My U2 Dream

I forgot to talk about my U2 dream in yesterday's post. I was watching TV Saturday night, and Sex and The City came on. It was the episode Great Sexpectations. As an aside, cheesy title but enjoyable episode because Miranda has a meltdown over her broken TiVo because it means she'll miss the episode of her favourite show where the main characters have a conversation after having finally slept together. Overinvolvement in the lives of fictional TV & movie characters, haven't we all been there? ;) Anyway, in that episode, Berger's & Carrie's sex life leaves to be desired (which leads Sam to put it very crudely "Dump him. Fuck me badly once, shame on you, fuck me badly twice, shame on me." LOL) but then miraculously improve, and Even Better Than The Real Thing is the song at the end of the episode.

After watching SATC, I flipped to Much More Music, and they were airing a VH1 special where a crew followed U2 before the release of their latest album. They were filming clips and rehearsing for their concert tour. It was very interesting. I especially like when they filmed the clip for City of Blinding Lights, going through NYC on the back of a flatbed truck, singing. They had a lot of screaming girls in the street that day.

After seeing this all night, it must have seeped into my subconscious. So I had a dream that I was singing with U2. I'm pretty sure I had a similar dream with Billy Joel a few months ago. LOL In both of those dreams, I was not talking or wanting to interact with them. I just get to sing with them. Not even on stage, but in a rehearsal room somewhere. Basically, the band is playing, and I get to sing with Bono. I think he was on the guitar, and I was the only one singing at some point. Anyway, I just love those dreams! I always wake up so happy. It would be so amazingly cool if that ever happened! :)

Yet Another T-Shirt Website & Rent

I haven't blogged (been busy then been tired! LOL) in a few days so I have plenty to post...

I was reading Go Fug Yourself, and they had an ad with the following picture on it:

I rarely click on links but how could I not click on that? LOL Anyway, I discovered a new website called White Trash Palace. Now, that sounded tacky to my ears but they have fun stuff, and most of it is not really tacky. (Or maybe this means I'm really white trash! LOL) Gina, I found the perfect t-shirt/statement for you. Behold Don't Talk To Mommy Until After Her Coffee. LOL

On a completely different topic, I went to see Rent last night. Ooooo. I must say I loved it despite seeing plenty of flaws in the movie. It was somewhat stilted at times. I'm not sure I would have loved it as much had I not known all the songs in it, and had I not seen it live before. For one, Maureen's performance at the protest was much better seen live, with the public actually participating in it. A live mooing crowd is so much fun! LOL Plus, I don't know what happened to Jesse L. Martin, maybe he's been on his procedural cop show for too long but I found his performance to be wooden and his singing wasn't as good as it was on the cast soundtrack (whereas everyone else sounded as good!). And I usually find him all kinds of cute. Eh. On the other hand, I thought they made it much easier to understand the plot but not making everything sung. I had difficulty following the plot the first time because of the sung phone messages. Anyway, I had a great time, and I wish I had time to go see it again. LOL I'll have to content myself with the Broadway recording until the DVD comes out. :)

This Is The Next T-Shirt I Will Purchase...

if I have any money left after Christmas! It's another of those great Glarkware t-shirts. I could wear this when I tutor the scientific writing class next semester! LOL I would only have to point to the t-shirt! What a useful teaching tool this might turn out to be. Hee. Who knew that the "t-shirt with a message" craze would turn out to be educational? ;)

Belated Thanksgiving Wishes To My American Friends!

Happy belated Thanksgiving to my American friends. I hope you are all stuffed with turkey and pumpkin pie. Mmmmm. :) Plus, you get family time, which makes it even nicer. I can't wait to go home next month for Christmas! :)

Last night, I went to bed around 11:00, which is early for me, since I was just exhausted. Then, I woke up at 2 am because I was too hot and probably from tossing in my bed. I couldn't fall back asleep until 3:30. What the hell? I was totally confused/sleepy but I was unable to actually sleep. TV didn't even put me back to sleep, which is mind-boggling because it is usually a surefire way to slumber. This morning? I had all the trouble in the world to drag my sorry butt out of bed at 6:30 and clearly, I'm still tired and sleepy. Argh.

I come from a line of women with insomnia (both my mom & my grandma have always struggled with it), and I have had insomnia since I was a teen but it usually doesn't bother me too much. My usual problem is that I can't fall asleep. It is easy to deal with that. You continue to go about your day until you are exhausted. You read, you write, you watch TV, you keep yourself busy, and eventually, your body gets sleepy. I do resent, however, waking up in the middle of the night, after having been snuggled in bed for a few hours, and being unable to flip over and fall back asleep. I was just too confused to get anything accomplished, and it was making me mad that I couldn't sleep when I was so ridiculously tired.

I'm done ranting about not sleeping. LOL I have a busy weekend ahead. I need to finish an application to an internship, I have a bunch of stuff to prepare for my language class, and I have neglected my laundry and cleaning recently so I need to take time for that. Nevertheless, I'm also going to try to see Rent this weekend. I've been waiting for it since I saw the trailer this summer. :) Next week, I'm going to see Pride & Prejudice. (Eve, don't say a word! LOL) I still don't think it is going to be as good as the 1995 miniseries (I have a hard time thinking anyone can do it better and, you know, Colin Firth is Mr. Darcy!) but one of my guy friends who loves Keira Knightley asked if I would come along with him to see it. I suspect he thinks it is too girly for him to go see it by himself. LOL Anyway, I didn't mind tagging along but I have to go in there with an open mind.

Deadline Craziness

You know when I wrote last week that I hate deadlines above all? Well, I still do. I'm tired (yet wired like a monkey on crack) and going slightly crazy. I can't wait for Christmas time... Anyway, if you need me, I'm under the pile of papers over there. LOL

All The Cool Kids Are Doing It...

So I decided to play the MP3s game. You post the first line of 20 songs that pop up on your MP3 player. I posted up the first line of the song unless it gave away the title. Good luck guessing. :)

EDITED TO ADD CLUES TO THE ONES NOT YET IDENTIFIED:
1. Take me now, baby, here as I am.
2. When I'm drivin' in my car, and the man comes on the radio
3. I hope you never lose your sense of wonder
4. It doesn't mean much; It doesn't mean anything at all
5. I must've died and gone to heaven. Clue: A band that does electronic-type music.
6. I know you’re home, you left your light on. Clue: Rocker chick
7. Listen, baby Clue: A cover of a very popular song by Diana Ross.
8. You've got style, that's what all the girls say
9. You don't have to take the bar exam to see Clue: Song by one of the most popular 80s alternative bands. They are still around today although they lost a member a few years ago.
10. She comes out on Fridays every time Clue: Band with a dreaded frontman.
11. So I ran faster But it caught me here Clue: 90s song from the first album of this pretty non-commercial singer-songwriter.
12. Once upon a midnight dearie Clue: These guys have the blues...
13. DJ put a record on, I wanna dance with my baby
14. Well I went to bed in Memphis and I woke up in Hollywood
15. And everywhere I go, people know the part I'm playing
16. See me comin to town with my soul Clue: Song from the latest album of this alterno-Sciento.
17. I got all my sisters with me
18. There are places I’ll remember Clue: Just the most popular band ever. LOL
19. If you see a faded sign by the side of the road that says 15 miles to the...
20. I see him standing silhouetted in the lamplight Clue: Rock band fronted by a woman.

Mmmmm...Quiet Office

I usually work at the hospital only on Wednesday and Thursday but I ended up coming in this morning around 8:30 to test a patient from 9-12. The plan was to leave by 1 pm at the latest. It's now 5 pm, and guess where I am? LOL Mind you, I'm basking in the quietness of the office. It's so much easier for me to focus than when I try working at home. It's quiet and my bed is not there to tempt me! It's nice to have a work haven. :)

I got the season 2 of Cheers on DVDs out at the library. I watched a few episodes, and oh my God, is it ever funny. It's surprising how well the show gelled in S2 because most episodes in S1 weren't all that outstanding. Anyway, once I'm done, I'm going to veg out in front of the TV with more episodes. Although, I do have to stop by the store to buy a scarf and mittens to go with my new wintercoat. Yes, ladies and gents, Toronto is covered in snow so I had to break out my winter gear. Christmas will be here before we know it!

Sleep, Such Sweet Pleasure and Sorrow.

I woke up at 6:30 this morning, and sang along with the radio for a bit. *whispers* It was Celine Dion's Because You Loved Me. Bwah!. However, I was so tired and knowing I could still sleep until 7:00-7:30 without being late, I decided to sleep a bit more. Big mistake as it turns out because either I didn't hear the alarm or I turned off by mistake, but next time I awoke it was 9:30!!! Oy! What a way to start the day. Fortunately, as it turns out, it didn't matter so much because there were no room available to test the patient I needed to see anyway. Seeing as there was no one in the office, no one even knew I was MIA. It has rarely happened to me to oversleep despite my being horribly difficult to wake. This is only the third time it has happened since I have lived on my own although one of those times was a morning where I had to present at a conference! Thank God my roommate at the time realized I was still asleep when I shouldn't have been, and came to wake me up. Any good oversleeping stories, anyone?

I just had lunch from this cafe/bistro near the hospital. I knew they made awesome lattes but the sandwich and side salad I had were divine. My sandwich was a croissant with ham, brie, and tomato. It tasted just like home. :) I had a greek salad on the side which was full of red & yellow peppers, cucumber, cherry tomatoes, kalamata olives & a bit of feta. I had that with a latte. Happiness is a 10$ meal that makes you feel like 1 million dollars. :)

Besides that, I have good news! My brother got accepted in the orthodontics program he had been dying to get into so that means he'll be able to move into the condo he just bought, and everything will be great. :) Ironically enough, as he moves out next summer (when the condo will be finished being built), I might be moving back in with my parents. Hahaha. My poor parents. I'm currently applying to one-year, full-time clinical internships, and turns out that a lot that are interesting are located in Montreal. :) The problem though is that the ones in Mtl pay a grand total of 0$. Hence, if I take one, I may have to move back in with my parents next year because I won't be able to afford an apartment. Anyway, I haven't told my friends and family back home that I'm applying to all these programs so they're not disappointed if it doesn't work out. Neverthless, I think it would be so great if I got to move back to Montreal for at least a year since I miss everyone so much.

Ms. Gina, Here Is My Meme. :)

When Ms. Gina asks, I oblige! ;)

Three screen names that you’ve had: Morning Angel, Brain Girl, my real name.
Three things you like about yourself: my wit, my ability to see the best in situations and in people & the fact that I laugh easily.
Three things you don’t like about yourself: my avoidance of confrontation, my crankiness/grumpiness when stressed, my difficulty in being disciplined.
Three parts of your heritage: French about 10 generations back, otherwise Quebecer & Canadian.
Three things that scare you: fire, deadlines, and I'm not too crazy about thunder and lightening.
Three of your everyday essentials: coffee, a shower, my computer.
Three things you are wearing right now: grey pants with thin blue/greenish/turquosy lines, thin green-blue top under a suede-like blouse of a darker shade of the same colour, and a large hairclip that gathers all my hair at the back of my head.
Three of your current favorite songs: "Jesus of Suburbia" by Green Day (although I love the whole album so much), "This Is The Last Time" by Keane (ditto on the too-awesome-for-words CD) & "One" by U2.
Three things you want in a relationship: humour, being able to discuss everything and anything, independence to be an individual.
Three things you can’t live without: my friends and my family, my glasses, sleep.
Three places you want to go on vacation: England, South Pacific, a posh hotel room. LOL
Three things you just can’t do: reach the top shelf of most cabinets/shelving units, light matches, play most sports.
Three kids names: Cassandra, Elizabeth, Gabriel.
Three things you want to do before you die: have children, complete my Ph.D. (LOL, that should happen sooner than later!), find a long-lasting partner.
Three celeb crushes: Jon Stewart, George Clooney & Stephen Colbert
Three of your favorite musicians: U2, Sarah McLachlan, Tori Amos.
Three physical things about the opposite sex that appeal to you: a nice smile, short hair, a guy who is tall (mind you, most guys are taller than me!).
Three non-physical things about the opposite sex that appeal to you: intelligence, funny, laid-back.
Three of your favorite hobbies: watching TV/movies, cooking & reading.
Three things you really want to do badly right now: lie on the couch and watch TV, read the non-work book in my bag, take a nap.
Three careers you’re considering/you’ve considered: elementary school teacher, neurologist, physicist.
Three ways that you are stereotypically boy-like: I like fixing things with my own hands (not that I'm always successful but I enjoy it!), I shower quickly & I enjoy juvenile humour.
Three ways that you are stereotypically girl-like: I sometimes cry for no good reason, I love spending time looking at shoes and purses, I enjoy romantic comedies way too much.
Three people that I would like to see post this meme: Most people that I know have filled it out. I'd be happy to read responses of everyone I know. :)

Funny Online Diary...

Apparently because I don't have time to surf the web as much as I wish I did, I missed that Slate had Judd Apatow write a blog-like column for a week back in September. Judd Apatow wrote, directed, and produced The 40-Year-Old Virgin, and has done a lot of TV projects like Freaks and Geeks, Undeclared, The Larry Sanders Show,... The column is a riot to read.

Crazy

It has nothing to do with Patsy Cline but it's a song also called Crazy by Montreal band Simple Plan. (One of my friends actually went to school with some of the band members. Small world.) They were on my favourite Quebecer talkshow last night, and I thought the song they performed had interesting lyrics so here they are...

Tell me what's wrong with society
When everywhere I look, I see
Young girls dying to be on TV
They won't stop till they've reached their dreams

Diet pills, surgery
Photoshopped pictures in magazines
Telling them how they should be
It doesn't make sense to me

Is everybody going crazy?
Is anybody gonna save me?
Can anybody tell me what's going on?
Tell me what's going on?
If you open your eyes
You'll see that something is wrong

I guess things are not how they used to be
There's no more normal families
Parents act like enemies
Making kids feel like it's World War III

No one cares, no one's there
I guess we're all just too damn busy
And money's our first priority
It doesn't make sense to me

Is everybody going crazy?
Is anybody gonna save me?
Can anybody tell me what's going on?
Tell me what's going on?
If you open your eyes
You'll see that something is wrong

Is everybody going crazy?
Is everybody going crazy?

Tell me what's wrong with society
When everywhere I look I see
Rich guys driving big SUVs
When kids are starving in the streets

No one cares
No one likes to share
I guess life's unfair

Is everybody going crazy?
Is anybody gonna save me?
Can anybody tell me what's going on?
Tell me what's going on?
If you open your eyes
You'll see that something, something is wrong

Quiet Weekend

I've been quiet for the last few days so I thought I'd appear for a few moments, and show I'm still alive. LOL It's not that I've been doing anything so special I couldn't pop in but I've been doing other things when I come online. Like Messenging or playing games. I had forgotten how much I liked playing Zuma. Mind you, once you've beaten the game once, it is not quite the thrill it used to be. Nevertheless, I played a few games this weekend. I did some hardcore laundry where even my duvet cover went in the wash. I slept. I read some articles. Mind you, I didn't get done half the work I had planned. I filled out sundry paperwork. I went to buy a birthday gift for a friend. I had a Harrison Ford double-feature Saturday night: Working Girl & Sabrina. Shut up. They are both guilty pleasures of mine. LOL

That's it, folks. Dinner time. Have a great week!

The Calm After the Storm. Literally.

I had a crazy, 180-degree kind of a day yesterday. I got up at 5 am, started working at home, then went to work, and didn't really stop until 5:30 pm. I had a very frustrating day overall what with issues with my supervisor, cranky coworkers,... Plus, the weather was awful. Really terrible. It was raining, thundering, lightening all day. One thunder bolt was right besides our window. Anyway, this induced such a foul mood in me.

Towards the end of the day, I talked with my boss a bit, since she had come down from her high horses, and it diffused some of the tension. I left to go home, and the rain had stopped! Before going home, I stopped by the library, and found interesting books. One of them was a historically-based novel written by one of my undergrad biology teachers! I loved that prof so that was very cool. Then, I found a Pilates mat like I wanted (I'm trying to motivate myself to get back to exercising regularly so I had planned on buying a proper mat!), and it was on sale! I then went to Starbucks and read for about 20 minutes while sipping a nice maple macchiato. Finally, I headed home, walking the 30-minute distance that separated from home amongst the fallen leaves, the cool air, and the stillness of the night. That was just so lovely. it made me so zen. I love that peaceful feeling so much. I wish I always felt like that.

Today is fairly quiet, and I'm currently sipping a latte (from this great little bistro a few buildings over) while writing a report. That's the life. :)

Damn You, Registrar's Office!

I just learned I'll have to invigilate a final exam on a Saturday morning at 9 am. Meaning I'll need to arrive at school for 8:30 am to start setting up. Meaning I'll have to get up at 6:30 at the latest since a weekend commute takes close to one hour and a half (i.e., no express buses). All on my BIRTHDAY. Oh the humanity! LOL Actually, it is not like I care about my birthday but I want to have the privilege to sleep in on that day, especially if it falls on a Saturday and especially since I've had to get up early all semester. Damn you, Registrar's Office for forcing me to sit in a quiet room for 3 hours on a Saturday morning when I could be a) sleeping or b) sitting in my living room, eating birthday pancakes, and watching movies.

A Collection of Events (Aka My Life)

I had a busy day yesterday (class, paper to write, lots of reading, and private tutoring), and for some reason, last night, I just couldn't stop and go to bed. Maybe it was The Daily Show and The Colbert Report (finally in Canada!) that made me laugh too much. Anyway, I slept very little last night, have yet to have a cup of coffee, and yet, I've accomplished a lot this morning. Go figure.

The weirdest thing happened on Sunday afternoon. I dropped off my DVDs at the videostore, and was on my way to the library to drop off my books. A guy just says hi to me on the street, and I reply hi. Then, he asks me if I want to go out for a drink. LOL Talk about random! Hee. One of my friends used to say that the only persons who will speak to you on the street or in the subway in Toronto are people of questionable mental stability. It's a very sad fact albeit often true. I really miss Montreal for the casual friendliness and warmth of its people.

Gina, on the bus this morning, I was listening to the Live From The Archives CD you gave me. I am still listening to it as a matter of fact. It is such a beautiful compilation of songs stripped down to their purest form: a voice and an instrument or two. Alanis's guitar version of Everything and Sarah McLachlan's piano only version of Fallen just make me want to cry. I also love Melissa Etheridge's Come to My Window, Grant-Lee Philipps's Mona Lisa, Nelly Furtado's I'm Like A Bird, Gavin de Graw's I Don't Want to Be, and Pat McGee Band's Beautiful Ways.

Busy week in perspective. Lots of research work to get done, applications for internships, patient report to finish, papers to read for my class next week,... However, I get to have fun tonight with a friendly game of poker with some grad students from neighbouring labs.

Books, Movies & TV= Heaven/Haven

I finished reading The Secret Man by Bob Woodward this weekend. I had always been fascinated by the mystery of the identity of Deep Throat that it was certainly an interesting read. It was not an earth-shattering book, and I would dare say it felt self-congratulatory at times. It did offer any definitive explanation as to why Mark Felt decided to offer all this information to a journalist since Mark Felt is now suffering from dementia, and woodward never got a chance to really ask him what he helped him so much. Nevertheless, it was interesting to read how Felt and Woodward initially met, and read a bit more how the Watergate coverage unfolded, and what information/tips Felt was able to provide.

Last night, I rented Fever Pitch and An Officer and a Gentleman. I had been avoiding Fever Pitch since baseball fanatism is not really my thing. LOL My mom told me she had liked it and since my mom is also not a sports nut, I figured I should give it a try. It was thoroughly enjoyable. The script was good, and Jimmy Fallon and Drew Barrymore were both lovely together. A light fare I totally recommend.

As for the second movie, I had never seen An Officer and a Gentleman (I know! About as heretic as when Jamie heard I had never had cornbread. ;)). It was a really good movie and I must say the last 15 minutes were particularly horrifying/awesome. One thing though...Richard Gere's character was supposed to be right out of high school in the story. He didn't really look that age...I actually checked on IMDb and he was 35 when he shot the movie! (As an aside, I also discovered Tiffany is Richard Gere's middle name. Bwah!)

Tonight, I got to watch my favourite Quebec talkshow, Tout le monde en parle. Habitually, I don't talk about it here since it tends to involve people most of you, my devoted readership, have never heard of. However, tonight, Samantha Fox and Kathy Reichs were two of the nine guests. Samantha Fox was a blast from the past. I remember buying one of her tapes in the 80s. It was good pop music to my 8-year-old ears. LOL I must say, she is still quite a babe. She was charming, and it was very sad to hear that her dad, who was her manager in the early years of her career basically stole all of her money. It's sad when you can't even trust your father to look out for your best interest.

Kathy Reichs was there to talk about her most recent novel. Her French was good, despite her strong accent. I know she is married to a French-speaking Quebecer (her husband taught my brother a course in university) so that's how she must have learned French. She splits her time between Charlotte, NC, and Montreal. I couldn't think of two more different places! LOL Anyway, it was very interesting to hear her speak about her job of forensic anthropologist. It has taken her all over the world, from Rwanda (after the genocide) to South East Asia (to identify WWII remains) to the World Trade Centre after 9/11. What a job!

I need to get back to my work. Have a great week! I have a poker night on Tuesday. It should be great fun.

Singing In An Empty Apartment

Is there anything better than singing at the top of your lungs when your roommate is not there? I think not. On the menu tonight: Alicia Keys, ABBA, Kelly Clarkson, Carly Simon, Green Day, Keane, and Madonna. Of course, I didn't forget the queen of yelling/singing: Mariah Carey. It's a remnant of my teenage tastes. ;) Anyway, if you hear some wailing coming from far away, consider yourselves warned. LOL

The Late-Night Subway Blues

Riding the subway late in the evening gives me the blues. It's almost inevitable. Late-night subway ride + me tired and having time to think too much= me sad and neurotic. Even when I'm reading (as I was tonight) or I'm listening to music, insecurities find a way to creep in. My day was somewhat stressful, sure, but it was pretty good overall. Nevertheless, the subway ride is a time for those I'll-never-find-a-job-and-I'll-be-miserable-and-penniless-for-ever-and-ever kind of thoughts to creep in, followed by what-an-imperfect-loser-you-are, you-have-no-clue-what-you-are-doing-but-everyone-thinks-so, and why-did-they-let-you-in-grad-school-since-you're-the-suckiest-that-ever-sucked. I think they are only three little words that can make everything better: "SHUT UP, BRAIN!"

This post is brought to you by the letters P, H, and D.

What a Crazy Day...

Life is just flying by these days... I have barely been home in the last few days. Today just felt chaotic. I would have needed to sit down to score tests and write a patient report but that did not happen a lot. Tomorrow should be quieter.

I now have to go to the library to pick up a book that finally arrived for me, and then, I have to go to a fancy dinner I would have as well skipped. It's really out of my way (1 hour out of my way to be exact) and all I want is to go home, read, and take a nap. Nevertheless, I have to go schmooze to put myself in the departmental director's good graces. He tracked me down yesterday to attend a bunch of events, and that was the only one that fit in my schedule so I'm stuck. Bah.

Plus, I'm still waiting for a reply on an important email regarding my dissertation data. I haven't and it's slowly killing me.