I'm a first Generation Canadian

My mom's from NYC (Queens- Forest Hills- not the nice part). She was born in... I don't actually know. She originally had German citizenship, but she was born in a camp (yes, one of those camps) and for some reason I think it was in Russia. She has a brother who is about 8 years younger then her. I found out he exhisted when I was 13- a shocking truth as far out from left field as you can imagine. We've had a pretty contentious relationship- I met him as my Bubbie was dying and the meeting... didn't go overly well. He's a hustler baby (really) who's had some trouble with authority (always) and is arguably the most interesting person I know. He's always tried in his own way, and even though I haven't always understood that he was trying, once I figured it out it's meant a lot to me. He lives in Las Vegas and does... stuff. Not illegal ... stuff. Just, stuff. He's been in and out of trouble since he was 13 and has lived a pretty amazing life.

Well I love the rain the most

Living in the big bad city sometimes you forget that there's a real world out there. You can walk down streets forever, with only trees surrounded by concrete and grates, and even though your heart breaks a little, the concrete of the city somehow seems to live.

Our condo is this amazing oasis. It was built in the early 80's, when real estate wasn't at as much of a prime downtown. The condo part is L shaped, and the square is completed by another L of townhouses. Inside is this amazing courtyard, with trees and grass and a pool. I don't look into someone elses' condo, I look out into a tree in summer, and the snowmen we build in the winter.

Today was a storm- Severe Thunderstorm Warning and Severe Tornado Warning. In Toronto... Dorothy, we ain't in Kansas anymore. It got pitch black outside, and then silent, and then it just started to storm. Then thunder and lightning and the rain was sideways, and the trees were bending. The rain makes me remember how much I miss smoking with mamak, laying out on the grass in the middle of a downpour. I miss walking home from class and stopping to splash in the puddles while the Carney's shouted that the crazy white girl seemed to have a good idea and joining in the fun. I miss it being sunny, then storming, then sunny, then storming, then sunny then snowing (??) all in one day.

I also miss being able to see the stars. I think I miss that the most

Nothing better then a kiddie pool, and watching other people roof

Two of our very good friends and their adorablechild live in Barrie, normally about an hour away in good traffic. We went to Barrie this weekend, me to watch the mostadorablechildever and for Beau to roof. I had a blast, B... didn't so much have a blast.

Look! Here he is climbing in the window. oooo. fun.


I refuse to put pictures of children on the interwebz. So, here is a picture of themostadorablechildever


I had a slurpee... err. FROSTER. Fact of the day: They do not have these on the East Coast. 4 years of university, and none of them had these. First thing I would do after returning to Ontario was to go to 7-11 and get one of these. Then 7-11 started keeping their slurpecino's in the same mixers, and my coke slurpees always tasted like vanilla coffee & coke. Fast forward 2 years back in Ontario, and the best.frozen.coke.drinks.ever. are at Petro Canada- they make them with this terrifying high pressure something. Anyways, I had a coke FROSTER.


Spent a lot of time watching him do this (and more time chasing after him):


I would like a kitty more then ANYTHING.


Almost back in Toronto. The traffic was ridiculous. Long story short, while driving up friday night, there was NO traffic. Virtually unheard of while heading north to cottage country on the nicest weekend of the summer. Fast forward sunday night, and traffic is bumper to bumper, prompting B to state "what the hell is the point of buying a cottage you can't get to?" Stranges thing was, once we got into Toronto, it was deserted. Less traffic then we've ever seen.

Phone Pictures

It's no real secret that I love taking picture. I USED to love photography, but that changed as I got busier, had less time to devote to the craft, less disposable income and arguably most importantly a complete lack of a camera. Not entirely true, I have a great film camera, and had a cute little digital canon. The film camera is largely unusable, and the digital camera... well... the screen got stepped on by a drag queen.

At any rate, I'm stuck with my camera phone. Most of the pictures on here are from my camera phone, and I think they're pretty damn good for it being a camera phone. Anyways, below is my life in pictures.

Viva Las Vegas- be as it may from a different angle


Lilacs are my favorite flowers. Those and lily-of-the-vally


Some random child at Marineland. Both of his parents were completely passed out and napping on the grass. ahh the boundless energy of the young.


Boat Cruise Boat.

You can't see it, but this is a "Back of the Bus Bible Verse." Fascinating in Downtown Toronto

Upstate NY pictures

I Love (upstate) New York

I truly truly do. When I was a baby, child, kid & teenager we would always stop in the fingerlakes to relax on the halfway point between home & my Bubbie's house in NYC. Summers in NYC were always tough- dealing with family or, more often running away from family resulted in either fun times sleeping at Bubbie's neighbors house (who I would occasionally pretend was my real grandmother) or, abandoned at a park. I knew my mom's mom had a difficult life. She survived a harsh childhood, poor in rural Poland, managed to live through the War, and gave birth to my mom in a refugee camp in Russia the year after the war ended. She and Zaidy moved to America when my mom was 4, with nothing, and managed to create a life for themselves- owning a soda shop, and a successful corner store in Queens.

She and mom had a tense relationship, and I never understood why, I just knew Bubbie and I had one as well. When I was 16, both my grandmothers died. It's horrible to say, but I don't remember who died first. I remember mom picking me up at school, and I just knew Grandma had died after what seemed like a long and slow decline. I remember a flight to NYC - almost unheard of- and alone at that (my first time flying alone) and seeing my Bubbie more fragile then I thought possible, and less angry then I had ever seen her. There would be no more of Grandma's apple pie, and rice pudding and no more of Bubbie's krepplach or brisket.

I'm almost still ashamed to admit how much closer to my Grandma I was. Looking more objectivly backwards, it was most likely due to proximity- I lived a 10 minute walk from Grandma, and a 8-10 hour drive from Bubbie. Every time we drove to see Bubbie, we would stop in the Fingerlakes - the halfway point and a break for me, who would be dreading the familial tension that would follow.

After Bubbie died, We drove down to NYC and back with dad's truck to collect the final belongings. Till last week, that was the last time I had been in the fingerlakes- it was as beautiful as I remember.

Grad School

Is officially a go. This blog has potential to take on a whole new direction. Or possibly not. I am aiming to be a Master of Information. That alone is worth the $40,000.

Everyone DOES love Marineland!

The above picture I love the most. I think every child who has been has some form of that picture I know I have the identical picture.

Also, I napped in the grass. It was pretty great.
I generally love the deer.

Birthday Shenanigans

Well, I turned 24 with no pictures to prove it. We did not go to the above movie for my birthday.

Beware the ides of March... oh. wait. damn.

May is an exciting month.

We cleaned out the shelves, bought new ones and organized the 50+ bottles of alcohol.

I also drove to Waterloo with mom and realized that I miss the country, fresh air and flowers more then I ever thought I would. This city is kind of a drag.