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Monthly Archives: February 2010
He Scores! We Flush?
I was living in Edmonton during the 2006 Stanley Cup finals, the most recent year the Edmonton Oilers made an amazing run for the cup. I grew up cheering for the Oilers and it was simply amazing to be back in Edmonton for this.
Among the many things I remember about that spring’s playoff run were the stats Epcor released about the water usage patterns during the playoff games. In a nutshell, they were releasing these nifty graphs demonstrating how water usage in the city spiked during the between period breaks (see example below). Basically we were all rushing to use the loo at the same time, not wanting to miss a moment of the games.
Fast forward to tonight, Feb. 24, 2010. Most people I know planned to be glued to their TVs and/or computer screens tonight to watch Canada play Russia in the Olympic quarter finals. I wonder if anyone is keeping track of water usage stats this evening?
[Update: Seems stats were kept during the Canada-USA gold medal men's hockey game as well!]
A Pad Thai That I Can Eat
Believe it or not, I’ve never had Pad Thai. That ol’ peanut allergy kind of gets in the way. Whenever I hear my friends talk about going out for Thai food I feel a little jealous. I’ve always thought I’d really like it (I like noodles, I like lime, I like cilantro, etc..), but my allergy is so severe that even going in a Thai restaurant is uncomfortable for me.
Today, however, we decided to try this recipe and, although I have nothing to compare it to, I think it turned out quite well. (My co-conspirator has given it two thumbs up and she has eaten the “real deal” before, so that’s a good sign). This recipe even gives a vegan variation (we opted for the vegetarian version tonight, but will try the vegan one soon), and instead of peanuts we used chopped up almonds.
Of Rights and Freedoms
On Saturday we went in to see Courageous at the Tarragon Theatre. I’d heard good things about this play and it certainly didn’t disappoint. I don’t want to give a blow-by-blow account, but in a nutshell it is a clever play that deals with issues of rights and freedoms. The story is told through the lives of 3 couples and, although the two acts were very, very different from each other, they work really well together.
On Sunday we went to the “Follow the Freedom Trail” concert put on by Choralis Camerata and featuring soloist Theresa Holierhoek (for a sample of Holierhoek’s talent, check out this performance from the Ice Wine Festival in Jordan). This was an amazing event that focused on the role of music in the Underground Railroad. As a newcomer to this region I don’t think I realized just how significant St. Catharines was in this history.
The Garden City Plan
An article in the St. Catharines Standard discussing the city’s “blueprint for the future” caught my attention this morning. The draft of the City’s new official plan is available online and makes for quite an interesting read. Of particular interest to me were the following points:
1) “The City will balance the provision of a safe, functional, and attractive pedestrian and cycling oriented environment with an acceptable level of vehicular traffic” and “The city will encourage alternative forms of transportation that promote energy conservation and a healthy lifestyle.”
2) “The City should establish a minimum 1 %, and work towards a target of a minimum 3 %, of the capital budget of all major public buildings and structures, for the provision of public art.”
There are, of course, many more things discussed in this document, but I find these two particularly encouraging!
There will be a series of open houses and presentations in the coming weeks so that members of the community can find out more about the plan and have their say.
Click
1) Opened my email this morning to discover an ARTstor newsletter telling me that images from Cook’s voyages to the South Seas are now available through this wonderful image database. So cool!
2) Read about a very interesting-sounding photo exhibit in Toronto. Must go see this!
3) Found out about The Working Proof, an organization that sells art prints and helps charities. Love it!
4) Donkey Sanctuary! Need I say more?
I Am Extremely Very Busy Reading
A couple of summers ago I found myself in Manchester and, of course, had to pop into the Manchester Art Gallery. It was here that I was first introduced to the wonderful world of Charlie and Lola. In addition to the books and postcards I purchased in the gallery shop I also bought a set of Charlie and Lola bookmarks (see below) which have become both my sabbatical companions and tangible manifestations of my current state of mind.
I spent January wrapping up 2 writing projects — a book manuscript and an article. I’m sure there will still be editorial revisions, etc. for both, but I begin February with the immense luxury of finally being able to put my new research front and centre. It makes me giddy and breathless just thinking about being able to spend week after week reading, writing and thinking about this work. I’ve been interested in pursuing it since about 2002 but haven’t been able to make it my full time project until now.
Right now I’m spending time reading — reading things I haven’t had a chance to read yet, re-reading things I read years ago and discovering new (to me) important works in this sub-field I’m entering into with this new research. It is wonderful and reminds me of when I was studying for my comprehensive exams, minus, of course, the stress of the exam itself. I recall my advisor saying to me during that period that I should value the luxury of spending day after day reading. I didn’t quite get it until now.
If you’re looking for me, I’ve got my nose in a book. (but I did take a break to take part in Toque Tuesday this morning at Market Square)
