Glorious Device... Welcome Home

Well, I did it. I got myself an iphone. I have been wanting one for ages now and decided that I would get myself one after comps were done. I had hoped to have it before I left for London, but sadly I did not... so I had to get it when I got home.

So yesterday I went down to a Roger's store and picked myself up an iphone.

I love it. So very much.

I just keep wanting to touch it and play with it. Today, thanks to Anthony, I learned how to make my own ring tones for it. This might be the best investment I have ever made.

Currently I am putting some music on it and updating the applications that are avaliable for it - just added a cool new google feature!

mmmm - iphone goodness.

Talk to you later...

I am please to announce that my comps are over...I wrote paper two on Thursday...and although i am not as comfortable with how I handled the exam as I would want to be, I am just glad that it is over.

Before I start the new school year and all the work that it will entail, I am heading off to London to spend a week with Anthony.

So, I will see you all later... if I feel like posting, I will :) If not, well... talk to you when I get back

time to relax... thank goodness!!!

Soundtracks, William Blake, Hurricanes... oh my,

I am currently sitting at my dining room table listening to an on-line classical radio station while reading William Blake and drinking Earl Grey tea. This is a rather idyllic situation for my Labour day, even if I have this damn exam still hanging over my head.

I sometime wonder if I am really smart enough to get Blake, or do I just have a total lack of religious knowledge? I have read parts of the Bible - mainly the stuff the Blake and Milton are interested in - but I still have trouble getting exactly what the hell he is saying. I read a good introduction to him just now and kinda have a better sense of him, but am about to go on and read his actual poetry, which is a bit daunting for me.

Besides that I am taking a break from listening to the Brideshead Revisited score again... I can't stop listening to it. I became totally obsessed with it since we saw it the last friday...I immediately went and got it from Itunes and just love it. I urge you to go see the movie and then just let the score wash over you... it is a toned down, sparse piano and violin score at times that just haunts you. Plus the movie is quite excellent. For those in Toronto, Bloor cinema is playing it next week, tickets are only 6 bucks, or 3 for members.

I have been keeping track of the growing Gustav coverage in the south, it appears as though New Orleans is being hit again. The Levees are breaking once again. While it is not expected to be as bad as Katrina was 3 years ago (can you believe that was 3 years ago), it is still going to be bad if the city starts to flood again. The storm hit Cuba quite hard as well, which worries me since Tara is currently vacationing there... I hope she is safe.

Well, I should get back to it. Happy Labour Day everyone... enjoy your restful day!!

Beginning of the end...

Tomorrow marks the beginning of the end of my summer of comps reading. The first exam happens at 9:30 am... yes, that is right, I will soon be finally free of Comps. And I cannot tell you how FUCKING HAPPY I AM!!!

This summer I have been immersed in literature that I never thought I would have to encounter again. People know that I like my lit, but that I like what I like and what I don't like is early stuff. I can do Shakespeare, but the other stuff... not so much.

Regardless, starting tomorrow I can see the light at the end of a very long and very arduous tunnel. Its been a great summer, but always marred by the reading I had to do and the studying I had to endure.

I spent my morning review Ben Jonson's poetry - I had a moment where I was actually enjoying it, which goes against my nature since I am not such a big fan of him otherwise. I then had a weird encounter with a crazy man at Starbucks, who informed the cafe that Bay-Bloor Radio was out to get him, along with the CBC. Also, random woman walking along Bloor took her shirt off and stared screaming about her breasts.

It was an odd morning...

Alright, I must get going here... Oh I wanted to make sure everyone knows to get the Globe and Mail tomorrow, there is a feature on the Sexual Diversity Program in it, and I have my picture along side the article!

One more day till exam 1, 8 more days till exam 2, 10 more days till I get on a buss to London, ON. (I can do this!)

Ok, they can stop leaving now...

Today I had to say good-bye to one of my first friends here in Toronto. Marcos is flying to Vancouver to start his PhD at SFU in Communications this fall. Yes, I do find it rather ironic that a year after I arrive in Toronto from Vancouver, after having finished my MA at SFU a close of friend of mine is making the same journey, only backwards.

Marcos has been a great friend - he gave me my first look at Toronto, I had my first G&T with him here... we're two very bitchy queens together. (Well I think he's more queeny than I am... but who's counting right?)

I wish him all the best in Vancouver, I know he will thrive there and will totally love it! If any of my Vancouver family wants to take a Toronto transplant under their wing, let me know and I will hook you up with one of the nicest, funniest, sweetest guys ever.

I'm gonna miss him, a lot.

A small request to my friends here in Toronto... STOP LEAVING! Seriously... they're dropping like flies.

Oh, and I write my first Comps exam in less than 48 hours... not nervous at all! Nope.

Now Marcos, about that Hermes scarf....

What have you eaten?

Very good Taste, out of the UK, recently put together a list of the 100 things every human should eat in their lifetime.

I have not done a tally of my number - but I will. I think it might be large. What is your score?


Find the list here: 100 eats


***NOTE: The bunny is NOT, I repeat NOT, on the list.

One Year...Reflections on a City of Friends

**Photo caption: This was me a few weeks ago at Kate's going away party.

I have been wracking my brain trying to figure out how exactly I would write this post... it is extremely difficult to squish an entire year into the space of one blog entry. I mean, it can be done... but should it?

As many of you know, this year has been a weird one for me. Everyone who knows me, from home, has told me that moving to Toronto was one of the best things I could ever have done for myself. It changed me in ways that I never thought moving would... being in this city has made me into a very confident, self assured, and quite independent individual. I have thrived in the PhD program, found a niche for myself in the English Program, as well as Sexual Diversities Program. I took a class (Public Feelings) that began to shape the direction of my dissertation, and even of late have been invited to contribute to the first edited collection on gay pulps. As Christine pointed out on her last visit to Toronto, I'm a very different person than she knew in Vancouver... and I have to admit, I like this new me.

But of course, there have been strange things in my life - complications with diabetes that landed me in the hospital in December - but I put these complications in their place and told them to fuck off. Upon to returning to Toronto in January I settled back into a good routine, seeing friends, working my ass off, and living life. I got to go back to San Francisco in March, which rocked my world. I moved once, leaving the living alone behind to try it with Lindsey as a roommate, which has proven to be one of the smartest moves I've made yet.

Which brings me around to friends... exactly how can I talk about my friends here in Toronto? Earlier this year, after a presentation in one of my classes, someone asked me if they could be part of my kinship group... well, without knowing it, they already were. The group of friends I've made here are more than just friends, they are kin.

They are one of the best, most amazing, incredible groups of people I've ever known. Lindsey has been a constant rock of support and fun and... oh well she's just one of my favorite people ever! And I love living with her. (Even if she thought my name was Scott when we first met, and did not know how to return my phone call...) Britt has become someone I am excited to see either on line or in person...plus, who else is going to want Ice Cream every single time I do? Vanessa taught me the miracle of Vegan cooking... and although I am still a meat eater, at least I can also do damn good things with flax seeds... she's also taught me the fine art of faux hip-hop talk, what more can I ask for? Kate and Danny are two unbelieveably intelligent people that I look up to and cannot wait to see what lies ahead for them... even if I am kinda jealous of a full ride to Columbia. Erin, Melissa, Emma, Julia, Michael and Claire are the best comps group an anxious boy could ever need... and are quickly becoming super close friends Alysa is a newly discovered friend - the insults (towards other people) run rampant! And then, we have Tara...all I need to say is 5 am JD drunk and let me tell you my dating history! Marcos... you were my first friend here in Toronto and are one of the best. Finally, we come to Ariel... How do I talk about Ariel? Ariel and I are... well soulmates in some ways. We share a love for dancing, drinking, Elizabeth Taylor.... I find it hard to sum up Ariel and I...she's just Ariel. Which is one of the best things I could say, I think. I am not sure if I could express how much these people mean to me... how much I have come to care for them, worry about them, and am truly blessed to know them.

Which brings me to some of the newer additions to my Toronto life: Shawn and Dave came into my life this summer to make my small gay life grow a bit. I suddenly have someone who is dorky about Shakespeare, makes great Sangria, and will let me visit their suburban paradise whenever I need to get out of the city. And last, but no where near least, is Anthony. Anthony has reminded me about a lot of things that I forgot, things I am glad to be remembering... I smile when I see him, I smile when I talk to him... he's a great person and I am happy to have him in my life. (I even don't mind going to London...)

I have watched friends come into my life, and sadly I have felt shifts in friendships this year that made me see some step out of my life... and these past few months, I've watched a couple fly off to other places: Holly to Paris, Melissa to India, Danny to New York, Sos to Indiana, Kate to South America. (ok, that's a lot of people!).

So, where am I a year later after driving into Toronto all sweaty and tired and irritated? I am happy. I am stressed that I have to write comps in a week... but I am happy. I am a very different (and thinner) Matt than the one that left Vancouver 12 months and 5 days ago. Toronto changed me... and I love it for that. I still miss home... I miss my mom, sister, nephews, Jordan and my entire extended family there. I miss the water. I miss the trees. I miss JJ Bean coffee.

I have thrived... You didn't kill me Toronto, instead I think we became friends.

Coming soon...

Ok, I know I have made you all wait for ages since I actually posted something of substance on this site. But I promise, this weekend I will post a really long reflective post marking my One Year Anniversary of Ontario living.

And hopefully once Comps is over, I will resume something akin to regular updating.

"Sodomy-ieee"

In lue of a post... I present a FAIL!

I was hoping to post today, but because I have to finish Middlemarch today and I want to do more Wuthering Heights as well, I decided I would give you a fail instead.

Taken as always from Failblog.com

How much do we love it!

And she's off to Paris

Well, I had to say goodbye to one of my closest friends here in Toronto today. Holly flew off to Paris for her year long adventure in the city of lights with her boy friend Chris.

After some touch and go at the airport over whether or not she would get on the plane, it boarded and she is now somewhere in the friendly skies flying away from her adopted family here in Toronto.

I am going to miss my lovely girl from Wales!

Course I am flying to Paris in June of next year to spend 2 weeks with her... oh yeah, you know that countdown has begun!

I love you Holls and I miss ya - already and it has not even been a day.

Pages and pages and pages and pages....

I am feeling like crap today. I am in week whatever the fuck it is of comps reading and this bitch is tired. I love reading (I mean would I be doing this if I didn't?), but I am just fucking tired of reading.

I waged war with Northrop Frye this week, finally conquered him today and have moved onto the Stone Diaries - which I love - but every time I finish a book I am all too aware of the next batch I have to do. For next week, I have a couple Early Modern Plays lined up, a whack of Whitman poems to read AND a Rushdie novel. Not to mention the fact that I finally want to finish Wuthering Heights and start on Moll Flanders.

The apartment is an explosion of books and papers... there has to be a better way to do this.

I am not sleeping enough, because I read in the evenings and end up staying up late either reading or working or actually finding time for myself to just relax, but then I get up early to start the day over again. Its an unending cycle...

I think reading Frye really put me over the edge with this whole comps thing, I saw no value in that exercise at all... it was not a helpful text, all it did was irritate me to no end. Also, I got a paper back today - the big HISTORY OF AFFECT one - and I was not happy. The comments were supportive, but they did not reflect the grade. Something that is very strange to me... if you liked it, then why not have the actual grade say so. Also, I am now having second thoughts about presenting it at a conference in Texas in September...

I'd like to stop now and relax... I think that I am taking Saturday off, yes I have declared it. Saturday = off... no if ands or buts... if I read it will be a novel on a Starbucks patio in the sun. Wanna join me?

Also, can someone please make sure I start going to bed early? Please?

My life is consumed by paper...

Secret of the FAIL!

I rarely will post stuff from other blogs here, but this one I HAD TO! I mean come on.

Taken from failblog.

Taking Fandom to a whole new level....

You too can be a wolf of the sea

This is just for Linsdey... who is totally obsessed with this song.

Hi hi hey!

"This is the room our children would play in."

Tonight I finally got around to watching the season finale of Grey's Anatomy... and I have to say that I was impressed. For the first time since the end of season 3, I finally can say that I am enjoying the show again. I was not very happy with the way they treated certain characters throughout this shortened season, I was happy to see that they are actually letting the group evolve and grow in particular ways.

I am happy that Christina is finally opening up to her interns. I am happy that Meredith and Derek are finally going to move ahead as a real couple and actually be a couple, without the scary damaged shit that she keeps playing on. And I am glad that they are going to let Izzie have a bigger story line than the whole "I am running around the hospital acting like an idiot" routine.

I'm not really sure what this post is about other than to say that I watched it and I enjoyed it...

oh... and of course the lesbian kiss at the end... FINALLY a real gay character that won't die or be sidelined.

good stuff Grey's... good stuff.

Buy Night Child

Jes's book Night Child comes out today. I urge, ask, beg, push, will hold at gun point all of you to go buy a copy or 5.

Get it from Amazon here

From Chapters here

From Barnes & Noble here


For my Torontoian friends - head over to Bakka Pheonix books on Queen and get a copy

Just get a copy, ok? I've read it... trust me when I say it is worth it. And we all know how little fantasy I actually read...

Vegan Food Porn I

Last night in a fit of "oh my god, comps people are coming for wine tomorrow" and a panicked "I just don't wanna read Chaucer" I decided to make cookies. I made vegan cookies. Here is the recipe for Chewy Chocolate Chocolate Chip Cherry Cookies (that's a mouthful, and so are the cookies... hahahaha! I kill me!) ... thanks to Vanessa and the Post Punk Kitchen for providing me with this amazing recipe. Perhaps the most chocolate-y cookie I've ever had.

My one alteration was to add a bit more soy milk - as I think it gives the cookies a bit more of a moist texture and really makes the flax seeds work their best in the baking.

Also, if you are a chocolate maniac like I am then add a full cup of chocolate chips along with the half a cup of dried cherries... makes them so chocolate-rific.

Served with a scoop of Soy Delicious Cherry Ice Cream... perfect dessert.

Chewy Chocolate Chocolate Chip Cookies

prep time: 15 minutes | cooking time: 10 minutes per batch | makes 3 dozen
These are brownie-like and chewy. Be careful not to overbake them, they may seem like they aren't done after 10 minutes but they are! See the variations for Chewy Chocolate Cherry Cookies and Chocolate Hazelnut (or almond or walnut or whatever) Cookies at the bottom of the directions.

Equipment:
Baking Sheet, Blender, 2 large bowls, mixing spatula, cookie sheets

Ingredients
3/4 cup canola oil
2 cups sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla

1 tablespoon + 1 teaspoon whole flax seeds
1/2 cup soymilk

2 cups all purp flour
3/4 cup dutch processed cocoa powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup chocolate chips


Directions
Preheat oven to 350 F.

Grind the flax seeds on high in a blender until they become a powder. Add soymilk and blend for another 30 seconds or so. Set aside.

In a large bowl sift together flour, cocoa, baking soda and salt.

In a seperate large bowl cream together oil and sugar. Add the flax seed/soy milk mixture and mix well. Add the vanilla.

Fold in the dry ingredients in batches. When it starts to get too stiff to mix with a spatula, use your hands until a nice stiff dough forms. Add the chocolate chips and mix with your hands again.

Roll dough into 1 inch balls and flatten into a disc that's about 1 1/2 inches in diameter. Place on an ungreased cookie sheet about an inch apart.

Bake for 10 minutes. Remove from oven and let cool for about 5 minutes, then set them on a wire rack to cool completely.

Variations:
For chocolate chocolate chip cherry cookies, replace 1 teaspoon of the vanilla with almond extract, and replace 1/2 the chocolate chips with dried cherries.

For chocolate nut cookies, replace 1 teaspoon of the vanilla with a nut extract (almond, walnut, what have you) and replace the chocolate chips with 1 1/2 cups chopped nuts (hazelnuts, almonds or walnuts all are good).

"I want to believe."

Mulder: "Scully, I need you on this one."

Scully: "And that's what scares me."

Ok, so who else is as excited about this as I am. Finally, I get to see Mulder and Scully again, and not just in re-runs. I feel like weeping.

I might start watching the series again from the start. One episode a night till it opens... Oh Scully, I've missed you my one true analytic love.

Sometimes you need some color, but sometimes you REALLY don't

As someone who has a dog in their household... I am not sure if I am outraged by this or just find it fucking funny. But take a look at this website. Dogs with Dye Jobs.

Dear lord.

200 pages...

I was going to scribe this post in a homage to the 18th century letter writing tradition, but when I sat down to do so, I realized I am too fucking tired. So instead you'll get my ramblings.

I have officially started the Comps reading - and am 260 pages into the first novel, Frances Burney's Evelina, a epistolary novel. Surprisingly I am finding myself really enjoying it. I managed to do more than 200 pages in the last two days - with yesterday being broken up with a meeting of my comps group. I am not doing too bad - if I can keep this up, I should be able to do my plan of 1 book every 2-3 days. And the poems make it even easier...

Evelina is a good start to it I think. All about a young (stupid) girl coming into society and the troubles she finds herself in. Really, she just keeps getting involved in the most ridiculous situations! Plus it is all about English Nationalism, but manages to paint the Brits as being total fools. But most of all, it is making me thing about how much I miss writing letters! Not just emails, but actual letters. I remember as a kid I had a pen pal in Greece for ages, and we'd write back and forth to each other weekly... sometimes I'd get 2 or 3 letters a week from him. But I remember how excited I was to write a multi page letter talking about my day or week or whatever. Reading this book almost makes me want to start writing letters again... course I'd need to have the time to do so.

The rest of the week is going to be taken up by the remainder of Evelina, some Chaucer poems, and Sir Gawain and The Green Knight... which I am "presenting" on for my group. Then I get to read Nightwood (which I am really excited about!)

Ok, off to dream about letters... while making a pizza perhaps.

I remain, my dear readers, your most honest and humble blogger...

Public Protection Fail

I wanted to make some comment on the ineffectual nature of using military force in policing the public... but instead I'd just like to say that this is how I feel every time I see a clown. I also want to hide.





**Image from failblog.org**

Log Driver Love

This post is inspired by a conversation with Jes that I am having right now.

For all you Canadians out there - remember this?

Somewhat Irritated

Ok, we all know I love me some grey's anatomy... but last week's episode (yes I am a week behind) kinda irritated me. We finally get a gay story line - there have been very few - and what do we see? Gay boy rejects his gay lover because of his military dad, gay boy dies after surgery. I was super impressed that Grey's did show two kisses between the guys - mind you one was AFTER the gay boy was dead... which was kinda creepy.

I was glad that ABC let male on male affection fly on network television and that they did indirectly address the US military policy of don't ask don't tell... but could a show, that has had the rather tumultuous history of queer politics that grey's has, not approach this idea with something more than the stereotypical "Dad rejects son's homosexuality, but kinda embraces his son's lover after the son dies"?

Yeah the kiss was hot and all... but I was hoping for more.

Congrats Ellen and Portia!

Ellen made this announcement on her talk show right after California over-turned a decision to ban gay marriage. Congrats Ellen! I can't wait to see the wedding pictures!!!

Repressed No More.

Many months have passed since I promised a revamp and finally, with a lull in school, I have found time to start revamping the blog. This will be a work in progress... so who knows where the blog will go. Gone are the days of Everyone Say Repressed Homosexuality... an old name for an old blog that reflected an old life. Instead I have started Bloor Street Tears - a blog that reflects me as I am now. Someone living in Toronto, right on Bloor street as I start my PhD comphrensive exams and generally start living life how I really want to.

So, this blog is going to be about me, school, my work, my ideas, my creative outlets... you get the drift. There might be weeks where I will talk about what I am reading (mostly comps stuff) or I might just post pictures, or maybe a Vegan, Indian, Asian, anything... recipe that I created or tried that day, or I will be more affective in my posts and do a more public feelings post. (More on that later... tomorrow perhaps). But mostly this blog is going to be about whatever the fuck I want it to be about! I want this to be as much fun for you to read as it is for me to write.

So, we're stepping out of repression, folks, and we're entering the big bad Torontoian world.

enjoy.

FYI. I was going to follow this with a bunch of pictures of my new apartment... but I can't find my camera cable. (This sentence somehow takes the punch out of my big relaunch announcement.)

Revamp

Hi All, I have not posted in a long time now - I have decided to give the blog a major overhaul and change its direction - away from being a personal blog to being about my academic and personal interests instead.

I will be working on the first post and the change to it all tonight - so perhaps the new format and content will appear tomorrow.

Nizlopi - JCB Song.

I was introduced to this amazing British band tonight, Nizlopi. For those of you who have not met them yet - please take some time to get acquainted with them. This is the video for their Christmas Song (think Love Actually) hit: The JCB song.

It might be one of the most beautiful and sweet and heart warming songs I've ever heard. The last minute is truly amazing.

Snow! Snow! Snow!

Words cannot do this day justice... so here are a few pictures that I took on my wanderings today.

Buried Under A Snow Drift.

It is snowing like crazy here in Toronto - like absolute madness. UofT is closing down because of severe weather conditions. I had to walk through snow banks up to my knee to get to the bus stop. Maddness.

I love it.

Who knew that snow could make me love Toronto more!

I will post some pictures of the snow tonight when (if) I am make it home.... course I also have to make it to that PhD party tonight too... maybe we should make drinks with the snow!

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