If there is one thing that Montreal has an abundance of, its concert venues. Matt and I have attended four concerts over the past few months (and are going to be seeing yet another tonight) and have yet to have gone to the same venue twice. Not bad! Last night we saw one of Jon Spencer's bands, Heavy Trash at the rather bare bones venue, La Sala Rossa. Now, if it were any person who was destined to fulfill a certain role in life, Jon Spencer would be that fellow. He was simply born to be on stage with a guitar and a microphone. I'm not even entirely sure if he even write his lyrics down or if he just improvises each night. He grunts, points, clutches the air and addresses the audience as if they are the disciples of his holy house of rock and roll. Matt and I certainly were believers that night.

Before the show we stopped at a restaurant that I had been eyeing for some time. Its this little greasy spoon called Rapido on the corner of a very busy and trendy street. I would always oogle the kitschy decor and packed booths as we walked past the huge windows. But as we arrived and were greeted by the creepy old waitress who stares at you just a little too long, I had a feeling things weren't going to be as good as I'd hoped. I ordered the Texan burger, which the menu had described as a patty with sauteed mushrooms and onions and Swiss cheese. Not sure what is so Texan about that, but it sounded good. Matt went for the chicken fingers at the last second as the waitress stared right down into his soul. When the food arrived it looked far more impressive than it had tasted. The burger's ratios were all wrong...a thin patty with a huge, thick bun. I could of had a better burger at A&W....mmmmm...Mama burger..... Matt's chicken fingers looked as if they had been found in the back of grandma's refrigerator and were cooked so hot that you wouldn't notice how bad they actually were. At least the fries were good. But in it's defence, Rapido is the kind of place you go to AFTER a concert or long night at a bar. Its the kind of place you cram into the booth with all of your friends while trying to sober up over poutine and smoked meat. That is to say, I probably would of liked this place alot better if I were drunk.

Fresh layer of paint.

I think a little cosmetic updating was overdue for my 'ol blog here. With all of this sunshine and rain, I am overcome with a perverse desire to clean.

Even though the mercury has risen well beyond the freezing point, there are still some stragglers who still dress as if it is the dead of winter. They walk around with their knitted toques and down-insulated coats. It as if they still don't trust that the seasons have turned.

I finally got the haircut that I have been trying to get for the past god-kn0ws-how-many years. Funny that it took a hairdresser who only speaks French to translate what I want into the perfect cut.

Last Friday the Black Rebel Motorcycle Club came rumbling into town for an extraordinarily loud and sweaty show...oh my. This was the third time that I had seen them play live, and its a scientific fact that they never disappoint. It was more like a contest of endurance between the audience and the performers. They played for a solid two hours, almost non-stop. Needless to say, after the show mine and my husband's ears were thoroughly destroyed. A true sign of an amazing performance!

I stumbled upon a beautiful girly fashion magazine the other day whilst loitering about the hair salon. Its called Foam. Their target audience might be a bit younger and more Californian than myself, but I find it to be like a less irritating version of Nylon.

Matt and I still have a couple other concerts to attend this month. Charlotte Gainsbourg Heavy Trash (one of Jon Spenser's many bands). I'm particularly excited to see miss Gainsbourg's performance...it seems she has had a bit of a renaissance with her latest collaborative record, touring schedule, award winning acting performances and not to mention her new Balenciaga perfume. She is just so intrinsically cool...

Professor Brian Cox may be the best thing that has even happened to astronomy. He has been the host of an absolutely beautiful mini series on the BBC called "The Wonder Of The Solar System". It's only five episodes long, which leaves me begging for more. Throughout the series he lists some of the most incredible discoveries of our own planetary system...and that the most fascinating worlds aren't even planets at all, but are the Saturnian moons and Galilean moons of Jupiter. What I appreciate most about Dr. Cox's presentation is his genuine, boy-like wonder and excitement he displays about the universe....plus he is a TOTAL dreamboat.

Times up. Winter is over. The remnant patches of snow lay in open fields like white, rotting corpses. The sun has over taken the sky and with it the sadness has been banished away forever...or at least until next winter. Suddenly, there is life on Mars again. The soil has thawed and the atmosphere has cleared to give way to Spring, and I cannot tell you how relieved I am. To be honest, I think I weathered the winter well enough. The cold makes you stronger, it seriously does. But I am glad that its over for now.

Yesterday was the first really nice day. So, Matt and I took off for a 7 mile hike from our condo through our neighborhood, to Little Italy, through the Plateau, for a stop in Chinatown for some nourishment, and finally to the Old Port where we took the Metro back home. Everyone was out walking their dogs or children. There is a sense of camaraderie amongst all living creatures on the street..even the little dogs strung from their owners step a little higher to the tune of the sparrows who have returned from their Southern vacations.

Underneath

A friend and I ventured through an underground area of Montreal. Within such a small area, one can encounter a variety of architectural oddities. This is but a small sample of this semi-subterranean city.

I know that I tend to start things, and slowly let them fade into background as I get wrapped up in other, equally as unimportant distractions. But lately this blog has been on my mind...I miss updating on a semi regular basis, and I miss posting new items for sale in my Etsy store as well. Actually there are lot of things that I have been missing dearly. Like MY CAR. Its been held hostage until I get my titled released and have Canadian insurence...so for the past few weeks I have been car-less and stranded at home (well, I do live near a metro, so I have been able to get around town). I don't know if its the pain medication from my wisdom tooth extraction that I've been hopped up on or just a nagging case of the home sick blues, but there are a couple things that have been pulling at my little heart strings lately:



My parents and their home. The other day I was thinking about how much I love the way my parent's home smells like the musty scent of the outdoors. I love hearing the wind chimes in the back yard and birds chirping their morning tune. I like looking out the kitchen window and see my dad sitting on the back patio, popping squirrels with his B.B gun. And I can't wait until my mom and I can go out on our legendary antique-hunting adventures again.



My best friend, Collete. I miss her sweet, Southern accent and hand rolled American Spirits. I miss walking to her house and laying on her bed as she spends two hours getting dressed and deciding that she hates her outfit despite me reassuring her that she looks beautitul in whatever she wears. I miss all the nights she and I would get high and just laugh at one each other's jokes until we thought we were going to die. When we were around each other, it was as if nothing bad could ever happen. And nothing ever did go wrong. Somehow, every night was the best night of my life. She was my right-hand-man, and there will always be an empty place in her absence.

Though, I shouldn't let myself get too caught up in what I no longer have on a regular basis. I know for certain that I will see my parents and their home and that I will have more nights with Collete. These things are not gone, just out of reach for now. Besides, life on this side is vibrant too. This city is unusual in that my story is not unique...there seems to be so many who are starting new in a place they only felt compelled to be a part of.

Fashion Phoenix

Lately I have been in this fashion funk. Maybe it has to do with the constant cold weather and inability to wear most of my wardrobe. Anything that I wear is going to be obscured by my giant winter coat....sometimes I catch myself saying "why bother?". Well its time to shape up! So in order to combat these wintertime blahs, I have made more of an effort to look through my closet and recontextualize all of my clothing. That is, trying things on and thinking about my wardrobe in a different way. Also, I find myself being inspired by the way Montrealers dress themselves...loads of black, sleek silhouettes, sharp heels, and a slightly modern edge. Usually I gravitate towards bright colors and large, graphic prints. But I think I am starting to lean towards a more futuristic look with a vaguely goth twist. And it all centers around these incredible boots Matt got my for my birthday!

Holiday food-a-thon

Seems that way, anyhow. This week is going to be a gastronomical onslaught. Believe you me, there is no hope on the horizon...just an endless army of cake. Kiss those toned thighs goodbye and simply give in to the Lord of Lard.....Okay enough of that.

Its been busy/not busy since the last time I made a post here. I guess we have just been getting into the daily routine of things. Matt comes home every night to an experimental diner, then we rush off the gym to work off our sin. But life hasn't been all same-old-same-old. We had an interesting night peppered in here and there. Our new little Dutch friend invited us to spy on a blind date of hers, only to discover that her potential date had stood her up. But here's the kicker...the bastard had the gall to show up and hour later...with another date. Ding ding! I think we have a winner! More like a wiener...heh

Last night our classiest Francophone friend hosted a spectacular pre-Christmas dinner equipped with cranberry roasted pork and a giant Little Debbie cake. Really a classic Montreal holiday scene. Tomorrow night I plan to host my very own orphan-theme party (since Matt's parents are sunbathing on a cruise ship right about now and I am forbidden to leave the country until I'm legit). Im gonna serve gruel (chili) and crumbs (corn bread) for everyone!

Speaking of times spent with friends, I had this terrific wash of nostalgia come over me as I was driving through the frozen scenery today....I suddenly remembered one VERY hot summer in Denton, sitting in Tatiana's parked car, smoking cigarettes, drinking some nasty 40-ounce beverage and listening to a mix CD her boyfriend made her. We were just sitting there, feeling way more hip that we actually were...That was a good summer. When does summer hit Montreal again?