A new era is blooming!

The Delirium Press chapbook launch was Sunday night, which means now I am officially in print form! And I cost $12! The night doubled as the launch of Headlight, an anthology of writing by proud Concordians, which also tucked away a story of mine. Now when people say, "so, you're a writer? Have you published anything?" I don't have to say "OH MY GOD RUNAWAY HERD OF ELEPHANTS!" and run in the opposite direction. So good!

And speaking of elephants... here is a picture of two ducks that I took on my way downtown to watch the hockey game last night. The male duck was all "Take your eyes of my prize!" and swimming around to protect his lady friend from me. The scene made me all choked up and homesick!


So I'm working at the Irish Centre now, which is in a building at the top of a hill not far from Concordia, and every time I walk up there I feel like I'm approaching some enchanted fortress that's guarded by dragons. I half expect to come across a piranha-filled moat on my way up (witness episode 2 of Clone High). Not that the Centre's building looks like an enchanted fortress (you'd have to go to McGill for that), but it's quite guarded, if not necessarily by dragons... the doors are locked, and can only be open by those lucky few holding a Jack Bauer-esque electronic card or the security guard. This all has something to do with the Jewish Library being housed somewhere in there, and some sort of riot that happened in the 70's, but I don't know the details. Anyway, so I feel like the security guard and I share an understanding, and it's a little brightness to start off some scary afternoons. He is filling in for the regular security guard who is on sick leave, and I am filling in for the regular Irish Centre dude who is on holidays, so both of us are a little bewildered at all times. Today, my first day flying solo in the office, there were about five million deliveries made to the Centre before I even got there. Together the guard and I fumbled our way through them ("what exactly is an invoice, anyway?") and all was well. I think I ran a tight ship for the afternoon. Tomorrow... I might emerge covered with piranhas! Time will tell.

The New Pornographers have a new album coming out in August and today I heard the first single! It's so great, and for some reason that singer's voice reminds me with force of walking to class at UWO in the fall. you can hear it here! (wouldn't it be creepy if it gave you the same memory? especially if you never even went to UWO!)

In other news...

In Which Megan Updates, And You Decide Not To Give Up On Her

Okay, here's the deal: I spent so much time uploading pictures to this blog update that now I am intensely tired of this computer screen and I need a break! So this will be a low-text (but HIGH-EXCITEMENT) blog post. It's a pleasure to be back in the cypersphere after a long holiday... I've spent the last month or so traipsing around Ontario and ostensibly readjusting to Motown, and it's been grand.

I NOW PRESENT YOU WITH SOME PHOTOGRAPHIC PROOF OF GRANDNESS

In Whitby, where she has settled until Poland & Africa steal her away from us, Jen baked a pie:


...which Mark and I (and sometimes Indy the Dog) gratefully consumed.


Keeping us entertained and out of trouble for two days was hard on Jen. WE LOVE YOU

One more thing about Whitby: it is close to Oshawa! And here is something about Oshawa that you may not know: they have a used CD store which sold me a DVD of Darkwing Duck episodes for $20! Behold, Mark contemplates his disbelief/envy that I was able to score such a deal:


I also spent some good time at the fella's house in London, where televisions were smashed with sledgehammers (in the "safety" of the backyard... sorry no photographic proof for that one), where House was adored, where UWO was visited, and where we got all dolled up for the town:
(notice the sledgehammer in my beloved's hand... there's your proof!)

I spent some time in Waterloo, too, with my darling mother, sister, and (for the last bit) my equally darling bro-law... so much happened! The Amy Millan show in the 'loo (the city, not the other place), catching up with Meredith and McDreamy, and lots and lots and LOTS of jogging (which bronwyn did with her Runner's Choice posse, while I waited in a coffee shop). We also had a dinner party! Bronwyn made nearly all of the delicious food, coolly handled the "fire" incident, and kept us all quite happy... all while Mr. Bronwyn was gallivanting around in the mountains. So if she looks a little stressed in this picture, cut her some slack (and take a look at those pizzas, daaaaaaaaamn):

Did I mention that she made the desserts? I ate two...


Feline news from Waterloo:

WHISPER LOLLED


And Thistle tried to steal other people's men, like the "lady of the night" that she is!

(unbeknownst to bronwyn & adam, when they adopted Thistle from the Humane Society they also adopted half a dozen peanut-sized Little Thistles bulging in her uterus!)

Other journeys...
I also took off for Ye Olde Family Farm with my mom, which, as always, was tremendously serene and restorative... and full of deliciousness!

Got to hang out with my Grams, who was once my faithful companion during many summer holidays in my childhood AND during the summer between high school and university, which I spent living at the farm and working at the Go Karts down the road. What a summer... what a Grandma...


Mom & I drifted back to Waterloo via Dundalk, where I got to see my D-town folks and sashay around a leafy backyard with my surrogate lil' sis, who gets more beautiful & talented every time I see her (I must remember to tell her so):

We did everything... we ate delicious homemade hummus, we did cartwheels, we played fetch with Tia (our other family member of the canine persuasion), we swung on swings, we studied gardens, and we even made our very own bags!



(Can you guess whose is whose?)

oy... and how do you expect me to readjust to Quebec after all of that Ontario goodness?! I'll admit, it does help that my return to Montreal was buffered by D's company, but now I must face reality! Lucky for me, reality is pretty kind, and not too far divorced from fantasy: I get to spend a lot of time writing, a lot of time walking (especially since the metro strike, which began today and made me feel even happier about my choice not to buy a metro pass this month), and a lot of time hanging out in parks! Here is one of said parks, which I meander through on my way to work most days:

Okay folks, it is wayyyyyyy past my bedtime, and I must turn in. I have more to say so stay tuned! I am back and full of updates! And, if you have time to kill, you should sign up for Bloglines!

And that is enough exclamationing for one post.

TYCHO SLEEPS WITH HIS LIL PINK TOES IN THE AIR