Mostly lemon based

Blog

  • Hey look, it’s full of Canadians…

    And so clean. Seriously. Everyone said Canada’s gorgeous; and quite a few people mentioned the cleanliness of it, but being here, it’s freaky-clean. It’s so nice. I just don’t see the little clumps of rubbish, the bags collected under the trees. It’s just so much cleaner than the UK.

    And the trains – they’re clean too, and have two decks…. And it’s pretty. Lots of The Pretty.

    So yesterday Rochelle gave me a tour of the East End of Toronto (I’m terrible at this sort of post, incidentally) – so rather than do a ‘this is where we went’ you can go look at my pictures which, obviously, wouldn’t be complete without some abandoned toronto shots. Eventually we headed over to meet up with some of Rochelle’s friends who proceeded to cook a really gorgeous dinner; in an apartment with views out over Toronto’s skyline; where I had a shockingly civilised meal and was astounded to discover another fan of Elastica. Of all places, it was a bit weird listening to music from my past – especially since I’ve only just got back into Elastica having randomly burned a CD of it to bring with me. And, yeah. Mmm. Canada keeps doing that to me, being oddly familiar.

    And exceedingly pretty.

    And yeah, it’s all good so far :-)

  • Post follows tomorrow

    I just had a really good day. I’ve got some pictures, but I’m not awake enough to post anything. Just thought I’d say to all the ‘you should do stuff now you’re in Canada’ types, I’ve done stuff :-)

    Raaar.

    Now, I sleep.

  • I’m in Canada!

    I tried to think of a more ‘sensible’ title to this, but frankly, that expresses it all. I am in Canada… Specifically, right at this moment I’m sat in Rochelle’s lounge, at her dining table, eating some of the food she left for me…

    I’ve nipped out to the store once, but I’ll probably repeat it now I’m more aware of how to get back her place. And I now know that Rochelle’s not going to be back in time for dinner (which I thought) so I’ll be cooking for myself.

    Mostly though, today is set aside for Not-doing-much-at all. I’ve got a Toronto guidebook I picked up at the airport to nose through and that’s about it. I might nip out and take some photos too.

    Just to prove I’m here like.

    So yeah, Nikki drove me to Cardiff airport, which it turns out is a bit of a dive really. Bristol – imho – is small, but quite pleasant. It’s light and airy. Has a few shops and cafe’s and fast food places, and it’s clean. Cardiff felt small, cramped and dark. The toilets were largely broken or vandalised, or just plain grotty – and yeah, it just wasn’t very nice.

    Still, the massively cheaper flights made it worth it. Zoom – Sadly – does not provide a Flight/Auto socket in Super-basic-el-cheapo class, so all that work with the power adaptor was for naught. Still, the new battery meant I at least got to watch a couple of episodes of Life on Mars and read some Megatokyo before it all went a bit flat.

    What was odd was that I sat on the flight and an older woman sat down next to me… She… is an ex nurse. She trained in the UK and then moved to Canada and practiced there until she retired. How freaky is that? Didja want anymore in the way of coincidence?

    So, yeah, we had a good old natter on the plane. After landing I got interrogated. I think that’s the best word for it. Politely. Really politely (incidentally, what’s with all the cute dykey looking customs staff?) – yeah, so I stood there and answered what I can only call a *lot* of questions. Mostly about jobs, my life, what’s going on with my house / home life (‘cos it all got a bit complicated). Then as many questions as I could answer about Rochelle. Then about how long I was staying… it went on. The guy was really polite the whole time, friendly, cheerful. But incredibly thorough.

    It’s funny, ‘cos security wise – I had a relaxed trip. Not like visiting the USA where they only just stopped short of x-raying me – and then asked me a few questions. No, here the security was non-existant, but the questions… To give you an idea, by the time I got to the baggage reclaim my flight was no-longer listed. My case was stood, looking rather sorry for itself, half way down the hall. Still, I was just glad to get into the Taxi and then into Rochelles, and then into bed.

    Today I’ve not-quite been to Canadian tire. I did look at it, and I’ll probably wander in in-a-bit. I’m not obsessed, but their website just appears to contain *everything ever* – so I’m intrigued to see the store.

    One of the things thats struck me about Canada (apart from the large amount of dual language stuff) is how much like home it feels. Alaska felt very different, although I was comfortable there – and love it loads, it felt very different to the UK. Canada, it looks very different – and is very different, but there’s some subtle ways in which it *feels* quite similar. It’s hard to explain. Listening to CBC Radio 1 – reminded me of Radio 4; and the Commercials remind me more of British than US commercials. And the supermarket – although it looks like it has more in common with it’s US counterparts, the contents was much more like the stuff you see in Europe. It’s interesting. It’s interesting what it shares with it’s neighbour, what it shares with Europe, and what is entirely Canada alone. Mmm. I must explore more :-)

    That and my laptop’s batteries are starting to run out of umph…

  • not exactly what I needed…

    So, the day before going to Canada I get the ‘correct’ alternator for my car, only because they’re too damn cheap to include a pulley, you need to take the pulley off the old one. I was very tired, so tired. My back hurts. My body is tired. It’s cold. And I’m bent over, arms deep in the engine, desperately trying to take the old alternator out. Finally it comes out and it becomes apparent that the old pulley won’t fit the new alternator.

    In the end – a great deal of swearing was involked, some semi-weeping and the old alternator went back on. Once on there, I took the new (correct) alternator back to the shop and swapped it for a replacement of the ‘incorrect’ alternator I’ve got fitted. Then I came back to Nikki’s, and despite the rain, swapped the alternator over. Now I ache, I’m tired, but I think I am ready to go to Canada.

    Or more accurately, ready for when I return.

    This time tomorrow I’ll be on a flight.

  • I do what with this now?

    I’ve been pondering a journal entry. This is odd for me, as you’ve all no doubt noticed I tend to ponder journal entries while writing them, hence my inimitable rambly tedious style. This is more a space for me to think outloud than anything more serious. Sometimes you’ll get serious – but mostly because I feel pissy about something of significance and decide to share the pissy with y’all.

    So, yeah. Here I am, I’m about to go to Canada – the land I think I’d like to live in; I’ll be able to more fully articulate the whys and the wherefores after I’ve been there; I’ve moved almost everything I own into two garages (it would, to be fair, fit in one garage – but that would be a bit unreasonable on my sister and my mum). So, seriously, here I am with the majority of my accessible worldy possessions, I’m about to hand over the keys to my rented house (since it’s no longer rented) and some odd thoughts struck me.

    When I was driving the van back from my sister’s house, I had much time for thought – not least because driving a 3.5 ton lorry is quite, quite tedious – I had this urge – this quite strong urge to throw away everything I own. I wondered how free I’d feel to lose it *all* and start again. I suddenly felt so tied down by it all – the idea that it could all go away and I could start again, well, it was quite tempting. I know I’d regret it though, I’m a nostalgia bunny with a memory that’s not that great; and to lose it all, well… But quite a lot of it could go. Suddenly I see that.

    One of my problems is sheer quantity of furniture and tools. Tools especially – because I do most jobs myself I own tools to do, well, most jobs. This – of course, means that my life is run on a lower budget than many, but at the same time – it means there’s a lot of stuff to move. Stuff. Lots of stuff.

    Anyway, yeah, so I’m starting on this trip – and this trip kind of decides where my life goes after this.

    So that’s tomorrow. Today, today is getting eyebrows done (gotta look good for the holiday; I’m just not as butch as I used to be :-) ) and sourcing a replacement alternator for my car. I was going to go to a scrap yard, but I am *so* tired from doing… everything. So very tired. That I think flumping around in a scrappy is the last thing I need. Frustratingly I’ve just discovered that you can modify Delco alternators to fit the Minor – this would be great, but I don’t have the time to do so. However, it’s useful information for my intended transfer to Canada – because the Delco units are new – not recon – and also have a higher power output. So that’s a longer term plan. But for now, we wait for opening time and then we go “whup-ah” and pounce on the people in the land of shops and say “how mucha-for-da-alternator”. Worst comes to worst I’ll order it from this online shop….

    See. Rambly-fish. That’s me.

  • I need my FIX!

    So, here I am at CC&K, I’ve just paid for a subscription to their wireless internet, which although not insanely cheap is certainly not an unacceptable expense, and gives me more of an excuse to hang out here, although my laptop weighs a bloody ton.

    Even more if I had two batteries… like I ordered… I suppose I didn’t specify that I wanted two batteries in working order. Feh. Hopefully the guy will be quick about replacing them, ‘cos I wanted to take them to CANADA! I’m also sourcing a 12volt adaptor for the laptop. So hopefully it should be working for the flight :-)

    Raar

    Well, yes, here I am.

    I just discovered that my friend Nikki wasn’t joking when she said I had a double. Not joking at all. it’s really freaky to look at someone else and see they’ve got your face. It’s really, really unbelieveably weird. Seriously, it’s left a dent in my brain where it’s hit and gone ‘hey, this person has your face’; and it’s fair to say that, ‘cos she’s ten years younger, more or less.

    It was mine first :-)

    Oh dear god it’s weird.

    Anyway, so,
    House: Continuing. Still not sure if I’ll be in before Canada.
    Job: Good start, rough second day, but I didn’t kill anyone, which is important as a Nurse. If you kill people you’re going about it all wrong.
    Car: Very unhappy. Alternator tensioner has broken. Fan belt completely nadgered. New fanbelt obtained, but I need a tensioner before I do it.
    New ‘flat’: Yeah, I don’t play well with others.

    So, that’s really my life summed up in a few lines, it was going to be a big long post, but I’ve spent an inordinate amount of time buying a laptop adaptor and e-mailing people, and catching up with people online. So, yeah, I’m going to probably have to head off soon…

  • No X-ray vision?! What am I paying for?

    So, I got my valuation back today, and I’m happy to say that they are happy with the house valuation and the price I’ve offered. I’ve also got my solicitor’s letter too. So, that’s all going to wing it’s way off this afternoon.

    But the surveyor’s report revealed something astounding:

    valuers can't see through walls

    Well, what am I paying for?!

    ;)

    Anyway, I’ve managed to transfer some cash, and so the whole loss of the internet (which has suprisingly not happened yet) is slightly less of a disaster. Clothes are packed, I’ve also packed sheets and I’ll be taking my duvet. I’ve packed towels, and I’m now packing up the bathroom…

    Scary, scary stuff.

  • OMG – Giant Insect Threatens Germany…

    Linky to picture.

    Yeah, on a more serious note I hate packing. With avengence. Part of the problem is I’m down to bitty bits, and I have been for a while. They are both hard to pack and hard to get the enthusiasm to pack. I just find myself wanting to say ‘oh for fuck’s sake’ a lot. It’s also the whole trying to work out what I’ll need, when I’ll need it, and so on.

    Do I need this stuff in the next few weeks? Will I need this stuff in a month? Do I need this stuff when I go to Canada? If I get the house and move in will I need this straight away?

    What clothes do I need? What shoes? Do I need my good coat? Do I need my bike gear out? ARGH! It’s making my mind melt. The back room is all clear. The kitchen needs packing still, the lounge is nearly clear. I did a run to the tip (Cheers Nikki) today – but forgot to take the old PC case (which I hoped would disappear by the old ‘please take me’ sticker and standing it outside, but it didn’t. I think it’ll land in the bin…).
    I just would like the new job to start (it’s insane though, that it starts in 4 days time!), and the new house to be sorted (and things to go smoothly, they’ve not exactly *started* smoothly, the solicitors didn’t get my contact details, fortunately they decided to proceed and hope I’d ring them, or get the letter they sent and *then* ring them – but i just rang them today… and so that’s sorted).

    I want people to ring me and say “it all looks good, we should have you moved in on Tuesday”. That’d be nice :-)

    Feh.

    Tomorrow my internet goes away. The nasty man will come and take away my internet connection… *whimper*. And actually, I shall have no phone either, apart from the mobile. God, it’s weird. My whole life – most of my connections at any rate – exist because of my online life. It’s weird to completely lose that. I’ve still got my little 33k6 modem for the laptop at least, but that’s the entirety of my connectivity for the next month. I actually find that scarier than moving.

    I am *so* addicted to the net. And now I have to go cold turkey…

  • Arrrrrrr. My back!

    I’ve actually had a really positive day. I posted off my prescription so that it should be ready for collection before I head off, I’ve sorted out my tools – my toolbox is so neat I nearly took a photo to share with you all – yes, I really was that amazed. I’ve thrown out, or at least piled stuff to go to the tip tomorrow, I’ve sorted out which tools I’m going to take with me (and considered that I’m going for 3 weeks, and shouldn’t *really* need any tools, but if I take them and don’t need them I’ll feel slightly silly. If I don’t take them and do need them I’ll feel like 10 different sorts of idiot).

    And it’s with very mild sadness that I write that Claire passed away today. Claire was never really a faithful bike, at least, not to me. Although standing proud at 120,000 miles, no mean feat for a small engine’d MZ; she resented those last 20,000 with a force that nearly caused the death of us both several times. Claire will always be remembered with a certain fondness, her desire to slide down the road on her side however, will not be sadly missed, and her disintegrating frame shall remain forever in my heart as something to avoid allowing to happen again. Her funeral is tomorrow.

    Yes… I started the day with Claire looking like this:

    Claire, with loom

    And managed to transfer the forks (no mean feat) and the electrics over to Charlie. Charlie now looks like a bike, not least because with the addition of 2 wheels (making her no longer a very heavy unicycle) and an engine, I could slap the petrol tank on (although that turned out to be a complete dog of a job). She looks a lot more finished than she really is – although the electrics are transferred I had to disconnect much in the name of untangling and so on; and although I’ve thrown them on to Charlie, many of the joints need replacing, and the whole thing needs working out, because the two bikes were very different electrics wise, and I’ve only got the front half of Charlie’s electrics. If anyone fancies supplying me with a diagram which correctly combines post-1994 MZ wiring and pre-1994 wiring, then I’d be greatful. Hell, you can come for a ride on Charlie…

    FEAR THE PINK!

    The day was also made brighter by having lunch with Liz up at my favourite lunch place in Brizzy, The Revival cafe, where we munched and chatted before heading to ShakeAway to consume phenominally unhealthy drinks – which were delicious :-)

    I also, because I’m lousy at not spending money got a guitar chord reference from a booksale that’s closing down, some photo paper (again from the same booksale, ‘cos it was super-cheap for photo paper), I’ve e-mailed Rana-X one last time about the photos we agreed on, hopefully this e-mail will get through; and I also, because I’m a very bad person bought LDN on vinyl, and the new Evanesence single, also on Vinyl.

    I am bad.

    But I have Pirate Charlie, in PINK! RAAR!

  • Accepted…

    The offer was accepted on the house.

    Watch me try not to count chickens.