Beautiful Praha

IMGP4479, originally uploaded by smoooch.

The Astronomical Clock in the Old Square-Prague

IMGP4521, originally uploaded by smoooch.

not singing

IMGP4527, originally uploaded by smoooch.

Everyone gathers at the Astronomical Clock in Prague to chime the bells and these little doors open and I think the Apostles come out and glare down on you. Anyway, behind me must have been 500 people waiting for the clock to chime, which was about 7 minutes away, so this woman had quite an audience.

While it looks like she is singing, she isn't. Nor is she dancing, although she did do a little jig during her sermon. She is actually yelling something at the top of her lungs. At one point she started shouting God is great and something that sounded like Allah. I half wondered about what suicide bombers reportedly shout before detonanting the bombs but her coat was open and she didn't seem to have any wires protruding.

In the end she was rather entertaining and the crowd cheered when she was done.

wherever you go, there they are

No matter what you do or where you go, the Hare Krisna will be there too. As in today, I went to the Municipal House in Prague, which is one of the finest examples of Art Nouveau architecture in Eastern Europe. There on the corner was a gaggle of robed men with shaved heads. A few had drums. Then the chanting began and they slowly paraded down the street, handing out a small piece of paper with the chant.

Incidentally, despite the amount of walking I have done (pedominter reads 14531 steps, 10.17 km, the blisters are better.

it will be an 11 hr train ride to Brussels

Um, I know this is the Czech Republic but I thought the communist rule was over. I found the main train station today and it reminded me what I thought it would be like to be in Siberia (except the sun is shining). It was dark and trapped in the 70's. Cold. Eastern Bloc Gangster types dozing off in little packs. Italian teenagers with slick hair and slicker sunglasses hang like greasy globs near the entrance. Little rotund old women with babushkas and walkers make their way through the prolific Coca- Cola signs.

The train to Brussels will make 15 stops and take 11 hours. There must be a better way. I heard the buses in Prague are faster than the trains. Really. I did hear that. And now I'm thinking it may be true.

Another sunny day in Prague.

If only I could find a decent Internet connection with the ability to download my photos without draining my batteries, I could show you the lovely lovely things I have seen. I am amassing quite a collection of doorknob photos. Every street has at least on building where the handle is either a lion, a swan, or some elaborately ornate structure. I'm not sure if the laughter seemingly whenever I stoop to photograph one is for me or just the many many tourists milling about.

I know for certain, when I walked into Hotel Europa, an Art Nouveau wonderland, the woman behind the desk clearly said, "oh it's just a stupid tourist gawking at the building again." Only she said it Czech.

Praha

With warm and sunny weather I headed out to explore the city of Prague. I can not believe sometimes how people are so blase about the architecture that surrounds them. Down the street from my hostel is a STUNNING building covered in Art Nouveau decoration. Huge stained glass doors that stand 16 feet high front the masterpiece. While I am outside agasp in disbelief, streams of people breeze past me, seemingly unaware.

I walked and walked and walked. I ate a spicy chicken panini with a draft beer out in the old town square and walked some more. I walked to Charles Bridge which is swarming with tourists like bees to honey on skin. I wandered alone the kiosks offering up the usual tourist kitzch and listened to the french jazz band and watched them drink wine out of the bottle. I smiled at them when they saw me watching and took their photos, with their lips stained red from the wine, faces red from a mixture of the sun and the booze.

I ducked inside a small door at the foot of the bridge and ascended the stairs, all the way to the top, I found myself out on a parapet looking over the city of Prague from all directions and then over the bridge itself. A city this beautiful, and you cant help but take beautiful photos. I only need to find a decent connection to get them on line.

I have ě blisters on the underside of each foot. This isn't going to be good if they get worse. The raw wool at the Pasu Sheep farm in Alberta, the weekend before I left is looking really good. I wish I had some.

One thing is for certain, is despite how beautiful and lovely and exhilarating it is, it is somewhat bittersweet to experience it alone. No one to say, ¨wow, look at that!". Well, there are the other tourists but they just look at you all crazy like.

xox
Jill

sunlight on row

in a row, originally uploaded by smoooch.

on my way

I said I wouldn't do it. I said I wouldn't sit an Internet terminals with unfamiliar keyboards that mangle the punctuation and letters I intend. But I can't quite contain my thrill at being abroad and all the things I have done since I landed 2 days ago. All the things I have seen so far!

London was great. I zipped around the city seeing all that I could. My host took me to the Flower Market near his home. If only I could photograph the sounds of the thick cockney accents shouting out "too-lips, get yer toolips for a tenner" "I got boonches of toolips for a tenner, a fiver if yer pretty" "Hey, you missy, get yer toolips." If only..

After that I went to the Portobello Market, Covenant Garden and there, I met a girl who gave me vague directions to the Banksy I eventually found and posted. Then I jumped on another bus and headed for Camden Town and further to Hamstead Heath, a part of town that Michael said he used to go to watch football. Not sure where he used to go, but I did see a lot of Indian take-away.

This morning I got up bright and early and caught my flight to Prague. First impressions were that it reminded me of Alberta. Farmers fields, brown trees, a bit of green AND A MAGPIE. I found my hostel easily enough and the city reminds me of Madrid. Big huge walking boulevards, youth hanging around in packs of trouble makers and lots of lots of people. Busy. I found my hostel, dropped the bag and logged in.

Just to say it¨s warm, sunny, beautiful weather. Nicer than Vancouver. I'm tired and my feet hurt a bit already but I¨m on my way to a beautiful and adventure filled tour around Europe.

Gotcha

Gotcha, originally uploaded by smoooch.

Whoa, I never thought I'd see an original Banksy while I was in London. Lucky me, I guess.

It's a good one. I like the bank machine claw capturing the future generation. I hope you like it as much as I do. It was a bit of an adventure today in London to find it. More about that later.

xoxo Jill

more heaven

Of course, the only reason I am going to Paris is to ride the metro to this stop. One of the many still standing examples of Art Nouveau, by architect Hector Guimard.

heaven

art nouveau.victor horta.tassel house.brussels.staircase 2nd view, originally uploaded by moosoid9.

I'm almost on my way to Europe with the sole purpose of photographing Art Nouveau.

Of course, the trip won't be complete until I see this for myself, the Hotel Tassel in Brussels.

I'm a better looking cartoon than I am in real life

It's the only place you can say, "I want 10 lbs off my face and 15 years off my skin. Please give me apple cheekbones and red lips" and get all those things without going under general anesthetic.

lost in translation

You know you're in a foreign country when..

You take the invitation of the bus driver to seek the shelter the door of the undercarriage luggage compartment is providing from the sweltering sun. While sitting there, politely, the bus driver who obliquely is named Akmed sits beside you. Being a nice Canadian girl you offer him some of your chewing gum. Akmed looks at the package of Dentyne Cinnamon gum, all red with a big lettered "Fire". Akmed nods his head and looks at you. He says something you don't understand. It's hot. You're distracted by the heat. You nod and then Akmed gets a weird look in his eye and simultaneously tries to close the compartment door while pushing you back and the word in broken English pierces through your ear canal and you realize Akmed thinks he's been offered the chewable version of Viagra.

Thanks Sonia for the laugh this afternoon. I hope I find myself is similarly non threatening but insanely funny episodes in broad daylight with lots of people nearby.

there's hope yet for plastic footwear

They may be Croc's saving grace. If I see these all over town hangin' off door displays in dimestores, I won't cringe. The come in black too and I'm going to scour the shoes stores in hopes of finding a pair before I go to Europe. A certain Jane reminded me how scuzzy hostel showers can be. Good to have a pair of of 'I can get these wet' shoes for fashionable trip to the loo.

Patrol

IMGP4263, originally uploaded by smoooch.

quit clogging up our you know whats (landfills and toilets!)

I have been hesitant to talk about something here because really, who wants to think about what happens to all those tampons and pads after we girls are done with them. But seriously, have you ever thought about how may you'll use in a year? In a lifetime? Or what that costs? Multiply that by how many menstruating women. That's disgusting right? Sorry, but I think we should talk about it.

According to Menstruation.com, "discarded tampons and disposable pads contribute hugely to landfill waste. In the US alone, there are over 85 million women of menstruating age, and according to the National Women’s Health Network, they contribute approximately twelve billion pads and 7 million tampons to landfill each year."

But even more so than that is the entire aisle in a pharmacy or grocery store with the dizzying array of versions of the same product from 4 major manufacturers. Tampax, O.B, Kotex and Playtex. All of those tampons all contain Rayon (among other things). Take a look the next time you're out shopping and look at the "ingredients" and see for yourself. Interestingly, I looked at the O.B, Tampax, Kotex and Playtex websites and none of them gave any listing of ingredients in the products but a few did give damage control links about Toxic Shock Syndrome, bleach, rayon and other nastiness. Nice, thanks for that. Oh yeah, thanks for pushing your free sample on me too.

The only tampon brand proudly listing what their tampons are made of was Natracare. You know, the ones that can only be found by visiting a natural health food store. Not a big grocery or drugstore chain. Why is that? Why do you have to go out of your way to find a tampon that isn't processed to nines, filled with crap and comes packaged with a plastic 'applicator' in a little plastic bag inside a cardboard box! I clearly don't understand why women do not more readily have this choice.

Speaking of the non-natural easy to find tampon, I found a few other tidbits of info that you might like to hear:

-"bacteria called staphylococcus aureus, responsible for toxic shock syndrome, breeds easily on synthetic fibers such as rayon and viscose found in all commercial tampons."
-"commercial tampons may expose you to chlorine, and other bleaching agents. Chlorine can cause the production of dioxins, furans and organochlorines. Health risks from exposure to organochlorines include: immune system inhibition, birth defects and the production of cancers."
-"Studies also suggest linkage to endometriosis, breast cancer and other female reproductive disorders."
-"99% of all Toxic Shock Syndrome cases are found in women wearing rayon-blend tampons."
From here.

Goody Gumdrops. I can't believe I let my lifetime of stuffing carcinogenic packed synthetic fibers up my twat go on as long as it did. Behold the Diva Cup. No more money flushed away, no more treks to the inconvenient health food store, no more weird feelings about what exactly is in that thing thoughts. More importantly, no more waste, landfill, and excessive packaging. I highly recommend if you are a consumer of Playtex, Kotex, OB, Tampex, or any other major 'feminine product' company that you consider a healthy, biodegradable, or no waste alternative.

So there.

yummy good

This is one scrumtious yummy photo slideshow.

breaking up with your cell phone company

I've often heard the rant of Michael against Telus for holding him hostage via his telephone number. Michael works in a business where being able to reach him is paramount. Alot of people need to reach him- at the telephone number he has had for years. That has kept him chained to Telus. Until now.

Enters fellow Brit, Sir Richard Branson and his Virgin mega company. (See fancy-schmancy website with all the details .) While this is definitly a ploy (celebrated with a stunt) to get you to bring your number to Virgin, he did push to have the legislation passed allowing most Canadians to take their telephone numbers and roam free.

The Canadian Radio, Television & Telecommunications Commision lists all cities that will have number portability as of March 14. Take a look at the list.

Nice marketing, doncha think?

Reminds me of the recent marketing scheme from my own carrier, Fido who sent me some form of advertising on a peice of paper long as the length of my arm. Glossy. Not a word of it stating that it was printed on recyclable materials. I wrote a long letter back to Fido about renewable resources, the eco-footprint on the planet and environmentalism and poliely asked them to not send me such items of advertsing through the mail again, and would they mind emailing me to inform me of the company ethics regarding those issues. I put it back in it's original envelope, changed the address and sent it back. I have yet to hear from them.

Next time, it might be a Dear Fido, it's over. Virgin is moving in.

dance of 1000 hands

My friend Christine always send me really cool emails that include unbelievable links that I would never ever find all by myself. Today she sent me this very amazing dance video:

"There is an awesome dance, called the Thousand-Hand Guanyin, which is
making the rounds across the net. Considering the tight coordination
required, their accomplishment is nothing short of amazing, even if
they were not all deaf. Yes, you read correctly. All 21 of the
dancers are complete deaf-mutes. Relying only on signals from
trainers at the four corners of the stage, these extraordinary
dancers deliver a visual spectacle that is at once intricate and
stirring. Its first major international debut was in Athens last year
at the closing ceremonies for the 2004 Paralympics. But it had long
been in the repertoire of the Chinese Disabled People's Performing
Art Troupe and had traveled to more than 40 countries. Its lead
dancer is 29 year old Tai Lihua, who has a BA from the Hubei Fine
Arts Institute. The video was recorded in Beijing during the Spring
Festival this year."

I'd like to personally thank my sister, Catherine, for helping me with my long overdue taxes.

I think I owe you a lunch. Or two.

11 days and counting

getting ready for the walkabout, originally uploaded by smoooch.

1- Borrowed backpack. Thanks Sis.
1- Pair well worn hikers, recently waterproofed, for those long hikes through the boulevards of Paris and the streets of Brussels looking for that Art Nowveau wonderland.
1- Cozy fleece, Cashmere/wool sweater- for cold Bohemian nights.
2- Merino wool long sleeved shirts to further protect me from the elements.
1- Pair of fingerless wool gloves for warm hands and photographic agility. Thanks Catherine, they're perfect.
1- Camera case for keeping the captured sights safe. One large memeory card- not shown
1- Awesome feather travel pillow with match storage bag for a little bit of luxury on 2nd class train trip.
1- Quick drying towel with keen storage bag for those impromtu train station showers and bathroom baths.
1- Fold down travel kit to keep all my solid soapy products. No liquids on the plane!
1- well tested in the recent Vancouver Monsoon raincoat in bright, don't kill me blue.

a forest of B vitamin

a forest, originally uploaded by smoooch.

a step back in time

Photo by Fred Herzog

An amazing photography show is currently running at the Vancouver Art Gallery. Fred Herzog, a local shutterbug who currently still lives in Vancouver, incredibly documented the street life of the city in the 1950-1960. Vibrant, colorful, stark exposures of the hustle, bustle and prosperity of areas now burdened by the desperation of the downtown east side are like looking like a real life comic book if you have ever walked along East Hastings. Other shots show the blank canvas of under developed areas now gentrified and teeming with hip shops, cafes, and grocery stores.

It's all really something to see. If you're in town, don't miss it. It's running until May 13 and Tuesday nights are by donation.

More info on Fred Herzog.
This one has a nice gallery of shots.

the tickle trunk

I have a little thing for crafts. I have a little thing for craft supplies. I enjoy having a myriad of half started or never started projects. Just knowing at any moment I can throw open the doors of the craft cabinet and explore my creativity pleases me to no end. While it's a bit jumbled, if you looked closely you might see:

A sewing machine (the one on top is a bit of a decoration), cloth, embroidery thread, pillow cases stamped for embroidery, patterns, iron on transfers, glue, tape and other adhesive materials, multiple spools of ribbon (some very large and particularly antique), paper, scissors, cutting mat and cutting wheel, cotton stuffing, lavender, yarn, crotchet hooks, knitting needles, pens, felt markers, pins, craft books, craft magazines, beads, beading wire, some funny little wooden cording tool my mother gave my for Christmas, pliers, nails, hammers, brushes, stencils, paint, plain paper, craft paper and tissue paper, string, thread, gift wrap, rubber stamps, ink pads, glitter, and a bag of small glass sample jars.

As you can imagine craft stores are a mesmerizing wonderland to explore. I can spend hours pouring over different hole punchers, colors of ribbon, tools, pens, solvents for paints, craft kits, scrapbook kits- you name it. My eyes turn into spirals. Today they spun wildly as I hit the mother lode of craft stores, Loomis. Just like the web page says.. "give your creativity free rein". Honestly, if I did that, I would quit my job, move to a commune and start making my own clothes and hand embroidering my underwear. Not good.

Today I reined in my urge to buy mini spools of cloth ribbon in a dizzying array of colors. It's like a drug. I knew if I loaded up on those tiny wheels of fabric crack I would come home, unroll them all and roll around in it until we were a sweating, tangled heap. Instead I ran my hands over the rainbow of felt markers the way a kid would run a stick over a picket fence. I picked up the solvent and paint bottles and watched the air bubbles rise to the surface. I shook the little jars of powdered pigment and made pleasant with the staff query of "doing alright?".

I almost gave in to a package of Super Sculpey while I envisioned all the things I could make and bake in my oven. Then I realized the auxiliary purchases of paint and glaze and talked myself out of it. The other massive temptation were these little kits of stencil letters that "rub on to virtually any surface". But then I realized that every open wall surface in my apartment would be emblazoned with an uplifting quote of inspiring word by the weekend. I was feeling that kind of creative fire today.

No, I held back. I bought one spool of fabric ribbon and a "Chinese take out" like container for a gift I bought the sister and slowly backed myself out of the store. I have a load of groovy crafting links but I'm too exhausted now to share them. I feel like have been sniffing the glue stick when I haven't. Howver, "Not Martha" is a good one, you can find it in the side bar of links called 'fuck you Martha Stewart'. Click on "get your craft on". It's a favorite too. Hell, take a moment a click through all my favorite links.

Before I forget.. Chocolate Bubble Wrap. I think it's pretty self explanatory. It's definitly a site I have to save for another day. Thanks to Dooce for the link.

come inside for a cuppa

come inside for a cuppa, originally uploaded by smoooch.

39 is only 3 years older than me

It can't be easy. The world is silently chanting in your ear.."fourty fourty you're almost fourty. what have you done with your time. are you all you thought you would be?". Listen, the first thing you have to do is kill that voice. It's not yours. It belongs to a 69 year old block of cement in a suit in a commercial you watched when you were five.

It was representing a term deposit in a bank. Ignore it.

The second thing you have to do is to convince yourself that it is OK that you have decided to halt your emotional growth at a healthy, say, 26 year old mind. Then tell your skin to park it where it is. Stay put. Boobs are you listening? You can just stop what you're doing right now. You might want to have a chat with a few other parts just to make sure the whole kit is on track with the 26 year old thing and then you're good to go.

The last thing you should do is list all the incredibly wonderful things YOU think you've done. You can define these yourself, Oprah says so. So, you've made a list everyday for the last 5 years. Celebrate that. Plus all the other things you've done, like that time that you hitch hiked through Egypt..pretty amazing. It really is a crying shame the world doesn't reward that kind of bravery and tenacity in monetary gain. Wouldn't it be great if you could get a RRSP contribution for developing hepatitis while on the Atlas mountains and have to be carried down by sherpas and a donkey? I mean, that would kill me. Be happy for all the things you've done, finsihed, accomplished or were "successful" at. Be estatic that you decided to go get that wacky masters degree and you might get out and decide what you really want to do is shuck oysters in a bar in Yugaslovia. Hurrah!! Whatever it is, whatever you've done, you've made it thus far without killing me and that, I'd say, that's alot.

Happy Birthday Catherine.

(when I freak out about turning 39, I'll have to come back and read this post.)

Love,

your sister.

By the way.. I posted 2 of my favorite photgraphs from our Sunday afternoon in Chinatown. You can see the rest of them here.

an afternoon in the local market

I can wish right?

• 1-2 warm sweaters, grey or black, preferably high quality fibers of wool/cashemere blend- One down one to go, supplementing with 2 new merino wool longsleeve shirts. Yum
• 3-4 good quality Tshirts in black or grey
• good quality lightweight gloves for chilly photographic mornings in the Czech Republik
• small travel bag in grey for toiletries. I saw one at MEC for less than $10- check
  
• travel tea press. Michael has one and I'm jealous.- no longer jealous with my sparkly red one- check
  
• A Matt&Nat handbag and wallet- the buddah bag in yellow, the sabre tooth wallet in large and any color, they're just yummy yum.
  
• lots and lots of bergamont rooiboos and a pretty bombilla.
  

the next big thing

Mark my words, Amy Winehouse is about to blast onto the North American scent through Austin's SXSW festival.

chicken before the egg?

Check out these clever photographs that are based on children's drawings. Either that or the children's drawings are based on the photographs.

Thanks Todd, for the link.

my god given right is to be happy

There are a number of perks to sharing a vehicle with a co-op rather than being the out right owner of one.

1. Access to a wide variety of vehicles. Jeeps, trucks, hybrids, Mini Cooper, Volkswagen Bug. No Smart cars, or motorcycles though.

2. Discount on most car rentals at three different car rental agencies.

3. 15% discount monthly Translink bus pass that I will continue to buy every month.

4. 10% off my monthly bill for being a good Co-Op member: returning vehicles on time, keeping the gas tank of vehicles I borrow at 1/2 tank, not leaving light on or doors and windows open, and paying my bill on time.

5. The Co-Op pays for all gas, maintenence and insurance. If you put gas in a vehicle or put it through a car wash, just attatch receipts and it will be taken off your monthly bill.

Today, I booked a 2003 Gray Toyota RAV4 to do a large grocery run and pick up a few things. It's parked 4 blocks away, for use between 1-5pm. The charge is $8.00 plus approx $0.18/per kilometre. This makes me happy.

The downsides? You don't get to indulge that part of being a human that says:

"I deserve to have access to a vehicle at all hours of the day. I deserve to be the only person in the vehicle if I want that and I deserve to use the trunk as a storage unit for my stuff. I also deserve to have this vehicle parked less than 20 steps from my front door and not have to share it if I don't want to. Lastly, I derserve to feel that having a vehicle is a god given right to my human functioning on the planet, not a luxury."

I think I can live with that.

baby, you can drive my car

I used to own a 1969 Valiant. I named it Rose. It was the first car I ever owned and I bought it for $500.00. All because of the fabled Slant 6 engine. From the very beginning that car was a lesson in car maintenance. The first thing I had to do was have the head gasket on the radiator resealed. When I decided I was going to drive it from Calgary to Vancouver, I had to have both upper and lower ball joints redone. That job cost $970.00. That was a month after I bought it.

Further lessons in car anatomy followed when I drove in to the United States. The radiator started leaking at the border but I persevered. In Everett, Wa, I had to have the head gasket soldered again and then in Portland it was clear, the whole thing would have to be replaced. Luckily, I found a radiator shop run by a woman.

Fran: Look, I like Canadians and you seem very nice. I'll sell you this thing at cost to help you. I also won't charge you labor if you want to do this yourself.
Me: Ok (sheepish, uncertain look on my face)
Fran: You have tools don't you?
Me: Um no.

Fran handed me a few wrenches and gave me a quick lesson in hoses, bolts and removal of the cooling system in a 69 Valiant and left me alone to finish the task. I did.

Further unexpected instructions and assignments covered:

-cracked manifold and head gasket repair
-spark plugs
-changing the oil
-boosting the car up on a jack
-drum brakes adjustment and ultimate replacement.
-starter motor
-ignition switch
-stalls and getting a jump
-timing
-carburetor and what it means to run rich
-electrical wiring and fuses
-radio maintenance
-steering column
-tires
-the horn
-exhaust pipe and muffler

I know I'm forgetting something, but I did save ever single receipt for every single repair or part I paid for. And then I handed them all over when I sold Rose 5 years later after she literally became a monkey on my back. In the end, I had a cool car, learned alot of words and found the ability to talk shop bullshit to not get ripped off by a mechanic that thought I was a stupid, gullible girl.

I have vowed to never ever be the sole owner of a vehicle ever again. But that doesn't stop me from occasionally needing a car. So, after looking into the matter and having experience with Michael being a involved, today I became a member of the very first car co-operative in Canada.

What does that mean?

It means I have access to a variety of vehicles parked around the lower mainland. It means I can book a car for as little as a 1/2 hr. Most importantly, it means I can drive to Ikea or relieve my arms of carrying 7 bags of groceries home.

thanks for the reminders, Mom

1. There are at least two people in this world that you would die for.

2. At least 15 people in this world love you in some way.

3. The only reason anyone would ever hate you is because they want to be just like you.

4. A smile from you can bring happiness to anyone, even if they don't like you.

5. Every night, SOMEONE thinks about you before they go to sleep.

6. You mean the world to someone.

7. You are special and unique.

8. Someone that you don't even know exists loves you.

9. When you make the biggest mistake ever, something good comes from it.

10. When you think the world has turned its back on you take another look.

he asked for only locally grown flowers.

A lesser eco-footprint was my valentine this year.

Michael never says the 3 little words but he does bring me flowers for Valentine's Day., originally uploaded by smoooch.

Does Ruby wear a watch?

Last year, Ruby brought me a bird the day AFTER Valentine's Day. This year, it was the day BEFORE.

Is there something in the air that says, "bring your human a dead bird"?

Happy Valentine's Day

holding, originally uploaded by smoooch.

Remember- when you go out into the world, it is best to hold hands and stick together. And don't forget to show each other a little love and compassion.

More Kisses Please!!

love me do

The beast, otherwise known as my cat Ruby, found herself on the roof of the house last night. I'm baffled at how she manages to get up there as previous known routes have been blocked off with chicken wire. Have you ever seen a cat climb a trellice like a ladder, hand over hand? I have and it's not right. This cat is like a small white monkey with cat like features. Well, mysteries aside, she got up there again and her plaintive mews let me know.

Past attempts to rescue this screature have not been well received. I have coaxed her down to beam off a 2nd floor balcony just at my reach when I stand on a stack of chairs on the back porch. Grabbing her leg and forcfully pulling her down is not enjoyed by either of us. And she remembered it and would not have anything to do with that vantage point.

So I got the ladder.

At 7am today in my slept in sweats and tshirt and pair of cheap sandals, I stood on this ricketty ladder until my head was above the beam. I called for the beast to come forth and she gingerly made her way across the beam to where I was. I patted my shoulder and gently encourgaed her. Remember this was the monster that took out an innocent bird yesterday. She mewed and took one tentative step onto my shoulder, then another and then mewed a more distinctive and assertive, "Ok, fine now, take me down servant girl".

stretch

new, originally uploaded by smoooch.

the day as it unfolded

I had a nice day at work. Daily work activites went smoothly and alot was accomplished. I rode the public transit home and stayed on to go a bit further to the local grocery store. The one that sells killer spicy fennel sausages. Perfect for red lentil soup with a nice Italian loaf of bread. Standing at the deli counter I was greeted with this warning of exceptional customer service.Great. Thanks for the head's up. I'll have to remember that the next time I try and double up with a stranger. The hand of the deli god will swoop down and shake it's cheese finger at me.

Afterwards, I stopped into my favorite cafe to have one of the best lattes on the drive, Joe's- a veritable landmark. Here's a picture of Tony and my lovely layered coffee. It's always a treat to go. A little sketchy is the decor, but what can you expect from an ex-bullfighter from Portugal.All in all it was a very relaxed evening. I didn't even mind the throngs of fellow passangers as I made my way home. I walked the last few blocks thinking of dinner, a nice quiet evening to catch up on laundry, some reading and maybe a favorite TV show. That was until I dropped my coat, flicked on the light, turned.

Ruby (the cat) had out run any warning the small bell on the collar around her neck might call out out and captured a bird in her carnivorastic little jaws. The first one this year. From the puddle of little feathers, I can see that a small scuffle ensued while she either played with the poor creature or it tried to escape. I'm sure it was the latter.And here I was thinking her mad racing around recently was the forebearing of some seismic shifting or other earthly activity that only animals can sense. No, instead it was her blood thirsty hunger for capture and carnage.

I live with a small white beast.

triptych

They each sold for $60 each.

Somedays I feel like a little tiny toy soldier.

tiny soldier army, originally uploaded by smoooch.

You can imagine how hard it is to walk when your feet are glued to a little green platform.

validating the valuable

Two photographs were sold. The first photographs I have ever sold.

A friend who's feet are pictured in the lower photo decided she wanted the print. And then when she saw this little collage, a little inspration hit and another print was chosen.

And there you have it. My little photos are all grown up and have been launched into the big bad world to be seen by potentially millions of people.

Because that's just how popular my friend is.

simplicity

Michael, Todd and I were sitting around yesterday and Todd brought up an excellent point. We, as a society are quickly reaching the saturation point of shock value. Things that were once considered taboo are no longer shocking. People say condom and penis on the radio. I remember when that was freaky. Now 'Girls Gone Wild' videos are advertised on prime time and swearing is laughingly bleeped out. It will get harder and harder to shock the general public. Harder and harder to get our attention.

We wondered what would happen. Will we have death row inmates making customer satisfaction endorsments?

This video is a classic example of where we might go. Go bare and basic, almost back to childhood sensibilities and simplicities. Hand shadow puppets shows like the ones your father entertained you with when you were a child. A bed time story displayed magically on the wall with a flashlight. Black and white. No longer will we be captivated by the garish, overblown, excessive, and revealing displays so common in today's media. I predict a return to old fonts, old classic magazine ads, displaying simple ideas and highlighting the 'handmade' or 'homemade' quality.

What do you think?

These feet were made for walking.

let's make a blackout

Hi everyone,

I'm not usually political.. but this is a worthy message (and one I believe in) and it just arrived in my hotmail inbox from a dear friend of mine (who I happened to meet at Lush) I've pasted it word for word here becuase this seems like a good place to get the word out...

"Please pass this around. It's a French initiative that is just arriving in North America.

The 1st of February 2007: Participate in the biggest mobilization of Citizens Against Global Warming! The Alliance for the Planet [a group of environmental associations] is calling on all citizens to create 5 minutes of electrical rest for the planet.

http://www.lalliance.fr/

People all over the world should turn off their lights and electrical appliances on the first of February 2007, between 1.55 pm and 2.00 pm
in New York, 18.55 for London, and 19.55 for Paris, Bruxelles, and Italy. 1.55pm in Ottawa, 10.55am on the Pacific Coast of North America. This is not just about saving 5 minutes worth of electricity; this is about getting the attention of the media, politicians, and ourselves.

Five minutes of electrical down time for the planet: this does not take long, and costs nothing, and will show all political leaders that global warming is an issue that needs to come first and foremost in political debate.

Why February 1? This is the day when the new UN report on global climate change will come out in Paris. This event affects us all, involves us all, and provides an occasion to show how important an issue global warming is to us. If we all participate, this action can have real media and political weight.

***Please circulate this call to your utmost ability to your network."

Cheers,
Jill

fangs

fang, originally uploaded by smoooch.

a rose by any other name smells just as sweet

a rose by any other name smells just as sweet, originally uploaded by smoooch.

mighty travel notes

Mightygirl has mighty ideas and she also likes to shop. Big time. I heartily enjoy reading her blog and checkin out the Mightygoods. She was reading my mind on this one!



The Moleskine Small Info Book for Travel- This DIY travel guide is divided into five sections: bed, food, people, sights, and facilities. Tuck in some tickets to your destination city, and try your hand as travel writers.

I'm a little bit excited.

I'm leaving on a jetplane except I know when I'll be home again.

I'm leaving Vancouver International Airport on Friday, March 23 at 6:45 pm due to arrive in London, Heathrow the next day at 11:25am local time. Ever since I arrived in Paris at 11 o'clock at night and had a terrifying journey from the bus station to the only hostel I could find in a Portuguese area in North Paris, I vowed to never arrive in a strange city at night.

(I remember walking down a deserted street with my backpack (read bulls eye) on my back and realizing 3 guys walking slowly behind me. I started silently chanting 'don't show fear, don't show fear'. By the time I found the hostel, booked my room and dropped my backpack I was freaked out. I got into a shower and as soon as the water was on I started to bawl. Everything I have ever done since has been measured against that day. "If I can find my way to a hostel at midnight my first night in Paris, I can do anything.")

I'm leaving London, Heathrow on Sat April 14. I thought about flying home on Friday but its Friday the 13th. Umm. No thanks. I love this part.. even though its a 10 hr flight, I leave London at 12:30 pm and arrive in Vancouver at 2:30 pm on the same day. Funny how that works. Rest up for a day and back to the grind.

Did you count the days? I did. I'm coming home a week early. I'll be in Europe for 3 weeks instead of 4 due to the crazy Euro exchange rate. Thanks to the Canadian Dollar, one Euro will cost $1.57 Canadian and with the most basic hostel room running 25 Euro a night, I figured I could get in, get my shots, see the things I want, and get out without going broke. Plus I'll be missing wages and need to pay rent when I get home. How fun it is to be an adult.

One thing is for certain. In 1997, I travelled across Scotland, England, France, Spain, Italy, Germany, the Netherlands and Morocco for 6 months on 6 grand and I'm glad I did because it's nearly impossible to go to Europe for 3 weeks for under 3 grand now. If only I took pictures back then or knew what the hell I was doing.

Oh, that squandered rail pass with three days left haunts a dark spot in my wandering soul...

a reason to go to Brussels

huntress interuptes

huntress interuptes, originally uploaded by smoooch.

evil scandanavian creations

We went there just to replace a bowl that broke. We planned it. Only 10 minutes. In and out. Ok? We braced ourselves against the splashy displays, cheap prices, utilitarian design and simplistic form. We steadied ourselves for the As-Is room. No amount of self talk can prepare you for Ikea. You get vacummed to the bins of rag rugs and shelves of glimmering glass containers with latch closers. Shiny pots and pans and bed sheets in a dizzing array of colors. Before you know it you are buying a garlic press and considering remodeling your kitchen and hall closets with matching storage containers. We went in for one bowl and came out with 4. Two bags of those itty bitty candles, a package of hooks, left over containers, a picture frame, 2 post with lids (to match the other one), and the best thing of all....

A small duck down travel pillow with its own removeable pillow case and matching storage bag. You know for those late night train rides to the next European destination or those cheapo hostel rooms with the lumpy mattress. Soothing comfort from home in a bag.

cry baby

Had she lived, Janis would have turned 64 today. Can you imagine that? What would she be doing now? What would she have done? She'd probably be running a tattoo parlor in Brooklyn. Ha. Here's a few things you might not have known before.

- oldest of 3 children, has a younger brother, Michael and a sister Laura.

-before she died, founded a corporation call Fantality, Inc, which is a combination of two words: fantasy & reality. Michael and Laura manage Fantality and her legacy to this day.

-She came from a comfortable middle class home. Her father was a cannery worker and her mother was a registrar for a local business college.

-She had 2 tattoos. One an ornate bracelet on her left wrist and a small red heart over her heart.

- She joined many high school clubs and was a member of the Glee Club and The Future Teachers of America club.

-She was a prolific reader throughout her life. She studied philosophy and sociology at Lamar State College and once aspired to be a key punch operator. She dropped out.

-Before she was a singer, she painted. Often staying up late throughout the night to finish her paintings. Many of them hand now in the Museum of the Gulf Coast in Port Arthur, Texas.

-She studied Art at the University of Texas in Austin. She played the auto harp and sang in the bars. While she was gaining some notoriety singing at Threadgill's, she was also voted "ugliest man on campus" by her fellow classmates. She once said, "They laughed me out of class, out of school and out of the state and I've been suffering ever since. It's enough to make you want to sing the blues."

Follow some links and see some photos..

nudie dolls from Dallas Texas

nudie dolls from Dallas Texas, originally uploaded by smoooch.

Strange yes. But for $3.50 a pair I couldn't resist. They hang in my bedroom as somesort of voodoo good luck thing.

tips on avoiding the monster

I'm not one of those people to heed warnings. I don't have 3 months worth of non-perishable food items waiting in case a natural disaster hits. I don't wear clean underwear in case I'm in an accident. Sometimes I forget to wear underwear at all. Like that time I was hit by a car crossing the street on that darkening winter day(tip: if you are going to get hit by a car, for thr love of god please make sure you are on the right side of the law. I travelled Europe on the settlement I received because I was in a pedestrian crosswalk. Driver's make note). My legs mangled, barely conscious and an ambulance attendant with a pair of scissors asking if they could cut my pants. I came to enough to say a definitive NO.

I should really be more prepared. Note to self: please equip yourself with a medical survival kit with enough bandages to handle a shark attack and enough rubbing alcohol to disinfect myself for days. Don't forget that claw hammer to make knocking sounds when your walls crumble from the Big One. Maybe I should publish a will on my blog??

And then there are those natural disasters that come with air raid sirens and loud and blatant warnings like the one in the press for months about the need for a passport to cross the border. Did I listen? No. Did I think it applied to me? No. Did I have any plans to travel to the US? Not exactly. I didn't think work would say yes to my plans. But they did. And then I had to tackle that monster known as the passport office. And just before the whole country decided to get one as well since you'll need one after Jan 23 if you are going to fly over the border into the US. (If you walk, crawl, drive, or dance over the border, don't worry, you don't need to be carrying a passport- yet.)

Well, I survived the process and it wasn't nearly the nightmare people have made it out to be. Here's some tips:

1.First thing you do is apply on line. This puts all your info straight into the system without them doing a thing. They like this. The program is finicky and seems to want to block you. Just hit continue and you're fine. It's like a juvenile obstactle course.

2. Print it off and get a good night's sleep. You're going to be up early.

3. Provided you have your proper ID and proper photos where you aren't smiling, showing teeth or refecting an human qualities at all, and everything has been signed by some sort of professional authority, get to your local passport office early. As in before it opens. Other people will already be there. Some as early as 5am. Bring a magazine, a book, a ball of yarn and a crochet hook, a laptop, anything to pass the time.

4. Get to the back of the line fast and stay positive. I got to the local Vancouver office at 7am. the office opened at 7:30am. There were about 150 people in front of me. It took 2 hours to meet my first Passport Canada employee. I was given a service number and I was expediated through the system because I had applied online. I waited another 1/2 hr and my number was called, which brings me to #5.

5. Be very polite and friendly. You will catch more bees with honey than you will with vinegar and this person will help you in your last leg of the stretch. Do not piss them off.

6. Pay your fees and wait patiently for your passport. Mine is scheduled to mail out on Jan 30.

Good luck.

Kerouac- 21st century style

Time Lapse Video of Guy Driving Across the Country

forget about it popping up

Very cool. For the family who thought they had everything.

breaking the hinges

Let's get a few things straight, Aries. Imagination is more important than knowledge. Facts are in the eye of the beholder. Logic is the opiate of those who are afraid of their feelings. Sorry if that sounds anti-intellectual. I'm exaggerating slightly in hopes of encouraging the free flow of your naked intuition in 2007. I want to prod you into cultivating so much emotional intelligence that you'll be able to out-argue your cynically reasonable friends. I want to help you rip off the locks on your doors of perception so you can see the magic that's just below the surface everywhere you look.

You can read yer own if you want.

miliner majestic

miliner majestic, originally uploaded by smoooch.

I snapped this photo in a local cofee shop. She stood out in the room in a regal way. I couldn't resist. She looke dup at me right after I took it and I just put my camera down and turned away. Normally I ask people permission but sometimes, you just have to take the photo.

swirl

swirl, originally uploaded by smoooch.

cringe worthy?

Feb 26, 1999

I'm here. I'm in London, England. It's all strange and almost unreal. I still feel as if I should still be on that plane. The flight was good and I slept. I even saw an episode of Bewitched. I found the tube and made my way to the Palace Hotel exit at Nottinghill. I'm scared and confused. I have butterflies and nausea. I feel as though I'm gonna collapse. I'm sick and it's raining. Everybody else feels cooler and multitudes more aware than I. If only I didn't feel so vulnerable and unaware. Scared. What am I doing here? Why did I come here? Please Gawd don't let me fall apart. Please alow me to be brave and secure. What do I do next? Where do I go from here? Please let me be good enough-strong enough to make it for 6 months. The only solace I have now is myself. I have only me now. I must protect myself and survive. I must be adaptable to changes. I will cope. I will survive.

I make it sound as If I've been shipped off to a survival obstacle course in England where I am competing against the fashionista of the European jet set. Actually thinking back.. that's sort of how I felt. It's the first entry in the journal I kept while I backpacked through Europe for 6 months. I had never been alone in a foreign country. I had barely travelled alone before that and I was clueless. I was also incredibly boring. The rest of the journal is filled with grocery and bus receipts and play by play commentary of what I did. Or more of the above- trying to talk myself into not feeling so scared or lonley. If I remember correctly, I felt that way for about 4 months. What makes me cringe is that I was 25.

The best grafitti reason to live in Edmonton, Alberta

Best Ever! continued, originally uploaded by Sara The Knitter.

The Listen Bird grafitti is one of my favorite things in the whole world and I keep finding new versions that some one has photgraphed and gratefully put on the internet. I first discovered the Listen Bird when I went home to Edmonton last August. I snapped this set of photos. By the looks of things there are lots more. Apart from seeing my best friend Vince Gasparri, this is a pretty good reason to go home.

The coke side of life?

CELEBRATIONS

I asked for a month off from work this spring so that I could go and photograph the Art Nouveau architecture of Brussels, Paris, and a side trip to Prague.

THEY SAID YES!!!

my nostrils flare in the memory

A few years ago (1999) I took a little road trip with my then boyfriend, Alfred. Alfred was much older, German, and coincidentally a baker. Thus, I was able to greet him in the morning with a hearty "Gluten Morgan". One late August day, we loaded up his bakery van with implements of torture (a mattress, curtains to hide our presence, a cooler, and a stack of reading materials) and took off headed for the birth place of Janis Joplin in Port Arthur, Texas (see this and this for some sort of explanation.). Texas- in the dead heat of summer. Did I mention that part? Naturally, once we got there and having sweated out any common sense left, noticing our proximity to New Orleans, we made the dash. I kept a journal for the whole trip.

Brousing through it, I did find this choice quote I recorded:

"You're a nutcase, and I'm your Savior."- Alfred, 08/31/99, 4:19pm

This is 5 pages in. Clearly, the trip was off to a good start. I hope I wrote some embarassing and ludicrous entry the time I was marching off down a side road after Alfred and I got into a heated argument. I must have been red in the face from either my seething fury or the heat and was approached by an Oklahoma State Trooper who asked me in a thick southern drawl if I was getting hit. Yikes. And do remind me to tell you about the time we went to Mexico for lunch. That trip was a barrel of monkeys, I tell you.

Here's one of the only photos I have from the trip.



Do you have those memorable moments recorded somewhere? Do you remember those times when you scribbled down something in a journal thinking it was poignant and worthy, almost surpasing your own current intelligence? So eloquent on print that you amazed yourself at your stellar intellectual abilities? Did you grab a beret, snap your fingers, go to a coffee shop and gaze at your belly button?

No- me either.

But did you write something that now makes you wince in reflection. Does it make your stomach tighten at the thought that it could land in the wrong hands? Like your enemy in high school who might still have a mysterious power to destroy your life in one fall swoop? Good. You should submit it to this chick.

I'm looking for my cringe worthy written down musings now.

Mom- If you're reading this..open that box I keep in your basement and feel free to read the pages of the half filled journals looking for some juicy tidbits written during those painful adolescent months where I obsessed about one bad apple or another or some other equally embarassing entry and feel free to enter it on my behalf. Email it to me and I'll post it here.

time goes by fast

striation's, originally uploaded by smoooch.

my how she's grown

Wow! How the time flies by! It's been one year today since myfirst post !! celebrations are in order!

WTF

The dome of BC Place Stadium collapsed at noon today after a heavy storm or wind, rain and snow. Seriously? We just had some of the feircest wind storms on the coast in recent history that brough down 1000 old growth trees in Stanley Park but did nothing to the dome. I guess today was the tipping point.

Weird weather people. It snowing in Vancouver and people are golfing in Toronto. Serioulsy, we need to lessen out ecological footprint on the planet. More on this topic latter.

I always knew Hepburn and I shared a bond, and George was always my favorite Beatle.

cleaning the gutters

A year's worth of wheat, dairy and sugar clogging my vital organs and arteries is about to get vacummed out. Vacummed out? Maybe rinsed out? Dispersed in some manner, yes. It's that time of year again when I decide to change the oil. This time I won't be chronicalling each day like a dietary diary though. But I do need to rave that today I was able to successfully maneover my way around a box of Krispy Kreme donuts that arrived in the office*. Nice front page on the donut site...Really? who do they think they are kidding?

*just so no one gets any bizarre visual of me sitting in a cubicle or "traditional" office setting, it's far from that. I sit at a desk, with a computer, near other people but everything else is probably a bit unusual, unconventional and I am unlikely to find it in any other work environment ever again.

flight

flight, originally uploaded by listen1.

This took me back. The winter grey trees with no leaves against the blue skies of an Albertan winter day. And the ever present cawing of a magpie nearby. We have crows instead of magpie's in Vancouver and this was snapped by someone in my hometown of Edmonton. They're probably also for enriching the grafitti in Edmonton. I talk about it here. Also very beautiful.

happy happy joy joy

Happy New Year!!!

Make sure to click on the link. It's a lot of fun.

I hope everyone had a excellent New Year. I'm excited about twenty 07. It's Year of the Pig which is the sign I was born into. Doesn't that mean something? And I'm also excited because for some reason at exactly 12 o'clock I decided to hurl my dinner and then dry heave in to the new year. Obviously I take this symbolically to mean that I have purged myself of all evil doinings and have released myself into the new year with an empty slate to be filled up with much healthier things.

My resolutions:

- to eat healthier with less sugar, dairy and wheat
- to exercise a little bit everyday
- to be kinder, gentler, and more patient
- to take great photos
- to learn new things and challenge myself more often
- to make more things and sell them for huge amounts of money at local craft fairs. Ha. maybe just make more things.

What are your resolutions?