Backtracking: Movie Reviews part 4

Next 5 movies:

June 14, 2009: I thought the new Indiana Jones flick was fun and cheesy, but I was irked by Shia Laboeuf's lack of chin. :-P (C)







June 16, 2009: I just finished watching a bizarre black-comedy art-flick "Johnny Suede" (C+), featuring a VERY young Brad Pitt!








June 18, 2009: I just finished watching "Caterina in the Big City" (A-), which is like an Italian version of "Mean Girls"... but with more spontaneity, more involvement of famiglia, and even the meanest girls are still kind of sweet. And then everyone ends up being friends. Recommend! :-)


June 23, 2009: I was totally charmed by the Israeli movie, "The Band's Visit". Egyptian police band ends up in backwoods Israel, amusing & good-hearted hijinx ensue, and the world reveals itself as being full of kind, wonderful people just trying to get through life. (B+)



June 29, 2009: I saw "Blindsight", a documentary about a group of blind Tibetan teenagers doing a climbing expedition of Mount Everest... it actually happened!! Whoa. (Fact that it happened: A+, the movie itself, B)


Winner of the set: "Caterina and the Big City"

Winner so far: Unchanged! It's still "Blade Runner", with runners-up of "Be Kind Rewind" and "Into the Wild", in that order.

Backtracking: Movie Reviews part 3

Next five movies:

May 24, 2009: I was utterly wow-ed by "Into the Wild". Great performances, EVEN by otherwise-weak Twilight-damsel. Fantastic music augments mood -- Eddie Vedder on lone acoustic guitar really hammers home the solitude the main character seeks. (A)


June 4, 2009: I recently enjoyed two obscure movies -- Blame it on Fidel (A), and Boy A (B+). Check them out when you are in the mood for two great end-of-childhood films!







June 10, 2009: I've confirmed, through rewatching, that "Blade Runner" is among the best films of all time, and is as visionary, textured, and brilliant now as it was back in the 1980s. (A+)







June 12, 2009: I had liked the movie, "Bug", up until the point where everyone went TOTALLY batshit nuts. (*Somewhat* nuts is fine, but there's a point when things stop making sense, and somewhere after that things stop being interesting...) I give it a D.





Winner of the set: ... come on, it's not fair to pit any movie up against "Blade Runner"! ;-)

Winner so far: "Blade Runner". Clearly.

Runners-up: "Be Kind Rewind" and "Into the Wild", in that order.

Backtracking: Movie Reviews part 2

And now for the next five movies!

April 28, 2009: I really enjoyed "Be Kind Rewind" -- it's a sweet and funny movie, with gentle turns and loving homage to classic films.








May 1, 2009: I was blogging and watching the movie, "Troy". I'll let you guess which one is occupying the majority of my brain cells... ;-)








May 10, 2009: I enjoyed "Star Trek", but I'm not sure if it wasn't largely because of the very cute Zach Quinto...









May 11, 2009: I wanted to like"I'm Not There" (the Bob Dylan movie), but didn't. :-P I get the feeling that, to truly understand why Dylan was so important/controversial/whatever, ya had to be there...






May 16, 2009: I finished "Zwartboek", which is thus far surprisingly entertaining. Bad, but entertaining. Think "Showgirls" done a la Third Reich resistance.





Winner of the set: "Be Kind Rewind"

Winner so far: "Be Kind Rewind"! I adored this movie!

Backtracking: Movie Reviews

For those of you who know me on Facebook, you already know that I like doing mini-reviews of films. It's been awhile since I started that, and I often find myself tracking back in my statuses to see what I'd said about a specific film. So, for your enjoyment (and my records), here are my (brief) movie reviews!

Since I've seen a lot of movies since January 2009, I'll put them up five at a time to avoid information overload. Enjoy! ^_^

January 24, 2009: I really enjoyed the movie "Frost/Nixon". I wish airline travel was that posh nowadays!




April 15, 2009: I watched "La Vie en Rose", enjoyed it enough, but found it a little too moody and indulgent for my liking.



April 20, 2009: I just watched a really neat movie called "Joyeux Noel"... it's about the 1914 Christmas where the front lines of WWI unofficially called a truce and partied together! Amazing idea, eh?



April 21, 2009: I think that "Bridge to Terabithia" should be renamed to "My Girl: another sequel". Boo urns.



April 26, 2009: I just watched "The Man who Wasn't There", and think Scarlett Johanssen did a very good job of playing a young, awkward high school girl. :-)






Winner among these: "Joyeux Noel"!

Stay tuned for my next five flicks....

Ottawa Fringe Lineup!

It's that time of year again, where the wonderful world of the Fringe Festival descends on eastern Canada and makes its way westward. I can barely contain my excitement!!!

Indeed, one of my least favourite parts of living in the western-most city in Canada is that it is the *final* destination of the fair Fringe. I have to wait until September to partake! How sad...

And in my envy of Ottawa experiencing the Fringe in a mere two weeks from now, allow me to use my finely-tuned Fringe radar to scan the program and plug a few shows.

• Burlesque Unzipped: I've actually seen this one, and it's an excellent performance piece, impeccably acted one-woman burlesque/history/comedy/dance show. I liked it a great deal, and highly recommend it. Suitable for Fringe virgins (=never been to a Fringe show).
  
• The Sputniks is another one I've seen, and found it to be good. Not great, but solidly good. One-woman show talking about life in a Soviet refugee camp, and coming to Canada. Interesting, compelling, and worth seeing. Drama, not comedy. Not for Fringe virgins, though.
  
• I know (or know of) people in these plays, so I'd be going to Unequal Harvest, Wild Abandon, Cactus: the Seduction.
  
• I've found this theatre company to be fairly reliable: The Last Goddamned Performance Piece (Black Sheep Theatre).
  
• These were showing last year in Winnipeg (and/or Victoria), and despite hearing good things about them, I wasn't able to get to them: The Last Straight Man in Theatre, Archy and Mehitabel, The Peter and Chris Show, Underneath It All
• This is a show that I'll see just to support my Winnipeg peeps who've travelled so far: Misadventures of a Massage Therapist
  
• And lastly, plays whose descriptions were noticed by my Fringe antennae, as they sound reasonably entertaining: 7x1 Samurai, Every Job I've Ever Had, Aomega, TransCanada 69, Actionable, Men Telling Stories

Anyhow, these are my picks, listed in descending order of priority. If any of these make it to the Victoria Fringe (in September! sob!!), I will see them then; if you see them first, I would love to know what you thought!

Happy Fringing to you! ^_^

Things I Learned about Breastfeeding, Part 2: The Experience

Wow, what a fantastic reaction from the last post! I was touched. :-) (And yes, even by you, Mr. Deepseated-Issues on comment #3... you're a valuable example of the attitudes a breastfeeding mum has to deal with.) :-) My thanks to all the commenters, and the readers as well.

My lovely boy, modelling his breastfeeding pillow. Tyra would be proud!

Anyhoo, as promised, it's time to move on to the more personal level of my breastfeeding experience. Here is what I have learned so far:

• Considering that it is a natural process/skill, breastfeeding sure didn't come to me very naturally! While I think myself to be a reasonably intelligent person, it took me a long while to figure out what I needed to do, and what did and did not work well. Patience with myself was invaluable during this time.

• Having a list of available breastfeeding resources on-hand was a real lifesaver. As such, I advise expecting mothers to make a list of supports they can call upon, should they need help at some point. Excellent resources include doulas, La Leche groups, mother babe groups, and public health nurses. I continue to rely on nurses or doulas whenever I run into trouble, and it's made breastfeeding infinitely easier and more enjoyable.

• Even with the aforementioned supports, the first two weeks of breastfeeding are AWFUL. For the first few days, baby has to suck miniscule amounts of colostrum from the breasts with the force of a vaccuum cleaner, and it took awhile for both Will and I to learn proper latching technique. During this time, I was frustrated, overwhelmed, and in a lot of pain. However, by week 3, everything clicked and has since gone amazingly well. So, to all you moms-to-be, it *really does* get better! :-)
  

• While I was having nursing difficulties, Medela silicon nipple shield was the best $8 I've ever spent, since it disperses the suction over more of the breast and thereby makes nursing easier on one's tender nipples.

• The first few days go smoother when you can liberally apply pure lanolin cream; having to ration out minuscule amounts of the hospital-issue sample packs was an extra inconvenience I did not need. Were I to do this all over again, I would pack a tube in my hospital bag.

• Also, bring a (sports-style) nursing bra to the hospital. Those hospital gowns are scratchy. 'Nuff said.

• It's never too soon to start building a nursing wardrobe. I recommend the Ripe brand crossover top, which has been a fashion staple of mine throughout pregnancy and breastfeeding. The Bravado nursing tank is also an excellent choice, if you don't mind showing off cleavage.
  

• Breastfeeding pillows are good for more than just breastfeeding; we use ours for tummy time, dad doing bottle feeding, and general cuddling or chilling out. Don't buy one, though, since they're really expensive to buy but easy to make.

• Breastfeeding cape patterns can also be found online, which saved me some money. (Plus, it was a fun project!)
  

• Breastfeeding in public isn't as big a deal as I thought it would be. Granted, I've only done it a few dozen times, and I do pick my locations carefully, and I do keep a cape on-hand for emergencies. All told, though, I've not encountered any tut-tutting grannies or leering dudes, which I'd been bracing myself to face on all sides.

• Then again, during breastfeeding, I don't really notice much, other than my lovely son. It's way more of a bonding experience than I'd anticipated, and I know I'll miss it when he's weaned. The fact that I enjoy that time is a huge surprise to me.

• Lastly, and most importantly, the breastfeeding situation between a mother and her child is different for everyone. It is important to try to breastfeed, and to seek help and support when needed; however, if significant issues persist after all help and support has been exhausted, it's even more important to dismiss any guilt you may have and carry on with other options (like formula). What matters most is that you are feeding your baby, and if anyone has a problem with the way you're doing it, it's their own hangups manifesting. So regardless of what your feeding relationship is, keep your head held high, believe in your decision, and when necessary, feel free to tell tut-tutters to sod off. ;-)
  

Anyhow, I hope some of these observations are useful to some of you out there! Feel free to leave comments about your own experiences, should you wish to share.

Things I Learned about Breastfeeding, Part 1: The Context

Get ready for a long post; as it turns out, there's a lot to learn about breastfeeding! In fact, there is so much to say, I've split the topic into two posts. My next post will address my specific experience; but first, I will help frame this experience by elaborating on breastfeeding as a context.

I've discovered that the topic is highly political, so broach it with caution! As it happens, many people -- mothers, hospital staff, random people -- can suddenly become defensive, guilt-ridden, smug, or downright angry at the mere mention of breastfeeding. Worse still, these unprovoked blowups are not limited to one camp; the "formula's fine" crew and the "lactivists" can be equally volatile.

Paradoxically, though, breastfeeding NEEDS to be talked about! The fact is, there is a minority of women who are milky goddesses, able to easily feed their baby with no problems or help. There is also a minority of women who simply cannot (or should not*) make milk, regardless of how much help they get. The rest of us, and I'm guessing we're the vast majority, fall in the middle -- we're physically able to make milk, but we need help in figuring out this new and seemingly strange process. (It's not easy!)

Current (American) statistics indicate that the majority of mothers leave the hospital having initiated breastfeeding, but by 6 months, not even 14% are still exclusively breastfeeding. Such a dramatic decline is surely due to many factors, but it cannot be addressed, let alone solved, without first resolving the vitriol-fraught nature of the breastfeeding dialogue. Both sides need to let go of their baggage and resolve the following:

• to agree that, thanks to modern scientific advances, formula is perfectly acceptable food for babies;
• to acknowledge the numerous scientific findings proving the quantifiable nutritional superiority of breast milk;
• to ensure that breastfeeding information and assistance exists for all new mothers;
• to ensure that said assistance is ample, accessible, and that it is adequately promoted and supported by the medical and health communities;
• to condemn public attitudes of breastfeeding being "gross" or obscene;
  
• to support mothers, especially those experiencing difficulty with breastfeeding, in whatever solution is appropriate for their individual situation. This includes formula use.
• to reinforce that while breastmilk is superior to formula, a breastfeeding mom is NOT superior to a formula-feeding mom!

If everyone were to shed their attitudes and find common ground, we could foster a culture that could give the support that moms need. We must trade in our judgement for compassion, our blame for solutions, our righteousness for humility, our silence for meaningful dialogue.

In sum, we must say "enough!" to the current "damned if you do, damned if you don't" paradox of breastfeeding; the job of raising a child is hard enough as it is.

And thus concludes Breastfeeding Politics 101! ;-) Now that you have a better idea of the current context, my personal/specific observations to come Part 2 may have more resonance. Until then!


(* due to taking medication, for example)

Motherhood Month 1: Stuff I've Learned

Our lovely little boy, Will, was born on Feb 17th after a mere 6 hours of labour. He arrived into the world healthy, hollering, and as long and skinny as a salami. In the month and a half since, he's become more adorable, more alert and interactive... though still not mastering the art of smiling. (He gently meows, though, so that's tiding us over for cute-factor.) ;-) We love him so, and are eager to get to know him more as the months and years pass.

So, what have I learned in the last month? Here goes:

• There's a certain circle of Heaven reserved for people who, when visiting a family with a new baby, bring food. Bonus points if they do a bit of housework while there, or leave after half an hour.

• Making and freezing food (lasagne, chili, pasta sauce, quiche) during the last few months of pregnancy has been a lifesaver on nights when I'm too tired to cook anything.
  

• Second-hand and consignment are stores are AWESOME, since anything "baby" is WAY overpriced (and there's no guarantee baby will like that vibrating seat, or whatever).

• A yoga ball is a good investment. It's useful for pregnancy exercise, labour positions, and for bouncing a fussy baby to sleep. (The $29 Zellers kind is fine, but make sure it's big enough to sit on comfortably.)

• When browsing through adorable baby clothes, seasons matter. As in, DO NOT buy that sweet little summer outfit, sized 0-3 months, for a baby born in February.

• In fact, resist purchasing 0-3 month clothes altogether. You don't need many outfits in this size (6-10?), since the kid is neither mobile enough nor spewing enough to dirty his clothes that quickly.
  

• Baby clothes that do not snap at the legs/crotch for easy diaper access may be cute, but are of highly limited functionality. Avoid purchasing these.

• Make sure you have 2-3 zip hoodies for the kid, to throw on before going outside. (This is MUCH easier than changing a whole outfit!)

• While pregnant, make a list of baby-friendly stuff to do (such as mother-baby groups) that will get you out of the house. This will be a godsend when you crave adult human interaction during the daytime.
  

• Best books: "The Thinking Woman's Guide to a Better Birth" on getting literate about common labour intervention practises; "Happiest Baby on the Block" for tips on how to settle a fussy newborn, and my favourite, "If Your Kid Eats this Book, Everything Will Still be Okay", which tells you what kind of baby ooze from which orifices have what level of urgency. Most of it assures you that everything is fine, which I love.

Anyhow, I hope this list is helpful for those of you who are expecting (or know someone who is), or was at least amusing for those of you who aren't. And if any of you have things you've learned and like to share, I'd love to hear your comments! :-)

Next up will be "Stuff I Learned about Breastfeeding"... stay tuned!

Is 'public policy' an out of date discipline?

Sometimes I wonder whether my chosen field, public policy, is actually running out of steam as a discipline.

Here's my line of thought:

1. Public policy can be understood as the process by which decisions by public institutions (mainly government) are made for the benefit of the public. Policy is enacted through government programs and services implemented by public administrations.

2. Increasingly, though, government is not in charge of the issues that it wants to address. Homelessness, climate change, spiraling health care costs--all of these are critical issues of our political conversation, but government cannot 'fix' them, despite pretensions otherwise. Progress in these areas demands the efforts and resources of many different players. No one organization is going to save the world by itself.

3. This means public policies are a lot less important than they used to be. To be clear: it's not that they're unimportant. But they are only really powerful if they can be well coordinated with the action of other organizations, communities and individuals.

4. So the value of public policy isn't the policy. It's the ability to build relationships, trust and manage interests in such a way that leads networks of individuals, communities, businesses and NGOs towards a shared goal.

There are lots of examples of areas where 'policy' as it's classically understood  still has tons of sway. Tax policy and economic forecasting come to mind. But even those are simply tools in a toolbox that government has to achieve goals and influence change. Good tax policy is useful when it aligns with (or funds) programs and services that make a difference.

If I'm right about this, I think the most interesting implication is the shift it will demand from the public servants formerly known as 'policy wonks'.

Policy wonks are the privileged experts of the government world. They are impartial advisors to elected decision makers, and handle some of the most sensitive and secret of materials for their political masters. They know issues deeply, and through analysis and research, come up with the options that land on Cabinet tables. It's heady, influential and addictive stuff.

The argument I'm making is that in the future, wonkish expertise is going to be of lower value than the ability to leverage networks, cut deals, and align ideas, people and action behind the goals Ministers want to achieve. Policy analysts won't be doing much analysis. Instead, they'll be using collaborative tools like the web in tandem with well honed powers of communication, facilitation and imagination to do the work the public needs.

I'm curious what you think. I'm I saying something obvious? Or is there a real shift occurring that means 'policy' isn't that relevant any more?

Posted via email from David's posterous

RIght on Canada, but what about Norway?

With all the marvelous and deserved flag waving and back patting that's happened after the Olympics, it occurred to me (after a conversation with my Dad, actually) that there is a story that deserves to be told that hasn't.

Norway.

In the final medal count, they were fourth with 23, just behind our fair country's 26. But wait, compare some simple demographics:

According to Wikipedia, Norway has a population of 4.8 milliion. Whereas Canada's population comes in at roughly 33 million.

In fact, Norway was a top five Olympic finisher with a population roughly the same size as we have here in British Columbia.

This is remarkable, is it not? That a country that small could achieve so much?

Dear world press: please celebrate the achievement of the Norwegians. They might not win at hockey, but boy did they clean up everywhere else.

---

Yahoo! Canada Toolbar : Search from anywhere on the web and bookmark your favourite sites. Download it now!

Posted via email from David's posterous

A Promise to the Impending HelgaHume

So with a mere few weeks before our mini-HelgaHume is due to arrive, I've been mulling over various theories of parenting, etc. The conclusion so far is this: I have no idea what I'm doing, nor can I (really) know anything before actually arriving there.

But I do know this: I am smart, full of love, and firmly believe in the value of holding onto one's sense of humour through adversity and struggle. While these qualities will not ensure flawless parenting, I'm reasonably confident they'll be useful as I try to figure this whole thing out.

In this interim, instead of anticipating details, I prefer to establish a philosophy and overarching modus operandi for how I'd like this parenting thing to go. So, here is the pledge I make to you, my unborn child:

I may not always be a "good mum", whatever that means. Instead, I will strive to be "good enough". As a good-enough mum, I will do my non-omniscient, non-omnipotent best to keep you safe, warm, fed, and emotionally and intellectually nourished.

I won't always be right, but I will try hard to always be fair. Unfortunately, fairness doesn't always mean a happy resolution for all, but at least consistency and fairness will teach you about compromise and justice.

I will avoid judgement of other parenting practises. Parenting is just too damned hard, and involves too many variables, to be able to hold others to a standardized set of rules.

While I will always be mindful of you, I will retain my own interests, dreams, and goals in life. By nurturing my separate self, I can be a better mother to you. I hope it also shows you the importance of independence, and that of recognizing and working to fulfill your own needs. In the end, only you are responsible for your own happiness.

I will try to really listen to you. It is important that you feel heard, and that you develop confidence that what you think or feel does, in fact, matter. This will take time, energy, and effort, and may sometimes translate to other things getting overlooked. Sometimes, feeling heard is more important than going to school with brushed hair or a clean shirt. ;-)

Also, since marriages have a much higher mortality rate than kids do, I warn you that there will be times that I put Dave and my marriage before you. This will not be a pleasant lesson, but it will demonstrate a strong and loving partnership of equals, which I deeply hope you will one day achieve.

As you reveal to me who you are, I will try my best to not let my personal biases and prejudices interfere with supporting you. No doubt you will challenge me to expand the horizons of what I currently appreciate, and for that, I thank you in advance (because I likely won't be feeling so thankful at the time). ;-)

All that being said, my bottom line is this: You must have A dream (which is up to you to develop, and can change and grow as you do), and you must vote. Everything else, we'll work out when the time comes.

I love you, little squid, and am very much looking forward to getting to know you.

Conan and Generational Change

So I'm on #teamconan.

I've watched him, on and off, since university (UVic Grad 2001). And he's been great. Pimpbot; Triumph the Insult Comic Dog, the Masturbating Bear are all hilarious. More interesting still was how he came from being a behind the scenes writer-guy to getting out in front of the camera, growing into the role as he got experience. And now, as we know, he's been pushed out of his 'dream job' so that Jay Leno can return to the Tonight Show.

I don't have a real beef with Leno--he's funny for an audience that likes its humor safe, and is apparently a ratings winner in his traditional time slot.

But I'm squarely with Team Conan because of the important subtext of this story: generational change.

Conan is youngish (47), has played by the rules, and done everything he can to position himself to inherit Johnny Carson's chair on the Tonight Show, just like Jay did almost two decades ago.

But the old guy won't budge. And the old guys at NBC, looking desperately at their wallets, won't budge either.

My worry is that this is a portent of things to come.

In every sector of our society, from commerce to public service, teaching to trades, it's anticipated that retirements are going to hugely impact available skills. Young people have been told this for years, and many are ready or are getting ready to lead.

As these shortages begin to really make themselves felt, will organizations follow NBC's lead and bet on the old war horse? Or will new blood get a chance to take the reins of the big show?

Working out a way to avoid a constant, internecine, society wide clash between a tried and tested Baby Boom generation and the group of young people who make up Generation X and onwards, who think their vision of the world is best positioned to lead humanity out of the trouble it finds itself in, is going to be a major challenge. And to be frank, I'm not sure what to do.

In an ideal world, organizations allow young leadership to step in, but evolve a more knowledge focused mentoring role for its vital but older leadership--something like an Emeritus position. It'd be great to know who, if anyone, is trying new inter-generational organizational models on, hopefully with some real benefits to performance.

Posted via email from David's posterous

Movie Review: Avatar

Last night I saw Avatar in 3D, and it made enough of an impression to merit a blog post. There was so much to say, that I needed to reach beyond my usual Facebook-status-review. :-)


-- The Downsides --
For all the astounding visual innovation Avatar nimbly delivers, the story was simply lazy. It's a plot we've all seen many, many times before, even for those of us who have not seen "Dances with Wolves". If Avatar had been a drinking game where we had to take a shot every time a cliché occurs, no one would make it through the 2.5 hour movie.

Moreover, the old cliché used aren't even good ones. Here are some examples:

• Overall message of Avatar: "It shore is a good thing that them there white boy came along to SAVE all them noble savages!"
  
• Military is BAD BAD BAD EVIL, all the time, and that's that.
• The indigenous race is presented with staggering romanticism, with no mention or indication of any social problems, warfare, or other issues whatsoever. Given that all races HAVE internal issues of some sort, introducing something offhand would have made the Na'avi much more interesting and believable.
  
• When the heroine is introduced, she kicks much ass. However, she becomes relatively submissive and useless the moment that our hero steps into the fore. Forget that she's had a lifetime of training, hunting and fighting; apparently in a mere three months, which includes him LEARNING TO WALK, he's better at everything! Blech.
  
• Also, while said heroine is kicking ass, she has dreadlocks, which are generally found on black women. HOWEVER, when the inevitable scene arrives in which she needs to be "made purdy" enough to justify culminating the romantic subplot, her hair is straight and relaxed, like a white girl's. What, Cameron, are dreadlocked girls too far from our white-centred beauty ideal to merit love, too?
  

Unsurprisingly, the movie joins its action-movie brethren in failing the Bechdel test.


-- The Upsides --
Now, with the downers aside, allow me to elaborate on the positively incredible visuals of Avatar. Despite its obvious stylization, the CGI work blends seamlessly with the real-world portions of the film. I often forgot entirely that anything was animated at all. The CGI characters were beautifully expressive and well-designed; their world consists of a fantastical, fleshed-out ecosystem which actually borders on believability. The overall effect is dazzling.

Moreover, with the exception of SCTV's "Dr. Tongue and the House of ..." sketches, I've never before witnessed anything done in 3D. My gimmick-radars had made me skeptical, but Avatar succeeds in delivering a fantastic 3D experience. Several times, I found myself curbing my reflex to swat at the small mosquito-like bugs inhabiting the rainforest, which seemed to hovering right in front of me. It's those small details which show Cameron's undeniable technological adeptness with 3D; he knows that successful use of 3D is more about adding a subtle new layer, rather than having random things flying at the audience.


-- The Verdict --
Watching this movie occupied 40% of my brain, but commanded a full and deserved 100% of my visual and audio attention. Overall, Avatar is typical Cameron fare -- a richly-textured spectacle strung together with only *just* enough hackneyed plot to make the many, many action sequences make sense. Grade: B

A fun story about indoor composting

After reading this article (the comments section warrants a giggle or two), I began to reflect on how I have not seen a house centipede since leaving Ottawa.

Then, I recalled something that happened last summer, in our old house in Wellington Village.

Dave and I are big believers in composting. By disposing of the rotting garbage separately from the rest, your garbage can remains sanitary, odourless, and generally inoffensive. Moreover, when given time (and worms), the garbage that rots eventually undergoes a fabulous alchemy into black, nutrient-rich soil. In turn, this soil translates into healthier houseplants, beautiful flowers, and succulent tomatoes. In short, everyone wins.

The only drawback is the persistence with which one needs to ensure all compost is BURIED. Exposed rot is a perfect place for fruit flies to populate, and once established, these pests require Herculanean efforts to get rid of.

This issue was one we'd had last summer, and were dealing with it in a gradual and pesticide-free manner. What this meant was, that for one maddening week, we had fruit flies EVERYWHERE. But after that, the population noticeably declined. We must have been doing something right.

Now, decline is not the same as erased, and we were expecting houseguests in the near future. Dave's sister and her husband were due to visit, and we wanted our place to be gorgeous (read, fruit-fly-free) for their stay. So, a week before they arrived, I moved the compost out to the garage, and put up fly tape. Soon, there were no more fruit flies. Life was good.

One week later, I was sweeping the house, and came across some oddly-shaped dustbunnies hiding in corners. Only, they were NOT dustbunnies -- they were dead spiders! There were likely a half dozen of them in that sweep alone, and it got me thinking... had they starved from the lack of fruit flies??

Naw, that couldn't be it.

Fast forward to two weeks after THAT, where I found something else very strange -- several shrivelled, dead house centipedes! Now, recall that house centipedes eat spiders, and now that there were fewer spiders to eat... could they have starved, too??

I didn't know whether to be mournful or revolted. Frankly, I still don't.

But what I do know is that the circle of life can happen anywhere, even in one's humble abode. ;-) Take it away, Disney...

Halloween in Victoria

Halloween has come and gone, and it's made me realize just how long a year can be.

Precisely one year before, Dave and I had only just moved into our new house in Ottawa. We were still surrounded by boxes, which we had to frantically dig through to find the components of our impromptu costumes. Having no idea on what kind of Trick or Treater turnout to expect, we'd bought way too much candy.

Unfortunately, we learned that night about how Trick or Treaters tend to avoid busy streets (like the one we live on) in favour of quieter roads nearby. Not one kid came to our house, and it still kinda bums me out to recall.

On the upside, the costumes turned out fabulously, and the party we went to later was an absolute blast. The StatsGang was partying en force that night, and the evening proceeded in my favourite set of phases: the crowded, giddy stage, then the silly, comfortable phase, then the dancing phase, and lastly, retreating to the basement to play guitars and sing until the wee hours. Amanda had a songbook of Weezer hits, and we went through nearly all of them in varying states of inebriation.

That was also the last time I saw Begona, a dear friend who was to return to her life overseas the very next day. I miss her.

All of that feels like it happened many years ago. Since then, Dave and I have done yet another cross-country move, this time ending up in Victoria, BC. We have finally settled into our new house, and so, this Halloween, we were able to host the party!

This arrangement worked out best for all involved; most of our Victoria friends live in condos, which are generally nonconducive to late night parties, or to Trick or Treaters. We had about two dozen kids come by, all in fantastic costumes such as Optimus Prime, Lady Gaga, and some young boys in hilarious drag. (I even got props for spotting a kid dressed up as Naruto, a popular anime character.) ;-)

The party itself was a success, as well. The potluck-style dinner assured an overabundance of delicious food, from which we would have been stuffed even if we hadn't filled our faces with candy beforehand. ;-) We watched some amusing and retro Disney Halloween specials, and then played two games of Cranium in which the girls triumphed handily over the boys.

We also carved a number of fantastic jack-o-lanterns, which still stand proudly on our stoop.


Be sure to check out our Flickr space for more pictures from the evening. But, to close off, enjoy this set of photos of "Wolverine" carving a pumpkin!

...And in Other News...

... a new HelgaHume adventure is taking place as we speak. Specifically, this adventure takes the shape of a new little human brewing in my nethers. I am very much looking forward to meeting this person, and will apparently be doing so sometime around February 20th. It will be an Olympic child!

When we first saw the little human, it was in a position so peculiar, the ultrasound tech laughed. The legs and arms were straight up over the head in full-on yoga pose -- clearly, this west-coast lifestyle has gotten to it already. ;-)

Anyhow, this is big news, and with us now being in the 20th week, it was time to share. Next adventure: The HelgaHumes do Parenting! Ack, Heaven help us all... lol

(And for those of you counting backwards, I was NOT actually drinking at the last wine-tasting party, or the goodbye party, or anytime since mid June... it was cranberry juice! Honest.) ^_^

Pictures of the New Place

Since our arrival, I've been busily working towards making our new place as home-like as possible. The massive task was finally completed as of Saturday, which was a result of my discovering that hosting is a massive incentive towards getting everything done by a fixed date. ;-) (I'll have to make note of that!)

Anyhow, here are some pictures of the new place. It's a Heritage building, built in 1916, and has been refinished in a way that enhances its utility but fully retains its charm. :-)

This is the dining room,

And the living room,
Best spot EVER for reading:

The master bedroom...

...and the bathroom, complete with CAST-IRON, CLAWFOOT TUB!
This is the office / second bedroom,
And the GORGEOUS kitchen, featuring more cupboard space than we know what to do with! Wanda fits in nicely here...

The kitchen then leads out onto a sunny deck, ensconced in trees...
Not pictured is the beautiful garden, whose technical gardening needs exceed my expertise by a large measure. Wish me luck in figuring that one out! :-P

And then, for any more room we need, there's another bedroom / entertainment area in the basement, as well as a massive storage room.

Yes, we did quite well in finding this place... we love it! Not as much room as our house in Ottawa, and since we're only renting, we live in constant terror of damaging the house, but it serves our needs for now. :-)

So what's next for me? Now that the house is set up, it's time to turn my eye to the finer details -- in particular, paperwork. Filing for damages incurred through the move, officially changing our address, figuring out the finances, applying for BC identification, etc. While it's not nearly as exciting a task as unpacking mystery boxes and revealing all the neat stuff one owns, it's about as necessary. :-P

Mingled in there is also a search for work, but given the dire economic forecast for BC's near future, we'll see how that goes. (In the meantime, I get to pretend I'm Donna Reed.) LOL

Until next time! ;-)

Arrival

We've arrived safely in Victoria, BC, which has greeted me with two things.

The first was Victoria Fringe Festival fanfare, plastered all about the city in efforts to notify the public of impending Fringe awesomeness. (Indeed, the lineup I've spotted, including a repeat performance of the legendary "Power of
Ignorance" seminar, has gotten me excited to check it out!)

The second greeting was a THREE INCH WOLF SPIDER lurking a foot away from the airmattress I was supposed to sleep in. Gyaaaaaaaaahhh! Luckily, he has since been dispatched, and our real furniture has arrived, so the danger seems over... for now. Still, in what way is it beneficial for house-dwelling spiders to grow so big?? It just seems so unnecessary, UNLIKE those efficiently-sized (but still adequately creepy) 1.5" mainland wolf spiders.

Tropical climes seem to be all fun and games, until the giant mutant arachnids start arriving...! ;-)

Mixed greeting circumstances aside, Dave and I are doing very well with settling in to our lovely little place in Victoria. Will post pictures, once it no longer resembles boxworld. ;-)

Fantastic Time-Wasters

Since Dave and I have been occupied with the move, there has not been much time to blog. That being said, allow me to leave you with an amusing placeholder consisting of my YouTube favourites. Enjoy!














...and an oldie but a goodie, Charlie the Unicorn!

Final Wine Tasting Party Chez Helgahume

Phew! After a month of total craziness (househunting, out-of-province wedding, and a family health emergency), I finally have enough time to update the blog.

The final HelgaHume wine tasting party took place earlier this month, with the theme of EL CHEAPO. Specifically, all bottles (regular-sized) had to be under $15. I took many recommendations, and broke out a few of Dave and my favourites as well.

The results broke all previous records -- the winner was a few percent points higher than previous winners, and the loser saw a massive 20% chasm between it and previous losers. Either the wines really are that different, or my wine gang is getting opinionated! ;-)

Congratulations goes to Australia's Jacob's Creek, who won the title of Tastiest El Cheapo of the evening. Chateau des Charmes is, meanwhile, sporting the badge of shame.

Well, that is it (for now) for our Ottawa wine-tasting events... Hopefully Dave and I can do the same thing when we move to Victoria. Luckily, the (gorgeous!) house we found is quite amenable to hosting, and so we look forward to doing a lot of it. :-)

In the meantime, stay tuned for more news on the move!