Less Gutted

We drove to Montreal on Saturday and Called Audrey as soon as we got in. Audrey was very happy that we had come all the way from Toronto to see her.

While we were visiting her we got caught up with more of the family. We are going to get together with one of Jack’s Sons in Toronto shortly.

Jack was a painter, successful enough that he had several shows in Montreal. His style was very modern and linear. Very crisp and precise lines. Almost architectural. When there was a lull in the activity in the apartment Audrey took us in to the bedroom and showed us a stack of his paintings. She asked us to choose two to take home. We chose one for ourselves and one that we will ship to Igals Parents. Audrey said that Jack would have been very happy for us to have the paintings. Igal and I were both very honored by Audrey’s offer. We could both scarcely speak as we left the apartment, we were both pretty so over whelmed with emotion.

Various Members of the Family were busy that night so Igal and I were left to our own devices. We wandered down town were there was some sort of a festival going on and one of the more popular streets was closed to vehicular traffic.

Businesses has set up booths to sell there wares in the street and Restaurants had assembled huge patios. At one of the out door bars a man was drinking a beer with his pet chinchilla sitting on his shoulder. An odd sight… We paused at another bar and had some excellent wine and Oysters and watched the crowd wander by. A gentleman with a Grey Parrot sitting on his shoulder came in and sat at the bar with his friends. I asked the Gentleman if I could take a picture of his Parrot and he replied that he would do one better and He would take a picture of me and his Parrot. So he plopped the parrot on my shoulder and grabbed my camera. Now I am the proud owner of a “parrot and I” self portrait.

The Next day Igal and I has been invited to another family member’s home. We spent a lovely afternoon getting caught up with family and chatting.

Lana and Her boyfriend Dan were on there way to a resort out side of Montreal, so they stopped and joined us. When it was time to leave Lana invited us to join her and Dan at the resort. – They had a room with a pull out couch. I was supposed to be at work the next day but I decided to stay an extra day and we joined them.

Overall the weekend left me feeling much better then I was feeing when we left Toronto.

We’re saddened by the loss of Jack. He was the last of the original group that came from Russia. His loss is the loss of a legacy of that family, a piece of their history that is forever gone. Audrey was holding up well, but the strain was visible, and I was worried about what would happen to her when the Shiva was over. But I am so very glad that we went. If Igals parents had been living in Toronto they would have made this trip. It feels that we have continued tradition. Terrible loss and sorrow standing starkly against wonderful comfort and closeness to sooth it.

We must go back very soon.

Gutted: Part 2

When Igal got home last night he told me that his uncle Jack from Montreal had died.

Jack was the last of the group of who emigrated from Russia (probably 50 plus years ago) Jacks Sister was the lovely, lovely Auntie Doris, who died two years ago in October. He was the youngest of that group.

Like his wonderful sister Doris, Jack always made me feel welcome and loved. He had a wicked, sharp sense of humor and I suspect an equally wicked and sharp temper. His lovely wife Audrey is an accomplished Doctor, an intelligent and witty feminist and one of the classiest ladies I have ever met.

Last night and this morning have been a flurry of phone calls and emails to various members of the Montreal family. We missed the funeral which was at 1:45 this afternoon, but I got a hold of Helen; Jacks Niece, (Daughter of Doris) and told her that Igal and I were planning on coming up very soon.

A lot of people will be keenly feeling the loss of Uncle Jack.

Sigh.
Gutted. Still.

Current feeling: Gutted

This has been the worst month in years, splashed with moments of profound grace.

I have swung wildly from the lows of totally inappropriately, completely unprofessionally, bursting into tears in a friends dining room. To feeling utterly blessed, to be able to provide hospitality for very good friends in my home, followed by the bliss of listening to my harp teachers CD release party, to being slapped in the face with phone message from someone who “did not care for” my tone of voice on a message I left.

The shocking thing about the “tone of voice” thing, was I really had no intention of turning into Comrade Snarky. (And Goddess knows I can when the mood strikes me)
I was well and truly bitch slapped to hear that. I have left an apology for the “tone” (wich was hopefully in the right tone) and had a long conversation with a supervisor of said “tone of voice” Complainant. Supervisor of Complainant assures me that I should not have been treated that way. I don’t see things as being that cut and dry and I really don’t want to get any one in trouble. The only reason I called supervisor was I was afraid I had been fired.

So while that quagmire had been mostly cleared up I am examining the complete lack of bliss that is my job search.

Helllooooooooooo! Is anybody out there!?

It would be really nice to get a lousy interview.

Well actually no, I take that back. I would like a GOOD INTERVIEW. That will lead to a GOOD JOB. That will be SATISFYING. And will PAY WELL.

Ahem.

If I’m going to have it, I’m going to have it all.

So there has been more bliss and more bitch slappage but really that’s enough for now.

I could really use more of the bliss right now to fill up this gutted feeling. But if the bliss doesn’t come to me then I will go to the bliss. I’ve signed up for a crochet course at the mighty Lettuce Knit, I’ve run four of the twelve miles I will run this week. I will take my bike to work tomorrow, (if it’s not pouring rain) and now… I will go have a cookie.

Becel Ride for Heart and the Great Juniper Tree Adventure.

Today was the “Ride for Heart” one of those events (like the international marathon) that is the scourge of all drivers in Toronto. –At least those who don’t run or bike.

Igal and I signed up and took our selves and our bikes down to the Ex grounds this morning at 8:00 am. There we met Lana and made our way to the start area.

The reason why this event is the scourge of drivers is because it takes place on the Gardener and the Don Valley Parkway. The course starts at the on-ramp closest to the Dufferen gates on the Gardener, the 50K route (the one we took) continues along the Gardener to the DVP and up the DVP to York Mills and back.

I don’t think I have ever seen so many bicyclists all in one place at one time. There were all levels and ages of riders. People on Crappy-Tire specials and $5000.00 Madone frames and everything in between. The beginning of the ride had a lot of bikes jammed all together, it was a little nerve wrecking and gave me a whole new appreciation for Bicyclists traveling in peloton formation.

It was very well organized. There were rest stops about once every 10 k or so with plenty of water, fruit and porta-potties. Going north was quite hard, as most of the way was up hill. The last hill just before the turn-around was a killer.

The three of us stuck together for the first ¼ of the ride and then Lana, riding a much lighter faster road bike got board of our plodding pace and left us in the dust.

Igal and I weren’t really paying attention to our time but I think if took us about 2 1/2 hours to do the ride, and that was with two water breaks and a Potty-stop.

Things to remember for next year:
1. Do not misplace your purse with all of your ID, bank card, credit card, and social insurance card in a movie theatre the night before a 50 K ride. – This leads to a lack of sleep and may impair your ability to unclip your self when coming to a stop. *See Point number 2*
2. When coming to a stop remember to unclip yourself from your pedals. Failure to do so can result in toppling over side ways causing a severely bruised ego.
3. Bring water. Bizarrely there is no water at the start area.
4. Unload the heavy, thick tired, “Hybrid” bike and get fancy-pants light road bike
5. Smoke Lana’s ass.


After the ride, and after picking up my wayward purse we made arrangements to pick up some juniper bushes. (freebees from work) When I was told bushes I thought … small cute, perhaps 3 feet tall. When went to pick them up we discovered juniper trees. Big. Scruffy. Unkempt things - taller than me. (taller than me is admittedly not hard, but still..)

Igal and I some how jammed three of them in to the car (Car – as in Sedan – and not a truck - which was really what we needed for this job) brought them home and turned around and got 2 more and dumped them in the back yard.

So now, after our 50K ride, and monster juniper harvest we are both (officially) hurting units.

My personal ouch list:
1. One bruised Ego (see point 2 above)
2. One bruised elbow (see point 2 above)
3. Sore legs
4. Sore lower back (tree hauling)
5. Sore Butt (you try sitting in a little saddle for 2 and a half hours)

Coming soon:

The Great Tree planting adventure.