it was just winter or maybe it was being so run down from working so much. I just wanted to be at home with my parents and my cat, watching bad television (which is a treat since I rarely watch TV in Montreal) and laying low. I did have a few fun nights with friends but I only made it into Winnipeg a couple of times. A bunch of us saw Walk Hard in the theater, which was a treat. It's been years since I saw a movie in a theater (before that movie, the last one I saw in a theater was Kill Bill). I went for coffee. I stopped in at a few friends places for coffee or tea or eggnog paralizers (a tradition of ours, to see Tricia at Christmas and get our fill of eggnog paralizers!). A few of us hung out in the mall, laughing at people and being jerks. It was a fun trip, but a quiet one. Some of my plans fell apart though, which bummed me out. I didn't get to see Nicofelia. I didn't get to see the PostSecret exhibit at the WAG. I didn't get to see Rachel that much or Parris, for that matter. I suppose it's to be expected when I come out to visit at the most busiest time of the year and when my trip is cut short. Le sigh. It was nice to have so much time with family though. I played Scrabble with my mom. I played televised bingo with my dad. I saw my grandmother a lot. I got to play silly video games on Christmas eve with my sister and brother-in-law - I tried my hand at Guitar Hero (it's hard!) and played a round of American Idol on PS2. Good times. Lots of laughs. It was cool to see my brother-in-law. It seems like before this trip, I'd only see him for a good 45 minutes out of two weeks, ha ha.
I've been away from home for three years now. I always mentally prepare myself when I am about to fly back to Montreal. And I always end up having a semi-meltdown in my old bedroom. It is so hard to leave, still. I like my life in Montreal, especially since getting Toshio. I like my routine. I still miss home and I suppose that's normal. I miss being there for my family and for friends. You'd think by now I would be used to leaving but it still hurts. I put on my best face though. No one sees the semi-meltdown. Not only that, it's coming to terms that many of the friends I know - life has moved them in different directions. I don't have as much place in their lives, I'm not so much in-the-know now. I'm a little left out of the circle. Maybe I'm not as important. And I do understand that. It's normal to move on, go in different directions, have new circles of friends. My circle of friends is very small here in Montreal and I notice it gets smaller and smaller each time I go back home too. It's kind of a lonely feeling. Saying that, there are some friends that I see when I go back home and it's like I have been away for three days, let alone three years. We catch up and then we laugh like we always have. That's a really precious feeling. It sounds cheesy to say but it's reassuring to know that these old friends still consider you an important part of their lives.
Anyway, it is getting late. What else can I say before my face hits the keyboard?
Toshio is good! He's happy and healthy. He still pulls on the leash though. He's such a blast, a real joy in my life. He makes me laugh all the time just by doing nothing. He keeps finding ridiculous things in the snow - pants, a small pair of track shorts, jackets, a bagette, a head of romaine lettuce, a grocery bag that was full of bread loaves (which he "killed" and sent loaves of bread flying everywhere). Oh, a frozen pizza slice that he killed, a frozen fish. It makes you wonder what kind of people visit this park, ha ha. We've also discovered that Toshio HATES snowmen and likes to destroy them.
My birthday is coming up in a month. Normally, nothing really happens. Oh! However, this year.....my friend Ren will be coming out to visit me! Yippee! I'm excited. I booked the weekend off - and that better be valid still - and we have plans on going to a show. It should be fun! I hope it will be a good distraction for her!
Okay. I'm sleepy. By the way, my mood isn't really "crunk" but I think my stomach made a noise that sounded like that - ha ha.
Toshio goes a courtin’
Current mood: sleepy
Category: Pets and Animals
I took some very short Toshio the Happy Good Luck Dog videos today. The first one is my wonderful dog, digging in the snow. He didn't find anything this time. He's found many a strange thing in the snow - everything from a bagette to a head of romaine lettuce to pants, haha.
This is a video of one of Toshio's favorite playmates. Her name is Princess and they are *sometimes* in love. I call her his girlfriend.
This is a video of Toshio trying to "woo" Princess but it seems like it only annoyed her today, haha.
Today, I am grateful...
Current mood: grateful
Category: Life
...for the kindness of strangers.
I had to go out to the mall today because my winter boots finally kicked the bucket. To be specific, they spontaneously combusted when I got home from work last night. I went last minute shopping for boots as today was my only day to do so (I have a 50+ hour week ahead of me at work!). As I arrived at the metro station to go to another mall, I heard a commotion. When I turned around, I saw a man on the subway track and heard the sound of the subway quickly approaching the station. Wow.
The station wasn't in a complete panic but a strange sense of fear was in the air. I felt it. People rushed to the SOS emergency phone, a woman started flagging a security person while another one was flagging the subway car to stop. I stood there in shock, which I'm not proud of (the man was on the other side of the platform). Thankfully, some kind man reached down and pulled the man to safety - right before the subway arrived in the station. I guess you can say I'm grateful for that stranger who helped and the stranger who is physically unharmed.
After the incident, a hurried man turned to me to ask me what happened. He seemed pissed off that the man fell, clearly delaying his metro journey to somewhere important. He called him a drunk and a "fucking asshole" and hurried off. The metro was delayed by five minutes - nothing major. Regardless if he was a drunk or not (I can say that the man who fell looked awfully pale and sickly - I've blacked out in public before while I was stone sober and I'm sure that I was no beauty queen at that moment), the man was physically unharmed and he should be grateful. If not for that but for the kind man who helped another stranger out, in what could have been a terrible, terrible accident.
Animal Cruelty Laws in Canada
Current mood: angry
Category: Pets and Animals
I feel that it is important to repost this as well as add a little something of my own especially upon reading the news about some teenagers in Alberta who thought it was fun to break into a house and MICROWAVE a cat.
Did you know that you can kill a stray (meaning, not belonging to a person) animal and it is completely legal in Canada? The training of animals for fighting is also completely legal in Canada. This must change! The animal cruelty and protection laws are completely outdated in this country of our. Go to the Canadian Federation of Humane Societies to see how you can help with a postcard campaign to the Prime Minister at: http://cfhs.ca/
REPOSTED from my friend Greg: So again instead of the usual fun things I like to write poking fun and celebrities or myself or life's little hiccups I have been compelled to write about something more serious.
Recently (as some of you may or may not have read or heard about) a news story has been buzzing about 4 youths in Camrose who broke into a families home while they were away for Christmas -- bad enough -- yea -- something that kids do -- yes as well -- however what isn't something "kids do" or adults do -- or for that matter anyone who could possibly think to describe themselves as a human being does -- is kill a cat in a fucking microwave... I heard this on the radio this morning for the first time and it made me more angry than I can remember being in a long time -- sick to my stomach. Who does this? What kind of "person" thinks this is funny or acceptable? This isn't killing an animal that is going to hurt something or raised for the purpose of food (which I am sure some of you have your own opinions about anyway) this is someones pet -- and if they thought of that cat they way I do mine -- a VERY important part of their life. Really the biggest question is -- why do we have a legal system that allows these people the "rights" they have -- who cares if they are minors -- what does that really have to do with it? If we can give a 16yr old kid the responsibility of a drivers license or a job -- they can take responsibility for their actions as well and have their identity be known and suffer the consequences in their life for these actions. But no -- instead they will be hidden and defended as "kids" and "a harmless prank gone wrong" and of course "he's such a good boy, I don't know how this happened". It must have been some other kids fault right? Thats what the paper says anyway -- but you tell me -- could you stand there and watch -- or even walk away from someone who was doing something like this? I know I sure as fuck couldn't -- walking away is just as bad as doing it. This isn't like seeing two people fighting who made that decisoin and saying "I'm not getting involved" this is walking away from someone killing and animal that has no defense whatsoever. Apperently there have been groups set up (and of course shut down) on the various websites giving these kids names and voicing the disapproval and I suppose hatred for them for what they have done -- and has this been a message to the courts or government that people truly are tired of these types of actions and the out dated and useless youth criminal code -- nope of course not -- now they are just making it out that the kids are being victimized and their "rights" are being infringed on -- I am sorry but in my opinion the day that you can put down your emotions (the thing that supposedly seperates "humans" from "animals") and kill an animal like that -- or another person -- or rape someone -- or whatever the depraved action -- you are no longer a "human" you have given up the emotion that supposedly makes you so. There really isnt much I can say that could really describe how I feel about this and there really is no easy solution to the problem -- I just needed to vent a little
ecstatic
frustrated
cooky/wacky
amused
fermented
tested
crunk
sleepy
grateful
angry