SUMMER 2011; A Brief Overview.

With my exams having just started yesterday, I can assure you that I am already well and truly exhausted.  Like many bloggers, my time is currently limited and I'm finding it difficult to squeeze in posts.  This overload of academia (ugh) leaves me fantasising about the long summer days to come, and the hours I can fill doing pretty much whatever I please.
Here are a few of my ideas:

Working at Office;

I just found out on Wednesday that I got a job at Office on Grafton St., which of course I am very pleased about.  Obviously it means I won't get to see my family as much as I would have liked, but my job is only part-time which means that I'll hopefully still have time to pop down to Cork and visit them.  My first shift is this Sunday from 12-3.

Spain with Peter;
This year I really wanted a relaxing holiday, and Spain sounds absolutely perfect.  I'll hopefully be staying in the Costa Brava area which is quite close to Barcelona.

Moving into my first apartment;

Though I'm still hunting for the perfect apartment or house with two of my friends, I'm really excited at the prospect of moving in in the next month or two.  I can't believe I'm actually old enough to be looking at properties!

Taking driving lessons;
I'm a pretty good driver, but I feel that I should take some lessons before I attempt the big test.  It would be great if I could pass my test this summer before all these disgusting new rules start applying to me (my provisional license runs out in August.)

My little car

Going to a lot of gigs;

If you're a regular reader, you know by now how much I love live music.  This summer, I hope to go to a good few concerts.  This will begin with Sufjan Stevens (I love him) on May 18th- the tickets were my year anniversary present from Peter, and I cannot wait.

I'll also be playing in Forbidden Fruit festival on the Sunday with Trinity Orchestra which I'm really excited about.

Reading lots of books;

I'm usually a huge bookworm, but this year I really haven't gotten the chance to be.  First on my list?  Finish Brighton Rock.  I'll continue from there, I have volumes of unread books to enjoy.

Clearing out my wardrobe;
I have so many things in my wardrobe which I never wear.  Most of it is quite good quality however, so I'll be donating it to charity.

Spending time with my friends;

Many of my close friends live in Cork, and I don't get to see them as much as I would like.  Hopefully this summer I can have people to stay all the time, as I will have a spare room in my apartment.  I'm really looking forward to catching up and having a few good nights out.

I'm really looking forward to summer, even if it is comprised of a lot of relaxing, with a couple of nice things here and there.  It will be a refreshing break after eight months of college.  
Roll on May 16th!

I Snub Thee, Weekend Forecast

So, the forecast for the weekend appears abysmal -- rain, thunderstorms, temperatures below 14C. It seems the clouds are conspiring against us what with the gorgeous, bright weather occurring while most of us are locked away at the office.

But, I am poised to brave the elements and threaten a perfect head of hair for an intense weekend full of excitement.

Check it:

• Saturday morning: TCAF. One weekend, one public library, hundreds of comics and their artists. I am aiming to uncover A) Canadian sci fi titles or B) Canadian queer comics. If I can find one blending the best of both worlds, I AM THERE. Fingers crossed, ladies.
• Saturday afternoon: Volunteer meeting for The Inside Out Film Festival. Canada's leading all-queer film festival celebrates its 20th Anniversary this year, and guess who just might be a ticket taker/greeter? I hope I can limit the amount of ecstatic giggling that will surely emanate from me as a help out....
• Saturday evening: Hit up the theatre to watch Ship Sharp dominate the stage. The Advocate, The Bruce, and I will be dazzled and enthralled, no doubt. (It was never in question)
• Sunday: Heading two and a half hours North with Mom and the Sister to celebrate Mother's Day with my Nanny and Grampy. Despite the gloomy weather awaiting us, it'll be great to chat with the grandparents and take in the fresh, smogless air around their cottage.

Quite the full schedule. The hustle and bustle is alluring and a welcome change from my general homebody tendencies. I expect to have a few great stories to share with readers this weekend. Perhaps I might need to sneak a camera around with me to document the adventure. Hmm...

Well, cheers to the start of another blissful, albeit rain-drenched, two-day holiday. Get your kicks, kids.

This is Your Brain On Plans

This is a rather accurate depiction of my brain this evening.

I've spent a large portion of my day reading books about publishing and scanning blogs written by the Juggernauts of the written word. I have decided: I need to conquer this writing business. Well, I have to get an eye exam to make sure those pesky retinas are not trying to detach themselves -- but THEN, I will write.

(Truth be told, sitting and writing this now is causing a great deal of pain in my face. See? I will suffer for art, I must be the rugged, tortured, REAL deal.)

So yes -- some weird crush of ideas has taken over. Actually, maybe that is what's causing the eye strain. All those ideas are trying to leak out onto my keyboard but those silly pupils won't open wide enough to let 'em flow through and -- alright, this is making me feel gross. I will stop.

Ideas.

I have at least two new blog ideas. Did I mention I am writing on two right now? Well, one is on hiatus while The Advocate is orchestrating the Olympics in Vancouver. The other blog is here (and queer!)

I have a writing contest to enter for the end of this month. I have the story planned out, I just have to take the time to write and edit it. The word limit is 2,500 words -- pfft. I scoff at that. I have the sense this story will easily surpass that count, so I need to harness the brutal, internal revisionist for this project.

I have various writing goals that Ladies in Writing will hold me accountable for this year.

I have an exhausting amount of planning to wrestle over the next few months. I am prepping for some recklessness to start in September. I know, it sounds a touch oxymoronic. I am anal-retentive, there have to be SOME plans in place otherwise I will be left breathing into a paper bag.

Umm.... so, I am quite all over the place. OH! And I need to network. I find networking to be rather stressful at times. And by "at times," I mean ALL the time. I need to take a page from the revised edition of Ship Sharp's Book -- that lady is takin' no prisoners and I am in the greatest awe possible. In fact, I think she should start a blog just so she can tell the world how fabulous she is. I mean, The Advocate and I do the regular bloggin' rounds, so, I think Ship Sharp's gotta get in on the ground floor of that.

Alright, I need to call it quits for the evening -- my eyes are shrieking and pleading for me to give it a rest or at least put some sunglasses on to cut the glare of... everything.

Confound you, immunity.

OD'ed on the Ladies

*Pauses to gain her bearings* Whoa. I return. It has been an intense, brilliant, and fantastic stretch since Thursday evening and I am here to share a snapshot of all that with you.

The Advocate, Ship Sharp, and I vowed to OD on one another this week and I fear we did not come close. I mean, it would take an awful lot to OD on those ladies -- the addiction still rages as I'm sure it does for them. (I mean, heck -- we all know how suave I am, right? Right? Oh, no, serious, no need to close the Internet window to this blog. Or to delete me from your bookmarks, I promise.)

Let the epic account begin:

Thursday, December 3, 2009

Mission: Deck the halls of the Ship residence.

ETA: 7 pm.

Crew: Ship Sharp, The Advocate, Miz Moffatt.

Right, so.... we did not reach our target goal of injecting the Ship home with holiday cheer. But there was a festive platter of desserts courtesy of Metro. OH YEAH. And there was a rockin' hors d'oeuvres dinner orchestrated by Ship Sharp herself. Now, to give us the benefit of the doubt, we DID attempt to set up a Christmas tree. However, a vital piece of the base was missing. Without a strong foundation, you've promised yourself a disaster filled with silent, sharp slivers of decorations under foot. Mmm hmm. So, we ate brie instead. And watched hilarious commercials and clips of Billy Bragg on YouTube as any good person should. And gossiped until 12:30 AM despite the fact I had another full day of work ahead of me. I'm a badass, I know.

Friday, December 4, 2009

Mission: Own the world at bowling and Torchwood jokes.

ETA: 7 PM (Given the horrible traffic congestion)

Crew: The Advocate, Ship Sharp, Nuova Amica, The Advocate's Sister and Her Boy Toy, The Silent Dudes, Miz Moffatt.

It was a nice cross-cultural evening on numerous levels. Our initial goal was to introduce our Nuova Amica to Canadian slang and the world of bowling. (P.S. -- I got the name "Nouva Amica" from an online translation program, so I apologize to Italian-speakers if that term is entirely wrong/awkward.) N.A. is visiting the Great White North on a bid to refine her English skills. I mean, what better way to solidify your comfort level with a foreign language than visiting a place where you MUST rely on said language? She's fluent in English, but there's always slang to learn and verbal ticks that classes cannot teach.

It was an epic hour of bowling insanity. I learned that I am quite decent at the sport despite the fact I haven't been to a bowling alley in years. I could even get the pro-star spin on it. Granted, there were numerous gutter balls for the entire Crew, but overall, we did fairly well. And nachos with beer always manages to improve an unfamiliar game.

Other highlights include:

• Interrogating the Boy Toy and determining his intentions with The Advocate's sister
• Attempting to build conversations that would include The Silent Dudes (who remained silent, as their names would suggest)
• Subjecting ourselves to the WORST episode of Torchwood ever written. Oh, evil carnivals and carnies who want to dehydrate people. Fifty points to Ianto for the memorable, "I'VE GOT IT" scene. I love an episode with plot holes to spare.
• Navigating a conversation with Napoleon, a late arrival to the evening. Hmm.... quite.

Saturday, Saturday 5, 2009

Mission: Acquire sushi and subject selves to The Infected of 28 Days Later.

ETA: 7 PM

Crew: The Advocate, Ship Sharp, Miz Moffatt.

AT LAST -- the ladies have chilled chez Moffatt. In the entire decade I have known these girls, I have never had them over to the house. That's what you get when you live in a completely different town from ALL your high school friends. But, the world is now balanced and stable.

Started the night off with a beautiful meal of sushi, bento boxes, and other Japanese delicacies. Serious, I need to get myself back to Japan for the food alone. Also made my first ever purchase on my first ever credit card -- I covered the dinner bill. *Beams* I know, I'm a late bloomer in all aspects, including financial. And heck, I like to turn everything into a memorable moment so I will honour this credit with a treat for close friends.

Oh! And also got the rundown of a successful first date that The Advocate went on. Thunder Cats t-shirts and Torchwood references among other admirable traits? Ship Sharp and I approve. Am definitely looking forward to more gossip on that front in the near future. *Giggles like a thirteen-year-old all over again*

Arrived chez Moffatt later, was attacked by the Sister's dog upon arrival. Oh, Ruby -- she's a basset hound and full of spunk. She was quieter than usual which was impressive and confusing all at once. Brewed some tea, stole some cookies, and holed up in the basement for an evening of 28 Days Later. SO GOOD. I love that film. I usually can't tolerate thrillers/horror films/startling movies, yet I am on good terms with The Infected. Had an excellent discussion about mind-fuck movies and novels once the end credits rolled. Also did a touch of Facebook stalking and Plenty of Fish swimming for a good chunk of time. Turned in at... 2 AM? Possibly later? We are intense, I know.

Sunday, December 6, 2009

Mission: Drown in breakfast delicacies and British treats, laze about on a Sunday afternoon.

ETA: ALL DAY.

Crew: The Advocate, Ship Sharp, Miz Moffatt.

We woke up at around 11:30 AM and didn't greet the world until 12:30 PM. I am impressed since I am usually up and about at 9 AM on weekends. Perhaps sleepovers in the basement induce a higher quality of sleep? Ah, nothing is sweeter than a slow-paced, relaxing Sunday spent with friends.

Headed out to a local breakfast joint and arrived just as the first meal rush was leaving. OH breakfast. Not only was it delicious, it was also productive. The Advocate and I swapped two different kinds of Eggs Benedict (she had brie and mushrooms, I had asparagus and Swiss cheese) -- we both managed to dump one of them on the table, eggs side down. *Shakes head* At least we were equal in our destructiveness. Ship Sharp settled on a lovely platter of poached eggs and fresh fruit with cottage cheese. Mmm..... breakfast heaven.

As for the productive aspect of breakfast, we managed to plot out the structure of a group blog that should be launched in the near future. Our creative energies have aligned and our plans/plots/goals are eerily similar in scope. More to follow once we're up and running...

Finished the epic weekend with a surprise trip to a British store I know of. I figured it could be the symbolic first step toward our trek to the British Isles themselves. Bought Scottish tea and a ton of treats, poured over their expensive collections of British television classics and films. Ah, to be in London -- the craving is expanding on a daily basis. The store only helped to whet the appetite....

***

So yes -- it has been a tremendous stretch. I am all tuckered out and in a state of calm reflection. I have a head all filled with ideas and energetic potential. And heck, the support of like-minded individuals is only fueling the fire to explore and create an even better version of myself. I know I gush endlessly, but I can't conceal the truth -- I know some amazing kids and it's only fair of me to voice that admiration.

Here's to another gorgeous Sunday and another week of plotting while on the clock at work... *Devil horns*