"Osti de Calisse de Tabarnac!"

It begins! I've been back for a few very busy days. Well, moderately busy and full of coming and going and buying things, anyway. I replaced my printer in hopes that a new one will eat less ink than my old one. The old printer came free with my laptop and is now sitting disconsolately in the corner as though offended by its larger, shinier replacement. There have also been various clothes and bus passes purchased.

I have also been catching up with my socializing. Katherine left for Tronna on Saturday morning, but before she went we managed to get in a dinner with Kayt, Rachael, and Kelly on Thursday. It was most lovely to see all of them again.

Friday my thong sandal's strap suddenly detached itself from the sole, so I wound up limping one-shoed through the Rideau Centre before buying cheapo flip-flops at Old Navy and turning up twenty minutes late for lunch. Friday was meant to be my day of bus pass purchasing, but turned into a solo shopping expedition while everyone else was at work. Very satisfactory. That night Katherine and I went out to Elgin Street for a good walk-and-talk and a delicious tartufo, after trying and failing to meet Rosina and some of the frosh facilitators. Rosina has been with the facils for two days and is, I believe, dreading the rest of her week with the pretty preppy party people. We meant to dilute the unpleasantness of the company but we couldn't find her so that was moot.

Saturday morning I took a walk over to where Kelly was completing a "Try-a-Tri" triathlon, which was (I think) a 500 m swim, a 15 km bike, and a 5 km run. I just missed her finish by about ten minutes, but found her and her friend Sarah near the finish line, both looking fresh as daisies and not at all exhausted. They said it was a lot of fun, so maybe I'll do one next year. The only thing that would deter me would be my hatred of swimming pools due to all the ear infection bacteria that swarm upon me gleefully as soon as I hit the water. And I'd have to get a bike here, but that can be done. But I do run -- Jacob came over soon after I got back from the tri and we went for a good run, then got dinner ready for the arrival of the folks: Steph, Jesus Ian, Rosina, and Jacob's girlfriend of five months, Leslie. Leslie got to my place early and we played catch with avocado pits (we discovered that fresh ones are suprisingly springy and bouncy). Steph didn't bring her boy toy, whom I have not yet met, but I'm sure I'll see him soon. She looks quite happy, at any rate, and when Jacob incited a wrestling match she held her own. We all have some scratches from that! I made tilapia with homemade pico de gallo and guacamole for tortilla chips, and corn on the cob. Rosina and Ian left because they had stuff to do that was more important than hanging out with us (I kid because I love, guys) but the remaining foursome went to see Bon Cop Bad Cop. Money well spent on a very funny Canadian movie! I laughed hysterically and felt like a good bilingualist at the same time, as well as learning some useful constructions for cursing in French. Apparently you can just compound swears in the form "____ de ____ de ____ de ___!" for as long as you feel is necessary to express the depth of your emotion. Heh. And, as I told my parents earlier on the phone, when people got hurt, they stayed hurt, rather than acquiring magic powers of instant regeneration like most action movie characters do. The acting was good, and the whole story was over-the-top but not so much that it wasn't lovable. Three cheers.

Today I finally got the new printer and the bus pass (my photo is not nearly as good as last year's photo, boo) and so my consumerism is done for now, though textbook shopping remains. It is drizzly and yucky out, as it apparently was for much of August, and I plan on staying inside until the darn weather improves. If anyone needs me, I will be on the couch. Ta-ra!