It's FREEEEEEE!

I have always been a fan of getting stuff for free, so curbside shopping is something I have done with great relish for some time now. However, lately I have discovered that the recycling dumpsters in my apartment building often yield terrific finds, and I can see myself sliding down the slippery slope from casual curbside shopper to full on freegan dumpster diver! Here are some of the things I have saved from curbs, dumpsters, and recycling bins.

three small blue shelves from the curb at Atwater and Barat
a retro looking suitcase with wooden hangers inside from the curb at Atwater and Barat
a very large painting from just outside the dumpster at Monkland and Old Orchard
two clothes drying racks: one from Atwater and Breslay, one from Atwater and Barat
a shoe rack from the curb at Atwater and Breslay
six pairs of ripped up designer jeans from the recycling
an umbrella stand from the recycling
a nice big Bialetti saute pan with glass lid from the recycling
some tupperware from the recycling
three black Screen Stars t-shirts from near the recycling
a microwave from near the recycling
a perfectly usable pint sized mason jar from the recycling
lots of books from the recycling
a Euro Pilates workout VHS from the recycling
an awesome/freaky ceramic strawberry with a face from the recycling
four nice throw pillows from near the recycling
a big TV from a hidden trash area in the building
a pomelo from near the trash compacter behind the PA (shrink wrapped!)

Also found in the recycling but not taken: a coffee maker and an aquarium pump.

I am thinking of starting a blog to document my finds. Is that too dumb? If I do, I'll let you know the URL.

It's not as good without Bob Barker

Tonight my grandma called to make sure that her three and a half month old great granddaughter watches The Price Is Right. My family is weird.

Hit me!

Today is the day.

Back in May, an ultrasound technician took some measurements of our then 19-week old baby via some grainy 2D black and white images, fed the numbers into a computer program, and the computer program spit out a date: 19 September 2008. Since then, this date has been the magic golden number upon which all my prenatal analysis has been based. It is the all holy estimated due date. It is the day the doctors believe our baby should be born, no if, ands or buts. Certainly no discussion or consideration of any other contributing factors.

As far as I can tell, our baby has no intention of being born today, and if our baby is not born today, then, as of tomorrow, I will be considered — horror of horrors — overdue. The earth will split open, demons will slither out from the depths, the thick, deadly smoke of hell will block out the sun, and time will stop. So in the name of all that is good, just, and beautiful (and just because you like me) hit me with all the "baby, come out!" vibes you can muster. Pray, meditate, hope. Do what you have to do. Let's get this baby out!

The story continues

You may remember that we gave away The Snot Rocket a little while ago. Turns out that the recipient decided The Snot Rocket wasn't for him/her, so my poor dear bike is looking for a new owner again. I am happy that s/he included The Snot Rocket's name in the ad.

Here is a brief history of The Snot Rocket. At some point, someone bought The Snot Rocket, rode it around, had amazing adventures, and then left it on the campus of Florida State University. It was seized for reasons unknown to me by campus security or whoever seizes bikes on campus. In 2002 or 2003, Matt and I bought The Snot Rocket at a FSU surplus auction. It was a part of a lot of 5 bikes, including Consuela the big red bike with the bell with the eyeball on top (like this). We bought the lot for $20, ditched the three other bikes, and took home Consuela (my new bike) and The Snot Rocket (Matt's new bike). When we moved to Kansas City in August of 2003, the bikes came with us. The Snot Rocket got much more use than did Consuela. Matt used to ride it to work at the library. So when it came time to move to Montreal three years later, only The Snot Rocket came along. Last year, Matt became something of a bike snob and decided he was too good for The Snot Rocket. He tried to fix up The Snot Rocket so that I could ride it around town. On the first test run after new chain, new seat, new brakes, etc, he was hit by a car and had to carry The Snot Rocket home. Until we gave it away, it had been sitting in our bedroom, looking sad and lonely, unable to fulfill its true bike potential.

Did you know?

Pickled asparagus makes your pee smell just like regular asparagus. It's true!

Goodnight, sweet prince

Today we gave away The Snot Rocket. May he have many happy times with his new family!

Where's summer, b?

Because I have no fear of jinxing it at this point, I now feel free to express the following: this has been by far the weeniest summer of my whole life. Canada, you just don't know how to do a proper summer, do you? Maybe I can sweat next year.

PS Bonus points to you if you get my geeky reference in the title.

Fugees and Funions

Today at the hospital I was asked for my Medicare card. I told the lady I didn't have one, and she said, "What? Are you a refugee?"

(For Fugees and Funions, take a gander over here.)

Hey, how many months?

Today while walking to the metro from a meeting with a possible new client, I was stopped and asked for directions to Chinatown. I answered as best I could, and then the guy asked me the above question. I couldn't help it. I squealed at him, "You're the first person to ask me that!" and gave the answer of five months. He wished me well and walked off. Then I realized that the correct answer is actually six months. But at least I pointed him in the right direction to Chinatown.

In which Mustafa poses with our newest acquisition

$5 from a garage sale in St. Henri
It shall soon be on the art wall!

Dear Fiona Apple,

Thanks for being awesome.

Love, Danica

The report is in

"Learn more English, be nicer to Muslims, get better informed."

grey day

This is my second spring in Montreal and the second year in a row that I have missed free cone day at Ben & Jerry's because it's too cold and rainy and yucky to venture out for ice cream. The day before yesterday I was walking home and thinking, "Ain't no way I'm missing free cone day this year. It's so beautiful outside!" Wrong. I'll have to stick with the Québon biscuits et creme in my freezer.

Riots in the 514

The Canadiens beat the Bruins 5-0 here in Montreal last night and have advanced to the second round of the playoffs. This is big enough news to kick-start a bit of a riot not too far from our house, right by Matt's school. Some police cars were burned, and some shops were broken into. You can see a photo essay here.

I also watched some videos of the scene on YouTube, and more than anything it was the comments that pissed me off. The riot was blamed not on drunken hockey fans but on immigrants, blacks, Arabs, and anglos. That's right; it was all my fault. I'm an anglo immigrant. I have no right to be here, and I am to blame for all post-hockey game riots and anything else that tarnishes the good name of Montreal or la belle province.

I know that not all Montrealers and Quebecers are as ignorant, blatantly racist and inhospitable as some of the commenters on YouTube (because, really, judging society by YouTube comments is very sad), but the truth is that that same ignorance, racism, and arrogance exist in a very real way here, and being a part of the unwelcome minority gets to be exhausting sometimes.

Do your taxes. Don't do your taxes.

Smack!

And that is how you spank Roy Williams. Rock chalk!

Gag me, me, me, me!

I am so sick
sick
sick
so sick!
of those damn commercials
commericals
damn commercials
that show lots of different people all reading the same
same
same
the same
damn script with cuts to each person repeating
repeating
repeating
repeating
repeating
each person reapeating the important words.
Please
Please!
Please,
advertisers of the world, let's think of something new
new
new
something new.

Festin d'Asie / Happy Asian Combo #1

1 Combo Sushi 14 mcx/pcs (6 Futomakis + 6 Hosomakis + 2 Nigiris)
1 Sous-marin 10" au poulet/Chicken
1 Poulet Général Tao Chicken +Riz à la vapeur / Steamed Rice
6 Ailes de poulet/Chicken wings +salade / salad
2 Mini Rouleaux Impérial /Imperial Rolls
1 Soupe Won Ton Soup (large/Big)
1 sac de craquelins aux crevettes Bag of Shrimp Chips

25,99$

get mad

"If I were an Iraqi, bound to a bed, clothes taken, denied food or water and lied to... the American Media would care. But I'm just a woman giving birth in America, bound to a bed, clothes taken, denied food or water and lied to."
— Shannon Mitchel, ICAN Florida

Peanut butter sandwiches!

I like sandwiches. I used to eat turkey sandwiches for lunch all the time. As a vegetarian, sandwiches are now harder for me to get worked up about. Not that turkey is all that amazing really. But a turkey sandwich without the turkey is just not the same, and I'm not so much into fake meat. Happily, I just saw this thread over at Cheap Vegan. Talk about some veggie sandwich inspiration! Yum!