Dispatches from a happy Hullian

I saw what I'm pretty sure was an ermine in winter fur at the playground the other day. I'd never seen one before, so thought it might be exciting, but apparently they are pretty invasive little critters that have a huge range including here that are in no danger at all, so I guess it was just a first for me rather than particularly newsworthy.

If you feel like it, consider yourself tagged; if not, don't!

1. I have lived in Quebec for all my life except for four months in Ottawa.
2. I have had over two dozen roommates over the years.
3. My great-grandmother was a radio personality, cookbook author and newspaper columnist who advised young wives to save their potato water for starching shirts.
4. The worm bin I started has now travelled with us through four different addresses, and the worms are still alive.
5. There are seven keys on my keychain, not counting my USB key and a RFID thingie for Communauto.( twenty more... )

The first half of last week involved getting ready for a big night of sponsors, partners and company visiting the lab, then actually doing the night. We got a bunch of interesting and interested visitors: the evening was pretty laid-back, we had more than enough people to greet visitors, and got what I think was a pretty good response. Walking home from that was pretty wet, though: the rain promised most of the week came down in a gigantic dump Wednesday night.

Thursday to Sunday, I travelled to Subtle Technologies with rottenfruit. The festival itself was intense: we saw maybe two thirds of the thirty presentations, including some really hardcore chemistry ones, some beautiful art and music ones, and some that were just... weird. Like utility fog, for which I'm now on the beta testers list. We also traded off some of our worldly goods to Nancy Nisbet. rottenfruit acquired a negative ion candle and a ceramic vase-y thing, I got a nice bandana. There's now a Handmaden CD and an alarm clock and bus schedule combo in Nisbett's big truck going around the continent.

We also went out to Mississauga to have supper and kick around with my grandfather, aunt, uncle and one cousin, and wandered Kensington Market and Queen Street in the space around the conference. My grandfather's health is not so great, this may be one of the last times I see him. I'm glad he got to meet rottenfruit , and that she'll have more than just stories and photographs to know about him from.

We ate amazingly well... our good food sense led us well all weekend: vegetarian sushi on College (with ice cream and hot sake for dessert), amazing smoothies, burgers, fries and peanut sauce, free cookies (with coffee purchase)...

The trip felt a little packed, boxed in by both our work schedules. It's the longest we've taken together yet, though. We missed catching up with a few people (and didn't even attempt that many — too many friendly people in TO, not enough time).

Two days ago, rottenfruit's rat Apostrophe died. I felt more involved with Apostrophe than with Kiki, having been the rat-keeper for a week in February and having helped take care of her here and there since. She was energetic and social almost to the end (and had long lost her bite-y streak) and lucky to have such a caring owner.

I'm pretty much camped out down here by de l'Eglise with four cute furry mammals, adequately patched Internet and pretty much set up.

Back up the hill, the bugs have been hit with my latest bout of chemical warfare, this time with a thorough swabbing of the floor with bleach solution to kill any eggs 'twixt the floorboards. I fully intend to win this time. They'll now starve for a few days before they get more bleach and another misting of doom. I play to win. Woe to any arthropods who evoke my wrath. Eventually.

Lots of work underway. So much for a break. Still, busy is good at this juncture.

I have a rat on my shoulder and a cat at my feet. So far this is working just fine, with supervision...

Look, it's a squirrel!

Yesterday was work, computer-configuring, tutorial, birthday dinner, more computer-configuring, sleep.

Spent the morning hunting papers for geometry, then went down to loupdebois' place with rottenfruit, for his birthday open house. Helped him enjoy his birthday gift from my sister and me (Soul Calibur III), drank some coffee, kicked around, read a Terry Pratchett picture book, saw some Kids in the Hall, and came home.

Then moonlightjoy called, asking whether I had a plunger. Fortunately, I did. Went by with it (she did the work, not wanting outside eyes to see her toilet in that condition), and stuck around for popcorn and beer. Now, I'm back here, sorting out stuff for a run at programming, or studying, or problem sets, or something.