Québec! Yep… I’m in Québec at my bro’s place with Happy, writing this from his laptop, which he didn’t want to let me use at first but I just grabbed it from his bag, plugged it in, pressed power, sat on the couch and asked him to come type his password! Let’s rewind the day…

This morning I kind of finished my Ikea project. I bought a new chest of drawers for my bedroom and also a bookcase with door. In the drawers I’ll put clothes, in the bookcase I’ll put all of the stuff that’s under my bed in boxes, from computer stuff to travel souvenirs. But the bookcase door isn’t the nicest, it looks a bit cheap. So I am putting some nice fabric to cover it! It’s hard to describe, but once it’s done I’ll post a pic. But yea, I was putting the fabric with my stapler, but I ran out of staples! I went to the store to get more. So I didn’t have time to finish. And I hate leaving projects half-done. But…

I was going to Québec! So I left home at around 11h30 to go get the rental car. There was tons of people there, all wanting to hire trucks to move! I got my car! I was off!

My first stop was Ikea, again! Three times in a week (Monday for chest of drawers and Friday for bookcase). I went in to buy two extra shelves for the bookcase. I also ate a hotdog, a cinnamon bun and some apple juice. Then I was really off to Québec City!

When I arrived at my bro’s house I asked him if he wanted to do something fun together! He told me on my birthday my gift would be dinner out when I’d come. So I decided to go to Baton Rouge and finally try out their ribs. My bro had a steak, he said it was really good too! A nice dinner! Then we went to the movies. In Québec it’s hard to find a flick in the original English version. We decided to go see one of two showing in English, Live Free or Die Hard. Pretty entertaining that McClane! It’s funny how after falling down 50 meters or whatever he just gets up and says something like “wooo”! Good action flick.

Then yep, at my bro’s. He doesn’t have any clean sheets anymore, he hasn’t done laundry in a long time! So I am doing two loads before I can set up the sofa-bed and drift off to dream-land!

Tomorrow I’m going to the Canada Day show on the Plaines. Anyone else going? Or is everyone busy moving??

Last night I went to a soccer game with the guys from work. It was Impact of Montreal versus Puerto Rico! It was a neat game, there was atmosphere, the guys seemed to like the outing. Then I noticed the gray sky in the distance. We feared a rain fall. And it happened! A bit into the second half the thunderstorm started! Three guys decided to leave, two to stay, I stayed also. But then the rain started to fall VERY heavily! I was getting soaked (I was wearing shorts, flip flops, tee and sweat shirt) and cold! Not a good combination! The play continued as we took refuge in the bus/metro to go back to my workplace. In the end Impact won 1-0, I am happy about that! I brought Happy to the game. She did well, laying down in the bleacher’s, not moving too much!

Last night at around 21h I went to the doggy park with Happy. My first idea was just to walk around the house on the street. But I saw how much energy Happy had so I decided to go to the park.

It was a bit surreal. It was dark, the park lit only by the nearby baseball field lights. Happy was crazy, she ran all over the park playing with everyone – dogs or humans. There was music, a lonely saxofone player sitting on a park bench. The sky was electric, lightning was striking in the dark sky a few kilometers away. I felt like I was watching this all from far away, while really being right in the middle of it all.

I missed the thunderstorm. It happened while I was sleeping. But it’s fun this morning to wake up to a cooler temperature outside! And I don’t have to water my plants today! Thanks Mother Nature!

I slept well. Except at 4h when I woke up to go to the bathroom and I couldn’t fall asleep anymore.

This morning I don’t know what to wear out of my new clothes! I’m thinking the beige skirt…

I feel like being extra lazy. But I’m leaving for work in 40 minutes. So I can’t. But I can’t complain. My job rulz.

I just gave Happy her breakfast. But I think she’s like me. When it’s hot outside I am not so hungry, I feel like eating liquid things (like yogourt) or fruits and veggies (watermelon, salad, etc).

Today I was supposed to work. In my agenda it was written 13h-20h. At 11h my boss calls… “Aren’t you supposed to be at work this morning, from 10h-16h?” And we figured out the mishap happened when she changed the schedule after posting it and I didn’t see the change. So I rushed to work. I was there from 11h45-16h.

After the job I decided to go shopping. It’s Summer, it’s extra warm. To wear I’ve got either really short skirts or pants. It’s too warm for pants. It’s not appropriate for me to wear short skirts at work, with young troubled guys from 18-29 years old! So yea, I bought… Black longish shorts (1), jeans longish shorts (2), a nice designed tee (3), a beige (4) and a jeans (5) almost kneelength skirt. I also saw a VERY pretty Gsus red Fall coat, but at more than 250$ I thought it was a bit too expensive… But I was tempted!

Today I went to Ikea. Bad idea… With July 1st approaching (moving day for Quebecers) and today being a public holiday (St-Jean Baptiste) there was TONS of people!

Happy did very well navigating through everything, she’s becoming lots of fun to take along everywhere! Except today when she couldn’t hold her number 2 in anymore and did it in the showroom! A tiny bit embarrassing. But I had everything to pick it up (scott towel and bag).

I wanted to get a wardrobe and a chest of drawers. But even with a list of 2-3 different possibilities of items I wanted, nothing was in stock anymore. I had to come up with another idea. So in the end I bought only half of what I wanted, the chest of drawers. I’ll go back, with a helper, for the wardrobe, because I realized how big and heavy the boxes are! Of course I also bought lots of other little stuff… A new duvet cover for my bed, some material to make a pillow and curtains in the bedroom, some boxes to store/reorganize some of my things, some frames…

Happy’s crooked tongue…

Happy’s grimace, eyes closed, tongue out…

Tonight I went to the SAT for the Flickr event! I arrived at a bit passed 19h. I was checking out the merch table (buttons, stickers, cute pouches with lens cleaning thingy, books…) and Fanny came up to me! Yay! Someone I knew! Nearby there was Vanou! Later I also saw more local bloggers, familiar from the YULBlog meetings!

Vanou and faceless Fanny…

The SAT was pretty full of people. Hip music, fancy lighting, nice flower arrangements, food everywhere (I had two mini-dessert bites) and an open bar (I had a beer) completed the venue.

I left about an hour later. I wasn’t wearing the right shoes. Though cute, my high-heeled sandals aren’t handy standing-up for a long time with a dog that’s pulling you around trying to vaccuum the whole floor from the crums people drop. And I could feel a headache coming. And I wanted to be well-rested for my first day alone at work tomorrow (8-16h).

I’m still glad I went. Even though I didn’t contribute to the 24 hours Flickr event, I got to be at one of the 4 parties they threw all over the world!

Afterall it was nothing that meeting at work! The coordinator simply wanted an update on how things were going, to touch base. I always worry too much!

My exam is done. I am FREE! It’s strange though… Today earlier I lay on the futon relaxing. And then I thought “I should do homework” but then realized there was no homework to do anymore! Until September! YAY!

Today I went to work for a couple of hours at a team meeting. At one point the coordinator asked me when I was coming in tomorrow. I said after my exam. She asked me to give her 15 minutes when I come in, she’d like to talk to me. And that was it.

It left me nervous and wondering what is it about. A quick meeting to get an update on how it’s going? Specific questions about some work I’ve done? A mise-au-point about something wrong I did? I hope it’s not something negative! I’m a bit stressed… But there’s nothing I can do right now. Except sleep, study tomorrow morning and write a good exam!

Happy and I went to the doggy park this evening. She was playing with a big strong rough brown dog and a small energetic white jack russel. The three dogs were running around, jumping on each other, biting playfully, etc.

At one point we noticed blood on the white dog! Oh no! Someone was hurt! Each dog’s owner inspected their dog… The small white one was fine. The big brown one too. But Happy had tons of blood in her mouth!

Happy had lost her first baby tooth!! Awwwww! She was fine! And they went on playing! Now there’s a hole instead of a tooth!

Tomorrow is my final exam at Uni for my POL class. I’m really not motivated to study. I’ve attended classes and read the stuff. I feel like I’ve got a good grasp on the material. But I have to study more to be able to give author’s names, etc. And that’s a sucky part! I can’t wait until after the exam tomorrow. I’ll only have work. Then I’ll be able to enjoy Summer. And not do like now, work, school, eat, sleep, take care of Happy. I’ll do fun things: go to the pool, finish my kitchen make-over, the Happy scrapbook, photography outings, enjoy the festivals, etc.

I took this pic of Happy on the balcony a few days ago, at my mom’s request. She wanted to see how big Happy was getting. But now she’s on leave from work for a week, sick because of a really bad back pain. She won’t get to see the pic for a while… But that doesn’t matter! I just hope she gets better soon!

I had to leave work early at 20h15 in order to be home by 21h. I had an appointment with the airco repair dude. It’s now 22h and he’s still not here. It’s a bit annoying.

UPDATE #1: Literally 1 minute after hitting “post” the doorbell rang and the repair dude was there! Magic!

UPDATE #2: We’ve got some cooling action… But no fan! The air isn’t being pushed out. Apparently the wheel inside is not a wheel anymore, but banana shaped. The repair dude had never seen anything like it. He’s gone to another apart to check out their airco that also needed repair, to get a look on a different unit and be able to compare it with mine.

UPDATE #3: The repair dude came back. He confirmed it was really that piece that was broken. He said he’d order it tomorrow. He doesn’t know how long it will take, up to two weeks maybe. I really hope it’s quicker than that! Then he’ll come by again to fix it. So still no airco!

Last night during my sleep I awoke with a really painful leg cramp! The muscle in my leg contracted and it hurt! I tried to make it go away, stretching the toes forward and back, but ouch! And now this morning the leg muscle still hurts! I so hate it when it happens!!!

J’ai chaud! J’ai pas le goût de faire mon travail… Mais bien d’aller me baigner!

My paper is on the Canadian Arctic and the ice melting and the North-West Passage. And writing/thinking about that nice cool place is making me angry because I am sitting at my computer being warm and sweating.

The dude is coming to fix my airco unit on Monday. He’s probably going to take it away with him. Hopefully he’ll bring it back quick fixed. I’ve been without airco for more than a month now!

Yesterday I bought some pieces of watermelon but I ate them all this morning. Now there’s none left. And I want more.

I watched Open Season this morning. It was funny. I liked Ashton Kutcher as Elliot! And the bear was cute.

Happy is taking a nap. Again. I envy her.

My flowers out on the balcony are so pretty.

I am going to eat a steak on the barbie tonight! Mmmmm!

I finally bought my ticket for the Osheaga weekend in September. The announcement of Bloc Party for the Saturday (as well as knowing Smashing Pumpkins will play Sunday) is what kicked me into purchase mode for a weekend pass.

I feel like taking a walk on the beach back home… Walking along the sealine, on the sand, barefoot.