I haven't read much lately, I've been too busy to blog, but whatever... I'm straight up obsessed with this song.
Sunday, December 15, 2013
Thursday, November 28, 2013
Sunday, November 3, 2013
Discovering T.O. #11: TSO, Roncy & Free Times Cafe
Is it still "Discovering T.O." now that I've been back here for a year?! I argue that it is, because my mom has lived in Toronto for 30+ years now and is still discovering the city. That's the fun thing about living in a big city: there's always something new to see, a new neighbourhood to explore, a new restaurant to try out, etc. I've had a lot of those experiences since my last "Discovering T.O." post, but I'd like to share a few I had this weekend to begin with...
It's been a busy weekend! One of those weekends where you don't have too much downtime, but that can be a good thing now and again. Friday night I went and saw the Toronto Symphony Orchestra perform at Roy Thomson Hall. I went with my girlfriend K. and two friends from high school. Kate's an opera singer, Rachel's a cellist, and Justine and I are former musicians (clarinet and cello, respectively), so all of us have an appreciation for classical music and symphonies. The main event at the TSO that night was Carmina Burana. You might ask yourself, "What's Carmina Burana?" You might be surprised to know that you know it! Or at least, I think you do... Check it out:
In a word, it was fantastic!!! The TSO and accompanying Toronto Mendelssohn Choir were stunning, the music was engaging, and the company was wonderful. I cherish the opportunities I have to experience arts and culture in the city. Nights like Friday always make me want to get out more!
Saturday (yesterday) was a bit of a crazy day. It was rainy, K. and I were in funky moods, and the energy of the day was just generally not great. Then we went to a Body Combat class at the gym and the endorphins rushing through us gave us a second wind. We had a delicious lunch at Fresh (there's now one in our neighbourhood!!! And right next to the gym!) and felt happier, so we went shopping for Halloween costumes (we were going to a party that night). Then we weren't having a lot of success at that, so our moods went sour again. Ugh! We got home, relaxed, I had a nap, and then we were feeling pretty good again, so we tried at successful Halloween costumes once again and... SUCCESS!!! I was a lumberjack (easy enough!) and Kate was our cat Spoon!!! Haha!
So off we went to the beautiful Roncesvalles neighbourhood in Toronto, where our friend Larissa now lives (and a lot of other friends, for that matter). Larissa & Co. ran quite the party!!! Orange-y lighting, cobwebs everywhere, jars filled with brains (cauliflowers), a candy bar, and more!!! It was a blast; great music, lots of friends, and great costumes! My favourite was a guy who dressed as Zack Galifianakis with two ferns on his shoulders, as in "Between Two Ferns with Zack Galifianakis". BRILLIANT. It was a great night!
And then today - Sunday - we woke up, relaxed a wee bit, and then headed to College & Spadina area for a brunch with friends, including our friend Josh who hosted us in St. John's, Newfoundland, where he lives, but he was home for a visit. Josh made us a reservation somewhere I'd never been, called Free Times Cafe. He said he was tempted by the Jewish brunch buffet, and I thought, that sounds amazing! It was! The place was busy, yet comfortable, and had excellent service. We got a table in the backroom where the stage was, and the band today played Klezmer music, which was excellent and put everyone in such a great mood. And then there was the food..... YUM! Lox, potato latkes, challah french toast, salmon patties, gelfilte fish, salads galore... mmmm. The company was excellent, the food was delicious, the vibe was great... another great Toronto experience.
And now I'm home doing laundry, enjoying some downtime and the sounds of K. practicing in the background... no complaints!
It's been a busy weekend! One of those weekends where you don't have too much downtime, but that can be a good thing now and again. Friday night I went and saw the Toronto Symphony Orchestra perform at Roy Thomson Hall. I went with my girlfriend K. and two friends from high school. Kate's an opera singer, Rachel's a cellist, and Justine and I are former musicians (clarinet and cello, respectively), so all of us have an appreciation for classical music and symphonies. The main event at the TSO that night was Carmina Burana. You might ask yourself, "What's Carmina Burana?" You might be surprised to know that you know it! Or at least, I think you do... Check it out:
In a word, it was fantastic!!! The TSO and accompanying Toronto Mendelssohn Choir were stunning, the music was engaging, and the company was wonderful. I cherish the opportunities I have to experience arts and culture in the city. Nights like Friday always make me want to get out more!
Saturday (yesterday) was a bit of a crazy day. It was rainy, K. and I were in funky moods, and the energy of the day was just generally not great. Then we went to a Body Combat class at the gym and the endorphins rushing through us gave us a second wind. We had a delicious lunch at Fresh (there's now one in our neighbourhood!!! And right next to the gym!) and felt happier, so we went shopping for Halloween costumes (we were going to a party that night). Then we weren't having a lot of success at that, so our moods went sour again. Ugh! We got home, relaxed, I had a nap, and then we were feeling pretty good again, so we tried at successful Halloween costumes once again and... SUCCESS!!! I was a lumberjack (easy enough!) and Kate was our cat Spoon!!! Haha!
So off we went to the beautiful Roncesvalles neighbourhood in Toronto, where our friend Larissa now lives (and a lot of other friends, for that matter). Larissa & Co. ran quite the party!!! Orange-y lighting, cobwebs everywhere, jars filled with brains (cauliflowers), a candy bar, and more!!! It was a blast; great music, lots of friends, and great costumes! My favourite was a guy who dressed as Zack Galifianakis with two ferns on his shoulders, as in "Between Two Ferns with Zack Galifianakis". BRILLIANT. It was a great night!
And then today - Sunday - we woke up, relaxed a wee bit, and then headed to College & Spadina area for a brunch with friends, including our friend Josh who hosted us in St. John's, Newfoundland, where he lives, but he was home for a visit. Josh made us a reservation somewhere I'd never been, called Free Times Cafe. He said he was tempted by the Jewish brunch buffet, and I thought, that sounds amazing! It was! The place was busy, yet comfortable, and had excellent service. We got a table in the backroom where the stage was, and the band today played Klezmer music, which was excellent and put everyone in such a great mood. And then there was the food..... YUM! Lox, potato latkes, challah french toast, salmon patties, gelfilte fish, salads galore... mmmm. The company was excellent, the food was delicious, the vibe was great... another great Toronto experience.
And now I'm home doing laundry, enjoying some downtime and the sounds of K. practicing in the background... no complaints!
Tuesday, October 29, 2013
Yoga: Then & Now
Wanna know a secret? I've been working on my fitness. Well, it's not actually a secret; I just haven't blogged about it or posted about it on Facebook, Instagram, etc. It's been going on since July of this year and I wanted to share it now as I have something related to it to write about.
In Fall 2012, my girlfriend K. and I joined a yoga studio. That was not something I ever imagined for myself, but soon enough the classes became part of my weekly/biweekly routine. I really enjoyed it! I enjoyed - and still do - the deep stretches, the peace and quiet of the practice, the attitude that facing your own challenges is the point (and that there's no use in comparing yourself to others, and - of course - child's pose. I loved bringing something into my life that took me out of my comfort zone and did some good for the health of my mind, body, and soul.
In Summer 2013, K. and I decided we needed more, so we educated ourselves on and are continuing to establish healthy eating habits, and then in late August we joined a gym!!! Again, not something I imagined for myself, but we've been going 3x a week for the past two months or so and we feel fantastic!
So - what's the point of this post? Well, last night I returned to our yoga studio for the first time since... the summer at least, I think. I took a level 1 Ashtanga class with an instructor who I've taken classes with before, and he's really intense. But, it felt AWESOME! I felt stronger, I had better stamina, and I challenged myself to hold poses longer and try harder things than I normally would. It really felt incredible.
I never thought of myself as an active person, and I guess that point-of-view turned into a belief that I couldn't be active. Boy was I wrong! I can do anything!
In Fall 2012, my girlfriend K. and I joined a yoga studio. That was not something I ever imagined for myself, but soon enough the classes became part of my weekly/biweekly routine. I really enjoyed it! I enjoyed - and still do - the deep stretches, the peace and quiet of the practice, the attitude that facing your own challenges is the point (and that there's no use in comparing yourself to others, and - of course - child's pose. I loved bringing something into my life that took me out of my comfort zone and did some good for the health of my mind, body, and soul.
In Summer 2013, K. and I decided we needed more, so we educated ourselves on and are continuing to establish healthy eating habits, and then in late August we joined a gym!!! Again, not something I imagined for myself, but we've been going 3x a week for the past two months or so and we feel fantastic!
So - what's the point of this post? Well, last night I returned to our yoga studio for the first time since... the summer at least, I think. I took a level 1 Ashtanga class with an instructor who I've taken classes with before, and he's really intense. But, it felt AWESOME! I felt stronger, I had better stamina, and I challenged myself to hold poses longer and try harder things than I normally would. It really felt incredible.
I never thought of myself as an active person, and I guess that point-of-view turned into a belief that I couldn't be active. Boy was I wrong! I can do anything!
Wednesday, October 23, 2013
A night off
I'm not a very important person, but my calendar tends to get pretty full on any given week. One of my best friends in the whole world is visiting Toronto right now and so for his stay here, I booked off every evening so that I could hang out with him when he's free. He's not free tonight, and neither is my girlfriend, so that means I've booked a night off for... myself. It happened by accident, basically, but I am very happy with the consequences.
I work part-time from home, and part-time from my office at the organization I work for, which is located in Port Hope, Ontario; a little over an hour east of Toronto. I lived here in Port Hope for two years, during which time I bought a car. As such, I took my car in for oil changes and repairs at a local dealership, which I've become accustomed to. I haven't had an evening after work in PH where I had time for an oil change for a while now, but I do tonight. So once my workday is done, that'll be my first stop.
Then I can take a leisurely drive home. Nothing to rush for, no errands to make...
I made dinner for my girlfriend K. and I last night and there are leftovers. So when I get home, there's no dinner to get right to cooking. I'm going to change into comfy clothes, snuggle up with my cat, chill with my iPad, have some delicious leftovers, and maybe watch a little of "The West Wing" (my latest interest on Netflix).
Then I might even do a little work... sometimes I think of all the unpaid work I need to do but might not be appropriate to work on during the day. Maybe I'll do a little of that tonight.
Maybe I'll clean my room, do the dishes, organize the DVDs, sort through my in-tray...
The possibilities...
I work part-time from home, and part-time from my office at the organization I work for, which is located in Port Hope, Ontario; a little over an hour east of Toronto. I lived here in Port Hope for two years, during which time I bought a car. As such, I took my car in for oil changes and repairs at a local dealership, which I've become accustomed to. I haven't had an evening after work in PH where I had time for an oil change for a while now, but I do tonight. So once my workday is done, that'll be my first stop.
Then I can take a leisurely drive home. Nothing to rush for, no errands to make...
I made dinner for my girlfriend K. and I last night and there are leftovers. So when I get home, there's no dinner to get right to cooking. I'm going to change into comfy clothes, snuggle up with my cat, chill with my iPad, have some delicious leftovers, and maybe watch a little of "The West Wing" (my latest interest on Netflix).
Then I might even do a little work... sometimes I think of all the unpaid work I need to do but might not be appropriate to work on during the day. Maybe I'll do a little of that tonight.
Maybe I'll clean my room, do the dishes, organize the DVDs, sort through my in-tray...
The possibilities...
Monday, October 7, 2013
I am no longer a music God.
I had a friend named Jess who - under "favourite music" on Facebook (back when people would actually list their favourite artists and it didn't mean they had to "Like" that artist on Facebook) - used to write "Anything Maeve recommends - she is a music God". Maeve is my name, by the way.
Anything Maeve recommends - she is a music God.
I was obsessed with that. I took that declaration so seriously that I used to check every once in a while to make sure it was still there, and then post recommendations for great songs/artists on her wall to ensure I would always be her music God.
Facebook doesn't work quite the same way as it used to, so the declaration is no longer there. I know it's not because I failed as a music God, but the truth is, years later, that I'm not a music God anymore.
Back in high school, I used to buy every issue of Rolling Stone magazine and look at the top 40 albums on the back page, and highlight all the ones I wanted to own. I used to go home and spend hours downloading music by "The Artists to Watch" (that's how I discovered Regina Spektor back in 2003/2004 ish), and it would take forever because Kazaa or Limewire or whatever I used back then used to take forever. I would watch every music channel, download every song played on "The O.C.", "Dawson's Creek", and of course the entire soundtrack from "Garden State", and then I'd listen to it all while I did homework, hung out in my room, or walked anywhere. I was obsessed with music. I wanted to know every song and artist worth knowing, and most of the time I did.
University was no different, for the most part. My music tastes changed somewhat, but my passion for curating an excellent collection of music stayed the same. As time passed there were faster ways to get music, easier ways to download full albums, and more legit ways to find music worth listening to. I was older, but no less a music God.
And then I started working full-time - not that I blame work at all - and focusing on other things in my life. I don't know what... I guess, cooking... reading, maybe? Or maybe I just had less free time in the day to focus on hunting for and listening to music. But that can't really be it... that seems like a cop-out. I guess the truth is that although my love for music has not died out, my desire to have my finger on the pulse of music worth listening to has. My interest in spending hours searching for new music is no more. My time available to dedicate to a lot of music listening is less than it's been, and I just don't have the interest in making extra time for it.
This is not to say that I don't listen to or love music anymore. Nor does it mean that I don't occasionally find some new music and love it and spread the word about it. It just doesn't happen that often, and not with the strength that it used to. It's more of an accident now, less of a vocation.
And it's hard to accept this, being that it seemed to be a real part of me at one point, but now that I've put it out into the universe, I'm going to accept it. There's nothing wrong with it, but the fact remains that I am no longer a music God.
Anything Maeve recommends - she is a music God.
I was obsessed with that. I took that declaration so seriously that I used to check every once in a while to make sure it was still there, and then post recommendations for great songs/artists on her wall to ensure I would always be her music God.
Facebook doesn't work quite the same way as it used to, so the declaration is no longer there. I know it's not because I failed as a music God, but the truth is, years later, that I'm not a music God anymore.
Back in high school, I used to buy every issue of Rolling Stone magazine and look at the top 40 albums on the back page, and highlight all the ones I wanted to own. I used to go home and spend hours downloading music by "The Artists to Watch" (that's how I discovered Regina Spektor back in 2003/2004 ish), and it would take forever because Kazaa or Limewire or whatever I used back then used to take forever. I would watch every music channel, download every song played on "The O.C.", "Dawson's Creek", and of course the entire soundtrack from "Garden State", and then I'd listen to it all while I did homework, hung out in my room, or walked anywhere. I was obsessed with music. I wanted to know every song and artist worth knowing, and most of the time I did.
University was no different, for the most part. My music tastes changed somewhat, but my passion for curating an excellent collection of music stayed the same. As time passed there were faster ways to get music, easier ways to download full albums, and more legit ways to find music worth listening to. I was older, but no less a music God.
And then I started working full-time - not that I blame work at all - and focusing on other things in my life. I don't know what... I guess, cooking... reading, maybe? Or maybe I just had less free time in the day to focus on hunting for and listening to music. But that can't really be it... that seems like a cop-out. I guess the truth is that although my love for music has not died out, my desire to have my finger on the pulse of music worth listening to has. My interest in spending hours searching for new music is no more. My time available to dedicate to a lot of music listening is less than it's been, and I just don't have the interest in making extra time for it.
This is not to say that I don't listen to or love music anymore. Nor does it mean that I don't occasionally find some new music and love it and spread the word about it. It just doesn't happen that often, and not with the strength that it used to. It's more of an accident now, less of a vocation.
And it's hard to accept this, being that it seemed to be a real part of me at one point, but now that I've put it out into the universe, I'm going to accept it. There's nothing wrong with it, but the fact remains that I am no longer a music God.
Sunday, September 22, 2013
I'd like to thank the Academy...
I can't believe I haven't updated this blog in over a month. I hate looking at my favourite blogs and not seeing an update, and I try not to let that happen with S&G, but oh well...
Life is good... but busy!!!, which explains the lack of blogging. Although I am not a teacher, I do work at a school and so the energy inevitably comes back to campus and my workload the moment the academic year starts again. I love it though! During the summer I am so bored, and although it's nice to have a break and have things quiet down a bit, I much prefer overwhelmingly busy to overwhelmingly bored. Always.
Right now my plate is full of work associated with an event that takes place this Tuesday, so the end is in sight! Things are in good shape so it's just a matter of working my butt off until Tuesday at around 10:00 pm, spending the rest of the week doing the follow-up on the event, and then... well, starting work on the next event, which takes place on November 6th. And then when that's over, I'll work on the next event, which takes place on January 18th... and then I have a bit of a break. Event-planning is hard... and I'm not even an event planner. Oh well!
In other news, I have not been reading. I really need to make time to read, but I always want to do something mindless when I'm not working. I will try to get reading back into my life.
And the award for the most boring blog update goes to...
Currently reading: Nothing.
Posts to come: My thoughts on "Orange is the New Black"... eventually...
Life is good... but busy!!!, which explains the lack of blogging. Although I am not a teacher, I do work at a school and so the energy inevitably comes back to campus and my workload the moment the academic year starts again. I love it though! During the summer I am so bored, and although it's nice to have a break and have things quiet down a bit, I much prefer overwhelmingly busy to overwhelmingly bored. Always.
Right now my plate is full of work associated with an event that takes place this Tuesday, so the end is in sight! Things are in good shape so it's just a matter of working my butt off until Tuesday at around 10:00 pm, spending the rest of the week doing the follow-up on the event, and then... well, starting work on the next event, which takes place on November 6th. And then when that's over, I'll work on the next event, which takes place on January 18th... and then I have a bit of a break. Event-planning is hard... and I'm not even an event planner. Oh well!
In other news, I have not been reading. I really need to make time to read, but I always want to do something mindless when I'm not working. I will try to get reading back into my life.
And the award for the most boring blog update goes to...
Currently reading: Nothing.
Posts to come: My thoughts on "Orange is the New Black"... eventually...
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