its been a couple of weeks since I came home from Winnipeg and life is starting to get back to normal. since returning I've come back to the realization that I have to start cooking for myself again, so I decided to venture into the wide world of chili, inspired by several beer drinking, sports watching filled nights at 45 High Park Ave with Joanna and Jordan. my culinary adventures turned out well! home made game day chili and low fat corn bread!

let me tell you, it was good stuff!

Halloween has come and gone which meant Sarde visiting and record shopping with her, Elliot Brood show, lots of candy at work and trying to find something to do that night. For once in my life I had the pleasure of not having to work my costume around a snow suit so I went as a mime, which made me really just look like a really cute french girl. Joanna couldn't think of anything so she went as Jordan which was handy because she was wearing all his clothes when she turned up at my place.

Pseudo Jordan waiting for the streetcar after a non-successful night out, on our way back to my place for spiral KD and caesars.

too soon!

I'm enjoying the Ontario fall as the leaves have taken their sweet time to change and their even sweeter time to fall. A nice change from snow fall on Halloween night to stomping through leaves down Bloor and wandering Kensington Market listening to the voicemail left for me by Kaari and Jeni - a serenade of sorts.

Time for bed because I have to wake early to leave to help at a doctors office in North York (yeah, its really north of me) during the insanity that is H1N1 madness. But first, the dishes.

currently listening to Girl Talk too loud and enjoying the breeze coming in from the window on this perfect day. Ontario has the nicest fall's because its not too cold where the leaves fall off, but they manage to change colour and stay on the tree's. I'm pretty enamored.

October Winnipeg trip was great too short and too long all at the same time. I miss my friends and my parents, but leaving T.O. for Winnipeg really showed me how much I love it here, truly.

the proof is in the pudding:

Just another Saturday night at Breanne's - Ian, Alena and Curtis glued to the computer

Jou just gets ready for the movies

We never could take a nice picture together....

...but she sure can dance! (Look how impressed/sexy Ian is...)

Curtis and Cali cuddling

they continue to dance....now with a wine glass!

*swoon* Marc Deniset checks the hockey scores...

Did I mention I graduated? oh yeah...

Michelle rocking her gown in the Religious Studies common room

nice mortarboard Dyanna...

obligatory shoe picture + omg gown!

Fraya, Paul, Aunties Esther and Sukie and I went out for dinner at the Gates to celebrate my 4 years of academic accomplishment:

some sort of Champagne cocktail I had too many of because they were mighty good

Paul and Fraya are too adorable, right?

Auntie Esther!

Auntie Sukie!!!

Kaari, Jeni and I went to the Moulin Rouge ballet Wednesday night, and grabbed dinner before the disaster that the ballet was...

Such lovely looking dates for the evening

When I was sitting in the Airport waiting for my flight out, I realised that I will forever be associated as an alumni of this:

lord.

goodbye prairie sky, back to where I belong:

it hasn't stopped raining here for over 24 hours. I've been inside all day except for when I went to return my movies and get some Mediterranean falafel. I had movies because Joanna and I had a Swayze tribute night at the end of my week of sickness. we made our own dinner in an attempt to save money. The proof is in the pictures:

there was a poster on my door and my neighbour from 214 told us that Roadhouse was his favorite.

stuffing for the stuffed tomatoes!

Joanna stuffed some good tomatoes.

these things were g-ood.

this is my spinach and goat cheese quiche!

this week was pretty normal otherwise, except for a small visit from Przemek who brought me Jeanies cake and a copy of the Winnipeg Free Press:

SHEM SHEM SHEMMY!

it was BANANA!!!

try not to read the ingredients, its basically the worst thing you could eat. But really,who cares.

the morning that Przemek left back for Winnipeg him, Joanna and I had a huge breakfast, which I now realized I should have photographed. Then later that night I met up with another Winnipegger for dinner.

Winnipeg will never leave you, no matter where you go, apparently.

the world is right when its cool enough to put a blanket on your bed and you get to write an essay analyzing the absurd conversation between Jian Gomehsi and Billy Bob Thorton on an episode of Q.

that is all.

today is the perfect Toronto day. Any day where its going to rain like mad is the perfect day.

after sleeping through my alarm, twice, I woke up around noon, ready for my first swim at the West End YMCA. I forgot how much I enjoyed the cool feel of the water skimming over me, and how effortless it feels to be in the water. Tomorrow I tackle the gym...can I do it? Yes I can! Not working during the week = working out! Its time to stop making excuses about settling in - I am settled, I am in, I am ready to hold onto that happy feeling forever more.

its raining!

this is the best time to finish up work and tie up loose ends before graduation. its not nice enough to go outside, but just perfect enough to keep the windows open, turn off the lights and listen to the rain (and change the channel off of Ghost Whisperer).

in an attempt to eat what I have in the fridge, I have stuffed myself full of fruit these days. this doesn't seem, however, to be allaying any of the illness swarming about in my body. colds, infections, bites (read: bug poison)...I wish they would all just leave and let me be a healthy me!

I am too broke these days to go out or do anything so I just end up staying in all day and sleeping/watching old Gilmore Girls.

tomorrow night is a free show at the Dundas Square off Yonge and a staff meeting, then dinners all weekend with the family. its going to be a long long weekend.

at the request of my cousins husband, I am blogging about shoulder pads. both him and I don't understand their use. I mean, I like a good strong shoulder line as much as the next person, but why go and muck it up with a big old pad like that? Blair would never be caught with SHOULDER pads, so why does everyone think its ok? Kids who weren't even born in the 80's dressing like they grew up then is a contributing factor to the decay of humanity in my opinion.

yesterday I spend the whole day with kids - brunch in the morning with my little second cousin Ella and then the Chilean's kids birthday party in the park way out in the suburbs. I can't tell after a day of kids weather or not I want kids, or I want to strangle myself for doing that the entire day. It was really nice to play and laugh and run and be kid like, but as soon as the screaming started I checked out. right now I'm wondering if the coffee on Via Rail trains costs anything....I hope not, I have no cash and I am in serious need of caffeine (Note: It does). All in all, it was an exhausting day and I am so glad that its over and I am en route to la belle provence!

in the absence of coffee, food and money (this is going to be a long 5 and a half hour ride) I am going to do work and consider all the amazing things I am going to do this week! I get to see Christine and maybe Richard and Candace! (ok the Via Rail guy HAS to stop talking about food beside me because I am going to start to cry soon) (also, i think I am the only person on this train without money because I am a) dumb and b) poor and everyone needs to stop eating and opening their food right now or I might have to steal it...I will make note to take out money for the ride home, as it is my birthday and I plan on getting smashed on the train and making everyone love me).

because this was such an early train (7:05 am departure) I had to be up at an ungodly hour. because of my early wake up I tripped up the stairs on my street car. because of the ungodly hour and tripping up the stairs of my street car I went to the GO Bus Station instead of the Via Rain station (upstairs) and tried to exchange my reservation for a ticket they didn't have nor could they give me. because of all this I am officially never getting up before 8 am again.

I love this train. seriously. this is the most dignified travel experience in Canada I've ever had. screw Air Canada. I get to plug my laptop in and blog from the Ontario/Quebec boarder (and did I mention all the stops in between?) this is so reminiscent of Euro trip '08 that it hurts: I'm poor, I'm exhausted, I'm on a train and I'm starving. I love this!!!