the lorider is defeated!!!! by a fluffy creature

(my first mobile post - greetings from Toronto!)

well, actually I'm in Mississauga at the Comfort Inn. Long story, so I'll tell it.

I stayed at my friend Ingrid's house last night, here in Mississauga. it was the first time, and it seemed like a good idea, because I'm going to be coming up to Toronto twice a month for this philosophy course.

well, it was not such a good idea to Tigger, Ingrid's fluffier half. soon after she'd left this morning, I wandered around and accidently passed by Tigger's litter box. Tigger felt we did not know each other well enough to pee in each others' litter boxes. he was quite right, but he couldn't seem to catch on that I didn't want to pee in his litter box.

I left his "area" immediately, but that was not good enough for dear Tigger, who proceeded to follow me around the house growling and spitting at me! I felt very unwanted, and so I decamped - mind you, it was 6:30 in the morning! some people (cats) have no sense of hospitality!

luckily, my spidey-senses quickly led me to a haven of comfort - the aforementioned Comfort Inn. and don't think I am being sarcastic; it is very comfortable. they let me check in at 7:00 am for tonight, so I get to lounge around and use the free internet access all day, take a hot soak, AND I get two free breakfasts - mmmmm hot chocolate, croissants, and froot loops!

now I just have to figure out my halloween costume for tonight's party!


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another upside - I've learned to spell Mississauga


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it's about to get real....

alright peoples, listen up:

I have posted onto an on-line personals site.....

and you have a front-row seat!

UPDATE: alright, just never you mind about this.... what a f***ing boring rip-off! the ones I'm interested in "don't think we're a match," and the ones who are interested are NOT MY TYPE!
yuks

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I don't want to achieve immortality through my work...
I want to achieve it through not dying. -Woody Allen


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w00t!

: ) : ) : ) : ) : ) : ) : ) : ) : ) : ) : ) : ) : ) : )


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happy boxers day (not thongs day.... Chuck!)


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rugby days.....

alert media-scanner wiredfu guy found a funny article about Jackie Chan and rugby (and, apparently, Rambo), which reminds me of when I used to play rugby.....

yes, believe it or not, yours truly, the lorider, was an inaugural member of the women's team for the Detroit Rugby Football Club. I greatly enjoyed the company of my... um... mates? (a great group of girls) and the traditional lifting of the pints and the singing of the pub songs after every practice. however, once we stopped learning to play the game and actually commenced playing the game, I learned that I can not run more than, say, 50 yards, without, say, dying.

this may be why I was assigned to play sweep on my high school JV field hockey team. or why I lasted a record three days on my high school track team.

devastated that I was fated to never play on a team whose favorite play was called "Detroit, Detroit, who's your daddy?!," I sadly accepted my fate, and bid my rugby teammates farewell. I see on the website that they chose not to adopt my suggested team slogan, "We'll lick ya'!"

...........what?



technorati tags: rugby

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take out your guns, people, and re-enact the Battle at
the OK Corral, which took place on this date in 1881!


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yay, Jackie!!!!! I'm your No.1 fan!

just in case you think this may become an all-cat blog, here's a picture of everyone's favorite
UN Goodwill Ambassador!







beeb article on the UN today.

technorati tags: Jackie Chan, United Nations

Pyramus & Thisby

well, I wish I could post pix with this latest installment, but I can't..............

the little kitty who warbled sadly at me last Wednesday is now safely in residence chez moi, whether permanently or temporarily remains to be seen. he and I have agreed that his name is Edi (pronounced like Eddie, but he's simply too poor for all the letters)*. he's orange striped, rather tall, skinny of course, and he has lovely green eyes and quite a full, fluffy tail for a shorthair. he whisks his tail about proudly; as it's his only wealth in the world, he makes the most of it.

Maria, my wonderful kitty, has taken the news with a fair amount of charity and condescension, although I do believe I heard her mutter while licking her behind: "just wait until I die! then she'll be sorry!!!"

except for some saber-rattling, they seem to get along. of course, I'm mainly keeping them separated for now, hence the title**......


* (he seems to think he's named after this Eddie, when in fact he's named after this Eddy .
**(get it, English major?!!!!)

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sour cream n'onion potato chips with gorgonzola - yum!



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GRR!

grrrrrrrrrrrr.... photo uploading problems............. grrrrrrr!

grasshopper ice cream and rachmaninoff

update: I've added some pix at the bottom! enjoyz


okay, so I actually ate green tea ice cream last night, but it made me think that grasshopper ice cream is probably pretty similar.

Marie and I ate at Tokyo Sushi ("in fashionable Royal OakTM") last night -which was awesom-u power!!! as always - and then headed downtown to the Detroit Symphony Orchestra to watch André Watts play Rachmaninoff's Piano Concerto #2.

Marie hadn't been to the symphony here before, so we entertained ourselves by taking pictures of symphony hall from our seats before the concert began. did I mention the entire place was probably watching us take pix, because we were IN THE FRONT ROW!!!!! (the swag from my job really rocks!) ... I may have felt a leeettle conspicuous. at first. then I felt I had taken my rightful place in the universe. har.

they were good seats for later, but for the piano concerto, they were on the wrong side of the house - that is, the right side. but, because André Watts was SO energetic, his head often bobbed over the top of the music rack for Marie and I to see.

yes, it was quite an experience to watch him play - he really played like an angel while sweating it like the devil himself. I couldn't believe that he had such fantastic control and delicacy in his hands, while the rest of his body was apparently undergoing an epilectic fit. he was kind of like a toddler banging it out on one of those little eight key jobs. I swear, a few times, I thought he was about to pick the piano up, flip it around, and shoot for three up into the boxes!

I kind of wished I could see his fingering, but being so close, and kind of under the piano, turned out to be enjoyable in its own way. first of all, I never realized how industrial a good piano looks from underneath - they're so elegant on top. also, when he would let the strings reverberate during a pause in playing, I could hear the whole instrument hum! he was really awesom-u power.

then we had Tchaikovsky with the orchestra after. I thought the orchestra was kind of phoning it in for the piano concerto, I don't know if they thought everyone was only listening to André, or maybe they were saving it up for the second act. it was Tchaikovsky's Symphony #5, not my fav composer, but a very happy piece of music and fun to listen to. I really loved the clarinet throughout. Jerzy Semcow came to guest conduct and he's super - he really has a great touch.

ps - am I weird or does the lyric melody in the Tchaikovsky finale have more than a passing resemblance to the tune "Farewell, Amanda"..... you know, the one Spencer Tracy sings to Katherine Hepburn in Adam's Rib....?


technorati tags: detroit symphony orchestra, andré watts, rachmaninoff


two wild n' crazy gals.... at the symphony!













the ceiling at Symphony Hall. the whole building is quite lovely.











the boxes, otherwise known as "where I belong."









thanks for the pix, Marie!
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musing for the day - Jerzy is such a great name, isn't it?




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anybody want a cat?

oh my golly, what a fun night yesterday....

let's see, I had a fun workout, and then went to a French conversation group at a coffee shop in fashionable Royal Oak. it was my first time there, but I already knew Marie, from linking up over the internet around this very topic, and one guy there named Michael from a Spanish conversation group. the whole group, a small one last night, was nice people.

then, while we're sitting there, a lady named Miki walks by, I know her a little, and she says, "oh I was a French major in college some umpty-ump years ago" and she sits down and we all had a good talk. it turns out Miki's daughter lives in California near where I'm hoping to travel this December. Miki said she'd ask her daughter to try and help me find some place to crash. I was so excited (a-to be out with a group of adults) (b-to maybe have a lead on a nice place to stay in Cali) (and c-to be going to the Detroit Symphony Orchestra the next night -I WON TICKETS AT WORK!!!! I RULE!!!) that I was totally wound up. when we broke up at about 10:30, I felt like it was zero o'clock.

then I got home and some little skin and bones stray cat ran up to me as I got out of the car. orange stripy, hoarse little meow, but seemed healthy and well-mannered except for starvation. I feeded him and then started calling around looking for a shelter. that situation is still pending, but as I did feed the little guy, I'm pretty sure he'll be back tonight.......

then, I opened my mail and MY AIRPORT CARD HAD ARRIVED!!!!!!! So, I....... INSTALLED IT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! okay, maybe that doesn't sounds like such a big deal (especially to those of you who have installed one and know how easy it is).... but I haven't had internet at home in a year, and now I've started this blog, and..... and...... I'm just SO EXCITED!!!!!!! now, I can put up my pix on flickr!!!!!!!!!!!!! and start to catch up on some important posts:

-my trip to Vermont this past summer
-my trips to Toronto including **my trip with my little bros**
-seeing the Tigers play from, like, 7 feet away
- and (obligatory-I promise to keep it short) my cat Maria

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Happy Shampoo Day (try some......Chuck!)


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happy driving feet

anyway, I'm finally posting about my awesome trips to Toronto.

Toronto is so great that driving four hours two days in a row seems like a great idea.

Toronto feels like a home away from home.

Toronto has lots of trees.

Toronto has many, many different neighborhoods with real night-life.

I always have crazy adventures in Toronto, like when I scored a Bruce Lee book for only $5. ($ Canadian!)

Toronto is a breath of fresh air. I always feel better after breathing some Toronto.

I prefer to shop in Toronto.

Toronto can be cold but not that cold.

Toronto has a yummy vegetarian restaurant and a yummy Indian restaurant and great pizza. I always eat well in Toronto.

I took my little brothers to Toronto and they loved it, too.

I figured out how to use my cruise control!

someday soon, you will see some awesome pix of Toronto!



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Happy Dress Like a Dork Day....... Chuck!


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The Ringmaster, baby!

the scientists at ringling bros have determined my next career!
I actually wanted to be an acrobat, but I guess I am rather entertaining (and bossy).

let's see what you're made of ... Chuck! take the test and report back to your master.

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happy brain cell reduction day....Chuck!

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ides of blog - Oct: knitting blogs

oh fuck, oh fuck, I almost forgot the ides of blog!
radio silence is so sleepy-fy-ing.

well, being as I am knitting now, and boing boing is knit-crazy, too, this month it's the ides of knitting blogs flickr sets and 1 blog.

1) first up, these win as the weirdest (& coolest) knitting evar! (via Boing Boing)

2) knitted umm...you know... (via Boing Boing)

3) awesome "woollys" and other knitted, sewed, etc'd pieces...
these are so freakin cute!

4) really impressive knits from nguyen le

5) and for those of you who just want to drool over yarn


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oooohhh.. all these flickr sets are getting me soooo excited! my airport card is coming, my airport card is coming! just you wait and see what I'll have up in the next few days!!!!!

well, what are you standing there for? go knit.....Chuck!
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fast blast from the past

I saw a girl yesterday, let's call her Stacy because that's her name. I haven't seen her in like 2 or 3 years. we work out at the same place, and yesterday, I looked up, and bam! there she was. we used to hang out, grab some food and talk a bit, then she seemed to have left Michigan in a hurry, and I always wondered how she was. as a matter of fact, I was thinking about her not too long ago. it was weird to just look up and see her; for a second it didn't process....

anyway, she's only in town for a couple of days, so we won't get to talk, but she might be moving back to the area. I wonder what's up with that?