Plum Crazy

Playing on the computer and sipping some Japanese plum wine. It was an impulse purchase while we were in Niagara, something I’d always wanted to try, and now I’ve gotten into the bad habit of treating myself with a half glass of the sweet and sour wine in the evening. Todd’s practicing his virtual swing on the new Tiger Woods golf game for the Wii and the animals are around, pleased to have us back after our brief vacation.

There was no time to write while we were away, which is a lie, but a soft one, a gentle one. We really were on the go together for most of the trip, and when we weren’t we took advantage of the two-person jacuzzi and generally enjoyed each other’s company. I should be working on that now, writing all my thoughts and impressions in my journal, but I’ve long neglected the computer so I’m catching up here instead. iTunes is scrolling through my songs (which I am happily rating with my new toy, I Love Stars 3.0) I’m updating Delicious Library 2, catching up on web comics and other odds and ends.

And I’ve even gotten further behind in my reading, after dropping a wad of cash at the Chapters on magazines and a book. Yes, I know. Book Purchase Embargo. The only reason I picked it up was because I thought I would be able to use my coupon. Not so with magazines. Darn it. But instead of reading Fire Study, the third book in Snyder’s series, I’m reading Deryni Rising by Katherine Kurtz, a rescue from the local used bookstore. Just starting, so nothing specific to say about it yet. Would it sound bad to say I hope I don’t like it? I have so many series on the go and it would be relief not to get hooked into another but I hear it’s a series not to be missed. Not sure which to hope for, actually.

… sip … sip … sip …

Highlights from the Niagara Trip:

• The Falls, especially the Maid in the Mist tour, were an absolute joy. I haven’t felt so possessed with childlike awe and glee in years and years. We drove into what felt like the heart of the falls, past where the gulls and cormorants felt safe to where the water went from mist to a wall that thrashed us, splashed us, making us all scream and whoop and cry. We left drenched but supremely happy.
• We went behind the Falls, too, and followed the river to the Class Six rapids (really harsh, what we were told) and even took the Aero Car, which is suspended over the giant whirlpool down river. Nearly ever major attraction involves wearing a large, plastic protector, either blue or yellow, even some of the ones inside. When donning our covers for an inside show, I asked, “Really, we’re going to get wet again?” and the attendant laughed and said, “This is Niagara. We’re all about getting you wet.”
• The kooky bed and breakfast we stayed at as the only guests, an historic home redecorated to modern(ish) tastes for the suites but whose common rooms were straight out of an old cozy mystery from the turn of the century. There were six chickens in a coup outside and overgrown flora cascading around every nook and crazy. We had an old fashioned key, one of those long-necked pieces that fit into a key hole you could look through. I loved it, as I normally do our B&B experiences, though having to walk up-street to another B&B for breakfast and no discernible company does make you feel like you’re trespassing, just a skoosh, and makes one think of ghostly innkeepers.
• Had a great pizza cooking in a wood oven at a place called Antica’s Pizzeria – went there on the recommendation of a friend and it was worth it. (No link, unfortunately, but here’s a review site.) The other memorable food event was a drive out to Niagara-on-the-Lake’s Old Angel Inn Pub, where we each had an amazing dinner, Todd with steak and kidney pie while I had a beautiful steak with peppercorn sauce and yorkshire pudding.

We would go back. Absolutely. We didn’t get to do any winery tours, didn’t see Fort Erie, and perhaps next time we could go down with up-to-date passports to check out the American side. Our Horseshoe Falls are the prettier falls — sorry, but we won out on that one.

Alright, eyeballs are starting to stick. Universal sign for me to shut up and shut down. Tomorrow, when I get back on schedule, a writing-related post.

… sip … sip … sip …

Ahhh.

When A Plan Falls Through

I started the day sleepy, still working off the effects of Daylight Savings, but upbeat. At work it’s been cheese-arific, with lots of downtime in between calls which let me journal like mad one day, read about 100 pages of a new book, and write some of another short fiction piece. It was also my ‘Friday’ and since I had given a shift away to a co-worker, I was looking forward to a sweet three-day weekend.

The shift went well, more cheese, which makes taking calls so much easier, got off the phones for some informative coaching, and at 4:30 they started offering under-time. (Not enough work, they send people home.) Sweeter still! I popped up and said sure!

But I thought about it. I’d be losing a whole shift on Thursday. I should stay, really. So I told one of the floor support folks that I wouldn’t go. Not that it matters too much. They aren’t particular about you signing up for under-time, not like the old campaign, but I wanted to make sure they knew I was staying. So I did.

About 30 minutes later, the person responsible for the day-to-day upkeep of the schedules comes by to tell me and the girl taking my shift that it’s a no-go. Sorry, she says, but the girl would have too many hours. I said fine, and then that I’d take the under-time. But it’s a good thing I didn’t take the under-time when it was initially offered, else how would I have even known? I’m off Tuesday and Wednesday, and I wouldn’t have come in on Thursday. She’d had the form all day – it had been on her desk before she’d arrived for work that day. When exactly was she going to tell me?

At least I’ve finally gotten conformation from my ex-supervisor, not the schedule manager, that I do indeed have Ad Astra off. It hasn’t been updated anywhere that the employees can see. So, good, I don’t have to worry about that anymore.

And what does any of this have to do with writing? Well, I’d been really psyching myself about getting some work done. I have some running around to do tomorrow, so the extra day would have meant two whole days to get down to it, get writing. Get editing, more importantly. Now I’m a little more time-crunched. I need to figure out exactly what I want to get done and I have to be obsessively strict about it.

I will be updating over the next few days, with more specific news about my words, my stories and more. Also, note the new links below for the other members of the Sudbury Hypergraphic Society.

More to come.

Stay-Cation Redux

Here I am, Day One of my Stay-cation.

Todd and Jim are en route to Tremblant, I have secured a third day off, giving me a very rare three-day weekend, and soon I’ll be heading out for some groceries and shopping. In the meantime, I’m still in my house coat, finishing off the dregs of my coffee, blogging while I have iTunes spinning through Party Shuffle.

Speaking of shuffling, life seems to be doing that for me at the moment. The shift-bid is imminent, and unless something truly strange happens, I will be working nights starting March 2nd. The thought originally was that if the schedule was a poor one, I might drop down to part-time and then pick up overtime shifts, which they were offering with incentive pay on top of your hourly wage. Found out yesterday from a co-worker that that scheme ended at the end of January. Nice. Granted, that’s probably why I was able to give away my Friday shift – now it’s more attractive to pick up a shift from a full-timer than one of the shorter over-time shifts.

But that’s not the only thing that’s shuffling. My little down-beat bout this past week or so has left me scatter-brained. After not writing Sunday, I wrote Monday, my regular words, and started writing yesterday, but didn’t finish the words. And then promptly forgot all about it.

Is it the scatter-brained-ness? I’m going to call it Scatternalia. (I can’t seem to find Scatternalia in any dictionary, but a Google search comes up with one entry from a text reprinting works from the early 1900s. I think I’m safe to repurpose it. Mua-ha-ha.)

This could be a bad start – I stopped this entry to get laundry and then ended up downloading the upgrade for Flow, a neat-o little game whose company is releasing Flower tomorrow. And this is after beating the first level of WipeOut HD this morning.

Time to get going!

My Mistake

It’s gorgeous out.

Where are my sunglasses?

(Bit of a test entry – I’m using the iPhone WordPress app so I have no idea what the formatting is going to look like.)

(Edit: Just going back to fiddle with things.  I’m impressed with the Application.  Just have to remember to come back to make sure all the details are taken care of.)

Grey Day Turns To Pearls

I thought it would be raining today.  When I woke up in the hotel bed, the sky was dim with heavy clouds.  But as I leisurely dress and fiddle with the 3G wireless internet adapter for the Mac, the grey clouds are moving on and the sky is turning this beautiful shade of pearl on the horizon.  

I am in Toronto.  After driving last night straight after work, and earning a $150 speeding ticket, we made it to town around 10:30 p.m.  We paid the extra for the lakeside view, and I’ve been watching the planes land and the ferries move between the shore and the Toronto Islands on my left, and on my right, I can see the CN Tower, only a few blocks away.

For the first time, I’ve come to Toronto with no real plan of what I want to do besides some vague ideas.  The ROM, which I have not been to since they completed their redesign, but that is way up town, and I think I am more inclined to enjoy the Harbour district, check out the antiques and take it easy.  I do not want to make the same mistake I made in May.  

I’ve gotten the wireless adaptor working, so now I am on the 3G network instead of the $20/day hotel rate.  There’s some free wifi nearby but it’s not reliable.  I have to pare down the items in my bag, put on a top, and get out there.  And, once I’ve scoped out the terrain, there will be writing dates with myself, a quiet spot, and the MacBook.

I so needed this vacation.

On a side note, NaNoWriMo is starting soon, and this year I am not missing it.  

More to come.

Going On Holiday

Next Wednesday I’ll be heading down to Toronto for a couple of days, playing piggy-back to Todd’s work-related travels. He’ll be busy doing productive things, like meeting others in his field, taking seminars and schmoozing.

I’ll be busy doing non-productive, recharging things, like wandering down Queen street to see all the lovely shops, eating at places that serve food I can’t get at home, and taking in visuals for Spirit Cats, notably around the Kensington markets and the older Victorian homes.

I had hoped to visit the AGO, but it is still closed until sometime this fall. So I’ll be looking for inspiration from the city herself. We’re going to be staying in the Eaton Center Marriott, which means I’ll have ready access to the subway. We’re leaving around noon on Wednesday, should arrive by 5ish, have the evening, where I may just squander it in the mall itself, as I’ve never really explored it all that much. Maybe take in a movie. And then Thursday, follow Queen Street until my feet fall off. Maybe Kensington, if I make it that far.

Things I’ll check out will include visits to Bakka Phoenix Books (SF bookstore. Didja know Tanya Huff used to work there?) and The Paper Place (where they sell nifty paperish things). I’m also considering checking out the MOCCA, since the AGO is closed, and maybe if I get bored or too ahead of myself, will wander down to the Queens Quay and check out the waterfront.

I only have the one full day, and I want to pack in as much as I can. But I still want it to be restful and fun. Relaxed. Playful. I mustn’t over-commit myself or set my expectations too high, else I’ll come home tired and frustrated.

In the meantime, I’m on a private journaling glut. I won’t spam this place up with regular life-clutter.

Vacation’s Over … *sniffle*

But I have lots of pictures of artifacts, fish heads, and wheels of cheese to remind me of the good times.

John said he missed me this last week, and not to expect much time off. Huh. We’ll see about that.

Beyond that, slipping into the old routines. I had today off, after a horribly boring day at work yesterday (no event to prep for, no real business, boooooooooooring), and we went to see Revenge of the Sith again, which we caught on Friday night in Toronto when we met up with Marcia. I semi-napped. It’s alright, better than the other two, but I just saw it yesterday, ya? And now I’m curling up with my book for some serious reading.

Yeah, nothing too exciting. The trip was great, if not a little loney with Todd taking the course. However, he thinks he did well and I got to spend four hours in the ROM, which would have been impossible to do with him there. The Art Gallery is mostly closed but it’s Massive Change exhibit is not to be missed (if you are in the area). Other than that, my significant treasures will be the 300 or so piccies I snipped, some clothes I picked up on sale, and a Cordon Bleu techniques book – I feel fairly confident that I can gut and de-bone a fish, now! If I could figure out how to post pictures (either through this service, or getting Todd to put them on the server), I’d post some of the interesting ones.

OOh, and favorite new cheese: MANCHEGO! I tried a piece in Kensington. It’s imported from Spain. Heavenly!

*sings* It’s my vacaaaaaaaaaation ….

Tomorrow we head out for our almost a week down in T.O. Todd will be taking his course and I’ll have the run of the town.

Watch out, Chinatown! Kensington! St. Lawrence Market! R.O.M.! AGO! Hairy Tarantula! The Cookbook Store! Ikea! The Dumpling House on Spadina! Anime International!

All sorts of cool shit.