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 4: Brandy

3. In a freezing cold office over a kitchen counter, leaning up against a running dishwasher for hot, steamy comfort. It almost felt as good as taking a shower.
2. In an idle morning over cream of wheat, chatting with Vivian.
1. In an unexpected moment over a pile of papers and laundry, receiving some very good news from a woman named Brandy.

November 12: Aprons

1. Aprons: with which to dry myself after getting soaked.
2. Sweaters: with which to dress myself after forgetting mine.
3. Undies: with which to postpone doing my laundry.

October 8: ‘Sole mio’

HALIFAX, Nova Scotia

A. The clock tower in the Public Gardens is chiming midnight 15 minutes early. It is beautiful, yet perplexing.

1. Feeling it as I am welcomed into several extended Korean-Portuguese families.

B. Email from old friends, wireless internet connections, chlorinated pools, hair straighteners, control top nylons, Titanic marine museums.

2. Feeling it as everyone helps me get to where I need to go in a hurry.

C. The privilege of hearing ‘Sole mio’ sung in Italian - with extraordinary feeling - from a husband to a wife (‘you are my sunshine’).

3. Feeling it as the Portuguese Adam Sandler (à la Wedding Singer) plays a Christmas carol over dinner.

October 7: Vowels

HALIFAX, Nova Scotia

1. Fresh Haddock brunch, Warm Gingerbread dessert. Jane's on the Common: You absolutely must eat here if you're in Halifax (right next to Tony's).

2. At the YMCA, courtesy in the swimming lanes. Note to guys: you don’t have to accommodate the ladies. It's obvious we are out-swimming you.

3. Emanuel tells the story of learning Korean by watching infomercials about anti-fat potions. He wasn't watching them for his bowels; he was watching them for his vowels.

September 27: Hugs

1. Thanks: Dad set up the trailer from the cottage for my move.
2. Thanks: Mother Nature waited until after I moved to let it rain.
3. Thanks: Ron listened to my sob story at the local coffee shop.

Plus my two nephews, who came running into the coffee shop in their little dinosaur raincoats. Wet plastic hugs never felt so good!

September 25: Moon

1. Over the moon: one beautiful letter from one beautiful boy.
2. Under the moon: rain drizzling down, smiling all the way home.
3. By the glow of the fridge light: late-night leftover lasagne.

September 2: Looking

1. A woman on the subway moved from her seat so my nephew Matthew and I could look out of the last subway car window into the tunnel.

2. Even though no children are allowed, a host at a downtown establishment let me bring Matthew in, so we could look out at the city from the 51st floor terrace.

3. A woman at a multiplex theatre let Matthew and me onto the premises, so we could go have a long look at the massive fish tank (where we found two Nemos).

August 28: Gluteus

1. Urban Beach: Chilling outdoors at hTO.
2. Gluteus maximus: It's-about-time massage!
3. Motion: While the West End slept, propelling through darkness like oxygen through blood. Late-night biking through empty streets and dark, warm, windy pockets.

August 27: Ice

1. Empathy: A friend, also hung over, listened.
2. Sunshine and Ice: Hot weather, cool pool water.
3. Silence: Peace and stillness, in contemplation.

July 29: Putty

12 hours with my habibis!

1a. Clean-Shirts Journey: Julija helped with the downtown-bound ‘Tunnel!’ ‘Train!’ ‘Station!’ adventure. Lucky for us, the seats at the back of the last subway car were available.

1b. Dirty-Shirts-Covered-in-Popsicles-and-Chocolate-Milkshake Version: My brother helped with the homeward-bound trip. Even if the seats had been taken, I'm sure they'd have freed up quickly...

2. Mothers will appreciate this one. Little Lukas fell asleep the second we entered the restaurant for lunch; he woke up the second we exited, 90 minutes later.

3. Thankfully, the swimming pool was still open when we got home. We all jumped in and washed the day away.

Free silly putty and musical keychains also went a long way. Not to mention Starbucks, which is highly reliable for diaper stops. No wonder ‘Starbucks’ is one of Lukas's first words.

Happy Birthday, Yee!

July 25: Julija

1. A wall of mist edging onto the road off the park water sprinkler refreshed me as I rode by on my bicycle.

2. This line from The Time Traveler's Wife by Audrey Niffenegger:
‘Would you like some cookies? I always like to eat cookies while I look around museums. It makes it more multisensory.’

3. Drinks with The One and Only Julija:
From within the water marks on the table, The One and Only Garfield (à la Itchy and Scratchy) enchanted us with an appearance. We were not hallucinating - we captured him HERE, see?

Then Julija enchanted me. ‘Would you like to share a sausage?’

June 18: Cannonball

Three great ways to wake up at mom and dad's house:

1. A powerful cup of tea, nearly 100-proof strong.
2. Creamy and chocolatey ‘exquisite Swiss biscuits.’
3. Cannonball into the pool, to show them you love it.

April 8: Mama

1. Mama made us a beautiful lunch.
2. Mama offered me a key compromise.
3. Mama bought me a case of Perrier.

January 13: IOU

1. I swam like thunder!
2. Lots of eye candy at the pool.
3. The Italian bakery let me take my groceries on IOU since their debit and Visa machines were down.

January 8: Kisses

1. Extra looooong hot shower this morning.
2. Marvellous matinee with my bro this afternoon.
3. Relaxing newspaper catch-up this evening (whilst enjoying Hershey's caramel-filled Kisses).