Blogging more, work, and dreams

Dear diary,

I promise to write more here. Mostly because I really feel like I need to have something to mark the transition from work life to real life. Life life. Because I've learned that it's possible for me to be a workaholic. Who knew? I'm almost three weeks into the new job and I've had a massive problem letting go of work when I leave for the day. I think and ponder and stress. I think it's mostly the fact that it's a steep learning curve, and I really want to be good at what I do - the transition from novice to expert is uncomfortable for me. But anyways - I am really really trying (and beginning to succeed) to leave work at work. But I want something to mark that transition. I've been walking home a lot, but it's starting to get cold. So I think blogging, even just finding something interesting to share, is a good way to make that transition back into my life beyond work.

I finally bought a bed (I've been sleeping on an air mattress for the past four months). And by bed I mean futon mattress that is currently on the floor. I'm not so far away from my student days (and indeed, probably just between them, knowing me) that I've moved on to actual mattresses on bed frames. I've had interesting dreams since I bought it. The first night I dreamed that I was in an acting class with Woody Allen and he loved me and was going to cast me in all of his movies.

Tonight I'm listening to Rachael Cantu and baking potatoes. Yum.

Will write more soon. Promise.

Have I told you lately that I love Sheezer?

Like, a lot.

Seriously. Sally and I spent last night at our band practice singing an excellent rendition of Jolene and fangirling over Sheezer. I really really want that t-shirt.

I'm going out of town this weekend, otherwise I would so be at their show on Friday night, swooning in the front row.

A photo of a beet and thoughts on other people's thoughts on life

I fell in love with this beet while preparing Thanksgiving dinner.

In other news -

My favourite piece of advice from Milton Glazer's 10 Things I Have Learned, via Keri Smith:

Some people are toxic. Avoid them.

It is not necessarily true that the same person will be toxic or nourishing in every relationship, but the combination of any two people in a relationship produces toxic or nourishing consequences. And the important thing that I can tell you is that there is a test to determine whether someone is toxic or nourishing in your relationship with them. Here is the test: You have spent some time with this person, either you have a drink or go for dinner or you go to a ball game. It doesn’t matter very much but at the end of that time you observe whether you are more energised or less energised. Whether you are tired or whether you are exhilarated. If you are more tired then you have been poisoned. If you have more energy you have been nourished. The test is almost infallible and I suggest that you use it for the rest of your life.

Another great piece of thought/advice from the Keri Smith post that linked to this (which resonates with me as a blogger and a human being):

as a teacher you are always mining the world for content, things you can use in class, things to share, and it creates a kind of bond with the people you are sharing with because you are always excited to bring something to them that you think is interesting or related to what you are teaching. what is somewhat difficult is that while you are in it there is no real gauge for how you are doing. how do you know if you are reaching someone? if you are a good teacher, some of what you are teaching might not sink in for years. I suppose you just give them all you have and release all attachment to outcome. Isn’t that how it is with all important things in your life? Parenting, art, relationships, etc.

Yep. Good rule for life - give all you have and release all attachment to outcome.

Think of what we've come to. It is one of the great testaments to the intellectual—and moral, and spiritual—poverty of American society that it makes its most intelligent young people feel like they're being self-indulgent if they pursue their curiosity. You are all told that you're supposed to go to college, but you're also told that you're being "self-indulgent" if you actually want to get an education. Or even worse, give yourself one. As opposed to what? Going into consulting isn't self-indulgent? Going into finance isn't self-indulgent? Going into law, like most of the people who do, in order to make yourself rich, isn't self-indulgent? It's not OK to play music, or write essays, because what good does that really do anyone, but it is OK to work for a hedge fund. It's selfish to pursue your passion, unless it's also going to make you a lot of money, in which case it's not selfish at all.

From What Are You Going to Do With That, an essay by William Deresiewicz. The man, I must say, has a point.

Young Bjork (=love)

I somehow ended up watching all of these videos of young Bjork tonight.

They were just entrancing (this one is just audio).

She's so cool. (Way to state the obvious.)

It gets better

I am totally in love with Dan Savage's new project, It Gets Better.

A month in pictures

And some words.

Toronto is going well. It's so nice to be working. I saw my first TIFF screening. I was so high on the experience that I can't tell whether or not I really liked the film. I went to MOCCA (yay for free art). I'm too cheap to get on the subway so I walk pretty much everywhere. On days I remember my camera this means I get some fun pictures.

In chronological order here are photos of the last month in my life. 

One of the weird little spots by the waterfront I was talking about:

And a golden building:

I went back to the odd "beach". This time I sat down with Sally.

We watched a guy and a girl flying a kite. I tried to surreptitiously take their photo and ended up with an accidentally blurred photograph à la my dad (although he does it on purpose).

Sally was craving salad so I yelped "salad in Toronto" and we ended up in Kensington at Hibiscus, a vegetarian and gluten free café. We shared a delicious salad bowl and a crepe with pear, brie and walnuts. It was really good.

Walking down the street one day I admired this woman's hat. It reminds me of Darth Vader.

Today I walked over to Roncesvalles with Alex. We picked up Pączki (polish donuts) from Granowska's Bakery and delicious Americanos (Americani?) from Lit Espresso Bar.

I got one filled with plum jam and one filled with sweet cheese. I've been trying really hard (and usually succeeding) to eat stuff that's fairly low on the glycemic index, but man I love good donuts every so often.

Then we walked home along the water.

I'm glad there's water here.

I'm also glad it's fall. I love the days it rains, although I need better shoes.

Overnight Steel Cut Oats

I am currently obsessed with this recipe. I make it a little bit differently (the original recipe sounds delicious, but I don't actually have most of the ingredients). Note that the recipe is for about 3 or 4 servings. So, I take a quarter to a third cup of steel cut oats and a tablespoon or so of shredded unsweetened coconut, then put it in a bowl just submerged in water and a bit of milk. I sometimes add raisins or dried currents. Then I put it in the fridge. In the morning I add sunflower seeds, ground flax, and chopped almonds, with a bit of sugar or honey and a bit more milk. If I'm not in a hurry I heat it up on the stove first. I eat this pretty much every day at the moment, and it is so fast and filling and delicious.

Is this us?

I've been a little bit busy, settling into my new job (Working is fun. Unemployment is overrated. I'm such a nerd.) and new city. I promise to try to have more than the sound of wind whistling through here up soon.

Via Cat and Girl.

When people say nice things about you

My most recent (wonderful) boss recently had to fill out a reference form when I was interviewing for a job. He wrote: 

Ange is best suited for an occupation which enables her to encounter and engage with an incredible amount of information, which she can then share in creative and helpful ways with others which help them to discover something new about themselves and the world in which they live. 

The job I was interviewing for would not have been the job that he was describing, and his words made me feel completely comfortable with the choice I made that it was decidedly not the job for me. I loved that he could see this in me. Thanks to him I now I have a very clearly expressed objective: that job. I'm looking forward to it.