lightcastle

CTV might well be doing a bit on the play I'm in tonight. Don't know if that means I will be on screen.

While my inability to get my internet to work is frustrating, it does drag me out to cafe's where I can run into lovely and brilliant graphic designers I haven't seen in 7 years.

Other news:

I start work Monday.
The soprano I ran into last night may have a line on a truck for me.
The party I went to after rehearsal last night (not realizing there was a party) did reacquaint me with a possible model, inform me of a beer I must try, and resulted in an extended discussion of the nature of health care systems in North America in Europe.

So yes, it's official, I have a contract in hand for a medical writer position. (This might move towards an editing position fairly quickly, depending on how things go.)

This is a good thing, although I will still be cash strapped for the next month or so until I get an actual paycheque.

In other news, I am still looking for a ride to KG, as I would particularly like to go.

Finally, I am still looking for someone with a van or truck, as I would like to collect a mattress, a desk, and some bookshelves.

I am listening to a woman at the next table in Second Cup describe her whirlwind romance/fling with a beautiful man to her friends. She is speaking in French, and her audience is francophone. However, she keeps slipping into English to describe things he said or did - trying to capture the essence of him in his own language.

It's really quite lovely and sweet.

(She just finished, "Donc, c'etait beau. Je ne regrette rien de ces trois jours. That's my little love story.")

I went to a writer's meet up connected to the Polymancer publishing group I recently came across. A nice mix of people, who all seemed sweet enough. There was the almost obligatory socially-awkward guy with a Modern Fantasy Lord of the Rings novel with a 9,000 word prologue that was incomprehensible.

Oddly, while he bristled at all the criticism he got, he completely accepted my suggestion that if he must introduce a new world, start with something we can actually relate to. (i.e. - The Lord of the Rings starts with a birthday party. The Left Hand of Darkness starts with watching a parade and it's too damn hot in the sun.) You can mention all the differences as things progress, but you've got some way for people to feel familiar.

"At the end of this chapter," (he hadn't read us the whole chapter) "he gets a phone call from an someone telling him his war buddy is dead. Then he goes to the funeral. I could start it there!"

It was actually an amazing reaction, where he had been arguing for why every word of backstory needed to be there up until then, he accepted my suggestion without hesitation.

As for myself, I read an edited version of the Clock story I wrote a few years ago. It went over well, and once again I was told I need to continue that story. Perhaps I shall.

Tomorrow I get the Internet at my place, which will make my life vastly easier and will also mean all you Americans can call my Skype number and not have to pay cross-border charges to talk to me.

The job interview is Friday and I am feeling positive but trying not to jinx it. I got a lead on some freelance work as well, which is only a good thing. In non-paying news, it seems I am now in TWO plays - one at the end of August and the other at the end of October. Those of you looking for an excuse to visit now have more options. (The first sees me playing a woman's casual-sex buddy who becomes uncomfortable with her new relationship with another woman. The second finds me as a bi-polar State senator's aide working with the rescue efforts post 9/11. Up to you which interests you more.)

I definitely think the desktop is also approaching it's end. I would like to just do a replacement job on things to upgrade it if I can. It needs a video card and probably RAM so I can handle the picture load for my photography. I suspect this entails a new case instead of the slim tower.

I may have a line on a free mattress, which would be delightful. I am anxious to use my new wrought-iron bed. I also need to tackle the computer desk problem, and get massive amounts of shelves. (I will probably need a drill.) Something capable of transporting the bookshelves I have coming would also help.

Finally, does anyone have a carpet steam-cleaning professional to recommend?

I really should get one of my more interior design minded friends to come and take a look on how to tackle this space and where I might scatter things on the walls and tell me if the idea of somehow hanging colour since I can't paint is madness or not.

There is vastly more stuff in my new place, and now I really need to concentrate on getting shelves and a mattress for the delightful new wrought-iron bed I am in possession of.

I feel I should go to KG this year, even though it is further away, I still have no money to buy camping equipment, and I should probably be looking for a job those 4 days.

I am, after all, the bardic winner and have free registration. (And something of a duty to crown the next one.)

That being said, is anyone from Montreal going and might be willing to give me a ride? (Sadly, gone are the days of the easy last-minute decision now that they've moved to the new place.)

This is obviously a Montreal question. What are the best options for getting online? I don't intend to get cable TV, as I really only watch The Daily Show and the news. I can get things via the web, so that's not an issue. But what to get? I'd rather have cable over DSL (unless DSL has gotten radically better). I know Videotron is in the area, and I assume Bell still competes. Anyone have a story to recommend either one? (My experiences with both previously were that they both kind of suck.)

In the meantime, I will be very much offline for a while.

I have an abode, at least I do on July 1st assuming things work normally.

I believe I shall hold a housewarming of sorts on the 10th. As I have no money, no furniture, no food, and next to no income, it will be a "bring me things for my house" party. Food, furniture, clothes, booze, whatever you think I might like and is cluttering up your place.

Also, all people who have promised (or owe) painting/cleaning/getting into an apartment work, please note your markers will be called in.

As some of you know, I sometimes tell stories. I even tell these stories out loud from time to time.

Back around April 1st, I joined some other Montreal storytellers at 92 Degrees of Foolishness - a storytelling event celebrating the role of the Fool in our lives. There I told a story I learned from a terribly clever young man a fair number of you are acquainted with.

As it happens, the host of the event records the stories and sometimes puts them on his website. So for your edification (and since I am storytelling at Hurley's Irish Pub this Sunday), I present the (not at all original to me) Great Debate.

(Yes, this is more of a joke than a story and yes, it doesn't work as well without the hand gestures. Still, I figure I should get over my hesitancy to put any recording of me on the web, no matter how awful I always think I sound.)

So given the shift in at least something resembling income of late, I am again looking for an apartment. Obviously, the July 1 deadline is unlikely as it is national moving day still.

As before, 3 1/2-4 1/2, less than $600 would be nice. Roommate options are open, but after all this time with no privacy on my parents' couch and the recent serious violation of my trust and beliefs by someone I care about, I am probably very threadbare on sharing space and dealing with others' emotional issues these days.

Still, anything anyone has as a lead (even just "Hey, come and wander the streets with me because there are apartments advertised, it will be fun!") that would be lovely.

Thanks.