tripathy

( Wedding, part 3: The hall, the reception and the aftermath )

It was almost weird to go home to a quiet house after that. We couldn't believe it was all over. Ten months of planning and spending and crazy stress, all for ten hours, some of which went by in a blur. My long-distance friends were gone again, and who knows when I'll get to see them again. It all seemed to be over so suddenly.

I'd sat at the head table with my camera, intending to take some photos myself, but the only one that turned out was this one of me and Kel (something about the washed-out lighting and the focus issues makes this photo look unique to me, and I love it). So I had to sit back and wait for the guests to post their photos on Facebook, then download them from there. All of the photos I have right now are from Kel and other friends. There are probably 300 or so, so I've distilled those into a photobucket album. I've linked some of them in this post, but if you want to see them all (and they're in order too!), go ahead and check out the full album.

So that's it! Next up: the honeymoon. We got married October 9, but would only leave on November 6 because we wanted some downtime in between. The honeymoon was a week-long Caribbean cruise aboard the Ruby Princess, gifted to us (including flights) by Paul's boss. It's going to take me a while to upload all of those photos, so sorry to say you'll have to wait a while for that post!

Current Mood: remembering

( Wedding, part 2: The hours before, and the ceremony )

To be continued in part 3…

Current Mood: remembering

So! I have now been married for two full months, and I know that I promised a wedding post a long time ago...sorry! So here we go. Warning: This is in ridiculous detail because it's for my memories too. I've made headings under the cuts so you can skip to whichever parts may actually interest you, heh.

( Wedding part 1: Preparations )

To be continued in part 2...

Current Mood: remembering

I'm married now! In the end it all went very well on the day, pretty much as well as I could have hoped. I'll post about the wedding (and some pics...just ones from friends, since we don't have our official ones yet and probably won't for a while) a bit later.

I just wanted to post this weird story: Cell phone mystery in 1928 Chaplin film

What do you think? Hoax? Some other explanation?

Current Mood: curious

So now it is eleven days until my wedding, and I am running on a constant background stress level that is made up of about 2/3 wedding and 1/3 things I have to get done at work before the end of the week and then have to hurry to finish up when I get back. These things are student grant applications with hard deadlines, so I'm actually only taking 1.5 weeks off work around my wedding rather than a full 2 weeks just so I can come back and get those damned things submitted on time. These kids had better appreciate what I do for them!

So now it's all in the last-minute details. We've had several problems (one of which nearly cost us the legality of our wedding day, and now we'll be having a religious ceremony instead of a civil one) but I think if we keep working at it things will come out okay in the end. But busy busy busy! Tonight I have hockey, tomorrow we meet with the ceremony officiant, Thursday Paul has something, Friday I have hockey again (last one before the wedding). Then Monday we meet with the caterer, and Monday night NE and Ly get here. On October 7 BC and Phoenix get here, and finally getting to meet them is almost as exciting as the wedding itself!

Still so much to do, and it's all stuff that can't be done until the last minute, too. I hate having to wait to get things done! @_@

Current Mood: stressed

I exist on DW now just in case, so feel free to add me there (still trying to figure everything out). I think what I'll do is cross-post everything between LJ and DW. I've really only done this so I can make sure to keep up with the friend(s?) who are leaving LJ.

My view on this issue: my LJ may be open to the public, but for me Facebook is for RL and LJ is for internet friends, and I keep the two completely separate (my Facebook is friends only and nobody is added to it unless I have met them face to face). I do not want anything of mine cross-posted to Facebook...not because I feel I have anything to hide, but because I want to maintain the separation of these two "lives", per se. LJ is for THIS, Facebook is for THAT, and both are in their neat little compartments of my life. I understand everyone's feelings on privacy and would never cross-post anyone else's stuff.

This whole uninhibited cross-posting idea is a right mess.

On a totally unrelated note, Paul and I were talking about online lives a few nights ago and he finally asked me what "GAFF" was because I always talked about it as such a big part of my online life. When I told him it stood for GodAwful FanFiction, he laughed...he used to read there (but never post) around the time when I first joined back in 2001-02! Small world. O_o

Current Mood: okay

At 9:30am on August 10, 2010, the most beautiful, wonderful person I will ever have the privilege to have known passed from this world. At the incredible age of 108, my Granny has at last gone to join her husband, friends and family.

At the beginning of the weekend she contracted pneumonia, and on Sunday afternoon Ma called all of us and told us that Granny would likely not last the night. Our family all gathered in her room in the nursing home, where Granny was asleep, having been given drugs to make her comfortable. End-stage protocol had begun, and she would not wake again. Did she know we were there? She seemed asleep, but her breathing was easier when the entire family was in the room with her. None of us were able to say goodbye aloud, but that time was our goodbye as we each held her hand and stood by her. Incredibly, she held on for another 36 hours after that. It was only after her favourite nurse arrived Tuesday morning and told her that it was okay to leave that she finally passed.

Muriel Sonne was an exceptional person, and my hero. Not the kind of hero who fights in wars or rushes into burning buildings, but the kind whose reassuring presence, quiet dignity, unconditional love and tolerance, and indomitable spirit and strength makes you want to be a better person. She was on this earth for a long time, and has seen so many things, has witnessed so much history taking place. Her longevity was her "claim to fame", but that was hardly the only reason that she was an inspiration to us all.

( RIP Muriel Sonne, 1902-2010 )

Current Mood: grieving

Hey, Jackal, you usually know this stuff...what's this?

Current Mood: curious

Proof that nothing brings this city together like Habs Fever:

I was walking from work to the train this evening, and I had my coat open with my Habs T-shirt showing. This white-haired lady obviously in her 60s walking in the opposite direction grinned at me, said "Go Habs Go!" and held up her hand. It took me a second to fully process this highly weird and yet awesome moment in time, so all I had time to do was grin back before we high-fived as we passed each other and continued on our way. (Not even sure if she was french or english--"Go Habs Go" is a universal greeting that knows no language barriers!) It truly made my day. I wish I had the guts to do that to random strangers!

Don't let the stories of the rioters (the police have said that the vandals and violent ones were an organized group, obviously just taking advantage of the street party to cause trouble) sour you on the hockey spirit of this city. There ain't nothing like it!

Current Mood: amused

Final score: Montreal 5, Pittsburgh 2, and Crosby and the Penguins are headed for the golf course! Halak was his usual awesome self, especially in the third period, and it was just...wow. Also great to see Gill back (Pittsburgh had been attempting to systematically eliminate all of our defencemen, beginning in Game 1 with Markov, who still isn't back) and putting his 6'7 self in Crosby's way.

The game was in Pittsburgh, but the Bell Center here was sold out ($7.50 to watch the game there on the big screen with ~25000 other fans). I don't know what downtown looks like right now, but it's probably insane.

When the game had been over for a couple of minutes, the phone rang. It was my parents' number, and I figured it was Da because he tends to call his daughters after important hockey games XD. Good thing I have caller ID, because when I picked up the phone all I heard was "HALAAAAAAK!!!" I LOLed. XD I love my Da.

(The joy is tempered somewhat though by the tragic loss of a family of four when their home suddenly collapsed into a sinkhole on Monday night. The entire family had been watching Game 6 together in the basement when they were buried--so quickly that at least two of them did not even have time to get up off the couch. So terrible and frightening. (This incident also meant many phone calls to our department from reporters at a time when anyone who even remotely specializes in such things is off in the field.) One minute your family is enjoying the game, and then the next minute...)

But the Habs play on, and now we will face either Boston or Philly in the conference final. We have scores to settle with both teams (Philly eliminated us in 2008, Boston did it in 2009), but we have a long-standing playoff rivalry with Boston and that matchup is what most Habs fans are looking for. Boston was up 3-1 in the series, but Philly just won and has tied up the series, forcing a Game 7 on Friday. Not sure why they're one game behind us, but hopefully Les Boys won't get cold waiting for them to catch up!

Current Mood: ecstatic

So probably most of you don't follow hockey and don't care, but Habs Fever is going strong in our city right now. I've got it, so you're stuck with me talking about it!

Having just barely squeaked into last playoff spot (8th in the Eastern Conference), the Montreal Canadiens promptly faced the 1st-place Washington Capitals and their star Alexander Ovechkin. Our goalie Jaroslav Halak stepped up (53 saves in one game!), as did our star scorer Mike Cammalleri, and we bumped off the Caps in the 7th game. Moving on to 4th-place (and last year's champs) Pittsburgh Penguins and their star Sidney Crosby, the Habs have now made it once again to Game 7. If we win tonight to unseat the Pens and move on to the Eastern Conference final (likely against Boston)...well, the city is going to go nuts. (Here's hoping that the riot isn't too bad...)

Unlike in 2008, when we were in first place going into the playoffs and expected a Stanley Cup win, this wasn't supposed to happen. Rather than be disgusted by the second-round Game 5 loss suffered by the supposed-to-win 2008 team, this city is humbled by the spirit and never-give-up attitude of the underdog 2010 team. We are treasuring every victory, every goal, every save made by Halak, and we are with Les Boys no matter what.

Habs fans are probably the hardest in the whole NHL, but truthfully I don't think that anything brings this city together like cheering on Our Montreal Canadiens. It's awesome when you see businesses flying the Canada flag, the Quebec flag, and the Habs flag. The spirit of Montreal!

So have some Habs-style Lady Gaga:

And a feel-good Habs pride song in which we hope that this year will feel a bit like '93 (the last time the Habs won the Cup):

GO HABS GO!!

From a friend of mine, regarding the phrase "separation of church and state":

"It's an academic catchphrase used by people who want to push their desire to relegate those with certain opinions and beliefs into second class status in society. This is also and dangerous thing because it erodes the principle of freedom of expression and of thought"

WHAT.

Is he saying what I think he's saying? I'm getting the "IT OPPRESSES CHRISTIANS!!" vibe from this. And coming from him--this is the guy from this big family who was homeschooled and is super-Christian (but in a weird way; he's got some ideas/beliefs that aren't normal even for that) to the point of being a creationist--I would not be surprised. Just very, very disappointed. (BTW I have to say that although he holds some wacko beliefs he doesn't proselytize about them--he'll only go into it if nudged--and doesn't judge (aloud) or get up in anyone else's business like the loud American fundies.)

But separation of church and state erodes the principle of freedom of expression and thought? WTF? I mean, really, this boggles the mind and just reinforces my belief that fundies live every day as if it's Opposite Day.

ETA: This is a RL friend, BTW--born and raised in Quebec (anglophone), so the US isn't and has never been his nation. In Canada we don't have the Establishment Clause, but our Charter of Rights and Freedoms has this: "The Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms guarantees the rights and freedoms set out in it subject only to such reasonable limits prescribed by law as can be demonstrably justified in a free and democratic society." The first fundamental freedom listed that everyone has is "freedom of conscience and religion", followed by "freedom of thought, belief, opinion and expression, including freedom of the press and other media of communication".

Current Mood: WTF

Alexandre Bilodeau on men's moguls: First Canadian Olympic gold on home soil!!

Current Mood: ecstatic

That torch looks like Superman's fortress gone wrong.

Honestly, how hard is it to design a torch that still sort of looks like a torch--and, oh yeah, is functional? After a great show like that, it was a pretty big letdown.

(And CTV.ca dropped their online feed a few seconds before the torch was lit, and by the time I got to a TV, I had missed it. Brilliant timing. After waiting all night to see it, I had to watch it in "rerun". Can we get CBC back?)

Overall I did like the show. Unfortunately I missed the part before the athletes' entrance because I was at my own hockey game, but I enjoyed what I did see. I loved the special effects on the floor, especially the orcas. I also got a bit wibbly when they showed our soldiers in Kandahar watching the show on TV and wearing Canada hockey jerseys over their uniforms.

Bryan Adams and Nelly Furtado were so obviously lip-synching, but the song was a fun get-up song, so I didn't mind so much. Other songs were kind of boring. I'm sure the woman who sang the Olympic Hymn must be considered to have a great voice, but I had to mute her because opera makes me want to do violence.

Could have done without the flying kid, though...is that a requirement for every single opening ceremonies? Screw "artsy", that shit is boring and doesn't even count as mystical or wondrous or anything. It's a kid being pulled around on a harness. Next!

I liked that Hayley Wickenheiser was chosen to do the athletes' oath. Female hockey players represent!!

I liked the choices for the flag-bearers: famous Canadian actors, singers, athletes, humanitarians and an astronaut. There was movement in Canada to get Betty Fox (Terry Fox's mother) to be the one to light the torch, but the flag is also a great honour. The final flame runners were also good, and it was nice that they all lit the indoor torch, then the Great One lit the outdoor one (as suspected by most).

Gretzy's trip to the outdoor torch through the pouring rain that is the signature of Vancouver, surrounded by people wearing only light jackets (and some even in T-shirts), made me shake my head and wonder how and why they picked a city for the Winter Olympics that never actually experiences winter. You know where else in Canada has winter? EVERYWHERE ELSE BUT VANCOUVER. Honestly. Even Toronto.

On a more somber note, it's sad about that Georgian luger who died. It's so tragic, to be on the eve of what should be the greatest moment of your life, and die before reaching that moment. Ranked 44th coming into the competition, he was unlikely to medal, so that kind of Olympic glory wasn't to be for him. But it still would have been his chance, his moment, the culmination of everything he had worked for. It would have meant a lot to him, his family and friends. Now instead of it being his memory, he's our memory. The moment of silence for him was touching. I really, really hope nobody else gets badly hurt on that apparently insanely dangerous luge track.

But all in all, it's awesome to have the Games on home turf. As always, I'll be glued to a TV or an online feed nearly 24/7 for the next couple of weeks as I once again become the Olympic junkie I've been for as long as I can remember. Tomorrow I shall put on my Olympic mittens (Da bought them for me) and Monday I will wear my Canada hockey jersey (Christmas gift from Paul) to work.

WITH GLOWING HEARTS

GO CANADA!

Current Mood: tired

Over six years ago, back when my obsession of the moment was the Legacy of Kain games (never did play the games since I'm not a gamer, but I loved the story and characters), I made this silly chibi pic of Janos (the cookies were some kind of fandom in-joke at the time).

Back in January someone else on deviantArt discovered the pic and liked it so much that she asked permission to make a little figurine of it. I said sure, and it made my day at the time, but I had totally forgotten about it until she sent me this today!

It has once again made my day! I feel really honoured that someone liked my little picture enough to spend the time to make a sculpture of it. I wish I could have the little guy myself!

I'm still pleasantly surprised every time someone finds an old piece of mine--be it one of those 6-year-old silly chibi pics or my first fic, which is nearing 10 years old now--and likes it. It always gives me a smile to get a review from someone brand-new even though I'm no longer drawing or writing fics. It reminds me of some good times ^_^.

~

Christmas loots were awesome this year. Among them: the GI Joe series box set and a Team Canada Olympic hockey jersey from Paul, the last of the seasons of SG-1 and Stargate: Atlantis to complete my series, Supernatural S4, new tops and necklaces and barrettes (ordered by me but paid for as a Xmas present), new towels and bathmats to match the hopefully soon-to-be-completed bathroom, a new scarf and slippers, $200, gift cards for HMV and Future Shop, a couple of new funky lamps and a GI Joe action figure from Kel and her boyfriend...and, for old time's sake, a Yoko Tsuno book (I doubt that most people would know what those are, considering they're in french, but I used to collect them when I was 10-15 years old).

And if you think that was a great haul, it was Alexa's first Christmas and she was spoiled to bits (not that she would understand, of course). I was particularly pleased with the present I got her--a Team Canada Olympic sweatsuit. It's red and black and teeny-tiny and I can't wait to see her in it. Everyone else may want to keep dressing her in pink, so this auntie has taken it upon herself to ensure that she not become a purely pink Disney princess type!

Another gift I was especially proud of was the one I bought for Skating Dave--a signed Carey Price collectible puck. I hope he likes it and that he doesn't already have one! He always gets me nice stuff and as an engagement present he gave Paul and me the Transformers series box set, so he deserves something awesome.

I hope everyone had a great Christmas!

Current Mood: pleased

( Renovation woes, illness and injury...oh, sigh )

...And now I have a paper cut. So totally boo to these last few weeks. :P

Current Mood: bored

The Remembrance Day Ceremony for Montreal was held on our campus due to renovations at its normal venue. They had four cannons do the 21-gun salute to signal the beginning and the end of two minutes of silence; those were easily heard from my office. They were late, though--I'd already done my personal minute of silence at 11am.

~

I just got confirmed to take part in a fibromyalgia study being done by a McGill doctor. An excerpt from her website talks about her previous research:

Dr. M. Catherine Bushnell, Canada Research Chair in Clinical Pain Research, is addressing these far-reaching effects of chronic pain in her work. She has shown that grey matter in the brains of patients with fibromyalgia (an incurable condition of chronic muscle and connective tissue pain) decreases more rapidly with age than does that of healthy individuals.

It does? That doesn't sound good. :(

Here's what the study I'm in is about:

The purpose of this study is to explore the impact of fibromyalgia on the brain, on how people feel pain, and on how they think and remember. We expect that the results of this study may improve our understanding of fibromyalgia and related chronic pain conditions. The results in the patients will be compared to those in healthy control subjects, which is why you are invited to take part in the study.

Your participation in the study will involve a telephone interview of around 15 minutes, two visits to the Alan Edwards Centre for Research on Pain that will both last for 1.5-2 hours and one 1-1.5 hour brain imaging session at the Montreal Neurological Institute.

I'm a bit nervous because one of the sessions will involve "apply[ing] non-painful and painful warm, cold and pressure stimuli to your hand, arm, or leg" until my tolerance level is reached. A "nail bed" is mentioned (WTF O_O). However, in the end I will get $200, a free MRI (I hope they let me see the result! I want a picture of my brain ^_^;), and the satisfaction of having participated in something that may help me down the line.

In fact, during my pre-screening, I was told how progress has been made in fibromyalgia research (to the point where they have decided that it shouldn't even be called fibromyalgia because it has nothing to do with the fibrous things and pretty well everything to do with the brain, so they are unofficially calling it "acute all-over pain" or something like that) and the doctor gave me the names of a couple of pain-managing drugs to ask my real doctor about. So I should really call my doctor (haven't seen him in like 3 years).

~
( Other RL stuff )
~
( New TV show reviews )
~

Anyhoo, that's about it. If I think of anything else, I'll just add it in.

Current Mood: sore

So 32, eh?

Yesterday I got called 24 by one person and 29 by another (and only because he had just heard me call my sister young when I was saying how she was complaining about turning 27--otherwise he would have guessed younger). I also got accosted by two of the lab tech ladies in our department yesterday who wouldn't let me leave until I told them my true age...to which they replied "Darn! I'd guessed younger". In short, I continue to rock.

It's a crappy day here, windy and rainy. Although...could it be? Do I see the sky lightening? One can only hope. Rain on Halloween night is the worst.

Tonight is Alex's big party. Last night was the school party. I am impressed by the costume-making skills of many of the students--particularly the group of girls and one guy who were the X-Men and Magneto, and another three girls who were Rainbow Brite and the Color Kids--but hugely disappointed in their dancing. Why don't they ever dance? What's the point of a party where there is no dancing? Parties with no dancing make me think of adult cocktail parties, where people just stand around and talk, and I can't think of any party more boring than that.

Tonight I will be a witch. I have a long black dress that ties up the front and is slit up-to-there on both sides, and I've never had the occasion to wear it. This seems like as good a time as any!

This was a boring entry. Just nothing much going on lately, I guess. I need to wake up more in time for the party.

Current Mood: sleepy

(If you don't know what this is about by now, then it wouldn't matter to you anyway.)

Yes, I knew. I've known for two years now. She actually confessed it to me, very suddenly and spontaneously one day. I was one of three (as far as I know) who received this confession, and all three of us kept it to ourselves.

I hope that nobody is angry at me for not telling them (although apparently some of you found out anyway through other means). I cannot speak for the others, but I can give my reasons why I kept the secret, biting my tongue hard every time anyone asked me about her.

1) I believe that people's secrets are their own to reveal or not reveal. Because this secret tied in with her real life identity, I considered it to be personal and thus couldn't cross that line myself. Still, I always kind of hoped that someone else would reveal it one day so that I wouldn't have to.

2) I wanted to protect people. I felt horrible upon finding out the truth, like I had been used and played for a fool. It hurt, and I didn't want others to have to feel that way if they didn't have to. By that time she had been gone from LJ for a while anyway. When she returned a few months ago (yes, that french post was about her), she didn't stay long. As long as she wasn't here, I thought that it might be better if people could just keep their good memories. If she didn't stick around, no further harm could be done. So although I wanted someone else to tell, part of me still never wanted the rest of you to find out. Why hurt people for no reason?

I just want to say that if she had returned, tried to play the part and string people along again, I would not have stayed quiet. My french post was sort of a warning to that effect.

3) I wanted to avoid wank. Honestly, I have zero interest in wank, be it participating in it or even just reading it. My internet life is small now, limited to reading my f-list and chatting with a select few (no forums or communities of any kind). I didn't know if this would have gone splodey, and I didn't want it to go splodey all over me. I still don't, so I'm not going to tell my whole story.

She's not the person who was our friend. That person was an act. I can tell you from experience that there are differences between the character and the real person, in the "voice", the tone, the things that were said. Once we had been told the truth, there was no adjustment time--she was suddenly a different person. We weren't talking to our old friend anymore; we were talking to someone we didn't know, who then complained that we were treating her differently. Did she not realize that she was different when she wasn't him?

To be honest, I miss that fake person and the good times we had, but he is never coming back. One thing I have to say is that she was very good at what she did--a great writer and roleplayer. I suppose practice made perfect when for three years there was never a point when she wasn't roleplaying.

But I cannot abide liars, and this one will not be forgiven anytime soon.

Current Mood: tired

So this is that Facebook guy's status this morning:

"[His name] hates being cencored. Long live free speech and the free exchange of ideas without persecution!"

Gee, I wonder what that's in relation to. Somehow I doubt that it's a coincidence. The poor baby, not being allowed to spout misogynistic bullshit on my personal page anymore. Apparently this is equivalent to censorship, persecution and anti-free speech. Wow, this guy is truly amazing.

You know, when you try to keep internet and real life separate as much as possible, it's all the more jarring when you run into the equivalent of an internet wanker in real life.

ETA: Oh, sheesh. Well, it definitely wasn't a coincidence--he actually whining about me in his Facebook status. The following conversation with a friend of his occurred under that status:

Friend: Who censored you and did it involve nudity??
Him: nah, was just having a conversation about politics, and we had differing views, I was having a stimulating time, but the person felt insulted and thretened to "unfriend" me if I continued talking about said subject. So i did, but felt sad, because I like hard discussions like that. Makes us grow, I find.
Friend: I agree and it's a shame. Reminds me of what a good friend of mine once said :"it sounds better in my head".
Him: ya, sometimes I have inflamatory remarks, but sometimes it's to stimulate conversation that I do it, not to piss people off. oh well...

In short: He's such a big man, a martyr and a wanker all rolled into one. "Differing views", "stimulating time", "hard discussions", "sometimes I have inflamatory remarks ... to stimulate conversation"...sure, you high intellectual, you. You want to "grow"? Take it upon yourself to educate yourself so that you don't come off as a misogynistic creep. It's not up to me to indulge or teach you.

And I am so sure that you felt "sad" rather than, you know, thwarted.

I'd defriend this guy right now but I don't know if it'll get back to Paul somehow. I don't feel like having to explain that I was fighting with one of his friends and think the guy's an asshole. Sigh. Am I overreacting?

Current Mood: OMFG, seriously??

Wedding post, part 3: The reception

Wedding post, part 2

Wedding post, part 1: Leading up to the wedding

So this is pretty weird!

Soon, very soon

Got a DW account now

On the passing of a personal icon

Hey, Jackal

Love it

THEY DID IT!!

GO HABS GO

What?

GOLD!

Nothin' here but Olympics

Eee! :D

Boo to these last few weeks

Stuff + reviews

Ya rly?

In case anyone was wondering.

Grr, part 3

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December 2010

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