Incandescently Ridiculous

listening: adele, skyfall

So, did you miss me on my hiatus?
It was kind of an unannounced, unplanned hiatus...but I feel better having taken it. It's nice to come back to the blahg after getting settled into Calgary; I feel like I needed the head space and the break. (Because having four people read your blog can be a lot of pressure, you know).

So: I'm making some elaborate plans. I think I'm going to do NaNoWriMo again this year, even though I'll be in Halifax for a chunk of November - although Sparks will have class and work some of the days I'm there, so that will give me lots of time to do my planned Halifax ramblings and still write for an hour or so. I'm abandoning last year's novel, although I might come back to it someday - googling the main character's name and finding that I inadvertently stole it was disheartening in a silly way. I can't think of that main character as anything other than Verity Sparks, so I'm putting her aside for a bit. Besides, I've found myself making family trees for imaginary people again lately and mumbling their stories to myself when I'm driving with the iPod off, so I feel like a good run at NaNoWriMo is maybe not a bad idea. Plus I've been sitting writing this entry for five minutes and it's intensely relieving, so I think it's time writing comes and hangs out with me full-time again. Or should I say that it's time I go and hang out with writing? It's not like writing went anywhere. (Morgan, I still owe you the Moriarty family. Maybe after I learn calligraphy).

Halifax in November, Vancouver in December, Victoria in May. I'm very pleased with the fact that Craig and I will manage to be in both Calgary and Vancouver ON CHRISTMAS this year. That takes some skilled trip planning. I also enjoy the fact that Vancouver's usual temperature on December 25 is 10 degrees. Yeah, that will be JUST FINE, thankyouverymuch. I did say that I hoped we could go to Vancouver sooner than 11 months after our last trip this year, and I'm really glad we're managing it. I'm hoping we can spend some more time with Kseniya and Ian especially. We're going to be there from late on the 25th to late on the 30th, so it's a good chunk of time. It may even be possible to go to Mayne for the day. I hope so.

Victoria in May is one of the coolest things possibly that has ever happened to me: my work is taking all the staff and doctors from both our offices to Victoria for a Festival of Eye-Nerdery (not its real name) over the Victoria Day long weekend. We'll be staying at the Empress (!) and our whole trip is all-expenses-paid - hotel, flights, and food. My friend Natasha, who I actually knew in high school, and I are planning to be roomies and I really think it'll just be so much fun. What a nice perk. What a nice break. Victoria in May? All right!!
Sidebar: It's been so nice to make a real friend at work. Definitely brightens up the UGH I DON'T WANT TO WORK AT ALL DOING ANYTHING days.

And now: Facebook. I promise to be here again before three more months pass.

-rae