Just over two weeks to go till Christmas, and I expect I’ll have even less time upcoming than of late, so I figured I’d better update a bit.

The Main Distractor made it through a few weeks ago, no drama. Two-year permit. The job title was a bit off but close enough for jazz and the nice lady who processed the paperwork. My dad was around that weekend and we all went to Parkside to celebrate and it was marvelous. He’ll be arriving in 16 days. I’m beside myself .

One of the internet friends the boy met last year in France is also moving to Canada, arriving Tuesday. He’ll be staying in the (recently relocated) spare room till he finds a suitable apartment for himself and his wife, who will arrive later in the month. Looking forward to having him here as well.

Had lunch with Shanny on Friday and she and Nic will be over for brunch tomorrow (oh, must buy OJ) for general holiday get-together and keep-in-touch. Lise and Carey and Metta passed through town last week also, and I got to see them briefly and meet the gorgeous babe. The Dude will be through en route to and from New Jersey for work in the next week as well. We all know what all this company means: lots of cuddles for Choobie! .

I put up a small and somewhat wonky little Christmas tree, since the Main Distractor will be spending a few nights here before we head up to Sun Peaks. We’ll have our own tiny tree .

In moving the spare bedroom upstairs (for two reasons: one, comfort of guests in colder weather if not in hotter; and two, creation of a Man Cave space for the MD to keep his stuff and have a space of his own in the alien landscape), I have lost my study, and now have my computer desk out in the living room to the increased squishiness of furniture. In a way I don’t like it because it’s out in the middle of everything, but having a more streamlined setup at the moment, with the powerbook instead of the desktop, and a USB hub that I got for a really good price to keep everything humming along, is working. I’ve also set up my wireless keyboard and mouse, which is a relief indeed after the laptop keyboard and track pad thing, On the other hand, it’s so…plugged in that it’s functioning not at all like a laptop. But that’s OK.

My microbusiness got a query from a big company, like BIG company, that would have conceivably had enough steady business for me to, like, buy some new clothes or go out to dinner or something. But they seem to have lost interest, as I haven’t heard from the guy in a couple of days. I think he thought I did that full time, but of course lacking lots of nice big corporate clients, I don’t. Oh well, it’s his/their loss as much as mine, I suppose. He may come to realize that the 24-hour type of turnaround I can offer is not impossible to work with, it’s just a small mental adjustment.

Today’s agenda includes some Christmas and grocery shopping, hair appointment, and more vacuuming (welcome my friends to the chore that never ends).

Happy holidays and whatnot, everyone!

…he’s in.

yes.

(Apologies to Aaron Sorkin.)

So the Main Distractor’s work permit application stuff has been progressing, glacially. Yesterday morning I got up and counted some days on my Hello Kitty! calendar and thought, hmmm. And I said to the MD, I thought there might be good lawyer news today.

Late morning (my time), he said SPOOOOKY, and there was good news! email from the lawyer saying here’s your thingie, follow the instructions on the attached carefully, and yada yada yada! Wheeeeeeeee! countless exclamation points flowed from my fingers! it’s actually still early enough that he could probably get everything squared away and move here by the end of the year!

And then?

And then.

He got to the last page of the document, and discovered that the application had been made using the wrong job classification number. Presumably the steps leading thereto had also been using the wrong job title. For whatever reason, the documentation pertaining to all this leadup had never been copied to him (which never made any sense to me at all; standard practice is to copy people mentioned in business correspondence; you’d think a copy of relevant forms and such would have been sent to the subject of same?). So he had no opportunity until all the time and application fees and lawyers’ fees etc. were all spent to say “Oh, that’s not correct.”

So. Back to square one.

The absolutely least time I can see this taking is three months, if everyone hustles. Given that it’s taken seven and a half months to get this far, any hustling on anyone’s part seems…unlikely.

And a Happy Friday to you.

(My own, not the SNL one.)

The Main Distractor is visiting friends in Ohio this weekend, leaving me without anyone to chat with online or give me virtual cuddles   I hope he’s having a good time though. His friends have a darling toddler and a dog, so sounds like a fun household to visit. ^_^

My weekend may or may not include the following: a couple of hours of work to try to get some catching up done; some housework; should cook something that I can take for lunch this week, hmm; rake some leaves today maybe except oh, I missed the no-rain window, it’s just started coming down again, rats; a drive to IKEA as I think I’ve found a combination of v cheap rugs that will increase the livability of my downstairs a bit, and I want to put up some hooks in the non-closet area; and I think that’s about it. I dreamt about flank steak last night, I’ve just realized (!!) so I think there’s going to be some beef stew in my future. YUM!

Halloween last night was fun, I got a super cheap witch hat at the dollar store to wear to give out candy, and had some excellent trick-or-treaters!! there was a little toddling pumpkin girl, and a little guy dressed as Superman who had only been walking for a month, and he was just ZOOMing down the sidewalk, it was just comical. The oddest sight was the entire family who went out together; 3 or 4 kids, mom and dad, and GRANDMA all dressed up and lined up for candy to go in their grocery bags. Um, OK! I guess they all like candy and how could you say no to Grandma? My own Gram had a definite sweet tooth.

I wish the kids didn’t set off so many firecrackers, but on the other hand, it makes it easier to keep my wee black cats in the house, and safe.

Have a good weekend, everyone!

Since last I wrote, a lot has happened. To me personally, and in the world at large.

Personally, I had a few days off last week and red-eyed my way eastward to meet up with my Main Distractor. Yay Main Distractor! It was just great to see him live and in person instead of his skype-analogue (oh, how’s that for a contradiction in terms?). He saw how blue I was to be heading east for the first time in ten years or whatever it was and not see my girl P. in Philly, and said, “Hey, babe, we can go to Philly if you want!” so we jumped in the Bunny (with me shouting OBAMA! at every bumper sticker and lawn sign) and zoomed up to Philly for a cheesesteak and a chat with Miss P., and then came down I-95, stopping to see my messageboard co-proprietor Jody in Baltimore, my Main Distractor’s good friend Stéphane in VA (and also got to meet his awesome executive pastry chef wife, Amanda, at the huge resort she works at), and then supper and drinks with some Norfolk friends, followed by the Norfolk version of Rocky Horror Picture Show.

Saturday we headed south to his parents’ house on a beautiful lake, and I got to meet them. Super-nice people! not that that surprised me, but they were really sweet and welcoming to me. We played some cards and went out on the lake, and had a v pleasant visit.

Sunday we headed back to Norfolk, and another nice dinner and a movie

Monday I reluctantly came home.

Friday we learned that the next step in his work permit application has been on pause for two weeks for reasons unknown, which has made the likelihood of his getting here by Christmas…rather less, let’s call it. So I’m reduced to basically not thinking about it as my reactions vary between despair and top-blowing, name-calling anger. I know my priorities are not everyone’s but I can’t help but feeling that my life (and the Main Distractor’s, obv) is on hold, and the efforts required on others’ parts at this juncture are not great. STEP UP.

In the world at large, the political rhetoric is getting pretty offensive from time to time, on the Republicans’ part. I don’t believe everything I hear just on the face of it, either good or ill, and I find the apparent ignorance of so many as evidenced in TV interviews and online comments simply astonishing. And depressing.

Sigh.

Got up pretty early on Radiohead Day, around 8 a.m. I think it was. In spite of getting in fairly late the night before. More than a little liquored up, as well!

Did my usual, made coffee, fed dog and cats, and put some chicken breasts on to bake in tarragon and white wine. Internetted. Dressed to go meet a friend to exchange dollars for Radiohead tickets. Waited in vain for half an hour…stopped at bank to get cash to pay friend figuring that at worst I could sell at the venue. Emailed non-showing-up friend and said um, do you still want tickets? he called and said yes, and that he’d be back in East Van early afternoon; I said OK, well I’m at home till about 1:00, can you come by then, and he said yes. So I baked this really nice little Chocolate Bundt Cake out of my America’s Test Kitchen cookbook (really nice texture, will totally make it again, wish the recipe weren’t across two pages though), made some tarragon mayo, made us darling little chicken sandwiches, boiled up some edamame, cubed much of a gorgeous cantaloupe, and blanched some snow peas, to make up a chicken breast and snow pea plate for my dad, and packed up sandwiches, edamame, melon and sliced and wrapped cake for the lineup. Ticket guy showed up shortly after 2:00…So an hour later than planned, headed out to UBC.

After paying some heinous parking fees of late ($17.50 for less than four hours beneath Pacific Centre! THIS AIN’T NEW YORK, PEOPLE!) it was nice to score a $5 parking slot for the entire afternoon and evening.

We headed to the lineup and the misery began. There was a holding area, post-search, where people had been lined up. Just as we arrived, there was one of those spontaneous herd instinct things, and everyone rushed up to the entry. Gates weren’t open yet, but people needed to feel closer to them, I guess. Couldn’t see my peeps, talked to Mike who was at the drinks thing the night before, and tracked him down. Eventually caught sight of Sean, although didn’t speak to him.

The Main Distractor and I chatted with Mike and this other guy, ate our picnic standing up amongst the faithful, and melted in the sun. For two and a half hours, as the doors were late opening. While those peculiar people who hire on as security, screaming, berated people who actually dared to–wait for it–SIT DOWN while waiting. Whoa. I mean, the nerve! “ON YOUR FEET!! MAKE A PATH!! GET UP NOW!!” Listen, bitch, nobody’s paying ME to be here, and you can stop screaming like a little puling fascist right fucking now.

When they did finally let us through, their scanners were malfunctioning and they had to hand-rip stubs. People overwhelmed them and just went right on through.

Thanks to Mike’s excellent recommendations, we slud through to the field PDQ. The stage had this barrier thing running between it and the sound/light booth, though, so there was this empty wasted swath of prime center stage, 5 or 6 feet wide, running all the way through. Nothing useful in there but cables. Normally, cables are run under a shield of some kind or under the plywood…I don’t know why this is no longer an option for UBC, but after even half an hour or so against one side I calculated my view as basically the back of the heads of the tall boys in front of me, and my likelihood of being squished against the fence as high, so we escaped to the stands, where many Radiohead friends had already scoped out sweet spots, and were kind enough to share with us. I shared cake with them

The set list was:

01. 15 Step
02. There There
03. Morning Bell
04. All I Need
05. Where I End And You Begin
06. Talk Show Host
07. Nude
08. Weird Fishes/Arpeggi
09. The National Anthem
10. Bangers And Mash
11. Faust Arp
12. Videotape
13. Karma Police
14. Jigsaw Falling Into Place
15. Just
16. Exit Music [For A Film]
17. Bodysnatchers

Encore 1
18. House of Cards
19. Optimistic
20. You And Whose Army?
21. Planet Telex
22. Everything In Its Right Place

Encore 2
23. Reckoner
24. 2+2=5
25. Paranoid Android

And I had my best view yet of the light show. the seating in the covered bleachers was an excellent idea, as it poured with rain. So we were spared a thorough soaking (our trash bag ponchos wouldn’t have stood up to all that!!).

And that closed out my 2008 Radiohead shows. Holding hands with my Main Distractor. He had a good time, too.

My intention afterward was to hang around and chat with some friends I hadn’t caught up with, but it was cold and wet, and we were well-positioned to make a speedy exit, so we did. Due to the lucky parking, we were able to get off campus with little delay, and a fortuitous choice of route got us from our parking lot at UBC to the heart of East Van in less than 30 minutes, in spite of pretty bad weather. Much easier than some of my other concerts this year!

Much to cover! not sure if I’ll get through it all as I’m a tired girl and could use some good shuteye tonight, long day at work tomorrow.

So the rest of the birthday: good brunch at De Dutch Pannekoek House, followed by some not too exciting shopping; I did get this darling cute monkey purse though!

Monkey Purse

(Looking it up it seems it’s a lunch bag, not a purse, but whatever. It’s adorable!)

Then an incredible Parkside dinner, of course. Lovely meal, which we both enjoyed.

Monday was dedicated to even more shopping (! I know!); I had a budget to work with and worked it, baby; got him a nice dress shirt; got me a Peter Nygard silk, lace, tulle, cutwork skirt; a grownup patterned silk skirt; and three tops to go with; as well as an iPod case for mine and a laptop case for the new laptop! so I’m set for any fancy dinners anyone wants to take me to

Monday evening we met up with a diverse bunch at Chill Winston: an ateaser who was in town early for the Tuesday show, several of my favourite food geeks (many of whom were also going to see Radiohead), and Seancouver.

Tuesday was spent cooking and running around a little to hook up with a friend who was buying another friend’s spare Radiohead tickets, and preparing a supper for my dad, who stopped in en route to NJ to walk my Choobie and have a non-airport-food supper; and a picnic for the Main Distractor and me to eat in the Radiohead lineup, as well as a chocolate cake to share with the kids. The concert I’ll talk about separately, it was pretty cool in spite of pouring rain.

Yesterday I had to head back to work, and the boy and I had a quiet evening in and finished watching Withnail & I, which if you haven’t seen I strongly, strongly recommend. Thanks, Dignan, for loving this movie so much that I was spurred to get it myself.

Today, another day of work, and another trip to YVR.

Sigh.

Still no definite date. Keep up the well wishes, this apartness really sucks.

So, OK, ‘s my birthday. My awesome Main Distractor is here, asleep atm. I am a little too warm and not quite tired enough to sleep. I received a lovely parcel a week ago from my man, with some lovely unmentionables, that was Part 1 of my birthday present, and it was a pretty damn cool present. Part 2 I got yesterday, his old laptop, being as he replaced his and mine went so utterly haywire. That’s a pretty awesome gift, too! Later today we have a loose plan to go for brunch (I’m craving Hollandaise) and then shop for a while, and then Parkside for dinner. Wheee! so I’m a spoiled girl.

Each year on my birthday I look up my TODAY IS YOUR BIRTHDAY horoscopes, and the first one I found says:

TODAY’S BIRTHDAY (AUGUST 17). The people who love you are growing in numbers throughout this year. The new environment you visit this month will indirectly boost your finances. There’s a favorable change in your finances and by November you’re more proud than ever of the work you turn in. The winter holidays are wildly romantic. Cancer and Capricorn adore you. Your lucky numbers are: 8, 19, 40, 17 and 6.

Sounds good

The year ahead is bound to be a significant one in your life, as personal projects bear fruit and/or culminate. Love matters, finances, and social relationships have a more serious quality to them this year, and you are called upon to accept more responsibility in these areas of your life. You are bound to do this willingly and can enjoy very positive results. It is likely that you make serious headway in your studies or other mental pursuits this year. Willfulness could be a downfall, however, if you succumb to it.

Hmm.

Actress/sex symbol Mae West (1893-1980) shares your birthday today. You know how to make an entrance. You’re dramatic, forceful and very talented. You can also be explosive! You’re quick to defend your beliefs; and equally quick to take charge of any situation. You’re never petty. You always take the high road. You’re also very private. This next year could be one of the most powerful years of your life. Dream big.

Well OK then!

no sooner did I thank the powers that be for Skype and internet than the Main Distractor lost the wifi he was hijacking. (It was beneficent and emergency hijacking: when he was originally supposed to have moved last month, he took the leap of faith and cancelled a whack of services, and when he learned that he wasn’t going to be moving on that schedule after all, he cancelled the cancellations, except he forgot that one. So aside from a little Skyping, he wasn’t using much…not downloading music or movies or anything, he’s kinda straitlaced about that kinda thing, as am I.)

So we’re back to telephone in the evening, which has a certain charm. It’s not the same though.

This too shall pass.

I’m bad at waiting. Or maybe I’m good at waiting. I don’t know. I know I hate it though. There are approximately 12 days till my Main Distractor arrives, to help me celebrate my birthday. Yay!

It doesn’t get any easier, I guess that’s all I’m saying. You may become inured to it, but that doesn’t make it any more fun. And you simply can’t think about the fact that he was originally supposed to have been here by now, permanently. Because it makes you, well, sad and or mad, and what’s the use of that?

We have lots of stuff planned for when he’s here; some involving shopping and cooking, and some involving restaurants and/or meeting up with friends, so many of whom haven’t met him yet. There are a couple of unprogrammed days, too, because while it’s nice to have plans, I usually find that I’m saying OH WE SHOULDA _______! the day before he leaves, and time’s run out. So with a little luck some of those things will occur to me before he actually leaves LOL. There will also be a great influx of Radiohead people to see the Vancouver show, which should be lots of fun! and some of them will have a chance to meet him, too.

This week is a bit fidgety, and then next week there is a hair appointment and a spa appointment (birthday traditions, you see). And me becoming ever more impatient.

Thank god for the webcam, is all I can say, and Skype. I think I would have lost my mind by now if we couldn’t talk/see each other the way we can.