I suck at speaking French. In fact, I don't even suck -- I just can't do it at all. I swear I can make up conversations in my head en français, but when it comes to getting anything coherent out of my mouth, I'm completely useless.
It's something I need and want to overcome, but I just don't know how. I'm exposed to a lot of language here at home and around my neighbourhood, but it's not helping at all. I'm often able to respond correctly (in English) to questions posed in French: Do you have an air miles card? Do you need a bag? Is there anything I can help you with... But even though the answers require just one word, I still manage to say them in English! I can't even manage to add an et vous? to the end of Bien, merci.
My oral understanding is only slightly better than my speaking. It's pretty hit and miss what I catch and what I totally miss. (In which case, my best laid plans for Je suis desolée, je ne parle pas français fall by the wayside and I just scrunch up my face and whine Um, sorry?) The kids and their grandmaman I can follow fairly well, and occasionally a stranger speaks either slowly enough or without the Gatineau accent that I can at least nod or shake my head appropriately. (Like the girl in Planète Foot who helped us pick out a soccer jersey for Ben. Somehow I knew what was going on there.) A fellow at the bus stop asked me if the bus came on the half hour, and I was able to answer that it came at 11:20 and 11:50. (I answered in French! I at least know my numbers.) But I think he was actually an English speaker who assumed I was French...
The other day, I forced myself to inquire about and ask for bus tickets in French. I practiced the very simple sentences in my head for like, two days. And I still sputtered and stuttered, turned red, and ultimately mixed up veux and peux, and failed to add the s'il vous plait! Thanks to the young lady at the cash who had the restraint to not roll her eyes (she simply handed me the tickets and clearly tried to not switch to English; she was humouring me).
At least I've mastered Merci, bonne journée/soirée, so I can end my pathetic interactions on a somewhat positive note.
Friday, December 19, 2008
Thursday, December 18, 2008
Honest, but hedging his bets
Hello Père Noël,
I don't believe in you but I want some spy games but I have a song for you: Papa and Maman it's Noël, it's Noël...
And then something about a baby that may or may not be thrown into the street... ("on veut des bébé les j'en n'ai eu ben jette les dans la rue"??)
The spirit of Christmas takes many forms...
Wednesday, December 17, 2008
Winter walkathon
I opted out of a trip to the gym today because I had planned a trip to a Christmas party with the coworkers at my ex-place-of-employment. Because of the bus strike and my lack of car, I can only get transport to about halfway, leaving a 3 km walk across the bridge. And I also had a walk to the mall planned for earlier in the day (which I did). Although I'm able to exert myself pretty far beyond "just walking" for a half hour or so, as I do in my workouts, it doesn't leave a ton of energy for other physical activity in the day. And extended periods of milder exercise (like the total of more than 5 km of walking that I did today) turns out to have the same effect -- only it hurts my back more than deadlifts.
Anyway, all that walking done, it turned out that the get-together at the ex-work had been postponed until tomorrow but the non-current employees hadn't been notified. After spending three hours on the process of getting there and back today, I think I will stick to the gym tomorrow.
On the bright side, I had more Christmas shopping success in two shops on Preston St. than I did during my entire four hours of trudgery in the Market yesterday.
Anyway, all that walking done, it turned out that the get-together at the ex-work had been postponed until tomorrow but the non-current employees hadn't been notified. After spending three hours on the process of getting there and back today, I think I will stick to the gym tomorrow.
On the bright side, I had more Christmas shopping success in two shops on Preston St. than I did during my entire four hours of trudgery in the Market yesterday.
Tuesday, December 16, 2008
Temporary relocation
I am writing from bed today. I have no good excuse; I'm just doing it because I can. (In the interest of not holding back at all, it was McPie's idea - he even brought me my laptop. After already bringing my coffee, and my book, all on separate trips.) Normally, I'm up, showered, dressed and breakfasted by nine o'clock, whether we have kids to get to school or not. Just because I don't have a job and don't go out much doesn't mean I needn't be civilized, right? But every so often, I've woken up feeling just plain wiped, and the only answer for it is to spend the morning in bed.
I blame being pregnant of course (Trixie, you were right, it's WAY easy to overdo it without knowing it and paying the price). At least, it give me an excuse that I didn't have before to take it easy. I know that in my working life I often woke up feeling like I needed to just stay in bed. But I couldn't, so I didn't, and I went through a day feeling like ass, being grumpy, and taking it out on others. Spending the morning in bed is an antidote to the tired, the ass, and the grump. So I consider this bed-therapy to be beneficial to all who cross my path in a day. It's entirely unselfish; practically my civic duty. And I have the afternoon earmarked for Christmas shopping, so I'll actually cross paths with more than zero people today. (One good thing about living on this side of the river -- I can still take the bus to the market.)
In reality, I probably won't spend the whole morning in bed. Probably not much longer than it takes to finish typing this. McPie has left for the day and he totally failed to bring me any sort of breakfast!
I blame being pregnant of course (Trixie, you were right, it's WAY easy to overdo it without knowing it and paying the price). At least, it give me an excuse that I didn't have before to take it easy. I know that in my working life I often woke up feeling like I needed to just stay in bed. But I couldn't, so I didn't, and I went through a day feeling like ass, being grumpy, and taking it out on others. Spending the morning in bed is an antidote to the tired, the ass, and the grump. So I consider this bed-therapy to be beneficial to all who cross my path in a day. It's entirely unselfish; practically my civic duty. And I have the afternoon earmarked for Christmas shopping, so I'll actually cross paths with more than zero people today. (One good thing about living on this side of the river -- I can still take the bus to the market.)
In reality, I probably won't spend the whole morning in bed. Probably not much longer than it takes to finish typing this. McPie has left for the day and he totally failed to bring me any sort of breakfast!
Monday, December 15, 2008
The lost meme
Way back in September, a fun meme went around, and I planned to participate. Upon request, Vicki assigned me the letter M. I actually did try to do it right away, but never finished... I found the rough notes today, and figured I might as well at least post what I had so far. I think there are supposed to be ten things, but whatever.
So, here are some of my favourite things, brought to you by the letter M.
Morning lattés. Ours are particularly special, and we pretty much can't live without them. Old school stovetop espresso maker, freshly ground fair trade beans (these days a half-and-half mix of regular and decaf), whole milk heated on the stove and frothed to a thick creamy foam using an old bodum coffeemaker. A spoonful of honey for sweetness, and a touch of whipping cream when we're feeling decadent (most days). It is a hallowed ritual; we can do nothing in a day before making the coffee, even if we are getting up for a morning run or heading out for a day of frisbee, our morning lattés come first. When we are out of town for a tournament, our morning coffee-making supplies come with us. Every single morning we sing the chorus in unison: "Ssssslurrrrrp... Aaaaahhhh."
Moms. Our "unconventional but not dysfunctional" family is blessed with so many of them! We have birth moms, stepmoms, mothers-in-law, and ex-mothers-in-law, grandmoms, and chances are we've all been in the same room together at some point! I've spent the past few years learning to be a mom, and am now facing the prospect of learning a new way of being one... And I have so many role models in my Circle of Moms to learn from.
McPie. My partner in crime, of course. The perfect partner in general, really (for me specifically, I but can only assume that everyone else in the world is jealous of my luck. ;-) Just this morning, Sweetie McPie recalled our first "date" (it was unofficially one at the time) and said that he knew right then that this "had to happen". He wondered what the reason was that it had to happen. I pointed out the obvious: "Ken, it happened because it was the one way we would get to be ridiculously happy for the rest of our lives. Duh." I didn't actually say duh, though. Because I really really like him a lot.
Munro, Alice. If I had to pick a favourite author, she'd be the one. Some think she's boring, but as a stylist, she's tops. Her writing takes me to a thoughtful, peaceful place; I never tire of reading her words, which I often find compelled to read aloud because they way she puts them together is often so simply striking (or, striking in their wonderful simplicity). I've casually started collecting first editions of her books - a little hobby my mom started for me.
Melted chocolate. When you make brownies the traditional way (i.e.: not from a mix), you have to melt a lot of pure chocolate in a pot, then mix in the eggs, sugar, flour, etc. I have a double boiler that I use for this, and there is a ridge on the inside of the pot that captures an inordinate amount of the melted chocolate that is meant for the brownies. The tip of my finger is the perfect tool for cleaning out the melted chocolate caught in this trap... Only after the brownies are in the oven!
Mowing the lawn. I'm not even kidding. Working part-time through this summer allowed me to be the official lawn-mower of the family, and I did it regularly all summer. (Last year, I think we managed to mow the lawn twice, and the retired neighbour pitched in once when the "Serenghetto" got so wild it became a neightbourhood embarrassement. Which is saying a lot, in our Hull hood.) I loved having an excuse to combine housework, getting out in the sun, and being active. It was so satisfying to make our yard look and feel tidy and inviting. Every time I got out to do it, I was strongly reminded at how lucky I was to have the time off to relax, help out, be outside instead in, and have the quiet (well, "quiet") time to myself.
Mackerel. Our family's fish of choice for the past while. (Other than homemade tuna burgers, it's the only fish we eat at home.) We've found fresh-frozen fillets from the Iles-de-la-Madeleine in our Loblaws, and they are delish. According to Bottomfeeder (which is where we got the idea to look for mackerel), it's an ethically sound fish to eat because it's plentiful, middle of the food chain (ie: not likely to be overfished or carry contaminants), rarely farmed, etc. Also, as a "fatty" fish, it's healthy as all heck, chock full of those omega-oils that make your brain grow and your hair shine. And the fillets take about 5 minutes to cook under the broiler, and melt in your mouth with some orange butter, or just a squeeze of lemon. (And of course, you can't beat pan-fried!)
Masonry. M is a hard letter, ok?! But seriously, old stone architecture and related accoutrements (see Old Quebec City, classic European cities, etc) are eye candy. I can sit in an Italian piazza, or walk the cobbled streets of an ancient city with stone walls rising on either side of me and feel embraced rather than overshadowed. Just putting my hands on the solid stone with some history in it make me imagine that I can absorb the stories the walls might tell.
Two of my favourite things:
(I actually have a picture of McPie on a our stone terrace in Italy cradling a morning latté -- a trifecta of faves -- but he was shirtless in the photo, and sexy as he is, he wouldn't have wanted it posted.)
So, here are some of my favourite things, brought to you by the letter M.
Morning lattés. Ours are particularly special, and we pretty much can't live without them. Old school stovetop espresso maker, freshly ground fair trade beans (these days a half-and-half mix of regular and decaf), whole milk heated on the stove and frothed to a thick creamy foam using an old bodum coffeemaker. A spoonful of honey for sweetness, and a touch of whipping cream when we're feeling decadent (most days). It is a hallowed ritual; we can do nothing in a day before making the coffee, even if we are getting up for a morning run or heading out for a day of frisbee, our morning lattés come first. When we are out of town for a tournament, our morning coffee-making supplies come with us. Every single morning we sing the chorus in unison: "Ssssslurrrrrp... Aaaaahhhh."
Moms. Our "unconventional but not dysfunctional" family is blessed with so many of them! We have birth moms, stepmoms, mothers-in-law, and ex-mothers-in-law, grandmoms, and chances are we've all been in the same room together at some point! I've spent the past few years learning to be a mom, and am now facing the prospect of learning a new way of being one... And I have so many role models in my Circle of Moms to learn from.
McPie. My partner in crime, of course. The perfect partner in general, really (for me specifically, I but can only assume that everyone else in the world is jealous of my luck. ;-) Just this morning, Sweetie McPie recalled our first "date" (it was unofficially one at the time) and said that he knew right then that this "had to happen". He wondered what the reason was that it had to happen. I pointed out the obvious: "Ken, it happened because it was the one way we would get to be ridiculously happy for the rest of our lives. Duh." I didn't actually say duh, though. Because I really really like him a lot.
Munro, Alice. If I had to pick a favourite author, she'd be the one. Some think she's boring, but as a stylist, she's tops. Her writing takes me to a thoughtful, peaceful place; I never tire of reading her words, which I often find compelled to read aloud because they way she puts them together is often so simply striking (or, striking in their wonderful simplicity). I've casually started collecting first editions of her books - a little hobby my mom started for me.
Melted chocolate. When you make brownies the traditional way (i.e.: not from a mix), you have to melt a lot of pure chocolate in a pot, then mix in the eggs, sugar, flour, etc. I have a double boiler that I use for this, and there is a ridge on the inside of the pot that captures an inordinate amount of the melted chocolate that is meant for the brownies. The tip of my finger is the perfect tool for cleaning out the melted chocolate caught in this trap... Only after the brownies are in the oven!
Mowing the lawn. I'm not even kidding. Working part-time through this summer allowed me to be the official lawn-mower of the family, and I did it regularly all summer. (Last year, I think we managed to mow the lawn twice, and the retired neighbour pitched in once when the "Serenghetto" got so wild it became a neightbourhood embarrassement. Which is saying a lot, in our Hull hood.) I loved having an excuse to combine housework, getting out in the sun, and being active. It was so satisfying to make our yard look and feel tidy and inviting. Every time I got out to do it, I was strongly reminded at how lucky I was to have the time off to relax, help out, be outside instead in, and have the quiet (well, "quiet") time to myself.
Mackerel. Our family's fish of choice for the past while. (Other than homemade tuna burgers, it's the only fish we eat at home.) We've found fresh-frozen fillets from the Iles-de-la-Madeleine in our Loblaws, and they are delish. According to Bottomfeeder (which is where we got the idea to look for mackerel), it's an ethically sound fish to eat because it's plentiful, middle of the food chain (ie: not likely to be overfished or carry contaminants), rarely farmed, etc. Also, as a "fatty" fish, it's healthy as all heck, chock full of those omega-oils that make your brain grow and your hair shine. And the fillets take about 5 minutes to cook under the broiler, and melt in your mouth with some orange butter, or just a squeeze of lemon. (And of course, you can't beat pan-fried!)
Masonry. M is a hard letter, ok?! But seriously, old stone architecture and related accoutrements (see Old Quebec City, classic European cities, etc) are eye candy. I can sit in an Italian piazza, or walk the cobbled streets of an ancient city with stone walls rising on either side of me and feel embraced rather than overshadowed. Just putting my hands on the solid stone with some history in it make me imagine that I can absorb the stories the walls might tell.
Two of my favourite things:
(I actually have a picture of McPie on a our stone terrace in Italy cradling a morning latté -- a trifecta of faves -- but he was shirtless in the photo, and sexy as he is, he wouldn't have wanted it posted.)
Wednesday, December 10, 2008
A Series of Unfortunate (Commuting) Events
First, I would like to note that I am enjoying the weather we are currently experiencing (aftermath of Big Snow Dump). I like shoveling. I'm not in a hurry to go anywhere. The gym, the grocery store, the mall and the school are all within easy walking distance. It's beautiful outside, and my house has lots of large windows so I can enjoy the scenery no matter where I turn.
It's easy for me though - I don't have to drive anywhere. I don't have to deal with the current Trifecta of Traffic Crap that's currently occuring in our city. The TTC comprises the following: the Chaudière Bridge between Hull and Ottawa is closed; 20 cm of snow fell within 24 hours; and OC Transpo is now on strike, resulting in an additional 20% of cars on the road.
It took McPie 2.5 hours to drive home on Friday night. (Thank goodness he left at 3:30, or he'd have missed the first flight of wine!) Since then, we've been working hard to develop a strategy for maintaining Commuter Zen, so he doesn't lose his mind (thereby leaving me as the last sane person in the house). His work has been accommodating so far, and he's working from home tomorrow.
Meanwhile, I enjoy some of the resulting entertaining blowing-of-steam:
[Cc'd on this email that he sent to coworkers via blackberry on the day that the Bridge closed last week without warning, trapping him on THIS side of the river]
"I will *likely* be late today. I am in some unholy traffic at the moment. What is going on? Is there a nuclear attack underway that I am not aware of? Is parliament under seige? Was Nico voted off So You Think You Can Dance Canada, because c'mon, dude is gonna win. Did a truck full of puppies crash on the queensway? (I am nowhere near the queensway at the moment but I would kick one of those puppies right now if I had the chance.) I have moved about 200 m while typing this. Now, I know you are thinking 'Ken its not safe to text and drive!' But therein lies my point: I am not driving. I am making sure no one steals my car while I idle it on the street. OH MY GOD I HAVE GROWN A BEARD! Ridiculous. Hope to see you guys again some day. Remember me..."
I'm sure many out there can relate. I'm thanking my lucky stars I don't have to.
It's easy for me though - I don't have to drive anywhere. I don't have to deal with the current Trifecta of Traffic Crap that's currently occuring in our city. The TTC comprises the following: the Chaudière Bridge between Hull and Ottawa is closed; 20 cm of snow fell within 24 hours; and OC Transpo is now on strike, resulting in an additional 20% of cars on the road.
It took McPie 2.5 hours to drive home on Friday night. (Thank goodness he left at 3:30, or he'd have missed the first flight of wine!) Since then, we've been working hard to develop a strategy for maintaining Commuter Zen, so he doesn't lose his mind (thereby leaving me as the last sane person in the house). His work has been accommodating so far, and he's working from home tomorrow.
Meanwhile, I enjoy some of the resulting entertaining blowing-of-steam:
[Cc'd on this email that he sent to coworkers via blackberry on the day that the Bridge closed last week without warning, trapping him on THIS side of the river]
"I will *likely* be late today. I am in some unholy traffic at the moment. What is going on? Is there a nuclear attack underway that I am not aware of? Is parliament under seige? Was Nico voted off So You Think You Can Dance Canada, because c'mon, dude is gonna win. Did a truck full of puppies crash on the queensway? (I am nowhere near the queensway at the moment but I would kick one of those puppies right now if I had the chance.) I have moved about 200 m while typing this. Now, I know you are thinking 'Ken its not safe to text and drive!' But therein lies my point: I am not driving. I am making sure no one steals my car while I idle it on the street. OH MY GOD I HAVE GROWN A BEARD! Ridiculous. Hope to see you guys again some day. Remember me..."
I'm sure many out there can relate. I'm thanking my lucky stars I don't have to.
Tuesday, December 9, 2008
Christmas crazies
I made crème brulée for the wine club on Friday, and had an enormous bowl of egg whites left over. Desperate to use them up before they expired, I whipped up some chocolate meringue cookies. I don't have any sort of cookie shaping device, so I just ploppped them down with a spoon. I remarked in the morning on their resemblance to, well...
Let me tell you, that got mileage. "When Grandmaman comes by, can we give her some Christmas Poos?" I was treated to the angelic strains of Petit Caca Noël drifting through the house for most of the morning...
Yesterday, Jean Charest was voted into a majority provincial government in Quebec, with no help from us. We forgot to vote yesterday. The kids were home from school because their school had been transformed into a (our) polling station. We were so distracted with the craziness of December Children that it was 8:36 pm before we realized it was voting day. Oops.
We actually had a nice day at home yesterday; everyone was into doing their own thing. I even went to the gym (and while I was gone Constance successfully wielded her Big Sister Responsibilities by convincing Ben that he wasn't allowed to use the stove -- to make chocolate truffles -- when their were no parents home.) We made Ben's truffles later in the afternoon. A pretty successful endeavour, it turned out. I was able to convince Ben that they didn't need to be cooked after all.
It was when Dad got home that the Christmas Crazies set in. (It didn't help that we had hot dogs for supper - a practically inconceivable treat. The 'dogs were inhaled before a bum even hit a seat at the dining room table.) The Christmas season has it's ups and downs. It's a lovely time of year, but children LOSE THEIR MINDS with excitement. Ben hasn't slept in about four days, he's so hyped up. McPie and I were up all night last night winding down from the evening onslaught, and around 4:00 AM we formulated a crackdown plan involving cleaning bedrooms, reduced computer time, independent dishwasher loading, and minimized sugar intake. For the kids of course! But participating in the plan will probably help us, too.
You see, they look all lovely and angelic:
And then the Crazies hit...
Wednesday, December 3, 2008
Don't blink!
How is it that when I blink my eyes, another week has passed? I swear that my sense of time these days is set to "turbo". I don't feel busy or anything, and I was always given to understand that keeping busy makes the time pass quickly. My theory is that the dread factor slows time down. Moments of dread (such as the kind that sets in on Sunday afternoon when you realize the weekend is coming to an end and you have a whole week of work ahead of you and you probably should've done some over the weekend, but you probably won't get to it, making Monday morning all the more dreadful) seem to drag on and on... While moment of peace, happiness, or simple contentment pass in a blink.
Guess how I've been spending my time? Not in a state of dread, I'll tell you that much!
In fact, that's about all I can say about spending my time, because other than "not dreading anything" I can't seem to pin it down! I've been getting to the gym three or four times a week, which is good for a good hours of my day (between the packing before, walking there, stopping at the handily located grocery store, showering, and then the inevitable post-workout rest). I cook and bake (not elaborately, but enough to keep the troops happy). I've been reading a little -- mostly stuff about having a baby (I think it's just about time to move on to reading books on topics such as "what to do with the baby once it's here"), but also struggling away at some fiction that has no discernible plot. And no, I haven't finished Heart of Darkness. I'm about 10 pages from the end and can't close the deal. I hate it! So far nothing comprehensible has happened, and it doesn't look likely in the next few pages.
Hanging out with the kids has been pretty fun lately. Last week, we cuddled up to enjoy some So You Think You Can Dance. The kids are really into it. They were also relieved when Izaak was eliminated, even though Ben conceded that he had a few nice moves. (BTW, I'm very excited about tonight's episode! Fewer people = MORE DANCING! Yay!)
And McPie and I finished working our way through all the seasons of Buffy. I think McPie's a bigger fan now that I am. He didn't even want to watch the special features on the final DVD after we'd finished the last episode -- it was too depressing to realize it was over. At least now we can get back to lingering at the table over a homecooked meal and bottle of wine. (I'm gaining a true appreciation for the smell of wine. Hmph.)
We visited the midwife again today. The highlight was stopping in at the cheese shop on the way home, to stock up on treats for the wine club we're hosting this weekend. No, actually, the appointment went well, I got some questions answered, and everything is measuring up nicely. We booked our pre-natal courses for the new year. With all the reading and thinking and discussing and planning we've been doing lately, I have to say I'm getting really really really excited about the events to come. I'm even excited about the labour process. Kind of in the same way one would "look forward" to, say, one's first ironman triathlon. (When one has never swam, biked, or run competitively before.) You know, a challenge. It gives all the healthy things I do every day (work out, eat well, nap, avoid anxiety) new meaning. So, I guess I'm not at all regretting that this particular time is passing quickly, so I can get "there". I just have to make sure I stay efficient in my rose-smelling, so I don't miss a moment of this.
Guess how I've been spending my time? Not in a state of dread, I'll tell you that much!
In fact, that's about all I can say about spending my time, because other than "not dreading anything" I can't seem to pin it down! I've been getting to the gym three or four times a week, which is good for a good hours of my day (between the packing before, walking there, stopping at the handily located grocery store, showering, and then the inevitable post-workout rest). I cook and bake (not elaborately, but enough to keep the troops happy). I've been reading a little -- mostly stuff about having a baby (I think it's just about time to move on to reading books on topics such as "what to do with the baby once it's here"), but also struggling away at some fiction that has no discernible plot. And no, I haven't finished Heart of Darkness. I'm about 10 pages from the end and can't close the deal. I hate it! So far nothing comprehensible has happened, and it doesn't look likely in the next few pages.
Hanging out with the kids has been pretty fun lately. Last week, we cuddled up to enjoy some So You Think You Can Dance. The kids are really into it. They were also relieved when Izaak was eliminated, even though Ben conceded that he had a few nice moves. (BTW, I'm very excited about tonight's episode! Fewer people = MORE DANCING! Yay!)
And McPie and I finished working our way through all the seasons of Buffy. I think McPie's a bigger fan now that I am. He didn't even want to watch the special features on the final DVD after we'd finished the last episode -- it was too depressing to realize it was over. At least now we can get back to lingering at the table over a homecooked meal and bottle of wine. (I'm gaining a true appreciation for the smell of wine. Hmph.)
We visited the midwife again today. The highlight was stopping in at the cheese shop on the way home, to stock up on treats for the wine club we're hosting this weekend. No, actually, the appointment went well, I got some questions answered, and everything is measuring up nicely. We booked our pre-natal courses for the new year. With all the reading and thinking and discussing and planning we've been doing lately, I have to say I'm getting really really really excited about the events to come. I'm even excited about the labour process. Kind of in the same way one would "look forward" to, say, one's first ironman triathlon. (When one has never swam, biked, or run competitively before.) You know, a challenge. It gives all the healthy things I do every day (work out, eat well, nap, avoid anxiety) new meaning. So, I guess I'm not at all regretting that this particular time is passing quickly, so I can get "there". I just have to make sure I stay efficient in my rose-smelling, so I don't miss a moment of this.
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