December 11: The FB

1. Facebook: Izzy is a real woman with a real job. Who takes my calls in the middle of the day to listen to – of all things – my aliases. All the cool names get rejected. I beg her to listen to a few more (‘is this too porny?’) – and she actually does, even though she has real work to do.

2. Non-Facebook: My first swim in a saltwater pool.

3. Facebook: Is it possible to spend two hours on the FB at work? Oh, it is possible to spend a lot more than two hours! Just a theoretical supposition.

December 9: Workshop

1. Free full-size milk with Starbucks ‘traveller.’
2. Free exchange of ideas in a creative workshop.
3. Free spirits, free, with the free gift of learning.

Bonus: Story

1. Character
2. Plot
3. Theme

December 8: Calories

1. Feeling the love: film directors and learning the art of.
2. Feeling the love: grandmothers and beaming smiles from.
3. Feeling the calories: Izzy and sharing free birthday cake with.

November 28: Poppins

1. Generosity: the guy on the subway shared his newspaper.
2. Patience: the girl at the salon let me have my Mary Poppins of Pockets moment as I took forever to empty out my coat.
3. Highlight: the girl doing my hair gave me a positively brilliant idea. She is a creative, gorgeous super-babe of the universe.

‘He is a statue wrapped in a painting in a frame made of muscles.’

November 22: Fertile

One free poster. ‘Canada, the Most Fertile Country in the World’

Two new pairs of All Stars. It was high time, indeed – before I baked something!

Three (or four) business cards from willing retail sponsors (for an upcoming fundraiser).

November 16: Senses

Coming to mine.

1. Inside the taxi, smell of salami (nose) followed by being truly heard (ears) over a delicious cup of tea (mouth). Followed by smiles (sight) and a hug goodbye (touch).

2. On a street corner, sipping my tea (taste) and taking phone calls (hearing), someone I know steps out of his office for a smoke (smell) whereupon we catch up on outstanding business. Followed by a handshake (touch) and direct eye contact (sight).

3. Lay eyes on a head-to-toe down coat (sight) and snuggle up in it (touch). In the presence of that brand-new smell (nose), get some great outdoor gear advice (ears) before unwrapping a fresh package of spearmint gum (mouth).

BONUS:

On discovering my two new coats are significantly cheaper in the States (anger), call an online retailer to ship to Canada (hope). Discover that many brands cannot be shipped outside the USA (outrage). An American friend agrees to accept the coats and forward them to me (delight). Savings: $450 (glee). Canadians, revolt!

Ačiū, Ingrida.

November 10: Passion

1. Smiled at an exhibit. I really liked the photograph of children playing hockey under the ‘passion’ section.

2. Cried in Parkdale. I was invited to watch some site-specific theatre. Very moving. lullaby is being staged by Dark Horse Theatre until November 18.

3. Laughed at home. I watched I Now Pronounce You Chuck and Larry. Sophomoric? Yes. Laugh out Loud? Yes!

October 28: Priorities

1. Pastry. I'm at this thing. I meet this nice guy from Kent, Ohio. He'd like to share his Belgian beer; I'd like to share my gnocchi. We picnic on Greek Orthodox church-steps. He is half-Greek, half-Lithuanian. My nephews are half-Greek, half-Lithuanian. We toast from plastic cups labelled ‘Baltika’. We pour Forêt beer from its wine-shaped bottle. The foam is thick and creamy like a pastry.

I've always liked people from Ohio.

2. Film. I'm at this thing. I see this Robert Redford feature titled The Unforeseen. I learn about Barton Springs and the aquifer in Austin, Texas. Inspired by the perseverance and the conviction of its people, I decide I must make an appointment with Barton Springs for a swim. ‘If the people lead, the leaders will follow.’

I've always wanted to visit Austin.

3. Wine. I'm at this thing. I re-meet this nice guy from Toronto. We drink red wine and talk about ... well, we talk about all kinds of things. He is a writer and artist who keeps on keeping on ... and even though we should both call it a night, we don't. Priorities? These are coffee-spoon moments.

I've always liked kindred creative spirits.

October 18: Neil

1. Creating solutions, like how to affix stubborn lanyard clips to badges (damn it), with Neil, my Friend in Frustration and Small Pleasures.
2. Creating new friends (Hello, Ian) at a party I was lucky enough to be invited to.
3. Creating (not I): new media art on the way home at the Spin Gallery. Not spun sound; spun images!

October 15: Meeting

1. Meeting of the minds: kitchen table collaboration.
2. Meeting of acquaintances: restaurant dialogues.
3. Meeting of the hearts: old classmates catch up.

October 10: Lemons

My employer blocked access to my blog and webmail. How flattering that someone is watching over me so closely.

1. Hence the opportunity to make lemonade out of lemons.

2. Lessons from a man who made lemons out of lemonade:
‘Those who talk don't know what is going on and those who know what is going on won't talk.’ - Larry Speakes

3. I once lost a lot of weight and significantly improved my health by drinking hot lemon water every day. The benefits cannot be overstated. I'm bringing back the almighty lemon!

October 2: Journey

1. Being introduced to members of a local creative organization.
2. Having conversations with them about the creative journey.
3. Taking the journey to the office, with me renewed optimism.

I want to mention it was a great hair day. I don't give it enough credit sometimes.

August 14: Ideas

A1. Free wireless internet in the restaurant.
B1. Over lunch: Building on ideas born of a midnight moment.

A2. People-watching on a sunny patio corner.
B2. Over coffee: Idea stories unfolding live in the flesh.

A3. Phone call from my one-and-only Ula.
B3. Over email: Even more ridiculous ideas!

C. Free legal advice!

April 14: Eejit

It was a colourful day full of colourful language.

Each of the three utterances below gave me a belly full of laughter at some point today (though none as much as the story of my nephew, who took off his diaper on his parents' bed and smeared everything with - even offering to share - his own soft, warm chocolate brownie dough).

1. Confliction
2. Love-pants
3. Eejit

April 11: TTC

I love public transit! Why?

1. Incredibly good use of time: sleeping, reading, writing, texting, relaxing, gearing up, winding down...

2. Rich and sometimes wildly entertaining material: visual and aural candy, stimulation, stories, ideas...

3. Bumping into old friends, neighbours, acquaintances: even if it's not welcome, you deal with it (or get off at the next stop).

We also have a neat little tradition in Toronto, as I see it. Some call it litter, but I emphatically disagree. We leave our newspapers behind for the next person (we even ask each other for certain sections, in rare moments of communication). I can't bear to toss printed material - I like to see people reading!

March 30: The Day After

1. My friend worked ‘from home’. We had a nice, long lunch!
2. Mini art class reunion at a show on West Queen West.
3. Inspired (as always) by Paul: the ‘destruction of normality’ is necessary for creative progress.

Bonus: ‘The New Collection’

This week I found myself thinking about ‘the new collection’. I don’t know many people who use this term; I picked it up travelling (I overheard it in each city I visited). It has officially entered my consciousness.

Perhaps I'll re-position my outlook to include seasons, collections, trends and directions. It's not too frivolous. I don't have to be a fashionista to respect the famous sweater speech Meryl Streep delivered in The Devil Wears Prada.

March 19: Crime Scene

1. My room doesn't look like a crime scene anymore.
2. My kitchen doesn't look like a crime scene anymore.
3. My hair doesn't look like a crime scene anymore!

March 6: Irish

DAMASCUS, Syria

The deal with the toilets here is that nothing gets thrown into them. Nothing. Everywhere you go, you will find a waste receptacle. There is always a hose in or near the toilet, or a bidet, or both. So fresh and so clean-clean! Like washing the dishes before drying them.

1. Two businessmen assure two vivacious Eastern European / North American women that they will name the best table in their new restaurant after them. We’ll see about that.

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates

2. Passport control line-ups are long, but a new queue opens up and two tired Eastern European / North American women travellers are invited to join the front.

3. A multi-cultural party of young adults heads to the Irish Village for drinks and stories. See what I mean about the Irish? Nothing says welcome like a Guinness.