'snow mystery to me....

****while eating a giant chocolate chip cookie*****mmmmmm******.....

We just had a HUGE snowfall. first of the year. The streets are CHAOS, and the buses are packed with overheating, grumpy people. So, armed with a warm coat, high boots, and some kickass songs on my ipod, I found myself trekking home from work yesterday, and my trek took me past a park...

... and MAN, is it ever fun to walk thru calve-height fluffy white snow!!

easily a hundred times nice than slipsliding along slushy/icy/deathtrap sidewalks.

try it. you'll liiiike it.

Cheer in the most unexpected places!!!

Ok, I'm apologizing in advance for all the christmas themed posts that will likely wind up here. I know it's not 'cool' to love christmas. But i LOVE it with a vehement passion. Soooo much about christmas makes me smile, so it's bound to trickle down to these posts.

anyways.

Last night around 11pm I got on a city bus to take me about 5 mins to my place. (cold + lazy.) What did I discover? The entire bus had been DECORATED FOR CHRISTMAS!!! (yes. im so excited about this i'm yelling.) Red and green balloons were tied to each pole, the front area around the driver was awash with gold and red, fake poinsettas and tinsel garlands. And best of all, the bus driver himself - full of Christmas cheer - was making every passenger take a piece of candy out of a basket when they boarded. And all this on top of usually finding montreal's bus drivers downright surly. not cheerful!!!

It was amazing. I dont know what at that moment could have made me happier...

... and then 30s later i realized I'd taken the bus going in the wrong direction. But i couldnt help feel that somehow fate had intervened and put me on that bus. so i could see it, and smile, and then bring it to you. and you can smile. And that's a whole lot more smiling than if I'd just taken the RIGHT bus in the first place.


holiday hugs to you all :)

sorry for the super crap picture.
I took it on my super crap phone.

Fog gets in your eyes

Fog is like magic.
It's like drinking too much, or being sleepy. It has this ability to limit your senses in an incredibly tangible way, in a way that rubs right up against your nose and sits on your skin. It takes away your ability - or desire - to compose your environment into something comprehensible, something continuous. All we can know of or prove of the world is that which we immediately experience, and in fog, the boundaries of that place become really, really close...... and it's comforting somehow, at least for a short while.

Mes Habitants (aka, loving hockey)

I love the excitement that surrounds local sport teams and events. And being a good little born-and-raised Montreal, of course this means my team of choice is the Habs (aka, the Montreal Canadians.)

I never really cared that much about hockey until two tickets to an important game (montreal vs toronto, semifinals) land in my lap for FREE a few years ago. I grabbed a friend and we went, and it was ridiculously fun!!! The game moves so quickly; the puck dashes back and forth, and at the smallest sign of a move for the net, the crowd collectively holds its breath, then moans a little when the shot misses. Or, wait, a score?! The energy alone almost lifts you out of your seat.

The whole excitement surrounding a game is amazing too. Walk around town by the arena before a game, and you'll see ALOT of excited people, alot of little kids with beaming smiles, people of all ages with hope and enthusiasm in their faces. Jocularity abound. loud conversations.

BUT. You don't actually have to SEE a game to share in this enthusiasm. This feeling extends to outside the arena. Even a game watched in a pub can extend a bit of the experience to you. And then - wearing some sign of your teams makes you a member of an little exclusive club. Ok, its huge and not exclusive at all. But it gives you a feeling of special connection to others. When I wear my Habs hat around town, I get approving nods from complete strangers.

and I like that. alot.

What the Hug?

Ok. this one is SUPER obvious.

Hugs are one of the BEST things in the world. I think I'd sooner give up sex than give up hugs. And yet, people just DON'T HUG ENOUGH! I mean, when's the last time someone gave you a hug? Today? yesterday? a few days ago, weeks ago even??!!

To quote Jemaine and Bret - "why? why? why!? why why!?"

I cant think of ANY good reason why we shouldn't be getting hugged EVERY SINGLE DAY. H1N1 isn't a good reason. go get a flu shot. Then hug the nurse who gave it to you. You'll make his/her day.

trust me.

photo from www.reflection.sg

Old friends

You know those OLD friends you have? the ones you go AGES without seeing, maybe you see them once every year. or two. or ten?

And when you see them , and it's weird for - oh - 30seconds? and then it's like you're those silly 15year olds you once were, allllll over again?

No explanations necessary, no pretext, no nothing like that. you're you, and they're them, and it's just NICE.

Yup. I'm a very, VERY lucky girl.

Love takes flight

..or is about to land, as it may seem.

The other day, while waiting for our very own houseguest to arrive at the local airport, my housemate and I saw this man. And we loved him instantly.

Who he was waiting for, with that lovely, somewhat modest, but just spectacular enough bouquest of flowers? His wife? His husband? His long lost wartime soulmate? His mail order bride? His penpal of 20years turned truelove? his daughter? his son? Anyone at all?? Our guest arrived and we left before ever finding out.

Regardless, such shows of affection, tho cliché, tho easy and "predictable", are also amazingly rare. And EVERY single time I witness one, they make my heart thaaaat much bigger, and thaaat much warmer.

xo