You are currently browsing the monthly archive for December 2007.
2007 can now be called a roaring success. The move to Montreal was inspiring, and it did not come at the expense of my relationship. There appear to be brighter prospects for writing, and friendships old and new have made life eventful and happy almost every day. I can’t think of a year where I made more progress personally.
But next year, cold reality awaits. I need cold, hard cash in hand… as much of it as possible. Montreal has been a bit of dream, you know — the kind of dream that incurs large bank loans and makes you wake up in a cold sweat wondering how exactly you’re going to satisfy all the creditors. Yeah, that kind of dream. I still want to keep my car — driving it to Banff reminded me that a vehicle is a truly liberating belonging! But I want my car to belong to me… not to the bank. I must service all the debt that mounted (and mounts still) as a result of tuition, living expenses, and nearly zero income for five months.
But all these worries aside, I think the risks I took were worth it. Now I have a city I love, and the woman I love wants to join me there ASAP.
If I stay financially viable, 2008 might be even better still…
Happy New Year, everyone.
With Christmas approaching, freezing cold temperatures outside, my girlfriend’s company so addictive, I have slowed right down. I live for pleasure first and foremost. This can’t continue indefinitely, I know. But it is going to be so good while it lasts. We are eating warming wholesome food, enjoying drinks with friends, and lazing in bed late. So good. Everything is so good.
I feel almost nervous about returning to any form of writing. With an Edmonton Journal article and revisions to my manuscript awaiting, there is no shortage of work. But it’s rather like jumping into cold water. You know it will probably be OK once you get used to it, but in the meantime, you procrastinate.
As I am doing now… Posting some random photos!
I took this during my stay in NYC, when the murk and mist made everything so photogenic.
As for the photo below, I took this the other morning, before my girlfriend and I sat down to devour it all.
Delicious!
I am back in Edmonton via New York City and Montreal. I think I’ve collected at least half a dozen stories on the way. It was a comedy of errors, it was a heart-warming experience, it was a scary experience, it was life in the full. What stands out right now is the young bus driver leaving from NYC and losing his way trying to get into Albany. Yes, Albany! A town of under 100,000 people. It literally took five attempts for him to get to the bus station. We went careening to the north, to the south, to the east, to the west; we crossed the river, crossed it again; finally, ended up slowly sauntering into town via Broadway — a small shopping street that was not made for the Greyhound. When we arrived, the busload of passengers (mainly Montrealers returning from NYC holidays) burst into applause.
Did I mention that on the way down, I sat next to a man who had just been released from prison? That he was a white supremecist? That he had been incarcerated for attacks on Jews and Jewish property?
Did I mention that one of my fellow conference attendees, as a child, had been in MK ULTRA — a CIA program that experimented with torture, hypnosis and imprinting?
Well, there’s time for all this… For now, it’s enough to call the last week a roaring sucess and leave it at that. Two editors have requested to see my full manuscript for Blind Spot. This is no guarantee of anything, but it is nevertheless enormously encouraging.
And now, it’s good to be home. And it’s good to be with the one I love. My girlfriend is more beautiful and wonderful than I had remembered her.
On Monday, I was working on my last paper of the semester. I had slogged through a particularly thorny part of the theory in my argument and decided to reward myself with a break. I walked to the science building, picked up a coffee and cookie and then headed back to the Communications/Journalism building to rejoin my fellow classmates, Selin and Melanie.
Imagine this, if you will. I am sauntering down the steps to the doors when suddenly I slip on the wet metal grate and fall violently to the floor. The coffee flies into the air — never to be drunk. I hit my head. Swearing violently, I put my hand where the hurt is. Blood is starting to flow. I am a bit panicked. It’s minus ten or so and I do not want to pass out.
I hurry into the building, and into the washroom. Blood is getting all over the place. I take off my coat and a shirt, which I then press to my leaking head. Then I run up the stairs to see Selin and Mel because I really don’t know if I am going to be able to help myself. I bang on the door to the computer lab. Selin comes out. She is greeted by me showing off my bloodied head.
Along with Mel, we all go to the women’s washroom to see what can be done. I am going to have to tell this part of the story, even though it might embarrass Mel… Well, she fainted! The sight of my wound was too much, I guess. Fortunately, her collapse to the floor did not bash her head in as badly as mine did and she was quickly revived with a splash of water.
Wouldn’t you know it, not too long afterwards, I was wrapped up like a Christmas present by the parademics and taken off to the hospital for stitches. I got a total of nine. I’ve been telling everyone ten — rounding up to be more impressive, I suppose. Selin even took a picture of me on the hospital bed with a funny-looking towel thing on my head.
I am going to watch my step from now on. That is my second winter wipe-out. Montreal is treacherous at this time of year! Take care, everyone!
A short note of explanation. I started this blog because it was a requirement of a class I took at Concordia University. That class is now over. But this blog continues. Increasingly, this site seems a better venue for pretty much everything than the other venues I used before. So I hereby vow to use this blog often, i.e. at least once a week. The next little while is going to be problematic, because I have an enormous amount of year-end papers to write, and then a conference to attend in New York, and then a trip to Edmonton to see my girlfriend and my other friends, but I will do what I can.
As for that trip to New York, I leave December 11, and I am very excited. And nervous. In fact, it is safe to say that I have never been so nervous before a trip.
