Mouldy cheese bread

So we have had a minor mouse problem for a month or two. We would find droppings, so we set traps, but nothing was caught. And then there wouldn't be any droppings for a while. So we hoped they went away, you know, because they saw the traps and got scared. If they were smart...

Yesterday I came home to see a mouse in the doorway of my roommates C's room. Then I saw one peeking out of my vent. This made me rather unhappy.

My room is fairly clean. I vacuum regularly and don't leave food in it. So when my roommate L came home, I told her about seeing the mouse in C's room and in my vent. C is away until after Christmas so we decided to make sure that she didn't leave any food in her room. Well, she did. Her room looked clean until I looked under the bed (where the vent that attaches to my vent is located) and found two grocery bags. One of them had a moulded cheese bun. Just sitting there. Not wrapped in anything. The other one had some garbage and a bunch of crushed up cookies. The bags weren't tied or anything, they were just lying on the floor.

AAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGG!!!!!!

Sorry, I am upset. So we got rid of the garbage under her bed and proceeded to find a dead mouse in one of the traps downstairs. And so we got rid of it and then cleaned the kitchen from top to bottom. And threw away a garbage bag full of old mouldy food (from cupboards and fridge) and expired food (some that had ceased to be fresh in 2003).

So there will have to be an intervention of sorts. I actually feel a lot better. Because I thought that it was both of them. And I didn't want to be the control freak roommate who scolded everyone to clean up after themselves. So I didn't. And I was just kind of grossed out and disappointed with both of them. Now, it is something L & I can talk to C about, and hopefully it can be fixed. Because these girls are really great and I don't want something that is preventable to be an issue.

And I'm going on holiday tomorrow. To Montreal. It feels like a big holiday even though it is only for 3 days. I am just looking forward to hopping on the train and staying in a hotel and shopping and eating out and drinking HUGE cans of beer in our hotel room. :) And Michele is coming! FUN! And I can see Lauren! FUN.

So for L's sake, we aren't going to set the traps again until I come back... so she won't have to face cute but gross dead rodents on her own.

Update: Michele called me, just home from an office holiday party, to tell me that she hasn't had a chance to pack yet. She hiccuped a lot. She said that she had underwear and pajamas packed, but nothing dynamic. She almost won a contest at the party. But she didn't. It was the best party she has ever been to in her life. I think I better call her in the morning to make sure she gets up in time for the train. Too funny.

Humbug

I went to see A Christmas Carol tonight. And sitting there listening to Scrooge, it reminded me of a comment I read in the Globe & Mail today, in response to an article about Stephen Lewis, the UN's special envoy for HIV/AIDS, saying in a speech that large corporations should be more active donating money/resources in the fight against HIV/AIDS. See the similarities between the two? The only sad thing is, the second one is a fictional character, the first one is a real person. Bah Humbug.

roger price from Andorra writes: This is an African problem, they caused it they can suffer or cure it. I for one, have no interest of investing in a company just to have the profits go to some cause in Africa. Income from my investments is to cover my living costs and the huge taxes that the government of Canada takes to funds healthcare here at home. Why should we underfund our own problems to help finance those unwilling or incapable of helping themselves? What does Lewise want, that we should give ALL our resources to Africa, bet he accepts his huge salary and benefits, what would he do if his income went to an African hole in the ground?

Charles Dickens writes: "I wish to be left alone," said Scrooge. "Since you ask me what I wish, gentlemen, that is my answer. I don't make merry myself at Christmas and I can't afford to make idle people merry. I help to support the establishments I have mentioned -- they cost enough; and those who are badly off must go there."

"Many can't go there; and many would rather die."

"If they would rather die," said Scrooge, "they had better do it, and decrease the surplus population."

Accounting for Dummies

Wow, I just had my accounting exam and it was hard. That sucks. Not fun. Girl running out of classroom in tears, everyone staying the full allotted time, my head still spinning (or is that the recovery wine)? The girl who ran out... she was there when I left (about 2 minutes before it was due) on the phone crying about how she just wasted the last 3 months and how she doesn't want to take the class again.

Wow. School stresses people out. Myself included. And with thoughts towards going back next year, I am wondering how I would deal being a full-time student again. Part of it is so appealing because it is just more exciting and there just seem to be more possibilities on the horizon when you are in school. The major downfalls are 1) group work (when you are stuck with a shitty group) and 2) never being DONE until you are DONE. By this I mean the homework and extra readings that could very potentially take up each and every waking hour of your 'free time'. Where as at least at work, you do your work sometimes overtime or weekends, but once you go home you can relax.

Unless you are a masochist and take an accounting class. I am so glad it is DONE!

Photos of mask in my room that in my delerium after studying too much yesterday, I started to worry that it was possessed and would kill me in my sleep. Today he seems friendly though, so I am not as worried.

Such Great Heights

Last night I dreamt that I was standing on a miles high skyscraper to enjoy the view. I couldn't remember how I got up there and I was talking on a cell phone to my friend (miles below me) who told me that the only way down was to jump over to the next building (about 1/2 mile away and a good 1/2 mile below) and use a jet pack strapped to my back that might not work. You could only tell if it worked by jumping off the building.

It was a bit of a scary dream. But I was trying to stay calm. I have this fear of heights and often have dreams where I am falling pretty much forever. Most of my dreams consists of the time and emotions that I face as I fall to my impending death. I often wonder if I will die instantly or not. And if it will hurt. So that was strange. It was a sunny, clear day in the dream and a very nice view aside from the dizzying look downward.

Today I used some of my many overtime hours to take the day off work and did some sleeping in and catching up on things. Harassed my friends who are at work and wore my pajamas layered with fleece and a toque because it is COLD in my apartment. Even with my space heater blasting away it is too chilly for my liking.

How many months does winter last again?

Turtlenecks

I like wearing turtlenecks because it is fun to unfold the neck part and put it over my face and pretend I am a ninja.

I downloaded like 25 songs from iTunes tonight. So exciting! AND I made plans for New Years! Yippee. But really, I think it will be fun. We are going to the Horseshoe Tavern to see The Sadies play. I usually HATE New Years. Because of all the terrible expectations that it has to be "the best party night of the year". And I usually never have very good plans. Or a date. Not that I have a date for New Years this year. But I have plans. And that, my friends, is half the battle.

I like how December is basically this whole month, ONE TWELFTH of the YEAR, that is set aside for this whole "let's be jolly and give gifts and throw parties". Part of me thinks it is a bit excessive, the other part of me just wants some eggnog with extra rum, please.

One Tequila Shot

Uhhh. I swear, I am turning into an old lady. I hardly drink anything and I keep getting these terrible hangovers and headaches the next day. Last weekend it was 3 glasses of wine and my head was splitting the next day. Last night was a little more wine and one shot of tequila and my mind was MUSH today. Ugh. And I even drank a ton of water when I got home. I don't get it.

Anyway, it was a fairly tame weekend otherwise. But fun. I went to the Dufferin Mall, which is a completely ghetto mall (even though they have an H&M) and on my way home I snapped these photos. See, the Duff has this gorgeous park just beside it. And the sun was setting but the mall blocked out the light so the bottom of the trees stayed dark. It was the coolest thing to see. Great timing on my part.

Today, despite the headache, I happily went to the Toronto Maple Leafs Skills Competition. I had 3rd row seats. It was awesome. I love hockey. I went by myself but I had so much fun.

Having dinner with K last night she reminded me of something I used to say all the time which I think is really funny. I used to say that boys who were hot were "solid". I remember reading an old journal of mine and I actually used the word "gnarly" quite often. I was so rad back in the day.

Just when you least expect it

Ughh. Work took a long time tonight. But I got to be a judge at an "Apprentice" type competition. That was kind of fun. I tried to be mean. Some of these kids really had NO idea what they were doing. Silly kids.

Then I started my Christmas shopping. I had an hour in a mall (from 8 - 9pm) and it was completely empty, so I figured I should take advantage of not having to deal with line ups and crowds. I hate line ups and crowds. But I really like buying people things.

I bought a few little things for my friend's kids (she has a boy and a girl) and I was walking towards the cash out when I realized that I was buying each of the kids completely gender stereotypical gifts. I was buying the 3 yr old girl a shiny golden purse and the baby boy a hunting-style hat and flannel shirt. I had to stop myself. I mean, is this the right thing to do? Perpetuate the roles that each of these kids should take? Shouldn't I buy the girl a hunting hat too or maybe the boy would also like the shiny purse, isn't it their decision what they like, it shouldn't be forced upon them?

Ok, so I was having those thoughts in my head but approaching the matter with a sense of humour and mostly just laughing at myself. In the end I got the boy the flannel shirt & hat because he is only 2 months old and will have no idea what the heck he is wearing anyway. The little girl, I got some cool magnets and I'll get her something else later. Everybody wins.

So remember I mentioned the boy who never called me? Well, I am sitting on the subway on my way home, after a long 12 hour work day, looking like poo and who walks on the empty subway but that boy. DAMMIT. That never happens when I look good and am feeling witty!! We chatted for a bit, he said he would call me or something and then I got off the subway. By the way, he was on his way home from having sushi and watching tv with his EX GIRLFRIEND. That is not a good sign. Anyway... maybe everybody doesn't win after all.

Now is the time on Sprockets when we dance.

Spare some change?

Don't you hate it when you have not just one, but TWO ideas of what to write about in your blog, and then you sit in front of the computer and forget?

I got my hair cut today. I asked my hairdresser about how many people fall asleep when they get their hair cut. She says it only seems to happen when the clients know the hairdressers really well or if they are older men.

She was nice. I felt bad about making that quip the other day about my relief about popular girls from highschool becoming hairdressers.

I was walking home listening to my iPod really loudly. A man was sitting on some church steps with this really cool vintage bike, in a puffy down vest, punching a number into his fun little cell phone and he said something to me that I could only half hear, so I took out the ear phone and asked him to repeat himself because I was SURE that I had misheard him. Then he held out his hand and said again,"Spare some change?" I was just kind of shocked so I just kept walking without responding because I had no idea how to. He didn't look very needy, not that one needs to look needy to get change, but I just don't know... I'm still not sure what that was about.

I hate it when I give a boy my number and then a week later he still hasn't called. I immediately think that I gave him the wrong number by accident. Or that he just changed his mind. Dammit. I wish I didn't care.

Also, how great is it that someone from POLAND found my blog by googling "Hipsters don't drive cars" and someone from SPAIN found my blog by googling "Orientals crazy bra".

Walking Wounded

Tonight was the second night in a row that my iPod chose the song "Mad World" by Sacre from Donnie Darko to come up as I am walking home and it always creeps me out. It is such a good song. Or maybe it is just the moment in the movie that it was playing that struck me in such a way that I just have carried that emotion over whenever I hear the song. Anyway, I like it even though as I walk I imagine a large piece of jumbo jet is going to fall from the sky and crush me.

I did some high school presentations today. 2 things: 1) All kids in high school are such messes and such nerds and so many look so lost and depressed that I just want to tell them all "Don't worry! It will get better!" I liked high school for the most part, but it would have helped to know that in the future things do change and that all the popular girls eventually become hairdressers (not that there is anything wrong with being a hairdresser but it is somehow comforting that they are not astronauts or something). 2) How the hell can any high school kid know what they want to be when they grow up when they are in high school? In fact, how do we ever even decide? It is such a random path that we take, it could all be effected by ONE teacher randomly telling you that you are good at something so that is what you should be come, or that you do poorly once in one subject because your teacher was crappy and you write off a whole slew of career possibilities in one fell swoop because you refuse to take math EVER again. It makes me nervous. Like those dreams I have where I am walking along a tightrope and tipping both ways, and the smallest thing will effect which way that I fall. Is there ever really a RIGHT decision? A BEST decision? I wish there was. I wish it was that simple. I wish we were all born to be one thing and it was written on the bottom of our left foot so that we might not have to stress so much about it. Although I guess that would kind of limit a lot of people. I'm just tired is all.

It is starting to get cold but it was a gorgeous crisp clear sunny day today. Ahhhh! Can I admit that I loved the weather despite the cold? And that the crispness even made the day even better? I must be on crack again.

Sometimes I worry...

I feel like I look at people more now than I used to. Like when I am walking down the street, I look people in the eye when I pass them. I never used to do that but I have started recently and felt pretty good about it. Until I realized that I was suddenly accountable for saying hi to people I know. Like people from work. But I am terrible at recognizing people. Probably because I have spent most of my life avoiding eye contact with people and have never developed the skill. There are about 60 people in my office and I have regular contact with about 12 of them. Plus I am out of the office on the road about 60% of the time. The rest, I think they think I am a big snob. When I am in the office, I smile and say hi to everybody. When I am out of the office, on the streets, I walk fast (as I always do), make eye contact, and usually don't say hi or smile to anyone because I don't recognize anyone. But I have managed to make eye contact with people from my work (who I dont' recognize) and then ignore them and kept walking. Only to see them in my office building, minutes later. Arhghh. Maybe it was better to keep my eyes to the ground.

Now, I am paranoid when I am walking in the vicinity of my office. I smile at everyone. And if I don't, then the paranoia creeps in ("does that women in jogging pants that I just ignored work at my office?") and then I feel guilty.

I just want people to like me. No, not necessarily even like me. Just not hate me. I don't want people to think I am a big snob. When it isn't my fault. Maybe the fact that I still don't know everyone in my office yet actually MAKES me a big snob. I'm so confused.

It is really not the end of the world. I can only try my best, right?