word to the wise

just because wine comes in a little bottle and looks like a cooler, does not mean it should be consumed as such.

ow.

the love tap

so i rented a car today to make my way home for the wonderful stagette *tries to hold in enthusiasm*

anyway, once i picked up the car, i realized that i had forgotten some stuff at home so i had to drive back there. gotta love fighting saturday morning traffic (with the lazy shoppers wandering here and there along the streets) ... ok, there was a brief interlude in this all ... and now it's sunday night - but i shall recommence the story telling anyway.

so i'm driving down the street and have to stop at a red light - there's one car in front of me. while the light's red, i try to put a couple containers with food in them the right way up again (don't want any spillage or anything like that, you know). while i'm doing this, i must have accidentally eased up the pressure i had been applying to the brake.

*THUNK*

yep, i rolled into the car in front of me. the guy whips around in his seat, throwing his arms up in despair and proceeds to get out of the car to survey the damage. i too get out of the car to see how bad it is ... luckily, there's no visible damage. even luckier, the guy seemed to soften as i got out of the car and even smiled at me as i apologized profusely. he even went on to say - i don't think there's anything to worry about, it was just a love tap.

thank god i'm not ugly. that's all i've got to say.

the dog whisperer

so yesterday i was waiting for the elevator (i was doing laundry - which is really the only time i use the elevator - especially since they've started making weird noises and the random ppl were drilling holes in the door ..) ... the elevator going up opened and out bounds this cute little husky puppy.

he quickly scampers over to me and jumps up on me and keeps saying hello. the guys with him thought this was quite odd - because the puppy never does this. then they called the puppy to come back with them to their apartment and the puppy went away, only to return seconds later to play with me again.

it was then that one of the guys commented that he was jealous of me because the puppy liked me so much - and he could never get that kind of attention from the dog. i know, i know - you're thinking, "melpie, don't be so naive - these guys were probably just hitting on you" - but i'm pretty sure they were batting for the other team - if you know what i mean. like, how many heterosexual men go out to walk a puppy in a pair at 10pm at night? weird, i tell you.

so my conclusion? i'm the dog whisperer. watch out cesar millan, it's melpie's time to shine!

thai's my inspiration

so, this is something i've been meaning to write about for awhile ... but really, i figured, who would care. however, i just read an entry in a friend's blog and it reminded me once again about the subject - a subject that i adore - my books.

i'm a bit of a bibliophile - no where close to rory or anything, but i still do enjoy my books. they're like battle scars - i like to keep them as badges of my accomplishments and as reminders of where i've been and where i have yet to go (it helps when i'm trying to do things like stroke books off my "to read" list .... i'm done 22 ... only 78 to go!) ... and i do sometimes donate the books to charity that i find particularly embarassing (now no one has proof that i ever owned the da vinci code or one of the gilmore girls books) but i think that books are wonderful gifts that are meant to be shared. sometimes i wonder if this is a good idea ... they often go into the abyss and i never get my dear friends back. sometimes i look at my shelf for a book that i wanted to see again and it's gone and i can't remember where ... so here, so i don't forget ... i'm going to make a list of the missing. please friends, come home soon!

• oryx & crake
  
• the invisible man
• family matters
• a prayer for owen meany
• in the skin of a lion
• the way the crow flies
  
• testament
• the princess bride
• the white bone
• white teeth
• the last days of summer
• fried green tomatoes
• kite runner
• the fountainhead
  
• the secret diary of grazia dei rossi
• fierce invalids home from hot climates

so now the question is .... do i replace my friends, or simply wait for them to come home?

the loose noose

come on stephane, it's not *that* bad ...you don't have to do yourself in yet ..



(photo courtesy of reuters)

the vaccuuming

so, i think the cleaning people at work have finally taken offense to us constantly complaining about the lack of vaccuuming, or should i say the lack of physical vaccuuming.

today, the vaccuuming began at 4:45. no, this isn't disturbing at all. 4:45 is a good time to start that sort of work because most ppl are long gone from the office by then, right? so then they unlock the offices that ppl aren't in (because some ppl *do* leave that early, just not the majority) and vaccuum them and do a very meticulous job of the hallway .... but i don't think they go back to offices after ppl leave to do them. so if you're in your office when they come, you're out of luck.

yesterday i was in my office when they were doing the dusting (this happens about ... oh, once a year) ... so i missed out on that one too.

hooray for working in a dust bowl.

dear miss manners

i'm having some etiquette issues. first, i'm a huge believer in holding the door open for the person behind you - it's the polite thing to do. i get extremely angry when someone lets the door slam in my face (especially if it's one of those heavy ones that i have to use all my might in moving) ... but ....

lately there have been a few security issues in my building. like, first there were break-ins in the parking garage (i don't have a car so this didn't bother me so much). and THEN .... around christmas, some ppl were caught on video drilling holes in the bottom of the elevator doors. like, what the heck? so to try to make us feel better, they have had a security guard around at night to escort you in the elevator if you're scared. of course, i just randomly run into the security guard in the hallway and it kind of creeps me out (one of those things that if you see the policing then you are aware that policing is needed and become concerned about the reasons that policing is needed) ... and then finally there was the fire alarm that was pulled yesterday morning and aroused me from my sleep (between the snooze times on my alarm). all strange occurrences.

so to get back to the etiquette question ... i'm a little concerned about the type of ppl that seem to be roaming about my building. sometimes when i am coming or going there are ppl in the vestibule thing waiting to come in but that don't have the scan card thing to unlock the door. or just haven't been able to find it in their bag or whatever. so ... do i be courteous and unlock the door for them? or ... do i push the door shut so they can't get in? i'm so torn!

oooh, in an amusing sidebar (although this is the end of my entry - so it's more of an endbar?) .. there is a channel on my tv so we can see the ppl waiting in the vestibule. it can be amusing to watch. anyway, apparently some ppl abuse this. on new years, i witnessed someone trying to get buzzed in and be told that he had to jump up and down on one leg, close his eyes and touch his nose .. hump the carpet .. and that's where he drew the line. i felt bad for the guy at this point and finally let him in. but it made me giggle nonetheless. and .. end end bar.

p.s. espresso at night = bad

two in one day!

so ... my little sister is getting married. we've known about this for a while and the wedding's now less than a month away. crazy to think that in a few short weeks, my sister and i will no longer share a last name. but that's another issue.

anyway, she has a large wedding party (or i think it's a good size at least ... 5 on the bride's side and 5 on the groom's). on the bride's side, it is four close friends from high school and myself. and sadly - i am starting to feel a little isolated (i'm taking much comfort in the fact that i will have friends at the wedding).

all of the girls live in the home town - i live in the city. ok, to be fair, the maid of honour just moved down to the states - but she's still in charge of things. so every once in a while i get a phone call to fill me in on the details of this or that. and then when the event in question happens (for example, the buck and doe), i get to stand around like a doofus and do nothing.

so .... soon we shall have the "friends" shower and the stagette. i am dreading this. i got the phone call about the plans a couple days ago. they think that there should probably be about 25 girls .. and then i was asked if i wanted to bring a friend.

yep. it's gonna be one fun day. *resumes dread*

the winterless winter

one of the things that i've always liked about canada, and have always been sure that i would miss if i was somewhere else, is our incredibly distinct seasons. we have the lazy hazy crazy days of summer with all the heat and the suntanning on the beach then autumn hits and the trees turn spectacular hues of yellows, reds and oranges then just as the mud is setting in, winter swoops in with a wonderful blanket of white covers everything and the world is all fresh again. and of course, we get tired of the cold that accompanies the crystalline beauty and cheer as the snow melts insto spring and we get to witness the fabulous rebirth of green.

well folks .. this has been shattered. what has happened to my seasons? where are the seasons? it's the first week of january and i haven't seen snow yet! ok, i have - but only as flakes in the air or the very fine layer that covers the ground and melts the second you turn your back on it. that's not snow people, that's not snow!

perhaps there's something to this whole global warming thing - but that would just be too convenient (rather than inconvenient as al gore would have you believe). it has me re-examining things. should i be upset when things aren't living up to my expectations or, instead, should i embrace what is given and enjoy the new experiences while i have them. or maybe i should just stop thinking ... afterall, ignorance *is* bliss.