hold on to the corners of today

i have found myself in an interesting state. i have a couple trips planned in the next year (mainly a trip to paris next summer for the international convention! ack!) so i am incredibly broke these days. my paycheques have varied somewhat drastically over the past few months because my schedule at work has been quite up and down. not too long ago, i was rolling in it; yesterday i spent my final five dollars and forty-seven cents on some well planned groceries that are supposed to last me until payday. (thank you pete's for your lovely rotting fruit clearance shelf!)

i am normally ridiculously private about the specifics of my financial situation. but i have to say that i have thoroughly enjoyed this past ten days of desititution. of course, i do have food to eat, a bed to sleep in, clothes to wear... all that necessary, perhaps luxurious, stuff. i am probably still considered to be one of the wealthiest people when compared to the entire world. but after bills on the day i got paid i had nothing left for groceries, emergencies, or entertainment. i reluctantly took twenty dollars from my savings and tried to budget it carefully.

and for some reason, i had a lot of fun trying to find meals for a dollar or less. or spending the entire week of jazz fest outside the tent looking in but still being able to hear the music. and so i couldn't actually see john k samson's face - i heard his voice and that's what really mattered. i felt free from the constant pressure to consume. it wasn't an option so i didn't bother considering it.

that is definitely something i struggle with - remaining content with what i have. i'm sure it's a challenge for everyone, especially considering the society we live in. but something clicked last week that i hope i can maintain for the next year - since it's not likely i will have extra money for at least that long.

the same things but on a different day

on my way to work, i feel a little superior to the people that get off the bus before i do, as though how far i have to travel means i have a better or more important job. but in the evening, i resent anyone who gets off before me because they get to be home first.

i obscenity in the milk of thy fear

i suppose i should make an ammendment to my last post. my dad was a little horrified by my revelation. his exact words were 'not your finest moment.' perhaps the link to the video was a bit much. but, in my defense, i didn't watch the video before linking. i should have, i know, but i was doing this at the library and was very limited timewise. and, just so you know, my hair didn't come out of a gross pimply bloody spot. it just appeared out of nowhere.

there dad, i did my best to salvage some of the munn pride for you.

as for the latest and greatest in the land of erin... not much to report. if i failed to say so earlier, i am madly in love with halifax in the summer. there is constantly something going on. i just wish this level of activity and excitement could be maintained over the entire year.

monday evening we took the bus to tiny chocolate lake to cool off. it's close and accessible by bus but, unfortunately, a little rough. but water is water no matter what the atmosphere. matty generously bestowed a couple of cold beers upon me and beth, which we hoped to drink on top of a roof. failing to find one we could get to without being arrested, we switched our attention to the multitude of billboards just down from our house. again, we couldn't find a way to get up there. so we ended up sitting in a park and watching the sunset instead. and we decided beth will make us a rope ladder so we won't have this problem again. it's my job to find the grappling hook.

my heart is always on the line

last night i was putting aloe gel on my sunburnt back when i felt something a little strange. i quickly got in front of my mirror and tried to look over my shoulder to (hopefully) prove that what i had felt was not what i thought it was. unfortunately it only confirmed my fears. i had a hair a good six inches long growing out of the central to lower area on my back. six inches! get out a ruler and see for yourself how disgustingly long that is! it's half a subway sandwich.

of course, i left it in until monica and beth got home so i could share this treasure my body had generated for me. it was when we were trying to colour it with a marker so it would show up in pictures that it came out. it sends shivers down my spine just talking about it.

not that that stops me. i tend to enjoy things that send shivers down my spine.

so when i got to work today i had to share this with people. one of them reacted like this happens to her all the time. she wasn't surprised or creeped out. she just said it must have been an ingrown that i had pulled out when i was rubbing the aloe in. i could have hair growing all over inside my body! have you heard of this before?

i'm fascinated and horrified. and i'm not alone in this! google it. you get all kinds of information, pictures... there is even a video on youtube of a guy pulling out his ingrown hair! we humans are quite gross.