Erm...cheque please!

The other thing the mouse is doing while the cat is away...spending.

/sheepish

It started on Thursday with a very naughty trip to The Bay downtown. Normally The Bay fails to impress me, as it's bland, and suited to middle-aged mothers with too much eyeshadow, but this one is one of the largest in Canada. and it offers so much more in the way of higher end stuff. I was there for a wool winter coat a la Love Story or something...I should have known things would take a turn when I spotted the red patent leather Calvin Klein Stilettos. I was good and left the shoe department, heading upstairs in the maze of a store in search of a jacket, but ummm, see...I had coupons.

/sheepisher

I checked out the Mexx section because I LOVE Mexx clothes, but I can't normally afford them (only at Boxing Day sales when I have xmas moneys), but hey, you know, I have a Bay card, so what's a little bit of a treat? Well, I wandered over to the Nine West section because I had a no taxes coupon for the Jones New York Family of designers, which includes Nine West. Well, that started the avalanche...Esprit, Calvin Klein, Guess, and on and on and on. Since I was wearing a skirt, I grabbed a pair of nice little Guess jeans to see how the tops would work with jeans, and umm...kinda bought them at a price that is more than what I normally pay for jeans. I also bought two Esprit tops, a Nine West top, and a Calvin Klein top. All the tops had some sort of deal (Sale priced, % off, coupon), so I didn't do terrible things to my Bay Card, and I even talked myself out of two more tops. Feeling good, I went down to the main floor to contemplate my next move...should I go to Kiehl's on Robson and look into the face treatments? Go home? Take a bus up to Park Royal and check out the deals at Winners? Ummm...I went to the shoe department.

/Sheepisherer

Some other woman was trying on my shoes!! NO!! I'm younger and better looking!! I don't care if you are all sophisticated with a better income! MINE!!! Fate had it of course that they were down to the last pair of size 8s, but she did not take them. I tried them on, wishing, but thinking $150+tax...err...maybe not; but then this older woman walked by and absolutely demanded that I buy them...I couldn't argue back...they were SEX on feet. *sigh*

The Spending Spree continued on Friday, though partially justified...on to La Senza to buy a stick-on bra thingy for the wedding dress, which should be interesting to say the least...forget straps...these things don't even have backs! I needed to buy it now while I still had some money because I'm going in for an inspection on the dress, and I needed to see what my options were. I wandered around a little, and ended up at Jacob Connexions where I bought three tank tops on sale (end of season :( Where did the summer go?). Oy.

/sheepishest

Today, I waited at the Border for over an hour to go down to Victoria's Secret in Bellingham to buy a bra. Some of my older bras are startin to...peel away from my boobs, so it was time to replace them with the newer, more form-fitting bras. Oh, the things a girl will do for a good bra. I waited again nearly an hour to come back into Canada, and made a beeline for the Jacob Connexion again to buy a jumper I tried yesterday, but didn't buy.

I need a job, and for Rod to come back to shame me into being better. But I'm justifying most of it as Back to School! I can't justify the shoes, but I WANT them.

While the cat's away...

...the mice will stay...home and knit in front of the TV. Wow, yes, I'm 28 years old, not 58 years old, and what am I doing while Rod is out of the country? Am I out partying? Am I out with friends? No. I'm at home, watching Ab-fab on BBC Canada, knitting a blankie for Purrball.

Apparently Rod doesn't have to worry about me getting into trouble while he's gone...I'm so lame. /cry.

Losing Sleep Already

Fancy, it's 5:10 in the fucking morning, what are you doing up and blogging?

Well, at first I was awake because I wasn't buying that Rod's work visa was really buried in his flight itinerary, but a quick google revealed to me that it is indeed embedded in there. Then I blamed the tea that I drank around 8 pm last night.

Now I blame the anxiety over putting Rod on a plane to Australia (eventually) for 4 weeks, and knowing that it's only mere hours until I see my parents off for their move to the Island. In other words, I'm scared of being alone.

I've been alone before, but there are huge differences this time. First, Rod and I have never spent more than 6-8 days apart. I think my trip to New York was the longest separation we've had to endure, and it was me going, not him. Second, back before we started dating, and even as we were just starting, when I was living in HUB Mall, I spent a great deal of time alone, but at least I had friends in town. Jette and a couple of school friends aside, I'm pretty isolated out here, which I didn't mind before because I'm happy just to be living out here. I find I can bare the lack of friends well enough because I'm in an environment that makes me happy. Question is, will it be of any comfort now when I'm facing real loneliness, or will it compound the loneliness?

Dammit, Rod's not even gone yet, and already I'm losing it.

Having it all/Chucking it all

Today I watched an episode of Oprah, which I rarely do because it's just not my thing, but I chose to watch because the episode was about one simple question: Can women have it all?

It was such a trip watching women argue amongst themselves about the benefits of Stay-at-home mums versus Working mums, and how this affects children. There was one women, Whitney, who really ripped into the working mothers, lambasting them for being self-driven and not putting more into churning out better children. I, of course, have a major problem with that kind of judgment. The working mothers were really hurt because the stay-at-home mothers seemed to be implying that they loved their children more, and they were willing to make the sacrifices to prove it.

I have friends on both tracks: working mums and stay-at-home mums, and I don't know how they feel about this issue, but I sense that there hasn't been any condescending judgments on either side. I do wonder how they feel, but in general, I think they are content with their choices, and there's no need to be picking on the other side. But this provided an interesting observation that was pointed out by Oprah's Dr. Robin lady: America is such an "either/or" country--there is an inherent mistrust of anything that smacks of social welfare which plainly reveals the country's naturally Conservative streak. So is Canada, with a relatively stronger social safety net, an "either/or" nation? In general, our parental leave benefits are some of the best in the world (even though they are eroding along with everything else), and parents in decent jobs can have 50 weeks, so does that make our choice easier? Less "either/or" perhaps?

But the very interesting subtext throughout the show was never addressed...no one ever mentioned or compared their situations to men, and mentioned men "having it all." The Question was asked: Can women have it all? The Answer, as far as I'm concerned: What are we asking the question for? If we are trying to achieve some ideal that says that men have it all? Because if that's the goal...News Flash: Men don't have it all either! Seriously! The Alpha male sacrifices his family life (if he's got one) to get ahead in the career world; the Beta male is basically compromising on career goals for the needs of the family; and the poor Stay-at-home dads are basically emasculated in Western Culture, which is REALLY retarded, because they are good, solid men.

So what's at the bottom of this seemingly pointless discussion? It's useless to make claims about having it all; no one has it all, and really, no one should want it all, because attempts at perfection only drive parents to feel like they are failing. As long as you have raised a good person, you haven't failed...at least not as much as the Bushes.

The Stupidity of Vancouver

Now, everyone knows I absolutely love living on the coast, and everyone who has seen me since the move just senses that I'm happier and doing well out here. I love being a part of something big, and there's no denying that the Lower Mainland is indeed big; I love being near the water, I love my view of the mountains and the Island, and the US off in the distance; I love my home.

But there's trouble in paradise...

Indoor and Outdoor workers in Vancouver are on strike, and have been since July 19th. All of the other municipalities have settled their labour negotiations/strike action, with the big, fat, glaring exception of Vancouver. The City and the striking workers are settling in for the long haul, and it just drives me absolutely WILD. I have nothing good to say about the city right now, and ironically, I'm picking a side: the workers.

I lived through the Giant Mine Strike of 1992-93 and witnessed how low humans will go over an agreement on a piece of paper. From that fateful September on, I developed a genuine hatred for labour relations. I think when all sides involved let things go so far as a strike or a lockout, they have stopped being humans, and have assumed the identities of...well, I don't know what, because quite frankly, to call them stupid or idiots is an insult to stupid people and idiots. Yes folks, I have a very low opinion of labour relations. And yet...maybe I've been living in BC for too long...I'm in agreement with the striking workers. I totally believe that Sam Sullivan, Vancouver's mayor, is trying to sheister them out of decent terms by trying to make sure that there is no real money in the coffers after the 2010 Olympics to negotiate with; I do think it's quite possible that the Union leadership is also being antagonistic, because I know human nature dictates that this has to be so, but I've got a nagging feeling, based on watching Sam Sullivan be a totally useless TOOL on the social housing crisis, that this really is Sam's Strike.

Okay, I sense I need to clarify: I think the strike/lockout thing in the Developed countries in general is obsolete. Strikes in the developing countries, yes, this I get, because generally, they have horrendous, terrible, inhumane working conditions, and they need to fight for improvement, much like the workers in Canada and the US did in the very early years of the 20th century. But strikes over a wage increase difference between say, 10% and 13%? Are you kidding me?

*sigh* I hate labour relations.

Another Semester, Another Break

Well, the summer semester was just all kinds of painful. I love, love, love summer school under normal circumstances because the classes are smaller, and generally more flexible, and it keeps me out of a frigidly-air conditioned office all day. But wow, this one hurt. I like intersessions, which are six weeks of intensive learning, rather than the agony of a regular semi-weekly or weekly class for 3 1/2 months; I can absorb better the information because its constant reference keeps it in the mind, and I can do 6 courses instead of three, meaning I'd get to finish much faster if I wanted to. The U of A does this way, spring and summer intersessions; SFU does not, and it really sucks. But enough grumping about that I guess.

I managed another A in Processes of Development and Underdevelopment. That was a very interesting course because a large part of it was group presentations, and lots of time spent with guests, so at first, I was confused about what I was supposed to be learning, but I think I found my way eventually. I had a lot of fun with that class...it as almost like meeting with friends and acquaintances rather than going to class.

Still no word on the results from Medical Anthropology, as my final paper is in the mail, so I'll likely see it on Monday or Tuesday (I hope) and be able to see what will shake loose in that class. So far I'm in position for a solid B so I'm hoping the paper at least maintains that. That class was difficult because the prof tried hard to get us interacting, but at 9:30 am on a Monday morning, would you want to get into a rousing discussion about say, Euthanasia? Yeah. I tried to jump in a be talkative, so I can only hope that was recognized.

Worst of all, the Political Sociology class: I try hard not to say disparaging things about classes, cautious that people may read this blog, but that class was just awful. I disagreed with the Prof's theory right from the very start, because I don't buy that property and property relations are at the root of everything in the world: it's such a reductionist argument, at one point, he even alluded to Love being based on property at its roots. He argued that there is no such thing as Art in pre-political and proto-political societies, and he had such genuinely controversial ideas about Aboriginal people that really set me off. Plus, his lecture style was repetitive; we recapped classes for an hour before getting into the subject, and it took him sometimes around 20-30 minutes to explain a concept, when it was something easy to explain or was explained well enough the first time. I had a B+ in that class, but the final paper was worth 50%, and it was meant to be 20 pages...no one I talked to managed 20 pages, and I just barely eeked out 15 pages, so I have to hope that I still managed a B on that paper to stay in the B range.

So now, I'm on 5 weeks of break...glorious, wonderful, fabulous...bored. I did managed to do up my Save the Date cards today, and I'm half way through addressing them, so that little task will most likely be over by Monday. Now, I just sit back and wait to see if anyone else besides Rod, my mother and I care about our wedding :)