Who's REALLY the crazy person?

Today's blog is about my frustration with 'crazy people' on the subway. I'm sorry I have to use such a derogatory, slang term, but I really don't know what else to call them. You know the ones. They're usually talking to themselves (or maybe trying to talk to you), they generally smell funny, they're clothes aren't always coordinated, and more often than not, they are carrying a shopping bag of some sort with random things in it. But seriously, if I must use a more 'friendly' term, I suppose it would be 'mentally afflicted', 'mentally challenged' or 'mentally disordered'. For today's blog we'll go with 'mentally disordered'.
Now I - like most people - get rather tense when a mentally disordered individual enters my subway car, especially if they are quite close to me. I try not to stare (as mom always taught us), but inevitably it always happens; generally, I avoid eye contact altogether.

For the most part they are harmless, unless you are the unlucky chap who they decide to sit next to. You may be subject to them speaking nonsense directly to you - sometimes they even expect a response - or you may be subject to them moving erratically and getting bumped or jostled in the process.

We, as polite Canadians, usually just sit quietly (anxiously) and let this happen. We wouldn't want to offend the mentally disordered person, or - god forbid - actually set them off in some way to begin to act in a more upsetting/agressive manner.

But why do we actually tolerate this?

I have actually gotten up out of my seat and moved to a different part of the subway, when I've felt uncomfortable with the behaviour of a nearby mentally disordered person. (Actually I'll get up and move somewhere else when the person sitting next to me smells offensively... but that's another story for another blog). In fact, just yesterday morning, after a mentally disordered person REALLY made me uncomfortable (and decided to sit next to me) I got up out of the subway car I was in and moved to a different one on the same train. Is this rude? Am I 'offending' anyone? I don't think so at all. I have just as much of a right to feel comfortable and peaceful in my subway ride as they have to be 'mentally disordered'. Well, I don't know if being mentally disordered is a right.... but certainly they don't have a level of choice in the matter.

Okay... so for the most part these mentally disordered individuals are harmless, right? Well what about when they aren't harmless? What about when they cause a disruption around them or physically contact subway riders? Should we 'polite Canadians' just sit back and tolerate this? I don't think so.

Here is an example (regarding the same individual that sat next to me yesterday morning causing me to move to a different car): A middle-aged woman entered the train at a particular stop. There were a couple people standing directly in front of the doors; she assertively said to one woman in the way "Can you please move out of the way so I can get on the train?". At which point the woman moved out of the entering woman's way. The entering (soon to be mentally disordered) woman then remained near the doorways, confronting the woman who moved with "What? You think something is funny." Now, privately, I initially gave kudos to the entering woman for asking the other woman to get out of the way. That has got to be the worst bit of subway behaviour: people unnecessarily standing in front of the doors when people are trying to enter or exit. We all have had a point where we've felt frustrated and wished we could say something.... but never do, just thinking "Ah, well, that's the way it is on the TTC." I thought the comment about 'something being funny' was a bit confrontational and unnecessary, but it seemed to go unnoticed.
Soon this mentally (entering woman) disordered woman was standing in a different area and began muttering things to herself and also directed profanities at others. People just started to slowly move away. She was still concerned with the woman who moved for her and another woman. Then (just my luck) she stood directly in front of the man sitting next to me and said "I'm not feeling well. Could I sit down?" He quickly got up so she could sit down. She continued to mutter and loudly proclaim random words and profanities (something about cutting off a penis). And a couple times directed an accusatory tone to a man and woman in front of her seat, on the other side of the car. She actually (twice) then kicked a woman's handbag that was dangling by the woman's leg. Stop. See? This is where it gets beyond harmless. This is shortly before I moved to the next car.
Let me start by saying that if it was a (seemingly) sane, mentally healthy man that kicked a woman's purse or body, you would think that people wouldn't hesitate to push the harrasment alarm. But here was this mentally disordered person verbally harassing people, randomly, and actually kicking people's bags. Why do we stand for this?

to be continued.....

It's been a while.....

Well hello to you. And you. And you. Oh... and you too. (Who am I kidding? I'm lucky if one person actually reads this.)

It seems as if it has been over a year (last blog entry was in February 2008) since I've taken the time to blog. What has happened in that time frame?

I went camping three times in Summer 2008..... once with the new beau, and that turned out to be a complete disaster. Not so much the camping itself... but the company and weather. :S Oh well, lesson learned. And besides, he's a bit of a 'city boy' anyway. ;) Bugs and poison ivy scare this 6 foot 2 panda bear.

Since February 2008, I had a chance to fulfill a longtime dream of travelling to Europe (September/October 2008). I considered this my 30th birthday present to myself. Me and two girlfriends participated in an organized group tour that hit parts of Italy that included, Rome, Venice, Florence, the Tuscan region, Milan, Sorrento. I absolutely loved it.... I felt so relaxed (when I wasn't constantly getting up early and riding the bus.... which comprised a lot of our time) and actually felt an association with the culture. It brought me back to my roots (well speaking the language did, anyway).... one day, it would be great to visit Sicily, though - where my family is actually from.

As mentioned above, I turned 30 this year. It wasn't as daunting as I had expected.... but still it isn't a pretty number. Turning 30 just made me become aware of all the things that had happened so far in my life and - more importantly - the things that had NOT YET happened.

That trip trained me financially so nothing major was really planned after that. However, I am happy to report that I've fulfilled one of my short-term goals (some other ones include having a child and adopting a dog.... but one step at a time...) which was buying a condo. Went searching in January and sealed the deal in February. Closed on April 3rd and moved in on April 18th. It is finally starting to feel like home now (one of the biggest obstacles was organizing mountains of stuff into a much smaller kitchen) and the rooms are pretty well livable. There are furniture pieces (and other odds and ends) that are on our wish list.... but again, one step at a time. I truly am happy and comfortable in this new home, and hope to be here for a few years.

Well that's all I've really got for now (how can I sum up over a year in a few paragraphs?).... I'll do my best to update this (fairly) regularly.

Live long and prosper (... I couldn't resist... I watched Star Trek, the movie last night...)

"Dammit, Jim, I'm a doctor not a physicist...."

:)

8 Fun Things to do with Cheese....

1) Grate some monterey jack then use a gob of it to patch holes in plumbing. I can't guarantee it won't smell foul in a few hours.

2) Cut out little circles and rectangles out of old cheddar. Using toothpicks, construct little cheese people and stick them to the top of your computer monitor at work. Periodically, when people are watching, take 2 crackers, remove the head of one cheese person and eat it.

3) Take a salad bowl and fill it with water. For extra fun, use purple food colouring. Place bocconcini in the bowl and play "bobbing for cheese balls".

4) Sprinkle parmesan (or romano cheese, if you are out of parmesan) all over the shoulders of your black sweater. Loudly exclaim (on the subway) that you are EXTREMELY disappointed with the shoddy quality of your dandruff shampoo. For added benefit, try to lick your elbow.

5) Wait until that crazy co-worker takes of their shoes, and quietly insert little pieces of swiss cheese in them.

6) Next time you are buying coffee at Tim Hortons, and it is time to pay... slowly pull out your wallet (this must be done with a straight face) and shuffle around until you find a slice of Havarti. Hand this to the clerk, smile and turn and walk away.

7) Smear ricotta on some car windshields in the mall parking lot.

8) Cut little squiggly lines out of a piece of mozzarella cheese. Make a big production out of sneezing at work, then pull your hands away only to reveal the squiggly cheese lines. Try to lick your elbow again.

Why I Should Never Drink Red Wine and other New Years stories...

Happy 2008 everyone!

I rang in the New Year with good friends, good food and not so good red wine. Ugh. Why couldn't I have learned the last time I drank a whole whack of red wine that it just doesn't end well. To be exact it ends with my head in the toilet observing red wine post-digestion.

Anyhow.... the party involved a wicked game of Scattergories, making fun of me and the fact that I can't drill into concrete (few pictures with a drill just to set things straight) and actual house party dancing! I love it! The last time I actually danced at a house party was (at my own) in Grade 13! It was freaking awesome! :)

Here's hoping the New Year brings wonderful things for me.... I think I deserve them.

Still chilling out right now, and I don't go back to work until Jan 7. Should be pret-ty nuts with the first years getting Fall grades and deciding what to do next. We managed last January.... so I should be better at it now, right? Right. ;)

Until next time..... keep star gazing and nebula-spotting...

Kids Say the Darndest Things....

This Saturday my brother, nephews and niece came over for dinner and a sleepover.

It was a lot of fun, starting from the moment they all arrived. I had planned to make chicken and beef tacos and had already started cooking the chicken. As soon as my nephew walked through the door he exclaimed how wonderful it smelled in my apartment.

Later on, I offered the kids chocolate chip cookies and mentioned that we could make smoothies later. One nephew cried: "Laura! If you had kids they would be so lucky!" Gee, thanks.

My niece was sweet enough to help me with the dishes after dinner. We had a nice chat and caught up on a few things.

During (or after) one of the rented DVDs, one of my nephews commented how I lived in a really big hotel room. LOL. *sigh* Yes, they don't visit apartments much. Or, rather, at all. :)

During the evening, one nephew asked: "Laura, did you invite us over or did we invite ourselves over?" To which I replied: "It was mutual." "What's that mean?" he asked. "It means both me and your dad agreed on it. Why do you ask?"
"Well," he said, "if we invited ourselves over, then that would be rude."

:)

Lastly, I was attacked with hugs by my nephews before they department my apartment on Sunday morning. It was touching to hear all the "Thank you!" comments and "We had fun!"

I'm really happy they came and I had a great time! Hopefully they can all do it again sometime!

10 Reasons Why the Brunnie is No Fun in Formal Wear

1) Because my feet hurt like a sonofabit** in those pointy, lethal shoes.

2) Because I look like a lunatic among all these young, college-aged drinkers in my low-cut formal black dress.

3) Because carrying a little purse AND camera on my shoulders is no fun when you're trying to dance.

4) Please see number 1.

5) Please see number 4.

6) Because people look at you like you're some sort of tourist who just arrived on earth and who doesn't know how clubbing in Toronto works.

7) Because you can't really bust a move like you normally do because you're afraid your stockings will run, you'll twist your ankle (in those god-forsaken heels), your purse will fling out and hit someone or your boob will fall out.

8) Did I just write boob?

9) (laughs like Peter Griffin)

10) Because you can't really sit down anywhere because every surface is covered in something like spooge or gunge or ick... and who wants to get that crap on their dress.

Prince George from the Top of a Mountain...

Last week I went to Prince George, BC. My old boss (and by old, I mean 'previous') was a gracious host and let me stay at her place. I really enjoyed my time there, it wasn't a crazy busy week, but really relaxing.

Lydia has an amazing dog named Kakadu, who became an incredible hiking buddy. And don't let me forget her cat-with-a-nub-for-a-tail, Mango.

Here are a few pics that briefly outline my trip to Prince George. These include a pic of Kakadu, Mango and the view from the top of Teapot Mountain.