Thesis

I am in the midst of editing my masters thesis, and am going through the resulting panic and fear of finishing such a giant project. It has been three years since I started, and there was at least six months of almost no forward movement (after I got a job that sent me all over the north with little time for writing...).

That said, the thing is going. I can see an end! I sent a draft to my supervisors on Friday, and then promptly took Saturday off to sleep in, hit the sauna and just generally dick off.

I also took a little break last weekend (lots of breaks and little work, kinda how I roll) in Ontario. Skiing, gin and good time ladies, all holed up in yurt. It was the best. Need I mention, a real outdoor Finnish sauna?

Ice fish

Last weekend was full of major winter sports. I went for a long river skate with my pal, which ended in us being served hot matte from the cult down the block, who set up a lovely little shack and a dryer fire to warm up cold strangers. The next day, me, my bro and my bestest co-workers had a fire of our own, and spent the next two hours downing beers while we slowly pressed a hole through the ice with the dullest hand auger known to man. Thank goodness my brother had a pickax. One foot down, and we could smell the salty brown river current waving up through the growing gap in the ice. We put a few lines down, and waited, laughing and soon visited by other river dwellers for the evening, before roasting a pizza on the fire and yelling.
Now they have opened the dam upstream, and the ice unstable. The fireplace has sunk half into the river. But the weather is changing, the sun feels warmer. There are signs of spring, and the thawing of crusty winter hearts and minds.

world without phones

I dropped my phone into a snow bank. It was the most blustery day, my jacket is the size of two people and it was -31 C with the wind chill. If you call me, you can communicate directly with winter.
Needless to say, I have returned to a time before phones. I read books in bed, wake up to the blare of a large digital alarm clock and never know what time it is. It's amazing.
I will be happy, I am sure, to have a new phone (it's in the mail) but until then, I'm at peace. Strange phone-free peace.

Christmas is two weeks long when your family is forever

Christmas morning. This is my sister. This was the first day of a series of parties and family that happened once, twice or three times daily, everyday until today. I've eaten more perogies, cookies and oranges than I have in the whole year previous, and maybe consumed just as much booze. It has been snowy and clear and cold and beautiful. The moon has gone from half to (almost) full and the temperature from -29 to -10. I have talked to so many relatives and buds and strangers in shopping mall lines, and even the newest relation (in spirit), my friends bebe, she just delivered early this morning. My god the world is amazing. Got to hold the little dude on my lap today, all new to the world, and sighing, worried brow and tiny hands. I was laughing at my pal, with this guy on my belly, all bouncing up and down. So much love.

Ice and snow

Not not not my photo, but from andyspade on instagram. As in the dude of kate spade. He is the best at instragram, and these little legs made me wish harder for cold so that I can skate on the river. It snowed all day yesterday, and all I am asking for chirstmas is crosscountry skis and moccasins so that I can dive into winter full on. The river is still dangerous, but any day now, it will become hard and see through and they will plough the snow and people will go walking and sliding and whole another passageway through the city will open up. I can't wait.

Christmas tree hunting

Went to cut down a tree today, with my b and bro and ma. We drove the family van out to Pine Falls, all bundled and bickering and eating nuts the whole way. The sun was low low, because it is getting dark so very early these days before Christmas. I chopped a little lovely down, trying to pick one in a tight jam so that the space it left would fill with other trees. It was cold as anything today, cold like it is all winter, but hasn't been just yet. It was great fun, and on the way home, the four of us were all jammed in the van with two trees, branchs in our mouths and passing peppermint tea around. It was lovely.

Blossom dear

White lady with soul. This is what Miles said, by the by. I hope to something I've got soul like Blossom.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ks2L3h6CZ1U