If there’s been less of this navel-gazing blog lately, that’s because I’ve suddenly taken up a new hobby: home improvement! Real home improvement enthusiasts would laugh at my paltry efforts. Nevertheless, it is safe to say that I’ve never before poured as much effort into improving my dwellings as I have this past week.

It was like a blank slate: a beautiful and spacious apartment, but nothing in it. Literally nothing. Not so much as a curtain rod, a hook, not even a mirror or cabinet in the bathroom. So, after two visits to Rona, two more to Ikea, and visits to three other furniture stores, I’ve now made the place livable. And boy do I feel smug about myself. I now can’t much see the point of spending time anywhere except home. Why bother? I love my home! All I need now is a TV and DVD player so I can hang out, eat snacks, and watch movies.

In other news, I went to Francofolies over the weekend. I had ostensibly gone for Malajube, one of my favourite Montreal bands. But I ended up indulging in the entire soirée, all the way from 6pm to 11pm. The first act, Somebody Disselets, I didn’t much care for. He flapped his arms around on stage like a bird that cannot fly. A bit awkward. Then Gatineau invaded the stage – yet another brash, garish, impeccably bad-taste francophone hip-hop outfit that – much like Radio Radio from New Brunswick – is so immune to what’s cool that you have to love them. Pink ties, fluffy toques, and all. And after that, something totally different. A band called Karkwa. I recognized Karkwa’s first number from Montreal’s CISM La Marge, and it is a beautiful, intense, brilliant song. Much like almost everything else they played. The lead singer didn’t have to do much except strum his guitar and sing beautifully – he just owned the stage.

And then, Malajube… Hmmm. I had pictured a happy-go-lucky kinda goofy band, but they were actually about the most angstful rock n’roll act I’ve seen since Modest Mouse. The lead singer/guitarist seemed a hair’s breadth away from a total meltdown. At one point, he threw his guitar about twenty feet in the air – when it landed, obviously it was thrashed, and a technician came to take its carcass away. The singer said, “It feels good sometimes to waste things” (in French of course) and the show went on.

Tomorrow, the big show – yes, the real biggie. It’s Radiohead!

So I guess we can conclude from all this that having a nice new home hasn’t entirely made me eschew the outside world. Not yet.

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