Wednesday 29 October 2003

Lucky 13!

So, Halloween is only two days off. Am I excited...yes. Do I have any reason to be excited...yes. Does that reason have anything to do with eating Halloween candy and getting a sugar high...definitely!



Ok, so I have a lot of little things I could do, and none of them appeal to me. I could go downtown and check out the "mardi gras" that is held here on George St. (street of bars and pubs...and I'm assuming vomit as well), but all of the people I've met are going with groups of people that are as yet unknown to me, and that's not so good. I could always go by myself and check out the costumes, grab a coffee (or beer) or whatever, but that just sounds scary. And of course I'd never go off and do anything scary by myself. Ahem. I could watch horror movies with some people in the building. But it's kinda looking like even the elderly have plans. I could study and actually use my time productively...ok, you in the corner-stop laughing! (Oh great, now I'm seeing people in the corner...)



Ah, I'll figure it out. Things would be easier to decide if I wasn't so damnably broke! So far no one has responded to my battery of resume's and applications. Very frustrating! Don't these people understand that they are getting in the way of true genius! I mean, by helping to forward me, they would only be forwarding their own best interests. It makes sense, right?

Hmmm, it could be that they don't understand the magnitude of what has landed among them. Must eat more chocolate.



Must press...er... im press upon them the importance of aiding me in whatever way they can. Must also stop pretending to be an evil genius as there is no way to truly convince anyone that I am all that evil, or anything close to genius.



Ooook, I think it's time to sign off for another night.



And a quick shout out to N.M. and C.R., both of whom put me in my place about daylight savings time, and telling me that I did not actually lose an hour, but rather gained one. Thank you, and can I interest you in a rasberry :-P



Love to all who deserve love, and spanks to all the rest.



V.V.V.V.F.

(Va Va Voom Venus Fangs)

Thursday 23 October 2003

Homesickness Settles In

So, I'm a little homesick. Ok, I'm a lot homesick. Alright, alright, don't twist my arms--I'm so homesick I feel like mailing myself home. And yet...I wonder if I'm not doing the ol'bait and switch, self-sabatoge, I-don't-wanna-do-homework-no-more blues song that signifies nothing more than laziness and an inclination to "screw the pooch"!!



I mean, the fall colours here are breathtaking, the people are wonderful, the air is clean, blah blah blah freaking blah. I think I need a good coffee that isn't attached to Tim Hortons. Or I need to see some good ol'fashioned drag queens walking around. Or I need to go to a concert, or something.



I think my morning bus driver is causing all this angst. They have radio's on the bus here, and as you're driving around, they play one station or the other. All well and good if it's music you can tolerate, or if it's played at a decent level. However, at 7:10am, it is often not my favourite thing to be sitting on a bus listening to Queen played at ear-splitting volumes. I think it's a vain attempt to "wake us up." Sicko's. Now, the bus driver in question does not play the local oldies station, the local new music station, or any other local station of tolerable music. No, he plays the local elevator music station. I've never heard so many Casio organs, electic "beat" sounds or " Moon River " lyrics in my life. I mean, this is some old school stuff-often strident, seldom good. I love old jazz, lounge, blues. But this is a funk I can't describe-I mean it ain't even my mutha's music, know what I mean??



Hearing that first thing in the morning is bound to dampen even the most troopier trooper-isn't it?



And a sidenote-da mens are gettin' on my nerves. I'm wondering if there is a man alive out there who can talk reasonable about problems and not get wigged out. "Oh, ah, jeez, I don't know, I'm not one for giving advice, you might want to ask one of your, y'know, girlfriends about that one. Yeesh, wow, yeah, phew, really don't know..."Aaaaaargh! (Then again, most of my friends get on my nerves with advice because they PERSIST IN USING THAT DEMON SPAWNED LOGIC AND COMMON SENSE!!!)



By the way, since I'm on a rant, I hate the lottery because I do not win it.



Wow, ok, online diaries are good things. I feel like I've opened a window and all the clothes-eating moths have flown away, and wonderful fresh air is taking their place. And the knowledge that I have tainted those few (very few admittedly) loyal readers with my angst and negativity has let me know that pain shared is less pain for me to deal with!! Aaaah.



We also set our clocks back this weekend. So poor Venus loses another precious hour to da man! Blast! I could care less about coming home with the sun, I don't want to get up at 5:30 every morning. And I'm one of those poor literal bastards who can never for get that 7 was once 8 (or, that 7-8-9, ha ha), and live for the next several months waiting to get my time back. Time. Stupid relevance.



Well, tonight it TV night for me. I've worked out a sweet deal with one of my wonderful ladies from the floor (Shout out to da ladies from da floor!!)--(I know, I really have to stop....) and on Thursdays I go to her place and watch a little boob tube. I tell ya, I am a TV generation gal, and this is a little bit of sanity in my sea of weirdness. Yep, TV has made me the success I am today...ahem.



Well, I'm off like pants in the dark.



V.F.



PS-any comments on this journal would be appreciated-and if you have any comments to make, or questions you want answered, I'll put it in here. Also, if you know anyone who might find this funny-by god, pass it on!



Sheesh!

Sunday 19 October 2003

6 days after my brothers birthday...

So, another week in the East has come and gone. Weather is still incredibly nice, although today it is raining and windy and generally gross. Weather is a huge topic of conversation in Newfoundland. You can experience 6 different weather patterns in a day here, so I suppose it makes sense to discuss it. It's a conversation that never gets boring. Unless you're from B.C.

My last midterm is tomorrow morning. Which is, of course, why I'm writing

this...procrastination at it's best! I've started counting crows. No, not the band, but the custom of counting crows that you see. It's a part of the folklore here, and it has a little rhyme:



One for sorrow, Two for mirthThree for marriage, Four for birthFive for laughing, Six for cryingSeven for sickness, Eight for dyingNine for silver, Ten for goldEleven a secret that will never be told.



It's very cool, and odd, and now I can't stop doing it. Thankfully, I've mostly seen either 2, or 5 crows. People here also "cross crows out," which is a kind of evil eye thing. They put two fingers together like a cross, and put it between the crow and them, thus-crossing out the bad luck the crow might bring. Not everyone does this of course, but a fair number of people do.



I now have a borrowed couch, and I can't tell you what a difference it makes to have actual furniture in your place. It makes me feel like more of a resident, and less of a squatter.

Thanksgiving was an interesting affair. I had dinner with an elderly couple and another woman in the building. I brought potatoes!!! (Yeah, whoopee) I have tried salt meat, and can't say that it will be a regular part of my diet in the future. It's freaking salty!!! And everyone thought I was on crack for thinking so, even though it's called "salt" meat!! There was also peas pudding. This wonderful concoction is basically yellow peas, cooked to sludge in a bag that's placed in boiling water, and then squeezed and mashed. It's very, very gross, especially for a poor picky eater like myself. But there was turkey, and gravy, and pie and it was wonderful to have a nice meal with new friends.



This is a rather short and pathetic entry, but I am studying here, people!! I'm not at your every beck and call, every wave and whim! Sheesh.



Anyway, as always, more to come.



V.F.