Happy News This Week

Summer Summer Time

2007-03-17T18:59:00.000-07:00

When will it get here?? It was -23 earlier this week.
Soon the longer days will actually mean warmer weather.
I went out today to find a bathing suit. Although I had no luck there, as a consolation prize perhaps, I found some John K cartoons on VHS. Wicked. I still really want to go swimming though.

Anyways.. my work situation is so depressing.. I need something that makes me feel more fulfilled. Maybe something where I can have conversations with other people? I sort of miss school, not what I was taking but just being in school. Being interested in something is what I miss. And feeling like I have a long term goal is nice.

OK, well I'm tired so off I go to the ocean bed. It's like the coast never left me.. but I miss the salty air a bit.. just smells like vinyl.. ha.

Merry Christmas

2006-12-25T14:04:00.000-08:00

I miss you all. I'm doing well in Winnipeg and wish you all well in all you do.

Hello

2006-11-25T09:59:00.000-08:00

I'm doing well. I've gone to my first Social. A fundraising dance at the U of M. I had a great time since there was alot of dancing.
I still do not have internet access at my house. I'm not a fan of that.
I still work at the Bay and I'm dating a guy named Michael who works there too. Fun fun.
I gotta run to my bus for work.

A New Move

2006-10-29T08:49:00.000-08:00

Well I'm off to my fifth place in five months. Seventh this year. tee hee.. makes me laugh. Colbert said in an interview "never pass up the chance for a ligitimate adventure." I like to think that's what I do. Carol is a woman I trained with and she admitted to me that she was very impressed with my contributions during that time. She used to be a teacher and I joke that I used to be a teachers pet so we're perfect for each other. ha. She comes by on her breaks and gives me hugs. So we're gonna be roomates. But I don't have to pay rent. yay.

I'm feeling better but not well. I'm on twenty days of the strongest atibiotic my doctor knew about. It doesn't hurt to breathe anymore but I cough a little.

But the crap part of all of this is that she does not have internet access or a computer for that matter. I can check out the computers at the library but not too often. Should be for the months of November and December. Sucks.

So you can call me. If you know my new number. But I'm not gonna put it on here sooo. ya.
well that's it.
love and peace and cookies with smarties in them.

October Two

2006-10-18T18:01:00.000-07:00

I have pneumonia. It sucks. When I'm not in so much pain this part of the story mught be funnier.

But on a brighter note I think I found a place to live for the month of December here in Winnipeg and it's still rent free. I was very happily surprised when a co-worker of mine offered to let me stay with her. She's older and she's here taking care of her sick Dad. She used to live in Vancouver and we both trained at The Bay at the same time. She's really sweet so I hope that works out.

I'm not getting the greatest hours at work. So the other people I work with suggested I get another part time job. Seems like a hassle but I might have to. It'd be nice to be busy and have the cash but the stress of trying to juggle two jobs does not woo me.

Well I'm super tired so this is alot shorter and less funny than usual but oh well. It's just nice to live to get on down another day.

october

2006-10-12T14:21:00.000-07:00

Hello all,
I'm sick. I think I technically have the death cough. It's gross so I won't try to explain what it sounds like or give you vivid visual depictions of the status of my hankies when I'm through with them. I'll only say that first thing in the morning for the past two weeks the cat cries aloud in sympathy with me while I cough for about 7 minutes straight.
On a lighter note since I got sent home from work today for being so sick that besides the fact I can't even really talk to the customers I might infect them with my death, I got to sit in front of this wonderful computer machine for a few hours and to my delight I discovered that the myspace site for the Sunday Service boys has not only a new picture of them in full passionate lip lock with one another but also new videos. I'm happy. Although the content of the one short that was posted at an earlier date has Ryan with very short hair the one that's from two days later he's back to his long shag again but who the hell am I to complain when he's wearing that awesome yellow teeshirt with the deer and the two middle fingers. It was like a gift from God to see those two again and I was wondering how they were holding up sans Wink anyway. Enough obsession now.

Ok, so I tried to go to an improv show and it turned out that it was cancelled but in it's place there was a comedia del art piece with full mask and opera. So that was cool. It was very physical comedy with the twists and turns of plot to be expected but also with a real touch of kindness in it's tone. I was glad I got to go. So a couple days later I'm waiting at the bus stop and there's this big hockey game going on and everyone's talking about it and this very drunk man comes up and starts talking to me. He was not my favorite person at the time and this woman walks up to our stop and sits beside me. So we start talking to each other so we don't have to talk to him and it turns out that she's new to the city too. And she work's just across the street. So we get on the bus and the guy doesn't sit with us so we keep talking and I invite her out because I explain it'd just be nice to have someone to go with. So she agrees and we exchange phone numbers and then it turns out we get off at the very same stop along a very long bus route. She lives maybe six blocks away.
So the next week we meet up and go to the improv show. We both think we know the city better than we do so it takes us an hour to get where we're going. We get to the venue which is a really nice but not well kept old theater and I understood that the cover was $5. So I'm looking all over for someone to pay but it looks like we missed the first half and now everyone's just all over the place and drunk off the bar inside. So I ask the bar tender who's we can pay and he points us to this really high old hippy guy who says and I quote "no, no, man you don't have to pay, just like take a look, take it all in and see if you dig it." I just about died trying not to laugh at the expression of the girl with me. She took me outside with the widest eyes and asked if we were in the right place and said she's not "used to this type of thing." So I try to reassure her and say "ok well let's just go in and find some seats I guess. The show should be good." So in the lobby there's a woman wailing this horrible solo on guitar with ripped up red tights and fishnets over top. And we find some really good seats inside but then right when the lights go down the really stoned hippy gets up infront of everyone and will not shut up. He goes on and on about a lunch daste he had where he told the guy he was sitting with that his "forhead's not as big as it looks." I thought I was gonna loose her out the fire exit but she stayed for the show and it was ok. One long form piece of about 40 minutes that had it's highlights with fast thinking lighting board crew members. Anyway we left after that and so saw the show for free and then took the hour long ride back and got off at the A&W and had hot chocolate. She pointed out the the whole night cost under ten bucks. her name is Ashley and we plan to go again at the end of the month. I made a friend.

So my uncle is pretty strong armed about me leaving their place at the end of November which means I can either take any money I have saved and try Toronto again or keep this Jewlery job at the Bay and get a place here. I want to try Toronto but it's scary.

We had our first snow here and it's been nice to feel the first cold weather. I actually really like the cold. Everyone knows I'm hot blooded I guess.

Well I'm off to the clinic to find out what's wrong with me and if I should be working or not.
peace!

New Plans

2006-09-16T09:52:00.000-07:00

How did this happen? Why am I in Winnipeg?

The short answer is I lost faith in myself but the practical answer is the hostels in Toronto had bed bugs and I was worried about money. So instead of one of my crazier plans I choose to do a more (only very slightly) responsible thing and crash in on my Aunt and Uncle, get a job here for a couple months and then try Toronto again on a better budget.

So I stayed by my lonesome at my sisters for a few days. I found two cockroaches and her landlady is both deaf and pushy. On one occasion she came down at about ten at night and knocked on my door and asked what I needed. I thought it was very sweet and I was sort of tired and mellow so I just thanked her for her concern and told her I was fine. Well she got very accusatory in tone and said, "I think you’re afraid to say." To which I just sort of stared at her in amazement. She the continued to get more upset and said "I can't help you if I don't know what you need. I again assured her I was fine with everything. She snapped at me in quite a loud tone "Think! What do you need?" I was so stunned I realized I better think of something or she's not going to leave me alone. I asked for a radio so I could have some music and she turned around and reached for the oldest clock radio from the early sixties. I thanked her and went in and she seemed content enough with that. I tried it out and it only had am. It spent the rest of the time unplugged on the floor and my sister was like "Is that your radio?" She enjoyed the story.

Another night she knocked late again and I was nonplussed this time and took my time getting to the door and she was barely able to stand holding this TV. I felt so bad I made her wait I scooped it up and she was looked at me like "see I knew you needed more things." Strange doesn't even begin to describe it.

Fran's landlady also has a thing about writing notes. She writes a note at least once a day. They very from "Please take off your shoes when you come in and leave them by the door. If this is a problem for you for religious reasons then never mind." to "My son Don is coming today. Is that alright?" I'm not too sure if she's ok or not but she was generous with her tomatoes.

Ok just one more... When Fran got there she had her cat with her, which had already been ok'ed by the landlady. Fran asked if she could take the screen off the window to let the cat in and out as she pleased. This was ok'ed. So we two sisters are watching our new TV and she comes storming down the stairs and says "The window needs it's screen back on it's been off since I came out to the garden earlier." Fran and I knew we had gone to the store earlier so we thought maybe we left it off but didn't say anything and instead Fran asks "Oh when were you in the garden?" She was so mad and said "Ten minutes ago!" We were trying to reassure her and said we were right there watching TV the whole time and that was not really any sort of problem on a nice warm day but she insisted we had to put the screen back right away. So funny.

So I had a very nice time with Fran spending her grandpa's money on house wares. We got her dishes and sheets and cleaning supplies and groceries. We shopped all day everyday basically.

Then it was time for her to go to school so I came with and checked out the campus. The train ride was fun through the countryside and some of the trees were starting to turn. The canals were pretty with a few little ducks swimming along and fishing. So we go to a few different buildings and stop in the library cafe for muffins. We come out and it's like the apocalypse is happening. It's very dark skies, the wind is blowing garbage cans over, there are little tornadoes all over, people are running for cover, it's raining and the lighting and thunder are right above our heads. It was very scary. We tried to run to the train but Fran got hit in the leg with something so we hid in a different building. We asked a guy walking by how to get to the bus and he told us to take the tunnels. We tried but then went right back to where we started. After talking out which way to go we ran out into the wind and rain and lighting and thunder again and ran down these steps and around the corner and into another building. We were pretty lost. By this time we both could have won a wet tee-shirt contest and we get these two guys from the grounds keeping crew offering us a ride in there windowless van and we think "Why not?" So this guy is driving us back the way we came to get us to the train and he puts on Justin's "Bring the Sexy Back” and I can't shut up about Aidan and Graeme and I'm sitting on Fran's lap and we start singing and dancing and the guy is trying so hard not to grin like crazy and Fran and I are talking a mile a minute about karaoke. So fun. We piled out of the van with all Fran's wet textbooks and the storm was completely over. It got sunny again and even the people who are used to that kind of thing said that one was worse than normal.

I had a nice flight out to Winnipeg. I've been spending my days dropping off resumes and having interviews. It took me two hours to get hired at Hallmark and then on half hour to loose it. I was too honest about looking for more hours so she sent me home. It was sort of harsh. But then she said I could go back and start my training with them on Monday if I don't find anything else. Very strange and quite kind of her.

I went to the library yesterday and wrote for two hours. Felt very productive. It's my second one act I've got down on paper since I left Vancouver. I think I was right about Vancouver. It's not the right climate for me. I always felt like my head was underwater there. In a drier climate I feel more able and aware. I'll get a copy out to anyone who wants one. I really like it here so far. I'm happy and content and life is good.

Miss you crazy clubhouse kids. Bits and pieces.

My Trip So Far

2006-08-30T18:20:00.000-07:00

Two days before I left Vancouver I had about $500 in the bank and I got a call from JP letting me know I could not stay with him in Toronto after all. I still had not heard from Fran about the details of her new place (like if she had one) and I got this email four hours before I left for my red eye flight.

"Jessie, Michel will be able to pick you up at the airport tomorrow morning.

I just found out this morning that I have a tear in my retina, and I am going for eye surgery at 3:00 this afternoon, so Michel is taking tomorrow off to look after me, so I don't know what kind of shape I will be in when you are here. Apparently I will not be able to see at all for a few days.

See you tomorrow - let us know if you get this message, as I will not be at my work number that I gave you. By the way our home number is 824-5896.

Michelle"

I was a little worried about that.

But, strangely, not as much as I was upset by the fact that leaving Bob's was a much bigger job than I had thought it would be. I had so much saved. It turns out, throwing out almost all of my art work and old diaries feels good. It's freeing to have all I own in the world in three bags. Clothes, shoes, and perfume turned out to be my top priorities.. go figure.

When I left Bob's I gave him back the only key left on my ring and I guess it sunk in that I'm homeless. This very still and exciting "but for the grace of God go I" feeling came over me as I waited for my cab.

Actually that was funny too. As I waited on the curb a 20something woman came up and asked me if "I knew of any places for a student to rent." I assumed she meant "because you seem to be leaving one right now." So I told her I was sorry and we chatted a bit and I conveyed with that "no, sorry" head tilt that I did not know of any other places either. She walked slowly down the block and I realised it had been awhile since I called the cab and my flight left in two hours so I had better get to the airport. On the phone the dispatch guy tells me my cab is on my block "Don't you see the van?" I look down the street and yes it's right there waiting for me, engine running. I start waving with a big smile on my ace for the cab to come and get me right from middle of the road. I wave a do a little childish jump for fun. So the "needs student housing girl" sees me and waves back and I try to shake my head no and point at the cabby who does not seem to notice me at all. And the stylish young woman starts walking back to me "What?" and I'm yelling "Sorry, not you sweetie, the cab driver" and she doesn't hear me or something and walks faster to see what's so important and I start laughing and she looks confused and the cab driver is still looking the wrong way and missing everything. So she gets close enough to understand the sounds I'm still making and very kindly smirks herself with understanding and finds a sight line for the cab van, walks right back up to the driver and points me out to him with a grin on her face. So now the East Indian cab driver thinks there's some sort of funny prank going on because of all the smiles and now he's all grin and asks "you are having a good day?" like "you funny pesky kids." It was nearly slapstick funny. Good times.

That nice driver then charged me $20 to get from East Van to the plane station. Very kind. And while on route I called Fran to make sure I was still going for some reason and she let me know she had paid her rent by direct deposit that day. Good news. Bad news was her orphanage decided all the computers in the house had a virus and she threw them out. My sister was upset that she had lost not only all her pictures from the past few years (she's an amazing photographer) but also her ability to email me the details of her new place. Ah life.

The cab ride I took drove me right past "Wink" as I left. I almost cried but instead I just forced myself to remember different long form scenes I've seen them do and laugh instead. For those of you that don't know, the last show I attended they asked for the happiest thing in your apartment as the suggestion. And then as a miracle for me, Tas used mine, "Pegasus". I'm very sad to leave the one thing I loved in Vancouver. But I try to tell myself that there are other shows and if I see all there is to see in Toronto and still can't stand being away from the living art the service boys do I can always figure out someway or something (I'm referring here to money) to see them again.

In case the deepness of my caring for the !nstantTheater troupe is of interest to anyone I'll share that I think that the "comedy" they see is actually restorative justice. I say this because Ryan is so openly from the west side of the city and speaks clearly about being a university graduate with a knowledge of Philosophy while in similar honesty Tas relates to the audience that he has been educated more by pop culture and his single mother. Yet in their similar interest in what the Dali lama calls love (the Dali Lama says "love is wishing for the causes of happiness for others") they commit to creating an environment for the benefit of others. They use the medium of improvised theatre to overcome socially accepted emotional blocks to understanding like the guilt associated with privilege and the shame attached to poverty by both actively participating in the creation of a time to show their caring for the differences in others and by making public the long term commited collaboration they have and use to decide to create something more than the sum of their two parts. The Christian tradition says God is "the word made flesh." I think these men are enacting love to the "service of others." I think they are in fact doing this in a better fashion than the two dominant religions in Vancouver in that they are not, as would be the Buddhist tradition, meditating in stillness on the good causes for others or, as would be in the Christian tradition, acting in the mind set that what they do is a way to channel God's charity to others. Instead they use the ruse of calling themselves "a cult" and create an inclusive space for the showing of the positive resolution options for important emotional, political and social human frailties and ills. These men do provide the living example of the possibilities of the human heart to expand beyond the ordinary and use difference positively. It just touches me because I forgot people could be so good.

I guess that's enough ranting for now.. I'll write again soon. It's not all that pleasant here because I really don't like animals and they have two cats and a big dog.

oh oh.. I almost forgot.. On the way from the Airport to my uncle's house he got a speeding ticket. He only got a warning though because he's a fireman.. It really is good to know people. ha, life.