Visuals of a Lipsett Visit

Girls hitting the City Streets...

Today was a total girl's day for me - I had a fantastic coffee with Holly this morning. We talked about her upcoming trip to New York in April with me giving hotel suggestions and then about a possible mini excursion that our little group might take somewhere while her boyfriend is here. And then, we talked about next year's trip when I go visit her in England.

After that, I met up with Lindsey at Future (it is not actually Future's - although we will continue to call it that) and had glorious amounts of coffee and food. We stared at the hot guy that we have become friends with - and both created fantasies where he has a pick up truck and drives around in it with his big dog, who Lindsey thinks he should name Girlfriend. I managed to write my response to Uncle Tom's Cabin - finally done!!! YAY!!!! While Linds vibrated in her chair because of the amount of coffee she had. When I could not longer watch the vibrating Lindsey, we wandered off to her place to get ready to go clothes shopping.

And man did we ever shop. First we met up with Claire and hit up Sehpora, where I almost bought Prada cologne. Then onto various stores to find a pair of jeans for Lindsey - when we hit up Jacob we knew we had found the goldmine. A huge 60% off sale everything. Linds got a sweater and jeans for 30 bucks.

H&M was next - where I bought Jeans for 29 bucks. Then RW&Co - hello cute brown sweater (10 bucks) and Grey blazer (20 bucks) for Matt!

I almost bought shoes at Holts - but realized I needed to stop spending!

We then hit home and had dinner - don't ask what we had... I won't tell.

It was a great day - gossip, coffee, food, clothes... what more could a girl (and her gay boyfriend) ask for.

In the Words of Ms. Minogue... Wow.

Today was a great day. I got to school a bit later than I wanted - did not get that reading done, although from the tiny amount of time we actually spent talking about that article in class I didn't even need to photocopy it - and had really good Udon soup at my new fav place The Noodle Bowl. I think that was a run on sentence. After that, I grabbed myself a coffee and walked down to University College in FREEZING COLD WEATHER for class.

How cold was it you ask? Very Very Very cold - I could not feel my skin except for massive amounts of pain all over my face.

Class was good - I am starting to like this Victorian Unconscious stuff a bit more, and when we start talking about the actual literature, it will get even better I am sure. Once class was done, Kate, Danny, Vanessa, Dara, Sarah and I all went to this lovely little cafe on Harbord Street that served the best sandwiches and desserts in the world. I had a roast chicken sandwich - my god it was to die for. I really want to try that chocolate thing that Danny had though... it was like an orgasm on a plate waiting to happen!

We all wandered over to see Marjorie Garber give a lecture - well let me tell you, I can now safely say that I have renewed faith in literature, the humanities and in my choice to do a PhD. She is an amazing lecturer and scholar - she was talking about the possible end to the humanities as a discipline and why that might be happening and what will come after this "end to humanities." One of her biggest points was to suggest a new kind of academia that is wholly interdisciplinary. I took issue with this. After the lecture, I asked her where she saw queer studies, women studies, and gender studies fitting into the paradigm and whether she felt that these concepts would remain labeled as such. We discussed this at length for a little while.

I felt all important.

Once we left the lecture, I met up with Lindsey for some much needed girl time in Robarts.

Just been one of those days that deserves a wow. A good wow.

Tomorrow - more girl time as we prepare for the cocktail party and get Linds ready for her Oxford Ball. (I am vetting jewelry).

That Happen?

Odd thing happened today - I had a date. It was a good date - started out as just coffee and then spiraled into some book shopping and then dinner.

We walked to the subway and were even going the same way. Then, at St. George where we were going our separate ways (me west and him east)...

He kissed me.

On the subway platform.

Damn...

The little presentation that could... apparently.

Got my mark back from the very odd presentation I did last week in my Victorian Lit class. Remember, I had never been in that class before last week - I had to miss the first two classes due to my illness - so I had NO idea what was going on in it. I had never talked to the prof before, except via email and I was asked to give a presentation in a group.

So I did - I presented on the 3 articles we were supposed to have read that week. And boy was I ever freaking out about it.

Got a lovely email today from the prof - its been a long time since I saw a plus sign follow an A. Guess we did not do so badly after all. Lets keep this momentum going!

Today I am off to Ezra's Pound to drink lovely coffee and eat lovely Croissants while I do work on my assignment for tomorrow's class.

This has started as a good day... faggy is happy.

Faggy continues Upward

Got my papers back from last semester - I was really pleased with most of the comments. I think the places that my profs pointed out that needed improvement were places I knew needed improvement.

Nonetheless, the results were good. The feedback nice, with lots of "excellents" and "fantastic points".

And I am happy to inform that my Matt Shepard paper is going to be revised for publication with the help of my prof.

Besides that, Vanessa and I scoured the libraries today to find articles on brains and altered states of mind that we are going to write about for our assignment that is due on wednesday. I chose something called "The Brain and Its Use." Sounds pretty straight forward to me.

Upwards, faggy, upwards

So, as many of you know - I had a really shitty December and start to my new year. Really really shitty. But I am happy to say that things are looking up. I've started to settle back in to a pattern here in Toronto - seeing people, reading, going to Robarts, wandering around the city. This weekend was really pleasant. On Saturday, while I was recovering from the Dance Cave, I cleaned up the house a bit and then decided that I would head over to campus. I met up with Lindsey and we made dinner. Ok, correct that. I made dinner - she grated cheese. Essential task though!

I made black bean and tofu burritos with rice. I have to say that I was impressed - I am enjoying this whole "new diet" thing where I make food and eat at normal times. It really puts a spring in my step when I have - well - food in my body. After the burritos we watched an episode of the office, "Gay Witch Hunt". I am pretty sure that I died of laughter.

I then wandered home - stopping at Queen Video to get the first season of Battlestar Galatica. I've been promising myself that I would start watching it and I figure no time like the present. I watched a couple episodes Saturday night.

Yesterday I was in one of those moods where you want to be at home, but don't. So I compromised - I went to the Starbucks near my house and read Uncle Tom's Cabin for like 4 hours. Very enjoyable! However, the book is not so enjoyable. I have come to the conclusion that I do not like slave narratives and would like this one to end. I have less than 200 pages left, so I hope to wrap that up today sometime. After that I came home and made dinner (a spicy pork stir fry) and read Tom some more.

So, kiddies, life is looking up for me. I am happy to be back at school - this week I have to do some assignment that involves Victorian periodicals. Also this week I have a PhD cocktail party to go to and then on Sunday a superbowl party. (I am going for the nachos, not the football). Besides that, I am feeling really healthy. Eating well. Just enjoying being back in this city that I love and seeing my Toronto family again. Hell, there is even some boy possibilities on the horizon...

Oh yes, this faggy is heading upwards in a happy and unexpected way.

So be faggy-happy with me.

Survive!

You must watch this - it is a special tribute that some of Ellen's past guests did to celebrate her 50th birthday. I am not sure what I love more: how into it Paris Hilton gets or the sheer brilliance of Jake Gyllenhaal.

Come, enter the Cave

No, not Plato's - the Dance Cave. A big ass dance club that resides above the famed Lee's Palace on Bloor Street in Toronto. Last night was my first experience at the Cave, and it certainly won't be my last.

Tara had put together a little welcome home party for me - yeah, for those of you who know me well enough I got misty eyed at that - and we had planned to drink and hang out at Tara's for a while and then had to the Cave. Not a lot of us actually made it to the Cave, for various reasons, but those who did had an amazing night. Claire, Linds and I stood in line for like 20 minutes (in the freezing cold, might I add) and then met up with Ariel and Jenny inside. We started dancing at 12 and did not stop till 3am. I normally don't dance to the kind of music they play - but damn, hearing M.I.A and Snow Patrol, and U2, and Queen just brought a dance machine in me.

Amazing night!

I managed to elbow a girl in the back of the head - but she shook it off and danced away. We saw a guy with silver pants that HAD to be spray painted on - no man could actually fit into those. I tried to take a picture, but it was too dark. (Linds named him wish-bone guy). There was a guy in fuzzy pjs dancing away - how do I know they were fuzzy you ask? I touched them of course. And then there was Tyler... oh Tyler. How hard you worked at flirting with Lindsey. How confused you were over my relationship with Linds. How well you danced!

Lee's Palace and the Dance Cave has become a new spot for me - if you visit me, you will get taken there.

Did I mention the 4 buck rum and (diet) coke?

Cloverfield

Went to see Cloverfield tonight with Jes and Britt. At first I was not very impressed by it - I think I wanted to see more of the monster than what they gave us. I was not too sure about the way it was filmed... however, after some thought and talking about it I realized I really liked it.

There was just enough monster. It was less about the monster than it was about the emotional impact a major disaster has on the individual.

I highly HIGHLY recommend that you go now and see this really amazing movie.

Going Home

After a long ordeal with my health over the holidays, I am finally heading out of Vancouver and returning to the land of Polish Sausages, Night Raider Wine, BMV Books and all my Toronto Friends.

Yes, on January 17th I am going back to Toronto - and putting my life back together there.

This new me can't wait to see the CN Tower and Robarts Library and even Grad House again.

Prepare thy-self Toronto