An Appreciation for the Arts...

... I haz it.

(C'mon, how do you not love cats lacking grammar skills?)

One of my literary faves, Jen Lancaster (linked on the left as Jennsylvania) wrote a whole book last year on developing an appreciation for the arts as a means to expand her conversational repertoire beyond reality TV.

I say that my already well developed understanding of the arts lets me rot my brain in other areas as much as possible, much as being all responsible like in having both a job and a condo lets me be ridiculous at times and have waaaaaay too many shots (See: a recent Young Professionals Network event. No one was anywhere near professional by the end of that evening).

I have learned both classical and jazz piano, as well as a smattering of the clarinet.

I have read both Kafka and Sylvia Plath and enjoyed it.

I have a favourite Keats poem and Van Gogh painting, as well as an appreciation of more modern iterations of prose (slam poetry) and art (oh those gorgeous prints on etsy)(and then Regretsy)

While most operas are not my favourite, I will always be a sucker for La Traviata and wish I could be a song writer like Hawksley Workman.

Thanks to years of drama, I have my Shakespearean (Drama: Lear Comedy: Midsummer Night's Dream) and modern favourite play (George F. Walker's Problem Child) and over all

love of the theatre.

I got to go see 'Romeo and Juliet' last week, and while it had its issues (clogging showdown between Ladies Capulet and Montague was a little confusing), just being in a theatre and being taken into the story is a wonderful moment for me. I wish at times I was the one ON stage but just being there is enough.

I feel really lucky to have these things in my life. Part of it, mainly music, is from my parents who kept me in piano until I did indeed damn well like it. My grandmother used to take me to the National Art Gallery. I also had access to wonderful teachers in all these disciplines. It makes me sad that there are people, and children, out there who have not been so lucky. I feel bad at times that I do squander it, and don't get out to enough events, watching TV rather than a new fringe show. I am resolved (this won't be a New Years Resolution because those don't work) that now that I am more settled, I will make more of an effort to appreciate and enjoy the artistic experiences which are available.

Nothing wrong with the first step being tickets to:

(Review to come in December. ;)

(I may be more excited than I was for Christopher Plummer in the Tempest, eesh.)

(I will start reading Ayn Rand soon I SWEAR.)

Bon Voyage!

Today we had a brunch to bid adieu to my best friend forever, Z and her boyfriend as they take off on an exciting adventure. I am super excited for them, and can't wait to hear their stories but it was still hard to say goodbye.

Z and I have been best friends since we were around 3 years old. We know we met in preschool but the first evidence of our friendship is written upon a large piece of construction paper I had decorated on my first day of kindergarten, upon which our teacher wrote:

'Anna had a very good first day. While playing in the house, Zoe asked "Are you my husband?"'.

We figure I must have said yes, and that our marriage is one many should look up to. That phrase, along with many others ('You can't take Siam!' 'That is one of my defining characteristics') are a constant in our conversations.

Z has been my cheerleader, confidant, the one who understands my neuroses, who points out the few flaws I have ('epitome') but also shows me and helps me find my strengths. She's the sister I never had.

And she can't navigate nor stick to a schedule for anything so I'm really glad she's not going alone, I would actually have to find a new best friend (as I've been threatening) and I just don't have the time for that.

Love ya dear.

Fall faves....

I set this (in a slightly different colour scheme) aside at my cousin's boutique today that my dad will pick up as part of my Christmas presents.... I'm pretty excited.

Other fall faves:

.... sleeping in and just the tip of your nose being cold as you awake

.... walking around downtown, checking out late fall produce with a latte in hand

.... warm Pho in your belly

.... seeing lots of poppies sported around town for Remembrance Day (Canadians can be patriotic too - just not in the crazy/in your face/American way)

.... Daylight Savings giving us back our hour!

Hope your Saturday was full of fall fun.

TGFTTV

TGIF. Seriously. THANK GOODNESS. Hauling myself out of bed this week has been quite a trial. Hopefully with daylight savings ending tomorrow it'll make it a little easier.

So it's Friday. We made it. *HIGH FIVE* It's 10:45 and I just opened a pomtini. But it's not drinking alone because I could be out drinking at a bar with peoples, but I felt the need to save some moolah and chill. I did have a nice coffee date earlier in the evening but now I am in my bed with the laptop, catching up on all the terrible TV I've missed this weekend.

Thank Goodness For Terrible TV (TGFTTV - you see what I did there? Eh?).

I have admitted on this blog before that I, at times, have less than sophisticated tastes. I do indeed have Ayn Rand's the Fountainhead on my shelf at the moment, but I haven't cracked it open yet. I have however, read all of Twilight and most of the Shopaholic novels. I did indeed go to the theater last week, but also am really excited for the new Rachel McAdams romcom coming out (It has HARRISON FORD being crochety and charming! How could you not be excited?).

But I have really bad taste in TV.

I watch Private Practise almost every week (I think I'm skipping this one though, I do not need to see Xander from Buffy the Vampire Slayer rape someone). Almost anything to do with decor/wedding dresses on HGTV or TLC? I AM THERE. The documentary on climate change - not so much. I check out Cougar Town. After catching up on The Big Bang Theory and Modern Family this evening, I watched Hellcats.

Hellcats, if you haven't seen it, is about college cheerleaders. AND IT IS REALLY GOOD. There is now some kind of legal mystery going on and they used an acapella version of 'Girls Just Wanna Have Fun' at a poignant moment.... it is the One Tree Hill of it's day (which I did used to love), though minus Chad Michael Murray's hair and dogs eating hearts.

Man, I miss Chad Michael Murray.

ANYWAYS - I have crap taste in TV. I do turn to the West Wing whenever I have 40 or so minutes to spare, and have watched my fair share of BBC series, but I am always drawn back to both the ridiculous and sublime - ie. silly teenage shows or reality tv.

Time for the Apprentice!

(Please don't judge me or my love of pomtinis)

Whew - a little down to the wire today! However, I did just have a lovely evening I can tell you all about.

A third cousin of mine who is driving across the country then down through the States pulled up in my parent's driveway at 7 this evening in a bright orange VW van. Which has no heat. So she and her friends drive with sleeping bags wrapped around them. As she recounted this over dinner I thought my mother's eyes were going to fall out of their sockets, they were so wide.

Despite their somewhat loose grip on practicality, they were (her, her boyfriend and another friend) a group of completely charming 20 year olds, I had a great evening hanging out with them and took them on a walk through neighbourhood, however I felt about 40 at times. None in school, one with a bit of a vocation/career path.... I was never so footloose and fancy free! I don't feel bad about that, I'm pretty sure the life choices I've made are working out for me so far but at times I can't help but shake my head and wonder.

I had actually never met this cousin of mine before. My mother had over 60 first cousins so if you were to walk up to me on the street and say 'Hey - we're cousins!' I am likely to believe you because I have never and don't know how I could meet all the cousins I have. I don't even have the names straight of the ones I see occasionally. Yet while I mock this, and tell people about my 'crazy Irish family', I feel so privileged to have that network. As my mother was happy to host and feed this girl we had never met, I know her mother would do the same for me were I to appear on her doorstep. I actually had a lot of fun telling her family stories that she had never heard. I seem to still be cool thank goodness. I got to explain Twitter to them. They even seemed disappointed I have to go to work tomorrow rather than show them around.

I wish I could play tour guide again, tomorrow I will be mainly spending my time sorting all my files in preparation of switching jobs in 2 weeks. There are worse ways to spend (what is supposed to be) a rainy Friday. I'll let you know how it goes!

On the upside

It's November 3rd and you can tell winter is on it's way. We had snow over the weekend and I thought back to Halloweens when I had to wear snowpants underneath my costume. It gets dark, really, really early.

As I told you, I left work late both Monday and Tuesday, late enough that the sun had already begun to set. Today I got out relatively on time and appreciated the light by which to run my errands.

I'm trying to instigate a greater amount of positivity in my life these days. While I am in general an optimist, and believe that everything happens for a reason, at times it is hard to see past inconveniences and the whine comes on. I'm not quite a Debbie Downer, as I tend to keep it to myself and stew, which I know is not good for my mental health. (I recall when I first decided a few years ago to see a therapist for anxiety issues - among the best decisions I have ever made. I am now a big fan of TALKING to someone - I told my roommate about it and that I 'wouldn't be bothering her so much with my problems'. She stared at me 'You NEVER bother me with your problems. Or mention anything bad until you burst into tears'. I have learned that keeping things bottled up = a not very happy LadyLaptop.

So, positivity. I've had a few things to kvetch about this week but let's try seeing them in a positive light.

Ucky: Having to get out of bed at 6 am this morning for spin, in the cold and dark.

Yay!: I got in a good workout and sleeping in until 7 tomorrow will feel soooooo decadent.

Ucky: Skipping lunch as I juggled deadlines and meetings.

Yay!: Having a soup and laugh break with coworkers around 3, and I wasn't starving (ie buying ridiculous stuff) at the grocery store afterwards.

Ucky: I am le tired. Seriously.

Yay!: I came home to my lovely apartment, threw in some laundry and am currently cuddled in bed, with nothing to do this evening.

I'm pretty pumped.

Here's to finding to finding the positive.

On Musical Moments

Last night, I took a stack of papers home to read to incorporate into a briefing we've been working on for a while. I worked a little bit late on the same issue today, but not nearly as late and all I have to do tonight is study for a french quiz tomorrow, and hopefully put myself to bed nice and early so I am pumped for my weekly 6:30 am Wednesday spin class.

But back to last night.

Last night, I went home, changed out of my work clothes and spread out my work across my dining table. I turned on my computer and my iTunes onto shuffle.

One of the first tracks that played was a Liz Phair track that was only on my computer because a good friend lent me the CD in first year of undergrad. She and I must have hung out in my dorm room (she avoiding her slightly odd roommate, me avoiding calculus homework) for hours on end that year. Liz Phair was one of our favourites, as she sang songs of female power and independence. With a cup of tea next to me I felt like I could close my eyes and be there again.

I've written here before about the power of music.

While I am not an accomplished musician, I've lent my hand to it enough and been exposed to so many disparate styles (thanks Dad) that it does have a special place in my life. Many songs for me bring me back to incredible moments in my life. My old roommates and I have more songs than we can keep track of which were our anthems at various points (including ridiculous Bulgarian pop).

I've had songs that I truly thought represented relationships, which now bring a pang when I hear them.

But I also shrug and sing along, because I appreciate what that time was to me in my life.

My friend from first year is getting married. We aren't those people anymore. We've both shed a lot of tears since then, grown a lot. We still have a ways to go to be as cool as Liz Phair though.

Onto french homework - anyone got any good french music recommendations?